Thoughts on the new Champions Universe for 6E

[mserabian]

I guess the title says it all...

 

What are your thoughts on the new 6E version of the Champions Universe book? What does it add that's

not in the 5E version? Would you rate it better than the 5E book, the same or worse? What's changed?

 

What's the campaign and adventure hook ratio on this book? Does it get your juices flowing for running

campaigns in the world of Champions?

 

looking forward to the discussion!

 

mal

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Thoughts on the new Champions Universe for 6E

 

Well, I already like and use the Champions Universe (tweaked) as the basis for my games, so my juices are already flowing.

 

I'd call this book "5E CU, plus." It's very similar in style and content to the first one, but updates the setting to the current year, in no small part by incorporating details from numerous Champions books printed after CU 5E. It also touches on the new elements contributed by Cryptic Studios, such as Shadow Destroyer, the Lemurian rebellion, and Burning Sands.

 

IMO the new Champions Universe is better organized than the original. For example, all the character sheets are at the back of the book rather than scattered through the text section. There are fewer characters written up than in the 5E version, and almost all of them are NPC heroes, aside from a few "generics" such as VIPER and DEMON agents. (The upcoming Champions Villains trilogy is supposed to compile all the villains.) The write-ups do include more experienced versions of the Champions team members themselves than appear in the genre book, reflecting them as of 2010.

 

Of course one of the biggest differences is the full-color artwork, which IMHO ranges from Good to Excellent, and really adds a comic-book visual punch.

[RexMundi]

Re: Thoughts on the new Champions Universe for 6E

 

I would love to have thoughts on it but unfortunently my local Hobby Stores (5 stores 5 states) Keep feeding me a line of crap about not being able to get the book. So far I've liked the 6e stuff and the way it compiled multiple books into a friendlier format for multiple campaign genre's (HSMA), and the Powers book has been imensly helpful for my new semi converts from d20 whom can't visualize anything if you hand them the Parts for a fighter without putting them all together in a template and labeling it "FIGHTER"....

 

So curious as to what's in the CU book. While I tend to almost always run "My Own Stuff..." I like having the "Common Ground" available at my fingertips. So.....to the fun guys at HERO, Tell the Hobby Stores to stop lying and put the book on the shelf for me, cause apparently the story from them is you all only printed 12 copies and their all gone right now....

 

*sigh* I miss the good old days of Hobby Stores, really do, but alas, no owner seems to want to put the work into getting a feel for the demands of his customer base. Either way to re-rail, folks that have the book tell me about it, if it's good stuff, I'll move it further up the list of stuff to pick up.

 

~Rex

[kahuna's bro]

Re: Thoughts on the new Champions Universe for 6E

 

why not order it fromHERO games?

[RexMundi]

Re: Thoughts on the new Champions Universe for 6E

 

Because I'm a computer Illiterate, not a big fan of the look of the online store here it's format confuses my little pea brain as opposed to something like Amazon, where I type in one thing and one thing pops up for me to buy, move to next page.

 

Besides, I like to pick a book up off the shelf, make sure it's in good shape, thumb through it, and then buy the one I got the best feel from. In short, I'm a luddite, and some of the "I Ordered it a Month ago!" stories I've seen here, hasn't left me with a lot of faith in the ordering online process. No offense intended to the hard working folks that handle such things, as I well understand, Shite happens.

 

I just want to pick it up off a shelf and go home with it.

 

~Rex

[Greywind]

Re: Thoughts on the new Champions Universe for 6E

 

Does that work with women too?

[Enforcer84]

Re: Thoughts on the new Champions Universe for 6E

 

Does that work with women too?

 

Really depends on the shelves.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: Thoughts on the new Champions Universe for 6E

 

My Hobby Store does not lie to me... I live with one of the guys. The distributors have been ordering books based on pre orders. They do not stock books anymore. I disagree with this, but it is a business. My Hobby Store is changing Distributors to get around Diamond Age Distributors.

 

Cheers

 

QM

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Thoughts on the new Champions Universe for 6E

 

Either way to re-rail' date=' folks that have the book tell me about it, if it's good stuff, I'll move it further up the list of stuff to pick up.[/quote']

 

Have you seen Champions Universe for Fifth Edition? If you have, it's basically the same thing, only more of it, better organized, and prettier to look at. If you haven't, we'll try to summarize it for you.

