Dynasty Zero

BoL Star Wars Development Page

2012-02-23T19:30:00.001-08:00

I'm really serious about developing a Star Wars version of Barbarians of Lemuria. Honest! I know I've said it before but I (more) serious this time. I admire the work of Fenway5 at his Sword and Shield blog and am inspired by him to try my hand at game development. Well at least a game conversion. Well, a conversion that is very derivative of two sources. So, I've set up a development page as a place to post my thoughts and gather feedback. I've already transferred the few posts on the subject from this blog to the new one. I hope making this public spurs me to action. There is a link to the right which will take you there. You can also find it here:

BoL Star Wars.

Serena Sal

2012-02-22T13:13:00.003-08:00

Serena Sal was born into a family of travelling performers, so entertaining was in her blood. As a young child she would would sell refreshments to the crowd and join the rest of her family on stage to sing, dance and perform tricks. As she grew older she bloomed into a stunning beauty who took men’s breath away. When she was 16 a plague carried her family and the rest of the travelling troupe away to the underworld and she was alone. She managed to get along and make a living by entertaining but was increasingly enraged by men propositioning her. Some did as they pleased regardless of her resistance. Her skills and beauty soon earned her a place amongst higher end troupes and she began to move in aristocratic and wealthy circles. However, the improper propositions continued even if they were now cloaked in a false refinement. Her search for monetary stability combined with her anger led her down a dark path. A young noble, not wanting to take no for an answer, tried to force himself upon her and she snapped, killing him with a knife thrust through the eye. This pleased some amongst those who opposed the noble’s faction. These influential people protected her from punishment by concealing her identity. She began using her new connections to earn money by secretly luring the rich and the powerful to assignations with the promise of pleasure and then assassinating them. She has started refining her craft by learning about various poisons and their uses. She wants to seek out an alchemist willing to train her so she can produce her own deadly concoctions.

Serena Sal
Attributes: Strength 0 Agility 1 Mind 1 Appeal 2
Combat Abilities: Brawl 1 Melee 1 Missile 0 Defense 2
Careers: Dancer 2 Minstrel (Singer) 2 Assassin 0 Alchemist 0
Boons: Attractive
Flaws:
Lifeblood 10 Hero Points 5
Knife, Jewelry, Fine Clothing

Please excuse my lame attempt at using Heromachine.

Honor + Intrigue

2012-02-15T16:02:00.000-08:00

I received my pdf copy of Honor + Intrigue a few days ago. I'm excited but frustrated because I haven't had the time to read it. Oh, real life! How you test me!

Star Wars and BoL Again

2012-02-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

Quite awhile ago I wrote a post about combining Star Wars and Barbarians of Lemuria. Well, as with many of my thoughts I didn't get far with it. But I'm getting the itch again. I recently watched the original trilogy with my boys and want to do something with it again. Let's see how far I get this time. If I make any progress, I'll share. Don't hold your breath though. I'll probably borrow heavily from WEG Star Wars though I want much simpler force rules. I want to keep the basis as close to BoL as I can, too, but will probably steal concepts from Barbarians of the Aftermath. It is such a good resource that I can't just pass it by.

Western Washington Winter Wonderland

2012-01-18T10:03:00.001-08:00

It's been snowing since Saturday. This doesn't happen much around here. Not this amount at least.

The grey sky, however, is pretty common.

TFT Clone Resourses

2012-01-16T19:27:00.000-08:00

So Fenway5’s very satisfactory effort, rechristened Heroes & Other Worlds, got me thinking about other sources I’ve found for The Fantasy Trip/Melee retroclones. Here are a few.

Legends of the Ancient World www.darkcitygames.com
This is a commercial effort by Dark City Games. The ruleset closely emulates an abbreviated version of TFT and is free. The commercial portion is that they sell programmed adventures ala Death Test. The adventures come in a ziplock pouch with a rulebook, a map and cardboard counters that you cut out. I own Wolves on the Rhine and am very pleased with the components and the adventure.

Warrior & Wizard https://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcsfz7gv_17fmbxhpfv
This is a retroclone of TFT. The document is a playtest version and comes in at just shy of 50 pages. Frankly, though this is a good effort, I prefer Fenway’s version.

The Fantasy Quest thefantasyquest.com/index.htm
This is also a commercial effort. There is supposedly a game emulating Melee and future releases for Wizard and other adventures and rules. The status of this is unknown, however, because although the Melee clone is offered for sale the majority of the website states that the products are coming in 2009.

Melee/Wizard Rules on a Wiki bluwiki.com/go/Tft-melee, bluwiki.com/go/Tft-wizard
The original rules for Melee and Wizard appear on the listed wiki. Ahh, love the original.

If you you know of any other sources for the rules or retroclones or adventures, let me know.

Legends and Other Worlds

2012-01-07T19:12:00.000-08:00

I may have mentioned before that perhaps my favorite game of all time is Metagaming’s Melee. At least through my nostalgia colored glasses it is. Melee with Wizard and the solo adventures was my most played game of all time. I never acquired Advanced Melee, Advanced Wizard or In the Labyrinth for some reason. I did look through a friends copy but we only played it a bit. Consequently my actual role-playing with Melee et al was limited.

Fast forward a couple of decades. I’ve read reviews of The Fantasy Trip (the actual name of the system) and discovered it had some shortcomings. Words like overcomplicated and unorganized popped up regularly. So, despite my love of Melee, I did not track down and pay for the rest of TFT.

Fast forward to about a week ago. I was delighted to discover that the very productive Fenway5 (Mr. Brandon of the Sword & Shield blog) decided to create his own streamlined version of TFT. Take it back to its roots and keep it simple. As he is wont to do, he created a development blog for this project at Legends & Other Worlds, which is also, conveniently, the title of the project. The game is still in development and Fenway has solicited feedback and errata from readers and players. People with much a much keener eye for such things have been helping out with that.

I have not had the opportunity to play-test the game yet but from several readthroughs it seems to have reached his goals. Simple and playable. The PDF weighs in at about 22 pages and will print nicely as a booklet. Fenway has even provided two different covers for it. Just remember to put the cover on the right way before you staple it. I didn’t, much to my chagrin.

The system, for those of you not familiar with it, is a simple one. Roll equal to or under Dexterity or Intelligence (for attacks and spells) on 3d6. Armor reduces damage and weapons have a minimum strength requirement.

There are, however, a couple of divergences from the original. The first is that Fenway attempts to separate LOW from its board-game origins somewhat. He would like it to be playable without the board and pieces if you so choose. Having said that, some of the extras he has created for this are a board and playing pieces. So you can play it how you want it.

The second change surprised me. In addition to the traditional TFT stats of Strength, Dexterity and Intelligence he has added a fourth: Endurance. Steve Jackson added an extra stat when he expanded TFT into GURPS, so Fenway is in good company. The primary reason Fenway did this was to make wizards more sturdy. The original game had wizards subtract the cost of spell casting from Strength. When your Strength reached zero, you died. So, after a couple of spells a beginning wizard could be defeated with a semi-solid hit from a feather. Endurance now pays the price for spell casting. Once Endurance is depleted then spell costs are subtracted from Strength.

In other areas, workable skill and experience mechanics have been included. The skill list isn’t long but it is pretty inclusive of the type of skills an adventurer may need. Experience points drive advancement. You start at first level and when you gain enough experience points you move up to the next level. With each advancement you get the opportunity to increase stats and skills.

Brief conclusion: I was excited when I heard about this project and now I’m excited to get a chance to play the game. I can’t wait. Fenway is continuing to tune the rules so it can only get better. So, if you like Melee or TFT check it out.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T00:01:00.001-08:00

May your New Year be happy and prosperous!

King of Tokyo

2011-12-31T09:33:00.000-08:00

The big winner this Christmas, game wise, is King of Tokyo. This game first came to my notice when I read a post on GeekDad. My youngest is a big fan of the original King Kong and Godzilla. So I thought this would be a great game for him. And it is.

In King of Tokyo you are a giant monster on the rampage in Japan. Your goal is to either wreck a large portion of Tokyo or destroy the other monsters. You do this by accumulating 20 victory points or reducing the health of the other monsters to zero. This is a dice driven game that uses six special dice to determine how much damage you do to other monsters, how many victory points you gain and how many energy points you get. Energy points allow you to buy cards that give you special monster powers such as Solar Powered which allows you to gain an energy point if you don't have any. There is a small game board which shows Tokyo. A monster is either in Tokyo or not and only one monster can be in Tokyo at a time (except in games with 5 or 6 players.) When in Tokyo you gain extra victory points but the downside is you become the target of all of the other monsters attacks.

All in all this is a fun game. It has a heavy random component with the dice but there is some strategy involved. Mainly, whether to stay in Tokyo or bail. Everyone in my family enjoys playing including my wife who is often reluctant to play board games.

Tsunami Inspiration

2011-12-29T18:16:00.000-08:00

Here are two photos of creatures washed up in Japan by the tsunami. They look like something out of a science fiction/horror story. I bet I could work these into a game.

Loot

2011-12-25T22:37:00.000-08:00

Yep, if Calvin can call it loot, so can I. I received two game related items this year. I received a hardback copy of Stars Without Number. I also received and expansion to the Small World board game.

Cool.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T10:40:00.001-08:00

Hope you get everything you desire.

(For more CalvIn and Hobbes fun see here.)

The Homecoming of Count Inchiostro

2011-12-23T00:49:00.000-08:00

Hey, if you haven't already, do yourself a favor and check out G-Man's BoL adventures over at Strange Stones. They're like a free Christmas present to yourself.

The latest installment is another Hyborian adventure entitled The Homecoming of Count Inchiostro. Count Inchiostro is a dispossessed Zingaran noble looking to reclaim his heritage. But, of course, he needs the PC's help to do this. Inchiostro has a resemblance to a certain historical literary character of a semi-comical nature. The adventure itself, though, is far from comical. It is rather gritty and has an appropriate ending for this type of adventure.

G-Man has scored again with this adventure.

