The foundation for my games has always been the Marvel Superheroes Basic Revised set, adding elements

from the Advanced Game when required (Gadgeteering Rules, Building a base, etc.). The only essential rule
that I think Basic Revised is missing is the Power Stunts.

Attributes are the same.

The main Power Ranks are essentially the same, just renamed, but I did redo the numbering system, basing
it off the Fibonacci Algorithm. This doesn’t have a substantial effect on play, but does increase the disparity
between regular humans and higher end superheroes.

Feeble (2) Feeble (2)

Poor (4) Puny (3)
Typical (6) Typical (5)
Good (10) Good (10)
Excellent (20) Excellent (15)
Remarkable (30) Uncanny (20)
Incredible (40) Fantastic (40)
Amazing (50) Amazing (60)
Monstrous (75) Incredible (100)
Unearthly (100) Unearthly (150)

The other significant change is in the . In the original MSH Basic set, there was one Rank
above Unearthly, Class X, to represent unbreakable materials (like Wolverine’s Adamantium claws) or
godlike abilities (like Galactus’s Strength). In the Advanced (and continued on to the Basic Revised) this
was expanded into 3 shift ranks above Unearthly and then the Cosmic ranks above those, to further define
the more cosmic-level entities in 616. I’ve streamlined these, but these won’t likely come up in play much,
the only difference is that Phaserip doesn’t put any restrictions on shifting up into these ranks through
bonuses as it just represents an increased chance of success.
 I renamed , which is only a cosmetic change, but one that I think reinforces that this
represents a character’s Passive Deffense in combat, rather than meat points/injuries, which are covered by
Endurance Loss.

In Horror games I have a separate Variable Attribute called (renaming the Psyche Attribute Will
Power), that like starting Karma is based on the sum of a character’s Mental Attribute Ranks. This serves as
a “Mental Stamina” or Sanity pool. It’s mostly unnecessary in superhero games (but could be utilized in a
Psionics-heavy game), so I won’t go into detail about it in this document.

and remain unchanged. I also added the option of a attribute that

works in much the same way as Resources, but represents an abstraction of a Hero’s support network,
particularly for characters like The Shadow, who is assisted by multiple Agents recruited from people he’s
saved.

The first major addition to the original game, Continuity is Experience separated out from Karma points,
primarily to discourage hoarding of Karma points (see Final Advice). Continuity points are earned
whenever a character fails at a Feat roll (1 pt.) or is defeated in combat (5 points). The rational is simply
that characters learn more from failure and that characters who constantly win aren’t pushing their
abilities to their limits.

Because comics don’t follow the default RPG conceit of Zero-to-Hero or consistent increase/additions to
powers, with alterations in a character’s power set tending to coincide with significant narrative events, I
prefer a looser approach to advancement that takes into account in-game events. Hence I set a threshold
(from 10 - 100 points of Continuity, depending on length of campaign/how often I want characters to
advance), at which point the player is given a choice between three possible in-game advantages:

The GM arranges for your character to gain a desired item. A gadgeteer character achieves a scientific
breakthrough, a wandering knight gets a magic scimitar tossed at them by a watery bint, etc.

The GM arranges for “Something Nice” to happen to the character; they meet a new romantic interest, they
get offered a job they’ve been pursuing, or they discover a clue as to the identity of that five-finger man
who killed their father.

The Hero is to change or improve himself in some way. This may come from taking the time to train,
meeting a master of some art the Hero can learn from, or exposure to cosmic rays inducing some new
mutation.
The Resolution Table, called (Action Resolution Graph!) in Phaserip, is included full-sized on
the final page of the document, reduced here for illustration. There are some slight tweaks worth noting:

• The colours have been altered slightly, with the addition of Purple representing Critical Failures
(see Karma, below)
• The numbers are slightly altered, like the Attribute Ranks, something done more for copyright
avoidance than anything. However, most of the percentage of success chances are pretty much the
same.
• Each Rank (“Echelon” in Phaserip) is associated with two numbers, with the Rating actually the
equivalent of the number rank in FASERIP, used for determining Variable Attributes and Damage,
while the Rank in Phaserip refers to a 1 to 10 scale, which is used for various other bonus
calculations.

(Matrix of Combet Effects) is condensed somewhat.

