Hero System 3rd Party Products

[TheQuestionMan]

Greetings Herophiles, recently a forum member stated that DOJ possessed a monopoly on Hero Games products and I collected this for them. Have I left anything out?

FIFTH EDITION
The Algernon Files 2E by Blackwyrm Games (Champions)
http://www.blackwyrm.com/Products.htm

The Fires of War: The Algernon Files, Vol.2 by Blackwyrm Games (Champions)
http://www.blackwyrm.com/Products.htm

Gestalt: The Hero Within by Blackwyrm Games (Champions)
http://www.blackwyrm.com/Gestalt.htm

Omlevex by Spectrum Games (Champions)
http://www.spectrum-games.com/omlevex/index1.html

Reality Storm: When Worlds Collide by HERO Games & Guardians of Order (Champions)
https://www.herogames.com/viewItem.htm?itemID=184559

The Kandris Seal by Hartfelt Productions (Champions/Fantasy Hero)
http://www.hartfeltproductions.com/tks.html

The Last Dominion by Pencil Publishers Publications (Fantasy Hero)
http://www.pencil-pushers.net/

The Echoes of Heaven/The Throne of God by Final Redoubt Press (Fantasy Hero)
http://www.finalredoubt.com/

The Last Free City/The Festering Earth by Final Redoubt Press (Fantasy Hero)
http://www.finalredoubt.com/

The Lost Kingdom of the Dwarves/On Corrupted Ground by Final Redoubt Press (Fantasy Hero)
http://www.finalredoubt.com/

Bestiary/The Tainted Tears by Final Redoubt Press (Fantasy Hero)
http://www.finalredoubt.com/

In His Name/The Last Hallowed Place by Final Redoubt Press (Fantasy Hero)
http://www.finalredoubt.com/

The Burning Tree by Final Redoubt Press by Final Redoubt Press (Fantasy Hero)
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=50209&SRC=Newsletter

Traveler Hero by Comstar Games
http://www.comstar-games.com/csg-store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=24

World Not Known by Misfit Studios (Champions/Dark Champions) (Indefinitely Delayed)
http://www.misfit-studios.com/wnk/

Kamarathin: The Kingdom of Tursh by D3 Games Fantasy Hero/HERO System (In Development)
http://www.d-3games.com/

The Fantasy Codex (Spell and Creature Collection) by Kestrel Arts
http://www.kestrelarts.com/catalog.html

The Lost Castle (Adventure) by Kestrel Arts (Fantasy Hero)
http://www.kestrelarts.com/catalog.html

Elenthar's Tower (Adventure) by Kestrel Arts (Fantasy Hero)
http://www.kestrelarts.com/catalog.html

Dragon's Gate: San Angelo's Chinatown by Gold Rush Games (Champions/Dark Champions)
http://www.goldrushgames.com/dgsac.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------

FOURTH EDITION
San Angelo: City of Heroes by Gold Rush Games (Champions)
http://www.goldrushgames.com/

Enemies of San Angelo by Gold Rush Games (Champions)
http://www.goldrushgames.com/

Denziens of San Angelo by Gold Rush Games (Champions)
http://www.goldrushgames.com/

Blood Fury by Atlas Games (Champions)
http://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG3510.php

Dystopia by Atlas Games (Champions)
http://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG3500.php

Foxbat Unhinged by Atlas Games (Champions)
http://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG3505.php


Cheers


QM

[voodoo54]

Looks good to me!

I was wondering if anybody out there on these boards owns Omlevex. This title has been out for three or four years now and I haven't found any reviews or comments good or bad from any HERO players. The silver age is by far my favorite setting for supers and was wondering if this was worth getting or don't bother.

[TheQuestionMan]

[Review] Omlevex - RPGNet
http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/10/10192.phtml


Cheers


QM

[voodoo54]

Yea, I read this review, I was just wondering if anybody on these boards had it and what they thought of it.

[ghost-angel]

I have it.
I've tried to read it.
But the watermark on the pages makes that nearly impossible. My only opinion of it is that the layout is so bad I can't read it and tell you how good the product actually is. At some point I'll sit down and make a serious effort on the thing.

[Lord Mhoram]

Yea, I read this review, I was just wondering if anybody on these boards had it and what they thought of it.

