Digest Archives Vol 1 Issue 151

From: owner-champ-l-digest@sysabend.org 
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 1999 4:00 PM 
To: champ-l-digest@sysabend.org 
Subject: champ-l-digest V1 #151 
 
 
champ-l-digest       Wednesday, January 20 1999       Volume 01 : Number 151 
 
 
 
In this issue: 
 
    Speedster Flavor 
    Re: Loser Heroes 
    Re: Loser Heroes 
    Scenarios  (Shameless plug for book) 
    Re: superleap attacks 
    Re: Loser Heroes 
    Re: Speedster Flavor 
    Re: Speedster Flavor 
    Re: Killing and Expectations 
    You know you're a good GM when...  (Update) 
    Re: Loser Heroes 
    Re: Dark Champions? 
    slippery floors? 
    Re: Speedster Flavor 
    Re: Character: Celeborn 
    Re: Character: Celeborn 
    Re: slippery floors? 
    Re: Reply to does not go to champ-l 
    Re: Gambit Write-up... 
    Re: You know you're a good GM when...  (Update) 
    Re: Batman's CAK (and long DC continuity rant) 
    Re: Speedster Flavor 
    Re: Loser Heroes 
    Re: Speedster Flavor 
    Re: Reply to does not go to champ-l 
    Re: Character: Celeborn 
    Re: Speedster Flavor 
    Re: Speedster Flavor 
    Re: slippery floors? 
    Re: Speedster Flavor 
    Re: Speedster Flavor 
    Grumpy Ugh Ball 
    Re: slippery floors? 
    Re: slippery floors? 
    Re: Character: Celeborn 
    Re: slippery floors? 
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 09:44:55 -0500 
From: David_A._Fair@fc.mcps.k12.md.us (David A. Fair) 
Subject: Speedster Flavor 
 
Okay, a lllloooonnngggg time ago there was a discussion of the worlds 
most popular speedster tricks. I have never played a speedster, always 
preferring the MA's & Mentalist/Mage types, but I am starting a new 
character in a new campaign and would like some advice: What are some 
really good speedster stunts to add for flavor? 
 
So far I have: 
variable effect minor transform (AE, Radius, Selective, cumulative) for 
 changing long grass to cut grass, dirty room to clean room, etc. 
Autofire STR 
a couple levels in move by/through 
sleight of hand 
a high REC & low Regeneration (superfast healing) 
 
I feel like I need some more flavor, though. Any one have any other 
ideas? (If it helps, he gained his powers in an industrial accident; He 
was scrubbing the inside of a super collider when a superfight broke 
out near the control room and the unit got turned on by a stray bolt of 
energy. He was hit by those fast moving particles, which triggered and 
altered his latent mutancy. 
 
Thanks, 
Dave 
- --------------------------------------------------------- 
David A. Fair 
Montgomery County Public Schools 
Office of Global Access Technology 
Elementary User Support Specialist 
David_Fair@fc.mcps.k12.md.us 
- --------------------------------------------------------- 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 07:37:20 -0800 (PST) 
From: Ell Egyptoid <egyptoid@yahoo.com> 
Subject: Re: Loser Heroes 
 
>The Zoo Crew:     Captain Carrot, Fatsback, RubberDuck,  
>Pig Iron, Alley Kat Abra, and (gawd            forbid)  
>Yankee Poodle!            and Little Cheese, the shrinking 
>mouse, joined later... 
 
My professors were remiss. My education seems incomplete. 
I regretfully must ask: who are these characters? 
Where were they published, etc.? 
== 
Elliott  aka  The Egyptoid 
_________________________________________________________ 
DO YOU YAHOO!? 
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 09:47:36 -0600 (CST) 
From: Rick Jones <rick@blkbox.com> 
Subject: Re: Loser Heroes 
 
thomas deja wrote: 
> I dunno--Haywire never struck me as that awful--Pinball, however, who 
> could expand his body into a big ball and try to run people over (he 
> appeared in a SS crossover with CAPTAIN AMERICA) and Remanat, a guy who 
> threw lethal carpet samples--they were both pretty awful. 
 
Close. Pinball just wore a suit that puffed up like Bouncing Boy and 
bounced around.  And yeah, Remnant's "TK over fabrics" was kinda skill.  
 
 
- --  
Rick Jones      "I don't want to hurt you, baby. <WHACK> Doesn't mean I won't." 
rick@blkbox.com         --Spike,Buffy The Vampire Slayer,Becoming 
http://www-ece.rice.edu/~rickj/ 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 10:40:07 -0500 
From: "Lisa Hartjes" <beren@unforgettable.com> 
Subject: Scenarios  (Shameless plug for book) 
 
<<DARK CHAMPIONS is one of the few books I've chosen to buy.  I highly 
recommend it. 
 
