Lord Liaden
Mar 18th, '11, 08:35 AM
With Steve Long's kind permission, below is a transcript of his Hero Games website chatroom discussion from Thursday March 17.
--------------------------------
Steven S. Long (07:59.41 PM)
Good evening folx!
Indiana Joe (07:59.49 PM)
Hi Steve.
Lord Liaden (07:59.56 PM)
Hail Steve!
Steven S. Long (08:00.01 PM)
Hope everyone's had a good St. Patrick's day.
Eddie! (08:00.15 PM)
What I miss?
Greetings Programs!
Fellhard (08:00.35 PM)
Hello Steven S. Long
Indiana Joe (08:00.39 PM)
Arm-wrestling leprechauns.
Steven S. Long (08:00.45 PM)
Hi Fell
Eddie! (08:00.52 PM)
Hehyah Narf
Luchadore Leperchauns?
Indiana Joe (08:01.37 PM)
Con game! :-)
Eddie! (08:01.51 PM)
mis Con duct?
Robert Dwyer (08:01.52 PM)
Hello all
Eddie! (08:02.01 PM)
Heh Rob
Steven S. Long (08:02.08 PM)
Hi Robert
Rod Currie (08:02.23 PM)
hello
Eddie! (08:02.37 PM)
Mrs. Con Duct
Lord Liaden (08:02.50 PM)
Greetings, fellow Canuckistani.
Eddie! (08:02.57 PM)
Heh LL
Rod Currie (08:03.36 PM)
Greetings, LL
Fellhard (08:03.42 PM)
that is one of the nicest layouts for HD exporting that i have seen Descoto .. thank you
Descoto (08:04.22 PM)
np
I created it to make it easy to dump into inDesign
Robert Dwyer (08:05.04 PM)
Coverting characters from 3rd ed is a pain in the butt..just FYI
Narf the Mouse (08:05.36 PM)
Hi, Eddie
Eddie! (08:05.37 PM)
Champions Reimagined (the Series)
Season 5 and 6 now avaiable in pdf!
Steven S. Long (08:07.05 PM)
OK, I think we've waited long enough for stragglers... time for announcements!
Rod Currie (08:07.24 PM)
it's probably simpler to just redesign 3E characters in 6E.
Steven S. Long (08:07.33 PM)
First off, CV3, HSEG, and HSG are, AFAIK, still at the printer -- Darren has been at the GAMA Trade Show this week, and last week I was out of town, so I don't have any up-to-date info.
Eddie! (08:07.55 PM)
Damn tease
Lord Liaden (08:08.10 PM)
Want me to give that printer a good talking-to?
Eddie! (08:08.17 PM)
Hero System E? G?
Steven S. Long (08:08.26 PM)
Second, I remain hard at work on CHAMPIONS BEYOND! I am nearly done with Chapter Ten (the Star*Guard), leaving only Chapter Eleven (Secrets of the Galaxy) and general clean-up to go, then I'm done!
Eddie -- HERO System Equipment Guide.
Lord Liaden (08:08.43 PM)
Eddie -- Equipment Guide.
Eddie! (08:08.56 PM)
Inclued lots of adventure stuff... thanks for the fyi
Steven S. Long (08:09.20 PM)
The last couple chapters have come along quite well, and barring interruptions I expect I'll finish the Star*Guard tomorrow. Mostly I just have character sheets for several pretty impressive villains to go.
Lord Liaden (08:09.41 PM)
I love impressive villains.
Steven S. Long (08:09.54 PM)
Having to go back through the book and do the final math on all the starships, villains, etc. is gonna be a pain though.
Eddie! (08:09.55 PM)
I wonder how the Star*Guard are dealing with the Star*Marshals??
Delegate Steve
Steven S. Long (08:10.13 PM)
LL -- well, you won't be disappointed in this book, then. There are several VERY powerful baddies written up, and several more briefly described.
I could probably do a whole additional book just of villains referenced by name in CBY.
Robert Dwyer (08:10.38 PM)
powerful baddies eh? My group thinks every baddy they face is powerful heh heh
Lord Liaden (08:11.17 PM)
Any Malvan gladiators getting written up?
Steven S. Long (08:11.20 PM)
Robert -- well, one of these guys can break the Earth into pieces with his hands in something like three minutes, IIRC. That's the sort of powerful I'm talking about.
LL -- yes, five or six get character sheets.
Robert Dwyer (08:11.35 PM)
shudder...yeesh
Steven S. Long (08:11.51 PM)
And that's just the Malva chapter. The Moon chapter has three or four more gladiators or related types.
Eddie! (08:12.03 PM)
Give Thia Halmades a call.
Steven S. Long (08:12.18 PM)
Another one of the CBY villains will basically be considered "the CU Darkseid," though I'm not sure that's an entirely accurate comparison.
Lord Liaden (08:12.53 PM)
"CU Darkseid" is someone mentioned before, or all new?
Steven S. Long (08:13.01 PM)
Another one, who doesn't get a character sheet, has killed several dozen StarGuards with her bare hands/powers. Not a pleasant individual.
Eddie! (08:13.08 PM)
Malvan's with Elemental Powers and the Firewing. Not to mention the mythic Golden Hunter of Malva who battled the Elder Worm with the Progenitors.
