So after writing about it a scant few months ago, my Legion campaign has come to fruition. Soon after that post, in fact, the ideas for the game began rolling down on my like an avalanche, so I started preparing my group for its onset.
I'm running this one a little differently than I usually do, in a couple of ways - trying to evoke the feel of the Legion comics as much as possible. Firstly, I'm eschewing the episodic format that I have pretty rigidly used with my past superhero games. In this campaign, it's going to be more like my D&D games - with the illusion of continually passing time that doesn't allow adventures to always map exactly to one session. There will be running subplots and matters that the team can choose to address or not - but there will be consequences either way.
Secondly, I'm going to try to be a bit more of a hard-ass when it comes to character death. Legionnaires die, fairly frequently. My players have been told their characters are not safe. Of course, each of them has two (the better to have a large Legion) so there's room for death. This is actually part of a larger theme for the game, though - this universe is a darker one than I usually run. Cynical. Harsh. The team is, collectively, the ray of light that keeps things from sinking too far into grim and gritty. That isn't to say that the characters can't be grim - but each of them, deep in their hearts, should have some little spark of hope that resists all attempts to extinguish it.
Lastly, I am encouraging the players to focus on their characters' hobbies, personal relationships, secrets, and the like. I want more of a roleplaying focus and less of a combat one than my usual games. I've usually tried to strike a balance between the two, but for superhero games, the combat often takes the most time. To the end of encouraging Legion-style melodrama, I'm encouraging the players to pass notes - at the table, or via email after the game.
Saturday, though, we were just getting started. I actually had preparation for both the Legion opener and for my Golden Age game, and let people vote as to which to play - the overwhelming choice was (unexpectedly) the Legion! So we finished up a few character details for those that hadn't finished generating them, and printed up sheets, and got underway :
August 1st, 4001. The 17 year old Princess Orinna of Atlantis makes her public debut on dry land, landing in an Atlantean transport in Metropolis's Centennial Park. The press and a variety of dignitaries are there in force, as well as thousands of onlookers. Suddenly, the dull ceremony is interrupted as the vidscreens in the area go dark - a dark-haired man declares that the galaxy will change today, and directs his 'Liberators' to attack! Even as he speaks, they materialize - twenty-four heavily armed and armored men and women, launching attacks on the Princess's retinue. They've even brought sonic devices to hamper the Atlantean bodyguards with their enhanced hearing.
The Science Police try to leap into action, but their combat robot personnel unexpectedly shut down, and the terrorists seem to be insulated against the common armaments of the S.P. - fortunately, there are others in the crowd, inspired to action by this attack. As the Princess sheds her demure public persona with her dress to reveal her warrior training and protective Atlantean armor, those individuals spring into action - saving bystanders, aiding fallen Science Police officers, and engaging the terrorists directly. The terrorists fight hard, but these heroes seem to slowly gain the upper hand - and finally, a gambit from a young illusion-caster of Orando tips the scales.
Kid Galahad : "Princess, activate the Infinity Gate!"
(he conjures 51 duplicates of the Princess, all with slight variations in costume - the terrorists are utterly baffled, setting them up for the next part)
Princess Orinna (catching on) : "All together, now!"
(she uses her hydrokinesis, sweeping through the remaining terrorists with 25 tons of water from the nearby pond, tripping and hindering most)
(Lady Pyrrha uses her powers as a native of Tharr to freeze the rushing water, trapping all but four of the remaining terrorists - who are then easily dealt with.)
In the aftermath, the slightly irate Princess speaks with the United Planets officials, ultimately soliciting their support for a vote of the U.P. Council on the creation of a new team of the Legion of Super-Heroes - to be shining examples of heroism in these dark times. The gathered heroes then head to Science Police Headquarters - they're able to glean some useful information from the terrorists, but two hours after they've arrived, the terrorists and their gear all vanish. The group's scientifically-inclined members make a shocking discovery - the Liberators are using the long-lost Zeta Beam technology!
With nothing further to be learned from the terrorists, the group heads to the Martian Embassy - to state their case before a holographic gathering of the United Planets Council as to why a new Legion should be formed. After the vote, Council Chair Zern Thall gives the Princess a case containing two dozen Legion Flight Rings, along with the access codes to the old Legion HQ in Metropolis.
Showing posts with label mutants and masterminds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mutants and masterminds. Show all posts
Monday, June 18, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Origins 2012
One post ought to do it this year - due to a desire to leave myself some shopping time, and the fact that a double-dose of the Smithee Awards left me with less gaming time than usual, I attended fewer events than most any year previous.
Day One (Wednesday) : Warhammer 40K Introductory Session. There was also a mash-up game of My Little Pony and the Warhammer 'Death Watch' RPG that I wanted to get in, but it sold out less than eight minutes into registration.
Day Two (Thursday) : Two sessions of the DC Adventures game, both starring actual DC characters. Also, a playtest session of D&D Next. I had fun playing Martian Manhunter, and then Booster Gold, in the DC games. D&D Next was interesting, but the slot was overbooked and the poor, drafted extra GM running the overflow table had not had a chance to read the latest revisions thoroughly, and was short on sleep - he'd occasionally nod off while we were running combats.
Day Three (Friday) : Tried the Alien Frontiers boardgame, which was cool, and attended the MetaMegaSmithee awards. Also had another Warhammer session - a few squads of Imperial Guard trying to survive long enough to evacuate, against a Tyranid swarm.
Day Four (Saturday) : Blew off my morning event, shopped around, attended the regular-sized Smithee Awards.
Highlights :
Day One (Wednesday) : Warhammer 40K Introductory Session. There was also a mash-up game of My Little Pony and the Warhammer 'Death Watch' RPG that I wanted to get in, but it sold out less than eight minutes into registration.
Day Two (Thursday) : Two sessions of the DC Adventures game, both starring actual DC characters. Also, a playtest session of D&D Next. I had fun playing Martian Manhunter, and then Booster Gold, in the DC games. D&D Next was interesting, but the slot was overbooked and the poor, drafted extra GM running the overflow table had not had a chance to read the latest revisions thoroughly, and was short on sleep - he'd occasionally nod off while we were running combats.
