Making D&D SUPER-heroic without changing systems

[Herobizkit]

Hey all,
For a while now I've been running a campaign where I have but one player. This player has made a chaacter that is pretty much a cross between the Smallville's Superman and the Sorbo "Hercules". Statistically, he's a L8 Gestalt Paladin/Rogue with the Half-Celestial template and some additional ad-hoc powers; he can re-create the Dru8 Sunbeam spell at will, fly without the use of his wings (he can make them appear/disappear at will), and a super-powered Gust of Wind (which he hasn't used in forever, so perhaps he's forgotten it... heh heh).

I've been trying to come with ways of making the campaign more SUPER-fantastic. With the way the system is now, I worry way too much about stuff like picking monsters that equal his CR AND have a ridiculous amount of resistances, making sure he has sufficient gear, making sure his cohort NPCs are helpful when they need to be, and so on.

Without changing gears and adopting True20's Mutants and Masterminds etc, how would YOU simulate the superheroic "feel" of a super-fantastic campaign?

 

[jdrakeh]

First, I'd create a short list of feats that function as super powers. Second, I'd insitutute plot immunity rules (as that is typically what defines super heroes as a genre - outside of powers, of course). That is, I'd simply have characters get knocked out and/or captured a lot, not killed outright. Finally, I'd insitutue a simple system for flaws - every character has one (e.g., an allergy, like Clark's to kryptonite or a pariach status, like Batman's 'hunted vigilante'). SHAZAM! Instant 4-color campaign!

 

[Drowbane]

An idea I've been toying around with for sometime...

Eberron D&D set during the Last War. PCs (and selected villains) can made with Gestalt and something around 32pts... in addition they can take up to 20pts (initially) of Flaws and Weaknesses (UA and M&M) to gain Super-Feats, Powers, etc. Characters would get more PP for suitable challenges. "No, using your Super-Str boost to squish a kobold is not a suitable challenge!"

WWII Supers... in D&D! Yeah buddy!

Anyways, my point is that you can use M&M piecemeal without making the (Super)Hero and Villains completely with M&M. I'm doing it this way because I want to still be able to use the tougher D&D monsters...

 

[Victim]

In many ways, high level characters are already superheroic, you just need to put a different spin on things.

 

[Herobizkit]

At present, I don't own M&M. I DO own BESM20. It's pretty b0rken in places, but it could have some of what I might be looking for.

Ideally, this "hero" is going to span the ages as an Immortal being. I plan on "upgrading" him to d20 Modern/Future as he gains levels.

I'm looking to simulate a "story-telling" game similar to what is detailed in the Blue Rose/True20 supplement.

I dunno... I'll think of more as I think of more.

 

[Drowbane]

At present, I don't own M&M. I DO own BESM20. It's pretty b0rken in places, but it could have some of what I might be looking for.

Ideally, this "hero" is going to span the ages as an Immortal being. I plan on "upgrading" him to d20 Modern/Future as he gains levels.

I'm looking to simulate a "story-telling" game similar to what is detailed in the Blue Rose/True20 supplement.

I dunno... I'll think of more as I think of more.

I like the cut of your jib (no clue what that really means, but if its good enough for Monte Burns, its good enough for me ), Herobizkit. My unfinished Homebrew is written with Seven Ages... from Primordial (Humans vs Nature) to Uber-high Tech (Mechas, Starships, and Lightsabers, oh my!) Somewhere in there is a modernish-Super Hero age... ideally I'd like to get my group started with the 4th Age (mostly standard D&D) and then use Time Travel to explore the other ages... or just use them when I feel like running another genre.

I own two copies of M&M1... and will likely buy into M&M2 once I get caught up on other books. Want one?

 

[Herobizkit]

I own two copies of M&M1... and will likely buy into M&M2 once I get caught up on other books. Want one?

Yes. Yes, I do.

I haven't seen the M&M1, heard good and bad things about M&M2, and don't have the cash for either...

I really should get around to eBaying my old books...

 

[bolen]

I am not quite sure what you mean are you if your talking superhero characteristics then you might need to use new rules (but in any genre you will always be able to throw monsters that the characters can’t beat) But it sounds like you just need to bump up the character’s levels (maybe epic) or maybe I’m missing the point.

 

[MarkB]

Take the Warlock.

• Remove the alignment and origin restrictions.
• Add a few varied alternate choices for each class feature.
• Expand the list of invocations to include a variety of 'superpowers'.

Warlocks are about as close as D&D game mechanics come to simulating superpowers. They make a decent base upon which to expand.

 

[Agent Oracle]

No changing systems, staing In d20 and being superheroic?

Run BESM in greyhawk. by third level the giant robot pilot wins the game.