Digital Hero #40 Digital Hero

DIGITAL HERO #40 DIGITAL HERO Table of Contents Publisher Hero Games Editor HHERO HHIGHWAY RRESOURCE RROAD Dave Mattingly Authors WHEN LAST WE LEFT OUR HEROES… DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS Curtis Gibson Keep up with the news from Hero Games. Games with a measure of verisimilitude Steven S. Long This issue – Learn to do new things with The make immersion easier. Keep your players in Rodney Ruff Ultimate Skill. 2 the groove with accurate details. 11 Michael Satran Jason Walters HEROGLYPHS GIFTS OF THE GODS Artists See how Steve Long himself answers Besides traditional arcane and divine Brian Boyko rules questions. This issue – Separate Derived spellcasting, god-given gifts can spice up D.T. Butchino Characteristics from their Primaries. 3 your party roster. 16 James Dawsey Cover YOU GOTTA HAVE CHARACTER James Dawsey Feliciano “Commander Toothpick” AADVENTURE AAVENUE Online Luces is an insane warlord, with minty-fresh CHAINS OF DOOM herogames.com breath and a pop soundtrack. 5 To Subscribe Nazi gold, alchemy, legendary dwarves, herogames.com/ occult schoolgirls, the mafia... What more digitalhero could a Champions adventure need? 20 PRINTING The general statement in the credits box notwithstanding, DOJ, Inc. grants each purchaser of Digital Hero permission to make one (1) printed copy of this document. HERO SystemTM ® is DOJ, Inc.'s trademark for its roleplaying system. HERO System Copyright © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved. Champions Copyright © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved. Justice Inc., Danger International, Dark Champions, Fantasy Hero, and Star Hero Copyright © 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved. No part of this electronic magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or computerization, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Publisher: DOJ, Inc., 1 Haight Street, Suite A, San Francisco, California 94102. Issue #40 (September 2006) 1 DIGITAL HERO #40 Details, Details, Details by Rodney Ruff I had the opportunity to serve as editor for a encompassing view of the future history of collection of character write-ups as part of a joint mankind, but also for such individual elements project by the members of the Haymaker! APA I as First Foundation’s personal force-field belonged to. Unfortunately, the project didn’t see generators, the Second Foundation’s the light of day, as hoped, but it did give me the communication by gestures, and the Solarians’ chance to be part of something larger than ability to perform telekinetic feats by myself, the chance to use the writing and editing manipulating thermal energy. I appreciate skills I had developed on my regular job and knowing that Asimov’s all-human universe apply them to something I loved. When I began stems from Earth being the only planet with a working on the project, I sat down and read the sizable moon in orbit around it. write-ups as they had appeared originally in our I also appreciate a well thought-out role- APAzine, made notes, and then E-mailed a list of playing adventure and characters. Although the suggested changes to the writers. number of basic plots for an adventure is small, When I began receiving revised write-ups varying the details in the story can make each and started to read them individually, I found adventure based on that plot different from the that I hadn’t read them as carefully the first time others. The plot of victim getting revenge on as I thought and went back to the individual those who wronged him forms the basis of the authors with further suggestions and requests for origin stories of both Batman and the Punisher, clarification. Although I was looking for but the two men saw different scopes to their different things from each writer based on the goals and chose different paths to meet those character I was reviewing, there was one thing I goals. Likewise, while characters may share was looking for from each of them. similar powers and/or origins, they can often be More detail. distinctive characters in their own rights. Green Whether it was adding a couple of Lantern’s foes Evil Star and Black Hand each Limitations to one character’s Powers or asking invented devices that gave them roughly the what kind of sign language another character was same powers as each other, but Evil Star sought conversant in, I wanted more details to make the to conquer planets, while Black Hand was characters more interesting to the people who content to commit crimes on a much smaller were going to buy our book and use our material scale. in their own adventures. I wanted the Powers and In this article, I will explain the importance Disadvantages to be grounded in the characters, of detail and how to incorporate it in both role- not just chosen for point balancing. I wanted the playing adventures and the characters used in details that would show the statistics and the them. I will cite examples from games I have run write-up to be integrated with each other – and I and played in, as well as use some of my got them. editorial decisions as examples for putting detail The need for detail isn’t limited to published into characters. materials, however. The presence and presentation of details is key to making the The Importance of Detail elements of a good role-playing adventure – “I am a hero without fail. campaign world, story, and characters – live in I can’t be bothered with such details.” the mind of the readers and players. The — Underdog presence of detail communicates the elements the GM has created to the players and their That was how Underdog reacted when he characters, allowing them to feel a part of the thought he was too busy to help someone campaign world. because he felt he had a more pressing duty to A consistent attention to detail links the attend to. This usually brought an agitated campaign world, story, and characters together reaction of “Details? Details?” from the person into a strong, vibrant campaign that everyone is who asked for his help, after which Underdog eager to take part in. The absence of detail, would relent and do what was asked of him however, communicates a lack of effort and before returning to his other duties. interest that the players will take their cue to do As the GM in a role-playing game, however, likewise from. you have to be bothered with the details. You I call myself “The Man of Trivia,” but that have to know all of the details that can be part of name goes well beyond just the memorization of your adventure, decide which ones are relevant, obscure factual knowledge. I am by nature a and determine the best way to present those person who pays attention to details, whether on details to your players. the job or off of it. I appreciate a work of fiction 11 like Asimov’s Foundation series not just for its DIGITAL HERO #40 CONVERTING THIS SCENARIO Chains of Doom by Michael Satran TO TEEN CHAMPIONS “Not all that tempts your wand’ring the Weimar Republic to the Nazi regime. In the Converting this eyes, closing days of World War II, the supervillain scenario to Teen And heedless hearts, is lawful prize, Das Blitzkrieg acquired the gold, and carried it Champions is very Nor all that glisters, gold…” to the campaign city under an assumed name, easy. Simply replace — Thomas Grey where he locked it in a safety deposit box, a St. Swithins academy safety deposit box that was never opened, with the PCs school, Adventure Background paying the local Mafia to conceal the gold for unless they belong to him until he was ready to come for it. Long ago, in the kingdom of the Holy Alberich could sense his gold, but was a Superhero Specific Roman Empire, there lived a young woman who Academy, in which unable to find a way out of Nephilheim. Though was the greatest weaver in the known world. the black elves of Nephilheim and his dwarven case the scenario can Rumor had it that she could spin straw into gold, be run as written. brethren struggled mightily, there was no way to and unfortunately, the King of the Holy Roman lift the spell of banishment until someone else In this version, the Empire took her literally, for she was becoming girls are the long-term spoke his name. Until a small group of high one of the richest weavers in Europe. As the school girls, playing with a Ouija board, decided nemeses of the PCs, story is usually told, the King demanded of her and grow in power to try and contact the characters from old fairy that she spin straw into gold for him, and the tales. with them, starting at helpless girl did not know what to do. The as low a power level From the very stone of the earth, Alberich weaver was visited by a wicked dwarf, who told was free. And one by one, he approached the as the PCs do. It will her that he would give her the ability to spin the start with low level girls, and asked them what they wanted. They straw into gold, if only she would give up her wanted magic powers, they said jokingly. They pranks, and grow into firstborn child. The girl, helpless and terrified, something far, far wanted to be paranormals.

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