Dome City

[steriaca]

3 minutes ago, Scott Ruggels said:

Just to reiterate the projects goals. it is to produce an introductory adventure, as a companion piece to Champions Complete, aimed at new users. This adventure uses none of the existing Characters, locations and situations from the "Champions Universe" (CU). The purpose it so create a self contained adventure in three parts that introduces players to the basics of combat, skill rolls and investigation in the HERO framework. The product should be presented in as an adventures in an MCU context, rather than Comic Books, so as to give the players a common frame of reference. Situations and references should be contemporary, and most specifically not refer back to "Silver Age" tropes. This is a product for younger gamers, and not aimed at the Grognards, but they might have fun with this.

 

?Es Claro?

Yes. Claro like a campana.

 

The new program doesn't change anything. In fact, it even makes this evrn more possible.

 

Things I am thinking about The Skull.

 

Stats:

 

6 STR naturally, 12 STR with exoskeleton.

Low Dexterity (6 also, with no improvements?).

Low CON (8 sounds right, which can't be improved with exoskeleton).

30 EGO and INT (his main mutations are mental in natute, even if he is no mentalist).

Strong PRE (force of will, plus he looks like a skeleton draped in a bit of fleash). We can get away with not too strong a PRE if we supplement it with Unusual Looks tallent.

Bare minimum SPD, maybe with extra SPD with a limitation Only For Helmet Blast/Killing Attacks?

Low OCV and DCV, unless having Blast and Killing Attacks with ACV (OMCV vs DCV) are too advance for our target audience. Then a slightly higher OCV and DCV with combat levels which match OMCV.

Mid-high OMCV and DMCV, regardless.

Low STUN, END, and keep BODY at 10.

 

Powers

 

The Helmet:

Since this is a started adventure, a list of Blasts with simple advantages. All Blasts are 0 END (battery). I'm tempted to basically give him one Blast and one Killing Attack with Variable Advantage on it, but that would be too complicated for the new GMs. How many Blast should he have? How many Killing Attacks? Anyways, there should be less KAs than Blasts, and I think Concentration should be a key limitation to the KAs (it takes The Skull's full attention to work up such a devistating attack).

 

Force Field:

This is basically Resistant Protection bought as 0 END. It should be rather large enough to protect him, but not fully. Also, he might have to lower it to do his helmet beams. Considering that his natural PD and ED are rather low, THAT might be one key to defeat him. Especially if we need to capture him.

 

More later. Feal free to comment and nit-pick each subject.

[Duke Bushido]

23 hours ago, steriaca said:

Good. And is the dome really going to be the cliffhanger of part 2?

 

I personally don't have a problem with that, though I can see it as both an "ooh!  What's next?!" moment and a "well all our efforts were for nothing" moment.  Cliffhangers work great for an audience, but may be a bit frustrating for the characters in the film...

 

Still, I like it, personally, and will assume that I'm not that damned unusual.  

 

 

23 hours ago, steriaca said:

I personally like to end part 1 with the dome, but what has been told to me, the entire "what the bad guys are doing" and "how to keep the dome up till chapter three" and even "what are the civilians doing" thing can get complcate.

 

The dome stays up until the PCs bring it down.  Chapter three, as I understood it, is focused on the PCs figuring out just how to do that, so I suggest that the problem is not "how to keep the dome up," but the way you are looking at it:  The dome coming down is the end of the chapter, not "we have to keep the dome up until the end of the chapter."  The PCs will more or less have the final decision of when this chapter ends, and honestly, that's _fine_.  By the time it comes down, they should be really to tackle some villains anyway, so there's reason to stop them from moving on.  

 

 

 

23 hours ago, steriaca said:

 

Might work on the stats for The Skull over the weekend. At least we can get a rough idea about him which we can fudge up and down till he looks, well, like a starter master criminal he is.

 

 

That would be a help.  And I might-- _might_, mind you, stat up the Raven, but I will need someone else to 6e it for me.

 

 

45 minutes ago, Scott Ruggels said:

Just to reiterate the projects goals.

 

Never a bad idea

 

 

45 minutes ago, Scott Ruggels said:

it is to produce an introductory adventure, as a companion piece to Champions Complete, aimed at new users. This adventure uses none of the existing Characters, locations and situations from the "Champions Universe" (CU).

 

This is quite possibly my favorite part.  Not because I am opposed to the existing CU (I don't know enough about it to have an opinion, really: the things we never bought as a group were villain / NPC books or setting / location books: we had too much fun making our own.)   In recent months (since the job change), I have been slowly tracking them down here and there, but even then, it's more about playing Pokemon than being interested in reading them (I have at least skimmed them, but I can't work up to reading them, particularly since the newer they are the more voluminous they are), but I'm working on a getting a KS: official setting 6-.)  

 

Honestly, I get more from LL's super-succinct summations than I do from the books: anything longer than 4e VIPER just isn't going to get read.  I don't have the time, and considering how little interest I had to start with, well---   adding three hundred pages doesn't make it more enticing.   

 

And I think that's important to keep in mind with our intro adventures: people may not have the resources-- finances, time, or interest-- to get into the "official" setting: there's an Eric Crap Ton of it just to qualify for my current 6- !  So we do a self-contained--- but not necessarily separate from the official-- setting that the new guys can learn at the same time we learn it.  If they want to move later to whatever published setting, then fine.  They've always got this place in this previously-undiscussed-in-any-official-product they can add to their own private maps and move on.  It's also why it's important to me that we not get too finely-detailed with the setting: guess what makes a sourcebook too big to be of any interest, or locks you into details you then have to modify (and re-check all the other details to make sure your mods haven't left any dangling threads)?  Too damned many "this is how it is" details.

 

If this works, then maybe a sourcebook later-- _maybe_.  

 

45 minutes ago, Scott Ruggels said:

The purpose it so create a self contained adventure in three parts that introduces players to the basics of combat, skill rolls and investigation in the HERO framework.

 

Yep.  Though that middle part is going to kill me just a bit.  You see, the wife has taken too playing (having watched both our own kids and then the youth group have such a great time with it). Unfortunately, her favorite entertainment genre is the police procedural, which just sucks the life right out of any high-drama investigation....    (Well not for _her_, obviously  ) 

 

45 minutes ago, Scott Ruggels said:

 

 

 

The product should be presented in as an adventures in an MCU context, rather than Comic Books,

 

I think I've done this before, but just in case, to make sure there has been full disclosure:

 

I never read a lot of comics, though I did read a few that belonged to other people, here and there.  As such, I have a small (very small) amount of exposure, from which I developed my opinions.  

