The Main Man

Re: Damage Die Type Modifiers To elaborate on my chart from early on, I do think BODY damage should be based on what the STUN rolled is. 1 - 0 BODY 2-5 - 1 BODY 6 - 2 BODY If we go off of this, we just add 6 each time to determine the BODY score for higher dice. 7 - 2 BODY 8-11 - 3 BODY 12 - 4 BODY 13 - 4 BODY 14-17 - 5 BODY 18 - 6 BODY So a D20 ought to do 7 BODY, 20 STUN at maximum effect and cost (7+10=17 CP) per die. A D100 ought to do 17 BODY, 100 STUN at maximum effect, and thus cost (17+50=67 CP) per die. Killing dice are easy - just triple the cost. Let's say we took 3d6 Normal damage versus 1d6 Killing damage. That's a maximum of 6 BODY, 18 STUN versus... 6 BODY, 18 STUN. And how much would that cost in CHAR? 6+9=15 CP. Wunderbar.

Re: Turakian Ages meets Terran Empire Hm... I'll have to try that out. Perhaps cross-refer between actual sciences and categories of magic - find the parallels perhaps?

Re: Turakian Ages meets Terran Empire I have an idea like that, yeah. First, I had the idea that the so-called gods are actually galaxars, and some of them created races across the galaxy, in some cases several made them on the same planet out of competition. So if we go by the major races, they might all be variations on a base form. Furthermore, what if, while we humans dominated in the end, it wasn't the case on other worlds? What if Ackalians were the "orcs" of their planet? what if the Varanyi were the "elves" of theirs? And of course the Se'ecra present the possibility that some worlds have unique or radically current demiraces and patron "gods" to go with them, or else the goods work with what is there: humans, elves, dwarves, etc came from apes, but a detent bar creature might be used for other aliens.

Re: Turakian Ages meets Terran Empire My last post has me thinking about another important point: races. First, what could the racial situation on Earth be in the first place? I think humans continue to dominate the planet. Furthermore, I think that half-elves and half-orcs could rival their pure counterparts' numbers by now. I think Dwarves could dominate underground and still live in relative peace with Humans. Maybe Halflings, and by extension Gnomes, live between the two in relative peace as well. Perhaps the Drakine are mere shadows of themselves? What about Elves? I think it's a no-brainer that Mars and Venus are terraformed and colonized. There's something appealing about Orc-kin (Orcs, Goblins, Trolls) primarily living on Mars. I think two new hybrids could have emerged too: "Hobgoblins" (Orc and Goblin parents) and "Bugbears" (Orc and Troll parents). Not sure about Venus though. I do like the idea that it is that classic swamp/jungle planet from the days of yore. Maybe the Seshurma dominate that planet. Them or maybe the Elves. Both? Then there are the Erqigdlit, Pakads, Leomachi and all the Atlantean Age races...

Re: Turakian Ages meets Terran Empire

Re: Turakian Age meets Terran Empire Yes, my thoughts exactly as of this week. And that's why I decided that an Atlantean Agree of sorts still happened, just differently. Hm... Maybe it replaced the "Superhero Age" as well... That said, I still need to read up on the history and world of the Atlantean Age.

Re: Turakian Age meets Terran Empire Precisely. They both ultimately work towards the same purpose, and since DEMON is already magic-based, I can use the Church of the Infinite Dark as a guide for how to "Sci-Fi them up."

