Superhero- A new game in development [Archive] - Wizards Community

Superhero- A new game in development [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Gnomemaster
04-06-07, 02:25 AM The other day I sat in Barnes and Noble reading through the book Mutants and Masterminds. While not by Wizards of the Coast, it is a D20 system game about how to play a superhero game. One of the more clunky aspects of this game is the class system (called Archetypes) in M&M. They have a Speedster class (Like the Flash), a Paragon class (Like Superman), a sorcerer class (Like Dr. Strange), and so on. All these classes for comic book archetypes.

Frankly, this is a trifle bit ridiculous. Superheroes are not archetypes. In my opinion, an archetype is a style of character that has been reused, but is broad enough to not be a stereotype. (Like you could say Aragorn, Conan, and Boba Fett are all fighters, even though each one is unique). M&M really only allows for stereotypes to play, you're choices are a Superman knockoff, a Batman Knockoff, a Flash knockoff and so on. Which is why I plan on creating my own game, based upon the D20 system, with a few tweaks.

First, the class system. I plan on not having many classes, probably only one class.

The Hero.

The Hero has average HP (probably a D8 Hit Die), better than average Base attack, and average saves, the player decides which saving throw gets extra points from the get go (If you were playing a sorcerer or psychic, you would focus on Will saves, or if you were playing a brawler then Reflex saves, or a Tank then Fortitude saves) The hero gets average skill points, and feats every three levels.

Ok, so he's average, what's so super about that? Heroes get Power Points and Powers known. Like a Psion. The Super Power system is based a lot on Psionics. The Super hero would choose so many super powers that he knows (like flying, a strength boosting power, and heat vision) and would get 12 power points to spend per day. When the player wants to increase his strength to chuck a car around, they just expend a few power points. This solves the problem of why Clark Kent isn't strong, or why he doesn't pummel Lois Lane to death while making out. It's because the player hasn't put those powers into play.

That is just a rough lay out of how the game will run. There will probably be hundreds of powers to choose from, and a new money system. (Instead of using purchasing DCs, The economy is just going to run on dollars, you know, like in the real world)

Superheroes are the ultimate fantasy. They may not be sword and sorcery in the common sense (although some would beg to differ). While at a unity seminar, I was asked what superpower would I want the most and what would I do with it. I replied: The power to do anything, and that's just what I would do.

Please give me some feed back, if there is anyone who is remotely interested, let me know so that I can start some writing.
SilvercatMoonpaw
04-06-07, 09:07 AM I don't think you read M&M very carefully. The archtypes are just suggestions, not what one has to play. The system is point-based, with free creation set only by the costs of the different aspects of a character. Archtypes are the like the starting packages in the PHB.

If you want more info on M&M, go to the Green Ronin website and look around. There are even fan boards at atomicthinktank.com.
DarthMidget
04-06-07, 10:26 AM Silver Age Sentinels also has a very good point buy system for d20.
NexusX
04-06-07, 03:14 PM I've been playing M&M off and on for a few years - it rocks! I'd play more, but my players are more into D&D. In fact, pretty much my only major complaint is that there are almost too many options for customizing your characters - and ways to accomplish the same thing. You can pretty much make them any way you want, but finding the right game mechanic to do what you want is sometimes a little tricky (for me anyway). They have several books, one that I'm waiting for has premade powers in it, so that should make it an even more awesome game once I get that!

The only other thing I would have preferred is if they'd have stuck more closely to d20, but what they have done is quite nice. I used to have my own rules for superheroes, but I've dumped them in favor of M&M 2. I suggest taking another look!

NexusX
Max Octavious Xavier
04-08-07, 11:36 AM Wasn't there a d20 superhero book printed when 3.0 was just coming out? I'll try to find it.
Gnomemaster
04-08-07, 03:27 PM The problem I have with Mutants and Masterminds is just that it is based upon opposed "Power" checks, which is just another way of saying opposed strength checks. There is no such thing as dealing damage (not in a DnD sense). What I want to do is make a game that is more like DnD, where the powers are more like spells (or more accurately, more like the powers in the psionics handbook)

I plan on having a huge array of powers, and they won't be just simple names either (one thing I don't like about the game). Instead of just saying Super Speed I, Super Speed II, Etc. I want better names, like Fleet of Foot, or Speed of Hermes.

I want the powers to be adjustable, so you can decide how many points you want to make that power worth
The_Last_Rogue
04-08-07, 03:49 PM The problem I have with Mutants and Masterminds is just that it is based upon opposed "Power" checks, which is just another way of saying opposed strength checks. There is no such thing as dealing damage (not in a DnD sense). What I want to do is make a game that is more like DnD, where the powers are more like spells (or more accurately, more like the powers in the psionics handbook)

I plan on having a huge array of powers, and they won't be just simple names either (one thing I don't like about the game). Instead of just saying Super Speed I, Super Speed II, Etc. I want better names, like Fleet of Foot, or Speed of Hermes.

