THOR DUCKSON (Marvel-M20160)

 

THOR DUCKSON (Public: No Dual Identity)
Affiliations: Solo D8, Buddy D6, Team D10
Distinctions: Duck-God of Thunder; He Speaketh Like Shakespeare; Righteous Warrior

DUCKSON OF ASGARD
Enhanced Reflexes D8, Enhanced Senses D8, Enhanced Speed D8, Superhuman Stamina D10, Superhuman Strength D10, Mystic Resistance D8, Superhuman Durability D10, Weather Influence D6
SFX: Immune. Spend 1 PP to ignore stress, trauma, or complic-ations from disease or fatigue. 
SFX: Second Wind. Before you make an action including a DUCKSON OF ASGARD power, you may move your physical stress die to the Doom Pool and double the DUCKSON OF ASGARD power for the action.
Limit: Thunderer's Guild. Step up emotional stress caused by guilt or the suffering of those you have sworn to protect to earn 1 PP.

LESSER MJOLNIR
Expert Sorcery D8, Superhuman Durability D10, Supersonic Flight D10, Teleportation D10, Weapon D10, Weather Mastery D10
SFX: Anti-Force. On a successful reaction against an energy-based attack, add a Doom Die equal to the reaction effect die to inflict your attacker's effect die against your attacker.
SFX: Area Attack. Target multiple opponents. For each additional target add D6 to your action pool and keep an additional effect die.
SFX: I Say Thee Nay! Double or step up a LESSER MJOLNIR power for your action, then step back that power. Activate an opportunity or participate in a Transition Scene to recover it.
Limit: Gear. Shutdown LESSER MJOLNIR to earn 1 PP. Take an action versus the Doom Pool to recover it.

I'M A DUCK!
Enhanced Reflexes D8, Psychic Resistance D8
SFX: Fowl-Mouthed. Step back the highest die in your action pool to add D6 and step up emotional stress inflicted.
SFX: Quack Fu. Against a single target, step up or double COMBAT EXPERT stunt die. Remove the highest-rolling die from your action pool and use three dice for your total.
Limit: Wauugh! Step up your emotional stress inflicted by extra-dimensional or mystical threats to earn 1 PP.

SPECIALTIES
Combat Expert D8, Cosmic Expert D8, Menace Expert D8, Mystic Expert D8


DESIGN NOTES
The original THOR datafile comes from the free Action Scene "What If ... Ed Gross Had Thor's Hammer In His Collection?" Unfortunately, access to the online datafile was removed when Margaret Weis lost the license. Basically, like in other cases of members from the Legion of Howards, I toned some aspects down to reflect the junior status of the team. And woilà!

ROBODUCK - HOWARD DUCKSON (Marvel-M19171)

ROBODUCK (Public: Howard Duckson)
Affiliations:
Distinctions: Duck In Giant Robosuit; Every Duck Has His Limits; Hard-Headed Futurist

GIANT ROBOSUIT
Cybernetic Senses D6, Enhanced Reflexes D8, Enhanced Stamina D8, Growth D10, Superhuman Durability D10, Superhuman Strength D10
SFX: Area Attack. Target multiple opponents. For each additional target, add D6 to your action pool and keep an additional effect die.
SFX: Really, Really Big. Step up or double any GIANT ROBOSUIT power for one action. If the action fails, add die to the Doom Pool equal to the normal rating of that power.

Limit: Charged System. Shutdown highest-rated power to earn 1 PP. Recover power by activating an opportunity or during a Transition Scene.

Limit: Way Too Big! Change GROWTH into a complication to earn 1 PP. Activate an opportunity or remove the complication to recover it.

I'M A DUCK!
Enhanced Reflexes D8, Psychic Resistance D8
SFX: Fowl-Mouthed. Step back the highest die in your action pool to add D6 and step up emotional stress inflicted.
SFX: Quack Fu. Against a single target, step up or double COMBAT EXPERT stunt die. Remove the highest-rolling die from your action pool and use three dice for your total.
Limit: Wauugh! Step up your emotional stress inflicted by extra-dimensional or mystical threats to earn 1 PP.

