The John Carter rulebook even describes the characters as ‘hyper-competent’ – effortlessly skilled at every task the plot places before them. Every political showdown a demonstration of the heroes’ stalwart honour and righteousness Every journey a snapshot of epic scenery and razor-sharp piloting skill. From the very first page to the final battle, both the Barsoom books and the John Carter of Mars RPG are utterly, shamelessly, breathtakingly heroic.Įvery battle is a chance for the main characters to take on dozens of enemies at once. No, the much more exciting aspect of the books – an aspect that Modiphius manged to captured in their RPG – is their tone. The exact details of the plot don’t really matter too much, however. A quick googling revealed him as the hero of the Barsoom novels penned by Edgar Rice Burroughs – the chap behind Tarzan – which seemed to be some grade-A pulp about an American soldier’s adventures in a fantasy-tinged Mars. This was a little unexpected for a few reasons, not least of which was the fact that when the review copy first turned up I’d never encountered John Carter. In just a few hours its unrelenting dedication to over-the-top heroism and shameless power fantasies completely captured my imagination and had me furiously messaging friends to arrange a session as soon as possible. There are very few games that have managed to surprise me like John Carter of Mars.

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