buzz Posted April 19, 2003 Report Share Posted April 19, 2003 In some thread a while back, someone was lamenting the fact that building NPCs for HERO was time-consuming, adding a lot of work to all the other responsibilities GMs are burdened with. Then, someone else (probably Monolith) suggested that NPCs, mooks in particular, don't always have to be fully "built"; i.e., there are some key stats that you need to know, and then you can just not worry about doing all the normal accounting. This, I thought, is really good advice. In fact, it's the kind of good advice that could be part of a book filled with good advice for HERO GMs. The Ultimate GM. Does anyone else think this is a good idea? If so, what would you like to see in it? I was thinking advice like the above; maybe a guide to teaching the HERO system, i.e. "How to Help Newbies Understand HERO"; how to "wing" HERO properly; more guidelines on judging if a power or PC is abusive or not; and so forth. I dunno. I'd buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted April 19, 2003 Report Share Posted April 19, 2003 I don't know that The Ultimate GM would be the right title for it, but I have been wondering why HERO has never really addressed this in a published book. Matters like world building, campaign tone and feel, broader notes on meta-genres (comedy, romance, and so forth), and other issues that have been left to the genre books would be included. There could also be tips on things like blue-booking, use of props, and other "extras" that can enhance a game, along with system-generic issues such as play-by-email, dealing with problem players, and such. A better title... The GM's Vault, perhaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted April 19, 2003 Report Share Posted April 19, 2003 Well, most of that stuff we do on a per-genre basis. I do have an idea for a book I'd like to do called The HERO System User's Guide that would have info for both GMs and players, but it's one of those "if I ever have the time" types of projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted April 19, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2003 Originally posted by Steve Long I do have an idea for a book I'd like to do called The HERO System User's Guide that would have info for both GMs and players, but it's one of those "if I ever have the time" types of projects. If you do ever have time, I'll be first in line to buy a copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted April 19, 2003 Report Share Posted April 19, 2003 I'll be second. (Okay folks, the queue lines up behind Buzz....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithcurtis Posted April 19, 2003 Report Share Posted April 19, 2003 Hey Buzz, Bob! Quick, look--it's Elvis! Hey King! Keith "Now I'm first in line" Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Squirrel Posted April 19, 2003 Report Share Posted April 19, 2003 I do this thing called Shake & Bake NPCs. I design the basic NPC and design around 4-8 templates for it. Then I mix and match the parts I like for my NPC of the moment. I try and keep them to a single page each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nato Posted April 19, 2003 Report Share Posted April 19, 2003 Sounds pretty cool. I love reading stuff like this. It never fails. I always think I have a good handle on the system and running the game, then I come up against something that makes me feel like a moron. I love tips and stuff on gaming. Perhaps a series of Digital Heroes articles? Or an eBook? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted April 19, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2003 Originally posted by Nato Perhaps a series of Digital Heroes articles? Or an eBook? I'd prefer harcopy myself. As for a series of articles, well, there have been (and will continue to be) articles of this ilk. My preference is to see them all collected and organized in a single volume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted April 19, 2003 Report Share Posted April 19, 2003 Something I'd like to see somewhere (in the book under discussion, in a series of DH articles, in a book of its own, or whatever) is a broader discussion of the "meta-genres" that have been examined in the genre books. Adventure is an obvious one and horror is close behind, but comedy, mystery, and romance are a little harder to pull off in a role-playing game and could use some guidelines. (Heck, if each meta-genre was given its own book, I have little doubt that I could manage the Mystery and Comedy ones. Such a series would consist of relatively small books -- probably no more than 100-150 pages -- but if done right they'd appeal to gamers of all systems.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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