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More like a set of well organized campaign notes than a typical "module" or classical dungeon. Civil War premium edition contains everything you need to run the Civil War story line through your groups own personal "what if" scenario. Very little of it is hard wired, most events don't hinge on particular Heroes belonging to one side or the other. It is more of a story arc outline but with suggestions for heroes for each side.
The only thing I would suggest is that you read through the entire plot for all acts before begining play to make sure you help guide the story in the best possible way, and allow you to foreshadow future events if possible (you never really know what your players will do)
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All pre-written adventures should be written like this. This book is a wonderful example of what adventure supplements can be, and it's wonderful!
The Civil War supplement for Marvel Heroic Roleplaying followed the Civil War story in the Marvel comics. I'm not a Marvel Comics fan (as in, I don't read the comics) and, if you're not either, that shouldn't deter you from picking up this book.
This Premium version of the Civil War also contains the Operations Manual. Since I have the Basic Game and have read that quite a bit, I didn't do a complete read-through of the OM as included in this book. I did skim the pages and it seems to be the exact same book, although, according to a couple forum posts I've read, there were some very minor changes to some areas of the text to clarify some of the confusing things that came to light after the Basic Game was released.
The Civil War Event consists of three different Acts. The Acts take your group through the period just before the law, as the law passes, and the aftermath of the law. There's so much wonderful goodness contained in the book! I'll try and tell you what's in there without giving anything away.
In this Event, the US Government, and other governments around the world, start out debating a law that requires superhumans to register with their government. Superheroes are going to have an opinion of this, whether they're for it, against it, or just don't care either way. The wonderful thing about the way this Event is written is that, not everyone has to be on the same side! At the beginning, this will likely cause some strife between the characters, but it probably won't come to blows.
Then, during Act II, the heroes must pick a side, because if they don't, the powers that be will interpret their non-choice as a choice. Again, this section has lots of notes on how to play the Event from either side; whether you're running from the law, or chasing down the rebels.
Act III is the culmination of the Event and has got so much explosive awesomeness that I can't even pick an item to talk about!
The Event also includes lots of new Datafiles for popular heroes. I really liked seeing the Punisher and Deadpool in there.
The part that gets me so excited about this Event is the discussion on how each side would view and react in each scene described. It's a list of possibilities and I can see story threads stretching out to an infinite horizon. There's so much to do, so many possibilities and this is an excellent launchpad for any Marvel story.
http://sharkbonegames.com/sharkbonecast/2012/06/mhr-civi
l-war-premium-review/
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Civil War (Essentials)
A Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game Supplement
by Margaret Weis Productions
Civil War is the first supplement for the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game. It details the events and characters involved in the crossover event that occurred across a number of comic lines within the Marvel Universe. The Essentials version covers only the Civil War, and does not have the rules presented in the MHRG rulebook.
Disclosure: I was given a review copy of the game by Margaret Weis Productions.
Civil War is a campaign, supplement, covering the entire Civil War story arc, and is expected to run for months or more. The book for the most part is a game master resource and is not for player use. The first section discusses the event itself, and breaks it down into three acts. Each act covers a section of the Civil War, from the leadup to the Superhuman Registration act, to the enforcement of the act itself, to the aftermath itself. This is a major campaign, and the aftermath of the Civil War can lead to major changes if you are using it as part of a more personal campaign. The status quo of the setting can be shifted significantly.
New rules are introduced to the game. Advanced Troupe Play is used to provide players with the ability to have an arsenal of characters under their control. Rather than having XP given to each character, each player gathers Experience Points, which can be used on any characters he controls. This allows the player the freedom to switch characters between events or sessions, without having any character hindered because of it. This is also useful if you want to explore both sides of the Civil War - some heroes can be on the side of the registration act, while others may be against it, and players can use characters on either side of the act over the course of the campaign.
More depth is provided on Scene Distinctions and Complications. The game master can set a number of Distinctions on a scene, allowing them to be used either by the heroes or their enemies. These act as normal Distinctions, and the game master is allowed to add new ones to a scene by spending a d8 or better from the Doom Pool, increasing the ante in the scene to hinder the characters. In addition, the game master is reminded that villains can use effect dice to do things other than target heroes. These dice can create Complications, forcing a hero to make tough decisions during a scene. Characters can act to reduce the Complications or remove a Distinction from a scene. Suggestions are also made on how to make such things interactive, allowing heroes and NPCs to spend PP to gain new tricks.
Next, the chapter discusses what happens when heroes battle one another. This can get very personal, and the rules discuss how the game master should arbitrate such conflicts. There are suggestions on defeating opponents without inflicting stress or trauma, allowing the player characters to battle one another witching having to cripple potential allies and friends.
NPCs and 'Specialty Characters' are discussed next. In the Civil War, there are a number of forces at play, and the game suggests that players should be allowed to play specialty NPCs who are allied with their characters. If you have a PC who is a member of SHIELD, then it can be expected that the player can also handle the SHIELD Agents that are working under him. These can be used as normal NPCs, or can act as a persistent Asset (providing a die bonus to the character they are supporting).
Personal Opinion: These rules are helpful, but not essential, to running the Civil War. Some of these are just reminders of rules which may be easily overlooked from the main rules, while others are just solid ideas for making the game run more smoothly.
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The next Chapter discusses how some mechanics interact with the Civil War. The first thing discussed is the Super Human Registration Act, and why someone would be on one side of the Act or another. It discusses what is at stake, and how things may play out if the Act passes or fails. It is not a given that the Act would pass or fail, the option is placed in the hands of the game master and the players, depending on what kind of story you want to tell.
This chapter has a number of milestones - 12 are prevented right at the opening, detailing different aspects of the Civil War, and provides options for the players, to help them invest their characters in the campaign. A few of these milestones are presented as either pro- or con- SHRA, but there are a number of milestones which can be used by either side.
Next, the supplement discusses the factions that are involved in the Civil War. Atlantis, SHIELD, Hydra, A.I.M., Wakanda, and the Illuminati are all detailed, with NPCs, milestones, and unlockables that the players can invest in to gain an advantage with one faction or another. On top of these factions, there are other forces in play - the media. Characters can ally with the media (the Daily Bugle and the Alternative are provided as examples), and can gain allies, unlockables, and milestones related to the media to help further their cause.
Locations are provided, with Distinctions associated with them. These are useful for helping to flesh out a scene, and provide the heroes and their opponents with opportunities within the scene. A number of key locations are listed, as well as alternate suggestions that can be used in the game for those who are unfamiliar with New York and Washington DC.
Personal Opinion: There is a lot of crunch here, providing the game master with the many forces that are at play during the Civil War. The write-ups look good, and providing the players with unlockables and milestones gives the players an investment in the campaign. A very solid chapter.
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The next three chapters detail the campaign. They discuss important scenes and how these scenes are broken down, along with important hooks for these scenes. Important NPCs and enemies are presented, and options are given for alternatives in how the scenes can play out or how you can tailor the scene for specific characters or events.
Personal Opinion: The way that the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game plays out is different than many other roleplaying games. The breakdown between action scenes and transition scenes flows differently than many other games. Action scenes are where a lot of the conflicts and dice rolls are used, while transition scenes act as links where characters can roleplay and players can catch their breath. While these breakdowns may seem artificial, the point is to give the players the feel of a comic book, where every scene has a point, helping to further the story, rather than providing a more natural flow. I can't judge whether this is good or bad, just that it is significantly different. As a new game master to MHRG, I need to find my own rhythm, and I have not had the experience to run in this fashion.
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The next chapter deals with NPCs, covering those who would be encountered by the players over the course of the event. Many of these may be allies or enemies - it really depends on the characters and what side they are on. These NPCs are minor characters, but can be used as PCs to provide greater challenge, or could be possibly unlocked as allies for the players during the course of the campaign.
