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[RPG Theory] D&D 4e Superpowers
Jun. 13th, 2008 10:09 amWhile working on some Mutants & Masterminds stuff this morning, I idly wondered what it would be like to apply the power structure of D&D 4e to the superhero genre: on the one hand, it would be an odd artificial limiting of some powers to “daily” and “encounter” usages. On the other hand, it might model the idea of rarely-used powers and “power stunts,” the things superheroes do sometimes, but not regularly. The “special” and “finishing” moves.
Indeed, the limited-use powers sort of address what I call the “Form Blazing Sword!” problem in dramatic terms: if a character has a big “special move,” why not bust it out right away? If it’s a one-shot thing, however, players are more inclined to wait for that big dramatic moment when it’ll do the most good: for the decisive attack against the big bad, or the action that turns the tide of a fight. This is especially true for daily/encounter powers designed to come into play later in an encounter, requiring the user (or target) be bloodied, for example.
While I think the D&D 4e framework would still need a fair amount of modification to work for four-color superheroes, in many ways it’s closer to start off with than D&D 3e was when I was first designing M&M. When Wizards gets around to doing other RPGs based on the 4e engine, it’ll be interesting to see.
Indeed, the limited-use powers sort of address what I call the “Form Blazing Sword!” problem in dramatic terms: if a character has a big “special move,” why not bust it out right away? If it’s a one-shot thing, however, players are more inclined to wait for that big dramatic moment when it’ll do the most good: for the decisive attack against the big bad, or the action that turns the tide of a fight. This is especially true for daily/encounter powers designed to come into play later in an encounter, requiring the user (or target) be bloodied, for example.
While I think the D&D 4e framework would still need a fair amount of modification to work for four-color superheroes, in many ways it’s closer to start off with than D&D 3e was when I was first designing M&M. When Wizards gets around to doing other RPGs based on the 4e engine, it’ll be interesting to see.
