Frenchman

Re: Military Campaign

Dark Champions is the place to be - but you might also consider checking out Alien Wars if a futuristic setting doesn't turn you off.

Re: Anyone ever tried a stat block auction in HERO?

Hmm... Maybe I'll try this in my next Fantasy game - except I'd have them bid with their starting funds instead of character points - keeps everyone equal, point-wise, and the high STR+DEX and STR+CON will basically need to play monks and barbarians since they'll have no money for weapons and armor.

Re: Normals evolve into Supers

Played in a game sorta like that one - we started our characters as 0+75 point normals in San Francisco, and over the course of 5-6 game sessions grew into 350-point supers as we discovered and developed our powers (which the GM selected for us). It was a lot of fun, and I'll never remember the time when the GM said, "Brian, here's some quarters for the arcade. You should have control of your character again by the time you use 'em up. OK, guys, Simon (Brian's character) has just gone berserk and started eating a cop. What do you do?"

Not as dark as it sounds, and absolutely had us laughing our asses off as we tried to pull the cop to safety.

Re: Build: Rune Magic - Flight

Building granted powers is discussed somewhere in the Fantasy Hero book - I'd give a page reference if my copy wasn't buried under a pile of library books about Heian Japan. When I'm not allowed to use my preferred handwavium measure of a +1/2 UOO advantage I tend to by a highly-limited UAA as a Naked Advantage. Using a +1/2 is just quicker book-keeping.

The way I see it, this is a missing advantage from the UBO suite - Usuable Simultaneously lets you use it on a given number of targets, all at once in a single action - kinda like autofire if you ask me. There should be a +1/2 advantage Usuable On Other that has no ultimate limit on the number (or mass, what is up with that?) of targets, but can only be granted to one target at a time - you even have to grant it to yourself if you want to use it. Seems to work for me so far.

Re: "Sense Motive" In Hero

Resistance to Persuasion and/or Acting - depending on what skill your GM makes you roll to lie convincingly. Very few people are really good at seeing through a skilled liars lies - thats why outrageous lies have penalties to their Persuasion/Acting roll depending on not only the liar and their lie, but also on the circumstances and the one being lied to. Instead of inventing another skill, just penalize the other person's roll.

Re: SFX for Darkness with IPE?

IPE Darkness, usually with the Hole in the Middle advantage, is actually a pretty common trope in our games as the spell "Privacy Sphere."

Basically, from the outside, it looks as though everything inside the AOE vanishes - not that there is a crater in the ground, but just that all the people an non-stationary objects become invisible. From inside looking out, the effect is the same.

In our experience, we have never come across a situation where this was used to escape or during a combat, so perhaps the vanishing bit might be better changed, for some builds, to the people/objects teleporting, exploding, keeling over dead, or continuing whatever they were doing before.

Re: Doubling Damage Question

And don't forget that extra damage classes (which are bought separately for 4 points apiece) add to the base damage of a weapon, and so increase the amount of damage you can add with STR.

Just to confuse you more.

(But really, it is less difficult to learn this than THAC0 was)

Re: Instant, Constant, Persistent

Someone may need to pose this question to Steve - I can't imagine it is an oversight since it appears in both editions of the book I have.

The two things I did to try and figure out whats going on is to compare standard regeneration to what it would do if it were continuous, and to what a different power, say Aid, would look like if it was built with Persistent but without continuous. The HD program lets you build a persistent Aid without making it continuous first...

So what does a Persistent Aid do that a normal Aid doesn't? How is it different from one that is Continuous also? Theoretically, the answers for Aid and Healing should be the same. And if you can do it to Aid, then shouldn't you be able to do the same to Drain, or RKA?

It seems that it must be either an error or a loophole/exception to make Regeneration less costly.

Re: Monk

No Encumbrance penalties. You are using the encumbrance rules, aren't you?

 

He makes a good impression in the villages and towns. Wearing armor in public sends the message that you're out for violence. As does prominently carrying big weapons. Being dressed like a monk earns trust and respect and calms people down.

I agree. I'd only add that you should perhaps consider imposing penalties to dex and/or dcv for wearing armor, especially heavier armor. A flat penalty is much easier to keep track of than encumbrance - re-calc.ing your encumbrance when you are nailed with a str Drain is a pain...

