Why is it so slow in here?

[Old Man]

You perceive that as problematic?

 

Not yet...  I've seen this sort of split-rights arrangement blow up, though, for example with Feng Shui and Traveller.   You wind up with a proliferation of vetoes.  Don't think Steve Long is the same way but then I've never had the honor of meeting him.

[Lord Liaden]

I have had the pleasure of corresponding with Steve during his Hero Line Developer days about a couple of writing projects using Hero IP. He's normally pretty easy-going regarding other people developing material that he himself doesn't intend to pursue. The only thing I recall him staking claims to from the Turakian Age setting is a sourcebook for the city of Aarn.

 

TA's world of Ambrethel is so large, there are lots of areas ripe for expansion that one could choose as the starting-point of a campaign, depending on your priorities.

[shuddemell]

Been out of pocket for the last couple of days. The brainstorming seems like it is proceeding quite nicely, however I would suggest that perhaps the first thing would be a setting neutral starting adventure. Rather than worry so much about licensing at first, it would be easier to avoid that and come up with a simple quick start. It could be tied into TA or other thing later, but to avoid licensing issues, et al, it seems easier to leave it neutral. Otherwise there are some good ideas, and hopefully something will gel pretty quickly. Any further ideas on division of labor, et al? Really, in my mind, is to let people know that Hero can do "D&D" style, as well as any others. Once the hook is set, well then is when we can begin to reel them in. From a copyright point of view, we may be able to avoid any major issues if the first thing we do is offered for FREE. I never anticipated or wanted to profit, except in the sense of creating a much larger Hero community...

[Nadrakas]

Been out of pocket for the last couple of days. The brainstorming seems like it is proceeding quite nicely, however I would suggest that perhaps the first thing would be a setting neutral starting adventure. Rather than worry so much about licensing at first, it would be easier to avoid that and come up with a simple quick start. It could be tied into TA or other thing later, but to avoid licensing issues, et al, it seems easier to leave it neutral. Otherwise there are some good ideas, and hopefully something will gel pretty quickly. Any further ideas on division of labor, et al? Really, in my mind, is to let people know that Hero can do "D&D" style, as well as any others. Once the hook is set, well then is when we can begin to reel them in. From a copyright point of view, we may be able to avoid any major issues if the first thing we do is offered for FREE. I never anticipated or wanted to profit, except in the sense of creating a much larger Hero community...

I agree that the first thing we should do is a "Setting Free" Book (perhaps we can do a few few "Setting Free" Adventures/Books/etc).  Later, perhaps, we could tie in to a particular setting.

 

Now...about making money.  I thought we we're going to make Million$ here?  Don't Game Companies rake in Billion$? At least that's what I read on the internet. [/sarcasm]

 

Really though...the "Profit" margin comes from expanding the community...I've been gaming since 1975 and been playing Champions since the early days, so call this giving something back (This doesn't make me an expert by any stretch of the imagination...just old ).

 

Peace

 

~ N

[NuSoardGraphite]

I can think of six ways to fix it.

 

1. The way I proposed. Linking the Skill Roll Limitation to the END Reserve rather than to individual spells effectively eliminates the penalty especially if you go for the -1/20 pts option. A spell will have to be utterly, ridiculously huge to trigger a penalty. I like this idea, obviously.

 

2. Ignore the penalty. Every spell requires a roll on whatever the character's Skill is. There is something to be said for this but I have a slight aversion to just out and out ignoring the Rules as Written and I am sure some others are even more averse. But it's probably the simplest possible solution.

 

3. Use flat Activation rolls instead of Skill rolls. This allows, for example, a mage to be better at one spell (bought with 14 Activation) than another (bought with 11 Activation) but then, that gets back into the "different rolls for different spells" problem - except of course that if a player has a problem with it they can just buy all spells at the same roll, or they can choose to be clumsy with some simple spell but gifted with a more powerful spell.

