RDU Neil

Further digression... in my Secret Worlds game, one of the PCs is a master hth combatant, who went undercover in a night club. He had no specific skill, but hit the dance floor while there, and rolled a 3 on his DEX roll. He now has Dancing: 13- on his character sheet, 'cause we figured he just "had the moves"... and in last night's game, he actually used it in combat. A big biker had grabbed their female contact and was manhandling her... the PC stepped up and did a multiple attack legsweep on the bad guy, grab/catch on the contact to keep her from falling. He rolled really well with both attacks, and rolled his Dancing skill... spun the young woman in a perfect spin... arms outstretched... as the big guy hits the ground. The PC then danced around her while stomping on the guy's chest then stomach, leaving the biker balled up and gasping on the floor.
 
It was great... though it deteriorated quickly as a shotgun and knives came out and things got ugly... but it was a really fun moment.

Quoting myself, simply because last night's game had a classic example of hit location making things fun. PCs were essentially set up to walk (knowingly) into a hard core, criminal, white supremacist biker bar... none of the PCs, for probably the first time ever, are white... things go south pretty quickly... bar fight ensues. The PCs are Jason Bourne level pros, who are on their best behavior and trying NOT to just kill these guys... so initially it is all fisticuffs. We are using modified multiple attack rules, so characters are encouraged to throw not just one attack, but a combo of shots that feels much more like fighting than the "one big swing" typical of HERO champs.
 
Our Haida merc, Jackson Massett, rabbit punches the first guy in the chest as he grabs an outstretched hand and twists him to the ground, sidestepping his second attacker. As the first guy falls back and staggers to his feet, he turns to the second biker and drives a shot into his stomach so hard the guy doubles over, Massett's second punch missing contact over his head, the first guy lunges from a squat swinging wide, going right over Jackson's roll. As the second attacker swings again, Jackson slams his hand up into the man's throat, windpipe collapses and the biker drops like a wet sack. First biker thinks he has position and goes for a bear hug, trying to use his size to overwhelm Jackson, who slips to the side jamming the man's arms  inside, then he turns and brings a hard left right at the guy's nose (High Shot).

This is where it got really fun, because despiste the high shot roll, it hit the biker in the 7/forearm. The biker threw his arm up just in time... but Jackson's player rolled... and dice were crazy... 26 Stun on 5d6. The player cackled, "Oh man, I punched his arm right into his own face!" which was a perfect example of how an arm shot could end up doing enough damage (to an already woozy dude). And just created a perfect visual image the guy basically punching himself on to his back. 
 
That kind of visceral fight just doesn't exist in any other system I've played, with the simple, intuitive nature of the Hit Location chart.

Best part of the game, IMO.
 
 
 
 

Further digression... in my Secret Worlds game, one of the PCs is a master hth combatant, who went undercover in a night club. He had no specific skill, but hit the dance floor while there, and rolled a 3 on his DEX roll. He now has Dancing: 13- on his character sheet, 'cause we figured he just "had the moves"... and in last night's game, he actually used it in combat. A big biker had grabbed their female contact and was manhandling her... the PC stepped up and did a multiple attack legsweep on the bad guy, grab/catch on the contact to keep her from falling. He rolled really well with both attacks, and rolled his Dancing skill... spun the young woman in a perfect spin... arms outstretched... as the big guy hits the ground. The PC then danced around her while stomping on the guy's chest then stomach, leaving the biker balled up and gasping on the floor.
 
It was great... though it deteriorated quickly as a shotgun and knives came out and things got ugly... but it was a really fun moment.

Been a while since I played Fate, but this is part of characterization, less actual play scenes. Character A writes a short paragraph describing how they worked with Character B on a mission... Character B writes one about Character C... Character C writes one about D, who write one about A... all as part of their character backgrounds. That way all the characters essentially "know each other" and have a motivating connection with at least one other before the game even starts.
 
I've done something like this with a lot of my games, generally to make sure the actual play skips the terrible, unnecessary "you meet in a bar" and no one wants to hang out party setup crap that almost always derails games before they start.

