Duke Bushido

And if you've got any Starbucks stock, consider dumping it. Not for the porn thing, but because they just put one in my town. Notice I did not say "city." I said "town." When you're popping up in places like this, you are _desperate_ for expansion. Would anyone like pictures of an empty Starbucks? (we farmers and construction workers aren't big on nine-dollar cups of coffee).

You're right, of course. And let me put better perspective on my Spell Colleges thoughts: I do not mind the various spells. Magic is a major part of the genre. But all the "colleges" are is a pre-generated set of special-effects for the same spell. And you have to use that SFX (what's the singular of "X"?) for every one of them, because that was your special school's uniform. It's just saying "to use magic in this genre, you have to make sure it matches." Fantasy HERO, featuring magic by Garanimals. See what I mean? They can't just openly admit that they love Elemental Control for magic.

Just the ones they take off the bad guys.

This. High holy Hannah, this, ten thousand times! I'm half-forestdwellingthing, so I can speak the language of the birds! I'm sorry; you can only speak half of it. Jokes aside, yes: pet peeve of mine since I first saw such nonsense as a kid in children's books. It makes no sense: if you have to learn it, it's not genetic, and therefore not racial. Now there might be something about the race that means you have to be one in order to learn in (perhaps it's a martial art that requires seven limbs or something), but it doesn't mean you were born knowing how to do it. That was always my assumption with racial Package Deals: here's a list of typical adjustments made to a standard character sheet to represent a Dwarf. Typical Dwarfy-type Disadvantages, and a couple of well-known physical traits of Dwarves. And as such, I've never had a problem with them. Essentially, it's "just in case the sample characters aren't doing it for you, here's how you can make a dwarf: build the character you like, then drop this on top of it." Absolutely critical for a Package Deal or Racial Template or whatever it is they're calling it these days: you need a list of the unique abilities of that species. Goes without saying. And don't forget that they don't all have to be _in_ the Package Deal. Maybe not all Blood Hounds are good trackers, but a typical one has abilities that suggest it. Maybe only half the population is born with Bump of Direction. In cases like these, make a list _separate_ from but closely located to the Package Deal. I hate having to wade through the text to remind myself what percentage of a race is psychic, for example. Sign me up, and I mean right _now_, Mister! No elves! No Tolkien! Oh, what a wonderful world it be! (actually no; tried it many years ago, under the first or second edition (the one with that 60s-sci-fi-novel-psychadelic-guy-made-out-of-colorful-other-things cover that turned me off to many, many other possibly enjoyable things over the years). It might have been my fantasy niche, but my GM was a total dicebag, and kept shoe-horning in Tolkien, which left a bad taste in my mouth. But I digress! This is Scott's thread, and with all apologies due him and everyone else, I will move on! And I almost agree. Except that he said this early on: He's not working on a genre book or a campaign setting. He's working specifically on a race book, about what appears to be a small selection of races. With that in mind, I would think the more detail the better. However, as with my suggestion a couple months ago about posting older-edition stats somewhere in an appendix, I would suggest an information bullseye pattern, something along the base structure of an essay: Start with a super-concise, perhaps one page condensation of _everything_ someone needs to know to drop them in as background characters. This is surprisingly less information than you think. You've done it as a GM, I'm sure. Just some background. You need enough to answer basic player questions: What are they? Where do they hail from? Are they tough / fast / smart / savvy / industrious / breedable (this question is almost entirely cloistered in fantasy genre, in spite of Kirk) / wealthy? What is their family structure? Town structure? Favorite climate and terrain? How are they named? More or less done with that. You've got 3/4 page or so of just what you need to use the new race as eye-candy, window-dressing, or NPCs with some rudimentary knowledge of just what the Belgium they actually are. Then get crazy-go-nuts with all your ideas. Just make sure you follow a similar layout: race, physical attributes, family structure, climate---- whatever you pick, stick with it for consistency. I have nothing to point to as an example except for the progression of the Enemies books. Remember those first few pack-in villains? One-to-three paragraphs, period. Not