Roleplayer's Guide

[UbiquitousRat]

Having recently started playing HERO, my group is keen for me to put together some key advice in the form of a Roleplayer's Guide. Although a lot of the content is system-neutral, I feel that the inclusion of HERO-specific advice is also important - mostly because, in a separate discussion on the topic, the players said that they feel the GM should help players to understand how to "finesse" (at least at a basic level) the choices they make for their character.

 

To this end, does anyone more experienced than me (which means a person who has played more than 4 sessions of HERO) have any advice, nuggets of wisdom, or other guidance aimed at players of HERO? If so, would you object to be quoted in our Guide?

 

Secondly, how does one approach ensuring that anyone you write and provide online does not infringe HERO Games copyright? I can't seem to locate the appropriate guidance that I am sure used to exist.

 

Thanks in advance for your assist!

 

 

[IndianaJoe3]

There's a file called Hero In 2 Pages that's in the Downloads section that might be along the lines of what you're trying to write.

[Christopher]

If this is about understanding the Base Powers of hero and where they stand in the system, I wrote a short power guide.

It fills the place just between the twoliner Descriptiosn and he full text:

http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/85482-power-guide/

 

It was specifically aimed a people who have not fully read the powers. And people not owning the books yet, trying to understand sheets.

[GhostDancer]

Beyond character construction, here are some tactical notes another poster (help me, who?) came up with:

 

A character can stand up as part of an Abort ("Get to one's feet" being a 1/2 Phase Maneuver that has the defensive benefit of improving the character's DCV from 1/2 DCV for being Prone). 

 

Ask the GM to fully describe the SFX, any "wind up" for various maneuvers, various "tells" required by activation Limitations on their abilities, and similar in-game details pertaining to the opponents' actions not only informs tactical decisions, it also results in a much better described and higher quality mental picture of an encounter. And that's just beneficial to good roleplaying, plain and simple.

 

Similarly that amount of detail makes opponents far more memorable and is particularly advantageous and enriching to the game in the case of reoccurring NPCs.

 

KNOW THE TERRAIN

 

The terrain is either your greatest ally or your greatest enemy. More battles have been affected by terrain and environment than any other consideration. Pay attention to the details of the battleground du jour, taking full advantage of sight lines, cover, concealment, avenues of approach, useful objects, and high ground. Use it to your own advantage, deprive advantages to the opposition, and be mindful of hazards.

Ask the GM to describe the scene in detail and if not playing on a battlemap, draw a quick abstract sketch and ask the GM if it's accurate. Understanding where things are at in relation to each other is very important, particularly for highly mobile characters.

 

MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

 

Pay attention to events in play. Be aware of where characters are in relation to each other, who has yet to act in a Phase, who has acted in a Phase, and be particularly alert to unexpected opportunities that transpire.

 

TIMING

 

Combat is all about timing. Doing the exact same move with the exact same rolls can be brilliant or stupid, all based upon timing. Assuming you Know the System, Your Character, Your Enemy, and the Terrain, you have a plethora of tools in your character's toolbox at your disposal, but without understanding when it is a good idea to use which one it amounts to naught.

Some players have a tendency to find one or two actions that work for them and then just blindly apply them to every situation regardless of whether it is appropriate or not. Don't get hung up on a particular stunt or trick. It's not a question of Holding, or Aborting, or Maneuvering, or Alpha-striking, or what have you. All are good options for characters of various designs, but only when timing favors them.

Similarly some players have abilities that are only useful in certain circumstances, but they try to use them in situations where they are not appropriate, or success with them is not auspicious. Growing frustrated by failure, the player then disregards the ability and never uses it again. It's like getting frustrated when a wrench fails to drive a screw, and subsequently never using the wrench even when presented with a bolt that needs to be tightened.

A good chunk of solid tactics is simply using the right tool at the right time.

 

RISK MANAGEMENT

 

An important corollary to tactics is managing your character's risk. Blindly charging about doing dangerous things without a commensurate potential for payoff only works for so long. It's all well and good to take risks, but remember to Cover Your Ass (CYA). Understand when the situation is conducive to employing an all out attack, when it is conducive to holding back, when an all out defense is necessary, and when you should gain space to recover.

In a larger sense you should also consider risk to your character's teammates and allies, if any. Sometimes the best thing to do in the bigger picture is to "take one for the team" to protect a crucial teammate, or to set another teammate up.

 

OPPORTUNISM

 

Sometimes events occur that are irregular, unplanned for, unpredictable. It is often worth extra risk to capitalize on these unexpected opportunities. In militaristic jargon this is known as "targets of opportunity".

When opponents unexpectedly lower their DCV, turn their back to the character, suffer a fumble, take an action early in a Phase (and thus briefly lose their ability to Abort), have to change clips, or otherwise suffer a momentary impediment it is tactically sound to exploit the opportunity. Characters with "Code of the HERO", "Honorable", and similar Disadvantages may not be able to capitalize on such boons, but other characters certainly can.

