My friend and I played D&D in the 80s (( I started in the late 70s )) and we wanted to slide into some superhero games that were coming out. Villains & Vigilantes, Champions, and the earliest attempt of Marvel Superheroes.
Each system was... okay but seemed to lack 'something' that would allow players to make a decent level 1 character vs starting at level 10 or higher to have enough 'points' to create even a low level Marvel or DC superhero. So, we tried to merge 'the best bits' to make something playable.
It was tough. We ended up pivoting to making a comicbook concept superhero 'team'... flavored by fantasy, sci fi, and the comics.
All that said, it is tough to have ... say Spider-Man spring forth as a 'first level' since he basically got all his powers right at the start. Zero experience though so he fumbled about learning what worked and what didn't. Same for somebody like Superman. Fully powered but... learning the ropes.. .sort of. Of course, how well the powers or experience came into play depended on which writers were on the comic at any given time. Superman easily falls one month and moves a star the next. *shrugs*
For our comicbook concept -- it was kind of a 'bad guy group' mashup of Hydra + AIM.. and probably Cadmus from the DC side. Our 'first hero' was a merc type ninja that was 'exposed' to something (I forget what it was... nanobots / techno virus.. I forget). However, our poor ninja hero got not only 'enhanced powers' but they were exposed to feline stuf.. so he became the male equivalent of Marvel's Tigra... with all the merc/ninja skills.
Turns out his little sister was kidnapped (his reason for breaking into the base / lab in the first place) and SHE became an experiment of those nano/viral/space whatever... her power was 'vibration' -- kind of Earthquake (X-Men villain) and the kid in DC, Vibe.
Our third hero we loved.. so she got a TON of s*** thrown at her. She too got exposed but with the added 'left field' exposure to something like solar plasma. Named her CORONA immediately. She was a looker before and after. Sort of a cross between the Xmen Phoenix and Firebird or the Human Torch.. only plasma blue white 'fire'. (( this was back in the 80s.. before all the Firestorm stuff, I think)... anyway, she not only got plasma-y zap power but she kept 'evolving'. First, her eyes went 'white'... she was seeing in a huge frequency range than standard human. WHen she was forced to 'go full corona'.. she had trouble turning it off. She could end up burning/melting the floor just by stepping on it. She also lost all her hair. So, she became a bit of a fashion plate.. with her clothing and changing wigs. Like I said, she got dumped on ALOT.
As for monsters/villains -- as I noted: the Hydra/AIM 'group' -- they were the persistant 'threat' trying to capture/recapture these folks for their further science experiments... and to brainwash them into 'useful weapons'.
Then there were the 'partial success' and 'failed' experiments.. so you got folks like Scorpion or Rhino as well as creatures not unlike Swamp Thing or Man Thing, and your classic D&D 'mutated monsters' -- from giant insects to ROUS to whatever the monster manual offered that could painted as 'an experiment gone wild, etc.
Also makeovers of many of the classic 'foes' of DC (Poison Ivy but more plant than person, etc.) and Marvel's spookier monster sets.
Have quick question, has anyone here ever played the 1980's Villians and Vigilantes PnP game?
Cats go Moo!
Raises a tentative hand.
My friend and I played D&D in the 80s (( I started in the late 70s )) and we wanted to slide into some superhero games that were coming out. Villains & Vigilantes, Champions, and the earliest attempt of Marvel Superheroes.
Each system was... okay but seemed to lack 'something' that would allow players to make a decent level 1 character vs starting at level 10 or higher to have enough 'points' to create even a low level Marvel or DC superhero. So, we tried to merge 'the best bits' to make something playable.
It was tough. We ended up pivoting to making a comicbook concept superhero 'team'... flavored by fantasy, sci fi, and the comics.
All that said, it is tough to have ... say Spider-Man spring forth as a 'first level' since he basically got all his powers right at the start. Zero experience though so he fumbled about learning what worked and what didn't. Same for somebody like Superman. Fully powered but... learning the ropes.. .sort of. Of course, how well the powers or experience came into play depended on which writers were on the comic at any given time. Superman easily falls one month and moves a star the next. *shrugs*
I'm curious, what did you do as your monsters? I created some for when I did a campaign, here is the link if you want it
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/homebrew-house-rules/179789-marvel-monsters
Yes! Loved that game.
Writer • Podcaster • Professional Gamemaster
playing Jin Wei, human (Kara-tur) way of the Four Elements Monk in the Princes of the Apocalypse
For our comicbook concept -- it was kind of a 'bad guy group' mashup of Hydra + AIM.. and probably Cadmus from the DC side. Our 'first hero' was a merc type ninja that was 'exposed' to something (I forget what it was... nanobots / techno virus.. I forget). However, our poor ninja hero got not only 'enhanced powers' but they were exposed to feline stuf.. so he became the male equivalent of Marvel's Tigra... with all the merc/ninja skills.
Turns out his little sister was kidnapped (his reason for breaking into the base / lab in the first place) and SHE became an experiment of those nano/viral/space whatever... her power was 'vibration' -- kind of Earthquake (X-Men villain) and the kid in DC, Vibe.
Our third hero we loved.. so she got a TON of s*** thrown at her. She too got exposed but with the added 'left field' exposure to something like solar plasma. Named her CORONA immediately. She was a looker before and after. Sort of a cross between the Xmen Phoenix and Firebird or the Human Torch.. only plasma blue white 'fire'. (( this was back in the 80s.. before all the Firestorm stuff, I think)... anyway, she not only got plasma-y zap power but she kept 'evolving'. First, her eyes went 'white'... she was seeing in a huge frequency range than standard human. WHen she was forced to 'go full corona'.. she had trouble turning it off. She could end up burning/melting the floor just by stepping on it. She also lost all her hair. So, she became a bit of a fashion plate.. with her clothing and changing wigs. Like I said, she got dumped on ALOT.
As for monsters/villains -- as I noted: the Hydra/AIM 'group' -- they were the persistant 'threat' trying to capture/recapture these folks for their further science experiments... and to brainwash them into 'useful weapons'.
Then there were the 'partial success' and 'failed' experiments.. so you got folks like Scorpion or Rhino as well as creatures not unlike Swamp Thing or Man Thing, and your classic D&D 'mutated monsters' -- from giant insects to ROUS to whatever the monster manual offered that could painted as 'an experiment gone wild, etc.
Also makeovers of many of the classic 'foes' of DC (Poison Ivy but more plant than person, etc.) and Marvel's spookier monster sets.