System failure! What to use?

[Krazzman]

I don't really know what title to give this thread here.

My group has a slight problem... that I would like to fix.
We are in search for a "Superhero" system which can handle 3 types of playing:

Complete Random
Only random superpowers, rest "pointbuy"
Completely pointbuy

And has the catch of not using a percentile dice (except for rolling superpowers).

I have used this (http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/freerpgs/) to find some (for free) and already had the pleasure of reading some of them but somehow don't really found anything fitting. Most were either too random or not really that what we searched for.

My wife and I have some "fond" memories of the Marvel system but never really got it (as we weren't allowed to read the rules beyond how to create characters).

I hope you can help me/us.

[Grek]

Use your favourite pointbuy superheroes game, but for random powers, have each player make 10, write them down on index cards and put them in a hat.

[Blackhawk748]

Well Mutants and Masterminds is pretty solid. Mix it with the above suggestion and you should be ok.

[Sith_Happens]

Use your favourite pointbuy superheroes game, but for random powers, have each player make 10, write them down on index cards and put them in a hat.

I'd do this a bit differently: Make a huge list of power descriptions, distribute them via the random method of your choice, and then have each player worry about actually building the ones they got (just check what they did to make sure they're keeping in the spirit of what each power is supposed to be).

[Gritmonger]

I ran a game similar to the above method - it involved discrete powers in crystals, all pointed for a low level campaign - you could set it to whatever level, make the powers (5, 10, 15, or 20 points each) and then players can mix and match, and trade them even after they get their random assortment, just so long as nobody goes above whatever power cap you've set - if they have a max of 30 points for powers (relatively low, but appropriate for PL8, for instance) you could then have 1 20 and 1 10, or six 5 point powers and so-on...

[Krazzman]

Use your favourite pointbuy superheroes game, but for random powers, have each player make 10, write them down on index cards and put them in a hat.
Well we have none. That is the point of this thread. Sorry if this was not clear. And how to randomize it isn't that big of a problem, the system in and of itself should/could have this as a feature if possible.


Well Mutants and Masterminds is pretty solid. Mix it with the above suggestion and you should be ok.

Some input about it? Have heard some about it but not enough to really consider buying it.


I'd do this a bit differently: Make a huge list of power descriptions, distribute them via the random method of your choice, and then have each player worry about actually building the ones they got (just check what they did to make sure they're keeping in the spirit of what each power is supposed to be).

The spirit of this idea is awesome. But not quite that what I search for as it is exactly the problem I had with the "Super Heroes and Heroines" and the "ManGa" system.


I ran a game similar to the above method - it involved discrete powers in crystals, all pointed for a low level campaign - you could set it to whatever level, make the powers (5, 10, 15, or 20 points each) and then players can mix and match, and trade them even after they get their random assortment, just so long as nobody goes above whatever power cap you've set - if they have a max of 30 points for powers (relatively low, but appropriate for PL8, for instance) you could then have 1 20 and 1 10, or six 5 point powers and so-on...

I can't really explain the Marvel system we used 5 years ago (as I wasn't allowed to really read it) but that is exactly one way I wanted to play it.
In Marvel we had random characters (GM rolled everything), Built Characters completely via point buy and had characters being based on ourselves then random superpowers.

I wanted total randomness to generate Villains quickly. With the more powerful ones being build thorugh point buy.
But my players would start "Heroes" (TV series) style. No powers until now and then ZAP! and powers are there.

I'll look Mutants and Masterminds up. But if you have more system recommendations that we can use I would be delighted to look into them (if possible).

[Zavoniki]

Wild Talents and Champions are the two other major super hero systems that I'm aware of, though I really dislike Champions.

Actually Baseraiders(which is a FATE system game) might be what your looking for. Its all about DIY Superpowers and so has a lot of rules support for random superpowers, acquiring random superpowers, and balancing for random superpowers.

[Krazzman]

Going from the Wikipedia entries and the "main" sites I believe that the Mutants and Masterminds system suites us the most.