Been a while since I played Fate, but this is part of characterization, less actual play scenes. Character A writes a short paragraph describing how they worked with Character B on a mission... Character B writes one about Character C... Character C writes one about D, who write one about A... all as part of their character backgrounds. That way all the characters essentially "know each other" and have a motivating connection with at least one other before the game even starts.
 
I've done something like this with a lot of my games, generally to make sure the actual play skips the terrible, unnecessary "you meet in a bar" and no one wants to hang out party setup crap that almost always derails games before they start.

I think that pic encompasses the whole of the M87 galaxy -- the bright tail sprouting rightwards from the core matches pretty well with the central jet in visible light pics I've seen. Also, the above image is in the X-ray spectrum.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47873592
 

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47873592
 

Yeah, I rewatched the scene in question and it's nothing IMO.  Pepper says it's a mouthful and Coulson says we're working on it.  Meh, no big deal.  There is no way that this vague banter could definitively be argued as setting something in stone.

"...and starring Guile as Captain America!"

Or is that more Johnny Bravo?

Well, we all have our complications, mine is ADHD I got the big books first (6E1&6E2&FH) because someone said that Fantasy Hero Complete is an awful place to start... and tried to power through them... three times.. but I always ran out of steam. So this time, a couple of weeks ago, I finally decided to purchase FHC and it was much better fit for me. Yes, it's very dense (they managed to fit almost all the rules in there) but it didn't give me the drowning sensation like the big tomes did. Having read it I think I now have a decent overview of the system and how the parts fit together and I can use the big rulebooks when I want deeper explanation/examples. I got Turakian Age next and started sketching characters and playing with the power system. I still feel a bit overwhelmed but I think I'm finally over the largest hurdle and on my way to finally getting to play(GM) the game ?

I don't even want to talk about Fuzion.    Let's just let it lie where it is.  
 
As far as editions go, the major giveaway would have been the fact I was using the first-gen linear Range Modifiers.  If you had gone over the characters with a fine-toothed comb you'd have seen I used the original Danger International costs for Skills.  And, that was about it.  (Oh, they all had COM scores, but I think they were all 10, and it never came up in play.)  While I noted down END costs for STR Minimums in weapon use, 1 END per 5 STR is a perfectly cromulent rule for 4th, 5th, and 6th edition heroic level games.  
 
Compare that with the Champions game I played in on Friday night.  The characters were all pregens; the only giveaway there would have been the fact that the Characteristics omitted COM and were listed in 6th edition order, and CV's weren't CHA/3.  We used hex maps for the first combat, scenery on the tabletop with rulers for the second; some of the characters had movement listed in hexes/inches and some in meters.  I don't remember if point costs were listed on the sheets or not.  In play, I couldn't have told you whether it was 4th, 5th, or 6th edition.  
 
As far as rules changes go, there are two sets of significant "generational" changes:  the changes from 3rd edition to 4th (buying Reduced END Cost on Powers, Range Modifier switching from linear to exponential, loss of diminishing returns costs in Disadvantages and Enhanced Senses), and the changes from 5ER to 6th (decoupling of Figured Characteristics and Combat Values; switching from hexes/gridded to meters/optional grid).  All else is tweaking of costs.  
 
I declare the Edition Wars over.

My group meets Saturday to decide what we’ll run. I’m letting them pick something they’re interested in so they’re more likely to want to learn. 

It's been a minute since I've crunched the the numbers on this, but it leads to modest increase in average stun and body damage compared to 3d6.
 
It certainly does feel more right than punching someone in the ankle, though.

I think the big part of it is making that extra roll (to see what hit location was hit) dramatic. If the kill shot ends up hitting the arm instead, it needs a dramatic telling anyway... "You see your opening and drive your sword for the kill... (rattle, rattle 8! I hit... his upper arm?), but the bandit lord turns and the blade slides across his upper bicep! His armor is thin there, and the blade cuts through. Red wells up and he hisses in pain, but it isn't a killing blow!"
 
Definitely not, "Oh... arm shot. That sucks. Too bad for you." 
 
The dramatics and making sure the hit locations don't make the players feel ineffectual is important, IMO. Usually, the hit location roll is a "lean in" moment for the table, though... everyone looking to see if a head shot comes up!
 
