Marvel Heroic Roleplay discussion thread

I originally posted this in the actual play thread, but I thought it might better to create a spin off so as not to derail the excellent actual play.

I've said it other places before but this game requires a mind set that appreciate a level of abstraction and type of desired emulation that have a hard time gasping and really getting into. But it seems to work very well in that mode for those that have an easier time with it. I think that and the difficulty I have thinking in that manner are the main reasons I find it such a fascinating, yet frustrating game.

For instance, it took me a bit to grasp something when I ran it: the nature that emotional/mental stress worked. It felt like an issue in the rules or a mistake I was making that caused most character's pools to resist them as opposed to Physical generally smaller. But I came to the conclusion that I was looking at it wrong. A player doesn't just say "I'm going to inflict Emotional Stress on that NPC." but has to come up with a justification, role play and describe some action that strikes the GM as appropriate (perhaps justified by a sfx?) any more than a character described as normal person physical could state 'I inflict Physical Stress on Colossus." without some in game/narrative justification for it. The M has more explicit fiat power. In say Hero System, the norm vs Colossus situation would be managed by the dice. 2-3d6 damage isn't going to get through the mutants 30+ Defenses.

In Hero, a normal might set up an trap the collapses a building on the X-man that inflicts damage with their skills, equipment and powers. In MHRPG that would be simulated by using the character's Tech specialty, perhaps some power set or Distinction related to such situations... One would be more tight focused task resolution (building, placing the trap, drawing in Colossus, etc), the other might be more drawn back/wide screen/panel focus with the entire situation resolved with one roll that results (or not) in the steel Russian getting a building dropped on him over the 'course' of the panel, some of the set up might even be considered retroactive (an interesting approach to schemer and trickster characters like Arcade or Mysterio?)

In MHRPG it seems like it could a case of the GM "That can't work, try something else or tell me how that would work story-wise?" It seems to focus on the medium with more of authorial stance while many other games take a world simulation approach with an improv actor stance if that makes any sense.

Ya, Cortex was very hard for my group to get, except for one guy who had the least experience with rpgs. All the rest of us hard core simulationist crunch folks really fought with it. One guy just struggled with the math of the dice pools because it’s not actually easy math under the covers. I absolutely get what you are saying about it. One is closer to authoring a story and one is closer to authoring actions and the story is happening sort of passively.

Raleel said:

Ya, Cortex was very hard for my group to get, except for one guy who had the least experience with rpgs. All the rest of us hard core simulationist crunch folks really fought with it. One guy just struggled with the math of the dice pools because it’s not actually easy math under the covers. I absolutely get what you are saying about it. One is closer to authoring a story and one is closer to authoring actions and the story is happening sort of passively.

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It was a really odd mindset for me and the circle of players I tried to run it with, I don't think they quite grokked it.

Interestingly, one player was intrigued, he felt that game could be done more simulationist mode (if I'm using right terminology, less player scene editing, less disassociated mechanics, etc) fairly easily but that would be sort of like using the handle of a screwdriver to pound in a nail. It could work but using the right tool for the right job would likely generate more satisfactory results.

Has anyone tried Marvel Heroic RolePlay for a home brew setting?

Nexus said:

Has anyone tried Marvel Heroic RolePlay for a home brew setting?

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we did a Scion WW2 game using MHR. worked great. My character, a norse sorcerer, summoned the chains of Fenrir to bind a couple of bombers together while we fought on them and they were falling out of the sky. later on he put some plot points into making an illusion of Cthulhu come out of the water outside of Oran, Algeria and making all the Nazis run. My character's defining mechanic was doom pool fuckery, and it felt very much like I was in control of the universe.

Raleel said:

we did a Scion WW2 game using MHR. worked great. My character, a norse sorcerer, summoned the chains of Fenrir to bind a couple of bombers together while we fought on them and they were falling out of the sky. later on he put some plot points into making an illusion of Cthulhu come out of the water outside of Oran, Algeria and making all the Nazis run. My character's defining mechanic was doom pool fuckery, and it felt very much like I was in control of the universe.

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Doom pool what now?

Nexus said:

Doom pool what now?

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doom pool fuckery

I took one SFX that is "Add a die from the doom pool to one or more attack actions. Step up the doom pool by +1 for each action; return it to the doom pool when you're done." and another one that is " Spend 1 pp to add a doom die to your next attack action. After your action, step back the doom die and return it to the doom pool."

it allowed me to do a number of nasty things to control the situation, prevent it from getting out of hand and also letting it get a little crazy. Both SFX stolen from other heroes (berserk from wolverine and oh my stars and garters from beast). Honestly, while it was quite strong and got some eyes from around the table, it really captured the feel very very well. Combine that with the extent of sorcery (only assets and complications with sorcery) and an SFX do get a step up + bonus die with assets and complications, he was quite good at being a battlefield control wizard.

