Osprey

I'm not certain that anyone would WANT to simulate sports with the hero system but I do believe it very possible and have put thought into it.

The core of Sport Hero is a form of Missile Deflection that is usable by everyman that only affects a 'ball'. This is a GM call as to what is a ball. Some grenades could be a ball and some sport plays could be considered combat in game terms.

The best example is catching a baseball. The pitcher throws at his ocv and the catcher attempts to catch it with missile deflection. Then we can add the batter. He uses the bat to Reflect the ball.

The real trick is for the system to determine where the ball lands. I've worked it out thusly:

1. Once the batter has a successful hit, he calls his target hex.

2. A halfway hex is calculated between the batter and the target.

3. The height of the arc is calculated as well. (For targeting purposes, this penultimate hex is the true Target)

4. If the batter misses, roll a d6 to determine the hex face the ball strayed past. Hence the direction of the error. {1=up,2=upper right,3=lower right,4=down, etc}

5. The ball passes through a midair hex that is (roll made)-(roll needed) hexes away from the midair target hex.

6. The distance actually achieved (as opposed to targeted) is determined by a 'Damage Roll' based on STR of both the pitcher and the Batter.

7. Count the remaining hexes until it hits the field

8. A fielder may attempt to catch it

I invite critique and comment

If you buy eidetic memory as a universal focus, it can be transferred

I only just heard about all this, including Aaron's death.  (I gotta pull my head out of the sand more often.)

Aaron was a HUGE influence on my gamer life.

I LOVED his novel, Doc Sidhe

I still have Strike Force and Blood & Dr McQuark in a box somewhere.

One of my characters that I love more than the others is said to be Phosphene's Half-Sister in my own campaign.

So, off the top of my head:

How do you pronounce "Ean"?

Can we have a Blood sourcebook?

Do you realize that an Ean sourcebook would be as good for Fantasy campaigns as it would for Superhero settings?

Take My Money!

I have been mulling over some sport activities that are not directly covered in the combat system (off and on) for a decade or so.

This rather surprises me on some levels because I have little interest in sports. It could be because, as a rules lawyer at heart, I gravitated to an untouched part of the system.

Apologies for any omissions and out of date statements. I have unfortunately not updated my own library beyond the 4E (BBB). Even sadder, I have not played in a campaign in many years.

Here is what I have for hitting a pitched baseball with a bat:

The pitcher naturally throws the ball using standard throwing rules. He aims not for that batter but for the Strike Zone (4 DCV since it is smaller than a hex. Maybe more if the batter is short or something)

For batting, I have created an Everyman version of Missile Deflection:

'Harmless', hand-thrown objects may be deflected using

an OCV roll verses the Attacker's Modified OCV

(As modified by the attacker's roll)

The pitcher (with OCV 3) rolls a 9 

The batter must roll a 12 or less to hit the ball.

{11 -1 (for Strike Zone size) +2 (11-9) }

I feel that Everyman Missile Deflection is the core skill of any ball game in the Hero System and I would not be surprised if I am not the only one to think of it. However, I have never seen it discussed in these forums before now. 

I realize that "Harmless" is a relative word and hope that any common sense GM can figure out what objects a normal human can catch/deflect.

The hard part was what happens after the batter hits the ball! 

We know that in the real world, that batters can aim the deflection of the ball. Keeping it between the baselines is more important than the distance the ball goes. There are also legends of the greats being very accurate with their aim, up to and including Babe Ruth's "Called Shot".

Once the batter has hit the ball, his player calls a hex on the field and rolls to hit it (DCV 3 and modifying for range, of course). Playing around with this I found it easier to have him call the peak of the arc rather than where the ball will land.

(The ball travels in an arc up from the bat over the field and then down again as gravity retakes hold )

So the player call a hex on the field and the height of the hex that he is aiming for. If he misses that hex a scatter shot rule takes effect (1d6 to choose direction of the miss. Hex hit is (actual roll-roll needed) hexes away from the target hex. It is from this hex that the ball arcs down again, following a trajectory similar to the one that got it to the target hex.

Distance would depend on the "Damage" done from the bat hitting the ball (I.E. Knockback) but I don't recall if I ever worked that out completely. I do recall that the knockback of the hit would be added to the speed of the ball from before the hit as it changes direction.

Then, of course a fielder attempts to catch it.....etc

Comments and critiques are invited!  

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

Remembered one from a game years ago.

I was running a villain who is unstable temporaly and has a whole time-delay theme. His name is Countdown.

He breaks into the PC's company's warehouse one night to steal some tech.

