Cartoon Hero

[Nyrath]

A long time ago, as sort of comic relief for my gaming group, I once dumped them into the world of WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? At one point they were infiltrating the mastermind's secret hide-out (Wile E. Coyote) and suffered through the dire traps.

 

There were dropping anvils (transform: character into same character only compressed accordion-fashion to one quarter height, powered armor characters transformed into a large tin can labeled "Canned Superhero"), sticks of dynamite (4d6 stun only + cosmetic transform: covered with black soot and all hair pointing away from blast point), flame throwers (4d6 stun + transform into a man-sized burnt match that crumbles into powder), portable holes, boxing gloves on springs, and similar items.

 

I was reminded of all this when I stumbled over the Illustrated catalog of Acme products.

 

Any ideas for similar Looney Toons gags in Hero system format?

[zornwil]

Re: Cartoon Hero

 

Wow, that's a great resource! I think anything I can think of would be there, but as another reference point for how this sort of world would be I heartily encourage you to read the "Three Fingers" graphic novel.

[tkdguy]

Re: Cartoon Hero

 

Didn't we have a TOON HERO thread a while back?

[shem_whistler]

Re: Cartoon Hero

 

That would be great if anyone else has similar Hero conversions of Toon abilities.

 

I have a charcater concept for a hero called "The 'Toon" but have not even gotten started on creating powers.

 

So I'd be interested to see any other ideas.

 

Cheers

Shem

[Basil]

Re: Cartoon Hero

 

You can find some ideas re. cartoon heroes in Adventurers Club #27, in the article "Funny Animal Champions."

 

HTH

[shem_whistler]

Re: Cartoon Hero

 

You can find some ideas re. cartoon heroes in Adventurers Club #27, in the article "Funny Animal Champions."

 

HTH

 

That sounds good, unfortunately I don't know what Adventurers Club is, it sounds like a magazine, is that correct?

 

Cheers

Shem

[zornwil]

Re: Cartoon Hero

 

That sounds good, unfortunately I don't know what Adventurers Club is, it sounds like a magazine, is that correct?

 

Cheers

Shem

It's the old HERO magazine of yore. Not too hard, but not too easy, to find. I'm sure someone might share the article with you, though. I don't have any of those, myself.

[shem_whistler]

Re: Cartoon Hero

 

Thanks for that, I'll have to keep an eye out for that.

 

Shem

[Southern Cross]

Re: Cartoon Hero

 

I suggest cheecking out the online store.I have to warn you though,Adventurer's Club predates the Fourth Edition,so anything from before AC#15 or so will need a major conversion job.

[Basil]

Re: Cartoon Hero

 

I suggest cheecking out the online store.I have to warn you though' date='Adventurer's Club predates the Fourth Edition,so anything from before AC#15 or so will need a major conversion job.[/quote']

 

Actually, it predates the 5th edition; some predate the 4th, but not issue #27. Actually, issue #27 was the last issue.

[Nyrath]

Re: Cartoon Hero

 

Here are some notes. They are from about 3rd Edition Hero, so they will need updating.

The idea was that the characters were roaming around the warehouses of the Acme company in Toon-town. Whenever they opened a box, they would roll on the table to discover the items in the box. They used these items to lay taps for each other.

 

[1] 100 TON WEIGHT: 12d6 physical attack. Cosmetic transformation: human-shaped pancake. Exception: armored characters transformed into a tin can with the label "Canned Superhero". Weight must be thrown with a strength of 60 or lifted and dropped with a pulley system.

 

[2] ANVIL: 6d6 physical attack + one level of shrinking (one turn duration). Anvil must be thrown with strength of 30 or lifted and dropped with a pulley system. Cosmetic transformation: human-shaped accordion with large red lump on their head. Exception: armored characters will resemble a crushed beer can.

 

[3] BALLOON: 3" flight, straight up only. Can lift any object (anvil, 100 ton weight, etc.). Makes a slowly-rising slide-whistle sound. Balloon (and flight power) is instantly destroyed by any attack that does 1 point of body, or contact with any pointed object. If destroyed, all characters within 20 hexes have their hearing sense flashed by the loud "POP!" noise.

 

[4] BANANA PEEL: Any ground moving character entering a hex with a banana peel will instantly move in an uncontrolled fashion. They will move in a straight line at their initial velocity until one of two conditions are met:

a) They run into an object or wall, at which point they will take velocity damage and fall down in that hex

They fail their dex roll while in motion. They must make a dex roll for every three hexes traveled. Failure results in falling down in that hex and taking velocity damage. A player may voluntarily fall at any time.

