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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Galfridus" data-source="post: 142208" data-attributes="member: 119">Hm, here goes:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Hero System is the most complex system for character creation. You can do (more or less) whatever you want, but you pay for that by having to figure the point costs yourself. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> 3E has the easiest character creation, and GURPS falls between the two.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Hero System combat is, IMO, about as complex as 3E combat. The rules are different, of course, so at first it will be slower, but once you get the hang of it it should be about the same.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Hero System combat does run a lot slower than 3E combat; in my experience, you could get one big fight or 2-3 small fights per session.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> The flexibility of the system cannot be underestimated. It's the closest thing to a complete meta-system I've ever seen. If you want to build a spell (for example) that damages people by having large spiders erupt out of their skin and start biting them, no problem. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> There are no levels; a starting character could (if you wanted) have the equivalent of 20 ranks in a skill. Experienced characters don't necessarily have any more "hit points" than starting characters.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> The largest drawback for Hero is it's lack of "common ground": spells, monsters, campaign worlds, etc. With 3E, you can start a game knowing that everyone is familiar with Fireballs, dragons, Decks of Many Things, etc. You don't get that in Hero; you have to make it yourself. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> By default, Hero fantasy is deadlier than 3E: there's hit location, and hit points are more realistic, so death is always a possibility. It would be easy to make a campaign more like a supers game, where people tend to be knocked out before being killed, just by setting ground rules for what defenses people should have. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Because Hero is flexible, the GM has to stay alert during character creation to make sure the characters fit with what he wants for his campaign. It's easy to make inappropriate characters, and only a bit less easy to make inappropriate characters that look appropriate at first glance. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> In 3E, most of the balance issues are handled for you: you just have to decide what optional feats/classes/spells/etc. you want to allow.</li> </ul>I love the Hero System. I have run many fantasy campaigns using it (and BTW, you can run one just fine with the main rulebook only; Fantasy Hero is nice, but there are no rules that you need from it, as long as they still put the weapon list in the main book) and plan to do so in the future. The main reason I switched to 3E for my current campaign is that I moved to a place where there are few Hero players. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f641.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":(" title="Frown    :("  data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" />I've run the following genres with Hero: supers (four-color and "gritty"), western/Highlander crossover, fantasy, modern-day psi, Running Man-style arena combat, and space. IMO, if you have a completely homegrown world (custom magic system and all), Hero is the best system to use. If you are looking to run a sourcebook-based campaign, it might not be your best bet.</blockquote>

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