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For the eclectic collector - Champions: The New Millennium


fdw3773

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Many years ago I picked up what would later become known as Champions: The New Millennium (C:TNM) 1st Edition. Similar to what many fans mentioned in previous posts, I was confused at first and wasn't sure what new direction Champions was going or if that was Fifth Edition going forward using the Fuzion game mechanics. Within a year of owning the book, I passed it on to someone else. I would later come across Champions: The New Millennium 2nd Edition which had incorporated more Fuzion game mechanics in addition to conversions to 4th Edition Hero System. My guess would be that it was in response to fan feedback. 

 

I just recently purchased a copy of C:TNM off the clearance rack of my local game store for the nostalgia and after re-reading it again after going through later editions, I gained a better appreciation of it based on some observations that could best be framed as, 'the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.'

 

The Good

  • It's a standalone book that contains everything you need for character creation, combat, powers, etc. The starting universe provided is well-resource.  It's really nice having Grond, Mechanon, and Dr. Destroyer with complete stats in the same book for both Fuzion and Hero System.
  • The rules for vehicles and mecha combat incorporated from the Fuzion system are interesting.
  • The artwork is impressive, cover to cover. The art style reminds me of Jim Lee and Michael Turner, who I am fans of. Hopefully Champions Now will be as visually stylish and not another Fantasy Hero Complete in terms of graphic design.

 

The Bad

  • Fonts are kind of small, no doubt to reduce costs and fit everything in the neat, compact book.
  • I never really got used to the Fuzion game mechanics, nor did the players, so we went back to Hero System 4th Edition rules after a few playtests.

 

The Ugly

  • The cover and binding are delicate and fragile. I may have to laminate this book myself like they do at the public library with old paperback books otherwise it'll fall apart after I read it again.
  • The backstory that killed off the original Champions Universe was a let-down. Of all the names for an epic villain the writers could have thought up of that caused the demise of two or three generations worth of heroes and villains, was 'the Proprietor' the best they could do?

 

Anyway, it's a book to consider if you're an eclectic Champions collector like I am to round out your collection.

 

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And for those interested in these books and this setting (which IMO has some interesting ideas and takes on familiar Champions characters and groups), all three of the New Millennium source books are available in PDF form from the Hero website store, for quite reasonable prices.

 

https://www.herogames.com/forums/store/product/626-champions-new-millennium-pdf-4th-edition/

https://www.herogames.com/forums/store/product/681-champions-new-millennium-alliances-pdf-4th-edition/

https://www.herogames.com/forums/store/product/656-champions-new-millennium-bay-city-pdf-4th-edition/

 

You can also download free Hero Fourth Edition character sheets for nearly all the characters written up for Fuzion in all three books.

 

https://www.herogames.com/forums/files/file/382-champions-new-millennium-hero-system-character-sheets/

 

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I liked a lot of what Fuzion was trying to do...I just didn't like the Interlok system itself, and unsurprisingly I didn't like that side of the attempted hybrid. The initial Champions version was basically unplayable IMO. Supposedly, later versions of Fuzion were fixed, but for whatever reason it tends to get used a lot for anime based games which I have negative interest in, so I've not verified that personally.

 

Unfortunately, Fuzion had enough stigma stuck to it in the Champions community that people tend to have a kneejerk reaction to anything suggestive of it making its way back in to the Hero System proper.

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