Fantasy Zero

[Tyrant]

I've been toying with the idea of running a similar game to the one that got me hooked on the Hero system oh so many years ago. We called it Fantasy Zero because all the PC's were built with 0 base points and up to 50 points of disads.

 

Man what a fun game that was. You've never had as exciting a game session as when it takes four player characters all their combined might to take down a single skeleton...

 

Our mage could cast a single spell, a small flame produced from his finger tip.

I was the only person in the group who had TF: horses, so I wouldn't immediately fall off. And our "fighter" had no CSL's. Rather, he has WF swords and had the only actual weapon in the group. A short sword he kept wrapped in a blanket.

 

I'm toying running a real "rags to riches" campaign, starting with Fantasy Zero characters and, hopefully, ending with them as lords of the realm.

 

On a side note, I've been considering using the Greyhawk setting with Hero. Anybody know how well it translates? To be honest, I'm not that familiar with it myself, but I happen to have gotten my hands on a four part map of the setting and I'm dying to use it...

 

If only I had more TIME!!!!

Sorry, nostalgic rant over.

[Rage]

Re: Fantasy Zero

 

Player:

 

Val Char Cost

13 STR 3

13 DEX 9

13 CON 6

10 BODY

10 INT

10 EGO

10 PRE

10 COM

 

3 PD

3 ED

4 SPD 17

6 REC

26 END

24 STUN

 

6" RUN

2" SWIM

2 1/2" LEAP

Cost: 35

 

Cost Power END

5 bird brain: Mind Link (10 AP); Limited to Carrion birds; -1)

Cost: 5

 

Cost Skill

1 PS: Subsistance farming 8-

4 Survival (Temperate/Subtropics) 12-

1 Paramedics 8-

1 Concealment 8-

Cost: 7

 

Cost Perk

3 Follower- The black thing (15 Base, 20 Disads)

Cost: 3

 

Total Cost: 50

 

Val Disads

15 Social Lim: Runaway Serf, Occasionally (8-), Severe

15 Hunted: Lord Trell's men, More Powerful, 11- (Frequently), Harshly Punish, Limited Geographical Area (Lord Trell's lands)

10 Destitute

10 Psych Lim: Must find out and complete his mission, Common, Moderate

 

Disadvantage Points: 50

 

THE BLACK THING

 

Player:

 

Val Char Cost

3 STR -7

20 DEX 30

3 CON -14

3 BODY -14

13 INT 3

13 EGO 6

5 PRE -5

2 COM -4

 

1 PD

1 ED

4 SPD 10

2 REC

6 END

7 STUN

 

0" RUN -12

1" SWIM -1

0 1/2" LEAP

Characteristics Cost: -8

 

Cost Power END

15 flight: Multipower, 15-point reserve

1u 1) Flight 5" (Improved Noncombat Movement (x4)) (15 AP) 1

1u 2) Teleportation 7" (14 AP); Must Pass Through Intervening Space (-1/4) 1

1u 3) Gliding 5" (Noncombat Movement (x8)) (15 AP)

8 Claws and beak: Killing Attack - HTH 1/2d6 (plus STR) (vs. ED) (10 AP); Red Pen (-1/4) 1

10 Mind Link (Runaway Alan; Psychic Bond)

Cost: 36

 

Cost Skill

3 Concealment 12-

3 Tracking 12-

3 Lockpicking 13-

3 Stealth 13-

Cost: 12

 

Total Character Cost: 40

 

Val Disadvantages

20 Physical Limitation: Bird, All the Time, Greatly Impairing

5 Rivalry: Normal Crows in the area, Rival Less Powerful, Seek to Harm or Kill Rival, Rival Aware

 

Disadvantage Points: 25

Base Points: 15

 

Small Alan woke up in the usual way, listening to his bird friends yammering. They kept on noisely talking all morning. Suddenly they stopped, the reason: a big black bird, not unlike a raven or crow, had swooped down and landed at Alan's feet. Alan was not frightened, after all, had not that God that the priest was always talking about used birds as his messengers? The Big Black Thing talked to him and told him things, and explained the world to Alan. He also asked Alan to come with him, and help him to achieve what ever it was that the Big Black Thing needed to do. So, Alan dropped waited until night and slipped out the door, telling his pop that he needed to urinate, or "piss" as they said in the day.