 

4. No Rolls Required. How often do you see a spell cast in a fantasy story just fizzle, anyway?

 

5. Create a Custom Power, maybe called "Magic." Base Cost high enough that there's a cost difference for every possible Activation Roll one could choose for it. Say that it can only be bought with an Activation Roll. Require every spell to be Linked to it (this probably is only a -1/4 Limitation for most spells, since the spells will be larger.) The Activation Roll becomes, in effect, the "Skill Roll" for the spells. I can't think of a reason offhand to use this option but I include it since it did occur to me and someone else may see a benefit I miss.

 

6. Require every spell to take Side Effects: Unluck. One level of unluck means the spell happens but something inconvenient or hindering happens with it (example: fireball goes off, but blast radius bigger than normal, allies are caught in it and take damage.) Two levels is spell failure. Three levels is spell reversal or similar catastrophe (example: fireball catches ONLY the spellcaster in blast.) The drawback is that it calls for frequent judgment calls from the person running the game as to just what happens. Or we could say that any unluck, no matter how much or how little, is simply spell failure.

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

7. A palindromedary. uh, wait a minute....

8.  use requires a skill roll as written, but provide methods by which a spell caster can reduce the casting penalty.

 

A: extra time.  most spells will have a base casting time of 1/2 phase or 1 phase depending on campaign and magic system.  Taking longer will net a +1 to the skill roll per step on the time chart the caster takes to implement the spell.  hours long rituals may be performed not because the actual spell takes that long to cast, but because its necesary to make the casting penalty manageable.

 

B: quality of foci.   some spells require foci to cast.  if the caster can acquire high quality foci for use in casting the spell, the mage can get a bonus of +1 to +3.  Alternately, if an individual spell does not require material foci, using foci in casting the spell will generate a si?ilar bonus.

 

C: expenditure of extra magic energy.  the spell cost it endurance/essence/mana cost.  Allow mages to pump more END into the casting of the spell to make it easier to manifest.  maybe give a bonus of +1 per +5 end used, or +1 per doubling of end expenditure (to keep the bonus reasonable)

 

D: fluctuating magic zones.  provide areas in the world where m.agic is stronger....ley lines, nexus points, mana rivers, divine temples etc.  At these places, weilding magical energy is easier....+1 to magic skill roll per +1 rating of the "zone". (Can go as high as you feel comfortable going).  conversely, there are null or dead zones where magic is weaker and provides a penalty to cast. (Negative ratings) and there could also be "wild zones" where magic is completely unpredictable....could provide a bonus or a penalty or completely change the effects of spell casting altogether!

 

E: skill levels.  allow mages to develop skill levels with their magic that helps them mitigate the penalties without needing to increase their base magic skill into the stratosphere.  maybe provide 2pts for +1 to a single spell, 3pts per +1 to a spell category and +5pts to all magic spells.  allow them to increase the magic skill roll or to be used as combat skill levels for offensive/defensive spells as appropriate.

 

F: allow mages to buy a talent that acts like "penalty skill levels" but for reducing the penalty tothe magic skill roll.  i would limit it to single spells or spell categories for balance purposes.

 

I'm sure other methods could be discovered.  i use all of the above methods in my game and seems to work pretty well.  Thus i have no problem with the -1/10 AP method because it isdefeatable.....but only if the mage has the time and resources to do so.

[shuddemell]

I agree that the first thing we should do is a "Setting Free" Book (perhaps we can do a few few "Setting Free" Adventures/Books/etc).  Later, perhaps, we could tie in to a particular setting.

 

Now...about making money.  I thought we we're going to make Million$ here?  Don't Game Companies rake in Billion$? At least that's what I read on the internet. [/sarcasm]

 

Really though...the "Profit" margin comes from expanding the community...I've been gaming since 1975 and been playing Champions since the early days, so call this giving something back (This doesn't make me an expert by any stretch of the imagination...just old ).

