Nice Star Hero Review!

[JohnTaber]

Hi Gents,

Ken Hite has a really spiffy review of Star Hero in his Out Of The Box gaming review section. Here is the review. Following the review is a link to his site.

In Space, No One Can Hear You Roll 15d6

On the Hero System front, meanwhile, the redoubtable James L. Cambias and the undoubtable Steve "the Man" Long join forces to bring us Star Hero (322 page b&w softcover, $29.99), with Jim handling the astrophysics and genre material, and Steve piling high the mighty Herosity. Like the other Hero Games releases in this incarnation, there are vast numbers of examples, modules, and other pluggable rules and powers here -- even a non-Hero-head such as myself can almost figure things out, and the level of clarity, utility, and care presented dwarf almost every other currently published line. Only the best GURPS books, such as GURPS Space or GURPS Traveller: First In even get close to Star Hero, which does a creditable job of subsuming almost all gameable science fiction into one massive tome. Just as an example of this book's utility and economy: thirteen generic alien species, four generic alien cultures, and six generic "environmentally-driven species" (heavyworlders to Belters) are all packed into 15 pages! There's similarly exhaustive coverage of generating solar systems, planets, alien species (from a story basis, with rules material), and civilizations. Spaceships and space combat, space stations, advanced tech -- including 24 types of ray gun from ghostbusting particle accelerators to omni-setting disintegrators -- time travel, and psionics all get a look-in. Throughout, useful, sensible campaign advice obtrudes; we finish with some sample characters and villains for the "Terran Empire" setting (coming in another book), and a fine index. Even if you don't run Hero System games, if you run any SF game, this book will put the stars in your eyes.

Here is the link.

[Checkmate]

I just finished Star Hero, and I have to say, I am so sorry for all the mean things I said about the way the Hero System has been going. That book is awesome. I had turned into a serious Hero Skeptic, but after this book I'm so glad I stuck around. The art is top notch throughout the book (the shapeshifter on page 26 is my all time favorite picture, those eyes...). I can't praise this book enough.

[Lord Liaden]

I've heard nothing but praise from people who have read Star HERO. With this book HERO Games has taken a big stride toward shedding the "only Champions" stigma that it's carried for so long. After two or three more support books for SH come out (assuming they're of comparable quality, which I frankly expect), HERO should be well established in the sci-fi RPG niche.