DreadDomain

3 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

Darren Watts had been planning a sequel to his Golden Age Champions, preliminarily titled Silver Age Champions, which would have included a full write-up for Vanguard. He's conducted an extensive playtest campaign for it. Sadly, the sales of GAC were disappointing to Darren, and he's concluded there isn't enough demand to justify further effort to bring it to publication.

That's a shame. I loved GAC.

In my opinion, if the goal is to attract players to try a super-hero game, you want to stick with fairly traditional, modern, superhero art. If you verge into the anime or furries, that will send the wrong signal of what this is about or worse, it will turn people off. 

12 minutes ago, Christopher R Taylor said:

The only real padding might be the art, but I think it breaks up long text sections and helps the mood.

Good, relevant art is never padding!

On 3/7/2021 at 2:25 AM, Hugh Neilson said:

Actually, I think a far better product than "Psionic Hero" would be an actual "Game Powered by Hero" Heroic Level psychic game.

 

Maybe it's a "psychics among us" game - these powers exist, but are well-hidden and people work hard to keep it that way.  Maybe it's "noble psionics protecting the mindblind from psionics who would exploit them", or maybe it's various devious groups, each after their own advantage, and their own advantage alone.  Maybe it's modern world, or future-earth, or cold war earth, or scattered across a futuristic galaxy.

 

But pick one.  One theme.  One setting.  One way psionic powers work.  Whether normal weapons are typically also used or whether they are not.  Whether psionic powers can generate a force field making targets bulletproof or whether a gun is just as fatal to the most powerful psychic as to an ordinary guy on the street.

 

And write up that specific game that people can read through, pick some stats, gear and psionic powers and build characters they are ready to play at 2 PM next Saturday.

 

Not a Book of Infinitie Options you could use to build that game, or a slightly different game, or a completely different game, or a thousand and one different games.  One. Game.  that can be played right from the book.

Absolutely agree.

By the way, Extinction Event is such a product. I have not played it but it's the type of product that I would prefer to have from HERO. 

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/285180/Extinction-Event?term=extinct

Above, @Steve Long describes exactly the Danger International I do not want. Another genre/sub-genre book describing stuff from cavemen to modern. Not what I want. I want Danger International to be a game with a define context and setting, with a clear purpose where readers learn what the game is all about. Is the game about Bondesque/Bournesque spies or is it grtty and down to earth? Is it set during the Pre-War, the Cold War, the War on Terror, the Near Future? What are the stakes? Now, once DI establishes a base context/setting/purpose, I could totally see expansions covering the other eras and style. 

On 2/27/2021 at 4:28 AM, Christopher R Taylor said:

OK I am putting out a call for editors, anyone who wants to help with this project, sound out right now.  I could use some people to go over what I have written so far in the very rough draft and see if there are any significant errors or things that could be written more clearly and concisely.  Please let me know here or in private as soon as possible, and only if you can get it turned around within a week or two.

I am willing to give it a go. How many words are we talking about so far?

On 2/6/2021 at 4:22 AM, Cassandra said:

3/22

19 hours ago, Cassandra said:

3

On 1/23/2021 at 1:53 PM, Cassandra said:

9

What is going on? Is there a code we are supposed to crack?

On 2/5/2021 at 4:19 AM, Jason S.Walters said:

Hello everyone! We have a variety of projects going on at Hero Games right now, both for quarter one of 2021 and for the year as a whole. I wanted to let you know about them, get your input, and ask if there is anything you would like to see created by Hero Games in the coming year. Of course, I can’t promise you we will act on those suggestions! Only that we will listen and do what we can, given the limited time and resources that we have. Please feel free to comment.

Thank you for this update! It's quite refreshing.

On 2/5/2021 at 4:19 AM, Jason S.Walters said:

UPCOMING NEW RELEASES

The following three projects have been turned into us, have been approved, and are in various levels of production right now. (If you have submitted a project to us and don’t see it listed here, don’t be alarmed! We simply haven’t gotten to it yet. These things take time.)