For a long time I have owned both the Turakian Age and Terran Empire campaign books, but I could never quite get a campaign off the ground for a variety of reasons. Then I came up with a way to merge them. I worked out a rough alternate history that takes the world from the Turakian Age to the Terran Empire age. It begins with one important event NOT happening: Kal Turak never returns as Takofabes. Thus, there is extended prosperity for the world since Takofanes never fights an apocalyptic battle against the world. Magic never crashes, the continents remain the same. I have some vague idea of a Dark Age brought about by stagnation and chaos. From there, I have the idea that the Valdorian Age doesn't happen, but barbarism becomes the rule of the day, and magic knowledge is lost in raids, plunder, battle, and other general strife. Magic is taught more exclusively and is used by an elite class who use it to maintain power within feudal establishments. I think Valdor could still rise to prominence, but more as a hybrid of Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. He conquers an enormous part of the known world, bringing about cultural syncretism to his newfound allies and subordinate kingdoms and complete annihilation to those that resist or oppose him. I think this could and should have an effect on the races of Ambrethel. Furthermore, long-hidden magic knowledge is rediscovered as spoils of war, and a sort of "Atlantean Revolution" begins, where magic is, for lack of a better word, "reengineered." Society slowly shifts from monarchical feudalism to an age of mostly republics. Magic comes in two general varieties: technology and raw power - Incantations, Gestures, and Material components are seen as primitive means of harnessing magic. Eventually, the world manages to first land on the moon. Soon enough, colonization follows, then terraforming of at least Mars and Venus. Then, first contact happens. I think the Xenovore Wars can still happen, possibly strengthening ties between the worlds' races, propelling them onto the Galactic Stage. And now it is the "present." I think it needs work. I still want to figure out the racial situation of Earth up to the present of the campaign add well as how it got there. The idea is that of a more literal fusion of High Fantasy with Space Opera. Perhaps it could be called "High Science Fantasy." First, what does anyone think of the idea? Second, while I plan to share some of my ideas regarding the possibilities, I'd like to hear some of my fellow HEROphiles' uninfluenced ideas first. What kinds of possibilities might such a different history hold for Earth and the alien races of the galaxy? I made this thread in both the Fantasy and Star HERO sections because it spans two genres. I suppose this thread could focus on the more Sci-Fi possibilities. But first, initial thoughts and suggestions please?

Re: Turakian Age meets Terran Empire Update: I worked out a rough alternate history that takes the world from the Turakian Age to the Terran Empire age. First, there is extended prosperity for the world since Kal Turak never returns as Takofanes to fight an apocalyptic battle against the world. Magic never crashes, the continents remain the same. I have some vague idea of a Dark Age brought about by stagnation and chaos. From there, I have the idea that the Valdorian Age doesn't happen, but barbarism becomes the rule of the day, and magic knowledge is lost in raids, plunder, battle, and other general strife. Magic is taught more exclusively and is used by an elite class who use it to maintain power within feudal establishments. I think Valdor could still rise to prominence, but more as a hybrid of Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. He conquers an enormous part of the known world, bringing about cultural syncretism to his newfound allies and subordinate kingdoms and complete annihilation to those that resist or oppose him. I think this could and should have an effect on the races of Ambrethel. Furthermore, long-hidden magic knowledge is rediscovered as spoils of war, and a sort of "Atlantean Revolution" begins, where magic is, for lack of a better word, "reengineered." Society slowly shifts from monarchical feudalism to an age of mostly republics. Magic comes in two general varieties: technology and raw power - Incantations, Gestures, and Material components are seen as primitive means of harnessing magic. Eventually, the world manages to first land on the moon. Soon enough, colonization follows, then terraforming of at least Mars and Venus. Then, first contact happens. I think the Xenovore Wars can still happen, possibly strengthening ties between the worlds' races, propelling them onto the Galactic Stage. And now it is the "present." I think it needs work. I still want to figure out the racial situation of Earth up to the present of the campaign add well as how it got there. What are my fellow HEROphiles' thoughts?

Re: Hardened and Resistant - Why so strange? I prefer to apply Resistant, Hardened, and Impenetrable together as one instead of Resistant as one "layer" and Hardened and/or Impenetrable on top of it. It's exceptional to the normal rules and it is a relic of previous editions. I see Resistant Protection as a convenient all-in-one defense power. It makes armor building simpler and because of the nature of Defense Powers and Adjustment Powers, it is harder to Drain than any defense bought with the Resistant Advantage. It's a tradeoff.