• Instead of Thrown (Edged) and Thrown (Blunt), the Throw row covers blunt and a combatant with
a throwing weapon can opt to use the Shoot column for Thrown (Edged).
• Likewise, Energy and Force have been left out and use the Shoot (Energy) and Ram (Force)
columns respectively.
• The bonus for Dodge and Block are based on Agility and Strength, respectively, rather than static
Rank shifts, making both options more potent for characters with higher relevant Attributes. (Note
that these utilize the Echelon Ranks (see above), so Spiderman, with Amazing Agility has a Rank of
8, so if he gets a Green result when Dodging, attacks against him are made at a penalty of 5 (8-3).
• The addition of numerous “Fumble” results for a Purple result are left up to GM interpretation
based on the circumstance.
Conceptually altered a bit, in that it’s renamed in Phaserip “ ”

“Arete (Greek: ἀρετή) is a concept in ancient Greek thought that, in its most basic sense, refers to
"excellence" of any kind. The term may also mean "moral virtue". In its earliest appearance in Greek, this
notion of excellence was ultimately bound up with the notion of the fulfillment of purpose or function: the
act of living up to one's full potential.

The term from Homeric times onwards is not gender specific. Homer applies the term to both the Greek and
Trojan heroes as well as major female figures, such as Penelope, the wife of the Greek hero Odysseus. In the
Homeric poems, Arete is frequently associated with bravery, but more often with effectiveness. The person
of Arete is of the highest effectiveness; they use all their faculties—strength, bravery, and wit—to achieve real
results. In the Homeric world, then, Arete involves all of the abilities and potentialities available to humans.”
- Wikipedia

In practice, I still use “Karma points” when running Supers, and save Arete for my Occult/Mythos or Sci-Fi
games. While there are some advanced rules in Phaserip whose use depends on the subtler difference in
meaning, it otherwise functions the same (except for advancement being separated out into Continuity).

One alteration is that Karma/Arete cannot be spent to adjust a critical failure (Purple result). Notice,
however, that Critical Failures are only present at the lower end of the competency scale.

Additionally, I only allow Karma/Arete to be spend on rolls elicited by active choices by the players – when
they want to deliberately do something, not on reaction rolls or circumstances where they are surprised.

Another adjustment I made is to double most Karma awards as listed in the MSH rules; I find the game is a
bit too stingy as written. Again, here, the emphasis is on players spending Karma freely, rather than
hoarding it.

I’ll also customize the Karma award/penalty list to reflect the genre of game that I’m running – as
presented, it’s a very good reflection of Bronze Age Marvel mainstream superheroics, as opposed to Golden
or Dark/Iron Age comics. In a game set in WWII, for example, supers in combat aren’t going to suffer the
Karma penalties for causing the deaths of Axis soldiers (unless I was specifically going for a game about the
horrors and psychological consequences of war).

Likewise, certain supernatural creatures have alternatives to Karma points in my games – for example, a
Vampire would have “Blood” instead of “Arete”, which can be spent in the same way (to improve roll
results or activate certain supernatural abilities), but is gained solely through drinking.
Here is really where I made the only major overhaul of an aspect of the original system. Talents in Phaserip
are renamed “ ”, and comprise three types: Standard Traits, Skills, and Special Traits.

These are categories shared by every character and are mostly descriptive in nature. They are there
primarily to help the player envision their character, though I will sometimes use them as a guide to apply
modifiers or make judgement calls. Occupation can be used in the same way as a Skill (see below).

Standard Traits include a Hero’s , , , , and .

A Hero’s Origin is the source of their abilities.

The Hero's physical or mental capacities are honed to The Hero's abilities are modified or augmented by
the peak of human ability. advanced technology.
Pop-Culture Examples: Batman, Remo Williams, Sherlock Pop-Culture Examples: Inspector Gadget, Iron Man,
Holmes Robocop

The Hero is not native to our planet or dimension The embodiment, avatar, or reincarnation of a mythic
Pop-Culture Examples: Doctor Who, Howard the Duck, deity or euhemerized Hero from folklore.
Superman Pop-Culture Examples: Hercules, Robin Hood, Thor

Once a normal human, the Hero's physiology was The Hero is an ordinary man or woman with no
transformed by some unique occurrence. superhuman abilities.
Pop-Culture Examples: The Flash, Hulk, Spider-man Pop-Culture Examples: Buck Rogers, Indiana Jones, The
Spirit

The Hero developed superhuman abilities naturally,

via genetic mutation or heredity. The Hero was altered by occult powers or belongs to a
Pop-Culture Examples: Gen 13, Liz Sherman, X-Men mythic race.
Pop-Culture Examples: Ghost Rider, Hellboy, Red Sonja

Expanded consciousness granted this Hero access to

abilities beyond human ken. The Hero was built rather than born.
Pop-Culture Examples: Doctor Strange, John Constantine, Pop-Culture Examples: Astroboy, Roger, The Vision
Merlin

Optionally, a player may choose a , for a Hero unaware of their past.

A Hero's Calling is their primary motivation or Raison d'Etre.

Lives for excitement & challenge Exalts in the joy of discovery and travel.
Pop-Culture Examples: Finn & Jake, Plastic Man Pop-Culture Examples: Doctor Who, Mister Fantastic

Works for an organization or government. The protector of a people or place.

Pop-Culture Examples: Dana Scully, James Bond Pop-Culture Examples: Doctor Strange, Green Lantern

"Programmed" to be a Hero Follows a long line or family tradition of Heroes.

Pop-Culture Examples: Astro Boy, Robocop Pop-Culture Examples: The Phantom, Starman

Dedicated to the pursuit of justice at all costs. Trapped in a world they didn't create.
Pop-Culture Examples: Batman, Daredevil Pop-Culture Examples: Buck Rogers, Howard the Duck

Struggles between a human and inhuman nature. Embodies the ideals of a nation.
Pop-Culture Examples: Hellboy, Wolverine Pop-Culture Examples: Captain America, The Shield

A dedicated champion or messenger for a cause. Struggles against an evil and oppressive authority.
Pop-Culture Examples: Professor X, Wonder Woman Pop-Culture Examples: Longshot, Mister Miracle

An outcast, unable to live a normal life. An acute awareness of the burden of power.
Pop-Culture Examples: The Demon, The Hulk Pop-Culture Examples: Spider-man, The Strobe

A Hero's Culture describes their social or ethnic background. A Culture may be as specific or general as
appropriate to the Hero, and while more than one Culture may apply, Players should chose the most
predominant influence on the Hero's personality.

Examples: Asgardian, Atlantean, Australian, Beatnik, British, Cajun, Canadian, Chav, Chinese, Flapper,
Geek, German, Goth, Hipster, Hyperborean, Irish, Japanese, Jewish, Martian, Metalhead, New Yorker, Norse,
Olympian, Quaker, Roman, Russian, Scottish, Texan
A Hero's stature defines their build, physique, and demeanour. Statures are not assigned any specific
measurements, just a general idea of how a Hero stands, moves, and appears to others.

The Hero is neither fat, thin, tall nor short. The Hero’s body is constantly altering in size and
Pop-Culture Examples: Arthur Dent, Dave Lister, Jimmy shape.
Olson Pop-Culture Examples: Jake the Dog, Plastic Man, Swamp
Thing

The Hero is massive, brimming with muscles and raw

upper body strength. The Hero is slender and lithe, moving with subtleness
Pop-Culture Examples: She-Hulk, The Savage Dragon, and ease.
Thor Pop-Culture Examples: Chiana, Raven, Spider-man

Dynamic and stunning, the Hero moves with grace,
exuding an air of confidence and style.
Pop-Culture Examples: Galadriel, Hal Jordan, Tony Stark
Bristling with intensity, the Hero prefers to crouch
rather than stand, giving the impression of a wild
animal.
Pop-Culture Examples: Beast Boy, Moonboy, Wolverine
"Huge" is this Hero’s prevailing feature, dwarfing
those around them physically. However, they find it
difficult to maneuver through most doorways and are
unable to use many tools designed for human hands.
Pop-Culture Examples: Concrete, The Hulk, The Thing
The Hero seems as if carved rather than born. They
move with deliberation, and are at the peak of athletic
prowess.
Pop-Culture Examples: Captain America, Superman,
Wonder Woman
The Hero is short and a bit portly. They may be an
experienced veteran who let themselves go in the
middle a bit, or simply prone to a heavier frame.
Pop-Culture Examples: Bilbo Baggins, Blue Beetle, Tik-Tok
The Hero’s body type is completely alien, incapable of
passing for human.
Pop-Culture Examples: Groot, Insect Queen, Rygel XVI

A Hero's Occupation delineates what they do for a living. It's not necessary for a Hero to list additional
Traits or Skills that are logically implied by their Occupation.
Essentially the same as Talents in FASERIP, but reduced to more widely applicable general categories. A
player, can, when appropriate, take a Speciality in one of the categories instead (certain categories,
marked with an *, require specialization). The biggest change here, however, is that all Talents function in
the same way, providing an Echelon Shift or Phase Shift (see below).

