New to Fantasy Hero

[White Lion]

Hi, I am interested in picking up some Fantasy Hero books, but what about a new edition of Fantasy hero coming out? Is that something that I should be concerned about? Should I just wait until the new edition? Thanks.

[mayapuppies]

Welcome aboard!

The reprint of Fantasy Hero will only errata corrections rather than any new content.

[jaws]

Welcome! Fantasy Hero rocks. The best thing I can do for you is reccomend the following resource:
http://killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/FantasyHERO.aspx
It also helps a tone if you com from a D&D background, but is even better if you just ignore you background and use the content fresh.

[Bygoneyrs]

Hi there,

Ok I have all the books and know the Hero's systems "ok" but I have
to convert my D&D campaign over to the Fantasy Hero's system

Now the books you might want are:

- Hero System: Fantasy Hero (this is the main book and you want
the HC version of it when it comes out shortly)

Some good resource for FH books are:

- FH - Nobles, Knights & Necromancer
- HS - Enchanted Items
- HS - Fantasy Hero Battlegrounds
- HS - Fantasy Hero Grimoire
- HS - Monsters, Minion, Marauders

Also some examples of Fantasy Hero settings:

- HS - FH The Valdorian Age
- HS - FH The Turakian Age
- HS - Tuala Morn

Also when it comes out here soon:

- FH - The Celtic Bestary

I should also point out there are two other books set in the Asian
setting that I don't want but they are:

FH - Asian Bestary I& II

Also some othere good Hero books to have might be:

- HS - 5th Edition Revised HC
- HS - Combat Handbook
- HS - Besiary

For more magic resource books I might point too these:

- HS - The Ultimate Mystic
- HS - Arcane Adversaries
- HS - Champions Demon Servants of Darkness
- HS - The Mystic World

Plus many other Hero System (HS) books can add something
to the game mechanics for you that you can include somewhere
along the way for the mechanics. The rest is just story telling and
writing on your part to create a campaign for your players to
play in.

There are many online resources as well too... I will be using
them myself as I too go through the design and redesign
process to recreate my campaign using the Hero System.

Penn

[Steve Long]

To reiterate what someone said, we're not publishing a "new edition" of FH. We're just going to be reprinting it with a new printer, which gives us the chance to correct typos/errata and to update the page references to the latest edition of the rulebook.

We will soon have available a limited edition hardcover version of Fantasy Hero, if that's of interest to you. Keep an eye on the boards for announcements that we have them in stock, because we'll only be selling them here in the Online Store, not through regular retail outlets.

Our other FH supplements are in print and available, so feel free to pick up a few and dive right in! :)

[Thia Halmades]

Well, I'm going to go ahead and repeat peeps. There's the whole "STEVEN S. LONG" thing... he's a hack, really, but you know. I suffer somehow. Except the punk keeps signing all of my books "To slack-ass," and evidently he does this with an immense of glee. The bastard.

Where was I? Oh yes.

Fantasy HERO is your new Bible.
HERO System Equipment Guide (HSEG) is a must own.
HERO System Combat Handbook (HSCH) is a second must own.

After that, you can choose setting, Grimoires, the Fantasy Battleground Book (pretty helpful, actually), Nobles, Knights & Necromancers (Thanks again, Bill!) provides some decent villains, although I'm much happier with Steve's Predators.

There are plenty of books in the line and lots of opinions as to what was good and what was great, but for my money it's the core rules, combined with the flood of material in FH alone that make it worth the investment.

[PhilFleischmann]

After the Hero System Book (5ER) and Fantasy Hero, you should decide what kind of fantasy game you want to run.

Nobles, Knights, and Necromancers (NKN), and the Grimoires 1 & 2 (FHG1 & FHG2) might not be that useful if you aren't running a high fantasy game set in the Turakian Age.

The Hero System Bestiary (HSB) and Monsters, Minions, and Marauders (MMM) contain fantasy monsters that should be fairly useful in almost any type of fantasy game.

