checklist

[soru]

If adapting a world to HQ, I'd go with a checklist something like this:

1. genre

The default genre for HQ is something like 'worldbuilding fantasy', which gives the default set of 3 keywords 'homeland/occupation/magic'. These work well for any game that's about the same things as HQ, i.e. imaginative exploration of a particular world.

If you want to play a game in a different genre, say sword and sorcery or political intrigue, you probably want to use a different set of keywords that   fit your heros into that genre.  Something like 'family/career/sexuality' for HQ:Friends, or 'background/faction/politics' for HQ:West Wing.

2. power level

The default HQ advancement rules will have your heros on something like a D&D power curve, starting able to take on 2 or 3 average professionals, and after a few months play defeating entire organisations or field armies. If you want something different, either, like Exalted, starting off killing armies, or like a real world historical character never being able to, then you need to tweak (or reinterpret) the starting values and/or advancement rules.

You may even want to have characters at distinctly different power levels, like Slayers and Scoobies in Buffy. Easy to do, just define the starting values and advancement rules for each character type.

3. special contests

Does your world have any characteristic conflicts, like being seduced to the dark side in Star Wars, or running out of magical energy in D&D-influenced fantasy?

If so, work out how you want to handle those, and the abilities that are likely to be needed, and make sure you include them in the appropriate keywords .

4. secrets

Does your world have any special powers that are supposed to be rare and unusually effective?

If so, make them 'secrets', abilities that have their own non-standard mechanics, and restrictions on who can gain them.

5. sample keywords

Adapt or make up at least 5 or 6 of each type of keyword, and let your players come up with any others they can think of.

soru

[soru]

This was supposed to be a reply to the 'setting creation' thread, but maybe it will beok by itself.

soru

[Mike Holmes]

Good checklist.

I'd quibble with something about point 2, however. As I see it, the "starting" character in HQ is actually the opposite of what you say - it'll take 2 or 3 of them to take on the average professional. That is, I see "average professional" as having his best ability like 15W. As opposed to the 7W that PCs can manage at start. That's based on the scales included in the book. If you're refering to success levels with HP, the way to balance that is to reduce the HP, or give some to the opponents it seems to me. Yes, HP can make a character heroic, that's what they're for.

Second, in loads of actual play, I've not seen any real increase in power - I mean after seeing some players spend 40 HP, their character's top abilities are often no higher than they were at start. Nor were they better able to pile up big piles of augments. They were simply different. New relationships, broader overall, and more abilities at competent levels instead of beginner levels.

As for "fighting armies" there are some rules that will allow this. Simply use the other rules present, like considering each NPC separately. Suddenly 2 on 1 is pretty dangerous.

Lastly the randomizing quality of the resolution system never leaves somebody feeling totally confident about success. So they don't tend to do unrealistic things, IME.

So, basically I agree with you that you want to consider the power levels, and generally how heroic you want the game to be (especially how HP are going to affect play). But I don't think that the level that the game starts at is particularly off for most genres.

If things are off, one simple solution is to stretch out the scale. Say double it, for argument's sake. A 6 is still a 6, but a 17 is more like a 13. One mastery does not indicate real competence yet. Two does, but just. This way it takes 6 masteries or so before characters start becoming really superhuman.

Mike