Rick

Re: Down with active points I ussually talk in DIce. I mights say, "No more then 16d6 (or 4 1/2d6K) for any attack". Then I'll say, "10d6 will be effective in the game". Tack as many Advantages and Lims on those powers as you'd like (I still check for abuses or dumb constucts) but you still only have 300-350 pts for your character. That's only for a game using Champions rules, hero level game have no such limits.

Re: Re-imagining the Star Wars universe. Nothing, I like them a lot as is. I would simply gut the EU out of the picture...

Re: HERO System question Ofcourse in my game there are more standard magic weapons forged by "Runesmiths", who are usually dwarves but not always. Even these though you need to understand before their power comes to bare for you. It takes time and learning and these weapons get to know you as well, testing to see if you're worthy of them. For instance Kale's (God of Justice) Cold Hand of Justice is a sword created by the greatest Runesmith and warrior ever, the Dwarven Legend "Coroth the IronWolf". Unlike many finely made swords this blade seems to be oddly plain and pragmatic, no jewel in lays or Roccocco designs; just a hardy well made bastard sword. It's only outstanding feature to the casual observer is the edge of the Abathor steel blade will never dull (it doesn't take the "real weapon" limitation, no maintance). It was inspired by a vision from Kale himself and took Coroth 2 months to create alone, while in his snow covered forge (at the end of this 2 months a lone War Priest of Kale ended a pilgrimage to Coroth's home, Serendipity?, and blessed the blade). It turned out to be meant for the hand of Pel Aronthor, the young human page Coroth would raise years later. Pel would become a great hero, a powerful Sword of Kale (Paladin) and the Founder of the Knights of the Freelance (Knights of the Realm). To the finest souls not blessed by Kale, Kale's Cold Hand of Justice will simply be the finest sword they'd ever own. It never dulls and it's balance is unering. The sword itself though will activly try and find the hand of a sword of Kale and as such will rarely keep an owner for to long, until it finds such a person. In the Hand of a young Sword of Kale the squire will learn the lessons, trials and benefits of being a Paladin in Kales service, there is no order for these men and women, many are paladins and don't realize it for many years. The sword's powers are many; it rarely misses a target, it's edge bites harder to those of evil's will, in the darkest time it will light your way, a wielder of this sword is never suprised, in the coldest storm the wielders bones will not chill ect ect ect.... Now when a PC gets this sword, all of these things don't come at once, it takes many game sessions for these powers to come to bare, usually one at a time. AND, it doesn't cost the PC a single point. Now if your PC is a Ruinsmith, building these weapons does cost points, but there are ways around this with fine goods and the not offering extra points.

Re: Say somthing clever... PLEASE! Just so you know that's sadly not my quote, it's from one of my favorite Oingo Boingo (the greatest band ever) song, "Change". Which is some of Danny's finest lyricism ever.

Re: Stupid question YOu know it's interesting that many people write the braces as Missile Deflection. I always just treated them as Armor (+15rPD, +15 rED or so) on activation. On top of her already very hig Defences they'll do the Job very very well.

Re: HERO System question I like it because if I play a game then 50 years later, and include said dagger as a magic item it's a further reward to the characters.

Re: Say somthing clever... PLEASE! I'd dazzle you with brilliance, if I only had the knack.

Re: HERO System question Well ones Energy the others physical. Energy Killing attacks are often the same as NND in Heroic games since rED can be rare. I do admittly see and agree with your point though.

Re: HERO System question Characters don't have to pay for the things they find in a fantasy game. If they find a magic sword, by the rules, they don't pay for it, they get it. Heck I've a system in my next Fantasy hero game where if a character spends enough time with an item it can become magical at no cost to the pc, though they won't realize it's changed (magic in the world will be about intent and everyones somewhat touched with magic, like the force in starwars). So Garn, the peseant boy, who's only weapon is his dagger is in adventures for 10 years of game time. This whole time the PC keeps the blade (it was his father's), so after several years of game time I realize this, whenever I see him use that weapon I start give him a +1 ocv to hit (without telling him). That may go up later on too, I may even roll an extra d6 and add it to his damage if I'm so inclined.

