CourtFool

Re: Character: Captain Jack Sparrow

I will be stealing the idea of using quotes as Skill flavor. Not only does this explain why a character has a particular skill but also some insight into the character's personality.

Re: p.s.l. for hit location

Yes, 8 levels can cause balance and reality issues. However, even as a GM I love P.S.L.s vs. Hit Locations. They do not make it any easier to hit the target. They just allow you to be a little more vicious. 4 levels would probably be more reasonable and still allow no penalty to hit the head on a surprised opponent.

Re: Deadly Blow...

So I'd agree that deadly blow is an illegal construct. Steve has chosen to present it in FH as an easy and cheap way to model a popular DnD feat and essentially said "the easiest way to do this is to waive the rules - so you *can* add it to other attacks, and *don't* have to pro-rate it."

A little off topic, but I always thought the best way to model the popular DnD feat (ability actually) was to purchase Penalty Skill Levels vs. Hit Locations. This can be unbalancing in its own right. However, I felt it simulated the stated reasoning behind the ability even better than DnD's own method.

Re: Skill levels in Magic Skills

5

Re: "Yor Momma" one liners needed

Yo' mama's so ugly orc children run from her in fear.

Yo' mama's so ugly even the 10' pole won't touch her.

Re: Package Disads House Rules?

Racial disadvantages not counting against disadvantage totals gives non-humans an advantage. This is a pet peeve of mine, but most people seem to prefer non-humans anyway.

On the other hand, racial package deals can lead to 'sameness'. I once tried to play a Half-Ogre Bard but felt most of the points were wasted on combat effectiveness (that I would not take advantage of) which left fewer points to pump into Bard related skills.

None of this really applies if your group is not a bunch of Powergamers/Min-Maxers.

Re: Spell: Animate Object. Help... me....

You could come at this from a different angle. Most of the things these objects do are some sort of attack EB, Entangle, RKA. Just make them Indirect, Uncontrolled, Some sort of Focus, ect.

You may have to handwave some kind of Continuous to allow the caster to take other actions.

Re: Acro is bored

Looks great!

...um...is the top of his cape about to catch fire from his head?

Re: Porting the best of HERO to Tri-Stat

I will not aid you in commiting sacrilege!

It is interesting that you want to incorporate the Speed chart. That seems to be one of the biggest complaints from people coming from other systems.

Re: Begginner Question

In other words' date=' with all of my Race Packges at http://www.FantasyHERO.com it is assumed that the Disadvantages serve to reduce the actual cost of the Package and do not count towards a character's max Disads limit. Thus all Race Packages are bought for their final cost in my campaigns. The are self encapsulated so to speak.[/quote']

 

Once again humans get shafted.

 

I am sure this has been covered ad nauseam in another thread. Not trying to fire up a debate. Just being a llama.

Re: If magic cost full price...

Not questioning your judgement' date=' but Im interested in your reasoning just from the standpoint of seeing all sides of an argument.[/quote']

 

Question it all you want. You will just be wrong.

 

My standpoint is, as I mentioned earlier in the thread, that nothing stops the user of magic from picking up a sword and armor.

 

"Oh, but the warrior will be able to put more points into skill using that sword."

 

Well, duh. That is the way it should be. If you spread yourself out, you are not going to be as good in any one area. Making magic cheap allows the user of magic to be nearly as combat effective as the warrior with a sword and launch his fireball when he is ready to stop toying with his opponent.

 

I think, and I warn you being a llama...what the hell do I know, that a lot of the arguments for cheap magic here come as baggage from D&D where wizards are more powerful. At least at higher levels. It seems to me that even the designers realized this problem to some extent and tried to balance it with a lot of arbitrary limits (once per day, no armor, weak weapon selection, weak hit points). Many of these same limitations show up in Fantasy Hero which also rubs me the wrong way, but that is best saved for another thread.

 

This was not meant as an attack on anyone that posted on a thread. Killer Shrike just opened it up for my opinion such as it is. Try not to do that again...'K?

Re: If magic cost full price...

If you are concerned about MUs having an unfair discount in points' date=' consider that warriors need only pay for a familiarity and then buy a weapon and some armor with money for their abilities, and then just dump their points into stats and CSLs.[/quote']

 

Thanks, Killer Shrike, but I still disagree with this argument.

Re: Hero Needs Reviewers!!

Fantasy Hero is to a nueroticly unhappy robot with a suicide complex. My copy complains incessantly and has tried to jump to its death at least thrice.