The following chapter deals with the core heroes, the big players in the game. Two are unlockable -- Namor the Sub Mariner and the Black Panther. These two characters are rulers of nations in their own right, and thus are unavailable as PCs 'out of the box'. Everyone else, however, are potential PCs, and are designed in that fashion. Of course, players don't need to play these individuals, they can make their own characters if they wish, but there are an enormous number of characters fleshed out for player use.
Personal Opinion: I kind of wish the Hulk had been listed here, but he wasn't around in the Civil War (having been launched into space...). Still, there are a number of characters, including some I've never heard of before. Combine this with the heroes and villains presented in the actual Civil War chapters (such as Doctor Doom), and you find yourself with more than enough characters to handle the Event and more to come later.
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Final Opinion: This is a solid sourcebook. Not only is it a campaign, it is also a hero guide. One thing I have to say about this is that writing up supplement books in this fashion is a good idea. The NPCs and heroes presented are listed as they were in the Event, and if another Event is done, the NPCs and heroes can be presented with altered traits to match the Event as well, showing how characters shift and evolve over time. This also means that, while you may have redundant character sheets, you also do not need to worry about any specific character being 'dated' by changes in canon continuity. Pick the version you are most comfortable with, and enjoy yourselves. The sourcebook overall impresses me, and I think it has been laid out in a logical fashion. I recommend this book as an excellent example of how to set up a long-term campaign using the Heroic Roleplaying System, and provides enough PCs and NPCs for the game master to use in other Events or in their own campaigns.
Base: 10
Layout: 8/10 Good use of space, well organized, good text size.
Art: 8/10 Recycled from comics, but good choice of artwork.
Coolness: 9/10 Cool concept, excellent ideas.
Readability: 8/10 Easy to read, well organized, flows nicely.
Base: 10
Content: 9/10 Almost completely a GM's book, but filled with useful information and tips, NPCs, suggestions, and aids to make for an excellent campaign.
Text: 9/10 Good font size, easy to follow, useful charts and margin notes.
Fun: 9/10 A very good adventure, and an excellent introduction to Marvel.
Workmanship: 9/10 It is quite obvious that thought was put into this game, with an eye on the players.
System: 9/10 A very solid system, able to handle quite a lot.
Total: 89%
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Which side will your players choose in the clash between heroes for and against the Superhuman Registration Act? Whether your group wants to join Iron Man in enforcing the law, or to join Captain America in standing up for individual freedom, you’ll find plenty of depth in the Civil War Event Book for compelling gameplay. The book even provides a new option called “troupe play” to enable players to run multiple characters, perhaps even on opposite sides of a conflict—and no other recent comics event has been more ideal for promoting player vs. player combat.
The event book lays out the events of the superhero civil war in three acts: “Road to Civil War” (the SHRA passes at the end of this event), “Registration,” and “Rocket’s Red Glare.” Each act includes multiple action and transition scenes, with great role-playing and combat/action opportunities for heroes on both sides of the SHRA debate. The presence of other opportunistic factions like AIM, Hydra, Atlantis, and Wakanda complicate matters, of course.
Thirty-two superhero datafiles appear in the “Hero Datafiles” section of the book. Comparing the versions of heroes that appear both here and in the basic game gives a great sense of how the MHR game can treat “snapshots” of heroes at different points in their careers. Shorter datafiles for various allies and enemies—which, in this event, are terms at least partially relative to which side of the SHRA you’re on—appear throughout the book at opportune moments. Fortunately, there’s a complete index to the datafiles at the end of the event book, so you can easily find the various supervillains and supporting cast wherever they appear.
You can buy the Civil War Event Book in “essentials” and “premium” flavors. The only difference is that the premium edition includes the Operations Manual, for those who don’t already own the basic game.
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Which side will your players choose in the clash between heroes for and against the Superhuman Registration Act? Whether your group wants to join Iron Man in enforcing the law, or to join Captain America in standing up for individual freedom, you’ll find plenty of depth in the Civil War Event Book for compelling gameplay. The book even provides a new option called “troupe play” to enable players to run multiple characters, perhaps even on opposite sides of a conflict—and no other recent comics event has been more ideal for promoting player vs. player combat.
The event book lays out the events of the superhero civil war in three acts: “Road to Civil War” (the SHRA passes at the end of this event), “Registration,” and “Rocket’s Red Glare.” Each act includes multiple action and transition scenes, with great role-playing and combat/action opportunities for heroes on both sides of the SHRA debate. The presence of other opportunistic factions like AIM, Hydra, Atlantis, and Wakanda complicate matters, of course.
Thirty-two superhero datafiles appear in the “Hero Datafiles” section of the book. Comparing the versions of heroes that appear both here and in the basic game gives a great sense of how the MHR game can treat “snapshots” of heroes at different points in their careers. Shorter datafiles for various allies and enemies—which, in this event, are terms at least partially relative to which side of the SHRA you’re on—appear throughout the book at opportune moments. Fortunately, there’s a complete index to the datafiles at the end of the event book, so you can easily find the various supervillains and supporting cast wherever they appear.
You can buy the Civil War Event Book in “essentials” and “premium” flavors. The only difference is that the premium edition includes the Operations Manual, for those who don’t already own the basic game.
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There are two versions of this event, so be careful which one you pick up.
-- If you already have the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Book, then pick up the Essentials Edition. It contains only the additional rules for the Event and the Event material itself.
-- If you don't have the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Book, then pick up the Premium Edition. It contains the Rules Event-specific rules Event material itself.
ADDITIONS TO THE OPERATIONS MANUAL
If you already have the Basic RPG, this is mostly the same material (allegedly with minor modifications and typo fixes -- stuff I haven't actually seen yet). However, there is a random character generation option included in this version. I've heard online that the generator is also available on the publisher's site, though I haven't confirmed it yet.
NEW RULES
The most interesting rules for this event for me are: Resolving Hero vs. Hero conflicts and Troupe Play.
Hero vs. Hero: interesting because the Civil War event does pit heroes against one another (and villains too), and while some of the rules can be chalked up to extrapolations of the framework already established, it's nice to see it stated outright -- particularly for touchy issues like having one player inflict a crippling complication on another player's character.
Troupe Play: interesting because it allows players to play more than one Hero in the course of this epic event -- important if a character is imprisoned or sidelined by injury. It also posits the option of pooling XP (wherein a player earns XP for the event instead of that player's Heroes), so that key elements of the scenes, storylines, and heroes might be unlocked regardless of the status of any one Hero.
THE EVENT PROPER
The book gives a good overview of the Civil War conflict, as well as detail on the factions involved, the key players, and locations and battlefronts that the conflict unfolds on.
In three Acts, the Civil War event is detailed with the recommended sequence of scenes and information on the recommended action and transition scenes for each. There is enough information to run each scene, though I do find myself wanting to pick up the comic books (given the immense amount of backhistory for a lot of the characters) to determine possible reactions of each one in a given scene. There is also space or leeway given to really spin the Event down different paths other than the ones in the official Marvel Universe timeline -- and I'll avoid spoilers here for those who never bothered to pick up all the comics in this mega-crossover event. There's a lovely bibliography in the back if you're interested.
HERO DATAFILES
32 hero datafiles in the Civil War sourcebook, with an Index that indicates where all the datafiles for the movers and shakers in the Event can be found in either the Basic Book or the Event Sourcebook -- with some of them (like Clint Barton) reflecting the various character changes and roles they played in the entire war.
Excellent material for this widescreen, multi-location, multi-front event.
