Low-Combat Superhero system

[weckar]

Is there such a thing as a superhero system that emphasizes roleplaying over combat? I have had no luck finding any yet.
I'd prefer to play a game with more 'slightly special' characters than 'cosmic level' powers. Think Heroes over the DC universe.
If it is not necessarily a superhero system but can easily be re fluffed as such... suggestions are welcome.

[Eisenheim]

FATE core can deliver on a superhero experience with robust but light mechanics to support a focus away from combat if you want to play it that way. It's just a matter of the challenges presented and encouraging players to pick aspects that fit the tone you're trying to set.

[elliott20]

FATE core can deliver on a superhero experience with robust but light mechanics to support a focus away from combat if you want to play it that way. It's just a matter of the challenges presented and encouraging players to pick aspects that fit the tone you're trying to set.

Really, any system that is more focused on narrative conflict will do it just fine. Fate core is a great suggestion for this reason.

For me, I liked using Simple World (it's free online) and Prime Time Adventures for these kinds of games. Simple World because you and the players actually sit down and spend time on creating the system as you go, and Prime Time Adventures because it's basically like running a game of Smallville if you do it right.

[prufock]

Mutants and Masterminds can do this fine, just set the power level lower, and/or establish a point limit to spend on "powers" (ie you must spend at least X points in the other categories). It doesn't really "emphasize roleplaying over combat," but leaves roleplaying up to the players. Hero points can be gained for whatever the DM deems appropriate, and spent in non-combat ways.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Mutants and Masterminds can do this fine, just set the power level lower, and/or establish a point limit to spend on "powers" (ie you must spend at least X points in the other categories). It doesn't really "emphasize roleplaying over combat," but leaves roleplaying up to the players. Hero points can be gained for whatever the DM deems appropriate, and spent in non-combat ways.

Ehh, much as I love M&M, I don't think it'd work well for low-power, high-roleplaying campaigns. There are too many assumptions in how damage works and powers are priced to make low-power work, and as for roleplaying... it's a d20 game. There are four social skills, and one of those is Intimidation.

I second Fate, especially since you want people with only one real power.

[weckar]

I'm not familiar with FATE, is there anywhere I could pick up the basics for a decent price?

[Tengu_temp]

Both Spirit of the Century (which is pretty much Fate in a pulp setting, and very easy to modify for other modern settings) and Fate Core have free SRDs. Just google them.

[elliott20]

I'm not familiar with FATE, is there anywhere I could pick up the basics for a decent price?

Just to make life easier. Here's the 2 minute version.

Fate characters are basically composed of 3 things: skills, stunts, and aspects

Skills are fairly self explanatory.

Stunts are basically like Feats in 3E. They allow you to do something special like using a substitute stat/skill for a roll, get small bonus in certain situations, etc. They're far more powerful in Fate than 3E though, since the numbers are much smaller in scale in Fate.

Aspects are what makes Fate stand out. Aspects are basically characteristics that make your character special. They can be anything from a title, a relationship, an emotion, an item, or even a one-liner quote. Anything. Any time a situation comes up that allows you to use them, you can spend fate points to call on them and they can either provide a bonus, or change the plot in some minor ways. Conversely, the GM can tag an aspect to use against you, get you in trouble, or compel you to act a certain way. If that happens, the GM must pay you a fate point for your troubles. (Or two fate points, if it's some pretty major trouble)

i.e. I once played a character in Spirits of the Century (A fate based system) and I played a martial artist who was immigrant. "Foreigner In a Strange Land" was one of my aspects. the function of this aspect was basically to give the GM a way to throw interesting situations my way. As a result, my martial artist ended up facing racism, strange cultural norms, etc. all of this basically was used to generate story for my character AND give me some fate points to use later.

Another character I played was a robot who was looking for true love. Guess what the GM used to get me into things?

[Actana]

I'll add my voice to the Fate Core crowd and mention that Fate has a 30-page supplement called Venture City Stories that is a toolkit explicitly about superheroes, albeit in a near-future corporation-centric setting. It's available as a pay-what-you-want scheme, so price is as much of an issue as you want to make of it.

[Arbane]

Truth and Justice is a rather rules-light superhero game, probably about on the level of FATE. It might be worth checking out.

[weckar]

Well, I've decided that since I will have to learn FATE anyway (since Unwritten will be heavily based on it) this is as good an excuse as any :)

[Cowardly Griffo]

Prime Time Adventures because it's basically like running a game of Smallville if you do it right.

Actually, there's also the Smallville RPG itself. It accounts for superpowers and all that, but character creation and most of your stats are based around this intricate network of character relationships and personal values. Whenever you roll dice, it's more about why you're doing what you're doing than it is how you're doing what you're doing.

It's pretty much designed from the ground up as a roleplay- and drama-heavy superhero game, so I'd recommend checking it out if that's what you're looking for.

It's also pretty easy to keep the power level low. Back when it was the new thing of the week, people were using it to run everything from Supernatural to Heroes to Popular (yes really). And like the TV show, 'puny mortals' have just as much plot impact as the likes of Kryptonians.

[Stubbazubba]

Actually, there's also the Smallville RPG itself. It accounts for superpowers and all that, but character creation and most of your stats are based around this intricate network of character relationships and personal values. Whenever you roll dice, it's more about why you're doing what you're doing than it is how you're doing what you're doing.

It's pretty much designed from the ground up as a roleplay- and drama-heavy superhero game, so I'd recommend checking it out if that's what you're looking for.

It's also pretty easy to keep the power level low. Back when it was the new thing of the week, people were using it to run everything from Supernatural to Heroes to Popular (yes really). And like the TV show, 'puny mortals' have just as much plot impact as the likes of Kryptonians.

Yes, Smallville. Smallville, Smallville, Smallville. All the angsty emotional storytelling of your favorite supers drama (Smallville, Arrow, etc.) with all the action of your favorite supers drama (Arrow, Smallville, etc.).

[Stubbazubba]

Is there such a thing as a superhero system that emphasizes roleplaying over combat? I have had no luck finding any yet.
I'd prefer to play a game with more 'slightly special' characters than 'cosmic level' powers. Think Heroes over the DC universe.
If it is not necessarily a superhero system but can easily be re fluffed as such... suggestions are welcome.

So, after Smallville, you might look at After Sundown. It's available for free online. It's a horror game, technically, but it's also pretty good for heroes because you play the super powered creatures of the night. Just change some labels around and it'll probably work just fine.

Why is it better than Smallville? Well, it's free. Also, it contains more granularity in, say, the weapons you use and how they work. Different guns actually feel quite different, for instance. It's a very solid and balanced rule set, made by the most unforgiving game forum I'm aware of. You don't have to worry about things being untested and broken. Combat is dangerous and can be over very fast, depending on how much you can soak. There are a lot of rules for things like arguments, investigation, chases, etc. If you like relying on 3.5's "rules for everything" approach, you'll probably like after sundown.

Smallville, otoh, lets you more easily model different things, but none of them end up being all that different. It's good, more flexible, less rules to learn, but also less depth.

[SethoMarkus]

As I haven't seen a link yet, I'll post this here.

PDF versions of the FATE Core and FATE Accelerated handbooks are available as "Pay what you want" (including free), as per their own suggestion.