 

One thing worth noting is that nearly all the setting history covered in the 5E book is reproduced here exactly the same, up to the start of the new millennium. The post-Cryptic Studios timeline diverges somewhat from pre-Cryptic books after that point, notably in the appearance of the "new" Dr. Destroyer (although some of the events originally instigated by the returned Dr. D. are now attributed to his replacement). Otherwise, overall divergence is actually pretty small.

 

If you're familiar with the 5E setting, have picked up the various published updates and expansions, and have some familiarity with Champions Online, there will be few surprises for you. That's where most of the new stuff has been added from.

[Tasha]

Re: Thoughts on the new Champions Universe for 6E

 

Because I'm a computer Illiterate, not a big fan of the look of the online store here it's format confuses my little pea brain as opposed to something like Amazon, where I type in one thing and one thing pops up for me to buy, move to next page.

 

Besides, I like to pick a book up off the shelf, make sure it's in good shape, thumb through it, and then buy the one I got the best feel from. In short, I'm a luddite, and some of the "I Ordered it a Month ago!" stories I've seen here, hasn't left me with a lot of faith in the ordering online process. No offense intended to the hard working folks that handle such things, as I well understand, Shite happens.

 

I just want to pick it up off a shelf and go home with it.

 

~Rex

 

Nearly everything I have ever ordered from the Hero store has come fast!! and packaged well. The folk in the warehouse pick good looking product to ship. I have personally ordered nearly every thing that has been published for 5e and every 6e book published to date (ex 6e Bestiary which I am going to order with Fantasy Hero 6e). One think that I like about the Hero Store is that I can order both Hard copy books and PDFs at the same time (and usually as part of a bundle that saves me money on both) which means that I can DL the PDF for immediate enjoyment and then not be so stressed about when the books arrive. Of course having those bundles and also the Hero Designer Character packs for the books can make the Store seem a bit cluttered. Esp with how the 6e stuff is currently organized in a category by itself.

 

The hero store is one of my 2 most favorite online stores the other being the Hasslefree miniatures site. Both ship quickly and in great packaging that protects the product much better than the amazon boxes do.

[Alverant]

Re: Thoughts on the new Champions Universe for 6E

 

My main complaint is with Defender. He's an powered armored hero whose costume doesn't look much like powered armor. It looks more like spandex with a helmet. Worse it leaves his jaw and neck exposed. I could see someone like Grond saying "Hero has twist of top!" or a good punch to the face taking his head off.

 

Witchcraft needs a better name.

 

Dr.Destroyer should NOT be a mage. His power should come from the fruits of his own genius and not some mysterious shadow dimension.

 

Ironclad is a bet better built as a gladiator. But I don't like a brick using a HKA weapon. They should either have a club or (ideally) go barehanded.

 

Replacing Nightwind with Kinetix, very good idea. But I would still like to see Nightwind as an example character.

[incrdbil]

Re: Thoughts on the new Champions Universe for 6E

 

Dr.Destroyer should NOT be a mage. His power should come from the fruits of his own genius and not some mysterious shadow dimension.

 

 

I'm thinking you didnt read enough.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Thoughts on the new Champions Universe for 6E

 

My main complaint is with Defender. He's an powered armored hero whose costume doesn't look much like powered armor. It looks more like spandex with a helmet. Worse it leaves his jaw and neck exposed. I could see someone like Grond saying "Hero has twist of top!" or a good punch to the face taking his head off.

 

I figure his armor is much like that of Vindicator/Guardian from Marvel's Alpha Flight team, which was similarly spandexish and also had an uncovered lower face. It's based on force fields, which cover Defender's jaw and neck. Otherwise, IMHO this question is a lot like asking how Wonder Woman's bustier stays on with no support in back. It's comic-book physics, i.e. if it looks cool it works. I actually like the new look for Defender. It's more superhero-slick and less techno-clunky.

 

Dr.Destroyer should NOT be a mage. His power should come from the fruits of his own genius and not some mysterious shadow dimension.

 

The "real" Dr. Destroyer, Albert Zerstoiten, is still all technological. The villain the world currently believes to be DD commands both technology and sorcery, so is kind of a double genius. I have to say there are elements of the concept and history of Shadow Destroyer that I find more interesting and compelling than Zerstoiten's, and when and if I can start up a campaign in the new CU I'll probably synthesize the two of them.