Legendsmiths Considers: Genre Quick Starts you'd like to see

[Legendsmiths]

In addition to Narosia, and idea I have thought ripe for Hero is the idea of Quick Starts.

 

Essentially, build the campaign guidelines, basic character templates, equipement, powers, etc. to get a campaign off the ground. Perhaps it is tied to a setting, perhaps not, or a setting might evolve out of the Quick Start if popular enough.

 

For example, a Dark Fantasy Quick Start might have some unique races, define everyman skills, set campaign guidelines, equipment, spells, adventure seeds, and provide an adventure to get things going.

 

The difference between this and a traditional setting book is mostly size and detail.

 

You could also have each Quick Start be a part of a larger puzzle. For instance, a Contemporary Espionage campaign guide might be broken into Espionage Firefight (with appropriate gear), Espionage Infiltration (with appropriate gear), Espionage Targets (with appropriate NPCs and organizations). While all combined it could reach the volume of a full setting book, taken in pieces it might be enough to get things started for a GM.

 

There are a lot of great GMs out there that just need a boost to get their campaign going, and stuff like this might help.

 

If you are familiar with the genre books that have 4-6 mini campaigns detailed in them, those would be examples of the basic material that would be included, enhanced by more specific campaign guidelines, power sets, and equipment, plus an adventure (1 session) to kick it off.

 

Quick Starts can only rely on the Basic Rulebook, to reduce the cost of buy-in.

 

So, what kinds of Quick Starts would interest you most? My short list?

 

Fantasy Hero (this is more to get people introduced to how one might start a fantasy game in Hero)

Western Hero (and really, with all the material out there, what more do you need than a quick start)

Steampunk Hero

Pulp Hero (Pulp Hero is awesome, but a quick primer to getting things rolling might really help those people try it out)

Star Hero

Action Hero (Modern, non-supers, non-cyber)

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: Legendsmiths Considers: Genre Quick Starts you'd like to see

 

I like this idea (and would be interested in all of these except maybe Western). But have you considered approaching these as Campaign Quick Starts (or Setting Quick Starts), as opposed to genre? It rather sounds like that may be what you're envisioning already, and that would let you easily position a given Quick Start as multi-genre, or have multiple Quick Starts available in the same overall genre but with different feels, or power levels, or what have you...

[torchwolf]

Re: Legendsmiths Considers: Genre Quick Starts you'd like to see

 

Fantasy Hero (this is more to get people introduced to how one might start a fantasy game in Hero)

Western Hero (and really, with all the material out there, what more do you need than a quick start)

Steampunk Hero

Pulp Hero (Pulp Hero is awesome, but a quick primer to getting things rolling might really help those people try it out)

Star Hero

Action Hero (Modern, non-supers, non-cyber)

Steampunk Hero would be interesting to see. Other than that, I would likely purchase something like this more for support of the system rather than actual use, but I know from posters here that there is a demand.

 

I think especially Fantasy Hero, Star Hero, and Pulp Hero, in that order, would generate interest, all having Genre Books but little material (currently produced) available.

 

 

On a related note: last year there was a project here called "Monthly Adventures" (on which I sadly dropped the ball due to IRL stuff).

Maybe that could be rebooted with the specific purpose of creating quick-starts, the winner of a challenge getting a full pdf produced?

I can see the usefulness of these products, especially right now, whether commercially produced or not... or maybe something in between.

[Legendsmiths]

Re: Legendsmiths Considers: Genre Quick Starts you'd like to see

 

Derek: campaign quick starts is definitely what I had in mind.

 

Torch: there is a challenge to separating the campaign from an adventure: context. I can't write a fantasy adventure unless I know the campaign details.

[djkester]

Re: Legendsmiths Considers: Genre Quick Starts you'd like to see

 

I love this idea. I posted on this as well although not as well thought out as this post.

 

Fantasy Hero (this is more to get people introduced to how one might start a fantasy game in Hero)

Western Hero (and really, with all the material out there, what more do you need than a quick start)

Steampunk Hero

Pulp Hero (Pulp Hero is awesome, but a quick primer to getting things rolling might really help those people try it out)

Star Hero

Action Hero (Modern, non-supers, non-cyber)

 

Well sense I've ended up writing my own for Fantasy Hero I'd love to see that done. In fact I'd add content to it if it was desired. And I would not make them setting dependent.

 

But at this point because I'm already heavily into my own Fantasy Hero quick start I'd be most interested in a redo of Danger International. You could even say it was "Bourne again."