 

Things I liked:   

 

Spiderman

The Flash (sometimes)

Iron Man

Blue Devil

Early New Teen Titans, but really only Cyborg and Changeling.   About the time the kids with the earth powers came along, it was all just a soap opera, and I didn't care for it anymore.

Ghost Rider (though I preferred the white glowing one on the horse; some of the more occult-related stories with the flaming skull on the fire bike were good)

Johan Hex (the western; not that post-apoc train wreck)

early 80's Swamp Thing  (but it got so bad so very, very fast, and has never recovered)

80's Firestorm (everything else was just crap)

Captain Marvel (the real one, from way back when, with the white cape and yellow lightning bolt)

Things I not only never liked, but absolutely _hated_ no matter how many times I tried them:

 

Captain America

Thor

X-Men

The Avengers

Black Panther

 

All that taken together, I'll give you a hint as to just how familiar I am with the Marvel Cinematic Universe:

 

I saw the Toby Mcguire Spiderman movies.

I saw the Iron Man movies (and will never stop regretting seeing the third one)

I saw one of the Guardian's movies because the kids insisted.

 

 

That's it.

 

I know forbidden word-all about the Marvel Movies first hand.  Everything else I know about the Marvel Movies comes almost exclusively from memes posted in places I frequent online, though I'm pretty sure all of that "knowledge" is suspect.

 

 

All that being said:

 

I'm going to need some editors to get that feel, because I don't know enough to even try for it.

 

 

 

45 minutes ago, Scott Ruggels said:

Situations and references should be contemporary,

 

That's what I'm shooting for, but honestly, I'm doing it through omission: keep everything here more-or-less self-contained, and let the player's minds take it where they want to take it.

 

45 minutes ago, Scott Ruggels said:

and most specifically not refer back to "Silver Age" tropes.

 

I have spent a lot of years on this board pretending to know what that meant but not being interested enough to look it up, so you'll have to let me know if I miss the mark there.

 

45 minutes ago, Scott Ruggels said:

This is a product for younger gamers, and not aimed at the Grognards, but they might have fun with this.

 

?Es Claro?

 

 

Everything except that part in spanish; yes.

 

 

 

[steriaca]

Actually, it matters not if your "up to date" on Marvel Cinimatic Universe or not. I certainly don't own everything in the MCU, nor could I. What is more important is that we try not to emulate modern comic books, and instead emulate modern action movies with superheroes in it.

 

Prehaps we should cut it down to two parts? I have no opinion on it myself. End part one with the dome going up, and part two is shutting the thing down. We don't have to loose the Prince A Pal event, just move it into the end of part one. If the middle part is giving you problems, then there should be no "middle part".

 

Honestly, we can also excluded the Prince A Pal fight also. We can save it for a stand alone adventure? Prehaps.

 

 

[Hugh Neilson]

7 hours ago, steriaca said:

Things I am thinking about The Skull.

 

Stats:

 

6 STR naturally, 12 STR with exoskeleton.

 

Why raise his STR at all, or even have an Exoskeleton?  Drop him to, say, 5 STR (feeble compared to a normal person).  He does not value the physical - intellect triumphs over muscle every time.

 

7 hours ago, steriaca said:

Low Dexterity (6 also, with no improvements?).

 

I'd be OK for this, but it is not consistent with the typical Hero build (compare him to an Enemies book and he will stand out as slow and poky).  He will also move last.  Maybe stick with a 6 or 8 DEX, and Lightning Reflexes for the helmet, although this will mean "attack early but don't move" or "move,  but delay your action", both of which could be challenguing for the novice GM.

 

7 hours ago, steriaca said:

Low CON (8 sounds right, which can't be improved with exoskeleton).

 

This means one of two things.  Either his defenses are so high a campaign-standard attack gets almost nothing through, or he will be stunned pretty frequently.

 

7 hours ago, steriaca said:

30 EGO and INT (his main mutations are mental in natute, even if he is no mentalist).

 

But he basically is a mentalist - just  not one that uses the traditional suite of mental powers.

 

7 hours ago, steriaca said:

Strong PRE (force of will, plus he looks like a skeleton draped in a bit of fleash). We can get away with not too strong a PRE if we supplement it with Unusual Looks tallent.

 

I agree with a solid PRE (30, maybe up to 40), but I thought he was an action movie supervillain, not a horror movie monster.

 

7 hours ago, steriaca said:

Bare minimum SPD, maybe with extra SPD with a limitation Only For Helmet Blast/Killing Attacks?

 

Not sure he will be a match for multiple Heroes with a poor DEX, lousy CON and low SPD.  Limited SPD is a definite challenge for a new GM.  What if he had a 6 SPD, but we sold back half of his Running, Swimming, Leaping, etc.,, explaining it as "his Speed is mental reaction time and leaves him with less movement than a typical Super.  All we have to do is ensure his field of combat does not make movement much of an issue.

 

7 hours ago, steriaca said:

Low OCV and DCV, unless having Blast and Killing Attacks with ACV (OMCV vs DCV) are too advance for our target audience. Then a slightly higher OCV and DCV with combat levels which match OMCV.

Mid-high OMCV and DMCV, regardless.

 

Definitely agree with making his attacks based on mOCV, even if they are against normal DCV.  I don't think that is inordinately complex.  Setting his DCV low means he will easily be hit with those attacks which are likely to STUN him.  Is he going to have immense defenses?

 

7 hours ago, steriaca said:

Low STUN, END, and keep BODY at 10.

 

So our Master Villain has no staying power?  Of course, if his defenses cost no END and we make his attacks low or no END as well, END should be a non-issue.  But he needs enough STUN to weather multiple blows from the Heroes.  Unless, I suppose, we make his major defense a Force Wall type Barrier which he can fire through.  Teach our novice Supers a bit about coordinating attacks so they can take down his barrier, and timing their actions so that, having taken the Wall down, someone else is ready to attack through it?

 

7 hours ago, steriaca said:

The Helmet:

Since this is a started adventure, a list of Blasts with simple advantages. All Blasts are 0 END (battery). I'm tempted to basically give him one Blast and one Killing Attack with Variable Advantage on it, but that would be too complicated for the new GMs. How many Blast should he have? How many Killing Attacks? Anyways, there should be less KAs than Blasts, and I think Concentration should be a key limitation to the KAs (it takes The Skull's full attention to work up such a devistating attack).

 

I don't think we want to overwhelm the GM with options.  I would also recall that 6e Killing Attacks are meant to do just that - kill, not KO.  Either he is fairly ineffectual when using these, or we are leaving a trail of deceased PCs in his wake.

