Ryhope Wood

Hi all I am after stats for common German and Russian guns and vehicles for a horror one-shot I am writing. I have searched other threads but the only recommended sources are: (1) Golden Age Champions (Gold Rush Games) - OOP (2) Hero Plus supplements e.g. Unknown Eagles pdf - OOP beyond torrent (3) Convert from GURPS WW2 Now I have (3), lots of them in fact, but would appreciate some pointers on converting equipment vehicles from Gurps 3E (4E if you include High Tech) to Hero 5E. Do you think Hero Games would consider re-releasing some of the OOP material such as (1) and (2) as pdf only? Thanks Ian

Re: GURPS and Hero: Characters I've flirted with both GURPS and HERO in recent years and there are a couple of important differences to add to those listed above: (1) Skills versus powers. GURPS is very much a skills based system. Many advantages / disadvantages work as modifiers to skills. Some HERO powers are skills in GURPS. In HERO it is easier to build cinematic abilities such as D&D feats because powers are much more modular and customisable than skills. However, GURPS has a much better link between disadvantages / mechanics than HERO and it is much easier to develop and assign penalties (such as -1 to Will rolls versus hypnotism spells) and -1 to fighting in deserts than HERO. These are both issues that matter when converting from D20 systems. (2) Cinematic versus realism. While both systems can ultimately do both, HERO starts from a cinematic perspective and GURPS starts from a realistic perspective. As a newbie to the games, it is easier in GURPS if you start realistic and add cinematic, and vice versa for HERO. Hope this helps, Ian

Hi all I've been reading the Dark Heresy RPG book set in the Warhammer 40K universe. I think some one described it as Cthulhu in Space. The setting has great potential for a dark sci-fi campaign. I'm interested in working up a conversion for HERO. Anyone else interested? The core system is very similar to the WHFRG for which Killer Shrike has some excellent conversion ideas at http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/ConversionWH2e/conversionWH2e.aspx Cheers Ian

Re: Players wish to emulate dnd's sense motive.

Re: Players wish to emulate dnd's sense motive.

Re: Hyborian Hero I certainly have Susano and I love it. It would be interesting to compare your conversions based on the actual stories with those converted from the Conan RPG. I have a folder with all my favorite web pages printed out and that definitely includes your Hyborian creatures and Cthuhlu monsters too. Killer Shrikes conversion ideas are a wealth of info too. I was going to PM you soon asking if I can link to the creatures on your site from my Hyborian Hero site.

Hi folks Over the past few months I posted a bewildering array of stupid questions as I put together my Fantasy Hero conversion of the Conan RPG. Well I've finally started to put it all on-line and thought I would post the link as it may be useful for some people. http://homepage.ntlworld.com/idmartin/Hyborian%20Hero/hero_conan_main.htm I've got all the Conan RPG stuff from Mongoose Publishing and the GURPS Conan stuff as well. I've flitted between using GURPS 4th Edition and HERO System so there are two versions of the site. Any thoughts and possible help with converting spells and other elements would be much appreciated. Cheers Ian

Re: Help with Building a Curse Thanks for the good idea although building it with Drain is expensive: Drain DEX, INT, PRE 4d6, Variable Effect (applies to three characteristics, +¾), Delayed Return Rate (6 hours, +1¼), Ranged (+½), Based on ECV (+1), (180 Active Points); Incantations (-¼), Requires a Spell Skill Roll (-½), Side Effect (½d6 Transform, -¼). Total cost: 90 points. Alternatively I could just house rule that with the Uncontrolled Advantage, the sorcerer automatically applies the -1 penalty to a single skill use each phase without concious effort. I could then build the spell as: -1 Overall Skill Level, Invisible Power Effect (+1), Ranged (+½), Based on Ego Combat Value (+1), Uncontrolled (one day duration, +½), Costs END Only to Activate (+¼) (42 Active Points); Incantations (-¼), Requires a Spell Skill Roll (-½), Side Effect (1 point damage, -¼). Total cost: 21 points. Seems a pretty large point difference between the two (although only the Drain is strictly legal). A high cost for this spell effect is consistent with GURPS as well but it is listed as a low powered spell in the Conan RPG. Presumably this also relates to the linear scale used for ability rolls in D20 and the more dramatic changes in probability with 3D6 rolls in the range 9-12. Going with Drain, the spell write-up would be: ILL-FORTUNE (LESSER) Effect: Drain characteristics Target/Area Affected: One creature Casting Time: One phase Casting Procedures: Incantations Duration: Instant (start returning after 6 hours) Range: LOS (maybe used with Evil Eye) END Cost: 18 Sorcery Style: Curses Spell Difficulty Modifier: -9 Description: The sorcerer places a hex on the victim. The victim suffers a temporary loss of DEX, INT, and PRE resulting in a -1 penalty to Attack, Skill and Characteristic rolls for a minimum of six hours. This spell can be combined with the spell Evil Eye to increase the range beyond LOS. Built As: Drain DEX, INT, PRE 4d6, Variable Effect (applies to three characteristics, +¾), Delayed Return Rate (6 hours, +1¼), Ranged (+½), Based on ECV (+1), (180 Active Points); Incantations (-¼), Requires a Spell Skill Roll (-½), Side Effect (½d6 Transform, -¼). Total cost: 90 points.

