Black Rose

Re: Character Assessment Method Very cool, KS. Simplifies a lot of skull sweat. Though I do admit I was looking forward to an elegant set of charts.

Re: Hero Modding: One Dice Mechanic While you've probably already taken care of this - what with the 12 pages of notes - I thought I'd put in my tuppence. 1. Roll 3d6. Sum total. roll under a certain number: Pretty basic "Action Roll"; not much needs to be said, unless you choose to institute some sort of effect for making the roll by a given amount. I recommend some sort of minor bennie if you make the roll by half; i.e., target is 12- and you roll 6-. 2. Roll 3d6. Sum total. subtract another number, roll 11-: This is actually the same as #1, just expressed in a different format. You're aiming to roll under a target number that is defined as Your OCV + 11* - 3d6 roll = what DCV you hit (I find this easier). *I recommend you have this number in your OCV box just for ease of figuring. 3. Roll nd6. Sum total to get Effect, or STUN: And this is the generic "Effect Roll", or it would be, but look at what I say for #4. 4. Roll nd6. As 3 BUT ALSO gain 1 "point" for each 2-5 rolled. Gain 2 "points" for each 6: This is actually what I would call the standard "Effect Roll", since it comes up an awful lot. To pull off #3 you just ignore figuring BODY. 5. Roll nd6. Sum total to get BODY. roll another d6, add/subtract a number that defaults to -1 and multiply this second number by the BODY to get STUN: I actually recommend something different here. I have two methods for figuring Killing Attacks. One has you figure it just like a Normal Damage Attack, which will keep everyone on the same page in a Superheroic Game. The other has you roll dice equal to the number of DC in the attack, but make the Killing Dice a different color. I recommend the first because it's just like the standard "Effect Roll" and makes sure everyone doesn't have to learn too many types of die rolling; frankly, though, if you started out in d20, you already know how to do weird dice math.

Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind.

Re: Working With RedPen and AP

Re: Has HERO achieved maximum desirable complexity? Absolutely agreed. What I think 6th needs - since we'd have to put this off to a new edition anyway - is for all of those bits to be made "elegant". You are actually damn good at this, KS, and I was just thinking that you would be an excellent collaborator on such a project. I think each and every component should be tightened up, and all of the points where things start to get kludgy - STR adding to Advantaged MA Maneuvers, up next on Jerry Springer! - need to be shaken out and clarified. Like you said, there are a lot of components that work fine as is, and those won't need all that much work, but the spots that keep getting stumbled over, or having to be worked around, those need help. And for my personal hobby-horse: there needs to be a deeper discussion on setting up power constructs for games. Full on superhero games are about the only setting that allows everything in the Powers section. We need to show how you-the-GM can take the Powers list and pick and choose for your campaign. I still use the sheet from my copy of 4th's Fantasy Hero; it works great for such things, but I'd still love a better one. Just a way to let the players (if they have such free reign in choosing Powers) know what's allowed, denied, and assumed. House Rules are great for such thing; I'm just thinking of a somewhat more structured document.

Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... What is this inn-oh-sent of which you speak?

Re: Has HERO achieved maximum desirable complexity? I'm going to agree with you as well. This is where I think the best efforts could be made. As much as I love the level of detail HERO provides, I acknowledge that it's best use is as a game builder. I think that perhaps we should be looking for ways to help prospective GMs and Players build their own games easier. A guide to making decisions on what rules should and should not be used, and advice on setting tone and feel. Scarily enough, I think what I'm suggesting is the HERO equivalent of a World of Darkness Storyteller's Guide; less hard rules and numbers and more balances and ramifications.

Re: How to build a Scythe for a weapon? I also think those HKA are a bit high; I could be wrong, though. I would have said 1 1/2d6 HKA myself. Being able to wonk out a 4d6 HKA is pretty nasty.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... Well, the SAMs* keep trying to switch them out.... * SAM: Smart-@$$ Masochist

Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. I too shall rep you, because this was damn funny. We need more of this in the comics; I might actually buy something other than Fred Perry and Adam Warren then.

Re: Older HERO rules in 5E games I agree with Ockham's Spoon; this is a really good rule. It makes sense and isn't overpowered. I do wonder if it might become a problem with people using it at cheap OCV, but I'm guessing the END cost balances that out.

Re: THE ULTIMATE SPEEDSTER -- What Do *You* Want To See?

Re: Regeneration / Healing According to my copy of FREd, you're right. It doesn't bother me too much that it's 7 pts per BODY; sure 5 pts would be nicer, and 10 pts would be more even, but I'll live. The important thing to remember is to never ever do what the 4th ed example suggested, because that would be stupid. The 4th ed example, IIRC, had you buying 5 BODY of Regen every 5 minutes. Show of hands for everyone who can see the flaw here. To use the FREd version to ilustrate my point. Healing 5 BODY, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (100 Active Points); Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 5 Minutes (-1 3/4), Self Only (-1/2) (31 Real Points) versus Healing 1 BODY, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (20 Active Points); Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Minute (-1 1/2), Self Only (-1/2) (7 Real Points) I still have no idea why anyone would do this, aside from trying to make it fit in an EC.

