Fantasy Hero simulation via Champions From: pearlman@grape.cis.ohio-state.edu (Andrew Pearlman) Date: Wed, 20 Feb 1991 17:50:21 +0000 I am going to be starting up a PBEmail game involving Champions in a Fantasy Hero style setting. I don't have the new Fantasy Hero. Oh well. Background: 20 years ago there was a *huge* war across the continent. Things sort of stabilized, but there is this general feeling of unease, that peace just can't hold on forever. Your home city-state, Kago, of course, takes advantage of such chaos. It is ideally situated to trade. The nearby city-state of Windhaven does something similar, the scum. No open warfare, but things get a little hectic every so once in a while. Gunpowder exists, but high quality guns are very rare. Magic exists, and is *very* common. Most people carry some sort of handheld weapon, but armor of higher quality than leather is generally illegal unless using it in war. More info will follow to those in the game. Rules: All optional combat rules are in effect. 75 point base characters with upto 50 points of disads. Maximum of 25 in any one category. Everyone has something called Double Characteristic Maxima. Characteristics higher than 15 require *2 the amount of points to buy, Characteristics higher than 20 require *4, Characteristics higher than 25 require *8, and so on. A similar rule applies to active point cost of magic. Powers require normal base upto 15, *2 upto 30, *4 upto 45, *8 upto 60, and so on. A similar rule then applies to skills... For the first +4 with a skill, normal cost, then *2 for the next +4, then *4 for the next +4, and so on. This includes levels with X. Aids which aid abilities follow the same rules. Everyone is 'human'. You may, if you want, get a 50 point base, and then take upto 100 points of disads, with a maximum of 50 in any one category. You may then take upto 25 points of 'innate' powers. No ECing/Multipowering/VPPing of such innate powers. This could be something like the innate ability of throwing RKAs or Regeneration or hopefully some detailed interesting set of powers on them. Innate ability people tend to be powerful, but really messed up. Magic: Requires Skill Roll is the only definitive requirement. At least 1/2 of total real points spent on spells must have the same general limits. You may take multipowers for spells. No ECs or VPPs. Summon and Transform require -4 variable limits in addition to any others. Adjustment powers require a -1 variable limit. If you have magical abilities, then define them. Any classical base will do. Any spells with Incantations requires knowledge of the languages of either Litany or Yehvruh. Any spells with Gestures requires knowledge of either Ceremonies or Magic on 8-. Litany/Ceremonies is required if you wish to use 'godly' magic. If you wish a god as a limit/disadvantage, tell me what kind of god you are interested in, and I will send you details on who you worship and any other weird stuff. There is pretty much a god for anything you want. Gods can't physically manifest, but can turn worshippers into avatars of themselves. Magic items are *very* rare. No charges in multipowers. Quite a few people have some quick defensive spells. Money: You must pay for your wealth. Wealth is based on a silver standard. Printed notes usually represent them. You get a base of 200 silvers. Each additional 5 points spent doubles your base wealth. You may also 'limit' doubled wealth representing that it is there, but can't be spent. This would represent something like landed nobility. This is worth a -1 limit. At least 10 points is required for landed nobility. This costs 5 points. To figure cost of weapons and armor, simply take a weapon out of the Champions book and figure out its active point value. Apply the value as if it were a spell and pay that value in silvers. Multiply that value by 5 if trying to buy a gun. Guns can be unreliable... So a 2d6 HKA at 0 end cost would cost 15+30+45=90 silver. 2 Handed Swords are expensive! Multiply armor costs by the total amount of defense. So, Plate(+8 PD, +8 ED) would cost (15+18)*16, or 528 silver... Soft Leather(+2 PD, +2 ED) would cost 6*4 or 24 silver. If working at a job, most people earn the level of their professional skill + however much they make 1 roll by. So 11- earns usually around 11 silver. 19- earns around 27 silver. This is per day. Cost of living is around 8 silver per day. This is just average of course. Some make quite a bit more :-) If you have the normal base, you should be able to afford a weapon and some small amount of armor easily. If you have foci, you must pay the cost for them as if they were a weapon! You may also give yourself the -2 point disad, 50 silver or the -5 point disad no money. Skills: At least 10 points should be spent on useful non-combat skills. Monsters: Think Loch Ness monster. Maybe they exist, maybe they don't... General Theme: Think about height of the Renaissance in Italy. Competing city-states, nations on the borders of the city-states, technology starting to appear in greater and greater quantities, and then throw in magic. Not quite right, but close enough. Make a character that would be interested in becoming some sort of adventuring type for some reason or other. The more interesting the character, the better your chance of getting in! Style is just as important as substance. Andy Pearlman Up