Ninja-Bear

A FB friend of mine who works in the gaming industry (for a couple decades at least) listed a whole bunch of RPGs that people should check out instead of WotC stuff.  I posted "And don't forget HERO!"
 
Him: What's that game?
 
Posted him the wikipedia link to Champions
 
Him: Ohhhhhh!  I can't believe I forgot that one!
 
Word of mouth from players can only go so far in hyping -- there needs to be some push from the creators as well.

Yup and that’s also true of Hero. Ideally there should be a way to be able to objectively able to compare games. I do know that D&D is easier to pick up if you all start at first level and you limit what is available. You can start the game and level as things progress. There is less analysis paralysis. The same with Hero if people would embrace for new players and GMs a “first level” and then introduce options would be the best. I find now, especially older, that on paper some of those options aren’t worth adding for my group. And that is another key point about Hero that seems to be lost in the shuffle. Your group. If hit locations work for you great use them. But if they don’t then don’t use them or tell other groups that they must be used if doing normals. 

Yup and that’s also true of Hero. Ideally there should be a way to be able to objectively able to compare games. I do know that D&D is easier to pick up if you all start at first level and you limit what is available. You can start the game and level as things progress. There is less analysis paralysis. The same with Hero if people would embrace for new players and GMs a “first level” and then introduce options would be the best. I find now, especially older, that on paper some of those options aren’t worth adding for my group. And that is another key point about Hero that seems to be lost in the shuffle. Your group. If hit locations work for you great use them. But if they don’t then don’t use them or tell other groups that they must be used if doing normals. 

Yup and that’s also true of Hero. Ideally there should be a way to be able to objectively able to compare games. I do know that D&D is easier to pick up if you all start at first level and you limit what is available. You can start the game and level as things progress. There is less analysis paralysis. The same with Hero if people would embrace for new players and GMs a “first level” and then introduce options would be the best. I find now, especially older, that on paper some of those options aren’t worth adding for my group. And that is another key point about Hero that seems to be lost in the shuffle. Your group. If hit locations work for you great use them. But if they don’t then don’t use them or tell other groups that they must be used if doing normals. 

I have always liked the overwhelming majority of people on these boards,but I have never had a higher respect dor anyone here than I do now, for you, after that comment.
 
"Crapsack world's" seem to be the majority of games the last dwcade plus a bit:
 
Dark
Dying
Forbidden
Forgotten
Dying again
 
"Hey, gang!  Let's put away our heroics and live the lives of a band of underlings powerless to help themselves in the face of encroaching entropy!  I mean, why should _we_ not enjoy clinical depression, too?"
 
If I enjoyed endless depression, I would browse memes....
 
 
 
 
 
 

Champions Begins was written with the idea of introducing people to the game in a simple, fun, and effective way.  Its free, and available on here and on Drive Thru RPG.  If you think the rules are too intimidating etc, check it out.
 
As for complaints that Fantasy Hero is too complex because it doesn't have everything written up for one campaign one way (one kind of fireball), that's easy.  There are several campaign settings out with their own magic system and spell lists, and monsters, and all.  The Hero Grimoire has tons of spells written up for you and the Hero Bestiary has creatures ready to use.
 
You don't have to approach this like someone who's never cooked walking into a grocery store; the recipes and larder are prepared for you to just put things together.

Much of what is in them is defined. A D&D Fireball spell does what it says on the tin. Hero just gives me Blast or RKA then adds in various AoE modifiers, maybe Reduced Endurance and says; "Have at it".
 
The fact that a gaming table could all theoretically have Fire Mages with suites of spells all substantially different to one another is awesome, but off-putting to players who want to just pick up and play. At least, it is to many gamers I know.
 

Yes but you meed to know how to yes the tools. I’ m not bashing Hero but everytime some one points out the flaws of (especially) D&D and say Hero is better never really look at the issue and see if Hero really is easier or does Hero just have the issue but from another angle or a different set? Like Ild man upthread was saying how much easier is it to build a character you want than searching multi classes and feats. Probably depending on what you want. If Hero is so easy why are there so many How do I? Question are on this site? 

Yes but you meed to know how to yes the tools. I’ m not bashing Hero but everytime some one points out the flaws of (especially) D&D and say Hero is better never really look at the issue and see if Hero really is easier or does Hero just have the issue but from another angle or a different set? Like Ild man upthread was saying how much easier is it to build a character you want than searching multi classes and feats. Probably depending on what you want. If Hero is so easy why are there so many How do I? Question are on this site? 

