Fantasy Heroic Roleplaying: A D&D 4e Hack for Marvel Heroic Roleplaying

This is a hack of Marvel Heroic Roleplaying designed to use a lot of the trappings of Dungeons & Dragons (4th edition), particularly in the classes and races. You will need to be familiar with both games in order to get much out of this.

This hack started with a few thoughts on my own for another project, and then discussing with Rob Donoghue about how easy it would be to make Race and Class into power sets, complete with the trappings of the 4e versions of them. After jotting down one or two, I found that the conversion was coming pretty easy to me, so I stole his idea completely ran with it.

I kept affiliations- the whole Solo, Buddy, Team thing- which might not be ideal, but also might be a way to get around the “never split the party” stuff. As well, 4e is sometimes referred to as having super-heroic PCs, and this just gets them closer to that. However, this write-up is specifically geared towards being closer to “1st level” feel, with mostly low dice values and small numbers of power traits.

This is only the barest of first drafts, containing the races and classes that I completed, as well as a sample milestone, and a few sample monsters. It hasn’t been particularly edited, or playtested at all. However, I saw requests online for this kind of thing, so I decided to put it out there. If you try it out, definitely let me know.

Without further delay:

Character Creation Overview | Races | Classes | Milestones | Monsters

Character Creation

1. Choose your Affiliation (Assign d6, d8, and d10 to Solo, Buddy, and Team)
2. Choose your Race.
3. Choose your Class.
4. Choose three Distinctions, related to your Race, Class, Theme, or Alignment.
5. Choose one Specialty at Expert.
6. Choose your Milestones (related to Race, Class, Theme, or Quest)
7. Choose your name.

Races

Elf

Enhanced Reflexes d8, Enhanced Senses d8, Speed d8
SFX: Elven Accuracy. Spend a PP to re-roll any attack action, adding in Enhanced Reflexes.
Limit: Fae. Shutdown Elf and gain a PP when confronted with cold iron or another Fae-specific magic.

Half-Elf

Enhanced Reflexes d8, Mimic d6
SFX: Dilettante. When making an Asset using Mimic based on another class’s power trait that you have witnessed, step up the die.
Limit: Fae. Shutdown Elf and gain a PP when confronted with cold iron or another Fae-specific magic.

Dwarf

Enhanced Stamina d10, Enhanced Senses d8
SFX: Dwarven Resilience. Before you make an action using your Dwarf power set, you may spend 1 PP to move your physical stress to the doom pool and step up your Dwarf power trait for this action.
Limit: Stocky. Convert Enhanced Stamina into a Complication and earn a PP. Recover on Opportunity.

Human

Choose one: Enhanced Stamina, Enhanced Reflexes, Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Senses
Start with an extra PP
SFX: Versatile. Split any Human power into two stepped-down dice.
Limit: Exhausted. Shutdown any Human power trait to gain 1 PP. Recover on Opportunity.
Choose two Expert Specialties.

Eladrin

Enhanced Reflexes d8, Psychic Resistance d8, Teleport d6
SFX: Focus. Replace two dice of the same size in a pool with a single die +1 step up.
Limit: Fae. Shutdown Elf and gain a PP when confronted with cold iron or another Fae-specific magic.

Halfling

Enhanced Reflexes d8, Fear Resistance d8
SFX: Second Chance. Spend a PP to re-roll a reaction against an attack, adding an extra die for your Fear Resistance.
Limit: Short. Convert Enhanced Reflexes into a Complication and gain a PP. Recover on Opportunity.

Tiefling

Fire Control d6, Fire Resistance d8
SFX: Infernal Wrath. Step up or double an opponent’s stress in your die pool (1 PP for both.)
Limit: Infernal Heritage. Shutdown Tiefling and gain a PP when confronted with something that affects your Infernal nature. Recover when no longer afflicted by it.

Dragonborn

Enhanced Stamina d8, Enhanced Strength d8, Breath Weapon d6
SFX: Draconic Fury. Add your stress to your own dice pool for no PP cost, double for a PP.
SFX: Dragon breath. Add 1d6 and keep an extra effect die for each target beyond the first.
Limit: Draconic Temper. Step up emotional stress to gain a PP.

Half-Orc

Enhanced Strength d8, Enhanced Reflexes d8
SFX: Furious Charge. Step up or double Enhanced Strength (1 PP for both), then shutdown. Recover on Opportunity.
Limit: Fringe. Gain a PP to step up emotional stress caused by being an outcast.

Classes

Fighter

Enhanced Durability d8, Weapon d10
SFX: Fighter’s Mark. When taking an attack action against an opponent, you may mark that opponent until your next turn. While marked, that opponent suffers a d8 “Marked” complication when attacking anyone except you.
Limit: Exhausted. Shut down any Fighter power to gain 1 PP. Recover on Opportunity.
Combat Expert

Mage

Sorcery d8, Blast d8
SFX: Area Attack. Add d6 and keep 1 extra effect die for each target after the first.
SFX: Constructs. Step up any asset made using Sorcery.
Limit: Spell memorization. Shutdown a Mage power to gain a PP. Recover during a Transition Scene.
History Expert, Arcana Expert

Sorcerer

Sorcery d8, Blast d8
SFX: Unleashed. Step up or double a Sorcerer power (1 PP for both) for one action. If action fails, add a die to the Doom Pool equal to the normal die rating of the power.
Limit: Unpredictable. Change a Sorcerer power into a Complication to gain a PP. Recover on Opportunity.
Arcana Expert

Rogue

Enhanced Senses d8, Weapon d8
SFX: Sneak Attack. Step up any Stunt activated by a Opportunity, or step up Physical Stress on successful action when activating an Opportunity.
Limit: Exhausted. Shut down any Rogue power to gain 1 PP. Recover on Opportunity.
Acrobatics Expert, Combat Expert, Stealth Expert, Thievery Expert

