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I saw a topic in the rifts forum for world books wanted by fans and was wondering what HU books anybody would want? Myself I would love about the early heroes. Like when they first appeared in this world and how the world initially took (or didn't) to the heroes.

I would like to see a book on how to set up a city. You know, kind of a suggestions for creating a setting more than something already built. They could call it Cities Unlimited and make it geared for supers in addition to normal folks. I never know how many people to put in a city or how to set up locales. Cities Unlimited could cover that as well as giving adventure ideas.

I still want "Magic Unlimited" with new magic category/classes that would work better in a Super Hero world and maybe different casting rules like PPE channeling.


Daniel Stoker

Daniel Stoker wrote:I still want "Magic Unlimited" with new magic category/classes that would work better in a Super Hero world and maybe different casting rules like PPE channeling.


Daniel Stoker

go on......[desire to write intensifies]

I personally would love to see some of the comic artist out there put together a "Mechanization of Doom" Kind of book with story and new villains and heroes. That would vastly update the Heroes Unlimited books across the board. Right now I'm running a web cast http://strangecorpseposse.blogspot.ca/ trying to put a personal spin on the HU universe in a dynamic way. The heroes really might never make it back to HU earth but they are loving the adventure so far. Check it out for more inspiration.

Hardware Unlimited....

Still want to see "The Nursery" for HU2/ATB2.

zyanitevp wrote:Hardware Unlimited....

This is the one I'd like to see. Partly because they might include the psi-builder power cat. I've submitted into it.

zerombr wrote:go on......[desire to write intensifies]

Well I've written it before but one of my ideas was something like the Physical Adept from ShadowRun or the Natural type character from BtS where the person uses his magical powers to upgrade themselves and their ability at the cost of their PPE and/or spell casting. Maybe have it where they have bought base abilities like added strength and dexterity but then can either 'cast' or spend PPE to temporarily enhance themselves as well like if they need to make a super sniper shot or something like that which has a limited duration and will fade after they've used it and need more PPE or rest for them to use again.

Personally to make Psionics and Magic keep up in HU I've also dramatically increased ISP and PPE regeneration for my games where you still have you pool, but a mage or master psi who meditates for 8 hours can get back their full ISP/PPE pool. I found it REALLY helps with Psionic characters where one use of a Psi-Sword doesn't take you 5 hours of meditation to recoup from.


Daniel Stoker

BookWyrm wrote:Still want to see "The Nursery" for HU2/ATB2.

What is that?

Hardware Unlimited



Mad Scientist Class
Borderline Sci-Fi Gadgets
A couple of Doomsday Devices

Hardware Unlimited would be the top book I'd like to see.

Thom001 wrote:

BookWyrm wrote:Still want to see "The Nursery" for HU2/ATB2.

What is that?

This was the proposed HU2/ATB2 book from a while back, with updated Mutant Animal creation rules, new animals (possibly reprints from all the old ATB1 books), an updated Bio-E system & (bum bum BUMMMMM) the return of Doc Feral & his corporation Bio-Spawn (that might have to be renamed, since the Nightspawn/Nightbane incident).
It was also supposed to detail the US government's own ultra-secret Mutant Animal testing facility, code-named "The Nursery", not only as a major foe for the Mutant Animal players but also as an origin point. My suggestion was for an updated look at.....The Terror Bears!
Think of it as "Mutations Unlimited" (Since we can't use a Marvel-copyrighted word.....)

I would still like to see the Nursery . And some world books for HU.

I would be happy to see pretty much anything for HU. The Magic and/or Hardware books would be a great addition to those characters, and the general flexibility of HU. A city/setting builder with some example would be fun. The Nursery would be great as well. I always had the feeling that between Mutant Underground, and AtB2 this just sort of got dropped.

There are a few things I think could easily be done in HU. A (add a book from palladium) HU crossover event, where like in a comic some city A has partially merged with a city from one of the other lines like pf, atb, bts, nightbane, or rifts. Have stats for the city, what has happened to the other half of the city (or maybe the other world is a cloud city like they claimed was seen in china), and its up to the heroes to stop this from spreading and restore it. There could be a HU book for underwater civilizations, or a book for HU in tyrannical or communist countries like the cold war. I guess I'm more thinking of like adventure sourcebooks. Also heroes unlimited in the 25th century.

