Metahumans Rising does a few things very differently. Starting with character creation or more accurately, before starting character creation. The tones and themes of comic books and superhero stories specifically varies wildly. Ask five people what they like most in a superhero story and you are very likely to get five different answers. While this isn’t a problem for comic readers who simply pick up the issues for the stories they like this becomes a more interesting challenge when we talk about the shared space of the gaming table.
Metahumans Rising provides a framework for players and GM to discuss this shared space. Before discussing individual characters players are provided tools to discuss what common themes and elements they want to explore through the campaign. This dialog allows everyone to come into the creation process with a better understanding of the world their characters will inhabit and what their choices will mean in relation to the game world.
By establishing this agreed upon campaign scope it becomes easier for players to create characters that feel like they belong together. Howard the Duck, Spawn and Wonder Woman teaming up, this may not be the most cohesive of groups. The campaign scope allows players to avoid these kind of odd combinations or to come into a game with the understanding that everyone would like to see this kind of strange bedfellows event.
For the GM, this also provides a list of ideas and concepts to build stories from. This shared idea pool becomes a starting place for any number of adventures. Pared with the character’s background GMs are empowered to create compelling stores that speak to both the players and their characters.
