Blood of Heroes Role-Playing Game : Special Edition

Rating:
Summary: Ever play the old DC Heroes RPG?
Review: First off: I'm biased, I'm the rules editor for this game.

Blood of Heroes is a Super-Hero Role-Playing Game. You get a group of friends together, whip out some dice, make characters and start playing. The setting is a little grim, and isn't quite 4-Color but the characters are unique.

The game system is where the game really shines. Blood of Heroes RPG came out a few years back - it reprinted the DC Heroes RPG 3rd Edition. Then Pulsar Games produced the Sidekick Sourcebook which contains all sorts of additional rules. Well, Blood of Heroes Special Edition by Pulsar Games (this book) incorporates both previous books and alters a few rules for a clarified, easy to use system that's comparable to any of the other role-playing games out there. You can make any sort of super-powered character in the game, and there's a lot of fan-based online support at the DC Heroes RPG Mailing List (just do a search on those 5 words - you'll find it). It's a lot of fun, I guarantee.

Rating:
Summary: Ever play the old DC Heroes RPG?
Review: First off: I'm biased, I'm the rules editor for this game.

Blood of Heroes is a Super-Hero Role-Playing Game. You get a group of friends together, whip out some dice, make characters and start playing. The setting is a little grim, and isn't quite 4-Color but the characters are unique.

The game system is where the game really shines. Blood of Heroes RPG came out a few years back - it reprinted the DC Heroes RPG 3rd Edition. Then Pulsar Games produced the Sidekick Sourcebook which contains all sorts of additional rules. Well, Blood of Heroes Special Edition by Pulsar Games (this book) incorporates both previous books and alters a few rules for a clarified, easy to use system that's comparable to any of the other role-playing games out there. You can make any sort of super-powered character in the game, and there's a lot of fan-based online support at the DC Heroes RPG Mailing List (just do a search on those 5 words - you'll find it). It's a lot of fun, I guarantee.

Rating:
Summary: It May Not Be The Perfect Superhero Game, But It's Close
Review: In the old days, back when we only had the New Kids on the Block as a boy band, and there were only two brands of Star Trek, Classic and New Trek, Mayfair came out with the Mayfair Exponential Gaming System. A sleeker, more streamlined, play-wise, version of the Champions game - though it's easier to build your own Champions character.

However, MEGS has far more comprehensive rules for roleplaying, suggestions for awards, and lovely things like hero points for last ditch efforts, and its powers are even more customizable than Champions, if such a thing is possible. The Blood of Heroes adds even more refinements to what weaknesses there were.

My only complaint was that they always wrote Superman as impossible to touch, especially when the dude had the Superspeed Power which accounted for his extreme dexterity stunts. Give this game a try. You'll find it's worth it, especially for the exciting new characters.

Rating:
Summary: Best superhero game out there. Period.
Review: Other than Godlike, I've seen every damn SHRPG out there, and they all suck. The rules are too heavy (Champions), the system is inherently flawed (Abberant), or you feel like you need to do the hokey-pokey (MSH). DC Heroes (the same product as this) changed my mind about the entire genre. MEGS definately hit the nail on the head when it comes to SH gaming. My only prob is this: the new rules in BoH are sometimes fraudulent (fake new powers that any moron could have made out of the old powers, and the fact you can now play villians-the worst gaming experience possible. Imagine robbing a bank, only to fight superheroes, then robbing another bank. There's barely anywhere to go). Still beats the pants off the other SHRPGs, so I give it the highest praise.

Rating:
Summary: Best superhero game out there. Period.
Review: Other than Godlike, I've seen every damn SHRPG out there, and they all suck. The rules are too heavy (Champions), the system is inherently flawed (Abberant), or you feel like you need to do the hokey-pokey (MSH). DC Heroes (the same product as this) changed my mind about the entire genre. MEGS definately hit the nail on the head when it comes to SH gaming. My only prob is this: the new rules in BoH are sometimes fraudulent (fake new powers that any moron could have made out of the old powers, and the fact you can now play villians-the worst gaming experience possible. Imagine robbing a bank, only to fight superheroes, then robbing another bank. There's barely anywhere to go). Still beats the pants off the other SHRPGs, so I give it the highest praise.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic Reborn
Review: The DC Heroes game engine was revoluntary work, and Blood of Heroes is a worthy inheritor.

The game system is a study in elegance. Characters have nine attributes in a two matrix system. The first axis is Physical/Mental/Mystical, while the second is Acting/Effect/Resistance. The definitions aren't completely consistent, but great effort was made to adhere to that design philosophy without sacrificing sense. An average human has 2 AP's (Attribute Points) in each Attribute. Each additional AP represents a doubling, so someone with a 7 Strength is 32x as strong as an average human, while someone with a 3 Dexterity is twice as fast. The rapid increase in ability made it possible to fit Batman, Starfire, and Superman into the same game system without shoehorning. At the human end, things are a bit "chunky" in terms of relative ability, but with the game's fast moving, story-oriented system, you'll hardly notice. Advantages and Drawbacks help define the characters in unique ways. The Power and Skill lists are extensive but terse, and cover every reasonable ability I've been able to imagine.

