Mutants and Masterminds is a d20 system designed to simulate the full comics experience. Thrilling adventure, power overwhelming, cheesy one liners, it’s all there. Honestly, I’m yet to come across a power concept that this system can’t make work. This game would use 2nd Edition, as that’s the version I’m most familiar with.
In deference to the forum rules I won’t post a link to the full PDF, but I will point out that Google exists. In addition, I’ve put together a gain themed expansion for the setting with new rules for the relation between power weight and hunger, and new feats and power effects. For those of you worried about the math I throw around, I’ve put together a character sheet that will do it all for you. If anyone doesn’t want to copy and share through a gmail account, I’m perfectly happy copying the sheet in my account and passing an editable link.
Mechanics are simple once you get used to them, but building powers can get complicated if you get creative with it and I’d be glad to help anyone who needs it.
To summarize the setting: One year ago, an event began that is still not nearly explained despite garnering the attention of every government and countless private interests on the planet. The so-called Wide Wave. Individuals with no apparent pattern or connection are struck by a brief period of intense hunger and rapid weight gain, followed by what can only be described as Powers. Abilities that defy physics in countless variety.
Every day a few more across the planet are affected, and over time their Powers grow (along with their waistlines). Many use their abilities for profit, legitimate and less so. Some use it to seize power or exact revenge. And a rare few use it selflessly, giving aid or keeping order without regard for personal gain. And, of course, there are imitators who, untouched by the Wave, use years of training or advanced technology to fight without the benefit of granted Powers.
I’ve been working on a longer, more detailed intro that I’ll put up if this gets enough attention to warrant a play thread. I’m available to answer any questions and the new rules are open to suggestions and modifications. Power level starts at 2.
That probably falls under Create Object. The Power actually named Force Field is just a personal shield, but Create Object will allow you to project a field in the shape of your choosing that can block attacks and take damage. The Stationary and Tether Power Feats will let you lock them them in place or take them with you, and Progression is good if you want larger shields without paying out for full new ranks.
Medicine can either be a power or a skill depending on how you want to do it.
2, actually. Sorry about that, went back and edited it in into the first post.
I know it’s pretty low, but I feel it works better for a setting where growing powers and rising weights are the norm, and street level crime is a good starting place.
It looks like you’re three points over. I’d recommend evening out your Con and Wis scores (It rounds down not up, so uneven numbers don’t increase your modifier) and you have to drop a point off of Ranged Attach to meet level limits in any case.
I might be interested, need to hunt down the book and browse through it to see what character concepts strike me. I know I own a physical copy of it, but who knows where it ended up since I haven’t used it in however many years.
For reference, what sort of character did adsein come up with? I tend to like to fit into a somewhat cohesive party when making characters.
So, i might be going crazy over things that I thought were rules but aren’t. Are ranks in a power limited by power level? I thought you couldn’t have move ranks than you had PL, but I can’t actually find it in the book anywhere.
Edit: Also, I think I’ve finally got a first draft of a character filled into that sheet. I’d appreciate it if you could take a look at it and let me know anything I’ve missed in terms of the PL limits or tradeoffs. Also just in general if there’s any simple things I can change to make it better. I feel like I always make characters in M&M that end up being underpowered.
Haha, my last group had that exact same thought halfway through the campaign. It seems like a rule that exists, but after digging through the book we concluded that, no, power ranks are not actually limited. If you want to dump everything into twenty points of Speed and be the Flash, there’s nothing stopping you. As long as your save DCs and ability scores don’t rise above level limits, you’re good to go.
You can also have skill modifiers higher than the level limit. Ranks are limited, but ability modifiers still add on top of them.
Just remember that with the weight rules the pounds add up for higher ranks. A power that costs one point per rank totals to 210 lbs at level 20.
Huh… yeah, I guess it just works out since most powers are going to be limited by the attack or save DC anyway. Its just pure utility powers that wouldn’t be constrained at all.
Also, I think I made the edit to my last post right as you were writing yours, so I’m not sure if you saw it. I finished up a draft sheet, or at least the mechanics, and if you could give me any feedback on it that’d be great.
I’d be up for giving this a shot! I’ve never played M&M, but I’m going over the game rules now. Need to do my reading before I get a character concept together, but I like doing play by posts.