Horror Hero Point Levels - convention game prep

[Karmakaze]

So, I just submitted my game proposals for a local convention and, since I didn't feel like running four supers games, I made one of them something that's probably more Horror HERO than anything else. I have the setting and threat down since I used it as an alternate universe in one of my campaigns, but now I need to run up pregenrated characters.

 

Given the genre, these are normals -- the convenience store clerk, the off-duty paramedic, the bus driver... poor schlubs who've gotten caught in the middle of everything falling apart. I'm not quite sure where I want to do the point level. On the one hand, really low point characters may not interest convention players, but I don't want to go too high either. One of my friends has suggested 75/50 (for a 125 total), which I could do, but I'm not sure if that isn't still too high.

 

What point level would you pick to be cool enough for the screen time, but not over the top?

[AlHazred]

Re: Horror Hero Point Levels - convention game prep

 

I believe good Horror HERO characters should be low point characters - I'm talking 25+25, or 50+50 max. Keep in mind that, based on Steve's packages in Dark Champions, reasonable Green Berets can be made on about 125 points. Ask yourself how potent the characters should be. Some horror stories are about normally-competent characters coming up against something that is immune to their normal methods of demonstrating superiority - in these cases, the characters have to think outside the box. Other horror stories are about normal people thrust into unearthly, supernatural situations. What kind of story do you want to tell?

[Karmakaze]

Re: Horror Hero Point Levels - convention game prep

 

Well, I think I mentioned the Wraith world splinter universe to you before - that's what I'm using. Like a good zombie movie, the PCs start right at the point where society's infrastructure finally breaks down. I really am looking more for oridinary people rising to the challenge.

[AlHazred]

Re: Horror Hero Point Levels - convention game prep

 

I'd consider 25+25 point characters. Consider this: at 50 total points, they're twice as competent as the "average" non-player character in Hero. Maybe more.

[OddHat]

Re: Horror Hero Point Levels - convention game prep

 

It's a convention game, in the Horror genre. 25/25 to 75/25. Enough points to have one or two good schticks, and one Disad to role-play.

[Vondy]

Re: Horror Hero Point Levels - convention game prep

 

I would go with 50+50 or 75+25. More than that and the players might be too confident for the horror genre. One might even run it down to 50+25 or 25+25.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Horror Hero Point Levels - convention game prep

 

I'd probably go with the 75+25 model for a con game, with a card for each character that describes in Narative terms the characters strengths, background and weaknesses, then either keep the actual character sheets to increase the fear and loathing factor, or give them over to the players only after they've picked out the characters. My inital thought was to go with the system suggested way back in prehistory (in Lands of Mystery for JI) about varing the point levels depending on the character role, but with a con game, that wouldn't be very fair, so I'd lean more towards giving the less obviously useful characters each a good useful shtick to fill out the rest of the points. Maybe the gas station mechanic drives in demoloiton derbys. Maybe the mallrat skatepunk has scads of luck. The insurance saleman could have been a college football player. You're the GM so you can build a nice balanced group of PC's who all are useful, but no one is so broad that they can afford to throw their fellow players to the wolves without consequence. MY one BIG suggestion is that if there are any obvious "combat moster" types available (like policemen, off duty millitary, gangmembers, etc), load them with some of the more restrictive disads to counterbalance the immediately obvious advantage of being the best fighters, otherwise you chance having to deal with munchkin players squabbling over the "best" characters.

[Pentoth]

Re: Horror Hero Point Levels - convention game prep

 

50/50 is a good point value. It gives enough points to make them better than normal people without being overwhelmingly so. People should be going into a Horror Hero style game realizing they aren't going to be powerhouses. That would defeat the whole point of HORROR Hero. If they complain too much they wouldn't enjoy that style of game anyway.

[Curufea]

Re: Horror Hero Point Levels - convention game prep

 

I vote for 25/25 in keeping with many genre staples set in movies and books.

The only difference there should be between a PC and an NPC in a Horror Genre, is that PCs get killed last by preference, they are in the right location at the right (or possibly wrong) time, they possibly have one or two skills that are applicable to the scenario, and they have the script on their side.

 

PCs should ALWAYS be in a position of weakness in a horror setting. The only exceptions being building up hope (ie an apparent small or large victory), in order to dash it later. Even zombie movies where a PC can beat up a zombie quite easily - their weakness comes from being severly outnumbered.

[Karmakaze]

Re: Horror Hero Point Levels - convention game prep

 

I had considered making twice as many characters as needed and simply replacing characters as they die. After all, it seems to me that in zombie movies, whenever the group gets too small, they find another pocket of survivors...

[Curufea]

Re: Horror Hero Point Levels - convention game prep

 

Also a good option