Robert Dwyer (08:13.17 PM)
I hope not Darkseid is a as dull as dishwater..I always prefered Thanos
Steven S. Long (08:13.19 PM)
LL -- entirely new. Never mentioned before. I don't think we've ever mentioned anyone before who'd really qualify for that "role."
Eddie! (08:13.42 PM)
Powers Cosmic?
Steven S. Long (08:13.46 PM)
Eddie -- the Golden Hunters, and their opposite numbers among the Elder Worm, are discussed in Chapters Five and Nine respectively.
Fellhard (08:13.49 PM)
sorry about interjecting with a random question .. but i seem to recall, but cant locate a 6e advanced skills guide.. i tend to remember something but i cant seem to relocate it? does such a thing exist?
Robert Dwyer (08:13.55 PM)
what about that guy from Champions Universe...News of the World?
Eddie! (08:13.57 PM)
Booyah!!!
Steven S. Long (08:14.00 PM)
Fell -- that's HERO SYSTEM SKILLS.
It's a reworking of The Ultimate Skill. Pages are still numbered the same, vast majority of content the same, but all updated for 6E.
Currently only available as a PDF.
Lord Liaden (08:14.33 PM)
Which guy, Robert?
Steven S. Long (08:14.36 PM)
Robert -- you mean Valak the World-Ravager?
Fellhard (08:14.50 PM)
ah thans Steven
Robert Dwyer (08:15.27 PM)
yeah..that guy...doubt he was reprinted ...but I thought he was planty tough...though maybe not quite up to his name
Lord Liaden (08:15.47 PM)
Valak's in Champions Villains Vol. 3, for 6E.
Steven S. Long (08:16.01 PM)
Valak is in CV3; he's also described briefly in CU. He's certainly very powerful, but not powerful or smart or controlled enough to really be a Thanos/Darkseid type.
Dusterboy (08:16.32 PM)
Hey guys
Steven S. Long (08:16.36 PM)
The Thanos/Darkseid guy will be able to handle him just fine.
Lord Liaden (08:16.36 PM)
Valak lived up to his name before the Star*Guard imprisoned him, but breaking out drained a lot of his power. He's looking for ways to renew it.
Steven S. Long (08:16.39 PM)
Hello, Duster.
CBY will discuss at least one or two repercussions of Valak's activities, though. }
Lord Liaden (08:17.00 PM)
Valak strikes me as more like Mongul.
Robert Dwyer (08:17.06 PM)
Valek feels like a "herald of Galactus" to me
Indiana Joe (08:17.55 PM)
I got the same vibe.
Fellhard (08:17.56 PM)
will champions beyond be geared for heroic sci-fi ?
Steven S. Long (08:18.51 PM)
I'm not sure Valak is versatile enough to match the Surfer or Terrax, but I'd have to think about that more.
Fell -- no, not really. It's very much a Champions book. Science Fiction gaming will have to await the new STAR HERO this summer.
Robert Dwyer (08:19.26 PM)
No...but he seems a bit like Morg...certainly not like surfer...
Steven S. Long (08:20.31 PM)
I'm not familiar with Morg. I only know the classics. ;)
Lord Liaden (08:20.32 PM)
Steve, I noticed CV raised the question of whether there's a connection to the origins of Photon, Sunspot, and Stareye. Will CBY explore that?
Fellhard (08:20.39 PM)
: ) my star hero game starts on March 27th .. <gulp> .. hope players like it and it is still going this summer .
Eddie! (08:20.51 PM)
Valak was imprisoned in the Champions Universe version of the Source Wall/Kyln
Dusterboy (08:21.11 PM)
Source Wall?
Indiana Joe (08:21.19 PM)
Valak doesn't seem like the type to work for someone voluntarily. A being that could compel Valak to do its bidding would be... fearsome.
Steven S. Long (08:21.33 PM)
LL -- yes, it will.
Eddie! (08:21.47 PM)
* Fallen One (MIA) * Silver Surfer (Current Herald) * Gabriel the Air-Walker (Deceased) * Firelord * Destroyer (MIA) * Terrax theTamer * Nova (Deceased) * Morg the Executioner (Deceased) * Red Shift (Deceased) * Johnny Storm * Stardust (Current Herald)
Steven S. Long (08:21.52 PM)
IJ -- Valak absolutely, positively, does not work for other beings. He might team up with someone, but that's as far as it'd go.
Lord Liaden (08:22.14 PM)
Eddie -- I'm not sure what the Star*Guard prison Valak was in is like. Maybe the CBY chapter on them mentions it?
Fellhard (08:22.15 PM)
Thousands of thanks to you Steven. for what you have done and are doing to help Hero System .. it is greatly appreciated and enjoyed .. i am off to eat my dinner <waves>
Robert Dwyer (08:22.20 PM)
well...maybe I'll dust valek off when CBY comes out...though my game isn't reaaly all that "spacey" right now
Steven S. Long (08:22.40 PM)
LL -- the Star*Prison is briefly discussed in Chapter Ten. I don't have room/time to devote more than a few paragraphs to it though.
Bye, Fell!