Re: Stun Reserves and?

One of the reasons END reserves are so cheap is that each power must decide whether it uses END from the character or from the reserve, or pay a +1/4 advantage to use both of them. Since Stun isn't 'used' in the same way, that particular aspect of an END reserve wouldn't apply to a Stun reserve. However, I see no reason why you can't just buy extra Stun (or Body) limited to reflect that it recovers more slowly, or with limited Recovery to make it recover faster.

Re: Looking for House rule suggestion

I like Sean Water's approach, but I think I'll avoid drawing out 30-40 circles each combat to keep track of end

Mostly I'm posting to refer y'all to this thread:

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58013

and I'll repost my bit of it 'cuz I happen to quite like it.

Get rid of automatic recoveries entirely, and only give recoveries for time that the characters spend deliberately resting - how about 1 REC for every hour rested? Since most characters have around a 1:5 ratio of REC:END/STUN this will let them recover all of their Stun and END with a nights rest, even if they do have to take a 2-hour watch.

You eliminate in-combat recoveries, or let characters take a smaller one with a CON or Body roll - maybe they can take a combat recovery (only in combat of course) which has all the standard penalties, but they only recover 1/2 REC worth of Stun OR Endurance, and they have to make a roll of some kind (based on CON, or - if you're really evil - 9+ END/10 or Stun/10)

 

This would keep your characters bruised tired, avoids the hassle of the LTE record-keeping that come up, and add some pretty brutal penalties for skipping out on sleep. One last suggestion I'd make is to not make the characters pay END for movement outside of combat (except maybe for spells) and instead draw up a basic table of how much END is burned for walking, hurrying, working, etc in a given time period (like per hour). Say, 1 end per km per hour traveled, 2-3 END per hour of light work, 5-10 per hour of hard labor, and so on.

Re: Heroic Endurance and Stun

Here's a thought: what would it be like if you greatly slowed REC?

Basically stole my idea before I thought of it.

Get rid of automatic recoveries entirely, and only give recoveries for time that the characters spend deliberately resting - how about 1 REC for every hour rested? Since most characters have around a 1:5 ratio of REC:END/STUN this will let them recover all of their Stun and END with a nights rest, even if they do have to take a 2-hour watch.

You eliminate in-combat recoveries, or let characters take a smaller one with a CON or Body roll - maybe they can take a combat recovery (only in combat of course) which has all the standard penalties, but they only recover 1/2 REC worth of Stun OR Endurance, and they have to make a roll of some kind (based on CON, or - if you're really evil - 9+ END/10 or Stun/10)

This would keep your characters bruised tired, avoids the hassle of the LTE record-keeping that come up, and add some pretty brutal penalties for skipping out on sleep. One last suggestion I'd make is to not make the characters pay END for movement outside of combat (except maybe for spells) and instead draw up a basic table of how much END is burned for walking, hurrying, working, etc in a given time period (like per hour). Say, 1 end per km per hour traveled, 2-3 END per hour of light work, 5-10 per hour of hard labor, and so on.

I actually like this idea. May try it.

Re: Immune to Magic

I'd go with the flat cost, but how much it should cost depends on your setting.

If you model it after Damage Reduction, as KS suggested, you'd better leave off the Only Vs. Single FX limitation since that is for DR bought towards a single defense type (Energy, Physical). Somewhere I saw a suggestion that not taking the limitation and choosing a special effect instead of a 'type' of attack would also be acceptable. So instead of buying:

48 100% Physical DR; Only vs. Magic (-1), Always On, (-1/2)

48 100% Energy DR; Only vs. Magic (-1), Always On, (-1/2)

48 100% Power DR; Only vs. Magic (-1), Always On, (-1/2)

48 100% Mental DR; Only vs. Magic (-1), Always On, (-1/2)

48 100% Flash DR; Only vs. Magic (-1), Always On, (-1/2)

you could buy:

80 100% Magic DR; Always On, (-1/2)

Long story short, I guess I'd recommend that outright Immunity to all magic, beneficial or otherwise, should cost around 80 points. If it doesn't extend to physical damage caused by magic (summoned creatures, enchanted weapons, earth/rock attack spells) then I'd lower to the cost to 60.

