A

Abilities

Characters have six different abilities: Melee, Agility, Resilience, Vigilance, Ego and Logic.

Ability Cap

The highest a character’s ability score can be. The default is the character’s rank +3.

Ability Defense

The target number for an action check against that ability. To calculate this, add +10 to a character’s ability score.

Ability Scores

How good a character is with one of the six abilities. For most characters, these range from –3 to +3. Super heroes can have much higher scores.

Ablaze

The character is on fire. They lose 5 Health at the end of each of their turns until the fire is put out. An Agility check against a target number of 10 can do this.

Action

Thing a character can do during their turn, usually with a standard action or a reaction.

Action Check

A d616 roll to determine if a character succeeds at something. If it meets or beats the target number, it succeeds.

Action Maneuvers

Things a character can do with an action. Includes attack, dodge, escape, grab, help, move and using a power.

B

Backstory

The character’s origin and occupation, each of which gives them a set of traits and tags.

Basic Power

A power that does not belong to a power set.

Bleeding

The character is severely wounded. They lose 5 Health at the end of each of their turns. A Logic check against a target number of 10 can stop this, as can anything that causes the character to recover at least 1 Health.

Blinded

Any powers that require sight end. The character’s speed is reduced by half. They have trouble on action checks that require sight, and enemies have an edge on all action checks against them that require sight to defend against.

Bonus Round

Characters who get a Fantastic success on their initiative check get a round to themselves before the regular combat begins.

C

Character Profile

A description of a character, including all of their relevant game information.

Character Sheet

A sheet on which a player can record and track information about their character.

Concentration

A power duration. The effect lasts until the character’s concentration is broken or willingly ended. A character can concentrate on one separate power for each rank.

Conditions

One of a number of unusual states for a character.

D

d616

The name of the game’s system and also the dice you roll in the game: 3d6, with a differentiated die designated as the Marvel die.

Damage

The number of Health or Focus points an attack takes from a target. This is figured by multiplying the Marvel die of a successful attack check by the attacker’s damage multiplier and then adding the ability score they used.

Damage Multiplier

The number used to multiply the Marvel die by on an attack roll to figure damage. Equal to the character’s rank by default.

Damage Reduction

A number applied to an attacker’s damage multiplier to reduce damage dealt. If this lowers the damage multiplier to 0 or less, no damage is done.

Deafened

Any powers that require earshot end. The character has trouble on all actions requiring hearing.

Demoralized

The character is mentally burned out. Any powers they are concentrating on end, and they have trouble on all action checks. Outside of combat, someone can rally them with a Challenging Ego check. On a success, the character’s Focus returns to 1.

E

Earshot

Maximum hearing distance. Under good conditions, about 100 spaces.

Earth-616

The main Marvel Comics Universe.

Edge

A condition favorable to your action check. Allows you to reroll one of your dice and keep the better result.

F

Failure

An action check result that is less than the target number.

Falling

If a character ends a move in midair, they fall 100 spaces. The damage is a standard action check with a +1 damage multiplier for every 3 spaces fallen, up to x20.

Fantastic Damage

A Fantastic success on an attack does double normal damage by default.

Fantastic Failure

A failure that includes a Fantastic result. (“No, but…”)

Fantastic Roll

A d616 roll in which the Marvel die is a 1. Count that die as a 6 instead. This may trigger bonus results.

Fantastic Success

A Fantastic result that meets or beats the target number. (“Yes, and…”)

Focus

A measure of the character’s mental fortitude.

Focus Damage

Damage done to a character’s Focus. A character with 0 Focus is demoralized. A character who has lost double their Focus is shattered.

Focus, Spending

Some powers cost Focus. A character cannot spend more Focus than 5 times their rank at once, nor can they spend more Focus than they have.

G

Grabbed

The state of being held and restrained by another. The entangled characters cannot move unless they can carry the other with them. The grabber can let go at any time, but the grabbed character must attempt an escape. Anyone making an attack against one entangled character has trouble. If the attack fails, compare the same check against the other target’s Agility defense to see if it hits them instead. If the attacker doesn’t care who gets hit, they have an edge on their check. If the result is high enough to hit one of the targets but not the other, that’s who it hits. If it’s high enough to hit either of them, determine the target randomly.

H

Healing

A character who is not dead or shattered regains lost Health and Focus equal to their rank every hour they take it easy. For every hour they sleep, they regain double that.

Health

A measure of the character’s physical fortitude.

Health Damage

Damage done to a character’s Health. A character with 0 Health is unconscious. A character who has lost double their Health is dead.

Holding a Turn

A character delays their turn until later in a round.

I

Illusion

A false image, usually created by magic or technology.

Initiative

The order in which the characters involved in a combat act. Higher numbers go first.

Initiative Check

A special action check each character in a combat makes at the start to determine the order in which they take their actions.

Initiative Modifier

The character’s Vigilance score, which is added to their initiative check.

K

Karma

A measure of the character’s luck, equal to the character’s rank.

Killed

The character is dead. Under special circumstances, characters have been known to return from this state.