I am happy to see releases down the line. Reading the below, am I correct to say that all physical releases will be POD only?

On 2/5/2021 at 4:19 AM, Jason S.Walters said:

Western Hero: Rough and Ready Roleplaying – This is a joint project between Kestrel Arts and Hero Games. Written by Christopher Taylor and based on work by Matt Forbeck, it’s an exhaustive, rules complete 276 page Hero System 6^th Edition book. It has already been through layout, editing, and (due to the subject matter) sensitivity reading, and will be made available physically and electronically through DriveThruRPG, Amazon, Indie Press Revolution, and the Hero Games store. A Hero Designer Character Pack for this product will also be available for sale.

Looking forward to it. How "complete" is it? Is it a sourcebook or is it a book with everything you need to play? Does it have a "build it yourself" mentality or does it uses the HERO System to create an Old West gaming experience?

On 2/5/2021 at 4:19 AM, Jason S.Walters said:

Institute For Human Advancement: Pride & Prejudice – Written by Thomas Stadley, this book is a 50,000 word Champions 6^th Edition source book detailing the history, structure, agents, and technology of the infamous Champions Universe villain organization known as the IHA. It is currently being edited by AC, and will be made available physically and electronically through DriveThruRPG and Amazon, and electronically through the Hero Games store. A Hero Designer Character Pack for this product will also be available for sale.

Who is "AC"? How many pages are 50,000 words? 100ish?

On 2/5/2021 at 4:19 AM, Jason S.Walters said:

The Hero System Book of Templates II – Written by Christopher Hackler, this is the sequel to Chris’ popular Hero System Book of Templates. I’m editing this book myself right now, and it’s excellent. At 33,000 words it’s even better than the original, and extremely useful to new players. It will be available in electronic and physical form from DriveThruRPG and Amazon, and electronically from the Hero Games store. A Hero Designer Character Pack for this product will also be available for sale.

The first one is excellent indeed. However, If I may offer my opinion on it, while the content is excellent, the production value is very amateurish. I assume all future physical products will be softcover, blsck and white PODs but hopefully, we can expect much better than what we have seen with the HSBoTI.

On 2/5/2021 at 4:19 AM, Jason S.Walters said:

SECTIONAL BOOKS

Steve Long and I have come up with a new publication concept for releasing Hero System books, and we are going to try applying this concept to a couple of projects this year and see it works out, financially as well as artistically. I’m calling these “sectional books,” as they will be released in sections that stand alone as electronic products, but can be combined in the end and released as a complete print-on-demand book on DriveThru and Amazon. The stand-alone products won’t have any original artwork, but the final book they will be combined into will have an original cover and at least some original interior artwork (though they will be softcover black-and-whites).

I applaud the approach and I will support it. However, I doubt it will be sustainable beyond 1 or 2 books. Just based on Champions International, at $7.50 for a PDF of 16 pages, it will get very expensive for fans to support the sections and get the book. Say you want to combine 8 of them to get a 128 pages supplement, we will have to spend $60 to get the sections (because if not enough people buy the sections, the line will surely be dropped) and then will have to buy the combined book again. Anyway, let's give it a try.

On 2/5/2021 at 4:19 AM, Jason S.Walters said:

Subject matter for these books will be selected in part based on their suitability for the format: meaning, they can be released in sections, then those sections can be combined into a unified, consistent final product (not a magazine or the like). The first two will be written by Steve, and will be Champions International – a collection of chapters about imaginary countries with exist in the Champions Universe – and Martial Enemies, which will detail a wide variety of martial arts characters suitable for Champions, Ninja Hero, Pulp Hero, or any of a number of other genres. He’s already turned in the first section Champions International: Lugendu, which AC is getting ready right now.

If the sectional book projects goes well, Hero Games will launch a Patreon account to support even more work in that vein, plus provide exclusive content to Hero System fans who choose to become backers. (But we’ll have to see how the project goes before I commit to that!)

