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However, players will find little to nothing of interest in here. While there are a few new powers they’re just built as examples for different rules modifications. Templates are discussed, and a few example templates are presented, but this is not a product that contains player options.
If you’re going to be running a M&M game or just love fiddling with RPG systems then this is a great book to have. It’s well organized, well thought out, and extremely well presented.
The Physical Thing
This 160 page full color hardcover showcases the same high quality production standards fans of Mutants & Masterminds have seen before. The text is very readable; color is used to distinguish between sections and allows for a reader to easily flip through the book to the section they want. The artwork is frequent and of Good quality, showcasing characters and scenes from the Freedom City world. Not only is there a table of contents but there is also a one page introduction briefly explaining each chapter as well as a comprehensive index.There may be a downside here, however. The book feels padded to me, as if the authors had a 130 page book and needed to find a way to stretch it out. Two pages of ads, the OGL, two pages composing a contributions list, a one page introduction that rehashes the back cover and table of contents, two pages for the author and copyright information where one would clearly have been sufficient, and the FAQ and Errata found online.
A lot of that is understandable and normal game book stuff. I like that the FAQ and Errata are listed here, it helps Masterminds run the game which is a goal of the book. However, I’m sure many people will not care for that. A lot of Masterminds already have that material printed off and don’t really want to pay for it, especially since Errata and FAQs are the sort of things that continue to get updated over time.
Despite all of this the material in the book really is packed in there. The margins are small and the book uses the standard two columns per page approach from the core Mutants & Masterminds book.
The Ideas
This book presents a rules heavy analysis on ways to modify the Mutants & Masterminds 2nd edition game. This includes the stuff fans would expect, like alternate dice rolling and tactical combat using grids, as well as ways to tweak the game to get the sort of roleplay feel they want. Fans of HERO 5th, GURPS, and other games that allow for different rules to be used in order to get the right feel for a game will enjoy this book. While it is focused on supers, the Mastermind’s Manual could be a great aid for anyone wanting to use M&M 2nd as a generic system.To be clear, this is not a book you would enjoy sitting down to read if you did not know or like the Mutants & Masterminds 2nd game system. While there is some great general advice on powers in a supers setting, such as ways to use Precognition and ESP, the core of the book is system modification.
Under the Cover
Chapter 1 The Basics 12 pages.This chapter discusses modifications to the basic elements of the system. 2d10 and 3d6 are discussed as ways to modify die rolls so as to limit randomness. More support is given to the 3d6 method, and I was a little disappointed that 2d10 was barely touched upon. Ways to use playing cards in place of dice are also discussed.
Challenges are a simple modification where players may increase the DC of tasks their characters are trying to perform in order to gain a bonus. For example, if a character wants to finish a crafting job quickly then they may be able to take a +5 or +10 increase to the DC to speed it up. This option should be very intuitive for anyone familiar with d20 games.
Templates are discussed and a few example templates are presented. A template is a preconstructed list of modifiers that players may buy so that their character belongs to a certain group. For example, if you’re going to play an Elf then the GM might create an Elf Template that gives low light vision, extra dexterity, and other appropriate modifiers.
Finally the chapter discusses alternate ways to handle character creation and power level limits, especially how alternative ways of going about it can change the feel of the campaign. For example, a rags to riches sort of fantasy story would be more appropriate if characters began weak and escalated in power over time.
Chapter 2 Abilities 4 pages.
Ways to do random ability scores while maintaining character balance, basing saves off of different stats, adding innate bonuses to Strength and Dexterity, and other ways to modify how abilities are currently used. It is four pages, so there’s not a lot to say. Random ability score generation seems strange for a system that is all about letting players build exactly what they want, but I can imagine a game involving average people given powers using the random system.
Chapter 3 Skills 12 pages.
New uses for old skills such as using Notice to try and wake up. New skills such as Appraise and Navigate are discussed. The chapter also entertains the idea of making skills more broad or narrow so as to increase or reduce the number of skills in the game. I really dig the idea of the broader skills for more narrative games and narrower skills for simulating a lower power level game.
Skill synergy, critical success on skill checks, and how to handle languages round out this chapter. There are more tweaks here, the book is absolutely packed with them, but listing every single modification would be both tedious and unfair to the game manufacturer.
Chapter 4 Feats 12 pages.
General guidelines on how powerful feats should be are presented. A discussion of, and examples of, how to turn powers into feats is included. A fun new addition here is the introduction of Fighting Styles. Fighting Styles are groupings of feats that players may take in order to simulate a known way of handling close quarters combat. For example, a character who is described as a martial artist may want to take the Kung Fu grouping of feats.
New feats are introduced to work with tactical combat, such as Attack of Opportunity feats. Other than that the chapter offers GMs the opportunity to greatly expand the level of detail and complexity of their Mutants & Masterminds game with feats that would be needed to pilot vehicles or fight with certain types of weapons.
