bluesguy

Re: Changes at Hero

This is unfortunate. But not too surprising considering the economy, the publishing industry in general and gaming industry in particular.

Good luck to Darren and Steve. Thank you for your hard work and dedication. I will continue to support the product line - just bought some more PDF versions of the game system.

So this PC is already has a good riding skill and a phenomenal archer. She comes from the Cynthian Plains in the Valdorian Age. I am treating the tribes as something as a cross between the Plains Indians and Mongols.

What I am trying to figure out is how to simulate the horse riding "trick shooting" that both Plains Indians and Mongols would use.

So here are some basics

Riding 12-

WF: Bow

Archery Fighting Tricks

Now it gets interesting...

Should the character get

• Acrobatics - which in the skills book states "Skilled equestrians often know how to perform stunts while on horseback (or griffinback, whaleback, or what have you). They can perform handstands and other maneuvers on a fast-moving mount, lean out of the saddle and pick things up off the ground without falling off or damaging the object, and so forth. They use Acrobatics to perform these tricks. If a character can only perform such stunts while on a mount, he takes a -1 Limitation, Only While Riding, on the Skill. "
  
• Breakfall - Maybe less so if Acrobatics is taken...
  
• Animal Handler - Had to train your horse to be wiling to let you pull off this crazy maneuver
  
• Archery Stunts
  
  • Combat + to offset the penalties for firing an arrow from horse back at a full gallop. I would guess the that it would be -2 or (something based on velocity)
    
  • Combat maneuver to shot while hanging from the side of the horse. Maybe a -1/-2 OCV penalty but a +2/+3 DCV bonus.
    

   

What do you think?

Breakfall or Acrobatics?

Re: How can I judge if an encounter is balanced?

But this is another example of what Folded is talking about. Different conclusions can be arrived at than the one intended, especially when you intend for it to be a "lesson."

 

As a PC, I might say "Wait, what? This isn't about not learning to spit in the punchbowl. This about that gang learning that this is MY neighborhood. Also, why are the gangers only mad at me and not the tavern owner? Are they the nice, rational sort of people who recognized that the tavern owner had nothing to do with it, or are they, y'know, a GANG who would not be able to tolerate anyone daring to call in a bounty collector on a debt they owed. That damages their image, after all. If they ARE that rational, then how DARE they be mad at me? What do THEY do to people who owe them money? Probably a lot more than I ever did to their guys."

 

I would think most gangs would go after the tavern owner MORE than the bounty hunter, since he is the easier mark and gang members are not known for their bravery. However, if you want to play them like they are enlightened and recognize that there is give AND take in these sort of situations, then I would think they'd recognize that the bounty hunter was doing his job and that their members either need to pay their debts or NOT GET CAUGHT.

Excellent point. I hadn't thought about it in this way. I will have to consider the options more fully before the encounter happens. Maybe a longer story arc where the bounty hunter (and friends) eventually clear out that gang from the neighborhood. Also the bounty hunter wants to develop contacts maybe he can turn the gang into contacts. hmmm

Also' date=' nice play by that PC with Jesse Jackson. Very nice.[/quote']

It was fun when she did that.

Re: How can I judge if an encounter is balanced?

I agree' date=' and this is largely my point. But when the bandits announce their intentions by shooting you in the face (which happened the first time), there's not a lot of room for negotiation and cleverness. So, if you are going to present your players with a situation where they are heavily outnumbered and/or outgunned, don't force the combat. Allow them to find some other way to resolve the situation, or fail to, but don't just beat them up and take their stuff with an unlimited number of bad guys. Even then, that can be handled as a piece of description, rather than a drawn out battle that slowly frustrates and angers the players.[/quote']

 

Ok this is an example of bad GMing. What is the point of doing that? How does that move the story along? Did the players PO the bandits at some point in the past?

 

For example one of the characters in the party is a bounty hunter. He just caught two street gang members for a local tavern owner who owed him for breaking up his place. They couldn't pay with coin so he put them into 'boxing' (UFC) matches for a week. The proceeded to get their buts kicked but the tavern owner got his money back. The street gang members aren't mad at him but they are a bit PO at the bounty hunter. If he messes with their gang again, he might get 'mugged' and dragged off to do some 'boxing' (he isn't a boxer and he will have to be rescued by his friends). The difference is that is part of the 'story'. Also the bounty hunter will learn - don't piss where you live. The gang members live in his neighborhood.

Re: How can I judge if an encounter is balanced?

This recently happened in a game I was in. Twice. We did not 'really want to get those bandits'' date=' we really wanted the GM to rebalance the encounters so that we had some chance at victory. If you want to strip your characters of their stuff and give them motivation, do so, but don't give them the illusion that they have any hope of defeating the bad guys.[/quote']

 

Actually you need to read the description of the scenario again. I actually expect them to win - a tough win - but win none the less. But if they lose then a number of things could happen - wake up in the morning without your stuff might be one scenario - which was the worse case scenario.