Re: Song of Ice and Fire

There's a Guardians of Order "A Game of Thrones" d20 game based on the setting... which frankly sucks (don't bother picking it up even for a reference). d20 is the last system I'd chose to play an ASoIaF game in.

 

Hero, on the other hand, fits the low power and grittiness of the setting perfectly. Just make sure to use the optional damage and hit location rules so the PCs have the chance to get their own hand of gold. .

Bleck. A friend of mine picked that up, and he and another friend (both of whom have been raving about Martin since picking up his books...at least they've stopped with the Sword of Truth) and they want nothing more than to start a D20 game using that book. Since none of the rest of us have read any of the books in this particular series, or really want to read them, given their preference for long-winded political fantasies which tend to focus on the least interesting characters.

[/disgusted rant]

I'll keep an eye on this thread though, hopefully translating it to HERO will interest them and save me the horror of a skill-centric D20 game.

Re: Spell: Inflict Wounds by Touch (Harming Hand)

I've always used a Drain Body for harm-touch spells and the like. Since there's a rule somewhere that a character always takes at least 1 stun for each point of body dealt, it works nicely as what it is meant to be: A dangerous, if not out-right deadly, touch spell that ignores mundane defenses that does a great deal of lasting physical harm compared to the amount of pain it inflicts.

Re: Entangle in Fantasy Hero

For one, Nets that are equipment are 2-3d6 entangles, maximum (unless they're magic, of course. But I haven't been dumb enough to hand out magic nets). Secondly, I demand really good explanations of special effects and builds that match them for all spells, especially entangles - my players haven't come up with anything other than ice and dirt that we agree is a 4-5d6 entangle, and those have their drawbacks (melt/lost DEF quickly and no DEF respectively). Because of that, entangles so far have been either 2-3d6, very expensive (and thus difficult to cast and END-intensive) 6d6+, or the aforementioned ones which have their own drawbacks that make it so I don't have to worry too much.

Finally, C: One of the most common spells, up there with Water Breathing and Feather Fall, is LET GO! built thusly:

Let Go!: +25 STR (25 Active Points); Only to Escape Grabs and Bonds (-1 1/2), No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Instant (-1/2), Requires A Magic Roll (-1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Incantations (-1/4)

A common variation (that most powerful villains have) is to add trigger to it.

Re: Spell Law: Shield Mastery

Would it be acceptable to make such skill levels Persistant and still have them cost Endurance?

Sure, but I fear you must add Uncontrolled (+1/2) to them, or continuing charges.

Personally, I find that particular rule to be rather irksome. There should be something in between Persistent and 'Power fails if I cease burning end for it, even if it is from being stunned or something in a segment in which I do not have an action.' I have occasionally suggested a +1/4 "in-between" that allows the power to remain persistent for (at various times) up to one phase, extra phase, or one turn.

Re: 3d6 Dice Roll Probabilities

The best part is when you actually multiply them together. When you do, each term lists the chances of getting that total. At first it looks rediculously messy--but it's way cool. Don't be scared--they're just numbers:

 

1x^3 + 3x^4 + 6x^5 + 10x^6 + 15x^7 + 21x^8 + 25x^9 + 27x^10 + 27x^11 + 25x^12 + 21x^13 + 15x^14 + 10x^15 + 6x^16 + 3x^17 + x^18

 

Incredible, huh?

I remember when I figured this out for myself back in junior high when we were first introduced to variables and exponents - I was flabbergasted when I saw that the x-multiple and exponent corresponded to the possible rolls, and I've been using that simple (if tedious for lots of dice) formula to make random charts and tables ever since, usually without access to any calculators or computers.

Re: Difficulty ratings for Bestiary/MMM/etc...

That does sound cool. Did they release hero designer files on the bestiary / MMM ?

On the bestiary at least, I'm not sure 'bout the MMM (I have one but not the other)

An average measure by itself would be meaningless.

Very true. I thought of that right after I hit the post button, but was too lazy to correct it.

