Doc Democracy

Re: Fox1's Hero Debate This is an intersting conversation but I think you (Fox1) are being a bit too limited in what you are willing to call incapacitated. HERO as far as I know it uses 0 STUN to represent someone who is unconcious and -10 BODY for someone who is dead. The closest in the core rules to incapacitated is STUNNED but that only lasts a phase and doesn't lead to knockdown. My first thought was that the EGO roll was the best representation. A failed roll would result in incapacitation etc. Now it is obvious that you don't want another roll - not a bad thing when combat takes as long as it does but why not use the EGO roll in another fahion. The average human has an EGO Roll of 11 or less which they would make 50% of the time. That chance decreases rapidly as you go to 10, 9 and 8 or less due to modifiers due to damage done. Assume a 1D6 Killing Attack. A result of 3 BODY would means the average human would take 3 BODY and need a roll of 8 or less to remain active in the fight (1 in 4). That means that only 25% of average people would remain in a fight after an 'average' (didn't want to use 3.5) damage roll from a 1D6 pistol - but you have to use the roll. You could introduce an Incapacitation number (EGO/5). If the BODY done in a single attack exceeds the Incapacitation number then the victim is incapacitated. You would have to decide what incapacitation meant and how long that state lasted but you would then take 2 in 3 average humans out of a fight with one hit from a pistol. This is something new but it is only noting a number and comparing it during combat - and is based on an existing mechanic. I think this would allow you to do what you want. It is also easy to modulate depending on what you want - you want incapacitation to happen less often? Use a different divider or make it 1+(EGO/5). Doc

Re: Using the toolkit to build a different game! Have you thought what the character sheet will look like? I think that some of the game mechanic design could become clearer if you knew how it would look to the players. Sketch it out on a piece of paper and you'll see the things that the players need to know and what they don't need to know. Think about the things you want to allow players to change - then everything else (from the HERO palette) can be fixed values. It is important right from the start to have a clear idea of where there needs to be detail and where there doesn't. Doc

Re: Power Construction - theoretical question It is the cost variation that makes me leary of using version 2. The costs in the game have been heavily play tested and while we argue about specifics we generally agree that the costs are roughly right. This would make every game have to go through the same testing of all the 'new' powers created. I would not have a problem with GMs providing ready-made powers for players - stunning attack - 3pts/D6 If they wanted a variant then I think I'd go back to first principles. Doc

Re: Paying points for Falling damage I think it depends on how much you handwave stuff. Personally I've never been that hot on keeping track of locations etc except on fairly relative terms (HtH, close, apart, far apart, distant) and would be willing to handwave some of the movement stuff - though I'd expect the player to allow me to use the movement against them as often as they use it to their advantage. Doc

Re: Paying points for Falling damage

Re: Paying points for Falling damage If a player was being a pain about using it then I think I might gently suggest it as something I would insist on if he insisted on being a pain! Perhaps as in a multipower with his flight. It would necessarily cost too much but it would make my life as a GM easier - if he wants the attack then let me sort it out so that I don't have to deal with the detail. That's a good use of the toolbox and a nod to the HERO ethos of the game details and the special effects being virtually divorced. Doc

Re: Paying points for Falling damage Actually I see a good reason for paying points for falling damage. If one of Stuka's 'signature' attacks was to grab someone and dive them into the pavement then I want to be able to do that regularly without all the palavar of grabbing etc etc. If I buy 16D6 EB (physical) only if 30' of headroom available, -1D6 per " of opponents flight, full phase. If I throw this attack then the special effects are that I fly by, grabbing an ankle before divingbombing the ground with my captive. Takes a phase to throw and always works if I make the to hit roll. I have paid the points, I expect to do the damage. So yes, I think there can be a case made.... Doc

Re: Please Suggest Names for a Hulk Tribute Character Goddam sir. I just repped you and now I'll have to wait to do so again!