very cussed big ones, either. As the books kept coming, the backgrounds got more detailed. We moved from origins to background, to personality, to motivations-- most of the people who might tell you "keep it super-short" are the same ones who were happiest with two-page historical write-ups of what amount to "books of characters most likely to never see the light of day in my campaign, or end up being one-episode wonders if they do." No one _needs_ two (or more; Steve Long has been writing this stuff the last few years. I am sure there are characters with their own stinking _books_ by now) pages of info for a character who will likely never be of any use to them, but most all of us _want_ it, none-the-less. And what you're undertaking is _more_ than a character. You are talking about races! Entire civilizations! How do they interact with race X? Race Y? Why are they so hell-bent on killing all the giant elves? Is it just moral outrage? What religions are known among them? Why? Superstitions? All that information actually becomes _more_ vital simply because it's not just one guy anymore. It's a community. It's multiple communities! Wait! I want to play one! Tell me about the history of my people! Well, now you need one of those, to. And what would be different, genre to genre? In Traveller, they're Vargr. In Horror HERO, they're werewolves, so now they need "nards," if old movies are as factually-accurate as I suspect they are. That sort of thing. But no matter _what_ you chose to include or not include, remember _always_ to start with the page-or-less summary of how to drop them into an existing game: Living in the colder, icier regions of Campaign, these nomadic weasel flossers travel seasonally in moderately-sized bands composed of three-to-five families, extended out from grandsires to second or sometimes third cousins, following the migratory patterns of the Gingivitis Weasel, whose gums, when pink and healthy, are priced by the aristocracy of the Southern Reaches for making velvety coin purses and leather steeping balls for tea leaves. While no one family is considered superior to another within the band-- in fact, many smaller bands have become so intermarried as to effectively become a single family, with many of the youngest children having severe chromosomal issues), a band is generally lead by one of the grandsires. Usually, this will be the one who either heads the largest family group within the band, or who can floss the most weasels using only one hand. He will head a small council composed typically of the other grandsires and their eldest sons. Leadership within the band is fluid, and during Festival times, which occur at each end of the migration, when as many as a hundred bands may gather for the season upon the same plain, families intermingle and entire bands may fall apart and reform again with entirely different family groups when it is time for the return migration. There is little class distinction; even money is a communal affair within the bands: as elf hide and weasel gums are sold, generally the harvesting family keeps only half for itself, and the rest is given over to the council of sires to be either distributed throughout the band or hoarded for Festival seasons, when it's time to purchase spouses for those young ladies who have come of age. The weasel flossers are not especially gregarious; theirs is a hard life, traveling from one chilly shore the continent to the other, but they are generally upbeat and happy people, and willingly share their cook fires with passing travelers who are willing to do the same. They do not seek out the company of strangers, but do not shun it, either, as they are shrewd businessmen, but they will brook no insult or theft. Many a sly traveling pickpocket has found himself near-death from blunt trauma injuries (the weasel flossers prefer weapons that do not damage the gums, even when used vigorously.) Well, you see where this is going: A page-ish of generic, "just-enough-that-anyone-can-use-it type info. If it doesn't make it to the bottom of the page, then drop in some art. At the bottom, of course. You want to separate the basics from the good stuff. Make them turn the page for the good stuff. If they see it all at once, it suddenly becomes "too much stuff," just because they kick into "I don't want to read all that" mode. Let them read the basic stuff, then think "Man, I wish there was more. These guys are really interesting." Then just nail it down tight. But as to your original questions, I'm afraid I really can't help you. I am sorry. Well, I guess I can _sort_ of help you: No matter what you're thinking about, HERO does _not_ need yet another "spell college." Those things just don't get less ridiculous. Stay out of it entirely. If you want to create themed magic, that's fine. Just stay away from the whole "spell college" idea.

