Herolover Posted October 22, 2003 Report Share Posted October 22, 2003 Hello All. Okay, now for my dilemma. I am planning a campaign where the characters are essentially spirits that can inhabit other people. Basically the PC’s have two elements. 1) Element One This is an almost immortal spirit that has its own skills and attitudes. It is the base PC. 3) Element Two This is the host in which the PC spirit “lives.†The host has its own skills that the PC can use and even learn. For most of the campaign the PC’s will have the same host, but there is a possibility that the PC’s can change host. Now my question is how to best model this using the HERO system. How would you do it? What do you think would work best? My ideas are: a) A base character with Desolidificatioon always on. The PC purchases a VPP to simulate the skills his “host†has. Multiform. One form is a desolid spirit the other form is the host. c) Some way to use Duplication? Anyhoo…I am wanting your ideas. In case you didn’t know I am thinking about trying a version of Nephilim: HERO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Democracy Posted October 22, 2003 Report Share Posted October 22, 2003 I've never played Nephelim - just to make that clear - but I thought I'd answer based on the question. I think it would depend on how you plan to effect the change of host effect. If it is simply a game effect then you can ignore it. The character would transfer bodies and would take with them the INT and EGO they had in the old host body. I would average the PRE of both hosts - to reflect the influence of attitude and image and any powers associated with the original host. Physical attributes would remain with the host body. So everything else stays there. If you had spent points on running then they'd be lost (though I might be persuaded to allow 1/2 of the points to be translated as knowing how to run as much as developing the necessary musculature). My heroes would be based on incomplete stats - I think rules for these were out there somewhere - perhaps in Horror Hero. But the host bodies would essentially be like items picked up in a Fantasy Hero game - something you use and cherish but don't get _too_ attached to! At the start of the game you might tell the players that they have their point quota that they can spend as usual - with the warning that points spent on physical developments could be lost forever if they switch host bodies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted October 22, 2003 Report Share Posted October 22, 2003 Does the host retain its own separate mind and will while the spirit inhabits it? Does the spirit or the host control the host's body, or can they share control of it? Can the spirit exist outside of a host body? If so, does it have any abilities that it can use without a host? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herolover Posted October 22, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2003 Originally posted by Lord Liaden Does the host retain its own separate mind and will while the spirit inhabits it? Does the spirit or the host control the host's body, or can they share control of it? Can the spirit exist outside of a host body? If so, does it have any abilities that it can use without a host? Yes they have separate minds and wills. In fact the "host" can take control back from the spirit/pc much the same way you could break out of a mind control. They cannot share control. One or the other, usually the spirit/pc. The spirit can exist outside a host, but really can't do anything. The spirit is its own identity with its own skills. For example the spirit might have KS: Ancient Chinese Laundry Secrets. The spirit will always have this ability. Now the host may have the KS: John Carpenter movies. While the spirit inhabits the host it can use the KS: John Carpenter movies. However, if the the spirit changes host unless it took the time to learn the skill it would loose that ability, but gain whatever skills the new host had. Does that make any sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybernaut Posted October 22, 2003 Report Share Posted October 22, 2003 If you can get a copy of Hero System Almanac I, you could use the Spirit Rules therein with a few minor modifications to bring them up to date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caris Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 Personally, I’d simply house rule a lot of it. For example, I would just hand wave the desolid aspect of the spirit character, rather than make any of the character’s pay for it, because all the player characters’ would have it, probably in an identical format. On the other hand if the spirits’ ability to “possess†others is variable, than I would make the character pay for it in some manner. The real question is how much control you want the player’s to have over the creation of the primary host, and how much you want the spirit character to be able to sacrifice it’s power to have a better host. If you want all the players to have pretty much comparable hosts, than I would suggest you build them yourself and not charge the spirit characters anything. You could let the players build both the spirit and the host using different sets of points to build each, without allowing any points to be transferred between them. Finally, and what I’d probably go for myself is to have the spirit buy the primary host as a follower. I don’t think that what actual game mechanic you use to represent the abilities is as important as you and the players are clear on how you exactly want things to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farkling Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 And in that vein... Have the PC's built using the AI rules. Allow the AI's to purchase Desol as standard, and define the effects for them...let them apply whatever additional limits they think appropriate. (Bob takes extra time, cause he's slow. Dierdre can't use the power unless there is a full moon) The Desol is the "possession power" of the campaign. It doesn't exist for characters beyond that description. When they are solid, they must have a body to manifest in. When they are desolid, they are disembodied whatchamacallits. Handwave the "sieze control" aspect of possession. Allow "posessed" to expel them with an appropriate Ego roll as a -0 limitation. Have them purchase their standard body (or bodies!) as followers. That would even hold for the physical improvement spending. You can just charge them for an additional follower and have them build the new one. If they ever get back to the old one, then they can reposess it at their standard... This has some interesting story potential Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herolover Posted October 23, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 I hadn't thought of using the AI rules. That might work out really well actually. Thanks for the idea. I am hoping to talk to some players and maybe get this campaign going once I figure out how I want it to work and get some stuff written up for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farkling Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 Good deal... Come back if you want more input... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tesuji Posted October 24, 2003 Report Share Posted October 24, 2003 Was this subject dealt with at all in the scfi genre book Star HERO? its such a common thing now-a-days in sci-fi, i would think it should get some mention. I mean in addition to the generic spirit/energy being such as the one that possessed Scotty we have... Star Trek DS-9: The Dax character was a blended being with the internal slug long-lived sharing possession with the host. Stargate SG-1: The goa'uld/tok'rah are a similar species with the inner slug and belnded personalities. Any number of Cyber-download brain style stuff, voluntary or involuntary. heck, i recall seeing this bad film with stpehen baldwin (ooops, that might not narrow it down too much!?!) where the society used downloading personalities as a form of travel... instead of jetting to LA for the business meeting, you just got downloaded into a new body in LA. How did Star Hero suggest handling it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herolover Posted October 24, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2003 Funny thing, I never thought to look in my Star Hero book. I will have to look and see if it says something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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