Drohem

Re: Skyrealms of Jorune Conversion to HERO 6E.

WOW! That's awsome news! I wish you the best of success on this project. Also, thank you to the author for letting this happen!

I didn't see a sticky thread for this specific book so that's why I'm posting it here; please forgive me if it's in the wrong place on the forum.

This is an FYI.

OK, I was in th process of creating a template for the Light War Horse in Hero Designer when I discovered that listed Characteristic cost for its PD is incorrect.

The Light War Horse template is located on page 474 of the The HERO System Bestiary.

It is showing that the Characteristic cost for a 7 PD is 2-points whereas the cost should be 5-points. Consequently, the Total Characteristics Cost should be listed at 101-points and not 98-points.

Is there a hard limit for the DC increase to a missile weapon such as an arrow or bolt?

In our game we use the optional rule to allow DC increases to exceed double the original DC value, and the weapon breakage optional rule.

Martial Maneuvers add bonus DCs that could possible double the original DC for a RKA weapon such as an arrow or bolt, but it seems moot to apply weapon breakage rules to a fired arrow or bolt. In this case, would the double the original DC rule apply as a hard limit?

Re: Ranged attacks while engaged in melee

As to the main point - I think the thing is this: even with concentration and requiring a half phase to draw an arrow and a half phase to attack, a bowman can still use his weapon in melee. he might well suffer next phase - or he might not. Example:

 

Swordsman and Bowman. Swordsman higher DEX, but both same SPD.

 

PHASE 3

 

Swordsman attacks - does not kill bowman.

 

Bowman draws an arrow (half phase or maybe zero phase with Quick Draw) and shoots the arrow at the Swordsman (half phase). He is now 1/2 DCV.

 

PHASE 6

 

Swordsman attacks, Bowman aborts to dodge, thus removing his previous penalty and increasing his DCV substantially.

 

Repeat as needed.

 

Sure the Bowman is at a disadvantage - but then he is slower than the swordsman so you'd expect that - the point is many feel he should not be able to do that at all. The rules allow it though. You'd need another limitation on Longbow, something like 'minimum Range: 2m'. That way he could not shoot at someone standing next to him - although TECHNICALLY even that would not prevent him using his bow - it would just mean that he could not hit the guy in front of him with the sword - but could target another fighter further away.

 

Hero does not prevent that sort of nonsense, presumably assuming the GM will just say no.

 

Perhaps ANOTHER limitation should be placed on Longbow: Requires a Roll (EGO and/or DEX roll to use bow in melee range of hostile opponent). It wouldn't STOP a bowman trying to use his weapon in melee, but would make it much more difficult to do so successfully.

 

Then you could also have 'Extra segment to draw arrow and shoot' because Hero allows you to half phase draw arrow and half phase shoot - all as part of a single action, without interruption.

 

Longbows are going to be amazingly cheap

Thanks for the example. I'm fairly new to HERO so it helped. Still, that is pretty good for me, as the swordsman and bowman start to dance if the bowman starts taking Dodge actions to avoid being hit by the swordsman. In this way, the bowman is giving up an attack to get a +3 DCV bonus , yet, at the same time, he is giving the swordsman more opportunities to hit him, albeit with more difficulty. Personally, if I was running a game, I would probably institute some like you suggested where firing and loading when adjacent to a melee combatant would be more difficult. Although, as always, if a character really, really wanted to devote a truck load of points into bow powers, skill, talents, etc., to be like Legalos, then he can do- but, he may suffer in other areas for making that choice.

Re: Ranged attacks while engaged in melee

In this thread here I talk about finding the Concentration notes for bows on the weapons table. As I understand it, the bowman is at half DCV while loading and firing the bow. People have mentioned in this thread but no one seems to refer to it as part of the RAW (rules as written). I found this in the 5e HERO, Revised book on page 483.

I don't understand why it's not accepted as part of the rules, as it is clearly stated on page 483. Am I missing something about this whole thing?

