Nadrakas

Mrs. Indestructible's action figure had the same problem as Wonder Woman and kept falling forward all the time.

I "See"...anatomically incorrect.  Or was he?

~ N

From "Major Toy Company":

There has been some concern raised as to quality control standards and methods of "Major Toy Company."  We at "Major Toy Company" strive to use the best non-toxic materials possible so as to not harm the environment.  All employee's are highly trained, well paid and valued members of "Major Toy Company."  We do not use "underpaid" or "forced-labor" of any sort in the production of any of our Toy Lines. 

Before going to any final production, the representative Hero will have final say as to the authenticity of their particular Action Figure.  We at "Major Toy Company" strive to provide the best product possible to our customers.  As part of our Culture, we support charities throughout the world, and every year we produce a Toy Line wherein the entire proceeds are donated to Charity.  This year, we at "Major Toy Company" are asking the Heroes of the World to assist us in this endeavor.

Thank you!

~ N

You have to be careful about these things.  One super team had a line of action figures made by Kosgrov Toys and they recycled Richard Dawson's head for one of it's members.  (Obscure Film Reference!)

That would be Special.

~ N

Awww...

Cygnia, you (and many others) provide my family with much needed happiness with this Thread.

Thank you.

~ N

Millennium already has an action figure.  As the living embodiment of the Hero With a Thousand Faces part of his raison d'etre is to inspire future heroes. 

 

All other characters would agree.

So, that would be a No?  Even for Charity? (Unless, of course, the proceeds he makes already go towards Charity...)

~ N

No, what I was saying was, maybe this project will become / could become such an "official" setting.  Not that anything had been agreed on; but that this project would not just be a third-party splat book.

 

And I had thought that, once upon a time, Turakian Age / Valdorian Age were the "official" Fantasy HERO Setting.

Ahh...sorry. My misunderstanding.

Turikian/Valdorian Ages were in 5e. Not sure in 6e. Again, they are jointly owned by Hero Games and Mr Long -- not sure where that puts them as far as being "official" (I don't want to "assume" anything on the part of Hero Games...)

~ N

And I have a vision; dunno if I have what it takes to make that vision a reality, ever.  Just lack of confidence and motivation, really.

 

As to whether it would be an official setting or whatever:  I think the argument could be made that we could be trying to push for an official Fantasy HERO setting as the outcome here.  I believe it had such a thing at one time, did it not?  Or was the whole Turakian Age a third party deal?

No "Setting" has been agreed upon, including the Turakian/Valdorian Ages: both are  jointly owned by Hero Games & Steve Long and would pre-approval by each of them (Hero Games has apparently said "yes" to the concept...we have to approach Mr Long.  All material has to be sent through both HG & Mr Long prior to final "Print," so changes could be made by either: It is their Setting, afterall).

~ N

I was going to write what both Lucius and NuSoardGraphite have written: so I'll just note that I agree. If you have a problem with RSR, just don't require it. That said, I have required it for most forms of magic in games spanning many years and it has never been a problem simply because there are so many ways to mitigate high penalties - high skill rolls are just one way and not always the most effective.

Yes to all the above.  I'm not a fan of RSR.  I see that for some Magic Systems it fits very well, for others it doesn't.  I've used it -- still do -- and will use it if the description of the Magic (or whatever the "Power" of the Setting is called) calls for it.

Which brings us to...

But - if I may be so bold - y'all seem to be going about this bass-ackwards. Instead of discussing mechanics, I have found that the best way to start designing a magic system (or anything, actually) in Hero system is to start with "look and feel", and then build the system to fit. Right now, reading the comments here, I haven't the faintest idea of what your proposed magic system will look like ... which makes proopsing mechanics difficult, if not impossible.

Thank you for being blunt!  I've asked, but the decision is still out: Do we go with the Tarakian/Valdorian Ages (Need Mr Long's approval -- Please see my previous post on this) or do we go with something we create on our own?

There is no "Proposed" Magic System as of yet (Not that I can tell either).  It's kind of all over the place.

Some of the early discussions were about First creating short self contained adventures, with the potential of creating a setting down the road...however now the setting seems to be the First thing to be created, with the adventures coming Second.   Chicken and Egg here -- which comes first?

I had thought that, in order to attract New Players, that we'd create some short, focused, stand alone adventures.    The "Magic System" could be based off of the one in the Tarakian Age for ease of play, but the main thing would be to create some very playable and enjoyable adventures for New Players that would help to introduce the system while at the same time easing them into the flow of things.

At the same time we could be either working on creating material for one of the established Settings (Turakian/Valdorian Ages) or on a Setting of our own making.

Which leads us to...

I'd suggest some discussion instead of what your prosped magic system will look and feel like.

Is it a D&D 3.5/Pathfinder style system where magic use is restricted to specialists, and requires resource management, but experienced casters can know many spells, routinely travel between planes, create pocket universes, stop time, etc?

Is it a Runequest-style system where magic is universal, and pretty much everyone knows a bit of magic, but truly powerful reality-altering effects are very rare?

