Digest Archive vol 1 Issue 437
From: owner-champ-l-digest@sysabend.org
Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 1999 11:59 AM
To: champ-l-digest@sysabend.org
Subject: champ-l-digest V1 #437
champ-l-digest Wednesday, June 30 1999 Volume 01 : Number 437
In this issue:
RE: Reply about FH Magic System Design
Re: Reply about FH Magic System Design
Re: Reply about FH Magic System Design
RE: Reply about FH Magic System Design
Re: Cyber HERO
Re: Reply about FH Magic System Design
Re: Reply about FH Magic System Design
Enemies of San Angelo now shipping!
Re: Reply about FH Magic System Design
Re: [Semi-OT] Yahoo/Geocities warning
Fun's Over, Silky Boys! Time To Train!
Re: Fun's Over, Silky Boys! Time To Train!
RE: Reply about FH Magic System Design
Re: Fun's Over, Silky Boys! Time To Train!
Re: Reply about FH Magic System Design
Re: Fun's Over, Silky Boys! Time To Train!
Re: Reply about FH Magic System Design
Re: Fun's Over, Silky Boys! Time To Train!
RE: [Semi-OT] Yahoo/Geocities warning
Re: [Semi-OT] Yahoo/Geocities warning
Re: Fun's Over, Silky Boys! Time To Train!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1999 20:44:06 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Dr. Nuncheon" <jeffj@io.com>
Subject: RE: Reply about FH Magic System Design
On Tue, 29 Jun 1999, David Nasset wrote:
>
> Actually, the first he wrote using that magic system was "The Dying Earth",
> I believe.
Correct.
> I liked it, but disliked "Cugel the Clever", due to a hatred of
> the title character. I don't want to be amused by the antics of a man who
> robs, murders, kidnaps, and rapes within the first few chapters of the book.
> Such subjects may be good for dark humor, or a serious story, but I don't
> find them amusing.
Hmm...I don't remember the raping. The other stuff is fairly standard
trickster-archetype stuff which Cugel definitely fits into.
> Partly due to "Cugel the Clever", and partly due to other reasons, I never
> got around to "The Eyes of the Overworld".
It's as well you didn't. IIRC it also starred Cugel.
J
Hostes aliengeni me abduxerent. Jeff Johnston - jeffj@io.com
Qui annus est? http://www.io.com/~jeffj
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1999 18:09:40 -0700
From: Rodger Bright <rodger.bright@cbpr.com>
Subject: Re: Reply about FH Magic System Design
It actually states that "gestures cannot include attacking through a weapon". In
that ability we were talking about the gestures are there for the Power that grants
the Blademaster +2 SPD. His attacks have nothing to do with it (well thats not
true, another limitation is that he attack each Phase), but to keep the +2 SPD up the
Blademaster needs to continually swing his sword about him (kind of like Conan when
he is practicing his forms). If he stops and just sits there then the Power drops.
That was the rationale behind the gesturs-throughout limitation.
- --Rodger
http://i.am/altandara
Juan Antonio Ramirez wrote:
> Rodger Bright wrote:
>
> [snip]
>
> > the air (i.e. Hey look at me, I am powerful, kill me first). Then they go
> > into sort of a dancing frenzy, and during this dance they are considered to
> > be executing specific forms and routines, they can't just stand there and
> > smack their foe, they need to be keeping up a fluid motion of attacks,
> > therefore, Gestures Throughout.
> >
>
> I thought 'attacking' didn't count as Gestures... it had to be something else. I
> believe the BBB specifically excludes attacks as valid Gestures...
> Of course, if you're the GM, and it works for you .... 8)
>
> --Tonio
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1999 18:16:54 -0700
From: Rodger Bright <rodger.bright@cbpr.com>
Subject: Re: Reply about FH Magic System Design
> True. But could one be half and half? Could you split your energies
> between the augmentation of the blade and full channelling, to be more
> broadly effective than a Blademaster (but probably not as powerful as a
> Channeller who has worked with pure Vil'a'dar all his life?)