 

Peace

 

~ N

Agreed, I have been in it since '78 and it certainly is a different beast. Likewise, I am just wanting to expand the community (and as a by product) finding new Hero gamers to game with... Likewise, in regard to the ideas about magic systems, I can post a pdf of the one I use in my High Fantasy Campaign if anyone cares to see what I do with it, but once again, I think simpler in this case is better.

[Nadrakas]

Agreed, I have been in it since '78 and it certainly is a different beast. Likewise, I am just wanting to expand the community (and as a by product) finding new Hero gamers to game with... Likewise, in regard to the ideas about magic systems, I can post a pdf of the one I use in my High Fantasy Campaign if anyone cares to see what I do with it, but once again, I think simpler in this case is better.

I'd like to see it.  I think simpler tends to be better (Though not always), but I always like to see what other people have come up with.

 

 

~ N

[Vondy]

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler! --Albert Einstein.

[Lucius]

 

I misspoke when I said the simplest solution is to just ignore the Active Points penalty. The simplest solution is actually to not use "Requires a Roll" at all.

 

Are there any compelling arguments in favor of requiring a roll to cast spells? Bearing in mind that there will still be targeting rolls and effects rolls in any case?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

This is not the simplest possible palindromedary tagline

[Markdoc]

I was going to write what both Lucius and NuSoardGraphite have written: so I'll just note that I agree. If you have a problem with RSR, just don't require it. That said, I have required it for most forms of magic in games spanning many years and it has never been a problem simply because there are so many ways to mitigate high penalties - high skill rolls are just one way and not always the most effective.

 

But - if I may be so bold - y'all seem to be going about this bass-ackwards. Instead of discussing mechanics, I have found that the best way to start designing a magic system (or anything, actually) in Hero system is to start with "look and feel", and then build the system to fit. Right now, reading the comments here, I haven't the faintest idea of what your proposed magic system will look like ... which makes proopsing mechanics difficult, if not impossible.

 

I'd suggest some discussion instead of what your prosped magic system will look and feel like.

Is it a D&D 3.5/Pathfinder style system where magic use is restricted to specialists, and requires resource management, but experienced casters can know many spells, routinely travel between planes, create pocket universes, stop time, etc?

Is it a Runequest-style system where magic is universal, and pretty much everyone knows a bit of magic, but truly powerful reality-altering effects are very rare?

Do you want magic to be a routine affair, where spells don't malfunction and spell X always produces effect Y, or do you want a Mage-style game where what magic can do is flexible and magic is potentially dangerous to use?

Do you want mages to primarily be scholarly types full of arcane knowledge, or do you want them to mostly be helicopter gunship equivalents?

Do you want to split magic into "Arcane" and "Divine", into different schools, or just have one style?

Do you want all mages to have mostly the same spells, or do you want them to be specialists by default?

etc.

 

Once you have agreed on what you want magic to look and feel like, then building the system should be relatively straightforward.

 

cheers, Mark

[Nadrakas]

I was going to write what both Lucius and NuSoardGraphite have written: so I'll just note that I agree. If you have a problem with RSR, just don't require it. That said, I have required it for most forms of magic in games spanning many years and it has never been a problem simply because there are so many ways to mitigate high penalties - high skill rolls are just one way and not always the most effective.

Yes to all the above.  I'm not a fan of RSR.  I see that for some Magic Systems it fits very well, for others it doesn't.  I've used it -- still do -- and will use it if the description of the Magic (or whatever the "Power" of the Setting is called) calls for it.

 

Which brings us to...

 

But - if I may be so bold - y'all seem to be going about this bass-ackwards. Instead of discussing mechanics, I have found that the best way to start designing a magic system (or anything, actually) in Hero system is to start with "look and feel", and then build the system to fit. Right now, reading the comments here, I haven't the faintest idea of what your proposed magic system will look like ... which makes proopsing mechanics difficult, if not impossible.

Thank you for being blunt!  I've asked, but the decision is still out: Do we go with the Tarakian/Valdorian Ages (Need Mr Long's approval -- Please see my previous post on this) or do we go with something we create on our own?

