Preferred d20 Superhero system?

[SSquirrel]

Alright, so far I've bought Four Colors to Fantasy and Comic Book Super Heroes from www.rpgnow.com , downloaded the Paragon superhero game rules and looked thru the SIlver Age Sentinels d20 book in stores a few times. I'll need more time with all of them, as well as upcoming products like Mutants and Masterminds to decide what I like best, but I was just curious what systems everyone else has been picking up and what people like.

Little disclaimer here....only supers game I've ever really played was the original TSR Marvel. Never played HERO or Champions so I can't compare to either of them. I was, however, a very big fan of Aberrant and felt that they managed to cover most all the Marvel uuniverse. DC too liikely, but I'm not as familiar with DC.

 

[Felon]

Best d20 super-system? Why, The Foundation, of course!

I'm pretty interested in hearing what people have to say on this matter myself. I'm particularly curious to hear how the various systems deal with a superhuman range in ability scores, accounting for powers like super-strength. Hopefully, someone's figured out a better method than having the Hulk's punches do a d3 + 167 points of damage.

 

[Darkness]

D&D!

 

[Moe Ronalds]

Deeds Not Words does an excellent job at just about anything super-hero related you could want. So far I have yet to come up with any character concept that wasn't doable.

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

I'd have to say a toss up between Four Color to Fantasy and Deeds not Words. Both very excellent games and do a good job.

Four Color to Fantasy if you want to lay superheroes over any other D20 game.

Deeds not Words is great as a stand alone supers game for D20.

 

[Felon]

I'd have to say a toss up between Four Color to Fantasy and Deeds not Words. Both very excellent games and do a good job.

Four Color to Fantasy if you want to lay superheroes over any other D20 game.

Interesting. So, does FC2F retain the ability score scale that D&D uses? Does a 30 Strength mean the same thing it does in D&D?

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I'm waiting on mutants and masterminds everything I have heard makes it seem like the system for me. (though I may steal things form toher systems if I feel they do an aspect better)

And yes they do ahve something better for the hulk than haivng his punch do 1d3+167. In M&M stats stop at 20. You can then but super stats, at various levels. The hulk would likely have STR20+super str9(big number)starts at 9 and every rounf of a fight gets +1 until reaches his max stat.

Damage is now a save the damage save the DC is 15+the bonus you have. For the hulf in round one it would be 15+5(nomral sr)+9(super str) for a total DC of 29.(a crit boosts the damage save by 5) How much damage you take depends on how well you make your save.

If you make it no damage, you fail it by a certain number you take a hit, you fail it by a bigger number your take a hit and are stunned for 1 round, fail it by an even bigger number and you are knocked cold.(each hit you reeive reduces gives your damage save a -1 penalty so eventuallt you will even fail saves from weak hits) And yes this means their are no HP.

I think technically M&M is OGL and not D20 now though.

 

[SSquirrel]

I think technically M&M is OGL and not D20 now though.

Yes Shard, M&M, ,crazy white boy from Detroit, is OGL not d20 *heh*

Hmm...The Foundation, Deds Not Words....have to look for both of these to browse. For those of you that are planning to use one system or another but want to steal aspects of others, which do you want to steal and why?

Also, what game setting are people going to try out? Are you going to run modern Supers using d20 Modern? Are you going to make a fantasy game that includeds super powers? Are you going to just go nuts and involve Mecha Crusade and maybe some more stuff too *this is a route I'm leaning towards...and before you ask, no I've never played Warhammer 40K even tho elves/dwarves/orcs in mechs is what it is*

 

[RangerWickett]

I'd have to say a toss up between Four Color to Fantasy and Deeds not Words. Both very excellent games and do a good job.

Four Color to Fantasy if you want to lay superheroes over any other D20 game.

Deeds not Words is great as a stand alone supers game for D20.

If you're buying d20 Modern, I'd suggest FCTF over DNW, since you can overlay FCTF easier (and we intend to release some updates to FCTF when D20 Modern comes out). I admittedly haven't looked in-depth at DNW (too busy with my own supers rules), so I'd have a hard time telling you how exactly either game is better than the other.

A few obvious ones, though, are:

• DNW isn't on the same levelower ratio as the core rules, so it's a little harder to just grab other d20 supplements and add them to DNW, since a 5th level champion (DNW) is stronger than a 5th level fighter (D&D).
• DNW has a lot more supplements for it than FCTF.
• FCTF has a little more art, and (in my opinion) a prettier cover.
• You can add the rules from FCTF to your normal D&D game, since the power scale is the same. You can use "super powers" to make new races or monsters, or to deal with various blessings and boons PCs might gain. It's hard to make Hercules with core D&D rules, but FCTF lets you do it.

People on the DNW side are encouraged to come by and say what they like about their system, since it's impossible to say that one system is imperically better than the other. Of course, I think FCTF is the best, though I will look closely at Mutants & Masterminds when it comes out.

 

[RangerWickett]

Oh, and in FCTF, we basically add a new character class--the Hero--with levels just like fighters, rogues, and sorcerers. The class abilities of a Hero are "Hero Points" that let you buy super powers, so while all Heroes are customizable, they are all balanced. A Hero 5/Fighter 5 is just as powerful as a Sorcerer 5/Fighter 5, or Fighter 10. It doesn't change any rules, just add new ones, so it should fit easily onto almost any system.

As for ability scores, yes, we use them as usual. However, there are two different types of ways to enhance each ability.

Str: 'Heightened Strength' actually increases your Strength score. 'Super Strength' gives you a bonus to damage and lifting ability, but doesn't enhance your attack bonus, so it's cheaper than Heightened Strength.

Dex: 'Heightened Dexterity' actually increases your Dexterity score. 'Super Agility' increases your AC, initiative, and Reflex saves, but doesn't help with ranged attacks, so it's cheaper.

Con: 'Heightened Constitution' actually increases your Constitution score. 'Super Health' increases your Fortitude and how long you can run and hold your breath and stuff, but gives no bonus HP, so it's cheaper.

And so on.

I think I'll post some optional rules so that, if you have tons of bonus to damage, you can roll bigger dice instead of adding a flat amount. So instead of d3+20, you might get 6d6+1.