Thanks for this! I know I'm stumbling on it years after, but this is great. I played as a kid in the '80s and loved it. This weekend, out of the blue, my daughter got into DC characters, and the idea struck me to introduce her to this gaming system. These videos are serving as a much needed refresher. Thank you!
Years ago, I use the Transformers in a DCH Campaign. (LONG before they were "cool again." Lol) The PC's were paying Justice Leaguers, and I had not yet revealed what these attacxking alien robots really were. But then captured one, and one of them wanted to use Gadgetry/Scientist to learn what they could about it, including analyzing it's memory banks. I had planned to use this to TEASE some of the BIG REVEAL, but the PC Rolled (swear to God) double-10's, double-10's, 16. Yeah: They rolled a 56! At which point I felt obligated to make THAT the moment of the Big Reveal. "He's from a planet called Cybertron..." (Wait a sec...) "He serves a master named MEGATRON..." (Oh, COME ON!) Lol. Wasn't what I planned on doing, but it was fun all the same. Lol
Good show. I would really like to see one that has two skill monkeys fighting with all the combat rules. Advanced combat. The skills and all, rules ad another level of complexity and actually gives a game of a little bit of a different feel
Good overview but your tutorial wouls be more effective if you'd planned a bit more as you frequently backtrack and get into, "oh, I should've mentioned before...." Also, it would be more visually interesting if you actually rolled some dice and showed us the character cards for Nightwing and Deadshot. All in all, well done despite that. Great game. I wish DC would realize they hold the copyright and either reprint it or make it available free online as was done with TSR's Marvel Super Heroes game.
Column Shifts really confuse me. I'm just not getting the same number of RAPs as tutorials in the rulebooks and online when Column Shifts are involved. As I understand the rules, rolling an 11 does not award a column shift, correct? (I think you were about to do so, but then clarified it in the video). Rolling a 13 = 1 column shift? What if you roll a 12? It's higher than 11, but there are no 12s on the chart, and it's not high enough to be considered the 13 column. I just don't know what to do in that case. Also, if the success number is higher than 11, then you would start counting column shifts from that success number instead of 11, correct? Everything else in this system is easy to understand, but the Column Shifts are blowing my mind.
SO if its over the number you look at the next column, if the number equals that or higher, you count it and keep doing that until it falls short. IF the number is over but falls short, you refer back the previous column. So example.. you rolled a 12, that's over the 11, but below 13, so it counts as the 11 only.
@@TheEvilDM So in that instance, no Column Shift, correct? Which would mean that in practice one must roll a 13 or higher to actually qualify for a column shift? The problem seems to be that the rulebooks themselves don't know whether 11 should count as a Column Shift or not. IIRC the rulebooks specifically say higher than 11. But see the Recovery Check example on page 37 of the Batman RPG. Batman's Body is at 0 APs, and his Body attribute is 6. An 11 is rolled on the Recovery check, which I interpret to mean the result should be 6 RAPs (0 RV = A on the Result Table). How are they getting 7 RAPs unless they're counting 11 as one column shift? Am I missing something? I think I must be, because I'm having this issue with every action check example I've come across with column shifts. Where is that +1 coming from? Also, Step 6 on Page 15-16 of the Batman RPG flat-out states that 11 = one Column Shift, which is flat-out contrary to my understanding of the rules (and also to yours, since your corrected yourself on that very point in the video at 7:24). It just seems like sometimes the rules examples start Column Shifts on the number 11, and sometimes they don't, resulting in me not knowing if I actually understand the rules or not. I THOUGHT I did, but my numbers just aren't matching up with those in the rulebooks. TLDR: the rules often say Column Shifts start on the number 11, but examples included in rulebooks only add up correctly if you start column shifts on 13 instead. At least that is tentatively my understanding.
