Flight with Passengers - What's the Best Way?

[Dust Raven]

Re: Flight with Passengers - What's the Best Way?

 

This may be the root of our disagreement. I think it very much is a "quirk" of the system, and not at all of the author. Simply put, other systems don't have this quirk. The system itself says explicitly that it's a toolkit. Other systems say, "Here are all the specific things you can do, and here's how to do them. If you want to be able to do more things, buy another book (or wait until we print one with more things to do." HERO System, on the other hand, says, "Here are all the tools. You can build whatever you like. Here are some typical ways in which you might use these tools, and typical things you might build. We assume that most of the time you'll be using these tools in the typical ways we've anticipated, so we've given you rules to do so. But you're free to build atypical things, for which these rules might not apply the same way, even though the tools are still just as useful."

 

Yes, we are very much in disagreement here. Or maybe other than Hero System, we play entirely different games. Every rulebook I've ever read for an RPG has had a note somewhere in it that it's a game and players should use or ignore as they please so long as they have fun. The quirk of the Hero System rulebook is that it reminds you constantly throughout the text, instead of being content with a simple clause in the introduction.

[archermoo]

Re: Flight with Passengers - What's the Best Way?

 

Yes' date=' we are very much in disagreement here. Or maybe other than Hero System, we play entirely different games. Every rulebook I've ever read for an RPG has had a note somewhere in it that it's a game and players should use or ignore as they please so long as they have fun. The quirk of the Hero System rulebook is that it reminds you constantly throughout the text, instead of being content with a simple clause in the introduction.[/quote']

 

My take as well. I think it is a matter of Steve showing his lawyer roots.

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Flight with Passengers - What's the Best Way?

 

Fine. I believe clarity is more important than agreement. Though your last sentence:

 

The quirk of the Hero System rulebook is that it reminds you constantly throughout the text' date=' instead of being content with a simple clause in the introduction.[/quote']

Seems to agree with me. I'll admit I'm not an expert in other systems, but I doubt that they violate their own "rules" as much as HERO does. Official HERO products change the "rules" all the time: charging 1/3 for magic spells; allowing PSLs to apply to Skill Roll penalties, rather than attack rolls; using Independent with powers that don't have a Focus; etc. I don't think WotC has ever published a book that said something like, "Well, normally you need X and Y as prerequisites before you can take prestige class Z, but in this case we've decided not to apply that rule." Every time they want to do something new, they make some new rules and publish a new book.

 

That's because HERO System is based on tools, rather than rules. (IMO)

[Dust Raven]

Re: Flight with Passengers - What's the Best Way?

 

Fine. I believe clarity is more important than agreement. Though your last sentence:

 

 

Seems to agree with me. I'll admit I'm not an expert in other systems, but I doubt that they violate their own "rules" as much as HERO does. Official HERO products change the "rules" all the time: charging 1/3 for magic spells; allowing PSLs to apply to Skill Roll penalties, rather than attack rolls; using Independent with powers that don't have a Focus; etc. I don't think WotC has ever published a book that said something like, "Well, normally you need X and Y as prerequisites before you can take prestige class Z, but in this case we've decided not to apply that rule." Every time they want to do something new, they make some new rules and publish a new book.

 

That's because HERO System is based on tools, rather than rules. (IMO)

Yes. I'd definitely agree the Hero System is more about flexibility than other systems. It needs to be a toolkit system which can be used for multiple genres. Different genres and different settings all need different rules. They can all use the same basic structure, but the toolkit needs that flexibility to bend toward the superheroic for Champions, toward to fantastic for Fantasy Hero and toward the quasi-physics for Star Hero.

[Neutrino]

Re: Flight with Passengers - What's the Best Way?

 

thanks a lot gave me lots of ideas how to run my indirect character