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Champions lore is... awesome!

Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
edited January 2012 in Champions Pen and Paper RPG
Hey everyone!

Recently I started feeling superheroic. After several attempts and bruises in real life (running with a bed sheet attached with a piece of rope is apparently not a good idea for an almost 30 year old guy) I decided that playing an MMO would be a better choice ;).

Since I haven't been playing CO for a long time I thought I might give it a try again. I have the lifetime sub, so it's no big deal to just update the game and start playing. However with DCUO being out, I thought I might go and do some superheroic stunts in that universe. In general while I love the customization options in CO - I have much better connection with the DC universe lore. And then I went to the CO site on FB and read Behind the Mask article on lore... which brought me to the HERO Games store, where I bought Champions Universe pdf. And I just need to say - WOW! :)

I am surprised how rich the Champions world is, and how great this book is written. It's a pure pleasure to read it, and suddenly it made me realize that this universe and game gives me much greater possibilities of character creation! It really is absolutely great, and with the direction the game went it all seems to be a lot of fun.

Anyway - I plan on reading the book, and finding inspiration for my new character. I think that the Champions Universe is worth taking a look.

If anyone survived till the end of this long post - congratulations! ;) I was so amazed by the depth of this world, that I just had to share it! :)
Post edited by Archived Post on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    The Champions lore is awesome. Its just a shame that thus far and three years in, so little of it has been translated online.

    I think if there was a more high profile link to the sourcebooks other than a HeroGames icon at the bottom of the site, If there was a link or tab in the c-store, then even more like your goodself would discover the extent of the lore.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    This would probably be a good place to promote my "Lore in (C)-Store" thread on the Suggestions forum. :D

    http://forums.champions-online.com/showthread.php?t=139245
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Thundrax wrote:
    This would probably be a good place to promote my "Lore in (C)-Store" thread on the Suggestions forum. :D

    http://forums.champions-online.com/showthread.php?t=139245

    Absolutely and totally great idea!

    I started reading about CO lore because I really wanted to make a special hero, but couldn't get into any of the roles and ideas I came up with. Then I found the fantastic book that I am reading now (the history of the superheroes in the world is SO well written) and already got some ideas ;).

    The "Black Mask" is just... inspiring. So I'm thinking of a Black Mask rip-off for my own country ;), dating from 1793 (but in the history of my character it will be said that he was inspired by the Black Mask). The idea of a costume piece being this certain holy grail, the symbol - makes it almost too cool to create new incarnations of the hero's costume! Getting from an archaic look, through more modern to completely futuristic appearance is just too sweet for me to sit here and write instead of designing my new Champion.

    I am so excited about all this, that it almost makes me feel ridiculous ;).
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Actually I am more than certain that I will also buy the Champions Beyond (I have one idea for an extraterrestrial Champion that I've been developing for more than a year now) and probably also the one about international heroes.

    Yeah, I know, I'm writing too much about that, but it's just really good. For someone who's been raised with Batman, knowing basically only a bit of DC Universe lore, it is a revelation to discover how well written and in a way clean (I am really lost how many times did Batman, Flash and all the others die, why they're alive again... or not... etc.) the Champions Universe is.

    The one thing I was missing was the background of this world - and now I have it. For me it's very important. I've been writing my own things since... well - before I could really write (my poor dad had to write a "poem" that I was telling him while got really inspired in the middle of the night, when I was 5 or so ;) ), and I try to give at least a vague background to all my characters - wherever I create and play them. Some of them (like Grey Eagle - a character from one of the parallel Earths) have even their own short stories. I guess I should translate one or two into English and try showing them to get totally criticized by people on the forums ;) (I usually write in my language, which is Polish, as clearly I don't know English nearly as good as Polish ;) ).

    Anyway.. I wrote a lot - but I just REALLY have to express how amazed and pleased I am to see the background of the world of Champions. Absolutely brilliant!

    (other than tons of exclamations and capital letters that I used in my posts here - I am relatively emotionally stable ;) )
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Welcome to the Pen-and-Paper side of Champions gaming, dogmaticus. :)

    The very first edition of Champions debuted in the summer of 1981. Over the decades it's continued to grow and evolve, with many different creators adding characters, groups, and background details, and refining those already introduced. The current Champions Universe volume that you're now reading is the distillation of that long, rich process of world-creation.

