Okay I am loving Heroes at the moment even though in the UK the series hasn't finished yet.

Now I am just wondering how to do it as a game.
Now I normally do RPG convention gaming, high visual four hours of gaming in a noisey hall for six players.

I have a system in mind but if people want to talk systems they can as long as they say why the system is good for Heroes.



Now as far as I see it there are several options to take with a Heroes game.

a) Follow the series very closely and use the same characters as PCs.

b) Use what happens in the series as a guide but have new characters as PCs with their own unique powers. In the end they will make their own stories.

c) Start a fresh with a new situation and new characters.

d) Follow the series but use the background characters as PCs.

e) Make the PCs either like Sylar or Peter and have them collect powers.

f) A combination of the options above.

So how would I run my game?
Any other options?
How would you do it?

Buy Scion? Seriously, I know that's not the answer you're looking for, though its ostensibly set up to tackle the same themes. As was the older Aberrant. Normal folks suddenly developing superhuman powers? Check. Shadowy conspiracies? Check. Hope for the future of mankind? Check. It's all there in both games, actually. You'll just need to ignore the metaplot and retool it subtly to fit the world of Heroes.

Champions, Mutants & Masterminds, and 4th Edition GURPS can handle what you are looking for.

As for running a superhero game based on the heroes theme. I did that back in 1986 (inspired by Marvel's New Universe) the idea is that the player were the first superheroes and proceed from there. I leveraged Champions point system to generate initial powers that had flaws or limitation. That could be bought off later.

For example a player made a hero known as MX the Human Rocket. He could sweat rocket fuel and ignite it on command. At first he could only fly in a straight line. To turn he shut it off in mid air, rolled acrobatics, and then if he is lucky went off in the new direction. It was a full phase action in Champions term. If he blew the roll then he could either begin falling and try again or take a random direction.

Another was the Valkyrie, he was a armored suit hero and started out with a suit that protected him from ordinary weapons pretty good and augmented his strength and other physical attributes. He was armed with a internal M-16 on one arm and a M-203 grenade launcher on the other. Later he kept upgrading the suit progressing from the Mk I, to the Mk II, and eventually the Mk III.

The premise of my campaign was that Earth was a protected planet of a galactic federation. Unfortunately this federation is losing its war against it enemy, a empire comprised of an alien race that is very xenophobic and controlling.

Earth's sector is being evacuated, and one of the field agents of the protected planet service decides to give Earth a chance. He uses his starship to graze the atmosphere and seed with a mutagenic virus that infects humans and gives them super powers. This happens in 1986. The enemy race is projected to reach the vincity of earth in 20 years

So the campaign begins with the first individuals affected by the virus discovering their powers.

I used champions because I could make powerful abilities but hobble them so that players had a natural way of progressing in experience.

Quote from: estarChampions, Mutants & Masterminds, and 4th Edition GURPS can handle what you are looking for.

As for running a superhero game based on the heroes theme. I did that back in 1986 (inspired by Marvel's New Universe) the idea is that the player were the first superheroes and proceed from there. I leveraged Champions point system to generate initial powers that had flaws or limitation. That could be bought off later.

For example a player made a hero known as MX the Human Rocket. He could sweat rocket fuel and ignite it on command. At first he could only fly in a straight line. To turn he shut it off in mid air, rolled acrobatics, and then if he is lucky went off in the new direction. It was a full phase action in Champions term. If he blew the roll then he could either begin falling and try again or take a random direction.

Another was the Valkyrie, he was a armored suit hero and started out with a suit that protected him from ordinary weapons pretty good and augmented his strength and other physical attributes. He was armed with a internal M-16 on one arm and a M-203 grenade launcher on the other. Later he kept upgrading the suit progressing from the Mk I, to the Mk II, and eventually the Mk III.

The premise of my campaign was that Earth was a protected planet of a galactic federation. Unfortunately this federation is losing its war against it enemy, a empire comprised of an alien race that is very xenophobic and controlling.

