Jkeown
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Posts posted by Jkeown
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Re: Cities of Caleon! Free to Adapt!
Little Update... uploaded a city I made with that paper....
Enjoy!
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I have a largish article you might want to read, re-write, mangle, line a bird cage with, what-have-you...
http://www.geocities.com/jephkay@sbcglobal.net/Cities.htm
It's fun... the math is not so intense... maybe it's useful, maybe you'll be hospitalized from laughing at my presumption... who can say?
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Re: Updates...
I had thought of that... I went through dozens of ideas... everything from "It fell into the present from the future" to "hijacked by Ninja Pirates"
Yeah... Hijacked. It's that kind of city.
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The random bestiary needs some more formatting and then its off to Steve for approval.
Meanwhile... I have a great idea for a new city for my campaign... mysterious and bizarre... unlike any other... how would you introduce characters to it... More I cannot say...
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Re: Fantasy Hero / Star Hero .... SpellJammer?
I have about 80 pages of material for a setting called "Exodus" I might be willing to develop beyond the few games the guys and I have played. It's essentially my Caleon game setting with 500 years of advancement and a destroyed homeworld.
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Yeah... Having played around with the Random Bestiary, I've discovered it's a great Resource for Star Hero. SOme of the results just don't mix with Fantasy Hero at all.
5: Tundra/Steppe Survival (Tundra/Steppe)+1
7: Carnivore (Sus-1)
12 Herder! (Greg+2) Tracking Tactics+1
4: Warm-blooded
6: Crepuscular
2: Deep Sleeper
4: Family Group
4: Small Body Frame
4: Average Bulk
5: Near Top of Food Chain (Sus)+1
Several Young, Moderate Investment
So far, so good... I get to Number of Sexes... I get a hermaphromorphic design... hmm... hardly something Tolkien would have given us. I think the FH version will be toned down a lot. OR...only the Star Hero Version will be random... unless Overwelming Public Out Cry demands tables.
Back to it... I gotta let Steve see it before I make it public... but it will be here Real Soon Now...
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Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone?
I almost went non-random with it. I just might... perhaps write a lengthy article on Evo-Devo and just let folks wing it. The original author (Aidan) didn't want to be associated with a project that wasn't random. HERO gamers are, as I've said, so deterministic (a trait that arises from the system itself)
But I digress. I have the tables all formatted and happy, now I just have to finish all the various traits and plug them in. The format seems to be primitive at the lower numbers, and more complex and developed at the higher ranges. Truly weird ("Highly Evolved") stuff is in there, but I don't know how much use it would get. I think the tables are weighted somewhat towards very mundane critters. After all, a raccoon with Laser Eyes and Wings is not a raccoon... it's a Flycoon... or LaserBat... or something.
Thus, it's more of a Star HERO product, as SH needs greater variety of mundane life forms than FH.
I always like to work on 2 column text, but after plugging in the Traits, its going to have to be 1 column... darn it.
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Re: ...and the Bird you rode in on...
Of course... Wazzan are dinosaurs...
"Because the dinosaur tissues didn’t look exactly like pictures published of medullary bone in living birds like chicken and quail, Schweitzer’s team compared the tissue from the femur of the T. rex to that taken from leg bones of more primitive ratites, or flightless birds, such as ostriches and emus. These birds share more features with dinosaurs than other present-day birds. They selected an ostrich and an emu in different stages of their laying cycles, when medullary bone is present."
But that's just my way of seeing the evidence...
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Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone?
Only lack of response because you posted in times I'm asleep
(that's what you get for being at a different GMT)
So? Move. Indy is great this time of year... and we have Gen Con!
I love the idea.Good, I do, too...
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Re: A Random Bestiary, Anyone?
I have to assume the lack of response is due to overwelming disinterest.
Have a look at those and let me know if a HERO-ized copy is a neat idea.
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Okay... how to start this... I have compiled a list of animal attributes, consulted various sage individuals and studied my butt off, lo, these many days...
Now I have to bring it all together into a cohesive plan for writing animals. Hopefully, it evolves into a nice HERO "Meta-system" for creating bestiaries.
Some of the source material uses random tables to better simulate the evolution of critters. Others, myself included, prefer a top-down approach to animal design. I draw a sketch, look at it, and do a character sheet.
