naturaltwenty

Re: [Taern] My new campaign Alrighty, you know the creative bug's got ya when you wake up thinking about something game related. While not stream of conciousness this is in essence a brainstorm. It will not remain in stone and if this isn't the right forum for it I'll blog it instead:). I've always liked meta-gaming and while not as detailed as The Game of Thrones for example, I'm going to add an optional meta-gaming enhancement. Taern is the name of a mid-sized island continent and the countries that it is comprised of are primarily human. The geographic area that I will be focusing on in the primer uses the following system of government. Humans are organized into: 1) Houses 2) Clans 3) Families Houses are the highest on the hierarchy, they are comprised of clans, which are in turn comprised of families. Some clans and families will be stong enough to stand on their own but those pay some fealty to a house in some way, shape or form. The ruling House is where the King is seated and kingship or queenship is passed on hereditarily. Clans and Families may move up or down the ladder through marriage, war, mutual agreement, etc (I'll work out the details someday). Anyway - how I bring this into HERO will be Social Advantages or Disadvantages based on the characters House/Clan/Family (HCF) . The most common use will be affecting bartering, initial reaction, persuasion, seduction, etc. Fate is fickle and this is where the meta-gaming comes in. A chart will be created indicating HCF interactions, I may just create a database and put it on the web to allow anyone who uses the Taern campaign to generate their own weekly, monthly, yearly chart. The chart will indicate wars, feast/famine, floods/droughts, etc. The GM can then use these to power the background of the world for consistency. Later, Greg Volz Natural Twenty Gaming http://www.naturaltwenty.com/taern

Re: [Taern] My new campaign It's Caeldara from Blambot - http://www.blambot.com/fonts.shtml with a Script-Fu=>Alpha to Art=>Glossy (with Greens selected) from GIMP applied. I'll fiddle with the transparency to get rid of the lines and clean up the middle graphic as well. Now for the page layout and then to actually start putting some meat into the fluff. Later, Greg Volz Natural Twenty Gaming http://www.naturaltwenty.com

Re: [Taern] My new campaign Over beer and pizza - while watching the sci-fi Dune DVD - and taking Curufea's comment that what I'd posted looked like a one-shot I whipped together a different cover. It's not the final but it'll be the working copy to get me in the mood while I listen to Clannad - Legend, some David Arkenstone and maybe some Transvision Vamp, Pixies, and what not. Don't ask me why the eclectic mix of music...it just gets me in the mood:). Later, Greg Volz Natural Twenty Gaming http://www.naturaltwenty.com

Re: [Taern] My new campaign It's going to be the start of the new campaign. It's the first adventure (I'll be using those maps I made in a different thread for this one ) . The next thing is the players primer - which is in the works. It will layout: 1. Character creation guidelines including points, max attack, etcs. 2. Regional background info. 3. Maps 4. Deities 5. Political structure Then it's off to the races. Later, Greg Volz Natural Twenty Gaming http://www.naturaltwenty.com

Greetings all. I've made some gaming New Year's Resolutions! This year I'll be running Fantasy Hero. I've owned it for years and in numerous variations but never really ran much of anything. So I'm going to put up some ads at the local FLGS (see below) or run it online via ScreenMonkey - don't know which yet. There will be a website soon but I can only loaf so much at work:). Later, Greg Volz Natural Twenty Gaming http://www.naturaltwenty.com

Re: [Map] A wintery encounter map - The Ruined Tower I won't take full credit for it. It's all based on user art (so I can actually post it ). The user group over there is outstanding in creating useful images. I just put em together. Since it was snowy I decided to create some encounters for a Deverry-esque conversion I was working on but the system just didn't inspire me so I went back to what does inspire me and that's Fantasy Hero. The accompanying text I'm working on has a group of mercenaries holding up in their lord's keep for the winter. The local campaigns have retired and it's turned into the long wait for spring. This adventure would be the start of a campaign so I'm also whipping up some pre-gen's. If it's any good I'll submit to Digital Hero. Summary: The lord's advisor, a hedge-wizard, has had some disturbing dreams in regards to an old tower that was used by an alchemist in years gone past. The lesser fey have come to the hedge-wizard twittering about "dark ones" or "shadow fey". Not wanting to alarm his lord yet he summons his apprentice and enlists a few of the mercenaries, who are starting to get into trouble with the lord's flirtatious daughter, to take a crisp walk to an old tower to gather some fall-hops that may yet be on their vines ( a cheesy excuse but it's all I got for now). Enter the heroes! Later, Greg Volz Natural Twenty Gaming http://www.naturaltwenty.com

