Secret Master Posted May 15, 2011 Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 Champions Beyond PDF now available. Steven S. Long Sam R. Kennedy Stock Number: DOJHERO1106 ISBN Number: 978-1-58366-135-2 304 Pages PDF: $24.99 SUPERHEROING AMONG THE STARS! Evil and injustice aren’t confined to Earth. It’s a big galaxy out there, full of threats and enemies for superheroes to battle. Champions Beyond is your guide to outer space, other planets, and aliens in the Champions Universe — worlds and worlds of adventure! It includes: -A review of humanity’s history with aliens, including information on and Templates for the alien species humans have encountered -A look at what’s happening on the Moon and the planets of Earth’s solar system -A detailed description of Malva, the most advanced planet in the Galaxy, including the famed Malvan Arena and its super-gladiators -Information on the major alien menaces currently confronting humanity: the Hzeel, the Qularr, the Gadroon, and the Elder Worm -A description of the Star*Guard, the Galaxy’s greatest defenders of justice and freedom -The secrets of the Galaxy revealed, including information on aliens humanity hasn’t met, the secret origin of the Progenitors, the truth behind Selenus, and more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted May 16, 2011 Report Share Posted May 16, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. A Bit AFTER my birthday, but I forgive you, Hero Games... I forgive you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted May 16, 2011 Report Share Posted May 16, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. A Bit AFTER my birthday, but I forgive you, Hero Games... I forgive you No - it's Early for your Next birthday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted May 16, 2011 Report Share Posted May 16, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. Gah . I've waited for years for this to come out, not holding off till the next one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted May 16, 2011 Report Share Posted May 16, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. Birthday and xmas are the two times I typically get HERO products -- this won't be on the list... It's already on my hard drive. (now I just have to manage the time to read through it...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted May 16, 2011 Report Share Posted May 16, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. Got mine. I've you'd like to read some hints of what's in the book, check out this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megaplayboy Posted May 16, 2011 Report Share Posted May 16, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. Having just D/L the pdf and skimmed the contents, looks pretty good. Steve didn't skimp on the points for some of those writeups Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted May 16, 2011 Report Share Posted May 16, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. Some people and things in CBY are among the pointiest ever written for Champions. You'd almost think Dave Mattingly published them. But the great majority of the book is more suited to standard-level superheroics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megaplayboy Posted May 17, 2011 Report Share Posted May 17, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. I do have one minor quibble: One of the character writeups has a 1000 BODY. The minor problem with this is that, last I checked, Hero Designer caps most stats at 998 and won't recognize 4 digit values when typed in, so it would have to be purchased separately and added in. This is actually the case for more than just stats--a lot of powers are effectively capped at 3 or 4 digit values(and followers are capped at 99,999, IIRC). Perhaps this is something that could be fixed in the next update of HD? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted May 17, 2011 Report Share Posted May 17, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. I got mine *Yay* and am looking it over. Some surprises, others not such a big surprise but still well put together. I've been loving the Malvan section, and I won't lie, it was part I skipped to quickly. A very richly detailed culture with so many potential plot hooks embedded within that my inner gm child giggled. "Do you like RPGs with space gladiators, Timmy?" Well, gosh sir, yes I do The art was good to excellent (Sure, some of it was recycled from TE, but I LIKED the art in TE so it works), though I thought more would be in color than just the cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted May 17, 2011 Report Share Posted May 17, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. I do have one minor quibble: One of the character writeups has a 1000 BODY. The minor problem with this is that, last I checked, Hero Designer caps most stats at 998 and won't recognize 4 digit values when typed in, so it would have to be purchased separately and added in. This is actually the case for more than just stats--a lot of powers are effectively capped at 3 or 4 digit values(and followers are capped at 99,999, IIRC). Perhaps this is something that could be fixed in the next update of HD? I had to do a bit of finagling there, HD recognizes, just not in one field. When the CharPack becomes avail you'll see it's possible, and not that difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted May 17, 2011 Report Share Posted May 17, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. I got mine *Yay* and am looking it over. Some surprises' date=' others not such a big surprise but still well put together. I've been loving the Malvan section, and I won't lie, it was part I skipped to quickly. A very richly detailed culture with so many potential plot hooks embedded within that my inner gm child giggled. "Do you like RPGs with space gladiators, Timmy?" Well, gosh sir, yes I do [/quote'] If you haven't looked into it yet, you'll find that plot potential emphatically expands to the Forum Malvanum on the Moon, right in Earth's relative back yard. The art was good to excellent (Sure' date=' some of it was recycled from TE, but I LIKED the art in TE so it works), though I thought more would be in color than just the cover.[/quote'] The black-and-white art is one of the very few things about CBY I'd categorize as "disappointing." Steve Long pointed out to me that Hero Games hasn't the budget to make all their books color, and I appreciate that reality; but the grandeur of the subject matter is such a natural for color artwork, it's a shame it couldn't happen. Maybe if CBY sells like gangbusters and warrants a followup "villains" book, color might be justifiable for that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted May 17, 2011 Report Share Posted May 17, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. If you haven't looked into it yet, you'll find that plot potential emphatically expands to the Forum Malvanum on the Moon, right in Earth's relative back yard. The black-and-white art is one of the very few things about CBY I'd categorize as "disappointing." Steve Long pointed out to me that Hero Games hasn't the budget to make all their books color, and I appreciate that reality; but the grandeur of the subject matter is such a natural for color artwork, it's a shame it couldn't happen. Maybe if CBY sells like gangbusters, color might be justifiable for a followup "villains" book. Yeah. I