    If there's any particular element of the setting you'd like to know more about, let us know. We can point you toward the most relevant source. ;)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Oh I agree, I grabbed champions universe 6th ed. Champions Universe news of the world. Villans volume one and 2.Book of the machine and Book of the Destroyer. Grabbed champions beyond pdf and book and Heroes of the north pdf and bood for my birthday. Still waiting for my MC, VB, MI collection to come in:).
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Ok, I am simply devouring the Champions Universe :).

    I backed the Book of the Empress at the kickstarter ;), and now I'm thinking what should be my next choice. I'm considering following books, and would love some recommendations :)

    1. Champions Beyond
    2. Champions Worldwide
    3. USA 50-West
    4. The City of Shadows
    5. The World's Blue Line
    6. Galactic Champions

    Personally I'm leaning towards the first two, however any advice will be great. What I want to do is simply grasp the nackground of the Champions Universe to have my CO characters better placed in it.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Champions beyond is pretty interesting, you get to read about a lot of species and get some great lore. Like I never knew the Qualarr made mega T.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    dogmaticus wrote:
    Ok, I am simply devouring the Champions Universe :).

    I backed the Book of the Empress at the kickstarter ;), and now I'm thinking what should be my next choice. I'm considering following books, and would love some recommendations :)

    1. Champions Beyond
    2. Champions Worldwide
    3. USA 50-West
    4. The City of Shadows
    5. The World's Blue Line
    6. Galactic Champions

    Personally I'm leaning towards the first two, however any advice will be great. What I want to do is simply grasp the nackground of the Champions Universe to have my CO characters better placed in it.

    Champions Beyond would be my pick out of that list.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    /seconded well /thirded now really isn't it!
    Vote for Champions Beyond!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    I went for both Beyond and Worldwide :).

    Since my goal is to create my own heroes that are not US, I wanted to know if there are other heroes from my country, and found out about "Zmierzch" (by the way - nice work, I can hardly think of another Polish word more difficult to pronounce for a foreigner ;) ). She will most certainly be mentioned in my first story about White-Red 0 the hero I came up with yesterday. I will also mention other Polish Champions, but since I created them and their back stories, I didn't really need Champions books for that ;).

    Anyway - I guess I'm gonna sink in the world of Champions books now :).
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Will you include Zmierzch's sometime-ally Tecza? A light-manipulator named "Rainbow" at least gives you a concept to build from. ;)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Champions Beyond and then Champions Worldwide would be my suggestions out of that list.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Will you include Zmierzch's sometime-ally Tecza? A light-manipulator named "Rainbow" at least gives you a concept to build from. ;)

    Zmierzch will only be mentioned ;)... I'm going into a completely different direction than Twilights, Rainbows and other atmospheric features ;).
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    I've been grazing through some of it, and I have to say it's pretty top-notch. I've only RP'd tabletop in one other canon Superhero setting (Aberrant) and I've used homebrew settings... but Champs is solid. Now... why isn't that same genius being applied to the writing in the game? I understand that things change and I can't expect it all... but come on...

    Also, love Foxbat. Officially one of my favorite characters of all time.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Just wanted to thank all of You for suggestions and tips regarding the Champions Lore.

    I already made the first concept of my new character inspired by the lore, so if anyone would like to take a look at him, or more precisely - read about him ;), the link is in my signature :).
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    If you have any interest at all in the supernatural side of the Champions Universe, I also heartily recommend The Mystic World. It outllines the nature and various forms of magic in the setting, surveys the major supernatural groups and power players, describes mystic power sites on Earth, and explains in detail the sophisticated occult cosmology of the CU. IMHO it's a very informative and entertaining read.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    If you have any interest at all in the supernatural side of the Champions Universe, I also heartily recommend The Mystic World. It outllines the nature and various forms of magic in the setting, surveys the major supernatural groups and power players, describes mystic power sites on Earth, and explains in detail the sophisticated occult cosmology of the CU. IMHO it's a very informative and entertaining read.

    That sound great too - thanks! I am very much interested in learning the more mystical and magical side of the Champions Universe, so I'll definitely look into this one!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Ah just got my birthday order in and got a cool surprise with it. A free copy of "You Gotta Have Character". Was a happy surprise for me and a great read so far:).
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