ThothAmon

Roleplaying Is A Tool Of Santa If you really want to see how AD&D and other roleplaying games are evil then check out this link: http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0046/0046_01.asp

Hammer and Sickle A brother and sister pair of mutants (children of Ivan, grandchildren of General Mayhem) who were the last recruits into the Supreme Soviet prior to the fall of the Wall. Hammer was a stereotypical very strong brick, Sickle a less strong brick with Karate/Kobojutsu skills and armed with the ubiquitous weapon. --- Brains and Muscles Two members of a somewhere-in-the-middle (neither villainous nor heroic) mutant group c.f. the Morlocks living in tunnels beneath NYC. Brains was a hydrocephalic genius (wasted body, massive psionic abilities) whilst Muscles was a slow-witted brick. Effective as a team because Muscles did all the legwork whilst Brains stayed at home; Muscles benefitted from a Mind Link with Brains and the gift of Mental DEF UBO.

I'm following this discussion with interest, and I have a few questions/thoughts: I was given to understand (from a long-time re-enactor) that plate armour being cumbersome, hindering movement et al was something of a fallacy. Specifically, properly fitted plate would not stop a trained warrior from speedily getting back on their feet or pulling a backflip. Any comments as to the veracity of this? Similarly, a medieval historian accquaintance led me to believe that dead bodies in plate would often float to the surface of a lake. Comments? The old 'Pirates' supplement indicated that armour DEF should be halved versus damage from gunpowder weapons, a rule which is used in our campaign. Any thoughts on this? Lastly, regards the coverage rules and Activation rolls, does the DEF coverage not presume that the target is active in combat and thus catching blows on covered areas? Whilst I find the discussions (and alternate rules) to be intriguing, simple scaleable DEF from leather up to plate has worked well in our campaigns. For me the added complexity of these realistic ideas does appear a little redundant given that the typical FH campaign involves sorcery, mythical critters et al.

Why would a sorceror have Combat Luck? I'd suggest that Combat Luck is only for those who have done a lot of fighting prior to start of play i.e. experienced warriors and rogues. Sorcerors should instead be packing Unluck as a side effect of their dabblings in unnatural forces. Furthermore, Combat Luck should really be (A) at GM discretion only and ( limited to one or two levels of effect. As for Chainmail, use sectional armour from FH and apply the DCV penalty (or END penalty, or both) to the sorcerors Magic Skill roll. Or announce that any armour-based DCV penalty results in Magic Skill rolls at -1 per 5 active instead of -1 per 10 that applies to unencumbered spellcasters. Adjust spells as required e.g. Lightning Bolt automatically gets a 2d6 RKA Side Effect (worth -0) if the caster is wearing metal armour. Never allow Persistent magical defences. Spellcasters must always pay END for topped up rPD/rED. Announce that LTE rules will be used if the caster is encumbered in any way.

A few off-the-wall suggestions based on the more adult Manga flicks: (1) Manga Dangler: Human males have 6 limbs instead of 5 - buy a couple of inches of stretching for that third leg Don't forget that limbs can be targeted by Disabling HKA attacks (2) Instant Beauty: DNPC Manga chicks really love heroes who have Instant Change vs Others, makes them look the best they can be. (3) Feed My Power: Power absorption to the Multiform version of the character. Once he has been blasted enough he can warp to his powered up form.

