From The Management: Hero Games History Question

[Jason S.Walters]

Hi guys! I'm planning out our next Bundle of Holding project, and I wanted to pick your collective brains about something which involves the history of Hero Games. 

 

As many of you know, I've been working steadily with the help of Allen Varney of Bundle of Holding to get everything that has ever been created in print by Hero Games going all the way back to its beginnings scanned and made available in electronic form. The next step in this process involves the old Adventurers Club magazines. I envision of B of H project that includes all the issues of it, Digital Hero, maybe some issues of Steve Jackson Games' old magazine Space Gamer. (I've worked with SJG on B of H project before), and maybe even the 67 issues Haymaker! should be included?

 

Here are my questions:

 

1) How many issues of Adventurers Club were actually released? I've got a bunch of them here in my office, but certainly not all - and I'm unsure of what the last issue actually was. 

 

2) Was there Hero System material published in Space Gamer, or just reviews *of* Hero System products in Space Gamer? I never subscribed to it, and it's hard to tell given the information available on the internet. (Maybe there were just reviews?)

 

3) In your opinion, should I contact John Desmarais about including Haymaker! in this project - and possibly about making it more widely available to gamers in cooperation with Hero Games? (If you are, in fact, John Desmarais please feel extra free to comment!)

 

Jason Walters, Publisher 

 

[Tjack]

  The latest edition of Adventurers Club I have is issue #13  1989.   The “Super-Duper Double Issue.”  It seems to be a Halloween themed issue. The cover is a Phantom Stranger looking guy being grabbed by tentacles and a Mighty Isis looking woman flying away.
against a background of a ghostly face done in orange.

  The text is for Legions of Hell: A decent into the pit for Champions Heroes &  Agents of Darkness: Supernatural Enemies for Champions.

   I hope this helps.

[Greywind]

Adventurers Club had 27 issues from the original Hero through the ICE days.

[Duke Bushido]

1)There were twenty-seven.

 

 1- adjacent)   I can provide high-resolution scans of all but the last.  If you recall, you and I had discussed AC after I finished the 4e Western HERO, and you suggested to me that I not proceed at that time.  I have only scanned a couple of them at this point, and have cleaned none of these scans per your recommendation.  However, all issues have been de-bound (don't cry:  they are all saddle-stitch bound with staples and can be reassembled without a hint of ever having been taken apart.  They won't be, mind you; when I put them together, I'll likely do the ol' clear shelf paper lamination).

 

However, if you don't have them already, I would be more than happy to provide high-resolution (but not cleaned or repaired; we're headed in the middle of the busy season at both of my jobs, and I just don't have the time) for you to work from.

 

 

--------------------------

 

 

 

2) Yes.

 

 

2- Adjacent)  If you would like an incomplete magazine run-down, featuring play-specific material only:

 

 

 

Different Worlds Magazine:

 

#23: p20 Steve Peterson's Design Notes to update from 1e to 2e Champions.  P22 Glenn Thain writes up the X-Men.  p26 Advertisement with the first known published use of the term "Hero Games System"  (yeah, not playable, but it makes me happy every time I hear "It wasn't called the HERO System until 4e."  It occurs to me that I can be pedantic as Hell.....   )

 

#30: p8 Peterson writes up the Teen Titans (accompanying art by Mark Williams, and it looks _right_, people!  )

 

#32: TPO (centerfold pull-out) Threat of the Night Haunt: adventure with dual-write ups for Champions and Superworld

 

#34: p42 Champions write-ups for the DNAgents

 

#35: TPO adventure for SuperWorld, Champions, and V&V: the Star Destroyer.  Also conversion notes for moving between V&V and Champions, written by the authors of those two systems.  For the record, the conversion method presented sucks the worst of all possible butts, and are all but unworkable.  Alas, this sets a tradition for all conversions between these two systems to ever to follow.  _ALL_ of them....

 

 

#39: TPO battle map "SuperMap #1: Waterfront, listed as compatible with Champions  (See youtube video here:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sprqmbv01s

 

 

#40: TPO battle map "SuperMap #2: Business District, listed as compatible with Champions (demonstrated in same video)

 

#46: p24 stats and maps for using The Adventure of the Jade Jaguar adventure module for MSPI and HERO as a GM'ed adventure.

