A role-playing game campaign using the Marvel Heroic system, starring the Avengers and the entire Marvel Universe.
This is an MHRPG campaign, which means there will be consequences and plot-lines continuing from one event to the next. There are far-reaching ideas and intricate plans which can be thrown into a spin with just a single action of a character -- just like in the comics! This game will best try to emulate the comics, with an ongoing story made up of a smaller acts and characters involved being changed as it goes along. Something like a soap-opera but with super-powered heroes and villains.
This game is always open to new players, even to those who have never played before. For many of the players playing now, this is their first exposure to the game (and even to role-playing games). There is a tutorial video meant for players who know absolutely nothing about the game to get in to it.
This campaign is meant for as many players as are interested. It's designed for players & characters to switch in and out, and for scenes to accommodate a potential crowd of heroes. Since this is all on message boards, there's an unlimited amount of space. An exciting challenge is to cram as many characters into a scene as possible. It will work best when players are into it, take their turns in an orderly fashion, and are available to be contacted. If it all goes well, there's no limit to where this could go -- just like a Marvel comic!
The campaign is Avengers-centric but not exclusively that team. The hope is to take it to as many interesting corners of the Marvel Universe as possible. Assume that the universe is classic Marvel. Not necessarily all old stuff -- it will take place in current time (even if that’s a sliding scale) -- but something like an All-Star version. We cherry-pick places in time from the MU, whatever stuff works best (though often leaning toward late-'80s, mid-'90s, and some early-'00s). Your hero will know what the rest of the public knows anyway, so it shouldn’t matter that you’re not privy to every single detail. You will get the knowledge of the universe as it comes up in the game. If we have to do any major repairs to continuity, we'll do so as we go along. The game is designed to be played on the fly after all, and while there are sticklers for continuity, for this game it’s going to serve only as a jumping-off point to keep a story-line going and for fun. And if there's a part of the universe you'd like to see, say so and maybe we can work it in. We're all working together on this story, after all.
This is game for straight-up superhero-ing, meant for fun but not a farce. We're serious about our superheroes but we can have fun with them. It's more important to know about the comics than the game, though only a general knowledge of the former (read: you've seen most of the Marvel movies) is perfectly acceptable. Willingness to play and enthusiasm go farther here than cold knowledge of the game and the characters.
General rules:
* The video introduction to the rules of the game and the campaign:
https://youtu.be/3hOxZQ9hnl4
It's about an hour long but not necessary to watch the entire thing, just listen. Then go through the posts that have already been made to see how we format (though how you do it is up to you, as long as the necessary information is there and it's easy to read) and you ought to be ready to go.
* A cheat-sheet for players:
http://nerdnyc.com/tmp/marvel/Hero-Cheat-Sheet.pdf
* And one for Watchers (not that there will be more than one in this campaign, but you can see where I’m coming from and what I'm using to conduct my plays):
http://nerdnyc.com/tmp/marvel/Watcher-Cheat-Sheet.pdf
* A map of Marvel New York (where much of the action will take place there):
http://farm3.static.flickr.com...318_6b73e8e5df_o.jpg
* There’s an option for RPOL to notify you when there’s a new post in a game. It can be a little tricky since it’s more opt-out than opt in, but if you’re clever with e-mail filters you could make it work. With a little effort, it could be super-useful, and it’s something I use (even though I set it up a while ago and don’t remember how I did it). (There’s also an RPOL Notifier mobile app but I recall that being even more of a pain. They could make this easier, but I appreciate that they created any of these options at all.)
* These game settings are set to Mature. I have no intention of changing the tone or situations of the game to anything more adult -- I want to keep it as close to the flavor of a Marvel comic as possible (not Epic or Max) or their PG-13 movies -- but this takes any limits off of it, and maybe covers our bases if there's an issue later on. Everyone else seems to have their games set that way, and I have no reason not to.
* Posting frequency of at least once per 48hrs. Anything slower than that drags. If you don't keep up that rate, you will be skipped. More than a couple skips or no communication from you and your hero will be taken over. You will be reminded with increasing frequency after 24 hrs. and you will be fairly warned before you are dropped. If re-entering the game after a turn was skipped, please contact me so you can be inserted back in. You can also re-enter later on when you're ready, which we can work out. I understand that real life gets in the way and an absence of any length is acceptable, but please let me know if you can't take your turn.
* If you are dropped from the game, I'll take over your hero and their fate (usually to take them out of the action), the next turn will be Watcher's choice, and in the transition scene the character could become available again. That doesn't mean you can't come back later. Life happens so I won't hold it against you for taking so long to take turns or dropping out since I have an option to handle it but it's best to let me know if you foresee any problems with being involved with the game.
* It's best when players post at about the same rate as everyone else. One or two players dominating the posts detracts from the game for everyone else. A good rule of thumb is if you're posting twice as much as other players, it's probably too much.
