Re: Decimal Hero Wars.

From: Kmnellist_at_...
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2003 17:12:44 EST


<< Ever since you first mentioned it, I've been greatly impressed by  this *inspired* notion. Can you let me (us) know if you have hit any  hitches along the way in using it?

Hitches have mostly been due to the transition from 20 to 10, with existing characters. There was inevitable rounding off of numbers and whichever way you do it someone does less well than they would have had they allocated hero points differently. The value of Hero points is the main change. There were a few other tweaks that needed looking at; what rate for Grimoire and Affinities for example. I have said that Grimoires and Affinities are now 2HP per point, making Grimoires a bit easier to improve. I needed to decide on an augmentation resistance rate(4per bonus, 2 per edge), the size of a "standard" bid (2HP), what the follower rate was (-4 and -6 to best ability). Mid level starting characters get cultural abilities at 7, porffession and religion at 8, two skills at 11 and one at 13.

Common Modifiers:
Improv - -3 default
Multiple defence: -2 per multiple attacker Multiple attack -2 per extra defender.

Augmentation bonus resistance: 4 per +1, Edge resistance: 2 per +1

Learn new ability at 6 cost 1 hero point Remove flaw at 6 cost 1 hero point

Contest results:

0 to -5 AP  marginal        dazed

-6 to -10 minor hurt -1
-11 to -15 major injured
-16 complete dying

Resistance to healing
Injury 10
Dying 15

Rating guidelines
Heortling cottar combat 7
Heortling weaponthane 10
Clan Champion 15
Dara Happan peasant 4

Apart from a few things like this that needed deciding on, it is generally much easier with small numbers. I even wondered if D6 would be worth thinking about but there is no benefit of familiar decimal notation.

The main feature, during play, was that there are lots more fumbles, criticals, complete victories and narrator decides, which I personally see as a feature, other may disagree. There was a hint of more tactical augments in order to get 10's, 20's, and other "cannot fumble" numbers. The "edge effect" is slightly more pronounced.

The main benefit was that it is easier to calculate small numbers, and it is easier to read character sheets and make up opponents.. Actually, scrub that, the main benefit was that we don't spend the whole time saying "something wubbleyou something else". Saying "25" is much easier than saying five-wubbleyou-2. Saying "25" is much better than calculating 2 times 20 plus 5.

<< (FWIW, I see getting rid of HW's geek notation and reverting to 2D10  aka "percentile dice" for all resolution rolls as *major* leaps  forward in playability and charm).>>

The die rolling was not a feature. Our group were long time D&D players to whom cries of "20!" evoke more nostalgia than "01!", even though we stopped that in 1987.  

Keith

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