Something like Diablo...

[bpmasher]

I've played some well-crafted PC/Xbox games like Darksiders, Diablo and Amalur, and I was wondering if I could cook up a game in the vein of this sort of source material, with miniatures and Hero.

 

These are essentially action RPGs, so it would be cool if I could bend the mechanics of Hero system to cater to this sort of "quicker gratification" gaming, with similar power levels and speed of leveling the characters up. I was thinking of using "gothic" style miniatures to copy the presentation of these games a bit, and creating a mechanic to level up characters faster.

 

This is again a no-GM concept I've been playing around with, so it's basically a skirmish game using miniatures.

 

I'm still new to Hero so I was hoping for some help statting out characters from these games and possibly running a test game or two with the resulting PCs. These don't have to be exactly the characters in the games, but more in the same style as the games tend to be, like an uber powerful barbarian or a fledgling god incarnate or someone with huge shoulder pads (just kidding, sort of :=) Think Warhammer miniatures, or any of the other skirmish games that favor this neo-gothic art style.

 

There is one mechanic I was going to use, called Campaign Points, where the players receive points for completing a game and more points for winning the game. These points could be worth anywhere from 5 Character points to 50 points, and could be used to "level up" the characters a player is using in the skirmish games. The character point totals would probably always be the same in straight-up skirmish battles despite what characters participate in the game, so upgrading characters would not be unbalancing.

 

Campaign Points would be gained by participating in skirmish scenarios, where a party of (or a single) characters go through a map collecting quest tokens, clues or whatever and tries to solve the scenario against multiple monsters and possibly a single big baddie. Winning the scenario earns more Campaign Points. The other player would run the monsters in the scenario. When the points are divvied and spent, the other player can take a stab at earning some points for his characters to power up his PCs. Then maybe a bigger battle could be played between the resulting updated forces both players have.

 

If a character dies during a skirmish game, some Campaign Points could be spent to resurrect him.

 

The basis for this concept comes from wanting to run a story in the background of these games, and creating a world in the course of the game by coming up with new scenarios and twists of fate each session. Campaign points also allow for quicker character advancement where I don't have the luxury of a roleplaying group or years worth of adventuring in a roleplaying campaign. Hence the idea of an action rpg, without the computer.

[Lucius]

 

 

I did this write-up, but I got the idea from Zornwil.

 

 

"I insert 8 Character Points for 8 extra lives"

 

9 Lives, AKA Cheat the Reaper: Regeneration (1 BODY per Turn), Can Heal Limbs, Resurrection, Variable Special Effects (Limited Group of SFX; +1/4) (51 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Continuing Charge lasting 5 Minutes which Never Recovers (Increased Reloading Time: 6 Hours; -3 3/4), Conditional Power Power does not activate until death (-1 1/2), Does Not Work On Some Damage ([Player must provide a plausible explanation for why the character is not dead. Exact effects of Power will fit the story.]; -1/4)

 

They say life is cheap, and they're right. Here's a way to get 8 extra lives for 1 pt each. This gives a character a total of 9 lives (first one's free, remember) as long as the player - perhaps with help from other players, including the one running the game - can come up with some suitable in-game reason for the character to not really be dead, or to come back. Things like "Okay, the character's dead, but his identical twin comes to town to avenge him!" are cheap and cliched, so if allowed at all they should probably only be used once (after all, how many twins can one person have?) "I wasn't brain-dead yet, and the paramedics revived me" works too, maybe more than once, but the more often a rationale is used, the less plausible it will sound. By the time you come to that last revival, it should be getting very hard to find an excuse for living you haven't used....

 

If the character has some ready-made and reusable rationale, such as being a genetic engineer who could easily have up to 8 clones on hand, the requirement to come up with a plausible explanation is less onerous and worth only -1/4 or NO limitation value at all.

 

Although the charges never recover, you could buy the whole power again; but if you're dying that regularly, maybe you should consider a different character, or else playing with people who aren't out to get you. Besides, can you really come up with THAT many "return from the dead" scenarios?

 

 

 

For your purposes, you may want to drop the "justification limitation."

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The Palindromedary Effect

[BlueCloud2k2]

I would look into a way to follow Hero Clix and DnD Miniatures in having an abridged stat card for each piece on the table. It would look something like this (bear in mind I use 5e not 6e, so the point values are gonna be different):

 

Ragnar (36pts 130 GP Gear)

 

15 STR 5pts

12 DEX 6pts

15 CON 10pts

15 BODY 10pts

10 EGO 0pts

 

OCV 4 (5 w/ Melee Weapons)

DCV 4 (6 w/ Shield)

rPD 4 (Chainmail)

rED 0

 

Talents

+1 to hit will all melee weapons (5 points)

 

Attacks

Longsword +1d6 (2d6k total); OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4), STR Minimum 12 (-1/4?) (6 Points; 60 GP)

 

Armor

Chainmail: +4rPD; OAF (-1), Real Armor (-1/4), STR Minimum 15 (-1/4) (2.6 points; 26 GP)

Wooden Sheild: +2 DCV; OAF (-1), Real Armor (-1/4), STR Minimum 10 (-0) (4.4 Points; 44 GP)

 

This provides the most simplified type of warrior. A Mage might look like this:

 

Faraengar (40pts 93 GP Gear)

 

10 STR 0pts

15 DEX 15pts

10 CON 0pts

10 BODY 0pts

15 EGO 10pts

 

OCV 4 (5 w/ Spells)

DCV 4 (6 w/ Wizard's Robes)

rPD 2 (Wizard's Robes)

rED 2 (Wizard's Robes)

 

Talents

+1 to hit will all Spells (5 points)

 

Spells

Shock: RKA 2d6; Can only be used twice per skirmish (-1 3/4) (10 Points)

 

Attacks

Staff 1pt HKA (1/2d6k total); OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4); (2.2 points; 22 GP)

 

Armor

Wizards Robes: +2 DCV, +2rPD/rED; OAF (-1), Real Armor (-1/4) (7.1 Points; 71 GP)

[Ndreare]

We have used Hero for tactical leveled war gaming and it worked okay. But there were three rules we used as guidelines

 

1: No limitations on powers that do not limit tactically in game.

