Diamond Spear

So I’ve been kicking around the idea of putting together a “basic” or “introduction” booklet for a superhero setting. It would use the Hero toolkit but hide 90% of it by using pre-built powers, skill and talent/perk blocks and character creation that is greatly simplified. I’ve even got the framework of a setting in mind. If anyone is interested in collaborating on such a project drop me a PM and I’ll be happy to provide more detail.

The problem with existing IP is the money it cost to license it. A secondary problem is spending time and money to develop product you can’t use one the license lapses.

I’ve often thought that what Hero really needs is a great signature setting. For many gamers a significantly interesting setting is enough to get them to try a system they might otherwise avoid and Hero lacks such a setting. You only have to look at the success of Palladium Books to understand how a great setting can draw people in despite a rules system many of those people tolerate at best. So what would your choice be if you could pick one setting ( not based on an existing setting or IP) for Hero games to develop as its “signature setting”?

Do Thursdays work for y’all

The only issue ay be time zones; I’m Eastern and if I recall correctly I’ve gotten interest from CA and AZ. Thoughts?

The other possibility is Play-by-Email. With people who can post everyday or even multiple times a day, it's workable. With only a couple of players it can move at a reasonable speed. Thoughts?

Have you tried looking on http://Rpol.net?

The first request was for weekdays. So with only two requests so far that’s kind of tricky. Hmmm

I’m comfortable with any day so whatever works best for everyone is fine. My plan is to use 6th edition although if everyone wanted to use 5th I wouldn’t have a problem with that.

So, back to the topic at hand... I'd be willing to run a game. I prefer a chat based game and honestly I prefer text based rather than voice chat. There are a few reasons for this, one being that there is a record of the game sessions, two being that players with English as a second language are usually more comfortable with the written word and third it makes it a little easier for me as a GM to run the game. I'm available almost any night of the week between 7 and 11 pm Eastern time. I'd also have a provision for PBEM for downtime activities and so on. Games I'd be interested in running include: 1. Early medieval in a homebrew setting. Low-magic, rather gritty, characters would be adventuring in a setting that is just recovering from it's version of the collapse of the Roman Empire. Small scale stakes to start with. Human only PCs. 2. A game set in the BECMI setting of Mystara (also called The Known World). The game would be set in The Grand Duchy of Karameikos with a human majority party preferred. Equal mix of combat oriented adventuring and political intrigue. Slightly more optimistic than gritty. (Details on the setting for those not familiar can be found at http://pandius.com/ ) 3. I track down my old fourth edition Fantasy HERO and Companion books I and II and run a game set in the Western Shores setting. Not sure what I'd do with this one as the setting is kind of a mish-mash but I'm sure I'll think of something. 4. Open to suggestions. What do you think?

Only if you admit that Ovechkin is a Better player than Crosby. 😁

Three players and a GM is plenty. So who volunteers to GM?

I’m up for some fantasy gaming.

Mom aware of boxing’s issues. One of the reasons I don’t follow it. ?

After watching yesterday’s two games I am officially done with the NFL. Between the Saints being robbed of the win by that non-call and the Chiefs not even getting a chance to play offense due to the league’s asanine overtime rules I just can’t take it anymore. I’m not a fan of any of the teams that played yesterday but between officiating that’s at best wildly inconsistent and an overtime format that quite literally comes down to a coin flip I can’t take it seriously anymore. Looks like I’m down to two pro sports now.

It'd be a lot of work, and I haven't finished reading the series, but an Urban Fantasy setting based on the Rachel Morgan/Hollows books would be fun. Of course, like most "zero to let's-change-everything-everyone-knows-about-the setting" book series I'd want to confine the conversion to the first couple of books. I also have a copy of The Hollows Insider which would be invaluable for doing a conversion.This requires thought...

I kind of think that doing Thieves World requires it not be set in an existing setting but needs to be its own thing. I've been turning it over in my mind and besides the magic system(s) I think a lot of thought needs to go into fighting styles, the available equipment, the upbringing and therefore the skill sets of the "average Santuarians" and so on. So, anyone want to help me? ?

Over the last week or so I've rediscovered my Thieves World books and have been enjoying reading them again. I think it would make an interesting setting with appropriate tweaks for being used as an RPG, as opposed to an anthology, setting. The hardest part would be getting the various magic systems to work within the HERO powers framework. That challenge aside I like the idea of a game set in a failing empire, where gods and demons are actively engaged in the world and where power comes with a price. I think you could keep all that without playing it quite as dark as the setting was originally written. Thoughts on that?

I did. I had them analyzed three times and got the same result each time: I’m completely crazy. ? On topic: I’ve been thinking since I posted it that maybe the Vampire Accademy books really would be a project worth doing. Is anyone else here familiar with them?

Also sorry I’ve been absent from the thread. Some things at work blew up.

Hey if I can work on something that does both that’d be great. And let’s face it, it’s hard to come up with an idea that hasn’t been done a bunch.

So the Vampire Academy books setting? Which actually isn’t a bad idea, mind.

Nope not in SCAD. A bit old for that. Moved here about a year and a half ago for work.

So upon further reflection I was thinking that a semi-pulp sci-fi setting might be fun and that put me in mind of the Mageworlds books. They're on the line between pulp and space opera and there's an established setting that's almost begging to be fleshed out. Done strictly as a fan project I think it has great potential. Thoughts?

Hmmm... Maybe a kind of "Combo genre" setting? Modern day with a touch less cynicism but focused on various secret societies, perhaps even with typical urban fantasy elements such as vampires, werewolves, magic, etc. with the societies keeping themselves separate from the "normal" society and only interacting with each other, with, of course the secret societies operating under pulp rules and sensibilities. Kind of a pulp version mash up of the Illuminati and various urban fantasy settings? That's kind of a stream of consciousness spitballing of the idea. It's still trying to sort itself out in my head. Does it make sense?