Superline Gamemaster's Series: A Fistful of Plot Devices, #1

Superheroes spend a lot of their active time responding to crises: something goes very wrong, and they must save the day. This 19-page PDF is a collection of ways to create a crisis, including people, places, and things that can go wrong in interesting ways. They include some (real or impending) catastrophes, and also some basically positive developments that have nightmarish potential in the wrong hands. They’re each intended to provide reasons for lots of different kinds of heroes to feel like responding, suitable for use in many different campaigns. They aren’t complete adventures, but open-ended starting points.

Written by Bruce Baugh.

In this, the latest in my senses-shattering series of reviews of the Superline Gamemaster’s Series of .pdf’s from Ronin Arts, we are taking a look at A Fistful of Plot Devices #1 by none other than RPG.net elder-statesman Bruce Baugh, who you will recall figured largely in my last review from this series…if only in a “Well damn! There’s his name in the credits” capacity.

In this offering, however, Mr. Baugh’s writing skills take centre stage.

The product itself is a neat idea. My problem with standard Adventure modules is that they are largely of no use to me, as they almost always fail to “mesh” with my homebrewed setting. This is very common in standard Fantasy RPG—more often than not the treasure given out is too rich, and the monsters and the challenges presented to “High Fantasy”—but the poor fit is even more glaring in a Super’s game; locations, NPC’s and continuity being very important to my happiness while running a prepared product.

So with A Fistful of Plot Devices #1, rather than a fleshed-out Superheroic Adventure (which Ronin Arts has proven they can do with a vengeance), we are presented with a passel of what are usually called “Plot Hooks” in most published settings. But these are plot hooks that have been fleshed out in great, if generic, detail by an author whose work I admire and enjoy.

The format is as easy to read as it is to use. Each “Plot Device” (not to be confused with the rules-ignoring GM’s tool described in the Mutants and Masterminds core book) is evocatively titled something like Peril from the Past, The Death Cult or The Evil Duplicate to name but a few, and each is then expanded upon under the following headings…

• The Situation: A concise description of the Hook with which the GM can reel in the characters
• Developments: Ways things can go once the Heroes rise to the challenge
• Alternatives: Some possible complications and variations (to keep jaded players on their toes)
• Considerations: Things to keep in mind when preparing to use the Plot Device in your campaign.
• Game Mechanics: Specific rules for Mutants and Mastermindswhere applicable.

And each of these heading often has several sub categories within it.

So, instead of something that you have to endlessly tweak and re-work to fit your campaign, We’ve been given several somethings that are very complete, very robust skeletons on which to hang adventures specific to your setting.

It’s laid out nicely and, though the art is sparse, the whole thing looks kind of “Comic Bookey” which is nice.

This is another instance of the price point of a product coming into play. Like the Campaign Planner before it, this is a hell of a value at $4.99.

If it was nothing but inspirational notes it would be a value, but when you realize that it basically does a lot of the “guessing what the players might do” and a good deal of the “Whipping up a reaction to that” for you, it’s an absolute steal.