[ghost-angel]

Hi there,

Ok I have all the books and know the Hero's systems "ok" but I have
to convert my D&D campaign over to the Fantasy Hero's system

Now the books you might want are:

- Hero System: Fantasy Hero (this is the main book and you want
the HC version of it when it comes out shortly)

Some good resource for FH books are:

- FH - Nobles, Knights & Necromancer
- HS - Enchanted Items
- HS - Fantasy Hero Battlegrounds
- HS - Fantasy Hero Grimoire
- HS - Monsters, Minion, Marauders

Also some examples of Fantasy Hero settings:

- HS - FH The Valdorian Age
- HS - FH The Turakian Age
- HS - Tuala Morn

Also when it comes out here soon:

- FH - The Celtic Bestary

Just as a note:

Celtic Bestiary was folded into the Tuala Morn book (Chapter 6 specifically) and is not going to be a separate sourcebook.

Monsters, Minions, And Marauders; Nobles, Knights, And Necromancers, Both Grimoires; and Enchanted Items are designed for use with Turakian Age, but are easily ported to pretty much anywhere you need them (such is the nature of Hero).

Battlegrounds, by contrast, is generic but contains notes on placing each adventure in it somewhere in the Turakian Age setting.

[Susano]

I should also point out there are two other books set in the Asian setting that I don't want but they are:

FH - Asian Bestary I& II

Not true. These books aren't set in any specific setting, but instead describe various creatures from the mythology and folklore of real world SE Asia (Japan, China, India, and so on). The feature a whole host of undead, spirits, ghosts, dragons, and other (to our eyes) utterly unconventional animals and monsters, not to mention possible PC races, ideas for spells, and magic items.

Oh, and the greatest special effect for a power ever published in a HERO book. :D

[Curufea]

Not that you have any personal agenda there or anything ;-p

[Susano]

Me? Perish the tought.

[tancred]

Welcome aboard, White Lion. And have some rep.

One thing I can't believe Thia didn't mention: Hero Designer. (He's the only one here who's a bigger booster for it than I am.)

Hero Designer is your indispensable tool for everything Hero.
You will find yourself designing characters faster than you ever thought you could. It does the math for you, AND it enforces the rules, helping you make sure anything you write is legal.
It's a steal for only $25.00.

You can purchase character packs from the various books. The Bestiary character pack is a particularly good bargain, at $6.99.
ALL the creatures (monsters, animals, EVERYTHING) from the Bestiary book already done in HD, ready to be customized to suit you at a second's notice.
This pack includes all the various templates for customizing creatures that are listed in the book, as well. These make it even easier to customize a monster on the spur of the moment.
Need an Infernal wolf? Load up the wolf character sheet, load the Infernal prefab, and add the abilities to the wolf. Voila! done.

Buy it NOW. You'll be glad you did.:thumbup:

[White Lion]

Thanks so much for the help and clarification. Looks like I'm diving into the Hero system. Thanks again.

[Susano]

Welcome aboard, White Lion. And have some rep.

One thing I can't believe Thia didn't mention: Hero Designer. (He's the only one here who's a bigger booster for it than I am.)

Hero Designer is your indispensable tool for everything Hero.
You will find yourself designing characters faster than you ever thought you could. It does the math for you, AND it enforces the rules, helping you make sure anything you write is legal.
It's a steal for only $25.00.

You can purchase character packs from the various books. The Bestiary character pack is a particularly good bargain, at $6.99.
ALL the creatures (monsters, animals, EVERYTHING) from the Bestiary book already done in HD, ready to be customized to suit you at a second's notice.
This pack includes all the various templates for customizing creatures that are listed in the book, as well. These make it even easier to customize a monster on the spur of the moment.
Need an Infernal wolf? Load up the wolf character sheet, load the Infernal prefab, and add the abilities to the wolf. Voila! done.

Note to self -- get some of these character packs. Especially the Bestiaries and ABs.

[tancred]

Note to self -- get some of these character packs. Especially the Bestiaries and ABs.