 

A normal Blast targeted with mOCV seems like the obvious baseline.  Maybe this can be 15d6 (more than the campaign standard).

 

Perhaps a No Range, AoE, Selective Blast (he can make one attack against anyone he chooses within, say, 16 meters of him).  Maybe we set this at 12d6 (campaign standard with the potential to hit multiple targets).

 

Maybe also a smaller AoE which fills an area, threatening high DCV targets, perhaps 2 or 4 meter radius, and 10d6 (lower than campaign standard).

 

Maybe a Continuous Blast (12d6, once he hits, he can simply keep doing damage each phase until he decides to end the effect). 

 

Maybe add in a Continuous KA that requires a Full Phase for each phase used, and Concentration - if he wants to focus on breaking walls or killing damage, it takes more effort, but it is otherwise just the Continuous Blast with extra anger behind it.

 

The DCs I suggest above assume our Game Standard will be the typical 12 DC attack, 20 - 25 defenses.

 

I agree with a Force Field special effect for defenses and 0 END.  Rather than high defenses, I think he should incorporate some Damage Reduction, and what about a Deflection Field which enhances his DCV, making a campaign standard OCV require an 8- or 9- to connect with him.

 

Again working with 12DCs as the campaign standard, give him 75% Physical and Energy Damage Reduction, and 15 defenses.  A 12d6 attack rolling 42 STUN - 15 = 27/4 = 7 STUN past defenses.  That is the equivalent of 35 defenses against an average roll, provides a cushion against higher rolls and lets even lower rolls do a bit of damage.  A roll of 50 or so (50-15 = 35/4 = 9 STUN past defenses) will STUN that 8 CON.  If we're OK with an above average roll, or coordinated attacks, Stunning him, no big deal.  As well, if we give him a high SPD compared to the campaign standard, being stunned is less of a big deal.  Maybe PCs are expected to have a 4 - 6 SPD, and Skull gets an 8 - 10.

 

With 4 heroes attacking him, hitting 1 time in 3, he should take 9 or 10 STUN per Hero Phase, so he won't be up and running for long.  But with a high SPD, and the potential to hit every PC every phase (Selective), hammer one (15d6) or target that high DCV twerp (AoE), he should not be attacked by all PCs every phase.

 

Once we have a baseline, we can run a few mock combats with the sample PCs and fine tune him.

 

[Hugh Neilson]

6 hours ago, steriaca said:

Prehaps we should cut it down to two parts? I have no opinion on it myself. End part one with the dome going up, and part two is shutting the thing down. We don't have to loose the Prince A Pal event, just move it into the end of part one. If the middle part is giving you problems, then there should be no "middle part".

 

Whether it is one big adventure in three acts, or three smaller adventures, I think it can reasonably be three parts.  Maybe someone can summarize the adventure flow we had gotten to, but I think a three book breakdown would logically be:

 

Part 1 - SKULL agents stealing things from various research facilities, stealing needed materials, kidnapping scientists they need and perhaps killing some who might be a threat.  Heroes must investigate the reasons for the thefts and try to prevent them.  We may need to add some early opponents beyond GangBanger Skull Agents and Better Equipped SKULL agents - perhaps a reason for the Skull to learn robotics   Final scene would be either that last needed component, or the scientist who can either assist with the Skull's research or help the heroes figure out how to take it down in later arcs (both - if the heroes succeed here, then he is still free to assist).  A robot "Skull" might be added to this encounter.

 

The option that this is the end of the adventure is written in as the heroes have prevented the Skull getting everything he needed for his scheme, and taken out most of his forces - this was his last-ditch effort.

 

Part 2 - That was not his last-ditch efforts.  If the Heroes did not play Part 1, then a variety of earlier thefts, kidnappings and/or deaths might be researched after an initial attack at a research facility (they will have had enough of these if they played Part 1).  Either way, now they are a threat and the Skull attempts to lure them into a variety of traps while his forces secure the remaining pieces to complete his Master Plan.  Princ A. Pals becomes the set piece/final encounter, perhaps with Cyber Jack as an important Skull lieutenant.  Perhaps he even goes by "The Skull" and wears a costume to match the name (but does not look like the real Skull). 

 

The option that this is the end of the adventure is written in as the heroes have defeated the Skull - they caught a guy naming himself The Skull, after all.

 

Part 3 - pick up directly after Part 2 ended.  The Dome goes up and the real Skull makes his "Surrender the city" speech.  If we are using the "dome causes Chaos powers to manifest", a battle with Chaos follows.  If the heroes did not play through Part 2, then they can be pretty much anywhere when the Dome goes up.  Maybe they foil a robbery which is really a Skull distraction, and the dome then goes up.  Now they must defeat Chaos, then find the Skull's lair and defeat him before he makes good on his threat to destroy the city.

 

NOTE:  Each part ends with a win for the PCs which can be the end of the campaign if desired.  The Dome does not go up at the end of a part as that leaves the heroes in an unresolved loss, but the start of Part 3 follows immediately on the end of Part 2, so that is really when the Dome goes up if you are playing the whole scenario.

 

We need to weave in the Raven, Muck Man and any other key NPCs during each Part.  A more detailed version of the story outline (I thought we had one earlier) would be great.

[steriaca]

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

Why raise his STR at all, or even have an Exoskeleton?  Drop him to, say, 5 STR (feeble compared to a normal person).  He does not value the physical - intellect triumphs over muscle every time.

Ok...5 without the exoskeleton. I'm ok with dropping the skeleton, as it was originally there simply to hold him up and to hang the battery pack for the force field and helmet on. What do others think?

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

 

I'd be OK for this, but it is not consistent with the typical Hero build (compare him to an Enemies book and he will stand out as slow and poky).  He will also move last.  Maybe stick with a 6 or 8 DEX, and Lightning Reflexes for the helmet, although this will mean "attack early but don't move" or "move,  but delay your action", both of which could be challenguing for the novice GM.

That is doable, as is giving him a higher DEX anyways. Don't forget that EGO is the DEX of mental powers (I would extend that to any attack which bought as OMCV vs DCV myself, but that might not be legal).

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

 

This means one of two things.  Either his defenses are so high a campaign-standard attack gets almost nothing through, or he will be stunned pretty frequently.

True. He does have a weakness, but prehaps his CON might be in the ok range anyways (he is not THAT addicted to his boost drug yet).

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

 

But he basically is a mentalist - just  not one that uses the traditional suite of mental powers.

True. Should we add Unified Power on INT, EGO, and various mental Tallents?