I'm trying to convert a spell from the D20 Conan RPG to Fantasy Hero. I thought it would be straight-forward but I'm a bit stuck. The spell effect is a -1 on all skill and attribute rolls for the duration of the curse. However, 5ER suggests that a -1 overall skill level be applied to one skill or characteristic roll each phase and must be actively controlled by the person inflicting the negative skill level. How much do you think a custom advantage would be worth to buy this effect off so that the -1 applied to every skill or characteristic check for the duration of the effect without requiring concious control? Your thoughts much appreciated, Ian

Re: Urban Fantasy Recommendations Not sure if these are too late to make Steve's reading list but I would recommend the books of Robert Holdstock and Mark Chadborne. Robert Holdstock has written the Mythago Wood series including Mythago Wood and Lavondyss. The setting deals with modern day ordinary people interacting with a mythical world formed from our own subconcious thoughts and racial memories into heroic archetypes. Mark Chadborne has written the trilogy Age of Misrule including World's End, Darkest Hour, and Always Forever. It deals with the end of the Age of Reason and the return of magic and fae into the world with drastic consequences for the world. In many respects it blends fantasy with post apocalypse themes.

Hi all Although I've got experience with d20 and Gurps, I'm a relative noobie as far as the Hero System and I'd appreciate some advice on handling disadvantages. Often in d20 and the descriptions of Gurps disadvantages there are clear game penalties such as -x to skill or attribute roll under specific-circumstances or reduction in resistance rolls versus influence skills or magical effects such as fear or mind control. Its not so clear cut for me with Hero disadvantages such as a Physical or Psychological Limitation. From what I understand, Physical Limitations can be built on the basis of the cost of overcoming some physical ability. So, I could build a disadvantage for a character with slow and plodding speech that means fast or complex conversations are near impossible and gives a -1 to Influence Skills (-5 points maybe less with a Limited Power modifier). I presume that it would be ok to build this effect into the description of the disadvantage? I'm not sure how to do the same with Psychological Limitations - apart from the control number, does the intensity result in greater penalties? For example, would a Psychological Limitation: Easily Frightened, have say -1D6 to PRE versus fear attacks for a Moderate intensity and -3D6 to PRE versus fear attacks for a Total intensity? Or is it more subjective and the GM just rules that the character is automatically scared? Similarly, a character could have the Psychological Limitation: Easily Flustered that gives a penalty to performing skills under pressure. Would a Moderate intensity give a -1 to skill rolls, Strong intensity giving -2, and Total intensity -3? Guidance on this would be much appreciated, Ian

Re: Converting D20 Modifiers to HERO Skill bonuses. Although I found your guide to skill ranks very useful (as I do many of the other ideas on your site!), your package deals don't pick up the racial bonuses to skill checks. For example, your high elf package doesn't reflect the +2 racial bonus on Search checks (presumably a +1 skill bonus to Concealment). BTW I am not saying your packages are wrong - far from it!Such bonuses are probably not very important in the core D&D races but in a lot of D20 settings such as Conan RPG and Midnight they become much more numerous and important.

Re: Converting D20 Modifiers to HERO Thanks for the advice Nate. So a good rule-of-thumb would be that +1/+2 in D&D for skills equals +1 in HERO for skills, +3/+4 in D&D equals +2 in HERO and so on. To be honest, I had just converted on a like for like basis but I'll go back and recalculate now. Ian

Re: Running through the forest It was written by Gorham Palmer and published in 1990. Pirates: A Campaign Classic: 17th century swashbuckling adventures on the high seas. ICE #1040. The Noble Knight has it for $25 + P&P.

