underfoot007ct
First Post
I was thinking of starting a SuperHero RPG campagain but know almost nothing about Superhero RPGs. So what systems do you play & why do you like it, and is it still in print.
What SuperHero RPG do you play ?
- Thread starter underfoot007ct
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pming
Legend
Hiya.
Marvel Super Heroes Advanced. It is no longer in print, but you can still get all the rules and more from: Classic Marvel Forever - MSH Classic RPG | Home Page
We play it because it's just plain ol' awesome! Easy system to grasp. Easy to manipulate. Easy to play. It can handle low-power to cosmic power and everything in between. The system itself is fairly broad, but it's easy to change the rules to present some particular style of comic book you want...e.g, Punisher type campaign may benefit from having more distinction between guns, explosives and the damage they cause, whilst a Spider Man type campaign may benefit from ignoring or changing rules for death, making it easier to avoid.
And besides that...I like the marvel universe best.
^_^
Paul L. Ming
Marvel Super Heroes Advanced. It is no longer in print, but you can still get all the rules and more from: Classic Marvel Forever - MSH Classic RPG | Home Page
We play it because it's just plain ol' awesome! Easy system to grasp. Easy to manipulate. Easy to play. It can handle low-power to cosmic power and everything in between. The system itself is fairly broad, but it's easy to change the rules to present some particular style of comic book you want...e.g, Punisher type campaign may benefit from having more distinction between guns, explosives and the damage they cause, whilst a Spider Man type campaign may benefit from ignoring or changing rules for death, making it easier to avoid.
And besides that...I like the marvel universe best.
^_^
Paul L. Ming
HERO (a.k.a. Champions) is my game of choice. I find its system is simply unsurpassed in flexibility: I have yet to come up with a PC concept I can't model in HERO. While it is complex, most of that is due to its flexibility- you can model just about anything 10 different ways- the complexity is mostly limited to character creation. Once you're playing, nearly everything you need to reference will be on your PC sheet.
Mutants & Masterminds is also exceptionally flexible, second only to HERO in this regard, IMHO. It will also be easier to understand if you're familiar with the D20 system.
While I've not played a supers game in it nor particularly care for it, GURPS is another game quite capable of modeling a huge variety of character concepts.
Besides those, I've played a variety of superheroic games over the years. While these others may not be as good as modeling the whole supers genre as the ones listed above, they may do a better job of modeling a particular subset of the genre. For example, if you really want to play in the Marvel or DC universes, the games designed for those companies' comic lines are really where you should start looking.
Do you have a particular supers campaign type in mind?
Mutants & Masterminds is also exceptionally flexible, second only to HERO in this regard, IMHO. It will also be easier to understand if you're familiar with the D20 system.
While I've not played a supers game in it nor particularly care for it, GURPS is another game quite capable of modeling a huge variety of character concepts.
Besides those, I've played a variety of superheroic games over the years. While these others may not be as good as modeling the whole supers genre as the ones listed above, they may do a better job of modeling a particular subset of the genre. For example, if you really want to play in the Marvel or DC universes, the games designed for those companies' comic lines are really where you should start looking.
Do you have a particular supers campaign type in mind?
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Mutants & Masterminds. Easy to learn, effect-based, easy to run. If you like DC, Green Ronin is publishing a new line with this rules and the DC Universe as campaign world.
Smallville. Relationship focus, powers are tricks and not the focus, really well written.
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying. Cortex +, still in development, but seems really promising.
Smallville. Relationship focus, powers are tricks and not the focus, really well written.
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying. Cortex +, still in development, but seems really promising.
Mercutio01
First Post
I happen to be partial to ICONS. It's quick, easy, and I think it fits my needs exactly.
I also really like Mutants and Masterminds for some of the crunchy bits, although if you aren't comfortable doing all the hard work to build powers from effects it can be more than a bit intimidating. Still, flexible as all get-out, powerful in its complexity, and a great all around game.
Still--I think ICONS, for the most part, plays better. For me anyway.
I also really like Mutants and Masterminds for some of the crunchy bits, although if you aren't comfortable doing all the hard work to build powers from effects it can be more than a bit intimidating. Still, flexible as all get-out, powerful in its complexity, and a great all around game.
Still--I think ICONS, for the most part, plays better. For me anyway.
ExploderWizard
Hero
4E D&D.
The campaign has only just started but its off to a good start.
Details:
Larger than life protagonists all with an array of superpowers-check
A determined focus to fight for what is right and good-check
Epic showdowns with dastardly villains-check
A powerful patron (The Fey Court) from which we receive info and are assigned missions-check
What else is missing that is needed to make this a "legitimate" supers campaign? Is Star Wars not a martial arts movie because it takes place a long time ago in a galaxy far far away?
I do NOT consider our campaign to be "crap". I'm rather pleased with it thus far.
Mod Note: This reads a whole lot like edition-warring threadcrapping. If your groups is actually using 4e for supers gaming, rather than fantasy, please go into more detail to avoid that perception. ~Umbran
The campaign has only just started but its off to a good start.
Details:
Larger than life protagonists all with an array of superpowers-check
A determined focus to fight for what is right and good-check
Epic showdowns with dastardly villains-check
A powerful patron (The Fey Court) from which we receive info and are assigned missions-check
What else is missing that is needed to make this a "legitimate" supers campaign? Is Star Wars not a martial arts movie because it takes place a long time ago in a galaxy far far away?
I do NOT consider our campaign to be "crap". I'm rather pleased with it thus far.
Mod Note: This reads a whole lot like edition-warring threadcrapping. If your groups is actually using 4e for supers gaming, rather than fantasy, please go into more detail to avoid that perception. ~Umbran
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Zelda Themelin
First Post
I've done Marvel. I still like it a lot, but I have lot of original books. Fun and easy games, doeesn't try to be balanced. You make basicly anything you and group wants.
Gurps, oh well, it's gurps. I am not fan of skill system. You always run out of points. Or then you make some 400+ point character. And with gurp skill systems with "right" choices you can still make it lame. Gurps is for scifi HC lite IME.
I've heard a lot of love for mutants & masterminds, but since I don't know it myself, I don't know how well it works.
Also I've done lot of superhero games with beyond the supernatural, really.
I also did them with mage the ascension.
Neither are superhero games per ce so I can't recommend, just my thing I guess.
Gurps, oh well, it's gurps. I am not fan of skill system. You always run out of points. Or then you make some 400+ point character. And with gurp skill systems with "right" choices you can still make it lame. Gurps is for scifi HC lite IME.
I've heard a lot of love for mutants & masterminds, but since I don't know it myself, I don't know how well it works.
Also I've done lot of superhero games with beyond the supernatural, really.
I also did them with mage the ascension.
Neither are superhero games per ce so I can't recommend, just my thing I guess.
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