NestorDRod

Re: Okay, Lightsabres rule... but Star Wars is so-so.

If I recall correctly, David Drake wrote a number of books that he based on Norse mythology (I think they had Northworld in the titles).

In it, warriors wore power armor that had the equivalent of energy lance weapons. The armor required skill and training to build and use, so only a privileged few had any.

I guess you could use a similar concept with lightsabers. Only someone with the money / connections to get one and train how to use it could carry one of them. That would fit well in a feudal / aristocratic culture.

A magical equivalent could be that the "lightsword" was the extension of your mana, soul, what-have-you, that you could summon. Again, only a few could master the ability, and it could be tied to some mystical or religious order.

In a slighly-related topic, in my never-quite-realized Star Wars campaign, I had a Jedi Master exile himself from the Order just before the Emperor shut it down. He believed that the Order needed to be more flexible and, to demonstrate this, taught his students to use light blasters rather than a lightsaber. ("Light" in this case as opposed to heavy blasters, i.e., Han Solo's gun).

Now, decades later, the remaining students wander the galaxy, avoiding the Emperor's eye. The symbol of their order are ornate light blasters in custom holsters. They're not Jedi Knights, they're... Jedi Paladins.

Yeah, my campaign had a strong "Wild West" flavor to it.

Re: "Crumbling Carrots, we've been animal-morphitized!"

Heh.

Some time ago, a friend was running a funny-animal super campaign. I wasn't able to be part of it, but it started a long-running thread in my mind, collecting character concepts that continues to this day.

One of the characters in the game was the snail speedster, Escar-Go.

Then there was the villain group of fowl-tempered mobsters I suggested, the Penguini Brothers. There's a really funny mental image I carry for that one.

Then recently, someone's slip of the tongue regarding a TV show from the early 90's gave rise to Quantum Lepus, the Rabbit of Space and Time. I rather like that one.

Re: Dumbest thing...

'Cause someone just has to say it...

Pretty much every current plotline in every book DC and Marvel are putting out.

Why I don't read them at all any more.

Yeah, yeah, I know, each one of you will point to this book or that and say, "But this one is good!"

To me, those are just the exceptions that prove the rule. The two companies no longer publish comics for the stories; they're just marketing tools to pimp their other stuff (movies, toys, etc.) There's no love for the source material, and it shows...

Re: Jokes

Hah!

That reminds me of an old govie joke that made the rounds a good number of years ago...

Three kids are sitting around bragging about their fathers.

The first one says, "My Dad is so fast he can play tennis all by himself!"

The second one proclaims, "Well, my Dad is so fast he can shoot an arrow and catch it before it hits the target!"

The third one scoffs at the other two and says with pride. "My Dad works for the government. He can leave work at 5 PM and get home by 3:30."

Re: The Bat Volvo

See? There's precedent!

Heh. reminds me of a gun-toting character that was written up as the gun, with the character as a DNPC. Of course, we're talking about the long-ago, lawless days of Champions 2 Ed.

When trying to write up iconic characters (such as Bats or Supes), my usual tactic has been to go back to the original appearances of the characters.

Back then, the Bat-Mobile was nothing more than a souped-up coupe with fancy body work. That shouldn't be that hard to write-up at a decent price, IMO.

Re: Villain Campaign: need help

At the risk of promoting another company's product, I would recommend checking out Necessary Evil, by Great White Games. It presents a rather interesting set-up for a villain campaign, and gives you a pretty good plot framework to run the whole thing beginning to end.

It wouldn't be that hard to convert the NPC characters to Hero. And it even has artwork by Storn Cook!

Re: Phase 12, GM's what do you allow?

My entire thought is that we don't always use Combat Time. It's cumbersome when nothing much is going on. However, like the second, it is the smallest measurement of time (in Hero). You never know what time segment you are on at any given time.

 

It this very second we begin combat. Look down at your watch. What second is it? Would you think it's weird that every time you look at your watch it says 59 seconds? I would think my watch was broke.

 

What about red lights. According to the base rules, every red light would occur at multiples of 12 seconds. I just don't buy it.

 

Every single time some punk in a liquor store decides to rob the place, it is at 12 second intervals? Naaaaaaaaah.

 

My theory is that time always passes. Combat may not start at second 59, 12, 34 or 47. It happens when it happens. If one character in particular starts combat, I roll 1d12. The action actually beings on his next active Phase at his DEX.