 

TACTICAL TENETS

 

Tactics are essentially fluid and situational so it is basically impossible to codify them into inviolate strictures without rendering them counterproductive. For tactics to remain viable they must remain flexible and agile.

However, there are some general rules of thumb that will serve you well in a HERO System combat.

 

DON’T BE A ROCK EM SOCK EM ROBOT

 

Do not have your characters just stand around hitting and getting hit. Not only is this boring, it uses like 1% of the Combat System. You might as well just roll dice randomly to kill time, if that's all you want to do.

Move around, use Maneuvers, Abort to defensive actions intelligently, use things in play to springboard off of, get creative. Combat doesn't have to be a race to the last hit point.

 

HOLD YOUR PHASE 12

 

All HERO System combats start on Phase 12. This gives everyone a chance to go in the same Phase and prevents slower characters from getting bent over a barrel before they get a chance to do anything.

It is all too tempting to start off the combat with a bang and rip loose with an all out attack, but unless you can totally devastate the opposition or have defenses that are so good you can weather the return fire it is a mistake.

Hold your action and be prepared to take evasive / defensive action if necessary. Let your opponent show their hand first, and if possible counter punch* after they have committed themselves to something.

-

EXCEPTION: PREEMPTIVE STRIKE

If your character happens to know that the opposition has an attack that is so powerful allowing them to use it results in something between an unfavorable trade and total catastrophe, then by all means take them out first even if it means going in Phase 12.

EXCEPTION: HIGH ENDURANCE COST ABILITY

If your character has an attack that has a non-negligible Endurance cost, then use it before the end of Segment 12 if possible so that the free Post Segment 12 REC will help defray its cost.

 

ONE IN THE HAND IS WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH

 

aka "Kick ‘em when they are down"

A lot of players are used to games without a clean "STUN" concept, and once opponents go down they stay down. Not so in the HERO System. While "agents" or "mooks" might stay down at the GM's option, notable characters get Recoveries and will stand back up again if allowed to regain their composure. It's amazing how even players that have been playing HERO for a while seem to forget this.

When a tough opponent gets staggered or goes below 0 STUN hit 'em again to make sure they stay down (unless it runs against your character's roleplaying of course).

 

LOW DCV = SWEEP, HIGH DCV = OTHER OPTIONS

 

Once they are exposed to the idea and see how it works, many a player becomes enamored of Sweep and Rapid Fire (same mechanic), and proceed to use the Maneuver every chance they get without recourse to the consequences. This is a mistake that they are easily made to pay for as their DCV drops to half and they subsequently get drubbed by return fire.

Which isn't to say that Sweep and Rapid Fire aren't good options. They are fantastic options in general, but they favor characters that have lower DCV and higher OCV via combat levels. The lower the character's DCV to begin with, the less impact dropping to 1/2 DCV is.

Characters with high DCV should pursue other options to increase their volume of attacks such as Multiple Power Attacks, Autofire, or taking advantage of Two Weapon Fighting to reduce the DCV penalty of Sweep / Rapid Fire.

For some characters Spreading is another useful option for affecting more than one opponent, but this has bigger ramifications and is discussed independently below.

 

SEGMENTS (1, 5 ,7, 11)

 

According to the Speed Chart that drives combat's flow, fewer SPD values get actions on Segments 1, 5, 7, and 11 making these Phases ideal for taking Held Actions, particularly if your character has a follow-up action in the Segment immediately following.

It’s also useful to set up Haymakers to end in 5, 7, and 11 (not so much 1 due to crossing Post-Segment 12). Hold to the end of 4, 6, or 10 and start a Haymaker, and let it land in 5,7,or 11.

 

 TWO-FOR-ONE SPECIAL

 

Using one action to take out two opponents, particularly in a case where one is adjacent (in HtH range) and the other isn't, is a very effective tactic. There are several ways to do this.

 

KNOCKBACK RICOCHET

 

Not in the main rulebook, but clarified in the Rules FAQ and later publications (such as the aforementioned Combat Handbook), a character can Knockback an opponent in such a way as to hit a third character. This requires a to-hit roll using only the attacker’s base OCV vs. the third character's DCV.

 

PITCHING ENEMIES

 

Similarly, though not as efficiently, it is possible to throw an opponent that has already been grabbed in a previous Phase at another character.

 

SHOVE

 

The Martial Maneuver Shove is quite useful in this regard -- you can Shove one character some distance and into another, also gaining some movement yourself. It is also one of the easier ways to move opponents around against their will, and all in all a very under utilized Maneuver.