SPECIALTIES
Business Expert D8, Science Master D10, Tech Master D10, Vehicles Expert D8

DESIGN NOTES
This one was tricky. It's not exactly clear what his powers and role are. I decided to interpret it as him being a genius-duck in a giant roboduck mech. This simplified matters considerably. I basically put a very light touch of Iron Man, the rest being Yellowjacket without his shrinking power. And woilà!

GIBBON - MARTIN BLANK (Marvel-M616)

 

GIBBON (Public: Martin Blank)
Affiliations: Solo D8, Buddy D10, Team D6
Distinctions: Moral Compass; Not an Ape; Reluctant Hero

SIMIAN PHYSIOLOGY
Enhanced Reflexes D8, Enhanced Stamina D8, Enhanced Strength D8, Spring D6
SFX: Last Ditch Effort: Add die of your choice from the Doom Pool to one or more actions. Step up the Doom Die for each action and return it to the Doom Pool when you are done. You are automatically done when the Doom Die reaches D12 or you are stressed out of the scene.
SFX: Determine: If your dice pool includes a SIMIAN PHYSIOLOGY trait, you may replace two dice of equal size with one stepped-up die.
Limit: Earn 1 PP when affected by mutant- specific Milestones or tech.

SPECIALTIES
Acrobatic Master D10, Combat Rookie D6, Psych Rookie D6

DESIGN NOTES
Gibbon is meant to feel somewhat under-powered. The challenge was how to make him feel ordinary, while giving him the opportunity to participate on par with presumably more powerful superheroes. His two SFX are meant to represent his spirit and will, his true superpowers. For them, I re-skinned FOCUS and BESERK as SFXes. And I gave him some Rookie Specialties to reflect his accidental hero make-up.

DUCK-THING - HOWARD DUCKSON (Marvel-M88011)

 

DUCK-THING (Public: Howard Duckson)
Affiliations: Solo D6, Buddy D8, Team D10
Distinctions: Ever-Lovin' Blue-Eyed Duck; It's Clobberin' Time!; Wotta Revoltin' Development!

ROCKY ORANGE HIDE
Superhuman Durability D10, Superhuman Strength D10, Enhance Durability D8
SFX: Area of Attack. Target multiple opponents. For each additional target, add D6 to your action pool and keep an additional effect die.

SFX: Collateral Damage. Instead of spending 1 PP, add D6 to the Doom Pool to create a ROCKY ORANGE HIDE stunt.
SFX: Haymaker. Double or step up GODLIKE STRENGTH for an action, then add your second-highest rolling die to the Doom Pool.
SFX: Invulnerable. Spend 1 PP to ignore physical stress or trauma unless caused by mystical attacks.
Limit: Moody. Earn 1 PP and step up emotional stress caused by doubt, guilt, or self-worth.

I'M A DUCK!
Enhanced Reflexes D8, Psychic Resistance D8
SFX: Fowl-Mouthed. Step back the highest die in your action pool to add D6 and step up emotional stress inflicted.
SFX: Quack Fu. Against a single target, step up or double COMBAT EXPERT stunt die. Remove the highest-rolling die from your action pool and use three dice for your total.
Limit: Wauugh! Step up your emotional stress inflicted by extra-dimensional or mystical threats to earn 1 PP.

SPECIALTIES
Combat Expert D8, Cosmic Expert D8, Psych Expert D8, Vehicles Expert D8


DESIGN NOTES

This one was pretty straight-forward. Swap out a Distinction, step back some signature powers, and add the Duck-Themed Power Set. And woilà!

JEREMIAH WARWICK (Marvel-M616)

 

Jeremiah Warwick (Public: No Dual)
Affiliations: Solo D6, Buddy D8, Team D10
Distinctions: All About the Research; Owl-Headed Monstrosity; Nobody Talk!

OWL-HEADED MYSTIC
Mystic Blast D6, Mystic Resistance D6, Sorcery Adept D8, Superhuman Senses D10, Transmutation D6
SFX: Magitech. When creating mystical assets you may include both MYSTIC EXPERT and TECH EXPERT in your dice pool.
SFX: Mystical Library. When you create a MYSTIC- or COSMIC- related resource or stunt, step up the lowest Doom Die to step up the stunt or resource.
Limit: The Extent of Sorcery. When you add SORCERY ADEPT to any pool, you may only create assets and complications as your effect.