It doesn't add any new rules, but provides a wealth of suggestions 
for creative uses of the existing rules.  There's also a bunch of 
sample characters, weapons, and (if I recall correctly) a small 
sample scenario.>> 
 
And anyone looking for a bunch of scenarios and adventure seeds, you'll find 
a bunch of them in The Kandris Seal. <big grin>  As of the first draft, 
there's four fleshed out adventures and 14 adventure/scenario seeds.  I 
wanted the book to be usable, dammit!  :) 
 
 
Lisa 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 11:34:45 EST 
From: Leah L Watts <llwatts@juno.com> 
Subject: Re: superleap attacks 
 
>>>PS I also remember an old Dragon article that had some poorly thought 
out 
>>>Champions powers and skills including the skill: "Bouncing". 
>> 
>>Steve Maurer's article, after it was rejected by Adventurer's Club? 
>>"Champions Minus", I believe it was called... 
 
I don't remember the author's name, but I remember the article.  Give me 
a little time, I'll dig through my old Dragons and see if I can find the 
issue. 
 
Leah 
 
___________________________________________________________________ 
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. 
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html 
or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 09:53:59 -0600 (CST) 
From: Rick Jones <rick@blkbox.com> 
Subject: Re: Loser Heroes 
 
Donald Tsang wrote: 
> And does the obvious thing, puts on some armor.  I tried to build the "New" 
> Doug once lordy he's expensive what with his ability to use every skill 
> (literaly every skill if it existed, he had it (his power had gotten 
> expanded from the ability to use any language to the ability to use any 
> skill)) and the gadget pool. But then again I also tried to build Jesica 
 
You just give him a small VPP with skills. It'd require the GM's approval, 
but what the hey.  Anyway, as good as the fanfic was, I didn't like the 
idea that Doug was "tapping the collective unconscious". I just figured he 
was to learning languages what Forge was to inventing.  There's no need to 
bump up his power to be super-combat efficient.  I'd much rather seen him 
simply become the best hacker in the world and buy out the opposition.  ;>  
 
> (got as far as the 75 STR TK, fine manipulation, affects porus, 0 end, 
> fully invisible, Area affect: any area. Then I realised I needed to make it 
> a MP for all the other TK tricks  (the missile deflection, the AVLD RKA) 
> and stopped) 
 
Make an EC for the base tricks (TK, flight, a force field), and a small 
multipower for "power stunts".  
 
- --  
Rick Jones      "I don't want to hurt you, baby. <WHACK> Doesn't mean I won't." 
rick@blkbox.com         --Spike,Buffy The Vampire Slayer,Becoming 
http://www-ece.rice.edu/~rickj/ 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 11:19:02 -0500 
From: "Lisa Hartjes" <beren@unforgettable.com> 
Subject: Re: Speedster Flavor 
 
<<What are some really good speedster stunts to add for flavor?>> 
 
Desolid, defined as the ability get his molecules moving so fast that they 
loosen up enough that he can pass through objects.  A character of mine had 
this ability, but she had to be moving at a minimum of 20" to do it.  And 
with the activation roll, well, she tended to run into things a lot (she had 
just got her powers :) 
 
 
Lisa Hartjes 
 
beren@unforgettable.com 
http://roswell.fortunecity.com/daniken/79 
ICQ:  Berengiere (9062561) 
 
If the GM smiles, run.  If she laughs, it's too late... 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 15:49:19 +0000 
From: Chris Hartjes <chris@ergmusic.com> 
Subject: Re: Speedster Flavor 
 
David A. Fair wrote: 
>  
> Okay, a lllloooonnngggg time ago there was a discussion of the worlds 
> most popular speedster tricks. I have never played a speedster, always 
> preferring the MA's & Mentalist/Mage types, but I am starting a new 
> character in a new campaign and would like some advice: What are some 
> really good speedster stunts to add for flavor? 
>  
> So far I have: 
> variable effect minor transform (AE, Radius, Selective, cumulative) for 
>  changing long grass to cut grass, dirty room to clean room, etc. 
> Autofire STR 
> a couple levels in move by/through 
> sleight of hand 
> a high REC & low Regeneration (superfast healing) 
>  
> I feel like I need some more flavor, though. Any one have any other 
> ideas? (If it helps, he gained his powers in an industrial accident; He 
> was scrubbing the inside of a super collider when a superfight broke 
> out near the control room and the unit got turned on by a stray bolt of 
> energy. He was hit by those fast moving particles, which triggered and 
> altered his latent mutancy. 
>  
 
Well, having played a speedster in the past I can also recommend: 
 
- - Lots of running at 0 END 
- - extra PD to counteract damage done by move-bys 
- - skill levels to make turning/accelerating to full speed easier 
- - flight, only while touching a surface to allow him to run across water 
and up the side of buildings 
 
Chris Hartjes 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 11:34:45 EST 
From: Leah L Watts <llwatts@juno.com> 
Subject: Re: Killing and Expectations 
 
>> 	In a V&V campaign, I once set up (or, rather, the mad 
scientist  
>> set up) a situation [...] 
>> 
>> And that one time, the bad guy was vapourized.  With TV crews  
>nearby, 
> 
>     Just make sure you give the players an decent chance to handle 
>the situation correctly.  I got really hosed in one campaign, when I 
>slammed a seemingly invulnerable 'toon into the side of a mountain at 
>Mach 3, killing him instantly. 
 
That's the one thing I didn't like about the Gilt Complex, from an early 
AC.  They were set up so a character who was trying not to kill them 
still could (with that Takes BODY from Ego Attacks lim).  Of course, the 
storyline had the G.C. going against a "character" who had bought darn 
near every combat power in the book, but it still doesn't seem fair. 
 
