FASERIP is still alive - even under somehow different CORE formulas!

As far as I can observe, there are two recent branches of further development of the 1980s TSR MSH FASERIP system (whose books are freely available on several fan sites):

A) G-Core X by Dilly Green Bean Games (which is based on the 4C/G-Core-System by Jay Parker et al)

B) FASERIPoPedia by Jonathan Nolan (which is based on Blacky the Blackball's free OGL-based retro-clone of the original system), see faserip.com

Whereas (B) has recently innovated by crossing-over into the class-based Fantasy genre (see "epic fantasy") of OSR versions of the world's most popular RPG, (A) has recently contributed with a lot of updated politico-espionage super-hero-campaigns located in different parts of the world.

Warning: (A) has replaced the former FASERIP core formula with RAMMSPS which takes getting used to, but is supposed to 98% (backwards-)compatible to the whole universe of former FASERIP.

What I really like as an OSR fan, is Nolan's recent attempt to bridge the gap between the FASERIP system and the B/X OSR system of the world's most popular fantasy RPG by introducing character classes and bestiary stats into a modernized FASERIP core system which can be easily extended by new (street-level) heroes of recent comic books (for instance the TIDALWAVE).

This strategy has the potential to make much easier the transition between the formerly separate TSR MSH vs. TSR fantasy RPG systems - which is nothing less for the OSR RPG community than what we have observed in the Marvel movie "End Game" - Elves, Dwarves and Wizards fight together with super-heroes against common (arcane or cosmic?) enemies with cross-system comparable character stats.

The direction has the unfortunate but, now common, tendency to partially cover subjects and then finish covering them later. This wouldn't be a problem if you didn't have to reference both sections for a complete understanding (it's a pdf, I need to ctrl F and find a minimal amount of hits.) The formatting looks like it was printed into pdf direct from libre office writer. I still use it but, not solely, preferring the streamlining of MSH advanced and the other MSH supplements. I've found that it really doesn't add much and that what it changes seems arbitrary. the only thing I found useful where some of the charts but, it stops short of charting everything that it could.

If you only got this book, you could run a faserip game, though it might be sloppy to look things up, due, not only to the disected definitions but, also to the large print. There is the occasional typo but the real problem I have with it is that it it's huge for no reason. It doesn't add much to the existing system, aside from page count. It doesn't feel like an upgrade to the nearly four decades old system.

What a great book. The sheer volume of advice and samples is staggering - all delivered without adding complexity to the sleek FASERIP chassis we all love. That is an incredible feat I wish more games could accomplish! More importantly, page after page gets me excited about what I can run using this. Straight up supers, Greek mythology, fantasy - all the guidance and samples for these and more are here. Heck, there's even random character generation with a robust lifepath when one of my players needs inspiration.

The best way I can describe it is that using this makes me feel like the kid I was in the early eighties - playing the original FASERIP game, next to a stack of comics drawn by John Byrne, while a Harryhausen movie plays on the TV.

Bravo. This will be my "go to" game for as long as I can imagine. Bold statement, yes, but it's that good.

Overall excellent. The scope is staggering in what this rules set lets you do. This is not a niche specific pre-packed ready-to-eat meal. Instead the FASERIPopedia gives all of the ingredients, allowing a player or game creator to use the system to create what they need to guide a story or adventure. Playing around with the rules, I can see them working for space adventures, fantasy, cyberpunk, and wild west as well as the super-hero genre used as examples. (I would like to see all of these as adventure module settings if the author is going to release smaller modular adventures.) I was also impressed with the ease at which my kids took to this; they understood it quickly and used the FASRIPopedia system as a tool to help, not hinder, them to tell stories.

I don’t really do reviews but I felt this tome deserved some special praise. If you’re old like me you will have heard of Marvel’s FASERIP system. It was great back then and it’s still great to this day. Of course there are a few other books out there on the market that bring back the system for the modern (and retro game lover). But FASERIPopedia is a must if you like or would like to try this system. It clocks in at 396 pages. Therefore it's not only a complete system it is a complete tool-kit and unlike the previous Marvel game line you’ll have everything you could ever want or need in this book.

FASERIP has always been a very versatile and quick to use system, but with this cyclopean book you can literally do anything you want. It’s certainly not limited to the Superhero Genre. It can do it all with ease from Pulp to Sword and Sorcery and anything in between and at any power level.

Highly recomended! This is a five out of five stars for me. It’s everything I could ever want from FASERIP in one handy volume.