Cantriped

Re: IK Hero? That seemed to indicate you were going for a more "pure" conversion. In anycase, I don't know much about the setting, but if your going through the trouble to convert it into hero you may as well fix some of its mechanical inconsistancies, otherwise your probably better off playing IK in D20. Alrighty then, lets get cracking. I read up as much as I can without having to buy the books so there are probably gaps in my sugestions Overall my first sugestion (again) would be to adopt perhaps Rune-Forging or Seal-Magic for the "Wizardry" stuff, since those systems are well suited to making magic items as part of their core mechanics. They can also be used to easilly synthesize the "Gun-Mage". War casters only really have one unique power, a Telepathy; Only to Machine Class Minds. (Warjacks all take Physical Lim: Must follow commands by Bonded Warcaster). which is fine, D20 based products are rife with pseudo-psionics anyway so few will mind "breaking-system" for that ability. Speaking of Pseudo-Psionics: Sorcery was mentioned as being very important. thats pretty easy to handle, Sorcery could be easilly handled as a MP full of Illusion, Enchantment, and a smidgeon of divination for a "true" sorcerer, or left more open for the "Walking-Artility" of the same name represented in DnD, but would definitly be End Based. Although depending on vagrencies of IK's representation of magic, adding a Mana (MAN) based on EGO could be highly appropiate. From there, Divine Magic should be handled as a VPP using the common limitations I described for Wizardry above + the "Only When Serving Gods Purposes" this handy little catch-all is quite appropiate to the IK, as long as you actually enforce it. Gods wouldn't heal non-believers, not likely to buff them either unless the Clerics prayer is really good*, and wouldn't smite believers, etc. *(represented perhaps as a sucessful persuasion roll, with negative modifiers appropiate to the audiance and the desired spell target) As far as handleing Warjacks and Steamjacks thats not too tough. built them as you Basic Automoton with all the fixins. then Apply the Physical Lim mentioned above, as well as a Dependance: 20 Galleons of Fresh Water, every time 'jack is refeuled with Coal (or roughly 1-3 Hours (depending on model)), and Phys Lim: Boiler (stateing that it can only use END with the SFX of burned material (usually coal)). Buy its END down to zero. Then simply calculate roughly how much END an efficient model can burn through in an hour of combat. I'm assuming 4/phase and SPD 3 (which is actually probably a little high) if you don't go overboard. Based on my Calculations the "Average" Steamjack would need 3600 END over the course of an hour. Thats a bit high... for more realistic time it at 20 minutes of Combat power, or 1200 END. Don't forget though, just about everything in IK is dependant upon Steam Boilers, so find an END level that comes closest to the proper Activation window's presented in the series, your not likely to get an exact figure from a conversion. Now to define define Coal (and other burnables, based on material and weight) as non-recovering END reserves (only for Boilers)(-1), OAF Expendable(Feul, easially ruined by water or fire; Easilly obtained -1), Independant (-2). Based upon END Use expectancies over an Hour and again over 20 minutes (depending upon GM preference), The following END Reserve levels would be appropiate per lb. (to convert lb. to kg multiply by 0.4536). For the lower levels I'm jsut guesstimating, I havn't done any research in RL efficiency of Various burn-ables. Obviously the lower you go from Fine coal, the quicker it will need refeuling Fine Coal: 180 END / lb at the 1 Hour level; 60 END / lb at the 20 minute level. Average Coal: 150 END / lb at the 1 Hour level; 50 END / lb at the 20 minute level Crappy Coal: 120 END / lb at the 1 hour level; 40 END / lb at the 20 minute level. ***From here down is improvised materials, they would also come with a side effect of -1 to All skill rolls and checks made by the 'jack, due to the inificiency of the feul. this is considered an extreme side effect. Fine, Laqured Wood (such as funiture): 120 END / lb at the 1 hour level; 40 END / lb at the 20 minute level. Good Firewood: 105 END / lb at the 1 hour level; 35 END / lb at the 20 minute level Crappy Firewood: 90 END / lb at the 1 Hour level; 30 END / lb at the 20 minute level Tinder: 30 END / lb at the 1 Hour level; 10 END / lb at the 20 minute level. Well, now that I've writen a source book I think I'll leave to let you ponder my infinite wisdom :-P

Re: IK Hero? Turn Sorcery into a Multi-Power base, then make Wizardry the VPP, with the limitation that all pwoers can have only 1 Charge (to cast multiple times you buy the power multiple times in the VPP) and powers can only be changed after 8 hours of rest. Devine Magic really isn't all that different form Arcane, just with differeing SFX limitations

Re: IK Hero? of course I don't know the setting too well so...