Re: Ultimate Customisation One thought that comes to mind with this is a guide that takes all the "standard" deviations from the base core rule set and shows you what happens with them. "This is Bleeding and here's what it does in general. Now, here's the pros and cons of it in general, and how it would affect each of our standard genres." "This is END, and here's what happens when you take it out of the game." I grant you, this might be better as a series for DH, but I'd still want to read it. Heck, even if it wouldn't be popular as a published book, it could work as a HEROPlus book; they'd have to do layout, but wouldn't have to spend money on printing or distribution. For an e-book that covered each and every "optional rule" in the books to date and what their ramifications are, I'd pay $12-18.

Re: Conceptualizing Speed This is pretty much how I see Speed. If you're "experienced" at a given (non-combat) task, and know what you're doing to the point where you can think about other things while your doing it, you can do it a lot "more" than someone who has to consciously make every single movement. I'm thinking of implementing some sort of bonus to repetitive tasks based solely on how many levels have been bought in a skill; it makes sense to me, since if you're naturally talented at something you often don't take the time to practice, since you never needed to. In theory, I can draw as well as Fred Perry (of GD fame). I've seen his work, I've read his art tips, and I have full motion in my shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers. Obviously I can't, though, and here's why; I haven't practiced. If I took the time to "hardwire" the ability to draw like Fred Perry into my muscle memory, by the time I could do it, I'd have PS: Draw Like Fred Perry 8-, maybe even 11-. And that would prove my point, wouldn't it?

Re: Package Deals in 5ER

Re: Package Deals in 5ER But if I took the Policeman Package Deal, and am suspended from the force for excessive brutality - "Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do ya?" - I don't lose my Deduction Skill, or my Forensic Medicine Skill, and I certainly don't lose my Criminology skill. I lose access to my service revolver (and most cops have more guns than that), my badge, and I'm not, technically, a cop, so I can't perform arrests other than citizen's and I'm not supposed to go places ordinary civilians can't go. Some things are lost, but not all. Frankly, most of what makes a Package Deal is the skills; it really is just a list of what the GM expects to see on someone who claims to be a "whatever". I'd prefer to call them Templates, but GURPS locked that word down for the same thing, so it'd look cheap. If you've ever taken a good look at the G:Wizards or G:Warriors books, they give great breakdowns of what a "typical whatever" ought to have, plus some skills and other bits they might reasonably have, and put it all down so you can pick and choose. That way, if you want a sniper who, when cornered, fights in an acrobatic style, you grab the acrobatic martial artist template and the sniper template and smoosh them together. Works great. For an example of someone who does great packages for HERO, look at Killer Shrike's site. Geez, I ought to put that in my sig.

Re: SPD Standards Something to consider (since I'm considering it as I type this) is just how fast people are. Think of it like this.... Speed 2 -- normal people; i.e., virtually everybody you know. They may be able to do some specific things fast, but their Speed determines how fast they do everything. If you've got someone who's good (i.e., quick) at something, that's probably just skill. Think about it, you know what you're doing, so you know the quickest way to do it, and you've done it a lot, which looks very fast to someone who has to plot their actions as they go. Speed 3 -- highly trained physical types; i.e., athletes, Special Forces, etc. These are people who have trained themselves to a level of skill, not only in tasks but in reaction time, that allows them to act 150% as fast as you do. This means, for something you haven't specifically practiced, they can do it three times for every two times you do it. That's actually pretty darn impressive, you know. Speed 4 -- freaky highly-trained physical types; some martial artists, uber-trained SF types, etc. Chances are you will probably never meet one of these people in your life... ever. This person is in such good shape and so well-trained that he can move twice as fast as you. Think about it, this guy can not only stop any action you can make, but then rub it in your face by doing the action himself after he stops you. People that move this fast should be giving off PRE Attacks every time they go all out. Speed 5 -- inhuman types. You have never met someone this fast, ever. This person can make a fully-trained, in-his-prime athlete look like the chubby kid you picked last for softball, at anything. Most people would be standing slack-jawed at the sight of this guy going full out. If you allow for base Movement, this guy can run literal circles around a normal person who's going full out. The only way to even begin to hold your own against someone this fast would be to challenge him to something you are intimately familiar with and which he knows nothing about. Speed 6 -- just worse than Speed 5. At this point normals can't even begin to keep up with him. This is a full-on Speedster territory, and they treat Special Forces the same way Speed 4s treat normals, only worse. At this level, even if you only have a 10 INT, you think so much faster (if not deeper) than normals that just listening to the typical chatter at a mall could drive you to homicide. Speed 7 and up -- do I need to go on about how disgustingly beyond you these people are? You really can't contribute to their lives in any way that wouldn't simply frustrate them. At the risk of sounding un-PC, everyone around someone with a Speed this high must seem to be barely Functionally Retarded; yes, I know the term is Developmentally Disabled, but trust me, to them, you're retarded. There is simply no way you could ever keep up with them, and the entire world is built to handle your range of ability. I honestly wonder if people with Speeds this fast wouldn't become villians out of sheer frustration. To better illustrate my point, remember those bygone days before cable and DSL, much less T1 connections? Have you erev tried to use on of those connections after you traded up? Remember the slowly mounting frustration as you realised that, in the time it took the computer to rez up a screen you could have finished reading it and the one after it if you were using your usual connection? That's their entire lives. From their perspective, everyone and everything is moving one-third as fast as it should. While I can't link to Seanbaby.com from here (not work safe), I'd recommend you go and read his Super Friends rant about the Flash. It gives some of the best descriptions of a superfast person dealing with normals I can think of.

