AmadanNaBriona

Re: HERO System Vehicles

Re: HERO System Vehicles I was looking at a few charts, and I think that the key to scaling may be close to already in place. Cross referencing the Vehicle size chart and the Base Size chart gave me an idea that... That the smallest size vechile to comparmentalize is the 8 hex area size, or the minimum base size. This translates to a "standard" 4 hex length. Then looking at the scale table for Mass combat in FH, one sees that the first larger scale up from "Individual" is "Squad", which uses a 1" = 4" scale. Hmmm. perhaps if we look at the default "compartment" size as being one step down the mass combat size scale, so a vehicle in "squad scale" has compartments at "Individual scale". Then you could, for instance, consider a destroyer with a 500 hex area to be somewhere around "Division scale" with the default compartment size as "Regiment scale". Of course, thats WAY to big for compartments on a millitary vessel, but not out of line for civilian vessels like bulk cargo ships. So we need to add a cost (probably as an advantage) to decrease the compartment size relative to the scale of the vehicle. Then we need more damage allocation,probably a way to resolve secondary damage effects (probably a liberal application of Side effects to work similar to the old Star HEro "Volatile: Limitation) and a way to deal with superstructure damage, which could be handled, to a certain extent, by the Size modifier to damage similar to the mass combat damage resolution. Hmmm.. we have some potential here....

Re: HERO System Vehicles Nice post, overall, but this one bit made me laugh... I had one player who got to the point of joking about 0 phase soliloquies. They take no time... the player could have recited the Gettysburg Address while the car was in midair and it would have politely waited for him to finish

Re: HERO System Vehicles My ideas have always run along the lines of the base damage rules... damage by hex, or by compartment, possibly with an overall BODY stat that is depleted at at much reduced rate to represent superstructure, and that is predominantly removed as a result of area attacks that somehow scale to the size of the target... A shipboard cannon, to use your example, would have an AOE 1 hex attack, whereas a shell firing cannon is an explosion, affecting a large enough area that it would thusly do more structure Body, and a musket ball, being much smaller scale, would be virtually wothless. By the same token, the USS Iowa is big enough that a tank shell wouldn't do full structure damage to it, while a shell from a 16" gun would be large enough to inflict grevious harm to a smaller target. Edit: Add a system like this, and then implement a broad interpretation of the equipment as focuses rules (this means building almost evry component as a focus, including the propulsion systems etc.) and you have a MUCH more workable vehicle system. The only other difference I'd like to see is a return to Focuses having the option of having their own BODY stat, so that you can implement a "failure rate for complex machines" based on inflicted body like is mentioned in the breaking things chapter.

Re: HERO System Vehicles Beats the hell outta me. Everyone must be having a lousy month. I know I am, and am trying VERY hard to keep civil even when I'm pissed, because I know I could start projecting.

Re: HERO System Vehicles totally agree. Volume/mass displacement IS certainly a genre concern... but a pretty important one that is currently ignored. Could be/should be handled in a similar vein to the specific advantages and limitations used to create "real" weapons

Re: HERO System Vehicles Ya know what... while its a continuous sore spot for some of us vehicle lovers, we're REALLY off on a tangent here. of course...even as I typed that, another vehicle system flaw example popped into my head... the getaway attempt from the north hollywood shootout. How many 1d6+1 9mm's and 2d6 5.56mm slugs did that truck get hit with? At least several dozen, IIRC. 3def 16 body pickup. doesn't compute.

Re: Star Wars Hero Question My pun was just as intentional as yours...hence why I hyphenated dis-arm Dis-arm go here... dat-arm go dere Edit: addition... Anakin vs Count Dooku... Mutiiple power attack Takeaway/fast strike disable? sounds like it works by the rules. Good enough for me Addendum... Obi wan vs General Grevious. Sweep Disable. lightsabers go all over the place, with attached hands

Re: HERO System Vehicles Of course.... there ARE other examples... right now, the big Hulk vs Tank debate is looking at the high end of the scale. We could always revist Murphy's Rules and look at the low end. A Noteworthy Normal, using haymakers, can disable a midsized car with his bare hands in 30 seconds, and completely demolish it by the 1 minute mark. Give him a 2d6 HA hammer and it'll take him a bit longer... because the hammer maxes out at 4d6.

Re: Star Wars Hero Question Well.. having just seen Ep 3 yesterday, with the imagery fresh in my mind, I've decided that if I were ever to run a game in the SW universe, Jedi martial arts would include several maneuvers built with the Disable element, as it seems that a core element to the fighting style involves "dis-arming" your opponent. I'd probably do one based on a fast strike, one based on a defensive strike, and one based on a riposte. I'd probably make knowledge of at least one Disabling maneuver a requirement for taking the MA package. A lot of the really tricky stuff that the Masters do I would represent with advantaged MA manuvers. I do like the forcefeild/damage sheild construct. And I would almost certainly do Force powers with either a VPP or several MP's... EC's are too expensive, too limited, and just don't feel right to me for the style.I don't have a problem with VPP's being limited in scope of abilities... almost every campaign I've run has included this exact same type of VPP. But then again... I'm a genre fiend all the way.

