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Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game Core Rulebook Chapter 1 Breakdown

Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game Core Rulebook by Matt Forbeck

Hello Marvel fans and tabletop gamers! I have with me the Core Rulebook for the new TTRPG Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game. I wanted to take a quick look at chapter one of the book. We’ll be going through chapter by chapter on this blog so if you want to, follow along. Some chapters I will take a much deeper look at than others but my goal here is to give you the basic information of what you need to know if you are considering playing this game. When the first adventure for the game comes out, I’ll review that as well.

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)

Chapter 1 – How to Play

Coming in at just five pages, this is one of the shortest chapters in the whole book. There is still plenty of information in the chapter but how relevant it is to you is going to depend on how experienced a TTRPG player you are. If you are an experienced player, most of this chapter is going to sound familiar and a lot of it can simply be skipped. If you are brand new to TTRPG’s you’ll definitely want to read the chapter but, to be honest, there are better sources out there that summarize what a TTRPG is and what is expected in that type of setting.

The essential things to know in the chapter are what you need to play, the ways to make your table a safe setting for everyone, and the house rules section.

All you need to play is the book, a group of friends, a set of 6 sided dice, character sheets and something to write with. It’s a pretty standard list for most TTRPG’s and it’s not too hard to come up with the materials so entry into this game is pretty easy.

The section about using safety tools for your TTRPG’s has some good advice in it which applies to basically all role playing games. What it gets down to is making sure everyone is on the same page with what kind of game you want to play, being considerate of everyone at the table, and making sure you have ways to make the game friendly and fun for all involved.

One thing they do recommend, and I strongly agree with, is having a session zero. If you’re not familiar with this concept, think of it as a session where you meet with your players to go over any ground rules, make characters, decide on what kind of game they are looking to play and making sure you as the Narrator don’t cross any lines that would make the game a traumatic experience for anyone.

There is also a list of recommended safety tools which are all very helpful. For a superhero game, these may be a little less necessary than in something like a dark horror game, but they are always good to have.

The book mentions that there are an infinite number of universes in the Marvel multiverse so your game is playing in your own unique version of that idea.

Finally, the chapter lets Narrators know they are free to change rules as they see fit at their table. This is also fairly standard in most TTRPG’s but it’s always nice to see the official rulebook acknowledge that players can make the game into their own, with the permission of the publisher. I’m sure there will be plenty of rules I’ll be homebrewing in the course of my game but I do try to stick to rules as written when I can.

In Conclusion

There’s really not a lot to go over in this chapter. If you are experienced with TTRPG’s feel free to sail right past this one. If this is your first game, read it but just remember this is a pretty short resource to get you started. In fact, some of the safety tools mentioned in this chapter have a larger, and in some cases better, breakdown of what a TTRPG really is and how to make sure everyone has a good time.

Next time, we’ll also be looking at a short chapter but there will be a lot more of a breakdown as we get into the core mechanics. In the meantime, if you are interested enough to buy the book, check out how to do that below. Otherwise, see you next time!

To read that post just click here.

How to Buy the book

If you have read enough to realize this is a game you want to try out there are a few things you can do to get it. The different methods have some pros and cons so I’ll go into that a bit as well.

And, I’m not trying to make the hard sell here but if you want to help out this blog, buying through the links below goes a long way and it won’t cost you any extra.

  1. You can pick up a copy at your local friendly gaming store. The books should run around $50-60 bucks and not only do you get to support a local business, you get to walk away with a copy in your hot little hands that day, no muss, no fuss.
  2. You can buy a hardcover copy on Amazon for $53.99. This is a great way to get the core book, although it does come with a hefty price tag and of course you will need to wait for it to be shipped to you. If you want to help this blog out buy your copy here.
  3. You can get a copy for Roll20 for $49.99 on drivethrurpg. However, a couple of warnings here. First off, you’re not getting a physical version of the book this way. Also, you need to have an account on the Roll20 Virtual Table Top in order to access the content. (This is a free account and there’s a link in the purchase description on the Drivethrurpg site if you don’t already have one) Finally, and this is my biggest complaint about this purchase method, if you buy this through Drivethrurpg you are not getting a PDF of the book. As far as I can tell, there is no way to get a PDF of this book at this point. If you do want to buy this version and use it on Roll20 it’s a great option. And if you want to help this blog out you can buy your copy here.
  4. If you happen to have Marvel Unlimited, you can get the test version of the book by typing in Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game: Playtest Rulebook. This will be an earlier edition and some of the rules have changed but it’s got the basics.
  5. If you don’t have Marvel Unlimited and you are willing to shell out $10 to get the Playtest book, you can get it on Amazon. If you want to help out this blog buy it here. Again, it’s not the full current book but it does cover the basics and it gets you started at a much lower price point.

Special Bundles

If you are all in on the game and have cash to spare you could really go all out in a couple of ways.

  1. You could buy the Core Rulebook and pre-order the upcoming adventure module MARVEL MULTIVERSE ROLE PLAYING GAME: THE CATACLYSM OF KANG and the upcoming MARVEL MULTIVERSE ROLE PLAYING GAME: X-MEN EXPANSION books. Getting all three at once will run you around $135. If you’d like to help out this blog just make your purchase through one of the linked titles above.
  2. If you are already big time into Roll20 anyway, the best value through drivethrurpg is to get the Marvel Multiverse RPG Roll20 Mega Bundle. This will give you the core rulebook, a short module made for the Roll20 system called Revenge of the Super-Skrull, and the preoder for The Cataclysm of Kang. Just remember this is only for Roll20 and does not include PDF’s. To help out this blog, buy it here.
Posted on by slickdungeon

Marvel 616 Review – Journey Into Mystery #93

Journey Into Mystery #93 Written by Stan Lee and Robert Bernstein Art by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers

It’s Thor vs the Radio-active Man! No, not the one you’re thinking of. In The Simpsons it’s Radioactive Man, not Radio-active Man. Totally different characters. Both do have the power of… radiation… though.

There’s a lot to unpack in this issue and, believe it or not, a dude walking around with radioactive powers is probably the least problematic thing in this issue.

For the most part, I absolutely love reading old Marvel comics. They seem to revel in the ridiculousness of super powered beings and they tend to be just trying out a lot of things to see what sticks to the wall. Some of it works, like a teenager with spider powers, and some of it works for a while, like a man in an asbestos suit fighting The Human Torch, but there is some of it that just doesn’t work at all.

