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Post by CRTaylor on May 24, 2020 16:14:05 GMT
A while back, we spent some time discussing how Hero needs a way of introducing people into the game for modern players. In the past, it was fine to print a book of rules and hand them to people, because folks were more accustomed to long-form reading, studying, and figuring rules out on their own. For those who like this sort of thing and still do it, well that's great. But for many others, especially younger players we want to draw into the hobby, we wanted something more. Also, its not that Hero is complicated or difficult to learn, but it has gained that reputation in recent years, and its useful to help people see that isn't the case. From this discussion came the idea of building a "tutorial" for Champions, a scenario that each session gave the players and GM more of the rules until they knew the full structure of the game and how to play it. The name we came up with for that was Champions Begins (a riff on Batman Begins). The concept was this: a simple scenario of superhero-ing in several parts, each of which introduces more of the rules step by step. With that would be tips on how to run a game for the GM and how to play RPGs for players. I've started writing on the main sections of the book, and am almost done with scenario 1. My idea was this: use the old Viper's Nest scenario as expanded in Viper 4th edition, because its great at bringing players into the scenario a little bit at a time and is a classic for the game. With its six chapters, that gives us 6 sections to teach people the game with. I figure for each character we give them only what they will use for each scenario, adding with each one points and abilities then added in the next chapter. For example, chapter one is just perception rolls, very basic combat (no END use, Body damage or special attacks), and movement. So Character X gets stats, a few powers that let them hit things, move, see, and not be hurt. Chapter two adds skills and presence attacks, so Character X now gets a list of skills added to the sheet! These upgrades can be treated as "experience points" in lumps that help players get used to the game. Much has been said about how we could and should step up more to help our hobby out. Much has been discussed about how we can reach new players and excite them with Champions by putting out new content and running games. Well, here's your chance! You can help out and contribute materially to this goal, by giving the game a tool that would help players learn Champions and become familiar with real role playing games. They've played computer games. They've watched movies. Now they can BE a hero. Pitch in and help us out! |
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Post by CRTaylor on Jul 21, 2020 1:06:12 GMT
Well I'm still working on this. I get tons of people claiming they would help out and like the idea, but when it comes to actually doing anything its crickets.
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Post by trechriron on Jul 21, 2020 22:30:36 GMT
lol - that is generally the case. I will PM you my email address.
I'm happy to pitch in. I'm comfortable with layout/design as well. I'm pretty handy with making maps with Pro Fantasy's CC3+. I write, I edit, I make Julienne Fries!!
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Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Jul 22, 2020 19:00:44 GMT
Yep.
That's why I quit working on the Hephzibah, Colorado thing:
Tons of offers of help and contributions.
Offers.
I am not from the internet. It took some time to get accustomed to the idea that offers with no intention of follow-through were the norm out here.....
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Post by CRTaylor on Jan 23, 2021 17:50:55 GMT
OK I have started full time work on the project because I decided its an investment: more players playing Hero means more potential customers for my work and more people enjoying my favorite hobby. I'm just going ahead and doing it, if people have input and ideas, or art they can contribute, then the better. If not, I can pull this off solo.
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Post by Chris Goodwin on Jan 25, 2021 23:47:57 GMT
trechriron did the layout for my How to Play and Robot Warriors update docs. He does good work.
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Post by CRTaylor on Feb 5, 2021 22:48:36 GMT
I have gotten offers to help with artwork and character design and we'll see how that plays out. I know from personal experience that freelancers offer but often cannot or forget to follow through in a timely and useful fashion.
I gotta be honest, I have to fight to stay motivated and finish this because I really, really want to work on my own stuff and this will be months of labor without pay. I am hoping that in the long run it translates into a payoff by making it easier for players to get involved with Hero but for now its just a lot of grinding on something I don't really want to do. All jobs are like that, but at least working on my own stuff I can tend to do the jobs I like most.
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Post by CRTaylor on Feb 21, 2021 20:32:32 GMT
This is getting more fun to work on as I have the tough part worked out (how to present it and break down the tutorial). Unfortunately I fear that the 5-part system might convince people Hero really is crazy complicated.
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Post by CRTaylor on Mar 19, 2021 20:15:34 GMT
OK in this Hero Games forum post is the rough draft of the current GM book. it has a lot of gaps where art and character sheets will go, and the maps will be redone (as they are quite old having been repurposed from 1981 over the years, or just not applicable). The Player Book will be shorter, more art-packed, and focused on jsut what you can do as a player rather than how things work. That I'll get to next. WHAT I AM ASKING FOR FROM EVERYONE HERE: Artwork (villain and viper agent costume designs, incidental art, cover art) Editing (check for spelling and grammar, errors in layout, anything forgotten that needs to be in there, and any possible messups in rule explanation) Playtesters (run through the adventure in the format its done with -- as a tutorial -- ideally with new players) Please if you can, give me a hand here. The more we work together on this, the quicker it gets out there for people to use. That means quick as you can on editing and artwork, if you can contribute |
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Post by CRTaylor on Apr 30, 2021 20:38:00 GMT
This is now ready for playtesting with a rough draft and black and white/filler images. Playtesting will help finish the project people so dearly claimed they wanted and would pitch in to help out with...
