Jump to content

Edsel

HERO Member
  • Posts

    9,811
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    3

Posts posted by Edsel

  1. Regarding the Set Maneuver we have the following from page 204 of MHIEHRPG:

    Quote

    This Combat Maneuver represents the effects of taking extra time to aim at a specific target, thereby improving one’s accuracy. It requires a Full Phase to establish, and provides a +1 OCV bonus to all attacks against that target until the character ends the Set (which occurs if the character does anything other than aim at or attack the target, gets Stunned or Knocked Out, and so forth).

    No mention of it being exclusive to Ranged Attacks.

    From 6E2 79

    Quote

    This Combat Maneuver represents the effects of taking extra time to aim at a target with a Ranged attack, thereby improving one’s accuracy.  Set does not work with HTH Combat attacks.

    My understanding is that the MHIEHRPG was written using the 6E rules.  So is Set meant to work in HtH combat in the MHI campaign setting as a special case?  If one only had the MHIEHRPG book you would never see the prohibition against using Set only in HtH combat.

  2. My group is about to start a new MHIEHRPG campaign.  Monster miniatures are easy to come by.  Lots of zombies and assorted monsters from various fantasy miniature lines.  Does anyone have any leads on where to acquire miniatures that can pass for Monster Hunters and/or MCB Agents?

  3. I still have my old 4E Fantasy Hero book.  Yes, for each race their was a racial package and a cultural package.  The cultural package was composed of skills and disadvantages and the racial package was for characteristics, talents, powers and such.

  4. 43 minutes ago, Cloppy Clip said:

    That looks like a great solution to the battlemap question, and much more artistic than I could manage. If you don't mind my asking, how many points are your players working with? And how are you handling the conversion of D&D monsters to HERO - are you using some sort of system, or do you just substitute whatever seems reasonable? Hope your second session goes well!

    Actually, I misspoke, I have seven players in the group (only six will be here this evening).  We started with 160 points with 40 points of matching complications.  I lessened the points from the traditional 175/50 because I do have so many player characters.  We had started this campaign using AD&D 2nd Edition, but that only went about four sessions before some of the less "old timers" were not very happy with the system.  We then converted the whole thing to Hero 6E.  Four players kept their original concept and started with 5 XP each, the other three started with new characters.  Essentially, we just switched systems.  I am just using Greyhawk as the setting and using ToEE as material for the general course of the adventure.  I use stuff pretty much straight out of the Hero System Bestiary when I can and make what I don't have.  It isn't really converting AD&D to Hero so much as simply using the background material.  For example, one pre-existing character was a halfling thief/psionicst with telekinesis.  He just made a Fantasy Hero halfling and took some thief skills and built a telekinesis multipower.  We pretty much gave up on trying to build direct conversions because we are playing Fantasy Hero and trying to play AD&D with a different rules system is just too much of a headache.

  5. I would like to post more about my ideas and GM schemes, but I fear that some of my six players might drop in on this forum from time to time.  I have written a two and half page summary of the Complications that the characters in the group have.  In those notes I put forth my ideas for how to make those complications as detrimental as they should be.  Several of them have complications that will have direct implications into the activies of the ToEE even if they haven't realized it yet.  A few others will probably spawn side-quests as their weaknesses are exploited.  Our second session, in Hero System, will be tomorrow night and I am looking forward to it.  I have been away from Hero for years and the bug has bitten me again.  They have nearly cleared the ground floor of the Moathouse, they have yet to delve beneath the surface.

    Here is the Moathouse drawn in dry-erase markers on the hex tiles that I have.  Originally I had this built with Warlock tiles but they have nearly finished the ground level so those tiles have gone into building the underground.

    IMG_6296.jpg

  6. One of the players in my campaign has a Hero Designer character that has Telekinesis (14 STR) in a multipower framework with the limitation "Costs END To Maintain (Half END Cost; -1/4)"

    I am trying to figure out how this works and exactly what his END costs would be.  As I understand it Telekinesis being a Constant power costs 1 END per 5 points of STR used (this is a heroic fantasy hero game).  What happens if he keeps his multipower points allocated to his telekinesis but uses 0 STR for a phase.  Is the cost to maintain the power then half of zero?

  7. I see this Physical Complication listed for several forms of Undead in the 6E Bestiary.  What is a "necromancy-based Presence Attack?"  The Ghoul is the only undead that has a Vulnerability 2x Effect from the Presence Attacks of holy men (uncommon).  Is a PRE attack by a priest considered to be a "necromany-based Presence Attack?"  It is just a very confusing phrase with no definition that I can determine.

