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M&M 3e Hero's Handbook PDF Now Available

DMACDMAC Come at me, bro!Moderator mod
edited February 2011 in Critical Failures
The 3rd Edition Mutants & Masterminds Hero's Handbook is now available in PDF. There's some sort of deal where if you pre-order the print version, you can download the PDF for $5:

http://www.greenronin.com/store/product/grr5501e.html

grr5501_450.jpg

I did artwork for a bunch of the archetype/sample characters in the book.

3e_preview3.jpg

DMAC on
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Posts

  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    frikkin sweet

    i don't have this, but I do have the DC Adventures book

    also the preorder hardcover / get pdf now idea

    so good

    green ronin is doin' good things

    hey does anyone care to comment on the differences between DCA and M&M3?

    i'm assuming they would be minor but i could be wrong

    (also DMAC i like your arts)

    Horseshoe on
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  • Super NamicchiSuper Namicchi Orange County, CARegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    rules clarifications, additions of convenience (damage being in combat chapter for one), some point cost changes

    Super Namicchi on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    putting the damage rules in the combat chapter is an EXTREMELY convenient change!

    Horseshoe on
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  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    man how can people not be talking about M&M 3rd and/or DC Adventures

    it is such a good game

    Horseshoe on
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  • Super NamicchiSuper Namicchi Orange County, CARegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    nerds are akin to dragons, hoarding our juicy games to ourselves like the choicest gems

    Super Namicchi on
  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    I loved the hell out of M&M. Then I was forced to sell it for gas money.

    I own M&M2, but I've never actually played it.

    Such great systems. But it always seems harder to get people together to play superhero than to bash orc skulls.

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • Dr. Phibbs McAtheyDr. Phibbs McAthey Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    I found a 1st edition copy of the game at a used book store about a year ago and had zero luck convincing anyone to play it.
    I might still pick up a copy of this. A guy can dream, can't he?

    Dr. Phibbs McAthey on
  • TheOtherHorsemanTheOtherHorseman Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Everyone should buy this and tell me what it's like so I know whether or not to buy it, and then play it with me online because my friends are impossible to wrangle together for games of anything on a regular basis.

    TheOtherHorseman on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    I loved the hell out of M&M. Then I was forced to sell it for gas money.

    I own M&M2, but I've never actually played it.

    Such great systems. But it always seems harder to get people together to play superhero than to bash orc skulls.

    Yeah, that's the weird part.

    I've finally got a few people together to play DC Adventures, and they've been gathered from people with whom I've played D&D in the past, as unlikely as it seemed.

    Player One was kind of skeptical. But he's a long-time D&D gamer, and when he read the book he got really excited about what an awesome system it was (holy shit no character classes), and soon had drafted up an energy controller rougly based on Static and the dude from InFamous.

    Player #2 also plays in Player #1's D&D game. She's not especially big on comics, but I was talking with another friend of mine and she mentioned in passing that she loved Green Arrow. And guess which hero in the book is probably the most playable? Yep. So, she's going to be playing a version of "Arrowette" from Teen Titans.

    Player #3 got back into comics with the Blackest Night storyline, and plays in Player #1's game also. So he was an easy sell. He wants to play a Blue Lantern, and I think I'm actually going to start the series with his origin story.

    Speaking Of!

    If anyone wants to help with brainstorming at all I think at some point I'm going to want the "Great Ten" from DC comics statted out and would love input on that.

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • Dr. Phibbs McAtheyDr. Phibbs McAthey Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    I loved the hell out of M&M. Then I was forced to sell it for gas money.

    I own M&M2, but I've never actually played it.

    Such great systems. But it always seems harder to get people together to play superhero than to bash orc skulls.

    Yeah, that's the weird part.

    I've finally got a few people together to play DC Adventures, and they've been gathered from people with whom I've played D&D in the past, as unlikely as it seemed.

    Player One was kind of skeptical. But he's a long-time D&D gamer, and when he read the book he got really excited about what an awesome system it was (holy shit no character classes), and soon had drafted up an energy controller rougly based on Static and the dude from InFamous.

    Player #2 also plays in Player #1's D&D game. She's not especially big on comics, but I was talking with another friend of mine and she mentioned in passing that she loved Green Arrow. And guess which hero in the book is probably the most playable? Yep. So, she's going to be playing a version of "Arrowette" from Teen Titans.

