Lensman Hero

[AlHazred]

Has anyone done any work on a Lensman Hero adaptation? I'm reading this series, and it's not bad.

[John Desmarais]

Re: Lensman Hero

 

Originally posted by AlHazred

Has anyone done any work on a Lensman Hero adaptation? I'm reading this series, and it's not bad.

 

I thought about for a while, and finialy determined that my wife (who games with us) would not be amused by the way females are handled in the setting.

 

If you can find it, GURPS Lensman has a lot of good info and fairly easily converts to Hero.

 

John D.

[Mavnn]

This kind of game would depend a lot on what 'Stage' of lensman you wanted players to have available.

 

Stage 1 lensmen are pulp heroes with some unusual abilities, second stage lensmen are superpowered mental powerhouses (and physical, depending on race) while stage 3 lensmen are just plain insane in power level.

 

In all cases for equipment needs to be powerful enough to make up for the differences in physical abilities among the races. Kinnison is frequently massively outclassed in physical strength and toughness, but give him a delamiter and some armour and he'll take out anything that moves.

 

Michael

[Metaphysician]

In my Champions campaign, one of our players is playing a quasi-Lensmen character. He's built on 750 points, and probably a little underpowered compared to the real thing ( ie, his armor can't completely shrug off nukes ).

[AlHazred]

I was toying with how to write up the Lenses. Sure, they've got Universal Translator and Cryptography to the 25- level, but what about the way they "enhance" the wearer? Basically, then, possession of a Lens is the key difference between the 100-point Heroic level and the 250+ point Superheroic level...

[Caped Crusader]

I thought about for a while, and finialy determined that my wife (who games with us) would not be amused by the way females are handled in the setting.

Not a huge surprise, considering they were written in the 1930's. Those attitudes were much more acceptable back then.

[Peregrine]

Originally posted by Caped Crusader

Not a huge surprise, considering they were written in the 1930's. Those attitudes were much more acceptable back then.

 

And less abusive in practice than contemporary accounts would indicate. (Yes, there was abusive behavior then... and there still is now.)

[Caped Crusader]

Heck, in those books, a "computer" was a guy who computes.

[Mavnn]

Originally posted by Peregrine

And less abusive in practice than contemporary accounts would indicate. (Yes, there was abusive behavior then... and there still is now.)

 

I always thought 'Doc' Smith's attitude to women was interesting. He was obviously effected by the prevailing attitudes of this times, but if you read through his stories (not just lensmen) there are numerious strong female characters. The Red Lensman, the daughters of Kinnison, the women in the Skylark books. It's been a while since I've read family d'Alambert (sp?) but I seem to remember some strong female's in that too.

 

They do have a habit of screaming and fainting at the slightest provocation, I admit, but if you notice they only do that as long as it's an option. The moment they really have to do something they just get on with it.

 

Michael

[John Desmarais]

Originally posted by Peregrine

And less abusive in practice than contemporary accounts would indicate. (Yes, there was abusive behavior then... and there still is now.)

 

Doc Smith's attitude towards women (in his books at least) was never abusive - but they were definitely considered to be the "weaker sex" and couldn't utilize the lens (except for one special case, which was was strongly painted as special that you wouldn't want to use it as an excuse to ignore teh gender limitation).

 

John D.

[Guest Major Tom]

Originally posted by AlHazred

I was toying with how to write up the Lenses. Sure, they've got Universal Translator and Cryptography to the 25- level, but what about the way they "enhance" the wearer? Basically, then, possession of a Lens is the key difference between the 100-point Heroic level and the 250+ point Superheroic level...

 

AlHazred, as I understand the way in which the Lens was supposed

to work, it didn't have any powers of its own (other than being an

interpeter of any intelligent communication, whether oral or

written); rather, it acted as an amplifier of a sentient being's

already-existing abilities, or in the case of the other races of

Civilization from which most of the Lensmen were initially chosen

from -- the Palainians, the Rigellians, and the Velantians -- it gave

them qualities which didn't exist within their psychological make-

up. In other words, a Human wearer of the Lens must already

possess some level of telepathic power for the Lens to provide

additional telepathic ability and range.

 

For that reason, I think that this aspect of the Lens could be

written up as an Aid to Telepathy, with the Limitation: Only when

in direct contact with the Lens. You also need to come up with

a massive Killing Attack (to represent the fact that the Lens will

instantly kill anyone who attempts to wear it, other than its

wearer).

 

Major Tom

[Dr. Anomaly]

Originally posted by Mavnn

It's been a while since I've read family d'Alambert (sp?) but I seem to remember some strong female's in that too.

I'll bet you're thinking of Yvette, aren't you? Of the brother/sister team Jules & Yvette, the heavyworlder acrobats?

 

(Oh, and I'm not talking about physical strength here, though Yvetter certainly had that...I'm talking about strength of will and strength of character.)