D&D 5E D&D re-skinned as a Superhero game?

[jayoungr]

Has anybody out there attempted anything like this? I'm trying to mix things up for my group and so my idea is to do a sort-of Rifts-style approach where the PC's are transported to Eberron from various planes/worlds/etc and reskin races & classes to suit appropriately.

I'd recommend checking out the Unearthed Aracana that covered "modern magic":

News Archive | Dungeons and Dragons

Read the full archives of Dungeons & Dragons news, Sage Advice, Unearthed Arcana, and D&D Studio Blogs.

dnd.wizards.com

And if you're willing to spend a little money, this D&D 5E-compatible book will expand your options considerably:

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

I think it would be much easier and more interesting to use the rules of a superhero RPG for a D&D-style fantasy campaign than to use D&D for a superhero campaign.

 

[Delazar]

@jayoungr have you tried Amazing Adventures 5E? How is it?

 

[ART!]

My thoughts for the moment:

Choose a power range or tone - gritty, mostly non-powered vigilantes; low-powered street heroes; X-Men level; JLA level, etc. Then choose a range of of class level or a tier that suits the power range and feel that you're looking for. Start the characters at the bottom of that range or tier. Adjust how often they go up in levels based on how long you want the game to last. When they hit the top of that tier, end the game.

Basically, like @Delazar said, I'm confident 5E can handle it with some reskinning.

 

[Aldarc]

ENWorld posted about this within the past week: Supers & Sorcery. 50 hours to go as of this posting.

 

[jayoungr]

@jayoungr have you tried Amazing Adventures 5E? How is it?

I haven't had a chance to run or play it yet, but it looks good just based on what I've read.

I think it would be much easier and more interesting to use the rules of a superhero RPG for a D&D-style fantasy campaign than to use D&D for a superhero campaign.

My group has actually done this twice: we ran a long fantasy campaign with Mutants & Masterminds and a one-shot with Marvel Heroic.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

It's a true challenge to find the right power balance when lots of munchkin players will be trying to find the best combo of powers + gadgets. It is not only powers to throw fireballs at-will but to use firearms and high-tech gadgets. Characters as Green Arrow or Elektra (Daredevil's former girlfriend) aren't ready for daikaijus or cosmic menaces as alien invasion by skrulls (or white martians). D&D isn't ready for PCs with superpowers who can break walls and throw cars. How to create modules when the PCs are bulletproof?

 

[ART!]

It's a true challenge to find the right power balance when lots of munchkin players will be trying to find the best combo of powers + gadgets. It is not only powers to throw fireballs at-will but to use firearms and high-tech gadgets. Characters as Green Arrow or Elektra (Daredevil's former girlfriend) aren't ready for daikaijus or cosmic menaces as alien invasion by skrulls (or white martians). D&D isn't ready for PCs with superpowers who can break walls and throw cars. How to create modules when the PCs are bulletproof?

This just comes down to your basic CR judgement calls, and D&D characters already have - depending on their level - access to wall-breaking and car-throwing powers (via class features, ASIs, spells, magic items) and beyond.

 

[ART!]

ENWorld posted about this within the past week: Supers & Sorcery. 50 hours to go as of this posting.

It's supers tropes in a new 5E setting, but I assume the mechanical stuff would port into anything else. There's nothing in the description to suggest there's advice on how to do that, but how hard could it be, I guess?