CUSTOMIZED HEROES (AND A NEW ONE)

[Marco]

I wanted new Heroes so I made some modifications to the official ones (and created a new one).
Now my group of gamers only uses these Heroes (plus Sam, which I like as is). We have playtested them in many games and I think they are balanced.
NOTE: I found some of the new abilities in a variety of articles posted on another site, while others have been invented by me.
Comments and suggestions will be appreciated.

JOHNNY 3 wounds
BLITZ: same official rules but Johnny wins on ties just when he uses this ability
DESPERATE BLOW: when Johnny loses a fight, takes a wound but the zombie is wounded too

SHERIFF ANDERSON 3 wounds
ON DUTY
MAN OF ACTION
COVERING FIRE: may give up a move action to make an extra ranged attack with the same weapon (if he owns a hunting rifle, may make 3 ranged attacks)

JAKE 3 wounds
RESOURCEFUL
STREET SURVIVAL: may discard a card at any time (except during a fight) to try to heal himself a wound. On a roll of 3+, he regains a wound. On 1-2 nothing happens but he must discard the card anyway.

JENNY 3 wounds
CATCH AND RUN: may move 1D6-2 squares after a search
AGILITY: with 3+ may pass through a square occupied by zombies without stopping and fighting. She must roll the die for every square she tries to pass through. If she fails the die roll, the move action ends and she must fight.

BECKY 3 wounds
FIRST AID: at the end of the Hero turn, on a roll of 3+ may heal one wound from another hero in the same space (only one attempt allowed)
SURVIVAL INSTINCT: if the movement die roll is 5+, may give up the move action and make a search even if she’s not in a building

AMANDA 3 wounds
STEALTH: may give up a move action to hide: until the end of the next zombie turn, may cancel any fight on a roll of 4+
EVADE: may use 3 movement points to pass through walls (not diagonally)

FATHER JOSEPH 3 wounds
HOLY MAN
STRENGHT OF SPIRIT
FORCE OF FAITH: if rolls a double in a fight, always wins and the zombie is wounded
SACRIFICE: when another Hero in the same square is attacked, Father Joseph may fight instead of him

BILLY 3 wounds
BRAVE: may give up a move action to let another hero in the same square have an immediate extra move action
TRACK STAR: roll 1D8 for movement
RUN AND GUN: may shoot during movement


NEW HERO
SCARLET WITCH (from Marvel Comics) 3 wounds
PSYCHIC PUSH: range 2 may give up a move action to move 1D6 zombies one square (even in different directions)
SPACE DISTORSION: may give up a move action to change her place with another hero’s one on a roll of 3+ (but only if the other hero agrees).

[vikinglad]

Do you beef up your zombies at all to counter these new abilities?

[PJON]

(01-29-2012 06:19 PM)vikinglad Wrote:  Do you beef up your zombies at all to counter these new abilities?

I support that question

[thegep]

(01-30-2012 04:47 PM)PJON Wrote:  

(01-29-2012 06:19 PM)vikinglad Wrote:  Do you beef up your zombies at all to counter these new abilities?

I support that question

I have to agree, Johnny seems waaay too OP. He kills a normal zed any time he's in a fight, is that right?

With Billy, how do you work your D8 without a different dice? I think a +1 is enough of a bonus for him already.

And giving the young'uns an extra wound too... Do they also still have the Youth special?

How often do the zombies win when you play with these heros?

[Marco]

(02-03-2012 01:18 AM)thegep Wrote:  

(01-30-2012 04:47 PM)PJON Wrote:  

(01-29-2012 06:19 PM)vikinglad Wrote:  Do you beef up your zombies at all to counter these new abilities?

I support that question

I have to agree, Johnny seems waaay too OP. He kills a normal zed any time he's in a fight, is that right?

With Billy, how do you work your D8 without a different dice? I think a +1 is enough of a bonus for him already.

And giving the young'uns an extra wound too... Do they also still have the Youth special?

How often do the zombies win when you play with these heros?

Johnny wins on ties just when he enters a square occupied by zombies and then continues movement.

These Heroes don't have the Youth ability.

I prefer 1D8 instead of a +1 bonus because it's more unpredictable.
With a +1 bonus, Billy always can move at least 2 squares.
With the D8, he could roll a 1.

Till now, these customized Heroes don't seem to be overpowered. All the games that we played were perfectly balanced and no side obtained a major victory: all was uncertain till the last turn.
If you analyze these new abilities, they have some weak points too.
For example, Becky cannot heal automatically but with a roll of 3+.
Amanda must give up a move action in order to avoid fights (and just for one turn).
Sheriff Anderson must give up a move action to shoot once more.
Johnny doesn't win automatically on ties but just when he uses the Blitz ability.
Jenny's abilities aren't so mighty. They're useful but don't make her super.
Anyway, thanks to all of you for your comments.
Long Life to LNOE!!!

[PJON]

Jenny never gets paid in gum

Jenny's Handy ability, can actually be very handy

[Orguss]

While I don't really see the use of using d8's as the game only uses one type, why change it? I have 200 d8's around the house so not really game breaking. I don't understand removing youth. It's a do or die mechanic that really makes them flavorful. A gritty 5 years of fighting could justify. Jake's heal is stupid; discard a card to possibly heal.

Then Anderson gets two shots per round if he doesn't move? Really? I sit in the middle and wipe anything. Oh I lost it? I go back and retrieve it. Any scenario that requires strategy is all but moot. Any scenario that requires killing a set amount of something is moot. You'd have to be incredibly unlucky with the Sheriff to lose.

[mqstout]

Let's try to keep the feedback constructive here, guys. I do agree they need some work tweaking as well.

[lilvgw]

these are some nice ideas for heroes, however, i think you might need to tone down some stuff because these are mostly buffs. i suggest adding some bad ability like Victor' convict so that these buffs can be balance out.

[Marco]

(02-13-2012 02:26 PM)lilvgw Wrote:  these are some nice ideas for heroes, however, i think you might need to tone down some stuff because these are mostly buffs. i suggest adding some bad ability like Victor' convict so that these buffs can be balance out.

Thanks for your reply!
I tested these Heroes with my group of gamers in various scenarios: we saw that they were balanced. (We had much fun because the winner of every game was uncertain till the end.)
Perhaps, SCARLET WITCH's PUSH ability is a little too powerful: maybe that reducing range from 2 to 1, would make it more balanced.