Marvel Multiverse RPG Showdown: Wolverine vs Sabretooth
One of the things that I have loved the most about Marvel RPG systems is that it allowed me to write and create my own comic book stories. Whenever I played these games I couldn't help but imagine my stories coming to life as a living comic book with my friends at the table.
Game rules have always taken a back seat to my enjoyment in any game systems I have enjoyed ( Dungeons and Dragons, Marvel RPG, Star Wars, Rifts, Robotech and on and on).
With the release of the recent Marvel Multiverse RPG Play test rules I have discovered that there are a lot of players who are laser focused on the fact that the game is failing at delivering a airtight rule system for everyone to flex their math muscles when it comes to pitting their favorite heroes and villains against each other.
The problem here is that a lot of these enthusiasts are looking past the one thing that makes this genre of RPG games amazing in the first place...story.
I recently had a disagreement with a community member regarding the fact that the newly released stat block for Sabretooth in the UNFINISHED Multiverse RPG was too overpowered and that an encounter with anyone except Black Panther ( as laid out in the UNFINISHED play test book) would result in Sabretooth mopping the floor with them.
I would like to present to you an encounter between Wolverine and Sabretooth that I could very well run in my own session. The key part of this encounter is that it is not a game of " Rock-em Sock-em Robots" but a narrative encounter that evokes the imagination and parallels of their encounters in the comic books and all the variables that come with it.
Enjoy and make sure you comment below on any mistakes I made or ideas on how you would have run this encounter for your players.
The night air wrapped its its arms around me as I moved deeper into the forest. Not how I intended to spend my time away from the mansion but there was no that could help, and I am the best at what I do...
The child had gone missing little over an hour ago and I picked up her scent only a few minutes ago. She would be back home before her parents had time to call an official search party. Good thing I happened to be in the area.
"The faint smell of applesauce and soiled pants told me that the kid was scared and probably threw up when she realized how lost she was. Hope that I'm the only one smelling her fear tonight..."
Wolverine is moving through a forest in Mexico in search of a local child who has gone missing from a nearby barrio.
As Wolvie comes close to the scent he has been following with his Heightened Senses . [Rolling a success on his Vigilance Check] power the Narrator tells him that he smells another presence close....Sabretooth!
Wolverine's player gets the jump on Sabretooth with his Heightened senses so the Narrator rules that Wolverine can act first and does not need to Roll Initiative this round.
As Wolverine moved into a small clearing he stopped and straightened up as a large figure emerged holding in its outstretched hands a small girl dressed in a beige dress with dirt covering her face.
" I found this rodent crawling around in my back yard" Sabretooth growled." You want the honors of killin it or should I take care of it?" his lips spread revealing a row of sharp teeth as he grinned.
" Drop her bub or your gonna be the only rodent I kill tonight" Wolvie retorts.
Wolverines player tells the narrator that he will hold his action until he sees if Sabretooth releases the girl.
The Narrator tells the player that Sabretooth looks like he is going to hurt the child as a way of intimidation to affect Wolverine and throw him off balance...
The player controlling Wolverine makes a EGO roll versus a static a CHALLENGING TN
Sabretooth growls at his failure and tosses the girl into the bush to his side.
" Looks like you aren't as soft as I thought you were skirt!"
The narrator rules that it is time for Initiative and rolls for Sabretooth while the player roles for Wolverine.
Sabretooth comes up with a 15 and a 18 ( Edge) so decides to keep the 18 for Sabretooths result.
The players rolls a 13 and a 15 for Wolverine with the 15 being the better result ( Wolverine also has Edge on Initiative)
Sabretooth lunges and swings his claws across the chest of Wolverine who is himself extending his Adamantium claws in preparation of rending his long time nemesis into pieces.
The Narrator Rolls Sabretooth's MIGHT against Wolverines Declaring a VICIOUS SLASH against Wolverine. Rolling a 37 against Wolverines Agility Defense of 25 the player controlling Wolverine records a rolled damage result of 63 points ( Wolverine now has only 67 health left after Sabretooth's onslaught!
Wolverine meets Sabretooths flurry head on with SLICE AND DICE targeting Sabretooths RESILAINCE score (27). The player rolls a Fantasic Sucess! Sabretooth takes Double Damage as a result . The player rolls 45 inflicting 90 points of damage against Sabretooth as a result! Sabretooth now has only 133 health left.
The player reminds the Narrator that he has Wolvie's Healing Factor and adjusts his health by 10 points towards his maximum. Wolverine now has 77 health .
Sabterooth looks down at the cuts in his mid sections and licks his fingers clean of Wolverines newly spilled blood even as the wounds on their bodies begin to stitch themselves shut.
" Ya taste as sweet as ever runt. Almost as good as the parents that lost their little kid back there. Maybe Ill save you for desert after Im done playing with you..." Sabretooth purred.
The Narrator declares that Sabretooth is using his Focused Fury power and spending 10 Focus points on the attack. Rolling a 33 versus Wolvies agility of 25 resulting in a hit. The players records the damage amount of 69 . The player controlling Wolverine records the damage again . Wolverine stands at 8 health!
Wolverine clutches his stomach even his vision starts to get blurry. He can hear Sabretooths taunts echoing in his brain and grits his teeth in determination, not for himself but for the fate of the child he came to find.
" Thing is bub, I knew you were out here all along. Didn't take much of a rocket scientist to pick up your scent a mile back when the kid went missin."
The narrator smiles at the player across the table and asks him what he has in mind for the story twist. The player explains that he wants the search party consisting of a mob of locals looking for the little girl to show up wielding an assortment of automatic weapons to fight Sabretooth.
"...See bub, I was only the scout of this little party, them fine folks behind me are the real party favours!"
" Well played runt!" Sabretooth chuffed back as he weighed his odds of surviving two dozen angry men with assault rifles unleashing a hail of revenge on him.
He would most likely survive it but he didn't want to serve himself up to the pipsqueak after the bullets stopped raining down on him.
Sabretooth leaps to safety into the overhead tree cover and hollers back to Wolverine.
" Dont worry kid! Ill drop ya an invite before our next reunion!"
Wolverine moved over to the bush where the little girl was whimpering and covering her eyes. She looked up at Wolverine and said
" Is the bad man gone?"
Logan looked at her and smiled
" For now kid...for now..."
