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Sketchpad

HERO Member
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Everything posted by Sketchpad

  1. Slightly OT (and probably answered previously), but what was Steve Goodman's character in The Guardians?
  2. I think we just run different types of games. Sure, you could use a "Super Science" skill to cover everything, but, for me, that loses some of the charm of the game. One of the elements I've always enjoyed in the examples I listed is to see how certain specialties are used in comics (particularly in the comics). The same could be said about looking at the Bat-Family of characters. Each has their own method of working on a crime, and some overlap better than others. Should there be a "Crime Fighter" skill to cover everything they can do? If it works in your game, awesome. For me, I'd prefer the extra details. I believe that's where a character can shine the most. I'm not saying that anyone is wrong, but rather it's not for me (especially after running broad skill systems for so long).
  3. It won't work. At least. It won't work as a drop-in to HERO _as it stands now_. I say that because we are discussing the problems of initiate splitting of such things as Professional Skills. And PS: X from HERO _is_ Expertise: X from M and M. That is what it is for: it is a catch-all for unspecified skills related to this field. The problem doesn't go away: a lack of guidelines on when to split or just what is covered under what, and when does this umbrella not cover that problem. I agree that guidance is important. Really, at that point is a bump of the rules or one of the game master? Could you revert to a PS skill that can be used as a blanket skill? If it works for your game, sure. Using the example of PS: Policeman, it could be used as a KS: Law Enforcement, KS: Crimes & Criminals, Deduction, Interrogation, Combat Driving, and whatever other skills the GM finds acceptable.
  4. In a note similar to what GM Joe said, the skill system many of you are looking for kind of exists in the Mutants & Masterminds, Third Edition system. The Expertise skill there is a catch all that allows characters to include a profession, specialized knowledge, or a catch-all for a skill that everything else doesn't cover. In the example of the PS: Policeman skill above, you'd use the Expertise: Policeman in basically the same way. Personally, I enjoy the more inflated skill system that Hero has had since 4th ed. I realize I may be in the minority in this thread, but the skill list has been something that's helped me define characters better. What's the skill differences between Reed Richards, Hank Pym, Tony Stark, and Bruce Banner? Depending on the system, not much. Using a more broad skill list, they'd all have science/scientist. In Hero, however, it's more specific and leans into the individual skills better. SS: Quantum Physics, SS: Physics, SS: Engineering, SS: Robotics, etc. For me, it works better.
  5. Can I borrow your notes? I was late for Professor Bushido's class and missed almost the whole thing. I did something similar on Facebook, but was a "Which superhero game do you play" poll. Champions came out on top, followed by V&V and M&M. I was a bit surprised. I'm changing my above answer. One of my goals over the next few years is to play/run more Hero... Champions in particular. I have two campaigns that I'm going to start working on, and a slew of characters to convert. But I'm going to run it, and maybe make Hero my "go-to" system once again.
  6. I'm a fan of a full cast kind of game. I tend to at least make notes for people that are important to the player characters and have them pop up here and there. There have even been times where we've staffed their base with fun NPCs that they can interact and create bonds with. Mind you, I also like having sprawling cities with gangs, villains, cops, and all sorts of other NPCs for folks to bump into. Sometimes its just a neighborhood cat that they pet, other times it could be a group of high-tech hoodlums lurking around the local electronics store.
  7. I wouldn't be surprised if there could be some licensing deal made. Honestly, I'm surprised more games like Overwatch and Fortnite don't have minis out.
  8. Alternatively, rather than hiring in someone for STLs, licensing out the characters to a popular STL creator might work better.
  9. Never cared for the way Deathstroke was treated past 4e. I used the group as a great foil for a few of the teams I've ran for in the past, and even gave them additional gear. I've since made my own version of such a team that was inspired by the original.
  10. 3D Printable Minis would be a great draw to the Patreon.
  11. In my experience with the Hero System, both as a player and as a GM, there are some restraints that need to be placed into a game. To begin with, you should look at the baseline points for your game. For many, a starting Player Hero will begin at 400 points. You'll use this to buy stats, skills, perks, talents, and powers. In addition to this, there should be some beginning limits, examples of which can be seen throughout Hero products. Since you're talking Superman, I would suggest looking at Champions 6e pg. 135 where it shows suggested limits for your Active Points in a power, as well as giving you good character guidelines overall. So let's look at the Transform that you were looking at. Superman, if built as the power level as seen in the comics, is a fairly powerful character that could be hundreds of points easily. But let's say we're building him on 600 points of powers, and that's the way you'd like the Transform to work. To give someone the full deal and turn them into Superman, you'd need to roll (120 + the target's BODY) x 2 to succeed. So if we figure the target has an average BODY of 10 with no Power Defense, that means you'd need to roll 260 on your Transform dice. To this in one shot, and taking into consideration that the average roll is 3, that would mean you'd need an 87d6 Major Transform, which would be 870 active points just for that single power before any limitations or advantages. Oof. That's a LOT of points that are nowhere near that 400 point character I was talking about in the beginning of this post. As a GM, I wouldn't allow it in my game.
