2006 Schedule Blurbs

[Steve Long]

Since Ben's out of the office, I'm posting the 2006 schedule blurbs here as a "preview" before he posts them on the Our Products page. As usual, many things are subject to change.

 

An "Undetermined" author should be read as "I have someone in mind but haven't finalized things to the point where I'm willing to list his/her/its/their name yet."

 

 

Nobles, Knights, And Necromancers: Every Fantasy campaign needs adversaries to challenge the PCs, whether those adversaries are the darkest-hearted of Evil beings, greedy dragons, or duplicitous nobles bent on using the heroes for their own gain. Nobles, Knights, And Necromancers details dozens of enemies for Fantasy Hero. Although the enemies it features are taken from Hero’s “Turakian Age” setting, they’re suitable for almost any Fantasy campaign.

Author: Steven S. Long

Tentative Release Date: Early 2006

 

The Ultimate Mentalist: Mental and psychic powers, and the characters who use them, appear in just about every adventure genre in some form. The Ultimate Mentalist takes a thorough, detailed look at the HERO System’s rules for mental and psychic abilities. It includes expanded discussion of the Mental Powers; new and optional rules, rules expansions, and rules variants for psionics; advice for creating, running, and GMing mentalists; special rules for Mental Combat; sample mentalist powers and abilities; and more.

Author: Steven S. Long

Tentative Release Date: Early 2006

 

 

Stronghold: When you catch a supervillain, where do you put him? In Stronghold, of course! The Stronghold sourcebook takes an in-depth look at this special prison, designed exclusively for holding superhuman criminals. In addition to maps of the prison, information about Stronghold’s daily routine and technology, and data on the fascinating people who make the whole place run smoothly, the book contains a reworking of the classic Escape From Stronghold scenario that pits your heroes against a horde of supervillains on a jailbreak!

Author: Allen Thomas

Tentative Release Date: Early 2006

 

Golden Age Champions: Use your superpowers to smash the Nazi menace and win the war for the Allies in Golden Age Champions, a subgenre book for Champions focusing on the Golden Age of comic books when life was simpler but the need for heroes was even stronger than today. GAC includes not only a review of the events of World War II (both in real life and in the Champions Universe), but character sheets for dozens of villains, NPC heroes, and other prominent characters. It also discusses how to run Golden Age games and create characters appropriate for them.

Author: Darren Watts

Tentative Release Date: Early 2006

 

Psychic Wars: In the near future, a few humans begin to developing strange psionic powers. Soon, a shadow war begins, as competing groups of psychics fight each other, the government, and other adversaries for power... or simply to remain free to decide their own destinies. Psychic Wars describes this evocative and dangerous campaign/setting for STAR HERO, with guidelines for how psychic powers work, what sort of psychic powers characters can have, the Psychic Wars being fought under the nose of unsuspecting humanity, and how to adapt the Psychic Wars to a wide variety of settings and genres (including Champions, Dark Champions, and Fantasy Hero).

Author: Allen Thomas

Tentative Release Date: Early 2006

 

The Celtic Bestiary: The legends and mythology of Ireland, Scotland, Britain and other northern European land describe a vast panoply of faeries, giants, monsters, and other bogeys. The Celtic Bestiary describes these fascinating creatures in HERO System terms, with character sheets for over a hundred different beings from myth and folklore.

Author: Steven S. Long

Tentative Release Date: Mid 2006

 

Thrilling Places: Pulp adventurers need places to adventure in! Thrilling Places provides them, with detailed information about exotic and amazing locations around the world for Pulp Hero characters to visit and explore: lost civilizations, secret islands, hidden temples, and many more.

Author: Undetermined

Tentative Release Date: Mid 2006

 

Tuala Morn: Tuala Morn is a pseudo-Celtic fantasy realm of bold warriors, wise wizards, capricious faeries, crafty dragons, and a thousand different types of adventure! Travel the fields, forests, and mountains of the Ten Kingdoms in search of wonder and excitement.

In Dunrioga, the seat of the High King has sat empty for ten long years since the death of Davaine the Strong. While his queen Nuala tries to maintain a regency for their son, young Aillin, no one unites the people against the threat of Vulkring raiders from the north, or brings a halt to the longstanding feud between Crogher of Conhaile and Sitric of Seanclough. And without a High King, nothing stems the tide of the ambition of the Cormac of Mar Cormac, who wants a rulership he does not deserve and would sacrifice all the world to obtain it.

