Herolover

Re: Lightning Reflexes.....is it worth it? I just want to point out that there are Special Forces and then there are "Special Forces." An example of this is the Army's Ranger and the Navy's Seal teams. Yes the Army's Ranger is considered a "special forces" unit, but I would only give them a few more things than a nomral soldier. On the other hand a Navy Seal is wow. In the DC champs book it would take most of a 150 point character's points just to buy the package deal. I once read a book about the training Seal Team 6, the anti-terrorist team, went through. It got to the point in live fire urban training that the soldiers were hitting their targets all the time. So, they took 3x5 cards and placed them over the heart and head of the targets. They only got credited with a kill of they hit the 3x5 card. That said, now, a person spending a lifetime doing something isn't equivalent to a person spending part of their life doing it.

Re: Lightning Reflexes.....is it worth it? I admit that my +7 Lightning Reflexes in the example above is over the top. I would probably never allow it in any of my games without the player coming up with some extraordinary explanation. To answer your question if you are buying Lighting Reflexes and Combat skill levels to represent someone with a higher DEX than you are right, you should buy the higher DEX. However, that is not what I am doing. The STR example is the best example I can give. Not every Martial Artist has a 30 STR. However, because of training I could see a Martial artist doing 7d6 with a martial punch. Not every NAVY SEAL is a olympic quality gymnist. However, they do have tha ability to hit often and react quickly in combat. That does't mean they have high DEX. If I follow the example that Lightning Reflexes and Combat Skill levels are only bought to represent someone with a higher DEX than you could also say that Martial Arts are only bought to repesent someone with a higher STR. Why buy Martial Arts that add damage from punches or STR to grabs and disarms when you can just buy STR? The reason comes down to Special Effects. No my Martial Artist isn't strong enough to lift mountains, but I have trained to know where and how to hit. No my NAVY SEAL isn't the most Dexterious person on the planet, but through training I have learned how to act/react in combat.

Re: Lightning Reflexes.....is it worth it?

Re: Lightning Reflexes.....is it worth it? Is Lightning Reflexes worth it. Yes, in the right campaign. In a supers or above Heroic level campaign now it isn't worth it. However, in a Heroic level campaign with NCM or something close to the equivalent it is VERY worth it. When I run my Heroic level campaigns I usually have DEX have the NCM limit of 20, but limit "unmodified" humans to a Dex of 24. So if you want to make sure you go first you better have Lightning Reflexes. In Heroic campaigns I DO NOT allow characteristice bought as power unless they are for very specific things. Allowing players to buy stats as characteristics in a Heroic level campaign is very unbalancing since they break the NCM. As far as going first being overrated, boy would I hate to see you in combat. Going first gives options. If you are in a combat and not worried about going first it means either a) the combat is to easy for you the person you are fighting has no tactics ability whatso ever. One of the problems I have found with HERO games combat is it breaks down into my turn I attack. This is usually because one of the reasons above. When you get into a fight where you aren't sure what the villian is going to do or what manuever he will pull you will be thankful that you can go first and hold your action.

Re: Stat Inflation Okay where to start where to start. First, I normally like lower point campaigns, but went with a higher point level this time and I am not going back. What point level you like or want to play with is up to you. Actually reminds me of a neat story. I once told my players (when I did the D20 thing) that I was going to start a new campaign. I told them for character creation they would roll 4d6 drop the highest and re-roll any 6's for each stat. It was the "Farmer campaign." It was a joke of course. Maybe I am not sure how to explain my city guard post. Maybe I am incorrect in thinking that the city guard should be a challenge for my players. I am not having a problem challenging my players. I have a lot of adventures to go through.

Re: Challenge: "Pope" as a Package Deal Ummmm a Transform to Pope.....