Day Three (Friday) : Tried the Alien Frontiers boardgame, which was cool, and attended the MetaMegaSmithee awards. Also had another Warhammer session - a few squads of Imperial Guard trying to survive long enough to evacuate, against a Tyranid swarm.
Day Four (Saturday) : Blew off my morning event, shopped around, attended the regular-sized Smithee Awards.
Highlights :
- Martian Manhunter, disguised as Superman, tricking Metallo into opening up his chest, exposing his Kryptonite heart - and then plucking it free with a stretchy Martian arm. Bonus : Using a hero point to go intangible as Zoom tried to recover the Kryptonite.
- Booster Gold asking Captain Marvel if the Wisdom of Solomon allowed him to count cards (as we descended into Las Vegas).
- The Smithees, as always.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
New Comics Day - 4/25/2012
Larger than usual week!
And the second book of heroes and villains for the DC Adventures RPG! The 'Mars' books and I, Vampire are now officially on my 'drop' list - of course, since I just submitted my Previews order, I'll probably get them for a bit longer, but I'm just bored with them. FF, on the other hand, had the funniest last page of any comic I've read this year.
- Warlord of Mars #17
- Danger Girl : Revolver #4
- Fables #116
- FF #17
- Justice League Dark #8
- I, Vampire #8
- Voodoo #8
- Green Lantern : New Guardians #8
- Teen Titans #8
- Superman #8
- Aquaman #8
- The Flash #8
And the second book of heroes and villains for the DC Adventures RPG! The 'Mars' books and I, Vampire are now officially on my 'drop' list - of course, since I just submitted my Previews order, I'll probably get them for a bit longer, but I'm just bored with them. FF, on the other hand, had the funniest last page of any comic I've read this year.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Campaign Ideas : Legion 41
As campaign ideas go, this one couldn't be more simple to explain - a successor version of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 41st Century. I love super-heroes, and I love science fiction, and they're two great tastes that taste great together. This is another idea that's been kicking around in my head for a while, and the fires were stoked further by the release of the new DC Adventures licensed role-playing game.*
* Of course, the wait for the second book dampened the flames down again. And now we're waiting on the third (of four).. Sigh.
Of course, that thousand-year gap isn't just there to clean the stage so that the newbie player heroes aren't overshadowed by 'real' Legionnaires. I've got some history and backstory to fill in that gap. Specifically - in the 38th century, Earth geneticists created a supreme metahuman being that, true to form, ran amok*. This nearly omnipotent being was finally brought down, but not before it destroyed Sorcerer's World utterly - unleashing a flood of magic back into the cosmos.
* And why is it they never walk amok? Always in such a hurry.
The incident caused the United Planets to outlaw metagene research (with the exception of certain already-proven lines) and to form a task force to deal with the chaos caused by the return of magic. Metahumans and aliens with meta-abilities are somewhat distrusted as a result, except the U.P.'s genetically enhanced soldiers that protect everyone. Of course, after I came up with this, I got into Warhammer 40K a bit, and realized that except for dropping an order of magnitude on the year, this all sounds pretty similar.*
* Seriously, some of the backstory that I can't put on here, in case I use this idea? The parallels are even more obvious, though unintentional.
So in this grim, dark, grimdark future where There Is Only War, a new version of the Legion is founded, providing positive examples of metahumans and a dash of optimism. The NPC pulling it together at first would be a princess of the newly-returned city of Atlantis, a descendant of Arthur Curry, AKA Aquaman, thus giving her a tie to that first age of heroes. 'Hydro Lass'* would bring together a new group of heroes to fight the enemies of the United Planets, protect its citizens, and deal with the occasional magical problem, or forbidden research.
* Hero name is a work in progress. May vary in actual gameplay.
Unlike some of my campaign ideas, I've even got a few of the adventure notions down for this one. Such as :
Just as soon as they finish the damn thing.
* Of course, the wait for the second book dampened the flames down again. And now we're waiting on the third (of four).. Sigh.
Of course, that thousand-year gap isn't just there to clean the stage so that the newbie player heroes aren't overshadowed by 'real' Legionnaires. I've got some history and backstory to fill in that gap. Specifically - in the 38th century, Earth geneticists created a supreme metahuman being that, true to form, ran amok*. This nearly omnipotent being was finally brought down, but not before it destroyed Sorcerer's World utterly - unleashing a flood of magic back into the cosmos.
* And why is it they never walk amok? Always in such a hurry.
The incident caused the United Planets to outlaw metagene research (with the exception of certain already-proven lines) and to form a task force to deal with the chaos caused by the return of magic. Metahumans and aliens with meta-abilities are somewhat distrusted as a result, except the U.P.'s genetically enhanced soldiers that protect everyone. Of course, after I came up with this, I got into Warhammer 40K a bit, and realized that except for dropping an order of magnitude on the year, this all sounds pretty similar.*
* Seriously, some of the backstory that I can't put on here, in case I use this idea? The parallels are even more obvious, though unintentional.
So in this grim, dark, grimdark future where There Is Only War, a new version of the Legion is founded, providing positive examples of metahumans and a dash of optimism. The NPC pulling it together at first would be a princess of the newly-returned city of Atlantis, a descendant of Arthur Curry, AKA Aquaman, thus giving her a tie to that first age of heroes. 'Hydro Lass'* would bring together a new group of heroes to fight the enemies of the United Planets, protect its citizens, and deal with the occasional magical problem, or forbidden research.
* Hero name is a work in progress. May vary in actual gameplay.
Unlike some of my campaign ideas, I've even got a few of the adventure notions down for this one. Such as :
- What is the source of the metahuman DNA used to build the United Planets' superhuman soldiers?
- A mysterious temporal disturbance is detected in Colorado - forbidden temporal research, or the arrival of a time traveler?