  8. We did not take the concept of alignments into Hero System with us.  Which also means things like "Protection from Evil/Good" are no longer applicable.  For turning undead I have already told the character that wants to be a sort of cleric that most undead take increased effects from PRE attacks by holy men (just needs to profess that is what he is and buy the perk to be a priest).  I did write up this scroll which they may find if they look in the right area.  

     

    Scroll: Protection from Undead:  Telekinesis (30 STR), Area Of Effect (3m Radius; +1/4), Persistent (+1/4), Affects Desolidified Any form of Desolidification (+1/2) (90 Active Points); 1 Continuing Charge lasting 20 Minutes which Never Recovers (-2 1/2), Limited Power Only vs Undead and Physical Missiles They Fire (-1 1/2), OAF Fragile (-1 1/4), No Range (-1/2)

     

    Probaby need to add Requires Light (-1/4) to that as well but since it is a consumable magic item I am not very concerned about the Real Point cost.

     

    I guess magic items and spells from AD&D are about the only thing I have done significant work on.  If I can replicate the Greyhawk item or spell I do so.  If I can't then I just substitue something of similar worth that can be built in Hero System or taken from the published sources.

  9. First off.  If any of my players are reading this thread.  STOP.

     

    I am afraid that I have done very little conversion work.  Our D&D 5E group became disillusioned with all the shenanigans going on with the publishers and community.  We then reverted back to AD&D 2E with an all new campaign, but that only lasted a few sessions before some of the younger members in our group made it know that they really didn't like the system that much.  So now we transitioned over to Hero System.  At first people attempted to replicate their 1st level D&D characters in Hero which is possible but you end up with some really wonky builds.  After that first attempt I encouraged the players to just keep their background and history and rebuild the characters using the published Hero System sources.  This has worked much better.  The elves used the elf template from Fantasy Hero, the Gnome and Halfling did the same (6-players, 2 elves, 1 gnome, 1 halfling, 2 humans).

     

    Since it is new to most of the group, I started them off in the Village of Hommlet.  In AD&D they made one foray to the moathouse (where one got eaten by a big lizard) and then retreated to regroup.  We transitioned the campaign to Hero system.  Four of the characters kept the same character idea that they had.  One player changed.  And the deceased character was a new build as well.  I have pretty much just gotten the equivlent critters from the Hero System Bestiary where possible and just made a quick build for the few I did not have (Bugbear and Gnoll).  I have even used the Hero System Ghouls even though they lack the paralytic power of the AD&D versions.

     

    So basically I convert as little as I can get away with.  And since most of the group was not familiar with Greyhawk, they do not necessiarly come across as typical Greyhawk characters.  One guy is running a character based on Bell from a certain popular anime.  And then the Complications that players have put on their characters have given me all sorts of material I can use as, well Complications.  I am trying to bring those complications to life using Greyhawk background where possible.  And at least one character is familar with the background and so is essentially running a former Scarlet Brotherhood monk who is being hunted by them as a traitor.  

  10. Merely pleased with myself for coming up with this so I thought I would post. The party is currently in Hommlet and will be eventually procceding onto the Temple of Elemental Evil. The game system is Hero (Fantasy Hero), so basically I have converted the AD&D modules into Hero System.  I will preface by saying that the character said they have no idea about the birthmark and left the specifics up to me.  They were also leaving the deal about attracting people who think she is a "chosen one" of some sort up to me.  I think they rolled up a random background using the "Heroes of Legend" book (an OOP generic suplement produced by Task Force games in the distant past).  The player still doesn't know what the birthmark means or who these weirdos are that are following her around.

    • Distinctive Feature: Alchemical symbol on arm (Easily Concealed; Is Noticed and Recognized) [5-points]. This has the ability to change. It is currently an eastern (in our world Chinese) alchemical symbol for mushrooms. It is often a harbinger of what ever the current plot is. The mushrooms are fungi and therefore a part of the domain of Zuggtmoy (Demoness Lady of Fungi). She is sealed in the Temple of Elemental Evil and perhaps Kaitra will be instrumental in freeing her.

    • Hunted: Religious Zealots Frequently (Less Pow; PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find; Watching; There are lots of them) [7-points]. A group of 4 zealots have wandered into town while the part is away at the Moathouse. When they arrive back in Hommlet they may cause a scene. “Your eminence! Show us the way!” Every week from this point forward in Hommlet 1d6 more pilgrims will arrive, it will eventually cause issues with the townsfolk. They are devotees of Zuggtmoy (Demoness Lady of Fungi), whether they are sober enough to realize it or not. (They eat funny mushrooms).

