From: tdunn@ecst.csuchico.edu (Tim Dunn)
Subject: Re: Streamlining Hero
Keywords: hero system, fantasy hero, speeding up combat
Organization: California State University, Chico
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1992 19:16:40 GMT

I've waited patiently for flames.  None.  Maybe it *is* safe to talk about
Hero now, especially that Amber seems to be the roast of choice. =) =)

>>>Laura Mollett writes:
>>I'm having some trouble making decisions between what is "reasonable" and what
>>will end up being the most fun role-played.

Carl Rigney writes:
>If you want a broad swashbuckling sort of campaign; err on the side of Fun 
>"Who Dares, Wins" is my motto as a GM.

Strong ditto here. I game to have fun (some poeple game to beat up on others,
others game to build and nurture a character, and many other reasons from
many other players) and to be zany and creative.  Nothing is more of a downer
than a 'reality oriented' referee in what I feel is a cinematic genre.  (Mind 
you, if it is to be a 'realistic' game, I'll approach it with a different and
more acceptable mindset.)

>So yep, that leap down the spiral staircase sounds pretty risky, but
>assuming its a spiral with a hollow center, I'd let him try it.  

Now, we are forgetting to ask what sort of campaign you wish to run.  Is
it going to be one of farce (Princess Bride), of lighthearted-ness, of
grim-n-gritty(tm) (WFRP seems to be that way from the games I've seen) or
what?  If you want light, farce, swashbuckler fare, with music hitting 
high notes every other scene, then I'd allow the leap as well.

To be fair to the other players, you should have already conveyed a
very good sense of what you are expecting prior to the game.  In fact,
this should have been done at time of character creation (a creation
party is great fun, and if the players are open about their stats, 
background and conceptions, you may have the first headache, how to get
them together, all resolved.) 

One of the worst gaming experiences I've ever had was to bring in a 
character that was exactly fitting with the world that the referee
described, but to have the world change in the midst of the first
game because one other player decided to play a 'hardass' character and
drag the world into a much grimmer tone.  

You must not let one character change an established (or intended) tone
of the game from what you had already conveyed to all your players.  If
the game was not intended to be farcical, then you should stay true to
it.  Do not let one player not listen to your description, bring in a
ill-fitting character and ruin it for everyone else who paid heed to your
world and fit in.

Enough hammering about that topic, but it was the *worst* time I had ever
had at a gaming table.

>I'd probably let him take a minus on his acrobatics if he wanted to 
>and give it as a bonus on his OCV.  That part's just chrome.

This illustrates another advantage of Hero: a +/- 1 means about the same
in a skill and an attack roll (this is even more the case if the skill
mechanic doubles as the attack mechanic, but that's another matter.)  Feel
free to 'bargain' or 'move around' a few points (1 or 2) from skill rolls
for difficulty or circumstance.

Word of warning: Be careful of the changes.  Do not do it if you feel it
will unduly unbalance the game (Hero is definitely in favor of the PCs,
just look at the name.)  Consistency and continuity are important, so if
you allow a mechanic, you must either a) declare it a 'special case' and
should not readily allow it, or b) allow it all the time as a 'house rule.'
If it is a unbalancing mechanic, for you to stop allowing it will harm the
continuity of the game.  Lesser of two evils, discontinuity or unbalance.
It's a bad choice, and it's better if you need not make it.

>[It's] very useful is to write in the numbers for the combat maneuvers.  

Better than writing down the total CVs for the maneuvers is to write down
the (11+OCV) total, so the player need only look down, roll and the sum
is all ready for him/her to subtract the die roll.  Much faster.

Oh, and a trick for counting Body of normal dice (as opposed to killing
dice.)  Assume each die is one Body.  Pair up the 6's and the 1's.  If
you have more 6's than 1's, add the number of extra dice to the number 
of dice thrown.  If you have more 1's than 6's, subtract the number of
extra dice.  An extra die in this case is a die that is showing a 1 or a 6
but is not paired up with an opposing one.

One other option is for the referee to allow the players to just 'toss
average.'  The player has the average Stun and Body for each attack
written down (3.5 Stun and 1 Body per d6).  In a non-critical situation,
the player merely rolls to hit, then announces the average attack.  Cuts
down on the wait while players total 20d6 (!).  Only one referee I saw
did this, and only for non-critical fights.  

>>2nd problem is that I want to make combat "bloodier" and "faster" 

>One excellent way of doing that, if the PCs are Heroic and not just Average,
>is to reduce the stats for the rabble.  

Agreed.  Also remember that (usually) the PCs are exceptional [everything.]
They have exceptional stats, exceptional skills, and exceptional gear.
NPCs are outclassed, but numerous.  That should not 'even' things, just
make them interesting.  Rabble are supposed to lose, but nothing says
they can't get in a few good shots as they go.

--

Final words on the game overall: if the players are not excited, you're
doing something wrong.  The rules are not the end goal of the game, it's
to have fun.  It should be possible for a player to still have fun in a
game while not knowing the rules (or even refusing to learn.)  

If the players are not having enough fun, the you need to drop or change
some rules.  If they are having fun, but want more details, then all 
them back.  Different groups (and individual players) want different 
levels of detail and speed.  I'm a go-go-go gamer.  Forget the rules,
I can substitute the details in my mind.  

Fortunately, I know Hero well enough that it does not impede me, otherwise
it would be a very poor choice for my style of play.  Make sure that the
players focus on the *game*, what is happening to their *characters*, and
not the rules.  They should have more fun that way.

-- 
In a five year period we can get one superb programming language.  Only
we can't control when the five year period will begin.