Creating Hero Files For RPG Characters...

Started by cmdrkoenig67, December 02, 2011, 07:21:28 PM

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cmdrkoenig67

Hey Freedom Folks,

What's the best way to create hero files from rpg stats?  Example:  Say the human knight character has a strength of 13, dexterity of 12 (would that factor into agility or not?), constitution of 11 (would this be endurance or would hit points be endurance?), armor class of 2, hit points of 68, etc...I don't know if you can factor in intelligence, wisdom and charisma.  Would charisma equal "beautiful" or "presence" or "scary" or something like those?  How do hit points factor into endurance/health?

I'm not sure if I'm doing my conversions correctly.  I think there used to be a few FF websites that helped with conversions from RPGs, but I can't recall who did them or where they are.

If anybody can assist me with this, I really appreciate the help...Thank you (in advance).

Dana

spydermann93

I have a pdf from Taskmaster that has an RPG to FF conversion chart. Although it's meant for Marvel RPG, perhaps it could work for you?

cmdrkoenig67

I'll give it a go, Spyder...Thank you so much (my email is below).

Dana  :thumbup:

cmdrkoenig67@yahoo.com


bearded

sounds like you are using dnd? i'm going to assume basic from that stat range.
13 is slightly above average. str of 3.
12 is right on average, as well as 11, they would be 2.
hp to ff hp direct.

cmdrkoenig67

#5
Yes, I'm using D&D, Beard (1st edition)...Thank you for the strength tips.

I'm kind of confused by some of the strength levels on some of the characters, though.  The human knight has 13 as I mentioned, but there is a half-elf magic user who has a strength of 15 (and he's scrawny), an elf warrior (who looks very slender) who has 14 strength and a dwarf (who looks pretty strong) who has only 9.  I don't get it.

Is Endurance in FF the character's health points?  A D&D character's Constitution doesn't factor into their health in FF?

Dana

bearded

the gygax explanation is that str is also an aspect of knowing how to use your muscles. str is equal to power and muscle.
i'm not sure how ff handles hp, i just noticed that minute man has 70. and your 11 con doesn't factor into hp at all, it's too low. those are not very good stats for 1rst edition! you'd want a 15 or higher in something...

cmdrkoenig67


hoss20

I would equate D&D HP to FF Endurance. I'm not sure that I would worry about matching the FF Endurance stat to D&D Constitution, though. Back in the 1st Edition days, you needed a 15 Con to even get a +1 bonus to HP rolls at each level. Hit Points were, and still are, primarily based on one's class. A Fighter with a Con of 10 could start the game with a max of 10 Hit Points (rolling a d10), while a Magic User with an 18 Con would start at a max of 6 Hit Points (d4 +2 for Con bonus). Even with later editions, the Magic user/Wizard would max out at 8 starting Hit Points. So, maybe something like this would work:
Class             D&D Hit Die          FF Endurance
Assassin                d6                            4
Cleric                    d8                            5
Druid                    d8                            5
Fighter                 d10                           6
Illusionist              d4                            3
Magic User            d4                            3
Monk                    d4                            3
Paladin                 d10                           6
Ranger                  d8                            5
Thief                     d6                            4

Of course, Monks and Rangers start out by rolling 2 Hit Die, so maybe use the Resilient attribute? I don't know.
Remember, as well, that Saving Throws were much less prevalent in 1st Edition than they are in later editions. So, there were no Fortitude saves or Constitution based skills. Only races like Dwarves and Gnomes would get a Con bonus to saves (which were based off Wisdom and Dexterity). The only time a Con bonus meant anything other than some measly bonus to HP, were for System Shock and Resurrection Survival.
Also, a character's scores pretty much determined what they could be. You needed to have certain minimum scores in particular scores to qualify for choosing a class or even race. It might be that the characters you're looking at may have been generated by choosing an ability and then rolling the dice, so they were stuck with what they got; as opposed to rolling everything, then assigning the scores.
Sorry to ramble. It's late, but I wanted to chime in. I have some ideas about Armor Class and To Hit bonuses, but I'll keep it to myself, unless you need some input. :P

cmdrkoenig67

Thank you Hoss, please share your ideas on AC and Hit bonuses. 

I think you're right about how these character's scores were chosen. 

