Fantasy Hero

[Dragonblade]

I would say if you have the main HERO book, Fantasy HERO, Bestiary, and the Grimoire, then most of your work has been done for you. Unless you decide to create some custom magic system from scratch, or something.

I also recommend Ultimate Martial Artist and Ninja Hero. Both are great resources for a fantasy game.

 

[Wycen]

I saw the new Fantasy Hero book on the shelf the other day, but didn't flip through it. If only I could get my friends to play with the Hero system. But they are too lazy and wont learn anything new. Hell, they wont play a spellcaster except a sorcerer.

 

[hong]

Heck, I reckon Fantasy Hero is worth it just for the discussion of the various sub-genres of fantasy; and the same goes for Ninja Hero. Puts all those tedious alignment debates about whether it's Good to pull wings off butterflies into perspective.

 

[qstor]

I picked up the new 5th edition main book but havne't gotten Fantasy Hero yet although, I'll probably will. Most of the gamers around me are stuck with D%D so I doubt that I'll run the HERO system or GURPS. Not that D&D is bad...I like the flexibility of HERO and GURPS but 3e changed a lot in that reguard with feats and such..so I haven't run a GURPS game in a while. Ive played Champions a lot and it the HERO system for supers, I'll have to see if there's a game of FH running at GenCon or something.

Mike

 

[jmucchiello]

Theoretically there are thousands, maybe millions of character possibilities, but in reality, the number of viable character builds is fairly limited. It's not like there are a very many significantly different monk builds or bard builds. I want something different!

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Fantasy HERO requires a lot of start up work. Hero Games hasn't released their default setting for it yet. The Fantasy HERO book is a genre book it talks about "what" needs to be done to create a fantasy campaign world. It is only slightly HERO specific. You have to create a system of magic, decide what it means to be an Elf if there are such things in your world, etc. It is just the toolkit. The setting book will have all of this taken care of for you once it gets released.

 

[Wrahn]

Hero is the most felxible of the roleplaying systems (barring perhaps the truly free form). Once you have worked with the system long enough you can have the mechanics to do nearly anything.

The combat system is actually better than the D&D system and about the same complexity. In my experience, because the system is less arbitrary, combats go faster than in D&D.

The drawbacks to this is, as stated, it requires a lot of back work. The GM will work his fingers to the bone stating everything, making spells, and generally making the mechanics of the world click.

Also not mentioned is the need for the GM to reign in his players lest they create the dreaded Character-god-awfulis, where through the manipulation of the rules a power gamer creates horrendously over-powered monstrosities.

 

[Aaron2]

In my experience, because the system is less arbitrary, combats go faster than in D&D.

What slows down combat for me is calculating seperate Stun and Body damage and keeping track of two damage totals plus and endurance pool. It got so bad with killing attacks (roll 3+ dice then roll another then multiply one by the other) that I just used the normal rolling sequence for killing attacks (they still bypassed PD, of course).

I used a speed chart matrix and had a cardboard chit for each character to keep track of actions and delays etc. That helped.


Aaron

 

[Wycen]

I'm going to have to say combat with the Hero system is not faster than 3E. They don't make jokes about 4 hours to fight 48 seconds for nothing.

 

[Black Omega]

I've heard the jokes. On the other hand, I've GM'ed Hero system for years and d20 for two years now. And my longest combats have all been with d20. But it really depends on the level of Hero system. High level superhero combat lasts much longer than human level combat. Add in hit locations and combat can move along pretty fast.

 

[Jakathi]

well. in general i agree. the 3rd edition is complicated.

but, like all rpgs, the rulebooks are just guidelines. you can go by them or not. you can make your character as weird as possible as long as it fits into the storyline.


And the three-headed paladin giant said to the demon. "ME GRUMP. ME STOMP!"

And the demon said "Squeek," just before he became a greasy spot under Grump's foot.