Marvel Multiverse Role-playing Game: Playtest Rulebook

If you want an RPG that lets you know that Black Panther does 3d6+42+6 fight damage and that Captain Marvel has a flight speed of 875 (175 spaces) then this is the game for you. It's like the designers have ignored the last 20 years of RPG evolution and come up with some horrible maths equation of a system. After looking at some online previews of this, I bought it purely to confirm it was as bad as I though it was going to be, hence saving me from wasting £40 odd on the proper version when it comes out. If you love crunchy systems where just about everything you do has a trait or special rule and you like Marvel, you might get some use out of this. Also, just because it has a few paragraphs on what a role-playing game is, it doesn't make this beginner friendly. If this was the first RPG I had ever bought, I would probably have given up without ever playing one.

I recommend reading the in-depth RPGBot.net review of this product before buying.It feels like an over-complex system for beginner players. At first reading the core mechanics and character creation sections had me holding open different pages of tables with my fingers to refer back or forward to a table or paragraph which explained what was going on somewhere else. But that's just a layout thing, nothing fundamental.As a DnD 5e player with a old-school (BECMI) background I kept thinking "Just use d20 not d616. Just call it Level, not Rank. Strength not Might. Advantage not Edge, etc etc" But that's probably missing the point - it's not meant to be a clone of the SRD, it's its own thing and that's fine.That said, if I introduced players to this I'd extract the Backstory, Trait, Profession and Powers (I like the Powers list flowcharts, that's my favourite bit of the book) translating them as necessary into 5e/SRD and simply using the 5e/SRD mechanics that my players are familiar with. 'Making Holes' and 'Plowing Through Objects' are great little additions, and the illustrations are excellent.So, based on this playtest, for new players I'd imagine the mechanics of the eventual game may be off-putting. For more experienced players who want a Marvelesque adventure they might get the best use of it as a bolt-on compendium for new and exciting NPCs, monsters, abilities and so on that they can easily migrate into their favourite system, ignoring the MMRPG mechanics. And for more accomplished players than me, it could be a lot of fun fully diving in to the multiverse the creators envisage. Overall, worth the money (£7).

This is just a playtest version but it gives a clue as to what the full release will be like. Well written and innovative core rules

The system is mediocre. The designer(s) doesn't know the meaning of balance. The new errata makes it even worse (everything your level will die in 2 attacks, classes doesn't mater for damage, etc... plain bad). The is officialy the worse gaming system I have played in 25 years.

Obviously writing this only after a day with the book, may update after about 5 sessions. As of right now the system seems really cool and accessible. Character creating seems a slightly advanced for first time role players but if youve spent time with 5e, blades, gurps or any modern RPG you should be able to figure it out quite quickly. My favorite part no doubt is the artwork in the book. All drawn by marvel artists and it shows. The game system presented in the playtest is rules light so if you are not one for getting into the nitty gritty this could be a positive or negative. Personally me and my group are usually quite rules light and enjoy the occasional rule look up but by no means are we game system experts. For these types of people the game system in its current state could probably sustain you for the games lifecycle. For more hardcore rule sticklers you will probably want to upgrade to the full version upon its release. Which is of course what this book is for, Play testing. Price wise for me its a no brainer $12 for an official marvel rpg, even if its not finished, what are you waiting for? Pick it up!!