When it comes to superhero role-playing games, there are plenty of choices from which your average comic book fan/gamer can pick and choose. Villains & Vigilantes, Champions, DC Heroes, Marvel Super Heroes, and Necessary Evil are just a few of the product lines that offer RPG players a chance to enter vibrant comic book realities and portray either their favorite comic book hero, or a superhero concept of their own design.
Mutants & Masterminds has been a strong contender in the Superhero RPG market for more than a decade. It has won multiple ENnie Awards and Paper & Pen Fan Awards, and was listed in the top five Bestselling RPGs of 2007.
In 2010, Green Ronin released the 3rd Edition of Mutants & Masterminds, and over the past few years have added on many inexpensive web-based supplements for the game such as individual Gadget Guides, Threat Reports, and Power Profiles. Now, just last month, Green Ronin has released a new version of the 3rd edition rules in the Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook, available in both PDF and hardbound formats. So how does this new deluxe version of Mutants & Masterminds main rulebook stack up to the original?
Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook
Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook is a new updated version of the main rulebook for the Mutants & Masterminds Superhero RPG by Green Ronin. The book contains all the character generation information and rule for running the game, such as powers, advantages, gadgets, vehicles, and more. In addition, this deluxe edition also includes a Quickstart Character Generator for randomly creating superheroes by dice rolls. And there is introductory information about the main settings used by Mutants & Masterminds, Emerald City and Freedom City. Finally, the deluxe rules includes two adventures written specifically for this release: Ghost Town by Seth Johnson and Time of the Apes by Christopher McGlothlin.
Production Quality
The production quality of Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook is very good, but there were a few issues I found that held it back from an excellent rating. The writing in the rulebook is sharp and instructive, conveying information on the game mechanics quite well. However, there were some issues with the layout, specifically in the section on Powers. There are certain powers which appear in short format, highlighted by cyan boxes, which appear out of alphabetical order in the listing. In addition, the section and sub-section headers throughout the book often use the same fonts and text color, but with only a small difference in font size. These elements made the reading experience a bit muddled from time to time.
The Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook has both a detailed table of contents and PDF bookmarks. And in the PDF version of the book, the table of contents is also linked to each topic listed in the table, allowing “point and click” navigation. Regretfully, the PDF bookmarks and table of contents do not include all topics, such as the short format cyan-boxed power s previously mentioned. There is an index as well in the book, and it does list those missing topics, but sadly, it is not linked like the bookmarks and table of contents.
The artwork in Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook is mainly a repeat of the illustrations found in the 2010 release – which were some great superhero art, no argument there! I noticed that some of the artwork depicted the same characters, but it looked as though it had been drawn by another artist or had a different effect applied. I’m not sure the reason for that – maybe a copyright issue? Regardless of that, the rulebook is stuffed with some pretty awesome comic book art, and it certainly enhances the reading experience.
“With great power…”
For those who are unfamiliar with the scope of Mutants & Masterminds – which included myself until a few weeks ago – a bit of a rundown on the features is in order. Heroes (and villains) are built on a point-system, based upon the power level set by the GM. The game can accommodate everything from Masked Adventurers (your Golden Age crime-fighters for instance) to Big League and World Protectors (think Superman and Dr. Manhattan). The game has a wide range of powers which can be used to build nearly any type of superhero you can imagine or has graced the pages of a comic book, plus skills, advantages (sort of like non-powered traits), and complications – this last one represents that pathos so many superheroes have pushing them to fight evil and injustice and all that.
The game system itself has a very stripped down version of the d20 System, resolving actions in combat and out with just a couple dice rolls. In fact, all the dice you need to play the game is a single 20-sider! There are no hit points in the game, instead relying upon a “conditions” system which imposes multiple effects upon the target (villain or hero), until he, she, or it is a drooling mess on the ground. I’ve recently been invited to play in an M&M campaign, and I have to say that I really love the complexity of the powers working so well within such a simple combat system. And while building powers is no picnic, M&M is just as flexible as Champions or GURPS, so that once you have your character designed, the hardest part of the rules is behind you.
But all this stuff is in the original Mutants & Masterminds Hero’s Handbook right? So what makes this new version of the rules so “deluxe”?
Well first off, the Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook has included the Quickstart Character Generator, previously published in the M&M Gamemaster’s Kit. Simply put, the Quickstart Generator allows players to simply roll up a hero for a night, using a series of d20 rolls. There are 20 different archetypes ranging from the Battlesuit to the Weather Controller, and just about any other superhero archetype you might imagine – even Supernatural Creatures (Catnip to the Twilight fans out there?) The tables are really cool, and I would imagine the GM could just as easily use them to create a random villain for a game night as well.
