Al_Beddow

That's only because it's like, the ONLY RPG version of Transhuman space out there. We don't need to recreate the very "gurpsy crunchy bits" if Hero already has solid rules for it. The idea is to bring the flavor and tone of the setting over, not that lousy game system.

I've been having fun running my Hero Traveller campaign (although they guys aren't quite as cautious about getting into gunfights as THEY would like). With all the people creating stuff for Hero Traveller, how about we coordinate efforts. I can host it all (with credits) on my website.. Contact me via e-mail if you are interested in contributing to the effort. Al

by Chessex A "Battlemat" is 2 foot x 3 foot. A "Megamat" is 3 foot x 4 foot. They also sell a mat that is 4 foot x 8 foot.

Hugh, I suspect you are right. I never thought of it that way.. KS, I live here in Spokane Washington, the east side of the state, sharing a crappy economy with northern Idaho. All Business is tight here, and the gaming business is even worse. I explain the economy to the folks from Seattle this way: "When it's good in Seattle, it's GREAT! When it's bad in Seattle it's still OK. When it's good in Spokane it's ok. When it's bad in Spokane it's down right AWFUL!!!" So, when someone goes to one of our two local gaming stores, orders something special, and then doesn't pick it up (pay for it), it's worse for one of our stores than say for a store in a city with a better economy (and more profits to help cushion taking a hit like that).

I hate it when people pull that crap. Personally I have no problem with paying a deposit to get something special in to a store. I've never been asked for one but when I first moved here I offered it to be polite.

I don't know about "everyone", but what I do is: - mark down the 12 segments on one edge of My megamat - Write down everyone in dex order (with their speed) on to the left of the 12 segments - Put everyones name in order on the appropriate segments - Use a diff color marker to annotate changes in dex - use "hashmarks" to annotate "turns". It has been working quick, simple, and easy.

I have a GM binder with stuff in it like blank character sheets, my copies of the players characters, etc. 90% of my stuff is in my laptop, which I keep powered up with Hero Designer, MS Word, and a dice rolling program so I can make notes and check things on the fly.

Now it hit's me... that thing that was bugging me.. THE CHICK ALL IN LIGHT BLUE! Some how to me her outfit screams "Super Hero Game Cover" and not "Fantasy Game Cover".

John Ringo's series of books: - A Hymn Before Battle - Gust Front - When the Devil Dances - Hell's Faire These books do an excellent job of combining our modern day military equipment with gear and tactics from the "Galactic Alliance" (or whatever it's called). David Webber and John Ringo have co-written a set of books: - March Upcountry - March to the Sea - March to the Stars (coming out soon) The first two are excellent and I'm waiting on the third one to come out.

That's why when I have problem players using OOC when IC, I do things like.. - give the monster a few more hit die - Modify their natural attacks - change the color so it looks like a new variant - NEVER confirm or deny misconceptions on the players parts. This last one is a great when used right. I was running a HM game pitting the characters agains "Orc Brigands." Now what the PC's had "heard" (read what the experianced players "remembered" is that "all orcs hate sunlight/bright light". I secretly made wisdom rolls for them and since most of them made it, confirmed that by saying "yep, you remember that the average orc hates sunlight/bright light." Based on what they "remembered" they chose to attack the orcs just after sunrise so they would be groggy AND affected by the sunlight. NOTE: Orc Brigands DON'T suffer from this. Boy were THEY surprised!

Remember that there is NO LIMIT to how powerful you make a weapon. You can add to a laser weapon the advantage "not affected by smoke/fog" and get what you want. Just because one of the "official" books states lasers (or anything) works a certain way doesn't mean you can't change it.

Hero is doing well in Spokane WA even though D&D reigns supreme. Where HackMaster (formely the local #2 RPG) has slacked off considerably Hero 5th seems to remain steady.

Re: Limitation, accidental discharge I believe that in the lates "Games Monthly" (is that right), the "Hero 5th vs Silver Age Sentinals" add does a side by side comparison of The Hulk for both systems. The Hero version should give you a perfect example of what you want.

