Mayfair Games DC Heroes RPG

[DSumner]

So, any of you guys play the old DC Heroes RPG from Mayfair Games? Personally I liked the MEGS system and thought it was used to simulate the DC universe very well. On top of that they had some great support to back the game system up, a boat load of sourcebooks and modules, and some decent artwork. My personal favorite was the Teen Titans source book.

[Sketchpad]

So, any of you guys play the old DC Heroes RPG from Mayfair Games? Personally I liked the MEGS system and thought it was used to simulate the DC universe very well. On top of that they had some great support to back the game system up, a boat load of sourcebooks and modules, and some decent artwork. My personal favorite was the Teen Titans source book.

You mean the small, almost manga sized book? That and the adventure Siege were always my favs (though I'm looking to find a new copy of Siege) :) I think the only thing that bugged me about DC Heroes was the skill system ... but I loved the powers :)

Funny story. I had gotten the 1st ed DCH for Christmas when it came out. I called a buddy of mine and we tore into the system, making any heroes that we could. Well ... we didn't read the rules right. Here he was, making this character with all the 0 Base Cost powers and linking them for free. So the character had almost all the super senses that could be gotten, as well as a few others. It wasn't until we started a game with our group that we found the error ;)

[DSumner]

Some other books I liked were the HIVE source book, and Project Prometheus.

[SD Anderson]

I bought it, rigbt after it was released. I was put off by all the hype phrases used and the clear fact that the authors seemed to use the Titans/X-Men book as their sole source material for Darkseid and utterly nerfed the most powerful villain in the DC Universe. Add to that the example where Batman's ordinary punch KILLS Joker automatically and thus required a 'Mother May I?" kill rule, and the game functioned as a reference source for converting DC characters to games I'd play.

Did play it once some months later in a pick up game. Wasn't utterly dysfunctional, despite a GM who was. ;) If the system could survive THAT GM, it could be considered workable.

Still am somewhat put off by their jargon. "Number of Successes" really is a lot more aestheically acceptable than "RAPS".

[DSumner]

I bought it, rigbt after it was released. I was put off by all the hype phrases used and the clear fact that the authors seemed to use the Titans/X-Men book as their sole source material for Darkseid and utterly nerfed the most powerful villain in the DC Universe. Add to that the example where Batman's ordinary punch KILLS Joker automatically and thus required a 'Mother May I?" kill rule, and the game functioned as a reference source for converting DC characters to games I'd play.

Did play it once some months later in a pick up game. Wasn't utterly dysfunctional, despite a GM who was. ;) If the system could survive THAT GM, it could be considered workable.

Still am somewhat put off by their jargon. "Number of Successes" really is a lot more aestheically acceptable than "RAPS".

We talking about the same game system? As there are two separate DC games. DC Heroes and DC Universe.

[Sketchpad]

I remember Darkseid being one bad villain in the game. To be honest, I barely knew who he was before I played and thought, "Man is this guy nasty! Was he made for the RPG?!" ;)

[DSumner]

The best Darkseid story I ever read was the Great Darkness Sags in Legion of Superheroes (the whole storyline is available in TPB form).

[Sketchpad]

Definitely ... though I really enjoyed Legends and the Wonder Woman/Superman battle in AC #500 (IIRC).

My all time fav gaming moment with him was when one of my players (a big Legion fan) was playing a Superman homage and confronted Darkseid. To save his SO, he was sent into the 30th Century to get something for Darkseid and confronted the whole LSH (pre-crisis). Big battle happened and, when the smoke cleared, the PC was left standing (after rolling amazing doubles and spending a TON of APs). He then returned and rescued his SO ... only to get hit with the Crisis wave right after being reunited with her ;)

[SD Anderson]

We talking about the same game system? As there are two separate DC games. DC Heroes and DC Universe.

Mayfair Games, first edition DC Heroes. Ray Winniger one of the authors. You had APs and RAPS. Batman's 5 ST punch auto killed Joker who had 2 points of body. So the rule is that you had to state you were doing killing or it was non-lethal.

You specified the MEGS (Mayfair) system. Not the D6 rules.

[DSumner]

Never played the first edition, only 2nd the 3rd edition. I'm hoping that at some point in the future DC will allow someone to reprint an updated version of the game. I really wish that someone would pump some cash into Pulsar Games (the company that current publishes the DC heroes game system, as Blood of Heroes), so they could get some decent artwork for the game. And I truly despise their Blood of Heroes gaming universe, IMHO, I think it SUCKS! Hell, Pulsar could do it as the rules portion of Blood of Blood of Heroes is solid, and laid out well.

[AnotherSKip]

People are working with a Major comic and cant dig up decent artwork?

very sad.

[DSumner]

People are working with a Major comic and cant dig up decent artwork?

very sad.

They're not working with DC any longer. Pulsar Games has a license to use teh MEGS system used in DC Heroes. The artwork used in the Blood of Heroes book, shall we say, leaves a lot to be desired. And the setting they present pretty much uses everything that annoys me about Iron Age settings.

[Sketchpad]

Not to mention that Pulsar was bought out a while back and a new version of the game is supposed to be published, though there's some despute over the MEGs system. Personally, I think that DC should just buy the system and make a new edition in-house ;) Hell, I'll even pitch in on game design and book design ;)

[DSumner]

Not to mention that Pulsar was bought out a while back and a new version of the game is supposed to be published, though there's some despute over the MEGs system.

I hadn't heard that. Who bought them out?

[Sketchpad]

They haven't been too forthcoming .. but according to their website (http://www.pulsargamesinc.com/):
03/10/04 - Just making sure that everyone knows we're not dead. We (the new owners) are working busily behind the scenes to make major improvements. Watch this space for (finally) upcoming news!
10/29/03 - Pulsar Games has been sold. The final news from the (previous) owners has been posted.
08/20/03 - Pulsar Games, Inc. is for sale. Read more about it by clicking details

I had heard through the grape vine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_of_Heroes) about the MEGS situation. Seems that Pulsar was only licensing the system and actually didn't own the game. So, when they bellied up and sold, there's some despute about the use of the system.

[Harkker]

I love the ap system!

nothing beats speed- distance =time

well maybe str/10 cubed plus endurance/10 times have weight =carry capacity

but seriously are you sure about that joker thing, the joker could just spend 2 hero points and then batman would need to do 6 to kill him right?

its been a long time... my brain may be fuzzy... but i think you are right it wasn't great for normal people fighting

[Justice]

The best Darkseid story I ever read was the Great Darkness Saga in Legion of Superheroes (the whole storyline is available in TPB form).

Completely seconded and amazed - the best part was him moving Daxam to a Yellow Sun...

1 BILLION Supermen and superwomen.

Under Mind control.

Yeah.....

"RUN AWAY!! RUN AWAY!!!"

Now on to other news;

Yes, someone bought the MEGs system from Pulsar. I have no clue as to who either!

Dom, can you investigate? You seem to find people/facts pretty easily and if you can't discover who, maybe some other crafty soul can... ;)

I too thought the AP system really elegant when calculating Speed/Time/Distance. That was the best thing about it IMNSHO.

The worst thing was trying to remember what "X" APs equaled in speed/time/distance!

But it was utterly necessary when dealing with guys like Superman and the Flash.

"I have 8 APs of Speed in flight and its 6 APs away, right?"
"Yep. You are there in 3 APs."
"Yeah...."
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"What the [expletive deleted] did we just say?!"

;)