From: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Subject: Re: Invisible Champions
Reply-To: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Organization: Columbia University
Distribution: USA
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 21:01:15 GMT

dm841861@longs.LANCE.ColoState.EDU (Devin Moss) writes:
>I am a new Champs GM, and I need some advice/tips on handling
>invisibility in the Champs-HERO system.  One character, called the
>Ghost, is invisivle to:
>Sight Group, Sound Group(including sonar), Smell, Radar
>and now, with 5 experience points, Mind Scan
>
>Would it be fair for me to invent new senses? 

	It sounds like you are taking the rules too literally, as is 
unfortunately often the case with Champions. My question to you is: 
*why* is Ghost invisible to these things? This will tell you what he 
should be allowed to be invisible to, and what should detect him. 
	For example, if he literally is a necromantic conjuration, then 
any mystic worth his salt ought to be able to detect him with 'Detect 
Spirits'. If it is some sort of psionic power, then perhaps magic can 
detect him, or a telekinetic 'touch sense', or many other possibilities. 
If he is still solid, then he should displace air, and can be detected 
by bumping into things or senses which detect displacement of air. If 
there is no reason why he should be invisible to something, then he 
can be detected by it, and his point costs should be changed to reflect 
this. If the player insists that he is invisible to everything, then 
tell him that that is unreasonable, and don't allow it. 

	The rules should not determine what Ghost is invisible to. The 
rules are there to put a point cost and determine mechanics for powers, 
not to limit and define what they can be. 

	OTOH, if he's paid points for all that invisibility, then it 
*would* be unfair if you started giving *all* his enemies the ability to 
detect him. Just make sure he doesn't dominate things. And if people know 
about his powers, then they will take precautions against him.

>
>How do experienced GM's handle the Per rolls?  According to the book, if
>a character makes a PER roll against the invisible player, he is at -1
>OCV Hand-to-hand, and 1/2 OCV ranged.  If he misses his PER roll, the
>penalties are 1/2 OCV hand-to-hand, and 0 OCV range (can't fire).  If
>the PER roll is successful in the same segment as the invisible player
>made a visible attack, then the penalties are -1 OCV for both H-t-H and 
>ranged. Under what circumstances should a PER roll be allowed? Does the 
>character have to be facing the player making the invisible attack?
>If the invisible player moves, but does not fire, what then?

	Obviously this depends of the situation. Vision is directional, 
hearing is not. Most new senses (Radar, Sonar) are directional like 
vision unless bought with 360-Degrees. 
	If you have a chance of sensing the invisible person or things 
he does (visible powers, footsteps, etc.), then you shoudl be allowed 
a PER roll. If the person is not invisible to hearing and moving, then 
anyone should be allowed a Hearing PER roll to notice him (with appropriate 
modifiers). If he uses a visible power, then anyone able to notice that 
power has a roll to note the origin of that power. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Kim                    | "Faith - faith is an island in the setting sun.
jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu | But proof - proof is the bottom line for 
Columbia University         | everyone."                     - Paul Simon
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