6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

[MisterVimes]

I've come to the conclusion that I need to look at transitioning to 6th Ed. Since it will be about another 8 months before I run a Champions game, I figure now is the time to start switching in my head and in my write ups. Sadly it appears that some of the core material is out of print, but I want to throw my money behind HERO (this community has always been more than a game company to me) and I need some advice/input.

 

• Any reason NOT to switch to 6 Ed?
  
• What core books do I need to switch from 5 Ed to 6?
  
• What are my essential books beyond the core with Champions as my starting game?
  
• What are the must haves after the essentials (Ninja Hero was always a "must have" for me in 5 Ed for example)?
  
• And, more importantly, where is my money best spent to put the most money in the pockets of HERO (the HERO store or Amazaon, etc.)
  

 

I appreciate the advice.

[Christopher]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

Any reason NOT to switch to 6 Ed?

• What core books do I need to switch from 5 Ed to 6?
  
• What are my essential books beyond the core with Champions as my starting game?
  
• What are the must haves after the essentials (Ninja Hero was always a "must have" for me in 5 Ed for example)?
  
• And, more importantly, where is my money best spent to put the most money in the pockets of HERO (the HERO store or Amazaon, etc.)
  

In the order of questions:

 

• Not unless you favored COM or figured characteristics.
  
• 6E1 (Character Creation) and 6E2 (Combat and Adventuring). There is the BR(Basic Rulebook), but each of the other books requires you to have the 6E1/6E2 bundle.
  
• Settings books can help. APG I and II offer many errata and additional powers, advantages, limitations. The Hero Designer and/or villain books are a must for GMing. But what books depends heavily on the genre.
  
• I would think the hero store, but I only had really one way to aquire books and that was DriveThru (the Hero stores does not work with my bank). So I don't know how the prices compare.
  

[Darren Watts]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

 

[*]Not unless you favored COM or figured characteristics.

 

 

What?!?!?! No Comeliness? I quit! dw

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

Not unless you favored COM or figured characteristics.

 

And to be clear, the formerly-Figured Characteristics are all still there and still do the same things; they're just stand-alone now, instead of based on other Characteristics. (And 6E's Striking Appearance actually has a definable game effect, where 5E's COM did not.)

 

And buying from the Hero Games Online Store definitely nets them more moolah than other avenues.

[MisterVimes]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

And to be clear, the formerly-Figured Characteristics are all still there and still do the same things; they're just stand-alone now, instead of based on other Characteristics. (And 6E's Striking Appearance actually has a definable game effect, where 5E's COM did not.)

 

And buying from the Hero Games Online Store definitely nets them more moolah than other avenues.

 

Noted. I just plopped down cash for round one.

HERO System 6th Edition: Character Creation

HERO System 6th Edition: Combat and Adventuring

HERO System Advanced Player's Guide

Champions Powers

[MisterVimes]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

So. Equipment Guide and Bestiary are going to have to be PDF, because they are $300+ on Amazon

[mayapuppies]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

You can also try Noble Knight Games for hardcopies

[MisterVimes]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

You can also try Noble Knight Games for hardcopies

 

Thanks for the advice. From them I purchased:

Martial Arts

Equipment Guide

Bestiary

 

And they were not $300 a piece

[mayapuppies]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

Glad I could help.

[Enforcer84]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

I heartily recommend Hero Designer too Mister Vimes, can't go wrong with the best character creation software on the market.

[MisterVimes]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

I heartily recommend Hero Designer too Mister Vimes' date=' can't go wrong with the best character creation software on the market.[/quote']

 

I bought the latest edition (couldn't find my oooooooooooold copy) on the day I logged back in

That's what had me deciding to commit to the 6th edition

[Enforcer84]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

I bought the latest edition (couldn't find my oooooooooooold copy) on the day I logged back in

That's what had me deciding to commit to the 6th edition

 

yeah, playing around with it was enough to get my curiosity piqued.

And rjcurrie was nice enough to build me a 6e template with a COM stat

I might modify it further to change "Striking appearance" to "Horrifying Appearance" and use it solely for the negative COM aspect of the talent (since there are no negative characteristics anymore. (IIRC, haven't gotten to play)) and just use COM to provide the same benefits for attractive people; this is my one protest

[MisterVimes]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

yeah, playing around with it was enough to get my curiosity piqued.

And rjcurrie was nice enough to build me a 6e template with a COM stat

I might modify it further to change "Striking appearance" to "Horrifying Appearance" and use it solely for the negative COM aspect of the talent (since there are no negative characteristics anymore. (IIRC, haven't gotten to play)) and just use COM to provide the same benefits for attractive people; this is my one protest

 

And this line of thinking has me even more interested than I was before. I always love a chance to say "You kids quit playing in my lawn!"

[Laundry Knight]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

I've used the hero store to buy mine. I don't have any complaints. So far, I have only bought PDFs though. I'm a bit cheap, and the likelihood of finding a table top game in my vicinity is next to nil. If I am ever going to play, I will have to find an email or message board game, and using the PDFs at my computer is much easier than using hard copy anyway. If I do ever get into a tabletop game, I would probably just print out the info I would need.

