King Snarf's Natural 20!: Mastermind's Manual! - 2009-05-23 11:43 PM
Mastermind's Manual is a book of optional rules and customization suggestions for Green Ronin's Mutants and Masterminds roleplaying games.
The book closely follows the format of the main book, presenting the options in a style similar to how the corebook presented their rules. Chapter 1 gives basic options, Chapter 2 has variations on ability scores, Chapter 3 has variations on Skills, etc.
This is one of those books where mileage may vary. As a book of options, not every change is going to appeal to every group. The core rules are the meat and potatoes; the stuff in this book is more like seasonings and spices, allowing you to flavor the game to your taste.
The art, for the most part, follows the M&M tradition of having stylized, comic style art, getting everybody in the mood for some slam-bang action.
Overall, though, is Mastermind's Manual worth the price? If we're talking about the actual physical hardcover book, currently priced at $32.95, I'd have to say no, especially considering that many of the more useful options have been reprinted in other sourcebooks. However, not everything from the Manual has been reused, and some of it is quite handy (the end of the book features a table for determining the outcome of supervillain trials!). For those who want it, Green Ronin has a pdf version of the book for $16.50, allowing you to download it, print out the portions you want to use, and disregarding the rest.
The book closely follows the format of the main book, presenting the options in a style similar to how the corebook presented their rules. Chapter 1 gives basic options, Chapter 2 has variations on ability scores, Chapter 3 has variations on Skills, etc.
This is one of those books where mileage may vary. As a book of options, not every change is going to appeal to every group. The core rules are the meat and potatoes; the stuff in this book is more like seasonings and spices, allowing you to flavor the game to your taste.
The art, for the most part, follows the M&M tradition of having stylized, comic style art, getting everybody in the mood for some slam-bang action.
Overall, though, is Mastermind's Manual worth the price? If we're talking about the actual physical hardcover book, currently priced at $32.95, I'd have to say no, especially considering that many of the more useful options have been reprinted in other sourcebooks. However, not everything from the Manual has been reused, and some of it is quite handy (the end of the book features a table for determining the outcome of supervillain trials!). For those who want it, Green Ronin has a pdf version of the book for $16.50, allowing you to download it, print out the portions you want to use, and disregarding the rest.
