Scott Ruggels2

Pick up Basic if you don't pick up anything else.  Seriously.  I have all nine or ten of the blue books, and have read them exactly once.  For most discussions on the board here, I find myself referencing Basic far, far more than the primary textbooks. 
 
If you don't get any other part of 6e, Basic is worth the price. 

Ditto. My awareness of the vastness and multiplicity of the universe (thanks to science) resists taking such cosmology as anything other than a little pocket of pretentiousness.
 
It also makes it hard for me to swallow Istvatha V'han having conquered multiple dimensions the size of our universe. Or the Green Lantern corps as a force of 3,600 ring-wielders who protect the entire universe, each covering one "sector" out of all that.
 
We all have our personal inhibiting factors, I suppose. But people who don't share mine aren't necessarily stupid.

Oh, I know that, but, where your Suspension of disbelief breaks down around the concept of Gods being sustained by worshipers END or other such energies, Mine breaks down around Geocentric cosmology, surrounding a flat Earth resting on the back of Turtles going all the way down.
 

It'd be very easy to write a software companion for such a snapfit character book that handed the user a bunch of choices and at the end spat out a .hdc file for them.  That'd add at least a bit of unique pizazz. 
I also feel that a good couple dozen archetypes with half a dozen sets per would be a great thing to introduce newbies to the system.  Mutants and Masterminds had such a thing and it was a godsend for the couple people in the group who were mechanics-uninterested. 

One final comment - to me, the CG character would likely oppose slavery in all variations, as it is a constraint on freedom and liberty, which is central to the 'C' element of their alignment.

I'd love to have a version of the original DOS Hero Creator, just for my portfolio. It's one of the few pieces of software that I don't have a copy of with my (admittedly, kind of retrained) art.

It's a quite entertaining read. I am towards the end of The Mummy's Mask, with 3 other players (there was a fourth, but he dropped out and one of the players took over his character). It's interesting to read how different some of your decisions were. (For instance we turned over  Veldriana Hypaxes, bound and trussed up to the Temple, where upon they executed her. But all the traps and tricks in the necropolis, as well as the wash of Necromantic energy were all familiar.   Trust me, this Module" goes on for a lot longer, and gets much wilder. I expect another 6-9 months of entertaining write ups from you guys. (We started at 1st level with brand new characters, and now we are around 12th, or so? Lots of stuff.)
 
Scott

I'd love to have a version of the original DOS Hero Creator, just for my portfolio. It's one of the few pieces of software that I don't have a copy of with my (admittedly, kind of retrained) art.

The way we did it, was that any attack (that was not the result of a damage shield) ended a character's turn. In the above example the VIPER Agent ended his turn with the martial Punch, even if he had a saved half action. But the additions to his DCV with the martial punch would stick, until his next action. If "Our Hero" saved his half or full action, he would be able to drop an attack on any following segment, until his next phase. This was often used to simulate complex martial arts move in our games, allowing consecutive segment/phase actions. But on a busy battle mat, with dozens of opponents engaged in combat, held actions became a rather rare commodity.

It's a quite entertaining read. I am towards the end of The Mummy's Mask, with 3 other players (there was a fourth, but he dropped out and one of the players took over his character). It's interesting to read how different some of your decisions were. (For instance we turned over  Veldriana Hypaxes, bound and trussed up to the Temple, where upon they executed her. But all the traps and tricks in the necropolis, as well as the wash of Necromantic energy were all familiar.   Trust me, this Module" goes on for a lot longer, and gets much wilder. I expect another 6-9 months of entertaining write ups from you guys. (We started at 1st level with brand new characters, and now we are around 12th, or so? Lots of stuff.)
 
Scott

I sat in on a game of Prowlers and Paragons early in the year, and Ray played Dove. I played a Powered Armor suit. Watching Ray play was rather awe inspiring, in how he played the system and outwitted the bad guys (and the GM) using basically defensive skills. You could see how he was often a "Back up leader" in the old Guardians campaigns. He was a very "reluctant" Hero, as in reluctant to get closely involved, but he has  a DNPC to rescue, so he wasn't the happiest of creatures on the battle mat.  Prowlers & Paragons, has a similar flavor to Champions, but it is a simpler, and much l3ess crunchy system than Hero, and for me it was too much, "Theater of the mind", and not enough maps and miniatures for me, personally. However, with the calibers of players we had at the time, I would play Candyland with those folks.

