Great reviews! I love superhero RPGs and have played all of them you reviewed today. I am glad that you are planning to review Sentinel Comics and Prowlers & Paragons. They are both great! I would also consider Icons and BASH. Icons is written by the creator of Mutants and Masterminds and is a rules light supers game with FATE like mechanics. BASH (Basic Action Super Heroes) is another rules light game that uses a point buy system like Mutants and Masterminds and Champions.
Champions is the GOAT! Played that since 1988. My first RPG love. I got M&M 1st Edition when it came out, but never got to play it. I picked up Marvel but haven't played it, but I love the book and the system seems good. Sadly, I collect RPGs more than I actually get to play them.
Champions is crunchy, but I played (DM actually) for so long I could probably run a game tomorrow without worry - and it's been 20+ years since actually running it.
Champions has an actual comic series which was based off the TTRPG. Its very adult/mature as an rpg and the comic. I'm a pretty big fan of this underrated...tounge in cheek throwback comic series from Heroic Comics. Recommended.
@TeganJGaming yeah it's on drive thrucomics an offshoot of Drive thrurpg and there's also one called drive thru fiction and drive thru cards . It's very silver age/golden age DC vibe with an adult twist
Shout out your favorite Super Hero system in the comments! & check out our past content on these amazing systems! - Masks TTRPG Check ua-cam.com/play/PL6FBFuG81UjxckGoo8bvHI4ysfZ3LbOmy.html - Mutants & Masterminds ua-cam.com/play/PL6FBFuG81Ujz0x5F3d2nnAUCwdLU2kNEE.html - Marvel Multiverse ua-cam.com/play/PL6FBFuG81UjzFiVOb3D0ykZ9j5g55wljs.html - Champion ua-cam.com/play/PL6FBFuG81UjzPsTy8B58wUvVBtVwwdiaO.html
There are at least 2 Superhero FATE based games as well, Wearing the Cape (based on Marion G Harmon's Books) and Venture City (A Tiger & Bunny Situation with Corp sponsored Heroes)
It is worth noting a couple of things. Firstly, there has always been a curious overlap between superhero RPGS and universal systems, ever since Champions/HERO system at least. You mentioned Savage Worlds, and systems like Fate, BRP, D6 and GURPS all do supers well for fans of each respective system. Some more specialised, but noteworthy systems are Icons (which was a rules-lite and randomised game system) and BESM which is nominally a Japanese Anime RPG, but is easily utilised as a superhero RPG too. Secondly, the Marvel and DC licences tend to come and go and this has left a number of much loved and innovative systems from past editions left out of the public eye. Marvel Multiverse is actually the fifth Marvel RPG, with the original Marvel Super Heroes using a clever system ‘FASERIP’ that utilised a universal table for reference but was actually very simple and quick in play. Other systems used cards, beads and dice pools respectively. DC Heroes was actually Kickstarted the original two editions recently. Again, this had a pretty clever mechanics and utilised a table to work out gameplay. Basically. if you are interested in the genealogy of game design then they are pretty interesting games.
Thanks for this. I've wandered through the genre over the years but never really landed on anything. In the 80s we have the Palladium TMNT book and played it a bit - wonderfully fun chargen, fell flat thereafter and had the cringiest sanity rules ever. I've had M&M for a long time and I think it's a good system though my older brain struggles with that chargen crunch. I have a bunch of other systems kicking around, usually lore books to steal villains from, but I have a pretty complete Champions set from a Bundle of Holding deal, again to use for inspiration and trying to understand how to gamify the genre. My leading choice right now would be Vigilante City from Runehammer, using the ICRPG system (it's included in the Master Edition rules). A fairly clean system that I think can handle almost everything I'd want to do, but leans more to street level/Iron Age than Superman. My main reason for wandering through the genre rather than really going deep into is wrapping my head around scenario design. I feel it gets pretty railroady - go here, fight them, then go here and right them, then go there and fight the big bad. You can add in some investigation/detection, but that doesn't work for all of the potential character types in a SH group. Hence all the systems and books I've looked at, trying to find the secret sauce. It's also why I picked up Mask during another Bundle of Holding deal, it seems to know how to do the 'in between' stuff. With that said, is there a superhero scenario that anyone would hold up as an examplar of how to do it (for any system)? Or a best source for advice on running SH games?
