Why don't you try a straight conversion and forget the keywords?
Just make the skill levels whatever you feel they are as a
narrator. Once you start playing heroquest you will not focus so
heavily on the character sheets as you tend to do with other
systems IMO.
Regards
Rob
- In HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com, "Thomas Bagwell"
<tom.bagwell_at_g...> wrote:
> I've discussed this a bit with Mike on The Forge, but thought I
would
> toss the question out here as well. (Also, I'm impatient, anxious
to
> get this hammered out, and just eager to discuss it.)
>
> I've owned HeroQuest for awhile, and have finally go my group to
agree
> to give it a try. It's a non-Gloranthan setting, and it's the
first
> time with the system for everyone.
>
> First, some background on the situation.
>
> I'm running a campaign that has been going for several years,
> intermittantly. We haven't been particularly happy with the system,
> and I've dragged my group through several systems trying to find
one
> that worked well. They've been very patient, and assured me that I
> have no choice because they like the setting and their characters
no
> matter how I try to sabotage it by my system choices...:)
>
> HeroQuest looks like it might be the system I've been searching
for,
> and the group is willing to give it a try. They are actually rather
> enthused after I gave them a rundown on the mechanical details,
such
> as masteries, how contests work, the open nature of the system,
etc.
>
> The game has gone for probably 80 sessions or so, and the
characters
> are quite competent. If we had been using a leveled system, such as
> Rolemaster, I would probably place them at around 15-20th level or
so.
>
> To generate their characters, I've first had them use the standard
> HeroQuest rules to narratively create their characters as they
were at
> the beginning of the campaign. (The setting is relatively
> high-powered, and the original system defaulted to an assumption of
> fairly butch beginning characters.) Then I intend to 'boost' them
to
> appropriate current levels.
>
> My first act was to give each of them an additional Occupational
> Keyword. This fits well, since they are all doing different things
now
> than they were initially. It's very appropriate.
>
> I'm giving them an additional Homeland Keyword due to specific
events
> in the campaign. It's a limited one that would mainly provide
skills
> in an area they are unlikely to venture through again. Still, it
will
> provide the characters with more depth and reflect an important
> several episodes in their lives.
>
> Here's where I would appreciate advice. My initial thought, based
on
> the 'Experienced Character' sections of the book, was to give them
10
> points to add to their 5 Keywords (no more than 4-5 to any one of
> them). I also considered giving them 5 or so +2 advances for
> individual skills.
>
> Mike's suggestion was somewhat more radical. He suggested about 60
> points added to Keywords, and 100 Hero Points for additional
skills.
> (Not clear as to if those are to be spent as Hero Points or as
> Starting Points.) Wow. Certainly far more generous than the book
> suggests, but his reasoning made sense.
>
> Since I'm probably aiming more at 15th level equivalence, and (it
> being a new system for us) looking at taking a cautious approach
> (since I can up the points later if they don't look sufficiently
> experienced)...My initial response was to drop that to 50 for
Keywords
> and 75 for skills.
>
> What do you think? Their characters have gone through about 15
years
> gametime (about half active and about half in downtime /
bluebooked /
> individual business. They've been exposted to and accomplished a
hell
> of a lot, and I don't want to penalize their abilities. But I don't
> want to overdo it, either.
>
> Tom B.