Tabletop RPG · since 2002 · #33 most discussed

Mutants & Masterminds

Play comic-book superheroes built from a flexible power system, with big action scenes and a focus on heroic rescue.

d20Superherod20point buyclasslesstactical gridtokensCampaignsNeeds a GM

5.8

Geek rating

From 44 firsthand play reports in 6 r/rpg threads. The threads alone average 6.0.

Player rating— / 10

No visitor ratings yet.

Discussion6.8 / 10

280 r/rpg posts named it, October 2023 to October 2026.

Rules weight

Heavy. Hype 3.7 for its age.

Have you played it?

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Didn't work for usOne of our best

What players say

At the table

Players mostly praise Mutants & Masterminds for its character building and mostly criticize it for play, especially combat and encounter design. The reports come from 2e and 3e. 4e was unreleased in these threads. Tables disagree on how hard it is to learn: one GM picked it up in a week, while another spent about five sessions on character creation alone.

What works

Point-buy power building covers almost any concept with little homebrew, from shapeshifters to summoners, and some say building is more fun than playing. (thread)
Fights are called tactically interesting and comic-book flavored. One commenter finds play easier than 5e once toughness and injuries make sense. (thread)
Fixed power level caps limit how far optimization can break the game. One GM learned the system in about a week and ran multiple campaigns over years. (thread)
It stretches beyond superheroes, with reported Star Wars and Gargoyles-style games. (thread)

What tables struggle with

The toughness-save damage chart did not appeal to one GM or their players, who prefer watching hit points drop. (thread)
Encounter design is hard, and optimized players can flatten what the GM builds. Summoning, gravity and regeneration powers are named as breakers. (thread)
Character creation is heavy enough that one player could not have built a character without an experienced guide. Rolling to hit, then for toughness, with cumulative penalties, felt slow. (thread)
Foes need full character sheets, and balance relies on the GM policing powers. (thread)
Minion rules are described as messy, and one veteran of all three editions prefers Champions-style P&P. (thread)

Who it suits

Groups who enjoy crunch and spending time on character building.
Cooperative tables that won't try to break the point-buy, ideally with someone who already knows the system.

In players' words

"I had a really hard time with enemy/encounter design." (thread)
"It creates fight scenes which are tactically and strategically interesting, while also feeling like a fight scene from a superhero comic book." (thread)
"I learned the system in like a week, taught all my players and ran multiple campaigns over years." (thread)

The threads behind it

Each thread is rated for the play it describes, from the firsthand reports in it. Load one here or read it on Reddit.

6.5

I recently finished GM'ing a 3 year Mutants and Masterminds Campaign. This is my review of the system.

People who ran or played Mutants & Masterminds, including a 3-year GM and several veterans, love the flexible power-building and character creation. They say play is held back by dull combat, hard encounter design, and powers that break easily without a trustworthy group. 14 firsthand · 56 comments

Open on Reddit

6.0

Mutants and Masterminds 4th Edition Kickstarter Launched

The thread is mostly about the 4e Kickstarter launch, so the play reports come from earlier editions (mainly 2e and 3e), since 4e is unreleased. Those who played M&M like its flexible power construction and use it for non-superhero games. Others found it crunchy, confusing and better for building characters than for running campaigns. 9 firsthand · 52 comments

Open on Reddit

5.5

What's your thoughts on Mutants and Masterminds?

People who played M&M say the fights are tactically interesting and feel like superhero comics, but character creation is very crunchy and new players need an experienced guide. GMs without system experience found encounter design frustrating, and several players disliked the multi-roll toughness mechanic or ended up with characters the GM rebuilt for them. 8 firsthand · 57 comments

Open on Reddit

6.0

Steve Kenson announces Mutants and Masterminds 4th Edition

The thread is mostly excitement about the 4th edition announcement, with only a few brief firsthand notes on playing earlier M&M editions. Those players found the game serviceable and sometimes enjoyable, but the rules in play were unpolished or didn't suit their group. 6 firsthand · 86 comments

Open on Reddit

5.5

Mutants & Masterminds 4e is an iteration of 3e, great for people who already like 3e

The thread is mostly about the 4e playtest PDF, which nobody reports playing. The few 3e play reports are split: some say it's simple to run and sustained multi-year campaigns, while others say it was slow to learn and didn't last. The OP's 3e games were short-lived. 6 firsthand · 44 comments

Open on Reddit

5.0

Rpgs like Mutants & Masterminds but with hitpoints?

The thread is mostly recommendations for other systems (BESM, BASH!, OVA, Champions, Prowlers & Paragons), and the only firsthand M&M report is the original poster's. They are a month into a Jujutsu Kaisen campaign and are still playing, but they and their players dislike the damage-chart mechanic. 1 firsthand · 14 comments

Open on Reddit