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Tigratrus

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  1. If/When we give it a shot I'll post back to let folks know how it turned out. I think it could be an LOT of fun to play. Lots of aliens hidden in a FOW darkened map etc. Combat heavy and roleplaying light, but that's what he enjoys at the moment, so Wing Commander and X-Com fit the bill nicely. Plus he's getting a LOT of great practice at math. Hero System for the homeschooling win! :-) James
  2. Thanks all! We ended up going with 5th ed and have been making minor tweaks as needed for balance. The primary tweak so far has been to count the "body" rolled on the ship's killing attack damage (even though all the damage is actually body, we count the body as if it was a normal attack for shield/armor reduction purposes ) as damage to the shield/armor capacity. It's always possible for the damage done by the attack to penetrate all the way through, but only the "body" counts for reducing shield, and then armor defense. It worked remarkably well. We decided that the PC really should be remarkable as you're supposed to be the rising ace of aces. So in order to keep it from being unbalanced, I built the PC as a speed 6 while everyone else is speed 4. It's a hefty advantage, but doesn't really feel OP. The special effect is that he's heavily augmented with cutting edge hardware including skeletal reinforcements (con 23) and a nervous system that runs faster than normal. Not superhuman intelligence at all (Int 18) but he has more time to consider everything, and when connected to his fighter, he has vastly faster reaction times (spd 6). He can also handle a somewhat higher G than normal due to the increased Con etc. not vastly more, but enough more to make a difference. The fun part (as it often is) is the disadvantages. He's a humorous combination of manic and over-focused. Has to make an ego roll to break out of focusing on one thing to notice something completely different. So playing solitaire while on autopilot is a BAD IDEA. Talks a mile a minute all the time too. Both the PC and his wingman NPC have a small upgrade pool to make minor changes to their fighter's load out etc. Obviously the PC has some more major upgrades to handle the increased speed etc. Anyway, it's working very well, and so far we couldn't be happier with how well it simulated the actual feel of the combat missions. He's running the actual campaign from the first game (getting all details off a Wing Commander wiki) so all the encounters are accurate representations of the game. The events onboard the Tiger's Claw are very different though, having a lot of fun working out ways to excel at darts and playing pool using Trigonometry and Physics (we homeschool) combined with the enhanced Dex and benefits of the neural augmentation. Shotglass (the bartender) has countered by having a 1/2 scale dart board added next to the regular one. :-) Good times. James
  3. My 14 year old has been working on a Wing Commander campaign for some time. He initially built it on a very simplified system he dug up from an abandoned Wing Commander RPG project. Since then he's rebuilt it all in Star Hero 5th ed, and we played through a few of the initial campaigns. Great fun. :-) We're struggling a bit with implementing shields, waffling between using Ablative shields, or working out a house rule to handle the behavior of shields in Wing Commander. We've got a few ideas on how to handle it such as using the body done by the ship based killing attacks as a deduction from the shield strength etc. We had two basic questions: 1. Is there a compelling reason to go from 5th ed (had the book from decades ago) to 6th ed? 2. Has anyone done anything along these lines that we could get some lessons learned from? Thanks in advance for any assistance anyone can provide. :-)
  4. My 14 year old is HUGE X-Com fan. He loved the original Enemy Unknown game I still had the original box for, and played it in emulators for years until the new version came out. We both still love the original, though the modern reboot is excellent as well. Anyway, he has been working on a Wing Commander campaign that he's running, and while working on characters and ships using 5th ed Star Hero, we started talking about how much fun X-Com could be using Hero system. Our initial take was to build characters that are mainly a pet class (in MMO parlance) to make up for not having enough characters. If you only have one player (our likely scenario as he and I are the only X-Com fanatics in the family), you would build a Squad Leader who has his own skills, plus 4-7 henchmen/companions that make up the rest of the tactical squad. Individually they wouldn't be terribly powerful, with the Squad Leader being slightly above the rest in terms of personal capability. Most of the Squad Leader's points would go into the Squad Members who would be bought as Followers. With more players, you could split up the squad into individuals, two person teams (one PC with a follower each) etc. Anyone ever done something along these lines?
