Jump to content

Barton

HERO Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,059

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Barton

  1. Robot Love Stories

    in Star Hero

    Posted

    Re: Robot Love Stories

     

    I remember reading in high school a story; I think a short story of the I Robot series. A doctor meets a prototype female robot and they fall in love and marry (secretly of course). The robot then ages as the human does. The story ends when the main character a robotic expert is called by the female robot asking him to deactivate her. Her husband has died and she wants to be with him.

    Plot hooks:

    1) The PC's find a human-robot couple on a world where such pairings are illegal. The couple is happy, do you turn them in?

    2) Use the end of the short story above the robot wishes to "die"

    3) A robot is used by a evil third party to get married and spy on a VIP, the characters find out and try to stop the plan. The VIP however is in love with the robot, not caring that his mate is a robot.

  2. brand new and trying to figure things out

    in HERO System Discussion

    Posted

    Re: brand new and trying to figure things out

     

    The 5th edition tome has a page in the Characteristics section in which benchmarks are laid down' date=' what the equivalent to each stat level is like (such as a 20 comeliness = supermodel, etc).[/quote']

    In 5th Ed. revised see pages 28 and 29.

    Also check out pages 32 and 40 for more good tables about stats and what power levels they translate to.

  4. Small Stuff

    in Other Genres

    Posted

    Re: Small Stuff

     

    Vivid mental vision of a rat doing benchpresses.

     

    My adult pet rats if motivated (by dragging a favorite food like a piece of pizza) they can drag/carry quite a lot, close to a 0.45kg or 1 lb.

  5. A campaign for my kids

    in Champions

    Posted

    Re: A campaign for my kids

     

    If you can attend GenCon or Origins this year I am running my Meyerson Academy teen champions games. I have had players as young as 8 play (an they had a blast). I spend time teaching the system.

    A suggestion that your family might like and I have slots open in my Origins events.....

  6. 20s or 30s?

    in Pulp Hero

    Posted

    Re: 20s or 30s?

     

    1930's !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     

    Below are reasons you should use the 1930's (not in order)

    1) Nazis are around a great enemy.

    2) Soviet menace, they are in high gear in the 1930's

    3) Spain's Civil war. Proxy Nazi-USSR war.

    4) Better technology; like the China Clipper; better technology = more fun.

    5) China - Japan war.

     

     

    For me I set my game in 1936 in part as a tribute to my late mother who was born in 1936. I also have read much about the 1930's and its history. This really helps to convey what is was like.

    My game of course has lost worlds, strange ancient sites, weird science, masked mystery men, and Nazi bad guys.

    My game has been described as history with pulp coating; meaning my game is historically based but with pulp features and plots.

  7. Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

    in Champions

    Posted

    Re: Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

     

    15 He is a robot from another planet, learned about humanity by watching TV broadcasts. After some adventures he got cable and saw Spongebob Squarepants. Now that is his favorite thing!! I even had the character spend two experience points to buy wealth and fame after the robot wrote a 800 page book on Spongebob.:doi::doi:

  8. Has anybody played "Spirit of the Century"

    in Pulp Hero

    Posted

    Re: Has anybody played "Spirit of the Century"

     

    I just picked it up and am currently reading through it but so far, I believe you are correct in that it would probably run better as a one shot rather than as a campaign. I don't have as severe an opinion as to it conveying the Pulp era though.

     

    I don't know who ran it for you but it seems like it would be really dependant on the skill of the GM since, as you state, it is very rules-light. The GM would have to be good at "winging it."

     

    Weird, because having played in your pulp games, I could see you running a good game of this.

     

    The problem with Spirit is that it REQUIRES good players and good GM for it to work. So-So players and/or So-So GM would doom the game to be bad. A more rules "heavy" system helps fight this IMHO. I am NOT a fan of rules light systems.

  10. Betatesting?

    in Other Genres

    Posted

    Re: Betatesting?

     

    I was talking to one of the Cryptic folks over at GDC. They're *amazed* at the sheer volume and enthusiasm of the Champions/HERO fanbase. I think they're list of registered users hit 5' date='000+ in two days of opening on Midnight Wednesday. I have a real feeling that Champions Online is going to be HUGE.[/quote']

     

    Not surprising to me, Steve Long once said at a GenCon that Hero has a core of about 5K customers/players/gm's.

     

    As for beta testing it is often done closer to release and it is not only for finding bugs but for last minute changes/input. This varies company to company.

    As said earlier way too early for a beta.

  12. Has anybody played "Spirit of the Century"

    in Pulp Hero

    Posted

    Re: Has anybody played "Spirit of the Century"

     

    Played it ONCE, VERY unimpressed with the mechanics. WAY TOO rules-light and it failed to convey the Pulp Era to me (others may have different opinions). The system maybe good for a limited campaign or a one shot.

    The character generation system is great, the idea of all the characters backgrounds tied together was neat. The mechanics of the game just make it IMHO unplayable.