I will support both International and Martial Enemies because it is my only way to support HERO these days. I am really not too enthused about the concept of Patreon but let's see what you come up with.

On 2/5/2021 at 4:19 AM, Jason S.Walters said:

KICKSTARTER

At this point I don’t have any plans in 2021 a Kickstarter project. I’m willing to hear suggestions if you folks have any. But please keep in mind that the Hero Games KS account is reserved at this time for “big” projects. By this I mean comparatively large, rules-complete works which require no additional books to play. So I mean projects that are like Champions Now or Fantasy Hero Complete, but not Book of the Empress or Champions Villains III.

Totally up for it. Danger International or Justice Inc please. I am for games that use the HERO System as an engine not another rehash of the engine. Fantasy HERO Complete is a good example of what I do not want. It takes no stance at all about what the game is about but is simply another "build it yourself" book.

A game like Justice Inc should not have a how to build powers section. It should have a Pulp Talents section and a Psionic Powers section and perhaps a Eldritch Grimoire section. All pre-built with a cost (or cost per levels) and no +¼, -¾.

Sure the power of HERO is in the creation system but for that you want them to buy HERO, Basic or one of the Complete. How many more do we need?

On 2/5/2021 at 4:19 AM, Jason S.Walters said:

I’m open to the idea of licensed intellectual property projects; though, again, I can’t make any promises. Actually getting licensed IP is an extremely difficult and time-consuming undertaking that I have only succeeded at twice (once here at Hero Games, and once at my own imprint High Rock Press); though behind the scenes I tried one dozen other times over the years unsuccessfully. Success requires either a perfect alignment of circumstances, or large sums of money; and the former is by nature unlikely, the later - nonexistent.

I don't believe you should waste too much effort on this.

On 2/5/2021 at 4:19 AM, Jason S.Walters said:

HALL OF CHAMPIONS

So far you fans have contributed forty creations to our Hall of Champions DriveThruRPG community content program! Please continue, feel free to contribute to the creative legacy of Hero Games, and maybe make a few bucks along the way.

-Jason Walters, Publisher

Thanks to all the creators!

I will follow this, I am very interested to see it. Starter sets are in vogue and Champions would really benefit from one if done right and if broadly communicated.

On 12/30/2020 at 5:37 AM, JmOz said:

Could someone list the package deals (ESPECIALY racial) included.   

From page 202 and onwards:

Racial

Animal-Folk (Cat, Lion, Cheetah, Deer, Dog)

Centaur

Dwarf (Dwarf, Gnome)

Elf (High, Wood)

Faerie

Giant (Fire, Frost, Storm, Ogre, Troll)

Goblin (Goblin, Hobgoblin, Orc, Greater Orc, Lesser Orc)

Halfling

Reptile-Folk (Dragon, Lizard, Serpent)

Winged-Folk

Ancestral/Environmental

Aquatic

Divine/Infernal

Elemental (Air, Earth, Fire, Water)

Lycanthrope (Wolf, Bear, Boar, Shark, Tiger

Size/Weight (Larger, Smaller, Heavier)

Vampire

Cultural

Barbarian

City-Dweller

Horse Nomad

Merchant/Trader

Seafarer

Warrior

Professional

Bard

Knight

Mage (Mage, Alchemist, Witch)

Martial Artist

Merchant

Noble

Paladin

Priest (Priest, Druid, Monk, Shaman)

Rogue (Rogue, Assassin, Bandit, Con-Man)

Warrior (Warrior, Archer, Heavy, Light, Ranger)

I hope it helps!

On 11/28/2020 at 8:39 AM, Christopher R Taylor said:

Saying hero is dead is an overstatement.  It has an active community, a very active forum, it has new materials constantly being released under the Community -Program every month. 

True. Hero Games is not super active though. At least not in a very visible way beyond announcing on the front page what the community program develops.

Quote

Both Western Hero and the Island of Dr Destroyer will be released soon as official Hero products. 