Re: [Newbie] Is desolidification truly unbalancing ? If, as a GM, you are concerned that a player will not be effective because it is either invulnerable or completely vulnerable then you should be guiding the player in how to be effective in your game. One way is to make agreements with the player - write them down if you want. I had an agreement with a player that they would only use their desolidification in specific ways and at specific times as seemed appropriate by genre. When he pointed out times that he would normally have used the power but didn't then I gave him a dice bonus (he could, at any time in the adventure, change a dice roll by 2). I allowed him to stack up to three of these for one roll. I also promised that is he used it in genre then I would ignore him 'in genre' too when he became solid but he had to return dice bonuses for that. Another way is to suggest that the player puts the desolid in a multipower with some kind of defence (armour/force field etc) that kicked in when he wasn't desolid - reflecting a lesser use of desolid in avoiding the bulk of damage and allowing it to affect the normal world while not being able to walk through walls etc. There are all kinds of ways to use the system to get what you want if you talk about it beforehand with the player. Doc

Re: Herogames: The Sportscar Product

Re: Herogames: The Sportscar Product

Re: Name this NPC. I've been trying to find somewhere to offload this name Ulysses Hope It was on a spam - I think that was the greatest use of the 100+ spams I used to get in my work inbox every day - some of the names were amazing. Doc

Re: Herogames: The Sportscar Product I'd just like to repeat the don't put words into my mouth. I am a HERO freak. I LOVE the system and I love the complexity but I am painfully aware that I'm in a minority among most of the gamers I know. I want them to understand what HERO has to offer but they don't see beyond the multitude of numbers and speed charts to the underlying beauty of it all. I want to be able to show them a beautiful game that they'd want to play and hopefully bring them into the inner circle once they've decided that they want to go beyond the limits presented in the game. Like Storn said - its a getway product - the sugar coated pill that helps you swallow the difficult parts of the system. Doc

Re: Herogames: The Sportscar Product

Re: Herogames: The Sportscar Product

Re: Herogames: The Sportscar Product

Re: Herogames: The Sportscar Product Personally I think that DOJ would love to see systems out there that would tease, tantalise and hopefully begin to draw people to the main system. All of these standalones would have to have design notes somewhere that would allow someone with HERO knowledge to peek behind the curtain. It would also allow them to tweak the setting if they so desired. I think the problem is money. DOJ would rather focus on their core business than develop potential advertising for that core business. Having listened to Steve in London I think that he'd be open to someone coming to him with a business proposal. I think that if a group of us were to get together enough money to print something like this then I think DOJ might facilitate the business side of it. It would all depend on the quality of the material, the financing of the book and the commitment necessary from DOJ itself. In the end a company has to look at the business implications. I also think that if one or two of these projects were financially successful then DOJ might think about doing them itself thereafter. If we are really serious then this is the opportunity to put our money where our mouth is - just like Steve and DOJ did.... Doc

Re: My two cents

Re: HERO system observations and beefs

Re: Pulp Hero Given how well the site looks haven't you ever thought of designing the character sheets to make them more atmospheric? Doc

Re: HERO system observations and beefs As has been made clear - I'm another person who thinks that there is a niche to be filled with books that present flavour first with HERO at its core though not necessarily in an obvious manner. One of my hopes was that DoJ could do something along the lines of 20-30 glossy pages that could be picked up for $10 or less. They'd be small limited games obviously but would promise more - if they picked up the full rulebook... My desire is to see lots of small purchases that I'd be tempted to buy. Just because you can make your own game from the toolkit doesn't mean you have the time, dedication or inspiration to do so. Sometimes you want to just open the wrapper and dive in.... ...specially if it costs $10. Doc

Re: 3 Questions - Force Wall and Area of Effect OK. What I see here is that you want to be able to generate a disk of force that on one side would repel attacks and on the other would allow you to step into it and teleport. To me that is an entangle (only to create barriers) and a teleport (only fixed locations - location of barrier). Thus, if you generate a disk close to you to hide behind, you could then create another disk at the range limit of your entangle and then step from one to the other. I think you could define the size of the entangle barrier when you create it (bit harder to work out without the book in front of me). Doc

Re: Which are the optional bits? DrFaust Steve Long has pitched 5th edition as a toolkit. As such I think that everything is optional. Pick and choose what you want to use and play the game you want to play. The main caveat must be that HERO has probably been designed for balance more than any other system out there. You have to be careful that the changes you make don't unduly unbalance the system. As Nexus pointed out, dropping turn mode has the potentially unexpected impact of changing the value of running relative to flight. Changing things gets easier as you get more experience. HERO is a tinkerers dream - have a blast. Doc

Re: Presenting a genre using the toolkit have attached a few sheets - two champions and two justice inc Doc

Re: Stretching A Core System: Part Deux nicely put. I'm afraid you are looking for people to be careful of the words they use in debate and discussion - a controlled vocabulary. It'd be lovely but I don't think it'll happen. I sometimes think that people don't want to speak clearly! Doc