 

It works well and has added a bit more strategy in my games.

I'm not sure I follow that. I don't treat Combat-Time as a clock, I treat it as a stop-watch.

Whenever you begin combat, you hit the start button on your timer. What does the timer start at? 00:00.00. Doesn't matter what time it actually is, the clock starts at zero. If combat stops, the timer stops. If, later, a new combat begins, you reset the timer and start over from zero again.

There's also the issue of playability. My hero leaps into the scene and initiates combat, but because of a die roll, he doesn't get to act right away? Doesn't seem right to me.

Starting on Phase 12 means everyone gets a chance to do at least one thing before circumstances intervene to prevent it. It may not reflect reality in some way, but, at least in my games, having fun trumps reality every time.

If the Post-Phase 12 Recovery bothers you, do what we do. Just don't have it for that first Phase. First time PPR occurs is at the end of the next Phase 12.

Re: Godsend Agenda D6 by Khepera Publishing

There are worst.

Oh, no argument there, although any discussion in that direction runs the risk of touching on folks' personal dislikes as opposed to specific merits (or lack thereof) of the RPGs in question.

(For example, personally I consider any superhero RPG based on d20, except for perhaps Mutants & Masterminds, a lost cause).

To drag this thread back on-topic, I'm at work right now and can't quite look at the site provided, so I ask this question. Will there be any exposure for the game at GenCon? Any demos, a corner in a booth somewhere?

Just curious...

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

This one is one of those "you had to be there" quotes, but it did make me laugh.

The set-up:

I'm GM'ing a 30's pulp Lost World where our heroes are engaged in a three-way fight with Nazi soliers and angry apemen. Prof. Munroe is somewhat put out by the fact that Nick Hall, the rugged explorer, is so much better at shooting the soldiers than him (the professor has no experience using guns).

Me: So, what do you want to do?

Munroe: Well, what do I have to shoot at myself?

Me: I know you're exasperated, but why would you want to shoot yourself?

The look on the player's face as he worked out what he'd just said was the clincher.

Re: Godsend Agenda D6 by Khepera Publishing

One word for you... Foundation.

You, sir, have uttered the name of The Game That Should Not be Mentioned.

Consider yourself chastised.

And for those who may ask, What's so wrong about it?

It was poorly conceived, poorly written, poorly edited... Need I go on? I mean, it made Superhero 2044 look almost decent, in that SH 2044 at least gave an interesting campaign setting to look at.

Sorry, sorry. Touched a nerve there, I guess.

Re: WHY is combat so slow and what have you done about it?

I've run Hero games for people who only had a passing familiarity with the rules. They would just describe what they wanted to do, and I'd translate it into Hero.

 

Hero allows you to get into the nuts and bolts of it. But it doesn't require it.

I agree wholeheartedly, believe me.

I just finished playing in a campaign where we had two players totally new to Hero (actually, three if you count one who had not played it in a long time). All enjoyed the game fully, and the two newbies have embraced the system to the point where they've bought the books, and one is even starting his own campaign using Hero.

I was pointing out my concern with Hyper-man's statement because it implied that a player needed to be well-versed in the system to be able to fully participate, when my own experience showed to the contrary.

My apologies if I misunderstood...

Re: WHY is combat so slow and what have you done about it?

A follow-up to my post:

 

The movie "The Sound of Music" (a musical) was going to be played in Japan. There was a time limit the movie had to be played within for some reason, so one guy came up with a great way to fit "The Sound of Music" within the timeslot...

 

he cut out all of the scenes with music.

 

Applying it to us playing the Hero System:

We cannot cut out that which is most important in our campaigns, otherwise we cut out the heart of that which is most fun.

Well said, sir. The rub is that, unfortunately, there are folks to whom the roleplaying, the interaction and the improv acting are the fun part, and others to whom the tactics, strategizing, and moving figures on a map appeal more.

I'm certainly not advocating removing one aspect for the sake of the other. They're both perfectly fine attitudes to have, but when you have both of them in the same game, it can be difficult finding the happy medium, especially when running a combat.

C'est la vie, c'est la guerre, say no more...

Re: WHY is combat so slow and what have you done about it?

