Shadowsoul

This site, which belongs to a Hero forum member, has a system for converting D&D to Hero. http://www.killershrike.com/fantasyhero/Conversion3e/ConversionDMtoGM.aspx If you want a more slap dash write up then see the HD file attached to this post. It should make a reasonable starting point but probably needs to be tidied up a bit by someone more familiar with D&D. Note that the Infernal Wrath and Fire Resistance powers should become stronger as the Tiefling gets more powerful. Tiefling.hdc

Pa Page 50 but it's a bit vague.

(Though immortal C'tarl C'tarl would be mess up the setting's balance big time).

Seems like a pretty good way to work anime tropes into this world. You could have an agency of paranormal investigators staffed entirely with former magical girls, they might have a few axes to grind after losing their powers. Will there also be cat-girls? I do have a half finished nekomata write up somewhere I believe.

http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/81933-reaver-powers/?hl=reaver The standard build for the Blood Transfer would be a compound power including a Drain Body/Stun which could only be used on a willing target and an Aid or Heal to Mana Self only, Linked and Unified Power for the whole power. Technically nothing in that build says that the Drain and Aid have to be of the same Active Points Level but you can hand-wave it to say that they must be. See Hero 6ed page 197 for an example of Aid and Drain combined to create a Transfer power in this manner, (didn't there used to be an actual Transfer power? Why did they overcomplicate things by getting rid of it?) I like the blood puppet power!

Quick initial thoughts. How are you building Mana in this setting? Is it based on End, or an End reserve or is it a shiny new stat all of its own? I'm guessing you'll need a social complication or hunted to represent the fact that the practice of Blood Magic pretty much carries a death penalty, or is it permissible in your setting? By the way, if you like I can post a link to an old write up of Dragon Age Reavers which I posted ages back. Some of the principles are similar.

Why? Do they belong to Fight Club? Here's my two pennorth. I would say that healing can very easily come under non-divine 'Life Magic' which draws on natural forces and is not necessarily 'good' or 'nice', after all a shark is alive, as is a fungal infection. Blood Magic, (a form of Life Magic which certainly isn't pleasant), can inspire regeneration or cause the patient's blood to destroy disease cells, (though that is a traumatic experiencefor the patient). Earth magic can heal as well because of its links to nature, (unless you regard Earth magic as only relating to rocks, soil and lava). Water magic can heal because it is associated with cleansing and balms and is also a protean element capable of reforming around any change to its shape. Fire magic can burn out infection, though it might kill the patient in the process, (that is pretty much what the body is trying to do to itself when it develops a fever). I also love the idea of Biomancy as a kind of cross between sorcerous magic and b-movie style genetic engineering. So a Biomancer may know how to cure disease but they may be two busy grafting giant claws to their pet tiger to bother. That's the style of magic I'm going to use in my Rockworld setting. Steve. Do people in your setting research new spells or kinds of magic? Could there be magical laboratories trying to find a way to resurrect the dead? (Just because it can't be done doesn't mean people don't try it).

