Hero D&D

[Ragitsu]

Has anyone here made or seen the basic D&D 3.5 classes (though I am really interested in the Fighter, Cleric, Rogue and Wizard) converted over to HERO? I am not trying to find exact copies, but close enough approximations that would be suitable to show D&D players how HERO works, and especially how it can handle the fantasy genre.

[Bismark]

Re: Hero D&D

 

It's time to post the almost mandatory (in the sense of 'so useful it is a "must see"') reference to Killer Shrike's Web site, specifically his 3e/3.5e conversion page:

 

http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/Conversion3e/conversion3e.aspx

 

It deals with conversion to HERO 5th edition at the moment, but is still very useful.

 

I am running a Forgotten Realms HERO campaign at the moment (using 5e HERO, soon to be converted to 6e HERO) set in the time period between the 1st ed Realms 'Grey Box' and the Time of Troubles.

 

I can post characters from my current campaign if you want (in HERO Designer format). As an aside, you really, really, really want to get HERO Designer if you have not grabbed a copy already as it both speeds up character design and really helps people to learn the rules (just ask Shadowsoul, one of my former players - it also helped me no end when preparing to run my first Fantasy HERO game back in 2004 as well)

 

N.B. These characters were not designed using Killer Shrike's system, but used the method in the Turakian Age HERO setting - a method which is easy on new players/GMs, but suffers from the 3e 'casters are just scary' syndrome, so I will be doing something different when I convert the campaign to 6e.

 

Armitage's 'Variant Magic System for Critique' thread in this forum also looks interesting as a source of inspiration.

[Curufea]

Re: Hero D&D

 

Well with no search function, if the thread isn't made sticky then reposting the same information multiple times becomes mandatory.

[Bismark]

Re: Hero D&D

 

Well with no search function' date=' if the thread isn't made sticky then reposting the same information multiple times becomes mandatory.[/quote']

 

There was no jibe or snarkiness intended - I meant 'mandatory' in the sense of "must-see" - a positive recommendation for KS's site.

 

It is true that I could have phrased things better- I am not very articulate at this time of the morning

[Lucius]

Re: Hero D&D

 

Well with no search function' date=' if the thread isn't made sticky then reposting the same information multiple times becomes mandatory.[/quote']

 

Or one can post links.

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/44360-What-I-learned-playing-a-fighter

 

What I learned playing a fighter...

I learned that I don't have to play just "A Fighter."

 

There are a thousand ways to be a warrior, from Assassin to Zombie-Hunter, from rude Barbarian to cultured Duelist, from unprincipled Bandit to chivalrous Knight. And no matter how I express my character as a warrior, that still does not have to define the whole character. The deadly Gladiator who goes berserk in combat may, in between fights, long for the day he can retire and never again have to shed blood. The Ranger's skills at pathfinding, wilderness survival, and the stealthy infiltration of enemy camps, may be as valuable to her and her allies as her skill with bow and sword. The literate, cultured Mercenary Captain may have studied, in addition to history and tactics, just enough dweomercraft to sense the presence of magical energies, and may even have an assiduously practiced counterspell in store as a surprise for an ambushing wizard.

 

I'm not playing D&D anymore, and I haven't been for 20 years. Instead of having to use one of a limited number of character concepts concocted by the game designer, I can come up with any character concept I choose, give it the abilities justified by the concept, and if the Game Operations Director agrees it's reasonable, I'm ready to play.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Autofire skills with Palindromedary mounted weapons

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/44363-What-I-Learned-Playing-a-Mage?p=1054514

 

What I Learned Playing a Mage....

I learned I don't have to play a "Mage."

 

I can play a character like the Gray Mouser, a dabbler in magick.

I can play an alchemist who brews potions and makes some items but doesn't "cast spells" as such.

I can play a character with a wild talent, untrained and perhaps untrainable.

 

If I'm running the game, I can have any magick system I choose. I can even have one like Runequest, where EVERYONE has some spells.

 

I'm not playing D&D anymore, and I haven't been for 20 years. Instead of having to use one of a limited number of character concepts concocted by the game designer, I can come up with any character concept I choose, give it the abilities justified by the concept, and if the Game Operations Director agrees it's reasonable, I'm ready to play.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Palindromedary Magick Skill

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/44387-What-I-learned-playing-a-cleric

 

What I learned playing a cleric

That I don't HAVE to play a "Cleric" as defined by D&D

 

A religiously oriented character does not HAVE to have "spells."

A character good at healing people does not HAVE to be some kind of priest, nor do they HAVE to wear armor or be exceptionally good at fighting.

Contrariwise, a warrior who is skilled with a sword can also have First Aid, Herblore, and possibly even (setting permitting) a Healing Spell.

 

I'm not playing D&D anymore, and I haven't been for 20 years. Instead of having to use one of a limited number of character concepts concocted by the game designer, I can come up with any character concept I choose, give it the abilities justified by the concept, and if the Game Operations Director agrees it's reasonable, I'm ready to play.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Will my First Aid AKA Paramedic skill help me treat the palindromedary if it gets hit by that crab cannon?

