At GenCon, I picked up two new superhero RPGs. One of those was the official DC game, the other was a lighter take on superheros called Icons.
The DC game had me really excited, as I’ve always been a bit of a DC fanboy. Then I sat down to read it, and spent the first few pages slogging through huge tables of measurements and instructions on how I should listen to the GM and the game they were presenting for me. Blah.
Icons looked even better. There are several quotes from comics sprinkled through the book, one of which came from one of my favorite team superhero books of all time, the Morrison/Porter era JLA, so it seemed like the authors and I were on the same page. Then the book informs me that I should make random characters until I get one that matches the GM’s secret plans for the game. Blech.
Pretty much the same thing happened to me last year after GenCon, with a game called With Great Power…, and has been happening for years. I keep on feeling like the superhero games that are getting made have nothing to do with the kind of superhero stories I want to tell.
Here’s where my new project comes in. I’m going to read some of my favorite comics, starting with Morrison/Porter JLA and moving on through other great books, focusing on superhero teams. That means I’ll probably hit Morrison’s New X-Men, Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men, Captain Britain and MI-13, Waid’s JLA, and Fraction’s X-Men, if I keep going that long.
Once a week I’ll post some new thoughts. I’ll take one or more posts to look at each run, in particular what makes it awesome, and how that awesome might look in a game. I’ll also take a look at some of the games out there and why they don’t quite hit the epic-superhero-adventure-style stories I’m looking for.
By the end of it, I’ll either admit defeat, find a game that actually encourages these types of stories, or set out to write my own superhero system.
I’m calling this thing Project Yellow Sun. Mostly because the weather will be getting crappy up here soon and I’ll need some sun, but also because I hope this whole thing empowers the genre of superhero roleplaying games. And I needed a cool name for the fact that I’m reading comics and thinking about games.
I’m inviting you along for the ride. Read the comics (they’re all good, I promise), read what I think about them, tell me what you think, and help me try to come up with the superhero games that actually delivers something like the comics we love to read. Feel free to suggest more books to read too.
Comics I might read
- Morrison’s JLA
- Waid’s JLA
- Morrison’s X-Men
- Whedon’s X-Men
- Fraction’s X-Men
- Waid’s Fantastic Four
- Cornell’s Captain Britain and MI-13
- Parker’s Agents of Atlas
- Ellis’s Authority
Games I’ll look at
- DC Adventures
- Icons
- With Great Power…
- Capes
- Godlike
- Smallville
- Darkpages (thanks for the suggestion, Nathan)
- Wild Talents (thanks for the suggestion, Adam)
- Theatrix (thanks for the suggestion, Paul)
- Truth and Justice (thanks for the suggestion, Tim)
I’m starting today with a look at the first few arcs of Morrison’s JLA.
[...] (This post is part of my ongoing look at superhero comics and RPGs, Project Yellow Sun.) [...]
Hey Sage,
I grew up reading almost entirely D.C. comics as well.
Have you played Theatrix?
Paul
No, I haven’t. Sounds like something I should add to the reading list, thanks for the suggestion.
Traditional superhero games always plunk the player character down into a slot along some measured power continuum. Anyone who designs such a game system doesn’t understand the D.C. comics genre.
Superman never solves problems in the comics by overpowering the opposition. He always either outsmarts his opponent, or works with someone else who helps him win somehow. Green Lantern always outsmarts his opponent. Their superpowers should be givens. Superman is always as strong as he needs to be. The conflict is about something else. No one has more willpower than Green Lantern. And he has no fear, none, even without his ring. Green Arrow doesn’t miss. Batman always has a useful gadget. And the weaknesses also should be givens. There are things Superman cannot do when he’s around kryptonite. And there are things he must do when Lois Lane is around. There are things Green Lantern can’t do when his opposition is yellow. Amber is a better reflection of the D.C. comics genre in some ways than almost every traditional superhero RPG. Every character is top of the game in one or more specific ways.
I’m sure that’s why I was drawn to D.C. comics as a kid. The heroes are iconic. As a kid I fantasized about being iconic. And Theatrix is the best superhero RPG I’ve ever played. You won’t be disappointed.
The iconic feel is certainly something I want, and it’s something that I felt was missing from With Great Power, and it’s focus on the “great responsibility” part of great power. It’s good for that genre, but I’m also a DC person. I want big, epic, iconic.
I agree that powers should be a given, but I’m not quite sure how I’d want to see that happen in a game. I’m not sure I’d agree Superman is always strong enough, I think in the end he’s always strong enough, but often along the way he’s not.
The thing that’s struck me so far is narrative impact over ‘practical’ use for powers. It doesn’t matter what superspeed actually does, it matters that the writer can use it to justify. Travelling through time, using alien technology (by trying every possible input), fast healing, whatever.
I’ve been reading up on Theatrix. My first instinct is that for it to really work everyone playing has to be very much on the same page, which may not work for my group. Everyone’s down to play superheroes, but not everyone has read much. Hopefully I’ll try it out and see how it works.
Anyway, thanks for the thoughts Paul. Insightful as always.
Hi Sage (via Storygames). Do consider adding Truth & Justice to your list. One of the things I like about it is that it has a decent chance of pulling off Morrison’s JLA, where personality traits and power stunts are front and centre.
Thanks Tim, I’ll add it to the list.
[...] post is part of my ongoing look at superhero comics and RPGs, Project Yellow Sun.) JLA – Rock of [...]