Leah 
 
___________________________________________________________________ 
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. 
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html 
or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 11:02:02 -0500 
From: "Lisa Hartjes" <beren@unforgettable.com> 
Subject: You know you're a good GM when...  (Update) 
 
<<... you get an email from someone who went to your website, asking if one 
of 
the news items for your pbem game is true. :) 
 
Of course, that could say something completely different about the level of 
intelligence of the general population, but I'd just like to think I'm just 
that good. :)>> 
 
Turns out the person did a general search for X-Files conventions, and the 
(fictional) news article I have posted for my Sentinels pbem game came up. 
Guess that's what I get for using real world stuff in my game. :)  I have 
added a disclaimer to the bottom of the page in question, letting people 
know that the contents are fictional.  :) 
 
 
Lisa Hartjes 
 
beren@unforgettable.com 
http://roswell.fortunecity.com/daniken/79 
ICQ:  Berengiere (9062561) 
 
If the GM smiles, run.  If she laughs, it's too late... 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 11:32:52 -0500 
From: David W Cheung <dwcheung@mindspring.com> 
Subject: Re: Loser Heroes 
 
Remnant didn't have TK over Fabric... I thought it was Magic Cloth. 
And, am I the only one to think Remnant MUST be gay?!   
 
Although speaking of cloth manipulation and loser characters, there was the 
"villainess" Gypsy Moth! 
The sybirite villain from Spider-Woman (The REAL Spider-Woman, not the one 
from Secret Wars.)  :) 
her TK couldn't *handle* the cold touch of metals or other hard 
substances...  wimp!  Although she could pull hair like nobody's 
business... good for all those gal fights.  *giggle* 
 
David, 
Lord of Hyperland 
 
 
At 09:47 AM 1/20/99 -0600, Rick Jones wrote: 
>thomas deja wrote: 
>> I dunno--Haywire never struck me as that awful--Pinball, however, who 
>> could expand his body into a big ball and try to run people over (he 
>> appeared in a SS crossover with CAPTAIN AMERICA) and Remanat, a guy who 
>> threw lethal carpet samples--they were both pretty awful. 
> 
>Close. Pinball just wore a suit that puffed up like Bouncing Boy and 
>bounced around.  And yeah, Remnant's "TK over fabrics" was kinda skill.  
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 11:12:34 -0500 
From: David W Cheung <dwcheung@mindspring.com> 
Subject: Re: Dark Champions? 
 
At 09:49 AM 1/20/99 -0500, Mike Christodoulou wrote: 
>At 12:24 AM 1/20/99 -0500, Graelorn wrote: 
>>Hello, 
>> 
>>I just recently received Champions 4th ed deluxe and San Angelo from GRG, 
>>and well, since I'm satisfied w/ the ease of ordering and the speedy 
>>delivery time I'm now leaning towards ordering Dark Champions...Tho I can't 
>>say I really have much of an idea as to what the book contains. I assume it 
>>gives some genre notes and a gritty setting, but what else does it contain? 
>>New rules perhaps? Would it be a worthwhile purchase? How many pages is it? 
>> 
> 
> 
>DARK CHAMPIONS is one of the few books I've chosen to buy.  I highly 
>recommend it.    
> 
>It doesn't add any new rules, but provides a wealth of suggestions 
>for creative uses of the existing rules.  There's also a bunch of 
>sample characters, weapons, and (if I recall correctly) a small  
>sample scenario. 
> 
 
 
I mainly run a more four-color campaign, but I also own Dark Champions... 
It is a GREAT source of information for me on Criminal and Constitutional 
Law, Criminal Proceedings, and Forensic Science.  It also good if I need 
some quick info on Organized Crime (i.e. Yakuza, Tong, Mafia, etc.) for my 
campaign.  Plus there are some good ideas for characters and scenarios... 
even if you are not running a Street-level campaign!  
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 03:09:16 +1000 
From: "Lockie" <jonesl@cqnet.com.au> 
Subject: slippery floors? 
 
idea for slippery floors, stop me if you've heard this one, suggested by one 
of my players. Martial throw, ae, continuous, uncontrolled. neh?? 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 07:59:01 -0800 
From: Bob Greenwade <bob.greenwade@klock.com> 
Subject: Re: Speedster Flavor 
 
At 09:44 AM 1/20/99 -0500, David A. Fair wrote: 
>Okay, a lllloooonnngggg time ago there was a discussion of the worlds 
>most popular speedster tricks. I have never played a speedster, always 
>preferring the MA's & Mentalist/Mage types, but I am starting a new 
>character in a new campaign and would like some advice: What are some 
>really good speedster stunts to add for flavor? 
> 
>So far I have: 
>variable effect minor transform (AE, Radius, Selective, cumulative) for 
> changing long grass to cut grass, dirty room to clean room, etc. 
>Autofire STR 
>a couple levels in move by/through 
>sleight of hand 
>a high REC & low Regeneration (superfast healing) 
> 
>I feel like I need some more flavor, though. Any one have any other 
>ideas? (If it helps, he gained his powers in an industrial accident; He 
>was scrubbing the inside of a super collider when a superfight broke 
>out near the control room and the unit got turned on by a stray bolt of 
>energy. He was hit by those fast moving particles, which triggered and 
>altered his latent mutancy. 
 