Build the base you want. The rest of the city is just "grounds." Get awesome and buy the population as Followers.

As long as we're repeatedly mentioning T-port UAA, would anyone like to watch me open a can of worms? Honestly, I've never had a problem in-game with healing. That being said, it must also be said that I've never had a hardcore video gamer at my table, either, so most players that have ever had healing use it as an "after combat, when we're licking our wounds" kind of thing, as opposed to the meta-game "Stand there and get shot, but keep using your most powerful attack; I'll repair you ever Phase" kind of thing that you folks seem to run into.

So many theories; so little energy. First and foremost, superheroes-- not withstanding their traditional role as "kids stuff" are, above all else, about championing the status quo: maintaining all that is right and just, and obeying the speed limit. Fantasy is not. Traditional fantasy stories can be boiled down to "let's tear this apart and make it the way we want," regardless of what they may be: Fantasy is more about indulging yourself. Superheroes are more about indulging others. Fantasy is more about taking what you want to take. Superheroes are about protecting the weak from those who would take. While they're not exactly polar opposites, they have very radical deviations in their core themes.

This whole concept makes no sense. For one, Thanos is a fictional character....

Thanks, OM!

Oh, the horror that was. (is there a rolling eyes smilie around here somewhere? Thanks, Old Man ))

Excellent! Hope you enjoy it. Stay out of Yamacraw if you can help it, and the South Side at all costs, at least until February. Honestly, I'm simple people. We lived right on the edge of Thunderbolt just north of Victory Drive. Loved it there, but wasn't going raise kids anywhere _near_ it. I hope it suits you well in the time to come.

https://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/97534-critical-hits-in-the-hero-system/ That wasn't too terribly long ago, and there's a wealth of information in there.

Well then I don't even need to follow the link to know _I've_ been doing it wrong. :-/

Holy Hell you're in Savannah! Do you miss the Comic Box as badly as I do? Sorry. I was actually going to say "I'm not ignoring your question; I am simply totally unfamiliar with the books you reference." Then I saw "Savannah" and thought "Yes! Another semi-local gamer!" and got all excite-- wait. Are you in SCAD?

I know: I already said all I could say advice-wise; but I have a question for you, Sir: What is this? I have heard this reference a number of times on this board, and have absolutely no idea what it is. Yep; this is a serious pet peeve of mine. I don't require you to be a drama major or anything, but I will beat you with a wooden spoon for this kind of crap: "Oh, and if I push, I can max out at sixteen tons" and that sort of thing. Or "Oh! It's 12 already? Never mind then; I'm going to use this instead, because my post-12 will pop my END right back to where I am anyway, so I can do that first thing right after" and "No; I counted it out on the map and my explosion will lose two dice, averaging 2 BODY, which is just enough it won't get through his DEF (which I have already taken meta-steps to calculate while everyone else was roleplaying)"-- you know: things that don't actually happen like that in either the real world or the source material. Gad but it's irritating! That one doesn't usually work-- no; I apologize. It has never worked for me. I've tried it three or four times, and every time it simply results in a brawl between "heroes," which is just as irritating at the table as it is in the movies (Sure; why wouldn't Thor and Iron Man take just a minute to beat the crap out of each other? That makes perfect sense, and it's absolutely _certain_ to solve the crisis at hand, right?), then grudge matches-- it just gets ugly. It's almost like you're putting up a sign that says "I'm ready to play things your way." Though to be honest, there are more than the three or four people I've tried it on out there in the world, and I may have just mishandled it top to bottom. This I absolutely _love_! Why? Because it's one of those great, insightful little lines that when read causes an entire scenario to pop completely-formed into your mind! The last few villains (or TEAMS of villains!) who have been on the wrong end of unnecessary force have been waiting to get their licks in: "Hey, there's something of a protocol here! Sure, we'd take them down if we had two, but we're not gonna stomp on their skulls when they're down! "Look, you, me, Yeager over there-- we've all been in the freakin' HOSPITAL for _weeks_ because of that over-reacting ass hat. Even the LAPD won't beat you like that mustard does, and he does it just because he can. So I've been thinking. More than that, I've been _studying_. You guys ever notice why they ain't been sued? Or arrested? Or even called out? Yeah; that little guy with the wand. He goes out, waves his hospital-in-a-stick at whoever that schmuck just plastered and it's 'okey-dokey, Dan!' "It's crap! And guys, I think I got a way to give him a taste of his own medicine.... You remember those jobs I was pulling a while back for that outfit with the science motif? No? Well anyway, they been working on this "power booster" thing. You take a few doses of the wonder ray, and whatever natural powers you got, they get like _tripled_ for twenty-four hours. They ain't never said it, but they know they couldn't have done it without me and a few other guy helping them uh... "raise capital" for the initial investment. They owe me a pile of loot as it is, but suppose I was to work out a trade with them? Maybe a dose or two of wonder ray for me and six or seven of my good friends-- friends who all have a grudge in common? "Yeah... That's what I thought. Yeah, I'm grinning, too. But first, here's the way I see it: we all know them; we know their tactics. We know their powers. We also know _other people_ who might be able to help us with planning, or just giving us the counter-powers we need. But no matter who gets to go and get their sweet repayment from that big mustard, remember, first thing is that we _ignore_ everyone else. We don't split up; we don't get distracted. We all bum rush the wizard, and we beat him like that meat-headed dingus has been beating us. Then it's _his_ turn...." Yeah. I like this a lot. I'm pretty sure the cleric's player will _hate_ it thought, but all for a good one-shot cause. Be a shame if a well-respected and reliable high-powered telepath just happened to be nearby, wouldn't it? No; you can't. But you _can_ do this. You can show them something that sums it up so perfectly for me that I've kept this bookmark for years. Show them this: http://www.cellularsmoke.net/rpgs/newchampions_cvk.php You tell them to read that-- or better, read it to them. Print it tape it to your screen. Tuck it in your books in the Disadvantages section. Never lose it. Tell them that _this_ is what CVK means in your games, and if they really want that 15-pt bonus, then _that_ is how they are going to ask. If they want that 25-pt bonus, then _that_ is how they are going to act. Be completely clear that they don't _have_ to take that Disad, but if they do, then they know precisely what it means. Going forward, at least in Superhero games, consider making it one of the campaign ground rules: everyone has it for the minimum value at least. Or point out to them that the word "hero" is actually in the job title. Act like it. And in regards to that, well I just want to say that I don't know how to get rid of that. Let us know how it turns out. Duke

