james4177 Posted September 13, 2006 Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 I want to run Fantasy Hero. I want to use a pre-published module/world that will eliminate most of the work. I see this bright, shiny new Ptolus thing by Monte Cook. I think to myself... Self, is it more work to convert Ptolus to Fantasy Hero than writing my own world/story? Self says, no it is not. We've got that Hero Maker software and all of the juicy notes we saw on Killer Shrike's site. I've ordered the Ptolus package of goodness and eagerly await its arrival. When it gets here I'll post my impressions and progress with the hopes that it may induce some of you to give me good advice and interest others in my progress. I've briefly looked at the Hero Fantasy settings and honestly I think they suffer from to much generality. I don't have time to develop from scratch my own adventures and thus I'm stuck converting Ptolus. Or at least that is the sob story I'm giving my wife. J-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funksaw Posted September 13, 2006 Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 Re: Lack of published material I will agree that Fantasy HERO settings tend to be very generic; this is simply that there is a much larger market for d20 Fantasy and additional material for D&D. Luckily, however, HERO's really, really easy to convert most of these settings to; just that it can be daunting to convert the entire setting. Just convert your PCs and your NPCs in your campaign, one at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted September 13, 2006 Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 Re: Lack of published material Ptolus does look cool. If you get into it and are able to use the material on my site to do it, consider sending me your version with all the Ptolus goodies added for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted September 13, 2006 Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 Re: Lack of published material Oh, and by the way, if you havent looked recently, I just posted a massive update to the D&D 3e Conversion a couple of days ago... http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/Conversion3e/conversion3e.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edsel Posted September 13, 2006 Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 Re: Lack of published material Glad to hear about the update. Of course I play in Eosin's FH campaign but there are several D&D3e things that I think would be cool to convert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james4177 Posted September 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Re: Lack of published material Killer Shrike wrote: "...consider sending me your version with all the Ptolus goodies added for posting." Maybe I'm misunderstanding you and maybe I have a bad sense of what intellecutual property really is... I'd love to post on my campaign blog and/or at your site my conversions of Mr. Cooke's good work but I'm thinking he might not approve of that. I feel confident that I'm on legally and morally solid ground if I convert his material for my own and my player's use but posting it on a public web-site seems a bit iffy. I went so far as to email the board moderator Dan Simon before even starting this thread - I genuinely want to respect the rights and property of others. That said maybe I don't understand the 'rules' am I allowed to convert his characters to FH and post them on the web? I'd love to start a wiki for the campaign and store the converted characters/items/rules there but again... I'd be hesitant to post his materials. Am I totally off base here...? Your advice is appreciated. J-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james4177 Posted September 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Re: Lack of published material ...Just convert your PCs and your NPCs in your campaign' date=' one at a time.[/quote'] This is good advice and I plan to follow it. I'm currently trying to decide on what kind of magic system to run. My least favorite thing about D20 is the magic system and I wont keep any of it when I convert Ptolus. Once I get the book and have some sense of how dependent the setting is on D20 magic I'll be able to decide which direction to go. I'm leaning towards a reasonably free-form system where the 'paradigm' is fairly subjective but the mechanics are controlled. I intend to not allow frameworks and to require that all spells are fueled by an endurance reserve. The endurance reserve allows me to influence how difficult using magic is by altering the recovery rate based on environmental factors. I'm considering allowing mages to cast spells out of their own endurance but at an increased cost so that it is done only during times of great need. I have a lot of work to do and I'm looking forward to it. I'll be starting a blog for the game once it gets a bit closer. J-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Re: Lack of published material Killer Shrike wrote: "...consider sending me your version with all the Ptolus goodies added for posting." Maybe I'm misunderstanding you and maybe I have a bad sense of what intellecutual property really is... I'd love to post on my campaign blog and/or at your site my conversions of Mr. Cooke's good work but I'm thinking he might not approve of that. I feel confident that I'm on legally and morally solid ground if I convert his material for my own and my player's use but posting it on a public web-site seems a bit iffy. I went so far as to email the board moderator Dan Simon before even starting this thread - I genuinely want to respect the rights and property of others. That said maybe I don't understand the 'rules' am I allowed to convert his characters to FH and post them on the web? I'd love to start a wiki for the campaign and store the converted characters/items/rules there but again... I'd be hesitant to post his materials. Am I totally off base here...? Your advice is appreciated. J-- Anything that causes more gamers to buy a product (say like Ptolus) whether they plan to use it with the game system it was designed for or convert it into a different game system...just equals more sales of that product. Im not talking about posting the CONTENT, such as the maps and flavor text and history, all the things that make it distinct and interesting and valuable as an intellectual property, im talking about posting HERO versions of the mechanical aspects of the game. You know -- just like all the other conversion materials on my site. The Conversion docs only do you any good if you have material from another system that you are converting; they dont give you the content from that other game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Re: Lack of published material I'm leaning towards a reasonably free-form system where the 'paradigm' is fairly subjective but the mechanics are controlled. I intend to not allow frameworks and to require that all spells are fueled by an endurance reserve. The endurance reserve allows me to influence how difficult using magic is by altering the recovery rate based on environmental factors. I'm considering allowing mages to cast spells out of their own endurance but at an increased cost so that it is done only during times of great need. The Magecraft Magic Systems on my website works basically like that, save that the END Reserve REC is not ambient based. Though of course it could be made so very easily. http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/HighFantasyHERO/MagicSystems/Magecraft.