What can you tell us about Lucha Libre Hero?

Well, it's a "genre book" for adventuring in the world of lucha libre movies, which if you're not familiar with them are movies starring masked Mexican wrestlers battling monsters, aliens, mad scientists, spies or gangsters (and usually all of the above.) The Golden Age of lucha movies was about 1955-1975, and the greatest heroes of the period were El Santo, Blue Demon and Mil Mascaras. The cinematic adventures of those three and countless others are among the craziest, most psychotronic action movies ever put to celluloid. Jason [Walters] and I are huge fans, and we want to share this crazy universe with anybody who thinks it might be appealing. I quote from the book's intro:

"... We hope you're the kind of person for whom the idea of driving around the desert in a tricked out Karmann Ghia convertible with a lovely lady by your side, defending the good people of Mexico by drop-kicking mummies and applying Atomic Neckbreakers to the various werewolf henchmen of mad scientists while electric guitar power chords and Latin rhythms echo across the sun-bleached hills, hits you right in the limbic system and sends chills down your spinal column. If not, then maybe this book isn't for you."

As the "finishing move" for Hero System: 5th Edition, what does Lucha Libre bring to the ring?

Well, it's complete in one book, so the fact that Hero's moving to Sixth Edition doesn't really affect it. Lucha Hero includes in it all the rules from Sidekick, Hero's "EZ-Play" version, that you need to play in this genre. Chair shots, vampire wrestling, pocket flamethrowers, it's all here.

Anyone who has dropped by a Hero Games convention party lately has seen a few Lucha movies. Is this book a labor of love for you? (costumed man-love, but love nonetheless)

Jason and I have been threatening people with this book for *years* now, and it's great to see it finally come to print. Several people, Hero fans or otherwise, have been outraged by its pending existence for some time, which I've never really understood. But hey, what's the point of owning a game company if you can't do a completely outrageous book for love now and again? For what it's worth, it's generated an awful lot of pre-release noise both good and bad, more than any other Hero book I personally can remember.

What do you hope Hero System fans will take away from Lucha Libre Hero?

Well, Lucha movies are a very acquisitive genre. Whatever else was popular in the movies in Mexico at the time, a lucha movie got made including it. Universal monster movies, James Bond-style spy movies, flying saucer alien invasion movies, you name it. So Lucha fully embraces the Hero cross-genre love. No story can not be improved by adding masked Mexican wrestlers to it. It's a proven scientific fact, and I'll body slam anyone who says otherwise.

Naturally, there's been playtesting - so, who's your masked wrestling alter ego? Or do you run a whole horde of them?

I've actually played a luchador called El Espectro for many years in various campaigns, and of course he's in the book - in fact, he's on the cover! Jason has also - his favorite is Caveman Cortez, who is a noir detective luchador who's pretty much permanently stuck in 1936 no matter what year it actually is outside.

Is there a chance we'll see a few Luchadores in Champions Online? As consultants on Cryptic Studios' new game, surely you and Steve [Long] could have spotted some masked wrestlers.

Heh. Well, not to give away any secrets, but hidden away in several zones of the game are secret arenas for PVP conflict, and it's rumored there's a couple of luchadores who might be involved in that in some way. But you didn't hear that from me.

  For more on Hero Games, especially Hero System: Sixth Edition and Champions Online, have a listen to OgreCave's interview with Darren Watts at the GAMA Trade Show 2009. Also hear Darren talk about the release of Champions: Sixth Edition in this News Update podcast from DunDraCon 34.