Heroica RPG Rules & FAQ

[CMP]

I've had a list of really vague list of ideas for that for like the past two years now. And it'll probably stay that way. But there are certain things about the way Heroica works that are too well-put together to not use if somebody were to make such a spiritual successor. (I'm talking the overall concept of Quests and Heroica Hall itself, not in-game mechanics themselves. This forum was more or less a disorganized mess when it came to roleplaying with I think one exception, but that was long before I joined.)

[Lind Whisperer]

You'd need more than tiny little differences.

I was making a joke.

The classes would need to be heavily retooled, the weapons would need to be updated for the campaign, and the world would need to be rebuilt. If someone did a space variant with this system, I'd prefer it to not be just a reskin of Heroica. I'd want it to be it's own story and conflicts.

Yes to all of those.

When I say "Heroica in Space," I mean like what CMP said. The same basic system of mechanics/game structure, but a story, plot, and system of classes that is unique to itself.

[Pyrovisionary]

When I say "Heroica in Space," I mean like what CMP said. The same basic system of mechanics/game structure, but a story, plot, and system of classes that is unique to itself.

The reason the fantasy setting works so well is that elves, dwarves, etc are universally aknowledged concepts> Not only do they stem from folk lore but they have also been popularized by shizzle like LotR and Discworld. It's easy to pickup. Wheras shizzle like alien races and other sci-fi are slightly less well.. developed. And you'd need a super-dedicated narrative genius like Sandy with a huge Lego collection to run it.

Not to say Im against the idea, long have I yearned for a post-apoc setting , I'm just saying that, well, realistically it's not that simple

Also, a good point was raised, magic has stunted tech development so guns wouldnt be needed. Now Mech-tanks for the equalists are a different thing...

Edited April 17, 2015 by Pyrovisionary

[Duvors]

Not to say Im against the idea, long have I yearned for a post-apoc setting , I'm just saying that, well, realistically it's not that simple

Don't worry, if things keep going the way they are you'll get one eventually.

[Flipz]

Also, a good point was raised, magic has stunted tech development so guns wouldnt be needed. Now Mech-tanks for the equalists are a different thing...

I approve of this message.

[Pyrovisionary]

Don't worry, if things keep going the way they are you'll get one eventually.

That's Sarge's ultimate goal, to form the Brotherhood of Steel. They have knights and paladins too

I approve of this message.

Arthur can cast Earth, Wind, Water and Fire spells. Does that mean he's the? No... He cant be... He's a mopy muscly stubborn teenage girl. Or the Avatar, eh, same thing.

For those of you who havent seen the Avatar series, these references sort of make sense to a madman who has seen them . Such as myself.

Edited April 17, 2015 by Pyrovisionary

[Khorne]

Herospace.

It's been nearly a year since I proposed it, and I still haven't come up with a better name yet*.

*I've been working on that exact sort of project ever since I first joined Heroica. It's basically Heroica in space, with M-Tron, Futuron, Spyrius, etc., instead of the houses. And there's a giant space station instead of the hall. Tiny little differences like that.

Herospace doesn't really have a ring to it, now has it? If there were ever to be a space/sci-fi version of Heroica, it'd be better to use the name Heroica and a new tag line. That way, you can build on already existing "branding". Like Warhammer and Warhammer 40k. A silly example of what I'm trying to say would be Heroica RPG: the Future.

When Heroica RPG started I made a space version of it, just for fun. Mainly I just remade the rules pages and made some new classes. Sadly, I no longer have these files :sad_cry: . I looked for them all over my computer and my external hard drive, but they are gone. I must've deleted them waaaay back. Instead of a Hall, I also made it a space station, like you suggested. I think I called New Eubric Station, or something like that. Again, for continuity. Even though, these would be two completely different games, can't hurt to re-use some of the names, can it?

Instead of the "classic" factions like you suggested, I used the more recent ones. With those Alien guys Kinto used in his Quest and a human space faction based on the Collectable Minifig space trooper guy. Blacktron was also involved as a terrorist organisation, if I recall, but I'm not really sure. I had some solid background stuff, but again, like I said, I can't find it anymore . I even had a wicked space map and all and logos for factions!

