Richard Logue Posted February 25, 2003 Report Share Posted February 25, 2003 Is CLOWN oficially part of the 5th Ed. Champions Universe? Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Hiemforth Posted February 25, 2003 Report Share Posted February 25, 2003 Nope. Steve has made pretty clear that CLOWN would not be returning. There was a thread about it in the Company Questions area on the old boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greeter Posted February 25, 2003 Report Share Posted February 25, 2003 *looks bewildered* No C.L.O.W.N? *gasps* but . . . There was a point in time not long ago when I had every supplement for Champions. For the longest time that supplement was the only unused one but after using it a few times it became one of my favorites. I checked the company questions area and didn't see a thread for it. What was the reason we won't be seeing Clown in the future? Was it too cheesy or something? (as if that would be unusual for the comics) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JmOz Posted February 25, 2003 Report Share Posted February 25, 2003 Short answer: Steve does not like them. Slightly longer answer: Steve thinks that a team of comic releif villians is overkill, he thinks that just one or two independent characters is enough, furthermore the differences from 4th to 5th is not big enough that the team can not be used by those few people who did like the idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted February 25, 2003 Report Share Posted February 25, 2003 There are a few vocal CLOWN supporters who have posted to the boards in the past, but for the majority of those who have expressed an opinion on them, that opinion has ranged from dislike to outright loathing. Sadly for the 5th Ed. future of CLOWN, Steve Long seems to be in the latter camp. But JmOz is right: they're easy enough to update to 5E if you want to continue to use them. I do think that the characters themselves are unique and diverse enough that using one or two at a time could make for interesting change-of-pace game sessions, but more than that at once is too much for me, too. Then again, I don't have the highest tolerance for gonzo gaming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEmerged Posted February 25, 2003 Report Share Posted February 25, 2003 Speaking as one of those vocal CLOWN supporters (side rant, why is it always the minority that's described as vocal?), I hadn't heard it was OFFICIAL but given the direction of the DOJ Champions Universe I'm not surprised. Personally, I blame the way most GM's use them to try and embarrass the PC's more than that "comic relief" factor. I've always used CLOWN as a kind of 'political cartoon' to the campaign's 'newspaper', if you will, and the results have been good enough that in at least 2 campaigns I've run the PC's joined CLOWN. Then again, maybe I just have weirder PC's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JmOz Posted February 25, 2003 Report Share Posted February 25, 2003 I did something similar, During the second run in with CLOWN one of the PC's was about to be killed by Prof Morty, but Merry Andrews saved him, Prof. got away, Merry did not. At the trial the judge went lenant on Merry with a suspended sentence as long as the heroes would vouch for him (the Super Serious Code of Bushido Hero Merry saved felt honor bound to vouch for him). As part of the suspended sentence Merry had to be kept where the heroes could keep track of him, so the team got a new Gadget Guru as an NPC... There is nothing quite as intertaining as when the PC's ask there gadget guru for a way to stop someone and gets KO Custer Pies... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Logue Posted February 26, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2003 LoL... That's funny stuff Jm. Thanks for the answers, Derek and Jm. That leaves CLOWN open for use in my campaign. I'm going to kill half of them off in a heinous interdimensional storyline and a new, much more sinister CLOWN will emerge. What do you think? Its good to be the GM. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monolith Posted February 26, 2003 Report Share Posted February 26, 2003 Originally posted by Richard Logue I'm going to kill half of them off in a heinous interdimensional storyline and a new, much more sinister CLOWN will emerge. What do you think? If I were going to do something like that, I would probably have Black Harlequin start killing off a few of the more powerful members of CLOWN and then assume leadership of the group. Black Harlequin would lead the group down a very dark and dangerous path. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JmOz Posted February 26, 2003 Report Share Posted February 26, 2003 Another interesting time was when they asked for a boat: Rubber Ducky your the one, you make hero time so much fun... What was more fun was the mental image of them riding on these big yellow ducks while chasing after a trio of aquatic villiains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilkmanDan Posted February 26, 2003 Report Share Posted February 26, 2003 Originally posted by Monolith If I were going to do something like that, I would probably have Black Harlequin start killing off a few of the more powerful members of CLOWN and then assume leadership of the group. Black Harlequin would lead the group down a very dark and dangerous path. Can I volunteer to be Black Harlequin? It's not that they were comic relief, or embarrassed heroes, it's just that the group was way too over the top. It's one thing to have a humor-based group. It's another for it to be just so damn goofy. It was like the Gweenies in the BBB, just silly-a$$ stuff that got on my nerves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperPheemy Posted February 26, 2003 Report Share Posted February 26, 2003 FW: A message from Merry Andrew This came to my Cubicle of Solitude yesterday afternoon. After wiping the cream pie from my face, I discovered a video tape. After playing it, I knew Steve and Darren needed to see this. *Unsteady videocam comes into focus revealing Merry Andrew in a Ghurka and false beard a la Osama Bin Ladin.