I'm on a ten minute break, so forgive me if this has already been said, but there are options. I've had this happen a few times over the years, mostly with players recruited from the "murder hobo" games. First: Supers are way more powerful than normals. The reason heroes aren't feared, hunted, and locked up as a deadly threat like villains or deranged dogs is that they have put a lot of work into _earning_ trust from the public. If they act like villains, they will not be viewed as heroes by Johnny Onthestreet. They will be defamed and reviled and they will have earned it. They will have become villains, and that's something that NG you have to demonstrate through the world around them. Have the other players lean on him, especially in character. Sometimes role-playing it- and it can take a _lot_ of work sometimes-- not only solves the problem, but leads to character dev lopement and story seeds. Twice I've had them locked up. I mean like go-to-jail-and-stand-trial-then-some-years-in-super-prison type locked up. As my nails are not in Gotham, they have all four walls, so there isn't a lot of "escaped from prison" in my campaigns (jail, maybe; prison? Twice since 1982), savy players know its serious. One of the two I had to go that far with finally wised up. The other not so much: we spent a number of private sessions attempting break-outs, etc. Finally he made a new character. That one was _also_ a murder hobo, and it just started out all kinds of bad. We (me and him) talked privately for a while, and we both agreed--amicably, mind you, that he is wasn't a good fit for us (though amusingly, we disagreed about _why_ I let it go so as to keep the peace, of course. He finally found a troupe of like-minded players and we all moved on. I can't say it will end the way you would like, but if it's a problem for the whole group, it has to end, regardless. Duke Hope this helps!

Go with the tried and true (and slightly ominous "White Out." It's meaning is clear to most anyone who is at least familiar with cold weather, the implication is clear, and it's a more serious-sounding name, in keeping with Deathstroke's grandiose view of themselves.

Dude! I should have _started_ with Adventurers Club! Uninterrupted, You can scan a whole book in a single sitting! I wish I could tell you I had a complete set of AC to work through, but I only own about four of them. Hopefully I'm not the only guy willing to get what he's got to Jason. Being as how I will likely never be able to track them all down (or afford them), it would still be nice to be able to buy a few PDFs, just to read. Funny story: There are no funny stories. For some reason, that is how everyone in the English-speaking world introduces a random personal fact about which no other human being will ever really care. Second funny story (which is quite similar to the first, at least in the broader sense of the term): This is the first AC I ever bought. Bought it new (man, nearly thirty years later it was some kind of difficult getting the price tag off for the cover scan (which, at 209 mb, I was _not_ going to attach. I'd like to get to bed _before_ I have to get up. I find that's the best order to make the next day flow smoothly)!). Also amusingly enough is that one of the randomly selected (seriously: i just close my eyes and click, figuring it prevents me from selecting an especially nice scan and deceiving someone) is the very letters page that made sure I would not buy another AC-- at least not until nearly twenty years later. Took me a _while_ to appreciate 4e. oh yeah-- just the raw scans; not cleaned up yet:

Wait wait wait wait wait--! I'm not understanding something. Are you....? Are you implying that someone doesn't take Thundarr _seriously_?! Is that even _possible_?!

Detroit, obviously. If you are going to something well, you need lots of practice. If you are going to make it a career, you need plenty of demand. So if you're going to be a crime fighter.... Well, Detroit has more than enough of everything you need. Really, that seemed pretty obvious.

If you've still got the originals, send them on and I'll see what I can do (one at a time, of course.

Heard those words before, from Brian. Doesn't get me any closer to having access to one.

Thinking about taking a little break and maybe scanning an Adventurers Club or two. Haven't decided. Just not looking forward to the ordeal of breaking apart another glue bound book right now.

No; it's not. The guy who wrote Western HERO put actual effort into it.

Don't let --- you know, let's just say that there's a well-loved guy who I haven't seen around since I came back who might suffer real NND: Does BODY damage if he heard you say that. But actually, yeah: that would be insanely cool!