Shop carefully, though.
The Bestiary is quite the bargain; only $6.99. (It was one of the very first character packs released, and somewhat under-priced, IMO.)

Many of the later packs run $30.00, because they contain essentially everything in their respective book EXCEPT the actual descriptions.
At that price, I have to choose between buying the pack and ordering a new book. So far, the book wins every time.

For that very reason, I'm keying in the spells from the Fantasy Hero Grimoire myself. The good side to that is, I'm sure learning about all the spells that will be used in my Turakian Age game. It has also let me figure out ground rules for players creating new spells for my campaign.

Generally speaking, the genre book character packs are the better bargains (Star Hero, Fantasy Hero, etc.). And the UMA-Ninja Hero, Bestiary, and Turakian Age packs are WELL worth the price, IMO. I don't have the packs for the other Ultimate books, but I'm considering them.

[eternal_sage]

oh, and i'm sure he'll drop by to say it, but i'll beat him to it...

Killer Shrike's website of Fantasy HERO goodness.

http://www.killershrike.com/

*:P at KS*

[jaws]

Not true. These books aren't set in any specific setting, but instead describe various creatures from the mythology and folklore of real world SE Asia (Japan, China, India, and so on). The feature a whole host of undead, spirits, ghosts, dragons, and other (to our eyes) utterly unconventional animals and monsters, not to mention possible PC races, ideas for spells, and magic items.

Oh, and the greatest special effect for a power ever published in a HERO book. :D

Ummmm... What SE would that be?

[jaws]

oh, and i'm sure he'll drop by to say it, but i'll beat him to it...

Killer Shrike's website of Fantasy HERO goodness.

http://www.killershrike.com/

*:P at KS*

***WHINE*** I said it fiiirst ***END WHINE***

No but seriously it bares repeating. I had hero and had no Idea where to start with a FH campaign until I read through this site.

[Susano]

Ummmm... What SE would that be?

"Enormous Scrotum"

[ghost-angel]

Ummmm... What SE would that be?

Look up Tanuki. AB vol.2 p50 (alternately Ultimate Metamorph p234)


edit: aah. Susano beat me to it, and I was gonna make him get the books to find out.

[Susano]

I should have spoilered it.

[jaws]

LOL I will take a look. Thank you!

[eternal_sage]

oh, so you did, jaws. my bad *damn my low PER roll!*

[L. Marcus]

. . . I'd say the Tanuki's big feature is a big selling feature of ABII. :D

[MrBunraku]

I was able to get a copy of Fantasy HERO at this year's GenCon, and I must say I really like it. I thought I knew how much D&D influenced my notions about fantasy RPG's, but it wasn't until I read over Fantasy HERO, with all of it's myriad options, that I was able to break that mindset once and for all.

Ed

[mayapuppies]

I was able to get a copy of Fantasy HERO at this year's GenCon, and I must say I really like it. I thought I knew how much D&D influenced my notions about fantasy RPG's, but it wasn't until I read over Fantasy HERO, with all of it's myriad options, that I was able to break that mindset once and for all.

Ed
And another soul has been saved! :celebrate

[ghost-angel]

Can I get an AMEN!

[Susano]

Amen!

[eternal_sage]

AMEN, MY BROTHERS!! *stands with hands in the air*

[LordGhee]

Halleluiah

[Zindil]

Let me throw in my two cents here. White Lion, and Mr. Bunraku, if you all are looking for a setting, Turakian Age is great. While it isn't innovative in any way, in my opinion it does a great job of capturing the old school fantasy setting feel.

Magic items aren't by default common. Other races are uncommon to say the least. It gives a detailed summary of every region in the book while leaving plenty of room for GM add-ons. If you want a more traditional fantasy setting check out Turakian Age.

Also the bestiary is indispensible if plan on using hit locations. It gives hit location charts for about any body-type you can imagine.

Fantasy Grimoire 1 is great. I am using the default magic system from Turakian Age, and someone in the group refers to it a few times every session. It has been well worth the money.

