Jump to content

Will Dark Champions and Pulp Hero be updated for 6e?


Magus

Recommended Posts

I am wondering if there are any plans to release a 6e version of Dark Champions or Pulp Hero.  6e has been out for several years, but there are so many 5e books that are begging to be updated.  Yes, the 6e books are pretty complete in terms of rules and I can improvise quite a bit, but I would like to see an updated version of the Dark Champions and Pulp Hero books.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it would be illuminating to see how well kickstarter campaigns for those two books would fare. As much as I love Pulp Hero (and its predecessor, Justice Inc.), I'm just not sure the sales of a 6e version would cover the cost of the update effort. Dark Champions might be a different story; I always got the impression that it had a fairly strong following. However, if it ever gets a 6e update, I'd like to see its name changed to Action Hero (e.g., Action Hero Complete).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me it is a question of HOW MUCH CHANGE is going to happen
both are for skill oriented characters ,which have the HSS book (ultimate skill updated to 6th ed)
for me there need to be at least 25% new stuff or update to make it worth wild for me

 

Characters in both books would need to be redone to 6th ed standard

But other than recosting due to the divorce of figured characteristics and the combineing of Armor/Damage Resistance/Force Field in to resistant def
How much CHANGEv is there  really going to be that a character pack could not fix

For me I want stuff from 4th ed and before that has not  been updated to either 5th or 6ed
Golden Golden Age of Superheroes and Horror Hero are tops on my list to updated

I think it would be illuminating to see how well kickstarter campaigns for those two books would fare. As much as I love Pulp Hero (and its predecessor, Justice Inc.), I'm just not sure the sales of a 6e version would cover the cost of the update effort. Dark Champions might be a different story; I always got the impression that it had a fairly strong following. However, if it ever gets a 6e update, I'd like to see its name changed to Action Hero (e.g., Action Hero Complete).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Action Hero sounds like a perfect product name to me!

 

And you're right, Beast, there probably isn't much material to update in either. Maybe POD would be more realistic, if the update was done like the update from Ultimate Skill to Hero System Skills.

 

I'd just like to see 6e get a reasonably complete library that hits all the traditional Hero genres.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, that's just it. Dark Champions evolved to cover espionage, crime thrillers, military action, and so on. It moved beyond its vigilante crimefighter origins long ago. "Action Hero" strikes me as a more accurate name for what it ultimately became, and for what it ought to represent if it ever gets 6e treatment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

For me I want stuff from 4th ed and before that has not  been updated to either 5th or 6ed

Golden Golden Age of Superheroes and Horror Hero are tops on my list to updated

 

Former Hero Games president Darren Watts has been writing a new edition of Golden Age Champions for years. It's going to use the official Champions Universe as its default setting, but Darren claims it will be the most thoroughly-researched and comprehensive guide and reference for Golden Age superhero gaming that's ever been published. His most recent postings claimed that a playtest campaign has been run (some of our fellow board members participated) and the book is substantially written. He's just looking at routes to finance its publication. Darren swears he's going to make it happen. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, that's just it. Dark Champions evolved to cover espionage, crime thrillers, military action, and so on. It moved beyond its vigilante crimefighter origins long ago. "Action Hero" strikes me as a more accurate name for what it ultimately became, and for what it ought to represent if it ever gets 6e treatment.

 

Not military action.  I keep hearing people that say this, but DC has dink on military action.  Weapons lists do not military action make ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes I've heard this for a few years now
why not a kick starter

I got money burning in my pocket for this

 

Former Hero Games president Darren Watts has been writing a new edition of Golden Age Champions for years. It's going to use the official Champions Universe as its default setting, but Darren claims it will be the most thoroughly-researched and comprehensive guide and reference for Golden Age superhero gaming that's ever been published. His most recent postings claimed that a playtest campaign has been run (some of our fellow board members participated) and the book is substantially written. He's just looking at routes to finance its publication. Darren swears he's going to make it happen. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes I've heard this for a few years now

why not a kick starter

 

I got money burning in my pocket for this

 

Kickstarter.  I've been one of those peeps that has been saying "how hard can it be?"  But now that I have a friend that has actually done one I can see it is more complicated than I thought. 