Ah, did not know that! Glad to hear! 

I believe you are behind both projects (possibly the driving force behind them) so kudos to you. Will HERO republish/reformat the Island of the Destroyer you just made available?

On 11/28/2020 at 3:38 AM, Duke Bushido said:

As for why we haven't seen any new books?

 

Bluntly, unpleasantly, and with no joy do I say this:

 

HERO is dead. 

I don't come here often anymore if only because the level of activities seems to have shrunk quite a bit on the board to only a small group of die hards (hats off to you guys). Your comment made me look at Drivethru to see what HERO has made available over there over the years and it is quite frankly supporting your position. While there were hundreds of older edition supplements and magazines made available in the last few years (thanks Jason!) and a smattering of fan/independent produced offerings (thanks for the hard work everyone, and yes I include the Champions Now experiment in that bucket), the last true HERO publication (at least offered on Drivethru) seems to be Fantasy Complete in March 2015. Two. Thousand. Fifteen. Wow, time flies. Did not realised it had been that long.

On 11/28/2020 at 3:38 AM, Duke Bushido said:

 

Don't let that get you down, though:  companies-- small publishing companies in particular-- are a bit unusual when it comes to being dead.  Often, they can squeak out enough interest with a hibernation-level presence:  a small PDF here and there, a tie-in somewhere else....

 

And they don't stay dead, typically.  They might be dead for years, but there's always that chance that they will rouse again, if only for a little while, and shine for a while longer.  Hell, I'm sixty.  That's really all I need to last the rest of _my_ life anyway!   

 

And of course, someone else might come along with the right offer and the right backing, and the whole thing starts anew.

It happened before! Not everyone likes 5E, 5R, 6E or what Steve Long has done with HERO (I do) but there is no denying that DOJ ushered a revival undreamed of at the time. I am grateful for it.

On 11/28/2020 at 3:38 AM, Duke Bushido said:

ultimately, though: it's like any other game.  It's as alive as the fans, and we are still using it, so.....

Amen!

6 hours ago, Sketchpad said:

Have you considered an export template from Hero Designer that's specific for the wiki? It could put in the proper tags needed to export and paste in the wiki. Might I suggest @DreadDomain's excellent character format?

Thanks for the nod!

5 hours ago, Panpiper said:

That is not a hero designer export format, that is something DreadDomain whipped up with Word.  As such it is pretty useless for us. 

I would love to set my sheet as an export format but alas, I do not have the skills to do so.

5 hours ago, Panpiper said:

Moreover I think having  the export format 'also' output things like everything written on the background tab of Hero Designer is crucially important, not just the stats.

Which I would include if I knew how to create export formats Fortunately, you have other, better options!

17 hours ago, Brian Stanfield said:

I think I was conflating what you said about “playing right away” with what @Spence said about “playing out of the box.” That’s my mistake, and I apologize to you both for my confusion. 
 

To get back to your point, I suppose Bill, Bob, and Boris could whip something up with the PHB, but just barely. The creatures provided are pretty basic if you’d like to fight a bunch of rats or a dire wolf. I just never would have even considered playing with only that book until you said it. It would be an interesting experiment for sure; it just never occurred to me before!

No worries mate. Still, you make a good point. PHB has a higher number of creatures in the book but they are mainly animals (and skeletons and zombies). FHC has a smaller selection but they are more interesting, more fantastical. There are also 6 examples characters that can be used as antagonists. I supposed they could also be used as pregens as well but they are not really balanced against one another. Because "pick a pregen" makes jumping into the game much quicker.

I went back through character creation of FHC again and tried to have the mindset of someone who buys a game and wants to play a fantasy character (as opposed to "I've been playing HERO for 30 years) and man, it's bad. Character creation starts at page 17, racial, cultural and profession templates are an afterthought at page 202. During character creation you plough through the powers system (p.51) with little guidance on how to use it within the context of what it means in fantasy but then you have typical advantages and limitations packages for various types of magic at page 212 and then sample spells at page 241. Everytime I look at this book, I like it a bit less (which sadden me really).