I sat in on a game of Prowlers and Paragons early in the year, and Ray played Dove. I played a Powered Armor suit. Watching Ray play was rather awe inspiring, in how he played the system and outwitted the bad guys (and the GM) using basically defensive skills. You could see how he was often a "Back up leader" in the old Guardians campaigns. He was a very "reluctant" Hero, as in reluctant to get closely involved, but he has  a DNPC to rescue, so he wasn't the happiest of creatures on the battle mat.  Prowlers & Paragons, has a similar flavor to Champions, but it is a simpler, and much l3ess crunchy system than Hero, and for me it was too much, "Theater of the mind", and not enough maps and miniatures for me, personally. However, with the calibers of players we had at the time, I would play Candyland with those folks.

Pathfinder : The Mummy's Mask : Tomb-robbing For Fun And Profit
GM: Hmm. The first illustration for the land of Katapesh appears to be a gnollish murder orgy.
Nemat: The gnolls down that way have a certain reputation, for a reason.
Zenobia: As much as the gnolls of Katapesh NEED a good long talk from a missionary, Zenobia is a bit reluctant to actually meet her family again, any time soon.
Nemat: Perfectly understandable.

What to do with Veldriana Hypaxes, who, unbeknownest to her own party, brought them all to a building they weren’t authorised for, and hired thugs to stop anybody interfering.

Onka: Technically, the Pharaoh has first dibs, for breaking the conditions of entering the Necropolis.
Nemat: Actually, the Cult of Pharasma has first dibs.
Onka: True. But I’ll expect they’ll hand her over for trial.
Zenobia: I suppose I can put in a good word for her, if she tells us what this ‘Mummy’s Mask’ is.
Asrian: Problem there. She’s unconscious. And has a hole through her chest.

Nemat wants a look at that room under the Sanctum, that has the pool of fire.

Zenobia OoC: Just as well there aren’t any alien tripods down here.

The inscription on the pool is a prayer to Nethys, and says ‘drink this and your soul will be refreshed’.

Nemat: Nethys isn’t as bad as Boccob, but I still wonder whether this is a case of ‘drink this and flip a coin’.

Nemat was right about the keystone controlling the temple guardian too. And as a sentient creature, the guardian probably has plenty of institutional knowledge that the archeologists will love.

Zenobia: After we’ve killed all the monsters, the actual archeologists can come in.
Nemat: AHEM.

Of course, an actual cleric of Nethys would have even more institutional knowledge, but given he’s a spear-wielding skeleton it’s doubtful he’ll have a lot to say. Some kind of sign language may be necessary.

Boney: It has been a very long time since I’ve had visitors. I take it you are explorers?
Nemat: Actually, we’re more historians.
Boney: *Looking down at its hands* A VERY long time. Well then - tell me your history and I’ll tell you some of mine.
Nemat: Well then. I am Nemat Merituzat, also known as Nemat of Valat.
Boney: I know that family.
Nemat: My family tends a shrine to Wadjet, and I am pledged to their service. But I’m afraid that your language is rarely spoken in these latter days. My friend the gnoll-
Zenobia: Hello
Nemat: - knows a little, but Onka the spellsage does not, and I’m afraid my cloth-wrapped other companion isn’t very forthcoming about her history.
Zenobia: I am Zenobia, servant of the Dawnflower, and I bear my sword in Sarenrae’s name, bringing her light to dark places, and justice to the needy.

Onka: Everyone knows orcs taste terrible.

Senenmerek the skeletal champion is actually quite desperate for news of the outside world, since he’s been stuck down here in a forgotten temple for a couple of thousand years. And he has first-hand knowledge of the Plague of Madness. The historians are going to love this guy. Senenmerek also says that we’re not the first group to come into the temple, recently, although we are the least combative. In fact, we’re the third. Apparently it’s not only Veldriana Hypaxes that wanted to get into the Sanctum, and this first group walked right past the temple guardian without it noticing, and somehow made Senenmerek black out. Quite a trick, with a skeleton. He has no idea what that first group did while they were here - but that sand-demon Div creature that Asrian nailed to the floor wasn’t here before either.

