Wardsman

Cross posting Hero and Harn Forums http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/93658-harn-hero-2016/page-2?hl=harn http://www.lythia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=22167&p=211967&hilit=hero#p211967 Harn uses an approximate 10 second turn with spells(those that can be cast in combat) Taking 1 or 2 turns if not more. Hero has a 12 second(segment) turn with 2 to 4 action phases for characters. Some Hero translations use a phase + a segment in their translations. Harn does allow fast casting at a penalty. Page 16 & Page 35 of Ultimate Skill 5th Edition has rules letting successful skill rolls allow faster completion for activities that take a turn or more. So I'm leaning towards extra time(at least 1 turn) but allowing mages to fast cast per p. 35 Ultimate Skill and bring down to a phase for -3 on skill roll. In Harn unless the Mage declares otherwise spells are cast with incantations and Gestures. In Hero I'd require those as well but allow to be bypassed with a penalty. Both 4th and 5th edition Fantasy hero have ideas on penalties for bypassing limitations. I'm back and forth on Aura. Part of me likes the idea that just because you are strong willed or smart doesn't automatically give you magical strength. But Harn calculates its magic skill base as (Aura +Aura+ Int)/3 [or in other versions Stats or Skills appropriate to convocations or College, IE Strength for Metal element] If you do have Aura stat and you use that 3 stat formula you would want to divide by 15 to get the Hero skill roll. Elves get a bonus on Aura while dwarves take a hit. Both are magnified by using Aura twice in magic roll Calculations. Aura is also used along with Will In various types of mental conflict. But Will gets counted twice in that formula. Aura could be used as a basis to calculate Arcane Defense and/or Mana in Hero as well if you use those rules. But basing a Characteristic Skill roll on 3 stats is non standard for Hero. Another option is using whatever Arcane roll you like based on Aura , Ego etc . But using RSR- two skills with the second a convocation skill or allow complementary rolls for convocation skills. I would also apply Convocation SB modifiers and astrological SB modifiers (page 9 Shek-Pvar, Columbia Games/CG4501) straight as bonuses or minuses to the hero magic roll. Yes that means a nasty diametric element modifier. But source material is clear, only those with a strong Aura(or whatever you replace Aura with) can master opposing elements.

Any ideas on how to handle morality points? Religious characters gain and lose morality points that affect their rolls to get intercession.

Did you know about this?

5th editions Ultimate Skill has such rules plus other ways hacking or adapting the skill. http://www.herogames.com/forums/store/product/86-hero-system-skills-pdf/ One I'm using is reducing the time needed to something is reduced by good rolls. Another one I plan use is a bonus effect based on the power skill roll effect.

How do you see the Spell Limitation interacting with the power skill? Might some of the more formulaic textbooks spells be built with it but practitioners who make power skill magic rolls go on to develop versions without it?

I'm shooting for something that is a mix of the two myself . There is formula but there is improve aspects also.

Not at all MrK. I've been delving into Harns magic system a Hero translations of Harn magic. The idea is a low level spell that at higher levels does more stuff is how that seems to work. I also been looking at ideas from 5th Edition Ultimate skill for both research and boosts due to good skill rolls. Harry Culpans Hero Harn notes, which I snagged before his site went down, mages have a talent (Arcane Discipline) and spells have a rank. A mage can learn spell rank -1 spells equal to his talent level. Doesn't pay points just takes research time. It is an interesting system. Now he did use the spell limitation and allowed Combat maneuvers to be bought with spells. Which fits the Harn setting. And Cantriped I don't see anything wrong with buying of some limitations at higher levers. The spell rank system I'm eyeing treats A spell with a lot limitations as a lower level of the same same spell with less limitations. What does a haymaker with a spell look like? And should that be allowed if spells must take extra phase or extra segment anyway?

If they can justify buying instant change, then I don't worry too much unless I want to make things interesting. Otherwise yes it is a real issue in my worlds. I like to keep it real. And that is a real issue. Sometimes the players will surprise you with their ideas.

