Blue Posted October 9, 2003 Report Share Posted October 9, 2003 ... I do! It's made it to Southern California. Between this and the Bestiary (and FH, of course), I think I could run a campaign right now with little prep. Of course I should finish reading the Grimoire first I like how the art is Fantasy-based, but it still has that Champions/Hero system sensibility. I mean, they're great and they don't look like illustrations you'd find in D&D or WoD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted October 10, 2003 Report Share Posted October 10, 2003 Grrrr..... Hopefully Ill get mine tonite on the way home..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightshade Posted October 10, 2003 Report Share Posted October 10, 2003 Okay... So you've got it. Spill, man, how is it? Is it half as good as FH? Give us the scoop! Nightshade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonsong Posted October 10, 2003 Report Share Posted October 10, 2003 I got mine last night and I have a huge problem with it ......... it kept me up reading for half the night The spell descriptions are great, they add life and character to all the spells making them much more than just a set of stats and rule, that regrettably, I have a tendency to do when making my own spells. The art work is fabulous, outstanding even. I think what I like the best is all the variations of each spell. It’s all right there. This is a must for all Hero Gamers. Way to go Steve and all the guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted October 10, 2003 Report Share Posted October 10, 2003 Glad to hear you're enjoying it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted October 10, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2003 Originally posted by Demonsong I got mine last night and I have a huge problem with it ......... it kept me up reading for half the night The spell descriptions are great, they add life and character to all the spells making them much more than just a set of stats and rule, that regrettably, I have a tendency to do when making my own spells. The art work is fabulous, outstanding even. I think what I like the best is all the variations of each spell. It’s all right there. This is a must for all Hero Gamers. Way to go Steve and all the guys. Not sure I can add anything to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherSkip Posted October 10, 2003 Report Share Posted October 10, 2003 I finally got FH. Does that help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinrin Posted October 11, 2003 Report Share Posted October 11, 2003 I picked mine up last night here in Southern Calif at a local game store. I like the book, mainly to see how some spells are constructed so I can adapt them to a campaign I am working on. One observation I noticed regarding the "Stored" variant of the spells listed, it shows that the Delayed Effect advantages for x2 spells usable at one time as being +1/2. Shouldn't that be +1/4 per doubling as per FRed pg. 164?? I looked in FH for the Delayed Effect on pg. 126 and it makes a reference under Increased Slots that "a character to obtain more slots by paying extra for his Delayed Effect Advantage." But it doesn't say by how much. Frankly, that paragraph is a bit confusing to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcamtar Posted October 11, 2003 Report Share Posted October 11, 2003 Not to complain about Grimoire (I'll be picking it up at first opportunity) but in some ways it strikes me as odd. What I mean is, to me the #1 attraction of Hero is the powers system -- specifically that I can define them myself. So the idea of buying a book of hundreds or thousands of predefined spells so I never need to make one of my own seems to defeat the very essence of what Hero is all about. And the complexity if Hero is partly balanced by the do-it-yourself flexibility; if you're not going to do it yourself, why put up with the complexity? Also I know my players will argue with me if I disallow a particular spell from FHG, or decide that it should be built differently in my campaign (because "this is the official way to do it", and because they're argumentative! ) But it should be a great timesaver for run-of-the mill spells that don't really demand a custom treatment, or even just as inspirational reading. Anyway I'm not really complaining or trying to discourage Steve from doing more stuff like this, just feeling a little strange about it. Anyone else feel like this? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkdguy Posted October 11, 2003 Report Share Posted October 11, 2003 One 4th Ed. game I played in had a VPP for magic. Our characters didn't need to learn any specific spell. We just used whatever power was needed and applied whatever advantages and limitations we wished. The only restriction was having a maximum number of active points we could put into each spell. We started with a maximum of 30 active points, but we could buy more, to a maximum of 45 to 60; I forget which. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monolith Posted October 11, 2003 Report Share Posted October 11, 2003 Originally posted by Alcamtar Anyway I'm not really complaining or trying to discourage Steve from doing more stuff like this, just feeling a little strange about it. Anyone else feel like this? The beauty of the 5E HERO System is that there seems to be something for everyone. The tinkers can take FREd and build as always, but now the new books like USPD and FHG give exceptional starting points for people who just want to play, and not tinker too much. To me, the only real strength that D&D had was the thousands of spells contained within the system. You could be a mage or cleric just by picking from a list. Now, thanks to FHG, that strength has been greatly dimished. Now you have thousands of point and click options for FH too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris Posted October 11, 2003 Report Share Posted October 11, 2003 Alcampter, I think the FHG (which I am going to be calling my FLGS to see if it is in this afternoon) and the USPD (my favorite supplement for 5th edition) are a GREAT help. My group is made up of some experienced Hero system players, and some that are beginners. It takes about one evening of play for the beginners to want to go to d20 and leave Hero. The experienced players are able to make any power they want, the beginners are left to try to answer "what do you want", and having to try to explain in, while being interrupted by people listing the 150 ways to do each little thing. Then we throw in the mathematics, and the game seems like even more fun to the new players. Sometimes we get the occasional experienced player that says "just tell me EXACTLY what you want, and I will make your character for you". It is soooo much easier to make a character in d20, and it has some built in balance (the benefit of not allowing players to build anything they want). The USPD brought in a whole different situation for our beginning players. We can teach them how to build powers through modifying the powers in the book. They are beginning to rely upon just modifying the powers in the USPD less and less, and instead have developed more ability to make their own. Our experienced players sometimes can use the USPD for reference, but certainly tend to build what they want themselves. I have not found the existence of those books to hinder their creativity and imagination. The beginning players gain a better understanding of powerbuilding, and have some good powers to choose from to make their characters. I plan on getting FHG, and am hopeful it will help convince some of our players to consider FH over d20. Polaris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted October 11, 2003 Report Share Posted October 11, 2003 One observation I noticed regarding the "Stored" variant of the spells listed, it shows that the Delayed Effect advantages for x2 spells usable at one time as being +1/2. Shouldn't that be +1/4 per doubling as per FRed pg. 164?? First, you have to pay for Delayed Effect. That's +1/4. Then, you have to pay for one doubling -- x2 the number of spells usable at one time. That's another +1/4. +1/4 + +1/4 = +1/2. That's where the value comes from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinrin Posted October 11, 2003 Report Share Posted October 11, 2003 Originally posted by Steve Long First, you have to pay for Delayed Effect. That's +1/4. Then, you have to pay for one doubling -- x2 the number of spells usable at one time. That's another +1/4. +1/4 + +1/4 = +1/2. That's where the value comes from. D'oh! Okay, now I see. Sometimes its the little things that get overlooked. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted October 11, 2003 Report Share Posted October 11, 2003 What I mean is, to me the #1 attraction of Hero is the powers system -- specifically that I can define them myself. So the idea of buying a book of hundreds or thousands of predefined spells so I never need to make one of my own seems to defeat the very essence of what Hero is all about. Our Art Director, Andy Mathews, felt the same way. After seeing the sales figures on USPD, and after hearing how much fans, both experienced and inexperienced, like the book, he jokingly told me, "OK, from now on, just ignore my advice about what books we should do." Here's the way I look at it, using the "Home Depot" analogy I've trotted out a time or two here on the boards. The HERO System is like Home Depot -- you can build anything you want, you just have to know how. Where that analogy breaks down is the fact that Home Depot doesn't just have boards and nails and bags of cement powder. It also has pre-made doors, and create-your-own-bookshelf kits, and other pre-built stuff. That way people like me, who aren't master carpenters, can go in, buy what they need, and install it themselves without having to spend three years learning carpentry. Books like USPD and FHG are our "pre-built doors." IMO they do not, in any way, shape, or form, detract from the inherent virtue of the system -- that you can build anything you want. But they make it possible for people who aren't "master carpenters" -- who just want to play the game without the work of creating abilities/spells/whatever, or who want to learn it in slow but steady steps -- to get involved. Over half of my FH gaming group fits this mold, for example -- they're happy to just pick spells out of the FHG. The books have the additional benefit of establishing "benchmarks." If you want to see how the company prefers to create some particular ability or gadget, you can. You don't have to use that version, but it at least provides a basis from which to diverge, discuss, and rant. I expect that Gadgets And Gear will fulfill this function even more, due to all the arguments that arise over things like Captain America's shield and Spider-Man's webshooters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcamtar Posted October 11, 2003 Report Share Posted October 11, 2003 Thanks, Polaris and Steve. That makes sense. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted October 12, 2003 Report Share Posted October 12, 2003 Originally posted by AnotherSkip I finally got FH. Does that help? Boy aren't you lucky, I'm still waiting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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