Hero Games
Encyclopedia
Hero Games is the publisher of the Hero System
, a generic roleplaying rules set that can be used to simulate many different genres, and was the co-developer of the Fuzion
system.
, printed 1000 copies of a 64 page rulebook for Champions
, their super-hero role-playing game, to take to a Bay Area gaming convention
. It sold very strongly, enough to form a company, Hero Games. Later, the pair recruited Ray Greer as their sales and marketing partner.
In the following years, the company published two more editions of Champions, two dozen adventures, and several self-contained role-playing games using the Champions core rules as a universal role-playing system: Danger International, Justice, Inc.
, Robot Warriors, Fantasy Hero
and Star Hero
. The games were very compatible, but each differed slightly, using new rules or costs. Hero Games used the term Hero System
to describe them all.
But ongoing production and financial troubles plagued the company, and in January 1986, Hero Games made an arrangement with Iron Crown Enterprises
, publishers of Rolemaster
and MERP. Initially this was only to handle the game production and distribution, leaving creative tasks to Hero Games, but in 1987 ICE also took over editorial. During this period the company was led by Rob Bell, followed by Monte Cook, and finally by Bruce Harlick.
The original partners found new interests: Greer worked for Steve Jackson Games
, and later he joined a Los Angeles movie special effects company run by Mark Williams, Hero Games' original artist. MacDonald became Senior Game Developer at the software company Strategic Simulations, Inc.
. Peterson went to work for Electronic Arts
, and then became a freelance marketing consultant and technical writer, but remained most connected with Hero Games of the original three.
On August 25, 1996, ICE's role handling publishing and distribution was taken over by R. Talsorian Games
, just before Iron Crown itself suffered financial difficulties in 1997. During this period, Bruce Harlick, who had been the first official hire of Hero Games in 1982, continued in his role as Line Developer. This collaboration also resulted in the Fuzion
system, which was successful in itself, but an attempt to publish the Champions game under the new system as Champions: The New Millennium met mixed reviews.
In 2000, Hero Games was bought by Cybergames.com, a gaming portal site which Steve Peterson was working for. Cybergames.com retained Bruce Harlick as president of their Hero Games subsidiary, but eventually decided to leave the publishing market in 2001. In December 2001, a new company called DOJ, Inc. acquired all rights to Hero Games, keeping none of the remaining original staff.
DOJ, Inc., consisted of Steven S. Long (Line Developer), Darren Watts
(President), and various support staff. It was formed specifically to acquire Hero Games. The title came from "Defenders of Justice", Watts's Champions campaign.
itself, Hero Games is also the publisher of genre books which supplement the generic system: Champions
, a role-playing game
where players can create and play superhero
es; Fantasy Hero
, where characters operate in a fantasy
setting; Star Hero
, which uses science fiction
settings; Dark Champions
, which simulates various forms of the action-adventure genre; and many other games. Champions, originally published as a stand-alone game in 1981, was the catalyst for the creation of the Hero System.
All of the above games, as well as nearly all games published by the company, use the Hero System as their basis. While early editions included the system rules with each genre book, this ended with the Fourth Edition of Champions
. Currently, the Sixth Edition of the rules is a pair of books, and the "genre books" show how to use the system to reflect the conventions of superheroic, fantasy, science fiction, and other adventure genres.
Former exceptions to the "Hero System only" rule are Champions: The New Millennium and its supplements, published in the late 1990s using the Fuzion
system.
is Millennium City
; for Fantasy Hero
, The Turakian Age; for Star Hero
, the Terran Empire; and for Dark Champions
, Hudson City. Other settings are also available for those who prefer a different "feel" than these provide. All fit into a single, universal timeline, known as the Hero Universe
.
All of the above are supported, to varying extents, by the Digital Hero online magazine.
rulebooks later appeared in comic books from Hero Comics (later, Hero Graphics), and kicked off with a mini series by Eclipse Comics
. Few of these characters are still used by the company, although Icestar is mentioned as a casualty from "The Battle of Detroit" in Champions Universe. Like the Villains and Vigilantes
comic book mini series, the early issues printed write-up sheets allowing readers to use characters introduced in the comics in their own Champions campaigns. Strangely, this is even true for characters included in the core rules, such as Icicle, Pulsar, and Mechanon.
games including Champions
, Fantasy Hero
, Star Hero
, Dark Champions
, and others. It was published bimonthly in downloadable PDF format, each issue being a fixed 64 pages long not including the cover (and a blank "fluff" page serving as an inside front cover to facilitate double-sided printing). The final issue, number 47, was published in January 2008, although the company did indicate a possibility of a return in the future.
