[M&M] Non-Supers Game Ideas and Other Creative Uses of the M&M Rules

[garyh]

I recently picked up Mutants & Masterminds, and I've been very impressed with the game. I think it does a great job of supporting a wide range of superhero games. However...

I also got to thinking that the system could be used to easily emulate a wide variety of other games. Some quick ideas I had:

1 - Generic Fantasy: Why not? Sorcery has magic covered, and the flexible rules allow for characters that wouldn't normally fit D & D classes (What class is Beorn, for example? Though that one was tougher before AU brought us the Bear Totem Warrior! ).

2 - Anime/Martial Arts: Ken and Ryu throw fireballs at each other while punching and kicking through the local scenery. Try doing that with a D & D monk.

3 - Heroic Military: GI Joe style military games where heroes pull of near-superhuman feats. d20 Modern is fine for a more gritty military game, but the more fantastic parts of GI Joe - mind control, cloning, ninja training - call out for M & M. What PL would Serpentor be, for example?

4 - Specific Fantasy Novel or Video Game Worlds: I think M & M would do a better job representing the Wheel of Time novels than the WoT game, and I really like the WoT game. Sure, M & M doesn't build in all the novel flavor elements, but it removes a lot of the problems a standard game encounters, and a creative GM can always implement ji'e'toh and the Three Oathes themselves. How can Rand be the most powerful channeler in the world AND a blademaster? A high PL, that's how, whereas in d20 WoT, it takes lots of ta'veren rule-bending to make him both an effective warrior and channeler.

I'm sure other novel/game examples can be found.

5 - Transformers: Require all characters to take the Shapeshift power with the "one form" flaw (leaving aside triplechangers and Actionmasters for the moment), and then stat up Optimus Prime, Megatron and all the rest. Probably the best system to run a TF game with to date. I'm particularly excited about this idea.

So, any more non-supers M & M game ideas out there? Any comments on my ideas? Let's hear them... this great game deserves to be exploited to the best of our ability!

EDIT: Another idea I just had for using the M&M would be to create races for a fantasty game. PL 1 or 2 could be a baseline for normal PC races, and higher PL races would have corresponding LA's.

 

[Selganor]

Swashbuckling Adventures (with or without the book of the same name by AEG) are also quite easily done in M&M.
(I "converted" a 7th Sea character into a PL 5 character but noticed that you would have to TRIPLE the Skillpoints to make it work)
The "you only die if your enemy gets you down and THEN hits you again" nature of this genre is already done in M&M

 

[Holy Bovine]

You guys are killing me here. I vow to have Mutants & masterminds in my hands within the next week! Must...have...gaming... gooooooodddddddnnneeeesssssss!!!

 

[Buddha the DM]

These are all good points & ideas.

Oh yeah, Holy Bovine, I too lack a copy of the M&M book, but I will have my copy in hand much sooner than you. In about 4.5 - 5 hours I should be happily reading through the M&M core book.

 

[Holy Bovine]

These are all good points & ideas.

Oh yeah, HolyBovine, I too lack a copy of the M&M book, but I will have my copy in hand much sooner than you. In about 4.5 - 5 hours I should be happily reading through the M&M core book.

Oh reaaallly? Pay no attentino to the sound of mooing you hear behind you, Buddha. I'm sure its just the wind

 

[Buddha the DM]

Yes really. I ordered it last saturday at my FLGS, and it came in today. I'd have it right now, but the last time that I asked someone to pick up a book order for me and I got it myself they nearly killed me for it. So as a result I have to wait for my book just a few hours longer.

 

[Hammerhead]

I think you could use M&M for any sort of game that's heroic, low lethatlity (heroes rarely die), and has a wide range of powers. It's similar to Hero, really, except it doesn't take four hours to make a character. However, in certain genres, certain powers shouldn't be allowed. High levels or Armor or Protection can often ruin certain types of games.

BTW, I think HERO would probably work better for Transformers, but it's not d20, so I'm not sure you were including it.

 

[garyh]

I think you could use M&M for any sort of game that's heroic, low lethatlity (heroes rarely die), and has a wide range of powers. It's similar to Hero, really, except it doesn't take four hours to make a character. However, in certain genres, certain powers shouldn't be allowed. High levels or Armor or Protection can often ruin certain types of games.

BTW, I think HERO would probably work better for Transformers, but it's not d20, so I'm not sure you were including it.

I've never played Hero, so I can't comment on that, but yeah - I was thinking primarily d20.

As for restricting certain powers based on the genre of the game, I completely agree. Much as the M&M book describes that the GM may restrict available sources of powers for the feel fo the game (if all superhumans are mutants, no alien for you!), I think limiting actual powers also makes sense. I'd be hesitent to include Space Flight in most fantasy games, for example.

 

[Selganor]

So far I found NOTHING that HERO couldn'T do. (I even did 7th Sea Drama Dice) But all those number juggling isn't everybody's cup of tea.

But one warning:
M&M is designed for Superheroes, so if you are trying to do "normal" fantasy you might have some work before you...

But as M&M uses the SRD you can always "import" some feats and other things from other books.

 

[jonrog1]

If I may, an ongoing experiment for "pulp" M&M

skill points are 3 per power point. Pick any 6 skills when you create the character -- those are your class skills. Everything else is cross-class.

Create characters at 3rd level.

Max power level is 1/2 character level, rounded up.

Haven't playtested this fuly, but so far the character creation experiments have worked out great. Will update when I have more.