“Try Before You Buy” is an occasional segment of Astral Projections. It spotlights free (or nearly free) supplements, quick-start rules, and modules for various RPGs.
Although they did push some major projects back to 2021, the Green Ronin Publishing team has been pretty prolific so far in this weird (to put it mildly) year, especially with their M&M 3e line. Many of those offerings are inexpensive. In June I talked about the Netherworld campaign and The Reign of Cats and Dogs, both part of the Astonishing Adventures M&M 3e modules line, which launched in January. This month, Green Ronin debuted its latest PDF series to aid M&M GMs in keeping a step ahead of their superpowered players, Danger Zones.
Danger Zones covers all the places supervillains might choose to rob, menace bystanders, hide out, blow up, etc. Down the line, these will be compiled in one print/PDF volume, like the Gadget Guides, Atlases of Earth Prime, Power Profiles, etc. I took a look at the very first one, the festive Parade Route.
The 8 page PDF starts with an intro to the entire series, that covers what’s included in each Zone PDF. Important ones are Security (protection, cameras, etc.), Structures, Special Rules for the Zone, Cast (NPCs), and Capers (suggested scenarios and adventures). This section concludes with a table of General Urban Features–all kinds and sizes of objects that can be damaged, get in the way, used as improvised weapons and so on in super-fights. Objects like doors, streetlights, and signposts that can be ripped free give the Degrees needed on a Toughness or Strength vs. Toughness check.
While Parade Route doesn’t include them, many Danger Zones will have maps. Cartographer Sean MacDonald did the maps for the other titles that have been released. The 3 story Bank map set was reproduced in the August 12, 2020 Ronin Roundtable blog post. The maps are very detailed–there are rooms and things I wouldn’t have thought to put in a bank–with a 1 square equals 5 foot scale.
So what does the Parade Route include? Stats for floats and those ginormous character balloons for starters. If your PC is standing on a balloon, it’s a DC 15 Acrobatics check to move without falling–or falling off!–by the way. As if one of those helium balloons isn’t cool enough as is, the Cast section has stats for a character balloon that’s been animated as part of some nefarious plot! While the colorful illustrations depict a Pride Parade, the Capers cover several other types of parades from holidays to “Support your local superheroes,” with appropriate villains for all.
On a more serious note, this Danger Zone also covers some grittier but related scenarios, such as protests and calming crowds or even mobs. Considering what’s been going on in the USA lately, I would do a lot of thinking and talk with my players before using those in a game session right now.
I am glad Green Ronin is giving us some new places to battle it out with the supervillains. Also some classic (clichéd?) venues like a Bank–but the Ronin Roundtable linked above has some new twists for it. As of this writing, in addition to Parade Route (currently free) and Bank (99¢), the already released Danger Zones are Waterfront, Museum, Highways, and Junkyard (not to be confused with the Emerald City Stormer Junkpile), $2.99 each.
Linda Whitson
Latest posts by Linda Whitson (see all)
- Astral Projections – The Ripperdoc Is In - May 8, 2023