Btw, Mr. Bunraku, it is good to see yet another Tennessean on here. There are quite a few of us.

[MrBunraku]

As much as I'm enjoying the Fantasy HERO book, I probably won't be getting the setting or grimoire books any time real soon, since I'm more of a RPG reader than player these days. I will keep Turakian Age in mind, though, should that change.

I may get the Bestiary at some point, though. I have to admit, though, I was a bit miffed that rules for familiars weren't in the Fantasy HERO book, and I was referred to the HERO Bestiary. I've run into that a few times. It seems that I should have all the info I need to make a character with the main Genre book along with the HERO system 5th ed. book. Much like the book makes referenc to the Ultimate Martial Artist for additional combat maneuvers, but still has the basic fantasy combat styles and weapons and UMA is listed as an add-on.

Ed

PS Woo hoo! Fellow Tennesseans! Hey, since you're listed as being in Nashville, and since your obviously playing Fantasy HERO, and since I'm not terribly far from Nashville, do you have any room in your group for another??? :o

[PhilFleischmann]

I thought I knew how much D&D influenced my notions about fantasy RPG's, but it wasn't until I read over Fantasy HERO, with all of it's myriad options, that I was able to break that mindset once and for all.
And it's amazing to think of how many little ideas we've picked up from D&D. It's hard to root them all out because they've become so ingrained we don't even think of them. Here's a few that I've been thinking about lately:

1) The idea that everyone is one of the four basic "classes": Fighter, Thief, Cleric, Wizard. Sure, there are Rangers and Barbarians, but those are just variants of fighters. Sure, there are Druid, but those are just clerics. etc.

2) The assumption that there's a neat dividing line between "divine" magic and "arcane" magic.

3) The perfect compartmentalization of the gods, and the perfect information about them: They're all completely statted out like PCs and they all have specific and fixed attributes. They each have one name, one specific symbol (usually detailed to a ridiculous degree), a favorite weapon that they want you to use, specific "domains" of spells that they grant to their clerics, etc.

4) The extreme proliferation of races and sub-races. That every race needs a "half-demon" version. That any two races can mate and produce a viable offspring, which then needs a whole new race package (the Star Trek School of Reproductive Biology). Seriously, how many half-elves should there actually be? A whole "race" worth?

5) The idea that each race has their own gods. There's a "god of elves" and a "god of dwarves," but never a "god of humans."

6) That certain abilities must be prerequisites for other abilities which are not necessarily directly related.

7) The assumption that large amounts of metal disrupts certain types of magic.

8) That magic always comes in individual, discrete spells. And there's a specific number of them, and each one is precisely defined.

9) That the function of a wizard is to be a walking artillary platform.

10) The assumption that the game needs thousands of different monsters to remain interesting. And in case that's not enough, there's dozens, if not hundreds, or "templates" that can be applied to monsters to create new variants. "An abyssal, undead, aquatic, blue-dragon-blooded, greater fire giant with 6 levels of Totemist? Didn't we already fight one of those?"

Maybe someone (me?) should start a new thread: "Ideas about FRPGs that we get from D&D that don't necessarily have to be so." I'll try to think of a shorter title. If someone else wants to start such a thread before I get a round tuitt, go ahead.

[LordGhee]

11) You missed the the Stuff. All the stuff you find wands, potient, rings, swords, rugs and stuff. All the stuff.



Lord Ghee

[mayapuppies]

More commonly known as Ph@7 l337 leW7 in D20 parlance.

[jimmyjimjam]

When is the new version of the Fantasy Hero book coming out? I want to get into this game and Ive waited months already.

[ghost-angel]

When is the new version of the Fantasy Hero book coming out? I want to get into this game and Ive waited months already.

By "get into the game" do you mean play Hero? For that you need the Hero Fifth Edition Rules.

If by "get into the game" you mean get some awesome assistance in helping to set up a Fantasy Hero game ... to quote Buckaroo Banzai "Real Soon !"

[Korvar]

11) You missed the the Stuff. All the stuff you find wands, potient, rings, swords, rugs and stuff. All the stuff.

