''Star Hero'' is a

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...

, first published by

Hero Games Hero Games (''DOJ, Inc dba Hero Games'') is the publisher of the Hero System, a generic roleplaying rules set that can be used to simulate many different genres, and was the co-developer of the ''Fuzion'' system. History In 1981, George MacDon ...

in 1989, which uses the ''

Hero System The ''Hero System'' is a generic role-playing game system that was developed from the superhero RPG '' Champions''. After ''Champions'' fourth edition was released in 1989, a stripped-down version of its ruleset with no superhero or other genre ...

'' rules to represent the

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

genre. The original edition was for the ''Hero System'''s third edition. A 2002 edition was released based on the system's fifth edition. Though not nearly as popular as its ''

Champions A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the Victory, victor in a challenge, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and w ...

'', ''

Dark Champions ''Dark Champions'' is a game published by Hero Games using its Hero System rules to simulate the action-adventure genre. It has not been adapted for the 6th edition HERO rules introduced in 2009. History Steven S. Long authored the ''Champions ...

'', and ''

Fantasy Hero ''Fantasy Hero'' is a role-playing game book originally published by Hero Games in 1985 that allows gamemasters to plan and present fantasy role-playing games using the Hero System rules. Several revised editions of the book have subsequently bee ...

'' lines, the genre book has been received well by fans and critics alike, and its ''Terran Empire'' setting has received positive reviews. 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 Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

. A 2011 release was built using the ''Hero System'''s sixth edition. Like ''Champions'', ''Star Hero'' requires the ''Hero System'' rulebook to play, as the rules are pretty similar to all other games using the system, with minor alterations to facilitate such common science fiction elements as interstellar starship battles,

faster-than-light Faster-than-light (also FTL, superluminal or supercausal) travel and communication are the conjectural propagation of matter or information faster than the speed of light (). The special theory of relativity implies that only particles with zero ...

travel, and alien empires.

Hero Universe

The official

Hero Universe A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''hero ...

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).

Fifth Edition ''Star Hero'' supplements

*''Terran Empire'' by James Cambias, 2003 *''The Spacer's Toolkit'' by

Ben Seeman Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett or Benson, and is also a given name in its own right. Ben (in he, בֶּן, ''son of'') forms part of Hebrew surnames, e.g. Abraham ben Abraham ( ...

, 2003 *''Alien Wars'' by Allen Thomas, 2003 *''Worlds of Empire'' by Allen Thomas, Ben Seeman, Jason Walters, Steve Long, and

Darren Watts Darren Watts (February 17, 1969 – December 31, 2022) was an American game designer who was one of the founders (along with Steve Long) of DOJ Inc. and the president of Hero Games, publishers of roleplaying games using the Hero System such as ' ...

, 2006

Reception

David Rogers reviewed the first edition of ''Star Hero'' in ''

Space Gamer Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider ...

'' 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 is your game."

Reviews

*''

Pyramid A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilat ...

References

External links

''Star Hero'' home page
at Hero Games {{Hero 5E Hero System Role-playing games introduced in 2002 Space opera role-playing games Role-playing games introduced in 1989