There are 18 Skills, obviously adjusted for the genre of game as appropriate:

If a Skill specifically or directly relates to a task the Hero is attempting, that is considered an use of
that Trait and provides a Phase Shift (PS) modifier to the result. For example, a Hero with the Skill
Science attempting to mix a chemical compound, or a character with the Forestry Speciality attempting to
find shelter in the woods.

A Phase Shift (PS) is applied after the FEAT is rolled, and alters the colour (Phase) Result. For example, a
character who scored a Green Phase Result on a FEAT that received a +1PS would read it as a Blue Phase
Result.

If a Skill indirectly relates to a task a Hero is attempting, or another character is actively attempting to
prevent the Hero from succeeding at the task (an “Opposed Roll”), that is considered a use of
that Trait, and provides an Echelon Shift (ES) modifier to the Attribute used for the FEAT.

An Echelon Shift is applied before a roll, altering the column used. For example, a Hero of Typical Agility
who receives a +1ES would compare the results of their roll to the Good Echelon row of The ARG!

So, basically, Echelon Shifts work the same as the bonuses from most Talents in FASERIP. Phase Shifts, on
the other hand, are a chance for Heroes to “show off” in situations where they aren’t in competition with
another character, that directly ties into one of their Skills. When there's a choice, a player must choose
before the roll is made whether to apply either an active modifier (PS) or passive modifiers (ES). Only one
Trait may be actively employed for any single GEST, however multiple Echelon Shift modifiers may be
"stacked" or added together.
So, when I mentioned all Talents function in the same way, what I’m referring to is that the Talent system
in FASERIP is very “Old School”, a product of it’s time, with each Talent being very specific and many
providing a unique benefit. As the Skills are streamlined to function in one specific way, Special Traits are a
category that is a catch-all for Talents that provide a unique benefit (or hindrance!) besides Phase/Echelon
Shifts.

As this category is potentially huge, comparable to Advantages/Disadvantages in games such as GURPs,

Savage Worlds, Unisystem, etc., I’ve only included here one common example applicable to the Superhero
Genre. This is a category where players could easily come up with their own with GM guidance, the general
rule of thumb is, if the character should be able to do something that provides a binary benefit (i.e. they
either get the in-game effect or not) it is a Special Trait, whereas if it’s an ability or Limitation that can be
rated on a scale, it’s a Power.

The Hero is trained in a formalized unarmed hand-to-hand fighting style. Phaserip groups the Martial Arts into
"schools", each named for an element, representing various styles with similar focuses and techniques:

Strength when determining Damage in unarmed

Forms of martial arts that concentrate on using an
opponent's strength against them, allowing a Hero to
Slam or Stun an opponent, regardless of their
comparative Strength and Endurance.
Forms of martial arts focus on quick strikes and feints
to catch an opponent of-guard, granting a bonus to a
character's Initiative, and allowing them to adjust a
Parry Combat Effect by one Phase Result.
Primarily offensive forms of martial arts that
concentrate on powerful & sharp attacks, allowing a
Hero to substitute their Fighting Echelon Rating for
combat.
Defensive forms of martial arts that focus on holds
and escapes, allowing a Hero to adjust the Combat
Effect of Evades and Grapples inflicted by or on them
by one Phase Result.
Meditative forms of martial arts that concentrate on
searching out weak spots in an opponent's defence,
allowing a Hero to ignore the effects of armour and
Slam or Stun their opponent even if no Damage was
inflicted. To gain these benefits, however, the
character must observe the opponent in combat for at
least one Page prior to engaging them.

Other Examples of Special Traits include: Amphibious, Animal Ken, Bookworm, Fey, Gearhead, Hive Mind,
Immortal, Jack of All Trades, Mimic, Polyglot, Royalty, etc.

As mentioned above, Special Traits can be hindrances as well as advantages. Physical disabilities
(Blindness, Immobile), as well as mental disadvantages (Phobias, Disorders) are all represented by Special
Traits.
One final concept not covered yet regarding Traits, is that of Mastery. This is when a Hero is the best in the
world at one specific thing, not represented by their Attributes, usually only applying to Skill Specialities.
Mastery is indicated by adding a Shebang Notation (exclamation mark) to the Trait, and whenever a Feat is
made using that Trait, the Hero is treated as possessing the rank of Unearthly in the applicable Attribute.
For example, Robin Hood might posses the Weapons Speciality Archery! , so when he uses his bow, his
Agility is treated as Unearthly instead of, say, Excellent, or Sherlock Holmes might have the Skill Sleuth! I
would never let a Hero possess Mastery in more than one Skill.

