New Edition of Mutants & Masterminds Coming Soon, Playtest Launches at End of Month

Green Ronin Publishing is making a new edition of Mutants & Masterminds. Creator Steve Kenson announced the news over on BlueSky this evening, revealing that he's working on a fourth edition of the superhero-themed RPG. According to Kenson, an "Origin" playtest edition of the new edition will be releasing in PDF at the end of the month, with a limited print run coming to Gen Con.

Perhaps the most popular superhero RPG, Mutants & Masterminds is a D20-based game system meant to be used with any level of superhero story, ranging from street-level to cosmic powered heroes. The GM sets a power level at the outset of the campaign that dictates the overall power level of characters, but players can further customize their characters within that framework using power points. The game notably allows for a large variety of superhero skills and abilities, allowing players to build custom heroes with a large degree of variation.

In recent years, Marvel has gotten into the RPG business with their own Marvel Multiverse RPG that allows character creation and play as one of dozens of superheroes from the Marvel Universe. Greater Than Games published a Sentinel Comics RPG (based on Sentinels of the Multiverse) but that is on hiatus due to that company shuttering due to tariffs.

 

[Theory of Games]

We've only been waiting .... for what seems an eternity. I've been spying on Kenson's musing at the new Atomic Think Tank site and he was definitely shifting around how certain powers worked - if not how most of them work. The system needs a nice overhaul and I'm hoping he sifts all the leftovers of D&D (e.g. levels and saves) out with 4e. After 15 years, the M&M community is more than ready for some New Shiny™.

The game's brilliant designer, Steve Kenson, and Line Developer Alex Thomas were on the Green Ronin Publishing Youtube channel spilling the beans today:

 

[Micah Sweet]

We've only been waiting .... for what seems an eternity. I've been spying on Kenson's musing at the new Atomic Think Tank site and he was definitely shifting around how certain powers worked - if not how most of them work. The system needs a nice overhaul and I'm hoping he sifts all the leftovers of D&D (e.g. levels and saves) out with 4e. After 15 years, the M&M community is more than ready for some New Shiny™.

The game's brilliant designer, Steve Kenson, and Line Developer Alex Thomas were on the Green Ronin Publishing Youtube channel spilling the beans today:

Did they say anything about how the game differs from the current version?

 

[Greg K]

I backed Valiant Adventures and like several of the changes that have been previewed in the Kickstarter updates and hope they make it into the full 4e.
1. Affliction receives a few new Condition that can be imposed
2. Obscure from M&M 2 is returning as an effect.
3. Tether as an Effect
4. Occult pulled out from Expertise and made a specific skill
5. Technology split into Computers, Electronics, and Mechanics. I wanted this back in DC Adventures and with M&M 3e
6. Thievery as a new skill for burglary, security systems,and traps.
7. Vehicle skill split into Driving and Piloting. I also wanted this back in DC Adventures and with M&M 3e
8. An option to split Riding out of Athletics for specific settings or eras


On the other hand, I don't like that Valiant Adventures character creation will use Archetypes and specific sets of choices to modify them rather than Power Points. I do not think this is carrying over to full 4e as the Line Developer (?) stated those with M&M can still use the M&M point system to build characters and Steve had been posting his work on revising Powers which have included costs.

 

[Theory of Games]

Did they say anything about how the game differs from the current version?

Steve says that, indeed, the Valiant adventures supplement was a step towards 4e. Noticeable changes:

• Definitely more lethal than the 'Saturday Morning Cartoon-ish' experience M&M3e has been: attacks are now separated into "lethal and non-lethal" kind of like Champions
• The PL for 'new superheroes' bumps down to PL8 instead of PL10 sigh
• The core remains the same (e.g. Strength & attack bonuses will be the same) but there have been tweaks (e.g., Bonus and Penalty dice that operate like D&D5e's Advantage/Disadvantage - kinda)
• Certain skills go back to the M&M2e mode of being more specific (e.g., Technology is gone, replaced by Computers, Electronics and Mechanics)
• Presence gets a long-needed boost with the new Overwhelm/Impress action giving social interaction some teeth (including new Presence-based advantages like Command and Reaction)
• Conditions have been "refined" (this was what I was spying at ATT in Steve's open notes for the community)
• Oh yeah, Fighting and Dexterity are gone

There's more. Steve stresses 4e is in playtest mode and he has a history of listening to what the community wants from M&M. The Valiant Adventures quickstart is free on DrivethruRPG. Join the playest!

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/467646/valiant-adventures-rpg-quickstart-free-pdf

 

[overgeeked]

Shouldn't be surprised but still disappointed.

 

[Theory of Games]

I’m honestly hoping they go much more rules light and abstract across the board. I doubt they will, but who knows. I just can’t go back to a dense and crunchy system at this point. Gimme something where I can write down “Green Lantern,” make a few picks, and be ready to play in 5-10 minutes instead of having a 2-3 hour paperwork and math homework session just to make a character.

There's a ton of other rules-lite superhero rpgs that offer that exact experience. Kenson said (in the 4e announcement) that while there will be tweaks to the system, his interaction with the M&M community reflected that MOST of us enjoy all the "moving parts" involved in playing the system.

If he went rules-lite, he'd lose the majority of the player-base that have been with the game since at least 2e, if not 1e. I appreciate that about Kenson and Green Ronin: the fact that unlike WotC, they listen to the players

 

[Theory of Games]

Great News!

Steve Kenson, M&M's designer, and M&M's Line Dev, Alex Thomas, announced and discuss the new edition (currently in playtest mode):

 

[Greg K]

Steve says that, indeed, the Valiant adventures supplement was a step towards 4e. Noticeable changes:

• Oh yeah, Fighting and Dexterity are gone

If this is true and applies to Valiant Adventures as well, I am on the borderline of demanding a reimbursement of my kickstarter backing, The character samples they posted for the Valiant Adventures Kickstarter updates had both.

 

[Greg K]

I never played M&M with minis anyway.

neither have I

 

[Golden Bee]

Is the guy in red Captain Steve Kenson?