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While updating various files in preparation for the upcoming Extra Life charity game event along with some conversations with people I know in the local rpg community, I realized that Hero System is no longer my "go-to" game of choice for superhero and fantasy as it was back when I was in high school and college. Since I now run sessions at local game events where players arrive and use a pregenerated character, player interest has leaned more towards rules light systems like ICONS that are easy to understand and pick up upon arrival. I haven't ran Fantasy AGE yet, but after some brief conversations with a few who are either new to RPGs or have played D&D, the impression I got from them was that Fantasy AGE was preferable over Fantasy Hero.

Does anyone else find themselves in the same situation? Or is Hero still your "go-to" rpg system? 🤔

Have you ever played or owned an RPG that received excellent reviews or was really liked by your friends, but you hated? While there were excellent RPGs I've owned that weren't my cup of tea in the past like Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, RuneQuest, or Dragon Age, I never hated them. A few, though, stand out, but not in a good way:

FATE Core System - I read a lot of good reviews and I bought some of the digital products to get started as an alternative to Champions and ICONS, but the narrative style of gaming was just too broad and vague for me. It reminded more of me playing soldier or knight in my backyard with my friends in whether or not we hit each other or suffered any damage, or with our action figures on whether the weapons the figure used penetrated the force field, and so on. I ended up hating that rules system, often saying to myself, "Is that IT!?"

Palladium Fantasy & Heroes Unlimited (2nd Edition) - I used to play Robotech throughout high school when Palladium had the licensing agreement, and my friends spoke highly of Palladium Fantasy from their game sessions, so I thought it would be a good fit along with Heroes Unlimited as part of the Palladium Megaverse concept. I was mistaken. The skill and magic system proved maddening, and some of the interior art in Heroes Unlimited was just plain awful, along with a lot of gaps in character creation and advancement.

After reviewing the character sheet with friend, she gave me some great feedback. Notably, being able to read the headings and having the character portrait on the right instead of left. I think the final product came out well...hopefully it will attract new players to Hero System.

4 hours ago, Scott Ruggels said:

That is a nice sheet, but the text is a bit small. I still like the old 4th edition 3 column sheet, but this isn't bad, especially for a single sided sheet.

Thanks. The font is 10 point Arial and 11 point Minion Pro, which is a standard size. It's hard to determine what they were when I posted the images since they were screenshots of the character sheet. When printed out, the character is easy to read.

Also, yesterday (8/2) my friend reviewed and quickly understood the character layout and was open to playing Hero System down the road since it didn't seem confusing like the previous material presented in the rule book (e.g. all of the confusing acronyms). 😀

I recently ran the rules-light superhero RPG ICONS at a local game convention and it worked out beautifully, especially since out of the two groups of players that participated in the sessions I ran, only one had actually played role-playing games before. For the others, it was their first time ever and it was easy to explain the game mechanics and character sheet layout to them as well. Looking ahead to the next game event, though, I was thinking about running Champions and Fantasy Hero, which both have a special place in my gaming heart since I have been playing them since high school and college, respectively. I've owned and played other games (e.g. Robotech, Pendragon, DC Heroes, Villains & Vigilantes) before them, but in the end, my preference is still Hero System.

Why, beyond sentimental memories of rolling lots of d6s over pizza in the college dorm? It finally hit me when I purchased Fantasy AGE and its Bestiary over the weekend, a worthy fantasy game system in its own right. The products are first rate and the rules are to easy to pick up, but then it hit me: how do I establish game balance between the players and their opponents? How do I design my own monsters? That's when I realized the "beautiful madness" of Hero System. The beauty of Hero's point system has always been, and remains, a great way to determine the relative power level of a character, whatever the genre, as outlined in their respective game and source books. The madness, of course, is all of the nuances and related rules that can affect point totals, and the rules heavy nature of the Hero System that often turned new players away or frustrated them. The source books themselves remain amazing academic references that as educators, my wife and I loved...but was that really the writers' intent? 🤔

So, I challenged myself with this question: how can I make Hero System "Easy to Follow" for brand new players? Here's what I've done to create what I call, "Easy to Follow Fifth Edition" for the character sheet layout:

1) All of the statistics are written out; virtually no acronyms are used. (The Hero Designer file exists, but players aren't interested in that raw data.)

