M&M for Fantasy

[Kail]

I've read in various threads that M&M was used during play test for a fatasy game and I'm dieing to figure out how well it worked. My primary concerns are with modeling races and colapse of the fantasy level of "realism" once the characters begin to advance. Now I'm working from a brief read of M&M in a store and what I've seen online, just waiting for my copy to get here before I know for sure. I'm looking at trying to ease LotR into M&M if possible. The guys all want LotR, but love d20, so what can I do?

In modeling races I suppose it can work well enough with various abilities being bought as powers. I've seen a few classic races modeled as packages to be bought and wonder if anyone else has done this sort of work. The breakdown under the stress of advancement is what really worries me though if I try to keep the game running for long. Starting out too weak and the players will feel like their characters can't really achieve the sort of things they would like to for a competent hero, too high and its all a cake walk. Then there is the question of the characters topping out in abilities to buy with advancements and thus jacking up existing abilities to god-like levels very quickly.

So then, ideas, thoughts smacks in the head for the 500th M&M thread?

Kail

 

[rook117]

I have just begun a Fantasy game with Semi-Sci-Fi elements using the rules from M&M with a couple of other tweaks from other d20 games (mainly feats and a few combat rules not found in M&M). While we have only played two sessions plus character creation, I can say it has been an absolute success. No one has chosen to play a non human but the few iv'e made up simply used the racial abilities as powers (either used an existing power or used the power creation rules to figure its cost). It works fine and makes it easy to custom make a non human instead of a cookie cutter copy you usually end up with.

Combat is great most of my players were skeptical of using the M&M damage saving throw in place of Hit Points, but it really makes combats quicker and more dramatic with less book keeping and more playing.

The biggest drawback so far has been having to convert the monsters from the the monster manual its so time consumming but fun.

While we havn't played enough to really see advancement yet I don't forsee a problem. It works and well the guys at green ronin made a great game.

BTW I also ported some of the rules over to My ongoing T20 Game and they work graet there as well.

 

[WanderingMonster]

I tried a fantasy game using M&M last night. It worked well, and everybody wanted to explore the rules more. As for converting Monsters from the MM and other d20 sources, it's easy! Here's the formula from Steve Kenson on the Green Ronin forums:

In my experience, the creatures from the Monster Manual are fairly easy to use in Mutants & Masterminds with just a couple slight modifications. Basically:

1) Take any ability scores the creature has over 20, divide the extra amount by two, round down and make that the creature's rank in the appropriate super-ability.

2) Give the creature a Damage saving throw bonus equal to its base Con bonus plus any natural armor bonus that it has. Subtract the natural armor bonus from its AC to calculate its new Defense. (This usually results in most monsters being easier to hit, but more difficult to hurt.)

3) Divide the creature's maximum damage by 6 (round down) and make that its damage bonus, if it exceeds the creature's base Strength bonus, otherwise just use the Str bonus.

4) Convert any spell-like or supernatural abilities the creature may have into ranks in the appropriate super-powers.

That's pretty much it. Keep in mind that this system isn't 100% exact (no conversion system is, IMHO), but it's a good ballpark. Tweak the stats as needed to get the feel of the monster right.

As for the power levels, I started them off at 5th level (75 pts). That seemed about right. Definitely not weak, but easy enough to chellenge. Like I said, they want to do it again!

 

[Voneth]

The orginal playtests with the fantasy bent were more like Fanal Fantasy and He-Man from what I heard. But MnM has optional rules that make things more deadly, such as the amount you Damage Save has been reduced is also a wound penality to all your rolls.

As a bonus, here are some generic fantasy monsters that MnM's designer put together.

Dragon: Huge; PL 15; Init +0; Defense 13 (-2 size, +5 base); Spd 40 ft. (fly 40 ft.); Atk +14 melee (+15 dmg, claws), +10 ranged (+14 dmg, flame breath); SV Dmg +5, Fort +20, Ref +14, Will +18; Str 18, Dex 10, Con 20, Int 18, Wis 19, Cha 18; Skills: Knowledge (Occult) +12, Listen +10, Spot +8; Feats: Detect (Magic), Immunity (Fire), See Invisibility; Powers: Amazing Save +14 (Fortitude, Reflex, Will) Energy Blast +14 (Flame Breath), Flight +8 (Flaw: Wings), Growth +8 (Flaw: Permanent), Natural Weapon (Claws) +3, Super-Constitution +1. Some dragons also have Sorcery.
Adjust as desired for size and power level.

Ghost: PL 6; Init +0 (Dex); Defense 10 (+0 Dex); Spd 30 ft. (fly 40 ft.); Atk +4 melee (phase attack); SV Dmg +1, Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 16; Skills: Hide +8, Listen +8, Spot +10; Powers: Incorporeal +8 (Extras: Float, Ghost Touch, Immunity, Invisibility, Phase Attack; Flaw: Permanent).

