HERO Designer
Hero Designer is special software for creating HERO System characters. Programmed specifically for creating HERO System characters, it's an invaluable time-saver for many Hero gamers, particularly those of you who like to tinker with character designs or quickly see what happens if you change something on your character's sheet.
In addition to Hero Designer itself, we also sell Character Packs featuring characters, vehicles, weapons, gadgets, spells, powers, and other material from our books in Hero Designer format. We do all the work so you don't have to! It's the perfect way for a GM to prepare villains for his latest adventure or a player to see how a power from one of our books works with his character.
You can buy Hero Designer and our Character Packs in our Online Store.
The following is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about HERO Designer:
Q: What is Hero Designer?
A: Hero Designer is the character creation software for the HERO System. You don't have to use it to create HERO System characters, but many gamers find it improves their enjoyment of the game and lets them experiment with different character builds.
Written by Dan Simon exclusively for the purpose of creating characters using the HERO System 5th Edition and HERO System 6th Edition rules, Hero Designer offers full support for the rules, including rules additions from supplements and the Rules FAQ. Hero Designer has been designed from the ground up to offer the full flexibility of the HERO System while maintaining an intuitive, easy-to-use interface for building your characters.
Q: What's the current version of Hero Designer?
A: Version 3 (v3). Due to the Service Contract model we use (see below), we probably won't need to create any further versions, since we can just add functionality (even major new features) whenever it's ready.
Q: Where can I purchase Hero Designer?
A: Hero Designer is available exclusively through the HERO Games Online Store. As of February, 2008 it costs $25.
Q: How do I print a Hero Designer character sheet?
A: To preserve Hero Designer's flexibility and customization, it uses an export process for printing characters. You select from a wide variety of export formats which can create text files, HTML files, RTF files, and so on. You can then read these files using the native applications on your computer and edit or print them as desired.
Q: How does the Hero Designer v3 Service Contract work?
A: When you buy Hero Designer, in addition to the program itself you're buying a Service Contract; this is all included in the $25 pricetag. The Service Contract is good for two years from your date of purchase. During that two-year period, you have full access to all updates and upgrades for no additional cost. Additionally, you can post to or download from The Hero Designer Vault, a repository for characters, prefabs, templates, export formats, plugins, and campaign rules - thousands of characters and other resources at your fingertips, for free!
Q: Why are you using a Service Contract model - what's the benefit?
A: In the past, we sold Hero Designer for a relatively high initial price, then gave away numerous minor updates and upgrades for free. If we wanted to add major upgrades or improved functionality, that had to wait for a new version (i.e., about 1.5 years from the date of the last release). The Service Contract model changes things in two important ways. First, it lets us reduce the initial price of Hero Designer v3 to just $25. Second, it allows us to release major upgrades and improvements whenever they're completed, rather than waiting until the next version. In other words, you're getting a better product for a lower price!
Q: Can I renew the Service Contract, and if so, how?
A: Yes you can. You simply purchase another "copy" of the Service Contract at any time, and the two years for the new one are added to the end of your current Service Contract.
Q: What happens if I don't renew my Service Contract?
A: If you don't renew your Service Contract, then after two years you lose access to upgrades, updates, and the Hero Designer Vault. However, you can still use the program - not having a current Service Contract doesn't prevent you from using Hero Designer! You just won't be able to obtain the improvements we make going forward.
Q: Is Hero Designer an "official" interpretation of the rules?
A: No. The only official source of HERO System rules is The HERO System 5th Edition, Revised rulebook, The HERO System 6th Edition rulebook, and other books published by Hero Games, and the only person authorized to give official interpretations of those rules and answers to rules questions is Line Developer Steven S. Long. If Hero Designer conflicts with a rulebook, Hero Designer is wrong, and just because Hero Designer does something a certain way doesn't make that the "official" way. As always, you can post questions for Steve or Dan on the Discussion Boards if you have questions or need a clarification.
Q: Can I make a suggestion for a new feature for Hero Designer?
A: Sure! A lot of the improvements and new functions of the program have come from suggestions made by users. All you have to do is go to our Discussion Boards and post your idea in the Hero Designer forum. Dan Simon, Hero Designer's creator, monitors that forum every day.
Q: Who can ask for advice or assistance with some aspect of Hero Designer?
A: Just go to our Discussion Boards and post your question in the Hero Designer forum. Dan Simon, Hero Designer's creator, monitors that forum every day, and you can also get input from dozens of other users of the program.