(by 1 person)
Hello, I'm Basil, and I love HERO System (published by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games). Let me tell you about it!
Introduction
That is, HERO System is not limited to just one genre (fantasy, modern, etc.) or setting (Middle Earth, The Dying Earth, etc.), but instead can be used in any roleplaying genre/setting you can think of. It's also a lot of fun!
With decades of work, thought, playtesting, and refinement behind it, the current incarnation (5th Ed. revised) is probably the best RPG on Earth.
The main book (Hero System 5th Edition (revised)) is not merely a "game," but more a toolkit that any gamer can take and use to build the characters, settings, and worlds s/he wants. The only limit is your imagination.
By-the-way, there is a myth perpetuated in some circles that HERO System uses tough, difficult math. Not a bit of it! Once you learn the notation conventions, all you need is addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. In return for using grade-school arithmetic, you get the most full-featured, flexible character (and device and setting and campaign and...) building RPG experience you could ever know.
Because HERO System is a universal roleplaying system, the rule-book is separate from the various genre books, settings books, and various kinds of sourcebooks. First, let's look at the rule-book. Then, I'll give a quick once-over on the various genres and a few of the books for each (I'll get in more later, when I have the time), and ending with a wrap-up of a few books that don't belong in one particular genre.
By-the-way, not all the pictures of book-covers are coming through from Amazon. I don't know why. Sorry about that.
OK, the rule-book...
Hero System 5th Edition (revised)
This is the complete rule book, the heart and core of the HERO System. You'll want this if you plan to GM, or if you want all the details as a player.
Release Date: 01/01/2004
Amazon Price: $49.99 (as of 08/28/2008)
Hero System Sidekick
Sidekick is "HERO System Lite." It will get you started playing, with all the rules for combat, interaction, etc. It is light on creating characters and devices, and has little the GM needs, but it's a great intro to HERO System
Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 08/28/2008)
Fantasy HERO
There have been tons of fantasy RPGs, but all suffer from a common problem: they all use only one sub-genre, and only one campaign setting. Do you prefer epic fantasy (like Lord Of The Rings), swords & sorcery (like Conan), urban/modern fantasy (like Charles deLint), or some other particular type of fantasy? Well, you have to find just the right game that is based on that subgenre, and hope the setting (and the game mechanics) are something you can stand.
UNLESS! You get Fantasy HERO. Not a setting, this book focuses on the entire genre of fantasy. Simply put, Fantasy HERO continues the rule-book's idea of being a toolkit. And with this toolkit, you can build your own fantasy setting, from the characters, to the tools and weapons, to the very way that magic works!
But what if you don't want to put in all the work of making your own setting? That's what setting books are for! You can choose the high-fantasy setting of The Turakian Age or the swords & sorcery of The Valdorian Age.
Fantasy Hero
This is the book you need if you want to design your own fantasy setting, or just want to explore all the possibilities HERO System gives fantasy roleplaying
Amazon Price: (as of 08/28/2008)
The Turakian Age
Want a rich, detailed, well-thought-out high fantasy setting? This is the book for you! Detailed locations, a full world to explore, bad guys, good guys, etc., etc., are all here.
Amazon Price: $26.99 (as of 08/28/2008)
The Valdorian Age (Fantasy Hero)
A world with little magic (but not none!), sword swinging fighters, sly merchants, duplicitous officials, and much moral grayness is detailed in the book.
BTW, the title *IS* "The Valdorian Age," NOT "Fantasy Hero." I don't know why it's showing up wrong, at times.
Amazon Price: $26.99 (as of 08/28/2008)
The Superhero Genre
"Champions: Superpowered Roleplaying" will show you how to use the HERO System to bring to life the caped crusaders, righters of wrongs, and all the superheroes you could ever want to play.
Note that "Champions" is the genre book, covering the wide field of superheroing, in the toolkit manner of the rule-book. If you're looking for a pre-built setting, you'll need "Champions Universe."
Here's how you can, as they say, "Be a Hero!"
Champions
This book is the toolkit and genre guide you'll want if you wish to build your won superheroic campaign setting.
Amazon Price: $29.99 (as of 08/28/2008)
Champions Universe
A complete world for superheroic gaming, this is the assumed or default setting for the rest of the Champions line of HERO Ssytem products.
Amazon Price: $21.99 (as of 08/28/2008)
Pulp HERO
Pulp HERO is the HERO System's genre book for the pulp era, drawing mostly from the pulp magazines (and radio shows and movie serials) of the 1920's, 1930's and beyond, when over-the-top was the only place to be. Second in size only to the rule-book, Pulp HERO is packed with information, suggestions, hints, and ideas. There's a info-packed timeline, a discussion of the various subgenres of pulp, an overview of pulp-era world history and politics, and more character hints than you can point a Tommy gun at.