- An immortal human warlord has emerged with the return of magic, called 'Ghul'. He's conquered a dozen planets already, can he be stopped?
Just as soon as they finish the damn thing.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Campaign Ideas : Agents of the Weird
Part one (sort of) of a series. I am often blessed - or cursed - with a preponderance of campaign ideas. And there's never enough time to run them all, so some of them inevitably get shoved to the side. The thought occurred to me, a while back, that it might be useful to document these ideas somewhere. I may get to run them somewhere down the road, and having them all listed on my blog (linked by a convenient 'campaign ideas' tag) could be useful.
This is one that's been circling my brain in various forms for a while now, and it was brought back to the forefront by Warehouse 13, on the Syfy Channel. In fact, my ideas for the campaign date back to my first encounter with the GURPS supplement Warehouse 23, which in turn was inspired by the same source material that Warehouse 13 is mining - namely, the big government warehouse featured at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark and the beginning of that.. other Indiana Jones movie*.
* You know. The one with the monkeys.
The core concept of the campaign is that the players would create characters from various government backgrounds, recruited into a secret organization to protect America and the world from things the public does not need to know about. It's a very broad concept, and it has been mined by several games, shows, or movies* in the past, varying only in the type of secrets they keep.
* Men in Black, GURPS Conspiracy / Warehouse 23, Bureau 13, Warehouse 13, et cetera. Heck, Call of Cthulhu fits.
The campaign, as I envisioned it, would take the kitchen-sink approach to the weird : it's all true. Aliens. Time travel. Psychic phenomena*. Cults and conspiracies. Vampires and werewolves, sorcery and the supernatural. Some of the adventures would fit the Warehouse 13 mold - recovering a dangerous artifact, or dealing with one that was already thought to be safely contained. Others would be more violently oriented - wiping out an alien advance force before they can call in an invasion, or hunting down a vampire preying on the locals in a small town. And of course, it wouldn't always be obvious what the problem was - investigation would be a must.
* Doo doo, da doo doo.
I'd probably run it in Mutants and Masterminds, because although there are dozens of 'action agent' RPGs out there, I'd need something universal and big to handle all the 'weird' things they'd be dealing with. Savage Worlds, HERO, or GURPS would also work, but Savage Worlds doesn't give me the detail I crave, and HERO and GURPS are too much work. M&M is usually pretty non-lethal, but with a couple of optional rules thrown in, I could have the players actually worried about their survival, I think.
The first adventure or two could be the gathering of the team, introducing their setting, sewing some seeds of mistrust and ambiguity about the agency they work for*, that sort of thing. I even have a couple of adventure hooks that I've written up - and generating quick sessions would be a snap under this premise.
* I mean, you basically have to.
If I were to have the necessary free time open up right now, I might be reluctant to run it, because it intrudes on the design-space of my friend Eric's game - which is basically a Hellboy / Planetary-inspired 1970's Investigation game. Covering aliens, time travel, psychic phenomena*, sorcery and the supernatural, et cetera. I think I could distinguish them with the tone and lower power level of the PCs, but I'd prefer to leave it with room to breathe.
* Doo doo da doo.
Still, this idea resurfaces any time I think about starting a new game, mainly because of my love of the 'Warehouse 23 Basement' feature on the website for Steve Jackson Games. It has apparently been discontinued due to overwhelming web traffic, but it was basically a list of thousands of 'weird' items that users had submitted, that you could view randomly, one at a time. Fortunately, even though the feature was shut down, I still have about 4500 of its entries saved in a spreadsheet on my home PC. Almost any one of those is an adventure hook.
In fact, one of the items might have been a literal 'adventure hook'. There was some weird stuff on there.
This is one that's been circling my brain in various forms for a while now, and it was brought back to the forefront by Warehouse 13, on the Syfy Channel. In fact, my ideas for the campaign date back to my first encounter with the GURPS supplement Warehouse 23, which in turn was inspired by the same source material that Warehouse 13 is mining - namely, the big government warehouse featured at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark and the beginning of that.. other Indiana Jones movie*.
* You know. The one with the monkeys.
The core concept of the campaign is that the players would create characters from various government backgrounds, recruited into a secret organization to protect America and the world from things the public does not need to know about. It's a very broad concept, and it has been mined by several games, shows, or movies* in the past, varying only in the type of secrets they keep.
* Men in Black, GURPS Conspiracy / Warehouse 23, Bureau 13, Warehouse 13, et cetera. Heck, Call of Cthulhu fits.
The campaign, as I envisioned it, would take the kitchen-sink approach to the weird : it's all true. Aliens. Time travel. Psychic phenomena*. Cults and conspiracies. Vampires and werewolves, sorcery and the supernatural. Some of the adventures would fit the Warehouse 13 mold - recovering a dangerous artifact, or dealing with one that was already thought to be safely contained. Others would be more violently oriented - wiping out an alien advance force before they can call in an invasion, or hunting down a vampire preying on the locals in a small town. And of course, it wouldn't always be obvious what the problem was - investigation would be a must.
* Doo doo, da doo doo.
I'd probably run it in Mutants and Masterminds, because although there are dozens of 'action agent' RPGs out there, I'd need something universal and big to handle all the 'weird' things they'd be dealing with. Savage Worlds, HERO, or GURPS would also work, but Savage Worlds doesn't give me the detail I crave, and HERO and GURPS are too much work. M&M is usually pretty non-lethal, but with a couple of optional rules thrown in, I could have the players actually worried about their survival, I think.
The first adventure or two could be the gathering of the team, introducing their setting, sewing some seeds of mistrust and ambiguity about the agency they work for*, that sort of thing. I even have a couple of adventure hooks that I've written up - and generating quick sessions would be a snap under this premise.
* I mean, you basically have to.
