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Christougher

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Posts posted by Christougher

  8. Chadwick Boseman dead at 43.

    in Non-Gaming Discussion

    Posted

    On 8/29/2020 at 10:05 AM, Ranxerox said:

     

    Yeah, last night I was struck by the death of the man, but now I am thinking of the death of the actor.  This is a man who played both Jackie Robinson and Thurgood Marshall and did a great job on both of them.  In the future he might have played Mohammed Ali and Frederick Douglas, and I am certain that given the opportunity he would done a great job with those roles too.  That is a mind blowing amount of talent.

     

    I am at a loss of words.  

     

    Television special mentioning this had perhaps the finest line that could be said about the man:  He portrayed so many legendary figures, he became one.

     

    Hearing of his death was, like others said, a gut punch.  What completely broke my heart were the memes of Stan Lee welcoming him to Heaven.

     

  15. You'll be Mesmerized!

    in HERO System Discussion

    Posted

    On 8/2/2020 at 8:20 AM, BoloOfEarth said:

    I agree with Hugh.  At 5 points per d6, it seems awful cheap for the potential effect.  60 points for 6d6 gives an average roll of 21 - enough to mesmerize  your typical 10-15 BODY person for a while, if they have to roll 2-3d6 each Phase to get the effect down to 0 to break free.

     

    Out of curiosity, why have it go against BODY?  It seems different types of mesmerize could go against various characteristics:

    • Charm or Placate against EGO
    • Sleep against CON
    • Confuse against INT
    • Taunt against PRE
    • Hold against STR
    • Disorient against INT or DEX

     

    Fair call on the cost; I was looking mostly at middle values to simulate effects, not at abusability.  For now, taking Hugh's suggestion of 10/d6 and limitation.  Might go 5/d6 for Movement and 10/d6 for Attack.

     

    For a lot of SFX, the target and their abilities has little to no effect on the duration.  I didn't want to make it EGO and a mental effect by default because that might stop people from thinking of any other SFX.

    BODY tends to be similar in most games.  An Advantage or Limitation to change the affected stat is pretty obvious; maybe +1/2.  

     

    Thanks for the thoughts, all.

     

  16. Duplication question

    in HERO System Discussion

    Posted

    1 hour ago, massey said:

    Duplication is all screwed up.  There aren't very many times you should use Duplication instead of just buying a Follower instead or using Summon.  It's expensive and has some real drawbacks to its use.  It's almost always better to use a different build.

     

    Agent Smith probably just had a bunch of Followers (other Agent Smiths), or used Summon: Horde of Agent Smiths to fight Neo.  Trying to do it all with Duplication is a headache.

     

    The problem with that line of thinking is that Followers and Summons are their own beings, even if they are CloneSmiths.  The GM runs them, not you.  Duplication is the only way to have multiples of yourself that you run.

     

    There is, however, nothing wrong with using "Summon Horde of Smiths" as the special effect of an attack, possibly with Indirect per your previous examples.  Duplication isn't always the answer. 

     

    Chris.

  17. You'll be Mesmerized!

    in HERO System Discussion

    Posted

    In the vein of MMORPGs everywhere and their concepts of mesmerizing effects - holds, charms, sleeps, immobilize, taunts, fears, confuses and more, I wanted to create a single power to encompass and duplicate those effects, with a single concise set of rules.  Yes, there's a lot of overlap with Entangle, that might need to be addressed.  Yes, I read Steve Long's PDF of Control Powers but didn't like its reliance on absolute effects.  No, it hasn't yet been playtested; you're welcome to if you want to.  In fact I'd like opinions and comments.

     

        Mesmerize: The mesmerize power is used to alter a target's ability to move or to attack.  Mesmerize is an Instant power with lasting effects, is Ranged and requires a successful attack roll to hit its target.  It costs 5 Active points per d6 of effect against Movement or against Attacks; this can be combined to 10 Active Points per d6 to affect both.  The target's Power Defense applies, and if the remaining effect exceeds the target's BODY, they are Mesmerized.  
        On their phase, a Mesmerized character rolls BODY/5 d6 and reduces the level of effect in the Mesmerize by this amount; the effect ends when the effect is reduced to zero or less.  A Mesmerize can also be countered by an appropriate Healing ability.

