Only In Hero ID questions

[Dust Raven]

Re: Only In Hero ID questions

 

XP is a game mechanic simulating the way in which a character develops, like EB is a game mechanic simulating projection of energy by your character. Both metasystem concepts with in game analogues. If your development is limited in some way, that is a disadvantage. If it was HAS TO SPEND XP ON COMBAT SKILLS, you'd get nothing for it, but having to spend XP on buying off limitations (so long as the character is playable with the limitations in place) is worth something - for one it prevents you spending all your CP on combat skills, like you want to.

 

Just becasue XP is a metasystem it doesn't mean that it is not simulating a 'real' aspect of the character.

 

I'd certainly give a disadvantage to someone who 'Learns slowly - only gets half XP'. Similarly I'd give a disadvantage to someone who was limited in how they could apply it - so long as it still amounted to a disadvantage.

 

One way to look it is like this: It is limiting during game play? If not, then it's not worth any points. Look at all of the Disadvantages presented in the book. Each and every one of them are applicible during game play (with the exception of Normal Characteristic Maxima and Age, which I feel should be omitted from the rules).

 

Of course, the fact that Normal Characteristic Maxima is there grants strength and precidence to moquif's arguement. Technically he's well within his rights to allow it, even without the "I'll play my game my way" golden rule. The system supports it. I personaly disagree with it and feel that such precidence should be removed from the rules, but that's just me and I'l play my game my way.

[prestidigitator]

Re: Only In Hero ID questions

 

One way to look it is like this: It is limiting during game play? If not, then it's not worth any points. Look at all of the Disadvantages presented in the book. Each and every one of them are applicible during game play (with the exception of Normal Characteristic Maxima and Age, which I feel should be omitted from the rules).

 

Of course, the fact that Normal Characteristic Maxima is there grants strength and precidence to moquif's arguement. Technically he's well within his rights to allow it, even without the "I'll play my game my way" golden rule. The system supports it. I personaly disagree with it and feel that such precidence should be removed from the rules, but that's just me and I'l play my game my way.

I rather agree about NCM. As for Age, I like the idea for Heroic games, but I think it should simply be Characteristics (both positive and negative) bought as Powers, so that they change the current value of your Characteristics, and effectively also change the Normal Maxima (since they alter the Characteristics after their initial buys); this is the same way I do Racial Packages for fantasy games. I don't view this as changing how you can spend your XP; you could put all your XP into a Characteristic with an effective maximum of 15 if you wanted to, or you could, "take advantage," of the benefits and put all your XP into a Characteristic with an effective maximum of 25. It is similar to the Skill Enhancer thing, I suppose. Of course, this makes Age less like a straight Disadvantage and more like a Power/Disadvantage combination. It could in fact wind up being balanced point-wise.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Only In Hero ID questions

 

I use NCM in heroic games, but it's a default that applies to everything (including the monsters/space aliens). I still don't like Age as a disad. I might allow it as an alternate NCM however, since it reduces the max of some Characteristics while increasing the max of others, but that still sounds like an aspect of character concept rather than rules. It's probably better to just have no NCM at all in any game (or as an optional rule for heroic game rather than standard) and the levels of NCM nothing more than a suggestion or the equivilant of an AP cap for Characteristics.

[Alverant]

Re: Only In Hero ID questions

 

For one thing I find your use of the word' date=' "minor," questionable. You seem to be spelling out [i']exactly[/i] how the player is to spend experience. I find that players rarely appreciate having no choices. I certainly don't like that when I am a player.

 

Actually I'm talking about one XP out of 3 or 4 so 33% or 25% of XP being automatically allocated. So yes, I'd call that minor. Also since the player (me) chooses to take this disad, all I really loose is the ability to change my mind later and that's why it's worth just 5 points.

[Silbeg]

Re: Only In Hero ID questions

 

I'd say OIHID is fine. I'd look to how often you need to regenerate in combat to assess the limitation on the Regeneration - I might even be inclined to call it -1/4 as well since you can switch freely between the two forms.

Hugh, I agree with you, here. In fact, there is a character in my game with increased COM, OINID (Only In Normal ID?)... which I gave a -1/4 to. To me, the lims seem equivelent.

 

In fact, since the character will probably be spending most of his time in normal ID, it makes even more sense with a power like Regeneration. Out of combat, he will be able to heal very quickly from any real physical damage he has taken. In combat, well, Regen typically doesn't have much of an in combat effect...