JohnTaber

Hi Gents,

I'll chime in but I do not have a lot of new comments...

I've used Hero almost exclusively for heroic level campaigns. I've run lots of Danger International campaigns (agents, detectives, X-files, Alien Legion, etc.) and several Fantasy Hero campaigns set in Harn. I like the stuff from Columbia. Anyway...

Yes...there are breakpoints that are more cost effective. For most of the stats ones that end in 3 and 8 are breakpoints. For DEX the numbers runs a bit different but the concept is the same. Does this mean the system does not work for Heroic level games? Hec no.

I guess my reasoning for using Hero is kinda weird for those not used to playing it regularly. I think the strengths of Hero far outweigh this weakness. For example, one of the reason I use Hero for fantasy is flexibility and control during character creation. The point setups means you can easily mix warriors, rogue types, and wizards without much effort. It also makes it REALLY fun for the PC to make characters.

I also want to impose pretty harsh rules for magic in my games because I also want low magic type settings. (I also want to avoid the "mystically enhanced fighter syndrome" but that is another discussion topic. ) Oh yeah...you can make up your own magic system. Um...pretty flexible.

I think you get the idea. If you want to see the guidelines I have used for fantasy they can be found on my web page. The link is below. Let me know if you have any questions.

Oops...

I've got one...

A group of PC are on a deserted island that they know is the home of a hidden paramilitary base. The PC spot a waterfall and decide to investigate. The TK PC carefully lifts up the martial art PC and places him behind the waterfall. The 15 guys with assault rifles who are waiting blast the poor guy. It would not be so bad except the armor for this PC is on an activation roll, he is being held by the TK, and the agents are using autofire RKA rifles. The combination was a bloodbath. When the TK artist removed the PC all that was left was a bloody mess...

Let's just say that is the last time the PC used that trick...

Hi Gents,

I would NOT allow it in my game because of the active points (appears to be over 100) and in my game the limit is 75. Now...assuming the power was in my limit...around 2d6...I would allow it if the user defined maybe an additional limitation for the fact the the shadow could be disrupted in bright light (i.e. an additional limitation).

FYI. I personally think the way the power is constructed is fine. In fact it is how I would build it. I like simple.

Hi Gents: I did a version too way back in 93. I actually ran it for almost a year! My players loved it. It can be found at the file downloads page of my site. Here is a direct link to that page.

GREAT Question!

In my newly restarted campaign...for a variety of historical reasons...supers are not really wanted if they are not "controlled" by the government and then they are a "necessary evil". The PC are trying to change things...

I plan to use an impending conflict as a reason for a misunderstood Hero to be called into action. This Hero was imprisoned for getting superpowers by causing Chernobyl. The government has brain washed the guy and plan to use him as a secret weapon...should make for a cool side story as this guy hunts one of the PC...hehehehe...[evil GM snicker]...

Hi Gents,

Ken Hite has a really spiffy review of Star Hero in his Out Of The Box gaming review section. Here is the review. Following the review is a link to his site.

In Space, No One Can Hear You Roll 15d6

On the Hero System front, meanwhile, the redoubtable James L. Cambias and the undoubtable Steve "the Man" Long join forces to bring us Star Hero (322 page b&w softcover, $29.99), with Jim handling the astrophysics and genre material, and Steve piling high the mighty Herosity. Like the other Hero Games releases in this incarnation, there are vast numbers of examples, modules, and other pluggable rules and powers here -- even a non-Hero-head such as myself can almost figure things out, and the level of clarity, utility, and care presented dwarf almost every other currently published line. Only the best GURPS books, such as GURPS Space or GURPS Traveller: First In even get close to Star Hero, which does a creditable job of subsuming almost all gameable science fiction into one massive tome. Just as an example of this book's utility and economy: thirteen generic alien species, four generic alien cultures, and six generic "environmentally-driven species" (heavyworlders to Belters) are all packed into 15 pages! There's similarly exhaustive coverage of generating solar systems, planets, alien species (from a story basis, with rules material), and civilizations. Spaceships and space combat, space stations, advanced tech -- including 24 types of ray gun from ghostbusting particle accelerators to omni-setting disintegrators -- time travel, and psionics all get a look-in. Throughout, useful, sensible campaign advice obtrudes; we finish with some sample characters and villains for the "Terran Empire" setting (coming in another book), and a fine index. Even if you don't run Hero System games, if you run any SF game, this book will put the stars in your eyes.

Here is the link.

Hi Chaosleige,

I really consider DunDraCon to be THE Hero con. Since Hero was formed by gents from the Bay Area and run from here for years it has a very strong following. I know I'm kinda biased as I live here but if you attend the Hero seminar you will get an idea of the popularity. Imagine a room packed full of Hero authors, artists, and regular posters to the message board in a standing room only situation and you get the idea. We are talkin' serious Hero worship...

GO HERO!

I was watching this cool anime show on Tech TV and I thought...hec...how would you build that in Hero? I know I know...I'm a Hero junkie...

To explain more details...

This guy on the show can shoot this energy blast that affects material of a given type only. On other material is has no effect AND does not stop the ray! In the show there were animated crash test dummies made of some polymer filling an airplane. This Betterman cat blasts the dummies turning them into dust leaving the plane completely untouched.