The premise of this issue is Dr. Donald Blake is helping out in a skirmish between India and China by attending to the needs of the injured. And since he is also secretly Thor, he can help India win the skirmish which in turn helps America and slows down the threat of communism.

This would all be fine if not for a few things that can’t be denied about this issue. First, having Thor fight communists just seems out of step with what Thor can do. It’s essentially beneath him. To be fair, this was during the cold war and the threat of communism was on everyone’s mind so it makes sense from that context. But, it just seems silly looking at it all these years later.

More problematic is how both the Chinese and Indian people are portrayed in the issue. From the Chinese being constantly referred to as the “Red Chinese” or China as “Red China” to the fact that these characters are given a yellow skin coloring in the issue, it feels quite out of step and fairly racist. Compound this with the habit the writers here have of interchanging the words Indians and Hindus as one and the same, it certainly feels like this issue would never fly in modern times and for good reason. The issues from the 1960’s tend to consistently have this problem, along with a heavy dose of sexism sprinkled here and there. It’s unfortunate this shows up, but then again, those were different times. That doesn’t make it okay, it just makes it more understandable that it happened.

Aside from these issues, the story almost works. The Chinese army realizes Thor can basically beat their army if he chooses to so they ask their scientists to come up with someone who can take on Thor. There is a guy who has been secretly tinkering with radiation for years and has been “immunizing” himself to radiation slowly. Pretty sure that would just kill him but we’ll let that go for the issue. Anyway, he can infuse himself with an infinite amount of radiation which seems to make him bullet proof and no one can touch him because, you know, radiation is deadly. He goes to New York, declares he wants to fight Thor and waits for the god of thunder to show.

It takes a while because Dr. Blake is busy performing life saving surgery on someone. When Thor finally does show up, Radio-active Man is able to deflect Thor’s hammer and lightning bolts, and Thor can’t hit him because Radio-active man’s body would hit critical mass and kill everyone in the city.

As nuts as that all is, this guy seems to also be able to hypnotize Thor. Again because of… radiation? He makes Thor toss his hammer and it goes pretty far. Radio-active man goes to find the hammer but that takes long enough for Thor to turn back into an un-hypnotized Dr. Blake. Blake goes back to his office and Jane Foster thinks he’s cowardly because he’s ignoring the menace in the city. I don’t know what she thinks he can do though.

Anyway, Blake invents a device to help him find Mjolnir. Unfortunately for Blake, it’s eighty feet below in the waters of the Hudson river. He dives in and gets it just in time. Thor goes back to Radio-active man and makes a tornado that will carry the villain across the sea to “Red China.” Nevermind the fact that if he lands, the dude will blow up whoever is near him, including innocent civilians. Thor doesn’t seem to think that’s his problem. Radio-active man does end up in China and appears to blow up a mountain. Jane Foster is still pretty disappointed in Dr. Blake though.

Overall, this was not one of the best issues of Journey Into Mystery and it’s really one of the worst Thor stories so far. I’m sure it worked well enough at the time but looking back on it now, it’s totally skippable.

Next up on the reading list we’ll be taking a 180 and getting into one of the best origin stories in Marvel comics as we read about Otto Octavius in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man #3!

Posted on by slickdungeon · 4 Comments

In a Flash and Collective Verses: Available Now!

Hey everyone! This is just a quick post to let everyone know that two new awesome collections of flash fiction and poetry have been released on drivethrufiction. Right now you can get the flash fiction collection In a Flash and the poetry collection Collective Verses. More than 120 writers contributed to these collections and they’re both fantastic.

If you happen to like my flash fiction stories, I have one in the In a Flash collection titled A Fresh Delivery. But, even if you don’t enjoy my story, there are tons of great ones in the collection.

And if you are more into poetry, Collective Verses is a great read. I don’t have a poem in there but there are tons of great poems by independent authors.

If you are interested and able to, support independent authors by purchasing either or both collections today!

And unlike collections my stories have been featured in before, you can even get a print version of either collection!

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)

Enjoy my Flash Fiction Fridays? Consider supporting independent authors by purchasing one of these collections for only $4.99 Flahbang! Volume 1, Flashbang! Volume II, Flashbang Volume III.

Posted on by slickdungeon · 1 Comment

Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game Core Rulebook Review

Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game Core Rulebook by Matt Forbeck

Hello Marvel fans! Hello tabletop gamers! If you’re like me these interests are not mutually exclusive and I’ve gotten my hot little hands on a copy of the Core Rulebook for the new Marvel Multiverse Roleplaying game by Matt Forbeck. I did a post about this book earlier where I compared the system to a few others you might want to play which you can read here. But now that I have had a chance to read and fully digest the book, I want to give a review of the content itself. In future posts I will go through the book chapter by chapter to let you know what parts I think are exceptionally good, which ones are tragically bad, and where I think improvements can be made for use at your home table. This post is just my overall impressions and initial takeaways. I’ll lightly touch on a few topics to let you know what I think but be on the look out for more in-depth content on this game in the future.

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)

First Impressions

On the first page of the book there is a dedication to Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. To me, this is a nearly perfect dedication. If you could somehow throw George Lucas in there it would be the ultimate book for me. But it’s pretty darn close. If you’re a comic book nerd and a Dungeons & Dragons nerd, this book has you covered. And upon reading it’s also clear the book was made by someone who loves both Marvel comics and tabletop roleplaying games. It doesn’t feel like just fan service, although it’s obviously for fans of Marvel and D&D.

The book is well organized, giving chapters on everything from general advice for Game Masters to character creation to an extremely brief but helpful summary of the Marvel Multiverse. And, of course, it covers the basic rules of the game, including tons of cool powers and character sheets you can copy for use at home.

This being a Marvel book, I would be remiss not to talk about the artwork. It would have been easy for Marvel to phone this in with just a bit of old artwork and call it good. But they went the extra mile. There are some iconic images you’ll recognize from your favorite comics. And there is a ton of artwork in here, all dynamic and exciting, making it really easy to get in the mood to play a superhero game.

