Opal

One thing in notice in RPG discussions is that there's different schools of thought about whether a game "supports" something.  Maybe just different bars.
 
Does a game support a playstyle or a genre or a tone or character archetype?
 
For some, it's 'yes" only if the system mechanics are hard-coded to force that style, tightly emulate only that genre, or have a single-choice-point option that neatly encapsulates that archetype.
 
Or, it could be 'yes' if the system gives you tools & options that you can use in that style, or to create a campaign in that genre, or a character that matches your vision of that archetype.
 
For others, It's 'yes' if the game doesn't completely block you from playing that archetype or in that style or genre, even if doing so will put you at a stark mechanical disadvantage.
 
 

I think if you use the label "social combat," for a system focused more on interaction and less on combat, you've already lost. 😏
 
But,  if you do think about scenes in genre fiction that you might consider a "social check" or "social contest," chances are pretty good they're character development, exposition,  forseshadowing, or some sort of drama/suspense based on the viewer knowing something one or more of the characters involved doesn't (or vice versa).

It’s very late and I read the title of your thread as Clerical Magic as in a magical Administrative Assistant or Office Manager.  Well, if you can have a Kitchen Witch why not an Office Witch?🧙‍♀️

So, I suppose the things from past editions I find "better" in some sense than later ones might be, relative to:
 
6th:  Power Frameworks, Figured Characteristics, Disadvantages.
5th: Package Deals? 
4th: 5 Apt/DC standard (HA, TK, & Martial Arts), Skills (going all the way back to 1st, really).
 
TBH, I have trouble remembering exactly which things changed when from 3rd-5th, and am not that familiar with 6th.
 
The big issue for me has long been skills.  From Champions II introducing an open ended set of ittybitty 2 pt skills "2pts, Norse StormHammer God's secret ID is a doctor!" to 4e folding all the other games' skills together, leading to needing to invest like 100 points in being a doc or lawyer in your secret id...
 
Original Champions had a handful of super-hero-appropriate skills at 5 or 10 points, and if you took em all and 3 or so overall levels, you were incredibly skilled. That's the direction Hero should have stuck with, a manageable, *finite* list of broad skills covering everything
Optionally, you could break out  open-ended specialized little ones, if you wanted, (I don't want "Detective," I just want "extensive study of tobacco ash" in my back pocket).

I think if you use the label "social combat," for a system focused more on interaction and less on combat, you've already lost. 😏
 
But,  if you do think about scenes in genre fiction that you might consider a "social check" or "social contest," chances are pretty good they're character development, exposition,  forseshadowing, or some sort of drama/suspense based on the viewer knowing something one or more of the characters involved doesn't (or vice versa).

Ty-Gor
 
He is the tyrannical ruler of the kingdom of  Organia having dethroned the benevolent King Ly-On. He commands his legion of henchman which include Spy-dor, Ry-No, Drag-On, and Pan-Tha.
 
He is opposed by Princess Pegasus(actually Gwendolyn Ramsey who travelled to this world from our earth via a magic mirror that transformed her to the same animal human hybrid state as everyone in Organia). She has allies in the former members of Ly-On's royal court in Battle Bear, Sir Swift Steed, Lady Peacock and Roo the Jester.

So, I suppose the things from past editions I find "better" in some sense than later ones might be, relative to:
 
6th:  Power Frameworks, Figured Characteristics, Disadvantages.
5th: Package Deals? 
4th: 5 Apt/DC standard (HA, TK, & Martial Arts), Skills (going all the way back to 1st, really).
 
TBH, I have trouble remembering exactly which things changed when from 3rd-5th, and am not that familiar with 6th.
 
The big issue for me has long been skills.  From Champions II introducing an open ended set of ittybitty 2 pt skills "2pts, Norse StormHammer God's secret ID is a doctor!" to 4e folding all the other games' skills together, leading to needing to invest like 100 points in being a doc or lawyer in your secret id...
 