Of course, the Cult of Pharasma really don’t like undead, or anybody else that removes themself from the cycle of life and death.

Zenobia: Maybe we can find one of the historians that are a little more open-minded?
Nemat: I’m sure it can be argued that this is an internal affair for the church of Nethys.
Senenmerek: I’ll have to clean.

At least Senenmerek is fine with us collecting a few minor items, as long as we leave the important ones behind. And we have that helpful map the elemental gave us too. The zombie waiting behind the next door is less helpful. Zenobia inspects the subsequent remains, because she thinks it’s a little odd it’s a zombie rather than skeletal. She’s right to be suspicious too - the body is only a few decades old at most.

Nemat: Previous failed tomb-raid?
Asrian: Could be.

And the apparently-defeated zombie grabs Zenobia by the throat.

Zenobia: What?!
Nemat: What?!?!?
Asrian: What??!??!??!
Onka: It was playing dead?!!?????!!!!

Zenobia and Onka panic, best described as the All The Nopes condition.



Zenobia’s friends bludgeon the creature to permadeath, and go find Zenobia wherever she ran off to.

Zenobia: Zombies don’t do that!!!!
Nemat: It wasn’t a zombie, it was a coffer corpse - it’s what you can get when a corpse is improperly disposed of. Like some poor fluttershyer being shoved into an airtight room.

And then we find the OTHER surprise lurking around the sanctum - one that wouldn’t even show up on a Detect Undead spell, even assuming we’d had that particular spell ready. It swings down on us from the ceiling. Maybe we were distracted by the unusually florid hieroglyphs in this room.

“Woe to you who would plunder the Reliquary of the Thrice-Divided Soul. Turn away, lest the harsh judgment of the Forgotten One fall upon you and your descendants for a thousand generations. Turn away, for his ka cannot be appeased and it shall call forth legions of the dead and the damned. Turn away, and may the All-Seeing Eye and the Lady of Graves take pity on you, for if not, the Forgotten Pharaoh shall consume you, body and soul!”

Nemat: *starts and points up at the statue in the room* that’s where the Mask WAS!

Until recently, the room contained a source of Necromantic energy of OVERWHELMING strength - even the remnant energy is alarming. This is worrying, to say the least, because we have no idea who that first group that came through are. And the Forgotten Pharaoh is probably Hakotep the First, best-known as the Sky Pharaoh, because his flying pyramid is apparently still flying around out there. Bit strange that his mask would be down here on the ground. Especially in a temple of Nethys.


 

Zenobia OoC: All in all, pretty alarming. We live in the kind of genre where you take that kind of warning seriously.
Onka OoC: It’s almost like it’s the name of the adventure. So, who’s got a flying carpet?
Nemat OoC: I’m not going NEAR that thing.

It also becomes obvious, that whoever that first group were, they looted the majority of the really interesting stuff from the other rooms, but left the merely material treasures (much of it Nethesian temple regalia by the looks of it), and minor scrolls, potions, etc. Alternatively, it might just be stuff the Div had on it when it stuck around down here.

There’s also the tomb of one Djedihepet, which going by the inscriptions is really, really old, back in the age of other essentially legendary empires, and apparently the year Wati was founded. A nice find.

Nemat: Remember, no disturbing the dead unless they disturb themselves first.
Zenobia: So no raising the dead to ask them about the founding of the city?
Nemat: *looks thoughtful*

As it turns out we disturb the tomb anyway, since it was concealing a secret passage. A magically defended secret passage. Still, nothing immediately fatal. There’s a Pearl of Power hidden down here, among other things.

Zenobia OoC: I’m just thinking a pearl would look nice on Asrian - it matches her colour scheme.

Senenmerek is bit surprised to find out the the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh was hidden down here.

GM: You get that skeleton jaw drop again.

Nemat: I’m starting to think the real reason the Pharaoh approved these expeditions into the Necropolis, is because he intends to reclaim the Necropolis for the living.

