tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60416789163876564332024-03-04T22:31:49.658-08:00Heroes Against DarknessThe home of <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i>, the indie d20 RPG that's free, fast, flexible and fully-featured.Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-28881587939661854582014-04-15T05:53:00.001-07:002014-04-15T05:53:59.337-07:00Forge Engine monster stat blocks...I'm still working on the <i>Forge Engine</i> (while juggling various updates to <a href="http://herokidsrpg.blogspot.com/"><i>Hero Kids</i></a>).<br />
<br />
At the moment I'm developing the monster stat blocks so that the GM has all of the information they require at hand. The trick has been to provide all of the monster's information in a compact and usable form. Ideally, I want to fit two monsters per page (in an digest sized printed book), or four monsters per double-page spread for a PDF.<br />
<br />
The important aspect is to assist the GM in managing the energy pool and attacks of multiple monsters. This has led me to include an attack line that shows the monster or character's basic attack, which they make by just <u>spending</u> the energy cost of the weapon, as well as their strongest attack, where they <u>spend</u> the weapon's cost and then <u>add</u> as much energy as possible to maximize the attack.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfJXvSY_bcyz_bO0iKohHFrQVSUcbLfetTzsKftRilptb3K2liKLv4RRM_61pnd4KW3SQD9svYvOJXIfFeONcu-6EN1Mwmank5qjhPBEGuHvyRAFe3gFpgliIkf7JL6iooX8WbxD1SSOK/s1600/Monster+Stat+Blocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfJXvSY_bcyz_bO0iKohHFrQVSUcbLfetTzsKftRilptb3K2liKLv4RRM_61pnd4KW3SQD9svYvOJXIfFeONcu-6EN1Mwmank5qjhPBEGuHvyRAFe3gFpgliIkf7JL6iooX8WbxD1SSOK/s400/Monster+Stat+Blocks.jpg" height="331" width="540" /></a></div><br />
So the elements of the stat block are:<br />
• Name<br />
• Type and Size<br />
• Attributes (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Influence, Intelligence, Acuity)<br />
• Energy Pool<br />
• Physical and Mental Defenses<br />
• Health and Move Distance<br />
• Skills<br />
• Basic Attack and Maximum Attack<br />
• Specialized Combat Skills<br />
• Traits<br />
• Inventory/Equipment<br />
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Simple!<br />
Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-13728271933688114802014-02-05T03:38:00.000-08:002014-02-05T03:38:17.864-08:00Forge Engine combat turns description...One of the unconventional elements of the <i>Forge Engine</i> RPG is the structure of the turns. Traditional RPGs have a round/turn structure where each character has a discrete turn within each round. Their actions occur within their own turn, and time passes in a strangely linear fashion which requires some mental gymnastics to unravel. Once each character's round is over, play passes on to the next character in the initiative order, etc...<br />
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The <i>Forge Engine's</i> combination of an Energy action economy and a system of actions and reactions that are individually costed means that the traditional linear round structure can be replaced with a more non-linear 'do what you want as long as you have the Energy' structure. Characters can jump in and out of the action as long as they have enough Energy to perform their action; whether it's moving, attacking, reloading, or some other costed action.<br />
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As with any system, there are several caveats. First, characters can take reactions before their first turn in combat, but they can't take actions. Second, if a character is surprised, they can't take actions or reactions until their first turn, which means that they can't spend Energy to dodge when they're being attacked.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJImg6GoTxfzJXwca0xx7PfgJE9JT414Qkw42znZVuawYBJKQV__3j5a8vD7yYqI7Cjl24mZJY0i-ZfatkSBxaseXsv_rO1zjoUZGQZzarLdTTGHltoiCAU2UY6Nl5WLz59yoZ1Oq5F1N/s1600/Combat+Turns+-+Spread+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJImg6GoTxfzJXwca0xx7PfgJE9JT414Qkw42znZVuawYBJKQV__3j5a8vD7yYqI7Cjl24mZJY0i-ZfatkSBxaseXsv_rO1zjoUZGQZzarLdTTGHltoiCAU2UY6Nl5WLz59yoZ1Oq5F1N/s1600/Combat+Turns+-+Spread+-+1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<i>(Dammit, that should be 'Character #2' up there, not Character #3...)<i></i></i><br />
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So, what other RPGs have non-traditional round and turn structures for combat?<br />
Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-44846845635784520712014-01-31T04:48:00.001-08:002014-01-31T04:48:04.970-08:00Forge Engine Character SheetThe first thing I look at whenever I check out a new RPG is the character sheet, because you can tell <i>so much </i>about a game just from this one element. This is the character sheet for the Forge Engine RPG I'm working on.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qI0FfIjcHDYbZF01Bk4wbgOQEk24fmH29ywr85GnxXpLF_fzS3XkKvFZHY_vPRG4KscOp2ogzLMSfggR5fgOPoeuYlmEUU1Z8fFIX7rUexO28wZAJGyKVgwDN1o-4BVP6GJ3w3Rp_Aps/s1600/Clip_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qI0FfIjcHDYbZF01Bk4wbgOQEk24fmH29ywr85GnxXpLF_fzS3XkKvFZHY_vPRG4KscOp2ogzLMSfggR5fgOPoeuYlmEUU1Z8fFIX7rUexO28wZAJGyKVgwDN1o-4BVP6GJ3w3Rp_Aps/s400/Clip_2.png" /></a></div><br />
Feedback, questions, and discussion are always welcome.Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-7801489849736738712014-01-06T05:05:00.002-08:002014-01-06T05:05:48.140-08:00Not Forgotten!You would all be forgiven for thinking that I've abandoned <i>Heroes Against Darkness </i>and this blog, but that is not totally the case!<br />
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First, I've spent most of the year continuing to support <a href="http://herokidsrpg.blogspot.com">Hero Kids</a>, which has had success beyond my wildest hopes. <i>Hero Kids </i>now has ten adventures and a bunch of expansions that add to the game.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt8CNY2dcoCnJMHX6_ZUPJaAF-WgafiGqQADmIu7TgIjl_u4ZUXRxuFjDNQqOpodrGdfcuIKLBmdsF9VwPfrERZSOuxW_qKLrViCMuIWeIyqwXN0rsPwL-_SaGx2JrqzhkfXc0H5MhCd3/s1600/Hero+Kids+2013-12-14+0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt8CNY2dcoCnJMHX6_ZUPJaAF-WgafiGqQADmIu7TgIjl_u4ZUXRxuFjDNQqOpodrGdfcuIKLBmdsF9VwPfrERZSOuxW_qKLrViCMuIWeIyqwXN0rsPwL-_SaGx2JrqzhkfXc0H5MhCd3/s400/Hero+Kids+2013-12-14+0022.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Second, I've also been continuing to work on The Forge Engine. I first mentioned this new system in my previous post almost a year ago, which seems crazy. Suffice to say that the system has had a lot of testing since then, including a number of major revisions to the core mechanics to ensure they work in all of the situations and genres that the system targets (fantasy and modern, and even sci-fi).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ek_Ho0kBqSs/Usqm0OJcfYI/AAAAAAAAMyY/_Bxhat6bpDQ/s1600/IMG_1340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ek_Ho0kBqSs/Usqm0OJcfYI/AAAAAAAAMyY/_Bxhat6bpDQ/s400/IMG_1340.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I'm always on the lookout for playtesters, so drop me an email at justinhalliday(a)gmail[dot]com if you'd like me to include you in my list of playtesters.<br />
