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bluesguy

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  1. Like
    bluesguy reacted to Derek Hiemforth in Opening a jar file   
    There are not, however, more and more people playing Hero System.
     
    I think it's sometimes easy for us to forget just how small of a niche within a niche we actually are.  I honestly wouldn't be surprised if there was no point at which developing a mobile version of Hero Designer became economically viable, even if every active user of the desktop app also bought a mobile app version.
     
    I mean, I wish it were otherwise; I love the Hero System.  Just trying to keep it real.   
  2. Thanks
    bluesguy reacted to sentry0 in HERO System Mobile   
    It should be there if you attach an image in HD.
  3. Like
    bluesguy reacted to C-Note in Turakian Age Cities Poll -- What Would You Most Like Steve To Consider Working On?   
    My vote is for Aarn.  A 6E Turakian Age setting with the depth of "Ptolus" would get me to spend serious cash and stimulate years of roleplaying.
  4. Like
    bluesguy reacted to Old Man in The Turakian Age is Seriously Underrated   
    Good reasons, not purely geographical reasons.  Vegas' population didn't exceed that of my suburb until gambling was legalized.  It literally only grew in size from a quirk of legal codes.
     
    There are other examples, like the Yellow Fleet or Naypyidaw.  It's not hard to think of other, weirder justifications for cities in a fantasy setting.
  5. Like
    bluesguy reacted to L. Marcus in Worldbuilding: Social Design and Social Forces   
    The sources say there were sixty-plus senators in on the assassination, twenty-seven stabs actually on the corpse, and only one of those actually fatal. Power at a point, eh?
  6. Like
    bluesguy reacted to DShomshak in Worldbuilding: Social Design and Social Forces   
    Part Six:
     
    TECHNICAL power is the power of specialized knowledge and skills. Scientists and inventors possess technical power because their discoveries and inventions change what people can do and what they know. The priests of Egypt held technical power because of their monopoly on writing, the calendar and geometry. Nowadays, lawyers wield technical power because the law is so complicated that only a specialist can understand it. Any group based on technical power can claim authority on the grounds that only its members possess some skill that society needs to function, whether the skill is writing, law, engineering or alchemy: "Leave it to us, we know what to do."
     
    What does your society treat as specialized skills and knowledge? Who has power through their possession of such skills? How do they use it?
     
    Case Study: The Realm may appear somewhat weak in the field of technical power (though the sorcerers of the Heptagram qualify as possessors of specialized knowledge, and so do the artisans who increase the Dynasty’s panoply of artifacts). Keep in mind, though, that the complex bureaucracy of the Thousand Scales is a form of technical power. Prudent Realm-folk should not ask how much that power is meant to assure competent administration and how much it screens the people who really run things.
     
    Case Study: In Creation, shamanism is not always coupled with piety. Small gods and elementals have power; the shaman develops special skills to chivvy the spirits into using their power for the benefit of the tribe (or at least not to use their power to its detriment). While shamans might learn thaumaturgy for this purpose, just the diplomatic skill to bribe, browbeat, wheedle or otherwise persuade a spirit is a form of technical power.
     
    Case Study: The astrologers of Varangia decide everyone’s occupation, as well as the times to initiate war and peace and just about everything else. Their divinations are real, if not infallible. This assurance that everyone and everything is in the right place, doing the right thing at the right time, makes Varangia an example of a government that is explicitly based on technical power.
     
    AFTERWORD
     
    Keep in mind that every social force can affect the other four, and institutions often combine more than one social force. In the Scarlet Empire, for instance, the military occupation of the satrapies brings in the tribute that enriches the Great Houses and opens the way for Immaculate missionaries. The Lap’s enormous food surplus, an economic resource, is used tactically to reward and punish societies through half the South. Or, the Varangians guide their lives through astrology because of an ideology that elevates stasis as a social goal, and ordains astrology as a way to achieve it.
     
