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DC ADVENTURES Heroes & Villains, Vol. I

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Average Rating:4.6 / 5
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DC ADVENTURES Heroes & Villains, Vol. I
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DC ADVENTURES Heroes & Villains, Vol. I
Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing
by Chris H. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 06/04/2014 01:25:19

This is a great collection of DC characters statted out using the Mutants & Masterminds 3rd edition rules. More than just stats, each entry includes encyclopedic-style "biographical" information, with attention given to different people bearing the same name (like the three different Blue Beetles). Practically the only downside to this product is that it was somewhat out-of-date by the time it was published, and therefore it does not reflect the New 52 continuity.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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DC ADVENTURES Heroes & Villains, Vol. I
Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing
by Timothy B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 09/10/2012 16:37:23

Vol 1 of the Heroes & Villain write-ups for the DC Adventures RPG (but it also works for M&M3). This is the A-K listing, "Adam Strange" to "Kobra & The Kobra Cult".

The write-ups are very detailed and make for good reading even if you don't use this in a supers game. If you are a fan of the DC Universe (mostly pre New 52) then this is a must have resource. If you enjoy DCA/M&M3 then there are plenty of great ideas here. Highlights include all the "Bat" family (except Robin and Nightwing, next book), Blue, Green and Indigo Lantern Corps., and even Tim Hunter. Oddly enough, Adam Strange is listed under "A", but John Constantine is under "C". There are some repeats from the Core book.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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DC ADVENTURES Heroes & Villains, Vol. I
Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing
by P. K. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 07/07/2011 13:29:57

NPC sourcebooks like DC Adventures Heroes & Villains, Volume I, have a worthwhile function: they are the Games Master's toybox, providing friends, opponents, patrons and the rest of the cast of the game world when the GM is either unable or unwilling to create them from whole cloth. If we need a quick fight, we pull out a few orcs or low-level villains as the situation requires. If we want to create a master plot or a master plotter, we look to the examples in the sourcebooks for inspiration. When creating such a volume for a licensed product, the writers and editors have a daunting task indeed. With seventy-plus years of DC Comics continuity, who should be included and who should be left out? How can they, and by extension we consumers, properly simulate characters from Superman to Hector Hammond to Lois Lane? Add to this the fact that top-ranked characters like Darkseid are rated at Power Level (PL) 16 while beginning Player-Characters usually start at PL 10 and you can be sure it was a tough job. While DC Adventures Heroes and Villains, Volume I offers over three hundred entries in its 312 pages, at least half of those are heroic characters like Aquaman, Batman and various Green Lanterns. While it's nice to know how our home-grown heroes stack up against characters who have been around for decades, to have NPC heroes who can show the newbies the ropes and to have a bunch of available guest-heroes for the odd time when one or more is needed, the route of pre-generated heroes was used and discarded by previous licensed superhero RPGs. For the players, who may or may not be fans of the DC Multiverse, the main reason to buy this book is the villains. This book certainly delivers those, from annoyances to frenemies to earth-shakers and neck-breakers. The cast list seems tailored to contemporary audiences with a traditionalist bent. Bruce Wayne is the one-and-only Batman, and the line-up given for the Doom Patrol is the one I came to know from their appearances in the 60s. There are, however, such 21st-century characters as Owen Mercer the new Captain Boomerang and the text acknowledges such events as the death of Arsenal's daughter Lian. Physically, it is a handsome volume, with cover art by Alex Ross and lots of colour illustrations clipped from various DC comics. Suggested heroes and villains are colour-coded and the table of contents indicates which characters conform exactly to the character generation rules. An appendix lists the characters by PL. How do I plan to use this book? Obviously, the villains can be used as-is, throwing a team of Flash Rogues or Batman villains against the heroes. The rather thorough notes on powers and personalities will be invaluable. The heroes, as noted earlier, can do guest appearances either as NPCs or temporary teammates. However, the presence of such characters as the Crime Syndicate of Amerika shows how a hero can be adapted as a villain. Just twist the origin or the personality and Clark Kent becomes Ultraman instead of Superman. Characters like Catwoman and Black Adam have walked both sides of the fence. A hero under an Affliction effect becomes a super-menace. We are limited only by our own imaginations. Obviously, the volume has some flaws, or I'd have given it five stars instead of four. The layout often carries entries from one page to another, which sometimes seems cramped. The lush illustrations may be a bit overwhelming. Nobody is going to agree with all the abilities and levels assigned to all the characters. Finally, not every character you might expect will be here. Those that are missing may show up in volume 2 under a group, as Fatal Five members Tharok, Mano, the Persuader and Validus do in this book. Personally, I was hoping for the whimsy of the Inferior Five, Angel and the Ape or Captain Carrot. Frankly, I think the PDF format is perfect for DC Adventures Heroes & Villains Vol I and similar tomes. Rather than bringing a 312-page book to my game, I can print the pages I need for personal use and not worry about spilled beverages and grease marks. I recommend both this book and Drive-Thru RPG.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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DC ADVENTURES Heroes & Villains, Vol. I
Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing
by Paul L. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 07/03/2011 11:45:04

Excellent resource for any campaign, the DC universe has depth and this captures it. I was sad when the DC Heroes Game went away. This is an indispensible addition to the game produced by the same company as M&M. Plus the M&M system is a joy to use.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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DC ADVENTURES Heroes & Villains, Vol. I
Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing
by Chris F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/29/2011 15:27:08

This is an amazing and comprehensive overview of the DCU, useful to comic book fans as well as gamers, and includes hundreds of cool write ups. It is also home to possibly the most hilarious typo I've ever seen in a gaming book. In the Green Lantern entry, it describes a rivalry between Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner over the affections of a lover: Karl. Don't worry, Hal ends up with Karl.

That just made me smile.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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