Akiva

Re: Sidekick Actually, even though the content of the two are the same, they are considered seperate products and are paid for and treated accordingly. One does not have any right to a PDF copy of a physical book that you own any more than you have the right to a paperback version of a hardback that you own. Furthermore, you are not allowed to make an electronic copy of a physical book, even for back-up purposes and, if I recall correctly, PDFs do not qualify as 'software' and thus aren't eligible for back-up privileges, either. Consider this: lately, there's been a bunch of noise about whether it was legal to rip a CD for personal use on a portable media player. I think some are claiming that the Fair Use allowance for CDs is meant only for making a duplicate physical CD and not an electronic copy. Finally, I doubt any company that sells both PDF and physical versions of a book is going to allow you to make your own PDFs, even if you ask nicely. As I wrote above, a PDF of a book is an indepedent product which can, and should, be purchased seperately. Sure, it'd be nice if you could buy a physical book and get a PDF for free but it generally doesn't work that way. On the other hand, some companies, like Apress, allow you to buy a PDF versions of their books at a discounted price if you own a physical copy, an offer which I have taken advantage of several times. I'm not a lawyer. I just play one on the Internet.

Re: What game would you LOVE to play in? I'm actually in the same position as Thia. I haven't played an RPG since the late 80s. I've been only running games since. With that in mind, if I had any campaign I really wish I could run, I've been working on a paranoid surrealist campaign called Mindwheel since around 1995 or so. It's kind of like a combination of Twin Peaks, Trainspotting, and Memento but with more guns (including a gang of uzi-toting nuns), supernatural WTFisms, nearly a half-dozen simultaneous campaign-wide story arcs, and more twists than a fist fight between M. Night Shyamalan and Rod Serling. It's become such a beloved pet project that it's gotten to the point to where I simply don't trust anyone to play in it properly and to see it through to the end. HERO is the only system other than GURPS that I would feel comfortable running Mindwheel with. Also, HERO is the only first system since Rolemaster and Mythus that I would dare use for my fantasy setting (developed since 1987 and is easily more of a valuable little 'my precious' than Mindwheel is). Hi, my name is Akiva and I like to hijack threads.

Re: Why divide by 5?

Re: Only to affect secondary characteristics? I don't want to derail this conversation too much but this kind of thing is what makes me really nervous about running HERO. I like the game's flexibility but I would drop the game in a heartbeat if my players spent all their time trying to figure out how to 'beat' the system. The point, to me, isn't to [ab]use the system through creative application of one's character conception; to me, that's the same as people min/maxing AD&D. As far as I'm concerned, if you create a character concept that is somehow limited compared to the norm, you have to expect the game to address it properly. In this case, as others have pointed out, don't try to find a loophole to balance out your character's purposeful limitation but, instead, find other creative ways to compensate. Furthermore, in this case, I, as a GM, would find alternate ways to reward such a creative character concept. Making your character frail, and thus more likely to be hurt, isn't cause for me to take advantage of that limitation but, instead, to reward the creative roleplaying that it should generate. Having a character concept such as 'frail' but then ensuring your character isn't frail would earn nothing at all from me. Having such a character concept but then playing up to it would inspire me to offer all kinds of rewards.

Re: SideKick: Equipment rules Sorry, Thia, but I have to agree with GA on this one. The English language is quite a bit like HERO: just because you can do something with it doesn't mean that you should.

Re: Only to affect secondary characteristics? I could be reading you wrong but it seems that you want someone who has a low strength but high derived attributes or, to put it another way, you want to buy figured characteristics using primary characteristic costs. I'm still pretty new to the system but, as a GM, I don't think I'd allow it. It doesn't make sense that someone who is physically frail should be able to shrug off physical attacks as easily as someone who is physically fit. I'd make you buy your Figured Characteristics at their individual costs.

Re: What game would you LOVE to play in? I'm not a player, really, so this is a hard one for me. But, since I'm new to HERO, I'm curious on a few different genres: I'd like to play Fantasy HERO and I'd like to play either in a steampunk-inspired game or some kind of Urban Fantasy (I am really looking forward to the Urban Fantasy book, obviously). Oh, and something similar to In Nomine or Nobilis would be fun.

Re: 2008 Projects As a huge fan of urban fantasy (and also one who cannot struggle successfully through a China Mieville book), I hope that Long & Co. offer a surrealism as a valid and fully explored UFH genre. I know it's touched on briefly in Star Hero but I disagree on that book's assessment of surrealism's practicality as a campaign. Most campaigns I've ever run are always surreal in nature even when running traditional D&D-style fantasy. 'Lost Highway', 'Twin Peaks', 'Pan's Labyrinth', 'The City of Lost Children', 'Donnie Darko', 'Naked Lunch', and 'Carnivale' are each excellent demonstrations of surreal urban fantasy and are all viable campaign ideas, as well. Of course, it's probably the one genre I'd say is for expert players or GMs only. Wonderful RPGs such as 'Over the Edge' and 'Heaven & Hell' have already proven that surreal fantasy is not only viable but deviously fun. I'd love to see HERO's treatment of the subject. Either way, I look forward to this release.