Second, there is access to a couple setting for the heroes to go off and save from the supervillains: Emerald City and Freedom City. Although these sections are only teaser-introductions to the official M&M settings, they do include nifty maps and information on history, geography, local heroes and villains, and opportunities for adventure.
Finally, each of the city settings presented in the Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook has an accompanying fully developed adventure written for it. Emerald City is the site for Ghost Town, a supernatural style adventure, with heroes investigating all sorts of dark creepy goings-on. For Freedom City, there’s the Time of the Apes, an adventure of alternate dimensions and dangerous invasions. Both are well-written, and good examples of comic book storylines - and they each look as though they will provide several sessions of fun M&M play!
Overall Score: 3.9 out of 5.0
Final Conclusions
In the final analysis, the Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook is a great product, especially if you’ve never played M&M and want to give it a try, regardless of whether you’re a player or a GM. The rulebook is utterly complete, has a solid set of rules for character creation and playing the game, and even has the Quickstart Generator to be able to jump right into an existing game without having to bother to read all the rules. For Gamemasters, there is some great information on running a campaign, building encounters with villains and minions, along with the city-teasers and two adventures.
For gamers who already own a copy of the original 3rd Edition M&M Hero’s Handbook, this new Deluxe version does offer a few perks. Presumably, this is the most recent version of the M&M rules to date, and it contains the Quickstart Generator for those who did not buy the Gamemaster Kit. And the two adventures included with the Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook are completely new content, which might be cool to have on hand for a few sessions in any campaign.
But this PDF version of the Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook is priced to move - 20 bux for a complete game system with two big adventure modules included is a solid deal all around for fans of Superhero RPGs!
Reviewer’s Note: This Reviewer received a complimentary copy of the product from which the review was written.
Grade Card (Ratings 1 to 5)
Mutants & Masterminds has been a strong contender in the Superhero RPG market for more than a decade. It has won multiple ENnie Awards and Paper & Pen Fan Awards, and was listed in the top five Bestselling RPGs of 2007.
In 2010, Green Ronin released the 3rd Edition of Mutants & Masterminds, and over the past few years have added on many inexpensive web-based supplements for the game such as individual Gadget Guides, Threat Reports, and Power Profiles. Now, just last month, Green Ronin has released a new version of the 3rd edition rules in the Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook, available in both PDF and hardbound formats. So how does this new deluxe version of Mutants & Masterminds main rulebook stack up to the original?
Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook
- Writing & Design: Steve Kenson
- Illustrations: Imaginary Friends Studio (cover); (interior) Jeff Carlisle, Darren Calvert, Adam DeKraker, Talon Dunning, Tom Feister, Tariq Hassan, Steven Howard, Scott James, Georges Jeanty, Alex Johns, Leif Jones, Jonathan Kirtz, MK Ultra Studio, Octographics, Tony Parker, Ron Randall, Alex Sheikman, Kevin Stokes, Udon w/Chris Stevens, Dexter Vines
- Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing
- Year: 2013
- Media: PDF (322 pages)
- Price: $20.00 (Available at RPGNow.com)
Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook is a new updated version of the main rulebook for the Mutants & Masterminds Superhero RPG by Green Ronin. The book contains all the character generation information and rule for running the game, such as powers, advantages, gadgets, vehicles, and more. In addition, this deluxe edition also includes a Quickstart Character Generator for randomly creating superheroes by dice rolls. And there is introductory information about the main settings used by Mutants & Masterminds, Emerald City and Freedom City. Finally, the deluxe rules includes two adventures written specifically for this release: Ghost Town by Seth Johnson and Time of the Apes by Christopher McGlothlin.
Production Quality
The production quality of Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook is very good, but there were a few issues I found that held it back from an excellent rating. The writing in the rulebook is sharp and instructive, conveying information on the game mechanics quite well. However, there were some issues with the layout, specifically in the section on Powers. There are certain powers which appear in short format, highlighted by cyan boxes, which appear out of alphabetical order in the listing. In addition, the section and sub-section headers throughout the book often use the same fonts and text color, but with only a small difference in font size. These elements made the reading experience a bit muddled from time to time.
The Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook has both a detailed table of contents and PDF bookmarks. And in the PDF version of the book, the table of contents is also linked to each topic listed in the table, allowing “point and click” navigation. Regretfully, the PDF bookmarks and table of contents do not include all topics, such as the short format cyan-boxed power s previously mentioned. There is an index as well in the book, and it does list those missing topics, but sadly, it is not linked like the bookmarks and table of contents.
