Thread by @EveKeneinan

The stat book of One Punch man gives its heroes rankings in various attributes.

These include

Stamina
Intelligence
Endurance
Power
Fighting Ability

We’d see that in a Marvel or DC superhero rating system.

But they also include:

Popularity
Effectiveness
Justice

For example, Marvel uses

Intelligence
Strength
Speed
Durability
Energy Projection
Fighting Ability

“Popularity” isn’t hard to make sense of. But Westerners don’t think to include it.

But I REALLY liked the rankings of

Effectiveness and Justice

I don’t know if any of you have ever played any superhero RPGs, but they have a common problem.

Their power systems almost always make fights not work like they should in the comics.

That is because in any “on paper” power build, Captain America (e.g.) shouldn’t be very effective against Thor or the Hulk.

And yet …

When the Avengers first wake Captain America up, he still thinks he’s in the war, and starts kicking all their asses.

All of them. At once.

Captain America wakes up

I can only imagine that Captain America’s stats in “Effectiveness” and “Justice” would be maxed out, in the One Punch Man rating system.

This is long out of print, but if you want to play a superhero RPG, I can’t recommend this one HIGHLY ENOUGH:

Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game (SAGA System) by Bill Olmesdahl amazon.com/dp/0786912278/…

It uses the SAGA system, which uses cards rather than dice. You play from your hand, which you draw.

It allows you to chain cards together in various ways.

The SAGA system works by setting a task difficulty, and you have to use your ability PLUS cards to hit the number.

If you have super strength, you don’t have to play many cards to lift something, for example.

Most NPCs have 1 card hands. Most Heroes and Villains have 2 card hands. The more skilled heroes and villains have 3 card hands. A few have 4 card hands.

And a very few have 5 card hands.

Captain America, as you might expect, has no superhuman stats (except the durability of his shield, which he can substitute for his own defense).

But he has a 5 card hard.

As I recall Doctor Doom also has a 5 card hand.

And possibly Magneto.

Although as I think of it, villains are not USUALLY given their own hand. They just do things, and they work, UNLESS the hero stops them.

Anyway, I’ve forgot some of the details, but I do remember the main takeaway:

The Marvel SAGA card system IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST SYSTEM FOR AN ACTUAL COMIC BOOK LIKE EXPERIENCE in an RPG.

Otherwise you are going to end up playing superheroes that feel like D&D characters.

The old Marvel game sucked, because a high stat nobody could easily beat up Spider-Man or Captain America.

DC Heroes is my 2nd favorite, behind Marvel SAGA.

Champions is good but same issue

In the SAGA system, hand size makes an exponential difference, because the more cards you have, the more options you have to CHAIN cards in the same suit and number.