Sport Hero

[Osprey]

I have been mulling over some sport activities that are not directly covered in the combat system (off and on) for a decade or so.

This rather surprises me on some levels because I have little interest in sports. It could be because, as a rules lawyer at heart, I gravitated to an untouched part of the system.

Apologies for any omissions and out of date statements. I have unfortunately not updated my own library beyond the 4E (BBB). Even sadder, I have not played in a campaign in many years.

 

 

Here is what I have for hitting a pitched baseball with a bat:

 

The pitcher naturally throws the ball using standard throwing rules. He aims not for that batter but for the Strike Zone (4 DCV since it is smaller than a hex. Maybe more if the batter is short or something)

 

For batting, I have created an Everyman version of Missile Deflection:

'Harmless', hand-thrown objects may be deflected using

an OCV roll verses the Attacker's Modified OCV

(As modified by the attacker's roll)

 

The pitcher (with OCV 3) rolls a 9 

The batter must roll a 12 or less to hit the ball.

{11 -1 (for Strike Zone size) +2 (11-9) }

 

I feel that Everyman Missile Deflection is the core skill of any ball game in the Hero System and I would not be surprised if I am not the only one to think of it. However, I have never seen it discussed in these forums before now. 

I realize that "Harmless" is a relative word and hope that any common sense GM can figure out what objects a normal human can catch/deflect.

 

The hard part was what happens after the batter hits the ball! 

We know that in the real world, that batters can aim the deflection of the ball. Keeping it between the baselines is more important than the distance the ball goes. There are also legends of the greats being very accurate with their aim, up to and including Babe Ruth's "Called Shot".

 

Once the batter has hit the ball, his player calls a hex on the field and rolls to hit it (DCV 3 and modifying for range, of course). Playing around with this I found it easier to have him call the peak of the arc rather than where the ball will land.

(The ball travels in an arc up from the bat over the field and then down again as gravity retakes hold )

So the player call a hex on the field and the height of the hex that he is aiming for. If he misses that hex a scatter shot rule takes effect (1d6 to choose direction of the miss. Hex hit is (actual roll-roll needed) hexes away from the target hex. It is from this hex that the ball arcs down again, following a trajectory similar to the one that got it to the target hex.

Distance would depend on the "Damage" done from the bat hitting the ball (I.E. Knockback) but I don't recall if I ever worked that out completely. I do recall that the knockback of the hit would be added to the speed of the ball from before the hit as it changes direction.

 

Then, of course a fielder attempts to catch it.....etc

 

 

Comments and critiques are invited!