The 1980s gaming scene had a LOT of Super Hero RPGs: Champions, DC Heroes, Golden Heroes, Marvel Super Heroes, Superhero 2044, Superworld, Villains & Vigilantes come to mind – and I’m undoubtly missing a few.
Into this field arrived Super Squadron. It wasn’t easy getting to publication. Author (and artist) Joseph Italiano writes in his Afterword:
Super Squadron has gone through many birth pangs since its conception seven years ago. Not the least of which includes several name changes, a myriad of drafts and amendments and numerous unsuccessful attempts to launch the game itself.
After an interesting initial draft of some twenty pages, which was played by friends, an associate proposed to publish the game if it was properly formalized. (ie. written so that someone else, apart from myself, could read it!)
In between college work and holiday periods, the ‘final draft’, (the first of many) was completed. Unfortunately the deal fell through, but the concept remained. The following year, with another version of updates, amendments and increased volume, I decided to submit the game to a local game publisher.
After many months of waiting, I was informed that “We have not yet had the chance to read it”, so I approached their competitor. (Strangely enough, the original company has still not read the game, even after some five years.)
The competitor loved the game and things progressed smoothly during a year’s deliberation, but just as the contract was about to be signed, the whole deal collapsed when the company went out of the game industry. With little in the way of alternatives on the local scene, I tried to interest a toy company in my project.
After another six months, Super Squadron was transformed into such a bastardized kiddie version, that even I was thankful when the game was rejected. Meanwhile the game continued to evolve and grow. With much regret I decided that I must after all, try to sell it overseas. Local support was not forthcoming, better to have an overseas product than none at all. Naturally I attempted to entice the ‘big’ companies. I was shocked to find that they would not even read the game, unless I signed numerous releases, forms and other junk, which amounted to not only signing all rights away, but actually sanctioning them to steal the game, it they so chose. Dejected, I thought that Super Squadron was destined to be enjoyed by the select few in our gaming circle.
It was about six months ago that I suddenly realised that there was still an alternative.
The game was well received by many, and was considered to be a commercial project by at least one publisher. The most famous RPG today, also had similar problems which were simply solved. They produced the game themselves. So that’s what I intend to do. If I am successful in my endeavours, you will be reading this now, if not, well — it’s something to read in my old age.
Super Squadron, as you see it now, is only a part of what has been written. In the near future you should be seeing more, in the form of supplements and adventures. Already completed are: a supernatural supplement of mythical menaces, alternative universes with information pertaining to the multiversal structure, new spells and … more!
So doing the math, the game had been in development since the mid-late 1970s. The company Joseph Italiano intended to found is presumably Adventure Simulations of Australia, whose only other product release was Multiverse magazine.
[All told, there were 5 issues of Multiverse. All these years, and I’ve only ever had one of them in the shop, issue 2. Sold for $6 back in 2016.]
Super Squadron is a percentile-based system, though a character’s attributes range from 1-20. It’s got a very strong emphasis on the super hero’s secret identity, and supports that with background elements like romantic relationships, marriage, and children.
Two accessory books subsequently released, The Tome (adventure scenarios) & Super Science (technological expansion).
All are long out of print and fairly rare today. None are available as a legal PDF, though a bootleg copy of the core rules is easy to find on the internet.
I’ve got the Super Squadron box set and its two supplements passing through the shop. Let’s dive-in!
Super Squadron: The Complete Superhero Role-Playing System [BOX SET]
Box Contents: 60pg Rule Book; 24pg Adventure Book; 4pg Character Model Booklet.
1983 … Joseph Italiano … Adventure Simulations … ISBN 0959189602
The Tome
Longer adventures, NPCs, new/revised skills and powers.
1985 … Joseph Italiano … 52 pages … ISBN 0959189637
Super Science
Expanded sci-fi rules, vehicles, 23 new powers, 66 new skills, planet/civilization stats, and a galaxy map.
1986 … Joseph Italiano … 56 pages … ISBN 0959189645
Super Squadron
Box
Rule Book
ISBN 0959189610
Characters are fully randomly generated, although it’s possible to ignore that aspect if desired.
As I mentioned earlier, there is more emphasis on the PC’s mundane life in the game, compared with other superhero roleplaying games.
Joseph Italiano’s art is quite good, in my opinion.
Note the Spells in Super Squadron are their own thing, not just modified Powers. Check out the last image, the spell description format looks very familiar to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons players.
Here is an excerpt from the Sample Game page:
We continue just after Muftis has defeated six small-time hoods, but suffering a similar fate as his first encounter, being badly wounded. The GM has given Muftis another eighteen points towards his experience level, for each victory. Since he now has 40 points, he has reached experience level one. This experience point also modifies Multis’s statistics: HT = 25 : AP = 66 current possible maximum: Detect Traps = 29%: Detect Ent = 20%. The GM also boosts his EG by one.
Muftis being totally exhausted and depleted after that encounter, goes home to rest and recover. For his first night he recovers 2HT’s and 8AP’s. The maximum per day. Being a total visual wreck, Jason (Muftis) decides it is unwise to go to work and then try to explain his current appearance on Monday. This could endanger his secret identity. However he did receive a total of $2,200 reward, minus 35% tax, leaving him with $1,430. As he really doesn’t need any more money, he takes a week off from work, and concentrates on self-improvement Characteristics training for AG and SA.
Nothing happens for another five days, at this stage he has recovered 11HT and 55AP, when while going shopping to buy necessities, he accidently comes across a hold-up. Muftis, unsure of his current physical state, he is still well below full capacity, doesn’t want to engage the thief. He then rolls on the ego table to see whether Multis’s ego would allow him to desert helpless innocents, rolling an (84). The roll is well above the minimum Jason needed to ignore the robbery. His conscience will not allow him to leave people in need. A true Superhero.
Quickly changing into costume, he takes to the air and charges down through the bank window. This is in an effort to gain surprise and so end the bout quickly
As he comes down, he multiplexes into two using 15AP, leaving him with 40. Unfortunately, as he connects with the window, Multis finds the glass to be protected against forced entry, this is a bank, and although he manages to break through, each body suffers 1d10 damage. Multis (1) is left with 3HT and Multis (2) is left with 1HT. Not only does Mullis lose the surprise advantage, but while they struggle to get free, they lose one melee round, giving both hoods time for a free first attack. Mullis can’t attack this melee, as he is busy trying to reorientate himself, and effectively suprised…
From the example, we get a glimpse at a very gritty super hero game.
Adventure Book
ISBN 0959189629
Check out the last image. Brrrrrr… That’s cold.
Character Silhouettes
The Tome
Below I’ve got a couple of influences The Tome picked up from pop culture. Not to denigrate the game, it’s plenty original. But they caught my eye.
The Exterminator. Yep, The Terminator movie released the year before The Tome. Dragon magazine also had an “Exterminator” character type for Gamma World.
The section about the skeletons is a clear callback to Jason and the Argonauts (1963), where the skeletons emerge from the ground.
Super Science
Super Science really impressed me. It turns Super Squadron into a science fiction RPG. Stapled in the center is a glossy poster, a stellar map of local star systems. Very similar to SPI’s Universe RPG and GDW’s Traveller 2300.