Jason S.Walters

The first wave of role-playing design was its own Renaissance, marked by greatness of all kinds. If you were playing then, you'll remember. And if you weren't, you'd be amazed at what that wave held. One of them was Champions, the Super Role-Playing Game.
 
Hero Games is proud to present Champions Now, to be created by pioneering game designer Ron Edwards, author of Sorcerer and co-founder of The Forge. Ron will revisit the original three editions of first-generation Champions (1981 to 1988), recovering the power of this foundational era of superhero roleplaying.
 
To learn more, including reading a playtest document and watching videos, head over to Kickstarter. If you like what you see, please back our ambitious, fan-inclusive project. 
 
With this announced, I thought it might be prudent to explain what Champions Now will – and won’t – be.
 
Is This The Hero System 7th Edition? No. This is exactly what it says it is: a version of Champions inspired by its earliest roots in 80’s gaming, yet updated for the 21st Century. Technically speaking, it’s not even a “Hero System” product, because Champions predates the Hero System as an independent game engine, which was born out of it.
 
Does It Replace The Hero System 6th Edition? No. Nor the fifth or fourth editions, either. Each of these versions of the Hero System has its own feel, style of play, storied history, and large number of support products. We still sell them, support them, and will continue to do so. (I’m personally still publishing Hero System 6E material.) If you like them, please continue to play them. We wouldn't ask you to do otherwise.
 
Is This First Edition Champions? No. Well, not exactly. A lot has happened in roleplaying game design and theory in the last forty years, and Champions Now will take this into account. Unusually for a version of Champions, Ron is placing a large focus on character play and development through play, but far less on mechanical character creation. This is his vision of Champions, informed by the important work done by himself and other small press game designers over the last decade. It isn’t simply a reprint or our version of an “OSR” game.
 
Why Ron Edwards? Besides being a Champions fan from way back, Ron is considered by many to be the father of the “indie” game movement of designers who self-publish their work, which often focus on collaborative storytelling and narration. He is also the author of numerous interesting essays on comic books and roleplaying games, some of which are going to find their way into the pages of Champions Now. You can read some of his work HERE.
 
What is your agenda here? Simple. We thought it would be interesting to see what Ron would do with the early versions of Champions that he loves, and he thought it would be interesting to spend time after the successful conclusion of the Kickstarter project including you - the backers - in what that will eventually mean. I can't answer any further because I don't know yet. You'll have to participate to find out.
 
Jason Walters, Publisher
 

The first wave of role-playing design was its own Renaissance, marked by greatness of all kinds. If you were playing then, you'll remember. And if you weren't, you'd be amazed at what that wave held. One of them was Champions, the Super Role-Playing Game.
 
Hero Games is proud to present Champions Now, to be created by pioneering game designer Ron Edwards, author of Sorcerer and co-founder of The Forge. Ron will revisit the original three editions of first-generation Champions (1981 to 1988), recovering the power of this foundational era of superhero roleplaying.
 
To learn more, including reading a playtest document and watching videos, head over to Kickstarter. If you like what you see, please back our ambitious, fan-inclusive project. 
 
With this announced, I thought it might be prudent to explain what Champions Now will – and won’t – be.
 
Is This The Hero System 7th Edition? No. This is exactly what it says it is: a version of Champions inspired by its earliest roots in 80’s gaming, yet updated for the 21st Century. Technically speaking, it’s not even a “Hero System” product, because Champions predates the Hero System as an independent game engine, which was born out of it.
 
Does It Replace The Hero System 6th Edition? No. Nor the fifth or fourth editions, either. Each of these versions of the Hero System has its own feel, style of play, storied history, and large number of support products. We still sell them, support them, and will continue to do so. (I’m personally still publishing Hero System 6E material.) If you like them, please continue to play them. We wouldn't ask you to do otherwise.
 
Is This First Edition Champions? No. Well, not exactly. A lot has happened in roleplaying game design and theory in the last forty years, and Champions Now will take this into account. Unusually for a version of Champions, Ron is placing a large focus on character play and development through play, but far less on mechanical character creation. This is his vision of Champions, informed by the important work done by himself and other small press game designers over the last decade. It isn’t simply a reprint or our version of an “OSR” game.
 
