Hello All,
I've been roleplaying for quite some time now. I am mostly a fan of D&D style gaming, and have played it over the course of 2nd and 3rd editions.
However, when 4th edition came around it didn't shine on me like when 3rd came. Coupled with business of that time, I fell out of gaming- though i've tried to keep up a bit with the reading of it.
I had started getting tired of the level based system, and had heard about the HERO system. I like the concepts of almost total freeform character creation and making the system fit your own world.
A problem though: My local gaming store has no one proficient in the HERO system, and it looks fairly complex to just pick up the books and start.
I would like to ask some questions here to see if the HERO system is the system I want to take the plunge on.
1. How hard is it for a complete novice (with only d20 experience) to pick up 6th Ed Hero System and Fantasy Hero and start GMing a game with it? I'm talking learning the math, and adjudicating combat and skill rolls more than world building.
2. How hard is it for a complete novice (with only d20 experience) to become a Player? How much can the GM shield novice players from the complexity of the system? The sheer number of options that makes HERO attractive also makes for a hurdle of complexity that might make it tough to convince my players to learn the new system.
3a. Does the HERO system work well with using minis? I admit i like the grid/battlefield kind of thing. Can minis be used with the HERO combat system well?
3b. Some of my players do enjoy 4th Ed D&D combat with the Push/pull/slide stuff. Can Hero replicate that? In a minis situation?
3c. Is HERO system combat more stationary(stand and whack till someone falls) or mobile (move around snipe/hit and run)? Does the system encourage one or the other? How would you describe combat in general?
3d. Without using the completely flavor/function divorced 'single use combat trick' that 4th Ed D&D has- how does a strict Fighter (with no magic and such like) achieve combat options more than 'I hit it with my stick'? Ie. are there ways to do flavorful combat maneuvers that don't end up like magic? I dislike how similar the classes are in 4th Ed D&D, and the fact the fighter can only do that one trick once a day...why?
4. Is there anywhere in the DC area (my local store is Dreamwizards) that I could be walked through the system?
Thats what questions I recall off the top of my head. I'm sure I'll have more. Thanks for any and all help!
