Is HERO good for solo player (1 GM, 1 Player) ?

[Hyper-Man]

A recent thread on RPGnet got me thinking about this. 

http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?711195-Sell-Me-On-A-New-Game-System-PLEASE!

 

The original poster is trying to pick a system that is crunchy enough to interest his wife (she's into battletech as an example) but he's scared of the complexity of GURPS and Hero. 

 

Opinions?

[Vondy]

Whether or not a solo game will work has very little to do with the system chosen and almost everything to do with personalities, story-telling ability, and characterization. As for the "crunchiness," it depends how much he wants to spend. If he just buys the two core rule-books, it might be overwhelming. But, if he buys books with lots of pre-gen packages, super-skills and talents, powers, and spells... its not really as big a deal.

[Ndreare]

I find just about any system can work with Solo play so to speak. But the Game Master has to be willing to do the extra work of presenting more options or allow the wife more freedom than a lot of GM's do.

I have found that I only know 2 players; Garrett, and my 5 year old daughter that have enough imagination to play solo. Most other players lean very heavily on the GM to motivate their characters or the other players. 

[Nolgroth]

I would say yes it is. The actual gameplay is relatively easy to grasp. The hardest part, as Vondy stated, is putting together packages. On the other hand, maybe the crunchiness of Hero character creation is something that will actually attract the wife. 

 

I know that I've played one-on-one before and it worked great. That was also in my early days when I was learning the system (4th Edition then) and it helped me learn how to use the Hero system very well. It was those formative experiences that made me love the Hero system and decide that it would be my default system. That resolution carries to this day, though I have to admit that building all the support materials for a campaign tends to wear thin these days.

[IndianaJoe3]

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work.

[Lucius]

I've done it

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary notes that oddly enough it was Justice Inc

[Grailknight]

I've played with one player off and on for years. It works fine once you get the basics down.

[Christopher]

What might be a good idea is to take a Hero with Multiform Build, that effectively can work as several Arechtypes of heroes. Ben 10 and Iron Man (not in Avengers) are perhaps the most glaring examples of such dedicated solo/main heroes.

Ben's Powerset includes: Brick, Blaster, Speedster, Guy with Sensepowers, Supergeniuses. Intangible Guy (and various combinations)

Iron Man has Armor to be: Brick, Martial Artist, Blaster, Stealth Guy, Underwater Guy, Anti Heat Guy, Anti-Ice Guy, Fly in Space Guy, ...

 

A group hero has to make certain not to step on other peoples Shticks too much so usually they have to pick 1-2 Shitcks to use.

[Kraven Kor]

The only caveat I would add:  HERO is probably not the simplest system if you intend one player to run more than one character.

 

For 1 player, 1 character, 1 GM I don't see HERO as any better or worse for the reasons others have brought up.

[Grailknight]

And in my experience, one player with multiple characters works great.

 

In a one on one game, the player has almost as much responsibility as the GM. It makes them more likely to learn the rules.  

 

It makes power gamers into better role players, since they aren't always competing with other players.

 

Many of the risks that heros take in genre, won't be taken by a person who is too attached their one PC. Given multiple characters I've seen some very heroic acts(and a few stupid ones)

[Kraven Kor]

And in my experience, one player with multiple characters works great.

 

In a one on one game, the player has almost as much responsibility as the GM. It makes them more likely to learn the rules.  

 

It makes power gamers into better role players, since they aren't always competing with other players.

 

Many of the risks that heros take in genre, won't be taken by a person who is too attached their one PC. Given multiple characters I've seen some very heroic acts(and a few stupid ones)

 

Was not saying it doesn't work; just that it is not simple or as simple compared to some systems.  And that is not a disparaging comment.

[TheQuestionMan]

As a Battletech gamer, a GURPS gamer and a Hero System gamer. I recommend Hero System.

• The Basic Superhero Archetypes are like Battlemech weight classes. Like choosing an MOS. 
• The Battlemech Customization/Variants are like Champions Powers. No two are alike and can be personalized to taste. 
• Both games use Hex Maps and similar movement principals. 
• Both games use d6. 
• Mapping Combat is difficult, but freeform allows for much if the GM and Players keep track of Movement. Ranges, and Dexterity/Speed. 
• Combat Modifiers are more complex, but Hero System strangely less so than GURPS. 
• Keeping track of END is like keeping track of Heat. 
• Optional Rules abound in both so make it clear during character creation. 
• Campaign Settings different feel and fun. 
• Superheroes are just men in Battle Armor.  
• Conversions and/or Adaptations exist if you look. 

Cheers 

 

 

QM

[Lord Mhoram]

The wife and I have been doing solo play with Hero for over 20 years. It works.  It's also a great way to spend time with your spouse.

[Hyper-Man]

A recent thread on RPGnet got me thinking about this. 

http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?711195-Sell-Me-On-A-New-Game-System-PLEASE!

 

The original poster is trying to pick a system that is crunchy enough to interest his wife (she's into battletech as an example) but he's scared of the complexity of GURPS and Hero. 

 

Opinions?

 

I probalby should have been more clear in my first post.  I was really hoping to see folks over here make some Hero positive posts to the related thread on rpgnet.  However, the OP over there appears to have already made up his mind.

[lou_tennant]

1-on-1 gaming can be fine but it depends largely on the amount of combat involved.

 

A starting HERO character can survive a lot more going solo than a similar starting character in D&D, Bushido, BRPS or other systems. If it is largely investigative/non-combat then the system is almost irrelevant.