I'm pondering running the game online soon (post likely on Roll20) and was thinking about starting with the Basic rules, moving on then to the revised basic rules and from there the advanced rules. Has anyone done this progression while teaching the game? I realize that even the advanced rules are relatively easy compared to modern RPG's, but I'd like to actually use each version of the game as I get better at running it. Also, I'd like to see how I like some of the original rules in practice before I ditch them altogether (Resource Points vs Resource Ranks).

Sort of...

... I got the basic game when I was a kid, back in the 80's. I read the rules and taught myself how to play, though I never ran any games with the basic set. A few years later (in my late teens), I got the advanced set and ran some games for my friends. I can say familiarity with the underlying rules did help me teach my players (even though none of them had had any previous exposure to the game).

Really, the two games are similar enough that you could probably teach people to play the advanced game about as easily as the original. There's a bit more granularity to the rules, but they function more or less the same. Methods for resource expenditure are an apples/oranges kind of thing and it just depends on what you prefer (I personally prefer the simplicity of the rank method over the bean counting of resource points. YMMV).

MSH-RPG has simple game mechanics so that you'll focus on the story more so than the game mechanics...


For me, I do use an expanded version of MSH-RPG.






And I also use a lot of 'House-Rules' to help with Character Balance, so that one player isn't running a 'GOD' and another player gets stuck running a decrepit ho-bo bum.


Some 'House Rules' I use.


Character Points : Basically give each of your Players a 'Set Amount of Points' say 400 as an example. And each player can divvy up their 400 points anyway they want to the Character they are building for the Game Campaign.


Fighting = Crit Chance for both Melee and Ranged Attacks
Fighting = How many Multiple Actions you can make per game round ... EX:20 = 2 Actions / Round ... AM:50 = 5 Actions / Round
Agility = Distance moved per Game Round ... EX:20 = 2 Areas / Round ... AM:50 = 5 Areas / Round (End result is Running Speed)
Strength + Agility divided by 2 = Melee Hit Power
Strength = Blocking Constitution of 'Block Feat'
Endurance = Core Constitution for 'Survival' Feat Rolls

And a lot of others for the RIP Ranks for Casting Magic Spells or heavy damage blaster attacks.

For me, every Character has a 7 Category Format I use to Cover Game Mechanics and Character Building.


1. FASERIP / HP / KP
2. Defensive Powers (Avoidance Powers / Armor and Shields / Fast Recovery of HP or KP)
3. Offensive Powers (Single Target Blasts and Beams / Melee Attacks and Defense / Area of Effect Attacks)
4. Sensory Perception Boosters and Powers; and Mental Defensive Powers.
5. Self-Buff Powers that increase the Character's FASERIP / HP / KP Abilities
6. Travel Powers such as Flight / Super-Jumps / Teleportation / Super-Speed Running / Climbing / Swimming ... etc.
7. Talents / Skills / Personality / Social Networking / and some History as to How the Character got their Abilities.





But, put all of the Game Mechanics aside, try not to become a 'Rules Lawyer' and try to focus on a good story line...


For me, I find that most players enjoy Storyline problem solving, rather than just flat out Game Mechanics Combat.


As an Example: I ran a Game Campaign based upon Galactus and The Borg; where the Players had to infiltrate a massive Borg Space Ship in our Solar System. The Players had to face all of the various Borg sector bosses, defeat them; then confront the Head Honcho Borg Boss to get the Borg out of our Solar System.


Each Borg Sector Boss was completely unbeatable by Game Mechanics Combat... The Players had to solve situational problems to move forward in the Game.


One Boss you had to Free from Borg Slavery, Another you cause a Ship Riot to occupy the Borg Boss while you get away, Another Boss you basically avoid them as much as possible, Another Boss you had to Trap ... etc, etc...


Then after you defeat all of various Borg Bosses, the Players discover that millions upon millions of Borg had enslaved Galactus and were using his body as their space ship....