Re: HERO System Vehicles I'm not following your math completely here... part of the problem is "New School" haymakers only get you +4 DC, so with a full mad on, your Hulk at 130 STR throws a 30d6 haymaker, which gets 10 body through on an attack (on the average, that is) anywhere but the front, where the attack bounces. In which case he'd do better to pick up said tank and lob it the 30" a standing throw gets him... Both seem a little odd for someone with a lifting capacity of 1.6 million tons

Re: Too much tweaking? Too powerful? To go even more basic... Martial Arts maneuvers are already one of the things in the HERO system that are phenomenally effective for the point cost. The only counterbalancing factor is the redundancy in point costs for multiple manuvers. Eliminate that by putting MA maneuvers in a framework and you have radically unbalanced the character.

Re: HERO System Vehicles I'm going to briefly chime in with my agreement in regards to the list Fox1 submitted above. The most telling portion, in my mind, is the need for an optional advanced damage allocation system to reflect the component/ compartment/critical damage concept that would help model vechile combat. I've argued vehemently in the past that the +1body/x2 mass core axiom breaks down in realistic damage assesment... its too simple, and dosen't model the effect of multiple damaging hits in any sort of reasonable fashion. Some earlier editions really have been better in this regard. For mass combat purposes, however, a simpler critical damage system would be needed. Things would badly bog down otherwise.

Re: Building Political Intrege come to think of it... I've seen it used in a grid format too... most specifically in the Cult interactions in Runequest. And advantage to the grid style is that you actually have 2 points on the grid for each interaction. the way a group feels about the other, and the way the other feels about the group. If that makes any sence. Grrr.. I need to be thinking about leather, not gaming dammit.

Re: Building Political Intrege I have a book on social dynamics that has some ideas that might help.. I've used the basic idea before in setting campaigns up. Figure out who the "power blocks" (significant nobles, houses, churches, extraordinary individuals etc. ) are, then lay them out graphicaly as points on a circle. You can then strike lines from each power to all of the others. this gives you a graphical "web" that you can use to set out the basic interactions. I usually use different line styles or colors to denote the different basic relationships. Allies, vassals, blood ties, enemies, rivals, bloodfeuds, etc, etc. In the case of power inequalities you can denote the superior position with arrows. You can also number each relationship, so you can then create footnotes about each one... for example... if one party has a spy or traitor in place. Then, after you have the basics down, take two advil and have a nice lie down. Its a major headache, but it pays off in diamonds once the in game intrigue starts. Edit: I tried to scan an example, but I'm having a hard time getting a good clean scan

Re: Two Weapon Fighting I think that part of what may be causing so much conflict on the topic is that some of us have been influenced by the section in Fantasy Hero on Multiple Power attacks (FH, pg 150) without excerpting, which is a board no no IIRC, it basically states that STR based attacks, martial maneuvers and the like are seperate powers if the are reasonably distinguishable. It then sites examples. As with everything else, its written with a lot of wiggle room for GM preference. Later on the same page, it even sites that as a GM option, multiple power attacks could be used to simulate attacking with a weapon in each hand, even if they are identical. just another point for consideration

Re: Herophile Fantasy art Nice stuff, Arcady! great rendering work. For a moment I thought your beastmaster lass might not be boardsafe, then I realized that those were exceptionally small breast cups, not exceptionally large nipples

Re: Herophile Fantasy art Taint dead yet. I've been busy tho (mostly with other threads) and haven't been keeping on top of this one. Nice work. Very pin-upish

Re: Can I use independent here? Generally I'd agree with the One non-recoverable charge approach, but it does kinda depend on the flavor and feel you want. Perhaps a case could be made for Independent if you're picturing ressurections in a more greek myths permenant spell kinda way, where the shadow of death hangs over the raised character, and if the spell is somehow removed, the character dies again.

Re: What is a pip and how much damage does it do? "Hello, my name is Phillip, but all the other children call me Pip because they hate me." "Then I shall call you Pip."

Re: END use in your game I've been known to do the same, tho I add an extra limitation to spells that require LTE useage. I'm also fond of END reserves. One thing I've been messing with is the idea that the REC of an END reserve requires LTE to power it... thus, spellcasters can "Store" End, but they then have a long recovery time.

Re: Herophile Fantasy art Thanks for trying. I'm gonna see if I can go Low tech on this and try to salvage the pic through more traditional means. Yes, it does have a bit of an oriental feel to it...the flowing bits and the polearm head are what does it, I think. Yes, I know a couple of mask makers who make similar masks. When I have the funds, or a good trade, I'll probably be having one made. And I'm the kind of fantasy artist who actually fights in armor... So I have a constant internal struggle... part of me wants cheesecake, the other part wants functionality. Function usually wins. *sigh* Thanks for the feedback. I'll be sure and post if I manage to clean her up

Re: Herophile Fantasy art Nice! Great minds think alike and all that... I had a Runequest character that coulda been this guys brother. They even share a last name (ok, so its actually more of a moniker). Targon hunted Chaos tho.

Re: Finally figured out what I hate about Star Wars in RPGs D'Oh! I was going to mention this and forgot.Good catch. I've been giving energy weapons in my more realistic sci-fi games extra stun too, for a similar reason... Many years ago a game (Aftermath, IIRC) discussed the secondary damage from heat release into a body. Basically, the idea was this...if the attack is hot enough to vaporize flesh and cauterize wounds, then its hot enough that the area around the wound site will be flash cooked and have most of the water content instantly vaporized into steam. This translates, IMHO, into a LOT of stun. Though why I even mention any sort of scientific explanation in a star wars thread befuddles me...

Re: Finally figured out what I hate about Star Wars in RPGs Going along with the "Hero weapons don't do enough damage" endless debate, this exact problem has led me to consider an optional rule that would add +1 DC to an attack for every 2 that the attack is made by. Have yet to try it in play tho.