 

 MARTIAL MANEUVERS AND MULTIPLE POWER ATTACKS

 

Martial Maneuvers built on different bases can be used together as a Multiple Power Attack to pull off very efficient actions like Nerve Strike + Take Away + Leg Sweep and other such devastating combos. If one is prone to watching Kung Fu movies, a lot of the crazier stunts seen therein are most closely modeled in the HERO System via creative combinations of MPA'd Martial Maneuvers.

 

SPREADING

 

A frequently overlooked gem of a rule, Spreading allows a character to either trade damage classes for extra OCV, or more commonly to trade damage classes to make a non-AoE attack into a small AoE. I've seen innumerable players with characters that could spread their attacks never use the option.

There is even an option to allow characters to Spread their Strength, which is a very useful trick. Beg your GM to allow it, but beware the opposition using it on you.

 

KEEP YOUR ENEMIES WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM

 

aka "don't turn your back on a loaded gun"

If possible, try to position your character so that no enemies are behind them, particularly if the character has a high DCV and lower defenses.

 

DEFENSE MANEUVER

 

Failing that, if it is at all justifiable for your character's concept, get Defense Maneuver IV. It's just about the best spent 10 points you'll likely have on your sheet.

 

TARGETABLE FOCI

 

aka "How many points did you save with that Focus again?"

Don't forget you can target Foci. Even if a Focus is indestructible (most aren't), you can knock it loose if it's Accessible and thus deprive an opponent of whatever abilities were purchased via the Focus.

 

CONCEALMENT

 

When using the Terrain to ones own advantage, Concealment is often available. Use it.

 

SHIELD OF OPPORTUNITY

 

If the situation presents itself and your character is taking ranged fire, feel free to rip up or grab some appropriately useful object and use it as a Tower Shield to provide concealment and if the GM is kind some extra DEF.

 

INTERPOSING

 

In a situation where some opponents are close in to fight in HtH, and other opponents are standing off to use Ranged attacks try to maneuver in such a way to keep the closer HtH opponents between your character and the ranged opponents.

 

DROPPING PRONE

 

When receiving ranged fire, and assuming no opponents are inconveniently close to melee range, don't forget that you can Drop Prone as a 0 Phase Action, which is combinable with an Abort to Dodge or similar. This is not exactly the same as Dive For Cover, though you do go to 1/2 DCV for being prone.

The advantages of doing so are three fold; first off unlike D4C there is no DEX Roll involved, secondly if you don't abort to it but do it on your own Phase it can be combined with other Actions (such as Full Move, Drop Prone), and finally you benefit from any Concealment which can either impose an OCV penalty on a shooter or even prevent them from firing at your character at all if they can no longer see you.

 

AERIAL SUPERIORITY

 

Ideally you want to keep enemies on the ground and your character or allies that have the capability off the ground. It is almost always a smart tactical move to ground an opponent or to get oneself or an ally off the ground.

 

ALTITUDE

 

An efficient tactic for characters able to gain altitude via some fashion is to get above an opponent and shoot from above them, seeking to do downward Knockback. This gains three things if successful; firstly the opponent takes damage from the initial attack, secondly they lose altitude at an unfavorable rate (it takes 2" to go up 1" for most forms of movement, but Knockback is 1 for 1), and thirdly enough Knockback will put them into the ground for more damage (and if they are Flying, Gliding, or Swinging they take an extra d6 of Knockback).

 

FMOVE IS YOUR FRIEND

 

Full Move (FMove) Maneuvers are great because they frequently allow your character to take three or more 1/2 Phase Actions in a single Full Phase. That's just good Action Economy no matter how you slice it.

The three FMove Standard Maneuvers (Move By, Move Thru, and Grab By) are all decent, but the FMove Martial Maneuvers are all worth their weight and several are among the best Maneuvers in the game. 

Whether your character has the Martial versions or must rely on the Standard ones, get familiar with them and apply that knowledge liberally.

 

CLUSTER****

 

This probably goes without saying, but if your character has a respectable AoE or Autofire and several opponents clump together in nice tight little kill radius, it might be a good idea to shift gears from what you were planning on doing that Phase and taking advantage of the opportunity to punish them for it.

 

CHANNELING

 

Similarly, it is possible to arrange a battlefield to force opponents to clump up for AoE's, and it is also possible to push them together over time via intersecting lines of fire that leave a seemingly safe pocket somewhere. The opposition naturally finds their way into this pocket and then blammo.

In games with more unusual abilities this can also be accomplished by using abilities like Force Wall, Darkness, and Change Environment to render areas undesirable or off limits, forcing foes to group up. Knockback and Throws can also be used to cluster opponents; several allies could all deposit an opponent into a tight area to set a blaster or equivalent up for a big finish, for instance.

 

SWITCH UP

 

Often a GM will present a group of opponents that are individually well suited to facing off against one or more PC's. If the GM then engages the PC's individually with these mini-nemesis and the PC's get stuck in with them accordingly, it can make for a long fight.