SUMMARY
Overall, the book really does make me want to get a group together to play out different factions simultaneously to put our own stamp on the Marvel Universe -- perhaps with our own characters or with key players in the event acting the way we feel they should have acted. And that's big praise from someone who really dismissed the entire event when it unfolded in comics as flawed (at best). This tome makes it engaging enough for me to want to be in the event proper and make things turn out differently, hopefully better.
(this review also appears on my blog -- armchairgamer.blogspot.com)
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There are two versions of this event, so be careful which one you pick up.
-- If you already have the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Book, then pick up the Essentials Edition. It contains only the additional rules for the Event and the Event material itself.
-- If you don't have the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Book, then pick up the Premium Edition. It contains the Rules Event-specific rules Event material itself.
NEW RULES
The most interesting rules for this event for me are: Resolving Hero vs. Hero conflicts and Troupe Play.
Hero vs. Hero: interesting because the Civil War event does pit heroes against one another (and villains too), and while some of the rules can be chalked up to extrapolations of the framework already established, it's nice to see it stated outright -- particularly for touchy issues like having one player inflict a crippling complication on another player's character.
Troupe Play: interesting because it allows players to play more than one Hero in the course of this epic event -- important if a character is imprisoned or sidelined by injury. It also posits the option of pooling XP (wherein a player earns XP for the event instead of that player's Heroes), so that key elements of the scenes, storylines, and heroes might be unlocked regardless of the status of any one Hero.
THE EVENT PROPER
The book gives a good overview of the Civil War conflict, as well as detail on the factions involved, the key players, and locations and battlefronts that the conflict unfolds on.
In three Acts, the Civil War event is detailed with the recommended sequence of scenes and information on the recommended action and transition scenes for each. There is enough information to run each scene, though I do find myself wanting to pick up the comic books (given the immense amount of backhistory for a lot of the characters) to determine possible reactions of each one in a given scene. There is also space or leeway given to really spin the Event down different paths other than the ones in the official Marvel Universe timeline -- and I'll avoid spoilers here for those who never bothered to pick up all the comics in this mega-crossover event. There's a lovely bibliography in the back if you're interested.
HERO DATAFILES
32 hero datafiles in the Civil War sourcebook, with an Index that indicates where all the datafiles for the movers and shakers in the Event can be found in either the Basic Book or the Event Sourcebook -- with some of them (like Clint Barton) reflecting the various character changes and roles they played in the entire war.
Excellent material for this widescreen, multi-location, multi-front event.
SUMMARY
Overall, the book really does make me want to get a group together to play out different factions simultaneously to put our own stamp on the Marvel Universe -- perhaps with our own characters or with key players in the event acting the way we feel they should have acted. And that's big praise from someone who really dismissed the entire event when it unfolded in comics as flawed (at best). This tome makes it engaging enough for me to want to be in the event proper and make things turn out differently, hopefully better.
(this review also appears on my blog -- armchairgamer.blogspot.com)
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Civil War is an Event for four to six players and may take up to six months to play. The Event consists of three acts, with several scenes each (Buildup and Key Scenes, which consist of Action and Transition Scenes). In addition to scenes, the event has optional rules for troupe play, optional rules improving scene distinctions and complications, and a sourcebook. The Premium edition includes the Operations Manual, which is the game system rulebook also available in the Basic Game book.
Operations Manual: As said, this is the same OM as the Basic book. However, a random character generator, has been included. The random character generator, and an example of play, are also available on the publisher's website. If you have an iPad, I highly recommend the Premium edition over the Essentials version, which does not come with the OM. The additional cost for the OM is only six dollars on DriveThruRPG.
The scenes themselves are each only a few pages long. Rather than specific details, the description is more of an overview, pointing out various important scene and datafile distinctions. That's certainly enough to play and enjoy a scene. Including the scene distinctions is a nudge up from the Basic Game's Breakout scenes, which only mentioned datafile distinctions. Watcher character datafiles (ie. villains and their agents) are included with a scene, as is advice in running these characters. Advice is also provided if players wish to pursue the scene further. The datafiles of characters in the scene and some of the scenes will be very useful in your own events, although no index is provided if you want to quickly find this information. If you haven't already purchased the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game, go ahead and purchase the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying: Civil War Event Book (Premium Edition). The Premium Edition's scenes are better written and the variety of scenes will be useful as models for your own adventures.
Troupe Play: The scope of Civil War is much larger than any individual hero. The optional Troupe Play rules allow players to play different heroes throughout the event. Basically, the troupe play rule is that all XP are granted to the player, not the individual heroes being played. Further discussion is made for advanced troupe play, such as players who want to play heroes on either side of the registration act.
Scene Distinctions and Complications: This optional rule makes Scene Distinctions have more impact on a scene. A player may now add a Scene Distinction *and* a character Distinction to his dice pool for free, so long as one is a d4 and the other a d8. The Watcher may turn a Scene Distinction into a complication by spending a die from the dice pool (eg. The Pro-Registration Protestors starts as a Scene Distinction. The Watcher spends a D10 from the Doom Pool to change this into a D10 complication).
Civil War Sourcebook: While oriented towards the Civil War, the sourcebook section has information that is likely to be used for any Marvel event. Each location or faction has a short write up, datafiles for notable characters and agents, and sometimes Unlockables and Milestones. Marvel factions are AIM, Hydra, Illuminati, and SHIELD. Key Marvel New York locations include the Daily Bugle, Avengers Mansion Ruins, Baxter Building, Ryker's Island, and landmarks of New York. Fiction Marvel locations are Atlantis and Wakanda.
Friends and Foes (watcher characters): This section has additional datafiles for addtional Marvel allies and villains. Notable ones in this and the scenes include Dr. Doom, Green Goblin, Venom, New Thunderbolts, Nick Fury, Black Widow, and AIM, Hydra, and SHIELD agents. Notes are included to upgrade them to player characters. In addition to the hero datafiles, Civil War has datafiles about forty villains and heroes. With the forty-some villains in the Basic Game's Breakout event, your heroes should be pretty busy!
Hero Datafiles (pregenerated characters): Arachne, Black Panther, Cable, Captain America, Clint Barton, Cloak, Dagger, Daredevil (Daniel Thomas), Deadpool, Doctor Strange, Falcon, Goliath, Hercules, Human Torch, Invisible Woman, Iron Man, Luke Cage, Mister Fantastic, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, Nighthawk, Punisher, She-Hulk, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Sub-Mariner, Thing, Tigra, Wasp, Wolverine, Wonder Man, Yellowjacket.
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Everything you need to play the Civil War Event, plus a bunch of characters and ideas for what if´s.
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What I liked:
It has a good action/dice system. Mechanically, I feel this game is very solid. That, and I noticed Jeff Grubb in the forward and Matt Forbeck's name in the design credits. Forbeck is one of my absolute favorite writers/game designers.
The book delivers exactly what it says in the blurb on the back cover (page 2 of the pdf) with one exception. You get an awesome set of rules. The rules cover most situations in the Marvel Universe. You get a really great adventure! The Event system seems like it's going to work very well in the future if this first round is any example. It has a really outstanding set of datafiles. The character coverage is superb for the characters that were included.
Here's the exception: "When dozens of villains are sprung from the maximum-maximum security prison known as the Raft, who's going to stop them? You are." This statement was featured prominently in much of the advertising I've seen for this book as well as on the back cover. One of the first things I expected to see in this book was a large section entitled "Character Creation." I was very disappointed when I didn't see it.
I've played several superhero rpg's over the years. The absolute top of my list, the first rpg I ever played, TSR's old Marvel Superheroes RPG. The Advanced Set and The Ultimate Powers Book are still to this day, 28 years later, one of my favorite parts of my gaming collection. I was so very excited when I saw this new incarnation of Marvel, being led by a TSR alum. I expected to see more creativity encouraged in this book.