Re: It's My Dice Yep GREAT I repped ya

Re: Sweep + 2-weapon fighting Once again thanks for all the replies. For those that want to know I am using this is a Fantasy Hero campaign. Two Weapon fighting does reduce the penalty to DCV to just a -2. Dust Raven. It is up to the GM about the use of MPA's, but I think you are right. The way I read it you could do that. I, however, don't see me ever allowing this because I think it would be way out balancing, at least for my Fantasy Hero campaign. I also, was thinking that it was the players choice on what weapon hit. However, I don't like this because if the player has a good weapon and an average weapon why ever choose to hit with the average weapon? So far I have been running it that 2-weapon man gets two attacks with this "good" hand and two attacks with his "off-hand." The way I am going to run is that the first attack is at -0 OCV (he has two weapon fighting) and all other attacks after that are at -2 OCV cumulative.

Okay. So I am gming FH in a campaign where the PCs are 75+75. I need two quick NPCs that are equivalent in power to the PCs. So, I don't want to take time out in the middle of the game to create two 150 point characters. How do you handle this situation.

Re: Sweep + 2-weapon fighting Thanks. That is the way I understood it as well and the way I have been running it. I just was thinking to much I think. Here is a question however. 2-weapon man is using 1) Longsword. 2) shortsword. Now obviously they do different damage. So 2-Weapon man attacks the two nobodies twice each. That is four attacks. How do you decide which weapon hit?

Hello all. I thought I understood this, but re-reading the rules I am starting to question myself. The situation. 2-Weapon fighting man is facing two nobodies. How many attacks does 2-weapon fighting man get on his phase? One with each weapon? Can he sweep (make multiple attacks with each weapon?)

Re: All you GMs sux0rs You know, this post really made me think. What is my problem with it? It isn't that they are going on each others schtick or that they appear similiar. No my problem is that when they fight the STR 13-15 city guard I am scared they are going to over match the city guard and that I don't want. I don't want to have to give any fighter they face a 20+ STR just to match them. That said, if I as GM can remember to use skill levels and maneuvers for the bad guys it shouldn't be a problem.

Re: Weapon not up to the Armor Thanks for all the replies. It really help me covers the basis. The fight would have been much better if I could have remembered for them to do some basic manuevers like block etc. I keep forgetting all the little things an NPC can do in combat. Funny actually because I normally am able to point that out to my players.

Hey all. Got another question. In my last combat I had some quick agile thieves with short swords and shields (STR 10, CV 8) fight my PCs. I discovered that the thieves couldn't even hurt one guy because he was wearing chain (DEF 6). This meant that no matter wear my thief hit him no BODY would be done. (They did do a lot of STUN however.) My question is... 1) do you see this as okay? No problem, it just means that the PC will be knocked out first or should the bad guys find a way to do BODY? 2) Getting more STR is not an option as is getting another weapon. That said is there a way for STR 10 Short Sword (1d6k) man to do BODY to Chain mail man?

Re: Stat Inflation Storn. I like the STR Min on weapons. They represent the fact that you have to have a certain level of physical ability to weild a weapon WELL. It isn't saying that the average guy (STR 10) can't wield a great sword, but it is saying that avererage guy can't weild a great sword WELL. You do know that if you use two hands to weild a one handed weapon the STR MIN is reduced right? You are correct the average merc doen't have an 18 STR. So how come they can wield the sword so good? Combat Manuevers and Combat Skill Levels. This is one thing that my STR 20 players haven't done. I am going to abuse them with STR 15 NPC's. The way I see it my STR 20 guys have the natural talent, but not the actual knowledge and know how. They are going to find this out the next combat

Re: Stat Inflation Thanks for all the replies. Many of the replies I have seen are along of the lines, "Well, tell them they can't because you say so." This is exactly the reply I am not wanting to give my players. I really don't want to change the cost of STR, but I may have to. I do like the idea of changing the point at which characters start paying double. This I will have to look into.

Re: Walking Past Combatants (Attacks of Opportunity) Before I start any campaign I hand out two sheets to my players. One list all the applicable manuevers and one list possible actions in combat and I mention that they want to hold actions. Hold Action is the way you want to go so that as the attacker moves by you to get to the princess you can attack, block, or grab him. My only problems is that I always forget to do the manuevers for the bad guys...oops.

