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What sort of books would you like see published for Hero System?


phoenix240

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Just as personal preference, not as an attempt to 'save' it but just things you'd like to see. Dream as big as you like!

 

I'd like see more construction guide style books that detail how to use Hero System interesting ways to get the game you want. More genre books, more character type guides (loved the Ultimate books), books detailing eras like "The Wild West" and Ancient Rome with prebuilt equipment, weaponry and maps. Though its really an expensive pipe dream, books on licensed settings. I'd love to see Supernatural or The Expanse or Game of Thrones sourcebook in Hero System. Books detailing variant magical systems, superpower types and other interesting system implementation would be cool even "homages" to certain settings like how to represent Aberrant's taint/quantum style superpower special effects. 

 

Character books can be useful as long as they aren't wedded to a particular setting. Character books for other genres aside from superheroes might be interesting as well. 

 

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I would like to see a full Campaign & Campaign Setting published specifically for Champions or Fantasy Hero Complete​. Such would require a Setting Gazetteer to be sure, but I want more than just a world that I could​ run a game in if I had time to write a scenario that fit it. I would like a campaign length modules: 400+ pages of interlocking scenarios and an appendix containing literally everything you need to run that campaign with CC/FHC; optional rules used by the campaign, sample equipment, gadgets/magic items, and spells/powers, example creatures, npcs, etc.

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A setting developed with full support like Forgotten Realms or Golaron. Not just the monolithic setting product, but Gazetteers, Grimoires, Bestaries, Treasures, NPCs and, most of all, prefabricated adventures to tie it all together. If I am dreaming big, I want poster maps, high production quality and extras like miniatures and reusable map assets. Take a look at Paizo. Now rip out Pathfinder and stick Hero in there. Not necessarily the same setting, but certainly the same benchmark.

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A setting developed with full support like Forgotten Realms or Golaron. Not just the monolithic setting product, but Gazetteers, Grimoires, Bestaries, Treasures, NPCs and, most of all, prefabricated adventures to tie it all together. If I am dreaming big, I want poster maps, high production quality and extras like miniatures and reusable map assets. Take a look at Paizo. Now rip out Pathfinder and stick Hero in there. Not necessarily the same setting, but certainly the same benchmark.

 

Couldn't agree more, Nolgroth. I think Paizo has really raised the bar on what a campaign setting and support should look like. 

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I actually have contact with a couple of mini sculptors and if I can manage to sell enough books, I want to put out some of the unique critters in my world as miniatures.  Even if its just a Velkonn or Attercop figure in a box set or something, it would be super nice to have.  I am busting my chops to put out that game world by my lonesome.

 

What I'd like to see is a champions campaign like the FH one people are talking about here; a fully fleshed out world with lots of adventures and storylines etc.  We kinda have one with the Champions Universe and city settings but they're really not tied together like a campaign and there needs to be campaign "paths" available, premade campaigns and lots more adventures.

 

Otherwise, I want to see Champions Down Under, updated Champions of the North and Kingdom of Champions, and a lot more electronic support for the game: die rollers, apps, etc.

 

Though its really an expensive pipe dream, books on licensed settings. I'd love to see Supernatural or The Expanse or Game of Thrones sourcebook in Hero System.

 

 

 

Its less expensive than you'd think.  Yes, licensing Game of Thrones will cost you but other settings like Codex Aleria or Mistborn?  Not so much.  Urban Fantasy Hero with Dresden Chronicles as a setting probably is doable.  Remember, its not just a valuable product for Hero, its advertising and revenue for the owners of these properties, they're willing to work with you.  Just ask Steve Jackson.

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A setting developed with full support like Forgotten Realms or Golaron. Not just the monolithic setting product, but Gazetteers, Grimoires, Bestaries, Treasures, NPCs and, most of all, prefabricated adventures to tie it all together. If I am dreaming big, I want poster maps, high production quality and extras like miniatures and reusable map assets. Take a look at Paizo. Now rip out Pathfinder and stick Hero in there. Not necessarily the same setting, but certainly the same benchmark.

 

 

Couldn't agree more, Nolgroth. I think Paizo has really raised the bar on what a campaign setting and support should look like. 

 

 

Not just Paizo.  D&D's Forgotten Realms has survived several rule sets and is rolling out again. 