Re: IK Hero? A permutation of Rune-Forging could work very well. perhaps a "Focus" based magic system were in order to use magic the caster has to first engrave mystic symbols and such into an item in order to acess certain types a powers. sort of like Pre-construction Transmutation circles in the series Full Metal Alchemist, (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?p=836678&mode=linear#post836678 , The list of available Power Types is greater of course.

Re: Daily Art Findings *stands silently in awe*

Re: Herophile Fantasy art Mostly same process as above, except I actually use another image to get the position right. this one took about 8 hours. [ATTACH]20802[/ATTACH]

Re: Daily Art Findings No, I wish I did though, its a really cool piece. I've seen wall papers of the character herself that were bigger without much pixilation, but I haven't found that piece in larger form.

Re: Daily Art Findings You know, I search the web a lot too, but never posted to this forum... perhaps it is time to change that. [ATTACH]20769[/ATTACH] No idea where I got this one now... but it's for the Gameboy game Golden Sun

Re: Herophile Fantasy art My latest piece of art-work, this one was drawn first, then completly redrawn and shaded in Photoshop. [ATTACH]20766[/ATTACH]

Re: Full Metal Alchemist Yeah I came across that a few weeks back, its got some good info on it.

Re: Full Metal Alchemist Well, it does provide a certain level of mystery in that its from a culture so far removed from there own. unlike the euro/american world where the major religion of the area was influenced by it. It has the mystique and alien-ness of a fantasy, but the solid background you can only find in historical references.

Re: Full Metal Alchemist Hmm, I just noticed how much Anime has Kabbalistic references, (which is surprising considering that my father studied the Kabbalah extensivly). Neon Genesis made extensive References to it, to the point of being absurd, And in the Manga of FMA the "Doors" shown early on when Ed experiences the Gate are imprinted with the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. (at least I think its the tree of life...) AliceTheOwl, as to your position on Scan&Tran Manga I can certainly understand I'd hate to have sombody just steal my hard work. I'll snoop around the site a little and see if they got permission to Translate and host it. I think they may have cuz the Scans don't look like everyday Home scans (no darkening where the page would have curved towards the spine.) It is possible they got permission form the Author, but not likely.

Re: Full Metal Alchemist The link I posted IS the Manga. readmanga.com is hosting the entire thing up to chapter 55 for free (they make money on the pop-ups no doubt). its fan-translation but for the most part it seems to be fine. I've only seen up to ep 3 in the Anime, but I've read enough spoilers to know the plot and it differs greatly from the Manga (and I mean greatly). My conversion doesn't really include much in the way of spoilers yet as I haven't gotten into the whole Homunculus/Chimera/Philosopher's Stone Stuff, I'm a perfectionist so I want to make sure my base is solid before I move into all the crazy stuff

Re: Full Metal Alchemist Oh BTW, for those interested, you can actually read a home-translation of the entire Manga series (up to Chapter 54 or somthing) at "www.readmanga.com". Be warned though, the site has enough Pop-ups to be a porn-site so make sure your Blocker is set to max. The site also tends to crash a lot. That aside one should also note that the Manga and the Series deviate from each other extensivly. so while my system may be perfect for the Manga version, there will likely be stuff in the Anime version that contradicts it. By this point I've pretty much abandonded the origional attempt, so much was wrong that its not even funny. Including the concept of using a VPP. VPPs sound great on paper, but in 90% of cases they are a very bad choice for defining a true system. Plus their a pain in the *** In-Game. Instead I'm now basing it on a Multi-Power because 1#: It's cheeper 2#: it makes the related Science/Knowledge skills more reasonable purchases 3#: It's easier to limit available powers. And the only downside is the lack of the ingenuity aspect that was the prime reason for using a VPP in the first place. in order toaccount for that, I'm jsut including a Power skill as part of the Alchemist package. they want to try somthing interesting, make a skill roll, if they want to do it regularly they'll have to buy it (big whoop, because its a MP, and its got so many inherent limitations, anything short of a 75 AP power costs 1 point, and thats not counting extra limitations to account for Alchemies general lack of anything even moderatly similar to Range or just SFX. PS: sombody post... only seeing myself for 5 or 6 posts is kinda monotonous. plus feed back is good, feed back is friend.