 

It's been two and a half years of rough living and small Alan, now big and a runaway, has still not completed his task, aparantly he has started though, not that he can tell the difference. The Big Black Thing doesn't mind the slow pace though, theres still plenty of time and much carrion to eat.

 

 

This sort of thing?

[Tyrant]

Re: Fantasy Zero

 

Yes!

Exactly that sort of thing!

 

I love "The Black Thing" btw.

Wish I had thought of something similar back then.

Ah well, it was my first ever experience with the Hero system.

 

I ended up playing a runaway stableboy.

[Labrat]

Re: Fantasy Zero

 

I've been toying with the idea of running a similar game to the one that got me hooked on the Hero system oh so many years ago. We called it Fantasy Zero because all the PC's were built with 0 base points and up to 50 points of disads.

 

 

On a side note, I've been considering using the Greyhawk setting with Hero. Anybody know how well it translates? To be honest, I'm not that familiar with it myself, but I happen to have gotten my hands on a four part map of the setting and I'm dying to use it...

 

If only I had more TIME!!!!

Sorry, nostalgic rant over.

 

You can still use the Turakian Age with the Greyhawk Map. Hierax had a Greyhawk Hero site, the link should be around somewhere (QM? LL?). Although you might have to explain why Mr. Curtis' TA maps aren't good enough...

 

EDIT: QM's list... Greyhawk to Hero – aka Grey Hero http://www.hierax.com/hero/fantasy/grey/

Discussion: http://herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6534

 

This campaign sounds fun. I'm sure you need a lot of patience and a lot of player-to-player-to-GM history (read: trust) to really pull it off. I can just imagine how this 'minimalist approach' pulls the group to work together more. I would want to witness it just to see how people squeeze the living hades out of every precious point!

 

Great idea! Duly repped!

[LordSkatterhawk]

Re: Fantasy Zero

 

I've been toying with the idea of running a similar game to the one that got me hooked on the Hero system oh so many years ago. We called it Fantasy Zero because all the PC's were built with 0 base points and up to 50 points of disads.

 

Man what a fun game that was. You've never had as exciting a game session as when it takes four player characters all their combined might to take down a single skeleton...

 

Our mage could cast a single spell, a small flame produced from his finger tip.

I was the only person in the group who had TF: horses, so I wouldn't immediately fall off. And our "fighter" had no CSL's. Rather, he has WF swords and had the only actual weapon in the group. A short sword he kept wrapped in a blanket.

 

I'm toying running a real "rags to riches" campaign, starting with Fantasy Zero characters and, hopefully, ending with them as lords of the realm.

 

 

If only I had more TIME!!!!

Sorry, nostalgic rant over.

 

Wow! That sounds like an excellent game. I bet it would be hard to pull off without teamwork and foresight as characters were built. Did the other players understand HERO system at the time? How long did the game run? And finally: did you ever obtain the riches part of the equation?

 

I've heard people say that HERO has scalability issues at low point thresholds, but maybe I've been misinformed. In any event, I think this coming of age, poor-to-riches story is mythic. Now I want to play in that game.

 

Also, on my own side note: how do you guys format your characters when you post them? Should I just copy-paste the character above and edit as needed or is there a template?

[mayapuppies]

Re: Fantasy Zero

 

Why the heck can't you live near my house!? I'm dying to do a game like that as either a player or a GM. Unfortunately my current "group" would linch me if I even suggested it. They're already complaining that I'm not running them at 250 points for a "low fantasy" campaign...sigh

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Fantasy Zero

 

Josh's play-by-post started out a lot like that. We relied a LOT more on tactics and teamwork than I'm used to in most games, and there was a lot more roleplay than any other game I've played in. Which may be a feature of play-by-post; I don't know.

