Pyramid Review
The Algernon Files (for Mutants & Masterminds)
Published by BlackWyrm Games
Written by Aaron Sullivan, Dave Mattingly, Leigh Brandon, & Ryan Wolfe
Edited by Dave Mattingly
Art by Derrick Thomas, Eric Rademaker, Ryan Wolfe, Brad Parnell
128-page b&w hardcover; $24.95
There's good news, bad news, and great news. The bad news is that we're getting yet another collection of super-people for use with a superhero RPG. The good news is someone else is putting it out -- it's not the original company feeling they have to do this to keep up with everyone else who's doing a super-game of their own. The great news? The book itself. The Algernon Files is a terrific piece of work.
BlackWyrm Games' book falls under the auspices of the M&M Superlink, marrying it to the Mutants & Masterminds RPG. The eponymous Algernon is the artificially intelligent computer personality that oversees Fortress, Doc Steel's headquarters, though the book makes little attempt to present the files as if they were given from the AI's perspective (this turns out to be a good thing).
The book is divided into sections, with heroes at the front and villains at the back, many subdivided into teams, independents, etc. Steel is the leader of the Sentinels, the latest incarnation of a superteam that has gone through changes as the United States' fortunes have risen and fallen. He's the son of the original Doc Steel, and while his team has some fairly stock superfolks -- a speedster, a mage, a brick -- they aren't a Justice . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: February 4, 2005
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