Herolover

Re: Conspiracy X HERO

Well, the following is just my opinion. It has no consideratiion for systems.

IMO, Consipracy X is the best all around Modern "What the Hell is going on game..."

Usually, in these types of games the mythology is good at explaining one or two areas of the paranormal folklore, but fail or doen't even address some elements of paranormal folklore. Conspiracy X does a good job, IMO, of explaining it all.

Conspiracy X if one of the few games I have ever read and said, "Yeah, this could be right." Don't get me wrong I don't believe it, but it does explain most EVERYTHING.

An example is "Magic" and the "Greys." Most games could explain on or the other, but not both. A very abbreviated explanation is this:

All humans, well 90%, are actually psychic. This is why you get feelings of Deja Vu or just happen to know where you left your keys. It is your innate "Psychic" abilites.

The problem is all humans "leak" psychic energy. This has built up over time till there is a vast amount of "seepage" that is subconsciously acting upon many human fears, loves, hates, etc. This is why we have ghost, poltiergiest, and many other paranormal items.

Some people can become so deluded into believing they have supernatural abilites that the "seepage" can grant them their powers. Other humans are just as deluded, but they don't have the powers.

The "Greys" are aliens that are completely Psychic in nature. They have no real technology, that is why when we see or capture on of their disk we can't figure out how it works.

The problem is the "seepage" is slowly killing them off. They can't take it so they have come to study earth and try to figure out what to do. They don't understand ANYTHING about our culture so they abduct people to try and figure us out.

They is why there are so many, and so varied, adbuctions. They don't understand cheerleading so they abduct a cheerleader, they don't understand housewives so they adbuct a housewife...and so on.

I could go into a lot more, but this gives you an very brief idea. Of course there is a LOT more than this. The basic facts come down to this.

The authors understand the modern folklore of the paranormal. You can really tell they spent some time studying it.

They created a mythology that explains it in total, not just pieces.

Re: Conspiracy X HERO

Yeah, I already have this. I was just wondering what work anyone had done on it. Apparently not much.

My advice

I have just two pieces of advice>

1) If you have a questions ask in this board. I promise you will get an answer quick, easy, and 99% of the time correct.

2) FORGET THE POINTS AND RULES!!!

Many Herophiles get locked into HERO says this so you must to it this way. Forget it. If you see a rule you don't like change it. If you can't make up the character you want on 400 points and need 470 go with 470. Just do it.

Has anyone converted or used Conspiracy X in their HERO game? I am looking at doing a conversion and wanted to see if someone had already come up with some notes.

Has anyone converted or used Conspiracy X in their HERO game? I am looking at doing a conversion and wanted to see if someone had already come up with some notes.

Re: Alien Wars Character Pack

Dang....I was hoping this was an announcement of one. I would buy it if if came out.

The Staff Weapon

The Staff Weapon is actually harder to do than the Zat because it is a lot harder to judge how much damge it does.

Staff Weapon facts.

1) In melee combat it is used as the equivalent to a a quarterstaff.

2) It fires "focused plasma." This is able to penetrate most forms of Body Armor easily.

3) The Staff is notoriously imprecise. It is very difficult to aim even for those that have training with the Staff and it is very difficult to hit one target and not another if they are close by.

4) Those that master the Staff can use a "burst" mode. This is an autofire attack and the "plasma" comes bright like incendiary bullets allowing the shooter to aim better.

5) In D20 terms the Staff weapon does about 3x as much damage as the SGC's submachine guns.

Okay so how do you writeup a Staff Weapon.

1) Due to the nature of the Staff Weapon it is bought as WF: Staff Weapon for 1pt and cannot be purchased as part of a 2pt group

2) The Staff weapon is imprecise and provides a -2 OCV.

3) The Staff weapon is armor piercing.

4) "Burst" mode is a special attack only usable by those that have WF: Staff Weapon and several combat skill levels related to the Staff Weapon. It adds autofire (x5) and provides a +2 OCV to the weapon.

5) Now the hard part is damage. I assume that a .50cal is 3d6 RKA. I feel that the Staff Weapon is significantly more powerful than a .50cal, luckily the Staff Weapon is AP. So I say 3d6+1 RKA, AP.