I cannot access Fantasy HERO 1E at the moment but if my recollection serves, it was a better book for fantasy (and I am a 6E supporter).

5 hours ago, Brian Stanfield said:

Not moving the goalpost, just not making my point very clearly! Let me try to restate.

At this stage, I believe we have an orthogonal conversion as we do not seem to be debating the same things. I even had to go back and reread what prompted this exchange  . You seem to have understood that my position was that the PHB was playable out of the box and FHC was not. This is not quite what I said (or at least meant) and my statement was that "...it makes FHC less play-ready than say, The Dark Eye, RuneQuest or Dungeons & Dragons even considering only their core/players books". My statement is not about which game is playable out of the box nor is it about which game is complete, it is about how quickly you can play a game after you bought the book. 

Bill, Bob and Boris walk into a game store. They want to try a new fantasy roleplaying. Bill, will be the GM, Bob, wants to play a magician and Boris will be a burly fighter. The plan is to read and understand the rules and while Bob and Boris are creating their characters (they want to create their own), Bill will put a few critters and enemies together (he might create them of pick from a list if available) in a generic dungeon/prison/castle/maze/whatever and they will let their imagination flow. There are only 4 books in the game store and they are all games they have never heard of; PHB 5E, FHC, TDE and RQG. Which book will enable them to do it the quickest? Which option would be the slowest?

As explained above, my position is that FHC would be the slowest to lift and could also be the most difficult for Bob to get into.

That's all I am saying. No problem if you disagree (I believe you do) as you seem to imply that you cannot play a game with just the PHB. I'd like to understand what you believe is missing in the PHB tat would prevent Bill, Bob and Boris to whip a quick game?  

11 hours ago, Brian Stanfield said:

In some ways you’re comparing apples to mangos.

Am I? Maybe I am since I am comparing the "Complete" FH game with only a "Players Handbook".

If you buy one of these two books to create characters right away, drop the party in a generic dungeons or locale populated by a few critters, you can do it more easily and rapidly with the PHB than with FHC. Chances are with FHC your evening will be spent creating characters, even worse if a player wants to create a spell caster.

Assuming the same level of familiarity with the systems, I would also say that the jump is easier and quicker with only the core  book of RuneQuest or The Dark Eye (or Dungeon Fantasy but the basic game is a full boxset so it might be a bit unfair).

In FHC, character creation is looser, there are more decisions to be made and it is less pick and play than the others (mind you RQG and TDE have quite a few steps in character creation but it's much more directed). Bottom line, it will take more time and effort.

For the other games, you can easily select a priest/spell-user and choose from a selection of spells. Your options to do so in FHC is very limited with only a few spells given as a example, or unlimited with the ability to build anything. Bottom line, you will be limited or it will take more time and effort.

11 hours ago, Brian Stanfield said:

The Players Handbook isn’t playable out of the box either. It’s devoted to just introducing character creation and basic gameplay.

It may come down with what we believe we need to buy a book, read it and jump straight in. It may also depends how much prep time you expect to put it before you play. Personally, I believe the PHB has everything you need to play from day one. 

11 hours ago, Brian Stanfield said:

Even with the Dungeon Master’s Guide and the Monster Manual, you still don’t have a game to play “right out of the box."

And there I believe the DMG is not needed to jump right in. Will you need it down the road? Maybe. Will you need it on day one? No. The same could be said for the Monster Manual. You want to play right away? You have 30 odd critters to play with. Sure, you will want more later.

11 hours ago, Brian Stanfield said:

On the other hand, if you allow FHC to include the HS Grimoire and the HS Bestiary, then you’ve got an equivalent trilogy to D&D . . . but still no adventure to play, just like (D&D). Of course the production value is not nearly the same, but for less than half the cost you have a complete game to play. 

At first I thought you where conveniently moving the goalpost but actually I believe we are now confusing how quickly you can play after you bought a book, with how complete a game is.

