Major Spoilers
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Twitch Discord RSS
    Major Spoilers
    • Home
    • Reviews
      • Random Access Memory
      • Retro Review
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Podcasts
      • Critical Hit
        • Critical Hit House Rules
        • Critical Hit World Building
      • Dueling Review
      • Finally Friday
      • Geek History Lesson
      • The Legion Clubhouse
      • Major Spoilers Podcast
        • MSP TPB for 2019
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2013
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2012
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2011
      • Munchkin Land
      • Top Five
      • Wayne’s Comics
      • Zach on Film
    • Features
      • Casual 60
      • Comic Casting Couch
      • Comics Portal
      • Did You Hear?
      • Editorials
      • Features
      • Gamer’s Corner
      • Hero Histories
      • Let’s Get Nerdy
      • Major Spoilers Adventures
      • Random Access Memory
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Movies
      • Did You Hear
      • Movies
      • Television
    • Comic Previews
    • Patreon
      • Patreon
      • Store
    Major Spoilers
    Featured

    GENCON: MARVEL HEROIC ROLEPLAYING

    George ChimplesBy George ChimplesAugust 21, 20128 Comments4 Mins Read

    Ever wanted to take a swing at playing as Ms. Marvel or Spider-Man? With the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying game by Margaret Weis Productions, you can do just that.

    Over the weekend at GenCon, I was walking by one of the many demo booths when something caught my eye. It was the corebook for the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying tabletop game at the Margaret Weis Productions booth. This game would go on to take silver in the Best Game and Product of the Year categories, and gold for Best Rules at the 2012 ENnie ceremony (GenCon’s answer to the Oscars). I was able to both demo the game and speak with two very kind folks from Margaret Weis Productions: Amanda Valentine (Managing Editor) and Cam Banks (Game Designer).

    Published in April of 2012, the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying game is a tabletop role-playing games meant to put players in the spandex of their favorite characters from the Marvel Universe. This differs from the player-created PCs common to most tabletop RPGs, but the aim of this game is a little different. Using the Cortex Plus system, which uses a dice pool system ranging from d4s to d12s, the Watcher (as the GM is known in this game) and players are encouraged to create a cinematic, drama-driven story experience inspired by the adventures from the Marvel Comic universe. As Ms. Valentine put it, people have a sense of these stories and characters. When things go wrong (which the entertainingly named doom pool ensures), it creates a dramatic arc during gameplay meant to resemble what comic fans read in their comic books. The game also does a good job of capturing the signature Marvel angst by tracking emotional and mental stresses as well as physical damage. The Cortex Plus system is a lot more abstract than common d20 style systems and rewards the creation of story moments rather than the death of another orc or kobold. And for those who want to invent their own characters, there are rules in place to do just that and it looks pretty easy to do.

    The core rulebook contains an adventure detailing the breakout from the metahuman prison The Raft, as depicted in New Avengers #1-6, and rules for playing Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men alike. At GenCon, Margaret Weis Productions was selling the first big event book, an adaptation of the 2006/2007 Civil War storyline. Further sourcebooks tied to the Civil War event include the 50 State Initiative, as well as books detailing rules for the Runaways, Young Avengers, and X-Men. Future events planned for publication are the Annihilation and Age of Apocalypse arcs. Mr. Banks assured me that the latter would involve characters from the original 1990s story, as well as incorporate more recent visits to the alternate history setting, such as those in Rick Remender’s recent Uncanny X-Force stories.

    Having just acquired the corebook for Heroic Roleplaying and demoing it briefly, I cannot give a full review. The play style was easy to pick up in the demonstration, and did a good job of encouraging role-playing true to the Marvel characters, while allowing for enough creative flexibility to make the character feel like my own. In functional terms, the dice pool system was reminiscent of indie-styled games and seemed like it would be easy for new players to the system (or tabletop gaming in general) to learn. The system really is geared for a cinematic style of playing, and while I need to see how it plays out with a larger group, The art in the books looked familiar, and Ms. Valentine confirmed that all the art was indeed taken directly from the Marvel archives. As a result, everything is pretty nice to look at.