Let the GM have a little fun, but after about a TURN or so consider having your character deliberately disrupt the pairings. Cheapshot an opponent that is giving a comrade a hard time of it, freeing your ally to either finish them off or in turn helping out another ally (maybe even you).

This is good tactics (it's never smart to fight your enemies’ battle), but on the other hand it can be frustrating to the GM, so use responsibly.

 

DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO

 

If for some reason you aren't sure what to do, or no particularly worthwhile target is presenting itself then 1/2 Move and Hold a 1/2 Phase. Consider it your filler action of choice.

If you frequently find yourself with nothing to do it's possible you need to reevaluate the character and either get an ability that takes time to use like Find Weakness or Aid so that you can translate all those extra actions into something useful, or perhaps lower your SPD and recoup some points.

Alternately you might just be indecisive, which you are on your own to resolve.

 

*This could mean use the Cover Maneuver to launch an intercepting strike, interrupting your foe's attack in progress, so they can't Abort to a defensive action.  -GD

[UbiquitousRat]

Lots to process there... thanks, guys!

[GhostDancer]

In a more general fashion, Aaron Allston's (RIP) StrikeForce has a section on roleplay that comes highly acclaimed.  It applies mostly to a superhero game, and includes tactics, too, such as code-named team maneuvers.

 

"Changing code words every 90 days for our combat moves is gonna give me an aneurysm.  I'm not the dullest crayon in the box, but I'm not the brightest, either."

[Tasha]

Here's some things that are very applicable to Hero, and also any other System

 

1) Choose Complicaitons that will be fun for you and the party to play out and that you will look forward to seeing in game. Don't just be Overconfident or something generic. Choose a Code of Honor for your character. Pick Interesting hunteds that both you and the GM are excited about. Keep in mind that while you are getting points for Complications you are doing so because you are making the GM's job easier. You are creating ready made plots for the GM to use when required. So you should be choosing those plots that will be the most fun for you to play out. Don't choose easy stuff. Flawed characters ARE actually more fun to play that characters that are perfect.

 

2) Decide what your character is going to do BEFORE it becomes your character's Phase/Action. This keeps Combat moving quickly. Heck if there is RP going around the table have an idea of what you are going to say before it becomes your character's turn. Also, do things that help other PC's and that keep the adventure flowing ahead.

3) Make a reasonable character. Please do the GM and your fellow players a HUGE favor by making a reasonable character. This means you build a rounded character that can participate in both Roleplay and Combat. Also one that while good at one thing, doesn't try to be good at everything. On top of that since this is a group hobby, build someone that wants to be in a team. You are part of a group, it's not "Your PC and their amazing but minor friends", It's the Adventures of the PC Group, everyone is equal. Hero is also a system that can be exploitable, please do the GM and the other players a service by resisting the temptation of doing so. No one likes playing with the Player who min maxed their character to the maximum. GM's hate to say no, don't put your friend, who happens to be the GM into the position of saying no to your character.

4) Communicate! Make sure that you are telling your GM what you liked and what you disliked. Be nice, but upfront about everything. If you aren't being truthful, the GM can't make adjustments that would make your enjoyment of the game better.

[Ninja-Bear]

The Champions fourth edition has a gamemastering section that's worth a look and a lot cheaper than Strikeforce.

[Lucius]

 

Well, this will have stuff that only applies in my game or for anyone who wants to run games like I do, but much of the rest might be useful.

 

Just as the earlier posts contain lots of excellent advice good in many or most games, and also include references to Knockback that will only apply if you're playing superhero type games.

 

This is something I distributed to new players with no prior Hero experience.

 

 

 

How to Play Hero

(Specifically, how the play the Turakian Age Fantasy Hero Game I'm running)

 

(In which I answer questions I expect to be asked or just think you ought to ask.)

 

When’s my Turn?

 

In “narrative time” – when the characters are not in combat or a time-sensitive situation – who goes when is pretty fluid. I might just go around the table and ask “what are you doing in between getting the message and reporting to the king?” in no particular order.

In combat, time is measured in Turns, Segments, and Phases.

A Turn is approximately 12 seconds. It is divided into 12 Segments. A “Phase” is a character’s chance to act; you get 3 Phases in a Turn, falling on Segments 4, 8, and 12. Some monsters and the like may get more Phases or less. Normal noncombatants for example get 2 Phases, on Segments 6 and 12.

Combat usually starts on Segment 12; that gives everyone a chance to act, unless surprise is a factor. If you’re surprised you obviously may not get to act. After every Segment 12, everyone gets a RECovery (that is, regains some of the points lost to damage, etc.)

Within a Segment, initiative is based on DEX, with certain modifiers (if you already have a bow strung and arrow nocked, you can probably get it off before a swordsman closes in and attacks.)