I would love to see both the Hardware Unlimited and Magic Unlimited. I think they would greatly help expand the scope of HU. Something I would like to see would be Pulp Unlimited. Something stylized towards the old pulp style detective comics and strips.

BookWyrm wrote:Still want to see "The Nursery" for HU2/ATB2.

Until they come out with the book I just rip off Cauldron from Worm as them.

I would like the following in order...

1) Technology Unlimited - This would cover Hardware, Cybernetics, Weaponry, Vehicles, Super Bases, Gizmo's, and Gadgets.
2) More setting books.
3) Modules or Adventure Paths. The Rift had that amazing one the Supers Registration Act one. That one showed me what can be done and I loved it.

Sir_Spirit wrote:

BookWyrm wrote:Still want to see "The Nursery" for HU2/ATB2.

Until they come out with the book I just rip off Cauldron from Worm as them.

I'm not familiar with that book.

It's a free web serial. (google Worm Web Serial-but only go to the table of contents, the main page is spoilery). It's a really good read. Imagine if Rowling wrote 28 full-sized Harry Potter books in 2 years.
Only He's a She, is in a crapsack Superhero world, and has bug powers.....

I'm thinking a comprehensive adventure book based on Century Station would be good. Sort of a tour of the city/adventure that exposes the heroes to unique NPC folk in the areas and a chance to save the city while mingling with the odd super folk in the city too.

I'd like to see a book about the up and coming war between the mutants/supers and humans, how will things reach the boiling point where humans declare war on the mutants/supers and what is the human's position on the mutants/supers do the humans want to wipe out all mutants/supers?, enslave them or what and how will the mutants/supers react to being targeted as an active menace by the humans.

I love to see the Atorian empire.
Maps of each states of the Empire,Atorian ships both Military and Civilin,Millitary ranks,Tech,Weapons,list of Ally and Subjects races,Important Npcs and 101 Adventures.

Maybe a book on FAR too.

gaby wrote:I love to see the Atorian empire.
Maps of each states of the Empire,Atorian ships both Military and Civilin,Millitary ranks,Tech,Weapons,list of Ally and Subjects races,Important Npcs and 101 Adventures.

Maybe a book on FAR too.

I believe you mean planets. States are usually areas on a planet.

Stone Gargoyle wrote:

gaby wrote:I love to see the Atorian empire.
Maps of each states of the Empire,Atorian ships both Military and Civilin,Millitary ranks,Tech,Weapons,list of Ally and Subjects races,Important Npcs and 101 Adventures.

Maybe a book on FAR too.

I believe you mean planets. States are usually areas on a planet.

States are simply a political body, often they refer to nations as in nation-states...
And I believe the Empire is made up of subordinate states with its own Empress.

eliakon is Right ther six Empress each controling a state within the Empire.

At this point, we need to see a new edition of HU, as a revamp of the Palladium system. A rule set that was revolutionary when the word Advanced was on the covers of D&D books, has become very dated and hard to play compared to such games today. A new XP system that allows faster advancement for people who want to keep playing after 5th level. A better scaling for powers and power categories. A way to unlock new powers as a element of character progression rather then a random role on your power table. New levels of powers for a better balance of character builds among PCs. A point buy system for some variance of the same power from character to character. Fewer random tables, more character options. Push spell casting magic users and Psionic classes to their own specialized books and make room for the more main line character builds and supporting game mechanics, Palladium books has a massive library of magic spells and psionic powers, focus on them in their own books. Move the power catagories from 1970s and 1980s TV shows out of the main book and use the space for even more stuff for the core game. And most importantly, clean up the rules sections so all of the given rules regarding any given thing are found in that rules section, rather then found spliced haphazardly through out the book. New hand to hand combat tables spice up the game, using more exotic stuff then just Ninjas and Superspies retreads. Make Boxing and Wrestling their own Hand to Hand combat styles. Stream line combat to speed things up.