This monster is unusual in that I have not given him a specific origin, he is more of an archetype than a member of a particular species. The Butcher. Background/History Who can say how the Butcher came to exist? Perhaps he is demon of greed, perhaps he is an ogre run to fat or perhaps he was human once, until his desire to devour the flesh of others twisted him into the hulking abomination you see before you. All that matters now is that you have stumbled into his lair. You had better hope he isn't hungry, you wouldn't like him when he's hungry. Personality/Motivation. The Butcher has few, if any, interests in life beyond the practice of his profession; he takes great pride in butchery and great delight in eating raw meat, particularly the meat of sentient beings. Power, wealth and beauty hold no meaning for the Butcher, his only goal is to eat flesh and perhaps to wash his bloody meals down with a barrel or two of beer. To this end the Butcher is quite willing to work for a master or join an army of creatures that do not mind his eating habits and generally prefers this sort of arrangement since it saves him the effort of having to chase down and capture his meat himself, better to spend his time in butchery even if he must share the bulk of the meat with others. Powers/Tactics. The Butcher's vast girth does not slow him down in a fight and in fact he is so thick with fat that he can shrug off all but the mightiest of blows, this coupled with the fact that he is either too brutish or too stupid to truly register pain means that he can carry on fighting until he is literally hacked to pieces. In battle the Butcher makes the most of his prodigious strength; he usually wields a massive cleaver and is quite skilled in its use, even when faced with meat that keeps trying to get out of the way. More advanced tactics such as using missile weapons or cooperating with his allies are beyond the Butcher's meagre mental abilities, though he may throw knives, pots or haunches of meat at troublesome or distant opponents. Fear is another concept that the Butcher has little understanding of and he is unlikely to run away, even if faced with overwhelming odds. It is possible that this is because being afraid makes him hungry. Campaign Use. While the Butcher could be encountered lurking in a cave somewhere he is happiest when other creatures bring him his meat and so is most likely to be encountered in the dark recesses of an evil lord's castle or in the camp of some evil army. Tribes of cannibalistic monsters such as ogres may also have a Butcher among their number. The Butcher is a serious challenge for a lone adventurer and is tough enough to survive a few rounds even when outnumbered. Appearance. Hugely muscled 8 foot tall humanoid with blubbery features and a great rotund belly. His skin is clammy and fish pale and his piggy eyes are glazed over with hunger. Wears a floor length leather apron crusted with blood and other, less recognisable fluids and clutches a cleaver the size of a battle-axe in one meaty fist. Characteristics. Brutal Strength: +18 STR Precise Cuts: +4 DEX Indomitable: +15 CON Stubborn: +4 EGO Ghastly: +10 PRE Surprisingly Quick: +1 SPD Hugely Fat 1: +8 ED Hugely Fat 2: +12 PD Hugely Fat 3: +10 BODY Worker: +4 REC Tireless: +30 END Unstoppable: +30 STUN Stupid: -2 INT Total Characteristics Cost = 118 Skills Butcher: +2 with Butcher's Blades WF: Axes, Maces, Hammers, and Picks, Blades PS: Butcher 14- Total Skills Cost = 13 Powers Feels No Pain 1: Energy Damage Reduction, 50% (20 Active Points); STUN Only (-1/2) Feels No Pain 2: Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (30 Active Points); STUN Only (-1/2) Heavy: Knockback Resistance -4m Total Powers Cost = 37 Complications. Psychological Complication: Hungry for flesh (Common; Strong) Physical Complication: Large (Infrequently; Barely Impairing) Total Complications Points = 20 Total Character Points = 168 Equipment. Great Cleaver: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 2d6 (2 1/2d6 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (45 Active Points); OAF (-1), STR Minimum 17 (-3/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) Large Skinning Knife: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1d6 (2d6 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (22 Active Points); OAF (-1), STR Minimum 11 (-1/2), Real Weapon (-1/4) Blood-Crusted Leather Apron: Resistant Protection (1 PD/1 ED) (3 Active Points); Limited Power Does not protect feet arms or head (-1/2), Real Armor (-1/4) Design Notes. Not much to it really. I've encountered creatures like this in several computer games and probably a few books and films if I trouble to remember them. He's hardly the most original monster but I thought it would be fun to write up a character rather than a species, if that makes sense.

That thread is five years old? I know people with kids younger than that, that's depressing man. However, I do periodically add monsters to Shadowsoul's Monster Corner and have updated it since creation of the current iteration of the Hero Forum. This could be why the link to my thread works, perhaps QM's links were to an older version of the forum. Those threads should exist somewhere however, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to thread-necromanticise mine.

All the big sites I know of have been posted already, you should find plenty of material amongst the archives of such grandmasters as Susano and Killershrike, (fear the grol). But you are welcome to pillage my humble thread as well if you like. http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/65513-shadowsouls-monster-corner/ (I'd forgotten about Kestrel's site, loving the immense pdf bestiaries).

