FH Gripes

[hancock.tom]

Re: FH Gripes

 

IIRC' date=' "vitals" is HERO's polite way of refering to a shot to the unmentionables.[/quote']

 

Right... You'll ruin the oysters if you shoot the deer in them.

[Kristopher]

Re: FH Gripes

 

Looking at the locations covered by various types of armor, at least in the material I've read, I have a hard time believing that "the vitals" includes the heart, lungs, or upper abdomen.

 

Especially since there are other, discrete hit locations that cover the chest and abdomen...

[Captain Obvious]

Re: FH Gripes

 

Looking at the locations covered by various types of armor, at least in the material I've read, I have a hard time believing that "the vitals" includes the heart, lungs, or upper abdomen.

 

Especially since there are other, discrete hit locations that cover the chest and abdomen...

 

It's a special effect. You have to admit that a hit to the heart or kidneys should cause more damage than x1 BODY and x3 STUN.

[CourtFool]

Re: FH Gripes

 

Combat Luck was my epiphany for how far you could take SFX. Of course the Wish spell from the Fantasy Hero Grimoire raped the concept and shot its dog.

[atlascott]

Re: FH Gripes

 

I agree--Combat Luck cannot stack with worn armor in a Fantasy game or everyone is going to buy it for its utility, rather than for character conception reasons.

 

Dude, of course werewolves have 'nads.

 

Hunters typically refer to a 'vitals' shot as one that hits the heart and lungs and essentially ensures a kill with one shot.

 

I am leaning strongly towards a campaign rules revision, and allowing PC's to redesign their characters with applied experience, and maybe another 5 point bribe to quell the objections. They might actually enjoy re-imagining their PC's with more experience with the system under their belt.

 

After using a version of the "Vanican" magic system, I am strongly considering just making spellcasters buy a INT based spell casting skill, and then buy spells individually, but all with a mandatory 2x END and no less than -1 in limitations which have to come from a short list (including gestures, incantations, extra time, etc.). You can get alot of versatility for 30 points. Or a few pretty tough offensive spells and still a fair amount of versatility. The END will ensure that in any given combat, the spellcaster is going to have to choose spells intelligently and not just blast away. The limitations mean that the spells come with a risk of failure.

 

THis is also a hell of alot easier for me to track--once I approve a spell, he can use it, and he just tracks END. No more points counting to make sure he doesn't go over a daily point quota.

 

Overall there will be less versatility than using a VPP. But I will be able to track the spells, what they do, etc., easier that way.

 

I even toyed with the idea of requiring the use of a wand or staff for all spells. I like the idea of material components, but alot of the material components in the FHG are so expensive and esoteric, I cannot imagine there ever being many spells cast. A pinch of sulfur is one thing, but a custom-made idol of gold wrapped in the vestment of a disgraced priest? That's pretty tough kind of stuff for mundane spells, and it places a financial burden on spellcasters which isnt really fair.

[UltraRob]

Re: FH Gripes

 

I'm personally a big fan of END Reserves with slow-ish recovery rates if you want END-powered magic. Have them get back a point of END like every 5 minutes, and you'll see them being very careful how they spend their magic. The problem with just x2 END on their normal END is that they do recover fairly quick.

 

Also, I'm thinking of a campaign myself, and was thinking rather than specifically just a Staff or Book or whatever, let them take whatever kind of focus they want, it just has to be OAF. They want it to be a jar of magic bees, go ahead!

 

Rob

[Rapier]

Re: FH Gripes

 

I'm personally a big fan of END Reserves with slow-ish recovery rates if you want END-powered magic. Have them get back a point of END like every 5 minutes' date=' and you'll see them being very careful how they spend their magic. The problem with just x2 END on their normal END is that they do recover fairly quick.[/quote']

 

I also like the Must Rest or Meditate to Recover. I've even done partially limited RECs. 1 END 5 minutes and +4 when resting.

[Old Man]

Re: FH Gripes

 

RIGHT IN THE JIMMIES!!!!!!!

 

It is almost funny that only women have done this to me.

[Old Man]

Re: FH Gripes

 

Right... You'll ruin the oysters if you shoot the deer in them.