Theoretically there could be, but there good luck finding someone to teach in that manner. It
makes for easier gm'ing when players follow the set standards. As soon as I bend the standards for
someone I then need to bend them for eveyone, which means there no was reason to even make them in
the first place.
> > Theoretically a Blademaster could learn how to use Vil'a'dar for other things besides
> > fighting augmentation, but I would only allow very specific things. They would never be able
> > to learn how to do an unaided ranged attack (it just goes against everything they have been
> > taught). They are very single minded, they believe that true wisdom and enlightenment comes
> > from becoming one with their sword.
>
> There has never been and will never be a Blademaster who doubts this
> wisdom? Or one who learns to overcome what essentially seem to be false
> limitations put on him?
Sure there will be, but I would probably not allow one in my game. But here is an anology. You
spend 10 hours a day fencing, 365 days a year, for 5 years. you are a pretty bad ass fencer.
During this time, all you learned was basic math. You decide that you REALLy want to learn some
serious math. So for the next 5 years you spend 10 hours a day learning everything you can about
math. How good do you think you will at fencing after those 5 years of mathematical study?
Or it's kind of like a navy Seal, and an f14 pilot. You can be one or the other. But it is almost
impossible to be both. (I wonder if there ever has been someone to be a fighter pilot and a Navy
seal at different times in their military career)
> I guess I'm trying to figure out if the differences between these
> character Archetypes are really as discrete as they seem to be, or if
> they're a bit fuzzier and (to my mind) more realistic.
They are not realistic at all. I don't intend it be. It's a role playing game, it's fantasy.
- --Rodger
http://i.am/altandara
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1999 22:31:26 -0400
From: "Scott C. Nolan" <nolan@erols.com>
Subject: RE: Reply about FH Magic System Design
At 08:44 PM 6/29/99 -0500, you wrote:
>On Tue, 29 Jun 1999, David Nasset wrote:
>>
>> Actually, the first he wrote using that magic system was "The Dying Earth",
>> I believe.
>
>Correct.
>
>> I liked it, but disliked "Cugel the Clever", due to a hatred of
>> the title character. I don't want to be amused by the antics of a man who
>> robs, murders, kidnaps, and rapes within the first few chapters of the book.
>> Such subjects may be good for dark humor, or a serious story, but I don't
>> find them amusing.
>
>Hmm...I don't remember the raping. The other stuff is fairly standard
>trickster-archetype stuff which Cugel definitely fits into.
It most certainly wasn't rape. He slept with ceremonial virgins,
ruining them for the ceremony. "Cugel" wasn't Vance's high point,
but this whole line of discussion has -nothing- to do with the subject
that started it or the Hero System.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1999 22:53:49 -0400 (EDT)
From: Michael Surbrook <susano@dedaana.otd.com>
Subject: Re: Cyber HERO
On Tue, 29 Jun 1999, Bob Greenwade wrote:
> My understanding of the situation is that someone at ICE decided to make
> some changes (about 98% of the changes between the actual Final Draft and
> what was seen in print) to make it more closely match something that they
> had of their own in the cyberpunk arena.
Large portions of the book smacked of ICE's cyberpunk world. I know that
much of the material really didn't make a lot of sense.
> And so, maybe another edition of Cyber HERO is in order, this time using
> the original manuscript and Michael Surbrook's new rules as a basis.
Wow, uhm... I'm game.
> PS: I'm going to go look around a little later for the original
> manuscript for Cyber HERO, and if I can find it, I'll let the list know.
Please! I'd love to see it again!
- --
Michael Surbrook - susano@otd.com - http://www.otd.com/~susano/index.html
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an
infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even
considering if there is a man on base. - Dave Barry
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1999 21:52:42 -0500
From: Lance Dyas <lancelot@inetnebr.com>
Subject: Re: Reply about FH Magic System Design
You basically stepped outside of the system eh, what is the highest initial combat skill
you allow full channellers and each of the lesser channeler types how are you doing this in
FH arbitrary limits go against the grain? the hero system is very free for design. CP and
the associated Training result in essentially the top end value of Variable Power Point
Pool and that is nicely defineable in the system and buying a large combination of CP and
Training associated with it would by the system restrict the points you had to apply in
other areas... naturally without manhandling or GM enforcement.