I really enjoyed the setting. I had no difficulty reading it, which is unusual because watermarks usually kill my ability to do so. The conceit is that it is a "licensed source book" of comics of the Omlevex line - so it presents the character when they first appeared in the comics and that sort of thing.

Interesting world, but the character writeups are in the "short form, and are not all that well done.

I would say if you can find it on discount snap that sucker up.

[ghost-angel]

I payed 1$ for my copy. plus 5$ shipping or something. Either way, overall a decently cheap purchase for the thing.

[TheQuestionMan]

You got a bad copy G-A


Wish you lived around here I could loan you a copy.


QM

[ghost-angel]

You got a bad copy G-A


Wish you lived around here I could loan you a copy.


QM

No, I've found another copy in my FLGA to compare. The watermark on the entire page is the bad part. The print itself is just fine.

It's just fecking unreadable design.

[TheQuestionMan]

Strange I did not find it so...


Hmmm... weird, it is more readable than GURPS 4e books. No glossy pages...


QM


P.S.: Nice to see yah Posting G-A

[mayapuppies]

Well, D3 Games has entered negotiations to license Fantasy Hero/HERO System for Kamarathin: The Kingdom of Tursh.

If it all goes well, I'll have a press release available and the company site up and running.

Wish us luck.

[TheQuestionMan]

Added Kamarathin: The Kingdom of Tursh by D3 Games Fantasy Hero/HERO System
http://www.fatkatgames.com/forum/


Thanks mayapuppies


QM

[mayapuppies]

Heh, I believe I should be thanking you. But, right now we're only at the discussion stage. No contracts have been signed just yet.

I just want to be perfectly clear on that last part, I don't want to give the impression that D3 and Hero are in bed together...They've only just accepted the dinner date.

;)

[voodoo54]

Watermarks? Is that were the letters are on top of pictures making it annoying to impossible to read. Anyway it sounds like it's a good supplement if you don't pay full price, is that a good assessment?

[Lord Liaden]

There are also three products for HERO fantasy published under license by Kestrel Arts (http://www.kestrelarts.com/catalog.html): The Fantasy Codex (spell and creature collection), and two adventures, The Lost Castle and Elenthar's Tower. Click on the book illustrations on the linked KA webpage to go to where you can purchase them.

[TheQuestionMan]

Thanks LL, Updated and Revised.


Any Reviews for said products?


QM

[Publius]

No, I've found another copy in my FLGA to compare. The watermark on the entire page is the bad part. The print itself is just fine.

It's just fecking unreadable design.Agreed in general (cannot say about this specific book). There is so much bad layout design out there it is not funny, and I am not speaking HERO here. I have not picked up a great deal of the HERO 3rd party stuff, but where I have -- such as the Algernon Files, I have not really run into the problem. I liked Algernon's layout.

So the rrest of my rant pertains to layouts outside of 3rd party HERO material. Rocketship Empires for example is a neat setting and all but the layout -- yech. The book has some black reversed print pages, which are sort of okay in the abstract but when you pile them on (two page layouts with nice maps by Keith Curtis -- nice job Keith!), it makes the pdf tougher to print out. And the background of the pages is a light grey which means that you're using a heck of a lot of ink/toner, plus all of that gobletygok all over the tops and bottoms of the pages.

And don't get me started on Widows and Orphans or realllly bad layout jobs that look like a printed Word Document rather than a professional layout job. Recently, I picked up one of Basic Roleplaying's settings and was frankly horrified enough to contemplate sending the author a note that I would be very happy to re-do the layout free of charge. No real way to make that sound nice though, so I didn't.

Myself, I prefer a nice clean layout when I do them, such as: simple over cluttered in general; fonts which are both appropriate and selected for maximum reading ease; a final product that can print out nicely in black and white as well as Colo (Serenity RPG I am looking at you). But that may not be what is sellable at this point given the state of the market. Maybe Buyers want books to look like Mickey Mouse threw up on the page, with color everywhere whether it needs it or not; or they enjoy tragic choices like watermarks that look very cool but render the whole text unreadable etc. I shudder to think.

[starblaze]

Don't forget that Atlas Games came out with two adventures for 4th Edition Hero. One about Foxbat and another about Mechanon.

