Currently Smoking: Ogden's Nut Gone Flake

The Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game is the latest licensed RPG for playing the famous superheroes of the Marvel Universe.  This version is made by Margaret Weis Productions for use in the Cortex system.  This system uses all the old-style polyhedral dice (except d20) as measures of scale, so that a character with d8 in a particular trait is better at it than a character with a d4.  Most character traits are defined this way.  This is also one of those games that gives players a mechanic for “bennies,” Karma or plot points to create their own changes in the story- in this system, they're actually called Plot Points.

After a couple of Forewords, the book's Introduction goes into the “what is a roleplaying game” spiel, noting that the game master is here referred to as The Watcher (a great in-joke for those who get it).  Next you have the main rules section, or Operations Manual (OM) and it goes right into a character sheet- or “hero datafile”- of Captain America, with sidebars to analyze each part of the sheet by section to show how the mechanics of playing a character work.  The first page gives the character's traits in game terms.  The second page of the data sheet goes over the character's real name, whether he uses a Secret ID or not, and his general history and description of personality and powers.

The next section of the Operations Manual is intended to show how the game runs.  A sidebar recommends use of little tokens to show who's taken their turn, scratch paper and some kind of chips or beads to represent Plot Points (PP).  Again, traits in this game are measured in die types and in multiples of dice (e.g. 3d6).  One of the central mechanics of the Marvel Cortex game is die steps- where certain actions can cause a PC or Watcher to either “step up” one or more dice to a higher dice code (d4 becomes d6, d4 to d8 is 'two steps up' and so on) or “step down” in the opposite direction.  You can't step up to higher than d12, and stepping down below d4 removes that die from your pool.  It is mentioned that there are several cases where there's no real challenge and no need to roll; if for whatever reason a player decides to roll anyway he has to declare the consequences of success or failure and accept the results.

A player's dice pool is composed of whatever dice on his character's datafile are applicable to the task at hand; if the character is operating by himself, he uses his Solo Affiliation die, if he is attacking barehanded he can use the Specialty of Combat Expert (or Combat Master), any die from a Power Set that can be used as an attack, and so on.  Any dice that come up 1 are set aside for later use (see below).  No matter how many dice a PC uses, he normally applies only the two highest-rolling dice to his action; this is the total.  A player may burn a PP to add one of his other dice to the total, and can spend multiple PP to add multiple dice, but only at the time the roll is tallied.  Any remaining die that has not come up 1 can be used as an effect die to measure the strength of the total effort- for example if the player has a d8 not applied to his total, he can use “d8” as his effect.  By default if the roll has no dice left after ones or the first two used for the total, the effect is a d4.

Whenever a player's die comes up 1, that is called an opportunity.  Opportunities rolled by a player add to the Watcher's doom pool.  The doom pool (no guesses as to where that name comes from) is sort of the Watcher's pool of anti-Plot Points.  In addition to using doom dice to perform the same stunts for Watcher characters that the PCs use Plot Points for, the doom pool can be used or stepped up to reflect how seemingly random events make the heroes' lives more difficult.  (Because in the Marvel Universe, seemingly random events screw the heroes with amazing frequency.)  It's worth noting that in the Marvel game, the book tells the Watcher that he can only roll his dice in full view of the group, just like the players.  Each opportunity rolled by a PC can either add a d6 to the doom pool, and if multiple ones come up, the Watcher can use each additional 1 to step up one of his existing doom dice.  Multiple dice require the Watcher to give the player 1 PP for each die added, but stepping up a die does not provide a PP.  Just as a player's ones can add to the doom pool, a Watcher's ones cause player opportunities that they can exploit, either to overcome a setback or to impose a setback on a Watcher character.  Just as adding to the doom pool requires the Watcher to give the target PC at least one Plot Point, activating a Watcher-rolled opportunity requires the player to spend a PP.  The doom pool can also be used as a generic opposition pool for tasks in which no NPCs are present but success or failure still matters, or the Watcher can use it to manipulate events for things like splitting the party, getting the party back together, creating hazards, or even ending the scene prematurely, although the latter costs 2d12 from the doom pool.  Now I would think that a combat that's been going on long enough for the doom pool to be stepped up to that point has gone on long enough already.  But maybe that's why the rule exists.