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

 

I agree with a solid PRE (30, maybe up to 40), but I thought he was an action movie supervillain, not a horror movie monster.

True again. But even some supervillain are ugly. He is not THAT ugly, but he is gaunt.

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

 

Not sure he will be a match for multiple Heroes with a poor DEX, lousy CON and low SPD.  Limited SPD is a definite challenge for a new GM.  What if he had a 6 SPD, but we sold back half of his Running, Swimming, Leaping, etc.,, explaining it as "his Speed is mental reaction time and leaves him with less movement than a typical Super.  All we have to do is ensure his field of combat does not make movement much of an issue.

We can give him standard SPD, with the explnation that his drugs boost him physically enough to match his mentality. Or if we get rid of the exoskeleton, then lower physical movements.

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

 

Definitely agree with making his attacks based on mOCV, even if they are against normal DCV.  I don't think that is inordinately complex.  Setting his DCV low means he will easily be hit with those attacks which are likely to STUN him.  Is he going to have immense defenses?

Of course he is going to be hard to damage with his Force Field up. That is the idea. Prehaps with coordination between heros, the field xan be broken down temporarily, giving the heros a chance. Think about it, if he is such a powerful scientist in energy storage, released, and force fields, he shouldn't have wimpy Force Fields.

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

 

So our Master Villain has no staying power?  Of course, if his defenses cost no END and we make his attacks low or no END as well, END should be a non-issue.  But he needs enough STUN to weather multiple blows from the Heroes.  Unless, I suppose, we make his major defense a Force Wall type Barrier which he can fire through.  Teach our novice Supers a bit about coordinating attacks so they can take down his barrier, and timing their actions so that, having taken the Wall down, someone else is ready to attack through it?

How much STUN does he need? Ut shouldn't be enough to make him basically unstoppable, but it should be enough that it makes sense that he is a drug addicted madman.

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

 

I don't think we want to overwhelm the GM with options.  I would also recall that 6e Killing Attacks are meant to do just that - kill, not KO.  Either he is fairly ineffectual when using these, or we are leaving a trail of deceased PCs in his wake.

 

A normal Blast targeted with mOCV seems like the obvious baseline.  Maybe this can be 15d6 (more than the campaign standard).

Agree with this.

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

Perhaps a No Range, AoE, Selective Blast (he can make one attack against anyone he chooses within, say, 16 meters of him).  Maybe we set this at 12d6 (campaign standard with the potential to hit multiple targets).

*nod* Another slot I approve of.

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

Maybe also a smaller AoE which fills an area, threatening high DCV targets, perhaps 2 or 4 meter radius, and 10d6 (lower than campaign standard).

And another.

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

Maybe a Continuous Blast (12d6, once he hits, he can simply keep doing damage each phase until he decides to end the effect). 

This one we could drop if needed. But I am ok with it. If he is Stunned, then it automatically shuts off.

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

Maybe add in a Continuous KA that requires a Full Phase for each phase used, and Concentration - if he wants to focus on breaking walls or killing damage, it takes more effort, but it is otherwise just the Continuous Blast with extra anger behind it.

This is nasty, and ment to kill normals. I like it. It can kill supers, but it leaves him open.

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

The DCs I suggest above assume our Game Standard will be the typical 12 DC attack, 20 - 25 defenses.

Nice to know how normal supers are.

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

I agree with a Force Field special effect for defenses and 0 END.  Rather than high defenses, I think he should incorporate some Damage Reduction, and what about a Deflection Field which enhances his DCV, making a campaign standard OCV require an 8- or 9- to connect with him.

*nod* We could go that way...

8 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

Again working with 12DCs as the campaign standard, give him 75% Physical and Energy Damage Reduction, and 15 defenses.  A 12d6 attack rolling 42 STUN - 15 = 27/4 = 7 STUN past defenses.  That is the equivalent of 35 defenses against an average roll, provides a cushion against higher rolls and lets even lower rolls do a bit of damage.  A roll of 50 or so (50-15 = 35/4 = 9 STUN past defenses) will STUN that 8 CON.  If we're OK with an above average roll, or coordinated attacks, Stunning him, no big deal.  As well, if we give him a high SPD compared to the campaign standard, being stunned is less of a big deal.  Maybe PCs are expected to have a 4 - 6 SPD, and Skull gets an 8 - 10.

 

With 4 heroes attacking him, hitting 1 time in 3, he should take 9 or 10 STUN per Hero Phase, so he won't be up and running for long.  But with a high SPD, and the potential to hit every PC every phase (Selective), hammer one (15d6) or target that high DCV twerp (AoE), he should not be attacked by all PCs every phase.

 

Once we have a baseline, we can run a few mock combats with the sample PCs and fine tune him.

 

Of course. He should be strong. But we have to be careful not to make him unbeatable.

[steriaca]

22 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

Whether it is one big adventure in three acts, or three smaller adventures, I think it can reasonably be three parts.  Maybe someone can summarize the adventure flow we had gotten to, but I think a three book breakdown would logically be:

It could easily be either one large adventure or three parts which can be played, well, not necessary "in any order" but close to it.

22 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

Part 1 - SKULL agents stealing things from various research facilities, stealing needed materials, kidnapping scientists they need and perhaps killing some who might be a threat.  Heroes must investigate the reasons for the thefts and try to prevent them.  We may need to add some early opponents beyond GangBanger Skull Agents and Better Equipped SKULL agents - perhaps a reason for the Skull to learn robotics   Final scene would be either that last needed component, or the scientist who can either assist with the Skull's research or help the heroes figure out how to take it down in later arcs (both - if the heroes succeed here, then he is still free to assist).  A robot "Skull" might be added to this encounter.

 

The option that this is the end of the adventure is written in as the heroes have prevented the Skull getting everything he needed for his scheme, and taken out most of his forces - this was his last-ditch effort.

*nod* Yes, end it with a robot version of The Skull. While the real Skull slips away and swears vengeance on the heros, he needs to replan and start his long plots all over again. Remember, he is not good at improv.

22 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

Part 2 - That was not his last-ditch efforts.  If the Heroes did not play Part 1, then a variety of earlier thefts, kidnappings and/or deaths might be researched after an initial attack at a research facility (they will have had enough of these if they played Part 1).  Either way, now they are a threat and the Skull attempts to lure them into a variety of traps while his forces secure the remaining pieces to complete his Master Plan.  Princ A. Pals becomes the set piece/final encounter, perhaps with Cyber Jack as an important Skull lieutenant.  Perhaps he even goes by "The Skull" and wears a costume to match the name (but does not look like the real Skull). 

