DC Comics is as near and dear to my childhood as tabletop RPGs. The fascination of seeing larger-than-life heroes and villains clashing over ideals, be it through epic cosmic wars or gritty street-level crime, resonated deeply with my imagination. Naturally, I've seeked out all the ways to bring DC to the tabletop. Many a conversion for Mutants and Masterminds and Draw Steel was made, and they were some of the most fun I've had for superhero nonsense.
But now, DC is putting an official TTRPG into the mix.
Justice League Unlimited: The Roleplaying Game is an upcoming TTRPG about the iconic superhero team as they battle various threats to the DC Universe. You can create your own custom character and live out those childhood dreams alongside Batman. That, or fulfill the other childhood dream of actually being Batman. Instead of the typical DnD classes, playstyle is determined by Origin and Archetypes.
For example, Superman's origin is a Kryptonian, and his archetype would be Champion of Tomorrow. As for the moment-to-moment gameplay, the team at D20 Culture has provided a free quickstart over at DriveThru RPG here. Though it has D20 bones, there are many unique systems at play that keeps this from being yet another D&D 5e conversion. I'm glad for the uniqueness, because the best tabletop RPGs shine best on their own two feet.
It's driven more by narrative than mechanics, each game meant to recreate the vibes of your favorite comics. Dynamic scenes include fast-paced, cinematic combat, the rescue of civilians in dangerous disasters, water cooler moments on the Watchtower, and the most exciting of all, a Crisis. The last one relies on a roll of the Crisis Die to determine a plot twist, ensuring every adventure is filled with tension.
As for what excites me most about the game, it's the involvement of writer Mark Waid, the mind behind Kingdom Come. The saga of an older Justice League bringing the world back from the brink of destruction is one of the reasons I fell in love with comics. For a narrative-heavy game to include one of the best storytellers DC has ever had brings me great joy. I can't wait to see what he brings to the TTRPG world.
You can support Justice League Unlimited: The Roleplaying Game here.
Need more heroes to join the League? The Wargamer Discord has plenty of paragons to chat with!