Combat is a situation where almost all rolls are going to be counted as “Opposed”, so normally Heroes will
only ever benefit from Passive uses of any combat-related Traits (Echelon Shifts). However, if one
combatant possesses Fighting ability of 3 or more ranks higher than their opponents, they can be said to
Outclass them, meaning they can make active use of a Combat Trait, to receive a Phase Shift bonus. This is
essentially the “Mook” rule, but instead of depowering the opponents it empowers the Heroes. This is a rule
I’d be hesitant to use against the players, unless for a very specific purpose.

I’ve said this before, but it’s worth restating – the genius of the FASERIP engine is that it is essentially a
resource management system, where the rolls provide a bit of a break. Providing more Karma is going to
encourage players to try more outlandish and creative stuff, and enforcing the Karma penalties is going to
drive home the moral aspect of being a Hero. Gaming in person, I use Poker chips for Karma so I can just
slide them across the table without breaking up the flow of the game.

One of the more frequent complaints I’ve heard about the system over the years is the way that Armour
works – if it’s Rank is too high; characters really can’t do much of anything to penetrate it. I see this as a
feature, not a bug. If their solution is just to try and solve every problem by punching harder, they aren’t
going to get far. Look at Spider-man’s famous tangle with the Juggernaut; he had no hope of physically
harming him, so what does he do? Baits him into charging into wet cement.

While superheroes are often dismissed as power fantasies, if you look at the best written and iconic stories
what you find is that the Heroes are constantly plagued with inner turmoil. It’s not a happy life, it’s a life of
giving up your own desires to pursue a sense of duty. And the best way to convey that in the game is to
constantly make the players deal with choices – choices between their relationships, their jobs, their
success or reputations or going off to fight the good fight.
So, just in case anyone reading this thinks I’ve shown my hand, and this is the whole of Phaserip; a few
tweaks, houserules, and a Skill system; this document only scratches the surface. The game itself includes:

• Three options – Character Modelling, Modifiable Templates, and an

Archetype-based combination of random rolls and point allocation that makes full use of the
system options will still producing unique, playable characters based around a comprehensive
theme.
• than the Ultimate Powers Book!
• A system of , wherein Heroes assign Ranks to various social obligations, which can
provide a Karma bonus when met, or track the decline and possible destruction of the character’s
careers, friendships, and loves as they are forced to choose between Heroics over responsibilities.
• , covering duels, mass combats, chases, and Martial Arts
mayhem, among others.
• Completely updated for the 21stc., before, and beyond!
• Completely Revised and Streamlined systems for , including gadgeteering,
kitbashing, tinkering, inventions and new discoveries. From in-depth rules for building vehicles,
robots, or headquarters, to completely new systems for Cybernetic enhancements, Hacking, and
Interplanetary/Interdimensional travel.
• Extensive coverage of , distinguishing the mental abilities from other Powers.
• An original for horror or occult-themed campaigns.
• An extensive reworking of the , incorporating thoroughly researched real-world
occult beliefs, and covering numerous traditions and approaches to magic, including Wizardry,
Witchcraft, Shamanism, Diabolism, and Alchemy, among others. Spells, potions, amulets, charms,
rituals, grimoires, scrolls, and a host of other topics are detailed.
• Advanced rules introducing the Wuxia and Shinobi character archetypes, along
with rules for building your own Martial Arts School or tradition, the use of Chi/Xi to achieve
unique abilities, and a host of new Weaponry and Traits.
• , giving a detailed look at organized crime, criminals, supercriminals,
cults, terrorists, and the legal system, with copious advice for coming up with dastardly plots and
enacting unscrupulous schemes.
• – a complete deconstruction of the Phaserip system from the bottom up,
explaining every rules choice, application, how to adapt it to various genres, how to explain
elements to players, and the rational behind the game presented as a toolkit.

And last, but far from least…

• All the advice that I can muster from 30+ years experience GMing, from running campaigns to
adapting adventures, playing NPCs to hosting investigations, creating a Superhero sandbox game
to making a horror one-shot actually scary. The entirety of myself as a Role-Player is poured out
into this work. It is my love letter to two hobbies that have consumed a large portion of my life.