HERO game system: Sounds interesting, what should I buy?

[Fiery Diamond]

So the existence of the HERO game system has recently come to my attention, and pretty much everything I've read about it has made me go, "That sounds really awesome. Way better than D&D, the only system I know how to play. Way better than all the other systems I've seen discussed. Way better than anything I could come up with. Do want."

I know that the 6th Edition is the most recent one, so obviously that's what I would want to buy (since it's the supported edition and I have no real reason to make things harder on myself by going for earlier editions). My question is this: What books do those who have played think I should buy?

List I've come up with:

*definite*
-6E Volume 1
-6E Volume 2

*Sounds convenient/useful*
-Advanced Player's Guide
-Basic Rulebook
-Fantasy Hero
-Hero System Bestiary
-Hero System Equipment Guide
-Hero System Grimoire
-Hero System Skills
-Hero System Vehicles
-Star Hero

So, for someone likely to play fantasy and sci-fi games (Even fantasy/sci-fi), who wants to have a little guidance about how to build powers, including examples, with the intention of learning to be a GM for the system and being able to have something to show potential players to give them an idea of how it works - what would you recommend of that list? Where would you recommend I purchase the stuff? Please rank and give reasons on your recommendations for or against so I have some idea of how good/useful the books are.

(Also, I wasn't sure whether to post this in Other or General, so I picked general because it probably has more traffic. Mods please move it to Other if it belongs there.)

[Andrewmoreton]

I Don't have Hero 6th edition but do have the previous 3 or 4 so these comments are not perfect.
Its a great system for Heroic action . Stuff like Star Wars, High Fantasy, superheroes not quite so good for 'Hard' science fiction but could be made to work.

-Advanced Player's Guide
-Basic Rulebook

(I believe these first two are the same as the two books on your must have list or certianly very similar)
-Fantasy Hero
The previous version of this for 5th ed was one of the best general guides for designing fantasy worlds/systems I have come across and was pretty much essential for working out how to run a hero system fantasy game particularly if you are not so familiar with the rules

-Star Hero
Again I would say this was quite good, not as good as the fantasy one but if you want to run sci fi probably a very good buy.


-Hero System Bestiary
-Hero System Equipment Guide
-Hero System Grimoire
-Hero System Vehicles

These 4 are mainly sample packages of how to build powers and end up with creatures(characters), equipment , spells or vehicles. Particulary as you are new to the system all should be useful as they will show you how to do things.

-Hero System Skills
If this is anything like the 5th ed equivlant this can wait, it is more detail on how to use skills for clever tricks and odd situations


There are several books around with predesigned characters these can also be useful particularly for fantasy or superhero games where powers are normally part of the character rather than part of the items.
The Dark Champions Vigilante stuff was always useful for harder science fiction becasue it looks at the same issues.

The Hero game system forums was last time I checked very helpful and is another source of information probably more current on 6th ed than me

[Manateee]

I really dislike HERO, but there's one book that's made me want to use it sometime in the nearish future. So I feel obliged to recommend Lucha Libre (https://www.herogames.com/viewItem.htm?itemID=238817), even though it's 5e. :p

[Southern Cross]

I should also point out that most of the changes between Hero System editions are in the character generation side: you should be able to run an adventure for an earlier edition, as long as you manage to convert the characters to 6th Edition. (Such as converting characters with the now-scrapped Elemental Controls to the more expensive Unified Power mechanic).
Useful sites: Hero Games (http://www.herogames.com/) and Surbrook's Stuff (http://surbrook.devermore.net/index/).

[Jay R]

The biggest limitation with using Hero Systems is that a lot of people dislike multiplying & dividing with fractions. I've found that I sometimes need to make characters for these people.

Once the character is created, the fractions are done with, so they have no problem playing with the sheets I've made.

[Southern Cross]

Which is a good reason to get the Hero Designer software...