What super hero game is for me?

[GreatLemur]

Part of me wants to say that if M&M 2e isn't flexible enough, you must not be doing it right. I've been screwing around with the system for a while, finding ways to get it to do things it wasn't intended for, and there really isn't much that it can't be stretched to cover. Seriously, I can't imagine how someone could have trouble statting up a reasonably deep Hulk conversion, given a little experience with the system.

But the thing with M&M is that you do have to be willing to play things kind of loosely. Throwing together new extras and flaws to make a character work is definitely acceptable, and any M&M GM should be open to that kind of thing. Accusations of vagueness in the rules are totally justified, too. It is not a heavily granular system by nature, and the same general mechanic is often intended to cover a very wide range of circumstances.

If this ain't right for you, then the Hero System is the only way to go. Absolutely the most flexible thing out there, without indulging in vagueness and house rules.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Pains me though it does to say this, I must also point out that GURPS has many ardent supporters (I'm not one, though- I dislike GURPS), and they do have a superheroic system.

I mention it only because I think of M&M as "HERO-lite," and you've already mentioned a dislike for M&M. You may just find GURPS' take on supers more to your taste.

 

[GreatLemur]

Pains me though it does to say this, I must also point out that GURPS has many ardent supporters (I'm not one, though- I dislike GURPS), and they do have a superheroic system.

Man, unless GURPS Supers has changed a lot with Fourth Edition, it definitely won't be flexible enough for him. Where M&M and Hero will give you a generic "do damage at melee range" power and a huge wealth of modifiers to customize that basic effect, GURPS will give you a bunch of melee weapons and martial arts, a claws power, an electric grip power, a super-sonic vibrating touch power, and so on. (Disclaimer: I haven't seen GURPS Supers in about a decade, so forgive me if I'm way off. I'm pretty sure about the super-sonic vibrating touch power, though.)

 

[buzz]

Man, unless GURPS Supers has changed a lot with Fourth Edition, it definitely won't be flexible enough for him.

Couple things:

1. The OP wanted more "customizable" and more complexity, not flexibility, fwiw.

2. GURPS 4e is a significantly different beast w/r/t to superpowers. It's actually a lot more HERO-like, and you can do a lot of supers stuff with just the core rules. While I would never steer anyone toward GURPS 3e for supers, GURPS 4e is worth considering. You can browse the SJG boards and see writeups for lots of different supers.

3. The final argument worth making for M&M2e is the new Ultimate Power book. It breaks down power creation and has lots of pre-built powers. Ergo, it may add some customization and robustness to that aspect of the game.

 

[Thomas5251212]

It would help to know what parts of M&M2e aren't sufficient to direct you; if its aspects of the game system, then I'd suggest either Hero or possibly GURPS Supers (given I'm told the 4e version works much better than its prior versions); if its some of the limits of power building, then perhaps M&M2e plus Ulimate Power might actually do. I can't recommend SAS for various reasons (I don't think the design is as coherent as it could be), and there really isn't much else in the running to my view, given what you've said (though I have some caveats regarding that and _Wild Talents_).

 

[JPL]

Not really on-topic, but I was just thinking...

I love FASERIP so much. Even the old yellow box edition. My very first RPG. Simple, intuitive, and very fun.

 

[EditorBFG]

Ah, FASERIP... I've heard there are still people out there playing it.

Someone mentioned Heroes Unlimited. I would advise you not to bother with it. While does fit the OP requirement of complexity, that complexity is unnecessary and doesn't really pay off in any way. The Palladium system has not evolved in any real way for 20 years, and not because it didn't need to, but because the publisher stopped gaming or understanding games way back then.

If you want complications that at least serve a function, yeah, go with Champions.

 

[danzig138]

Ah, FASERIP... I've heard there are still people out there playing it.

Heh. I'll be starting a game this Sunday using FASERIP. Set on Earth about 1,000 years after the Ba'al managed to merge the Earth and the Nightlands, and fought a nearly world-shattering war with an invading alien species. Like a post-apocalyptoinvasionsupershorror game.

Right now, i have a rough map, and even rougher ideas. I figure I'll just wing it the first few times.

And yeah, if M&M wasn't complex enough for the OP, then Heroes Unlimited really won't meet his needs.

 

[Old Drew Id]

here's one Hero system archive of iconic characters:

http://surbrook.devermore.net/index/archive.html

Google can find you other similar lists

 

[Thanee]

As for what i have found out about hero system over the past few days it sounds pretty good. And i recently found out a friend of mine i hadnt seen i awhile had an older verison of champions so i might ask if i can barrow it before spending the money. Or i might buy it off him.

The older versions of HERO (from 3rd onwards, I think) are all pretty much identical. 5th Edition has some changes, but they are only minor AFAIK. So you can easily use an older version, if you can get it.

Bye
Thanee