My first throught is indirect with some type of N-Ray vision that is only used for placing the indirect attack but I'm not sure that is the best way to do it.

Any other ideas?

Reliance Reforged

Hi Gents,

My new campaign involves a startup of one that I ran years ago. I got the genesis for the campaign by asking folks on this very board for ideas. I ended up with something really special. If you imagine a world where PC are begrudgingly accepted by the populace and constantly hounded by UNTIL (the new global super control agency) you get the idea. It is up to the PC to convince the world that their return is a good thing. The first plotlines involve the PC meeting and dealing with a strange little girl who is harboring the soul of Hapshetset, an ancient Eqgyptian pharoah.

The PC include...

+ Survivor - One of the only heroes to survive the Apocalypse (i.e. a series of disasterous explosions that occured in 1984 that killed essentially 90% of the supers of the planet). Survivor is an experiment gone awry. He has powers of TK and absorption. He is now jaded and not sure of his role as a superhero.

+ The Smith - Thief caught stealing a strange idol which turned out to be magical. Smith can recreate any electronic or mechanical device that he touches. Nifty character who now has a Robin Hood complex.

+ Rian - Strange mutant/experiment who can assume the shape of other humanoids and project powerful psionic attacks.

+ Chan San Feng - Immortal founder of a Tai Chi style. Martial artists with mystical chi powers.

It should continue to be tons of fun...

Hi Gents,

I am starting a new Standard Super Heroic (350 pts) four color Champions campaign with 4 players. My group is made up of mostly experienced Hero gamers but they have never played FREd. I ended up with two PC that are almost agents without too many off the wall things and two PC that are true 4 color hero types but both have questionable rule constructs. Keep reading. I ran into three interesting but somewhat unrelated issues...

Issue #1 - The two agent level characters have powers but are Dex 20 SPD 4 types. One has Ego powers but the other does not. The other two PC are speed 6 and 7. I'm worried that these guys are too underpowered. Should I carry on? Should I reel in the higher powered PC a bit?

Issue #2 - One of the PC is a martial artist. Is it me or is it really cheap to buy martial artists at 350 points? His PC seems MUCH grosser than the others?

Issue #3 - The two more powerful PC have defensive EC. BOTH have an EC at 10 points full of defenses (Power Defense, Flash Defense, Mental Defense, PD, ED, Damage Resistence, etc). One also has an EC with movement powers AND an EC with Danger Sense, Spacial Awareness, and DCV levels. The special effects for these EC are actually ok. Should I let it go and see how it plays out?

Whaddya think guys? Suggestions?

Interesting question Mr. Vimes...it is also very appropos for me. I decided that I wanted to pickup my first Champions campaign that ran for a few years in 1982 to 1984. Yeah...I'm from the Bay Area where Hero began. Anyway...in 1984 we were in high school. The plots were simple and frankly not adult.

I decided to leave the time zone but I made some changes happed where heroes get suppressed. In fact I got some great ideas from this board for the move. Anyway...the short answer...in the past I didn't care about continuity. I'm gonna try to keep track this time...we'll see how it goes...

I would do focus...

Hi Sir Loris,

I would do a focus that is expended when the summon is used. Definitely also consider adding a limitation of some type to reflect the difficulty of getting the bodies...assuming this fellow doesn't live in a graveyard or something.

Masq

Here is a pic from a friend of mine who since doing this picture has done some stuff for White Wolf and such. Here is a link to his art db on Pen and Paper.

Anyway...here is the sketch he did for a NPC called Masq...

General Requests

Hi Steve,

I am starting a new campaign based on a Champions campaign that has not been run since 1984 and last night was our character creation meeting. I always have one of these so people can share ideas and ask campaign questions and such. This time I have one complete Hero newbie, and three Hero 4th edition vets. The interesting thing is that the vets had NOT seen FREd. For most of them this was the first look at it. I could go into their comments but that is another post. Anyway...some of my comments are based on last nights meeting and dealing with my players.

Request #1 - Scaled - It might be cool if the powers were built so that the totals could be easily fit into other standard frameworks (i.e. EC/Multipwer/VPP). Maybe you have each power have three "power settings"? This would tweak the active points to various set levels. Maybe...45, 60, and 75 or something like that. The idea is to make it easy for a laymen to throw a bunch of stuff into their framework. Our rookie and even one of the pros had a tough time getting this worked out. This might have simplified things.

Request #2 - Indexing - I'm not sure how it could be done but you might want to index the examples in several ways. Maybe by offense/defense/other, and by power used, and by special effect? The various entries need to be easily found.

That's it.

Bummed that I can't make DunDraCon this year but my colicky 3 month old is a bit too much to handle right now so I'm gonna give the wife a break since she is letting me game during a weeknight.

Say hi to Derek and Keith for me!

Cthulhu?

Hi JustJoe,

You MIGHT want to look for a Cthulhu campaign or resource book that has this information. The stuff for Cthulhu is usually VERY well thought out and detailed...just an idea...

Newpaper For Writers Block

Hi SyberDwarf2,

I know this is slightly off topic but when I get writers block I grab the newspaper. I take two or three random articles and turn them into an adventure. Works great for a LOT of genre. Just tweak the events to fit your world.