Super Squirrel

Re: Secret decoder

Would it be bad form to create a PHP decoder page and advertise it here?

 

I was bored, and it's a simple letter replacement code ;-p

 

[edit]

I don't own the book or the ring yet, I worked it out. Once the book makes it across the various oceans - I will be buying it, however.

I would say that if you HAVE a ring you could make a PHP script that requires first they decypher a random, three - six digit code to get the quick decrypt system. But if you don't have the ring you can't make anything yet. 4 letters were not used and you would need the ring to look up.

18 20-5-8-3-14-6-4 9-25-15-8-23-12

Re: A Thread for Random Musings

I'm being such a geek right now.

Re: a warrior's prowess, a thief's skill

Keith Curtis in his Savage Earth campaign has Normal Characteristics Maxima affect CSL's. If you go above 20 points in CSL, it costs double for every point there after. You could do something like that.

Re: open door spell

I'll be honest why I don't like the Teleportation or Tunnelling version.

First, the door itself could be trapped for when it opens. Both "bypass" the actual opening of the door. Though of course a GM could rule otherwise.

Second, just because you want to open the door, doesn't mean you want to step inside the room. Both power constructs mentioned are Movement based powers and thus, require physical movement into the room.

Re: Once I get a job...

If you order every book Hero Games has ever made all at once you get free shipping.

Re: Thoughts on using 1d20 instead of 3d6?

Remember, the more dice you roll, the tighter to the average you will be. You need more +1's to get outside of the normal range or more -1's to hit under a target.

Re: Thoughts on using 1d20 instead of 3d6?

I should note here that I'm not wed to 3d6; I'm wed to the bell curve. A 5d6 or 6d6 method would probably work too' date=' but it would change the probabilities of success markedly and +1 would have a whole different meaning within the context of a campaign using such a method.[/quote']

Actually only 3d6 and 4d6 as far as d6 go retain the normal distrubution aspect of a bell curve. The 4d6 has a larger standard deviation meaning that the normal range encompasses more but the expert range encompasses less. Meaning a +1 means less to an average joe.

 

http://tft.brainiac.com/archive/0401/msg00008.html

Re: open door spell

There are a couple of ways to do that.

Minor Transform 4d6, Locked Door to Unlocked Door could to the trick.

Also you could do it as Lockpicking 23- (31 Active Points) plus Telekenisis (2 STR) (3 Active Points)

I put the Tranform at 4d6 to give it reasonable control over magical doors and doors of unusual material but it isn't as good as the Skill Power version. The telekenisis is necessary to bypass having picks and because it prevents lock based traps from affecting the caster.

Re: Does anyoen use spell-multipliers?

Jumping into the middle of things-- I've an idea for an option for Wizard-balancing. Just let the wizard have more disadvantages. If you think about it' date=' that fits very well into the genre with wizards having more total power than a standard character, but being subject to more problems and limitations.[/quote']

Of course one could also say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

 

I don't think there is any wizard balancing needed. Because every scenario is different, flexability gives the wizard better control over a situation.

 

For example, in my system assume an Elemental Master of Wind and his party are fighting a Blemish. Blemish's are creatures that come back no matter how many times you kill them and get nastier the more they kill or are killed. This one is pretty big, the size of a horse. Blemish's are pretty vindictive and stupid though.

 

The fighter type can attack with skill levels on defense or offense. That doesn't give him much variaty.

 

Now the Wind Elementalist has several options. He could attack the creature with some powerful attack spells. This is a bit logical because the creature is more resistant to physical attacks but spells are more effective. But attacking could draw attention to him from the creature. So as an alternative, he could use spells to enhance the fighter type making him more accurate and faster with a couple of spells. Sure, the weapon's damage is being reduced with each successful blow, but successful blows are happening more often.

 

But this is simply my opinion on the matter, nothing more.

Re: What Champions Books Would You Like Published in the Future?

Beneath the Surface - A sourcebook to a world completely unknown to almost all surface dwellers. Essentually, an underground world of people who live in a subterrainian world.

Re: China Sourcebook

Unfortunately, Steve Long rejected my submission idea for "Meeting Japanese Schoolgirls for Fun and Profit" sourcebook for CU.