    Player #3 got back into comics with the Blackest Night storyline, and plays in Player #1's game also. So he was an easy sell. He wants to play a Blue Lantern, and I think I'm actually going to start the series with his origin story.

    Speaking Of!

    If anyone wants to help with brainstorming at all I think at some point I'm going to want the "Great Ten" from DC comics statted out and would love input on that.

    You fill me with glee, sir.

    Dr. Phibbs McAthey on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    when we got together for the first session where we were going to make characters

    we ended up mostly just watching Justice League Unlimited cartoons :P

    yknow if i had one more person who was skeptical about playing a supers game

    i'd just watch JLU with them

    "whoa who is that?"

    "that's vigilante. he's a cowboy who rides a motorcycle and shoots stuff... and his best friend is a knight from the middle ages."

    how can anyone not think that is awesome

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • TheOtherHorsemanTheOtherHorseman Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    If anyone wants to help with brainstorming at all I think at some point I'm going to want the "Great Ten" from DC comics statted out and would love input on that.

    This is probably the stat set that is most accurate to the comics for this character.

    Superman

    Male Kryptonian

    Powers/Attributes:

    As needed by plot, at the level that is most relevant for the story at any given moment

    TheOtherHorseman on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    er

    there's like more than one member of the great ten

    there's... at least ten

    i can see "August-General-In-Iron" being a dude similar to superman, in the "paragon" archetype vein

    Immortal Man In Darkness

    pretty different story with him... kinda batman-ish but he's not really an individual, just whoever happens to be bonded to the technology at that point. basically a "powersuit" archetype with a large focus on stealth and mobility

    Perfect Accomplished Physician

    i'm not even sure where to start with him

    Horseshoe on
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  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Shoe is talking about this Great 10;

    250px-Great10.PNG

    I think it's being confused with the "Magnificent Seven" from the JLA.

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • AriviaArivia I Like A Challenge Earth-1Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    when we got together for the first session where we were going to make characters

    we ended up mostly just watching Justice League Unlimited cartoons :P

    yknow if i had one more person who was skeptical about playing a supers game

    i'd just watch JLU with them

    "whoa who is that?"

    "that's vigilante. he's a cowboy who rides a motorcycle and shoots stuff... and his best friend is a knight from the middle ages."

    how can anyone not think that is awesome

    it sounds boring, tbh

    Arivia on
    huntresssig.jpg
  • TheOtherHorsemanTheOtherHorseman Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Here's something about me

    I don't know anything about anything

    TheOtherHorseman on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    the confusion is doubled by the fact that there is a member of the Great Ten who can turn into seven different guys

    i think he's the one with his fist raised up between August General and Celestial Archer... cannot remember his dang name

    also Zed

    your recent Rifts kick got me thinking how M&M could be a great system for running Rifts so long as you had the palladium books and such to inform it

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Arivia wrote: »
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    when we got together for the first session where we were going to make characters

    we ended up mostly just watching Justice League Unlimited cartoons :P

    yknow if i had one more person who was skeptical about playing a supers game

    i'd just watch JLU with them

    "whoa who is that?"

    "that's vigilante. he's a cowboy who rides a motorcycle and shoots stuff... and his best friend is a knight from the middle ages."

    how can anyone not think that is awesome

    it sounds boring, tbh

    you sound boring :P

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    the confusion is doubled by the fact that there is a member of the Great Ten who can turn into seven different guys

    i think he's the one with his fist raised up between August General and Celestial Archer... cannot remember his dang name

    also Zed

    your recent Rifts kick got me thinking how M&M could be a great system for running Rifts so long as you had the palladium books and such to inform it
    Rifts runs so much better in any system that isn't Rifts.

    Also: Seven Deadly Brothers

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    the confusion is doubled by the fact that there is a member of the Great Ten who can turn into seven different guys

    i think he's the one with his fist raised up between August General and Celestial Archer... cannot remember his dang name

    also Zed

    your recent Rifts kick got me thinking how M&M could be a great system for running Rifts so long as you had the palladium books and such to inform it
    Rifts runs so much better in any system that isn't Rifts.

    Also: Seven Deadly Brothers

    yes

    Seven Deadly Brothers

    you have saved me an internet search good sir

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • takyristakyris Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    I loved the hell out of 2EM&M and was bummed when my gaming group exploded. (One terminally unhappy person decided to throw out her character after, in order to make her happy, I made the core focus of the plot center around her character's alien race, and her planned introduction for her new character was, "She just shows up and joins the team and doesn't give them a choice!")