As if such conflicts were not enough, religious strife besets the land. As the druids who worship the Dronnach Lanva, the Hundred Children, continue to propitiate the spirits of stream and wood, the priests of the Golden Temple cry the ascendancy of their strange faith to the skies, seeking to win converts to their shrines. Some wise men whisper that such disputes on Earth must surely mirror a dispute in the heavens, and if the matter cannot be resolved, then surely only the dark gods of the witches will remain to rule over the Tualans.

Even worse, there are those who claim that these dark gods, or something akin to them, has already cast its shadow over the land. Of the source and power of this shadow, they know not, but its intentions are surely evil. Prophecy foretells that unless a true hero finds the Basilisk Orb, fabled talisman of the ancient wizard Coruch Crotha, the High King’s realm will fall to dust and ashes.

Are you that hero?

Author: Steven S. Long

Tentative Release Date: Mid 2006

 

Pulp Resource Guide: The world of the 1920s and ’30s is a very different one from our own: different people, different vehicles, different weapons, different technology. The Pulp Resource Guide picks up where Pulp Hero left off in describing these things for your games. It provides more information and HERO System write-ups for Pulp-era cars, planes, guns, gadgets, and other resources, all ready for immediate use in your campaign.

Author: Undetermined

Tentative Release Date: Mid 2006

 

The Ultimate Skill: The latest book in Hero Games’s Ultimate line takes an in-depth look at Skills. In addition to expanded and alternate rules for learning, using, and modifying Skills, it contains detailed information about every Skill in the game, making it a resource unparalleled in the world of roleplaying games. If you want to know the modifiers for picking a double-wafer lock (or even what one is), bypassing a fingerprint analyzer, navigating by the stars, living off the land, tracking a fearsome monster, bribing a city guard, or anything else that has to do with a Skill, The Ultimate Skill will tell you all about it. The product of hundreds of hours’ and thousands of dollars’ worth of research, The Ultimate Skill will bring new levels of detail, excitement, and fun to your game.

Author: Steven S. Long

Tentative Release Date: Mid 2006

 

Villains, Vandals, And Vermin: Inject new life into your Champions campaign with new villains! This enemies book features enough new adversaries to enliven any GM’s game: the Tiger Squad, superheroes of China who may become adversaries of your PCs for political reasons; the body-warping fiend Fleshtone; the Curse, victim and carrier of an ancient Egyptian malediction; the Lemurian brick Leviathan; and dozens more.

Author: Steven S. Long, et al.

Tentative Release Date: Mid-late 2006

 

Horror Hero: The HERO System ventures into the realms of terror, dread, and darkness with Horror Hero, a genre book covering all aspects of the Horror genre for gaming. Whether your characters want to hunt monsters infesting the alleys and sewers of the city, experience the intense fear of being trapped in a deserted house with a crazed killer, try to hold back Things From Beyond that threaten Earth, or protect their souls from the perils of Hell, Horror Hero has everything you need!

Author: Undetermined

Tentative Release Date: Late 2006

 

Danger Zones: The world of Dark Champions is a dangerous one, filled with places where strife, war, and brutality are unavoidable facts of life. Danger Zones takes you to flash points of conflict around the world — places like central Africa, the Balkans, Colombia, the Middle East, and Kashmir, where characters may find themselves plunged into the middle of battles, diplomatic negotiations, or espionage that could end a war... or start one.

Authors: Steven S. Long, Jason Walters

Tentative Release Date: Late 2006

 

Champions Universe Update: It’s been several years since Hero Games published Champions Universe, so it’s time to take a look at what’s been going on in the premiere setting of superhero gaming since then. This book will feature updated and expanded character sheets for major heroes and villains, character sheets for some prominent heroes not yet described, and plenty of details about what’s going on these days in the Champions Universe.

Authors: Darren Watts, Steven S. Long

Tentative Release Date: Late 2006

 

The Underworld Sourcebook: A complete reference to crime — organized and otherwise — for Dark Champions and other modern-day genres. In addition to extensive information about the Mafia, the yakuza, the triads, and many other organized crime groups, The Underworld Sourcebook focuses on many types of crime and criminals relevant to gaming campaigns: high-tech robbery crews; serial killers; forgers; and more.

Author: Steven S. Long

Tentative Release Date: Late 2006

[Edsel]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

Looks like a bunch of really neat stuff! I guess I'll have to continue my practice of buying everything Hero releases.

 

Danger Zone, Horror Hero and The Underworld Sourcebook are the ones that most interest me since I run our Dark Champions games and horror is a part of the campaign. I know that our Fantasy GM (Eosin) is really looking forward to the Tuala Morn campaign setting.

[MitchellS]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

I think you left out Stronghold and the Champions Universe Update.

[JohnTaber]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

GREAT! Thanks Steve.