Robert Dwyer (08:23.08 PM)
Just mentioned Valek cause he DOES have that "spacey" vibe
Indiana Joe (08:23.15 PM)
Yeah, I do get a, "rather die than submit" feeling from Valak, which would make a being that could use him as a minion truly terrifying, eh? :-)
Lord Liaden (08:23.25 PM)
Wish I had the asterisk concession rights for the Star*Guard.
Indiana Joe (08:23.43 PM)
They're licensed from Wal*Mart.
Dusterboy (08:23.50 PM)
ho ho ho
I hope they're more ethical than Wal*Mart
Indiana Joe (08:24.51 PM)
That doesn't say much.
Robert Dwyer (08:25.10 PM)
anything new to report on Mythic Hero..even if only ideas?
Rod Currie (08:25.34 PM)
Take care, everyone
Dusterboy (08:25.40 PM)
Bye Rod
Lord Liaden (08:25.42 PM)
Night, Rod.
Steven S. Long (08:26.02 PM)
Robert -- I haven't done any real work on MH for a few weeks. The last thing I was tinkering around with was some basic write-ups and info on Finnish mythology.
Bye, Rod!
Robert Dwyer (08:26.33 PM)
Oooh...Finnish mythology...see that's new..wasn't aware you were including them...
Dusterboy (08:26.36 PM)
Oooh - will Vainamoinen be in there?
Lord Liaden (08:26.39 PM)
Ooh, Finnish! I wanna hunt Hiisi's Elk!
Robert Dwyer (08:26.54 PM)
See...Steve...look at all the eyes pop
Scott Bennie (08:27.05 PM)
Hola.
Dusterboy (08:27.11 PM)
Hi Scott
Robert Dwyer (08:27.15 PM)
hi Scott
Steven S. Long (08:27.29 PM)
Duster -- absolutely, it'd be kind of hard to write up Finnish mythology and not include Vainamoinen, Lemminkainen, Ilmarinen, Louhi, and lots more in addition to the gods themselves.
Lord Liaden (08:27.30 PM)
Hey there, Ben-man!
Steven S. Long (08:27.33 PM)
Heya Scott!
Scott Bennie (08:28.36 PM)
Hope you're all doing well tonight.
Steven S. Long (08:28.59 PM)
Each chapter of MYTHIC HERO is split up roughly into Gods, Heroes, and Villains and Monsters. Vainmoinen appears in the "Heroes" section of the Finnish Mythology chapter, f'rex.
Robert Dwyer (08:29.01 PM)
I'd be fine with Egyptian, Norse, and Greek...but looks like Finnish is in..maybe native American?aztec as well?
Eddie! (08:29.37 PM)
Hehyah Scott how is Thunderax doing tonight
Robert Dwyer (08:29.57 PM)
Not as familiar with Japaneseor Chinese mythology...but from the storires..they might make decent additions as well
Steven S. Long (08:30.01 PM)
Robert -- Aztec absolutely. American Indian maaaaybeeee... since there's no unified American Indian mythology, I'd have to pick one or two with enough coherent information to be worth covering. Haida, f'rex, or perhaps Iroquois.
Robert Dwyer (08:30.30 PM)
true...forgot the D and D version of Native gods was sort of a hodge podge
Indiana Joe (08:31.38 PM)
You could probably do an entire supplement on Native American mythology.
Steven S. Long (08:31.54 PM)
Yup, sure was. I don't want to do the same thing. Deities & Demigods is certainly my inspiration, but I can do better. Among other things, where I can I'm providing a lot more information about cosmology and related background stuff, not just character sheets.
IJ -- probably. We'd sell maybe 10 copies. ;)
For example, in Deities and Demigods, there's maybe half a page talking about the world of Norse mythology. In MYTHIC HERO, there's extensive discussion of how the world was created, the Nine Worlds, Yggdrassil, and all sorts of related stuff.
Indiana Joe (08:32.51 PM)
It was a supposition, not a suggestion. :-)
Steven S. Long (08:33.29 PM)
Of course, that sort of thing is easier for Greek, Norse, and other mythoi that've gotten a full-up "literary" treatment. For many obscurer bodies of myth, I don't have nearly as much to go on, so information in MH will be sparser.
Dusterboy (08:33.44 PM)
So no Russian stuff?
Steven S. Long (08:35.02 PM)
Duster -- absolutely there will be a Russian and Slavic Mythology section. I've already done most of the research, in fact.
Among other things, I want to make sure to cover major bodies of myth that most previous gaming books have ignored. That's one good example.
Dusterboy (08:35.32 PM)
Oh good. I'd like to see Ilya of Murom
Steven S. Long (08:35.37 PM)
You will. ;)
Dusterboy (08:35.42 PM)
Thanks
Lord Liaden (08:35.57 PM)
Steve -- will we be gettin god character sheets in MH? If so, how will they compare to modern published ones, like Tezcatlipoca?
Steven S. Long (08:36.07 PM)
Ilya Muromyets and a bunch of other bogatyrs and folks from the byliny. Baba Yaga too, mwah hah hah hah hah!
Robert Dwyer (08:36.07 PM)
I no very little about slavic mythology....a lot of people think it's adapted from Norse..but I doubt that's the case
Eddie! (08:36.39 PM)
Russian Champions Universe
Dusterboy (08:36.44 PM)
Beware the hut on chicken legs!
