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Message: <blockquote data-quote="wingsandsword" data-source="post: 2693730" data-attributes="member: 14159">One reason I'm really looking forward to this is that I've been a firm believer for some time that d20 Modern could support superheroes quite well.  Starting Occupations, Basic/Advanced/Prestige Classes, Races and Templates make for a very flexible character, in a way that helps keep it relatively balanced, but easily approachable to the average d20 player base, and eases conversion with other d20 games.  The Level Adjustment mechanic works very well for keeping relative powers in play.  To use examples everybody would know, A Kryptonian might be a +20 LA race, but Superman is still balanced against Batman if he's already an epic-level character (The JLA seems like a perfect example of an epic-level party IMO).  Green Lantern seems perfect for a Prestige Class, given that you have to learn how to control the ring and it also denotes membership in a very prestigious and exclusive organization.  Psychic superheroes and villains can be represented with existing classes and feats (just add new ones, magic & psionics are quite modular after all).  Not that we're very likely to see these exact examples in the actual book due to licensing (but fan-made versions using the rules will doubtless be out moments after the book is released), but they do make the point.Almost any superhero or supervillain I could think of could be represented either as a high-level normal d20M character (with maybe Magic/Psionic AdC's or PrC's), like Dr. Doom or Batman.  Or they have a template that reflects something they got after birth that gives them fixed powers which generally don't get better over time (Spider Man, Daredevil), or they get a large amount of powers based on being part of a race that is apparently superior to humanity (Superman & Martian Manhunter).  X-Men style mutants could just as easily be a low +LA race with some minor ability boosts (+2 CHA, since even the gruff or ugly ones are very charismatic and have a lot of force of personality), and a number of bonus feats that they can spend on various super-powers, maybe even additional powers that unfold as a character levels up (like the Celestial & Fiendish templates in D&D tied to hit dice).It really is a fallacy to say that you have to use point-buy to represent superhero games.  Players of that genre have gotten used to several point-buy games, much like players of Medieval Fantasy games are largely used to class-based games.As for the Mutants and Masterminds vs. d20 Superheroes issue, dedicated superhero genre gamers who were already playing M&M are unlikely to change over, however gamers who haven't dabbled in the genre much, or are already d20 Modern fans are the ones who will pick up d20SH, and are unlikely to give M&M much consideration.  Much like Castles & Crusades is to D&D, M&M is a 3rd party product with a small but very loyal following, but isn't a big player in the larger gaming scene.  Honestly, outside of ENWorld, I've barely even heard of M&M (and outside of online, I've never heard of it at all), never seen it at any FLGS, I don't recall seeing it in the dealers room at Gen Con.  I've seen people in real life talk about or play superhero genre games, but with GURPS (gods help them), HERO/Champions, TSR/Marvel, even Brave New World and Silver Age Sentinels, but never M&M.  It may have sold many copies to a dedicated fan base, but beyond that base its "mindspace" in general gaming seems to be quite low (ENWorld isn't the typical gaming population, visitors here tend to be much more experienced, open to small-press products, and diverse in their gaming tastes).  d20SH will reach people with a superhero genre game that may not have looked at it much since the old TSR/Marvel RPG in the late 80's, or who don't want complexities of point-based accounting like with most other modern superhero RPGs.</blockquote>

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