Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

A brand new Superhero RPG is now available:

Capes, Cowls and Villains Foul

http://www.spectrum-games.com/capes-cowls-and-villains-foul.html

At DriveThruRpg:

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/104477/Capes%2C-Cowls-and-Villains-Foul

Looks like it could be a lot of fun, and I think I'll be picking it up soon!

Sounds a lot like Margaret Weis's Marvel game that just came out. And you can get a print copy of that game for even cheaper than a pdf of this one.

http://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Heroic-Roleplay-Basic-Game/dp/1936685167/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344436353&sr=8-1&keywords=marvel+superheroes+rpg

Interesting...

That one is "Based on the acclaimed Cortex Plus system".

Its acclaim is not so great that I've actually heard about it.

Anyone have any opinions or a review of it?

It's pretty widely known in the RPG community. MWProductions has done Battlestar Galactic, Supernatural, Leverage, Smallville, and now Marvel Heroic Roleplay. The Marvel game is played like writing comic book scenes where the GM and players can do things based on the exchange of plot points -- earn 'em by taking risks or ramping up drama; spend 'em to do superheroic stuff. I'm not a fan of supers games myself but I think Marvel Heroic RP would be the system I'd use if I wanted to run one.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Here you go:

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/15/15570.phtml

Hello, all. I'm the publisher of "Capes, Cowls and Villains Foul". First of all, thanks for your interest in the game, to whatever degree that may be.

I would like to address the price point of the game in relation to MHR's price. I won't deny that the PDF of CC&VF is the same price as the hardcopy version of MHR. Please understand that it's not an issue of greed on my part (not that anyone insinuated that). It's simply that my company, which is basically just me, with the help of freelancers, doesn't have the monetary resources that Margaret Weiss Productions has access to. In order to continue publishing high quality games, I have to charge more than, frankly, what I'm comfortable with charging. Perhaps, as my company grows, I'll be able to have lower prices.

At any rate, I think you'll find CC&VF to be a good game for emulating comicbook stories. The early reviews have been very positive thus far. Check out these links:

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_reviews_info.php?&reviews_id=78308&products_id=104477

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_reviews_info.php?&reviews_id=78218&products_id=104477

Thanks again.

Interesting. I've been a fan of Mutants and Masterminds, myself, but I always like to pick up new Super hero RPG's in the hope that one will hit the sweet spot of easy to play for my semi slowed group that has trouble grokking M&M, and complexity that allows super heroes with all the powersets and such I can imagine.

Then you might very well dig CC&VF. In a nutshell, there are no set attributes such as Strength, Agility, etc. Characters are comprised of "Traits" that you create yourself, with a rating that tells you how good he/she is at it. For example, Batman might have:

Athletic 5
Strong 4
Intense 3
Utility Belt 3
Millionaire Playboy 5
Underworld Contacts 3
Bat-Vehicles 4
Strike Fear into the Hearts of Criminals 5

Traits can have Modifiers that alter how they work as well. For example, the "Utility Belt" Trait would have the "Versatile" Modifier.

The game has ways to keep players from doing the same thing over and over and over during a scene as well, thus mimicking the fact that comicbook characters actually use variety in the comics (no comicbook writer is going to comprise a fight scene composed of the hero performing one attack repeatedly, because that's boring). Combats are short too, just like most of the ones in comics. And it's feasible to use virtually any Trait during combat to deal out "Setback Tokens" to your foes.

But, I digress.

Sounds interesting, Cynthia, I'll check it out.

Cynthia, my main critique of MHR is that I feel you have to be a great comic book writer to get real mileage out of the game -- i.e., it assumes a lot (if I'm honest, I think too much) regarding the creativity of its players. How does your game compare on those terms?

CC&VF doesn't require you to be a great comic writer to play (or even to run) it. The game system does most of the legwork in that regard. See, the more you use a Trait in a given scene, the less effective it becomes. This makes players want to use other Traits instead of just the same one over and over again. And it's easy to use just about any Trait in, say, combat situations. I mean, let's say your hero is fighting a villain in the streets of New York. You've already used your "Badass Martial Artist Trait" several times and it isn't as effective as it was as a result. But, hey, the hero has a Trait called "Streetwise", so you decide to use that to sucker the villain into chasing you into a neighborhood that you know has a VERY territorial street gang in it, so that they'll come out of the shadows and attack him (they might attack you too, but you're prepared and can duck into the shadows yourself). You make your check and succeed, thus the gangers start attacking him, causing him to gain a Setback Token.

Thanks for the informative answer!

One more: MHR and some other games, supers genre and otherwise, offer PCs mechanical benefits for playing to their disadvantages as a way of ratcheting up the drama. Does CCaVF have any similar mechanic?

Yes. Whenever you activate one of your character's Complications, you receive one or more points of Editorial Control (which can be spent to help your character out).

Sounds very interesting!

Also, thank you VERY much for coming on over to Dakka Dakka and giving us more information - it is appreciated!

It's my pleasure.