Now, back in the original Marvel RPG days, when you picked up a module, you had the option of playing a pre-existing Marvel character included with the module or you could play one you made yourself. Yeah, it's cool to play Cap, Wolvie, Thing, Spidey or even the Hulk, but what made Marvel, and makes most rpg's special, is playing a character you created yourself. I'm concerned for the success of this book and this product line because I think players are more in their comfort zone with a character they came up with on their own. There are a lot of other games out there from other companies that don't have the advantage of a rich, fully (overly) developed universe, setting, and pre-existing characters. I don't feel the new Marvel encourages me to make a character of my own.
The only other drawback I see to this game, and it's minor, is the lack of pregenerated characters. I realize the characters given are for the event. We are told other events will have other characters. A superhero rpg lives and dies by the characters. Again, with Marvel, the advantage is a gigantic catalog of pre-existing heroes and villains with rich story lines and backgrounds already written.
In the future, I'd like to see stats for the Incredible Hulk, the Mighty Thor, and Hawkeye. The villain stats I'd like to see comprise a much, much larger list. I don't know if I have the patience to wait five or six events down the road to have stats for Dr Doom, Magneto, Red Skull or Ultron.
I'd also like to see a slight escalation of power levels. They've done a great job carrying the more "human" characters like Cap and Spidey. The system seems really well-suited to them I noticed it seems like the designers are carefully avoiding things with really huge power levels, which is maybe why Thor hasn't made an appearance yet. I'll be curious to see how something scary-huge like Galactus is handled.
The best thing this game line could do in the future is put out two books- one with Hero Datafiles and one with Villain Datafiles. That, or I'm hoping the "Advanced Rules," since this is listed as the Basic set, will start with character creation and focus on player-generated heroes, with the old Marvel iconic characters available on the side. Maybe they'll even pave the way for a book that details powers, sfx and an increased power level in sort of an "Ultimate" way.
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I've had the Cortex core rules for a while now, and on the whole I like it. The basic mechanics are simple and very flexible--so it's easy to improvise in play, and very hackable outside play. Each attribute, skill, and trait is rated as a die size (d4, d8, etc.). When you attempt anything, you take the dice from each attribute, skill, and trait that applies, and roll them; add up the results, and compare the total to a target difficulty number, or to an opposing roll.
The "feel" of Cortex is a well-balanced mix of system light traditional play, and more of a story game approach. In particular, the character complications (disadvantages) and plot points form a powerful mechanic, similar to Aspects in FATE, which rewards both good roleplaying, and creative, player-driven plot input.
The core rules themselves are fairly bare (basically just traits, skills, and combat), although the book features a "Special Effects" section about adding Magic, Psychic powers, Cybernetics, and "Meta Powers" to the game. This is quite helpful for customizing it into the game you want.
If I have any complaints about this book, it's only these two:
1) the combat rules are actually a bit clunkier than I'd like for an otherwise very straight-forward game; for example, four types of physical damage, and a grappling rule I found difficult to decipher.
2) It's not very well supported. They avoided any sort of economy or extended equipment section in this book, and the Special Effects (magic, etc.) rules are really only short sketches of what's possible. To their credit, they are very upfront about this. Still, in a perfect world, I'd have liked to see some published supplements or a few genre books to support the core rules. You can import a few things from other Cortex products, like Serenity or BSG, but that only goes so far, depending on the game you're trying to run.
Case in point, in only a few days I'll be starting a new Cyberpunk genre game, and I've spent most of my free time for the past couple of months just putting together proper Martial Arts rules and an Equipment section--and in fact, I'm wasting precious time writing this review, because I'm not even close to done yet.
So, to sum up, the Cortex core rules aren't so much a great game, as they are a good kernel or framework for a great game. Lots of fun for aspiring system hackers, world-builders, and players who like some story game elements in their games, but not as well supported as some other generic games out there, if all you want to do is jump in and play.
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German Review of www.rollenspiel-almanach.de
Ich brüte mal wieder über den Anfang der Rezension. Man könnte ausholen über das Comic-Fandom. Man könnte von der The Avengers-Verfilmung überleiten. Aber eigentlich braucht man nicht viel zu sagen, oder?
Superhelden sind nicht erst interessant, seit Hollywood sie fürs breite Publikum entdeckt hat. Ob man nun früher Comics gelesen hat oder nur die Filme kennt, als Rollenspieler ist es nicht ungewöhnlich über die eine oder andere regeltechnische Umsetzung des Verkörperns von Superhelden gestolpert zu sein.
Etwas, das die Leser so sehr fasziniert wie die Superhelden, reizt auch es im Rollenspiel zu versuchen. Und bisher gab es schon einige Umsetzungen. Wie Champions von HERO System, in dem man seine eigenen Superhelden erschaffen kann. Oder Mutants and Masterminds, welches unter anderem die Möglichkeit bietet im DC Universum zu spielen. Oder das alte Marvel Super Heroes Role-Playing Game von TSR, in dem man eben jene Helden spielen konnte, die in den letzten Jahren ja auch so viele Filmumsetzungen erlebt haben.
Es ist wohl auch kein Zufall, rein marketingtechnisch, dass genau in diesem Jahr, pünktlich um den Filmstart von The Avengers herum, ein neues Lizenz-Rollenspiel für das Marvel-Universum herausgekommen ist.
Wirklich geschickt. Aber noch viel besser daran ist, dass dieses neue Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game aus dem Hause Margaret Weis Productions auch wirklich was drauf hat.
Ich gebe zu, ich habe bisher keine anderen Superhelden-System gespielt. Auch wenn mich Truth & Justice allein wegen dem PDQ-System reizen würde. Champions, bzw. HERO System ist mir zu komplex. Über Mutants and Masterminds weiß ich nicht wirklich viel, aber wie erwähnt könnte man damit im DC Universum spielen - und ich muss zugeben, derzeit finde ich das Marvel-Universum ansprechender.
Zurück zum vorliegenden neuen Rollenspiel.Es war zuerst als pdf erhältlich, in dieser Form habe ich es auch begonnen zu lesen. Da es mir wirklich gut gefallen hat, war ich froh, dass die gedruckte Form schließlich auch recht einfach über amazon oder bookdepository zu erhalten war.
Zu beiden Erscheinungsformen sage ich zum Schluss noch ein paar Worte.
Wieder zurück zum Regelwerk selbst – es basiert grundlegend auf dem Cortex plus System, welches wiederum eine Weiterentwicklung von Cortex ist. Der Verlag MWP hat bisher viele Linzenz-Setting für Rollenspielsysteme genutzt, aber immer mit Cortex oder Cortex plus.
Wo Cortex plus drauf aufsteht, ist auch Cortex plus drin – nur ist es nicht jedes Mal das genau gleiche System. Im Gegenteil, Cortex plus wird immer ans Setting angepasst und so bleibt zwar wohl das Würfelsystem gleich, darüber hinaus sind aber deutliche Unterschiede da.
Leider, wie gesagt, kann ich das nicht genauer Ausführen, denn bisher habe ich noch keine der anderen Variationen wie z.B. Leverage oder Smallville gelesen.
Cortex nutzt jedenfalls ein Step-Die-System. D.h. Man braucht Würfel zwischen W4 und W12 und zwar mehrere, denn man bildet Würfelpools. Step-Die, weil eine Verbesserung eines Wertes(oder Verschlechterung) bedeutet, dass man den dazugehörigen Würfel gegen den nächst größeren Würfel austauscht.
Im MHR werden die zwei höchsten Würfelergebnisse addiert und gelten als Ergebnis (Total). Alle gewürfelten 1 werden beiseite gelegt und gelten als sogenannte oppurtunities – diese helfen dem Gegner, dazu gleich mehr. Und man bestimmt noch einen Effekt-Würfel.