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<hr><br />
No, I'm not dead. I've just been working on <i>Hero Kids </i>and its adventures, which are available at DriveThruRPG:<br />
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<a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=4846">Hero Forge Games at DriveThruRPG</a>Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-49843368871787210772013-02-25T04:48:00.002-08:002013-02-25T04:48:35.412-08:00Playtesting the Forge Engine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSXxFtmep_GHjZxTk2A54Gan6DFMFWxdjUEv3dzys2WK19D-iezX7two6X2m_b91NJt9iu6rtAAZlYYUxb-zII8SuKcWuKQrmfI-Ug2CnXPFdvj78pL6BBfr4Zqq2Vx3WPVctW9lpAi1L/s1600/16ED7E13-6A7B-4171-90DD-B8E7E26B69E6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSXxFtmep_GHjZxTk2A54Gan6DFMFWxdjUEv3dzys2WK19D-iezX7two6X2m_b91NJt9iu6rtAAZlYYUxb-zII8SuKcWuKQrmfI-Ug2CnXPFdvj78pL6BBfr4Zqq2Vx3WPVctW9lpAi1L/s400/16ED7E13-6A7B-4171-90DD-B8E7E26B69E6.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>Tonight was our first playtest of a new game system I'm working on called the <i>Forge Engine</i>, which is an Abilities and Skills based d10 system:<br />
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• Ability and skill based system (classless)<br />
• Give players freedom to craft their own characters<br />
• Increased power through larger dice pools (d10 dice)<br />
• Opposed rolls for combat to keep participants engaged<br />
• Skill challenges against static difficulty numbers for simplicity<br />
• Dice pools give degrees of success (or multiple hits for combat)<br />
• Combat rolls combine abilities, skill, weapon, and armor into one resolution step<br />
• Energy depletion system reflects fatigue from exertion<br />
• Meaningful decisions for players during critical situations<br />
• Variable Energy economy replaces discrete action economy<br />
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Luckily, we had a pre-game run-through yesterday that ironed out a lot of kinks, so tonight's game went surprisingly well (apart from almost getting killed by a pack of mutant rats).<br />
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And as an interesting experiment, I'm a player in the playtest, not the GM. This gives me a much better perspective on how the system is working, and gives me more time to help the GM and the other players.<br />
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<hr><br />
No, I'm not dead. I've just been working on <i>Hero Kids </i>and its adventures, which are available at DriveThruRPG:<br />
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<a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=4846">Hero Forge Games at DriveThruRPG</a>Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-647918137318888182012-12-28T04:45:00.000-08:002012-12-28T04:45:03.465-08:00Review: Heroes Against Darkness Gets 4E Right (Allegedly)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSylT-aLSCVz-0DxehxpZvONinqfzQn_ZbvHXxq8SromezpgLmAgXUvdqhpx2c8Hq5uHrKxujO2zGrG_DOhXSlTWULqr8q2gkP93JPjtTGahUmSH3YHpvKL8ruL6nFdvOjzg33dDXLSiRT/s1600/Heroes+Against+Darkness+-+Game+Rules+Thumbnail+-+220+wide.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSylT-aLSCVz-0DxehxpZvONinqfzQn_ZbvHXxq8SromezpgLmAgXUvdqhpx2c8Hq5uHrKxujO2zGrG_DOhXSlTWULqr8q2gkP93JPjtTGahUmSH3YHpvKL8ruL6nFdvOjzg33dDXLSiRT/s1600/Heroes+Against+Darkness+-+Game+Rules+Thumbnail+-+220+wide.png" /></a></div>Looks like the release of the print version of <i>Heroes Against Darkness </i>has shaken out some new fans.<br />
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<a class="g-profile" href="http://plus.google.com/114903644882231386603" target="_blank">+John Bell</a> - The Retired Adventurer - has posted a review of <i>Heroes Against Darkness </i>on his blog:<br />
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<a href="http://retiredadventurer.blogspot.com.br/2012/12/heroes-against-darkness-gets-4e-right.html" target="_blank">Heroes Against Darkness Gets 4e Right</a><br />
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<i>"I mention all of this because Heroes Against Darkness is a 4e heartbreaker, and a really good one." </i><br />
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<i>"There are lots of little tweaks like this that I really like. The GM advice chapter is also pretty meaty, and I'd feel fairly comfortable giving Heroes Against Darkness to a new roleplayer as their first adventure game."</i><br />
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<i>"Heroes Against Darkness in general has the feel of 4e done right. I don't say that as someone who hated 4e and wanted it to be fundamentally different, but as someone who played it and felt that the game didn't live up to its own promise. If that sounds like the kind of thing you'd be interested in, go check it out."</i><br />
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It's not all flowers and holding hands though, 'cos John has a couple of criticisms:<br />
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<i>"The not particularly serious one is that there's some extraneous swearing in a couple of chapters. I'm not a prude, but it kind of comes out of nowhere and doesn't serve much purpose."</i><br />
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Now I'm a fairly conversational writer, so sometimes more colorful turns of phrase slip into my works. As far as I can tell, in reading <i>Heroes Against Darkness </i>you'll get one 'shit' and one 'crap'. You've been warned!<br />
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The second criticism is more serious:<br />
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<i>"The more serious one is the underdeveloped skill system. Skills are mentioned in a couple of places: Each class has some suggested skills they should have, and there's a big list of possible skills, but the actual rules for skills are totally missing, from how many skills characters should have, to how and when they select those skills, to what skills do or how one uses them, to how one gets more. As a quick set of house rules, I'd imitate 4e somewhat: Having a skill would grant a +5 on any checks related to that skill. Character would select say, four at the start and could add another every other level."</i><br />
