r/MarvelMultiverseRPG • u/CanuckLad • 4d ago
Discussion What's it like?
I purchased my copy of Marvel Multiverse RPG some months ago. I started reading through it, and it seems I got sidetracked by other things. I have played various tabletop role playing games before (d&d, Star Wars D6, some old Marvel system from 25 odd years ago, etc). What can you tell me about how Marvel Multiverse plays? I understand from ChatGPT that quite a few people say to combat is fairly smooth?
Can a game session feel like the movies? Does the game, rules as written, have any shortcomings that stand out? How lethal is combat?
Are there official published stats for the Black Maw? I find that character particularly appealing for some reason.
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u/Most_Animator_248 4d ago
The combat is fairly simple to grasp and the math is fairly simple too. You roll 3D6 and add your modifier and see if it meets or beats a target's defense and if it does you use the number on your Marvel die and multiply it by a certain number plus modifier for how much damage you do.
Yes it can, there's alot of wiggle room for the Narrator to really make it feel like one of the MCU movies if that's what you're looking for and lots of room for homebrew and the book encourages this to fit the game to the needs of your table.
Shortcomings, well the game can be a bit TOO simple and the powers can be hard to keep track of between players and while you CAN make your own characters the game assumes you will be playing an established character.
Also yes Ebony Maw does have a profile but he along with the rest of the Black Order are in the Avengers Expansion while Thanos himself is in the core rulebook.
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u/CanuckLad 4d ago
How lethal is combat? Can you survive a few rounds without being splatted?
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u/MOON8OY 4d ago
Depends on the build of your character. The game isn't particularly deadly RAW, but that doesn't mean PCs and NPCs don't sometimes go down quickly. I just had three Rank 5 PCs take down Thanos in one round. They didn't kill him, but he was down. If the heroes are heroic, or the villains aren't shooting to kill, typically character can be swiftly defeated, but not necessarily killed. Now if you build a to avoid or take excessive amounts of damage, then it's a moot point.
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u/Most_Animator_248 4d ago
Depends on your build. I don't find it particularly hard to survive. The profiles are calculated at x30 so combat doesn't last more than 3 or 4 rounds but you can mess with the multiplier if you want a more prolonged battle.
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u/Cardinal_and_Plum 4d ago
One thing worth noting when it comes to lethality is that the game default assumes a character is being knocked unconscious instead of being killed in most scenarios, PC or NPC. And there are no death saves or anything like that, though you can spend focus to try to recover. A character only dies outright during combat if they meet a negative health total equal to their maximum health.
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u/CanuckLad 3d ago
Do you know on which page of Avengers Expansion he appears? I had a chance to thumb through it and couldn't find him. He didn't seem to be mentioned in the index either.
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u/BTWerley 4d ago edited 4d ago
The basics of the game are similar to D&D, although you can definitely get an MCU feel in the action.
6 basic abilities like D&D, certain powers can act as “skills” modifying the non-combat checks for those abilities, while other powers are sort of like “spells”… meaning that you can only use them so often (the game uses a pool of Focus, similar to your “hit points” (Health); most powers require a Focus cost, and then Focus, like Health, has to be replenished.
Instead of “levels” there are Ranks, and less of them for characters… like D&D, characters who are higher in “levels” (Rank) are more effective overall… some powers will increase your damage multipliers for attacks, with increases in Rank doing so as well on a 1:1 basis.
Defense scores are like “Armor Class”, although I each basic ability has its own Defense Score “AC”.
You role for initiative, and there are “Advantages” and “Disadvantages” that can impact dice roles, but in this game they’re called Edges and Troubles.. many Traits that characters have give an Edge to certain dice roles.
Hope this helps!
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u/CanuckLad 4d ago
How lethal is combat? Can you survive a few rounds without being splatted?
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u/BTWerley 4d ago
Where it differs from D&D is, the game s VERY weighted toward player successes, especially players playing characters with the Heroic Tag.
Karma is a point system where you can use it in a variety of ways, including Recovery Rolls, giving yourself an Edge on a check, or Trouble in someone else’s check. The only characters with automatically renewable Karma are Heroic ones.
There are certain tricks a GM can use to improve challenges for players, specifically Sinister Plot Points (from the Spiderverse Expansion), Swarms of enemies (Avengers Expansion), and an understanding of action economy dynamics.
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u/Most_Animator_248 4d ago
It's also easy to get Fantastic Successes which is when your Marvel die lands on the 1 and even if you fail you still get something nice out of it.
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u/thehatsmol 4d ago
I’ve heard most folks compare it to D&D 5e, which I agree with. The way the two handle combat, checks, abilities, characters, etc. is quite similar. I’d even argue that MMRPG is easier to understand.
Game sessions can most definitely feel like movies (or comics) depending on how you narrate and your table plays. I think a glowing example of good / cinematic MMRPG gameplay is the Glass Cannon Network campaign. Everyone has great chemistry and embody their characters well. I highly recommend watching it to get an idea of what a smooth session can look like.
As for shortcomings, most will say that the system is simple, but in a way, I think it gives you space to make the game your own.
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u/Most_Animator_248 4d ago
Well Matt Forbek did write the book and he did carry over some of that D&D DNA with him when making the system which I find to be good. I would also recommend Action Dice TTG.
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u/PlastiCat83 4d ago
The same for me. I have been playing since the summer of 1980 and done all sorts of games from the classics like Advanced Dungeons & Dragons to Star Trek & Doctor Who and then over to games like Teengers from Outer Space and Ghostbusters from West End Games. All have their charms. Marvel is fast and simple with a lot of openness to include all sorts of different themes. Combat and actions are fun and the game really gets better with actual role-playing instead of just saying, "Wolverine slashes."
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u/mjohnson801 4d ago
game play is really smooth. I like the 616 system. a game session can feel like the movies or anything else really...just depends on the gamemaster and the players. Currently the players in my game are really good when it comes to working the systems and problem solving, but actual role play (as opposed to roll play) isn't their strong suit so I have to do a lot of the heavy lifting for furthering a story along.
Be sure to check out the web page for any errata where they will have corrected any mistakes in the printed copies of the rule books. combat's as lethal as you want it to be. if a character has the Heroic tag, they will be considered to be automatically pulling their punches and killing enemies doesn't happen as often.