Hero System
The Hero System is a generic role-playing game system that developed from the superhero RPG Champions. It is used as the underlying mechanics of other Hero Games role-playing games such as Dark Champions, Fantasy Hero, Star Hero, and Pulp Hero...
, a generic roleplaying rules set that can be used to simulate many different genres, and was the co-developer of the Fuzion
Fuzion
Fuzion is a generic role-playing game system created by the collaboration of R. Talsorian Games and Hero Games. Fuzion is a combination of the Interlock System, , and the HERO system...
system.
History
In 1981, George MacDonald and Steve Peterson, from San Mateo, CaliforniaSan Mateo, California
San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
, printed 1000 copies of a 64 page rulebook for Champions
Champions (role-playing game)
Champions is a role-playing game published by Hero Games that is designed to simulate and function in a four-color superhero comic book world. It was created by George MacDonald, Steve Peterson, Bruce Harlick, and Ray Greer....
, their super-hero role-playing game, to take to a Bay Area gaming convention
Gaming convention
A gaming convention is a gathering that centered on role-playing games, collectible card games, miniatures wargames, board games, video games, or other types of games. These conventions are typically two or three days long, and often held at either a university or in a convention center hotel...
. It sold very strongly, enough to form a company, Hero Games. Later, the pair recruited Ray Greer as their sales and marketing partner.
In the following years, the company published two more editions of Champions, two dozen adventures, and several self-contained role-playing games using the Champions core rules as a universal role-playing system: Danger International, Justice, Inc.
Justice, Inc. (role-playing game)
Justice, Inc. is a role-playing game designed to simulate the adventure stories in the pulp magazines of the 1930s.It was one of the first non-superhero applications of the point-based game system that had been developed for the Champions superhero game...
, Robot Warriors, Fantasy Hero
Fantasy Hero
Fantasy Hero is a role-playing game book that supports the Fantasy genre using the Hero System rules. Since the release of the 5th edition of the Hero System, Steven S. Long of Hero Games has published a new version of the Fantasy Hero book, as well as several supplementary publications to support...
and Star Hero
Star Hero
Star Hero is a role-playing game, published by Hero Games, which uses its Fifth Edition Hero System rules to represent the science fiction genre. Though not nearly as popular as its Champions, Dark Champions, and Fantasy Hero lines, the genre book has been received well by fans and critics alike,...
. The games were very compatible, but each differed slightly, using new rules or costs. Hero Games used the term Hero System
Hero System
The Hero System is a generic role-playing game system that developed from the superhero RPG Champions. It is used as the underlying mechanics of other Hero Games role-playing games such as Dark Champions, Fantasy Hero, Star Hero, and Pulp Hero...
to describe them all.
But ongoing production and financial troubles plagued the company, and in January 1986, Hero Games made an arrangement with Iron Crown Enterprises
Iron Crown Enterprises
Iron Crown Enterprises was a publisher of role playing, board, miniature battle, and collectible card games.ICE was incorporated in 1980 shortly after the principal founders graduated from the University of Virginia...
, publishers of Rolemaster
Rolemaster
Rolemaster is a role-playing game published by Iron Crown Enterprises. Rolemaster has come in four separate editions. The 3rd edition, first published in 1995, is also known as the "Rolemaster Standard System" . There are two editions currently in production...
and MERP. Initially this was only to handle the game production and distribution, leaving creative tasks to Hero Games, but in 1987 ICE also took over editorial. During this period the company was led by Rob Bell, followed by Monte Cook, and finally by Bruce Harlick.
The original partners found new interests: Greer worked for Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and the gaming magazine Pyramid.-History:...
, and later he joined a Los Angeles movie special effects company run by Mark Williams, Hero Games' original artist. MacDonald became Senior Game Developer at the software company Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Strategic Simulations, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher with over 100 titles to its credit since its founding in 1979. It was especially noted for its numerous wargames, its official computer game adaptations of Dungeons & Dragons, and for the groundbreaking Panzer General...
. Peterson went to work for Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
, and then became a freelance marketing consultant and technical writer, but remained most connected with Hero Games of the original three.
On August 25, 1996, ICE's role handling publishing and distribution was taken over by R. Talsorian Games
R. Talsorian Games
R. Talsorian Games, based in Renton, WA , is a publisher of role-playing game books and accessories. Their titles include the Cyberpunk 2020 series and for anime-related titles such as Dragonball Z. Their major product line today is the Fuzion system.The company's chairman is Mike Pondsmith,...