If I were to have the necessary free time open up right now, I might be reluctant to run it, because it intrudes on the design-space of my friend Eric's game - which is basically a Hellboy / Planetary-inspired 1970's Investigation game. Covering aliens, time travel, psychic phenomena*, sorcery and the supernatural, et cetera. I think I could distinguish them with the tone and lower power level of the PCs, but I'd prefer to leave it with room to breathe.
* Doo doo da doo.
Still, this idea resurfaces any time I think about starting a new game, mainly because of my love of the 'Warehouse 23 Basement' feature on the website for Steve Jackson Games. It has apparently been discontinued due to overwhelming web traffic, but it was basically a list of thousands of 'weird' items that users had submitted, that you could view randomly, one at a time. Fortunately, even though the feature was shut down, I still have about 4500 of its entries saved in a spreadsheet on my home PC. Almost any one of those is an adventure hook.
In fact, one of the items might have been a literal 'adventure hook'. There was some weird stuff on there.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
New Comics Day
This week's batch.
Also : the DC Adventures Heroes and Villains Book, Volume 1! Eee!
- Mega Man #6 - I am loving this.
- Irredeemable #30 - Starting to get tired of it.
- FF #10
- Suicide Squad #2 - A tiny step up from #1. I might stick out the first arc.
- Batgirl #2 - Not great, but much better than #1.
- Batman and Robin #2 - Eh, I can take or leave this one.
- Green Lantern #2 - Still not quite feeling it, despite the nice premise.
- The Shade #1 - I don't know what world this is on. It doesn't fit.
- Batwoman #2 - Still solid.
- Legion Lost #2 - This might not stay on my pull list, but I'll give it a whole arc.
- Resurrection Man #2 - Still fun.
- Demon Knights #2 - Still one of my top five books of the reboot.
Also : the DC Adventures Heroes and Villains Book, Volume 1! Eee!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Origins 2011, Day Three
I'm a bad, bad blogger. It's been almost a month since my last installment of this summary.
For the third day of the convention - Friday - I'd only scheduled three events. In part, this was to leave me some time for the exhibit hall. But also, they were large events. They were :
9AM-1PM : Clash of Heroes - DC (Mutants and Masterminds)
1PM-5PM : Space 1935 : Zeppelins Over Jupiter (Champions)
7PM-Midnight : The 20th Annual Smithee Awards
Clash of Heroes wasn't bad, but it was kind of predictable. See, I'd noticed there was a Clash of Heroes - Marvel on the schedule at the exact same time, and since my brain is capable of adding two and two, I realized there was only one way this could possibly go down. The two sessions would end up fighting one another in the end.
I got to play Batman, which was awesome, and the guy playing Plastic Man was hysterical. Plus, the players of Green Arrow and Black Canary were bickering in-character about Ollie's philandering. The whole thing turned out to be a joint interdimensional plot by Darkseid and Dr. Doom. Both groups of heroes arrived at the same time to confront the bad guys - the OBVIOUS bad guys - one of whom each team would RECOGNIZE as bad guys - and still the tween playing Spider-Man decided to take a potshot at me because "we don't know they're not villains". Well, you see me attacking Dr. Doom, genius. What do you think is happening? But then Ollie hit on Ms. Marvel and Tony Stark tried to pick up on Black Canary, so it was funny again.
Space 1935 was fantastic pulp sci-fi, and not just because I got to pick the character whose sheet had him represented by Mike Nelson of MST3K. No, our ship had an AI, Huckleberry, who had somewhat specific interpretations of the laws of robotics that allowed him to pre-emptively murder some beastmen that MIGHT EVENTUALLY attack humans. And the player gave him a sort of effeminate, Southern accent - like a slightly higher pitched, soft-spoken Huckleberry Hound, in fact. I couldn't help but laugh.
And then, of course, the Smithees - my favorite part of the con, every year. Unfortunately, this year, Man-Mountain McGurk decided to sit in front of me, so it was sometimes a challenge to see the screen around his 7 foot frame and double-wide head. Sigh. But I managed to see most of it.
For the third day of the convention - Friday - I'd only scheduled three events. In part, this was to leave me some time for the exhibit hall. But also, they were large events. They were :
9AM-1PM : Clash of Heroes - DC (Mutants and Masterminds)
1PM-5PM : Space 1935 : Zeppelins Over Jupiter (Champions)
7PM-Midnight : The 20th Annual Smithee Awards
Clash of Heroes wasn't bad, but it was kind of predictable. See, I'd noticed there was a Clash of Heroes - Marvel on the schedule at the exact same time, and since my brain is capable of adding two and two, I realized there was only one way this could possibly go down. The two sessions would end up fighting one another in the end.
I got to play Batman, which was awesome, and the guy playing Plastic Man was hysterical. Plus, the players of Green Arrow and Black Canary were bickering in-character about Ollie's philandering. The whole thing turned out to be a joint interdimensional plot by Darkseid and Dr. Doom. Both groups of heroes arrived at the same time to confront the bad guys - the OBVIOUS bad guys - one of whom each team would RECOGNIZE as bad guys - and still the tween playing Spider-Man decided to take a potshot at me because "we don't know they're not villains". Well, you see me attacking Dr. Doom, genius. What do you think is happening? But then Ollie hit on Ms. Marvel and Tony Stark tried to pick up on Black Canary, so it was funny again.
Space 1935 was fantastic pulp sci-fi, and not just because I got to pick the character whose sheet had him represented by Mike Nelson of MST3K. No, our ship had an AI, Huckleberry, who had somewhat specific interpretations of the laws of robotics that allowed him to pre-emptively murder some beastmen that MIGHT EVENTUALLY attack humans. And the player gave him a sort of effeminate, Southern accent - like a slightly higher pitched, soft-spoken Huckleberry Hound, in fact. I couldn't help but laugh.