 

Note that while sliding the player is at half DCV, due to the fact that they are frantically flailing their arms instead of dodging. Peels are assumed to be invisible, since toons never notice it until it is too late.

 

[5] BEAR TRAP: 3D6HKA plus 30 STR grab. Trap makes loud "SNAP!!" noise. Trapped player must make an ego roll or emit a blood-curdling scream. Player must make a str vs str roll in order to make the trap let go. For next phase, the player is at half ground movement due to their leg being in the shape of a zig-zag resembling the pattern of trap teeth. One triggered, the trap is harmless until re-set. Trap can be spotted with a perception roll, unless well-hid.

 

[7] BOXING GLOVE: +5d6 str damage (due to horse shoes inside) OIF. Glove may be worn by a character, or place on the end of an object (e.g., the giant spring). When a character is hit, one of the following cosmetic transformations happen for one turn:

1) Face becomes concave

2) Both eyes become black and bruised

3) All teeth fall out with a noise like a window shattering

4) Little canaries fly around character's head, twittering

 

[8] BUBBLE GUM: 2" flight, straight up only. Character must chew gum and blow bubble. Makes a slowly-rising slide-whistle sound. Bubble (and flight power) is instantly destroyed by any attack that does 1 point of body, or contact with any pointed object. If destroyed, all characters within 20 hexes have their hearing sense flashed by the loud "POP!" noise. The formerly flying character takes falling damage, and suffer a 1d6 entangle of sticky gum.

 

[9] BUCKET OF GREASE WITH PAINTBRUSH: Can paint three adjacent hexes with grease per phase. Alternatively can toss the can, creating an area of 1d6 radius centered on the impact hex. Any ground moving character entering a hex painted with grease will instantly move in an uncontrolled fashion. They will move in a straight line at their initial velocity until one of three conditions are met:

a) They run into an object or wall, at which point they will take velocity damage and fall down in that hex

They enter a non-greased hex. If they fail their dex roll-3 they will fall down in the hex and take velocity damage. Otherwise they safely come to a stop.

c) They fail their dex roll while in motion. They must make a dex roll for every three grease hexes traveled. Failure results in falling down in that hex and taking velocity damage. After falling down, during the next phase, the player may crawl out of the greased area if they make their dex roll. A player may voluntarily fall at any time.

 

Note that while sliding the player is at half DCV, due to the fact that they are frantically flailing their arms instead of dodging. Grease is assumed to be invisible, since toons never notice it until it is too late.

 

[10] CANNON WITH PULL ROPE: Object or person inside cannon when rope is pulled experiences 20 hexes of flight in a straight line along the axis of the cannon. Everybody within 20 hexes has their hearing sense flashed. Can load the cannon with the CANNONBALL: 8d6 explosive radius. A direct hit on a character will also do a cosmetic transformation (a one foot in diameter hole in their stomach for one turn)

 

[11] MARTIAN DISINTEGRATION GUN: Transformation attack: human into a hat with two feet. 3 charges. Makes a loud "ZAP" sound. Character cannot do anything but patter around the room and curse. Effect is removed by the Martian Re-integrating Chamber. Note that the first time the gun is used, a roll of 8 or less means that the weapon is actually a Martian disintegratING gun, and the gun will merely crumble into dust when the trigger is pulled.

 

[12] MARTIAN RE-INTEGRATING CHAMBER: Removes the effect of the Martian

Disintegration Gun.

 

[13] ELECTRICAL OUTLET: If a conductor somehow connects the outlet with a character (or if character sticks finger in outlet) they will suffer 8d6 energy damage. Makes an electrical shorting sound, and character momentarily has a glowing electric aura with their skeleton outlined in fire.

 

[14] ELECTRIC FAN: 5 hexes of horizontal movement. Power cord is 10 hexes long. Works well with Balloon or Bubble gum.

 

[15] STICK OF DYNAMITE/BLACK BALL WITH FUSE: 12d6 explosion + cosmetic transformation (covered with black soot and all hair pointing away from ground zero). Fuse must be lit with matches or other thermal attack. Fuse can be cut to length: one phase delay in detonation per 4 hexes of fuse. Alternatively can use supplied detonator (box with a "T" shaped plunger on top). Sticks of dynamite can be en placed, or lit and thrown.

