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Pen & Paper Roleplaying Central => Pen and Paper Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Discussion => Topic started by: Greentongue on July 16, 2018, 07:03:31 AM

Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: Greentongue on July 16, 2018, 07:03:31 AM
From what I can tell, Scarlet Heroes is for running single hero games.
Has anyone used these rules and have experience with using 2 players instead of 1?
Do/did you double the opponents? Half again? Have more challenges that were not combat related or something else?

Does dual solo (2 players with no GM) work?
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Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: Omega on July 16, 2018, 07:54:23 AM
1: Correct.
2: Yes. And DMing it with 3 and 4. Works fine. It just has alot of tools to aid in single adventurer sessions.
3: Essentially its up to the DM to adjudge the threat level of an encounter. Theres no actual rules I could find at a quick glance through.

4: Yes. Its got an oracle system that looks to have been inspired by FU's oracle mixed in with Mythics oracle. Except it uses a weighted d20 roll based on what you think is an appropriate difficulty for the question to be good or bad. Difference is there are sub tables to help read the oracle results. It also gives you alot of tools for solo or GM-less dungeon and wilderness adventuring.
Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: Greentongue on July 16, 2018, 01:18:06 PM
Quote from: Omega;10491492: Yes. And DMing it with 3 and 4. Works fine. It just has alot of tools to aid in single adventurer sessions.

As I recall, there is warning against using more than 2 players.
Your experience indicates otherwise? Any examples?

Did you use the default setting or convert another/your own?
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Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: Omega on July 16, 2018, 02:33:55 PM
Quote from: Greentongue;1049186As I recall, there is warning against using more than 2 players.
Your experience indicates otherwise? Any examples?

Did you use the default setting or convert another/your own?
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1: I do not see any such warning in my copy?
2: Yes. I have both DMed it and run it tandem solo. I just winged it for encounters. Just like playing any RPG with no set guidelines. Look at the creatures HD and have a rough estimate of its possible threat level after a glance at what it can do.

3: I used the setting it came with both times.

I havent run it much unfortunately as the tone is slightly insulting and the writer keeps using the term grognard and not in a good way. It keeps coming across as condescending. Also says "old school" way way way way way fucking way too much.
Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: Greentongue on July 16, 2018, 07:08:49 PM
Like actors to me.
I care about the products they produce, not their opinions.  

As it is difficult to get more than one or two people together regularly, this may be the best option.

Letting the rolls be the GM is tempting too.
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Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: JeremyR on July 16, 2018, 07:49:20 PM
I don't see any any condescending stuff, just a warning that it does things different but uses the same terminology (since it's meant
to be directly compatible with OS modules). The author is really one of the most diplomatic people in gaming, as he manages to stay on
both the good side of this place and RPG.net

It does mention on page 24 that 4 characters is probably too much

QuoteFour or more PCs isn't really recommended unless the GM intends to put them through a real meatgrinder of an adventure. Such a
group is likely hacking down 4-8
mooks every round with Fray dice alone and their swords are enough to drop a hill giant in two rounds
Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: Spinachcat on July 17, 2018, 03:51:19 AM
I've run Exemplars & Eidolons with 3 PCs. No problemo. Just more threats on the table. I'm sure I could do 4 easily. AKA, its OSR Exalted like Godbound.

No idea how to run it solo except as a playtest (which I did first).
Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: Greentongue on July 17, 2018, 06:39:05 AM
Quote from: Spinachcat;1049276No idea how to run it solo except as a playtest (which I did first).

How did that work out? Did you run a "complete" adventure or just enough to get a feel?
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Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: Spinachcat on July 18, 2018, 03:26:50 AM
For my solo playtest, I just made some PCs and ran some combats to make sure I grokked everything before teaching players.

It makes a great emergency game. AKA, 4 of your 6 players don't show, your 2 guys are bummed, but now you have a rocking game night instead.

