|
This is a very usable and easy to apply
method for converting Monsters into the
HERO System as well; the modified values
determined by subtracting 10 or 11 from
the Monster's D&D stat translate directly
into Characteristic bonuses or penalties
in the HERO System. |
|
Strength |
Strength |
|
Dexterity |
Dexterity |
|
Constitution |
Constitution |
|
Intelligence |
Intelligence |
|
Wisdom |
Ego |
|
Charisma |
Presence |
|
(Hit Points/15) +10 |
Body |
|
(Discretionary) |
Comeliness |
|
|
When converting a D&D 3e Character into
the HERO System compare each D&D 3e
Statistic to the adjoining chart to determine
which D&D 3e Statistic maps to which
HERO System Characteristic. With the exception
of BODY and Comeliness, Simply take the
value of the D&D 3e Statistic as the
value for the HERO System Characteristic.
|
|
For BODY divide the Character's Hit Points
by 15 and add the result to 10, rounding
in the character's favor as per the normal
HERO System metarule. |
|
For Comeliness assign a value appropriate
to the character's general appearance.
|
|
EXAMPLE: Applying the -10/-11 rule
to a D&D Monster with Str 15 Dex 12
Con 14 Int 8 Wis 8 Cha 6 statistics would
yield Str +4 Dex +2 Con +4 Int -2 Wis -2
Cha -4. This would translate directly to
a +4 STR, +2 DEX, +4 CON, -2 INT, -2 EGO,
-4 PRE for the HERO System Race Package
of that Monster type (but see below for
consideration of the difference between
Cha and PRE). |
|
Fives and Threes |
|
Alternately, feel free to round to the nearest increment of 3 or 5
to yield values that play nicely with Hero effect levels and rounding
break points.
|
|
EXAMPLE: The previous example of +4 STR, +2 DEX, +4 CON, -2 INT, -2 EGO, -4 PRE might
be simplified to +5 STR, +3 DEX, +5 CON, -3 INT, -3 EGO, -5 PRE.
|
|
DEALING WITH EXTREMELY LOW INT |
|
Many D&D 3e Monsters have an Intelligence
of 2 or 3, and there is a chart to translate
low Intelligence into some more playable
value for Monsters as PC's but you can just
ignore it.
|
|
INT means different things in the HERO System
than it does in D&D and its actually
quite common for "dumb animals"
to have relatively high INT. Instead, Monsters
that have a low INT will just have a 10
INT in the HERO System, plus the Physical
Limitation "Animal Intelligence" |
|
Physical Limitation: Animal Intelligence
Frequently, Greatly Impairing |
|
Disadvantage Value: -15 Points |
|
DEALING WITH LOW CHA |
|
Many D&D 3e Monsters that are incapable
of social interactions have a low Charisma
score. However, Charisma maps to Presence
(PRE) in the HERO System and part of Presence
is the ability to be frightening, which
many Monsters should be.
|
|
Typically if it seems like a Monster has
a low Charisma because they are not able
to speak or interact socially rather than
because they are actually unassuming and
unimpressive, just assume they have a PRE
of 10 in the HERO System, modified up or
down as you see fit if the Monster should
be frightening. |
|
DEALING WITH NATURAL ARMOR |
|
D&D AC and HERO System defenses do not
map directly. Generally speaking each +1
of Natural Armor can be treated as 3 Real
Cost worth of damage mitigation, which could
be Armor, Damage Resistance, or even Force
Field as you prefer and seems appropriate
to the creature in question. For creatures
with truly high Natural Armor bonuses such
as older Dragons, spend some of these points
on Damage Reduction as well. |
|
Keep in mind that Monsters with 12 or more
Resistant PD will be difficult to hurt using conventional equipment.