This is the kind of stuff Palladium needs to do for a new HU book. Then we can worry about setting books and splat books. Heroes Unlimited is my favorite game system, the ideas and story possibilities are fantastic, in a very literal sense, but my group no longer wants to play HU any more, the rule system is just too limited, to fragmented and to full of bits we weren't using. My group literally had an intervention to make me move to Mutants and Masterminds. While I'd love to come home to HU, I can't in good faith argue that Palladium's system does a better job.

The Artist Formerly wrote:At this point, we need to see a new edition of HU, as a revamp of the Palladium system. A rule set that was revolutionary when the word Advanced was on the covers of D&D books, has become very dated and hard to play compared to such games today. A new XP system that allows faster advancement for people who want to keep playing after 5th level. A better scaling for powers and power categories. A way to unlock new powers as a element of character progression rather then a random role on your power table. New levels of powers for a better balance of character builds among PCs. A point buy system for some variance of the same power from character to character. Fewer random tables, more character options. Push spell casting magic users and Psionic classes to their own specialized books and make room for the more main line character builds and supporting game mechanics, Palladium books has a massive library of magic spells and psionic powers, focus on them in their own books. Move the power catagories from 1970s and 1980s TV shows out of the main book and use the space for even more stuff for the core game. And most importantly, clean up the rules sections so all of the given rules regarding any given thing are found in that rules section, rather then found spliced haphazardly through out the book. New hand to hand combat tables spice up the game, using more exotic stuff then just Ninjas and Superspies retreads. Make Boxing and Wrestling their own Hand to Hand combat styles. Stream line combat to speed things up.

This is the kind of stuff Palladium needs to do for a new HU book. Then we can worry about setting books and splat books. Heroes Unlimited is my favorite game system, the ideas and story possibilities are fantastic, in a very literal sense, but my group no longer wants to play HU any more, the rule system is just too limited, to fragmented and to full of bits we weren't using. My group literally had an intervention to make me move to Mutants and Masterminds. While I'd love to come home to HU, I can't in good faith argue that Palladium's system does a better job.

Some stuff is dated so new players would like scratch there heads. Those of us that grew up through CD's camcorders and such would understand that cell phones and MP3 players replace many things that a personal computer does too. I think it is a great reference for golden age comics and beyond. If you want to know how players and GM's adapt, you might want to listen to the pod cast http://strangecorpseposse.blogspot.ca/

I have lots of book location idea's. Palladium just needs to say yes. Make it a little more simple to get ideas through to the decision makers.

Taffy has a point with the HU3 approach. All of HU deserves an update. I don't see PB pulling the spell and psychic ability based classes out because they lose the "any character" approach, but it isn't a bad idea to make them a separate book with good rules on conversions from other titles included. That being said, the magic book needs to be released pretty much with the main book, so as not to go down the road of BTS......

As my group lays now the Magic and Psychic classes can be supplemented with books from the Megaverse, but that depends on the GM, and how complicated they want to get. Some tech classes(bionic and robot in-particular) can pull from Rifts or Robotech if the GM is willing to do the conversion work, but not as easily as magic and psychic classes. The Hardware classes are so outdated that to me they are almost unplayable today, at least if you are using the HU books as your only sources. In the last 10 years most players I have seen going the hardware route opt for the Natural Genius, or Super Invention because they are more playable. The actual super power classes are pretty well handled with the PU books, and the special training classes generally tend to be low powered, but playable.


Over the years my various gaming groups have usually played HU with a kitchen sink approach. The basic rule with us has been if it is in a SDC based game (particularly from PF, Nightbane, System Failures) and you want to play a version in HU it is probably going to be allowed by the GM. This is assuming you as the player does the work to get the GM the book to look at, and help with things like a spell/psychic ability list for your character. So the Earth Warlock, Wampyre, or government agent with Organitech armor you want to play would probably be allowed(assuming it fit the power level of the game), but will probably have an HU flavor to it. The Warlock may represent a rare school of magic, the Warpyre might be a weird experiment, and the Organitech armor and weapons might be the result of Area 51 research being field tested. If it was an MDC book it might still be allowed, but it was less likely due to a lot more work being required for classes and equipment. I've heard that ruins the flavor and spirit of HU, but to us it gave more options and fun.

