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Wearing the Cape: The Roleplaying GameClick to magnify
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Wearing the Cape: The Roleplaying Game

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Cape (plural capes): literally, a sleeveless garment hanging from the neck over
the back and shoulders; figuratively, a superhuman who has chosen to act as a
superhero. Synonyms: hero, mask, super, superhero. Connotations: ‘cape’ is
used as both a familiar and derogatory term for superheroes, who often
casually refer to themselves as capes but generally consider it a demeaning
term when applied to them by the press.

                                                                        Barlow’s Guide to Superhumans

 

Adventure in the Post-Event World with the superhero RPG built on Fate Core,
written by Marion G. Harmon, author of the Wearing the Cape series of superhero
novels.

Wearing the Cape: The Roleplaying Game is a complete, stand-alone gamebook,
with chapters detailing the Post-Event World, hero creation, gameplay,
worldbuilding, and campaign construction. It includes:

  • 30+ Pages describing the world of the New Heroic Age, the nature of capes,
    and their role in society.
  • Complete Rules adapting Fate Core to superheroics with Power Aspects.
  • 12 Power Templates describing the archtypal superhero powers, with
    dozens of tailored Power Stunts and full Power Aspect descriptions.
  • Design Rules for creating original Power Aspects, Power Templates,
    and Power Stunts.
  • Organization, Collateral Damage, and Resource Conflict Rules to help GMs
    and players roleplay their heroes' impact on the world.
  • Campaign Design Rules and a discussion of Superheroic Realism, for GMs
    and players who wish to play varient Post-Event campaigns or create
    their own superhero worlds.

Join Astra and the Sentinels, found your own Crisis Aid and Intervention team,
adventure and explore in a fully developed superhero setting, or use WtC:RPG
to
build your own world of superhero adventure.

NOTE: WtC:RPG IS AVAILABLE IN PRINTED EDITION, SEPERATELY OR BUNDLED
WITH THE PDF, AT WEARINGTHECAPE.COM.

Astra
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Reviews (14)
Discussions (12)
Customer avatar
G P T November 05, 2023 10:33 pm UTC
So, I’m loving what I’ve seen of the book so far, but I’m really curious how statting a powered armour hero actually works in-game. If you wanted to make a super genius in the same vein as Tony Stark, I imagine you’d need to make him a Verne-type, which is all well and good, but then cranking up a high enough Discernment+Eureka rating seems like it’d take so many SFPs that you’d have very little left to actually make a functioning powered armour, with the relevant superhuman strength and weapons, unless I’m missing something?

Is it better to just stat the proverbial Tony Stark up as a regularly intelligent guy, effectively a transforming Atlas-type and just omit that superhuman intelligence? It feels like the rules, at least as written, don’t lend themselves to inventors who use their own inventions.

