Contents.History In the late 1990s, Steve Kenson had an idea for a superhero setting that he had been contracted to produce. Through a series of misfortunes, the project fell through and he was left with a partially completed manuscript. Shopping it around to various publishers, none were interested (superhero game popularity had declined at that time) until he talked to Chris Pramas (President of Green Ronin Publishing) about the setting.Pramas made the offer to publish the setting if Kenson would also create a superhero game system based on the d20 System. Kenson agreed and began work. Over time, it became clear to him that the game would need to be released only under the. Releasing the game under the d20 Standard Trademark License, as originally planned, would have prohibited the inclusion of ability generation and character advancement rules. Presenting a complete game was seen as taking precedence over having a d20 logo on the product, so the decision was made to use the OGL without the d20 license.Mutants & Masterminds was published in 2002; the setting, which was once known as Century City, became Freedom City was published in 2003.
The first edition of M&M books featured graphic design and art direction by the design studio Super Unicorn, but other firms provide the artwork on all subsequent releases.A second edition of the Mutants & Masterminds system debuted at in 2005 and saw wide release in October of that year.A third edition of Mutants & Masterminds was released in 2011 and it has also been translated to Italian by Kaizoku Press. In the previous year Green Ronin Publishing had released another superhero role-playing game, DC Adventures. Both games have the same mechanical system and are fully compatible. System Mutants & Masterminds' game mechanics use a highly modified version the.
Differences include changes to character creation, injury and damage, hit points, the addition of 'hero points' and super powers, the elimination of character classes and attacks of opportunity, a modified list, a very different selection, and that any equipment possessed is considered a part of the character and purchased in a manner similar to powers. Power Level M&M characters are not class-based nor do they technically have class levels. Instead, they have a Power Level (or 'PL'), and typically a character begins at Power Level 10 instead of Level 1. This allows a character to begin as an already established superhero with incredible abilities. The power level represents the maximum rank of any combat abilities a character can purchase. Each power level typically grants a character an allotment of points to purchase attribute levels, base attack and defense bonuses, saving throws, feats, skill ranks and super powers, though the game encourages game masters to modify the number of points given per level up or down to reflect the style of game they wish to run.
All aspects of the character, including abilities, feats, skills, powers, and equipment, are purchased from this pool of points.The M&M power level restricts the maximum bonus held by skill ranks, ability scores, and most feats and powers. Beyond limiting bonuses, power level does nothing to restrict a character's power; a power level 10 character can have a maximum strength of 40.Toughness saves Damage in M&M is handled differently as well. M&M does not use. Instead, characters have a fourth called the 'toughness save' which is based on their Constitution scores, like the fortitude save. Weapons and powers that do lethal and subdual damage do not roll any dice to determine damage. Instead, damaging attacks are ranked based upon their overall power. For example, a fairly fit but normal human may throw a punch that inflicts +1N (non-lethal) damage, while the irradiated simian mastermind with enhanced strength and razor-sharp claws throws out +12L (lethal) damage.
When a character is struck by an attack, he or she rolls a toughness save against a target number equal to the rank of the attack plus 15. Success allows the character to shrug off the attack with minimal effect, while failure results in injury according to the degree of failure and the type of damage. Accumulated damage applies a penalty to further saves, increasing the chances of any given attack knocking out the character.This system of damage is meant to model the nature of superhero comics, in which many characters can ignore most damage outright while still being susceptible to a lucky punch or superpowered blast.
The Mastermind's Manual rulebook includes notes for conversion to traditional hit points if desired.Advancement In M&M, characters are awarded, called 'power points' (pp), that can do many beneficial things for the character. As described above, power points are used to purchase powers, feats, skills, abilities, and devices. The specific nature of power points was changed drastically with the 2nd edition of Mutants & Masterminds. In the first edition, when a character accrues 15 pp, they advance a power level, thus raising the caps on power and skill ranks, as well as on power bonus stacking.Under the second edition, power points and power levels are independent, the latter being set by the gamemaster as a function of the campaign. The 2nd edition version of power level determines only the maximum bonus that any power can give, and does not imply that a character does or does not have the points required to purchase enough levels in any power to reach this limit. Though the two are described as being entirely independent, the Mutants & Masterminds manual recommends that the power level be increased by one with each 15 Power Points awarded.Hero points Like many other super-hero role-playing games, M&M uses 'hero points'.
