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Mutants & Masterminds - [Review] Power Profiles #1: Fire Powers


jameson (ST)

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Power Profiles #1: Fire Powers

Vitals: Published By Green Ronin • 6 pages • $0.99 • full color PDF

In 2011 Green Ronin started weekly digital publishing with the Threat Reports. In 2012 they are moving to a new weekly product in the Power Profiles series. This series will explore specific types of power based on descriptors. The first in this series is Fire Powers.

At 6 pages long (5 of content and 1 for licences and credits) the Power Profile breaks down into a discussion of all kinds of Fire Based Powers. The product is broken into sections discussing Fire Descriptors, Fire Features, Offensive Powers, Defensive Powers, Movement Powers, Utility Powers, and Fire Complications. A single half page piece of artwork adorns the front page of the product, and the remainder of the pages are artwork free, but cleanly laid out and easy to read.

The first section talks to fire as a descriptor and what impact that will have on the game in terms of potential side effects and complications during play. The Features section discusses minor boons and effects that often accompany flame powers, such as the ability to light a small flame like a lighter, or visual effects, and other ancillary uses that don't utilize a specific mechanical effect. The four sections discussing powers provide a small discussion of various powers, and then show you and example of how to build such powers from the game's core effects. The Complications section goes into detail discussing common complications that characters with fire powers tend to have.

The product shines in the powers section, showing a variety of buildable effects, some of which are fairly standard while others prove surprisingly elegant in design for difficult powers (the build for Pyrokinesis stands out in my mind). The product does a good job of spreading the love around and showing that a descriptor like fire need not encompass only damaging powers. New gamers, and players new to the Mutants and Mastermind system will no doubt find the product useful for character generation (though not nearly as good as the superior http://www.rpgpost.com/topic/12736-mutants-masterminds-3e-gm-kit-review/]GM Kit).

Closing Thoughts:

Fire is a power type that has been done quite thoroughly in comics and games prior to this. As such its a bit of a softball first product. At the same time Power Profiles: Fire Powers does go into depth strongly, and thoroughly covers the subject. If the series is able to move forward and do as well with power types that are far less common and more unique this series should become a fine addition to Green Ronin's product stable.

Rating: 90%, A strong first outing but the real strength of the product series won't be known until it starts to tackle powers that are far less common and more difficult to discuss.

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