Mummy: PL 5; Init -1 (Dex); Defense 10 (+1 base, -1 Dex); Spd 20 ft.; Atk +6 melee (+3 dmg, punch); SV Dmg +10, Fort —, Ref +1, Will +7; Str 17, Dex 8, Con —, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 15; Skills: Hide +8, Listen +9, Move Silently +8, Spot +9; Powers: Drain Constitution +8; Weakness: Vulnerable (Fire).

Shadow: Medium, PL 4; Init +2 (Dex); Defense 13 (+1 dodge, +2 Dex); Spd 30 ft. (fly 40 ft.); Atk +3 melee (drain strength); SV Dmg +1, Fort —, Ref +3, Will +4; Str —, Dex 14, Con —, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 13; Skills: Hide +8, Intuit Direction +5, Listen +7, Spot +7; Feats: Attack Finesse, Dodge; Powers: Drain Strength +5, Incorporeal +8 (Extras: Float, Ghost Touch; Flaws: Permanent).

Skeleton: PL 1; Init +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Defense 13 (+2 base, +1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; Atk +0 melee (+0 dmg, claws, or by weapon); SV Dmg +0, Fort —, Ref +1, Will —; Str 10, Dex 12, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 11; Feats: Improved Initiative.

Succubus: PL 15; Init +1 (Dex); Defense 20 (+8 base, +1 Dex, +1 dodge); Spd 30 ft. (Fly 50 ft.); Atk +7 melee (+2 dmg, claws); SV Dmg +6, Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +7; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 20; Skills: Bluff +11, Disguise +11, Escape Artist +7, Hide +7, Knowledge (any one) +9, Listen +16, Move Silently +7, Ride +7, Search +9, Spot +16; Feats: Dodge; Powers: Natural Weapon (Claws) +1, Drain +6 (Wisdom), Shapeshift +8, Sorcery +8, Super-Senses +5.

Vampire: PL 10; Init +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Defense 16 (+4 base, +2 Dex); Spd 30 ft. (Fly 20 ft.); Atk +9 melee (+6 dmg, punch); SV Dmg +8, Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +4; Str 20, Dex 17, Con —, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 12; Skills: Bluff +9, Climb +10, Hide +11, Listen +17, Move Silently +11, Search +9, Sense Motive +11, Spot +17; Feats: Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative, Lighting Reflexes; Powers: Alternate Form (Mist) +4, Drain Strength +5 (Flaw: Vampire must bite victim), Mind Control +8, Regeneration +5, Shapeshift +5 (bat or wolf), Super-Senses +5, Super-Strength +1; Weaknesses: Berserk (When denied blood), Susceptible (Lack of Blood, Sunlight), Vulnerable (Wooden Stakes).

Werewolf: PL 3; Init +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Defense 14 (+2 base, +2 Dex); Spd 50 ft.; Atk +3 melee (+3 dmg, bite); SV Dmg +2, Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +2; Str 13, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: Hide +3, Listen +14, Move Silently +4, Search +8, Spot +14, Wilderness Lore +10; Feats: Attack Finesse, Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative; Powers: Natural Weapon (Claws) +2, Protection +5, Super-Senses +8; Weakness: Transformation, Vulernable (Silver).

Zombie: PL 1; Init -1 (Dex); Defense 10 (+1 base, -1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; Atk +2 melee (+1 dmg, punch or by weapon); SV Dmg +1, Fort +0, Ref -1, Will +3; Str 13, Dex 8, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1

 

[Drakmar]

making player races are easy. You just make a race a "Starting Package"

ie an elf

Low-Light Vision Feat (there isn't one but hey.. that's easy to fix) 2pts
Super-Dexterity 1 rank - 4pts
Immunity (Age) Feat - 2pts
Elf Package - 8pts

So.. bob's yer uncle and now yer an elf.

I admit that this is a simple elf but hey. works as an example.

 

[V_Shane]

At most games we didn't use M&Ms at all. Mostly Doritos, pizza, and a slew of Reeses Pieces. Don't eat that stuff anymore but still dig Pepsi out of the can.

 

[Neowolf]

I've read in various threads that M&M was used during play test for a fatasy game and I'm dieing to figure out how well it worked. My primary concerns are with modeling races and colapse of the fantasy level of "realism" once the characters begin to advance. Now I'm working from a brief read of M&M in a store and what I've seen online, just waiting for my copy to get here before I know for sure. I'm looking at trying to ease LotR into M&M if possible. The guys all want LotR, but love d20, so what can I do?

You can do Middle Earth in D20 pretty easily, but I would NOT recommend M&M for it, unless you start the characters off at pretty low PLs (the 3-5 range, 10 for really powerful characters like Gandalf) and institute a level cap (take cover, your players might try to stone you when you mention that).

I would suggest the ME D20 conversion site hosted by ENWorld, whose URL I can't remember right now. They've got standard D20 racial mods and ECLs for all the ME races, as well as suggested tweaks to the magic system and classes.