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Mission: Zodiac - Hopefully my final version of these rules
| Dec. 14th, 2008 11:48 pm Hopefully my final version of these rules Here's my main document for Planar HERO - how player characters are expected to be built. I'm especially interested in what ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) neliobelmont has to say about it, as he's my main HERO comrade, but if anybody else sees anything particularly grievous I would appreciate hearing about it. I have a document for planar effects, too, but I'll post it tomorrow or something. If I come up with no serious errors I'll send it your way, bastlynn, and we can get it up on PW.
Planar HERO
Player Characters
Planar HERO is a Planescape resource for the HERO system. This document is designed to lay out guidelines for building characters and running a Planar HERO campaign.
Planar HERO is a heroic-level campaign in many ways, although a later section of this document will detail how we use HERO’s optional rules to craft the correct theme for the campaign. Characters shall be given 75 character points to start and may acquire up to 100 points in disadvantages, leading to most starting characters having 175 points to work with.
Character Design
All Planar HERO characters are defined, in many ways, by four quantities: Race, Faction, Home Plane, and Alignment. While we leave the influence and development of these factors on a character in the player’s hands, some discussion (and, in a few cases, mechanical definitions) need to be employed.
The options for a character’s race are both widespread and multitudinous, limited only by a player’s imagination. There are, however, some standard categories of races that we shall outline. As suggested below, all mortal races are expected to take Normal Characteristic Maxima. This disadvantage is not a campaign standard, however, since there is a fair chance at least one PC will not be mortal.
Human: Humans are the standard, relatively “normal” race of the planes. This race doesn’t lend itself to any particular racially-inspired powers or disadvantages except for the standard mortal Normal Characteristic Maxima.
Planetouched: These are mostly-human (usually) denizens of the planes that have been touched by extraplanar energies in some way. They range from elemental-touched genasi to fiend-touched tieflings, and can include any number of exotic creatures (such as a partially mechanical modron-touched dwarf). Planetouched may have a number of exotic powers based on their planar heritage. A common genasi power is safety on its native Inner Plane (see Surviving the Planes, below). All planetouched should have Distinctive Features (concealable w/effort, noticed and recognisable, commonly-used senses). Many planetouched may also have Vulnerability (or even Susceptibility) based on their planar heritage. Being mortals, planetouched should take Normal Characteristic Maxima.
Planar Races: Besides planetouched, many other mortal races live on the planes, including the reptilian khaasta and the monastic githzerai. These races are well-detailed in Planescape products, and inspiration for building them should come from those sources. Most of the time they should have Distinctive Features (concealable w/effort, noticed and recognisable, commonly-used senses, not distinctive in some cultures). Being mortals, they should take Normal Characteristic Maxima.
Prime Races: These are mortal races native to a world on the Material Plane. They may be elves, dwarves, or a number of other races based on mythology or other fantasy RPGs. Despite the name of this category, a member of this race does not need to be a native of the Material Plane – it is just indicative of her ancestors being so. Generally a prime race should have Distinctive Features (concealable w/effort, noticed and recognisable, commonly-used senses, not distinctive in some cultures). Being mortals, they should take Normal Characteristic Maxima.
Exemplar: In higher-powered games (or with special exception, such as the rogue modron) exemplar may be a playable option. Inspiration should be drawn from the Monster Codex (although statistics in that document should not be slavishly held to). Exemplar are not mortals, and should not have Normal Characteristic Maxima. Being immortal, all exemplar should have Life Support: Longevity (no maximum lifespan).
Options for a character’s faction are somewhat more limited. Post-Faction War there are sixteen factions extant. If a player wishes to be a member of a sect, however, her options are slightly more open. Choice of faction is important, as it is indicative of a character’s belief in the universe. As such, many of a character’s abilities may be chosen based on faction. Additionally, factions offer a number of social benefits and disadvantages, as listed below.
Membership (faction) (3 points)
8- Contact (allied factions), useful skills or resources, organisation contact (6 points)
Hunted (enemy factions) 8-, as powerful, NCI, mildly punish
A character’s home plane defines a few small things about a character. If necessary, a character should have safety on her home plane (see Surviving the Planes, below). Home plane will also suggest the character’s native language, as well as the specifics of some of her everyman skills.