can understand budget constraints, but like you I was a bit disappointed and for similar reasons. Some of the characters in this were meant to shine, almost litterally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted May 17, 2011 Report Share Posted May 17, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. Many interesting characters in this book, but my personal favorite is Wglu the Mighty. Not what most heroes would expect in fighting the Elder Worm -- likely to be a nasty surprise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted May 18, 2011 Report Share Posted May 18, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. I've never been a fan of the Elder Worm crew, so I've been putting that one off but I'll definitely be giving it a looksee. I'm very impressed with all the Lunar activity, a little something for everyone right next door Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted May 18, 2011 Report Share Posted May 18, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. I think you'll find it interesting to read about the Malvan war from the Worm side. Another thing that impresses me about CBY is the sheer quantity of potential plot points sown throughout it. Even discounting the ones that are part of the main storylines of the various races and characters the book focusses on, there are scores of named individuals, species, events, artifacts, and phenomena that can springboard encounters, game arcs, and new character origins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megaplayboy Posted May 18, 2011 Report Share Posted May 18, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. What's interesting is that there are a few villains and NPCs in there who could easily curbstomp Dr.D, Mechanon and Takofanes combined. But we don't know what the guidelines would be for heroes capable of even withstanding their might for a brief time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted May 18, 2011 Report Share Posted May 18, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. Yeah, the power levels vary from "I punch the invasion in the face one at a time! Easy win!" to "So, would you like our planet with a white or red wine, your overlordship?" but as I read both Terran Empire and Galactic Champions, this doesn't surprise me One thing I miss about 6E is the plot seeds on the side, but despite not being spelled out for us, the hooks are still there a plenty as LL states. This book, by the time I'd done reading it, had me in the mood to make two or three alien superheroes, and just as many new 'villains' from the varies species and backgrounds offered. Which is a good sign I think. My favorite sections continue to involve the Malvans, but the Star*Guard are well represented, and in such a state of upheaval that a GM could rationalize almost anything in some sort of shake up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted May 18, 2011 Report Share Posted May 18, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. What's interesting is that there are a few villains and NPCs in there who could easily curbstomp Dr.D' date=' Mechanon and Takofanes combined. But we don't know what the guidelines would be for heroes capable of even withstanding their might for a brief time.[/quote'] On the one hand, I remember reading comments from our board colleague Lord Mhoram that his PC superhero team had accumulated so much Experience, they killed 5E Dr. Destroyer as written in one turn of combat. I suspect some campaigns operate on a level where the heroes actually can trade blows with the likes of the Warmonger or Xarriel, and it's a good thing to have a few characters statted up as examples of such villains (what I've started to think of as the CBY Big Five). OTOH there's a long-standing tradition in comics of villains too transcendent for any heroes to defeat through direct force. They have to trick them or find their one weakness or flaw in their plans. Many such villains use lesser-powered operatives to execute their will, which PCs may have the power to confront. One thing I would have liked to see in Champions Beyond is a few such minions for Xarriel at least named and described. Personally I've never played or run a game with PCs who could survive a confrontation with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted May 18, 2011 Report Share Posted May 18, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. My favorite sections continue to involve the Malvans' date=' but the Star*Guard are well represented, and in such a state of upheaval that a GM could rationalize almost anything in some sort of shake up.[/quote'] Interesting backstory to that: Steve Long and Darren Watts (the latter of whom created the Star*Guard) discussed whether the Guard should have some sort of rank system and command structure. Darren believed strongly that it should not, while Steve believed just as strongly that it should. The situation described in Champions Beyond is kind of a compromise, but happily it's one that gives a GM considerable freedom to decide where to take the Guard next. IMO that's more interesting than the eon-old stability the organization had heretofore enjoyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted May 18, 2011 Report Share Posted May 18, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. Those of you who own an iPad: What method do you use to get the PDF on there? Are you synching it through iTunes, e-mailing it to yourself, downloading it from the web/fileshare, moving it across the network using an app of some sort? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted May 18, 2011 Report Share Posted May 18, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. Interesting backstory to that: Steve Long and Darren Watts (the latter of whom created the Star*Guard) discussed whether the Guard should have some sort of rank system and command structure. Darren believed strongly that it should not' date=' while Steve believed just as strongly that it should. The situation described in [i']Champions Beyond[/i] is kind of a compromise, but happily it's one that gives a GM considerable freedom to decide where to take the Guard next. IMO that's more interesting than the eon-old stability the organization had heretofore enjoyed. AH! Well, I truly enjoy Darren's stuff (wish he'd get to write more) but it looks like this compromise is indeed a good one. In my case, it allows me to rationalize if Earth is such a problem that a young Starguard in training might be given it as 'fieldwork study' while the true Star Guard of the area (The spanish gent who's name I cannot remember well enough to spell) handles the whole sector and checks up on him from time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted May 18, 2011 Report Share Posted May 18, 2011 Re: Champions Beyond [PDF] now available. Another thing I appreciate about the Star*Guard: a standard StarGuard like Andre Almena is formidable, and has useful knowledge, contacts, and resources; but isn't so powerful or versatile as to completely overshadow PC heroes (IOW he's not quite a Green Lantern). That makes him just right for an NPC hero. OTOH the more specialized classes of StarGuards, and their sheer number, allows them if necessary (i.e. if the GM wants them to) to bring enough force to bear to counter almost any level of threat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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