Sketchpad

Not sure if it qualifies, but I really enjoyed Alternity back in the '90s and would've loved to see where it could've gone. The Dark*Matter setting especially shines out so much that they made it for d20 Modern. The original creators tried to bring it back a few years back, but it just wasn't the same. I also really dig Mutant Year Zero from Free League. While not quite Gamma World, I dig some of the ideas, and love the cards for it.

Typically, I make a trade language an Everyman Skill, and allow players to take a complication when they don't want to have it. Otherwise, it's a table with variations on language.

This brings up an interesting game dilemma. Say you're running Galactus as a "Force of Nature" kind of character. No stats really, as he shouldn't be able to be beaten up easily. However, during a game, a player comes to you with an idea akin to the Dr. Strange solution. How to run that as part of the puzzle since it worked in the comics? What do you tell the player?

Shield Ranged Punch/Whip Spider-Walk (both on ground and walls) Propeller-like Swimming or Flight Enhanced Strength (extra tension from strands) Rolling Ball of Hair Slingshot Gliding Hairline Slice Deflection/Extra DCV

I wonder if making the morph effect using Multiform would be easier? You could have the hero mode, which could be built with all the cool moves and such, and the normal mode which would have the focus.

Yeah, I don't think it's because of a declining market, to be honest. With three dedicated game stores and a comic shop in town, there's enough RPG stuff floating around. The latter of those shops was the last to carry any Hero products (back in the 4th ed days), with the other three just not knowing what the system is. I work in marketing in my Secret ID (15pts) and I just don't see the game marketed in ways that would attract new people. Back in the day, having products like game magazines helped with ad space and such. These days, there are less and less such products, and advertising has moved to a digital format: videos, social media ads, floating ads on websites, and "influencer" endorsement. I've gone over what I believe the game needs in a few other threads, so I won't repeat them here. But the game needs something. And it needs to have a reason to be on the shelf at stores to gain new blood. I agree to an extent. The "browse and talk" method still exists in the stores I've gone to, and something I often engage in when at a new brick-n-mortar store.

I'm not far from DD here. I've always been a big HERO fan, particularly Champions, but the game needs... something. I've gone over what I think it needs in at least three or four threads, so I'm not going to go into that. But the big thing that it needs is some publicity and some kind of "It Factor" that makes people want to carry it in stores. I remember back in the day when Champions was in almost every game and comic shop that I went to. Now, shops that remember it think it's dead, and new stores have no idea what it is (and are less likely to run demos based on that). These days, I mainly play some Mutants & Masterminds, AGE, and 2d20... but I always long for running HERO again someday.

There was the DC Adventures book that was powered by Mutants & Masterminds 3e that came out back in 2010 (wow... has it been that long?!). From what I've seen the books sell a bit pricey, but they're pretty decent IMHO. It'd also be a great starting point for conversion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC_Adventures

Viper's Nest was always a favorite of mine.

I always just made a new Disad/Complication called "Quirk" which are 1 pt each and allowed 5 of them.

Proof that format matters. Nice job, @fdw3773. Excellent news. I hope your friend enjoys their new voyage into Hero.

If you want someone to know everything, what about taking "Universal Knowledge" as a variant from Universal Translator?

This sounds like a Transfer BODY with limitations such as "Can't Reduce Below 0" and "Only against Animal Life." I would specify that the "damage" is transferred to BODY/STUN (which is an advantage), along with a suspended return rate (also an advantage). This could be done as another effect pf Transfer (as above) or even using Healing maybe with the limitation that "Needs to be after a Transfer" or some such. This seems like a Teleport linked to the Transfer. This could be an extended application of the Variable Effect advantage, or even a Multi-Power of various transfers. Just remember that a Multipower is either one at a time, or fluxing point variables that typically are not full power. I'm a little rusty on my 5th ed stuff, so if someone sees something needing correcting, please have at it. Hope this helps.

Welcome back to Hero, x_lm_tc! What kind of campaign are you looking at running?

It's an interesting idea. I might de-power them a bit to bring them into fantasy, unless you're running a pretty epic campaign. Could they fit in? Sure. I'd use them similar to the Nine Princes of Amber or a hidden species that players slow evolve into.

I haven't played 4th ed Champions in a while, but still regard it as the best version of the game. As for using it for a PbP, I say play what you like and are comfortable with.