Re: Damage Die Type Modifiers I've wanted to hash this out before myself. While I'm not sure if I would personally use such rules, I think it would be nice if they were there, especially if a D20/D&D/Pathfinder player comes to the HERO side but doesn't have nearly enough d6s. I think "1= 0 BODY, Die Type= 2 BODY" is on the right track, though I'm not sure it has it right. Furthermore, one needs to consider the cost of each die type. I think Damage Classes provide a general guide to how to get there. A single Damage Class generally assumes 5 Active Points and is based on d6s. Standard effect is 1 BODY, 3 STUN and Maximum Effect is 2 BODY, 6 STUN. 2 BODY and 6 STUN costs 5 Character Points when bought as Characteristics, interestingly enough. So lemme think here... d2 --> Standard Effect: 0 BODY, 1 STUN / Maximum Effect: 1 BODY, 2 STUN --> 2 Active Points d4 --> Standard Effect: 1 BODY, 2 STUN / Maximum Effect: 1 BODY, 4 STUN --> 3 Active Points d6 --> Standard Effect: 1 BODY, 3 STUN / Maximum Effect: 2 BODY, 6 STUN --> 5 Active Points d8 --> Standard Effect: 1 BODY, 4 STUN / Maximum Effect: 3 BODY, 8 STUN --> 7 Active Points d10 --> Standard Effect: 1 BODY, 5 STUN / Maximum Effect: 3 BODY, 10 STUN --> 8 Active Points d12 --> Standard Effect: 2 BODY, 6 STUN / Maximum Effect: 4 BODY, 12 STUN --> 10 Active Points

Re: Starting a Hero System Podcast .... who is interested? I've always wanted to do a podcast, but I can't figure out something that I feel properly qualified to discuss, had longevity as a subject, and has enough appeal to be worth producing. I have simple equipment to produce one though, but I'm not sure how I could help with a HERO podcast. I could certainly throw out ideas for show structure though. As one can see from my signature, I also listen to many podcasts, and I actually listen to more than what's in my signature. I need to revise it sometime.

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO? Hm... Thinking out loud (in text form): Which rule book(s) a player will need to understand a character/power build; Possibly use the guidelines laid out within the books, or maybe just assume either Standard Heroic or Standard Superheroic for all characters; Organize characters, powers, equipment, etc by genre; All submissions can be rated or perhaps even reviewed by users; Campaign settings ought not to be strictly HERO-based - it could attract others who use different systems but plants the seeds for them to try HERO; All sections reproduce nothing officially for sale from Hero Games; All sections, where appropriate, promote related HERO products; Every month, noobs and vets alike are invited to create something within a specific category; Every year, noobs and vets alike are invited to create their own mini-campaign setting, preferably pies that leave a lot of room for interested GMs to expand upon as they see fit, but also...; Noobs and vets alike are all invited to submit adventures and characters for submitted campaign settings; Submitted campaign settings, if they accrue enough material, could become sections into themselves; That's all I got tonight. Have at them.

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO? Oh, looks like the new year brings us intriguing possibilities already... That said, we still have far from a game plan, but if someone is willing to make and run a wiki or other kind of website, it's a foot in the door. Now, as far as there being any kinds of HERO premade resources, there's quite the selection already for sale. I think we could look at each of these releases as possible starting points for the free material - expansions basically. We could categorize material by what they expand on - Super Powers, Gadgets, Magic Spells, Magic Objects, Modern Weapons, Archaic Weapons, Animals, Villains, NPCs, etc. Thoughts?

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO? I agree that reducing the entry barriers is key. I further think that free, player-submitted content is the way to go for us as a community to do just that by providing endless, archived examples of characters and power builds for players to get the hang of creating them for themselves. Is HERO not best learned by example?

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO? Of course not. We're brainstorming after all - everything is up in the air, right?

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO? The point was how we, as humble HERO system fans and players, can help HERO survive and maintain a presence within the role-playing community at large in the long term. It's a big umbrella of possibilities, but much of my initial suggestions boiled down to "free stuff for the prospective new player." Not that free advertising by way of proselytism isn't something we couldn't try to do, but I think we're thinking of an organized way to use HERO's toolkit aspect to forge a communal resource project that can be maintained over a long period of time.