[Lord Mhoram]

Don't forget that Atlas Games came out with two adventures for 4th Edition Hero. One about Foxbat and another about Mechanon.

Three - Dystopia, Foxbat Unhinged, and Blood Fury

[TheQuestionMan]

Added Dystopia, Foxbat Unhinged, and Blood Fury by Atlas Games

Blood Fury by Atlas Games
http://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG3510.php

Dystopia by Atlas Games
http://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG3500.php

Foxbat Unhinged by Atlas Games
http://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG3505.php


Thanks Folks... REPPED!!!


QM

[Lord Liaden]

Well, Fourth Edition material is a whole different category. IMO people reading this list should know when something isn't for Fifth Edition, in case that matters to them. If you were going to list that stuff you'd need to include all the other licensed books by Gold Rush Games: Heroic Adventures I and II, San Angelo: City of Heroes, Enemies of San Angelo, and Denizens of San Angelo.

How far back did you want to go? Do you want to note all the pre-4E stuff too, by Steve Jackson Games, Firebird Ltd., Chaosium, and Flying Buffalo?

[TheQuestionMan]

Come on LL, you know me by now?

Spill it

QM

[Lord Liaden]

Come on LL, you know me by now?

Spill it

QM

http://rhinobunny.com/derek/champions/herogameslist.html

Derek Hiemforth already spilled it. You just have to mop it up. :eg:

[ghost-angel]

IMO - there should be a separate thread for 4th Ed. Material and 5th Ed. Material.

[Egyptoid]

IMO - there should be a separate thread for 4th Ed. Material and 5th Ed. Material.


I agree, or at least specify with sections

[Lord Mhoram]

I agree, or at least specify with sections

I agree as well.

[TheQuestionMan]

FIFTH and FOURTH EDITIONS separated

Kampai

QM

[Lord Liaden]

Just noticed that you have The Dragon's Gate from GRG listed as a Fourth Edition book. It's actually for 5E. :)

[TheQuestionMan]

Fixed

Hmmm...

QM

[ghost-angel]

You list Reality Storm as a GOO product - which is partially true in a sense; but it's also a Hero Games product and since GOO is gone you could point the URL right to the Hero Games Store.

[Lord Liaden]

Good point. Hero Games is actually the publisher of Reality Storm, even though it was a collaborative effort with Guardians of Order. And it's still available from the online store here.

[TheQuestionMan]

Reality Storm: When Worlds Collide by HERO Games

Oops!

QM

[ghost-angel]

That's only because Steve forgot to make a Thread for it in this forum - it's still in the store though. I'll bug him about it at some point.

[TheQuestionMan]

That's only because Steve forgot to make a Thread for it in this forum - it's still in the store though. I'll bug him about it at some point.
There is no Link at the Store.

I checked

QM

[Lord Liaden]

There is no Link at the Store.

I checked

QM

https://www.herogames.com/viewItem.htm?itemID=184559

[TheQuestionMan]

Thanks

blushes

QM

[Derek Hiemforth]

FYI, I've just done an update of my Big List O' Hero (http://rhinobunny.com/derek/hero/herogameslist.html). Products have been added from DOJ/Hero Games, ComStar Games (Traveller Hero), and Kestrel Enterprises (Christopher Taylor's Fantasy HERO support books). Also, the list has been re-arranged a bit to make the flow at least logical, if still ugly. ;)

Also, a few FYIs for TQM on his excellent resource in this thread... It looks like the Change The World project may be completely defunct, as the domain "scottfreepress.com" doesn't even exist anymore.
The "In His Name/The Last Hallowed Place sourcebook/adventure combo from Final Redoubt hasn't been released yet.
The "Elenthar's Tower" adventure from Kestrel either hasn't been released yet or is no longer available. Clicking the link for it from the kestrelarts.com web site takes you to a Lulu page that says the item can't be found.
BeautifulHarmony Multimedia has also released two 5th Edition adventures... Rescue At Karadonna (for Star Hero) and Chasing A Golden Buck (for Fantasy Hero). Strangely though, they're not for sale on rpgnow.com with BHM's other products, and they're not listed on BHM's website. They're (apparently) only available here through the Hero Games online store...