HERO System Martial Arts

[Steve Long]

Here's our back-cover text for HSMA:


MASTER THE FIGHTING ARTS!

Can your kung fu beat your enemy’s kung fu? It can if you’ve got HERO System Martial Arts! A comprehensive guide to martial arts in the HERO System, HSMA is filled with information and rules about every aspect of the martial arts. It’s got everything you need to create and play a martial artist character in any campaign, genre, time period, or setting. It includes:

—Information about, and HERO System rules for, over 160 real-world martial arts styles and variants, plus numerous fictional styles

—Over 200 special abilities for martial artists

—An expanded list of Martial Maneuvers, plus rules for creating your own martial arts maneuvers and styles

—Rules for martial artist character creation

—Additional hand-to-hand combat rules for the HERO System

—Over 130 martial arts weapons

—A thorough look at the Martial Arts genre, with details on subgenres, character types, gamemastering, and more

Get ready to learn the secret techniques of the master warriors with HERO System Martial Arts!


DOJHERO1005
978-1-58366-124-6
$29.99

[yamamura]

Looks great Steve. I am so buying this.

[Susano]

Yeah, so am... oh, wait... ^_^

[kahuna's bro]

i'm going to get a copy

[gabriel17]

From the description sound like Ninja Hero for 4th (the content of NH 5th + UMA ampliated and updated for HS 6th), I mean this will count even as a genre book?
(Sorry if the grammar suck, English isn't my native language :o)

[Susano]

I believe the intent is for HSMA, along with the Bestiary and the Vehicle book (among others), to become one of the "core books" central to the 6E rules set.

Steve will probably be along presently to explain it greater detail. ^_^

[Steve Long]

From the description sound like Ninja Hero for 4th (the content of NH 5th + UMA ampliated and updated for HS 6th), I mean this will count even as a genre book?

It does cover the genre to some extent, but I wouldn't really refer to it as a "genre book." I think of it more simply as a HERO System Core Library supplement. The exact terminology really doesn't matter, though, as long as you enjoy the contents. ;)

[digimod]

Is it hard or soft bound?

[kahuna's bro]

i'd say soft bound

[kahuna's bro]

i was wondering why did they break with tradition and abandon the NINJA HERO title?

[yamamura]

Well Ninja HERO makes one think that the game is centered around ninja/shinobi. But Martial Arts is a very wide field and so a title that implies a greater range. That is just my opinion. Also I suspect Steve aligning himself with pirates in the internet meme.

[EvilDrPuma]

The short answer is, because all of the core library supplements (will) be titled "HERO System _____." Presumably this is for ready identification and a unifying theme across the key universal rules supplements.

[kahuna's bro]

Well Ninja HERO makes one think that the game is centered around ninja/shinobi. But Martial Arts is a very wide field and so a title that implies a greater range. That is just my opinion. Also I suspect Steve aligning himself with pirates in the internet meme.
also since the books a COMBINATIONof NHand UMA the name change was justified

[Escafarc]

Of course everyone knows that Pirates are cooler than Ninjas!(Mr. O'Flynne! Hoist the Jolly Roger and run out the guns! Stand-by to repel boarders!)

[Susano]

What about ninja-pirates?

[Escafarc]

To quote Worf "We don't talk about them."

[jkmorrisx1]

Hey the HSMA PDF download is over 49 Megabytes. Can you shrink it down some???

[teh bunneh]

Yep. I sent a new, smaller version to Jason over the weekend. I'm sure he'll be putting it up on the store in a couple days.

[Escafarc]

To quote Worf "We don't talk about them."

We also claim plausible deniability for singing pirates:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxUf2YZHRps

[Susano]

I have the PDF of HSMA and oh boy does it look nice!

[Lord Liaden]

i was wondering why did they break with tradition and abandon the NINJA HERO title?

