Author Topic: How does HARP SF fit a modern setting?  (Read 3723 times)

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Offline Marc R

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Re: How does HARP SF fit a modern setting?
« Reply #20 on: July 13, 2011, 07:49:02 PM »
Makes sense, for PA I might fiddle with the average DP per level a bit, people at generally low tech-education levels trending back toward 40 DP, with those with generally higher tech-education levels up toward 50. (of course in a thundar the barbarian or other such kitchen sink game, you might have highly educated magical societies and low education tech based societies). . .falls into the gray area between world building and GM judgement call IMO.
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Offline NicholasHMCaldwell

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Re: How does HARP SF fit a modern setting?
« Reply #21 on: July 15, 2011, 03:20:39 AM »
Having the technologies broken into different stages of development sound like it will make excluding some easier. Nice.

Has anyone combined HARP and HARP SF? Just wondering how much tweaking HARP professions require to give them updated skills, or if that is even necessary.

-dm

For what I think you are trying to do, use the HARP SF professions for non-magical types and make Mystical a non-favored category. For the magic-using types, either:
1) Modify the Adept profession swapping out Concentration for Mystical as a favoured category and putting in the professional abilities of the Magician, Cleric, etc in place of the Adept's abilities
2) Use the HARP fantasy professions as written but the Scientific, Technical and Vehicular categories are non-favoured for these professions.

The assumption here I'm making is that this is a Shadowrun-style setting where magic and science coexist.

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Offline GrumpyOldFart

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Re: How does HARP SF fit a modern setting?
« Reply #22 on: July 15, 2011, 07:31:14 AM »
I've been working on a blend of the two that, in addition to just being a blend of the two, is "professionless", in other words the player chooses the spread of favored/non-favored categories rather than having them dictated by choice of profession. I have been seriously considering leaving all 13 categories on the same character sheet, and having the "default" spread be 5 favored (cost 2 DPs), 5 non-favored (cost 4 DPs), 3 restricted (cost either 6 or 8 DPs, I haven't decided which). That way I can have the players aboard the space station when the catastrophe occurs, the players in the post-apocalyptic scenario a few years later, and the "wizards" thousands of years later still, all using the same game mechanics. Then again, this setting also assumes that "psionics" bears roughly the same relationship to "magic" that chainsaw sculpture bears to bonsai, so "mystical arts" is every bit as much a group of intense specializations as, say, engineering. It doesn't seem unreasonable to me to say that with categories requiring as intense a focus as Combat, Scientific and Mystical Arts, if you focus on anything enough to be competent, there's going to be something else you seriously suck at.

The forum I linked to above is one I check often (of course), so feel free to check in now and then and see if/how it's working. I'm not too proud to admit when an idea explodes in my face, especially if it means the person I admit it to may have a better idea to make it non-explosive.

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Offline DangerMaus

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Re: How does HARP SF fit a modern setting?
« Reply #23 on: July 15, 2011, 04:11:28 PM »
Thanks guys.
Nicholas suggestion sounds like the least amount of work on my part which I like.  :)
MY current plan is to run a straight HARP one shot adventure to introduce the players to the system and see how it goes before I invest in the SF books. I already have an idea that involves setting it way in the past so that it fits with the timeline and it will tie in (or at least hint at) with the adventure I want to run in the modern setting.
Now we will see if I can do my vision justice when I run the game.

PS - Are there any helpful tools for GMing a HARP game? I haven't run one before.

-dm

Offline Marc R

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Re: How does HARP SF fit a modern setting?
« Reply #24 on: July 15, 2011, 05:04:24 PM »
Tool like screens and tables, or tools like computer widgets?
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Offline DangerMaus

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Re: How does HARP SF fit a modern setting?
« Reply #25 on: July 15, 2011, 05:41:09 PM »
Either. Whatever you guys find helpful. I want to be able to handle most needs and avoid alot of looking up time. Also, anything you use to help with combat etc. would be appreciated.

-dm

Offline Marc R

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Re: How does HARP SF fit a modern setting?
« Reply #26 on: July 15, 2011, 05:45:09 PM »
I'd check the Vault out:

http://www.ironcrown.com/ICEforums/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=0

The HARP Software sub board:

http://www.ironcrown.com/ICEforums/index.php?board=20.0

And it'd likely be a good idea to re-post your question in the general HARP board, as you'll likely draw more eyes to a topic like "Any game aids or suggestions for a new HARP GM?" than you will here:

http://www.ironcrown.com/ICEforums/index.php?board=3.0
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