You can always hold an action. If you hold it until your Phase comes up again you lose the action, but it doesn’t change your initiative order in any later turn. If your DEX is 30 and you choose to let everyone else go before you in one phase, you still get to move before everyone else next phase.

If you have a held phase and are trying to interrupt someone else’s action, you may have to beat them in a DEX vs DEX roll. (See “Opposed Rolls.”)

There are two ways to act “out of turn.” You can do something defensive, such as Dodge or Block, by “aborting,” or cancelling your next action. You can’t do this if you’ve already acted this Segment! Some characters also have abilities that “Trigger” when a certain condition arises or at will. A Triggered ability does not cost an action and may happen when it’s not your turn, depending on the specific ability.

Most actions are “half phase” actions including most attacks, but attacking always ends your phase. Thus, you can make a half move and attack, but you can NOT normally attack and then half move.

(Note: The number of phases you get in a turn is determined by your SPD Characteristic. I have set all Player Characters to SPD 3 because it's easier.)

 

How do I move

 

Your movement rate for any given mode (Running, Swimming, etc.) is given in meters. Each phase you don’t stand still you make a half move, full move, or a noncombat move.

Half Move: move up to half you movement rate, taking up half a phase. So you can half move and attack, half move and dodge, etc. (No, you can’t attack AND dodge!)

Full Move: move up to your full movement rate, and normally do nothing else because it’s a full phase action. Exception: there are maneuvers anyone can do such as a “Move Through” that let you both full move and attack. Unless a character has special training or a special ability, these maneuvers usually entail heavy penalties such as the character taking some of the damage being dealt out. (Think about the implications of the phrase “Move Through.”)

Noncombat Move: generally, you can move at double your movement rate if you’re willing to be much easier to hit, and have next to no chance of hitting anything even if you try a Move Through. You’ll also need to spend a phase at Full Move to get up to speed, and another phase of Full Move the phase after you decide to slow down.

Some characters have abilities that modify these rules. A Paka for example can usually make a Full Move and still attack.

 

What cool stuff can I do?

 

First, just because something isn’t written on the sheet doesn’t mean you can’t try it. If one character has “Disarm” written under the Martial Arts section of their sheet, that means they’re good at disarming other fighters, but ANYONE can attempt to disarm someone, trip them up, grab their weapon arm, etc. If you want to try something, ask and find out what the penalties might be. You don’t need a healing spell to try a simple first aid roll to stop someone’s bleeding.

What IS on your sheet will probably be in one of three areas (partly because I’ve been trying to simplify) – Skills, Martial Arts, and Powers.

Skills usually have a number associated with them; the higher that number, the more likely you are to succeed with a Skill.

Martial Arts are combat abilities that may come from training but are sometimes inborn; all Drakine and Pakasa have “Martial Arts” to represent their natural weapons.

 

 

Powers are all the other cool stuff, and sometimes include “Negative Powers,” things like Unluck or an annotation that a given attack type does extra damage to your character. A Power should have a description that explains how it works. Ask questions if you don’t understand something. If you like Hero and keep playing you may eventually be able to design your own Powers, one of the great joys of Hero.

 

How do I do that cool stuff?

 

Most “task resolution” involves rolling 3d6 and trying to get under a certain number. If your Perception Roll is 12, you must roll 12 or less to see or hear something that’s not immediately obvious but not too obscure (if something was well-hidden, you’d take a penalty to the roll.)

In the case of combat, your roll to hit is 11, plus Offensive Combat Value, minus the target’s Defensive Combat Value.

Another way to think of it is, 11+OCV-3d6= DCV.

So if your OCV is 5 and you have three possible targets who are DCV 3, DCV 5, and DCV 7, then you need a 13 or less to hit the first, an 11 or less to hit the second, and a 9 or less to hit the third.

Skill Levels: If you have a “Level” that can give you a bonus to more than one Skill, it can only apply to one at a time. If you have for example “Thief: +2 Skill Levels with Climbing, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth” and are trying to climb quietly, you can get a +1 to Climbing and +1 to Stealth, or a +2 to either. That’s why they’re not already added to the Skill roll total, so don’t forget to count them when they come into play.

Combat Skill Levels can be moved from OCV to DCV, allowing you to be aggressive one phase and defensive the next. (some very cheap levels only count for OCV. If you have Levels with Dodge, you could theoretically put them on OCV – but if you’re dodging you’re not going to hit anything anyway.)

Opposed Rolls: One character rolls Stealth Skill while another rolls Perception to spot them. One fighter grabs another’s weapon and they pit their STR against each other for control. These are two among many cases when two rolls oppose each other. Whoever rolls first, if successful, takes the number they made the roll by and subtracts it from the opposing roll. So if you make a Stealth Roll by 2, the person you’re sneaking up on takes -2 to their Perception.

