The Halt Evil Doer! is intended as both a comprehensive guide to the world and characters of the Heroic Earth Setting, as well as a resource for M&M, allowing you to create and play your own action adventures on Heroic Earth.  In the first of a new series of weekly Design Journals leading up to the September release date, Charles Phipps takes you inside the covers to give a brief overview of what you can expect to find in each of the chapters.

Chapter One is about the settings themes and mood.  Heroic Earth has a very long tradition of heroism but also a dark undercurrent that this chapter helps explain.  It, also explains what sets Heroic Earth apart from other super hero settings.

Chapter Two talks about the history of the Halt Evil Doer! setting.  Starting at the Big Bang, it moves on to the Conan-like period of Earth's Age of God Kings, then the steampunk era when Abraham Van Helsing teamed with Sherlock Holmes, travels forward to the Pulp era of the Lurking Phantom and Doctor Aeon, before the age of Modern Superheroics in the last twenty years.Rather than stick with traditional comic book ages, it reflects the "sliding timescale" theory where most of the modern history of super heroes is fairly recent.  Thus, it's been a series of rapid ups and downs for Heroic Earth's heroes.

Chapter Three is about the Geography of Heroic Earth.  Rather than attempt to limit adventures to a single super-powered city, this chapter devotes itself to setting up adventures for our heroes on a globetrotting scale.  The influence of organizations like the Gene Nation and P.H.A.N.T.O.M are explained in places like Australia and the United Kingdom.  A host of fictional nations like Khanate, Nestoria, and Ruritania are also added.Going beyond the Earth, Chapter Three discusses several other dimensions that border the Halt Evil Doer! universe.  Three intergalactic empires are detailed along with their influence on the Earth.

Chapter Four contains new rules for the M&M Superlink gaming line.  New Complications, Feats, and powers are detailed.  They are designed around the more socially orientated nature of Heroic Earth! and allow them to potentially become the Authority or Nick Fury in what they can do to the world's peoples.

Chapter Five discusses the sources for super powers in Heroic Earth, gives some storytelling options for running heroes in the setting, and also talks about the various laws and regulations that govern being a super powered champion in the setting.

Chapter Six is Black Wing's Guide to Being a Crime Fighter.  A humorous In-Universe document that has the Dark Avenger of Falconcrest City explain some of the common ups and downs of being a super hero in the Halt Evil Doer! universe.

Chapter Seven devotes itself to discussing the Secret Societies of Heroic Earth.  Unlike the Freedomverse, which pretty much just has A.E.G.I.S and Shadow, Heroic Earth has a great number of various competing organizations.  Nine of them are listed in this book and future supplements will detail many more.

Chapter Eight lists the heroes of Heroic Earth.  The members of the Golden Age Liberty League, the modern Patriots organization, and the hated Tomorrow Society.  It even gives stats for Pulp Heroes like the magician Erich Weiss.

Chapter Nine is the real meat of the book with the villains of Heroic Earth.  Archvillains like the Iron Khan, Ultramind, and Doctor Necros are listed beside chumps like the Gargoyle.  Anti-heroes like Robin Hood and the Obsidian Jaguar also give player characters individuals to fight who might otherwise be friends if not for their methods.

Chapter Ten discusses Alien Races in the Halt Evil Doer! universe.  The "V" style reptilian fascists of the Thran exist beside the Mongolian hordesmen-like shapeshifting Tsavong.  The enlightened Grigori and Entropic Masters also duel for control of the cosmos.

Chapter Eleven finally discusses storytelling in the world of Halt Evil Doer!.  Suggestions on how to handle the settings various undercurrents are given along with advice on what sorts of pressures the heroes just might be under.

Until next time!

-Charles Phipps

Halt Evil Doer! Developer and Writer

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