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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 6635411" data-attributes="member: 6696971">Uh huh...ever the moderate you are <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" />Cortex+ assumes ~ 3 – 7 dice per pool.  Smallville doesn’t have MHRP’s Affiliations (Solo, Buddy, Team) which constantly add 1 die per pool.  So in their stead you have 6 Values (there are some other PC build difference subtleties but that is primary).  Given their less broad applicability (compared to Affiliations), I would guess the number 6 was chosen by the designers such that, despite the nature of the conflict, you pretty much ensure that you’re going to get your 1 “stuff that matters to me” die in your action/reaction pool.  You can certainly pare it back to 5, 4 or even 3 if you’d like.  However, you're then narrowing the scope of stuff you’re invested in such that you may find a stray conflict here and there where you lose a die in a pool now and again, affecting the maths.  Simultaneously, you aren’t invested in the conflict from a value perspective…which is basically the point of play!  Personally, while I'm a big fan of thematic tightness, I like the idea of 6 values assuming each of them are clear and have punch (such that I can find compelling, antagonistic satellite conflicts to place in their orbit).[HR][/HR]Regarding die size, they need to be stepped for two reasons:  1)  That die size has meaning to your character.  The higher the die size, the more emotionally invested, the more capable, the more willing you are to stand your ground, fight for what you believe in, and come up with the goods.2)  A lower die size indicates a conflicted, strife-ridden value that will inevitably get you into trouble/trigger more opportunities for complications (rolls of 1 in dice pool), feeding into the plot point economy.[HR][/HR]The Heroic Fantasy Hack is shaped up a little bit differently than Smallville.  It hews pretty much to the MHRP PC build model except trade Affiliation for Backgrounds (basically Race or something equivalent) and trade Power Sets for Class Power Sets.  There is nothing here uniformly across PCs for Values/Alignment.  You can do one of three things:A)  Sub the 3 Distinctions for Values outright.  However, per normal rules, you're looking at a d8 or a d4 + 1 PP rewarded for their use.  As such, you have no "Value hierarchy" which causes emotional impact, tension, and varying stakes depending on what kind of conflict you're involved in (due to the die size/your committment and the propensity for n Value to complicate your life factor being muted).  Further, unless you pick 3 core setting values for your L vs C premise you're wanting the game to be primarily about (eg Authority, Duty, Individuality), you're not going to have symmetrical investment across the PCs.B)  Grab Values as above, assume 1 extra dice per pool and typically just throw an extra die into bad guy pools.C)  Mix Values into the Specialty (eg Melee Combat, Diplomacy) Pool (you choose 1 at Master and 3 at Expert).D)  Rely on individual Quest Milestones to do the heavy lifting of C vs L.Of all those prospective routes, I'd go with B.  You really need Distinctions and Specialties to fill out personal build stuff that makes your character unique.  Quest Milestones will formally have you pushing play toward you achieving a thematic goal, but it doesn't have the "Value Hierarchy/Prioritization" angle, the "this matters to me so much that I will always pull out all the stops" angle, and the "this kind of stuff usually gets me into trouble" angle.As an aside, I'm running this for my home game right now.  It is awesome.[HR][/HR]Finally, how would I go about using this in d20?  Well, 5e kinda sorta can do it with Inspiration and Bonds, Flaws, Ideals, Traits...but it doesn't have the prioritization, etc angle working for it.  And I'm not a huge fan of the GM fiat "here is a token for good roleplaying rather than accepting this complication" deal.  With 4e?  I would probably go with some kind of "here is a token you can cash in in the future for an Advantage in an SC or a No Action Recharge 5, 6 roll for an Encounter Power...but I'm going to complicate your life with +n encounter budget for this combat or 1 more Hard DC in this SC...deal?"</blockquote>

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