Fantasy Hero Power Level

[Maccabe]

I am working on a Fantasy hero game but would like to know what power level the usual Fantasy Hero character is. What level do you use?

[Fitz]

I almost always start them out with 150pts, but I generally weight it 100/50 rather than 75/75 so that the party doesn't walk out into the wide world loaded down with so many disads that they're instantly doomed.

I did have one party in which every single character took "Hunted", all at high levels, and all different hunters. That was fun -- though only for me (the GM), and only briefly :) In retrospect I probably should have warned them, but like they say, once bitten. twice shy -- now hardly anyone ever takes Hunted :)

[AlHazred]

I generally start them with 50+50. I find that the lower starting power level makes them treasure the advance more. Plus, that way, the standard beasties in the book remain challenging longer.

Of course, I've also run anything up to a 150+100 campaign; it's fine if that's what you're going for, but I find characters generated at that level tend to seem less well-developed.

[Curufea]

The one I'm starting soon is an High Fantasy campaign with fairly powerful characters 150/100

[Herolover]

I am currently running a 100+50 point campaign. However, I am wishing I had started it differently. If I had to redo things I would have started it out at 50+50 and then given the players 25 other points to buy skills, spells, powers, or whatever.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Almost all of my FH campaigns have been 100 base +150 max disads, with a fair number of players not using all the possible disads. It creates some nice power variations if you have a good group of players. It also gives enough points for a good set of background skills without crippling character design. I'm currently toying with an idea of a campaign where the "normal" level is 150+100, but players can choose to take a lower starting level and gain extra XP (till they reach 150) which are held in a reserve for a in game "retraining" (Heroic level radiation accident, essentially).

[Ki-rin]

I am working on a Fantasy hero game but would like to know what power level the usual Fantasy Hero character is. What level do you use?

It depends on the Fantasy. No, I'm not being a smart @$$.

Aragorn, Frodo, Gandolf, Gimli, and Legolas are each a far different power level, and they're in the same campaign.

FRed says that characters <= 125 CP tend to be heroic and that characters >= 150 CP tend to be superheroic, but that's an arbitrary distinction.

How powerful do you want your PC's and villains to be compared to "The Average Man" and to each other? How capable do you want "The Average Man" to be? How powerful are the races of your world?

What kind of challenges do you find most fun to GM? Do your players find most fun?

Epic Fantasy like JRR Tolkien or Robert Jordan is of a very different power level than Christopher Stasheff's _Warlock in Spite of Himself_ series or Terry Brooks' _Magic Kingdom For Sale- Sold!_ and those are very different from ...

...you get the idea. You are god (don't let it get to your head...). What kind of world would you like to build today?

[tkdguy]

I had thought about starting a low-powered campaign with 50 points base and 50 points of disads. Primary Characteristics would start at 8 rather than 10, and NCM would be lowered to 15.

Then I realized none of the HERO gamers I know would want to play that, so I dropped it altogether.

[CourtFool]

I lied on the poll just to skew the results. I am feeling fiesty tonight.

[keithcurtis]

We use 75+75, but I have an option for character concepts that just require more. You can start off with more base points in exchange for earning less XP. In the long run, you wind up with less, but you get to start higher.
Again, the concept has to require it.

Keith "the Players' Friend" Curtis

[AmadanNaBriona]

We use 75+75, but I have an option for character concepts that just require more. You can start off with more base points in exchange for earning less XP. In the long run, you wind up with less, but you get to start higher.
Again, the concept has to require it.

Keith "the Players' Friend" Curtis

I've been thinking about something like this as well, with the additional caveat that the character will in some way act as a PC plot device... ala Gandalf... Mostly this would be for Semi-NPC characters, probably as backup characters for other part time GMs

[swobeas]

We have started a Western shores game 2 years ago with 125 points, reaching now around 170 at the end of the story...

The next will be a Warhammer campaign with the Enemy Within, which will start at 70 points

greets from berlin

swobeas

[AliceTheOwl]

I believe Josh's started us at 10/25 or so. We started off with all our characteristics at 8, and had to buy 10 pts of disads before we could buy any powers or anything.

The XP he's giving out has made a little bit of a dent in that, but I think we're all still at a negative power level.

It's . . . interesting so far. We're definitely working from the ground up with these characters. It's made for some interesting roleplay.

[Super Squirrel]

Close.

You all started -10/10. After the first adventure I gave you all a 10 point disadvantage. So in reality you are all -10/20 Characters.

[AlHazred]

I'd give that a try, but the one powergamer in the group would have a fit. Literally. And while that would be amusing to see, I wouldn't want to face the lawsuit.

Besides, then I have to face the possibility of KoDT-like player unionization.

[Chris Goodwin]

I've played in everything from 10+0 to 75+25 (in the old days; today it would be 50+50) to 100+150.

[keithcurtis]

I've been thinking about something like this as well, with the additional caveat that the character will in some way act as a PC plot device... ala Gandalf... Mostly this would be for Semi-NPC characters, probably as backup characters for other part time GMs
The actual rule I use is <a href="http://www.savageearth.net/house.html#Limited%20Experience">here</a>

Keith "I've got that right here" Curtis

[AlHazred]

Them's some nice house rules! You should submit them to Geoff Speare!

Uh, assuming he still hosts a Hero System House Rules page. *goes and checks* D'oh! Nevermind...