 

[16] GIANT BOW: Requires str of 20 to stretch bow. When released, any object or character inside the bow experiences 10 hexes of flight in a straight line along axis of bow. Makes a loud "TWANG!" noise.

 

[17] GIANT FLY SWATTER: Allows user to inflict their str damage in a 1 hex radius (7 hex total). The center hex can be anywhere within a range of 5 hexes. Characters attack will in addition to suffering str damage will also have a cosmetic transform into a person with a waffle-iron pattern over their face.

 

[18] GIANT MAGNET: 40 str telekinesis, area effect cone, only vs metal objects, objects can only move towards magnet. Makes a theramin sound and emits sine wave shaped magnetic waves. The magnet experiences the attraction as well, and user must expend 40 str or will be dragged with it. If magnet is tied with rope, it must have enough loops to provide 40 str or rope will snap. Note that this is a toon magnet, it will attract all metal, not just ferrous metals. When a box containing a magnet is opened, all characters within 2 hexes who are wearing anything metal must make a str vs str roll or be sucked into the box. Warning, do NOT aim the magnet at land mines.

 

[19] GIANT RUBBER BAND: Can store up to 60 str points, limited by combined strength of characters stretching the band. When released, any object or character inside the band is thrown with the stored strength. Band will make loud "BOING!" noise. Band must be held taut the same strength as is stored in it, either by the characters or secured with a rope. Alternate attack: band may be placed across a doorway. Any character failing their perception roll will be thrown back the way they came at the same speed and distance.

 

[20] GIANT SKYROCKET: 15 hexes of flight in a straight line. Can be used as a move through. Needs fire or other thermal attack to ignite fuse. Misfire 11 or less, explodes with 10d6 explosive area.

 

[21] GIANT SPRING: Can store up to 60 str points, limited by combined strength of characters compressing the spring. When released, any object or character struck by the spring is thrown with the stored strength. Band will make loud "SPRONG!" noise. Spring must be held compressed the same strength as is stored in it, either by the characters or secured with a rope. This works well with the Boxing Glove.

 

[22] SUPER GLUE: User can paint one hex per phase. 4d6 entangle, feet only.

 

[24] BOX OF LIMBURGER CHEESE: 8d6 NND gas attack, area effect (defense is life support or gas mask). Makes a visible cloud of bilious green fog. Causes cosmetic transformation attack: red face, puffed cheeks, "X"s on eyes, and burning nose hair.

 

[25] LAND MINES: 10d6 explosive + cosmetic transform (burnt wire-frame model of character that crumbles into dust) Land mines are attracted by magnets.

 

[26] GIANT MAGNIFYING LENS: 10d6 light attack, lens and target must both be in sunlight.

 

[27] MATCHES: Useful for lighting fuses.

 

[28] MOUSETRAPS: Takes one phase to cover three adjacent hexes with cocked mousetraps. Anyone entering a trapped hex receives 4d6 of damage. They must make an ego roll to avoid emitting a loud scream. Character also has a 1d6 entangle (covered in traps). Traps make a multiple snapping noise. Once triggered, traps are gone. Traps may be avoided if character makes their perception roll.

 

[29] FAKE DOORWAY PAINT: Takes one phase to paint a picture on a wall that looks like a door, tunnel opening, or hole. When a character tries to actually use the door, there is an 11 or less chance that it will really work. Otherwise it is a wall and the character will take double velocity damage and have a cosmetic transform into a human shaped splat on the wall that will slowly flow down. Note that the door will NEVER work for the character that painted it.

 

[30] PORTABLE HOLE: Desolidification, only useable on walls, one hex diameter.

 

[31] ROCKET-PROPELLED ROLLER SKATES: +10 running OIF. Character must make a dex roll every five hexes or one of two things happens:

a) Character spins in the hex for the rest of the phase at DCV 0

Character falls on their back, rockets lift them to an altitude of 20 hexes or the ceiling (whichever is lower) then they plummet to the ground, suffering falling damage.

 

[32] ROPE: 3d6 def 3 entangle, only appliable to unconscious character. Alternatively, can be used to secure objects (e.g., the magnet), with each loop providing 10 str. Note that unluck can result in the knot giving away at an inopportune moment.

 

[33] SPRING SHOES: 10 hexes of superleap, OIF

 

[34] SUCTION CUP SHOES: 10 points of clinging, OAF

 

[35] VANISHING CREAM/INVISIBLE INK: Invisibility to sight group on object or character 3 continuing charges. Vulnerable to water.