trechriron

Re: Taking the plunge into Fantasy Hero ... help! Sidekick - It is a pile of pages for only $10. It is prettier and cheaper than printing off anything. The word on the boards here from newer players - "it helped me learn the system". Can’t beat that for a testimonial. I would suggest picking up a copy or two to teach the game. Character Creation - Concept. Concept. Concept. In a system where you can do anything, people want to try everything. Help people get some solid ideas about what they want before they crack a book. Reasoning from effect – The idea here is to find the GENERIC mechanic to fit the specific idea. Not vice versa. If your players have little experience with HERO, you need to be prepared to help people over this little mental hump. I find a simple reiteration by stepping through the process over and over is very helpful until they get it. Be patient. Another facet of this phenomena is the excessive representation of everything in HERO terms. If you really want to help inspire colorful representation of the mechanics, focus on the effects and color. It is a beautiful Long Sword, not a RKA 1d6+1. Just my two cents on the subject… Character Type Limitations - FREd has suggested limitations based on Character Types (Point Totals) and these guidelines help keep our FH game in check. I highly recommend them. Real Cost Deductions for Spells – Since you can get a handy Long Sword (RKA) with some coin but that Frosty Ice Blast (RKA) spell will cost CP, some could argue a fairness issue here. A suggestion in FH is to reduce the Real Cost of spells by 1/3. I like this idea. However, be sure that new characters take all the limitations associated with spells for the magic style, including skills. If you allow lots of no RSR, fast, psionic-like spells you are breaking the spirit of the 1/3 cost idea (IMO). The idea is to increase the mages diversity while still keeping the feel of a fantasy magic system. No Stone Works – In the end if something on that character sheet does not sit well with you, you should negotiate with the player. I would try the three session rule. If after three sessions you decide that the power in question is too powerful, it should be modified. The other fear I encounter frequently is the “set in stone†theory. Don’t etch things in stone when you are learning the system. At some point you will all naturally know when you can break out the cement. May your games be Fun, Fruitful, and Fantastic!

I originally posted this in the Kult conversion thread under Other Genres, however I wanted to see what everyone thought about it. Basically I am trying to figure a way to have a curse that manifests as some foreboding event. I think that the basic mechanics of Unluck could apply with some minor tweaks. So here are my ideas. I have not had a chance to play test this. Any thoughts? Suggestions? Improvements? Unluck Modification 1 (Triggered Event): Unluck does not occur at regular intervals but instead a daily roll is made and levels accumulated towards a threshold that triggers an event. The event is something unlucky or negatively impacts the character in some manner. Unluck is rolled each day by the GM and levels are generated normally. Levels accumulate and are tracked by the GM. Once the number of levels reaches the threshold, the event is triggered, comes to fruition, happens, etc. The value of Triggered Event Unluck is based on several factors including the Severity of the event, the threshold of levels required to trigger the event, and the number of dice of Unluck, etc. Value – Number of Unluck Dice 5 – 3d6 10 – 4d6 15 – 5d6 Value – Event Severity -5 – Inconvenient 5 – Harmful 10 – Catastrophic Value – Threshold 0 – 40 5 – 20 10 – 10 Unluck Modification 2 (Triggered Event plus Random Severity): To add another element to this, you could set a daily threshold (based on the number of dice of Unluck) that counts as a 'mark' for that day. The more 'marks' accumulated when the threshold is met, the greater the severity of the event. This could be used for generic curses where something bad yet undefined is going to happen. You could have ominous nightmares crop up dealing with potential events as 'marks' accumulate. Value - Dice – Daily Threshold 5 - 3d6 – 2 10 - 4d6 – 3 15 - 5d6 – 4 Value – Event Severity 5 – Determined by Marks Value – Threshold 0 – 40 5 – 20 10 – 10 Example (Mod 1): Demonic Curse, family obligation – Unluck (Mod 1) 5d6, Event: Demon comes collecting sacrifice for curse, threshold 20. Must sacrifice something like expensive items, blood, virgins, body part, etc. 25 Points. Example (Mod 2): Maleficent Destiny – Unluck (Mod 2) 4d6, Daily Threshold 3. Event: Something ominous and bad occurs (Severity by Marks), Threshold 10. 25 Points. Edit: Fixed example 2.