* Dice pools. When posting an action or reaction, please list the sources of the dice you are rolling. For example:
Solo d10 + I'm a Badass d8 + Badass Strength d12 + Combat Badass d10.
You don't have to follow that exact format, but please show where your dice are coming from and go on as much as you want with it. There is no such thing as too much detail for dice pools.
* Also, be clear in your intent for your action roll. Don't assume it will be obvious from the narrative (though it should be).
* If there is a discrepancy between what is written on your character sheet here and what appears in the books or other official material, go with the official material.
* Character sheets and details might change as the character advances, through XP, or if we work out a plan to alter them. I will maintain all character records.
* If something bad happens to your character -- even death -- know that there will be a pay-off. There's no reason to mess up a character if there's no point in it. I don't go killing characters willy-nilly (especially since that limits what I can do with the story). Unless you're being really annoying (including power-gaming), and I'll mention it to you first.
* Reading what has already occurred is not necessary but it is strongly recommended that you follow what’s going on even if you’re not involved and to check out what’s already happened. Nearly every post is an important piece of the story and it would be ideal to have as much information as possible to put together the bigger picture.
* The game can go quite slowly at times. But know this is a marathon, not a race. The plan is for this to be a long campaign so I’m not trying to get everything out as quickly as possible just to do it. Patience shall be rewarded. Allowances can be made for players who have to take it slow or drop out, and I appreciate the same given to me. My job and life matters can bring a lot suddenly and at one time and I may have to slow this down frequently. I try to let everyone know if it will be more than a day or two (not counting the weekend). This game will stay on track but it will have its dry spots. Thank you in advance for your patience.
* Always be respectful to your fellow players. Play your character's personality, but be respectful. Characters can be disrespectful if the scene calls for it, but be sure you separate the characters' actions from the players'.
* If you have problems with another player, remember we're all adults and bring it up with that player privately. If you can't resolve the issue, bring it to me privately.
Context:
* Marvel Heroic is a much more narrative-focused game than others. As such a certain extra level of creativity would be appreciated by your GM and fellow players. To make it more fun, go a bit over-the-top in your actions. These are superheroes after all.
* Please write any out-of-character (OOC) text, including action, at the end of your post in orange. You don't have to start with "OOC" since we know the intention.
* Write your posts as a narrative in a story. If the technical game stuff (in orange) is removed, the post should all read and flow like an ongoing story. It can be a good process to start the post with what you intend to do, written like a story, then the technical stuff and rolling the dice, then the outcome and resolution after that. You could also jump right into the game stuff at the beginning of the post if it has a strong resolution.
* One-liner posts are discouraged, but so are really long posts. Just generally try to keep your posts interesting and entertaining.
* Write any dialogue spoken aloud within the scene in a different color. You can choose which one you want to use but try to be consistent with the same one since it looks nicer. A color that sets your character apart from the others can be aesthetically-pleasing. Keep narration in black.
* Minor actions outside of posts are acceptable. Minimal movement of a character and other minor actions can be made outside of posts as long as they don’t disrupt the story. Characters talking is not an action or a turn. Dialogue is not only acceptable outside of posts but encouraged (as long as the heroes’ situation allows such communication). Feel free to add some extra narrative, even when it's not your turn, like your character speaking or giving some extra description of what is going on around you. If it doesn't contradict anything the Watcher is doing, it can be a nice flourish. Unless it's an intricate part of a scene when every word and action can make a huge difference (which should be rare), then the extra, personal detail can add color to the happenings.
Posting/Correspondence:
* Every post with an action should end with a current count for PPs and your pick for who goes next.
* There’s no need to provide a stress/trauma tracker at the end of posts (e.g.
Status: PS:00 ES:00 MS:00 PP:00 XP:00) since I will keep track of those (and please mention if there's any discrepancy) but please provide a running count of PPs.
Every post with an action should end with a current count for PPs and your pick for who goes next.
* It’s a minor thing, but please write in the present tense ("Spider-Man swings into action..."), in third-person. This makes the writing consistent, post-to-post.
* Do not include personal correspondence in PMs or anything sent from your character access. Since your hero may be given to another player later on -- whether you stay in the campaign or not -- someone else could have access to all previous correspondence (and may build upon anything you have created). Keep anything you have written from your character access to directly have to do with the game. However, I am open to any personal correspondence, in rMail.
* If you’re a new player or unsure of the rules or just confused, feel free to send me your action and proposed dice pool before you post it. I can look it over and give my comments and let you know if it checks out (and maybe offer some suggestions to make it better). I won’t use it to take advantage of your hero or action. I’m glad to offer some help so you can get the most out of your action (and thereby the game).