   Hmmmmm....  Just as a matter of flavor you might consider Speed Reading. 
   Enhanced PER and a couple of Overall Skill Levels (simulating taking 
"Extra Time" at super-speed) might be handy too. 
   That's all I can think of offhand that would be just "flavor" stuff. 
- --- 
Bob's Original Hero Stuff Page!  [Circle of HEROS member] 
   http://www.klock.com/public/users/bob.greenwade/original.htm 
Merry-Go-Round Webring -- wanna join? 
   http://www.klock.com/public/users/bob.greenwade/merrhome.htm 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 11:28:18 -0800 
From: "James Jandebeur" <james@javaman.to> 
Subject: Re: Character: Celeborn 
 
>Granted, they're not AD&D 'fill the room and the corridor and 
>the...oops...' type fireballs, but they're there. 
 
 
No, they're Fire Seeds (I think?), a high-level Druid spell ;) 
 
JAJ, GP 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 11:25:01 -0800 
From: "James Jandebeur" <james@javaman.to> 
Subject: Re: Character: Celeborn 
 
>Um...Gandalf can't fly, true, but he most certainly /can/ hurl fireballs. 
>Go dig out your copy of the Hobbit and re-read the scene when Thorin, 
>Gandalf and company have been treed by the wolves. 
 
 
However, that wasn't because of his own powers, that was because he had the 
Ring of Fire, one of the three Rings of Power given to the elves. 
 
As far as being able to fly: well, no, but he did have the habit of turning 
up where he was least expected and most needed. Did he have Teleport, or did 
he just plan ahead of time? Who knows... 
 
Sorry, a bit off-topic. 
 
JAJ, GP 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 12:38:49 -0500 
From: Mike Christodoulou <Cypriot@concentric.net> 
Subject: Re: slippery floors? 
 
At 03:09 AM 1/21/99 +1000, Lockie wrote: 
>idea for slippery floors, stop me if you've heard this one, suggested by one 
>of my players. Martial throw, ae, continuous, uncontrolled. neh?? 
>  
 
We use Running (or gliding), UAO. 
 
 
 
 
======================  ================================================= 
Mike Christodoulou      "Never doubt that a small group of committed  
Cypriot@Concentric.Net   citizens can change the world.  In fact, it is  
(770) 662-5605           the only thing that ever has."  -- Margaret Mead 
======================  ================================================= 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 08:59:06 -0800 (PST) 
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com> 
Subject: Re: Reply to does not go to champ-l 
 
Max Callahan writes: 
> I know this has been discused before, but I must admit I wasn't paying 
> enought attention. 
> Why is the list set up so that the messages are "from" the writer of the 
> message instead of "from" the champ-l list. 
The From: field should _always_ indicate the actual sender.  What you actually 
want is for the Reply-To: field to point to the list. 
 
> (I just hit "reply to" and sent a message that was intended to the list as 
> a whole to just the person who wrote the message, usually I rember to 
> change the "to" field, usually.) 
Most mailers include a 'reply to list' option somewhere (which CCs all 
recipients of the mail you are sending).  Learn to use that instead of reply. 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 02:34:18 +1000 
From: "Lockie" <jonesl@cqnet.com.au> 
Subject: Re: Gambit Write-up... 
 
i dunno. . spiderman level? really? *yeesh* marvel twonks. i'd put spidey at 
45, gambit at flat 30. opinions? 
 
- -----Original Message----- 
From: Christopher Taylor <ctaylor@viser.net> 
>There are a few pages with writeups of everyone, but Gambit is one of those 
>characters that the writers didnt actually flesh out ahead of time and keep 
>adding powers to as time goes on.  He started out a quick martial arts guy 
>with energy charging ability and has since gained inhuman (spiderman level) 
>agility and so forth.  I personally think hes kind of boring but he would 
>make a fun character to play. 
> 
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>Sola Gracia Sola Scriptura Sola Fide 
>Soli Gloria Deo    Solus Christus Corum Deo 
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 12:17:13 -0500 
From: Mike Christodoulou <Cypriot@concentric.net> 
Subject: Re: You know you're a good GM when...  (Update) 
 
At 11:02 AM 1/20/99 -0500, Lisa Hartjes wrote: 
>Turns out the person did a general search for X-Files conventions, and the 
>(fictional) news article I have posted for my Sentinels pbem game came up. 
>Guess that's what I get for using real world stuff in my game. :)  I have 
>added a disclaimer to the bottom of the page in question, letting people 
>know that the contents are fictional.  :) 
 
 
Hmmm ... Maybe I should do the same.  On the other hand, I think I'd 
be greatly amused at anyone foolish enough to think my stories are 
real. 
 
