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Marvel Universe RPG Core Rules PDF

This Marvel Universe RPG core rules PDF review is part of my “Best Tabletop RPGs of All Time” article. If you want to check out more TTRPGs and see how other top-tier tabletop RPGs are ranked, visit that page.

My Review – 89 / 100

Bar chart comparing game attributes: attributes on x-axis, stacked bars with black, medium blue, and light blue sections show ratings.

The version of the Marvel Universe that I reviewed is the Marvel Universe RPG core rules RPG – playtest version – as at the time of this review, the full game was not yet available. Speaking of, the full game is supposed to come out in 2022, so if you like the sound of it, you may not have to wait long.

The only thing I wasn’t 100% sure about with the Marvel Universe RPG is that this game feels like it better suites a series of one-shot game sessions, as opposed to a full tabletop RPG campaign.

Not that Marvel Universe can’t be an in-depth story building game. There just aren’t a ton of rules or directions for facilitating that, at least within the playtest rulebook.

Still though, this game gets top marks. It’s come in 4th place on my list of top TTRPGs.

Uniqueness of Marvel Universe RPG: (8/10)

There are no dice used in Marvel Universe. That alone is an extremely unique element of the game. The game’s designers wanted a very simple, straightforward, rules-light game, focused on roleplaying a superhero (or villain), and not the mechanics of the game system, itself. I think that Marvel Universe RPG accomplishes that goal.

The game is played in a series of “Panels.” It’s as if if you and your gaming group were reading and co-creating a comic book, as you game. It’s a very cool concept.

When it comes to stats, basically, your character has HP. Then, you also have energy points, called “Red Stones” that are used to do any kind of action. If you have enough Red Stones to fuel your desired action, it succeeds. There’s a little more complexity to it, factoring in Difficulty and Resistance, but that is the fundamental mechanics of gameplay.

It’s a little amazing to me that a full-fledged RPG that also represents something as large as Marvel gets by with only 2 (basically) character “stats.” However, I’m also impressed.

You can use Red Stones both on your “turn” (your character’s Panel in the comic book page), and during other character’s Panels. Though you end up using most of your Red Stones during your Panel to complete whatever action is most important to you, it sometimes helps to leave a few Red Stones for involvement in someone else’s Panel which allows you to help them, or complete other important functions during their shining moments.

You can either play one of the 42 characters from the marvel universe, or create your own. There are also tons of powers for you to use, and rules for all kinds of superhero related things (power armor, flying, etc.).

For myself, I’m pretty sure that I would have more fun playing this game by trying out each of the 42 heroes/ villains included in the rulebook for a session or two each than I would playing one character for a long campaign. The game is just better set up to sample heroes and villains than to create your own lengthy “comic book series” with them, in my opinion.

Brawling Game Type

Marvel Universe RPG also a game mode called “Brawling.” From the rulebook: “it allows players to answer age-old questions: who would win in a fight, the Thing or the Hulk? Spider-Man or Wolverine?” This is incredibly cool.

In this game mode, rather than playing out Panels as you would in the normal style of storytelling play, two players sit down and fight – without need for a game master – to determine once and for all, who would win between their heroes/ supervillains. Honestly, this is probably what anyone would want, playing a Marvel superheroes game.

Yes. Just, yes. I love it.

No Dice – Good or Bad?

The only thing I can say as to why Marvel Universe did not get a 10/10 from me in this section is that there is a reason most tabletop RPGs use dice. Though I love that Marvel Universe doesn’t from a standpoint of uniqueness, gamers who play Marvel Universe RPG will find themselves missing the random dice element present in most TTRPGs, at least from time to time.

Dice are part of what makes TTRPGs unpredictable and high-drama. When it comes down to what people actually enjoy from their tabletop games, most really do prefer dice, or a random dice-like element of surprise.

Ease of Learning the Game: (8/10)

Whenever I come across TTRPGs that are easy to teach new players, I always let out a sigh of relief. Easy-to-teach games makes it easier to create tabletop gaming groups. Simple as that.

