History TabletopGame / MutantsAndMasterminds

* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: The core book even points out how many things like [[RequiredSecondaryPowers realistic consequences of certain powers]] or [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcomelogistical concerns like keeping track of ammo, vehicle fuel, or monetary cost of equipment]] are often [[HandWave Hand Waved]] in favor of having [[RuleOfFun fun]] in a setting that runs on SuperheroTropes and RuleOfCool.

* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: The core book even points out how many things like [[RequiredSecondaryPowers realistic consequences of certain powers]] or [[RealityEnsues logistical concerns like keeping track of ammo, vehicle fuel, or monetary cost of equipment]] are often [[HandWave Hand Waved]] in favor of having [[RuleOfFun fun]] in a setting that runs on SuperheroTropes and RuleOfCool.

* LighterAndSofter: The 2nd edition core rulebook includes variant rules for both of this variant playstyle.

* DarkerAndEdgier / LighterAndSofter: The 2nd edition core rulebook includes variant rules for both of these variant playstyles.

* TeenageMutantSamuraiWombats: in its continuing mission to homage every comic book trope ever, the game finally got round to this one in the ''Superteam Handbook'' supplement, with [[AnthropomorphicTransformation four young rabbits who were mutated into humanoids]] and became the Shadow Knights.

* TeenageMutantSamuraiWombats: in its continuing mission to homage every comic book trope ever, the game finally got round to this one in the ''Superteam Handbook'' supplement, with four young women who were mutated into humanoid rabbits and became the Shadow Knights.

* TeenageMutantSamuraiWombats: in its continuing mission to homage every comic book trope ever, the game finally got round to this one in the ''Superteam Handbook'' supplement, with four young women who were mutated into humanoid rabbits and became the Shadow Knights.

** This has adjusted a little in 3E. While it remains the same universe, the west coast metropolis of Emerald City is now the default setting. An expansion for Freedom City has been published for those missing their old haunts.

* AlternateCompanyEquivalent / CaptainErsatz / {{Expy}}: The default setting, [[TabletopGame/FreedomCity Freedom City]], is filled to overflowing with these. Players would be hard-pressed to create a character who ''isn't'' very similar to one or more existing comic book superheroes. And [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools that isn't a bad thing]].

* FantasyKitchenSink: The superhero universes this game is based off of tend to be this way, so the rules support the necessary flexibility to build anything from [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]] to [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs dinosaurs]] to [[GratuitousNinja ninjas]] to [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings ringwraiths]].

* AlternateCompanyEquivalent / CaptainErsatz / {{Expy}}: The default setting, [[TabletopGame/FreedomCity Freedom City]], is filled to overflowing with these. Players would be hard-pressed to create a character who ''isn't'' very similar to one or more existing comic book superheroes. And [[TropesAreNotBad that isn't a bad thing]].

* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: The core book even points out how many things like [[RequiredSecondaryPowers realistic consequences of certain powers]] or [[RealityEnsues logistical concerns like keeping track of ammo, vehicle fuel, or monetary cost of equipment]] are often [[HandWave HandWaved]] in favor of having [[RuleOfFun fun]] in a setting that runs on SuperheroTropes and RuleOfCool.

A tabletop RPG from Creator/GreenRonin Publishing, ''{{Mutants}} [[MagicAmpersand &]] [[DiabolicalMastermind Masterminds]]'', also known as ''[[FanNickname M&M]]'', describes itself as "The World's Greatest [[SuperHero Superhero]] [[TabletopGames Role-Playing Game]]." Creator/DCComics sure seemed to think so. The game uses a heavily modified version[[note]]So heavily modified that it is now legally ''not'' a version[[/note]] of the UsefulNotes/D20System from ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition]]'', and its [[PointBuildSystem point-buy character creation system]] is designed to allow players to create just about any character they can think of. In fact, the "Roll Call" section of [[http://www.atomicthinktank.com the Atomic Think Tank]], the official ''Mutants & Masterminds'' forum, contains fan-submitted stats for [[UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny pretty much every fictional character that's ever existed]], from Comicbook/{{Superman}} to ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' to [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo Shaggy Rogers]][[note]]Even JustForFun/TropeTan[[/note]].