Eddie! (08:36.45 PM)
http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/72737-Russian-Champions-Universe?highlight=Russia
Steven S. Long (08:37.11 PM)
LL -- you will be practically inundated with character sheets for gods, trust me. I'm not yet sure how they'll stack up to the Champions version of Tezcatlipoca. The introduction is going to have an extensive discussion of how I build the gods, the assumptions I make, etc., so that you can alter the sheets to suit your own preferences if you want to.
Eddie! (08:38.06 PM)
Slavic mythology
Indiana Joe (08:38.13 PM)
I can't think of a culture that doesn't have an interesting mythology.
Eddie! (08:38.13 PM)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_mythology
Lord Liaden (08:38.30 PM)
Well, present-day gods without worshippers are supposed to be less powerful than in their heyday, so I'd be down with seeing that represented.
Dusterboy (08:39.04 PM)
And gods with no worshippers dry and blow away in the winds. . .
Steven S. Long (08:39.11 PM)
That you probably won't see, LL, though it might be mentioned in the introduction. The assumption is that if you want to use any given mythology, it's well-worshipped. That way I can design all the gods on a relatively even "playing field," rather than assuming some are weak and some aren't.
Eddie! (08:39.12 PM)
GURPS Russia is a good resource.
Steven S. Long (08:39.31 PM)
GURPS Russia is an awesome book, one of many wonderful S. John Ross gaming supplements out there.
Lord Liaden (08:40.17 PM)
Steve -- that's fine. I just meant that I don't expect Tezcatlipoca's Champs write-up to represent godly power levels.
Eddie! (08:40.27 PM)
Hinduism - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism
Steven S. Long (08:41.27 PM)
Fair enough LL. But it might. Like I say, I haven't decided. I expect I'll err on the side of "make them really powerful," though. Easier for the reader to power down by stripping out VPP points and stuff than to power up.
Eddie! (08:42.01 PM)
Yikes!
I wonder how the Gods of yester year dealt with the Atlantean Age Heroes?
Lord Liaden (08:42.59 PM)
As long as you don't try to give stats to Yahweh/Jehovah/Allah, I'm sure I'll be satisfied. ;)
Steven S. Long (08:43.30 PM)
LL - no plans for that. I am pondering whether to include Satan in the section on Demonology though.
Robert Dwyer (08:43.43 PM)
I find Greek and Norse mythology absolutely fascinating...
Dusterboy (08:44.08 PM)
The Hindus have the best monsters, though
Robert Dwyer (08:44.36 PM)
well...Steve..you could include Mephistopheles as an example "satanic figure" without making any particular religious statement IMO
Eddie! (08:44.52 PM)
How about the mother goddess called Eywa of Avatar. :)
Robert Dwyer (08:45.08 PM)
uh..no...no no no
Lord Liaden (08:45.26 PM)
Steve -- Satan's a real can of worms, though. Concepts for him vary depending on the source. Do you portray him as fallen angel Lucifer? Or the unspecified Biblical enemy? Or heck, the Dragon in the CU essentially is Satan.
Robert Dwyer (08:45.59 PM)
True...lbut has the Dragon even been introduce in 6th ed yet?
Steven S. Long (08:46.30 PM)
Robert -- no, not yet.
Robert Dwyer (08:47.19 PM)
honestly..even in comics..there's multiple different versions of "satan"...so see no reason there couldn't be different manifestations in the CU
Lord Liaden (08:47.31 PM)
Mephistopheles, or other major Netherworld demons like Baphomet or Belial mentioned in Hero books, might make good examples
Eddie! (08:47.43 PM)
Got to go folks good night
Robert Dwyer (08:47.47 PM)
Ipersonally like Marvel's Mephisto best(especially his early appearances)
Lord Liaden (08:47.55 PM)
Ta, Ed.
Dean Shomshak's Mephistopheles is a fave of mine, though. "Let's make a deal."
Steven S. Long (08:48.55 PM)
Dean has a deft touch for such things.
Dusterboy (08:49.06 PM)
Just make sure you read the fine print. And then the very fine print
Lord Liaden (08:50.18 PM)
Won't matter, Dusterboy. The Devil has the best lawyers in history working for him. No offense, Steve. ;)
Dusterboy (08:51.30 PM)
Steve Long is working for Istvatha V'Haan. . .
Robert Dwyer (08:51.33 PM)
Well..pretty obvious that a lot of people are looking forward to Mythic Hero
Steven S. Long (08:51.53 PM)
A lot of people in this chat anyways. Hopefully that interest is mirrored in Herodom as a whole.
We'll see how things go when I post a WDYWTS thread in a few months.
Dusterboy (08:52.26 PM)
Yeah, be a shame if you only sold 10 copies. .. ;)
Robert Dwyer (08:52.43 PM)
I guess..but it sounds like a fun book..even just to read..so that's why i want it
Lord Liaden (08:53.02 PM)
I hope the MMOer's don't inundate you with requests for Kratos.
Robert Dwyer (08:53.02 PM)
hush Duster...no neagtivity here
Kraots isn't a bad chracter per se..but he's not canon..so I'd leave him out
Dusterboy (08:53.40 PM)
Kratos?
