New Game

Havent played Marvel in a few years
I have a group that I run DnD for regularly. I want to start running Marvel for them off and on as a change of pace. Any Suggestions? Like what resources should I really get into first? What house rules would everyone recommend? I havent decided if I'm doing Marvel universe for it or just make up something kinda like Astro City, Planetary or Authority kinda thing.
So... Heap on me all of your knowledge and experience!
:.D


"In brightest day, in blackest night,
A third less filling, Green Lantern Lite!"

First, each Game Judge must read the published rules of the set he wants to use. Advanced (1986) is the most prevalent and in order to hold your own at this site you have to know those rules first. Also get the Ultimate Powers Book.
I discovered the Basic Set (1990) and prefer it because I enjoy a "less is more" type of game.

swirler Wrote:
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> I want to start running Marvel for them off and on
> as a change of pace. Any Suggestions? Like what
> resources should I really get into first?

I just went through this recently. Since a friend was defintely going to run a 4-color campaign I started looking for a 'non-4-color' superhero campaign.

Being a lazy sod I wanted to do as little preparation work as possible, so I found a couple of sources.

1. Dark Champions-The Animated Series. Lots of material, lots of adventures. Street-level justice.
2. Legion of Super Heroes - Mayfair made enough Legion modules to get a good campaign out of them.
3. Brave New World - Terribly rules but a terrific paranoid near future background. Combine it with MSH "Days Past" material and it would make a great campaign

All suitable "change of pace" campaigns (I decided to do Dark Champions in MSH).

> What house rules would everyone recommend?

Here is my current list of house rules (keep in mind that I'm going for #1 above).

Marvel House Rules
The following House Rule are in use for a Dark Champions game:
Build Point System - MSH Characters can be built with Character Points. [www.classicmarvel.com]. Beginning characters will start at 200 Character Points (CP). Subsequent characters after the character are built on 10 CP less for each additional character, down to a minimum of 50 CP.
Ultimate Powers - All of the Ultimate Powers (and Ultimate Power Addenda's) are allowed to be used. The Ultimate Powers Book (http://www.marvelrpg.net/ma/ma.html), Dragon Magazine Issue #122 - The Ultimate Addenda to the UPB, Dragon Magazine Issue #134 - The Ultimate Addenda's Addenda, Dragon Magazine Issue #150 - Death Effects on Superheroes (http://www.marvelrpg.net/mp/)
Blue Feats - aka Fumbles. Are part of every roll. [www.strw.leidenuniv.nl], [www.strw.leidenuniv.nl], [www.strw.leidenuniv.nl]
Quirks - They can be purchased with points at 5 CP (10 CP for *) each. They do not have to be balanced against each other. It's possible to have only positive or only negative quirks. [www.classicmarvel.com]
Ultimate Talents - All of these talents can be purchased for 5 CP (10 CP for *) each (including the Martial Arts). The talents from Realms of Magic are also allowed in additional to talents from the MSH Advanced Set. [www.classicmarvel.com]
Ultimate Martial Arts - All of the on-line Martial Arts talents and powers are perfectly acceptable, purchased at 5 CP (10 CP for *) for both Talents and Styles. See also the Ultimate Talents document for more Martial Arts. [www.classicmarvel.com], [rivendell.fortunecity.com]
Resource Points - I'm going back to using Resources Points that are the same as the Resource Rank number given per week and worth $50-$75 each. [www.classicmarvel.com]
Crippling and Bone Breaking - When over half the target's total Health is hit in one attack, there is risk of serious injury. [www.classicmarvel.com], [www.classicmarvel.com]
Combat Rules - The Turn. [www.classicmarvel.com].
Combat Rules - Roll with the Blow. [www.classicmarvel.com].
Combat Rules - Critical Attack. [www.classicmarvel.com].
Combat Rules - Critical Blow. [www.classicmarvel.com].
Combat Rules - Devastating Blow. [www.classicmarvel.com].
Combat Rules - Flailing Attack. [www.classicmarvel.com].
Combat Rules - Expanded Number of Combat Actions. [www.classicmarvel.com].
Combat Rules - Cover and Concealment. [www.classicmarvel.com].

> I havent
> decided if I'm doing Marvel universe for it or
> just make up something kinda like Astro City,
> Planetary or Authority kinda thing.

There *is* an Authority RPG out there. I haven't bought it because I've never read the comic, but if you like the comic it might provide some source material.

Keep us posted on what you decide!

Of course, if you want to get really "change of pace" you can try:

1. Playing Villians (Blood of Heroes/Villians Finish First)
2. Playing in WWI (Golden Age of Champions)
3. Playing Hot Chicks (Superbabes)
4, Playing Morons (Stupor Powers)
5. Playing Anthropormphic Animals (Zoo Crew/Guardians of Metro City)

Make your own setting, exploring a new world IMO is always more fun than becoming a "also ran" along side the established uber heroes and groups. I prefer a setting where super heroes are fairly new to the scene and let the player find themselves at the same time they find their place in the world.

DG X(

Marvel > DC

I agree with Warlock, work from your own setting.
Better still choose a major city closeby that everyone has access too and is familiar with.
Base the game around that city. Your players will be familier with the land marks and will be able to better draw a mental image of what is happening.

Definately read the rule books.

Use a combination of existing characters from the Marvel Universe and your own customer villans for additional flavor.
Have maybe three to 6 recuring villans.

Don't feel that you are restricted to having a particular event occur at a particular location. Your players will do their best to go in the opposite direction without realising it. If they dont go to the location you intended then bring the situation to them. If you were expecting a pub fight and they head to the other end of town then have a drunken gang street brawl.

if it is a hostage situation in a train and the Heros go to a factory instead. Have it on the conveyor belt/ asembly line.

go to RPG.net and read the library there. They have great articles.

On my site I have a short cut cheat sheets and also Homebrew Heros/villans in PDF format.
members.tripod.com/~andrewmc/files/groak.html

Have one to two scenarios ready to go so that if the PC's work out one then you have another ready.

lastly good luck

Also:

work out a little background with the players...like how did they get their powers and why are they heroes? This makes it more fun...so they can really develope and the players have a vested interesting in taking risks and surviving.