Earth's sector is being evacuated, and one of the field agents of the protected planet service decides to give Earth a chance. He uses his starship to graze the atmosphere and seed with a mutagenic virus that infects humans and gives them super powers. This happens in 1986. The enemy race is projected to reach the vincity of earth in 20 years

So the campaign begins with the first individuals affected by the virus discovering their powers.

I used champions because I could make powerful abilities but hobble them so that players had a natural way of progressing in experience.

1986 + 20 years?

what happened?

The show's producers are introducing NEW Heroes as a mini-series in September over here in the states. The public will get to vote for WHO gets added to the regular show.

 Maybe you can have your players be the British or European group of folks whose powers are manifesting at the same as the events of the first season of the show.


 As for Game Mechanics?

 GURPS 4th edition along with the book GURPS: POWERS. *

- Ed C.





*  = Y'all knew I was going to say that ? Didn't you ? Hey - I gotta be me.

Quote from: James J Skach1986 + 20 years?

what happened?

I haven't run a game recently. Not I wouldn't like too. I picked up a copy of mutant and masterminds and been getting the itch to run another supers game and continue my campaign.

I ran a game in 2003. That dealt mostly with the the aftermath of 9/11. I choose to run a strangely parallel history from 1986 onwards. Rather than treating 1986 as a point of divergence. Similar events happened and had much the same impact but with a supers twist.

For example the coup in the Soviet Union against Gorbachev included a young Russian super team defending Yelstin against the hard-liners and their allied supers.

Clinton had sex with Sonique a super working with his administration, with powers of sound and mind control (subliminal sonics). He was mind controlled for a short while until she was unmasked. Although mind control happened after Clinton had sex with her. Clinton was impeached by the house but the vote for removal still failed in the senate.

In the 2003 campaign. I made 9/11 much worst, A bunch of islamic supers struck at not only the World Trade Center, and Washington D.C.  But at various financial and military targets in London, Berlin, Paris and other western european cities. In the Middle East they toppled several government and formed the Restored Islamic Caliphate. Israel was put under literal siege and Egypt managed to stay under its own rule stopping the conventional forces of the Caliphate at the Suez.

In the US, the focus of the campaign, Geogre W. Bush basically rammed through Congress forcing supernormals to be registered and put through a draft for any "who powers are essential for the security of the United States". This was pushed along but the realization in 2000 that there are mutants that were born with powers. Along with the discovery that this whole mess is caused by a virus so now there is witch hunt mentality among world leader "To find out who did this."

As of 2003 they haven't uncovered the fact the virus is extra terrestrial in nature.

2003 also meant the oldest mutants are now about 16 and approaching adulthood so that had a interesting subplot to the campaign.

For my next supers campaign I am going to deal with the first contact of the invading aliens. One wrinkle I am thinking of trying is making a superman type character. One really powerful character and let a player play it.

My backplot is that the Federation's Protected Planet Service doesn't really leave protected planets undefended. When invaded and know they are going to lose a protected planet. They find one individual and alter him with a tailored version of the virus. They do a psychological profile to find the "best" individual to this with. (sorta of like Green Lantern's strongest will idea) and set the person's power to be triggered if the enemy arrive within the planet's biosphere.

Now I know some GMs may think I am bit wacked for having such a disparate difference in power level. In my defense I am pretty good in plotting. I also present my various campaign in a natural format in that the players exist in a world not the world exist for the players. Doing this has a remarkable effect on the actions of very powerful characters. And allows not so powerful or odd characters to shine.

I been watching Smallville and thinking about doing the embodied Jor-El/AI in the Caves  for the first couple of sessions. The US and other western government are probably going to be antagonist at first followed by the supers working for the Caliphate and finally the Aliens. The other characters will be pretty much what the players want to play and I will weave them into the plot. I haven't plotted much more detail than that.

One traditional thing I have done in the five times I ran this campaign before is that players give me a broad generalization of what they want. Create the mundan aspects and then I made up the exact powers and run them through their origin. This may be altered slightly because now born with powers mutants are possible in 2007 as the oldest would be 20 to 21.

