HERO System Discussion

Hi there everyone. Short-time lurker, first time poster. I am planning on running not one but two Hero System 6e campaigns in the coming months, both of them in different high fantasy settings. Something I'd like to be able to do in them is allow my players to acquire magic items much like they might expect to in Dungeons & Dragons, while trying to keep in mind the difference in feel caused by using the Hero System (or any points-based power-based system, for that matter) I've read through the item creation rules in Fantasy Hero, and the idea of just paying character points to get a new power in the form of a magic item seems redundant. On the other hand, …

When a player is using a skill, when is the best time to make them roll it. Would there be times that you could just give it to them without a roll, or should they always be rolling. So hey GMs, what are your thoughts.

Is there a rule for similar skills? For example: Epah has Electronics at 14-. Epah may use Bugging and Security Systems at 8-. I played 1E and 3E for years and 6E a bit, but we had so many GMs and so many house rules, it often all runs together.

I have always been mesmerized by the snapshots of (potentially) other campaigns that are scattered throughout rulebooks. Many is the time I have looked closely at an image from one of my Champions books and have been inspired by the implications of the image to craft an entire adventure. Case in point: I was looking something up for my 5e pulp campaign and I came across this image: From page 313 of Hero System 5e Revised. I mean: what the &%$ ! What is the context of this image? It's clearly an intelligent ape of some kind, running from a gladiator-type fight with a dragon-snake..? The gorilla dude is dropping his sword…

I was thinking of a substute serial numbers filed off version of Beamline for @tiger's Argent thread, and figured turning into a "deadly" energy ball form would be good to make him different enough from make this theory villain different from Beamline. So the big question is...how would YOU make the energy ball form? Would it be a multiform (form one: various energy blasts, former two: Desolification and affect real world surface energy blast and flight)? Or some other way?

I'm looking for thoughts and feedback to help decide on changing the CV calculation from DEX/3 to DEX/5. I would probably drop Martial Arts, as I already feel they're too cheap, and this would make them more so. I know I have to review all of the combat manuevers to see if they should be changed. I don't think Skill Levels will need to be repriced; but I'll check anyways. I'm considering because of previous DEX/CV arms races. Would this help? Make it worse? Chris.

I have been playing this game so long, I tend to do everything by judging things by eye. And I adjust on the fly depending on what the dice throw up and the way the players react. It is not something you can really teach someone to do except by delivering them the same experience over time. Reading other systems is enlightening though. I have been reading the Sentinels of the Multiverse RPG and the bought adventures have (I rthink) a fantastic structure. It really does make you think, as a GM, and probably will provide a bit more structure for the players. The GM notes for one scene looks as follows. The question is whether you guy…

I realise that @unclevlad and I have been throwing numbers at each other - each of us turning to creating spreadsheets to handle the numbers - without knowing what each others tools look like. Would it be worth havng somewhere we could deposit these tools, let each other have a look at them and ensure we got it right - i found two errors in the sheet I was using yesterday (updated the post that relied on it) and I "think" I found evidence of an error in Vlad's. The key value however would be to provide those that are less confident of picking up a spreadsheet and, even more, confident of manipulating the numbers in a sensible fashion. Worth it?? …

I have little experience with the system, but I'm learning. To that end, I wish to pose a question. Since Hero is often mentioned as being able to do anything, tell me how you would build a game that mostly replicates the film "Treasure Planet." If you haven't seen it, then it's a retelling of Robert Louis Stevens' Treasure Island. However, the ships fly from planet to planet. Solar sails collect energy, which powers the thrusters, ship mounted laser cannons, and artificial gravity on the ship. Characters carry laser blaster pistols and laser rifles. Long John Silver is a cyborg, with a multi-function arm and leg, as well as cyber-eye. There are robots, and even th…

I should stop listening to game podcasts while cycling. 🙂 This time I was listening to a podcast discussing systems that used dice pools. I was interested becasue I like the idea of the roll impacting the "success" of a combat action. Right now we roll bunches of dice that really mean that you suffer from the tyrrany of probability where the biggest numbers happen pretty infrequently. I was trying to think of a different way and was wondering if it might be interesting to switch to a system where you buy dice of damage that only give a standard effect by default. However, if the attack roll contains a 1, you bump up the STUN by # of dice, and ca…

How would you model an attack that causes pain, but it doesn’t actually do any damage? An NND? A Drain vs STUN? Something else?

It is oft said on the internets rpg'o'sphere that GURPS is better for running campaigns/settings that are closer to 'human/normals' power scales and that GURPS tends to break down at higher 'superhero/cosmic' power scales. And it is oft said that the HERO System is better for running at higher power level 'superhero/cosmic' scales but lacks the granularity to run campaigns/settings closer to 'human/normals' power scales. Now IMO I'd say HERO does lack the amount of 'granularity' I'd like for near normals/heroic roleplaying and has no problem at all modeling superheroic/cosmic scale power level games. (HERO is my all time favourite RPG engine/took-k…

I was reviewing the rules for Heroic Action Points (CC 130; FHC 153) this afternoon. Although CC/FHC are my primary rules references, I've never actually used these rules before. In campaigns I've run in the past I've simply ignored them. I'm writing today to poll the Hero Games community regarding their experiences with Heroic Action Points. How do you feel about Heroic Action Points? Have you ever played in campaigns using them? Have you ever run campaigns using them? What was their impact on those campaigns?

