William Bailey’s Haunted Mansion: A Historical Call of Cthulhu RPG Adventure by David Waldron and Shannon Nicholls
Hello Investigators! I’ve got a cool review for you today with an ENNIE nominated one shot for Call of Cthulhu! This one is a bit unusual as it’s based on historical events and real locations. If you love Call of Cthulhu and you are looking for a new one shot scenario for your table, William Bailey’s Haunted Mansion is perfect 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 William Bailey’s Haunted Mansion?
William Bailey’s Haunted Mansion is a one shot scenario for Call of Cthulhu 7th edition. Before I go any further, I should make it clear that while I was given a complimentary copy of the scenario by the creator David Waldron. However, this is post is in no way sponsored by the creators of the scenario.
In the scenario you will find a scenario based on historical events in the 1890s in Ballarat, Australia. You will find several historical figures in the scenario, including William Bailey, Emily Bailey, Thomas Learmonth, and the Stephenite cult.
One of the coolest parts of the scenario is that all of the Investigators are also historical figures. This makes it fun to play around in the time period.
The scenario also contains 7 NPC stats, 8 player handouts, 4 pre-generated character sheets, and 4 maps.
What’s it About?
Players should skip this section. If you want to play the scenario, make sure to let your Keeper know and have them read ahead.
Spoilers Follow!
I will try to keep the spoilers light here but there are going to be some in order for me to talk about the scenario.
In the 1890’s there was a man named William Bailey. He was a successful business man who made his money in the gold trade. But the way he came about his success was far less than ethical. Bailey made many enemies, not the least of which was the Learmonth family. Bailey fooled them into thinking a gold mine was worthless, bought an anonymous stake in said mine, then kept the mine for himself, thus making himself a wealthy man. With his ill gotten gains, Bailey purchased a mansion. Recently, Bailey has seen strange things happening at his mansion. He assumes this is revenge on the part of the Learmonth family but there is a more supernatural explanation here.
Meanwhile, Bailey’s wife Emily has been in contact with the Stephenite cult. This was a real cult at the time. They have convinced Emily to allow a seance to cleanse her home.
Emily keeps this fact a secret from her husband. William, wanting to get to the bottom of things, has hired the Investigators to figure out what is going on.
I won’t go further into the details of the scenario here because what happens next is going to depend on your players.
How long does it take to Run?
The story is a one shot so it should only take about 2-3 hours to run. For some great context and an example of how the scenario was first created, you can check out this YouTube video. They have some great costuming ideas too if you want to make it even more fun at your table!
William Bailey’s Haunted Mansion Live Play
What are the Cons?
No scenario is perfect and any Keeper is always going to have to do some work to make things perfect for their table. There are some points, especially in the setup, that can feel kind of railroaded here. In a short scenario, I don’t see that as a bad thing. But there are some Keepers who can’t stand that at all so do be forewarned.
As far as the maps go, they are a little tough to read but this is because they are actual public domain sketches of the real place. My table used them just fine. But there were some areas where I had to take a pretty close look to make sure I was looking at the right place.
Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons here and it’s an enjoyable scenario, no doubt.
How can I get a copy of William Bailey’s Haunted Mansion?
If you’re still not sure if you should get this scenario let me remind you of a few things. First, this is nominated for an ENNIE. If you don’t know what that means, it’s like the Emmys but for tabletop role playing games. It’s not easy to even be nominated for one, so this scenario stands out.
Second, this is quite reasonably priced. You can get a PDF, a color soft cover, or both. The price ranges from $3 – $10 depending on the option you choose.
If you’re just itching to get your hands on it, you can purchase it right here!
In Conclusion
My table had a good time with this one and I think yours will too. You might even learn a bit of history while you are at it.
It’s a great way to spend a couple of hours and there is a nice, creepy payoff if your Investigators make it through.
So, if you are looking for your next Call of Cthulhu 7th edition scenario, I think you’ll like William Bailey’s Haunted Mansion.
P.S.
If you’ve already played this one and are looking for another historical Call of Cthulhu scenario, I humbly suggest trying my scenario Trouble on the Rock set on Alcatraz Island in 1934. It’s on sale right now for only $3.99!
And if you are new to Call of Cthulhu, check out my how to play series starting here!
Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game by Matt Forbeck
Marvel Multivers Role-Playing Game character profiles are essential to understand if you want to play the game. In this post, we’ll go over what they are, how to use them and why they are so important. If you want to follow along, you can download a character sheet for free right here.
If you want to see more about how to play the game, start here.
(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 are Marvel multiverse Role-Playing Game Character Sheets?
