Learning Hero

[Dust Raven]

Re: Learning Hero

 

Here's my first rules question: How does the timing work for a block in combat? When does the blocking character declare the block? A block is listed as a 1/2 phase action. Does the blocking character need a phase in the same segment the attacker is attacking in? If not, does it use up his next phase? I get most of the die-rolling and such, but the sequence and timing part still has me a bit confused.

 

Thanks again for all your help!

A Block is declared after the attack is declared, but before the attack roll.

To abort to a Block, the character must not have already used a Full Phase or used a Half Phase to attack in the Segment he is attacked. If he Blocks, his next Full Phase is used, or his remaining Held Phase or Held Half Phase is used. If the defender is able to Block and does so, the defender rolls and if successful, the attack is negated and the attacker does not get to roll. If the Block is unsuccessful, then the attacker gets to roll, but does not automatically hit the target; there's still a chance he could just miss. This is important when the defender has places levels in DCV or is using a Martial Block, which increases his DCV.

[Lucius]

Re: Learning Hero

 

An important point; once a defender has blocked, he can CONTINUE to block further attacks.

 

You might want to check the rules, but as I understand it, he can continue to block until he misses one of the rolls to block. Or until his next phase comes around and he can do another action.

 

Similarly, if he is dodging, he gets the +3 to DCV until his next action comes up. You don't just dodge a single attack, you are dodging "in general" and all attacks while you're still dodging go against the higher DCV.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Shall I take a half phase to dismount the palindromedary, or just jump off and make a Breakfall roll?

[incrdbil]

Re: Learning Hero

 

My PBEm isn't probably good for a newbie to learn combat--but does anyone know of a cuirrently running PBEM that could be viewed to see combat resolution?

 

Hmm, I'm not a HERO system demonstrator, but it woudl be cool if a chat room could be reserved where up to 4 newbies at a time could log in, download basic sample characters, and be handwalked through a combat scenario (maybe using a basix hexed map also downloaded) through a turn or two of combat--a sort of virtual gaming session demo for those not fortunate enough to have a local official Hero demo person.

 

Heck, just doing one session like that, loggign the transcript, and hosting it somewhere could be a useful reference.

[gojira]

Re: Learning Hero

 

This is a neat idea.

 

To make it even simpler, something like a Macromedia Flash game that takes you through the basic steps of Hero combat might be useful.

 

A really fancy version might have four different characters, and allow the player to go through a short scenario with each one. Obviously this is a lot of work for someone to do, but it might be interesting to start small with a quick demo and see if people think it is useful.

 

(Note: I have no Flash design ability at all, so someone else will have to tackle this one.)

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Learning Hero

 

The best illustrative example of HERO combat that I've seen online is this tutorial by Pattern Ghost posted to the discussion boards, with detailed narration of both heroic and superheroic combat: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3210

[prestidigitator]

Re: Learning Hero

 

Is HeroSphere still out there? It had a free demo that could be useful for playing with the combat system.

[Insaniac99]

Re: Learning Hero

 

Is HeroSphere still out there? It had a free demo that could be useful for playing with the combat system.

dunno, I've been trying to find out, I even asked int eh company questions section which has yet to be answered. but there is the Hero Combat Simulator, that alos imports the hero creater files or allows players to create characters on their own, its somewhere on this site, forget where though...

[prestidigitator]

Re: Learning Hero

 

dunno' date=' I've been trying to find out, I even asked int eh company questions section which has yet to be answered. but there is the Hero Combat Simulator, that alos imports the hero creater files or allows players to create characters on their own, its somewhere on this site, forget where though...[/quote']

Oh. That's what I was talking about. Did I confuse the name?

[prestidigitator]

Re: Learning Hero

 

Err...here I think (Free Stuff -> Herosphere):

 

http://www.herogames.com/FreeStuff/HeroSphere/index.htm

[Direbadger]

Re: Learning Hero

 

I've read enough of the rules to have a good basic understanding of how things work and could run a combat (but still with a decent amount of looking stuff up).

 

The next step is character generation. Any tips on generating characters at the beginning (i.e. how to generate a reasonably effective/fun character)? I'd prefer to do it without spending more money (just yet) on books like Fantasy Grimoire or USPD. Also, is Hero Designer a critical tool to have?

 

I really enjoy statting up my own NPCs and creatures, but could use a few pointers. How does one guage the toughness of an encounter and balance out the opposing sides? Should the bad guys have just as many points as the PCs? Should a single creature/NPC taking on the party have points equal to that of the entire party/group or two-thirds or half? Any simple guidelines would be helpful.

 

Lastly, are there any shortcuts for statting up mooks for combat (other than copying an example out of a book)? Are there a few key stats that I can make up and jot down rather than doing a detailed character creation? (For example, when making up a few D&D bandit mooks, you can quickly just make up HP, AC, Attack Bonus, and Damage and not worry about individual ability scores, skills, feats etc.)

 

Thanks again for all the help!

