Valiant Universe RPG: Core Rulebook HC
Publisher: Catalyst Game Labs
Release Date: September 2014
Price: $39.99
Creator(s): Randall Bills and Phillip Lee
Format: 208 pgs., Full-Color, 10" x 7," Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-9368-7696-9
Age Rating: N/A
ICv2 Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5
 
Having played several superhero RPGs, I quickly noticed several innovative and unusual aspects of the Valiant game.  The mechanics are the most non-standard, in that instead of a single referee, control of the flow of play rotates from player to player as each "scene" of an adventure has a different "lead narrator."  While good in theory, in practice it means that a member with less creativity or who is less articulate may feel uncomfortable in the lead role.  It also requires improvisational skills above and beyond those for a normal RPG, since you have to work with whatever happened in the previous "scene," with a different lead narrator.
 
The use of "plot points" [which are actual spendable things within the game] by the players and the lead narrator to make things happen even if the die rolls fail is an interesting gimmick.  It acts in support of the game’s basic idea, which is that things in a comic book work the way they do in order to make the story happen, not because of an arbitrary set of statistics.  Still, there needs to be some aspect of luck and/or random events in a game setting, unless the game is to be purely narrative.  Thus, this is a hybrid between "regular" games and pure narrative games.
 
The game is designed to flow more like a comic book story than a typical RPG adventure, and there are sections of the book which try to teach the difference, but again it will require both skill and practice to run an enjoyable game.
 
The rule book is informative about the Valiant universe, but players unfamiliar with the Valiant titles may still need to read a few Valiant comics in order to get into the spirit of the game.  That makes it a good jumping-on points for gamers who are also comics fans who either read Valiant, or would be interested in doing so.  For gamers who are only familiar with Marvel and DC, it is a minor stumbling block, as the character descriptions in the book are adequate, but do not always make sense out of context.  An example of this is the character Faith, whose "powers" list is peculiar unless you’ve read stories in which she uses those odd skills.
 
Another clever strength of the game is that for each established character, there are a number of catch-phrases, cues and plot hooks from existing stories that can be used to guide the narrator, and to help players figure out their characters would react.  Unfortunately, if you create new characters, you have to figure out all of these things yourself.  The character creation system isn't complex, but can be time-consuming.  The entire game group is involved in balancing powers and the character's creator needs to spend time figuring out narrative hooks.  If you are going to create original characters, plan on spending a full game session on doing that, because it will greatly enhance the characters and your understanding of the game.
 
Pre-designed adventures included are sketchy, but will work well with creative players.  Creating original "stories" is more difficult, given the structure of the game, and a lot of creativity is needed there.
 
The greatest weakness of the system is that the perfect group of players would be an entire table full of actual or would-be comic book writers, all of whom are familiar with the Valiant universe.  It is not as good for beginners to role-playing or group games.  For an experienced group of gamers who are also comics fans, it would be a good game to try.
 
The book itself is very attractive, with artwork from the comics heavily illustrating the text and the character descriptions.
 
Catalyst Game Labs is very supportive of the game system, with PDF downloads with each purchase, and the game system is apparently being used for other new projects, including a pulp SF game.
 
Because of the Valiant connection, the game is best suited to adults and older teens.
 
--Nick Smith: Library Technician, Community Services, for the Pasadena Public Library in California.