Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

[BlueCloud2k2]

Has anyone done any HERO conversions of John Ringo's Into the Looking Glass series? I would be really interested to see what people came up with for the Dreen, Adar, and Hexosehr... especially after the last book (Claws that Catch).

 

And yes, Mr. Ringo does in fact use that Acronym for the Blade's designation.

[ClassifiedTSBBR]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

I'm rather new to Hero, so I haven't.

 

But since the Dreen are basically reskinned Starcraft Zerg, maybe you should check for SC conversions?

 

And I believe there's an example for how to stat a Nuclear Bomb in one of core books, described as lacking in secondary effects due to simplification, which is probably exactly what you want to use for a Rhino Tank that's been interrupted mid-shot...

[RexMundi]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

Remember, it's not just John Ringo that's writing in that book, but also the much cool and fun to talk to, Travis "Doc" Taylor......I've actually been working on a write ups for the series (As well as a few other things, so much to write so little free time) So I could have something to drag along to Gencon to run wild with Star Hero wise in open gaming....(More of an example.....HERO for Old Sci Fi, and New Sci Fi.....).....

 

Now as for the Dreen being reskinned Zerg......I have to disagree. The "Biotech Orientated Sci Fi bad guy" has been around about as long as the genre itself.......You could say for example, the Zerg, are nothing more then re-skinned Tyranids from 40K (Who made their first mention in the Rouge Trader game in 87 (aka Warhammer 40k Ver. 1), which puts the Tyranids around 11 years older then the Zerg......The Scope of the Dreen however is greater then Either of the other two races, as the Dreen will subjugate as well in a rather insidious fashion.

 

Very fun series to read.....Oh if you want to drop Doc a line..... http://www.doctravis.com/

 

He's by far one of the most approachable people in the field, and he's answered game related questions for me before.

 

~Rex

[ClassifiedTSBBR]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

Remember, it's not just John Ringo that's writing in that book, but also the much cool and fun to talk to, Travis "Doc" Taylor......

 

Now as for the Dreen being reskinned Zerg......I have to disagree. The "Biotech Orientated Sci Fi bad guy" has been around about as long as the genre itself.......You could say for example, the Zerg, are nothing more then re-skinned Tyranids from 40K (Who made their first mention in the Rouge Trader game in 87 (aka Warhammer 40k Ver. 1), which puts the Tyranids around 11 years older then the Zerg......The Scope of the Dreen however is greater then Either of the other two races, as the Dreen will subjugate as well in a rather insidious fashion.

 

~Rex

 

Yes, I (at least) am well aware Doc Travis is the co-author & I've interacted with him some on Baen's Bar (not so much since I'm not a scientist, & much of what goes on in his corner of the bar is science geeking).

 

As for the Dreen != Zerg bit, disagree with me all you like, but IIRC I'm paraphrasing John from back when the "series" was just Into The Looking Glass, & Doc Travis played the science consultant & William Weaver. (NB: Dreen Fungus ~= Zerg Creep)

[RexMundi]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

True, and I agree to a lot of it. I just find the Dreen to actually be cool, while the Zerg for me, will always be a source of feelings of ill will to the Zerg player on the other end of the Starcraft LAN.......Plus I've always felt the zerg to be a Tyranid Lite....I still think a comparable associated reference is a bit different then a re-skinning though....Still, one must use a reference most folks would know and just about anyone reading those books can visualize Zerg Creep....

 

~Rex

[BlueCloud2k2]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

Very fun series to read.....Oh if you want to drop Doc a line..... http://www.doctravis.com/

 

He's by far one of the most approachable people in the field, and he's answered game related questions for me before.

 

~Rex

 

Friggin sweet. As a budding Sci-Fi author, I know just enough about science to get things seriously wrong (and I was an Earth Science major on top of being an Enlish Lit major when I was in school). If Doc is as approachable as you say, he could be willing to go over my notes...

 

Incoming Rep for Rex.

[RexMundi]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

Friggin sweet. As a budding Sci-Fi author, I know just enough about science to get things seriously wrong (and I was an Earth Science major on top of being an Enlish Lit major when I was in school). If Doc is as approachable as you say, he could be willing to go over my notes...

 

Incoming Rep for Rex.

 

Heh, if he has time. Then again he took time to answer a goofy question for me, about one of the things in a book he wrote.

To be honest, the Entire group at Baen has always been really cool, and I've had a blast fielding stuff off them for answers when they have time. His last couple of episodes on Science Channels Universe show were a good time and source of swipe-able material for my Star Hero stuff as well. Still waiting for the next book in the Dreen stuff though.....I did jump all over Doc's book Von Neumanns War, which is a nice take on one of the Alien Invasion theories. Best thing though about Baen, The Baen Library. Risky move for a publishing company to take but a fantastic way to try out some Sci Fi for a test run so to speak.

 

The Vorpal Blade stuff though has some GREAT structure for a budding sci fi campaign. Especially if you want to play a Space Chinchilla on a Dragonfly......in Space.

 

~Rex

[BlueCloud2k2]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

Still waiting for the next book in the Dreen stuff though.....

You and me and everyone I know lol

 

I did jump all over Doc's book Von Neumanns War, which is a nice take on one of the Alien Invasion theories.

 

Oh yeah. Loved Von Neuman's war. Love the way it was inspired by JLU

 

The Vorpal Blade stuff though has some GREAT structure for a budding sci fi campaign. Especially if you want to play a Space Chinchilla on a Dragonfly......in Space.

 

I was actually thinking of doing a Star HERO game that takes place about 5 years after Claws That Catch where the PC's would be a special Marine Strike Force made up of Veterns from the Blade missions. I already have a rough-draft for the Deck Plan for the ASS Battle of Balaclava. Basically the Balaclava missions involved getting behind enemy lines and pissing off the Dreen so they are diverting resources AWAY from Earth/Runners World/Cheereek.