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Post by alcamtar on Jun 14, 2021 1:46:39 GMT
I have completed the players doc. Should I post edits here or on the Hero board?
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Post by CRTaylor on Jun 14, 2021 1:58:57 GMT
Here is fine, wherever you wish
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Post by alcamtar on Jun 14, 2021 2:07:16 GMT
PLAYERS BOOK
Some of these are stylistic issues, and this is the way *I* would do it.
GENERAL NOTES
Bookmarks of the five chapters with page numbers would be handy. I kept scrolling back and forth trying to locate chapters.
Internal bookmarks are not as important.
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CHAPTER 1
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DON'T HATE THE GAME
"fun!." has an extra period after the exclamation mark
its just -> it's just
some how -> somehow
TEAM PLAYA
Its okay -> It's okay
this isnt -> this isn't
its more -> it's more
ENOUGH ALREADY
lets get -> let's get
no comma before "as the story unfolds"
IN CHARACTER
Momentum: the description is missing a period
Street Knight: suggest "may be" instead of "maybe"; suggest "the" instead of "their"
Trooper: needs a space after the colon
Vulcan: sounds like his foes are using a hammer. Suggest "fight with a hammer toe to toe against just about anyone"
"fight bad to help good" is odd. Sounds like the PC isn't very good at fighting. Suggest "fight evil to defend good"
THE CHARACTER SHEET
Its got -> It's got
give you want -> give you what
CHARACTERISTICS
The text says you start with four "primary" characteristics, but only three are mentioned: STR, DEX, and CON. Yet the character sheets have STR, DEX, INT. (CON is added in chapter 2).
roll em -> roll'em
MOVIN ON UP
swim is capitalized but flight is not. suggest Swim -> swim, saving capitalization+bold for the topic
ROLLING ALONG
Its pretty -> It's pretty
YOU LOOK STUNNING
count em -> count'em
its eaiser -> it's easier
GETTING DEFENSIVE
its time -> it's time
its no fun -> it's no fun
its an -> it's an
RUSHING AROUND TODAY
blast em -> blast'em
the half move text is awkward. Suggest "...which means up to half your full move."
its got -> it's got
ERIC THE HALF- A-PHASE has a spurious space before the 'A'
it seems odd to say you can "only" do two halves in one whole (obvious). Suggest "...to do, so you can do two of them in one full phase"
"But attacking someone ends your phase." Suggest expanding this for clarity: "But attacking someone ends your phase even if happens during the first half phase."
"...then they can move 10m and then attack." -> "...then they can move 10m (first half) and then attack (second half)."
bits bout -> bits about
PLAYERS IN THE GAME
Note: I always find it awkward trying to pick a pregen from a stack of character sheets when I have to read each sheet to discover what the character is about. I'd suggest introducting the characters each with a one-liner, something like this:
page 8
* Apex: Nearly indestructible, super strong, and can fly!
* Avenger: Fearless acrobatic fighter with a shield.
* Dr Nope: Spider powers!
* Lionheart: Really tough, with kitty powers!
* Momentum: Runs really really fast.
* Spellbinder: Flying magician with powerful magic including mental powers.
* Starblaze: Flies around and blasts enemies with star-energy!
* Street Knight: Armored martial artist. Bat-cape optional.
* Trooper: Armored soldier with high tech weaponry.
* Vulcan: Demigod with a magic hammer.
Another option would be to put the brief description at the top of the back of the character sheet, just under the name, like this:
| LIONHEART
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| Shapeshifting cat-person. Very tough, with cat-powers!
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| Cats's Eyes: ...
| Claws: ...
bloody minded -> bloody-minded1
suggest: grim and gritty shadowy misery -> shadowy grim and gritty misery
APEX (back of sheet)
and white not -> and while not
AVENGER (back of sheet)
avenger's -> Avenger's
hand to hand -> hand-to-hand
MOMENTUM (back of sheet)
hand to hand -> hand-to-hand (2x)
...very rapidly acting faster -> very rapidly, acting faster
SPELLBINDER (back of sheet)
Lightning bolt: needs a period at the end of the sentence
TROOPER (back of sheet)
Flight: needs a period at end
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Post by alcamtar on Jun 14, 2021 2:07:38 GMT
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CHAPTER 2
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Sentence fragment. Suggest "Well in addition to role playing, you can have your character go about..."
SKILLS TO PAY THE BILLS
Suggest: "There are dozens of potential skills a chracter can learn. Champions Complete has a good list..."
SKILLING
a roll of x or less -> capitalize "X"
TYPES OF SKILLS
Skills are just a few different categories... -> Skills can be grouped into a few different categories...
carry out a tast in the are -> carry out a task7 in the area
BONK!
If a character takes more STUN damage in a single hit, past their defenses, than they have CON, then they are Stunned.
