Editing Hero System (section)

==Publishing history==
{{see also|List of Hero System Products}}

Although several games based on what would become known as the ''Hero System'' were published in the 1980s, including ''[[Champions (role-playing game)|Champions]]'', ''[[Danger International]]'', ''[[Justice, Inc. (role-playing game)|Justice, Inc.]]'', ''[[Robot Warriors]]'' and the original versions of ''[[Fantasy Hero]]'' and ''[[Star Hero]]'', each of the RPGs was self-contained, much as [[Chaosium]]'s [[Basic Role-Playing]] games are. The ''Hero System'' itself was not released as an independent entity until 1990, as [[Steve Jackson Games]]' ''[[GURPS]]'' (''Generic Universal Roleplaying System'') became more popular. As a joint venture between Hero Games and [[Iron Crown Enterprises]], a stand-alone ''Hero System Rulebook'' was published alongside the fourth edition of Champions. The content was identical to the opening sections of the Champions rules, but all genre-related material was removed. Afterward, genre books such as ''Ninja Hero'' (written by [[Aaron Allston]]) and ''[[Fantasy Hero]]'' were published as sourcebooks for the ''Hero System Rulebook'' as opposed to being independent games.

With the collapse of the Hero-ICE alliance, the ''Hero System'' went into limbo for several years. The ''Champions'' franchise released a new version under the [[Fuzion]] system, which had been a joint development with [[R. Talsorian Games]], called ''Champions: the New Millennium''. Although two editions were published, it was very poorly received by ''Champions'' fans. In 2001, a reconstituted Hero Games was formed under the leadership of [[Steven S. Long]], who had written several books for the earlier version of the system. It regained the rights to the ''Hero System'' and to the ''Champions'' trademark.

In 2001, the Fifth Edition of the ''Hero System Rulebook'' was released, incorporating heavy revisions by Long. A large black hardcover, it was critically well received and attained a degree of commercial success. (Following problems with fragile [[Bookbinding|bindings]] on Fourth Edition rulebooks, the planned binding for the larger Fifth Edition was tested using a clothes dryer.<ref>
[https://web.archive.org/web/20051123133645/http://herogames.com/news/2002/0125.jsp "News"], Hero Games website, January 25, 2002</ref>) The Fifth Edition is often referred to as "FREd", which is a [[backronym]] for "Fifth Rules Edition". The name actually comes from Steve S. Long's reply when asked what the standard abbreviation for the Fifth Edition would be: "I don't care if you call it 'Fred', as long as you buy it." This was made the unofficial nickname by several replies on the same board affirming it after a reply from Willpower, who coined the backronym by saying, "OK. FREd it is, "Fifth Rules Edition"!"

A revised version ({{ISBN|1-58366-043-7}}) was issued in 2004, along with ''Hero System Sidekick'', a condensed version of the rulebook with a cover price of under $10. Fans often call the revised Fifth Edition "Fiver," ReFREd," or "5ER" (from "Fifth Edition revised"; "Fiver" also alludes to ''[[Watership Down]]''). This rulebook is so big (592 pages) that some fans speculated that it might be bulletproof, and it did indeed stop some bullets when tested by Hero Games staffers.<ref>
[http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/27407-extra-extra-is-5er-actually-bullet-proof/?page=1 "Extra Extra: Is 5ER actually bullet proof"]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3Wmj46S5qo "Hero Games 5th Edition Rule Book Ballistic Test"] hosted at [[YouTube]].</ref>

On February 28, 2008, [[Cryptic Studios]] purchased the ''Champions'' [[intellectual property]], and sold the rights back to Hero Games to publish the 6th edition books. One of the new features will be to allow players to adapt their ''[[Champions Online]]'' characters to the pen-and-paper game.<ref name="championspurchase">{{cite web|url=http://crypticstudios.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=174&Itemid=32|title=Cryptic Studios Announces Champions Online|publisher=[[Cryptic Studios]]|quote=Cryptic Studios also announced today that it has acquired the ''Champions'' intellectual property (IP) from Hero Games. First published in 1981, the ''Champions'' role-playing game is one of the first RPGs to forgo the traditional dice-rolling system of character generation in favor of a point-based system. Cryptic Studios has licensed back to Hero Games the rights to produce Champions RPG books, and the sixth edition of the Hero System and ''Champions'', set to release in 2009, will include rules on how to recreate Champions Online characters and scenarios.}}</ref>

In late 2009, Hero Games released the 6th Edition of the Hero System. The game has so far had a mostly positive reception, with little in the way of 'Edition Wars'.{{fact|date=November 2022}} The largest rules change was the removal of Figured Characteristics (meaning that character stats that were previously linked intrinsically—such as Speed automatically increasing when sufficient amounts of Dexterity were purchased—were no longer connected, and instead bought entirely separately). Other, more minor rules changes include folding Armor and Force field into Resistant Defense and reestablishing Regeneration as a separate power. The rules were released in two volumes, with the first covering character creation in depth and the second describing campaigns and the running of games. The new genre book for Champions came out shortly thereafter, and a new ''Fantasy Hero'' was released in the summer of 2010. A new version of Sidekick was released in late 2009 under the title ''The Hero System Basic Rulebook'', while an ''Advanced Player Guide'' was published that had additional options for character creation. Other recent releases included a large book of pre-constructed Powers, a set of pre-generated Martial Arts styles, abilities and skills, a large bestiary, a new [[grimoire]] for Fantasy Hero and a three-volume set of villains for ''Champions''. A new edition of ''Star Hero'' was released in 2011, along with a second ''Advanced Player Guide''.

On 28 November 2011, Hero Games announced a restructuring, with Darren Watts and long-time developer Steven S. Long relinquishing their full-time statuses to work freelance. In late 2012 ''Champions Complete'' was released, which contained all of the core 6th edition rules as well as enough information to play a superhero campaign in a single 240-page book. This compact presentation reflected criticism that the 6th edition rules had become too unwieldy.

Hero Games now maintains an irregular release schedule, with a minimal staff, and has successfully used [[Kickstarter]] to raise funds for new projects. One of these new products, ''Fantasy Hero Complete'', was released in early 2015.

=== Computer Release ===
''Heromaker'', an [[MS-DOS]] program, was distributed with some versions of ''[[Champions (role-playing game)|Champions]]''. Today, ''Hero Designer''<ref>[http://www.herodesigner.com/home.htm "Hero Designer: Character creation software for Hero System, 5th Edition"], vendor website</ref> for the Fifth and Sixth Editions is available on several platforms, and is supported by numerous character packs and other extensions linked to Hero Games book releases.  In late 2008, Hero released a licensed RPG for [[Aaron Williams (cartoonist)|Aaron Williams]]'s popular comic [[PS238]] using a simplified version of the Fifth Edition rules.