 

The option that this is the end of the adventure is written in as the heroes have defeated the Skull - they caught a guy naming himself The Skull, after all.

Another false Skull, but we could say CyberJack was the Skull all along, and we give the option that if they decided that part two was the end, and want to run part three, an optional name for him from a short list can be chosen.

22 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

Part 3 - pick up directly after Part 2 ended.  The Dome goes up and the real Skull makes his "Surrender the city" speech.  If we are using the "dome causes Chaos powers to manifest", a battle with Chaos follows.  If the heroes did not play through Part 2, then they can be pretty much anywhere when the Dome goes up.  Maybe they foil a robbery which is really a Skull distraction, and the dome then goes up.  Now they must defeat Chaos, then find the Skull's lair and defeat him before he makes good on his threat to destroy the city.

This is our real end, but I agree that if the GM wants to end the adventure early, he can.

22 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

NOTE:  Each part ends with a win for the PCs which can be the end of the campaign if desired.  The Dome does not go up at the end of a part as that leaves the heroes in an unresolved loss, but the start of Part 3 follows immediately on the end of Part 2, so that is really when the Dome goes up if you are playing the whole scenario.

That is how it should be. There should always be a win option. But don't be afraid to let the heros fail.

22 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

We need to weave in the Raven, Muck Man and any other key NPCs during each Part.  A more detailed version of the story outline (I thought we had one earlier) would be great.

Well, the best laied plans of mice and men...

[Hugh Neilson]

30 minutes ago, steriaca said:

Ok...5 without the exoskeleton. I'm ok with dropping the skeleton, as it was originally there simply to hold him up and to hang the battery pack for the force field and helmet on. What do others think?

 

hmmm...having the exoskeleton as, basically, his excuse to have a costume makes sense.  Maybe we keep it, but ditch any augmentation of his STR since that was not what he intended to achieve.  That is, he places no real value on physical might, so any servos in the exoskeleton do not serve to augment STR.

30 minutes ago, steriaca said:

That is doable, as is giving him a higher DEX anyways. Don't forget that EGO is the DEX of mental powers (I would extend that to any attack which bought as OMCV vs DCV myself, but that might not be legal).

 

I do  not believe using EGO as initiative for mental attacks was ever the default rule.  Maybe the exoskeleton augments his reflexes (DEX and SPD).  It seems like making his body react as quickly as his mind would be something he could get behind.

 

30 minutes ago, steriaca said:

True. He does have a weakness, but prehaps his CON might be in the ok range anyways (he is not THAT addicted to his boost drug yet).

 

From the defensive suite we're considering, an 8 - 13 probably protects him from being stunned.  No reason he needs to be too frail, is there?  He could have an 8 STR if we don't want him shockingly weak, but maybe this is a good opportunity to note that an 8 would be an average person, so Skull's 5 means he is noticably weaker, not helpless.

 

30 minutes ago, steriaca said:

True. Should we add Unified Power on INT, EGO, and various mental Tallents?

 

Maybe UP on anything the boost drug grants - but will we see adjustment powers often enough for it to matter, or is it an element best left out for simplicity?  The UP could make sense as anything that would take the drug out of his system would affect all of these abilities.

 

30 minutes ago, steriaca said:

Of course he is going to be hard to damage with his Force Field up. That is the idea. Prehaps with coordination between heros, the field xan be broken down temporarily, giving the heros a chance. Think about it, if he is such a powerful scientist in energy storage, released, and force fields, he shouldn't have wimpy Force Fields.

How much STUN does he need? Ut shouldn't be enough to make him basically unstoppable, but it should be enough that it makes sense that he is a drug addicted madman.

 

My concern was that any attack either pretty much bounced off or Stunned him.  I think we have a blueprint for a workable model, and with high Damage Reduction, he does not need a ton of STUN.  If he is high SPD, with the envisioned attack suite, a fight will be quick and brutal, not prolonged.

 

30 minutes ago, steriaca said:

This one we could drop if needed. But I am ok with it. If he is Stunned, then it automatically shuts off.

 

Note that the slot as I suggested/envisioned it is Constant but not Uncontrolled.  He does not need to hit again, but he does have to keep using his actions to maintain it.  The image of the Skull's blast maintaining as his target weakens (perhaps even dies) is what I was looking for.  And 12 - 15 DCs is plenty to kill a normal - it does not have to be a KA to be fatal.

 

BTW, the end points were intended as "if published as three books", but I suppose "there are built-in endpoints if this turns out not to be a scenario your players enjoy - it can be resolved early and they can move on to other adventures".  That seems like a worthy message for a new GM.

[steriaca]

12 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

hmmm...having the exoskeleton as, basically, his excuse to have a costume makes sense.  Maybe we keep it, but ditch any augmentation of his STR since that was not what he intended to achieve.  That is, he places no real value on physical might, so any servos in the exoskeleton do not serve to augment STR.

*nod* Yep. Let's do that then.

Quote

 

I do  not believe using EGO as initiative for mental attacks was ever the default rule.  Maybe the exoskeleton augments his reflexes (DEX and SPD).  It seems like making his body react as quickly as his mind would be something he could get behind.

I'll have to search for it.

 

Just found it! Page 144 of Champions Complete. 4th paragraph. "A character using a Mental Power uses EGO instead of DEX to determine when he acts in the Phase. If he wants to take any physical actions first (such as making a Half Move), he must wait until his DEX comes up, move, and then use his Mental Powers."

Quote

 

 

From the defensive suite we're considering, an 8 - 13 probably protects him from being stunned.  No reason he needs to be too frail, is there?  He could have an 8 STR if we don't want him shockingly weak, but maybe this is a good opportunity to note that an 8 would be an average person, so Skull's 5 means he is noticably weaker, not helpless.

Well, we can have his STR at 5, and 13 CON.

Quote

 

 

Maybe UP on anything the boost drug grants - but will we see adjustment powers often enough for it to matter, or is it an element best left out for simplicity?  The UP could make sense as anything that would take the drug out of his system would affect all of these abilities.

Well, i haven't decided exactly how his drugs would be written up. A straight +EGO and +INT, one charge which lasts 6 hours, then triggers a side effect which temporary lowers EGO and INT afterwards? A Drain side effect sounds nice. If he has to go without that drug, it might eventually cause periment damage to him, and the craving would never go away.

Quote

 

 

My concern was that any attack either pretty much bounced off or Stunned him.  I think we have a blueprint for a workable model, and with high Damage Reduction, he does not need a ton of STUN.  If he is high SPD, with the envisioned attack suite, a fight will be quick and brutal, not prolonged.

