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A Few Slight Delays: Building a Hero System system and setting


Narf the Mouse

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Hopefully, this'll be clearer than before.

 

I like Fantasy Hero; fantasy is my favorite genre. However, Fantasy Hero doesn't really support "Zero-to-Hero" style gaming; I'd also like to write my own setting. So, I'm writing my own "Fantasy Hero book" and setting.

 

You can see it here: A Few Slight Delays

 

I have a Questions and Answers page.

 

I'm looking for comments, ideas and critiques, thanks. :)

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Re: A Few Slight Delays: Building a Hero System system and setting

 

Yes' date=' but I guess I have a slight difficulty in that.... how can you differentiate non-setting specific species from setting specific species? Is this sort of like redoing Fantasy Hero and then the specific setting books like Valdorian Age?[/quote']

Yep, only to my taste. :)

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Re: A Few Slight Delays: Building a Hero System system and setting

 

Playing/GM'ing Fantasy HERO is 90% atmosphere. As the GM, you need to present the atmosphere of your campaign setting to reinforce the Fantasy elements you want to emphasize while playing. Play up Special Effects and the flavor of things. Make sure Fantasy tropes and stereotypes are adhered to as much as you wish to represent them in your campaign setting.

 

As far as the mechanics are concerned, the main thing is figuring out how magic/faith works (if you plan to use it, and looking at your setting above, it looks like you do plan to) and figuring out which Optional Rules you wish to use in your game such as Hit Location, Impairing/Disabling, Bleeding, Critical Hits, Fumbles, sectional armor etc. I have more advice, but my breakfast is ready and my wife is giving me the stink-eye.

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Re: A Few Slight Delays: Building a Hero System system and setting

 

Playing/GM'ing Fantasy HERO is 90% atmosphere. As the GM, you need to present the atmosphere of your campaign setting to reinforce the Fantasy elements you want to emphasize while playing. Play up Special Effects and the flavor of things. Make sure Fantasy tropes and stereotypes are adhered to as much as you wish to represent them in your campaign setting.

 

As far as the mechanics are concerned, the main thing is figuring out how magic/faith works (if you plan to use it, and looking at your setting above, it looks like you do plan to) and figuring out which Optional Rules you wish to use in your game such as Hit Location, Impairing/Disabling, Bleeding, Critical Hits, Fumbles, sectional armor etc. I have more advice, but my breakfast is ready and my wife is giving me the stink-eye.

Thanks. I hadn't quite considered it that way.

 

Yes, I really do need to figure that out. I figure I'll construct a few different combat implementations that can be used. Feel free to post when you're done. :)

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Re: A Few Slight Delays: Building a Hero System system and setting

 

Thanks. I hadn't quite considered it that way.

 

Yes, I really do need to figure that out. I figure I'll construct a few different combat implementations that can be used. Feel free to post when you're done. :)

 

Yes indeed. Magic can be a big one, since the rules of magic change from setting to setting, fantasy novel to fantasy novel. Think of how magic works in your favorite fantasy novel or campaign setting. Then try and conform the HERO rules around that. For example, I like how magic works in the Rolemaster game system with Essence, Channeling (faith) and Mentalism being the three realms of magical power. Their entire magic system is designed around that concept. It is used in the Shadow World campaign setting that came out for Rolemaster and Fantasy Hero back in the 90's. I spent many years tweaking and adjusting HERO to make the three realms of power system work in HERO terms so that I could use the Shadow World campaign setting without deviating from it's magical concepts too far.

 

Now, HERO is ultimately flexible. One of the most flexible games on the market, bar none. I don't have to deviate from "normal" HERO rules too far to get the flavor I want. It simply requires consistency in the rules I use when dealing with Magic, Faith and magical weapons and effects. For example, the Rolemaster system uses "Power Points" for mages to cast their spells. In Hero, we use Endurance, so in order to keep the "flavor" of the Power Point system, I use a new Endurance secondary stat called Power Points based off EGO, INT and PRE instead of CON. In Rolemaster, characters can fail and even fumble spellcasting, thus in HERO I use Requires a Skill Roll with the standard -1/10 Active Points penalty with a "fumble" on a failed roll of 17 or 18. A spell fumble can be Endurance (oops..Power Point) drain, reduction in spell casting ability (drain to the Mages Multipower pool) penalties to cast spells for a while, all the way to spell internalization where the character can take damage (based on the Active Points of the spell)

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Re: A Few Slight Delays: Building a Hero System system and setting

 

@Narf The Mouse

 

I'm going to favorite your campaign and keep watching this thread. :)

 

I've been working on a similar project although I think for me its my first go and I'm taking on a slightly more story bent approach. However, you can check it out here.

 

The WIKI navigation isn't all that tight yet. So you might find the project history on the campaign home screen helpful in finding stuff as well. If you see anything you'd like to borrow or whatever feel free to do so.

 

Its all there for people to use.

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Re: A Few Slight Delays: Building a Hero System system and setting

 

@Narf The Mouse

 

I'm going to favorite your campaign and keep watching this thread. :)

 

I've been working on a similar project although I think for me its my first go and I'm taking on a slightly more story bent approach. However, you can check it out here.

 

The WIKI navigation isn't all that tight yet. So you might find the project history on the campaign home screen helpful in finding stuff as well. If you see anything you'd like to borrow or whatever feel free to do so.

 

Its all there for people to use.

Looks interesting. I didn't read the whole thing, but I did look around. Your magic system seems pretty free-form and interesting for that. Your history might have too long a span of time, though - 40,000 years at least of recorded history is an immense length of time, as far as historical records go. You've also thought of some things I haven't, like domesticated animals.

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Re: A Few Slight Delays: Building a Hero System system and setting

 

For me this is a living project. The goal for next year is to define enough of things to make the world feel big. Leaving enough open that I can explore as time goes on the world. I may borrow stuff from you. :)

Sure. Just, y'know, don't copy exactly, cause that brings up all sorts of legal issues. :)

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