briansommers Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 i have been reading that these rules are genre open? like i could do fantasy then do modern ops (swat team/hostages, etc) ?? from what ive been reading it sounds like a steep learning curve i want to be able to get my wife into gaming and she like Grisham novels and fantasy books like Chronicles of Narnia would the hero system work? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules Since this isn't a rules question but a sort of customer evaluation inquiry, I've moved it to the Discussion board so anyone who'd like to can offer this potential new fan some input. My advice is: the HERO System is perfect for all your gaming needs! Buy it right away! But then, I'm hardly unbiased. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules See if you can get your hands on a copy of HERO Sidekick. It has everything you need to play (except paper, pencil and dice). You can use the rules to cover just about any genre. The BEST part is that it is only $10. Not sure where you can get it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSgeekHero Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules I think some of the criticisms of Hero are unfounded. The only steep learning piece of the whole system happens when you want build powers, spells, or gear from scratch. If you get Dark Champions along with the core rules for your modern ops, then it will give you a lot of gear. There are two magic books produced by Hero for spells. So, to start a campaign that curve gets a bit flattened. If you have ever played the old DC Heroes or GURPS, or even used the planned generation for attributes in D&D/d20, then character creation isn't really that hard to figure out. Basically, you spend points to improve your attributes, add or improve skills, add talents and advantages. You gain points for adding disadvantages to your character. In any system you have to keep an eye out to make sure that the character is balanced. It's no better or worse in Hero. If you've played rpg's for awhile it becomes common sense, regardless of the rules. Combat isn't complex, but its like first learning to dance like for getting ready for a wedding or first school dance. You have to take your time to get down the 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 of the routine. However, once you learn the steps you can dance without having to think about the steps. The reason: the steps don't change because regardless of the genre the steps are exactly the same. You'll find new options in genre books, but there just extra. They don't change the beat of the core steps. Really, to me at least, that's Hero in a nutshell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTesla Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules The one thing I really like about the HERO system is just how open it is. You can go from super heroes in 1349 England, to office workers in 2020 fighting off mutant space invaders. For me the appeal is the ability to take my favorite piece of each era and throw them together which recently has put me in the mood for a high tech future with magic and bio tech gadgets. Since I’m currently going through the learning process I feel very qualified to say that the learning curve is not too steep, at least I don’t feel that it is any steeper then other popular games on the market. I am currently learning the finer points of the system, with its openness there are many, but they don’t prevent you from playing. You learn one basic system for all genres that you want to run, and that is it. Although it is easy for the player, for the GM it is a bit more difficult. Putting together the campaign world takes a little more work, but at the same time that is a big part of the fun. If you want to run a campaign in an established world the online store has various campaign books from Fantasy to Future, making the GM’s job considerably easier. It’s when you want to run an original campaign that it gets a bit tougher, but that is where these message boards come in. Help and opinions tend to flow freely here when it comes to campaign building. When it boils down to it the HERO system provides the ability to play in any world that you can imagine, with a rule system that is as complex as you allow it to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CourtFool Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Stop thinking; get the rules. Wait...that did not come out right. I would like to reiterate what Shadowpup and CSgeekHero have said. Hero Sidekick is a great introduction into the Hero System. Many of the supplements available spell things out for you; reducing the learning curve. Hero can simulate any genre without major changes. Many would argue that it handles some genres better than others. Specifically, many people say it is better for cinematic campaigns than gritty, 'realistic' campaigns. I see their point, but I disagree. I think it comes down to taste. I am not familiar with the Grisham novels other than those that have been made into movies. There was nothing in any of the movies that I saw that could not be handled in Hero. I have heard of the Chronicals of Narnia but never read the novels. Personally, I think Hero handles Fantasy quite well. If I had to be negative about Fantasy Hero it would be that building a magic system is a real pain. Not because Hero has a difficult time simulating magic but because there are too many options. You really have to have an idea of exactly what you want and be willing to put in a little elbow grease. To me this is really a strength of Hero. You get exactly what you want instead of playing with someone else's concept of magic and later houseruling it all to hell. Not to mention once you have designed the system