Chapter 5 Powers 34 pages.
All manner of ways to modify existing powers are included here. Fans of the Gadgets power that could not figure out how to implement it under 2nd edition will be happy to see it presented here as an example of a variable power. Several other powers, such as Martial Arts, are presented to explain the mechanics of creating powers.
A lengthy discussion of arrays is provided, which is a great thing because my experience has been that many players do not understand how to build or use arrays. Various other ways of presenting powers to a setting, such as having them be brand new or hidden behind the scenes, are also discussed.
The most useful information for many Masterminds will be the section on Plot-Stopping Powers. Here the book gives generally useful advice on ways to deal with everything from ESP to Incorporeal characters to the dreaded Precognition. However, the author does tend to begin by discussing a heavy handed way of dealing with the powers and then move on to more subtle ways to rein them in. That the author often began with a resolution he clearly felt was wrong was a little irritating at times. I also believe that the advice is best for those that run tightly structured games where certain events are necessary to occur, more like prewritten modules, than those that run more open games. Finally, many of the suggestions just aren’t that useful. I’m not sure that there is a reader who would benefit from the suggestion that invisible people might be detected by a sense other than sight.
As with all advice of this type, veteran roleplayers wont take away nearly as much as those who are new to the hobby.
Chapter 6 Characteristics 10 pages.
Other ways to deal with hero points, power strain that causes powers to decay through use, reputation, and taint are all discussed in this section. Other hero point methods include hero points that never regenerate, which may be favored by quite a few GMs. The power strain rules allow a character to permanently give up ranks in a power in order to get a temporary boost in their abilities. Reputation rules allow for fame and infamy to be tracked based on each of a hero’s identities. Taint is similar to the concept found in the Aberrant RPG and involves super beings that fundamentally change over time due to the corrupting aspect of their powers.
A few other minor rules are introduced as well, making this a well rounded chapter for GMs wanting rules to enforce a certain campaign feel.
Chapter 7 Devices & Equipment 12 pages.
This chapter opens with a tech level system similar to what a person would find in many other RPGs, showcasing what technology is appropriate to what era. Alternate rules include vehicle and mount fighting rules. A brief discussion is presented for allowing characters to use any normal technology they like in addition to the powers they purchase with points.
I really like this chapter. The vehicle combat rules are intuitive, easy to use, and appear to do a great job of handling the chase scene. Were I running a game that might involve car chases, such as a lower key supers game with spies, I would definitely use these.
Chapter 8 Combat 14 pages.
Maps and figures! Tactical combat! Attacks of opportunities! This chapter is sure to please the d20 fans that missed these elements from the core M&M as well as those wanting a bit more strategy in their superhero slugfests. In addition to these other alternative rules are included such as the defense roll, mental combat, multiple attacks, flanking, and dozens of others.
Some of these will be familiar to d20 fans. The defense roll, for example, is just a change where instead of a base 10 Defense the player rolls a 1d20 and adds their modifiers. This can lead to even more chaotic combat for those that desire it. Others, like mental combat, are simple but fun additions to the options already available. Readers of comics (X-Men comes to mind) have observed many instances of super hero psychics dueling in the realm of the mind.
These additions are well thought out and there’s something for everyone. Indeed, like the rest of the book this section will stimulate the reader’s imagination and most GMs will immediately start imagining how they might tweak the next game to get the style of play they’re hoping for.
Chapter 9 Gamemastering 19 pages.
Environmental rules of all sorts! Trials! General supers GMing advice! The environmental rules are comprehensive, covering every environment imaginable while not being overly complicated. While some GMs will find them to be an unnecessary addition to the game, they are well oriented for inclusion in a game that will temporarily move to an environmental extreme.
The trial system ultimately involves a modified d20 roll to resolve a criminal trial. Things like the appearance of the accused, the severity of the crime, and reputation could be used to ultimately determine guilt or innocence as well as the severity of the sentence. It’s simple and probably not the best way to handle a trial that a PC is involved in, but it could be a great way to handle what happens to the recently captured super villain.
Appendices 10 pages.
This is the FAQ, the Errata for the core book, and a one page explanation of why a 2nd edition was created. This will, without a doubt, help out many purchasers by putting all the other relevant game information right there. However, since the information is already free online some purchasers won’t appreciate the inclusion.
My Take
This is a fantastic product and I can’t recommend it enough for fans of the Mutants & Masterminds 2nd system. While players will get little use out of the book, GMs and those interested in game systems generally will find it to be an invaluable resource for modifying the core system.
With lots of color and excellent formatting the book is easy to read. Most people will use few modifications, and with the great index and table of contents the book is very user friendly. This book alone has reinvigorated my interest in M&M as a solid generic system suitable for all types of roleplaying, and I’d happily buy it again.