 
======================  ================================================= 
Mike Christodoulou      "Never doubt that a small group of committed  
Cypriot@Concentric.Net   citizens can change the world.  In fact, it is  
(770) 662-5605           the only thing that ever has."  -- Margaret Mead 
======================  ================================================= 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 11:45:03 -0600 
From: Mitchel Santorineos <mitchels@megsinet.net> 
Subject: Re: Batman's CAK (and long DC continuity rant) 
 
>     One of the distinctive things about Batman, particularly when he 
>showed up in other characters' books, was that he *didn't* have a >code 
against killing.  This became a major point of the whole Ras Al Ghul story 
where he ended up using Ghul's orbital death ray against him at the end (as 
Ras makes the stereotypical last-minute getaway in a hidden escape craft... 
which takes him into the field of fire of the 
>death ray). 
 
 
This is a point I will have to disagree on.  Batman does not mind if a 
villain kills dies in his own plan, but he would never kill someone and 
would do what he could to avoid the death. 
 
In the Ras Al Ghul story, Ras' escape takes him through the field of fire. 
If he hadn't taken that route there would have been no problem. 
 
Even in the Batman Beyond toon, Batman could not bring himself to shoot the 
tug that was killing him. 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 09:23:39 -0800 (PST) 
From: Kim Foster <nexus@uky.campus.mci.net> 
Subject: Re: Speedster Flavor 
 
Some off the top of my head: 
 
A NND vs LS:No Need breathe (or vacuum) linked to Running defined as running 
by so fast you "suck the air" away from your target. Other NNDs and attacks 
can be modeled like this:sonic booms, preasure waves, etc.  
 
TK, only to lift target, linked to running. The running around someone so 
fast you create a little tornado trick 
 
Some denfensive powers defined as "being so fast you always sidestep or take 
a glancing hit", limit to taste.  
 
Teleport with appropriate limitation to simulate ultrafast, nearnly invsible 
movement. If you GM allows it can make you look faster becauser teleport 
works based on  straight line between you current posistion and your 
destination. EX:Rather than running through a building, you "teleport" right 
to the top with SFX of running threw at blinding speed.  
 
Insibility or Image only when running, either you can't be seen or leave 
after images.  
 
Area of effect attacks to hit multipe targets at once.  
 
Enhanced Perception. Assuming you speedster sees the world as "slower" 
he/she might have be able to pick out things better.  
 
Speed Reading, Lightning calculator 
 
Knockback resitance on a breakfall roll, you take the knockback and run 
right back to where you were.  
 
teleport UAO, either grabbing someone and moving them at high speed or 
"super takeways/disarms" with additional limits.  
 
Instant Change UAO. :)  
 
Missile Delfection/Reflection 
 
DCV levels, linked to movement or Cost end.  
 
  
 
 
Oh! Its all hot and sticky. 
Is this blood? Nice.... 
	Lillith-Darkstalkers 3 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 12:30:14 -0500 
From: David W Cheung <dwcheung@mindspring.com> 
Subject: Re: Loser Heroes 
 
I can't believe I was remiss in including where they are from... sigh... 
sorry.  :) 
 
The Zoo Crew is a DC Comics creation.  They are in an Alternate Universe to 
Earth-1  (Earth Z I believe it was...) 
All the "people" were animals of course.  Their werewolf, for example, is a 
Wuz-Wolf (it was a wolf and is now a mythical creature: a human.) 
They came about in the early 1980s as I recall... and their first time 
teaming up they took on Starro the Conqueror, with a lil help from 
Superman.  :)  They had their own series briefly... 
 
Captain Carrot ate irradiated carrots which gave him super strength, 
leaping, and invulnerability, all for limited times. 
Fastback was a speedster turtle (oh the irony...) 
RubberDuck was the stretching financier fo the group. 
Pig Iron was a HUGE iron pig with super strength and resistance. 
Alley Kat Abra had a magic wand, named Wanda (the wand, not the kat). 
Yankee Poodle had positive and negative magnetic neams she fired, one 
stars, the other, stripes.  When shot together to intertwine, it became a 
powerful force blast. 
Little Cheese.. well, shrunk. 
 
 
At 07:37 AM 1/20/99 -0800, Ell Egyptoid wrote: 
>>The Zoo Crew:     Captain Carrot, Fatsback, RubberDuck,  
>>Pig Iron, Alley Kat Abra, and (gawd            forbid)  
>>Yankee Poodle!            and Little Cheese, the shrinking 
>>mouse, joined later... 
> 
>My professors were remiss. My education seems incomplete. 
>I regretfully must ask: who are these characters? 
>Where were they published, etc.? 
>== 
>Elliott  aka  The Egyptoid 
>_________________________________________________________ 
>DO YOU YAHOO!? 
>Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com 
> 
> 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 03:27:32 +1000 
From: "Lockie" <jonesl@cqnet.com.au> 
Subject: Re: Speedster Flavor 
 
- -----Original Message----- 
From: David A. Fair <David_A._Fair@fc.mcps.k12.md.us> 
To: champ-l@sysabend.org <champ-l@sysabend.org> 
Date: Thursday, January 21, 1999 2:06 AM 
Subject: Speedster Flavor 
 
