djkester

Re: Transcript of Steve Long's MYTHIC HERO chat -- Feb. 22, 2012

Thanks for posting the discussion. Much appreciated.

Re: Support HERO Indirectly...

Don't give up.

 

It's like what a musician friend once told me about songwriting: He had to write 10 bad ones before he could get anything good.

Seconded. One thing about starting to write is that there is a learning curve to getting accross your vision. It takes just a bit of practice. The trick is to not get discouraged. I for one am still on my learning curve. I'm going to port an encounter I did a couple of years ago over from DnD 4e to HS this next month and I'll post it when I'm done.

Re: Support HERO Indirectly...

I think this is an excellent idea.

Re: Post your campaign/setting/supplement

Here is a short PDF I did on Kobolds for my Avergene campaign. When I did this for my gaming group I used graphics that I don't have license to so I've removed them from this version.

Have fun and enjoy.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]41711[/ATTACH]

Re: MYTHIC HERO Kickstarter

Steve, I'm glad to be a supporter of this project. I look forward to getting my copy of this book so I can have it for my games. Here is to your success on this project.

Re: BOOK OF THE EMPRESS Kickstarter

Pledge Made.

Re: Laptops vs tablets

For game purposes the form factor of the computer is likely unimportant until you get to the limitations of its use or advantages. The point value will be determined as Starcloud said by the problems it can solve.

Example of a possible limitations/advantages:

Tablets can be used while standing. Laptops need a desk surface.

Re: how much weight can a floor support

I have not seen an existing rule, though there may be one in The Ultimate Brick.

 

I have my own HOUSE RULES for this though:

 

Basically, 100kg of weight does 2DC of normal damage (2D6N) to a surface at any given time. In general, with normal wear and tear, this is treated as a Standard Effect, so most people do between 1 and 2 Body to any surface they are walking on at any given time. For every doubling of weight add +1D6 (+1DC) normal damage. (200kg = 3D6N, 400kg = 4D6N etc).

 

For the most part, people of normal weight do not do damage to the surface they are standing on. Most wooden floors should have a Defense of 2 or 3 and this will be sufficient for normal activity. A 100kg person will do 2 Body as a Standard Effect to any surface they are standing on. Most surfaces designed for human traffic will sustain them. The only time we should worry about rolling this damage is during times of extreme activity, running, jumping, tubling, fighting etc can do full damage to the surface, thus a 100kg person could potentially do 4 body to a wooden floor, meaning sometimes, they may crack a floor board or put their foot through a thin part of the floor during a fight. It won't happen often. However heavy characters...400kg or heavier are very likely to put their feet through wood. Doing 4D6N damage achieving 5 or 6 Body on a roll will leave holes all over the battlefield.

 

Keep in mind that most office buildings have concrete floors, which depending on the thickness should have a Defense between 4 and 6, so most characters, even heavy ones won't be putting their feet through the floors. Where rules like these will come into play most often are the rooftops of normal houses, places where the floors are rotting away or are on fire and low on Body. Thin and precarious wooden and rope bridges where one wants to step lightly or the 100+ foot fall into the rocky, alligator infested river below awaits....

 

Don't forget to add velocity damage to characters who fall onto a surface. Enough velocity damage will allow a character to smash through several floors before stopping. Move through damage is applicable in these cases (on the falling character as well as the surface)

I'm stealing this for my game.

Re: Character Creation Session report

Thanks for the suggestions. I appreciate all the support. We have worked out most of a build for the Goblin hunting automaton. It looks like there is a potential desire to build him bodies from various other technologies (mechanical) or magical means (golems). So going the AI and Automaton route with some small tweeks to keep balance.

For those that are interested. It looks like the long out of print Battletech Starter kit will be in stock Jan 25th or there about. More information can be gained from Catalyst's web site. <--Link

Re: Possible HERO System Supplement Kickstarters From Steve -- What Interests You?

Maybe the Sixth Edition version should be called Danger International!

/agree

Please use the cool name if, i mean when, you make a new version.