Hero points allow an unlucky player to be able to hold their own in a battle, thus reducing the amount that luck plays into the gameplay. A hero point can do several things, like allow the reroll of a failed roll of any sort at a crucial moment, including toughness saves to avoid damage.
On this reroll numbers under 11 have ten added to them, resulting in a range of 11-20, and a very slim chance of failing.A player may also use a hero point to ignore fatigue, allowing them to use temporary feats without the negative effects of fatigue that normally occur with such feat usage.Hero points are generally awarded to a player by the gamemaster when something bad befalls the character, such as the villain escaping without them having a chance of stopping him. ^ Shannon Appelcline (2007-05-04).
Retrieved 2007-09-26. Green Ronin Web Team (2010-12-28). Retrieved 2014-08-20. Green Ronin Web Team (2011-01-18). Retrieved 2014-08-20. Green Ronin Web Team (2010-07-13). Retrieved 2014-08-20.
^ Grabianowski, Ed (2013-09-12). Gawker Media. Retrieved 2014-08-20. Green Ronin Web Team (2010-05-12).
Retrieved 2014-08-20. ^; Ramon, Perez (2005), (2nd ed.), Green Ronin Publishing,.
^ Nightchilde (2003-07-25). Retrieved 2007-09-27. Jacob X. Retrieved 2007-09-27. Luikart, T.S.; Brereton, Dan (2004), Game Trade Magazine #47, archived from on 2008-04-21. Archived from on 2007-09-23.External links.
at RPGnetWiki. A fan-built and maintained SRD (System Reference Document) that includes all of the Open Game Content portions of the Mutants and Masterminds 3E rules.
When building a character in Mutants & Masterminds, it's easy to lose track of the basics. The system is so open-ended and there are so many choices to make, that before long you're focusing too hard on the goodies to realize that a fun character still needs a solid base in order to be playable. Having a character that is too one-sided, lacks defense or offense, or simply doesn't feel right will only lead to frustration.This lens covers a few simple basics to keep in mind when building a character. Decide on them when you think out the concept, and revisit them when you are almost done to make sure you covered everything.
Many campaigns using the Mutants and Masterminds system will equate themselves to one of the 'Ages' of comics. What age you play in is a good indicator of how superheroes were seen in those times, and also what kind, and how much, power they had at their disposal. While whole lenses could be filled with discussions about the ages, here's a quick overview:1) Golden AgeHeroes were heroes just because. They had strong moral fiber and were powerful enough to handle almost anything. They had a wide range of powers that didn't really have a connection 'theme'. Superman, for example, was super-strong, almost indestructible, could fly, had X-ray vision and could shoot lasers from his eyes.2) Silver AgeHeroes from the Silver Age had a reason to be heroes.
Sometimes they fought crime to avenge a murdered loved one (such as Batman) or out of a strong sense of Justice (Spiderman). Others simply were strongly law-abiding to begin with (Fantastic Four) or stood proudly for minority ideals (X-Men).Their powers were usually themed after animals, philosophical concepts or grouped around a single word or idea. Spiderman's powers are a wide array, but all marginally spider-related. The X-Men each had either a single power which they used in interesting ways (Cyclops' laser beam), or they had a group of related powers (Storm's weather control).3) Iron AgeThese are dark and gritty heroes for realistic times.
The Punisher is a vigilante out for the blood of criminals, while the Ghost Rider escapes the deal he made with the devil. Superpowers either became more sinister, or they became very low-key and subtle. Characters from the iron age favor guns and technology over enigmatic energies.4) Platinum AgeA return of sorts to the Silver Age, with themed powers and a more upbeat storyline. Heroes fight crime and villainy for their own reasons as well as for the greater good. Writers return to making stories about a sense of wonder and discovery, with myriads of alien races and unexplored dimensions.
While the powers of the heroes are often themed and grandiose, they are more limited. Powers need to fit in with current thoughts on advanced science, and realism and emotion are key parts of these comics.When you create a concept for your character, the first tip is to build a character that fits in the age in which the campaign is set. If everyone's building a happy platinum-age do-gooder, then your brooding iron age gunslinger is going to stand out, and not necessarily in a good way. Likewise, a golden age classic hero will seem 'flat' and less Human when played in an iron age campaign.
When making a character, you have many options in Mutants & Masterminds. But in essence, each power can be put in one of a few categories:1) Offensive - used to attack opponents2) Defensive - used to protect yourself or allies3) Movement - used to get around the game world4) Sensory - Allows you to know something others do not5) Utility - A special trick that makes you useful to othersWhen building a new character, if you want to have a solid base, make sure to have at least one power in each category.