 

Both Paizo and WotC are putting out not just Campaign Settings, but actual Campaigns you can actually run set in those Settings. 

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What I'd like to see is a champions campaign like the FH one people are talking about here; a fully fleshed out world with lots of adventures and storylines etc.  We kinda have one with the Champions Universe and city settings but they're really not tied together like a campaign and there needs to be campaign "paths" available, premade campaigns and lots more adventures.

 

A Pathfinder-style Adventure Path (obviously named something else) is almost paramount for any genre or setting. Champions, being based on comic book heroes, absolutely lends itself to that sort of thing. We have them all the time in our comic books.  Flashpoint, Civil War, Fall of the Mutants, Secret Wars, and the list goes on and on. Each of those concepts would translate pretty damn well into a series of interlinked encounters and events. Of all the settings that Hero Games has, Champions is probably the most natural to use that style of adventure.

 

For smaller adventures, those two or three issue story arcs would also work out real well.

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A true multi-genre/cross-genre campaign and campaign setting supplement.  This would likely mean some sort of cross-worlds overarching setting and campaign framework, with sub-settings (other planets, other dimensions, other time periods, etc.; whatever fits the overarching setting) that are more genre-specific.  The intent would be that gamers could either play groups of characters from the same genre, groups made up of characters from assorted genres, or some mix of both.  I think the Special Effect-driven nature of the Hero System (where very different-seeming characters can interact mechanically very easily) would really shine in this sort of setting.   :)

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Years ago, when D20 was at its height, I was part of a project to create just that; a crossover set of rules, a multiverse base setting and rules on how to make everything mesh together into one coherent story.  The idea was that all those Open License games based on d20 were actually pat of the same multiverse, and this would tie the all together, so you could move from setting to setting with smoothed out rules and ideas on how it all fit togethr.  Things were going pretty well, then the guy in charge got called up to Iraq and it never got started up again.

 

But I agree, its a no-brainer, for someone to pick up.

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FH Campaign Setting as detailed and interesting as Harn.  Fully detailed out history for multiple kingdoms, cultures, travel, food, economics, cities, magic and lore.  A campaign setting is not a series of adventures, it is a place with a history and feel that makes it come alive.  The best campaigns I have played in and run have come from a campaign setting with a solid foundation to build upon.  Once that is done then encourage the writing of adventures (single shot or series) that are played in the setting.  There might be some 'rules' around how much an adventure can change the setting or history.

 

And if you really want to go hog wild make it possible to use the setting and adventures with Realm Works

 

Miniatures would be awesome - especially female miniatures that don't look and dress like strippers.

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FH Campaign Setting as detailed and interesting as Harn. Fully detailed out history for multiple kingdoms, cultures, travel, food, economics, cities, magic and lore. A campaign setting is not a series of adventures, it is a place with a history and feel that makes it come alive. The best campaigns I have played in and run have come from a campaign setting with a solid foundation to build upon. Once that is done then encourage the writing of adventures (single shot or series) that are played in the setting. .

Yes. But Hero actually has some good Campaign Settings. They just stopped at the initial reference/world boiks and never actually put out any actual campaigns.

 

D&D rules (the rules)

Adventures on the Sword Coast. (Campaign Setting)

Storm King's Thunder (Playable Campaign)

 

Fantasy Hero (the rules)

Tuala Morn (Campaign Setting)

?????? (playable campaign)

 

Unless you learn Hero from another experienced Hero player/GM, it is a difficult system to conceptualize compared to pretty much anything else out there. Easy once it clicks. But not so much without a fully realized example.

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A campaign setting is not a series of adventures

 

No it is not. What adventures can do is tie all of that background material into a presentation that makes all of that information into something relevant to the player, especially the player who is not the kind to get absorbed into the lush background information provided elsewhere. I personally agree with you that a setting is more than any one of the components that comprise it. It is the whole enchilada and lacking one or more ingredients deprives the setting of the vital essence that makes it resonate.

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I'd really like to see a regular series of support for the settings. So, taking Fantasy Hero as an example, it'd look like:

- Campaign Book

- Adventure Series #1 (includes new villains, magic items, etc.)

- Setting Book #1 (focusing on a particular area in the Campaign Book. This would include new options for characters.)

- Book of X (X = fantasy race or occupation of choice, and include options based on that race.)