 

Another might be rob everyone of their money and any other easy to transport valuables + horses but leave them with weapons (i.e. Magnificent Seven minus the horses) - requires some good role playing & persuasion.

 

Or they maybe one or two 'get away with a few horses' in the confusion (role playing & stealth) and come back and they 'pull' a maneuver like in the movie "The Cowboys".

Its all about the story.

 

Let me give an example from a Champions game. The heroes had to rescue the leaders of the Democratic National Convention who had been captured by Hydra. There were 20 well armed and ready Hydra agents. One of the heroes had telepathy and she asked "Is Jessie Jackson there" and I said yes. So she telepathically contacted him and told him to get everyone in the room to start singing "We Shall Overcome" and holding hands while singing. The team had a teleporter who could take as many people as he wanted as long as they held onto him or someone else who was touching him. The downside is they would all 'walk through hell' while teleporting (see why they are singing "We Shall Overcome"). The team teleports in which surprises Hydra, nice PRE attack stops Hydra from acting. The teleporter on his next phase "PUSHES to his Max" and teleports out with all the delegates - but knocks himself out for the rest of the session (I gave him 10 Hydra agents to run).

 

The players start taking on Hydra agents. At some point all three remaining PCs get blasted out of the 50 story window. Both flyers are knocked out and the only one who can't fly is tumbling down. She grabs one of the flyers who has a parachute pulls the rip cord and survives (along with one of the flyers). The other flyer - think Iron Man light - makes a big hole in the asphalt and is out for about a week.

 

When I rolled the knockback and we all realized they were going out the window and the two flyers were going to be out cold and the one non-flyer (my wife's character) would be out there too - 50 stories up - everyone's jaw dropped.

 

You know what? She got clever and figured out a way to overcome the situation. When I talk to the people who played that session - now almost 20 years later - they remember it like it was yesterday.

 

That is what I mean by "It is all about the story". Make a good story first. Then worry about the opponents.

Re: Tracking combat

The paper & pencil method works well for small combat situations - a few NPC combatants vs PC (2-4 at the most). But if you want to have the PCs wade through minions (20) and deal with master villain the paper & pencil method tends to bog down with bookkeeping. At least that was/has been my experience when I was GMing back in the late 70's & early 80's using Hero. From what I can see Hero combat is about the same so I would expect it to bog down again with bookkeeping.

Computers are very good at bookkeeping - spreadsheets were designed for bookkeeping. So I figured I might as well use the tools at hand to help with bookkeeping. I think I will start a different thread about the whole use of technology during game sessions.

Re: How can I judge if an encounter is balanced?

For me it is all about the story I am trying to tell. For instance the next adventure pits the 3 PCs, + some caravan guards + one really good fighter against +20 bandits. I put +20 bandits and three leaders (for the PCs to have to deal with directly) because I want to be able to add more if the encounter goes to easily.

If the players lose then they will find themselves waking up in the morning without their equipment, money, horses, etc. about one day from the nearest settlement. Better figure out how to get home. More role playing options for them. Plus now they will really want to get those bandits - once they get re-equipped .

Remember its about the story.

Re: Fighter with two swords

Actually they are going to be going on an adventure together. The NPC is on a mission to deliver payroll & pick up taxes to/from a village with two elite guards and they 'attached' themselves to the caravan the PCs were hired to protect. On the way back the party will be attacked by 20+ bandits. Most of them will be low level and I will have the elite guards 'guard' the tax box, while this NPC wades in. The PCs are none to shabby either. So they will have to pull their weight. My intention is that he will be holding down the low level bandits while the PCs have to deal with the leaders - mostly one on one.

Afterwards the idea being that the fencer is going to think - hmm he might make a good instructor. The other characters might see some other opportunities to work with the NPC. But this is really for the fencer. She needs an instructor.

Re: Tracking combat

Tracking Combat: Detect A Class Of Things: Battles (Mental Group)' date=' Tracking cost: 10 points.[/quote']

Wrong kind of tracking

 

I meant the keeping track of combat ie bookkeeping.

 

BTW: I am almost done with a spreadsheet with two macros that do an adequate job - for me. It handles normal, killing, NND, & AP attacks. It takes into account PD/ED/rPD/rED. It also tracks Stunned, Out Cold, and will do the Recovery math. It is simple and kind of crude as far as UI goes but it works.

 

When I have used it for a few games I will post it to the free area.

In a typical combat situation in Hero there is a fair amount of bookkeeping to take care of. It seems that this would be a good place for a computer program. Has anyone found or written a program to do this?