A character’s alignment comes in the form of two disadvantages: Distinctive Features (not concealable, major reaction, unusual senses, not distinctive in some cultures) and Psychological Limitation (common). The strength of the Psychological Limitation is free to be defined by the character. A character takes the alignment limitations for her alignment as a whole (i.e. lawful good, not law and good), though most effects will only target one half at a time. Most of the time a true neutral character will not need either limitation, although a strongly neutral character may take the Psychological Limitation.
Skills
In Planar HERO we shall use the rules for Weapon Familiarity, as well as granting literacy for free. The everyman skills are
Acting
Climbing
Concealment
Conversation
Deduction
KS: Some planar knowledge tied to home plane (often AK)
Native Language (4 points’ worth, includes literacy, based on home plane)
Navigation (tied to home plane, usually Dimensional and Land)
Paramedics
Persuasion
One PS at 11-
Shadowing
Stealth
Though a number of planar languages exist, the primary languages in Planar HERO are as follows:
Abyssal (language of tanar’ri, spoken in the Abyss, Carceri, the Grey Waste, Pandemonium)
Aquan (language of water elementals, spoken in the Plane of Water)
Archon (language of archons, spoken in Arcadia, Mount Celestia)
Asura (language of asuras, spoken in all Upper Planes)
Auran (language of air elementals, spoken in the Plane of Air)
Bariaur (language of bariaur, spoken in Arborea, the Outlands, Ysgard)
Celestial (language of celestials, spoken in all Upper Planes, trade language)
Rhebus (language of dabus, spoken in Sigil)
Daemon (language of yugoloths, spoken in Gehenna, the Grey Waste)
Demodand (language of gehreleths, spoken in Carceri)
Eladrin (language of eladrins, spoken in Arborea)
Fiendish (language of fiends, spoken in all Lower Planes, trade language)
Formian (language of formians, spoken in Arcadia, Mechanus)
Githyanki (language of githyanki, spoken in the Astral Plane)
Githzerai (language of githzerai, spoken in Limbo)
Guardinal (language of guardinals, spoken in Elysium)
Ignan (language of fire elementals, spoken in the Plane of Fire)
Infernal (language of baatezu, spoken in Acheron, Baator, Gehenna, the Grey Waste)
Khaasta (language of khaasta, spoken in the Outlands)
Modron (language of modrons, spoken in Mechanus)
Nathri (language of nathri, spoken in the Ethereal Plane)
Planar Trade (language of traders and planewalkers, spoken in all planes, trade language)
Shad Graffiti (language of shad, “spoken” in the Plane of Earth)
Slaad (language of slaadi, spoken in Limbo)
Sylvan (language of fey, spoken in Arborea, Pandemonium, Ysgard)
Terran (language of earth elementals, spoken in the Plane of Earth)
Xill (language of xills, spoken in the Ethereal Plane)
Surviving the Planes
Many planes are dangerous to humans, however this does not mean characters cannot survive on them. Planar natives, as well as special spells and equipment, will have protection from various planar hazards. Perusal of the Planar Effects document will indicate the type of protection a character requires to survive on a given plane, but the protection ranges from specialised Armour to limited Skill Levels. One exception is aligned planes – it is rare, though not completely unheard of, to have protection from a plane’s alignment.
Power Sources
A character’s powers may come from a number of potential sources. The main six are Race, Belief, Magic, Psionics, Martial Skill, and Equipment. At creation a character may take any powers the GM allows, describing them through the lens of “power sources”. These decisions will be important, as they limit a character’s ability to gain powers in the future. To curtail rampant and unbalancing power growth mid-campaign, we require that a character’s experience point expenditures are justified in that the character must reasonably be able to acquire any new abilities being purchased.
A character’s race suggests certain abilities, based on mythology or game lore. While not all of these abilities must be taken at character creation, such abilities always remain available for a character to purchase, as latent power that is being tapped into.
A character’s beliefs about the multiverse (especially as channelled through faction membership) also suggest a certain set of powers. Like race, these abilities are always available as latent power.