|
|
Natural Armor bonus x 3 = # of Character
Points to spend on Damage Mitigation (Armor,
Damage Resistance, Force Field, Damage Reduction). |
|
DEALING
WITH DAMAGE REDUCTION |
|
Damage Resistance as it is defined in D&D works the same
way as HERO System normally work. An easy way to
port this over is to just buy
1 PD / 1 ED of Armor for each point of D&D Damage
Resistance. |
|
5/- |
Armor 5 PD / 5 ED;
Real Cost: 15 Points |
|
5/silver |
Armor 5 PD / 5 ED; Not vs. Silver (-1/2)
Real Cost: 10 Points |
|
5/+1 |
Armor 5 PD / 5 ED; Not vs. Minor Magical Weapons Or Better
(-1)
Real Cost: 8 Points |
|
5/+2 |
Armor 5 PD / 5 ED; Not vs. Minor Magical Weapons Or Better
(-1)
Real Cost: 8 Points |
|
5/+3 |
Armor 5 PD / 5 ED; Not vs. Standard Magical Weapons Or Better
(-1/2)
Real Cost: 10 Points |
|
5/+4 |
Armor 5 PD / 5 ED; Not vs. Standard Magical Weapons Or Better
(-1/2)
Real Cost: 10 Points |
|
5/+5 |
Armor 5 PD / 5 ED; Not vs. Major Magical Weapons
(-1/4)
Real Cost: 12 Points |
|
|
Some Damage Resistance in D&D is conditional,
as marked by a slash and a notation. Some
examples are included in the adjoining table. |
|
MAGICAL WEAPONS |
|
The definition of "Magical Weapons"
is a bit different in the HERO System than
in D&D, and not necessarily all weapons
that are "Magical" will have bonuses
to OCV, while in D&D it is basically
a given that they will. |
|
|
Furthermore +5 to hit, while a considerable
bonus, is basically a drop in the well in
D&D where Characters might have +20
or more to hit with accumulated bonuses.
It's basically just "+25%", though
slightly flattened at the higher end.
|
|
In the HERO System, which is on a
Bell Curve, a single relative +1
OCV over the opponents DCV is a 12% bonus,
and a relative +2 is a 21% bonus. Thus +5
OCV means quite a bit more in the HERO System
and should be much rarer. |
|
In the HERO System GM's can generally consider
each +1/4 in Advantages applied to a Magic
Weapon as equivalent to a "+1" in D&D.
Alternately a GM might consider every 10 Active Points beyond
what is normal for a mundane version of that kind of Magic Weapon
to be equivalent to a "+1".
For instance if a normal sword is a 2D6 HKA for 30 Active Points,
then a 3D6+1 HKA or a 2D6+1 Armor Piercing HKA
with the SFX of "Magic Sword" might be considered to be
equivalent to a "+2" Magic Weapon in D&D terms
|
|
1 point of Damage Resistance = 1 DEF or 1
PD / 1 ED Armor
|
|
SKILLS AND SKILL LEVELS |
|
The D&D and HERO System Skill Lists
line up pretty well, and it should generally
be pretty clear what the HERO System equivalent
is to a D&D Skill. The Skill Conversion
document details how to match up some of
the less obvious Skills between the two
game systems. |
|
Skill Ranks are harder to convert due to
the differences between the d20 linear probability
model and the HERO System Bell Curve probability
model. In the HERO System the greatest benefit
is gained in the first step for 11- to 12-.
