Anyone play Terran Empire? Plus, new GM Needs Tips

[TheSouljourner]

I'm starting a Terran Empire game, mostly because I don't have time to work up all the background stuff myself, and Terran Empire looks pretty cool (plus I found the book for cheap). I've played Champions some, and have pored over the rulebooks for ages (4th and 5th edition mostly)... but never GMed my own game. Mostly my group plays D&D, but they've played a couple Hero System one-offs to get the feel of the system.

 

So, I'm new to GMing Hero, and new to Star Hero in general. I wonder if anyone else runs a Terran Empire game, and if anyone has any tips for me about Terran Empire or Star Hero in general. Mostly things like balance, speeding up play, handling Hero newbies, etc.

 

I'm reading and rereading Star Hero and Terran Empire to absorb as much as I can before the game, but I'm not really sure what I need to know. I have a feeling I'm going to get 1/3rd of the way into the first adventure and realize there's 100 things I just don't know about the rules, etc.

 

Anyway, any help is appreciated, resources, etc.

Thanks!

-Nate

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Anyone play Terran Empire? Plus, new GM Needs Tips

 

First off, welcome aboard.

 

There are a few threads here that cover general GMing tips quite well.

 

As regards your last concern ( "... I have a feeling I'm going to get 1/3rd of the way into the first adventure and realize there's 100 things I just don't know about the rules, etc. ..." ), accept that you are going to make mistakes, and don't sweat it too much. Be ready to admit your fallibility to your Players and, if any of them are fairly knowledgeable about the rules, enlist their help.

 

If all else fails, it is often better to ad-lib rather than stop the action and bog down in rules-rereading and debate.

 

This is repeated often enough to be almost a cliche, but it is true - the most important thing is that the Players and the GM all have fun.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Anyone play Terran Empire? Plus, new GM Needs Tips

 

When running Terran Empire, word of warning:

 

Starship combat can take a long time and be a frustrating affair. Their ships are friggen tough. Review the ship designs ahead of time and compare Damage vs Defense characteristics and figure out if you want to change them before your PC's get into a ship battle. If you want your PC's to be able to fire a few shots and blow up the enemy, that simply won't happen in Terran Empire with the ships as built (not even the fighters really).

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Anyone play Terran Empire? Plus, new GM Needs Tips

 

With the above warning in mind -

 

If the PCs are in a complex combat situation (and multiple spaceships probably qualifies), consider resolving it with some kind of abstracted flowchart rather than trying to play the whole thing out according to the rules. Provide lots of description and commentary to the PCs and, at various points, have them make decisions and/or skill rolls that MAY have minor or major effects on the progress of the battle.

 

For instance, if somebody does particularly well with sensors/scanners, perhaps they give the rest of the fleet advance warning of something or another, thereby gaining an advantage for their side. And so on.

[TheSouljourner]

Re: Anyone play Terran Empire? Plus, new GM Needs Tips

 

Ha, interesting, it thinks I'm new. I was on the old boards, but haven't posted in forever (not that I was ever a heavy poster).

 

Anyway, thanks! I am new to Star Hero, at least

 

Starship combat is definitely something I'll plan out far in advance. I think my players would enjoy a large starship battle, so long as it doesn't take a ridiculous amount of time to play. Thanks for the tip on checking defenses vs. offenses. I don't want starship weapons to be the equivalent of ping pong balls (not that I want the ships to be eggshells either).

 

-Nate