bluesguy

Christopher: All other groups have already established ways of tracking combat - otherwise they would have had to give up using Combat or playing Hero altogether. And people are reluctant to leave an established way for a unknown program

 

You do make a fair point. People who have developed other techniques for tracking combat may not find this program useful at all. I would guess the same could be said of Hero Designer. People had spreadsheets or just did it by hand. I know when I first started playing Champions - when the game first came out - we just used the character sheets and calculators to build our characters. I also used mini-sheets with 10 NPC fodder characters per sheet in page protectors when there was some kind of combat that needed lots of numbers.

 

When I restarted RPG two years ago, I also started out using a spreadsheet to track combat. After a while I got frustrated and started down the path, where we are at today.

 

Finally a quote from one of my beta-testers. He has been using the program since Jan. This is something he sent me in May when I was about to say 'screw this': Anyway, on the whole, I think the program is a useful tool that speeds up my games. Yes, it could be flashier or more user-friendly, but even as it stands I would not prefer to play without it! With the help of the beta-testers I have already recruited I know that the UI is more useful.

When I asked before, I was told that support for Adjustment powers would not be available when the tool is released. However, when I looked at the example, it looked like Adjustment powers were supported. Has this changed?

Adjustment powers are now available in this release. The implementation is not sophisticated. Simply put you select Aid or Drain (and the effective defense for a drain), enter the active points of the effect (for NPCs the GM can use the program to roll the damage), and then the GM can apply the Aid or Drain to a specific characteristic. The program does not calculate how much change the Aid or Drain has on the particular characteristic. The GM will have to handle that (I do provide the information concerning the costs for each characteristic).

 

Also the GM has to handle recoveries from Aid/Drains.

 

At a later release I may add a way to 'record' when and how recovery occurs but for now that is a GM function.

 

BTW: Steve warned me that Adjustment powers are some of the most complex rules in Hero. That is why I went with a simple 'tracking' solution that impacts the combat most directly.

Christopher - The program allows the user to save the current state so the combat can be picked up at a later time. It does not export the state in a manner what would be particularly useful to post. Maybe a later feature. Although the input/output file is a XML file.

Hi,

 

As the developer of Hero Combat Manager, I can say with some high confidence that if you can get Hero Designer to run on your computer then Hero Combat Manager should run on that same machine. I also know we do not have anyone beta testing on Linux so I would be interested in finding out how that works out. Please sign up for the beta.

 

Personally I would just the PDF if I were you.

Last year we went to see an exhibit that was sponsored by National Geographic about Pirates. It was amazing. Here is a link to the National Geographic site http://www.nationalgeographic.com/whydah/main.html . The pirate chest was full of silver, gold and gems. And on a pirate ship the captain to keep the loot - the quartermaster did.

There is an assumption that surprise has to be 'run around the bad guy' and hit them from behind. Just watching this clip of Black Widow (starting at 0:35 and going to ~0:44 seconds) shows off a speedster (high speed & high dexterity) character surprising her opponents in combat.

Very nicely done....

Hi... Very soon (certainly before the end of April 2013) Hero Combat Manager will be available for sale. This will do what you want and much more. Read up about it here http://www.davidtannen.com/role-playing-games/hero-combat-manager/503-hero-combat-manager

because you don't need to use the link when the text is a link

 

http://davidtannen.com/role-playing-games/hero-combat-manager/503-hero-combat-manager

 

however if you want a link that is just a piece of text, your out of luck

Thank you!

Is there some crazy reason why the link in my last post didn't work?

Unfortunately Hero Combat Manager[/url=http://davidtannen.com/role-playing-games/hero-combat-manager/503-hero-combat-manager] has not finished beta testing because it would most likely fill many of your needs.

I use the Valdorian Age - which I have modified/expanded and played with.