Magical skill comes in a number of flavours, some guidelines of which we will detail here. All magic is either prepared or spontaneous. Prepared magic comes in a Multipower, spontaneous in a Variable Power Pool. We require that practitioners of spontaneous magic have a prepared list of spells which they know and are able to cast. All spellcasters should have a Power skill related to their magic. Though it is not required to use this skill to cast spells (although an individual mage may have such a restriction), many circumstances will force a skill roll to successfully cast a spell. All spells should either cost END or have Charges. It is important to define a spell well through special effects – many types of magic are altered on the planes, and it is better to know ahead of time that a spell is divination or based on negative energy. Other than these limitations, players are free to define their spellcasting paradigm any way they wish. One example is wild magic, which is a spontaneous style of magic that has RSR: Luck and Side Effects. Some spells may be based on access to a transitive plane. As transitive planes are not equally accessible across the multiverse, such spells are entitled to a limitation: Requires Astral/Ethereal (-½) or Requires Shadow/Mirror (-¼). Characters may develop or learn new spells, so long as the spell fits the character’s style of magic, with a magic skill roll. Characters that previously had no spellcasting capabilities may be able to learn them, at GM discretion and proper in-game effort.
Psionics are a mental art similar, but not related, to magic. Though psionic powers are not limited by the same planar effects that magic is, the acquisition and use of psionics is more restricted. Psionics come in an Elemental Control. They must cost END and have an Activation Roll. Any attacks must be BoECV. All psionics must be based on a paradigm of “psychic powers”, so the wide range of effects possible with spells are not available to a psion. Many psionics may be based on manipulation of Astral energies. As the Astral Plane is not accessible anywhere in the multiverse, such psionics are entitled to a limitation: Requires Astral (-½). New psionic powers may be learned with GM permission. A non-psionic character may only rarely spontaneously develop psionic skill.
Martial skills are non-magical abilities based on the martial arts. Though they do not need to be Asian-themed, many mystical abilities attributed to kung fu practitioners could be a good inspiration. Characters with martial skills must have a martial arts style. If a GM has The Ultimate Martial Artist, we encourage usage of the styles therein (or usage of those rules to create new styles). Any powers deemed reasonable based on the martial art in question may be acquired, although it is important to remember that these powers should not be as spectacular as spellcasting. Though a character may know multiple martial arts styles, we caution the GM to keep an eye on martial skill implementation – all styles and powers a character knows should work towards building a single unified fighting style. Martial characters should be allowed to learn new manoeuvres and powers, within reason. We also find it reasonable that a non-martial character can learn martial arts and, subsequently, martial skills with proper in-game effort.
Equipment is the broadest category of powers, as enchanted items may manifest nearly any number of effects. All equipment must be built as a Focus. At the player’s discretion, equipment may also be Independent. Mundane weapons and armour should be built with Real Weapon/Armour; magical gear may or may not have these restrictions. Likewise, mundane armour should have Mass and Hit Location Protection; magical armour may have reduced or non-existent mass. Mundane weapons and shields should have Strength Minima; magical versions may circumvent these limitations. Where mundane equipment appears in HERO 5e or The Ultimate Martial Artist (or any other sourcebook the GM uses), it should match the item in the book. Magical versions of extant equipment should be based on the mundane version, but of course may differ due to the enchantment. Other than these guidelines, equipment may produce any effects the GM deems reasonable. While a character can always acquire more equipment, the GM naturally controls how easily accessible any given item is in the campaign.
HERO System Rules
HERO contains a number of optional rules, intended to recreate varying degrees of reality or enforce genre conventions. As mentioned under Skills, above, Planar HERO grants literacy for free and uses the rules for Weapon Familiarity. We also choose to implement the optional combat manoeuvres. With regards to stunning, we implement a rule whereby a character may avoid being stunned by a successful CON roll. We shall utilise hit locations, but not impairing or disabling. We shall use knockback, rather than knockdown. With regards to END, we set costs at the superheroic level, but treat pushing as per the heroic guidelines. As outlined under the “equipment” Power Source, above, characters must pay points for all their equipment. While characters are encouraged to buy the Money perk, if appropriate, this represents general wealth available for day-to-day living (and buying a quick favour or bribing, etc.) – normal uses of money, rather than an ability to buy equipment. However, having lots of Money may be used as a justification to buy a new equipment-based power.Current Location: valhalla
Current Mood:  creative
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Comments:
Seems like you have a bit of thought put into it. Right now, the biggest potential problem I see coming about is the situation of equipment. Equipment seems to be, quite simply, free powers the characters can pick up in exchange for "money". I think it would be beneficial to come up with a "character point to gold piece" ratio if you are going to do this in the way of equipment. We can talk more about that in person though.
It's not that way, actually. Apparently I worded it poorly, but players are expected to buy equipment with character points, just like other powers.
Cool that was the thing I was thinking. This sound realy cool... I just wonder if it would be possible to play.
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