Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game

by Cam Banks, Rob Donoghue, Jack Norris

Experience the pulse-pounding action and nail-biting drama of the Marvel Universe at your gaming table. It's one thing to stop an alien invasion or throw down with the Juggernaut, but sometimes you have to make the hard choices when you're saving the world. With the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game books, that great power and great responsibility is yours! Based on the Cortex Plus system, Marvel Heroic Roleplaying takes the award-winning events in the history of the Marvel Universe and gives you all of the heroes, villains, key decision points, and rich background you need to fight your own battles and forge a new destiny!

Genres: Role Playing Games, Gaming, Superheroes, Marvel, Science Fiction, Games, Fantasy

234 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2012

About the author

I am an expatriate New Zealander who fell in love with an American and moved to the USA in 1996. We are now married and have two boys. I've fulfilled my lifelong dream to become a game designer and writer and after 22 years I've moved back to New Zealand with my family. I work for Fandom Tabletop as a creative director, leading the charge on new projects powered by the Cortex system that I have spent much of my career developing as a tabletop roleplaying game toolkit.

Reviews

[Taddow · Rating 4 out of 5]

The superhero RPG is my least visited RPG genre but one that I've been interested in playing. I've played a couple superhero RPGs in the past (the original Marvel Superhero game by TSR and Heroes Unlimited by Palladium) and when this particular Marvel game originally came out, I heard good things about it and purchase a copy. A few years later I was finally able to run a game and it played a lot better than I originally thought it would.

I not going to go into a review of the game mechanics (as you can search online for an in-depth review that would have all this information), but the base mechanics are opposing die rolls between the player and the Watcher (GM) based on environmental factors, a character's powers and skills and the ability to add or changed dice in your dice pool by triggering power effects and activing "1's" that are rolled by the opposing roller. What makes this system shine is how the dice being used are based on specific effects and how you would use the results to tell a story. This game is very much a story-telling game with spotlights on the characters as they take their actions and reactions. The dice used and results dictate the action (similar to the Fantasy Flight Star Wars game but without all the glyph deciphering of the dice and without challenge in interpreting some of the dice combination results). For the most part, this game is a railroad with the Watcher creating the sequence of events and the players only having minor choices in what actions they choose to take (this might not appeal to some players who enjoy a more sandbox-type game and I suspect that the Watcher could create a sandbox game if their willing to put in more work).

But the players and Watcher telling a story and describing the action in a scene is the highlight of this RPG. This makes the game really enjoyable to players that enjoy that kind of thing while players who are mainly into dice/number-crunching might not get much enjoyment out of this game. Also, characters earn XP based on reaching personal milestones, and this XP can be used to unlock some interesting story-enhancing benefits and boost a character's powers slightly. I don't feel this system will appeal to players that like to constantly pick from a number of feats, attribute increases and talents/skills every time they level. Character playing longevity doesn't seem to strongpoint of this game (unless you enjoy playing character that doesn't change stat-wise but could change story-wise as a game goes on- like I said, I feel that this game is about the story). With that being said, I enjoy playing RPGs for the story you create and the story and social aspect of RPGS are very important to me and the group of gamers I play with, but speaking for my gaming group specifically, the re-playability of this game appears limited (I see it being good for a one-shot or to play in-between adventure arcs of the main game being played). My players like building a characters and choosing new skills/talents, feats and such when they level up their characters. They like their long character sheets with lines of weapons and equipment. This isn't their type of game, but it still might be yours.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edit: Having played this a few times now, I'm raising my rating. My earlier comments on the game's weaknesses remain, but have been rendered unimportant in actual play, while the game's strengths shine through.

This is an interesting set of rules. More so than previous versions of the Cortex Plus system, this one is very much a merger of the Cortex and FATE rules. Without having actually used the rules to play a game yet, I think that they will do a good job of capturing the feel of the comic books in play when using existing characters.

The weaknesses of the game, as I perceive them, are twofold. The first is that creating your own unique characters is not supported very well by the system, it is much more focused on creating and playing characters that already exist in the Marvel universe.