The next morning, the PC's assistant tells him;

"It will take a while to take a proper inventory. Some of the things he stole are still here."

Re: Complicate the Person Above

Death Tribble was briefly jailed (Charges were dropped on a technicality) after being found in a compromising position with the remains of Spiro Agnew.

Re: Help with a character: She knows she's in a comic book

The She-Hulk reference made me remember, a secretary she hired that had been in a comic decade earlier.

She wanted to be in a comic again so she would stop aging so fast!

Life Support: Reduced aging, Only while regularly appearing in a comic book.

Re: Rethinking mental powers

System one reminds me of the Spiritual set from Almanac #1 (That's good).

System too seems too simple to handle things.

I do see how differing powers should have different damage tracks.

I figure stunning should exceed EGO, not INT.

Re: Help with a character: She knows she's in a comic book

Sounds fun and fascinating to me.

The skills use does make sense.

I'm afraid I can't think of other abilities. (Yours are great)

Would she have to visit the editor's bullpen to get her luck or just yell at the reader and hope the writer hears it too?

Re: Seemingly Silly Things to Model

The "Tonight Show Announcer" point reminded me of a villain I have.

Whenever they arrive, everyone is startled. This person could be EXPECTED, yet will still cause a startle reflex when they arrive.

Oh! and don't forget...

Bowler's Telekinesis: TK STR 0; Usable only on Bowling Balls, Gestures required.

Re: THE ULTIMATE MENTALIST -- What Do *You* Want To See?

I'd like to see a Mind Control Modifier that bypasses will and "jacks" the body directly. (My own is +1/2 based on an article in Dragon #100)

I'd like to see something for an unusual power I tried to make where an attack that does low damage is linked to an Illusion that great damage was done.

A modifier for Illusions that make them momentary flashes only, like quick daymares.

I second the part about constructs for Astral combat. A person (or Team!) may have completely different abilities in that sitch.

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

Thats a strange interpretation of lightning reflexes' date=' only to grab guns?[/quote']

 

Not when you consider that Lightning Reflexes first appeared in WESTERN HERO and was called "Quck Draw" Skill.

 

 

 

(Boy I feel old. Are Aaron Allston and Mark Williams still fighting?)

Re: Hero Needs Reviewers!!

I'll consider this. While I can express myself fairly well (barring typos), I have a tendancy to gloss over important details and often forget other details entirely. In other words, I might actually have to reread something in order to offer a review.

 

I'll probably write a little test review for my own benefit and decide if I think it's worthy of public consumption. I'll get back to ya.

There is an axiom: "Writing is re-writing"

I'd consider it too, If not for -

Full Time School

Full Time Job

Full Time Family

(Pick one)

Re: Help me build a force field please.

That is true of the standard Ablative Limitation, as well (although coordinated small attacks could still be effective in wearing down the ablative defense). If you want a defense which is reduced even by attacks which don't penetrate the defense at all, you'd need a new Limitation. Here is one possible description of such a Limitation:

 

Brittle Defense (-1)

As the defensive Power absorbs damage, its ability to absorb further damage is diminished. For every five points of Body damage which strikes the defensive Power, the defensive Power loses one Power point of effectiveness.

My hat is off to BBlackmoor!

Rarely have I seen such exquisite power modifications (Both of them)

I went through these same issues when I tried to simulate "Captain Power"s Force Field suit.

These are going into my House Rules!

Re: The Global Guardians on September 11, 2001

Re: Mind controll Vs Mind Controll

It sounds like the GM was definitely fudging the rules to favor the plot situation of "friend vs (Controlled) friend".

But this is within his rights as GM.

The REAL questions are;

- whether you disagree with that plot line (as in HATE it) [not fun, no, not fun at all]

- whether you are just upset that your hero was losing

Re: He's a WHIMP !!! (My Gripe)

I can say with 100 % certanty that that change had already been made by 4th (If not before' date=' or always) aslo that he is wrong as he is not counting in everyman skills that includes one background skill at an 11- IIRC, and another at an 8-.[/quote']

 

:straight:I will accept correction. (I'm rusty, having not actually played in about 10 years.)

 

I would still hold to the spirit of my statement. That the extra points are for perks, skills and talents that were ignored or nonexistent until BBB (Mine is still intact) and given more importance with the coming of FrEd.

Re: He's a WHIMP !!! (My Gripe)

***Base character of 100 pts+ 150 pts in disadvantages = 250 pts***

This used to be the basic starting hero in Champions ( 1-4) but now it would be a version of LOW POWERED (Hero 5) . I have heard the term "WHIMP" used so many times with regard to characters of that "power" level [players emphasis] .