Considering that Super hero TTRPGs are such a different animal (more character focus, everything is bigger, etc), would be very interested on your take on how to run super hero games as well as how to prep or even create scenarios.
@@chrisrobinson196 This would be especially interesting for me as, now that my kids are getting older and I have free time, I would love to start playing again with my buddies. However, they are all over the place now and we would need to play online through a VTT. With no experience with any of this new tech, I figured that starting with a game type that is more "theatre of the mind" with much less elements to track than a typical D&D (different classes and skills, talents, all equipments, etc) would make it easier. Even grid maps are not likely to be that useful for a Super game because distances matter little when one can fly, teleport or jump away. So having evocative images in the background would be pretty much what would be needed. Anyway, any how to "tutorial" from an experienced GM would be fantastic! Mostly interested on how you prep and write your own scenarios. Cheers!
@ I'm interested in that too, though I can suggest that games that use the Close/Near/Far/Distant (or similar terminology) system for movement and combat would work well for theatre of the mind. There's a Supers version of the Black Hack (lite old school DnD), and that uses that system. I think it's just called Supers Hack, and is on DriveThru.
Marvel Multiverse is quirky and it is fun to play in the Marvel Comics. But 1) it is is just dnd but with 3d6 instead of a d20 2) the multipliers are needlessly complicated, especially when enemies have resistances 3) it is really unbalanced with some powers breaking the action economy (like taking 3 reactions) and other powers do literally nothing (Iconic Weapon, I am looking at you). It is fun for oneshots, but I don't think I could run a campaign for it
I really need to try GURPs, the closest I've come was a homebrew system that took a few pieces from GURPs. It's definitely high on my list for games of the month
Great reviews! I love superhero RPGs and have played all of them you reviewed today. I am glad that you are planning to review Sentinel Comics and Prowlers & Paragons. They are both great! I would also consider Icons and BASH. Icons is written by the creator of Mutants and Masterminds and is a rules light supers game with FATE like mechanics. BASH (Basic Action Super Heroes) is another rules light game that uses a point buy system like Mutants and Masterminds and Champions.
I completely forgot about Icons, actually own the PDF for the system from a Humble Bundle awhile back! Will definitely check out BASH too!
@@TeganJGaming BASH has amateur layout, but it is a great game!
such a great breakdown of everything
Champions is the GOAT! Played that since 1988. My first RPG love. I got M&M 1st Edition when it came out, but never got to play it. I picked up Marvel but haven't played it, but I love the book and the system seems good. Sadly, I collect RPGs more than I actually get to play them.
Champions is crunchy, but I played (DM actually) for so long I could probably run a game tomorrow without worry - and it's been 20+ years since actually running it.
Champions has an actual comic series which was based off the TTRPG. Its very adult/mature as an rpg and the comic. I'm a pretty big fan of this underrated...tounge in cheek throwback comic series from Heroic Comics. Recommended.
Nice I had no clue there was a comic based off the TTRPG!
@TeganJGaming yeah it's on drive thrucomics an offshoot of Drive thrurpg and there's also one called drive thru fiction and drive thru cards . It's very silver age/golden age DC vibe with an adult twist
Sentinel Comics RPG is a very fun superhero game!
I enjoyed it last time I played! Definitely need to do a refresher/make it a game of the month!
Just picked up the hardcopy off Amazon to check out.
Shout out your favorite Super Hero system in the comments! & check out our past content on these amazing systems!
- Masks TTRPG Check ua-cam.com/play/PL6FBFuG81UjxckGoo8bvHI4ysfZ3LbOmy.html
- Mutants & Masterminds ua-cam.com/play/PL6FBFuG81Ujz0x5F3d2nnAUCwdLU2kNEE.html
- Marvel Multiverse ua-cam.com/play/PL6FBFuG81UjzFiVOb3D0ykZ9j5g55wljs.html
- Champion ua-cam.com/play/PL6FBFuG81UjzPsTy8B58wUvVBtVwwdiaO.html
There are at least 2 Superhero FATE based games as well, Wearing the Cape (based on Marion G Harmon's Books) and Venture City (A Tiger & Bunny Situation with Corp sponsored Heroes)
It is worth noting a couple of things. Firstly, there has always been a curious overlap between superhero RPGS and universal systems, ever since Champions/HERO system at least. You mentioned Savage Worlds, and systems like Fate, BRP, D6 and GURPS all do supers well for fans of each respective system. Some more specialised, but noteworthy systems are Icons (which was a rules-lite and randomised game system) and BESM which is nominally a Japanese Anime RPG, but is easily utilised as a superhero RPG too.