Re: How far to stretch a core system? , Cool thanks for the Rep Zornwil. I can agree that the Sidekick is much more concise in the area of skills, but I don't think players only want to know the modifier for sneaking across a squeeky floor. Intitially certainly that's true. Ultimatly though I think they'd like to see all the variant ideas and uses for skills. THe Ultimate skill I think will be a good seller for the system.

Re: How far to stretch a core system? I like that hero can be "kitbashed", used and abused. I don't really use the speed chart anymore, I use four, three second phases, and everyones a 4 speed. Your post-12 comes every fourth phase. When I design my Halo game the Master Chiefs shields will be an entangle that creates a wall with a lot of body, no defence and a standard effect (it's always 20 body). I'll then use several force wall advantages and Lims. to produce the right effect. Not really Hero approved but using the hero system for sure. In my fantasy game Spells will cost players 1 pt a pop. The points aren't what I use to balnce things in Hero, it's the over arching game design. So spend a point, buy that 360 active point spell; good luck casting it with it's -36 skill roll and 36 end (if you're lucky in both cases). Suddenly I'm not fitting things I like to play into hero. I'm designing rules and systems to underpin my worlds and games. I'm Making games. I think this is the very soul of hero in it's current incarnation. If I were to design a commercial product in hero, I'd do this; sell the setting and only give the player the rules they NEEDED to know, to play the game. No stat block of endless advs. and Lims. just descriptions in plain english how things work in the game world. Then in the end of the book or perhaps in a small panthlet I'd give the Hero gamers out there the run down on how I did things, including the full write ups. Ofcourse I'd include a blurb about buying the Fred revised, and how with that the GM could learn how to change factors in the game he or she didn't like, and design their own worlds.

Re: Star Wars "Science" I always think of the Droids like the underclass. Society has designed technology so that it'd make there lives easier, and whats easier than not having to deal with it directly, thus we've droids. Droids are designed to be our user friendly interfaces with technology (which seem to have Droid minds too). They're cute and familiar, or for distastful things like violences they are steril or frightening. Luke actually seems to understand R2 much like I can understand my dog, I can't know for sure what he's thinking but I can get an idea from his inflections. This is just how I see it, I'm a big supporter of Star Wars being Fantasyt not SciFi. There is little science and a whole lot of fantasy. Which is why I usually dislike the novels. Zahn then from him on, never seemed to figure that out.

Re: Help with Martial Arts characters..Please. Just so you know, I think your looking for the Wu Xia, that's the cinematic/pulp style fiction of the Chinese culture (dates back some 1300 or so years). WuShu just means Martial arts or war arts.

Re: Help with Martial Arts characters..Please. Different Shaolin (or Xiao Lin, is the more proper pinyin spelling) styles: Crane: Passive style, very circlular. Concentrate on week points of the body and pressure points, originally designed they say by a princess of the Fukian province for women. Monkey: a very low (stance wise) energetic style, you'll confuse the enemy W/seemingly randon manuevers then suprise them with viscous infighting techniques. The first time I faced a monkey guy he punched my foot, MY FOOT, and it F-IN hurt...Acrobatics are definitly appropriate. Designed they say by an inprisoned fighter. Snake: Very fast, linear style, like crane think about weak points strikes (throat, neck, armpit, solar plexus, ect ect). I believe this dates back to the original Xiao Lin temple, could be wrong. Tiger: Should be a VERY agressive and powerful stylist. all OCV little concern about defence. The "hardest" of the styles or forms named so far. Palm strikles ussually will invovle a grab, rip and/or tear technique at the end of them. Very linear, very strength based. Dragon: I'm partial here, as it is the focus of my studies. The goals is to balance all of the above principles. A soft style that is Hard only at the moment of impact (tigre and crane), low and rooted but very mobile like the monkey. Circular and linear allow the opponents to use more energy then direct that energy back into them. Dragons Punch and kick, wrestle, grapple and ground fight (whether southen or northern). Yeah I'm a little partial Things you tag on to any of these styles: Northern vs. Southern: I the north where the areas are more rural and spacious, the fighters learn deep braod stances with broad kicks and long arm techniques (think of hammers on roaps swinging). In the more Urban South of china, the fighters learn a slightly higher stance position and more close fighting techniques. Drunken: Similar to monkey, but you're acting (or maybe you are) drunk. It's all about mis-direction. If you use Kung Fu remember that it is very weapons heavey, early on in your studies you'll start using a variety of weapons from staffs to swords to pole arms, even esoteric weapons like the 3-section staff and hook swords. As a note: I study Norther Green Dragon, all of the animal forms I mentioned are part of the style, they inform our Dragon training (we are not a 5 animal system, that a different beast). Thats all if you want a semi realistic Kung fu feel, through the game. In fantasy/fiction we've benefit of taking what we like and leaving the rest. I know a bit about Mantis, Choy li Fut, Southern Dragon and Eagle claw, but those aren't my area's of study and I don't feel comfortable trying to talk about them.