 

Based on Steve's blurbs here are my "likelyhoods" of buying these products. Ones NOT on my list will be ones I do not consider buying at all at this time.

 

Ultimate Mentalist - Somewhat likely. I have the old version...will I need this?

Psychic Wars - Not likely.

Ultimate Skill - Very likely.

Horror Hero - Somewhat likely.

Underworld Sourcebook - Very likely. <- Very bummed this one is end of 2006.

[Steve Long]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

I think you left out Stronghold and the Champions Universe Update.

 

No idea how that happened, since they're right there in the file, but I've added them back in to the post.

[lgguy]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

Looks like an awesome schedule! Here is hoping that Fantasy Primeval and/or the Atlantean Age makes it on the 2007 schedule (Galactic Federation would be nice too)

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

A few of TheQuestionMan's favourite things.

 

Nobles, Knights, And Necromancers: Yes, but why so late?

The Ultimate Mentalist: Maybe, should have some Anime/Magna Stuff.

Stronghold: Maybe, Who is doing the MAPS?

Golden Age Champions: No, not my cup of tea.

Psychic Wars: Maybe, Need authorities reponse to it. Lots of Sub & Meta Plots.

The Celtic Bestiary: Curious, wait and see. Tuala Morn should be before this.

Thrilling Places: Yes, especially if it comes with MAPS?

Tuala Morn: Very curious... hmmm...

Pulp Resource Guide: Yes, but needs a snappier name. Something to suit the setting.

The Ultimate Skill: YES!!!, but 2005 not 2006. Me want now.

Villains, Vandals, And Vermin: Yes! Another Enemies Book. Artist Very inmportant here!!!

Horror Hero: No, not my cup of tea I'm afraid.

Danger Zones: Maybe, need more Intel.

Champions Universe Update: Hmmm... my be interesting to see the changes to various Super Hero Teams.

The Underworld Sourcebook: Yes, but I would like to see it sooner.

 

Cheers

 

QM

[BlackSword]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

Pulp Resource Guide: The world of the 1920s and ’30s is a very different one from our own: different people, different vehicles, different weapons, different technology. The Pulp Resource Guide picks up where Pulp Hero left off in describing these things for your games. It provides more information and HERO System write-ups for Pulp-era cars, planes, guns, gadgets, and other resources, all ready for immediate use in your campaign.

Author: Undetermined

Tentative Release Date: Mid 2006

Really looking forward to this book (and all the other pulp resources). I hope that for vehicles and equipment there is liberal use of art in the book. Also a list of suggested music and artists from the time period for color and background material would be handy.

[MitchellS]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

One of the biggest complaints I have with Champions genre products stems from the idea that DoJ produces very little original material. You keep asking fans to continue to purchase the same general material which they have been purchasing for over 20 years: VIPER is just an update of the old Viper book, The Mystic World is just an update of The Ultimate Super-Mage and Mystic Masters, UNTIL is just an expansion of the material in Super Agents, the Bestiary come from 2 prior books, etc. I'm not saying the books do not expand upon older material but for the most part they are not offering new concepts. There seems to be little incentive to purchase a 5E book when you already have a serviceable 4E or 3E version of the same subject sitting on your self.

 

This brings me to Stronghold. What can you offer me in it that I can't already learn from the previous 2 Stronghold products? What's my incentive to purchase a sourcebook I have purchased twice before? I'm also asking for such upcoming books as Hidden Lands [with Atlantis information taken from the 4E version], Everyman [an updated Normals Unbound], and Enchanted Items.

 

Part of what I was hoping for from DoJ was some new directions, ideas, and concepts. What I seem to be getting more and more of is just 20 year old ideas and characters updated a second, third, or fourth time. Perhaps book sales would increase if people didn't feel as though they already owned all the Champions books you're trying to sell us.

 

I think Galactic Champions and the upcoming Teen Champions are steps in the right direction. Those books present some new ideas even if they are not as popular genres. I really wish I could see more Champions material which shows me something I have never seen before. It's getting harder and harder to stay enthused while reading the same old concepts over and over, IMO.

[Eodin]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

Looking at the schedule, here's my purchase thoughts:

 

Nobles, Knights, And Necromancers: Probably

The Ultimate Mentalist: If it's just updated 4th, probably not. If new stuff, probably so.

Stronghold: Nope

Golden Age Champions: Nope

Psychic Wars: Probably so, as is useful for my Star Hero and Fantasy Hero campaigns as well.

The Celtic Bestiary: Yes

Thrilling Places: Yes

Tuala Morn: Sounds intriguing. Very likely.