    Can anybody give me the 10,000-foot view on what the big changes are for 3E?

    takyris on
  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    takyris wrote: »
    I loved the hell out of 2EM&M and was bummed when my gaming group exploded. (One terminally unhappy person decided to throw out her character after, in order to make her happy, I made the core focus of the plot center around her character's alien race, and her planned introduction for her new character was, "She just shows up and joins the team and doesn't give them a choice!")

    Can anybody give me the 10,000-foot view on what the big changes are for 3E?

    There are conversion notes available here.


    Not super informative, but the gist seems to be that they're moving away from direct association with the OGL d20 system. It also looks like they may have moved towards combining a lot of effects. Example: Everything from Plant Control to Stunning is apparently covered under some sort of Affliction power.

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Oh, and maybe targeted defenses a la Saga and 4E. Though I can't tell for sure.

    But that would be pretty boss.

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    i think that the ways in which they've diverged further from the OGL d20 are good choices

    also in the case of affiliction

    well, it's a power called "Affliction"

    you pick from a list of conditions it will inflict depending upon how well you succeed with it

    and the descriptors describe whether you're doing it by being able to say... control electricity, use plant spores, cast spells, or whatever is appropriate to the character's powers

    which i like

    but defenses still tend to act like "saving throws"

    (unfortunately the 'opposed check' and 'saving throw' type rolls still rear their unattractive heads quite a bit)

    when a defense is targeted (like say you shoot at someone; you're targeting their dodge), the DC for hitting them is the relevant defense +10, which is functionally the same as having a targeted defense


    since you used plant control as an example, here's what Poison Ivy can look like in M&M3/DCA
    Poison_Ivy_040.jpg

    Poison Ivy
    PL12

    Abilities
    Strength 0, Stamina 2, Agility 3, Dexterity 3, Fighting 2, Intellect 3, Awareness 4, Presence 5

    Powers
    Plant Control
    Direct Plants: Move Object 12 [Perception, Damaging; Limited Material (Plants); Precise]
    Alt: Entanglement: Snare 12

    Toxic Body
    Mind Control Spores: Mind Control 9
    Alt: Venomous Kiss: Affliction 12 [Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated; Progressive]

    Communication
    Talk to Plants: Comprehend 1

    Plant-Based Movement
    Burrowing: Burrow 4 [Ranged]
    Alt: Plant-Based 'Flight': Flight 4 [Platform]

    Advantages
    Attractive 2, Defensive Roll 2, Favored Environment [Surrounded by Plants], Fascinate 1 [Persuasion], Skill Mastery [Persuasion], Improved Initiative 2

    Skills
    Acrobatics 4 (+7), Athletics 4 (+4), Close Combat: Toxic Body 9 (+11), Deception 8 (+13), Expertise: Botany 10 (+13), Expertise: Toxicology 10 (+13), Insight 4 (+8), Intimidation 4 (+9), Perception 4 (+8), Persuasion 12 (+17), Ranged Combat: Plant Control 7 (+10), Stealth 8 (+11)

    Offense
    Initiative +11
    Plant Control +10, Damage 12

    Defense
    Dodge 5, Parry 4
    Toughness 4 (Def Roll 2), Fortitude 4, Will 6

    Horseshoe on
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  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Str 0

    Brawler.

    Edit: Do dazed, stunned, etc have roughly 4E meanings, or are they different?

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    she's not really the punchy type

    think of M&M 3rd ability scores as being the ability modifiers you'd see in D&D and the previous edition of M&M

    having a strength of 0 is basically like having a strength of 10 or 11 in D&D... it's average person strength

    the middle man has essentially been cut out. you're now working with the numbers you actually use.

    lets see as far as ivy's affliction power goes...

    1st degree of success is dazed: limited to a single action per round. superseded by "stunned".

    2nd degree of success is stunned: can't take any actions.

    3rd degree of success is incapacitated: this is a combined condition. if you're incapacitated, you are defenseless (just like it sounds... you're a sitting duck and opponents can 'take 10' to hit you), stunned (as above), and unaware (also just like it sounds)... and will probably fall over if something isn't keeping you up. This is the kind of condition that's a fight-ender. You're down for the count.

    Horseshoe on
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  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    I like the removal of the base stat, I think.

    The conditions do sound a lot like the 4E conditions then. Basically the only thing missing is Combat Advantage and Coup de Grace.

