Ronin Round Table: Around the World and Back (to Freedom)

By Steve Kenson

So in last week’s Ronin Roundtable, Jack Norris gave you a preview of what’s on the horizon for Dragon Age in electronic releases for 2014. This week, we talk a look at Mutants & Masterminds following the conclusion of the Gadget Guide and Wild Cards SCARE Sheets in 2013. (And don’t think we’ll forget about Gadget Guide. A book-length compilation is in the works, including at least 20 pages of additional material.)

In 2014, we return to the Earth-Prime setting of Freedom City in a big way. You’ve already gotten a
look at some of the latest events in that world via the Emerald City set. Starting in the New Year, we
begin a twice-monthly tour of the world with The Atlas of Earth-Prime. Each installment covers a nation
or geographic region of the world, including many never-before discussed parts.

Each chapter of the Atlas also looks at phenomena, adventure opportunities, and characters, some
familiar, others entirely new. For example, the kickoff chapter on the United States mentions Freedom City and
Emerald City, to be sure, but also takes a look at Chicago, Washington DC, and San Francisco, alongside places
like Embouchere, Louisianna, Ferroberg, Pennsylvania, and Mystery, New Hampshire. The first chapter provides
M&M Third Edition stats for characters like Madame Mamba (and her serpentine son Cottonmouth), Gatekeeper,
Patriot, and the Raven, although it isn’t the one everyone is familiar with…

Of course, tackling a whole world via the Atlas is a big task, especially alongside the forthcoming
Freedom City set for M&M Third Edition, so Jon and I are calling on some super help, and getting
some perspective as well. Some of the entries in the Atlas series will be written by freelancers,
particularly authors with experience concerning that part of the world. So the Canada, Mexico, and Australia
& New Zealand chapters will be written by authors from those parts of the world, for example.

If you enjoyed our grand tour of the DC Universe in DC Adventures: Universe then you can look
forward to the style and substance of the Atlas of Earth-Prime. By the end of 2014, we’ll have quite
the comprehensive look at the Earth-Prime setting, with two three-book city sets (Emerald City and
Freedom City), an entire Atlas (ready to collect into a book of its own), and the setting
material of the Cosmic Handbook detailing the depths of space and alien worlds beyond Earth-Prime.
2014 promises to be a "prime year" indeed for Mutants & Masterminds! Stay tuned and be on
the lookout for the first release of our new series.