Best system for a modern/super thriller?

[InVinoVeritas]

Okay, so I've been watching a lot of Heroes, Fringe, FastForward, and Darker than Black lately. In the wake of the economic crunch, everyone is kind of expecting something big to happen. The recent questions about the Mayan calendar ending in 2012 are in mind.

So, with that in mind...

The time: January, 2010.
The place: San Francisco.
Just last week, something happened.


What system should I use, and why?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

IMHO, HERO and M&M are the 2 most flexible systems out there. If you can handle them, they will let you and your players design PCs that can do pretty much whatever they envision their PCs doing.

 

[Thanee]

Hmm... given the theme, I would probably go with a system, that is fairly gritty (so M&M and anything d20-based is out). HERO can work, or GURPS. Both are quite complex, though. Savage Worlds, if you want it rules-light, is also an option. Maybe even BRP.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Hmm... given the theme, I would probably go with a system, that is fairly gritty (so M&M and anything d20-based is out).

Actually, M&M has their Iron Age sourcebook that is for grim/gritty settings, and there are a few campaign sourcebooks out there that are also on the rougher side, like Nocturnals.
Amazon.com: Mutants & Masterminds: Iron Age Sourcebook (Mutants & Masterminds Sourcebook) (9781932442892): Seth Johnson, Jon Leitheusser: Books
Amazon.com: Mutants & Masterminds: Nocturnals - A Midnight Companion (9781932442021): Dan Brereton: Books

 

[Thanee]

I'm not familiar with Iron Age. Does that change the mechanics enough to actually make them more gritty? Because the regular M&M mechanics certainly are more fitting for standard superhero games, IMHO (which isn't meant to sound bad, they work really well ).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Sadly, while Iron Age sits on my shelf, I've not had the opportunity to use it. My current M&M campaign has absolutely no use for them, being set in 1912 and all...

IOW, I can't really answer your question.

 

[ValhallaGH]

I can answer that.

It doesn't change the mechanics of combat, at all.
However, changing the game to make lethal damage the norm vastly shifts the lethality and grittiness of combat. I've played in both types of campaigns, and there is a marked shift in the tone and danger of the game.
With a couple character-build guidelines (relatively low con-modifiers, low recovery bonuses, fortitude saves that allow characters to actually die) you start seeing a major jump in character (including player character) mortality.

 

[coyote6]

Actually, M&M has their Iron Age sourcebook that is for grim/gritty settings, and there are a few campaign sourcebooks out there that are also on the rougher side, like Nocturnals.

Note that Nocturnals is for M&M 1e.

I thought Iron Age had a few suggestions on increasing grittiness. Anyways, if it does, it's basically what ValhallaGH said -- more lethal damage. You can also add disabled to the "nonlethal" damage track, maybe at failure by 20 or 25+.

I'd probably use M&M for Heroes, but I'd go with GURPS or SW or the like for the others.

 

[ValhallaGH]

I revise my previous, it does suggest the "Damage Roll" variant from the Masterminds Manual. Basically, roll a d20 + Damage vs DC 16+ toughness.
Fail by 15+ = No effect
Fail by 10-14 = Bruised / Injured
Fail by 5-9 = Plus Stun
Fail by 1-4 = Staggered / Disabled
Success = Unconscious / Dying
(Optional) Success by 5+ = Dead

This version vastly increases the chances of laying out a foe in one hit. It also allows you to spend Hero Points on damage, making things even more dangerous. Good for "getting hit freaking hurts" style campaigns. (Sort of like Wound / Vitality systems, without the vitality points....)

From a statistical analysis, this variant is wildly more dangerous. Average die results (assuming equal damage / toughness bonuses) will stun the target (plus Bruised / Injured) four times, then disable the target, then put the target to dying (about six hits). With a Hero Point, average results will knock the target out (dying / unconscious).
You only fail to damage the target on a roll of 1 (assuming equal damage / toughness bonuses), and a hero point guarantees at least Injured / Bruised plus Stun. A roll of 15+ on damage (or a roll of 10+ on a critical hit) is guaranteed to drop the target.

Good luck.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Thanks, everyone, for the help!

At this point, I'm thinking of using HERO system. I've got a 4th edition book right now, but I've asked my FLGS for a 6th edition book when it comes out.

As for base character creation, I'm thinking of keeping it a little lower powered to start. Basically, the base character can be a Normal, Skilled Normal, or Competent Normal (0, 25, 50 base points, max 25, 25, 50 disadvantages) to start. When "something happens", the updated character becomes Heroic (75 base points, max 75 disadvantages). The Heroic character will be introduced in the first session.

How does this sound to you?