I'm getting rather tired of running stock D20 in my Forgotten Realms game, so I'm seriously considering switching over to Hero Wars. Ironically, I've never actually played stock Hero Wars, but I have played various strange adaptations of the system (including a pulp setting). In some ways, Forgotten Realms and Glorantha are game worlds at polar opposites with regards to what they're trying to achieve. In FR, its assumed you're playing an outsider and adventurer. In HQ/HW, you're enmeshed in the bonds of society. Still, I think HQ/HW is flexible enough to do what I want.

Here are a few Keywords I've written up.

Dalelands
The people of the Dales are a fiercely independent group of herdsmen and small townsfolk who make their living in the heavily forested valleys between Sembia and Cormyr and the great forest of Cormanthor. They are largely descended from Chondathan frontiersmen, though many of the northerners are of Damarran blood and share a common ancestry with the people of the Moonsea region. Still, some people can proudly trace their ancestry back to the ancient successor states of Netheril. The northern Dalesfolk are under constant threat from the dark power of Zhentil Keep, while the southerners have to contend with the expansionist attitudes of Sembia. The monsters and wild beasts of the Dales also present a constant danger to the people. Most Dalesfolk practice constantly with the bow and sword, and weekly longbow practice is longstanding custom or law in many Dales.

Most Dalesfolk are free men, ruled my small town councils, or feudal nobility. The feudal nobility in these parts extract little in the way of taxes, but also have few military obligations.

Physical Skills: Archery, Dagger Combat

Mental Skills: Speak Chondathan, Dalelands Customs,

Relationships: to Family, to [Village or Town], Worship gods of light and nature.

Magic: Most Dalesfolk are communal worshippers of gods of nature and light. Lathander and Chauntea are the two most common deities, but Silvanus and Helm have their share of adherents. Many are also initiated or devoted to specific gods, depending on their profession.
Dalelands Occupations

Bard
You are a wandering musician who travels from town to town, carrying news and lore. Chances are, you were trained in one of the Bardic colleges in distant Sembia or Cormyr, but you have become such a part of the local community that you are granted immunity wherever you go.

Physical Skills: Play [Musical Instrument], Sing, Walk Long Distances.

Mental Skills: Know Dalelands History, Know Myths and Legends, Know Poetry and Song, Learn Language, Orate, Oral Tradition.

Personality: Carefree.

Relationships: to Bardic College.

Living Standard: Common.

Magic: Most are Apprentice Wizards, and Initiates of specific Bardic gods, such as Finder Wyvernspur, Oghma, Sharess, Shaundakul, or Sune. Some are also Awakened Sorcerors.

Equipment: fancy clothes, dueling sword, musical instrument.

Hedge Knight
You are a wandering knight who has not taken up service with a lord.

Physical Skills: Ride Horse, Lance Combat, Sword and Shield Fighting, one other combat style.

Mental Skills: Care for Steed, Knightly Traditions, Recognize Heraldry, Spot Ambush.

Personality: Brave.

Relationships: to Retainer, to Knights.

Living Standard: Common.

Magic: Most are initiates of Helm, Red Knight, Torm, or Tyr.

Equipment: Riding horse, warhorse, lance, chain mail, sword, shield, and possibly a squire mounted on a horse (Retainer: Squire 17).

I'm still working on the magic conversion, but I've decided that there will be Sorcery (described below), Theism (including Druidism), Wizardry, and a couple of wierd magical effects like Shadow Magic and Warrior Traditions (like Mysticism).

Sorcery

Many individuals in Faerun can claim ancestry from some sort of magical being, whether it be a Celestial, a Devil, a Demon, or even a Dragon. This mystical bloodline often lies latent, but in some inexplicable cases, it expresses itself in the form of magical abilities. Most sorcerers are considered Awakened. Such sorcerers can call upon the magical powers in their blood to smite their foes and strengthen themselves. A few sorcerers develop their powers to the extent that they become Incarnate – they develop physical manifestations of their bloodline, and can draw upon even greater powers.

