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If there is one thing I can't get too much of, it is NPCs for my Mutants & Masterminds games. From on-the-fly enemies to inspiration for heroes and supporting cast, books such as this are a great resource for any M&M GM. Each character in the Algernon Files 2.0 features an illustration, name, background, stats, public information, and other necessary bits for using these villains and vigilantes in your home campaign.
Besides the characters themselves, the Algernon Files describes the default comic-book setting in which they live and adventure. In many cases, this information is incorporated into the background details of the NPCs themselves. Most of it is generic enough that it can easily fit into your own homebrew, or you can change it (or ignore it) if you so choose.
There are also lots of goodies worth stealing. My favorite is a fully fleshed-out headquarters. Its history and purpose are linked to the setting, but it could easily fit into any typical superhero world. There is also an occult manor, a bar, and a cathedral. One of the neat features of the locations is that most of them include not just maps but also artistic depictions of the building exteriors as well.
The meat of the book, of course, is the characters, and there are a lot of them. I'm particularly impressed whenever a product such as this surprises me. I found that characters that I thought would be lame turned out to be pretty cool once I read the descriptions. Even guys like The Best Man might find their way into my campaign. The nice thing about these guys is that, even if I don't like an NPC's background or appearance, I can file off the serial numbers and just use the stats.
Any collection of characters such as this one is bound to have hits and misses. The nice thing here is that there are so many choices, the odds are you'll get your money's worth. Very few of these offerings are obvious rehashes of existing comic book heroes, which further adds to the utility of this book. <br><br>
<b>LIKED</b>: This is a great compendium of good guys and bad guys for your Mutants and Masterminds game. A wide variety of PLs, plus the large numbers of NPCs, helps make up for shortcomings that books such as this typically suffer. If you're looking for a product of this type, Algernon Files is a sure bet.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: There are, of course, characters that didn't work for me. In a few cases, I was simply turned off by a name. Film Noir and Lady Liberty come to mind. The former for his name, the latter because she seems (unintentionally) silly to me. I also found the layout a bit unappealing. Something about the stat sections of each character looks a little unappealing. I can't put my finger on it, maybe the color scheme, maybe the font, but it does take away just a bit from the product.
One other minor thing is the number of legacy characters. Its a little harder to fit someone into your campaign if they come linked to another NPC. This is something that can be ignored without too much problem, but it does require some work on the part of the GM.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>
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