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Question about part of the rules. The Magic/Enchanted Weapon heroes starts off with 4d6 SDC (average 14). Most other heroe types start off with 30-45. Even bookworms like wizards get 30. Is this how it's supposed to be? I know the Enchated Weapons give them a bonus, but unlike most heroes this can be lost if the weapon is taken from them.

Am I reading this right?

I always interpreted this as a bonus 4d6....since otherwise they can often have less SDC than a child.

Bonus to what? Each hero type has their own base SDC, before adding in skills, powers, or special abilities. The Enhanted Weapon starts with 4d6, then gets a 1d6x10 bonus. It's just odd because none of the other heroes are written up this way.

Can you be more specific about where you're reading that the character loses their powers when the weapon is taken from them? As far as I can tell that only happens if the hero is separated from his or her weapon for more than 72 hours, which I would consider a minor weakness that will only come up as an intentional plot device.

Hmm, yeah, I know they lose the 6 weapons abilities/powers if they don't have the weapon, but AFAIK they keep any powers/spellcasting they get for 72 hours or until they get the weapon back.

Ok, so, the losing it might not be that big of a deal. The way I read it, the weapon is what gives you the bonus SDC. On pg 146 under Weapons of Order we see

Powers & Bonuses
Bestowed to its Mortal Champion
Adds 1D6x10 S.D.C. to its owner/champion

As well as various other abilities (resist fire, see the invisible, bonus to magic, "battle dress). Then it goes into the effects and details of the transformation (PB bonus, etc), and Super/Magic abilities before getting into the powers of the weapon itself.

Now, if someone lost their weapon for 72 hours, the GM would probably take away their battle dress, their superpowers/spells, their ability to see the invisible, etc., right? So, they would also then lose the 1d6X10 S.D.C., and be left with their base of 4D6--correct?

Which leads back to my point, why do they begin with a variable number of SDC, when most other hero categories don't? I'm assuming that this is an error...a legacy of an earlier edition or a method that was changed.

Like, here's the S.D.C. value for each hero category:

Aliens: 20
Bionic: 30
Experiment: 40
Hardware/Electrical: 35
Hardware/Mechanical: 35
Hardware/Analytical: 35
Hardware/Weapons: 35
Magic/Enchanted weapon: 4D6
Magic/Enchanted object: 35
Magic/Mystic Study: 30
Magic/bestowed Abilities: +10
Mutants: 30
Mutant Animals: based on Size/Growth Step
Physical Training: Determine as usual
Psionics (Natural & Latent): 30
Robot (Pilot only) 2D6+28
Special Training/Ancient Master: 3D6X10+6D6 and PE value
Special Training/Hunter: BONUS of 1D4x10+25
Special Training/Secret Operative: BONUS of 1D6X10+40
Special Training/Stage Magician: BONUS of 30
Special Training/Super Sleuth: BONUS of 40

Some begin with a base amount listed. Ok, that makes sense, and fits what pg 17 says

Each of the hero categories automatically provides a base S.D.C. rating

Others, however, are weird. Some are variable (Enchanted Weapon and Robot Pilot). Some are listed as a bonus. Others, such as Physical Training, say "determine as usual." But usual is supposed to be a base S.D.C. per category.

So, I guess what I'm wondering is there's an errata for this, or if I just have an odd printing of the book. If there is no errata, how do people normally handle this, especially for Physical Training?

So, I busted out my old copy of Heroes Unlimited--Revised. And what's odd is that this S.D.C. issue isn't present in that book. The various categories just have a base S.D.C. listed, even Special Training and the like. So, clearly when they went to 2nd they had an idea for variable S.D.C. for at least some of the categories.

My gut is that there was supposed to be a baseline for "normal" humans (4D6 or something similar?) and the categories that begin as more or less mundane would have that. The more "super" ones would have a higher value, I'm assuming, but I can figure out what this baseline would be, if it exists. Is it in the GM Guide?

The HU-GMG sets the baseline for normal humans at 1D6+10. Rifts uses 2D6+12 as the default for core book O.C.C.s and Dead Reign uses 1D10+12. As for why magic weapon wielding heroes have an unorthodox S.D.C. calculation, why does any of it work the way it does? I've observed that the authors of Palladium products have a general tendency to try and make every little thing distinct. That makes each character option interesting and each character unique in how they combine the many disparate elements, but sometimes you'll run into things that don't seem to make any sense.

Ultimately, if an average of 14 S.D.C., which is pretty typical of the GMG normal humans, isn't enough for you, you are able to select physical skills that enhance S.D.C. While that won't necessarily kick your character's S.D.C. up to the same levels as an Experimental Hero, it will put the character beyond the range that you'd typically expect for non-heroic NPCs.

Bill wrote:I've observed that the authors of Palladium products have a general tendency to try and make every little thing distinct. That makes each character option interesting and each character unique in how they combine the many disparate elements, but sometimes you'll run into things that don't seem to make any sense.

This is not an example of certain groups being distinct. This is incomplete thoughts and rules. What does +10 SDC mean for a Bestowed Abilities hero? How can one add a bonus if one lacks an initial value?

Ultimately, if an average of 14 S.D.C., which is pretty typical of the GMG normal humans, isn't enough for you

No..that's.

Sigh it's not about "being enough" or not. It's about trying to understand the rules. I can change and tweak to my hearts content (and honestly 4d6+1d6X10 is fine), but now I'm trying to figure out WHY these things are the way they are, and why they made these changes from Revised? The second edition seems more messy and incomplete than revised did.

Now I need to go through and compare the two editions more closely. I might end up going back to Revised. Hell, I still play grey-cover Rifts and prefer 1st Ed Fantasy, so it wouldn't be that weird for me...

Mystic Study guys are tough guys who probably blew themselves up with malfunctioning fireballs during years of training, of course they're going to be tougher than some wuss who just found a magic sword.