I should also mention there are a whole lot of premade characters you can use in your own game. Most TTRPGs give you five to ten characters that are ready to go but Marvel was smart about this. They knew if you were playing in a Marvel game, you might very well want to play one of your favorite superheroes (or villains). They did a lot of heavy lifting and you can find over a hundred Marvel characters to play, ranging from an A.I.M. Agent to Dormammu and beyond. One notable character missing is Silver Surfer but I guess you can’t win ’em all. You can also use several of these characters as NPC’s making it easy to find inspiration as a Game Master (in this case called a Narrator).

One thing I would say is lacking here is an introductory adventure. While having the rules laid out and tons of characters is awesome, it helps the Narrator to conceptualize how the game is played if there is at least one short adventure. There will be a full adventure coming out in November but it would have been nice to have something to start with. You can get an introductory adventure on Roll20 if you really want but it’s not a PDF and if you are like me and mostly play in person, that’s not a ton of help.

Say Hello to the D616 System

The system in this book can best be described as 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons converted into three six sided dice. There are a few more bells and whistles to it, and definitely some things targeted to working well with superheroes rather than fantasy characters. It does require a bit of math, both addition and multiplication, and it gets more complex in the higher Ranks (what you would think of as levels in D&D). However, the system is simple enough that anyone who has played a TTRPG will pick it up, and even if you haven’t, it shouldn’t take a great deal of time to learn.

There are some really fun mechanics in the system, especially when it comes to what they call the Marvel die. And the powers are a blast in the way they play around with the mechanics, allowing you to do everything from rolling your body up into a ball like Mr. Fantastic, swinging on webs like Spider-Man, or being tossed like Colossus tosses Wolverine in a fastball special.

I’ll be writing a lot more about the system in the weeks to come but overall, it’s great because it’s accessible, it’s quick to learn, and you need a minimal amount of materials to play it.

Future Potential for the Game

I’ve mentioned there is an adventure coming in November but there is also an X-Men expansion and a Spider-Verse expansion due out next year. To me this is a good signal because it means Marvel must think the game has some staying power. I hope this turns out to be the case, although Marvel does have some stiff competition in the TTRPG space, even from other superhero games.

I’m an advocate for more people to play TTRPG’s of any kind and I’m always looking for something that would be interesting to a large amount of people, be appropriate for most age groups, and lead them on to other games. Because of the sheer popularity of the Marvel name, and because you really do only need three six sided dice to play, I feel like this could be that game. Even if you’re not a Marvel fan, you’ve heard of it. And the rules are not so complicated it feels like homework rather than a game.

Most importantly, for a TTRPG to continually succeed, it needs new players. Well, a kid who is in a comic shop to buy the latest issue of Spider-Man and is somewhat curious about a table top role playing game but isn’t really into all that dragon stuff could do a lot worse than this book. In other words, I see this as having the potential to be a gateway TTRPG which expands the hobby.

For that to happen, people will need to buy, and play this game. I’m hoping we’ll see evolving editions, rules errata, and all of the usual stuff that goes with a big TTRPG here. The Core Rulebook is a good start but it will need some attention to flourish. This depends on Marvel as much as it does the community. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens in the future.

Experienced Game Masters Needed

While the book does have some sections on how to be a Narrator, this feels much more like a player’s guide than a Narrator’s guide. This means to effectively run the game, you’ll likely want at least one person in your group to be an experienced GM. This is further complicated by the fact there is not a starting adventure to show you the ropes.

It’s certainly not going to be impossible for someone to learn to GM from this book but it will be a much bigger learning curve than in some other games. There are some rules that seems contradictory or that could easily be abused by players. When those kinds of things crop up, it’s certainly better to have someone who has run a few TTRPGs before to handle it.

While I’m not trying to dissuade anyone from buying or playing the game, I do think having someone experienced at the table is going to make things easier.

Reasons Not to Buy the Book

This is not a game that is going to be for everyone. If you are not into superheroes, this isn’t for you. I’m not judging at all, everyone has their own taste, but if what you love is high fantasy, this game isn’t going to scratch that itch.

Also, if you’re a D&D rules purist who only wants to look back on the good old days and play some OSR style games, I suspect this will not be your cup of tea as it’s not as complicated as a lot of other systems.

There will definitely be things you may want to homebrew or make house rules for here if you do buy the book but it by no means needs a complete rules overhaul. I’ve seen a few people online already complain about the system and want to make a ton of changes without even having played the game. I say, if you’re going to do that, maybe try another system instead.

There are tons of TTRPG’s out there and if this one isn’t for you, just find one that is.

Reasons to Buy the Book

If you do love superheroes and you love TTRPG’s this should be right up your alley. You’re not limited to just existing Marvel characters either. You can make up your own whacky superhero or villain, give them your own Marvel style origin and twist and be off to the races playing as your character against someone like Dr. Doom.

If you haven’t played TTRPGs before and are looking to get into one, this might be the perfect book at the perfect time. While there is a lot of comic book history with Marvel, this game doesn’t have the same kind of version history as something like Dungeons & Dragons. You won’t find rules here that have been in existence for thirty years just because it was in the original version. And, as it’s a newer game, Marvel has a lot of support for it right now which should make it an easier entry point.

There will also be more to come so getting into the game now might be just a bit more fun as you can play yourself and then onboard people who you know might be interested. You don’t even need to convince them to buy all those oddly shaped dice you see everywhere.

How to Buy the book

If you have read enough to realize this is a game you want to try out there are a few things you can do to get it. The different methods have some pros and cons so I’ll go into that a bit as well.

And, I’m not trying to make the hard sell here but if you want to help out this blog, buying through the links below goes a long way and it won’t cost you any extra.

  1. You can pick up a copy at your local friendly gaming store. The books should run around $50-60 bucks and not only do you get to support a local business, you get to walk away with a copy in your hot little hands that day, no muss, no fuss.
  2. You can buy a hardcover copy on Amazon for $53.99. This is a great way to get the core book, although it does come with a hefty price tag and of course you will need to wait for it to be shipped to you. If you want to help this blog out buy your copy here.
  3. You can get a copy for Roll20 for $49.99 on drivethrurpg. However, a couple of warnings here. First off, you’re not getting a physical version of the book this way. Also, you need to have an account on the Roll20 Virtual Table Top in order to access the content. (This is a free account and there’s a link in the purchase description on the Drivethrurpg site if you don’t already have one) Finally, and this is my biggest complaint about this purchase method, if you buy this through Drivethrurpg you are not getting a PDF of the book. As far as I can tell, there is no way to get a PDF of this book at this point. If you do want to buy this version and use it on Roll20 it’s a great option. And if you want to help this blog out you can buy your copy here.
  4. If you happen to have Marvel Unlimited, you can get the test version of the book by typing in Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game: Playtest Rulebook. This will be an earlier edition and some of the rules have changed but it’s got the basics.
  5. If you don’t have Marvel Unlimited and you are willing to shell out $10 to get the Playtest book, you can get it on Amazon. If you want to help out this blog buy it here. Again, it’s not the full current book but it does cover the basics and it gets you started at a much lower price point.

