Superhero tabletop games?

[Kingscourt]

I'm sure this has been answered a billion times before, haha. But my friends and I have really wanted to try something like this, is there any game already out there that does this, or some easy altered rules somewhere online?

[BrowncoatJayson]

If you don't mind the Palladium rules, Heroes Unlimited has some great superhero powers, as well as a good setting. It can get kind of bogged down if you opt for all the supplemental rules, but if you just limit yourself to the main book you can have lots of fun.

[Bang!]

There are lots. My two favorites are Mutants and Masterminds, which is d20-based, widely available and very elegant for a rules-heavy game and Capes, which is a DM-less indie game that's quick to play and very rules-light (some of the demo stuff is available here, if you want to check it out).

Champions is also a big name. Its rulebook starts with a history of comics section that I thought was interesting, but the game itself uses the HERO system, which is where my interest ended. I mean, I want to like HERO because it's the only mainstream game I know with support for lucha libre , but it's rules-heavy, designed like a miniatures wargame, and lacks a unified conflict resolution system. All of those are huge turnoffs for me. Maybe you like that? Some folks must.

There are lots of other supers games, from old-school stuff like Villains & Vigilantes, to generic system adaptations (I know GURPS and Savage Worlds support supers, I'd wager that d20 does too), to weird-ass indie games. If you have any specific niche goal within the genre, there's probably a game for it.

EDIT: One more thing! A friend of mine totally shot down one of my attempts at making an overly-genre-conscious Supers game for English majors by pointing out that Truth and Justice had already done it, and had done an amazing job to boot. I haven't read the game, but it sounds fun. DOUBLE-EDIT: And apparently, some of its art was done by the Something Positive guy, if you're into that.

[Nerocite]

For a more silly side you could go Super Munchkin.

[The Rose Dragon]

There is also Hearts & Souls, a superhero game about why you are a a superhero instead of what superpowers you have.

But go with Mutants & Masterminds, since it's awesome.

[hangedman1984]

Mutants and Masterminds, a thousand times Mutants and Masterminds

[Odin the Ignoble]

Hero System. It's rules heavy, which can make it tough for beginners, but once you get the hang of it it's a blast. It'll handle anything.

If I had my way, it'd be the only system I'd ever use for any setting. IMHO all other systems are inferior potassium. But, some people just like inferior potassium.

Unfortunately there is no legal way to get the system online for free.

[manyslayer]

Champions is the granddaddy of Supers games. The original Hero rules are complex but character creation allows virtually any super concept. They came out with a Fuzion powered version which is simpler in play but not as deep in options.

For Savage Worlds there is Necessary Evil.

[Earthwalker]

I will add Squadron UK to the list. Google it.

[randomhero00]

If you don't want M&M, Exalted is basically a super hero game set in high fantasy land. I mean you can jump miles, charge up attacks, are super tough compared to mortals, etc. They're basically super heros. And from the start to. No leveling to level 7 + to feel slightly heroic in DnD.

[Wizard_Tom]

If you want a crunch heavy super hero game, I'd recommend Mutants and Masterminds as being a strong solid choice.

For a more narrative game where the rules actually generate a comic style story, With Great Power is a good choice.

[The Rose Dragon]

If you don't want M&M, Exalted is basically a super hero game set in high fantasy land. I mean you can jump miles, charge up attacks, are super tough compared to mortals, etc. They're basically super heros. And from the start to. No leveling to level 7 + to feel slightly heroic in DnD.

They are nothing like superheroes, at least in the Western sense. They are like wuxia heroes charged up to shoonen anime levels.

[pyrefiend]

Mutants and Masterminds is really the way to go, I've been running a game for about a year and it's a blast.

A word of warning though, especially if you're coming from D&D- the system is really easy to break. There are supposed to be power point limits, but it's pretty arbitrary because you can use the same amount of power points and come out with heroes of vastly different power levels.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

They are nothing like superheroes, at least in the Western sense. They are like wuxia heroes charged up to shoonen anime levels.

Er....depending on your comic book, there's not really much difference. With something like X-Men in particular, there's very little difference from a shounen. (Besides, wuxia and shounen actually have a lot of intersection, power-wise, except for the fact that wuxia heroes are older and sometimes less flashy)

[Selrahc]

If you don't want M&M, Exalted is basically a super hero game set in high fantasy land. I mean you can jump miles, charge up attacks, are super tough compared to mortals, etc. They're basically super heros. And from the start to. No leveling to level 7 + to feel slightly heroic in DnD.

The White Wolf supers game is Aberrant, not Exalted.

Pretty nice game. Deconstructs a lot of the standard supers setting, which makes it quite interesting.

[Dragonus45]

I would recomend using savage worlds and the superhero companion. Its my personal favorite super hero system, it also has a quite briliant campaign book called necesary evil.

[Optimator]

Stay away from Heroes Unlimited. I played it for a long time, but M&M 2nd Edition and the Hero system are much better.

[Scarey Nerd]

Phoenix is pretty fun in my experience. If you have a grasp of d20 modern, you can settle into it.

Or Risus

[UserClone]

Wushu is another flexible rules-light system that works great for this genre, and so does Hi-Lo Heroes, which is built for Superheroes.

Mutant City Blues is really cool for superhero investigations and intrigue in the style of the Heroes television show.