I didn't know about multi power attacks. Just read that for the first time. Doesn't seem to fit flavour for me. Also be hard for my Arcane schools since I use RSR for Arcane. Divine is different matter. That may set divine apart. I'll have to think on that. Haymakers for other attacks than punch , Hmmm I'm trying to think if w used that in 4th. Too long ago. Could be useful. Don't have an opinion. Tend to agree with MrKinister on Autofire yet Magic Missile is a thing. I could see bouncing a fireball of stone or metal but finger of fire? not so sure. I really don't see the point of stopping them from dialing a power down. I do want magic to feel more like magic and not a super power. But some of those tricks might not be a deal breaker.

There has been some ink spilt on these forums about this. Some of it I have seen. But not enough discussion as to the pros and cons of using it. Ok recap this limitation seems to prevent a lot combat maneuvers with powers being used with spells. Spreading the attack, Varying the output , Multiple power attacks etc. With mages having to buy combat maneuvers with spells if the GM allows it. Detractors simply state that it should be assumed as campaign rules with no bonus. There are couple assumptions built into this as I see this. Non mages can't do some of those effects in a normal fantasy Non-mages don't have access to magic All spell colleges should have those limits I generally agree with #1 but it doesn't necessarily follow in an urban fantasy or a campaign where non-mages have access to powers for any reason. #2 not all settings exclude magic from non-mages. #3 there might very different styles of magic. some where spell limitation fits and some which do not #4 It may be appropriate to let advanced mages to by off that limitation. Also in 5th edition anyway there is a lot of talk of letting mages with a power skill magic do tricks or power stunts. Does it make sense to forbid that in one sense then let do it with a power roll? On the other side, what genre conventions or sense of balance does limiting powers defined as spell in this manner does this promote whether you get a bonus or not?

Search site mite find them. A person who was familiar with those links could pick better criteria.

Found an interesting site. But the links that point back to these forums are broken! So does any have access to this system? (Looking at Killer Shrike) Can we find those old links? http://www.curufea.com/doku.php?id=roleplaying:hero:conversions:fantasy_hero

You might find this interesting. http://www.herogames.com/forums/store/product/161-the-book-of-dragons-bookpdf/ Oh here is a video of Aronra doing the Taxonomy of Dragons for grins and giggles at Dragon con. Draxonomy "My main presentation at DragonCon was about the Taxonomy of Dragons. A silly and seemingly impossible task, I know. But I had some fun with it." AronRa

Public schools are usually named after community members or something linked to the area. I don't see one being named after a fae. Now that doesn't mean you can't use the name to foreshadow. You just have to be creative. Mountain Laurel High or Rowen Academy Same for the private schools unless instigated at the time of the event. I don't see a reason for them to be named in such manner, directly. Now if there were cults or conspiracies trying to bring the fae back, that may be a different matter altogether. How multicultural are your fae? Are there African Eshu and Native American Nunehi? Or just celtic types?

Haven't checked any of this but just found this. Here is some stuff for Spirit Storm setting I found. http://usandacat.com/thelair/category/games/game-news-spiritstorm/ http://usandacat.com/thelair/category/games/game-news-spiritstorm/ http://usandacat.com/thelair/file-downloads/campaigns-and-adventures/#spirit Harn http://usandacat.com/thelair/file-downloads/campaigns-and-adventures/#harn The page has many things for various hero genres. http://usandacat.com/thelair/file-downloads/campaigns-and-adventures/

got a link?

Don't forget acidic or caustic blood.

I've said it before and I will say it again, what is the source of powers or triggering event? What is the nature of the powers? Magic Science based Psionic Biological Technological Answer those questions and a lot of the squares get filled in. Is it something human science can understand , manipulate, and replicate? Start with that. Figure out why or at least how it happens and work from there.