2: Open character review prior to play. Much like in Warhammer you have your army list ready for the other player to audit.

3: No selling back attributes.

 

And the general guideline of If it is stupid, we both know it is stupid so no.

 

All in all it worked okay.

 

We both built 500 point armies with minimum of 50 points per man and maximum of 175. Everyone had to be built within standard heroic guidelines.

 

Our Experience:

More lower point characters with tactics skill for teamwork worked better than 3 high point characters.

The characteristics that seamed most useful were Speed and OCV

The powers that seamed most effective were unmodified Blast, Entangle and Barrier.

The most useless abilities were Intelligence, and Flash.

 

 

Of course our motivation was to teach Hero so your experience could completely vary.

[bpmasher]

I would look into a way to follow Hero Clix and DnD Miniatures in having an abridged stat card for each piece on the table. It would look something like this (bear in mind I use 5e not 6e, so the point values are gonna be different):

 

Ragnar (36pts 130 GP Gear)

 

15 STR 5pts

12 DEX 6pts

15 CON 10pts

15 BODY 10pts

10 EGO 0pts

 

OCV 4 (5 w/ Melee Weapons)

DCV 4 (6 w/ Shield)

rPD 4 (Chainmail)

rED 0

 

Talents

+1 to hit will all melee weapons (5 points)

 

Attacks

Longsword +1d6 (2d6k total); OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4), STR Minimum 12 (-1/4?) (6 Points; 60 GP)

 

Armor

Chainmail: +4rPD; OAF (-1), Real Armor (-1/4), STR Minimum 15 (-1/4) (2.6 points; 26 GP)

Wooden Sheild: +2 DCV; OAF (-1), Real Armor (-1/4), STR Minimum 10 (-0) (4.4 Points; 44 GP)

 

This provides the most simplified type of warrior. A Mage might look like this:

 

Faraengar (40pts 93 GP Gear)

 

10 STR 0pts

15 DEX 15pts

10 CON 0pts

10 BODY 0pts

15 EGO 10pts

 

OCV 4 (5 w/ Spells)

DCV 4 (6 w/ Wizard's Robes)

rPD 2 (Wizard's Robes)

rED 2 (Wizard's Robes)

 

Talents

+1 to hit will all Spells (5 points)

 

Spells

Shock: RKA 2d6; Can only be used twice per skirmish (-1 3/4) (10 Points)

 

Attacks

Staff 1pt HKA (1/2d6k total); OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4); (2.2 points; 22 GP)

 

Armor

Wizards Robes: +2 DCV, +2rPD/rED; OAF (-1), Real Armor (-1/4) (7.1 Points; 71 GP)

 

Looks good. A simple way to introduce warriors to the party. Now, leveling them up will probably be the fun part.

[bpmasher]

We have used Hero for tactical leveled war gaming and it worked okay. But there were three rules we used as guidelines

 

1: No limitations on powers that do not limit tactically in game.

2: Open character review prior to play. Much like in Warhammer you have your army list ready for the other player to audit.

3: No selling back attributes.

 

And the general guideline of If it is stupid, we both know it is stupid so no.

 

All in all it worked okay.

 

We both built 500 point armies with minimum of 50 points per man and maximum of 175. Everyone had to be built within standard heroic guidelines.

 

Our Experience:

More lower point characters with tactics skill for teamwork worked better than 3 high point characters.

The characteristics that seamed most useful were Speed and OCV

The powers that seamed most effective were unmodified Blast, Entangle and Barrier.

The most useless abilities were Intelligence, and Flash.

 

 

Of course our motivation was to teach Hero so your experience could completely vary.

 

This might affect the game more than I want to. I was thinking of being able to use really powerful characters against hordes of enemies possibly, the way you do it in most action rpgs. I should test my theories out though, some simple paper miniatures to start with, then possibly upgrade them to more expensive metal/plastic miniatures if the game works out ok.

 

What I meant to do with campaign points was to enable a player generate completely new heroes or "units" for his skirmish group with them. You might play a few skirmish games with a few grunts and a leader, and then use the campaign points to update one of your guys into a chaos champion or a paladin or something like that, possibly using the events in past skirmishes as a starting point for the upgrade. A campaign session would be a couple of warriors going through a dungeon or something like that, like in the board game Descent or the numerous D&D board games that were discontinued. Maybe one of them finds a magical sword or something like that, and then you evolve the grunt or leader into a more powerful character.

 

I would like to introduce some new mechanics into the game as well, like a chaos concept familiar from Diablo/Warhammer games, where the struggle is between forces of chaos and human empires. If a character gets killed by a chaos beast, the player that controls the chaos beasts can then choose to convert the other players character into his army, warped by the forces that killed him. Maybe a chaos beast could have an alternate attack that only does Soul or Ego damage and when that fills up, the character then gets converted into a chaos being. All this is familiar from Warhammer/Warcraft/Diablo canon and other PC RPGs, even Star Wars has this.