The [[TabletopGame/FreedomCity Freedom City]] [[TheVerse 'verse]] is the default setting for ''M&M'' (and the place for FC-specific tropes).

A tabletop RPG from Creator/GreenRonin Publishing, ''{{Mutants}} [[MagicAmpersand &]] [[DiabolicalMastermind Masterminds]]'', also known as ''[[FanNickname M&M]]'', describes itself as "The World's Greatest [[SuperHero Superhero]] [[TabletopGames Role-Playing Game]]." Creator/DCComics sure seemed to think so. The game uses a heavily modified version[[note]]So heavily modified that it is now legally ''not'' a version[[/note]] of the UsefulNotes/D20System from ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition]]'', and its [[PointBuildSystem point-buy character creation system]] is designed to allow players to create just about any character they can think of. In fact, the "Roll Call" section of [[http://www.atomicthinktank.com the Atomic Think Tank]], the official ''Mutants & Masterminds'' forum, contains fan-submitted stats for [[UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny pretty much every fictional character that's ever existed]], from Comicbook/{{Superman}} to ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' to [[ScoobyDoo Shaggy Rogers]][[note]]Even JustForFun/TropeTan[[/note]].

Creator/GreenRonin has recently published ''DC Adventures'', a licensed [[TabletopGames RPG]] based on Franchise/TheDCU and using the 3rd edition of the ''M&M'' rules.

A tabletop RPG from Creator/GreenRonin Publishing, ''{{Mutants}} [[MagicAmpersand &]] [[DiabolicalMastermind Masterminds]]'', also known as ''[[FanNickname M&M]]'', describes itself as "The World's Greatest [[SuperHero Superhero]] [[TabletopGames Role-Playing Game]]." Creator/DCComics sure seemed to think so. The game uses a heavily modified version[[note]]So heavily modified that it is now legally ''not'' a version[[/note]] of the TabletopGame/D20System from ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition]]'', and its [[PointBuildSystem point-buy character creation system]] is designed to allow players to create just about any character they can think of. In fact, the "Roll Call" section of [[http://www.atomicthinktank.com the Atomic Think Tank]], the official ''Mutants & Masterminds'' forum, contains fan-submitted stats for [[UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny pretty much every fictional character that's ever existed]], from Comicbook/{{Superman}} to ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' to [[ScoobyDoo Shaggy Rogers]][[note]]Even JustForFun/TropeTan[[/note]].

* CharacterLevel: "Power Level" (not to be confused with PowerLevels), though they don't mean quite the same thing as in other [[TabletopGame/D20System d20-derived]] games. "Power Points" are what actually increase your character's abilities -- Power Level only restrict how you can spend your points (e.g., adding up the strength of your attack and its accuracy together cannot exceed your PL times two, so you can't raise one sky-high without sacrificing the other; same goes for pairing up several kinds of defences with each other).

* TheSixStats: As a game using the TabletopGame/D20System, M&M 1E and 2E had them. 3E changed the names on everything, and added "melee attack bonus" and "ranged attack bonus" as abilities (with attendant skills) instead of being handled by a separate value.

* YouAllMeetInAnInn: The two stock adventures from the rulebook are "You all meet when supervillains rob a bank [[BruceWayneHeldHostage while you're in line in your secret identity]]" and "You all meet when a benefactor invites you to form a super team".

* FantasyKitchenSink: The superhero universes this game is based off of tend to be this way, so the rules support the necessary flexibility to build anything from [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]] to [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs dinosaurs]] to [[GratuitousNinja ninjas]] to [[LordOfTheRings ringwraiths]].

* DistractedByTheSexy: In the supplement about Japanese media ''Mecha & Manga'', there's a feat called "Distracting Looks" that allows your character to provoke this reaction to reduce targets' effectiveness with social skills.
** Third Edition provides the "Attractive" advantage, which provides a bonus to Deception and Persuasion checks when interacting with someone who might find your looks appealing.