Raleel said:

doom pool fuckery

I took one SFX that is "Add a die from the doom pool to one or more attack actions. Step up the doom pool by +1 for each action; return it to the doom pool when you're done." and another one that is " Spend 1 pp to add a doom die to your next attack action. After your action, step back the doom die and return it to the doom pool."

it allowed me to do a number of nasty things to control the situation, prevent it from getting out of hand and also letting it get a little crazy. Both SFX stolen from other heroes (berserk from wolverine and oh my stars and garters from beast). Honestly, while it was quite strong and got some eyes from around the table, it really captured the feel very very well. Combine that with the extent of sorcery (only assets and complications with sorcery) and an SFX do get a step up + bonus die with assets and complications, he was quite good at being a battlefield control wizard.

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Thanks. I admit don't completely understand what the mechanics mean, but I guess that's another reason MHRPG isn't quite for me. I don't quite get it or what mechanics represent beyond the very basic.

That was one of my problems when I played it.. I had no idea what 'sfx' were balanced and which were sort of over the the top in play. How did this one work out in play?

Doom pool = GM resources for creating new opposition and adding drama. Guards show up? Spend a d6 or two from the doom pool. arc Reactor blast hit radioactive waste barrels? spend a d8 to make a scene complication or environmental thing. A GM could easily just make this stuff in another game, but Cortex balances a little different and uses this mechanism.

step up = increase the die size by 1. Step down is the other direction.

pp = plot point. A metacurrency that you can use to add dice to your effect , step up dice, etc. you generally get them when you experience a negative effect, willingly or not.

it ended up working well. Part of the issue was that the GM wasn’t as versed in the doom pool as me, and thus wasn’t able to deny me a resource As well I was able to deny him. But I certainly felt like I was controlling the world (aka doom pool) and tapping into resources out of reach of most.

Cortex does a pile of dice tricks. Take the effect die and turn it into the two dice of the next smaller size or three of two sizes smaller. Take an extra effect die from your dice pool. The two mentioned above. Replace a d8 distination with a d4 (which is sort of like going from a +2 to a -1, sort of) and get a plot point.

that last one will allow Spidey to crack jokes and infuriate his foes (d8 wisecracker added for the pool) or for him to put his foot in his mouth by joking at the wrong time (swap it for a d4, get a plot point)

it is very much not like my other favorite, Mythras, which is far more simulationist with very traditional dice mechanics, and the trickiest one it does is roll something twice my reading of your other posts makes me think you are in this space for your games.

Raleel said:

Doom pool = GM resources for creating new opposition and adding drama. Guards show up? Spend a d6 or two from the doom pool. arc Reactor blast hit radioactive waste barrels? spend a d8 to make a scene complication or environmental thing. A GM could easily just make this stuff in another game, but Cortex balances a little different and uses this mechanism.

step up = increase the die size by 1. Step down is the other direction.

pp = plot point. A metacurrency that you can use to add dice to your effect , step up dice, etc. you generally get them when you experience a negative effect, willingly or not.

it ended up working well. Part of the issue was that the GM wasn’t as versed in the doom pool as me, and thus wasn’t able to deny me a resource As well I was able to deny him. But I certainly felt like I was controlling the world (aka doom pool) and tapping into resources out of reach of most.

Cortex does a pile of dice tricks. Take the effect die and turn it into the two dice of the next smaller size or three of two sizes smaller. Take an extra effect die from your dice pool. The two mentioned above. Replace a d8 distinction with a d4 (which is sort of like going from a +2 to a -1, sort of) and get a plot point.

that last one will allow Spidey to crack jokes and infuriate his foes (d8 wisecracker added for the pool) or for him to put his foot in his mouth by joking at the wrong time (swap it for a d4, get a plot point)

it is very much not like my other favorite, Mythras, which is far more simulationist with very traditional dice mechanics, and the trickiest one it does is roll something twice my reading of your other posts makes me think you are in this space for your games.

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I get the elements and terms you described pretty well. Its I guess it how/what they represent in play that sometimes gets away from me. Or more the mindset behind them. Like the GM having a limited pool of resources and particularly PC having abilities that affect it or even draw from it which feel to me like blurring lines unless the PC is god like and has some control over reality.

I think it just being used to looking at things from an actor/simulation perspective not authorial where some of the mechanics are purely about the fiction and shaping it. Its hard for me to get, yet I find the idea fascinating.

ya, it is a very different mindset. As I say above, it took most of my group forever to get it. Very hard to shift the paradigm.

note, the GM still has unlimited resources to set the scene - he can still put the characters in an active volcano or have a horde of ninjas chasing them. But for altering the scene, he’s limited.

said pc altering the scene in the same fashion like a god is exactly what it felt like and I felt very appropriate for a mage sort of character. Definitely not the right choice for every character, but it was his thing.