I’d feel very comfortable teaching Marvel Universe RPG to just about any new player.

The information with Stones (Red Stones and White Stones) is a little confusing. The game’s designer did leave a lot of examples throughout the rulebook, but it’s still not always clear as to what players are supposed to do in certain situations.

I’d have liked if there were different terms besides just “White Stones” and “Red Stones” in the rulebook. When reading, you’ll find terminology like simply “Stones,” where it’s hard to tell exactly what’s being referenced.

It seems, when reading the rulebook, that when simply “Stones” is mentioned, what’s really meant is “Red Stones.” However, the ambiguity is unnecessary. This isn’t a major, major point, but it does lower the marks a bit.

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Marvel Universe RPG Presentation: (8/10)

I’ve never been a huge fan of rulebooks which feature large numbers of rule usage examples which are provided directly in-text. What I mean is, you’re reading about a rule, then you see a separate text box that gives an example of how that rule actually plays out, in-game.

On the one hand, it’s kind of nice to get clarification on rules. But the downside is that in-text examples are also distracting. It’s also annoying when you understand the rule from the instruction provided, but then there’s an (unnecessary) further explanation of that rule in a separate text box.

Besides that though, the rulebook is easy to understand. Important sections in the book are clearly marked, and the presentation on the whole is top-tier.

If you can get past the rule clarifications/ examples (when you don’t need them), then you’ll enjoy this rulebook quite a bit.

Marvel Lore: (10/10)

We’re talking about the entire Marvel Universe, here. When you play Marvel Universe RPG, you can bring in any of your favorite superheroes or villains from any of Marvel’s extensive library of amazing comic books, movies, and more.

And not only that, you can bring in plot lines from any of your favorite stories, as well. Want to re-enact a specific part of a movie you love? Go for it. Want to see who would win in an epic battle between your favorite characters? This RPG is here for you.

Combat in Marvel Universe RPG: (8/10)

When you take an action or attack someone in Marvel Universe RPG, if the number of Red Stones you use in that action/ attack is higher than the target’s defending Stones, your attack hits. Damage dealt is then determined by the number of leftover Red Stones (the number of Stones you used in your attack minus the number of Stones the defender used in their defense).

What’s a little odd to me is that 1-3 Red Stones over the defender deals 1damage. To do 2damage from an attack, you must be 4-6 Red Stones over. These numbers are reasonable enough to follow. It is kind of a bummer though that if you’re at 3 Stones over, but not 4, you miss out on dealing another full point of damage.

Combat in Marvel Universe is surprisingly simple and straightforward (especially compared to many other TTRPGs out there). This is really a storytelling game when it comes to combat, and there aren’t really “tactical” options, , but the game is so thematic and fun that its combat category still gets a high score.

Game “Flow”: (8/10)

When it comes down to it, Marvel Universe RPG is a very simple game. I mean that in a good way. There’s not a lot of substance to it when it comes to rules and game mechanics. But similar to the Cypher System in this regard, the vibe is right.

I think the game’s designer found a really good place of mixing a rules-light approach with an emphasis on “building pages in a comic book.”

I only drop the score in this category a little because (as I’ve mentioned, above) I don’t think this is a game I’d want to play for a long campaign. I do think Marvel Universe is an amazing game for one-shot gaming sessions, or short tabletop RPG campaigns, though.

I’m certain I could easily put together a group of people for a superhero/ villain gaming event using this game system. We’d probably just play a few sessions here and there, between our other ongoing tabletop RPG campaigns played using other RPGs.

Marvel Universe RPG Artwork: (9/10)

The art’s cool – I really enjoy it. Very comic book style, which is very fitting. Very dynamic. Stylistically, the art is fitting for the game’s vibe, and all the artwork fits together.

Marvel Universe also does not leave you hanging as it features a lot of artwork throughout the book. Some of the artwork is not crafted in the most modern art style though, and it’s honestly not quite as high quality as other games.

