ApocalypseZero

Re: Star Wars - Balancing Jedi with everyone else and heroic vs. superheroic Well, I feel the need to defend myself from Greg's hurtful words. I wouldn't be playing RPG's if it wasn't for Palladium Books and their Robotech and Rifts games. You sting me with your words, but I will not cry. But for Star Wars, I have 4 key issues that I think needs to be preseved. 1.) Force Powers 2.) Jedi/Non-Jedi 3.) Races/Aliens 4.) The 'Sides' of the Force Force Powers, I think could be done in either a VPP or a Multipower, if the conditions are possible. Most would naturally be Telekinetic Based, but some could fall outside of this. Mind Trick/Control, Healing Trance/Meditation, and Lightning to name a few. I think with an appropriate listing of powers, most of those being from KotOR II or the Movies, that this could be overcome. Jedi/Non-Jedi are just one of those things that the movies inspire, the games tone down, but we all love. A Jedi shouldn't be a victim to a stray blaster shot from Gun Bunny #5, but he shouldn't be looking at an army of Droid with sigh or relief. A Jedi needs to have a scare put in him. I also believe that Jedi Classes, along with Non-Jedi Classes, would be an idea for simplicity (since man knows labels too easily). I think the KotOR classes of Guardian (Fighter), Sentinel (Investigator), and Consular (Mage/Witch/Diplomat) would serve great for Packages. I also think Force Sensitive should mean something more than extra dice or bonuses and the ability to 'Be A Jedi' for those who don't want to be. Maybe a Multipower of Danger Sense, Combat Luck, and the ability to 'buy/use' Force Powers. Races/Aliens. I think the number of unique aliens make Star Wars what it is, but with the HERO packages, seem to limit anyone who wants to be non-human. Here is where I think that Maxima should be capped at 20 for all stats, but a modification of the Charataristic Cost be made. Make STR x2 naturally, but maybe for Wookies be x.5 or x1 to show their strength, and Twi'leks having DEX Cost x2 instead of x3. Of course, other Characteristics would change as well, this is just a starter. Sides of the Force. I don't like how D20/D6 force players to be Light side or Neutral at worst. There should be movement in the Force nature. I also think the nature a character has should be evident. Light siders seem to be more mental focused, so a PRE and/or EGO boost is appropriate, along with COM. Dark Siders are stronger, so a STR, CON, or Combat skill bonus is in order, but also should see a negative in COM or Body for their corruption (more so in COM). Neutral I can't really think of anything except maybe a Force Power bonus, using powers at normal END, where Light/Dark siders have a +5 END to powers unless used to Help/Harm others directly. What do you think?

Re: Star Wars - Balancing Jedi with everyone else and heroic vs. superheroic Well, first off I must say BAD GREG! You can't scowl like that at the company that got me into RPG's. (Palladium) Thankfully for those here, I'm not as rabid, nor as narrow sighted, as those that haunt the Pally Forums. (Oh do I try to show them sense, but they are blind.) Next, as for Star Wars, I think Greg and I are on the same page, but may have a different vision on things. Couple that with my brother's love for the Dark Side (I'll admit I do to), and this kills off the D20/D6 games because they are geared to be Anti-Dark Side for Players. Of course, a Dark Side game does have an almost easier time to run. (How hard is it to hunt down Jedi?) My point for our game is to not lose the things that make Star Wars what it is. I've done several games of D20 SW (mostly as GM). I think they have a good game, but when it comes to the Force, it seems a bit skewed. So, let me highlight what I am looking for using HERO. Force Powers. I don't want to see a Magic Spell Listing of powers, but there are very specific things that can be done with the force. I know Greg mentioned a VPP because of me, but I am happy with Multipowers if a 'list' of Force powers were to be made. And after getting into Champions, I am seeing alot of similarity in Telekinesis Powers and the Force, but this would not be all of them granted. But I was thinking a general listing of powers would include: Push/Pull, Choke/Grip, Lightning, Speed, Aura/Armor, Mind Trick/Control, Light Healing (no super heals or resurrections until much later), Defense/Attack Focus Enhancer, Force Drain, Life Leech, Saber Throw, etc. Mostly an adaptation of KotOR powers but also maybe a few powers not 'computer game friendly' from the movies or other sources (can't think of anything specific now). Jedi. The Heroes of the Universe in any period. These guys in movies/games seem to be the unstoppable. On paper, it's a different story. But part of the feel I want to portray is that starting Jedi won't be greese by Blaster Monkey #247's stray shot that happened to be in his general vicinity. I also want the ability for non-Jedi to be Force Sensitive and mean something more than, 'I CAN become a Jedi, if I want'. I'm thinking a Multipower sort of deal right now with Force Sensitive being equal to Danger Sense, Combat Luck, and the ability to 'buy/use' Force Powers. It's amazing what one can do once they learn a system. (It only took me 2 months and help to get past all the clunky examples.) Rant: EB 8D6 (8x(5pts per D6)=40 doesn't look right. Simply says 5 pts per D6 is a bit less misleading. /End Rant. Races/Aliens. No Star Wars universe is complete without them. Unfortunately, HERO lends itself to packages, which will cut pts off aliens. This was my biggest point after the Force powers where I was getting sketchy. Maxima seems the easiest way to pull it off, but a starting +Characterstic would seem more beneficial. And even a modification of Characteristics Costs could be possible (Twi'lek DEX Cost x2 for example) to show a races' natural strenghts. But then, Wookies would be god awful. But now that I think of it, most Wookies should be STR 15+, and 15 being the weak ones. I think this would work well making STR Cost x2 naturally as well. (Limits the Humans) See what happens when I have nothing to do at work? My Last Point, the 'Sides' of the Force. D20/D6 seem to be built on players always being Light Side or neutral at worst. After KotOR and the movies, I think that there should be Pros & Cons for each force side, but to do so, must also keep within the Points Limitation for Characters. Light siders should see a Bonus to EGO and PRE and perhaps COM. Light side seems to enhance the mental more than physical. Dark side seems to bonus STR, CON, and Combat, with maybe a negative to COM. Neutral would be the mid ground. This also leaves Neutral with little 'extra' to it. Perhaps Neutral should see Force Powers used at their normal cost, where Light/Dark would have a +5 END cost to powers unless used to Help/Hurt others? I may be on to something here. I'll leave this for you all to discuss, while I ponder, work up, rework, and finally scrap the whole project. Because as much as I love Star Wars, only one other player in our group seems to care for it.