Re: Interesting discussio on the future of Hero System on rpg.net

A friend of mine and I had an interesting conversation yesterday about the entry point for gamers. The discussion was around Path Finder but I think it applies here as well. I think that whom ever can solve the entry point problem can make it work. There is certainly enough stuff already developed by DOJ to provide a valuable up sell. In our discussion we were simply talking about money but I think equally you have to consider the time you have to invest before game play begins.

I think that the problem that people have been talking about is not the, make 5 games that have all of the rules but make one that new players can get into. So I hope that if the new open license of HS appears then someone will be able to put forth a starter game in a genre they love. The possibilities are at least an intriguing discussion.

Re: Character Creation Session report

Hey all, things are progressing along nicely. The fifth player and I met tonight and he's going to create an Aquatic Elf possessed by a wind elemental. With the possession he was forced to come above the waves as he can no longer breath water. Forcing him from the life he has known and loved. The Aquatic Elves are a tribal people living a fairly peaceful hunter gatherer life below the waves where the dangers are mortal and less magical. In recent history he's spent time serving on a pirate ship where his control of the winds made him a valuable asset.

He's going to have a mix of martial and magical abilities channeled from the Wind elemental.

Re: Hero In Two Pages - Complete

Can someone give me the Hero build of a nitpicker. I can't find the skill, tallent, or power...

Re: Interesting discussio on the future of Hero System on rpg.net

@Chris Goodwin,

agree.

Re: I've got you

So what if we just don't call it "Restrainable?" Instead' date=' let's call it Gestures (wing flapping) on a Constant power, which would also be -1/2. If any other application of constant Gestures is worth -1/2, why wouldn't this one be?[/quote']

 

I think the question I posted earlier is the direction for the answer to this issue. If a power is inherently restrainable under the immobilization and grab rules than it inherently has the limitation built into the power. So no additional value for taking it a second time.

 

Also, FWIW, the character being unable to move (due to Grab/Entangle) isn't exactly the same thing as the power not working (Restrainable). For example, a character might have other Powers that are Linked to their Flight. With an ordinary Grab/Entangle, the Linked Power could remain on, even if the character didn't move, because simply being Grabbed/Entangled doesn't literally prevent your Flight Power from working. With Restrainable, the Limitation condition prevents the Power from working, which would also prevent any Linked Powers from working...

 

Ah, this is a good point. As a DM I'd have to understand the nature of the power being built to determine the value of the linkage. In any case I wouldn't apply the limitation Restrainable to the flight but I would likely put a "not while immobolized or grabbed" limitation on the linked powers. I'd need to model this a bit to determine what level of limitation this would be.

 

I'd think that if some players could apply restrainable as a free limitation to most powers they would. So I'd monitor this one and determine the real value of the limitation based on the character and the design of the powers.

Re: I've got you

I would think that any form of movement that is restrainable based on the physicality of the motion should not be allowed the limitation of "restrainable". You can't run with your legs tied etc.. The question then comes for moment powers which inherently have in the power design the idea of restrainability and which do not. For example: Run does and Teleport does not.

So for movement powers the 'Restrainable' limitation should only be allowed for powers that aren't stopped by the rules you mentioned. Otherwise there is no additional limitation. Now one thing you could consider is that my Wings are easier to restrain than I am as a person. So If i'm grabbed I can't fly even if I'm stronger than the STR of the entangle or grabber. In my mind that would be a pretty minor limitation though maybe (-1/4) if the character was pretty strong.

I like the implementation of the "if it isn't limiting it doesn't have any value." It really helps me evaluate things pretty evenly.

Re: Interesting discussio on the future of Hero System on rpg.net

@Derek, do you have a source for your comment, "The problem is the shrinking of the pen-and-paper RPG hobby" i've been doing reading on this over the last couple of years and it seems that the information on RPG sales is very hard to find. I'm hoping you know of a source.

Re: Help Me Populate: The Undead Asylum

There in the Asylum's bowls is a long dead and decayed corpse. The remains of someone long ago dumped here after all usefulness of his undead body had drained out.