[steph]

Re: Fantasy Zero

 

Do you need players for that game!!! i am from montreal

stef

[1EyedJack]

Re: Fantasy Zero

 

Eosin once ran a 25+25 FH for us. Our characters were very young and the campaign was very enjoyable.

[CourtFool]

Re: Fantasy Zero

 

My current character in the Three Kingdoms campaign which is 25/25, low fantasy, no magic (yet).

 

Broderick "The Scamp" of the Boar

Val	Char	Cost
10	STR	0
10	DEX	0
8	CON	-4
8	BODY	-4
13	INT	3
8	EGO	-4
13	PRE	3
20	COM	5

2	PD	0
0	ED	-2
2	SPD	0
4	REC	0
16	END	0
17	STUN	0

6"	RUN	0
1"	SWIM	-1
2"	LEAP	0
Characteristics Cost: -4



Cost	Skill
20	+2 Overall
0	AK: Homeland 8-
3	Acting 12-
1	Bribery 8-
1	Bureaucratics 8-
0	Climbing 8-
0	Concealment 8-
3	Conversation 12-
3	Deduction 12-
1	Disguise 8-
3	High Society 12-
0	KS: Religion 8-
1	Language:  Thranish (idiomatic; literate) (5 Active Points)
1	Oratory 8-
0	PS: Lord 11-
3	Persuasion 12-
3	Seduction 12-
0	Shadowing 8-
0	Stealth 8-
1	Streetwise 8-
0	TF:  Equines
4	WF:  Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons
Skills Cost: 48

Cost	Perk
2	Money:  Well Off
4	Fringe Benefit:  Lord of the Boar
Perks Cost: 6


Total Character Cost: 50

Pts.	Disadvantage
0	Dependent NPC:  Rebbecca (Broderick's older sister) 8- (Normal)
0	Distinctive Features:  Handsome (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
5	Hunted:  Daniel (Broderick's scheming, older brother) 8- (As Pow, NCI, Watching)
5	Psychological Limitation:  Curious (Uncommon, Moderate)
5	Psychological Limitation:  Doubts His Ability To Lead (Uncommon, Moderate)
5	Psychological Limitation:  Feels Responsible for his Subjects (Uncommon, Moderate)
5	Psychological Limitation:  Lecherous (Uncommon, Moderate)
0	Psychological Limitation:  Loyal to his Father (Common, Strong)
0	Psychological Limitation:  Loyal to the King (Common, Total)
0	Reputation:  Scamp, 8-
Disadvantage Points: 25

Base Points: 25
Experience Required: 0
Total Experience Available: 0
Experience Unspent: 0

[Rage]

Re: Fantasy Zero

 

Yes!

Exactly that sort of thing!

 

I love "The Black Thing" btw.

Wish I had thought of something similar back then.

Ah well, it was my first ever experience with the Hero system.

 

I ended up playing a runaway stableboy.

thanks, though, thinking about it, it's not kosher as it's built on more points than he is. I don't know, I'm kind of interested in making some more of these, so, I'm going to umm, hijack your thread for a bit.

[Rage]

Re: Fantasy Zero

 

Calib

Val Char Cost

24 STR 3

14 DEX 12

13 CON 6

10 BODY

10 INT

10 EGO

10 PRE

12 COM 1

 

5 PD

3 ED

3 SPD 6

8 REC

26 END

30 STUN

 

6" RUN

2" SWIM

4 1/2" LEAP

Cost: 28

 

Cost Power END

3 Unbelievably good at not falling: Flight 2" (4 AP) Only In Contact With A Surface (-1/4) 1

2 Cats and Calib always land on their feet: Gliding 2"

7 big boned, but not that fit: +11 STR (11 AP) Increased Endurance Cost (2x END -1/2) added to Primary VAL 4

Cost: 12

 

Cost Skill

2 WF: Common Melee Weapons

1 TF: Small Rowed Boats

3 Acrobatics 12-

1 Streetwise 8-

1 Concealment 8-

Cost: 8

 