Yes, this is a major attack and I could possible see it going even higher, but not much.

Using the 3d6+1 RKA, AP number you see that the average Staff shot will do 12 BODY. This means that someone with 10 DEF (cut to 5 for AP) will take 7 BODY. Chances are they will be unconscious or atleast seriously wounded.

Now, I know what some of you are gonna say. "Yeah, but I have seen SG-1 get shot on the show." For this I have two replies.

1) They are the stars of the show. The GM did, as is his right, use dramatic license.

2) Are you sure it was a full on shot and not a graze? How do you know the guy shooting them didn't "roll bad for his damage."

I thought I would chime in and give my $.02 worth.

Normally I hate D20 games, but had heard a lot of good things about Spycraft (What the Stargate D20 is based on) so I picked up Stargate D20

That Zat gun:

This "gun" causes the target's molecules to loose their electrical charge.

1-shot on person: Might knock them out, definantly cause them discomfort.

1-shot equipment: No effect on non-electrical equipment, but would short out any electrical equipment.

2-shot on person: 90% of the time it would overload the person's nervous system unless they had developed a resistance to the Zat which is possible.

2-shot on equipment: See above

3-shot equipment or person: At this point the electrical charge on the target's molecules have been so disrupted that the atoms of the target can no longer maintain themselvs and the atoms literally fly apart. The target appears to disentigrate.

Obviously there are several different effects going on here.

1) You have a normal EB which damages people only.

2) You have a suppress on electrical current.

3) You have a major transform or an RKA to represent the disentigration (Actually in HERO Major Transform and RKA basically the same thing.)

So how do you right up the Zat. I am not going to post it here right now, but I will work on it, but for the time being I will give you the basics and some of you may do it for me.

1) Elemental Control. With three slots. Alls slots or cumulative.

Slot 1 will have a normal EB. Of the top of my head I would say 8d6.

Slot 2 will have a Suppress vs Electrical energy.

Slot 3 will have a 3 1/2d6 Major Transform (transform into nothing.)

The Zat uses the multiple attack rules so that when a person shoots the zat all three attacks either hit or miss together.

Slot #1 means a soft target (person) has a chance to be knocked out and with cumulative they most probably will on the second shot. Slot #2 provides for the short circuitiing of electrical equipment. Slot #3 provides that given enough shots the Zat will disentigrate anything.

Re: Star Wars in HERO

1) I LOVED KOTR. Better than the movies in my opinion and one day will load it again just to play the darkside.

2) I created that old Star Wars thing under 4th edition, but never really got a chance to play it and give it a good test run.

Good luck. If you can find them there are some good resources out there.

Re: Autofire as Accuracy Booster

Yeah I got them mixed up for a moment.

Re: Autofire as Accuracy Booster

Oh yeah, that's right. I forgot about that.

Re: Autofire as Accuracy Booster

Currently, one can use autofire to either gain potential extra hits against a target or to fire against multiple targets. However, it seems that one should also be able to use an autofire spray as a way to increase the likelihood of hitting. How would you model this??

 

My inclination: +1 OCV bonus per extra shot spent on accuracy ( meaning that said shot cannot be an extra hit ).

This is not meant in a negative way and how anyone plays their games is up to them, but I really don't understand this. You want Autofire to increase the chance of hitting. Well, that is exactly what Autofire does in the game now as written. More bullets directed at a target mean more chances of hitting. It sounds to me what you want to do is limit the amount of rolling and instead roll one time instead of each time for each shot.

I suggest when you want to create one of your "autofire" attacks you make an attack that has extra OCV bonus plus higher damage than normal to represent the extra damage that you would take from extra shots hitting.

Re: Please delete

No' date=' I mean so that it doesn't even show up on the list. This is possible on many other forums, and on many Usenet newreaders.[/quote']

 

What possible reason could you have for not wanting to read such an informative thread? The things I have learned reading this thread will effect me for the rest of my life.

Re: Please delete

Delete is such a harsh word. How about remove?

Also, you all have it wrong. It is bought as invisibility to the Sight Group, No Fringe.

