Hero System Power Cards

[Zane_Marlowe]

One of the things I liked about Our Esteemed Competition is that in the 4th edition, they introduced power cards that made it very simple to communicate what your character could do. Sometimes (even with the excellent PDF export), I've thought it can be dizzying to read an extended power build if you're new to Hero.

 

So I built a template with nice design and simplified layout for my convention players this Summer. These cards will go into cardsleeves of one sort or another, probably color coded by type (heroic talents, spells, character data, etc.). Here's a sample, be interested to hear your feedback.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]38514[/ATTACH]

[Zane_Marlowe]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

Oh, quick PS: they're going to have PDF character sheets as well, so skills/perks/talents will be present elsewhere. This is for simplifying combat scenes mainly.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

Very nice, I like the layout. One suggestion: put the END cost on there, possibly on the right side of the line w/ the Attack Roll.

[Zane_Marlowe]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

Good call!

[BoloOfEarth]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

Oh' date=' quick PS...[/quote']

 

You know you've been playing Hero too long when you wonder why he referenced "Professional Skill"...

[Legendsmiths]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

Nicely done. Is this an export format for HD?

[Zane_Marlowe]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

It's not an export format yet. That'd be a useful next step, but it actually doesn't take that long to do these once you have the character figured out. For now I'm still in furious convention-season-development for my Origins/GenCon events (first year I'm GMing at the cons), so I may not get to that until later. One thing about that is that I'm not putting in all the powers or all the characteristics, etc. It's just the stuff players would need to have on hand and it's going to have simplified descriptions for quick use by new players.

[Legendsmiths]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

I have an export format that does a simplified output: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/81610-New-Export-Format-RTF-Compact-6E-(SH)

 

I like the power cards concept. One of the things I have learned in prep for cons is that a lot of stuff can happen at the last minute. I have made it a point that I can go straight from HD to printing characters, otherwise I may miss important stuff.

 

I built an export format for spells that has a lot of the hidden information included. This attachment is an example of straight from HD output. It would be fairly easy to do the same for a more "power card" format.

[IndianaJoe3]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

So I built a template with nice design and simplified layout for my convention players this Summer. These cards will go into cardsleeves of one sort or another' date=' probably color coded by type (heroic talents, spells, character data, etc.). Here's a sample, be interested to hear your feedback.[/quote']

 

Looks nice. I'd like the layout to print 9-up (3x3) instead of 6-up (3x2), just to save paper.

 

Very nice' date=' I like the layout. One suggestion: put the END cost on there, possibly on the right side of the line w/ the Attack Roll.[/quote']

 

Or Charges, if applicable.

[Christopher]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

You know you've been playing Hero too long when you wonder why he referenced "Professional Skill"...

I only know it two months, but I wondered that too...

 

Or Charges' date=' if applicable.[/quote']

I don't know if HD even gives you those, but:

If the END comes from an Endurance Reserve, as opposed to the normal.

The different END to activate and maintain, if applicable. (Or combinations like Charges to Activate, END to maintain).

[Zane_Marlowe]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

Looks nice. I'd like the layout to print 9-up (3x3) instead of 6-up (3x2)' date=' just to save paper. Or Charges, if applicable.[/quote']

 

The paper size is necessary to fit in the cardsleeves, otherwise I'd do it that way. Charges I'm going to include in the basic description field when there are charges I think.

[Zane_Marlowe]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

I have an export format that does a simplified output: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/81610-New-Export-Format-RTF-Compact-6E-(SH)

 

I like the power cards concept. One of the things I have learned in prep for cons is that a lot of stuff can happen at the last minute. I have made it a point that I can go straight from HD to printing characters, otherwise I may miss important stuff.

 

I built an export format for spells that has a lot of the hidden information included. This attachment is an example of straight from HD output. It would be fairly easy to do the same for a more "power card" format.

 

Hey that's really cool! I'll be interested in using that anyway for regular campaigning I think. I'll see what I can do with the export format; you may have saved me a significant amount of time!

[Zane_Marlowe]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

Tried these on a group tonight and they worked like a dream! Everyone was a hero newb, and combat FLEW by! I highly recommend this for intro games and for people who are just getting their feet wet in the system. Heck, I just like the aesthetics and I've been playing a little while--I'd use them myself.