Original Champions had a handful of super-hero-appropriate skills at 5 or 10 points, and if you took em all and 3 or so overall levels, you were incredibly skilled. That's the direction Hero should have stuck with, a manageable, *finite* list of broad skills covering everything
Optionally, you could break out  open-ended specialized little ones, if you wanted, (I don't want "Detective," I just want "extensive study of tobacco ash" in my back pocket).

I complained about the huge skills granularity, as well, and it made me a bif fearful about how one does Star Hero, unless one simplifies like Traveller hero. But your idea of breaking out  tiny skills from 5,8, or 10 point skills is fascinating and would kind of help.

I agree that skill bloat is one of the less-discussed drivers of character cost. Many skills have been split into multiple separate skills, and the list of Knowledge Skills keeps getting longer. However, one thing that GMs (and writers) need to keep in mind is that different genres need different levels of detail. Reed Richards and Hans Zarkov both have extensive knowledge of many scientific disciplines, but they aren't used much past, "analyze weird phenomenon of the week." The M:I team members are fluent in multiple languages, but lack of fluency never comes up (and everything is portrayed in English). On the other hand, in a police procedural, everyone will know the basics of Criminology or Forensic Medicine, but they will have different areas of expertise.

So, I suppose the things from past editions I find "better" in some sense than later ones might be, relative to:
 
6th:  Power Frameworks, Figured Characteristics, Disadvantages.
5th: Package Deals? 
4th: 5 Apt/DC standard (HA, TK, & Martial Arts), Skills (going all the way back to 1st, really).
 
TBH, I have trouble remembering exactly which things changed when from 3rd-5th, and am not that familiar with 6th.
 
The big issue for me has long been skills.  From Champions II introducing an open ended set of ittybitty 2 pt skills "2pts, Norse StormHammer God's secret ID is a doctor!" to 4e folding all the other games' skills together, leading to needing to invest like 100 points in being a doc or lawyer in your secret id...
 
Original Champions had a handful of super-hero-appropriate skills at 5 or 10 points, and if you took em all and 3 or so overall levels, you were incredibly skilled. That's the direction Hero should have stuck with, a manageable, *finite* list of broad skills covering everything
Optionally, you could break out  open-ended specialized little ones, if you wanted, (I don't want "Detective," I just want "extensive study of tobacco ash" in my back pocket).

Icons struck me as "FASERIP meets SAGA meets FATE" in its construction. Not a bad game, but a bit quick and interpretive. 
 
My favorite version of Hero has always been 4th ed. The rules were a tad less crunchier, the game had a slew of content, and it was when I ran it the most. 

How many ?
 
I am thinking a minimum of 4
 
Demon lords and princes include Astaroth, Baphomet, Dagon, Demogorgon, Fraz-Urb'luu, Graz'zt, Juiblex, Kostchtchie, Malcanthet, Orcus, Pazuzu, Yeenoghu, Zuggtmoy

The Lioness
 
At first feared as a villain when she began gathering together followers from different countries and of different backgrounds, including traditional enemies, this sorceress was recruited into The AAF, defusing the situations.  Her followers now work within the borders and laws off their respective nations, working to stop poachers and protect the environment.
The Lioness is so named because she would frequently assume that animal form.  Her other unique power is the ability to instantly teach anyone a mysterious common language.  Aside from that she has typical, broad but not extremely potent magical abilities. 
 
 

You might expect "The Demon Lords" to be a violent street gang or, perhaps, actual demons.
 
But, no, they're young nerdy supervillains inspired by the demon lords & princes of the 5th edition of the world's most popular tabletop RPG.
 
Aside from being obliged to use the name of a D&D demon like Demogorgon, Orcus,  or ... IDK, I can't spell the others that come to mind... anything goes. 