Pulp Resource Guide: Yes

The Ultimate Skill: A Definite Yes.

Villains, Vandals, And Vermin: Nope

Horror Hero: Nope

Danger Zones: Useful for Espionage etc. Yes.

Champions Universe Update: Nope

The Underworld Sourcebook: Have to look and see.

[SAVeira]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

One of the biggest complaints I have with Champions genre products stems from the idea that DoJ produces very little original material. You keep asking fans to continue to purchase the same general material which they have been purchasing for over 20 years: VIPER is just an update of the old Viper book' date=' The Mystic World is just an update of The Ultimate Super-Mage and Mystic Masters, UNTIL is just an expansion of the material in Super Agents, the Bestiary come from 2 prior books, etc. I'm not saying the books do not expand upon older material but for the most part they are not offering new concepts. There seems to be little incentive to purchase a 5E book when you already have a serviceable 4E or 3E version of the same subject sitting on your self.[/quote']You know that not everyone has copies of these 4E or 3E books that you speak of. If someone has not see it before, it is a new concept to them. Not to mention for some people, they have looking forward to see some old material updated and expanded for 5th Edition.

 

Anyway, looks like 2006 will be another great year. I think that the Champions Universe Update is very good idea, in fact I hope there is an update every couple of years.

[MitchellS]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

You know that not everyone has copies of these 4E or 3E books that you speak of. If someone has not see it before, it is a new concept to them. Not to mention for some people, they have looking forward to see some old material updated and expanded for 5th Edition.

 

Anyway, looks like 2006 will be another great year. I think that the Champions Universe Update is very good idea, in fact I hope there is an update every couple of years.

Yes, of course, so producing a third Golden Age Champions, a third Stronghold, and a CU Update [not to mention that a large percentage of villains in VVV who will also be pre-existing characters] is the way to go because the new fans outnumber the old ones by such a great margin.

 

New ideas are where the money is at.

[Susano]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

My thoughts:

 

Nobles, Knights, And Necromancers: Probably not.

 

The Ultimate Mentalist: Yes.

 

Stronghold: No.

 

Golden Age Champions: Yes.

 

Psychic Wars: Maybe.

 

The Celtic Bestiary: Yes.

 

Thrilling Places: Maybe. GURPS had a source book like this that was very well done (which I own).

 

Tuala Morn: Maybe. I am curious as to the power level. I see such action as being in the 250-350 point range myself.

 

Pulp Resource Guide: Yes.

 

The Ultimate Skill: Yes.

 

Villains, Vandals, And Vermin: Probably not.

 

Horror Hero: Yes.

 

Danger Zones: No.

 

Champions Universe Update: No.

 

The Underworld Sourcebook: Possibly.

[Andrew Cermak]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

New ideas are where the money is at.

 

Says a man with no access to any of the relevant sales data.

[MitchellS]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

Says a man with no access to any of the relevant sales data.

Says a man who read DoJ's "Announcement" about sales being down and the company going out of business if people didn't start buying books.

[MitchellS]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

Nobles, Knights, and Necromancers: No I no longer play Fantasy Hero.

 

Ultimate Mentalist: Maybe If it presents some useful new material. If it's just a rehash I'll skip it.

 

Stronghold: Maybe It depends on who much is new and innovative.

 

Golden Age Champions: No I already have 2 other versions.

 

Psychic Wars: Probaby Not The genre holds no interest for me.

 

The Celtic Beastiary: No I've never opened the Bestiary except to answer someone's question on the message board.

 

Thrilling Places: No I have no interest in pulp material.

 

Tuala Morn: Maybe I've had some interest in Tuala Morn for 5-6 years, ever since it was once announced for Obsidian Studios as part of their "Shards of Stone" line up long ago. I remember it had a really nice Jason Engle cover design then.

 

Pulp Resource Book: No

 

Ultimate Skill: Maybe I'm not interested in just wordy ideas on how to use skills. If it has decent examples and expansion rules then yes.

 

Villians, Vandals and Vermin: Yes The Champions needs more villains.

 

Horror HERO No No interest in the genre.

 

Champions Universe Update: Yes I'm hoping to see some hero write ups.

 

Danger Zones: No I'm not interested in DC products.

 

The Underworld Sourcebook: Maybe If it's useful for Champions.

 

Possible Leatherbound Special Edition: No

 

I guess for me that makes 2 yes and 5 maybe. Not a good sign for DoJ.

[TheImperialKhan]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

Please tell me that GAC is going to be serious this time and not tongue-in-cheek as in the first two versions.

[Andrew Cermak]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

Says a man who read DoJ's "Announcement" about sales being down and the company going out of business if people didn't start buying books.