Brothers Two

2011-12-17T02:33:00.000-08:00

Twins Arbelo and Karnelo Shirz were the sons of a prosperous merchant from Parsool. The merchant loved his family dearly and often took the boys and his wife on the sea voyages he made in the pursuit of business. He did this despite the danger of shipwreck and pirates. The odds finally caught up with the merchant when two pirate ships successfully attacked his vessel. The pirates captured the ship and murdered the merchant before the horrified eyes of his family. When splitting up the loot, one pirate captain took the boys as slaves and the other took their young and attractive mother. They never saw her again. Life was rough for the boys but they soon adapted and began to thrive. Over the years the boys learned all the pirates could teach them about seamanship and ship handling. They became excellent seaborne fighters, both with ships and hand weapons. The experience, however, affected each of them differently. Arbelo developed a deep, unquenchable hatred for pirates. Karnelo came to identify with them and grew to love the life. So much so that seven years later, when the opportunity to escape presented itself, Karnelo chose to stay with the pirates. He continued to distinguish himself and within 10 years he had his own ship and crew and earned the nickname “The Scourge of the Sea.” Arbelo made his way back to Parsool and joined the navy. He also quickly rose in rank and by age 22 became the youngest captain in the fleet and was soon known as “The Pirate’s Bane.” The brothers eventually became entangled in a cat-and-mouse game as Arbelo attempted to capture his brother. The stage is set. What will happen? With filial love save the day or will tragedy consume them?

Arbelo Shirz
“The Pirate’s Bane”

Attributes: Strength 1 Agility 2 Mind 1 Appeal 0
Combat Abilities: Brawl 1 Melee 2 Missile 0 Defense 1
Careers: Merchant 0 Slave 0 Seaman 2 Soldier 2
Boons: Born Sailor, Pirate Killer
Flaws: Missing Eye
Lifeblood 11 Hero Points 5

Karnelo Shirz
“Scourge of the Sea”

Attributes: Strenth 1 Agility 1 Mind 1 Appeal 1
Combat Abilities: Brawl 2 Melee 1 Missle 1 Defense 0
Careers: Merchant 0 Slave 0 Seaman 2 Pirate 2
Boons: Born Sailor
Lifeblood 11 Hero Points 5

Porkins

2011-12-14T01:51:00.000-08:00

Seriously, I didn't know this character was named Porkins. That just cracks me up.

(I love the "Porkins is my Co-Pilot" over at What a horrible night to have a curse...)

Christmas List 2011 Revised

2011-12-04T18:47:00.001-08:00

Oh, I thought of a couple of things:

Barbarians of Lemuria - I would love a hard copy.

Stars Without Number - It's time to look at another sf game.

Christmas List 2011

2011-12-03T19:16:00.000-08:00

So, my list of greed, er, my Christmas list is short this year. At the moment I can't think of any RPGs I'm really yearning to have. A few board games perhaps, but not RPGs. If I think of something I will add to this post later.

Brave and the Bold

2011-11-19T23:18:00.000-08:00

So, I didn't watch Batman the Brave and the Bold much until recently. When I saw the first episode I thought it was goofy. But it grew on me. Now I really like it. And I caught the last episode last night. And it made me sad for some reason.

Zoltan Zo the Man Hunter

2011-11-17T13:49:00.000-08:00

Zoltan Zo is the sixth son of the legendary Zollo Zo of Satarla. As such, he was raised in the lap of luxury and having no real responsibilities found his passion and his outlet in hunting. He devoted his life to this pursuit. He didn’t approach hunting in the same way as many of the wealthy did, that is, with a huge retinue of professional hunters, brush beaters and servants. He preferred to go it alone or with just a few select companions. He also preferred the spear to the bow. He liked to make his kills up close with the beast’s breath blowing in his face. He became good, very good. He is reputed to be the best hunter alive and his record backs ups the statement. He has chased and killed nearly every major game animal and predator in Lemuria. The more dangerous the better. However, he eventually became jaded and bored. After killing his fifth deodarg single-handedly, he realized that there weren’t any challenges left. He had done it all. His mania for hunting was such that he needed ever greater challenges. Then he thought of the most dangerous of all prey: Humans. However, after abducting and hunting a couple of peasants he realized the unskilled were also no challenge. He soon began taking the very professional hunters that he despised and hunting them. Most of this was done in secrecy and if any information or hints of impropriety did leak, the influence of Zoltan’s father kept his son safe from any official notice. Zollo was not aware of his son’s activities but wise men did not cross Zollo, so no one dared accuse his son. Eventually, however, Zoltan made a mistake. The second greatest hunter in the land was a nephew of Davym Tarv, the king of Satarla. An attempt to abduct this nephew was foiled and one of the kidnappers told all to the torturers in an attempt to save his own life. Zoltan got wind of his coming arrest and absconded with a sizable chunk of his fathers wealth to a fortified hunting camp of deep in the Jungles of Qush. In his arrogance he issued an open challenge to anyone brave or foolhardy enough to try to catch him: “Come get me.”

Fired by greed for the treasure, many, both singlely and in groups, have attempted to apprehend or kill him. None have succeeded.

Zoltan Zo
The Manhunter

Attributes: Strength 1 Agility 4 Mind 1 Appeal 1
Combat Abilities: Brawl 0 Melee 4 Missile 1 Defense 1
Careers: Noble 1 Hunter 5
Boons: Great Wealth, Jungle Tracker, Keen Hearing
Flaws: Arrogant, Morgazzon’s Curse (Hunting)
Lifeblood 11 Hero Points 5
Equipment: Finely crafted hunting spear

Although this character is created for the world of Lemuria, the character is easily transfered to other settings. I can think of several ways to get the characters involved. Simple greed is the first. Zollo could commission the characters to either capture his son or recover a particularly prized possession that Zoltan stole. The king might (actually probably would) put a large bounty on his head. Or, prior to the discoveries of his activities, Zoltan abducts the characters and they become his prey.

Honor & Intrigue

2011-11-14T14:09:00.000-08:00

For those of you who may not have heard there is going to be a new Barbarians of Lemuria based game. It is called Honor & Intrigue. It is to be a swashbuckling game in mode of the Three Musketeers. Chris Rutkowsky, he of BASH! fame, is the author and it will be put out by Basic Action Games.

This game looks like it will be a fun addition to the Barbarians family. And, being the fan that I am of the system I am sure I will get it. The question is, do I pre-order, or get it later?

If you are interested in it here are some links:

Basic Action Games website page.
RPG.net thread.

Dicey Cowboy

2011-10-27T15:35:00.000-07:00

Abe Smith was born in 1870 in Ohio but moved West as a child. He experienced much of the tumult of that era. He knew gunfighters and warriors, settlers and sawbones. He also saw the closing of the frontier and the death of the Wild West. He worked many jobs in his youth: Cowboy, soldier in the Spanish American War, roughneck, prospector and even did some railroad work. Now in his sixties he is still a leathery tough and likes to play up his connection to the Old West through his mannerism and speech patterns and he certainly never turns away a whiskey. As a result he’s managed to get himself a job as a wrangler and sometimes technical advisor for a movie company that produces B grade cowboy shoot-’em up motion pictures. He has even had a few bit parts in the films as an extra. But that’s coming to an end soon. The movie company has fallen on hard times and he has received his layoff notice. What adventures are ahead of him?

Abe Smith

“Yep, I knew both Wyatt Earp and John Wesley Hardin!”

Attributes
Strength 1
Agility 2
Mind 0
Appeal 1

Combat
Brawl 2
Melee 0
Ranged 2
Defense 0

Careers
Cowboy 2
Soldier 1
Laborer 1
Prospector 1

Lifeblood 11
Hero Points 5

Boons
Cast Iron Guts
Fearless
Fist Fighter

Flaw
Drunkard

Languages
English
Spanish
Sioux

Equipment
Six Shooter
Cowboy Hat
Fancy Cowboy Boots

Castles and Crusades

2011-10-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

I've never given much thought to Castles and Crusades. With all the other D&D clones/retroclones around, many of them for free, I didn't feel the need to part with the money. Now, though, DriveThruRPG is have a half off sale on Troll Lord Game products. Two of the three main rulebooks are half off. (They aren't discounting the Castle Keeper's Guide.) But I can get two for under $10.

So, does anyone have any experience with C&C? Good? Bad? Mediocre? Like? Dislike? Ambivalent?

Dicey Characters

2011-10-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

I have long planned to write a comprehensive, witty and incisive review of Dicey Tales. Due to my busy schedule and and general laziness when not busy, this hasn't happened. I have had to finally admit to myself that it is not going to happen. So, instead, here is a quick overview of the first issue of Dicey Tales and a couple of characters I created using its guidelines.

Dicey Tales is a periodical written and published by the Evil DM himself, Jeff Mejia. It is dedicated to supplementary materials for my favorite game Barbarians of Lemuria. The first issue covers 1930's pulp adventure and adventurers. It gives modified or new careers and boons for characters as well rules for firearms. It also covers magic and psychic abilities appropriate to the genre. The 85 page PDF (now available in hard copy as well) concludes with two nifty adventures heavy in pulp atmosphere so you can jump right into the action. It is my understanding that Future issues will cover different pulp genres such as science fiction and have other writers in addition to Mr. Mejia. It is also my understanding that this project has the blessing of Simon Washbourne, the creator of BoL. I really like this issue of Dicey Tales and am looking forward eagerly to future copies.

So, now the characters:

Carter Creek was a petty criminal in his youth. But not a very skilled one. Caught one too many times, the judge gave him a choice between prison or the military. Carter chose the military. Being a tough kid he managed to wrangle his way into the Marines. He became an excellent Marine and served with distinction in the Banana Wars of the ‘20s. It was during his service in Central America that he first heard rumors of lost cities and ancient treasures. When he mustered out eight years later he worked various manual labor jobs but quickly became dissatisfied with his lot. Using money he had saved during his military service, supplemented by his day job, he began to get an education. He was still captivated by the tales he had heard in the Marines and chose to study history. After years of study, he finally received his degree. Since then Carter has spent every possible moment scouring the jungles and hillsides of Central America, searching for treasure and always finding adventure.

Carter Creek

Attributes
Strength 1
Agility 1
Mind 2
Appeal 0

Combat
Brawl 1
Melee 0
Ranged 2
Defence 1

Careers
Criminal 0
Soldier 2
Laborer 1
Scholar 1

Lifeblood 11
Hero Points 5

Boons
Crack Shot (Rifle)
Just the Thing

Languages
English
Spanish
Mayan

Equipment
Rifle
Pistol
Various equipment related to jungle expeditions.