Of course searching the sanctum for any documents that the previous two teams of looters left behind raises its own issues, even if we do use Mend to repair any scrolls that have crumbled over the centuries. Who knew there such things as Guardian Scrolls? On the other hand, it WAS hidden with some very interesting stuff, including stone tablets.

Asrian: ‘I bring you these tablets bearing Ten Commandments!’
Zenobia: Fifteen Commandments.

Although it’s more of a Rosetta Stone, and a nice historical relic with a Comprehend Language enchantment. Still, we should probably go tell somebody about the whole ‘stolen item of vast necromantic power’ thing.

Mending is such a very useful basic cantrip, especially for archeologists.

Onka OoC: ‘You’ve entered a room that was once full of parchments, but they’ve long since crumbled to dust.’ 'Not for long! Close the door and grab a broom.'
GM: I’ve had to make so many changes to this campaign because of that spell.

We’re talking about nation-building.


Google Mini: I’m sorry, I can’t help with that. Yet.

GM: It’s only your testimony that gets the rest of the Scorched Hand off with only a ban from the Necropolis, and not execution.
Onka: ‘Sent into Pharasma’s embrace, prematurely’

Still, it’s a bit worrying that there was a major necromantic artefact in the temple of Nethys, that the Cult of Pharasma don’t know about. And the temple guardian didn’t know about. But somebody knew enough about to get in and steal it. And Veldriana knew about but somebody beat her to it. Zenobia thinks that Veldriana might help with the investigation into this Mask, if she’s told that it’s already gone. Nemat can think of a dozen ways that could backfire horribly, and points out that she’s already been given one chance to do things the right way.

Zenobia: It’s entirely likely the Cult of Pharasma are going to want to kick this one upstairs anyway.
Onka: *snort*
Nemat: Yes, the Cult of the Goddess of Death are going to kick this one upstairs - *stab*

The Cult have also organised an auction of some of the artefacts, including items we’re putting up for auction ourselves,, with the refreshments including 2000 year old honey that was found in one of the tombs. It’ll be a good opportunity to mingle with some of the more wealthy inhabitants of Wati, too.

Onka: I think we’ve been spending far too much time in tombs.
Nemat: … I understand the words but the sentence makes no sense.

There’s also a group of adventurers we haven’t met before - the Four Lanterns. They’re also the luckiest adventurers we’ve ever seen, since they came out of the Necropolis with a huge pile of loot.

GM: They’re also the most cocksure adventurers you’ve ever met.
Onka: Dead by next week.

The other attendees include somebody who’s spending most of the evening talking to himself.

All: …
Nemat: Nobody biting on that?
Zenobia: He IS just talking to himself, and not waiting for answers, is he?

Nemat: I’m torn between three options - My people! (the other academics); Ladies!; and making sure nobody is being mean to Zenobia.

Granddaughter Meshhoten: I’ve heard that mumia is a cure for Mummy Rot
Nemat: … I’d be extremely wary about that. If anything, consuming mumia is a great way to contract ghoulism. In fact, anybody that sells you mumia as a cure for Mummy Rot is probably trying to kill you.

The rumours have been getting things a bit backwards - claiming that the Scorched Hand were ambushed by low-lifes as they left the Necropolis, for example.

Coffee Merchant: I think it’s absolutely terrible the way the Cult is opening up the looting of our heritage. I hear Haty-a Oshep Kahmed is going to increase taxes on travellers from beyond the sister cities, to recoup the cultural damage.

Nemat and Asrian are particularly insulted - Asrian was born in Wati for one thing. Nemat’s counterarguments leave something to be desired though.

Nemat: On one hand, is it not better that foreigners die in the recovery of our heritage, than brave Osirii?

Nemat: If you were paying attention, that actually means ‘people are dying to get this stuff, so shut up you ignorant shit’.

Zenobia is extremely excited when clerical garb and a holy book of her faith comes up at the auction, and is so excited about her purchases she doesn’t really notice when Ptemenib, the representative of the Necropolis, leaves the auction early. No doubt we’ll find out what kind of shit just went down, later.

On the other hand, we DO benefit from a bidding war on some of the items we put up. Handy, especially given how much Zenobia just spent on some old robes and an illuminated manuscript.

Zenobia: Clearly it was all part of Sarenrae’s plan.