*nod* Understandable.

Quote

 

 

Note that the slot as I suggested/envisioned it is Constant but not Uncontrolled.  He does not need to hit again, but he does have to keep using his actions to maintain it.  The image of the Skull's blast maintaining as his target weakens (perhaps even dies) is what I was looking for.  And 12 - 15 DCs is plenty to kill a normal - it does not have to be a KA to be fatal.

 

BTW, the end points were intended as "if published as three books", but I suppose "there are built-in endpoints if this turns out not to be a scenario your players enjoy - it can be resolved early and they can move on to other adventures".  That seems like a worthy message for a new GM.

Ok. Give the GM a way out if his players seem to be ahead of the curve AND not that interested in the story. Good thing to do.

[Hugh Neilson]

20 hours ago, steriaca said:

Well, i haven't decided exactly how his drugs would be written up. A straight +EGO and +INT, one charge which lasts 6 hours, then triggers a side effect which temporary lowers EGO and INT afterwards? A Drain side effect sounds nice. If he has to go without that drug, it might eventually cause periment damage to him, and the craving would never go away.

 

Depends how prominent we want the drugs to be.  If it lasts 6 hours and is one charge, how does he make the next charge while debilitated?

 

It could be as simple as "Unified Power on +X INT, +Y EGO, and all of his Blasts (if he needs the drug for them)", and a Complication that he needs the drug every "X" time interval of he takes a Drain to all of those abilities until he can re-access the drugs.  He could also take other ill effects from denial of the drugs.  If lack of drugs is too debilitating, though, will he die in custody?

 

The big question is how much of his mental abilities (including INT and EGO) are natural.  He had to be smart enough to develop the drug, and possibly other stuff. 

 

Some options:  he has that INT and EGO, needs the drugs for the BrainBlasts but they cost full END, and the helmet eliminates the END cost.  Pretty complex build, but no drugs means the blasts fade away, and no helmet means he exhausts himself.

 

Blasts could be natural, but extra END and Concentration, limitations the drugs and/or helmet mitigate.

 

Maybe either the helmet OR the drugs mitigate the drawbacks of the Blasts, but he has not realized he can use the Blasts without the helmet.

 

His Defense Field, I think, has to be focused, as it is a variant on the Dome.

[steriaca]

9 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

Depends how prominent we want the drugs to be.  If it lasts 6 hours and is one charge, how does he make the next charge while debilitated?

 

It could be as simple as "Unified Power on +X INT, +Y EGO, and all of his Blasts (if he needs the drug for them)", and a Complication that he needs the drug every "X" time interval of he takes a Drain to all of those abilities until he can re-access the drugs.  He could also take other ill effects from denial of the drugs.  If lack of drugs is too debilitating, though, will he die in custody?

 

The big question is how much of his mental abilities (including INT and EGO) are natural.  He had to be smart enough to develop the drug, and possibly other stuff. 

 

Some options:  he has that INT and EGO, needs the drugs for the BrainBlasts but they cost full END, and the helmet eliminates the END cost.  Pretty complex build, but no drugs means the blasts fade away, and no helmet means he exhausts himself.

True, but we can do a "simple" build for this adventure, and a more complex build in an "enimies recap book" of some kind (the Dome City suppliment/ setting book, prehaps?). Assuming we are going to go that far.

 

It is best to see how the adventure is receved first before we make future plans like that.

9 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

Blasts could be natural, but extra END and Concentration, limitations the drugs and/or helmet mitigate.

Well, the only reason the blasts are at 0 END is because of the battery. He is capable of generating the mental energies, but the helmet is needed to project the energy....for now. It is a Obvious, Inassesable, Personal Focus, othoe others with a similar mutation can use it.

9 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

Maybe either the helmet OR the drugs mitigate the drawbacks of the Blasts, but he has not realized he can use the Blasts without the helmet.

The drug may not exactly be needed. It might simply allow him to focus better for a short period of time (like various ADD drugs, but especally made to work with his mutation). The lower INT and EGO doesn't repersent him loosing his intelligence, but his ability to focus.

 

Or we can just skip the entire thing. It is up to the group.

9 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

His Defense Field, I think, has to be focused, as it is a variant on the Dome.

True. Exactly.

[Duke Bushido]

I would like to point out one thing  (well, two, but the first one is the big one)

 

The exoskeleton was originally thrown in as a way to give him a realistic chance to wade through the denizens of the underworld on a one-man killing spree.  It's going to have to boost a couple of stats to "considerably better than most" to make that plausible, at least in the first adventure.

 

Now it may be possible that as he develops his mental powers, he re-works the skeleton to be lighter, sleeker, and more of an autodoc drug dispenser / healing device, reducing the characteristic boosts, etc, and instead arrogantly relying on the powers he has begun to unleash from his mind.  Your call, because he's not my character.  Further, we expect him to be a sort-of-match for four-to-six heroes.  He _can't_ have a normal human SPD, or he's going to get piñata-ed pretty quickly, regardless of when he "goes" in a Phase.  However, I am also cool with him perfecting an SPD-boosting drug for the final showdown; the surprise may cause the players to have to re-think a strategy in mid-battle.  I'm okay with that.

 

I just wanted to point that out.

 

 

Now the other thing:

 

I didn't get as much done today as I had hoped.  I had to do a lot of it on the phone, as the rain storms this weekend have made it difficult for me to sit: the humidity causes a great deal of pain in the portions of my spine that were crushed.  I could pace around a bit with the phone, but typing by thumb is _slow_ going.

 

So the  minor thing I wanted to point out:

 

We need a committee name for the byline on this thing.  I wouldn't _dream_ of just sticking my name on it and calling it good, so if all who have contributed-- even if your ideas don't make the final result, you've contributed, dammit!    -- would get together and agree on a committee name, that's what we'll use.  Further, if you want to be included on the "committee members" or "contributors" page, please state how you would like to be listed.

 

One non-negotiable condition there:   you _will_ be listed as Firstname "something vaguely relevant" Lastname.   

 

At least, it's non-negotiable for the draft, because quite frankly, I love it, and it makes me happy to know that Lucius has picked up the torch that Keith "Coolest Signature on the Internet" Curtis left behind.  For all the long-lasting HERO traditions, I miss that one almost as much as I miss playing our typo-based drinking game.  (We called it "Someone's Going to Hurl by Page Four!)

 

Okay, it's non-negotiable for the draft.  Whoever edits this thing may be far more sane than I am.

