It’s a “Super” episode of Save for Half today as the Fab 4 return to talk about the first edition of Champions, the Super RPG. Published in 1981, this 73-page rulebook gives you everything you need to fight crime, supervillains, and…math? We’ll give you the lowdown on the powers, the foibles, and mathematical formulas of this pioneering Superhero RPG; who’s on its 6th printing today!
No BODY, STUN, or d6s were harmed in the making of this episode. Not even with Killing Attacks!
- But we’ve got a little extra-special treat for you right here.
Links mentioned in this show:
Champions 1E (revised) on DriveThru RPG
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/256854/Champions-The-Super-Hero-Role-Playing-Game-2nd-Edition?src=hottest_filtered
Hong Kong Phooey
https://cartoonscrapbook.com/cartoons/hong-kong-phooey-1974/
Instock Trades
https://www.instocktrades.com/
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6 Responses to “Episode 17: Champions 1st Edition”
Champions 3 had a random character creator that made for quick villain generation.
I also used Gamma World as a superhero RPG! Now I use my own game (Save the Day). Thanks for a great episode.
Thank you so much for doing this show. I am a big Champions fan and have played the game since it first came out in 1981. So much love goes to Marvel FASERIP and V&V but Champions is always played down as not as much fun. I love Champions/Hero much than the other two because I don’t really like random generation for Supers.
Sweet to see some Champions love out there.
Every system has a bit of a learning curve. Fortunately, most of Champions’ learning curve is in character building rather than during game play.
Interesting review, I’m not sure I could have run this back in the day. It seems like a game one would have trouble playing with more than a few players and get away from the D&D mindset, from the outset you already need a league/team of super villain NPCs right off the bat, such as Dr. Dreadful and his Robot army of Doom, in this serialized issue. I’m not sure how much the game reflects the comic book tropes I was familiar with such as Plastic Man, or even Magnus Robot Fighter. That would be a cool setting but then there was only one Magnus and a bunch of villains. A lot of super hero characters were gifted with their powers in one way or another. I kind of missed the element of the origin story in a character’s generation, or is that part of the game? What motivates player characters to become vigilante crime fighters?
Thanks folks! I never got to play CHAMPIONS, but have run MARVEL SUPERHEROES RPG. Don’t know if you’ve done a show on that one!
Take care and I always enjoy hearing your voices. Like old friends.