And for each type of "stuff" there's at least one cursed type, which is indistinguishable from proper "stuff". Even if there's exactly one non-cursed item in that category, there's a cursed one.

[Susano]

I heard it best once as "DnD does a really good job of simulating the DnD genre."

[PhilFleischmann]

12) That it's normal for people (even "adventurers) to walk around in full armor in their daily lives. In city, over land, etc.

[Hugh Neilson]

12) That it's normal for people (even "adventurers) to walk around in full armor in their daily lives. In city, over land, etc.

That "adventurer" can be thought of as a career path!

[Markdoc]

I heard it best once as "DnD does a really good job of simulating the DnD genre."

It's true. When I started GM'ing D&D, we only had the player's handbook - nothing else. So I made up everything else and though it was "recognisably D&D" as far as the rules went, as it turned out when we got the rest of the books, what we had been playing was nothing like D&D - it was more like "Conan in Prydain - the roleplaying game". :D

None of the standard tropes - from armour as clothes through giant hoards of magic and loot to lots and lots of weird monsters actually featured.

And I've been playing that way ever since :D

cheers, Mark

[Steve Long]

When is the new version of the Fantasy Hero book coming out? I want to get into this game and Ive waited months already.

Just to make sure everyone's clear -- we're not printing a "new version" of FH. We're going to be reprinting the FH book, with a few typos and such corrected, as soon as we can, but it's not a "new version" as most people would read that statement. :hex:

[jimmyjimjam]

Ok. Revised version. When is the next printing done?

[Steve Long]

We don't have a date for the revised printing yet. It involves moving the book to a new printer (which is why we can correct typos), and that makes it more expensive and difficult than reprinting it with the original printer (whom we no longer work with) would be. As soon as we have a print date set, we'll let you know. :hex:

[Susano]

Whew... and here I thought hte dog had eaten it. ^_^

[Killer Shrike]

It's true. When I started GM'ing D&D, we only had the player's handbook - nothing else. So I made up everything else and though it was "recognisably D&D" as far as the rules went, as it turned out when we got the rest of the books, what we had been playing was nothing like D&D - it was more like "Conan in Prydain - the roleplaying game". :D


I'd play that game :D

[Nightshade]

Just to get back on topic, slightly...

The single best thing I did for my Fantasy game was buy HERO Designer. While I do own the Grimoire (and like it), I have my own way to doing spells. HERO Designer allows me to create them and store them as Prefabs, which means when someone says "I'd like to play a wizard!" I can just load the appropriate prefab Arcanum and they can just pick their spells. It is truly awesome.

You can do the same thing with martial arts, talents you want for your game, creature templates of your own making... :king:

Considering that I have over 25 Arcana and something like 1000 spells, it really is a life (and work) saver.

For books, I'd definitely get Fantasy HERO. If you can find one now, I'd just buy it and not wait for the new printing. If you can't find one, beg Steve some more. I think he likes it.

Nightshade

BTW: Steve, my FH book is starting to wear out from over use. PLEASE print the new one! Pretty please!!!

[Susano]

Let me second the usefulness of HERO Designer. I also say that 6.99 for the HERO Bestiary in HD form is a steal!

[MrBunraku]

And it's amazing to think of how many little ideas we've picked up from D&D. It's hard to root them all out because they've become so ingrained we don't even think of them. Here's a few that I've been thinking about lately:

1) The idea that everyone is one of the four basic "classes": Fighter, Thief, Cleric, Wizard. Sure, there are Rangers and Barbarians, but those are just variants of fighters. Sure, there are Druid, but those are just clerics. etc.

2) The assumption that there's a neat dividing line between "divine" magic and "arcane" magic.

3) The perfect compartmentalization of the gods, and the perfect information about them: They're all completely statted out like PCs and they all have specific and fixed attributes. They each have one name, one specific symbol (usually detailed to a ridiculous degree), a favorite weapon that they want you to use, specific "domains" of spells that they grant to their clerics, etc.

