Jkeown Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Okay... how to start this... I have compiled a list of animal attributes, consulted various sage individuals and studied my butt off, lo, these many days... Now I have to bring it all together into a cohesive plan for writing animals. Hopefully, it evolves into a nice HERO "Meta-system" for creating bestiaries. Some of the source material uses random tables to better simulate the evolution of critters. Others, myself included, prefer a top-down approach to animal design. I draw a sketch, look at it, and do a character sheet. How does HERO-dom feel about randomization? I've always thought HERO players were fairly deterministic in outlook. Are tables more or less work? Would decent balanced tables that give "realistic" results be a welcome thing in your big GM binder o' stuff? Most likely, I'll include the tables and the power constructs in the paper to ease the use of both methods. There will be a short table on "Common Animal Spells" and "Common Animal Psi-Powers" for those who want to use them, but they won't be a part of the "Required" sections. BTW The tables will probably be pretty useful for Star HERO as well... And anyone who writes a program from it will recieve Rep-For-Life from me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkeown Posted June 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone? I have to assume the lack of response is due to overwelming disinterest. Sedes Draconis GURPS Tables Have a look at those and let me know if a HERO-ized copy is a neat idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitz Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone? Actually, the lack of response is due to me not catching the post the first time around I actually really like sometimes using randomized critter creation, because the process of building the things can spark ideas for interesting plot hooks and scenarios. I'm the sort of person who likes to work outwards from seemingly inconsequential or irrelevant tidbits towards a completed whole, rather than inwards from a more-or-less complete idea to nitty-gritty details. I'm not generally in favour of randomized character creation, except in very rare instances. However, if a player wants to generate their character randomly, I'm happy for them to do it as long as they're prepared to roleplay the consequences (and as long as I keep a veto for anything that will completely ruin my game). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone? Only lack of response because you posted in times I'm asleep (that's what you get for being at a different GMT) I love the idea. Also, there were some great evolutionary tables in an Aussie rpg called Foresight. A scifi based game, and the creation of an ecology on a planet used a system of charts so you would end up with a "arms race" between predators and prey. Prey gets "herd", predator gets "nocturnal", prey gets "flight" etc... Based on the food chain as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ternaugh Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone? I have to assume the lack of response is due to overwelming disinterest. Sedes Draconis GURPS Tables Have a look at those and let me know if a HERO-ized copy is a neat idea. I'd be interested in a "HERO-ized" version. It'd probably fit well into the Traveller material, as well. JoeG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkeown Posted June 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone? Only lack of response because you posted in times I'm asleep (that's what you get for being at a different GMT) So? Move. Indy is great this time of year... and we have Gen Con! I love the idea. Good, I do, too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone? Probably better for Star Hero, actually, but I'd still be interested in seeing the Heroized version. It's always hard to come up with sufficiently twisted encounters for adventures on the Island of Wizard Moreau. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone? I think it's good for FH as well - for exploration type campaigns. Let's face it "out of the book, mythic monsters" don't have an ecology and are just as bizarre as randomly generated monsters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone? Random anythings are cool to play with and bounce Ideas off of, so carry on my wayward son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone? Sounds good to me... I've never minded random tables for HERo as long as they work OK and are a utility not a requirement. I often enjoyed the Random Danger Rooms and even made the occasional workable random NPC using the charts way back in Champions 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTesla Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone? I think if you have enough items on the tables it would be great. I'm the type that looks at a table for ideas, but has given up rolling on them. “Three, nope... I need a three, nope… three, nope. I’ll roll two dice, five and two? Five minus two is three, what luck!†Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkeown Posted June 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone? I almost went non-random with it. I just might... perhaps write a lengthy article on Evo-Devo and just let folks wing it. The original author (Aidan) didn't want to be associated with a project that wasn't random. HERO gamers are, as I've said, so deterministic (a trait that arises from the system itself) But I digress. I have the tables all formatted and happy, now I just have to finish all the various traits and plug them in. The format seems to be primitive at the lower numbers, and more complex and developed at the higher ranges. Truly weird ("Highly Evolved") stuff is in there, but I don't know how much use it would get. I think the tables are weighted somewhat towards very mundane critters. After all, a raccoon with Laser Eyes and Wings is not a raccoon... it's a Flycoon... or LaserBat... or something. Thus, it's more of a Star HERO product, as SH needs greater variety of mundane life forms than FH. I always like to work on 2 column text, but after plugging in the Traits, its going to have to be 1 column... darn it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTesla Posted June 18, 2005 Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone? I live in fear of the rabid, laser eyed, winged, racoon with distemper! Being both a Star HERO and Fantasy HERO user I'm looking forward to seeing what you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowcat1313 Posted June 20, 2005 Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone? Maine Coons or Norwegian Forest Cats with opposable thumbs and uplifted inteligence then again I played in a traveller game at a con where a solomani genetic engineering experiment had gone for uplifting Velociraptors can you say really bad idea? there was also an uplifted T-Rex, but it got taken out with a ships laser turret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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