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I deliberately left the skill system out of <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i>, but its absence has been noted. But all is not lost, and we've had a few discussions about it over at RPGnet:<br />
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<a href="http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?668381-Heroes-Against-Darkness-This-is-my-kind-of-D-amp-D-clone&p=16254322#post16254322" target="_blank">RPGnet thread: [Heroes Against Darkness] This is my kind of D&D clone</a><br />
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Thanks for John for taking the time to review <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i>.<br />
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<hr><br />
Head over to DriveThruRPG to pick up a print edition of <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i>:<br />
<a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=4846">DriveThruRPG - Heroes Against Darkness</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-14677682098178658742012-12-23T23:24:00.000-08:002012-12-23T23:24:06.690-08:00Heroes Against Darkness in Print Now!After what seemed like an eternity (considering the speed of the POD process for <i>Hero Kids</i>), I finally took delivery of the proofs of <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i> hardcover and softcover books today from DriveThruRPG!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifL8toE8Eo5JiNIupgMHJGXRg-aH8TOnTs0j0dPAkwtn09EqeI-NiUaMy7MHMkdQqmK6RK_B1OWvIEz94I5S2AwvP8jzBkv-zBLXlXmPjizI4olGe_-n9dIgCpzAFQ4_kwsW7BYLfNqI0k/s1600/Heroes+Against+Darkness+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifL8toE8Eo5JiNIupgMHJGXRg-aH8TOnTs0j0dPAkwtn09EqeI-NiUaMy7MHMkdQqmK6RK_B1OWvIEz94I5S2AwvP8jzBkv-zBLXlXmPjizI4olGe_-n9dIgCpzAFQ4_kwsW7BYLfNqI0k/s400/Heroes+Against+Darkness+03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I won't bore you with any more of the trials and tribulations of the process, suffice to say that <b>right now</b> you can buy the hardcover and softcover books of <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i> from DriveThruRPG:<br />
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<a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=4846">Hero Forge Games Products at DriveThruRPG</a><br />
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Everyone loves pictures, so here are a bunch of shots of the proof copies that arrived today.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DJrD3HWZgxta4OEU54nCyuCgwsQYv3-CBL2F-ZwmfhIwiVruAVRWmoLg4VXTBrntt3PHIkjxHvadBBGrQyOAJkjxNAwUNDxZ10Y-ndMrhPeWbHNxi_hUKnGYELVIPUJJ8m2_bri8whGn/s1600/Heroes+Against+Darkness+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DJrD3HWZgxta4OEU54nCyuCgwsQYv3-CBL2F-ZwmfhIwiVruAVRWmoLg4VXTBrntt3PHIkjxHvadBBGrQyOAJkjxNAwUNDxZ10Y-ndMrhPeWbHNxi_hUKnGYELVIPUJJ8m2_bri8whGn/s400/Heroes+Against+Darkness+01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-19286367593323751372012-12-13T20:26:00.001-08:002012-12-13T20:26:39.469-08:00POD UpdateSo I got in touch with Scott over at DriveThruRPG to find out whether I'd messed up the files for the hardcover of <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i>, and I got this quick response:<br />
<br />
<i>"No, that isn't normal at all. It should take about a week at the outside. I'll send along an inquiry to our client rep over at LSI and see if she can track this down for you."</i><br />
<br />
And like magic, today the print files are approved! I've ordered proofs of the softcover and hardcovers, which I hope will arrive before Christmas. Once I've checked them out I'll make them available on DriveThruRPG.Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-25805394619360105272012-12-11T04:01:00.002-08:002012-12-11T04:01:13.263-08:00POD Progress - Not So Much...So I'd love to have good news, but DriveThruRPG are going super-slow on processing the files for the hardcover POD edition of <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i>.<br />
<br />
If I'd known it was going to be this long, I'd have ordered proofs of the softcovers, which have been approved for over a week now...<br />
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Anyway, I'm waiting for both to get approved, then I'll get the proofs. At this stage it's clear the books won't be ready before Christmas. :-(<br />
Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-73782402914516625372012-11-28T04:47:00.002-08:002012-11-28T04:47:40.750-08:00Heroes Against Darkness POD ProgressIn other news, I just uploaded the PDF assets for the softcover and hardcover print verions of <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i> to DriveThruRPG. :-)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvZx4khAnyredqez4UNSJPmcpzupQ3bCsZdJjF6tTxDpkAMY1dQjaSwEpAEAIS4_aEH1Mv1FfbI2A0m8eximOkWK5QgzDIvPn6iPL3bVySjHbZf7rnDdcIV2Kx58_3w8MI7zum6Fcrl55/s1600/Heroes+Against+Darkness+-+Cover+Design+-+Print+HC+-+1600x1028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvZx4khAnyredqez4UNSJPmcpzupQ3bCsZdJjF6tTxDpkAMY1dQjaSwEpAEAIS4_aEH1Mv1FfbI2A0m8eximOkWK5QgzDIvPn6iPL3bVySjHbZf7rnDdcIV2Kx58_3w8MI7zum6Fcrl55/s640/Heroes+Against+Darkness+-+Cover+Design+-+Print+HC+-+1600x1028.jpg" width="540" /></a></div><br />
Now for some waiting...<br />
Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-30735900715120113312012-11-20T04:53:00.000-08:002012-11-20T04:53:10.007-08:00Heroes Against Darkness Print Version<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8ib8CPkmbBTut5PKD2KEpfKKxv7Ywcdr7bdS75yJdoE_CVgYjMtTM3FxJvURokXmem5Vd6dXkaX1iARdNd8T9Ut3OjPi4gv7jp_USln6BJ8fSzP5ZTHnfegTQ9JOMWSnP55pe4zn-KiQ/s1600/Heroes+Against+Darkness+-+Cover+Wallpaper+-+800x492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8ib8CPkmbBTut5PKD2KEpfKKxv7Ywcdr7bdS75yJdoE_CVgYjMtTM3FxJvURokXmem5Vd6dXkaX1iARdNd8T9Ut3OjPi4gv7jp_USln6BJ8fSzP5ZTHnfegTQ9JOMWSnP55pe4zn-KiQ/s400/Heroes+Against+Darkness+-+Cover+Wallpaper+-+800x492.jpg" width="540" /></a></div><br />
Dear loyal reader(s),<br />
<br />
I've been neglecting <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i> lately, but now that <i>Hero Kids</i> is out (<a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=4846">go buy it</a>) it's time for work to continue on <i>HAD</i>. Today we're looking at the immediate future of <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i>, and the next post will be about plans for the future.<br />