        Forced: Often called Taunt, Fear or Charm, this effect requires the target to use their Full Phase actions as specified by the attack.  The details of a Forced effect are specified when the power is first created and cannot be changed.  A target can be specified not to move or not attack, this is often called a Hold, Immobilize or Placate.  Other possibilities include coming closer to fight the attacker, full movement away, attacking the closest character (ally or enemy), preventing movement in a given direction or preventing attack of a specific target.  
        Random: Often called a Confuse or Disorient, this effect allows the target some choice in their actions but with unexpected results.  Random movement can be determined by rolling a d6 for direction when turn mode allows.  Random attacks treat all possible targets equally - friend, foe or bystander.  [I'm debating giving Random effects a -1/2 limitation.]

        Reduce: Often called a Slow, this effect is applied as a Suppress equal to the effect rolled, affecting all the target's movement or their Speed.  [I'm debating giving Slow effects a -1/2 limitation.]

        Other effects such as altering the perception of who is an ally and who is an enemy, or suppressing other characteristics may sometimes be considered Mesmerize powers.  At the GM's option, they may be allowed, but such effects should never be more powerful than using the appropriate powers.

     

     

  20. Mecha

    in Other Genres

    Posted

    On 4/11/2020 at 9:45 PM, Vanguard said:

    HERO really drops the ball when it comes to Vehicles and Vehicle combat. 

     

    I've never liked the "vehicles are just characters" schtick but trying to actually run/play out a Viper vs Raider space battle with the HERO system rules is dang near impossible and, like you said. Very, very unsatisfying.

     

    I started a thread awhile back on Automobile Hero ideas. 

      I'd love to hear some ideas or suggestions, especially about the points where you think Vehicle Hero rules fail.

  21. Building a City of Villains Mastermind

    in Champions

    Posted

    The MMORPG City of Heroes spawned a villain equivalent, City of Villains.  One of the villain archetypes was the Mastermind, who had minions they directed to attack their enemies.  

    As the Mastermind rose in power, these minions went from one to three mooks, one to two lieutenants, and a boss.

     

    How would you build such a character without using the Summon power?  Many GMs are wary of Summon abuse, and you can't completely control Summons as well as a Mastermind could.

  22. From The Management: Hero Games History Question

    in Company Questions

    Posted

    2 hours ago, mattingly said:

    I would argue against including Haymaker, since it was an APAzine, and intended to be shared with a limited audience.

     

     

    I'm not trying to knock yours and other contributors additions to the 'zine, especially not your rights to same and/or to profit from it.

     

    But I have to wonder "Why not expand its audience?"  Let everyone see, read, and use the things that were created.  Hero needs MORE of everything, for everyone, not just Hero for existing Hero Players.  

     

    *I'm not  a Haymaker contributor; was in a gaming group with one and allowed to read a copy.

     

    Chris.

     

  25. Help Driving HERO

    in HERO System Discussion

    Posted

    On 5/10/2020 at 3:41 PM, Duke Bushido said:

     

    That is my personal favorite suggestion, right there:  if you tell a player "well, it's a game about sword fighting," you wouldn't be surprised to find that he built a character centered around being really good with swords.  If you were doing the Lewis and Clark thing, you'd find lots and lots of survival, navigation, cartography, and hunting-related skills.  

     

    Similarly, if you build around driving, those people who plan to do a lot of driving will be very, very good at it.

     

     

    Sorry-- I have been culling through old issues of White Dwarf looking for things to send to a dear friend, so I've got oodles of that floating through my head at the moment.  I'd like to borrow a suggestion that was published there for the old Judge Dredd RPG, and combine it with something that happened to HERO between 2e and 4e, guided by a personal tendency to favor flavor.  There might even be a bit of old-school Traveller thrown in here as well.

     

     

    Look at the differences: 

     

    With sword fighting, you've got lots of skills to chose from-- various familiarities, maneuvers, weapons, shields, off-hands-- all kinds of things that some players will favor over others, making each sword-centric warrior still just a little different from the ones on either side of him.

     

    The same with the explorers:  there are so many different things that go into surviving and exploring-- no one character could possibly be the very best at all of them.

     

    The more Pokemon you have, the more of them have crap stats because you can only train so many (I think.  I know diddly-crap about pokemon, except that the people screaming and squealing at the card games have run me away from more than one gaming table)

     

     

    All told, it simplifies to this:

     

    Split up the Skill.  Make specialties:

     

    So you have a basic "combat driving."   That's a good "fall back on" for things you don't have proficiencies in.