All, Here's a map I'm working on for a demo game (for a different system...but I will probably be scrapping the project and converting it to HERO). The third level should be done this week and I'll be posting some encounter summaries but I figured anyone can use the map. The file's about 5 MB so watch out if you have a slow connection. http://www.naturaltwenty.com/downloads/fh_ruined_tower.zip'>http://www.naturaltwenty.com/downloads/fh_ruined_tower.zip Maps made with Dundjinni. It'll print out with 1" hexes so it should be useable by most 25/28mm figs. Later, Greg Volz Natural Twenty Gaming http://www.naturaltwenty.com

Re: Your "2005" Pet Gaming Projects Even though the FATE version is on it's way I want more crunch (mmm..Hero Crunchy Goodness). On it's way, The Dresden Files HERO Conversion! http://www.naturaltwenty.com/dresdenfiles'>http://www.naturaltwenty.com/dresdenfiles Later, Greg Volz Natural Twenty Gaming http://www.naturaltwenty.com

Re: Anyone done a Riftwars Hero Over on the Feist Fans mailing list talk of a new comic book is coming out (http://www.dabelbrothers.com). Some of the art was posted to the list which I cannot post here or risk being banished from the list. I did a HARP conversion (http://www.naturaltwenty.com/downloads/midkemia.pdf'>http://www.naturaltwenty.com/downloads/midkemia.pdf) and ran a game for about 5 months. I'm going to update my notes for HERO instead. Later, Greg V. Natural Twenty Gaming http://www.naturaltwenty.com

Over on rpg.net someone was talking about using nWoD to do an Iron Kingdoms conversion. I liked the art and the background seemed intriguing. Now Savage Worlds seemed to be the perfect choice for conversion. Savage Worlds was sitting at home on my gaming shelf (among a crapload of other games) but...Hero Designer was on my laptop at work and I was in the middle of a 2 hour conference call so I noodled the following. I used the preview downloads and some of the miniature game free downloads to come up with: http://www.naturaltwenty.com/downloads/iron_kingdoms_warcaster.pdf'>http://www.naturaltwenty.com/downloads/iron_kingdoms_warcaster.pdf I am unfamiliar with the game itself. Can anyone who is contribute some warcaster "everyman-type" skills? Thanks, Greg V. Natural Twenty Gaming http://www.naturaltwenty.com

Re: Magic Missile My Way I always thought magic missile, in D&D, was a game balance mechanic to make up for the weak-as-all-hell combat abilities of a D&D wizard. I mean...always hits...seems like cheese. Every other class in D&D, minus the other spell caster (cleric) had to roll for their primary ability, i.e. fighters had to roll to hit, rogues had to roll for their move silently, pick pockets, etc. Fantasy Hero allows you emulate the genre, not the wonkiness of game mechanic imposed for supposed balance. I mean for a Standard Hero 75pt: 18 pts. Eldritch Blast: Energy Blast 6d6 (vs. ED), Reduced Endurance 0 END (+1/2) (45 Active Points); Gestures (-1/4), Requires both hands (-1/4), Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2), No Knockback (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4) Seems to be a pretty good "magic missile". Combine this with the fact that the character could have a good combat skill with a sword and I don't know what the advantage of an autohit 1d6 RKA is? Note that this is my opinion only:). Later, Greg V. Natural Twenty Gaming http://www.naturaltwenty.com

Re: Anyone done a Riftwars Hero I would love to see it done, if only the first two books (one book originally IIRC) Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master. After that it all went downhill for me. I couldn't glom onto the to futuristic (not that there were a lot of them) pieces of it. I wouldn't mind doing something in the Talon Hawk series (still Midkemia but I haven't seen too much of the alternate dimension futuristic stuff). Later, Greg Volz Natural Twenty Gaming

