Conspiracy X HERO

[Herolover]

Has anyone converted or used Conspiracy X in their HERO game? I am looking at doing a conversion and wanted to see if someone had already come up with some notes.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: Conspiracy X HERO

 

I don't have any Hero-specific notes, but it might be worth looking at GURPS Conspiracy X, since GURPS is pretty easy to convert to Hero.

[Herolover]

Re: Conspiracy X HERO

 

Yeah, I already have this. I was just wondering what work anyone had done on it. Apparently not much.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: Conspiracy X HERO

 

Well, it's only been four hours, and it's a weekend. Give folks some time to see the post.

[Toadmaster]

Re: Conspiracy X HERO

 

I was just wondering, I have GURPS Black Ops and have looked at Conspiracy X but the description sounds very much like Black Ops, which is also similar to Delta Green, of course Delta Green includes the Big C which Black Ops doesn't. Would you mind filling me in on what Conspiracy X has that Black Ops doesn't? (no need for specifics just why should I buy another conspiracy setting?). Also if I do get one of the products would you suggest Gurps or the original and why.

 

Thanks

[Herolover]

Re: Conspiracy X HERO

 

Well, the following is just my opinion. It has no consideratiion for systems.

 

IMO, Consipracy X is the best all around Modern "What the Hell is going on game..."

 

Usually, in these types of games the mythology is good at explaining one or two areas of the paranormal folklore, but fail or doen't even address some elements of paranormal folklore. Conspiracy X does a good job, IMO, of explaining it all.

 

Conspiracy X if one of the few games I have ever read and said, "Yeah, this could be right." Don't get me wrong I don't believe it, but it does explain most EVERYTHING.

 

An example is "Magic" and the "Greys." Most games could explain on or the other, but not both. A very abbreviated explanation is this:

 

All humans, well 90%, are actually psychic. This is why you get feelings of Deja Vu or just happen to know where you left your keys. It is your innate "Psychic" abilites.

 

The problem is all humans "leak" psychic energy. This has built up over time till there is a vast amount of "seepage" that is subconsciously acting upon many human fears, loves, hates, etc. This is why we have ghost, poltiergiest, and many other paranormal items.

 

Some people can become so deluded into believing they have supernatural abilites that the "seepage" can grant them their powers. Other humans are just as deluded, but they don't have the powers.

 

The "Greys" are aliens that are completely Psychic in nature. They have no real technology, that is why when we see or capture on of their disk we can't figure out how it works.

 

The problem is the "seepage" is slowly killing them off. They can't take it so they have come to study earth and try to figure out what to do. They don't understand ANYTHING about our culture so they abduct people to try and figure us out.

 

They is why there are so many, and so varied, adbuctions. They don't understand cheerleading so they abduct a cheerleader, they don't understand housewives so they adbuct a housewife...and so on.

 

I could go into a lot more, but this gives you an very brief idea. Of course there is a LOT more than this. The basic facts come down to this.

 

The authors understand the modern folklore of the paranormal. You can really tell they spent some time studying it.

They created a mythology that explains it in total, not just pieces.

[Herolover]

Re: Conspiracy X HERO

 

Sorry didn't see the GURPS or Original question.

 

I would get the original. Why...

 

1) Better presentation of the mythology. GURPS kinda treats you like you already know. X (or the oringinal) takes you from the sleepy into the light and really wakes you up. Much better read IMO.

 

2) The innovative way in which they handle psychic abilities. All humans are psychics, but some can be trained or use drugs..ever heard of MKULTRA...to improve their ability. The one good mechanic out of X is the psychic mechanic.

 

At the back of the book are 5 ZENER cards (If you don't know think the cards in Ghosbusters with squares, circles, squiggly lines, etc) set up to be photocopied. The GM Takes the 5 cards and shuffles them. The players are rated 1-5 in the psychic abilities. The GM picks a number of cards equal to the players rating. The player names a card and if the GM picked it the power works.

 

Example:

Five cards (Triangle, Square, Circle, Cross, Lightning Bolt). The player has a 3 rated "Heart Explosion". He want to use it on an enemy. The GM shuffles and draws (facedown) Circle, Cross, Triangle. The player thinks for a minute and says Lightning Bolt. The power doesn't work.

 

Of course GURPS cuts this to just a die roll as I would in HERO... maybe.

 

The other mechanics of X are horrible however.