However, as a rough rule of thumb you can
divide the D&D 3e Skill Levels (not
counting any stat bonuses) by four (4) and
buy that many +1 bonuses with the equivalent
Skill in the HERO System. As usual, round
in the Monster's favor. |
|
Base Skill Bonus / 4 = +1 to appropriate
HERO System Skill |
|
DEALING WITH BASE ATTACK |
|
Divide Base Attack Bonus by five (5), and
give the Monster some combination of Combat
Skill Levels (CSL's) that make sense for
their Attack scheme equal to that number,
rounded in their favor. In some cases All
Combat Levels (aka 8 point Levels) will
be appropriate, but when converting Monsters
that have only Ranged Attacks or only HtH
Attacks it is usually sufficient to give
them Ranged or HtH Combat levels (aka 5
point Levels). |
|
In rare cases, used only when it seems appropriate,
the GM might decide to upgrade the CSL's
to Overall Levels (aka 10 point Levels)
instead. This would be particularly appropriate
for Races that have some form of Find Weakness,
a lot of innate Skills, when All PER bonuses
can be rolled in to CSL's to "buy up"
(as OL's can be used for both Combat and
PER Rolls -- and just about every other
sort of 3d6 resolution roll), or for "Monsters"
that represent extremely powerful extraplanar
entities and the like that are simply superior
to mere mortals. |
|
Base Attack Bonus (BAB) / 5 = +1 CSL of appropriate
type |
|
TO MANY CSL's |
|
Some GM's run their game with a lower mean
average of Combat Values and prefer to keep
the total number of CSL's Characters have
to a minimum. This has a tendency to make
DEX even more "prime" and prone
to creep, but that aside if it seems appropriate
to your game rather than dividing Base Attack
Bonus by five (5) and rounding in the Monster's
favor, instead do not round at all -- only
grant a +1 CSL for each full five (5) points
of Base Attack Bonus the Monster profile
has. |
|
DEALING WITH ITERATIVE ATTACKS AND MULTI
ATTACK PATTERNS |
|
Some Monsters have a lot of iterative attacks
stemming from their Base Attack Bonus, and
others have complex attack routines. Attack
routines such as Claw, Claw, Bite are usually
best handled using the Multiple Power Attack
rules in the HERO System. |
|
However a true high volume of attacks can
be handled in a variety of ways. The same
general advice for handling a high number
of attacks that applies to normal Characters
applies to Monsters as well, as follows. |
|
ATTACKS PER ROUND |
|
Some Characters and Monsters get more Attacks
per Round than others in D&D 3e, and
this bears special consideration when converting
into the HERO System.
|
|
For starters, all Characters are going to
get more "attacks per round" (or
per six seconds to be more accurate) in
the HERO System because the basic design
of the combat system revolves around twelve
second Turns in which all Characters make
at least one action, and often many more
than one.
|
|
However there are several mechanisms available
to ensure that those that have a lot of
Attacks in D&D 3e maintain their edge in
melee nonetheless.
|
|
SPEED Figured Characteristic |
|
The most direct method of increasing one's
actions in the HERO System is to simply
buy more SPEED. However since Fantasy HERO
is a Heroic level game with Normal Characteristic
Maxima in place this can get expensive once
the Maxima has been hit. Due to the "force
multiplying" effect of SPEED, many
GM's will actively resist Character concepts
pertaining to increasing it too far. |
|
But, if your GM is amenable, even
a single point of SPEED over the Characteristic
Maxima can give a definite edge in combat
and should be considered. |
|
Killing Machine: +1 SPD (Over Characteristic
Maxima) |
|
Real Cost:
20 points
|
|
Sweep |
|
Sweep is an Optional Combat Maneuver which
is accessible to all Characters for free
if it is allowed at all.
|
|
Sweep allows a Character to attack multiple
opponents in HtH as long as they are within
melee range, but at a stiff to hit penalty.
To ensure superiority at it a Character
could buy several +2 OCV Combat Skill Levels
with Sweep.
|
|
Willow parted Four Times: +6 OCV
with SWEEP {allows four strikes without
penalty} |
|
Real Cost:
12 points
|
|
NPA Autofire |
|
Alternately, with your GM's permission,
you can buy an Autofire Naked Power Advantage
(NPA) usable with any weapon of up to a
certain amount of Active Points.
|
|
This is a personal ability inherent to the
Character, and it is usable with any weapon
of the appropriate type. This will enable
your Fighter to strike multiple times with
each attack as described under Autofire.
However few GM's would permit NPA's
taken to be applied to free Equipment; due
to their overpowering efficiency. |
|
If their use is common place then it likely
balances out but if only a few characters
have access to such abilties (such as the
PC's for instance), it can be very unbalancing.
