Need help making a M&M session.

[weet555]

Hallo all. Sontali and mr d please don't read any further for spoilers, sorry.

So I'm running a mutant and masterminds third edition campaign. I have done two sessions so far and they were… ok not bad (I'm a new ish gm).

So in the campaign I banned the PCs from aliens and magic with the intention that the characters would discover the aliens and magic of the world as the game went to.

So for the third session I plan to have aliens and magic "introduced" to the setting in a big way that's not obvious magic/aliens.

The way I currently planning to do this is two armies using modern equipment (tanks, guns, jets and such) magically augmented, fighting off mcguffin. With a high tech group (imagen like late game xcom) arriving late also trying to get mcguffin.

The three factions fighting of mcguffin in city suburb. So after all that I'm not sure how to run a session of that, how to play out a city battle with the PCs. Any tips and advice would be greatly appreciated.

If you have an questions or if I can clear anything, please ask. Sorry if it took too long to get to the point.

[Grod_The_Giant]

A VERY important question: how mobile are your players? Do they move at basically human speeds, or can they run/jump/fly/teleport/hammerslide across half the county as a move action?

[Beleriphon]

A VERY important question: how mobile are your players? Do they move at basically human speeds, or can they run/jump/fly/teleport/hammerslide across half the county as a move action?

That's it Grod, I'm making a character that can move a superhuman speeds, but only while hammer dancing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otCpCn0l4Wo).

[Grod_The_Giant]

That's it Grod, I'm making a character that can move a superhuman speeds, but only while hammer dancing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otCpCn0l4Wo).
https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/mc_hammer_slide.png

[Beleriphon]

https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/mc_hammer_slide.png

That's certainly a good one.

To answer the question about what to do for the PCs, high movement rates are the biggest determination about how to handle things. When you have the Flash expy and a Superman guy distance between objects is effectively irrelevant when a character can move so fast that circumnavigating the Earth is a move action. So with that in mind plan for action that needs high speed to keep up, fighter jets and alien space craft, high speed car chases can be fun.

If mobility isn't a major factor then really any thing that you want to describe as magic or alien tech is fine. Otherwise what you want to do is have the players be able to affect certain aspects, for example they might not be able to combat an entire regiments

Depending on how silly you are going for, punny names are always a bonus (SHIELD, Checkmate, AEGIS and so on). I did a Canadian special operation command unit that was under the auspices of MAPLE (Ministiry of Advanced People, Logistics and Equipment) and they were wearing LEAF armour. So they were MAPLE LEAF troopers.

[weet555]

A VERY important question: how mobile are your players? Do they move at basically human speeds, or can they run/jump/fly/teleport/hammerslide across half the county as a move action?

I know one has a motorbike and other can burrow at speed rank 3 if I remember correctly. I can't remember if the one with burrow has other forms movement, but I know the third and final member only has normal human movement.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I know one has a motorbike and other can burrow at speed rank 3 if I remember correctly. I can't remember if the one with burrow has other forms movement, but I know the third and final member only has normal human movement.
If that's the case, you're not going to be able to present the whole battle as one big thing; instead, you'll wind up with a series of encounters in different locations. Basically, plan your normal sequence of "fight A leads to clue B leads to encounter C leads to fight D," just set them at different points in the city, and make the ever-escalating battle more of a background element.

[Beleriphon]

I know one has a motorbike and other can burrow at speed rank 3 if I remember correctly. I can't remember if the one with burrow has other forms movement, but I know the third and final member only has normal human movement.

Burrowing 3 isn't that fast, and a motorbike is within what I'd consider normally achievable movement speeds. At least its something you picture in a more grounded action movie like one might see in the Bourne franchise, and its something any character can keep up with by grabbing their own motorcycle or a car.

So, the best thing to do is have them race around clearing a blockade so the army/whatever can bring in the big guns. The heroes can't blow up a Class-3 Battlecruiser on their own, but they can defend the dozens SAMs needs to take it down.

[weet555]

If that's the case, you're not going to be able to present the whole battle as one big thing; instead, you'll wind up with a series of encounters in different locations. Basically, plan your normal sequence of "fight A leads to clue B leads to encounter C leads to fight D," just set them at different points in the city, and make the ever-escalating battle more of a background element.

Thanks of your help and the quick responses.

[Grod_The_Giant]

So, the best thing to do is have them race around clearing a blockade so the army/whatever can bring in the big guns. The heroes can't blow up a Class-3 Battlecruiser on their own, but they can defend the dozens SAMs needs to take it down.
Maybe not your heroes.

[Beleriphon]

Maybe not your heroes.

My heroes totally can, but I think it depends on the style of game one wants. If everybody is playing the equivalent of a Superman expy, then yeah blowing up a Class-3 Battlecruiser is great. If you're playing a game where the PCs are doing a magical version of The Expendables, maybe not so much.

[Hopeless]

During the battle someone activates some kind of defence sealing the entire inside a globe of force now nothing they've got can penetrate now if only they had some means of burrowing underneath?:smallwink:

Why the restriction?

You could have had your players get more involved if they had some link to whatever is happening?