S.H.I.E.L.D. AGENT
Body Armor D6, Comms D6, Datapad D6, Small Arms D6
SFX: Area of Attack. Target multiple opponents. Add D6 to your action pool and keep an additional effect die for each additional target.
SFX: Full Concentration. Replace two dice of equal size in your dice pool with one stepped-up die.
Limit: Gear. Shutdown S.H.I.E.L.D. AGENT trait to earn 1 PP. Take an action versus the Doom Pool to recover it.

Specialties: Combat Expert D8, Cosmic Expert D8, Mystic Expert D8, Psych Expert D8, Tech Expert D8


DESIGN NOTES
While the datafile is completely original, it draws on existing datafiles for Doctor Strange and S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents for most of its elements. 'Nuff Said!

STRANGE-DUCK - HOWARD DUCKSON (Marvel-M80118)

 

STRANGE-DUCK (Public: Howard Duckson)
Affiliations: Solo D8, Buddy D6, Team D10
Distinctions: Earth's Arcane Defender, Lucky Duck, Price of Magic

ASTRAL TRAVELER
Intangibility D12, Invisibility D10
SFX: Without Form. Spend 1 PP to ignore physical stress caused by anyone attacking your astral form by mundane means.
Limit: The Empty Vessel. When you dice pool includes an ASTRAL TRAVELER power, adding another power from any other Power Set costs 1 PP. Your physical form remains where you left it, and for as long as you are out of sight of it any stress or complications that target it directly are stepped up.

DISCIPLE OF THE ANCIENT ONE

Enhanced Durability D6, Mystic Blast D8, Mystic Resistance D8, Sorcery Mastery D10, Telepathy D8, Transmutation D10
SFX: Alliterative Invocations. When using a stunt to create magical assets or complications, add D6 and step up your effect die.
SFX: Area Attack. Against multiple targets, for every additional target add D6 and keep an additional effect die.
SFX: Multipower. Add more than one DISCIPLE OF THE ANCIENT ONE power to your pool. Step back each DISCIPLE OF THE ANCIENT ONE die in your pool once for each die beyond the first.
Limit: The Extent of Sorcery. When you add SORCERY MASTERY to any pool, you may only create assets and complications as your effect.

MYSTIC REGALIA
Flight D6, Mystic Senses D10, Teleport D8
SFX: Cloak of Levitation. When including FLIGHT in any reaction against attacks, remove the highest-rolling die from your dice pool and use three dice for your total.
SFX: Lesser Eye of Agamotto. Add Doom Die to your dice pool including a MYSTIC REGALIA or DISCIPLE OF THE ANCIENT ONE power in it. After your action, step up the Doom Die and return it to the Doom Pool.
SFX: Mystic Library. When you create a MYSTIC- or COSMIC- related resource or stunt, step up the lowest Doom Die in the Doom Pool to step up that stunt or resource.
Limit: Mystic Feedback. Shutdown a MYSTIC REGALIA power to earn 1 PP. Take an action versus the Doom Pool to recover it.

I'M A DUCK!
Enhanced Reflexes D8, Psychic Resistance D8
SFX: Fowl-Mouthed. Step back the highest die in your action pool to add D6 and step up emotional stress inflicted.
SFX: Quack Fu. Against a single target, step up or double COMBAT EXPERT stunt die. Remove the highest-rolling die from your action pool and use three dice for your total.
Limit: Wauugh! Step up your emotional stress inflicted by extra-dimensional or mystical threats to earn 1 PP.

SPECIALTIES

Business Expert D8, Combat Expert D8, Medical Expert D8, Mystic Master D10, Psych Expert D8

DESIGN NOTES

For all the Howards, my method was to take the base Marvel Hero datafile for the "flavor" hero, and then shift it more toward the "Howard" end of things. For Strange-Duck, this meant mainly toning down Doctor Strange's powers a bit to reflect Strange-Duck's more junior status (as I see it) and then adding in Howard's YOU'RE A DUCK! power set -- which brings his toal up to four of them!  Which is not necessarily so-unbalanced when you consider that the ASTRAL TRAVELER power set is very situational and burns 1 PP when using dice from the other power sets and thus is not as likely to be present in most of his dice pools.  And woilà!