Curse (Unluck Modification) Curse – I would consider most of the stuff here to be special effects and color for Unluck. Just make sure you color the Unluck results with how the curse is described. I came up with some ways to modify Unluck for triggered events. Note that a curse (Unluck) should not disappear unless the disadvantage is bought off, even if the event is triggered it should continue. Unluck Modification 1 (Triggered Event): Unluck does not occur at regular intervals but instead a daily roll is made and levels accumulated towards a threshold that triggers an event. The event is something unlucky or negatively impacts the character in some manner. Unluck is rolled each day by the GM and levels are generated normally. Levels accumulate and are tracked by the GM. Once the number of levels reaches the threshold, the event is triggered, comes to fruition, happens, etc. The value of Triggered Event Unluck is based on several factors including the Severity of the event, the threshold of levels required to trigger the event, and the number of dice of Unluck, etc. Value – Number of Unluck Dice 5 – 3d6 10 – 4d6 15 – 5d6 Value – Event Severity -5 – Inconvenient 5 – Harmful 10 – Catastrophic Value – Threshold 0 – 40 5 – 20 10 – 10 Unluck Modification 2 (Triggered Event plus Random Severity): To add another element to this, you could set a daily threshold (based on the number of dice of Unluck) that counts as a 'mark' for that day. The more 'marks' accumulated when the threshold is met, the greater the severity of the event. This could be used for generic curses where something bad yet undefined is going to happen. You could have ominous nightmares crop up dealing with potential events as 'marks' accumulate. Value - Dice – Daily Threshold 5 - 3d6 – 2 10 - 4d6 – 3 15 - 5d6 – 4 Value – Event Severity 5 – Determined by Marks Value – Threshold 0 – 40 5 – 20 10 – 10 Example (Mod 1): Demonic Curse, family obligation – Unluck (Mod 1) 5d6, Event: Demon comes collecting sacrifice for curse, threshold 20. Must sacrifice something like expensive items, blood, virgins, body part, etc. 25 Points. Example (Mod 2): Maleficent Destiny – Unluck (Mod 2) 5d6, Daily Threshold 4. Event: Something ominous and bad occurs (Severity by Marks), Threshold 10. Any thoughts?

Re: Comeliness? Like many things in this fun wide world of gaming, the spirit behind all these characteristics pales in comparison to the wholesome desire to crunch numbers in the most effective manner possible. IS Comeliness useful? It depends on how the GM is running the game. If your game focuses more on combat, then it is probably not going to have as much (if any) impact. Presence attacks can be useful, if the GM is willing to look at the modifiers and apply them appropriately (in terms of dice based on actions and situation during the attack). In general a straight Presence attack without any mitigating factors is generally not as effective (numbers-wise, this being for Heroic games. Super Heroes with a 30 PRE could make some ugly attacks...). Same goes with Skills for that matter. HERO is about color. Description, reasoning from effect, taking the numbers and turning them into stuff in your imagined reality. If you want a Comeliness 20 to have an impact on your game, then by all means make sure you give it an impact in your game. I actually think PRE attacks are a cool aspect of HERO. Not many games have a mechanic like it, it is nifty if you’re willing to use it. Some ideas to make COM have more impact. Make NPCs reluctant to hurt someone who is beautiful under certain circumstances (“I would never hurt a pretty lady..â€). Have NPCs react better in general to Comely PCs, and worse to ugly ones. Have them secretly admired by a powerful NPC who gives them gifts, aid, etc as a secret admirer or hunted by them for their disturbing appearance. Have passerby look on with awe or horror, winks, whistles, gasps, and screams. Give a straight bonus or penalty based on the score that affects social rolls, thereby making it an automatic bonus versus a complimentary one. USE social conflict and the skills associated with it in your game so the COM can actually be used as a modifier to social rolls (this would be important ). On PRE – give your PCs a PRE attack when they start really creaming some poor NPC. If they subdue him it turns that combat into a potential social encounter with the recently “convinced†subject. Why should all PRE attacks be called upon by the PCs? You can suggest it in situations where you think it would have impact. Those friendly reminders might help increase the use of these kind of game elements. Finally, a 10 COM or PRE costs you nothing. If you are not going to have any social situations in your game or nothing that COM would really impact, then let your players know. They can just use those points elsewhere. Same would be for PRE attacks. If you think the idea is bunk and have no use for it your game, just make sure your players know that. Only fair after all. I call this Truth In GMing. Just like the banks.

