Superheroes are a difficult genre to pin down in TTRPGs—game balance is basically impossible when you're talking comic books, since having a cast of seriously varying power levels is part of the whole appeal. However, Masks—one of my favourite systems—nails it completely, and it's also in Humble's new RPG Bundle.
This (up to) 27-item bundle from Magpie Games contains a couple of other solid systems, too—Avatar Legends (based off Avatar: The Last Airbender) and Root: The Roleplaying Game are included, alongside the gothic horror TTRPG Bluebeard's Pride—which sees players acting out different aspects of a newly wed's psyche as she uncovers the misdeeds of her new captor.
I cannot recommend Masks enough. I kid you not, I am literally going to be playing my regular Tuesday game this evening. It's the third Masks campaign I've played with this group, in which I'm an Outsider who's starting to properly unravel her feelings about her people's past attempts to conquer Earth (they're aliens in a comic book, so they did a pretty bad job of it).
Unravelling feelings is what the entire system's about, really. Masks is all about writing a comic book with your friends, rather than dealing 70 damage with a divine smite to a dragon (not that there's anything wrong with that). Your stats, labels, are in constant flux based on what the adults around you tell you about yourself—and the system's constantly pushing you to take big, dramatic swings in the service of story.
If Masks is all you're interested in, you can get the core rulebook as well as the Secrets of AEGIS, Masks: Unbound, and Halcyon City Herald collection for $15/£11.17. Pay $25/£18.63, and you'll get a bunch of Magpie's other great systems, too:
- Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game – Core Book
- Avatar Legends – Starter Set (Digital)
- Avatar Legends – An Urgent Request
- Avatar Legends – Wan Shi Tong's Adventure Guide
- Root: The Roleplaying Game – Clearing Map Pack
- Root: The Roleplaying Game – Clearing Booklet
- Root: The Roleplaying Game – Travelers & Outsiders
- Root: The Roleplaying Game – Core Book
- Bluebeard's Bride – Book of Mirrors
- Bluebeard's Bride – Book of Lore
- Bluebeard's Bride – Book of Rooms
- Bluebeard's Bride – Core Book
- Epyllion: A Dragon Epic*
- Pasion de las Pasiones*
- Cartel RPG*
- Masks: Secrets of AEGIS*
- Masks: Unbound*
- Masks: Halcyon City Herald Collection*
- Masks: A New Generation – Core Book*
- Fate Codex Anthologies, years one, two, and three**
- Passing: Ashcan Edition**
- Crossroads Carnival**
- By No Means Vulgar**
- The Play's The Thing**
- Our Last Best Hope**
(Items marked with a * are available in the $15/£11.17 bundle, whereas items marked with ** are available in the $5/£3.72 bundle).
This RPG bundle supports the American Civil Liberties Union (the ACLU), a non-profit that works to provide legal assistance to those in the US whose civil rights and liberties are at risk, as well as the right to freedom of speech and assembly. The Magpie Games Extravaganza bundle will be available until November 1.
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