* The character head-shots are limited, even for some of the major characters, so I encourage you to send in one of your own. From what I read, they only add a few a month, and they won't accept your submission if you send more than one or two, along with a number of other restrictions. Though with some luck you can get one through (I submitted the one of Taskmaster). There are a bunch for Batman, Hellboy, and Lynda Carter but none for Dr. Doom, for whatever reason. I think you have to send them to
portraits@rpol.net. There’s a note on a board that posting new portraits was suspended, but there have been new ones up in the time since. It could be worth trying, at least.
* If you want me to contact you when it’s your turn, I can do so. I’d like for everyone to keep up with what is going on in the game even when it’s not your turn, but if it could help to keep things going to let you know when you’re needed, I can roll with that. PM me your e-mail address, or even phone number if you’re bold enough, and once it’s your turn I’ll let you know. I’m not going to be impatient about taking turns (as long as you do it within 48 hours) but we could push it along if it’s all the same. A significant number of players could mean a lengthy amount of time between turns so anything we can do to speed it up could help. If you want to get it going as quickly as we can, it would be easy and no problem for me to give you a heads up.
* In the event that I don't post after an action, generally when there's a reaction that doesn't need further involvement by the Watcher or something that can wait until my next actionable post, consult the
Status Tracker thread to check my acknowledgement. Know that I've likely seen your post, I just may not be able to react to it, and sometimes a post doesn't need further comment from the Watcher in the first place. The first post in the
Status Tracker should be the word on what is happening at the moment.
* If the game seems like it’s taking an excessive amount of time, consult the
Status Tracker to make sure it’s not waiting on your turn.
Switching Heroes:
* Players will be allowed to switch characters during Transition scenes. Characters available to switch to will depend on the needs of the story and my discretion. The list in the "RTJ" thread will generally be the heroes available (and will be updated to reflect availabilities in the story).
* Proposed characters from outside the source books will require my approval. You and I will work together to come up with a version of the character that is fair to the story. I have the right to change an unofficial character in any way before they are used by a player in the game.
* Players new to the campaign must start by using a hero from the "RTJ" list.
* Accumulated XP and modifications to the character will move with the character, not the player, unless the player writes a transition from character to character, and gives a believable reason for the new character to take over from the previous one. In this case, the new character can recover half of the XP from the old character.
* Many characters encountered in an adventure that are not decisively taken care of by the end of the scene (read: killed) could potentially be used as an ongoing player character, pending my approval. This even includes bad guys, though main villains will not be considered.
* If you’re interested in side-adventures or sub-plots, with or without action/dice pools, let me know. I’m happy to accommodate additional story if the players want more than the main game. There will be some between-adventure matter but it will be as much or as little as a player wants. You will get as much out of this as you put in. I can accommodate any speed or amount you want to go at.
House Rules:
* There is a limit of adding one die to an action Total (for the cost of 1 PP). Also only one additional use of an extra Effect die. Watcher characters are also limited in adding only one die from the Doom Pool as well as only creating one additional use of the Effect dice.
* A hero can have a maximum of 5 PPs at any time.
* A die can only be stepped up by an amount one less than its current amount, not just any amount. I.e., a d10 can only be stepped up by adding a d8, not a d6 or d4. (This is a new rule modification that I want to try out. It’s always bugged me that a d4 could contribute to, say, a d12, which would be a knock-out in most cases. This could add an element of realism (or at least an minimization of impractical fantasy).)
* The hero wins all dice-roll ties, whether attacker or defender. A tie between two heroes goes to the attacker.
* If you don't take your reaction roll then you'll get the consequences like you didn't resist at all.
* If the current player doesn't pick the next character to take action or picks one who has already gone that round, the Watcher will decide who is next. This will help keep things moving. If the next action picked has already gone that round, it is also Watcher's choice. Be sure to refer to the
Status Tracker, which should always be current.
* The Watcher automatically buys all player-rolled Opportunities. Assume that you will get 1 PP for all Opportunities rolled in a single dice pool.
* To make a counterattack, an Opportunity (from the attacker's action) must be activated, along with a PP, as usual. Extraordinary Successes are not factored into a Counterattack.
* Instead of spending PPs between adventures to create a Resource, you must spend XP. Since PPs and the Doom Pool reset between adventures, there are no PPs to spend outside of those chapters. But it is a good use for XP, for something that could be an advantage in an adventure. Activating a Watcher-rolled Opportunity during an adventure still costs a PP as usual.
* As this is a lighter toned game, as a default it will be assumed everyone is Pulling Punches (OM24). Further, all stress is stepped down to at least d6 at the start of a Transition scene or when an ally makes a recovery action during an Action scene.
* When the Watcher rolls an opportunity the player they were rolled against has the right of first refusal on activating those opportunities. If that player declines any opportunities any other player can pay to activate those opportunities.
