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I've played a little bit of everything as far as Superhero RPGs go. By Guardians, do you mean the old game from Star Childe, or the OSR one that's relatively new? I've been running M&M for a while now, but recently have been considering returning to Hero. Loved both of the TSR Marvel Games (FASERIP and Saga), and really wished that WotC could release a new edition as an open license game.

I ran some Tri-Stat SAS when it first came it out for a bit, but the group I was with preferred Champions. Funny thing was, they called it Hero-Lite for a while (which is what M&M has been occasionally called as well). BESM 4e was a bit more detailed, but still didn't quite gel with the group I ran.

Not really, @Christopher R Taylor. The sheets are a bit too basic for my use. I'm thinking we could use something a bit more robust honestly. I'm thinking we'd need the other stats since they do have a purpose in the game. I was playing around with formatting a while back and came up with the following. Still not 100% happy with it, but it's coming along.

You could buy the Image Portfolio Platinum products off DriveThruRPG and use his art. This is one of many: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/91000/Image-Portfolio-Platinum-Free-Edition-Storn-Cook

@Jhamin Do you have an example of Fantasy Hero sheet that you use? One of the things I would like to see in stat blocks is some genre emulation. Fantasy Hero sheets should look a bit different than, say, a Space Hero sheet. There should be different focuses depending on the sheet you're using. I've often considered making a Spell Book sheet for my players that would break down the power builds, while a simple list of spells may exist on the main sheet, for example. But there also has to be something connecting the threads between genres as well. Maybe the way stats and in-play mechanics are presented? I have considered something similar, @Spence. I often wonder why the sheet has to have every point listed on it, and not just be the info needed to play the character. Maybe the resolution is a build sheet and a character sheet? Wasn't there something similar in 2e Champions? @archerDo you have an example of the sheets that you used? I agree on the list part, but that seems to be an issue occasionally no matter the system. Or at least I see it pop its head up occasionally. @Christopher R TaylorIt's a very useful document. Do you think something like this should be included in a standard character sheet? Is there something more aesthetically needed for a stat block? Some kind of graphic or a format that works better. Have you ever looked at another RPG product and said "That format is clean and useful. I wish other games used it?"

Sure. By "Hero Stat Block" I mean the format in which a character sheet displays stats... characteristics, powers, skills, etc. IMHO, the Hero stat block isn't always "user friendly" to players (and some GMs), nor has it really been updated to a more modern design philosophy. I think the sheet that @DreadDomainhas made has a great flow to it (see link below), and Aldo Regalado's sheet (https://tgidragonflystudios.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/champions-character-sheet-thrice-the-charm/) is pretty nice as well. But is there a better way?

I like a mix of the 4e ones.

All this talk about stat format makes me wonder if there's a better stat block for Hero. Think I'll start a discussion of it...

Over at the Hero Games 2021 there's been some discussion of formatting Talents with the full builds in the back of the book. This has me wondering about the Hero Stat Block. Does everyone use the common stat block? Are there variations that you think works better? Is it time for a new stat block? What works best for you?

Thanks! Thanks! And I totally agree. I think the builds being available as a DLC would be awesome.

I was thinking about what I'd like to see for Hero last night and I realized a big book of Talents (and maybe Perks) would be pretty useful. Even if they were Powers-As-Talents, I really think a book of this level would be handy. Each chapter could dive into one of the big concepts (Fantasy, Action, Supers, Sci-Fi, Horror, etc.) with a bunch of new Talents to choose from. Some may emulate what other games called "Class Abilities," while some may be original to the Hero System. Size could be around the HS Skills book that came out.

I think I'd rather see a book called "Champions Legacy" that brought old characters back in an official format. Upgrade the backgrounds a bit, maybe have some new art and design. I realize that Tiger Paw Press does something similar, but I'd really like to see something in a more official capacity with a higher budget.

Not having a driver's license is a great Quirk Complication if you use them.

Replaceable was kind of neat, yeah. But there's no reason why that couldn't be in a build for "Gear" if needed. Let's say we define some Anti-Flare Goggles as 5pts Flash Defense, OIF, Replaceable. So that's 5 AP/3 RP/1 RP (if using Resource Points). I would still allow a hero to buy these with Wealth, as you can pick up something similar in a hardware store. That's kind of the purpose of having Wealth IMHO. But that's also the beauty of games like Hero, we all find what works for our games.

"Gear" was always meant to be just stock equipment. As soon as you mod it in a way that kind of uplifts it into "Gadget" territory, you have to pay CPs for the entire thing. In your example, you would be the whole 30 CP as the car is no longer a Ford Pinto, it's now the HeroMobile. In game reasoning for such a thing would include having to modify the chassis or payload to mount a smoke projector, giving it better suspension, etc. Going forward, the hero could tweak the car a bit more as it goes from a 1979 Pinto to HeroMobile to HeroMobile mkII, etc. The same could be said about buying a costume. There was a limit in the armor you could buy (6rPD/ED IIRC). Once you bought more than that, your costume suddenly became a "SuperSuit" and was considered a "Gadget" that could be tricked out with other devices.