Special Bundles

If you are all in on the game and have cash to spare you could really go all out here in a couple of ways.

  1. You could buy the Core Rulebook and pre-order the upcoming adventure module MARVEL MULTIVERSE ROLE PLAYING GAME: THE CATACLYSM OF KANG and the upcoming MARVEL MULTIVERSE ROLE PLAYING GAME: X-MEN EXPANSION books. Getting all three at once will run you around $135. If you’d like to help out this blog just make your purchase through one of the linked titles above.
  2. If you are already big time into Roll20 anyway, the best value through drivethrurpg is to get the Marvel Multiverse RPG Roll20 Mega Bundle. This will give you the core rulebook, a short module made for the Roll20 system called Revenge of the Super-Skrull, and the preoder for The Cataclysm of Kang. Just remember this is only for Roll20 and does not include PDF’s. To help out this blog, buy it here.

In Conclusion

Overall, I really think this book has potential and I want to see it succeed as a game. As with any game, there will be issues and there will be the need to make some changes here and there. But, if you want to have a good time with a superhero game. this seems like a fantastic success.

Next time I’ll dive into Chapter 1 of the book How to Play. Until then, have fun out there and make mine Marvel!

Posted on by slickdungeon · 4 Comments

The Last Voyage of the Demeter – Movie Review

(from left) Clemens (Corey Hawkins) and Anna (Aisling Franciosi) in The Last Voyage of the Demeter, directed by André Øvredal.

Hey horror fans, Slick Dungeon here! I made my way out to the movie theater the other day and watched the latest creepy horror vampire flick, The Last Voyage of the Demeter. If you’re into bloodsuckers and are wondering if this movie is worth watching, you’re in the right place. Do be warned there will be spoilers below for both the movie The Last Voyage of the Demeter and the book Dracula by Bram Stoker. I’ll try to keep the spoilers light but they will be there. If you can feel your blood drain out of you when you have a film spoiled, go watch the movie and come on back here to read the review after.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

In the novel Dracula there is a section where a derelict ship crashes off some rocks near a London port. Once the ship arrives, it’s immediately clear the whole crew was killed and disappeared but there is no real evidence of what happened. We, as the audience, know this ship had none other than Dracula himself on it. It’s one of the moodiest and creepiest sections of the book and all we really get is a newspaper clipping and a portion of a captain’s log. To me it was one of the most memorable parts of the book and an area I thought had been overlooked in most adaptations of the novel. Usually, film adaptations just show a short clip of a boat and have it crash, if they even do that much. But I was pleasantly surprised to see a film which fills in some of these gaps.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter is the story of the crew who shuttle Dracula from Romania to London. It stars Liam Cunningham as Captain Eliot, Corey Hawkins as Clemens the ship doctor, Aisling Franciosi as Anna, a stowaway and victim of Dracula, and Javier Botet as Dracula.

Clemens who is looking for a way to London is able to earn his way onto the crew of the Demeter when he rescues Captain Eliot’s young nephew from certain death. Upon leaving port, the locals seem to think the trip is cursed and there are several people who refuse to board the ship, even for an inflated wage.

The film plays out in a lot of ways you would expect. As the voyage goes on, strange things happen. Men get injured or go missing. People see things in the night that seem unexplainable. The threats grow once a young woman is discovered in the cargo hold. She needs medical intervention from Clemens just to survive and seems to know something about the events surrounding injuries and disappearances.

Eventually, the crew realizes how doomed they are and that they are fighting for their lives here. If you have read Dracula, you know they’re doomed but, of course, the characters think they have a fighting chance. We see the crew try to understand what it is they are fighting and how to stop it, as they get picked off one by one.

There are a few good jump scares and a bit of gore but this is far from the scariest film you’ll ever see. The creature design of Dracula is more feral and beast-like than most which gives it a bit of a twist. I’m not sure that was the best choice though as at times the creature design was a bit distracting.

The film is left open ended enough for there to be a sequel, which I assume would continue along the lines of the story of Dracula with some new information added or adapted. I would be willing to watch a sequel if they made one because I feel like this has potential to go somewhere interesting.

If this had been the first film in the reboot of the Universal Monster movies rather than the bloated Tom Cruise feature The Mummy, I think the whole thing could have worked. While this isn’t the most inspired vampire film, it’s a good creature feature worth watching which takes a solid look at an underdeveloped area of Dracula lore.

If you like vampire films, this is definitely worth watching. If you’re only so so on them, this one is skippable but probably worth a watch when you need a spooky film on a rainy night.

Did you see the movie? If so, let me know what you thought of it in the comments below!

Vampiricaly yours,

Slick Dungeon

Posted on by slickdungeon · 1 Comment

Oppenheimer- Movie Review

Cillian Murphy stars as J. Robert Oppenheimer in the biopic about the famous scientist

Hey film fans, Slick Dungeon here. By now, virtually everyone in the world has seen Oppenheimer so you don’t really need to read this review of it but I am going to give my opinion anyway. But just to get to the point, if you haven’t seen the movie yet, go do it before it’s too late! Yes, it’s really good and it’s worth watching in an actual theater. It is indeed a long haul with a run time of 3 hours so be ready for a long day at the theater. This review will contain a few spoilers for the movie but nothing major. Also, since this is a biographical picture based off a book about a famous person and period in history and it’s pretty accurate, I guess this is also a warning that there will be spoilers for history as well? If you don’t want to be spoiled at all, go see the movie then come back here to read the review.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Let’s start with the obvious here. The cast, the directing, the production, and the storytelling are phenomenal. This is one of those films that has the word Oscar written all over it in thirty foot letters. My bet is we’ll see at least a nomination for Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt and Matt Damon. Not to mention one for Christopher Nolan. The film is worth watching for these performances alone. I especially think Cillian Murphy and Florence Pugh really shine in this film.

