Derek Hiemforth

Re: Martial Arts Disarm maneuvers I wonder why this bit isn't in HERO System Martial Arts for 6E...

Re: Martial Arts Disarm maneuvers I like that workaround idea too: A character with a Disarm maneuver can use that maneuver's STR to resist Disarms against him as well. (With the rationale that if you know how to do it, you also know how to avoid it.) I like it!

A recent conversation with my cousin (and fellow longtime HERO player) got me thinking about this... Are the current means of handling Disarms unbalanced? For example, let's say we've got a couple of Fantasy warriors with STR 15, swordfighting Martial Arts, and a couple of Damage Classes. They're evenly matched. And yet, whichever of them lands a Disarm maneuver on the other one first basically wins the duel. Because the target's chance of resisting the Disarm with his STR is laughable (35 STR to Disarm; 15 to resist), and nothing about his skill helps him out at all (beyond not getting hit with it, which is kind of a non-answer, since "don't get hit with it" defends against everything). Does this seem odd to anyone else? Don't they teach swordfighters to hold on to their swords? The best workaround I've thought of so far would be to build an anti-Disarm ability with extra STR, only to resist Disarm. It just seems odd to me that (near as I can tell), there isn't anything like it in the system or in any of the supplements. For example, searching the PDFs of HERO System Martial Arts and HERO System Advanced Player's Guide doesn't find any hits for phrases like "resist disarm," "vs. disarm," "against disarm," and so on. Anyone know if I'm missing something? Or if my cousin and I are the only ones who think it seems odd?

Re: Hero System Charater Creation Cheet Sheet...Would You Like One?

Re: Hero System Charater Creation Cheet Sheet...Would You Like One?

Re: Balancing social skills and role playing

Re: Balancing social skills and role playing I think I'm inclined to say that there should be no bonus to social Skill Rolls for good roleplaying. Rather than roleplaying driving the dice, I prefer to see the dice drive the roleplaying. In other words, rather than roleplaying out a Charm attempt (for example) and attempting the Charm roll at the end of the roleplaying exchange (with bonuses/penalties based on the roleplaying), I prefer to do the Charm roll at the declaration of the intent to try to Charm, then have the success or failure of the Skill Roll affect how the exchange is roleplayed. I think this avoids both the problem of performing the roleplaying clumsily but succeeding with the roll, and the problem of performing the roleplaying brilliantly but failing the roll. With the roll-first method, a failed roll is followed by the clumsy exchange, which in turn explains/justifies the failed roll. On a successful roll, even if the initial roleplaying doesn't go well, you can (since you already know the roll succeeded) continue roleplaying past any initial problems until you reach a point believable for success. While roleplaying generally wouldn't have an effect on the die roll this way, it would absolutely highlight opportunities to gain roleplaying bonuses for XP. Roleplaying Interaction Skill results well -- both successes and failures -- would be a clear indication that the character should get the roleplaying bonus XP for that adventure...

Re: VPP Change

Re: Clairsentience? "Define" just means "describe where it is," but that location can be different every time you use the power (unless you take the Fixed Perception Point Limitation). Basically, you place your perception point at some point within the Power's range, and then you can use the affected Senses as through the character was using those Senses from that point.

Re: VPP Change I have to agree with this sentiment too. It's not fair to "penalize" non-abusive players by subjecting them to restrictions aimed at curbing abusive players.

Re: MYTHIC HERO Kickstarter I wish I could do more, but I've already pimped it as often as I dare on FB, and pledged about 12 times as much as I probably should have, so... I think I've done about what I can do on this one. Here's hoping!

Re: VPP Change

Re: VPP Change I share the concerns about the "no Advantages on slots" ground rule. If you want to do something like that, I think it might be better to go through the list of Advantages and separate them into a "this actually changes how the power functions" category, and a "this just makes the power work more efficiently in some way" category. Then only apply the restriction to the second kind (since that seems to be your aim anyway... simulating skill).

Re: Well, look who just caught up... I did. I wanted behavior that matched the feel of the cartoon it was based on.

Re: Well, look who just caught up... I have to agree that there's a conflict here, though I think would subtract too much from the game to leave the roleplaying out of it entirely. (To be honest, I don't even like the "I try to blast him" stuff; in my Challenge of the Super Friends games, characters had to make soliloquies in order to take actions.) I think the best way to resolve it is to turn it around. Rather than having the roleplaying affect the dice roll (such as getting a bonus for good roleplaying), instead let the dice roll affect the roleplaying; have your character say different things or behave differently, depending on whether the roll succeeded or failed. For example, if you roll Charm for a seduction attempt and blow it, then you come out with the "I'll let you polish my pistol" line and get slapped. If you succeed with the Charm roll, then even if the player's initial "seduction line" doesn't fit, you keep roleplaying (perhaps with the GM subtly guiding the player toward a more suitable exchange, based on how the target reacts) until you have portrayed an interaction that's more believable as a success.

Re: Well, look who just caught up... I guess I'm not as obvious as I think I am when I'm joking.

Re: Well, look who just caught up...

Re: MYTHIC HERO Kickstarter

Re: Well, look who just caught up...

Re: MYTHIC HERO Kickstarter Also, it ain't over yet. I still think it's possible there could be a big last-minute surge.

Re: Well, look who just caught up... I dunno... While I wasn't a Communications major, I was a Drama major, and a speech and debate champion. I know I certainly encountered people who were effective public speakers by instinct alone, with virtually no training or experience...

Re: Well, look who just caught up... In the real world, I'd probably replace Deduction with Charm... Seriously though, I might be inclined to grant Everyman Skill status to all the Interaction Skills that don't include specific knowledge. (Acting, Charm, Conversation, Oratory, Persuasion, and Trading.) Though I could also see a strong case for saying that no Skills affecting other characters should be Everyman Skills. If that approach was adopted, none of the Interaction Skills would be Everyman except Acting...

I just realized that Charm is not an Everyman Skill. I don't know exactly why I assumed it was (since its predecessor, Seduction, wasn't either), but for some reason, I just assumed it was. Maybe because its definition expanded in 6E to include things like non-sexual attempts to befriend people. I wonder whether it says anything (positive or negative) about gamers, that the "make a friend or find a date" Skill wouldn't be considered an Everyman Skill...

Re: MYTHIC HERO Kickstarter Possibly speaks to the extent to which the HERO System remains very Champions-driven...

Re: Making a Invisible Power more Invisble. Yes, that will work. I personally see no reason not to allow it; it would essentially just mean that this signal isn't picked up by things that usually scan for signals of that type. It wouldn't stop a more specific Detect from finding it, for example. I don't think there is or needs to be a better method; sounds like that's the perfect method. I see no reason to allow a Language VPP for this. If he wants it to change languages as part of the encryption/decryption process, that can just be the Special Effect rationale for improving the Cryptography roll. If he wants the character to actually be able to speak and understand the different Languages, I think he should buy them normally. Why would it need to be a VPP? Something doesn't add up, here. If his Pool is large enough for him to run all his Powers simultaneously (i.e., he really can keep points "allocated" to every Power, even if they're not all on at once), then his rules interpretation is correct; it takes no time if he's not re-allocating points. However, if the Pool is really that large, it's not cheaper either. That would be impossible. Are you sure you guys are using VPP correctly? If I were his GM, the more wormy he got in his usage of the VPP, the stingier I would get about granting GM permission. Allowing things like Special Powers in Power Frameworks is a privilege given to players I trust to use it for the betterment of the game.