2) After the statistics are listed, the next two major entries are "Offense" and "Defense" that list combat values, main attacks, and defenses.

3) Everything else is listed under Skills and Abilities, followed by Disadvantages.

4) Perks & Talents are minimized. The skills and powers are only the main ones that people readily know and pick up. Not every minute detail is listed, especially when it can get tedious.

My friend, who's only played ICONS so far and head was spinning when I first introduced Hero System to her a while back, is coming over to look at what I created with a fresh set of eyes. Here is what I've created so far for Champions and Fantasy Hero as samples. Constructive feedback is welcome to see if it answers the question, "Does this make Hero System easier to understand?"

Thanks!

I've started watching Masterpiece/Mystery Theater's Grantchester, based off of the novel series. I'm up to Season 4 on Amazon and started watching the latest of Season 7 on PBS and I'm like, "Wow, a lot's happened in between those seasons" in terms of character development and story arcs. 😉

And some follow-on draft picks...🙂

Person(s) in need of help: Fraternal twin sisters Rebekah and Aisleen are the closest things to princesses one would encounter without having an official title. They're both beautiful, charming, and incredibly wealthy from their family that has built a vast fortune through trade and connections with a wide array of merchants. As such, many misinterpret them as such and as a result, they are frequently kidnapped by warlords, warlocks, and monsters alike. Add in the adventurous streak of Aislean and the gentle nature of Rebekah, and you a receive of frequent pleas for aid. Of the numerous warriors and heroes heeding their call, only Jantavia has successfully rescued them.

Monster: The monster known as Gorath protects the various entrances and chambers of Necrotor's stronghold. A large beast of tentacles that can readily slither throughout the tunnels, Gorath has been used to capture or kill based on Necrotor's commands.

Locations: Eleria is the largest kingdom in the massive continent of Oresia. Eleria is a kingdom where both magic and super-science exist for a select few talented enough to command such abilities, becoming a bastion of learning and safeguarding the peace. Oresia itself is healing from a great war a generation ago that devastated many lands that ironically created even greater opportunities from treasure seeking of former empires and kingdom. As a result, much of Oresia is filled with city-states that have carved out a small territory for its sovereignty, providing great opportunity for adventure and conquest. Of note is the Free City of Weyliff, a nexus for trade, and Setubal, the fallen capital city of a once opulent but now forgotten empire teeming with monsters, savage tribes, and vast riches buried under the jungle overgrowth.

A McGuffin/Gadget: Necrotor is also infamously known as the Master of Monsters, spawning bestial denizens to suit his needs through a magic cauldron that brews a primordial broth to create his monstrous creations. While most protect his stronghold, on occasion Necrotor will create a monster to unleash on a rival to simply entertain himself.

A Deity: Mordrogor, Lord of the Hellspawn, is a deity that Necrotor worships and draws his inspiration from in the creation of his monstrous hordes.

Sorry that I'm late to Sword & Sorcery super draft, but upon coming across this topic, it looks like a lot of fun. Since we're up to draft pick #4, here's what I have to make up for lost time:

Protagonist: Jantavia Sunmane. Born from a proud tribe of warriors and hunters, Jantavia was renowned for her bright, golden blonde hair that shone in the sunlight while her impressive muscles glistened. Coupled with her incredible strength, Jantavia bears a warrior's pride and honor while accepting the reality that money, not honor, keeps a roof over one's head and food for one's family. After extensive weapons and strength training with her tribe that was tempered and tested from skirmishes against Pictish and Goblin border incursions, Jantavia would set out on her own as a sword for hire for those worthy of her skills. She is equipped with a steel breastplate, round shield, and armed with a battle axe as her primary weapon while carrying a longsword scabbarded on her back.

Ally/Companion: Donegan MacLyr. A battle-tested veteran, Donegan MacLyr is a skilled man-at-arms and captain who has filled the role as advisor and mentor to Jantavia, teaching her the finer points of weapon use and tactics beyond the small unit. Hailing from the large kingdom of Eleria, Donegan often takes extended seasonal hiatuses from the King's army to travel with Jantavia and serve as an impromptu traveling ambassador while scouting potential allies and threats from the neighboring lands. Although not as strong as he once was, Donegan makes up for the shortfall in his skilled experience.