I presume you are referring to D20 Call of Cthulhu and not BRP Cthulhu. The former is very action-oriented (Librarians with an Armour Class rating and Handgun feats! ) whilst the latter (the original) has one of the most lethal combat systems around (it discourages combat in favour of investigation). I've campaigned the horror genre continuously for many years. It requires sideways thinking. Challenges shouldn't really be combat-oriented. If your players can win the scenario via gunplay then you aren't playing in the horror genre, you're in the action-adventure genre. Skills and roleplaying are the order of the day - you cannot scare players who rely on their handguns instead of getting into their character and interacting with the world. If the players do not care for any of the NPCs around them, how can they feel that their worldview is threatened by in-game events? Setting the mood for weekly (or bi weekly) play is a tough prospect. It's hard to scare players if they come up against the same old opposition every time. Variety is required. Or, to put it another way, the Unknown Monster must stay unknown and not become familiar and contemptible. As soon as your players can identify the evil beast-thing from beyond as a MindSucker from Planet MacDonalds you have lost. Another technique that is important is the enforcement of the rule that Power Comes At A High Price. You can also substitute Knowledge instead of Power. The world is hostile and nothing comes for free. Every success the PCs get should be tempered by the loss of loved ones, limbs, sanity et al. The other technique that works in your favour is the Onion Skin (AKA the Slow Burn), whereby plot elements and The Awful Truth behind the Big Conspiracy are only revealed slowly over a number of gaming sessions (if ever). Example: Session 1 involves angry gangsters wondering who is bumping them off, and the attendant fallout for the PCs. Session 2 follows up on clues from previous, and it is suspected that resurrected undead gangsters are the trigger men. Closely followed by the investigation of the undeads lair, and the creepy family of undertakers who seem to be working with them. Session 3 discovers that the family are themselves black magicians with a network of contacts, and they are intent on assuming control of the criminal underworld. Sessions 3 and 4 reveal their extortion, blackmail, pornography, slave trading and organ-legging schemes, and the links to those in power (D.A., Mayor etc, all of whom are depraved in the extreme) via a formula for immortality. Next session the price for that immortality is discovered, and so it continues... You have to keep things weird, unpredictable and generally run contrary to established gaming. Things should start out normal but as the campaign progresses the PCs should encounter darker and more twisted sessions, until they start questioning everything around them. When your players (not the PCs) start having real life nightmares based on your gaming, you will know you are succeeding Running a successful horror campaign is probably the hardest of all GMing tasks. It's also the most rewarding. I can suggest a few sources to help you along: Call of Cthulhu 5th Edition Delta Green Delta Green: Countdown Kult GURPS: Illuminati GURPS: Cliffhangers Horror Hero (4th Ed) Any Cthulhu mailing list / bulletin board (e.g. Strange Aeons, Yog Sothoth etc)

Building an MA attack move with the Abort element is an optional house rule type thang. The option is there in Ninja Hero and UMA, and an example martial art with this appears in Strike Force. If you want it, do it.

Wow! Another HERO gamer in Glasgow!

Some gaming based on UK-centric non-4-colour comic stuff such as previously described. Also featuring liberal doses of 2000AD influence. YMMV.

Most of the villains from the old 'CLOWN' supplement are way better than average as far as Champions is concerned. The following are the stand outs: Tag - on paper he looks like just another brick but he's awesome fun to play. Just watch PCs tagging each other so he'll go for whoever is 'it' TEEHEE - possibly the finest piece of vehicle design of all time From the old 'Red Doom' supplement, the duplicating character Soyuz Proletariatski(?) has to be the most unique (pun intended). Not only the ultimate expression of Communism but the ultimate perplex-the-players character. Just how do you handle a villain who produces 1000+ duplicates of himself

Thanks Edsel, that's all I needed to know.

Does the 'Primus PDF' (available from the HERO Games store) replace the old 'PRIMUS and DEMON' supplement? Do you need the old supplement to use the PDF? Anyone got more info on that PDF? Contents, applicability, critique? Is it better or worse than 'PRIMUS and DEMON'?

Kylie Minogue meets The Shadow? It trust that SuperKylie has a PRE attack based on ass-shaking? I've seen worse, in fact, crusing these forums you'll see a lot worse character examples. Inter-PC dynamic tension is always a good source of drama. Go for it.

Not facetious at all. IIRC the naval combat rules from the 4th edition FH Companions are drawn from those first presented in 'Pirates'. I agree on the quality of the 'Campaign Classics' books, all were of a high standard. In particular 'Mythic Greece' was a top class product IMO.

Try the old Hero Games supplement 'Pirates' Readily available second hand from online game stores.

Standard humans have 2 arms, one of which is the off hand arm. Attacks with the off hand have an OCV penalty that can be negated by the Ambidexterity ability. Let's consider two Energy Projectors (Fry Guy and Bolt Thrower) who are standard humans. Their primary attacks powers are: Fry Guy projects heat beams from his eyes; Bolt Thrower tosses plasma bolts from his hands. Neither of the two have Inherent on their attack power. If both these guys take an impairing hit to their good arm, what happens to their OCV when using their primary attack? Does Bolt Thrower suffer an OCV penalty? Does Fry Guy get out of jail for free because his concept states eye beams?