How does HERO-dom feel about randomization? I've always thought HERO players were fairly deterministic in outlook. Are tables more or less work? Would decent balanced tables that give "realistic" results be a welcome thing in your big GM binder o' stuff?
Most likely, I'll include the tables and the power constructs in the paper to ease the use of both methods. There will be a short table on "Common Animal Spells" and "Common Animal Psi-Powers" for those who want to use them, but they won't be a part of the "Required" sections.
BTW The tables will probably be pretty useful for Star HERO as well...
And anyone who writes a program from it will recieve Rep-For-Life from me.
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Zooch
6" RUN00" SWIM-22" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: -2Val Char Cost 0 STR -10 18 DEX 24 10 CON 0 6 BODY -8 8 INT -2 10 EGO 0 5 PRE -5 11 COM 1 0 PD 0 2 ED 0 2 SPD 0 2 REC 0 20 END 0 11 STUN 0
Powers Cost: 97Cost Power END 30 Hard To Hit: +6 with DCV 8 Easily Hidden: +6 to Concealment (12 Active Points); Self Only (-1/2) 12 Hard To Perceive: +6 to Stealth 6 Perceptive: +2 PER with all Sense Groups 0 6 Tail: Extra Limbs , Inherent (+1/4) (6 Active Points) 0 7 Zooch Wings: Gliding 10" (10 Active Points); Restrainable (-1/2) 0 5 Bite: HKA 1 point 1 8 Claw: HKA 1/2d6 (10 Active Points); Reduced Penetration (-1/4) 1 5 Cat's Eyes: Nightvision 0 1 Charge: Running 3" (6 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (8x END; -3 1/2) 8 9 Gone like a Zooch: Teleportation 10" (20 Active Points); Emergencies Only (-1), No Noncombat movement (-1/4) 2
Skills Cost: 29Cost Skill 7 Stealth 15- 3 Acrobatics 13- 3 Breakfall 13- 5 Climbing 14- 3 Contortionist 13- 5 Concealment 13- (7 Active Points); Self Only (-1/2) 3 Teamwork 13-
Talents Cost: 18Cost Talent 18 Evasive
Disadvantage Points: 30Val Disadvantages 10 Physical Limitation: Limited Manipulation Frequently, Slightly Impairing 10 Physical Limitation: Near-Human Intelligence Frequently, Slightly Impairing 10 Physical Limitation: Tiny, down to 1/8 human size (.25m, or .125"; +9" KB) Frequently, Slightly Impairing Base Points: 125Experience Required: 0Total Experience Available: 0Experience Unspent: 0Total Character Cost: 142
Appearance: As ordinary cats, with bat-like wings in place of forelimbs. Personality: Normal Animal Motivations... or not...Quote:"Mmmr?"Background: Zooch (Felis Bamfii) are winged cats native to the Chalasan area of Blasarka. Normal Cats do not exist in that area of the world. Powers/Tactics: Hiss. Spit. Claw. Bite. Repeat as required. Campaign Use: They give an area a place of mystery, lacking normal cats, fill a place with these freaks and your players will love you. Let one of the little bastards steal something important... they'll hate you.Height: 0.15 m Hair: Cat Colors Weight: 1.00 kg Eyes: Green or Gold -
Re: ...and the Bird you rode in on...
Bring on your crab, sir... I've got a teleporting cat that will whip his butt from a "cool critter" standpoint.
felis bamfii
is the niftiest animal since Dixon's Coconut Crab... -
Re: Adult themes in gaming, a rant of sorts
My games pretty much run like movies. Or Phil & Dixie strips... Hints... suggestions... no "action" to speak of. It works.
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Re: ...and the Bird you rode in on...
Competition... you mean as in ecological competition or "competition for your favorite animal" or what? I'm having a bad moment... chemical imbalance or something.
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Here's a Caleon Item I'm thinking about adding to my game. They're based loosely on the Hearthstones of World of Warcraft.