And then, of course, the Smithees - my favorite part of the con, every year. Unfortunately, this year, Man-Mountain McGurk decided to sit in front of me, so it was sometimes a challenge to see the screen around his 7 foot frame and double-wide head. Sigh. But I managed to see most of it.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Origins 2011, Day Two
Day two - wisely, I had scheduled nothing earlier than 9AM, to avoid pesky early morning hassles. My schedule was thus :
9AM - 1PM : Global Defense League : Dimensional Distress (Mutants and Masterminds)
2PM - 4PM : Shadows Over Camelot (Board Game)
7PM - 11PM : Invasion High School (Big Eyes Small Mouth 2nd Ed.)
Between the second and third event, I even had time to do an initial sweep of the dealer hall, setting my sights on a few things I would later purchase.
The first session was a rock-solid superhero game - fairly straightforward, but no less fun for it. I played a Green Lantern type, so I got to do some creative blasting and bashing. Shadows Over Camelot is a pretty neat little board game of the 'One of you is a traitor' variety. Not something I plan to buy, but something I'd probably play at any invitation.
The third session was the winner of the day, though. A typical Japanese High School is attacked by aliens, who use combat robots to subjugate the populace. This proves to be a golden opportunity for the members of the Alien Defense Club and the Robot Defense Club to finally prove which group is superior! It was fairly pun-laden, almost to the point of distraction, but the hilarious characters to choose from really made my night. They included parodies of Squall (FF8), Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Ash (Pokemon), All-Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku-Nuku (Eponymous), a Magical Girl, and a Gun Bunny. If the latter two were specific parodies, I missed'em, but the game was a riot.
I mean, the Ash expy had Pokemon that included Fistbump (a surly drunken one) and Ivyskank (a Dryad with plant and seduction powers). 'Nuker Nuker' was a squirrel in a female android body. The Squall/Cloud parody was 'Barometric Pressure', and wielded a Sword-With-a-Gun - two weapons affixed to one another via duct tape. That's who I picked. He had a power - Sacrificial Girlfriend - that he could invoke to have his girlfriend, 'Aerihed', show up in a scene and take a damaging hit meant for him.
We had to fight our way past the Hall Monitor Nazi Club, and mind-controlled members of the Assault Rifle and Chainsaw clubs. It was fantastic.
Still, not quite as fun as Lawfully Blonde.
9AM - 1PM : Global Defense League : Dimensional Distress (Mutants and Masterminds)
2PM - 4PM : Shadows Over Camelot (Board Game)
7PM - 11PM : Invasion High School (Big Eyes Small Mouth 2nd Ed.)
Between the second and third event, I even had time to do an initial sweep of the dealer hall, setting my sights on a few things I would later purchase.
The first session was a rock-solid superhero game - fairly straightforward, but no less fun for it. I played a Green Lantern type, so I got to do some creative blasting and bashing. Shadows Over Camelot is a pretty neat little board game of the 'One of you is a traitor' variety. Not something I plan to buy, but something I'd probably play at any invitation.
The third session was the winner of the day, though. A typical Japanese High School is attacked by aliens, who use combat robots to subjugate the populace. This proves to be a golden opportunity for the members of the Alien Defense Club and the Robot Defense Club to finally prove which group is superior! It was fairly pun-laden, almost to the point of distraction, but the hilarious characters to choose from really made my night. They included parodies of Squall (FF8), Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Ash (Pokemon), All-Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku-Nuku (Eponymous), a Magical Girl, and a Gun Bunny. If the latter two were specific parodies, I missed'em, but the game was a riot.
I mean, the Ash expy had Pokemon that included Fistbump (a surly drunken one) and Ivyskank (a Dryad with plant and seduction powers). 'Nuker Nuker' was a squirrel in a female android body. The Squall/Cloud parody was 'Barometric Pressure', and wielded a Sword-With-a-Gun - two weapons affixed to one another via duct tape. That's who I picked. He had a power - Sacrificial Girlfriend - that he could invoke to have his girlfriend, 'Aerihed', show up in a scene and take a damaging hit meant for him.
We had to fight our way past the Hall Monitor Nazi Club, and mind-controlled members of the Assault Rifle and Chainsaw clubs. It was fantastic.
Still, not quite as fun as Lawfully Blonde.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Week in Geek
Well, I'm feeling better, so I might as well!
Friend Eric ran a session of his 1974 Superhero game on Saturday, and it went well. Our super-team slash Mystery, Inc fellows came up against the Cropsey, New Jersey's prototype for Jason, of Friday the 13th fame. He's a lot less threatening if your Superman-type yoinks his axe out of his hand, though.
My game from the weekend before was also a hoot, as I got to debut my favorite villain creation of the game thus far - Pratfall, the Vaudevillian Villain. He's a dash of the Prankster and a pinch of the Creeper, with just a smidge of the Joker thrown in for good measure. Chloroform cream pies!
As far as other hobbies, I've still been working on the Pokemon stuff, and I still haven't gotten out to see Tangled, Megamind, or Harry Potter 7. I did, however, watch the entire first season of True Blood. Not bad, except for the fact I hate the South.
Friend Eric ran a session of his 1974 Superhero game on Saturday, and it went well. Our super-team slash Mystery, Inc fellows came up against the Cropsey, New Jersey's prototype for Jason, of Friday the 13th fame. He's a lot less threatening if your Superman-type yoinks his axe out of his hand, though.
My game from the weekend before was also a hoot, as I got to debut my favorite villain creation of the game thus far - Pratfall, the Vaudevillian Villain. He's a dash of the Prankster and a pinch of the Creeper, with just a smidge of the Joker thrown in for good measure. Chloroform cream pies!
As far as other hobbies, I've still been working on the Pokemon stuff, and I still haven't gotten out to see Tangled, Megamind, or Harry Potter 7. I did, however, watch the entire first season of True Blood. Not bad, except for the fact I hate the South.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Week in Geek
I finally got to see Spaced, which I absolutely and totally enjoy. For those unfamiliar, it's a British sitcom infamous for its overdose of American pop-culture references. And it stars Simon Pegg, who is hilarious.
I also spent some time in StarCraft, getting my ass kicked repeatedly.