Second, the Marvel universe itself is not that interesting to me since the events of the Civil War. This is more of a personal factor given that I stopped reading Marvel Comics back in the early nineties, and am not that interested in the events that have occurred since then. That won't keep me from trying out this game, and possibly trying to create Events from the comics of the late 80s and early 90s that I enjoyed so much.

Overall, I recommend this to anyone seeking a system that captures the feel of comic book stories.

[Nick Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in love with this from almost the beginning.

I'm a Marvel fanboy. Have been since I can remember. It's no surprise that I've got a bias for anything that captures the flavor of the genre so well. The mechanics were all new to me when I read this.

I've since absorbed a good bit of Fate (via the amazing kickstarter for Fate Core) and I can say this system has a lot more in common with that than with vanilla Cortex. Aspects in Fate are Distinctions in MHR, and stress tracks are vaguely similar between the two. (in Fate they represent avoiding damage, in MHR they represent damage itself) Aspects are awesome. They are amazing.

We played a pickup game of this after hours of silent reading and absorbing and digesting the rules. Love rolling huge handfuls of dice and the Yahtzee die-manipulation that follows. After one or two rolls you really get the hang of it and it moves more quickly than you might expect.

The usage of Distinctions in MHR is absolutely what sold me on Aspects in Fate, so I don't consider this game a knockoff, it's sincerely flattering inspired-by material - and more importantly, it is custom-built for comics-style story play. The mechanics actually aid the development of the story in a real Marvel way, honest to Stan.

If you love Marvel (or superhero comics period) and innovative RPGs, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy. Some of the organization of material leaves a bit to be desired, but the layouts are slick, the art selections are dead on, and once you wrap your head around the rules you will be amazed how smoothly it plays.

We've actually not played with homegrown characters, and I realize chargen is one of the weaker points in the book. But the more plot- and character-driven rules and physical gaminess of this game make it all too easy to have an amazing time.

Pick it up!

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

The system is a lot more narrative focused than most other games I'm familiar with, but I feel like that works well for a game based on comic books. While the rules section is short compared to many other RPGs, I feel that it does a good job covering everything. Although I haven't yet read the Breakout comic (I do plan to do so soon, thanks to reading this), I think it was a good choice for a first scenario. It includes a fair amount of action, some interesting information, and lots of plot hooks the Watcher can expand upon in subsequent adventures. The main weakness is that I feel like a lot of iconic characters are missing from the profiles. I would especially like to have seen some version of Hawkeye, Thor, and Hulk to make running games based on the movie universe easier.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es un juego de rol basado en Marvel. Tiene un sistema genérico que merece una prueba, ya que tiene algunas mecánicas que debo probar antes de poder dar un veredicto.
Lo bueno es que tiene un sistema de eventos (Módulos oficiales) en el que se incluyen personajes Marvel y se van actualizando según el evento. Por ejemplo, tiene un mini evento basado en Break out (post House of M) y el siguiente evento es Civil War. Entre ambos actualizan a Iron Man y varios personajes. No sé si sacarán eventos con la cronología Ultimate.

En general, el problema con los juegos de rol que viven de un mundo que está en evolución (basados en Cómics o series que aún no terminan) es que deben sacar suplementos o actualizaciones, pero parece que en este caso lo resuelven bien. Habrá que probarlo

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having played a lot of D&D, I was very interested to play this game due to the difference in game play. With no board and rules that allow you to jump from pannel to pannel as if in a comic book, it was something that sounded very odd to me. After playing through the first scenario a few times, I found that it actually allowed players for more control of the action and allowed them to do what they wanted. As long as you can explain what skills you are using to do a task, you can do it (Against the DOOM POOL!). At such a low price point ($20), I highly recommend it to players who are looking for a system where they can play their choice of hero or create one of their own. Game on!