 

There is no "Proposed" Magic System as of yet (Not that I can tell either).  It's kind of all over the place.

 

Some of the early discussions were about First creating short self contained adventures, with the potential of creating a setting down the road...however now the setting seems to be the First thing to be created, with the adventures coming Second.   Chicken and Egg here -- which comes first?

 

I had thought that, in order to attract New Players, that we'd create some short, focused, stand alone adventures.    The "Magic System" could be based off of the one in the Tarakian Age for ease of play, but the main thing would be to create some very playable and enjoyable adventures for New Players that would help to introduce the system while at the same time easing them into the flow of things.

 

At the same time we could be either working on creating material for one of the established Settings (Turakian/Valdorian Ages) or on a Setting of our own making.

 

Which leads us to...

 

I'd suggest some discussion instead of what your prosped magic system will look and feel like.

Is it a D&D 3.5/Pathfinder style system where magic use is restricted to specialists, and requires resource management, but experienced casters can know many spells, routinely travel between planes, create pocket universes, stop time, etc?

Is it a Runequest-style system where magic is universal, and pretty much everyone knows a bit of magic, but truly powerful reality-altering effects are very rare?

Do you want magic to be a routine affair, where spells don't malfunction and spell X always produces effect Y, or do you want a Mage-style game where what magic can do is flexible and magic is potentially dangerous to use?

Do you want mages to primarily be scholarly types full of arcane knowledge, or do you want them to mostly be helicopter gunship equivalents?

Do you want to split magic into "Arcane" and "Divine", into different schools, or just have one style?

Do you want all mages to have mostly the same spells, or do you want them to be specialists by default?

etc.

 

Once you have agreed on what you want magic to look and feel like, then building the system should be relatively straightforward.

 

cheers, Mark

Agreed...if we go with our own setting.

 

Details, details, details.  All have to be worked out.

 

Anyway...

 

Thanks Mark.

 

 

 

~ N

[NuSoardGraphite]

I misspoke when I said the simplest solution is to just ignore the Active Points penalty. The simplest solution is actually to not use "Requires a Roll" at all.

 

Are there any compelling arguments in favor of requiring a roll to cast spells? Bearing in mind that there will still be targeting rolls and effects rolls in any case?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

This is not the simplest possible palindromedary tagline

The "necessity" factor of having requires a skill roll as a part of a particular magic system depends on how reliable you want spell-casting to be.  in D&D, spell casting was extremely reliable ith no chance of failure unless the mage was hurt or stunned as he or she was casting the spell.  with a few exceptions (most notably exalted) most other rpg's on the market do not have such a reliable magic system and provide for some chance of failure in the normal course of spell casting.

 

I will personally always utillize requires a skill roll, because i do not want spell casting to be 100% reliable in any game i run.  i consider spell casting to be the process of utilizing the Will to gather to you primal magical energies, then using esoteric knowledge to weave, shape and form those energies into a tangible effect and unleash that effect unto the physical world.  I do not cconsider this process a simple one, thus the need for a mage to continually study, research and master the Laws governing the category of magic in which he or she specializes and to make a mistake in the process of casting a spell has the effect of spoiling that spell, causing it to fizzle, if not causing some other, much less desirable effect such as a misfire or spell internalization. (Side effect from failing the skill roll)

[Jhaierr]

I personally have never liked skill rolls for magic. I would rather use Extra Time or extra END costs (maybe LTE) to make it more balanced. But honestly, it depends on how magic works in the world I create.

[mhd]

It probably all depends on where you "come from", both regarding your first RPGs or novels/movies. For me, I always liked the implications of skill rolls. For one, they're yet another resource limitation, possibly requiring multiple invocations and thus actions. And a limitation that can be overcome with training.