In addition to self-explanatory Action Scenes, there are also Transition Scenes where there is usually no combat but certain things can happen.  In Transition Scenes, Plot Points can be used to invoke certain Specialties called resources, which represent characters' contacts, material resources or other things.  Most veteran Marvel heroes have a lot of contacts, while some like Tony Stark have access to lots of money and gear in addition to their networking abilities.

So what happens after you roll all your dice?  Yeah, they do take a while getting to explain that.
The result of a die roll is called an effect.  Effects come in three categories: assets, stress and complications.  Assets are good things you get as the result of using an effect die to create a beneficial effect, such as using teamwork with your die roll to add another die to a buddy's subsequent die roll (a support action) or can be set up by rolling a Specialty to get a resource.  For example if Kitty Pryde rolls her dice pool against a computer security system and the total beats the Watcher's doom pool, and her effect die is a d6, she can call that d6 “Compromised Security” and either give that to one of the other PCs or use it in a later roll against the computer  system.

Stress and complications are more similar to what other games call “damage” and are in fact much like the similar rules in FATE, especially in that they can come in physical, mental and emotional categories.  If an effect die is used to add stress, that die code is the stress die on the target, which can be added to the opposition's dice pool against that character.  If a character takes additional stress in a given category, that steps up the stress die.  Once any stress die goes to d12, the character is “stressed out” and not only becomes incapable of functioning, he also picks up a d6 of trauma, which takes more than one Scene to recover from.  If a character thus has both stress and trauma, only the larger die code is used against him.  Any additional stress on such a character steps up the trauma die.  It is mentioned at least once that a character can spend a PP to shift his stress to a different type (physical, mental or emotional) to prolong himself.  
There's also an option for using your OWN stress die to reflect a hero's frustration by adding it to your dice pool like any trait.  The cost of this is that the stress die is automatically stepped up.  The trauma die cannot be used this way.  If a trauma die goes to d12, the character is dead.  This being the Marvel Universe, that state may not be permanent.  

Stress dice each step back one at the beginning of a Transition Scene (that is, after combat).  If a character was stressed out but the attacker “pulled his punch” so as not to inflict trauma, the recovering character has d6 lingering stress at the beginning of the Transition Scene.  Recovering trauma takes a long-term narrative description in which the character undergoes counseling, convalescence or other actions to recuperate.  Normally trauma will recover one step down in every “Act” (not well described at this point).  Heroes can recover faster with a recovery action using appropriate dice (like healing powers or Psych Specialty) but if this action fails against the doom pool, the trauma die is actually stepped up.  “In other words, sometimes it's better to let nature take its course if you don't have the skill to deal with major injury or psychosis!”

A complication is somewhat like an asset in reverse- the attacking character can inflict his effect die against a target (for example, if Colossus uses his super-strength to bend an iron girder around a soldier, the soldier has the “Bound In Iron” complication at the value of Colossus' effect die, and that die is added to the pools against the target in the same way as stress.  If such a complication is stepped up above d12, the target is effectively helpless.  
Players can make an asset or complication last beyond one scene by spending a Plot Point.  The effect will last through the scene in question until the beginning of the next Action Scene or until it is properly removed.

The next section of the OM is called “Playing the Game.”  Again, it takes a while to get to that point.  This is where the book describes the narrative time scale of the game.  In this scale an Event is “a single, overarching story line involving multiple story threads with many different characters.”  Or as it's called outside the comics industry, “a shameless commercial tie-in opportunity.”  Examples include CIVIL WAR and World War Hulk.  In most games, an Event is synonymous with what other games would call a campaign- characters experience pivotal events, maybe learn cool new powers, and at the end of the Event, the hero's story is over.  If another Event is played, a player may choose a new PC or play the same one, possibly with a new datafile to reflect the changes he's undergone.
Each event is made up of at least two Acts, similar to a traditional play.  The final Act of an Event is usually the climactic confrontation with the main threat of the story.  Each Act resets the doom pool to a certain number of dice, usually 2d6 but up to 4d10 depending on the stakes of the Act.  Acts are composed of Scenes.  A Scene, as mentioned above, could be either an Action Scene with “the characters doing something to drive the story along and move it forward” or a Transition Scene that is simply defined as linking one Action Scene to another.  A Panel is just enough time to describe a single character's action.  As in, “if it can fit into a panel in a comic book, it's doable with a character's action.”