Steven S. Long (08:53.47 PM)
All right, folx, I think it's time for me to sign off and get some sleep. Talk to ya next week!
--------------------------------
Steven S. Long (07:59.41 PM)
Good evening folx!
Indiana Joe (07:59.49 PM)
Hi Steve.
Lord Liaden (07:59.56 PM)
Hail Steve!
Steven S. Long (08:00.01 PM)
Hope everyone's had a good St. Patrick's day.
Eddie! (08:00.15 PM)
What I miss?
Greetings Programs!
Fellhard (08:00.35 PM)
Hello Steven S. Long
Indiana Joe (08:00.39 PM)
Arm-wrestling leprechauns.
Steven S. Long (08:00.45 PM)
Hi Fell
Eddie! (08:00.52 PM)
Hehyah Narf
Luchadore Leperchauns?
Indiana Joe (08:01.37 PM)
Con game! :-)
Eddie! (08:01.51 PM)
mis Con duct?
Robert Dwyer (08:01.52 PM)
Hello all
Eddie! (08:02.01 PM)
Heh Rob
Steven S. Long (08:02.08 PM)
Hi Robert
Rod Currie (08:02.23 PM)
hello
Eddie! (08:02.37 PM)
Mrs. Con Duct
Lord Liaden (08:02.50 PM)
Greetings, fellow Canuckistani.
Eddie! (08:02.57 PM)
Heh LL
Rod Currie (08:03.36 PM)
Greetings, LL
Fellhard (08:03.42 PM)
that is one of the nicest layouts for HD exporting that i have seen Descoto .. thank you
Descoto (08:04.22 PM)
np
I created it to make it easy to dump into inDesign
Robert Dwyer (08:05.04 PM)
Coverting characters from 3rd ed is a pain in the butt..just FYI
Narf the Mouse (08:05.36 PM)
Hi, Eddie
Eddie! (08:05.37 PM)
Champions Reimagined (the Series)
Season 5 and 6 now avaiable in pdf!
Steven S. Long (08:07.05 PM)
OK, I think we've waited long enough for stragglers... time for announcements!
Rod Currie (08:07.24 PM)
it's probably simpler to just redesign 3E characters in 6E.
Steven S. Long (08:07.33 PM)
First off, CV3, HSEG, and HSG are, AFAIK, still at the printer -- Darren has been at the GAMA Trade Show this week, and last week I was out of town, so I don't have any up-to-date info.
Eddie! (08:07.55 PM)
Damn tease
Lord Liaden (08:08.10 PM)
Want me to give that printer a good talking-to?
Eddie! (08:08.17 PM)
Hero System E? G?
Steven S. Long (08:08.26 PM)
Second, I remain hard at work on CHAMPIONS BEYOND! I am nearly done with Chapter Ten (the Star*Guard), leaving only Chapter Eleven (Secrets of the Galaxy) and general clean-up to go, then I'm done!
Eddie -- HERO System Equipment Guide.
Lord Liaden (08:08.43 PM)
Eddie -- Equipment Guide.
Eddie! (08:08.56 PM)
Inclued lots of adventure stuff... thanks for the fyi
Steven S. Long (08:09.20 PM)
The last couple chapters have come along quite well, and barring interruptions I expect I'll finish the Star*Guard tomorrow. Mostly I just have character sheets for several pretty impressive villains to go.
Lord Liaden (08:09.41 PM)
I love impressive villains.
Steven S. Long (08:09.54 PM)
Having to go back through the book and do the final math on all the starships, villains, etc. is gonna be a pain though.
Eddie! (08:09.55 PM)
I wonder how the Star*Guard are dealing with the Star*Marshals??
Delegate Steve
Steven S. Long (08:10.13 PM)
LL -- well, you won't be disappointed in this book, then. There are several VERY powerful baddies written up, and several more briefly described.
I could probably do a whole additional book just of villains referenced by name in CBY.
Robert Dwyer (08:10.38 PM)
powerful baddies eh? My group thinks every baddy they face is powerful heh heh
Lord Liaden (08:11.17 PM)
Any Malvan gladiators getting written up?
Steven S. Long (08:11.20 PM)
Robert -- well, one of these guys can break the Earth into pieces with his hands in something like three minutes, IIRC. That's the sort of powerful I'm talking about.
LL -- yes, five or six get character sheets.
Robert Dwyer (08:11.35 PM)
shudder...yeesh
Steven S. Long (08:11.51 PM)
And that's just the Malva chapter. The Moon chapter has three or four more gladiators or related types.
Eddie! (08:12.03 PM)
Give Thia Halmades a call.
Steven S. Long (08:12.18 PM)
Another one of the CBY villains will basically be considered "the CU Darkseid," though I'm not sure that's an entirely accurate comparison.
Lord Liaden (08:12.53 PM)
"CU Darkseid" is someone mentioned before, or all new?
Steven S. Long (08:13.01 PM)
Another one, who doesn't get a character sheet, has killed several dozen StarGuards with her bare hands/powers. Not a pleasant individual.
Eddie! (08:13.08 PM)
Malvan's with Elemental Powers and the Firewing. Not to mention the mythic Golden Hunter of Malva who battled the Elder Worm with the Progenitors.