Check with your GM prior to taking any NPA
based ability to determine whether or not
the GM allows them in their campaign. |
|
Flurry of Strikes: Naked Modifier,
Autofire (3 shots; +1/4) for up to 4d6 HKA
(15 Active Points); OIF (Sword of Opportunity,
-1/2) Costs 1 END |
|
Real Cost:
10 points
|
|
Signature Power |
|
With your GM's permission you could buy
a special Attack Power that allows your
Character to do damage to more than one
opponent at a time.
|
|
You can use variations on Area of Effect:
Any Area with No Range to indicate an ability
to accurately attack all the hexes adjacent
to your character, for example.
|
|
This is a more expensive option, but it
makes for interesting flavor for a given
Character; also, don't forget the advantage
of only needing to hit a hexes DCV of 3.
|
|
Reaping the Whirlwind: Killing Attack
- Hand-To-Hand 2d6 (plus STR) (vs. PD),
+1 STUN Multiplier (+1/4), Area Of Effect
(4" Any Area; +1) (67 Active Points);
OIF (Sword of Opportunity; -1/2), All hexes
must be adjacent to own hex (-1/2) Costs
7 END |
|
Real Cost:
33 points
|
|
|
DEALING WITH DAMAGE |
|
The adjoining table shows the approximate
damage conversion between D&D's many
dice steps and increments and the HERO Systems
d6 Damage Class steps which serves as a
general guideline for converting attacks. |
|
1, 1d2 |
1 pip Killing Attack |
|
1d4 |
1/2D6 Killing Attack |
|
1d4+1 |
1D6-1 Killing
Attack |
|
1d6 |
1D6 Killing Attack |
|
2d4 |
1D6+1 Killing attack |
|
1d8 |
1 1/2D6 Killing Attack |
|
1d10 |
2D6-1 Killing
Attack |
|
2d6, 1d12 |
2D6 Killing Attack |
|
1d20 |
3D6 Killing Attack |
|
|
The chart is fairly accurate as far as it
goes, however it is important to keep in
mind the differences between D&D's AC
and the combination of the HERO System's
DCV and actual defenses, not to mention
the differences between hit points and BODY
& STUN. |
|
|
|
|
In D&D if a character gets hit, they
take all of the damage rolled, and thus
a 1d4 attack can still harm a Character. |
|
In the HERO System even if a Character gets
hit, they get to subtract any relevant defenses
they have and thus a 1/2d6 Killing Attack
will rarely cause any actual damage except
vs. a target that lacks resistant defense. |
|
On the other hand 4 hit points is only meaningful
to low level Characters in D&D, but
very few HERO System Characters can afford
to casually lose 4 BODY to a single attack,
as BODY is generally tracked in much smaller
increments than hit points. |
|
The net effect of this is that in general,
unless special circumstances apply, its
usually ok to bump D&D damage on the
low end of the scale (sub 1d6) up a notch
or two when converting Monsters.
|
|
And of course if you are converting a Monster
for a game in progress, and when you've
translated the Monster's attacks into HERO
System terms you realize that they simply
cannot reliably hurt your PC's due to their
defenses, you should feel free to dial up
the damage as necessary, either by applying
more dice, using Advantages like Semi-Armor
Piercing, Armor Piercing, and Penetrating,
giving the Monster a level or two of Deadly
Blow, or the like. However, you don't want
to push damage too high because the higher
end of the scale is more lethal, relatively
speaking.
|
|
As a rule of thumb, you want to push damage
towards the middle range where possible;
not too weak, and not too strong. |
|
DEALING WITH SPECIAL ABILITIES |
|
Many D&D3e Monsters have Special Abilities.
There are quite a lot of more or less standard
ones, and further some Monsters have unique
abilities as well. In general it should
be fairly easy to consider what the ability
does in D&D and model a similar effect
in the HERO System. However, following are
some suggestions regarding the more typical
Extraordinary and Supernatural special abilities: |
- ABILITY SCORE LOSS: Use the Drain
Power.
- ALTERNATE FORM: Generally speaking,
use the Multiform Power.
- BLINDSENSE / BLINDSIGHT / SCENT / TREMORSENSE:
Use the Enhanced Senses Rules to either
apply Targeting (and possibly other modifiers)
to a Monster's senses, or apply an ability
like RADAR, SONAR, or Spatial Awareness.
- BREATH WEAPON: Buy an appropriate
attack Power, and apply AoE: Cone or Line
and No Range to it.
