Any fans of the Hero System on this site? or The reports of Hero's death have been greatly exaggerated!

[Hyper-Man]

I'm surprised that this site doesn't have a generic system category.
*Example: GURPS and Hero have much in common but are relegated to two different categories of games here.

 

[WayneLigon]

What's your favorite and least favorite things about Hero System?

Back in the day, HERO was My Game, the thing I knew best. I can't really say I had a 'favorite' part - back then, if you wanted to do supers, you did Champions and that was that. It might be the 'effects over specifics' idea.

My least favorite part is, sadly, almost everything else - the fact that you can do a decent super only up to a point, and that it's almost impossible to stat out someone from the comics that isn't a base beginner or low-powered guy*. Or has much in the way of skills. It requires too much in the way of specifics, or weird complex builds.

*Yes, I've seen the writeups in that thread.

 

[Hyper-Man]

Back in the day, HERO was My Game, the thing I knew best. I can't really say I had a 'favorite' part - back then, if you wanted to do supers, you did Champions and that was that. It might be the 'effects over specifics' idea.

My least favorite part is, sadly, almost everything else - the fact that you can do a decent super only up to a point, and that it's almost impossible to stat out someone from the comics that isn't a base beginner or low-powered guy*. Or has much in the way of skills. It requires too much in the way of specifics, or weird complex builds.

*Yes, I've seen the writeups in that thread.

I understand the knock on specifics with the popularity of 'light' games like FATE. The issue with stating up published Supers is really about the published power level recommendations and settings. I've seen some write ups that push 1500+ points for the big guns. If players want their characters to be the Avengers or Justice league of their campaign it really stands to reason that their characters should be built on higher points. But if a GM allows this then it means he will be forced to update any published villains he planned to use to this same scale. It would require a LOT of work. It's something easy enough to address with more books if the company had anything like a regular publishing schedule. However, since 6e had the unfortunate luck of being released almost exactly when the economy tanked the company has been on life support ever since. So, for now at least, Hero is the ultimate 'do it yourself' gamer toolkit.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Back in the days I have read but never played Hero (3rd edition). I came upon it some time after discovering GURPS for me, so I already had a generic system and had also convinced my players to play it. I didn't see a big advantage in switching to Hero and found the abstract nature of the rules too - well - abstract.

Also superheroes, which had a very strong presence in those rules, never interested me.

I would have loved to see Hero in action as a player, but never had the opportunity. Maybe ten years ago I stood in front of some Hero edition (black book with green daVinci human figure?) in a game shop and considered buying it. Well, size, price, and the inflexibility of my players let me put it back on the shelf.

Anyway, I'm still interested in the topic and will keep an eye open for Hero discussion here at ENWorld!

 

[Hyper-Man]

Back in the days I have read but never played Hero (3rd edition). I came upon it some time after discovering GURPS for me, so I already had a generic system and had also convinced my players to play it. I didn't see a big advantage in switching to Hero and found the abstract nature of the rules too - well - abstract.

Also superheroes, which had a very strong presence in those rules, never interested me.

I would have loved to see Hero in action as a player, but never had the opportunity. Maybe ten years ago I stood in front of some Hero edition (black book with green daVinci human figure?) in a game shop and considered buying it. Well, size, price, and the inflexibility of my players let me put it back on the shelf.

Anyway, I'm still interested in the topic and will keep an eye open for Hero discussion here at ENWorld!

Thanks for posting!

Hero System is not just Champions (superheroes). They have published some of the best genre books for ANY system on the market (Fantasy Hero, Star Hero, Pulp Hero, etc...). They've just never put out the volume of different books like GURPS and other companies. Part of the reason is that those extra books are not actually needed to run other genres. They just make the process easier for a GM. There very few actual new rules if any introduced in those books.

A great entry point for anyone interested in the newest version of the rules would be the Monster Hunter International Employee Handbook and RPG. Here is a review: http://gaming-guy.com/2013/11/26/monsters-beware-a-review-of-monster-hunter-international-rpg/

HM

 

[TheQuestionMan]

What I like about Hero System

Greetings Programs, TheQuestionMan has arrived. To answer your question. what do I like about Hero System.

1. Game Balance is the responsibility of the GM, but Hero System makes it easy.
2. Flexibility to allow Players and GM to build character concepts they want in a framework.
3. The Champions Superhero Setting provides consistent examples through 6 Editions.
4. Teachability - I have GMed many Game Systems and found Hero System the easiest. Effects are not arbitrary.
5. Creativity of many Fans Conversions and Adaptations.

more later

QM

 

[Hyper-Man]

What is the biggest reason you are not playing or running any type of HERO System game currently?

My work schedule has made gaming of any kind difficult but even without that I've found it increasingly difficult to find local gamers that are even familiar with the system much less interested in playing it. Maybe we really are the 'Unicorns' of the RPG world.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Well, I already said that my current group isn't interested in it. But that's only part of the equation. The other part is that I don't really have any interest in finding a group that plays HERO.

A while back, I did exactly that. I was in 2 game groups at once. And I genuinely enjoyed both groups. But it was a major time commitment. Had not BOTH groups broken up- virtually simultaneously, as it so happens- I'd have been forced to choose one over the other.

For all that my current group is stuck in a rut of sorts, it's still a good group of guys. The games we play are still fun, and the companionship and camaraderie is more than enough compensation for me not playing HERO.

 

[Nagol]

For my current campaign, Hero was on the short list of game engines to use. In the end I went with Conspiracy-X since I also enjoy the Uni-system.

Both systems require some house-rulings to patch basic flaws so that was a wash.

Although Conspiracy-X needed some house-ruling to bring it closer to my vision (junking the implicit setting, for example), the work was less than that needed to articulate the world sufficiently well for the players to build appropriate characters in Hero.

 

[Kealios]

My first RPG ever was Champions 4th Ed: the Big Blue Book. I loved it...we dabbled in Fantasy Hero a bit, but it fell by the wayside after a bit.

I worked at a FLGS for a bit a few year ago, and 6th Ed was just coming out. It got me interested again, so I started buying the books, but it wasnt until Champions Complete came out that I got my group into it (and conned one the guys, my 4th ed GM, to run it again!).

For a few of us, we fell right back in love. I own all the 6th Ed books now, but Champions Complete is still my go-to for a quick rule reference. Some of us, however, find it clunky, and its been a challenge to keep them interested.

My hugest problem? I've been developing a game world for the past 2 years, and between lurking on the Hero site, and being a devotee of Killer Shrike (www.killershrike.com) I find that I am having a hard time getting the balance right. I just ran the opening session of my fantasy game last night, and I got some vehement player feedback...it was incredibly discouraging (not to mention, I cant even find stats for mooks, like your average city watchman...etc).

So, I knee-jerked and canceled the campaign, and am going back to the drawing board. Ive got over 180 page of fluff and rules written for my custom game setting...but I want to toss it and find some generic "pre-programmed" setting for a bit...