Why Ron Edwards? Besides being a Champions fan from way back, Ron is considered by many to be the father of the “indie” game movement of designers who self-publish their work, which often focus on collaborative storytelling and narration. He is also the author of numerous interesting essays on comic books and roleplaying games, some of which are going to find their way into the pages of Champions Now. You can read some of his work HERE.
 
What is your agenda here? Simple. We thought it would be interesting to see what Ron would do with the early versions of Champions that he loves, and he thought it would be interesting to spend time after the successful conclusion of the Kickstarter project including you - the backers - in what that will eventually mean. I can't answer any further because I don't know yet. You'll have to participate to find out.
 
Jason Walters, Publisher
 

The first wave of role-playing design was its own Renaissance, marked by greatness of all kinds. If you were playing then, you'll remember. And if you weren't, you'd be amazed at what that wave held. One of them was Champions, the Super Role-Playing Game.
 
Hero Games is proud to present Champions Now, to be created by pioneering game designer Ron Edwards, author of Sorcerer and co-founder of The Forge. Ron will revisit the original three editions of first-generation Champions (1981 to 1988), recovering the power of this foundational era of superhero roleplaying.
 
To learn more, including reading a playtest document and watching videos, head over to Kickstarter. If you like what you see, please back our ambitious, fan-inclusive project. 
 
With this announced, I thought it might be prudent to explain what Champions Now will – and won’t – be.
 
Is This The Hero System 7th Edition? No. This is exactly what it says it is: a version of Champions inspired by its earliest roots in 80’s gaming, yet updated for the 21st Century. Technically speaking, it’s not even a “Hero System” product, because Champions predates the Hero System as an independent game engine, which was born out of it.
 
Does It Replace The Hero System 6th Edition? No. Nor the fifth or fourth editions, either. Each of these versions of the Hero System has its own feel, style of play, storied history, and large number of support products. We still sell them, support them, and will continue to do so. (I’m personally still publishing Hero System 6E material.) If you like them, please continue to play them. We wouldn't ask you to do otherwise.
 
Is This First Edition Champions? No. Well, not exactly. A lot has happened in roleplaying game design and theory in the last forty years, and Champions Now will take this into account. Unusually for a version of Champions, Ron is placing a large focus on character play and development through play, but far less on mechanical character creation. This is his vision of Champions, informed by the important work done by himself and other small press game designers over the last decade. It isn’t simply a reprint or our version of an “OSR” game.
 
Why Ron Edwards? Besides being a Champions fan from way back, Ron is considered by many to be the father of the “indie” game movement of designers who self-publish their work, which often focus on collaborative storytelling and narration. He is also the author of numerous interesting essays on comic books and roleplaying games, some of which are going to find their way into the pages of Champions Now. You can read some of his work HERE.
 
What is your agenda here? Simple. We thought it would be interesting to see what Ron would do with the early versions of Champions that he loves, and he thought it would be interesting to spend time after the successful conclusion of the Kickstarter project including you - the backers - in what that will eventually mean. I can't answer any further because I don't know yet. You'll have to participate to find out.
 
Jason Walters, Publisher
 

Actually, I've worked very hard at making certain 6th Edition (and even some 5th Edition) books are made available print-on-demand via DriveThruRPG when we sell through their print runs. In fact, the only reason the core 6th Ed rules aren't currently available that way is because Ruben and I had to recently redo their layout to fix some problems. But they will never really go out of print.
 
This isn't a nostalgia project - or, at least, not mostly one. In fact, Ron removed much of my "nostalgia" text from the Story within the project. Rather, Ron came to us with a proposal. He wanted to back to the deep roots of the Hero System - back before the 4th, 5th, and 6th Editions - and create his own modern version of Champions, informed by storytelling and other narrative influences. And, being that Ron is the guy that created THIS and did THIS, we decided that it sounded like a fun idea. Which is why we're doing it. 
 
 

Actually, I've worked very hard at making certain 6th Edition (and even some 5th Edition) books are made available print-on-demand via DriveThruRPG when we sell through their print runs. In fact, the only reason the core 6th Ed rules aren't currently available that way is because Ruben and I had to recently redo their layout to fix some problems. But they will never really go out of print.
 