You'd need more than tiny little differences. The classes would need to be heavily retooled, the weapons would need to be updated for the campaign, and the world would need to be rebuilt. If someone did a space variant with this system, I'd prefer it to not be just a reskin of Heroica. I'd want it to be it's own story and conflicts.

I would not have any problem with a reskin. Heroica RPG is good. It's been tried and tested. Obviously, changes would have to be made for the space setting, but I don't see why you can't re-use some of the names? Factions, I'd re-name, to emphasize the Space setting is indeed different from the Fantasy one.

[KotZ]

Herospace doesn't really have a ring to it, now has it? If there were ever to be a space/sci-fi version of Heroica, it'd be better to use the name Heroica and a new tag line. That way, you can build on already existing "branding". Like Warhammer and Warhammer 40k. A silly example of what I'm trying to say would be Heroica RPG: the Future.

Heroica RPG: Glory Among the Stars

I'm of the faction that if we could keep both running simultaneously, that would be awesome. Just comes down to who has time to do it.

[Lind Whisperer]

Herospace doesn't really have a ring to it, now has it? If there were ever to be a space/sci-fi version of Heroica, it'd be better to use the name Heroica and a new tag line. That way, you can build on already existing "branding". Like Warhammer and Warhammer 40k. A silly example of what I'm trying to say would be Heroica RPG: the Future.

When Heroica RPG started I made a space version of it, just for fun. Mainly I just remade the rules pages and made some new classes. Sadly, I no longer have these files :sad_cry: . I looked for them all over my computer and my external hard drive, but they are gone. I must've deleted them waaaay back. Instead of a Hall, I also made it a space station, like you suggested. I think I called New Eubric Station, or something like that. Again, for continuity. Even though, these would be two completely different games, can't hurt to re-use some of the names, can it?

Instead of the "classic" factions like you suggested, I used the more recent ones. With those Alien guys Kinto used in his Quest and a human space faction based on the Collectable Minifig space trooper guy. Blacktron was also involved as a terrorist organisation, if I recall, but I'm not really sure. I had some solid background stuff, but again, like I said, I can't find it anymore . I even had a wicked space map and all and logos for factions!

I would not have any problem with a reskin. Heroica RPG is good. It's been tried and tested. Obviously, changes would have to be made for the space setting, but I don't see why you can't re-use some of the names? Factions, I'd re-name, to emphasize the Space setting is indeed different from the Fantasy one.

I was calling it Herospace because it's a separate story from Heroica. I understand the branding concept, but it's not supposed to be Heroica in space literally, it just uses a reskin of Heroica-styled rules. (See the very first Darths and Droids strips for a better explanation than I can give.) I do envision Olegia being in the same universe, though, so I could go for the branding - I just really don't see this as being "Olegia rises to the stars."

I'm also using/pushing for the classic factions because I'm seeing this game aimed towards at both the RPGrs here and at the builders in the Sci Fi forum, and because it would just plain be fun to play with them as a main part of the game.

[Pyrovisionary]

*sci-fi heroica awesomeness*

I'm up for a reskin, I think it'd be something fun and why not. It doesnt have to be on the sme scale, we could run a test even, like the test-quest.

Edited April 19, 2015 by Pyrovisionary

[Khorne]

Heroica RPG: Glory Among the Stars

I'm of the faction that if we could keep both running simultaneously, that would be awesome. Just comes down to who has time to do it.

That's a name more like it! Cool.

Again, I second KOTZ here (in this case on the second part of his post.)

[Sandy]

Heroica RPG: Glory Among the Stars

Shortened HRPG: GAS.

I don't mind people planning spin-off games, but I'm not sure if you understand how much time and effort it takes to actually manage a game of this scope. It also heavily depends on getting active players that keep the game going - that has been the downfall of all the previous roleplaying game attempts here in EB in the past.