 

 

 

 

 

[steriaca]

5 minutes ago, Duke Bushido said:

I would like to point out one thing  (well, two, but the first one is the big one)

 

The exoskeleton was originally thrown in as a way to give him a realistic chance to wade through the denizens of the underworld on a one-man killing spree.  It's going to have to boost a couple of stats to "considerably better than most" to make that plausible, at least in the first adventure.

 

Now it may be possible that as he develops his mental powers, he re-works the skeleton to be lighter, sleeker, and more of an autodoc drug dispenser / healing device, reducing the characteristic boosts, etc, and instead arrogantly relying on the powers he has begun to unleash from his mind.  Your call, because he's not my character.  Further, we expect him to be a sort-of-match for four-to-six heroes.  He _can't_ have a normal human SPD, or he's going to get piñata-ed pretty quickly, regardless of when he "goes" in a Phase.  However, I am also cool with him perfecting an SPD-boosting drug for the final showdown; the surprise may cause the players to have to re-think a strategy in mid-battle.  I'm okay with that.

 

I just wanted to point that out.

Ok. Whatever the committee decides is what we will go with. I will probably be a deciding vote on this. I do ask this...the exoskeleton shouldn't increase his strength or endurance, but could increase his dexterity and speed. It can support his weight and forces his body to move much better than he could without it.

 

The drug could also increase his speed.

5 minutes ago, Duke Bushido said:

 

 

Now the other thing:

 

I didn't get as much done today as I had hoped.  I had to do a lot of it on the phone, as the rain storms this weekend have made it difficult for me to sit: the humidity causes a great deal of pain in the portions of my spine that were crushed.  I  could pace around a bit with the phone, but typing by thumb is _slow_ going.

I feal simpthy for you. I doubt something like that can ever "get better", but I wish you the best, Duke.

5 minutes ago, Duke Bushido said:

 

So the  minor thing I wanted to point out:

 

We need a committee name for the byline on this thing.  I wouldn't _dream_ of just sticking my name on it and calling it good, so if all who have contributed-- even if your ideas don't make the final result, you've contributed, dammit!    -- would get together and agree on a committee name, that's what we'll use.  Further, if you want to be included on the "committee members" or "contributors" page, please state how you would like to be listed.

Well, we could call ourself "Commitie X", maybe. Or "Project Start Box". Or whatever.

5 minutes ago, Duke Bushido said:

 

One non-negotiable condition there:   you _will_ be listed as Firstname "something vaguely relevant" Lastname.   

 

At least, it's non-negotiable for the draft, because quite frankly, I love it, and it makes me happy to know that Lucius has picked up the torch that Keith "Coolest Signature on the Internet" Curtis left behind.  For all the long-lasting HERO traditions, I miss that one almost as much as I miss playing our typo-based drinking game.  (We called it "Someone's Going to Hurl by Page Four!)

If I was truly writing it, it would be guarantee that you'll going to go blind drunk by page 5, and out of alk by page 20. I am, of course, Stanley "Mispellian Master" Teriaca. I always have been. Will always be.

5 minutes ago, Duke Bushido said:

 

Okay, it's non-negotiable for the draft.  Whoever edits this thing may be far more sane than I am.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Scott Ruggels]

The two things to get the MCU feel is to emulate tone in the writing and the artistic presentation. 
 

In the writing , the tone is serious, but breezy. Asides can be humorous, but never goofy. There are lots of named NPCs

the heroes interact with. Their reactions are often the source of humor, but the mission and the situation is serious, and the stakes rise as the adventure progresses. The villains are rational (mostly),  and pursue their goals in a direct manner, and will be smug (and verbally arrogant) in victory. This is not the place for spittle flecked screaming tirades, until the villain’s plans are collapsing, and the heroes are at his door.  People will die in this adventure, but the attention will not linger on the results, and may be in the background for the mass casualty events when the dome sprouts. Buildings collapsing is often enough. 
 

Artistically, the project should not follow any comic book conventions. This is a PDF, and therefore all the artwork should be color, save diagrams, and abstract maps. Example character art should look like publicity head shots, or production stills. There are no existing Superheroes so there is no convention of stretchy spandex, and bright colors. If concealment of a character’s identity is important, masks will be purchased and improvised. Costumes I’d used may be tactically prudent, and comfortable. Clothing from sweats, to sports uniforms, to aSWAT fatigues and surplus store equipment. The heroes don’t get fancy costumes until the end, if any. The exception is gadgetry. The MCU loves their props, and they like them shiny and brightly lit. Any full body shot will be an action shot and showcase the gadget.   The movies Display high quality, and very nicely lit effect shots. Speciall effects should be logical, but flashy. But mundane objects will behave as expected, with building collapsing if it’s supports are moved off vertical. Concrete shatters, exposing rusty rebar, and tossed cars crumple and spill fluids, some flammable. Collateral property damage is frequent , and it the way the MCU movies illustrates the

power of the Heroes and villains abilities.  Gang members will not wear face coverings. Need to see those actor’s faces. 
 

This is just a first pass on how to recreate that MCU feel. As much as Duke may dislike Ironman in the comics, I would strongly suggest that he watch the First MCU Ironman film. Hope this helps n

[Duke Bushido]

Actually, Sir; that helps considerably.

 

Two things I have to point out:

 

The first adventure is going to be _way_ page-heavy.  In order to address Hugh's (and others) concerns about details of the world, the first section of the book is something of a mini setting book on its own.  (which makes it tempting to pen a setting book at some point in the future, but that ain't gonna be today  ) 

 

Without an actual famous comic book background, the second section is a brief "how we got here" or "here's what the NPCs have been doing the last couple of years" so that GM has some idea of what the characters would already know, etc.

 

Then we can start adventuring.

 

 

And I _liked_ Iron Man comics (the dozen or so I've read), and I _loved_ both of the Iron Man movies!   I wish someone would make a third one.  You know:  the same way I wish someone would make a second Highlander movie....

 

 

 

 

[steriaca]

Ok. Skull's helmet should be a white helmet. His mouth and chin is exposed. It vaugly resembles his namesake. The exoskeleton is grey and attached to the outside of black clothing. It roughly resembles a human skeleton, with obvious exceptions. The Force Field and Helmet Blasts have the same color, which should match the dome color. His body is gaunt and thin, but not thin enough that an actor couldn't play the character.

 

Personally wise, the Skull is only "insain" when his plans unravel. He cannot improvise well, and while one monkywrench in his plans he can recover from, but three monkywrenches back to back he would loose his shit. He is vengeful. The entire scenario is all about his revenge, after all.

 

He keeps himself from view except for some of his most loyal people. And even then, his trust in minimum. People are in this universe to be used or to get in his way.

