A Companion to Superworld

Game Review

Reviewed by Kerry Lloyd


Written by Steve Perrin,with Anthony Affronti, Jimmy Akin II, William A. Barton, Norman Doege, Bruce Dressethaus, Ray Greer, Zoran Kovacich, George MacDonald, Steve Marsh, Steve Maurer, Sandy Petersen, Wayne Shaw, Ian Starcher, and John Sullivan
Chaosiurn Inc, P. 0, Box 6302 - SWC, Albany, CA 94706
Released-, January, 1995
Catalog No.2404
Price: $10.00
Complexity: Intermediate
Solitaire Suitability: None
***

CRACK! ENNUGGH! BAM! OOFFFF KAPOW! ARRGGGH! CRRRRUNNCH! -- The sounds of superheroes at work are music to the ears of many gamers. A Companion to Superworld expands the realms of imagination for the Superworld system with many new powers, clarifications of old powers, the effects of weather, and a wellwritten scenario about a training center for superheroes. The Companion is written to be useful with Champions as well.

The Companion is a 72-page softcover book. The cover illustration by Chris Marrinan shows a pair of superheroes in training in one of the "danger rooms" of the special training center. Ten major sections comprise the data in the book, covering rules variants and designer's notes, new powers and rules, translating Superworld to both Champions and Villains and Vigilantes, new character sheets for Superworld, weather and its effects on play, a consolidated powers list, handicapping super heroes, a set of tables, and the training center scenario, Project Superhero. The writing is for the most part crisp and clean, and Chris Marrinan's excellent superhero illustrations are scattered throughout the book.

In the first section, which has rules variants and designer's notes by Steve Perrin, expansion information is given on various powers, power advantages and disadvantages, skills, and referee aids. Twenty-six new powers, eight new power advantages, a new skill, five new power disadvantages, and a set of five handicaps are discussed by several different writers in the second section, along with some interesting combat rules additions. The third major section describes translating Superworld to Champions and was written in collaboration by the designers of both systems. A center pullout contains new character sheets, two sided, for both male and female characters. Section five, by William Barton, discusses weather and its effects in Superworld play.

A complete table of Superworld powers, divided by type, indicates the new powers as well; some powers are listed more than once since they fall under multiple types. The seventh section, concerning translating Superworld to Villains and Vigilantes, is written by Steve Perrin. In section eight, handicapping superheroes properly is covered by John Sullivan and Steve Perrin, with discussions on some of the most interesting handicaps, like phobias and bad habits. The four pages of helpful tables in the ninth section are easy to consult even during play.

The tenth section contains Project Superhero, a well thought-out scenario by John Sullivan and Steve Perrin, involving a training center for both active and prospective superheroes. Stats for major NPCs are provided in both Superworld and Champions formats, and the danger rooms, the areas in which superheroes face various attacks and perils, are thoroughly described in terms of both equipment and use. The scenario can be used for keeping established superheroes in trim and for training new superheroes to use their powers properly.

A Companion to Superworld is quite useful for those who enjoy Superworld or Champions or for that matter any of the superhero games. If nothing else, the training facility scenario included Project Superhero - makes the Companion an excellent buy since it can be used with either Superworld or Champions and is easily translatable for Villains and Vigilantes.

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