Another (sorry) Speed Variation

[Toonol]

I always find rules tinkering to be a fun; and I'd like to get my two boys interested in champions, and so I'm trying to find ways to simplify the rules while changing as little as possible. (My boys are ages 9 and 13)

Anyway, the thought was that instead of using the speed chart, characters simply act every X segments, where X is 12 divided by their speed. If this is not an even number, it just alternates between the two closest numbers.

For instance, a speed 3 acts every 4 segments. A speed 6 acts every 2 segments.

A speed 5 acts every, um, 2.4 segments; we would just have that character alternate waiting 3 then 2 segments between actions.

This breaks down at some higher speeds (I've always hated 7 as a number :-), but it seems like it would be a little more easily comprehensible by a newbie than the speed chart, and could be dropped in without unbalancing everything. Recoveries would just come at the end of every 12th segment...

Any feedback, guys?

-Toonol

[Gary Ciaramella]

Not that I am saying your idea is not workable... but I have personally always though the speed chart was one of the easiest things about the Hero System...

[Monolith]

Originally posted by Toonol
For instance, a speed 3 acts every 4 segments.
A 3 SPD already acts every 4 segments. 4, 8, 12.


A speed 6 acts every 2 segments.
A 6 SPD already acts every 2 segments. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12.


A speed 5 acts every, um, 2.4 segments; we would just have that character alternate waiting 3 then 2 segments between actions.
A 5 SPD already alternates between 2 and 3 segments. 3, 5, 8, 10, 12.

:)

[Toonol]

Originally posted by Monolith
A 3 SPD already acts every 4 segments. 4, 8, 12.


A 6 SPD already acts every 2 segments. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12.


A 5 SPD already alternates between 2 and 3 segments. 3, 5, 8, 10, 12.

:)

Right, I was probably not making my motives clear. Maybe this isn't really a rules variant so much as it is just a different restatement of the speed rules, without a speed chart. I just thought something like:

Spd 1: Act every 12th seg
Spd 2: Act every 6th seg.
Spd 3: Act every 4th seg.
Spd 4: Act every 3rd seg.
Spd 5: Act every 3rd then 2nd seg.
Spd 6: Act every 2nd seg...
...
Spd 12: Act every seg.

Might be a more easily explainable way of explaining speed to a new player, without changing much. The Hero system is like DNA; so finely tuned that most major mutations (house rules) are detrimental :-)

-Toonol