-> After subtracting defenses, if a character takes more STUN damage in a single hit than they have CON, then they are Stunned.
AVENGER (back of sheet)
Cowl: male pronouns "him" (x2)
DR NOPE (back of sheet)
Toxic Punch: immune to spider poisons... need a space between poisons and the parenthesis
SPELLBINDER (back of sheet)
"Punch: Avenger can punch...." oops this doesn't go here in Spellbinder's section
STARBLAZE (back of sheet)
a couple of sentences need periods
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Post by alcamtar on Jun 14, 2021 2:07:54 GMT
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CHAPTER 3 p.30
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its time -> it's time
PRESENCE
Its what -> It's what
Its what -> It's what (again)
BODY
its often -> it's often
things have body too -> things have BODY too
Presence Attacks are a special kind of act which pits your... -> A Presence Attack is how you influence others with your character's impressive...
That's a presence attack. -> That's a Presence Attack.
or otherwise things that can make you seem -> or things that can otherwise make you seem
BODY DAMAGE
its been -> it's been
Ever 1 you roll -> Every 1 you roll
NORMAL DAMAGE
Its really -> It's really
Any BODY damage done with a Normal Attack you get your usual PD or ED against. -> You get your usual PD or ED against any BODY damage done with a Normal Attack.
KILLING ATTACKS
And then came the new attack. -> And now comes the new attack.
This section is kind of messed up:
"So its like this: Normal Attack, use PD or ED against
everything (STUN and BODY) damage.
Killing Attack; use rPD or rED against..."
Suggest (note the its -> it's):
"So it's like this: For a Normal Attack, use PD or ED against
everything (STUN and BODY) damage; for a Killing Attack, use rPD or rED against..."
FLASHY
its referring -> it's referring
its how -> it's how
KEEP FOCUS
When defining focus, suggest you define it as "physical stuff you can use". I think physicality is a defining aspect, unless a setting is really esoteric. ("I take away his chi so he can't use his magic!")
OBVIOUS ACCESSIBLE FOCI
hand held -> hand-held
OBVIOUS INACCESSIBLE FOCI
It means stuff that you can tell is an object being used, but that cannot... -> It means you can tell an object is being used, but it cannot...
"HAYMAKER (:" -> "HAYMAKER:"
STRIKE:
its simply -> it's simply
TRIP
Knock ‘em -- is this apostrophe backwards? dunno
HIT THEM DICE
So how do you now figure out -> So now how do you figure out
The "DCV hit" is actually the "best DCV hit". It is a little confusing at first when the DCV hit doesn't match the actual DCV, you have to stop and think through the calculation.
Also I think it's easier to write the formula as 11+OCV-3d6 (with the 11 before the OCV). That underscores that the base TN in Hero is always 11 and that's the primary number in combat too. Really combat is just an 11- roll, modified by OCV and DCV. Also the parentheses are not needed, since addition is associative.
Lastly I'd like to mention that the formula "3d6+OCV-10 = DCV or less" is an easier computation, since 10 is super easy and there is no subtraction. That's what I use and encourage new players to use. The drawback for teaching Hero BTB is that this form switches to roll high instead of roll low. So I don't excpect you'll take this suggestion, but it does make things easier and faster.
APEX (back of sheet)
this artistic talent -> this artistic skill (I suggest this because "talent" means something specific in Hero)
AVENGER (back of sheet)
Cowl: use of male pronoun "him" (2x) and "his" (1x)
Glide: avenger -> Avenger
Shield Bash and Shield Block: needs a period.
** its clearly -> it's clearly
LIONHEART (back of sheet)
Roar: its just -> it's just
Professional Skill: "when not in cat form"... is Lionheart a shapeshifter? I didn't see this mentioned anywhere else. A brief explanation of what you mean and how it works (shapeshifter? secret id?) would be helpful.
MOMENTUM (back of sheet)
Fast Metabolism: 1 body -> 1 BODY
Run on Walls: half move -> half-move
Speed Dodge: needs a period at end of sentence.
SPELLBINDER (back of sheet)
Lighting Bolt and Fireball: need periods at end of sentence
Crimson Shield: you have not explained how Constant powers work, so the disclaimer about not "nothing to maintain" lacks context. Maybe a note in the ENDURING section about some powers needing END to maintain.
Conversation: from people and direct conversation -> from people, or to direct conversation
"sorcerer" is a male-gendered word; suggest "magician" as it's neutral.
STARBLAZE (back of sheet)
Star Blast, Star Blaze, Star Burst: all need periods at end. Also the asterisk needs a period. Oh, and Star Vision.
Star Vision: male pronouns "His" and "him"
Combat Skill Levels: male pronoun "his"
its challenging -> it's challenging
STREET KNIGHT (back of sheet)
-- the font is smaller! I suppose you were trying to fit all the info into a half page but it's a little jarring.
-- this section lists a "Staff" which does not appear later in chapters 4 or 5
Staff: male pronoun "his"
VULCAN (back of sheet)
is not impress with -> is not impressed with
plus little they do uses any -> and doesn't use much anyway
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