Ease of Purchase: (10/10)

Marvel Universe (as of the time of this writing) is not yet available for purchase. I do need a placeholder stat for this section though, so given that we’re talking about Marvel here, I’m just going to go ahead and give top marks. I think since we’re talking Marvel, it’s safe to assume that they’ll do a good job on this.

Price & How Many Books Do You Need to Play: (10/10)

Same thing for this section as with “Ease of Purchase” immediately above.

Fame & Availability of Supplemental Material: (10/10)

Especially since the Marvel movies started coming out over 10 years ago, the Marvel franchise is incredibly famous. It has to be one of the most well-known names in all of Western society. That being the case, you can certainly find people who will want to game with you.

Marvel Universe RPG Core Rulebook is Published By:

Marvel

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Jacob Tegtman

Dear reader, I hope you enjoyed my article. Tabletop gaming has been a passion of mine since I was 6 years old. I've played just about every game from Dungeons and Dragons to video games like Final Fantasy. These games have inspired me, made me laugh, made me cry, and brought me endless hours of enjoyment.

I started Eternity TTRPG - and the indie tabletop game that goes along with it (Eternity Shop) - to share my love of gaming with others. I believe that in our technology-driven age, tabletop games help bring a sense of magic and community back into our world.

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5 D&D Tabletop RPG Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes

October 19, 2026

Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_l3hijcNcI Transcription [00:00:00] Welcome back to Eternity TTRPG YouTube channel, where I go over different things in the tabletop role-playing universe from the game that my husband and I cr- are creating, to D&D, to goodness knows what, right? Um, this go around, I am going to talk about common mistakes you find from new players or longtime players when you're playing D&D. Now, keep in mind, I have only played D&D once or twice. Um, I personally was not a fan of the system. However, these are just common mistakes you can find in just about any tabletop role-playing game when you're just getting started. So I thought they were kind of relevant. Um, so we're just gonna hop right in, and I may rapid-fire these. So common mistake number one is thinking that a nat 20 succeeds at absolutely everything. So this one I find really funny, actually, because you would [00:01:00] think that with the best dice roll, you could do anything, right? Um, turns out you can't. So as far as combat goes, um, a nat 20, it'll always automatically hit. You'll always do damage. There's no question about that when it comes to combat. However, when you're starting to look at, um, ability checks, and you're in these different, um, situations that don't involve combat, a nat 20 does not mean much. So it comes down to your DM and what your DM decides. For example, let's say that you are trying to persuade a king to hand over his whole kingdom, right? And you roll a nat 20, and you're thinking, "Yes, I did it. I have a kingdom now." And DM's like, "Uh, no, you don't." The king may be more likely to put you in a place of power in the kingdom, but he's not gonna hand over everything. [00:02:00] Um , so that just ... It all comes down to the DM regardless of what you're rolling. Um, so that is something to keep in mind, and don't get overexcited about your, uh, rolls. Never get excited about them, honestly, unless it's combat, so keep that in mind. Eternity TTRPG has released a card game battler which emulates combat from the tabletop role-playing genre. Sparks of Eternity Emanation is fast-paced, easy to learn, and features