 

 

Dragon Magazine:

 

#85  p80 Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh, My!  First Champions / HERO bestiary ever published

 

#100 p74 Champions Plus!  Suggested new Powers for Champions

 

#108 p81 a villainous (and rather interesting) new organization for Champions (it didn't catch on; but it was interesting)

 

#111 p90 George MacDonald offers an in-depth look at a write up for Quantum (the original, when she was still Asian)

 

#117 More Power to You  new Skills and Powers for Champions

 

 

 

 

Pegasus Magazine (Judge's Guild's house mouthpiece): 

 

#10: p9 The Legion Strikes adventure for Champions

 

#12  p15 adventure Operation Psychopath.  p81 villain group Eugenics Incorporated

 

RolePlayer Magazine (another Steve Jackson property: the in-house herald for GURPS)

 

#21   p22  a well-developed article and guide for converting from Champions to GURPS.  Detailed enough to use backwards, if you know GURPS well enough

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shadis Magazine:

 

#26: p16 Heartbreaker's Lament-- a bit of thematic fiction intended for a never-materialized 1996 Dark Champions supplement tentatively titled "Idiot King Rules,"  set in Hudson City.

 

 

 

 

Space Gamer Magazine:

 

#48: p9 Aaron Allston offers insight into his then-current campaign.  This is the forerunner of what would become the Strikeforce sourcebook

 

#61  p19 adventure Microfilm Madness.  This was the first time this adventure was printed and paper minis were included in the magazine.  P25: mini sourcebooks for VIPER, UNTIL, and GRAB  (remember GRAB?).  First such reference material ever printed.

 

#62 -- nothing here directly play-related, but I wanted to point out that there is an interesting review / tirade by Allen Varney himself on Champions II (p34), which is amusing because apparently he loves it, hates it, and wants to do it again.  

 

#70 p9  adventure One From the HART; includes Champions write-ups.   P39: credits and errata for Champions III

 

#73 p11 Bowne and Woods write "Starship Piloting in Champions / Danger International."  They would go on to author the first Star HERO game.  P39: Champions Cardboard Heroes paper minis: the first naming of Holocaust. 

 

#74 pX? Champions write-ups for C'thulu-esque horrors.  P23 write-up for Dracula

 

#75 p20 Wood and Bowne author a plug-in for building and running starships in HERO

 

#78  p 7  kind of a goes-nowhere, does-nothing encounter titled "The Jewel Thief" for Champions.

 

#81 p22: a guide to running supervillains

 

#84 p 10: article for supers in general.  p24 new Advantages and Limitations and a guide to adding  / using money in Champions.

 

 

 

 

White Dwarf Magazine:

#39:  p20 Slayground: a pull-out adventure for Champions

 

#58: p27 adventure Strikeback!  for Champions and Golden Heroes (don't laugh: White Dwarf was a primarily-Brittish publication once)

 

#67 p18 adventure Peking Duck for Champions and Golden Heroes

 

#70 p18 adventure "Reunion" for Champions and Golden Heroes (takes place immediately after the "Crossfire" adventure in the GH rules book)

 

 

 

3) Hell yes!

 

I can't speak for anyone but me, but I would _love_ to read Haymaker!  I always hear about how glorious it _was_, because I was too late to the internet the first time around.

 

Then I wasn't near the internet the second time around....

 

 

Gah!

 

 

 

 

[IndianaJoe3]

Yes to 3. (All the other questions seem to have been answered.)

[mattingly]

I would argue against including Haymaker, since it was an APAzine, and intended to be shared with a limited audience.

 

[Christougher]

2 hours ago, mattingly said:

I would argue against including Haymaker, since it was an APAzine, and intended to be shared with a limited audience.

 

 

I'm not trying to knock yours and other contributors additions to the 'zine, especially not your rights to same and/or to profit from it.

 

But I have to wonder "Why not expand its audience?"  Let everyone see, read, and use the things that were created.  Hero needs MORE of everything, for everyone, not just Hero for existing Hero Players.  

 

*I'm not  a Haymaker contributor; was in a gaming group with one and allowed to read a copy.

 

Chris.

 

[Scott Ruggels]

If we include APAs (which I approve of), why not Aaron Allston’s Rogue’s Gallery ?  Steve Long was the editor after Aaron handed off the reins. I was a member and the quality of the material is good. I don’t know Haymaker but would love to read them. 

[Jason S.Walters]

Thank you guys! These were all really good suggestions. I'll think about them and see what I can manage, practically speaking. Jason

[mattingly]

3 hours ago, Scott Ruggels said:

If we include APAs (which I approve of), why not Aaron Allston’s Rogue’s Gallery ?  Steve Long was the editor after Aaron handed off the reins. I was a member and the quality of the material is good. I don’t know Haymaker but would love to read them. 

 

... HeroZine, The Clobberin' Times, Black Hats & White Capes, Clockwork Hero ...

[Duke Bushido]

By this time tomorrow night, Jason should have scans of issue one-- and hopefully issue two-- in his hands.

 

Guys:  I am not doing the cleanup on these scans; I don't know who is.  I can't vouch for the final results of the project, but I will be sending 1200dpi scans to allow the best possible start to this project!