Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Marvel Multiverse RPG Core Rule Book

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Product– Marvel Multiverse RPG Core Rule Book

System– Marvel Multiverse RPG

Producer– Marvel 

Price–  $19.99 here  https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/535688/marvel-multiverse-rpg-core-rule-book?affiliate_id=658618 

TL; DR– Solid heroism, but some fumbles on execution. 92%

Basics- AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!  Marvel Multiverse RPG is the latest RPG featuring Marvel comics.  Will the heroes be successful, or will evil triumph?

Basic mechanics and stats: This is a 3d6 system, kind of.  The basics are roll 3d6, add a modifier from their base stats, and see if it hits a different modifier.  But one of the dice is the Marvel die.  This die does not have a one, but a second six on the logo.  If you roll that logo its a fantastic result.  It can be a fantastic success or a fantastic failure, but it can also be something better than expected.  After the roll and addition, if you roll the DC, you succeed.  Below, and you fail.

Trouble and Edge: Good and bad situations affect the roll.  Good situations or spending a character resource called karma give the character an edge.  Edge allows a character to reroll the lowest die on a roll.  Bad situations or spending karma give trouble.  Trouble forces a character to reroll the highest result and take a worse result.  Trouble and edge cancel, and a situation can have multiple edge or trouble resulting in multiple rerolls.

Combat: Combat is the same we all know and love in RPGs.  Players roll initiative, and any character getting a fantastic result gets a bonus round.  Each round, a character can move and do an action.  Actions are grabs, attacks, or other things that take about six seconds.  Attacking is the bulk of those actions, and it functions just like all other RPGs.  You declare who you are attacking and how.  Melee is simple, and weapons work like all other RPGs.  You are aiming for a DC based on the stats the other character has.  The big change is damage.  Damage is based on the Marvel die and multiple multipliers.  Characters add their rank and their base stat together.  This is the multiplier for the Marvel die.  Then, if it’s a melee attack, you add your strength again to damage.  Damage reduction is also interesting.  It reduces the multiplier, and if the multiplier falls to 0 or below, the attack does no damage!  

Powers-  It wouldn’t be superheroes if they didn’t have powers.  Power is like feats and magic spells in any other system.  Each one tells you exactly how to use it. Some require the use of focus.  You can think of focus like magic points in other systems.  You can use focus to power your powers while you have some, and resting gives you some back.

Ok superheroes, let’s get to the breakdown!

Mechanics or Crunch: This is an interesting twist on a 3d6-based system.  I’ve played multiple d6 systems, and while this has heavy GURPS vibes, that’s ok.  It’s inspired by, not stolen from, that system.  It does enough of its own thing with the Marvel die to keep things interesting.  Also, 3d6 keeps the system from being too swingy as d20 systems can be.  I love me some DnD, but the d20 can crush you.  3d6 does a nice job of keeping the 9-11 average.  I don’t necessarily love the add-then-multiply-by-a-different-thing approach, but it’s ok.  It does make the more powerful characters MUCH more powerful than the rabble!  5/5

Theme or Fluff– Do you like Marvel comics and movies?  That’s the single answer if you like this RPG.  If not, then you won’t like this theme.  The book has a lot of background on the universe and provides multiple heroes, villains, and universes to play in.  Considering that Spider-Ham gets a shoutout, it’s deep enough for most casual fans to learn stuff.  This book is solid enough for an intro to the world of Marvel Comics.    5/5

Execution: Here is where I have some issues.  The book is well written and easy to read quickly.  But there are no hyperlinks.  It’s a big book, and there is a lot to flip through with no linking in 2026.  Also, the book features multiple heroes and villains, but it lacks an adventure.  The company gives away an adventure and characters to play with, but it doesn’t link to them on Drive Thru on the game’s main page.  It’s on a second page that you have to search for.  Help me run this system for my friends!  Don’t make me search extra!  3.75/5

Summary– This is a good book with some smaller problems.  I like the mechanics and the theme.  Those are solid and will get you playing quickly.  But the lack of modern conveniences hurts the production.  Also, the lack of a simple adventure and characters to play as hurts, too.   It’s not enough to keep me away, but be aware that there are those things, and they have them ready, but not linked on the page where you buy the book.  That’s a forgivable issue, but something you need to be aware off.  92%

Daily Punch 3-19-26 Intellect Vampire mystic focus spell for Starfinder 2nd Ed

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Today I’m gonna learn!

