Favorite Class outside of the main books?

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Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by Gimpman »

I wanted to know what was some of the favorite power category outside the core rulebook and
Powers unlimited 2 or Armageddon Unlimited?
Like some listed here in the forum,. Any of the Rifter books,. Maybe some that use to be in the Black Vault wiki. Or someone's homebrew class from another site?
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by drewkitty ~..~ »

There are no <descriptive adverb> Classes in the HU Game, there are only power categories. So you might want to edit the title so you appear knowledgeable.

From Aliens Unlimited, the Alien Power cat. presented there.

Armageddon Unlimited, is a game book for making NPCs for playing a 'Minion Wars" campaign. And not good for anything else. It is more a Rifts gamebook that one for HU.

Rifters....there are some interesting power cat. variants in the later issues, but none of them ever caught my attention enough to try ot make one, let alone play one.

Outside the published ones....has not even looked be cause they are outside of playability for most GMs.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

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The Natural Genius Power Category from Powers Unlimited 2.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by Warshield73 »

The problem is that Heroes Unlimited is probably the most broken of PBs settings. The main book is horribly out of date and, in my opinion, most of the power sets or horribly out of date. That said, Matt Reeves did really good revising several of these in Rifter 79-83 especially the Super Sleuth and Secret Agent. The ones in the book were basically useless and every player that ever ran them asked to switch within a game or two. The revised versions are actually pretty useful and when I used the samples in convention games the players liked them, just took some time to understand how to use them.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by Daniel Stoker »

While it's still named wrong, I adore the versatility and options you have with the Eugenics class. With the right budget you can have a whole lot of fun making an over the top hero... or they can be a guy with cool eyes.


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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by Stone Gargoyle »

I like the Gestalt power category. It allows you a lot of options.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by drewkitty ~..~ »

The one thing I like about the HU char creation is that it is loose enough that the same Power cat. is able to be used for a multitude of different character concepts. There is also that the looseness forces the player to be creative with their char concept, Sort of like they have been intended to be loose so GMs & Players can modify/fill in the PCat. to fit the char concept.

I can understand those players who typically play Character Classes being uneasy with power cat's because unlike CCs, there is not basic character concept built into the template.

And yup, I agree that the Hardware & Robot sections and the equipment sections of the HU2 core book could use an Update. But other than those *shrugs* not much to update.
------
It's the Eugenics power cat. there is no classes in HU.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by Curbludgeon »

The Supersoldier, with certain selections, is even better than the Rifts Paratrooper at being able to use a ranged weapon while moving without it being counted as "wild". There are a few archer/throwing options for that across Palladium, and a species in Rifts WB30 limited to an RCC, but they're the best at it.

Immortals are sometimes the only way to model high powered disparate character concepts. Last year I played a Godling with Immune to Light & Lasers, APS:Shadow, Shadow Manipulation, and Shadow Magic spells, who was planning on usurping a Shadow Lord's power. Save for lifting the spells from outside HU she was straight baseball. While she didn't have a crazy amount of PPE, and was vulnerable to magic and particularly psionics, Immortal was the only power category which could fit all that noise.

Some Aliens Unlimited combos which jump out:
Nattereri (Aquatic, pg 63) get 2 equivalent to minor powers and some N&SS abilities in addition to limited category choice
Salar (Aquatic, pg 65) can in Rifts be a Temporal Wizard with APS:Water and maybe an EE
Timney (Avian, pg 83) make better Mystic Study (or LLW in Rifts) than most
Dergin (Canine, pg 86) can throw 2 minor powers on top of most categories
Concols (Feline, pg 95) are a flying, blasting, cat people whom wouldn't be out of place in Rifts South America
Lassinikes (Mineral, pg 135) are Wizards with increased PPE storage
Jenjoran (Reptilian, pg 144) have an anti-magic warrior option with high personal PPE, which if it weren't for them very much against magic would make for a good TW item user, or perhaps a Magebane
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by Gimpman »

Thank you warshield for answering my question. The pedantic outburst on my word usage may have derailed people from providing insight to some of the power categories listed in the rifters or here on this forum.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by drewkitty ~..~ »

.....? WS didn't even touch answering the question you literally asked.