[Scott Ruggels]

1 hour ago, steriaca said:

Ok. Skull's helmet should be a white helmet. His mouth and chin is exposed. It vaugly resembles his namesake. The exoskeleton is grey and attached to the outside of black clothing. It roughly resembles a human skeleton, with obvious exceptions. The Force Field and Helmet Blasts have the same color, which should match the dome color. His body is gaunt and thin, but not thin enough that an actor couldn't play the character.

 

Personally wise, the Skull is only "insain" when his plans unravel. He cannot improvise well, and while one monkywrench in his plans he can recover from, but three monkywrenches back to back he would loose his shit. He is vengeful. The entire scenario is all about his revenge, after all.

 

He keeps himself from view except for some of his most loyal people. And even then, his trust in minimum. People are in this universe to be used or to get in his way.

So he wears the Steve Jobs tech fashion of turtleneck, blazer, and slacks, all black?

[Hugh Neilson]

On 10/20/2019 at 6:58 PM, Duke Bushido said:

I would like to point out one thing  (well, two, but the first one is the big one)

 

The exoskeleton was originally thrown in as a way to give him a realistic chance to wade through the denizens of the underworld on a one-man killing spree.  It's going to have to boost a couple of stats to "considerably better than most" to make that plausible, at least in the first adventure.

 

Now it may be possible that as he develops his mental powers, he re-works the skeleton to be lighter, sleeker, and more of an autodoc drug dispenser / healing device, reducing the characteristic boosts, etc, and instead arrogantly relying on the powers he has begun to unleash from his mind.  Your call, because he's not my character.  Further, we expect him to be a sort-of-match for four-to-six heroes.  He _can't_ have a normal human SPD, or he's going to get piñata-ed pretty quickly, regardless of when he "goes" in a Phase.  However, I am also cool with him perfecting an SPD-boosting drug for the final showdown; the surprise may cause the players to have to re-think a strategy in mid-battle.  I'm okay with that.

 

I'd say get Skull written up as we want to see him, then fine tune the backstory.  His mental abilities and/or SPD boost may have developed early enough to wade through the underworld.  I don't see a lot of point having abilities develop for the final battle when the heroes have not faced him to get a handle on his abilities before that battle.

 

1 hour ago, Duke Bushido said:

The first adventure is going to be _way_ page-heavy.  In order to address Hugh's (and others) concerns about details of the world, the first section of the book is something of a mini setting book on its own.  (which makes it tempting to pen a setting book at some point in the future, but that ain't gonna be today  ) 

 

Without an actual famous comic book background, the second section is a brief "how we got here" or "here's what the NPCs have been doing the last couple of years" so that GM has some idea of what the characters would already know, etc

 

Bear in mind that a lot of my early discussions of "what's in the town" were driven by the plan, at that time, that the Dome would be up for a long time, so the players would have only the resources in the town at their disposal.  Removing the "weeks, perhaps months, of access to only the people, places and things in Hepzibah to survive under, and hopefully eventually escape, the Dome" allows a much less detailed Hepzibah.

 

Further, a buyer of only one adventure needs all info relevant to Hepzibah in order to play just that part of the arc as a single adventure.  Perhaps this suggests one big .pdf instead of three little ones so we are not repeating a lot of details of Hepzibah and its occupants (i.e. 3x Raven sheet, MuckMan sheet, NPC descriptions, pre-fab heroes, key NPCs in town, Skull and lackeys, etc.).

[Hugh Neilson]

To the MCU Vibe, I am getting a bit of a hybrid vibe between MCU and more classic comic books, starting with the Skull looking like a skeleton.  That's fine, and I agree with maintaining the MCU sensibilities, especially "humor but not silliness" and "Supers are a new and unknown commodity".

[steriaca]

56 minutes ago, Scott Ruggels said:

So he wears the Steve Jobs tech fashion of turtleneck, blazer, and slacks, all black?

Well, we don't want him to look like he stepped out of a supervillain costume. MCU, you know. Try to keep his "comic book" look, but water it down.

[steriaca]

9 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

I'd say get Skull written up as we want to see him, then fine tune the backstory.  His mental abilities and/or SPD boost may have developed early enough to wade through the underworld.  I don't see a lot of point having abilities develop for the final battle when the heroes have not faced him to get a handle on his abilities before that battle.

 

 

Bear in mind that a lot of my early discussions of "what's in the town" were driven by the plan, at that time, that the Dome would be up for a long time, so the players would have only the resources in the town at their disposal.  Removing the "weeks, perhaps months, of access to only the people, places and things in Hepzibah to survive under, and hopefully eventually escape, the Dome" allows a much less detailed Hepzibah.

That was originally the idea. Put the dome up at the end of part 1. But the needs of the story changed.

9 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

Further, a buyer of only one adventure needs all info relevant to Hepzibah in order to play just that part of the arc as a single adventure.  Perhaps this suggests one big .pdf instead of three little ones so we are not repeating a lot of details of Hepzibah and its occupants (i.e. 3x Raven sheet, MuckMan sheet, NPC descriptions, pre-fab heroes, key NPCs in town, Skull and lackeys, etc.).

Ok. Lets do one big PDF. Imagine this on a cardboard box, along with Champions Complete, six six-sided dice, maps, standies, etc... That is not exactly going to happen, but we can do it as close to that a PDF can handle.

[Duke Bushido]

7 hours ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

I'd say get Skull written up as we want to see him, then fine tune the backstory. 

 

Then one of you 6e savy folks needs to get me something ASAP, because I got beyond the point of needing Sunday morning. 

 

Remember: intro for new players.  Just because you _can_ make it stupidly complex doesn't mean you should. 

[Hugh Neilson]

On 10/21/2019 at 9:44 PM, steriaca said:

That was originally the idea. Put the dome up at the end of part 1. But the needs of the story changed.

 

 

Agreed - and one of the needs that changes was the level of detail for the city.  If we force the heroes to react to the dome in a short timeframe, they don't have time to martial various resources, nor do they need to do much more with a panicked population than keep them from killing each other while they prevent the Dome destroying the town, population and all.

 

It doesn't matter if, for example, there is a National Guard contingent and an armory - they don't have time to mobilize and arm it anyway. 

[Scott Ruggels]

Duke,I may have mentioned this movie before, but a fairly good recreation of the MCU look without being MCU, was the Russian film Gaurdians. Great Lighting, limited costumes, until the final fight, “realistic”, effects.  It even has a dome. This and Antman are probably good examples, as well as theNetflix Marvel shows. 

[steriaca]

Just seen Brightburn last night. What do you think?