CTaylor Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? I think dungeon crawls are terrific, and certainly they're popular or they wouldn't have become the cliche. I think by now the non dungeon crawl has become the cliche. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba smith Posted November 25, 2008 Report Share Posted November 25, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? That is a legitimate concern, I was just thinking of the rules and finding players. That would work too. I played a little Bushido in high school and would love to get into a Ninja Hero game someday. glad i could be of help also try a tv superheroes level champions game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Democracy Posted November 25, 2008 Report Share Posted November 25, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? Personally I think that the best genre to start HERO with is Pulp. I think the most successful introductions to HERO that I have ever run have been using Justice Inc (now Pulp HERO). The pulps provide the ability to run human level stuff and introduce fantastic elements without breaking the genre. The one I have enjoyed running most has been my League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ripoff.... Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted November 25, 2008 Report Share Posted November 25, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? The best genre to learn HERO is... The genre you want to run. I know, cliche, but trust me on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba smith Posted November 26, 2008 Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? Personally I think that the best genre to start HERO with is Pulp. I think the most successful introductions to HERO that I have ever run have been using Justice Inc (now Pulp HERO). The pulps provide the ability to run human level stuff and introduce fantastic elements without breaking the genre. The one I have enjoyed running most has been my League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ripoff.... Doc i see your point doc d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredwidge Posted November 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? The best genre to learn HERO is... The genre you want to run. I know, cliche, but trust me on this. It's cliché, but I'm starting to agree with this... I'll even go so far has to say that it's not just the genre, but the enthusiasm and the people that make a better difference. Besides, I'm finding that any genre can start low, without any of the big powers and optional rules. Just skill and perks.. and then move up when everyone is comfortable with the rules. Small bites, a good story and lots of nachos&beer is what is needed... that and carefully concealed shurikens to throw at dice stealers when playing ninja hero. Had lots of fun with a friend last monday when we made up team players for a Bloodbowl game with Hero rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted November 28, 2008 Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? It's cliché, but I'm starting to agree with this... I'll even go so far has to say that it's not just the genre, but the enthusiasm and the people that make a better difference. Besides, I'm finding that any genre can start low, without any of the big powers and optional rules. Just skill and perks.. and then move up when everyone is comfortable with the rules. Small bites, a good story and lots of nachos&beer is what is needed... that and carefully concealed shurikens to throw at dice stealers when playing ninja hero. Had lots of fun with a friend last monday when we made up team players for a Bloodbowl game with Hero rules. There you go. I try to not give bad (or overly specific) advice when I can reasonably avoid it. The trick to HERO has always been "reason from effect." Figure out what you want a thing to DO, and then going to the rules and finding the best way to accomplish that. Everything scales pretty much "within itself." Understanding HERO is really much like speaking a language; once you "get it" it all sort of snaps open in your brain. The fastest way to get it? Play your genre. You'll start asking "How DO I model a full body tackle? Is that a standard move, or a Martial Maneuver?" or "What would it look like if the QB could just huck the ball through someone else's chest? Well... that's a focus... he throws it, so it's Ranged Based on STR... it's heavy, so probably 2d6 total damage, plus his STR modifier... yeah, that'll do." And poof. See? Once you give us "the idea" we can spit builds like they're nothing. Trickier is designing everything; the BUILD part is easy once the idea is solidified. Biggest problem tackling and finishing my own project. I know roughly what I want it all to do; now I just have to hammer it into shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted November 28, 2008 Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? I talk about that sort of thing in this article: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58595 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolgroth Posted November 30, 2008 Report Share Posted November 30, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? As I am learning more about what it is to actually play with HERO, I have to second Thia's comment. I also have to add that, unless you and your players have a common understanding of the setting, there is a lot of work ahead of you to make the setting feel "real." I think it because of that fact that many people either suggest a "real world" campaign or the classic dungeon crawl. Both settings are familiar enough to most players to make it easy on the first time GM. That way, all he has to do is concentrate on explaining the rules instead of the rules and how they interact with his strange setting. Advice to game by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTaylor Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? I figure the desire to run and the enthusiasm are already there in someone who is looking for a genre to run, but the fact is, the easiest and most readily available genre for Hero is Champions. This genre requires less work and preparation and is more easily understood by most players than any other. Using a fantasy world requires not just a huge amount of personal work (even if you use a setting provided by someone else), it requires an understanding of what races are in it, how magic works, etc. A spy setting requires a lot of work and almost no game source material available. A sci fi setting has little material available and the same problems as the fantasy setting: what aliens, what tech, etc. Champions has tons of source material and an instantly accessible concept (unless you go with something really wierd, like post apocalyptic lizard superheroes, etc). Run what you want, but the genre that's the easiest and most accessible is Champions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? I think if you're going to learn the system, you can run scenarios in any genre without a lot of outlay. If all you're going to do is a dungeon crawl, then you don't need to build a whole world. Same for a spy game -- if you're supposed to infiltrate the terrorist camp all you need is the camp, not the whole geo-political map. Play it like Hollywood -- for example where does Predator take place, anyway? Do they ever give you an exact location? (Not that I recall) Do the same for your game -- you need to accomplish X, here's your resources, and no, you don't have enough time to call in anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egyptoid Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? I hate to say it, but Pulp. you have all the basics, and the goofy powers only come up once every so often. as opposed to Champions, where she's a mentalist, all his attacks are penetrating, and Mystic Boy only affects vs. Power Defense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba smith Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? or dark champions for spy campaigns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Goodwin Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? The best genre to learn Hero is Champions... ...or pulp... ...or fantasy... ...or science fiction... ...or giant robots... ...or Dark Champions... ...or.... ...your favorite genre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? The best genre to learn Hero is Champions...blah blah blah... what Thia said. See? Knew he'd see it my way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? I would say for a starting GM that the best genre to play in is the one you have the most material that has already been converted to the Hero system. Otherwise it will be a lot of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyper-Man Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Re: Best genre to learn HERO system? I would say for a starting GM that the best genre to play in is the one you have the most material that has already been converted to the Hero system. Otherwise it will be a lot of work. This is why I think a some type of non-powered setting is the default easiest beginning genre since the core book already comes prepackaged with a decent array of real world weapons of several eras to work with. This removes power building from the initial learning curve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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