Doc's right. Define the term "Dragon" and in what system? I remember in my AD&D days a lot articles in Dragon Magazine with the purpose to beef up dragons and their combat. I particularly remember hacks to breathe damage and wing buffets, tail smashes, and foot stomps being added to the repertoire. Never had a chance to throw one in hero to players. But the hero system stats for Shadow World Dragons looked awesome. But that depends on the power level of your hero's now doesn't. How many points are they built on? 50? 75? 100? or more?

We talking WWII or post 911? That shapes a lot right there. 20 or 30 years ago I'd say it might take a while see powered armor. Now I'd expect an apollo style program to have something in 5 if not less.

No. That is how I would handle it. But different groups have different styles and tastes. Some people like 250 point champions while others insist on 500. and some people just hate mentalists and it was all dream scenarios.

Ahh Red october. I used to hit that with my modem. It is where I first saw Forgotten Futures a game of Scientific Romance. They took Victorian SF settings from books in the public domain and made campaigns out of them. The one I remember was a setting of Kipling's where Heavier than air craft never took off but they rays and some form psionics. Now mind you this before Steampunk!

As Tasha and LL said , a lot of us picked and chose what were wanted from each genre and mixed it in other games I gave Cheshire Cat from Champions aura vision from Justice Inc because I thought his weak ego blast was lame. I still lean toward using Cloak over Invisibility for Fantasy Hero. It has a nice feel to me to have the perceptive character be able to see through invisibility. I remember when 4th hit we went thru and commented where the new stuff came from. Example Dispell and suppress came from Fantasy Hero.

Not bad idea. 5th did introduce alternative forms of luck. However RSR seems to rely on the traditional must roll 6 system. I'm also unclear how active point penalties apply to luck rolls in that situation. So while may not build the spell with luck in mind personal luck should probably be a factor. The more I think about it the more I think True names should rolled into one of the other factors unless I want write a requires 3 skills chart, which I don't. First thought is to roll true names into one of the other parts like protocol ks. But I don't think knowing a truename should make the target more amicable. I'd prefer it be a bonus or penalty on the ego chart which would be tied to the power magic skill.

This kept me up all night for some reason. I kept thinking about an idea for a summoning grimoire. It starts off with descriptions of protection amulets for the caste(Arcane Defense), containment circles(Forces Walls), a treatise on protocols and etiquettes when dealing with beings from other planes by class (knowledge skills), and a key of True Names. This before it gets to the unique style summoning in the book. For every summoning spell or ritual has a special limitation. One I call You Shall Be Answered. (need a value) As the preface of this grimoire states and warns, your skill and mastery in the art calling esoteric beings from other planes does not determine If something answers with this powerful school of magick. No your aptitude determines the subject's demeanor and the level of control you have over it. So what I'm thinking is a roll chart. The better the roll the target has higher levels of the Amicable and/or Weak-Willed advantage. if you fail and the worse the roll the target has levels of Antagonistic and/or Strong-Willed limitations. Complication #1: Requires two skill rolls Let us say you require two skill rolls. One is KS Etiquette or Protocols of the 9 Hells or the Courts of Chaos(or something like that) while the second is Power Skill Magick or Summoning. The Etiquette or Protocol roll gets its results off the Amicable/Antagonistic chart while the Power Skill Roll gets its results of the Weak-Willed/Strong-Willed chart. Complication #2: Must know target's True Name (need a value) in conjunction with unfulfilled limitation rules. Both 4th and 5th Edition have suggestions on allowing wizards cast a spell without fulfilling all the limitations with a penalty. Sometimes it is endurance or a skill roll penalty. The latter is what I'm thinking in this case. Yes boy and girls the author of our grimoire, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances, may have gotten some of those True Names he listed wrong. A few thoughts. You Shall Be Answered limitation could be based on Side Effects. But even so I want them to be considered different. Side Effects with Summoning for me are calling something else up Like a gaggle of annoying imps when you try to call a duke of hell or EDM with a gate (you tore a hole in reality, one that leads to hell). Suggestions please.