 

I was talking about kidney shots. If you hit a deer in the kidneys you will spoil the meat.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: FH Gripes

 

I'm personally a big fan of END Reserves with slow-ish recovery rates if you want END-powered magic. Have them get back a point of END like every 5 minutes, and you'll see them being very careful how they spend their magic. The problem with just x2 END on their normal END is that they do recover fairly quick.

 

Also, I'm thinking of a campaign myself, and was thinking rather than specifically just a Staff or Book or whatever, let them take whatever kind of focus they want, it just has to be OAF. They want it to be a jar of magic bees, go ahead!

 

Rob

The END pool for spellcasters in my game recovers once an hour, twice that rate if they're sleeping. So they could easily use up all their END twice a day and still be rarin' to go the next day, but they do have to dole it out carefully.

 

Also, I've put all the Elemental Controls reliant on a skill roll in that school of magic, which forces them to spend a LOT of points on that skill, whatever it may be. If they want a new spell, they have to consult that skill, as well; they aren't automatically getting new spells.

 

This has helped the balance in my game tremendously.

[Spence]

Re: FH Gripes

 

Combat Luck:

 

I only use it to:

 

Simulate a specific need.

In supers/pulp/greater than normal campaigns

In Wuxia/Asian "Flying Dagger" movie type campaigns.

 

For a "normal" FH campaign it generally only appears as a "Simulate a specific need" item, like magic.

 

A player just buying it because it is in the book? No.

 

But to each his own.

[atlascott]

Re: FH Gripes

 

I am ashamed. I used to 'think in HERO' so well. Now, shoot, after reading the recent posts in the forum, I could slap my damned forehead.

 

I think an EC with END reserve/slow recovery is EXACTLY what I have been trying to do with magic all along. It might take some balancing. I might do without the EC. Could cause too much point shaving, but it would also allow characters to get new spells more frequently.

 

I am going to re-read the END reserve rules as soon as I get home from work...

[UltraRob]

Re: FH Gripes

 

I am ashamed. I used to 'think in HERO' so well. Now, shoot, after reading the recent posts in the forum, I could slap my damned forehead.

 

I think an EC with END reserve/slow recovery is EXACTLY what I have been trying to do with magic all along. It might take some balancing. I might do without the EC. Could cause too much point shaving, but it would also allow characters to get new spells more frequently.

 

I am going to re-read the END reserve rules as soon as I get home from work...

 

Another tip- make sure you LIMIT the REC on the reserve if you want this to work, because it's very cheap and so they'll buy huge amounts of if they can to get around the limits. I suggest making it max at 1/2 EGO per time period, or maybe 1/2 INT, depending on the type of spellcaster. (Also a good reason to buy up INT or EGO!)

 

Rob

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: FH Gripes

 

Another tip- make sure you LIMIT the REC on the reserve if you want this to work, because it's very cheap and so they'll buy huge amounts of if they can to get around the limits. I suggest making it max at 1/2 EGO per time period, or maybe 1/2 INT, depending on the type of spellcaster. (Also a good reason to buy up INT or EGO!)

 

Rob

I have my players' END REC capped at a minor percentage of the END reserve; 10% doesn't raise any protests from my players, and it doesn't allow them to recover very quickly, either.

[UltraRob]

Re: FH Gripes

 

I have my players' END REC capped at a minor percentage of the END reserve; 10% doesn't raise any protests from my players' date=' and it doesn't allow them to recover very quickly, either.[/quote']

 

Hmm, 10% sounds good!

 

Rob

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: FH Gripes

 

I should give Josh credit for that; he was the one who suggested it. He came up with a lot about how my magic system works, actually. Which is why, when I get home, I need to make sure he didn't then circumvent the restrictions with his character . . .

[Fitz]

Re: FH Gripes

 

I run the magicians in my campaign with fairly heavily limited END (Mana) reserves. First, the Reserve and Recovery can have a real cost no higher than the stat the Magic roll is based on (usually INT). Second, It can recover no faster than once a day (usually the REC = END, so the Reserve refills once a day). Third, any magic not powered from the Mana Reserve must be at least x3 END, and that END comes straight off LTE.

