Some newbie questions!

[Eduardoh]

Ok... here we go... hope you understand me )

I´m going to buy Hero 5th ed, and i´m going to buy one of this two books also:

The Ultimate Martial Artist or
The Ultimate Vehicle

So I have a question:

I already have GURPS Martial Arts, do I need TUMA or with a litle efford I can convert the martial maneuvers of Gurps martial arts to Hero?

If the answer is Yes, I can convert the maneuvers, then I´m going to buy TUV.

One more...

If I only buy the core rulebook, am I going to be able to do lot´s and lot´s of stuff? or do I really need a especic book to do somethings?

Thank´s

Eduardo

[lensman]

UMA is a better choice for understanding the system of complex HTH in Hero.

You could convert Gurps MA into Hero and gain, through the conversion process, valuable exercise in building powers as manuevers or power frameworkds or evn skills but that is just reinventing the wheel.

Get UMA and get a great baseline on how the mechanics work, then go to Gurps and convert as you like.

[Lord Liaden]

The HERO System Fifth Edition core rulebook has all the rule mechanics you need to run just about any type of campaign you can imagine: fantasy, science fiction, superheroes, modern espionage, pulp era adventure, horror, whatever. There are no books that have supplementary rules that are essential to running a particular kind of game: it's all in one book. That book also gives you extensive guidelines, and many examples, on how to mix and match the many different "modular" rulesets to make you characters, gadgets or spells the way you want them, and to make your game mechanics play the way you like them to.

Now, all of this amazing system flexibility requires no small amount of work by players and Game Master; because you can do so much, you have to make a lot of decisions for yourselves, rather than have them decided for you as many other games do. That's what all the HERO support books are for: to help you use the rules to design the game you want. However, while those books are very helpful and useful, none of them is essential to use the HERO System.

I can suggest one other item that should be helpful to you. If you click on the "Free Stuff" link at the top of this page, then click on "HERO System Documents", you'll find "The HERO System Genre by Genre", a free 44-page PDF file you can download. It contains very good advice on how to use the HERO System for several major game genres, as well as sample characters for each genre to give you an idea of how to build them.

I hope that was helpful.

[CourtFool]

You could conceivably convert all of the styles from G.U.R.P.S. Martial Arts to Hero with only the core book. That being said, llama's opinion is that TUMA is a better book than TUV. If Martial Arts are an integral part of your game TUMA will give you more options, a better feel and more styles to choose from than G.U.R.P.S. Martial Arts.

Just as a point of reference, llama has G.U.R.P.S. Martial Arts and Vehicles as well as TUMA and TUV.

[Grymlynn]

I would say it depends on how big a role you want to see Martial Arts or vehicles play in whatever game you plan to run. If you're going to be doing a Fantasy game, I would advise the Martial Arts book, as it has more that will be useful for that genre, magic carpet/self propelled boat aside. If you're going to do something where vehicles will factor heavier than personal combat, for instance a run&gun sci-fi game, then having advice on ship creation will come in real handy. The problem you have, essentially, is that both books are applicable to whatever genre you're doing (as they were meant to be, of course), so I actually think you'll end up wanting both. That makes the discussion which do you get FIRST, and for that, my previous advice is a bit more appropriate...

[ShadowRaptor]

Just get them both and enjoy the best of all worlds.

There is nothing wrong with getting all of them, and if you end up really liking the system, then you'll get almost all the books anyways...at least all the books cost the same as the 3 core books for D&D, and that's for just a fantasy game.

HERO is the way to go.

[CourtFool]

Originally posted by ShadowRaptor
...at least all the books cost the same as the 3 core books for D&D, and that's for just a fantasy game.

D&D 3 or D&D 3.5? (insert snickers here)

[ShadowRaptor]

Originally posted by CourtFool
D&D 3 or D&D 3.5? (insert snickers here)

Lmao, that was funny...I never thought I would see them come up with a 3 and a .5 edition of that game...its definately one way to get money from them.

Thank God all we need is HERO. One book to run any type of campaign we want, any genre and various power levels... I think GURPS is like this also, but HERO pulls it off better, I think. But, that is my opinion.

[CourtFool]

...and one book to rule them all. Although llama does not suggest tossing your Hero book into the flames to see if an ancient script appears in the margins.