[Dust Raven]

Re: Learning Hero

 

I've read enough of the rules to have a good basic understanding of how things work and could run a combat (but still with a decent amount of looking stuff up).

 

The next step is character generation. Any tips on generating characters at the beginning (i.e. how to generate a reasonably effective/fun character)? I'd prefer to do it without spending more money (just yet) on books like Fantasy Grimoire or USPD. Also, is Hero Designer a critical tool to have?

Many would say HD is very critical, including myself, but to be completely honest, it's nothing more than a time savor and math checker. But like I said, some of us think something like this is of critical importance, especially for GMs.

 

I really enjoy statting up my own NPCs and creatures, but could use a few pointers. How does one guage the toughness of an encounter and balance out the opposing sides? Should the bad guys have just as many points as the PCs? Should a single creature/NPC taking on the party have points equal to that of the entire party/group or two-thirds or half? Any simple guidelines would be helpful.

There's no one answer for this. It depends on how tough you want the oppositions to be, the nature of the conflict and how each character's Powers affect each opposing character. Total points are usually a fair guideline, but not always accurate. My old GM said something to the effect that if you show him any 250 poiint character, he can design a 50 point character will easily beat him. Granted, that 50 point horror is likely less than a speedbump for any character other than the one he's designed to beat.

 

I think this is something you'll have to work out one your own, and the best way is personal experience. Take any two published characters and have them duke it out in a number of envionments. Switch off opponents for awhile. Swich players of certain characters to see some unique uses of any single character's abilities. Try two on one, or a single powerful character against several weaker ones. After you spend an afternoon or two doing this, try modifying the characters slightly and attempt to predict the results, and readjust things until you get the result you are looking for. After awhile you, and the players helping you, will get a strong feel of what works against what, and what types of characters will challenge others (and which will simply walk over them).

 

Lastly, are there any shortcuts for statting up mooks for combat (other than copying an example out of a book)? Are there a few key stats that I can make up and jot down rather than doing a detailed character creation? (For example, when making up a few D&D bandit mooks, you can quickly just make up HP, AC, Attack Bonus, and Damage and not worry about individual ability scores, skills, feats etc.)

 

Thanks again for all the help!

 

You pretty much do the same thing in Hero that you'd do in D&D. The important stats would be SPD, DEX, OCV with primary weapon/attack, damage of primary weapon/attack, DCV, STUN and DEF. CON might also be good to have on hand, but if it's a good mook, one shot will always knock him out or nearly so, so even if he's not knocked out in the first hit, you can just assume he's Stunned. If it's a lethal game using a lot of swords and/or guns, BODY is another stat you'll want to add to the list, though it should follow the same rule as STUN and CON, one good hit should kill the mook, or have him so near death he'll just lay down for the rest of combat and die later or terminal neglect. Other than that, if any particular mook has a special sense or ability that's important to the encounter it's a good idea to note it and it's limitations so you don't forget.

[Silbeg]

Re: Learning Hero

 

I've read enough of the rules to have a good basic understanding of how things work and could run a combat (but still with a decent amount of looking stuff up).

 

The next step is character generation. Any tips on generating characters at the beginning (i.e. how to generate a reasonably effective/fun character)? I'd prefer to do it without spending more money (just yet) on books like Fantasy Grimoire or USPD. Also, is Hero Designer a critical tool to have?

You pretty much do the same thing in Hero that you'd do in D&D. The important stats would be SPD, DEX, OCV with primary weapon/attack, damage of primary weapon/attack, DCV, STUN and DEF. CON might also be good to have on hand, but if it's a good mook, one shot will always knock him out or nearly so, so even if he's not knocked out in the first hit, you can just assume he's Stunned. If it's a lethal game using a lot of swords and/or guns, BODY is another stat you'll want to add to the list, though it should follow the same rule as STUN and CON, one good hit should kill the mook, or have him so near death he'll just lay down for the rest of combat and die later or terminal neglect. Other than that, if any particular mook has a special sense or ability that's important to the encounter it's a good idea to note it and it's limitations so you don't forget.

As suggested in the book, there is another way you can handle mooks, skipping over the DEF/STUN/BODY issue... just classify them as 1 or 2 hit mooks. Thus, if a PC hits one of these characters, it takes a certain number of actual hits to KO the mook.

 

Typically, if the mooks are agent level (have some training, etc), I have them be DEX 14, SPD 3 (similar to your typical VIPER agent). This gives them OCV/DCV 5, and they typically take 1-2 hits to take out. If they are getting high-tech equipment, they will probably be getting a 8-10d6 Pulson Blaster (OAF, 16 shots). If really well trained, or using superior equipment, they may get +1-2 OCV with the guns. This is especially likely if the Heroes have exceptionally high DCVs...

 

If the mooks are more like your average Joe, they may be a DEX10 SPD 2, or whatever. Remember, the mooks should be trivially easy for the Heroes to take out, but should be able to affect the Heroes if they get a lucky shot in.