If you wouldn't use words not applicable to the GAME you were asking about, people wouldn't step in to correct you.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by Stone Gargoyle »

I personally didn't care for the Special Trainng Categry Updates by Matt Reeves. They were needlessly complicated and added aspects that pretty much dictate how to play your character rather than adding anythng useful.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by Sambot »

I wouldn't say that there aren't any OCCs in Heroes and Aliens Unlimited. They may not be listed but they're available depending on the game. Many Aliens in Aliens Unlimited have available OCCs listed under the Rifts Notes. There's even some Aliens with Hacker OCCs in a Rifter. Also Rifts Conversion Book 1 says that the OCCs would remain the same and that younger characters can select or change their OCCs. Since Heroes doesn't have a "normal" person class, players could bring in an OCC from another game for a specific occupation if they don't want to skip the Power Category selection. So OCCs are possible. They're just unspoken and overlooked.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by Gimpman »

Thank you, Sambot
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by matt.reed »

Stone Gargoyle wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2024 10:14 pm I personally didn't care for the Special Trainng Categry Updates by Matt Reeves. They were needlessly complicated and added aspects that pretty much dictate how to play your character rather than adding anythng useful.
yeah thats fair, its a bit too indepth really. I'm working on them up a bit more. I appreciate the criticism.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by drewkitty ~..~ »

Sambot wrote: Thu Feb 01, 2024 11:41 am I wouldn't say that there aren't any OCCs in Heroes and Aliens Unlimited. They may not be listed but they're available depending on the game. Many Aliens in Aliens Unlimited have available OCCs listed under the Rifts Notes. There's even some Aliens with Hacker OCCs in a Rifter. Also Rifts Conversion Book 1 says that the OCCs would remain the same and that younger characters can select or change their OCCs. Since Heroes doesn't have a "normal" person class, players could bring in an OCC from another game for a specific occupation if they don't want to skip the Power Category selection. So OCCs are possible. They're just unspoken and overlooked.
There are LITERALLY No OCCs in the HU GAME.

The Text you mention From AU:GG are in each of the Skill Programs that give bonus skills if that skill program is their main job (implied: only skill program). And all of this done within the Alien Power Cat. No mention of Character Classes whatsoever in the notes in the skill programs.

Yes, there is a note that the Skill Programs can be used as Character Classes, however, it does not say that they are character classes in the HU Game. (In other words, they made it easy for GMs to import & use the skill programs as character classes in the 3G setting in the Rifts game.)

Please do not misrepresent what the canon text says to fit your precoceptions.

Rifter 2, all the Character Classes were incorrectly written up as Character Classes instead of as Skill programs. Here is the why.... The writer realized that they would mostly be used in the Rifts Game, not the HU game. (the other reason would be the writer forgot that HU is not a Character Class game and wrongly wrote them in the Character class format.) But then there is also the editor of that article forgot that HU is not a Character Class game when reviewing that article, and not sending it back to the author to rewrite them as Skill Programs.

Each of the 'Skill Sets' in those presented as being for HU, can be correctly used as Skill Program in the HU game, except for the 'Digital God'. the Digital God is more a part of the Robotics Power Cat. than the Aliens Power Cat., and the skill set would be one of the skill sets it would get from the robotics P.C.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

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drewkitty ~..~ wrote: Sun Feb 11, 2024 1:55 pm
Sambot wrote: Thu Feb 01, 2024 11:41 am I wouldn't say that there aren't any OCCs in Heroes and Aliens Unlimited. They may not be listed but they're available depending on the game. Many Aliens in Aliens Unlimited have available OCCs listed under the Rifts Notes. There's even some Aliens with Hacker OCCs in a Rifter. Also Rifts Conversion Book 1 says that the OCCs would remain the same and that younger characters can select or change their OCCs. Since Heroes doesn't have a "normal" person class, players could bring in an OCC from another game for a specific occupation if they don't want to skip the Power Category selection. So OCCs are possible. They're just unspoken and overlooked.
There are LITERALLY No OCCs in the HU GAME.

The Text you mention From AU:GG are in each of the Skill Programs that give bonus skills if that skill program is their main job (implied: only skill program). And all of this done within the Alien Power Cat. No mention of Character Classes whatsoever in the notes in the skill programs.

Yes, there is a note that the Skill Programs can be used as Character Classes, however, it does not say that they are character classes in the HU Game. (In other words, they made it easy for GMs to import & use the skill programs as character classes in the 3G setting in the Rifts game.)

Please do not misrepresent what the canon text says to fit your precoceptions.

