Post originally by Gene D. at 2004-07-17 20:30:09
Converted from Phorums BB System

I've tried most of the superhero games out there. "Vigilance" was one of the first for D20, but it was rather weak and had some of the power-scaling problems of WEG's "D.C. Heroes" d6 system.

The D20 version of "Silver Age Sentinels" is very good and includes a history of comic books, but its rules are a too detailed for novice role-players (although the group I was in had just converted from "Champions/Hero" 4th Ed., so that may have been part of the problem). For "crunch," it's very good.

D20 "Mutants and Masterminds" is a bit more streamlined than "Silver Age Sentinels," has evocative artwork and layout, and there are even a few crossover modules between "Mutants and Masterminds" and "Silver Age Sentinels!" There were slightly more editing glitches in "Mutants and Masterminds" than in "Silver Age Sentinels," but that's easily fixed by errata. Game balance and style were excellent.

I have D20 "Adventure" and looked at D20 "Aberrant," which did a decent job of updating White Wolf's "Aeon/Trinity" universe. However, I wanted slightly less introductory text and more user-friendly superheroic action (to dovetail with D20 "Modern," "Spycraft," and my various other science fiction or horror books/campaigns), but that may reflect my preference for four-color heroism over grim and gritty pseudorealism.

Of course, I look forward to White Wolf's new "Storyteller: World of Darkness--Vampire" or whatever the next edition is called, but that's for horror, not comic book heroes.

For now, unless you're willing to try the complexity of "Champions/Heroes" 5th Ed., the latest short-lived incarnation of "Marvel Superheroes," or the flexible (and about-to-be-updated) GURPS "Supers,", I'd recommend D20 "Mutants and Masterminds." Happy gaming!