bpmasher

How to deal with these cyberpsychotic full body conversions in Hero? Are there any guidelines for SP conversions anywhere? Cyberware I think I can handle...possibly.

I think this was done in the latest Shadowrun edition, where everything is in the Matrix. I'm coming up with my own setting mixing alien pawns/characters from Cyberpunk/Battletech and Starfinder. So we have aliens, (human-sized) mecha and cyberpunks loaded on the mapboard on my table right now. All I am missing is names, backgrounds and some cool gadgets for these folks until I can kick off the scenario.

So I have a group of tough guys with numerous mecha to aid them about to blast into a bar (from CPRed beginner box) and try to capture a hacker (one of the group inside). Inside there is a mech, a rifleman and the hacker. What I thought would give the scenario a twist is the ability of the hacker to take control of a robot A.I. mind and start giving it commands. Is this a telepathy/mind control thing (limited only to mechanical beings) or something like that?

I'm trying to reach a specific feel, will undoubtedly require playtesting.

These felt right, and I worked with the data I gleaned from the Battletech: A Game of Armored Combat box set, and other sources I forgot.

BT damage to Hero Damage Classes:

1 (LRM damage, light machine guns, 6 damage classes) = 2d6
2 (SRM damage, machine guns, AC/2 etc., 9 damage classes) = 3d6
3 (Hvy machine guns, 10 damage classes) = 3d6+1
4-5 (RAC/5, AC/5, flamer, pulse laser, 12 damage classes) = 4d6-1
10 (AC/10, large pulse laser, ER PPC, etc., 13 damage classes) = 4d6
15 (Heavy PPC, ER PPC, 14 damage classes) = 4½d6
20 (AC/20, 15 damage classes) = 5d6-1
25 (Long Tom, 17 damage classes) = 5d6+1 
30 (Long Tom flechette ammo against infantry, 19 damage classes) = 6d6

Armor Total points (Battletech values)
==================

Light (COM-3A): 38 (front), rear torso armor 2/3rds of frontal armor values

Medium (GRF-1N): 133 (front), rear torso armor (40%) of frontal armor values

Heavy (AWS-8Q): 201 (front), rear torso armor 2/3rds of frontal armor values

Assault (Atlas 7D): 270 armor points (front), rear torso armor 1/3rd of front armor values

Internal Structure points (Battletech values)
=========================

Light (COM-3A): 43 internal structure points

Medium (GRF-1N): 91 internal structure points

Heavy (AWS-8Q): 

Assault (Atlas 7D): 152 internal structure points

Armor values (Hero System averages)
============

Frontal armor:

Light (Commando): 3 DEF / 38 Armor Points, 2 DEF (rear armor)

Medium (Griffin): DEF 12 / 133 Armor Points, 6 DEF (rear armor)

Heavy (Awesome): DEF 16 / 201 Armor Points, 10 DEF (rear armor)

Assault (Atlas): 18 DEF / 270 Armor Points (Atlas), 6 DEF (rear armor)

Armor DEF values per Armor point value
======================================

Assault mechs, have 15 Armor points per point of DEF

Heavy mechs have 12 Armor Points per point of DEF

Medium mechs have 11 Armor Points per point of DEF

Light mechs have 12 Armor Points per point of DEF

Data from the mechs listed.

Hero System BODY
================

Basic BODY for vehicles is 10.

Mech BODY values start at 20 (light mechs)

Light mechs have 20 BODY.

Medium Mechs have 25 BODY.

Heavy mechs have 35 BODY.

Assault mechs have 45 BODY.

Characters in Battletech HERO
=============================

Mech pilots, mechanics, tank drivers, VTOL pilots, special forces etc.

Again, this data felt right to my wargaming sensibilities.

So using the total armor points on a mech gives you the Hero equivalent in DEF. Weapons damage is scaled such that you can run infantry alongside mechs. There is a lot of work to go with this, but it's possible.

Basics of conversion
====================

1. Skill rolls get modified to x5% per point, so a skill roll of 11- becomes a skill roll of 55%. Maximum skills are 100% in very rare
cases. Average starting characters have skill rolls of 11- (55%) or above.

2. Combat rolls: OCV Becomes a combat bonus of 5% per point of OCV. DCV creates a penalty to attackers Total Combat Value. Total Combat
Value equals 55% plus OCV (OCV x5%) bonus. Combat Roll equals Total Combat Value minus opponents Defense Bonus and modifiers.

- Cover modifiers of -2 (10%) to -8 (40%) are added to combat roll procedure.

- Range modifiers: 

4 to 8 metres = 0
9 to 16 metres = -10%
17 to 32 metres = -20%
33 to 64 metres = -30%
65 to 128 metres = -40%
129 to 256 metres = -50%

double max range and add 10% to penalty.

3. Powers

- Power skills are converted to %.

- Power costs stay the same.

Martial arts
============

Maneuver modifiers converted into 5% per OCV or DCV modifier.

Damage in wargaming hacks
=========================

Roll 1 plus degree of success (5% per shot) amount of Potential Kill Dice.