Crusader and Starburst were always iconic heroes in my book. Particularly Crusader. But then I used him in a ton of games. On the villain side of things, the Iconic Villains were the bad guys in the main books, as they also got a lot of use from me in the past. Armadillo, Cheshire Cat, Pulsar, Bluejay, Brick, Icicle, Howler, Mechanon, Dragonfly, Shrinker, Ogre, Green Dragon... they all went through a bit of redesign the more I used them, but let me tell you, when Pulsar and Ogre team up, the poop hits the fan.

I had worked out some functional Wealth rules that went beyond "Hi I'm Wealthy" that worked pretty well. When we used it, there was some clear definitions in what we called "Gadgets" aka super gear that gave the hero an advantage, and "Gear" which was stuff you could buy in the local department or specialty shop. Oddly enough, we always defined hero costumes as Gear, but it had a limit in what it could do. Worked out pretty well. Hmm... might be a good subject for a PDF.

Originally Beat Boy/Changeling could only turn into animals and had a quirk that they were all green hued. During a near fatal attack, he was healed by the Amazon Purple Ray and turned into a dinosaur, showing what potential his power could reach. Them during the Trigon Seed storyline, he was infected with one of the said seeds and his powers were corrupted, giving him the ability to turn into nightmarish creatures. Since then, the original concept behind the character was tossed out the window and he can turn into anything the writer needs for the story. Unfortunate, because he had some neat abilities that fit well with his story. This is how I typically create a character that can assume animal or people forms. I only use Shapeshift when they can become objects of some kind (and even then I might build it more in a VPP).

And just in case you needed a link @ihollaway please see below. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/64072/HERO-System-6th-Edition-Character-Creation?manufacturers_id=115&filters=0_0_0_44294_0

I've got to agree with @DreadDomain here. If this is a Champions Starter product, it should lean more to the common tropes of superheroism. The characters within should emulate characters seen in traditional superhero comics, with villains and adventures that do the same. Think more Avengers or Justice League, whether the comics of cartoons.

I'm in the same camp with Hugh here. While I dig the idea of a "Psi Hero" kind of book, I think it'd do much better if it were attached to a campaign-style book. Kind of like a Hero version of Psi World from FGU. Include some packages that might appeal to both players that want to play psi characters, and those that don't, along with some setting-specific gear and opponents. Within the packages, I would include occupational options, as well some power packages that emulate the setting. You want to play a telepath? Here's a bunch of telepathic-based powers with some various options within the setting that could be useful. I've ran a few psi-based games in the past and always had a blast with them.

Honestly, while I like some of the generic nature of Hero, I agree with @DreadDomainabout games that use Hero as an engine rather than a complete building set. When I first started playing Hero, it was with Champions and the innuendo of a setting that the initial editions had with it. When 4th ed made an attempt to consolidate everything, it drew me in more. In fact, I would say 4th ed was the sweet system for me in so many ways. The design of the books was basic, but there was a nice flow to it. The art was solid, the covers were awesome, and the content was fun. Sure it could be a generic superhero game, but there was still some setting stuff there for anyone needing it. I think @zslanehit the nail on the head a bit when he mentioned presentation. I won't go into a design rant here, as I'm sure you can find one of mine in other threads, but the books need to look better. Not just some colored fonts and occasional art, but actual page layout that is indictive to the genre its portraying. Look at D&D5e, Pathfinder, Mutants & Masterminds, and pretty much anything released by Modiphius. There's some great design work that goes into their books, and that's a steep hill to compete with. But not impossible. Rather than another Fantasy Hero Complete or Star Hero Complete, I think it'd be great to have "The Forbidden Realms RPG" or "Imperial Treks of the Battlestars RPG" that give the basics on Hero, while also giving a campaign to fly right into. These could be supported by a few ancillary books that add fun elements to the games, while also giving neat examples to work from. Maybe "Magic of the Forbidden Realms" or "Mecha of Empire" books would be great sellers because the expand on the info in the main book. In the same respect, a "Champions RPG" that looks more like the 4th ed book with maybe a bit more setting info and design to it could be a big seller.

Nope. This was announced after Dark Champions. It was going to be released via High Rock Press and was listed along with Mythic Hero and a few other neat projects IIRC. I agree with Action Hero over Dark Champions. The latter always implied darker and/or street superheroes over spies/espionage.

I would love to see a 40th Anniversary book for Champions that had some of the old character stats (updated to 6e), and notes from the original campaigns.

I would've loved to see the updated Danger International that was on a list a few years back.