Just a thought define the training multiplier and CP as point costed effects make them come
out similar to what a VPP costs and you will find that the system will balance the
character design...
A player could then have Once been blademaster who was actually more talented than he at
first seemed and didnt get shipped to a school as soon as possible and is now a Full
Channeller with more combat skill and a lower training multiplier... Variations are the
spice of life... pigeonholing characters restrict imagination rather than enrich it.
Creating cool archetypes is fun but REAListic people are usually more complex and the gray
zones are really Reds and oranges and blues and greens if they are defined in terms of the
characters history and not just bland numbers.
I created an Archetype, The Dragon Masters they are tightly defined in many areas including
major personality elements, I have been working pretty hard trying to loosen the
definitions so players arent stuck with clones if they want to play a Dragon Master. Their
training emphasizes mysticism and extraordinary discepline... to enable them to not go
crazy from guess what accidently wildly channelling too much power. too much divergence
from their personality simply would not work in part.... However one way of loosening it up
I came up with was by relating the Amount of Power Channeled to a Dragon Master on how
closely the character matched the Archetypal mind. It improved the model ( and also
suggested stories about how things came to be this way) as well as allowing Dragon Masters
to be atleast a little more variable.
I gave Dragon Masters(NPC's) a high likelihood of having a "Mark of the Dragon" which are
mutational oddities more cosmetic than anything ocassionally limiting but as often
advantagous. Essentially I figured this way they didnt have to look like a typical
Aurelian.. Dark haired and silver eyed is cool but Aurelians don't vary enough. :) Dragon
Masters probably need to be atleast half blood Aurelian, Originally I thought of them as
only Aurelian because it was Aurelians who created the ritual of binding which bound them
to the Nemahg (Vengence Dragon). Aurelia can be extremely wild with regards to style of
dress perhaps in responce to being genetically similar, hell nudism is not uncommon.
Outside of Aurelia particularly on the western continent nudity is considered a reflection
of slavery and frowned on in the Pelurt continent it is considered immoral. Aurelias
fertility rate is pretty low and encouragement is probably useful ;)
OOOPS I digressed into story.
Essentially most Dragon Master Players end up scrambling for differences. I see our jobs
as defining the archetypes loose enough for players to define themselves within that
scheme. That is where package deals come into play.
Lance
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1999 21:56:52 -0500
From: Lance Dyas <lancelot@inetnebr.com>
Subject: Re: Reply about FH Magic System Design
Rodger Bright wrote:
> > True. But could one be half and half? Could you split your energies
> > between the augmentation of the blade and full channelling, to be more
> > broadly effective than a Blademaster (but probably not as powerful as a
> > Channeller who has worked with pure Vil'a'dar all his life?)
>
> Theoretically there could be, but there good luck finding someone to teach in that manner. It
> makes for easier gm'ing when players follow the set standards. As soon as I bend the standards for
> someone I then need to bend them for eveyone, which means there no was reason to even make them in
> the first place.
>
Package deals make it more cost effective to fit the GMs ideas while allowing players freedom.
Use capitalism wisely and you get much power oh wize game master ;()
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 06:09:50 EDT
From: GoldRushG@aol.com
Subject: Enemies of San Angelo now shipping!
Enemies of San Angelo (GRG Stock # H301; ISBN 1-890305-13-8; 96 pages, $16)
shipped from the printer Tuesday, and is now enroute to distributors across
this great land as we speak.
Enemies of San Angelo will also be at Origins, for those of you attending;
drop by the Adventure Retailing booth and look for myself or Bruce Harlick.
Better yet, just look for the book. ;)
For more info about Enemies of San Angelo, as well as San Angelo: City of
Heroes (nominated for the Origins Award Best Roleplaying Game Supplement),
drop by our web site, at http://members.aol.com/goldrushg
Mark @ GRG
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 09:32:20 -0400
From: Juan Antonio Ramirez Morell <tonio@prtc.net>
Subject: Re: Reply about FH Magic System Design
Rodger Bright wrote:
>
> It actually states that "gestures cannot include attacking through a weapon". In
> that ability we were talking about the gestures are there for the Power that grants
> the Blademaster +2 SPD. His attacks have nothing to do with it (well thats not
> true, another limitation is that he attack each Phase), but to keep the +2 SPD up the
> Blademaster needs to continually swing his sword about him (kind of like Conan when
> he is practicing his forms). If he stops and just sits there then the Power drops.