Re: Free version of the HERO System I think that grabbing a couple copies of Sidekick and running some local demos or converting your playing group over to HERO will go a lot further towards spreading the word than a free mini-system. There are many people on boards I read that consider GURPS lite to be all you need to play. “Why should I buy GURPS when I got this free version?†they say. I think giving out any more information about HERO would encourage people who might otherwise buy a book to instead get by with the free version. That is bad business in any market. Talk about HERO on forums, talk about HERO at your local game store, run HERO at conventions, demo HERO at supermarkets, give lectures on HERO at your local college campus, read from HERO at your guest sermon, create a tasteful TV ad for your local cable network, wear HERO underwear during your “encounters†when dating. There are piles of ways to get the word out there. Be creative. Use HERO. If you play it, they will come. [paid for by citizens for HERO 5th edition]

Re: KULT Conversion? Anyone? I have some ideas on curses I will post later when I get home (a modification for Unluck). I may have to pick up the new edition to help devise the magic system in HERO terms. I shall start posting stuff here tonight, starting with Disads if everyone is game. It is fun to collaborate on stuff and I love this setting. I shall try and get that copy tonight. Ciao till tonight.

Re: KULT Conversion? Anyone? Can I play (help post stuff here)? First caveat – Dark Champions is due out this year and will include piles of stuff you could use to run a Kult game (from what has been spoken of so far...). Fantasy Hero and the Grimoire will help in building the appropriate magic system. Second caveat – I don't think it is cool to do conversion stuff without some kudos to the originators of the work. I have not liked one system that has been done for this game, but the setting is terrifying and magnificent. The new edition is available from 7emecercle games (http://www.7emecercle.com/). You can also find free resources and articles here, (http://www.kult-rpg.com/) and here (http://www.kult-rpg.org/abyss_news.html). some really nice stuff I might add. Third caveat – Don't get pigeon holed by the rules. I think HERO is a great system and I think it works for PILES of different genres. I think you should use the setting/game information provided for Kult as a spring board. Where no HERO rule exists to emulate something in the Kult rules, use it as flavor and simply have the Kult idea impact in-game play without a specific HERO game mechanic to represent it. I would suggest a “points-for-use†rule like this: If you have a dark secret or disadvantage that is hard to quantify in HERO rules, simply allow the character to take it to color their character. Every time they are affected in-game by this hard to define disadvantage, award them an extra XP. This will be fun as your players remind you how to abuse them. Here is my two cents for what is it worth. I think I am going to post this stuff in chunks. Like that? Chunks? Character Creation - I would suggest first discussing concepts. A good modern horror game needs some discussion before wading in. What are they afraid of? What do they do? The archetypes could help for inspiration. The Dark Secret is paramount to the personal horror of Kult so nothing should be spared here. definitely use that as a background for the character and a mining ground for potential scenarios. EDIT: I will be using the first edition I think (1993). I just won a copy on Ebay last month.

Re: men in turakian age Not to mention that the book includes great descriptions and actual pictures of said people in their native garb. You should get the book, it is well worth the price.

Re: Generation Ship Campaigns I think running the campaign from that perspective could be fun. My suggestion - make up a huge dungeon like map of the inside of this HUGE generation ship. Have several decks of jungle like hydroponics, lakes, engineering decks full of pipes and machinery, all kinds of things. Then run it like a diaspora, urban city like cyberpunk thing. Put some tribal stuff in there; urban shamans, chieftains, rights-of-passage. Sort of the mature "lord of the flies" theme with some technology thrown in. Have an AI that was programmed to observe, but certain people can ask it questions and it answers cryptically (maybe it has been damaged or evolved into something weird, perhaps this is the source of the shamans power – talking with the “ancestorsâ€). You tell the players it is a gritty mystical cyberpunk diaspora thing, don't mention the generation ship. After about ten sessions you have one of several events happen. 1) Man the guns? - Aliens find the ship and take it over. The unknowing populace comes face to face with both the truth and a superior invader. Change this up with the evil modern human galactic empire. 2) Look ma we're home - The world starts to make funny noises. Whole levels of the city begin to change, and then the great earthquake happens. After several moments of shaking the people all fall asleep. They awake on a beautiful planet where the ship has landed and converted itself into a colony/city (of course it transported the sleeping populace to the surface before the ship transformed...). 3) All in the family - The power goes out and the water stops running. It starts to get really cold. Some of the other tribes talk about the air leaving parts of the city and killing whole tribes. The heroes go on a quest and discover the truth about their "city". The AI helps them contact the modern galactic civilization growing over the last 500 years, where they are saved and integrated into the new civilization. Of course you could extend the "wool over their eyes" part and run sessions where the tribe must combat rogue sentry robots, or go on quests to find rare items talked about in elder lore, fight rival tribes for territory and resources, who knows how vermin would evolve in that environment over the ages, you could have abandoned auto-research labs that malfunctioned and produce untold horrors that plague the populace (hunt the monster creation machines...). This could be a fun campaign, lots of interesting possibilities.

