DO:

Include a few warm-up encounters -- an apartment house fire, an escaped tiger, a carjacking -- that give new PCs an opportunity to get used to their powers.

Encourage the PCs to work as a team. If they're reluctant, the early on, conjure up a menace too tough for one hero to handle. After the antisocial types get their skulls creased, they'll learn the value of teamwork real quick.

Keep slugfests with flunkies short and sweet. Save long, detailed combat for the grand finale.

Inject plenty of comic book dialogue ("Feel the sting of my awesome power!" Insane am I? I'll show you insane!") and encourage the players to do likewise.

Allow the PC's to rely on their own brains and powers to get them out of jams. Keep timely assistance from non-player characters (sidekicks, cops, spouses) to a minimum.

DON'T:

Take the heroes prisoner if you can avoid it. Sure, it happens all the time in the comics, but in roleplaying games, it drives players nuts.

Expose their secret identities. Threaten 'em all you want but actual exposure can drag down a campaign.

Split up the heroes any more than necessary. It's more fun when they act together.

Let everybody and his brother play in the same campaign. More than six players, you're asking for trouble.

Kill the heroes. In comic books, good guys rarely die. Players expect the same courtesy.

5 GOLDEN RULES OF SUPERHERO ROLEPLAYING

• Think Small. First campaign? You'll have less grief and more fun with modestly powered heroes.
• Stay Home. Your very own hometown makes a great place to base a campaign.
• Beef up the bad guys. Force the heroes to use their heads by making their adversaries extra powerful.
• Add soap. Don't just pester the heroes with supervillains. Give 'em personal problems too.
• Choose life. Avoid "killing" the heroes and villains in such a way that they can't be revived later.