Der Gegner, meist wohl der Spielleiter, hier The Watcher genannt, würfelt mit seinem Würfelpool dagegen und geht genauso vor. Das höhere Würfelergebnis also Total gewinnt.
Die Spieler haben die Möglichkeit mit Hilfe von Plot Points zuvor noch weiter Einfluss zu nehmen. So können sie zum Beispiel zusätzliche Würfel in den Pool bringen, oder zusätzliche Würfelergebnisse zum Total hinzuzählen oder auch ihre speziellen Kräfte und Spezialeffekte einsetzen.
Der Watcher hat keine Plot Points, ihm stehen dafür die sogenannten Doom Dice zur Verfügung. Mit diesen würfelt er gegen die Spieler, auch wenn diese nicht gegen einen NSC antreten, sondern versuchen etwas anderes zu erreichen. Man gibt also keine Schwierigkeit an, die überwürfelt werden muss, sondern würfelt immer gegeneinander. Im Laufe des Abenteuers/der Spielsitzung wächst dieser Doom Pool natürlich sowohl in Anzahl als auch in Würfelgrößen, dementsprechend können manche Aufgaben für die Spieler schwerer werden. (Außer sie haben einen Watcher wie mich – mein Würfelpech als SL hat schon einige Charaktere gerettet.) Die Doom Dice können aber auch zum Pool von NSCs hinzugefügt werden oder ähnlich wie die Plot Points der Spieler für Dinge darüber hinaus eingesetzt werden.
Soweit alles klar?
Ich könnte mir vorstellen, dass für Rollenspiel-Anfänger oder Rollenspieler, die selten Regelwerke lesen, das ganze Konzept anfangs etwas schwer zu verstehen ist. Vielleicht aber auch nur, wenn man sich noch nie mit dieser Richtung von Rollenspiel-Regeln beschäftigt hat. Ich persönlich finde es nicht nur ein sehr interessantes Würfelsystem, ich finde es auch klar und präzise geschrieben. Mir hat es Spaß gemacht, es zu lesen.
Interessanterweise sind im MHR zwar immer zur Erklärung Beispiele beigefügt, die mit Hilfe von farbigen großen Würfelbildern ziemlich deutlich sind, doch z.B. eine Beispielszene, wie man spielt, ist nicht dabei. Wie immer mag man sich an dieser Stelle in einer Diskussion zergehen, inwiefern solche Erklärungen nötig sind oder nicht. Aber immerhin gab es im Nachhinein ein Spielbeispiel, dass man bei MWP herunterladen kann.
Wie bildet man denn nun so einen Dice Pool?
Man nimmt zuerst den Würfel für die Affiliation – Solo, Buddy oder Team. Was man wählt, hängt davon ab, ob man alleine, mit einem oder zwei Kameraden (anderer SC oder ein NSC-Gefährte) oder eben im Team antritt. Auf diese drei Arten sind die drei Würfel W6, W8 und W10 verteilt. Man hat also immer eine recht schwache und eine recht starke Ausprägung.
Das ist etwas, das ich ziemlich brillant finde. Es wäre kein Mechanismus, den ich selbst in ein Regelwerk einbauen würde – wäre ich einfach nie auf die Idee gekommen. Aber er spiegelt die Abbildung der verschiedenen Superhelden einfach gut wieder. Es gibt Superhelden, die typischerweise lieber alleine handeln – Wolverine – oder die am besten im Team sind – Captain America. Möglicherweise ist es auch auf andere Systeme oder Genres übertragbar.
Hinzu kommt der Würfel einer Distinction – das ist am ehesten mit einem Aspekt zu vergleichen, wenn man FATE kennt. Eine Distinction ist eine Art Zitat oder Catchphrase oder ähnliches, das die Essenz oder Teile der essentiellen Persönlichkeit des Superhelden darstellen. Die Distinction gibt einem entweder einen W8 zum Würfelpool, wenn es sich um einen Vorteil handelt – oder einen W4, wenn sie eher behindernd wirkt. Dafür wiederum erhält man aber einen Plot Point zum Ausgleich.
Als nächstes kann man je eine Kraft (Power) aus jedem der Power Sets nehmen, die der Charakter hat. Muss halt passend eingesetzt werden. Und ja, Power Sets beschreiben die Superhelden-Fähigkeiten.
Als nächstes kann man noch eine Specialty hinzufügen. Specialties sind mehr oder weniger Fähigkeiten oder Talente oder Stunts, wie z.B. Athelic oder Tech.
Falls der Gegner Stress (die Darstellung der Verletzungen bzw. den Schaden, den man in körperlichen, mentalen oder emotionalen Konflikten erhält, ist wie bei FATE sogenannter Stress) oder andere hinderliche Würfel (complication dice) hat, kann man die auch in den Pool werfen.
Falls man ein Asset hat, hinein damit. Ein Asset – sowas wie ein Szenenaspekt.
Und schließlich gibt es noch push dice, stunt dice oder resources . . . Es kommt also schon ordentlich was zusammen.
Bevor man würfelt, dürfen noch Plot Points ausgegeben werden. Der Watcher macht das gleich, wie schon erwähnt auch, nur hat er Doom Dice zum Ausgeben.
Ich kann als FATE-Fan natürlich nicht umhin, auf Begriffe aus FATE zum Vergleich heranzuziehen. Man möge mir verzeihen, wenn man kein FATE-Kenner oder -Liebhaber ist. Es ist aber auch eine gute Art zu zeigen, warum MHR ein sehr stark von Indie-Einflüssen geprägtes Regelwerk ist.
Man vergesse ja auch nicht die Plot Points, die wie andere Gummipunkte in anderen Systemen ausgegeben werden können/müssen, aber auch reichlich verdient werden, wenn man seinen Charakter in Schwierigkeiten bringt.
Wie ich MHR im Vergleich zu FATE finde? Ich sehe es ähnlich wie bei PDQ: es hat ähnliche Grundlagen und Absichten. Und seine eigenen Stärken und Schwächen.
MHR ist vermutlich etwas komplexer, weil man mehr über die Power Sets, deren SFX und Limits wissen muss. Auch, weil beide Parteien, Spieler und Spielleiter bei jedem Würfelwurf gegeneinander würfeln – bei manchen FATE-Varianten würfelt der Spielleiter nicht häufig. Es kommt vermutlich darauf an, womit man selbst am besten zurecht kommt und ist entsprechend eine Geschmacksfrage.
Der Spielleiter, also Watcher, hat auf der einen Seite mehr Buchführung zu betreiben. Er muss schließlich die Übersicht über seinen Doom Pool halten, bei dem Würfel wegfallen oder „stepped up“ werden, d.h. eine Wüfelart hochgesetzt werden. Oder auch runter, je nach dem. Andererseits ist es klarer, was er mit dem Doom Pool anstellen kann, während ich das Verwalten von FATE-Punkten als Spielleitung manchmal nicht so klar sehe und mich auch ungern damit aufhalte.
Der Doom Pool wird über das Abenteuer hinweg immer größer – oder sollte er zumindest – was die Spannung hochtreibt und zugleich die Herausforderung. Auch kann der Spielleiter mit Hilfe des Doom Pools Szenen beenden und dadurch vielleicht mehr und gezielter, dabei aber durch Regeln abgedeckt, in den Erzählfluss eingreifen.
Oder nehmen wir die Initiative: es wird nicht gewürfelt. Es wird auch nicht auf einen bestimmten Wert geschaut. Nein, die Spieler dürfen entscheiden, wer anfängt. Der Watcher kann nur mit Hilfe seines Doom Pool etwas daran ändern. Nach dem der gewählte Spieler – es kann auch der Watcher sein – dran war, wählt dieser den nächsten, der an die Reihe kommen soll.