Anyway, my current prediction is that HRPG will go on for two more years - at least I have material for that long. Time will tell, though...

[KotZ]

Shortened HRPG: GAS.

I don't mind people planning spin-off games, but I'm not sure if you understand how much time and effort it takes to actually manage a game of this scope. It also heavily depends on getting active players that keep the game going - that has been the downfall of all the previous roleplaying game attempts here in EB in the past.

Anyway, my current prediction is that HRPG will go on for two more years - at least I have material for that long. Time will tell, though...

There was something pre-Heroica wasn't there? I definitely understand the commitment needed as well, not that I'm saying I'm thinking of running it, I know we all have real world duties to attend to and it just shows how great of a job you've done, Sandy, to keep Heroica going for so long.

For that last bit, would you hand off HRPG to someone else or would we just kind of end it? Just wondering, is all.

[Khorne]

I don't mind people planning spin-off games, but I'm not sure if you understand how much time and effort it takes to actually manage a game of this scope. It also heavily depends on getting active players that keep the game going - that has been the downfall of all the previous roleplaying game attempts here in EB in the past.

I believe we're mostly just toying with the idea. I know I for sure wouldn't know how I'd do all the organisational stuff you do, plus "real life" with only 24hours a day. It's really insane . Still, it would be cool in a way to see a working and running sci-fi Heroica .

Here's a logo I made for fun, based on KingoftheZempk's suggestion. I added a shitload of lens flare, because sci-fi, amirite . It could do with a little less, though. I'll have to e-mail JJ Abrams about that...

[KotZ]

*amazing logo*

I'm down to play just based off that logo. Really nice job, Khorne. I'd be interested to see if people made characters similar to their Heroes or not as well.

And no, needs more lens flare.

[Lind Whisperer]

Love the logo.

Seriously, (assuming we had people to run them both), why couldn't we have two games running simultaneously, and occasionally crossing over with each other? One with classic factions, one without? It's a huge LEGO universe out there, and there's more than enough room.

[CMP]

Seriously, (assuming we had people to run them both), why couldn't we have two games running simultaneously, and occasionally crossing over with each other? One with classic factions, one without? It's a huge LEGO universe out there, and there's more than enough room.

That's a lot of work for one minor difference.

I considered in the past that such a concept might benefit from being run by a group of three or four people rather than just one. Sandy's done an incredible job running this game, but it'd be much less of a workload on a group to work out main plot stuff and manage things.

I have a small list of things I think it would be cool to implement but like Khorne it's pretty much all theoretical at this point. If the Heroica universe does end in around two years it's not a bad idea to consider the future of the game system.

[Duvors]

I've always liked an idea for a quest that I though up randomly once, ergo, a group of heroes time travel to the future to, well, something like what's being discussed up here. I'm not going to run it or anything, I just thought it was an interesting idea.

[Khorne]

I'm down to play just based off that logo. Really nice job, Khorne. I'd be interested to see if people made characters similar to their Heroes or not as well.

And no, needs more lens flare.

Thanks . I'll see what I can do about that lens flare . I'll rework the logo some more, I got some idle time on my hands between my current freelance assignments .

Love the logo.

Seriously, (assuming we had people to run them both), why couldn't we have two games running simultaneously, and occasionally crossing over with each other? One with classic factions, one without? It's a huge LEGO universe out there, and there's more than enough room.

Thanks for the compliment .

On the second part of your post, I'm with Pie, though. That's a lot of work and a lot of extra, well, everything, really, just for some minor difference. Finding people with enough time to host Heroica In Space would already prove to be difficult, let alone having to find people to host 2 Heroicas In Space.

That's a lot of work for one minor difference.

I considered in the past that such a concept might benefit from being run by a group of three or four people rather than just one. Sandy's done an incredible job running this game, but it'd be much less of a workload on a group to work out main plot stuff and manage things.

If a follow-up to Heroica would indeed be formed, I also believe it would benefit from being run by a select group of people, instead of just one. I can only second what you said: Sandy is doing a helluva great job, but it'd just be easier to divide some of the work that goes into organizing stuff like this between multiple people .