[Nathan Albright · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a variety of reasons, I enjoy seeing how people are able to transfer the popularity of various creative properties into the world of tabletop role playing games [1].  Given that role playing games offer one of the most compelling ways that people can put themselves within a series, if one is a geeky person with a high degree of creativity and imagination when it comes to role and identities, this is not something that surprises me but instead pleases me with the creativity of those involved.  If this particular book is not groundbreaking, it is at least an example of how a popular intellectual property that has some serious fantasy elements, even if that basis is in the comics rather than in the high fantasy tone, and that is something worth celebrating and enjoying.  I certainly had a good time reading this book and I think that someone who plays this game would have a good time playing it.  I know quite a few people who are very serious about the Marvel universe and they would undoubtedly find a great deal of fun here.  It is also quite possible that a DC version of this would be equally enjoyable as well, although I do not know of such a work.

In terms of its contents, this book is a bit more than 200 pages and is divided into two parts, with the page numbers marked as OM (Operating Manual) in the first part and BR (for Breakout) in the second part.  After a foreword that talks about the history of the Marvel roleplaying world, the author includes five chapters that flesh out what Marvel roleplaying is like.  First there is an introduction to hero datafiles, the role of dice, plot points, the doom pool that the gamemaster uses to simulate the actions of the enemies of the party (1).  After that there is a discussion about playing the game in action and transition scenes (2) as well as a discussion about taking action in fighting and other aspects of heroism (3).  There are discussions about the information that is in the various datafiles (4) and finally a way to understand events and even modify or create them as part of one's playing (5).  The second part of the book consists of a two-act event where a breakout at a top-secret prison for Marvel baddies run by S.H.E.I.D. then leads to an exploration of the savage land where something very improper is going on, after which there is a long list of hero datafiles for players to use in their own games.

There are a few aspects that make this particular book a worthwhile guide.  The rules of the game are simple, so that people who are geeky enough to be passionate fans of the Marvel comics but not geeky enough to be extremely big fans of complex dice-based games will be able to have a game that they enjoy.  This is the sort of game that is designed to be a bit more mainstream than most of the classic table-top games, with a game structure that is based not on quests but rather on events that are the kind that would take place over several comic issues or part of a film or multi-episode television show arc.  Given the popularity of the Marvel Extended Universe, this book and likely others (since this is only a basic set) are likely to be very popular with those who wish to pretend like they were favorite Marvel characters, and there is certainly a great deal of appeal in pretending to be a superhero.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

[James Bowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike previous Marvel RPGs (and unlike most superhero RPGs), the goal of MHRP is to replicate the feel of comic book storylines, with the assumption that you will be playing an existing superhero character in a limited event. (There are rules for going outside that, but it's clearly the default.)

The basic mechanic is for a player to assemble a pool of dice from any relevant attributes (both powers and narrative elements); this determines the scale and effectiveness of their chosen way of affecting the narrative (usually inflicting physical, mental, or emotional stress on foes). They are opposed by the Watcher (GM), who has access to a "Doom Pool" they can use to escalate the situation (and which grows as the players fail). In this way it's similar to games like Fate. Characters can earn XP by meeting certain character or event milestones - these can be used to increase the character's abilities or unlock benefits during the course of the event (such as helper characters).

These basic mechanics are all fine, but there are a few things that bothered me about the book. First of all, there are a lot of ways to affect the dice pool (such as the many power SFX), and it was overwhelming. I actually wish there had been fewer, and the system had been even more abstract. I also wasn't a fan of its apparent assumption that you wouldn't want to make your own material, rather than adapting existing characters and storylines - and their guidelines for making your own stuff were only functional.

Most significantly, the rules explanations weren't always clear. Several times I had to reread sections to get what was intended, and even then it often didn't click into place until I read an example. Had there been more examples at every step, that would have been mitigated. In fact, the chapter midway through that brought everything together should have been at the beginning in a condensed form; it would have provided some useful context for the rest of the book.