 

 

 

 

Complementary Rolls: A complementary roll is when you get a bonus for giving baked goods to the Game Operations Director. No, really it’s when two Skills or abilities are related in such a way that one can enhance the other; if you’re making a Survival roll to find food in a place where there’s game to hunt, you may be allowed to make a Tracking roll first and for every 2 points you make it by, you can add 1 to your Survival Skill.

Not everything requires a 3d6 roll to succeed; if for example you want to make a PREsence attack you just roll the appropriate number of PRE dice and check to see if you rolled high enough to have the effect you wanted. If you can’t beat their PRE or EGO, you have no real effect; the more your roll exceeds that threshold, the more impact you have, whether you’re trying to scare off a pack of beasts, convince a lord that you’re the right hero for the job at hand, or stand out from the crowd to get the attention of that special someone of the opposite sex. Some other abilities work the same way but we’ll roll those dice when we come to them.

 

Great! Do I get to do cool stuff as much as I like?

 

Not necessarily. Some abilities have “Charges” that limit how often you can do them. Some, in particular spells, may have “Side Effects” which is either something undesirable that always happens or a kind of backlash that strikes if you fail a roll or do something wrong. Before shooting off at the wand, read the description and see if that fireball could go off in your face. There may also be conditions, such as having to have your staff handy or being in contact with the ground to cast a spell or needing to have a firm grip on an opponent first before squeezing the breath out of them. And lots of things cost ENDurance or Mana.

ENDurance is a pool of points representing your physical stamina, and Mana represents a spellcaster’s supply of magical energy. When you run out of Mana you can use END instead at double cost. When you run out of END, you can “burn STUN” – that is, take 1d6 damage (STUN only) for each 2 END you’re trying to spend. It’s really hard to exhaust yourself into unconsciousness, but it IS possible. Go ahead, knock yourself out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wanna kill stuff.

 

Then pay attention; next lesson is, Die Rolls to Make Things Die.

Most weapons do Killing Damage. Roll the indicated number of dice; this is the amount of BODy damage done.

Roll 3d6 and consult the Hit Location chart (sometimes you’ll skip this step, depending on things like what you’re attacking) to see where you hit. This will give you a “STUN Multiplier.” Multiply this by the BOD damage done to determine how much STUN was done. The applicable Defense is subtracted from the STUN damage done, and the remainder comes off the target’s STUN score.

Then subtract the Resistant DEF from the BOD damage done, and use the “Killing BOD Multiplier” to find out how much BOD the target loses.

Fist, clubs, and many spells do Normal Damage. Roll the indicated number of dice; this is the amount of STUN damage done. For every die that comes up 1, do 0 BOD, each 2-5 is 1 BOD, and each 6 is 2 BOD. Easiest way to count it is to take the number of dice, subtract 1 for each 1 rolled, and add 1 for each 6 rolled.

Roll 3d6 and consult the Hit Location Chart (if necessary; something like a fireball just does generalized damage but a thrown rock may require a location roll.) This may give you a Normal Damage Multiplier that’s applied to both the STUN and BOD. The applicable Defense comes off both STUN and BOD damage.

 

What if I’m on the receiving end of that damage?

 

No matter how persuasively you talk your way out, or how agile your dodging is, sooner or later someone’s going to hit you with something. Remember to subtract your Defense, then you take the remainder as damage.

Mark STUN damage off of your current STUN total. If a single blow does more STUN than your CON, you are stunned; breath knocked out of you, knocked off balance, or otherwise hurt in such a way that you lose your next action and are at half DCV. Don’t worry, it happens to everyone sometimes; Everybody Must Get Stunned. If STUN total drops to 0 or less, you are unconscious.

Mark BOD damage off your BOD total. If the total damage is half your BOD or more, you may be impaired or disabled. If your BOD is below zero, you are bleeding (losing another BOD every turn) and likely to die. If your BOD is as far below zero as it was above when you started, you are deceased. That is, if your BOD is normally 12 and is down to -12, your character’s BODy and spirit have parted ways. Dead characters normally do not take actions or participate in the game meaningfully while in an unliving state.

 

 

I can get better, though, right?

 

The REC characteristic is a measure of how quickly you can RECover from exhaustion or injury. You get that many points back in END and STUN every turn, unless deeply unconscious, in which case you RECover more slowly. You can also “Take a Recovery” that is, spend a Phase stopping to catch your breath, but that puts you at half DCV so you probably won't see people doing it often. Some characters have abilities that modify these rules. Mana comes back more slowly and usually only with hours of meditation, and BODy damage comes back per month. Fortunately healing spells and the like mean you probably won’t have to wait a month for BOD to restore naturally. Even death might not be permanent.

 

O Fortuna! What’s this Luck and Unluck on the character sheet?