I'd say don't make people pay cp for equipment. You can limit the amount of equipment they start with and you can decide what treasure to dole out as the adventure progresses so you don't need to take cp away from them to spend on loot. If you're power level is only going to increase based on completing sessions or adventures and gaining xp it demotivates you and makes you less likely to act like a 'real' adventurer would. No Dwarf Explorer is going to walk away from a sweet repeating crossbow because he somehow knows that he won't be able to buy up his Strength if he keeps it. (With regard to that magic sword, you can balance it out by sending a mage with a Staff of Power after them next. Or you can make villains that don't rely on powerful artefacts - a Strength 20 barbarian with a club that gives him +5 STR is just as dangerous as a Strength 13 barbarian with a club that gives him +12 STR. And you can always use villains with artefacts MADE OF PURE EVILtm which will inflict horrific consequences on any hero foolish enough to use them). Opening up a treasure chest and gloating over the gleaming contents is one of the most fun parts of fantasy roleplaying and I think that having the GM peering over your shoulder saying 'So you like the Magical Axe of Headsplosions do you? Well you can use it once but then you'll have to drop your bow or pay to increase your equipment pool, otherwise it's gone!' would ruin the mood. I agree with NuSoardGraphite that it is easy enough to provide loot, particularly magical items, which mages will find useful, power boosters, rings of protection, end reserves, new spells. Druids can gain animal followers if other magic items aren't so useful to them. 'So you're friends all have cool magical swords. Ok, here's a tiger, that one's just for you'. Magic users do have access to abilities like flying or summoning that others don't, which tends to negate the advantage of having to pay for cp for abilities as others have already pointed out. Though rogues and the like can often do all sorts of things like pick locks or hunt game which pure spell users can't so at lower levels they are not left behind so much in that respect. On the other hand a sword is not a guided missile, your fighter still has to pay cp to know how to use it, pay cp to increase it's damage, pay cp to increase their chance to hit with it and pay gold to replace it if it get's bitten in half by some shrieking abomination from the very pits of hell. Also remember that not totalling up people's equipment pools should make the game simpler.

Hero and D&D are very different. In D&D for example your character gets more hit points as they increase in level, though different classes get more or less HP. In Hero you pretty much stick with your Body level unless you are really bulking out a physical character. Personally I would just start from scratch rather than trying to convert point for point, but make sure you keep the flavour of the characters and particularly note any advancement the characters have made so the players don't feel like they've lost their progress by porting. Once you have built the Hero versions of the characters you can probably stage a practice encounter or two against monsters which you would expect a level 4 D&D party to be facing, just to check that the change is not too jarring, if your characters crush the opposition or are butchered then you should probably adjust them before handing them back to their owners. That being said. Killershrike's 3e D&D to Hero conversion document may prove useful if you want to take the crunchy route. http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/Conversion3e/Conversion3eStep1.aspx

A Greyhawk book involving an alternative version of Llolth and starring a heretical ranger called The Justicar, (he somehow wielded divine spells while actively despising the gods), and a highly destructive faery sorceress? That book had two relationships which required spells to work. A growth spell to allow the Faery to reach a large enough size to umm ... romantically interact with the Justicar. And, even more weirdly, there was a human sized sphinx who was granted a thousand uses of a polymorph spell so she could similarly interact with a young human man. That could be a spell. 'Show love's true form'. 20d6 Transform, Conditional Power - Only to turn a lover into the same race as the caster -2.

Never mind the spell. I want to see a write-up of a Dire Honey Badger!

Mind Scan is automatically considered to possess Megascale costing +1 and 1/4. Anyone with Mind Scan can choose to scan an entire planet if they wish. The problem being that this imposes a -20 on their roll. Which you have dealt with by adding skill levels. Having locked onto the target I don't think you'd need megascale for the Mind Control.

Thanks! Feel free to add your own monsters or suggest write-ups. Don't know when I'll have time to update again though.

Hmm, different way of simulating it but quite neat nonetheless. Cheers.

A little off topic but none the less I have a question. Have there ever been any rules for 'getting past the point', (no jokes about missing the point of the thread please), when fighting someone who has a pike or other pole-arm? First off, I think that someone with a polearm should have some kind of 'first-strike' ability against someone with a sword, axe etc aside from the fact that they can attack with impunity for one action if their opponent is stupid enough to rock up to them and stand a couple of metres away. Of course the spearman could move to within a couple of metres away but I'm not sure that spearmen and pikemen were noted for charging, (could well be wrong on that, military historians feel free to correct me). Positioning aside, this advantage could be represented by a dex bonus which can only be used to attack first against people of the same Speed or by a spearman simply holding his action until the target is in range and then attacking before they get within a swordlength of him. However, once that swordsman is close enough to share a hex with the spearman or pikeman he is at a huge advantage. The business end of the polearm user's weapon is 2-4 metres, (1-2" of Reach), away from the swordsman and he is left with a top-heavy staff that he probably hasn't been trained to use as a staff. I would say that the spearman either can't attack at this range, must use a specific move to shorten his grip on the spear to bring it into range, (thereby possibly costing him an action and certainly reducing his damage) or at least take an OCV penalty. Perhaps once the opponent gets toe to toe the polearm user gets -1 OCV for every point of Reach he has?