> That was the rationale behind the gesturs-throughout limitation.
>
>
Oh, ok. :-)
Guess I misunderstood that the first time I read it...
- --Tonio
"If you ever reach total enlightenment while drinking beer, I bet you
could
shoot beer out of you nose."
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 06:32:28 PDT
From: S A Rudy <sarudy@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Semi-OT] Yahoo/Geocities warning
>From: "Dr. Nuncheon" <jeffj@io.com>
>Gaming-relevant section:
>
>It strikes me that this is exactly the sort of thing that a greedy megacorp
>would do in a cyberpunk setting...extend a 'free' service to the public and
>then use it to defraud the innocent dupes who use the service. It could be
>everything from Big Brother watching everything you do through your free
>Internet connection to experimental drugs slipped into your 'Shop-at-home'
>service groceries. Discovering and shutting such an operation down would
>be a fine adventure seed.
Heh. All the need to do is put a fine print buried in the
trial acceptance disclaimer popup (all twenty-seven screens
of it). "Usage of this free trial version of this product
constitutes release of all liability for any harm or
apparent harm resulting from use of this product or any
other BigNastyCorp product and implicit permission to
BigNastyCorp to perform whatever alterations to the host
system and user BigNastyCorp deems necessary for optimum
performance of this product. BigNastyCorp reserves the
right to make said alterations at its discretion and without
notice."
- -S
- --
S A Rudy http://www.eclipse.net/~srudy
"A slipping sear could let your M203 grenade launcher fire
when you least expect it. That would make you quite
unpopular in what's left of your unit."
- August 1993 issue of PS magazine,
the Army's preventive maintenance magazine
_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 10:21:08 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jason Sullivan <ravanos@NJCU.edu>
Subject: Fun's Over, Silky Boys! Time To Train!
I'm pleased to say HERO has the easiest Experience system I've
ever encountered in a Role Playing Game.
I'd like to inquire to the list about training.
A number of RPG's I know of have "fixed" times, or calculations
based on time, characteristics, level of ability, and/or money for
training.
HERO has no such system, but that should be expected: different
genres would have different "reasonable" standards for training.
For example, in Four Color games, characters require little to no
training to reach extraordinary levels with powers, statistic, and skills.
In a Heroic level game with an emphasis on realism, training and long
hours of study may be required.
I'd like to know about your systems of study and training that
you've used or encountered. I would greatly appreciate knowing how you
regulate advancement in your games.
- -Jason
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 10:01:36 -0700
From: "Thomas Willoughby III" <Willoughby@cookeville.total-web.net>
Subject: Re: Fun's Over, Silky Boys! Time To Train!
- -----Original Message-----
From: Jason Sullivan <ravanos@NJCU.edu>
To: champ-l@sysabend.org <champ-l@sysabend.org>
Date: Wednesday, June 30, 1999 7:26 AM
Subject: Fun's Over, Silky Boys! Time To Train!
I'm pleased to say HERO has the easiest Experience system I've
ever encountered in a Role Playing Game.
I'd like to inquire to the list about training.
A number of RPG's I know of have "fixed" times, or calculations
based on time, characteristics, level of ability, and/or money for
training.
HERO has no such system, but that should be expected: different
genres would have different "reasonable" standards for training.
For example, in Four Color games, characters require little to no
training to reach extraordinary levels with powers, statistic, and skills.
In a Heroic level game with an emphasis on realism, training and long
hours of study may be required.
I'd like to know about your systems of study and training that
you've used or encountered. I would greatly appreciate knowing how you
regulate advancement in your games.