    Her birthmark became more defined and prominent in the last month or so. It had been rather indistinct but now it is a symbol that means mushrooms (a fungi). I got the symbol from here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhi_(excrescences). Since Zuggtmoy is sealed within the depths of the temple our unsuspecting character may somehow be the key to releasing the demon, or further sealing them, or whatever. I will go with whatever fits the narrative at the time. The nice thing about this "birthmark" is that it can change to attract a different group of cultists at a later date. For instance, once the ToEE is dealt with perhaps a symbol of fire or ice when they move on to something like "Against the Giants."

  11. I am just getting back into Hero System after about a 10-year absence so I am busy relearning all I have forgotten.

     

    A character in my Fantasy Hero game has a Barrier that has 9 BODY and 0 Defenses, it is meant to englobe enemies since it has Backlash (+1/2) bought for it.  I assume that he can specify at least one defense it provides, but is it legal to say that it is stops any more that one attack effect?  For instance can he specify that it resists Physical and Energy Attacks?  

  12. My HDv3.jar file is dated 10/20/2013.  I have not used it in many years.  But our group is about to dive back into Hero System gaming.  I have the latest Java installed.  The program opens just fine but it locks up my computer if I try to play with anything in any tab other than the Basic Info, Background, or Characteristics tab.  I have to use Task Manager to quit Hero Designer and unfreeze my system.

     

    Is this just a matter of my HDv3.jar file being an antique that needs to be replaced?

  13. I think that I am just going to go with the modification that will change things the least.  I will give the Zombies hardened PD vs. piercing and slashing attacks.

     

    Currently my players are battling some Deep Ones in the just off the southern coast of Vancouver Island.  So far the group has looked at them as push overs.  It will be interesting to see how they react once their small boat is overturned. :snicker:

  14. THE PROBLEM

     

    My characters have had a couple of encounters with zombies so far.  They were originally dismayed by how hard the creatures were to eliminate with gunfire.  This is due mainly to the way the zombies are built.  They have 4 resistant PD, +2 resistant PD verses slashing and piercing attacks, and +2 more resistant PD verses piercing attacks.  This means that they count as having 8 resistant PD verses bullets and shotgun pellets.  The group has found two very effective methods to combat them.

     

    (1) As long as the range and surrounding permit, an explosive shotgun slug works wonders.  It does a 2 ½d6 KA in a 4m radius and it counts as an Energy Attack.  The zombie build has only 2 resistant ED so the slugs are now referred to as “zombie shredders” by at least one of the team.

     

    (2) One of the other characters has started carrying around a magazine or two loaded with AP ammo.  Due to the way the zombies are built Armor Piercing ammo is much more effective against them than regular ammo.

     

    I can see the explosive shotgun slugs being effective.  A blast is going to be a whole-body damaging attack and the term “zombie shredder” is an apt description.  What I have a problem with is the effectiveness of AP verses zombies.  I believe that the intent of the zombie build is to make clear that things that cause small isolated areas of damage (like piercing attacks and bullets) shouldn’t be nearly as debilitating to a creature of their nature.  Therefore it seems rather silly that an armor piercing bullet, which will make an even smaller and well defined puncture, should be much more effective.

     

    REMEDIES

     

    You could harden the zombie’s resistant PD or apply a Naked Advantage that hardens their PD verses puncturing attacks.  You wouldn’t want to give them a blanket hardened to their defenses because it is possible that some non-slashing and non-piercing forms of armor piercing physical attacks are out there which could be more effective.

     

    You could simply implement a house rule that says that AP bullets and similar attacks just don’t work due to the FX of the situation.  However I prefer to use as few house rules as I can since a plethora of them can be off putting to gamers new to the group.

     

    You could replace their resistant PD with Damage Negation.  However Damage Negation seems to be used more often to simulate creatures that regenerate rapidly from damage (like vampires and werewolves) and obviously zombies do not regenerate.

     

    I am thinking of doing something like this.  Give all Zombies 2 resistant PD & ED and 25% Damage Reduction verses all attacks to simulate how tough they are and how they keep operating after taking a pounding.  Give them 50% Damage Reduction verses slashing attacks and 75% Damage Reduction verses piercing attacks.  This would still mean that the explosive shotgun slug would be effective but bullets, including AP bullets, wouldn’t be.

     

    Anyone care to offer any opinions or input to this?

×
×
  • Create New...