Marvel Entertainment announced the Marvel Multiverse RPG coming out sometime next year and I couldn’t stop thinking about possible settings.
“Written and co-designed by award-winning and New York Times best-selling author Matt Forbeck (The Marvel Encyclopedia, Dungeons & Dragons: Endless Quest), the MARVEL MULTIVERSE ROLE-PLAYING GAME: PLAYTEST RULEBOOK will introduce players to the all-new D616 System, an accessible and easy-to-learn system for newcomers to tabletop RPGs…” link to whole article.
To simplify things here’s a Top 10 list of potential settings in the vast Marvel Universe I think would be fun to play with.. Just a list, not a way of ranking the quality of these settings.
1- Age of Apocalypse
Let’s start with an example of the Multiverse. Marvel’s multiverse, except for the times it’s not, is a series of divergent timelines. A long list of “What If’s” to make a fairly relevant reference, and the X-Men have a bunch.
Of all the dystopian futures the X-Men have gone through none may be more iconic than the Age of Apocalypse. Legion travels to a time when Magneto and Xavier are still friends, long before the formation of the X-Men. As Xavier dies trying to protect Magneto, Legion vanishes, and a new timeline is created. The only person aware of how history has changed is Bishop, a time traveling mutant from his own dystopian future, who followed Legion. Because of Xavier’s sacrifice, Magneto comes to believe in his late friend’s dream and forms this timeline’s X-Men.
Meanwhile, Apocalypse, an immortal mutant villain, was monitoring the fight. He chooses this moment as the perfect time to begin his world conquest, which did not happen for another ten years. Without a fully formed X-Men to stop him the mutant conquers all of North America and sets mutants as the ruling class.
This setting is filled with renegade mutants, like the X-Men, fighting for human rights and equality against Apocalypse’s nefarious forces and Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Players, as original characters or their favorite mutant heroes, could fight on either side of the conflict or join Bishop or the mysterious X-Man in resetting the timeline. You could also set the story during the evil Weapon X’s regime where the human freedom fighters, known as the X-Terminated fight in a world without X-Men.
This might have some delay from the get go since I don’t know how fleshed out the will be in the D616 system and could even see an X-Men supplement after the initial release, if popular, somewhere down the line.
Suggested Reads
- X-Men: The Complete Age of Apocalypse by Various
- Age of Apocalypse by Akira Yoshida and Chris Bachalo
- Uncanny X-Force: The Dark Angel Saga by Rick Remender and Billy Tan
- X-Termination by Greg Pal, David Lapham, andDavid López
- Age of Apocalypse by David Lapham and Billy Tan
2-Chronopolis
The base of the time traveling villain Kang the Conqueror. Outside of the timeline he has built a city made of his favorite parts of history and protected by his loyal Anachronauts, the greatest warriors of all the ages.
The city is under constant threat by the numerous enemies he made during his conquests like the Avengers and Fantastic Four as well as other incarnations of himself such as Rama-Tut, Immortus, and the Scarlet Centurion.
This could also be a retrofitted base for the Time Variance Authority or any other time travel misadventures GM’s might want to run. Players as TVA agents protecting the timeline would be interesting. Also with the mix and match of ages a GM could pick all their favorite bits of the Marvel Universe to be represented here.
Suggested Reads
- Avengers Forever by Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco
- Kang Dynasty by Kurt Busiek and Various
3- Krakoa and Arrako
Probably the most recent entry on this list but the mutant nation of Krakoa and the mutant planet, a terraformed Mars, called Arakko, would be phenomenal places to set a campaign.
Long story short the mutants made a nation called Krakoa, found out they had long distant mutant cousins and terraformed Mars for them. Now they sit as a superpower like the world has never seen before. Oh, also they can’t die anymore because of intricate resurrection protocols.
In a setting where mutants are immortal due to the five and cerebro under threat by all those threatened by the concept of a mutant nation. Players could be in the service of the Quiet Council as members of Excalibur defending against magical threats, Hellions getting manipulated by Mister Sinister into suicide missions, Marauders providing goods and safe transportation, S.W.O.R.D. for the mutant space program. X-Corp handling the business, X-Factor solving and confirming mutant deaths for resurrection protocols, X-Force for mutant black ops and intelligence , or the elected to the superhero team of the X-Men.
Every third page in X-Books these days are just info dumps about this setting and potentential threats and they’re phenomenal source material to use.