Most importantly, though, my friend Eric kicked off his Silver/Bronze Age superhero campaign, so I got to introduce Dr. Nathan Wells, AKA Incarnate. Dr. Wells is a Superman type, but with a pool of 'extra' powers he can use one at a time, in addition to being a flying brick. I've loosely based him on Martian Manhunter, Ultra Boy, and Thundermind from DC Comics. Dr. Wells was an American traveling and studying in Tibet, where he unlocked the secrets of the "Inner Mind" - transforming him into a Bodhisattva and giving him strange powers.
And yes, I'm fully aware of the implicit cultural arrogance there - Buddhists look for enlightenment for centuries, and a blond, white guy shows up and discovers it in months. It's a conscious nod to the monoculturalism prevalent in comics of the time period. The group had a good time riffing about that.
"Oh, hello there, monks, I seem to have found this enlightenment, lying here by the road up to your monastery!"
"Really? We've been looking for that for ages!"
I'm also enjoying doing the Clark Kent secret identity schtick.
I also spent some time in StarCraft, getting my ass kicked repeatedly.
Most importantly, though, my friend Eric kicked off his Silver/Bronze Age superhero campaign, so I got to introduce Dr. Nathan Wells, AKA Incarnate. Dr. Wells is a Superman type, but with a pool of 'extra' powers he can use one at a time, in addition to being a flying brick. I've loosely based him on Martian Manhunter, Ultra Boy, and Thundermind from DC Comics. Dr. Wells was an American traveling and studying in Tibet, where he unlocked the secrets of the "Inner Mind" - transforming him into a Bodhisattva and giving him strange powers.
And yes, I'm fully aware of the implicit cultural arrogance there - Buddhists look for enlightenment for centuries, and a blond, white guy shows up and discovers it in months. It's a conscious nod to the monoculturalism prevalent in comics of the time period. The group had a good time riffing about that.
"Oh, hello there, monks, I seem to have found this enlightenment, lying here by the road up to your monastery!"
"Really? We've been looking for that for ages!"
I'm also enjoying doing the Clark Kent secret identity schtick.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Week in Geek
I finally finished the single-player campaign of StarCraft II - excellent stuff. I don't look forward to trying to play it on 'Hard', though, to get the unlockable achievements.
There was a good gaming session on Saturday; got back to the Giant Robot game. Debuted the robots' alternate vehicle modes, and had a fun aerial battle. We're at about the midpoint of the first-season arc for that campaign, and I've decided I may stop it at one season. It's fun, but it's hard to get everyone to show up, and the sentai team theme is essential. So I will be pondering other campaign ideas.
There was a good gaming session on Saturday; got back to the Giant Robot game. Debuted the robots' alternate vehicle modes, and had a fun aerial battle. We're at about the midpoint of the first-season arc for that campaign, and I've decided I may stop it at one season. It's fun, but it's hard to get everyone to show up, and the sentai team theme is essential. So I will be pondering other campaign ideas.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Week in Geek
Hey, it's one of these again!
I had a fantastic weekend. Let me talk about three things. First! I saw two movies for the first time - Universal Soldier, and Treasure Planet. I liked Universal Soldier as a basic action movie, but Treasure Planet - wow. I loved it. It was one of those movies I really wanted to see in the theaters, but could never make time to go see. I probably should have, as it bombed pretty badly. But it's an awesome little movie.
Next! Video games - I've been working on Pokemon Ranger : Guardian Signs. I kinda don't like it. I mean, the gameplay isn't bad. In fact, everything's pretty good, except - every damn time you meet a new NPC, you are subjected to ten solid minutes of painfully tapping or button-pressing your way through insipid, useless conversation. It's annoying as hell. But I keep playing, because it will get me certain rare Pokemon I can transfer over into the real games.
Last! My Golden Age game. Every year, I do a special Halloween adventure in whatever game I'm running - I picked the Golden Age game of the two I'm currently doing. My idea for the adventure started as a loose notion about the old urban legend of Abraham Lincoln's death train, the spectral echo of which is said to roam the rails to this day. That morphed several time in my mind until I hit upon the crux - the PCs would be called upon to enter the spirit world, there to defuse a mystic missile - in the form of a train - aimed squarely at the President of the United States. The twist was that after projecting themselves there, they would not have access to their powers and memories at first, instead believing themselves to be some of the passengers on the train.
It went really well and I enjoyed it thoroughly, even if the atmosphere at the table was more Three Stooges than Twilight Zone.
I had a fantastic weekend. Let me talk about three things. First! I saw two movies for the first time - Universal Soldier, and Treasure Planet. I liked Universal Soldier as a basic action movie, but Treasure Planet - wow. I loved it. It was one of those movies I really wanted to see in the theaters, but could never make time to go see. I probably should have, as it bombed pretty badly. But it's an awesome little movie.
Next! Video games - I've been working on Pokemon Ranger : Guardian Signs. I kinda don't like it. I mean, the gameplay isn't bad. In fact, everything's pretty good, except - every damn time you meet a new NPC, you are subjected to ten solid minutes of painfully tapping or button-pressing your way through insipid, useless conversation. It's annoying as hell. But I keep playing, because it will get me certain rare Pokemon I can transfer over into the real games.
Last! My Golden Age game. Every year, I do a special Halloween adventure in whatever game I'm running - I picked the Golden Age game of the two I'm currently doing. My idea for the adventure started as a loose notion about the old urban legend of Abraham Lincoln's death train, the spectral echo of which is said to roam the rails to this day. That morphed several time in my mind until I hit upon the crux - the PCs would be called upon to enter the spirit world, there to defuse a mystic missile - in the form of a train - aimed squarely at the President of the United States. The twist was that after projecting themselves there, they would not have access to their powers and memories at first, instead believing themselves to be some of the passengers on the train.