This is a really good point.
 
There is an inherent problem with Hero that in order to make it a great game you first have to have played it - extensively - and learned where the abuse lies. For you, as your view of abuse might be very different to the next guy's. Unless you are really initially hooked on the game system you will probably abandon it in favour of less intense systems that you don't need to know inside out before you can even run them. 
 
I've known groups that tried it, declared "Speed is Broken!" and then went off to play something else rather than fix Speed. I know this because I bought all of one guy's books as spares.
 
I've seen some threads that say Hero's fault is that whilst it has plenty of sourcebooks it doesn't really have any scenarios to help you  get into the game and 'hit the floor running'.
 
The problem here is that even if there were a scenario written, it would most likely still need redesign by the GM to fit into his own particular game view. It's not like D&D where if you buy an "adventure for character levels X-Y" you know pretty much you'll get what you purchased. With Hero there is a lot more open to interpretation and that would be the case even if you specify "An adventure for Fantasy Hero for Standard Heroic characters". Using Turakian Age for example, if I were ever to run it, I'd have to redesign all of the Renowned of Ambrethel, as they are far too tough for my tastes.
 
Now, most GMs say that they all tweak purchased adventures - to some degree -  to fit what they want, but I'm talking major re-writes with Hero.

I prefer to own that which I purchase. This "digital only" future isn't all sunshine and rainbows. After the BS WOTC once pulled with their PDFs, I have zero interest in trusting them with insubstantial content.
 
Plus, part of the charm of tabletop gaming is thumbing through a tome...that organic factor.

Beware the Dark Side!
 
Miffed leads to peeved, peeved leads to vexed, and vexed leads to suffering.
 
Or something like that.

Science City: The product of some of the world's greatest minds that is filled with cutting edge experimental technology and overseen by a prototype AI. Unfortunately the AI has been corrupted by an outside source(Mechanon perhaps?) and has trapped the citizens within the city. The heroes must find a way to rescue them while dealing with weaponized tech of a rampaging and insane intelligence.

I thought this was interesting too.

https://mikeshea.net/thoughts_on_the_ogl_1_1.html

@mallet, I think your post is pretty close to what Hasboro want to achieve. I don’t think that they thought through though how many people who buy D&D stuff also buy other people’s stuff. That is where this license mess will shoot them in the foot. O understand that they can loose X amount and still make a profit but can they keep even X amount? At least in the short term I see this as a boon to OGL games as people probably want to snatch up stuff before its “banned”.  And I do hear problems people have with VTT some its not a guarantee that it will work as promised.  

Honestly I’m kind of excited. Aside from new players possibly finding Hero, this will inspire all kinds of new systems with new and interesting mechanics. I just feel bad for people who made their living under the OGL and are now looking at having their work straight up stolen by WotC. 

Right but regarding Hero specifically we’re back to the fact that in Hero you still need to build a game to play the game. I see a major draw of OSR is simplicity to pick up and play. Hero needs a basic sample game that can be picked up and play.

Right but regarding Hero specifically we’re back to the fact that in Hero you still need to build a game to play the game. I see a major draw of OSR is simplicity to pick up and play. Hero needs a basic sample game that can be picked up and play.

OSR has been my go-to for a solid decade now. Hero was in regular cycle up until 2009, and I ran an on/off game for a short while in 2015 but these days it is mostly a nostalgic memory, though I still collect books on occasion and sometimes think about how to build this or that.
 
That said, with Hasbro going cancelling the OGL I'm shopping for new game systems. Two days ago I sat down and read some Hero books for the first time in a while. Time will tell where I end up. Maybe I'll try to 5E demo for some newbies and see how it goes.

I kind of liked the Package Deal Bonus for the same reasons Scott mentioned. 

Interesting video. I don’t think some of those Red Flags are quite Red Flags. And in some ways I thought their responses were Red Flags. The comments on DM stifling their creativity even though they said as long as you and DM were talking was fine. I don’t know but just sorta rubbed the wrong way. And can we just all admit that if you can put your stats where you want and you always put them in the most advantageous array then thats a form of Meta gaming? And I dare say Power gaming? Let me go on the record and say that it isn’t bad or wrong but it is still Meta gaming.  And the troll example, that is still meta gaming if the pc shouldn’t know that trolls are susceptible to fire then it is.  Roleplaying can include playing “dumb” for the character.