Hello all. I am running a Fantasy Campaign with the characters purchased on 75+75 points. I have 3-5 players depending upon what all is going on. My problem is that I am running into stat inflation where everyone wants a 20 STR. Now, I admit that the party is fighter heavy (I don't have a problem with this part). However, I have the brick of the group that has a 20 STR, the quick agile fighter has a 20 STR, and now I am going to have another player with a 20 STR. I HATE arbitrary limits so I don't want to just say, no you can't have a 20 STR. So what are some other ways to prevent this from happening in the future.

Re: My Martial Arts characters Just want to thanke everyone for the comments they left me on these characters. The final version were very close to the versions above with some slight tweaks. My convention adventure went off very well and everyone said they really liked it.

Re: Alternative Combat Orders for Combat One of the best alternate speed charts systems I have ever heard of is the one based on the Deadlands deck of cards. It goes like this. 1) Take a normal deck of cards and throw out the jokers. 2) The deck is shuffled and each player draws a number of cards equal to his speed. 3) The GM starts counting down the cards and when a player's card comes up he can act. 4) The order of the cards go Ace to Duece and Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs. So an Ace of Hearts beats an Ace of Diamonds. A King beats a 7 etc. I have never actually used this, but would really like to try it out and see how it does.

Hello all. I am just wondering if anyone else out there is working on multiple things for HERO at the same time. I am currently working on: 1) Star Hero adventure for a Convention. 2) Martial Arts adventure for a Convention. 3) I have a Fantasy Hero campaign that I run weekly. 4) I have a champions campaign that is currently on hiatus, but will be ran for again probably starting in April some time. 5) I am really wanting to work on a Star Wars conversion. 6) I am also thinking about putting of the Star Wars conversion and working on a "re-imagined" Dr. Who campaign.

Re: Alternative Combat Orders for Combat Hello. I do not use any alternate systems, but what I have found is many players don't understand how to make the speed chart work for them. 1) Make sure your players have good ranges on their Speeds. By this I mean they should all be within at least 4 of each other. If you got a guy going at Speed 3 and one going at speed 8 or 9 you've got problems no matter what you do. 2) Make sure your players understand the use of Lightning reflexes, holding actions and aborting actions. I have found that many people's problems with the speed chart can be fixed by the proper use of these. When these actions are used you suddenly find that the "rigidness" of the speed chart goes away. 3) Realize that if you have a speed 3 guy and a speed 7 guy you are going to have trouble no matter what you do. No changing of the system is going to help speed 3 guy. The only thing that could help speed 3 guy is something that short changes speed 7 guy. Perhaps if you explained more of your problem we could help

Re: My Martial Arts characters Your replies is just the kind of alternate thinking I am looking for. I reallly appreciate it. One of the things I am having trouble with is where to spend points. I will will have to look at the characters, but I see Block as one of the the more basic abilities of a Martial artist. I will think about the Dodge-Block thing. Polearm guy can always rely on his martial arts since he doesn't have to have a spear or "stick." However, I don't see a situation coming up where he will be without his "stick" The players are "students," but they are very close to being finished. Kind of "all you need is one more test" thing. Think Obi-Wan in the Star Wars Episode I. I was initially going to go with Crane style, but one of my problems, as I stated, is coming up with powers and special abilities. I really felt I tried and finally used Eagle because I knew I could do more. Eagle's glide power isn't really gliding. It is just that he has the ability to land without hurting himself. Think of it as a very advanced form of Breakfall. I really like the idea of White Eyebrow with DCV levels and not Damage Reduction. Will be using that thanks. I didn't use monkey or drunken because I felt they were kind of comedic. As far as the appearance of the writeups I am sure you can post anything. The reason I posted them the way I did is because I use Hero Designer and the only HERO Board export template I have creates the output you see. The only other way I know to do it would be to type them in by hand (egads).

Re: (Silliness But Interesting Dep't) Build an Alarm Clock! Reminds me of the time that me and a friend sat down and did a complete and very accurate write up of a a Plunger. No reason. Just board. If I still had it I would post it.

Re: Need some feedback on this power framework Re thought and decided to send PM