NOTE: I personally think it should not be called Dark Champions that name is tied to much to Champions IMO.

 

On behalf of my Daughters who are 11 and 14 (Ninja Hero quick start) with special rules for making a (Naruto quick start)

[Ninja-Bear]

Re: Legendsmiths Considers: Genre Quick Starts you'd like to see

 

I was thinking along those lines too for Hero system. Especially developing these to be used with the basic rulebook, as that might attract more non-hero gamers. And I do like the idea of a Ninja Hero quick start.

[Ninja-Bear]

Re: Legendsmiths Considers: Genre Quick Starts you'd like to see

 

Of course I think of this after I hit send. I've mentioned that I hero with my daughter who is 8 now, and others mentioned that they also game with their young kids. So how about a quick start Champions for the younger set? Something that is very Silver age and tv friendly?

[dmjalund]

Re: Legendsmiths Considers: Genre Quick Starts you'd like to see

 

I too think it would be good to dissasemble Dark Champions into smaller mor manageable genres

[Dreamstreamer]

Re: Legendsmiths Considers: Genre Quick Starts you'd like to see

 

Of course I think of this after I hit send. I've mentioned that I hero with my daughter who is 8 now' date=' and others mentioned that they also game with their young kids. So how about a quick start Champions for the younger set? Something that is very Silver age and tv friendly?[/quote']

 

I would love something like this. In fact, I'll see what I can throw together over the weekend.

 

So, would this be taking the guidelines in the appropriate genre book (Champions, Fantasy Hero, Star Hero, etc.) and hard-coding the options as setting requirements? The aim is to only require the Basic Rulebook, everything else to play should be contained in the Quick Start, right? I'm guessing that a laser focus will be needed. Pre-created characters (villains, tangential NPCs and heroes), sample adventure, maps, and advice on plausible directions that the story can go when the adventure ends. I also think that a breakdown of how each character was created would be useful. If not each character, maybe at least one breakdown for each type (villain, NPC, and hero)? That way, players can see how to customize their own characters to fit the setting in the Quick Start.

[Ranxerox]

Re: Legendsmiths Considers: Genre Quick Starts you'd like to see

 

 

So, what kinds of Quick Starts would interest you most? My short list?

 

Fantasy Hero (this is more to get people introduced to how one might start a fantasy game in Hero)

Western Hero (and really, with all the material out there, what more do you need than a quick start)

Steampunk Hero

Pulp Hero (Pulp Hero is awesome, but a quick primer to getting things rolling might really help those people try it out)

Star Hero

Action Hero (Modern, non-supers, non-cyber)

 

I think you are being too general. If you are looking to bring new people into the hobby (and maybe make a few shekels), you should find a bandwagon and jump on it with both feet. Don't think large and general, Hero already does that. Think specific and marketable. Instead of Fantasy Hero, you should be offering Vampire Romance, Young Wizards or Clash for the Crown. Find something that people are already interested in and copy it as closely as you can get away without getting sued.

[Steve]

Re: Legendsmiths Considers: Genre Quick Starts you'd like to see

 

Of course I think of this after I hit send. I've mentioned that I hero with my daughter who is 8 now' date=' and others mentioned that they also game with their young kids. So how about a quick start Champions for the younger set? Something that is very Silver age and tv friendly?[/quote']

 

PS238 would seem to match that need, and it's on sale in the Hero store.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Legendsmiths Considers: Genre Quick Starts you'd like to see

 

Funny, I have been thinking of the same kind of thing for a long time.

 

The thing that always concerned me was that there would be little interest in a Hero fantasy setting Quick Start with all the Pathfinder and D&D stuff readily available. Both WotC and Paizo have Quick Start boxed sets with fancy cardboard cutouts, poster maps and dice included. That's going to be a hard sale to beat. I think the alternative genres (Star Hero, Pulp Hero, etc) might garner more initial interest and, in turn, possibly create a market for a Fantasy Quick Start.

[John T]

Re: Legendsmiths Considers: Genre Quick Starts you'd like to see

 

Modern school of magic. Quite a lot of bandwagon to jump on, not even counting the Potter books.

[Ninja-Bear]

Re: Legendsmiths Considers: Genre Quick Starts you'd like to see

 

PS238 would seem to match that need' date=' and it's on sale in the Hero store.[/quote']

 

Possibly, but here is the thing, PS238 is a specific setting based on a comic book so it may not, I don't know. And second, why does kid friendly in the last decade meant that the protagoinsts are kids? The cartoons I was refering to the protagionists were adults (young). I think that that adds a different flavor.