Put simply, these are character sheets. They are the basic foundation for most role playing games. And while these are similar in many ways to other TTRPG character sheets, Marvel has added some unique features. We’ll go through the basics, focusing on each section and highlighting the most essential parts.
Character Data
This section is self explanatory for the most part. Here is where you can choose your character’s codename, real name, height, weight, gender, eyes, hair, size, distinguishing features, teams, base, origin, occupation, history and personality.
Identity and Notes sections for Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game character sheet
If you are using a currently existing Marvel character, obviously a lot of this will be chosen for you. But if you are creating your own character, these are up to you. There are a few that do have some mechanical effects such as size and origin but we’ll get to those in a bit.
Rank
You can think of rank in terms of levels for Dungeons & Dragons or even video games. Rank is based on power and training. Even with the utmost training, Spider-Man will never achieve the power level of Galactus. In this game, there are six ranks you can choose from, each expanding in power. It can be fun to play at any rank but there’s definitely a bit more math involved in the highest ranks. If you play an existing character from the Core rulebook, their character profile will tell you what rank they are. If you make your own character, you’ll need to decide what rank you want to play.
Codename and Rank sections for Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game character sheet
Ability Scores
Most TTRPG’s have some kind of ability scores and the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game is no exception. One of the things I love about this system is they made it easy to remember by spelling out the word Marvel to create the scores. You’ll use these scores when making checks in the game. Your character will be better at some of these than others. I’ll dive much further into these in a future post when I create a character but for now here’s the breakdown of the abilities.
Melee – This is for how well you hit or throw. On the defense side, it’s for how well you take a punch. Hulk is good at this.
Agility – This is for attacking at range, dodging and things like running. Spider-man and Daredevil are good at this.
Resilience – This is basically how tough you are and it helps to calculate your health. The Thing is good at this.
Vigilance – This is for situational awareness. It also affects your initiative modifier. Professor X is good at this.
Ego – This is what in D&D terms you might call charisma. It’s how much force of personality a character has and it can affect how intimidating a character is. It also affects psychic and magical powers if your character uses those. Dr. Strange is good at this.
Logic – This is basically your character’s intelligence. Mr. Fantastic is, well, fantastic at this.
Once you have your ability scores, you’ll be able to make ability checks. We’ll get more into this in the future but it’s safe to say the higher your score in an ability, the more likely you are to do well on a check using that score. I won’t go into the calculations here because we’ll do them in a future post where you can see how these calculations are adjusted as things like power sets are added.
Ability score section for Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game character sheet
Health
This one is pretty easy to figure out. Health is how healthy your character is. This is calculated by taking Resilience and multiplying it by 30. If you somehow have a Resilience of less than 1, you still get a minimum of 10 health. We’ll go over damage reduction in a future post when we go over combat.
Health section for Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game character sheet
Focus
This is for how well a character can concentrate. It’s also affected by psychic attacks. To calculate focus, multiply Vigilance by 30. And, just as with health, the minimum is 10 even if your character has a Vigilance score of less than 1.
Focus section for Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game character sheet
Karma
Karma is one of the more unique things in the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing game. It’s basically a system that represents those clutch moments where everything seems to be going wrong for a hero but in an instant where the universe comes together, something happens to change the outcome to one more favorable to the hero.
Each character starts with Karma equal to their rank. Rank 1 heroes have 1 point of Karma, Rank 2 have 2 etc.
Mechanically Karma can be used in a few ways. A character can use a point of Karma to give themselves an Edge, give an enemy Trouble, recover Health or Focus, or even to help a teammate recover. You can’t spend more than one point of Karma on any check.
Karma points also regenerate up to the hero’s rank after a good night’s sleep. Narrators can also give out extra Karma points to players who do things like committing heroic acts, role playing their character well, or saying their catchphrase at just the right time. This is at Narrator discretion so it’s not guaranteed. If you have more Karma than your rank and don’t use it before going to sleep for the night, your excess Karma will disappear but you will regain your regular amount of Karma. In other words, it’s good to use Karma when you have it.
There is one restriction here, only characters with the Heroic tag can have Karma points.
If there was one thing I might want to change about this game, it’s that restriction but I won’t go too far into it here. Let’s just say, I can see instances and campaigns where characters without that tag might be able to use it.
Initiative Modifier
This is what helps determine when you get to act in combat. This is equal to the character’s Vigilance but can be increased if a character has an E next to it on their character sheet. For example, Quicksilver has Vigilance 4 but his Initiative modifier is +4E, meaning he has an Edge when it comes to initiative. This makes sense considering he has super human speed.
