Like the literal universe in which we live and the larger Marvel empire, the Marvel Multiverse RPG keeps expanding. And now it’s exploring our own Friendly Neighborhood with its new rulebook, Marvel Multiverse RPG: Spider-Verse.
The House of M’s unique tabletop RPG is a refreshing alternative to the biggest show in town, Dungeons & Dragons. Statistics are based on the acronym MARVEL (Melee, Agility, Resilience, Vigilance, Ego, and Logic); advantages and disadvantages, called edges and troubles, are a little more flexible; and instead of a d20, players roll 3d6s, with one of the three offering special opportunities. Though there are crunchy character sheets, the spirit is more narratively inclined.
So, with my appetite piqued by the core rules and the X-Men supplement, I was eager to see what was on offer in Marvel Multiverse RPG: Spider-Verse for my favourite cornerstone of Marvel’s funhouse: Spider-Man.
Marvel Multiverse RPG: Spider-Verse follows the same sort of format as the X-Men book: several chapters breaking down the history of the associated characters and how they might be incorporated into an RPG campaign, followed by a beefy back half of rules options and full-page character sheets for existing characters. Interspersed are several reference tables and example maps for specific lairs or locations. In theory, a Spider-fan could pick this tome up, with no intent to play the game and read it cover-to-cover like a crash course in the franchise’s history.
(The first half is a legitimately fun read for Marvel fans. Obviously, core knowledge mixes with some real deep cuts, incorporating elements from very recently published comics like the current Ultimate Spider-Man to Dark Web. Even as a lifelong reader of the comics, I was entertained and re-informed.)
“It’s always the last two chapters of a Marvel Multiverse RPG rulebook that captivate me most, however, and I must say Spider-Verse offers the kind of crunchy rule content I was hoping to add to my toolbox. “
As the X-Men book broke the mythos down into prominent teams of mutants, Spider-Verse focuses on a couple of main areas: the core Spider-Man/Peter Parker of Earth-616, Miles Morales, Ghost-Spider, and Spider-Man 2099. Another chapter deals with off-shoots like Silk, Madame Web (Julia Carpenter), Superior Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Mayday Parker, and other multiversal variants familiar from the blockbuster animated films.
Rounding out the lore chapters in Marvel Multiverse RPG: Spider-Verse are a whole chapter on Spider-Man’s clone troubles and another on symbiotes. As the intro says, the discovery of cloned Peter Parkers and the advent of the symbiotes have rocked Spider-Man’s world (and comic storylines) fundamentally, so to omit them from this tome would be a grave mistake. I’d contend that the introduction of the actual “Spider-Verse” was another pivotal moment, one that has shaped the character’s application since its debut in the eponymous 2014 super event.
Once again this supplement is intended for use by players and Narrators (the game’s equivalent of a Dungeon Master or Game Master). Games aren’t necessarily required to take place in one of the eras detailed within this book, but whether yours will be set in an existing Marvel sandbox or one of your own creation, participants on both sides should have everything they need here to nail the tone of a spider-themed campaign.
It’s always the last two chapters of a Marvel Multiverse RPG rulebook that captivate me most, however, and I must say Spider-Verse offers the kind of crunchy rule content I was hoping to add to my toolbox. Chapter 10 provides plenty of new rules and ways to handle specific, arachnid-centric situations. Great responsibility, public perception, suspicion of secret identities, work/life balances, and saving people from bombs and burning buildings are among the niches covered here.
“Marvel Multiverse RPG: Spider-Verse rolls out the welcome mat for Spider-Man’s various incarnations, allies, and enemies.”
(Perhaps the cherry on top of this department? Spider-Verse even has a specific approach to saving someone who’s falling—perfect for creating, or avoiding, your very own Gwen Stacy tragedies.)
There are also the requisite Team Maneuvers for teams with a spider-character, like power-ups inspired by Spider-Man’s most likely allies, symbiote-enhanced Hail Marys, or a delicious clone-inspired switcharoo. Famous archenemies get a couple of tricks, too, for good measure.