Bloodlines and Talents

A newly awakened Sorcerer gains the [Type] Bloodline ability at 13, Bloodline Traits at 13, and three bloodline Talents. Bloodline Traits are considered personality abilities, and magical abilities. They can be used for standard Augmentation and ability checks, though each Trait can also be used to Augment specific abilities as described in each Bloodline entry.

Incarnates require at least 10W2 in each Bloodline Trait. At that point, all Augments from Bloodline Traits are doubled. However, the character in question gains the [Type] Incarnate drawback at 13, and gains some physical traits associated with the Bloodline. Each point of improvement in Bloodline Traits after the character gains the [Type] Incarnate drawback also adds 1 point to the [Type] Incarnate drawback. The [Type] Incarnate drawback can be applied as a penalty of varying degrees to many social contests. At that point, the sorcerer becomes more alien and more like an embodiment of his ancestors.

The specific bloodline of a sorcerer determines the types of magical abilities that she gains. Each bloodline has a number of different Talents, which are specific magical abilities.

Bloodlines

Celestial Bloodline
You are descended from the bloodline of an Angel or some other powerful servant of good. Your abilities lend themselves towards protection and defense, though your holy might can be used to smite unnatural things as well.

Skills: Gentle Demeanor, Speak Celestial.

Traits:
Calm (can be used to Augment any defense)
Honorable (can be used to Augment any abilities used to persuade someone in an honorable fashion, or to do something honorable)
Spiritual (can be used to Augment any abilities related to flight and movement)

Talents: Aura of Courage, Banish Evil Spirit, Create Light, Deflect Blow, Enchant Indomitable Shield, Flaming Sword, Fly, Heal Wounds, Recognize Lie, Silver Tongue, Smite Undead, Strengthen Body.

I think these house rules do a better job of capturing what sorcery should be about than the stock D&D rules. But hey, I'm biased.

I think it's all better. I'm no expert on Forgotten Realms. But what I can say is that using HQ seems to bring settings to life. That is, FR is pretty poor as written, as is my converted world Shadow World, from the perspective of exploring the setting in an interesting way. But once you apply HQ to the same material, it's suddenly all really interesting. You can start to feel what they authors intended for the settings but couldn't really justify writing down because it didn't have anything to do with Hit Points. HQ takes those elements, and brings them to the fore.

And suddenly your munchkin's paradise is a world of fantasy to explore. What you're noting with the magic is how suddenly magic isn't just a character tool, but something intrinsic to the setting and how using it now says something about the character's place in the world. The effect is just too cool.

The more you write, the more you'll note the effect. Start playing soon. Work with your more creative players to make the Keywords in play. It's inspirational and kills two birds with one stone.

Mike

Well, in one evening, I got something like 10 pages of material. I don't think I've ever had a gaming project grow so fast so quickly. I just hope the players like it. I think some players will be dissatisfied by having their favourite crunchy bits taken away from them. Or at least, the busted mechanics of their crunchy bits.

The cool thing about Hero Wars is that I can make sure that characters keep all of the old abilities they want. Whirlwind attack? No problem. A legendary samurai sword that's huge sized? Sure thing.

One of my players has a talent for pulling out really wierd character concepts. He's now easier to work with, because now I know that no matter how zany something is, it will be mechanically balanced.

Isn't that cool. Now, instead of players minmaxing their characters and taking stuff based on how powerful it makes the character, they take it because it works with the character concept. And that player who likes to take the odd combinations of things that don't really minmax well in the other game, but does so because they just seem nifty with the character concept, he now has the same level of power as anyone else.

Again, if you're not a player looking for that particular sort of challenge (minmaxing, etc.), HQ is a godsend.

I agree that conversion just happens rapidly. It's like using the narrative method. You just find the important words, and list them as Abilities. And suddenly, you've got more pertinent mechanical notes on the setting than you did with the previous system.

Mike