Robert Dwyer (08:13.17 PM)
I hope not Darkseid is a as dull as dishwater..I always prefered Thanos
Steven S. Long (08:13.19 PM)
LL -- entirely new. Never mentioned before. I don't think we've ever mentioned anyone before who'd really qualify for that "role."
Eddie! (08:13.42 PM)
Powers Cosmic?
Steven S. Long (08:13.46 PM)
Eddie -- the Golden Hunters, and their opposite numbers among the Elder Worm, are discussed in Chapters Five and Nine respectively.
Fellhard (08:13.49 PM)
sorry about interjecting with a random question .. but i seem to recall, but cant locate a 6e advanced skills guide.. i tend to remember something but i cant seem to relocate it? does such a thing exist?
Robert Dwyer (08:13.55 PM)
what about that guy from Champions Universe...News of the World?
Eddie! (08:13.57 PM)
Booyah!!!
Steven S. Long (08:14.00 PM)
Fell -- that's HERO SYSTEM SKILLS.
It's a reworking of The Ultimate Skill. Pages are still numbered the same, vast majority of content the same, but all updated for 6E.
Currently only available as a PDF.
Lord Liaden (08:14.33 PM)
Which guy, Robert?
Steven S. Long (08:14.36 PM)
Robert -- you mean Valak the World-Ravager?
Fellhard (08:14.50 PM)
ah thans Steven
Robert Dwyer (08:15.27 PM)
yeah..that guy...doubt he was reprinted ...but I thought he was planty tough...though maybe not quite up to his name
Lord Liaden (08:15.47 PM)
Valak's in Champions Villains Vol. 3, for 6E.
Steven S. Long (08:16.01 PM)
Valak is in CV3; he's also described briefly in CU. He's certainly very powerful, but not powerful or smart or controlled enough to really be a Thanos/Darkseid type.
Dusterboy (08:16.32 PM)
Hey guys
Steven S. Long (08:16.36 PM)
The Thanos/Darkseid guy will be able to handle him just fine.
Lord Liaden (08:16.36 PM)
Valak lived up to his name before the Star*Guard imprisoned him, but breaking out drained a lot of his power. He's looking for ways to renew it.
Steven S. Long (08:16.39 PM)
Hello, Duster.
CBY will discuss at least one or two repercussions of Valak's activities, though. }
Lord Liaden (08:17.00 PM)
Valak strikes me as more like Mongul.
Robert Dwyer (08:17.06 PM)
Valek feels like a "herald of Galactus" to me
Indiana Joe (08:17.55 PM)
I got the same vibe.
Fellhard (08:17.56 PM)
will champions beyond be geared for heroic sci-fi ?
Steven S. Long (08:18.51 PM)
I'm not sure Valak is versatile enough to match the Surfer or Terrax, but I'd have to think about that more.
Fell -- no, not really. It's very much a Champions book. Science Fiction gaming will have to await the new STAR HERO this summer.
Robert Dwyer (08:19.26 PM)
No...but he seems a bit like Morg...certainly not like surfer...
Steven S. Long (08:20.31 PM)
I'm not familiar with Morg. I only know the classics. ;)
Lord Liaden (08:20.32 PM)
Steve, I noticed CV raised the question of whether there's a connection to the origins of Photon, Sunspot, and Stareye. Will CBY explore that?
Fellhard (08:20.39 PM)
: ) my star hero game starts on March 27th .. <gulp> .. hope players like it and it is still going this summer .
Eddie! (08:20.51 PM)
Valak was imprisoned in the Champions Universe version of the Source Wall/Kyln
Dusterboy (08:21.11 PM)
Source Wall?
Indiana Joe (08:21.19 PM)
Valak doesn't seem like the type to work for someone voluntarily. A being that could compel Valak to do its bidding would be... fearsome.
Steven S. Long (08:21.33 PM)
LL -- yes, it will.
Eddie! (08:21.47 PM)
* Fallen One (MIA) * Silver Surfer (Current Herald) * Gabriel the Air-Walker (Deceased) * Firelord * Destroyer (MIA) * Terrax theTamer * Nova (Deceased) * Morg the Executioner (Deceased) * Red Shift (Deceased) * Johnny Storm * Stardust (Current Herald)
Steven S. Long (08:21.52 PM)
IJ -- Valak absolutely, positively, does not work for other beings. He might team up with someone, but that's as far as it'd go.
Lord Liaden (08:22.14 PM)
Eddie -- I'm not sure what the Star*Guard prison Valak was in is like. Maybe the CBY chapter on them mentions it?
Fellhard (08:22.15 PM)
Thousands of thanks to you Steven. for what you have done and are doing to help Hero System .. it is greatly appreciated and enjoyed .. i am off to eat my dinner <waves>
Robert Dwyer (08:22.20 PM)
well...maybe I'll dust valek off when CBY comes out...though my game isn't reaaly all that "spacey" right now
Steven S. Long (08:22.40 PM)
LL -- the Star*Prison is briefly discussed in Chapter Ten. I don't have room/time to devote more than a few paragraphs to it though.
Bye, Fell!
Robert Dwyer (08:23.08 PM)
Just mentioned Valek cause he DOES have that "spacey" vibe
Indiana Joe (08:23.15 PM)
Yeah, I do get a, "rather die than submit" feeling from Valak, which would make a being that could use him as a minion truly terrifying, eh? :-)
Lord Liaden (08:23.25 PM)
Wish I had the asterisk concession rights for the Star*Guard.