Patrick Kelly grew up in a family of cops. His father is a cop, his uncles on both sides are cops, his brothers are cops. He never wanted to be anything but a cop. He didn’t even cross his mind that he could be anything else. It was a proud day for him when, surrounded by family, he became a cop. It wasn’t until then that the trouble began. You see, he believed the pious mouthing of his family. The words he had heard since he was a child: Honesty, Integrity, Service. He believed in those things. He was incorruptible and became quickly disillusioned. He saw the petty criminal activities of his fellow officers and became disgusted. It caused friction when he wouldn’t partake of the kickbacks and petty briberies that was the lifeblood and spending money of the rank and file.. He refused to take his share of the larger paydays that sometimes trickled down from the captains and lieutenants. It was rough but he stood steadfast. That is until his father came to talk to him about the trouble he was causing. It was in this way that he discovered his father and the rest of his family participated in the corruption. This broke him. He resigned, disavowed his family and began drinking heavily. He wandered and worked odd jobs, eventually becoming part of the crew of a tramp freighter. But he had copper in his blood. He eventually went back to the corrupt city of his youth, partially reconciled with his family and became a private detective. He hoped that he could do at least a little good in that capacity.

Patrick Kelly

Attributes
Strength 1
Agility 1
Mind 1
Appeal 1

Combat
Brawl 1
Melee 1
Ranged 1
Defence 1

Careers
Police Officer 1
Laborer 1
Sailor 1
Private Detective 1

Lifeblood 11
Hero Points 5

Boons
Cast Iron Gut
Serious Backup (His family and by extention, the police)

Languages
English
French
Chinese

Equipment
Revolver
Suit
Flask

Nook Books

2011-10-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

I may have mentioned (or maybe not) that I received a Nook Color as an anniversary gift. I have some books, I've put some of my gaming PDFs onto it, it does light web browsing decently, has a few apps. In general I like it. Last night, on a whim, I did a search on RPG and role playing games in the Nook bookstore. And I'll be damned if there weren't some listed. It looks like Lulu has made some electronic copies of RPGs available for download. Including a few games by Simon Washbourne. I don't know if they are available for the Kindle or other formats but it was a pleasant surprise. Maybe others knew about this but I didn't.

Marvel Super Heroes RPG D6

2011-09-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

I ran across something interesting in my travels through the interwebs. Someone has done a d6 conversion of the classic TSR Marvel Super Heroes RPG. The document is 18 pages long and states it is not a complete game. You will need a copy of the D6 Adventures book. It tries to adhere closely to the MSH rules and feel but I can't really comment because I don't have any real experience with MSH.

You can find the d6 MSH and other Open D6 material, including the D6 Adventure book, here.

Crimson Shoals

2011-09-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

When I heard that G-Man was going to create a Barbarians of Lemuria adventure set in the Hyborian Age of Robert E. Howard, I was excited. I have very much enjoyed his previous adventures and since Hyboria is one of my favorite literary settings I figured that it would be a great adventure. My excitement wasn't misplaced, it is a great little adventure.

The characters are the survivors of a ship that wrecked off the coast of Shem. They discover two ships on a nasty reef that seems to draw ships towards itself. As usual I don't want to give much away but the adventure involves pirates, treasure, Stygians and magic foul. As is his practive, G-man has included several helpful appendixes. These include the full stats for important npc's, random treasure tables and pregenerated characters that can be used for the adventure. The last appendix branches out and includes the full stats for the npc's for the Basic Roleplaying.

I really like this adventure and appreciate that G-Man shares the results of his labors with the rest of us. Crimson Shoals would work great as a one-shot or as the springboard for further adventuring in the Hyborian world. Also, Hyboria is a perfect setting for BoL. If you are a fan of the game or the fiction, I believe will enjoy this adventure. I only hope G-Man has the time to create another adventure in this setting.

Edit: You can find the PDF here.

I snagged the artwork from the cover. It is again the work of Floyd Thompson, III.

Batman: Lovers and Madmen

2011-09-20T01:06:00.000-07:00

Warning! This post contains spoilers! Key plot points are revealed below!

OK. You've been warned. Batman: Lovers and Madmen is set early in Batman's career. He is feeling a bit smug because he has cleaned up Gotham and the streets are safe again. He knew ability applied correctly, logically would win the day. But then a new criminal appears. A man called Jack. Logic does not apply to him. His crimes and murders, though they could be well planned, are, in a word, crazy. Batman has troubles dealing with this. Logic does not apply. At the same time, Bruce Wayne, seeking balance in his life, begins a relationship with a beautiful museum guide. Of course the two parts of his life collide and Jack gravely wounds the woman. Batman stays with her instead of chasing Jack. But Batman wounds Jack on both cheeks with his razor sharp batarangs to let him know it is not over.

Batman is at a loss. His logical style of crime fighting is not succeeding against Jack. Batman is feeling inadequate, feeling like a failure. He comes to the conclusion that the only way to deal with Jack is to remove him. Permanently. Not being able to do the deed himself, Batman uses his contacts with the underworld to put a hit on Jack. Even other criminals dislike Jack. Well, the hit fails, Jack falls into a vat of pharmaceuticals and becomes the Joker. Batman has created a creature even more monstrous than Jack was. In order to focus on his quest to eradicate evil and not endanger loved ones, Bruce Wayne plays the cad and breaks off his relationship with the woman.

My verdict? I hated this graphic novel. Hated? Maybe despised is a better world.

And of course, I will tell you why:

I can accept Batman in his many versions. Dedicated Batman. Scary Batman. Genius Batman. Techno Batman. Hardcore Batman. Slightly unbalanced Batman. Even funny Batman. But the one thing Batman despises is killing. And this version of Batman takes out a freakin' hit on Jack! I cannot swallow this and reject it. Even in The Dark Knight Returns where Batman is the direct cause of the grievous wounding and perhaps the death of at least one criminal, he does not actively seek the death of the criminals. In fact one of the moral choices Batman faces is whether to kill the Joker or not..

So, despite the excellent characterization of Jack/the Joker as a psychotic, I cannot and will not enjoy this book because, in my opinion, it does not stay true to the essence of the character of Batman.

Watch Out!

2011-09-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

Saw this over on I'd Rather Be Killing Monsters... and for some reason this really strike a cord with me. Maybe it has something to do with turning a paradigm on its head.

Ever Felt This Way?

2011-08-31T19:26:00.001-07:00

Still Here

2011-08-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

I'm still around. I have a couple of mini-reviews I want to write but haven't had the time. Soon. Soon. (So I keep telling myself.)

Fourth of July

2011-07-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day!

Have a safe one.

Beyond Belief Games Website

2011-06-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

Simon Washbourne has set up a website for his his game company Beyond Belief Games. It is your basic website with descriptions of his games and a few freebies. Amongst the current freebies is the complete Medieval Mysteries and Lashing the Ginger Beer games.

Thanks Simon.

G-Man's Lovecraftian BoL Adventure Trilogy

2011-06-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

I’ve completed my read through of G-Man’s third installment of Lovecraftian adventures for Barbarians of Lemuria. (You can find the other posts here and here.) This adventure is called Children of the Void. I enjoyed this adventure as much as the other two. It has a similarly strange atmosphere and creepy bits. It comes in at 11 pages, which includes a nice appendix covering spells appropriate for the adventure. And it has maps. Once again, I don’t want to give the little (or not so little) surprises away so won’t comment more on the content.

Of the trilogy, I like The Sea Devil’s Debutante the best. The others are great but for some reason Debutante resonates with me the most.

G-Man has stated that he is working on a Hyborian adventure for BoL and, frankly, I’m having troubles waiting. G-Man is a creative individual who did such good work with these three Lovecraft flavored treats that I really would like to see what he can do in the world of Conan. When I think of BoL, I think of Conan so these should be right up my alley.

The three adventures can be found here. And once again the evocative front piece was done by Floyd Thompson III.

You can find all three adventures here. The material is hosted at Strange Stones. Check it out. It has some cool materials beyond G-Man's stuff.

The Sea-Devil's Debutante

2011-06-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

The Sea-Devil's Debutante is another atmospheric adventure for Barbarians of Lemuria by the talented G-Man.

The beautiful Clarisse Strangtham, scion of the mysterious, waterloving Strangtham clan, has come of age and is looking for a husband. So the Strangthams throw a party on their floating mansion to select the bridegroom. But all is not as it seems.

I won't say more so as to not ruin the surprises for potential players.

I very much like this scenario and how it is written. The author offers several potential hooks for getting the players involved. He sketches out the main npc's in enough details so you have a sense of what they are like. I particularly like the first of the two appendices. Appendix A details Strangtham family artifacts that can be potentially found in the mansion and used by or against the players. They can also be stolen and/or modified for other adventures.

If you are looking for a (self-labeled) Lovecraftian style adventure for BoL, look no further.

The gracious Venomous Pao is hosting the document over at his blog Strange Stones. You can find the 13 page adventure itself on this page along with other adventures for BoL and different systems. The artwork is from the first page of the document and was done by Floyd Thompson III.

Robert E. Howard

2011-06-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading The Phoenix on the Sword by Robert E. Howard. It reminded that he is a very entertaining writer. I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

However, I have a love/hate relationship with Howard. And it really isn’t his fault. When I was a teenager I had two favorite writers: Howard and H. Beam Piper. (Of course my little teenaged mind thought it was of great significance that they both died by their own hands.) They are no longer my two favorite writers but they are in my top ten list. Then I started reading opinions and analyses of Howard and his works. My problem defenders and apologists of Robert E. Howard’s reputation and legacy. The vociferous levels of rhetoric that sometimes accompany discussions about his works is off-putting. If seems that Conan can’t be mentioned without someone excoriating L. Sprague de Camp, analyzing Howard’s psychological state at the time of his suicide or generally arguing that Howard was the best writer EV-AR.

I was letting these things get in the way of my enjoyment of the stories. And this is really too bad because not only do I enjoy the stories but I really like to game in the type of milieu that Howard created with Hyboria. I think I am over this now. I realized that people have taken these adventure stories and their author much to seriously. I just need to enjoy the stories and ignore the rest. And I need to find a sword & sorcery game to play in.

(I will make one comment, however, and this is more a reflection on me than anything else.. I grew up reading the de Camp edited stories and, frankly, if you set them down in front of me side by side I don’t think I would be able to tell the difference. Anyways, my two cents.)