This isn't a nostalgia project - or, at least, not mostly one. In fact, Ron removed much of my "nostalgia" text from the Story within the project. Rather, Ron came to us with a proposal. He wanted to back to the deep roots of the Hero System - back before the 4th, 5th, and 6th Editions - and create his own modern version of Champions, informed by storytelling and other narrative influences. And, being that Ron is the guy that created THIS and did THIS, we decided that it sounded like a fun idea. Which is why we're doing it. 
 
 

With any luck you won't *need* Hero Designer for Champions Now!

The first wave of role-playing design was its own Renaissance, marked by greatness of all kinds. If you were playing then, you'll remember. And if you weren't, you'd be amazed at what that wave held. One of them was Champions, the Super Role-Playing Game.
 
Hero Games is proud to present Champions Now, to be created by pioneering game designer Ron Edwards, author of Sorcerer and co-founder of The Forge. Ron will revisit the original three editions of first-generation Champions (1981 to 1988), recovering the power of this foundational era of superhero roleplaying.
 
To learn more, including reading a playtest document and watching videos, head over to Kickstarter. If you like what you see, please back our ambitious, fan-inclusive project. 
 
With this announced, I thought it might be prudent to explain what Champions Now will – and won’t – be.
 
Is This The Hero System 7th Edition? No. This is exactly what it says it is: a version of Champions inspired by its earliest roots in 80’s gaming, yet updated for the 21st Century. Technically speaking, it’s not even a “Hero System” product, because Champions predates the Hero System as an independent game engine, which was born out of it.
 
Does It Replace The Hero System 6th Edition? No. Nor the fifth or fourth editions, either. Each of these versions of the Hero System has its own feel, style of play, storied history, and large number of support products. We still sell them, support them, and will continue to do so. (I’m personally still publishing Hero System 6E material.) If you like them, please continue to play them. We wouldn't ask you to do otherwise.
 
Is This First Edition Champions? No. Well, not exactly. A lot has happened in roleplaying game design and theory in the last forty years, and Champions Now will take this into account. Unusually for a version of Champions, Ron is placing a large focus on character play and development through play, but far less on mechanical character creation. This is his vision of Champions, informed by the important work done by himself and other small press game designers over the last decade. It isn’t simply a reprint or our version of an “OSR” game.
 
Why Ron Edwards? Besides being a Champions fan from way back, Ron is considered by many to be the father of the “indie” game movement of designers who self-publish their work, which often focus on collaborative storytelling and narration. He is also the author of numerous interesting essays on comic books and roleplaying games, some of which are going to find their way into the pages of Champions Now. You can read some of his work HERE.
 
What is your agenda here? Simple. We thought it would be interesting to see what Ron would do with the early versions of Champions that he loves, and he thought it would be interesting to spend time after the successful conclusion of the Kickstarter project including you - the backers - in what that will eventually mean. I can't answer any further because I don't know yet. You'll have to participate to find out.
 
Jason Walters, Publisher
 

No - though they are all available through One Books Shelf (RPGNow, DriveThruRPG, etc etc) in the form of print-on-demand. So you *can* get physical copies if you need them.
 
Hero Games is more interested in doing shorter, rules-inclusive books like Champions Complete and Fantasy Hero Complete these days, and also supporting our small but productive community of third party publishers. In fact, we will have some news on that front to announce shortly!

Now LIVE on Kickstarter! Create your Champions character in less than one minute using this versatile deck of 54 cards. Pick one Characteristics card, one Complications card, and three to ten Abilities cards to make your point-averaged superhero! Then upload the card numbers to the Hero Designer software to print your character sheets. Electronic files will be made available through Bits & Mortar for retail store customers. 

No - though they are all available through One Books Shelf (RPGNow, DriveThruRPG, etc etc) in the form of print-on-demand. So you *can* get physical copies if you need them.
 
Hero Games is more interested in doing shorter, rules-inclusive books like Champions Complete and Fantasy Hero Complete these days, and also supporting our small but productive community of third party publishers. In fact, we will have some news on that front to announce shortly!