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james4177 Posted September 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 Re: Lack of published material Self twiddles thumbs waiting for shiny Ptolus to show up. :| J-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teflon Billy Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 Re: Lack of published material Self twiddles thumbs waiting for shiny Ptolus to show up. :| J-- Stares smuggly at personal copy purchased at GenCon. TB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eosin Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 Re: Lack of published material Self twiddles thumbs waiting for shiny Ptolus to show up. [PIMPAGE] You could hop over to Pencil Pushers and read up on the fantasy stuff there. If you like what you see, then you could purchase The Last Dominion and mine it for all the fantastic ideas that you could port over to your Ptolus game. [/PIMPAGE] Now, I am gonna assume that you have already purchased The Valdorian Age, The Turakian Age, Monster, Minons, and Mauraders, Fantasy Hero Battlegrounds, and the Grimories? Since you are waiting, have you taken a look at Final Redout or Beautifulharmony's stuff? On the Horizon we have Nobles, Knights, and Necromancers that Steve finished writing not too long ago. I know that sometime down the pipe he is doing the city of Aarn and finishing Tula Morn. I know that isn't a "fat" schedule but it is one-thousand times larger than Malhavoks Ptolus support plan (There can only be One!). If you have questions about nearly any of these things, you can read the bevey of reviews I posted right here. Is it there yet? Did I mention how nice Ptolus smells? or how crisp the pages, the art, and the maps are? Is it there now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teflon Billy Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 Re: Lack of published material Is it there yet? Did I mention how nice Ptolus smells? or how crisp the pages, the art, and the maps are? Is it there now? You are a cruel man underneath it all, Eosin. I think that's why we hit it off so well at GenCon:lol: TB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eosin Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 Re: Lack of published material You are a cruel man underneath it all, Eosin. I think that's why we hit it off so well at GenCon:lol: TB While I was pouring salt into his wound, I was offering good, sound suggestions that he could undertake. The whip and carrot work so much better than the whip alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapier Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 Re: Lack of published material I'm considering allowing mages to cast spells out of their own endurance but at an increased cost so that it is done only during times of great need. Either that or just allow them to Transfer Personal END to the Reserve and give it a Side Effect (Transfer 2d6 END to Reserve, Side Effect 2d6 STUN). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 Re: Lack of published material Actually, there is an "ambient" Magic System in Fantasy HERO for 5th Edition. Also, some discussion of ambient Magic and how to handle the depletion and recovery of an area's Magic is discussed in this thread: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15288&highlight=ambient and I wrote up a simple ambient Magic system in this thread: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14855&highlight=ambient Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james4177 Posted September 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2006 Re: Lack of published material I didn't realize I'd acquired a hunted but I'll be certain to ask my meta-GM if I can spend the points somewhere very painful for Mr. Salty Wounds. I have been to the Pencil Pushers site recently and done some reading but I'm not finished there just yet. I don't have all of the Champions fantasy products but they are on my list to buy. As for GenCon, some of us have to code for a living. I know, it is a lame excuse but it is the best I can do until I recover from being stunned by the one two punch of Teflon Billy and Eosin. J-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james4177 Posted September 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2006 Re: Lack of published material Either that or just allow them to Transfer Personal END to the Reserve and give it a Side Effect (Transfer 2d6 END to Reserve' date=' Side Effect 2d6 STUN).[/quote'] I like that combination a lot. It allows for tense moments as the player struggles to get the endurance transferred to cast their spell while risking knocking themselves out. i've been reading Killer Shrikes links and I plan to head over to the Salty Wounds site for some more reviews later. [rattles 3D6 and rolls a 17] Damn no Ptolus today either. J-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted September 16, 2006 Report Share Posted September 16, 2006 Re: Lack of published material As for GenCon, some of us have to code for a living. I know, it is a lame excuse but it is the best I can do until I recover from being stunned by the one two punch of Teflon Billy and Eosin. J-- Yah; I have that problem too. Gen Con is at the beginning of my really really busy half of the year (as opposed to the only really busy other half). Maybe next year.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted September 16, 2006 Report Share Posted September 16, 2006 Re: Lack of published material i've been reading Killer Shrikes links and I plan to head over to the Salty Wounds site for some more reviews later. J-- Just don't try to print the site out; it's hundreds of pages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markdoc Posted September 25, 2006 Report Share Posted September 25, 2006 Re: Lack of published material While I was pouring salt into his wound' date=' I was offering good, sound suggestions that he could undertake. The whip and carrot work so much better than the whip alone.[/quote'] Depends where you put the carrot, I guess cheers, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starwolf Posted September 25, 2006 Report Share Posted September 25, 2006 Re: Lack of published material I am suprised no has mentioned The Turakian Age campaign setting. I have run a couple of campaigns set there and it is very well done. But I agree that if you want a D&D flavor a conversion is most likely the best option. I would like to see a decent conversion of the Dragonlance setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james4177 Posted September 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 Re: Lack of published material I received my copy of Shiny Ptolus and have been reading it in bits and pieces. I've been to Killer Shrikes website and decided I like the look of the magecraft system. I intend to use it for both arcane and divine magic though the divine magic will have a more rigid set of required power limitations. I'm still working on the details but I'm contemplating giving divine casters an endurance reserve and disallowing them from using their own endurance to power spells. The deities (or whatever) then control the divine casters access to magic by limiting/augmenting the details of their endurance reserve. I have some questions about play balance but I'll post them seperately in the FH group. Thanks for your advice. J-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Re: Lack of published material I ordered a copy of Ptolus yesterday. We'll see what transpires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Re: Lack of published material I would like to see a decent conversion of the Dragonlance setting. Only if Kender are an NPC race and the whole point of the campaign is to exterminate them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.