Situation can matter too. A giant spider is a lot scarier when you're scaling a cliff than it is when you're on a plain.

Another good point. Situation variables like that cannot really be taken into account when assigning a 'danger rating' to critters, unless perhaps that is their schtick.

I(And frankly' date=' the raw numbers don't even hold up in D&D- I've seen high level characters fail a saving throw and die from a low hit die monster's poisoned bite!)[/quote']

 

But the numbers give you an Idea of what to expect - we've all seen examples of characters and creatures succeeding with things that should have been totally out of their league.

 

It all rests in the GM's hands

 

Tuckers Koblods as an example for those of you with nuff' learnin'

 

I should rep you just for making me smile

Re: "Bag of Holding"

Why not use the vehicle rules?

 

120 It's Just a Bag!: Shrinking (0.0314 m tall, 0.0004 kg mass, -12 PER Rolls to perceive character, +12 DCV, takes +18" KB), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (120 Active Points)

I like that - a vehicle with a lot of space and/or STR, and then buy shrinking for it.

Re: WHY is combat so slow and what have you done about it?

What do the players do for the period of time that their characters are KO'd while High Defenses Man is still up and running? Generally' date=' something that takes them out of the game, making it tough to get them back in when the combat is over.[/quote']

 

Only once have I seen that 'period of time' last more than 10 minutes - and I'm being generous there. Besides, it wasn't Hero that we were playing. The two of us went and played Soul Caliber until it was finished.

The only way I can see that 'period of time,' between most of the party being unconcious and the end of the battle, being significant is when the players character's are severely unbalanced, the players themselves are incredibly impatient, the Dice are being really quite wierd, or the GM has designed (intentionally or unitentially) a sceneario which gives a ridiculously huge advantage or disadvantage to one or a few of the players.

Re: WHY is combat so slow and what have you done about it?

1) CV calculations: There always seems to be at least one guy in the group who just has to work out every single modifier that could apply to the roll. So, the rest of the group sits idly by while the number-crunchers go at it. This includes hex-counting, which I noticed someone mentioned. My attitude (as a player) is to look at the GM and simply ask, "Did it succeed or not?", or (as a GM) to come up with a number partly based on how cool the maneuver is and tell the player to go ahead and roll it. This latter method has been known to bring the number-crunchers to tears of rage.

Theres nothing that I hate more than being expected, or required, to keep track of every characters CSLs, CVs, PSLs, and maneuvers so that the lazy players don't have to wrack their delicate minds with basic math - I know I'm good with numbers and I don't mind helping out once in a while, or helping new people keep track of everything - but after a year or more of gaming in a group every week, you can't say that you're "new," and there's no excuse for not using at least one of the methods that have been suggested to make tracking those things easier...

You may be able to tell - I've got more than one of them in my group.

This can be a real issue in many groups. Player A envisions his character as "hard to hurt", and he's not happy with the average 12d6 attack putting 17 STUN through his 25 PD. So he wants to buy his PD up to, say, 35. Now only 7 gets through.

 

But it previously took 4 average hits to drop his 60 STUN below 0. Now it takes 9, and he gets more recoveries in the meantime. Longer fight for him.

 

But the other players are annoyed that they spend a lot of time KO'd while this character is still in combat. They're bored. So they buy up defensive abilities to keep them in the game, and they're KO'd slower.

And this is where the GM grows a pair and tells them no, finding a different way to make them useful or giving them something else to do in the extra 5 minutes that the other guy is concious.

Re: Semi-Penetrating

For +1' date=' you can cut your opponent's defenses by 100%, so this likely wouldn't be that bad.[/quote']

 

Yeah, but you need another +1 to do Body damage

Re: Difficulty ratings for Bestiary/MMM/etc...

I also like Curufea's idea of us (the HERO community) compiling a database of relative threat level. But what would an "average" threat be for different point values and genres? Figuring out what an "average" 100-point beasty should have for attack and defense values may go a long way to getting a standard Threat Level agreed upon.

Re: Difficulty ratings for Bestiary/MMM/etc...

You could get Hero Designer to do that for you...each character sheet could have that number generated automatically somewhere for you....

 

Doc

Thats an intriguing idea. Too bad I have to go to work right now.