six classes from your favorite TTRPGs. Each class deck comes with its own set of unique abilities, which everyone plays at the same time, so there's never any downtime at your table. Each turn, everyone's characters levels up, giving players access to even more options. If you're interested in taking a look, we have our sales page live now, packed with details Other mistake that I find very interesting that happens a lot is forgetting that [00:03:00] your proficiency in different skills matters. Um, so when I go to build a character, I just build something that's fun and cool, and I don't really care about the stats, and that's probably something that I personally need to change. But I imagine that if I'm like that, I may not be the only one. Um, so whenever you're rolling in D&D combat or ability checks, you do add your proficiency bonuses, right? So it's almost never just the dice roll. Um , so you really should be paying attention to your proficiency, and if you wanna be someone that is really sneaky, for example, then you need to look at your proficiency in stealth because you can't be sneaky without a high proficiency in stealth. So definitely something to think about when you're building a character. Um, another Mistake that's pretty common is trying to maintain two concentration spells. Um, so [00:04:00] the misconception is that you can have one already running and you can cast another and you can maintain both. Um, actual rule in D&D is you can only concentrate one effect at a time. Um, that is very odd to me just because as a normal human being, we are able to multitask. I mean, maybe not well, but we can. Um, so that is one thing that I personally do like about the tabletop role-playing game that my husband and I are creating is that you can have multiple things that you're concentrating, um, as long as you have the proficiency to do so. But anyway, D&D doesn't do that, so don't do it. Um, let's see. Um, let's see. Um, other thing that comes up pretty often is that thinking your turn when you go to do any kind of combat is just for attacking. So this ... We talk about [00:05:00] combat, right? And all you think of is attacking your opponent, but it's really outdoing your opponent, outthinking them, and you can do other things like dodging, dashing, disengaging, hiding, searching, um, and helping others in your party, right? You don't just have to attack the boss. You can do more. So something to think about, right? Um, okay. This is a mistake that I find in every tabletop role-playing game, and maybe it's not even a mistake. Maybe it's just how people are. But I struggled with this extremely. I still struggle with it, is that to play a role-playing game, you think you have to be a professional, like a professional actor. Uh, truth is, you don't. You really don't. You can just use your normal voice. You can, like, have your normal personality. You can just put you on the paper. And that is what I did for multiple campaigns when I first started doing this kind of stuff [00:06:00] with any tabletop role-playing game. So keep that in mind. You don't need to be anything special. You don't even need to know anything. You don't have to know a single thing about the tabletop role-playing universe. Just write stuff down. Just write it down. Try your best. Call it good. You don't have to be perfect. Okay. So with all of that, like I said, rapid fire things, misconceptions, mistakes that we see in D&D and other tabletop role-playing universes. What is something that you thought before you started playing or even as you're playing or even that you see other people do that is a misconception or mistake when in your tabletop role-playing universes? Drop a comment below. Let me know. Also, let us know how we're doing. Like, comment, subscribe, and keep it going.

