 Cover art by John Statema and Mike Machlan | |
| Designers | Steve Winter |
|---|---|
| Publishers | TSR |
| Publication | 1987 |
| Genres | Super Hero RPG |
| Systems | Marvel Super Heroes |
Nightmares of Futures Past is a supplement published by TSR in 1987 for the superhero role-playing game Marvel Super Heroes that describes a new dystopian setting.
Nightmares of Futures Past is a supplement for the Advanced rules featuring the X-Men that describes a bleak alternate future where mutants are hunted down by huge robot Sentinels and imprisoned in concentration camps. [1] As critic James Wallis noted, in a change from most Marvel Super Heroes adventures, the player characters are not fighting crime but fighting for their lives. [2]
Although the book describes this new world, with background, maps, non-player characters and tips for the gamemaster, it does not contain any adventures for this setting.
TSR acquired a role-playing game license from Marvel Comics, and produced Marvel Super Heroes in 1984, as well as dozens of supplements and adventures over the next five years.
One of these supplements was MX1 Nightmares of Futures Past, a 32-page softcover book published in 1987 with map and outer cover, written by Steve Winter with a cover by John Statema and Mike Machlan. [1]
TSR subsequently published three adventures for this setting the following year: The X-Potential , Reap the Whirlwind , and Flames of Doom .
Writing in Issue 11 of Adventurer, James Wallis hailed this adventure as "the sort of module that makes you think twice about a game." Wallis warned readers that this turned the super-hero genre on its head: "The major differences between Nightmare and normal [Marvel Super Heroes] (or indeed any superhero game) is that the characters will be universally hated and distrusted, and there is nowhere that is safe ... This adds an edge of danger, excitement and depth that I find lacking in normal superhero games." Wallis concluded, "it's an excellent background pack for anyone who's grown a little tired of the 'Wham!', 'Pow!', 'Biff!' school of superheroics and is looking for a change. Top marks, TSR." [2]
GURPS Supers is a superhero roleplaying game written by Loyd Blankenship and published by Steve Jackson Games. The first edition was published in 1989.
Marvel Super Heroes (MSHRPG) is a role playing game set in the Marvel Universe, first published by TSR as the boxed set Marvel Super Heroes: The Heroic Role-Playing Game under license from Marvel Comics in 1984. In 1986, TSR published the Marvel Superheroes Advanced Game, an expanded edition. Jeff Grubb designed both editions, and Steve Winter wrote both editions. Both use the same game system.
Superworld is a superhero-themed role-playing game published by Chaosium in 1983 that uses the generic Basic Role-Playing rules system. The game began as just one part of the Worlds of Wonder product before being published as a stand-alone game. In competition against other well-established and popular superhero games, Superworld never found an audience, and was discontinued after only three supplements were published for it.
Jeff Grubb is an author of novels, short stories, and comics, as well as a computer and role-playing game designer in the fantasy genre. Grubb worked on the Dragonlance campaign setting under Tracy Hickman, and the Forgotten Realms setting with Ed Greenwood. His written works include The Finder's Stone Trilogy, the Spelljammer and Jakandor campaign settings, and contributions to Dragonlance and the computer game Guild Wars Nightfall (2006).
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, an adventure or module is a guide for managing player knowledge and activities within a specific scenario. Commercially, a published adventure comes as a pre-packaged book or box set that is used exclusively by the Dungeon Master. It typically contains background information for the plot or story, maps, vignettes of interesting locations, site inventories, creature descriptions and statistics, player visual aids, and suggested rules for evaluating events and likely player actions.
The Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game is a role-playing game published by TSR, Inc. that uses the SAGA System and features characters published by Marvel Comics. It should not be confused with the earlier Marvel Super Heroes Game, also published by TSR, the later Marvel Universe Roleplaying Game, published by Marvel itself, or Marvel Heroic Roleplaying, published by Margaret Weis Productions.
DC Heroes is an out-of-print superhero role-playing game set in the DC Universe and published by Mayfair Games. Other than sharing the same licensed setting, DC Heroes is unrelated to the West End Games DC Universe or the more recent Green Ronin Publishing DC Adventures game.
John R. Statema is an illustrator.
Marvel Super Heroes: The Heroic Role-Playing Game is a role-playing game boxed set published by TSR in 1984 for the Marvel Super Heroes role-playing game, and was the debut product for the game.
Deluxe City Campaign Set is a role-playing game supplement published by TSR in 1989 for the Marvel Super Heroes role-playing game.
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Ragnarok and Roll is a role-playing game adventure published by TSR in 1988 for the Marvel Super Heroes role-playing game. The adventure was the second in a trilogy of high-level adventures titled the "Elders of the Universe" series.
Murderworld! is a role-playing game adventure published by TSR in 1984 for the Marvel Super Heroes role-playing game.
Thunder Over Jotunheim is a role-playing game adventure published by TSR in 1985 for the Marvel Super Heroes role-playing game.
Gates of What If? is an adventure published by TSR in 1986 for the superhero role-playing game Marvel Super Heroes.
Avengers Assembled! is a role-playing game supplement published by TSR in 1984 for the Marvel Super Heroes role-playing game.
Secret Wars is a role-playing game adventure published by TSR in 1984 for the Marvel Super Heroes role-playing game.
Reap the Whirlwind is an adventure published by TSR in 1987 for the Marvel Super Heroes role-playing game. It is the second in a dystopian trilogy called "Future in Flames."
Flames of Doom is a role-playing game adventure published by TSR in 1987 for the Marvel Super Heroes role-playing game.