While the core rules offered a base approach to dealing with webbing, Marvel Multiverse RPG: Spider-Verse expands upon it, offering some welcome clarification. Most of the prevalent uses for webbing are addressed, and surely this tome will be handy for settling rules debates in this department.
Clones and symbiotes get additional rules, too—for example, the caveat that someone’s spider-sense cannot register threats coming from a clone of himself or the requirements for removing a symbiote. Putting a symbiote on a character fundamentally changes them, of course, so Marvel Multiverse RPG: Spider-Verse provides the means to add new powers to a character’s sheet, depending on which symbiote lineage they’re drawing from; Venom and Knull’s offspring don’t have the exact same tools, after all.
And of course, should you wish to embark on your own multiversal escapades, there are pointers for creating other worlds and Spider-heroes, and adapting them to fit each other. This plays right into the Marvel Multiverse RPG‘s strengths.
Lastly comes the cavalcade of character sheets, and Marvel Multiverse RPG: Spider-Verse rolls out the welcome mat for Spider-Man’s various incarnations, allies, and enemies. This is a very thorough breakdown of the webhead’s supporting cast over the decades, covering their most essential versions.
The core Green Goblin is here, along with the more grounded Ultimates iteration of Earth-1610 and the bizarre “President” Norman Osborn of Spider-Punk’s Earth-138. Others, like Rhino and Electro, are handled with more down-the-plate, comic-centered representations. Every main spider variant you’re likely to recognize from the Spider-Verse comics or movies and every main symbiote are here, alongside incredibly recent comic additions Spider-Boy and (sigh) Rek-Rap.
- Hardcover Book
- Forbeck, Matt (Author)
Peter Parker himself has over a half-dozen entities: Ultimates/Earth-1610, modern Ultimates/Earth-6160, an “Early Days” iteration, Insomniac/PlayStation’s Earth-1048, Noir, Symbiote Spider-Man, and even Spiders-Man. Miles, Gwen, and Eddie Brock have a similar spread of representation, too. You’d have to start digging pretty deep into Spidey’s publication history to find things that are genuinely absent in Marvel Multiverse RPG by this point. Better still, each is sufficiently distinct in its rules to justify its inclusion for more than just nerd cred.
Now, I do have a small bone to pick, since this is a hill that I die on regularly as a fan who first picked up a comic in the early 90s: Spider-Verse ultimately continues the trend of not doing justice by Ben Reilly. I was very hopeful that it would, and the Marvel Multiverse RPG does treat the entire clone concept with more dignity than it gets most of the time. It was a complicated time for Marvel storytelling, but it’s not unworthy of redemption.
However, while Ben’s story is told well in the lore sections, the only Scarlet Spider presented here is Kaine’s more modern take. Ben’s only stat block is his current comic form, Chasm, with that more particular set of skills. Granted, the original Scarlet Spider was not tremendously different from Spider-Man; it’s possible for players to tweak a few things and whip up their own take on him, too. Nonetheless, Ben is not Kaine, and I hoped he’d earn a more heroic iteration here after Across the Spider-Verse made a joke out of him, and Dark Web sent him on a questionable course.
- YOUR GAME, YOUR UNIVERSE, YOUR DICE: Crafted and tailored to perfectly align with the 616 game engine and Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game.
- HIGH-QUALITY ACRYLIC DICE: Elevate your gaming with top-tier acrylic dice, 18mm in size, ensuring premium performance and durability.
And once again, I’d still have liked to see more gameplay material in the form of premade adventures or sample encounters that apply some of the lush information found throughout. This remains a side effect of the “choose your multiverse” approach, which is a net positive for the game overall. A relatively fresh game like this could benefit from having more tutorials ready-made content available than a sprawling campaign book. In fact, Spider-Man would’ve made a great example for showing the different levels of play, from the streets to Avenger-level to cosmic sorties and beyond.
Scarlet sidetracks aside, Marvel Multiverse RPG: Spider-Verse is another labour of love from Matt Forbeck and the Marvel Multiverse RPG team, and another deep well for players and Narrators to draw from. With an Avengers book coming later this year, I hope this momentum can continue and see the game truly explore the breadth of its vast multiverse.