- CHANGE SHAPE: A combination of the
Shapeshift Power and a VPP to model the
natural attacks and movement abilities of
shifted forms (if any). Alternately, bending the rules a bit
to allow a VPP restricted to Multiform based power constructs
gets the job done mechanically cleanly, but can be
extremely powerful.
- CONSTRICT: Extra STR "Only Usable
To Increase Squeezing Damage (includes No
Figured)"; -2.
- DAMAGE REDUCTION: See above under
Dealing
with Damage Reduction.
- ENERGY DRAIN: Use the Transfer Power in 5e; in 6e a linked Drain and Aid.
- FEAR / FRIGHTFUL PRESENCE: For Fear
Aura and Frightful Presence use Presence
bought as a Power with "Offensive Use
Only"; -1. For Fear Rays, Cones, and
other such "targeted" Fear effects
use a Drain vs. PRE and EGO Simultaneously.
- GAZE: Model an appropriate Attack
Power with "Eye Contact Required";
-1/2. Typically a character can only make
eye contact with a target within 3"
of themselves and with decent lighting.
- IMPROVED GRAB: Either buy 10 points
worth of Martial Maneuvers with the Grab
Element to meet the Martial Arts minimum
buy in requirement, or buy a few OCV Levels
with Grab and Sweep an Attack followed by
a Grab.
- LOW-LIGHT VISION: Use the Nightvision
option of the Enhanced Senses Power.
- MOVEMENT MODES:
- BURROW: Use the Tunneling Power.
- CLIMB: Use the Clinging Power.
- FLY: Use the Flight Power.
- PERFECT: Apply the Combat Acceleration
/ Deceleration and No Turn Mode Advantages
and the Position Shift Adder.
- GOOD: Apply the Combat Acceleration
/ Deceleration Advantages.
- AVERAGE: Default.
- POOR: Apply Limitation "Turn
Mode Divisor: 4"; -1/4.
- CLUMSY: Apply Limitation "Turn
Mode Divisor: 3"; -1/2.
- SWIM: Use the Swimming Power.
- NATURAL WEAPONS: Usually modeled
as Hand Killing Attacks or Hand Attacks
as appropriate.
- PARALYSIS: Typically, use the Entangle
Power.
- POISON: Typically, use the Drain
Power. The No Normal Defense Advantage is
often appropriate for Poisons with the defense
defined as LS: Immune to Poison. Alternately,
there is a custom "Venom" Power
defined on page 566 of the HERO System 5th
Edition Revised Rulebook which works well
for many types of Poisons.
- POUNCE: Either buy one or more Martial
Maneuvers with the FMOVE ability (and observing
the minimum buy in for Martial Maneuvers),
or buy Combat Skill Levels usable with Move-By
or Move Thru or both.
- PSIONICS: Refer to the
Psionics Power System document for suggestions
on how to handle Psionics in the HERO System.
- RAKE: Buy an appropriate attack ability
with the Limitation "Only vs. Grabbed
Opponents"; -1 1/2.
- RAY: Buy an appropriate Ranged Attack
Power.
- REGENERATION: Use the Healing Power
with the Regeneration option.
- RESISTANCE TO ENERGY: As Damage Reduction
above.
- SONIC ATTACKS: To model the "spread"
effect of Sonic Attacks apply AoE: Radius
with the Conforming Adder, Personal Immunity,
and No Range.
- SPELL IMMUNITY: This is tricky in
the HERO System since it is an absolute
effect. A way to do it is a very large Dispel
vs. Magic on an Immediately Self-Resetting
Trigger, and a 360 degree Detect vs. Magic
That Would Affect Character.
- SPELL RESISTANCE: There are many
different ways to model Spell Resistance
in the HERO System. I recommend Resitant
Damage Reduction vs. Magic.
- SPELLS: Spend points on an appropriate
Magic System just as would be done for a
normal Character.
- SUMMON: Use the Summon Power.
- SWALLOW WHOLE: Use the rules for
Swallowing Targets Whole on page 33 of the
HERO System Bestiary.
- TELEPATHY: Use the Telepathy Power.
