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Which version(s) of HERO System are you currently playing/running?


Joe Walsh

Which version(s) of HERO System are you currently playing/running?  

38 members have voted

  1. 1. Which version(s) of HERO System are you currently playing/running?

    • HERO System 1e (Champions 1e)
      0
    • HERO System 2e (Champions 2e or Espionage!)
      1
    • HERO System 3e (Champions 3e, Justice Inc., Danger International, Fantasy HERO, Robot Warriors, or Star HERO)
      2
    • HERO System 4e (Champions 4e or HERO System Rulesbook)
      3
    • HERO System 5e (5e, 5eR, or Sidekick)
      7
    • HERO System 6e (6e1/6e2, 6e Basic Rulebook, Champions Complete, or Fantasy HERO Complete)
      20
    • I'm not currently playing or running any version of HERO System
      9

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  • Poll closed on 03/05/2019 at 02:59 AM

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I’m using CC for myself. I’ve been helping my brother with his first and massive Fantasy game which is FHC with a lot of source material from Fantasy 4th ed. This is actually the reason I came to 6th cause went FHC and it was more of a pain to understand it and still keep with earlier editions. I do have to look back at the BBB at times to see why a certain spell was built in 4th.

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Using 5e\5r\Sidekick. 

 

I missed 6e when it came out and couldn't find the books for non-insane prices on ebay and hadn't realized what CC\FHC were\that they existed. So I scavenged up 5e rulebooks online and we use those. 

After hearing about CC\FHC and a few of the differences 5th->6th I figured I'd keep using 5e because the changes didn't seem relevant\better for my purposes and since I'd already started the campaign. 

By the same token I can't imagine switching were I to start a new campaign with the same players (or if they wanted to run one of their own) for the same reasons.

Time invested, have all the rules books I need at this point, no benefit to the changes for my purposes. 

 

Same situation 7-8 years ago the last time I ran a Champs campaign.

 

I'd happily play any edition, happily, and own back through 4th (missing a non-pdf 6e1 :( but using CC\FHC to...complete? things ).

 

 

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Currently running a 2e game that's been going on for years, though I have managed to pull in some of the stuff I like from newer editions.

 

Also currently running a 2e game that's going to creep into 4e (FINALLY!) as the players (it's my youth group) become more comfortable with the game.

 

I'm going to level with you:  I really, really, _really_ like 4e.  I've always played 2e w/upgrades because the nice thing about a truly universal system is....  well, it can do anything.  Takes the impetus to update almost completely off the table.  But 4e-- the combining.....  I've always wanted to run a straight-up 4e game, as I _love_ the thing.  Alas, my players never wanted to move up (not completely, anyway, so we crib here and there from newer stuff), citing the "size of the book"  (funny looking back from this point of view, isn't it?  :lol:).  And I have to admit, dropping the one of the ol' 2e books in front of someone and saying "this is the whole game" doesn't scare them the way that anything from 4 and up does.

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I have played since 87 or so (Champs 1-3, Danger Intl, Justice Inc) and run games in versions 3-6. Currently running an MHI-like game with cribs from Killer Shrikes Here There Be Monsters as well as bits and pieces from popular TV, movies, books and my imagination. I did buy MHI but I am one of those weirdo's who likes to customize things too much to run straight from the book for the most part. There are certainly some good pieces in there, and I use the HS6e Equipment Guide, a few bits from the APG's, and a thing or two from the Dark Champions templates.

 

- E

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48 minutes ago, Duke Bushido said:

 Alas, my players never wanted to move up (not completely, anyway, so we crib here and there from newer stuff), citing the "size of the book"  (funny looking back from this point of view, isn't it?  :lol:). 

I have gotten used to this and just don't show them the books for the most part. I mean, they are certainly welcome to read them, borrow them, buy their own copies, etc, but for the most part I just create things for them as needed for their characters after they describe to me what they want. No real power gamers in the group, 1 who this is her first RPG, 1 who has played D&D once, a couple D&D regulars and a couple who have played a variety of things (one has been in different Hero campaigns of mine but does not like all the math so he just tells me what he wants).

 

Works for me, but I also have the time to spend doing it generally when I am on the road for work, since we only meet once a month.

 

- E

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Currently using 6e for Fantasy Hero with some carry-overs from 4e that I thought were handled better (Encumbrance, Weapon & Armor charts).

 

Getting used to the decoupling of Primary stats from Figured stats was a bit of a mind blower.  Now that I've gotten used to it I can see that it allows for more character customization while eliminating the sell-back exploits of earlier editions.

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The most interesting part of this is that Killer Shrike has a very successful thread premised on the idea that, "... I see grumbling and shade thrown on it here and there by various posters...", re: 6e.

And yet it certainly seems like, both from the above survey and the FB Hero group, that most Hero players are 6e players.

 

Of course Hero is quite prone to being used in variable formats. My 6e might not be Toxxus' "6e with some 4e stuff" and that probably isn't RDU Neil's "underlying 6th ED as the baseline", and so on.

 

So in a way you could be playing 6e while playing 4e (just add Figureds and ECs back basically) or playing 5er while playing 6e because your GM wanted to decouple Figureds and remove ECs and make O\D\M CV it's own stat.

 

And so on.