  5. Re: World of Balance: A campaign for an eight and nine year old Tonight's Update: So, our intrepid heros battled their way past/through/over the Hunter/Seeker robots and investigated the nearby consoles. Human Generator made an intelligence roll to realize that the main control board seemed to be a voltage/phase regulation system for a tremendously powerful electrical generation/distribution system. This is *kinda* his bailiwick , so it made sense that he should be able to figure it out from the gauges. The board was dark though, nothing was online... Yet. They moved through the complex until they heard the sounds of fighting. Upon investigating they found a pitched battle being fought between several more Earth Elementals and a group of Hunter/Killer robots in the middle of a large open chamber full of hight tech equipment. In the middle of the chamber was an enormous support structure with a giant bulbous cylinder at the top, that was emitting an incandescently bright beam into a pit in the floor. The center of the pit was a perfectly smooth bore traveling straight down with wall glowing white hot. At the far side is what looks like a control panel with an individual in a sharp Black and White uniform with a stylized Geek Alpha symbol on the right breast. One of the Elementals is smashing away at the support structure while the others battle the robots. The uniformed individual makes a melodramatic speech about them being too late to stop IT and reaches for a BIG RED BUTTON. Pretty straight forward, yes? Well, here's where having REALLY young players makes things interesting: HG Immediately shoots the control panel, full force, obviously he hits and what is essentially a 12d6 lighting bolt really has no trouble frying the circuitry of the control panel at all. The uniform gasps in horror, says that they are insane and starts to run towards the wall. The Massive Energy Beam projector starts to pulse brighter and brighter with an audible rising hum. Rose decides to try to talk to the Earth Elementals. She makes a Magic skill roll to turn part of her pool to a "communication" spell, and hears grinding sounds like tectonic plates colliding. I explain that there's not a lot of actual thought going on inside the Elementals. She nods then says: Rose: "Mr. Elemental, what can I do to help you?" GM: "Umm... They really don't understand you, they are essentially a primal force of nature that has animated earth and stone with a force of pure rage" Rose: "Ok, I help him attack the support he's beating on, come on Rainbow! Blast it!" GM: "Sigh" GM: "Ok... Now the Massive Energy Beam projector is starting to wobble and sway as you tear apart the structure supporting it. It's pulsing brighter and brighter, the hum is getting loud enough to hurt your ears!" So I figure they will get the clue now, right? The bad guy is about to get away... The Beam's about to blow, time to go right? HG: "Ok. I run over and help blast the support" GM: Internally :: facepalm :: Externally "Ok. The beam is starting to slice huge melting slices out of the floor and parts of the walls as it swings wildly. BOTH of you make an INT roll. Luckily they both make it. GM: "You both get the feeling that if that beam hits you it will CUT YOU IN HALF, what do you do?" Rose: Blank look HG: "Run away!" GM: Internally: Finally! Oh wait, they let the bad guy go and he never got to mention the critical bit about this being a "Core tap" cr@p. SIGH So they all run, the Dragon being easily the slowest. HG is 1/2 way out and I have a sudden inspiration that he can hear an automated warning! GM: "HG make a perception roll" HG: 18 GM ::wince:: HG will make it out on his next phase, so I have him roll again at the start of his phase, this time he passes and he hears the automated warning about the core tap being unstable and evacuating immediately. Phew. HG makes it out, Dragon allllmooooosssst makes it out, and ends up getting shot through the hole like a huge reptilian cannonball in a bizarre Fantasy Circus, luckily she has lots of def and Dam reduction vs fire! So they got the two critical bits of info, the Alpha symbol on the guy in charge, and the fact that it was a core tap (which they will find out was a project to tap the earth's core itself as an energy supply). And I... I am tired. Now that they are in bed, it's Guinness time! James
  6. Re: World of Balance: A campaign for an eight and nine year old Heh. Well, the 8 year old named: Dragon: Wingy Phoenix: Rainbow Unicorn: Misty Pegasus: Moonlight. At one point when I was talking for the Dragon, I referred to the two equines as "Steak on the Hoof" and "Steak on the Wing", the kids loved it so much the names seem to have more or less stuck .
  7. Re: Pretty Hate Machines Cool! Glad to see more 6th ed supplements being produced . Have to pass for now as my players are *anything* but experienced ;-).