@@TheEvilDM I spent the morning reading the combat rules in the 3rd edition book you used here, and the exact same discrepancy is peppered throughout the book; whomever wrote the rules states that 11 counts as the first column shift, but whomever wrote all the examples (at least all the ones I've checked) does not count 11 as a column shift (see the "Phase 2" example on page 107; the only way that is 7 column shifts is if the 11 is not counted. Yet according to page 86, right under "Important Rules on Column Shifts" it plainly states "Column Shifts start at 11" and then provides an example that can only be correct if 11 is one column shift. I'm still not sure I even understand the rules properly, because after 30 years you'd think there would be a lot of discussion about this if everyone else playing it was as confused as I am about whether 11 is or is not supposed to count as a Column Shift.
@@tylerdurden4045 I know it’s been a while since y’all posted this but I’ve just gotten into the game and have read up on this discussion. From my understanding it’s this from 3rd edition: Column Shifts do start at 11. But this is stated for rolls that land left of 11 on the action table. So if you needed a success number of 9 and rolled an 11. It would be 1 column shift. If you needed a success number of 5 and rolled an 11 it would still be only 1 column shift as column shifts start at 11. If you needed a success number of 13 and rolled a 13 there would be no column shifts. This would make for all the examples from 3rd edition work correctly. Superman vs Doomsday on page 107 makes sense as the success number is 11. It’s technically “landed” (as in, your finger landed on the number before shifting) on THE success number column so it doesn’t shift yet. But then does so going right to 35 which would be 7 column shifts. If the success number had been 9, a roll of 35 would have been 8 column shifts as it would have “landed” on the 9 then column shifted over the 11 column (where column shifts start) and then continued on to 35, resulting in 8 column shifts. The part about putting your finger on where the OV intersects the Action Row is key. Read steps 5 & 6 on page 86 of 3rd edition and it will help explain. I think the key super important sentence is in step 5, “Anytime a character rolls greater than the success number and the roll is 11 or over, he is eligible for a column shift”. This tells me you must roll at least an 11 to begin column shift BUT you must ALSO roll greater than the success number, thus if your success number is 11 and you rolled an 11, you get no column shifts as you didn’t roll greater than the success number. I hope this is makes sense though I am super new to the game.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for this! I know I'm stumbling on it years after, but this is great. I played as a kid in the '80s and loved it. This weekend, out of the blue, my daughter got into DC characters, and the idea struck me to introduce her to this gaming system. These videos are serving as a much needed refresher. Thank you!
Glad you are enjoying!
Years ago, I use the Transformers in a DCH Campaign. (LONG before they were "cool again." Lol) The PC's were paying Justice Leaguers, and I had not yet revealed what these attacxking alien robots really were. But then captured one, and one of them wanted to use Gadgetry/Scientist to learn what they could about it, including analyzing it's memory banks. I had planned to use this to TEASE some of the BIG REVEAL, but the PC Rolled (swear to God) double-10's, double-10's, 16. Yeah: They rolled a 56! At which point I felt obligated to make THAT the moment of the Big Reveal. "He's from a planet called Cybertron..." (Wait a sec...) "He serves a master named MEGATRON..." (Oh, COME ON!) Lol. Wasn't what I planned on doing, but it was fun all the same. Lol
Niceguy Eddie that’s a great story! Thanks for sharing :)
I'm new to this series of DC Heroes videos that you have made, but I'm very much enjoying them. Thank you.
glad you are! I went did DCH 3e and then covered the lighter rules of Batman the RPG later on in this series. Enjoy.
Good show. I would really like to see one that has two skill monkeys fighting with all the combat rules. Advanced combat. The skills and all, rules ad another level of complexity and actually gives a game of a little bit of a different feel
Good overview but your tutorial wouls be more effective if you'd planned a bit more as you frequently backtrack and get into, "oh, I should've mentioned before...."
Also, it would be more visually interesting if you actually rolled some dice and showed us the character cards for Nightwing and Deadshot.
All in all, well done despite that. Great game. I wish DC would realize they hold the copyright and either reprint it or make it available free online as was done with TSR's Marvel Super Heroes game.
Column Shifts really confuse me. I'm just not getting the same number of RAPs as tutorials in the rulebooks and online when Column Shifts are involved.
As I understand the rules, rolling an 11 does not award a column shift, correct? (I think you were about to do so, but then clarified it in the video).
Rolling a 13 = 1 column shift?