, just before Iron Crown itself suffered financial difficulties in 1997. During this period, Bruce Harlick, who had been the first official hire of Hero Games in 1982, continued in his role as Line Developer. This collaboration also resulted in the Fuzion
Fuzion
Fuzion is a generic role-playing game system created by the collaboration of R. Talsorian Games and Hero Games. Fuzion is a combination of the Interlock System, , and the HERO system...
system, which was successful in itself, but an attempt to publish the Champions game under the new system as Champions: The New Millennium met mixed reviews.
In 2000, Hero Games was bought by Cybergames.com, a gaming portal site which Steve Peterson was working for. Cybergames.com retained Bruce Harlick as president of their Hero Games subsidiary, but eventually decided to leave the publishing market in 2001. In December 2001, a new company called DOJ, Inc. acquired all rights to Hero Games, keeping none of the remaining original staff.
DOJ, Inc., consisted of Steven S. Long (Line Developer), Darren Watts
Darren Watts (Hero Games)
Darren Watts is one of the founders of DOJ Inc. and the president of Hero Games, publishers of roleplaying games using the Hero System such as Champions, Fantasy Hero and Star Hero...
(President), and various support staff. It was formed specifically to acquire Hero Games. The title came from "Defenders of Justice", Watts's Champions campaign.
Role-playing games
Besides the Hero SystemHero System
The Hero System is a generic role-playing game system that developed from the superhero RPG Champions. It is used as the underlying mechanics of other Hero Games role-playing games such as Dark Champions, Fantasy Hero, Star Hero, and Pulp Hero...
itself, Hero Games is also the publisher of genre books which supplement the generic system: Champions
Champions (role-playing game)
Champions is a role-playing game published by Hero Games that is designed to simulate and function in a four-color superhero comic book world. It was created by George MacDonald, Steve Peterson, Bruce Harlick, and Ray Greer....
, a role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
where players can create and play superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es; Fantasy Hero
Fantasy Hero
Fantasy Hero is a role-playing game book that supports the Fantasy genre using the Hero System rules. Since the release of the 5th edition of the Hero System, Steven S. Long of Hero Games has published a new version of the Fantasy Hero book, as well as several supplementary publications to support...
, where characters operate in a fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
setting; Star Hero
Star Hero
Star Hero is a role-playing game, published by Hero Games, which uses its Fifth Edition Hero System rules to represent the science fiction genre. Though not nearly as popular as its Champions, Dark Champions, and Fantasy Hero lines, the genre book has been received well by fans and critics alike,...
, which uses science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
settings; Dark Champions
Dark Champions
Dark Champions is a game published by Hero Games using its Hero System rules to simulate the action-adventure genre.When the original Dark Champions book was published in the early 1990s, its focus was on dark vigilantes in a superhero or almost-superhero setting, focusing on adventures similar to...
, which simulates various forms of the action-adventure genre; and many other games. Champions, originally published as a stand-alone game in 1981, was the catalyst for the creation of the Hero System.
All of the above games, as well as nearly all games published by the company, use the Hero System as their basis. While early editions included the system rules with each genre book, this ended with the Fourth Edition of Champions
Champions (role-playing game)
Champions is a role-playing game published by Hero Games that is designed to simulate and function in a four-color superhero comic book world. It was created by George MacDonald, Steve Peterson, Bruce Harlick, and Ray Greer....
. Currently, the Sixth Edition of the rules is a pair of books, and the "genre books" show how to use the system to reflect the conventions of superheroic, fantasy, science fiction, and other adventure genres.
Former exceptions to the "Hero System only" rule are Champions: The New Millennium and its supplements, published in the late 1990s using the Fuzion
Fuzion
Fuzion is a generic role-playing game system created by the collaboration of R. Talsorian Games and Hero Games. Fuzion is a combination of the Interlock System, , and the HERO system...
system.
Expansion books
Hero Games also published a series of "ultimate" expansion books for the Fifth Edition, which provided an additional level of detail on specific types of characters or accessories, over what was explained in more general terms in the main Hero System rules or genre books. Examples of this line included The Ultimate Martial Artist and The Ultimate Vehicle. Only one such title has been released for the Sixth Edition, The Ultimate Base, although some older titles are being revised into Hero System Core Library titles such as Hero System Martial Arts and Hero System Vehicles.Game settings
Finally, the company publishes a number of game settings for its most popular genres, along with supplements to flesh those settings out. The "main" (that is, most strongly supported) setting for ChampionsChampions (role-playing game)
Champions is a role-playing game published by Hero Games that is designed to simulate and function in a four-color superhero comic book world. It was created by George MacDonald, Steve Peterson, Bruce Harlick, and Ray Greer....
is Millennium City
Millennium City
Millennium City may refer to:*Millennium City, Hong Kong, a group of buildings in Hong Kong*A shopping and residential complex focused on the Millennium Tower in Austria*The nickname of Gurgaon, a city in the National Capital Region of India...