Scribblenauts and Cthulhu

2011-05-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

My boys enjoy a Nintendo DS game called Scribblenauts. Well, my son would correct me. He actually plays Super Scribblenauts, the second game in the series. Well, this is a puzzle type game where you can write the name of an object or person and it will appear in the game. Then your little character can interact with it. I haven't played it but it seems like a fun little game that poses challenges for the young lads' imagination.

Much to my surprise my oldest told me that he had summoned this creature called Cthulhu. What? I described Cthulhu and he said that it was indeed the creature he had in the game. He then showed me and sure enough there was a little cartoon Cthulhu. He also mentioned the Necronomicon being in the game.

Once again I was astounded. Talk about video games warping the minds of our youths. That, however, is a post for another time.

He asked me how I knew about Cthulhu. I explained what little I know about H. P. Lovecraft, his stories and the Mythos in general. I'm not a huge fan of Lovecraft so the discussion was pretty limited. I did mention, almost as an afterthought, that there is a roleplaying game called Call of Cthulhu. He immediately decided he wanted to play CoC. I don't have CoC let alone any BRP materials other than the free quick start rules. So I printed out the CoC quick start rules and had him read them. So we are going to play at least one session of Call of Cthulhu. I never imagined I would. I have come up with an age appropriate scenario so away we go.

I hope we both keep our sanity!

Risus Esperanto

2011-05-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

I knew Risus had been translated into several languages other than English. I did not know until recently that Esperanto was one of them. I think this is great!

You can find it at S. John Ross' website here.

There is another link here.

Fuzzy Nation

2011-05-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

As I’ve mentioned before, H. Beam Piper is on my all time favorite author list. I’ve always wanted to play in a game set in one of his worlds, either the Paratime stories or the Federation/Empire timeline. I have, however, neglected one portion of the Federation/Empire stories. I have only read Little Fuzzy once about twenty years ago. Now, John Scalzi, another author I have come to like, has written a book called Fuzzy Nation. It is my understanding that it is a retelling of Little Fuzzy. So, I am now starting my first re-read of Little Fuzzy. Then I will need to read Fuzzy Nation. And of course compare and contrast.

I haven’t been overly thrilled with Piper sequels written by other hands. Great King’s War written by John Carr and Roland Green did not really live up to the original. It wasn’t a bad book; I just didn’t enjoy it nearly as Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen. Carr has written several more sequels that I have not even attempted to read. There is at least on Fuzzy book written by another author that I have ignored also.

So, some of my future reading list is now determined. And I need to work up some Piper gaming material for my son.

Oh, and I still think George Lucas owes Piper’s estate large sums of money for ripping off Piper’s idea for Return of the Jedi.

Modern Day Retroclone?

2011-05-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

My son said the other day, "Wouldn't it be fun if there was a D&D set in modern times? You could take on a dragon a lot sooner with guns." I thought it would be fun. Though I contend that any dragons left around would be even more cunning and powerful in order to survive modern weapons.

This got me thinking about retroclones. We enjoy Labyrinth Lord and I know there are at least two science fiction retroclones (pseudoclones?) as well as one set in a post-apocolypse world but I've have yet to run across one set in contemporary times. I've done a few searches and haven't found one. Does such a thing exist?

Zarand Zin

2011-03-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

Zarand Zin was born to a poor family struggling to get by in the big city of Parsool. His parents died of a plague when he was eight and his hardscrabble life became even more difficult. He came to resent the mockery and disdain of those with money and leisure and became angry at the great disparities of wealth that manifested itself in Parsool He tried to support himself through odd jobs and begging but on many occasions had to resort to thievery. He became adept at sleight of hand and misdirection and became an accomplished pick-pocket. As a result, he came to the attention of an elderly street magician who saw in Zarand the potential for a great entertainer. This made life slighty better but again entertainers aren’t held in the highest esteem in Parsool. The old fellow taught Zarand a few minor magical tricks as part of his training, which he used to enhance his stage show. One night Zarand nearly burned down the hovel he lived in while practicing the torch lighting trick he had learned. Instead of producing a small flame as usually happened, a sheet of flames erupted from his fingers. The accompanying surge of power he felt opened a new world for him. He knew now that he could work powerful magics and that, with the right training, he could change his station in life. And for Zarand, there was only one place to reach his full potential: The Isle of Thule where the dark magicians practiced their arts. The resentment that was always bubbling under the surface finally burst forth. He sought out the first rich person he could find in the gathering darkness and attempted to cut his purse. However, the nobleman noticed and called for his bodyguard. Zarand, desperate, slipped the knife into the man’s ribs and fled into the alleys with the money. He had never resorted to violence in a robbery attempt before. He immediately bought himself passage to Thule.

Now, fifteen years later, Zarand Zin has reappeared. He dark masters have sent him on a mission to recover an artifact of great power. What it is and where it is located nobody knows. But the one thing that is apparent is that Zarand Zin is a changed man. He is dressed in the finest of silks and travels with servants who do his every bidding. His equipment is abundant and is of the finest quality. It is also easy to see that the darkness in his soul has consumed him and an unholy fire burns in his eye. Zarand Zin is now a force to be reckoned with and the world had better beware.

Zarand Zin

Attributes
Strength 0
Agility 1
Mind 3
Appeal 0

Combat
Brawl 1
Melee 0
Ranged 0
Defence 3

Careers
Begger 0
Entertainer 1
Magician 2
Thief 0

Lifeblood 10
Hero Points 5

Weapons
Dagger

Languages
Lemurian (Literate)
Sorceric
Sorceric (Written)
Ygddari (Literate)

Boons
Carouser

The Unholy Greyl - A BoL Adventure

2011-02-19T10:31:00.000-08:00

The Unholy Greyl is a Barbarians of Lemuria adventure by a fellow called G-Man that is being hosted over at Strange Stones. It runs 9 pages and is filled with BoL goodness. The Unholy Greyl has all the classic sword & sorcery qualities and as a result it hits all the right notes for me. It is atmospheric, set in a strange, mysterious locale, there is a lost and degenerate race, greed, slavery, and sorcery strange. The adventure has a definite terminus but the author also gives the GM a lot of flexibility and room to customize or randomize aspects of the scenario. It also includes an adventure seed that could lead the players further into the dar forest.

I don't want to give much more away, so suffice it to say that if you are a fan of BoL then I think you will like this adventure. Oh, and it's free!

Impulse Buys

2011-02-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

I purchased two games today on a whim. I am now the proud owner of Tombs & Terrors and G-Core. I got both from DriveThruRpg in PDF.

I'm a big fan of Simon Washbourne's work so I couldn't pass on Tombs & Terrors. I appears to be his contribution to the world of retro-clones.

G-Core is an update and simplification of the FASERIP system. No chart, apparently. The core rules are superhero focused but there are supplements that expand play into other genres. When I get to reading them I'll pass on what I think.

Oh. Total cost: $5.00

Pyramids

2011-01-27T22:53:00.000-08:00

I got a chuckle out of this...

Ranks of Bronze

2011-01-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

I read many of David Drake’s stories in my youth and they had an effect on me in the realm of gaming. They fired my imagination and made me want to play in one of his worlds. I would like to highlight a couple of these stories in a series of posts over the next several weeks.

First up: “Ranks of Bronze”

“Ranks of Bronze” is a serious contender for the top spot on my list of favorite short stories of all time. It is the story of the tribune Gaius Vibulenus and the other legionary survivors of Crassus’ disastrous war against Parthia. After the legions were destroyed the Parthians sold the survivors into slavery. The buyers, however, were not of this Earth. The galactic Federation has laws against using advanced technology against the indigenous people of the planets the merchants want to exploit. That’s where the legionaries come into it. They are the ones sent down to the surface and kick the locals’ butts so the merchants can make a buck.

“Ranks of Bronze” was first published in magazine form in 1975 and I first read it in a short story collection in the early ‘80s. It isn’t a very long story, only taking up about 14 pages in paperback form. And the story only covers the events of one battle. To top it off it isn’t a completely original idea. Andre Norton wrote Star Guard a considerable time before “Ranks of Bronze” saw print. And it is written in present tense, which I despise. The story so grips me and my imagination that it doesn’t matter.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who really like the story. Jim Baen eventually persuaded Drake to write a novel expanding the story of the legionaries. I read this in the mid-80s but I don’t remember being particularly impressed by it.

Fast forward another 15 years and the demand for stories set in the Ranks of Bronze universe continued. Baen kept pressing for a sequel to the novel but Drake kept resisting. As something of a compromise, Drake agreed to contribute a story to a collection of stories written by others. Thus was born Foreign Legions. It contains the original short story in addition to five new ones. This is a volume I also enjoy very much. The tales within don’t elicit the same wonder in me as the original story but they are very entertaining and in some ways wrap up the loose ends of the universe. Not only that but David Weber took his short story “Sir George and the Dragon” and expanded it into a novel called The Excalibur Alternative. This I haven’t read.

So, if nothing else I suggest you track down the original short story. It is a good read. I’ll continue dreaming of the day I can be a player in a game based in this universe.

Powers

2011-01-18T00:25:00.000-08:00

Me and my oldest managed to play a bit of Super!. Currently, the super-villains in the Stronghold are attempting a mass breakout and all the heroes in Supersville are trying to contain it, including my character Concrete. If I may say, Concrete is kicking some villain rear.

But that is not what I want to write about. Someday I would really like to play in a dark, gritty campaign. Something like Powers. Powers was created and is produced by Brian Michael

Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming. It is the story of Christian Walker, a detective with a special

homicide unit that deals with the murder of powers. Powers are the super-powered individuals of the world. (Really? You must be kidding!) Be they hero or villain, their deaths must be investigated. This is a dark world. Gangsters with powers, morally ambiguous heroes with

powers and so forth. The issues are filled with graphic violence, foul language and sex. I don't like some of the plot twists that have been introduced but that is a personal preference, not a reflection on the quality of the work. I've only read the collections, which start with Who Killed Retro Girl?, so that might contribute to my confusion.

If you like your comics rougher than your average fare, give Powers a try.