  8. Re: World of Balance: A campaign for an eight and nine year old So, tonight's edition has our intrepid heroes investigating why the hospital power substation is providing vastly more power than even a hospital would use, and why are the earth elementals upset? As Human Generator (Alex) goes inside to "Interrogate" the hospital staff, Rose ( Elizabeth ) has her pets investigating the environs to see if they can turn anything up. The Dragon (Wingy for those keeping notes at home), is walking around the hospital and literally falls through the ground (even Juvenile Dragons are REALLY big/heavy! ) into part of an underground complex. Investigation leads to combat with laser toting robots where Human Generator learns a very important lesson: Before checking out something potentially dangerous, TURN ON YOUR DEFENSES. They have only just started exploring the underground complex, so far H.G. has fried two Hunter/Seeker robots and Wingy the dragon has half cooked another. Rainbow the Phoenix got nailed by a robot and lost over half her health. Rose threw a forcefield spell around her and ordered her to get back to the unicorn (who the dragon refers to as "steak on the hoof") who's bringing up the rear of the group so that the unicorn can heal her. Moonlight (the pegasus, referred to by the dragon as steak on the wing), is on guard duty at the top of the hole. 'K that's the game part that the kids thoroughly enjoyed, here's the sneaky stuff that they are practicing without realizing it's a "learning experience" What they are practicing: 1. They have to roll multiple 6 sided dice frequently and add up the total, then tell me what it was. Elizabeth is getting markedly faster at this. 2. Alex has to roll 12 6 sided dice (luckily I have a LOT of six sided dice!) moderately often and add up not only the total, but also the "Body" rolled which is: 6's = 2 Body 2's-5's = 1 Body 1's = 0 Body So he has to mentally tally up numbers with mixed values instead of just making groups of ten etc. 3. Each of them has a washable marker that they use to create a column for their character's "Stun" and another for their character's "Body" values remaining. Each time they take damage they have to update the total which gives them practice in subtracting (and adding if they get healed) numbers in a column. 4. They are both having to learn to think ahead a bit and PLAN. . 5. In the near future there will be messages written in magical languages that only Elizabeth's character can read, so she will have to do the reading instead of handing it off to Alex. Another smashing success tonight, and Alex took the 6th edition Character Creation book to his room to read tonight, so I think it's safe to say he's fully into it now. Very excited about the possibilities for introducing new learning experiences while they play! James
  9. Re: FANTASY HERO Sneak Peek #1: The Cover! Awesome. Fantastic art on the cover... Totally agreed that it looks bleak for the heroes, though the lightning strike on the tower might be indication that it's not all one sided? James
  10. Re: World of Balance: A campaign for an eight and nine year old Tonights session had our heroes arriving at the local hospital (played by the large granola bar box) where the power substation/emergency generator (played by the black flip video box) had been attacked by an irate earth elemental shaped like a manta ray with attitude. -- Didn't Susan (my wife) do an awesome job sculpting the Elemental?! -- Dramatis personae: Elizabeth's Rose mounted on her phoenix Rainbow is perched on top of the power building while her other pets (unicorn, pegasus and dragon) are arrayed around the hospital building itself. Alex's Human Generator (which is played by a Ranger figure because it's his and he likes it ) comes around the corner and sees the Earth Elemental. Close up of Susan's awesome Earth Elemental. Human Generator blows a hole in one of the Elemental's "arms". As the Elemental starts burrowing back down into the earth to get away, Human Generator gets another shot in and then Rose and Rainbow get in a final peck before it gets away. After the Elemental is defeated, the characters are left trying to figure out WHY the Elemental was attacking the power station, but first Human Generator (who is an electrical I.E. Lightning bolts etc. ) hooks himself up to power the hospital until the utility company can get there and perform repairs. So those in intensive care are saved by our heroes swift intervention and help!
  11. Re: World of Balance: A campaign for an eight and nine year old Results of the first play session: Both kids had a total blast. Huge success, and both of them made perceptible progress in wrapping their heads around how things worked. The two characters met in Central Park where Alex's Human Generator was patrolling for (and found) muggers, while Elizabeth's Rose was returning home from some animal rescues. Just as HG was attacking the muggers (he was actually very good about power levels, only using 2d6 of his blasts to basically scare them away), Rose climbed down off her Phoenix and basically stumbled into the combat. Confusion ensued and each of the characters failed to notice the large green and black mound of ooze (triggered by the meeting of pivotal individuals in the rising imbalance conflict) that was rising from a nearby pond and moving towards them. Until they were each hit from behind by sticky, reeking ooze boulders that locked them in place. As this was all played on our fabric hex map, the kids had their new figures, and Rose's pets were played by some of Elizabeth's collection of mythological creature toys. The part of the mound of ooze was played by a large chunk of playdoh, and was PERFECT as it could form pseudopods and balls of muck that it flung as an entangle. HG hit the M.O.O. (Mound of Ooze) repeatedly, doing respectable dmg while literally blowing a whole through the middle of it. Rose kept trying to have the Phoenix pick up HG to put him on the back of another of her pets, while HG kept running away from the huge flaming bird that was stooping on him with talons outstretched. All in all, it was great fun, and I HIGHLY recommend Playdoh for use in representing crude golem/earth elemental type figures. Great fun and you can easily change the figure to represent damage, actions taken etc.