Personally, I am fine with the bowman being at half DCV while firing and loading the bow as this does make doing this while engaged in melee a dangerous prospect. Yes, you can fire on your opponent even though engaged in melee range, but it's going to cost your defense dearly.

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On an unrelated note, when or how do I get privileges to edit my options and add an avatar? I currently get the message that I don't have permission to do anything with my profile on this forum.

Re: Ranged attacks while engaged in melee

We are playing in a gritty and low fantasy setting, and are going for that feel and emulation. I know that my GM is not using the Concentration limitation which struck me as odd that bandit fodder were expert bowmen with uber concentration and could stand their like a statue and reload and fire on someone attacking them with a melee weapon.

Also, I know the HERO System and D&D are vastly different so I am not making one for one comparisons here. I realize that they're apples and oranges and I am totally cool with that. However, it stretches my personal limits of verisimilitude when there is no ramifications for a person trying to load and fire an arrow at someone who is swinging a melee weapon in their face. *shrug*

My views on the subject are similar to Panpiper's. I feel that if the Concentration limitation were applied in my game, then I would be completely satisfied. I am going to speak with my GM about it. However, I do recognize that in high fantasy games or heroic level that this might not be applicable.

Re: Apology

The penalty stays in place until they take another action. Either their next phase shows up and everything 'resets' or they Abort to a defensive action.

Thank you.

Re: Apology

I went to the book (5e, Revised) and found that bows do have the notes of Concentration. As I understand it, the person firing the bow has their DCV halved throughout the loading and/or firing process. Does that mean that their DCV is only halved on the segment that they load and/or fire, or the whole turn in which they take that action?

It's on the weapon table on page 483.

Re: Apology

Welcome to the Hero Boards!

 

Don't worry about asking questions, we like to help here.

 

As to the original question, the short answer is that it may be possible to attack someone in the same or adjacent hex with a ranged weapon while being attacked by someone in HTH. It really depends on the circumstances, though. For example, I wouldn't let someone with a longbow shoot an arrow into someone in the same hex, but I would let someone with a gun drawn to shoot the swordsman who's attempting to fight him.

 

It all comes down to what makes logical sense.

 

JoeG

(And don't worry about not doing a complete enough search; Simon has stated that the forum needs to be re-indexed before it works properly).

Thank you.

I posted a question in Mr. Long's sub-forum about ranged attacks while engaged in melee and after I did I saw that the system showed me some related threads concerning that question. I apologize for not being more thorough in searching the threads first.

Hello members! This is my first post here on this community.

I took a look throughout the forum, but I couldn't find anything specifically pertaining to my question. I apologize if I missed it and would appreciate it if someone could direct me to the proper thread or post.

I'm a player home brew game where the GM has interpreted 3.5 Dungeons & Dragons using the 5e HERO System, Revised. There is one thing about the combat that irks me. He allows ranged combatants, i.e. bowmen, to fire at us even when we've engaged them in melee. He doesn't allow opportunity attacks in his game, so these bowmen can happily and gleefully reloaded and fire in our face while we're swinging melee weapons at them from an adjacent hex.

I finally dug out my HERO book and looked it up for myself. I found this passage under the Fighting section and How Combat Works subsection on page 370:

All combat can be divided into two types: Hand-To-Hand Combat (HTH) and Ranged Combat. HTH Combat is combat between characters who are standing in the same or adjacent hexes. Usually HTH Combat involves punching or melee weapons such as swords, not attacks like guns or energy bolts that can affect targets at a distance. Ranged Combat is any combat between characters who are not in the same or adjacent hexes; it requires weapons such as guns or bows, or Ranged attacks such as Energy Blasts or RKAs. Assuming special effects, common sense, and/ or dramatic sense don’t forbid it, a character can use a Ranged attack against a character in the same hex as he, or an adjacent hex.

I bolded the last two lines because they seem contradictory to me. Does the regular 5e HERO System, Revised allow this? Can a ranged person fire on someone in the adjacent hex that has engaged them with a melee weapon?

I would sincerely appreciate any clarification on this point from the members here.