From: cassidy@cps.msu.edu (John J Cassidy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: (Hero) What is the best Psionics system?
Date: 13 Oct 92 22:50:32 GMT
Reply-To: cassidy@cps.msu.edu (John J Cassidy)
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Michigan State University
Originator: cassidy@cottonwood.cps.msu.edu

In article <1bf603INN62g@charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu> tdunn@ecst.csuchico.edu 
(Tim Dunn) writes:
>John H Kim writes:
>>I wrote:
>>>Hero psionics are not that great.  They are fine mechanically but they 
>>>don't really [reflect] the mystery and suspense that psionics [entail]
>[editing to re-word what I meant, but didn't have the presence of mind
>to type.  Sorry.    -Tim]
>

	Really, Tim, 'Hero Psionics'?  Where did you ever get the idea that
Hero had made a psionics system?

John Kim:
>>	That's because the rules do not give you a psionics system. You 
>>can *build* psionic powers based on the Powers rules, but the rules won't 
>>tell you what sort of limitations they have, what 'psionic' powers [exist]
>[deletia]
>>	The listed Powers in Hero, like Telepathy, are *not* supposed to be 
>>how psionic telepathy works in all worlds - but is simply the base mechanic 
>>used to build mind-reading powers, whether they are psionic or otherwise. 
>
>I know I'm starting to sound like Sea Wasp here, but the mechanical feel
>of the rules are wrong.  Psionics IMPO are like magic -- rare, mysterious
>and secret.  For a structured rules system to deal with them is to have
>players (myself *and* most Hero players I've gamed with) say, "Oh, I know
>how to do that, it's a <blank> with a <blank> advantage and a <blank>"
>and so forth.
>

	If you hate to sound like Sea Wasp, then why do it? (*)

	Anyway, you say the feel is all wrong.  I don't understand this.
Take the Hero mechanics and MAKE the feel right. 
	Give everybody mystery powers ( that is make them pay the points, 
and don`t tell them what it does ) with the limitation "Only with GM 
permission" (-2).  Buy the powers with variable limitations and variable 
advantages.  Invent some rules by which you can make a power pool of one 
power.  ( I did. )  What I do, when the Hero system does not currently 
have the mechanics to fit my needs, is I make up a set of rules, that 
govern a power, and assign what I think to be the best guess as what kind 
of limitation or advantage the set of rules are on average.  I did this 
with robotic rules, before Hero ever made rules for robots.  A robot bought
a type of automatic power drain on random powers if he were damaged in combat, 
this and various other side effects of being a robot were a -3/4 limitation.
Also, I made up my own Clerical magic rules.  Variable power pools that were 
governed by how many obiedience points the character had amounted, how many 
devotion points, how inconspicuous the god could make the effect.  ( There
was a greater chance for a miracle when the god could make the worshipper
doubt whether he really had helped him at all.)  This I felt fit in better
than a bunch of spells the priest knows.

	Anyway, you can make a package of rules, and add it to the Hero 
system.  It doesn't resist it. Besides nothing keeps them from looking in `
Space Opera rulebook, and learning what THOSE powers can do, anyway.


>I'd rather there be a system that is conducive to the referee being able
>to maintain some mystery and some wierdness to the game.  It's difficult
>to scare players playing in a brightly-lit room, and it's difficult to 
>scare players playing with a well-structured rules system.
>
>See, I know and understand full and well how to do psi's in Hero for
>any game and genre.  I just would rather have more mystery to the 
>character and his/her abilities, that's all.  
>
>For shame, you've forgotten all the times we've fought back-to-back
>in the hero vs. all comers flamefests?  =)
>
>-- 
>"I drink to make other people interesting."
>		-- George Jean Nathan


	John J Cassidy		cassidy@cps.msu.edu	
	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy