[D20 Supers] I know this is beating a dead horse, but...

[Neowolf]

Alright, to dredge up an old issue, could someone sum up for me once and for all the different options available? I know there's Four Color to Fantasy, Deeds Not Words, etc., but I've honestly been having trouble keeping them all straight. I'd also appreciate it if someone could give me a little sample of how each works (no real details, just kind of an overview). Just for reference, I'm looking for a set of rules that could accurately depict the X-Men comics from the early to mid 90s. I know it's asking a lot, but designers, think of this as an opportunity to pimp your stuff. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's had some trouble with this.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Blacksad]

if you want to know how deeds not words deals with X-men
go here:
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19049

The only d20 supers rules that I have is 4C2F,

I think that it can reproduce most X-men power except gambit.

there is a class called the hero, it grants 8 hero points by level, low bab&save and no skill points, and you buy your power with the Hero point, though you can't put more than your character level+3 point in a single power.

It's great advantage is that the Hero class is balanced with the core class, meaning that you can balance a hero 4/ fighter X with a lizardfolk / barbarian X.

The big disadvantage of the book is that it doesn't have all power (not yet).

Something that will be good or bad, depending on your taste, is that the system is meant to be added to another system (spycraft, D&D or d20 Modern when it will be out), though you have some modern rules in it to use D&D in a modern setting.

From what I've seen all the other super rules use several new core class.

 

[Horacio]

I have begin a Story Hour of my Four Colors to Fantasy capaign (the link in in my signature). There you will find the full stats of the PCs, a description of how their powers work and, in the next days, description of game in action. Visit it, and drop a comment

 

[Neowolf]

Thanks for the replies so far, guys.

Horacio, I'll check out your story hour just as soon as I get done posting this message.

 

[enrious]

I really like Vigilance and look forward to seeing a bigger version in print soon.

 

[Neowolf]

Hey, could one of you uber-helpful moderators slide this over to the D20 System Games forum? Thanks!

 

[Vigilance]

Well, Id like to chime in here.

Vigilance is the best superhero d20 game I have ever written!

*tongue firmly planted in cheek*

 

[Kenson]

Mutants & Masterminds will be available in October from Green Ronin Publishing. I just got back from running demos of the game at GenCon, where it was very well received. There is some information on the Green Ronin website (www.greenronin.com) with more forthcoming. We'll have previews and sneak-peeks leading up to the release of the rulebook in October. Mutants & Masterminds will be a 192-page hardcover with full-color interior illustrated by comic book artists. Look for it soon!
-----
Steve Kenson
author, Mutants & Masterminds

 

[Default Name Player]

I just want to chime in for "Deeds Not Words" - It has it's own set of "races" and "classes", advantages, disadvantages, different power sets based on "class", etc. The 300+ page pdf is also very "meaty" and the layout is intuitive to character creation.

For my own test, I've been creating "The Authority" and have been pretty successful so far (most of the work in doing these kinds of translations is collecting all of the background info ). My biggest suprise was creating Jenny Sparks (Female Avatar) as an 8th level Adventurer/7th level Champion and finding all of her class abilities seemingly "fit" her character in the comic.

 

[Scott Lynch]

Neowolf wrote:

I'm looking for a set of rules that could accurately depict the X-Men comics from the early to mid 90s. I know it's asking a lot, but designers, think of this as an opportunity to pimp your stuff.

Well, Neowolf, *Deeds Not Words* might actually have an inherent bias toward creating the X-Men, since they're probably my favorite corner of the Marvel universe. I took pains to ensure that all the X-characters I knew of had their powers (or something very close) represented. This might not hold true after '97 or so, when I started to lose track of ongoing Marvel continuity a bit. But the solid Claremont years of the 70s and early 80s were firmly in my mind at all times when I was designing DNW, as were the years 1991-94, when I first discovered and followed the X-Men comics.

*Deeds Not Words* is what I'd call "straight d20." It has origins (standing in for races), classes, feats, levels, hit points and all the trappings of good ol' D&D3E. *DNW,* like *Vigilance* and *Comic Book Super Heroes* will be instantly and intimately familiar to anyone with any experience whatsoever at beating up kobolds and slashing zombies.

It looks like d20 SAS and *Mutants & Masterminds* are stretching the boundaries of d20 as far as possible, and that's cool. They both look great-- M&M in particular makes me salivate with anticipation.
But *Deeds Not Words* takes the opposite tack-- it adheres faithfully to the established d20 conventions and tries to preserve all of their advantages while mitigating some of their weaknesses with as much flexibility (in terms of things like multi-classing) as possible.

I'm not really good at "pimping" my game, but I like to think that I can be honest about it. Reaction to it has knocked me flat on my ass. Of the seventy or so customer comments I have in my "responses" file, the single most negative is "this is a really well-done game, it just doesn't mesh with my personal biases for a supers game." Despite the imperfection of the book (there are some editing boo-boos, small ones frequently repeated, but no major gaffes like missing tables), my "newb" status as a PDF publisher, and my "baby steps" marketing plan, praise for the book has been lavish and ecstatic, and word of mouth alone has had it selling approximately five times faster and heavier than I *optimistically* projected.

If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them as best I can... maybe someone out there with a more detached view than *Deeds Not Words'* author can give an unbiased overview of the game.

Cheers,

SL