Damm... lets say that the "strong but sexy female characters union" won out on this cover. At first I didn't even see the male "spell caster", he just blended into the lower half of the female amazon/barbarian/warrior/whatever. I don't know what "generic class" the chick in blue is supposed to be, but she certainly blocks out the guy standing behind her. I will say that the art work looks great

Re: Limitation, accidental discharge I would use an activation roll as a limitation, with the higher the required roll to "fail" the less it's worth. I.E. needing a 16- to maintain control would be a -1/4, 14- might be a -1/2, etc

I wouldn't think so since you have to buy Psionics. It would be like purchasing the limitation "Illiterate" in a feudal society (where illiteracy was the norm)

Slowly converting CT to FREd Well, thanks to owning most of the original LBB's and getting the reprints as they become available, I've been working hard on converting the Classic Traveller Universe over to Hero. Coming up with a conversion of the races hasn't been too hard. It's setting up the "prior service" system that's a pain. Where do you start the players, how do you handle promotion chances, survivablity, medals, etc. ARRGGHHHH.. Well... Once it's done I'll put it up on my website http://www.hackwurld.org

The D6 version was put out by West End Games and was quite a good system. HERO is quite realistic too. The problems with GURPS are: - Lack of internal consistency (EX. this caused the "compendiums") - Lack in internal quality (take a look at some of the ship blueprints, they actually break most of the rules for designing spaceships). - Too few stats requiring an added stat in certain genre's like "Psionics" and "Martial Arts" (combine the two and the basic GURPS character has 2 additional stats, CHI and PSI compared to other characters).

Steve, Since I am running a Star Hero campaign set in a "Traveller-like" setting, the characters often spend several weeks of game time "in transit" with a great deal of "free time" on their hands. I would like to have a way for their characters to "train & learn" while they are "in-jump". I know in GURPS the rules tell you how much "practice/in class" time it takes to earn one characther point towards a skill. (It's something like 220 hours of "in class" time equals 1 cp). I and my regular group have searched FREd from cover to cover and can't find anything similar to what is in GURPS for this. Have we just missed it? Thanks

Go to the freebie section and download the "genre-by-genre" pdf. For CSL's The 8-point are a +1 that applies to everything. You can switch each of the 8-point CSL's between DCV and OCV when your dex comes up in each of your phases. The 5-point CSL's are a +1 that applies to a large group, like all Hand-to-Hand attacks, or to DCV.

Battle Armor repair and maintenance: I am putting together a "Terran Empire" campaign and I'm having a hard time with armor. 1) Why doesn't the battle armors listed (including the Dracon) have a DEF instead of a PD/ED. 2) What skills/materials are needed to repair said armors 3) Do you need a certain skill to effectively use the armors 4) How much do these bad boys weigh?

Jeff, I had the same problem You are experiancing. What I did was: - Skip the definitions and just look them up as you need. It was about 2 weeks before I cared that "OIAF" meant "Obvious InAccessible Focus". - Take your time. I read the stuff on how to buy skills, then on how to buy powers, then went to the combat section for some reading. This kept the game mechans simple enought for the first couple of passes through the book - Once you've achived a basic familiarity with what's going on, go back to the skills section and read the skills and examples. - Then go and read the powers. Be careful to include how to apply Adders, Advantages, and Limitations. It threw me for a few days but I got it. Working out the examples always helps. - Create a few sample characters, get a feel for it. - Now try frameworks. First the EC, then the Multipower. I personally am still saving VPP's for later. Hope this helps.

Fire makes sense as an energy based attack due to the fact it is the energy released from a seperate reaction that is doing the damage. Acid, on the other hand, has to make contact with a person. It's the reaction between the person and the acid that causes the damage, and any energy released is actually a secondary effect. Since the acid itself and not any heat released from it's reaction that causes the damage, it would be a PD. That being said, it would be a PD causing BODY, with NND.

I agree with leaning towards more "winging it" than "hard planning." My caveat is you should plan out: - Who the vital NPC's are. - Generally what is going on where. - A basic timeline so you can keep track of what is happening in different areas at any one time. The idea is to have enough info to cover whatever the players may do, without being overly "ridgid". If you over plan, most of the stuff won't get used and you'll end up getting burned out. If you under plan, then the players go off in a direction you hadn't even thought about, have nothing on, and get to stand there going "umm..." while you think on your feet how to get out of this mess.

The "Honor Harrington" series by David Weber Gene Rodenberry's "Andromeda" Gene Rodenberry's "Earth:Final Conflict" The old series: "UFO" "Space 1999" "The Time Tunnel" "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" "Dr. Who" "Captain Scarlet" "The Thunderbirds" The "Chanur" novels by C.J. Cherryh "The Stainless Steel Rat" by Harry Harrison "The Sand Wars" by Charles Ingrid