I’m also unsure how, within the mechanics of the game, an inventor actually… invents? I understand it’d be a Create an Advantage action, but then there’d be no stats...See more
Customer avatar
Stan A January 18, 2022 5:22 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I have never read the novels that shaped the world this book is based in, I have to say that it is terrible one. Many people have sited the realism of the setting, but that realism consistently falls short when discussing anything not white or American. This setting is clearly written by someone with very racist views against the Arabs, East Asians, really anyone not white especially if they don't live in the US. The rules are solid, but if you plan to use the setting, I would recommend heavy editing, or more reasonably, just make up your own setting. Honestly a little upset I gave these creators money.
Reply
Customer avatar
Marion H January 19, 2022 6:18 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hello, Stan. While I am heartened to hear that you consider WtC:RPG a solid set of rules, I am sorry to hear that your takeway of the background section of the gamebook is "This setting is clearly written by someone with very racist views against the Arabs, East Asians, really anyone not white especially if they don't live in the US." That someone would be me. Of course I feel you are completely wrong in your reading of the setting background, and I could refer you to both the books and the wider world background provided in Wearing the Cape: Barlow's Guide to Superhumans. However, I doubt this would be a fruitful use of your time. Since you have expressed distress at having given a racist your money, you can email me at wearingthecape@gmail.com with your DriveThruRPG account identification and preferred email address and I will Paypal you my 70% royalty on your purchase (DriveThruRPG keeps the other 30% as a fee).
Customer avatar
Rafael G June 16, 2020 4:06 am UTC
PURCHASER
Mr Harmon, big fan, and I have to say that I have to give you a big thanks for your help with this amazing project that you have put in front of my life.
I'm a retired wounded soldier and I never heard of you before until I picked up one of your books at the local store.
I have to say that it was a life saver for me, , I have been in a very bad place for a long time but when I started to read that first book I was hooked on a new outlook on life that I didn't have.
But enough of that, I didn't want to make a spectacle of this, I just wanted to say that I really thank you and my family loves you for it.
I was wondering, is there a possibility that you would release your book collection in hardback? Also, are you planning on releasing the game in different formats, ie., hero, champions, mutants and masterminds, etc?
Please let me know.
Thanks
Reply
Customer avatar
Marion H June 20, 2020 8:28 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Thank you, Rafael. "New outlook on life" is a new one, and I'm humbled and grateful that my stories could be that for you. Hardbacks? Possibly a project to consider after Book 9 is out (I'd love to see them). As for other game formats, I'd love to see WtC in ALL of them. But that will require someone else to do it; WtC:RPG took up a substantial block of one year, and my big priority is continuing the books.
Reply
Customer avatar
Rafael G June 25, 2020 2:16 am UTC
PURCHASER
Mr Marion, yeah I know that it sounds weird to say it, but the only way I could explain it is that I saw very bad things in war and I was injured in Afghanistan.
After all that I just about gave up and I didn't because your books remind me of something I had forgotten.
I just wanted you to know that you are doing a wonderful job and I hope you keep doing it.
Customer avatar
Christopher K June 15, 2020 9:37 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I have spent some time running this for a group of new fans who are just starting the novels. One player is a more experienced hand at Fate than the others, but two big questions came up - will there be an update to Fate Condensed or will a Fate Accelerated version come out? As a favor, I started to tinker around and made a version that works like Dresden Files/Iron Edda Accelerated where the Power Types became Mantles, and my group enjoyed it a lot more. The main issue, though, was that there's an inescapable aspect where some Types are flat-out more expensive than others. Any thoughts?
Reply
Customer avatar
Marion H June 20, 2020 8:06 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
There is a small project in the works for Superpowered Fate, which takes the Power Aspect/Skill/Stunt system of WtC:RPG and adapts it to Fate Condensed. It should be out in a month or so. The problem of some Power-Types being more expensive than others is, sorry to say, an unavoidable one. Put most basically, Power-Types that require more bonuses or special rules to play cost more Stunts. An Atlas-Type will cost more in Stunts than a Phantom-Type. Superpowered Fate addresses it a little by leaning more heavily on the Power Aspect and defining Power-Types more generally, but some superpowers will always cost more in terms of Skills and Stunts than others.
Reply
Customer avatar
Christopher K June 22, 2020 9:58 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Thank you so much for answering! I understand the whole some things will always cost more than others. But I am looking forward to that Superpowered Fate!
Customer avatar
Yann E December 12, 2019 4:52 pm UTC
Hello,

I never read the book and I don't even know if they have been translated in french (I alm French).

Can the game be played without the novel's knowledge ?
Reply
Customer avatar
Marion H December 13, 2019 9:33 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Yes. Wearing the Cape: The Roleplaying Game provides more than enough background if you want to use the setting of the books, and the first sourcebook (Wearing the Cape: Barlow's Guide to Superhumans) gives more background specific to Europe, Asia, and Africa as well as a few more rules options. Also, as versatile as the system is, if you want a different setting you can throw out the Wearing the Cape world background and create your own superhero world with no change to the power-types and other superhero-specific stuff. There's a whole section dealing with creating your own setting or divergent campaign, and I've seen players adapt Marvel and DC heroes to the system with ease.
Reply
Customer avatar
Yann E December 15, 2019 6:57 pm UTC
Thanks for your answer. I have Fate core at home (in English and French) but I have difficulties reading it, It's not because the system is difficult, it's more because the book is dense and compact and not well written I think.

My few friends who like superhero seems to prefer Supers! Revised Edition and I am a fanboy of Mutants & Masterminds (I have been a GM with the 3 editions). Do you think adaptations would be easy ?
Reply
Customer avatar
Marion H December 16, 2019 1:45 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Adaptation from Supers! and M&M should be pretty straightforward. Not sure about the reverse. I understand your issue with the Fate Core rulebook; I've heard from several players who thought WtC:RPG did a better job explaining the Fate system than the Fate Core book did.
Customer avatar
August 03, 2019 1:19 am UTC
PURCHASER
I've read all the books so far, so, fair to say I'm a fan of Mr. Harmon's.

What I want to say here...the first chapter of this book should be considered Must Read for ALL superhero gamers...players and GMs alike. It's the best expression of the context of supers and modern society. Some of it is specific to the Breakthrough mechanism...people gain powers during a highly stressful event...and some due to the transitional, recent nature of the Event which started it all. How does a super arise? How long have supers been active? These questions certainly have significant impacts on the current state of the game world, and if you've got different answers to them, your world may be different.

