A dramatic jacket for our HERO

[RangerEd]

This linked homebrew jackets an existing skills-based, 3d6-roll-low roleplaying game system (HERO System, Sixth Edition). Its purpose is to coax dramatically-inspired conversation and emergent storytelling during gameplay, while still allowing a simulation-oriented system to surprise us with itemized outcomes. It is inspired by mechanics from Apocalypse World, The Quiet Year, Psi*Run, Swords without Master, Dust Devils, The Pool, complex adaptive system theory, and game theory.

I'd love to hear any feedback: good, bad, or passive aggressive.

Cheers,
Eddie

TT Elitist Bastards Homebrew.pdf

[Nolgroth]

Overall I like the concept. I am a fan of the Dungeon World game for the same sort of narrative interplay and not-binary success rolls. I can see where you are going with this but I have one huge problem; dice. I have black, white and blue dice. I have a ton of black and white dice. I am not interested in buying a bunch more and frankly, I think that many dice confuses matters a tad more than I would like for a system. I tend to be as subtle as a brick, so that might just be a "me" problem.

 

I think you are on to something so I encourage to keep at it. My one complaint has more to do with me than it does any inherent flaw in your mechanics.

[RangerEd]

Thanks for giving it a read. I had the same concern.

 

Not wanting to burden my players, I bought dice cubes in the 9 colors to share around the table. I also formatted a character sheet with the qualities block (as shown in the homebrew doc) covering the HERO image in the top right. The dice in front of a player and their use then become a form of communication during gameplay.

 

It gets a bit easier on Roll20. Macros prompt the players to input how their PC acts. A 4d6 roll (keep low 3) returns, "[PC name] acts hot hard weird and with glory," with the dice results in the chat window.

[Nolgroth]

 "[PC name] acts hot hard weird and with glory," with the dice results in the chat window.

 

Is this a role playing game or a role playing game?

[Nolgroth]

Seriously, with a macro encoded language, I can see where this would be easier. If you can, color code the individual dice rolls. One of the biggest requests I got with my MapTool framework was to have an option or a flag to show how the macro was working. It actually helped me to have a "debug" option where the players and I discovered some interesting results.

[Greywind]

A Hero jacket? Are we talking a blue blazer with a gold hexman on the breast  pocket? Or maybe a black blazer with a green hexman on the breast pocket?

[RangerEd]

Greywind: Something much less formal. It's a royal blue members-only with gold hexmen for snaps.

 

Nolgroth: Yes, double entendres abound. I'm cool with it. I included many ways those dramatic qualities might manifest in the fiction (vernacular and all), but I sort of left out the NC-17 ones. As a former American midwesterner, I was brought up in an honor-based culture of Victorian etiquette and puritan values. I try to overcome, but nurture can be a tough nut to crack. I am proud to be showcasing the rainbow spectrum, though.

 

The dice rolls in Roll20 can probably be color-coded, but my programing skills are weak. Conceptually, I know more automation could make it into the online gaming, but I need more time to learn how to do it. The job thing can be a major bummer.

[RangerEd]

A question for you all:

 

Would you like to be able to roll whole handfuls of spectrum dice for an action check, knowing that you could risk "sapping" them with a 6, to achieve a probably better 3d6 (keep low 3) roll? I am torn as to whether to include this rule as part of the action check procedure.

 

My thoughts, acknowledging the difference between procedure (the rules) and strategy (options within the rules)...

 

Mechanically, the rule might incentivize a strategy of rolling big with tagged qualities, but would also incur big risk on the part of the PC. In application, it would be easy at the table but much harder in Roll20 (since I only know how to manipulate macros at this point). However, I like the thought of players choosing how much of what their PC personally "invests" in an action.

 

Edit: what I mean is, choose to roll something like 8d6 (e.g.: hot hot hot sharp sharp cool weird and with gore) keep low three for the action check results.

[Nolgroth]

The dice rolls in Roll20 can probably be color-coded, but my programing skills are weak. Conceptually, I know more automation could make it into the online gaming, but I need more time to learn how to do it. The job thing can be a major bummer.

 

Should be a fairly simple matter of assigning a hex or RGB color to the output. Maybe.

[Lucius]

Dramatic Jacket: (Total: 9 Active Cost, 4 Real Cost)

+1/+1d6 Striking Appearance (vs. all characters) (3 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) (Real Cost: 2)

<b>plus</b>

Change Environment (+1 Temperature Level Adjustment), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (4 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), No Range (-1/2), Self Only (-1/2), Gestures (Requires both hands; Must zip up jacket; -1/2) (Real Cost: 1)

<b>plus</b>

+1 with Acting (2 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) (Real Cost: 1)

 

Lucius Alexander

 

and barding for a palindromedary

[L. Marcus]

Gestures ought to be Only To Activate, amirite?

[RangerEd]

Nolgroth,

 

I agree with you on the possibilities for execution. I appreciate your earnest read and opinion. It was helpful.

 

Thanks,

RangerEd

[Nolgroth]

I'm glad that I was helpful. I actually thought I might have been demotivational there.

[RangerEd]

I have thick skin, sloped shoulders, and a pointy head. And I also appreciate critical thinkers who challenge ideas.

 

Some others have been giving me a run for my money in chat. This forum has been great!