anyone familiar with Hero will be able to pick it up without difficulty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gojira Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules Welcome Valkyrie, er, Brian Sommers! I'm a big Narnia fan from way back. Hero would work well for any Narnia RPG. Unfortunately, I can't think of any good Hero resources for such a genre. Fantasy Hero and the spell lists as others have mentioned, but this would just give you a general idea of how to adapt Hero to a fantasy world. You'll be in for a bit of work. Getting Sidekick is an excellent suggestion. I believe you can download it as a PDF from the Hero Games online store. If you have access to a good printer, then it would be easy to share with your wife and your friends. A good primer on Hero, and a cheap investment while you are still deciding whether to go for the whole nine yards! One resource you shouldn't ignore are these boards. There are threads here asking how do I create opimus prime, what should defenses be worth with specific limitations, etc. etc. Basically, the open ended nature of the game does leave a lot of wiggle room for the GM, and people here constantly ask "How should I do X?" and get ideas from other players here. It's a great way to lighten the load of a new GM. I think many people here would love to help you create the world of Narnia. Have fun and I hope you enjoy your stay here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules At the risk of sounding like a parrot... I fully support everything said above. Do it. Best System EVER. learning the functional basics aren't really any tougher than any other RPG, and are better laid out and explained than most. While I'm not so current anymore, once upon a time I literally was familiar with EVERY gaming system on the market.. I managed a game store. While I knew every system, I played HERO Now, many years later, I still play HERO. And I am what they call, in gamer classification terms, a Genre Fiend. HERO is the only system I've ever found that I can use to play ANY genre. Some might require tweaking, or creative use of the rules, but it can be done, and odds are it has already been done and if you ask someone may well be able to point you to a good starting point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icel Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules I got mayself a copy of HERO System 5RE a couple of months ago., and pesonaly I got to say that its not that hard. The pnly thing that is realy "complex" in here is the powers, but after you have read it once, and if you have great ideas, it will all come to you without difficulty- all you need is creativity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules To reiterate what a couple other posters said -- these boards are a great resource for learning the system and developing your ideas. They give you access to a wide range of opinions and approaches. The HERO System has one of the most enthusiastic and friendly fan groups in gaming, and they're eager to help -- so let 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greymankle Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules I just started playing HERO about a year-ish ago. I am a D20 convert. First off, Sidekick is great a deal. You play entire campaigns with just that book and imagination. About the learning curve... I can see both sides. I was really lucky and had a knowledgable teacher to coax me through. But if I just picked up 5er and tried to play a game my brain would melt. Which comes back to Sidekick. All the fun of HERO with minimal rules bickering. Definately give HERO a shot, or go to the player finder board to see if there is a game you can sit in on for a session in your area. Most of the hero people I have met love to share the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Black Lotus Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules I'm fairly new to HERO myself, and I highly recommend it. The only other system like it is GURPS, and well, not only does HERO work much better and more flexibly than GURPS, you don't need 75,000 genre books just to get a decent game going. All you ever really need is the core rules. d20 says the same thing about most of their core books, but it's a lie; they give you a few weapons and armors and spells, set in a rigid system with no guidelines on how to make any of your own stuff. It IS a daunting task to absorb all of HERO 5ER's information with neither a prior knowledge of the system nor anyone to help you learn it, but it's worth the extra time and effort -- trust me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atlascott Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules If I were you, I'd get the Hero Sidekick rules (maybe 2 copies-=one for you and one for wife), Turakrian Age, and UNTIL sourcebook. The rules in Sidekick are complete enough for you to run any game, any genre. The Turakian Age will give you samples of how to put together Fantasy element. The UNTIL sourcebook will give you ideas for body armor, agent stats, weapon stats, etc. Then, I'd get the big rules book and other such books that interest you. Good luck, and welcome to the best rules for RPG's ever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kuoshu Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules I am new to the system, and have been slowly working my way up to running my first game. What I will say is this. After reading the rules and beginning to really learn them, the only thing that would be more difficult than any other system is, as has been previously stated, power/spell generation. The beauty of this, is that you as the GM can do all of this for the player, giving them all of the available options for a starting character. Then as they