I remember Steve Long posting remarks to the effect that he was tired of hearing complaints from people that they couldn't tell what the contents of some Fifth Edition books were from the titles. So for Sixth Edition he's eschewing clever and catchy in favor of titles which, if I remember his words correctly, are so clear "a baboon could understand them." Which, considering some of the gamers we've all come across, is probably appropriate. :rolleyes:

[Psistrike]

Yep. I sent a new, smaller version to Jason over the weekend. I'm sure he'll be putting it up on the store in a couple days.
The new, smaller version of the PDF is up. From 47.9 MB to 16.6 MB. Great Job to both bunneh and Jason for fixing it so quickly.

[Steve Long]

To respond quickly to a couple of questions:

1. HSMA is a softcover, b&w book.

2. We didn't title this book "Ninja Hero" because that title would be inappropriate. "Ninja Hero" is a genre -- our term for games simulating the Martial Arts as a genre, in other words -- but HSMA goes well beyond mere genre considerations by including the sort of material that appeared in UMA prior to now. HSMA does use the term "Ninja Hero" in its text when referring to the Martial Arts as a genre, and other HERO System books will as well.

And then there's that whole "baboon understanding" thing Lord Liaden mentions. ;)

[Wizard]

Just downloaded the HSMA PDF and had a quick look inside. Looks great, lots of juicy info. Can't wait to get some time to give it a good read. Well done!

The only thing I don't like is that it looks naked. Yeap, put it in the same directory with the other HS6 PDFs and it doesn't fit in. Every other PDF is colorful while HSMA is just black and white. I imagine the cover was not put on to make it smaller, but for me I rather have the extra size and a nice colorful cover.

[hawkfu]

Sorry if I missed this posted some where else, but any idea when HERO System Martial Arts will be released in Hero Designer format? Thanks.

wlg

[Steve Long]

It's already available as a Hero Designer Character Pack, or should be. If you still can't find it, please post again.

[hawkfu]

Thanks for the attention. Under 6E ED rule books there is a listing for the book, the PDF, and the bundle book + PDF - I don't see any hero designer listed.
Searching Hero Designer I only see the old book listed.

wlg

[Derek Hiemforth]

Yep, even if you list all items of every type, it doesn't show a HSMA character pack in the store...

[steriaca]

2. We didn't title this book "Ninja Hero" because that title would be inappropriate. "Ninja Hero" is a genre -- our term for games simulating the Martial Arts as a genre, in other words -- but HSMA goes well beyond mere genre considerations by including the sort of material that appeared in UMA prior to now. HSMA does use the term "Ninja Hero" in its text when referring to the Martial Arts as a genre, and other HERO System books will as well.

So true, boss man. And I am so shure our own Susano will grace us with a Ninja Hero 3rd Edition soonish. And since the 3rd edition dosen't have a thread yet (since Steve dosen't have Susano's manuscript cause he simply dosen't work that fast), hear is a list of things I want to see in Ninja Hero 3rd Edition.
1) A timeline of Chinies, Koreian, and Japanies history.
2) A few notes of culture and las in the anchient oriental world.
3) A section of the Japanies Bushi Samura, and there culture (Bushi means Warrior, by the way. Not all Samuri were Bushi.)
4) A "You Got To Have Charater" section with such famous martial artest like Wong Fei-Hung, San Ta, Jubie Yaguri(sp?), "Hanzo Hitori" (a generic name of a well skilled ninja, I am shure Susano can put stats to him with ease), Amoxcra Shiro Tosumgo(sp?) (the Cristian Samuri who rebelled agenst Japan and was killed), ect, ect, ect.
5) A brefe history of the Shaolin Temple, and a brefe listing of infamous monks from the temple.

Well, thanks for hearing me out.

Stanley R. Teriaca, unesquier.