 

 

edit: Found the thief hiding in the shadows!!

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/44467-Things-I-learned-playing-a-Thief?p=1052363

 

Things I learned playing a Thief

That I don't HAVE to play a "thief."

 

Just because I want one or more of: Stealth, Climbing, Detect Traps, Disarm Traps, Pick Pockets, Pick Locks, Pick Locks on Pockets, etc. does NOT mean I MUST buy them all; nor that I cannot also have spells, martial arts, or the use of any kind of weapon or armor I care to. And it most certainly does not mean I have to take Kleptomania, or a Watched by the Watch, or anything else that restrains how I play my character or specifically defines me as a "thief."

 

Instead of having to use one of a limited number of character concepts concocted by the game designer, I can come up with any character concept I choose, give it the abilities justified by the concept, and if the Game Operations Director agrees it's reasonable, I'm ready to play.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Installing a security system on a palindromedary

[Ragitsu]

Re: Hero D&D

 

Okay folks, I better get this cleared up before anyone else posts: this is not a "this system is better" thread (especially since multiple systems exists, and some do certain things better than others), just a "how do I do this in HERO?" thread.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Hero D&D

 

Understood. And while there are a few other sources available on the Internet for D&D to HERO conversion (which we could direct you to if you like), for your specific request the aforementioned website of Killer Shrike is far and away the best thing available.

[Ragitsu]

Re: Hero D&D

 

You know, i'm particularly interested in seeing how the D&D concept of "Epic" in terms of adventurers translates to HERO.

[Curufea]

Re: Hero D&D

 

More points.

[Markdoc]

Re: Hero D&D

 

There's more to it than points: hero scales much better (or maybe I should say differently) than D&D so Epic-level fantasy in Hero has quite a different feel. Unless the GM carefully sculpts his game into another form, it's far more like Exalted, where the game is only about interaction between major characters. Physical environment becomes trival - in my epic fantasy game I had a fight on an abandoned orbital castle in a decaying orbit - the PCs weren't fazed by the fact that everyone was fighting in vacuum, at temperatures that made stone glow with heat, or that their ride was plunging towards the ground at a ridiculous speed*. Likewise, "ordinary encounters" are essentially irrelevant: on the way to fight a lich-queen, the King of Swords plunged into her army and killed 200 or so warriors in 2 seconds - he told the rest "If you stay here, in the next few minutes we'll just kill you all. Stay or go, we don't much care. It'll take me less time to kill you all than to change my clothes afterwards." You can make very tough D&D epic level fighters, but it's very hard to make one that has that sort of mass-slaying ability, or to make characters who are all-but-immune to normal attacks. In epic level fantasy hero, the game can play very differently to epic level D&D - or indeed, any sort of traditional fantasy game.

 

cheers, Mark

 

*Edit: even if it had burned up in the atmosphere with them all on board, it would only have been a temporary inconvenience ....

[Lucius]

Re: Hero D&D

 

It's time to post the almost mandatory (in the sense of 'so useful it is a "must see"') reference to Killer Shrike's Web site, specifically his 3e/3.5e conversion page:

 

http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/Conversion3e/conversion3e.aspx

 

It deals with conversion to HERO 5th edition at the moment, but is still very useful.

 

.

 

I'll second the suggestion to look into Killer Shrike's extensive materiels on conversion from DnD to Fantasy Hero.

 

Surbrook's Stuff (Susano on the Hero Boards) is a good source of sample monsters and characters. But not as useful for what you're asking about right now as Killer Shrike's site.

 

Browse deep enough in the threads here in the Fantasy Hero forum and you're bound to find plenty of useful materiel.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

House of the Palindromedary

[Susano]

Re: Hero D&D

 

I'll second the suggestion to look into Killer Shrike's extensive materiels on conversion from DnD to Fantasy Hero.

 

Surbrook's Stuff (Susano on the Hero Boards) is a good source of sample monsters and characters. But not as useful for what you're asking about right now as Killer Shrike's site.

 

You could have at least supplied a link!

 

http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationscreatures/creatures.html#RPG

 

You can poke around from there.

[Lethosos]

Re: Hero D&D

 

One of the most fun ways of adapting D&D to HERO is to look at Prestige Classes and turn those into actual professions at 50 pt Package Deals. I actually did that with two of my Fighter package deal submissions--Foe Hunter and Lasher, two drastically different takes on Fighters in general.

 

Feats, on the other hand, aren't that critical to convert--about half are simply specific skill levels and new/improved combat maneuvers. YMMV.

[Lucius]

Re: Hero D&D

 

One of the most fun ways of adapting D&D to HERO is to look at Prestige Classes and turn those into actual professions at 50 pt Package Deals. I actually did that with two of my Fighter package deal submissions--Foe Hunter and Lasher, two drastically different takes on Fighters in general.

 

Feats, on the other hand, aren't that critical to convert--about half are simply specific skill levels and new/improved combat maneuvers. YMMV.

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/519-Feats

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary has four feets...