Beginner Character Creation

[Camotags]

Hey there,

 

I am not new to table top rpg's but i have never played or GM'd hero system before. I went to a demo at my local game store the other day and got interested. after some research i ordered the 6th edition rulebooks and basic rule book. I have read front to cover the basic rule book and was about to crack open the volume 1 book. However to be honest the entire thing is still completely a blur. I roughly understand the character creation system but I'm sitting here with a blank character sheet and don't know where to start. So this leads me to some questions for you all:

Is there an online resource for beginners?

same as above but for character creation?

any tips on where to start when making a character?

 

this is mostly so that i can teach the group i will be playing with how to make theirs. I will be GM'ing it.

 

KTHXBAI

[Steve Long]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

I've moved this to Discussion, since the poster wants feedback from other players/GMs, not just me.

[Neverway]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

I'd start here:

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/77944-Hero-In-Two-Pages-Complete

 

In my opinion, the most important bit to understand for character creation is "Reason from Effect". You can find it in 6e (check the index), there's also a bit in the FAQ: http://www.herogames.com/herogames/faq-reasoningfromeffects.htm

 

You can find the two of those (sort of) put together at Killer Shrike's site here: http://killershrike.com/GeneralHero/HEROAnatomy.aspx although it references Fifth Edition, it's almost all applicable (just check the costs of examples if you intend to use one in a game).

 

For just sitting around and making up characters for fun, I can't recommend Hero Designer enough.

 

The best tip I can give for where to start when making a character is to decide what you want the character to be and what abilities you want them to have first then use the rules to make that idea work. In my experience, the Hero system doesn't work to well with the "one from column A, one from column B" type of character creation and will leave you stranded if you come to it with nothing in mind. That said, most genre books will have a section on making characters appropriate for the genre and include prebuilt powers/talents/templates/etc.

[Susano]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

I also recommend this:

 

http://surbrook.devermore.net/herosource/other/adaptions.html

 

My guide to adapting characters from fictional sources to HERO. While written for 5E, it's still relevant.

[Fearghus]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

Neverway said it right. the hardest thing new players I have introduced to the system have to deal with is the totally free form character generation. The character concept drives your character unlike other games where the stats you roll drive your character. Even further than that in a class / level game characters get pigeon holed into categories. A fighter is pretty much always a fighter. In Hero it doesn't necessarily work that way. While characters still tend to fall within a few different archetypes the lines are much less distinct in Hero System. This is actually one of the things I love about the system, but alot of people find it intimidating at first.

 

Now if I have not scared you away. Once you get past character creation hero has a fast uncomplicated combat system that resolves combat more quickly than most games (in my opinion) so ROLE playing tends to be more important then ROLL playing.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

Also, decide what genre you're making the character for. Superheroes? Fantasy? Modern day action-adventure? Pulp? Science fiction? Something else?

 

For the "primary" Characteristics (STR, DEX, CON, INT, EGO, PRE) the ranges are roughly the same as those of beginning D&D characters, except you'll see very few characters with scores less than 8 in anything. Superheroic ranges are usually 15-23, with a lot of those being on the higher end or even above that (it's not uncommon to see superheroes with 30 CON or 28 DEX). STR scores for guys like the Hulk and the Thing can go into the 50-60+ range.

 

Definitely look at the links above. There are lots and lots of characters to be found. Also do consider getting HeroDesigner, though I recommend creating at least a few characters by hand at first.

[Camotags]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

Thanks for your input everyone

 

I guess i didnt word my question correctly though. I understand the theory of how open ended it is. But when i sit down to fill out my character sheet I just do not know where to start. Like i do not understand the first decisions i should make as far as what to purchase for my character

[Susano]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

Try this article,t hen:

 

http://surbrook.devermore.net/herosource/other/eightsteps.html

[Camotags]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

Much more helpful. Thank so much lol. now i know where to start

[Susano]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

Much more helpful. Thank so much lol. now i know where to start

 

I state right now that often I start with a visual image and work from there.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

Start with a plain English (or language of preference) description of your character and what they can do. This will help you sort out Reasoning From Effect when you get down into the nuts and bolts.