Do you want magic to be a routine affair, where spells don't malfunction and spell X always produces effect Y, or do you want a Mage-style game where what magic can do is flexible and magic is potentially dangerous to use?

Do you want mages to primarily be scholarly types full of arcane knowledge, or do you want them to mostly be helicopter gunship equivalents?

Do you want to split magic into "Arcane" and "Divine", into different schools, or just have one style?

Do you want all mages to have mostly the same spells, or do you want them to be specialists by default?

etc.

 

Once you have agreed on what you want magic to look and feel like, then building the system should be relatively straightforward.

 

cheers, Mark

Agreed...if we go with our own setting.

Details, details, details.  All have to be worked out.

Anyway...

Thanks Mark.

~ N

Agreed, I have been in it since '78 and it certainly is a different beast. Likewise, I am just wanting to expand the community (and as a by product) finding new Hero gamers to game with... Likewise, in regard to the ideas about magic systems, I can post a pdf of the one I use in my High Fantasy Campaign if anyone cares to see what I do with it, but once again, I think simpler in this case is better.

I'd like to see it.  I think simpler tends to be better (Though not always), but I always like to see what other people have come up with.

~ N

Been out of pocket for the last couple of days. The brainstorming seems like it is proceeding quite nicely, however I would suggest that perhaps the first thing would be a setting neutral starting adventure. Rather than worry so much about licensing at first, it would be easier to avoid that and come up with a simple quick start. It could be tied into TA or other thing later, but to avoid licensing issues, et al, it seems easier to leave it neutral. Otherwise there are some good ideas, and hopefully something will gel pretty quickly. Any further ideas on division of labor, et al? Really, in my mind, is to let people know that Hero can do "D&D" style, as well as any others. Once the hook is set, well then is when we can begin to reel them in. From a copyright point of view, we may be able to avoid any major issues if the first thing we do is offered for FREE. I never anticipated or wanted to profit, except in the sense of creating a much larger Hero community...

I agree that the first thing we should do is a "Setting Free" Book (perhaps we can do a few few "Setting Free" Adventures/Books/etc).  Later, perhaps, we could tie in to a particular setting.

Now...about making money.  I thought we we're going to make Million$ here?  Don't Game Companies rake in Billion$? At least that's what I read on the internet. [/sarcasm]

Really though...the "Profit" margin comes from expanding the community...I've been gaming since 1975 and been playing Champions since the early days, so call this giving something back (This doesn't make me an expert by any stretch of the imagination...just old ).

Peace

~ N

Sorry, I can be a bit persnickety at times.

'Tis ok.  It's all in fun...nobody got hurt...no eyes poked out.

Besides...I'm thick skinned (Especially after 25-years in the military...)

And you brought up a good point...Consistency.  In Language, In Format, In...everything.  We'll need a "Bible" of some sort (even a small one...)

Thanks again.

~ N

BTW just a point of being super picky. The company is HERO games. We talk about Hero as a system and a company. There is no plural to that name. There is the Possessive Hero's, but other than it's just Hero Games and the Hero System. We talked to Hero.

Thanks for the "smack" Tasha.  Fixed the above.

"Sigh"

Hero Games

Hero System

Right...

~ N

You perceive that as problematic?

No, not in and of itself.

Hero Games has said it's ok.

Mr Long has to sign off on this.

Then we have to come up with the products that we want & like (Adventures, NPCs, Monsters, Setting Expansions, etc) -- coordinating everything back and forth between ourselves -- and send it to Hero Games for approval per the below (And that's for Everything using the Hero System...).

(NOTE: This is an excerpt from the Hero System Contracts, and applies to everything that a third party does using the Hero System...)

At some stage (Before, during or after Hero Games approves the Manuscript), coordination has to be accomplished with Mr Long, abiding by what he says about the Setting, including any changes (Assuming that he signs off on the concept of adding to the Setting at all).

I'm good with this, but that's an extra layer to be adding (Onions & Ogres anyone ).  It's both easier and harder to go with an established Setting.  Easier from the standpoint that the Sandbox already exists and we can build upon it.  Harder in that, paradoxically, it does exist and we have to get approval from Mr Long for anything and everything we do.  Again, no matter what we do, because we are doing this in the Hero System, we have to submit everything to Hero Games...just if we decide to go with Turakian/Valdorian Ages there will be even more coordination.

I'm not saying "No." Not by a long shot.  I think it would be a great way to get people attracted to the Hero System.  However, right now - in Hero 6e - the "Official World" is in "Limbo." The Turakian/Valdorian Ages were written up for Hero 5e (Not sure if there is a 6e version of either on the horizon, and if so, when).  They could be converted to 6e, but again, everything would have to be submitted for approval, per the above.

I think that we need to decide if we want to go with the "Established" Hero System Setting(s) -- Turakian/Valdorian Ages (I will assume, for the sake of argument, that we are going to go with Fantasy Hero), or if we want to do an entirely new and unique setting.  This should be decided early on.

