Superworld

Last updated
Superworld
The SuperPowered RolePlaying Game
RPG Super World.jpg
Cover art by Michael Dooney
Designers
Publishers Chaosium
Publication
  • 1983 Boxed Set
  • 2015 PDF
Genres Superhero fiction
Systems Basic Role-Playing

Superworld is a superhero-themed role-playing game published by Chaosium in 1983 that uses the generic Basic Role-Playing rules system. The game began as just one part of the Worlds of Wonder product before being published as a stand-alone game. In competition against other well-established and popular superhero games, Superworld never found an audience, and was discontinued after only three supplements were published for it.

Contents

Game system

Superworld uses Chaosium's Basic Role-Playing system, with the addition of rules for super-powers. [1]

Components

The game box contains

Editions printed in 1984 and later also contain a 4-page booklet of errata. [1]

Skills resolution

As with all games using the Basic Role-Playing rules, skill tests and combat are resolved by rolling percentile dice against skills. Rolls that are much lower than needed can result in increased effect, while high rolls can cause critical failures. Combat rules have many options and take into account three types of energy for damage: Kinetic, Electric, and Radiation.

Publication history

In 1982, Chaosium published Worlds of Wonder to demonstrate the flexibility of its generic Basic Role-Playing System; the game included three separate settings with the idea that player characters could be moved from setting to setting using the same rules system:

The following year, Superworld was published as a stand-alone boxed set designed by Steve Perrin, with interior illustrations by Chris Marrinan, Markus Harrison, and cover art by Michael Dooney.

Cover of Trouble for HAVOC TroubleForHAVOC.jpg
Cover of Trouble for HAVOC

Three supplements followed:

Up against well-established rival superhero games Villains & Vigilantes (Fantasy Games Unlimited) and including Champions (Hero Games), Superworld was not able to establish a strong player base, and no further supplements were released by Chaosium. [2]

Reception

Jon Sutherland reviewed Superworld for White Dwarf #51, giving it an overall rating of 7 out of 10, and stated that "This represents an intelligent attempt to provide a playable format for a difficult topic to simulate. The only rules that I have ever seen with anything like this in scope was the Golden Heroes FRP which may soon be available in a modified form from GW." [1]

Steve Marsh reviewed Superworld in Ares Magazine #17 and commented that "The game is anything but chaotic, but should create change in any gaming group that sees it. It is well done, and worth the price." [3]

Crede Lambard reviewed Superworld in Space Gamer No. 70. [4] Lambard commented that "Superworld is very good. I doubt that it will ever supplant Champions, but it certainly supplements it . . . especially now that both Hero Games and Chaosium are putting out adventures with stats for both games." [4]

Wild Cards

The Wild Cards series of science fiction books came from a Superworld campaign gamemastered by George R. R. Martin, and played in by other science fiction writers. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Sutherland, Jonathan (March 1984). "Open Box: Superworld". White Dwarf . No. 51. Games Workshop. p. 12.
  2. ↑ "Superworld". Guide du Rôliste Galactique (in French). 2009-05-08. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  3. ↑ Marsh, Steve (Spring 1984). "Games". Ares Magazine (17). TSR, Inc.: 59–60.
  4. 1 2 Lambard, Crede (July–August 1984). "Capsule Reviews". Space Gamer (70). Steve Jackson Games: 37.
  5. ↑ "Nerdist Podcast: George R.R. Martin". Nerdist. July 2013. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013.
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