 
>Okay, a lllloooonnngggg time ago there was a discussion of the worlds 
>most popular speedster tricks. I have never played a speedster, always 
>preferring the MA's & Mentalist/Mage types, but I am starting a new 
>character in a new campaign and would like some advice: What are some 
>really good speedster stunts to add for flavor? 
> 
>So far I have: 
>variable effect minor transform (AE, Radius, Selective, cumulative) for 
> changing long grass to cut grass, dirty room to clean room, etc. 
>Autofire STR 
>a couple levels in move by/through 
>sleight of hand 
>a high REC & low Regeneration (superfast healing) 
> 
 
some thoughts: 
 
ae tk, for doing multiple things, 
 
teleport, for going the long way around (limt- must actually 
have a long way around) 
 
stretching, for a limted version fo the 'zooming around the room' motif, 
good because it's cheap and allows things like damage shields to work, 
 
extra limbs- not actual limbs, again representing being able to juggle 
multiple tasks, 
 
instant change! 
 
flash for hand-booms, 
 
missle deflection/reflection, 
 
cramming? 
 
damage shield- anytime you get hit, you hit back, yer that fast! (iff the c 
is that fast. some of these are for super-speedsters) 
 
that sort of thing, if yer looking for light flavour and nothing to nasty, 
from my list 
i'd suggest instant change, stretching and multiple limbs, and maybe one of 
the 
larger powers. 
 
>I feel like I need some more flavor, though. Any one have any other 
>ideas? (If it helps, he gained his powers in an industrial accident; He 
>was scrubbing the inside of a super collider when a superfight broke 
>out near the control room and the unit got turned on by a stray bolt of 
>energy. He was hit by those fast moving particles, which triggered and 
>altered his latent mutancy. 
> 
 
what speed level? if he's really fast, he could be doing things like the 
teleport stunt, 
huuuuge ae tk, and so fourth. 
 
>Thanks, 
>Dave 
>--------------------------------------------------------- 
>David A. Fair 
>Montgomery County Public Schools 
>Office of Global Access Technology 
>Elementary User Support Specialist 
>David_Fair@fc.mcps.k12.md.us 
>--------------------------------------------------------- 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 12:34:08 -0600 
From: "Guy Hoyle" <ghoyle1@airmail.net> 
Subject: Re: Reply to does not go to champ-l 
 
> From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com> 
> Most mailers include a 'reply to list' option somewhere (which CCs all 
> recipients of the mail you are sending).  Learn to use that instead of 
reply. 
 
It's also called "reply to all" quite often; you just delete the entries 
that you DON'T want to reply to. 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 13:17:14 -0500 
From: Scott Nolan <nolan@erols.com> 
Subject: Re: Character: Celeborn 
 
>>Um...Gandalf can't fly, true, but he most certainly /can/ hurl fireballs. 
>>Go dig out your copy of the Hobbit and re-read the scene when Thorin, 
>>Gandalf and company have been treed by the wolves. 
> 
>However, that wasn't because of his own powers, that was because he had the 
>Ring of Fire, one of the three Rings of Power given to the elves. 
> 
>As far as being able to fly: well, no, but he did have the habit of turning 
>up where he was least expected and most needed. Did he have Teleport, or did 
>he just plan ahead of time? Who knows... 
 
I'd say that Gandalf's uncanny ability was part of his great wisdom.  I'll be 
modelling 
it as a sort of unconscious precognition. 
 
Throughout Tolkien's literature, we find beings of great magical power who are 
nothing like the fantasy mages of later authors.  They do not cast bolts or 
have flying castles.  Even Sauron and Saruman are limited to less flashy and 
immediate means.  When Sauron strove with Luthien, it was through song. 
 
When he preyed upon Beren's men, it is as a werewolf.  When he wished to 
dismay the Gondorians, he didn't fly over their city, writing "Surrender 
Aragorn" 
in the sky: he caused Orodruin to become active, filling the sky with smoke  
and ash.   
 
Tolkien's magic has a flavor to it.  It is never the center of attention.  It 
supports 
the story, not defines it.  
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
"But where is the ambiguity? Over there, in a box." 
        John Cleese, Monty Python's Flying Circus 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Scott C. Nolan 
nolan@erols.com   
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 13:05:35 -0500 
From: David_A._Fair@fc.mcps.k12.md.us (David A. Fair) 
Subject: Re: Speedster Flavor 
 
dwcheung@mindspring.com,Internet writes: 
>A HKA or Dispel vs Devices only (disassembling Foci and Bombs at 
>superspeed) 
Very Cool Idea, I suppose I will have to come up with a skill to go 
with that, at least for the bombs, or would just normal Demolitions do? 
Ohh, that gets me to thinking, What about the time penalties; How do 
you GM's handle time penalties for speedsters? Should I buy levels 
"Only to Offset Time Penalties (-?)" 
>Some people like to use Teleport with the limits: not to places he 
>couldn't 
>normally get to, to represent getting 	somewhere so fast, no one 
>actually 
>sees him do it.  (I do not use this.) 
I was wondering how to come up with a way to grab a gun out of someones 
hand from across the room, Maybe stretching? 
>The old Whirlwind trick: 1" AE TK, with possibly linked CON and DEX 
>Drain 
>(Continuous), full phase to use, no 	range, linked to 	Running.  This is 
>when you run around the bad guys so fast they are caught in a mini- 
>whirlwind.  The drains respresent the dizzying effect from being spun 
>around.  As lon as you keep running 	around them, they stay in the TK 
>and 
>Drain! 
I like this a lot, nice effect, and something you see all the time in 
the comics. 
All in all, a very cool list of ideas, Thanks! 
 