The plot of the movie centers around both the development of the atomic bomb during World War II and a hearing later in Oppenheimer’s career where his patriotism was questioned because he had some loose ties to communist organizations in his past. It essentially pits Oppenheimer against Lewis Strauss in a political sense. This is where the character tension is but the more fascinating aspect is how Oppenheimer seems to see the world. He’s one of the few people who could actually understand what he was building and why. And he was one of the few people who could actually understand how risky it was to use the bomb and what the worries of proliferation would be.

The movie is set in two basic time periods, before and after the war. Interestingly, the world is in color in the time period before the bomb is dropped but turns black and white when Strauss essentially tries to hang Oppenheimer out to dry politically. Where Oppenheimer’s world is full of bright colors, big events, huge casts of characters and scientists and politicians all trying to understand life, Strauss’ world is narrow, black and white and all about him.

While I’m not going to get into any major spoiler territory here, I do want to point out the few points I feel the film doesn’t handle perfectly. First, while we see Oppenheimer seem to imagine the devastation caused by dropping atomic bombs, there are no scenes of any kind where the explosions happened. I realize the story is told through Oppenheimer’s eyes but even a single scene set in Hiroshima or Nagasaki before and after the explosions could have helped the audience to understand the immensity of what was happening.

My second gripe is the movie only barely touches on the fact that Oppenheimer knew the need for regulating atomic energy and fought hard for that for the latter part of his life. While he still seemed to think the invention of the bomb was necessary given the circumstances of World War II, he understood how out of control things could get without major oversight of such an immense power.

I will say that the last line of the film is one hell of an ending and justifies the long run time of the film. Overall, it’s a great achievement of a film, worthy of the complicate man it portrays. If you haven’t gone out to see this one yet, get on it when you have a full day to dedicate to it.

Praisingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

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Marvel 616 Review – Tales of Suspense #41

Tales of Suspense Issue 41 Written by Stan Lee, Robert Bernstein,

Nope, not that Doctor Strange! The forty-first issue of Tales of Suspense pits Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, against an evil villain named… Dr. Strange. But it’s not the master of the mystic arts you are thinking of. The Dr. Strange in this issue has a vague ability to control electricity, more from being smart (I think) than anything else.

The issue starts out with Tony on one of his many famous dates, at a charity auction dinner where he has just donated enough money to build a hospital for orphans. Tony’s date (who is never named in the issue) wants to know why he won’t settle down. In response, we get a bunch of flahsback style panels showing Tony working on various scientific projects. In essence, his answer is no wife would want to be married to such a busy guy. And, of course, he also thinks to himself about how he’s not telling her about what he does as Iron Man.

Not only does Tony offer to build a hospital, he also says he can get Iron Man to show up and perform for the kids at the hospital. We see a bunch of panels of Iron Man doing neat tricks with his resistors, juggling cars, catching canon balls and generally doing fun stuff the kids like.

But, as this is happening, a sinister evil we have never encountered before is watching. This is our evil Dr. Strange. This dude seems to be in jail for… reasons? And he was hit by lightning! To fool the guards this guy has been faking that he has fainting spells caused by the lightning that hit him. He can sort of control electricity, I guess. It didn’t seem real clear in the issue.

Anyway, this guy seems to be expecting Iron Man and is able to send out some kind of electrical signal that basically hypnotizes Tony. And soon, Iron Man is busting a bad guy out of prison. Interestingly, when cops and guards see Iron Man, they somehow instantly assume he’s under a spell of some sort, not just turned to the dark side.

We find out that Dr. Strange is essentially trying to take over the world to prove his love for his daughter. Of course, his daughter just wants like a decent person for a dad. Anyway, Dr. Strange demonstrates a bomb and says he’ll blow up the world if he doesn’t get to be ruler. The military tries to bomb the heck out of the guy but he’s got a force field so it’s no good.

Lucky for us, Iron Man is out of his spell. He’s able to figure out a plan to go after Dr. Strange. He gets onto a submarine and launches himself, as Iron man of course, through a torpedo tube at Dr. Strange’s compound. Turns out the force field didn’t go under water.

Iron Man breaks into the compound and there’s a bit of a tussle. Dr. Strange does whatever it is he is able to do to turn off electricity and figures that will kill Iron Man. He almost succeeds but Dr. Strange’s daughter passes Iron Man a flashlight which has some batteries in it. Apparently that’s enough to run the whole Iron Man suit.

And, of course, in the end Iron Man is victorious.

It will still be a couple months before we see the appearance of a Dr. Strange that actually matters but I wonder if the writers here were just testing out the name.

This story is not largely notable in the context of Marvel 616. It does however contrast how Iron Man is perceived by the public with someone like Peter Parker. Tony seems to have everything he could want, including an adoring public, except for a steady girlfriend. The most notable thing here is there is an appearance of J.F.K. and Nikita Kruschev for a very brief cameo.

Still, even though the bad guy’s powers are not well defined, and the story is kind of silly overall, it’s a fairly fun read. It is odd to read about someone called Dr. Strange and not have him be the character we know so well.

Next time we’ll be catching up with the golden haired god of thunder himself as we read about Thor in Journey Into Mystery #93!

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Light of the Jedi – Book Review

Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule

Summary

It is a golden age. Intrepid hyperspace scouts expand the reach of the Republic to the furthest stars, worlds flourish under the benevolent leadership of the Senate, and peace reigns, enforced by the wisdom and strength of the renowned order of Force users known as the Jedi. With the Jedi at the height of their power, the free citizens of the galaxy are confident in their ability to weather any storm But the even brightest light can cast a shadow, and some storms defy any preparation.

When a shocking catastrophe in hyperspace tears a ship to pieces, the flurry of shrapnel emerging from the disaster threatens an entire system. No sooner does the call for help go out than the Jedi race to the scene. The scope of the emergence, however, is enough to push even Jedi to their limit. As the sky breaks open and destruction rains down upon the peaceful alliance they helped to build, the Jedi must trust in the Force to see them through a day in which a single mistake could cost billions of lives.

Even as the Jedi battle valiantly against calamity, something truly deadly grows beyond the boundary of the Republic. The hyperspace disaster is far more sinister than the Jedi could ever suspect. A threat hides in the darkness, far from the light of the age, and harbors a secret that could strike fear into even a Jedi’s heart.