Knockback

If a character with the Mighty power gets a Fantastic success on a close attack, they can knock their target back 5 spaces for every damage multiplier.

L

Label

A trait or a tag.

Line of Sight

A line drawn between an attacker and a target to determine if the attacker can see the target. Under good conditions, the maximum is about 200 spaces.

M

Marvel Die

The differentiated die in a d616 roll. If you roll a 1 on it (or a Marvel logo on specially designed Marvel dice), you get a Fantastic result.

Marvel Multiverse

The setting for the game. A set of related Marvel Universes.

Mirage

A false image, usually created by telepathic powers.

Monologuing

Giving a speech to gain Karma.

Movement Action

An action a character uses to move. A character can move twice in a turn by using both their movement action and their standard action.

O

Objects

Inanimate things the characters can interact with, including using as improvised weapons.

Occupation

A collection of traits and tags related to what a character does with their time.

Origin

A collection of traits and tags related to how a character acquired their powers.

P

Paralyzed

The character cannot move or take actions or use powers that require Melee or Agility. Their Agility defense is reduced to 10 against ranged attacks, and close attacks automatically hit them.

Pinned

The character is grabbed and has trouble on Melee and Agility checks and cannot move.

Plowing Through

A character is thrown, falls or is knocked through an object.

Power

A super-power.

Power Set

A collection of related super-powers.

Prone

The character is on the ground and has trouble on all Melee checks. Close attacks against them have an edge, and ranged attacks against them have trouble. It costs 1 space of movement to stand up.

R

Range

The distance between a character and their target, listed in spaces. Also the maximum distance a weapon can be used against a target without trouble. Attacks with the weapon have trouble beyond their listed range. At double their listed range, they cannot be used.

Rank

A character’s relative power. Runs from 1 to 6.

Rank Cap

The highest rank a character can reach.

Reach

The maximum distance a target can be away from a character to engage it in close combat. Usually 1 space.

Reaction

An action taken in response to something else happening.

Reaction Maneuvers

Things a character can do with a reaction. Includes escape, fastball special, help teammate, interpose, ram, release and skulk.

Recovery Check

A character can spend a point of Karma to make an action check to recover either Health or Focus.

Reserving an Action

A character declares an action they plan to use as a reaction if something happens to trigger it before their next turn.

Role-Playing Game

A game in which you take on the role of a character in dramatic adventures.

Round

A period of time (roughly five seconds) in which each character has one turn. If a power lasts one round, that is until the start of the character’s next turn—or the end of the next round at the latest.

Run Speed

The number of spaces a character can run with a movement action. The default is 5 spaces. Run Speed is the basis for most other types of speed.

S

Safety Tools

A set of tools players can use to help ensure everyone is having a good time during the game.

Session Zero

The first meeting for a group of players, in which they establish the kind of game they want to play.

Shattered

The character’s mind is gone. They cannot take any actions and can speak only in short sentences.

Size

The character’s relative size. Most characters are average, but some are big or small.

Sneaking

Moving while sneaking halves the character’s speed. They can be spotted with a Vigilance check against their Agility defense.

Spaces

On a map/board, a space equals 5 feet.

Special Effect

An extra effect certain kinds of powers have on Fantastic successes.

Speed

How fast a character can move in a round, using a given movement mode, listed in spaces.

Stacking

When elements in the game add their effects together—which they generally don’t. Powers and other effects that increase or reduce damage do not stack. Instead, the strongest one takes effect while the others function as backups.

Standard Action

An action that requires most of a character’s attention, like attacking. Most characters get one standard action each turn.

Stunned

Any powers the character is concentrating on end immediately. They cannot use any actions, and all attacks against them have an edge.

Success

An action check result that meets or beats the target number.

Surprised

Characters who are surprised by their opponents when combat starts cannot act in the bonus round.

If a character is surprised later in the combat, the characters who surprised them have an edge on attacks against them for 1 round.

T

Tags

Minor narrative elements that help define a character but have no inherent mechanic. A tag that challenges a character during play can earn them Karma.

Target Number

The number a player needs to meet or beat to succeed on an action check.

Team Maneuvers

Special maneuvers a team can do together.

Terrain

The land the character moves over. Running over difficult terrain costs two movement spaces for every one space.

Traits

Minor elements that help define a character and have an inherent mechanic. A trait that challenges a character during play can earn them Karma.

Trouble

A condition unfavorable to an action check. The player must reroll the best of their dice numbers and use the worse of the two numbers.

An M on the Marvel die is always considered to be the best die number.

Turn

A character’s chance to act during a round. They get one standard action, one movement action and a reaction each turn.

U

Ultimate Fantastic Roll

A d616 roll of 6 1 6, with the Marvel die as the middle number. This counts as a result of 18 and is the best possible roll. This will trigger bonus results as well.

Unconscious

The character is knocked out. Their defenses are reduced to 10, and close attacks automatically hit them. Outside of combat, someone can awaken them with a Challenging Logic check. On a success, the awakened character’s Health returns to 1.

W

Weapons

Devices usually used to increase an attacker’s damage multiplier.