Tower of the Elephant

2011-01-09T09:57:00.000-08:00

One of the first adventures I gm'd for Barbarians of Lemuria was a very rough adaptation of Howard's Tower of the Elephant. Well, on one of the threads on RPG.net I ran across a nice resource. It is actually an adaptation of an adventure on the the Hyborian Age website. This sight is focused on the world REH created for Conan for the D20 player. Maxwell Luther took the D20 Tower of the Elephant adventure and converted it to BoL! It's pretty cool. I think I may run this as a one shot just for the heck of it. You can find the BoL version here.

New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-03T02:32:00.000-08:00

I dislike New Year's resolutions and do not usually make them. Maybe because I do such a poor job of keeping them.

So, I will not make any New Year's resolutions but I will set myself a couple of gaming and blog related goals.

Post more.
Post more characters, particularly for Barbarians of Lemuria. I frequently come up of with characters for BoL but fail to write them down. In fact, I would like, someday, to write fantasy and SF stories (of course, I've been saying that for twenty years, see what I mean about resolutions.) I immediately began thinking of the latest character to spring into my head for a fantasy story in BoL terms. I find it BoL great for developing the personality and back story of fictional beings.
Play more. I frequently think and write about rpg's but play them entirely to little.

So, there are a few goals for 2011. Wish me luck.

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T22:08:00.000-08:00

It is my hope that the new year treat you and yours well. May this be the year you finally defeat the Great Goblin of Gormest!

Advanced Fighting Fantasy Thread

2010-12-30T13:15:00.000-08:00

For those of you interested in the new Advanced Fighting Fantasy here is a thread from RPG.net with some discussions and details.

Here are some new details from the publisher's website:

* All new Hero generation system, including Talents
* Revised combat system including Armour
* Wizardry, Sorcery and Minor Magic spells
* A brand new reworking of Priests
* and a whole lot more.....

I'm rather excited about this.

Happy Christmas Eve Eve

2010-12-23T16:04:00.000-08:00

I hope the next couple of days are good ones for everyone. That family and friends are well and you get a chance to relax.

Oh, I hope you get good loot too!

Battle Cry

2010-12-23T15:51:00.000-08:00

We are big fans of the board game Memoir '44 in the Narmer household. For those of you unfamiliar with this game it is a World War II game that uses figures to represent infantry, tanks and artillery. It doesn't attempt to be a strict simulation of WWII combat but intends to capture the flavor. It uses cards to determine what units can act. This is to try to capture the "fog of war" aspect of battle. It is part of the Commands and Colors series of games created by Richard Borg. I also own the Ancients version of the game but haven't had the opportunity to play it yet.

So, I was pleased to see that Avalon Hill (well, WoC) reissued the original game of the series, Battle Cry. Battle Cry is the Civil War version of the game. It went out of print be

fore I was away it existed. The current version is billed as the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War edition. I don't think there have been any major changes but am excited to acquire it. I found out about it to late to get it on to my Christmas list though.

Rare Exports

2010-12-20T14:55:00.001-08:00

First, let me state that I haven't seen this movie. Second, I do not like horror movies. But this movie sounds intriguing both as a movie and from a gaming perspective.

The movie, made in Finland, draws on old legends of a pre-Christian Santa Claus. And he ain't a nice guy. In the movie, Santa was buried in the ice and was recently dug up. Then the children started disappearing. According to reviews the film has a dark humor all its own.

When I read the review I immediately thought of this as a scenario for Barbarians of Lemuria. It fits the sword and sorcery genre perfectly. An ancient evil is uncovered and begins preying on the people of the area. The heroes have to track it down and face its unfathomable horror.

I wonder if I can pull this off.

New Advanced Fighting Fantasy

2010-12-18T00:18:00.000-08:00

Its been all over the internet but, apparently, someone is going to bring out a new edition of Advanced Fighting Fantasy. Details are scarce but here is the announcement.

I think this is rather cool. Although I haven't actually had the opportunity to play this system I am rather fond of it. I would buy the new edition to replace/supplement my used copies.

Literary Inspiration

2010-12-16T23:31:00.000-08:00

Two of my favorite novels are Goat Song and The Walled Orchard by Tom Holt. These two books are set in ancient Athens during the Peloponnesian War. The novels follow the life and adventures of Eupolis, a historical comic playwright. The first-person viewpoint entertainingly highlights Eupolis' cynical personality. What I enjoy the most however is how the author brings Classical Athens to life. Holt shows the lives and quirks of both historical characters and the city itself. One memorable scene illustrates the intensity of the rivalry between the playwrights as they competed for prizes at the various festivals. One contestant attempted to mine his way through the wall of Eupolis' house in order to sabotage his preparations.

So if you like historical fiction that both entertains and informs give these two books a try. The photo is actually of the omnibus edition that includes both novels.

Perdition Character

2010-12-15T23:58:00.000-08:00

I love me some Firefly. I thought it was really cool when I read Mini-Six and discovered they included a serial-number free setting called Perdition. I've been thinking about trying to persuade my gaming group to give Mini-Six a try. Probably the using the Imperium in Revolt setting because my boy would go for that first.

So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce:

Conrad Bane

Bounty Hunter

Might 3D

Brawling 4D

Stamina 3D+1

Agility 3D

Dodge 4D+1

Pilot 3D+1

Stealth 4D

Pistol 5D

Wit 2D+2

Tracking 3D+1

Charm 3D+1

Persuasion 3D+2

Dodge 13

Block 12

Parry 9

Soak 9

Gear

Pistol

Handcuffs

Christmas List 2010

2010-12-12T01:21:00.000-08:00

You know, I really don't have much of a game related Christmas list. I've been on such a buying spree this last year that, at the moment, I don't have any/many gaming wants.

Here's what I have so far.

RPGs:

Jaws of the Six Serpents

Board Games:

Small World

That's it so far. I'll add more if I think of more.

Edit: I wouldn't mind having Hellas.

I'm always open to suggestions...

There Can Be Only One

2010-12-10T00:17:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite movies from the days of yore.

Is there anyone as pure badass as the Kurgan? Now there is a foe I would not want to face in an RPG. Or anywhere else for that matter.

Strange Stones

2010-12-08T22:39:00.000-08:00

I ran across a blog today that, somehow, I haven't seen before. It is called Strange Stones and covers BoL/BotA, Traveller, and Labyrinth Lord amongst others. One cool feature is a Barbarians of Lemuria Meso-American type setting with bestiary. Take a look.

Inspiration

2010-12-02T22:13:00.000-08:00

I've always loved a good time-travel/alternate history story and Lest Darkness Falls by L. Sprague de Camp is one of my favorites.

It is the story of American archaeologist Martin Padway who's visit to Rome is interrupted by a bolt of lightning. This somehow sends him back to 6th century Rome. He procedes to use his knowledge to introduce anachronistic technology into the ancient world and changes history.

I've always wanted to play in an RPG with a similar theme. I don't know what system could do this. I imagine many could. In the alternative settings chapter in Dogs of W*A*R, the author suggests transporting modern soldier and special ops types into the world of Barbarians of Lemuria. Not quite the same but loads of potential fun.

Has anyone played in a game like this?

Deals Galore

2010-11-26T23:08:00.000-08:00

Tommy over at The Most Unread Blog on the Internet. Ever., (although I read it frequently) has posted about some excellent deals from RPGNow here. I picked up the entire line of Icons. For $1 apiece. A buck!

Has anyone else heard about any great deals?

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T22:05:00.000-08:00

I hope your day was a joyful one and your belt remains unbroken.

A Winter Wonderland

2010-11-22T21:48:00.000-08:00

So, Western Washington is covered in a gentle blanket of snow. It has been drifting down all day. Although my drive to work this morning was easy with roads clear and traffic light, I'd been hearing of horrific traffic snarls all through the day. This was also the day I needed to drive even further after work to pick up my new suit. For my interview at 9 am tomorrow. I could possibly get a promotion. I left work and made to the store in good time. No slipping, no sliding. Everyone driving safely and sanely. The suit looks good. I started driving home. Once again I avoided the worst of the snarls. I was feeling good, driving slow. I got within a few blocks of home. I've got it made, I thought. I then, quite promptly, slid in a curb at an angle. At a minimum I screwed up my alignment because it drove wobbly the rest of the way home. At worst....?

And I still need to make it down the big hill to get to my interview tomorrow morning.

This does bring to mind the novel The Sixth Winter by Douglas Orgill which was published in

the '70's. There is/was a theory that a new ice age could start in as little as six winters if all the conditions are right. This is a fictionalized account of just such an event. It has been years since I have read it but I do remember I very much enjoyed it. One image that stuck with me was of a group of Soviet soldiers being attacked by a large pack of wolves. Including the unfortunate fellow in an APC who gets his head chewed on while it is sticking out of a hatch. According to the story, with the coming of the ice age, the wolves instinctively gather in larger packs and become more aggressive. This is one of the reasons humans have such a deep-seated fear of wolves.

This would make a fun RPG scenario, either a one shot with the characters trying to survive and make it to a warmer climate or as a small campaign. Maybe for Barbarians of the Aftermath. I may have to think on this more.

Thursday Inspiration

2010-11-18T23:45:00.000-08:00

This inspiration post is inspired by a post on campaign settings over at B/X Blackrazor. One of his campaign ideas is a Bronze Age based game.

If you are interested in some literary inspiration you might try First Heroes, short stories about the Bronze age edited by Harry Turtledove.

rpgKids

2010-11-18T00:32:00.001-08:00

I've been pretty successful in my quest to find rpgs to play with my kids. At least for my 10 year old. We've played one or more sessions of Supers!, B/X D&D, Labyrinth Lord, and Barbarians of Lemuria. The problem is my 6 year old. He's played with us but loses interest after a while and wanders off. But I have found the solution for this. I was browsing the Newbie DM website and ran across rpgKids. This is a little $3 PDF that is intended for kids aged 4-7 and their parents. It is a very simple game. There are four types of characters to play, the Sword Fighter, Healer, Archer and Wizard. Each has there own special ability and there is a very simple skill system. Character creation is simply choosing the character type, writing down the skills, picking a name and drawing a picture of the character. Most conflicts are resolved opposed d12 rolls. There are three damage levels and nobody dies. They get knocked out.

There is a nifty adventure included and hand drawn playing pieces and maps. Colored in crayon. I printed them out on our color printer and my wife and sons thought I had colored them. We played through the adventure and my son loved it! We played through the entire adventure and he was riveted. Moving the pieces on the map and the simple combat system really hit the spot for him.