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<h2><i>Heroes Against Darkness</i> Print Version</h2>First, I've had multiple requests (and not just from my mum) for a print version of <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i>. I actually did a bunch of work on preparing a print version before I started work on <i>Hero Kids</i>, using Amazon's CreateSpace service. The advantage of CreateSpace is that it can do interior color printing from my source (MS Word), while with OneBookShelf (DriveThruRPG) I can only get black and white interior without the background parchment texture (because they can't do full bleed with B&W). <br />
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I also got held up because I don't have a horizontal version of the logo for the spine or appropriate artwork for a wrap-around cover, like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKUuwbAZmik8_qcIVMasPzaZ2mFcKOPF-rb4loJC4SOG9lFMS-zO-3yypDOnlMuCUlOLr039_sZFziBKe5TTKewlXAsgmWuobIHbDkJjMTLfxD63LhCpvREruUkb9BBV8-eUABm2Ib6kY/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Fantasy+RPG+-+POD+Cover+-+Smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKUuwbAZmik8_qcIVMasPzaZ2mFcKOPF-rb4loJC4SOG9lFMS-zO-3yypDOnlMuCUlOLr039_sZFziBKe5TTKewlXAsgmWuobIHbDkJjMTLfxD63LhCpvREruUkb9BBV8-eUABm2Ib6kY/s640/Hero+Kids+-+Fantasy+RPG+-+POD+Cover+-+Smaller.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><br />
<i>However</i>, the advantage of OneBookShelf is that it's way more discoverable than Amazon, and having the print version there will help my customers and I stay connected. By the way, having customers is weird...<br />
<br />
So screw those lame excuses.  I'll do a B&W interior version (without parchment), sort out the cover, and massage the logo into a more horizontal arrangement.<br />
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Anyway, it's coming <i>next</i>.<br />
Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-42909932837250445382012-11-01T19:47:00.001-07:002012-11-01T19:47:07.459-07:00International Library Games Day TomorrowLooks like I'm running 8 hours of <i>D&D</i> at the State Library of Victoria for the International Game Day tomorrow (Saturday the 3rd of November).<br />
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Option B for the younger kids is some <i>Hero Kids</i> adventuring.<br />
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Wish me luck!Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-20314603689734312592012-10-30T20:45:00.002-07:002012-10-30T20:45:17.231-07:00Hero Kids Out Now!<i>Hero Kids</i>, three normal adventures and one premium adventure are out NOW at DriveThruRPG! <br />
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Click to get it:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=4846" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxF3E19ZIbVI5Ji7sSe03pra9HE-S7ykJKzSiqLpLhJGcAzAl6a2lECmx_XQumefXd-X2C1MBFm-nEQK-VcyHDQYtJbuFcsl4EyA93mVeMiVy1iR-KhHgfk2XSaOld_RpgqgBzXmx0ip1X/s400/Hero+Kids+-+Cover+3+Land+-+Resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-68414430330616356892012-10-30T04:51:00.000-07:002012-10-30T04:51:22.377-07:00A New Home for Hero Kids!There comes a time in a young game's life when they have to leave their home and strike out into a blog of their own. For <i>Hero Kids</i>, that day is today.<br />
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<a href="http://herokidsrpg.blogspot.com">Hero Kids RPG Blog</a><br />
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This blog remains the home for the development and game design discussions for <i>all</i> of my games, but the <i>Hero Kids</i> blog will focus on that game and its supplements, including adventures and expansions.<br />
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So if <i>Hero Kids</i> is your bag, please please please head over there and click the Follow button so that you can stay informed about all the cool new stuff I release for <i>Hero Kids</i>.<br />
<br />
As a super-special bonus, here's the cover for <i>Hero Kids</i>, once again by my buddy <a href="www.ericquigley.com">Eric Quigley</a>:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNHZtiZZWi2HbVKvxj6SZ25AayMBqN2C0Exa5DOXti_PJ13sJ5Xem00BB8HTzAflc9zLB67YJudv6qGKKcZznrkTKSyRKCFjDRA2BQPacClwFpjB6yOFPV771ZZ68UIv7-nlO4V9T9Kxu/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Cover+3+Land+-+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="408" width="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNHZtiZZWi2HbVKvxj6SZ25AayMBqN2C0Exa5DOXti_PJ13sJ5Xem00BB8HTzAflc9zLB67YJudv6qGKKcZznrkTKSyRKCFjDRA2BQPacClwFpjB6yOFPV771ZZ68UIv7-nlO4V9T9Kxu/s400/Hero+Kids+-+Cover+3+Land+-+Resized.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-17861675091451315622012-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:002012-10-25T06:00:03.260-07:00Review of Heroes Against Darkness at Earth Alpha<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSylT-aLSCVz-0DxehxpZvONinqfzQn_ZbvHXxq8SromezpgLmAgXUvdqhpx2c8Hq5uHrKxujO2zGrG_DOhXSlTWULqr8q2gkP93JPjtTGahUmSH3YHpvKL8ruL6nFdvOjzg33dDXLSiRT/s1600/Heroes+Against+Darkness+-+Game+Rules+Thumbnail+-+220+wide.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSylT-aLSCVz-0DxehxpZvONinqfzQn_ZbvHXxq8SromezpgLmAgXUvdqhpx2c8Hq5uHrKxujO2zGrG_DOhXSlTWULqr8q2gkP93JPjtTGahUmSH3YHpvKL8ruL6nFdvOjzg33dDXLSiRT/s1600/Heroes+Against+Darkness+-+Game+Rules+Thumbnail+-+220+wide.png" /></a></div>Here's another review of <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i>, this one from Andrew Collas on his Earth Alpha blog. I've cribbed quotes from Andrew's review here, but check Andrew's blog:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://earth-alpha.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/review-heroes-against-darkness.html">Review of Heroes Against Darkness - Earth Alpha</a><br />
<br />
<i>"...this game <b>MADE</b> me want to play D&D again... well this version of it anyways."<br />
<br />
"<i>Heroes Against Darkness</i>... that takes the wide breadth of <i>D&D</i> and pieces together one hell of a fun system!"<br />
<br />
"Justin Halliday wrote this as a labour of love, to be sure, and it shows on every page. The writing is tight and focused, the art is evocative and exciting and the layout is excellent."<br />
<br />
"The thing that I liked most of all was the incorporation of a pseudo-4e Power mechanic for each class as well as a hybridized almost <i>Magic The Gathering</i> style for spellcasters. Together this really hits the spot for me, though it does make house creating character classes a bit of work as you need to balance out their new powers."<br />
<br />