* "The 'so called' Defenders of Justice believe themselves to have removed CLOWN from the revision of Champions. They force their propaganda on an unsuspecting new generation of superhero gamers that Millenium City is somehow 'safe'. I ask you. How can anyone hope to make this new gaming utopia 'safe'? Indeed, by relegating us to the ranks of 'unofficial' characters, Long and Watts have only (at this point Andrew mimics Ben Kenobi from Star Wars IV) succeeded in making us more powerful than they can possibly imagine! BEHOLD! The CLOWN Revolution grows! For now, like the the Israelites freed from Egypt, we spread our message, our cult, no... our RELIGION to ALL superhero games! You thought us defeated!? Fools! You have only released us! Our message of buffonery and satire can now spread not just to Millenium City, but to Empire City, and Freedom City! Indeed, a master plan is currently in place to infiltrate and entrench our forces into the very internet itself through... ... ... ... (winks at camera)... wait for it ... ... ... ... PARAGON CITY! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! HAAAAAA! HAAAHAAAA! HAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! HOOO HOO! HEE HEE! (pants) HAhAHAHAAAAAAAAA! HAAAA! HAAA HAAA HAAA!!! (Andrew's beard falls askew at this point, and Toe Tapper leans in from off camera to readjust it.) Do you need proof of our continued existance? Look no further than your very own, pretty black hardbacks. Yes, the fabled 'fifth edition of HERO' and ask yourself, what do you call it now? FRED. I assure you we will be around for many campaigns to come." (Off-camera Snapshot can be heard saying "CUT! Aaaaaaaaand that's a wrap!" The image fades to black.) I don't know about any of you, but I'm going to have a hard time sleeping tonight. Probably because someone keeps sneaking whoopie cushions under my sheets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JmOz Posted February 26, 2003 Report Share Posted February 26, 2003 You know, that last bit was funny, but I completly lost it at Fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCMaenza Posted November 30, 2005 Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 Re: Clown I count myself as one of the minority of CLOWN fans. It is one of my favorite old supplements, I encorporated the group into my world history, and I even used them in some campaign games. One of them involved the PCs (Baltimore's Rough Justice) being drafted into working the local PBS Pledge-a-thon. Yes, they were recruited to answer phones! Hey, this was part of the PR campaign to help the city accept these new hereos. The players went with it. Anyway, while they were doing volunteer duty, CLOWN shows up and holds the station hostage. The reason: Nitwit Nigel (a member of CLOWN I made up) was offended that the PBS station was going to no longer be showing Monty Python. His schtick: all Python related humor. Needless to say, chaos and hilarity ensued! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 Re: Clown Short answer: Steve does not like them. And yet Gravitar is allowed in. Slightly longer answer: Steve thinks that a team of comic releif villians is overkill' date=' he thinks that just one or two independent characters is enough, furthermore the differences from 4th to 5th is not big enough that the team can not be used by those few people who did like the idea[/quote'] Unfortunately, some of us that like them don't have the books they were published in. And those that do have them don't have permission to post them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCMaenza Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 Re: Clown If you look about on ebay and such, you might be able to find a copy of the original CLOWN book or Classic Organizations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teflon Billy Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 Re: Clown If you look about on ebay and such' date=' you might be able to find a copy of the original [i']CLOWN[/i] book or Classic Organizations.Which is exactly where I was able to pick up both of these over the last year. I got C.L.O.W.N. for less than $10 and Classic Organizations just two weeks ago for less than $12. TB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCMaenza Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 Re: Clown SCORE!!!! Yeah, that's a good deal on both those books. I'm looking forward to when we finally move into our new house so I can unpack my old books again. Its been awhile but I'm heavily back into Champions now. Might even see if I can locate some gamers in the new town for some regular playing (and not just Con season stuff). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aylwin13 Posted December 11, 2005 Report Share Posted December 11, 2005 Re: Clown Just in case anyone is still looking there is a copy of C.L.O.W.N. and a couple of copies of Classic Organizations available on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/Champions-C-L-O-W-N-Criminal-Oraganizations-Hero-Games_W0QQitemZ8735271300QQcategoryZ2548QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem http://cgi.ebay.com/ICE-Hero-Games-Champions-CLASSIC-ORGANIZATIONS_W0QQitemZ8733459554QQcategoryZ2548QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem http://cgi.ebay.com/Classic-Organizations-for-4th-Edition-Champions_W0QQitemZ8735040524QQcategoryZ2548QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem I picked up a copy of Classic Organizations myself. It should be on its way through the postal process even as I type this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 Re: Clown Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to bid on one until after Christmas. And chances are they'll be gone by then. But I'll still look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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