Suggested Reads
- House of X/ Powers of X by Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz, and R.B. Silva
- Excalibur by Tini Howard and Marcus To
- Marauders by Gerry Duggan and Matteo Lolli
- Hellions by Zeb Wells and Stephen Segovia
- New Mutants by Jonathan Hickman and Rod Reis
- SWORD by Al Ewing and Valerio Schiti
- Wolverine by Benjamin Percy and Adam Kubert
- X-Corp by Tini Howard and Alberto Foche
- X-Factor by Leah Williams and David Baldeon
- X-Force by Benjamin Percy and Joshua Cassara
- X-Men by Gerry Duggan and Pepe Larraz
- X of Swords by Various
4- Knowhere
Built out of the head of a fallen celestial Knowhere is a waystation for all those, good and bad, traveling throughout the Cosmos. Making the city the perfect non-stop shop for all things Cosmic in the Marvel Universe.
Players could be members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Heralds of Galactus, Elders of the Universe, guardsmen in the Shi’a Imperial Guard, Kree soldiers, Skrull warriors, or even space Pirates like the Ravagers or Starjammers. Facing threats like Thanos or the dreaded Annihilation Wave or searching for the Infinity Stones or some other equally overpowered cosmic object.
Another thing about Cosmic Marvel is all the mighty cosmic entities like Eternity, the Living Tribunal, Galactus, etcetera that could be ally or big bad for campaigns.
Suggested Reads
- Thanos Quest by Jim Starlon and John Beatty
- Annihilation by Keith Giffen and Various
- Guardians of the Galaxy by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Paul Pelletier
- Guardians of the Galaxy by Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw
- Annihilators by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Tan Eng Huan
- Nova by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Wellinton Alves
- Rocket Raccoon by Skottie Young and Jake Parker
- Silver Surfer by Dan Slott and Mike Allred
5- The Raft
Of all the prisons in the Marvel universe none may be more recognizable than the Raft. The super maximum security prison for super-powered criminals has been home to numerous big bads, infamous break outs, and the Thunderbolts Program, which was like DC’s Suicide Squad, but with a focus on actual rehabilitation. At least not when it was being used for evil.
Not much else to say here, but a prison break, as heroes stopping the escapees or villains trying to escape, is a great first session idea.
Suggested Reading
- The New Avengers: Breakout by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch
- Thunderbolts by Jeff Parker and Kev Walker
6- Seven Capital Cities of Heaven
Getting into the more obscure settings fans of Danny Rand the Iron Fist may recognize the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven. These are hidden mystical cities, many in pocket dimensions, spread across the world. They’re home to special martial arts represented in their champions known as Immortal Weapons. The most popular being Danny Rand the Immortal Iron Fist of K’un Lun.
Every 88 years the cities merge into one creating the Heart. They hold the tournament, in which the city sends their best warrior, the Immortal Weapons, to fight for their city’s honor. So the player’s could definitely get wrapped up in that and the GM could get to use all the Champions as cool NPCs.
Cities and Champions
- K’un-Lun- This city lies in the K’un-Lun Mountains, within the Himalayas. The gate to K’un-Lun can be accessed every 10 years. The Iron Fist serves as the guardian of the gate and K’un-Lun’s primary protector.
- K’un Zi- It was ruled over by the Crane Mother and was known for its people’s use of dark magics, and it is protected by a line of warriors who bear the name Crane Warrior. Davos, long time arch rival of Danny Rand, has been the most recent Crane Champion.
- Kingdom of Spiders- Dark Kingdom located in Nepal. The city is covered in spider-webs. It is protected by the Bride of Nine Spiders.
- Peng Lai- A peaceful island of Pig Farmers. It has been protected by a long line of warriors titled Cobra and the legendary Fat Cobra.
- Tiger Island- A beautiful tropical paradise where the women cater to the men’s every whim and are expected to do so out of gratitude that the warrior men protect them and their beautiful city. It is protected by Tiger’s Beautiful Daughter.
- Under City- Home of all who are truly lost, it is home to Dog Brother #1, who often searches the world to find and rescue people to bring there.
- Z’Gambo- Located in the darkest jungles of Africa. Home to the Prince of Orphans.
- Eighth City- A brutal hellish realm could serve as a prison for evils of the world. The other cities, formed Immortal Weapons to help send these creatures there. The gateway could not be opened unless all the weapons combined their Chi.
Suggested Reading
- The Immortal Iron Fist by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, and David Aja
- Immortal Weapons by Various
7- Subterranea
Beneath the surface lies the realms of Subterranea. As old as Marvel Comics, the underground terrain of Subterranea has been home to the ancient Deviants, misunderstood Mole Man, Giant Monsters, banished Roman emperor Tyrannus, leftover experiments of the High Evolutionary, Moloids of all shapes and sizes, Atlantans, Gor-Tok, Mister Sinister, giant monsters, lava men, lizard men, and more.