 

The stronger or more detailed a description you can come up with you may find it easier to know which elements to ignore and which it focus on.

[Utech]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

It can help a great deal to compare with other characters and build your character accordingly. You might start with the average person template and then ask yourself, "Is this guy just as strong as a normal guy? Twice as strong?" etc. Of course you don't have to compare your character with the average person. You might find someone's write-up for Superman or Bruce Lee or Conan and work from that.

[Susano]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

It can help a great deal to compare with other characters and build your character accordingly. You might start with the average person template and then ask yourself' date=' "Is this guy just as strong as a normal guy? Twice as strong?" etc. Of course you don't have to compare your character with the average person. You might find someone's write-up for Superman or Bruce Lee or Conan and work from that.[/quote']

 

And you can find all of those here:

 

http://surbrook.devermore.net/index/archive.html

[JmOz]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

For me, and I am mostly a super hero guy, I decide on what the characters main focus is (this is done after I have the concept), is it chaacteristics, powers, or skills, then I start there. (So I know I want to play a character who uses a bow w/trick arrows, I normaly start with The Trick arrows)

[Doc Democracy]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

Start with a plain English (or language of preference) description of your character and what they can do. This will help you sort out Reasoning From Effect when you get down into the nuts and bolts.

 

The stronger or more detailed a description you can come up with you may find it easier to know which elements to ignore and which it focus on.

 

I think this is indeed where you need to start from. The character sheet sitting in front of you is a character building guide that will hepl you keep track of all the game details you decide you need (there are a lot of numbers but not that many are important in game play).

 

Building a character is actually the most difficult part of the game.

 

If I were you, I would bgin by getting a shedload of different characters (pre-built) and having a huge fight with them, one-on-one, two-on-two, three-on-one etc. That way you will begin to get an idea of what the numbers you see before you are for. Try all of the options that you see on the character sheet just to try them out and see what they do.

 

When you have a better idea of what the numbers are and how things work, you will have a better idea of how to build the things you want.

 

Now sit down, Like Ghost Angel said and think about the character you want to play.Think carefully about what you mean. When you say he is strong, do you mean normal strong, pushing over cars strong or ripping of high security vault doors strong. When you have all of those things then you can begin to put numbers onto the page.

 

Personally I begin by putting down everything that I want, not worrying about point totals until I think I am finished.

 

THEN I look at the numbers and see how close I am to the total I was aiming for. THEN i begin to trim (usually) or add other stuff (on rare occasions).

 

One of my particular quirks is that I then look at designing a character sheet that I will use for play - the building sheet is for me and the GM to ensure the character is built properly, I find it hinders the actual gameplay of the powers that I first thought of...but that's just me.

 

 

Doc

[Tasha]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

When I make a superhero(ine) I usually start from a simple one line power conception and sometimes a name. ie Metalstorm, she manipulates metal through the use of magnetism and nanotechnology. I then work up a list of powers she should have, stuff that would be fun. I make sure that she has stuff that can do outside of combat. Somewhere in all of this complications tend to suggest themselves to me.

 

I find it actually easier to make a Heroic Level Character. What I do in that case is decide what the character is (ie Special Forces Sapper, Rogue, Engineer on a Starship). I look in the genre book for an appropriate package for that speciality. Take the appropriate skills, decide what optional skills should apply. Customize further with Knowledge Skills and Professional skills. Again Complications tend to suggest themselves by this point, sometimes coming from the package and sometimes from what I think that the character's personality should be.

 

One thing that makes all of this VERY easy to do. The Program Hero Designer which is available from the Hero Online store. It makes character gen sooo much easier and you can export to one of many different cool looking character sheets that you can print from any webbrowser or use the new export to PDF function to export to a very nice looking PDF.

 

Tasha

[Doc Democracy]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

One thing that makes all of this VERY easy to do. The Program Hero Designer which is available from the Hero Online store. It makes character gen sooo much easier and you can export to one of many different cool looking character sheets that you can print from any webbrowser or use the new export to PDF function to export to a very nice looking PDF.

 

Now, I am not going to DIS Hero Designer, I have found it very useful and, when my html skills develop properly, will be even more useful.

