Anyone know a good superhero-themed RPG system?

[Rolf]

I played the Marvel Super Heroes game back in high school and had a lot of fun with it, but looking at it now, there is a little more randomness in the character generation system than I'd like (among a few other flaws).  For the most part, it was a great rules-light system though.

Does anyone know of another system that is 1) easy to learn, 2) flexible in character generation, 3) rules light/can be taught in a day, 4) ideally, free or very cheap?

(no, I'm not starting a campaign, just looking for light reading)

[JayMata]

Are your referring to the Marvel Super Hero RPG that uses "stones"?

[Rolf]

Not sure what that one is, but I don't think so.  The one I'm referring to uses the FASERIP ability scores and universal resolution chart for die rolls (d100).  It's legally free to download now at http://www.classicmarvelforever.com/  (other stuff/downloads menu)

I'm looking at rpggeek right now and there's a lot of interesting discussion, but I'd like to know if you guys had personal experience with any superhero type systems


edit:  hey wait a minute, Jay do you remember that "Adventure!" White Wolf book I bought from Mark H?  The one I asked you about.  I skimmed through it but I never really sat down to study it seriously....do you think it would work with a minimum of tinkering?  (I'm lazy, I generally dislike modding the rules )

[JayMata]

The one I'm referring to

http://rpggeek.com/rpg/902/the-marvel-universe-roleplaying-game

I've played this one and its actually pretty interesting and the system unique... virtually no randomness

[John]

The one Jay is referring to is available at Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street (for around PHP1,200.00, I think). You can look for it and the Hulk and Avengers expansion (PHP800, I think) at the Graphic Design Section at the topmost floor.

[Sexy Bro]

I'm pretty sure some Fully Booked outlets actually sell the core rules for the Marvel RPG.

As for other systems try Hero or GURPs out though they're definitely not lite or cheap.

There should be a bunch of d20 stuff like Mutants and Masterminds that are floating around the net though.

[JayMata]

edit:  hey wait a minute, Jay do you remember that "Adventure!" White Wolf book I bought from Mark H?  The one I asked you about.  I skimmed through it but I never really sat down to study it seriously....do you think it would work with a minimum of tinkering?  (I'm lazy, I generally dislike modding the rules )

Not sure... isn't it more based on 1950s action pulp movies? (Like Indiana Jones and King Solomon's Mines)

[Rolf]

edit:  hey wait a minute, Jay do you remember that "Adventure!" White Wolf book I bought from Mark H?  The one I asked you about.  I skimmed through it but I never really sat down to study it seriously....do you think it would work with a minimum of tinkering?  (I'm lazy, I generally dislike modding the rules )

Not sure... isn't it more based on 1950s action pulp movies? (Like Indiana Jones and King Solomon's Mines)

It is, but it has a lot of powers and other things that I think could be considered "super".  I was just wondering how tightly bound the system is to the setting...I'll dig it out again and have a look.

[lordshoju]

I remember the FASERIP system. Used to create weird heroes and play badly to annoy our uptight GM. ("I have tap dancing as a Talent, can I get +1CS to my Dodging roll?'')

As superhero RPGs go, try the Champions system from HERO games. Speedsters dont just move fast, they hit their opponents multiple times in a single combat round. Rules cover nearly everything you can think of, area effects, tearing up sidewalks, throwing objects-- posts, cars, aircraft carriers. You name it, the system supports it. And rolling 18D6 for damage is utterly awesome.

[zhenxiao]

Try Four Colors (http://4crpg.homestead.com)  It's a free game system that is extremely rules light but offers players to create very specific type of characters without having a list of powers to choose from.   While it was specifically made to play pulp style heroes, it can easily be used to create more modern style heroes.

Cheers,
Zhen

[vladsee]

Try Four Colors (http://4crpg.homestead.com)  It's a free game system that is extremely rules light but offers players to create very specific type of characters without having a list of powers to choose from.   While it was specifically made to play pulp style heroes, it can easily be used to create more modern style heroes.

Cheers,
Zhen

This looks fun and light! I like the pulp heroes that don't have superhuman powers but have some special talent that makes them special and stand out.  Thanks for the link! 

Speaking of play, if you guys would like to play RPGs, we can have it at my place once or twice a month after office hours during the weekday starting 530 or 6 pm onwards (if you don't mind the house being a bit dilapidated at the moment).  I'm specifically interested in playing the old games from the 80s. 

John, if you want to continue with the Basic D&D game. Just let me know!

[zhenxiao]

Try Four Colors (http://4crpg.homestead.com)  It's a free game system that is extremely rules light but offers players to create very specific type of characters without having a list of powers to choose from.   While it was specifically made to play pulp style heroes, it can easily be used to create more modern style heroes.

Cheers,
Zhen

This looks fun and light! I like the pulp heroes that don't have superhuman powers but have some special talent that makes them special and stand out.  Thanks for the link! 

You're welcome.  It's a great little game.  It was the pre-cursor for the Cartoon Action Hour rpg game.  I printed this little gem out a long time ago hoping someday I'd get to run it. 

[Rolf]

Thanks for the link While on the subject of superheroes, has anyone read Soon I Will Be Invincible?  Found it while googling for today

From the first-chapter preview:

To be a supervillain, you need to have certain things. Don’t
bother with a secret identity, that’s a hero thing. Not that it
wouldn’t be convenient to take off the mask and disappear
into the crowds, the houses, the working world. Perhaps too
convenient—why become the most audacious criminal
mind on Earth (or at least in the top four), only to slink off in
the other direction when things get difficult? It wouldn’t
mean as much if you could just walk away. When I’m
arrested, they read the litany of my crimes at the trial, longer
and gaudier each time. I’ve been tried for crimes on the
Moon, in other centuries, other dimensions, and I’ll be
damned if I won’t put my name on them.

Besides, I never wanted to go back to the way it was
before. Heroes have that weakness, not supervillains.
When you become a villain you cut your ties and head for
the bottom. When you threaten to crash an asteroid into
your own planet just so they’ll give you a billion dollars or
substitute your face on the Mona Lisa, there’s no statute of
limitations. So you have to have the courage of your
convictions.

[Wolf]

I miss Marvel Superheroes.  You can always control the randomness of the character generation. Just pick a power level where you are comfortable playing with and just let the players pick their powers. We used to do that and just capped the powers at a certain level usually at Incredible though there were some who could have Monstrous but had serious drawbacks.

[Rolf]

I do too.  But last night I was trying to roll up a character, just for fun - a high tech armored hero - and I didn't even roll up the Body Armor power.  What I did come up with was pretty cool though

I do like a *little* randomness, because otherwise people might just end up fixated on "builds".  But the thing is, it wasn't designed to be a point buy system.  And here's a blog post that illustrates some of its shortcomings:
http://rpg.brouhaha.us/2009/01/10/building-a-better-marvel-super-heroes-rpg/

edit: I read further back down the blog and it looks like he's using the Basic rules.  I think the Advanced rules do have a few tweaks that address some of his issues, but the armored suit damage complaint is still correct.
I did have an old Dragon magazine article that suggested rules to fix that "armored suit doesn't get damaged" thing, but I can't find it right now...