There’s a whole world beneath the surface for players to explore. They could seek the Fountain of Yourh coveted by Tyrannus. Fight Giant Monsters, the Deviant Mutates, like Giganto, Tricephalous, or one made by the GM. This could also just be a fun explanation adventure, journey to the center of the earth kind of deal with a lot of mad scientist and monsters along the way.
Also the Moloids are just a infinitely renewable resource. They’re like the Goblins and Kobolds of Marvel and even have weird variations like the Tyranoids that serve Tyrannus and their muscle bound Molan kin. They also have the fun revolutionary side of breaking their servile routes.
Suggested Reading
- Fantastic Four #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
- Incredible Hulk #5 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
- Avengers: Subterranean Wars by Various
- Avenging Spider-Man by Zeb Wells and Joe Madureira
- Daredevil Vol. 2 by Mark Waid and Paolo Rivera
- Uncanny X-Men by Kieran Gillen and Carlos Pacheco
8- The Ten Realms
In Marvel the Ten Realms connected by the World Tree are Asgard home to the Asgardian gods, Alfheim home of the light elves, Jotunheim home of the Frost giants, Heven home of angels, Midgard you know this is Earth, Muspelheim home of the fire demons, Nidavellir home of the dwarves, Niffleheim realm of the dishonored dead, Svartalheim home of the Dark Elves, and Vanaheim home to the Vanir. Along with all their interior realms like Valhalla, Hel, etcetera.
If you wanna play Marvel heroes on a fantasy Adventure then this is setting to use. Traverse the world tree against ancient threats and in search of legendary artifacts like the Casket of Future Winters or the Destroyer Armor.
Suggested Reading
- Thor by Walt Simonson
- Journey Into Mystery by Kieron Gillen and Doug Braithwaite
- Thor: God of Thunder by Jason Aaron and Assad Ribic
- Mighty Thorby Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman
- War of the Realms by Jason Aaron, Russell Dauterman, and Arthur Adams
9- Attilan
Be this the original Attilan that rested in the blue area of the moon or the more recent New Attilan that crash landed into the Hudson River after Black Bolt’s battle with Thanos during the Infinity storyline. The Inhumans have a long and complicated history that includes cosmic mishaps, teleporting dogs, romantic tristes, etcetera. So pick what you want you want to use from the I human Royal Family or the Nuhumans. There’s a lot of neat stuff to pick from that can help flesh out the city.
Honestly this is mainly on this list so I can convince someone to design one of my favorite clubs The Quiet Room. Black Bolt created the Quiet Room after abdicating the throne of the Inhumans. While on the surface it appeared to be a bar, the Quiet Room’s true purpose was to act as a meeting place, a neutral ground where anybody could meet up. Peace was ensured because anybody who started trouble faced the wrath of Black Bolt himself. A guy that can go toe-to-toe with Thanos, the Hulk, and pretty much any heavy hitter you can think of.
Suggested Reading
- Fantastic Four #45-48 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
- Inumans: Once and Future Kings by Christopher Priest, Ryan North, and Phil Noto
- Black Bolt by Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward
- Marvel Knights Inhumans by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee
- Realm of Kings by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Pablo Raimondi
- Infinity by Jonathan Hickman, Jim Cheung, Jerome Opeña, and Dustin Weaver
- Inhuman by Matt Fraction, Charles Soule, Ryan Stegman, and Joe Madureira
- Uncanny Inhumans by Charles Soule, Steve McNiven, Brandon Peterson, RB Silva, and more
10- Wakanda
The most likely to setting to be built into the system already and with good reason. The Kingdom of Wakanda is a small nation in North East Africa. For centuries they have remained in isolation and are now considered the most technologically advanced nation of the planet. Ruled by the famous Black Panther the nation is known for their Vibranium, legendary warriors the Dora Milaje and the Hatut Zeraze, and advanced technology. Honestly this just makes the most sense for any campaign to at least have a quest in, Nuff’ Said!
Suggested Reading
- Black Panther by Christopher Priest and Joe Quesada
- Black Panther by Reginald Hudlin and Nohn Romita Jr.
- Black Panther by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze
- Black Panther: World of Wakanda by Roxane Gay, Alitha E. Martinez, and Roberto Poggi
- Sheri by Nnedi Okorafor and Leonardo Romero
Honorable Mentions
These didn’t make the main list, but are still worth looking into.
- Atlantis
- Chandilar
- Dark Dimension
- Ego, the Living Planet
- Limbo
- Gala
- Hell
- Latveria
- Monster Island
- Mount Olympus
- Sakaar
- Savage Land
- Weird World
kade-isms 