WHen did The Hero system first

[thaeldes]

When did the hero system first come out?

[pawsplay]

That depends on what you mean.

- Champions?
- The first HERO-like game?
- Fantasy HERO, probably the first modern HERO variant?
- The first standalone HERO rulebook?

[Thia Halmades]

1981, I think, is the official launch date of the original CHAMPIONS game. But don't quote me on that.

[BobGreenwade]

1981, I think, is the official launch date of the original CHAMPIONS game. But don't quote me on that.You are correct, sir! :)

[Thia Halmades]

You are correct, sir! :)

Go me!

[Opal]

The original Champions! came out in 1980 or 81, from 'Hero Games.' It was followed by other games using similar systems: Justice Inc and Espionage. Then they put out Fantasy Hero. By that time, Chaosium has labeled the common mechanics of RuneQuest and Call of Cthulhu a "system" called "Basic Role Playing." Hero started refering to the common threads of thier games as the Hero System sometime after that. Arround the time GURPS came out, IIRC ('86?). (And this is all based on personal recollection).

It wasn't until 4th Edition (the BBB came out in '89, I think) that Hero published a sepparate 'Hero System Rules Book,' that was decoupled from the Champions! game. But, even then, Champions! 4th ed was published /before/ the HSR.

Ten or so years later, the 5th Edition (FRED) was published with Champions! published as a genre book, and you could finally say that the Hero System, itself, was the flagship Hero Games product.

[thaeldes]

Thank you all very much me and a co worker were arguing about when hero system had a first game and he tried to tell me that GURPS came out first.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Check out this thread (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46472) for more details. :)

[Opal]

Thank you all very much me and a co worker were arguing about when hero system had a first game and he tried to tell me that GURPS came out first.The first edition of GURPS credited Champions as one of it's inspirations.

[Steve Long]

As a quick addendum to Derek's fine history, I note that my boxed set of JUSTICE INC., dated 1984, uses the term "HERO System(tm)" on the back.

[Chris Goodwin]

Okay, here's a trivia question: does anyone know when it was first referred to as the Hero System? My copy of third edition Champions says something like: "Champions: the Super Roleplaying Game is Hero Games' superhero roleplaying game using the Hero System". Does anybody know if the earlier books used similar verbiage (or has them and can check)?

Edit: Dang, too slow! :) Does anyone know if it appears prior to Justice, Inc.?

[Derek Hiemforth]

The "Hero System" phrase appears on Espionage!. I think its very first appearances are in Adventurer's Club, leading up to the release of Espionage!

[lemming]

Derek probably has all that stuff easy to find...

Though just to note, GURPS as a predecessor had Fantasy Trip which had some inklings of what hexes and char point costs could have. It's what got me to pick up Champions quickly.

[Opal]

Yeah, GURPS's debt to TFT (Wizard & Melee) was obvious in it's very small number of stats, for instance. I never got around to playing TFT, so I didn't realize it's 'areas' were hexes like the GURPS 'people tubes.'

[aylwin13]

GURPS is a direct descendant of TFT (which grew out of the Microgames Melee and Wizard, all designed by Steve Jackson). That is why they are all extremely alike.

[Vestnik]

The Hero System has always been part of the bedrock of reality. However, it was only dictated to wise men by angels back in 1981.

[Killer Shrike]

The Hero System has always been part of the bedrock of reality. However, it was only dictated to wise men by angels back in 1981.

Too true, too true.

[Tech]

I'm glad this thread is here. I had a question I was going to post and now, it can go here. I know about 1981 since I still have a copy of the original 1st edition. However, my question goes even deeper...

exactly when did it first come out in 1981? If an exact date isn't known, what about the month? This Champions veteran wants to know. :cool:

[Derek Hiemforth]

It was released at the 1981 Origins Game Fair, which was held in San Mateo, CA that year. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the exact dates of the convention in 1981. But (at least since 1986) Origins has always been held in late June/early July. Is that specific enough to be helpful?

[thaeldes]

Yes quite thank you all i was trying to prove that this came out prior to GURPS.

Hero has changed my life

[Nolgroth]

Hero has changed my lifeYes friend, another testi-monial to the Power of HERO! Praise the Heroman!

[Dust Raven]

Yes quite thank you all i was trying to prove that this came out prior to GURPS.

Hero has changed my life

Yes, as it has changed Steve Jackon's life. :doi:

[Derek Hiemforth]

Yes quite thank you all i was trying to prove that this came out prior to GURPS.Umm... Steve Jackson acknowledges Champions as an important influence on GURPS in the GURPS introduction. How could Champions not have come first? :confused:

[lemming]

Umm... Steve Jackson acknowledges Champions as an important influence on GURPS in the GURPS introduction. How could Champions not have come first? :confused:

That's why they had the GURPS Time Travel line...

[thaeldes]

Oh yes, and to note, the one who saved me and brought Hero to my eyes is known as courtfool on the forums.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Excellent! The llama did something useful for once. We'll let him live a while longer, then. :D

[BNakagawa]

Pacific Origins: July 3-5 1981

Just found my program - the one with Fineous Fingers on it.

I didn't pre-register, and neither did JD Ward, the guy who drew that comic for the Dragon magazine back in the day. Guess who I ended up in line behind?


As for which came first, I suppose it depends on semantics.

The first game that might have been actually labeled Hero System did not come in 1981, the earliest product I have seen Hero System printed on is the third edition, circa 1984. GURPS was first published in 1986, according to wikipedia. Man to Man, the hand to hand combat rules for GURPS was published a year earlier. The Fantasy Trip was published in 1980, the microgames Melee and Wizard were published some time before that.

So, if you include the first published game that contributed directly to GURPS, then GURPS predated the Hero system. Any reasonable definition will come to a different conclusion.

[Lord Mhoram]

Hero has changed my life

I can say thought without humor. I met my wife because I moved in the area looking for a Champs game (in '85), and she was the GM. :)

If it hadn't been for Hero I never would have met my wife.


And I have a first ed of GURPS, the one that credits Champions.

[Enforcer84]

Go me!
and take me with you!

wait....that's not right...

[JmOz]

I can say thought without humor. I met my wife because I moved in the area looking for a Champs game (in '85), and she was the GM. :)

If it hadn't been for Hero I never would have met my wife.


And I have a first ed of GURPS, the one that credits Champions.

My copy of 3rd edition still thanked Hero