Some others, along with rules clarifications, that were from before me that I'm going along with:
* Distinctions. We are not using the CW rule that allows for both a Scene Distinction and a Character Distinction be included in a dice pool. Only one Distinction per action.
* Scene Complications. We are using the optional rule from
Civil War concerning scene complications (CW6).
* Complication and Stress Dice. You can use a Complication dice
and a Stress die from your opponent in a roll without spending a plot point.
* Assets. When creating an asset, a larger reaction die does NOT step down the resulting asset.
* Players Grandstanding. Fifty States (FS10) seems to indicate that characters can grandstand to target a specific dice in the doom pool. While no specifics are mentioned, I think the player should indicate the die size they're targeting and roll against the doom pool. If the character's action is successful their effect die either reduces or removes the targeted doom die.
* Looser Scene Distinctions. Fifty States (FS11) allows for Scene Distinctions to be set higher or lower than the standard d8. Unless explicitly mentioned, assume all scene distinctions are set at the standard d8.
* Area Attack. You have to allocate all of your effect dice
before buying dice to boost your total. This is to prevent the area-attacker from using dice on the total and getting "free" D4 effect dice on the targets.
Planning/Sub-Plots:
* There’s not much in this story, game, and campaign that isn’t negotiable. From story-lines and sub-plots to rules and structuring dice pools, if you have an idea for something or would like to change something, there’s no harm in bringing it up. I’m a flexible sort, though there can be some aspects that I have to be rigid about (like keeping the story on track, but there's plenty of room for players to lead their heroes through their own space and guide the story in their own way). We’re all creating this story together and there’s plenty of room for anyone to contribute, in a major or minor way. The more that you’ve proven you’re into the game, the more weight you’ll have in negotiating. And know it’s a negotiation -- you have to give something to get something. Like in life, there’s not much you’ll get for free. But you can certainly ask.
* Something I won’t do: Change anything retroactively. Once it’s been played, it will have to be written around rather than altered. (I’ve done this once, and even though it was a minor thing, I still regret doing it.) This includes changing character stats: Once a hero has been played, stats are locked. Of course you’re welcome to evolve them later on with standard XP expenditure.
* I actively ask for anyone to come up with their sub-plots, as much or as little as they want to get into it, though these between-adventure scenes, solo or with other heroes, could help guide the adventures later on. This can be a rich source to contribute to each hero's story, though it's always up to the player how much they want to write. These can be written broadly, with more telling than showing, to move them along, if players want. There are no dice pools in sub-plots. Assume that anything reasonable you want to do you're able.
* Any XP spent must be discussed with the Watcher. This spending often changes the hero, sometimes fundamentally, or adds a new element to the story, and that needs to be approved before moving forward with it. There will usually be a sub-plot built around this and could have points to play out that will also have to be fit into the campaign. It just has to be worked out.
* There’s a list of Unlockables, in the
Milestones and
Unlockables thread, as ways to spend XP. It's not an exhaustive list, and I may even prohibit some of them if they don't work with the story, but they're to get you started with ways to spend accumulated XP and guide where you might take your hero. The ones from the book will always be available but the others are unofficial. I may take issue with them later but I'm including them as they were initially (from
http://marvelheroicrp.wikia.co...Category:Unlockables) just as somewhere to begin. I'm open to ideas if there are other ways you want to spend your XP.
* Also, in that thread, the option to unlock Allies may not be continue to be offered. It's rather a waste of XP and bringing in random heroes could throw a wrench into plans for the campaign. No one has offered to take it up yet, and frankly I can't imagine why anyone would. Like the other Unlockables, I lifted them from somewhere else and have offered them, but I don't think they fit here.
* As for Solo/Buddy Scenes, these are offered just for asking, and don't necessitate spending XP for them (and can actually lead to earning XP). These would be sub-plots, not full adventures away from the main story (for scheduling purposes), and these are played out, as little or as much as each player wants, between adventures. Again, it's all negotiable if anyone wants to suggest what they would like to do. It's not necessary to do a sub-plot but it can enrich the campaign and your hero's corner of it, as well as setting up elements that could benefit you later on. You'll still be brought into the next adventure regardless, and that will start from PMs, connected to a sub-plot or not.
Miscellaneous:
* Unless explicitly noted, heroes are not automatically outfitted with interpersonal communication devices.
Conclusion:
* The Doom Pool is meant as a tool, not a weapon. It exists to help the Watcher keep the story on track, never to crush the heroes. As with anything else in the game, everything has its place and a reason for being, even if it is a seemingly-insurmountable Doom Pool. Great challenges are not offered lightly or without a plan. Trust your Watcher.
* Trust your Watcher.
* As all heroes know, as in real life, the only way to lose is to give up.
The Watcher's blog of custom Datafiles, adventure notes, and game-relevant essays:
http://amazingavengers.blogspot.com
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:16, Thu 28 Mar 2019.