[Susano]

So true, boss man. And I am so shure our own Susano will grace us with a Ninja Hero 3rd Edition soonish. And since the 3rd edition dosen't have a thread yet (since Steve dosen't have Susano's manuscript cause he simply dosen't work that fast), hear is a list of things I want to see in Ninja Hero 3rd Edition.
1) A timeline of Chinies, Koreian, and Japanies history.
2) A few notes of culture and las in the anchient oriental world.
3) A section of the Japanies Bushi Samura, and there culture (Bushi means Warrior, by the way. Not all Samuri were Bushi.)
4) A "You Got To Have Charater" section with such famous martial artest like Wong Fei-Hung, San Ta, Jubie Yaguri(sp?), "Hanzo Hitori" (a generic name of a well skilled ninja, I am shure Susano can put stats to him with ease), Amoxcra Shiro Tosumgo(sp?) (the Cristian Samuri who rebelled agenst Japan and was killed), ect, ect, ect.
5) A brefe history of the Shaolin Temple, and a brefe listing of infamous monks from the temple.

Well, thanks for hearing me out.

Stanley R. Teriaca, unesquier.

What you're describing isn't Ninja Hero 3rd Edition. For starters, it would be 6th Edition, since it would be written for Hero 6E. Second, Ninja Hero is now part of HSMA, so it won't be a stand-along book. Third, Ninja Hero refers to martial arts campaigning in general, not just Asian-based games. So your Ninja Hero game could range from the Three Musketeers to the Seven Samurai. Finally, you're asking for what really boils down to something like "Asian Warrior Hero," which is probably not something Steve will write due to (IMO) a lack of market value to make the time and effort to create such as book worth his while.

Some of what you're asking for is in HSMA. There's a section on samurai and discussion is had of the Shaolin Temple.

As for the rest... I'd love to #4. I could even start with all of the NPCs I did for NH for 5E and all of the characters I submitted to Digital Hero. Oh, and one of those was Wong Fei-Hong.

[WarriorKnight]

We also claim plausible deniability for singing pirates:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxUf2YZHRps

Thats so wrong.:eg:

[dmjalund]

Next: Pirates of the Caribbean, the Musical

[Steve Long]

And I am so shure our own Susano will grace us with a Ninja Hero 3rd Edition soonish.

I'm afraid you're wrong. We have no plans to do a new edition of NH for 6E. All the stuff from NH that I think needed to be kept in print is in HSMA.

[Reality]

Reading through the book now. It looks fantastic.

I have found something, though. In Chapter 2, I don't see a description for EXERT under Basis and Element Descriptions. Could you post that description? Could you point out an existing Maneuver that uses EXERT?

Thanks!

[Steve Long]

Exert doesn't need any additional description. Any Maneuver you see that's built using STR to do something other than cause damage -- such as Grabs, Disarms, and the like -- is built using Exert. The one-line description on HSMA 93 is pretty much all I have to say on the subject. ;)

[Escafarc]

Yeah, we wouldn't want to over-exert ourselves now would....oh I see......very funny:D

[Uncle Kudzu]

Just bought a copy of this last night...looks great!

[Michael Hopcroft]

Got the PDF today (and I hope I haven't fouled up my checking account to do it). Tons of good stuff, but awfully big -- if I want a hardcopy, I should probably buy a copy locally rather than try and print my own as I do on smaller books.

Very nice job, with lots of crunchy Hero goodness. I approve.

[freykin]

I picked this book up on a whim last week at my FLGS, and I have to say this is the best supplement for any game that I have ever purchased. It's full of so much useful information, and has now inspired me to develop a game set in the Three Kingdoms time period in China. Thanks for creating such a great book, I am definitely buying more in the future!

[Narf the Mouse]

I bought the character pack - Liking it, so far. A few minor problems I've noticed, browsing through the Realistic Martial Arts abilities in the HD pack...

1) Iajutsu: Fast Draw: Common Melee eapons

2) Both I've Taken Your Measure and Weaker Measure are 2d6; in fact, I couldn't find a difference between them.

3) Mirror Strike and Weak Mirror Strike both have the same stats, as well.

I'll be buying the book when I have the money. :)

[kahuna's bro]

I bought the character pack - Liking it, so far. A few minor problems I've noticed, browsing through the Realistic Martial Arts abilities in the HD pack...