Townstone: Teleportation 1", No Relative Velocity, MegaScale (1" = 100,000 km; +1 1/2) (30 Active Points); 1 Charge which Recovers every 1 Week (-2 1/2), OAF (Townstone; -1), Can Only Teleport To Chalkcliff (-1) Real Cost: 5
...And most major cities have folks who make these. Now, Chalkcliff has a large crystal structure hidden below it that only allows a certain breed of winged feline to teleport in or out. This stone actually takes you just outside the city, usually to a bar or other touristy spot.
"Well, we could go on to the city, but let's stop and look at the world's largest suit of chainmail...it's only 3 coppers..."
Would you (or do you) use such a thing?
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Re: ...and the Bird you rode in on...
EDIT: With near human intelligence' date=' any skills?[/quote']I was wondering about that... I considered giving them skills, but couldn't decide on what to give them. Perhaps Mimicry... spouting clues to stuff they've seen like some kinda giant parrot.
I don't think you can eat the Wazzan you ride... it'd be like devouring a family member. Wild ones still roam the northern plains, running around avoiding the Grey Pouncers, jumping over the traps of the Pit Builder and the Greater Pit Builder, or in the southern areas, locked in competition with Dire Voop and the Bug Eater (an invasive species of warm-blooded reptile from Tharq).
The wild ones you could eat. Either the ones you track and shoot yourself or the leftovers from the fireball-flinging Launchbeast.
And yes, they taste like giant chicken. Lemon Herb Wazzan is offered at most restaurants in Chalasa, and a 6 piece order of Wazzan Nuglets weighs about 35 pounds.
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Here's a Diamtrya... Caleon-style....WazzanPlayer:
12" RUN02" SWIM05" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 27Val Char Cost 25 STR 0 15 DEX 15 15 CON 10 13 BODY 0 8 INT -2 8 EGO -4 18 PRE 3 10 COM 0 5 PD 0 6 ED 0 3 SPD 5 8 REC 0 30 END 0 34 STUN 0
Powers Cost: 85Cost Power END 15 Greater Strength: +15 STR 1 6 Greater Mass: +3 BODY 6 Heavy: Knockback Resistance -3" 0 5 More Impressive: +5 PRE 12 Long Legs: Running +6" (12" total) 1 3 Tougher: +3 ED 4 Reach: Stretching 1", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (7 Active Points); Always Direct (-1/4), No Noncombat Stretching (-1/4), No Velocity Damage (-1/4) 0 15 Bite: HKA 1d6 (2d6 w/STR) 1 12 Claw: HKA 1d6 (2d6 w/STR) (15 Active Points); Reduced Penetration (-1/4) 1 1 Charge: Running 3" (6 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (8x END; -3 1/2) 8 6 Sharp Eyed: +3 PER with Sight Group 0
Disadvantage Points: 55Val Disadvantages 10 Physical Limitation: Near-Human Intelligence Frequently, Slightly Impairing 10 Physical Limitation: Poor Hearing, suffers -2 to all Hearing PER Rolls Frequently, Slightly Impairing 10 Physical Limitation: Limited Manipulation Frequently, Slightly Impairing 5 Physical Limitation: Large, up to twice human size (4m, or 2"; -2 DCV, +2 to PER Rolls to perceive) Infrequently, Slightly Impairing 20 Psychological Limitation: Domesticated Very Common, Strong Base Points: 75Experience Required: 0Total Experience Available: 0Experience Unspent: 0Total Character Cost: 112
Appearance: Large, bownish-yellow or black birds similar to a diamtrya or other archeo-avian. Or maybe a large chicken.Personality: Clever and dangerous, the Wazzan is prized as a mount, certainly, but more as companion. They form quick bonds with their riders, and learn battle commands with ease. They can be violently protective of their masters. Quote:"Waka? Wha-Waka?" Background: The Common Imperial Wazzan is... well... common. Lacking horses (mostly cuz I suck at drawing them) Caleots domesticated the large predatory birds that lived near them. Powers/Tactics: Kick. Peck. Repeat.Campaign Use: You ride them, eat them, maybe fight them after they've been twisted and augmented by evil mages...Height: 2.00 m Hair: Brown Weight: 100.00 kg Eyes: Brown -
Re: Still walkin' the beat, 25,000 years later...