The artwork in Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook is mainly a repeat of the illustrations found in the 2010 release – which were some great superhero art, no argument there! I noticed that some of the artwork depicted the same characters, but it looked as though it had been drawn by another artist or had a different effect applied. I’m not sure the reason for that – maybe a copyright issue? Regardless of that, the rulebook is stuffed with some pretty awesome comic book art, and it certainly enhances the reading experience.
“With great power…”
For those who are unfamiliar with the scope of Mutants & Masterminds – which included myself until a few weeks ago – a bit of a rundown on the features is in order. Heroes (and villains) are built on a point-system, based upon the power level set by the GM. The game can accommodate everything from Masked Adventurers (your Golden Age crime-fighters for instance) to Big League and World Protectors (think Superman and Dr. Manhattan). The game has a wide range of powers which can be used to build nearly any type of superhero you can imagine or has graced the pages of a comic book, plus skills, advantages (sort of like non-powered traits), and complications – this last one represents that pathos so many superheroes have pushing them to fight evil and injustice and all that.
The game system itself has a very stripped down version of the d20 System, resolving actions in combat and out with just a couple dice rolls. In fact, all the dice you need to play the game is a single 20-sider! There are no hit points in the game, instead relying upon a “conditions” system which imposes multiple effects upon the target (villain or hero), until he, she, or it is a drooling mess on the ground. I’ve recently been invited to play in an M&M campaign, and I have to say that I really love the complexity of the powers working so well within such a simple combat system. And while building powers is no picnic, M&M is just as flexible as Champions or GURPS, so that once you have your character designed, the hardest part of the rules is behind you.
But all this stuff is in the original Mutants & Masterminds Hero’s Handbook right? So what makes this new version of the rules so “deluxe”?
Well first off, the Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook has included the Quickstart Character Generator, previously published in the M&M Gamemaster’s Kit. Simply put, the Quickstart Generator allows players to simply roll up a hero for a night, using a series of d20 rolls. There are 20 different archetypes ranging from the Battlesuit to the Weather Controller, and just about any other superhero archetype you might imagine – even Supernatural Creatures (Catnip to the Twilight fans out there?) The tables are really cool, and I would imagine the GM could just as easily use them to create a random villain for a game night as well.
Second, there is access to a couple setting for the heroes to go off and save from the supervillains: Emerald City and Freedom City. Although these sections are only teaser-introductions to the official M&M settings, they do include nifty maps and information on history, geography, local heroes and villains, and opportunities for adventure.
Finally, each of the city settings presented in the Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook has an accompanying fully developed adventure written for it. Emerald City is the site for Ghost Town, a supernatural style adventure, with heroes investigating all sorts of dark creepy goings-on. For Freedom City, there’s the Time of the Apes, an adventure of alternate dimensions and dangerous invasions. Both are well-written, and good examples of comic book storylines - and they each look as though they will provide several sessions of fun M&M play!
Overall Score: 3.9 out of 5.0
Final Conclusions
In the final analysis, the Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook is a great product, especially if you’ve never played M&M and want to give it a try, regardless of whether you’re a player or a GM. The rulebook is utterly complete, has a solid set of rules for character creation and playing the game, and even has the Quickstart Generator to be able to jump right into an existing game without having to bother to read all the rules. For Gamemasters, there is some great information on running a campaign, building encounters with villains and minions, along with the city-teasers and two adventures.
For gamers who already own a copy of the original 3rd Edition M&M Hero’s Handbook, this new Deluxe version does offer a few perks. Presumably, this is the most recent version of the M&M rules to date, and it contains the Quickstart Generator for those who did not buy the Gamemaster Kit. And the two adventures included with the Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook are completely new content, which might be cool to have on hand for a few sessions in any campaign.
But this PDF version of the Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook is priced to move - 20 bux for a complete game system with two big adventure modules included is a solid deal all around for fans of Superhero RPGs!
Reviewer’s Note: This Reviewer received a complimentary copy of the product from which the review was written.
Grade Card (Ratings 1 to 5)
- Presentation: 3.5
- - Design: 3.0 (Great writing; solid descriptions; but not a fan of the layout)
- - Illustrations: 4.0 (Awesome comic book illustrations and maps)
- Content: 3.75
- - Crunch: 4.0 (Amazing adaptation of d20; solid rules and character elements; good GM info)
- - Fluff: 3.5 (Good story examples of power building and play mechanics; City-setting teasers a bit anemic)
- Value: 4.5 (Great price for a complete superhero RPG experience!)