Vanish
 
Mike "Mickey" Huter was an ok-looking, slightly intelligent,  moderately athletic young man of good family who should have easily made something of himself.  But little Mickey was a sensitive boy, always picked on, never aplying himself, and his life spiraled into depression and misery.
He sought out the Great Beast thinking he could at least make a tasty snack for some monster rather than killing himself to no purpose at all.
Instead of being put out if his misery, he was subjected to psuedo-matter. 
Vanish is still basically humanoid, though everything about him looks subtly off, like an uncanny valley effect.  A third eye (on an extensible stalk) allows him to see through solid objects, and where he can see, he can go, without bothering about the points between.  His new flesh reacts to intense emotion by fading from view, then, in extreme cases, reality, becoming insubstantial.  He has no offensive powers - he can't teleport or re-solidify in someone to shock their system or anything, and his physical abnormalities don't include claws/fangs/tentacles/poison.
 
He's still miserable, of course.
 

Vanish
 
Mike "Mickey" Huter was an ok-looking, slightly intelligent,  moderately athletic young man of good family who should have easily made something of himself.  But little Mickey was a sensitive boy, always picked on, never aplying himself, and his life spiraled into depression and misery.
He sought out the Great Beast thinking he could at least make a tasty snack for some monster rather than killing himself to no purpose at all.
Instead of being put out if his misery, he was subjected to psuedo-matter. 
Vanish is still basically humanoid, though everything about him looks subtly off, like an uncanny valley effect.  A third eye (on an extensible stalk) allows him to see through solid objects, and where he can see, he can go, without bothering about the points between.  His new flesh reacts to intense emotion by fading from view, then, in extreme cases, reality, becoming insubstantial.  He has no offensive powers - he can't teleport or re-solidify in someone to shock their system or anything, and his physical abnormalities don't include claws/fangs/tentacles/poison.
 
He's still miserable, of course.
 

Vanish
 
Mike "Mickey" Huter was an ok-looking, slightly intelligent,  moderately athletic young man of good family who should have easily made something of himself.  But little Mickey was a sensitive boy, always picked on, never aplying himself, and his life spiraled into depression and misery.
He sought out the Great Beast thinking he could at least make a tasty snack for some monster rather than killing himself to no purpose at all.
Instead of being put out if his misery, he was subjected to psuedo-matter. 
Vanish is still basically humanoid, though everything about him looks subtly off, like an uncanny valley effect.  A third eye (on an extensible stalk) allows him to see through solid objects, and where he can see, he can go, without bothering about the points between.  His new flesh reacts to intense emotion by fading from view, then, in extreme cases, reality, becoming insubstantial.  He has no offensive powers - he can't teleport or re-solidify in someone to shock their system or anything, and his physical abnormalities don't include claws/fangs/tentacles/poison.
 
He's still miserable, of course.
 

Juiblex
 
Perhaps the most horrifying or disgusting member of the group is Peter Sanderson who goes by the name of Juiblex. Peter can turn himself into a large jelly or ooze and can engulf people. Those who have survived the experience have claimed that they need to bath for a week at least. He can spray targets with a slime which can blind or deafen them or he can use it like a hose to push them away. He can also fire spores to grow a fungus on others. Peter has killed accidentally with his powers but he has also deliberately killed people because the team needed it and to help them escape. Peter is more of a follower than a leader but can play the part of the deadly ooze that the others 'worship' if they need it.

You might expect "The Demon Lords" to be a violent street gang or, perhaps, actual demons.
 
But, no, they're young nerdy supervillains inspired by the demon lords & princes of the 5th edition of the world's most popular tabletop RPG.
 
Aside from being obliged to use the name of a D&D demon like Demogorgon, Orcus,  or ... IDK, I can't spell the others that come to mind... anything goes. 

The anti-supers team could have gadget pools and/or variable f/X powers.  They research their targets and hit their vulnerability/susceptibility/doesn't-work-in-blank-limitations....