4) The extreme proliferation of races and sub-races. That every race needs a "half-demon" version. That any two races can mate and produce a viable offspring, which then needs a whole new race package (the Star Trek School of Reproductive Biology). Seriously, how many half-elves should there actually be? A whole "race" worth?

5) The idea that each race has their own gods. There's a "god of elves" and a "god of dwarves," but never a "god of humans."

6) That certain abilities must be prerequisites for other abilities which are not necessarily directly related.

7) The assumption that large amounts of metal disrupts certain types of magic.

8) That magic always comes in individual, discrete spells. And there's a specific number of them, and each one is precisely defined.

9) That the function of a wizard is to be a walking artillary platform.

10) The assumption that the game needs thousands of different monsters to remain interesting. And in case that's not enough, there's dozens, if not hundreds, or "templates" that can be applied to monsters to create new variants. "An abyssal, undead, aquatic, blue-dragon-blooded, greater fire giant with 6 levels of Totemist? Didn't we already fight one of those?"

Maybe someone (me?) should start a new thread: "Ideas about FRPGs that we get from D&D that don't necessarily have to be so." I'll try to think of a shorter title. If someone else wants to start such a thread before I get a round tuitt, go ahead.

You know, to be honest, several of the things you mentioned had yet to register with me, but I have to agree with you on most of those points. They are D&D assumptions, but they don't necessarily have to be part of a Fantasy RPG.

It came more home to me when I was reading over the character creation chapter. One of the things I've always liked about HERO is that it's a game that allows you to fit the rules to your concept, not the other way 'round. There's lot of talk these days of how D&D 4th ed is going to make a sword swinging magic-user a viable character. But in HERO, it's a snap. Just create it.

I don't want anyone to think that I'm a D&D hater, though. It's the first RPG I played, and I do still enjoy it. Although I'm not terribly keen on a 4th edition. :confused: But, in the past, I've tried to figure out how D&D would fit a character or game concept, and with HERO, I don't have to worry about that.

Ed

[AnotherSkip]

"Frankly back in the old days *assumes Grognard stance*
you whippersnappers have no idea no idee t'all how easy you youngins got er now."

to do anything you need, you need one book to rule them all.
FRED
Fifth Revised EDition.

take everything DND says you cant do and build it.Make Magic Missle the wussiest 1st level spell availible. (which is the reverse of the actual design of the DNDr's)
throw all the DND rules to the wind and make a coinage system that makes sense for your world, a magic system, a player generation system. Whatever!

For the EVERYTHING IN DND THAT IS WRONG THREAD:
toss out levels they don't matter.


Built my own campaign before Fantasy Hero came out and the only race, coinage, and magic spell in there that is in other Hero books is the Humans!!!!

[TheQuestionMan]

Start there then check these out.


[Compilation] "to Fantasy HERO Conversions & Adaptations"
http://herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24968

The Kandris Seal by Hartfelt Productions (Champions/Fantasy Hero)
http://www.hartfeltproductions.com/tks.html

The Last Dominion by Pencil Publishers Publications (Fantasy Hero)
http://www.pencil-pushers.net/

The Echoes of Heaven/The Throne of God by Final Redoubt Press (Fantasy Hero)
http://www.finalredoubt.com/


All courtesy of you friendly neighbourhood TheQuestionMan


QM

[Maur]

4) The extreme proliferation of races and sub-races. That every race needs a "half-demon" version. That any two races can mate and produce a viable offspring, which then needs a whole new race package (the Star Trek School of Reproductive Biology). Seriously, how many half-elves should there actually be? A whole "race" worth?

They are races and not species.


7) The assumption that large amounts of metal disrupts certain types of magic.

It isn't the metal that disrupts the spell casting. The chance of Arcane spell failure (per the rules of D&D) is due to the reduced flexibility the character suffers while wearing the armor. Arcane spell failure only affects spells with Somatic components (gestures).