Review

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule is the first book in the first phase of what is known as The High Republic in Star Wars lore. This book takes place thousands of years before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope. To make things more confusing in the timeline (as Star Wars is fond of doing) the second phase of the High Republic books takes place chronologically before Light of the Jedi. But, as this is the first book in a first phase for Star Wars books, it’s a good entry point for anyone who hasn’t read Star Wars books before. It’s also a great book for long time fans of Star Wars.

Be warned there will be spoilers below.

What’s it about?

It’s a time of prosperity and peace in the Republic. Most worlds in the galaxy are part of the Republic. And they benefit from the governance on Coruscant and the protection of the Jedi order. Only the outer rim territories, on the edge of the galaxy, haven’t joined. But the Jedi and the Republic have worked together to build a new station and signal of hope known as the Starlight Beacon. This is a place where world representatives can come and find common ground, as well as a place for Jedi to be able to gather and protect citizens when needed.

Just as this new symbol of hope for the galaxy is about to open, unimaginable disaster threatens the galaxy. Something impossible is coming out of hyperspace. There was a collision as a ship traveled through hyperspace. This is not possible according to everything the Senate and the Jedi know to be true.

This event, known as the Emergence is happening. At the speed the debris of this wreck travels, it will shatter worlds, and whole systems of planets, to dust. If the Jedi cannot coordinate a response fast enough to prevent the damage, countless worlds will be lost and the lives of trillions of beings will be forfeit.

As the Jedi work together with the Republic and with brilliant and courageous beings across the galaxy to prevent damage or aid in rescue efforts, a threat is brewing behind the scenes.

The new enemy

Not everyone is on board with the Republic and the Jedi enforcing their version of peace on all beings in the galaxy. There is a secretive, powerful, group called the Nihil who are making moves behind the scenes which will disrupt peace in the galaxy.

Are the emergences unrelated to this new threat? Or is there something more going on? Can the Jedi prevent casualties while uncovering the truth? If the Jedi do find out the truth, will their power be enough to slow the tide of destruction?

New Characters

If you want a book full of characters from Star Wars cameos, this book will disappoint you. Yoda is mentioned a few times but he’s not in any way a main character here. This is a mixed blessing.

On the one hand, new characters are built up and we get to know them, and it’s refreshing to see something we haven’t before. On the other hand, we don’t know a lot about them yet, so when they are in danger or killed, we don’t care as much.

Some of the interesting things in this book are new uses of the Force, an innovative way to use astromech droids, and one of the most memorable endings of a Star Wars book I have seen.

There are a few standout new characters here. Two to watch are Avar Kriss who is known as the best of the best of the Jedi (my vote is still for Yoda in that department) and Loden Greatstorm who is a lot more experimental with the force.

There’s tons of explanation about hyperspace and how that came to be in this book. Telling much more would be a heavy spoiler. The Nihil are introduced as villains. I’ll admit I was not on board with them at the outset. The ending changed my mind and now I find them fascinating.

The action is fast paced. In the beginning where the biggest threats are, the story is a little slow. But that’s because we don’t know these characters yet so it’s hard to care what happens to them until further along. If you can make it through the beginning of the book, the end has a fantastic pay off so it’s worth the read whether you are a long time Star Wars fan or not.

Conclusion

The book is as satisfying as can be. Action happens. We learn about new powers. We meet new characters. The Jedi use not just force powers but their collective wisdom to defeat threats.

The book takes place in an exciting era. Reading this one feels like watching the films for the first time. You don’t know what will happen. It’s enormous and plays out on a galactic scale.

Lightsaber fights abound. Villains threaten the galaxy. A sweeping epic is born. This book is worth the read. Go out and grab your copy, whether you are new to Star Wars or a longtime fan.

I can’t wait to see what other surprises are in store for this phase of Star Wars. If the quality of the writing is as good as it is in Light of the Jedi there will be a lot to like.

Want to know where to start with Star Wars? Check out my guide here.

May the force be with you!

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Marvel 616 Review – Tales to Astonish #43

Tales to Astonish Issue 43 Artwork by Don Heck, Written by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber

Tales to Astonish is full of short stories of all kinds of science fiction and fantasy. But no character in this comic was more popular than Henry (Hank) Pym, also known as Ant-Man. He was the leading story in Tales to Astonish virtually since his first appearance. And, not only that, even in the world of Marvel 616, Ant-Man is popular at this time.

This issue starts out with Ant-Man quietly trying to make his way home in a crowd. He gets trapped under a telegram and when the delivery boy who picks it up realizes Ant-Man is there, the crowd goes wild. People ask for Hank’s autograph and try to interview him for their magazines. Unlike heroes such as the Fantastic Four or Spider-Man who have a more complicated relationship with the public, Henry Pym is celebrated almost everywhere he goes. Eventually this will change, but for now, he, along with Tony Stark is one of the most popular heroes in the public eye.

The issue still does not place Ant-Man in New York, it refers to where he is living as Center City. Yet, from the backgrounds and the fact that most of the other heroes in 616 have already been placed in New York, it’s a safe assumption that this is really where Ant-Man is active.

After Hank makes his escape, we see where the telegram goes. It heads to an older gentleman named Elias Weems. His grandson is coming to visit him and as Weems is a scientist he’s excited to show his grandson where he works and all the science he does. But Weems is confronted with a horrible problem. Ageism. He’s 65 and apparently the company Weems works for has decided anyone that age or older is not capable of good ideas anymore so he’s fired. It would be nice if this was an issue we didn’t have to face anymore in the real world but there you have it.

As any smart scientist who is 65 years or older would do, Weems decides to make a ray which will accelerate the age of any living thing and get his revenge. He tests his ray on a sapling and it grows into a tree. Then he heads to the zoo to test it on larger animals. And it just so happens Henry Pym is there looking at elephants and thinking about being able to control them with his cybernetic helmet.

As Henry is lost in thought, the baby elephant grows up right before his eyes in a matter of moments. Weems then reverses the ray to make the elephant younger again. In his final experiment, Weems makes a woman turn older then turns her back to her rightful age. Why Weems didn’t just use his ray to make himself younger, I can’t tell ya.