[Lucius]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

I've come to the conclusion that I need to look at transitioning to 6th Ed. Since it will be about another 8 months before I run a Champions game, I figure now is the time to start switching in my head and in my write ups. Sadly it appears that some of the core material is out of print, but I want to throw my money behind HERO (this community has always been more than a game company to me) and I need some advice/input.

 

• Any reason NOT to switch to 6 Ed?
  
• What core books do I need to switch from 5 Ed to 6?
  
• What are my essential books beyond the core with Champions as my starting game?
  
• What are the must haves after the essentials (Ninja Hero was always a "must have" for me in 5 Ed for example)?
  
• And, more importantly, where is my money best spent to put the most money in the pockets of HERO (the HERO store or Amazaon, etc.)
  

 

I appreciate the advice.

 

Well, you might want Champions of course. If you want to use the official universe, I believe there are a couple of informational books called Champions Universe and News of the World.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

I need a palindromedary

[bigbywolfe]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

News of the World is for 5E though. I think the 6E version of Champions Universe supersedes that book.

[Tasha]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

I've come to the conclusion that I need to look at transitioning to 6th Ed. Since it will be about another 8 months before I run a Champions game, I figure now is the time to start switching in my head and in my write ups. Sadly it appears that some of the core material is out of print, but I want to throw my money behind HERO (this community has always been more than a game company to me) and I need some advice/input.

 

• Any reason NOT to switch to 6 Ed?
  
• What core books do I need to switch from 5 Ed to 6?
  
• What are my essential books beyond the core with Champions as my starting game?
  
• What are the must haves after the essentials (Ninja Hero was always a "must have" for me in 5 Ed for example)?
  
• And, more importantly, where is my money best spent to put the most money in the pockets of HERO (the HERO store or Amazaon, etc.)
  

 

I appreciate the advice.

 

I love 6e, I love the extra freedom in creating characters. It has a lot of positive things to recommend it.

 

Core Books esp if you consider Ninja Hero to be core to earlier editions. Both 6e Rulebooks (ie Character Creation Book 1, and Vol 2 Combat and Adventure) also Hero System Martial Arts.

 

I don't really know if I consider Champions essential for running a Supers game esp if the Gm has run the genre in the past. I do highly recommend Champions Powers, as this book can help flesh out power concepts with power constructs that you may not have thought of before.

 

HS Martial Arts is a Must Have for me. Hero Designer is a very must have (and the "Character Packs" for any 6e books you buy).

 

I would imagine that buying from the HS webstore is the best way to put money directly into the company's pockets. Though to find a Hard Copy of 6e1 and 6e2 you may have to buy from Amazon or eBay.

[JmOz]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

My list of must haves:

 

 

Hero Vol 1 & 2, Martial Arts, Beistiary. While others are great, this is the must have

 

Highly recomended APG 1, Champions

 

Everything else is to taste, but most if not all have been useful

[MisterVimes]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

I've used the hero store to buy mine. I don't have any complaints. So far' date=' I have only bought PDFs though. I'm a bit cheap, and the likelihood of finding a table top game in my vicinity is next to nil. If I am ever going to play, I will have to find an email or message board game, and using the PDFs at my computer is much easier than using hard copy anyway. If I do ever get into a tabletop game, I would probably just print out the info I would need.[/quote']

 

Here's hoping you get get to play.

 

I bought everything at the Hero store until I ran into things not in print and then I went to Noble Knight Games. I'll probably end up ponying up for pdfs as well, but many of my players like to feel a book in their hands.

[MisterVimes]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

I don't really know if I consider Champions essential for running a Supers game esp if the Gm has run the genre in the past.

 

So, is the new Champions (6th) a "genre book" or are their rules/mechanics?

[MisterVimes]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

My list of must haves:

 

 

Hero Vol 1 & 2, Martial Arts, Beistiary. While others are great, this is the must have

 

Highly recomended APG 1, Champions

 

Everything else is to taste, but most if not all have been useful

 

I was actually surprised at how many people recommended Bestiary. "Monster Books" have always been essentials for other systems, but I never found that to be the case with Hero. That being said, I bought one anyway

[bigbywolfe]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

So' date=' is the new Champions (6th) a "genre book" or are their rules/mechanics?[/quote']Champions is a genre book. Champions Universe is a setting book. Neither contain the rules.

[MisterVimes]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

Champions is a genre book. Champions Universe is a setting book. Neither contain the rules.

 

Thanks for the clarification. I'll probably buy them anyway.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

The 6E Champions book includes the Superhero Gallery, which IMO is worth the cost of the entire book. Basically, it's a character build assistant: choose a base template from column A, a power set from column B, a skill set from column C, a little bit of filler here and there, and you have a character. I'd add Champions Powers to it for more powers to choose from.

[MisterVimes]

Re: 6th ED - play or not to play (and what I need to do it)

 

The 6E Champions book includes the Superhero Gallery' date=' which IMO is worth the cost of the entire book. Basically, it's a character build assistant: choose a base template from column A, a power set from column B, a skill set from column C, a little bit of filler here and there, and you have a character. I'd add Champions Powers to it for more powers to choose from.[/quote']

 

I bought Champions Powers, mainly because I have a bunch of players who have been mired in class-based systems. I'm sure I'll grab Champions in the next round of buying.