 

For those who don't get the ship's name, try googling The Charge of the Light Brigade.

[RexMundi]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

That would something that would make for a good Convention event or two there Blue........probably wouldn't be to hard to talk the Baen guys into an autographed something or other for a Prize. Though to be honest, I'd be tempted to keep the prize myself, heh. Another good thing about that series are the Aliens. Take the Hexosehr and the Crabpus .......Lot of adventure potential really.

 

~Rex

[BlueCloud2k2]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

That would something that would make for a good Convention event or two there Blue........probably wouldn't be to hard to talk the Baen guys into an autographed something or other for a Prize. Though to be honest, I'd be tempted to keep the prize myself, heh. Another good thing about that series are the Aliens. Take the Hexosehr and the Crabpus .......Lot of adventure potential really.

 

~Rex

 

I've never had the pleasure of going to a Con... *sniffle* I've never had the time or money to go... so please explain the "Good Convention Event" comment please? Do you mean as in running a sample game for people to watch? or for people to sit down and play? I have a slight inkling of what you mean but...

[RexMundi]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

Roughly it means you could easily pre-gen all the characters and have complete Adventure Arcs within 4 hour time slots. Take the first book for example. The response to the first real Looking Glass opening up, and the Charge of the Redneck Brigade, would make for a pretty good event that could be tied up in 4 hours or expanded to a night of gaming on a personal level. I still think Ringo and Travis make a great team on these books, and thinking of it that way you could structure it as a multi GM even where one GM does the Humans and the Other does a table of Dreen.

 

That in mind, it could also go for a good Demo game as well, provided folks are familiar with the subject matter.

 

~Rex

[BlueCloud2k2]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

Ahhhh I see. I would imagine one would need permission from John Ringo, Travis Taylor, and the good folks at HERO Games to do this at a Con.

[RexMundi]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

Nope, only if you wanted to put together a setting supplement under your own name/company and sell it with their IP and system. Then they need their cut (Hero would need their Share amd Baen would want theirs). As for a Game, all's fair. While I haven't done the Voyage of the Space Bubble stuff aka Through the Looking Glass aka A.S.S. Vorpal Blade, I have done HERO takes on Timothy Zhans C.O.B.R.A and Black Collar stuff, Pohl's Janissaries, Both versions of Battle Star Galactica, a Whole LOT of Firefly, some Star Trek, Man-Kzin Wars and other Known Space stuff, as well as some Stainless Steel Rat and Deathworld material. Not to mention the never ending ALIEN and Predator pick up stuff which is always quick and easy.

 

~Rex

[BlueCloud2k2]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

Cool.

 

Should you decide you want to do a Con game out of it, I'd be happy to provide you with the details I've come up with for the ASS Battle of Balaclava (ship's history & weapons systems, etc) as well as what the basic missions would involve. I'm not going to be using it anytime soon - I don't have the time to fully flesh something out right now.

 

 

And if you will excuse me, there is yet another stack of job applications that require my name on them.

[ClassifiedTSBBR]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

Nope' date=' only if you wanted to put together a setting supplement under your own name/company and [b']sell[/b] it with their IP and system. Then they need their cut (Hero would need their Share amd Baen would want theirs). As for a Game, all's fair.

 

~Rex

 

A Hero-System Voyage of the Bubble (I always forget to call it that, thanks for the reminder) Supplement or RPG would require a licence from Hero (DOJinc?), but I don't believe Baen would get a look in unless the RPG rights were included in the existing contracts. I believe that legally this applies to creating such a supplement & giving it away too (I have no idea what the policy on distribution of Hero System products is, but since there is, AFAIK, no such policy applicable to works by John or Travis, their permissions would probably be needed).

 

As for John, he authorised(/requested?) the creation of an RPG for free dissemination of one of series already (The Legacy of the Aldenata {d20/OGL} RPG was included on the bind in CD for... umm... Hell's Faire? it was created by fans, using the d20 system due to the free license & huge existing player base).

 

I doubt Doc Travis would object, but that's my personal opinion.

 

I believe Baen fans have at least one other RPG adaptation project in the works (not of a Ringo universe), & ISTR mention of a Ringo-universe one, but I think that hit some rocks.

 

& all of this is making me feel like I should reread the series again (I do it a couple of times a year, plus whenever it gets a new book).

[Grymour]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

@REX, IIRC Janissaries, was a series written by Jerry Pournelle.. I have read most if not all of the series myself. The thought of someone running a game based on that series makes me just say "WOW, man do I want to play in that game". Great premise and story and would be great to play in.

[RexMundi]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

Yeah I know I didn't backspace far enough while editing......pretty sure This line : Pohl's Undersea Quest and Coming of the Quantum Cats... and Jerry Pournelle's Janissaries..... Is now somewhere on one of the 24 Spread Sheets I still have open and working on right now......

 

~Rex.....has to Multitask, and just isn't good at it. Someday though.....someday.

[Grymour]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

Ah I see, I can multi-task at work (I'm a cook) not so much anywhere else, so I feel ya there LOL.. Still would be a great game to play in.

[RexMundi]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

I used to use the Jannisaries setting under with the Aftermath Rules for Decades, heh. Always a good time.

 

~Rex

[Grymour]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

I still have my copy of the Aftermath Rules, never occurred to me to use that way.. hmmm .. now I am going to have to go digging in my old games box.. curse you LOL

[RexMundi]

Re: Alliance Star Ship Vorpal Blade

 

And the Current Aftermath Rules are even BETTER.

 

~Rex