Increasing the focus on Skills

[Phil]

Hero is a strongly power-driven system at the moment, and one key example of this is in movement rates. In most games, to run faster, you increase a running skill or similar trait. In Hero, you buy a power.

I was wondering whether anyone had developed a system for a heroic-level game that used movement skills to boost the base movement rates, rather than buying up movement? Or possibly some combination of the two - because those 100m runners achieve 10m/s, and I don't think they're built on enough points for Running 10", SPD5 :)

Phil

[BNakagawa]

All a sprinter needs to make the olympic finals is a SPD 4, 7" or so of running and an extra NCM. (and push your running would you, it's the Olympics after all)

[Sean Waters]

You could buy a running skill and add +1" movement per 2 points you make the roll by if you want to make up a ruule, or buy running with a RSR, extra levels with your ego roll for the push, extra levels with your DEX roll for the start. You can buy levels with running to accelerate quicker.

Mind you, given that Olympic runners have very consistent results, I don't think most of it is based on a skill roll, just that last few centimetres.

Speed 4, 10" running, 2xNCM - which is normal human maximum - is a lot faster than Olympic sprinters: nealy 30mph/46kph and only costs 28 points over a competent normal.

In fact SPD 3, 10" will get you up to Olympic speed going non-combat (22.4 mph), and that'll only cost you 18 points above competent normal. You can pay for that with one decent psych lim!

[Dust Raven]

TheRealLemming makes a good point. Movement is a petty constant thing. You can either run so fast, or you can't. Maybe you can push yourself further for little bits, but that's easily coverd with the Pushing rules (Push by 4 points give you an extra 2" and costs 4 extra END for that Phase). And being able to Push costs no points.

[ghost-angel]

All that and... we've always viewed some of the inherent movement powers as "non-power powers" ... if there's a game limit on Powers or the game is heroic then buying up Running, Swimming and even Leaping has always been acceptable to a limit. The limit has always been based on the campaign itself, or GM caveat.

Anythnig over the limit has been considered an actual "Power" such as being required to purchase it as a Spell in a heroic fantasy game.