Mutants and Masterminds for Fantasy

[Valairn]

Does anyone have any experience using Mutants and Masterminds as a fantasy system? I was debating using it to run what would amount to a Demi-God type campaign. Anyone have opinions?

[Grod_The_Giant]

Does anyone have any experience using Mutants and Masterminds as a fantasy system? I was debating using it to run what would amount to a Demi-God type campaign. Anyone have opinions?
Yo (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=279503). (It works pretty well for high-power stuff. Doesn't feel like D&D, but it does feel good and epic)

[Valairn]

I guess as a bonus question, are there are other good systems for running a demi-god campaign that doesn't run into DnD's poor balancing of high power levels?

[The Rose Dragon]

It works rather well, if you keep two things in mind:

1) Dungeon crawls and looting don't work out well, since character advancement is entirely based on power points, not XP and loot.

2) Starting below PL 4 is not a very good idea. As such, all characters start off as exceptionally capable, compared to most bystanders (who are PL 0-2, in most cases), and unless you change how material toughness or other ranks scale, quickly grow incredibly powerful. Rather than constantly escalating the opposition (which removes the sense of actual power when they keep fighting the same fights, just with bigger numbers), let them indulge in power, and feel dread when someone can actually oppose them. M&M characters tend to escalate from early Dragon Ball levels to Asura's Wrath part III levels of power, and they so rather quickly if you keep pushing up the PL.


I guess as a bonus question, are there are other good systems for running a demi-god campaign that doesn't run into DnD's poor balancing of high power levels?

A few. Exalted, Anima Prime, Mythenders and Nobilis come to mind. You can also use GURPS, if you have the tolerance for detail.

((Incidentally, you would likely get better answers if you posted this in the right section for M&M or multisystem questions.))

[Valairn]

For looting could you effectively tie acquired loot to bonus character points? Well I only dropped it here because I was using it for fantasy instead of the traditional setting, I can crosspost I guess.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Yo (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=279503). (It works pretty well for high-power stuff. Doesn't feel like D&D, but it does feel good and epic)

Seconded. Terrible for DnD. Good for a CRAZY AWESOME game.Fun just how flexible it is.

[The Rose Dragon]

For looting could you effectively tie acquired loot to bonus character points? Well its a D20 game and that would mean this forum according to the guidelines.

Generally, M&M questions go in "Other Systems", since M&M is a superhero / generic d20-based system, not a fantasy one. And multisystem questions go in the general Roleplaying Games forum.

As for looting, not something I'd suggest. Unless the characters par for the loot they want to keep, the GM should not let the players keep any of it. You can give the characters extra PP after getting their hands on some fancy treasure, but the player should be free to choose what he does with that PP, including buying innate traits.

[TheIronGolem]

As for looting, not something I'd suggest. Unless the characters par for the loot they want to keep, the GM should not let the players keep any of it. You can give the characters extra PP after getting their hands on some fancy treasure, but the player should be free to choose what he does with that PP, including buying innate traits.
Alternately, you might consider working out some kind of system where the players actually decide what kind of loot they're finding, as a way to "justify" their point expenditures.

For example: Bob wants his character to learn Laser Eyes*, and has enough points saved up to buy it. The next time Bob gets some loot, he declares that it's the fabled Amulet of Zogdor, which grants its wearer an incredible power (which just so happens to be Laser Eyes). Meanwhile, Joe declares that his ninja just found a scroll that teaches the secret Punch Of Kill Everything technique, so he spends points on some power that improves his unarmed strikes in some way.

It's a bit contrived, sure. But it does let you retain loot as a narrative element and gameplay incentive.

*I'm making things up here because I'm not actually familiar with the details of M&M's power system.

[Valairn]

That's an interesting way to approach it. I think I might use that actually.... maybe.