Superhero systems?

[Corinth]

Deeds Not Words will work for a vast variety of superhero campaigns, is very easy to learn for those who've used d20 at all before, and it's only $10 for a 318 page PDF put out by one guy in St. Paul.

I use it, and it rocks on toast. I'd like to see a bigger publisher make a deal to put this bad boy RPG into print and on the shelves (along with the supplements).

 

[Cedric]

Hero System 5th Edition is in fact the best.

<grin>

Cedric

 

[mmadsen]

Hero System 5th Edition is in fact the best.

Well, I certainly can't contradict any of the arguments put forth by Cedric and N Hammer...

Seriously guys, you want to explain why you feel Hero is best option for a superhero game?

 

[clvrmonkey]

Seriously guys, you want to explain why you feel Hero is best option for a superhero game?

I would like to know more as well. I don't really want to turn this into a war or anything, but more input would be appreciated. What specific things do you like/dislike?

Also, was there a version of Hero using the Fuzion system? I keep seeing mention of something like that, but I can't find anything specific.

 

[mmadsen]

Also, was there a version of Hero using the Fuzion system? I keep seeing mention of something like that, but I can't find anything specific.

Yes, Champions: New Millennium. In my opinion, it didn't simplify much, but what it did simplify didn't streamline the game effectively.

 

[mmadsen]

Re: Thanks and more please!

mmadsen, I checked out the thread you suggested, which unfortunately left me with more questions than answers

I can understand that. It's hard to follow a discussion of all those specifics when you haven't read the games under discussion. What particular questions do you have?

 

[buzzard]

Just to be odd I will stick up for my favorites. For low powered games I was always fond of Villains and Vigilantes. Possibly the only game known which used more complicated math than Champions(but only in character creation). I still think V&V had the best initiative system ever.

Then I also quite liked DC Heroes, which I believe now is Blood of Heroes and is known as the MEGS system (I don't understand the acronym though). It covers all power levels reasonably, and is very streamlined. Quick one roll resolution for pretty much any action, and the system is very straightforward.

buzzard

 

[clvrmonkey]

Re: Re: Thanks and more please!

I can understand that. It's hard to follow a discussion of all those specifics when you haven't read the games under discussion. What particular questions do you have?

I'm afraid I don't have any specific questions without having read the books, as you said. I don't really want to buy those books just to find the questions that I need to ask to decide whether or not I want to buy those books... and now I just gave my self a headache writing that sentence It's a vicious circle, ain't it?

I'm hoping that the more conversation I see on this topic, the more of an idea I'll get on the options.

 

[Synicism]

Originally posted by mmadsen Seriously guys, you want to explain why you feel Hero is best option for a superhero game?

One of the best benchmarks for judging how well a superhero RPG system will work is how well it deals with the various superhero types. Hero system can do them all.

You want Batman? Easy. Basic gadget-based powers, cool talents and perks, and skills through the roof, combined with some interesting psychological traits, and so on.

Green Lantern? Again, easy. A pool of points that he can devote to variable powers all based on a ring that needs recharging once a day.

Spider Man? No problem.

You want a character that is a very normal 10 year old child until he turns into a 30' long, fire-breathing dragon? It's actually fairly simple.

You can even make anime-heroes who speak magic words, undergo flashy transformation sequences, and pull mecha armor out of nowhere.

And so on. Unlike a class and level based system, you don't have to worry about how to break down your character. Is superman a multiclass brick, flyer, blaster, speedster? (or however your system breaks it down) Or is he just superman?

The greatest strength of the Hero system is its flexibility. You are not constrained by any limitations that the GM does not decide to set.

Of course, this makes character creation take a LONG TIME. And that's the downside. With great power comes great responsibility.

Hero has a steep learning curve. The less you know about it, the longer it takes to generate a character. And if one of your players knows more about it than you do, they can pull off some amazingly munchkin combinations.

There are lots of ways around this. My favorite is to have the players work up their character concepts and backgrounds, give some guidelines regarding desired abilities, and have the GM generate all the stats. Other people do other things.

Hero also plays pretty slowly if you use all the combat rules. But the new book has a lot of suggestions for speeding it up to a reasonable pace.

All in all, the best part about Hero is that anything is possible. And there have been some pretty weird character concepts out there in superhero comics. The nice thing about Hero is that it can easily accommodate all of them.

 

[clvrmonkey]

Thanks Synicism, that gave me a lot more information. The flexibility of the system reminds me alot of Heroe's Unlimited, although it seems Hero is even more flexible with character options. I don't really mind the Palladium combat system tho... maybe a hybrid is in order.

The complexity, particularly of character creation, does scare me a bit. While I would be more than willing to learn everything about everything that the system has to offer, my players are a little less enthusiastic. Even with DnD, I'm the only one who has read the core books, and consequently I do most of the work.