Valdorian Characters

[Savinien]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

There is a template at HeroCentral in The Valdorian Age campaign.

 

You can find my character in my Valdorian Age thread. You thunder stealer, you.

 

Also, isn't your character bypassing the skill limit with those 14-?

[mvoncannon]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

There is a template at HeroCentral in The Valdorian Age campaign.

 

You can find my character in my Valdorian Age thread. You thunder stealer, you.

 

Also, isn't your character bypassing the skill limit with those 14-?

 

In fact here is the template.

 

Feedback is welcome (constructive).

[Super Squirrel]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

I tried using your template. I honestly saw no difference between that and the Heroic Template builtin to Hero Designer.

[Old Man]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

Fire a shot from the side of a mountain without falling.

 

That's it? You spent five points on that? And what's stopping you from firing an xbow without falling to begin with?

[Super Squirrel]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

First, it for firing when dangling from a cliff or something like that. Second, environmental penalties should put the attacker at a -2 or -3 OCV. I personally would normally require the person to make a DEX or Climbing Roll to maintain their position doing something like that.

[mvoncannon]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

I tried using your template. I honestly saw no difference between that and the Heroic Template builtin to Hero Designer.

Hmm.....I will take a closer look.

[mvoncannon]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

I tried using your template. I honestly saw no difference between that and the Heroic Template builtin to Hero Designer.

 

Ok. Try this one. Save it. When you make a character use File / New Character from Template. This will prompt you for the template. Browse to where you stored this template and select it.

 

It should make all of the characteristics base of 8 and adjust the figured characteristics as well.

[Savinien]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

Put up the *.hdr, too.

 

If it wasn't Martin's I used, it must be the one from Free Stuff here at HG?

 

I know I have a Valdorian Age template that takes care of the ATTR at '8' with proper starting points and such...

 

If nothing else, I'll just upload the one I used even though I don't recall exactly where I got it.

[mvoncannon]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

Put up the *.hdr, too.

 

If it wasn't Martin's I used, it must be the one from Free Stuff here at HG?

 

I know I have a Valdorian Age template that takes care of the ATTR at '8' with proper starting points and such...

 

If nothing else, I'll just upload the one I used even though I don't recall exactly where I got it.

 

Here is the rule file and a Prefab for the everyman I used.

[Guest bblackmoor]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

The stats are off if I recall correctly' date=' as VA characters begin at 8. To be of use to 'the general community' house rules should probably be avoided.[/quote']

 

Bah. Valdorian characters are just 50 point characters who have sold off 25 points worth of stats for some bizarre reason. It's probably the only thing in the book that I think is a completely dumb idea. He should have just added a house rule that permitted Valdorian characters to sell off all stats to 8, if they chose. It'd have been simpler for all concerned.

 

Speaking of Valdorian house rules, how are people dealing with the "normal skill maxima" in Hero Designer? I am using something similar in a game I am planning to run (great minds think alike, I guess), and I am curious how Valdorian players handle that when creating characters.

[Savinien]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

I just didn't buy any skill up past 12-, I don't think.

 

The other characters I've seen do the same and just buy PSLs like TVA suggests.

[Super Squirrel]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

Bah. Valdorian characters are just 50 point characters who have sold off 25 points worth of stats for some bizarre reason. It's probably the only thing in the book that I think is a completely dumb idea. He should have just added a house rule that permitted Valdorian characters to sell off all stats to 8, if they chose. It'd have been simpler for all concerned.

 

Speaking of Valdorian house rules, how are people dealing with the "normal skill maxima" in Hero Designer? I am using something similar in a game I am planning to run (great minds think alike, I guess), and I am curious how Valdorian players handle that when creating characters.

Actually it is quite well rationalized and I like it. It is Low Fantasy and it encourages diversity. I was using the base stats of 8 system before Valdorian covered it and when I do write-ups for Hero Games, I have a hard time not slipping into the habbit of putting all stats at 8 automatically.

[arcady]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

Bah. Valdorian characters are just 50 point characters who have sold off 25 points worth of stats for some bizarre reason. It's probably the only thing in the book that I think is a completely dumb idea. He should have just added a house rule that permitted Valdorian characters to sell off all stats to 8' date=' if they chose. It'd have been simpler for all concerned.[/quote']I agree. I think it's a bad rule because it goes against everything Hero has done as far back as 1e for both low and high powered games alike. It's just an 'un-Hero system' thing to do. But they did it, and now it's official, and in anything like this we're stuck with what is official.

[Guest bblackmoor]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

... and in anything like this we're stuck with what is official.

 

Not when it's stupid, I'm not.

[Guest bblackmoor]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

I just didn't buy any skill up past 12-' date=' I don't think. The other characters I've seen do the same and just buy PSLs like TVA suggests.[/quote']

 

I may change my house rules for the aforementioned game of mine to say that skills bought at more than +4 over the base roll are discouraged, without making it a hard rule or a Disad. It'll be less of a hassle to deal with in Hero Designer (and I eschew house rules when possible, anyway, on general principle).

[Super Squirrel]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

Not when it's stupid' date=' I'm not. [/quote']

pg. 164 of Valdorian Age has a section that explains why 8's are used and it provides optional rules of using base 10's but with a 50+75 if you don't like the 8 base system. So I would call that very well thought out and not "stupid". Plus both methods can be official.

[Super Squirrel]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

The Radiant Dawn is the oldest known ship still sailing the Il-Ryveras sea today. Captain Nayal Ayere is the thirteenth man to command the vessel in its 324 year history. This declares Elweir its home but is rarely seen within the city. The crew of the Radiant Dawn is rarely seen off the boat. When the Radiant Dawn reaches shore, five members of the crew leave to purchase new supplies while the rest of the crew unloads its cargo.