First of all this is a role-playing game, not a power game (powergamers??)

Secondly, why is a character considered a "whimp" if he only has; a

SPD of 4, PD/ED 15 (fully resistant), 8d6 Energy Blast???? WHY???

Isn't it easier to add points later on in the game, beyond just regular exp pts, then take points away ?? Isn't it more fun to have to worry when captured and deathtrapped , then swallow a 20d6 RKA and just burp???

I remember dealling with this.

I have always preferred playing "lower" characters. Ones with more finesse or more unusual powers (the latter flexing my rule lawyer muscles).

The Power Gamers would always rib me for making only wimps. And I kept getting beat up. (BAD GM)

Well, I finally got fed up enough to try one character their way.

STUD was an annoying, conceited high school kid with all his offenses and defenses at a "Good" level. I then stacked a Power Pool on him for good measure. Unlike all my other characters, he enjoyed fighting.

It was during his first run, as he rammed an invading starship with all the pool points on defense, that the GM (for that night) actually gave me my first compliment-("Wow, you can make a good character!")

I almost slapped him.

I blame the first edition example characters (and most since).

Why does a "slow brick" have a DEX of 18? "Slow" should mean 8!

Why does every conceivable lab accident endowing any imaginable kind of powers also boost STR by 10-20 points?? Why waste STR on a projector????

In Champions II, (Could have been III) back in the 2nd Ed days. A strip featured Foxbat complaining that he "only" had a CV of 8. That's a 23 DEX, Now some campaigns have that as a MAXIMUM!

The 5th Ed raised the point level to account for removing the old standard rule that allowed free "specific everyman" skills. (If your Secret ID was a scientist, you automatically had all sciences imaginable with an INT roll).

Now, If it ain't bought, you ain't got. That extra 100 points could just barely buy all the science skills a player can think of (particularly knowledge skills) and perks that allow one access to various labs, etc.

I share these dual gripes about power gaming and presumed power level. But FrEd is not to blame. He has actually started to fix some of the problem.

Re: Villianous Code Name for a Emotion Manipulater

I vote for "Heartthrob" and "Loverboy" for his official code name.

As far as Adonis is concerned. I would file as the first of many (countless?) pet names given him by lovers.

With such a power, he's bound to become a cad.

Re: Your Dark Champions Campaigns

I've always see DC as two possible things:

1) Street Level (lower than usual) Superheroes (regardless of campaign tone)

2) Standard Superheroes with a dark setting or lots of lethality.

My Favorite is number one.

Re: Clairvoyance and Location Memorization

I wouldn't allow a character with Teleport to spend one point and have one of his enemies as a Fixed Location. That would give him too much of an advantage, even if he arrives at 1/2 DCV (the surprise of seeing him appear might cover that, at least the first few times or if it doesn't do it often). Even more with Clairsentience, because the target can't attack, observe or otherwise affect the character.

 

I might allow it between a certain pair or group who all had the same ability, but never with a one way street.

I must agree.

When I shifted topic to "astral teleportation", I didn't see this as a possibility. I'm seeing clair as the best way to handle two different character's effects.

Re: Clairvoyance and Memorization

Glad to see you back, DR. I was wondering what took you so long to chime in.

(Yes, yours was one of the opinions I was looking forward too) :wink:

Your point against Mind Scan for places and objects is valid.

As for unbalancing, Well, that always rests with a GM in the end.

I figure that the "Marking" of a target would require touch and other elements (though not necessarily permission). I figure detection would always be possible with the right sense.

---

I've also thought that when Clair is used to simulate Astral Projection, the Projector can use his fixed location just as a teleporter would.

Re: Spying on the heroes

However' date=' otherwise, the effects are identical to a Mind Scan. Just put a limitation "Only finds target for purposes of Clairvoyance" on it.[/quote']

 

Now there's something I hadn't thought of.

 

:ninja:

Re: Spying on the heroes

How about MIND SCAN (only for conducting Telepathy) and TELEPATHY(only surface thoughts- what they see)?

Seeing through the eyes of the heroes is NOT the goal here.

We want him to see THEM.

Mind Scan would reveal their location. Something I don't want.

My other option was "Tagging" the heroes with a loud signal that could be sensed only clairvoyantly.

A Villian wants to clairvoyantly monitor our hero(es).

He would be able to see them at any time or place (within range, of course) but not know where they are (unless they are standing under a street sign marked "5th & Main," etc.).

I'm thinking of importing "Memorized Locations" from the Teleport Power.

This would (at least back in BBB) allow the memorization of people as well as places.

Opinions??