[Susano]

It isn't the metal that disrupts the spell casting. The chance of Arcane spell failure (per the rules of D&D) is due to the reduced flexibility the character suffers while wearing the armor. Arcane spell failure only affects spells with Somatic components (gestures).

I've worn armor, reduced flexibility is a joke.

[ghost-angel]

I've worn armor, reduced flexibility is a joke.

Unless the spell requires Advanced Yoga Positions to cast, then I might buy it. I mean... it can't be easy putting your feet behind your head in full plate....

[Susano]

In full plate? No... but I've seen people in partial armor do some crazy stunts.

[Maur]

Ever tried to cross your fingers with gloves on?

[Susano]

Then take your gloves off. There's a huge difference between "reduced flexibility" due to armor and needing to be able to contort one's hands correctly.

And, IIRC, metal was the reason wizards couldn't wear armor in the older versions of D&D.

[mayapuppies]

And, IIRC, metal was the reason wizards couldn't wear armor in the older versions of D&D.
THis mentality carried over a lot. It was featured in Rolemaster as well as ICE's version of MERP.

[Hugh Neilson]

THis mentality carried over a lot. It was featured in Rolemaster as well as ICE's version of MERP.

In fairness, I think some of this extrapolates from the Faerie weakness to cold iron, not from the D&Dism that wizards don't wear armor.

[PhilFleischmann]

It isn't the metal that disrupts the spell casting. The chance of Arcane spell failure (per the rules of D&D) is due to the reduced flexibility the character suffers while wearing the armor. Arcane spell failure only affects spells with Somatic components (gestures).
Druids.

[Thia Halmades]

More commonly known as Ph@7 l337 leW7 in D20 parlance.

*sighs heavily*

It's "ph4+ l3w7z" j00 l4m3r. Get it right. j00 r LOLZ 2 me!!!11!!!!~

I mean if you're gonna go l33t, go l33t all the way, baby.

[Thia Halmades]

Druids.

Correct, Dr00dz cannot use metal... except they can carry scythes & scimitars. :ugly:

Don't ask. I dunno. And they can't carry bows. Again, don't ask. I dunno. I know there was a reason I reworked the entire class for my old d20 campaign... what was it... *taps chin, snaps fingers!*

BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T MAKE ANY F***ING SENSE, THAT WAS WHY!

I knew it would come to me!

[AmadanNaBriona]

Correct, Dr00dz cannot use metal... except they can carry scythes & scimitars. :ugly:

Don't ask. I dunno. And they can't carry bows. Again, don't ask. I dunno. I know there was a reason I reworked the entire class for my old d20 campaign... what was it... *taps chin, snaps fingers!*

BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T MAKE ANY F***ING SENSE, THAT WAS WHY!

I knew it would come to me!

No doubt.


I've read oodles of Celtic myths.

I'm only half joking when I say that the ceremony to graduate a Olamh to full Druid should include getting an Ogham tattoo that reads "Bad A$$ed M*therf*cker"

[Thia Halmades]

"Which druid is yours?"

"The one that says 'Bad motherf***er.'"

[L. Marcus]

And we can dig it!

[AnotherSkip]

IIRC some of the druid limitations were to give them a druidy feeling and recapture a set of cultural biases that were not proprely understood.....

and yes my Hero System Druid uses a broadsword and arrows.

[Susano]

I always wondered about the scimitar bit. I mean, where did that come from?

[L. Marcus]

. . . Scimitars are neat!

[Susano]

They can cut turtle meat!!!

[AmadanNaBriona]

I always wondered about the scimitar bit. I mean, where did that come from?

As far as I could figure out it's probably related to the whole ritual sickle thing.

[ghost-angel]

It's a curvy blade see... and sickles are curvy... so obviously they're related!!

Come on, it came from the same mind that practically destroyed mythology in one fell swoop called Monster Manual.

[Susano]

As far as I could figure out it's probably related to the whole ritual sickle thing.

That's what I thought.

[Mephron]

Oh, and the greatest special effect for a power ever published in a HERO book. :D

Yes, the majestic scrotum multipower.