Here is the .hdc
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Here is another critter from Caleon. I have lots. Do you want to see them?Thornback VoopPlayer:
14" RUN02" SWIM00" LEAP-8Characteristics Cost: 115Val Char Cost 40 STR 30 14 DEX 12 28 CON 36 28 BODY 36 7 INT -3 5 EGO -10 25 PRE 15 8 COM -1 10 PD 2 8 ED 2 3 SPD 6 14 REC 0 56 END 0 60 STUN -2
Powers Cost: 86Cost Power END 12 Tusks: HKA 1d6 (2d6 w/STR) (15 Active Points); Reduced Penetration (-1/4) 1 31 Spine Ridges: HKA 1 1/2d6, Inherent (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2), Damage Shield (+1/2), Continuous (+1) (94 Active Points); Activation Roll 11- (-1), No STR Bonus (-1/2), Always On (-1/2) 0 4 Thick Skin: Damage Resistance (4 PD/4 ED) 0 18 Heavy: Knockback Resistance -9" 0 16 Long Legs: Running +8" (14" total) 2 3 Voop's Senses: +1 PER with all Sense Groups 0 2 VoopNose: +1 PER with Smell/Taste Group 0
Skills Cost: 5Cost Skill 5 +1 with HTH Combat
Talents Cost: 4Cost Talent 4 Environmental Movement (no penalties on Rough, Rocky, Mountainous Terrain)
Disadvantage Points: 65Val Disadvantages 15 Hunted: Hunters 8- (Occasionally), More Powerful, Capture/Kill 15 Physical Limitation: Animal Intelligence Frequently, Greatly Impairing 10 Physical Limitation: Enormous (up to 8m long, 4m tall at the shoulder, and 6,000 kg weight; -4 DCV, +4 to PER Rolls to perceive) Frequently, Slightly Impairing 10 Physical Limitation: Limited Manipulation Frequently, Slightly Impairing 15 Physical Limitation: Poor Eyesight, suffers -2 to all Sight PER Rolls except in dim light Frequently, Greatly Impairing 0 Physical Limitation: Reduced Leap, cannot leap Infrequently, Slightly Impairing, Already figured in Base Points: 75Experience Required: 70Total Experience Available: 48Experience Unspent: 0Total Character Cost: 210
Appearance: See Illo. White in higher altitudes, more brown, lower down. Personality: Typical animal motivationQuote:"EEEeuuuurrgh! (Snuff Snuffle... Phphth...) UnkaUnkaUnka!"Background: The Thornbacked Voop (Voopi Parhoonensis) is found in most mountain ranges ringing the Imperial Valley. They are very common near Riftakain and Pikarta in the Gaurdian Wall Range. Powers/Tactics: Charge. Stomp, Run Away.Campaign Use: Chargin' Stompin' Runnin' Away.Height: 8m Hair: Brown Weight: 6000kg Eyes: Brown -
Re: Still walkin' the beat, 25,000 years later...
Not even the Dharzooni's other enchanted killing maching could kill it in one shot:
Durlozi
Val Char Cost
40 STR 30
15 DEX 15
15 CON 10
16 BODY 12
10 INT 0
13 EGO 6
20 PRE 10
10 COM 0
8/21 PD 0
7/20 ED 4
4 SPD 15
11 REC 0
30 END 0
44 STUN 0
18" RUN 0
2" SWIM 0
8" LEAP 0
Characteristics Cost: 102
Cost Power END
90 Essence Beam: Multipower, 90-point reserve
7u 1) Standard Beam: EB 18d6 (90 Active Points); Beam (-1/4) 9
7u 2) Wide Beam: EB 12d6, Area Of Effect (One Hex; +1/2) (90 Active Points); Beam (-1/4) 9
8u 3) Lethal Beam: RKA 3 1/2d6, Armor Piercing (+1/2) (82 Active Points) 8
7u 4) Essence Bomb: EB 12d6, Explosion (+1/2) (90 Active Points); Beam (-1/4) 9
6u 5) Accurate Beam: (Total: 75 Active Cost, 63 Real Cost) EB 12d6 (60 Active Points); Beam (-1/4) (Real Cost: 48) plus +3 with Ranged Combat (Real Cost: 15) 6
7u 6) Autofire Beam: EB 12d6, Autofire (5 shots; +1/2) (90 Active Points); Beam (-1/4) 9
24 Enhanced Glass Armor: Armor (8 PD/8 ED) 0
10 Essence Ward: FF (5 PD/5 ED) 1
14 Self-repairing Enchantment: Healing 3 BODY, Can Heal Limbs (35 Active Points); Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Minute (-1 1/2) 3
35 Essence Sight: Detect Magic 15- (Unusual Group), Discriminatory, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Targeting, Telescopic (+1 versus Range Modifier), Tracking 0
