Superheroes

So Veeky Forums what is the best system for running a Superhero RPG?
I'm looking for lots of powers and the potential for diverse characters.
Something where if my players so desired they could play a proxy for Superman or even a gun toting gorilla.

...

Mutants and Masterminds

Fate, HERO, GURPS, Mutants & Masterminds, ICONS, Wild Talents.

Seconding Mutants and Masterminds.

You can create literally any existing character in it, it's fun.

Keep in mind it's not the crunchiest system, a lot of things are more narrativist. Immediately slap anyone with a physics power and yell at all your engineer/physicist players.

You've got a variety of choices.

Mutants & Masterminds is probably the biggest name in superhero RPGs. For pure comic-book emulation, this is probably the best. It IS d20 though, so if that gives you fits of rage, there are other options.

AMP: Year One is another d20 system game. Personally I don't think it's nearly as good mechanically as M&M, though it does have some interesting flavor to its default setting.

Wild Talents/Godlike. Uses the One Roll Engine, a D10 dice pool system. Bit more gritty, probably something more if you're going to use if you're trying to go for something more like Misfits or some of the recent TV shows.

Better Angels is another One Roll Engine game, where you take on two roles - a regular person, and a demon tempting another person. Balancing between giving your demon what he wants and using the abilities he grants you to help people.

Masks, for the PbtA crowd.

Icons is a Fate-style rules-lite system.

Mutant City Blues, uses the Gumshoe system for stuff more along the lines of investigators with powers.

HERO system is a solid competitor to M&M, but is also way, way more crunchy.

FASERIP is out there as well, though honestly don't know a whole lot about it.

Marvel Heroic Roleplaying was solid for the most part, though granted it has its oddities.

Scion: Hero, a White Wolf RPG wherein you play as the descendant of one of the gods.

Smallville RPG - uses the same system as Marvel Heroic. Greater focus on interpersonal drama.

These are really the biggest ones, but there's a ton of others.

Overall though, probably M&M is going to be your best bet for what you're looking for. It's pretty easy to run and once you go through the character creation rules, it's not hard to create almost anything.

Thanks I'll give them a look.
Mutans & Masterminds seems interesting.

Have you enjoyed RPGs in the Superhero genre? Some of my group seems hesitant about trying it.

Don't run it like DND and you'll be fine.

Just curious but what do you mean by that, less focus on dungeons and loot or what?

Yes. M&M doesn't need loot. Players should be acting like superheroes do in comics. Patrolling the city, acting as their alter-ego, following clues, etc.

Play each adventure like it was an issue of an on-going.

It's a superhero game. There's no dungeons, loot might be souvenirs at most.

Think a Batman story, or running FATE. There's planning and puzzles. Only grind through enemies rarely and when it's thematic.
Or like JoJo, if you won't immediately get triggered by mentioning that.

Hero system is my favourite.
Pretty much the only system I use.

don't think "dungeons", think "evil mastermind's lair".

fights in the street as a superhero are /way/ different than fighting goblins in some cave. You're a superhero, you save the city.

Can't really do that if you cast a massive fireball, blowing up a city block.

I've only played fantasy and historic types of games so how do I keep people interested in playing without rewards?
Will this only be for roleplay intensive player or also for hack and slash style player?

>what is the best system for running a Superhero RPG
FATE.

You can use BASH, or, if you hate yourself, Champions. They will not be as good as FATE, but some people really don't like FATE.

Dr. Magnet Hands
seriously
but you need to be drunk and playing with people who can improv

This. I think the power creation is neat. Really abstract in the construction, which I like.

You have a couple options.

The first is to start the party as fledgling heroes. Maybe a group of kids who got their powers from a fallen celestial object, or took one too many skinny dips in the vats of nuclear waste kept in the sewers, whatever. They just got their powers, don't know how to use them, they progress kind of like a normal campaign, training, becoming stronger, and gaining fame through heroics, meanwhile amassing loot from the one super intelligence player or NPC who builds an automated factory to enhance the group.

Option two is if they want to start as full fledged heroes with all the gear, fame, and power. Rather than constant progression, you keep them engaged with narrative, throwing personalized villains, character arcs, and war trophies when appropriate at the group. Maybe throw a challenge at them that's insurmountable later down the line, kill off a major character and make them deal with the ramifications, and the idea that even with all the power you've given them, there are moments they just can't win.

Regarding keeping them engaged - character goals are a great sucker in supers RPGs. If your group gets the genre, think about the progression of heroes in it. Most of the time, characters don't get more loot - progression might come from:
- a greater control or understanding of their powers (also encourage them to build wide and not deep by creating wide-type villains for them to face: an electricity manipulator that can hack wifi or control technology or something weird is more interesting than 'I shoot lightning harder')
-grander scale enemies (The tier shift from street level - world level - cosmic level threats can be good for a long running campaign, especially if you want to build on golden age capes stuff)
-recognition/formation of the settings professional body (Justice League/Avengers-style groups. If yours is a setting where heroes are already commonplace, then joining them or forming an offshoot approved team can be a good a great personal goal and motivator for a PC group. If it isn't, then getting to a place where new heroes recognise them as the 'go-to guys' for 'I want to learn how to hero' can also be a great drive).

One more thing, though this is very much YMMV. When running a D&D game, you are emulating the fantasy genre at its broadest - which could be its expression in film, literature, campfire oral tradition etc. Supers games are supers games. They are intrinsically a visual medium - when I run them I distance myself a bit more from the action as a GM, and like to encourage players to think a bit more in terms of 'shots' and angle framing than I might otherwise when I run a game - I lead in my descriptions as a GM, and most of the time they follow along if they feel like it is OK to.
For example, rather than:
"He looks down to his tablet and flicks through his list of stolen SHIELD technology."
"The camera pans over his shoulder, showing him flick through a list of stolen SHIELD technology on his tablet"

I second this. Only played M&M though, so I might be biased a bit

Heh. I actually want to try running Wraith of the Righteous from PF in M&M. Drop all the shitty loot and concentrate on character progression, their enemies and mass combat.

It's a campaign about demon invasion with characters progressing from level 1 to level 20 + 10 mythic tiers. PF system breaks under the strain of that and has too much unneeded gimmicks.