"Another nice thing is that while mapping isn't necessary, it is really a lot of fun with the way the rules work. So much so that my group played out a map combat, and we are NOT mappers by any stretch, and LOVED it!"<br />
<br />
"Best of all though is the price... FREE! That's right, you get a FULL game that is fast and a load of fun to play with out paying 1 single penny."<br />
<br />
"So in summation, this is worth the price of admission and even gives you more value than some games that you pay $20+ for. Check it out, give it a read and maybe even take it out for a spin or two. Trust me, if you like fast paced, less complicated stuff, this game does not disappoint!"</i><br />
<br />
Thanks Andrew!<br />
<br />
<hr /><i>Heroes Against Darkness</i> won't disappoint, unlike its author:<br />
<a href="http://heroesagainstdarkness.blogspot.com.au/p/heroes-against-darkness-downloads.html"><i>Heroes Against Darkness: Downloads</i></a>.Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-77710640814868797582012-10-24T17:44:00.003-07:002012-10-24T17:44:54.567-07:00New Hero Kids LogosYou may already have noticed the new <i>Hero Kids</i> logo in my previous <a href="http://heroesagainstdarkness.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/had-and-hero-kids-on-jennisodes.html">Jennisodes</a> post, but if you didn't then prepare to be amazed by the majesty that is the new <i>Hero Kids</i> logo:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nQzFiUG_-Amrf3HA415F0bbUICshI_sm0c1B_J-SnTQ-y3dgva2gXaTmgQYyTTG1u1AlUHcZI3wmxUeewshfo3_iOIb3iwBMcFjN8QbTfNkYJE5bIr78dXg-9GpXG_3rkcfUHDvhyI-Y/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Logo+-+Old-New+-+540x224.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nQzFiUG_-Amrf3HA415F0bbUICshI_sm0c1B_J-SnTQ-y3dgva2gXaTmgQYyTTG1u1AlUHcZI3wmxUeewshfo3_iOIb3iwBMcFjN8QbTfNkYJE5bIr78dXg-9GpXG_3rkcfUHDvhyI-Y/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Logo+-+Old-New+-+540x224.png" /></a></div><br />
And here's the black and white version too:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6o9n5dSi3HLhyC6AewLIFJj_6_Y9ubIrGVtoUmMFyd2Su5S9jPz6_NOFIJH-pSE0FZP4rl8xkMhzxAwX9FeHYXw2EKT8lnWePURhoXdV2VVqS9INRi_Ztz-vCX73Moxp3WJjoXNTOpQf/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Logo+-+BW+-+Transparent+-+540x108.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6o9n5dSi3HLhyC6AewLIFJj_6_Y9ubIrGVtoUmMFyd2Su5S9jPz6_NOFIJH-pSE0FZP4rl8xkMhzxAwX9FeHYXw2EKT8lnWePURhoXdV2VVqS9INRi_Ztz-vCX73Moxp3WJjoXNTOpQf/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Logo+-+BW+-+Transparent+-+540x108.png" /></a></div><br />
As you can see, <a href="http://www.ericquigley.com/">Eric Quigley</a> has transformed my original into a real piece of art!<br />
<br />
Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-78646753891740154782012-10-22T05:47:00.000-07:002012-10-22T05:47:13.587-07:00HAD and Hero Kids on Jennisodes!<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijX0ZJlosN_xMKMN7Ab723xr_qOB4pAlue-GW8Tn2GlxykGEjdmRtxdsoLnrBNZeArxIivLyizKMbypSAt7WwcQZ5l1_u6PZKfi3fC6_QIruQ7UT1s9LkagmFcEgTf8lXfJmaPx2py-f53/s1600/HAD+Hero+Kids+-+Logos+-+Color+-+540x309.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijX0ZJlosN_xMKMN7Ab723xr_qOB4pAlue-GW8Tn2GlxykGEjdmRtxdsoLnrBNZeArxIivLyizKMbypSAt7WwcQZ5l1_u6PZKfi3fC6_QIruQ7UT1s9LkagmFcEgTf8lXfJmaPx2py-f53/s1600/HAD+Hero+Kids+-+Logos+-+Color+-+540x309.png" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/115791727085895883975/">Jennifer Steen</a> was kind enough to have me on <a href="http://www.jennisodes.com">Jennisodes</a> to talk about <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i> and <i>Hero Kids</i>.<br />
<br />
Check out the episode here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.jennisodes.com/podcasts/heros-against-darkness/"><i>Jennisodes Episode 127: Heroes Against Darkness</i></a><br />
<br />
<hr />Why listen to me talking about <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i> when you can play it for free:<br />
<a href="http://heroesagainstdarkness.blogspot.com.au/p/heroes-against-darkness-downloads.html"><i>Heroes Against Darkness: Downloads</i></a>.</div>Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-51562664051835514292012-10-15T06:13:00.001-07:002012-10-15T06:14:29.726-07:00Presenting the HERO KIDS!<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">From left to right, they are; knight, rogue, brute, warlock (male), hunter (female), hunter (male), warlock (female), healer, warrior (female), and warrior (male).<br />
<br />
Click to enbiggen:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkAkW2GM96wovDE_aE9t71WwKpKJn3Jg-uSHieJ2GfvuNb6OKtAWNK4OTg2CIfXQZYK1NkoaYnMXB5WGiwOXJO_IH_aezZ8TqZC6HkrClrrMFqLVmMi9em1dOrpv4OQbJbGs5Q7Rdpysk/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Hero+Line-Up+-+1120.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkAkW2GM96wovDE_aE9t71WwKpKJn3Jg-uSHieJ2GfvuNb6OKtAWNK4OTg2CIfXQZYK1NkoaYnMXB5WGiwOXJO_IH_aezZ8TqZC6HkrClrrMFqLVmMi9em1dOrpv4OQbJbGs5Q7Rdpysk/s400/Hero+Kids+-+Hero+Line-Up+-+1120.png" width="560" /></a></div><br />
The previous warlocks that I used were in poses much more like the healer and they weren't popular with the playtesters, so hopefully these kick-ass versions get the attention they deserve!<br />
<br />
<hr />Kids would never fight monsters in <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i>, or would they?:<br />
<a href="http://heroesagainstdarkness.blogspot.com.au/p/heroes-against-darkness-downloads.html"><i>Heroes Against Darkness: Downloads</i></a>.</div>Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-8227602843988725142012-10-13T06:02:00.001-07:002012-10-13T06:02:14.634-07:00What Lurks in the Mines of Martek?<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">What foul beast has taken residence in the Mines of Martek?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XN8ilMS7wlYPM9gob28ZyAWZLwA4MRecFG-e8n9eXeOOK_sNNDHGTa_sv8ffBBRzAW3u8HFbjZL2I1N2XJOF-v5O13rL4L2IiGy7pq001R-8IJORQJAAweMfrV2WwRpFKhceRYSbWJae/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Mines+of+Martek+-+Sample+Map+1_resize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XN8ilMS7wlYPM9gob28ZyAWZLwA4MRecFG-e8n9eXeOOK_sNNDHGTa_sv8ffBBRzAW3u8HFbjZL2I1N2XJOF-v5O13rL4L2IiGy7pq001R-8IJORQJAAweMfrV2WwRpFKhceRYSbWJae/s400/Hero+Kids+-+Mines+of+Martek+-+Sample+Map+1_resize.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdIvn8yPQNJbltne5fePeKNLhF1r1fqci9FLrZYWOIf9de76q_JL4LLs4QPUFSpluzIvK6D1EM3a0QSLmaZRTD9UTXmcJ6OGbO4MsNXvQuMPPLry-uP0uBpx5SheHsCDFs17jAy2NNgfi/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Mines+of+Martek+-+Sample+Map+2_resize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdIvn8yPQNJbltne5fePeKNLhF1r1fqci9FLrZYWOIf9de76q_JL4LLs4QPUFSpluzIvK6D1EM3a0QSLmaZRTD9UTXmcJ6OGbO4MsNXvQuMPPLry-uP0uBpx5SheHsCDFs17jAy2NNgfi/s400/Hero+Kids+-+Mines+of+Martek+-+Sample+Map+2_resize.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<hr />I reckon that whatever lives here can be found in the <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i> Bestiary:<br />