When I compare their playability out of the box, I talk about the former. It implies an ability to use the book quickly and enough material provided. FHC is not as quick to jump in (character creation) and not as complete (not enough spells).

11 hours ago, Brian Stanfield said:

So in a lot of ways when it comes to reading one book and jumping into a game, D&D is less well equipped to do that than FHC.

You mention "a lot of ways" but do not give any example of the many ways FHC is better suited than PHB when it comes to jumping into the game quickly. Would you mind giving a few?

3 hours ago, Chris Goodwin said:

FHC pretty much just needs an adventure.  It's got monsters, spells, magic items, pregenerated characters, a sample setting.  More than the D&D starter kit, to be sure.  

To be fair FHC is not the equivalent of the Starter Kit (even if they are in the same price bracket) but of the Players Handbook (which is more than twice the price but with a much better production value). The PH has more monsters than FHC (30ish vs 12ish) and way more spells (over a 100 vs 14ish).

I am not in the business of selling or defending D&D but reading both books makes it painfully clear it's a lot easier to jump in D&D.

5 hours ago, Brian Stanfield said:

To be fair, the magic system is actually provided with certain Limitations and the Real Cost/3 for the final cost (which is more like the original Fantasy HERO). They provide some spells, and the PDF that goes with the book has a setting and an adventure, so it’s a lot closer to “playing out of the box” than most other HERO products. Not perfect, but probably playable after a weekend of prep. 

I actually never though of it that way: how playable is it out of the box and what does it need to be playable out of the box? What you list here seems to be the crux of it but I would add that "playable out of the box" games have a somewhat implied play style.  FHC is quite loose in that regard (may be a bug, may be a feature). Coupled with a very small selection of spells, it makes FHC less play-ready than say, The Dark Eye, RuneQuest or Dungeons & Dragons even considering only their core/players books.

1 hour ago, Brian Stanfield said:

 

There are some genre-specific things like background and professional skill packages, equipment lists, and so on. But I think they also include some talents that are designed specifically for fantasy like Weaponmaster and stuff like that.

Ah, I see. Fantasy specific elements then. Thanks, seems obvious in retrospect

18 hours ago, Ninja-Bear said:

Btw FHC has more stuff than Champions Complete

It does? Never realised if. What does it have CC doesn't?

Other. A super-villain team that develops a rivalry with the group.

3 hours ago, james4177 said:

 

Thanks a ton for your answer! Champions now... is that the current product? I'd really love to run published scenarios can we expect Champions now to have those?

 

J--

The current product is Champions Complete and if you loved Champions 4E and 5E, this is your best option when it comes to current edition. Of course, you could still play 4E or 5E and I suspect you could find players for them.

Champions Complete is more or less the repackaging of HERO 6E (the 2 big blue books) in a format that is not unlike Champions 4E. It's more easily digestible than the 2 tomes (even if I personally like them).

Champions Now is an oddity. It's the vanity project of Ron Edwards who started from Champions 3E and modified it with his own design preferences 

18 hours ago, ScottishFox said:

In an effort to support the local gaming store this week I popped in a bought a dusty old 4th edition hard cover Champions book.

 

Man, I have missed 4th edition.

 

I've had fond, nostalgic feelings about 4th edition for decades, but now that I'm thumbing through this dusty old yellow-paged tome - I still love it!

 

It's not like re-watching some movie from childhood and wondering how you ever liked such garbage.  4th edition stands the test of time.

 

Anyone know if there's a dusty old HERO Designer that supports 4th edition characters?

Yes, Champions 4E was great! I never used the software mentioned in that thread but apparently, there were 2!

On 5/9/2020 at 12:22 PM, Lord Liaden said:

I couldn't find pictures of Hornet or Vanguard in CU, but Vanguard is depicted fighting Dr. Destroyer in his old armor on p. 19 of BOTD. Man, those Eighties sideburns look straight out of an old porn movie.