HERO System Martial Arts 6th Edition has been made available via print on demand from One Book Shelf (DriveThroughRPG, RPGNow, and their related websites). So if you never got of the small number of this title we originally printed, you can pick one up now.
 
Note: This is something of a pilot program by those of us at Hero Games. It doesn't cost a lot to set up many of our titles this way, and we would like to make some currently out-of-print books available. We'll watch for a month or so and see what happens. If we make some money, we'll make it our policy to make books available when we sell through a print run. If we don't, then we won't.
 
"The Management"

This seems to be going well guys. We've made more than we spent setting up the books as POD, so I think we can safely call the idea a "not failure" at this point. Thank you for your support.
 
"The Management"

This seems to be going well guys. We've made more than we spent setting up the books as POD, so I think we can safely call the idea a "not failure" at this point. Thank you for your support.
 
"The Management"

This seems to be going well guys. We've made more than we spent setting up the books as POD, so I think we can safely call the idea a "not failure" at this point. Thank you for your support.
 
"The Management"

This seems to be going well guys. We've made more than we spent setting up the books as POD, so I think we can safely call the idea a "not failure" at this point. Thank you for your support.
 
"The Management"

This seems to be going well guys. We've made more than we spent setting up the books as POD, so I think we can safely call the idea a "not failure" at this point. Thank you for your support.
 
"The Management"

HERO System Equipment Guide 6th Edition has been made available via print on demand from One Book Shelf (DriveThroughRPG, RPGNow, and their related websites). So if you never managed to get one of the small number of this title we originally printed, you can pick one up now.
 
Note: This is something of a pilot program by those of us at Hero Games. It doesn't cost a lot to set up many of our titles this way, and we would like to make some currently out-of-print books available. We'll watch for a month or so and see what happens. If we make some money, we'll make it our policy to make books available when we sell through a print run. If we don't, then we won't.
 
"The Management"

The quality is good. RPGNow is using Lightening Source for their printing, and we've used it at Blackwyrm for years with success. Also, we ordered a copy of each book from RPGNow and had Ruben (our layout guy) inspect them. He's approved them, so we're confident that the quality is up to snuff.
 
"The Management"

HERO System Martial Arts 6th Edition has been made available via print on demand from One Book Shelf (DriveThroughRPG, RPGNow, and their related websites). So if you never got of the small number of this title we originally printed, you can pick one up now.
 
Note: This is something of a pilot program by those of us at Hero Games. It doesn't cost a lot to set up many of our titles this way, and we would like to make some currently out-of-print books available. We'll watch for a month or so and see what happens. If we make some money, we'll make it our policy to make books available when we sell through a print run. If we don't, then we won't.
 
"The Management"

HERO System Equipment Guide 6th Edition has been made available via print on demand from One Book Shelf (DriveThroughRPG, RPGNow, and their related websites). So if you never managed to get one of the small number of this title we originally printed, you can pick one up now.
 
Note: This is something of a pilot program by those of us at Hero Games. It doesn't cost a lot to set up many of our titles this way, and we would like to make some currently out-of-print books available. We'll watch for a month or so and see what happens. If we make some money, we'll make it our policy to make books available when we sell through a print run. If we don't, then we won't.
 
"The Management"

HERO System Martial Arts 6th Edition has been made available via print on demand from One Book Shelf (DriveThroughRPG, RPGNow, and their related websites). So if you never got of the small number of this title we originally printed, you can pick one up now.
 
Note: This is something of a pilot program by those of us at Hero Games. It doesn't cost a lot to set up many of our titles this way, and we would like to make some currently out-of-print books available. We'll watch for a month or so and see what happens. If we make some money, we'll make it our policy to make books available when we sell through a print run. If we don't, then we won't.
 
"The Management"

HERO System Equipment Guide 6th Edition has been made available via print on demand from One Book Shelf (DriveThroughRPG, RPGNow, and their related websites). So if you never managed to get one of the small number of this title we originally printed, you can pick one up now.
 
Note: This is something of a pilot program by those of us at Hero Games. It doesn't cost a lot to set up many of our titles this way, and we would like to make some currently out-of-print books available. We'll watch for a month or so and see what happens. If we make some money, we'll make it our policy to make books available when we sell through a print run. If we don't, then we won't.
 
"The Management"