Rifter 2, all the Character Classes were incorrectly written up as Character Classes instead of as Skill programs. Here is the why.... The writer realized that they would mostly be used in the Rifts Game, not the HU game. (the other reason would be the writer forgot that HU is not a Character Class game and wrongly wrote them in the Character class format.) But then there is also the editor of that article forgot that HU is not a Character Class game when reviewing that article, and not sending it back to the author to rewrite them as Skill Programs.

Each of the 'Skill Sets' in those presented as being for HU, can be correctly used as Skill Program in the HU game, except for the 'Digital God'. the Digital God is more a part of the Robotics Power Cat. than the Aliens Power Cat., and the skill set would be one of the skill sets it would get from the robotics P.C.
Please move on with the OCC/Power Category phrase debate. You know darn well that when someone references the phrase OCC [Occupational Character Class] that they are referring to Power Categorys. It does not break the game to refer to Power Categorys as OCCs.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

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drewkitty ~..~ wrote: Sun Feb 11, 2024 1:55 pm
Sambot wrote: Thu Feb 01, 2024 11:41 am I wouldn't say that there aren't any OCCs in Heroes and Aliens Unlimited. They may not be listed but they're available depending on the game. Many Aliens in Aliens Unlimited have available OCCs listed under the Rifts Notes. There's even some Aliens with Hacker OCCs in a Rifter. Also Rifts Conversion Book 1 says that the OCCs would remain the same and that younger characters can select or change their OCCs. Since Heroes doesn't have a "normal" person class, players could bring in an OCC from another game for a specific occupation if they don't want to skip the Power Category selection. So OCCs are possible. They're just unspoken and overlooked.
There are LITERALLY No OCCs in the HU GAME.

The Text you mention From AU:GG are in each of the Skill Programs that give bonus skills if that skill program is their main job (implied: only skill program). And all of this done within the Alien Power Cat. No mention of Character Classes whatsoever in the notes in the skill programs.

Yes, there is a note that the Skill Programs can be used as Character Classes, however, it does not say that they are character classes in the HU Game. (In other words, they made it easy for GMs to import & use the skill programs as character classes in the 3G setting in the Rifts game.)

Please do not misrepresent what the canon text says to fit your precoceptions.
As I said before, the text is form the Rifts Notes: Not the Skill Program Section. Here is an example from the Atorian page 109.
Rifts Notes: The Atorian people would be accepted as Earth humans unless they revealed that they came from another planet. They can be any of the Rifts O.C.C.s available to humans, aI. , though most avoid magic in favor of technology. Many, especially Atorian females, will relate to the Coalition States and; Triax and are likely to try to become a power within these advanced societies.
Since one of the Hackers is Atorian, if I or another player wanted to play and Atorian Hacker, we can do so.

Rifts Conversion Book page 39 says,
Young characters who have not yet selected a profession/O.C.C. can learn the ways, technology and skills of the new world and select a Rifts® O.C.C., instead of one that reflects their home world. Likewise, first level characters can opt to discard their native O .C.C. for a Rifts® O.C.C., but it requires an extra 1 000 experience points to reach each new level of experience.
So If my or another player's young or 1st level Alien wants to change occupations and select and OCC, we can do so.

I also said that since there weren't any normal humans in Heroes Unlimited, you could bring one in from another game. So if you want an OCC in Heroes Unlimited, you can have one.





Rifter 2, all the Character Classes were incorrectly written up as Character Classes instead of as Skill programs. Here is the why.... The writer realized that they would mostly be used in the Rifts Game, not the HU game. (the other reason would be the writer forgot that HU is not a Character Class game and wrongly wrote them in the Character class format.) But then there is also the editor of that article forgot that HU is not a Character Class game when reviewing that article, and not sending it back to the author to rewrite them as Skill Programs.

Each of the 'Skill Sets' in those presented as being for HU, can be correctly used as Skill Program in the HU game, except for the 'Digital God'. the Digital God is more a part of the Robotics Power Cat. than the Aliens Power Cat., and the skill set would be one of the skill sets it would get from the robotics P.C.
As you said.
Please do not misrepresent what the canon text says to fit your precoceptions.
If those Hacker OCCs were written incorrectly, they would have been rejected or rewritten.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by Regu1arguy »

I kind of like the Imbued category for this, if only because it so neatly encompasses so many approaches: sure, it’s the guy who’s addicted to a supersteroid, but it’s also the guy who knows a mystic ritual and can teach it to a trusted apprentice — or it’s the brainy inventor using futuristic nanotech devices, or the philosophical kung-fu master using ancient meditation techniques — or it’s an alien meteor, or it’s a magic amulet.

