Posted on by slickdungeon

Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game Combat Part 1

Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game by Matt Forbeck

Combat is essential in the Marvel Multivers Role-Playing Game. This post will be part 1 of a series breaking combat down into simple steps. Here we will cover ways to play, timing, sequence of play, positioning, initiative, taking turns, delaying turns and reserving actions. In the next post we’ll go over standard actions, reactions, movement actions, falling, and dealing damage. In the final combat post we’ll go over weapons, healing, conditions, team maneuvers, and objects.

If you want to see more about how to play the game, start here. The best resource will always be the core rule book for the game so definitely check that out.

What are ways to play the Marvel multiverse Role-Playing Game?

Like most role playing games, the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game involves a lot more than combat. There are always going to be conversations and actions revolving around the characters which don’t need to be adjudicated in any way. Going through a door? Well, if it’s unlocked, just open it. But, this is a super hero game we’re talking about. There is going to come a point in this game where conflicts become physical. This is the point when combat breaks out. When that happens there are rules to follow to make sure the game plays out fairly. But how you represent these rules can vary greatly. The book suggests several ways to play this game. If you have played Dungeons & Dragons you’ve probably played one of these ways.

Theater of the Mind

This method involves no extra setup. There are no maps or miniatures needed. The Narrator describes the situation, players describe what their characters do, and the scene plays out. Groups can and do use this method even for combat. However, for this game it can get tricky because there is no true way to measure what someone imagines in their own mind. This can be advantageous when playing online if you aren’t on a virtual tabletop.

Before combat breaks out I would say this is a perfectly valid method and the one you’ll use most often, even when using miniatures. But for this game in particular, I think having some form of physical representation of the combat is helpful whether that is online with a map on a screen or with miniatures on a physical map in person.

On a map

This is the opposite of theater of the mind. Here you rely on a map of some kind, usually with representations of characters, NPC’s and locations on the map. The neat thing about playing this way is there is a host of different kinds of maps to play on. You can use physical maps with grid lines. If you do, the core rule book gives you measurements to use for estimating distances and it even has rules for vertical movement. These can get a little tricky so we’ll go over those in a later post when we give some actual examples of combat.

You can also play on a physical map with miniatures and no grid. This feels a bit more realistic sometimes but there will be instances where you need to break out a ruler for measurement.

You can even just use a whiteboard or projector to put a tentative map on a screen and kind of estimate the action. There’s not a wrong way to use a map but do make sure whatever your group uses, the Narrator is consistent with the rules of how movement and actions work on that map.

On a virtual tabletop (VTT)

One of the most popular ways to play any TTRPG lately is on a virtual tabletop. There are several of these to choose from for Marvel’s role playing game. The most notable is Roll20. They have the core book, virtual character sheets, and all of the expansion books for the game. Of course, you will need to pay to access these materials. You could also just use Discord voice chat with your friends and play that way. Other VTT’s will probably support the game at some point but for now the main one is Roll20. If you live a long distance from your friends, or any of you have reasons you have to play from home rather than in a group, Roll20 can be a great option. Just be aware if you buy the physical books, you’ll still have to buy the VTT books on Roll20 to play the official version. You can, however, access the basic rules there for free.

Timing

When combat does break out, it is important to keep track of timing. The game tracks this through a series of rounds and turns. Each person in the fight has five seconds per round (in game time, not real time) to do something. There are some rules in the game which affect this timing based on things like powers or locations but in general, each person in the fight has five seconds of action time. Then the round starts again and each person gets another turn until the combat completes. Characters and NPCs can also sometimes take reactions but we’ll go over those in a future post. If you have ever played Dungeons & Dragons this system will feel quite familiar. Even if you have played a turn based RPG video game, you’ll likely catch on quickly.

Sequence of play

One of the things I find most helpful when combat breaks out in this game is to refer to the 6 steps of the sequence of play listed in the book. They are as follows.

  1. Determine positions.
  2. Roll initiative checks to determine the initiative order.
  3. Start a new round.
  4. Each character takes their turn in initiative order.
  5. If any combatants are still able and want to fight, go back up to step 3.
  6. Otherwise, the combat ends.