This leads into the description of how an Action Scene actually works.  After some length of text going into how a Watcher frames a scene and sets up for action, the book says that “who goes first” is usually a matter of consensus amongst the players.  The rules say that if the Watcher wants one of his characters to go first, he has to spend at least a d6 doom die.  However, if one of the heroes has super-reflexes or super-senses at d8, d10 or d12, the doom die needs to at least match that, or the villain needs to have a similar trait.  Some characters (like Wolverine) have super-senses.  Some (like Captain America) have super-reflexes.  And some, like Spider-Man, have both.
The book also says that the player who took an action is the one who decides which other player goes next.  This also means that the last player to move decides who goes first for the next action order.  The impression is that if all PCs have gone and the Watcher hasn't used doom dice to interrupt their action order with a Watcher character, then all Watcher characters move after the PCs, though this isn't made terribly clear.

This section next goes over the use of Transition Scenes, which serve a role-playing purpose in establishing what the characters do after the action is over, and serve a mechanical purpose in facilitating recovery actions.  This is because, again, stress goes down by one step at the start of a transition scene, which makes it easier to use recovery on the rest of it.  A Transition Scene can only be used to recover stress once for each of the three types, though it's mentioned that Plot Points can be used for a multiple-action effect.  A Transition Scene usually allows for enough time to remove or reduce a lingering complication die, depending on what needs to be done to remove it.  The book also says that Transition Scenes can be used to bring new heroes into the scene (if a new PC needs to be introduced or traded out), or to call in favors, re-equip or do other things that require Specialties.

This leads to the next section of the OM, “Taking Action.”  Basically this section goes over all the fiddly bits of the previous text and tells the reader how the hell they actually work.  When a player character builds a dice pool, he always starts with the Affiliation die for his current status- acting Solo, with a Buddy, or in a Team.  He can apply one of his Distinctions as a help or hindrance- if the distinction helps in the current situation, it adds a d8, while if it's a hindrance it only adds d4 but also gives the hero a Plot Point.  Next the hero can add one trait from his Power Set and the die or dice for an applicable Specialty (like Combat Expert).  Plot Points can be spent to add more traits to the pool, or to use certain stunts within a Power Set (like the Ricochet attack of Captain America's shield).  Again, any ones are first set aside as Watcher opportunities.  Of the remaining dice, only two of these dice are used as the total, though a PP can be used to add one of the other dice to that total.  Any one die left over is the die code for the effect die; if there are no remaining dice, the effect is a d4.
At this point the opponent rolls a reaction to what the active character is doing.  This is similar to the player's roll, with the opponent rolling his Affiliation die, his main Specialty and some applicable Power, which for resisting damage is usually called Durability.  The opponent's total is compared to the character's total and if the opponent's is higher, the action has no effect.  If the reaction total is equal to or less than the character's total, then the action succeeds and the player can use his effect die as an asset, a stress or a complication as described in the previous section.     It's also mentioned that even if you succeed against your opponent's total, if his own effect die is higher than yours, you have to step your effect die down one.  If the active character's action fails then the opponent can spend a PP (if the opponent is a PC) or a doom die (if a Watcher character) to inflict some kind of effect based on the effect die already chosen by that opponent.  This is optional.  
There are times when you can have multiple effect dice, usually by spending 1 PP per extra die or if the stunt of a Power Set allows for such.  These are usually the only way you can hit more than one target at once.  (It's mentioned later that there's a downside to multi-attacks in this system: Since more than one opponent is rolling against you, it increases the chances that someone will exceed your total and get to inflict an effect die on you.)

In this game, each 5 points your total is over the opponent's is an extraordinary success, which allows you to step up your effect die by one.  Rolling high enough can allow you to push your effect die past d12, in which case you can either call that an automatic takedown (completely stressing out the opponent) or take one of your remaining dice as an additional effect die.  This also applies to the opponent's reaction roll, so that if it got at least 5 points over your total and the opponent wants to spend a die or Plot Point against you, he can step that effect up once per extraordinary success.  