Speed
This is what it sounds like. It’s how fast your character can move. They have a run, climb, jump, and swim speed. If they can’t swim their speed for swim would be 0. This is affected by the character’s Agility and Size. We’ll get into those adjustments further when we make a character in a later post. If you’re wondering about flight speed for characters who can fly, this will come from the powers the characters have. I’ll do a whole separate post about powers and power sets in the future where we talk about that.
Karma, Speed and Initiative Modifier sections for Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game character sheet
Damage
Damage is how much damage your character does in combat but the calculation does get just a little tricky here. Remembering that we use the d616 system where the middle die is the Marvel die, you take the result of the Marvel die on your attack role and multiply it by your rank. This can be affected by powers however, so we’ll get into that in a future post.
Damage section for Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game character sheet
Size
Just a quick note about size. Basically, mechanically speaking the larger your character is, the faster your character moves but your character is an easier target to hit. The opposite is true for small characters. There are some characters who can change size and this comes into play most often in combat situations.
Power Sets and Powers
This section deserves it’s own post so I won’t go into them here. But the power sets and powers are what makes your hero into a superhero.
Powers section for Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game character sheet
Backstory
This is one of the most fun parts of character creation where you get to figure out who your character is and what they are all about. There are some narrative things here and some mechanical things so it can get a bit messy. I’ll just highlight a few things here but I’ll have another post where we go into much further detail on backstories.
Origin – This is how your hero gained powers. It can be through training, a mutation, from high tech or a few other ways. For now, just think of it as how your character got their cool powers, whatever way that might be.
Occupation – This is what your character does for a living. This is as varied as you want as you can be a hero with any kind of a job just like you can be a person with any kind of a job.
Traits – These have a mechanical effect in the game and you typically get them from things like your origin and occupation. Some can be taken by anyone and others are restricted to characters who match certain criteria. How many traits you can have is restricted by your rank.
Tags – Characters can have any number of these and they don’t have a mechanical effect. But they do tell you more about who your character is.
Why are Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game Character Sheets so Important?
In order to play the game, you’ll need to understand who your character is. Even if you are playing a familiar character and you know everything there is to know about that character from the comics, you’ll come upon situations where the character sheet is useful. It’s also a handy guide for knowing what math to do when it’s necessary for making checks and performing combat. The good news is, these character sheets are fairly readable as far as these things go. While there are still a few sections on the character sheet I didn’t go over in this post, we’ll talk about those in future posts.
In Conclusion
While understanding the character sheet is critically important, there are a lot more things to know about the game. Some of what is on these sheets makes more sense once you are playing. To get the best sense of how to use these sheets, in a later post I’ll create a character which can be used in a game.
For now, there are more rules to understand. My next post in this series will be an explanation of one of the vital aspects of the game – combat.
Thanks for reading and once again, if you want to grab ahold of the character sheet, you can download it for free right here!
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 Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game. I wanted to take a quick look at chapter two 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.
If you want to see the review of chapter one, check it out here.
(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 2 – Core Mechanics
This chapter is a short five pages but it gives us almost everything we need to know to play the game. I’ll give a short breakdown of the rules below but for full rules you’ll need to read the book.
There are only a few core concepts you need to know to get started. If you master these, the game flows fairly easily for the most part. There is going to be some addition and multiplication in this game. It’s nothing that should be too intimidating but if you are like me and can struggle with math at times, there’s no shame in using a calculator when needed.
Let’s take a look at the concepts.
The Action Check
The action check is the most basic check of the game. While roleplaying, there are plenty of things you should be able to do without making a check of any kind. For my examples in this post, I am going to use Matt Murdock, aka. Daredevil to demonstrate.
If Daredevil, dressed as Matt Murdock wants to walk into his law offices to talk to his partner Foggy Nelson, there is no check needed whatsoever, he just does it.
Now, let’s say Matt is walking into the law offices and sees Foggy is being held captive by Wilson Fisk, aka, The Kingpin. Matt is able to hear the commotion and knows his partner is in trouble. He needs to take action. But he also needs to do so without letting Foggy know he is, in fact, Daredevil. In this case, Matt wants to act like he is stumbling around and just so happens to knock out Fisk. To try that, whoever is playing Daredevil is going to need to make an action check.
To do that, you take 3d6’s and roll them. In this game this is called rolling the d616 (more about that in a minute). Once the total of the dice is added up, the player then adds any ability scores needed to the total. The player is trying to roll higher than a Target Number the Narrator has given them. (More on this later as well).
If the player rolls high enough, Daredevil is able to pull off his stunt. If not, something else happens, determined by the Narrator.
d616
In this game, the only dice you need are d6’s. But, it’s good to have one die a different color or size than the other two. The way rolls work is the two dice on the outside of the roll (the 6’s in d616) are added up like normal. But on the middle die, also called the Marvel die, both the 1 and the 6 are counted as a 6. We’ll get more into this in further posts but for now, suffice it to say, the higher you roll the better, and if you can get your dice to come up 616, that’s the best result you can get. Ability scores can add even more to this number but we’re not going to go into those in this post because they are better explained during character creation.