It went really well and I enjoyed it thoroughly, even if the atmosphere at the table was more Three Stooges than Twilight Zone.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Week in Geek
I had an excellent session of my Golden Age game this weekend, introducing a major recurring villain. It was a blast. Then I stay up entirely too late Saturday night and lost Sunday to a headache-filled fog. But now it's Monday, and I've commenced my week of vacation. Video Games, DVDs, Blue Skies, Barthy Burgers, Girls!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
New Comics Day
Missed my usual Week in Geek thing this week - suffice to say, the Whose Line live show was awesome and I had fun running my Golden Age game this weekend.
Decent sized new comics day this week.
Decent sized new comics day this week.
- The Incredibles #14
- Next Gen Wars #1
- Angel #37
- First Wave #4
- Gotham City Sirens #16
- Time Masters : Vanishing Point #3 - I never expected.. them!
- Teen Titans #87 - Wow, they sure yanked the status quo hard to accommodate the new team.
- Detective Comics #869
- Wonder Woman #603
- Action Comics #893
- Justice Society of America #43
- Knights of the Dinner Table #166
- Tarot #64
Monday, September 20, 2010
Week in Geek
I have had a hectic week with a lot of things on my to-do list, and very few of them getting done. My monthly Previews order is due tomorrow to my local comic store, all kinds of shows are returning with new seasons (including Venture Brothers, House, and 30 Rock), and my unbagged, unboarded comics are starting to pile up tall enough to be a health hazard, were they to fall over.
I've still been working on Pokemon, but a bit less this week - I need to get back to Starcraft II and City of Heroes.. and probably, I should go ahead and cancel my Star Trek Online subscription. I think it's been six months since I played it.
I did get to run my Golden Age game this weekend, at least, so that's something.
This evening, I'll be working on more of my "want to dos" with Whose Line on in the background, to psyche me up for Friday's show of 'Whose Live'.
I've still been working on Pokemon, but a bit less this week - I need to get back to Starcraft II and City of Heroes.. and probably, I should go ahead and cancel my Star Trek Online subscription. I think it's been six months since I played it.
I did get to run my Golden Age game this weekend, at least, so that's something.
This evening, I'll be working on more of my "want to dos" with Whose Line on in the background, to psyche me up for Friday's show of 'Whose Live'.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Week in Geek
Where to begin - Mutants and Masterminds, I think. I got to run my post-apocalyptic giant robot game this weekend, and enjoyed the session. A new player may be joining the group, and that's always a good thing. I also am working on a Wiki for my various campaigns - I'll post a link here when it's ready.
A lot of the rest of the week went to video games - Starcraft II and Pokemon, specifically. Of course, we also had the release of Elemental : War of Magic. It is a spiritual sequel and update of my all-time favorite turn-based strategy game, Master of Magic. I haven't gotten to play it yet, but this week, I will.
Venture Brothers returns in two weeks!
A lot of the rest of the week went to video games - Starcraft II and Pokemon, specifically. Of course, we also had the release of Elemental : War of Magic. It is a spiritual sequel and update of my all-time favorite turn-based strategy game, Master of Magic. I haven't gotten to play it yet, but this week, I will.
Venture Brothers returns in two weeks!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Week in Geek
Really solid week of geek stuff for me.
Firstly, there was Rifftrax : Reefer Madness. A live (via satellite) show that was tremendously entertaining. And there's going to be another one in October - they'll riff on House on Haunted Hill, the original Vincent Price version.
I finally got through the Hack/Slash Omnibus Volume 2 that had been sitting around awhile - I like it. I may have to start picking up the series regularly. I grabbed a few issues of it, just before it jumped publishers, but haven't gone back to buying it yet.
I made some great strides in Pokemon, but most of my video game time went into UFO : Alien Invasion and Starcraft II. UFO:AI really just makes me want to play X-Com, though. This week, we get Elemental : War of Magic, which promises to be fun, and I may have to spend some time in City of Heroes with the new Going Rogue expansion.
And I got to run my Golden Age superheroes game, which was awesome - the characters were up against Dr. Despair and his Misery Museum! And DC Adventures was released this week, too. I'm slowly reading through it, and I generally like what I see. I may have to do a review.
Firstly, there was Rifftrax : Reefer Madness. A live (via satellite) show that was tremendously entertaining. And there's going to be another one in October - they'll riff on House on Haunted Hill, the original Vincent Price version.
I finally got through the Hack/Slash Omnibus Volume 2 that had been sitting around awhile - I like it. I may have to start picking up the series regularly. I grabbed a few issues of it, just before it jumped publishers, but haven't gone back to buying it yet.
I made some great strides in Pokemon, but most of my video game time went into UFO : Alien Invasion and Starcraft II. UFO:AI really just makes me want to play X-Com, though. This week, we get Elemental : War of Magic, which promises to be fun, and I may have to spend some time in City of Heroes with the new Going Rogue expansion.
And I got to run my Golden Age superheroes game, which was awesome - the characters were up against Dr. Despair and his Misery Museum! And DC Adventures was released this week, too. I'm slowly reading through it, and I generally like what I see. I may have to do a review.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Week in Geek
Scott Pilgrim is pretty darn cool. I've never read the comics, but the movie is awesome. I recommend it.
I worked on a new character this weekend, for a game that friend Eric is planning to run set in the 1970's. Bronze Age superheroes. I'm playing the Superman analogue - it promises to be fun. Dr. Nathan Wells, parapsychological research, traveled to Tibet and there, he unlocked the secrets of the inner mind, fulfilling in him the true potential of humanity and transforming him into .. Incarnate, the Transcendental Man!
He's a flying brick, with a multi-power array, from which he can use one power at a time, in addition to his basic powers. Mental immunity, Extra invulnerability, Extra strength, or telepathic broadcasting. Depending where he focuses his transcendental energy.
His catchphrase is 'Om, Om, and Away!'
Oh, and my computer came back to me today, repaired. I am giddy with delight.
I worked on a new character this weekend, for a game that friend Eric is planning to run set in the 1970's. Bronze Age superheroes. I'm playing the Superman analogue - it promises to be fun. Dr. Nathan Wells, parapsychological research, traveled to Tibet and there, he unlocked the secrets of the inner mind, fulfilling in him the true potential of humanity and transforming him into .. Incarnate, the Transcendental Man!