This section also goes over targeting certain traits (such as imposed complications or gear-based traits like Energy Blaster Power Set).  The character rolls his dice pool versus either the doom pool or against the opponent character, plus the die code of the trait in question.  For instance if Colossus is trying to smash the energy beam projector inside a Sentinel robot, the beam projector has a d10 dice code that is rolled with the Sentinel's reaction roll.  If Colossus succeeds, and his effect die is at least equal to the beam projector's (d10) the component is destroyed.  If the action succeeds but the effect die is less than d10, the attack steps the trait back one step (in this case, the energy beam projector is taken from d10 strength to a d8).

The general limit of what a trait can do is determined by the Watcher on a common-sense basis (most single attacks, no matter how powerful, can't destroy an entire building).  As a rule, if an attack isn't “big” enough to affect a whole target, it can only reduce that target's die code by one step (if the attack is at least equal in die code to the target) or it has no effect at all if your attack is a smaller die code.

It was mentioned earlier that characters can inflict either mental or emotional stress on each other, which is deeply appropriate to the Marvel Universe.  This section goes into more detail on how that works.  Mental conflict (inflicting mental stress) could be anything from a serious debate to a telepathic combat.  As with other successful actions, a character can decide to “pull the punch” on a stressed out opponent (to avoid inflicting mental trauma) or instead of imposing stress can use the effect die impose a complication (like Unpopular Opinion versus the loser in a debate).  In this context, the difference between mental and emotional stress is that the former reflects being confused or outwitted, while emotional stress causes a person to become emotionally overwhelmed.  Intimidation attempts are an example of such.  At this point the book also goes over the question of such non-physical combat overwhelming the hero and causing a loss of “player agency.”  Specifically, mind control in this system is defined as either an influence on a victim (a complication effect die) or full domination (if the target is mentally stressed out).  Fighting this kind of influence is similar to a recovery action to recover mental stress, except that one is rolling against the mind-controller and not the doom pool.  The book emphasizes that while such events can make a player upset, if he “rolls” with the situation and role-plays his stress or influenced status, that can be worth a Plot Point award and depending on the character in question can be good for Milestone XP awards.  The main advice to the Watcher is “make it a good story, drop the heroes in danger and conflict, and give them a way out.”

The fourth section of the OM is “Understanding Datafiles.”  This basically goes over the initial review of a character sheet from the first part of the OM and describes each component of the datafile in greater detail.  
Affiliations: Are described as “the core of your action in any situation.”  (Again, any die pool starts with an affiliation die, even in Transition Scene situations when a character is alone or with others.)  Which of the three dice is used depends entirely on context.  For instance, Wolverine's best Affiliation is Solo, and while he could use his Solo die while trashing Sentinels beside his fellow X-Men, he cannot also do a teamwork stunt with a Buddy or take advantage of another teammate's stunt while acting Solo.  When you're using your Solo die you can't accept help from any other characters, and you can't give support to any other characters.
When you're using the Buddy die, you are paired off with another hero and can only give and receive support from that character.  
A Team is at least three characters.  Members of a Team each use their Team die code and can give and receive support within the group.  There is also a variant for Watcher groups called the “mob” where large groups can have more than one Affiliation die with the die code depending on their professionalism (an untrained rabble would be only d4, but would be 5d4).  Similarly, “large-scale threats” (like kaiju monsters) could be Solos but have multiple Solo dice.