Something odd DOES happen when that Rosetta Stone we found is unveiled - a magical aura, definitely necromantic, sweeps across the room.

Zenobia: *hackles rising* Did anybody else feel that?
Asrian: Yessssss.

But it doesn’t seem to be the tablet itself - the cold breeze swept across the entire room, and quite possibly the town as well.

Nemat: Something is happening. Still, I don’t want to disrupt the auction *launches into a detailed impromptu lecture about the tablet, its historical importance and its enchantments*

Nemat: Because we went through all that rigmarole, we came out 800gp ahead.
Zenobia: And got to enjoy some nice goat cheese and old honey.
Onka: Goat cheese? I thought that was figs.
Nemat: Cheese-stuffed figs.
Onka: I avoided the honey.
Nemat: Why? It was perfectly preserved.
Onka: I try not to eat stuff that is thousands of years old.

GM: There’s a knock at the door.
Nemat: … do we have our weapons?
GM: No. They had you check them in or peacebind them.
Asrian: I smuggled my scimitar in.
GM: A knock followed by the door splintering as a horde of zombies shambles into the room, hungry for the flesh of the living.
Onka: So that’s what that aura was.
Nemat: Well, this is a thing that is happening. Zenobia, you’re up!
Zenobia: *turn Undead, with Sarenrae’s blessing* Return from whence you came, creatures of evil!
Nemat: Zenobia, two clerics of Nethys...
Asrian: This is not the smartest thing a zombie has ever done.

The zombies do have SOME kind of extra enhancement, but whatever necromantic aura is empowering them burns away when Zenobia calls down Sarenrae’s blessing. Following it up with a healing burst is certainly appreciated by all the civilians and adventurers that got themselves mauled by the hungry dead. Still, as we might have predicted, Wati is being overrun by more of the bastards. From the looks of it, most are from the Necropolis. Onka gets a bonk on the head as the awning outside the building gets knocked down.

Onka: OW, fluttershy, this is like being back home… I was raised by a bastard of a shaman.

The pillar in the town square that the severed hands of thieves are hung from - the “Pillar of Second Thoughts” - is looking a bit lively too. Some of the hands have broken off and are running around on the ground.

Zenobia: ...Ugh. *blasts the square with purifying fire*

After the excitement of mass zombie combat in the town square, we pause to regroup and listen for the next lot of screaming - it’s back inside the auction house. We run back inside to discover that one of the items, an elaborate sarcophagus, isn’t as empty as it was when it the Four Lanterns brought it in.

Nemat: I hate teleport technology!

The mummy smashing its way out of the sarcophagus already has the civilians paralysed with terror. It also seems disinclined to chat.

Mummy: TOMB-ROBBERS!
Zenobia: RETURN TO YOUR REPOSE, ANCIENT ONE!
Mummy: *cursing us out in Ancient Osiriani*
Onka: Do you kiss your mummy with that mouth?


 
Zenobia: THE POWER OF SARENRAE COMPELS YOU!
Nemat: Compels her to do what?
Zenobia: Lose 11 HP for a start.

The bard from the Four Lanterns runs up to try and slap some holy water on the undead, and fails horribly.

Zenobia: Well, he tried - of course ‘He tried’ is the kind of thing that gets written on tombstones.

And then the Four Lanterns wizard gets his spell off.

Nemat’s Player: It better not be fireball. Is he playing one of my wizards? “You should know better than getting into melee before the wizard gets his go.” Because another thing that gets written on tombstones is “Thou Shalt Not Fireball Your Own Party’.

Asrian finishes the mummy off with a Cure Moderate Wounds, and we run back outside - to see a pillar of utter blackness boiling up into the midnight sky over the Necropolis.

 

Our long missing forum colleague, known here as "TheEmerged," produced a pretty comprehensive list, along with thoughtful commentary on the changes. It used to be freely available on the Internet. I don't know if it still is, but I did save a copy of his web page, which I'll attach below.
HERO System 4th to 5th Edition Checklist-Commentary.htm

Just wanted to give Lord Liaden some well-deserved kudos, not just for sharing this, but also sharing other similar things online to help other Hero posters.  And doing so while properly crediting the original source up-front - you're a class act, LL.