Cost Talent

2 Environmental Movement: the swamp lands

Cost: 2

 

Total Cost: 50

 

Val Disadvantages

5 Reputation: Known Brigand, Sometimes (8-)

10 Rivalry: Raymond King of Traffickers, Romantic, Rival is Significantly More Powerful, Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival, Rival Unaware of Rivalry

15 Hunted: Lord Trell's men, More Powerful, 11- (Frequently), Harshly Punish, Lim Geo Area

10 Physical Lim: Fine motor skills disabiltiy, dex -1 on appropriate tasks, Frequently, Slightly Impairing

10 Psych Lim: Problem with authority, Common, Moderate

 

Disad Points: 50

 

Calib's Da was a poacher, that's what the Lord Trell's man said when he hung him for killing the tapir that had attacked the families two goats. Sure, Da had eaten it, as had the rest of the family. Why waste good meat?

 

After Da went, it was harder for Ma, Calib, and the twins to survive. Calib was too untrained and clumsy to be able to the things Da did, and the twins were useless at anything but the simplest of tasks. The families hut grew shabbier and shabbier, until one night, during a particularly violent storm, the hut blew in on itself. The next morning, Calib was sent out into the swamp with the wood harvest men. They had told his mother that if he helped them bring in the wood for a week, they'd help build their family a home and let them stay in the drying shed. To Calib's Ma, it was a wonderful deal.

 

Everything was going as right for Calib as could be expected, considering he was homeless. He had a meal with the wood harvesters, he found his task of dragging the heavy logs off to the settlement to be easy, and therefore tolerable. He was also glad that his mother was happy that they weren't getting rained on. Of course, things never really stay good, do they?

 

The wood harvesters had stopped for a smoko, an extra snack and a puff or two of the good stuff. Calib, not having any food, or any inclination to smoke, went off exploring, scrambling up and along the trees like he was some sort of ape man. That's when he spotted the corpse, floating in one of the boggy ponds that are created in low tide. He went down to investigate, or take a gander, as Da would've said.

 

The body was pretty ripe, and there wasn't much to look at, but it did have a nice belt with a brass buckle in the shape of a turtle, and the best bit- There was a little pouch attached and inside, there was a real iron knife on it that wasn't even a bit rusty! Why waste good stuff?

 

Unsurprisingly, Calibs new belt and fine knife didn't go unnoticed, and one day, two young men, and The Lord Trell's Squire rode into the settlement.

Apparently, a large young man had been seen wearing a merchant families belt, they were here to hang him.

 

It's been two years since Calib slipped into the bayou, to live off the land. After six months he was briefly taken in by a bunch of river pirates, but he had to leave this new home after their bandit leader, Ray, thought that he was sleeping with his son. Which was definitely not true, Calib was too busy with Ray's wife to even think about that.

 

--

Appearance: Calib looks brawny and overly muscled, like they forced a gorilla to have good posture and a couple of back waxes.

--

 

The gliding and the flight represent how incredibly good Calib is at climbing things.

 

The fine motor skills disability, shows just how uncoordinated he is at anything like writing, needlework, butchering, fancy sword work, stuff like that.

[Erkenfresh]

Re: Fantasy Zero

 

For the "less damage from falling" thing, I'd suggest rPD Armor that works only against falling. You can even wrap it up into a nice talent. Even better, have it require a Breakfall skill roll.

 

I've run two campaigns with 75+75 characters and then one at 25+25. I think I like the characters that came out of the 25+25 scheme much better. And HERO does scale well down to this level. You just have to make sure their opponents are equally powered and not running around with 12d6 energy blasts.

[Damascan]

Re: Fantasy Zero

 

All things considered, in a campaign like this, the characters would have to band together just to survive, much less adventure! Calib wouldn't have much chance against his Hunteds --- how would he escape them if they had dogs? Bows? Very tough start.

 

I would expect the mortality rate in this campaign would be pretty high?

 

I agree, the characters would seem to come out more interesting, and both a challenge to create and run. Emphasis on 'run,' since I think they will be doing a lot of thought in the beginning. A little Luck couldn't hurt either...