I was thinking to improve armor class, I'd add "Armored" as an attribute and maybe an extra Passive Defense armor (depending on how well armored they are).  I also thought the more armor they have on would of course, lower their agility and speed, etc and I'd adjust their agility accordingly (as we know, speed is already decreased when the armored attribute is added).  I just wasn't sure if Constitution could be factored into anything (endurance, energy, etc...).

The HP for the characters is kind of all over the place...The knight/paladin (level 10) has 68 hp, the dwarf fighter (level 7) has 67 hp, the elf (level 10) has 72 hp, the two magic-users (both level 7) have 23 hp and 33 hp, and so on.

Anyway, I appreciate all the input I can get.

Dana

GamingboyReborn

Quote from: spydermann93 on December 02, 2011, 08:32:04 PM
I have a pdf from Taskmaster that has an RPG to FF conversion chart. Although it's meant for Marvel RPG, perhaps it could work for you?

I know that this is a while since this thread was "active", but can you maybe send that to me, too?

spydermann93


GamingboyReborn

#12
Quote from: spydermann93 on January 05, 2012, 05:02:05 AM
Sure :)

What's your e-mail?

Oh, it's gamingbattle [at] yahoo.com . Sorry I didn't say that earlier.

spydermann93

I apologize for the long delay.

E-mail sent.


darabka

Ive been basing off my herofile stats from faserip (Marvel RPG from TSR). It takes alot of fudging but I think I have a good feel for it. Converting like that should be always done with a grain of salt, its not an exact science and boils down to oppion and preferance.

spydermann93

Quote from: darabka on June 26, 2012, 02:55:23 AM
Ive been basing off my herofile stats from faserip (Marvel RPG from TSR). It takes alot of fudging but I think I have a good feel for it. Converting like that should be always done with a grain of salt, its not an exact science and boils down to oppion and preferance.

I'm really liking how my heroes are turning out. Much closer to the comics by using a formula than by arbitrarily choosing values.

I can't tell you how great the fight between Thor and Superman was. Although Thor can do combos like crazy, Superman was able to dodge them from time-to-time, more than Thor could dodge Superman's punches, and it ended with Superman coming out on top with only a few hit-points left.

darabka

My version of Thor is a pretty good match to Superman, but my Hulk is a more equal challange to Supes. Everytime I do a Avengers VS JLA it usually boils down to Superman VS Hulk. Ive made added the inactive flag to Supermans invurnebility which some might consider overpowered but that puts him somewhere between Obsidian and Silver Age Superman.

Jimaras8

Spyder may i ask what formula is that you are using? Is there a programm that simulates RPG stats with FF stats? I want my heroes as true to the source material as possible and the Thor/Supes battle has me intrigued. Can i get more feedback?

spydermann93

#19
Quote from: Jimaras8 on August 15, 2013, 09:56:34 PM
Spyder may i ask what formula is that you are using? Is there a programm that simulates RPG stats with FF stats? I want my heroes as true to the source material as possible and the Thor/Supes battle has me intrigued. Can i get more feedback?

I'm using my own deviation of Taskmaster's formula sheet and I use several sources of character stats and various sites with information on each character's feats and accomplishments.

I can send you Taskmaster's RPG to FFvtTR guide, if you'd like.

Since that last post, I've made some adjustments to the formula to better fit my likings and I'm still adjusting here and there.  Right now, I'm trying to come up with a good way to make characters behave and play like unmodded Freedom Force while still using various creation methods.  So far it's going pretty well and I'm liking what I have so far.

cmdrkoenig67

#20
I apologize for bumping my old post about this, but this is what I came up with for the AD&D (1st edition) conversions (please let me know if I'm off about these)...

AD&D STRENGTH   =  FF STRENGTH:

1-4                1 FEEBLE
5-8                2 WEAK
9-12              3 NORMAL
13-15            4 STRONG
16-18            5 VERY STRONG
19-20            6 EXTREMELY STRONG
21+               7 EXTRAORDINARILY STRONG

The higher strengths might be too much in FF for the AD&D characters, since these are not "super-powered" beings, they are normal human and humanoid (elven, dwarven, half-orc, etc...) adventurers?  Any advice on this, please?

----------------------------------------

AD&D DEXTERITY  =  FF DEXTERITY:

1-3                 1 KLUTZ
4-6                 2 CLUMSY
7-10               3 NORMAL
11-13             4 NIMBLE
14-16             5 VERY NIMBLE
17-19             6 EXTREMELY NIMBLE
20+                7 EXTRAORDINARILY NIMBLE
------------------------------------------

I'm also not sure if I got the movement speeds correct....Help!  :lol:.

