Jason S.Walters

Thank you. We hope this will be the case.

Bingo.

A few thoughts from the management. Some of you will like them, some of you will not. But they're meant to explain things a bit, not offend anyone or be confrontational. They're just the facts on the ground as I know them to be. 1) Champions Complete *replaces* Champions: The SuperRoleplaying Game, 6E1, and 6E2 - and for a fraction of the cost. It's sold reasonably well too. Which matters. 2) The book Champions: The SuperRoleplaying Game has been out of print for years now, and will never come back into print. Nor will the 6E1 or 6e2 (at least in their pre-existing form). If someone, somehow has found one on a game store shelf and gotten confused, then.... [helpless Gaelic shrug]. What can I say? 3) The whole core book/genre book/setting book/equipment book model of selling roleplaying game books worked okay in the 80s, 90s, and maybe the early part of this century. But as far as I can tell it doesn't work now. It's a big money looser, and those companies who are doing it are either taking a hit, or are Paizo Publishing. OTOH books with stand alone rules in them seem to be what the majority of roleplaying game book consumers - especially new ones - want. So that's what we're going to do with Hero right now. For those of you who disagree... well, there's something like 100+ 5th and 6th Edition books out there based on the previous model. It's not like releasing Champions Complete or Fantasy Hero Complete magically invalidates them. So collect away! Happy to sell you some. Happy to have people playing whatever version of the Hero System they like. Have fun! 4) "If the buyer feels misled, he's probably not coming back to buy more products." Since we were printing books that nobody was buying previous to releasing Champions Complete and Monster Hunter International - both of which have been financially successful, I might add - they weren't coming back to buy more products anyhow. And nobody is being misled when you explicitly tell them they are buying a stand-alone game. 5) I set two simple goals for myself when I found myself uncomfortably seated upon the Iron Throne of Hero Games. One, I would never help create a product that lost money. So far, so good. Two, I would encourage new people to play the Hero system. The stand-alone books are a big part of that. As far as I can tell: also so far, so good. 6) "Maybe we're moving back to the "separate games using the Hero Engine" model." We are. Because consumers seem to want it, and because it exposes new people to the system who might otherwise never try it. With that said, I'm thinking about next year's book or books being specific supplements for Champions Complete. Because they're projects I believe will self-fund on Kickstarter, that most of you will like, and that will sell enough after the fact to at least "do no harm." 7) "With Fantasy Hero Complete, we will now have three versions of the rules, with three different authors." If you include the 5th Edition Lucha Libre Hero and the upcoming Hero-derived Narosia: Sea of Tears, you could say seven including Darren Watts, Shane Harsh, and myself. And frankly... so what? Seeing the Hero System change and grow through the eyes of various fans and authors over the years is a good and healthy thing. That's why we've made our third party license so incredibly easy to use. Hero Games isn't just some stuff on my computer, a bank account, and a 1000-square-foot warehouse filled with books. It's a widespread idea that belongs most of all to you fans. Thus I have spoken, and shall now return to my mountain of digital paperwork. Jason Walters, CEO Hero Games

Sam has finished with the cover artwork for Fantasy Hero Complete even as Michael continues working on the manuscript. Have a look!

Hero Games is proud to present a supplement for Champions by Dean Shomshak. There's A Thin Line Between Genius And EVIL Sky-Q is such a good "smart drug," it's a shame it's illegal. Users gain an hour of better memory and concentration -- followed by fatigue, irritability, and other unpleasant side effects. A few steady users gain much more: They master exotic sciences and invent radical new technologies. On the other hand, they develop bizarre, megalomaniac obsessions and become supervillains! Some of them are loopy "theme gadget" criminals. Others are rather less funny. Here's what you get in SHARED ORIGINS: SKY-Q: * Background and game mechanics for Sky-Q, the smart drug that works too well. * Four sample villains who gained their powers from Sky-Q, from the farcical Mushroom Master to the monstrous Izverg. Each character comes with a complete character sheet, background, story seeds, and full-color illustration. * One sample hero, ready to play or use as an NPC. * A brief discussion of "Origin Substances" as reusable explanations for characters gaining super-powers, with three additional examples of this classic origin story. Uses HERO System 6th Edition or CHAMPIONS Complete. THE SHARED ORIGINS SERIES This series of mini-supplements for CHAMPIONS provides "Origin Stories" that players and GMs can use for many different characters. Coming up with character origins is work; reusable origin gimmicks help you spend more time on character backgrounds and motivations and less time explaining why they have super-powers in the first place. (Shared origins can also tie characters together and create story hooks.) Each supplement supplies background information and game mechanics for one shared origin story, a ready-to-play sample hero, and a selection of sample villains. Supplements stand alone to make it easier to plug the sample characters and origin story into your own superhero setting.

There is a distinct possibility that Hero Games will be releasing a non-Champions Universe superhero product next year. I'm not prepared at this point to give any details, however, and it's not because working with Cryptic Studious has been in any way difficult or unpleasant. Far from it. It's just that there's a possibility of doing a particular superhero setting book that we would like to do, would most likely be popular enough on Kickstarter to make it economically viable, and I believe we can get permission to do it. I'll tell you all more as I know more. Jason Walters, Hero Games CEO

Hero Games is proud to present a new supplement for Fantasy Hero by Kestrel Arts: The Fantasy Codex! Empower your Wizard! Almost a thousand new spells for your fantasy game, detailed and organized for use by GMs and Players alike. Designed for Fantasy Hero by Kestrel Arts, this collection of magic may be adapted for any fantasy setting. Unlock spells like Grimstaff’s Grand Enhancement, Cinder Spray, Tornado, and Call Aether Spite! Learn magical spells from five different orders and seventeen magical schools! Summon not just elementals but a keep or siege weapons! Cast spells to baffle and confound your enemies! The Fantasy Codex is packed with unique and creative magic for your spell caster to learn and use... and for your GM to use against you.

Hero Games is proud to present a supplement for Fantasy Hero by G Elkins Hero System Products. The Lost Grimoire houses information on the following types of new magic; Assassins Magic, Coven Magic, Demonic Magic, Divine Magic, Fire Magic and Shadow Magic. Six forms of magic, over 100 spells in all! Like This

Hero Games is proud to present the first adventure for Fantasy Hero by Kestrel Arts: The Lost Castle! Long ago a mad king built a fantastic complex to survive in case of disaster beneath his castle. Eventually the king's madness caused the once-rich kingdom to falter and in time it simply faded away, yet another of the lost human kingdoms long ago when the elves ruled. When adventurers stumble upon the ruins, there's much more than meets the eye. The Lost Castle is a Fantasy Hero adventure for 4-8 characters no more than 1000 points total, combined.

SUPER SORCERY GOES GALACTIC Earth is not the only world with mystics and magic. Spells of the Devachan reveals a wider cosmos of spirits and sorcery: • More than 30 spells of thaumaturgy, the light-show magic used by comic-book super-mages. Most are new. A few spells from past HERO System publications are revised for 6th Edition. • A new setting and background for thaumaturgy. Mystics of many worlds join the occult society called the Devachan, ready to become allies and mentors for human super-mages. • A new treatment of astral projection and the Astral Plane, the mystic dimension that connects all worlds and realms of existence — now revised for 6th Edition and expanded to include interstellar travel. • Plus glimpses into the spirit realms of several alien species, with wonders and perils of their own. Welcome to the Sorcerer’s Galaxy — because one Mystic World isn’t enough.