endou_kenji Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 I'm new to Champions & HERO and would like to know where to start. I have the Champions Complete book, and while it's great, I borrowed a friend's "Champions: The Super Roleplaying Game" (the 6th edition one). Somehow, I felt the Champions Complete digs very much into rules minutiae, but not as much setting as "Champions: the Super RPG". Also, being B&W, it felt strange to have a core book in B&W and a supplement in full-color. Anyone care to elucidate? And the "Powers" and "Beyond" books, what does it contain? What's the difference between "Champions: the Super RPG" and the "Champions Universe" book? Are there any useful (useful in Champions, that is) core HERO System books that I should look forward to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Baker Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 Welcome to Hero! Champions Complete provides everything you need to play. It includes both the Hero System rules (the rules minutiae), and genre information focusing on super heroes and villains (along with notes on other genres). You cannot play using the Champions book you borrowed. It is strictly genre material that does not include any of the core rules. My advise is to use Champions Complete. You do not need any other books to play. Get used to the system, ask questions here on the forums, etc. The other books you mention provide pre-built powers (the Powers book) and more genre information (Champions Beyond). Once you are comfortable with how the system works, if you want to investigate other books, feel free. At this point I think they'll just muddy the waters for you. You can find descriptions of the various books in the Store (or places like DriveThru RPG). (queue everyone else giving you their list of must-have books) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
massey Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 I'm new to Champions & HERO and would like to know where to start. I have the Champions Complete book, and while it's great, I borrowed a friend's "Champions: The Super Roleplaying Game" (the 6th edition one). Somehow, I felt the Champions Complete digs very much into rules minutiae, but not as much setting as "Champions: the Super RPG". Also, being B&W, it felt strange to have a core book in B&W and a supplement in full-color. Anyone care to elucidate? And the "Powers" and "Beyond" books, what does it contain? What's the difference between "Champions: the Super RPG" and the "Champions Universe" book? Are there any useful (useful in Champions, that is) core HERO System books that I should look forward to? Okay, it's a bit confusing what all you need. The 6th Edition rulebooks (2 volumes) that have the blue and yellow cover are the official main version of the rules. As I understand it, they may be out of print. They have very little (almost nothing I believe) in the way of setting information, genre information, or characters to use. For a new player, it's probably too much to digest. Do not worry about these. They are for longtime Hero players who wanted every tiny question answered, and they are very very very detailed. You will not need this much detail. Champions Complete is the trimmed down version of the 6th edition rulebooks. It's 99.9% the same rules, but does not go into completely exhaustive detail on every tiny thing. Champions Complete provides you all the rules you need to play the game. Remember that the Hero system is able to handle a lot more than just superheroes. The system was designed to let you play fantasy campaigns, sci-fi campaigns, giant robots who smash each other campaigns, vampire goths who love political intrigue campaigns, and most anything else. That is why the basic rulebook has little "setting" information. Theoretically they don't want to limit the appeal of the game system to just supers games. Champions: The Super Roleplaying Game is all about running a superhero game. There is nothing new in this book in regards to the game mechanics. It's all about superhero games in general. Champions Universe is the setting book. It gives you names of characters that exist in the official Champions world. It gives you names of cities. If this was a DC comics game, this is where you would find stats for Superman, and information about Metropolis and Gotham. It also contains nothing new as far as the game mechanics. It's purely information about the game world. The Powers books are pre-made lists of powers. If you want to play a character who has "luck powers" or "shadow powers", it has a ready to go list of abilities for you to take. It's very useful if you're stuck for an idea for a character, or if you want to whip up an NPC quickly. None of the things in the Powers book are new as far as the rules go, it's all contained in the basic rulebook. Champions Beyond is genre information about the Champions game in an outer space setting. The heroes and villains tend to be more powerful (think Superman instead of Spider-Man). It has information on superheroes fighting space ships and things like that. It also has specific information on the setting. This is where you find out about alien conquerors and guys like that who exist in the Champions universe. -- Personally, I' recommend some of the villain books. It gives your heroes someone to fight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyper-Man Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 Welcome to the forums endu kenji! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba smith Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 yes welcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 Champions Complete is a combination of material from the 6e rules (providing all the rules, but fewer examples, corner cases, etc.) and the Champions book (on using the Hero System rules for Supers games). I agree with Scott Baker - start with Champions Complete. When you discover you love the Hero System and the Champions Game, you can buy all the other books. The Enemies books would be nice, but there are a lot of fan sites and threads on this site with character builds you can crib while you get used to the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasha Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 Also if you play alot having Hero Designer will make your life very much easier. It makes characters, computers, vehicles etc. Also it will print out Combat Record sheets (with all of the PC's phases with characters in Dex order). David Blue 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steriaca Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 If you want to use villians and DO NOT want to just make your own, then you need the three Champions Villian Volumes (#1: Masterminds. #2: Teams. #3: Solo Villians). You don't acualy NEED the three books, as you can get buy by building your own bad guys and looking at what other people have builted on the board. Just note that some villians in the Villian Volumes use optinal rules from the Advance Players Guide #1 and #2 (which, again, are not esensel to play). As a newcomer, I recomend that you just create your own at first, using simple builds, till you get the hang of things. Then get the APGs once you think you got the hang of the basic powers, then dig through the Villian Volumes. (Gee, many villians in #1 and #2 use the power of Posession, which is only in the APG#1, and the writers do not bother with stating 'if you do not have APG #1, use Mind Control instead"). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher R Taylor Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 I agree, the best way to learn the system is build characters. If you need ideas, just try to do some conversions of villains you like, such as Loki or Red Skull, Joker, General Zod, Venom, etc. Once you get comfortable building guys you will have a good grasp on the system as it works. There are tons of characters online you can find as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba smith Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 for more of a martiall arts flair I recommend lucha libre HERO [with rules included]and HERO system martial arts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 Maybe we should stick to what the newcomer needs to get started - when he starts his "I love Hero and I'd really like more on this, where can I get it?" thread, we can give him the next books to buy... David Blue 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steriaca Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 Yes...I agree with Hugh Neilson. For the newbie (no ofence), all you need on day one is Champions Complete, a fist full of six sided dice, plenty of paper, at least one other friend, and the imagianation of you and the friend/s playing. On day one your not ready for Doctor Destroyer anyways. Heck, I'm not ready for the bad doctor, and I have been playing since the "Big Blue Book". (Champions 4th edition/Hero System Rulebook 1st Edition, when the universal game system was finaly recognised over at Hero Games). David Blue 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Goodwin Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 If all you have is Champions Complete, you can play Champions. You'll do a lot of work creating NPCs though. Strongly recommended: In addition to the above, Champions: the Super RPG, 6e. That will give you tons of help, including the Superhero Gallery (worth the price of the entire book, IMO) which is essentially a pick-n-choose way of creating characters in minutes. Strongly recommended next: In addition to the books above, Champions Powers. Hundreds of premade powers that you can either use as-is or use as examples of how to create your own. Between this and the Superhero Gallery in the Champions 6e book, you could create hundreds of characters in the time it takes to write them out. Special bonus recommendation: Hero Designer. This is the character creation software, and will take much of the "time it takes to write them out" out of the recommendation directly above. Extra special super double secret recommendation: the Hero Designer character packs that go with each of the above books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted August 28, 2014 Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 On the topic of creating NPC's, doesn't CC have a section of template archetypes? Those can make NPC creation a lot easier, especially as you're learning the rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steriaca Posted August 28, 2014 Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 Let me look in my copy of Champions Complete, Huge. Introduction...Core Concepts And Game Basics...Character Creation...Characters And The World...Combat...Equipment... setting info, both basic comic book and Champions...Examples (sample heros and villians)...example templates...example martial arts styles...example powers...example equipment...weapon and armor table...nope. No 'this is a brick...roll to give him powers then use unspent points to personalize him/her'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted August 29, 2014 Report Share Posted August 29, 2014 Perhaps I am thinking of the 6e Champions, rather than Champions Complete. Back to the online option, then. http://surbrook.devermore.net/index/archive.html is a good starting point. I suspect a lot of 5e write-ups wherever one goes, but pricing those stats works pretty well to transition to 6e. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endou_kenji Posted September 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 Thanks guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steriaca Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 Your welcomed. . Now, to recap: Books you 100% need: Champions Complete OR Hero System Basic Rulebook OR Hero System Sixth Edition book 1 and 2. . Helpful Books Which You Don't Need: Champions (sourcebook) Champions Universe (and updates) Champions Power Hero System Martial Arts Champions Villain Volume 1, 2, and 3 Hero System Advanced Player's Guide 1 and 2 . Things You Like To Own But Do Not 100% Need, Or Even 50% Need: Everything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 How much of Champions is already in Champions Complete? I suspect Champions remains worth buying, and has plenty of material that did not get into CC, but the theory was that CC combined the rules with Champions for the Supers genre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyper-Man Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 At best, Champions Complete has about 50 pages devoted to the superhero genre. Champions the Super Roleplaying Game (6e) is 298 pages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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