Intellect Vampire [two-actions] Focus 6

  • Concentrate Curse Focus Incapacitation Manipulate Mental

Traditions arcane

Range touch; Targets 1 creature

Defense Will Duration varies

You remove a creature’s intelligence and add it to your own. The target must attempt a Will save. The effects of this curse can be removed only through effects that target curses.

Critical SuccessThe target is unaffected.

Success: The target is stupefied 1 for 1 minute, and you gain a +1 insight bonus to all Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based rolls and DCs, including Will saving throws, spell attack modifiers, spell DCs, and skill checks.

Failure The target is stupefied 2 for 1 minute, and you gain a +2 insight bonus to all Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based rolls and DCs, including Will saving throws, spell attack modifiers, spell DCs, and skill checks

Critical Failure The target is stupefied 2 for 1 hour, and you gain a +2 insight bonus to all Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based rolls and DCs, including Will saving throws, spell attack modifiers, spell DCs, and skill checks.

Thoughts?

Ring Side Report: RPG Review of Sunfall RPG testplay

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Product– Sunfall Testplay

System– Archmage Press

Producer– Paizo  

Price– FREE -here  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/archmagepress/sunfall

TL; DR– A solid introduction 100%

Basics- THE AGE HAS ENDED!  Sunfall is a solo RPG, much like a choose-your-own-adventure.  It’s set in an Aztec setting, and you awake with no memory of what has happened, but you must attempt to save humanity.  Let’s look at the basics.

Basic mechanics and stats: This is a 2d6 system.  You have three stats: might, agility, and will.  These give you a +2 to +6 on the 2d6.  Then you compare.  You succeed, go to one page.  Fail?  Go to another.  Simple and sweet.

Player resources: Players have three major resources: health(hit points), stamina, and spirit.  Health is hitpoints.  It works exactly like in any other RPG.  Stamina and spirit are used when you do actions.  Stamina for physical and spirit for mental/magic.  You have none, and you either can’t act and have to take a breather round in combat, or other bad things happen.

Combat: Combat is also simple.  Each round, the creature you are fighting does something.  It can follow a round-by-round script or roll a die at random to select an action from a list.  You can then choose to parry(harder) or evade(easier), but if you evade, you don’t get to attack back!  When you attack, you choose an action and spend stamina or spirit.  You then roll 2d6, add the might or will attribute, and then see if you hit.  If you hit, you roll the dice for the weapon or spell, and then damage happens.  If you are hit, you subtract your armor from the damage.

Talents- As you play, you will possibly earn talents.  Think of these like feats.  You gain abilities that let you be extra cool.

Ok, now the breakdown

Mechanics or Crunch: This is a choose-your-own-adventure book with dice.  That’s the good and bad.  If you have that, then this can’t be for you.  The bad is that the combat is pretty simple.  It’s you rolling to defend, and you roll to attack. It’s simple.  You can’t do the crazy stuff you can do in Pathfinder, as the GM doesn’t exist here.  But you do get to play Pathfinder without a GM.  The mechanics are simple but fun.  I liked the choose-your-own-adventure books when I was a kid, and I didn’t know they had those with dice until I was in my 30s (I grew up in a small town!).  So, the simple mechanics only make me like this more. 5/5

Theme or Fluff– Do you like Aztecs and their mythology?  I do.  I crave new settings.  Old school DnD is fun.  Fantasy Europe for the 100th time is not bad, but if you promise me four whole books of settings where you have crazy stuff I’ve NEVER seen before, you have my complete attention.  I will admit my ignorance about how awesome the Aztec world was.  I’m looking forward to this book to not only entertain me with the story, but draw me into a whole history and mythology I know nothing about!  5/5

Execution: Ok, this is a choose-your-own-adventure book, so I am looking for exactly ONE thing: hyperlinking!  And it had it!  The book can’t have art on every page, but you won’t read this book page by page.  It’s got enough to tell a story when it needs to.  But I’m just glad I can choose an option, click, and BAM!  I’m there!  Solid work.  5/5


Summary– The simple summary is to go check out the Kickstarter.  It’s free.  Honestly, after that, the next question is “do you like choose-your-own-adventure books?”   If not, then maybe stay away.  Both the author and I completely understand that this book can’t be for everyone.  I love sushi, and not everyone likes that.  But if you have even a hint of love for the days when those books dominated middle school, as they did mine, or if you love or want to learn about Aztec mythology, then you need to check this out.  And the final cost for all four books, digital, will be $68.  That’s honestly not bad for four books.  You can get them all fancy and leather-bound, but I’m a digital kid.  So, I will go digital and use as many hyperlinks as I can!   100%