Christopher R Taylor

I like a lot of aspects of 6th edition, but in terms of the source material and feel, I think Hero peaked at 4th edition.  I run 6th for two reasons: there's a lot of good in it and not much change in actual play, and because I write Hero supplements and want to put out the most recent edition.

People shouldn't let the cost put them off of 6th though, you can pick up a Champions Complete pretty cheap.

Do you honestly think having so many Characteristics that have to be filled in to create a character does not add to the perception that Hero System is more complicated than it needs to be?

Its possible, but Hero doesn't actually have that many characteristics as compared to other games.

For example, D&D 5th edition has

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

Then there's Armor Class (with and without Dex modifiers, for touch attacks)

Hit Points

Spell attack modifier

Spell save modifier

Initiative

Speed

Attack Mods (for each weapon)

Proficiency Bonus

Passive Wisdom (perception)

Alignment

Each of these stats is referred to regularly in play, and can be modified separately through equipment and leveling.

So while the perception might be of more complication in stats for Hero, objectively, that's not really an issue.

Removing a stat from the game decreases its flexibility in design options.

I use CON a lot in heroic games, stuff like how many potions you can handle at once, avoiding being sick, that kind of thing.  Stripping a stat away seems pointless to me

2d6 for what segment the combat starts on means you don't have to break out the d12, and nobody moves on phase 1 anyway, unless they're some kind of super-speedster.

The guy that wrote that article also points out other aspects of Reeves' excellent portrayal.

Reeve’s Superman had that mixture of kindness, sadness, the weight of his responsibilities, a genuine curiosity about mankind, a love for what we can be, and a desire to be a friend to us even when all we seem to want to do is nuke each other.

I actually build this into fantasy modules I write: that trap is -1 sight perception to spot if you're looking but -4 if not, that kind of thing.  But you could just use casual PER rolls; if you make it by half, you see stuff that you aren't looking for.

I do think that Hero could do with more multimedia grade school flavored stuff to appeal to modern players.  Cards, dice, chips, tiles, stuff that is part merchandising and part goodies for players to handle like crayons and construction paper to help their apparently stunted imagination.  The advantage of kickstarter is that if you don't get the sales you hoped for, the real expense is taken care of: the up front cost (and publicity, in part).

Like they say about medicine, the second pill costs a penny, the problem is that first pill cost hundreds of millions.

No, we're just restricted to realistic super powers and mysticism. 

 

Not really sure even what that means.

Probably 2d6 works even better, really, I just like how a d12 looks

Randomizing speed takes some of the predictability and pattern of combat away, but that's usually only a problem in a really long campaign or one with lots of fights.  If you take a week or two off in between each game, its not going to be terribly repetitive.

I really like Cloak and Dagger, but I fear for what they'll do to the story.  Its a great movie concept, not so great for a comic book series

It makes for really depressing storytelling but a superhero that finds out he's in a society where these days feels trump freedom would be a pretty effective sci fi type cautionary tale.

For most combats, I roll a d12 to see what phase we start at, so its unpredictable.

Not the leadership we need, but probably the leadership we deserve

Wouldn't make things any easier.  All it does is delete a useful stat without any increase in ease or play

I would love to see a Russian Federation sourcebook for Champions; Champions of the North Star or something.  I think a bronze age-themed 1980s Champions campaign setting would be pretty cool too.  It really is its own age of comics and history set apart from the rest.  When it was perfectly fine to be outrageously patriotic and chest beating, and the commies made such good bad guys.

You could just buy your fear-based effects to target presence rather than Ego (maybe a -1/4 limitation, depending on the campaign).

However, it is worth considering that for a lot of heroic games, almost everything will be speed 3 or 4 anyway, so there won't be a huge difference.

I did consider a system in which people had as many phases as their speed, then rolled 3d6 each segment they wanted to act.  If it was under their DEX, they got to move, but each successive segment of action was a penalty to the roll so it was harder and harder to act sequentially.

I'm fine with GMs using willpower to resist things that their personal character and force of personality will not.  Every game I've run, I have always allowed people to use whichever is higher.

A couple ways.  The easiest is invisibility, not invisible to friends (maybe a +1/4 advantage).  You're still there, still can take damage, just not perceptible for bad guys to attack.

Other, more expensive builds are out there, probably mind control is the most effective but very expensive version.

OK here's the first PC offering with background, Ace!

Each of these characters has been designed to be as flexible as possible in terms of gender and ethnicity, so the player can tailor the result to their wishes.  My idea is to have a double-sided card for each character, the male version on one side, the female on the other (with illustrations).

Ace is the Hawkeye/Gambit type, with shades of Bullseye.  Ace can pick up and throw anything, charging it up for a variety of effects and powers when it hits.  He can even charge up his fists to hit very hard or generate a kinetic field to protect and move more swiftly across the ground.  Ace is a baseball-themed character.

Ace.hdc

For me, the speed chart was one of the big draws for Hero.  Everyone moving like clockwork taking turns just doesn't feel right, plus the stat gives some very interesting effects in combat.

Sorry, which military? In what situation? 

 

Ships and submarines, also some stations in planes that require quick coverage and movement.

That's there so that the skill monkeys who want lots of skills don't get spanked so hard by the cost.

I used to use Elemental Control for that, but its the same basic effect; I like your solution.  You build a character like Batman and he ends up costing the same as Superman just to know a buncha stuff.

Yeah Lucius that's the kind of thing I was thinking of.  Other things like some luck, or a few extra defense on an item so it doesn't break, or a minor illusion to make the hostile creature less hostile to you, that kind of thing.  Cheap, small effects that are invisible and that have a side effect, so if you do it wrong, things get worse.

And only the magi really know which ones work and which ones are just coincidence or luck.

My Fantasy Hero setting has both racial and professional packages, I find them a good idea, and I liked how 4th edition did it. Forcing players to sacrifice creativity and flexibility for a set block of abilities worth a small reduction in cost seems reasonable to me.