What I Learned Playing the TSR Marvel Super Heroes RPG (aka FASERIP) for a Year

Greetings, gamers from all systems, places and timelines.

The last decade has seen the rebirth of superheroes, bringing them back into the spotlight. And while that’s changed what’s on tap for Hollywood, many gamers also want to be part of this awesomeness. Case in point, when I had a chance to join a game using the classic TSR Marvel Super Heroes RPG system from the 80s, it was a no-brainer. 

Now, a year in it has proven to be a lot of fun, but admittedly this may not be everyone’s cup of tea. So, grab your tights and cape as I explain what the game is like so you can decide if this is something your group might enjoy or should stay far away from. 

6 Ways It Rocks! 

1. You Can Create and Customize Your Own Superhero 

Just like with character creation in D&D, except you can start out strong enough to carry a car or burn it to ash. The list of powers and skills that can be chosen is extensive, to put it mildly. So, just like shopping on Amazon, there is something for everyone. This allows you to bring virtually any superhero from your imagination into this system. Did you always want to make a character who can teleport, has a healing factor and can manipulate fire? Say no more, fam, this system has just what you’re looking for. 

2. Lots of Creative Racial Options  

This system doesn’t limit you to just starting out as humans or mutants. You can make anything from an alien that’s made up of living energy to a literal avenging angel with wings and a magic sword. You could be an 8-foot tall hulking robot or a cyborg who looks perfectly normal but also has incredible powers. But if you don’t want to be a military experiment gone sideways, you could always settle for being a  demigod. 

3. Taking Ass and Kicking Names 

Because the system doesn’t have levels, your character can potentially be a heavy hitter right out of the shrink wrap. And while the power of the characters can vary from setting to setting, odds are, they will still be pretty badass from day one. So, if your friends are looking for a fun game where the characters get the good stuff up front and don’t suffer from beginners’ squishiness, this one does the job. 

4. Being a Part of the Marvel Universe 

In Forgotten Realms, you might come across a notable hero during your adventures like Storm Silverhand. But in Marvel, as you’re fighting villains from across the galaxy, you might run into the Silver Surfer. So, if you ever fancied yourself working alongside the Avengers, X-men, or Defenders, now is your chance to recreate an existing story or something entirely new. And if you don’t feel like building out an entire module, tons of official ones are floating around for free. 

5. The Existing Resources Are Insane 

So it’s worth mentioning that everything TSR ever made in terms of sourcebooks and modules are currently available online. But nearly as amazing is that nearly every hero and villain ever made has the statics available for both your viewing and gaming pleasure. And better still, since we’re all curious how the DC characters would stack up against the Marvel ones, they are also available. So go ahead, run that crossover module where Thor and Batman need the party’s help to stop Doomsday from flattening Gotham City. 

6. A Wide Range of Gameplay 

The system allows players to create characters who range from street-level heroes to guardians of the multiverse. Admittedly, not everyone wants to travel to strange new worlds like an episode of Star Trek. Some might prefer something more gritty and realistic, or perhaps your group might be more interested in making characters who are on par with someone like Spiderman. In this way, they are powerful but still need to rely on their wits to solve the harder problems. 

Where Things Start Getting Bumpy …

Slow Character Advancement by RAW 

Instead of gaining experience, the heroes gain karma that can be used for several things, one of which is to advance the character’s powers, ability scores or learn new skills. The problem is, this occurs extremely slowly, and I get the argument why. Someone like Spiderman’s powers changed very little over the course of hundreds of issues. However, unless you’re playing your character constantly, they also won’t change much from the time of their creation. 

The Prime Directive

As touched on, character advancement occurs as heroes accumulate karma for performing heroic deeds. However, you can also lose karma for less than paragon behavior. But the rubber hits the road when a villain is killed by a hero because they could lose it all. This means, if someone like the Red Skull died while trying to kill the party, that hero who killed him would lose all of their karma.   

Personally, I think that character should get a medal! But the authors of this system saw morality the same way Batman does. 

Some Issues With Character Creation 

We all enjoy rolling up characters, especially when the dice are in your favor. However, depending on what version of the rules you’re using, your stats, powers and skills could be utterly randomized. This could put a character with the power of the Incredible Hulk in the same party as Jubilee from the X-men. And while having the ability to launch pyrotechnic energy plasmoids at an opponent is pretty neat, it ain’t nothin’ compared to when the Hulk starts to smash. 

Final Thoughts 

Overall, TSR’s Marvel Super Heroes is really a great deal of fun. And fortunately, over the years, relatively decent house rules have been introduced to correct hiccups with the traditional source material. If you are someone who enjoys the MCU, DCU or comics in general, this is a game you might want to check out or even introduce to your group. 

Maybe don’t go whole hog on it at first, but let everyone build out a character and run a one-shot adventure and see where it goes. If you do, we would love to hear how it went or your experiences playing in this system.