 

Another thing to remember if your heroes are throwing around 12+DC attacks, especially if they are KAs... it is really easy to kill a mook (or any other normal). Make this abundantly clear, especially if the heroes have Codes vs. Killing.

[gojira]

Re: Learning Hero

 

I'm not sure about fantasy, but I think you should start like this:

 

1. Define genre, tone, etc for the game

 

2. Define powerlevel for the PCs

 

For example from UNITY 2010

 

Characters are to be built as “Standard Superheroic” characters: 200 base points, up to 150 disads, 5 quirks, no more than 50 points in any one disad category. SPD should be in the 4-6 range. CV should be in the 7-13 range (with all bonuses added in). DCs should be between 8-14. Active points should be 40-60. Defenses should be 20-25, resistant defenses should be 10-15. Skill rolls should be no higher than 18-, and should average around 13-. All of these guidelines are negotiable if you can’t do your character concept within these limitations, but expect to justify your reasoning!

 

This will tell you what to expect from the PCs. Now you can design your mooks, henchmen, and important NPCs in terms of their power level.

 

After you get the mooks and the henchmen about where you want them (run a few simulated battles with a "typical" PC) then define the NPCs as 1 hit, 2 hit, 3 1/2 hit, skilled, cannon fodder, etc. and simplify your rolling and book keeping accordingly. So....

 

3. Define the mooks as above

 

I think this will at least allow you to get close, or it will tell you where you've got issues to work on. Maybe run a couple of simulated battles with the players playing generic PCs (tavern brawl?) just to make sure you haven't forgot anything or allowed the PCs to throw curves, either by being too tough, or by being too weak.

[GreyGuardian]

Re: Learning Hero

 

Superheroic combat may be simpler than the heroic lvl stuff depending on what you are doing. Generally fewer of the optional combat rules are appropriate for superhero level combat. While you don't have to use them, things like hit location etc. do add something to heroic lvl combat.

 

You absolutely do not NEED any other books besides 5ER. However, USPD still had enough good ideas on how to do things that I find it quite useful (I've been using HERO since 1984) - especially when trying to teach the system to someone new.

 

The key to character creation is decide what you want the character to be able to do. Everything in hero is based on the "special effect" of what you are trying to create. What I do is make a list of all the abilities and skills that seem appropriate. Then figure out a way to build the powers and then go back and make the hard decisions on what needs to go in order to be less than the points allowed. Power frameworks and limitations allow you to get a larger variety of powers for the same amount of points.

 

Appropriatness of combat challenge is mostly represented by the total points. However comparing the combat values (ie are they hard to hit, do they have a hard time hitting the player characters), the relative lvl of player defense vs mook offense and the other way around all are relevant. I believe that the 5ER has a section discussing balance. In my experience it is much easier to balance than that d20 fantasy game with the monsters.

 

for mooks you need the OCV, DCV, speed, defense, movement, attack and if you are trying to speed things up decide how many hits it takes to put a mook down (1 or 2 shots usually should do for a mook - depending on the effect you are looking for) or you need to know their stun, body, and recovery as well. You can assume 11- for any other stat roll they might need to make like perception etc. generally you should know their motivation and if they have them, weaknesses but you don't need to stat out disads for mooks.

 

Is hero designer worth it? heck yes, however you still will benefit from cranking through a few characters with pencil and paper first to get a feel for how character creation works... hero designer is like a spreadsheet.... as you try and tweak and refine things you can see how the points change - it is very handy.

 

A villains book for whatever you end up running is a great way to look at how a bunch of characters were built (and can be a big time saver if you didn't have time to prepare). Heck there are probably a lot of characters posted on these boards that would do the job.

 

I've also seen folks ask for commentary on characters posted to the boards (hero designer has an export format that posts very nicely) and that can be a good way to see if you are understanding what you thought you understood and like that. Or if there is a power etc that you are struggling with post a question to the boards in the right genra and you are likely to get helpful responses. Good luck, and I hope this was at least a little useful.

 

 

 

I've read enough of the rules to have a good basic understanding of how things work and could run a combat (but still with a decent amount of looking stuff up).

 

The next step is character generation. Any tips on generating characters at the beginning (i.e. how to generate a reasonably effective/fun character)? I'd prefer to do it without spending more money (just yet) on books like Fantasy Grimoire or USPD. Also, is Hero Designer a critical tool to have?

 

I really enjoy statting up my own NPCs and creatures, but could use a few pointers. How does one guage the toughness of an encounter and balance out the opposing sides? Should the bad guys have just as many points as the PCs? Should a single creature/NPC taking on the party have points equal to that of the entire party/group or two-thirds or half? Any simple guidelines would be helpful.

 

Lastly, are there any shortcuts for statting up mooks for combat (other than copying an example out of a book)? Are there a few key stats that I can make up and jot down rather than doing a detailed character creation? (For example, when making up a few D&D bandit mooks, you can quickly just make up HP, AC, Attack Bonus, and Damage and not worry about individual ability scores, skills, feats etc.)

 

Thanks again for all the help!