What's your favorite super hero RPG?

[Akunin]

I've played pretty much all of the above, and have to go with Marvel SAGA. The rules are simple, there are a lot of options for characters, combat flows quickly, and the game "feels" like you're playing out the adventures of comic book heroes (instead of running a super hero simulation).

The last one is the kicker for me. I don't want to have to debate tactical advantages on a movement grid, calculate odds while performing lots of math in my head, or sit down for hours "tweaking" points on a character sheet to get the "perfect" set of stats. I want to be able to grab a character sheet, get my cards, and get right into the action - just like picking up a comic book and opening to the splash page.

That's the system's biggest strength - it's more story-oriented then it is rules-oriented (just like a good comic book).

 

[Eosin the Red]

Unlike others here, I have never had a problem with combat, and it actually went rather slick for us.

Ditto. It takes roughly the same time to run a combat in d20, for me at least. A single slow player who does not have a good grasp of the rules, can bog the game down til they come up to speed.

FRed is dope!!


Scott - I loved your Seeker story!

 

[Swack-Iron]

Champions, without a doubt.

First of all, let me get one thing straight: You do not need to know algebra or geometry or trig to play Champions. When people say you need to know math to play Champions, they refer to the ability to add 12+15+3+2 etc. etc.

This is not hard.

Character creation allows the utmost in flexibility, at the cost of a lengthy creation time.

Actually, compared to a lot of systems, it is hard. Especially since you're not often asked to add 12+15+3+2, per your example. And its the very flexibility of the system that often causes the most trouble.

More likely example: My superhero has a 75 pt. Variable Power Pool, from which she decides to use, this round, a 7DC EB with Penetrating and Killing Attack, and a 20 pt. Force Field with Invisible Power Effects. How many power points did she use, and what's the endurance cost? And since we're in the middle of combat, better figure that out quickly, everyone's waiting. And next round she'll need to do something completely different with a fresh set of calculations.

Or perhaps: My STR 13 swashbuckler character is using a rapier in combat with a that does 2DC at STR MIN 6, with the Defensive Strike maneuver. How many dice does he roll for damage? And then he picks up a magic sword from a fallen opponent that does 2 1/2 DC at STR MIN 7, and uses the Offensive Strike maneuver. Now how many dice of damge does he roll? (Please be kind, I made those numbers up on the fly. The example should still flow, hopefully.)

Yes, it's mostly addition and subtraction, but the formulae and terminology are fairly arcane. I've been playing Hero/Champions on and off for over 10 years, and for the last 7 or so with the people who designed the game, and I still can't do character design or on-the-fly calculations without the aid of a computer. It's a good game, but it's certainly hard for the average gamer to grok.

This is why I vastly prefer Fuzion. Is it Hero Lite? Certainly, but the more simplified, streamlined system is more my cup o' tea.

 

[Wippit Guud]

Wow, I feel weird.

No one except me has played Tales from the Floating Vagabond.
Nothing like having cartoon physics as a super power.

 

[Hatchling Dragon]

Champions as has been voted for already. Hmm... a poll..

I've nothing to dispute with any of the statements regarding the game, either for or against. I will however point out that you can do what many GM's I've seen do, dissallow the more esoteric rules until everyone's familiar with the basics; ex: Variable Power Pool. Just saying that name often makes a GM break into a cold sweat.

And yes, it's the happy playground of the Munchkin. I've had characters turned in to me that consisted of A character sheet, and a small booklet with all thier powers/items listed. Then again, in the same group, I had a friend who made the standard 'tank' (aka: Brick) with a very complicated design to a simple little Force-Field just becuase it went with his character concept. The Force-Field was hellishly strong, BUT at higher levels was a huge drain on the character.

I've also thought the combat system, once you'd gotten used to it, wasn't really any more cumbersom than any other RPG I've played. And it is the system I think best represents 'comic super-hero fights', lots of destruction and tremendous blows being exchanged yet it's a very rare occurance to have someone acutally die.

Hatchling Dragon

 

[Richards]

I'll add my support not only to the Champions game (I played that for years, first with my brothers and friends in high school, and later with my own kids), but also to the Crimster's excellent "Vendetta" Story Hour. If you're a superhero fan, you owe it to yourself to check it out. It's a very well thought out world.

 

[Green Knight]

Plus the world setting was rather lame, I thought.

Agreed. Though it gets a lot better when you use the UN and the IST as the bad guys.

And a new edition of Champions is right around the corner, huh? I'm not planning on buying many RPG books in the future, but I may have to get this. I'm scratching my head wondering if I've ever played it. I THINK I have, but I'm not sure.

And I don't care about doing math in character creation, so long as it doesn't go past a 6th grade level. And I spend hours and hours tweaking a character with EVERY game. So Champions wouldn't be different.

Just hope if I get it that I find a game.

 

[MulhorandSage]

/me wonders why Scott Bennie would like Champions (seeing as I have all the books he wrote or editted for Hero/ICE)

True. Though I also did a fair bit for the old Marvel as well.

(Eosin, glad you liked the Seeker story)

Scott Bennie

 

[Killer Shrike]

Ive played all 3 versions of Marvel, old DC once, GURPS, Brave New World, and Champions.

Champions is the biz-zomb. It captures the comic feel perfectly in its mechanix, and allows almost endless variety in character designs. Its like being given the source code for a game system instead of the UI. If you like having control over all aspects of a character, its great. If you just want to roll dice and not think about too much its definitely not so great.

5th edition might actually be treking out of the Limbo its been in for years; supposedly now that Steve Long has control of it, it is moving toward publication soon.

 

[Killer Shrike]

Wow, I feel weird.

No one except me has played Tales from the Floating Vagabond.
Nothing like having cartoon physics as a super power.

I have--once. I made a cyborg that was tough enough to survive the most powerful grenade explosion in the game, got a supply of the grenades, and would simply pull the pin on the grenade while holding it in my hand whenever someone annoyed me. Id survive, they typically didnt. I also had an extra-dim pocket full of cigars as a quirk, which I would light up after surviving a grenade.

Pretty silly game, but kind of fun....