Distinctions: These are often catchphrases like “It's Clobberin' Time!” or other well-known aspects of the character.  They can be applied either beneficially or negatively, the latter meaning less of a die pool for using the Distinction but earning a Plot Point.  For instance, Wolverine's primary Distinction is “I'm The Best There Is At What I Do.”  (That being, kicking ass)  Normally, Wolverine's player can use that Distinction to add a d8 to rolls involving combat, intimidation or other potential conflict.  However, Wolverine's player can also apply the negative side of that Distinction where appropriate, adding only d4 to his die pool but gaining a Plot Point- for example, if Wolverine is trying to politely negotiate with someone, which he is not normally inclined to do.  
Characters have three Distinctions.  When assembling a dice pool, the first Distinction applied is free.  You can add a second or third by spending PP.  (This means that a character can add a 'free' second Distinction as a d4, but it won't earn a Plot Point.)  
When Watcher characters invoke their Distinctions, using a negative Distinction either adds a d6 to the doom pool or steps up the smallest die in the doom pool.  Adding a Distinction costs a die from the doom pool.
Some characters (especially Watcher villains) have Distinctions that are more negative than positive (like Vengeful Psychopath).  This means a flawed hero compensates for this by getting more Plot Points and a flawed villain both increases the doom pool and provides more opportunities for players while allowing the Watcher to convey that villain's personality.
It's also mentioned here that a Scene could have Distinctions (like Cluttered Room).  Each Scene may have no more than three Distinctions to start, though the Watcher can add more with doom dice.  These simply count as extra Distinctions that a character could use for the Scene instead of (or in addition to) his own, for instance using the Cluttered Room to maneuver an opponent into stumbling.

Power Sets: These are the meat of what a character can do, as opposed to how he does it.  For instance Wolverine has a Power Set for both his “Feral Mutant” abilities and his Adamantium Claws (skeleton). Each Power Set includes a number of power traits (again, similar to characteristics, such as Enhanced Senses or Godlike Strength).  “Some power traits are common across many Power Sets, because they are archetypical super hero abilities.”  Most traits above human level are at least d8.  Some powers such as Flight are measured starting at d6, but that's the level required for the power to exist at all.  This is on a scale where a mundane weapon like small arms fire would be d6 and d10 is “equivalent to heavy explosives or lightning bolts.”  
Some Power Sets include a Durability die code which is used in reaction rolls to stop damage.
This section also describes basic powers like Flight and other movement abilities, Mimic (of other powers), details on Psychic Powers, and more.  Of particular interest is the Elemental Control Power -possessed mainly by Storm, who controls the elements- that also reflects the broad spectrum control of a certain effect also possessed by the likes of Iceman and Magneto.  It's mentioned with this power (and with the similar power of Sorcery) that the Power Set should also include more straight effects like Energy Blast and Flight.

In addition to the generic effects of a Power Set, it should also include special effects to individualize a hero.  “SFX are presented as do A to get B, (or) use trigger to get benefit.”  For instance Wolverine has the Berserk trait in his Feral Mutant set, allowing him to gain an extra die on his actions without spending a PP, but at the cost of “borrowing” a doom die and then giving it a step up before returning it to the Watcher's doom pool.  Thus special effects are basically distinct abilities that are more reliable than stunts and are also tied to the theme of the Power Set.  

All Power Sets have some kind of Limit, even if it's only gaining a Power Point in exchange for shutting down powers due to exhaustion.  Shutdown is a specific mechanic in the game.  A Power or Power Set can be shut down in certain circumstances or by player choice and it cannot be brought back up until a certain condition is met.  Shutdown traits can also be recovered during Transition Scenes in the same way as stress.  This section goes over some common examples of Limits and how they work in game terms.  It's also mentioned that just as a player can voluntarily invoke a Limit to earn a PP, if he refuses to have a Limit come up in the game, the Watcher can enforce it, but only by spending one of his doom dice.  Players can do something similar to a Watcher character by spending a PP to invoke the NPC's Power Limit, assuming that they know what it is and that it can be applied.

In summarizing this section, the book takes one page to give guidelines for how to build new Power Sets, SFX and Traits according to the models already given.  This is noteworthy insofar that this is the first point in the text that the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game acknowledges that some people might want to use these rules to make their own characters.

Specialties: These are basically abilities, training or resources not reflected by Distinctions or powers.  Expert-level Specialties use d8 but the player can also “split” the trait by rolling it as 2d6.  Similarly a Master Specialty can be rolled as either 1d10 or 2d8 OR 3d6.   In Transition Scenes it is also possible to use a Specialty and spend a PP to create a resource die which is one below the Specialty's code (d6 resource die for Expert, d8 for Master), reflecting a contact, piece of equipment, or other resource that can be applied to future rolls until the beginning of the next Transition Scene.  
The Specialty section reviews each type of Specialty in the game, detailing (for instance) the difference between a Business Expert and a Business Master and examples of stunts or resources involving the particular Specialty.  

