Coming to you soon (and heading out to print as this is written) is Christopher McGlothlin's Noir sourcebook on film noir settings and stories for Mutants & Masterminds. Folks used to the bright and shiny four-color adventures of Christopher's Time of Crisis are in for a surprise, since Noir is anything but bright and shiny, and any hope it offers is sure to be dashed. Here's what you can expect to see in the pages of Noir:
Chapter One: Dark Passage is all about creating film noir characters, with a twist: these palookas and dames may have super-powers! In addition to talking about how to apply existing M&M skills, feats, and powers to Noir characters, the chapter provides new character creation options. Among them are systems for Wealth and Reputation based on material from d20 Modern. There're also new feats like Force of Personality (allowing you to base your Will save on Charisma rather than Wisdom), Protective Presence (substituting your Charisma modifier for your Dexterity to determine your dodge bonus), and Light Sleeper, because it's best in Noir to rest with one eye open. You also get a look at power sources, devices, and information on guns used in the genre in "The Guide to Noir Gats."
Chapter Two: The Night Has a Thousand Eyes is for the Gamemaster. It's all about how to create that film noir feel. What are the themes of the genre? How do they show up in stories? What are all the classic elements of a good Noir adventure? The chapter tells you all of it.
Chapter Three: The Asphalt Jungle presents the City, a complete Noir setting. Its shadowy streets and seedy dives could be anywhere. That's for you to decide. From the waterfront to midtown, from the shores of Creighton Lake to the streets of Little Italy, from the boxcars of the Rail Yards to the desolate alleys of Skid Row, this chapter shows you the City and all of its dark corners where trouble is waiting. This chapter also looks at using Freedom City as a Noir setting.
Chapter Four: They Live by Night details Noir personalities, usable with the City or a setting of your own creation. To call them heroes would overstate the matter, but they're the people trying to do some good, or at least trying to survive without having to cross that line too many times. Enigmatic figures like the Black Bowman, the Nightwalker, and the Dead Man's Hand inhabit the City, potential allies or adversaries (or both) for your Noir characters.
Chapter Five: Ministry of Fear talks about the real underside of the City, with fearsome foes like the Butcher and Stiletto, the madness of the Directress, or the sly seduction of Lady Anaka. Here are the antagonists to spice up your Noir adventures, and make the shadows of the City seem bright by comparison. As a bonus, you’ll also find information on the Scorpio Circle, four heroes of the Meta-4 universe during the 1930s, including Mister Mystery and the Pugilist!
The book wraps up with a filmography and viewing guide to inspire you to create your own tales in the black and white world of film noir.
Noir will be 64 pages, in atmospheric black & white, available in late November at game stores everywhere.