Re: Finally Picked up Heroes 5th and Champions...

FRED 0wn5 jU

Welcome to the one true path.

Re: If magic cost full price...

It is a good point that I need to start with the concept of how magic works first and then do the number crunching.

In my opinion the 'warrior gets his sword for free' argument is weak. There is no restriction on the wizard grabbing armor and sword as well. Spells as attacks are far more versitile than swords so I do not feel the comparison is correct.

In the last two Fantasy Hero campaigns I ran every PC was a mage. I allowed magic to be bought in Multipowers and I believed this to be a major contributing factor to why the group was so magic heavy.

I would like to allow a variety of magics from wild talents to learning specific words and rituals to focus mana. Therefore, the usual limitations (gestures, incantations) are not standard. There would be many different ways to use magic. I hope this explains a little better.

Re: If magic cost full price...

So the 1/3 cost break seems to an attempt to create a unique power framework that cannot be represented by a Multipower or Elemental Control alone.

Thank you for your response, Gunrunner. I am not questioning why the Turakian Age uses the 1/3 cost. I simply disagree with it. I am looking for input from others who have had experience with magic costing full price.

For my next Fantasy Hero campaign I am seriously considering making magic cost full price. Racial abilities cost full price. If I allow psionics, I am certainly not going to allow them in a Power Framework or get a 1/3 discount. Magical Items will cost full price. It just seems unfair that magic should be so cheap in comparison.

For those of you who run or play in a campaign where magic is full cost I would like to hear some of your experiences. Did mages seem woefully under-powered? Did this kill the 'Fantasy' feel of the campaign? Did magic-loving players break out in open revolt? TIA

It there a pdf version of the map from page 39 of the Alien Wars book?

Re: Suggestions? Telepathic PCs just captured VIPER agent

Telepathy can be a real plot killer. Something to consider in future campaigns.

I also have to agree that constantly limiting its effectiveness is not fair to the player. I would be inclined to let them have one. Maybe not the entire VIPER base, but enough to really disrupt current operations. Of course VIPER should learn from this weakness and be better prepared next time. I think disseminating false information down the ranks is the most effective and VIPER-like tactic. Cheap, quick and easy. So what if it puts lower members in jeapordy?

Considering the actions of your characters, VIPER might try to recruit them. Would this make the PCs think twice about their actions? Would they use it as an opportunity to really hit VIPER hard? Would they join? Any of these possibilities can lead to some interesting campaign twists.

As mentioned many times before, if the PCs act like villians make sure the world around them treats them like villians. No one trusts them. The authorities constantly harrass them. Superheroes come after them.

Re: Ncm:15

I am hoping that by increasing the KS's' date=' that I will be showing the importance that I will be placing upon skills in my campaign.[/quote']

 

I have found that by constantly having the players make certain skill rolls they will realize their importance and put points in them. Everytime the player wants to do something 'cool' ask if he has an appropriate skill.

 

Player "I chat up the barmaid."

GM "Do you have Persuasion, Oratory or PS Barkeep? No? She does not seem too terribly interested in what you have to say."

Re: Ncm:15

I have to wonder, is everyone having a Dex of 15 any better than everyone having a Dex of 20?

It does not sound like you are so much concerned with the effectiveness of a 20 Dex, ie OCV 7/ DCV 7 Des skills at 13, but with lack of variety. I think another approach is required to deal with a lack of variety. First try to understand why all your players insist on a 20 Dex. Most likely it is because they want that CV 7 and 4 SPD. Why do they want a CV 7 and 4 SPD? Most likely because they want to be effective in combat.

I am not saying there is anything wrong with combat. I do think it has its place. However, if it is the focus of the campaign then everyone is going to want to shine in the focus of the campaign. You need to give your players a reason to be less effective. Are there opportunities to use other skills or abilities to steal the scene?

Make other abilities and skills more appealing and I bet your players will stop coming to the table with 20 Dex. Easier said than done, I know.

Re: men in turakian age

I am not sure that would be allowed since it would reprinting information directly out of The Turakian Age.

Re: Midnight Hero

You might have to hammer out a few racial and professional package deals. A friend ran a Midnight campaign with G.U.R.P.S.

Re: Help Name an Online Superhero Magazine.

Llama Monthly

O.k. O.k. More seriously...C3 as in C cubed as in Capital City Champions

Re: What have you used Hero for?

The only campaign I have run that I did not see mentioned already was a Pirates campaign.