http://www.legrog.org/detail.jsp?id=10400
[reposted with permission -- HL]
OK, this is a quick and dirty translation of the gist, rather than the language, as I *should* be doing unpaid overtime for the horrible job that I have,
/HeroQuest 2nd edition/ presents in 130 pages and 15 chapters a
collection of mechanics conceived as tools, not rules, with the goal of
simulating any mood or universe for a game.
It starts off with a 4 page introduction that quickly discusses what a role-playing game is and explains HeroQuest's narrative approach and bias. The next 2 chapters concern how to character creation.
The first of those consists of advice to think of a character in terms of the type of adventure the game master is proposing to the players. The parameters of the campaign provide the clues that permit the player to use their knowledge, personal taste and biases to define the concept and goal (narrative hook) of the character. Imagine, for example, that the creators of /Dirty Harry/ had used /HeroQuest 2nd Edition, /here is how they would have gone about it: The setting of the game is a large American city, the genre is a cop story, the mode is procedural and the premise establishes that everyone is part of the same police service as the other PCs. From there, the player who created Dirty Harry proposes his character concept as "inspector who does whatever works" and his goal as "fight against the rampaging lawlessness and decadence of society".
On top of the foundation of these first elements, the second chapter
tells you how to attribute the numbered abilities of the characters,
which might include physical and mental talents, personal relationship,
special items and equipment, powers, financial resources, biographical
elements, etc. Three methods are proposed: the prose method consists of
writing a background/character sketch of about 100 words in which can be
found as many abilities as you can justify; the list method consists of
jotting down on paper 10 or so abilities; finally, with the as-you-go
method the player just puts a rating on their concept and then invents
10 or so other abilities over the course of the first few sessions of
play, as they become necessary. The base scores vary from 17 (for one
ability) to 13 (for all the rest) before being raised by a pool of 20
points which can be added freely. If a score goes past 20, it goes back
to 1, but is marked with a level of mastery - for example 13+10 doesn't
give you 23 but rather 3M1, which is read as "Three with one level of
mastery". To finish up, the player can choose 1 to 3 flaws for their
character, which function like abilities with their own scores but which
can be used to cause problems for the character.
/
"Overcoming obstacles"/, the next chapter (30 pages), makes up the heart
of the book. Sprinkled with lots of examples, often in great detail, it
describes all the methods used to resolve actions in the game, from
physical combat to any other sort of opposition. In particular, we find
rules for:
The /"Modifiers"/ chapter (6 pages) details all the bonuses and penalties applicable during conflicts, in particular augments, which is to say a bonus one gets from a second ability that reinforces the main one used - for example "Tough" for "Brawler" - whether it comes from the same character or an ally. Note that since the system emphasizes original actions and unexpected augments, it tends to reduce the effectiveness of familiar combinations. If "Tough" is systematically used to reinforce "Brawler", you'll stop getting a bonus for it.
/"Hero Points"/ (2 pages) and /"Recovery and Healing"/ (1 p.) detail the
use of Hero Points and the process of healing (physical or mental
health, reputation, damage to equipment, etc.)
/"Relationships"/ (7 pages) details the different sorts of personal
relationships between characters, whether they are "positive": allies,
patrons, contacts, or relationships treated like flaws: dependents,
adversaries. Followers are treated separately, and can be either
retainers or sidekicks.
/"Playing stories"/ (10 pages) consists of a collection of advice on how
to steer the rhythm of the game to conform to the rules of narrative
that have inspired role playing games. In particular, we find the
concept of the /pass/fail cycle/ which tends to modify, for the PCs, the
difficulty level of a given conflict as a function of the chains of
success or failure which have preceded it. This chapter also specifies
how to determine, depending on circumstance, what is the proper
resolution method to take to resolve an action; simple contest, extended
contest or automatic success.
/"Narrating"/ (2 pages) gives some advice on the job of the game master
and her relationship with the other players.
/"Running contests"/ (8 pages) goes deeper into the mechanics of
contests with a some tips and a few optional rules, including conflicts
involving lots of participants, automatic costly success /(arduous
success)/ where success costs something, missile combat, etc.
/"Community resources and support"/ (6 pages) is a chapter which
explains how the communities in which the PCs exist can help them,
whether they are clans, political parties, a church, a secret society ,
a guild of interstellar merchants, etc. Notably, a questionnaire method
is proposed as an aide to determine the ideology and helpful potential
of these communities.
/"Creating genre packs"/ (14 pages) contains lots of advice for both
players and game masters. Many of the grand role-playing themes are
given a look through the lens of the HeroQuest rules: super powers, from
magic or psychic talent, magic or technological items as well as
vehicles, non-human characters and unintelligent creatures. Examples of
keywords, a kind of package of abilities that cover the most common
categories of a fictional universe (SF, medieval fantasy, ...) are also
provided.
/"Gaming in Glorantha"/ (16 pages), the last chapter, applies the
principles of the previous chapter to magic in Glorantha. Here are
presented the base mechanics to simulate spirit magic, divine magic, and
sorcery. The nature and function of the runes are looked at in depth,
and the changes from the previous edition are explained. Finally, the
Lunar and Orlanthi pantheons, as well as the Praxian spirit tradition
are given a brief description.
The book finishes with a quick synopsis, gathering the principal tables of the system and an index.
We'll finish by summing up the principal differences between this and the first edition of HeroQuest. Firstly, the game is no longer based in Glorantha and the text has been expunged of all the mechanics that were specific to that world, which filled up tens of pages before. In addition, the old action point system for extended conflicts has been replaced with a rule where you accumulate resolution points. Finally, the new version puts far more priority than before on the importance given to the pacing of the game: the pass/fail system is the best illustration of that.
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