Bozimus

I just started "Death Masks", 5th book in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. Vanguard, good news is that books 2-4 are all fun and consistent. Great series! Bad news, the wait for book 6 may be pure agony!

Across the pond we call that book "The Golden Compass", if I am not mistaken...

Many friends have steered me towards "Honor Harrington". I read the first book, but never the 2nd, for reasons that my 40 year old mind cannot recall. Currently getting my space opera fix with "Deathstalker".

Clash of Kings finished Finished book 2 of the Song of Ice and Fire by G.R.R. Martin. I want to give it a 10 of 10. It did NOT do what soooo many sequels do (disappoint, drag out, serve as a stop-gap for book 3, etc.) instead it seemed like one steady continuation of the story. Good pacing, no real complaints. Yet something...prevents me from giving it a 10. Not sure what that something is... So, 9.5. IMO, doesn't get much better than this. I am holding off reading book 3 with a supreme effort of will (don't want to end up waiting 2 years for book 5).

Thanks! Sorry for that belated thanks, I lost track of this thread for a time. Quick question, how long till things start hopping? I have the attention span of roadkill and need books that get beyond the set-up phase within the first 75 pages or so...

Thanks for those links! Gonna download a Shadow story now...

This book is at a library I frequent! The sequel is also available... May I never lose that warm glow from finding out about another cool series of books...

Weird, that the search didn't work for me, but works for you. Thanks!

I cannot find AtNF at Amazon. I did find an author called Lafcadio Hearn that writes about Japan. How was the first and second Ian Irving book? I have considered starting this series...

What rank did you give "The Shadow of the Torturer", first book of that series? EvilLuke told me that he ranks Gene Wolfe the finest overall writer he has encountered and gave me the above book to read.

I didn't include Game of Thrones in this thread 'cause its been a few months since I read it. I can understand how some are put off by its constantly changing character perspectives - chapter to chapter. I am used to reading 3 books at a time, so this doesn't bother me. But it bothers others... I give it a "9" out of 10.

If you reveal some juicy plot details, please make good use of the SPOILER notification to avoid ruining someone else's pleasure... For me, "Something from the Nightside" by Simon R. Green stands out. Fast paced urban fantasy with interesting characters. Sequel is "Agents of Light and Darkness". I give it an "8" out of 10.

My pleasure! If you knew how many ebay battles I waged to get some of those Deadlands' books in hardcopy... Sigh.

Many of the books are available through PDF... http://www.rpgnow.com/default.php?manufacturers_id=111&PHPSESSID=c7f697520db30703e977397e22d46f26 You should do what I did...join a PBeM as a player to familiarize yourself with the system slowly. Trust me, if you try to run this before playing it a rules lawyer or powergamer is gonna make your GM life a pure living hell...

Or you could play Deadlands Hero - once we convert it and I set up the PBeM...

Not what I meant, sorry for the miscommunication. "Ace" means you rolled max on the die and get to roll another to add to your total. This is the terminology used in the Deadlands game which I play. May not be universal...

Maybe let them reroll some ones with a white chip while the use of red, blue or legend chips allows a certain number of sixes to be be treated as aces?

The system is colorful and interesting. And VERY unbalanced, IMO. Hucksters for example. From what little I have seen, they can wield enormous power with a lucky draw of the cards. I have also heard, from Lamrok, that many of the books give far too powerful abilities to the players. Maybe Lamrok will elaborate... I just think it would be nice to translate it into a system like Hero, where I can maintain a little control over the power levels, yet keep the flavor.

Gurps Deadlands Has anyone ever considered using Gurps Deadlands as a stepping stone in converting Deadlands to Hero? Since Gurps and Hero are very similar in many regards, I have found some of the Gurps books to be one of the more useful sources from different systems. UltraRob, Your cinematic suggestion is interesting. How has it worked thus far? Any attempted abuse?

Lamrok, old bean! Put that super-powered noodle of yours in high gear and get to convertin'!

deadlands conversion Herolover, I respect your opinion about not converting Deadlands, but I disagree. I think it will be a challenge, but the game that results from the best system on Earth merging with the fantastic source material known as Deadlands would be worth the effort IMO. That being said, I have decided to start work on this enterprise in my usual slow, percolating fashion. I welcome suggestions on how to handle various aspects like - the Harrowed, the Huckster, the Mad Scientist, the Blessed, etc...

Good point! An excellent use for the chip system is making it easier for the good guys to last a little longer against that big bad guy. How about this? Chips give you a one time AID to STUN or BODY or the choice to use the optional healing rule. Bigger the chip, bigger the D6 in AID... That way a player that needs just a little stun can choose the pure STUN, a player bleeding to death can select the BODY and a player that has taken a little of both can select the O.H.R.? Might make the difference between a character that is up and one that goes down...

Deadlanders, correct me if I am in error, but that game system has few situations whereby they let you increase damage with chips. The primary purpose of the chips is to increase Traits/aptitudes permanently, mitigate damage, and make aptitude rolls more frequently. I think a great deal of caution should be exercised if you let someone chip up their damage in Hero. I, as a fledgling GM am constantly worried that I have stumbled headfirst into the incorrect balance of offense (AP) vs defenses. Nobody wants fights to last 10 full turns or less than one full turn... Zornwil, chipping the stun in your fashion sounds pretty good. However, I understand a hero getting his second wind, but to come back from GM discretion with one legend chip sounds powerful and hard to explain in genre...

Some thoughts on chips and Hero.... You gotta be careful when tinkering. I told my players that rolling a natural 3 meant full damage from the dice (champs game, standard superhero level). What happens? Inexperienced Brick grabs super villain and knocks him out. Since the villain shows signs of becoming conscious again, brick decides to put him down for the count by pushing him face first through a nearby wall. The experienced player grimaces, knowing what could occur. Newbie brick rolls a "3" with 60 STR. Does 24 body, 72 stun to a guy with 7 PD defenses, 15 body (forcefield shut down after getting clocked the first time). Now the brick's reward for rolling a critical success is to spend the majority of the remaining combat trying to keep this guy from dying. Groan.... So, my goal is to create a chip system that rewards the players for good roleplaying, without destabilizing the combat system. I also want something that can keep a player from dying from one incredibly bad roll. Deadlands has four chip levels - white, red, blue, and legend. In ascending order of power. I have tinkered (mentally, not in game) with having a white chip give the player a chance to re-roll one of the three dice used. Example, Blobbo the brick has a 6 OCV and he is trying to hit an evil martial artist DCV of 9. He needs an 8 or less to hit. He rolls 5-3-3 for an 11. A miss normally. He decides to use a white chip and reroll that 5. He really needs to clock this martial artist. Odds are still against him, since he needs a 1 or a 2 on the D6 to get a hit. But he has a chance that didn't exist before... Not sure how the red, blue, or legend chip would work but having a blue or legend chip force a complete re-roll of damage that would normally kill or KO a hero might not be a bad idea. Oh yeah, the GM would get some chips (fewer than the players) that he can use in similar fashion to keep a favorite villain from dying as well...

Wow! That thread was very informative! That gives me much to consider. Thanks, Capt. Obvious.