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    The closest thing to Combat Advantage would be a condition called "Vulnerable".

    If you are Vulnerable, your dodge and parry defenses are cut in half. You might become Vulnerable due to an affliction, because you're being grabbed, maybe because someone successfully feinted you using the Deception skill.

    Vulnerable is a step less dire than being Defenseless; sort of like how Dazed is to Stunned.

    As for the Coup de Grace... I'll just quote the book.
    "The DC Adventures rules make character death a similarly rare occurrence. Characters generally only acquire the dying condition after being incapacitated and suffering further harm, which usually means someone is actively trying to kill them. Even then, dying characters have opportunities to stabilize and stave off death. It takes a second active effort to kill a dying character outright, so accidental death due to a single bad die roll is all but impossible for the major characters in a series."

    In most comic books death is more or less a setback for superpowered or plot-important heroes or villains. Well, unless... say you're due to be replaced by a younger version of yourself and Maxwell Lord shoots you in the head to advance the plot.

    Minions, on the other hand... well they can be killed with a single hit and the declaration that you kill them if you hit them. If you're Superman, you knock them down like bowling pins. If you're Lobo, you mow them down indiscriminately.

    It sucks not to be important to the story!

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    I love the "declare whether or not you killed them" handling of the situation.

    It takes me back to Shepherd Book's sermon about kneecaps.

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    hasta la vista, kneecaps

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • Super NamicchiSuper Namicchi Orange County, CARegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    this game, it is pretty keen. more people should play/run it.

    Super Namicchi on
  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    When does the hardcopy of this actually come out?

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • DMACDMAC Come at me, bro! Moderator mod
    edited January 2011
    Nice to see M&M getting some love.

    I believe the print copy of the book comes out in February.

    In addition to the pieces I did for the book, I'm also working on some villains that will be appearing in upcoming Threat Reports, Green Ronin's new weekly $0.99 PDF supervillains.

    Also, the errata for DC Adventures is out now.

    DMAC on
  • descdesc Goretexing to death Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Oh snap, putting this on my drivethrustuff wishlist.

    Shout out the man like DMAC getting art in there!

    desc on
  • SakutianSakutian Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    I'm working on a campaign using this revised edition, I'm really liking the changes they've made. The old version was wonderful but this just feels like they perfected it more or less.

    Sakutian on
    My Games

    Dresden Files RPG- Dumb Luck

    Playing Phillip Hess in Motor City Blues

    GM of M&M "And Justice For All."
    GM of Dresden Files Low Life
    GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
    GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
    GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
    GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
    Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
    Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
    Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
    Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
    Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
    GM of Wyvern Watch
    Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Sakutian wrote: »
    I'm working on a campaign using this revised edition, I'm really liking the changes they've made. The old version was wonderful but this just feels like they perfected it more or less.

    heck yes

    i really really really like DCA

    however

    does the MnM3 book handle "knockback" rules?

    this seemed to be missing from DCA, or at least referenced in some way i had difficulty either a) finding or b) understanding

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • Super NamicchiSuper Namicchi Orange County, CARegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    there used to be in 2e, but in 3e it's just fluff

    Super Namicchi on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    another question

    there are area affect attacks that don't seem to require a "to-hit" roll and straight up goes to toughness (or i guess will) checks.

    is there a rule on how PL limits something that essentially has a "0" to hit?

    or is it a "use your dang common sense" thing

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • The EnderThe Ender Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    the confusion is doubled by the fact that there is a member of the Great Ten who can turn into seven different guys

    i think he's the one with his fist raised up between August General and Celestial Archer... cannot remember his dang name

    also Zed

    your recent Rifts kick got me thinking how M&M could be a great system for running Rifts so long as you had the palladium books and such to inform it
    Rifts runs so much better in any system that isn't Rifts.

    Also: Seven Deadly Brothers

    Hey, you shut up! Attacks per melee is a perfectly simple, logical and realistic way to run combat! It says so right in the books!


    I've tried running Rifts with the d20 system before (and with GURPS before). It's one of those things that just doesn't quite feel right.

    The Ender on
    With Love and Courage
  • Super NamicchiSuper Namicchi Orange County, CARegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    nope all effects must hit; in fact it's called out that attacks that are skewed too far one way or the other (obscenely high attack bonus, very low effect, very high effect low attack bonus) should be looked at by the GM and monitored

    Super Namicchi on
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