 

All in all, very good book material, I suppose....

 

Great idea. Good luck to you!

[Tyrant]

Re: Fantasy Zero

 

"Did the other players understand HERO system at the time? How long did the game run? And finally: did you ever obtain the riches part of the equation?"

 

All the other players knew and loved the HERO system and were introducing me to it.

The game lasted several months while I was in CEGEP (a level of schooling in my province between high school and university).

And sadly, no. We never got to the riches part, but the game I intend to run will hopefully get to that point.

 

"Do you need players for that game!!! i am from montreal

stef"

I`ll be PMing you soon Stef. I`m being torn between running this and running a dark fantasy/swords and sorcery style game at the moment. Plus I need to figure out what my schedule at work will be shortly.

[steph]

Re: Fantasy Zero

 

cool sword and sorcery are one of my favorite genre

stef

[Lucius]

Crossposted

 

The most memorable zero point character I ever made....

 

 

 

crossposted from

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?p=889555&highlight=munchkin#post889555

 

Raabe

 

Val Char Cost

5 STR -5

11 DEX 3

10 CON 0

7 BODY -6

13 INT 3

10 EGO 0

10 PRE 0

10 COM 0

 

2 PD 1

2 ED 0

2 SPD 0

4 REC 2

20 END 0

16 STUN 1

 

4" RUN -4

2" SWIM 0

 

Characteristics Cost: -5

 

Cost Power

8 +2 Levels DCV (10 base & active) Visible (small) -1/4

 

Powers Cost: 8

 

Cost Skill

3 Forensic Medicine 12-

3 Paramedic 12-

2 PS: Coroner 11-

2 PS: Physician 11-

2 SS: Medical Science 11-

0 Area Knowledge: Munchkinland 11-

0 PS: Singing (EveryMunchkin skill) 8-

0 KS: Witches & Witchcraft of Oz (EveryMunchkin skill) 8-

 

Skills Cost: 12

 

Cost Perk

9 Organization Contact: Lollypop Guild (Wife is a member) 12-

6 Organization Contact: COWW (Committee to Overthrow the Wicked Witch)

(Useful skills & resources) (Dangerous to contact) 11-

Perks Cost: 15

 

 

Disadvantages

5 Physical Limit: Munchkin

5 Psych Limit: Fond of the color blue

5 Psych Limit: Tends to break out in song and/or speak in rhyme, especially when

happy or excited

10 DNPC : Wife (normal) 8-

5 Distinctive Features, Munchkin, Concealable, not distinctive in Munchkinland

(In Oz, being a Munchkin IS concealable. A change of clothes and a little practice

with accent, and he could pass for, say, a Winkie)

 

Disadvantage total: 30

 

Identifying Quote:

“As coroner, I must aver

I thoroughly examined her:

I find she is not merely dead,

She’s really quite sincerely dead!”

 

 

As coroner of a large Munchkin village, Raabe is a very settled, upstanding member of the community – to all appearances. Before the Great Cyclone that brought the outlander girl from faraway, civilized Kansas, the sort of adventures he is most likely to be involved in would be as a member of the Munchkin underground, plotting against the Wicked Witch – usually using his medical skills to patch up Munchkins who have had run-ins with the Witch’s creatures, or using his position to deceive her, such as by convincing her that a collaborator killed by COWW died of natural causes (“Yes, your wickedness, he was found in a poppy field and the autopsy proves he slept himself to death….”) After the Cyclone, his COWW contact is less dangerous (I didn’t see any modifier in the book for “dangerous contact” so I made one up) but also much less active; members still know one another as trustworthy, may be inclined to mutual aid, but are much less motivated. Still, Oz is an uncivilized land, and with two witches and the great Wizard himself eliminated within a short time, things are very unsettled. The Winkies now follow an emperor, a Scarecrow rules the Emerald City, and even the beasts of the Southern Forests have a king now, but the land of Munchkins now has a power vacuum…who knows what adventures await?

