Mutants and Masterminds 2E - I Have It

[Michael Tree]

I'ts been awhile since I've played a supes game. I'm hoping to test a game online...seems like a great system for running pickup games since I've got a terrible history with ongoing campaigns of late (somebody's -usually mine - rl always gets in the way). It would seem a supes game would be ideal for new heros to drop in or out and still keep some sort of continuity.

I moved to a different city a few years ago, and when I go back to visit I run a super hero game. Supers is perfect for this sort of thing, because it's simple to swap out characters, and the archetypal stories tend to be episodic anyway. Unlike fantasy, which tends to like long quests or involved storylines, the typical superhero story introduces a villain, creates some conflict and a setback or two, then resolves the story. You can have reoccurring opponents and some long-term story development, but the actual meat of each adventure can be wrapped up in a single session.

I run my game using the old Marvel Superheroes game, but I'm awfully tempted to switch over to M&M 2e. I like MSH because it's extremely quick in play, and easy for me to improvise opponents, but its flaws are definitely starting to show. M&M is also very quick in play, and with 2e it looks like it's much easier to quickly whip up characters than with 1e.
2e solved all the major problems I had with 1e.

 

[talwynor]

Bront -I ordered through Amazon. The price was right, but they said the anticpated shipping date wasn't until December. I' m hoping that's not right.

Michael - I had thought about MSH...glad to see it worked well for you. I'm hoping MM works much the same way with quick session games that can tie into a larger story arc. I like MM because I'm going to use Klooge for an online game and with both being d20 based, I think game set up will be doable (dont have a game def for it, but hoping I won't need it).

 

[Elric]

Yay, my preorder 2E books for me and the players came in yesterday. It was late when I opened the box because I didn't look a the label and assumed it was the corrugated book mailers I'd ordered. Wow, was I surprised

Anyway, it's here and if anyone has questions, I'll try to answer them.

I saw a 2e character that someone built with multiple ranks Uncanny Dodge. I would have guessed that rank 1 acts like the Rogue's ability in D&D, but there's no flanking in 2e from what I hear. Can you go into a little bit of detail on what ranks of Uncanny Dodge do? Thanks.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Just picked up the red leather cover edition.

 

[DanMcS]

I saw a 2e character that someone built with multiple ranks Uncanny Dodge. I would have guessed that rank 1 acts like the Rogue's ability in D&D, but there's no flanking in 2e from what I hear. Can you go into a little bit of detail on what ranks of Uncanny Dodge do? Thanks.

Uncanny dodge: you retain your dodge bonus when surprised or flat-footed, and cannot be surprise attacked (unless stunned or helpless, Uncanny Dodge doesn't help with that).

UD works via one sense. If someone has complete concealment from that sense, you still lose your dodge bonus versus them. Multiple ranks in UD let you pick up additional senses.

 

[melon-neko]

Hi
So i am going to be running a supers game soon and i am trying to figure out what super system to use. I wanted to stick with D20 because my players know it so i grabbed the blood & vigilance pdf sense it was suggested as a good supers set. However, it doesn't seem to be what i wanted because..well, i think because it was balanced with other D20 products, so i was curious about M&M.
Basically, what i want to know if anyone cares to answer, is can a 1st lvl character be bulletproof or punch through a brick wall or get hit by a car and have it crumple around them instead of taking damage, etc. I was hoping not having HP might make super toughness easier to represent.

thanks for your time
Melon

 

[DanMcS]

Hi
So i am going to be running a supers game soon and i am trying to figure out what super system to use. I wanted to stick with D20 because my players know it so i grabbed the blood & vigilance pdf sense it was suggested as a good supers set. However, it doesn't seem to be what i wanted because..well, i think because it was balanced with other D20 products, so i was curious about M&M.
Basically, what i want to know if anyone cares to answer, is can a 1st lvl character be bulletproof or punch through a brick wall or get hit by a car and have it crumple around them instead of taking damage, etc. I was hoping not having HP might make super toughness easier to represent.

At 1st level, no. However, in MnM, power level 1 is suitable only for minions and extras, the guys that a building falls on when the villain knocks it down to show how evil he is.

Standard starting power level for MnM is PL 10, at which point, yes, you can be bulletproof, punch through a brick wall, or do anything superheroes can do, really. PL 10 is good for x-men to avengers level heroes- superhuman, but not totally godlike. For that, you'd go up to PL 15 or PL 20.

For instance, at PL 10, protection with the impervious extra would protect you from anything less than a rocket launcher, including all guns in the book unless they got a critical hit. Of course, if you had the feat "immune to critical hits", that wouldn't bother you either.

 

[melon-neko]

At 1st level, no. However, in MnM, power level 1 is suitable only for minions and extras, the guys that a building falls on when the villain knocks it down to show how evil he is.

Standard starting power level for MnM is PL 10, at which point, yes, you can be bulletproof, punch through a brick wall, or do anything superheroes can do, really. PL 10 is good for x-men to avengers level heroes- superhuman, but not totally godlike. For that, you'd go up to PL 15 or PL 20.

For instance, at PL 10, protection with the impervious extra would protect you from anything less than a rocket launcher, including all guns in the book unless they got a critical hit. Of course, if you had the feat "immune to critical hits", that wouldn't bother you either.

Hmm, okay. that sounds promising! If i can take another moment of your time, what exactly is PL10? Is it like class levels? I am running a game for inexperianced players and while i want them to be powerful enough to survive their mistakes, i can't give them too many things to have to remember right off the bat.

Thank you!

Melon

 

[DanMcS]

Hmm, okay. that sounds promising! If i can take another moment of your time, what exactly is PL10? Is it like class levels? I am running a game for inexperianced players and while i want them to be powerful enough to survive their mistakes, i can't give them too many things to have to remember right off the bat.

Power level relates to the maximum level they can have stats, skills, combat traits, and powers at. In this sense, it works like level in D&D, where max skill ranks = level +3 for class skills. In MnM, skills max at PL +5, BAB and BDB at PL. Ability score bonuses max at PL +5, except for strength and con, which are limited to PL. Toughness (the replacement for hps) is based on Con, and melee damage is based on strength, and those two things and all other powers that force saving throws are limited to PL as well.

MnM is point buy, so power level also gives you your starting power points to build your character, typically 15 per PL.

Look at the September 12th entry on http://www.mutantsandmasterminds.com/
They posted part of the first chapter so you can see a bit about how characters are statted out and created.

 

[melon-neko]

Power level relates to the maximum level they can have stats, skills, combat traits, and powers at. In this sense, it works like level in D&D, where max skill ranks = level +3 for class skills. In MnM, skills max at PL +5, BAB and BDB at PL. Ability score bonuses max at PL +5, except for strength and con, which are limited to PL. Toughness (the replacement for hps) is based on Con, and melee damage is based on strength, and those two things and all other powers that force saving throws are limited to PL as well.

MnM is point buy, so power level also gives you your starting power points to build your character, typically 15 per PL.

Look at the September 12th entry on http://www.mutantsandmasterminds.com/
They posted part of the first chapter so you can see a bit about how characters are statted out and created.

Thanks alot!
i had no idea M&M was point buy. I love point buy, not sure if my players will like it though =( Hopefully the archtypes will help sell them on it. Anyways, thanks alot, i think i'm gonna leave work early to go buy it =D