Re: Curious of Other Opins

Everyone above me has made far better cases than I could have, both for and against the construct. And as mentioned, it's ultimately up to you to allow it.

 

Personally, I'd go with the suggestions to break it up into multiple powers, justified simply by the rule that says you can't use power A to simulate power B; that's what power B is for.

 

Of course, I also have to wiegh in heavily in favor of the 'smack him with the rule book' suggestion as well. Not because the construct itself is horrifying (though I'd prefer it done with existing abilities where such are relevant) but because of what I think the intentions are (cheesiness rarely seen outside of pressurized cans).

 

Or you could teach him an object lesson about trying to munchkin around your rules:

 

"Okay, I try to Detect Abilities."

-Roll Perception-

"Okay, I made it by five."

-Yes, he has abilities.-

"Wha--? Oh, yeah. Discriminatory"

-okay, he has several abilities-

"Hunh? Fine. Analyze."

-He has several _good_ abilities-

 

and on in that vien.

 

But wait till he spends the points. The lesson sticks better that way .

 

Seriously, if you think he's trying to short-shift he way to a cheesy construct, nip it now. It's harder to bring them back to sway once they know you can be convinced to cave in.

 

 

This message has the official Evil GM seal of approval.

 

 

Duke

Just to expand on your post here (which was very amusing I might add):

Normal:

He has abilities.

Discriminatory:

He has six abilities.

Analyse:

He has six abilities.

17% of them are very, very good.

17% of them are good in certain circumstances.

67% of them will make you cry when used on you.

Re: Thoughts on using 1d20 instead of 3d6?

Without getting too much into the non-game aspect of the bell system, let me discuss briefly, a bit about the bell curve.

The bell curve, at least as we are refering to it is the central limit theorm variation of the normal distribution algorithm. Bell curve, in this context was popularized as a descriptor by psycholigists debating the displacement of intelligence.

A bell curve states that 68% of all people fall within one standard deviation from the center of the curve. 95% of all people should fall within two standard deviations from the center of the curve. And finally 99% of all people should fall within three standard devitions from the center of the curve.

So for a true system that represents modern life you would look at it like this:

Extremely Simple: Only 0.1% should fail at this task.

Very Simple: 2.3% should fail at this task

Simple: 15.9% should fail at this task

Normal: 50% should fail at this task

Hard: 84.1% should fail at this task

Very Hard: 97.7% should fail at this task.

Extremely Hard: 99.9% should fail at this task.

Impossible: No one should fail at this task.

Now, this means for a game system to be accurate you would need to have a bell curve but because not all skills are something that can be done by anyone you would need to have examples for each skill indicating what qualifies as simple, hard, normal, etc for each skill. Then, as long as you are using a system that creates a bell curve (3d10, 4d6, whatever) than you have a system that represents real life fairly accurately.

If you look into the learning curve principle, you can also see that the bell curve is supported in this. The human mind forgets things. As a result you have to relearn some information. Each time you learn something you retain it faster and are less likely to lose it. This can be compared to the current theory of how the brain stores information from binding neurological pathways. The more pathways established, the faster you can recall the information. With a linear system you need A before you can get to B and B before you can get to C. The neurological pathway system gives you multiple paths to reach a point. It is exponential only until it reachs a point when it needs a specific node (A, B, C, D, etc). In this case if you don't know the specific detail, you obviously cannot do the specific task. You can, at best, rely on the information you do have and make what one would call an educated guess.

It, to me, seems to be that the bell curve system for dice rolls fits well. The higher the roll (up until about 15- / 16-) you are just relearning information and learning specific information. Then, beyond that point you are only learning finer details to the skill so that if a very specific circumstance comes up, you are capable of handling it.

From a Psychological and Neurological standpoint, the bell curve system makes sense. But the size of the die only adds flavor.

Re: Thoughts on using 1d20 instead of 3d6?

GM: Roll your Blacksmithing Roll to see if you make the prince's horseshoes.

Player: I failed by 1.

GM: You put the shoe on the horse and the prince rides off. A month goes by and then you learn that the prince lost his arm when his horse buckled from a broken shoe. Please add Hunted: Prince Humperdink to your character sheet.