[Lucius]

Looks good. A simple way to introduce warriors to the party. Now, leveling them up will probably be the fun part.

I have a suggestion for that.

 

Classify scenarios into categories based on challenge: Monoblo, Diablo, Triablo, Tetrablo.

 

In addition to whatever abilities they are already built with, provide these packages to "level up" for each class of skirmish.

 

 

 

Monoblo I

5 1) Heroic Stamina: (Total: 12 Active Cost, 5 Real Cost) +50 END (12 Active Points); Conditional Power See notes (-½), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -½), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -¼), 4 clips of 4 Recoverable Continuing Charges lasting 1 Turn each (+¼) (Real Cost: 5) 2

Notes: Ordinary exertion, and even the rigors of combat, do not fatigue you. Expend only two points of ENDurance for an entire Turn of activity, as long as you can pause for one Phase every four Turns to catch your breath. (Any actions during the "pause" phase cost full ENDurance.) This includes regular combat and martial manuevers, weapon use, and normal movement, but excludes: Pushing, Haymakers, Noncombat Movement, magic, any special abilities marked "Increased END Cost."

7 2) 9 Lives AKA Cheat the Reaper: (Total: 51 Active Cost, 7 Real Cost) Regeneration (1 BODY per Turn), Can Heal Limbs, Resurrection, Variable Special Effects (Limited Group of SFX; +¼) (51 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Continuing Charge lasting 5 Minutes which Never Recovers (Increased Reloading Time: 6 Hours; -3 ¾), Resurrection Only (-2), Does Not Work On Some Damage ([Player must provide a plausible explanation for why the character is not dead. Exact effects of Power will fit the story.]; -¼) (Real Cost: 7) [1 cc]

Notes: They say life is cheap, and they're right. Here's a way to get 8 extra lives for 1 pt each. This gives a character a total of 9 lives (first one's free, remember) as long as the player - perhaps with help from other players, including the one running the game - can come up with some suitable in-game reason for the character to not really be dead, or to come back.

3 3) Fast Healer: (Total: 8 Active Cost, 3 Real Cost) Regeneration (2 BODY per Day) (8 Active Points); Requires A Roll (Characteristic (CON) roll, -1 per 5 Active Points modifier; -1), Does Not Work On Some Damage (Impairing, Disabling, Poisoned, Infected, Cursed, or otherwise aggravated wounds; -½) (Real Cost: 3) 0

10 4) Fortune's Flow and Ebb: (Total: 15 Active Cost, 10 Real Cost) Luck 3d6 (15 Active Points); Side Effects (3d6 Unluck; -½) (Real Cost: 10) 0

18 5) Defenses: (Total: 18 Active Cost, 18 Real Cost) Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED) (Real Cost: 18) 0

3 6) Direction Sense: (Total: 3 Active Cost, 3 Real Cost) Bump Of Direction (Real Cost: 3) 0

3 7) Initiative Bonus: (Total: 3 Active Cost, 3 Real Cost) Lightning Reflexes (+3 DEX to act first with All Actions) (Real Cost: 3) 0

20 8) Monoblo Squad: (Total: 20 Active Cost, 20 Real Cost) Follower (Real Cost: 20) 0

Notes: 1 - 100 pt Follower, 2 - 75 pt Followers, or 4 - 50 pt Followers

 

 

Diablo 2

10 1) Heroic Stamina: (Total: 17 Active Cost, 10 Real Cost) +50 END (17 Active Points); Conditional Power See notes (-½), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -¼), 4 clips of 8 Recoverable Continuing Charges lasting 1 Turn each (+¾) (Real Cost: 10) 2

Notes: Ordinary exertion, and even the rigors of combat, do not fatigue you. Expend only two points of ENDurance for an entire Turn of activity, as long as you can pause for one Phase every eight Turns to catch your breath. (Any actions during the "pause" phase cost full ENDurance.) This includes regular combat and martial manuevers, weapon use, and normal movement, but excludes: Pushing, Haymakers, Noncombat Movement, magic, any special abilities marked "Increased END Cost."

7 2) 9 Lives AKA Cheat the Reaper: (Total: 51 Active Cost, 7 Real Cost) Regeneration (1 BODY per Turn), Can Heal Limbs, Resurrection, Variable Special Effects (Limited Group of SFX; +¼) (51 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Continuing Charge lasting 5 Minutes which Never Recovers (Increased Reloading Time: 6 Hours; -3 ¾), Resurrection Only (-2), Does Not Work On Some Damage ([Player must provide a plausible explanation for why the character is not dead. Exact effects of Power will fit the story.]; -¼) (Real Cost: 7) [1 cc]

Notes: They say life is cheap, and they're right. Here's a way to get 8 extra lives for 1 pt each. This gives a character a total of 9 lives (first one's free, remember) as long as the player - perhaps with help from other players, including the one running the game - can come up with some suitable in-game reason for the character to not really be dead, or to come back.

