Champions System Review Part 3: 5th Edition

A Look at 5th Edition

A True Hero Indeed
Without 5th edition, there would be no Hero System as we know it — in the late 90’s, the property had fallen into the hands of a company called Cybergames and was languishing there until Darren Watts got the ball rolling sometime in 2000 to put together a new incarnation of Hero Games. By 2002, the core books were released for the system and 5th edition was off and running. This edition of the Hero System would last eight years, until it was eventually replaced by sixth edition in 2010.
Triumphs
Setbacks
Creators Spotlight
Steven Long
Darren Watts
Storn Cook
The Fraim Brothers
Michael Surbrook
Jason Walters
Dave Mattingly
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Another awesome cover by Storn Cook. |
Critical Hits
Critical Misses
Most of these are not terrible products (certainly not on the level of European enemies) and simply suffer from being entirely forgettable. There isn’t much more to say about these products except that they have the same issues as many other products in the line, including some poor quality artwork, bland setting information, and low-quality graphic design.
- Everyman
- Dark Champions: The Animated Series
- Champions of the North
A Word from the Editor
I want to take a moment here to mention that my personal feelings about Fifth edition are deeply involved with this particular blog post. For example, many of the main creators of 5th edition (such as Steve, Darren, and Jason Walters) are all friends of mine, and I have often described myself as a Hero System fanatic. That having been said, I feel that Rogue Warden deserves my most unbiased and honest opinions, especially with regards to presenting the information as accurately as possible. To be clear, I’ve done a ton of research on this particular topic, but there are some things mentioned here that are, at best, rumors, and cannot be entirely corroborated. The overall tone of this blog is not meant to be harsh or hateful–quite the opposite, as I do indeed love the Hero System.
However, I am not blind to its flaws, and Rogue Warden would not be doing any service by ignoring or failing to mention that 5th edition ran into a number of serious snags along the way. With all this having been said, let’s take a look at some of the issues that plagued this edition:
All Substance, No Style
The Steve Long Edition
Vulnerability: Bad Art and Graphic Design (x2 effect)
Erasing the Past
Third Party Publishing
Blackwyrm Triumphs
And the Rest
Jason Walters Interview
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A great cover art piece by the Fraim brothers. |
In Conclusion
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One correction — “Kazei 5” was originally a 5E product, but was updated to 6E to coincide with the release of HERO System 6th Edition. That said, people have told me that it does mean there’s no need for Hero Games to produce a Cyber Hero rulebook!
Oh, my nominations for Best 5E products: Gestalt, Villany Amok, Luche Libre Hero, Tuala Morn, The Ultimate Skill, Asian Bestiaries 1 & 2, Thrilling Places.
Critical Misses: Teen Champions, Alien Wars.
I haven’t played Champions/Hero since about ’93 or ’94, but I remember loving that Big Blue Book–and Dark Champions!. I finally got to play a game of Lucha Libre Hero run by Bill Keyes, and I must say, it was the most fun I’ve had playing a roleplaying game (not GMing, as is my usual position at the table) in years. Bill ran a streamlined version of the rules found in the new Champions Complete, and I was hooked.
Thanks. Very good.
Lucha Libre Hero was the only 5th edition book worth the money in my world. Steven Long took a great game and shoveled in words and legalisms to make it a dream for insomniacs everywhere.
I read Defender got to stay because he’s Long’s Mary Sue. Is that true? It reads that way. The characters were awful.