Weems then dubs himself the Master of Time and writes a letter to the police telling them to give him rulership over the city or he’ll age everyone. Thankfully there are ants around the place to relay this message to our hero.

Ant-Man hops into his catapult and shoots himself towards an alley where a bunch of ants are ready to catch him. Hank then runs around town talking to scientists and discovers there was a scientist recently fired for being too old. Ant-Man rushes over to Weems’ house where he’s mad because the police didn’t answer his threat in the newspapers.

Before Ant-Man can do much, Weems uses his ray to make Henry older. Ant-Man asks why Weems didn’t just age him to death. Weems just wanted to slow Henry down but didn’t actually wish any harm upon him. The Master of Time is smart enough to know to take Ant-Man’s helmet so he can’t call the ants. But he doesn’t realize Pym can change back to normal size. Weems leaves the room and Hank sizes up and grabs his helmet, although he is still elderly.

Meanwhile, Weems goes to city hall to try and seek his vengeance. He is able to age up a few folks but he doesn’t know Ant-Man is in the crowd and can once again control ants. Before Weems gets too far, his grandson shows up and recognizes him. Weems realizes his grandson is now aging so he tries to reverse the ray but he drops it. Ant-Man gets his ants together to go and attack Weems but as he sees the ray drop, Henry commands the ants to catch the ray gun instead. Henry reverses the controls on the gun and de-ages everyone, including himself, as fast as he can.

Weems is arrested but in court, Ant-Man sticks up for him, saying Weems did everything because he was afraid of losing his grandson’s affection. Weems’ old employer also wises up and realizes this old guy was able to invent a pretty nifty ray so he hires Weems once more.

For once the story ends pretty happily and no one goes to prison. No one was really hurt and I guess we all learned not to discriminate against 65 year olds? Glad that got solved. But anyway, this was a kind of silly story but nice to see it end without the usual bad guy in jail but still a threat later kind of thing.

One of the more interesting things about this issue is this is one of the last stories where Ant-Man doesn’t have a partner. His whole dynamic is about to change, and not necessarily for the better.

Next time we’ll be checking in with the man in the armored suit as we read about Tony Stark in Tales of Suspense #41!

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Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game Core Rulebook Review

Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game Core Rulebook
Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game Core Rulebook by Matt Forbeck

Hey Marvel and TTRPG fans! Two of my favorite things have come together in the newly released Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game Core Rulebook. I wanted to give my thoughts here. If you love Marvel and you love role playing games, this book is likely for you. However, if you’re just looking for a good TTRPG involving caped crusaders and villainous villains, there may be better options. I’m going to take a look at what is good and bad about Marvel’s new foray into TTRPG’s. And I’ll give you a couple of alternatives if this one isn’t for you.

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)

What is the Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game?

The Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game is exactly what it sounds like. Have you ever imagined what it would be like be Daredevil swinging on a flagpole going after bad guys? Put two fingers into your palm and said thwip while pretending you are webbing up a scientist with eight arms? This TTRPG lets you dive into those ideas with a rule structure and six sided dice to determine the outcome. Want to know who would win in a fight between any Marvel characters? This game lets you do that.

You can play any kind of super powered being you want. Whether it’s a sorcerer supreme, a woman with cosmic powers, or a teenager who can communicate with squirrels, you can do it. And you can invent your own hero (or villain). All you need is a group of friends to have all kinds of adventures.

The idea is simple, you make a character, you have one person in your group be the game master (in this case the Narrator) to guide the story. The Narrator controls the non-player characters while the rest of the players just control what their own characters do.

If you have played a role playing game before you’ll definitely catch on quickly. Even if you haven’t, if you’ve pretended to be a super hero before, you’ll still catch on. You’ll just be asked to roll some dice in the middle of it.

Is it Hard to Make a Character?

Compared to a lot of systems, character creation is pretty simple here. The book also gives you a bunch of pre-made profiles of some of your Marvel favorites you can use immediately if you don’t want to take the time to make your own character. There is still some math involved and there is a huge list of powers and origin stories you can use. There’s also a guide to quick character creation if you want to make your own character but not spend tons of time on it.

And, if you want a little preview of what the character sheet looks like, you can even download a copy for free from drivethrurpg right here. It’s totally free and if you are an experienced TTRPG player, you’ll probably get a quick idea of what they are going for here.

Are the Rules Complicated?

Again, compared to other systems, the rules here are not overly complicated. Marvel created their own system called the d616 system. Yes, that’s 616 like the number for the main Marvel universe. Also, eagle eyed gamers will have spotted that the abilities listed on the character sheet are Melee, Agility, Resilience, Vigilance, Ego and Logic which spells out MARVEL. Clever!

The really nice thing about this system is you only need three six sided dice. There are instances where you can get bonuses or take penalties but you never need more than three six sided dice and since everyone has those already, there is no need to go looking for the full set of gaming dice which can be harder to find. It’s also helpful for younger players because it’s almost certain they’ve used six sided dice before so it’s familiar.

How much math is there?

There is a fair amount of crunchiness when it comes to the powers and how they work and what level they are at and things like that. But with the premade characters, a lot of that work is already done for you ahead of time. If you want to fully dive into making your own character, there’s going to be more math involved but it’s not nearly as complicated as building a character in something like Dungeons & Dragons.

There is a bit more of a heavy lift for the Narrator here because there isn’t a pre-made adventure in the core book. However, if you’ve seen the play test version of these rules, you’ll see a couple of significant changes that make the rules a bit more streamlined than they were in that book.

There are also fairly extensive rules on combat and how that works. But then again, half the point of superheroes is that they will get in a fight with someone anyway. It is a section you’ll probably need to reference more than once though.

If you’re a seasoned TTRPG player, this ruleset will be no trouble for you. If you’ve never played a TTRPG before, this will take a bit of reading, practice and some math to get used to but it’s nothing impossible.

Who is This Game For?

One criticism I have for this book is the rules seem like they are not quite complicated enough for seasoned D&D players and not quite simple enough for people who have never played any TTRPG’s. While I don’t think this is insurmountable, it does mean, I don’t think this game is for everybody.

If you are a huge Marvel fan and love TTRPG’s, this is the book to buy. It’s also a very accessible game. If you have never played a TTRPG but you know about Marvel, you can find some ground to start on. If you’ve always wanted to play a TTRPG but found things like Dungeons & Dragons too intimidating, this is a pretty good compromise. Just know there will still be a learning curve.

