You’ll want a character builder, but otherwise it’s 3d6 for most skill checks and a variable number of d6 for damage. You can check it out here. Most of it is about how to build powers, but once that’s done, gameplay goes pretty quickly.

Champions

https://www.herogames.com/hero_system_basics.html/

I used to play some previous editions. It’s extremely flexible. It’s a point buy system. It has, for example, ways of defining a power that requires something external (which makes it cheaper in points), e.g. flight using a jet pack, and if that thing can be taken away. So you could build a Spider-Man that has web shooters that require ammo or you can make the one that spurts ropes right from his wrists.

It’s also flexible in that there are two types of damage. The first is more for a more brawly combat where you get them down to 0 stamina (or whatever it’s called) and they’re unconscious. Then there’s killing attacks that go for hp with an eye for making the other character dead. This makes it very easy for codes of conduct (e.g. no killing, which is also done with points) to easily be defined mechanically. Attacks can also be defined by what they can get through, like a psychic attack won’t be dampened by physical defense (but might have a weakness against unobtainium).

There’s also ways to build plot into characters. You can buy things like people important to your character ( that you may have to rescue), sidekicks, information contacts, nemesis, superior officers, organizations, etc.

My group managed to make great knock offs of Superman, the Flash, Iron Man, etc., but also had no problem with making a Sentai squad or a character that could copy abilities by absorbing them (which I suppose both MegaMan and Rogue do, but in different ways which you could define with this system).

And depending upon how many points you play with can determine if you’re doing Daredevil keeping the streets clean type things or Avengers save the multiverses type thing.

Bird’s word. Must be for a kenku poet bard.

If you’re using a narrative tool and people in your group are trying to counter it with meta, then there’s a disagreement on what the purpose of playing is. But that’s not what you’re asking. As for narrative tools, if your story depends on stat blocks, it’s probably too narrowly defined by combat for excitement. There are better ways to create encounters that are interesting and not based solely on combat.

I’ve always expected and embraced surprises as a GM. Players not picking up on the plot hook dangling in front of them? There are narrative consequences (consequences, not punishments). The bbe was too easy? They were a pawn for a secret cabal that is now paying attention to you or they are split across four physical bodies that have to be killed at the same time or it was really just a parasite that was controlling them and escaped or they were only doing bad things to prevent oblivion gates from opening or now there’s a power vacuum that’s bringing out all sorts of dangerous dudes and temporary alliances or a million other ways to make things interesting over a bunch of “Um, actually the monster manual says it has 68 hit points and we’ve already done 72 so shouldn’t it be dead?” “No, I’ve given it extra hit points to keep things exciting!” Combat can be a satisfying conclusion to things but it’s also often the least creative.

Meta kills some kinds of fun and, for lack of a better term, can be like topping from the bottom. If you’re trying to keep it out of your game with this method, your group is dysfunctional either because there are misaligned goals or the gm and players are in a pissing contest.

Omg are they all party members in a jrpg?

Inside, outside, and, depending on the ball, offsides.

Darksun during the Cleansing Wars?

ShadowCaster?

And and

I learn about the characters, myself included, throughout the campaign through their actions. Otherwise session one is like that time I asked a coworker about one of his tattoos and had to hear about his sister’s murder. That’s more of a session two+ thing to me.

Meeting people with the inclination and schedule that I enjoy the company of to make a party with is the worst part of d&d. Please don’t make me role play it, too.

Never go to Morrowind.

Bigots love Jesus.

Well that was only slightly faster than expected.

Yes, unironically.

They don’t do that weird alpha thing that humans do, so they’ve got that as a pro.

Yeah, but nobody plays those.

RHNB https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgNjCSGFfYetqrZxlYiU8yWaBs-XMmdqg

I gave up on the bard character’s plotline (i was trying to do something like Mass Effect 2 where there was a main plot but everybody got a personal story as well) after the party just walked on by the third murdered musician in town. It was going to be a monkey’s paw wish gone wrong where somebody wished to be the best musician around and that caused a super fan of the wisher to start murdering people so that the wisher was the only musician around (but still sucked at playing) and therefore technically the best around. I would have had the fan directly come after the bard next ala panel 4 but the bard player and the druid player broke up and the group dissolved.