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Best bit


Sean Waters

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Re: Best bit

 

The versatility of the system most of all. I have created well over a hundred different heroes (of which less than about 20 survived to actually exist more than 1 adventure). I really enjoy creating characters. There may be certain areas of the Hero System I don't use (ex. Multiple Power Attacks) but then again, no system is perfect. If the system wasn't as flexible and funas it is, Champions (now a genre)/ the Hero System would not be around right now.

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Re: Best bit

 

Already mentioned, but I'll second it...

 

Stun and Body as two types of damage

 

Normal Attacks and Killing attacks as two types of attack

 

normal defense and resistant defenses

 

While no more "realistic" than Hit Points as a mechanic... this allows you to simulate a great deal more nuance in combat and damage... allowing a lot more variance in character construction... more flavor to game play combat, etc.

 

That and the first game (I know of) to have damage reduced by defenses.

 

Add in the generic scalability of 1d6 per 5 points... and you have the most flexible system I've ever seen that still has a structural balance built into it.

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Re: Best bit

 

Already mentioned, but I'll second it...

 

Stun and Body as two types of damage

 

Normal Attacks and Killing attacks as two types of attack

 

normal defense and resistant defenses

 

While no more "realistic" than Hit Points as a mechanic... this allows you to simulate a great deal more nuance in combat and damage... allowing a lot more variance in character construction... more flavor to game play combat, etc.

 

That and the first game (I know of) to have damage reduced by defenses.

 

I'll second all of this (as well as the comments on HERO letting you build whatever you want), but will point out that (AFAIK) Melee and The Fantasy Trip had armor that reduced damage back in (oh....) 1979?

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Re: Best bit

 

 

That and the first game (I know of) to have damage reduced by defenses.

 

 

Actually, both Runequest and Melee/Wizard had that. In fact, I strongly suspect Melee/Wizard AKA The Fantasy Trip (By Steve Jackson, Legendery Game Designer) had a lot of influence on the original Champions, as Champions & Hero System had a lot of influence on GURPS (Also by Steve Jackson.)

 

But this is getting into history and analysis in a thread that's supposed to be a simple love-fest. Feel free to move my post.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Or feed it to the palindromedary

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Re: Best bit

 

Actually, both Runequest and Melee/Wizard had that. In fact, I strongly suspect Melee/Wizard AKA The Fantasy Trip (By Steve Jackson, Legendery Game Designer) had a lot of influence on the original Champions, as Champions & Hero System had a lot of influence on GURPS (Also by Steve Jackson.)

 

But this is getting into history and analysis in a thread that's supposed to be a simple love-fest. Feel free to move my post.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Or feed it to the palindromedary

 

Like I said "that I know of" I'm not a fantasy fan, so I've never heard of or played the mentioned games. It was certainly THE key reason we dropped D&D for Champions. For me, to play supers... but the big thing was "Armor eliminated damage... doesn't make you harder to hit" was the greatest "Finally! A system that makes sense!" feeling, way back in '81.

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Re: Best bit

 

Like I said "that I know of" I'm not a fantasy fan' date=' so I've never heard of or played the mentioned games. It was certainly THE key reason we dropped D&D for Champions. For me, to play supers... but the big thing was "Armor eliminated damage... doesn't make you harder to hit" was the greatest "Finally! A system that makes sense!" feeling, way back in '81.[/quote']

 

Melee, Wizard, and The Fantasy Trip (along with Advanced Wizard and Advanced Melee) had a lot of innovations IIRC. It only have three stats: STR, DEX, & INT, with STR equalling HERO BODY & CON. Wizards could cast spells over and over, provided they had the BODY (i.e. END) to do so. Armor stopped damage, and INT determined things like how powerful your spells could be and what you could learn. Movement was based on DEX (higher DEX went first) and Advanced Melee various swordfighting tricks and the like. Oh, and you built your character from a pool of points, not from any a random die roll.

 

It was far better than AD&D, that's for sure and made a good spring board to HERO.

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