5 3) Fast Healer: (Total: 8 Active Cost, 5 Real Cost) Regeneration (2 BODY per Day) (8 Active Points); Does Not Work On Some Damage (Impairing, Disabling, Poisoned, Infected, Cursed, or otherwise aggravated wounds; -½) (Real Cost: 5) 0

13 4) Fortune's Flow and Ebb: (Total: 20 Active Cost, 13 Real Cost) Luck 4d6 (20 Active Points); Side Effects (3d6 Unluck; -½) (Real Cost: 13) 0

126 5) Defenses: (Total: 126 Active Cost, 126 Real Cost) Combat Luck (6 PD/6 ED) (Real Cost: 36) plus Damage Negation (-2 DCs Physical, -2 DCs Energy, -2 DCs Mental) (Real Cost: 90) 0

3 6) Direction Sense: (Total: 3 Active Cost, 3 Real Cost) Bump Of Direction (Real Cost: 3) 0

22 7) Skill: (Total: 22 Active Cost, 22 Real Cost) +1 with All Attacks (Real Cost: 10) plus +1 Overall (Real Cost: 12) 0

71 8) Characteristics: (Total: 71 Active Cost, 71 Real Cost) +1 SPD (Real Cost: 10) plus +1 OCV (Real Cost: 5) plus +1 DCV (Real Cost: 5) plus +5 PD (Real Cost: 15) plus +5 ED (Real Cost: 15) plus +2 DMCV (Real Cost: 6) plus +5 PRE (Real Cost: 5) plus +3 EGO (Real Cost: 3) plus +2 REC (Real Cost: 2) plus +2 BODY (Real Cost: 2) plus +6 STUN (Real Cost: 3) 0

7 9) Damage Bonus: (Total: 19 Active Cost, 7 Real Cost) Deadly Blow: +1d6 ([broad circumstances]) (19 Active Points); Requires A Roll (8- roll; Must be made each Phase/use; -1 ¾) (Real Cost: 7) 0

Notes: Any attack the character has paid points for, if attack roll is under 8

6 10) Initiative Bonus: (Total: 6 Active Cost, 6 Real Cost) Lightning Reflexes (+6 DEX to act first with All Actions) (Real Cost: 6) 0

40 11) Diablo Squad: (Total: 40 Active Cost, 40 Real Cost) Follower (Real Cost: 40) 0

Notes: 2 - 175 pt Followers or any combination adding up to 40

 

 

Triablo 3

12 1) Heroic Stamina: (Total: 22 Active Cost, 12 Real Cost) +50 END (22 Active Points); Conditional Power See notes (-½), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -¼), 4 clips of 16 Recoverable Continuing Charges lasting 1 Turn each (+1 ¼) (Real Cost: 12) 2

Notes: Ordinary exertion, and even the rigors of combat, do not fatigue you. Expend only two points of ENDurance for an entire Turn of activity, as long as you can pause for one Phase every sixteen Turns to catch your breath. (Any actions during the "pause" phase cost full ENDurance.) This includes regular combat and martial manuevers, weapon use, and normal movement, but excludes: Pushing, Haymakers, Noncombat Movement, magic, any special abilities marked "Increased END Cost."

12 2) 9 Lives AKA Cheat the Reaper: (Total: 51 Active Cost, 12 Real Cost) Regeneration (1 BODY per Turn), Can Heal Limbs, Resurrection, Variable Special Effects (Limited Group of SFX; +¼) (51 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Continuing Charge lasting 5 Minutes which Never Recovers (Increased Reloading Time: 6 Hours; -3 ¾), Resurrection Only (-2), Does Not Work On Some Damage ([Player must provide a plausible explanation for why the character is not dead. Exact effects of Power will fit the story.]; -¼) (Real Cost: 12) [1 cc]

Notes: They say life is cheap, and they're right. Here's a way to get 16 extra lives for less than 1 pt each. This gives a character a total of 17 lives (first one's free, remember) as long as the player - perhaps with help from other players, including the one running the game - can come up with some suitable in-game reason for the character to not really be dead, or to come back.

23 3) Fast Healer: (Total: 27 Active Cost, 23 Real Cost) Regeneration (2 BODY per 6 Hours) (12 Active Points); Does Not Work On Some Damage (Impairing, Disabling, Poisoned, Infected, Cursed, or otherwise aggravated wounds; -½) (Real Cost: 8) plus Does Not Bleed (Real Cost: 15) 0

17 4) Fortune's Flow and Ebb: (Total: 25 Active Cost, 17 Real Cost) Luck 5d6 (25 Active Points); Side Effects (3d6 Unluck; -½) (Real Cost: 17) 0

186 5) Defenses: (Total: 186 Active Cost, 186 Real Cost) Combat Luck (6 PD/6 ED) (Real Cost: 36) plus Damage Negation (-2 DCs Physical, -2 DCs Energy, -2 DCs Mental) (Real Cost: 90) plus Takes No STUN (Real Cost: 60) 0

3 6) Direction Sense: (Total: 3 Active Cost, 3 Real Cost) Bump Of Direction (Real Cost: 3) 0

34 7) Skill: (Total: 34 Active Cost, 34 Real Cost) +1 with All Attacks (Real Cost: 10) plus +2 Overall (Real Cost: 24) 0

105 8) Characteristics: (Total: 105 Active Cost, 105 Real Cost) +2 SPD (Real Cost: 20) plus +2 OCV (Real Cost: 10) plus +2 DCV (Real Cost: 10) plus +5 PD (Real Cost: 15) plus +5 ED (Real Cost: 15) plus +4 DMCV (Real Cost: 12) plus +10 PRE (Real Cost: 10) plus +5 EGO (Real Cost: 5) plus +3 REC (Real Cost: 3) plus +5 BODY (Real Cost: 5) 0