Of course, certain concepts might not be able to fulfill them all (the movement options for a Telepath are limited) but this gives you perspective on your character's weaknesses. Telepaths cannot teleport, but nothing stops them from driving a really fast car.Say that we have a superhero based around Fire. A rather common concept, right? An often overlooked issue when building a character is the team dynamic. Characters aren't supposed to be able to do everything, because they have teammates that watch their backs.
Everyone deserves a little time in the spotlight, which is what strengths and weaknesses are about. When building a new character, this also means that it pays to see what the other players are building.If your concept allows for it, you could tweak your powers a bit to support the team and have their strengths cause the weaknesses you develop as a result.For example, say that everyone decides to build strong and tough combat characters. Then it pays to play a smarter leader-type, perhaps a Telepath.
They are good at fighting, but you have the cunning to formulate a battle plan, and you can give them tactical advice in battle. And while you might be less physically strong, you could still have a few tricks up your sleeve (like Concealment or Illusion) to prevent yourself from being caught blind-sided in battle.When you build characters that form a team rather naturally, you will find the game turns out much better and fast-paced.
Min-maxing is a habit where players try to make their characters as efficient as possible. While this isn't as prevalent in Mutants & Masterminds as it is in other games, there are still quite a few ways to spend your points more efficiently while getting the same result. In a result-based power game, all that really matters is what you want to achieve in the end.Defenses are one thing where you don't want to skimp. There are a few limits on how high they can be, and generally you want most of them (especially your Toughness save) to be as close to the maximum as possible. The game actually depends on this, as a low save is quite a weakness.Let's take Toughness as an example. It is used as the defense against all damage powers. This is quite significant, and having a low save means you either need really powerful defensive powers (Concealment, Illusion, Impervious Create) or the campaign would have to be low on combat (Like an exploration or political setting).
Depending on your concept, however, there are many ways to get this save up.First off, your Stamina adds to your Toughness save, so a high score here can already cover it quite nicely. This is quite appropriate for bulky heroes (The Thing, Hulk) or alien beings who are simply tough or large (Fin Fang Foom). Incidentally, a high stamina can also be reached through Size by taking the Growth Power.If you are rather agile, instead, then the Defensive Roll advantage is more up your alley. You get its rating added to your toughness save, allowing you to easily dodge lethal attacks. However, you do need to be able to move, or else you only gain half its value. This is great for character concepts in the martial arts style or based on speed (Flash, Daredevil, Elektra).Those who have more 'super' in their hero also have the option of taking the Protection power, which is a blanket for anything that could protect your from thick hide to armor to glowing force fields. When all else fails, put a barrier in front of it!As you can see, even one defense (Toughness) already has multiple ways of getting the same result, and they can even be mixed and matched.
So my advice would be to make sure your Defenses are as high as you can get them, and make sure you spend your points wisely. Also keep in mind that many things like Abiilities, Skills and Advantages are rather cheap to upgrade, so you can make them better after a few sessions. Powers are more expensive usually, so if you have to make a choice, invest in the long run. You will have noticed that throughout this piece I have added examples of existing superheroes when describing concepts.
That is because most people will be familiar with these names in general, even if they never really read any comics. When it's time to build your own character, it's very easy to copy a concept wholesale from an existing superhero character - sometimes with background and all. My advice is to never do this.First off, people are going to know you are basically plagiarising an existing character, which may lead to being ridiculed at the gaming table for lack of originality. Second, you aren't likely to enjoy playing a character you could've put a lot more effort in.The first step away from imitation is to mix things up: take a few of the powers you like, and replace some with other powers.
Pick a background element you like (like an ethnicity, where the character got their power from, family life) and give it a few good twists. The background is very important, as it will determine your character's outlook on life and how they will react to things happening in the game. The character's appearance should be distinct, not to be confused with another character. An easy way to do this is by making a character sketch, and filling it entirely with black. If it looks distinctive from just the outline, the character will be instantly recognizable.This is also important for later on; say that years later you decide to publish a story about your character. If it's a carbon copy of the Flash, you're going to make a lot less in royalties than you have to pay in plagiarism fines.Many great characters started as charicatures of politicians or sports people, or were based on people the creators knew in real life. Take inspiration from the world around you to flesh out your character and give it a life of its own.
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Mutants And Masterminds Pdf
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