I find the Valdorian Age easily lends itself to an almost post-apocalyptic tone. The great magic empires and the wonders they created are long gone' date=' with crumbling ruins scattered about to mark their passing. The warped and degenerate remnants of the non-human races are barely clinging to isolated enclaves. Civilization is almost divided up into islands surrounded by savages and wilderness. The very structures of social order seem to be crumbling.[/quote']

 

You described the situation very well. We have been playing for +2 years and here is the entire list of 'monsters' they have run into: skeletons/zombies, carrion crawler, Uruk-hai, trolls, and a friendly shambling mound (after the druid talked to it). Their human opponents have ranged from assassins, to spartan styled warriors, bandits, thieves, nobles with lots of political pull, a serial killer, a wizard (dead), a sorcerer (dead), and two necromancers (one dead and one not).

 

What I love is every time the characters run into a monster - even something they have seen before (skeletons/zombies), the players role play up the fact that these creatures are something out of legends.

 

And when they run into magic they 2x freak out, especially three of the characters who are from Valdoria - because Valdorians hate magic.

 

 

Those of you who like to design your own settings' date=' do you ever create female-dominant cultures to help balance out the patriarchal societies? Or do you prefer to just equalize the genders generally?[/quote']

 

The way I handled it was to make the Cynthians a matriarchal society where the high priestess/druid passed on her mantle of power to the most power young priestess/druid within each tribe. There are war chiefs during times of raids/wars (which can be men or women) and direct the raids/wars - it is always the high priestess who is the final 'decider'.

 

It is a good balance against the Valdorian culture which I am running like a medieval/feudal system where women are not generally regarded as equal to men.

As a GM I prefer a created/fictional world vs. one in a historic setting. I would hate to get into arguments w/ my players about some historic factoid from a historic setting. Also 75% of my current player group is women and a historic setting is not going to be a good one for female characters.

 

I use the Valdorian Age - which I have modified/expanded and played with.

So one of the the characters in my fantasy campaign is a sorcerer (mental spells). He has a Mind Scan, Mind Control and Telepathy. The scenario is that he has gotten +20 EGO against his target with one of the three mental spells he has and then he decides he is going to let the person go. After the PC has decided to let the person go 'free' and 'tag' that person so they will be easier to find at a later time.

 

Here are the game mechanics I am thinking about:

 

1. Buy an Aid to the Mind Scan that adds dice and penalty skill offsets for the Mind Scan roll. But it would only work with someone he had scanned before.
   
2. A special sense that he can use to 'track' down his 'prey'.
   

 

I am very open to suggestions.

Entangle

As found in 6E1 pg 215 "If he succeeds, he rolls his Entangle dice and counts the Normal Damage BODY. The BODY of the Entangle is the BODY rolled; the Entangle has 1 PD and 1 ED (both Resistant) for each 1d6 of Entangle."

 

And in 6E2 pg 96 "„When counting Normal Damage BODY, compare 6s and 1s. If they’re equal, then the BODY damage equals the number of dice rolled (the “0 BODY” from the 1s averages out the “2 BODY” from the 6s). If you have more 6s than 1s, you do that many more points of BODY than the dice rolled; if you have more 1s than 6s, you do that many BODY less than the dice rolled."

 

So am I correct in assuming that to count how much Body an entangle does I count Body the same way I would count Body for a normal attack?

 

For example I think this means:

Web boy shoots a cop with his webbing, which is a 4d6 Entangle. He rolls a 2 3 5 6. That means it is a 4 PD/ED and 5 Body Entangle. Is that correct?

 

Flash appears to be the same, based on 6E1 pg 226.

Re: Swords and Sorcery Setting

 

Sword and Sorcery movies

Re: The Chain Sword/Sword Whip

 

Brotherhood of the Wolf was my favorite kung fu werewolf mystery horror period costume drama ever.

 

You mean there was more than one ...

Re: Swords and Sorcery Setting

 

Book Series:

 

• Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
  
• Thieves World
  

 

And here is an article with a list of Sword & Sorcery movies

Re: Looking For Input On Potential New Fantasy Product

 

So here's the next step: give me three reasons why playing Fantasy Hero is superior to playing D&D' date=' Pathfinder, and their ilk. Please try to be brief and concise. I will be compiling together all of your answers and taking them into account when and if this project gets the green light.[/b']

 

• I can create a character just the way I want that character to be. I don't have to rely on random dice rolls to determine if I have a character that I want to play. If I want a character who is as complex as Vlad Taltos (see Stephen Brust's books) he can be created using Hero - without any trouble. Try creating him in D&D or Pathfinder?! Ick.
  
