Majestic Superheroic Roleplaying System Reference Document (MSR SRD)

What Is This Game?

Majestic Superheroic Roleplaying is a superhero tabletop roleplaying game using a unique variation of Fate Core called "Dicey Fate." As the name implies, Dicey Fate replaces the traditional static bonuses of Fate Core with dice. The goal is to make Fate Core less deterministic and more spontaneous. MSR has a focus on drama and trauma, where growth occurs from experiencing emotional pain and learning to grow past it. However, it is also a game with a heavy focus on four-color action and superhero combat. Fans of modern comics should find the style of story MSR is trying to emulate very familiar.

How does it play?

The central mechanic is built around making competing Dice Pools. The player characters have a series of Traits they can pull from to make their pools. Primarily, they will pull from their Aspects, their Approaches, their Principles, their Skills, their Powers, and their Relationships. Each one is rated in a dice that adds a dice of the same size to dice pools when a Trait is relevant. Players can alter their dice pools with their Stunts. Players then roll either against the Passive Opposition (3d6 + Difficulty Pool, a constantly changing collection of dice that operates as a Game Master Resource) or Active Opposition (a dice pool made from a NPC's traits). After rolling, the relevant parties pick two dice to add their results together to make a Value and a dice whose size determines the Magnitude of their success. The higher Value succeeds whereas the Magnitude determines the degree of success.

Characters can accumulate Stress, Consequences, and have their Aspects Traumatized if the prior two get out of control. If the character becomes too Traumatized, they will "die," which can mean death or simply giving up or not being able to be a superhero anymore.

To Advance, characters need to take Consequences and Trauma and challenge their hold over them and they have to question their Relationships and let them grow and change. While superhero action is at the forefront, the nature of advancement pushes characters to explore the emotional side of their characters and the connections they make and lose.

How does this compare to Magnificent Heroic Roleplaying (MHR)?

My other superhero title, Magnificent Heroic Roleplaying, was a retroclone of a defunct game line. MHR was based on one of my favorite superhero games of all time and tried to emulate it legally, warts and all. Majestic Superheroic Roleplaying includes my revisions on how I would remake the game in the modern day with what I'm looking for in a roleplaying game. MHR exists for game preservation, but MSR exists to be something new.

Furthermore, I found there was a misconception. Since some new my upcoming title, Wild Hunt, uses Dicey Fate, some thought that it would be using the system in MHR. While MHR is based on Dicey Fate as well and I do plan to make more SRDs for different genres, Wild Hunt uses the version of Dicey Fate seen in MSR, which is the original form of the system. I thought it might make a good preview and clear up any confusion by taking a few hours to convert the current build of Wild Hunt to the superhero genre to make direct comparison easier to see.

What is a System Reference Document?

This is a "System Reference Document" or "SRD." The term was popularized in the early 2000s. Essentially, it is a scaled down, basic version of the game's rules so that future developers can copy this description and implementation of the mechanics verbatim to make their own projects. It doesn't include any artwork, proper layout, or setting details.  A later, "full" game version may exist, but, with how complicated licensing rules can be, the simplest way of avoiding issues or confusion is to make a separate document that is only the text you want to put out on an open license. That is what a SRD allows. While United States of America does not copyright game mechanics, the text itself is still under copyright. As such, that is a barrier of entry to any new developers who want to use those mechanics. A SRD often exists to remove that issue by giving a curated text version that can be copied verbatim in derivative works.

How does the license work?

The SRD is licensed under "Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution." This license means anyone can copy the text within, verbatim, to use in any derivative works without my approval. The only requirement is supplying proper attribution. Acceptable attribution is supplied within the document. As long as that attribution is included in your work, you are free to do whatever you please with the document and its text. 

For example, you can make your own superhero game entirely -- borrowing whole sections or even the entire document for your rules -- then simply putting your own setting or campaign on it. You can add your own mechanics. You can even just resell this document in a differently formatted fashion. The license precludes me from contesting any of these actions. It is essentially in the public domain, outside of the one attribution stipulation.

As per the terms of this license, it is unrecoverable. By putting this document onto the marketplace, I activate it. Thus, it now belongs to the belong, in most material regards.

What is included?

Provided here are two forms of the same document. An unedited, PDF without any layout work that can be read easily for referencing rules. You also reference a word processor document so you can easily import the text into your own works when you wish to use it for a derivative project.

Is this version final? 

Not necessarily. I might return to it to clear up typos, expand on elements I only briefly explained, add in new mechanics, or other such updates. However, anything major -- like making a proper game -- would be separate. If I do add new mechanics into a "full title --if I were to do so -- I'd likely add a supplementary SRD to put them also under the Creative Commons license. This SRD is also a preview of what will be final version of Dicey Fate 1st Edition when Wild Hunt is complete. Some elements -- such as a Faction mechanic, Deed Die, buying Favors, and other mechanics -- are still in playtesting and were not included here. While I may not release MSR as a full proper title (I might but I'm not sure), Wild Hunt will eventually show the completed design of the engine.