Indiana Joe (08:23.43 PM)
They're licensed from Wal*Mart.
Dusterboy (08:23.50 PM)
ho ho ho
I hope they're more ethical than Wal*Mart
Indiana Joe (08:24.51 PM)
That doesn't say much.
Robert Dwyer (08:25.10 PM)
anything new to report on Mythic Hero..even if only ideas?
Rod Currie (08:25.34 PM)
Take care, everyone
Dusterboy (08:25.40 PM)
Bye Rod
Lord Liaden (08:25.42 PM)
Night, Rod.
Steven S. Long (08:26.02 PM)
Robert -- I haven't done any real work on MH for a few weeks. The last thing I was tinkering around with was some basic write-ups and info on Finnish mythology.
Bye, Rod!
Robert Dwyer (08:26.33 PM)
Oooh...Finnish mythology...see that's new..wasn't aware you were including them...
Dusterboy (08:26.36 PM)
Oooh - will Vainamoinen be in there?
Lord Liaden (08:26.39 PM)
Ooh, Finnish! I wanna hunt Hiisi's Elk!
Robert Dwyer (08:26.54 PM)
See...Steve...look at all the eyes pop
Scott Bennie (08:27.05 PM)
Hola.
Dusterboy (08:27.11 PM)
Hi Scott
Robert Dwyer (08:27.15 PM)
hi Scott
Steven S. Long (08:27.29 PM)
Duster -- absolutely, it'd be kind of hard to write up Finnish mythology and not include Vainamoinen, Lemminkainen, Ilmarinen, Louhi, and lots more in addition to the gods themselves.
Lord Liaden (08:27.30 PM)
Hey there, Ben-man!
Steven S. Long (08:27.33 PM)
Heya Scott!
Scott Bennie (08:28.36 PM)
Hope you're all doing well tonight.
Steven S. Long (08:28.59 PM)
Each chapter of MYTHIC HERO is split up roughly into Gods, Heroes, and Villains and Monsters. Vainmoinen appears in the "Heroes" section of the Finnish Mythology chapter, f'rex.
Robert Dwyer (08:29.01 PM)
I'd be fine with Egyptian, Norse, and Greek...but looks like Finnish is in..maybe native American?aztec as well?
Eddie! (08:29.37 PM)
Hehyah Scott how is Thunderax doing tonight
Robert Dwyer (08:29.57 PM)
Not as familiar with Japaneseor Chinese mythology...but from the storires..they might make decent additions as well
Steven S. Long (08:30.01 PM)
Robert -- Aztec absolutely. American Indian maaaaybeeee... since there's no unified American Indian mythology, I'd have to pick one or two with enough coherent information to be worth covering. Haida, f'rex, or perhaps Iroquois.
Robert Dwyer (08:30.30 PM)
true...forgot the D and D version of Native gods was sort of a hodge podge
Indiana Joe (08:31.38 PM)
You could probably do an entire supplement on Native American mythology.
Steven S. Long (08:31.54 PM)
Yup, sure was. I don't want to do the same thing. Deities & Demigods is certainly my inspiration, but I can do better. Among other things, where I can I'm providing a lot more information about cosmology and related background stuff, not just character sheets.
IJ -- probably. We'd sell maybe 10 copies. ;)
For example, in Deities and Demigods, there's maybe half a page talking about the world of Norse mythology. In MYTHIC HERO, there's extensive discussion of how the world was created, the Nine Worlds, Yggdrassil, and all sorts of related stuff.
Indiana Joe (08:32.51 PM)
It was a supposition, not a suggestion. :-)
Steven S. Long (08:33.29 PM)
Of course, that sort of thing is easier for Greek, Norse, and other mythoi that've gotten a full-up "literary" treatment. For many obscurer bodies of myth, I don't have nearly as much to go on, so information in MH will be sparser.
Dusterboy (08:33.44 PM)
So no Russian stuff?
Steven S. Long (08:35.02 PM)
Duster -- absolutely there will be a Russian and Slavic Mythology section. I've already done most of the research, in fact.
Among other things, I want to make sure to cover major bodies of myth that most previous gaming books have ignored. That's one good example.
Dusterboy (08:35.32 PM)
Oh good. I'd like to see Ilya of Murom
Steven S. Long (08:35.37 PM)
You will. ;)
Dusterboy (08:35.42 PM)
Thanks
Lord Liaden (08:35.57 PM)
Steve -- will we be gettin god character sheets in MH? If so, how will they compare to modern published ones, like Tezcatlipoca?
Steven S. Long (08:36.07 PM)
Ilya Muromyets and a bunch of other bogatyrs and folks from the byliny. Baba Yaga too, mwah hah hah hah hah!
Robert Dwyer (08:36.07 PM)
I no very little about slavic mythology....a lot of people think it's adapted from Norse..but I doubt that's the case
Eddie! (08:36.39 PM)
Russian Champions Universe
Dusterboy (08:36.44 PM)
Beware the hut on chicken legs!