 

I've made available various magic items that serve as additional Mana Reserves, but so far the party have been unusually restrained in their looting and haven't actually grabbed anything much. It's odd; when I want them to get their hands on an item, they ignore it completely.

 

At present I'm not making them pay for individual spells unless they want to be able to cast them without daily reference to a spellbook. Essentially, all the spells are built with the spellbook as an Independent Focus, so if a particular spell proves to be too unbalancing it's reasonably easy for me as the GM to take it away. On the other hand, it's relatively easy for a PC wizard to get a bunch of new spells by murdering and looting their fellow magicians.

[Rapier]

Re: FH Gripes

 

Limiting the size of the END Reserve (ie Mana Reserve) is a difficult call sometimes. It depends a lot on the level and point value of the characters. On your standard 150 pt characters, I've usually limited it to a multiple (usually between 3 and 5, depending on how much magic I want) of either INT or EGO or the Magic Skill (be it SpellCasting, Necromancy, or whatever is appropriate for the magic system or school of magic). Actually, this is silly...lemme HD it up. Assuming the character has a 15 INT/EGO/Magic Skill and x4 is the Pool Limiter Value (max a pool can hold based upon a stat):

 

7 Magic Pool: Endurance Reserve (60 END, 2 REC) Reserve: (8 Active Points); REC: (2 Active Points); Slow Recovery 1 Hour (-2)

1 Rest and Relaxation: Enhanced Magic Pool Recovery (5 REC/Hour) (5 Active Points); Slow Recovery 1 Hour (-2), Character must Meditate (PS: Meditation) or Sleep (-1/2)

 

60 END would usually give a mage in the neighbourhood of 20 castings before draining the reserve. Not a lot of castings in there, especially if a couple of spells have a high AP.

 

Although this DOES being something up. It would be nice if HD would allow you to specify more than 1 REC per END Reserve, so that in cases like this you could build the entire construct within the same power. I have to use a Custom Power with is kind of kludgy.

[keithcurtis]

Re: FH Gripes

 

It is almost funny that only women have done this to me.

It is funny that the majority of times this has happened to me have been on stage, during a live show.

Both times doing the same basic maneuver. You'd think I would learn.

 

Keith "Ah well, if it hadn't happened, I wouldn't have met Susan" Curtis

[UltraRob]

Re: FH Gripes

 

It is funny that the majority of times this has happened to me have been on stage, during a live show.

Both times doing the same basic maneuver. You'd think I would learn.

 

Keith "Ah well, if it hadn't happened, I wouldn't have met Susan" Curtis

 

Wait a moment, your wife nailed you in the nads the first time you met? That's quite a "how we met" story!

 

Rob

[Rapier]

Re: FH Gripes

 

Wait a moment' date=' your wife nailed you in the nads the first time you met? That's quite a "how we met" story! [/quote']

 

KC (singing): I am the very model of a modern....

SD enters stage...WHOOMP!

KC (groaning): ma...jor....gen..e...ral...ERK! I think I love you.

SD draws back her leg for another go at it.

[Spence]

Re: FH Gripes

 

Although this DOES being something up. It would be nice if HD would allow you to specify more than 1 REC per END Reserve, so that in cases like this you could build the entire construct within the same power. I have to use a Custom Power with is kind of kludgy.

 

Try posting it over on the HD boards. They tend to to be really good about stuff like this. If they know about an issue and it isn't a major coding type item, it shows up fairly quick.

[L. Marcus]

Re: FH Gripes

 

Wouldn't it work if you made a END Reserve with 0 END, x REC as a separate Power?

[Hyper-Man]

Re: FH Gripes

 

Wouldn't it work if you made a END Reserve with 0 END' date=' x REC as a separate Power?[/quote']

 

Dan has just recently added this feature to HDv3.

 

This is a compound power example but the 2nd REC could be listed by itself as well.

 

40 The Energizer Bunny and his BIG batteries!: (Total: 70 Active Cost, 40 Real Cost) Endurance Reserve (100 END, 10 REC) (20 Active Points) (Real Cost: 20) plus Recovery (50 REC); (50 Active Points); 2 Charges (-1 1/2) (Real Cost: 20) - END=0

[RPMiller]

Re: FH Gripes

 

The ability to do that was just added so previously no, you couldn't build it that way.