I'm fine with using the established setting or if we strike out on our own.  However, I really think we should decide that sooner, rather than later.  Having to go back and rework things can be a pain.

Peace.

~ N

Fixed Hero System vs Hero Games...for clarification. Thanks Tasha

I can think of six ways to fix it.

 

 

4. No Rolls Required. How often do you see a spell cast in a fantasy story just fizzle, anyway?

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

 

Number 4.  Typically the only Failures are either from Apprentices learning magic, when a mage is in a "Wild Zone," when two powerful spells counteract each other and things go wonkie, when the mage is drunk or when the plot says so.

~ N

I received a reply from Jason Walters regarding licensing the use of Hero Games's official settings to create adventure modules and the like.

 

 

At this point in time the rights to the Turakian/Valdorian Ages are jointly held by Steve Long and Hero Games, depending on the application. I would have no problem issuing you a free licence to create for commercial purposes a module for either setting, but it would be best to check with Steve first.

 

With Initial approval required from both Steve Long and Hero Games, then anything that we did as "Plug-Ins" would also require approval.  Any adventures, Characters, Setting Expansions.

~ N

 

I guess I'm having a problem understanding what you're saying then. If the Skill Roll Limitation is on the END Reserve, and the penalty kicks in at 20 pts of END, then unless the spell has an Increased END Cost, the spell doesn't take a penalty until it's at 100 Active Points - and that's if we're rounding up. With a liberal interpretation, spells take no Skill Roll penalty until 200 Active Points (again, still assuming they don't have Increased END Cost) and if we went with a Roll at -1/20 Active Points on the END Reserve, the spells can get up to 400 Active Points.

 

It could go either way.

1. Active Points of the END Reserve used (Per the standard rules: -1 per 10 Active Points;  END Reserve Cost: 1 CP per 4 END/2 CP per 3 REC).
2. -1 per "X" END Used (Based off how difficult you want to make it).  You could choose to make the "X" 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or even more...depends upon how difficult you want to make the Power (Spell) Roll.  Is it -1 per 1 END used ?  -1 per 4 END used? or more?  Is it Hard or much easier?

Either way is fine.  Depending upon how you do it, the penalty may be worse or better.  Probably simpler to go with Number 1.

That being said, it was just a "Thought" -- which is what we are doing here...putting out ideas.  Not stepping on anyone's toes, just putting forth thoughts.

Personally, I don't like the Penalty being based off of the Active Points -- it drives up "Power" Rolls...which is counter-intuitive, especially in FH Games.  Don't know exactly how to "fix it."

 ? There's an "established" Fantasy Hero setting?? Are you talking about Turakian Age or what?

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Antidisestablishmentarionist palindromedary

That's what I meant -- as far as there is any "Official" setting anyway.

Peace.

~ N

Yes, still do.  And I find myself sometimes thinking in two systems at once (Which is really weird...)

My wife now does it too -- we'll put things into Hero terms all the time.

~ N

http://lyrics.wikia.com/Ray_Stevens:Teenage_Mutant_Kung_Fu_Chickens

Safe to say that McD's won't be getting any Nuggets from these guys.

~ N

Stew.  Lots of stew.

Or, perhaps, Chicken & Dumplings?

~ N

MEOW!

This is so our Kittie Alex! (Alexander Xavier Weber)

~ N

So, you didn't like Batgirl on the 60's TV show?

The actress: Yes. 

The Color scheme: No.

Sorry, it's a personal thing.  There are things that each of us like and each of us don't like.  If it was Black & Purple or Black & Yellow...sure.  As I said...it's just a personal thing.  I can go with it, and it's not something that I'm violently opposed to, just something that I wouldn't personally choose.  Again...a personal choice.

Sorry if I upset you.

Peace.

~ N

Yes, they do. Check a color wheel.

I know they are Complimentary Colors...but they "offend" (so to speak) my personal sensibilities when they are combined.  But then again...I'm not really a purple type of guy...or yellow really.  Doesn't match my complexion.

(I've used them together in products for customers.  Just wouldn't do it for my own personal use).

~ N

At least they color-coordinate.

Yellow and Purple...color coordinate??...eeeewww...

~ N

The question is...what to do with it afterwards?  Deep Fry or Baked?

~ N

Which major toy company

I usually do my own mods to 6" action figures

a big question is what would be the cost and do I keep the rights to  my character designs

A "Major" Company (Didn't want to be too specific...Was thinking a "Major" one in the "Campaign World" with a good reputation.  Similar to Hasbro or Disney, but with less "haters" -- didn't want to "turn-off" anybody here.).

It's still good that you do you're own action figures.

This is for Charity, and will remain for Charity.  The Hero's Likeness remains theirs, but the actual Figure is the "Major" Companies (only the figure, which they made - they will handle any copyright violations too), but all proceeds will go to Charity.  Costs are to be from the "Major" Company, but the Hero's assistance will be needed with some Minor advertisement (Short TV Spot, Pics for Magazine -- The Hero get's to see & approve them...) for their Charity.  It's all for Charity.

~ N