Howdy

[egomann]

Hello Everyone.

I am new to these boards, but have been lurking for a little bit. I am thinking about switching our game to Fantasy Hero from another system that I am becoming tired of (no names, not 3E). I have not played any Hero system games since 2nd Edition Champoins, so if anyone can help me understand what I need to know to play/run Fantasy Hero I would appreicate it. Thanks.

Tony

[Steve Long]

Sure thing, Tony. Hopefully we can convince you to convert; you won't regret it!

I'll let your fellow fans do most of the talking, but I thought I'd post a few points about books you need:

1. HERO System 5th Edition core rulebook: In the most absolute sense, this is all you need. You can do everything Fantasy out of this book, though it will mean some work on your part. Since you're already familiar with the HERO System from earlier experiences with Champions, grasping the current incarnation of the rules shouldn't take you too much time.

2. Fantasy Hero: FH is one of our "genre books" -- books that discuss/describe a genre for gaming, and explain how to simulate various genre conventions, bits, and elements using the HERO System rules. It's not necessary, strictly speaking, but you'll find it to be a big help.

3. Sourcebooks: To save you work, we've got three books that are out, or soon to be out. First, The HERO System Bestiary has nearly 200 creatures and bestial monsters, most useful for any Fantasy game. Second, The Fantasy Hero Grimoire, which should ship to stores later this week, has thousands of pre-generated spells for you to use -- saves you the trouble of creating your own magic system and spells from scratch. Third, Monsters, Minions, And Marauders, due to be published in late October, fills in any gaps in the HSB, including primarily all sorts of humanoid monsters (orcs, trolls, giants, and so on).

We're also in the process of playtesting Hero System SIDEKICK, "quick-play"/"easy-learning" rules for the HERO System -- the same as the main rulebook but only about a third as long, without all the complexities and options.

Good luck with your planned campaign!

[Earen]

Unless you're part game designer, I would say the FH genre book is a must-have ... if for no other reason than to make you say, "Gee ... I'm glad they reminded me about that ... I know Player X would have pulled something along those lines."

Other than that ... be prepared to invest a lot more up-front time in building at least a few things about the world (available player races, significant NPCs, spells and magic system) and about adventures than maybe you've been used to in the past. But even giving my players a taste of what I have planned for them has met with overwhelming success ... and a desire for more ... even while they wait.

[Killer Shrike]

Im assembling content for a Fantasy HERO Campaign Ill be running in a month or so. Im posting the material as I go at:

http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO

[Liberator]

I too am going to try to convince my group to switch over to Fantasy Hero. I've been a Champions player since the first edition came out, so I'm familiar with the system as are some of my players.

Looking forward to cracking Fantasy Hero open hopefully this weekend.