  12. It sounds like they may have a bit of Princess Amethyst (from DC Comics) in there as well. Taking the shows as inspiration, most of your villains can fall within a kind of mismatch of power sets and levels. You have Queen Nocturna, who could easily have darkness/shadow powers with a mystical flair, or perhaps some kind of sleep/nightmare abilities. You could easily draw upon both to get "troops/mooks" that serve her in the same way countless drones serve Master Villain X. As for her lieutenants, you usually have something like: - Monstrous Villain: A monster of a being, perhaps combining a handful of animals or monsters into one. - Element Villain 1: A humanoid adapted to a specific element (with maybe a few powers from it). - Element Villain 2: See Element Villain 1, but with a different element. - Magic Villain: Usually the major domo of Master Villain X. They occasionally will have conflicting feelings for the hero, or someone close to them. They may also transform friends into enemies. - Weird Tech Villain: Someone who uses either weird tech, or uses tech weirdly. They may have several mechanical faces, a helmet with a sense based power, or something else weird. - Weapon Villain: Take a weapon and make it weird, and go over the top. - Betrayer Villain: Once a friend, this villain has been transformed into something different (usually over something petty). But they may still have feelings for their former friend. Many of the villains in Sailor Moon are one-offs that follow a kind of Monster of the Week kind of trope. It's only through the "magic of the moon" that they can finally be defeated. Not really unlike Voltron and his blazing sword to be honest. Overall, think "high concept fantasy meets technology in a weird corner of a comic book universe where everyone is either muscle men, muscle male monsters, or hyper-pretty" and you'll be on the right path for the most part. Hope this helps.
  13. I know Dungeon had done a few Marvel Superheroes modules. I believe one was a con adventure. And maybe a Traveller one... though I'm not 100% on that last one. I think the superheroine in question was a character called Quantum. Maybe in Dragon #111?
  14. Nanny. They've been in some of the recent X-Comics lately.
  15. I kind of liked the Package Deal Bonus for the same reasons Scott mentioned.
  16. The Holo-Doc was a bit more than an AI in the show. He could take on a physical form akin to the holo-projections like in the holodeck, had his own personalities, and often worked on the various members of the crew. He really wasn't that different than having an actual doctor on the ship, except that he was tied to Voyager and could only leave under unusual circumstances.
  17. I would use a complication "Holographic Being" which would cover what happens if the "bee" is damaged or shut down, as well as the things he wouldn't be able to do. I don't see a need for Desolid based on what I've seen in the Trek shows. Mostly KS/PS skills, with Regeneration/Immortality so long as the programming remains intact. That said, a potential second complication "Subject to Programming" or even a vulnerability "Computer Effects" may also come into play.
  18. Thanks, Duke. I see the product number, but not the ISBN. If you happen to have it when you have a sec, it'd be appreciated. Thanks!
  19. Does anyone have the ISBN for the HC 6th ed Fantasy Hero handy? I'm looking to buy a new copy, but everything points to SC. Thanks in advance.
  20. Back in the day, when we first started playing RPGs with 1e, that was the way we thought stats were rolled. After some time, rather than roll and extra die, we would roll three characters at a time and choose the best array of stats.
  21. Fun idea, @dean day! I've played around a few times with making a campaign using other game books in the past. Back in the '90s, I had a few V&V villains show up in a Champions game, and have had both V&V and Champions characters show up in an M&M campaign. The big problem I had was conversion. In the end, I found that converting by concept over some magical mathematic formula works best. Mind you, it also helps that Freedom City's creator, Steve Kenson, had dropped some conversion on the boards almost a decade ago (see attached). IMHO, it might be best to start small. Take a single city, populate it with NPCs, villains, any heroes that you want players to interact with and prep for running. Say you decide to use Freedom City (using the attached file). Just mix in what you'd like and then start working on your first game. When you have some time, start on the next city that your player heroes may interact with. Rinse, repeat... That would be one of the cities in Mutants & Masterminds, Dean. They had a 3rd edition sourcebook that came out with info on it. It's basically a stand in for Seattle. Fun book. fchero-_1_.txt
  22. First off, welcome to the boards and the Hero System, @WreckItDavey. Hero isn't always the easiest system for folks to grok, believe me, I understand. I have a group of excellent players that the system stumps more than once. That said, if your Game Master doesn't mind, I would ask them a bunch of questions, as they may have the insight on the campaign they're planning on running, and any house rules they may like to see. I would lean more toward the Multiform-style of character, myself. Blake and Thor were very different characters (as can be seen in last year's issues of Thor), and the character might reflect that. This means they may have different skills, complications, and, of course, abilities. I've always worked from the more powerful character and made the weaker form an alternate of that form (not visa-versa). So maybe give the Spartan form increased abilities (like Strength and Constitution), while also having some powers (maybe a "Thunderbolt of Zeus" attack, or "Shield of Athena" defense) while in that form. Meanwhile, I would build the solider on around 200pts to make them an exceptional human being. He may have some useful skills, talents, and perks while in that form, and maybe both beings are aware of the other... even if they're not happy about it. If you want to make things interesting, you might give them both the Accidental Change complication with the Spartan appearing while "under moments of high stress" and reverting to the solider while "out of combat."
  23. That sounds like a blast, Scott. So did he use a fusion of sorts between Hero and Traveller for the game? Or was it more a style from DI in Traveller?
  24. A few times, sadly. The one that probably burned me the most was a long running campaign where one of the players just locked up on me after I gave them a spotlight. The events that led up to it and the eventual disappointment was enough to kill the whole game for me.
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