Milestones: Each hero has two sets of Milestones, each organized into three stages representing particular levels of dramatic development that get the character 1, 3, or 10 XP respectively for roleplaying.  Milestones are usually set to the hero, but the Watcher running an Event may provide the option of “Event Milestones” relevant to the storyline.  The example given is “Mutants sans Frontieres,” a charity organization founded by Warren Worthington III (Angel).  It is listed as an option for the mutant scientist Hank McCoy (Beast).  It gives 1 XP when Beast uses his Medical Expert Specialty to aid a mutant in stress, 3 XP when he chooses to avoid a confrontation in order to assist other mutants, and 10 XP when he either allows a mutant to die or he gives up status or reputation to save them.

As this pattern implies, the culmination of a Milestone is its own story arc and often requires the character to develop a new Milestone after reaching the 10 XP stage.  It is mentioned that when the player creates a new Milestone it should not rely on other PCs or Watcher character's decisions so much as the decisions the player makes in roleplaying.  Event Milestones are the Watcher's province, as they are part of either a pre-written scenario or the background of the Watcher's campaign.  

All this leads to the question of how one gets XP and what you can do with them.  A character can get the 1 XP Milestone (or 'hit the trigger') any number of times in a Scene but only once per given action.  One can trigger the 3 XP stage Milestone only once per Scene, and can only trigger the 10 XP Milestone once per Act.  At this stage the character has “reached his Milestone” and may change it in for a new one.  The book says that if it makes sense for the story the player can choose the same Milestone again.  Many of the examples listed in the hero datafiles seem to apply equally well through a hero's history.
Characters also earn 1 XP each time the Watcher steps up any doom die to d12, and each time he closes the scene by invoking 2d12, each PC earns 2 XP (this is called 'the School of Hard Knocks rule').
Experience can be spent during Transition Scenes.  A player can simply spend XP to buy PP on a 1 for 1 basis, to a maximum of 5, but Power Points reset back to 1 at the beginning of a new Act.  Otherwise ratios are fairly expensive – 5 XP are required for minor changes like shifting Affiliation dice or changing a Distinction.  10 XP are required to buy a d6 trait, buy a d6 or d8 trait up one step, or remove a Limit for a Power Set that has two or more Limits.  15 XP are required to add an Expert Specialty, upgrade an Expert Specialty to Master, add a new Power Set or step up a D10 power trait by one.
After this the book goes into the question of how to create new datafiles, mainly in the context of making other Marvel characters that aren't listed in the current game materials, like Dr. Strange or the “Joe Fixit” grey Hulk.  The Watcher is advised primarily to read the Marvel Comics source material and to use the existing datafiles as templates- for instance the Captain America datafile is an example for building John Walker, aka the USAgent, Cap's temporary replacement.

The next section of the OM is called “Understanding Events,” a Watcher's section for managing the play of an Event.  The book says that in other games, “the Event would be called the adventure, the scenario or the situation (…) an Event is all those things, combined with the sort of script you'd expect a comic book writer to work from.  The key difference is that the Event is full of branching opportunities, ready for the players to make the big choices and deal with the consequences.”  I thought that's how adventures and scenarios worked in other games, but let's see.

Much like the previous sections, this one goes over the presented material in greater detail.  Apparently each Event starts with text called “Preparing for the Event,” which is noteworthy mainly in that it's the part where options for Event Milestones are presented- for those who want to use them.  Next the Event format organizes each Act in terms of Setting, Hook (how to get the heroes in the story), starting Doom Pool, and Buildup (the actual process of getting the PCs into the story, where the Watcher and players collaborate on describing the situation before getting to a formal Scene with dice). Once things start, Action Scenes also include Options for Action that the Watcher can use to reinforce either the heroes or villains or otherwise “switch things up.”  There are also “Unlockables,” that is, options for players to spend their XP within the game setting due to the events that have unfolded, for instance getting a short term contact with S.H.I.E.L.D after helping them in the last Action Scene.  Most Events have a Conclusion or wrap up that is sort of a reverse Buildup.
Designing your own Event is thus a matter of using the format as a model, taking care to sketch how it plays out in the number of Acts.  Each Act needs a Setting, Hook and Buildup.  The game again recommends using existing examples as models before designing your own Event.

