1st HERO Campaign - The "Supernatural Strike Team"

[Melkor]

Hey all,

I'm relatively new to HERO. I've read through the system, and owned Champions since the 80's, but I have never played a game. I'm looking
for a little bit of advice for my first game.

I'm going to be using Sidekick to plan a campaign loosely based on the Underworld Movie - but the character's aren't Vampires & Werewolves.
They are part of a well-funded private organization that's mission is to
dispatch Vampires & Werewolves.

Anyway, I own the HERO System Bestiary, and the Vampires and Were-
wolves in that book seem like they would work with minor modification.
One question I had was in regards to the "free-fall" Vampire/Werewolf
capability as seen in the movie trailer and the movie itself. How would
I accomplish this "Fall from heights without taking damage" ability using
HERO ?

I'm also looking for input on how to handle the......


***Movie Spoilers - Scroll Down***







***Movie Spoilers - Scroll Down***







Ultraviolet Light and Silver Nitrate bullets used in the movie.....The only difference is, I don't want them to be quite as deadly as they were in the movie.

Any general advice is also welcome on running my first HERO campaign.
Thanks in advance.

[Chris Goodwin]

Give the critters Vulnerability or Susceptibility.

[Steve Long]

How would I accomplish this "Fall from heights without taking damage" ability using HERO ?

There are several ways. The easiest would be to give the critters lots of extra PD with the Limitation Only Protects Against Falling Damage (-1) -- you could even slap on a Requires A Breakfall Roll Limitation if you don't want the ability to work automatically. Other possibilities would include things like Limited forms of Gliding, but that's probably more trouble than it's worth.

I haven't seen the movie, so I can't comment in full on your second "spoilered" question, but at a guess I'd say that Archer's comments re: Susceptibility and Vulnerability are spot-on.

[dugfromthearth]

jumping is different then falling. They jumped down with no trouble, fell down with some trouble.

Look at the falling damage chart. It is not that dangerous - unless you are a normal human with a PD of 2. A character with a PD of 20, which seems reasonable for vampires and werewolves can probably fall a half dozen stories with little fear.

When you jump down you can subtract the distance you can jump vertically from the distance fallen. So if a werewolf is strength 40, it can standing jump 4 hexes high. So if it were 8 hexes up it could jump, subtract 4 hexes from the distance and count as only falling 4 hexes. Given the werewolf's high PD they would probably not get hurt.

[prestidigitator]

Originally posted by archer
Give the critters Vulnerability or Susceptibility.

Alternately, buy the attacks (or part of them--some of the damage, linked Drains, etc.) with Limitations like Only Works on Vampires/Werewolves. I haven't seen the movie, but if these are the main actors in the game, these Limitations wouldn't be worth that much of a break (-1/4 to -1/2?).

[Pattern Ghost]

Re: Jumping. I always rule that a character can safely jump down the same distance as he can across, rather than up. It's more logical than using the verticle leap to me. I can jump off a roof safely (well, used to be able to, I'd break something now) but can't jump up to one, for example.

[dugfromthearth]

yes but the first 1" or 2" you fall does no damage and then you take 1d6 I believe.

so say it is 1" is 0d6 and 2" is 2d6. Falling 2" (12 feet) could do at most 4 stun and 0 body to you.

That lets you fall safely from a roof.

add in that you can jump down 1", and you can jump down 3" and take at most 4 stun and 0 body - an ordinary person.

[Dust Raven]

I agree with dugfromthearth on this one. I used to jump from 1st and second story roofs all the time, even from moving vehicles (25 mph) and even into a moving vehicle (only about 15 mph...but that's still kinda fast compared to standing still). Then again...I would have Breakfall with a few Levels in it to .

If you want to jump safely from great hights in Hero...I'd recomend buying Jumping with a -1 Lim "Only To Jump Down." Half of whatever you buy will add to your vetical leap. Of course...this wouldn't help of you fell or were pushed.

If you want to land safely even in you simply fall or are pushed, buy some wacky Gliding....or a bunch of Breakfall levels. For really great heights (like anything over 10") it's more cost effective to go with Gliding or Jumping than with Breakfall though.

[Melkor]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

Being new to HERO, I'm not familiar with all of the systems & options.....That's one of the great things about the system....There are several different ways to go about doing things, and it just takes some experience to know which is the best solution. Hopefully, that will come naturally over time.

How many of you have found that you have created a character/weapon/power only to find it was missing some component availabe in HERO that would make it better ? I have a feeling I'm going to be doing a lot of that as I figure out the system.

Can anyone reccomend "the best" source for modern and near future weapons in HERO ? (I know the rulebook lists weapons by Calibre, and that's probably all I'll need - but has anyone else put up something more) ?

Thanks!

[Melkor]

Originally posted by Steve Long
There are several ways. The easiest would be to give the critters lots of extra PD with the Limitation Only Protects Against Falling Damage (-1) -- you could even slap on a Requires A Breakfall Roll Limitation if you don't want the ability to work automatically. Other possibilities would include things like Limited forms of Gliding, but that's probably more trouble than it's worth.

Steve, I think this is the one I'm going with, being new - how would this work ? I'm familiar with using points to purchase PD as a characteristic, but how would I purchase points in a characteristic when it was a "power" with the limitations you listed above ? (I would like to use a Breakfall Roll, and the "Against Falling Damage" limitation.

Thanks.

[Chris Goodwin]

You would treat it exactly as if it were a Power. Example:

10 PD. Base cost 10 points.

Requires Breakfall Skill Roll (-1/2)
Only Vs. Falling Damage (-1)

Real Cost: 4 points

You'd write it under the Powers column, or if you were using HeroDesigner, you'd choose "Characteristics" under Powers.

[Melkor]

Thanks.

Do any of the current HERO sourcebooks have profession packages that might work for the Supernatural Strike Team characters (Maybe the VIPER sourcebook) ?

[Steve Long]

Steve, I think this is the one I'm going with, being new - how would this work ? I'm familiar with using points to purchase PD as a characteristic, but how would I purchase points in a characteristic when it was a "power" with the limitations you listed above ? (I would like to use a Breakfall Roll, and the "Against Falling Damage" limitation.

Use the Characteristics Power, which is in Sidekick on p. 41, IIRC. It'd go something like this:

+30 PD (30 Active Points); Only To Protect Against Falling Damage (-1), Requires A Breakfall Skill Roll (-1/2). Total cost: 12 points.

[JmOz]

Originally posted by Melkor
Thanks.

Do any of the current HERO sourcebooks have profession packages that might work for the Supernatural Strike Team characters (Maybe the VIPER sourcebook) ?

I can't think of anything currently, but the old Dark Champions line had some great ones in both Dark Champions Heroes of Vengence, and eye for an eye.

[Damon_Dusk]

I have a write-up for weapons for a Shadowrun/Cyberpunk game with a list of damages, bonus effects, and STR Min by caliber. I think it is mostly consistent with the ones in Hero, but I'm sure there are a few differences.

Hope this helps.