[Lind Whisperer]

I've always liked an idea for a quest that I though up randomly once, ergo, a group of heroes time travel to the future to, well, something like what's being discussed up here. I'm not going to run it or anything, I just thought it was an interesting idea.

I've actually got something like than half-planned as part of my eventual quest chain...Not exactly the same, but like it.

On the second part of your post, I'm with Pie, though. That's a lot of work and a lot of extra, well, everything, really, just for some minor difference. Finding people with enough time to host Heroica In Space would already prove to be difficult, let alone having to find people to host 2 Heroicas In Space.

I get that. I'm picturing myself running one of them, with the full awareness that it would be a heavy workload.

I have stories I want to tell, and they are worth telling, but they only work to their best in the universe I've created. I fully understand though, that people have their opinions as to "what would work best for a Herocia styled RPG," and so, the best solution for all that I can see, is my running my own, separate game.

I understand that people are going to suggest that I just change the stories, but that's not as simple an idea as you might think. Think about Star Wars. Would it really be the same story it is if Lucas had rewritten it to fit in as part of Star Trek? (And no, I'm not comparing my universe to Star Wars, I'm using it as an easily recognizable example of a story that works best in its own universe.)

[The Chosen Minifigure]

The big question we should be asking is how will we do the damage system?

In space, we've got lazers, or Ray guns, and I guess those would substitute for magic, but how would we handle physical and healing?

Also, I think we should come back to this next year and ask Sandy if heroica will still be ending. If it is, that's when we take it seriously. Really seriously.

Really really seriously.

Really really seriously!

[Lind Whisperer]

The big question we should be asking is how will we do the damage system?

In space, we've got lazers, or Ray guns, and I guess those would substitute for magic, but how would we handle physical and healing?

For weapons, I'm envisioning it playing out in somewhat of a Darths and Droids style situation:

GM: Right. Everyone listening? Here's the campaign intro.

Opening Crawl: Episode I - The Phantasmal Malevolence. Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic. The taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems is in dispute. Hoping to resolve the matter with a blockade of deadly battleships, the greedy Trade Federation has stopped all shipping to the small planet of Naboo. While the Congress of the Republic endlessly debates this alarming chain of events, the Supreme Chancellor has secretly dispatched two Jedi Knights, the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy, to settle the conflict...

Obi-Wan: I have a bad feeling about this...

Qui-Gon: What? I'm still looking at the equipment list.

Obi-Wan: How many gold pieces—

GM: Republic credits.

Obi-Wan: Whatever. How many do we have?

GM: Uh... 120 each.

Qui-Gon: Hmmm. We can't even afford blasters.

Obi-Wan: Oh man!

Qui-Gon: Let's see. Electro-axe. Energy mace. "Plasma bow"?? You just took a D&D equipment list and stuck techy words in front, right?

GM: Don't be stupid.

Qui-Gon: Ten foot laser pole...

Blasters would basically be retooled bows and hand-cannons. It would be the classes themselves that would need most of the retooling. Healing would probably be something like in SW:tOR - either you deploy a little drone that heals everyone, or you swipe your hand around on a datapad. Which heals people. For some reason. Or your cannon shoots shiny green beams that heal people. Which makes equally as much sense.

I think, in regards to healing, we'll just need to frequently sing the MST3000 mantra and move on.

Edited April 19, 2015 by Lind Whisperer

[Enceladus]

Funnily enough in all my years of following this forum it did cross my mind for a sci-fi inspired version of heroica-I'll see if I can post up my ideas for the base job classes anytime soon

[Waterbrick Down]

I've actually got something like than half-planned as part of my eventual quest chain...Not exactly the same, but like it.

I get that. I'm picturing myself running one of them, with the full awareness that it would be a heavy workload.

I have stories I want to tell, and they are worth telling, but they only work to their best in the universe I've created. I fully understand though, that people have their opinions as to "what would work best for a Herocia styled RPG," and so, the best solution for all that I can see, is my running my own, separate game.