It has been a long time and various things, from neck problems to writing projects, have kept me from uploading any new monsters to this old thread of mine. But no more. Arise from the grave dead thread! Wolfsheads Wolfshead is an old term for an outlaw, dating back to Medieval England. The idea was that certain people who had fled justice were legally considered to have the "head of a wolf" in so far as they could be killed with impunity just like a wolf. Hunting game on a nobleman's land would get you into serious trouble, just as murdering someone would. But killing a wolf or an outlaw held no legal repercussions. This monster build combines that idea with the myth of the Werewolf to create a slightly different spin on beastmen; outlaws who lurk in deep woods and, having cast aside their humanity, slowly transform into wolf-men, their physical transformation reflecting their rejection of the world of humans. Wolfsheads combine the worst qualities of humanity - cruelty, greed and selfishness, with the unbridled savagery of wild beasts; they are not bound by the laws of men or the balance of nature. Wolfsheads form packs and lurk at the edges of human society, robbing, killing and devouring true men as they please. In battle Wolfsheads favour ambush, their usual tactic is for the more human members of the pack to hide in trees and soften up the enemy with arrows until the more bestial outlaws launch a direct assault. The transformation from outlaw to wolfman happens gradually over time but for the sake of ease I have created three Package Deals to represent the broad types of Wolfshead. Wolfling. These benighted souls are not true Wolfsheads yet but are no longer quite men either, their eyes are yellow, their nails are overlong and their shaggy bodies move with a curious loping gait. Wolflings retain enough of their humanity to be able to speak, wear clothes, practice some crafts such as sewing or tanning and wield human weapons, including bows. This makes them useful members of the pack despite their relative lack of strength. In a large pack Wolflings can make up as much as half of the group's numbers but they are always low ranked and are often treated as little better than slaves by their wilder brethren. Characteristics STR +3 DEX +2 PRE +3 OCV +1 PD +1 END +4 Running +2 Skills WF: Axes, Maces, Hammers, and Picks, Blades, Bows, Clubs, Javelins and Thrown Spears, Thrown Knives, Axes, and Darts, Unarmed Combat KS: Forests 11- Navigation (Land) 11- PS: Any Craft 11- Stealth 11- Survival (Temperate/Subtropical Forests) 11- Climbing 12- Powers Claw-Like Nails: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1 point (1d6 w/STR), Autofire (2 shots; +1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1) (11 Active Points); Reduced Penetration (-1/4) +1 PER with Normal Smell +1 PER with Hearing Group Total Points = 48. 30 points of Complications. 18 points of XP Complications Bestial features: (Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) -15 Negative Reputation: Outlaw, Infrequently - 5 Psychological Complication: Unrepentant Criminal (Common; Moderate) -10 True Wolfshead After enough time spent in the wild a Wolfling's head becomes that of a wolf and only then is he truly accepted into the pack's power structure, nor is this the only change; fur covers his shoulders and the rest of his body is thick with hair, claws tip his hands and feet. The creature's wolf mouth cannot truly form human words, though they seem to be able to understand one another. Wolfsheads are strong and agile with an instinctive understanding of the hunt and an uncanny ability to coordinate their attacks. While a Wolfshead can still understand the use of melee weapons his crooked, clawed hands limit his ability to hold them and he may well prefer to fight with tooth and claw. Unless they are attended by Wolflings or slaves Wolfsheads will not be able to maintain weapons or armour. Characteristics STR +5 DEX +3 CON +4 PRE +5 OCV +1 DCV +1 SPD +1 PD +1 ED +1 END +8 BODY +1 STUN +6 Running +6 Skills WF: Axes, Maces, Hammers, and Picks, Blades, Clubs, Unarmed Combat KS: Forests 11- Navigation (Land) 11- Stealth 13- Survival (Temperate/Subtropical Forests) 12- Teamwork 12- Tracking 11- Climbing 12- Powers Claws: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1d6 (1 1/2d6 w/STR), Autofire (2 shots; +1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1) (34 Active Points); Reduced Penetration (-1/4) Fangs: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1/2d6 (1 1/2d6 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (15 Active Points) Tough Hide: Resistant Protection (1 PD/1 ED) +2 PER with Hearing Group +3 PER with Normal Smell Nightvision Total Points Cost = 132 60 points of Complications 71 points XP Complications Physical Complication: Slightly Limited Dexterity (Infrequently; Slightly Impairing) -10 Negative Reputation: Wolfshead, Frequently (Extreme) -15 Distinctive Features: Wolfshead (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) -20 Psychological Complication: Vicious Criminal (Common; Strong) -15 Alpha Wolfshead As a pack becomes older and grows in power one Wolfshead, the oldest, strongest or most savage, will transform completely, becoming a true wolfman with a full pelt of fur, bulging muscles and elongated claws. This monster functions as the pack's leader, much like an Alpha wolf, his increased strength and bestial fury make him a formidable opponent for any adventurer. Alphas have almost no humanity left, they cannot speak or use tools and are interested chiefly in killing, eating and mating. Aphas do retain their human cunning however and can still coordinate an ambush or tactical retreat if it is in their interests to do so. While Wolfsheads become stronger and more bestial with age none can complete their transformation without first killing the reigning Alpha. The exception is that if a female member of the pack gains enough power and is accepted by the Alpha as a mate she will become the pack's Omega and will complete her descent into wolf-form in order to rule by his side. It is not always a male who first rises to lead the pack, iIf a female Wolfshead 'ascends' before any males do then she will become an Omega in her own right, though she may eventually choose her own Alpha. Characteristics STR +10 DEX +4 CON +8 EGO +4 PRE +10 OCV +1 DCV +1 SPD +1 PD +2 ED +2 END +10 BODY +3 STUN +10 Running +6 Leaping +2 Skills KS: Forests 12- Navigation (Land) 11- Stealth 13- Survival (Temperate/Subtropical Forests) 12- Teamwork 13- Tracking 11- Ferocious: +2 with Natural Weapons Climbing 12- Powers Claws: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1d6 (2d6 w/STR), Autofire (2 shots; +1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1) (34 Active Points); Reduced Penetration (-1/4) Fangs: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1/2d6 (2d6 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (15 Active Points) Unnatural Hide: Resistant Protection (2 PD/2 ED) +2 PER with Hearing Group +3 PER with Normal Smell Total Points cost = 171 70 Points Complications. 101 Points XP Complications Physical Complication: Limited Dexterity (Infrequently; Greatly Impairing) - 15 points Negative Reputation: Wolfshead, Frequently (Extreme) – 15 points Distinctive Features: Wolfshead (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) - 20 points Psychological Complication: Vicious Beast (Common; Total) - 20 points Alternative uses. 1. The idea that outlaws can take on animal features because they reject human society and laws can be applied to other environments and societies, jackals or coyotes come to mind. Men who roam the savannah could become akin to lions or hyenas. Jungle dwellers might come to resemble jaguars. Or one could forget the ‘wilderness’ angle and focus on the loss of humanity, for example those who give up normal morality because they serve an, (evil), master could take on the characteristics of vicious dogs, (dog soldiers). Why limit the idea to mammals for that matter? Criminals who lurk in swamps could take on the heads of crocodiles or snakes while pirates or wreckers might turn into fish-men or shark-men, their souls and inhuman as the tides they traverse. 2. Wolfsheads need not be evil. If the transformation is entered into willingly then Wolfsheads could be good or morally neutral beings, sacred guardians of the forest or members of a tribe of beast-worshippers.