• Fantasy Hero Game System lets me create a campaign world that simulates any fantasy setting I can imagine. If I want to simulate a world from any fantasy novel or series it is possible without bending the rules.
  
• Non-combat skills are just as important as combat skills (maybe more important) and this encourages role playing.
  

Re: Looking For Input On Potential New Fantasy Product

 

I have a recent experience with getting a group up and running with the Hero Game system. For my children and wife I could just give them access to the PDFs or Books that I bought so they could read them. But I have people who are not part of my family and while I will loan them physical books, I will not give them PDFs (too easy to copy and not pay for).

 

I would like to point them to a single book that is the "player's guide" to playing in a Fantasy Hero style game which they could buy. Said book could be either physical or PDF that doesn't matter.

 

As for a game master and group that wants to make a wholesale change to "Fantasy" Hero from D&D (and the variants) I think using FH 6e as the basis for a new book would be a good idea, with the following changes:

 

• General comment - get rid of all of the quotes from 'source material'
  
• Cut out almost all of the art unless it is very tasteful
  
• Chapter 1 - Drop! This is basically 'fluff' IMO and not needed
  
• Chapter 2 - Must have!
  
• Chapter 3 - Keep everything except for Mass Combat (not needed in a 'basic book')
  
• Chapter 4 - I would suggest condensing this material to a couple of commonly 'known' magic systems (Jack Vance, Brust's approach witchcraft vs. sorcery as found in Vlad Taltos books, etc). As for Magic Items I would provide a few rules/suggestions and some basic (classic) magic items to start out with.
  
• Chapter 5 - Instead of the background material on how to create a world, provide a place. A small town and surrounding area. Provide enough information so that a GM could use it as a starting point for any campaign they want to run. Condense it down to 10 to 20 pages. Include a GM and player map of the area.
  
• Chapter 6 - I am torn about this chapter because it has a lot of useful information. I think having a set of steps on how to create a character would be helpful. Example character 'archetypes' would also be very important.
  
• Must have a small set of standard fantasy opponents - guards, bandits, thieves, assassins, orcs/goblins, ogres, giants, giant snake/spider, etc.
  

 

 

Opportunities for further products from Hero by following the above approach:

• Mass combat - PDF supplement
  
• Magic Systems book - Basically cover a whole bunch of magic systems and example spells for each system.
  
• Expand on Chapter 5 with a bigger and more detailed campaign. I have no idea how Columbia Games does with it's Harn World material but having a 'place' like that to play in that has been tailored for Hero would be awesome.
  

Re: Parry. A third defense option.

 

Back when I was young, skinny and fast I use to fence. I was an ok fencer. I will say that parry and block are different. Blocking is just an attempt to keep the blade of your opponent from hitting you. A well executed parry actually sets you up to make an attack on your opponent because you have put their blade in a bad position for blocking your next move.

Re: Looking to buy Champions RPG 6th Edition.

 

Save the trees and go PDF....

Re: Hit Locations, too high or just right?

 

Series of comments:

 

 

• I think the adjustments are just fine - especially in a heroic game setting where there is killing attacks tend to be more common.
  
• Vitals : I have always thought of this as being hit in the kidneys, belly, under the rib cage, and even certain spots on your thighs where you might bleed out in a minute or two.
  
• Penalty/Combat Skill Levels: One of the characters in my fantasy game is an archer. When she uses her 'martial archery accurate shot' + penalty skill levels for placed shots + penalty skill levels to offset range + her combat levels she can regularly (75%) hit a 'minion' in the head from 1/2 way across the game table. She can also take head shots against major villains and hit somewhat regularly (50%). That is ok - some of the villains have learned about this and are now buying special helmets (25% rPD damage reduction ) - too expensive for minions. Others are using ranged attacks back at her and she is often at 1/2 DCV
  

Re: How do GMs out there handle late arrivals

 

My rule of thumb is new characters have a standard build and then 80% of the average XP for the whole party. It is a rule of thumb and I will adjust if necessary. It has worked well.