Target Numbers (TN)
If you play Dungeons & Dragons you would think of this as the DC of a roll. Basically there is a number the player needs to meet or exceed for success. Most of the time the Narrator sets this based on the circumstances of what is happening in the game. But there are some NPC and player stats that may cause this number to have to be adjusted.
The narrator also still has the freedom most of the time to determine if something is impossible. If it’s impossible it cannot happen. For example, if Daredevil wanted to fly to the moon unassisted, even though he has no flight powers, he can’t do that even with the best die roll result.
Fantastic Rolls
Any time the middle die comes up with a 1 it’s called a fantastic roll. If you roll a 1 on that die and you exceed the target number, you get a fantastic success. This means you do the thing you were trying and also something else good happens. What that thing is can be suggested by the player or the Narrator.
If you have a fantastic roll but your result adds up to less than the target number, you still fail at what you were trying to do but something good happens to mitigate the results a bit. This also is determined by the player or the Narrator. Ultimately, Narrators have final say but player suggestions are often welcome.
The absolute best result you can get is a roll of 616. This is called an Ultimate Fantastic roll. In D&D it would be a critical success. If you roll this, outside of checking against something the Narrator has deemed impossible, you automatically succeed. These rolls can often be the most fun part of the game and can turn the tide of a battle or the narrative in an instant.
Edges
Also like in Dungeons & Dragons there is what amounts to an advantage/disadvantage system in this game. If you are in special circumstances where your hero has an advantage, they get an edge. For example, if Daredevil is fighting someone and the lights are off, Daredevil has an advantage because he doesn’t need to see to fight.
This can stack as well. If Daredevil has and advantage because the lights are out, and he’s sneaking up on an unsuspecting thug, he’d have two edges.
What happens here is with each edge you get, you can re-roll one of your dice and take the higher result. So, with two edges you might have an initial result of 5, 3, 5. You can then decide to re-roll any two of the dice you want. And you get to keep the better result. So if you re-roll and you end up with 5, 1, 6, you’d want to keep the second result. Remember the 1 = 6 so the result on the second roll is 17 compared to the original result of 13.
Trouble
The flip side of edges is trouble. This works in the same way but in the opposite direction.
If Daredevil is trying to fight bad guys and suddenly loud music comes on, he has trouble due to his highly sensitive hearing.
This also stacks, so if Daredevil is not only in a spot with loud music but there is a crowd of people blocking his way, he’s got two instances of trouble.
In these cases you re-roll however many dice you have equal to the amount of trouble. This time, instead of taking the better result, you have to use the lower result.
Edges combined with Trouble
Where this gets really tricky is when you have circumstances which provide edges and trouble. You can have an instance where a character has three edges and two troubles. Or three troubles and two edges, etc.
In those cases, the edges and troubles cancel each other out and you have to take what is left.
If Daredevil has an edge because it’s dark and one because he is sneaking up on someone, but he has trouble because he has been awake for more than 18 hours, he’s got an edge.
If Daredevil has trouble because he’s in a noisy place, and he doesn’t have his weapons with him, but he’s sneaking up on his opponent, he has one trouble.
Hopefully that makes sense but if you play the game for a while, you’ll get used to quickly figuring out how many edges and troubles there are to deal with.
IN CONCLUSION
There’s a few key rules in this chapter. Once you’ve got them down, they become pretty easy to understand but it can take a few sessions to get the full hang of them. There’s a bit of math involved but it’s not anything overly complicated. There are definitely parallels to Dungeons & Dragons but these rules, ultimately, are a lot more streamlined than those.
Next time, we’ll be taking a look at character profiles. There’s quite a bit of info in that chapter but it’s one of the most fun parts of the game. In the meantime, if you are interested enough to buy the book, check out how to do that below. Otherwise, see you next time!
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.
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 $32. This is a great way to get the core book, although you will need to wait for it to be shipped to you. If you want to help this blog out buy your copy here.
You can get a copy for Roll20 for $30 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. You can still read the digital book on basically any web browser this way, you just don’t get a PDF.
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 $17 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 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.
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 Cataclysm of Kang. Just remember this is only for Roll20 and does not include PDF’s. To help out this blog, buy it here. Right now this is on sale for around $70 and is the best deal if you don’t need physical books and want to play on Roll20.
Listen up choombas! Do you want to find a table top role playing game that puts you in a dark future full of bold action, evil corporations, advanced weaponry, cybernetic implants, and a whole bunch of fun? If so, good news, you’re in the right place. I’m not going to waste any more time because you never know when the megacorps are listening so let’s get right to the list!