Thus the next part of the book is a Mini Event, based on the series New Avengers issues 1-6, organized in two Acts, “Breakout” and “Into the Savage Land.”  These can both be used as standalone Acts.  The Event includes its own Milestones.  Setting details include Scene Distinctions (like Extraordinary Security Features and Power-Neutralizing Agents in the prison).
You also get compact stat blocks for allied S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents and the supervillains involved.
Finally, the book has a long list of 23 hero datafiles from various groups, including the Fantastic Four, various X-Men, and solo heroes like Black Panther and Spider-Man.


SUMMARY

Mind, this is the first Cortex game I've seen since the old SOVEREIGN STONE and the licensed Serenity game from way back.   But at least from the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game, the impression I get is that they copied FATE and didn't even file the serial numbers off.  Terms like “stress” are taken straight from FATE and are used in much the same context.

However the signature element of Cortex remains its use of polyhedral dice to scale character traits.  It works as far as it goes, but in presentation it isn't nearly as smooth as the FATE games I've seen, precisely because you're keeping track of more than one kind of die, and the “step” mechanic is yet another element to keep track of.

The other thing I have a beef with is that even more than other licensed superhero games, the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game doesn't have too much provision for creating original characters- even though the back of the rulebook teases by saying: “The Avengers have been disassembled, the Fantastic Four are somewhere in space, and the X-Men aren't answering their phone.  When dozens of dangerous villains are sprung from the maximum-maximum security prison known as the Raft, who's going to stop them?  You are.”  You can of course extrapolate based on the given examples, as long as you don't need to be too specific about what the characters do.  Which is one advantage of a “narrative” system like this one, but one disadvantage is that it assumes everyone can just roll on the basis of vague directions and models.  Of course FATE and some other games have proven that this can be done.  But then they're a lot more clear in explaining to the novice just how that approach works, and are more streamlined in operation.  So my judgment is that the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game[/i] works, but unless you're already familiar with how this style of play works, the text isn't the best example of how to learn it.

RATING: Typical (6)

As an acolyte of game design i find it a refreshing approach. There's no doubt that, were it a generic (ie make your own heroes) game it might struggle a bit more. Yes there are guidelines for character creation, which is fine, but the game works - in part - because it's basedo n characters we already know.

That it's a small concise volume (complete with an adventure) really helps.

That said, I've come across the FATE comparison before. I'm not convinced that's a fair criticism. There's no doubt it's an inspiration, but I'd rather play this I think (though I haven't yet, so there's a possibility MHR reads better than it plays). The mechanism of Distinctions is infinitely superior to aspects IMO because it's less coercive (it can be used to help or to hinder - all at the choice of the player) and simpler. Some of the distinctions are a bit lame (I think Nova, from Annhilation, has 'Buckethead' which is pants), some are what you'd expect, which is the point.

Cortex+ plays much better than it reads, and it even reads much simpler than this review says. Marvel is definitely the crunchiest C+ game, though.

It really killed me. I like Cam Banks, but he isn't very good at explaining play for his games. It took me a while to figure out Smallville's char-gen because of its not well worded step process.

I've much the same problem with Marvel.

Quote from: Ghost Whistler;644047The mechanism of Distinctions is infinitely superior to aspects IMO because it's less coercive (it can be used to help or to hinder - all at the choice of the player) and simpler.

That IS how Aspects are supposed to work.  If you're in a Pulp game like Spirit of the Century and one of your Aspects is "Irish Brawler" that suggests the same positive and negative possibilities as "I'm The Best There Is At What I Do."  FATE does of course allow for Compels, but again, at the core of Marvel's action resolution system is the idea that you can pin an effect die on a target to hinder him in the respect that you add to your dice pool against him.

JG

It's presetned better at least. None of this silly language of tags, compels, and whatnot.

Quote from: Ladybird;644151Cortex+ plays much better than it reads, and it even reads much simpler than this review says. Marvel is definitely the crunchiest C+ game, though.

This. We are in the middle of a campaign with player-designed heroes. The system flies better than when we tried Fate. It feels easier to resolve than Fate too. Yes, the Fate Ladder and its adjectives are nice but sometimes glancing at a die just feels smoother and quicker.