A W&W campaign...Forked from: Starting a new M&M campaign...

[Dannyalcatraz]

Forked from: http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-rules-discussion/255927-starting-new-m-m-campaign.html

As the title says, I'm starting a new M&M campaign.

I'm basing it on the best campaign I ever ran- a supers game set in 1900, using elements from H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, William Gibson's Difference Engine, Atlantis legends, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Wild, Wild West, Kung Fu, certain James Bond movies, and of course, the Space: 1899 RPG...all in the HERO system.
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Inherent merits of the system aside, I have an ulterior motive for running this game in M&M. I'm trying to get the guys in my group familiar with the system, so that when Warriors & Warlocks comes out in hardcover, we can run a fantasy campaign in the same system.

You might well ask why.

I've been working on a 3.X fantasy campaign that is probably the most ambitious one I've ever designed...some 2 years in the making at this point. Part of the reason its taking as long as it has is that there are so many quirks and twists that I need to work out that I'm simply swamped with the work of converting certain mechanics from 3PP games and designing races from the ground up. Even though I'm nearly through, what remains is hairy enough that it sometimes seems daunting.

Add to this the fact that the guys are somewhat dismayed at continuing with 3.X, since the main source of product has dried up...and not a one of us likes 4Ed. We were looking at True20 and Pathfinder (which I'll pick up eventually), but W&W looks like a godsend...at least to me.

So, let me ask:

1) The 3.X campaign includes plantlike elves, cybermen-like dwarves (dwarf/warforged hybrids), Nephilim (creatures with Outsider heritage), a variety of "furry" races and so forth. They're a prime source of my workload.

So, how easy is it to design races in W&W? Especially those that increase with power as the PCs mature?

2) Given that at least some of the guys are going to want to model their PCs after traditional D&D classes, how well do the rules lend themselves to recreating those classes? I can do this in HERO- I should be able to do this in M&M/W&W as well.

3) Similarly, how easy will it be to mimic 3.X spells & powers?

 

[Relique du Madde]

Danny, W&W was released in dead tree form like two weeks ago.

1) Character races are basically templates (that you buy) with the assumption that races which have a bonus to ability scores or skills are more likely to max them out compaired to humans. Beyond descriptors, the abilities of the various races would be based on their powers.

2/3) It really depends on the class and the ability you are trying to mimic. Some things easily can translate (ei magic mission would be a 'force blast' with split attack), sneak attack is well.. the sneak attack feat. Other things would be more difficult (*cough* wish *cough* ).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Danny, W&W was released in dead tree form like two weeks ago.

Huh...

I could have sworn that its release date was September, the last I looked. Are you sure its not just a sneaky form of pre-order? You know, order now, get it in 6 weeks?

(I ask because I haven't seen it in stores.)

As for the rest...

1) Character races are basically templates (that you buy) with the assumption that races which have a bonus to ability scores or skills are more likely to max them out compaired to humans. Beyond descriptors, the abilities of the various races would be based on their powers.

2/3) It really depends on the class and the ability you are trying to mimic. Some things easily can translate (ei magic mission would be a 'force blast' with split attack), sneak attack is well.. the sneak attack feat. Other things would be more difficult (*cough* wish *cough* ).

Given M&M's system reads like a child of D20 & HERO, that's basically what I expected. Thanks!

I guess I'll try to track down W&W and start designing some racial templates. Perhaps the others will be willing to help trick out the classes...

 

[Aus_Snow]

So, how easy is it to design races in W&W? Especially those that increase with power as the PCs mature?

Much, much easier than in 3e. Just for example. But you'll need to do the 'work' (ha!) for that 'power increasing' stuff. The base races are already available at many a place (including in W&W).

Given that at least some of the guys are going to want to model their PCs after traditional D&D classes, how well do the rules lend themselves to recreating those classes? I can do this in HERO- I should be able to do this in M&M/W&W as well.

Based on my impressions of HERO, and on the fact that M&M is still (basically) a d20-core system, I'd have to say: very well indeed. Mind you, if you want all or most increases and/or new abilities to be along 'class' lines, you'll have to house rule such a thing into place. Because by default, of course, you can 'multiclass' with a breathtaking freedom, the likes of which would make 3e+splats (or hey, even True20) have a heart attack on the spot. So to speak.

Similarly, how easy will it be to mimic 3.X spells & powers?

It would take considerably more time to figure these out - each and every one, that is. And I haven't had the need to directly convert that stuff, personally.

However. . . here are some links I prepared earlier:

Prodigy Duck's conversions
JD's conversions
M&M week @ Grey Wulf's site (scroll down to the links under 'D&D Conversion' and 'Fantasy Archetypes' in particular)
Legends & Chronicles (see 'Conversions' in particular)

That should help to give you an idea of how other people have approached more or less the same proposition.

 

[ValhallaGH]

You seem to have some pretty good answers, but I'll throw my pennies in.

1) Extremely easy. The most difficult part is deciding what abilities you want to use to model a particular concept. Scaling power is a matter of table convention; simply discuss it with your players and you shouldn't have any real problems. Example: When you can choose between Absorption, Limited Impervious, and Immunity to make your ice dwarves cold-proof, which one you use depends upon how cold immune you want them to be (Immune to a point and highly resistant after, Immune to a point and normally reistant after, and totally immune, respectively).

2) Very well. A few abilities (Paladin's Divine Grace) are brokenly good at the price D&D charges, so they aren't there; instead the player can simply buy good abilities rather than use a cludge.

3) Any given spell is fairly easy to reproduce, though you have to get creative for a number of them (focus on the idea behind the spell, not its specific mechanics; Example: Guards & Wards spell). But that can be a lot of work if a given spell isn't going to be used. What's far more interesting, to me, is how easy it is to create new, balanced, spells and powers, and how much more interesting they tend to be than most of the ones in D&D.
Side Note: I've been converting some of the spells used by the various dragonmarks for an M&M-Eberron game I want to run. Using M&M extras, flaws, drawbacks and power feats, a lot of spells up to 6th level come out at 1 to 4 power points (includes the Unreliable [5 uses per day] [-1], or my variant Unreliable [2 uses per day] [-2], flaw). And some of the purely flavor ones, like prestidigitation, can come out at negative points, if you require a power at all.

Good luck.

 

[naturaltwenty]

Late to the party but W&W is a very good fantasy toolset. Don't let the superhero facade think that everyone will be flying around!

If you are unfamiliar with point-based/effect-based systems M&M scales very well for both the guy who wants to put something together quick and the guy who wants to tweak each component of his campaign.

Since races are mechanically just groupings of stat bonuses, feat, skill and power combinations it's very easy to emulate any race in 3.x. Since it's not a true level based game acquiring more power equates into gaining PP or power points (you can call them anything you like really). As the adventurers progress PP are handed out like XP.

If you dwarves in your world are mechanical/flesh hybrids you could "purchase" a modifcation to an existing system with the appropriate PP. An example might be adding a mithril steel covering might grant "Immunity: Flame" and "Armor:2" and cost 3pp (don't have my book in front of me so don't quote me on cost).

There you go - you've leveled up

It takes a bit more work but if you really want to lay the groundwork for you personal world it's a much more solid toolkit than CR, templates, and what not. It also scales better as well IMO.