Hi all Coming from a d20 background I find the free form nature of disadvantages a a bit challenging to define and to balance. I'm currently converting the Conan RPG to HERO and have been working through a few disadvantages based on the d20 penalties in racial descriptions. I would appreciate your thoughts on these and whether or not I am going along the right lines. Example 1 -2 racial penalty to save against hypnotism of any kind. This is for cultural reasons. The folk of the East have a long tradition of tales and superstitions regarding the power of hypnotism, which tends to reinforce the power of the hypnotist. Easily Hypnotised (Psychological Limitation) Value: 10 points (Uncommon, Strong) This character has a limited version of Weak Willed (see Master List of Limitations at http://www.globalguardians.com) that applies only in situations involving overt hypnosis and mesmerism. It stems from a cultural weakness where the folk of the East have a long tradition of tales and superstitions regarding the power of hypnotism, which tends to reinforce the power of the hypnotist. Example 2 -1 morale penalty to all attack rolls and skill checks made during the hours of daylight. The Wazuli are so close to being nocturnal that they function poorly during the daytime. Nocturnal Body Clock (Physical Limitation) Value: 8 points (Frequently, Greatly) You are so close to being nocturnal that you function poorly during the daytime. You suffer -1 to all combat rolls and skill rolls during the daylight hours. The cost of this disadvantage is the same as the cost of buying a +1 Overall Skill Level with the limitation Only in Daylight (-¼). Has anyone any guidelines or rules of thumb for handling the severity or intensity of a limitation as a negative modifier to certain characteristic or skill checks? Your thoughts very much appreciated, Ian

Hi all I posted a rule question about the cost of negative skill levels yesterday. A lot of people looked at it but noone replied which suggests that my question was very stupid! Anyway, I asked the question because I am playing around with conversions for my two favourite D20 settings: Conan and Midnight. It is common to see in D20 racial and cultural packages that race X isn't very good at Persuasion checks or at Climbing checks. I want to simulate this in a package deal and thought about using negative skill levels. According to 5ER and TUS, characters can purchase negative skill levels for curses etc at -1 on any one Skill for three points; -1 to any one Skill group for 5 character points; and so on. If I was to price this as a disadvantage within the package deal should I assume that a -1 to any Persuasion check roll is worth a 3 point disadvantage? Alternatively should I just inverse the cost of purchasing a +1 with one skill worth 2 points? Your thoughts would be much appreciated including alternative ways to simulate this. Thanks, Ian

Hi folks, If I wanted to give a character -1 to all Persuasion skill checks would I use the cost of negative skills as a guide to pricing this as a disadvantage. So a -1 to one skill would be worth 3 points, -1 to a group of related skills would be worth 5 points and so on? Thanks, Ian

Re: Orcs - Aversion to Sunlight Thanks for the advice Edsel.

Hi all I'm trying to convert the D20 racial trait "Aversion to sunlight" into Hero System. This is essentially a -1 to skill rolls in daylight. Is this ok? Aversion to sunlight: Skill Levels -1 Overall Levels (-10 Active Points); Limited Power: Only in daylight (-1/4) [-8 points] Are negative skill levels allowed as a disadvantage? Ian

Re: HP Lovecraft movies Hi there If anyone is interested I purchased a book recently entitled "Lurker in the Lobby: A Guide to the Cinema of HP Lovecraft". It has pretty honest reviews and covers all the films mentioned earlier in this thread and includes TV shows as well. Lots of pictures and interviews. It was written by Andrew Migliore and John Strysik. It is published by Night Shade Books. It is a paperback and I got it for £12.99 in the UK. Ian

Re: Destiny as a Disadvantage Hi all Thanks for the input everyone. I took a look at the Fated disadvantage mentioned above. It seems better suited to detailed actions. I liked the idea about using Unluck more as it better fits the concept of fate. It maybe that I'm trying to define as a disadvantage something that should just be left to roleplaying and background flavour, especially as it applies only to NPC. The destiny in the Robert Holdstock books is more a role in a myth that the characters ultimately have to complete. For example, they will steal a statue from the sorceror, kill their own brother, and ultimately die by his hand in revenge and they can't avoid it. Ian

Hi folks Need your advice on a disadvantage that reflects a characters predetermined destiny. It is actually for a series of NPCs I'm building based on the works of Robert Holdstock. In Ryhope Wood, the myths and legends of our subconcious collective are given form. They are archetypes of myth and legend and are born to fulfill the destiny of the story or tale. Perhaps the nearest fit is a psychological limitation that compels them to fulfill the story but it kinda implies that they have some control when they don't. Any thoughts, Ian

Hi all Stupid question. The 5ER rules state that a character has 1d6 dice for a presence attack for every 5 points of PRE. So where do the extra 1/2 d6 come from in the example on the opposite page? Do you get an extra 1/2d6 for 3 points? That is, do you get 1 1/2 d6 for 8 PRE or just 1d6? The text is unclear on this. Thanks, Ian

Hi I've been attracted to Hero System for some time because its flexibility suits my imagination more than my current RPG of choice - d20. My problem is that I need weening off class levels and challenge ratings. For a standard hero game of three PCs of 100 + 50 points, what sort out points level might represent a very challenging NPC, a moderately challenging NPC etc? How many average point stooges make a good challenge? I appreciate that there is some variability depending on the exact characteristics of the NPC - magic / combat prowess etc and circumstances that makes it more of an art rather than science. I've looked in both the core rules and the various supplements / adventures for guidance on this without much joy. Your thoughts would be very much appreciated! Ian