- The Hero System damage value of 1d6 causes kills on a roll of 6.

- Hero System damage value of 2d6 causes kills on rolls of 5 and 6.

- 3d6 Hero damage equals kills on rolls of 4, 5 and 6.

- (4d6 does 1 Kill plus rolled Potential Kill Dice, 5d6 does 2 Kills plus Potential Kill Dice etc.)

Armor in wargaming hacks
========================

- Divide DEF values by 4, result is Armor Points. Each Armor Point potentially negates a Kill Result. Roll Armor dice, on results of 4, 5
and 6 you negate one Kill Result.

- (alternate Armor rules) Armor has Activation Rolls of 40% to 70%. Each Armor point turns a Kill Result into a Wound Result.

Makes most sense when thinking in wargaming terms, where ease of use and intuitive dice rolls make the difference in a tasty game and not that fun game.

Ah okay. Makes sense, and gives the M5 and Sherman an advantage.

1 hour ago, shadowcat1313 said:

are you using the Innacurate rule for most WW2 tank guns? not a lot of ww2 tank guns were stabilized for firing on the move

M5 Stuart was the first

 

I didn't think of using it, but I will have to re-read the section. edit: I couldn't find the rule in FrED.

On 12/31/2021 at 9:23 PM, Christopher R Taylor said:

I have used the mass battle rules from FH a few times with meh success, this looks like it might be an interesting variant

Would be cool if you tried these out. It only has the basics of what I came up with, but resulted from playtesting nevertheless.

Working on tanks and tank guns right now for my hack. Currently distances are at 1 inch equals 10 meters/yards, a turn lasts about a minute.

Here's what I came up with:

Sherman M4

Hits: 4 (19 Body divided by 4)

Armor: 3/2 (13 front, 9 flank divided by 4)

Speed/Segments per Turn: 2

Move: 5"/8"

Cannon 75mm: 6d6 (AP against vehicles), HE below

75mm High Explosive (Anti-infantry) 

- Blast radius 30 meters/yards (3 inches in current rule iteration)

- Blast damage, 1,45kg of TNT plus fragments (killing attack), "14d6EB Explosion" or RKA 4½d6, Explosion

Reduce five damage classes per (1" = 10 yards), so...:

- 9d6 EB OR 3d6 RKA at 20 yards (2") away from the blast

- 4d6 EB or 1d6 RKA at 30 yards (3") away from the blast

Adds fiddliness when tanks start firing, but in this core version of the game, I want to try and add some simulationism at various levels, if only because the Hero mechanics allow for it.

This was supposed to be a complete book, but I didn't have the oomph to finish it (yet) so I post it here for review/feedback. I love the WW2 setting so that became the emphasis for this. Could be any setting, really.

Skirmish HERO.pdf

Not really in the mood for supers these days. I think I'll try to write up a campaign for one of the Allied "factions" (I play Company of Heroes) that's semi random, might work on a campaign map with different skirmishes resulting from working through the campaign map.

For minis, I have Allied commandos, paratroopers and Soviet infantry. Of course I have tons of Germans.

Skirmish battles, platoon level possibly with a vehicle or two thrown in once the campaign progresses. 

Might do this project now that it got bumped

Gotta paint up some Allies first. Germans got done first.

Dark Champions package deals work very well with this type of game, maybe excluding a few of the options. 

Field agent, secret service and military package deals will probably form the backbone of these characters mostly. These can be different nationalities, double agents, soldiers and special operatives with lots of complementary skills and types of approaches to situations. I should read some more fiction to come up with NPC / PC ideas.

The weapons used in the CoD game should mostly be in the Dark Champions book (stat-wise at least), with some exceptions like the AK-74U that probably has a higher concealability, and the XM4 which is based on the M4/XM177 most likely. Most of the weapons have a real-life example of it. I'll go over the weapons list, and find real-world versions of them or stat them/name them up as they are in the video game. Pulling additional weapons from movies/video games for a game based in the 90s and later most likely. 

The combat will most likely be cinematic, not using hit locations/disabling etc. to keep in line with the video games. Maybe allowing for a -8 shot to the head when sniping or using "bullet time"/focus <- Heroic action points (use an action point to get a headshot without penalty to hit, otherwise take a shot with modifier). Miniatures along with a hex map is probably what I'll be using for face-to-face games.

The mood will be one of technothriller stuff (80s/90s technology), Tom Clancy-esque, fast-moving globetrotting adventure, with tons of locations and quick gunfights on different "battle boards" (found a lovely hex grid booklet for sale).

So I started playing this video game the other day and was totally drawn in by the "vintage" take on the classic Call of Duty formula.

I like the stylistical choices in the game, especially the first mission where dudes are plain-clothes, armed with assault weapons and going after enemies of the State. The bug bit me hard. So I gained back my tabletop motivation (after burning out on multiple projects) and started thinking of ways to do this latest Black Ops game on the tabletop.

I'll start working on a campaign guidelines document, but I was hoping to steal you guys' ideas and then make the document with input from other people.