 

Speaking of training, that's another important aspect of it: Spells are something you can dissect and master. Contrast this with Vancian magic, where your magical training and ability is mostly concerned about containing the spells. This changes the nature of spells, making them more special, external entities. Black boxes of arcane power, as opposed to something that can be understood and mastered using some faux-scientific approach.

 

It also makes it easier to have separate fields of study, where you're just better at some category of spells (or even individual spells).

 

In campaigns where magic is clearly different from those set of assumptions, skills might not be the right approach for me. It doesn't seem to be the right fit for direct-line-to-the-gods divine magic (as opposed to "scientific" theurgy), or for more mythical approaches to magic itself, where logical understanding doesn't chime well. Never mind that it's simply not an effective mechanic if every PC or NPC encountered is by definition a very advanced practitioner of magic, maybe because point values are so hight, maybe because you're simply not let out of "magic school" unless your chances are basically 100%, maybe because 'wizard' is pretty dang near to demi-god (Middle Earth or Earthsea seem to be candidates for that).

 

I generally like to start on the low end of the spectrum, maybe with no intentions of leaving it at all, so I've generally been happier with skill-based systems in the past. Also not a big fan of divine magic (cf. D&D), very common magic (RuneQuest) and daily magic resource renewals (almost every fantasy game ever).

[Silverhawk]

I've finally gotten sometime to add my two cents worth to this discussion.

 

First, I think that if you want to get people interested in Fantasy Hero the idea of starting with a product that does and doesn't fit into a larger campaign world is a good idea. I believe that the old T1 module Village of Hommlet was very much in this vein. A friend and fellow player of mine used it to start his FH campaign. His concept was for the PC's to be just slightly above the average villager since we were part of the village to begin with rather than the usual you just arrived in the village from X.

 

Second is that for the FH campaign that I've been working on (three years and counting with multiple starts from square one ), I was looking at using a rough Shadowrun style magic system. A pool for determining the max spell effect. Skill roll for the spell itself. This represents the knowledge of how to cast the spell. Separate theory skill to research new spells or improve existing spells as a player increases the size of their pool.

[Tasha]

Since the point of writing some addon supplements and Adventures is to gain new converts to the system. That should point toward making something that feels like Pathfinder/D&D, but has the Hero twist to make it more fun.

So I would propose for Clerics and Wizards to use a VPP and a spell list for spells. The Spells themselves will be flavor copies of Classic D&D/Pathfinder Spells. I still kind of like RSR, but keep it easy -1/20 active with all mages/Clerics having enough Power Skill to have a 14- or 15- roll for most spells. The Spells will be powered from an End Reserve. Most spells will have Gestures and Incantations. The VPP will require time with the Caster's Spellbook/Prayer book to change spells in the pool. Clerics will have the Additional limit of Requires God's Permission -1/4 to push the priest to actually be a representative of their god(ess).

[Hyper-Man]

The key then becomes creating a 'standard' spell list that doesn't run into legal issues (only a concern if this is intended for a book to be sold).

 

Here are some links to threads dealing with direct conversions for D&D3.5 to 5er Hero System rules:

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/index.php?/topic/51499-cleric-35-spell-conversion/page-2?hl=spells&do=findComment&comment=1314741

http://www.herogames.com/forums/index.php?/topic/51499-cleric-35-spell-conversion/?hl=spells

http://www.herogames.com/forums/index.php?/topic/66879-magic-missile-style-spell-in-a-vpp-with-modifiers/?p=1703232

 

And here is a link to an output to what had been done on the first two threads:

http://www.herocentral.net/herocentral/get/files/premium/Thia%27s+Wizard+Spells+1st+through+4th.HTML

[shuddemell]

Once again folks, at this point I will restate... This is why I suggested a contest... That way everyone presents their ideas about a Fantasy integrated into a setting... and then the best is chosen. The way this is going, there will NEVER be a consensus as to which method is best or should even be used. It will be a constant push and pull of each individuals preferences and predilections... and since I believe magic system, et al is essential to the look and feel of the setting, this would probably be an insurmountable roadblock to any collaborative project. Though I like the idea of everyone pitching ideas to get the best, BEST is subjective and consensus is not possible.