Re: Help with balancing fighters with magic users Or you can limit how much the Wizard can actually increase his/her Damage output. Hero level games, given the way defences and body and stun work (staying level most of the way), don't really need an escalating Damage class race. You need that in D&D with the AC and Hit point inflation. I Like running hero level games so that a 2d6 KA is always something to think twice about. Beside a Fireball is energy, practicly NND in a Fantasy Hero game (there is very little rED) does it really need to get bigger.

Re: Help with balancing fighters with magic users Deadly strike. It's a talent in FH.

Re: Help with balancing fighters with magic users Except he's talking about Fighters keeping up W/Mages...

Re: Package deal - no deal? That sounds like a very feasible option, I like that a lot actually.

Re: Help with balancing fighters with magic users ....and ofcourse the "Deadly Stike" talent. In some fantasy world the Wizards are supposed to be more powerful than the Fighters. In D&D, few people actually complain about the inequeties between a 10th level fighter and a 10th level Wizard/Sorceror...

Re: Rifts HERO I'll say it again: Do not convert Game systems or mechanics, Convert source material. So Mega-Damage would go right out the window, just like Level drains from D&D. Those are "Meta-Game" elements not neccessary to reproduce the feel of their source materials.

Re: Power Construction Question Ok so you've a style of play and character creation that's different from most Hero gamers. Cool. I infact encourage players to have fun quirks in their character's personality, that they may not get points for. I've a character right no that is festitious, however he can function in a mess, in game he grouses and bemoans it (the Player recieved 0 pts for this). If however it is OCD, and is diabilitating, he stopped everything in game to start cleaning, than yeah he should get points for that. His character has to do it or make a difficult Ego roll to avoid it. That's Hero as written, out of the box. I know you think this is, BS!!!! Well good for you, we can all appreciate that. This thread is not the forum for you to express this, though. This is a thread for players talking about the rules as they are. Now you have a valid arguement. Start another thread bringing up this debate, where you talk about this meta game issue. In a more appropriate place this could be a fun topic of discussion.

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs Nobles, Knights, And Necromancers: Maybe The Ultimate Mentalist: Yes, Love Ultimate books Stronghold: No, Superheroes bore me these days Golden Age Champions: Nope see above Psychic Wars: Maybe, probably not The Celtic Bestiary: YES!!! I love Beastiaries Thrilling Places: Perhaps Tuala Morn: The First Setting that sounds remotely interesting to me, strong maybe Pulp Resource Guide: Yes. The Ultimate Skill: Yes, see earlier comments on ultimate books Villains, Vandals, And Vermin: Nopes, Supers = ZzzzzZzzzzZzzz for me Horror Hero: Yep, love Genre books Danger Zones: Sounds interesting Champions Universe Update: ZzzzzzZzzzzzzZzzzz The Underworld Sourcebook: Probably, just sounds like good info across several genres.

Re: Enhanced Perception??? Thankyou!!! How the hell did I miss that?????? Wierd. I knew how much it cost anyways, after 12 years I should, it was just bothering me....Thanks again.

Where is this in 5th edition revised? The costs of +1 perception seems to be missing.

Re: At what point can HERO sue? Ahhh...I see. My mistake.