22 Long Arms: (Total: 25 Active Cost, 22 Real Cost) HKA 1d6 (2d6 w/STR) (Real Cost: 15) plus Stretching 2" (10 Active Points); Limited Body Parts (Arms; -1/4), no Noncombat Stretching (-1/4) (Real Cost: 7) 2
47 Animated Vitality: LS (Eating: Character only has to eat once per week; Immunity: All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Immunity: All terrestrial poisons and chemical warfare agents; Longevity: Immortal; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Self-Contained Breathing; Sleeping: Character only has to sleep 8 hours per year) 0
26 Elemental Furnance: Endurance Reserve (100 END, 20 REC) Reserve: (30 Active Points); REC: (20 Active Points); Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (No Magic Zones; -1/4) 0
5 4 Legs: Extra Limbs (2) 0
12 Heavy: Knockback Resistance -6" 0
24 Long Legs: Running +12" (18" total) 2
Powers Cost: 351
Cost Skill
48 +6 with All Combat
7 Analyze: Combat 13-
3 Analyze: Magic 11-
10 Defense Maneuver I-IV
4 KS: Dharzooni Tactical Lore 13-
0 Language: Dharzooni (completely fluent; literate) (4 Active Points)
3 Shadowing 11-
5 Tracking 12-
Skills Cost: 80
Cost Talent
3 Absolute Range Sense
3 Absolute Time Sense
3 Ambidexterity (-2 Off Hand penalty)
5 Eidetic Memory
14 Fearless
Talents Cost: 28
Total Character Cost: 561
Val Disadvantages
15 Susceptibility: Dispel Magic, 2d6 damage Instant (Common)
35 Enraged: Berserk When awoken from its thousand-year slumber, and almost any time after that. (Uncommon), go 14-, recover 8-
10 Physical Limitation: DEX reduced to 10 in No Magic Zones (Infrequently, Greatly Impairing)
25 Distinctive Features: Enormous Glass-Armored Killing Machine (Not Concealable; Extreme Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
20 Physical Limitation: No Manipulation (All the Time, Greatly Impairing)
381 Giant Glass-Armored Killing Machine Bonus
Disadvantage Points: 486
Base Points: 75
Experience Required: 0
Total Experience Available: 0
Experience Unspent: 0
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Re: Still walkin' the beat, 25,000 years later...
Good Questions, all of them.
They have the fantasy equivalent of programming. However, being magical programming, and under the control of whimisical beings such as FH GMs, it might be prone to tampering, to magical accidents or whatever nonsense is required for a good evenings fun... My group's run-in with a modified Herdstone is approaching. I intend that it be twisted be hope of recovery.
In Caleon, you can use Mind Control, etc on such things by taking the "machine class of minds" adder.
As to whether they can be destroyed by a single great attack... it would take a lot.
You'd have to do 15 BODY. That 15 would have to take into account 8 rPD (or 8rED) and the 25% rDR. So maybe ((31 points of BODY x .75)-8) would kill it outright. Assuming a roll of 4 on a die, you'd need 8d6-1 RKA of some kind. That's what? 116 active points?
I don't know where you're gonna get something that big... maybe another Dharzooni weapon?
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Re: Zoish Brewmaster
A loud, brutish human sub-race with an unnatural fondness for beer. I suppose I should explain myself more often... sorry.
is the niftiest animal since Dixon's Coconut Crab...
Herophile Fantasy art
in Fantasy Hero
Posted
Re: Herophile Fantasy art
Today, the magical fire does not light her heart, the swaying palms do not soften her gaze... Today, her Empire goes to war. She delights not in death or the clash of arms, though her blood cries out for such things. Today, she dies with the soldiers she has sent away on the great ships of her Empire. Today she dies the death not of flesh but of the spirit... And she dies this death alone.