- TRAMPLE: Either buy one or more Martial
Maneuvers with the FMOVE ability (and observing
the minimum buy in for Martial Maneuvers),
or buy Combat Skill Levels usable with Move
Thru.
- TURN RESISTANCE: Buy Presence as
a Power with the Limitation "Only To
Resist TURN UNDEAD"; -1.
- VULNERABILITY TO ENERGY: Use the
Vulnerability Disadvantage.
|
|
DEALING WITH FREQUENCY OF USE |
|
Many abilities in D&D had no limit on
usage, while others are usable X times per
day.
|
|
UNLIMITED USAGE ABILITIES |
|
When converting Monsters abilities that
had no limit on usage it is important to
remember that the HERO System has a fatigue
mechanic in the form of END. In many cases,
nothing special needs to be done as the
END cost for most abilities is negligible
enough that the Monster can still function
and use their abilities in a typical HERO
System combat.
|
|
However some abilities that are assumed
to be effectively constant in D&D will
run a Monster out of END which can be counter
to the intent of the Monster's design. This
includes Flight, which in D&D is effectively
effortless but in the HERO System will burn
a lot of END quickly. In such cases use
the Reduced END Advantage to lower the END
cost to 1/2 or 0 as seems appropriate.
|
|
X TIMES PER DAY ABILITIES |
|
This sort of ability maps directly into
the Charges Limitation in the HERO System.
Once you have converted the base effect
simply apply the appropriate number of Charges
to it. In the case of Constant Powers don't
forget to use Continuous Charges. |
|
You can play around with the Charge options,
such as Boostable, to spice Monsters up
a bit if you like as you see fit.
|
|
DEALING WITH MOVEMENT |
|
Some Monsters have varying movement rates,
and some have extra movement rates like
flying or teleporting.
|
|
EXOTIC MOVEMENT FORMS |
|
All D&D3e Movement types are easily
translatable into the HERO System. Fly =
Flight, Teleporting = Teleport, Planar Shifting,
Astral, Shadow, Ethereal, and similar dimensional
crossing movement = various flavors of EDM,
and so on.
|
|
WINGED FLIGHT |
|
Winged Flight should usually take the Restrainable
Limitation. |
|
D&D3e MOVEMENT DISTANCE TO HERO SYSTEM
HEXES |
|
D&D 3e Movement rates are measured in
inches, so to determine the number of hexes
for any particular type of movement simply
divide the number of inches by 6.5 and round
off to determine how many hexes of movement
they should have in the HERO System.
|
|
DEALING WITH FEATS |
|
Some Monsters have special Feats. |
- ABILITY FOCUS: Saves are meaningless
in the HERO System. Just increase the damage
or effect of the converted version of the
Special Attack this Feat applies to by a
d6.
- AWESOME BLOW: Buy Does x1 1/2 Knockback
as a Naked Power Advantage for the Monster's
STR, with the Limitations "Only When
Performing A Move-Thru" for a -1.
- CRAFT CONSTRUCT: Take KS: Create
Construct for the Monster. Handle the creation
of Constructs like the creation of a Permanent
Magic Item as described in the
Magic Item Creation guidelines.
- EMPOWER SPELL-LIKE ABILITY: Just
increase the effect of the ability the Feat
was taken for by some reasonable amount.
Don't worry about the 3x per day limitation.
- FLYBY ATTACK: Take a few OCV Levels
with Move-By.
- HOVER: This Feat is pretty powerful;
there are a few ways to handle it, but to
model it exactly would require a large amount
of points. In the interests of operating
on a budget, since people that fly can already
hover in the HERO System for free just apply
Combat Acceleration / Deceleration to the
Monster's Flight. If you want to go wild
and spend some points, add a Change Environment
Power to the Monster as well along the lines
of:
- Wing Gust: CE 2" radius (4"
Cone; +0), -1 to Hearing Group PER Rolls,
-1 to Sight Group PER Rolls, +5 Points of
Telekinetic STR, -1 DCV, -1 OCV, Multiple
Combat Effects (53 Active Points); No Range
(-1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, Only to
Activate, Delayed Phase, -1/2), Concentration
(1/2 DCV; -1/4); Real Cost: 23; 5 END
- IMPROVED NATURAL ARMOR: Just increase
the Monsters Armor or resistant defense
a little.
