Doc Democracy

Re: A limitation that does not limit Some of you guys are harsh. I repped Chris and would have repped Vondy as well (if I hadn't done so too recently). I think this encapsulates the rules well enough to use whenever you have problems. Anything else becomes an argument in relativity between player and GM and leads to acrimony - unnecessary acrimony as well.

Re: Getting to two I dont like the 3 for standard effect. it does guarantee you a certain amount but in a game like HERO where the margins are calculated so much by the referees it often feels very much like a penalty. I would allow a general attack by a character to do standard effect if they asked (like taking 10 in D&D) but if I was designing an attack that could only do standard effect then I would do 3.5 per die. That way I penalise the ad hoc standard effect and have a no effect, no cost, no penalty modifier on the built power. As for +1 SE, I'm not sure why you are worrying Sean. With an effect for 2 SE and one for 3 SE then you can make any number except 1. You can get 4,5,6, 7 etc using 2s and 3s. Do you want an EB that does 1 STUN?? Doc

Re: A limitation that does not limit Sean - I know I asked if the boards were quiet but come on! People, start talking - if we dont then Sean feels the need to bring up topics of discussion!

Re: New Guy Saying Hello

Re: Sleep Spell? If you are determined to follow that exact route then hit dice are essentially a representation of experience. Some monsters are so fearsome because they have instincts that build in experience, others are raised in environments such that when you meet them they are likely to be more experienced. Choose a number of experience points as the defence, or a set number of points higher than the base character of the campaign. It is metagamey but it is a measure there to be used. Doc

Re: Damage Shield/Area of Effect

Re: Damage Shield/Area of Effect I keep wondering whether for many powers it would be better to summon an energy monster that hit people for you than to pay for a damage shield. Anyone done some maths on it? I'd bet there is a break point at which it becomes cheaper for the summon... Doc

Re: Sleep Spell? So, an attack against STUN is odd but making it against BODY or STR is fine? STUN in the game does represent whether a character is conscious or not - so it is appropriate. I have considered a transform based on EGO or PRE rather than BODY though.... Doc

Re: Moving Entangle Do you need anything more than continuous on this? Or perhaps continuous with one hex effect?? It would have the limitation of no range (I would say) and would be fired at the hex immediately in front. Each phase the next hex would be hit until it ran out of END. That seems simplest... Doc

Re: Elemental Control Vs. Multipower

Re: Elemental Control Vs. Multipower

Re: Elemental Control Vs. Multipower Are we talking about the same thing? I feel that the system should not reward one concept over another - everyone should get the same value from their points. Do you disagree with that? Doc

Re: Elemental Control Vs. Multipower I think that the point is that the system shouldn't give me so many bennies 'just' because it contains STR. The system should essentially be blind to concept....

Re: Making a character too efficient?

Re: Elemental Control Vs. Multipower

Re: Elemental Control Vs. Multipower

Re: I am wearable by others

Re: Elemental Control Vs. Multipower I'm not sure that the two sentences follow. You may not want to play an Energy Projector with 60 STR, but someone else in the team does. They can do that and be competitive with you on everything else. Kdansky is simply pointing out that the system ensures that there is an incentive to tag on the STR as there is essentially no downside to it. Why not have the extra STR - it comes in handy in many situations such as breaking out of that entangle. A 3 DEF 3 BODY entangle can delay a STR 10 Energy Projector but if he had 60 STR then a casual us of his STR would allow that to be broken and still have time to launch a ranged attack on his opponents. You are not 'forced' to use any build but if the system allows things then certain builds can be much more effective if you want to be competitive (though there is nothing in an RPG that dictates you have to be combat competitive with your fellow gamers). Doc

Re: Vertigo Immunity That's a special effect. I'm not sure there is anything in the rules that trigger vertigo - that characters are assumed immune to such things unless they take a relevant disadvantage. However, it is such a minor thing in the grand scale, if you were thinking to penalise players for environmental type effects then I would charge it similar to bump of direction. Doc PS - I would then allow that to be used as a defence against villains using vertigo based NND attacks...

Re: Cotu! I play in a group where we kind of trust each other and are willing to give stuff a go. I am the HERO advocate in the group and there are one or two others who think they would like (or should like) HERO. They freely admit that they have enjoyed playing the games I have run (they have criticised other games so I believe this to be true comment). They also freely admit that it just looks so complicated and they get distracted to the point where some of the creative players begin playing the numbers on the sheet rather than the powers they represent. The system can inadvertantly get in the way of the game. With a nice front end (whether or not it limits choices like Sean's example) you can make a huge difference. And for beginners - an introductory system (based on HERO) can be very instructive as to HERO's capabilities not only to play games but to build them from the ground up. Personally, I can imagine Sean introducing COTU as a game he'd designed using the HERO System - not a HERO game to play but one built using the system. He'd indicate that the gameplay is there based on what he's allowed - btu that if they liked it and were interested there were lots of other things that could be done. No need to misrepresent - tell the whole truth and it still works. In fact it might even work better because you have just highlighted an aspect of HERO that is not represented by many other systems available out there. Doc

Re: Starwars Vehicles: Any ideas? What do you want to use them for? I find that if you want detailed then it is work - if you want colour then a land speeder is flight, AoE (hexes), physical manifestation, must be within 1" of a surface, OAF, independent. This allows you to fly just above the surface. I allow the physical manifestation to get other people to sit on board - they have no control over the movement of the speeder unless they take the focus from me and I cannot impose movement on them unless they choose to sit in the speeder. If the vehicle has weapons then you buy attacks on a similar basis. That gets round an awful lot of the vehicle design rules unless you want to go into the spaceship warfare with bits blowing up etc etc.... My way has advantages of cinematic action and vehicles giving characters abilities rather than being proto-characters in and of themselves. Doc

Re: Cotu!

Re: Hero System Light I'm with Vondy on this. I dont think that the analogy is quite correct. You can buy a system and you get to fiddle with the lights and buttons on the outside but the internal workings and balance are all in a sealed black box. opening it up or fiddling with bits that go into the black box invalidate your warranty. HERO comes without the lights and buttons but with a full instruction manual on how to get there. I can make my own black box so that my players dont have to worry about the inner workings and can focus on the lights and buttons that I want them to have. If they really want a different light or a new button, then I can add that in way that I am confident is consistent with the rest. Doc

Re: First meeting of game group to consider HERO System I'm pleased I asked the question rather than threw accusations then. My apologies if it felt like I was accusing... Doc

Re: First meeting of game group to consider HERO System Are we actually celebrating the fact that we might have made someone's time on the board so difficult that they decided not to play here any more? Believe me, I understand Sindyr was difficult to talk to (and sometimes rude) but come on.... Doc