The book is certainly suitable for younger kids as long as they can read and do a little bit of math. And as adults, you can always scale it up a bit to make it more adult oriented. The game allows you to imagine playing anything from a Saturday morning cartoon Spider-Man episode to a gritty Walking Dead-like Marvel Zombies scenario made for mature audiences only.

The game is not for people who are sick and tired of super heroes or have had it with Marvel for whatever reason. It’s for comic book fans, and you don’t have to be a Marvel specific fan, but it helps.

If you want to play your own unique superhero but in a Marvel setting, this is a good game for that. But, if you want to make your own unique superhero in a completely unique setting, you might be better off with a different superhero TTRPG instead. (I have some recommendations below if this is you)

Where Can I get a Copy of the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game Books?

If you have read enough to realize this is a game you want to try out there are a few things you can do to get it. The different methods have some pros and cons so I’ll go into that a bit as well.

And, I’m not trying to make the hard sell here but if you want to help out this blog, buying through the links below goes a long way and it won’t cost you any extra.

Physical retailers

You can pick up a copy at your local friendly gaming store. The books should run around $50-60 bucks and not only do you get to support a local business, you get to walk away with a copy in your hot little hands that day, no muss, no fuss.

You can buy a hardcover copy on Amazon for $53.99. This is a great way to get the core book, although it does come with a hefty price tag and of course you will need to wait for it to be shipped to you. If you want to help this blog out buy your copy here.

    Digital versions

    You can get a copy for Roll20 for $49.99 on drivethrurpg. However, a couple of warnings here. First off, you’re not getting a physical version of the book this way. Also, you need to have an account on the Roll20 Virtual Table Top in order to access the content. (This is a free account and there’s a link in the purchase description on the Drivethrurpg site if you don’t already have one) Finally, and this is my biggest complaint about this purchase method, if you buy this through Drivethrurpg you are not getting a PDF of the book. As far as I can tell, there is no way to get a PDF of this book at this point. If you do want to buy this version and use it on Roll20 it’s a great option. And if you want to help this blog out you can buy your copy here.

    If you happen to have Marvel Unlimited, you can get the test version of the book by typing in Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game: Playtest Rulebook. This will be an earlier edition and some of the rules have changed but it’s got the basics.

    If you don’t have Marvel Unlimited and you are willing to shell out $10 to get the Playtest book, you can get it on Amazon. If you want to help out this blog buy it here. Again, it’s not the full current book but it does cover the basics and it gets you started at a much lower price point.

      Special Bundles

      If you are all in on the game and have cash to spare you could really go all out here in a couple of ways.

      1. You could buy the Core Rulebook and pre-order the upcoming adventure module Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game: The Cataclysm of Kang and the upcoming Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game: X-Men Expansion books. Getting all three at once will run you around $135. If you’d like to help out this blog just make your purchase through one of the linked titles above.
      2. If you are already big time into Roll20 anyway, the best value through drivethrurpg is to get the Marvel Multiverse RPG Roll20 Mega Bundle. This will give you the core rulebook, a short module made for the Roll20 system called Revenge of the Super-Skrull, and the preoder for The Cataclysm of Kang. Just remember this is only for Roll20 and does not include PDF’s. To help out this blog, buy it here.

      Are there Other Systems to use?

      I get it. Not everyone is a Marvelite and some people just want to play a costumed superhero (or villain) in their own way. I totally support that. If you want, you could probably come up with Batman stats for the Marvel game but that takes a lot of work and there are some systems better suited to that job.

      If you’re not going to play the Marvel TTRPG, I’ve got a couple suggestions for you.

      Mutants and Masterminds

      Mutants and Masterminds is a game which only uses a d20 and allows you to play any kind of super powered being you can imagine. There is work you have to put in because it’s not a setting you may be familiar with. To start playing in this system I recommend getting the Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook. And if you are going to be the GM I also recommend getting the Mutants & Masterminds Gamemaster’s Guide. The GM’s guide is around $18 and the Hero’s handbook is around $20. This is for PDF’s on drivethrurpg, not hard covers. If you do want the hardcover I recommend buying this one at your local friendly gaming store.

      The Valiant Universe

      The Valiant Universe of comics has its own roleplaying game. This is great for a few reasons. First, Valiant makes some great comics and they are overlooked. This means it’s a rich universe of heroes but ones you may not be familiar with. Secondly, the rules system here is rules light meaning you can jump in and play almost immediately. You can play established heroes in their universe or you can make up your own. The best value here is to get a bundle. This will give you the RPG books but also gives you a few comics to read so you can get an idea of what kind of universe you are playing in. The bundle will just be PDF’s but you get 5 books total (2 RPG books and 3 first volumes of comics) for just $20. To get the bundle buy it here.

      Masks

      Masks is a superhero TTRPG using the rules-light system used in Apocalypse World. You make characters along the lines of Young Justice, or Young Avengers. It’s fairly simple system with some fun stuff in it and it allows you to play an angsty teen with lots of problems who is not necessarily named Peter Parker. The best way to get in on the action for this game is to buy the core book PDF Masks: A New Generation for $14 on drivethrurpg. It’s a good starting point for this game and if you get into it, there are plenty more books to expand your library. If you’re interested in this one, buy it here.

        In Conclusion

        Is the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game for everyone? The short answer is no. But if you do love comics (especially Marvel comics) it’s great fun. To try to keep this somewhat short I’ve listed the pros and cons of this game as I see them.

        Pros

        • Easily accessible IP most people are familiar with
        • Rules are mildly complicated but don’t take a huge amount of effort
        • Character creation is a breeze, especially if you use the pre-made characters
        • You only need six sided dice to play
        • There are a massive amount of powers and characters to choose from
        • The artwork in this book is as outstanding as you would expect from a company like Marvel
        • You only need to buy one book in order to play

        Cons

        • The book does not include an adventure module
        • While you can make your own characters and settings, there may be better systems for that
        • The book is a little pricey at over $50
        • You can’t purchase it as a PDF at this time
        • While almost anyone can play, you might want a more experienced game master to take on the role of Narrator at first
        • If you want to play mutants, you’ll likely need to wait for the expansion which does not come out until April of next year

        Well, I hope this post has been helpful. If you have played the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game, I’d love to hear about it. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

        If you want to see more of my thoughts on this game, click here!