- IMPROVED NATURAL ATTACK: Add a d6
of damage or effect with the applicable
attack.
- MULTIATTACK: Consider taking Two
Weapon Fighting. Otherwise, Ambidexterity,
or just a few extra OCV levels depending
on how you have converted the Monsters attacks.
- MULTIWEAPON FIGHTING: Ambidexterity
or Two Weapon Fighting.
- QUICKEN SPELL-LIKE ABILITY: Buy an
"At Will" Trigger as a Naked Power
Advantage for the applicable ability, with
a 0 Phase Reset.
- SNATCH: Buy a few OCV levels with
Grab, and then Sweep a strike followed by
a Grab.
- WINGOVER: Just buy two Flight Skill
Levels.
|
|
GENERAL DISADVANTAGES |
|
In addition to the aforementioned Animal
Intelligence Disadvantage for Monsters of
Animal intellect, there are several other
Disadvantages to be applied to Monster Race
Packages. |
|
LACK OF MANIPULATION |
|
Monsters that lack hands or other manipulator
appendages should take a Physical Limitation. |
|
Physical Limitation: Very Limited
Manipulation Frequently, Greatly Impairing |
|
Disadvantage Value: -15 Points |
|
WELL KNOWN DETAILS |
|
If a Monster type has some information or
details pertinent to it that are known and
that could disadvantage Monsters of that
type, a Reputation Disadvantage indicating
as much is appropriate for the Race Package.
|
|
For instance, many people know that were-creatures
are harmed by silver which is the sort of
information that could definitely put a
were-creature at a Disadvantage if silver
does indeed cause them problems, and thus
a Reputation to that affect is appropriate.
|
|
The value of this Disadvantage will vary
by how widely known the Reputation is.
|
|
NOTE: In some cases there will also
be Reputations related to the Monster that
have an advantageous effect, which should
be indicated using the Reputation Perk. |
|
Reputation: {Some detail or information},
{Frequency} |
|
Disadvantage Value: varies |
|
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES |
|
In line with the other Race Package Deals
presented on this web site, Monsters get
to take a Distinctive Feature for their
Race.
|
|
The value of the Distinctive Feature will
range from -5 to -25 depending upon how
monstrous the Monster's appearance is, how
much reaction is typical from observers,
whether or not their appearance can be concealed
by some natural ability (such as shape shift),
whether or not some members of the Monster's
type are generally accepted in some populations,
and other considerations. However the majority
of Monsters can take the Disadvantage at
the level indicated below. |
|
Distinctive Feature: {Member of Race}
(Concealable w/ Magic, Noticed and Causes
Reaction) |
|
Disadvantage Value: -15 Points |
|
NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC MAXIMA |
|
In line with the other Race Package Deals
presented on this web site, Monsters get
to take Normal Characteristic Maxima in
their Race Package. Remember that by the
Race Package guidelines set forth
on this web site Characteristic bonuses
and penalties in Race Packages are applied
after NCM is calculated. |
|
Normal Characteristic Maxima |
|
Disadvantage Value: -20 Points |
|
UNUSUAL SIZE |
|
For Monsters that are unusually large or
small, consult the Size Templates in the
Bestiary (also reprinted in the back of
HERO System 5th Edition Revised) and merge
the appropriate Size Package with the Race
Package you have made. In cases where a
creature would get a Characteristic bonus
or penalty from both their Race Package
and a Size Template Package, only apply
the larger of the two values generally unless
the lower seems more appropriate (or if
you prefer split the difference); however
do not combine the two values.
|
|
EXAMPLE: Based on their D&D stat
conversion a Monster might get a +8 STR
Bonus. However they are also Large; the
Large Size Template Package indicates that
up to a +15 STR bonus is appropriate for
a Large creature. The GM can decide to give
the Race anything between a +8 and a +15
STR as they prefer and seems appropriate.