- -Jason
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, this is an easy one. I simply restricted the XP I doled out to 4-6 a
month, then slapped anyone in the head who tried anything silly. :)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 11:15:41 -0400
From: Bill Svitavsky <nbymail11@mln.lib.ma.us>
Subject: RE: Reply about FH Magic System Design
At 08:44 PM 6/29/99 -0500, Dr. Nuncheon wrote:
>On Tue, 29 Jun 1999, David Nasset wrote:
>>
>> Actually, the first he wrote using that magic system was "The Dying Earth",
>> I believe.
>
>Correct.
>
>> I liked it, but disliked "Cugel the Clever", due to a hatred of
>> the title character. I don't want to be amused by the antics of a man who
>> robs, murders, kidnaps, and rapes within the first few chapters of the
book.
>> Such subjects may be good for dark humor, or a serious story, but I don't
>> find them amusing.
>
>Hmm...I don't remember the raping. The other stuff is fairly standard
>trickster-archetype stuff which Cugel definitely fits into.
>
>> Partly due to "Cugel the Clever", and partly due to other reasons, I never
>> got around to "The Eyes of the Overworld".
>
>It's as well you didn't. IIRC it also starred Cugel.
>
I personally found Cugel hilarious. In typical Trickster fashion, he lied
and cheated his way through everything, and his cynicism ended up causing
himself more grief than anyone. In fact, Eyes of the Overworld involves
Cugel having to reaccomplish everything he did in the first book, since he
stupidly managed to get himself into the same situation twice.
In addition to _The Dying Earth_ and _Eyes of the Overworld_, Vance also
wrote several short stories set in the same world, including one with magic
stones that orbit a person's head; I can't remember the name of those
things, but they're certainly another element D&D borrowed from Vance.
Vance later wrote a third novel in the series: Rhialto the Marvelous.
Rhialto is an arrogant, pretentious mage who makes Cugel seem likeable -
and the book is written in the first person, in a style as pretentious as
the narrator. Great stuff.
Yeah, none of this is directly related to the Hero System, but I think an
appreciation of RPG history adds to the quality of gaming in general.
Besides, the Dying Earth is a good example of a distinctive fantasy world;
FH gamemaster's who can't get past pseudo-Tolkien might draw some further
inspiration from it.
Bill Svitavsky
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 08:34:02 -0700
From: Christopher Taylor <christopherrt@home.net>
Subject: Re: Fun's Over, Silky Boys! Time To Train!
> I'm pleased to say HERO has the easiest Experience system I've
>ever encountered in a Role Playing Game.
>
> I'd like to inquire to the list about training.
>
> A number of RPG's I know of have "fixed" times, or calculations
>based on time, characteristics, level of ability, and/or money for
>training.
>
> HERO has no such system, but that should be expected: different
>genres would have different "reasonable" standards for training.
I have some notes on my web page on training for Heroic Level games, but
its under construction as I move it over to the new site so here is a quote:
For new skills, the PC needs to either find a teacher or wing it on their
own. This takes time and money, cheaper without a teacher, but much harder
and more time consuming. The base time this takes is a month, -1 step on
the time chart for each two the PC makes his INT by, or +1 for each 3 the
roll is failed by. Teachers add their skill roll (or INT roll if no roll
is used) to this INT roll as a complementary skill. Proper equipment and
setting adds to this as well. Languages are special skills that take
longer to learn.
TRAINING IN SKILLS: For skills that have a roll, a system similar to the
one in the game is used. To train a skill up requires a roll equal to the
skill roll you have, or better. In other words, if you have a 13- with a
skill, you have to make a roll of 13-18 to get better at it. This is
increased by +1 for each step up the time chart past a day taken, and more
for appropriate equipment and setting. A teacher adds his skill roll as a
complementary roll (note that he gets his skill roll as if it was a normal
use, usually taking a turn. So if he takes a day to help out, he has up to
+6 to his roll).