8 9) Damage Bonus: (Total: 19 Active Cost, 8 Real Cost) Deadly Blow: +1d6 ([broad circumstances]) (19 Active Points); Requires A Roll (10- roll; Must be made each Phase/use; -1 ¼) (Real Cost: 8) 0

Notes: Any attack the character has paid points for, if attack roll is under 10

10 10) Initiative Bonus: (Total: 10 Active Cost, 10 Real Cost) Lightning Reflexes (+10 DEX to act first with All Actions) (Real Cost: 10) 0

55 11) Triablo Squad: (Total: 55 Active Cost, 55 Real Cost) Follower (Real Cost: 55) 0

Notes: 2 - 250 pt Followers or any combination adding up to 55

 

 

Tetrablo 4

10 1) Heroic Stamina: (Total: 22 Active Cost, 10 Real Cost) +50 END (22 Active Points); Conditional Power See notes (-½), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -½), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -¼), 4 clips of 16 Recoverable Continuing Charges lasting 1 Turn each (+1 ¼) (Real Cost: 10) 4

Notes: Ordinary exertion, and even the rigors of combat, do not fatigue you. Expend only two points of ENDurance for an entire Turn of activity, as long as you can pause for one Phase every sixteen Turns to catch your breath. (Any actions during the "pause" phase cost full ENDurance.) This includes regular combat and martial manuevers, weapon use, and normal movement, but excludes: Pushing, Haymakers, Noncombat Movement, magic, any special abilities marked "Increased END Cost."

12 2) 9 Lives AKA Cheat the Reaper: (Total: 51 Active Cost, 12 Real Cost) Regeneration (1 BODY per Turn), Can Heal Limbs, Resurrection, Variable Special Effects (Limited Group of SFX; +¼) (51 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Continuing Charge lasting 5 Minutes which Never Recovers (Increased Reloading Time: 6 Hours; -3 ¾), Resurrection Only (-2), Does Not Work On Some Damage ([Player must provide a plausible explanation for why the character is not dead. Exact effects of Power will fit the story.]; -¼) (Real Cost: 12) [1 cc]

Notes: They say life is cheap, and they're right. Here's a way to get 16 extra lives for less than 1 pt each. This gives a character a total of 17 lives (first one's free, remember) as long as the player - perhaps with help from other players, including the one running the game - can come up with some suitable in-game reason for the character to not really be dead, or to come back.

26 3) Fast Healer: (Total: 31 Active Cost, 26 Real Cost) Regeneration (2 BODY per Hour) (16 Active Points); Does Not Work On Some Damage (Impairing, Disabling, Poisoned, Infected, Cursed, or otherwise aggravated wounds; -½) (Real Cost: 11) plus Does Not Bleed (Real Cost: 15) 0

20 4) Fortune's Flow and Ebb: (Total: 30 Active Cost, 20 Real Cost) Luck 6d6 (30 Active Points); Side Effects (3d6 Unluck; -½) (Real Cost: 20) 0

231 5) Defenses: (Total: 231 Active Cost, 231 Real Cost) Combat Luck (6 PD/6 ED) (Real Cost: 36) plus Damage Negation (-3 DCs Physical, -3 DCs Energy, -3 DCs Mental) (Real Cost: 135) plus Takes No STUN (Real Cost: 60) 0

3 6) Direction Sense: (Total: 3 Active Cost, 3 Real Cost) Bump Of Direction (Real Cost: 3) 0

44 7) Skill: (Total: 44 Active Cost, 44 Real Cost) +2 with All Attacks (Real Cost: 20) plus +2 Overall (Real Cost: 24) 0

141 8) Characteristics: (Total: 141 Active Cost, 141 Real Cost) +2 SPD (Real Cost: 20) plus +3 OCV (Real Cost: 15) plus +3 DCV (Real Cost: 15) plus +5 PD (Real Cost: 15) plus +5 ED (Real Cost: 15) plus +4 DMCV (Real Cost: 12) plus +20 PRE (Real Cost: 20) plus +15 EGO (Real Cost: 15) plus +4 REC (Real Cost: 4) plus +10 BODY (Real Cost: 10) 0

15 9) Damage Bonus: (Total: 19 Active Cost, 15 Real Cost) Deadly Blow: +1d6 ([broad circumstances]) (19 Active Points); Requires A Roll (14- roll; Must be made each Phase/use; -¼) (Real Cost: 15) 0

Notes: Any attack the character has paid points for, if attack roll is under 14

15 10) Initiative Bonus: (Total: 15 Active Cost, 15 Real Cost) Lightning Reflexes (+15 DEX to act first with All Actions) (Real Cost: 15) 0

90 11) Tetrablo Squad: (Total: 90 Active Cost, 90 Real Cost) Follower (Real Cost: 90) 0

Notes: 4 -400 pt Followers or any combination adding up to 90

 

 

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary suggests just playing 175 pt characters but put them up against hordes of monsters with 4 BOD, 7 STUN, 1 rPD, with 1d6-1 Killing Attacks....

[BlueCloud2k2]

This might affect the game more than I want to. I was thinking of being able to use really powerful characters against hordes of enemies possibly, the way you do it in most action rpgs. I should test my theories out though, some simple paper miniatures to start with, then possibly upgrade them to more expensive metal/plastic miniatures if the game works out ok.

 

 

You can usually find large lots of Mage Knight miniatures for cheap on Ebay. As long as you are playing Gridless, you don't need to remove the click-bases and mount them on metal washers unless you really want to.

 

I have a suggestion for that.