However, they should not "double-dip"
and give the Race +23 STR.
|
|
EXAMPLE CONVERSION |
|
The
Hippogriff Conversion document gives
a step by step example of taking a Monster
from D&D 3e and translating its profile
into a HERO System Package Deal. |
|
USAGE |
|
Once you have a Race Package Deal for a
Monster, you just use that Package as is
for any average member of that Race. For
exceptional or unusual Monsters you just
take the Race Package and slap some extra
abilities on top of it as personal abilities
just like you would make an antagonist that
was a Human, Elf, or Dwarf by starting from
a Human, Elf, or Dwarf Race Package Deal
and adding other Packages and abilities.
It grants you both consistency and extreme
flexibility.
|
|
It's also very friendly to use in HERO Designer
(the HERO System Character Creation Utility)
using the Save As Template and Create Character
From Template functionality. |
|
Templating |
|
One of the more time consuming tasks facing
a HERO System GM is the amount of work that
must be put in to making NPC's and creatures.
Following are a few tricks to get around
this for run of the mill NPC's and stock
Monsters; important NPC's and Monsters should
be fully developed in the normal fashion. |
|
PROFESSION TEMPLATES |
For each type of generic antagonist, such
as Barbarians or Sky Ravagers or Guardsmen,
make a series of Profession Package Deals:
- Make a "Basic" Template Package
Deal describing the basic abilities of someone
in that type or role.
- Make more advanced Template Package Deals
for more powerful or advanced members of
the type or role, taking the BASIC Template
and layering up from there
- Make a "ELITE" Template
- Make a "VETERAN" Template
- Make a "CHAMPION" Template
- Make a "MIGHTY" Template
- Make a "LEGENDARY" Template
- Etc...
|
|
NOTE: The titles used have no meaning
or relevance other than to express increasing
levels of power / capability. Feel free
to substitute any labels that you prefer. |
|
Each Template inherits the Template before
it; thus if you were making a LEGENDARY
Barbarian Package it has all of the abilities
of the MIGHTY Barbarian Template as its
base and then adds on to it.
|
|
Of course, you only need to make as many
progressively better Templates as is necessary
for your purposes; this might be only BASIC
or only BASIC and ELITE, or it might be
many more echelons as needed.
|
|
If you want to individualize Characters
made from these Template Package Deals,
simply include some semi-undefined abilities
(such as Any Trade, Craft, or Knowledge
Skill: 11- ; 2 points) or "Choose some
number of the following:" style Pick
Lists as appropriate to the use case of
the Template.
|
|
Don't worry about Disadvantages for Template
Package Deals unless they are integral to
the concept of the Template; it just decreases
the reusability of the Package. However,
when you use a Template to instantiate a
Package for some actual group within your
setting it is entirely appropriate to apply
Disadvantages to that Package relevant
to the group that you are using the Package
for.
|
|
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER |
Later on when you need to make one or more
Characters of a particular type or role
you simply:
- Take an appropriate Race Package Deal
- Add the appropriate Template Package Deal(s)
|
|
For instance if I needed to throw together
a Elven Spellfilcher or a guild of Elven
Spellfilchers (makes no difference) I would
just pair an Elven Race Package with a Template
Package Deal combining the sorts of abilities
I think such a type of Character should
have. In less time than it takes to type
about it, I have an
Elven Spellfilcher write up ready
for play. |
|
The same holds true for Monsters that you
have designed Race Packages for as well;
the same methods described above can be
used to define Packages that permit different
roles or variants that are appropriate to
that type of Monster, and just mix and match
them for best effect. |
|
MODULAR ADVANTAGE |
|
A number of Character Templates can be found
here. |
|
Once you have done the basic ground work
of laying out some Template Packages, it
is extremely fast and easy to make viable
stock NPC's and opponents by simply stacking
a Race Package with one or more Profession
Packages.
|
|
If you use Cultural Package Deals and/or
Organizational Package Deals as well, or
any form of Package Deal for that matter,
it stacks nicely with this and is infinitely
expandable. It basically takes a Modular
Object Oriented approach to building Characters.
|
|
This is the approach taken throughout this
web site; all of the hundreds of Race and
Profession Package Deals presented on this
site are usable in this fashion. |