For your edification, a character from my own campaign who shares similarities with some of those discussed previously. No point totals as I'm at work and doing this from memory: John Trevelyan AKA British Bulldog Characteristics Val Char 40 STR 20 DEX 28 CON 13 BODY 13 INT 14 EGO 20 PRE 6 COM 25 PD 20 ED 4 SPD 14 REC 56 END 47 STUN Powers Ultrasonic Hearing Discriminatory Smell Targeting Smell + 5†Superleap + 5†Running + 2†Swimming 3 PD / 3 ED Armour, ACT 14- Life Support – Retarded Ageing Full Ambidexterity Vehicle – Souped-up Mini Cooper 3 PD / 3 ED Armour, ACT 14-, IIF overcoat and boots Skills WF: Small Arms / Blades / Thrown Blades Commando Training – Martial Strike / Martial Block / Choke Hold Dirty Infighting – Flying Tackle / Eye Gouge / Hoist ‘n’ Heave Martial Weapons – Clubs / Knives 2 Damage Classes 3 levels HTH combat TF: Small Ground Vehicles / Small Water Vehicles / Parachute Level 4 English (Native) Level 2 French Level 2 German Level 2 Russian PS: Football 13- (DEX) KS: Espionage Ops 11- KS: Small Unit Tactics 11- KS: Football 11- KS: Beers of the World 11- KS: Politics 11- KS: History 11- KS: Crime Lore 11- AK: Greater London 13- AK: East End 11- AK: Berlin 11- Stealth 13- Concealment 12- Shadowing 11- Climbing 12- Breakfall 8- Survival 8- Navigation 8- Combat Driving 13- Lockpick 13- Security Systems 12- Demolitions 11- Streetwise 13- Persuasion 13- Oratory 13- Bribery 13- Interrogation 13- Perk – Security Clearance Well Connected Contact 11- (Scotland Yard) Contact 11- (Ticket Tout) Contact 11- (MI5) Contact 11- (MI6) Contact 11- (London gangland) Contact 11- (Royal advisor) Disadvantages Distinctive Looks: Human / bulldog hybrid Reputation: Dogged crimefighter and defender of the common man Psych: Stubborn doesn’t like to give up or admit defeat, common, strong Psych: Football nut, common, moderate Psych: Patriot, uncommon, strong Psych: Easygoing sense of humour / practical joker, common, moderate Psych: Hates fascists/racists/extremists, uncommon, strong Psych: Loves kids/protects innocents, common, strong Enraged: Smells own blood, uncommon, 11- to go, 11- to recover Public ID Hunted: Eurostar 8- Hunted: Supreme Soviet, 8- Watched: UK intelligence services, 11- Physical: Colour blind Vul: 2 x Stun from gas, poison and chemical attacks Vul: 1.5 x Body from gas, poison and chemical attacks Vul: 1.5 x Stun from sonic attacks DNPC: Brother, normal, 8- DNPC: Latest significant other, normal, 8- Background Born in the East end of London to an English father and a Russian mother, 18 year old John Trevelyan joined the Royal Marine Commandos in 1944. He served with distinction in a number of covert operations, ending his service with the rank of Sgt. Upon mustering out, Trevelyan was recruited into the fledgling intelligence services, working in both the domestic and foreign theatres (particularly in West Berlin during the Cold War). In the late 60’s Trevelyan fell afoul of the East German security services during a mission spying upon an alleged ‘supersoldier’ program based in Berlin. Unable to get information out of Trevelyan, his captors handed him over to the scientists as an expendable test subject. His body chemistry was subject to biological mutation in a process which had killed many previous test subjects. However Trevelyan didn’t die, he changed into a half-human hybrid possessing some of the characteristics of a canine but at an amplified level – enhanced senses, great strength and fitness, short fur and dense subcutaneous fat. The mutated Trevelyan escaped his captors in a violent breakout and ran amok through East Berlin, eventually breaking through Checkpoint Charlie to the freedom of the West. Trevelyans superiors were dismayed at the change in their dependable (if somewhat eccentric) agent – he had been mutated into an ungainly monster with a bad temper. In addition to healing the many wounds received during escape, many months of therapy were required to help him adjust to his new condition. During this time Trevelyans altered physiology was studied in some depth and Trevelyans superiors realised that he could be a major asset. Unfortnately for them Trevelyan was not keen to return to his life as a spy. The changed Trevelyan returned to his East end roots, living with his brother Mike above the family pub (The John Bull). The intelligence services made many offers to Trevelyan, all of which he turned down, until the day his brother fell afoul of an extreme Nationalist group who firebombed The John Bull as part of a terror campaign. Trevelyan sought out his former bosses and made them an offer – he’d work for them in an ‘unofficial’ capacity in exchange for the ability to work with Scotland Yard in pursuing the Nationalists. Thus Trevelyan began his new career under the codename ‘British Bulldog’, an ironic reference to Trevelyans ugly visage. British Bulldog worked clandestinely in domestic counter-espionage and counter-terrorism for a number of years. His bosses used the D-notice system to ensure that the Press did not publish any details of their star agent that might have otherwise become public knowledge. During the mid-70’s an ambitious American news crew flouted the D-notice system to broadcast video footage of the Bulldog tackling terrorist hijackers during a siege at Heathrow Airport. The cat (or dog) was out of the bag. Since that time the Bulldog has become something of an urban myth to the general population, although those who live in the East end know the truth of the matter. Appearance / Personality Trevelyan stands 1.95m tall and weighs 95kg. His well-muscled body is almost totally covered in short, thick fur and he has an enlarged, squashed nose. He has the kind of face that “only a mother could loveâ€. Despite his ‘homely’ appearance he is not at a disadvantage when it comes to romancing the ladies – he always has a bunch of steady girlfriends. Children also love the Bulldog and in return he devotes endless time and energy to inner-city youth projects – he is a true champion of the underdog. Trevelyan has become disenchanted with the Great Game although he still works with the security services on occasion. He prefers to set his own agendas rather than working to those of someone else. Most commonly the Bulldog is to be found wearing a dark Crombie overcoat, white T-shirt, faded blue jeans and Doc Marten boots. He has also been known to wear a woollen scarf and hat combination in the English football team colours. On rare occasions he has been seen dressed 'to the nines' for formal occasions e.g. charity events, regimental dinners. Powers / Tactics Mainly strength and agility backed by a range of skills learned over the years. Trevelyan uses his many contacts to assist him in dealing with major problems. He knows a lot of important people at all levels in society. Bulldogs enhanced physiology allows him to compete in the big leagues but he is not bulletproof or bombproof. Consequently he is a cunning opponent, a rough house fighter who can be very direct and to the point when necessary. He is a major pain in the backside for anyone who crosses him. Theoretically Bulldog should be slowing with age but he isn’t. This, and his sterility (he really loves kids but cannot father any), are side effects of the physiological changes he suffered. GM Notes Trevelyans personality is drawn from the characters played by Michael Caine in the movies “The Italian Jobâ€, “Alfieâ€, “Get Carterâ€, “Escape To Victoryâ€, the Harry Palmer series (“The IPCRESS Fileâ€, “Funeral In Berlinâ€) and numerous other war/action movies.