[Vondy]

Once again folks, at this point I will restate... This is why I suggested a contest...

 

I'm sure they all heard you. That you regard your proposal as logical doesn't mean anyone else considers it appealing. Or workable, for that matter. Someone would have to organize and run the contest, and the participants would have to agree to the conditions and voting methods, and then there would have to be a project manager for a committed working group. So, first up, who is going to do all of that work? And, are we going to have a contest and vote to select the contest-runner? It would be just as easy for someone with a good idea to make a setting proposal and ask "who wants to help?" After all, this is a matter of someone having a vision and the desire to make it so. Odds are, there are only a few such people out there. Also, I'm not sure what a contest would accomplish. After all, the setting would ultimately be a licensed third-party setting rather than an official company sponsored one. At that point, why have a contest at all? Even if we were to do so and someone were to win, there is nothing from stopping the "losers" from forging ahead and publishing as well!

[Kraven Kor]

I'm sure they all heard you. That you regard your proposal as logical doesn't mean anyone else considers it appealing. Or workable, for that matter. Someone would have to organize and run the contest, and the participants would have to agree to the conditions and voting methods, and then there would have to be a project manager for a committed working group. So, first up, who is going to do all of that work? And, are we going to have a contest and vote to select the contest-runner? It would be just as easy for someone with a good idea to make a setting proposal and ask "who wants to help?" After all, this is a matter of someone having a vision and the desire to make it so. Odds are, there are only a few such people out there. Also, I'm not sure what a contest would accomplish. After all, the setting would ultimately be a licensed third-party setting rather than an official company sponsored one. At that point, why have a contest at all? Even if we were to do so and someone were to win, there is nothing from stopping the "losers" from forging ahead and publishing as well!

 

And I have a vision; dunno if I have what it takes to make that vision a reality, ever.  Just lack of confidence and motivation, really.

 

As to whether it would be an official setting or whatever:  I think the argument could be made that we could be trying to push for an official Fantasy HERO setting as the outcome here.  I believe it had such a thing at one time, did it not?  Or was the whole Turakian Age a third party deal?

[Nadrakas]

And I have a vision; dunno if I have what it takes to make that vision a reality, ever.  Just lack of confidence and motivation, really.

 

As to whether it would be an official setting or whatever:  I think the argument could be made that we could be trying to push for an official Fantasy HERO setting as the outcome here.  I believe it had such a thing at one time, did it not?  Or was the whole Turakian Age a third party deal?

No "Setting" has been agreed upon, including the Turakian/Valdorian Ages: both are  jointly owned by Hero Games & Steve Long and would pre-approval by each of them (Hero Games has apparently said "yes" to the concept...we have to approach Mr Long.  All material has to be sent through both HG & Mr Long prior to final "Print," so changes could be made by either: It is their Setting, afterall).

 

 

~ N

[Kraven Kor]

No "Setting" has been agreed upon, including the Turakian/Valdorian Ages: both are  jointly owned by Hero Games & Steve Long and would pre-approval by each of them (Hero Games has apparently said "yes" to the concept...we have to approach Mr Long.  All material has to be sent through both HG & Mr Long prior to final "Print," so changes could be made by either: It is their Setting, afterall).

 

 

~ N

 

No, what I was saying was, maybe this project will become / could become such an "official" setting.  Not that anything had been agreed on; but that this project would not just be a third-party splat book.

 

And I had thought that, once upon a time, Turakian Age / Valdorian Age were the "official" Fantasy HERO Setting.