 
Dave 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 10:26:47 -0800 
From: Kirk Lund <klund@technologist.com> 
Subject: Re: Speedster Flavor 
 
>> So far I have: 
>> variable effect minor transform (AE, Radius, Selective, cumulative) for 
>>  changing long grass to cut grass, dirty room to clean room, etc. 
>> Autofire STR 
>> a couple levels in move by/through 
>> sleight of hand 
>> a high REC & low Regeneration (superfast healing) 
>>  
>- Lots of running at 0 END 
>- extra PD to counteract damage done by move-bys 
>- skill levels to make turning/accelerating to full speed easier 
>- flight, only while touching a surface to allow him to run across water 
>and up the side of buildings 
 
How about these (some of these are pushing it, but what the heck): 
- -Entangle, dependent on items in environment (rope, trashcans, tires, etc.) 
- -Speed Reading, Lightning Calculator, Fast Draw (if foci are used) 
- -Desolidification (mentioned by Lisa), with increased END (or activation ;) 
- -Force Field, defined as using some foci quickly or vibrating all your cells 
- -Missile Deflection/Reflection (catch and turn bullets around) 
- -Tunneling, OAF shovel (or maybe a spoon? :) 
- -Instant Change 
- -Invisibility (simply *that* fast or maybe vibrating cells again) 
- -Teleportation, moving at full speed required, Delayed (sfx is that you 
  accelerate on up to near lightspeed at which point you appear to "teleport") 
- -Gliding (flapping your arms very quickly? <grimace> it's gotta be worth 
  -1/4 for looking so stupid...) 
- -Energy Blast, foci or dependent on items in environment (throw a rock 
  really fast -- fast enough and you better add in Explosion to model 
  a meteorite...) 
- -Telekinesis with lots of limits to model a tornado 
- -Superleap ("that's one helluva runnin' long jump, mister...") 
- -Flight (I know I've seen Barry Allen fly by moving his legs really fast...) 
- -Extradimensional Teleport (another Barry Allen power stunt) 
- -Knockback Resistance (he's "fast on his feet") 
- -Damage Reduction, maybe only vs. physical attacks (he "rolls with the 
  blows") 
 
Non-generic speedster ideas: 
- -Absorption that feeds Speed or a movement power 
 
Disads: 
- -Phys Lim or Depend: Must constantly eat high calorie food 
- -Susceptible to caffeine or other stimulants 
 
Less serious Disads: 
- -Susceptible to banana peels 
- -Watched by the State Patrol 
- -Enraged when told to slow down 
 
*Question on the skill levels with flight: Can they be used to 
increase the acceleration/deceleration beyond 5" per phase? 
Does this work out to be +1 gives 6"/phase, +2 gives 7"/phase, etc.? 
 
(If you get any other suggestions, please send them to me.) 
 
- --Kirk 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 13:48:09 -0500 
From: David_A._Fair@fc.mcps.k12.md.us (David A. Fair) 
Subject: Re: slippery floors? 
 
jonesl@cqnet.com.au,Internet writes: 
>idea for slippery floors, stop me if you've heard this one, suggested 
>by one 
>of my players. Martial throw, ae, continuous, uncontrolled. neh?? 
 
My god, someone has brought up slipperiness in Hero, and on the Champ-L 
no less! 
Run Away, Run Away.... 
 
Next thing you know, they'll be a discussion on Lin...<urk>. 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 14:12:19 -0500 
From: "Lisa Hartjes" <beren@unforgettable.com> 
Subject: Re: Speedster Flavor 
 
I almost forgot these: 
 
LS: High Speed Friction (keeps the character's body (and clothing) from 
taking damage from running at such high speeds) for 3 pts. (doesn't affect 
people they're carrying) 
 
LS: Can breathe at high speeds (cost as per breathe in unusual environment) 
 
 
Lisa Hartjes 
 
beren@unforgettable.com 
http://roswell.fortunecity.com/daniken/79 
ICQ:  Berengiere (9062561) 
 
If the GM smiles, run.  If she laughs, it's too late... 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 14:35:56 -0500 
From: Scott Nolan <nolan@erols.com> 
Subject: Re: Speedster Flavor 
 
Mmmmmmmm.....Speedster flavor........  
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
"But where is the ambiguity? Over there, in a box." 
        John Cleese, Monty Python's Flying Circus 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Scott C. Nolan 
nolan@erols.com   
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 11:18:06 -0800 (PST) 
From: Ell Egyptoid <egyptoid@yahoo.com> 
Subject: Grumpy Ugh Ball 
 
> MC> Why is the list set up so that the messages are "from" the writer  
> MC> message instead of "from" the champ-l list. 
> Because I am writing this message, not the mailing list software   
>champ-l mailbox.  I am the originator, therefore my my mailbox goes 
in   
>From (originator) header.  Putting anyone else's mailbox in the From  
>is Just Plain Wrong (and if you want the technical details, contact me 
>the list). 
 
