Dark Champions Campaigning

[sobran]

Well that was a horribly generic title, but it fits I suppose. I plan on starting a new Dark Champions campaign very soon. Playing Champions Online reminded me how much I like roleplaying, and moreover, just how much awesomeness is contained within the Hero System rule set. The as-yet-unnamed campaign has much in common with Manic Typist's new campaign. It is set in Hudson City and intended to be a bit on the grim side. Despite being DC, the PCs will all possess low-level powers, and represent a sort of First Wave of powered individuals arriving in the world.

 

A sort of gritty vigilante Heroes game, if you will.

 

I'll start this off with a few questions. Personally, while I love the character generation of the Hero System, I think the combat system can quickly get bogged down. More specifically, I think it plays fast enough in Champions-style play, when few frills are used. When you begin to add combat options like Hit Locations, Bleeding Rules, ect, things can begin to drag a bit.

 

I often try to keep the pace of a game moving. This is particularly important in a game in the DC genre, I feel, where action and interesting plot developments are the order of the day. In combat, what techniques, if any, do you use to keep the game moving?

 

I plan on using a few options I have picked up in 5ER and here on the boards. First, rather than use the Speed Chart, I am borrowing a technique from a poster whose name I seem to have forgotten (sorry, whoever you are). It is essentially a roll-under system. Each phase, I will roll a single die. Anyone whose speed equals or exceeds the roll is able to act that phase, in order of DEX. On a roll of 6 (or whatever the max is on that die), everyone acts, takes a recovery, and the Turn ends, as it would in Segment 12.

 

I plan on using Standard Effect for virtually all damaging powers, to avoid having to constantly roll damage. This is designed to offset the fact that I plan on using the Hit Location tables to ensure a certain level of lethality. To keep things from being completely predictable, I will use a wound complication system theorized by Markdoc, detailed here (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1915508&postcount=31), though only on important NPCs and such. "Will he live long enough for you to get the information you need?"

 

I have more, but that should be enough to get a discussion ball rolling

[bubba smith]

Re: Dark Champions Campaigning

 

sounds like a steet level champions or dark champions the animated series campaign,please keep us posted

[Manic Typist]

Re: Dark Champions Campaigning

 

In combat' date=' what techniques, if any, do you use to keep the game moving?[/quote']

 

Mostly I avoid Wounding, Bleeding (except for when it's relevant for a particular NPC. Mooks just die or recover after the fight), or other complication type rolls. I try to have the players help me as well: someone else takes notes of what locations are hit while I roll and call them out, etc.

 

I plan on using a few options I have picked up in 5ER and here on the boards. First, rather than use the Speed Chart, I am borrowing a technique from a poster whose name I seem to have forgotten (sorry, whoever you are). It is essentially a roll-under system. Each phase, I will roll a single die. Anyone whose speed equals or exceeds the roll is able to act that phase, in order of DEX. On a roll of 6 (or whatever the max is on that die), everyone acts, takes a recovery, and the Turn ends, as it would in Segment 12.

Nothing wrong with this, but this does seem to run counter to your desire to find ways of speeding up combat.

 

To keep things from being completely predictable, I will use a wound complication system theorized by Markdoc, detailed here (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1915508&postcount=31), though only on important NPCs and such. "Will he live long enough for you to get the information you need?"

 

As does this.

[Manic Typist]

Re: Dark Champions Campaigning

 

Um, what?

 

Wrong thread?

[Susano]

Re: Dark Champions Campaigning

 

Um, what?

 

Wrong thread?

 

I'll bet that's a spam bot.

[Curufea]

Re: Dark Champions Campaigning

 

There's been at least 3 or 4 of these that I've seen - it seems to harvest some random quotes from other threads (or the same thread) and put them together to attempt to look like a legitimate post.

 

It may be bypassing captcha by using the variables directly (it's a common form/board weakness) to create accounts.

 

No idea why they do it.