Necessary Evil

[zarlor]

The data file for Necessary Evil has been through the initial review process and is pretty much ready to go, so it should be available as an official Savage Setting in the near future. In the meantime if anyone wants the latest pre-release version just let me know. For those of you who had links to earlier versions it's still in the same place, just updated.

Some items of note... The Super Powers Companion is required for this data file to be of any real use. In general I've assumed that the SPC versions of powers are the correct version over what is in the Necessary Evil Sourcebook. However, I've added in the NE version of Allergy (at CapedCrusader's suggestion so you can select either the NE version or the SPC version as would be appropriate for your campaign) and I've added in the NE evil "Lair" power so you can either choose that or the "Headquarters" power, again depending on what would be appropriate for your campaign.

That should be it. Just let me know in a PM if you want a pre-release copy, as usual, otherwise look for the official version in the not too distant future. Please let me know if you run into any issues and I'll be happy to get them fixed up right away. (It always seems like I miss something.)

[jbearwillis]

Not you zarlor (Lenny), Never!!!!! LOL

[zarlor]

Hey, Weird Wars: Rome is still only v1.0!

[SeeleyOne]

I have kept out of most of the discussion regarding the Super Powers Companion. I have been waiting for the new edition.

Have any of you played with the SPC? And out of those that have, how many have also played Mutants and Masterminds? I have a conundrum, as a system I prefer Savage Worlds, but I do really like how Mutants and Masterminds handles the powers. I am wondering if people have experience before I try it (and potentially tick off my group).

[jbearwillis]

I have played both, Savage worlds is ok for Super heroes, but Mutants and masterminds is the game for super heroes. At least for my group. They like savage worlds for a lot of genres. They just didn't care much on have savage worlds work with it. But to be fair that's just my group. Others might find they love it. I love savage World also, I just didn't like it for Straight Super heroes. I like using the super powers in other ways in my game.

[zarlor]

I can't say I've ever done M&M. My gaming group is currently playing Necessary Evil and for Supers rules I've played Champions (HERO system) and Marvel Super Heroes (FASERIP version). I have some friends who swear up and down over Champions, but honestly Supers in Savage Worlds is the best I've played so far, and we've got a nutty group of guys and we've still gotten their characters to work in the game. One of our group is basically playing "The Blob" from the old 1950s horror movie, and another is playing a walking cartoon character Marvin the Martian... although without the Shrink Ray, we couldn't quite figure out that on using SPC. He took the Invent power, though, and his inventions are all delivered by ACME (through their interdimensional delivery service, of course). I'm having a blast with the system.

[jbearwillis]

But for a more serious game, I just didn't like how it played, Hero is a good system for a player, but for a gamemaster it's just way to numbers heavy. It is a good system. Just a bit to complicated for my taste. The way Savage Worlds does powers is ok for a basic supers game, but the powers are not customizable enough for me - Mutants and mastermind has the power of the hero system but less complicated. I'm not saying it not good enough to do a supers game, it's a bit to lite for my taste. That's just my own opinion. I say try it out once and if your players don't like it, you can always go back to M&M, but you never know. they might like it. Just do something small to test the waters.

[zarlor]

Well, to give you an idea of what floats the boat of my group I think we're mega-excited for "Spirit of '77". I'd never even heard of the Apocalypse World system their using as the base for the game but after having read through the teaser module they've put out I think it might be right where my group is these days. Totally over the top and not particularly complex. I don't suppose it's really a supers kind of system, though. I have plenty of good things about M&M but getting my group to try new systems is like pulling teeth so somebody in the group would have to have already been hooked and totally excited to run and teach it before it would even be a possibility.

[CapedCrusader]

OK, Superhero games. I've not tried M&M. Quick game system synopsis, anyone?

Hero(Champions) - I'm one of the originals on this one. I have every book for every edition from the first book they put out up through 5th Edition. And there's a lot of books. One of the best character creation sets, you can really customize a character. I love the speed chart. HOWEVER - it has the absolute slowest combat system I have ever played. No matter what tweaks we tried to make (even using software to manage turns), a fight always took 3+ hours. It totally kills the game for me. I can't bring myself to play it anymore after playing Savage Worlds, and I haven't picked up the Sixth Edition.

GURPS Supers - GURPS is based in reality. Superheroes are not. GURPS cinematic rules don't really work for this. Plus the GURPS system of breaking fights into 1-second increments. Slows things way down. Also very rules heavy, like Hero.

Marvel RPG, Villains and Vigilantes - Ugh. Just ugh.

Savage Worlds - I am currently playing in an SPC First Edition game, and getting ready to run one. As far as creating the character, SW doesn't have as much flexibility as some of the others. It improves with the 2nd Edition, but SW always leans towards simplifying things, and superheroes can get pretty complicated. So, sometimes you have to compromise on what you can get away with. As far as play, however, it rocks. Because it's Savage Worlds, it's fast. It also doesn't force you to deal with things like Endurance. You want to use your Power, you use your Power. No need to keep track of how many times, how many you have left, etc. I find that with most SW games, the system gets out of the way and lets you play. I prefer it these days.

[SeeleyOne]

Thanks for the comments. I will wait for SPC2 for Hero Lab and at least give it a try. I like lower powered Supers as the norm, more along the kines of Wild Cards than Justice League.

I used to play GURPS. My main group would only play it for 10 years. Now I am in a group that everyone but me runs Pathfinder. While I do like the powers system in M&M that is also its flaw. It can be a whole lot easier to have the smaller list that SW has. You van always add to it if needed. And M&M would be a good source for ideas.

Necessary Evil looks very fun. I think that alone might tempt my players. Sure it can be done with M&M, but another flaw is that my group likes to loot, which can be problematic in M&M where, like HERO, everything is tied into Power Level and Power Points. Arrays help alleviate it a bit, but loaning Bob your super death ray while he borrows Jimmy.s power armor is naughty.