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO? Hm... the Basic Rulebook keeps coming up. I think if we make material, we should not only explain our design philosophy, but also what level of the rules one should have to be able to use the submission. All of this would be to help new players learn the system and veterans to learn alternate perspectives. Perhaps the three levels can be: Basic - character or power require only the Basic rules to create/understand. Core - character or power require the core rulebooks to create/understand. Advanced - character or power requires advanced rulebooks to create/understand So if I were to build a character that is completely compatible with the Basic rules, it could be a "Basic Power," or a "Basic Character." "Core Powers" and "Core Characters" use the core rulebooks, and "Advanced Powers" and "Advanced Characters" use the Advanced rule books.

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO? For some reason, I had this corny image of kids trading HERO power builds like baseball cards. "What? You got a Blast 8d6 Autofire (3 Shots; +1/4); OIF (-1/2)? Uh!" "I'll trade it to you if you got an RKA 4d6; OAF (-1)." "Well, I don't know about that..."

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO? This reminds me of how I always try to get my players to write backgrounds for their characters. In saying this, I think we need to show just how potent HERO is for role-playing rather than just glorified miniatures as the combat system may make things seem. Reason from effect is, after all, one of the core concepts of HERO, and the more we can convince new players that it is meant to facilitate role-playing.

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO? I think "100 X" is too high and lofty a goal, but if all HERO players, rookies and veterans, are invited to create at least one specific thing every month, it could become an annual tradition that gradually builds a large database of fan-made submissions. Easier to do in the long term, and it allows new players to join, thus encouraging them to toolkit with the HERO system and reap the fruits of each other's labors. I think we should leave all publication decisions up to the company, but maybe we could have some means of rating each other's work for new players to get an idea of what may be good design, as subjective as that is. Maybe multiple fields could qualify builds, like Simplicity, Accuracy, and Cost. I think a wiki approaches the right idea for storing such things, but a simple database seems simpler and more intuitive. I also like the idea of a podcast or blog.

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO? I think the most common idea is that the Basic rules book needs to be more exposed to the prospective new player. I don't disagree with the notion, not by a longshot, but I think it requires a new marketing approach, and maybe revision for slightly more "completion." I think an approach like that of Magic: The Gathering's "Basic, Advanced, and Expert" levels could help that along.

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO? Interesting feedback so far. I think... I find a certain appeal to hiding HERO behind a curtain. I think it would still need to be point-based, but that doesn't seem scare players anyway. So a bunch of pre-made powers would need to be made, since I would argue that the bulk of what makes HERO seem complex is Power creation. But since every power, even if pre-built, must be made from a set of genetic powers which must be functionally explained. That in and of itself could be the tipping point for creating greater interest in the system.

I'm reposting a line of thought I had regarding HERO's recent troubles as a thread in and of itself as recommended by Steve Long. I think I'll post it here, as I'm not sure where else it would truly be appropriate. Anyways, on with the thread... While I'm not sure the HERO system is doomed so much as altering its organization and business model, what can we do as a community to sell people on the HERO system? I argue that demos and con games are not enough when compared to how many people that the internet can reach. Not that they don't help of course. If one accepts that, if something can be done, what can the HERO community do to preserve HERO and ensure that it not only does not go quietly into the night, but remains a living system within the role-playing community? Can we band together to this end? I think of NaNoWriMo and see potential reengineering to the HERO system's ends. I think of communities like those of Risus and FUDGE, in which all kinds of free material is by the community, for the community. We have this forum, but is it really enough? We need to reach out, shouldn't we? I think the key is we need to systematically and periodically display HERO's greatest strength - its toolkit nature. What if we had different "HERO Challenges" every month? This month, all participants have to build X, this month we all build a kind of character, this month we create a mini-setting - all in the name of material that helps all HERO players help support the system while enjoying toolkitting with it at the same time. What ya got? Thoughts? Comments? Tomatoes? What are other ideas others may have?