Mutants & Masterminds vs. Savage Worlds: Part 1
Introduction
Mutants and Masterminds and Savage Worlds are two great role playing game systems. They share a lot in common, including the lack of classes and hit points. Both are also highly dynamic and can be adapted to service nearly any setting. However, you’ll see that there are differences, and unique qualities that may limit them in some cases, either mechanically or thematically.
Mutants and Masterminds 3rd Edition is heavily focused on the super hero genre. In fact Green Ronin also has compatible game called DC Adventures, which takes licensed content from the DC Universe and maps it onto the Mutants and Masterminds rule set. They managed to stat nearly every DC character that most people have ever heard of — from Batman to Superman — in two awesome volumes. This is a testament to the flexibility and scalability of the Mutants and Masterminds system. The system was originally D20, but has been changed so significantly, that I really don’t think it’s recognizable at this point — and that’s not a bad thing!
Savage Worlds is a generic role playing system, but with roots that seem to orient it more toward pulp settings. What do I mean by “pulp”? Well, for the most part, you can consider pulp to be stories generally about “normal” people in fantastic settings and situations. So while Savage Worlds has many settings, most are hybrids of horror, westerns, 1950’s style science fiction and mystery settings. Some examples are: Space 1889 — a Victorian space setting, or Deadlands — a zombie western. In both cases, you’ll likely play a relatively normal character — at least when compared to what you’d typically find in Pathfinder, Mutants and Masterminds or Rifts. A Savage Worlds character is often an above average, skilled human with a couple of edges that make them unique. That said, Savage Worlds has companion books for Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror and Super Powers. But can it succeed at all of these? There are a couple certainties: it’s good for pulp, and almost every setting and companion book has a horror flavour to it.
On Fantasy
I’ll be up front and state right away, that I would not use either of these systems for a fantasy setting. This is in part due to my belief that both 13th Age, Pathfinder and D&D 5e are better suited and equipped to handle fantasy in a way that Mutants and Masterminds and Savage Worlds simply cannot compete with. Many people will disagree with that statement. But Mutants and Masterminds and Savage worlds fill the gigantic void that remains. Specifically pulp, science fiction, horror and super hero genres. That’s more than enough, so let’s not worry about whether they should also be used for fantasy!
Why Compare these Systems?
Well first, because comparisons are fun, and they help us better understand both systems. But more importantly, I have two specific goals. One is to explore whether Mutants and Masterminds would be appropriate for a Science Fiction setting. There’s no official material for it, but I have a feeling that it could be a very good fit. The second is to investigate whether Savage Worlds really is best suited for pulp horror, or if it can actually deliver in the other genres of sci-fi and super powers.
