Heroes (role-playing game)

Heroes is a generic role-playing game system designed to emulate a wide variety of genres and settings, particularly those found in pulp fiction, comic books, and adventure stories. It is characterized by its flexible, point-based character creation system, detailed combat rules, and emphasis on player agency in shaping the narrative.

The core of the Heroes system revolves around the concept of "Power Points," which are used both to define a character's attributes, skills, and powers, and as a currency for performing special actions during gameplay. Characters are built by allocating Power Points to different characteristics, allowing for a high degree of customization and differentiation between characters.

The game system supports a wide range of character abilities, from mundane skills to extraordinary powers, and provides rules for handling various types of conflict, including physical combat, mental duels, and social interactions. The rules often use percentile dice (d100) for task resolution, with lower rolls generally indicating greater success.

Key features of the Heroes role-playing game system typically include:

• Point-Based Character Creation: Players allocate points to purchase attributes, skills, powers, and disadvantages, tailoring their characters to fit specific roles and concepts.

• Flexible Power System: A comprehensive list of powers and abilities, along with detailed rules for creating custom powers, allows for the emulation of a wide range of fictional characters.

• Detailed Combat System: In-depth rules for initiative, movement, attacks, defenses, and damage provide a tactical and engaging combat experience.

• Variable Difficulty: Game Masters (GMs) can adjust the difficulty of challenges by modifying target numbers or introducing complicating factors, allowing for a wide range of game styles.

• Generic Setting: While the core rules do not provide a specific setting, the system's flexibility allows it to be adapted to various genres and fictional worlds.

The Heroes system is often praised for its versatility and level of detail, but it can also be criticized for its complexity and the amount of time required for character creation and rule referencing. However, its adaptability has led to its use in numerous fan-created settings and adaptations of existing intellectual properties.