I disagree completely with your last statement. HERO's approach demands a certain level system vocabulary knowledge not only from the GM but the players if they want to take advantage of the options and still manage to have quick combats. Players that complain about HERO combat length either don't want to bother to actually learn the system or want to munchkin the system vs. their GM. The former group is probably too lazy for HERO and the latter are going to be problematic players no matter what system is played.

You're welcome to disagree. But if what you say is true, I fear that does not bode well in attracting new players to the Hero System. There are a number of RPGs out there that do not require an intimate familiarity of the rules to play (as opposed to GM, of course).

If I, as a potential participant, were to face the choice between having to achieve some sort of certified level of expertise to play a particular game or just jump in and start playing in another, I'd likely choose the latter. I'm here to have fun, not study.

Re: WHY is combat so slow and what have you done about it?

I propose a theory. My theory is that it isn't that combat in Hero is too slow but combat in other systems is too quick. Most combat systems cut out the little nuances that make combat grand. I mean' date=' sure there are a lot of rules and it takes forever, but I have actually cut the strap to a saddle and made an acrobatics role to "swing" under the horse and kick the rider off his steed, sending him toppling to the ground. You can't do stuff like that and make it "fast".[/quote']

 

I'm not sure if your example really supports your point.

 

I've played in other systems where complex actions like that were indeed part and parcel of the combat. The difference is in the level of granularity the GM applies in determining the outcome, whether in Hero or another game.

 

If the GM says, "OK, roll your skill with a -2 modifier and, if you succeed, roll your attack", fine. If the GM starts going through the whole list of applicable modifiers, followed by another player's argument that the action needs to be broken down into two turns because it constitutes two "attacks", bla bla bla, then you see combat screech to a grinding halt.

 

I guess my point is that it's not the system per se, it's how the GM and the players to choose to implement it.

 

Hero has gotten the reputation as a "slow" system most likely due to a few bad incidents. Unfortunately, for every example one can show of a combat running smoothly, an opposite example is available. Blaming the system alone, though, is only part of the issue.

 

Bottom line, what I humbly suggest is that if speeding up combat is a goal, lessening one's compulsive obsession with rule mechanics is a way to get closer to it.

Re: WHY is combat so slow and what have you done about it?

Hmm... OK, I'll bite. My admittedly personal experience in what makes Hero combat seem so slow:

1) CV calculations: There always seems to be at least one guy in the group who just has to work out every single modifier that could apply to the roll. So, the rest of the group sits idly by while the number-crunchers go at it. This includes hex-counting, which I noticed someone mentioned. My attitude (as a player) is to look at the GM and simply ask, "Did it succeed or not?", or (as a GM) to come up with a number partly based on how cool the maneuver is and tell the player to go ahead and roll it. This latter method has been known to bring the number-crunchers to tears of rage.

2) Power or skill rulings: Someone wants to do something and the page-turning starts to figure out if the power/skill used can actually do it. My attitude is: if the character's paid 60 points for a VPP and the effect of the attack fits the effect of the Pool, why do we need to calculate the specific power that created the effect? If someone's worked it out beforehand, great. Otherwise, let's just assume he has what he needs and move on. The effect trumps the rules every time.

3) Edition changes: Even, or I should say especially, experienced players get caught by this one. Rules changes in the new editions inevitably spark combat-delaying discussions about what a power or skill can now do or not do. See 2 above.

Solving these issues is not an easy task, since some players believe that adherence to the rules is necessary for their enjoyment of the game. Folks have already provided many useful tips on how to pre-generate values and calculations to speed up the process.

In the end, though, it comes down to what is more important to you and the group: keeping the story and excitement going, or following the dictates of the rulebook.

Warning: The opinions expressed above are strictly those of the poster and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the establishment. Thank you.

Re: What was your best plot twist

Well, if I am allowed to describe a plot twist done to me, here's my all-time favorite.

In a modern Superhero campaign, I was playing a brick who'd been a scrawny kid until he'd bulked up big time at puberty. I'd described his childhood where his dad had been an abusive drunk who'd died when he'd smashed his car onto a lamppost.

So the GM starts dropping hints about a secret super-soldier program that had gone awry back in the 70's. The program modified their subjects to essentially turn them into Hulks, in full rampage mode. Then my character got a phone call saying that someone had stolen his dad's body from his grave.