Our First Convention With a TTRPG Product! Sparks of Eternity

October 1, 2026

Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtIN1OHjTZQ Transcription [00:00:00] Welcome back to Eternity TTRPG channel, um, where we talk about different happenings in the TTRPG universe as well as what's going on with our game, um, with the Sparks of Eternity universe. So I'm gonna try and keep this one short, sweet, to the point 'cause I have a lot of stuff I gotta get done. Um, so this weekend we are gonna be attending our first convention where we, like, have the official product to sell. Um, we have done conventions in the past. Um, I've been a part of two of those conventions. I know my husband has done a few more than that. And at those conventions, it was all about, like, just trying to keep the tabletop role-playing universe alive and explain what, um, we're trying to bring to the table with it, um, explain more about the world of Eternity and all that kind of stuff. Um, this go around, as I said, it's gonna be the first time [00:01:00] that we actually have a product. Um, and I know I've talked about it before. If you're new here, that's gonna be Sparks of Eternity Emanation, and it is a... We're still figuring out the wording of this, so if you've played it and have a better idea, let me know. But it is a tabletop role-playing combat party card game. Okay? So go ahead and, you know, think of your tabletop role-playing. You're gonna have dice rolls, you're gonna have different classes, and you know your classic stuff like the druid is a shapeshifter, assassin is, you know, assassinating and that kind of stuff, right? Well, now you take that, you put all their abilities into a deck and you start at level zero, you work your way up to level 10 and you just try to take out your opponents or survive the longest. You're... I mean, good luck to you either way, right? Um, [00:02:00] so that is what we're gonna be showing off at the convention this weekend. And with this convention there has been a lot of planning and it's just been like a labor of love trying to get everything ready for it, honestly. Because we have to travel for the weekend, you know, stay in the hotel, pack the car, make sure the dog's taken care of, all that kind of stuff, right? Um, but then we also have to think of the booth itself and, well, what do we want the table to look like? Do we need a tablecloth? What should the tablecloth look like? What about a background banner? And all this different stuff, right? And we didn't know we would be doing this convention until about two months ago. So it's been about a two-month scramble getting everything ready for it, all for this three-day weekend. And over this three-day weekend, we have eight hours on Friday, 12 hours on Saturday, and another six hours on Sunday. So [00:03:00] that's 26 hours over the weekend that we're gonna be vending, um, and hoping to do our best with it, right? Um, so one thing that I do wanna show you guys that I am very excited about is we went ahead and worked with an artist. Um, it is our new artist for, um, the Sparks of Eternity franchise, and he created our banner artwork, which I really-- I am so excited with what he created, um, for us to show off what the world of Eternity really is, right? Um, so here it is. And with this, you know, banner, we're trying to show, like, basically you as the player reaching out for all these different ideas, all these different sparks, while also giving itself to the lore of Eternity where you have The Stag and, um, Saint Ranroth on the other side, um, and just their storyline. Now, of course, you guys [00:04:00] don't know all the lore and everything behind all of this. We do and we cannot wait to reveal it all in due time, you know? 'Cause we have these plans that we're setting in motion, and this convention is just another part of that plan. So, as I said, I have a lot of stuff to get done leading up to this convention for the weekend, so we're gonna post this, you know, do all the work with that, and then continue getting ready. Um, we will be at the Pittsburgh Gaming Expo this weekend, and that is what we'll be doing. So if you happen to watch the channel and see us there, say hi. Um, if not, definitely keep following along with our journey and make sure you check out our website for the game that we're selling. Um, wish us the best of luck, and as always, like, comment, subscribe. Let us know how we're doing. Let us know what you wanna hear. Thanks, y'all.

D&D x World of Warcraft: Nostalgia, New Content, or Running Out of Ideas?

