Modesto California

**rbezold** · Mar 9th, '03, 11:35 AM

Im moving to Modesto in May, and i hope to start a Champions campaign there. Anyone who wants to be ready to go when I get there (or anyone who just wants to do a little impromptu PBEM) should send an email telling me about your character (rbezold@turbonet.com). Character design is:

Base points: 225
Disadvantages: 225 (60 max/catagory)
Characteristics: 15-60
Speed: Based on the active point total of your largest power 8(40) 7(50) 6(60) 5(70) 4(90) 3(110) 2(130) 1(up to 150 max)
CV: 8-14
DC: 8-30 (see speed)
Active points: 40-150 (see speed)
Non-combat skills/perks/talents/bases/vehicles/followers: 50-100
Skill Roll: 11-16
Def/RDef: 30/20

The world is basicly our own. There was a brief golden age of heroes in the '40s followed by a long dearth of heroes until 5 years ago. More details when you email me...

**AndyM** · Mar 14th, '03, 10:20 AM

Will this game concentrate on finding young women? And dealing with corrupt politicians? Or will this game be set in a nicer Modesto, Ca?

Andy

**Cool_Manchu** · Mar 14th, '03, 11:08 AM

Have you ever been to Modesto? I feel very sorry for you. I wish you the best.

Hey, George Lucas is from there, so it can't be all bad can it?

Uh...well...hmmm....scratch that....

**rbezold** · Mar 14th, '03, 12:53 PM

Let me put it this way...

1) The campaign will be set in the mythical city of New York (Metropolis, Gotham, whatever..)

2) Why am I going to Modesto? A) They offered to double my pay. B) It's close proximity to San Francisco. C) You've obviously never been to the backwoods of Idaho.

But then again, I've never been to Modesto. What I know about the place stems from the City's website. So what's it like?

Bob

**keithcurtis** · Mar 14th, '03, 02:24 PM

Speaking as a resident of the Central valley, It's like Fresno, only smaller, or Merced, only larger.

You're about an hour and a half from the Bay Area, depending on how you drive and your ultimate destination.
There is at least one large comic store (might sell game stuff. It's been ten years since I did any shopping there.
It is flat. The whole Central Valley is flat as a board with GIANT farms. Uncomfortably hot in the summer, foggy in the winter. The air isn't as bad as other parts of the valley, but you won't be happy if you have asthma or allergies. It gets progressively worse the farther you get south until you hit Bakersfield where they have to cut out chunks of it with blowtorches.

Keith "Fresnan" Curtis

**Cool_Manchu** · Mar 14th, '03, 03:46 PM

Keith said it pretty well and even if I was offered triple what I make now, I wouldn't move to Modesto...but then again, I don't live in Idaho, but I picture that its not much different than Modesto.

Now, back to Keith, considering he lives in the city with the name that says it all, FresNO, and he is dissin' Modesto, it gives you an idea of how bad it is...

He did leave out one major thing, how windy it gets but he is right about the wonderful new allergies you will get from living there.

But hey, it gets you out of Idaho...

And to get to SF in an hour and half from Modesto, you will have to drive like a bat out of Hell....well I guess you are driving out of Hell, but are you a Bat?

**keithcurtis** · Mar 14th, '03, 04:11 PM

Originally posted by Cool_Manchu
And to get to SF in an hour and half from Modesto, you will have to drive like a bat out of Hell....well I guess you are driving out of Hell, but are you a Bat?

True, but I said the Bay Area, not quite the same thing as getting into the City.

Keith "Mr. Nit-Picky" Curtis

**Toadmaster** · Mar 14th, '03, 06:55 PM

On the plus side you can still get a house for $100,000 try that in Santa Cruz, if you're lucky you might get a refrigerator box. You can get to Oakland in 1 1/2 hours easy except for commute hours, Monterey (the ocean) or San Jose in a little over 2 hours and Yosemite in about 3 hours. Its really not that bad, the area is growing fast, decent malls with Barnes & Noble and Borders. Good game stores in Berkeley, Oakland and Castro Valley (Games of Berkeley, End game and Epic Worlds), about an hour from Dundra Con. Fresno has a good game store in the tower district great for old games but I can't remember the name.