<a href="http://heroesagainstdarkness.blogspot.com.au/p/heroes-against-darkness-downloads.html"><i>Heroes Against Darkness: Downloads</i></a>.</div>Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-67232054099488398602012-10-09T02:47:00.000-07:002012-10-09T02:47:11.566-07:00Hero Kids Setting: The Brecken Vale<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last year my art buddy Josh Sacco and I spent some time developing a Photoshop map template that people like me (semi-artists) can use to put together decent maps without having to spend years and years <i>actually learning how to art</i>...<br />
<br />
I've finally gotten around to using this beautiful piece of PSD action to put together this map of the setting for <i>Hero Kids</i>: The Brecken Vale, which is described thusly:<br />
<style type="text/css">
table.intro {
border-width: 0px;
border-spacing: 0px;
border-style: none;
border-color: grey;
border-collapse: collapse;
background-color: clear;
}
table.intro th {
width: 80px;
border-width: 1px;
font-weight: normal;
font-size: 18px;
padding: 2px;
text-align: left;
border-style: solid;
border-color: grey;
background-color: clear;
-moz-border-radius: ;
}
table.intro td {
width: 600px;
border-width: 1px;
font-size: 18px;
padding: 2px;
text-align: left;
border-style: solid;
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</style><br />
<table class="intro"><tbody>
<tr> <td><i>You live in a small village, <b>Rivenshore</b>, which is nestled in a tight valley beneath a range of towering mountains.<br />
Rivenshore would be a beautiful place to live, if it weren’t beset by an endless series of calamities. <br />
The village is on the eastern shore of the <b>Camarva River</b>. The river runs fast and crooked from the mountains, down through the valley, <b>The Brecken Vale</b>, and out into a small bay. To the east of the village are the dark and wild <b>Darkenwold Woods</b>, which have claimed many foolish travelers.<br />
The Brecken Vale is bounded by the <b>Druinhowe Mountains</b>, their snow-covered peaks cloaked in cloud.<br />
The vale should be a haven for its civilized inhabitants, but instead it keeps them in close proximity to no end of threats that offer boundless opportunities for adventure.</i><br />
</tbody></table><br />
And <i>here's</i> the end result, which should give the GM and kids something to get their imagination going:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xUNIYMJZMqpfNMs8732QJ9vgECMELyyVke3OxBPdcT98f9DMCI9VgtLxqn3CWEP58mAdsogKTAbJ96gU-wxlb7onZmzwyIrudYAPP19F6MjNdluLizGnxEwrKvVwYmJOEt1N3viWdglS/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Poster+Map+-+The+Brecken+Vale.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xUNIYMJZMqpfNMs8732QJ9vgECMELyyVke3OxBPdcT98f9DMCI9VgtLxqn3CWEP58mAdsogKTAbJ96gU-wxlb7onZmzwyIrudYAPP19F6MjNdluLizGnxEwrKvVwYmJOEt1N3viWdglS/s640/Hero+Kids+-+Poster+Map+-+The+Brecken+Vale.png" width="494" /></a></div><br />
Probably the most difficult part of this map was the research for the etymology of the place names:<br />
<br />
Brecken Vale: Valley of the crooked river<br />
Druinhowe Mountains: Ridged mountains<br />
Darkenwold Woods: Holy woodland<br />
Rivenshore: River-shore, but without any great etymological basis!<br />
<br />
Considering I do most of my research late at night, don't sue me if my derivations are erroneous (or crazy).<br />
<br />
<hr />People keep telling me that <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i> needs a setting, so this is a start:<br />
<a href="http://heroesagainstdarkness.blogspot.com.au/p/heroes-against-darkness-downloads.html"><i>Heroes Against Darkness: Downloads</i></a>.</div>Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-88574684025210978542012-10-03T05:46:00.004-07:002012-10-24T18:19:25.100-07:00Maze of the Minotaur Adventure Playtest<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHc3hakZXhLAnjGmF_IbG9QnApZZMBySpf9I8FSIT3ednlClQQGUhiw8qvJaDyO9yU0nx8YbrHKwlXEYblC5EY59KwPuOkr52UVCaL1aGW_ukmnw2uZY_Wn4wdIIC3dIAdF9DwaImG7xO/s1600/Hero_Kids_2012_10_02_02_resize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHc3hakZXhLAnjGmF_IbG9QnApZZMBySpf9I8FSIT3ednlClQQGUhiw8qvJaDyO9yU0nx8YbrHKwlXEYblC5EY59KwPuOkr52UVCaL1aGW_ukmnw2uZY_Wn4wdIIC3dIAdF9DwaImG7xO/s1600/Hero_Kids_2012_10_02_02_resize.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Playtester 0 (Violet, aged 4) and I spent an hour last night playing through the <i>Hero Kids</i> premium adventure Maze of the Minotaur.<br />
<br />
I've mentioned Maze of the Minotaur briefly before, but this adventure deserves some attention because it's quite different from the game's normal adventures. Maze of the Minotaur is different because it features a randomly generated maze and randomly generated encounters in the maze.<br />
<br />
The maze is generated from a set of over 30 random cavern tiles, so each time the heroes move off the edge of a tile, the GM takes the top tile from the pile and (if it fits) puts it down to extend the maze. If it doesn't fit, the GM puts it on the bottom of the tile and takes another (rinse, repeat). The tiles include straight tunnels, t-intersections, crossroads, and corner pieces so there's a huge amount of variety on offer for junior adventurers.<br />
<br />
The GM also rolls 3d6 to generate a random encounter for each new tile that the heroes enter. For example, a roll of 3 (three 1s) gives a rock-fall trap, 11 is an encounter with giant rats, 12 is an encounter the titular minotaur, and any total of 15+ means the heroes discover the minotaur's lair, which is the actual goal of the adventure.<br />
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But enough this talk, here are some photos from the session. Enjoy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDC34egejKhMoT6qrdhoVXm8BoRzX2poXVDfc8H8frsVudhj4mLSfpYmjqgNuUNKvwBlAhfZxCjFpQ_KdOOHKW_tuPzhPEqRnhA72F2miK3hcf4uxTwCSa-F62VGqFrYRRLHRbHjdn7Zo/s1600/Hero_Kids_2012_10_02_01_resize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDC34egejKhMoT6qrdhoVXm8BoRzX2poXVDfc8H8frsVudhj4mLSfpYmjqgNuUNKvwBlAhfZxCjFpQ_KdOOHKW_tuPzhPEqRnhA72F2miK3hcf4uxTwCSa-F62VGqFrYRRLHRbHjdn7Zo/s1600/Hero_Kids_2012_10_02_01_resize.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNtA97FJGa7XVO4N7w2cB_pTSffO2uqVinBvRtW2FeCA2XrOyv9tJc8vXJV1PxpAyHtGvAK4H4XUJ8WgpHdvQZA5lDLHw1jpdl1RrK9Q2KrQ20KS1yaIPM4dHxH_RLWgg1pw2qh4vXc4e/s1600/Hero_Kids_2012_10_02_03_resize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNtA97FJGa7XVO4N7w2cB_pTSffO2uqVinBvRtW2FeCA2XrOyv9tJc8vXJV1PxpAyHtGvAK4H4XUJ8WgpHdvQZA5lDLHw1jpdl1RrK9Q2KrQ20KS1yaIPM4dHxH_RLWgg1pw2qh4vXc4e/s1600/Hero_Kids_2012_10_02_03_resize.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<hr />A maze with a minotaur, that's almost as original as <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i>:<br />
