[Conversion] Hero and Gurps

[korbeau]

I read somewhere that the GURPS system and the HERO system is basically similar. Did someone can tell me how similar it is? Did I need a lot of conversion work for adapting Hero book (like the Bestiary) to the Gurps Sysem?

[Ravenspath]

I am a big fan of both and have many HERO books. I have not sat down and worked out a conversion between the two but it should be very straightforward. When I started to get into GURPS a couple of years ago it was pretty easy since I had been using HERO for years. I think the biggest difference will be the advantages between the two system. You should be able to set up a matrix that shows hero advantage x equals gurps advantage y. There will not be direct comparison all the time but it should be pretty obvious. I ran a game in HERO last year that I plan on converting over once I have more experience with GURPS.

The other thing will be the point comparison I guess. Does a 250 point character in HERO equal a 250 point character in GURPS.

Both systems have are great.

[flyingwombat]

IIRC there's an old issue of Roleplayer that has an article on converting
Champions characters to GURPS

[Buzzardo]

Shouldn't this be in the GURPS forum?

(Not trying to be a jerk, but it seems off topic for e23 and on-topic for GURPS.)

[The Fox]

Originally Posted by Buzzardo

Shouldn't this be in the GURPS forum?

(Not trying to be a jerk, but it seems off topic for e23 and on-topic for GURPS.)

I concur. You'll draw more useful attention there, so I have moved the thread.

[Refplace]

Depends on the version and genre your converting from.
I used to be an avid gamer of both systems and converted Hero 4E to Gurps 3E.
costs will be very different.
Most things should convert well but a Supers conversion may be tough.
Some things are priced very differently between the systems and GURPS doesnt have the power frameworks of Hero.
Modular Abilities can do variable power pools (obviously) but could handle multipowers too. Also the Alternative Attack option could simulate multipowers pretty well if the GM decided so.

[Mark Skarr]

It's always better to convert the character as opposed to the character's stats.

But, if you insist, here are some guidelines I use:
For attributes, your GURPS Attributes are your Hero rolls. An INT of 18-22 in Hero is a GURPS IQ of 13.

Since Hero doesn't do damage on anything approaching a realistic scale (a .45ACP pistol does 2d6-1K and an M-60 does 2d6+1K), you'll have to figure out your attack's damages yourself. Again, this is going for the feel and the effect, not hard numbers.

Beyond that, for supers, just buy the advantages that most closely resemble what you're looking for.

[korbeau]

Thx you all for the advices. I'll consider buying the Hero Bestiary :)

[Kaldrin]

They're similar in that they're both point-buy character creation... other than that they have significant design and function differences.

[Infornific]

Well, to start with, there was a recent thread on converting the classic character Crusader here. There's also the article Super System Switching. Beyond that I'd make a few notes:

1. Hero System DX has a huge impact on attack and defense. Basically, an attack role is based on 11 plus the attacker's combat value minus the defender's value. So if Crusader (CV 9) fights a thug with a CV of 4, Crusader hits on a 16 or less while the thug needs a 6 or less to hit. The thug may as well be a punching bag. So for combat skills, I'd take Hero System CV x2 and add 4 to get effective GURPS skill. Crusader for example should get about a 22.

2. DX and other attributes for skills will be much weaker. To compromise between combat and other skills, I'd set GURPS DX = (Champions DX)/2 + 5.

3. Champions uses a logarithmic scale which allows normal humans to survive punches that can punch through steel. I wouldn't use a hard and fast conversion - rather I'd just decide what ratio of GURPS dice to Hero System dice you want for a given genre and convert accordingly. If converting super martial artists, consider adding learge quantities of Striking ST to keep them competitive.

4. Read descriptions of skills carefully - a skill in Champions doesn't always match the same named skill in GURPS.

5. Also note that Champions powers often have enhancements built in, e.g. Champions Shrinking automatically includes retaining full ST and Hit Points.

Hope this helps.

-DW