dstarfire

I'm no expert on hero, wouldn't even call myself a novice yet, but in reading the boards, I've seen a LOT of questions that can be answered with a little common sense. Unfortunately, common sense is the first thing to disappear when a rules dispute arises. That said, here's some simple solutions to try before you go asking for help: 1. Throw out the rules. If the players and GM can agree on something, the rules aren't neccesary. Rules exist solely for conflict resolution. 2. Is it neccesary? Do you REALLY need to work out the mechanics of a [insert name of item here]? See idea 1 3. negotiate with the players/gm Same general idea as before. If you want to do something just for the flavor/role-play aspect, there's no need to get the rules involved. for GM's 3. Just say no. A lot of questions seem to revolve around "how do I stop players from abusing ....?". Just say "no, you can't do that". If you feel it's neccesary (and appropriate) you can explain how doing that would be severely unbalancing. 4. If you do it, I can do it too. As an alternative to number 3, warn the players that every tactic, tweak, and power-gaming trick they use can and will be used against them. This trick often stops munchkins dead in their tracks. Yes, these ideas won't apply in all situations, and will be totally anathema to the rules-lawyers or other detail-oriented (aka anal retentive) people out there, but if you don't like it then don't use it. (actually, that should be idea number 5)

fully scalable megascale hmmm, "fully scalable megascale". isn't that basically a HUGE aoe for the same cost as a single hex aoe? In this example it'd fit perfectly, but most anything else would be severely unbalancing. the simple solution: come with what you and the GM agree is a fair point cost, and forget the rules. Game rules are there to help, not hinder.

real meaning SO, does this mean hero's more popular, or just that gamers spend a lot more time researching hero information, than they do d20? My money's on it being the second.

remember the first rule of hero Actually, stun includes the pain, shock, nausea, etc. Body represents physical damage, even cuts and bruises. Can you really heal small cuts and bruises just by resting for a few seconds (aka taking a recovery)? One thing you have to learn about playing hero: IGNORE THE NAMES, and focus on the effects. Almost everybody struggles with this concept when using hero.

I think one reason hero draws so much flak is that it's supposedly a "universal" game system. To any experienced gamer, that translates as either incredibly complex, very math-intensive, or pretty lousy at everything. Unfortunately, that's all true for beginning hero players (unless they're using it for it's original purpose of comic-book superhero). It's a well known fact that you can do one thing very well, a few things pretty well, or you can do everything poorly. This concept is a core principle of every functioning game system out there. Yet hero claims to exceed this limitation in reality (which is much more limiting and complex than any game system), even though it applies it to the game world. Pick any genre of any "universal" game system, and there's a system that does that genre far better than the "universal" game system. I'd rather have to learn a new system than use one that functions very poorly in the current genre. There's also the fact that it's a point based system, and most players have had a few bad experiences with point based systems. There's many other frustrating flaws in hero, but I'd rather answer the question than rant about my frustrations with the hero system, which is what all the negative talk is: people ranting about their frustrations with xyz system.

loophole in hero From your description, it sounds like you want your power to attack plant-based sfx. Unfortunately since hero is effects based, not sfx based, you'd have to buy this as a combination of several powers: drain body, and dispel (plant-based sfx) at the very least.

power combos I don't like the fact that density increase is a seperate power. It's basically a combination of str boost and def boost, with the minor effect of added weight (more of an sfx than an actual mechanic). Just another thing to emphasize that hero is primarily built for comic book superhero campaigns.

what about the warhammer? I'd be very interested in seeing how all these weapons would look as powers. What I really want to know is: how the heck did they get 32 active points for the warhammer (which, incidentally, is pretty weak compared to the other weapons)???

kind of close How about a variant of the "based on ego combat value" advantage? The value of it would have to be based on how expensive the new stat is compared to the standard. This would work well for your zen archery thing, but not so well for the others. The best I can come up with is to combine an rsr limitation (then build a skill based on the desired stat) with an advantage that would increase the effect according to the level of success (similar to the way autofire works). Or you could just make your own advantages/powers, though that'd be a bit of a headache.

feel safe effect I like the way you work that father's aura trick. I've been trying to figure out how to add an effect like that to a light spell (basically enhances that natural tendency to be less afraid of things when they're clearly seen in the light). Here's an idea I've been working on that might fit your theme. Watchman's blessing (aka COFFEE) Many guardsmen and militia members have found this minor enchantment to be invaluable for sentry duty. By muttering a brief enchantment over their evening ale, they are able to remain awake and alert throughout the night mechanics (rough draft): Life support: 8 hours per week (2 pts), uncontrolled: 4 hours (+1/2) OAF:cup of beverage (-1), incantations (-1/4), extra time: 1 turn (-1 1/4),

KISS principle this problem can be solved with 3 words: normal characteristic maxima. Discovered this the hard way in my game. If you buy your figured pd/ed way up and take combat luck (for the rDef), than anything heavier than leather is wasted, as it exceeds the maxima. On top of that, our gm went even further and ruled that armor based ped/ed doesn't stack with stat-based pd/ed, though powers, (and power-derived talents) stack with everything ... up to maxima, then it stops (or you pay double, though nobody's tried that yet). Of course, my group has at least 2 hero system veterans that can pull 40 pts of effect with only 2-3 pts of cost, so he has to be very careful to keep things from getting ridiculous. On the flip side, we don't mave to mess around with a lot of the day-to-day minutia like encumbrance, food supply, and basic/non-combat riding/driving as long as we don't go crazy (i.e. a portable forge, an arsenal big enough for a small army, etc.). So far, it seems to work pretty well.

am I missing something? I stumbled across this topic after my gaming group recently switched to a fantasy hero campaign (75 base +75 disad), and can't seem to understand why you need a special modifier for mage spells. In our group, we use the standard advantages and limitations. The only house rules we use for magic are no multipowers, and all spells require gestures, incantations, and OAF. Even then, we usually manage to get decent powers cheap enough that a mage can have 10-12 different spells (6-7 if you want to have skills and stats, too). Even then, I know I paid more than I could have on a few spells cause I wasn't aware of a few tricks (the dual-version option for usable on others, for example), and made the mistake of taking most of my spells straight from the grimoire (which seems designed more for 200 pt campaigns). I'm still trying to figure out how to build a light spell with an aoe morale boost (similar to the elven nightlight in Lord of the Rings), that won't cost me a dozen pts or more.

stopping the evil-detector My opinion: only vs. good would be a limitation. Just because you don't want to do something that you can't do, doesn't make it any less of a limitation. To neutralize this power, all an evil person has to do is use mind control, or good ol' fashioned deception and manipulation to make a bunch of "good" people attack you. Given that, here's how to get around the evil detector problem. instead of "only vs. evil" change it to "only vs. known evil". Of course, if this a "divine" spell, you could require the caster to have sense evil active when casting this spell. No matter who casts this spell, it effectively draws it's sense of what's evil from the casters awareness, not his consciousness (that would be the advantage selective). I know this probably doesn't match real well with how you were envisioning the spell, but it accurately describes the spells effect, and that's what matters for hero mechanics.

dreamwalker The best way to do the dreamwalkers' power would be a mind control with a delayed effect (sleepwalker sets the "seed", as it were, while the victim sleeps, and then cause it to sprout whenever they choose). You'd also want to give them mind link triggered by the mind control. The power would be hella expensive to build, but since that'd be the primary source of a character's power, it's no biggie.