Also using Hero Designer files as the basis input for the characters would be a helpful starting point, IMO.

Basically one would enter in the type of damage, body & stun (normal or killing), if it affected the character's vulnerability, etc. And then the result would let you know if the character was stunned, how much stun & body they had left. I would only use this for tracking NPCs.

What do you all think?

Re: Fighter with two swords

This actually a NPC that the players are going to encounter while working as caravan guards. He is a Lt. in the prince's guard. I figure they will have a recurring encounters with him. He is very much a follow the rules kind of guy. So I can see them ending up on his bad side and his good side (back and forth). One of the PC's is a fencer so I can see that character picking up some skills from the NPC if she plays her cards right.

Re: Fighter with two swords

use the sweep maneuver

make and buy a super skill Whirling dervish,tasmainian devil dance,etc

area radius HKA (2") OAF needs 2 swords

Do you mean use Sweep and add Area Radius HKA...?

Or do you mean either use

a) Sweep or

HKA Area Radius 2" w/ OAF Swords?

I think the 2nd way matches closer to what I was thinking. Plus the disadvantage that he has to hit individual targets in each hex not just the center hex.

Your thoughts?

Ok I want to build a fighter who fights with two swords and basically has no penalties in a battle. I want him to be able to use both weapons in the same phase. I am running a Sword & Sorcery style campaign so no magic enhancements.

So I know he needs Ambidexterity (no Off Hand Penalty), Two Weapon Fighting, & Fighting Tricks. I also included Combat Luck, Defense Maneuver I-II, Fast Draw and lots of combat skill with swords.

So what is he missing to be able to make multiple attacks in the same phase? Is that Autofire of some kind?

Re: A very useful online site/tool for your campaign

There are a lot of HTML features which the portal does not support.

I am spending most of my time putting content out on my site. I figure if I get plenty of content on the site the other stuff (fancy graphics & backgrounds) won't matter too much.

I have been getting back into RPG and one of the things that was always frustrating in the past was how to organize the information. In the past I would use a ton of 3 ring binders with all the information about my campaign world. This also meant if I wanted to run the campaign it pretty much had to be at my place because dragging all the material around was way to difficult.

At one point I thought about writing a Windows program, basically a RPG Personal Information Management system, for the campaign world I was using (Harn). I gave up after I realized how large of an undertaking it would be.

Once I got back into RPG I thought there must be someone who has solved this problem by now. Sure enough there is an elegant solution - The Obsidian Portal.

I have set up my campaign, Valdorian Age - Rising Power on the Frontier on the portal and have been slowly entering in the background material from the Valdorian Age. Am I going to put the entire book out there? No way. Just what I need from Elweir and from the places I need for my campaign. I will have a great way to track the campaign, events, items, characters and the plot all in a convenient location. All I need is my laptop at the gaming table and I am set to go.

Just thought I would share my find with others here as well.

Re: Maps for Valdorian Age

I did contact Steve and sent him the scanned maps. He said he would post them a free area where people could get at them.

Re: Clothing, Armor and PD/ED

Thank you. The stacking rule was a useful reminder as well.

I think I will use the clothing PD/ED for when the characters are wandering around town and wearing obvious armor would attract unwanted attention from the guards.

Re: Clothing, Armor and PD/ED

Maybe it would be better with a scenario...

Joe my fighter is walking around town with his tunic (1 PD/ED) + leather jacket (1 PD/ED) and leather pants (2 PD/ED). He has natural 3 PD/ED. So let us say he gets into a fist fight and someone hits him and the stun is 12. Let us also assume we are not using hit locations. Does he take:

Including clothing - Tunic + Jacket + Natural PD = 5 PD so 12 - 5PD = 7 Stun

Or

Just Natural PD so 12 - 3 PD = 9 Stun

Thanks

David

Ok one of the things I noticed when building Fantasy characters using Hero Designer (and this isn't really a Hero Designer question) is that when your character 'buys' clothing as equipment there is PD/ED associated with those articles of clothing. Usually 1 or 2 PD/ED.

So how do you handle that PD/ED when the character isn't wearing any armor?

How about when they are wearing armor?

Re: Maps for Valdorian Age

So I took some time to make copies of the maps in the Valdorian Age book and enlarge them. I was wondering if it would be ok to scan them, make them into PDFs and put them in the 'free' area for other folks to use?

Re: Maps for Valdorian Age

True there are maps in the books. In other purchased campaign worlds there were often nice color maps that could be laid out on the table for the players to look at. Guess I will be making copies and scanning the of the ones in the book for my players to look at.

I have done a search both on this forum and using Google but I have not been able to find any maps for Valdorian Age's world or cities. This does make the product less useful than it could be. I would love to have a nice map to show the players.

Any suggestions?