New Marvel RPG!

[Ahnehnois]

Even with BDH (which I had), the system has some major problems with it that ruined it for us. I eventually basically ran the campaign systemless. In particular, what irritated me the most was the lack of a basic competence in checks. When you roll d12+d12 to do something, it's amazing how often you'll roll a 2.

It's sort of like the Hulk being unable to open a door whilst Rick Jones does it with ease... the system felt that random. And the random element was raised even higher by the addition of Story Points, which have a wackily minor effect, until the players worked out that the best way of using them was to spend them all at once.

In defense of the Cortex system (which I've run in BSG a couple of times), the chance of rollong a 2 on 2d12 is 1/144, less than 1/7 the chance of rolling a 1 on a d20. Even the chance of rolling a 2 on 1d4+1d6 is less than rolling a 1 on a d20. The more dice you roll, the more likely the result falls in the middle of the possible range. That is, more dice=less random.
(I assume this isn't the first time you've heard this but I'm bringing it up because it needs to be).

Also, later iterations of the system made plot points less random.

There does need to be an explicitly codified version of "taking 10" although the rules basically just say to use common sense on those sorts of things.

 

[Umbran]

In particular, what irritated me the most was the lack of a basic competence in checks.

My experience is with a single session of Leverage, played at a gameday, so I don't know how the differences between systems will alter perceptions.

It seems to me that you were expecting a system that models characters and a universe around them in a semi-predictable, rational or reasonable way. What I saw in Leverage was a system that models a TV show. Those are fundamentally different things.

Leverage seems to be very specifically designed to create the sort of rise and fall of tension that you see in a TV show, without the GM having to plot much of that in by hand - the pacing is in large part intended to be a natural result of the mechanic, and in our session, it very much was.

In a TV show, no matter how competent you are, sometimes things go wrong - usually for reasons that have nothing to do with your competence. Joss is on record as thinking that stable relationships are not interesting drama, and that idea generalizes: Having things go smoothly and predictably is not appropriate for TV - TV is about screwing up or having things go disastrously wrong, and how the characters recover. The task resolution mechanic in Leverage provides it. Perhaps it is supposed to in Firefly as well.

 

[MerricB]

How often do you see the characters in Firefly fail in something they're competent in?

From what I remember: very rarely. They're supremely competent characters in their specialities. What goes *wrong* for them is that Mal bites off more than he can chew, or the situation isn't what they expect it to be.

(Or Serenity falls apart. It's junk. Glorious junk, but it probably shouldn't be flying ).

The group breaks into an Alliance Hospital on Ariel *successfully*. They run into trouble because Jayne betrays them, not because they failed a Deception check.

 

[ryushima2011]

Interesting question... I would also say very rarely.... In the other hand I'm personally very curious of seeing how this system is adapted to the Marvel world.

 

[Greg K]

In defense of the Cortex system (which I've run in BSG a couple of times), the chance of rollong a 2 on 2d12 is 1/144, less than 1/7 the chance of rolling a 1 on a d20. Even the chance of rolling a 2 on 1d4+1d6 is less than rolling a 1 on a d20. The more dice you roll, the more likely the result falls in the middle of the possible range. That is, more dice=less random.

To add to this, there are also other considerations

1. Die Based Assets: later incarnations of "classic" Cortex, use die rated Assets (introduced into Serenity with Big Damn Heroes). Many of these, add a third die to specific rolls before plot points and the rolls have to do with the character's shtick.

2. Die Rolling: die rolls are for dramatic moments that affect the narrative. Regardless of whether or not the PCs can fail, you only roll if it of dramatic importance the outcome of the narrative.

3. Plot Points: The players should be using them. If the die rolls are for dramatic moment of importance, it makes sense narrative sense to be using them. This is how "characters throw around their dramatic weight" Furthermore, the GM should be looking for opportunities to award them during play- they should be "flowing like rain" (Big Damned Heroes).

A Serenity GM should also be using the other options introduced in BDM like the minimum rolled bonus for plot points = half the die type which is another official system change found in later classic Cortex games.

Off to Target. I may add more later.

 

[Cam Banks]

Cortex Plus is quite a bit different from Serenity's version of Cortex, and indeed came about as a result of feedback I had gathered over the past few years. Each implementation of Cortex Plus is geared toward the license or genre; there is no single core rulebook application that covers all bases.

If your only impression of our rules is from Serenity, I'd encourage you to try out one of the newer games. Case in point, I'm uploading a free quickstart product for our latest RPG, Dragon Brigade, to DriveThruRPG tomorrow which shows off yet another Cortex Plus implementation, this time for fantasy swashbuckling.

But as regards Marvel, it will not be a simple port of either Leverage or Smallville to a Marvel license. It will be its own Cortex Plus game, designed to properly embrace Marvel's IP.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[MerricB]

If your only impression of our rules is from Serenity, I'd encourage you to try out one of the newer games. Case in point, I'm uploading a free quickstart product for our latest RPG, Dragon Brigade, to DriveThruRPG tomorrow which shows off yet another Cortex Plus implementation, this time for fantasy swashbuckling.

Fantasy swashbuckling is a fun genre; I'll look out for it.

Thanks, Cam!