Once you reach step 6, the game usually goes back to more of a theater of mind state where characters can act a bit more freely.

Determine positions

Before getting into the thrill of the fight, you have to figure out where everyone is. In theater of the mind, this is more of a description where you’ll tell the Narrator about where your character is. If you’re using a map, you’ll put a marker of some kind (miniature or token or whatever) to signify the space your character is in. The Narrator will need to do the same for any NPCs involved in the combat. Before the fight starts, make sure everyone is in agreement about where the characters are but remember the Narrator has the final decision here.

Line of sight

Line of sight is what it sounds like. Can your character see a target in combat? Sometimes this is obvious like if you are having a fight out in an open field on a clear day. According to the core rules anything within 200 spaces is considered in line of sight. But, if there’s bad weather, it’s late at night, there are obstructions in the way, etc. this could be reduced by the narrator. If it’s not clear if the character has line of sight, the Narrator will call for a Vigilance check against a Target Number the Narrator assigns.

One thing to remember is, even though your character can see something, that doesn’t mean they are in reach to attack it. We can see the Hulk coming at us from a long way off but you might not be close enough to punch or even shoot him with an energy blast at 200 spaces.

Characters also block line of sight for other characters. Although, if The Punisher is on the ground and Ant-Man is in front of him in ant form, that’s not going to block Punisher’s line of sight. And if we add Storm to the mix and she’s flying, she probably has better line of sight than anyone on the ground. It will vary based on your character’s powers and position.

Characters may have Trouble against a target who has cover but can still be seen. This works the opposite way as well, so if you need to, make sure your character finds their own cover!

Earshot

This is similar to line of sight. Can your character hear what someone is saying? That’s going to be easier in a quiet library than it will in a wind tunnel. It’s also easier to hear the Hulk than it is to hear a shrunken Ant-Man. Anytime it’s unclear if a character is within earshot, the Narrator will have you make a Vigilance check against a Target Number.

I don’t find earshot to come up a lot but it might depend on the character you play. Daredevil has pretty good hearing compared to everyone else. But that will be impacted by sudden loud sounds right next to his ears. Unless you are playing a character like Daredevil, this won’t come up a ton.

Range

There are powers in the game that have a range. The power should list this for you and it will be on your character sheet once you have filled it out. Attacks within the range are normal, you just roll the check like you do for any other attack. If you are trying to hit something up to double this range you have Trouble when making the check. Anything beyond double range is impossible.

I sometimes find ranges a little tricky (not just in this game either), so I am going to quote an example directly from the book, found on page 27.

“For example, if the range is 20 spaces, attacks at targets within 20 spaces are treated normally. From 21 to 40 spaces, they have trouble. Beyond that, the attack can’t be made.”

Once you’ve done this a few times in your game, you’ll catch on.

Initiative

Once you have everyone in position, and you know where the lines of sight and earshot are, it’s time to figure out who takes what turn. To do this, the players will roll an initiative check. You roll your d616 and then add your Initiative Modifier. This should be on your character sheet.

Players roll for their characters but Narrators roll for the NPCs. The book suggests if there is a large group of identical combatants, the Narrator can make a single roll for the group and have each member in that group act on the same initiative number in whatever order the Narrator wants. This is beneficial and saves time but if there is an overwhelming number of NPC combatants, it can lead to a long turn for the Narrator.

Once the players and Narrator have made their initiative checks, the Narrator puts them all in order from highest initiative to lowest.

But what about ties? Here’s where it can get a little complicated. For a tie, if one of the combatants got a Fantastic result, they go first. If neither or both got a Fantastic result, the combatant with the highest Initiative Modifier goes first. If those are tied and it’s between a player and an NPC, the player wins. However, if the tie is between players, they can decide how to break the tie (often times this just means talking to one another about what makes the most sense) or they can roll off and whoever gets the highest result goes first between the two.

Bonus round

If you get a Fantastic result on your initiative check, you get to participate in the sweet, sweet bonus round! Players and NPCs in this round basically get to take a turn before everyone else who did not get a Fantastic result. It’s hugely to your advantage as a player to have high initiative with a Fantastic result because there is a good chance you’ll be able to land the first blow. But on the other hand, if NPCs end up with high initiative, they’ll get to get a jab in first. Narrators, don’t forget to check this as this is something that can be easily missed when combat starts.

