Mutants and Masterminds essentials?

[Felon]

The Mastermind's Manual is not just a fluff advice book about how to run a superhero game. It's that, but there are many, many great optional rules presented.

Instant Superheroes is a wonderful way to ween your fellow players onto the system.

Ultimate Power is a great way to create some more advanced characters. It's sort of a book to graduate to.

 

[Thanee]

Mastermind's Manual for M&M is kinda like Unearthed Arcana for D&D.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Harmon]

Avatar_V, if you're looking for an adventure to try out the system, check out Dr Null: Battle on the Bay Bridge. It's a free download, and if your heroes don't have fun you are guaranteed your money back.

Welcome to M&M!

Ben's adventures are great! We have had a great time Play Testing for him. Great fun!

Peace all!

 

[Nightchilde-2]

I think that Ultimate Power "completes" the core rules. everything else is well-one, and pretty inspirational...but it's optional.

This is correct.

Ultimate Power is optional, but it is so much awesome that it SHOULD be required.

 

[Qualidar]

Mastermind's Manual for M&M is kinda like Unearthed Arcana for D&D.

That's very true, but it's UA for 3.5 (lots of options), not UA for1e (lots of broken stuff and some great illustrations of pole arms).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'd say Core is all you need...but the tech & gear book is handy.

 

[SteveC]

Let me add to the chorus of "Core + Ultimate Powers." Steve Kensen writes in Ultimate Powers that this is the way he wishes he had done the power rules the first time, and I agree. What you get with Powers is the core system for designing powers for M&M and then many, many examples of how this works. In the core rulebook, the power list is a combination of both.

In the M&M game I play in, we find ourselves referencing Powers every session. Once we got the basics of the M&M rules down, we honestly don't even need to reference the core books at all any more.

--Steve

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'd say Core is all you need...but the tech & gear book is handy.

That's for 1E only, right? Is there a 2E book planned, or is that content included elsewhere now?

 

[Agamon]

I've been playing M&M2E for quite a while and all I had is the core book. Now I plan on running a game, and Ultimate Power, Mastermind's Manual and Instant Superheroes are on their way. Also looking forward to picking up Paragons, the Heroes-like campaign setting.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That's for 1E only, right? Is there a 2E book planned, or is that content included elsewhere now?

AFAIK, its still only a 1E book. Still, it makes for an effective guideline for your own gear designs or as a fakebook if you're pressed for time.

And, FWIW, I also liked Ultimate Powers. I just don't feel it to be as essential as a handy gear sourcebook that I'd be using almost every time.