 

Classify scenarios into categories based on challenge: Monoblo, Diablo, Triablo, Tetrablo.

 

In addition to whatever abilities they are already built with, provide these packages to "level up" for each class of skirmish.

 

 

 

The palindromedary suggests just playing 175 pt characters but put them up against hordes of monsters with 4 BOD, 7 STUN, 1 rPD, with 1d6-1 Killing Attacks....

 

 

The thing about Skirmish games is that END is just one more thing to track, and it is best to Keep It Simple.

 

It is also better (in my experience) to keep everyone's speed within the 2-4 range (2 for slow moving creatures such as Zombies, and 4 for really fast things.

[Greywind]

Diablo/Diablo II modules were released for AD&D 2nd, I believe.

[Lucius]

The thing about Skirmish games is that END is just one more thing to track, and it is best to Keep It Simple.

Heroic Stamina is meant to keep it simple - it effectively eliminates tracking END for normal STR and Movement. Anything else can be bought to 0 END if one is that allergic to tracking END.

 

It is also better (in my experience) to keep everyone's speed within the 2-4 range (2 for slow moving creatures such as Zombies, and 4 for really fast things.

And here I was thinking something like a zombie, in a monoblo scenario (lowest difficulty) would have a SPD of 1, on an 11 or less roll (roll each Turn to see if it acts.) I don't play these kinds of games but I hear that characters are ranked by "DPS" or "Damage output per Second" so I thought increasing SPD would be part of the "level up" process.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary buys SPD 12 on a 12 or less roll

[BlueCloud2k2]

Heroic Stamina is meant to keep it simple - it effectively eliminates tracking END for normal STR and Movement. Anything else can be bought to 0 END if one is that allergic to tracking END.

 

 

And here I was thinking something like a zombie, in a monoblo scenario (lowest difficulty) would have a SPD of 1, on an 11 or less roll (roll each Turn to see if it acts.) I don't play these kinds of games but I hear that characters are ranked by "DPS" or "Damage output per Second" so I thought increasing SPD would be part of the "level up" process.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary buys SPD 12 on a 12 or less roll

 

The SPD 1 on an 11- roll could work...

[bpmasher]

I keep coming back to my original ideas with 400 point heroes battling demons in ancient temples and such. I could just roll up a few characters like that and see how it works. The source material has superhero types all over the place, bashing up countless of monsters along their way. Champions of Legend There are countless of well-made miniatures with angels, heroes and demons to include in a game like this.

[BlueCloud2k2]

And if you go with DnD Minis Mage-Knight minis, you don't even need to paint them.

 

IIRC, Wizards did a miniatures game based in Hexagons that had a techno-mage feel to them. Can't recall what it was called though.

[Markdoc]

As an aside, we used Hero system rules for skirmish-gaming without any problem at all. That wasn't "players against monsters" (PvM) but Player against Player (PVP). And it was a hoot. These were one-off games, not a campaign, but the concept is eminently doable. I've also used Hero system rules for large scale battles, again without any real problem.

 

You don't need any additional rules for character creation for this kind of game: just some setup and advancement rules, plus - since you mention wanting a GM-free game - a way to generate fights. This is just off the top of my head, but here's how I'd do it.

 

1. Generate a bunch of monsters of varying degrees of toughness, and a bunch of unique boss-monsters and mini-boss monsters. (as a note you can cheat with Boss monsters, by taking superheroes and just fiddling with the description ) You can also generate traps of various sorts if you like. Monsters don't need motivation or much in the way of skills, just an attack or two and some defences.

 

2. Generate a whole mess of map tiles (Coastline, Desert, Forest, Cavern, Swamp, Ruins, Mountains, Dungeon, Crypt, Rocky plains, etc). I'd make a whole bunch of each of these with differing layouts, so that they can be put together in different combinations to make a big map of that terrain type. Ideally each tile will have usable paths through it, so that the players will be faced with a choice of routes and the occasional dead-end.

 

3. Generate a random loot table, keyed to monster difficulty.

 

4. Sketch a rough map of your "game world" - players start here, and Boss of Bosses lives there, etc. You can define terrain by how many maps wide it it (ie,: it takes three maps to cross the Desert of Moaning Souls, etc)

 

5. Play!

 

The sequence of a game would go like this.

 

A. Work out where your players currently are in the game world

B. Generate a map of the appropriate terrain type by drawing a number of map sections (tiles) to fill your gaming table. You can then sketch the map out on your battle map, or (even better, if you have it) set it up with wargaming terrain. Indicate on the map where the PCs start and where they need to exit to move to the next map.

C. As the PCs enter each "tile" lay it down contiguous with the one they are on, and roll to see what's there - type of monster, size of monster mob, chance for more than one mob, and chance for a unique min-boss monster. As the PCs conquer each mob or mobs, they get to roll on the loot table and see what they find. When the whole table is cleared (or crossed), everyone gets - say - 10 Xp, and moves onto the next map. If a PC dies, they can turn up again next game, but they get no Xp. You don't need any rules for why the PC doesn't stay dead: that's just a default of the setting.

D. Certain specific maps have a tough boss monster - place these maps on your game world in defined locations, so that everyone knows where they are, and you don't end up with a bunch of dead PCs because they randomly rolled the Lich-King while everyone is on 100 total points.

 

cheers, Mark

[bpmasher]

As an aside, we used Hero system rules for skirmish-gaming without any problem at all. That wasn't "players against monsters" (PvM) but Player against Player (PVP). And it was a hoot. These were one-off games, not a campaign, but the concept is eminently doable. I've also used Hero system rules for large scale battles, again without any real problem.