Re: Painting the PCs as villains in as few sessions as possible I used a Neverwhere (Neil Gaman) scenario where the PC's faded from reality to become one of those people who you pass on the street but pay no attention to. Pictures faded with their images, bank accounts were closed, people moved into their bases and apartments. No matter what they did no one would listen to them. While the book was set in London I used Chicago and it's historic areas to immerse the characters in battles with Native American ghosts walkers, gangsters, even Sue the T-Rex from the museum made an appearance. The villain, Lord Portal, was the nemesis of Sidestep, our resident teleporting/alternate dimension hero, who had a grudge against Sidestep abdicating his throne in an alternate dimension. After fighting their way back from Neverwhere the world had changed slightly and their persona's were now those of the villains. Great fun that was. Later, Natural Twenty

Re: Reagan's Alien fighters Your wish is my command: Audrey Mark I AI Later, Greg Volz Natural Twenty Gaming http://www.naturaltwenty.com

Sorry for the confusion http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0812570693/qid=1060529960/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_2/103-4399015-2371825?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 Brotherhood of the Wolf is the second in a series of books by David Farland. The Runelords: The Sum of All Men (Book 1) The Runelords: The Brotherhood of the Wolf (Book 2) The Runelords: Wizardborn (Book 3) The conversion I am working on is for that book series. The only reason that I referenced BotW was because it was the book that I started to stat out PC's for using Fantasy Hero (old edition) and I decided to wait until HERO 5 and the new Fantasy Hero was out. While I have seen the film, Brotherhood of the Wolf, the world in that movie was changing and the story itself was rather self-contained. The only threads that I could pull out of there was if there was more than one beast or perhaps a secret cult that raised other beasts across the world. Sorry for the confusion, Natural Twenty

Re: BotW/ SoFaI Conversions? Most of these are just notes written down on my handy-dandy-notebook. I just purchased FH and I am digesting the content and getting back into the flow of HERO (3.0 and 3.5 taking too much time to do these days). I will be working on the material though as my FLGS owner is running a Fantasy Hero game on Monday nights and he wants to do it in the Brotherhood of the Wolf world. Look for stuff at http://www.naturaltwenty.com/botw Later, Natural Twenty

Well I have just received my copy of Peter Hamilton's The Confederation Handbook which details the Night's Dawn Trilogy (The Reality Dysfunction, Neutronium Alchemist, Naked God IIRC) in all of it's glory (except for the Deus ex Machina (sp?) ending). Star Hero should be able to emulate the Edenists and the Adamists with nanites, dataviz, and all the other high-tech goodness. I will be creating HD prefabs for character templates, ships and weapons. Later, Natural Twenty

Shards of the Stone With a slight conversion the old Shards of the Stone (powered by Fuzion which was a bastard child of HERO 4th and RTG's Interlok system) would be an excellent fan-based conversion. Also I have used Fantasy Hero (the old edition) to do Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, Katherine Kerr's Deverry, and a couple more. The toolkit approach that Fantasy Hero brings to the table is outstanding. With the multiple magic settings that are now oh-so-tweakable and the grimoire coming out it will be easier than ever to convert worlds because IMO magic is the hardest thing to duplicate with any toolkit. If you are going to do an original design though I would stay away from the standard fantasy tropes. The world doesn't need another orcs evil, elves good, halflings fat, type setting. For example Sword and Sorcerys Scarred Lands setting. While it does have elves, dwarves, halflings, etc it is more of a post-apocalyptic setting in a fantasy world. Doom and gloom abound and the world is recovering from the recent Titans War. Excellent fluff and adventure abounds. Larger than life enemies, excellent political interaction bettwen countries and a fully realized world. Conversions that I am working on: Brotherhood of the Wolf (great Drain and Aid powers) Game of Thrones (low-powered magic here I come) Later, Natural Twenty

Now that I have become a HERO addict is there any need for demo team members at GenCon SoCal. I know it is months away but man I can't wait to go and get outta Wisconsin in the middle of December! Later, Natural Twenty