[shuddemell]

I'm sure they all heard you. That you regard your proposal as logical doesn't mean anyone else considers it appealing. Or workable, for that matter. Someone would have to organize and run the contest, and the participants would have to agree to the conditions and voting methods, and then there would have to be a project manager for a committed working group. So, first up, who is going to do all of that work? And, are we going to have a contest and vote to select the contest-runner? It would be just as easy for someone with a good idea to make a setting proposal and ask "who wants to help?" After all, this is a matter of someone having a vision and the desire to make it so. Odds are, there are only a few such people out there. Also, I'm not sure what a contest would accomplish. After all, the setting would ultimately be a licensed third-party setting rather than an official company sponsored one. At that point, why have a contest at all? Even if we were to do so and someone were to win, there is nothing from stopping the "losers" from forging ahead and publishing as well!A

Actually it would be great if everyone that had a setting did publish it. I know that however won't happen. As far as the work goes, that was the point in collaboration, and I am willing to do some of it. Whether it is appealing or not, well that is why I pitched the idea. I just feel that it is too easy to get mired in discussions of minutia to the point that no progress will ever be made toward something. Also, if I take your point of view of what's the point? Who will do the work? Reductio ad absurdam tells me to not bother trying to bolster Fantasy Hero at all, after all it will be a thankless job... Actually, this point really encapsulates both the strengths and weaknesses of Hero as a system as well. There are usually half a dozen ways to do things in Hero.. and if you ask the board you get a dozen different ways.. which is expected.. the real problem is everyone has their way, and for them it is the BEST way. That isn't a feasible viewpoint for a coop project. So, my point of view was simply to allow those that wish to, to present their way and see what stellar ideas come up. I don't really think being "official" or not is a deal breaker anyway, since the whole point would be to stimulate the new players to try Hero out. So take this idea with a grain of salt... because I am quickly beginning to see the backflow of naysaying becoming untenable.

[Lucius]

I've asked, but the decision is still out: Do we go with the Tarakian/Valdorian Ages (Need Mr Long's approval -- Please see my previous post on this) or do we go with something we create on our own?

  

~ N

We go with a starter adventure (or series of modules) and "quick start" kit that is COMPATIBLE with Turakian Age but that does not necessarily HAVE to be Turakian Age. Pretty much what Silverhawk said.

 

It should "echo" the D&D paradigm close enough to feel attractive to D&D and Pathfinder players, but highlight some of the things that make Hero unique. And be as simple as possible while meeting these goals.

 

Implications for the magic system:

 

To be compatible with Turakian Age, we should have a Skill Roll. I propose we choose one of:

1) Satisfy RaW by linking the Roll to the END Reserve rather than individual spells, as I described earlier,

2) Satisfy RaW with a construct such as "+10 to Skill Roll, Only to Counter Active Point Penalties of Spells" and invoke the Absolute Effect rule; this should only cost about 5 Real Points and can be called "Magical Talent" or something and be required as a "prerequisite" for taking spells, or

3) Ignore RaW in this case on the grounds that it detracts from rather than enhances the game. Previous editions had an option for Requires a Skill Roll without Active Point penalties and I don't remember it breaking the game before.

 

To be compatible with Turakian Age, use the 1/3 Cost multiplier. Of course, this is invisible to the new player unless and until they get to the "How it's Built" explanations, which may not even be in the "quick start kit."

 

To keep things simple while being compatible with Turakian Age, call all magicians "Wizards" and the Skill for it "Wizardry." Wizards strike me as the most "generic, do potentially anything" of the Turakian "schools" and the ones who can most closely resemble D&D style Magic Users, and the actual diversity of magical types possible should come as a revelation later.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

No palindromedaries, except possibly in the credits

[Nadrakas]

No, what I was saying was, maybe this project will become / could become such an "official" setting.  Not that anything had been agreed on; but that this project would not just be a third-party splat book.

 

And I had thought that, once upon a time, Turakian Age / Valdorian Age were the "official" Fantasy HERO Setting.

Ahh...sorry. My misunderstanding.

 

Turikian/Valdorian Ages were in 5e. Not sure in 6e. Again, they are jointly owned by Hero Games and Mr Long -- not sure where that puts them as far as being "official" (I don't want to "assume" anything on the part of Hero Games...)

 

 

~ N