learn more they can try their hand at it. The Genre books go a HUGE way toward having much of that for you. Even better, they give you tips as to how to do thing the way YOU want to. If it has any weight in your decision, I am currently running a 3.5Ed D20 Eberron Campaign. Once my current campaign has run it's course, I will be putting all of those books way, and switching to HERO exclusively, I will be running a Superhero campaign first, maybe a space opera, then eventually once my fantasy batteries are recharged, Fantasy Hero. I can't even put into words how much excitement I've regained reading the Hero Books and thinking of the different ways I would do Magic, powers, even weapon damage. I have run Palladium (fantasy only), GURPS, Gamma World, Sword Bearer, Role Master, Talaslanta, Cyberpunk, Warhammer FRP, and a plethora of other systems over the past 20+ years. Out of all of the systems I've run(shown and not) GURPS was the only system that really had the flexibility to do what you have asked. Hero not only has more flexibility, but is much better at providing you with that flexibility. I bought the sidekick. I could have EASILY built and run a game with just that. But after reading it, I wanted more, so I bought the big 5th Ed Revised tome. I still wanted more, now have Fantasy Hero, Champions, Champions Universe, and a few others. The major difference between these and my huge collection of other games... These books give you idea "seeds" such as "if you would like to do X, here are a few ways to do so, but then you could also do Y or Z or A and here are a few methods for each of those" , the other books gave you a final ruling and say, "but the REALLY REAL final ruling is up to the Game Master", the players read, "These are the rules, the GM can change them, but unless he/she is a total twink they wouldn't because it will ruin your fun". I guess what it comes down to is that these books give you a set of rules to create a set of rules for the game you want to run, rather than a set of rules to run that game. In the end, you don't have a bunch of house rules, you have all house rules, and the game runs the way you want it to from the beginning. Hope you decide to give it a try, the $10 entry fee is likely to be the lowest you ever find. Except for maybe TWERPS. Kuoshu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Anomaly Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules Hope you decide to give it a try' date=' the $10 entry fee is likely to be the lowest you ever find. Except for maybe TWERPS.[/quote'] Yeah, but once you buy all the various TWERPS supplements, you'll easily hit...oh, $14 or $15... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KA. Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules briansommers, Welcome to Hero! I have only skimmed through this thread, because it is almost 2:00 and I still haven't had lunch, so I hope I am not just repeating what others have said. 1) Sidekick is available as a PDF from the Online Store of this very site. I would start there. The larger rule book does not have different rules, just a few additional rules and a lot more examples, so you won't feel like you are starting all over again if you decide to move up later. 2) There are a lot of people on this board who live to write up characters. If you don't want to do all the work yourself, just start some threads asking things like "How would you write up Aslan?" and you will get all the pregenerated characters you could ask for. One thing that would make Narnia a lot easier is that I don't remember there being a lot of "spellcasting" in the D&D sense. Most things that are magical are things that certain characters are just "able to do". Which means that you would not really need a whole involved system of magic, you could just give the people with magic the Powers and Skills you wanted them to have, and assume that Magic was the source of those powers. KA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Archer Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules You might want to note that you can pick up the Sidekick PDF for a mere $7, if you don't have objections to a strickly electronic copy. But then, you could print it if you'd like. Also I am suprised no one has mentioned Hero Designer. For a newbie Herophile this program is a god . . . er . . . Dan-send. It makes every part of character generation AND magic spells generation simple as heck. You can also purchase the HD packs that will give you all the spells and powers Hero has published, a real time saver. I hear talk of 'steep learning curve' all the time but you'd be surprise how quickly you will come to understand the system simply be building characters. Welcome to the fold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Black Lotus Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules Let's do this scientifically. TEST SUBJECT: HERO GAMES DISCUSSION BOARDS CONTROL GROUP: NONE EXPERIMENT: POSE QUESTION AS TO THE QUALITY OF HERO SYSTEM 5TH EDITION REVISED RESULTS: UNANIMOUS AGREEMENT: HERO RULES ALL CONCLUSIONS: PURCHASE HERO SYSTEM 5TH EDITION REVISED Any questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheQuestionMan Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Chronicles of Narnia to Hero Narnia to Hero http://herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10224 Narnia –Wikipedia (Check the External Links at bottom of the page) http:// http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narnia Virtual Narnia http:// http://www.virtualnarnia.com/art/maps.cfm?menu_parent_id=3&menu_item_id=76 Google Search Narnia RPG http:// http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=Narnia+RPG&meta= GURPS Victorian – Naria RPG Resource (Thanks John Kim) http:// http://codepoet.org/~markw/gurps/ Water-uphill World – Narnia Campaign Setting http:// http://www.darkshire.net/~jhkim/rpg/wateruphill/ Narnia Resource http:// http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclopedia/N/Na/Narnia.htm Yahoo Movie – The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. (2005) http:// http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=info&id=1808475642 If you need more PM me and I'll hunt them down for you. Please be specific. Welcome to Hero System QM P.S.: Dark Champions: Heroes of Vengence is a great resoucece for John Grisham Novelized Campaigns. Lots of work for the GM though. Not Game Mechanics, but creativity wise. John Grisham - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Grisham John Grisham | The Official Web Site http://www.randomhouse.com/features/grisham/ Legal Drama - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSI:_Crime_Scene_Investigation NYPD Blue - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NYPD_Blue The Shield - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shield 24 (series) -Wkikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_%28television%29 Law & Order - TV Tome (Check out the Episode Guide and Episode List for Ideas.) http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servle...180/Law__Order/ Legal Slang http://legal.laborlawtalk.com/Slang More Later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Obvious Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules I've been known once or twice to provide a helpful hint, and I'd be happy to help again, Brian. Get a copy of Sidekick and bring your ideas to the forums. If nothing else, it will start a huge argument about the best way to do X, and then you can pick up the best pieces and make something with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules Greetings, Brian. You've been given a lot of great advice so far. I would like to add, though, that you can get a fair idea of how the HERO System works just by checking out some of the free features here on the company website. For example, up in the blue banner at the top of this page you'll find a FAQs link. If you go to this section of it you'll find lots of answers to common questions about HERO, illustrating how the system approaches various issues. To the right of the FAQs link is one leading to the ton of Free Stuff that's offered on this website. From this webpage you can download free PDF documents that outline the basic principles and mechanics of the system, summarize how combat works, and describe how to use HERO to run a wide variety of game genres. That last one includes GM advice, sample characters, and some example prebuilt spells/tech/cyberware/superpowers/psionics etc. If you want some examples of HERO's versatility, look to the left of the FAQs link at "Hero Links." That will take you to a broad cross-section of the many fine fan-created websites covering all elements of HERO gaming. You might also consider following the link in my signature, at the bottom of this post. As others have said, anything else you want to know, feel free to come back and ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheQuestionMan Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules Take a look at Dark Champions for a John Grisham campaign setting. John Grisham - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Grisham John Grisham | The Official Web Site http://www.randomhouse.com/features/grisham/ Legal Drama - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSI:_Crime_Scene_Investigation NYPD Blue - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NYPD_Blue The Shield - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shield 24 (series) -Wkikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_%28television%29 Different Shows for different interpretations on the the genre. Cheers QM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gojira Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Narnia to Hero Narnia to Hero [[--Narnia links snipped--]] P.S.: Dark Champions: Heroes of Vengence is a great resoucece for John Grisham Novelized Campaigns. Lots of work for the GM though. Not Game Mechanics, but creativity wise. [[--Gisham links snipped--]] More Later God damn, you rule. Repped! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy_The_Ruthles Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules HERO is an amazing system, with it's only flaw is that if you want a highly lethal system, you'll have to tweak a few things (i find it fairly non-lethal as compared to say DnD) It's rough to GM because you need to stat out NPCs, Villians henchmen etc. You don't need to fully stat them out, but you need at least a rough idea of what they are capable of, how much stun they have, etc. It's a bit much for a first time GM, but for a first time player, it's easy to learn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briansommers Posted June 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 Re: newbie - thinkin of getting these rules wow, thanks to all who responded and thanks for all those great links first off, this is mainly for my wife and I - i talked to her last night and she said the rpging sounds interesting and that she is into crime solving, court room drama, etc - were both into law and order anyway i went and took the big plunge and bought the 5er big book - since i figured if i buy the sidekick then i would probably just want the big book anywho and then id have more money in it that if i just would've bought the big book to begin with and that why i did i will be the gm and my wife the player/adventurer - ill start off with something real simple and go from there thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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