- World Bestiary #1

 

Add, rinse, repeat with occasional new books or single adventures outside of a series. 

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Wasn't Amazing Engine supposed to be like that?

 

Not exactly (or at least, that wasn't my take on it).  The sense I had from Amazing Engine was that you played the same character in every campaign (I think they called it a "character core") with just whatever functional tweaks were required to fit the world/genre.

 

My snarky sense was that it was sort of meant as an RPG for people who didn't really like roleplaying, and couldn't be bothered to make up more than one name and personality.   :winkgrin:

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Not exactly (or at least, that wasn't my take on it).  The sense I had from Amazing Engine was that you played the same character in every campaign (I think they called it a "character core") with just whatever functional tweaks were required to fit the world/genre.

 

My snarky sense was that it was sort of meant as an RPG for people who didn't really like roleplaying, and couldn't be bothered to make up more than one name and personality.   :winkgrin:

 

Hopefully not tearing the topic away too much, but that is actually kind of a nifty idea. I never had the money to buy the Amazing Engine stuff, but always wanted Bug Hunt (because Aliens of course). I used a similar conceit in one of my one-offs when running a campaign. I designed Pulp Hero equivalents to the main characters and we had a nice Indiana Jones-eque adventure in the Andes mountains. Worked out really well. An entire game dedicated to the concept of different variations on the theme sound really interesting to me.

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I want Hero to make a fully realized fully built out Fantasy World. Including Spells, Fighting styles, History, Full color maps, Hero System rules. Everything but power building rules. Everything that a GM needs to run games in that fantasy world. It could be a Rulebook and a Gazetteer style book (ie Pathfinder Core and Inner Sea World Guide). I would also like to see the same thing done to Superheroes. the idea would be for the writeup to be minimal nothing extra and to keep things very simple. Self contained would be the watchword. GM's wanting more customization would be pointed at Champions Complete and Fantasy Hero Complete. Writeups of all equipment, spells etc with all of the costs in them would be available using Bits & Mortar service.

Also something that crosses Savage Worlds Plot point campaigns with Paizo's Adventure path. ie Something that has a strong plotline, but also has some side adventures/quests for variety. Because adventures actually drives sales of other books. GM's need adventures and campaigns. Making it easy for the GM to run will generate sales of the books because they will want to run the game.

I would also love to see more Champions Miniatures. Perhaps WizKids can do some HeroClix of the Champions Universe characters.

 

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So Tasha, you want to actually have a full game built upon the foundation of Hero, sans the part of Hero that is supposedly the big draw to the system? That is both bold and, coincidentally, sort of like the project I am working on. I admit that I never envisioned keeping the Power building rules out completely. I always figured a sort of mini-rules presentation, methods of pre-generating characters with a very D&D-esque Race/Class system (mechanically done for my project), and the support material to tweak interest in the system. After that, I thought about tutorials on how to do it yourself by starting simple and increasing complexity. The idea of expanding that idea to an entire product line and omitting the "here's how YOU do it" aspect did not occur to me. Interesting.

 

I really need to get some more information of Savage World's Plot Points. What book(s) would be a good place to start looking? 

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What I want? All the prommoused books being put out Profit And Purity, Horror Hero, Chtulu Hero, ect, ect, ect...

At this point I would be happy with just getting Hero System Vehicle (for 6th Edition), even if it were only published in PDF format.

To this day one of my biggest frustrations with the 6th Edition line is that numerous books cite a sourcebook that doesn't exist. It simply is not acceptable to make reference to a book, by title, that you haven't published yet. If they had wanted to make reference to it in Fantasy Hero and other books, they should have published Hero System Vehicle first!

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At this point I would be happy with just getting Hero System Vehicle (for 6th Edition), even if it were only published in PDF format.

To this day one of my biggest frustrations with the 6th Edition line is that numerous books cite a sourcebook that doesn't exist. It simply is not acceptable to make reference to a book, by title, that you haven't published yet. If they had wanted to make reference to it in Fantasy Hero and other books, they should have published Hero System Vehicle first!

 

I'm frustrated by that as well, but it also makes me laugh a little bit, because the current version of GURPS (4th Edition -- released in 2004) famously is lacking the long-promised GURPS Vehicles book. The subject matter is cursed!

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