Song of Ice and Fire (tm)

**Melchior777** · Jun 5th, '03, 03:43 PM

Has anyone taken the time to convert George R. R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" aka, "The Game of Thrones," characters into hero? I'm currently running a FH campaign with similar characters in it and I'd like to compare.

**joen00b** · Jun 5th, '03, 04:21 PM

It is quite possibly the best Fantasy books I've read in a long time, but converting the characters to Hero... it never occured to me. Most the main characters seem like normal folks with a lot of points in Political Intrigue, Character Assassination, Verbal Backstabbing.

Doing a write up on the Hound and possibly Arya's fencing instructor (the character was from the first book and his name escapes me at this time) or maybe even Tyrion's Merc (again, the name escapes me) would be neat for sure.

I'd be hard pressed to write up Dany and her dragons as I've not read the third book yet and not really sure how they react around her.

**Melchior777** · Jun 5th, '03, 07:24 PM

The series is by far the best I've read since "The Lord of the RIngs." My gaming group wants to play in a "Game of Thrones" setting and I was looking for references on the power level of the characters. Specificly, how many character points they were made off of, how many disad points they had, etc. If you haven't read this series, DO! It is the best. Heck, even the card game spin off is good.

**Old Man** · Jun 5th, '03, 07:53 PM

The power level should be pretty low, though it will vary sharply since it has to include combat monsters like Jaime and the Mountain. But even they won't be that high. Remember, Robin Hood only comes out to about 125 points.

**KawangaKid** · Jun 5th, '03, 08:18 PM

There was a recent Dragon Magazine that had a Song of ICE & FIRE set of campaign write-ups and stats / prestige classes and so on included (along with spoilers for those who've not read all the books yet).

Borrow a copy and convert to HERO and voila!

***TechnoViking*** · Jun 5th, '03, 11:37 PM

GOO got the rights for "Song of Fire and Ice"? If they use a version of the Tri-Start system you may be able to convert using Reality Storm when it comes out.

Mike

**Melchior777** · Jun 7th, '03, 04:18 AM

Actually, I heard that GOO just got the go ahead to do it. I didn't think they had exclusive rights. So if someone wanted to publish a Hero version, I'm sure they could with Mr. Martin's permission. Whom I understand to be a gamer himself.

**Rene** · Jun 13th, '03, 05:58 PM

I'd written up Jon Snow (my favorite ASOIAF character) and his pet direwolf using HERO, but that was a long time ago and I think I've deleted the files. I'd started on Ned Stark and Bran too, but never got to finish them.

I don't think the main characters would be so low-powered. Jon came up about 100 pts, as far as I can remember. And he is only 16...

**Wyrm Ouroboros** · Jun 13th, '03, 09:44 PM

Perhaps, but Ice & Fire is a very 'low-magic' world, something that the AD&D interpretations just don't hold up to. They have Danerys, for example, as an illusionist of something like 7th or 11th level, I don't recall -- and Danerys is "only" a Targaeryan (sp?) with dragons. (Okay, so she's got a very high ED vs fire, a subconscious psychic link with three 'followers', and currently rules a city with a -major- army backing her. Still doesn't make her an illusionist.)

Hero, especially FREd, CAN live up to this, even to the point of describing Valyrian steel (AP or Penetrating, maybe both), the alchemist fire (Uncontrolled, Sticky, END Reserve based on the size of the container), everything. Yes, Jon Snow may be a 100 to 150 point character, but these are competent, even outstanding, normals; there are only really two spellcasters in the entirety of Westeros so far, and both of them are (supposedly) priests of a god that 'doesn't belong there'. (I prefer the greenmen and the godswoods.)

So while Jon Snow and Ghost may be 100 points, most everyone else isn't much higher -- focussed on different things, perhaps, but certainly not much higher, pointwise. It all balances out, right??

Hey -- would the Lannisters have, collectively, 15 points worth of wealth?

**Rene** · Jun 13th, '03, 10:27 PM

Wyrm, I agree that Westeros is a low-magic world and that HERO is the best bet to simulate it. D&D don't simulate anything but D&D itself.

BTW, Daenerys isn't really immune to fire. George R. R. Martin has said that the "Unburnt" episode was a miraculous, once-in-a-lifetime thing. At the least, give her No Conscious Control or Only Works in Suitable Dramatical Moments Lim. to her ED Armor.

But even though magic is far more subtle in ASOIAF than in most fantasy worlds, it don't mean necessarily that the characters have low point totals. If you take skills, perks and several minor cool effects the "PCs" have, I think most of them would be respectable 150 pt heroes. Some of the current POVs are below that, but they're kids. Even then, I'd say 100 pts is a good total for ASOIAF PCs.

Hmm... and most POV characters are more loaded up with Disadvantages than some superheroes.

**Citizen Keen** · Jun 14th, '03, 12:10 AM

Originally posted by Rene
Only Works in Suitable Dramatical Moments Lim. to her ED Armor.

How much do you suppose that would be worth?

**Rene** · Jun 14th, '03, 09:18 AM

Originally posted by Citizen Keen
How much do you suppose that would be worth?

I don't know, something between a -1 and a -2 Lim. depending on how often the GM plans to let the player get away with it.

Or just make it a plot device power.

**Melchior777** · Jun 15th, '03, 03:47 AM

Nice to see I'm getting some responses to this post. Thanks for the info.
What sort of skill package do you think the average POV has? What Everyman and what exceptional skills?

**Rene** · Jun 15th, '03, 07:05 AM

I think I know more about ASOIAF than about GMing the HERO System, but anyway...

I think the "Viking Fantasy" Everyman List should work fine, just substitute TF: Equines for Small Boats. Since most POVs are nobles (I think only Davos is the exception), you could also create a noble Package Deal.

**Rene** · Jun 20th, '03, 10:33 AM

Hello!

How do you guys think we should treat the several kinds of "followers" that appear in the series?

Obviously the direwolves and dragons that accompany the Starks and Dany, respectively, are animal Followers. Some other character are loyal enough to be Followers too, like Dany's army of Unsullied and Dany's Bloodriders.

But what about a Westerosi nobleman's household? Should they be Followers or just part-and-parcel of the "Nobility" Perk? I'd be more inclined to the former, since they're almost always extremelly loyal.

What about the less loyal "bannerman" the Great Houses possess? Would they be Contacts or just an aspect of Nobility perk?