Post originally by Shanya Almafeta at 2004-08-23 09:35:56
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"This book simply surprised me. I learned Champions on the old 3rd edition book with Champions 2 and 3. This book covers about 80% of that and costs only 10 bucks!"
One: What is the missing one-fifth?
Two: How important are the missing rules to the game?
Post originally by David Boddie at 2004-08-23 11:05:06
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I believe the majority of the information that is not contained is such things as expanded combat modifiers and rules, advanced powers such as Duplication & Multiform, and advanced power frameworks such as Variable Power Pool.
In my opinion, if you want to play a standard superheroes game, pick up Sidekick, and the UNTIL Superpowers Datbase and you're all set. If you find that there are powers that you can't emulate using the Sidekick rules, feel free to pick up a copy of the big Hero 5th book.
As far as other game genres are concerned (secret agents, monster hunters, pulp, sci-fi, etc) Sidekick is perfectly tuned to use for this type of gaming.
Post originally by Jamie herbert at 2004-08-23 12:23:40
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I can answer this, One of the biggest things missing is additional explaination, they give you a few here and there but not nearly as much as are in the core 5th ed. Most notably missing is the martial arts packages, While this is annoying (not to have the pre produced packages) it is hardly going to ruin your gaming experience. There are a few missing powers and skills but mostly ones that are troubling in thier use all the most commonly used powers are included. I started with the same books the reviewer talks about (champions 3rd ed) and have played hero throught 4th and 5th editions, to be honest If I had seen sidekick before hero 5th I would hve picked it up firstjust for the sheer cost to usefulness factor. I am pretty confident that someone starting with sidekick is going to be able to transplant himself into a Hero 5th game with little or no real problem.
Advantages:
attack versus limited defense
cumulative
delayed effect
difficult to dispel
does body
does knockback
double knockback
duration-inherent
hole in the middle
indirect
megascale
penetrating
range-line of sight
sticky
time delay
transdimensional
trigger
usable on others
variable advantage
variable special effect
Limitations:
duration
gradual effect
independant
some limited examples
no conscious control
reduced penetration
restrainable
variable limitations
Disadvantages:
Age
Combat:
List of Sense Groups
Perception roll modifiers
Multiple Power Attacks
From Actions Table (how long to do this or that):
These actions are missing: Find Weakness, missile defelection, Perception with non-targeting sense, casual strength.
This action is new to Sidekick: Get to one's feet
(guess somebody must've asked in a forum how long it took to stand up.)
Velocity based DCV and section on movement.
DCV Modifers Table:
Affects of no DEX, Affects of no STR, Autofire, Bulky Focus, Rapid Fire or Sweep
Combat Maneuvers:
Grab By, all of the optional manuevers, the special maneuvers of the martial arts styles.
These sectcions are all completely not present:
Special circumstances on adding damages
Optional Effects of damage Section (such as hit locations, wounding, bleeding, placed shots, etc)
Other COmbat Effects Section (invisibility, breaking grabs, casual strength, missed shots)
Endurance and Pushing Section
Environmental Effects (temperature, dehydration, pressure, magnetic fields, etc)
Living in a Dangerous World:
Missing Vehicle Impact
Radiation
'Other' Guidelines
Post originally by William A. Peterson at 2004-08-23 22:52:17
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Shanya, arcady has provided a great list of what's missing...
The only thing that I could remember was 'Missile Deflection'!
{Though that was a poor choice to leave out...}
Honestly, if you've still got your old third edition rules, those are probably the best to use!
A lot of what is missing from Sidekick sonstitutes 'addition through subtraction'...
Many of the additional detail included in 5th edition, in my opinion, really hurts the game!
{Making Instant Change a variant of transform, but Shape Change becomes a variant of Images...
and Godzilla can't have Growth?}
I would strongly reccomend, at this point, taking a look at "Mutants and Masterminds", as I think Mr. Kenzer remembers what Mr. Long seems to have forgotten...
Comic Books (and, by extension, Superhero RPGs) are supposed to be FUN!
If, on the other hand, you really want to stick with the Hero Game System, Sidekick is a very good way of avoiding most of the problems that have crept into Fifth Edition...
Post originally by Buzz at 2004-08-24 09:40:35
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<i>I would strongly reccomend, at this point, taking a look at "Mutants and Masterminds", as I think Mr. Kenzer remembers what Mr. Long seems to have forgotten...</i>
I think you mean Mr. Kenson.
<i>Comic Books (and, by extension, Superhero RPGs) are supposed to be FUN!</i>
Post originally by Lord Mhoram at 2004-08-24 11:08:46
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tetsujin28 wrote:
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So they kept Aid (an insanely complicated power for most beginners), but didn't include an easy-to-understand power like Damage Reduction? Weird.
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It wasn't the complexity issue there. Steve dropped all the "yeild" sign powers. The ones that could unbalance a game all out of proportion to thier cost. Experienced HERO GMs know how that can happen. New ones might not, so they got dropped out of Sidekick.
Post originally by William A. Peterson at 2004-08-24 20:41:42
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Yup, I don't understand the decision-making process, either...
but since Aid is *still* so unbablanced that most GM's will ban it outright (even after increasing the cost), that shouldn't be too much of a problem!
Similarly, leaving out Missile Deflection seems an utterly bonehead move, but if you've got Third Edition, it's easy enough to import back in!
The parts that are hard to deal with are things like what they did to 'Instant Change'...
Since they 'rationalized' IC to be a subset of Transform {OOPS! Looks like my tuxedo has 'healed' from being transformed into my suit of Powered Armor, and it's a long way down!}, they also cut the cost of 'Full' Instant Change (to any clothes), and increased the cost of 'Basic' IC (one set of clothes, only...). If anything, I think the opposite should have been done!
If you want to be able to tell what all these little 'Easter Eggs' are, and what the reasoning behind them was, you need Fifth Edition...
Linear Mode