There is a really cool one done using ORE (One Roll Engine) whose name escapes me, but is set in WW2 and is really cool metaplot-wise.

And With Great Power..., Capes, and Hearts & Souls are all cool for the Spiderman-style story, where the why of being a hero, and the moral dilemma is more important than the how of how your powers work. I really want to try a game of Capes, but I need a like-minded group for a GM-less game like that.

Edit: OH! Forgot about Sons of Liberty, which is like behind-the-scenes superheroics in the American Revolution.

[Bang!]

There is a really cool one done using ORE (One Roll Engine) whose name escapes me, but is set in WW2 and is really cool metaplot-wise.

Godlike? That game's setting is pretty sweet.

[Knaight]

Godlike? That game's setting is pretty sweet.

Clearly Godlike. There is also Wild Talents for a more typical superhero game. Plus, it uses ORE, and ORE is amazing.

[Warlawk]

I just wanted to leave these here in case the OP missed them. Mutants and Masterminds is a very nice system. Very flexible with a lot of room built into the game for the GM to tell a good story.

Stay away from Heroes Unlimited. I played it for a long time, but M&M 2nd Edition and the Hero system are much better.

Mutants and Masterminds is really the way to go, I've been running a game for about a year and it's a blast.

If you want a crunch heavy super hero game, I'd recommend Mutants and Masterminds as being a strong solid choice.

Mutants and Masterminds, a thousand times Mutants and Masterminds

But go with Mutants & Masterminds, since it's awesome.

The White Wolf supers game is Aberrant, not Exalted.

Pretty nice game. Deconstructs a lot of the standard supers setting, which makes it quite interesting.

The original Aberrant was FANTASTIC. I've still got the core book and several of the supplements for it sitting on my shelf. The setting is great and the game has a pretty solid setup. One of the things I like best about Mutants and Masterminds 3E is that it strongly reminds me of Aberrant except ported to a better base system.

EDIT: Because I forgot to reinforce one of the quoted statements. Stay away from Heroes Unlimited. Far, far, far away. Palladium in general is bad and HU is just atrocious. Remember folks, you cannot be a functional hero without advanced hand to hand combat training and you have almost no chance of reliably succeeding at any skill check (including criminal and 'street' skills) unless you have a college education or special forces training! Oh yeah, and every hero is a boxer, period.

[cattoy]

Buy an older (1-3) edition of Champions. You can get them dirt cheap in a used bin or off ebay.

It's simple enough to pick up pretty easily, but the character generation process is still open ended and more than a handful if you are completely new to the hero system. (use pre-gens first)

The actual play mechanics have changed very little over the 30 year history of the game and there are tons of support materials, both official and fanmade.

[Shyftir]

Pheonix back there is pretty good for a free supplement. But Mutants and Masterminds is pretty much awesome if you have the money to spend. You can probably pick up all you really need by getting the Core rulebook and the Ultimate Power book. (2nd ed. I've yet to play 3rd ed.)

Wushu is another great choice it depends on what kind of game your into.

[Hawriel]

Both DC and Marvel has had RPGs made for their worlds.

[Kingscourt]

Awesome, this is all awesome. Thanks for all your help guys, I'll definitely look into all of these (I just borrowed a copy of MM from a friend), but I'll look/am looking into all of these, so thanks a lot

[UserClone]

Yep. it was GODLIKE. Thanks for reminding me. I really want to play in a game of Mutant City Blues, because the setting is a thinly-veiled allusion to "Heroes."

Which was awesome.

Also, I like GUMSHOE.

[Darth Stabber]

If you want a crunch heavy super hero game, I'd recommend Mutants and Masterminds as being a strong solid choice.

For a more narrative game where the rules actually generate a comic style story, With Great Power is a good choice.

Having played both of these (with Wizard_Tom no less) I can say both are great games. With Great Power was not my cup of tea, but it is a good system. M&M is one of my favorite rpgs, it combines simplicity with increadible flexibility while staying crunchy.

Palladium and Hero System are both overly complex, and generally not worth learning, unless you are joining an existing group using it. I really hate calling systems crap, but they are crap.

[WildPyre]

HAving played several of these systems myself, I also have to throw my hat in with Mutants and Masterminds 2nd edition. It was easy to pick up since I already knew the basis of the d20 system, has been able to reproduce any power I can think of and there hasn't been a situation yet the system couldn't handle.

The Pallidium game Heroes Unlimited was... eh it was okay if you're a fan of the Pallidium system, but it's not overly flexible and the rules are a bit off for things like skills and such.

Aberant was okay also, my biggest complain comes in mostly from the setting and that everyone has the same power's origin... you can't really play the "Bad ass normal" everyone is a nova and has a node in their brain and could possibly turn into a monster.

Champions is... fricking complicated. Nuff' said.

There are also a couple of games that are on several systems... like cross platform games. Such as Silver Age Sentinals and the Authority RPG (I think the Authority os just SAS with higher point limits and a few other minor changes to represent how EPIC it is.) on systems like d20, tri stat, and I think one more that escapes me. SAS or Authority would be my second recomendation after M&M.

[Thane of Fife]

Marvel Superheroes (or FASERIP as they call it at rpg.net - after the stats) is a classic superhero game which I frequently see lauded.

And it's free!

Actually, here's a list of free Superhero RPGs. I'm a bit partial to Bif Bam Pow, myself.