I been running a campaign in the World of Remnant, which is the world that RWBY is set in. If one not familiar with RWBY one can simply go to Rooster Teeth and check it out.
I love RWBY because it has elements of Super-Powers called which are call Semblances.
Nearly all Melee weapons are also a Gun.
All character names are colors, make you think of a color, sounds like a color, or means a color.
Characters are loosely based on a Fable, Legend or Myth ... et cetera.
 
The one thing that most difficult is fully defining Aura ... as related to characters in show it is a force field (resistance protection), Stun, Regeneration to some degree (fairly low level), Recovery (Jaune and Hazel come to mind), Endurance and lastly Body. I just inform my players that each of these attributes are an aspect of "Aura" instead of just trying to make one super characteristic. 
 
The Aura (force field) effect I have written up seems to be working fairly well and written as follows:  
Aura - Defense:  Resistant Protection (12 PD/12 ED) (Protect Carried Items) (46 Active Points); Aura Damage ** (Aura Reduced by 2 PD/2 ED for each 5 points of Stun Character Takes, Each Post 12 Aura Replenishes 2 PD/2 ED; -1/2), Costs Half Endurance (-1/4)
** Aura Damage is something I came up with as a limitation to show how Aura breaks: Mid-break (shimmer when it drops to 6pd/6ed or less) and final break when no force field at all). Naturally this is an Ad-Hoc limitation I created to help represent how aura seems to me how it works in the show. 
 
Wonder if others have other ideas how it be better explained or such.
 
I run the game on Saturday mornings from 11:30 am 2:30 pm EST (baring Real-Life events that prevent such).
The game is set in the world of Remnant, just after the fall of Atlas (Season 8 of the series)
While the campaign is not Cannon, I strive to keep it as close to flavor/feel of RWBY (Cannon Adjacent !?).
The players roleplay their original characters that they created.
I use Champions Complete for the game mechanics.
I do not insist the players know the game system, just role play the character.
I ask many questions of the players to help create a balance character.
I use Discord and Theater of the mind as I am not Super Tech savvy.
 
The players are to abide by a few rules:
• Characters cannot be Maidens of Seasons.
• Do not know magic.
• Do not serve Salem or evil agenda.
• Do not personally know cannon characters (but may have meet them in class or lunchroom or what have you).
• And characters will not be in Vacuo (but may have come from there).
• Abide by knowing that the kingdoms still are in need of huntsmen and huntresses from Grimm, bandits and other surprises and thus not rush off to Vacuo.
 
While currently the group on Saturday Day is fairly full (5 players) I been thinking of expanding to either Friday Night (or even Sunday) twice a month. 
 
Naturally I am wondering if anyone else is running a RWBY style campaign using Hero Game system. 
 
Sorry for the long post and not even sure I placed it in the correct portion of the forum.
^

The anti-supers team could have gadget pools and/or variable f/X powers.  They research their targets and hit their vulnerability/susceptibility/doesn't-work-in-blank-limitations....

The anti-supers team could have gadget pools and/or variable f/X powers.  They research their targets and hit their vulnerability/susceptibility/doesn't-work-in-blank-limitations....

Gunslinger
 
Jerome Pettibone joined a Wild West Show as a teen and was a gofer and roustabout for a few years before becoming an apprentice to the trick shot artist. While he mastered quickdrawing and gunspinning tricks he had one problem...he was a terrible shot. His inability to hit a target was almost supernatural. In his frustration one day he threw his gun and to his surprise it struck the target perfectly. After some practice he could throw his six guns and have them hit targets and bounce back his hand. Unfortunately he was still fired from the show. He decided to use his odd skill to commit crime as the literal Gunslinger. He wears a garishly colored cowboy outfit and has holsters and bandoliers holding guns that cannot fire bullets. He still uses his over the top showmanship and jokey patter as he commits crime. He is considered a bit of a weak link on the team considering his weapons are non-lethal and he seems to prefer to be the center of attention than being a great criminal.

Mental Paralysis (Entangle based on ECV)