I'm seriously considering E&E as a replacement for my OD&D campaign, but I don't know if I want it for a 5-6 player game vs. OD&D.

BTW, the only snag I had in teaching E&E was the damage die. I highly recommend a chart on the character sheet for instant reference.
Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: RPGPundit on July 20, 2018, 06:02:10 AM
Quote from: Greentongue;1049145From what I can tell, Scarlet Heroes is for running single hero games.
Has anyone used these rules and have experience with using 2 players instead of 1?
Do/did you double the opponents? Half again? Have more challenges that were not combat related or something else?

Does dual solo (2 players with no GM) work?
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Scarlet Heroes is based on the setting Red Tide, which is set up to be played with multiple players.
Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: Greentongue on July 20, 2018, 06:44:38 AM
Quote from: RPGPundit;1049750Scarlet Heroes is based on the setting Red Tide, which is set up to be played with multiple players.

Certainly the Red Tide setting supports parties of more than one but the surviveability of the characters has been boosted.
The question is with Scarlet Heroes, at what point are they so overpowered in regards to their opponents that there is no longer a challenge?

I assume a way to compensate for the characters combat ability is, to not make combat the deciding factor in every encounter.
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Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: AsenRG on July 22, 2018, 04:30:00 PM
Quote from: RPGPundit;1049750Scarlet Heroes is based on the setting Red Tide, which is set up to be played with multiple players.
Red Tide is for Labyrinth Lord, though. Scarlet Heroes came later;).

Quote from: Greentongue;1049758Certainly the Red Tide setting supports parties of more than one but the surviveability of the characters has been boosted.
The question is with Scarlet Heroes, at what point are they so overpowered in regards to their opponents that there is no longer a challenge?

I assume a way to compensate for the characters combat ability is, to not make combat the deciding factor in every encounter.
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There's no such point, unless you send just a couple of 0-level NPCs against the players. In which case you can reasonably skip the dicerolling, indeed, but presumably you didn't intend that as a crucial point in the session:D!
Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: Greentongue on July 22, 2018, 06:23:46 PM
Quote from: AsenRG;1050057There's no such point, unless you send just a couple of 0-level NPCs against the players. In which case you can reasonably skip the dicerolling, indeed, but presumably you didn't intend that as a crucial point in the session:D!

I guess I wasn't clear enough. I meant the number of player characters as each is stronger than originally intended by the usual measurement.
I'm guessing that at three or more you would need to send armies against them.
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Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: AsenRG on July 23, 2018, 04:31:10 PM
Quote from: Greentongue;1050073I guess I wasn't clear enough. I meant the number of player characters as each is stronger than originally intended by the usual measurement.
I'm guessing that at three or more you would need to send armies against them.
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Why? I mean, seriously, why would you assume that:)?
OK, if they are three wizards, it would be tough for the NPCs (because only their Fray Dice hurt even NPCs of higher Hit Dice). But 3-6 NPCs of 2HD or more could reasonably bother your three starting PCs, because only the Wizard, if there's one (and it's not necessary to actually have one) could roll the Fray Die...for a 0-1 HD of damage.
Granted, some luck with dice would help a lot, too. Or, if you don't want to rely on luck, have NPCs that actually use tactics;)!

Also, the book does suggest a mechanical solution (though you can't get me to dig the page number). If you've got more PCs, just read the damage numbers as in all D&D games! (Removing the Fray Die is optional, I think, and I wouldn't do it anyway).
Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: Greentongue on July 23, 2018, 09:55:24 PM
It could be that I'm over thinking it.
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Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: AsenRG on July 24, 2018, 12:54:32 PM
Quote from: Greentongue;1050220It could be that I'm over thinking it.
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Try a one-shot and see how it works;).
Title: Scarlet Heroes Advice
Post by: Greentongue on July 24, 2018, 02:04:33 PM
I could do a Solo even as the rules support that. Hummm...
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