I understand that people are going to suggest that I just change the stories, but that's not as simple an idea as you might think. Think about Star Wars. Would it really be the same story it is if Lucas had rewritten it to fit in as part of Star Trek? (And no, I'm not comparing my universe to Star Wars, I'm using it as an easily recognizable example of a story that works best in its own universe.)

Sounds more like an RPG where players are simply actors rather than creators. Heroica RPG has thrived more or less because it has allowed for the impact of multiple QM's and players' contributions. Story lines/plots/character arcs are great but when they begin to dictate how players should play in a world simply to fulfill the vision of one person's story, then we've crossed over the line into a different media. RPG's settings and stories should be painted with broad strokes, we draw the outlines, the boarders, the map and then we allow our players, fellow QM's, other imaginations to fill in the gaps, to give the painting color, to breath life into the world.

For weapons, I'm envisioning it playing out in somewhat of a Darths and Droids style situation:

Blasters would basically be retooled bows and hand-cannons. It would be the classes themselves that would need most of the retooling. Healing would probably be something like in SW:tOR - either you deploy a little drone that heals everyone, or you swipe your hand around on a datapad. Which heals people. For some reason. Or your cannon shoots shiny green beams that heal people. Which makes equally as much sense.

I think, in regards to healing, we'll just need to frequently sing the MST3000 mantra and move on.

I agree, the existence of firearms shouldn't mean close-combat weapons haven't technologically advanced either. To some extent I think a reboot should also refine the mechanics, after 3.5 years I think it would behoove us to look at what works well, what doesn't, and to actually apply some serious math to the issue. For one thing row, who says we need to use "Back Row" and "Front Row" they are merely terms that represent a mechanic "Take less damage, do less damage" and "Take more damage, do more damage" and could easily be applied to things like "Defensive Stance" and "Offensive Stance" or "Measured Caution" and "Full Assault". Healing is simply another mechanic that represents an effect upon a core statistic "how long a player can a player keep doing what they want to do" this core statistic can be anything from health, to mana, to ammunition, to time, it is only a core statistic if we want it to be. If it's health then that could be easily addressed by rapid acting tissue repair, limb re-attachments, adrenaline boosts, advanced transfusions, the list goes on and on, whatever it takes to keep another player "doing what they want to do longer". As far as classes, who says we need six? Six classes represent six different roles/playing styles, if those can be covered in four then fine, if it's better to have eight that works as well. Take a look at your core statistics and how those can be varied upon. In Heroica RPG the system itself consists mainly in combat, thus the core statistics are simply:

Health: How long can a character stay up in combat

Damage Output: How quickly can a character bring an enemy down in combat

Everything else are simply ways to create variations upon those, whether it be Row, Ether, Weapon/Equipment Proficiencies, Effects, thus the classes are broken down:

Barbarian: Median Health, High Damage Output

Cleric: Median Health, Median Damage Output, (Supports others Health)

Knight: High Health, Low Damage Output

Ranger: Median Health, High Damage Output

Rogue: Median Health, Median Damage Output, (Versatility through money gaining)

Wizard: Low Health, High Damage Output (Limited circumstances)

If one were to add another variable in their like Carrying Capacity or Movement Speed, that adds the opportunity for more variability but adds complexity. It is finding the balance between these two things variety and complexity and the understanding of what one's player base really wants that can lead to success or failure.

[Pyrovisionary]

I was under the impression that the median was the middlemost value when data is put in numerical order, the second Quartile (Q2) = 1/2n . Do you mean medium WBD, or is median used for that anyway and Im being an idiot.

We might be rushing into this a little too fast. Might it be wise to define the mechanics before the story?(Im sure there is an Extra credits episode contradicting me on this but I cant find it) And that's only if we even are going to organize a reskin, and if we are we need to decide who organises it, who writes the first line of quests etc, get them done.

Edited April 19, 2015 by Pyrovisionary