running combat with the speed chart

[Doc Democracy]

Re: running combat with the speed chart

 

He has that old woman from Something about Mary parading around nekkit! Pretty soon you'll know your phases without having to look up from your character sheet.

 

Even here there is method in Sean's madness - none of his players dare to focus anywhere other than the gaming table!

 

 

 

Doc

[Alibear]

Re: running combat with the speed chart

 

I don't them them. :shudder:

[Tasha]

Re: running combat with the speed chart

 

I'm thinking about eliminating rolloffs by doing clumped DEXes like so:

 

1. Higher SPD first. D23S6 goes before D23S5.

2. Higher INT first (reference: faster thinkers act sooner)

3. PCs before NPCs.

 

I used to do something similar, I would decide who went first in a clump, by Speed then PC before NPC. Then I switched to just deciding who went when, totally arbitrary. Now I think I will just do PC before NPCs and not worry too much about it.

 

I also make a Dex/Speed chart and use either a ruler or a die to keep track of where I am on the chart. I also include Con, Def (rDef/Def), Stun, and Body. I keep track of Stun and Body on the Dex/Speed chart so I don't have to keep shuffling Character Sheets.

 

Tasha

[Sean Waters]

Re: running combat with the speed chart

 

In all seriousness (for once) I've never had a problem with keeping track of combat order that I can recall.

[Kraven Kor]

Re: running combat with the speed chart

 

As GM, I tend to give people a head's up. Something like, "Next up, Segment 3. That will be Rick, Gecko, Hoplite, and Felix in that order."

 

After a few segments of combat, I'll include the villains in the list: "Next up, Segment 8. That will be Rick, Funky-Jive Guy, Gecko, Hoplite, Hellrasier, Felix, and Bomb Dude in that order."

 

When any DEXs are the same, I ask for a single roll-off to determine order for the length of the combat.

 

This is how I plan to do it, and more or less how I did things in the past. I usually give DEX ties to the player, especially since my campaigns tend towards grit - no or limited healing in fantasy games, lots of killing attacks in Champions / Star Hero, etc.

[Ice9]

Re: running combat with the speed chart

 

Actually, I've always wondered why people were complaining about the SPD chart being slow, but I guess if you had people checking their SPD each phase it would be.

How we've always done it is a chart with everyone in initiative order vertically and the phases laid out horizontally, with a mark for everyone who can act in that phase. So for instance:

Name            Dex 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
----------------------------------------------
Jet Speed       35    2   4   6   8   10    12
Ninja Pirate    24    2     5     8   10    12 
Robot Monkey    23    2     5     8   10    12
Generic Boy     15      3     6     9       12
The Bulk         8            6             12

The chart can be made well in advance, and means running the SPD chart is as fast as counting standard initiative.

[Alibear]

Re: running combat with the speed chart

 

nit pic on

 

5 speed has always been 3 5 8 10 12 not 2 5 8 10 12

 

nit pic off

[BNakagawa]

Re: running combat with the speed chart

 

If you find yourself running a group of players who are new to the Hero System speed chart, do this:

 

Buy yourself one of those big teach-your-kid-to-read-a-clock thingies and remove the Hour hand.

 

Now you have a big dial going from 1-12 with big easily read numbers. Get some avery dots with colors.

 

Pick a color for every character, hopefully matching their costume. Put a dot by the number of every segment that character acts in.

 

Move the minute hand around as the segments tick by.

[Alibear]

Re: running combat with the speed chart

 

I hope to run my combats a bit quicker than an hour for each turn.

 

Good idea though.

[Sean Waters]

Re: running combat with the speed chart

 

When I'm introducing players to Hero I make sure that everyone (well all PCs and major NPCs - usually SPD 4) runs off the same SPD, which means there is less confusion generally as all they really have to track is relative DEX. However, because we are using the SPD chart they get used to the idea of segments, held actions and such. When they spend XP or create new characters they already have a feel for how SPD works.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: running combat with the speed chart

 

If you find yourself running a group of players who are new to the Hero System speed chart, do this:

 

Buy yourself one of those big teach-your-kid-to-read-a-clock thingies and remove the Hour hand.

 

Now you have a big dial going from 1-12 with big easily read numbers. Get some avery dots with colors.

 

Pick a color for every character, hopefully matching their costume. Put a dot by the number of every segment that character acts in.

 

Move the minute hand around as the segments tick by.

 

This is a really neat out of the box idea.

[Sean Waters]

Re: running combat with the speed chart

 

This is a really neat out of the box idea.

 

Agreed - and it even focuses on the passage of time.

[SCUBA Hero]

Re: running combat with the speed chart

 

Our group typically uses either a spreadsheet on computer (the other GMs typically have a laptop in front of them when they run; I don't) or printed spreadsheet (me!) when we run combats. The GM will call out who's next to go rather than Segment/Dex. Now we're mostly Hero veterans, and those who aren't will say what they want to do if they want to go 'out of turn' and the GM translates it.

 

In convention games I encourage newcomers, so I try to make the rules as painless as possible. I keep the SPD/DEX chart and call out who goes when, while telling the players up front to just let me know what they want to do and I'll translate it to the rules. Also I tend to have most PCs at the same SPD, sometimes with a high and a low SPD in the mix, "Okay, Martial Arts Chick is really fast, but she doesn't hit so hard, while Strong Guy hits really hard but he's kinda slow...".

 

So in our group most of the responsibility for calling who goes next is on the GM rather than the players, but we're mostly veterans and if a GM mistake is made it ususally gets caught quickly, and in my own convention games I try to take as much of the responsibility as possible.

 

Works well for us.