The HERO System

[Driddle]

Have you ever heard:

- a couple of farmers debate International vs. Jon Deere?

What do you have against farmers?

 

[Jhamin]

What do you have against farmers?

Nothing at all. I come from a long line of them in fact.

My point was that there are some arguments that do not seem to have a "correct' answer, yet inspire very verbose arguments.

 

[Driddle]

Nothing at all. I come from a long line of them in fact.

My point was that there are some arguments that do not seem to have a "correct' answer, yet inspire very verbose arguments.

And it's important to drag hardworking farmers into the argument? I don't think that's quite fair. It's not as though they don't have enough to worry about already. You have any idea how hard it is to make a living running a farm?

I think you owe them an apology.

 

[mmadsen]

Generally, most (all that I've had experience with) HERO GMs will let you use a 'creative trick' if it makes sense. If you try to use it often (like spidey and his webbing), they make you pay for it (since it's becoming a standard ability of your character). If you use 'power stunts' all the time, they may even make you buy a VPP to represent it.

I actually agree.

This does point to something though: almost every power should be a VPP -- or should eventually evolve into a VPP. Why not build that into the system? Why not have a system where every power is effectively a multipower/VPP?

 

[The_Gneech]

There are no D20 adaptations of Hero Games system, that I am aware of. A D20 adaptation of the Hero games system would pretty much be pointless, since there you are talking about systems that simply do not function the same way.

Although BESM d20 does its level best!

-The Gneech

 

[mmadsen]

Hero is the Gamers' Toolkit. Says so on the book.

Then it must be true! (Actually, I quite enjoy Hero's toolkit approach.)

Hero's flexibility allows you to do anything. Unfortunately, Hero's flexibility requires you to do everything.

Hero could be even more flexible with less math. For instance, right now, a VPP is largely unplayable unless you either (a) precalculate the powers you're going to use ahead of time, or (b) handwave away the calculations. Obviously, if you're going to regularly handwave away calculations, they're not integral to the game.

Many Hero players enjoy building their characters and playing the game. Other players just want to sit down and pick abilities from a list.

Although there is a conflict there, between the roll-your-own types and the pick-from-a-list types, that's not the only issue at hand. A game can follow Hero's roll-your-own philosophy without all of Hero's complexity -- and especially without all of Hero's stats.

 

[swrushing]

Not sure where you got your numbers there, sw.

His extra limb isn't as strong as the rest of him? Sounds like a limitation on extra limb to me. Maybe -1/2, which would bring the cost down to 3 points, making the total character cost...203 points, right between the other two. Wacky, isn't it?


And so he is!

Glad I could help.

J

What a marvellous notion.

Unfortunately, FRED is SPECIFC and CLEAR on how to do the weaker and clumsier extra limb. It is specifically spelled out under extra limbs in the rules.

Whatever ruleset you are using, it is not HERO5.

In HERO5, and BTW this has been asked, confirmed and answered by Steve long on the HERo QnA, you apply a limitation to the strength and dex, not the extra limb.

Really, the specific issue is covered explicitly.

We could discuss this further but until you get up to speed on what the rules are, its probably not going to be too productive.

Thats Ok tho... when you get back and have caught up, i will be here.

 

[mmadsen]

Whatever ruleset you are using, it is not HERO5. [...] We could discuss this further but until you get up to speed on what the rules are, its probably not going to be too productive.

Could you please dial down the snarkiness? You're debating rules minutia. I know I certainly wouldn't base my decision on whether to use Hero, Tri-Stat SAS, or M&M on one bad ruling by Steve Long on where the limitation should go, Str & Dex or Extra Limb.

 

[swrushing]

Nice.

wow,... nice, but just plain wrong, at least by hero 5 rules.

I would really have expected hero supporters to know their own rules. The lack makes system discussions difficult.

sigh.

 

[swrushing]

Better? Nah. That's completely personal preference.

I just get bugged when people trash on a system and they aren't accurate.

J

Which is ahilarious given you did not know the explicit rules on how to do the weak extra limb thingy.

Again, see FRED under extra limbs and you will see how to do it right.