     

    If you want variety and proficiencies, then just break it down:

     Evade gunfire

    Off-road driving.

    high-speed cornering.

    Power slide

    recover from slide

    drift

    maximum braking (seriously: the level of success can be used as a modifier or to negate maneuver penalties imposed by what is correctly-termed "threshold braking."  The driver has an ability to know just how had he can stop and still maintain perfect traction (which, for the record, actually reduces stopping time and distance) and direct his line of momentum to work _with_ the next maneuver instead of against it)

    Redline-- Character can achieve maximum acceleration with minimum risk to the vehicle-- failing this roll can result in blown or damaged engines, glassed clutches, cracked cylinder heads-- whatever.

     

    "Feel for the streets"-- character has a decent understanding of the economies and tendencies of road building in a particular municipality, meaning he's got a good instinct for when he's headed toward narrower and more congested roads, alleys, neighborhoods, or wider and more trafficked roads or highways-- it gives him an edge to avoid traffic, dead-ends, badly-repaired roads--

     

    there's another one!

     

    Broken field:  character can dodge potholes, heaves, chunked pavement, puddles, and old sneakers with such skill as to negate up to "level of success" penalties for maneuvers under these conditions.

     

    Get Lost: character can work his way rapidly into a crowd of vehicles and chameleon his driving style to match that of commuters around him, allowing him  a better-than-normal chance to lose a tail.

     

    Shake Chopper: you're on your own with how this works in any given location, but it's the same thing, only with ariel observers.....

     

     

    And of course, it goes on for as long as you want (or need) and as specifically as you want (or need).

     

    You could even make certain maneuvers a Skill of sorts:  flying 180, drift into parking spot, strafe onto sidewalk (I don't know if you've ever had the pleasure, but at speed?  That curb will snatch the wheel out of your hands and into a whole different county)-- even a specific skill to "jump" a car (be reasonable: this is _brutal_ on the car, fatal if there's not receiving ramp and the jump is of any considerable size).

     

    Barrel Roll!  That'd just be impressive.

     

    Fake crash: the character can "crash" the vehicle into a barrier or object in such a way as to minimize (or possibly completely avoid) structural damage while maximizing cosmetic damage, debris, etc-- when his pursuers leave their cars to investigate, he's off and running again (possibly even ramming one or more of them right through the radiator to prevent a whole lot more pursuit.

     

    Text: the character can successfully drive while not actually looking anywhere near the road

     

    Sidearm:  Character can negate up to "success level" penalties, divided evenly, for attempting to drive one way and fire his weapon a different direction (like at the guy behind him; I don't know-- it's your game)

     

    Steady:  The character can maintain the vehicle at a precise velocity and heading, observing road conditions so far in advance that his corrections are minor and slow, providing an excellent platform for other characters to leap onto or stand on while attempting other things (like climbing into a truck or grabbing a helicopter skid or repairing that roof-mounted 60 cal.

     

    Pit:  I think we all know what this is at this point:  Character can perform a pit, and his success level provides a negative modifier to his target's appropriate "don't get pitted" roll.  a Pit roll verus Pit roll may even allow a _positive_ modifier to safely recover from a pit without loss of momentum (we've all seen that video with the Mustang making the Highway Patrol look like clowns, right? )

     

    Not enough?  Divide it up between classes of vehicles:  Front wheelers, rear-wheelers, eighteen wheelers, straight-trucks, tracks, whatever.

     

     

    Still think it boils down to  roll after roll?  

     

    Well it does.  That's how the skill systems work in pretty much any game:  you roll your skill.  If you want them to use a skill, they have to roll for that skill.

     

    This leads to the suggestion to analyze the vehicle movement rules.  See what you can re-work to either eliminate certain skill rolls or to require very specific ones.  Pick up Car Wars, if you haven't already gotten it.  Use that when it's time for on-the-streets action.  I do.  It works fine-- it actually works better than HERO, because nothing is shoe-horned into the rules; the Car Wars rules were written specifically for this sort of stuff.  Even if you don't use it outright, use it as a guide to modify the HERO rules to make the car chase game that you want to play.

     

     

     

     

    Awesome on so many levels.  Agreeing with lonewolf's post as well, I don't want them just stocking up on one skill and using it for everything - I just wasn't sure how to pull that off.  

     

    LOL at the Text skill.  

     

     

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