Player: But I only failed the roll by 1!

GM: Hey, don't blame me, you wanted to play by the d20 skill rolling system.

Re: Thoughts on using 1d20 instead of 3d6?

For what it's worth' date=' no Hero GM I'm aware of rolls for failure on "routine" tasks. We don't have our characters rolling Acrobatics or Breakfall every morning to see if they successfully make it down the stairs for breakfast. There's no point to it unless it has some effect on the story. And that failed horseshoe may not represent a bad horseshoe itself; it might also represent a poor installation or a bad nail used to fasten the horseshoe. It's relevant only if the adventure requires a horseshoe to fail/not fail.[/quote']I might, under certain circumstances, have the players make a roll for something mundane. But something simple gets a bonus depending on how mundane of a task it is. And if it is an important task (such as, for example, making a horseshoe for a Prince) the player is likely to take longer to get an additional bonus. So that 11- Roll is given a base +3 and extra time for a +1 making it a 15- for something routine but important.

Re: Thoughts on using 1d20 instead of 3d6?

I'm not worried about bank robber vs. Spider Man... Spidey doesn't need to deflect the missiles' date=' the bank robber has an almost zero percent chance to hit. Let's assume Spidey has DCV 10 and bank robber has 4 OCV. The bank robber has a 2% chance to hit Spidey. 2%.... and that assumes Spidey's DCV is a mere 10.[/quote']Except it isn't that simple with Hero. First, the Robber can Brace and get a +1 OCV Bonus. Now depending on how Spidey is built (rather, does he have Defensive Maneuver I) he could also be attacking from behind. This halves Spidey to 5 DCV making it an 11- roll or if you prefer 50% chance of hitting.

 

There are ways to bring the hard to hit down to the normal playing field. Another example is give the robber a laser sight focus on the gun (+2 OCV) and with a Brace makes it a 7 OCV vs. a 10 DCV which is at least an 8- roll.

Re: Thoughts on using 1d20 instead of 3d6?

I so very much like the bell curve. An Extremely Difficult task (-5 Penalty) such as disarming a bomb as it is falling to the ground will make a normal demolitions experts (11- / 12-) highly unlikely to disarm it. But a demolitions expert (16- or higher) is going to have at least a 50% chance.

With the bell curve difficult tasks are difficult to the average person in the field. And difficult tasks are routine for experts. You don't get that when you are simply dropping the percentage chance by a whole number.

Re: Anime Champions?

I played Hanabishi Recca from Flame of Recca in my first Champions campaign. I might even still have the write-up around somewhere. The two hardest parts were getting the dragons built so that I could cover combined dragon forms. Now that I'm more experienced with Hero System, I could probably do a much better version of him.

Re: Anonymity vs magic

Yeah, just a Supress 6d6, All Powers to Detect the Player (+1/2), Trigger

Re: Is Combat Driving Enough?

Just a thought: Would you let someone with Combat Driving or Combat Piloting use that skill to do tricks with? Or should there be ' date='like, a PS: Aerobatics besides Combat Piloting for the really nifty loops and rolls? Or would you allow the PS: Aerobatics to be used like Acrobatics?[/quote']

I'd use Combat Piloting alone but would allow PS: Aeriel Maneuvers act as a complementary skill on it.

Re: Orc fall down, go BOOM!

3d6 Ranged Killing Attack, Trigger (Target Being Hit), Damage Rolled Must be Sufficient to Kill the Target or Spell Fails plus 6d6 Ranged Killing Attack, Trigger (Target Being Hit), Explosive.

Re: Half Phases for Fractional Speeds

It is an interesting concept but not one I would use personally. The best I will let players do is keep fractional SPD (as opposed to spending 2 points per point of DEX). This always rounds down as per the rules, however.

Re: Aldaric Gaming Presents: Easthaven

Improvements made to both World History and Threats. Two bugs discovered and removed.

Re: Aldaric Gaming Presents: Easthaven

Threats are partially added in now.

Re: Aldaric Gaming Presents: Easthaven

Spells have been converted over. You can add new spells and edit the game stats for existing ones.