Favorite Superhero TTRPG

[Under_a_bridge]

Yeah one thing I really like about the new edition of Aberrant is the modern design. Mechanically, quality of life stuff like easy rules for npcs, a fail forward dice mechanic and setting wise, it isn't a gritty edge fest by default but it is modular enough to support that if you want that kind of game. That and the corebook, Trinity Continuum, is a modern action rpg on its own. You can really mix and match material from other scifi genre rpgs in the series (there's half a dozen other games in the Trinity Continuum gameline from steampunk 1890s to 2200s space opera). And the non super hero characters that can really stand on their own because they have a dramatic editing mechanic and action hero trope abilities that by and large the super heroes don't have access to.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I didn't really run into dice pools until around 13 or 14 years ago. My issue has always been that they sound great on paper, and in principle, but don't pass the 'post-10pm-with-a-drink-inside' play test. They require just a teensy bit more brainpower and thought than some groups have, particularly towards the end of a session when everyone is starting to get fuddled.

Well, if you're that far down the simple line, I can see not much is gonna be worthwhile there.

And please do not get me on to the subject of games that are both dice pools and bespoke dice. I have STRONG VIEWS about those! Few of them complimentary.

I'm not a big fan of bespoke dice myself.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Yeah one thing I really like about the new edition of Aberrant is the modern design. Mechanically, quality of life stuff like easy rules for npcs, a fail forward dice mechanic and setting wise, it isn't a gritty edge fest by default but it is modular enough to support that if you want that kind of game. That and the corebook, Trinity Continuum, is a modern action rpg on its own. You can really mix and match material from other scifi genre rpgs in the series (there's half a dozen other games in the Trinity Continuum gameline from steampunk 1890s to 2200s space opera). And the non super hero characters that can really stand on their own because they have a dramatic editing mechanic and action hero trope abilities that by and large the super heroes don't have access to.

Though I have some issues with Storypath, one of the things I think was excellent redesign was having trans-human attributes effect results after success (so that a superhuman wasn't automatically going to beat a human's roll, but if they did they'd beat it by a lot). This made it much easier to have individuals with different Scales in something interact and not be completely a waste of time.

 

[Anon Adderlan]

Yeah one thing I really like about the new edition of Aberrant is the modern design. Mechanically, quality of life stuff like easy rules for npcs, a fail forward dice mechanic and setting wise, it isn't a gritty edge fest by default but it is modular enough to support that if you want that kind of game. That and the corebook, Trinity Continuum, is a modern action rpg on its own. You can really mix and match material from other scifi genre rpgs in the series (there's half a dozen other games in the Trinity Continuum gameline from steampunk 1890s to 2200s space opera). And the non super hero characters that can really stand on their own because they have a dramatic editing mechanic and action hero trope abilities that by and large the super heroes don't have access to.

I on the other hand find the lack of strong tropes to be a bug, not a feature. It's great that the system became more adaptable, but it came at the cost of its identity, and these settings are more generic now than they originally were.