Edit: Oh... I tend to default that HtH attacks roll the High Shot (2d6+1 right?) automatically, unless the player chooses to have the full body target (using a spear, or swinging a sword can more easily go to all parts of the body, or the player just wants the 3d6 chance). That tends to "feel" more correct for HtH in my experience, but clearly just a preference.

Love this stuff. It is a head scratcher about whether to do it in Game 1, because it is more dice rolling and rules, but at the same time, it is a very visceral and cinematic aspect of the game... it is a rule that enforces colorful description and dynamic imagination... rather than just "I hit... X stun, Y body." 
 
I'm torn on this, because hands down, my favorite part of the game is combat with hit locations... so i'm biased.

Especially for heroic level games I think hit locations are great.  I've found my players like a visceral, cinematic description of what their attack to a specific body part does in game.
 
In last night's game a guy landed a critical normal damage attack (gauntleted fist, growth spell active) to a hobgoblin's arm which was enough to stun it and injure the arm severely.  Whole table laughed at the idea of the hobgoblin succumbing to a big-brother punch to the shoulder.

When it comes to OCV/DCV... I still think it is possible to start out. "You want to roll low for hitting... high for damage." Done. They roll, you tell them if they hit or succeeded.
 
Funny how "Stealth is 14 or less" never seems to cause problems, but rolling low to hit is a nightmare.
 
Then, if they want to know "How does it work?" then you can say something like. "Because we use 3d6, 11 is the median score you are likely to roll... So 11 is base and add your OCV you have your Attack number. Write that down. Now, going forward simply subtract what you roll and that tells you the Defense number you hit. So a low roll... subtracting less... leaves you with a higher remainder."   But do NOT say all this unless they ask, and only do it outside the game.
 
I've played with plenty of people who are happy with "I rolled X... did I hit?" and are ok with nothing more than that for years of gaming. They are ok with maneuvers, too... because they get the basics... "This maneuver means more damage, or puts the guy on his back, but there are penalties to hit... this other maneuver gives me bonuses to hit, but lower damage... etc."  That intuitive stuff comes quickly, as long as it isn't buried in formulas and numbers... at least in my experience.

Also, it has been said several times here (myself, Killer Shrike, Deglar) that I don't want it to get lost... I really REALLY think the best way for newbies is to "Just describe what you want to do... and then I'll talk about the rule that best captures that maneuver. You'll catch on to what the rules are doing as we use them."  And do the same yourself as GM. "The bandit sees you draw you sword and is attempting to slam his shield down on your sword arm. Basically he is trying to knock the sword out of your hand rather than really do damage, so this is a Disarm maneuver, which some characters have. If he hits, instead of doing damage he gets a bonus to his STR vs. STR roll to knock your sword away."

That should lead to things like, "I don't have Disarm... can I do that?" and "Yes, you can try, but since you are untrained, it will be harder to do. It defaults to a Grab roll then STR vs. STR without bonuses." (the idea that most answers to "Can I try that maneuver?" in HERO is "Yes... you just might not be very good at it based on your skills, etc." 

And hopefully this leads to, "Can my character learn Disarm?" and now we off and running. "Absolutely... that kind of thing is exactly what EXP is for. Your characters learn new skills and maneuvers and knowledge, especially in cases like this where there is good reason for him to train/learn this maneuver."

Story and description first... make it cool... then bring in the rules. Personally, I often try to emphasize that I prefer "the rules to be invisible." I much prefer a dramatic, descriptive statement than looking in the rule book. "As you play, you'll learn a lot of the basics and start to realize when certain maneuvers are better than others, but the rules should never over-rule what is dramatically appropriate."
 
That might not be your play style, but I certainly emphasize it in mine and have found new players tend to respond to that well.

Exactly. I tried to teach HERO System to a buddy of mine, an experienced gamer for years, but I didn't do a very good job of soft-starting the process. It led to a whole discussion as a result: 
What I discovered was that, without a tightly defined set of limits from the outset, like guidelines for characteristics, etc., the possibilities were too vast and paralyzing for even an experienced gamer. I tried to do some damage control by limiting things to Fantasy Hero Complete, but by that point there were just too many numbers flying around for him to understand for the char-gen process. Again, they've changed the character sheets for 6e to not include starting base values and costs (like they did in every edition before), which is flabbergasting to me.
 