  12. Re: Anyone ever run a campaign with *really* young kids? I wanted to sincerely thank everyone that provided such excellent feedback esp Palindrome (Mr. Curtis by extension) . Life got very complicated, then the kids jumped into my old AD&D 1st edition collection and it wasn't until I actually got my paws on a hardcopy of 6th Edition Char Creation that I got them back onboard with HERO. Steve had a lot of good tips in the toolkitting sections, and combined with some of the ideas here, it spawned a Campaign ground rules and world building session with the *KIDS* coming up with most of the ideas. Bottom line: It's not abut teaching the to play an RPG, it's *totally* about crafting an RPG that is THEIRS. This involves a lot of dancing around, and a LOT of patience, and deft redirection. Hmmm... Sounds kinda like parenting in general! Anyway I posted the initial campaign we came up with over on http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/81055-World-of-Balance-A-campaign-for-an-eight-and-nine-year-old and we'd love to hear any feedback! James (and Alex and Elizabeth!)
  13. Re: World of Balance: A campaign for an eight and nine year old So that's the guts of what we came up with today, I'm really kinda stoked about the possibilities . I could actually SEE my daughter getting better at math as she added up d6 for her (and her pets!) rolls, and my sone was just beside himself with joy at getting to define/tweak rules for a campaign and define the details of how the world worked. My daughter provided a lot of the raw creativity behind the world setup as well, and her roleplaying skills are really quite impressive. One of the things I like best about this world setup is just how amazingly rich a set of possibilities it represents for creative story telling. I'm also very excited about the opportunities for teaching things via roleplaying. Kinda like the magic treehouse books, but with more FACTS and much more fun . Anyway, I'd love to hear any brainstorming/suggestions/ideas anyone else might have? I'll be maintaining this as a journal about how the campaign develops as well .
  14. World of Balance: The starting characters 1. Human Generator: A character aligned with the X-Force but with a decided Tech focus HG is a primarily electric based FEP with powers derived from a lab accident and skills in science and engineering related fields. He will probably eventually develop a smallish Gadget type Var Power Pool. 2. Rose: This one is my daughter's (big surprise eh?) and reflects her imagination and interest in mythology. Rose is a powerful druid who has some basic magic capability (Var Power Pool), but most of her capability comes from her "Pets". As we just started defining the character, this is NOT a complete list, but at initial conceptualization she has: 2a. A rather large Phoenix flies with a fire based HKA and other as yet unknown powers. 2b. A Pegasus whose purpose is somewhat unknown as Rose generally seems to prefer riding on the phoenix. 2c. A Black (lego) dragon that appears to be the primary combatant with claw/bite and various breath weapons.
  15. World of Balance: The Enigmas In addition to the above, which seemed a pretty classic yin/yang style of tech/magic conflict campaign, they added two more elements: Nature. X-Force. Nature: Nature is complex, as it is essentially the forces of nature personified by the various mythologies (mostly Greek and Egyptian). So all the forces of nature are personified as Gods/Goddesses/Heroes/Monsters but are not actually part of either of the Magic/Tech poles. * As the GM I view the "Nature" (which is more like Divine) force as magic biased for obvious reasons. X-Force: X-Force is a mystery. It's a largely uncomprehended force that gives rise to Superheroes that have no marked affiliation with either of the two major poles. It's tentatively believed that it's related to some sort of extra-dimensional energy that imbues certain individuals for reasons that are almost wholly not understood. * As the GM I view the "X-Force" as Tech biased as it is a product of a rift torn in the fabric of reality by the tidal forces of magic and technology. This rift rips across all the dimensions of the quantum mechanics infinite worlds hypothesis, as all the possibile worlds touch at the possibility singularity that the rift represents a tremendous amount of energy is liberated. A portion of this energy is released into the campaign world via the "Dome of Heroes". The interaction and implications of these various forces is NOT fully understood by the populous at large, or indeed by pretty much anyone known by the characters at the start of the campaign. Nor is the origin of the two epicenter towers or the Dome of Heros. Nor is it understood why three of the primary forces appear to have a tangible architectural focus while Nature does not.
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