And don't forget! The pulps were full of "Weird Science"; early-era science fiction of the Buck Rogers sort. As well, the hard-boiled gumshoe got his start in the pulps.
One of the most under-used, and most fun, genres of RPGs finally gets the loving, exciting treatment it deserves.
{If you couldn't tell, this is far and away my favorite HERO System product line.)
Hero System: Pulp Hero
This book is the genre book for pulp-era campaigns. Covering the whole realm of pulp, from gumshoes to explorers to sci-fi, this book is in a class of its own.
Amazon Price: $34.99 (as of 08/28/2008)
Masterminds and Madmen (Pulp Hero)
Want some bady guys for your pulp-era campaign? Then this is the book for you. Oriental masterminds, Mob bosses and gangs, big game hunters after "the most dangerous game," sky-borne criminals and giant zeppelins---it's all here!
Amazon Price: $29.99 (as of 08/28/2008)
Star HERO
The book looks at the various subgenres of SF, deals with generating appropriate characters, and goes into a bit of detail on known science covering the universe, galaxy, planets, etc. Another section looks into technology and equipment, spaceships, and so on.
This book, unfortunately, suffers from not being given the level of detail that Fantasy HERO and Pulp HERO got. It lands up concentrating more on the "soft SF" side of things (Space Opera, Planetary Romance, and that sort of thing) at the expense of "rigorous SF" (Planetbound SF, Hard SF, Military SF, etc.). However, it's not all that imbalanced, with all subgenres getting some exposition.
Though some of the treatments are thinner than I'd like, I still must say this is the best look at science fiction in any RPG I've ever seen.
For those who don't want to use the rule-book-plus-genre-book toolkit to develop their own setting, there's Alien Wars (military sf setting with Earth having recently reached the stars) and Terran Empire (planetary romance with Earth's empire at its peak).
Star Hero
The science fiction genre book for HERO System. A bit skimpy in spots, but over all a terrific book.
Amazon Price: $29.99 (as of 08/28/2008)
![Alien Wars [ILLUSTRATED]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41H3N6P3G6L._SL75_.jpg)
Alien Wars [ILLUSTRATED]
Military Sci-fi against a truly horrific alien foe. A place for gritty heroes to shine.
Amazon Price: $26.99 (as of 08/28/2008)
Terran Empire
Earth's emipre at the height of its power, but with decadence starting to show through. Galaxy-spanning travel, or deep exploration of a single planet are possible.
Amazon Price: $24.99 (as of 08/28/2008)
Modern action-adventure
If you want a game set in the real world--or something resembling it, in the modern day--or anything from WWII on, then Dark Champions (despite its name), covers the genre you're interested in.
The first section of the book looks at the various subgenres: vigilante crimefighting, espionage, law enforcement, "monster" hunters, military/special ops, and technothrillers are examples. Even "weird conspiracy" is covered, as are settings where the PCs are "gentleman crooks" pulling off "the big caper."
The information on real-world crime organizations, and law enforcement procedures, is fantastically detailed yet accessable and easy for any GM to use.
Equipment is covered in detail, though the optional rules for different ammo types is confusing and poorly laid out. That aside, the book is the best RPG treatment of modern action-adventure.
Now if only they hadn't stuck it with that grossly misleading title...
Dark Champions
This is, despite the title, the HERO System's genre book for all modern-day action-adventure role-playing.
Amazon Price: $31.99 (as of 08/28/2008)
Miscellaneous stuff
The "Ultimate Series" is a number of books which concentrate closely on one particular subject; in fact, with one exception, each concentrates on a particular "character archetype"; that is, on a kind of character that people tend to play often.
For example, there's "The Ultimate Metamorph," dedicated to characters who can alter or rearrange their body.
The only Ultimate book not dedicated to a character archetype is "The Ultimate Vehicle." Dealing with equipment many characters use (and some are dependent on) it's a fun, fascinating look at just what you can do with HERO System, when you just have to have that fast, fast car (or any other vehicle).
As well as The Ultimate Series, there are a number of general-subject books, of which The HERO System Bestiary is probably the most useful. Covering many animals, of many different kinds (fantastic monsters, mudane critters, and sci-fi/movie beasts), this book will be helpful no matter what genre you run (or run in).
Ultimate Metamorph (Hero System)
Stretchers, lycanthropes, doppelgangers, multimorphs, and all that crew are covered in this book. Metamorphs are not just found in superhero games, but can turn up in any genre.
Amazon Price: (as of 08/28/2008)
Ultimate Vehicle
Every kind of car, boat, airplane, and so on is treated in this "how to" book.
Amazon Price: $24.99 (as of 08/28/2008)
Hero System Bestiary
Lions and tigers and bears! And dragons, ghouls, elephants, krakens, swamp critters, etc., etc.
Amazon Price: $24.99 (as of 08/28/2008)