There used to be a modicum of useful info in your posts, Ratinox. 
Now the signal-to-noise ratio (ie attitude) has routinely exceeded  
recommended safe guidelines. 
 
 
>When not in use, Happy Fun Ball should be 
>returned to its special container and 
>kept under refrigeration. 
 
When not able to conduct itself among humans 
Grumpy Ugh Ball should be place in a kill-file 
and kept under observation. 
 
 
>MC> (I just hit "reply to" and sent a message that was intended to the 
>MC> as a whole to just the person who wrote the message, usually I 
rember 
>MC> to change the "to" field, usually.) 
>Get a better mail client, one that distinguishes between replies to the 
>originator and replies to the list (or learn to use the features of the 
>software you currently have). 
 
I've been on several discussion lists and usenet groups for a while. 
I've kill-filed several people and had the same done to me. 
I was so proud of myself and champ-l because I hadn't had to filter 
anyone, and as far as I know, I haven't alienated myself to the point 
of filtration for anyone either. But now I make a kill-file entry 
for Ratinox. Too much Spew and not enough Do.  
 
And I know you are deeply hurt by this and really truly care for  
my opinion. But there it is. I feel bad about it. I can't ask you  
to modify your behavior for me, and I trust you wouldn't moderate  
yourself to please any list-newbies or hero-system rookies either. 
The kill-file is for my edification, cause when I CAN'T read an  
arrogant seeming reply of yours, I won't exaggerate your problem 
by responding in kind. If you want to send me something Ratinox, 
send it to egyptoid@bellsouth.net, this yahoo address is just for 
hi-volume list mail, and that's only where the filter is.  
Thank the list for its time. 
== 
Elliott  aka  The Egyptoid 
_________________________________________________________ 
DO YOU YAHOO!? 
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 11:53:16 -0800 (PST) 
From: John Desmarais <johndesmarais@yahoo.com> 
Subject: Re: slippery floors? 
 
- ---Mike Christodoulou <Cypriot@concentric.net> wrote: 
> 
> At 03:09 AM 1/21/99 +1000, Lockie wrote: 
> >idea for slippery floors, stop me if you've heard this one, 
suggested by one 
> >of my players. Martial throw, ae, continuous, uncontrolled. neh?? 
> >  
>  
> We use Running (or gliding), UAO. 
 
I always favored "Supress, vs running, Area Effect." 
 
 
== 
======================================= 
John Desmarais  <champ-l-owner@sysabend.org> 
Keeper of the Champions / Hero System mailing 
list.  http://www.sysabend.org/champions 
======================================= 
_________________________________________________________ 
DO YOU YAHOO!? 
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 14:09:50 -0600 (CST) 
From: gilberg@ou.edu 
Subject: Re: slippery floors? 
 
>My god, someone has brought up slipperiness in Hero, and on the Champ-L 
>no less! 
>Run Away, Run Away.... 
> 
>Next thing you know, they'll be a discussion on Lin...<urk>. 
 
        What's wrong with that?  There's no big Cuthulian monster that will 
show up for mentioning that. 
 
        Linked, linked, linked. 
 
        There, I said it, and noth.... 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 13:41:11 -0600 (CST) 
From: "Dr. Nuncheon" <jeffj@io.com> 
Subject: Re: Character: Celeborn 
 
On Wed, 20 Jan 1999, James Jandebeur wrote: 
 
> >Um...Gandalf can't fly, true, but he most certainly /can/ hurl fireballs. 
> >Go dig out your copy of the Hobbit and re-read the scene when Thorin, 
> >Gandalf and company have been treed by the wolves. 
>  
> However, that wasn't because of his own powers, that was because he had the 
> Ring of Fire, one of the three Rings of Power given to the elves. 
 
Is that certain, or just speculated?  Did he even have that ring in the 
Hobbit?  For some reason I thought he was given it in LotR, but it's been 
such a long time that I'm not sure. 
 
And, I got the impression that he was loathe to use the ring anyway, 
because it would attract the attention of Sauron.  Wasn't he worried about 
that in the Hobbit? 
  
J 
 
Hostes aliengeni me abduxerent.              Jeff Johnston - jeffj@io.com 
Qui annus est?                                   http://www.io.com/~jeffj 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 14:07:22 -0600 (CST) 
From: "Dr. Nuncheon" <jeffj@io.com> 
Subject: Re: slippery floors? 
 
On Wed, 20 Jan 1999, David A. Fair wrote: 
 
> My god, someone has brought up slipperiness in Hero, and on the Champ-L 
> no less! 
> Run Away, Run Away.... 
>  
> Next thing you know, they'll be a discussion on Lin...<urk>. 
 
You must mean Linux.   Yes, in Hero Game's latest product, The Ultimate 
Computer (formerly titled GEEK HERO) you will find rules and suggestions 
for detailed computing rules in the HERO system. 
 
Yeah. 
 
J 
 
Hostes aliengeni me abduxerent.              Jeff Johnston - jeffj@io.com 
Qui annus est?                                   http://www.io.com/~jeffj 
 
------------------------------ 
 
End of champ-l-digest V1 #151 
***************************** 


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