 

 

 

Good stuff. Somewhere along the lines I was thinking. I have a ton of stuff to do if I'm going to play this game though, hopefully I come up with something interesting. I need to come up with a setting and stick with it so I don't get lost on the way. A fantasy world based on a fallen Earth (no need to draw a map either  would be fun I think, with all kinds of demons and angels about, and the PCs stuck in the middle  of warring titans and celestial beings. If I want fantasy races, just throw in some Shadowrun for a good measure, heh.

 

Calling in reinforcements should be fun: an archangel with godly powers, or a demon that's even worse. I should pick up Armageddon: The End Times RPG for additional ideas.

[Lucius]

The SPD 1 on an 11- roll could work...

I could post the zombie if you want to see it

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary says zombies are hideous shambling corpses, often displaying the gaping wounds that cost their lives, usually showing signs of decay, and combine the horrific aspect of death with the terrifying awareness that what should not be able to move at all is moving right at you, so of course plenty of people probably want to see one.

[bpmasher]

I could post the zombie if you want to see it

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary says zombies are hideous shambling corpses, often displaying the gaping wounds that cost their lives, usually showing signs of decay, and combine the horrific aspect of death with the terrifying awareness that what should not be able to move at all is moving right at you, so of course plenty of people probably want to see one.

 

Zombies, demons, whatever you got! I'd like to see them.

[Lucius]

Monoblo Zombie

 

Val Char Cost Roll Notes

0 STR -10 9- Lift 25.0kg; 0d6

3 DEX -20 10- OCV: 7/DCV: 2

0 CON -10 9-

5 INT -5 10- PER Roll 10-

0 EGO 0 9- ECV: 0 - 0

15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6

 

7 OCV 10

2 DCV -5

0 OMCV 0

0 DMCV 0

1 SPD -20 Phases: 7

 

5 PD -3 Total: 5 PD (5 rPD)

5 ED -3 Total: 5 ED (5 rED)

0 REC -4

0 END -4

10 BODY 0

Total Characteristic Cost: -85

 

Movement: Running: 16m/32m

Leaping: 2m/8m

 

Cost Powers END

Basic Zombie

7 1) Slow: (Total: 16 Active Cost, 7 Real Cost) +3 DEX (6 Active Points); Requires A Roll (10- roll; Must be made each Phase/use; -1 ¼) (Real Cost: 3) plus +1 SPD (10 Active Points); Requires A Roll (10- roll; Must be made each Phase/use; -1 ¼) (Real Cost: 4) 0

Notes: The zombies' SPD is 1 and DEX is 5, both on a 10 or less roll. Or, simply give them actions every other turn.

60 2) But only stops when destroyed: (Total: 60 Active Cost, 60 Real Cost) Takes No STUN (Real Cost: 60) 0

87 3) Hard to destroy: (Total: 109 Active Cost, 87 Real Cost) Resistant Protection (5 PD/5 ED) (Real Cost: 45) plus Rises from the dead - again! Regeneration (1 BODY per Hour), Can Heal Limbs, Resurrection (33 Active Points); Resurrection Only (-2) (Real Cost: 11) plus Life Support (Eating: Character does not eat; Immunity All terrestrial poisons; Immunity: All terrestrial diseases; Longevity: 200 Years; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Self-Contained Breathing; Sleeping: Character does not sleep) (Real Cost: 31) 0

60 4) Can be disarmed: (Total: 109 Active Cost, 60 Real Cost) Hideous mockery of a living being's strength - Telekinesis (20 STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (45 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Day, Only to Activate, -2), No Range (-½), Restrainable (-½), Physical Manifestation (-¼) (Real Cost: 10) plus Strikes with unnatural force - Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1d6+1, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½), +3 Increased STUN Multiplier (+¾) (45 Active Points); No STR Bonus (-½), Linked (Hideous mockery of a living being's strength - Telekinesis; Greater Power is Constant or in use most or all of the time; -¼) (Real Cost: 26) plus Uses any weapon like a club - Deadly Blow: +1d6 ([broad circumstances]= armed with any weapon) (Real Cost: 19) 0

Notes: (x2 number of items)Targetting an arm is at -2 OCV and any hit for 10 or more BOD (defense does not apply!) severs the arm. Less than 10 pts has no effect.

48 5) Can be dislegged too: (Total: 53 Active Cost, 48 Real Cost) Running +16m (16m total), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½), Trigger (Activating the Trigger is an Action that takes no time, Trigger requires a Zero Phase Action to reset, Three or more activation conditions apply simultaneously, Misfire; +1 ¼) (44 Active Points) (Real Cost: 44) plus Leaping +2m (2m forward, 1m upward) (x4 Noncombat), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (9 Active Points); Inaccurate (0 OCV; -½), Physical Manifestation (-¼), Concentration (½ DCV; -¼) (Real Cost: 4) 0

Notes: Can be targetted like arms. Running is on "Trigger" so that zombie can move even when it doesn't have an action that Turn, usually to pursue a target that has broken from melee or is fleeing, or as directed by a necromancer or more powerful undead. The "Misfire" is for moving directly away when Turn Undead is used. Clumsy leaper, is half DCV and must target landing hex at OCV 0.

44 6) Uncanny Awareness: (Total: 44 Active Cost, 44 Real Cost) Spatial Awareness (Unusual Group), Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Tracking, Transmit (Real Cost: 44) 0

Notes: The zombie knows you're there, and can follow the "trail" of living energy, and can communicate this awareness to other undead.