 

However, I think it is worth waiting until you have a working knowledge of the rules before you jump into the programme. I think that it can facilitate you to use stuff when you dont actually understand what you are doing or why (limitations and advantages etc are where the pitfalls lie in my experience). It is almost too easy to use...

 

Doc

[Fearghus]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

Thanks for your input everyone

 

I guess i didnt word my question correctly though. I understand the theory of how open ended it is. But when i sit down to fill out my character sheet I just do not know where to start. Like i do not understand the first decisions i should make as far as what to purchase for my character

 

Well I have said before where you start is character concept. If you don't know what to build... the book is not going to tell you. After I have that where I start depends entirely on the character. I tend to jump around a bit too. I will normally start by building the characters primary powers (the ones essential to the concept) and before I begin I have a good idea what his disadvantages are going to be so I will normally scribble those down next then move on to characteristics, finally skills and talents. This order changes though depending on character concept. If I am building a skill I will likely begin with skills since skills are his essential power.

[Barwickian]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

Thanks for your input everyone

 

I guess i didnt word my question correctly though. I understand the theory of how open ended it is. But when i sit down to fill out my character sheet I just do not know where to start. Like i do not understand the first decisions i should make as far as what to purchase for my character

 

Once you have your concept (and Tasha and others have given excellent advice on this front), I'd be inclined to start with whatever is core to the character concept, move to secondary factors, then fill out tertiary abilities (or cool stuff you figure muight be useful and can justify) with points left over (if any). Note that disadvantages - complications as they're called now - can be core to a character.

 

For a superhero, the core will often be a power or a group of related powers. For a heroic game, characteristics or skills are more likely to define them.

 

The characters book has quite a nice breakdown of how many points you should spend on characterstics, skills and powers depending on your genre and the type of character you're playing - but it's just a guide.

 

So, if I'm creating the superhero Salamander, a loose rip-off of the Human Torch, I want to define and buy his Flight and Blast (Flame Attack) first. Next I want some Speed and some extra DEX, and add Vulnerabilities to Cold and Water-based attacks. Pretty much everything else is secondary to my concept, but sure, I'll want some extra combat skill levels, defences and so on. Some other complications - secret identity, perhaps, anmd maybe a dependant... I can work out what the identity is and who the dependents are later, when I come to writing up a full backstory - or I may already know, if I've already written a backstory (ie, I have a detailed concept).

 

For the heroic-level ace space pilot Han Singleton, I'm going to want TF with Starships, and several levels of Combat Pilot. I'll need some CSLs (and a WF) with Blaster Pistol, maybe an extra point of SPD, and some points in Fast Draw. Extra DEX is pretty important to the concept as well, as is Hunted (Jibberjabba the Shed, 11-). But equally important to the concept is Han's ship, the Centurion Hawk, and his sidekick Munchweed, so I'll probably design them loosely before working more on Han's character sheet.

 

If I want to play a ranger in a fantasy game, I think of the key abilities: bowmanship, outdoor foraging and survival, code of conduct (defend nature), good stanima (CON, END and REC), probably some knowledge skills relating to the outdoors and local geography. I buy them first.

 

Just because the rulebooks is organised Characterstics, Skills, Perks, Talents, Powers, Complications doesn't mean you should consider them in that order.

 

Work up your concept, decide what's core to the character, and spend points on those core abilities first. Everything else is a side order.

 

Susano's and Killer Shrike's sites are excellent places to look for further advice.

[Enlightened]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

As a new HERO GM, I have personally decided that I'm not going to ask my players to be able to make their own characters for a while.

 

I will just ask them to describe what they want and I will make it for them. This way of doing it has been working out so far, and I will continue it until they themselves actively want to be able to start making their own characters.

[Christougher]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

What I've done on occassion: Split the number of points into a number of choices (usually ten), and decide what to spend those choices on, making sure I cover the basics: Characteristics, Attack, Defense, Movement, Skills. Add additional picks to each when you want even more: Super Strength, Invulnerability, etc. This gives me a number of real points I can allocate to each, and shuffle around until I get something I like.

[IndianaJoe3]

Re: Beginner Character Creation

 

If you are running a superhero campaign, the archetypes in the back of the Champions sourcebook are an excellent place to start.