AD&D SPEED(MOVE) =  FF SPEED:

1-3"                 1 SLACKER
4-6"                 2 SLOW
7-9"                 3 NORMAL
10 - 12"           4 FAST
13 - 15"           5 VERY FAST
16 - 18"           6 EXTREMELY FAST
19 - 21"           7 EXTRAORDINARILY FAST
-------------------------------------

I'm not even sure if energy would translate into any AD&D stat?

D&D ?           =  FF ENERGY:

1-3                  1 NO ENERGY
4-7                  2 TRACE ENERGY
8-10                3 MINOR ENERGY
11-13              4 POWERFUL
14-16              5 VERY POWERFUL
17-19              6 EXTREMELY POWERFUL
20+                 7 EXTRAORDINARILY POWERFUL

I like Hoss' scale for endurance/D&D HP:

Class             D&D Hit Die          FF Endurance
Assassin                d6                           4 HARDY
Cleric                    d8                           5 VERY HARDY
Druid                    d8                           5 VERY HARDY
Fighter                  d10                         6 EXTREMELY HARDY
Illusionist              d4                           3 NORMAL
Magic User            d4                           3 NORMAL
Monk                    d4                           3 NORMAL
Paladin                 d10                          6 EXTREMELY HARDY
Ranger                 d8                            5 VERY HARDY
Thief                    d6                            4 HARDY

Again, I don't know if certain attributes should be used for certain higher or lower stats (like high or low charisma, etc...).  A D&D character with high charisma might have the beautiful attribute(?), while a person with very low charisma could have another less desirable attribute (do we have an ugly attribute?).  Would AD&D dexterity factor into FF agility?  In my opinion, it definitely would for being able to dodge attacks, etc...  Should a D&D character with high dexterity stats, have the Acrobatic, Nimble or Extra Nimble attributes in FF?

I'm guessing intelligence and wisdom stat scores don't really translate into FF very well.

Any thoughts on Infravision, etc...?  I also have no clue how I can make an elf resistant to paralysis/Stasis...LOL. 

Would the attribute unbeliever be good for dwarf characters, who are naturally resistant to magic?

Thoughts on any of this?

Thanks,

Dana

hoss20

#21
I'm just firing off randomly here, so forgive me:

I like your idea for Dwarves having the Unbeliever attribute. Perhaps give Elves the Discplined attribute as they are resistant to Sleep and Charm spells. In FF, these types of effects would fall under 'Mental'. Since, they are extremely resistant to Sleep and Charm, I don't know if also giving them Level Headed (as they naturally have a resistance to Magic) or perhaps a Passive Defense to Mental attacks would work. Heck, you could go even go with no attribute and just give them a 90% Passive Defense against Mental and match AD&D exactly. I don't have access to my Players Handbook right now, so I hope I'm accurate.

Another thing to consider might be to give the attribute that best exemplifies the class/race. For example, Elves get a bonus to Dexterity, so perhaps give them the Nimble attribute. With this attribute, there is also the reduction in Health, which also reflects Elvenkind. I know that this may be accounted for in the character's ability score, so you may be afraid of overpowering them, but it would individualize them a bit more.

Strength - This one is tough because FF is so heavily weighted for damage in a melee setting. I think you're close, but being that those in FF with a Strength of 4 can pick up cars, I'm not sure that giving humans with a Strength of 18 in D&D score of 5 in FF really fits. Although, you may have to use your scale to match the Endurance scores I recommended. Perhaps a slight adjustment:

AD&D Strength          FF Strength
        1-4                      1 Feeble
        5-8                      2 Weak
       9-13                     3 Normal
      14-17                    4 Strong
      18-20                    5 Very Strong
      21-22                    6 Extremely Strong
      23-25                    7 Extraordinarily Strong

Speed - This looks pretty good being that the differences in AD&D are in 3 foot increments. I kind of wish they had the 5 foot increments used in later editions, as they give more differences between races. Because Speed in FF is used for dodging, perhaps you could use the format proposed by TaskmasterX in his Marvel Superheroes Conversion where a high Dexterity could result in an adjustment to the character's Speed in FF. Utilizing your Dexterity Scale, it might look something like this:

AD&D Dexterity          FF Speed Bonus
        1-2                         -2 Speed
        4-6                         -1 Speed
       7-10                     
      11-13                   
      14-16                      +1 Speed
      17-19                      +2 Speed
       20+                        +3 Speed

This is bearing in mind that negative adjustments may not need to be made since the characters are starting relatively low anyway. Also, keep in mind that the AD&D bonuses don't start until a Dex of 15, so you can always adjust things there. Also, to give monsters with high agility a fair shake, you might want to include more grades above the "20+" category, maybe:
      20-22                      +3 Speed
      23-24                      +4 Speed
        25                         +5 Speed

Energy - Perhaps use the character's highest AD&D stat to set the FF Energy score. This way your Fighter with a high Strength can attack more often, your Wizard with a high Intelligence can cast more often, etc. and they are more enabled to use "higher level" or more damaging powers. Another option might be to take the non-utilized stats in FF (Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma) and either add them together or get an average and create a table to determine an FF Energy score.

These are just some ideas, of course. I do think that using attributes to reflect ability scores and race/class makeup would really make a difference in individualizing your characters. Being that your characters are all of "human level" physical ability, those scores aren't going to differentiate them very much.

cmdrkoenig67

#22
Thank you so much, Hoss...You're the best!  I've been trying to put together the hero files for these characters, but the conversion to FF hasn't been easy.  Perhaps they should be slightly more than human, since they are heroes and others (civilians) are not.  I do want them to be individuals, true to the game (AD&D) and yet also have their own special traits, but I don't want them to be bland, run-of-the-mill humans, elves and dwarves, etc...

Many thanks again for the input.

Dana

hoss20

I just hope my ideas were helpful. We have conversions for the Marvel and DC RPGs. I guess we'll have to come up with a d20 to Freedom Force Conversion now.

cmdrkoenig67

Quote from: hoss20 on September 19, 2014, 09:11:08 PM
I just hope my ideas were helpful. We have conversions for the Marvel and DC RPGs. I guess we'll have to come up with a d20 to Freedom Force Conversion now.

They were definitely helpful, Hoss.  Thank you so much...They helped me much further with the characters than I been able to alone (many thanks also to Spydermann93).

Dana

cmdrkoenig67

#25
Hoss,

I had to up the speed of the armored characters since they appeared to be running, but getting no where fast.  They were just too slow for my liking.  I know armor would weight one down a bit, but not as much as they appeared to be weighed down.

I also decided that they shouldn't be exactly too human (as I had wanted them to be near human level in their abilities)...They are heroes, so they should be a bit more mythic in their strengths/abilities and a bit less ordinary.

Dana

Omegaprime

Quote from: spydermann93 on December 02, 2011, 08:32:04 PM
I have a pdf from Taskmaster that has an RPG to FF conversion chart. Although it's meant for Marvel RPG, perhaps it could work for you?
I would greatly appreciate the taskmaster conversion pdf for marvel? :thumbup: Email: russellesbrown@gmail.com


Omegaprime

 :thumbup:
Quote from: spydermann93 on October 15, 2022, 05:44:54 AM
Here you go: https://www.mediafire.com/file/n19pw8bb1gp0808/FFVTTR_Marvel_and_DC_RPG_to_FF_Conversion.pdf/file

Lemme know if the download link doesn't work
:thumbup: :thumbup: :D :D :D, Woot! thank you, thank you! This community should set up a discord and go fund me for creation of a game company, then kickstarter the next freedom force, or better yet...multiversal rpg\rts. If i had the assets I would hire you all. This community has more longevity than most game companies and you folks don't make any money off this, imagine if you did, i have seen more original content from this group than most major comic companies,lol. you guys rock, sincerely. Thank you

cmdrkoenig67

#29
If anybody can give me some input on this, I?d appreciate it. I mentioned it to Hoss, but he never chimed in (and he hasn?t been active since 2021, I hope he?s okay). As I posted above...

I had to up the speed of the armored characters since they appeared to be running, but getting no where fast.  They were just too slow for my liking.  I know armor would weight one down a bit, but not as much as they appeared to be weighed down.

If I give my hero character normal speed and then give him/her the armored attribute (if they?re wearing armor), he/she slows to a crawl when running...ugh!

I also decided that they shouldn't be exactly too human (as I had wanted them to be near human level in their abilities)...They are heroes, so they should be a bit more mythic in their strengths/abilities and a bit less ordinary.

Dana