Tell me a little about Champions?

[Greatwyrm]

Now the operative word here is "little." I know Champions is probably the main thing that got HERO rolling in the first place. I'm really coming around to the HERO system and I don't really need any point/counterpoint about how Game X isn't as good because...

 

Here's my situation. Most of my regular gaming buddies don't like traditional superhero games. I've got some other ideas for games that probably border on supers, so I thought the 5e Champions book would be a good buy. Here are my questions.

 

1. Is this more of a toolkit book or more of a setting book? For example, would its function be closer to FantasyHERO or Turakian Age?

 

2. Assuming a toolkit, are there things in there that you have found to be useful in other genres?

[Doug McCrae]

Re: Tell me a little about Champions?

 

Do you mean HERO System 5th edition or Champions? The former is a rules system, the latter a genre book for superhero roleplaying.

 

Neither one is a setting, though Champions comes closer to being one. 5th ed definitely isn't. Champions Universe is the setting book.

 

I wouldn't recommend getting Champions if you're not planning to do superhero roleplaying, though it could well be of use if you intend to do something borderline superheroey.

[Greatwyrm]

Re: Tell me a little about Champions?

 

I'm talking about the most recent version of Champions, published after 5e HERO came out.

[Darren Watts]

Re: Tell me a little about Champions?

 

Champions is a genre book, specifically the overarching genre of superheroic adventure, so to answer your question it's more like Fantasy Hero or Star Hero. If the name "Champions" didn't have so much brand value, we might have called it Super Hero. (And probably gotten a cease-and-desist letter from Marvel and DC.) Aaron and Steve dissect and discuss everything that goes into creating superheroic games and campaigns, from character design to plotting to making great villains. dw

[KA.]

Re: Tell me a little about Champions?

 

Just to back up Darren's answer a bit.

Champions would help if you felt the need for some good information concerning running Hero at the Superheroic level.

It also has information about the various comic book "ages" and information about classic Superhero "bits" like Secret ID's.

If you are running a complete home-brew campaign that uses none of the normal conventions, you would not "need" it, but you still might find it an interesting read.

 

I don't know if it is still running, but you could look into Hero's sale on "damaged" books. They were running for half the cover price, which means you could get it for around 15.00. (I think anyone with any interest in the topic at all would get 15.00 worth of value from it.)

 

KA.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Tell me a little about Champions?

 

1. Is this more of a toolkit book or more of a setting book? For example' date=' would its function be closer to FantasyHERO or Turakian Age?[/quote']

Champions is to the superheroic genre as Fantasy Hero is to the fantasy genre. I wouldn't call it a toolkit book (as mentioned above, it's a genre book; I'd consider the Ultimate series to be toolkit, but everything else is either genre, setting or "resource").

2. Assuming a toolkit, are there things in there that you have found to be useful in other genres?

Everything that applies to the various types of superheroic comic books is presented in Champions, so if you can think of anything there that would also apply to other games, it's in there.

 

Specifically, there's an entire section that discusses mood and meta-genre (comedy, horror, etc.). In the GMing section it goes into balancing issues that apply to the high point characters of superheroes, and can easily apply to high point characters of other genres (really high fantasy, Rifts-like post apacolyptic, etc.).

 

If you're not going to every run a superhero game, the book is hardly necessary, but it's a good read with lots of adaptable information.

[Tom McCarthy]

Re: Tell me a little about Champions?

 

Among currently published books, you can roughly draw analgoies like:

 

Champions ~ Fantasy Hero ~ Star Hero

Champions Universe ~ Turakian Age ~ Terran Empire or Alien Wars

Conquerors, Killers and Crooks ~ Monsters, Minions and Marauders ~ unpublished

UNTIL Super Powers Database & Gadgets and Gear ~ Fantasy Hero Grimoire (I & II) ~ Spacer's Toolkit

Champions Battlegroudns ~ Fantasy Hero Battlegrounds ~ unpublished

 

These aren't 100% accurate, but they're workable for someone coming from Fantasy Hero to Champions (as I believe Greatwyrm is).

[Greatwyrm]

Re: Tell me a little about Champions?

 

Thanks all. I think I've got a pretty good handle on this. I wish I'd asked before I put in my order on the Half-Price-Damaged-Stuff sale in the online store.

[KA.]

Re: Tell me a little about Champions?

 

Thanks all. I think I've got a pretty good handle on this. I wish I'd asked before I put in my order on the Half-Price-Damaged-Stuff sale in the online store.

 

Not to be nosy (although that is exactly what I am being ) but does this mean you wish you had ordered it, or you wish you hadn't ordered it?

 

Just wondering which way we "swayed" you.

If you now wish you hadn't bought it, I guess we are all fired from DOJ's volunteer marketing department.

 

KA.

[Greatwyrm]

Re: Tell me a little about Champions?

 

No, I'm sure you can still be on the volunteer payroll. I was hoping it was more of a tool book than a specific setting. Had I known before the order, I'd probably have added it to the list.