(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)
5. Altered Carbon
Altered Carbon Core Rule book
Do you like your dystopian future mixed with a little neo-noir? Altered Carbon the Role Playing Game takes you into the world first created by Richard K. Morgan and then seen on the Netflix series of the same name. If you have enough wealth and influence you can re-sleeve your consciousness into any body you can afford. There are several Archetypes (classes in D&D terms) to choose from, a great setting in Bay City and a decent tech system going here. While it’s definitely got similarities to Cyberpunk Red and Cyberpunk 2020, there are enough differences here to make it a fun game with some new twists. You’ll especially enjoy it if you have watched the series or read the books.
It’s not a perfect role playing game and you don’t have to be too familiar with the source material in order to have a good time. There is a good mix of storytelling and combat action. If you love the books or the show this is a great one to pick up. Right now you can get it on drivethrurpg here for around $25.
4. Cyberpunk 2020
Cyberpunk 2.02.0 2nd Edition Core Rule Book
Without this game, there would be no Cyberpunk TTRPG’s. If you like an OG style to your gaming but still want to feel the edginess of lurking around a dark future, fighting megacorps and hacking your own biology with cyber tech, you can’t go wrong with this one. This game is a bit more crunchy than the latest version of Cyberpunk and it has the feel of something made in the 1980’s thinking about the future (because it was) but it’s still one of the best out there. The combat is fast paced and deadly and while you find advantages for altering yourself, if you go too far it will bring you to the edge and you may find yourself in cyberpsychosis, unable to control yourself.
This is an out and out classic and there’s good reason people still play this one today. You can get this a few ways on drivethrurpg, including getting the PDF, a softcover, or a PDF + softcover. They all have varying prices but right now the best deal for this game is to grab the Cyberpunk Essentials bundle which gets you the PDF plus five other supplemental titles to help you amp up your action in Night City. The bundle is on sale here for $40.85. Or you can just grab the core stuff you want here for between $15-$45 depending on what version you buy.
3. ShadowRun Sixth World
Shadowrun Sixth World Core Rule Book
Unlike most other Cyberpunk style TTRPG’s, Shadowrun has always had magic as part of its core premise. What if you took Lord of the Rings and mashed it up with Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? You’d get something like Shadowrun Sixth World. There was magic at one time. The world changed and looked a lot like ours until megacorporations took over everything. And suddenly, magic returned. Now, there are a select few people, orcs, dwarves, etc. who resist the pull of the megacorps. These folks are called Shadowrunners and you can join their ranks.
This game is a good fun blend of fantasy and far future dystopian sci-fi. It’s definitely not for everyone and there are plenty of arguments over which edition is the best one. For plenty of players older editions may be better but I recommend Sixth simply because it is the most current and probably the easiest one to access if you have never played Shadowrun before.
if you just want to dip your toes in to this one and see if it is for you, they have a decent starter set here for $10. Or, if you are willing to pay just a bit more you can grab the core book here for $20. (On sale for $16 as of this writing)
2. Cities Without Number
Cities Without Number Core Rulebook by Kevin Crawford
From the absolute game design genius that is Kevin Crawford comes Cities Without Number. He has designed a space game called Stars Without Number, a fantasy game called Worlds Without Number and has now given us the kind of cyberpunk TTRPG you can expect from him. The first line of the description perfectly sets the mood here. “The world is neon and dust.”
This is a sandbox style game with lots of interesting old school mechanics and plenty of guidance on how to create missions for players. If you like to mix and match things and brew up your own kind of adventure this gives you a ton of tools to do so. Not to mention, this game is fully compatible with the other games in the Without Number series.
The best part? You can actually get almost all of this game for free! In the free version you get 227 pages of jam packed rules, setting and advice. You can grab the free version here.
But, for this game and any others that Kevin Crawford puts out, I highly recommend purchasing the books. Why? Because Crawford puts a ton of work into these books, they have great art, and you get even more goodies with the paid version. You can get the full version here for $25-$90 depending on if you want PDFs or physical hardcover versions. At any price, this game is a steal. And if you have all three of the Without Number books, you can homebrew one heck of an amazing campaign that takes you from the stars, to the world to the city and generates memories that will last a lifetime.
1. Cyberpunk Red
Cyberpunk Red Core Rule Book
The video game Cyberpunk 2077 had an absolute disaster of a launch, although I hear it’s pretty decent now. CyberpunkRed, however, had no such trouble and delivers an excellent immersive experience if you want to get your hands dirty in a world where huge megacorporations have been shattered and everyone is scrambling to live their lives, make a living, seize opportunities, or plot some revenge. It’s a fun and fast paced game and if you like movies like Blade Runner or The Matrix series this one should be right up your neon lit alley.