I want the powers to be adjustable, so you can decide how many points you want to make that power worth

I do not want to come off as mean . .. but have you even read M&M?? It IS scaleable, there IS a HUGE selection and variety in which to adjust and alter your powers, there IS damage, and it is done in a viable comic book manner. Please make sure you are intimately familiar with a system before presupposing you have something better.
SilvercatMoonpaw
04-08-07, 05:19 PM Plus the results that can be made by combining the various powers from M&M provides more variety than pre-made powers out of something like the Expanded Psionics Handbook. And the powers in M&M are much easier for a newbie to grasp and develop on their own than D&D.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Gnomemaster 04-06-07, 02:25 AM	The other day I sat in Barnes and Noble reading through the book Mutants and Masterminds. While not by Wizards of the Coast, it is a D20 system game about how to play a superhero game. One of the more clunky aspects of this game is the class system (called Archetypes) in M&M. They have a Speedster class (Like the Flash), a Paragon class (Like Superman), a sorcerer class (Like Dr. Strange), and so on. All these classes for comic book archetypes. Frankly, this is a trifle bit ridiculous. Superheroes are not archetypes. In my opinion, an archetype is a style of character that has been reused, but is broad enough to not be a stereotype. (Like you could say Aragorn, Conan, and Boba Fett are all fighters, even though each one is unique). M&M really only allows for stereotypes to play, you're choices are a Superman knockoff, a Batman Knockoff, a Flash knockoff and so on. Which is why I plan on creating my own game, based upon the D20 system, with a few tweaks. First, the class system. I plan on not having many classes, probably only one class. The Hero. The Hero has average HP (probably a D8 Hit Die), better than average Base attack, and average saves, the player decides which saving throw gets extra points from the get go (If you were playing a sorcerer or psychic, you would focus on Will saves, or if you were playing a brawler then Reflex saves, or a Tank then Fortitude saves) The hero gets average skill points, and feats every three levels. Ok, so he's average, what's so super about that? Heroes get Power Points and Powers known. Like a Psion. The Super Power system is based a lot on Psionics. The Super hero would choose so many super powers that he knows (like flying, a strength boosting power, and heat vision) and would get 12 power points to spend per day. When the player wants to increase his strength to chuck a car around, they just expend a few power points. This solves the problem of why Clark Kent isn't strong, or why he doesn't pummel Lois Lane to death while making out. It's because the player hasn't put those powers into play. That is just a rough lay out of how the game will run. There will probably be hundreds of powers to choose from, and a new money system. (Instead of using purchasing DCs, The economy is just going to run on dollars, you know, like in the real world) Superheroes are the ultimate fantasy. They may not be sword and sorcery in the common sense (although some would beg to differ). While at a unity seminar, I was asked what superpower would I want the most and what would I do with it. I replied: The power to do anything, and that's just what I would do. Please give me some feed back, if there is anyone who is remotely interested, let me know so that I can start some writing.
SilvercatMoonpaw 04-06-07, 09:07 AM	I don't think you read M&M very carefully. The archtypes are just suggestions, not what one has to play. The system is point-based, with free creation set only by the costs of the different aspects of a character. Archtypes are the like the starting packages in the PHB. If you want more info on M&M, go to the Green Ronin website and look around. There are even fan boards at atomicthinktank.com.
DarthMidget 04-06-07, 10:26 AM	Silver Age Sentinels also has a very good point buy system for d20.
NexusX 04-06-07, 03:14 PM	I've been playing M&M off and on for a few years - it rocks! I'd play more, but my players are more into D&D. In fact, pretty much my only major complaint is that there are almost too many options for customizing your characters - and ways to accomplish the same thing. You can pretty much make them any way you want, but finding the right game mechanic to do what you want is sometimes a little tricky (for me anyway). They have several books, one that I'm waiting for has premade powers in it, so that should make it an even more awesome game once I get that! The only other thing I would have preferred is if they'd have stuck more closely to d20, but what they have done is quite nice. I used to have my own rules for superheroes, but I've dumped them in favor of M&M 2. I suggest taking another look! NexusX
Max Octavious Xavier 04-08-07, 11:36 AM	Wasn't there a d20 superhero book printed when 3.0 was just coming out? I'll try to find it.
Gnomemaster 04-08-07, 03:27 PM	The problem I have with Mutants and Masterminds is just that it is based upon opposed "Power" checks, which is just another way of saying opposed strength checks. There is no such thing as dealing damage (not in a DnD sense). What I want to do is make a game that is more like DnD, where the powers are more like spells (or more accurately, more like the powers in the psionics handbook) I plan on having a huge array of powers, and they won't be just simple names either (one thing I don't like about the game). Instead of just saying Super Speed I, Super Speed II, Etc. I want better names, like Fleet of Foot, or Speed of Hermes. I want the powers to be adjustable, so you can decide how many points you want to make that power worth
The_Last_Rogue 04-08-07, 03:49 PM	The problem I have with Mutants and Masterminds is just that it is based upon opposed "Power" checks, which is just another way of saying opposed strength checks. There is no such thing as dealing damage (not in a DnD sense). What I want to do is make a game that is more like DnD, where the powers are more like spells (or more accurately, more like the powers in the psionics handbook) I plan on having a huge array of powers, and they won't be just simple names either (one thing I don't like about the game). Instead of just saying Super Speed I, Super Speed II, Etc. I want better names, like Fleet of Foot, or Speed of Hermes. I want the powers to be adjustable, so you can decide how many points you want to make that power worth I do not want to come off as mean . .. but have you even read M&M?? It IS scaleable, there IS a HUGE selection and variety in which to adjust and alter your powers, there IS damage, and it is done in a viable comic book manner. Please make sure you are intimately familiar with a system before presupposing you have something better.
SilvercatMoonpaw 04-08-07, 05:19 PM	Plus the results that can be made by combining the various powers from M&M provides more variety than pre-made powers out of something like the Expanded Psionics Handbook. And the powers in M&M are much easier for a newbie to grasp and develop on their own than D&D.