 

Every player character will have Luck and Unluck – some more than others. When asked to roll Luck, roll the specified number of dice and count sixes – the more, the luckier. When rolling Unluck, count the ones. Some Luck and Unluck is conditional – you might be lucky in some circumstances and not in others. If I make you roll Unluck, I’ll give you a Fortune Token. I’ll take it back if you roll for Luck. If I try to make you roll Unluck again before you’ve rolled Luck, show the token for an immediate Luck roll.

 

Do you really think anyone’s going to read six pages of this stuff?

 

Not really, but maybe players will skim and pick up some stuff that will help, or maybe refer to it if there's something they want to understand and find an answer.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Copyright Palindromedary Enterprises

[megaplayboy]

Well, basically, role-playing is play-acting with rules and a referee. So, the other half of this is the "acting" part. I'd actually suggest that new roleplayers take an acting course, read a book on the craft of acting, and/or participate in a local stage production of community theater. It's a good way to learn how to put oneself into the head of the character, how to project a unique accent, personality, back story, etc.

Reading genre fiction might be helpful as well, though as a GM you may need to relate the relative upper and outer bounds of the power and ability levels of the PCs.

[Greywind]

Yeah.

 

Except that role-playing is improv and a lot of actors can't work without a script.

[Ninja-Bear]

And others can't act at all and we still watch them!

[Greywind]

What's scarier is that they get paid for it.

[Christougher]

Do you really think anyone’s going to read six pages of this stuff?

 

Not really, but maybe players will skim and pick up some stuff that will help, or maybe refer to it if there's something they want to understand and find an answer.

 

 

I started reading through this, and had the thought that it sounded similar to the ideas I wanted to express in my 'How to Play Hero (in two pages)'.

 

And then I got to these two lines at the end.  ROFL.

 

Copied for use and possible inclusion of bits into that 'two pages' document, thanks.

 

Chris.

[UbiquitousRat]

Lots of useful comments. Thanks!

[bluesguy]

Lots of useful comments. Thanks!

 

You ask really good questions.

[Tasha]

The Champions fourth edition has a gamemastering section that's worth a look and a lot cheaper than Strikeforce.

and is pretty much copied verbatim from Strike Force.

[Tasha]

Well, basically, role-playing is play-acting with rules and a referee. So, the other half of this is the "acting" part. I'd actually suggest that new roleplayers take an acting course, read a book on the craft of acting, and/or participate in a local stage production of community theater. It's a good way to learn how to put oneself into the head of the character, how to project a unique accent, personality, back story, etc.

Reading genre fiction might be helpful as well, though as a GM you may need to relate the relative upper and outer bounds of the power and ability levels of the PCs.

While looking up the Yes, and... method of improv. I came across this essay attributed to Tina Fey. Don't know if it's her, but it's a bunch of things to think about as a Player and GM of a RPG. Obviously you can't allow players to god mod the world as much as improv actors do, but the principles are the same.

 

http://sostark.net/post/4965998605/tina-feys-rules-of-improvisation-that-will-change-your

----

Tina Fey’s Rules of Improvisation That Will Change Your Life and Reduce Belly Fat*

 

 The first rule of improvisation is AGREE. Always agree and SAY YES. When you’re improvising, this means you are required to agree with whatever your partner has created. So if we’re improvising and I say, “Freeze, I have a gun,” and you say, “That’s not a gun. It’s your finger. You’re pointing your finger at me,” our improvised scene has ground to a halt. But if I say, “Freeze, I have a gun!” and you say, “The gun I gave you for Christmas! You bastard!” then we have started a scene because we have AGREED that my finger is in fact a Christmas gun.

 

Now, obviously in real life you’re not always going to agree with everything everyone says. But the Rule of Agreement reminds you to “respect what your partner has created” and to at least start from an open-minded place. Start with a YES and see where that takes you.

 

As an improviser, I always find it jarring when I meet someone in real life whose first answer is no. “No, we can’t do that.” “No, that’s not in the budget.” “No, I will not hold your hand for a dollar.” What kind of way is that to live?

The second rule of improvisation is not only to say yes, but YES, AND. You are supposed to agree and then add something of your own. If I start a scene with “I can’t believe it’s so hot in here,” and you just say, “Yeah…” we’re kind of at a standstill. But if I say, “I can’t believe it’s so hot in here,” and you say, “What did you expect? We’re in hell.” Or if I say, “I can’t believe it’s so hot in here,” and you say, “Yes, this can’t be good for the wax figures.” Or if I say, “I can’t believe it’s so hot in here,” and you say, “I told you we shouldn’t have crawled into this dog’s mouth,” now we’re getting somewhere.

 

To me YES, AND means don’t be afraid to contribute. It’s your responsibility to contribute. Always make sure you’re adding something to the discussion. Your initiations are worthwhile.

 

The next rule is MAKE STATEMENTS. This is a positive way of saying “Don’t ask questions all the time.” If we’re in a scene and I say, “Who are you? Where are we? What are we doing here? What’s in that box?” I’m putting pressure on you to come up with all the answers.