SRP: Alt-Strange - RETURN OF THE DREAD DORMAMMU

 

RETURN OF THE DREAD DORMAMMU

Our third act takes us to the first Doctor Strange movie. This times it's Doctor Strange, Baron Mordo and Wong here who are missing. And and the worst possible time!

Kaecilius and his disciples seek to summon the Dread Dormammu to our dimension to destroy / enslave the Earth. So then they can claim Eternal Life in / through Him. (The actual terms of the pact are somewhat unclear, it seems.)

Seeing the danger at-hand, the Ancient One summons another Supreme Sorcerer from another plane of existence to help: namely, Strange-Duck from Duckworld. But also the Legion of Howards and friends: Roboduck, Thor Duckson, Sister Duck, Duck-Thing, and Byrdie the Duck. Plus Spider-Ham and Jeremiah Warrick as surprise guest stars.

SRP: Alt. Guardians of the Galaxy EGO AND HIS SON

 

EGO AND HIS SON

Our third act puts us out in outer space, way-outer space! In Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 Peter Quill meets his father, who just happens to turn out to be an ego-maniacal sentient planet who aims to make all the universe into Him!

In this What If . . . ? Star-Lord joins his dad, and fights alongside him in the final battle. And in this case, Morbius from the TVA has assembled a B-Team to replace the Guardians of the Galaxy in this reality.

Members of the team include: Star-Lord (T'Challa), Super-Nova (Nebula), Super-Skrull, the Uranian, Byrdie the Duck, Human Robot. Plus Mr. Immortal and Slapstick as surprise guest stars.

SPIDER-HAM - PETER PORKER (Marvel-M8311)

 

SPIDER-HAM (Secret: Peter Porker)
Affiliations: Solo D8, Buddy D10, Team D6
Distinctions: Daily Beagle Photographer; Greater Than Spider or Pig; Ohhh, did THAT feel like a cartoon?

CARTOON SPIDER-POWERS

Enhanced Senses D8, Enhanced Stamina D8, Superhuman Reflexes D10, Superhuman Strength D10, Wall-Crawling D6
SFX: Boing-Boing! Spend 1 PP to recover your own physical stress and step back physical trauma.
SFX: Breaking the Fourth Wall. When one of your opportunities is activated to add D6 to the Doom Pool, replace it with a D4. Spend 1 PP to do this to an existing D6 in the Doom Pool.
SFX: Spider-Sense. Spend 1 PP to add ENHANCED SENSES to your dice pool, or step it up if already in it, and then reroll all dice on a reaction if needed.
Limit: Exhausted. Shutdown any CARTOON SPIDER-POWERS trait to earn 1 PP. Recover it by activating an opportunity or during a Transition Scene.

WEB-SLINGING
Enhanced Durability D8, Swingline D8, Weapon D8
SFX: Grapple. Add D6 and step up effect die when inflicting a web-related complication on a target.
SFX: Web Constructs. When creating web-related assets, add D6 to your dice pool and step up the effect die.
Limit: Gear. Shutdown WEB-SLINGING power set to earn 1 PP. Take an action against the Doom Pool to recover it.

SPECIALTIES
Acrobatic Expert D8, Combat Expert D8, Covert Expert D8, Psych Expert D8, Science Master D10, Tech Master D10

DESIGN NOTES

My source for this character was the datafile created for him by Marvel Plot Points. They created datafiles for a bunch of the Spider-Folk, all based in part on the existing Spider-Man and related hero datafiles. The changes I made were to reflect his self-aware nature as a cartoon and his penchant for breaking the Fourth Wall. From Deadpool and She-Hulk I lifted the SFX of the same name. And then from Slapstick I stole and re-skinned the Cartoon Physics and I'm BAAACK SFXes to complete the datafile.

SRP: Avengers Reassembled AGE OF ULTRON

 

AGE OF ULTRON: SAVE SOKOVIA!

The second act takes us to the second Avengers movie. This time it's Tony Stark's cybernetic creation Ultron that seeks to annihilate humanity to make room on Earth for cybernetic life. As part of his plan, he attacks the sovereign state of Sokovia and levitates its capital a mile into the air, only to bring about its utter destruction when it is finally dropped to earth from the sky.