With this one I recommend starting with the Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit. This comes with a book of lore and adventures that take place in the setting and a book of rules to use for gameplay. You also get six pregenerated characters making getting started much faster. There are also some maps and standees here to use. Fair warning you may need to read the rules a couple of times to get the full feel for it as not everything is 100% clear on the first read.
The Jumpstart Kitretails for $30 on drivethrurpg but right at this moment you can get it for $10 which is a steal. To get the Jumpstart Kit click here.
If you’re convinced and want to just go all in on Cyberpunk Red you can get the core book for $30.
This version is just as bombastic and full of attitude as the original was but with a more streamlined rule system and some interesting moral questions. It’s a super fun game and without doubt one of the best Cyberpunk games you can get.
In Conclusion
A dark dystopian future with lots of cool tech is a great setting for a table top role playing game. I’m sure there are tons of others out there that I haven’t mentioned. Do you have a favorite? If so, feel free to shout it out in the comments below!
Hello everyone! Do you love to play Call of Cthulhu 7th edition? Want a scenario set on the world’s most notorious prison? If so, I have something in store for you soon! In May, I will be releasing the second of my “On the Rock” series of scenarios set on Alcatraz in the 1930’s.
You and your friends will play inmates who have to confront mundane routines, harsh punishments, and cosmic horrors from the depths of the Pacific Ocean! If that sounds cool to you, let me know in the comments.
Keep an eye on this blog to find out how you can get the scenario at a discounted price and how you can bundle it with my first “On the Rock” scenario!
This won’t be for everyone, but if you are interested stay tuned! Also, let me know in the comments what you think of the cover design so far! It’s not final yet, but I’m hoping it clicks with some of you TTRPG players! Let me know if you like the black and white or think something in color would look better!
Well Happy New Year out there all you dungeon crawlers! It’s officially 2024 but before we start off the new year for real, I thought I would give a little wrap up about what happened here on my blog this year. I’ll also give you a little peek into a few of the things you might see on here in 2024. If you can’t stand this kind of a post, don’t feel like you need to read it, I just like to do a little reflection now and then. I’m just going to be talking about what happened on my blog more or less, not big news stories (for the most part) or anything like that. Let’s see what happened in the categories I covered.
film
I started off the year wanting to review every movie I saw. I failed on that goal because, well, you know, life and stuff. But I started out reviewing one of the oddest movies I have ever seen called Adult Swim Yule Log (AKA The Fireplace). It’s not for everyone but it’s definitely memorable. In January I also reviewed Prey which is best entry the Predator series has had in decades. Horror films in theaters started off fairly strong in the form of M3GAN about an android doll who does what android dolls do and tries to kill everyone. January also had a Friday the 13th in it so I reviewed the last of the Friday the 13th movies I can, Freddy vs. Jason. I’m still hopeful for a 13th movie in the series but we’ll see if that ever actually happens.
In February they rereleased Titanic for a limited time and made me ugly cry as always. On Valentine’s day I watched Picnic at Hanging Rock which is a quiet horror movie with a decidedly creepy vibe which also happens to take place on Valentine’s day. I also watched Tom Hanks be a grumpy old man in A Man Called Otto. February brought with it more Ant-Man in the form of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It was sort of okay but certainly not Marvel’s best.
In May it was the anniversary of Return of the Jedi so I wanted to give everyone a guide on how to go about watching, reading, playing etc. in the universe of Star Wars. I’ve got a lot left to review on that so stay tuned if you like Star Wars. Also in May I reviewed the entire Fast & Furious franchise starting with the very first movie, The Fast & The Furious. It’s mind boggling how far into ridiculousness these films get.
I didn’t really watch any movies in July actually so nothing to report here.
In August there was a refreshingly independent horror movie called Talk to Me. And a couple of box office juggernauts were launched with Oppenheimer and Barbie. I watched them both but only got around to reviewing the first one. They’re both worth watching though!
In October I reviewed the whole Psycho franchise (excluding the TV series Bates Motel) starting with the first film. I also reviewed the double feature slashers of X and Pearl.
I was a little burned out on movies so didn’t review any others until December when I watched what might have been my favorite film of 2023 and an absolute mastery of storytelling with Godzilla Minus One.
So, what’s coming up on this blog for film for 2024? Well, I can’t say I am overly excited about what is coming to theaters but I’m sure I will review a few things here. I’ll almost certainly review the Oscar picks for best picture. As far as film series to review I think I am going to go with the whole Halloween franchise and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies. We’ll see if I end up doing any others.
