top of page

Rules on how to  

 

Play Your Own Hero









 

Character Creation (Player Steps Only)

Use this process during Session Zero to build your hero in about 15 minutes.

1. Concept First

Think about the kind of hero you want to play. Any genre, any era, any world is allowed in the Multiverse—cyborgs, cowgirls, witches, knights, superheroes, detectives, monks, and everything in between.

 

2. Choose an Archetype (optional)

Pick the Archetype that best matches your concept. Archetypes give your character direction, style, and a few suggested Talents.
You can change your Archetype early in the campaign as you get familiar with the system.

 

3. Choose a Race

Select a race that fits your concept or the setting. Races give you flavor and descriptive traits.
If you’re unsure, your GM will summarize races available in the current campaign.

 

4. Assign Your Stats

Stats measure your physical, mental, and social strengths.

Strength (melee attacks)
Dexterity (ranged attacks & vehicles)
Endurance (stamina, HP, survival)
Intuition (insight, initiative, problem-solving)
Education (learned knowledge & experience)
Charisma (influence & presence)

Assign the following values:
+3, +2, +1, 0, 0, –1

These numbers are your base scores.

 

5. Assign Your Skills

Skills work with Stats to show what you are good at. Every Hero has every skill, but bonuses show specialization.

Assign: +2, +2, +1, +1, +1, 0, 0, –1

Attack (Str or Dex) – used for every attack or offensive Talent
Influence (Cha) – intimidate, persuade, interrogate
Knowledge (Edu) – learned topics, research, magic theory.
Observation (Intuition) – noticing details, perception
Outdoors (Intuition) – tracking, survival, navigation
Sneak (Dex) – stealth, sleight of hand, infiltration
Technology (Edu) – hacking, medicine, devices, engineering
Vehicle (Dex) – driving, piloting, riding

 

6. Determine Your Defenses

Your defenses protect you from harm:

Athletics = Defense bonus + Str + Dex + End
Ego = Defense bonus + Intuition + Education + Charisma
AV (Armor Value) = 11 + Defense bonus + (Armor * 2)

These numbers are added to rolls used to resist attacks or harmful effects.

 

7. Starting Abilities

You begin with:

1 Talent Slot

1 Damage Die (d4/d6/d8 based on weapon

6 + endurance HP

Access to Force 1 Talents
 

 


 

 

8. Add Descriptors

Descriptors explain why your Stats and Skills look the way they do.
They don’t change numbers; they describe your character.

Examples:

  • +2 Strength → “Vat-grown muscle”
     

  • +1 Education → “Street-taught scavenger tech”
     

  • –1 Sneak → “Loud, heavy boots”
     

Descriptors help define who you are and where you come from. Think of these as gear for your Hero except they don’t have a price tag on them

 

9. Choose Contacts

You begin with 3 ± Charisma Contacts.
Contacts are NPCs you know who can help you with:

  • information
     

  • equipment
     

  • favors
     

You may choose some now and fill in others as you play. You will be assigned credits at level 1 that help pay for favors and information.

 

10. Choose a Reputation

Reputation is what the Multiverse thinks it knows about you.
It might be true… or not.

Examples:

  • “Dead-eye shot”
     

  • “Arcane scholar”
     

  • “Former corporate asset”
     

  • “Lucky beyond reason”
     

Pick something that fits your concept. You will refine this during play.

 

 

11.​ Weapon Enhancements

You start with: One Weapon Enhancement for one of the four weapon types:
 

Weapon Type    Damage

Melee                1d8

Ranged             1d6

Unarmed           1d4 + 1

Improvised         d4 (ranged) / d6 (melee)

​

Your chosen enhancement applies to all weapons in that category.

 

 

Core Mechanic at a Glance

Everything in MAG starts with one rule:

🎲 Basic Roll (BR)
Roll a d20 and add:
Stat + Skill + Enhancement + Talent Modifiers

Compare the total to a Target Number (TN) set by the GM.
If your total meets or beats the TN, you succeed.

 

🎯 Target Numbers (TN Ladder)

Difficulty      TN

Easy            9

Standard     11

Tricky          13

Hard            15

Heroic         17

Legendary   19+

💡 The GM may adjust TN up or down for great ideas, tools, or situational advantage.

 

🔢 Types of Rolls

Type              

Simple (S)     

Pass/fail check   

Succeed or fail outright.

Complex (C)   

Measures degree of success 

each 2 points above TN = +1 “success.”

 

🎯 Opposed Tests: Both sides roll Complex checks vs the same TN (usually 11). Higher successes win.
Ties favor the player characters.

 

​

 

⚔️ Attack Rolls

Attack = BR vs target’s Armor Value (AV)
If you meet or beat AV, the attack hits.
Then roll your weapon’s damage dice + relevant Stat (once).

💥 Criticals & Fumbles

  • Natural 20: Auto-success. Make a free attack. Max damage.
     

  • Natural 1: Critical failure. GM narrates a costly or funny mishap.
     