 

Anyway. Looks like most Hero players play 6e at this point.

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To be fair, you have to look at the meta data related to your sample.  First and foremost, all respondents are on a fan board dedicated to HERO- a set of people more inclined by passion to stay with what's current. 

 

Further, there tends to be a disproportional number of fans on _any_ site for any hobby (barring perhaps historical preservation societies) who strive toward pushing that hobby to change and reform and continue to renew itself.   Again: that's the case for most any hobby: how many fans do _not_ want a new Harry Potter book? 

 

HERO is no exception.  As one example, look at the current hot thread where KS has dedicated himself to defending the new edition even to the point of arguing in opposite directions against opposite opinions.  

 

Nothing wrong with that; he is defending something he enjoys. 

 

Going beyond that, look at your sample size: the number of respondants.

 

While I know you aren't looking for anything particularly scientific, it might be a bit premature to call a dozen or less samples from a skewed source "most." 

 

Not to say that most people _arent_ using 6e: for the good of the company, I hope a hundred thousand people start buying up the books myself, whether they use them or not. 

 

Just saying that "most" isn't really justifiable here. 

 

 

 

(there you go: that should bring you a much larger sample in no time. ;).) 

 

On 2/12/2019 at 9:47 AM, Tech said:

Probably a combination of 4th & 5th edition with only a very little touch of 6th (one power).

 

It's killing me to not know what that power is. 

 

(hint-Hint) 

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After an absence of 12 years from Hero System my group is starting up a Teen Champions game using 6th edition.

When last we played we ran 4th, converting to 5th a few months after FRED came out.  In game we had a big summer crisis crossover with the Despoiler damaging the keystone of reality.  This time out we are taking advantage of our time away to catch up to the "current" version of the Champs Universe and the Hero Rules.

 

The changes from 5th to 6th edition have been noticeable, but so far I'm not seeing what the controversy is.

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On ‎2‎/‎15‎/‎2019 at 7:28 PM, TranquiloUno said:

Anyway. Looks like most Hero players play 6e at this point.

 

I had a twinge of "no no no no" at this (mainly because I was mentioned above), and stopped myself to wonder why I had this emotional reaction. I realized I was reacting to semantics. I don't "Play 6th" any more than I played "5th"... I use(d) those rule sets to help inform the system I actually use - RDU HERO - for the games I actually play, which are Red Dragon Universe (31 year supers campaign), Secret Worlds (12 plus year modern action conspiracy campaign), etc.

What my gut tells me is that the reason I personally gravitate back to 4th ED, was because that was when I played the "game" of Champions. I played "Fantasy Hero" and played Cyber-Hero (though my god that had some awful cludge rules). Prior to that I played Champions and Danger International.

 

I "used" 4th Ed to "play" Champions, etc. but the two were very closely related. The system functionality strongly shaped the game.

 

Again, it may be purely anecdotal and personal perspective, but I still felt that 4th Edition HERO still had "games" to play, and that seemed to go away with 5th. I think, ultimately that is my difficulty with 5th and 6th... the system became more and more distanced from the "games" I was playing.

 

Today I use 6th Edition but I don't play it. I also "use" 4th Ed and Danger International, etc.

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39 minutes ago, RDU Neil said:

 

I had a twinge of "no no no no" at this (mainly because I was mentioned above), and stopped myself to wonder why I had this emotional reaction. I realized I was reacting to semantics. I don't "Play 6th" any more than I played "5th"... I use(d) those rule sets to help inform the system I actually use - RDU HERO - for the games I actually play, which are Red Dragon Universe (31 year supers campaign), Secret Worlds (12 plus year modern action conspiracy campaign), etc.

What my gut tells me is that the reason I personally gravitate back to 4th ED, was because that was when I played the "game" of Champions. I played "Fantasy Hero" and played Cyber-Hero (though my god that had some awful cludge rules). Prior to that I played Champions and Danger International.

 

I "used" 4th Ed to "play" Champions, etc. but the two were very closely related. The system functionality strongly shaped the game.

 

Again, it may be purely anecdotal and personal perspective, but I still felt that 4th Edition HERO still had "games" to play, and that seemed to go away with 5th. I think, ultimately that is my difficulty with 5th and 6th... the system became more and more distanced from the "games" I was playing.

 

Today I use 6th Edition but I don't play it. I also "use" 4th Ed and Danger International, etc.

 

For sure. Also if you add the "not currently playing" folks to the total of the "not 6e folks" it's more 17 to 16, which seems more accurate based on the feels of the board. ;)

 

I think you point out another issue in that...if the new rules are new but you're not touching on them (nobody took an EC anyway, no Shapeshifters so the changes don't come up, whatever) then are you really playing\using that version?

If you play\use 6e but turn off most of the 6e parts then...are you playing 6e?

Or the reverse where I'm playing 4e but since 6e can be turned in to 4e by re-enabling Figured, ECs, and whatever else..so if I'm playing 4e then...aren't I really playing 6e with some house rules?

 

Obviously it doesn't really matter much in the end but I do wonder how many '4e' games are '3.75' games or '6e--\++' games and so on.


Heck if I'm playing Fantasy Hero and not using Impairing wounds and hit locations...am I even playing Fantasy Hero? ;D

 

 

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