<a href="http://heroesagainstdarkness.blogspot.com.au/p/heroes-against-darkness-downloads.html"><i>Heroes Against Darkness: Downloads</i></a>.</div>Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-50245754195436597342012-10-01T06:03:00.003-07:002012-10-01T06:03:57.890-07:00Hero Kids Adventure Maps<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_NCNSwpi8gMpffGtF6puU1FXDnScyxYc9qjLP_jLH0hguSAj_K75TzBJXgLbCHpOedUeaE0Lu4DTEFosJgwOnPPz0QyXoaXYWqsBHD-Qx8Iz9EMxNJFnWNsjPh_JYnM7TYXzzrCescZa/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Logo+-+Filled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_NCNSwpi8gMpffGtF6puU1FXDnScyxYc9qjLP_jLH0hguSAj_K75TzBJXgLbCHpOedUeaE0Lu4DTEFosJgwOnPPz0QyXoaXYWqsBHD-Qx8Iz9EMxNJFnWNsjPh_JYnM7TYXzzrCescZa/s400/Hero+Kids+-+Logo+-+Filled.png" width="500" /></a></div><br />
While I'm waiting for some of the artwork to get done for <i>Hero Kids</i> I've been spending my time working on adventures for the game. So far, I've made two 'normal' adventures (one of which will be included with the game), one premium adventure (which will be a stand-alone product), and I'm currently working on some more standard adventures to create a number of separate adventure packs.<br />
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One of the things I've had to do with the adventure maps is make myself a library of bits for caverns, caves, and mines. The caverns and caves are used in the free adventure that comes with the game (Basement O Rats), and in the premium adventure (Maze of the Minotaur), but I also want to do an adventure in a mine so I spent tonight working on modular rail sections for the mine maps.<br />
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Here are a few example maps that I've thrown together from all the bits to make sure they fit together properly:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4V1GE9cR8tuSHfx9cB0EUW4X9dQnTNU_ls6gMq8J_dM9ggecDjWCB8Q2rai55Jo6J2wy680BFJ8Opr5Da2hc3-yKSmfGnBV297ELXU7ArTEctBRV5c-c-XVIUnOyJIuvtzpgLHGPQZQi-/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Mines+-+Corner+Left-Top+Rails+Large.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4V1GE9cR8tuSHfx9cB0EUW4X9dQnTNU_ls6gMq8J_dM9ggecDjWCB8Q2rai55Jo6J2wy680BFJ8Opr5Da2hc3-yKSmfGnBV297ELXU7ArTEctBRV5c-c-XVIUnOyJIuvtzpgLHGPQZQi-/s400/Hero+Kids+-+Mines+-+Corner+Left-Top+Rails+Large.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvObs3oDreCG_o2aXu0DqmtfWXo_wziJYocgBpQBzfgnkfr0oLPQRx9YGvHcFliPOz1W4sqf67-LuOV__dDYBjgaiHgqaonJzKXWL2aQsNTjENlc_I-sS-escz2jfrjj2AYmowXKdsm09f/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Mines+-+Crossroad+Rails+Tight.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvObs3oDreCG_o2aXu0DqmtfWXo_wziJYocgBpQBzfgnkfr0oLPQRx9YGvHcFliPOz1W4sqf67-LuOV__dDYBjgaiHgqaonJzKXWL2aQsNTjENlc_I-sS-escz2jfrjj2AYmowXKdsm09f/s400/Hero+Kids+-+Mines+-+Crossroad+Rails+Tight.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqkBJHcisW4Lm6fUDUkKFvv2BCeRxVou4pOnvO1sCHmSTn28N6nRCjZ00DjFadvL0QkmXvjf3J3-wijud3Zx4VwCPsTHy46_zqFthoT5MZ0a5wwDdw55dLfd1Ms6Qc3CWrhgEyRFRm4Fi/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Mines+-+Dead-End+Right+Small.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqkBJHcisW4Lm6fUDUkKFvv2BCeRxVou4pOnvO1sCHmSTn28N6nRCjZ00DjFadvL0QkmXvjf3J3-wijud3Zx4VwCPsTHy46_zqFthoT5MZ0a5wwDdw55dLfd1Ms6Qc3CWrhgEyRFRm4Fi/s400/Hero+Kids+-+Mines+-+Dead-End+Right+Small.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Anyway, back to the coal face (literally)!<br />
<br />
<hr />A maze with a minotaur, that's almost as original as <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i>:<br />
<a href="http://heroesagainstdarkness.blogspot.com/p/game-rules-download.html"><i>Heroes Against Darkness: Downloads</i></a>.</div>Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-53618283405907108512012-09-20T05:25:00.001-07:002012-09-20T05:25:07.574-07:00Hero Kids alpha playtest complete<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_NCNSwpi8gMpffGtF6puU1FXDnScyxYc9qjLP_jLH0hguSAj_K75TzBJXgLbCHpOedUeaE0Lu4DTEFosJgwOnPPz0QyXoaXYWqsBHD-Qx8Iz9EMxNJFnWNsjPh_JYnM7TYXzzrCescZa/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Logo+-+Filled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_NCNSwpi8gMpffGtF6puU1FXDnScyxYc9qjLP_jLH0hguSAj_K75TzBJXgLbCHpOedUeaE0Lu4DTEFosJgwOnPPz0QyXoaXYWqsBHD-Qx8Iz9EMxNJFnWNsjPh_JYnM7TYXzzrCescZa/s400/Hero+Kids+-+Logo+-+Filled.png" width="500" /></a></div><br />
After several weeks of thorough testing, the alpha playtest of <i>Hero Kids</i> is now complete. I've gotten back a whole bunch of useful feedback from the various testers and their tiny helpers. Thanks guys and girls!<br />
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I'm currently working to implement the changes and suggestions that have come up in the testing, I'm designing more adventures for our pint-sized heroes (including an randomly generated minotaur's maze), and finally I'm working with Eric Quigley to complete all of the artwork for the monsters and the heroes so that we can get <i>Hero Kids</i> finished early in October (what a perfect holiday activity it will be!).<br />
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Here's a quick look at some of nasty humanoid monsters in the game:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7WFznii4WfBXa0LR1KqoJhTQJvS9R5_XULj7-2VYe0g4QQFAVe5e-O-SAAvlIRTBr8GSSz1e3RftOfWv-LFgutUQymTyLpb4X_H1qQgiIfF1XdN1rpRzu5CdPyOUMhzVpWbSXNZAi7_4/s1600/Hero+Kids+-+Monster+Line-Up+-+Humanoids.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7WFznii4WfBXa0LR1KqoJhTQJvS9R5_XULj7-2VYe0g4QQFAVe5e-O-SAAvlIRTBr8GSSz1e3RftOfWv-LFgutUQymTyLpb4X_H1qQgiIfF1XdN1rpRzu5CdPyOUMhzVpWbSXNZAi7_4/s400/Hero+Kids+-+Monster+Line-Up+-+Humanoids.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<a href="www.ericquigley.com">Eric Quigley Art</a><br />
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Lookin' good boys!<br />
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<hr />The monsters in <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i> are much less cute:<br />