16 7) Indistinguishable from a corpse: (Total: 19 Active Cost, 16 Real Cost) Simulate Death (+5 to roll) (Real Cost: 8) plus Concealment 10- (Real Cost: 3) plus +4 with Concealment (8 Active Points); Self Only (-½) (Real Cost: 5) 0

8 8) Defiles by its presence: (Total: 8 Active Cost, 8 Real Cost) Change Environment (-1 Temperature Level Adjustment), Area Of Effect (4m Radius; +¼), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (5 Active Points) (Real Cost: 5) plus +1/+1d6 Striking Appearance - repulsive and horrifying (vs. all characters) (Real Cost: 3) 0

Notes: An aura of chill and gloom, usually sufficient to render a blessed area desecrated as long as the zombie is present. Note this does NOT protect the zombie form its own Susceptibility to holy ground, just prevents any others from gaining benefits from it if within 4 m of the zombie.

Horde Tactics

Notes: If there are two or more zombies adjacent to a target, they get these benefits automatically, even if not all have an action this turn. Just crowding around and flailing is enough.

8 1) Ganging Up: (Total: 10 Active Cost, 8 Real Cost) +2 OCV (10 Active Points); Required Multiple Users (2 people; -¼) (Real Cost: 8) 0

32 2) Can't avoid them all!: (Total: 48 Active Cost, 32 Real Cost) Area Of Effect Accurate (4m Radius; +½) for up to 65 Active Points of Melee Attacks, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (48 Active Points); Required Multiple Users ([3-4] people; -½) (Real Cost: 32) 0

Beneficial Allies

11 1) (Total: 16 Active Cost, 11 Real Cost) Regeneration (1 BODY per Turn) (16 Active Points); Conditional Power Power does not work in Common Circumstances (-½) (Real Cost: 11) 0

Notes: Regenerates if within 6 m of a necromantic altar or certain relics, or under direct control of a necromancer or more powerful undead

4 2) "Destroy them!": (Total: 10 Active Cost, 4 Real Cost) +1 SPD (10 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), Only to Activate, -¾), Conditional Power Power does not work in Common Circumstances (Only if obeying commands; -½), 3 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Minute each (-½), Limited Power Replaces normal (Activation based) SPD (-0) (Real Cost: 4) [3 cc]

Notes: If given a command by a necromancer or undead, the zombie spends on Turn absorbing and processing the order, then carries it out, acting every Turn, for up to 5 turns. The commanding figure may only do this up to three times per encounter.

 

Total Powers & Skill Cost: 385

Total Cost: 300

 

300+ Matching Complications

200 Base Points

25 Dependence: Unhallowed Ground Takes 1d6 Damage (Very Common; 1 Turn)

Notes: A zombie will begin to disintegrate if it pursues a target beyond the bounds of its desecrated burial ground, haunted battlefield, defiled temple, unholy shrine, or beyond the control radius of a necromancer

20 Susceptibility: Holiness 1d6 damage per Turn (Very Common)

Notes: A zombie will begin to disintegrate if on consecrated ground, within the radius of a Protection from Evil effect, etc.

10 Vulnerability: 2 x Effect Holy (Uncommon)

Notes: Double damage or double effect from holy weapons, spells, or powers

15 Unluck: 3d6

Notes: Accursed abomination

25 Physical Complication: Subject to Necromancy,. Turning, etc (Very Frequently; Greatly Impairing)

Notes: Despite being an automaton, a zombie is subject to Mental Powers and PRE attacks and the like that are specifically meant to target undead

5 Distinctive Features: shambling corpse (Easily Concealed - by not shambling; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

 

Total Complications Points: 300

 

Background/History: "Your friends are dead! Those are just their corpses being moved like puppets. They'll kill you if they can."

 

Personality/Motivation: "There's nothing there that thinks or feels as you or I think and feel, just some inimical force compelled to obey a malignant influence."

 

Quote: "Don't try to talk to them. They cannot reason or understand, and we don't want to listen to whatever thing might speak through them."

 

Powers/Tactics: "They feel no pain, but they can be physically destroyed. They just won't STAY destroyed unless you use fire or acid or trick them onto holy ground or something. They might try to pummel you or seize you and drag you down or clobber you with whatever weapons they can find. Try to bash the skull in (-8 OCV to target head for double damage) or deface the twisted runes on their bodies that empower them (-8 OCV to target "vitals" for double damage.)"

 

Campaign Use: "Fight on, keep going! Where the zombies are thickest we'll find something they're guarding."

 

Appearance: "Zombies are hideous shambling corpses, often displaying the gaping wounds that cost their lives, usually showing signs of decay, and combine the horrific aspect of death with the terrifying awareness that what should not be able to move at all is moving right at you albeit with nightmare slowness, trust me you'll know one when you see one, look there's another one RIGHT BEHIND YOU!"

 

Character sheet by Lucius Alexander

 

Copyright Palindromedary Enterprises

[bpmasher]

A quick search and I discovered the basics for a loot table. Originally I was going to make one using 3d6 roll on a 3-18 result table but this one uses d100 to roll for goods.

 

www.dandwiki.com/Wiki/SRD:Treasure

 

The 3-18 solution could spawn other tables that also roll on 3d6 to increase the variety in loot.

 

Magic items: Maybe use a point basis for them, like minor magic item - 25 points, then 50 and 100 points for more powerful magic items. Just something off the top of my head.