Books
It was a busy year in books for me. In February I read the second volume of the Time Corrector series, The Movement by Avi Datta. It’s a fantastic series and a beautiful book. And I am very excited that I have the third volume which I will be reviewing in early February. I also started reviewing the Empire series by Tim Goff.
In November I read Illyadra by Adriel Wallaker and Drakomunda by Guy Quarterly.
December I read The Badlander by Tom Golden which has an utterly unforgettable ending. I also read To the Solemn Graves which is a solid ghost story anthology by Kim Idynne.
In 2024 you can expect more reviews of independent author’s books from Reedsy. I’m also hoping to but in a few more Star Wars book reviews and couple of reviews for bigger name authors, especially in fantasy and science fiction. I am a slow reader so we’ll see how far I get.
Marvel
I continue my quest to review every Marvel 616 comic in order and I made some progress this year. There is still a ton to go.
I could link every post I did on these this year but my series of reviews is meant to be read from the beginning so I am going to cheat a little and just link you to that first post here. If you read through it, you can link to the next one at the bottom and go in order.
I love Marvel comics and for 2024 I plan to continue with these reviews. I have to take breaks from it here and there because as much as I do love them, these early issues can seem a bit repetitive. Once you’ve seen Thor beat up a bunch of communists you don’t really need to see it again but that just keeps happening. Anyway, as far as Marvel goes on this blog just watch for more of it!
Star Wars
As far as Star Wars goes, as I mentioned above I have a lot left to review. I did come up with a guide for how to get started here. And I managed to review The Light of the Jedi.
For 2024 I’ll be reviewing Into the Dark which is the next book in phase 1 of the High Republic series. I will also probably start reviewing the movies but those are going to be a super deep dive so I’m not sure if I will complete that this year. I’ll be consuming tons of Star Wars stuff as I always to but how much I review basically remains to be seen.
Role Playing Games
Oh boy did a lot happen in the world of TTRPGs this year! There were too many crazy things to cover but the year did not start off well for Wizards of the Coast who makes Dungeons & Dragons. They had a huge debacle in what came to be knows as the OGL well.. debacle. And a ton of other stuff happened too. At the end of 2023 I basically feel better about TTRPGs as a hobby as a whole but D&D really needs to figure itself out as soon as possible if it wants to stay the most popular TTRPG of all time.
In January I gave my recommendations for the Top 5 TTRPGs to play in 2023. Also in January things started happening with the OGL (Open Gaming License) which allows creators to make third party stuff for D&D. But you know what? There are other rules systems and companies out there and people who want to make stuff for TTRPGs can use them. One of my favorites is the Basic Role Playing system by Chaosium. January just went crazy with the whole OGL thing and another company who I would say proved to be one of the best in 2023 was Paizo who makes Pathfinder. I wrote about that here.
In February I gave my picks for great gifts for any game master here. I know, it’s not romantic or whatever but hey, everyone can use dice and stuff like that. There were also a lot of play tests of new games happening in 2023. In particular in February there was the first play test of what was called Project Black Flag but will be known as Tales of the Valiant. It’s got the potential to be a D&D rival but it remains to be seen how popular it ends up becoming.
One of the things I find most difficult about TTRPGs is just finding a group to play consistently. A great way around that is to play solo TTRPG games which is why I cam up with my list of Top 5 Solo TTRPGs in April.
In August I got my hot little hands on a game I am super excited about which combines my love of Marvel comics with my love of TTRPGs. That’s right, I wrote about everything you need to know about the Marvel Multiverse Tabletop Role Playing Game. I also did a review of the core rulebook here and did a breakdown of the first chapter here. I’ll be doing a lot more with this book and this game in 2024 so if you are into Marvel TTRPGs watch for that.
In October I did one of the two things I am most proud of for 2023. I wrote my first scenario for Call of Cthulhu 7th edition called Fantastic Light Display. I worked for more than a month on it and I’m still just really excited to have published anything TTRPG related. This is definitely not for everyone but I had an absolute blast making it.
Also, because it was October, I couldn’t resist giving my recommendations for the Top 5 Monster TTRPGs to play.
In December, the MCDM TTRPG had a crowdfunding kick off and I have to say this is the game I am most excited for coming out in 2024 so expect a lot more written about it right here on this blog.
I had such a great time making my first Call of Cthulhu 7th edition scenario that I decided to do it again. This one is called Trouble on the Rock and is set on Alcatraz island just as the military prison is about to become a federal penitentiary. This is also just the first part as I intend to do two more in the On the Rock series. In February watch for the second in the series called Terror on the Rock. Just to be clear, these are related but stand alone scenarios so you don’t have to play one to enjoy the other. If you are into TTRPGs and like Call of Cthulhu it would be awesome if you could spread the word about it!