What if you roll a 12? It's higher than 11, but there are no 12s on the chart, and it's not high enough to be considered the 13 column. I just don't know what to do in that case.
Also, if the success number is higher than 11, then you would start counting column shifts from that success number instead of 11, correct?
Everything else in this system is easy to understand, but the Column Shifts are blowing my mind.
SO if its over the number you look at the next column, if the number equals that or higher, you count it and keep doing that until it falls short. IF the number is over but falls short, you refer back the previous column. So example.. you rolled a 12, that's over the 11, but below 13, so it counts as the 11 only.
@@TheEvilDM So in that instance, no Column Shift, correct? Which would mean that in practice one must roll a 13 or higher to actually qualify for a column shift?
The problem seems to be that the rulebooks themselves don't know whether 11 should count as a Column Shift or not. IIRC the rulebooks specifically say higher than 11. But see the Recovery Check example on page 37 of the Batman RPG. Batman's Body is at 0 APs, and his Body attribute is 6. An 11 is rolled on the Recovery check, which I interpret to mean the result should be 6 RAPs (0 RV = A on the Result Table). How are they getting 7 RAPs unless they're counting 11 as one column shift? Am I missing something? I think I must be, because I'm having this issue with every action check example I've come across with column shifts. Where is that +1 coming from?
Also, Step 6 on Page 15-16 of the Batman RPG flat-out states that 11 = one Column Shift, which is flat-out contrary to my understanding of the rules (and also to yours, since your corrected yourself on that very point in the video at 7:24).
It just seems like sometimes the rules examples start Column Shifts on the number 11, and sometimes they don't, resulting in me not knowing if I actually understand the rules or not. I THOUGHT I did, but my numbers just aren't matching up with those in the rulebooks.
TLDR: the rules often say Column Shifts start on the number 11, but examples included in rulebooks only add up correctly if you start column shifts on 13 instead. At least that is tentatively my understanding.
@@TheEvilDM I spent the morning reading the combat rules in the 3rd edition book you used here, and the exact same discrepancy is peppered throughout the book; whomever wrote the rules states that 11 counts as the first column shift, but whomever wrote all the examples (at least all the ones I've checked) does not count 11 as a column shift (see the "Phase 2" example on page 107; the only way that is 7 column shifts is if the 11 is not counted. Yet according to page 86, right under "Important Rules on Column Shifts" it plainly states "Column Shifts start at 11" and then provides an example that can only be correct if 11 is one column shift.
I'm still not sure I even understand the rules properly, because after 30 years you'd think there would be a lot of discussion about this if everyone else playing it was as confused as I am about whether 11 is or is not supposed to count as a Column Shift.
@@tylerdurden4045 I know it’s been a while since y’all posted this but I’ve just gotten into the game and have read up on this discussion. From my understanding it’s this from 3rd edition:
Column Shifts do start at 11. But this is stated for rolls that land left of 11 on the action table. So if you needed a success number of 9 and rolled an 11. It would be 1 column shift. If you needed a success number of 5 and rolled an 11 it would still be only 1 column shift as column shifts start at 11. If you needed a success number of 13 and rolled a 13 there would be no column shifts.
This would make for all the examples from 3rd edition work correctly. Superman vs Doomsday on page 107 makes sense as the success number is 11. It’s technically “landed” (as in, your finger landed on the number before shifting) on THE success number column so it doesn’t shift yet. But then does so going right to 35 which would be 7 column shifts. If the success number had been 9, a roll of 35 would have been 8 column shifts as it would have “landed” on the 9 then column shifted over the 11 column (where column shifts start) and then continued on to 35, resulting in 8 column shifts. The part about putting your finger on where the OV intersects the Action Row is key.
Read steps 5 & 6 on page 86 of 3rd edition and it will help explain. I think the key super important sentence is in step 5, “Anytime a character rolls greater than the success number and the roll is 11 or over, he is eligible for a column shift”. This tells me you must roll at least an 11 to begin column shift BUT you must ALSO roll greater than the success number, thus if your success number is 11 and you rolled an 11, you get no column shifts as you didn’t roll greater than the success number.
I hope this is makes sense though I am super new to the game.