 

🛡️ Defenses

Defense

Formula

Used Against

Armor Value (AV)

11 + Defense Bonus + Armor×2 

Weapon & physical attacks

Athletics

Defense bonus +Str + Dex + End

Grapples, knockback, physical hazards

Ego

Defense bonus Int + Edu + Cha

Fear, charm, illusion, mental effects

 

⏱️ Action Economy

You get each turn:

  • 1 Attack Action (melee/range attack, Talent rolling against AV, Athletics or Ego)

  1 Skill action
 

  • 1 Move (30 ft)
     

  • 2 Combat Talent Activations
     

  • 1 Reaction (per round)
     

  • Free actions (draw weapon, talk, etc.)
     

 

🔮 Force, Energy, and Talents

  • Force (F): Maximum power tier you can use (unlocked by level).
     

  • Energy (EN): Resource you spend to activate talents.
     

  • Slots: Number of sustained combat talents you can keep active.
     

Force  Energy Cost

F1       1/1

F2       4/2

F3       9/4

F4       16/8

​

The second number is one shot cost. One-shots never occupy a slot. Sustained effects do.

 

🎬 Quick Example

A street-mage (Dex 2, Attack 3, Enhancement +1) fires an energy bolt.

  • Rolls: d20 + 2 + 3 + 1 = d20 + 6 vs target’s AV 15.
     

  • Rolls 12 → total 18 = hit.
     

  • Damage: 1d6 + dex + 2 = 8 total.
     

  • Natural 20 Max Damage and free attack
     

Level

 

Level increases with every 10 xp. See the following table: Players spend XP when they want, including in the middle of a mission. For every 10XP you gain a level and certain advantages. You don't pay for those advantages.

 

HP = the is the number of HP you have at each level. E + energy. C = Credits. Slots indicate the number of combat talents you can have active at any given time.

​

Force Access Rule (Hard Limit)
You cannot activate or purchase Talents of a Force higher than your level allows.

Players are rewarded with the following benefits at each level:

​

A player can purchase new talents for 5XP and ebergy at 2XP/ 1 point of energy.

🎚️ Multiverse Adventurers Guild — Level Progression Table 

 

🟢 TIER I — Basic Training (Lv 0–3)

Tagline: “You’ve joined the Guild. You’re raw, reckless, and ready to prove yourself.”

Lvl

0. +1 Damage Die (d4/d6/d8 based on weapon) • Access F1 Talents • 1 Talent Slot, 6HP

 

1. +1 Talent • Choose 1: 🗡 +1 Attack / 🛡 +1 Defense / 🔮 +1 Talent, 3 energy, 2 Credits, 12HP

​

2. . Access F2 Talents, 6 energy, 4 Credits, 18HP

 

3.  +1 Talent , 9 energy, 6 Credits, 24HP

 

🟡 TIER II — Skilled Operative (Lv 4–6)

Tagline: “You’ve survived the first missions. Now you’re trusted to act on your own initiative.”

Lvl

​

4. 1 Talent Slot  • Choose 1: 🗡 +1 Attack / 🛡 +1 Defense / 🔮 +1 Talent, 12 Energy, 8 Credits, 30 HP

​

5. Access F3 Talents • +1 Talent, 15 energy, 10 Credits, 30 HP

​

6.  Choose 1: 🗡 +1 Attack / 🛡 +1 Defense / 🔮 +1 Talent, 18 Energy, 12 Credits, 36HP

 

🔴 TIER III — Elite Agent (Lv 7–10)

Tagline: “You are a legend in motion — the Guild’s finest. Timelines bend around your choices.”

Lvl

 

7. Talent Slot, 21 Energy, 14, Credits, 42HP

​

8.  Choose 1: 🗡 +1 Attack / 🛡 +1 Defense / 🔮 +1 Talent, 24 Energy, 16 Credits, 48HP

​

9. Access F4 Talents, 27 Energy, 18 Credits, 54HP

​

10. 1 Talent, 30 Energy, 20 Credits, 60HP • Final Guild Rank

 

If you improve your Endurance score the bonus applies retroactively to all levels. For example, at level 3 with a score of (0) my HP are 18. I buy a (+1) endurance. The bonus applies to all levels giving me 21 HP.

 

You can switch your talents when you reach a new level. 

 

MAG is a blended system. You gain specific advantages as you reach each level, but you can also spend xp whenever you want.

 

A player earns 5  XP per playing session. These can be used to improve attributes, skills, enhancements, talents, energy. The GM can adjust this up or down depending on how fast or slow they want the campaign to progress. “(0)” level is essentially a Tutorial for beginning players.

 

Character XP progression chart
Skill/Rank/XP cost

0 / Untrained/ 0

 

1 / trained/ 1
2 / Expert /  4
3 / Master / 9
4 / Legend / 16

You must pay for each level of the score. For instance if I went from (0) to (3) I would pay one point for a score of (+1) another four points to increase it to (+2) and a final nine points for a (+3) for a total of fourteen points.

​

bottom of page