Would it be worth treating shields a bit like hand and a half swords in that they have two different STR Minima. The lower STR Minimum is required for passive shield use i.e. carrying the thing into battle and holding it reasonably steady. The higher STR Minimum is for actively blocking with the shield. Most anyone could defend themselves with a buckler, at least until they got tired out. But it would take a real mighty thewed Conan type to swing a Roman shield around in the same way.

A passive shield would only provide sectional defence, of course. If the attack struck the target's head for example then the shield's extra defence would not apply. The added DCV of a large shield would be simulated by the need to make aimed shots to hit a part of the target's body that was not covered.

This all sounds interesting. Perhaps shields that provide passive protection increase armour, while shields that provide active protection increase DCV or Block.

An interesting motivation for Homonculi as characters and antagonists could be the desire for a homeland of their own, kind of like Israel became for the Jewish people, but without any historical justification. Perhaps Haiti would be a better example, a place where slaves overthrew their masters and created their own nation. Would Homonculi seek to settle in inhospitable regions or try to take territory from a 'natural' people?

So Nyarlathotep/Merlin was setting Arthur up for a fall all along?

Can't improve on that design off the top of my head. But you might want to look up the tv series Lost Girl. It's about a Faery Succubus woman who is starting to learn to control her power and not kill people. Draining people speeds up her healing dramatically but she struggles to keep from going too far. Characters with this ability could have a Psy Com - "Addicted to soul energy". This means they have to pass an Ego Roll to stop feeding. Later on in the series the character learns how to "breathe out" stolen lifeforce and push it back into her victims so that they recover. That could be a kind of Healing I guess.