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Tell Me and my Son about Mutants & Masterminds
- Thread starter megamania
- Start date
Mark Chance
Boingy! Boingy!
M&M has several virtues:
1. It is relatively easy to learn. I taught my son to play when he just a bit younger than yours.
2. It is well-suited to one player/one GM play.
3. It is quite flexible and works well with a variety of styles.
4. It is well-supported by Green Ronin, many third-party publishers, and an active on-line community.
My son and I got a few sessions under our belts before life complications derailed the game. You can read about these sessions at the following links (which also get you to the aforementioned on-line community):
The Kanik Chronicles
R.A.T.'s Revenge Issue 1 - Issue 2 - Issue 3 | Earth Crimes Issue 4 - Issue 5
1. It is relatively easy to learn. I taught my son to play when he just a bit younger than yours.
2. It is well-suited to one player/one GM play.
3. It is quite flexible and works well with a variety of styles.
4. It is well-supported by Green Ronin, many third-party publishers, and an active on-line community.
My son and I got a few sessions under our belts before life complications derailed the game. You can read about these sessions at the following links (which also get you to the aforementioned on-line community):
The Kanik Chronicles
R.A.T.'s Revenge Issue 1 - Issue 2 - Issue 3 | Earth Crimes Issue 4 - Issue 5
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Dice4Hire
First Post
Here is a good place to go
The Atomic Think Tank • Index page
I have played the game and have a few things about it.
1. Ultimate powers is like the PHBII. Lots of good options for more powers there, though jsutthe original rulebook is enough.
2. It is pretty easy to learn once you have done a d20 game, except no hit points, only dmage saves.
3. There is a huge amount of versatility in the rules, which are point buy.
4. Most, but not all, standard hero concepts work well in the rules.
5. AT the Atomic think tank, check out people's builds of every comic book character you can think of. Finding opponents is very very easy, just reskin and go with them.
A few problems though
1. It is a min-maxer's dream. Point buy usually is, but it is very possible to make an unkillable character under any normal circumstances. Or at least an over dominating one.
2. Weaknesses give very few points compared to the power you are losing. For example disintigrating any target is 5pp/rank, but only disintigrating non-living is 4pp/rank. Not much saving for the power you are losing.
3. Tradeoffs. The book allows tradeoffs, but the two sides are not equal, so it is a sure way to more power. For example getting higher toughness while dropping defense is popular, you will never see people doing it the other say.
4. Power level. Everything is limited by power level, but not well enough. The exceptions there can break the game. Watch for tough characters with a toughness tradeoff and Impervious. They can be immune to most attacks at their power level.
All this said, it is an excellent Superhero game, though it is necessary to watch character creation very closely. I played it, and even ran it, a bit and enjoyed it but will probably not do so again. The min-maxing was too much for me.
The Atomic Think Tank • Index page
I have played the game and have a few things about it.
1. Ultimate powers is like the PHBII. Lots of good options for more powers there, though jsutthe original rulebook is enough.
2. It is pretty easy to learn once you have done a d20 game, except no hit points, only dmage saves.
3. There is a huge amount of versatility in the rules, which are point buy.
4. Most, but not all, standard hero concepts work well in the rules.
5. AT the Atomic think tank, check out people's builds of every comic book character you can think of. Finding opponents is very very easy, just reskin and go with them.
A few problems though
1. It is a min-maxer's dream. Point buy usually is, but it is very possible to make an unkillable character under any normal circumstances. Or at least an over dominating one.
2. Weaknesses give very few points compared to the power you are losing. For example disintigrating any target is 5pp/rank, but only disintigrating non-living is 4pp/rank. Not much saving for the power you are losing.
3. Tradeoffs. The book allows tradeoffs, but the two sides are not equal, so it is a sure way to more power. For example getting higher toughness while dropping defense is popular, you will never see people doing it the other say.
4. Power level. Everything is limited by power level, but not well enough. The exceptions there can break the game. Watch for tough characters with a toughness tradeoff and Impervious. They can be immune to most attacks at their power level.
All this said, it is an excellent Superhero game, though it is necessary to watch character creation very closely. I played it, and even ran it, a bit and enjoyed it but will probably not do so again. The min-maxing was too much for me.
Relique du Madde
Adventurer
Also it should be noted that a DM in M&M has the ability to adjust the power level benchmarks to achieve whatever campaign you have in mind.
For instance, depending on the genre its recomended to change the pp/pl to 20 instead of the standard 15. If you think the max ability range, saves, damage modifier limits are to high, or low, you can also change them.
For instance, depending on the genre its recomended to change the pp/pl to 20 instead of the standard 15. If you think the max ability range, saves, damage modifier limits are to high, or low, you can also change them.
Henry
Autoexreginated
Isn't the standard PL 10? PL 20 is basically Superman level; PL 10 is more like most non-cosmic heroes of Marvel & DC; and PL 5 is more like Batman, but without the millions of dollars and ultimate physical perfection.
Mark Chance
Boingy! Boingy!
Isn't the standard PL 10? PL 20 is basically Superman level; PL 10 is more like most non-cosmic heroes of Marvel & DC; and PL 5 is more like Batman, but without the millions of dollars and ultimate physical perfection.
Right. PL 10 is standard.
Jeff Wilder
First Post
He's not talking about PL ... he's talking about the association between power points and PL.
Typically, PCs are built on 15pp per PL. But PL actually has to do with caps on attack/damage, toughness/defense, saving throws, power DCs, and skill ranks, not technically with power points. (For example, there's no real reason for a GM to worry about points spent on an NPC ... the GM should worry about the caps, and assign points where needed or desired.)
So he's saying set the starting points per PL to 20, rather than the standard 15. This won't have a dramatic effect on the raw power of starting PCs, as characters will broaden their capabilities rather than piling them higher.
And this doesn't only have to happen at the beginning. For example, in my game I started the PCs at PL 9/135pp, and I'm quickly awarding 15 to 20 pp over three or four sessions, at which point I'm pushing the game's PL to 10. But my intention is to stay at PL 10 for quite a while (probably until the characters have at least 200pp, or 20pp/PL) to encourage the players to broaden their PCs' abilities. I doubt very seriously the game will ever go to PL 12, even if remains as successful as it promises to be.
BTW, the tradeoffs have worked okay for us, and in fact I do have a player who gave up Toughness for Defense. In fact, he wanted to go +16 Defense, +2 Toughness at PL 9, and I made him even it out more. The GM must exercise more control, and the players must extend more trust, when compared to games like D&D.
BTW (again), Superman can be built very solidly at PL 16, and Batman (without gear, but as a peak human) is probably roughly PL 9 or 10.
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If you're familiar with D20 games and played HERO, M&M wlll seem like a wonderful hybrid of the 2. After HERO, its my second favorite system...just edging out 3.5.
Its only marginally less flexible than HERO, but it does so with a less math-intensive system that will be less daunting to many.
In the meantime, its Stat/Skill/Feat/Power system will be familiar to anyone who has ever played a D20 based game. That means the learning curve will be conquered fairly easily.
Its only marginally less flexible than HERO, but it does so with a less math-intensive system that will be less daunting to many.
In the meantime, its Stat/Skill/Feat/Power system will be familiar to anyone who has ever played a D20 based game. That means the learning curve will be conquered fairly easily.
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