    Conversely, activities and institutions that seem similar might operate within a context of different social forces. For instance, look at religion in Creation: The Immaculate Order is explicitly ideological; but shamanism is often an exercise of technical power. A god who extorts worship by threatening mortals uses military power, whereas a god who promises boons in return for worship enters into an economic relationship. Spirits can even become legitimate heads of state, as the Syndics of Whitewall have done — albeit by promising safety and prosperity as well as honest and competent government.
     
    As an exercise, you might look at a country’s description in the CoTD books and see how each social force operates within it. If you want to use a country as the core setting for a campaign, the Pentangle of All-Encompassing Power can suggest areas to develop your own material.
     
    Dean Shomshak
    I'll post some further addemda tomorrow, but I'm sicj of getting posts merged and having to edit them apart again.
  7. Like
    bluesguy got a reaction from frostylives in What is Hero Combat Manager?   
    Hi,
     
    I am the developer of Hero Combat Manager.  The purpose of the program is to help a GM manage combat.  Here are the specific things you can do with it:
     
    Using Hero Designer (HD) - you can export characters you have created using HD into a format that Hero Combat Manager (HCM) can use HCM will track when each character can act depending on their Speed and Dex With HCM the GM can: Handle all dice rolling and damage management for NPCs.  This includes Normal, Killing, Mental, Presence, Flash, Entangle, etc. and apply the damage to the player character information.  You will always know how injured your player's characters .  The players still have to keep track of the damage which the GM will provide Handle all damage that the NPCs receive when the player character's hit an NPC Handle held actions Buff/Debuff per Aid/Drain or the GM can adjust.  Be prepared this part of the application has always been a bit flaky (sorry) What can't be done with HCM: You can't create a character on the fly in HCM.  You have to use HD and then export the character It doesn't interface with the Hero System Mobile (we have talked about it but I am too busy and technically not savvy enough to figure it out how to do that - yet) Quirks and issues When I was a full time paid developer I worked on embedded software systems.  A UI was the raw data being dumped out an RS-232 port to a dumb terminal.  We didn't need no stickin' UI.  So that means HCM's UI is primitive I haven't done an update in a while.  Too busy.  I will answer questions and I am going to set aside time in 2020 to do some major bug fixing. This project grew out of my need for a tool to help me track combat.  I have done it with pencil and paper and real dice in the past.  That worked but in a big fight someone would get missed.  I tried doing this with a spreadsheet and a fancy VB macro but that failed pretty quickly.  The program grew out of my own needs.
  8. Like
    bluesguy got a reaction from Steve Long in The Turakian Age is Seriously Underrated   
    I agree 100%.  My son wanted to run a campaign when he was in High School after playing in my campaign for a while.  I got him a copy of TA and it worked very well.  There was enough detail that the world felt real, plus a ton of space so he could make it his own.
  9. Like
    bluesguy got a reaction from Jhamin in Hero Games 2021 Update   
    Amen to this statement.  Coming from a resident of the Twin Cities and who is also BIPOC.
  10. Like
    bluesguy reacted to Lord Liaden in Hero Games 2021 Update   
    True, but problems with American policing are long-term, too. It's just that in recent years how deep they are has become impossible to ignore.
  11. Like
    bluesguy reacted to Black Rose in Dancing Shield   
    I'm trying to build a Dancing Shield; a physical object that can be snagged out of the air with difficulty (OIF) but otherwise hovers around the owner and serves as additional defense. It acts like a regular shield, but you don't have to waggle it around.
     
    There is a magic item called Soaring Shield (5e Enchanted Items 146).
    Game Information: Force Field (10 PD/10 ED); 0 END (+½) (30 Active Points); Activation Roll 14- (-½), OAF (-1), Incantations (-¼), Independent (-2) (total cost: 6 points) plus +4 DCV (20 Active Points); Activation Roll 14- (-½), OAF (-1), Incantations (-¼), Independent (-2), Linked (Force Field; -¼) (total cost: 4 points). Total cost: 10 points.
     