BUT, Mr. Harmon gives back story here, which creates a compelling case for why the setting is the way it is. The notion of the breakthrough spawns the origin-related questions for building a stronger, more completely visualized character. That part translates to other origins. The role of supers...See more
Customer avatar
Anthony M July 29, 2019 11:27 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I’ve finished a first pass through both of Wearing the Cape, the Roleplaying Game and Barlow’s Guide & The B-Files and I believe I’ve finally found my Fate Superhero RPG.

I’m an old Champions player. It was my first RPG. I loved how I could make any character come to life in Champs. I still gravitate toward systems that support that level of player creativity. I’ve dabbled with Icons and Venture City, but both games were missing that range of expression.

Venture City is really good for experienced Fate players to dive right into the attached street-to-corporate superheroes setting, Superpunk. Powers are built on a Extra template. And characters are limited to two powers each. Which I found a little confusing until I realized that the player defines the powers. So Captain America has the powers Super Soldier and Adamantium Shield rather than, Super Fighting, Super Athletics, Super Strategy, etc. Just like Wearing the Cape, the power level can be scaled up by increasing the...See more
Reply
Customer avatar
Anthony M July 30, 2019 12:19 am UTC
PURCHASER
Okay... so this isn't where reviews go...
Reply
Customer avatar
Marion H July 31, 2019 2:52 am UTC
PUBLISHER
No it's not, but I see you've found the spot now. I appreciate the excellent review.
Customer avatar
Carl M January 25, 2019 1:48 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Very nice book but even on Indierevolution, the shipping costs to the UK doubles the cost of the book. You MIGHT want to consider putting a POD on Drivethru, even if it is just for the benefit of non-US purchasers.
Reply
Customer avatar
Marion H January 26, 2019 7:13 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Thank you for the suggestion, and you're right--it's something that really needs to be done. Glad you enjoy the gamebook.
Customer avatar
David W March 02, 2018 6:07 pm UTC
Mr Harmon, I was wondering if there was any plan to offer a physical copy, be it hard bound or soft bound?
Reply
Customer avatar
Marion H March 02, 2018 8:17 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
There is a very nice hardbound edition available at wearingthecape.com!
Customer avatar
Rafael G February 20, 2018 12:32 am UTC
PURCHASER
Any chance that WtC would get their own line of figures?
Reply
Customer avatar
Marion H February 22, 2018 6:17 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Not unless the game gets picked up by a larger game-publisher later; even with Kickstarter funding, miniatures-production and marketing is time-intensive work. It would sure be nice, though.
Customer avatar
Jeffrey K May 15, 2017 9:20 am UTC
Any chance we'll see a Savage Worlds version?
Reply
Customer avatar
Marion H May 21, 2017 10:57 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
There are currently no plans in the works. However, future editions for different systems (Savage Worlds, Cortex Prime, etc.) are being contemplated.
Reply
Customer avatar
Jeffrey K May 22, 2017 11:02 am UTC
Thanks :)
Customer avatar
Ron R April 22, 2017 3:50 pm UTC
And it is time to ask the perennial question: "Will this be available in POD at any point?"
Reply
Customer avatar
David Y April 22, 2017 6:26 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I'm not Marion, but on the google Plus list he is working on getting a print run into stores after the kickstarter backers get theirs, as well as looking at PoD down the road...
Reply
Customer avatar
Marion H April 23, 2017 1:07 am UTC
PUBLISHER
At this point I'm exploring all options, and PoD is certainly one of them. But if it does happen, it won't be for awhile; currently the PDF and the hardback edition are the two options.
Reply
Customer avatar
John B May 31, 2017 6:01 pm UTC
PURCHASER
What hardback? link?
Reply
Customer avatar
Kevin M June 10, 2017 8:57 pm UTC
Id be interested in the hardback option; yes please share the link, thanks.
Reply
Customer avatar
Alan B June 11, 2017 3:07 am UTC
I'd also be interested in where I can get a physical copy as the Wearing the Cape website doesn't have one.
Reply
Customer avatar
Marion H July 10, 2017 3:32 am UTC
PUBLISHER
The printed edition should become available this week, at wearingthecape.com and indiepressrevolution.com. Keep your eye on the Kickstarter update or Wearing The Cape's Facebook page for the news.
Reply
Customer avatar
Marion H July 10, 2017 3:34 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Gamebooks purchased at wearingthecape.com will be signed.
Reply
Customer avatar
Luc L December 21, 2017 1:57 pm UTC
I would be really interested in POD because buying from you directly from Canada would cost me arrounf 100$ with shipping and exchange rate
Reply
Customer avatar
Marion H January 01, 2018 11:27 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Have you looked at the shipping rate at Indie Press Revolution?
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