Primary Antagonist: Necrotor. Little is known of Nikolos, a skinny, pimply, and greasy former mage apprentice who slew his master, seized his magical tomes and artifacts, and would grow to become a powerful sorcerer and necromancer in the dark arts who would adopt the name Necrotor. Now a fearsome adversary, his once greasy and blemish filled complexion has been replaced with wizened, leathery skin, long black hair, and dark piercing eyes. An admittedly shameless pervert, Necrokotor lusts after Jantavia Sunmane and would have also lusted after Donegan MacLyr were it not for his age.
 

Secondary Antagonist: Lucio the Magnificent is a former traveling troupe midget who jumped at the opportunity to join Necrotor's lot following a demonstration of his power that devastated a town that refused his demands. Tired of being regarded as a motley fool and subject of comedy, Lucio gleefully serves Necrotor to fulfill his own repressed sadistic machinations while becoming wealthy in the process with gold and wenches.

You have some possibilities:

1) You can use the informal U.S. Navy term used during World War I and World War II, which was "Yeomanettes" even though their official title was still "Yeoman" (YN).

2) You can make up your own that are gender neutral such as, "Yeopen" that loosely combines "Yeoman" and "Peon" or "Yeossal" that combines "Yeoman" and "Vassal." 🙂

12 hours ago, Opal said:

With any D&D adaptation, you gotta check the spells... 

'Obviously' he was using Telekinesis.

 

Cute that they used Witch Bolt for Sith Lightning... I've seen players make that connection, before...

....except, canonically, Vader can't use it.

 

 

Well, maybe it's not quite a full 100% adaptation and Darth Vader still has at least one of his arms. 🙂

For me, using the Unified Power mechanic in character design to replace Elemental Control was a great help and made things simpler. 🙂

14 minutes ago, tkdguy said:

Check out Surbrook's Stuff. A lot of characters from TV and film, including Darth Vader, have been written up in HERO terms. Note that you'll have to update them to 6th Edition.

Yes, I'm a big fan of Surbrook's work featuring on his website. My question was more about what other GMs/players have done in terms of character adaptation specific for Fantasy Hero and less about resources. The Darth Vader adaptation I showed was specific for the mythic fantasy genre, and not the Star Wars series as featured on his site. 😉

Just out of curiosity, what kind of character adaptations have you done for your respective Fantasy Hero scenario(s)? If so, who?

I noticed there are various postings in D&D homebrew forums featuring adaptations from Magic: The Gathering such as Nicol Bolas (Elder Dragon/Planeswalker) and even Star Wars with a fantasy version of Darth Vader (see below), and was wondering if others were doing something similar in Fantasy Hero. 🤔

On a similar note, I'll be simplifying my previous 5th/6th Edition Hero System game materials to try generate interest in new players at the Extra Life game event scheduled for November 5, 2022, starting with 3rd Edition Champions and Fantasy Hero as my base and drawing from the 5th Edition source books as needed (e.g. Book of Dragons). Below is an example of what I mean by simplifying previous character write-ups I posted with Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and Warduke (e.g. minimal to no Perks & Talents and extraneous acronyms like OIF, OAF, listing only main skills vs. a massive skill list that covers every minute detail, etc.) and going with a more visually pleasing layout even if that will take up more ink from my printer. 😉

In the meantime, I'll be simplifying my previous 5th/6th Edition Hero System game materials to try generate interest in new players at the Extra Life game event scheduled for November 5, 2022, starting with 3rd Edition Champions and Fantasy Hero as my base and drawing from the 5th Edition source books as needed (e.g. Book of Dragons). Below is an example of what I mean by simplifying previous character write-ups I posted  with Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and Warduke (e.g. minimal to no Perks & Talents and extraneous acronyms like OIF, OAF, listing only main skills a character vs. a massive skill list that covers every minute detail, etc.) and going with a more visually pleasing layout even if that will take up more ink from my printer. 😉

51 minutes ago, Ockham's Spoon said:

I am familiar with the character although I have never read any of Howard's stories in which she appears, but this looks good.  I appreciate the Combat Luck since her outfit clearly isn't offering any real protection.

