When it comes to superhero RPGs, Mutants and Masterminds stands among the greatest of the genre. The Humble Bundle collection for Mutants & Masterminds 3E includes over $350 worth of books and expansions for only $18, a spectacular deal for any comic book and tabletop fan.
Back in my childhood, I adored superheroes almost as much as I did the best tabletop RPGs – especially when I was feeling spicy and got to roleplay as villains. Mutants & Masterminds perfectly recaptures that childhood wonder, mixed with the familiar rules of Dungeons and Dragons. See, M&M was born from a modified version of the Dungeons and Dragons 3rd edition d20 system (check out our guide on DnD edition differences, if you’re not sure which that is).
That said, the game adds so many new mechanics and flourishes on top of that framework that it’s practically a new system altogether. Don’t expect to play as a bumbling adventurer barely able to take on the average goblin pack, because it’s not just DnD influencing Mutants & Masterminds: there are decades of classic superhero comics in there too.
The game takes cues from the best Marvel comics and best DC Comics, and you have an astonishing variety of powers, skills, and backstories to choose from. Just like those inked and colored epics, the power level of the average campaign is high from the get-go. As a rough frame of reference (seriously, it varies a lot depending on your GM), early game Mutants and Masterminds can easily feel like a level 20 DnD 5e campaign – it’s just that powerful.
And it only goes up from there. Heck, if you want to roundhouse kick a goon so hard they’re sent flying through the moon, or rip a hole in time and space with a hare-brained scheme involving black market “grandfather clocks” and a speedster on a sugar rush (long story), you probably will!
Besides all the superhero battles, my favorite part of Mutants & Masterminds is how refreshingly complex and freeing the character creation is. Compared to the rigorous limits of traditional DnD classes, Mutants & Masterminds let players run wild with their builds. Speedsters, flying bricks, unstable psionics, and good old-fashioned gadget users are well-represented in this game. If you can imagine it, then there’s a way to make your friendly neighborhood superhero come to life.
Check out some of the marvelous books and expansions included in the Mutants & Masterminds 3e RPG Humble Bundle:
- Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook
- Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide
- Power Profiles
- Rogues Gallery
- Gadget Guides
- Hero High
- Freedom City
- Astonishing Adventures Assembled
The Mutants & Masterminds Humble Bundle is only available until Saturday, November 16, 2024. Money raised through the bundle goes to World Central Kitchen, an organization of everyday heroes providing food relief to people affected by wartime crises and natural disasters, one meal at a time.
Our best miniature wargames list also includes the fantastic Marvel Crisis Protocol if you want more superhero tabletop fun. Otherwise, read up on some of the best graphic novels if you’re a fan of superheroes and the comics medium in general.
Source: Wargamer