Non roll skills use an INT roll, or special circumstances. In heroic
games, Characteristics cannot normally be increased more than 5 points over
the level they are at when the character is created, regardless of racial
maxima.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sola Gracia Sola Scriptura Sola Fide
Soli Deo Gloria Solus Christus Corum Deo
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 10:34:48 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Dr. Nuncheon" <jeffj@io.com>
Subject: Re: Reply about FH Magic System Design
On Tue, 29 Jun 1999, Rodger Bright wrote:
> > True. But could one be half and half? Could you split your energies
> > between the augmentation of the blade and full channelling, to be more
> > broadly effective than a Blademaster (but probably not as powerful as a
> > Channeller who has worked with pure Vil'a'dar all his life?)
>
> Theoretically there could be, but there good luck finding someone to teach in that manner. It
> makes for easier gm'ing when players follow the set standards. As soon as I bend the standards for
> someone I then need to bend them for eveyone, which means there no was reason to even make them in
> the first place.
Not at all! They're there to make creating NPCs far easier. I've pretty
much followed the theory of 'NPCs follow the rules...Player characters get
to break them'. It helps make the characters seem special, both in the
eyes of the players and in the context of the story as a whole.
> > > Theoretically a Blademaster could learn how to use Vil'a'dar for other things besides
> > > fighting augmentation, but I would only allow very specific things. They would never be able
> > > to learn how to do an unaided ranged attack (it just goes against everything they have been
> > > taught). They are very single minded, they believe that true wisdom and enlightenment comes
> > > from becoming one with their sword.
> >
> > There has never been and will never be a Blademaster who doubts this
> > wisdom? Or one who learns to overcome what essentially seem to be false
> > limitations put on him?
>
> Sure there will be, but I would probably not allow one in my game. But here is an anology. You
> spend 10 hours a day fencing, 365 days a year, for 5 years. you are a pretty bad ass fencer.
> During this time, all you learned was basic math. You decide that you REALLy want to learn some
> serious math. So for the next 5 years you spend 10 hours a day learning everything you can about
> math. How good do you think you will at fencing after those 5 years of mathematical study?
Assuming you practice during part of the 14 hours you have left, you
shouldn't really lose much...;) Also, if you're learning to manipulate
magic, this ought to help you in the magic you already know, shouldn't it?
J
Hostes aliengeni me abduxerent. Jeff Johnston - jeffj@io.com
Qui annus est? http://www.io.com/~jeffj
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 08:36:15 -0700
From: Mark Lemming <icepirat@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Fun's Over, Silky Boys! Time To Train!
From: Jason Sullivan <ravanos@NJCU.edu> wrote:
>
> I'd like to know about your systems of study and training that
> you've used or encountered. I would greatly appreciate knowing how you
> regulate advancement in your games.
One way:
Allow a certain amount of xp to be spent per period of game time.
Base rate: 1 xp/game week
Double rate if being taught.
Half rate if learning a skill that isn't related to any of the
characters own skills or background.
Naturally this needs to be modified to taste and could be greatly expanded.
- -Mark
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 10:43:21 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Dr. Nuncheon" <jeffj@io.com>
Subject: Re: Reply about FH Magic System Design
On Tue, 29 Jun 1999, Rodger Bright wrote:
> > The blademaster stuff has IAF: Sword...isn't it common knowledge that a
> > Blademaster's magic goes through his sword?
>
> Some will/do have OAF. Certain Powers would cause their sword to glow, this
> would be an OAF. But if they simply had to use the sword in the effect of
> the Power, and it wasn't obvious that the sword played a crucial part, then
> it would only be IAF. E.g.. If they had a Missile Deflection Ability that
> required them to bat the arrows away with their sword, that is most
> definitely OAF.
So is it *not* common knowledge that a Blademaster can only do magic with
this sword? I know that going strictly by the rules, if the sword isn't
immediately obvious as being involved in the power, it's in Inobvious
Focus...but...since you can apparently often tell a Blademaster by sight,
I'd think it'd be pretty inherently obvious that his sword would be
involved in the power, even if it wasn't glowing & such. I would see a
Blademaster start to do something magical and thing "He's going to do
somethign nasty with that sword," unless it's a *very* well-kept secret
that the Blademasters can't do any magic without the sword.
> > Some other ideas for a Blademaster would be a counterstrike-style Damage
> > Shield or an attack flurry (autofire).