Secondly, the Marvel and DC licences tend to come and go and this has left a number of much loved and innovative systems from past editions left out of the public eye. Marvel Multiverse is actually the fifth Marvel RPG, with the original Marvel Super Heroes using a clever system ‘FASERIP’ that utilised a universal table for reference but was actually very simple and quick in play. Other systems used cards, beads and dice pools respectively. DC Heroes was actually Kickstarted the original two editions recently. Again, this had a pretty clever mechanics and utilised a table to work out gameplay. Basically. if you are interested in the genealogy of game design then they are pretty interesting games.
Thanks for this. I've wandered through the genre over the years but never really landed on anything. In the 80s we have the Palladium TMNT book and played it a bit - wonderfully fun chargen, fell flat thereafter and had the cringiest sanity rules ever. I've had M&M for a long time and I think it's a good system though my older brain struggles with that chargen crunch. I have a bunch of other systems kicking around, usually lore books to steal villains from, but I have a pretty complete Champions set from a Bundle of Holding deal, again to use for inspiration and trying to understand how to gamify the genre.
My leading choice right now would be Vigilante City from Runehammer, using the ICRPG system (it's included in the Master Edition rules). A fairly clean system that I think can handle almost everything I'd want to do, but leans more to street level/Iron Age than Superman.
My main reason for wandering through the genre rather than really going deep into is wrapping my head around scenario design. I feel it gets pretty railroady - go here, fight them, then go here and right them, then go there and fight the big bad. You can add in some investigation/detection, but that doesn't work for all of the potential character types in a SH group. Hence all the systems and books I've looked at, trying to find the secret sauce. It's also why I picked up Mask during another Bundle of Holding deal, it seems to know how to do the 'in between' stuff.
With that said, is there a superhero scenario that anyone would hold up as an examplar of how to do it (for any system)? Or a best source for advice on running SH games?
Nightbane (core rulebook) can also be considered a somewhat freaky superhero role-playing game.
Considering that Super hero TTRPGs are such a different animal (more character focus, everything is bigger, etc), would be very interested on your take on how to run super hero games as well as how to prep or even create scenarios.
Ah, missed this before I posted, I'm in the same boat.
@@chrisrobinson196 This would be especially interesting for me as, now that my kids are getting older and I have free time, I would love to start playing again with my buddies. However, they are all over the place now and we would need to play online through a VTT. With no experience with any of this new tech, I figured that starting with a game type that is more "theatre of the mind" with much less elements to track than a typical D&D (different classes and skills, talents, all equipments, etc) would make it easier. Even grid maps are not likely to be that useful for a Super game because distances matter little when one can fly, teleport or jump away. So having evocative images in the background would be pretty much what would be needed. Anyway, any how to "tutorial" from an experienced GM would be fantastic! Mostly interested on how you prep and write your own scenarios. Cheers!
@ I'm interested in that too, though I can suggest that games that use the Close/Near/Far/Distant (or similar terminology) system for movement and combat would work well for theatre of the mind. There's a Supers version of the Black Hack (lite old school DnD), and that uses that system. I think it's just called Supers Hack, and is on DriveThru.
Marvel Multiverse. Period.
Marvel Multiverse is quirky and it is fun to play in the Marvel Comics. But 1) it is is just dnd but with 3d6 instead of a d20 2) the multipliers are needlessly complicated, especially when enemies have resistances 3) it is really unbalanced with some powers breaking the action economy (like taking 3 reactions) and other powers do literally nothing (Iconic Weapon, I am looking at you). It is fun for oneshots, but I don't think I could run a campaign for it
Palladium Books Heroes Unlimited is a very good Superhero Rpg been playing it for over 30 years now
I haven't checked that one out yet! I'll add it to the list
@TeganJGaming thank you
GURPS Supers ? You can do some insane world building with that and maybe a couple other GURPS modules.
I really need to try GURPs, the closest I've come was a homebrew system that took a few pieces from GURPs. It's definitely high on my list for games of the month
I ran a GURPs Fantasy,Magic and Supers combo that got particularly insane. It was goofy and fun for everyone.