Pyramid Review
The Marvel Universe Roleplaying Game
Published by Marvel Comics
Game design by Dan Gelber, Jeffrey Simons, & Evan Jones
Additional design by Bill Jemas, & Mark D. Beazley
Written by Jeffrey Simons, Dan Gelber, Evan Jones, & Jim Graham
$24.99; 128-page full-color hardcover plus heavy-stock perforated character sheet/insert
If you want something done right, the old saw goes, you have to do it yourself. There have been a couple of stabs at a Marvel Comics superhero game from TSR and its successors, but the latest version, The Marvel Universe Roleplaying Game, comes from the House of Ideas itself.
Based on the adventures of their many super-powered heroes and villains, Marvel Comics' game tries a diceless system to adjudicate big superhero battles. A character is created by spending Character Generation "stones" on statistics, though the stones used to create a character should not be confused with the stones you'll use in play.
You start with five basic Abilities: Intelligence (your smarts), Strength (physical power), Agility (your coordination), Speed (how fast you move), and Durability (for resisting damage). Your Durability is the same number you use for Health (how much punishment you can take).
You also buy Actions with stones. Actions is a catchall term meaning "stuff your character can do." Thus superpowers find themselves in the same boat as skills and areas of knowledge. All these stats are bought to the desired level, and that . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: May 30, 2003
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