** Constitution can be a dump stat. Constitution is mostly good for raising Toughness & Fortitude[[note]](It also handles recovery checks, which are nothing to sneeze at, but are more of a "downtime" factor than a combat one.)[[/note]], and it costs exactly the same to buy them both up directly. In fact, robot or undead heroes dump their Constitution all the way down to zero and buy immunities and protection[[note]](and regeneration)[[/note]] to compensate.

** Various forms of power "arrays" allow characters to have various powers at a dramatically lower price than they would take to buy them all normally. Generally this comes with the balance factor that they cannot all be used at once. For instance, a shapeshifter has a finite budget for their alternate forms, but can use any combination of powers that they can afford within that budget. "Alternate effects" are bought at almost no cost, with the stipulation they cannot be used simultaneously with the power to which they're attached, and that they cannot be more expensive than their 'parent'. As these systems are ripe for abuse, the books caution [=GMs=] about allowing power arrays that amount to "all the powers I want my Hero to have" rather than reflecting a coherent theme.

** The default Mecha and Manga setting is explicitly intended as an anime-genre kitchen sink: there's martial artists, mech pilots, sorcerers, {{Mons}} trainers and [[MagicalGirl Magical Girls]].

** Various forms of power "arrays" allow characters to have various powers at a dramatically lower price than they would take to buy them all normally. Generally this comes with the balance factor that they cannot all be used at once. For instance, a shapeshifter has a finite budget for their alternate forms, but can use any combination of powers that they can afford within that budget. "Alternate powers" are bought at almost no cost, with the stipulation they cannot be used simultaneously with the power to which they're attached. As these systems are ripe for abuse, the books caution [=GMs=] about allowing power arrays that amount to "all the powers I want my Hero to have" rather than reflecting a coherent theme.

* PlayerMooks: sidekicks and minions.

** Of course, now that DC Adventures is here, characters are receiving official stats.

* TheAgesOfSuperHeroComics: The core book actually has a historical summary of every major age, encouraging [[GameMaster GMs]] to use them as a guide for the tone of a campaign.

** Various forms of power "arrays" allow characters to have various powers at a dramatically lower price than they would take to buy them all normally. Generally this comes with the balance factor that they cannot all be used at once. For instance, a shapeshifter has a finite budget for their alternate forms, but can use any combination of powers that they can afford within that budget. "Alternate powers" are bought at almost no cost, with the stipulation they cannot be used simultaneously with the power to which they're attached. As these systems are ripe for abuse, the books caution GMs about allowing power arrays that amount to "all the powers I want my Hero to have" rather than reflecting a coherent theme.

* StealthExpert: Quite possible to build, although the way in which skills are capped means that it's just as easy for someone on the other side to have enough Notice bonus to counteract your Stealth bonus, bringing it back to approximately a 50/50 chance. Also, the use of various super-senses like the ability to sniff out enemies or XRayVision means that you [[UselessUsefulStealth may auto-fail according to some GMs]].

* ClassAndLevelSystem: [[AvertedTrope Averted]]. Both the core rulebook and most of the supplements include templates for popular character archetypes, but they are only suggestions.

* GunsAreWorthless: May or may not be in play, depending on the characters' power level. At low levels, they're a legit threat; by mid level it would take a really terrible roll (or a really fragile character) to even cause a bruise, and at high level it's almost impossible to hurt someone with a normal gun.

** A minor example of this is with Power Stunts (expending energy to do something that fits inside the "theme" of your power) and Arrays (a number of different powers that easily fit under the umbrella of a single one), since vaguely-defined powers like magic or energy control can more easily encompass this than straightforward powers like superstrength or flight. Even then, though, simple creativity or comic book science can go a long way.

* UniversalSystem

* YouAllMeetInAnInn: The two stock adventures from the rule book are "You all meet when supervillains rob a bank [[BruceWayneHeldHostage while you're in line in your secret identity]]" and "You all meet when a benefactor invites you to form a super team".