The maps are simple one inch grid papers and a blank one is included for further adventure. I am going to break out the crayons and make an adventure for him this weekend.

I would heartily recommend this for parents of young children as an introductory rpg.

Inspiration Thursday

2010-11-11T11:46:00.000-08:00

An image of an old warrior I find inspiring.

The 700 Thespians

2010-11-08T15:41:00.000-08:00

There is one thing I can say for certain about the Spartans: They always had good PR. Even today their reputation is continually enhanced in documentaries and popular culture. There was a documentary on History Channel International about the Battle of Thermopylae. As usual the Spartans get the lion's share of the credit. The brave 300 making their last stand against the innumerable Persian hordes. Granted, Leonidas was the leader of the loyalist Greek forces at the pass but the Spartans were in the minority. There were some 7000 infantry in total from the contributing cities. Even when the Greeks' flank was turned and Leonidas had the other contingents bug out, the Spartans weren't alone. Nor were they the majority of rearguard. The hoplites from Thespiae stayed. All 700 of them. I'm sure they fought as fiercely as the Spartans and made the Persians pay with blood for every inch of ground the invaders gained. Two things are more significant: First, the Thespians did not have to stay. They elected to stay. Second, the 700 hoplites were apparently the entire levy that Thespiae could muster. The loss of 300 hoplites was a significant blow to Sparta. Thespiae's loss of their entire Hoplite force would've been catastrophic. But who gets the credit? The Spartans. To whom does Simonides write his epitaph? The Spartans. The Thespians did not get a monument until 1997! Yep, the Spartans knew how to enhance their reputation.

So, here is to the unnamed 700 Thespians. May their memory live long.

Happiness is...

2010-11-06T20:50:00.000-07:00

Inspiration

2010-11-04T22:47:00.000-07:00

I find these photos spark my imagination. Imagine running into creatures like these.

Many of you may have seen the crocaparrot.

Now meet the peacrock!

Simon Washbourne

2010-10-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

If you've read this blog you know I like Simon Washbourne's games. Barbarians of Lemuria and Supers! get a lot of play in my household. I don't know Mr. Washbourne personally except for encounters on forums. However, he has earned a significant amount of respect from me after I read this post over at RPG.net. You can read the entire thread here.

Variable Weapon Damage

2010-10-21T23:18:00.000-07:00

I've always been an adherant of variable weapon damage for D&D. However, JB of B/X Blackrazor has written a very intesting post about d6 damage for all weapons. I've been a fan of his blog for quite awhile and this is a good example of why.

Read it here.

15 Games

2010-10-19T19:07:00.001-07:00

Several bloggers have listed there top 15 most influential games for you. Or as some put it, the games that stick with you the most. The posts were originally called 15 games in 15 minutes. However, I read the posts but couldn't reply immediately so I had more than 15 minutes to contemplate it. Also, I couldn't come up with 15 games. Here is my list anyway:

Melee/Wizard
D&D (Holmes/AD&D/now Moldvay/Labyrinth Lord)
Traveller (as Tim Brannon said: it opened up new worlds for me)
Gamma World (I have fond memories of the Hanford Memorial Radioactive Zone)
Top Secret
Dungeon
Drakon
Barbarians of Lemuria
Supers!
Divine Right

That's all I have for now. If I think of more I'll add them.

You can see some other lists here, here, here and here.

The Star Wars Sourcebook

2010-10-19T16:23:00.003-07:00

I mentioned in my last post that I picked up The Star Wars Sourcebook during my last trip to Gary's. This is a supplement to West End Games 1st edition Star Wars RPG. It is in really good shape for being printed in 1987.

It has some really cool information in it. It has lists of various starfighters and other starships. It has info on droids, aliens, lightsabers and other various Star Wars goodies. My favorite part, however, is the stats for many of the main characters of the original trilogy. It was only on my second read through of the character section that I realized something:

Yoda does not have the lightsaber skill.

I didn't notice it the first time but it jumped out at me the second time. He's got the melee skill and the melee parry skill but not lightsaber. Obi-Wan has the lightsaber skill. Vader has a slightly better lightsaber skill. Even Luke, who's skills are listed as of the Battle of Yavin, has the lightsaber skill at 4D+1. But Yoda doesn't have it listed. At first I thought it might be a typo or an oversight. But it is my understanding that WEG's material had to pass muster with Lucas' folks. I don't think they would've missed it. So I discarded that idea.

Now, I've been reading various "what-if" threads about the history of the Star Wars universe based only on the original Star Wars film or the first trilogy. An examples is here. So, if Yoda doesn't have the lightsaber skill, at least a portion of the prequels don't make sense (big surprise, some may say) and the original conception of the characters was much different.

I know, I know, this isn't a canon source or anything but it is very interesting to me.

B/X Companion

2010-10-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

I made the trip to Seattle today to visit Gary's Games. I picked up a copy of JB's B/X Companion. It's his local game store so I though it appropriate. I haven't had a chance to read it yet but I'm looking forward to it.

I also picked up WEG's Star Wars Sourcebook to go with the Star Wars RPG that I have never played. I wish I had had more time. And money. There were several things I would've purchased. Like Icons. But it was $30.

Veteran?

2010-10-11T23:59:00.000-07:00

I was looking at the level progression table in Moldvay Basic. I've never payed much attention to this before. Why is the first level fighter called a Veteran and the second level called a Warrior? This seems backwards to me. Shouldn't a Warrior become a Veteran with experience?

Why I'm a Closet Gamer

2010-10-09T23:08:00.001-07:00

JB over at B/X Blackrazor wrote a post entitled Embracing My Inner Nerd. It got me thinking about my origins as a gamer and I posted a quick response to it. I want to expand on my thoughts here.

I have always felt a certain amount shame about being a role-player. The first feedback I received about D&D (I started with Holmes Basic) was from my older brother. I was 11, he was in high school and I looked up to him as younger brothers are wont to do. His reaction, and I remember it verbatim, was this:

"Only fags play D&D"

I didn't respond the first time he said it. I was 11, it was 1979 and I only had the vaguest idea of what this really meant. What I did know was that it was a bad thing. Living in conservative towns, in a semi-conservative family I had only heard this term used in a negative way. He made me feel as if I were doing something wrong.

Later when he repeated it I pointed out that I wasn't gay an thus his generalization was invalid. He did stop saying it but the damage was done. He had made me feel shame about playing a game. Not enough to stop me from playing but enough that I essentially became a closet gamer. In junior high and high school I only played with a select few and didn't discuss it to others. When I went to university I didn't play at all. I actually didn't see much of a gaming presence on campus though. This was mid-to-late '80s so I don't know if it was the times or the campus. My wife didn't know about my role-playing for a long time. She knew I liked computer games and board games but not RPGs. It wasn't until about 2000 that I became interested again when GURPS caught my attention. A couple of years ago my son became old enough to play and we do so when we can. However, I still don't talk about it with others. And feel embarrassed when the subject comes up. My brother's ignorant statement effected damaged my psyche in a long term manner.

Please don't take this as an anti-gay screed. As I grew, matured and experienced the world a bit, my viewpoint changed. Now I would react to a jibe like that by shaking my head and telling the person he is intolerant and bigoted. However, in my youth, my brother's statement wounded me and changed my view of rpgs. In a way I still feel a bit embarrassed by role-playing in a knee-jerk type of way. And I am still a closet gamer. i hope not to pass my scars onto my son.

Impulse Purchase

2010-09-29T23:20:00.000-07:00

Late, late the other night I ordered a copy of Moldvay Basic and a copy of Cook Expert and a copy of the Keep on the Borderland. Why? Just 'cause. Actually Keep on the Borderland was my first module. It came with the Holmes Basic set I bought all those years ago. It has long since disappeared and I guess I was feeling nostalgic.

All three are on their way and I'm excited.

Clerics: B/X or LL?

2010-09-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

Our old-school-type game of choice is Labyrinth Lord. In LL, clerics get a spell at first level. B/X D&D makes clerics wait until the second level before they get their first spell.

What is your preference? Comments are welcome but I've also put a poll up in the side-bar.

Humanistic Fantasy

2010-09-22T23:14:00.000-07:00

I ran across the term "humanistic fantasy" while I was reading the primer for Rogue Games' Shadow, Sword & Spell. Here is their definition:

Humanistic fantasy is fantasy in which humans take the center stage. It is fantasy largely without the races familiar to fantasy today - elves, dwarves and the like.

This is the type of fantasy and fantasy role-playing game I prefer. It is one of the reasons I like Barbarians of Lemuria so much. Now I have a term for it.

So, why do I like humanistic fantasy so much? Good question. I'm glad you asked. I've been thinking about it since I read the primer. The only conclusion I have come to is that it is more about feeling than logic. It just doesn't feel right to me to have humanoids be a common occurrence. They should be rare and mysterious. Not something you see hanging out at the corner pub. So uncommon that, perhaps, they are endangered or even one of the last examples of their race. Just as I feel magic should be rare and dangerous, not something you use every morning to heat your tea. And, hey, these are characteristics of the sword and sorcery genre.

Oh, and my copy arrived today.

(As a side note, I googled the phrase and discovered that it is used frequently by religious folk to describe the world view of non-believers. But that's another story.)

My Nefarious Plan - Failed

2010-09-20T23:55:00.000-07:00

A while back I wrote a post about using BASH so have my son practice multiplication. Well, it turns out that, for some reason, BASH didn't strike a chord with either of us. Don't know why but it didn't. Maybe it's because we like the simplicity of Supers! but that's what we're going to stick with. We'll try BASH again in a few months.

An Interesting Article

2010-09-20T00:56:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know Robert Fisher has a blog where he talks about RPGs amongst other things. I ran across this archived piece he wrote about Classic D&D (i.e. B/X) and found it interesting. If you haven't read it, you may too.

D&D in My Imagination

2010-09-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

This is my response to Grognardia's post. Unlike many people I don't think of the lovely boxes the Basic games came in. My first D&D game was the Holmes Basic edition. I didn't remember that the box was color. What I remember is the blue rule-book cover and until recently I thought it was the box cover. So, this is what I think of when I think of D&D.