>
> We have been kicking around some different ideas for an autofire attack. it
> is just hard to add the autofire advantage to a physical weapon attack, it
> gets kind of kludgy.
Indeed. I generally bend the rules and allow the purchasing of a
so-called 'naked Advantage', because it's less of a headache for me as a
GM.
> > One thing that may not have come up: your Suppress being all-or-nothing
> > means that it is not likely to work at the levels you allow - only very
> > powerful people will be able to do it, and then only to the very weak.
>
> That's the whole idea, it is just about impossible to Shield someone. The
> only people that can do it are REALLY bad ass guys. CP 10 is pretty high up
> there for PC's. But most of my bad guys are AT LEAST CP 15 or higher. It's
> nice to have things that are out of a PC's reach, and then after playing a
> character for 2 years, all of a sudden they can use Suppress with some
> proficiency.
Oh, OK. Just wanted to make sure you realized that. Sometimes stuff liek
that is easy to let slip by you.
> > Spirit Archers: I would give the 'Ballista Bolt' power a further
> > limitation to reflect the fact that the Aid wears off instantly (unless
> > I'm misunderstanding the power).
>
> You channel a 6d6 AID on the Arrow. That arrow is effectlivey Aided so that
> it will do more damage when it hits. Theoretically you could throw that
> arrow and it would still do some decent damage (whatever was role don the 6d6
> AID). When it comes out a bow it does it's regular damage (from being
> propelled by the bow), and it does it's added damage (From the AID). It
> lasts until it fades. You could theoretically channel that Ability on
> multiple arrows, and as long as you use them within a Turn they wouldn't lose
> any power.
Would it cost more to do it to multiple arrows? (I thought you just
charged up one arrow and used it, which would be worth a limitation in my
book for 'AID dissipates when Aided power is used'.)
J
Hostes aliengeni me abduxerent. Jeff Johnston - jeffj@io.com
Qui annus est? http://www.io.com/~jeffj
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 10:51:09 -0500 (CDT)
From: Curt Hicks <exucurt@exu.ericsson.se>
Subject: Re: Fun's Over, Silky Boys! Time To Train!
> From: Jason Sullivan <ravanos@NJCU.edu>
>
> For example, in Four Color games, characters require little to no
> training to reach extraordinary levels with powers, statistic, and skills.
> In a Heroic level game with an emphasis on realism, training and long
> hours of study may be required.
>
> I'd like to know about your systems of study and training that
> you've used or encountered. I would greatly appreciate knowing how you
> regulate advancement in your games.
>
No system as such. But I'd expect the players to inform me that they're
planning on buying skill 'x' for their character well in advance. Then
we can assume that the character is studying or training the skill off-camera
up until they actually buy it.
If it's reasonable that a character is already familiar or should have
the skill, then the 'off-camera training' is lessened.
Characters don't get to buy incredibly high skills on an initial purchase.
Also, I find it more reasonable to start new powers off with 'limitations'
even if they're not bought that way, so that characters don't start off
with complete mastery of their new abilities.
Curt Hicks
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 11:51:35 -0400
From: David Nasset <dnasset@cns.eds.com>
Subject: RE: [Semi-OT] Yahoo/Geocities warning
This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand
this format, some or all of this message may not be legible.
- ------_=_NextPart_000_01BEC30E.64D22B2A
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
From: S A Rudy [mailto:sarudy@hotmail.com]
>
> Heh. All the need to do is put a fine print buried in the
> trial acceptance disclaimer popup (all twenty-seven screens
> of it). "Usage of this free trial version of this product
> constitutes release of all liability for any harm or
> apparent harm resulting from use of this product or any
> other BigNastyCorp product and implicit permission to
> BigNastyCorp to perform whatever alterations to the host
> system and user BigNastyCorp deems necessary for optimum
> performance of this product. BigNastyCorp reserves the
> right to make said alterations at its discretion and without
> notice."
Sounds like a joke email I created once and sent to all my friends claiming
that Bill Gates got to be where he is, not by selling his soul to the Devil,
but by convincing the Devil that he would eventually be able to get millions
of people to accept a contract that sold _their_ souls to the Devil, when
they clicked "Accept" on the license agreement to the latest Windows
upgrade.