 

In other words: Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles. We’ve all worked with that person. That person is a drag. It’s usually the same person around the office who says things like “There’s no calories in it if you eat it standing up!” and “I felt menaced when Terry raised her voice.”

 

MAKE STATEMENTS also applies to us women: Speak in statements instead of apologetic questions. No one wants to go to a doctor who says, “I’m going to be your surgeon? I’m here to talk to you about your procedure? I was first in my class at Johns Hopkins, so?” Make statements, with your actions and your voice.

 

Instead of saying “Where are we?” make a statement like “Here we are in Spain, Dracula.” Okay, “Here we are in Spain, Dracula” may seem like a terrible start to a scene, but this leads us to the best rule:

 

THERE ARE NO MISTAKES, only opportunities. If I start a scene as what I think is very clearly a cop riding a bicycle, but you think I am a hamster in a hamster wheel, guess what? Now I’m a hamster in a hamster wheel. I’m not going to stop everything to explain that it was really supposed to be a bike. Who knows? Maybe I’ll end up being a police hamster who’s been put on “hamster wheel” duty because I’m “too much of a loose cannon” in the field. In improv there are no mistakes, only beautiful happy accidents. And many of the world’s greatest discoveries have been by accident. I mean, look at the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, or Botox.

 

*Improv will not reduce belly fat

-From Bossypants

--------

There's some really great nuggets here for getting better Roleplay out of both players and GMs

[Cancer]

And also, pay no attention to the cynic behind the curtain.

[UbiquitousRat]

On improv, I'd strongly recommend Walmsley's booklet: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/106247/Play-Unsafe?filters=0_44293_0_0_0

 

Lots taken from drama improv, but applied directly to roleplaying.

 

Another question:

I keep asking players to describe what they want to have their character be able to do, not to worry about the mechanics of modelling it. That allows me to focus them on the roleplaying, why I solve the questions of roll-playing to emulate their ideas.

 

When is it appropriate for a player to take more direct control over modelling their own creations?

What are the risks / benefits from letting them do so?

[GhostDancer]

Re: I keep asking players to describe what they want to have their character be able to do, not to worry about the mechanics of modelling it. That allows me to focus them on the role-playing, while I solve the questions of role-playing to emulate their ideas.

 

I've done exactly the same thing.

 

When is it appropriate for a player to take more direct control over modelling their own creations?

 

After they borrow the core rule book from me/you etc, read it cover-to-cover, and return it.

 

What are the risks / benefits from letting them do so?

 

Risks:  A player, not most, will feel compelled to torture points to extract most value, to the degree that they're violating the stated spirit of the campaign.  See post #7 by Tasha, item 3.

 

Benefits:  The player may come up with something extra that inspires you, or leads to a question, and the synergy inspires both or more of you.

[Greywind]

So a player can't own his own book?

[JasonPacker]

I'm already compiling notes. This has all been great stuff - some that just make sense for any RPG, others for Hero as a whole and still others for specific kinds of Hero games.

 

The only thing I will throw out there is that you need to be careful with equating role playing and improv too closely. No, it's not a scripted show, and you're allowed to go off-book, but some GMs have a more rigid style and while they will accommodate your ideas, they will want to be able to consider them and decide if they need any tweaking, and how they fit into the storyline so far. 

 

From a GMs perspective (and sometimes a player's), I would modify it to say that you should usually say "Yes," and where you can, say "Yes, and..." but don't be afraid to also include "No, but..." in your bag of tricks. 

[GhostDancer]

So a player can't own his own book?

More of a can than a can't.  A player can borrow my extra copy rather than buy or wait for a gift, etc.  Of course, one does not preclude the others.

[Tasha]

Another question:

I keep asking players to describe what they want to have their character be able to do, not to worry about the mechanics of modelling it. That allows me to focus them on the roleplaying, why I solve the questions of roll-playing to emulate their ideas.

 

When is it appropriate for a player to take more direct control over modelling their own creations?

What are the risks / benefits from letting them do so?

I am starting the believe that GM's should start with a game pitch (ie StarWars/ Inglorious Bastards mashup, The PC's are the Bastards during the end of the Galactic Civil war and are there to capture Imperials). Then starting a conversation with the Players as to what elements they would want to see in the game. What hunteds, what places do they want to visit. What's important to them what's not. Also work together at the table to come up with at least an outline of the PC's backgrounds and generally what all of the characters can do (ie their Niche).

The benefit is that the Players are more connected to the campaign, Also they are more likely to stick with the character they started with. Another HUGE benefit is for the GM who won't spend time building stuff that the Players don't want, don't care about and won't even see.

 

Risks are Players who don't take it seriously enough bringing the concept down. Munchkin MinMaxers are always an issue with any system. Though you might be able to start to show them another way of having fun.