Labyrinth Lord and a World Building Exercise

2010-09-18T10:17:00.001-07:00

So, my son's interest has wandered back to Labyrinth Lord, which is where we started our RPG journey.

He told me he wanted to play a dwarf. I had him roll six times and apply the results as he wished. This way he was assured a dwarf. A bit latter he told me he wanted the dwarf to be a prince and wield a bone long sword. He was worried about rust monsters, he explained. I could see making his character a prince but I had reservations about the bone sword. I thought that in order to be a sturdy sword the bone sword, or 'Bone Sword' as I started thinking of it, should be a magic sword. And I wasn't going to give a starting character a magic sword. So I decided he needed to go on a quest for it. But why? I determined that I would have to work it into the background of the campaign world somehow. Then I realized that I needed to create a campaign world, which I haven't done in 30 years.

And here is the result:

From the Granite Shield Mountains in the East to the Greycap Ocean in the West, the land of Kalonin was peaceful and happy. The Three People lived in harmony ruled by the Council of Three Kings, a dwarf, an elf and a human. They reigned with the assistance and advice of the Gathering, an assembly comprised of representatives of each of the Three People. The land was prosperous and few knew want. But this golden age was fated to end. Dark forces began to gather in the wastelands beyond the Granite Shield Mountains. A Necromancer of enormous power began to weld the fractious Orcs, Goblins and other vile creatures into a powerful army. To prepare his way, the Necromancer sent twisted humans, dark elves and greedy dwarves into Kalonin to spread the tendrils of Chaos. The agents did their job well. Soon dissension and distrust began to split the peoples and the Kingdom. The evil ones preyed on the weak and greedy of all the races. The land was on the verge of civil war when the Necromancer struck. The hordes of Chaos poured through the mountains and into Kalonin. The battles swept across the verdant land leaving destruction, ruin and anarchy in their wake. The armies of the Three Peoples fought valiantly but, because of the dissension, separately. The lack of unity hampered the defence efforts and prolonged the war. Both the Dwarf king and the king of the Humans fell in battle. The Elf king also fell fighting the Necromancer but with his dying breath he unleashed a powerful sorcery which allow him to vanquish the evil entity with the Bone Sword. Without the Necromancer's leadership, the remainder of the forces of Chaos were destroyed or dispersed.

Kalonin was devastated. The end of the war saw none of the breaches between the Three Peoples heal. Each group shunned the others. The Elves disappeared into the Great Northern Forest and the Dwarves withdrew into the valleys and tunnels of the Granite Shield Mountains. The Humans had been the most populous and had suffered the greatest loses. To this day they have not been able to refill the land and many abandoned towns and other ruins dot the countryside. There is still a Human king but his power is much diminished. He controls nothing beyond his shrunken capitol. The rest of the land is ruled by local lords and other strongmen. The Dwarf king still rules but the Elves did not replace their fallen leader and live in independent bands in their forest fastness.

And this is the background for my son's character, who as yet is unnamed. The character's father is the son of the Dwarf king's youngest son. Thus he is a prince but not a powerful one. His father has been charged with running an isolated iron mine. The work is important but not glamorous. A large band of orcs attack the mine, a prelude to a larger invasion. The Dwarves fight valiantly, but in the end, futility. Just before leading the remaining warriors in a final stand, the character's father tasks him with taking the news to the Dwarf king. He also states that he believes the Necromancer is somehow behind the attack. It is a harrowing journey but the character makes it and delivers the message. His grandfather, the king, is greatly troubled. He tells his grandson the story of the Bone Sword and that the sword disappeared after the final battle and no one knows its location. Then he sends him on a quest to find the sword.

I have a map of the kingdom in mind and will post it if I can create decent rendition of it.

What do you think?

Kick-Ass

2010-09-08T23:45:00.000-07:00

I saw this movie the other night. My opinion can summed by the title.

Other than the superhero aspect, this really isn't my type of movie. I don't usually watch movies with over-the-top, gratuitous violence. But, for some reason, I found a twelve-year old girl who can cut through a crew of drug dealers like a scythe through wheat very endearing. And then there's the goofy lead. And Nicholas Cage.

It just pushed all the right buttons for me.

Centennial Post

2010-09-01T17:38:00.001-07:00

Well, this is my 100th post. Time flies when you're having fun.

Simon Washbourne has a forum where people can discuss his games. On one of his threads the posted a challenge. The challenge was to create four characters for Supers! that incorporate one of the following into the character's name: Blood, Song, Sphere or Volcano. His challenge is in post 34 of this thread. Here is my first entry.

Colin Savage effectively became an orphan at the age of 5 when his father went to prison for life and his mother fell into an abyss of drugs and alcohol. Bounced between uncaring relatives and foster homes, he grew up a petty thief and a thug. One night he cornered a young woman in a dark alley. But things didn't go as expected. He was saved from a grotesque death by Commander Power, who happened to be patrolling in the area. The woman escaped when Commander Power realized how near death Colin was and rushed him to the nearest hospital instead of pursuing the her. Colin made a near-miraculous recovery from his wounds in a very short time. Slowly, over the next several week his powers, and the thirst, manifested themselves. Now called Blood Fiend, Colin is gathering minions in a bid to make himself the dark lord of Supersville's criminal underworld.

Blood Fiend

Resistances

Composure 2D

Fortitude 3D

Reaction 2D

Will 3D

Aptitudes

Intrusion 3D

Streetwise 2D

All the Rest 1D

Powers

Vampiric Powers 4D

Mind Control 4D

Flight 1D

Super Senses

-Heightened Scent 1d

-Night Sight 1D

Super Strength 2D

Ads

Charismatic

Disads

Addiction - Blood

I Have a Local Game Store!

2010-08-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

I just discovered that I have a local game store now. A game shop that I visited infrequently that was located about 20 miles away has moved to about three miles down the road. I need to visit and see if they still have the same selection.

I Love this Picture

2010-08-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

My two favorite graphic novels are Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns. Thus I love this picture.

Merlyn's

2010-08-18T02:02:00.000-07:00

Dragonflight, the Seattle gaming con, was this last weekend. I didn't get to go. I was in Spokane visiting in-laws. (Truthfully, I probably wouldn't have been able to go anyway but it makes a better story this way.) All was not lost however. I managed to sneak away for awhile and hit Merlyn's, a local game shop. I'm glad I did. It was much larger than I expected. It carries a selection of both new and used rpgs, board games and comic books. It has a small selection of science fiction books and a gaming area that took up a third or more of the floorspace. The staff was helpful, asking if I was finding everything but leaving me alone most of the time. When I did have questions about a game or a comic book issue the clerk was knowledgeable and helpful. Overall I really liked the store. I bought a copy of Foundation Transmissions, a supplement for Thousand Suns, a game I own in pdf form but haven't had the chance to read yet.

My Nefarious Plan

2010-08-11T15:16:00.001-07:00

We love Supers! at our house. If you follow this blog you probably know it is our most played game followed by Barbarians of Lemuria. Both of my boys are good at mathematics for their age. My oldest son, however much he grasps the concepts of math and the beginnings of algebra, he does not like rote memorization. Thus he at times has trouble with the upper multiplication tables. I can completely understand this because I went through the same thing.

So, my plan:

Supers! relies on addition. You roll a handful of dice and add them up. This is good practice for my six-year old. He's getting good at glancing at a group of dice and knowing the total. Now since the superhero genre is so popular amongst the younger generation here I am planning to order the new addition of BASH (the old edition didn't do anything for me but reviews have good things to say about the improvements and expansions to the new edition.) BASH relies on multiplication for dice results. Roll two d6s and multiply by attribute or skill. This will be perfect for my older son. He will be practicing his multiplication skill under the guise of defeating villains. (And this is actually one of the stated goals the author of the game had for the original edition.) I told my wife about this and she was enthused. So, instead of buying just the pdf I am buying the hardcopy too.

An enjoyable game, educational benefits and spousal approval. I love it when a plan comes together.

Disappointment

2010-08-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

I was disappointed to read this post by J.B. over at B/X Blackrazor. I feel even worse because I live about 45 minutes or so away. Perhaps I'll be able to make it down for a little gaming one weekend. The problem is I work every other weekend (I worked the day he's talking about) and family obligations keep me close to home on my days off.

GM or Player?

2010-08-09T14:19:00.001-07:00

I asked my 10 year old which he liked better, being the player or the gm. Without hesitation he answered gm. I asked him why? He replied that as gm he was the ruler of the world. I'm glad I can contribute to his budding megalomania.

Mini-Six

2010-08-08T02:44:00.000-07:00

AntiPaladin Games has revised their Mini-Six rules and posted it to their website. Mini-Six is a cool little generic D6 derived game that seems simple and flexible. You can find it at their website here.

Hylas Jones and the Cup of Heracles

2010-08-05T00:36:00.000-07:00

My son and I have played two sessions of our Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief based Supers! game. My son has read all five books in the series and movie is currently his favorite movie of all time. I've read half of the first book in the series (so far) and have seen the movie. So I'm winging it a bit as the GM. For those of you not familiar with the series, Percy Jackson is a half-blood. His father is the Greek god Poseidon and his mom is a mortal. The Greek myths are true and fantastical creatures exist. Oh, and the Greek gods migrate with the center of the Western World. So the current Mount Olympus is located on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building.

Here's the set up:

Hylas Jones is twelve years old and his best friend is named Mac. (I gave my son a list of ancient Greek names and Hylas is what he picked. I picked Jones because he couldn't think of a last name.) Hylas doesn't know it but his father is the god Zeus.

The call to action (literally):

Hylas receives a phone call at school from his mom. She orders Hylas home immediately and tells him he needs to bring Mac. Mac (also twelve) recognizes the urgency of the message, gets a motorcycle and drives them to Hylas' apartment. The place has been ransacked. The boys find a note from Hylas' mother. It says that "the Cup" has been stolen and she has gone to recover it. Hylas doesn't know about any cup but Mac tells him it is an important gift from his father. Neither Hylas nor Mac have any idea where she has gone. Mac, however, says he knows someone who can tell them. They need to go to Delphi, Ohio to talk to a fortune-teller.