The end result is the Players had Freed Galactus from the Borg; and now Galactus is hungry for a Juicy little planet, like Earth.


My table of players 'LOVED' this Game Campaign because they could play their High-Tier 'GOD-LIKE' Characters...
Vegeta Voice: over 9000!!!!

But even still, the Borg Bosses were not a 'Push-Over' and they had to solve reasonable problems to move forward in the game... And at the end the Players were all like ....

''YEAH!!! WE JUST BEAT THE ENTIRE BORG FLEET!!!!! ....... AWWWW FUG!!!! WE JUST RELEASED GALACTUS, RITE NEAR EARTH''

TankerAce,

As a judge, the only reason I can see using the expanded table, in my opinion, is the fact that it would slow down character advancement by making players pay for cresting a lot more often.

DarkLordBrannon,

If I ever get a group back together I would seriously consider this rules transition, if I have new players in the group.

I am an Original Basic person, so thumbs up for giving it a whirl first. I consider it still to be the cleanest and best iteration of MSH.

As for getting started, you can't go wrong with "Day of the Octopus" with its pre-gens to give players a feel.

Thereafter, it depends on what you want to do. Street level, cosmic level or just anything goes super level? Original characters or adopted official characters? Continuous campaign, or villain of the week episodic play?

I am starting with the advanced rules, will be running finishing character creation (with my house rules that I need to share yet). I have one player made that may be the strongest I see.

So he will suffer from the SuperMan syndrome.

What is that.

That is when someone attacks the Justice League it's not so they can kill Robin.

Mike@ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am starting with the advanced rules, will be
> running finishing character creation (with my
> house rules that I need to share yet). I have one
> player made that may be the strongest I see.
>
> So he will suffer from the SuperMan syndrome.
>
> What is that.
>
> That is when someone attacks the Justice League
> it's not so they can kill Robin.

Lol! I hear you, brother.

One of my guys is playing a gestalt of the Sentry and Cyclops. It's cool with me, but I told him to expect the bady guys to mark him as a priority target for takedown. 8P

I am starting with a fight they should win. That is going to tie into a plot - that will actually warp space time in the area. And once you warp space time you can justify just about anything happening (set in city of 50K so I need an excuse to bring world changing plots there)

FASERIPPER Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mike@ Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I am starting with the advanced rules, will be
> > running finishing character creation (with my
> > house rules that I need to share yet). I have
> one
> > player made that may be the strongest I see.
> >
> > So he will suffer from the SuperMan syndrome.
> >
> > What is that.
> >
> > That is when someone attacks the Justice League
> > it's not so they can kill Robin.
>
> Lol! I hear you, brother.
>
> One of my guys is playing a gestalt of the Sentry
> and Cyclops. It's cool with me, but I told him to
> expect the bady guys to mark him as a priority
> target for takedown. 8P

Is the character and his level of power publicly known to where it would be reasonable for them to target him, or does he look physically intimidating or powerful in some fashion that they'd reasonably decide he was the most dangerous target? I mean it's not like anyone who saw the first Guardian of the M'Krann Crystal would have thought he was mega-powerful (as in 'punched Wolverine into space at escape velocity and then some') and required targeting first in a fight.

"Is the character and his level of power publicly known to where it would be reasonable for them to target him, or does he look physically intimidating or powerful in some fashion that they'd reasonably decide he was the most dangerous target"

No

He has had his powers less than a month, but it won't take long. I apply a semi random method of gaining disadvantages and his going heavily into that is part of why he is so tough. He has two enemies - which are starting out as enemies of the company that was involved in the accident that gave him his powers. So it won't take long.

An excellent point.

My campaign runs under the premise that Manhattan is trapped beneath a force-dome and that the villains have been fighting a running battle with the heroes, over the course of a year, so the combatants (on both sides) are a known element.

The character is sufficiently powerful, however, that even new enemies could discern his threat level after engaging for 3 or 4 four rounds (Invulnerability and high-strength, coupled with super speed). After a couple of fights, word would get around quickly that the guy was a major threat.