Re: Package Deals in 5ER You might want to consider using an Expert Skill Enhancer. I don't recall where I saw this, but I'm 99.44% positive it's now a legit construct. Regardless, the idea would be that you-the-GM would decide what skills fall under the heading you're working with; police officer, executive, teacher, athlete, whatever. Then you throw a Skill Enhancer on that list that reduces all full skills (3+ pts for Char-based, 2+ otherwise) by one point. I'd make it cost at least 5 pts for up to 10 skills, 8 pts for up to 15, and 10 pts for up to 20 (frankly you shouldn't have normal builds running around with 20+ skills IMO.

Re: Combo too much?

Re: Combo too much? Upon reflection, I'm toning down the Fragileness of the World to x1.5, only for Martial Artists and Supernatural Beings. I'm also toning down the EC-like constructs (called Forte); the structure I have going is as follows. All martial art techniques beyond normal real-world abilities fall under one or more Forte, depending on how their built and defined. You must pay half the Active Points of the most expensive power in a given Forte, with a limit of 67.5 Active Points, and all powers under that Forte have their Active Point cost cut by 25%; this means a 45 Active Point power costs only 34 Active Points, while being effectively 68 Active Points vs. "normal" things, when you factor in the Fragile World rules. One of these "schools" can be your "primary school" and have a higher Active Point limit (60 AP) - making a 60 Active Point power cost only 45 Active Point, while being effectively 90 Active Points! I don't think this is too extreme, since any use of a Power Framework results in serious point savings over buying each power seperately. This lets the PCs do low-scale damage to the scenery while not letting them slaughter all in their path. The main reason I wanted all of these price-cutting effects in play is so that it's relatively inexpensive to get a new power or raise the ones you already have, but there aren't so many points floating around that PCs can casually use XP to become far more skilled than they should be. As I see it, there will be three "character types" (and blendings thereof): martial artists, supernatural beings, and people who can think their way around both of them. I don't want the people who are using their brains (as opposed to their fists or hearts) to run around with skills in the 20+s after five sessions.

Re: Eating your lunch... Tossing my tuppence into the hat.... I've played M&M... a little. Not much I grant you, so maybe my opinion shouldn't be taken for too much. I enjoyed it. It wasn't hard to "do things", at least not the things I wanted my character to do, and a good time was had by all. Would I play again? Sure, why not. It seems like a decent soda-and-snackies (we don't tend to drink at the table) game. My only real complaint with the system was: one, my near-instinctive dislike for d20 games, and two, it looked, like most d20 games, that they would be giving out new rules and powers with all the new books. One of the things I really do love about HERO is that there are no "new things" in the Ultimate books that I couldn't come up with on my own from what I've already been given. Sure there's a new skill in TUB (Hoist), but it's really nothing more than Analyze: Large Objects. No new powers to make my Brick ky00l3r, just builds that use the same stuff in the main book. Of all the things I want to see in 6th Ed, the complete martial arts construction system is tops, since it's the one really "new" thing I've seen out of the Ultimate Books, and that frustrates me.

Re: If YOU have been playing Hero since the 80's why do you still keep coming back? I wish I could say I had been playing HERO forever, but in reality I picked up the softbound 4th ed book in '92 or '93, couldn't wrap my head around all of the arconyms (OCV, DCV, AVLD, WTH?) and put it to the side while I got back to GURPS. Around about the time I realized that GURPS couldn't do the things I wanted it to do (too gritty), one of my friends (hey Nu Soard!) picked up the BGC Fuzion book. I was really impressed, since I liked the anime and was a moderate fan of InterLock (which likewise couldn't do what I wanted, in Cyberpunk or Mekton mode). Later he picked up C:NM, and I was blown away by the art - and Team Defender - but I noticed that the powers list was kind of... lacking. And then I read a footnote that said to use the HERO System Rulebook. And I thought to myself, "You know, I think I have that." Started reading it a little more deeply than in the past, and never looked back. The thing I love most about HERO is this: I can do anything I want. After HERO, every other game book is nothing but reference material. The one gripe I have with HERO relates to the thing I love most about it: because I can do anything I want, sometimes I'm paralyzed by too many choices. That can be very frustrating. But you know what? I still love HERO.

Re: Everyman progress? I realize I'm only one voice, but I really liked the two female police officers. IIRC, one was a bit of a newbie but had mad shooting skillz, and the other was a former girl-gang member. I was just getting into HERO at the time, but I remember thinking they were very cool.