...I am not actually kidding.

[L. Marcus]

. . . And the best part is that Mike didn't have to make it up -- it's all there in the myths. :D

[Bismark]

As far as I could figure out it's probably related to the whole ritual sickle thing.

The 'scimitar thing' for Druids always struck me as a classic gaffe - if they are working from the ritual sickle angle, then why not use weapons which are believed to derive from this, e.g. the Greek kopis/machaira, the Iberian falcata, the eastern Mediterranean drepanon, the Nepalese kukri (or for real badasses) the Dacian falx/sica:D). It appears to be a confusion of backward-curving weapons (e.g. scimitars, tulwars etc.) with forward-curving ones - shoddy research if you ask me...

For the record, the druid character in my Turakian Age campaign was a scary eco-warrior with some herbal abilities, some healing spells, the obligatory childbirth-easing spell, a large nasty mace and a 10D6 EB attack spell (the "Wrath of the Green")derived from the description of the Forestal's spell (channelled through the statue known as the Colossus) in Stephen Donaldson's novel The Illearth War.

[AmadanNaBriona]

The 'scimitar thing' for Druids always struck me as a classic gaffe - if they are working from the ritual sickle angle, then why not use weapons which are believed to derive from this, e.g. the Greek kopis/machaira, the Iberian falcata, the eastern Mediterranean drepanon, the Nepalese kukri (or for real badasses) the Dacian falx/sica:D). It appears to be a confusion of backward-curving weapons (e.g. scimitars, tulwars etc.) with forward-curving ones - shoddy research if you ask me...

For the record, the druid character in my Turakian Age campaign was a scary eco-warrior with some herbal abilities, some healing spells, the obligatory childbirth-easing spell, a large nasty mace and a 10D6 EB attack spell (the "Wrath of the Green")derived from the description of the Forestal's spell (channelled through the statue known as the Colossus) in Stephen Donaldson's novel The Illearth War.

I especially like the falcata idea, because it ties in well with the Iberian origins of the Milesan Celts.
I do enjoy the fantasy Eco warrior druid trope (heck I used to read Swamp Thing ;P), but it's really pretty way far from the source myths. Suffice to say, the Druids that pop up in Celtic myth are nasty customers when aroused or annoyed. Being a good guy apparently wasn't part of their 21 year minimum training program.

[Markdoc]

I always wondered about the scimitar bit. I mean, where did that come from?

So it wouldn't look like a cross, which a regular longsword/broadsword sort-of does. No, seriously.

You can't blame D&D for that completely - the idea was originally coined by some dimwitted Victorians who thought Stonehenge had been built by druids and made some fantasy-druid rituals. Naturally they couldn't use something like a regular blade that might be seen to have "christian" association. Hence curved blades. The blame for D&D comes from adopting this bone-headed idea.

cheers, Mark

[Susano]

D&D seems to... wait, Gary Gygax seems to have adopted a lot of dimwitted Victorian ideas for D&D. Such as all of the goofball pole arms.

[Thia Halmades]

Goofball Polearms are pre-Victorian, IIRC. The Victorian Era is, what, mid-1800s to early 1900s; the Polearm was in use as early as 1100 or 1200 (if not earlier).

[ghost-angel]

Goofball Polearms are pre-Victorian, IIRC. The Victorian Era is, what, mid-1800s to early 1900s; the Polearm was in use as early as 1100 or 1200 (if not earlier).

Pre-Victorian had practical polearms.

Gygaxian Polearms swerve into WTF land.

[Susano]

Pre-Victorian had practical polearms.

Gygaxian Polearms swerve into WTF land.

Exactly. The issue isn't the "let's sticked an edged object on a stick" theory, but Gygax's names, most of which are very Victorian (i.e. guisarme, voulge, guisarme-voulge, glaive, glaive-guisarme, and so on). A lot of this could have been condensed down into a simpler set of weapons.

[Enforcer84]

1st Ed Cleric: "I used to use a Luciern Hammer, imagine my embarrassment when I found out it was a polearm."