Derek Hiemforth Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Hey All - I happened to write this up for someone who asked me a question about my HERO System Products list, and I thought others might find it useful or interesting. (Or not... Anyway, here it is. - Derek In the beginning, there was no "HERO System." There was only "Champions." It was a superhero roleplaying game, containing both rules and superhero source material. It was published in 1981 by a company called Hero Games. This was the 1st edition. In 1982, a revised edition of Champions was published. Like its predecessor, it was a stand-alone game, containing both rules and superhero source material. This was the 2nd edition. Then, it started occurring to the fine folks at Hero Games that the rules engine that Champions used was very flexible, and that (with very little 'tweaking') it could be used to play games in genres other than superheroes. They dubbed the rules engine the "HERO System" for the first time, although the rules were never published by themselves. With the new "HERO System" concept in mind, they published two more stand-alone games. The first was "Espionage!" (a secret agent game) and the second was "Justice Inc." (a pulp adventure game). Like Champions, both of these games included both the rules (albeit in a very slightly different form than Champions) and genre material. Also like Champions, the version of the HERO System used in these games was the 2nd edition. In 1984, another revision of Champions was done. It still contained both rules and source material, and the new rules engine was now the 3rd edition of the HERO System. Later games that used the 3rd edition of the HERO System were Danger International (an updated version of Espionage!), Fantasy Hero, Robot Warriors, and Star Hero. All these games contained customized versions of the 3rd edition of the HERO System rules, but the rules were never published in a book by themselves. In 1989, everything changed. :-) In 1989, the 4th edition of Champions was released, containing both rules and source material. However, this time around, the rules and the source material were kept in separate parts of the book. Only a few months later, the "HERO System Rulesbook" was published. This book was exactly the same as the rules section of 4th edition Champions, but without the superhero source material. The HERO System Rulesbook was the first book to contain only the rules. Later 4th edition "genre books" included Western Hero, Ninja Hero, a new Fantasy Hero (this time without the rules included), Cyber Hero, and Horror Hero. Unlike earlier products, these books did *not* include the rules. They were supplements to the system, not stand-alone games in their own right. The 5th edition was released in 2002, and divorced the HERO System rules from the various genres even farther. This time, even Champions was "just" a genre supplement, and did not include the rules on its own. The rules are only published in the "HERO System Fifth Edition" and "HERO System Fifth Edition Revised" books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Re: History of the HERO System Which, IIRC, causes all sorts of distress. For me, though, it makes perfect sense. "Here's the rules to build anything. If you wan some guidelines, we have those, too." I do love me some HERO system. Mmm-mmM! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithcurtis Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Re: History of the HERO System Thanks for the concise history, Derek! Keith "Gave away his 2nd edition" Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRavenIs Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 Re: History of the HERO System I'll rep you Derek when I can for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchman Posted July 1, 2006 Report Share Posted July 1, 2006 Re: History of the HERO System Very awesome. As a relative newbie to HERO (I came shortly after 5th edition did) I've often wondered about the history of it, and why some people insist on calling it champions. Great. Awesome. Cool. Repped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstone Posted July 1, 2006 Report Share Posted July 1, 2006 Re: History of the HERO System What? No mention of the beloved FUZION? :: Dives for Cover :: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted July 1, 2006 Report Share Posted July 1, 2006 Re: History of the HERO System a random thought inspired by Dereks excellent summary... For those of us who learned to draw supers from blank character forms, the ones form 1st edition Champions were the best. Ever. Bar None. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted July 1, 2006 Report Share Posted July 1, 2006 Re: History of the HERO System What? No mention of the beloved FUZION? :: Dives for Cover :: One could argue that, since it wasn't Hero, it doesn't belong in a history of Hero. On the other hand, one could argue that that would be like writing a history of modern France without mentioning the German invasions and occupations. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary is good at seeing both sides of an argument. It inherently has two points of view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dino Posted July 1, 2006 Report Share Posted July 1, 2006 Re: History of the HERO System What? No mention of the beloved FUZION? :: Dives for Cover :: I have a rope, someone find a tree... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted July 1, 2006 Report Share Posted July 1, 2006 Re: History of the HERO System One could argue that, since it wasn't Hero, it doesn't belong in a history of Hero. On the other hand, one could argue that that would be like writing a history of modern France without mentioning the German invasions and occupations. Judgement call, of course, but since Derek titled his essay "History of the HERO System," I think it's reasonable to leave out Fuzion. Now if he'd called it "History of Hero Games," one would have cause to protest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BNakagawa Posted July 1, 2006 Report Share Posted July 1, 2006 Re: History of the HERO System I've always been amused by the 'magnet' incident... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchman Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 Re: History of the HERO System I've always been amused by the 'magnet' incident... And now I can't put this thread on my mental ignore list, since I'm once again curious about something on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 Re: History of the HERO System Only a few months later, the "HERO System Rulesbook" was published. This book was exactly the same as the rules section of 4th edition Champions, but without the superhero source material. The HERO System Rulesbook was the first book to contain only the rules. Ah yes, I remember it well. This is where I became a HERO System gamer for serious and for real. I had gotten started on the hardbacked BBB, but lugging around the heavy hardback was a drag. The slim trim HS #500 on the other hand became a permanent fixture in my backpack and as it was always close to hand, I had HERO on the brain often. I still have 2 copies -- a taped up and heavily used "reference" copy and a "don't touch it if you like your fingers intact" copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 Re: History of the HERO System And that lovely multi-genre George Perez cover didn't hurt either. "Sigh" With Perez being so popular and Hero Games being so cash-strapped, I doubt the days of Hero books with Perez covers will ever return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 Re: History of the HERO System Maybe we could hold his dog ransom for cover art. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 Re: History of the HERO System And now I can't put this thread on my mental ignore list' date=' since I'm once again curious about something on it.[/quote'] In at least one pre-release article on Champions: 2e, the rules for spreading energy blasts were mentioned as a part of the rules that were lost when Magneto attacked the hard derive shortly before 1e was published. ie they were added in 2e, but were intended to be in 1e as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.