[Mister E]

Re: Conspiracy X HERO

 

The one true conspiracy, behind all the conspiracies in Conspiracy X, is that it is actually just an endless character creation system, not a role playing game. You will have a great time reading the books, rolling up characters, and talking about the setting with your friends, but you will never actually play the game. In many ways, Hero 5th ed can be very similar in that respect, which makes it kind of ironic that you want to combine the two games.

 

Reality is twisted.

 

Sorry that was a little off topic. I just felt obligated to enlighten you all to one of my versions of the truth... which is out there...

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Conspiracy X HERO

 

The ZENER Card method sounds interesting and could be done in the HERO System with a variation of No Conscious Control. Id go with a -1 1/2 for a 1 rating, - 1 for a 3 rating, and a -1/2 for a 4 rating. A 5 rating would obviously be worth nothing.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: Conspiracy X HERO

 

The ZENER Card method sounds interesting and could be done in the HERO System with a variation of No Conscious Control. Id go with a -1 1/2 for a 1 rating' date=' - 1 for a 3 rating, and a -1/2 for a 4 rating. A 5 rating would obviously be worth nothing.[/quote']I'd actually base it on Activation Roll, using the value of the roll whose percentage chance of being made most closely matches the 20/40/60/80% chance of a 1-4 rated power working. (As you note, a 5 rating would be no Limitation.)

 

An 8- roll is roughly a 25% chance, so a 1-rated power would be a -2 Limitation. 9- equates to 37.5%, so 2-rated would be -1 1/2. 11- is about 62%, so a 3-rated power would get a -1 Limitation. And 13- is about 83%, so a 4-rated power would get a -3/4 Limitation.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Conspiracy X HERO

 

I'd actually base it on Activation Roll, using the value of the roll whose percentage chance of being made most closely matches the 20/40/60/80% chance of a 1-4 rated power working. (As you note, a 5 rating would be no Limitation.)

 

An 8- roll is roughly a 25% chance, so a 1-rated power would be a -2 Limitation. 9- equates to 37.5%, so 2-rated would be -1 1/2. 11- is about 62%, so a 3-rated power would get a -1 Limitation. And 13- is about 83%, so a 4-rated power would get a -3/4 Limitation.

Maybe. However, -2 is the same as NCC where the character has no control over activation of the Power, so -2 is too much for a power they can choose to try to activate.

 

Also, if actually using the cards it doesnt take into account the opportunity for a player to recognize the card back at a subconcious level, which tests with flashcards have indicated is possible (its why such tests usually cycle decks of cards, or use computers, because people can recognize cards theyve guessed before without realizing they are doing it).

 

Rereading my post I see that I goofed it up anyway, skipping one of the steps.

 

On second look and considering your points, I'd prolly go 4: -3/4, 3: -1, 2: -1 1/4, 1: -1 1/2.

[Herolover]

Re: Conspiracy X HERO

 

The one true conspiracy, behind all the conspiracies in Conspiracy X, is that it is actually just an endless character creation system, not a role playing game. You will have a great time reading the books, rolling up characters, and talking about the setting with your friends, but you will never actually play the game. In many ways, Hero 5th ed can be very similar in that respect, which makes it kind of ironic that you want to combine the two games.

 

Reality is twisted.

 

Sorry that was a little off topic. I just felt obligated to enlighten you all to one of my versions of the truth... which is out there...

 

 

The Conspiracy X system is why I want to "convert," although loosley, the setting to Hero. A group I was in tried it once and got all the way through character construction. We stopped when we realized that the Navy Seal had the same stats as the 16 year old asthmatic.

[Herolover]

Re: Conspiracy X HERO

 

Although I had thought about using the Zener cards and do think itis a VERY neat idea I am not going to use them.

 

The way I want things to work is the player buys the power and then has a seperate skill to determine how often the power works. The character can increase the skill without re-doing the power. Soo....

 

The "power" is going to have RSR. The skills is going to be a Power skill not based on any stat, just general or background. The characters are then going to be allowed to buy the skill as:

Familiarity 8-

General 11-

Good 13-

Best 15-

 

Note they will not be allowed to go above 15-. There powes work, but they can fail.

 

I am doing it this way because it best simulates the setting.

[tarragon]

Re: Conspiracy X HERO

 

I really like the Zener cards for determining success. Real psychics are better at playing psychics in the game. I would go with Derek's (and Shrike's) idea for limitation values and use the cards.