This time, Uatu summons an actual Avengers team to deal with it. Well, the Young Avengers actually. Players can choose from the following heroes to play: Patriot, Iron Lad, Wiccan, Hulkling, Speed, Thor Girl, Stature, or Hawkeye II.

These heroes have complete datafiles in the Civil War: Young Avengers / Runaways supplement. 'Nuff Said!

BLACK WIDOW: YELENA BELOVA (Marvel-M616)

 

Black Widow (Secret: Yelena Belova)
Affiliations: Solo D10, Buddy D6, Team D8
Distinctions: Amoral Assassin; Just Following Orders; Something To Prove

RED ROOM CONDITIONING
Enhanced Durability D8, Enhanced Reflexes D8, Enhanced Stamina D8
SFX: Focus. In a dice pool including a RED ROOM CONDITIONING die, replace tow dice of equal steps with one stepped-up die.
SFX: Immunity. Spend 1 PP to ignore stress, trauma, or complications from aging, disease, or psychic attack.
Limit: Deep Programming. Earn 1 PP to step up emotional stress inflicted by intelligence and their directors.
Limit: Killswitch. When you take emotional trauma, shutdown any RED ROOM CONDITIONING power to earn 1 PP. Recover it when you recover that emotional trauma.

WIDOW'S STING BRACELETS
Electric Blast D8, Swingline D8
SFX: Widow's Bite. Spend 1 PP to step up ELECTRIC BLAST to D10, then step back to 2D6 for subsequent actins. Recover power by activating an opportunity or during a Transition Scene.
Limit: Gear. Shutdown WIDOW'S STING BRACELETS power set to earn 1 PP. Take an action versus the Doom Pool to recover it.

SPECIALTIES
Acrobatics Master D10, Business Expert D8, Combat Master D10, Covert Master D10, Vehicles Expert D8

Design Notes: Very simple this one. The Basic Game has a Watcher Datafile for Yelena Belova and a Hero Datafile for Black Widow. All I had to do was blend the two together.

HULK HOGAN - "HAPPY" HOGAN (Marvel-T1090)

 

HULK HOGAN (Public: "Happy" Hogan)
Affiliations: Solo D10, Buddy D6, Team D8
Distinctions: Accidental Hero, Anger Management, You Gotta Be Kidding Me?

PURPLE HULK
Godlike Strength D12, Superhuman Leaping D10, Superhuman Speed D10
SFX: Area Attack. Target multiple opponents. For every additional target, add D6 to your attack pool and keep an additional effect die.
SFX: Hold Still! When you fail an action using a PURPLE HULK trait, step it up or double it and reroll your dice pool for the action. Add die to the Doom Pool equal to the power trait used.
SFX: Immunity. Spend 1 PP to ignore stress, trauma or complications from poison, disease or psychic attack.
SFX: Madder Hulk Gets, the Stronger Hulk Gets! At no cost, add existing Emotional Stress to any dice pool including PURPLE HULK power, then add die to the Doom Pool equal to your emotional stress.
SFX: You make Hulk mad! Step up your Emotional Stress to earn 1 PP.

Limit: Conscious Activation: If stressed out by mental or physical stress, asleep, or unconscious, shutdown PURPLE HULK power set. Recover it when stress is recovered or you are awake. If physical trauma is taken shut it down until trauma is recovered.
Limit: Uncontrollable. When stressed out by Emotional Stress, add D12 to the Doom Pool.

SPECIALTIES
Combat Expert D8, Crime Expert D8, Psych Expert D8

Design Notes: I re-skinned the Incredible Hulk datafile I found on the MHR wiki. I toned it down a bit to reflect the fact that "Happy" Hogan keeps his intelligence, if not his temper, throughout. I also wanted him to be something of a "lesser" Hulk compared to Banner.

