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| Childhood artwork of the Adventure Force against the monstrous Moleculus |
Mutants and Masterminds is my favorite system for running superheroic adventures. Its versatility in adding and customizing powers allows for the creation of just about any kind of character you might imagine. And the system does a good job of using trade-offs between accuracy and power to include a multitude of archetypes without upsetting the balance of gameplay. A gadgeteer can face off against a powerhouse without being completely overwhelmed, and vice versa. The fact that the system eschews hit points in favor of an increasingly difficult series of fortitude saves means that it does a fair job of replicating superhero battles, in which the characters exchange brutal strikes leading up to the knock out blow. This also means that that gadgeteer can dodge, weave, and wear down his enemy, but a solid hit from a powerhouse can still send him through a wall. Fun stuff!
The latest edition, the third of the series, has evolved greatly from its D20 roots. It no longer feels like a re-fluffed Dungeons and Dragons. It is now a highly modular system with character creation than some ways resembles a very simple computer programming language on pen and paper. The one downside being that the game mechanics are somewhat mathematically intensive and I recommend a quality GM screen in order to run it smoothly. I use a customized screen with the most useful tables and formulas available for reference and the game became much easier to run.
The Setting
M&M is an ideal system to use for a homebrew setting, as the core books are not oriented toward any particular setting. It's a blank slate to work from, and superhero settings are relatively easy to build once you have decided on what comics you will draw inspiration from and have designed a few of the characters that live in it. What follows is a basic description of my setting, to give you an idea of how a simple homebrew looks in M&M.
Adventure Force is a campaign setting that was born as an amalgamation of two stories I devised when I was just a kid, Adventure Force and Herowatch. Both contained themes of superhumans existing in a world of futuristic technology and global intrigue. As the name suggests, it is fairly light-hearted, reminiscent of comics from the Silver Age or some of the more high spirited comics of the last ten years.
The Adventure Force is the name for the primary team of superheroes, comparable to The Avengers or the Justice League. They are brought together to share resources and better direct their abilities, like a gentlemen's club. But several of the members also report to other factions, so there is shared oversight and possibly even some dramatic tension between members. Their friendship and loyalty keeps the team together, and the shared goal of rising to action for the greater good.
Members of the Adventure Force include, but are not limited to, these characters...
- Particle Man, a gadgeteer superhero with a high-tech suit of gear.
- Lightning Man, an electrical mutant wielding sword and armor.
- Panther Man, a cat-like vigilante with super-strength and agility.
- Velocity, a CIA agent who can add or subtract kinetic energy to herself or anything she touches.
- The Wind Man, a weather controlling variant of the wizard Merlin.
- Guardian Angel, another tech-based character. A computer hacker turned super.
- Lunar Man, a gravity controlling commando from another planet.
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| Particle Man (center) facing villains Centipede, Nanite, Plattius, and Cybernet. |
They are opposed by a number of dangerous foes and villains, including:
- Mister Richman, a wealthy crime lord
- Dr. Plattius, a mad scientist with nanobot-injecting metal claws.
- The Red Knight, a demon from the age of Camelot.
- Bright Eyes, a laser-eyed criminal from another world.
- Mortis, an ancient sorcerer who spreads clouds of decay.
- Jaguar, the evil counterpart of Panther Man.
Section 42 AKA The Agency is a shadowy secret organization tasked with monitoring and deterring the dangers of aliens and superhumans, a byproduct of a fearful society.
Finally, there are a number of sinister superpowered soldiers who have leveraged their abilities into becoming specialized private military contractors. These characters can show up as recurring threats, and it provides a lot of flexibility in designing adventures. Whoever the main Big Bad Evil Guy might be, he can draw from some of these independent mercenaries to round out his own henchman task force.
Two Eras, Two Styles
When I run an Adventure Force game, I always allow players to choose between two different eras of gameplay, which serve as sub-settings of their own. The Challenger Era is set in the period of tribulation and discovery as superhumans become a major force in world events for the first time. Fear and suspicion of these new entities is a common response. Heroes and villains are often treated to equal criticism, and good guys may expect to be viewed as dangerous vigilantes. Technology and history have advanced only slightly more than the real world and the fearful nations of the world operate covert agencies, engaging in a secretive arms race of technology and super-powers.
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| Panther Man in action |
On the other hand, the Paragon Era is set much later in the setting's history, as super-powers and fantastic technological innovations become widespread. Humanity makes contact with extraterrestrial civilizations and alternate dimensions, leading to the necessity for greater international cooperation. The threats of this era are often more cosmic in nature, the products of a world that is become increasingly bizarre and unified.
By offering these two variants, the players are allowed a say in which themes and challenges will be prevalent in their own adventure. Each one sets a slightly different tone and suggests what kind of stories might be told. For instance, the Challenger Era might feature the Shadownauts, Adventure Force's sub-group of super-powered spies who are trying to prevent an Eastern European crime ring from stealing a nuclear weapon. The Paragon Era might see Doctor Plattius infect a GENI robotics expo with nano-machines and cause chaos with a mechanized army. Different strokes for different folks, it all depends on what your players are up for.
Superhero stories lend themselves to an episodic format, so they make good one shot games or short campaigns. You can keep a couple of plot threads going from session to session, but it is best to keep things self-contained, with beginning and end, like issues of a comic or episodes of a cartoon. The setting itself is what defines the continuity of your campaign, common thread of each adventure. I hope this brief overview of a sample setting has given you some ideas and material for your own superheroic undertakings. Happy ventures!
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