The game's strong points include its fluid Hero Point system that lends drama to those climactic battles with supervillains, a superb super-gadgeteering system (the best I've ever seen), strong adherance to the genre, flexible levels of realism, and extreme versatility. The down points are mainly that it requires a fairly math-savvy GM (or at least a player to help with the math), and character creation is extremely detailed (as intensive as GURPS).

The world background provided is quirky, but entertaining. It's not too my taste... but the beauty is of course that you can easily lift the game system and build your own Superworld. I'm contemplating a Wildcards based campaign. There is still plenty of fan support for the DC universe, not to mention current WEG products to help with background material (not to mention that converting from D6/Legend to BoH is a snap).

I thought the DC Heroes game was lost to us... It was like unexpectedly seeing an old friend to find the game lurking inside the pages of a small-press supers game with a weird cover. I bought it, and since then have been feverishly making characters. I plan to start up a gaming group as soon as I can settle on a premise... I have so many ideas.

If you know the game, buy this. It has all the innovations of DC Heroes 2nd edition plus the BoH Sidekick Sourcebook material. The game is in front, the game world is in back, so don't worry about having to perform surgery to extract the game YOU want to play. And the BoH world has its interesting points; I haven't discarded it yet. If you are unfamiliar to the game... believe me when I say BoH is a true reincarnation of a classic, elegant game. BoH is arguably a contender for the title of Best Overall Superhero RPG.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic Reborn
Review: The DC Heroes game engine was revoluntary work, and Blood of Heroes is a worthy inheritor.

The game system is a study in elegance. Characters have nine attributes in a two matrix system. The first axis is Physical/Mental/Mystical, while the second is Acting/Effect/Resistance. The definitions aren't completely consistent, but great effort was made to adhere to that design philosophy without sacrificing sense. An average human has 2 AP's (Attribute Points) in each Attribute. Each additional AP represents a doubling, so someone with a 7 Strength is 32x as strong as an average human, while someone with a 3 Dexterity is twice as fast. The rapid increase in ability made it possible to fit Batman, Starfire, and Superman into the same game system without shoehorning. At the human end, things are a bit "chunky" in terms of relative ability, but with the game's fast moving, story-oriented system, you'll hardly notice. Advantages and Drawbacks help define the characters in unique ways. The Power and Skill lists are extensive but terse, and cover every reasonable ability I've been able to imagine.

The game's strong points include its fluid Hero Point system that lends drama to those climactic battles with supervillains, a superb super-gadgeteering system (the best I've ever seen), strong adherance to the genre, flexible levels of realism, and extreme versatility. The down points are mainly that it requires a fairly math-savvy GM (or at least a player to help with the math), and character creation is extremely detailed (as intensive as GURPS).

The world background provided is quirky, but entertaining. It's not too my taste... but the beauty is of course that you can easily lift the game system and build your own Superworld. I'm contemplating a Wildcards based campaign. There is still plenty of fan support for the DC universe, not to mention current WEG products to help with background material (not to mention that converting from D6/Legend to BoH is a snap).

I thought the DC Heroes game was lost to us... It was like unexpectedly seeing an old friend to find the game lurking inside the pages of a small-press supers game with a weird cover. I bought it, and since then have been feverishly making characters. I plan to start up a gaming group as soon as I can settle on a premise... I have so many ideas.

If you know the game, buy this. It has all the innovations of DC Heroes 2nd edition plus the BoH Sidekick Sourcebook material. The game is in front, the game world is in back, so don't worry about having to perform surgery to extract the game YOU want to play. And the BoH world has its interesting points; I haven't discarded it yet. If you are unfamiliar to the game... believe me when I say BoH is a true reincarnation of a classic, elegant game. BoH is arguably a contender for the title of Best Overall Superhero RPG.

Rating:
Summary: The best Super Hero RPG ever, rules wise
Review: The system that worked so well for the original DC Superheroes game has its FIFTH edition, but now its called Blood of Heroes Special Edition. Rules wise, it has everyting needed to play all sorts of superheroes, as more powers, skills, and common sense is involved in this edition. However, the reason I only give this 4 stars is because of the new setting that Pulsar games had to use because the DC liscense was unavailable to it. Without established heroes, the game settings just fall thru. Still, it is not that hard to find old DC sourcebooks in used-game bins at gaming stores, so you can still use that setting.

This would also be the ideal book to use in creation of a Transformers RPG setting, as the exp[onential system would work well when dealing with those in power level from Bumblebee to Fortress Maximus.

Note that this system would be lousy to use if everybody just played pure humans, as the skills just do not diversify other characters from your own.

Still, a great RPG.

Rating:
Summary: The best Super Hero RPG ever, rules wise
Review: The system that worked so well for the original DC Superheroes game has its FIFTH edition, but now its called Blood of Heroes Special Edition. Rules wise, it has everyting needed to play all sorts of superheroes, as more powers, skills, and common sense is involved in this edition. However, the reason I only give this 4 stars is because of the new setting that Pulsar games had to use because the DC liscense was unavailable to it. Without established heroes, the game settings just fall thru. Still, it is not that hard to find old DC sourcebooks in used-game bins at gaming stores, so you can still use that setting.

This would also be the ideal book to use in creation of a Transformers RPG setting, as the exp[onential system would work well when dealing with those in power level from Bumblebee to Fortress Maximus.

Note that this system would be lousy to use if everybody just played pure humans, as the skills just do not diversify other characters from your own.

Still, a great RPG.