The Main Man

Re: CON: Over-Nerfed?

Seems to me this would make it tough to end a combat' date=' especially in high CON games like, say, CU Supers.[/quote']

I primarily use the rule to kick PCs back into play sooner. Since Supers games also typically involve higher damage to go with those higher CONs, I think it might be a wash (if I didn't feel lazy right now I'd roll up my sleeves and do the math).

 

I secondarily use it for important villains to put up a challenge. Mooks, OTOH, are still just plain KOed at 0 STUN.

 

Now that you mention it though, I haven't GMed a Superheroic game in quite some time...

Re: CON: Over-Nerfed?

You could also change the Recovery Time Table to allow characters with a higher CON to recover more often.

I do something like that in my games.

Knocked out characters normally takes recoveries on every available Phase as long as they are -1-10 STUN. That rate drops down the Time Chart for every -10 STUN. This interestingly correlates with a standard character having 10 CON, so my house rule makes it so that the initial range of which a character can take recoveries every Phase is equal to a character's negative CON number.

So a 10 CON character gets their normal recovery rate anywhere from -1-10 STUN while a 15 CON character can make recoveries every phase from -1-15 STUN - At -16-25 STUN it drops to a recovery every minute, and so on every -10 STUN as normal.

Re: A Thread for Random Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT13GuPZHMA

Re: Creepy Pics.

This one's a natural for this thread.

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]39541[/ATTACH]

I posted that upthread. Almost two years ago. Then I noticed that it was the first post in four years in turn...

Re: THE BOOK OF THE EMPRESS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

I would think that different units would have different rituals depending on their origin, species, etc...

 

Unless they try to mix the units up so that there's no "home" identity.

Speaking of which, are D-Soldiers a uniform race in the first place? What is their original race as they are typically depicted? Different racial characteristics for D-Soldiers could be interesting, though it would probably be as simple as referring to Star HERO and Champions Beyond. Sidebar stuff perhaps?

Re: THE BOOK OF THE EMPRESS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

I think that is not really helping with the main intend of this Thread:

Just a response to post in this thread. I didn't bring up the teabagging.

That said, it would be kinda funny if D-Soldiers "teabagged" their enemies like stereotypical X-Box Live players - or some other battle ritual. Actually, I do somewhat wonder about the military culture of V'han's forces, but I'm not sure how detailed that really should be explored.

Re: THE BOOK OF THE EMPRESS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

Uh' date=' uhm...Teabagging means something different from what you think it does. No, Mechanon is not.[/quote']

No one told the Tea Party that until it was too late and the nickname stuck. At least, I think they got the memo...

Re: Could FATE Aspects Work In HERO?

Sure, that's incredibly easy. Building abilities that are triggered by various personality aspects of a character, or Complications, or what have you is child's play for Hero!

 

Also there's a section of the forthcoming Advanced Player's Guide II that discusses using Psychological Complications in positive/motivational ways, which would probably apply to what you're talking about.

Interesting point, and the APG2 sounds even better now.

Re: Could FATE Aspects Work In HERO?

The negative aspects seem like Complications' date=' wouldn't the positive Aspects just be ... buying stuff?[/quote']

Aspects can be positive, negative, or either depending upon the situation. The HERO System builds characters to concept with entirely concrete mechanics - players still exert no literal control of the game world in HERO, whereas Aspects, while still mechanics unto themselves, are more like a small outlet for players to take minor control of the game narrative. They're more akin to Heroic Action Points that have strings attached.

Re: Western Hero

As per Steve Long's post in the Revised 2011 Release Schedule:

 

Time Travel Hero: Take a journey through the centuries with Time Travel Hero! This subgenre book for Star Hero discusses the nature of time from a scientific and dramatic standpoint, how to run time travel campaigns, and more. It also includes “mini-genre books” covering important periods in time such as the Wild West and the era of swashbucklers and pirates.

Author: Steven S. Long

Tentative Release Date: Late 2011

Ooh... Mister Long you sly dog.

I recently discovered FATE, the principle mechanics of which are "Aspects," which essentially are a character's defining traits, whether positive or negative. They are very much born of FATE's narrative style, which is otherwise rather alien to HERO's more mechanical approach. The closest analogies to Aspects within HERO are Complications, which closely resemble any negative invocation of an Aspect. Aspects can also act as a sort of anti-Complication thogh, providing a vague benefit to the character.

Could HERO ever have a mechanic to cover the less mechanical elements of a character? One that could act as the glue between their Characteristics, Skills, Perks, Talents, Powers, and Complications?

I don't have the answers, but I hope that this thread can discuss such an idea that I believe would be quite radical to the HERO system, though I imagine that it could piggyback off of the Heroic Action Points rules...

Re: THE BOOK OF THE EMPRESS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

A friend of mine once theorized to me that the deepest of men is shallower than the shallowest of women.

I hope your friend got out more since then. Yeesh. Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, and Snookie are all women too (granted I don't know when your friend arrived to that hypothesis).