This is long. Sorry. It’s written from the perspective of a Champions type game, but I think the issues have broad applicability, whatever the genre. I think it would be useful to have more discussion of the thinking behind game mechanics so we’re aware of the issues they can present and how we can use them to heighten playability. I’ve never really been a fan of the Killing Attack mechanic in Hero, even after the 6e changes, but maybe I need to re-evaluate my position. I decided to run identical characters against each other, but one using a normal attack and one using an equivalent DC KA. The results were interesting. I’ll get to them later. …

I have never really been happy with mental powers in HERO. I have been creating characters since 1982 and never really had a "mentalist" that played well or felt balanced - either too powerful or too easily overcome. There has aways felt like a watershed where the mental powers were too weak, then suddenly they become overwhelming. It is also the fact that they never, to m, played in a satisfactory way. I was out cycling on Sunday when the glimmerings of another way filtered through to my brain and I failed to write it down and am now scrabbling to reconstruct the golden vision... One of the problems with mental powers is that they can remove ag…

Years ago, I always used to assume that if a character went to sleep that any Constant Powers would switch off but Constant Powers say that they only switch off when the character is Stunned or Unconscious. Unconscious is largely defined within the rules as 'Knocked Out' where your STUN is reduced to zero and when you 'come to' your END is also set to zero. This led me to ask what a sleeping character's reserves of END and STUN are when they wake up - presumably not reduced if you've had a full night's rest (although you might be 'Flashed' by being awoken suddenly, you're rested as opposed to having been made unconscious by suffering trauma). However, I just n…

I mentioned it as a special effect in a thread about superhero costumes, but how would you give for an "indestructable" costume? I would say about enough Damage Negation to reduce any Killing Attacks by -2d6 (about 6DC Damage Negation), 50% physical and energy Damage Reduction. How much PD and ED would also be needed? Note...again while it will protect the wearer, but not totally...as the wearer can still get burnt or crushed to death without harming the dress itself (special effects, dontcha know).

How do you simulate scaring someone to death? The explanation is, of course, inducing a heart attack using fear.

Speedrun is a cyborg speedster character who gets his speed from a series of rolling balls under the 'skirt' of the mechanical device replacing his legs. While it does grant him good speed, he can't kick nor use stairs. What is the best way to simulate thiis? Yes, I know it requires a Physical Limitation. But should I also put in a power limitation on running to simulate the inability to run on uneven ground?

Lets say there's a crime wave going on and you have your first combat at 9 am and use up 30 end and 25 stun, but here is another combat later the same day, how much have you recovered in the time between the 2 combats. There are rules for BODY and LTE but not otherwise. Help???

Hello Herophiles, I was actually making some heroic level martial art villains based off the movie, the Drunken Master. And I realize that it’s been so long I forgot what the title says. So if the king of bamboo (he uses a bamboo staff) Has staff fighting martial art, and Natalie the required weapon familiarity And he is strength 15 and the STR Min of the staff is 10. Does he add an extra damage class to his strike? The staff does 4D6 normal. So does he do a total of 7D6 strike? TIA

To the GMs out there, which do you prefer: to start campaigns with High Point Characters or Low Point characters, and why. I prefer myself to start with low point characters, that way there is more creation done in the campaign, but I am sure not everyone agrees with me.

Hello Herodom! I'm working on a new organization and was wondering what everyone's opinion is on Contacts within a group. Say you have a high level Viper Agent, should they have Contact: Viper? For that matter, say it's an undercover operative, but still a member (bought Membership), should they have to purchase Contact: Viper? Lastly, using Brick as example, a villain works for Viper here and there, would he have Contact: Viper? in other words, when does a character buy a contact when working with a group or organization? Is it just inferred that someone with Membership basically has a working contact within their organization?

If I build a character who has both Duplication (6e1, p198), and Extradimensional Space (APG II, p27) - presumably each Duplicate and the Original Character (OC) has their own EDS. The EDS is something they can do - no Focus Limitation. Would it be a Limitation, an Advantage, or both for all to *share* the same EDS? This would allow one Duplicate/OC to put something into the EDS, and another Duplicate/OC anywhere could then take that item out. The downside is the EDS isn't "multiplied" by the number of Duplicates...

So I have been adding gear from the Hero System Equipment Guide and quickly noticed that my real point cost wasn't coming out the same as it was in the book when adding firearms. I figured I would just buy the HD Bundle for the equipment guide to avoid a ton of prep. I looked to see where I went wrong with my cost and saw that it was "STR Min. Cannot Add/Subtract Damage" I checked it in my efforts but wasn't checked in the one I bought. Why? I thought that you would check this because your strength doesn't effect how much damage you deal with a firearm. It even says so on page 68 in the equipment guide: "Str minimum: Guns have STR Minima, though since they’re …