Das ist mir bisher noch nicht untergekommen, aber es macht richtig Sinn. Nur weil die Spieler dadurch alle zuerst drankommen könnten, heißt es nicht, dass es ein Vorteil ist. Wenn sie durch ihre Würfe Opportunities erzielen, wächst der Doom Pool bevor der Spielleiter zurück schlägt und gibt ihm vielleicht mehr macht gegen Ende der Runde. Großartig, oder?
Außerdem ermöglicht diese Initiative-Regel meiner Meinung nach ein größeres Vertrauen und Zusammenspiel zwischen Spielern und Spielleiter. Niemand schiebt etwas auf einen verpatzten Wurf oder sorgt irgendwie dafür, dass ausgerechnet der Wert hoch ist, der einen früh agieren lässt.
Im Großen und Ganzen sind es also komplexe, aber dennoch abstrakte und einfache Regeln. Die es auch schaffen, die Essenz des Superheldentum umzusetzen. Ich gewinne wirklich den Eindruck, dass man bei der Entwicklung der Regeln daran gegangen ist, sich erst die Superhelden anzusehen. Man hat als Grundlage versucht herauszufinden, was Superhelden neben ihren übernatürlichen Fähigkeiten oder Begabungen eigentlich ausmacht.
Ich bin kein Fan davon bereits bekannte und erkundete Settings (also z.B. Fernsehserien) zu benutzen. Ich habe immer Angst davor, dass Fanboys nur ihre Lieblingsgeschichten ohne viel Innovation nachspielen wollen.
Gut, ich wurde auch mehr als einmal vom Gegenteil überzeugt. Und hier wiederum bin ich tatsächlich mehr daran interessiert einen Marvel-Helden zu spielen, als einen eigenen Charakter zu erfinden. Ich gewinne durch die Regeln und die Aufbereitung den Eindruck, dass Superhelden dafür hervorragend geeignet sind. Vielleicht liegt es auch daran, dass durch Alternative Storylines oder Reboots der diversen Comicreihen ja ohnehin viele verschiedene aber in der Essenz gleiche Versionen der Superhelden zu finden sind. Was macht es da schon aus, die eigene Version hinzufügen?
Gleichzeitig kommen wir aber hier zu einem Kritikpunkt am System. Für mich ein nicht allzu großer Punkt, wie ich schon erklärt habe. Aber er sollte angesprochen werden, denn für manche ist es ein wichtiges Kriterium: MHR sieht vor, dass die Spieler einen der über 8.000 Marvel-Charaktere spielen. In diesem Grundregelwerk sind über 20 von ihnen mitgeliefert, voll ausgestattet und mit kurzer Zusammenfassung der Geschichte und der Persönlichkeit.
Sucht man nach Regeln, wie man sich einen eigenen individuellen Charakter bauen kann, dann wird man zwar fündig. Aber man erhält keine knallharten Tabellen und Kostenübersichten, die es einem erlauben, einfach so was zusammen zubauen. Natürlich wird einem erklärt, was der Charakter braucht und worauf man achten sollte. Aber um die Power Sets zuzuweisen, wird empfohlen die Power Sets zu kennen, die im Buch stehen und sie entsprechend seinen Vorstellungen und passend zum neuen Charakter umzubauen.
Es gibt also die Möglichkeit. Manche mögen diese Art vielleicht sogar als problemlos empfinden. Aber es ist nicht das typische Ich-bau-mir-einen-coolen-Charaktertyp-der-mit-allen-sieben-W
assern-des-Optimierens-gewaschen-ist-Feeling.
Habe ich was zu den Regeln vergessen? Ja, die Erfahrungspunkte, bzw. das Steigern der Charaktere. Es gibt sogenannte Meilensteine, die man beim Spielen erreichen kann, diese sind typisch für den Superhelden oder gehören zum Abenteuer, sollen also eine Motivation fürs Abenteuer bieten. Sie sind klar umrissen. Erreicht man die Meilensteine erhält man XP – 1, 3 oder 10. Mit den Erfahrungspunkten kann man seine Fähigkeiten steigern oder manche Sachen freischalten. Hat man den 10er Meilenstein erreicht, ist dieses Thema erledigt und man sucht sich einen neuen.
Recht einfach, Rollenspiel fördernd und gut nutzbar, um das Interesse am Plot aufrecht zu erhalten.
Etwas, das noch wichtig ist, und ein integraler Bestandteil von MHR ist: Events.
Abenteuer bzw. Kampagnen heißen Events. Ein kurzes Beispiel dafür ist gleich im Buch mitgeliefert. Es sollen noch weitere veröffentlicht werden. Und alle sind, soweit ich es verstanden habe, an den Geschehnissen der jüngsten Marvel-Universums-Geschichte angelehnt. Selbstverständlich kann man sich eigene überlegen, dass sollte auch nicht so schwer sein.
Aber es ist so schön einfach, sich die vorgefertigten Events zu holen. Dem Beispiel im Buch nach sind sie auch offen genug geschrieben, dass man natürlich Arbeit reinstecken kann/muss, um sie an die Spieler anzupassen. Aber eben auch offen genug, um nicht gleich den Plot umarbeiten zu müssen, damit die gewählten Superhelden-Rollen da auch hineinpassen.
Noch interessanter an dem Konzept: es werden auch immer Superhelden-Datafiles mitgeliefert. Teilweise vielleicht Versionen der Helden, die sich zu denen, die man bereits hat, unterscheiden. Einfach, weil sie in einem anderen Stadium ihrer Entwicklung sind. Und so werden auch weiter neue Marvel-Helden veröffentlicht. Schließlich sind zwar Iron Man, Captain America, Wolverine und Cyclops im MHR, aber kein Thor. (Diesen Faux-pas haben sie behoben, in dem sie seit kurzem eine Thor-Version zum Download anbieten. Link dazu siehe unten.)
Außerdem werden zwei Buchausgaben veröffentlicht: die Paperback-Version, ähnlich wie das Grundregelwerk und zum gleichen Preis. Dieses schimpft sich Essential und enthält das Event und die Datafiles. Und dann gibt es die Premium-Ausgabe, also in Hardcover und zusätzlich nochmal mit dem Operation Manual, sprich den Regeln wie sie auch im Basisspiel schon stehen.
Wenn man sich also nicht das Basisspiel kaufen will, vielleicht weil man nur an einem der Events interessiert ist, kann man also gerne zur Premium-Ausgabe greifen und spart ein bisschen Geld. Oder man kann das Basisspiel am Tisch den Spielern überlassen und hat neben dem Abenteuer auch noch die Regeln griffbereit in ein und dem selben Buch.
Man sieht: sie haben bei MWP voraus geplant und bei Erfolg – wonach es wohl derzeit aussieht – stehen noch genügend zukünftige Veröffentlichungen bevor.
Kommen wir zur Aufmachung: sehr ansprechend. Der Regelteil, das erwähnte Operation Manual ist in Blau gehalten. Das Event Breakout in Rot, die Seitenzahlen sind mit OM und BR davor zusätzlich leicht zur Unterscheidung zwischen Regeln und Abenteuer.
Gespickt mit meiner Meinung nach gut gewählten Bildern aus den Comics der letzten zehn Jahre, mit klaren Zusammenfassungen in den Randspalten und vielen Seitenverweisen, ist es ein angenehmes, übersichtliches und ansprechendes Layout. Wirklich toll.
In der Druckausgabe ebenfalls wunderschön und auch handlich.
Die reine Datenausgabe – welches ich über Drivethrurpg.com gekauft habe – bietet das Regelwerk als gut verlinktes pdf, die Datafiles in druckerfreundlicher Auflösung bzw. ohne den tintenverbrauchenden farbigen Hintergrund sowie ein Player Sheet und ein Watcher Sheet, auf denen jeweils die nötigen Regeln ziemlich klar und ausreichend zusammengefasst sind. Diese Sheets sind natürlich auch über MWP direkt und kostenlos herunterzuladen.