Overall, MHRP looks like it could be fun to play, but I'm not sure it's a game I'd want to run. There are a lot of fun ideas in it - the doom pool and the way they handle stress, among others - but a slightly simpler game probably would have served those ideas better. Still, I can see that it'd be appealing to certain gamers, and I won't say it's a bad system at all. Just probably not for me. (B+)

[Joey Barrett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't read this book under any circumstances! Once this game system has its hooks in you, there's no going back. You may find yourself sitting around a table making lifelong memories... forming or strengthening friendships... and buying way too many dice. If you're particularly demented, you may wind up among the wretched souls who start online play-by-post campaigns with total strangers, GMing fun adventures and ongoing Marvel stories that run for months or (more likely) years. While you're meant to be zoning out in front of some mindless reality TV show or shoot-'em-up video game, you might instead find the wheels in your head turning as you ponder how to work some action scene, set piece, or thematic element into the game you run for your players. Worse, they might be a really talented pool of writers-- the kind who push you to become even better, as their creative character dialogue and plot ideas become set fixtures in the landscape of your mind.

So, yeah. Don't read this book!

[John Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get what they were going for. But this game just did not do it for me. I am a huge marvel fan and tabletop gamer. I absolutely adore the marvel FASERIP system and the new Marvel Multiverse role-play game. To me both of these capture the feel I like in game based in the Marvel universe.

[Marlan Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I run an online game of this and will for a long time and it would be great if you joined. The site is free and inobtrusive: https://rpol.net/game.cgi?gi=65044&am...

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite supers RPG of all time. I've played a bunch of supers games, but this was the first one where I actually felt like a superhero. I'm just sorry it was strangled in its infancy.

[Jose Vidal · Rating 3 out of 5]

En principio el corazón del sistema es el mismo que el del ya reseñado Smallville RPG, el llamado sistema Cortex, pero con variaciones fundamentales que requieren un completo cambio de actitud para el director y los jugadores.

En cuanto a presentación el juego resulta vistoso, con un bueno uso de los colores y las llamadas visuales para organizar la información de forma accesible. Las ilustraciones proceden de los cómics Marvel contemporáneos al juego (2012) y como tal un mínimo de calidad está garantizada. Resulta extraño que para la portada hayan elegido hacer un montaje con personajes tomados de ilustraciones de distintos autores (aunque en ningún sitio se menciona la autoría de esas u otras ilustraciones los distintos estilos son bastante evidentes)

http://aventurasextraordinarias.blogs...

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

This game was poorly written. The rules themselves once teased from the text provide a cinematic way to play a super-hero campaign, but should you need to look something up from the rules having an electronic copy is the only way to find things. The rules are poorly organized and hidden inside large blocks of text. The graphics are pretty, but given that it is a game about comic books, it should have fantastic knock-out art.

[Moe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just re-read this in prep for a game I'm running in under an hour.
I'm currently in love with this game. It is, by far, the best game I've ever played in at re-creating the feel of a Marvel comic. The system is a mix of traditional game and story game, kind of like a FATE light. It sounds confusing and complex at first but once you start playing it flows very well and the learning curve isn't nearly as steep as it seems.

[Daymond · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty book, I'll give them that, but I think this game really needed a little more direction. Plus the dice rolling system is way to fiddly and complex, especially for new players. It could have been so much better.

[Shannon Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it. Great way to role pay. Not trad rpg but very very well done.

[Frank Jarome · Rating 4 out of 5]

On paper, probably the best comic book game I've ever read, it seems like it really captures the "feel."

Plan on playing it soon to see if it's as awesome in play as it is on paper

[Lukas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book's organization leaves a lot to be desired, but the game itself seems well-crafted and fun.

[David Brzezinski · Rating 2 out of 5]

My low grade is not a comment on how the book is written, but more on the game play rules themselves.

[Jeremiah Mccoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really solid game. It is sad it ended so quickly.

[C.J. Ruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite superhero role-play system. I used to be Iron Man in our weekly game at the Sandbaggers Game Club.

Using as a reference to write a Wonder Woman / Captain America meetup (July 2017)

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure if this is a tremendously versatile system or needlessly complex.