The journey:

Hylas doesn't know how they will get there but Mac says he'll drive. He comes back a short time later with a car. After gathering supplies they drive off. They drive all day and stop late in the evening. They sleep in the car. Hylas wakes to the sound of Mac leaving the car. He says he needs to use the bushes. While Mac is gone a van pulls up and five men in long black coats get out and surround the car. When Hylas gets out they try to grab him. Hylas fights back as best he could. Mac comes out of the bushes and yells for Hylas to run. Hylas hightails it out of there. After he hits the forest and hides, he hears a bellow from behind him. He eventually hears footsteps coming toward him. It's Mac. Mac says the men are gone. He tells Hylas that he threatened to call 911 and the men left. After hours of driving they finally reach Delphi. They find the fortune teller's shop and enter. She seems to know them and refers to Mac as Maceros. It is smoke filled and the lady, Mac keeps calling her Pythia, sits them down and asks them their business. Hylas explains that they are looking for his mom. Pythia goes into a trance and says that she sees his mom in an underground city in his home town (Seattle). But they will need the key to get her. When they leave Mac gives her some odd coins.

Mac tells Hylas he knows where to get the key. It is at the national mint in Denver. They travel for awhile but then Mac pulls over into an isolated field and says that they need to talk. He tells Hylas he is not a normal kid. He is the son of Zeus and he has special powers. Hylas doesn't really believe him until Mac flattens his rather voluminous hair and show Hylas small bull horns. Mac tells Hylas that he is his protector and that he's not really twelve. The cup they are looking for is the Cup of Heracles. The cup was a gift from Zeus to Hylas' mother. The cup protected Hylas from supernatural beings. He then teaches Hylas how to use his powers. Being the son of Zeus the powers are electricity bases. After a little practice they drive on. Several hours later they stop so Mac can use the bushes. Suddenly 16 men in black coats appear. They state that they are the Myrmidons. They take off their coats and are wearing bronze armor, have shields, spears and bronze helmets. They attack. Hylas uses his control of electricity to blast away at the men. He defends himself with his fighting ability. Suddenly a bull burst forth from the foliage and attacks the men. Between the two they defeat the men.

And my son is looking forward to session three.

Hylas Jones

Son of Zeus

Resistances

Composure 2D

Fortitude 3D

Reaction 2D

Will 2D

Aptitudes

Animal Handling 3D (Birds 4D)

Fighting 2D

All the Rest 1D

Powers

Energy Control - Electricity 5D

Energy Form - Electricity 1D

Disad

Enemy(s)

Competency Pool 8D

Recent Purchases

2010-07-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

I've been on a bit of a spending spree lately. I have acquired Agon and Og Unearthed Edition in hard copy and Cartoon Action Hour and Thousand Suns in pdf. I've only had the chance to read a bit of Agon so far. It is about what I expected which is a positive thing in this case. I really like the list of Greek names in the back of the book.

Supers! and Percy Jackson

2010-07-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

I was discussing Supers! with my son yesterday before our gaming session and I mentioned that Conan had been statted up for Supers! over at Vargold. First I had to explain who Conan was and then I had to tell him that I would usually create Conan for a game like Barbarians of Lemuria. Then I casually mentioned we could probably run Percy Jackson, his current obsession (along with Supers!), with Supers! Well, that was that. He Gm'd the second session of our Supers! campaign and then charged me with creating a Percy Jackson campaign. I think it will be pretty simple. I just need to translate the various powers displayed into the superhero powers and I'm set. He's already created an original character so the game isn't going to include Percy directly. I'll run it in that style but make it our own.

Dogs of WAR

2010-07-14T22:12:00.001-07:00

I don't think I mentioned that I picked up the PDF of Dogs of W*A*R by Simon Washbourne about a month ago. It is his men's adventure adaptation of BoL. I read it through and it is about what you would expect from such an adaptation. Aimed at the Mack Bolan/A-Team type vibe. It meets this goal. There are tweaks to the professions' system and it covers firearms and such. I think this could be a fun game if you are in the mood for this type of action. Problem is I'm not in the mood for it. I really don't know why. I read it and it left me cold. At one time I would've eaten a game like this up. Maybe my tastes will drift back toward it.

Concrete

2010-07-08T02:22:00.001-07:00

My son decided he wanted to GM of Supers! for me. Here is the character I created for his game.

Jesse Peters grew up poor and alone in the Burnside area of Supercity. His single mother worked long hours to support the two of them and being small for his age the other kids picked on him mercilessly. One day he discovered a hidden cave in a hillside near his home. Although the cave was damp it became Jesse's refuge from the world. He began to spend more and more time there. He explored it's deeper recesses and attempted to make it more comfortable. What he didn't know was that the ground water was contaminated with toxic waste from the nearby power plant. Prolonged exposure effected Jesse's skin and metabolism. One day he woke up with a severe rash. He hid it from his mother as long as he could because he knew she would spend what little money they had on medicine to comfort him. Soon he began to change. His skin turned rough and grey. He grew stronger and healed from injuries quicker. It turned out that the toxic waste combined with the dirt and concrete from the hillside above changed Jesse into a concrete monster. Ashamed he disappeared. The few people who saw him thought he was a monster. Jesse retreated to him cave and lived a solitary life there. He only emerged at night when he was less likely to be seen. One night he saw an elderly man being attacked by a gang of thugs. With barely a thought Jesse leaped into action and drove the thugs away. After this he decided to turn his misfortune into a positive force. He became Concrete.

Concrete
Name: Jesse Peters

Resistances
Composure 3D
Fortitude 4D
Reaction 2D

Will 2D

Aptitudes
Fighting 3D
Streetwise 2D
All the Rest 1D

Powers
Armor 4D
Elemental Control - Earth 3D
Regeneration 1D
Super-Strength 5D

Ads
Hideout

Disads
Disreputable (Looks like a monster)
Poor
Strange Looking

I can't wait to play.

Barbarians of Mycenae

2010-06-27T00:44:00.001-07:00

I was reading through my copy of Gurps Greece the other day when it struck me. Heroic/Homeric/Bronze Age/Mycenaean Greece would be a great setting for Barbarians of Lemuria. Think about it. The heroes of the time were larger than life, kick butt types. Think of Hercules or Achilles. Or they could be extremely wily as Odysseus was. Most of them did not use magic directly though some used magic-type items. The items the gods lent Perseus fall into this category.

Also you could scale the level of fantastic to suit your tastes. You could play it almost strictly "historical" by having inter-kingdom conflict, trade and social interplay be the main focus of the game. You could include realistic depictions of the sources of the myths. The origin of the centaur myth comes to mind. Or you could take it up a notch to include some of the real creatures faced by various heroes. I'm thinking of the Nemean lion, the various boars and bulls, the terrible birds, etc. Real creatures made particularly fierce or nasty. Or you could take it up another level by including the non-realistic creatures such as the Minotaur or the hydra. And finally you could have a full blown fantasy world including meddling gods, an array of monsters, and weird demi-humans. Or you could mix-and-match to taste.

Has anybody thought of this in connection with Barbarians of Lemuria? Has anybody created stats for Greek heroes? How would you stat up Hercules, for example? Any thoughts, comments or suggestions?

I also posted this on Rpg.net here.

Supers! Sourcebook and Session Report

2010-06-12T01:15:00.001-07:00

I like the Supers! Sourcebook. It contains a few optional rules, four new powers and a boatload of NPCs. My son grabbed it, read it and immediately wanted to make a new character that incorporated one of the new powers. And thus we started our Supers! campaign afresh.

He named his character Ken. Ken is an 18 year old who does not remember his past. He wakes up in a dumpster in an alley. A woman is being robbed by a band of thugs. Ken rushes to her aid and gets into a fight with the five guys. During the fight Ken discovers he has superpowers. He has super-strength and can mimic/become any substance he touches. (My son is a big fan of Ben Ten.) He turns to concrete and puts the thump to the bad guys, knocking three out and driving the other two off. He is making sure the woman is OK when the two that ran away come back with a big dude. Another fight ensues and Ken is victorious. In the meantime the woman called the police and they arrive just as Ken defeats the big guy. The police take the woman's story and take Ken and the bad guys to the station. The large, muscular but kindly Detective Kenyon talks to Ken in a room with a softly glowing green light. After being unable to determine Ken's identity the detective refers Ken to the home of a Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Smith takes in boys who are having problems, housing and feeding them until they get back on their feet. End of session one.

Ken

Resistances
Composure 2

Fortitude 2

Reaction 2

Will 2

Aptitudes

Fighting 2

Streetwise 2

Shooting 2

All the Rest 1

Powers

Mimic Substance 6

Super-Strength 6

Ads

Tolerance

Disads

Poor

Supers! Sourcebook

2010-05-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

The Supers! Sourcebook has been released. I can't wait to get it.

Frostbite

2010-05-20T01:09:00.001-07:00

Thomas Ebersol was a young graduate student studying cryogenics at the University of Superville when he was assigned to an internship at the Burnbright Nuclear Power Plant. Dr. Herbert Hammond (aka Ubermind) did not like this as he did not want outsiders in his lair. Ebersol's criticism of the plant's cooling system only exacerbated the situation. Although he made great strides in modernizing the cooling system, Dr. Hammond arranged for an "accident". Dr. Hammond secretly disabled the safety mechanism on the vat of supercooled liquid that Ebersol was working on. Late one night a nozzle burst knocking Ebersol into the liquid. His body was never found. Hammond assumed his body froze solid instantly and shattered at the molecular level. He created a cover story about Ebersol quiting to avert suspicion. In actuality Thomas survived through sheer luck though he was changed. His skin, hair and eyes were transformed to a sickly shade of pale blue-white. He became able to create and manipulate ice. He could throw ice balls and shoot powerful streams of ice as well as create thick shields of ice to protect himself. He could also paralyse others by simply touching them. But he could no longer stand heat. Any temperature above freezing became uncomfortable for him. He became...

Frostbite

Resistances

Composure 4D

Fortitude 2D

Reaction 2D

Will 2D

Aptitudes

Academia 2D

Technology 3D

All the Rest 1D

Powers

Elemental Control - Ice 5D

Armor 3D

Paralysis (Touch Attack) 4D

Dumb Luck

Disad

Vulnerability - Heat

Thomas is ashamed of his condition and wants to find a way to change himself back. He is poor, however, and funds his researches through theft. He lives and works in a large, abandoned ice-cream factory freezer. He is not inherently evil but his obsession with becoming "normal" and his superhuman composure caused his transformation makes him dangerous.