Eddie! (08:36.45 PM)
http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/72737-Russian-Champions-Universe?highlight=Russia
Steven S. Long (08:37.11 PM)
LL -- you will be practically inundated with character sheets for gods, trust me. I'm not yet sure how they'll stack up to the Champions version of Tezcatlipoca. The introduction is going to have an extensive discussion of how I build the gods, the assumptions I make, etc., so that you can alter the sheets to suit your own preferences if you want to.
Eddie! (08:38.06 PM)
Slavic mythology
Indiana Joe (08:38.13 PM)
I can't think of a culture that doesn't have an interesting mythology.
Eddie! (08:38.13 PM)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_mythology
Lord Liaden (08:38.30 PM)
Well, present-day gods without worshippers are supposed to be less powerful than in their heyday, so I'd be down with seeing that represented.
Dusterboy (08:39.04 PM)
And gods with no worshippers dry and blow away in the winds. . .
Steven S. Long (08:39.11 PM)
That you probably won't see, LL, though it might be mentioned in the introduction. The assumption is that if you want to use any given mythology, it's well-worshipped. That way I can design all the gods on a relatively even "playing field," rather than assuming some are weak and some aren't.
Eddie! (08:39.12 PM)
GURPS Russia is a good resource.
Steven S. Long (08:39.31 PM)
GURPS Russia is an awesome book, one of many wonderful S. John Ross gaming supplements out there.
Lord Liaden (08:40.17 PM)
Steve -- that's fine. I just meant that I don't expect Tezcatlipoca's Champs write-up to represent godly power levels.
Eddie! (08:40.27 PM)
Hinduism - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism
Steven S. Long (08:41.27 PM)
Fair enough LL. But it might. Like I say, I haven't decided. I expect I'll err on the side of "make them really powerful," though. Easier for the reader to power down by stripping out VPP points and stuff than to power up.
Eddie! (08:42.01 PM)
Yikes!
I wonder how the Gods of yester year dealt with the Atlantean Age Heroes?
Lord Liaden (08:42.59 PM)
As long as you don't try to give stats to Yahweh/Jehovah/Allah, I'm sure I'll be satisfied. ;)
Steven S. Long (08:43.30 PM)
LL - no plans for that. I am pondering whether to include Satan in the section on Demonology though.
Robert Dwyer (08:43.43 PM)
I find Greek and Norse mythology absolutely fascinating...
Dusterboy (08:44.08 PM)
The Hindus have the best monsters, though
Robert Dwyer (08:44.36 PM)
well...Steve..you could include Mephistopheles as an example "satanic figure" without making any particular religious statement IMO
Eddie! (08:44.52 PM)
How about the mother goddess called Eywa of Avatar. :)
Robert Dwyer (08:45.08 PM)
uh..no...no no no
Lord Liaden (08:45.26 PM)
Steve -- Satan's a real can of worms, though. Concepts for him vary depending on the source. Do you portray him as fallen angel Lucifer? Or the unspecified Biblical enemy? Or heck, the Dragon in the CU essentially is Satan.
Robert Dwyer (08:45.59 PM)
True...lbut has the Dragon even been introduce in 6th ed yet?
Steven S. Long (08:46.30 PM)
Robert -- no, not yet.
Robert Dwyer (08:47.19 PM)
honestly..even in comics..there's multiple different versions of "satan"...so see no reason there couldn't be different manifestations in the CU
Lord Liaden (08:47.31 PM)
Mephistopheles, or other major Netherworld demons like Baphomet or Belial mentioned in Hero books, might make good examples
Eddie! (08:47.43 PM)
Got to go folks good night
Robert Dwyer (08:47.47 PM)
Ipersonally like Marvel's Mephisto best(especially his early appearances)
Lord Liaden (08:47.55 PM)
Ta, Ed.
Dean Shomshak's Mephistopheles is a fave of mine, though. "Let's make a deal."
Steven S. Long (08:48.55 PM)
Dean has a deft touch for such things.
Dusterboy (08:49.06 PM)
Just make sure you read the fine print. And then the very fine print
Lord Liaden (08:50.18 PM)
Won't matter, Dusterboy. The Devil has the best lawyers in history working for him. No offense, Steve. ;)
Dusterboy (08:51.30 PM)
Steve Long is working for Istvatha V'Haan. . .
Robert Dwyer (08:51.33 PM)
Well..pretty obvious that a lot of people are looking forward to Mythic Hero
Steven S. Long (08:51.53 PM)
A lot of people in this chat anyways. Hopefully that interest is mirrored in Herodom as a whole.
We'll see how things go when I post a WDYWTS thread in a few months.
Dusterboy (08:52.26 PM)
Yeah, be a shame if you only sold 10 copies. .. ;)
Robert Dwyer (08:52.43 PM)
I guess..but it sounds like a fun book..even just to read..so that's why i want it
Lord Liaden (08:53.02 PM)
I hope the MMOer's don't inundate you with requests for Kratos.
Robert Dwyer (08:53.02 PM)
hush Duster...no neagtivity here
Kraots isn't a bad chracter per se..but he's not canon..so I'd leave him out
Dusterboy (08:53.40 PM)
Kratos?
Steven S. Long (08:53.47 PM)
All right, folx, I think it's time for me to sign off and get some sleep. Talk to ya next week!