Es gibt nur eines, was ich am pdf des Basisspiels nicht gut heißen kann: die problematische Darstellung auf dem iPhone und so weit ich weiß auch auf dem iPad. Es ist einfach ein Apple-Problem, das man aber als Verlag wirklich versuchen sollte zu lösen. Denn manche Grafiken überlagern den Text. So kann man eben nicht alles lesen, womit das schnelle Nachschlagen auf dem mobilen Gerät zur unerfreulichen Überraschung werden könnte.
Bisher gab es kein Update, das diesen Fehler behebt. Oder irre ich da? Straft mich bitte und gerne der fehlenden Recherche, ich würde mich freuen.
Das Fazit des Ganzen?
Ich kann mich offensichtlich nicht kurzfassen.
Aber das MHR war mir eine äußerste Freude zu lesen. Ich will es sicherlich nicht als Dauerkampagne spielen, aber es reizt mich es auszuprobieren und auch, die zukünftigen Veröffentlichungen zu kaufen.
Genauso macht es mir das Cortex-System schmackhaft und ich werde mir auf jeden Fall noch Leverage genauer anschauen.
Kann ich es jedem empfehlen? Sicherlich keinem, der Comics überhaupt nicht mag und Superhelden für Weicheier hält. Aber selbst jemand, der sich mit Comics nicht auskennt, dem das Marvel-Universum wie ein einziges wahnsinniges Labyrinth vorkommt, der kann sich mit dem MHR an die Aufgabe wagen.
Habt ihr Nicht-RPG-Freunde, die bei The Avengers sabbernd im Kino saßen und von denen ihr den Eindruck hatten, sie wären gerne der Hulk oder Tony Stark? Mit MHR könnte man sie Ködern.
Für den generell interessierten RPG-Fan, der sich manche Regelwerke nur anschaut, um Inspiration zu erhalten, kann ich es auch nur ans Herz legen. Wie erwähnt, ist es stark von Indie-Spielen beeinflusst. Und ich glaube mich zu erinnern, dass Fred Hicks (ja, der von Evil Hat und FATE3) getwittert hatte, er könne sich vorstellen, dass in der Zukunft eine Verschmelzung von Fate und Cortex liegt. Oder so.
Kaufempfehlung? Bei dem Preis und der Aufmachung? Als Druckausgabe allemal. Als pdf? Nur wenn ihr kein Apple-Gerät habt. Schade, das ist echt ein bisschen ein Wermutstropfen.
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I love the idea of this game. The action is very story driven and there are a lot of great fan sites that just add to the basic game.
THe only problem (and it is small) is that it is harder than most RPGs to create original characters. You almost have to pipck a Marvel character to base your original character on (now it is not so original). MWP has released a random character creator but it still gives you hints from other characters to use when bilding a character.
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Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game
by Margaret Weis Productions
The Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game is a new roleplaying game that departs significantly from the more typical style of games that have been released over the years. It uses a modification of the Cortex system designed by Margaret Weis Productions, but with some significant differences. The Cortex system is used with a number of other games, including Supernatural, Smallville, and Leverage. To play you need dice from d4 to d12, – preferably three to four of each. It would also help to have tokens or counters to keep track of plot points, and a notepad or post-its to keep track of advantages (assets) and disadvantages (complications) over the course of a session.
Disclosure: I was given a review copy of the game by Margaret Weis Productions.
MHRG is a flexible, open game system. Crafting a character is more about making the character you want to play, rather than being limited by a random creation system or a point-generated system. The game also does away with attributes and detailed skill lists, and removes a lot of the complication which would normally go into creating a hero. Instead of fixating on the more mundane aspects of a character sheet – things you would add to a character “just in case” or that would make sense but never be used – the game emphasizes only what stands out about your character.
The first step in creating a character involves knowing how well the hero interacts with others. Is she a team player, does she work best with a partner or sidekick, or does she prefer to act by herself? These three traits are assigned a die value, which indicates where her strengths lie. Even if you choose solo as her greatest strength, she can still work with a team – it just means that from time to time you’ll want her to do her own things, separate from the group, but still helping the group overall. Teams do split up from time to time, and it is during these times your character will shine.
The second step is to decide her distinctions. You must choose three traits which define who your character is. Distinctions are used to separate your character from other heroes, and act as a reminder about who she is. When you play to your character’s distinctions, you gain a die bonus when you roll. If you ignore your distinction, you don’t get the die – and you are also missing out on generating Plot Points which can be spent to help your character later. These distinctions may be a theme (with great power comes great responsibility), or an occupation (news reporter), or it may be a characteristic (stunning good looks, billionaire philanthropist playboy). It can even be a catch phrase that the character uses (It’s clobberin’ time!).
The third step involves filling out one or two power sets. Each power set helps define a theme for your hero’s powers, and you can choose whether or not to use one or two sets. Each set is then filled with the powers that you think helps define that aspect of your hero’s abilities. For example, you may have a hero that has gone through a secret government program that has injected something into your system. The training provided, the powers provided by the serum, and any equipment which came with being an agent are all one “set”. If the hero also happened to be a mutant, this can provide a second “set”, defining her mutant abilities.
The major difference between this game and other roleplaying games is that you can choose as many powers as it takes to make your “set”, and you can choose what level to have these powers at. There is no costs associated with your powers, and the only limit is what the game master sets. If the game master thinks your character is viable, then you’re good to go. This means that MHRG allows you to make characters from any level, from the street-tough hero who has no true powers and a handful of gadgets, to cosmic level heroes who surf between the stars. The power list is not too extensive, and you can theoretically adapt anything that is there into making the character you want to play.
Once your powers are set, you should select some SFX for your hero. SFX are “mini powers” or adjustments to your existing powers. SFX can represent smaller powers or sub-abilities which are not significant enough to warrant being a full power, or can provide advantages or represent aspects of your powers which are not normally used. For example, your shield-bearing hero can normally deflect attacks with the shield, but might also throw it to take out people. Normally, only one person might be hit at a time, but as an SFX you can take down a group of opponents, and the SFX will provide the tools needed to make this possible. “Group Attack” is not enough to warrant being a power, but as an SFX it fits perfectly. Alternatively, going into a “Berserker Rage” is not really a power, but as an SFX it can provide bonuses to the hero’s attacks, making it a good SFX as well.
With the SFX out of the way, the character should have two limits. Limits are flaws, but they work somewhat differently than in other games. Limits provide the character with Plot Points which allow her bonuses to use later on, or which can add something to the game, helping to set up for the big finish at a later point. For example, a character who’s powers “shut down” from exposure to a specific substance will get a Plot Point when this happens – and it is most likely that you will do this voluntarily, rather than waiting for the game master to do it – because being hampered makes the game interesting, and provides you with the edge later on. Limits can be triggered by the game master as well, and if he does it, you still get the benefits that the Limit supplies.
The fourth step in character creation is choosing one or more specialties. These are similar to a skill list, but much more restricted. Instead of a huge list of skills, this provides a smaller list of things your hero may excel in. You are not expected to put a value to every specialty in the game – instead you’re expected to pick a handful that represents your hero’s greatest talents – the things she’s awesome at. When your specialty applies to your actions, you get to use the value of your specialty as a die.
Finally, you need to create one or two milestones. A milestone represents a mini story arc that you feel is an important part of the hero’s identity. This is something she’s invested in as part of the game, and that you want to introduce to the story as a whole. Each milestone is divided into three steps – and milestones are what is used to get XP in the game. The game master does not hand out XP for the adventure – the milestones in the game are what is used to get you XP – the adventure is used to give you opportunities to spend it. This means, if you want XP, you need to try to get your milestones into the game. In addition, each adventure has one or two milestones as well, and you can adopt these adventure-specific milestones for XP as well.