Re: Summon: Weapon? Hmm... Rather then spend the next week writing out a description that will end up being to vague... I'll provide linkage! http://www.herogames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=969336&postcount=115 I still need to rewrite the actual system "Crunch" stuff, but basically the system runs on a VPP. with abilitys above and beyond "normal" alchemy being purchased as seperate powers.

Re: Full Metal Alchemist OK, heres what I've got thus far on updated flavor info.

Re: Summon: Weapon? The system itself, given that its presented as a science, has a lot of clearly defined laws and restrictions.

Re: Summon: Weapon? np, I often sound a lot more antagonistic then I really am. As to CorpCommander's waryness, You make a valid point, but I'm not actually running a true fantasy, really it'd be more accuratly described as Steampunk with a lot of implied fantasy.

Re: Full Metal Alchemist OK, time for another update, As I've worked on this little project I've read through the manga (Up to vol 8 now I think). and realized that a lot of my Alchemy system was well... jsut plain crap. the skill rolls added an unecessary level of complication to whats already a complicated concept, in that I was trying to mimic realism at the cost of flavor and practicality. so that and all its related and unecessary modifiers are being removed. The limitations based on Diagram size are being nixed as well. anyway I'll post the simplified version when I'm done.

Re: Summon: Weapon?

Re: Summon: Weapon? hehehe

Re: Summon: Weapon? Thats... a very good point. Rep to yee!

Re: Summon: Weapon? THe system is a conversion of the FMA conception, and a single Transform alone wouldn't be appropite to simulate the system properly, so it uses a VPP, Allbeit EXTREMELY limited (were talking -7 in limitations). with a lot of caveats that ended up bunched into one limitation since they don't effect Every power in the Pool but how the pool is applied. And example of what I'm looking for is early on, the protagonist of FMA uses alchemy to make a spear out of the pavement floor. considering the SFX its mostly just a Summon: "Item" with SFX (and limitations) representing Conservation of Mass. much like how construction of somthing like a Golem is presented in the FHG. the Craft Item optional rule (that I'm so fond of citing) is also essentially a variant on Summon Mechanics. except that the AP was based upon the items RP cost, and the "loyalty" modifiers was replaced with a buttload of automatic Extra Time. I would jsut use said craft item rule, but the Automatic Extra time would conflict with the systems existing time constraints for Alchemy, and the RP/based Active Point cost would make it too easy to perform. Thus my quandry, do I simply muck with Summon to create an appropiate variant, or do I go with the "Jack of all trades" Transform method which can mimic any sfx, but usually poorly. My real problem with useing Transform though is the whole Dice of effect thing, players are already gonna have to make Skill rolls out the wazoo for Alchemy, but to throw in another roll on top of that when it shouldn't be necessary and dosn't fit the SFX would jsut drive me crazy. Not to mention that I'd have to account for the DEF of the material being transmuted. There is a certain amount of precedent for using Summon for non-creature constructs, FHG presents to Summon based spell which creates a Base, the active points being the cost of the base I believe, but I'd have to check. If I were to go with the Summon method I would likely nix the whole Loayalty issue as its irrelevant to weapons (or bases and vehicals for that matter) and then base the Active points on the Active points of the item being created. that would follow the summon mechanics tradition of completely ignoring limitations no matter how much they may make the weapon suck (not being sardonic). while still keeping the AP of the power within a reasonable range for the item being created. The only problem with summon would be the number of said items an Alchemist can create at a time, which, realisticly wouldn't be limited to 1 at a time. but I find this a much easier rule to ignore then the problematic Dice of effect issue of Transform mechanics. Slighly off topic but as anyone noticed how difficult it seems to be to deal with Weapon mechanics in an elegant method using existing powers. I mean building them as H/RKAs is fine in a superheroic campaign where everything is generalized, but in a more realism based game trying to compensate for weapon properties can be a real pain in the gluteous maximus. But thats a topic for another thread. Well now that I've writen a friggen novel I'll leave ya'll to digest.

Re: Summon: Weapon? So far its looking like a Transform would be my best bet then. as far as needing the least futzing with to get what I need out of it.

Re: Summon: Weapon? The overall campaign setting is Heroic-level Steampunk, thus Characters arn't paying points for equipment. There isn't any "Magic" equipment per-say. As for ballence problems, it isn't likely, an Alchemist probably couldn't produce a huge number of items of any sort at a time without making a friggen crator (The arms don't jsut pop out of no-where, the mass nessessary material has to come from somewhere), rate of breakage on their weapons would be higher as well due to poor craftsmenship (AkA, failed skill rolls). but once "created" won't just disappear if the Alchemist goes poof or hand em out or sells em.