Or whatever; plus it lets you play around with the option of having powers that can’t be switched off while you’re powered up, or with the build-a-whole-campaign-around-it option of being able to bestow powers on people all over the world — or just to your handpicked cultists, if you’re going for that — and so on, and so on.
Last edited by Regu1arguy on Tue Feb 13, 2024 12:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by drewkitty ~..~ »

"the Atorian page 109."
Here is something you didn't say before, and you didn't say which Book you were talking about.

"Rifts Note:" For those who are not getting it....these are notes are for when playing in the Rifts game. They are NOT!!! for when playing the HU game. This is something that is Duhh simple.

"Rifts Conversion Book page 39 says"
Again, this text is for when playing the aliens from HU, In the Rifts game. So they don't aplly to the HU game. This is Duhh simple to understand. I'm not twisting the text to mean something other than what it was written for.

Bringing characters from another game is up to the individual GMs. As such are there due to house rules. Another "This is Duhh simple." to understand.

Yes they were formatted incorrectly for use in the HU game. They were not in the Char Template form of a Power Cat. There is already a form in the HU canon that could of been used where one of the skill programs is taken up by the Power Cat's native skills.(mystic study) that the writer could of used to write out their char templates.

And Yes, I stand by my opinion (which I stated previously, might not have been 100% clear I was stating my opinion about what happened & who to blame for the incorrect formatting) that the hacking character templates in R2 were mainly written for Rifts. As per the evidence that they are all written as character classes.
It's not like I am the only one here that is not 100% clear about what is their opinion and what is canon, but at least I try to make it clear most of the time.

Side Note: that the antorian and digital god character classes should be RCCs because the former is restricted by both race and sex and the latter is restricted by "race". Now thingking about it the NB character classes should be RCCs too because they are limited to the NB race.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by Curbludgeon »

One class I like in HU is the various possible Gestalts. The Mastermind Psychic Gestalt is an especially fun subdivision of the class. With that class one has from 3-5 contributing members whom, while themselves not possessing a class contribute skills to the Gestalt, which adds a considerable bonus to such. With 4 contributors with at least a BA and 1 with military experience one is left with quite the skill focused class!
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by Stone Gargoyle »

OCCs replace skill programs, not Categories which determine powers and abilties. And as Drew said, that is for Rifts primarily. I play HU2, not Rifts, so including OCCs as part of skill program selection is not smethng I do.

To NMI's point, this conversation should end here because it doesn't address anything the OP wanted answered.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

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drewkitty ~..~ wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2024 1:15 pm "the Atorian page 109."
Here is something you didn't say before, and you didn't say which Book you were talking about.

"Rifts Note:" For those who are not getting it....these are notes are for when playing in the Rifts game. They are NOT!!! for when playing the HU game. This is something that is Duhh simple.

"Rifts Conversion Book page 39 says"
Again, this text is for when playing the aliens from HU, In the Rifts game. So they don't aplly to the HU game. This is Duhh simple to understand. I'm not twisting the text to mean something other than what it was written for.

Bringing characters from another game is up to the individual GMs. As such are there due to house rules. Another "This is Duhh simple." to understand.

Yes they were formatted incorrectly for use in the HU game. They were not in the Char Template form of a Power Cat. There is already a form in the HU canon that could of been used where one of the skill programs is taken up by the Power Cat's native skills.(mystic study) that the writer could of used to write out their char templates.

And Yes, I stand by my opinion (which I stated previously, might not have been 100% clear I was stating my opinion about what happened & who to blame for the incorrect formatting) that the hacking character templates in R2 were mainly written for Rifts. As per the evidence that they are all written as character classes.
It's not like I am the only one here that is not 100% clear about what is their opinion and what is canon, but at least I try to make it clear most of the time.

Side Note: that the antorian and digital god character classes should be RCCs because the former is restricted by both race and sex and the latter is restricted by "race". Now thingking about it the NB character classes should be RCCs too because they are limited to the NB race.
This is the last time I am nice about this... Your "word" is NOT law. It is your opinion. The next time I have to point this out to you, you will receive a warning.
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Re: Favorite Class outside of the main books?

Unread post by NMI »

Topic locked since some people do not know how to play nice with others.
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