 

But I would definitely back a Pulp KS.  Dark Champs would depend on how it would be approached for content as I have little use for the level of detail currently provided on weapons and ammunition.  I lean more cinematic and less gritty realism.  More James Bond/Mission Impossible, less real.    

 

I would like to see something that actually talks about warfare, the military, tactics and their reasons by "era".  We haven't had anything like that yet.  The most we've seen is an equipment list and maybe a ranks chart.    Now I'm not talking of a super-detailed books that describes everything down to their toothpaste.  But instead general advice on a plausible response of enemy regulars at different points in history.   How German, Japanese and British troops react/fight will be different in 1800, 1890, 1900, 1918, 1930 and 1945.  Not just their equipment, but how they fight.    DC does a great jobs for espionage, crime and mercenary stuff.  But is very very weak on actual military units.  But then it was not written to cover that subject. 

 

I doubt I will see a Hero book written about the military, but I would definitely support a Pulp update and most likely a Dark Champs update. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I say lets bring back Justice, Inc. and Danger International.

 

Pete

 

To be fair, Pulp Hero replaced Justice and Dark Champs replaced Danger International.  Though I do feel that while they did a fantastic job of expanding the overall material, they did lose a lot of 'feel'. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If that's to be a setting book, and it sounds like one, a different title might be a wise idea. No sense confusing potential buyers who have the old/existing understanding of what that title refers to. I feel that if Action Hero were ever to replace Dark Champions as a product line/brand name, and I think it should, then the old name ought to just disappear completely. Kind of like how Espionage was replaced by Danger International (and then, ultimately, by Dark Champions...a truly dumb name if there ever was one), and how Justice Inc. was replaced by Pulp Hero.

 

Champions will forever be called Champions; Super Hero, while consistent with the usual naming scheme, is locked down by Marvel and DC. And besides, Champions is the flagship product line with an unbroken lineage back to 1981. That's never going away. But now is the time to bury the name "Dark Champions" once and for all and replace it with something more fitting, more consistent, and less lame. If Action Hero managed to succeed in doing that, I would hate to see that horrible named resurrected for something else/new. Surely a good name for this hypothetical "Animated Series" setting book can be devised...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, "Dark Champions: The Animated Series" is a genre book product for 5e:

 

If you're eager for the thrills and adventure of crimefighting but don't like the guns and violence of regular Dark Champions campaigns, what you need is an "animated series" style campaign. Dark Champions: The Animated Series looks at the less grim side of vigilante crimebusting: caped crusaders with vigilante style but who refuse to kill; low-powered superheroes who fight street crime instead of world-threatening supervillains; "theme" villains with clever costumes and psychotic minds.

Dark Champions: The Animated Series includes:

  • a discussion of the "animated series" subgenre in general, including advice about character creation, roleplaying, and gamemastering
  • the Hudson City Knights campaign, in which costumed (but not superpowered) crimefighters take on a host of twisted villains who plan their crimes around strange themes or obsessions: Penny Dreadful, Adonis, Anagram, the Missing Link, Raptor, and more
  • the Hudson City Powers campaign, which pits low-powered ("street-level") superheroes against similarly low-powered supervillains — costumed criminals like Carnivore, Guillotine, Rhapsody, Serpentine, and more

Featuring 29 new villains and six new NPC heroes, Dark Champions: The Animated Series is just the thing to bring even more fun and excitement to your Dark Champions games!

 

I think it deserves to exist, but I'm good with calling it something else. Perhaps "Champions: The Animated Series" would be more appropriate. Any ideas?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally, instead of Action Hero Complete and Pulp Hero Complete (boring), I' d go for the legacy and call them Danger International and Justice Inc.

 

As for Dark Champions, I have mixed feelings. First, the name is great. Second, the vigilante genre should be covered somewhere. I assume the hardcore, gun-totting, superheroic genre could be covered in Danger International.

 

I guess Champions: the Animated Series could cover the more simple genre of superheroes. I would see this book (hopefully complete) almost as a Champions Lite.

 

Just a thought.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sure, we're all just having fun with "What if..." when we know it's highly unlikely any of this will come to pass. :)

 

You're right, it would be cool to go back to those old names for the genre books. A little less descriptive for sure, but I'm a sucker for nostalgic stuff like that.
 

May as well bring back the original art, too. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...