 

You're still operating entirely from ignorance, and being remarkably presumptuous in telling DoJ that they're running their business wrong.

 

You say books like Galactic Champions are the way to go and books like VIPER and UNTIL aren't, but you can't say how much GC sold compared to the other two, can you?

 

'Cause if you can, by all means enlighten me.

[SAVeira]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

You're still operating entirely from ignorance, and being remarkably presumptuous in telling DoJ that they're running their business wrong.

 

You say books like Galactic Champions are the way to go and books like VIPER and UNTIL aren't, but you can't say how much GC sold compared to the other two, can you?

 

'Cause if you can, by all means enlighten me.

Very well put.

[MitchellS]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

You're still operating entirely from ignorance, and being remarkably presumptuous in telling DoJ that they're running their business wrong.

 

You say books like Galactic Champions are the way to go and books like VIPER and UNTIL aren't, but you can't say how much GC sold compared to the other two, can you?

 

'Cause if you can, by all means enlighten me.

Being presumptuous is what people do on message boards. I'm stating my opinions and you're stating you don't like them. That's your prerogative and mine. It's nice to live in a free society, isn't it?

 

In any event DoJ is the one who needs to live with their decisions, if they can live.

[megaplayboy]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

Well, not to pile on here, but the ironic thing is that first he says that new material is the way to go, then notes that he won't buy "Psychic Wars"(i.e., brand new material), saying "that genre doesn't interest me". Similarly dismissive toward half of the products which are, in fact, not updates of old material but brand new creative product.

Some folks don't know what they want, apparently.

[MitchellS]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

Well, not to pile on here, but the ironic thing is that first he says that new material is the way to go, then notes that he won't buy "Psychic Wars"(i.e., brand new material), saying "that genre doesn't interest me". Similarly dismissive toward half of the products which are, in fact, not updates of old material but brand new creative product.

Some folks don't know what they want, apparently.

I believe if you could read as well as you write you'd see that I was discussing Champions' products: "One of the biggest complaints I have with Champions genre products stems from the idea that DoJ produces very little original material."

[Greatwyrm]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

I guess for me that makes 2 yes and 5 maybe. Not a good sign for DoJ.

 

And most of my choices are opposite of yours. Is that a better sign?

[MitchellS]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

And most of my choices are opposite of yours. Is that a better sign?

It's a great sign if you're in the majority and not the minority.

[vkevlar]

Re: 2006 Schedule Blurbs

 

The list:

Nobles, Knights, And Necromancers - not very interested in enemies books, as I wind up solely using my own anyhow. Good for name/costume inspiration, at times.

 

The Ultimate Mentalist - could be useful, though not entirely sure it warrants a whole book.

 

Stronghold - see NKN. Would be useful for information on prison operations, however.

 

Golden Age Champions - I tend to like more end of bronze / iron agey stuff. Golden Age can be useful in a Marshal Law sense though.

 

Psychic Wars - Looking forward to this; new settings are good, new ideas are good.

 

The Celtic Bestiary - bestiary... meh.

 

Thrilling Places - maps would be good, society modelling would be good...

 

Tuala Morn - sounds interesting, though I doubt I'll ever go near running it.

 

Pulp Resource Guide - I miss Justice, Inc.

 

The Ultimate Skill - Looking forward to this, but hoping it'll be more "theory and practice". Systems Operation is a prime candidate for some explanation of why it's a skill rather than a KS/PS, when it's usable, etc. Expansion on situational modifiers to skill rolls would be ideal, as well, considering that the current theory I work under is that all skill rolls should always be subject to a situational mod (even if it works out to +0) when in use.

 

Villains, Vandals, And Vermin - see above for comments on 'enemies' books.

 

Horror Hero - HERO system does not do Horror well at all, especially in the last incarnation of horror hero. A large part of this is that most horror stories happen to normal people, not super-agents; and in the Hero system, normals have a very tight range of variability (unless they're no longer normals.) There's more there, but ultimate skill combined with normals unbound could go a ways towards fixing that.

 

Danger Zones - maps, etc, are always fun when properly reusable.

 

Champions Universe Update - Don't run in the CU, but it's kind of fun to read about. I'm not entirely sure I'll care enough to buy an update to it, but...

 

The Underworld Sourcebook - This has potential, again as long as it's got theory to back up its practical examples. I want to use books like this more as references for creating my own organizations and operations than to use prebuilt ones, honestly.

 

As said in earlier posts, new ideas / new sourcebooks / new genres are more attractive to me (long time hero system type) than rehashes or updates of existing books.