D&D 5E Is 5e Heroic, or SUPER-heroic?

[TheSword]

Superheroes come in different flavors or power levels though. From street level heroes (Daredevil, Punisher, Phantom, Green Arrow, Iron Fist etc) through to four colour heroes (Superman, Thor, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, the Hulk).

Batman started as a Street level hero, and then progressed to four colour (when he started doing the Power Armor, Bat-attack-helicopter-spaceship-thing and so forth).

Street level heroes are generally superbly trained humans, or low level super-humans with limited powers. You generally dont see them firing beams of energy from their hands, flying, teleporting, throwing around trucks like confetti or whatnot. MCU's Defenders feature 'street level' heroes. These guys fight street crime, and occasionally deal with a threat to their city or community.

Four colour heroes are superhuman and display fantastic abilities, technology and power on a cosmic or near cosmic scale. The MCU Avengers and DC Justice League are examples, and they're fighting cosmic and existential threats to the entire Earth (and indeed the Universe).

In DnD terms, at T1 and early T2 PCs are roughly equal in power to Street level superheroes. A 5th level PC would be a match for Daredevil, Phantom, Punisher etc. By the time the PCs have hit T4 they're sitting at Avengers levels of power and dealing with the same sorts of threats.

When an Illithid armada plane shifts in over Waterdeep, led by an immortal CR30 Elder Brain of the God that predated Ao and bearing 5 linked artifacts of ancient Tharizdun, seeking to uncreate the Universe, it's the 20th level PCs who get the job to stop them.

Can I ask what metric you use to determine comparison between superheroes in fiction and D&D levels?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Can I ask what metric you use to determine comparison between superheroes in fiction and D&D levels?

What they are depicted as being able to do is about the only viable metric.

 

[Flamestrike]

Ok sorry for the sidethought, but your first sentence brought this to my mind:

also @Flamestrike : If by your definition some PC is a superhero, when he reaches a certain level has certain skills and / or magic equipment, then what about some high level classed NPC in your campaign? Are they all superheroes also, just because they can eventually do the same stuff like the PCs, or do they stay the "Archmage of the city", the "thieves guild guildmaster" etc. ?

It's not by my defintion. Superhero is 'a Hero with Superhuman abilities'. To cite the actual definition: ''a benevolent fictional character with superhuman powers, such as Superman.''

All PCs fit that definition, certainly by T4.

Im actually going further as well by stating the Superheroes (i.e. the PCs) are doing the same stuff you see in four color comics at T4 (dealing with existential threats to the entire planet, using supernatural abilities and powers well beyond the powers of normal mortals). Effectively 20th level adventures resemble an Avengers movie.

And I dont stat out NPCs as PCs. I use the NPC stat blocks (modified to suit). And yes, technically some of those NPCs are also superheroes (or supervillans) but they're not the protagonists of the story, so they're not really relevant.

 

[Flamestrike]

Can I ask what metric you use to determine comparison between superheroes in fiction and D&D levels?

Tiers of play. See my post above.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Not all PCs are benevolent.

 

[Flamestrike]

Not all PCs are benevolent.

Im assuming a Good aligned party.

In an Evil party, the PCs are the Super-villains instead.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Im assuming a Good aligned party.

In an Evil party, the PCs are the Super-villains instead.

I was just being pedantic. There are neutral and revolving door superheroes as well.

 

[TheSword]

What they are depicted as being able to do is about the only viable metric.

Sorry I thought I made it clear I was stepping back from conversation with you. You’re getting pretty heated.

 

[TheSword]

Tiers of play. See my post above.

Okay so it has nothing to do with abilities per say, just the tiers of play. so Punisher, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones etc must all be Tier 1 because they deal with local issues? That sounds like a very campaign specific way of deciding these things.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Are D&D PCs superheroes? Well, the most powerful wizard in the most popular fantasy fiction was only 5th level by comparison