GHOST SPIDER - GWEN STACY (Marvel-M65)

 

GHOST SPIDER (Public: Gwen Stacy)

Affiliations:  Solo D10, Buddy D8, Team D6
Distinctions: Ghost From Another Earth; I Have To Know I Tried; Teenage Spider-Gwen

SPIDER-POWERS
Enhanced Senses D8, Enhanced Stamina D8, Superhuman Reflexes D10, Superhuman Strength D10, Wall-Crawling D6
SFX: Second Wind. Before you make an action including a SPIDER-POWERS die in your action pool, you may move your Physical Stress die to the Doom Pool and step up the SPIDER-POWERS die for this action.
SFX: Spider-Sense: Spend 1 PP or add ENHANCED SENSES or step up if already in your dice pool and reroll all dice on a reaction.
Limit: Exhausted. Shutdown any SPIDER-POWERS power to earn 1 PP. Recover it by activating an opportunity or during a Transition Scene.

FRIENDLY SYMBIOTE

Bio-Electric Blast D8, Enhanced Durability D8, Swingline D8, Weapon D8

SFX: Grapple. Add D6 and step up effect die when inflicting a web-related complication on a target.
SFX: Web Constructs. When creating web-related assets, add D6 and step up effect die.

Limit: Vulnerable to Heat and Sonics: Shutdown FRIENDLY SYMBIOTE power set when presented with heat- or sonic- based complications to earn 1 PP.

SPECIALTIES

Acrobatics Expert D8, Combat Expert D8, Crime Expert D8, Psych Expert D8

DESIGN NOTES

I basically re-skinned Spider-Man (Peter Parker) from the Basic Game. I rearranged her Affiliations and gave her some new Distinctions, plus I re-did her Specialties, stripping out the more science-y specialties. I added the Bio-Electric Blast from Black Widow, but without the SFX that makes it special. Any other powers mentioned in the Marvel Wiki, I decided were really more cosmetic than substantive, so I omitted them from the datafile.

SRP: Marvel Re-Assembled BATTLE OF NEW YORK

 

This year's Summer Reading Program is Level Up! Which means lots of gaming-related programming. As the resident gamer in our Adult Services department, it falls to me to present much of that programming. I've had the idea of running a series of thematically - related, but functionally separate programs based on this idea:

The Council of Kangs seek to break the Marvel Cinematic Universe to gain their toe-hold on the Marvel Multiverse as a whole. Who knows what will really happen when they finally do? The Kangs are notoriously ambitious and treacherous lot, equally prone to backstabbing as to work in unison.

Their plan? To take the teams that fought some of the key, climatic battles of that universe and subtract them from the scenes. How these events add up to achieve that end for them is unknown. But Uatu (the Watcher), the Ancient One, AND Loki and Morbius of the Time Variance Authority have banded to recruit super-heroes from other continuities to save the multiverse!

The first Act will be The Battle of New York from the first Avengers movie. The gameplay implications are pretty much in the planning phase right now. But I'm working on some mechanics to move members of the team across a grid of New York to deal with the threats. And to come up with Objectives and/or Milestones to help motivate the action.

Here's the B-Team so far:

Captain Carter, HYDRA-Stomper, Beta Ray Bill, the purple "Hulk Hogan", Yelena Belova, and Ghost Spider. Since I've billed the program as being up to eight players, I'm adding Ant-Man and Deadpool as surprise guests.

I'm seriously considering having Thanos be the Big Bad, instead of Loki in this scenario. Should be interesting! I'll be linking each of them to datafiles I find online or that I just create myself. 'Nuff Said!

P.S. I won't be linking heroes that have previously published datafiles -- I unless I modify them first. That means Beta Ray Bill and Deadpool are off-limits. Dead Pool is available in the Civil Wars Event Book. Unfortunately, Beta Ray Bill is in the discontinued (but only available at the time for purchase as a PDF) Annihilation Event Book.

Welcome to Marvelphile (again)!

 

Marvelphile is my re-purposed blog for all things Marvel comics and superhero-related stuff. More specifically, it is primarily for content related to the Marvel superhero RPGs: Marvel Super-Heroes (TSR) and Marvel Heroic Roleplay (Margaret Weis Games).

At present, I am working on MHRP datafiles for heroes or villains that were never officially published for my upcoming Event for Summer Reading (for adults and young adults). I will be posting them here.

Historical Note:
Marvelphile was a regular feature in the Dragon magazine when TSR had the license for their Marvel Super-Heroes game (FASERIP). I carry on in that spirit. 'Nuff Said!