Buffs to Defenses (like Combat Luck), including a PRE Defense. Tactics powers that allow things like Castling, or Healing.

I hear that, Scott. Digital sculpting is one of those skills I keep looking at, but need to free up some time to work on.

Let me start by saying how much I love boxed sets. Whether it's a starter set, an adventure set, or just how a game is presented, putting it in a box is a way to get my attention. IMHO, I think this is where a beginner set shines. Having a few square bound books with rules, adventures, and some opponents, packaged with a map, some cardboard pawns, dice, and maybe some extras is definitely the way to go. I always imagined a GM Pack having a solid GM Screen, a book of adventures (including a solo/2-player one), pawns for it, and maybe some nice laminated sheets for a Speed Chart, Range Finder, etc. included. My only gripe with Paizo's Adventure Paths is that you need to wait to get pawns until AFTER the series is complete. It seems a bit out of order, especially if you're using minis. Alternatively, STL files for Hero would go a long way in today's world. Imagine buying a Viper Squad STL set and printing up a bunch to have handy. Yes please!

Howdy @klecserand welcome to Hero. Champions Begins is kind of a starter set approach to the game that was made to introduce Hero to new players. Champions Complete is a one-and-done kind of rulebook that fleshes out Champions Begins a bit more and brings in the full options of a Hero-based game. I would take a look at Champions Complete if able to see which option works best for you. There are some great sections of the boards here that are designed for questions and answers if you have any. I hope you enjoy.

Hasbro has about as much to do with Green Ronin as Hero does with Marvel. In it's current edition, M&M looks more like DC Heroes or Hero than D&D. The only thing they really have in common are the "roll vs. a difficulty" mechanic that was also popular with d6 and a few other games back in the '80s and '90s. Was M&M branched off from d20? Sure. But it doesn't really look like it anymore.

I would definitely reiterate that Mutants & Masterminds is THE d20 supers game for the most part. There are and has been others, but M&M seems to have some lasting power behind it. That said, a lot of why it's so popular is because it incorporates other games as well. If you look carefully through its three editions, you can see the games it was built upon, including Champions, Villains & Vigilantes, Marvel, and DC Heroes. I don't know if I'd call Green Ronin a HUGE company. Last I knew, I think there may be eight or ten people really working on things, with the bulk of their employees being freelancers. The thing they know how to do is market their games well (as well as a few other things I've mentioned in a different thread). They have a series of adventures (that will be collected I'm sure), a new book on locations (which was originally PDFs), villain books, etc. Plus they've had a thriving open license for third party publishers to create content.

I wouldn't mind a 7th ed, but I'd really like to see them do what 5th ed D&D did as far as the rules go. Not an evolution of 6e, but rather taking the previous 6 editions, determining what worked, what didn't and making a better game from that. Yes to new color artwork, but also good layout and clean pages that are easy to read, and easy to navigate quickly. I don't think we need monthly releases, but I would LOVE to see Adventurer's Club return as an e-zine (and as print collections). I also think it's important to see "easy entry" books released, like a starter set or a theme set for specific events. A great example is to make a boxed set that has the rules, barebones experience, and player-navigation sheets to help them play the game (along with some other fun stuff). Recruit demo teams to help run as well. The buyer fatigue has a lot to do with shoving editions out every five years, as well as a glut of material that still has yet to come out. One of the most important things to remember is to have the books at the printer before announcing anything.

Sure, technically any game isn't truly "dead." I mean, even FATAL has fans. And I definitely think that folks running the game in public places would bring in people. But, IMHO, the game needs a refresher before that happens. It needs to be attractive to new players, and be able to pull in old players. Totally agree. The redesign of C&S is a step in the right direction.

As a big fan of 4th ed., I don't know if 3rd ed. is where I would start, Scott. But it is a great base. I would also add a solid space opera kind of game. Keep it a bit tool box, but make it more like a hand held one rather than a giant roller box. Something else that would be handy are some threads for regular builds. Much like having a thread that keeps a consistent superhero theme (characters built in the same manner, or even an expanded Champions Powers thread), maybe have something with a living grimoire, or starship bay where people could deposit the same ideas that follow the same build concepts. Like making spells with a "Spell (-1/2)" limitation that defines specifics that could be combined (like requires spell components, or requires studying). A resource like that would be incredibly handy for players old and new.