Enjoy
Rob Conley

Quote from: KoltarAs for Game Mechanics?

 GURPS 4th edition along with the book GURPS: POWERS. *

- Ed C.
QUOTE]

Hero 5th is still the best superhero system in my opinion. It is most flexible and has enough realistic options to go for a gritty campaign if that what you want.

The next level in my mind is tied between GURPS 4th and M&M

GURPS 4th with Powers is good for something exactly or similar to Heroes because of GURPS ability to have more realistic mechanics.

Mutant and Masterminds is about the same complexity as GURPS 4th in detailing powers and is probably better if you want to take a four color comics approach to your campaign.

Green Ronin has some very Heroes-like Mutants & Masterminds supplements coming up, if I remember correctly. Called "Paragons"...

And I wonder whether you'd still like to play it once you see the ending. Meh.

Quote from: SosthenesGreen Ronin has some very Heroes-like Mutants & Masterminds supplements coming up, if I remember correctly. Called "Paragons"...

And I wonder whether you'd still like to play it once you see the ending. Meh.

I know. No spoilers, but... ugh. Setup for next season looks promising, if that's any consolation.

I'd be interested in the alternate history where they fail. That was badass.

It seems to me that part of the series' appeal is that for the characters, the exact parameters of their powers are unknown. So a system in which powers are precisely defined -- like GURPS or Palladium - wouldn't be the best.

Something like Fate (powers as Aspects) or HeroQuest would be better. Then there wouldn't be fussing about with, "can he fly at Move 64 or only Move 50?" and so on.

When the exact parameters of powers are known to the players and characters, then they're more likely to focus on using the powers, rather than on what it means to have powers. If you keep it vague and fuzzy, then you get a more thespy sort of result, something closer to the tv series.

For example, Hiro's temporary loss of his power would be difficult to model in GURPS 4e, but easy enough to do in Fate or HQ. You're less likely to get players saying, "But I paid points for it!"

I'd recommend Hearts & Souls for this.

RPGPundit

Quote from: Kyle AaronFor example, Hiro's temporary loss of his power would be difficult to model in GURPS 4e, but easy enough to do in Fate or HQ. You're less likely to get players saying, "But I paid points for it!"

Sounds like a normal flaw to me. And a pretty common/cliched situation.
"Forget the ring. The ring is pumpkin. I found it in a Cracker Jack box. The Schwartz is in you, Lone Starr. It's in you."

Quote from: Kyle AaronIt seems to me that part of the series' appeal is that for the characters, the exact parameters of their powers are unknown. So a system in which powers are precisely defined -- like GURPS or Palladium - wouldn't be the best.

In my game the points on the sheet represent what the player knows at that time. I found at the advantages and limitations on the power or the actual power level serves as a benchmark to the player

Quote from: Kyle AaronFor example, Hiro's temporary loss of his power would be difficult to model in GURPS 4e, but easy enough to do in Fate or HQ. You're less likely to get players saying, "But I paid points for it!"

Only a problem if that is how you start up the game. In my campaigns 1986 TL using Hero I made it clear that points on their sheet is not the final word. That the xp points they earned are basically points under the control of the player. However I may boost their power for plot reasons or something may happen to their powers.

In practice this was OK with most of my players however there were a few point possessive players. But the handful I had invariably played dark and grim heroes types like batman, punisher, etc so their slice of the plotline was easy to do.

It helped that I ran origins and all they had on their sheet was the normal stats at first and I handed them the cards with the power writeups when the powers started manifesting.

Also see GURPS Transhuman Space for an example of a game that make flexible point totals a feature not a hindrance.

Quote from: RPGPunditI'd recommend Hearts & Souls for this.

RPGPundit

Seconded.

-clash

I would use Mortal Coil redefining the magic tokens as super powers.  The characters magic (superpower) tokens define how they operate in the world.  It's diceless though, if you have an aversion to that sort of thing.  I've been meaning to use it myself for a superhero game.