Thanks! Surprisingly, Robert E. Howard's original story was "Red Sonya of Rogatino" that took place in the Renaissance era where she carried a saber and pistol. Marvel Comics would adapt her from his stories during the 1970s into the version we enjoy today as a contemporary to Conan the Barbarian. 🙂

35 minutes ago, Sketchpad said:

 

Funny thing about the books... they're both on Amazon and DTRPG as POD products. Both companies offer hardcover IIRC. I did some research while looking into my own publishing needs and found it funny that the HC volumes weren't offered as such. And, as you've seen, you're not alone in the format and layout of the books. 

I just re-checked Amazon and DriveThruRPG and only Hero System 6th Edition resources are available as print-on-demand, softcover format.

Unfortunately for me, the books that I'm interested in, Champions 3rd Edition, Champions 5th Edition, Fantasy Hero 5th Edition, Book of Dragons, and the Hero System 5th Edition Bestiary remain as PDF only.

1 hour ago, Sketchpad said:

Long story short... you want new players? Be better ambassadors to your system. This board used to be a welcoming place, but that was a while ago. Show people why Hero is a great system, and that the community can be better. 

I'm trying, Sketchpad! I've been posting a variety of my game support materials for Champions and more recently Fantasy Hero for fans to download for quite some time now. My initial post was expressing personal frustration and the difficulty to recruit new players since the current product reads like a textbook (5th/6th Ed.) and the previous product I want to use that could probably help my efforts (3rd) can't be a print on demand project to a hardcover edition via Lulu.

In the meantime, I'm drawing from 3rd Edition while simplifying 5th/6th Edition to hopefully gather new player interest in my part of Omaha, NE. 🙂

Here are two more write-ups for Dungeons & Dragons characters/action figures, Warduke and Skylla, adapted from The Shady Dragon Inn module. Fantasy Hero (3rd Edition) was used as base rule set. Included are the Hero Designer, Adobe pdf, and Microsoft Excel files to edit/print as you see fit. Enjoy! 😉

I would be happy if Hero Games simply allowed buyers to print hardcover copies of previous Hero System products via Lulu, such as the company that published Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game (https://www.basicfantasy.org/buytherules.html) 😉

These are write-ups for Dungeons & Dragons characters/action figures Strongheart and Mercion adapted from The Shady Dragon Inn module. Fantasy Hero (3rd Edition) was used as base rule set. Included are the Hero Designer, Adobe pdf, and Microsoft Excel files to edit/print as you see fit.

Enjoy! 😉

1 hour ago, steriaca said:

Can HERO be saved? I honestly don't know. 

It could enjoy a type of renaissance, as another had mentioned in this discussion thread. Beyond the obvious challenges of generating the fan interest and financial resources available for such a thing to occur, there are other factors that hinder this from happening.

First, the writing and presentation style of Hero products are not likely going to change significantly and will likely remain more like textbooks and academic references for the specific genre. This will continue to make it difficult to recruit interest for new players to where they want to buy the products for themselves. If the GM has to put in a significant amount of effort to simplify the system to make it playable and generate player interest, then there's a problem.

Second, there is a profound difference in what the fans want and what the company is willing to provide. The Kickstarter Champions Now is the best example of this where the company promoted the idea of featuring raw, unfinished art in the final product and it required a significant number of complaints raised by the backers in order to change how the final presentation was done. Even after this, the final product still featured some raw, unfinished art that made the book look sloppy. Even the cover art is questionable from an aesthetics perspective...while well illustrated, does it really reflect the superhero genre like the cover of the 5th or 6th Edition Champions source book or even Champions Complete? Not really. The Fantasy Hero Complete cover is equally disappointing, but someone in the organization made the final decision to publish it on the notion that fans would like the design, mediocre title font and all.

I don't necessarily think HERO needs saving per se, since there's no mention of it going bankrupt and ceasing to exist. It will likely continue to exist in fan forums, fan sites, and through digital publications. After all, if Palladium Books can survive in spite of everything that's happened and the questionable actions by its key personnel over the past several years, why can't HERO?

Granted, Palladium Books is now offering hard cover editions of their game books based on fan interest/demand, and being a book publishing company to begin with has its advantages. 😉