A bit of advice for fellow newcomers...

[ghost-angel]

Re: A bit of advice for fellow newcomers...

 

The Fifth Edition Champions Genre book has a Superhero Generator in it. pages 81-93.

[Pól Ruadh]

Re: A bit of advice for fellow newcomers...

 

That's Great stuff.

This is probably the most valuable lesson the game taught me. It's not "which power is this?" it's "what do you want it to do?"

And it's not just applicable in Hero. I've used this approach in almost every game I've played.

 

As an example, I GM'ed a game of D&D a year or two ago. The setting was a war-torn 'Mythic Europe' of squabbling city-states, with the PC's as a depleted wandering mercenary company. One of the PC's played a cleric character... the company's chaplain.

The setting was pretty superstitious, with a pseudo-mediaeval style monotheistic church, with a kind of polytheism handled by a system of Saints (Pretty much the 'Hero Principle' in action... I want polytheism, but still a mediaeval feel... Saints is the answer. The name fits the campaign, but the principle stays the same).

The player's favourite spell was Animate Dead, which allows him to create a horde of temporary zombie and/or skeleton followers. He really couldn't see a way to incorporate his beloved spell into the setting and tone.

So I asked him, "What do you want to DO with Animate Dead?"

He responded that he wanted to be able to have reinforcements during battles, and mass 'slave labour' during long-term, arduous tasks.

 

I gave him two scenarios.

(1) "You and your men are fighting in No Man's Land. The enemy are all around. You are vastly outnumbered. At the last minute before the enemy charge, you offer up a prayer to Saint Minerva to help you during what you feel will almost certainly be a slaughter.

"The signal is given. The enemy charges.

"It's a pitched battle. There are men falling all around you. You are fighting back to back. For a moment, you turn and see Odoric. You smile grimly and he nods in return, and then you're back amongst it.

"To your right, you see Sam and Karlisle hewing away at the enemy before the tide of combat separates you from them."

"The morning comes. The enemy have been driven back. You're patching up the wounded and you ask one of the men, 'I don't seem to see Odoric, or Sam and Karlisle for that matter. Have any of you seen them?'

"'Have you gone barmy, Padre? They died a week ago in that border skirmish. Don't you remember? You gave the last rites yourself.'"

 

(2) "The village has been saved, but during the combat, the Church has been gutted by fire. Charred beams and piles of rubble are all that remain. There is a nearby quarry, and plentiful lumber, but the villagers are near-exhausted. Still, you can't allow this desecration to stand.

"You go to the area where the church stood and kick aside fallen beams. Beneath you is the trapdoor leading to the crypt where are buried the fallen knights and trusted servants of St.Minerva. You've told the villagers to stay away while you work.

"Kneeling at the centre of the catacombs, you offer up your prayers. For five days, you do nothing but chant and fast. Your eyes remain tight closed the whole time. Presently, unseen hands hold a bowl of water to your lips, but other than that, nobody acknowledges your existence as, all around you, there is a sound of building.

"At the end of five days, you stumble, weak and weary, into town. The church has been all but restored. The people declare it a miracle and you are praised for returning their church to them.

"'No. 'Twas not me. 'Twas your own who did this. Be thankful and give offerings to them. To your fallen ancestors and heroes. And to your most holy Saint.'

"Apparently, one of the children of the village is spreading tales of watching an army of mist and shadow gliding through the remnants of the church during the five days. In a brief flash of moonlight, he swears he saw a pale, bearded man in a suit of chainmail turn and stare straight at him with pale, sad eyes. But nobody really believes him."

 

It took almost no time for the PC's to get the idea. As long as they could get it to work in the tone of the campaign setting, they could do what they wanted. They started policing their own ideas allowing me to get on with setting up stories for them to play in and the result was a bunch of players with an really creative and above all FUN approach to the campaign.

Seriously, I have Champions to thank for that.

[Sean Waters]

Re: A bit of advice for fellow newcomers...

 

Very nice indeed.

 

I play with a couple of groups - one semi regularly (although not frequently) and we've been playing since just after the humans were kicked out of Eden, who all 'get' Hero.

 

Another group I play with probably more frequently but less regularly are veterans of other systems and often find the freedom that Hero gives to be so intoxicating it can lead to silliness, or at least a bit of a meta approach to the game.

 

Hero can be difficult to explain to someone who is familiar with mroe restrictiive practices, but I think I might be using some of the ideas int his hread when i try to d so in future.