Did your friend's face look like this at the time?

Seriously though, while it would be nice to see V'han's character fleshed out, I hope that her gender isn't particularly highlighted. I always found that to be shallow, hackneyed writing that is obnoxious at its worst , unless for comedic effect.

Re: THE BOOK OF THE EMPRESS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

Also' date=' she's a woman, so she should have more depth to her persona than any guy (Mechanon counts as a guy ![/quote']

 

Eh? Where'd that one come from?

Re: THE BOOK OF THE EMPRESS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

I wonder if an "alien generator" would be possible to cover random subject species. OTOH, that sounds more like something for Star HERO.

Re: THE BOOK OF THE EMPRESS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

Some more ideas:

• Perhaps some aliens (and accompanying templates) from conquered universes?

• An alternate universe generator?

• Maybe some Champions Beyond tie-ins that note certain alien races battling her too.

Maybe some insight into various villains' thoughts, opinions, and/or plans regarding her.

Re: THE BOOK OF THE EMPRESS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

Woof! I think most of what I can think of off the top of my head is alreay being covered.

Some other ideas though:

• Who says she hasn't conquered universes similar to the CU already?

• What's the "threshold" for conquering a whole universe? At least, what's the V'hanian Empire's definition?

• Are there interdimensional property laws? For example, if dimension-hopping heroes end up in a V'hanian universe, how long before they are found out and what are the consequences?

• Similarly, does the Empress broker any dimensional deals to high-powered beings? Is there any kind of dimension that she considers below her standards for conquering?

• Does V'han frequent any particular universes?

• Has V'han ever encountered herself, whether in time or an alternate universe?

• I hope that the book spells out why she absolutely must be stopped - rebelling against a utopian conqueror would seem flimsy.

• Some sample universes within her domain would be cool. Maybe an alternate CU or two could be interesting.

How much does V'han know about mystical dimensions and the Qliphothic realms?

That's all for now, but I'm sure I'll have more later.

Re: WWE Snark-Free Zone

I thought the promo was great, work or not.

Re: Western Hero

There were a lot of great Western Radio Drama's as well. The nifty thing about those is a lot of Libraries will have them in one format or another, And, since their presentation is as an Audio Drama, one can pick up a lot of good ways to present such materials to the players in both style and delivery. No Reading required.

 

~Rex

Indeed. On a semirelated note, one of the links in my signature, The Monster Club, goes to an archive of old time radio horror and sci-fi shows, which comes in handy for "monster of the week" games.

Re: Game Effects of Dying

kinda makes it impossible to spend BODY as you'll be unconscous at the time

Not if you still have an END deficit after you run out of STUN to spend.

Re: Game Effects of Dying

I also like the "go down swinging" aspect of HERO death. And as far as losing BODY or STUN for END spent, don't forget that STUN is lost if the character is at 0 END and uses a Power that costs END. BODY comes next.

Re: WWE Snark-Free Zone

That was definitely the case for Stone Cold and The Rock.

 

JG

Without even reading the article, here's a bunch of faces that first got over as heels:

Batista and Randy Orton both first got over as part of the Evolution heel stable.

Chris Jericho was first promoted as a cocky heel in the WWE.

Edge & Christian began as members of the Brood, then they were their own heel team, both before becoming solid face.

The Hart Foundation were heels before they were faces.

Hulk Hogan was a heel before he faced the Iron Sheik.

John Cena first got over as a white rapper heel.

Macho Man first got over with his heel Intercontinental Championship reign.

Mick Foley first made waves in the US with his "anti-hardcore" Cactus Jack gimmick in ECW, and he started out in the WWF as a heel in the Mankind gimmick.

Shawn Michaels didn't take off until he went heel from Marty Janetty and split up the rockers.

The Undertaker was a heel at first. Kane too, while we're at it.

Damn, I think he's onto something there. Time to read that article.

Re: Western Hero

I wish I could find some western genre gaming tips myself, besides just watching more westerns, which never hurt anyone.

Similarly, if only there was a new Western HERO, even though I understand why there isn't one.

Re: Qliphothic Creatures

I'll see what I can do. Must get to TUM first. In the end though, you can certainly invent your own too.

Re: Qliphothic Creatures

What kinds of qliphothic creatures do you want to write up? Which edition? What's the source material?

Re: WWE Snark-Free Zone

I have to admit, I never knew that R-Truth could be so entertaining as a heel. And now I fear he will lose to Cena and thus his heat.

It also seems that an important lesson is emerging: team up with John Morrison if you want to later make it as a heel in the WWE. That said, I still don't care for the Miz, but he's become... tolerable for me. He still doesn't sell his opponents' promos like they are even remotely credible opponents and he acts like he's just waiting for his opponent to finish so he can monologue - I mean all of that in a performance sense, not in a character sense. He also still holds for pops like he's a face.

Compare him to R Truth, who does take his opponents seriously and who doesn't give a shit if the fans want to chant "Little Jimmy" with him or not. That's a heel in my book.