Hero System books?

[jimmifett]

So, seeing the anouncement regarding Heros, I'm thinking of getting a set of the books. I've been thinking about it for a while and figure now is a good time to get some.

The question I have is, What do I get first?
It's a little confusing, as there is a Character Creation Book, Combat and Adv book, and then a Basic Rulebook, followed by the APGs.

What about Champions? How does that fit into the equation?

Also, how would this compare to say, the DC Adventures books (or even Gurps Supers)? I've had my eye on those to.

Primarily, i'm looking to do some Supers games, tho curious about how it handles a modern setting compared to say, d20 modern?

 

[enrious]

Sorry I can't answer your questions, as I don't play Hero, but Loot has a 1-day sale on 5 Champions supplements ( See what's new at Loot! ).

And my understanding of Champions is that it's a setting/genre book - basically Hero is the rule system while Champions would be a specific implementation of those rules.

A d20 analogy might be the D&D = Hero and Forgotten Realms = Champions.

As I said, someone will be along shortly to correct me if I'm wrong.

As for DC Adventures, in some ways it's almost the same thing. DC Adventures and Mutants and Masterminds 3rd edition are mechanically the same game, but DCA stats out DC characters and gives you DC setting information, whereas M&M3 uses a setting invented by Green Ronin. Thus, if you were to pick up DCA, you could join in a M&M3 game being run in a non-DC universe and vice-versa.

Were you to decide to get into DCA/M&M3, one is not better than another - they're both pizza, just with different toppings.

Supers games are fundamentally up to user preference - what is it you're hoping to get out of a supers ruleset? How detailed do you want your rules - do you want very detailed writeups of your character or are you ok with a character sheet that could fit on a 3"x5" card?

And so on.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

HERO 6th- like all previous incarnations- requires very little in the way of actual books to play. In prior editions, you just needed the main book, in 6th, you need Volumes 1 & 2. For the most part, everything else is mainly for convenience and standardization. They'll stat things out you'd want to use a lot, saving you the time and trouble.

For 6th, currently,

1. I own: Vol 1 & 2; Adv. Players Guide; Martial Arts; Fantasy Hero; Star Hero; Bestiary
2. I want (at least): Villains 1 & 2; Powers; Grimoire; Beyond

 

[Bagpuss]

If you find 4th Edition then the hero rules and the champion rules are all in the one big blue book.

Since then they have split things up, and when you see just how split up it's no wonder they aren't doing well.

So you will need the Hero System 6th Edition, and Champions books. But the Hero System isn't even one book.

Hero System Vol 1 - Character Creation ($40)
Hero System Vol 2 - Combat and Adventuring ($40)

Then you'll want some Champions books, although which I have no idea, they run to about $30 each.

However there is the Hero System Basic Rulebook at $20, which is meant to contain information from Vol 1 and 2, but with none of the options, I've no idea how useful that is.

Seems to me the price to get into the system is way too high, as is the cost for old players to update hence you just aren't going to get new players.

 

[Bagpuss]

HERO 6th- like all previous incarnations- requires very little in the way of actual books to play. In prior editions, you just needed the main book, in 6th, you need Volumes 1 & 2.

Two $40 books (before you even have the setting) are hardly very little. It's kind of the problem D&D suffers from a bit.

 

[jimmifett]

The kind of game i'm looking to play would be for my kids who like City of Heroes. So, a small amount of time for character setup and a quick rule system for resolving things. Unfortunately, I think that rules out Gurps. Great system, but very fiddly.

 

[darjr]

I think that might rule out champions as well. I like HERO but I think it's as least as fiddly as GURPS, which I also like.

Maybe try ICONS or the free FASRIP clone, 4C?

 

[Voadam]

The kind of game i'm looking to play would be for my kids who like City of Heroes. So, a small amount of time for character setup and a quick rule system for resolving things. Unfortunately, I think that rules out Gurps. Great system, but very fiddly.

My understanding of Hero is that it is a super customizable point buy system. So expect a similar fiddlyness aspect to GURPS.

Mutants and Masterminds/DCA is a bit of a simplified d20 variant rules wise.

Icons is supposed to be even quicker than M&M.

 

[Croesus]

I think that might rule out champions as well. I like HERO but I think it's as least as fiddly as GURPS, which I also like.

Agreed, HERO is very, very flexible and plays well at the table, but requires a great deal of effort in character creation. I find the effort pays off, but I can easily understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea. Once characters have been created, I find the system much easier to run than 3.x - very standardized rules, with many fewer fiddly bits.

If you're still wanting to explore HERO, just pick up the 6E basic rulebook. I have it and the two core books and frankly, you could have a very enjoyable game system just using the basic book. Long time HERO experts will want all the extras in the core books, but they're not absolutely necessary for using the system.

In fact, if I ever get my players to try out 6E (we used to run a lot of 5E, back when we had more time), I'll just hand them the basic rulebook, and if they have something specfic that isn't in there, we'll pull out the core books. Easier all around.

Lastly, HERO has character building software available. I think it's around $25, which isn't bad for a program that significantly simplifies character creation. The price covers all patches for one year, and the program continues to work thereafter (in other words, it's not a subscription fee, that's the purchase price). Given that I don't expect any more patches, effectively you're getting the final product for $25.

 

[enrious]

The kind of game i'm looking to play would be for my kids who like City of Heroes. So, a small amount of time for character setup and a quick rule system for resolving things. Unfortunately, I think that rules out Gurps. Great system, but very fiddly.

Let me also recommend ICONS - and if you go with ICONS, I can talk to you about my City of Heroes conversion for ICONS that was done as an intro system for some new players (but who knew City).

It fits on one or two pages, IIRC.