1) Iajutsu: Fast Draw: Common Melee eapons

2) Both I've Taken Your Measure and Weaker Measure are 2d6; in fact, I couldn't find a difference between them.

typographical error in the book?

[Narf the Mouse]

typographical error in the book?
I don't know if it's in the book; I don't have the book.

[ghost-angel]

I bought the character pack - Liking it, so far. A few minor problems I've noticed, browsing through the Realistic Martial Arts abilities in the HD pack...

1) Iajutsu: Fast Draw: Common Melee eapons

2) Both I've Taken Your Measure and Weaker Measure are 2d6; in fact, I couldn't find a difference between them.

3) Mirror Strike and Weak Mirror Strike both have the same stats, as well.

I'll be buying the book when I have the money. :)

Errors in the Character Pack only. The book has correct spelling and differing values respectively.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Has Hero ever issued corrected versions of character packs and offered them to purchasers of the originals?

[ghost-angel]

I don't think so. Not that it isn't difficult to correct them yourself and save the corrected files.. they are read/write after all.

[Michael Hopcroft]

So, on a related note, remind me to ask when we'll bee a Charatcer Pack for Champions Powers. I know it's a lot of work, and that it'll be expensive, but IMHO it would be worth it.

[Susano]

So, on a related note, remind me to ask when we'll bee a Charatcer Pack for Champions Powers. I know it's a lot of work, and that it'll be expensive, but IMHO it would be worth it.

We're working on it.

[Michael Hopcroft]

We're working on it.

Thanks! It's on my list, even though I don't have the book yet.

[randian]

The new, smaller version of the PDF is up. From 47.9 MB to 16.6 MB. Great Job to both bunneh and Jason for fixing it so quickly.
Any chance of getting the bigger version? PDF compression always comes at a price (visibly downgraded image quality, especially when viewed at higher magnification) and hard disk space is obscenely cheap these days.

[randian]

Every other PDF is colorful while HSMA is just black and white. I imagine the cover was not put on to make it smaller, but for me I rather have the extra size and a nice colorful cover.
I second this motion.

[purple justice]

I have a question.
I see the book on my shop. But the price is too expensive. It costs 28,60€. ( for a $29,99's book !! )
For this huge price, I get HSMA at once.
In other side I can buy it from the website but when will it arrive ?

[Michael Hopcroft]

Have you considered buying the PDF? It doesn't need to be shipped -- you just download it from anywhere in the world the law allows.

[AndyStaples]

I have a question.
I see the book on my shop. But the price is too expensive. It costs 28,60€. ( for a $29,99's book !! )
For this huge price, I get HSMA at once.
In other side I can buy it from the website but when will it arrive ?

I find it fairly quick - a couple of weeks usually, sometimes 3 weeks.

Of course, I don't have a local game shop to support, so my only option is online ordering.

I also like to order the PDFs as a bundle with the printed book, so I can carry Hero in my laptop.

[Opale]

I have a question.
I see the book on my shop. But the price is too expensive. It costs 28,60€. ( for a $29,99's book !! )
For this huge price, I get HSMA at once.
In other side I can buy it from the website but when will it arrive ?

Bonjour PJ, apparemment tu as des questions concernant tout un tas de choses sur la game Hero Games.
Ca fait un petit moment que je ne me suis pas tenue au courant, mais je peux essayer de te renseigner, au cas où la langue anglaise soit une barrière.
Contactes moi

[mrotton]

Is this book due for a reprint anytime soon? I'd like to pick up a copy but it's getting hard to find.

[Kaze9999]

Has Hero ever issued corrected versions of character packs and offered them to purchasers of the originals?

Yes! Usually--in my experience--corrections are unheralded and realized by downloading again from the original purchase link.

[Steve Long]

Is this book due for a reprint anytime soon? I'd like to pick up a copy but it's getting hard to find.

We don't have a specific date for you, but we do intend to reprint HSMA as soon as feasible.