Yea, the sideburns in that pictures are terrible  There is also a picture of Vanguard corpse being raised in the Champions Universe book

On 5/9/2020 at 12:22 PM, Lord Liaden said:

Scott Bennie wrote up the last Red Ensign...

I have the feeling that Canada is a bit underdone in the CU as it seems like their best heroes are either dead or unstable. I remember the Red Ensign costume as a mountie but I am sure their was also a more modern costume. Any idea where that could be?

On 5/9/2020 at 12:22 PM, Lord Liaden said:

And some version of Captain Australia was considered "official" for the 4E incarnation of the Champions Universe, but not this one. His first mention was in 4E Champions Universe, predating Hero System Almanac I.

Actually, looking at Captain Australia, he feels heavily inspired by Superman. The origins are totally different but the powers and even identity (a journalist named Kent!) cannot be mistaken.

On 5/9/2020 at 12:22 PM, Lord Liaden said:

...Pagan... Josiah Brimstone... Speed Demon... Hell Rider

 I totally need to reread them. It feels like you make me rediscover the CU. I remembered Brimstone more like John Constantine. Or am I confused with the Drifter?

20 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

For example, Defender of the Champions looks like the obvious Iron Man analogue. All American good guy, brilliant inventor, wealthy industrialist, powered armor, the works. However, except for the American part, all those apply and are surpassed by Tetsuronin of Japan (Champions Worldwide), widely accepted to wield the most advanced and powerful armor of any superhero in the world.

Sure... but Defender is totally Iron Man!

21 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

The heroes who have used the Meteor Man identity, noted under the kelvarite origin above, are clearly inspired by the Golden Age Green Lantern, Allan Scott. OTOH the CU's Star*Guard (Champions Beyond) is unquestionably this setting's answer to the Green Lantern Corps.

Yes, my thoughts exactly.

21 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

Kinetik, another of the Champions, has origin, powers and appearance evocative of the Flash, although he's nowhere near as fast as Flash, and not even the CU's fastest speedster. But the first heroic speedster in the Champions Universe was the Streak, a member of the Defenders of Justice (Golden Age Champions), in the tradition of Jay Garrick the Golden Age Flash. The second super-fast Streak was one of the original Fabulous Five (alt-Fantastic Four), who asked permission from Streak I to use that name as an homage.

Good points. Kinetik is not necessarily Flash. What about Streak and the Fabolous Five, where can we find him?

1 hour ago, Lord Liaden said:

I have to say, your requirements really hamstring me.

Yes, sorry about that, I wanted to challenge you on some classics that do not seem to have direct contemporary analogues. That is why I did not ask about Iron Man, Green Lantern or Flash (too obvious). And yes, Grond is Hulk.

I forgot about Hornet, I will go have a look. I believe there are pictures of both Vanguard and him in CU, correct?

I also agree Batman has not been directly ripped off. You prompted me to go back and read Black Mask X. And good one regarding Queen Mara. I did not think about her.

I was expecting you would mention rhe Red Ensign but I did not remember about the Canada staff or the Mighty Canadians. More stuff to read!

I'd be curious to hear about your Ghost Rider/Son of Satan analogues.

For Australia, there was a write up for... was it Captain Australia... in one of the almanach in 4e but I don't believe he/she were ever official.

Thanks for playing!!

Thank you for this LL, it's great. And I hear you, the Champions Universe is allegedly the richest outside of DC and Marvel. Speaking of which, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the closest analogues for the following characters. Special rules: the characters need to still be alive in current Champions continuity!

Superman

Batman (is Nighthawk really the closest analogue?)

Wonder Woman

Captain America

Spider-Man (even if the motif isn't spiders)

Hulk (it has to be a hero that changes to a human form! No Grond allowed.)

Captain Canuck

Spawn

Bonus questions:

The greatest Russian hero

The greatest Canadian hero (no guns allowed, it's not Canadian enough 😄)

The greatest Australian hero (I don't believe Seeker is in present continuity - I preferred C:TNM Seeker anyway...)