Heroes Review

[Plageman]

You know in the old days, the Red Box D&D set only supported levels 1 - 3 and we had to wait quite a while for the intermediate and master books. I doubt you'll hear anything yet about the MagnaKai Tier yet if those rules are in playtesting. No doubt they're under NDA.

I don't how this is related to the topic but the BECMI base mechanics remained consistent throughout all the box sets, even if they introduced new concepts or classes in later release. I'm not asking to know what Discipline stuff they'll release, only how they we are supposed to handle Tests Difficulty when the flat 1/2 Rank bonus makes all rolls piece of cake at Kai Rank 10.

Me I'm just happy there's a new Lone Wolf RPG and people are supporting it with materials.

As I am but I would be glad to see some FAQ and Errata release just to clear those muddy points.

 

[Bleeding]

I wonder why Evocation and Sorcery have been changed.

 

[The Wolf]

As I am but I would be glad to see some FAQ and Errata release just to clear those muddy points.

They may not check every thread on the forums, so they may not even be aware people are having problems. Or remember, since they're busy with lots of different RPG products as well as Lone Wolf.

I'd love to clarify them myself but I don't work on rules, just on writing things that use rules.

Heroes, for instance has complicated matters it seems. A simple bullet-point email list of those problems arisen, things that you and others are unclear on would go a long way to helping tag these problems and perhaps provide some answers.

 

[The Wolf]

I wonder why Evocation and Sorcery have been changed.

I think you need to clarify that a little more.

 

[Bleeding]

I wonder why Evocation and Sorcery have been changed.

I think you need to clarify that a little more.

Well, Evocation in Grey Star and Lone Wolf d20 was about talking to the dead and spirits and Sorcery was more like physical defense and/or attack and telekinesis.

In Heroes, Evocation is a magical attack and Sorcery is a way to regenerate EP by spending Willpower.

 

[The Wolf]

Thanks Bleeding, I haven't got my hands on Heroes yet. That is quite an interesting change - Evocation does kind of bring to mind the whole evoking damage via magical attacks.

d20 Evocation spells were often: Magic Missile etc, if my memory serves me correctly.

Sorcery regenerating EP via spending Willpower...now that's definitely interesting.

 

[Bleeding]

It's quite confusing for me.

Talking to the spirits of the dead could have been interesting.

Sorcery could have stayed the attack/defense/telekinesis spell and Evocation the invocation of the spirits of the dead...

Regenerating EP via Willpower could have been a new and lesser power.

Well, that my point of view

 

[The Wolf]

My tactic has always been, don't like it, change it. So there's nothing stopping you with such a rules-lite system from changing things in the book you don't like.

 

[SnowShadow]

I wonder why Evocation and Sorcery have been changed.

I assume something along the lines of Advanced Shianti Magic Necromancy & Thaumaturgy (Grey Star 4 War of the Wizards) will appear around the time we see Magnakai Disciplines, I expect these will be more like these powers. I.e. Rank 11+ Powers.

 

[Xex]

Sorcery and Evocation were changed by Joe Dever himself. No idea why, but if I had to hazard a guess I would say that Joe probably thought that these changes better reflected these powers in an rpg and in players hands. After all, the original Evocation would not see much use in a game session.

 

[Zager Krahl]

Well... Talking to the dead could be useful (i.e. interrogate a freshly-slain critter to find out what is going on), but would probably have been more of a niche ability anyway. Or it could have included a bonus of some kind against undead? (which would also be niche...)

 

[beowuuf]

Don't forget this is supposed to be epic good versus evil campaign. Perhaps it's as simple as not wanting ot have such an iffy diciplien there for a hero.

 

[Bleeding]

Well... Talking to the dead could be useful (i.e. interrogate a freshly-slain critter to find out what is going on), but would probably have been more of a niche ability anyway. Or it could have included a bonus of some kind against undead? (which would also be niche...)

I thought so this morning... And having a kind of ward against the living dead could have been a second power inside the Evocation Discipline.

Beowuuf, talking to the dead is not always Evil. If you help the dead finding peace at last, it's a good behavior.

 

[Zager Krahl]

I talk to the dead every day. From ear to ear and crown to spine, it's all dead...

 

[beowuuf]

Beowuuf, talking to the dead is not always Evil. .

That's why I said iffy. And the evil necromancer is a stronger image that the kid from Sixth Sense.

 

[SnowShadow]

I still think necromancy will be a higher level ability like the Magnakai Skills. Yes I kow Grey Star learnt it as a lower magic but he does get personal tuition from the Shianti. We'll just have to see (maybe Mongoose has plans for an upcoming adventure where they don't want you to be protected from the dead...)

 

[Smiling Fox]

Well, necromancy does not seem like something the Elder Magi would dabble in. So that it was removed feels right to me. Also that Sorcery was changed because it kind of seemed to be equal to one of the other abilities Wizard's Staff perhaps? Why have two abilities that does the same thing?

I do not really like that the Dessi Magician was a copy of the abilities learnt by Grey Star from the Shianti. And the Shianti being related to the Elder Magi, well didn't care much for that idea as well.

Anyway I like abilities that can reasonably be used during a gaming session. Many classes benefit from not needing to eat Meals.