Post by ironfox on Feb 21, 2012 19:02:50 GMT -5
But like I said before, I still love the system. I just don't like the way some take advantage of it. I wrote an article a few months back praising it:
Superhero role playing game systems have come and gone and only a very few of them have had a lasting effect on the tabletop gaming community. One of those few is the Mutants and Masterminds gaming system published by Green Ronin Publishing. Now Green Ronin is back with its third edition of Mutants and Masterminds with the backing power of DC Comics in DC Adventures.
With artwork from artists like Alex Ross and Jim Lee, just two of a long list of talented artists, it's no surprise that the book looks great. Depictions of team battles and iconic heroes and villains promote a distinctive DC comic book feel.
The book is easy to follow with one minor hiccup to those not used to the Mutants and Masterminds system. The game doesn’t use hit points to determine health. Instead it uses a toughness roll on the twenty-sided-die to resolve injury. Success means no damage is dealt while varying degrees of failure can mean anything from a penalty on your next roll to incapacitation. This unfortunately isn’t apparent at a glance.
Powers are presented in a “tool kit” fashion allowing for a lot of freedom in customization. There are several example hero archetypes given in an early chapter to assist in character creation and a collection of some of DC’s most famous characters in the back of the book. Once learned, character creation is quick and easy.
The game play is smooth. Combat rounds generally consist of two rolls. An attack roll and a roll based on character toughness to resist damage should the attacker succeed. Damage is at a fixed rate that depends on the character build, so no roll there. Various powers and advantages can increase the number of rolls in a combat round but not drastically so.
An interesting aspect that sets it apart from many other games is the use of Hero Points. Hero Points are earned when a hero’s chosen complications (a secret identity, vulnerable loved ones etc.) cause trouble for him during play. Once earned the hero may use these points to reroll failed rolls, recover from injury or ill effect or even edit the scene in his favor.
The game offers a wide range of power levels from local “street” level heroes to world protectors on par with the Justice League and even beyond into cosmic level campaigns. The games power level ranges from one to twenty and limits the maximum damage, defense and skill level available to characters. The common starting power level suggested is ten. This power level can be adjusted by the game’s master when she feels that the group is ready to take their next big step forward.
With the versatility and depth that DC Adventures has to offer it would not be surprising to see it in regular circulation amongst tabletop gamers for years to come especially among the superhero enthusiasts out there.
Superhero role playing game systems have come and gone and only a very few of them have had a lasting effect on the tabletop gaming community. One of those few is the Mutants and Masterminds gaming system published by Green Ronin Publishing. Now Green Ronin is back with its third edition of Mutants and Masterminds with the backing power of DC Comics in DC Adventures.
With artwork from artists like Alex Ross and Jim Lee, just two of a long list of talented artists, it's no surprise that the book looks great. Depictions of team battles and iconic heroes and villains promote a distinctive DC comic book feel.
The book is easy to follow with one minor hiccup to those not used to the Mutants and Masterminds system. The game doesn’t use hit points to determine health. Instead it uses a toughness roll on the twenty-sided-die to resolve injury. Success means no damage is dealt while varying degrees of failure can mean anything from a penalty on your next roll to incapacitation. This unfortunately isn’t apparent at a glance.
Powers are presented in a “tool kit” fashion allowing for a lot of freedom in customization. There are several example hero archetypes given in an early chapter to assist in character creation and a collection of some of DC’s most famous characters in the back of the book. Once learned, character creation is quick and easy.
The game play is smooth. Combat rounds generally consist of two rolls. An attack roll and a roll based on character toughness to resist damage should the attacker succeed. Damage is at a fixed rate that depends on the character build, so no roll there. Various powers and advantages can increase the number of rolls in a combat round but not drastically so.
An interesting aspect that sets it apart from many other games is the use of Hero Points. Hero Points are earned when a hero’s chosen complications (a secret identity, vulnerable loved ones etc.) cause trouble for him during play. Once earned the hero may use these points to reroll failed rolls, recover from injury or ill effect or even edit the scene in his favor.
The game offers a wide range of power levels from local “street” level heroes to world protectors on par with the Justice League and even beyond into cosmic level campaigns. The games power level ranges from one to twenty and limits the maximum damage, defense and skill level available to characters. The common starting power level suggested is ten. This power level can be adjusted by the game’s master when she feels that the group is ready to take their next big step forward.
With the versatility and depth that DC Adventures has to offer it would not be surprising to see it in regular circulation amongst tabletop gamers for years to come especially among the superhero enthusiasts out there.