<a href="http://heroesagainstdarkness.blogspot.com/p/game-rules-download.html"><i>Heroes Against Darkness: Downloads</i></a>.</div>Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-73273389419266479222012-09-12T05:19:00.000-07:002012-09-12T05:19:22.316-07:00D&D Encounters at Games Laboratory<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU56_wgThFnJArWuaAz8GAacxd_5J10dtddH32KPwXYN0wrtT1INhxsBq0kFkA1GU8HHh0NHkWvi-iNQrM9KvGOZglnwA-TnfOtca5eCNHVzv9ZbhuS5HxYJJRBqwsjnPDLbcSX4Ntn0Pf/s1600/dnd-encounters-logo%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU56_wgThFnJArWuaAz8GAacxd_5J10dtddH32KPwXYN0wrtT1INhxsBq0kFkA1GU8HHh0NHkWvi-iNQrM9KvGOZglnwA-TnfOtca5eCNHVzv9ZbhuS5HxYJJRBqwsjnPDLbcSX4Ntn0Pf/s400/dnd-encounters-logo%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Tonight I GMed my first ever session of <i>D&D Encounters</i> at <a href="http://www.gameslaboratory.com.au/">Games Laboratory</a> here in Melbourne, Australia. <br />
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We had four players, two who hadn't played 4th Edition at all, but they picked it up pretty easily. I managed to KO two of the characters and had them on the ropes, but some judicious use of healing checks got them through the fight. We also had two spectators, one of who has promised to come back next week and play. The only downside was trying to pronounce all of the damned Drow names!<br />
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Next time I need to remember to take some minis and maybe even the my <i>Pathfinder</i> stand-ups, because the generic tokens are a bit mundane. Oh, I should also remember to take my <b>DICE</b>, although the d20 I used did roll pretty well! <br />
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It's definitely a great program to allow new players to try to <i>D&D</i> (in any flavor) so if you're in the area and want to play some casual <i>D&D</i> feel free to join us on Wednesday nights:<br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/249825071805561">Games Laboratory Role-Playing Games Facebook Group</a><br />
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<hr />Alternatively, check out <i>this</i> game:<br />
<a href="http://heroesagainstdarkness.blogspot.com/p/game-rules-download.html"><b><i>Heroes Against Darkness - Game Rules</i></b></a>.</div>Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6041678916387656433.post-70163830643464018902012-09-10T05:29:00.001-07:002012-10-09T03:48:38.310-07:00Review of Heroes Against Darkness on RPGnet<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSylT-aLSCVz-0DxehxpZvONinqfzQn_ZbvHXxq8SromezpgLmAgXUvdqhpx2c8Hq5uHrKxujO2zGrG_DOhXSlTWULqr8q2gkP93JPjtTGahUmSH3YHpvKL8ruL6nFdvOjzg33dDXLSiRT/s1600/Heroes+Against+Darkness+-+Game+Rules+Thumbnail+-+220+wide.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSylT-aLSCVz-0DxehxpZvONinqfzQn_ZbvHXxq8SromezpgLmAgXUvdqhpx2c8Hq5uHrKxujO2zGrG_DOhXSlTWULqr8q2gkP93JPjtTGahUmSH3YHpvKL8ruL6nFdvOjzg33dDXLSiRT/s1600/Heroes+Against+Darkness+-+Game+Rules+Thumbnail+-+220+wide.png" /></a></div>Antonios S has done a long and comprehensive review of <i>Heroes Against Darkness</i> over on RPGnet:<br />
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<a href="http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/15/15671.phtml">Review of Heroes Against Darkness - RPGnet</a><br />
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Antonios' review looks at the game in depth, and picks up on the way the game's rules are presented to ensure they are easy to find and also to make sure that no 'little rules' are buried (or hidden) in the text!<br />
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<i>"This is a full game that costs nothing. This can't be stressed enough. It is not a demo, not an introductory adventure, not an abridged version designed to lure you into buying other, more complex products. It's a full system, free for us to check and use according to our needs. The system is contained in one single product. It isn't impossible to play because some rules might be included in future products. It's all there, ready for the taking."<br />
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"The mechanics of the game are solid, simple and unobtrusive. Being a light game it obviously won't cover all situations and the GM will have to adjudicate or outright wing it at times. That is, however, one of <i>HAD's</i> very strong points. It can easily give the feel of fantasy gaming with classes while remaining super simple at the same time."<br />
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"The writing is concise and to the point. I am trying to imagine what Justin Halliday's background is, since the presentation of the rules is by far the cleanest I have seen in RPGs. Effectively each rule is inside a square preceded by the world 'rule'... It adds however greatly to the concept of the game's minimalism and lightness, since it's quite obvious at any given point where the rules are in any given chapter. I am not sure whether this type of presentation has been used in the past, but even if it has, kudos to Justin."</i><br />
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Note: I haven't seen this presentation of rules elsewhere, and I used it to force myself not to add little rules, elaborations, and exceptions to the game. Any rule I wanted to employ had to be worthy of inclusion in that boxed area, otherwise I left it out of the game!<br />
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<i>"Most importantly, it appears that all of his choices are based on a particular principle or idea that he had concerning game mechanics. He doesn't necessarily strive for realism, mind you, but he appears very knowledgeable of game mechanics and how systems and sub-systems interact with each other, how rules mesh and stack up and what tools one should use depending on the goal to achieve."<br />
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"<i>Heroes Against Darkness</i> deserves to be in your library and merits to at least be tried a few times. Its mechanics are intuitive, solid and easy-going and the game has an air of friendliness to newcomers."<br />
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"<b><i>HAD</i> is now by far my game of choice for the one-off demos to the uninitiated on what our hobby is about. Something tells me I will not be disappointed.</b>"</i><br />
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Antonios S, I salute you!<br />
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<hr /><i>Heroes Against Darkness</i> is intuitive, solid and easy-going, just like its author:<br />
<a href="http://heroesagainstdarkness.blogspot.com.au/p/heroes-against-darkness-downloads.html"><i>Heroes Against Darkness: Downloads</i></a>.</div>Justin Hallidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856712873509270368noreply@blogger.com4