Re: Why must humans rule? I think a flipside I might explore is simply having altered humans. Just have only humans, some with seriously different genetic changes and then the whole cultural differences. Might make is easier to have something nearly human to draw on and highlight the differences. I did play once in a game titled "The Monster Squad". We were all non-humans in a human-centric world. It was a blast. I played a Ogre named Thok. In fact, our current Fantasy Hero game is set in that world. I think Monster Squad was fun and we played our differenes to the hilt. It was very enjoyable, and challenged us as players to view things from our characters perspectives as much as possible. As long as the group is willing to get into character and focus on portraying the non-humans as non-human as possible, it can be a really rewarding. Otherwise, make everyone human with some special powers.

Re: Why must humans rule? Nope. But I want to. I am drafting up a Fantasy Sci-Fi setting where there will be NO humans at all. There will be a number of races I want to do, all will have some set of special traits that makes them more than "human", and I am trying to stay away from cliché races/species. So far this is proving to be difficult. I think I am going to focus on culture, religion, lifestyle, technology, etc as major distinctions. Many people view the portrayals of non-human as simply human with some special abilities. The real kicker IMO is going to be culture. That will require some forethought on the GM and player to hammer out before play begins. The idea would not just be to eliminate humans from the possible race selections but also to have the available races not FEEL human when portrayed. Just my two cents…

Re: How would you describe the "feel" of the Turakian Age? After a healthy skim through, I would say that the cultures presented in the different regions have some real world simularities combined in unique and fresh ways. Not your standard fare, but some familiarity to draw upon (I have yet to see someone execute a completly alien culture accurately yet, including myself...) There is a Tolkein feel to the major villian, however there is so much in here unless you absolutely HAVE to stay cannon with the meta-plot of the Hero Universe, you could easily leave it or simply have another band of heroes eliminate him off screen and never deal with it. PILES of other fun stuff to deal with IMO (religions, cultural conflicts, racial conflicts, unique monsters, MAGIC..) For 27 bucks this is a major steal for a campaign setting. It is well mapped, well written, and full of details. If you don't pick it up the big bad guy is going to assasinate you, re-animate you, and have you peel potatos for the rest of your immortal undead servitude.

BTW - the history of that character is top notch, your setting looks intriguing to say the least. You are certainly a creative chap, if I don't say so myself.

I think it looks fine. People should not expect printer quality design/layout in a fourm. It was easy to read and understand, don't be so hard on yourself!

That's good to know, you're welcome from me, and I'm glad our shenanigans didn't obfuscate the useful bits!! Ouch!! OK, OK, guilty as charged…

Yes I imagine you could simply designate parts of the characteristics to affect the home dimension, but you removed the character from their home dimension and put them out of normal time, which I could easily assume means that normal time keeps on ticking in the “real world†while your character is actually interacting with the new dimension. Then you have the trouble of senses and abilities affecting the other dimension. It is not just about Strength but seeing and hearing, etc. I would suggest using X-Dim to “A place where everything else has slowed/stopped in time, except me†and then everything else would be cake. I would require Usable on Others and buy the mass up to affect a certain number of people. If the number of people exceeds the mass purchased it would not work. This is SUPER CHEESY and is SUPER POWERFUL and would only be allowed in a game I was running under the rarest of circumstances. If all parties in the game agree that this is workable, go with it. Just remember that nifty stop sign is listed on this power for a reason. You have to find a way to get your character in the same dimension with everyone else where everyone else is stopped/slowed in time. It’s the only realistically priced power idea while still being able to function in or impact the new dimension. You could go the route of buying a pile of Transdimensional characteristics but it would be prohibitive. Only buying strength and senses does not accurately represent the ability to truly interact in the dimension, IMO. I mean, why is it in this dimension you require the characteristics you have and then on the new dimension you only require two?

That sounds cool. It is very Elric, and Shamanic, and it has loads of "flava". I like the idea that the character is negotiating with the spirit to achieve some desired effect. It also sets up some really interesting roleplaying opportunities between the characters and the spirits. The idea of failed negotiations having the potential to lead to consequences from the angered spirit is dripping with "flava" I was curious and I appreciate your information. It is certainly not a standard approach to spell casting but is super-creative!!

There is something truly magical about electric toothbrushes.

