d20 superheroes -- why not BESM?
- Thread starter Driddle
- Start date
'Cause M&M ownxors BESM!
Ahem.
Having never played BESM, I have no idea what the relative strengths and weaknesses are. I can say that once you get past character creation, M&M is fast and easy and does a fantastic job of recreating the style of comic books. Since BESM was built to recreate the style of anime and manga, which is similar in many ways, I imagine that you'll see a lot of crossover.
But I do look forward to hearing what folks have to say.
Ahem.
Having never played BESM, I have no idea what the relative strengths and weaknesses are. I can say that once you get past character creation, M&M is fast and easy and does a fantastic job of recreating the style of comic books. Since BESM was built to recreate the style of anime and manga, which is similar in many ways, I imagine that you'll see a lot of crossover.
But I do look forward to hearing what folks have to say.
arwink
Clockwork Golem
Both systems have their good points, but I think MnM works better for Superheroic genres. The combats feel very, very different for example - BESM suits the flashing blades style of manga, where people tend to fence while landing occasional telling blows, while the MnM combat system is better suited to the range of superhero combat styles.
There's also the case of Damage Saves versus Hit Points, and I tend to prefer the former for a system where a character can be beaten to within an inch of his life and still pull a victory out at the last minute.
BESM would work, but the feel the mechanic aims for is just different enough to be noticable.
There's also the case of Damage Saves versus Hit Points, and I tend to prefer the former for a system where a character can be beaten to within an inch of his life and still pull a victory out at the last minute.
BESM would work, but the feel the mechanic aims for is just different enough to be noticable.
Ranger REG
Explorer
By "the BESM character design system," you actually mean the product, Silver Age Sentinels d20, right?Driddle said:
I guess it has to do with simplicity vs. detailed. If you don't like that answer, then how about this: M&M is like Champion lite with d20.
Old Fezziwig
hell yes bro
I think he means BESM d20 -- I don't know what (if any) differences there are between that and Silver Age Sentinels d20, so it's largely a moot point. I'm not sure, based on my experience with BESM d20 and M&M that there's a lot of difference in complexity (I think M&M's cleaner, but that's a different ballgame).
Nick
Nick
Hammerhead
Explorer
Well, I suppose if you want your superhero team to be composed of an annoying little girl who can summon cute monsters to kill the opposition, some spikey-haired lone wolf, some kind of half-demon monster guy, some girl with strange-colored hair who's completely worthless, and a teenage martial artist, by all means, use BESM d20.
If you want a team of American superheroes, use M&M
Also, why not use M&M in place of BESM d20? The question can go both ways, correct?
If you want a team of American superheroes, use M&M
Also, why not use M&M in place of BESM d20? The question can go both ways, correct?
cignus_pfaccari
First Post
Hammerhead said:
(raises eyebrow)
Funny, the Aberrant/BESM d20 game I'm in doesn't have anyone with spikey hair or strange-colored hair, nor any half-demons. We've got a guy who possesses things, a wraith-like fire guy, a chick who's effectively a piece of a star, a robot hiding as a human, and a telekinetic guy whose powers are amplified by his armor.
The DM did build Count Orzaiz as a Pet Monster Trainer, though; his entourage of supermodels do his fighting for him.
Brad
cignus_pfaccari said:
(Nod of appreciation) Thanks. Some people are unable to interpret published material as anything other than exactly what was written.
I do think BESM (yes, the d20 version) serves the superhero format very nicely. Still don't see much of a reason to go M&M instead.
Eh. No biggie.
HeapThaumaturgist
First Post
Having not played BESM, but looking through the SRD of it a few times ...
BESM seems to have some complex elements that aren't really needed for an American supers game. Point buy seems to be a bit more complex, etc etc.
My group is getting a little more into M&M, with a bi-weekly Nocturnals game and now a "when we're bored" Teen Titans Animated Series game. We've had a turn-around in how much we like the system.
The combat system is very fast, very cinematic, and very superhero. Bad guys can get plastered in the first round, or a big brick can take EVERYTHING the team throws at them and then get crippled by his achilles heel.
The Damage Save system speeds combat up quite a bit. In a combat-heavy genre, that's a plus. Our nocturnals game had three combats in a single short evening, interwoven with the non-combat sections. It doesn't increase combat-heaviness, but makes combat take along about the same amount of time as NON-Combat areas of the game. I've always hated how RPing, skill checks, and other story-advancing elements of the game move quickly, and combat bogs down and takes an hour and a half to resolve 36 seconds of game-world-time.
Hit, Save, Hit, Save, Hit, Down ... yer done! Takes longer to describe the action than resolve it. Booya.
--fje
BESM seems to have some complex elements that aren't really needed for an American supers game. Point buy seems to be a bit more complex, etc etc.
My group is getting a little more into M&M, with a bi-weekly Nocturnals game and now a "when we're bored" Teen Titans Animated Series game. We've had a turn-around in how much we like the system.
The combat system is very fast, very cinematic, and very superhero. Bad guys can get plastered in the first round, or a big brick can take EVERYTHING the team throws at them and then get crippled by his achilles heel.
The Damage Save system speeds combat up quite a bit. In a combat-heavy genre, that's a plus. Our nocturnals game had three combats in a single short evening, interwoven with the non-combat sections. It doesn't increase combat-heaviness, but makes combat take along about the same amount of time as NON-Combat areas of the game. I've always hated how RPing, skill checks, and other story-advancing elements of the game move quickly, and combat bogs down and takes an hour and a half to resolve 36 seconds of game-world-time.
Hit, Save, Hit, Save, Hit, Down ... yer done! Takes longer to describe the action than resolve it. Booya.
--fje
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