What does a modern Cold War game need in it? (era could be present-day, 80s, 60s to 70s etc.)

On 4/24/2021 at 10:08 PM, Opal said:

Maybe check out Gullivers Travels, Jekyl/Hyde, and any of the Gothic and Orientalist novels of the period.

 

IIRC, you won't find vampires.

Yep. 

I was on a vampire and werewolf kick while devising this design document at first. Now the cooler option seems to be to keep it strictly human-oriented. 

So I've been playing this video game series a lot lately, and I started thinking about implementing it on the tabletop. How would one design the various drones and special equipment that's used in the game?

1 hour ago, Tjack said:

  Hero’s biggest plus and minus is its complexity. You can use it to do any genre in the world, but if you want to get the absolute most from your character, you’ve better have gotten an A in Algebra. 
  If however, you keep things simple, dump hit locations, ban Variable Power Pools etc. Just make it “roll three dice, did you hit?”  “Roll your damage!” You can bring your players along slowly to the more esoteric number crunches later.

  Whatever version of the rules you end up using make sure the game is more about having fun than puzzling out math problems. Or else why do it.

I thought with premade characters and explanation of the mechanics (Roll low for everything else but damage) would allow me to run a game for new people.

Yeah I thought about doing something like that, set in the Skyrim universe (TES...anyway) where I roll premade characters and the players get to choose.

Pathfinder and Cyberpunk RED.

Hail again,

I have an opportunity to run a game session for beginning players next month, and I'm pondering whether to use Hero with an established setting or just go with the beginner sets I have accumulated (to gather dust) over the years.

Hero is such an opportunity for different genres, despite having lots of crunch. I'm wondering whether a Skyrim game or wild west stuff would go well with a new group.

Would you run Hero for complete beginners? 

24 minutes ago, Tjack said:

  Way cool!  Does the “driver” sit in the head or the main body?  I’m lousy at imagining scale on things like this.

Pilots are usually in the head portion. They can get punched to death by other mechs.

Commando on the left of this picture:

I took a stab at another mech from the Battletech board game:

Commando COM-1C:

Size: 8 (25 tons) cost: 40 pts

Length: 6.4" (12.8 meters)

Width: 3.2" (6.4 meters)

DCV: -5

STR: 50

KB: -8

BODY: 18

DEX: 18 (cost 24 pts)

SPD: 4 (cost 20 pts)

Movement: 10" combat movement (97 km/h), 20" non-combat (correct me please, if wrong)

Weapons:

Light autocannon (RKA 3d6, 45 charges [1 ton of ammo], OIF bulky), 34 pts total

Medium laser (RKA 3d6+1, increased END cost [x3, 15 END per shot], OIF bulky), 16 pts total

Power plant:

Endurance reserve (60 END [6pts], 30 REC [30pts], OIF bulky, Only powers electrical devices),  28pts total

Propulsion:

Extra limbs, arms and legs, limited manipulation, 4pts

Mech limbs, running 10"/20" (8pts)

Armor:

Front DEF 2+8 =10 total,  (24, 180 degree coverage -½) 12 pts

Rear DEF, 2+3  =5 total (9, 180 degree coverage -½) 4 pts

Operations systems:

Mech sensors, Radar, 15 pts

Nightsight: Infrared, 2pts

Nightsight: Ultraviolet, 2pts

Mech communications: Radio/Video, 4pts

Personnel systems:

Ejection seat, 6pts

Life support (Heat, cold, radiation), costs END, 11pts

5 minutes ago, Chris Goodwin said:

 

Is it just the notation that's bugging you?  Advantages are negative value in that they reduce the damage value of weapons while keeping the mass constant; limitations likewise increase it.  It's effectively the same as increasing (for advantages) or decreasing (for limitations) the mass while keeping the damage constant.  

 

In other words, a 5d6 weapon with three lines worth of advantages will always be 125 mass units, whether you start with a 125 mass weapon (base damage of 6d6) and reduce the damage by three lines (yielding 5d6), or start with a 5d6 weapon (base cost of 16 mass units) and increase its mass by three levels (yielding a cost of 125).  

 

So, despite the notation, advantages always make something more expensive while limitations make it less expensive.  

 

Does this explanation help?

Makes more sense now, I just forgot how the mechanics come together while reading and stopping for breaks.

Battletech weapons to Hero Damage Classes:

BT damage -> Hero damage

1 (LRM damage, 6 damage classes) = 2d6
2 (SRM damage, machine guns, AC/2 etc., 9 damage classes) = 3d6
3 (Hvy machine guns, 10 damage classes) = 3d6+1
4-5 (RAC/5, AC/5, flamer, pulse laser, 11 damage classes) = 3d6½
10 (AC/10, large pulse laser, ER PPC, etc., 12 damage classes) = 4d6-1
15 (Heavy PPC, ER PPC, 13 damage classes) = 4d6+1
20 (AC/20, Long Tom etc., 14 damage classes) = 4d6½
25 (Long Tom, 15 damage classes) = 5d6
30 (Long Tom flechette ammo against infantry, 16 damage classes) = 5d6+1