Surprise

There are circumstances where someone in a combat can be surprised. This will be determined by the Narrator. An obvious example is when someone is invisible. Those characters are going to surprise a combatant in most situations. When this happens to a character, they are surprised. In this instance the character has Trouble on their initiative check if it is before the combat begins. Think sneaking up on someone. This can either be the players or the NPCs. Anyone who is surprised can’t participate in the bonus round.

When a character is surprised later in combat, the character who causes the surprise gets an Edge on their next attack. Characters like the Invisible Woman can do this often to great effect and sometimes turn a combat around just through this element of surprise.

Taking turns

Once the initiative order is figured out and we know who is surprised and who is in the bonus round, it’s finally time to take turns. What can you do on a turn? In general there will be two types of actions which can be done. A standard action and a movement action. Characters can perform their standard action first (often this is an attack), their movement first, or they can do some movement, make the standard action, and then continue with their movement. As a player in TTRPGs one of my weaknesses is forgetting to complete my movement so make sure you pay close attention to how much movement you have used.

We’ll go more in depth into standard and movement actions in the next post.

Your character doesn’t have to take an action at all if you don’t want them to. Not usually recommended in a fight though. And there are other things your character can usually do that may not be considered a standard action. Like speaking or reading a sign or maybe pulling on your mask real quick. The Narrator will tell you if what you are trying to do requires a standard action. Anything that requires an Action Check would be considered an action.

Reactions

Each round of combat, characters also get a reaction. This doesn’t have to happen in initiative order but it is usually a response to a trigger of some kind. Once the reaction finishes, the round goes back to initiative order and the character has no more reactions until the next round. A character’s reaction can interrupt another character’s reaction. This can get a bit fuzzy so the Narrator needs to keep close track of things when this happens.

Delaying turns

There can be some instances where you want to wait to act. There are two basic ways to do this, holding a turn, or reserving an action.

Holding a turn

To hold a turn, a player voluntarily reduces their initiative check number. The player can either state what the new number is immediately, or they can leave it secret until they decide to take their turn. Narrators may have rules against this so make sure they are on board here. A held turn can’t interrupt a character’s turn. Once the held turn happens, the character’s initiative becomes the new, reduced number. If you hold for a full round and end up going before you would have with your original initiative check, your new initiative may be higher than it was originally. Either way, the new number is your initiative for the remainder of the combat. You won’t be able to take two turns in a round, no matter how you hold your action. And you don’t get the time back from holding. If two characters are holding and want to act at the same time, the one who started holding first goes first.

Reserving actions

Rather than holding a turn, a player can reserve an action. To do this you’ll typically use a standard action your character could perform but as a reaction when some event happens. The example given in the book is Captain America hiding in a corner out of sight, and waiting to punch the next Hydra agent who comes around the corner.

When this gets really tricky is when there are multiple characters reserving actions. For this, a new initiative order is rolled, but only for this sequence of actions. There’s no bonus round here and after the reactions are complete, the initial initiative order resumes.

In Conclusion

Combat is a huge part of this game. It can often take up the bulk of play since heroes and villains do have a tendency to fight. I tried to break this down into understandable components but you can find the full rules for combat in Chapter 4 pages 25 – 42 in the core rule book.

In many TTRPGs combat is one of the most complex parts of the game. In Dungeons & Dragons it’s roughly a third of the rule book. Once you play a few times, you and your group will get a hang of the flow of the action and it will soon feel natural. You’ll still need to check rules on occasion but you’ll learn something each time you do.

There are more rules to combat to understand. My next two posts in this series will continue with combat but after that we’ll create a character.

Thanks for reading and if you want to grab a hold of the character sheet, you can download it for free right here!

Posted on by slickdungeon

Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game Character Profiles

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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!

Posted on by slickdungeon · 1 Comment

Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game Core Mechanics Explained

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.

  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 $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.
  3. 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.
  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 $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.

  1. You could buy the Core Rulebook, the 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 $100. 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 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.
Posted on by slickdungeon · 3 Comments

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 · 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 · 3 Comments

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!