The lowest tier of a milestone is something pretty simple and straightforward. It almost acts as an introduction to who the character is, and the theme that you wish to pursue. If your hero is an android, and this is not immediately apparent, having someone find out you’re an android for the first time could be the trigger for this milestone. This trigger grants 1 XP each time it comes up, and can come up multiple times in a single scene.
The second tier can be a point of contention with the character, something which adds a touch of drama or that can complicate either the hero’s life, or the life of those around her. For example, if there comes a huge debate about the rights of androids, and whether they should count as “people” or “property”, this can trigger the milestone. This trigger grants 3 XP, and can only come up once per scene.
The third tier is the finisher of the milestone, and represents the outcome of the story arc. This is where the life of the hero changes, whether for better or worse, or changes the lives of those around her. The android may embrace her android nature, forsaking all that is human, or she may utterly deny what she is, and embrace humanity instead. This is worth 10 XP, and ends the milestone.
Once a milestone has been concluded (whether in one adventure or over multiple adventures), it is removed from the character sheet, and another can take its place. If this was an adventure-specific milestone, it doesn’t carry over to other adventures normally – so if you want the 10 XP, you need to really push to get the conclusion of the milestone before the adventure is finished. A character can find herself in a whirlwind of drama and chaos, but walk out of the adventure with more than 40 XP under her belt from excellent roleplaying, while someone who isn’t invested in his hero or the adventure may walk out with a small handful of XP.
An interesting thing about MHRG is that experience points are used in a different way than other games. Yes, you can use XP to improve your character, but that isn’t the point to XP. After all, as you just saw, you can build the character you want to play – if you wanted your character stronger, you’d probably have built them stronger in the first place. Of course, you may have wished your character to start weaker – or the game master may have asked for the players to make the characters at the start of their careers, in which case your XP can be used to advance over time.
The more important aspect of XP is how it is used during a session. XP can be spent for Plot Points, which are then used to modify dice rolls and power SFX, but it is also used to invest in an adventure. XP is spent to create Events, which are dramatic outcomes which can be built into a scene by the heroes. Did the hero just defeat a villain during a scene? For 5 XP, that villain can be convinced by the hero to change his ways, allowing you to use the villain as a hero in a later adventure. The villain is “unlocked” as an additional character, usable by the players as a PC. For 10 XP, in a later scene in the same adventure, the villain can be called to aid the heroes in a time of need. The villain comes in, saves the heroes or provides assistance (played by the game master), and then leaves shortly afterwards. A hero may have a hidden base, and for 5 XP, just happens to have a gadget from the base which can be used right now. This provides a quick advantage (asset) that the hero can use – a die bonus for the next little while, so nothing that will break the game. XP can also be used to remove powers and replace them, buy new power sets, or make adjustments to your character as she evolves over time.
So, how does MHR play?
Admittedly, I’ve only ran two sessions. I’ve made a cheat sheet for the players, to help them get used to the game engine, but as a whole I’ll have to say, “very well”. It will take a little getting used to, but overall, I’m satisfied with how the game runs. Your heroes are just that ... heroes... and the game allows for any level of play. You have the means to evolve over time, refine your abilities, and grow as much as you feel is proper, but you also have the means to do other things, to add personal touches to the game. The system overall is very flexible, though it requires a little more work on the game master’s part than I am used to. I don’t tend to plan things ahead very far, but a good game master will need to set the milestones and distinctions for each adventure ahead of time, so that the players can make use of these. The other thing I am not used to is how open the game is. The game master is expected to roll openly, and the plot of each adventure is also expected to be open. The game master tells the players what the milestones are (which will provide some spoilers, most likely), and also is expected to describe openly what the outcome of any action done by the NPCs will be, so the players can decide whether to oppose it or not.
“Health” is also a foreign concept in this game. You have stress and trauma, which is divided into physical, mental, and emotional levels. The stress meter builds up, and when it hits maximum, the character is incapacitated, and anything overflowing moves into trauma – which is long term damage. A hero can shift stress from one trait to another, thus allowing for a “buffer” to be in place before the character is knocked out. Stress can heal relatively quickly, while trauma is a long-term thing. The general goal of a hero is to “stress out” an opponent, to quickly rack up stress of one sort or another, specifically to incapacitate the enemy. The system is well designed to allow for heroes and villains to battle each other in a dramatic fashion, choosing different avenues to attack. And both you and your opponent can use your own stress and each other’s stress as modifiers to help improve your odds. Are you stressed? You can use your stress die as a bonus for your roll – but the stress die escalates when you do. Is your opponent stressed? Well, this gives you a bonus die to use against them! Health is not an “all or nothing” thing in this game, and is just another tool that can be used to help make the adventure exciting.
Negatives
While I do recommend this game, there are some flaws. First and foremost, the chapter divisions are awkward. The beginning chapter discussing how the game works was using terminology from later in the book – so it would address things I have not heard of. I had no idea what these terms are, or how the mechanics of them worked, and this proved to be a lesson in frustration. I had to jump back and forth between chapters as I worked through the opening section, so I could follow what was being said. This is a very strong negative for such a good game, because it will very likely frustrate new players and prevent them from ever playing. For someone new to roleplaying games, this is a fatal flaw, because they will have no idea what to do, and will not understand what is being presented to them.
I do recommend making a cheat sheet and going over the rules a few times. There are some concepts which take a bit of getting used to, and making a flowchart for how the dice system, plot point system, and XP system work will help everyone immensely. The cheat sheet I made took only one page, but covered everything I thought the players should know for any roll of the dice. Broken down this way, the system is fairly elegant, and its strengths are much more obvious. The system is good, you just need to be patient until you get the hang of it – and that was something I did with only two sessions.
My second complaint is the lack of villains for the game master to use. There is a single adventure, with only a small handful of villains. Most of the villains are second-stringers, but there are a few specific first-line villains to be used. The number of heroes to draw upon is also limited, and it is somewhat expected that the players will use these pre-generated characters for the adventure in the back. My group is more inclined to making our own characters, however, and the small selection of heroes made it a little more difficult to draw examples from for making our milestones, SFX, and distinctions. A larger sample pool would have been great, for villains and for heroes.
All in all, MHRG is a good game. The concepts behind it are strong, and the engine itself is also something I am particularly pleased with. The layout and lack of heroes and villains are a significant detraction from the game, but I think the game itself makes up for it.
Base: 10
Layout: 7/10 Good use of space, good text size.
Art: 7/10 Recycled from comics, but good choice of artwork.
Coolness: 9/10 Cool concept, excellent ideas.
Readability: 3/10 Problematic. Had to read two or three chapters at the same time to understand concepts.
Base: 10
Content: 4/10 Everything needed for the players, not as much for the game master.
Text: 6/10 Good font size, difficult to follow early in. Use of charts and examples were very helpful.
Fun: 8/10 The game itself is very fun to play, but takes a little bit to get used to.
Workmanship: 8/10 It is quite obvious that thought was put into this game, with an eye on the players.
System: 9/10 A very solid system, able to handle quite a lot.
Total: 81%
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I am a big fan of superhero systems, and I was really looking forward to this game. My first impression was that it would be a quick and unique narrative experience, but after some playtesting I came away a bit disappointed. The rules are a bit clunky to read through but the actual gameplay is easy to understand and pick up. Just keep in mind this is a narrative style game meant for short term events, not long term campaigns with strong character growth and progression. Powers are just descriptive benchmarks and die codes, so don't expect extensive rules on how they work. At best it seems a short term beer and pretzel game. If you are looking for depth and crunch, look elsewhere.
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