[Ner0Sputnik]

My FH campaigns are 75/75... but only as a guideline. There are times when the character concept is so sound but it's going to take another 5 points or so. If it's sound enough, no problem! I let 'em go with it.

[Vondy]

Most character weigh in between 175-200 points, but as much of 50 points of that will be useful stuff as opposed to general rpg goodness stuff.

[AnotherSkip]

Im doing a wide build for old characters of mine, anything from 1st& 2nd AD&D that I either played or built as a demo game for HERO.

(which does mean I as the Gm am building them)

they are averaging at about 253 points with up to 60 points in Magical (read POWERED) Equipment.

OY VEY!!!!!!!!!!!!


and really nothing breaks NCM, or a 60 point level,

COnverting Old AD&D characters was never so much fun....

[Black Rose]

Im doing a wide build for old characters of mine, anything from 1st& 2nd AD&D that I either played or built as a demo game for HERO.

(which does mean I as the Gm am building them)

they are averaging at about 253 points with up to 60 points in Magical (read POWERED) Equipment.

OY VEY!!!!!!!!!!!!


and really nothing breaks NCM, or a 60 point level,

COnverting Old AD&D characters was never so much fun....

I rather enjoy characters with this much broad capability. If one keeps power levels at a reasonable level, allows for a lot of nifty wierdness, and goes for flash over firepower, you can crank the point totals waaaaay up, and still have "vulnerable" characters who don't step on each other's Forte too much.

[Ndreare]

I like the 75+75 games.

However I am thinking of talking the players into a 25+25 game, then giving los of xp -read 3 per game- to make up for the low base value.

I have alot of ideas for a low level game that builds to Epic.

[Curufea]

It really depends on what plot you have in mind for the campaign.

[Lord Mhoram]

I tend towards running epic so the point totals run high.

The first game I started was 100+100, and the game ended with the PCs about 500.
The game I am getting ready to run is going to be 150+100 possibly 250+100, but the characters are starting as near epic heroes, and move up from there. :)

[Edsel]

We have played several Fantasy Hero Campaigns over the last 15 years or so. I am pretty sure all of the were the standard 150 point campaigns. The last couple have been 100 points + 50 points of disadvantages. The idea being it is better to have 50 points of disads that are played out rather than 75 points where some are ignored.

[Klabautermann]

Hi Herophiles,

the characters in our Aventurien HERO Game have 100/50 Points to start with. We are playing in the world of Aventuria the background of Germanys leading FRPG DSA (Das Schwarze Auge - The dark eye). When we started I thought that 150 Points would be a lot for beginning heros but I found that it's hard to build a mage on that point cap if you want him nearly as capable as he would be by the rules of DSA. On the other hand warriors have a couple of points to spend beyond the starting values of the rules. So far 150 points seems a good starting value to our group.

Greetings
Jörg

[badger3k]

A little late, but I've been busy. :)

A lot of people seem to use the 100/50 build, and that's what I use too. I also gave this group 25 xp to spend once their characters were finished (I didn't tell them this when they were building them). That way they are a little tougher than normal characters, and doing it this way makes it more like they earned the experience through adventuring. They're around 200 points so far.

[swobeas]

Greetings to Klabautermann! :)

Nice tp see other Hero-gamers in Germany!

What starting level (in DSA) do you use? Are it 1st lvl characters?

I`ve played DSA 13-14 years ago and then it was quoite low-powered, at least at the beginning...
What can a 1st lvl mage in DSA do?

To the warriors:
In my oppinion a 150 point warrior is a combat machine and in no way a starting character.
You can design a fairly balanced warrior with 75-100 points :nonp:

greets from berlin

swobeas

[Pentoth]

I tend to use 75/75 however after reading this thread I may try the 50/50. It sounds interesting.

[TheTemplar]

I had originally had my first group go 100/50, but after reading this thread, I may have to have my new Turakian Age group go 75/50, build at 125, and then give them 25 XP's to start just to be spent on improving what talents they already have, or to buy new spells/skills to reflect a modest adventuring career leading up to the campaign start. Good idea.

[Primal]

A version of the 100/25 +25 rule that I've done is the 25 points don't get assigned until the players are gaming. As things are going along for the first couple sessions, people tend to realize, "Oh crap! My character concept really doesn't make much sense without XYZ skill/talent/contact.." at which point they get to "poof!" spend the points instantly to have it.

It's generally worked out pretty well.. of course, it helps to have people describe the character concept in words ahead of time.

After the fact edit: 100/25+25 should be 75/50+25 ..sorry, I can't think straight.

[John Desmarais]

The actual rule I use is <a href="http://www.savageearth.net/house.html#Limited%20Experience">here</a>

Keith "I've got that right here" Curtis

Re: Limited Experience Rule

Interesting. I may try offering this to the players the next time a start up a new campaign.

[teh bunneh]

My last FH game started with the players at 25+50. They were low-powered, "just graduated from wizard school/squire training/whatever," and it made for some very interesting roleplaying. It only took one fight to get the idea that they weren't unstoppable killing machines drilled into their heads. :)

Of course, I'm fairly generous with XPs (3 per session is about average for me). So they grew in ability pretty quickly.

Next game I run I'll probably start them at 75+75 and see where that goes.

Bill.