 

(Note: Meinhardt Raabe is actually the name of the actor who played the coroner in the movie. I just thought Raabe sounded like a good name for a Munchkin. However, I frankly know the book better than the movie, and my write-up may reflect that. For instance, I don’t think the movie shows how the Lion became king of the Southern Forest.)

 

Edit: Mr. Raabe, if by some crazy chance you ever see this, I hope you'll forgive me using your name and accept this character in the spirit of fun in which it was intended.

 

 

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary explains things like this happen when Lucius has insomnia....

[The Weapon]

Re: Fantasy Zero Just had to see if you could make a workable mage on 0 + 50 points. This is what I got:

Grage the uninvited.

8 STR -2

5 DEX -15

13 CON 6

9 BODY -2

18 INT 8

9 EGO -2

8 PRE -2

10 COM 0

3 PD 1

3 ED 0

3 SPD 15

5 REC 0

26 END -3

20 STUN

0 CHAR cost 4 + Skills cost 20 + Powers cost 26 = 50

0 Base Disadvantages

10 Hunted: Things attracted to magic that cause trouble (as powerful, 8-, harshly punish)

10 Social: Unsanctioned mage, perceived as attracting bad things. (Major, occasional)

10 Distinct. Feature: Mage aura (not conc., noticed, unc. senses)

20 Pysch: Code of honour, Stand by promise no matter what, never desert an ally, stand by those who stand up to evil.

50 Disads total

 

Skills:

2 PS: scribe 11-

3 KS: Magic 13-

3 Deduction 13-

1 Language (native, fl literacy)

4 Magespeak (fluent, literate)

5 Power: Magic (int based)

2 Survival (Temperate) __ 20 Skills total

Powers:

 

Knife:

4 HKA 1pt. (1/2 d6 with str), OAF -1, reduced pen. -1/4, real wpn. -1/4, 0 END +1/2

Mystic Well:

1 END reserve 4 REC conc. 0 DCV totally unaware throughout constant power -3/2, RSR -1/2, subject to magic field strength -1/4

 

1 END reserve 10 END Mystic Power:

5 Elemental Control: Double END cost -1/2, RSR -1/2 subject to magic field strength -1/4, Side FX minor (usually summoning something bad) -1/4, Variable disadv. (gestures, incantation, Act roll 15-, SFX increased to Major) -1/4, not when touching silver -1/4

 

Ghost Bolt :

4 EC slot: RKA 1d6 Affects desolid. +1, Full Ph -1/2 reduced STUNx -1/4

Magesight:

4 EC slot: Detect (magic/spirits) 360 deg., Analyse, Discriminatory, Range, costs END -1/2, Minor SFX (3d6 suppress PER other than magesight) -1/4

Magewall:

4  EC slot: Force wall 3/5, 5" wide, 2" high, No range -1/2, 1/2 DCV -1/4 Wand: 2 +2 skill level (3 pts. Magic, perception) magesight, 4 uses/day -1, OAF -1 1 Mental defence 2 (+2 from ego) OAF -1

 

Grage was a promising apprentice, talented, observant and intelligent. Defending against mystic threats to the city and the order looked like the ideal career. He even had a friend who was a talented adventurer knight, Carlak to do "the heavy stuff". He was helping his master perform a complicated ritual when something went wrong and something came out. His master was dead and Carlak were dead, several people injured and 3 city blocks were in chaos. His physical coordination and health were damaged as was his ability to control mystic forces (hence the limitations on his powers and his Hunted). He still doesn't know whose fault it was but the Guild needed a scapegoat. He was stripped of his apprenticeship, despite his training being at a dangerous phase. His name was kept out of it as the Guild wanted as little debate as possible, so he doesn't have a bad reputation. Grage adopted the code of honour of Carlak's order of knighthood in guilt at what happened. He now wanders around attempting to right wrongs and protect the innocent. He is constantly assailed by doubts that he helps more than he harms. Naturally most towns and settlements don't want him inside, particularly when there's some kind of mystical trouble, so he's learned to rough it.