; for Fantasy Hero
Fantasy Hero
Fantasy Hero is a role-playing game book that supports the Fantasy genre using the Hero System rules. Since the release of the 5th edition of the Hero System, Steven S. Long of Hero Games has published a new version of the Fantasy Hero book, as well as several supplementary publications to support...
, The Turakian Age; for Star Hero
Star Hero
Star Hero is a role-playing game, published by Hero Games, which uses its Fifth Edition Hero System rules to represent the science fiction genre. Though not nearly as popular as its Champions, Dark Champions, and Fantasy Hero lines, the genre book has been received well by fans and critics alike,...
, the Terran Empire; and for Dark Champions
Dark Champions
Dark Champions is a game published by Hero Games using its Hero System rules to simulate the action-adventure genre.When the original Dark Champions book was published in the early 1990s, its focus was on dark vigilantes in a superhero or almost-superhero setting, focusing on adventures similar to...
, Hudson City. Other settings are also available for those who prefer a different "feel" than these provide. All fit into a single, universal timeline, known as the Hero Universe
Hero Universe
The Hero Universe is the "official" setting for the line of role-playing games published by Hero Games. All setting books published by the company are a part of this timeline...
.
All of the above are supported, to varying extents, by the Digital Hero online magazine.
Hero Comics and Hero Graphics
Many characters seen in the early ChampionsChampions (role-playing game)
Champions is a role-playing game published by Hero Games that is designed to simulate and function in a four-color superhero comic book world. It was created by George MacDonald, Steve Peterson, Bruce Harlick, and Ray Greer....
rulebooks later appeared in comic books from Hero Comics (later, Hero Graphics), and kicked off with a mini series by Eclipse Comics
Eclipse Comics
Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market...
. Few of these characters are still used by the company, although Icestar is mentioned as a casualty from "The Battle of Detroit" in Champions Universe. Like the Villains and Vigilantes
Villains and Vigilantes
Villains and Vigilantes is a superhero-themed role-playing game which competed primarily with Champions and Superworld in early to mid 1980s.-Origin:...
comic book mini series, the early issues printed write-up sheets allowing readers to use characters introduced in the comics in their own Champions campaigns. Strangely, this is even true for characters included in the core rules, such as Icicle, Pulsar, and Mechanon.
Digital Hero online magazine
Digital Hero is the official online magazine for Hero Games, supporting its Hero SystemHero System
The Hero System is a generic role-playing game system that developed from the superhero RPG Champions. It is used as the underlying mechanics of other Hero Games role-playing games such as Dark Champions, Fantasy Hero, Star Hero, and Pulp Hero...
games including Champions
Champions (role-playing game)
Champions is a role-playing game published by Hero Games that is designed to simulate and function in a four-color superhero comic book world. It was created by George MacDonald, Steve Peterson, Bruce Harlick, and Ray Greer....
, Fantasy Hero
Fantasy Hero
Fantasy Hero is a role-playing game book that supports the Fantasy genre using the Hero System rules. Since the release of the 5th edition of the Hero System, Steven S. Long of Hero Games has published a new version of the Fantasy Hero book, as well as several supplementary publications to support...
, Star Hero
Star Hero
Star Hero is a role-playing game, published by Hero Games, which uses its Fifth Edition Hero System rules to represent the science fiction genre. Though not nearly as popular as its Champions, Dark Champions, and Fantasy Hero lines, the genre book has been received well by fans and critics alike,...
, Dark Champions
Dark Champions
Dark Champions is a game published by Hero Games using its Hero System rules to simulate the action-adventure genre.When the original Dark Champions book was published in the early 1990s, its focus was on dark vigilantes in a superhero or almost-superhero setting, focusing on adventures similar to...
, and others. It was published bimonthly in downloadable PDF format, each issue being a fixed 64 pages long not including the cover (and a blank "fluff" page serving as an inside front cover to facilitate double-sided printing). The final issue, number 47, was published in January 2008, although the company did indicate a possibility of a return in the future.