I picked up the Marvel Multiverse Roleplaying Game playtest rulebook, as I like to keep an eye out for good superhero roleplaying games. This prelude has basic rules including d616 dice rolling system, actions, combat, making heroes, and a very short adventure. The full rulebook will be coming out in 2023.
The d616 is based on the fact that in the Marvel comics, Earth 616 is the regular Marvel comics universe. To make an ability check you roll three d6, one of which is a different colour than the other two (considered the Marvel die). The result of this die roll is the numbers on all three dice added to your total action modifier for the statistic you are using. A 1 on the Marvel die counts as a 6. If the result matches or beats the target number you succeed.
However, if you succeeded and the Marvel rolls a 1 and the other two are not 1's, you have made a fantastic result which is a "yes" success and something else beneficial, like an edge. If all three are 1's then it is a botched roll, which is a "no" and something bad happens. If the Marvel die is a 1 and the other two are 6's, then it is an ultimate fantastic result is achieved, which ignores any trouble. An edge means that you can reroll a die. Trouble means that the Narrator choses a die for you to reroll.
Edges and troubles can be given before the dice are rolled depending on your advantages and disadvantages at the moment. The greater of one of them cancels the others until you have a net number of edges or troubles.
The character making system is straightforward and variable. You, other players, and narrator decide on a maximum rank for the game with 1 being a new rookie, 5 would be a hero of a neighborhood, 10 a hero of a city, 15 a hero of a country, 20 a hero of the world, and 25 a hero of the universe. They recommend starting 5 ranks below what the narrator is looking at for a longer campaign.
Then you come up with a concept for you to build your hero. This will guide you when making decisions.
You then determine your archetype: they are blaster, bruiser, genius, polymath, protector, and striker. The archetype you choose determines ability score caps, action modifiers, defenses, fight and ranged damage, health, and focus.
Then you allocate your points for statistics, which are Might, Agility, Resilience, Vigilance, Ego, and Logic which amazingly spells MARVEL. Your cap on statistics is -4 to 4, the highest human limit but that limit will change with your archetype, traits, and powers. I recommend doing this last.
Now it is time to choose a backstory which is made up of your origin, profession, and additional traits. Origin can be alien, god, high tech, magic, mutant, special training, or weird science and these give you traits. Professions are what you do when not a hero and gives you extra traits. You then pick additional traits, depending on your rank. Traits are extra abilities or skills that can help or challenge you. If you pick a challenging trait, like Abrasive where you get trouble when making friendly Ego (persuasion) checks, if the player purposely puts themselves in situations where it comes up you get a karma point from the narrator. Karma gives you edges when you spend them but go away when you finish a game session.
Finally you choose your powers from power trees and/or utility powers. The higher your rank the more powers you choose and the greater number from power trees you can pick from. Most powers have prerequisites and some require a minimum rank level to get. The mixing and matching is fun.
Housekeeping is next where you determine your other final scores, like health (damage you can take), focus (mental fortitude), Karma (which gives you edges and is half your rank rounded up), Initiative, speed, fight damage, ranged damage, and size. These are determined by your statistics, traits, and powers.
I made a character using this system with a concept of a
Captain Scarlet kind of hero. Captain Scarlet is a character altered by alien entities called the Mysterions to be invulnerable via a "retrometobolization" process and mind controlled to do its bidding on Earth to harm the human race in retaliation for being attacked on Mars. In the computer animated version, the main character was freed from the mind control after being zapped by a special energy source but retained his invulnerability.
To Marvelize it, I decided he was changed by an entity Hydra obtained to be invulnerable and used as an agent until he was zapped by an SHIELD power source on a helicarrier when trying to sabotage it in flight. Rank level will be 5.
For archetype I choose polymath and choose resistance and vigilance cap to be increased to six. Origin is weird science, which gives me the weird trait (edge for ego checks for those that like me and trouble for those that do not, perhaps because of the process of retrometobolization). Profession is solder which gives me the traits battle ready, connections: military, and situational awareness. I then decided that he was a low level SHIELD agent which is why he was captured by HYDRA and transformed to be their sleeper agent. For additional traits I choose Fearless, because it was reduced due to the transformation, and combat expert, which gives an edge when in combat with rank 5 or less enemies.
At rank 5 I get five powers from up to two trees. From the Cybernetics tree I choose armour 1 and reinforced skeleton, which gives him overall damage reduction and additional damage reduction vs bashing. For utility powers I choose environmental protection, healing factor, and sturdy. These all give the basics for being really tough in battle, in particular hand to hand. I can see him diving in frount of teammates and taking hits so they can do what they do best.
For stats I get 18 points, which I allocate as follows: Might:2 Agility:2 Resistance:6 Vigilence:4 Ego:2 Logic:2.
Once he goes up in ranks, he can pick up more armour, increase resilience with traits, martial artist powers, and pick up some firearms powers to take the fight to the enemy better.
I am looking forward to the full rulebook and maybe playing some games.
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