How are you going to do the actual spells? Do the spirits grant the power or simply hinder/enhance the spell? What tie in does your summon have with the spells? Does the spirit actually cast the spell? You might consider a required END reserve that is only filled by spirit grantors and cannot be recharged by the caster. Then limit all spells to only draw from this special END reserve. Or perhaps the roll will simply be modified by the success of the spirit negotiation? I still think that the flavor “thang†could still be explained in the actual spell. I think Monolith’s suggestion was right on. If communing with these spirits is a component of actually casting and powering the spell it would really be best to make it the SFX with limitations or modifiers to the spell. You could also include summoning as a power to create pacts and the like and perhaps require a regular communing with spirits to keep them in the loop and happy (something similar to the people of Elric’s approach). Do you own the Fantasy Hero book? You may find some really fantastic ideas in there and the Grimoire as well. It is all a matter of opinion of course, but the how and where are better quantified descriptively. Adjudicating the effects are best quantified mechanically. If the spell comes from the Gods or from internal energy gathering or from a letter carrier it should only matter in the descriptive context. If you let the mechanics of the game define your flavor then you are going to run into a plethora of problems in a generic effects based system, IMO. Just my two cents…

Re: Hatred + Enraged So was any of this useful? Besides hijacking your post and turning into an “ arbitrary GM†diatribe? Maybe you could tell us what solution you are choosing and share the response/outcome? That would be cool.

Re: My bad Now that makes perfect sense. I get what you were saying now. That is hilarious, a simple word taking that whole thing out of context. OK, where’s my ESP when I need it? I think I dropped it over here somewhere… I apologize if the post was a bit excessive. I guess I am suffering from a sort of post traumatic stress disorder relating to a couple past GMs who near drove me insane with this ideology. I hope I did not offend you as that was not my intent. Ciao for now,

This is exactly the kind of stuff I am against and I completely agree, that is ZERO fun to play. I have been doing this for a couple (20+) years… ;-) Thanks for your comments!

Split away. I am new to the Hero system and I think your point is more concise. As far as my Dead Sea Scrolls translation hobby, that's for another board... ;-) I have noticed that my veteran Hero players LOVE to debate all the particulars, generally along this vein. It seems to be a right of passage in the Hero circle. I listen on in abject confusion most of the time but my glimpses into this special language are cropping up with alarming frequency! Some day I too will speak fluent Hero, bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaa! In fact I'm working hard on it.

To add my two cents, you could specify the indirect attack as coming from above, originating from your position. If you were to artillery the invading Martian’s installation with that nifty Hardened transperisteel dome, the dome gets to affect the indirect attack. Note that if it is not a good enough defense that the attack could still affect something under the roof. Consider the round to have exploded on the super cool surface (if I am interpreting this correctly…). If you fire the mortar onto a normal roof, and we determine that a normal roof cannot stop a mortar round, then it simply bypasses the intervening barrier. If you lob it over the wall and there is no barrier, it simply goes boom. Since you are not “firing†the weapon directly at the target and the “path†of that attack does not intervene on a structure above the target, you simply have an indirect attack with no intervening barrier. The wall was not in the way of the attack as it is defined. Just because it CAN bypass an intervening barrier doesn’t mean it MUST bypass SOME barrier. A barrier does not get to jump up and take the place of the missing “required†barrier, nor must you define an attack that only bypasses some required barrier. Indirect also means indirect. Without Indirect, to hit your target, you HAVE to shoot the thing directly at the target and ANY barrier gets to affect it (yes there is NND, yada yada yada…). If you feel that a normal roof or what not would actually detonate the round or even lessen the effects slightly because of the distance of the explosion from the target, you could take a limitation to that effect basically making the attack less effective than it’s unmodified counterpart. The “real weapon†limitation could apply to it as well. You can explain a hundred powers a hundred different ways. The important thing here is that; 1) You feel the “power†you constructed is good representation of what you were trying to accomplish. 2) All the parties involved concur on some level (usually the GM has a bit more fiat in this area than a player, but good GMs discuss things before hand, IMO). 3) There is some quantified mechanical resolution to your “powerâ€. You should have some clear idea of how it is going to work in system terms, what the SFX are in game terms (what it looks like, what it sounds like, the description, the particulars, etc.), and that all parties agree it is equitable. So your character has the Artillery skill with a 14-, you have your mortar described and it does an RKA 3d6 Indirect and you decide it is AP due to the nature of the explosive, it has a -1/4 limitation “will detonate on contact with solid non-hardened surfaces†and the -1/4 real weapon limitation. You roll 3d6, you determine if it hits, and you have a means to determine the damage. You have decided it drops down on the target so you know the nature of the indirect attack and what can stop or affect it. You have yourself a mortar. Make it pretty, describe the boom and whir, make it memorable and the mechanics have helped you quantify your description. Just my interpretation and two cents...

No. Umm, is that ok? The short answer? I feel kinda wierd but I felt compelled to answer SOMETHING. ;-)