In 2024 you can expect more posts about how to play TTRPGs, more Top 5 lists, and definitely more scenarios, adventures etc written by yours truly!
Stories by Me
I definitely didn’t write as many short stories in 2023 as I intended to but I still got a few out.
In January I wrote Resolutions. Never try to grow tomatoes is my advice.
In February I wrote about Twenty Years of Walking Away and a story called Invasion. I also posted a story called Space Walk. That story actually first appeared in a collection called Flashbang! Volume II featuring a bunch of independent authors. I just wanted everyone to enjoy my story for free as well if they wished to.
In September I had another story featured in a collection called In a Flash. Again, it features a whole lot of independent authors and they are all flash fiction stories so it’s a nice small bite of fiction for when you don’t have a lot of time.
And as I said in the section above, I published my first two Call of Cthulhu 7th edition scenarios. These are not technically stories but they are written by me and I hope people enjoy them. I’m not trying to make anyone spend a dime on anything I write unless they want to but if you do, buying those scenarios is the best way currently to show your support for this blog.
In 2024 I definitely want to bring back my Flash Fiction Friday series and hopefully have a few good stories for you to read. I absolutely am not going to have one for every Friday of the year but I’ll do what I can!
I’m also working on a novel, but I’ll tell you more about that once I get to a point where I think it’s really worth sharing something. I’m not sure what all else I will get up to as far as writing goes this year but you can definitely expect more blog posts!
Heading into 2024
There are a lot of things I am excited for in the coming year and I hope you’ll decide to keep reading some of my posts whether you enjoy my fiction, my reviews of books and movies, my nerding out about Star Wars and Marvel and TTRPGs or all of the above. I hope everyone has an incredible 2024 and I wish all of you a Happy New Year!
Hey everyone, Slick Dungeon here. There has been a lot of activity in the TTRPG space this year. We’ve had everything from the OGL debacle at the beginning of the year to the launch of Candela Obscura by the people over at Critical Role and the launch of the new Marvel TTRPG. But, if I had to choose the one single thing I am most excited about in the TTRPG space right now, it’s the upcoming RPG from MCDM productions. And just today they have launched their fundraiser for the game on Backerkit. I just wanted to share with you all why I think this one is worth backing.
Let me start by saying, I almost never recommend backing a game that isn’t already released. There are so many problems with it from both the consumer and game developer side. But with MCDM I am making an exception. Why? Because they have a proven track record of delivering extremely high quality products reliably. And they are honest about their communication when things go wrong. On top of that, Matt Colville who runs MCDM has made a significant point of treating his people ethically and paying them a living wage. If any independent creator in TTRPG’s deserves to be funded, it’s them.
One might assume I am being paid to say this but I am not. I gladly recommend everything MCDM makes in the TTRPG space with confidence, no need for anyone to pay me to say that. Okay, maybe I don’t recommend the t-shirts and stuff like that but if you want ’em buy ’em. I have purchased their books, the Arcadia magazines and watched a lot of the MCDM videos. All of them have been fantastic at making the game I love to play better.
So, when it was announced MCDM would be making their own game I was intrigued. Of course, I could end up wrong and this whole thing might not be a good game but the first four words they came up with for the game seem to have just about everything I want in a TTRPG. Tactical heroic cinematic fantasy ticks all my boxes for a D&D like game which is not D&D. I’ll stick to other games for horror but for fantasy, I could see myself switching to this one on a regular basis.
I could go off on a huge blog post here about why this game is a good idea but I’m going to keep it short and give you a link where you can see Matt Colville give the long pitch. For me, there are three reasons to back this game.
It’s an alternate to D&D that is going through a vigorous testing process and I think it will only improve because of that.
The creators of the game are being treated fairly and ethically, not just as profit machines who can be replaced by AI.
It sounds as fun as hell and MCDM is going to have an open license for the game which will allow people to make stuff for it which will make it even better.
But, here’s the thing. We’ll only get the game if it gets backed. If you can’t afford it, I implore you not to spend any money on it because that helps no one. If, on the other hand, you are thinking about buying yet another supplemental D&D book, maybe back this game instead. You can get in for as low as $40 if you just want the game rules. You get more stuff the higher up you go on the tier levels so obviously spend what you think is right for you.
If this is backed, I’m certain we’ll be playing it by the end of the year in 2024. (albeit with playtest packets and not the full game)
If I have sold you on it, click this link to check it out and back it. If you still aren’t sold on it, maybe check out the video that goes with it and decide if it’s right for you.
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!
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.
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.
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 in a couple of ways.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