 

The Radiant Dawn holds an unblemished reputation for all ports across Il-Ryveras. They never lie or cheat those that they deal. Captain Nayal Ayere and his predecessors always have provided a full, detailed report of the cargo that is never wrong.

 

There is a element of mystery to the Radiant Dawn. Never, in any port across the land, has ever anyone seen the ship remain ported longer than twenty-four hours. The crew never leaves the ship beyond to trade for supplies. And no one has ever seen the ship pick up new crew or use a shipyard to repair any damage. Furthermore, the crew seems to be unphased by the weather no matter how severe.

 

Sailor of the Radiant Dawn

10 STR

12 DEX

14 CON

12 BODY

8 INT

8 EGO

8 PRE

8 COM

2 PD

3 ED

2 SPD

5 REC

30 END

26 STUN

 

Abilities: +3 with Short Swords, AK: Ports of Il-Ryveras 11-, AK: Ancorable Beachs of Il-Ryveras 8-, KS: Stories and Legends of Il-Ryveras 11-, KS: History of the Radiant Dawn 13-, Navigation (Marine) 12-, PS: Knot-Tying 11-, PS: Sailing 13-, PS: Deep Sea Sailing, TF: Large Rowed Boats, Teamwork 11-, +3 PSL with Sailing and Navigation During Bad Weather

 

75+ Disadvantages: Distinctive Features: Mark of the Radiant Dawn, Physical Limitation: Sea Legs, Psychological Limitation: Code of the Radiant Dawn

 

Equipment: Short Sword, Padded Cloth Cuirass

 

Notes: All sailors of the Radiant Dawn are required to wear a tattoo on their right shoulder, announcing their allegience to the ship and crew. The crew is prohibited from discussing any of its history or practices with outsiders. This information is considered a trade secret and the punishment for violating this order is death. All crewmen are required to wear short swords during duty in case of pirates.

[Captain Obvious]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

I think the base 8 thing was a pretty good idea. Players tend to leave unimportant characteristics at the base level and build up their others. This way, the base level is a little lower and keeps the characters from being quite as uber-competent as other genres' characters.

 

Even telling players that a lower standard is in-genre and encouraged doesn't usually get them to lower their characters' abilities. I had to do something similar with the money rules for a cyberpunk campaign I ran way back when, because even though I emphasized that all characters should start out dirt poor unless they had a good reason to be wealthier, buying off the disad during game play. Everyone just seemed to think it easier to come up with some reason they were middle-class and not deal with it, until they had to pay points for it.

[Guest bblackmoor]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

Even telling players that a lower standard is in-genre and encouraged doesn't usually get them to lower their characters' abilities.

 

I'll tell you the first thing I would do is set them all to 10 and then buy them up or down as appropriate for the character. Making players take an extra step just to get to the start of Hero character generation is unneccesary and, frankly, dumb. It's not like anyone out there is saying that making a Hero System character is currently too simple, for goodness' sakes.

[Super Squirrel]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

I'll tell you the first thing I would do is set them all to 10 and then buy them up or down as appropriate for the character. Making players take an extra step just to get to the start of Hero character generation is unneccesary and' date=' frankly, dumb. It's not like anyone out there is saying that making a Hero System character is currently too simple, for goodness' sakes.[/quote']

Oh, because taking that extra step is so difficult...

 

Now please take it to another thread. The point of this thread is for people posting write-ups to help other GMs who happen to like Valdorian Age.

[Guest bblackmoor]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

Oh' date=' because taking that extra step is so difficult...[/quote']

 

An unnecessary step is an unnecessary step (and it's several steps, if you count each characteristic separately).

 

The point of this thread is for people posting write-ups to help other GMs who happen to like Valdorian Age.

 

One of them being me. Fair enough: carry on.

 

Speaking of which, has anyone written up a PC sorcerer using the house rules from Valdorian Age? It seems to me they place sorcery solidly into NPC-only territory, and I believe that's intentional, but I'm curious if anyone has been willing to bite the bullet and try to run one as a PC.

[Savinien]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

Someone is playing a mage character at The Valdorian Age game on Hero Central. I don't the player has the book though, and I don't know how closely MVC forced him into teh Valodorian Age constraints. But, you could take a gander if you felt the desire.

[mvoncannon]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

Someone is playing a mage character at The Valdorian Age game on Hero Central. I don't the player has the book though' date=' and I don't know how closely MVC forced him into teh Valodorian Age constraints. But, you could take a gander if you felt the desire.[/quote']

 

He was restrained pretty good. Not everything fit but I didn't have to bust out a shoe-horn. I picture The Valdorian Age as low magic anyway.

[arcady]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

Not when it's stupid' date=' I'm not. [/quote']I'm not talking about you use in your own game or someone else's game, but here, in a collection of characters meant for the larger community - that should stick to official even when official is in violation of the spirit of the Hero system and the rules of Hero as it has otherwise stood for the past 24 years...

 

Official now has an exception, for one single genre, that is different than every other case of low powered Hero gaming, but that exception is official...

[Guest bblackmoor]

Re: Valdorian Characters

 

...but here' date=' in a collection of characters meant for the larger community...[/quote']

 

I'm letting it go in accordance with Super Squirrel's (eminently reasonable) wishes. I'm fine with it whether people post characters using standard Hero System rules or if they use the Valdorian Age house rules. I do think that people should make it explicit if they are using the Valdorian Age house rules, though, just for the sake of clarity.