Sure California has some nicer places if you can afford them but I'm considering moving to Tracy (about 1/2 hour away) so I can get out of an apartment and back into a house and at least its not Bakersfield, I lived there for two years talk about a wasteland.

**tgaptte** · Mar 14th, '03, 09:02 PM

Hey rzebold,

Are you willing to travel to game? How far? Oakland is ~1 to 1.5 hours away...we have a regular group and would welcome another GM. I live in San Jose (~1.5 hour from Modesto) and it's about an hour for me to drive to Oakland.

Tim

**AndyM** · Mar 14th, '03, 10:17 PM

Dude ... let's all move there. We can have a big hippie-style Hero commune. Free games and Mountain Dew!

That's what I'm talking about. Modesto Ma'ma ... I'm writing songs already.

It's late here on the east coast. I assume that that's coloring this entire thing.

Andy

Free games and Mountain Dew! Rock on ... Modesto Ma'ma ... Rock on ... (fade gituars, like an Eagles song)

**Mightybec** · Mar 14th, '03, 10:52 PM

Hey, the Fresno area's not all bad. We've got some cool bums, and the roaches downtown are the size of turtles.

Mightybec

**Cool_Manchu** · Mar 17th, '03, 10:05 AM

Hey now, I never said that Santa Cruz was the land of milk and honey. Hell, I pay $1350 for an apartment, granted, its huge and has a great view of downtown, its still $1350 a month!

You are right about the house prices as well, a two-bedroom will run you around $375,000 for a fixer upper in Santa Cruz, but to be honest, I would rather rent for the rest of my life than have to live in that God forsaken place known as the San Joaquin valley ever again.

If I had a single wish, I would wish for Pachecho Pass to end in Mariposa and the whole land inbetween be sent to another dimension. Sorry to all your crank addicts out there, I know all the meth labs will dissapear in California, but think of it this way...you will be in the other dimension with them, so no need to worry...

This true confession is from a former Tracy resident, so I know what I am talking about here and not just flaming some place I never lived, I hate the San Joaquin valley and have many reason to do so.

Also, please note that this is all in good fun....

And, to the guy in San Jose, I would love to hear about your game if you have any open spots, as I live right over the hill from you...

**MarkusDark** · Mar 17th, '03, 10:32 AM

The game in Oakland/Fremont/San Jose area is one that is more or less filled right now. Game size is optimum at 6 players and we have a tentative 8. Usually one or two don't make it (Friday nights and all) so it usually is balanced.

However, we would be willin' to let another join on in if he was willing to GM. Our current GM (me) suffers from occasional burnout due to other areas of his hectic life.

**Cool_Manchu** · Mar 17th, '03, 10:50 AM

To be completely honest, I am suffering from GM burnout. I have only played in one campaign in the 20 years that I have been playing this game and ran countless campaigns and don't have the energy to do it right now...

My current group needs a GM and we play in Santa Cruz, our current DM is leaving in May, but to be honest, one of the players has talked about taking over the game, so we will need new players, let me know if you are interested or if you know anyone who is...

And Oakland is really too far for me to drive for a regular game...

**Toadmaster** · Mar 17th, '03, 11:24 AM

I know exactly what you mean, if there was a way I could I would be living in 1/2 moon bay, Santa Cruz, Monterey, the East Bay, Tahoe etc, almost anyplace else, I'm not a huge fan of the Central valley either but there are much worse places to live I know I've lived in them. At least Modesto, Tracy Stockton area are close to real civilization and affordable. I also realize most of this has been in fun, but wasn't sure if rbezold knows that he (she?) is not actually moving to Hell, just a suburb of it.