Cleric

Weapon d8, Enhanced Durability d8, Sorcery d8
SFX: Healing. Add Sorcery to your dice pool when helping others recover physical stress. Spend 1 PP to step back your own or another’s physical stress or trauma.
Limit: Spell Preparation. Shutdown Sorcery to gain 1 PP. Recover during a transition scene.
Combat Expert, Religion Expert

Barbarian

Weapon d12
SFX: Rage. Add a die from the Doom Pool to your attack action, then step up the die and return it to the doom pool.
Limit: Berserk. If the Barbarian takes emotional or mental trauma, he attacks the nearest creature each round, until all creatures are stressed out or the Barbarian is knocked unconscious.
Combat Expert, Intimidate Expert

Warlock

Blast d10, Teleport d6
SFX: Dark Pact. Add a die from the Doom Pool to your attack action, then step up the die and return it to the doom pool.
Limit: Growing Dread. Treat 1s and 2s as Opportunities when using a Warlock power.
Intimidate Expert, Arcana Expert

Bard

Mind Control d8, Blast d8
SFX: Area attack. Add d6 and keep 1 more effect die for each target beyond the first.
Limit: Music. Shutdown Bard to gain 1 PP. Recover on Opportunity.
History Expert, Arcana Expert, Diplomacy Expert

Paladin

Enhanced Durability d8, Sorcery d6, Weapon d8
SFX: Smite Evil. Against an evil target, add a d6 to your die pool and step back the highest die in your pool. Step up physical stress.
SFX: Lay on hands. Add Sorcery to your dice pool when helping others recover physical stress. Spend 1 PP to step back your own or another’s physical stress or trauma.
Limit: Pious. Shutdown Paladin when doing something against the Paladin code to gain a PP. Take an action versus the Doom Pool to recover.
Combat Expert, Religion Expert

Avenger

Sorcery d6, Weapon d8
SFX: Oath of Enmity. Designate an enemy to swear your oath against. Spend a PP to re-roll an attack action against that target, adding any Avenger power trait to your pool.
Limit: Sworn enemy. Shutdown Avenger if the target of your oath gets away. Recover during a transition scene.
Combat Expert, Religion Expert

Warlord

Enhanced Durability d8, Weapon d8
SFX: Inspiring Presence. Spend 1 PP to step back an ally’s emotional or mental stress or trauma.
SFX: Tactical Genius. Spend 1 PP to add a die pool from the Doom Pool and add it to your roll, then return it to the Doom Pool and step the die back.
Limit: Exhausted. Shut down any Warlord power to gain 1 PP. Recover on Opportunity.
Combat Expert, History Expert, Diplomacy Expert

Ranger

Weapon d8, Animal Control d6, Plant Control d6
SFX: Tracking. Step up any Asset related to tracking or terrain mastery.
SFX: Multiattack. Split Weapon d8 into 2d6.
Limit: Sworn to nature. Earn 1 PP and step up emotional stress related to damage to nature.
Combat Expert, Nature Expert

Druid

Sorcery d8, Animal Control d8, Plant Control d8, Weather Control d8
SFX: Constructs. Step up any Asset created with a Druid power by +1.
Limit: Sworn to nature. Earn 1 PP and step up emotional stress related to damage to nature.
Nature Expert, Mystic Expert

Milestones

Adventuring Party

1 XP whenever your party kills a monster.
3 XP whenever you complete a minor quest, or reject a minor quest in pursuit of a higher goal.
10 XP whenever you complete a major quest, or spectacularly fail a major quest.

Monsters

Young Red Dragon

(large scale threat)
Solo 3d10
Buddy 2d8
Team 1d6

Belly Full of Fire
Greedy
Always Chaotic Evil

Red Dragon
Fire Blast d10, Fire Resistance d12, Superhuman Strength d10, Superhuman Durability d10, Superhuman Stamina d10, Claws d8, Bite d10, Flight d8
SFX: Multipower. Include two powers in the same pool by stepping each down by -1.
SFX: Tailslap. On successful reaction against a melee attack, the attacker suffers a Tailslap complication equal to the dragon’s effect die. This complication applies to any movement attempts.
SFX: Area Attack. Add a d6 and keep an extra effect die for each target beyond the first.
SFX: Bloodied. Add the Red Dragon’s physical stress in any pool using a Red Dragon power, as long as the physical stress equals or exceeds d10.
Limit: Shutdown Fire Blast whenever you roll an Opportunity in a pool including a Fire Blast trait. Recover by activating an Opportunity.
Limit: Large scale threat. Defeat solo dice (with d12s) to defeat.

Combat Expert, Intimidate Expert

Kobold Mob

Team 6d4

Shifty
Small But Fierce
Dragon-Blooded

Claws d6 Spears d6 Slings d6

SFX: Traps and Devices. When creating an asset or complication, add a d6 to your pool and step up effect die.
Limit: Minion Mob. Knock away team dice (with d6 stress) to defeat.

Thievery Expert

Irontooth

Team d10
Buddy d8
Solo d6

Blood Crazed
Goblin Leader
Ambusher

Goblin Bandit
Weapon d10, Enhanced Durability d8
SFX: Versatile. Split Weapon into 2d8.
SFX: Berserk. Spend a die from the doom pool to step up any Goblin Bandit power. Afterward, return that die to the pool and step it up.
Limit: Gear. Shutdown or add or step up a die in the doom pool to shutdown any Goblin Bandit power. Recover by taking an action.

EDIT: Adam over at Exploring Infinity has added more Races and Classes using these ideas, so be sure to check them out!