#Superhero RPGs

[abstractstew]

Burying the Hatchet, Twisting the Knife

[probablybadrpgideas]

Cackling Supervillain who works on internet commissions.

"Sorry, Justice Dorks, but I've been paypalled to turn the sea into butter! Huh? Oh, I don't fucking know either, but in this economy a job's a job."

[oldschoolfrp]

DC Heroes RPG 1st edition, Mayfair Games, 1985, with box cover art by George Pérez, Dick Giordano, and Arne Starr -- They placed their names on the sign at the bottom center

[zal-cryptid]

SYZYGY

My MASKS: A New Generation character

[tabletopgayventures]

Oh yes this is a great addition!

I've seen fans and players make these for games like Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder. I made one for my players in my Starfinder campaign. The only game I know that did this officially is Glitter Hearts by Letherman Games. It made it very easy to run a oneshot with a bunch of new players. I just printed out multiple copies of the move sheets and passed them around.

Here's a link if you want to check them out click here. In addition to having character sheets and move references, they also have alternate character building rules for making gem heroes like in Steven Universe!

I'll write up a full review when I'm able to run it again but I absolutely love Glitter Hearts!!!

What I look for in a tabletop role-playing game

Just my thoughts on what makes a game interesting.  Not necessarily good or bad, just what I would like to see in a game.  

First off, I want my games to be all in one book.  All you need to get started playing is just a single rulebook.  I prefer physical books but I’ll take both physical and digital.  I want the book to include a brief intro about the game, have the next section go over the game rules, then go over the setting, and the final part of the book will go over character creation.  Referee options, like challenges or bestiaries, can either be with the game rules or in a section after character creation.  I have yet to find a book that puts things in this order, but hopefully with my large collection of books I’ll finally find the order.  

The reason I want the book organized like this is that you need to understand the game mechanics in order to know how you want to build your character.  You also need to know the game setting to come up with a story for your character.  Finally, in most systems, character building takes up the majority of the book.  Especially in more complicated games with lots of character options.  Having the book organized this way will also increase the likelihood of players actually READING THE DAMN RULES.

Last thing about the game book.  Hardcover, paperback, pdf I don’t care.  But make your books easy to read and navigate!  Have a key on the fore-edge of the book in different colors so if you know the colors you can jump to that section.  Also an index!  Have an index please so you can find which pages talk about your special game mechanics.  Use colors and font size to define both hierarchy and sections in your layout, please don’t just have a white page with black text.  Finally, please use sans-serif fonts!  They’re so much easier to read than Times New Roman or Baskerville.

I also like looking for safety tools in my game books.  People who regularly play ttrpgs tend to know about lines, veils, surveys, and x-cards.  But not everyone does!  If a new player picks up your game and you don’t have a safety section you as a designer are depriving them of an important resource.  Also sometimes game designers think up new ones or have an interesting take so I like to learn.  

I don’t care how complex or simple the game system is, I just want it to be interesting and work.  I started with 3.5 and Pathfinder 1st edition so I do have a preference for more complicated games with lots of character options but only if they’re interesting or established.  I also like my systems to be loose enough that you can easily homebrew additional mechanics, change mechanics, or make new in game material.  I like to homebrew, it’s fun.  

[jollycryptid]

My character Amina who I played in a friend's Masks game. She's a Doomed hero cursed with lycanthropy, her curse is now in remission.

her and the fairy she pulled by being autistic.

[sprintingowl]

Marvel Multiverse TTRPG

The Marvel Multiverse TTRPG is genuinely well designed and I am confounded.

Previously, I'd read Marvel Universe TTRPG (which is a completely different system written in the 90s) and was caught off guard by how clever *it* was. In it, you assign power gems almost like a worker placement minigame to pass checks, prioritizing effect vs safety.

Marvel Multiverse TTRPG is a totally different system by a totally different team, and now I have to confront the reality that there are at least two very elegantly designed and unfortunately Disney-owned Marvel TTRPGs.

So, what makes Marvel Multiverse work? Well, it starts with a bad idea.

Marvel Multiverse runs on a d616. This sounds *awful* but it's the best bit of tech I've ever seen in a game with this high a budget.

First, that 616 is actually 3d6. You roll and add up, and mathematically this gives you more average outputs. Also the "1" crits on a 1, and its 1s count as 6s. So it's basically an extra strong d6 that hands you crits 1/6th of the time.

If you crit but miss the target number you botch instead, but Multiverse's advantage/disadvantage system gives you the option of rerolling individual d6s. So you can try to hit the TN, or you can crit fish.

Also, that "1" tells you your attack damage. It's used as part of a formula that also factors in your stats and optionally weapon. No need for a second damage roll. You get a really high density of information out of a single pass through the 3d6.

Now, Marvel Multiverse is still a very traditional style TTRPG. You can hop from DnD to this and barely notice the change in scenery---it's just the dice are cleaner, faster, and more predictable. You're still moving around in 5 foot squares, using your suite of character-specific powers, swinging at and sometimes missing a rat.

But those rat-misses happen a fair bit less, and your special abilities all come from one big mana bar called Focus, and you can intentionally spam your powers until it puts you in a stupor.

Basically, I'd recommend this system to three people:

-It's Marvel Give Me Marvel

-I Want To Play Modern AU Superhero DnD

-Fellow Sleek Core Mechanics Enthusiast, This Core Mechanic Is Sleek AF

If those people are you, you may want to give it a look.

[heybiji]

[2dmax]

my space mercenary John Doe for my friend's very crunchy homebrew sci-fi campaign. NOT cable original OC do not steal

extremely painful grunge faux comic book process but it was fun to try out.

[kattenkvvaad]

sometimes you just gotta draw your character's two different "forms" in one drawing :3 Character: Omen (they/she)

[cathoderaykobold]

Last night I dreamed I was playing a superhero-themed tabletop rpg.

(Except there was no table, we were just sort of...in the world, but also roleplaying. You know how dreams are) Anyway, nobody at the table picked super strength, so the GM just gave it to everyone. We decided super strength was the acne of superpowers--almost everyone got it with their super "puberty," no-one used it seriously, and anyone with no other powers was made fun of, HARD.

[probablybadrpgideas]

Superhero character who has an unbreakable code against not killing.

[oldschoolfrp]

Superheroes battle a cthulhoid monster summoned to devour San Francisco, in Steve Perrin's "The Star-Devourer," adventure for Chaosium's Superworld, Hero Games' Champions, or FGU's Villains & Vigilantes (in Different Worlds 35, July/August 1984, with Steve Purcell art)

[zal-cryptid]

Illustrated a fun exchange between my friend's MASKS character and I from our Session 0.

Janis (panel 1) belongs to Scarlett, Syzygy (panel 2) belongs to me.

[vipermenace]

One of the beloved heroes in Halcyon City

[itsybitsypeterparker]

'WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY'

indie private peter parker/spiderman from various sources (comics, shows, mcu, etc.)

written by robin

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