I've run a long-term game using the Chaosium-published Dreamlands material AND the standard CoC material. It is a great background but there are a few important issues that must be addressed. Those from the Waking World will likely be built on a different point scale from denizens of the Dreamlands. Furthermore, it is stated explicitly in the Dreamlands literature that non Waking Worlders are inherently less forceful/powerful. Aside from standard fantasy (with magic) you have to address the 'Dreaming' skill - Chaosium define it as a skill, in FH it effectively functions as a Transform / Change Environment power. This power is available to those from the Waking World and facilitates creation of items in the Dreamlands (e.g. King Kuranes house) or influencing of ongoing situations. The Luck power is also appropriate for waking worlders. The other area that has to be addressed is the Sanity / Nightmare effect, particularly as related to magic. In the Dreamlands a sorceror cannot behave in a fashion similar to a wizard from the AD&D system - Dreamlands spells are powerful but limited (in terms of number of times you can cast spells)by the POW of the caster and the effects that spellcasting has on the surroundings. This is best done as a mandatory Side Effect required for all spellcasting, with the side effect being defined as a cumulative Transform. I strongly suggest the following inspiration / source material as a precursor to attempting this genre: * Chaosium 'Dreamlands' source book * H P Lovecrafts own Dreamlands short fiction * Lord Dunsanays Pegana short fiction (upon which HPL based his Dreamlands) * Brian Lumleys 'Hero Of Dreams' novels * Robert Chambers 'King In Yellow' fiction (for Nightmare effects)

I have an excellent condition copy of 'Lands Of Mystery' which I purchased relatively recently for a mere $10.00 (ish). It has always been on my wants list (not much HERO stuff made it to the UK) but I've only recently discovered online purchasing. It is a wondeful supplement full of good GM advice for pulp / fantasy campaigns in the same fashion that 'Strike Force' provided great advice for superpowered campaigns. I've been GMing a pulp game for 10+ years so the advice isn't that useful to me but I can see how the text would be invaluable to novice GMs or those unfamiliar with the pulp genre conventions. Furthermore 'LoM' is aesthetically very pleasing - the layout is in the same vein as 'Justice Inc' and IMO is as good as any modern HERO product. The Dennis Loubet artwork is fantastically expressive and funny/sly, way better than current HERO products. A thoroughly recommended product. If HERO are going to do a Pulp genre book they should seriously consider reprinting the contents of 'LoM', updated for 5th edition rules.