    The Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game book lists at $19.99 (a point I certainly appreciate). Margaret Weis Productions also publishes rules for games for several licensed properties, including the Leverage, Smallville, Battlestar Galactica and Firefly universes.

    convention gen con Margaret Weis Productions Marvel Roleplaying
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleSNEAK PEEK: Grimm Fairy Tales #76
    Next Article MOVIES: Bloodstrike headed to the big screen
    George Chimples
    • Twitter

    George Chimples comes from the far future, where comics are outlawed and only outlaws read comics. In an effort to prevent that horrible dystopia from ever coming into being, he has bravely traveled to the past in an attempt to change the future by ensuring that comics are good. Please do not talk to him about grandfather paradoxes. He likes his comics to be witty, trashy fun with slightly less pulp than a freshly squeezed glass of OJ. George’s favorite comic writers are Warren Ellis and Grant Morrison, while his preferred artists are Guy Davis and Chris Bachalo, He loves superheroes, but also enjoys horror, science fiction, and war comics. You can follow him @TheChimples on Twitter for his ramblings regarding comics, Cleveland sports, and nonsense.

    Related Posts

    Legion Clubhouse #192: Who is the fur ball?

    Read More

    This Ends Tonight #1 Review

    Read More

    Marvel spills the tea on Marvel Knights: The World to Come #5

    Read More

    8 Comments

    1. Rob on August 21, 2012 2:26 pm

      Looks interesting superhero rpgs are notoriously hard to do but this looks like they might have actually pulled it off at less than $20 got to be worth checking out.

      • Eli on August 21, 2012 3:45 pm

        Have you tried Mutants and Masterminds? I find that system to work very well

        • Kirby on August 21, 2012 4:29 pm

          I’ve played both, and while the Marvel game is cute, one could probably get a more balanced, and inventive game experience with M&M.

          • foolsmask on August 21, 2012 10:37 pm

            I have to disagree with you a little. M&M is not balanced. It is designed to allow you to play ANY superhero you want to design. Balance is not the goal of the rules, though it does try, it falls to the players and the GM strike a balance. One person could be Superman and another could be Iron Fist. As for inventive gaming, that is purely in the hands of the players (or GM), never the system. Even if you are using the published modules, some GM wrote those. The Marvel game keeps you in a specific universe and gives the players and GM the basics of a storytelling game rather than a hack/slash game. I played the game at Gen Con as well and think it has a lot of potential as long as you aren’t a power gamer.

    2. andreas on August 21, 2012 8:22 pm

      As a child I made my own mutant-base superhero pen-and-paper rpg.
      The costumesasion possibilitys are endless – which is nice.

    3. Ian on August 21, 2012 8:22 pm

      I always liked the old Marvel RPG (faserip)

      • atomicknight on August 23, 2012 12:32 pm

        I loved that game as well, both the basic and the Advanced systems.

    4. atomicknight on August 23, 2012 12:30 pm

      The gameplay is described very much like the old Saga rules Marvel Super-Heroes Adventure Game and Mission Books. It would have been nice to read a more detailed review, and perhaps a comparison of the latter game. Either way, I wish to know more…

    AMAZON AFFILIATE

    Support this site by making a purchase through our Amazon affiliate links

    Reviews
    5.3
    July 18, 2025

    This Ends Tonight #1 Review

    6.0
    July 13, 2025

    Unchosen #1 Review

    6.3
    July 13, 2025

    Retro Review: Marvel Team-Up #95

    8.7
    July 11, 2025

    Fantastic Four #1 Review

    6.0
    July 8, 2025

    JSA #9 Review

    Patreon Support
    Sponsor

    ComiXology Home Page

    Follow Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Twitch
    Major Spoilers Patreon
    • About
      • Major Spoilers Terms of Use
      • Major Spoilers Frequently Asked Questions
      • Major Spoilers Privacy Policy Statement
      • Major Spoilers Podcast Gear
    • Contact
    • Cookie Policy (EU)
    Major Spoilers is copyright 2006-2025 by Major Spoilers Entertainment, LLC

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    SAVE & ACCEPT