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25-514: In 1981, George MacDonald and Steve Peterson , from San Mateo, California , printed 1,000 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

50-504: 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

75-517: A 192-page book published in 1989 with illustrations by Timothy Bradstreet, Richard H. Britton, Rick Harris, and Douglas Shuler. In 2002, following the release of the 5th edition of the Hero System, Star Hero was updated to reflect the new rules. This book was dedicated to RJM Hughes, an avid poster at the Hero Games forums, who died in August 2002 due to complications from diabetes . Following

100-681: A 1982 convention, which resulted in an alliance between Flying Buffalo and Hero Games. MacDonald later became the Senior Game Developer at Strategic Simulations . MacDonald was the developer on the Gold Box game Pool of Radiance (1988). MacDonald and Jeff Grubb authored the game module Curse of the Azure Bonds , which was released in April 1989 under Forgotten Realms Module FRC2. Star Hero Star Hero

125-424: A campaign. The official Hero Universe setting divides the science fiction genre into five historical periods: Solar Hero (years 2080 to 2200), Interstellar Hero (2200–2300), Alien Wars (2300–2400), The Terran Empire (2400–2700), and The Galactic Federation (2700-3000). After Hero Games/ICE released a third edition of the Hero System, Sam Browne and Paula Woods used the new rules to create Star Hero ,

150-560: 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. Many characters seen in the early Champions rulebooks later appeared in comic books from Hero Comics (later, Hero Graphics), and kicked off with a limited series by Eclipse Comics . Few of these characters are still used by

175-405: A pool of Hero points to buy skills. Or rather than taking the time to do this, a player can simply use a pre-generated template such as Starship Pilot or Scientist. In addition to the standard Hero System rules for skills resolution and combat, Star Hero includes rules for starship construction, future technology and creating new alien races. The game also gives general guidelines for creating

200-503: Is a science fiction role-playing game published by Hero Games and Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE) in 1989. The game uses the Hero System rules also used in other Hero Games publications such as Champions and Danger International . Players take on the role of space adventurers. Similar to other Hero Game publications, players use dice to determine the scores for basic attributes such as Strength and Dexterity. They then spend

225-540: Is your game." In his 1990 book The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games , game critic Rick Swan called this "An intelligent, comprehensive science-fiction RPG," noting that it "includes just about everything necessary for an exciting outer space campaign except a detailed setting." The lack of a campaign universe was the only issue Swan had with this game, writing, "the lack of a focused campaign setting, such as those offered in MegaTraveller and Star Wars ,

250-605: The Superhero: 2044 role-playing game (1977) from Gamescience and ultimately creating his own original game system which Steve Peterson typed up, and which eventually became the Champions (1981) superhero role-playing game. MacDonald and Peterson had only enough money to print 1,500 copies of the game and hand-collated them to save money, and they sold their new game at Pacific Origins 1981; they were surprised to see it sell very well, selling 1,000 of their 1,500 copies at

275-641: 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. Ongoing production and financial troubles plagued the company, however, and in January 1986, Hero Games made an arrangement with Iron Crown Enterprises , publishers of Rolemaster and MERP . Initially, this

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300-592: The company (now known as Heroic Publishing ), although Icestar is mentioned as a casualty from "The Battle of Detroit" in Champions Universe . Like the Villains and Vigilantes comic book limited 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

325-463: 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 Champions 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

350-434: The convention. After this early success, MacDonald and Peterson started Hero Games as a publishing label. MacDonald and Peterson were ready to start making Hero Games into a professional business by 1982, so they opened an office and asked Ray Greer to be their partner handling marketing and sales, with Bruce Harlick soon becoming the first employee of Hero Games. Michael Stackpole and MacDonald happened to meet up at

375-633: 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

400-737: The late 1990s using the Fuzion system. Recent Hero Games publications include Champions Complete, a stand-alone, moderately priced book for playing Champions, and the Monster Hunter International Employee Handbook, a stand-alone roleplaying game detailing the world of Larry Correia 's Monster Hunter International. 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

425-512: 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. In 2011 Darren Watts left DOJ, Inc., to pursue other ventures, and warehouse manager Jason S. Walters assumed

450-589: The release of the sixth edition of the Hero System in 2011, a new edition of Star Hero was published as well. David Rogers reviewed the first edition of Star Hero in Space Gamer Vol. II No. 1. Rogers commented that "Overall, I give Star Hero a B+ for presentation, largely because of artwork and sloppy editing. The game, though, plays like a winner. If you're looking for roleplaying science fiction that allows you design your own characters rather than relying on dice to make up your characters for you, this

475-460: The role of CEO, acting in consultation with Steve Long and its other investors. The company now focuses on promoting stand-alone products that utilize various versions of the 6th Edition Hero System rules. Besides the Hero System 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 superheroes ; Fantasy Hero , where characters operate in

500-464: 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 April 25, 1996, ICE's role in 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

525-549: 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

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550-408: 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 . Finally,

575-489: 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's original artist. MacDonald became Senior Game Developer at

600-399: Was published in January 2008, although the company did indicate the possibility of a return in the future. George MacDonald (game designer) George MacDonald is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games and in the computer game industry. George MacDonald started working on role-playing games while at college, by adding detail to the super powers system for

625-412: Was the official online magazine for Hero Games, supporting its Hero System 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,

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