So, if I create some decent pre-gens and let them play around with the rules a bit through game play, hopefully it'll become more natural to them when it comes time to create their own characters. 

Fantasy Hero Basic_6thed.pdf
 
Hi Brian.
 
I've uploaded my beginners guide for fantasy hero.
 
Feel free to use any, all, or none of it for your own group.
 
Cheers.

When it comes to OCV/DCV... I still think it is possible to start out. "You want to roll low for hitting... high for damage." Done. They roll, you tell them if they hit or succeeded.
 
Funny how "Stealth is 14 or less" never seems to cause problems, but rolling low to hit is a nightmare.
 
Then, if they want to know "How does it work?" then you can say something like. "Because we use 3d6, 11 is the median score you are likely to roll... So 11 is base and add your OCV you have your Attack number. Write that down. Now, going forward simply subtract what you roll and that tells you the Defense number you hit. So a low roll... subtracting less... leaves you with a higher remainder."   But do NOT say all this unless they ask, and only do it outside the game.
 
I've played with plenty of people who are happy with "I rolled X... did I hit?" and are ok with nothing more than that for years of gaming. They are ok with maneuvers, too... because they get the basics... "This maneuver means more damage, or puts the guy on his back, but there are penalties to hit... this other maneuver gives me bonuses to hit, but lower damage... etc."  That intuitive stuff comes quickly, as long as it isn't buried in formulas and numbers... at least in my experience.

Also, it has been said several times here (myself, Killer Shrike, Deglar) that I don't want it to get lost... I really REALLY think the best way for newbies is to "Just describe what you want to do... and then I'll talk about the rule that best captures that maneuver. You'll catch on to what the rules are doing as we use them."  And do the same yourself as GM. "The bandit sees you draw you sword and is attempting to slam his shield down on your sword arm. Basically he is trying to knock the sword out of your hand rather than really do damage, so this is a Disarm maneuver, which some characters have. If he hits, instead of doing damage he gets a bonus to his STR vs. STR roll to knock your sword away."

That should lead to things like, "I don't have Disarm... can I do that?" and "Yes, you can try, but since you are untrained, it will be harder to do. It defaults to a Grab roll then STR vs. STR without bonuses." (the idea that most answers to "Can I try that maneuver?" in HERO is "Yes... you just might not be very good at it based on your skills, etc." 

And hopefully this leads to, "Can my character learn Disarm?" and now we off and running. "Absolutely... that kind of thing is exactly what EXP is for. Your characters learn new skills and maneuvers and knowledge, especially in cases like this where there is good reason for him to train/learn this maneuver."

Story and description first... make it cool... then bring in the rules. Personally, I often try to emphasize that I prefer "the rules to be invisible." I much prefer a dramatic, descriptive statement than looking in the rule book. "As you play, you'll learn a lot of the basics and start to realize when certain maneuvers are better than others, but the rules should never over-rule what is dramatically appropriate."
 
That might not be your play style, but I certainly emphasize it in mine and have found new players tend to respond to that well.

It's really more about campaign feel, character guidelines, and campaign setup.  
 
And I've proven, at least to myself and five players, that a no-powers military campaign can work just fine.

It was sort of the idea to have a vague notion of Predator hanging around in the background, in case I wanted to add SFnal elements later.  
 
So, I just got finished running it.  Two of the players I knew; two others were old Hero hands (one of which was an old Danger International player!), and one signed up at the con.  It was very helpful to have players who knew the game! 
 
They apparently all thought it went well; I could have used another day to prepare.  I could have differentiated the PCs better, and given some of them some more to do. 
 
As it is, I ran them through a short shooting range drill, teaching them the dice math, followed by the mission proper.  They took down maybe a dozen terrorists, captured two commandants, "disrupted" a massive trade of military vehicles from one organization to the other (by means of sufficient application of explosives) and flew home in their chopper leaving flames and explosions behind.  
 
Mission success; seems like the game was a success as well.