    At last year's GenCon I asked the designer how would you do a campaign with this rule system... he would not answer the question.

  14. Mook rules?

    in Pulp Hero

    Posted

    Re: Mook rules?

     

    I do not like it; but as my friend Joe L. says my pulp games are "history with a veneer of pulp". So I a realism guy. So to make it fun I give the good guys and major villains combat luck and it works. Mooks never get armor or combat luck so they drop fast, while the good guy need to worry about shots, but no one shot will take them out. Also HAP (hero action points) can be used in my game to reduce wounds.

  15. Horror -- fied

    in Other Genres

    Posted

    Re: Horror -- fied

     

    Actually' date=' rumor has it that there is a Horror Hero possibly in the mix now. As for conversions, there really isn't a lot to convert from 4th ed to 5th ed. Just minor tweaks :) Use whatcha got till the new stuff hits ...[/quote']

     

    Heard the same rumor...

    But until on the schedule....

  16. Anyone Have PA Hero yet?

    in Other Genres

    Posted

    Re: Anyone Have PA Hero yet?

     

    I love the CRUNCH in it!!! My formal education is in toxicology and radiation biology. The sections on radiation, post PA effects on the world were GREAT!!! Lots of good hard science, in easy to understand english. Good ideas/guidelines on how to PA your "world". Wonderful. Worth the price of the book just for that.

    A+ on that.

     

    The art is okay; but I do not care about eye-candy.

     

    The writing is good (sorry in advance to Steve Long) but not as good IMHO as was in Pulp Hero. PLEASE understand this is strictly my opinion, others will differ.

    B-.

     

    Layout/length - layout of book was well above average but TOO few pages. I love huge books so anything below 250 pages is too short.

    B-.

     

    The sample settings - Good example settings (the 1001AD setting was unique to say the least). I did not like any of them a lot except the North Carolina setting. I liked that one a lot. I think that the settings were to get the GM's creativity flowing, and for that they work great.

    B.

     

    OVERALL A- BUY THE BOOK.

  21. Contacts or Something Else?

    in Champions

    Posted

    Re: Contacts or Something Else?

     

    Hiya Gang,

    In the campaign I'm running, groups like UNTIL and Primus usually assign liasons to registered superhumans. With that being ingrained in the campaign, and in your opinion, do you think having an everyman contact be out of the question? Really, I view them as one part contact, one part DNPC and one part Social Lim ...

     

    I as a GM would allow it, but others mileage may vary.

    FYI: I often build NPC's with reputation as a power and as a disadvantage. In the right situation it adds to PRE (rep: "bad" cop threatens to beat a suspect) or hurts cooperation ("bad" cop the witnesses do not cooperate because the cop is a known bad actor).

  24. To PLAY Or NOT To PLAY?

    in HERO System Discussion

    Posted

    Re: To PLAY Or NOT To PLAY?

     

    I suggest what others have:

    Talk carefully to the GM about the problem

    and/or

    Run a game and show him a non-GM vs. player game

     

    In my four games that I GM (two pulp, one Golden Age, one Champions) I try to be NOT a GM vs. Players GM. I run all my games with the idea the game "fits" the players. What I mean is that situations and NPC's are "designed" for the players. I try every game to "highlight" a different PC. I build the plot around that character and make it "his/her night". My players like it, you may not, and it may not work with all groups. I am blessed with VERY good players in ALL of my games.

    I have found what helps to avoid GM vs. players is to have plots that are outlines with details left to the last minute. The idea is that the players will ALWAYS do something unexpected, so some details can change (BUT NOT THE OUTLINE) to adjust. This sometimes means that small things benefit the players and sometimes details are adjusted against them. IMHO it is okay if the players WIN! Just have other plots ready in case the players solve a plot. Also a GM take many notes during play, often I come up with ideas for future plots based on these notes.

    I also like game sessions that are non-combat, with just interaction of the PC's with the "world". I had the "dinner party from Hell" adventure in my Pulp game. The dinner party was due to one character's disadvantage, his family is always tring to get money from him. The PC invited the other PC's for moral support. The party included the pressuring the PC's to invest in a "for-sure" land deal, and small children throwing food at the PC's. A great way to see the players interact and all of my players thought it was interesting.

    Hope my rambling helps...

  25. What's the closest you can get to a legal assualt rifle?

    in Dark Champions

    Posted

    Re: What's the closest you can get to a legal assualt rifle?

     

    Yep - just checked the Colt website; both the AR-15 (EDIT - whoops' date=' they're calling it an HBar) and the semiautomatic version of the M-4 are available. Thanks for the help![/quote']

     

    M-4 is nice for built up areas, very portable. Remember, even a semi-automatic can fire a lot of lead quickly. You can fire as quickly as you can pull the trigger.

    The Thompson 1927 can be fired with out the wooden stock, making it a very short weapon, very easily concealed.

×
×
  • Create New...