September 24, 2026

Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMFP7UHtWEU Transcription [00:00:00] Welcome back to Eternity TTRPG, where we go over different happenings in the TTRPG universe, as well as talk about the game that we have been creating. Um, this go around, I think all of the hype is around, um, D&D World of Warcraft. Um, the Dungeon Masters, like, YouTube channel decided to go ahead and start a new campaign all around the World of Warcraft stuff, um, using all of those materials, even though it doesn't release until, like, mid-November. Um, so there's a lot of talk about everything that they're doing and what's going on. So I thought I'd give a little rundown of what to expect with the World of Warcraft expan- or excuse me, World of Warcraft, like, collaboration that's going on, right? So there was a lot of speculation when this first came out what it would be over. Like, is it gonna be one of the classic expansions like Burning [00:01:00] Crusade or Pandaria and just pull from one of those? Do we get any of the classic dungeons like Deadmines or Deepfathom? Um, and also what classes are they gonna bring to the table? What about subclasses and all of that kind of stuff? So I'm just gonna go over what we kind of know, um, and I think that's all that's been revealed. So with that in mind, you have, um- 13 World of Warcraft classes, um, along with they are featuring nine new and revised subclasses, and there's over 40 different specializations. So classic, um, classes that you're gonna be seeing from World of Warcraft is gonna be like Death Knight, Demon Hunter, your Druid, Mage, Priest, Monk, Warrior, Paladin. Um, they are doing the Evoker, which I think is relatively new compared to where the setting is of the, um, [00:02:00] guidebook that they're coming out with. Um, the book itself that they're coming out with, of course, has-- It does have your classic dungeons like Deadmines, and Deepfathom, and, um, Scarlet Monastery, uh, along with like Dire Maul and Shadowfang Keep. Um, so I think that's really neat that they're actually gonna do some of those, um, instances which I have fond memories of Deadmines especially 'cause, you know, that was just-- it was a classic. And they ended up coming back and remaking it for higher level which was really neat too to get more of the storyline there. Um, and then along with all of this there is like 50 monsters and 30 dungeon bosses that they give stats for in the guidebook which I think is neat because you're not gonna run out of monsters really easily with that. Um, I just hope that they reign true to like the [00:03:00] monsters that you would face and the different characters you would face in World of Warcraft like I think of the kobolds, um, in Elwynn Forest and how if you didn't, you know, prepare correctly you were gone pretty quick, right? Um, so I thought that was really neat. Um, I also think that they're reigning true to a lot of the professions and spells and magic items, um, such as Moonfire which I remember fondly from druids. Um, and then of course you have stuff like mounts and companion creatures that I think they're gonna bring into play as well, 'cause I of course remember like, oh gosh, you know, the classic horses that you see for any human. Um, and I specifically remember paladins riding them, so that was just in my mind. Um- Let's see what else we have. Oh, so subclasses that I found was gonna be like the Swashbuckler Rogue, the [00:04:00] Path of the Spiritual Guardian, and the Warrior of Mystic Brews. Which, why did that become the joke with your pandas in World of Warcraft? Why did they become the drunks? I never understood that. I still think it was a really cool touch, but now when I think of like pandas, and even Kung Fu Panda, for crying out loud, I just think of Po as like this drunk panda. Um, so I... Why did that become the thing? Yeah, um, with that all... Let's see. As far as what you can get, like D&D has this ultimate bundle going on where you get the whole like guidebook with all of the, you know, monsters, instances, potions, all that stuff. They also have like a map pack for the Icecrown Citadel, which you actually find in Northrend. [00:05:00] Um, so I think that's kind of neat. Um, and then they of course have the dungeon master screen. They have k- they have, um, the digital stuff to go all with it. Then they're doing like a promo with murloc minis. Which those murlocs, you know they're gonna have those as monsters, and you know they're gonna be mean and annoying, and they're gonna end up, you know, taking over your party pretty easily, 'cause that's what they did in the original World of Warcraft. And I had many bad experiences with murlocs, so when I hear that noise, I just, I, ew, you know, don't like it. Let's see. You know, it's just... When we think about this, right, I am so happy to see, like, us doing some world crossovers, uh, Dungeons and Dragons wanting to pull in more people. And when I [00:06:00] think of tabletop role play, my first thought actually does go to World of Warcraft, because that was like my first experience with playing a different character and having magical powers and having these different things to face and fight. So it's very nostalgic for me and, you know, in a way I kinda just want to get it for the nostalgia. Um, but the other side of this is like, is Dungeons and Dragons running out of ideas because they have to pull from existing universes? Or are they just doing what we already do when we make a campaign? You know, as a campaign, I think we pull f- As a dungeon master, campaign writer, all that kind of stuff, I feel like we pull from different things that we already see in the world around us. Um, for example, there was an anime, I'm trying to remember the name of [00:07:00] it. Um, but basically they got stuck in this video game, and you had to complete one level after another, and once you reached like level 100, you could finally leave the video game. Um, so I think we went ahead and pulled an idea of that, and like we would keep going back to this location. Every time we went to this location, it would be a different like level in it that we would ascend to. Um, sadly, that campaign never finished, but it's just another example of like we pull from the things that we enjoy, right? So if I enjoy from World of Warcraft, I'm gonna already pull ideas from that without needing the Dungeon Master Guide or needing D&D to do any kind of crossover. Um, but you know, they're bringing in two different names, um, for themselves between Dun- Dungeons & Dragons, World of Warcraft, bringing in two different audiences and, you know, bringing in new revenue for them, right? So, you know, I, I don't know. I think it's gonna be neat. I really like that they [00:08:00] wanted to do this kind of thing. But I mean, we already do that as people that make their campaigns as dungeon masters. So at what point are we really doing something new? I don't know. Leave your thoughts down below. Comment, like, subscribe, do all the stuff, and we'll catch y'all next time.