Hero 5th sightings

[Cedric]

I have to wait another hour to find out if the local store is going to have it today or not until next week...I'm chewing on my fingernails until then...

Cedric

 

[TalonComics]

Cedric,

If they get their games from Alliance South then they don't have it. I would guess that they do as the south warehouse is in Austin.

I didn't want you to bite your nails too long. :/

~D

 

[Cedric]

hehe,

Thanks Talon...I'll call and find out, but I'm sure you are right...oh well...I've waited this long.

Cedric

 

[paqman]

*bump*

Since I am bumping this one, any one seen the book in Montreal/Canada?

 

[Black Omega]

Anyone knows of a place where it as already been reviewed?

Hm..I can post a mini review here in a bit. The book is massive, a little over 370 pages and on heavier stock paper. There is no paradihm shift in the rules like 3rd Ed had for DnD. But there is alot of tweaking, reorganization, new stuff. And for the very first time, the name 'Champions' is not on the cover at all. It's very much a generic 'Ultimate Gamner's Toolkit' for any type of game rather than being sold as a super hero game.

 

[NLP]

I think the book's too large for anyone to get a review out yet.

I will say that there is quite a bit more changed than most of us were initially led to believe. There's nearly two dozen new skills, or major modifications of older skills, perks and talents.

There is a new powers: Healing.

Many powers now have "adders" ( small point additions that slightly change how they operate).

Aid, Change Environment, Entangle, Flash, Force Wall, Hand to Hand attack, Life Support, Multiform, Shape Shift, Stretching, Summon, and Transform are just of few of the powers that are now somewhat different.

Sense effecting powers, such as Darkness or Invisibility, now have different costs if they are being used against Targeting or non-targeting senses.

Advantages and Limitations have been reorganized, some altered and new ones have been added. Mega-scale is one of the new ones. Damage Shield is one of the altered ones.

Many of the Disadvantages have had other categories added to them (Hunted, for example now has a Public Identity bonus).

There are new combat maneuvers such as Rapid Fire (allows you to attack one or more foes with a ranged attack more than once per phase) and Sweep (which works as before but now allows you to attack a single target more than once per phase), as well as some older maneuvers which have been changed (Haymaker).

There is now a rule called Multiple-Powers Attacks which allows you to use more than one offensive power against a target per phase.

There's quite a bit more, but that's all I can remember off the top of my head. Over all, I like it quite a bit. There's a lot to digest in the 374 pages, but almost everything I've seen makes the game better.

BTW: I think the Great Linked Debate has been answered.

 

[paqman]

Thanks for the info NLP.

 

[Synicism]

I've heard reports that Hero's 5th edition has been spotted on store shelves in Ann Arbor MI., and Louisville KY., so it looks like it's getting through the distribution pipeline. Congrats to Steve Long and Darren Watts for beating what appeared to be insurmountable odds.

I ran into Steven Long this past weekend. He was a guest at Round Con in Columbia, SC (http://www.roundcon.org) and those of us who were multiclass gamer/attorneys got together over dinner and looked over the new book.

A few first impressions:

1. It's huge. It looks to be about the size of your average law or engineering textbook. <g> And it kinda looks like one too, with its black cover and big, green lettering.

2. It's really, really cool. No more silly Fuzion system. This is Hero alright. And it's pretty much just as absolutely flexible as it used to be. If you want to break it and play Planet Man, Azathoth, and Nova Man, you can. If you want to get really detailed with the RP, you can. It's all up to the GM and the players.

3. It's durable. Steven said they tested the binding job by tossing the into a dryer and it survived. Maybe laundry equipment should be part of every RPG printer's quality control equipment.

4. They have really cool t-shirts now. <g>

5. Steven showed off part of a work in progress - a revised edition of The Ultimate Martial Artist. If it plays easier than the old one did, it'll be really cool.