He's a flying brick, with a multi-power array, from which he can use one power at a time, in addition to his basic powers. Mental immunity, Extra invulnerability, Extra strength, or telepathic broadcasting. Depending where he focuses his transcendental energy.
His catchphrase is 'Om, Om, and Away!'
Oh, and my computer came back to me today, repaired. I am giddy with delight.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Week in Geek
And an excellent one, at that, for the most part. Though I am verging close to an eyestrain headache after spending too much time playing Pokemon. I love when I get to take a week off of work and just stay home and relax.
The high point of the week was easily Saturday's gaming session - the Golden Age heroes assembled to unravel a fifty year old murder and a vengeful spirit it engendered. The session, 'How The West Was Wan', also introduced potential recurring menace, Wan Tsung, Chinese crimelord. We also managed three hours of the SolarQuest board game before mounting fatigue demanded we determine a winner by 'who has the most cash on hand'.
The game session had a fair share of amusing table talk as well. Resident mystic, The Assyrian, and resident scientist, Professor Express, clashed in their methodologies somewhat when Professor Express skeptically suggested they might need to find a homeless guy to have on hand in case the spell needed an extra soul. The Police Commissioner also reacted poorly to the Assyrian's request to have the body of the murdered man moved to natural soil to facilitate 'arcane rites', saying he'd just have the body released for the night as long as the hero had it back in the morning, no questions asked.
From there, the homo-erotic jokes spiraled out of control a little - I think Frederic Wertham might be spinning in his grave. Flag-Waver caught one of the other potential victims trying to bolt from his apartment, then when the con man tried to sell Flag-Waver the dead marshal's badge for $10, Flag-Waver offered him the $10 just to stay in the room with him. I think you can guess where the riffing went on that exchange.
The capper, though, was the ever-reliable Eric, playing the Assyrian. Earlier in the session, he had used magic to disguise himself, so he wouldn't look like a superhero, so he could sneak around. Later in the session, he wanted to clarify that he was assuming that guise again, but what he actually said was :
"I'm still glamoured to look like a guy."
Which busted us all up.
The team also officially started their trophy room, but we still haven't settled on a final name, though I'm going to make some suggestions this week.
The high point of the week was easily Saturday's gaming session - the Golden Age heroes assembled to unravel a fifty year old murder and a vengeful spirit it engendered. The session, 'How The West Was Wan', also introduced potential recurring menace, Wan Tsung, Chinese crimelord. We also managed three hours of the SolarQuest board game before mounting fatigue demanded we determine a winner by 'who has the most cash on hand'.
The game session had a fair share of amusing table talk as well. Resident mystic, The Assyrian, and resident scientist, Professor Express, clashed in their methodologies somewhat when Professor Express skeptically suggested they might need to find a homeless guy to have on hand in case the spell needed an extra soul. The Police Commissioner also reacted poorly to the Assyrian's request to have the body of the murdered man moved to natural soil to facilitate 'arcane rites', saying he'd just have the body released for the night as long as the hero had it back in the morning, no questions asked.
From there, the homo-erotic jokes spiraled out of control a little - I think Frederic Wertham might be spinning in his grave. Flag-Waver caught one of the other potential victims trying to bolt from his apartment, then when the con man tried to sell Flag-Waver the dead marshal's badge for $10, Flag-Waver offered him the $10 just to stay in the room with him. I think you can guess where the riffing went on that exchange.
The capper, though, was the ever-reliable Eric, playing the Assyrian. Earlier in the session, he had used magic to disguise himself, so he wouldn't look like a superhero, so he could sneak around. Later in the session, he wanted to clarify that he was assuming that guise again, but what he actually said was :
"I'm still glamoured to look like a guy."
Which busted us all up.
The team also officially started their trophy room, but we still haven't settled on a final name, though I'm going to make some suggestions this week.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Belated Week in Geek
I got in an excellent session of my Golden Age game this weekend, in between bouts of Magic-card sorting and Pokemon collecting. As one collection wanes, another grows to take its place.
I will be going to the Origins Game Fair this week, and enjoying myself - that'll mean that the Wednesday comics post will have to wait until I get back on Sunday. I will try to do some convention after-reports as well, as I'd like to start pushing more content into this little blog.
The Golden Age game was kind of a debut session - previously we'd had one team-up of two of the characters and one short story-only introduction of the team to their headquarters. The Assyrian, Crimson Cloak, Spotlight, and special guest star Flag-Waver teamed up to foil Catalyst, the sinister mistress of chemistry, and her plan to cause pandemonium in New York City to provide cover for multiple bank robberies. I dusted off my best chemical puns and a rollicking good time was had.
I'd expected the villain to make a getaway, but the PCs fought hard and made the capture - discovering that Catalyst (who wore a primitive hazmat suit) was a female proved to be somewhat disturbing for the chivalrous Flag-Waver, who wasn't comfortable with the idea he'd just been beating on a woman.
I will be going to the Origins Game Fair this week, and enjoying myself - that'll mean that the Wednesday comics post will have to wait until I get back on Sunday. I will try to do some convention after-reports as well, as I'd like to start pushing more content into this little blog.
The Golden Age game was kind of a debut session - previously we'd had one team-up of two of the characters and one short story-only introduction of the team to their headquarters. The Assyrian, Crimson Cloak, Spotlight, and special guest star Flag-Waver teamed up to foil Catalyst, the sinister mistress of chemistry, and her plan to cause pandemonium in New York City to provide cover for multiple bank robberies. I dusted off my best chemical puns and a rollicking good time was had.
I'd expected the villain to make a getaway, but the PCs fought hard and made the capture - discovering that Catalyst (who wore a primitive hazmat suit) was a female proved to be somewhat disturbing for the chivalrous Flag-Waver, who wasn't comfortable with the idea he'd just been beating on a woman.
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