    Cleaning it up for 6e:
    Game Information: Resistant Protection (5 PD/5 ED); Activation Roll 14- (-½), OAF (-1), Incantations (-¼) plus +4 DCV; Activation Roll 14- (-½), OAF (-1), Incantations (-¼), Linked (Resistant Protection; -¼). AP/RC: 15/5 + 20/7 = 35/12
     
    No Shield Bash; the idea is it just floats around and blocks attacks but doesn't initiate them.
     
    Does this seem to be a good design?
  12. Like
    bluesguy reacted to IndianaJoe3 in Hero Games 2021 Update   
    A Hero Patreon account is something that I've supported for a long time. It's a way to produce new Hero material on a regular basis, without too much speculative expense, and with the potential for follow up sales (as you noted).
  13. Like
    bluesguy reacted to Jhamin in Hero Games 2021 Update   
    Im very interested in the Patreon concept for Sectional Books.  I like the concept a lot but my initial thought would be that if I have a choice between buying the individual sections and a complete product with art (even b&w art) I would generally wait for the "complete" product.  I'd hate to see this idea fail because people are holding out for the final book. 

    If there was a Patreon structure that would let us pay as we go for sections and then reward backers with the complete version later (or let us "upgrade" our digital versions for a nominal fee) that would be ideal.  At this point in my life I'm more interested in the digital versions than physical ones anyway.
  14. Thanks
    bluesguy got a reaction from Panpiper in Rusty AF Game Master Dragooned into new game. Gonna need advice.   
    I would be willing to help you out.  The fastest way would be with a Zoom call.  Heck we could even record it and post it for other folks.
  15. Like
    bluesguy reacted to Sketchpad in Old dog needs to learn new tricks   
    I've been using Roll20.net for my remote gaming and have really enjoyed the experience. It does have a dice roller included, but you don't have to use it. The map functions tend to work well, and it has a handout feature, as well as character sheets.
  16. Like
    bluesguy reacted to archer in Weapons for Dungeon Delvers   
    lawn darts
  17. Like
    bluesguy reacted to Scott Ruggels in Weapons for Dungeon Delvers   
    That Shield is a good choice.  I saw Goblin Slayer, and their comment about the use of short swords, which seemed to make sense.  I would think that spears, or a medium pole arm that would give people some reach over the front ranks. Anything "flexible" is probably not a good idea.
  18. Like
    bluesguy reacted to MrKinister in "Fantasy Hero Complete" or "Fantasy Hero 6th Edition"   
    Here's my take on those two books (I own Champions Complete, Fantasy Hero Complete, Vol 1, Vol 2, and Fantasy Hero):
     
    Fantasy Hero Complete attempts to become a very concise "full system" book, in that it presents all the Hero System rules, in a deeply condensed form, along with suggestions for campaigns, spell systems, bestiaries, equipment, and some slight mentions on world-building. However, the primary focus of Fantasy Hero Complete is to present the Hero System rules in concise form, and does not go into great depth on all other related subjects. This book, however, is sufficient to become familiar with the rules and begin play with minimal fuss (world-building aside). This is a fine book for "players".
     
    Fantasy Hero Complete: 194 pages of 'hero system rules', 55 pages of 'source'.
     
     
    Fantasy Hero 6th Edition is a "Genre Book". It is intended to "expand the toolkit", as it were, that Hero System was designed to be. It explains the idea of Fantasy and how to apply it to the Hero System, 6th Edition. It talks about game mechanics and adaptations suitable for the genre, the various types and concepts that may be called "Fantasy", ideas and suggestions on how to build fantasy worlds: fantasy professions, fantasy spells systems, fantasy armor, weapons, and equipment, fantasy religions, fantasy races, fantasy societies, etc. It is a "fantasy world building" book that specifically deals with Hero System. It does not repeat the system rules. You can find those in Volume 1: Character Creation and Volume 2: Combat and Adventuring. You are going to need those if you actually want to learn the Hero System should you only have Fantasy Hero. This book is excellent for "GMs" and "World Builders".
    [Edit: as a side note, while Fantasy Hero does a great job of providing ideas for spell systems, it does present a meager set of examples. For more complete spells systems, you ought to take a look at the Grimoire publications.]
     