 

Anyway, there's one thing I've overlooked that was immediately present. I need to make sure the phase length of one's actions is listed somehow on the cards. So, I'm thinking of just using the following notation somewhere on the cards.

 

• Full Phase Actions, "1"
  
• Half Phase Actions, "1/2"
  
• Zero-phase actions, "0"
  
• Actions which take no time, "-"
  

 

The question is, where do I put it? Here's the latest version with a couple options filled in next to the type, roll, or endurance stats. I'm leaving the other areas free for UI/Busy-ness reasons, and of the options depicted, the first and third look most promising to me. What do you think?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]38573[/ATTACH]

[ghost-angel]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

I think it's best up by Type; since Action Time is determined by Action Type it makes mechanical and aesthetic sense. It's a good way to learn that Attack is default a 1/2 Phase, and so on.

 

Also, you'll probably want some codes for when actions have Extra Time. Possibly a * to notify the player that they'll want to check the Limitations and/or other part for how long before the Power is up. Extra Phase, Full Turn, and so on. Otherwise you could use 1+ for Extra Phase and T for Full Turn actions, since that covers most combat abilities.

[IndianaJoe3]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

I think it's best up by Type; since Action Time is determined by Action Type it makes mechanical and aesthetic sense. It's a good way to learn that Attack is default a 1/2 Phase' date=' and so on.[/quote']

 

I'd give Attack Actions their own code, to indicate that using one ends the character's Phase.

[gojira]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

Tried these on a group tonight and they worked like a dream! Everyone was a hero newb' date=' and combat FLEW by! I highly recommend this for intro games and for people who are just getting their feet wet in the system.[/quote']

 

Just curious, how did you use them? Did you actually cut them up into "cards" or do you just print them out on 8x11 and let players browse the sheets printed for their character?

[Zane_Marlowe]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

I made them into actual cards. See pix.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]38600[/ATTACH]

[Zane_Marlowe]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

The cards measure about 2.5" x 3.5" in case you're wondering about scale.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

I like the name of the Battleaxe.

[gojira]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

That's cool. It looks like you printed them out on regular paper, cut them up, then pasted them onto light card stock. Yes?

 

What weight card stock did you use?

[Zane_Marlowe]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

Not cardstock, cardsleeves. Look upthread for the link or just look for the trading card games at your FLGS. They're printed on regular paper and super easy to make. Once I get this perfected, I'll post the template for others who are interested.

[The Main Man]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

This thread won't be bookmarked. Nope, not at all.

 

I'll owe some rep soon.

[culhwch]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

Not cardstock' date=' cardsleeves. Look upthread for the link or just look for the trading card games at your FLGS. They're printed on regular paper and super easy to make. Once I get this perfected, I'll post the template for others who are interested.[/quote']

 

Count me in as being interested!

[Doc Democracy]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

I'd give Attack Actions their own code' date=' to indicate that using one ends the character's Phase.[/quote']

 

Have you thought about using colour? Skills could be blue, attack powers red, movement powers green etc. etc. I did a handwritten version of this for the last game I played and it made the magic using character's life so much easier. So I am already bought into the concept.

 

I prefer the first option - I like the fact that any roll is on its own and the END cost is one its own - anything else complicates things. I am a big advocate of removing absolutely anything that will not be needed by the player during play from the character sheet he uses. There may be something more complex that the GM has or the player uses for design but the play stuff should be out there on its own...

 

I love the watermark which provide more stuff for the player to use in organising things. I like the idea of a gestalt character sheet - the player can lay out whatever he wants during the game to make things easy for himself and stack the other things away.

 

 

Doc

[Christopher]

Re: Hero System Power Cards

 

Have you thought about using colour? Skills could be blue' date=' attack powers red, movement powers green etc. etc. I did a handwritten version of this for the last game I played and it made the magic using character's life so much easier. So I am already bought into the concept.[/quote']

That would mean it requires a color printer, or using of colors that are hard to read when transformed to greyscale.

Better stay at simple formatting, more people can use it that way.