The thoughts of such a creature wander and decay overtime as well and for the most part the broken and used body just blathers on. These incoherent messages are sometimes in mumbles and sometimes in screams. But there is from time to time a chance for it to mutter something still intelligible. The location and protections of a treasure trove buried these last three centuries.

The loot of a pirate ship. The treasure is protected by unknown traps and tricks so finding it is only half the challenge. A challenge only Roger Rook of the pirate ship Plagued Plank knows the answers to.

Re: Interesting discussio on the future of Hero System on rpg.net

@Bunneh and Gojira and others...

I totally agree about not including to much information in the stand along product. In fact I would make the information about customizing the "game" as a separate product or section to the product (since it likely wouldn't need to be too big. In this you would offer up the general approach to the "game" and how the core rules was used to build things mechanically. To some degree this would information currently in the Genre books but instead of offering up possible ways to build things you'd be describing how it was done in the game and how it could be modified should the GM want to get the core books and do it.

Re: Character Creation Session report

@djkester- I think I posted somewhere a dwarven martial arts style on the boards. If your interested and can't find it' date=' I could look in gaming blackhole, aka my basement for it.[/quote']

There is one in the HSMA book as well. Its pretty cool. I wonder if Steve borrowed it. If you open a portal and get at i'd love to see it. I'll hunt for it here as well.

Re: Interesting discussio on the future of Hero System on rpg.net

@Derek,

Ah i see better now. I do agree that the idea is to get people playing the game who aren't now and a significantly complete teaser would be a great product in place of the basic book.

In fact I think this other thread on Quick Starts actually might be a good place to find this teaser game. The main reason I play Hero System is due entirely to Danger International. It is the game that got me addicted to HS. Champions was fun but the system's overall usefulness wasn't clear to me until DI.

I like the idea though of a Ninja quick start as the teaser.

Re: Character Creation Session report

@Ninja-Bear,

That is exactly the idea the player of the Kobold Trap Master had as well. They are both pretty excited.

For others. I agree totally it would much simpler to craft the character using the normal character development rules but with unique powers skills and comps.

Honestly speaking that is what the Automaton rules are. Normal character develpoment with with unique powers and comps. The question I am working through is which method gives the best feel, best understanding by the player, and the most fun in the game time.

Likely i'll build this character three of four different ways to see how it pans out. being a software engineer I love this sort of thing so for me this is hours of fun.

Re: Interesting discussio on the future of Hero System on rpg.net

@Derek,

This is a core problem. The problem that anyone who is selling to customers has to determine is how do I increase demand on my products. Marketing costs money and in today's world advertising doesn't cut it. You need to provide value to the consumer to get them to make a time commitment to your product.

For example, in the company I work in we often engage in free pre-sales work to help demonstrate for potential customers the value of our offerings and capabilities. This loss leader costs the company money to develop and engage. The return is on the increased business as a results of our "free" services.

Giving away content to increase demand may very well be the best business case for the company.

I'm not sure for Hero Games that this is the best strategy but I feel pretty strongly that if you gave away a PDF of the basic book you'd increase demand for the full core set. Likely you'd want to edit the basic book to include hooks to drive the customer to the fuller books but even the current PDF would increase demand if people could get a feel for the game who currently have no experience with its greatness.

I don't have any sales data of course but I wonder if the number of basic books purchased happens after the user buys the full set instead of the other way around. I know for the people I game with If I could give them the basic rules they'd be much more likely to invest further into the system. Right now I'm asking them all to put down the $20.00 themselves to get it. They are still thinking about it. The only reason they even consider it is because I've already given them a motivation and value to do so by starting a Hero System campaign. Without me they wouldn't have looked twice at the system. Motivating people to give your product a chance is the key to increasing sales.

That hurdle to getting into the system has to be something that Hero Games overcomes if they are to truly pull a phoenix. IMO.

IMO they should put the content of the Basic book on RPG Now and their own store for free and capture email addresses of these customers and start marketing to them.

Re: Character Creation Session report

That is another option, yes. I'll likely try various options. Thanks for the suggestion.