Just my two cents.

hardware unlimited is nearly done, I've held the preview copy, and have a char from it. There's a game involving it on my podcast. ^^

Wasn't it written over 10 years ago now? I hate to ask but has the tech in it been updated?


Daniel Stoker

Daniel Stoker wrote:Wasn't it written over 10 years ago now? I hate to ask but has the tech in it been updated?


Daniel Stoker

Well the char I had, could control a dozen drones which could fold together into a gestalt robot form. I'd say yes. They stopped putting specifics into computers and such, so there's no 'its equipped with a nifty 3 Gigs of Ram' such, its just 'high end' and 'low end' nowadays, I think.

An unlimited book for each catagory

Well that's really good to hear.


Daniel Stoker

Zer0 Kay wrote:An unlimited book for each catagory

well lets see, we have 3 Powers unlimited books, so there's your mutants/experiments
we also have that bionics sourcebook, so would you say that'd be your robots/bionics?
we have an aliens unlimited book, several actually.

that means magic gets one, even I am willing to rule that the Book of magic doesn't count
psionics too, I'm for that as well

Hardware unlimited is to be one...

so that leaves what I am working on, the Special Training characters! I've revamped the stage mage, and have the third round of a sleuth article almost done, and have plans to work on the Operative and....*sigh* the Hunter. So I guess that's about it for them, right?

or did you want something else? I'm genuinely interested in what you'd like.

Ooooooh, its not a "need it now" idea, but i'd like to see a write up of villain super organizations. Not a make it yourself but like a world book for rifts, instead of describing a place it describes a criminal organization, its villians, its minions, its tech, some locations, crimes and contacts.

Nightmartree wrote:Ooooooh, its not a "need it now" idea, but i'd like to see a write up of villain super organizations. Not a make it yourself but like a world book for rifts, instead of describing a place it describes a criminal organization, its villians, its minions, its tech, some locations, crimes and contacts.

Now THAT sounds cool. Afterall... what good are heroes without villians?

Jack Burton wrote:Now THAT sounds cool. Afterall... what good are heroes without villians?

Also it would allow for glimpses into the world of palladiums heroes unlimited. A way to introduce organizations, heroes, villians, maybe even new powers/categories without directly jumping into a new main book or unlimited. I mean, if you have a villain organization devoted to magic? slip in some new spells and optional rules for magic, high tech robbers? perfect for those robotic guards and new gadgets. Someone FINALLY gets that new super soldier formula up and going? well did the bad guys steal it or fund their own?

It might mean we can get some cool stuff without having to wait for the loading screen to hit 100% (all the power categories and new rules worked out), cause if you'll notice books showing off "COOL THINGS!!!!YAY!!!" always seem to show up more than "NEW RULES!!!"...if only cause they're easier to make. I mean, look at rifts, its a huge setting but only a tiny bit of it is actually in the core book, and most of it is writing is on places and what you meet there, replace the world books with organization files and maybe heroes can get some more love...

Nightmartree wrote:

Jack Burton wrote:Now THAT sounds cool. Afterall... what good are heroes without villians?

Also it would allow for glimpses into the world of palladiums heroes unlimited. A way to introduce organizations, heroes, villians, maybe even new powers/categories without directly jumping into a new main book or unlimited. I mean, if you have a villain organization devoted to magic? slip in some new spells and optional rules for magic, high tech robbers? perfect for those robotic guards and new gadgets. Someone FINALLY gets that new super soldier formula up and going? well did the bad guys steal it or fund their own?

It might mean we can get some cool stuff without having to wait for the loading screen to hit 100% (all the power categories and new rules worked out), cause if you'll notice books showing off "COOL THINGS!!!!YAY!!!" always seem to show up more than "NEW RULES!!!"...if only cause they're easier to make. I mean, look at rifts, its a huge setting but only a tiny bit of it is actually in the core book, and most of it is writing is on places and what you meet there, replace the world books with organization files and maybe heroes can get some more love...

I certainly try to do this with the pod cast.
Focus more on story and less on the rules. Show the powers and the toys a little at a time while the story, characters and NPC round out the show. You can get a better idea by giving a listen... http://strangecorpseposse.blogspot.ca/