Filksinger
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 08:13:09 -0700
From: Bob Greenwade <bob.greenwade@klock.com>
Subject: Re: [Semi-OT] Yahoo/Geocities warning
At 06:32 AM 6/30/1999 PDT, S A Rudy wrote:
>>From: "Dr. Nuncheon" <jeffj@io.com>
>>Gaming-relevant section:
>>
>>It strikes me that this is exactly the sort of thing that a greedy megacorp
>>would do in a cyberpunk setting...extend a 'free' service to the public and
>>then use it to defraud the innocent dupes who use the service. It could be
>>everything from Big Brother watching everything you do through your free
>>Internet connection to experimental drugs slipped into your 'Shop-at-home'
>>service groceries. Discovering and shutting such an operation down would
>>be a fine adventure seed.
>
>Heh. All the need to do is put a fine print buried in the
>trial acceptance disclaimer popup (all twenty-seven screens
>of it). "Usage of this free trial version of this product
>constitutes release of all liability for any harm or
>apparent harm resulting from use of this product or any
>other BigNastyCorp product and implicit permission to
>BigNastyCorp to perform whatever alterations to the host
>system and user BigNastyCorp deems necessary for optimum
>performance of this product. BigNastyCorp reserves the
>right to make said alterations at its discretion and without
>notice."
I'm not sure that the clause should be that clear or navigable:
"Usage of this free trial version of this product constitutes the
release and indemnification of BNC, Inc., from all civil liability, direct
or indirect, for any harm, expense, or other damages, real or apparent, to
the customer's person, family, associates, income, computer, or other
personal and real property through the use of this or any other BNC
product, including but not limited to loss of personal time, loss of
income, loss of creative rights, or invasion of privacy, and gives BNC,
Inc., implicit license to perform whatever additions, deletions, upgrades,
archiving, defragmentation, and other alterations it deems necessary,
whether to the host system, the hosted material, or the interface thereof,
in order to assure the optimum performance of the product for all users, at
its discretion and without notice."
I'm sure that if we pass this around enough, it'll be nearly a page long
and just as totally confusing as it needs to be.
(Hey, Steve Long! Want to give it a crack?) ;-]
- ---
Bob's Original Hero Stuff Page! [Circle of HEROS member]
http://www.klock.com/public/users/bob.greenwade/original.htm
Merry-Go-Round Webring -- wanna join?
http://www.klock.com/public/users/bob.greenwade/merrhome.htm
Interested in sarrusophones? Join the Sarrusophone Mailing List!
http://www.klock.com/public/users/bob.greenwade/sarrus.htm
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 08:47:38 -0700
From: Bob Greenwade <bob.greenwade@klock.com>
Subject: Re: Fun's Over, Silky Boys! Time To Train!
At 10:21 AM 6/30/1999 -0400, Jason Sullivan wrote:
> I'd like to know about your systems of study and training that
>you've used or encountered. I would greatly appreciate knowing how you
>regulate advancement in your games.
I've never really regulated anything strictly in my games. Anything
that seems reasonable, I allow.
However, I usually make a recommendation for at least some of the
experience point expenditures toward something that seems like the
character would gain from the actual experience that gained the points.
For example, if the character shot his gun a lot, a Combat Skill Level with
that gun would seem in order; if he got injured a lot, a little extra PD,
ED, or BODY would be appropriate.
I do think it'd be nice to have some sort of concrete system for
experience expenditures and advancement in HERO, if only as an option.
- ---
Bob's Original Hero Stuff Page! [Circle of HEROS member]
http://www.klock.com/public/users/bob.greenwade/original.htm
Merry-Go-Round Webring -- wanna join?
http://www.klock.com/public/users/bob.greenwade/merrhome.htm
Interested in sarrusophones? Join the Sarrusophone Mailing List!
http://www.klock.com/public/users/bob.greenwade/sarrus.htm
------------------------------
End of champ-l-digest V1 #437
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Date: Friday, July 02, 1999 04:18 PM