Re: TDSF Prefab for HD

Thanks. I really liked your article and think it makes a great addition to the Terran Empire setting. Hopefully some day I will get to play TE and use the TDSF.

Originally posted by BobGreenwade

My take on this is:

 

Star Hero explains very well how to run a sci-fi game using the HERO System.

 

Terran Empire explains very well why you want to do so.

I have never heard it put so well.

My take on this

1. Hero Bestiary

It isn't a great "read," but if you use any kind of animals or creatures (what game doesn't) it is a must. The 4th edition Bestiary is to 5e Bestiary what the horse is to the modern car.

2. Star Hero.

If you ever want to run a science fiction game it is a must.

Your right, he should have swimming. I forgot about that Marianas Trench thing.

I gave his extra limbs, because he has his two hand and it does how that his chair has "Waldo" type thingy's. I can remember the scene or comic, but I know it does.

This points to one of the problems I had. Now remember, I am creating these characters for a convention. If I give Zodon anye extra HA it will increase his points. That means I either A) Increase everyone else's points.

Take something away from him.

Anyway, I don't see Zodon in melee very often.

First, let me say that I appreciate all the feedback everyone is giving me and hope that when I explain something you will understand where I am coming from.

1) It was very important to me that the charactes be balanced.

2) That the characters have pretty much the same powers they have in what comics I have.

3) That the characteers be easily played by people completely unfamiliar with HERO system.

In truth, I wouldn't consider these to be good characters. However, I do think for the purposes of one adventure they are close to their comic descriptions.

Zodan.

Yes, you can buy a disadvantage and then buy it off with a focus. Otherwise your telling me that a wheel chair can never be taken away. If if can't be taken away then you are correct.

No, he doesn't have any attacks. Do you really think Zodan walks around with attacks and the people at the school let him have them? In the adventure I am going to run Zodan will be able to use his tech skill to quickly repair some of the villians equipment and that is going to be his attacks.

Suzi Fusion

I had to give her some powers that she doesn't exhibit in the comic to make her balance out with the rest of the party.

Captain Clarinet

I hate superman characters. I tried to give him a little of everthing.

Emerald Gauntlet

This is the only character I gave a powerframework. I didn't want to, but it was the only way I could buy his powers and balance him with the rest of the party.

Benard

Once again, I had to give him more powers than he shows in the comic to balance him out.

Average Boy

The way I am going to rule his VPP is that if the player wants a common every day item he will just happen to have it. Also, I may give the players clues that he could pick up and the others wont be able to.

For his 5d6 luck I am going to use one of the alternate rules and let him change die rolls that directly effect him.

PS. Thanks for the feedback. I really appreciate it and hope I get more.

Originally posted by Whitewings

First, Ron and Suzie do still need to breathe, and to eat and sleep. This is established in issue 4. Also in issue 4, we see that Bernard does in fact require a space suit, so presumably does not have Life Support.

If you read the writeups you will see that this is how are they are written up. I just kept the name Total Life Support, which I agree I shouldn't have, but did to save time.

Originally posted by Whitewings

My main problems, however, are with Zodon.

Many of the things I did in these writeups were for playability. I feel Zodan "could" though probably never happen be out of his chair.

I agree on the high skills and things are odd for children that are that young. However, I felt the way the comic was written and again for playability I had to pretty much ignore the fact that they are "children." I even played around with not giving them some of the "children" powers and disadvantages, but decided to leave it in for flavor.

In truth, if I were creating these characters for a regular game I would never write them up the way I did.

The way you would writeup Zodan is just as accurate, I just didn't want to do it that way.

Benard

Player:

Total Character Cost: 280

Disadvantage Points: 80

Base Points: 200

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

Average Boy

Player:

Total Character Cost: 280

Disadvantage Points: 80

Base Points: 200

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

Emerald Gauntlet

Player:

Total Character Cost: 280

Disadvantage Points: 80

Base Points: 200

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

Captain Clarinet

Player:

Total Character Cost: 280

Disadvantage Points: 80

Base Points: 200

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

Suzi Fusion

Player:

Total Character Cost: 280

Disadvantage Points: 80

Base Points: 200

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0