To make a long story short, after a while we discovered that his dad had been one of the subjects of the super-soldier program, who'd escaped when he realized they were being used to "neutralize" areas with no regard for civilian casualties. Before this, he'd been a decorated hero that everyone had respected. His dad had used alcohol to keep the "rage" at bay, and had fought constantly to keep his inner beast under control.

The best part was how the GM built this whole storyline, including details on why my character had inherited his powers, without cluing me in on it until the big revelation. The climactic scene was a time-travel story where my character got sent back to 1971 to land on a rice-paddy somewhere in Viet Nam, just in time to see this familiar-looking big over-muscled guy drop out of the sky nearby.

To this day, that game stands as one of my most favorites.

Re: Democratic Republics in Fantasy Worlds?

OK, I'm coming into this thread late, and am completely awed and intimidated by the depth of sociological exposition being bandied about. But reading through the posts, this half-remembered quote kept coming back to me, and I thought I might as well share it, regardless of how little it may add to the discussion.

I vaguely recall it being attributed to some US Senator or Congressman though his name does not come to mind. It was in response to a question comparing the US with England's constitutional monarchy.

"Monarchy is like a great ship of state, sailing serenely over the waters, carrying its passengers in comfort and luxury. Until it hits a reef, sinking and killing all hands on board.

"Democracy is like a raft. It never sinks, but you're constantly bailing out water."

I'll go back to lurking now...

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

Was that Werner Von Braun?

No, no, no...

"Once ze rocket goes up,

Who cares where it comes down?

Zat's not my department,

Says Werner Von Braun."

Yes, I am a Tom Lehrer fan. So there.

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

I used to say the exact same things to my teachers. And I stuck to my guns. And that made me what I am today' date=' a failed english student [/quote']

 

That's why I stuck with science and engineering. Establishing what's right and wrong is a lot simpler when working with math.

 

As a colleague once commented, "Either the rocket goes up, or it explodes on the launch pad. Doesn't get much simpler than that."

 

The sweet irony is now watching my math and science-gifted daughter struggle through the same English Comp crap I had to go through. Le plus ca change...

Re: Top 10 Action Hero One-Liners

"I heard you coming that time."

What's even better is the dialog later in that movie...

Murata: Where's the girl?

Kenner: In my bedroom

Murata:

Kenner: She was scared.

Murata: I know. I saw you naked in the hot tub.

Re: Top 10 Action Hero One-Liners

OK, fine. You've gone and made me pull out the stops...

When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, looks you crooked in the eye and asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail."

- Jack Burton, Big Trouble in Little China -

Jack Burton: We really shook the pillars of heaven, didn't we, Wang?

Wang Chi: No bulls**t, Jack.

Jack Burton: No bulls**t.

- Again, from BTILC -

Re: Top 10 Action Hero One-Liners

(While showing off his .50 caliber handgun)

"It's only legal in two states. This isn't one of them."

Frank Dooley, Armed And Dangerous

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

Uhm... that wasn't me. I think you said that line.

Aw, man! There I go, trying to make up for the boob joke by giving you credit for a good quote, and you throw it right back in my face.

Sometimes, it just doesn't pay to be nice to people before stabbing them in the back...

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

One that Susano missed from the last session of Shadows Angelus:

Lt. Hemelshot, in charge of 9th Squad and played by Yar, is away and two of his officers, Carpenter and Brogan, are facing down an officious Internal Affairs officer, brazenly challenging his authority.

Yar (OOC): I'm getting that feeling again, aren't I?

Mike (OOC): You mean as if thousands of regulations suddenly cried out in terror and were silenced?

Yar: Yeah.

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

Jamadigni Renuka, animist sorceress is at -4 BODY and will die is she gets to -8. Recent events have shown us our boss, the Director of XSWAT, is the spirit of California in human form. Jama can call upon spirits to do her bidding. So she does --

 

"Alice Cadbury, Spirit of California, Protector of Angelus

One of your chosen lies dying."

Please lend some of your power,

If you have any to give.

So I might live to defend Angelus another day."

 

Her VPP is 50 points, or 5d6 of Healing. The GM let me roll 8d6. He also declared I could buy my VPP up to 60 points once the session was over. On the other hand, he also told us this meant the monsters trying to take over Angelus are now that much closer to breaking through....

What Susano omitted was my totally OOC response to her incantation:

"Your boobs grow 2 inches."

I'm a baaaaad boy.