    Fantasy Hero, 6th Edition: 480 pages of pure 'genre/source', no repetition of system rules.
     
     
    Personally, I find that Vol 1 and Vol 2 have more of a full explanation of ideas, with many examples and discourse on how things work. They are very wordy, but offer greater depth. They are my preferred source. I would use the "Complete" books as "reference sheets" for players, especially if they are new to the system, or want to take something home to bite into, without spending the money to acquire the original volumes.
     
    Panpiper, if you already have Vol 1 and Vol 2, Fantasy Hero Complete will not give you anything more. You will get more out of Fantasy Hero, 6th Edition.
  19. Like
    bluesguy got a reaction from Hjorimir in Fantasy Grounds Ruleset for 6th Edition   
    You might want to consider the excellent work that has been done using Tabletop Simulator (see this thread and specifically this post)
  20. Haha
    bluesguy reacted to BarretWallace in Welcome to Hero Forum - Please Introduce yourself (especially Lurkers)   
    Eh...that doesn't bother me so much as saying "yes" instead of "ooooooooohhhh yaaaaaaaaa."  😁
  21. Haha
    bluesguy reacted to Hugh Neilson in What’s Going On With Steve Long?   
    hmmm...and for an added premium, you can "suggest" the answer of your choice 😈
  22. Haha
    bluesguy got a reaction from BarretWallace in Welcome to Hero Forum - Please Introduce yourself (especially Lurkers)   
    😃I live in MN but I am not a Minnesotan 😉
     
    Having come from the Southwestern part of the USA, I have an understanding about what ¡Olé! means and what Ole (Danish male name mean).  Confuses me sometimes...
  23. Haha
    bluesguy got a reaction from Duke Bushido in Welcome to Hero Forum - Please Introduce yourself (especially Lurkers)   
    😃I live in MN but I am not a Minnesotan 😉
     
    Having come from the Southwestern part of the USA, I have an understanding about what ¡Olé! means and what Ole (Danish male name mean).  Confuses me sometimes...
  24. Like
    bluesguy reacted to BadTodd in Welcome to Hero Forum - Please Introduce yourself (especially Lurkers)   
    @bluesguy Hey David!!   It's been awhile!  Hope you and the family are still doing well!!
     
     
    I know what you mean - it is hard to find other Hero Systems players in Minnesota.  I mostly play D&D 5e, with a little bit of Pathfinder 2e, because that is what everyone else plays.  I love me some superhero gaming though! 
  25. Like
    bluesguy reacted to Lunatic Fringer in Welcome to Hero Forum - Please Introduce yourself (especially Lurkers)   
    Hello!  Been lurking for a while now because I really haven't been playing Hero System games for several years.  I'm a 4th Edition diehard, but my circle of friends willing to deal with this system's crunch has shrunk to the point where nobody who's left wants to do it anymore.    I've been keeping busy during the pandemic by writing and releasing my own superhero rules system and a city setting supplement for it - specifically for those who have problems with the math these days (which is a lot, actually).
    1) My handle comes from one of my favorite songs by Red Rider.
    2) The very first TTRPG I played was the red box set of D&D, though I quickly graduated to AD&D.  (I'd been playing wargames for a few years before that.)
    3) The first I ever GM'd has slipped my memory, but it's likely that it was AD&D.
    4) Currently, I'm running my own game, the XD12 Superhero System, on the Babies with Knives Discord Channel on Thursday afternoons from 1500 to 1700 Central Time (US).  I'm also playing in an ICONS: Assembled Edition game with pretty much the same people that are in my group for XD12 on Friday afternoons in the same timeframe.
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