Vanguard00

I'm lookin' to make a hero who's main power is the ability to 'boost' his existing abilities. Think of a Capt. America type guy--not supersoldier, but better than normal stats. Put him in a position where his regular abilities aren't quite enough and he can 'will' himself to do better. For example: "No one could survive that!" - Damage Reduction, maybe? "I've got to lift this heavy thing, or else!" - Aid to STR? "If I don't move fast enough that bomb will blow!" -- Aid to Running (or Spd, maybe). ...and so on. So...I'm looking for ideas on the best way to do that, and for specific abilities or powers. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

Re: Longest Running Thread EVER It's a toss up. I've always enjoyed the Hulk, but I think Swamp Thing ranks up there. There's also Brainiac 5 from the "Legion" books, and Changeling from the various "Titans" books, both of whom I enjoy as supporting characters. Same with She Hulk, but she's got bigger....characteristics....heh...

Re: Romantic Space Pirates I have to agree with the others, Michael. You definitely have the makings of a good campaign there. Errol Flynn movies to watch would include "The Sea Hawk" and "Captain Blood". Great films for the pirate/swashbuckler genre. And "Robin Hood", of course. The two sci-fi series that I can think that’ll fit your campaign are “Farscape†and “Fireflyâ€. In “Fireflyâ€, you have a crew that is trying very hard to stay under the radar of the Empire, mainly because most of their business dealings aren’t particularly legal. The series didn’t last long enough to develop their relationship with the Empire, but for individual scenarios it’s a great resource. “Farscapeâ€, on the other hand, has exactly what you’re looking for. The stars are escaped prisoners, out on the “frontier†of space and trying to avoid the “Peacekeepersâ€, the military might of known space. One in particular has a hard on for the star of the show, and he breaks many a rule in trying to track him down. He’s not in every episode, but his presence is usually felt in some way, even if it’s only in a “we must move before he finds us†way. Your question is "what is the best way to run a space pirates campaign?", but I'm not sure I know what you're asking. That’s not gonna stop me from trying to answer it, though I wouldn’t limit my thinking to the label “piratesâ€. Let them be pirates, adventurers, mercenaries and explorers all at the same time. They can take jobs that others won’t, go places others can’t, etc. Give them a good first mission with few real frills to help them cement their characters’ interaction. Then introduce your big baddie. A close call, one in which he doesn’t necessarily catch them or even know who they are, but reminds them of the consequences. Next, begin a campaign. By this I mean have some long term goal that you’d like to see played out. Maybe they’re the start of a revolution, and slowly but surely they’ll build contacts and good will among the less-partisan members of the Empire. Don’t bring up rebellion, yet, but have it in the back of your mind. Give them a contact here, a favor there, etc. Nothing big, but little things. Then, later, hit ‘em with the big stuff. A planet has been “peacefully†brought into the Empire, much to the chagrin of the population. Their princess (or prince, or king or whatever) escaped, and the PCs get involved somehow (hired to take a mysterious passenger somewhere, for example). Now the ruthless Imperial captain wants their hides, so the chase is on. Of course, now there’s growing sentiment against the Empire. They conquered a peaceful world and unleashed their crazy captain on a group who is relatively well-known and well-liked among the fringe groups. Next thing you know you got yourself a “Braveheartâ€, with people banding together in ever-increasing numbers to fight the Empire, one town, one starport, one planet at a time. Hrm...rambling a bit, aren't I? Sorry 'bout that. I kinda got carried away...

Re: Sword of Omens come to (cough, cough) sorry hairball For anyone curious about the abilities and drawbacks of Saberhagen's "Twelve Swords of Power", I recommend this link: http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~warrior/12Swords/Swords.html It gives the verse that applies to each sword, a description of the sword itself and its abilities, and its drawbacks. Hope this helps ya, CK. If not, let me know and I'll see what else I can find.

Re: Strange Race Question Well, the Uruk are basically a conquered race. Coming from the typical stereotype where they constantly seem to be raiding some town/people/region, up to and including outright warfare. Now imagine one group gets tired of it and decides to just settle somewhere. They actually find a region where a nearby town of humans is willing to tolerate them (mainly because the humans could obliterate them if they wanted), and slowly trade and even trust is built. The Uruk town became a place where other Uruk could come to trade for those items they didn’t normally have access to. The ‘tame’ Uruk enforced the peace, and eventually their ‘town’ became a city. Seeing their success, similar ‘towns’ sprung up in a few places, to similar success. Thus, the Uruk have learned over the course of several generations to cohabitate with their neighbors. This is not to say that every Uruk tribe goes along with this, just like there are human bandits and raiders and the like. Uruk are tolerated within most civilizations these days, even if they are viewed with some mistrust and/or discrimination. They basically are struggling against a racial bias, but they’re doing it. It should be noted that there is an offshoot race (thus far simply referred to as ‘goblins’), who still thrive on raiding. They are much more infrequent, however, and prefer frontier regions rather than more civilized areas. Saurians, on the other hand, crept out of the mountains, first taking on occasional travelers, but eventually working up to full scale raids. By the time anyone figured out that they were a race unto themselves they had staked out a relatively large piece of territory in a particularly wealthy mountain range. Who are they? Where did they come from? No one is quite sure. Many believe they are the offspring of the long forgotten dragon races. It is well known that the Great Wyrms of old could take the form of just about any race they wanted, so it’s not improbably that a few might have actually breeded (if it’s possible, that is). Thus, Saurians might actually be descended from both Dragon and Man (or Elf, perhaps). It’s not generally known. They have low intelligence but are cunning fighters and quite vicious. They usually travel in small packs (4-12, give or take), but may be encountered in greater numbers (30 or more). Efforts to remove them from the mountains (by both men and dwarves) have resulted in the banding together of many tribes of Saurians to repel them. Hundreds or even thousands of Saurians will work together if given enough incentive. They do not trade but steal everything they want. It should be noted that Saurians are large, standing 7’ tall on average, and they’re much stronger and (usually) faster than humans. One Saurian is easily a match for a typical human, and even 2 or 3 trained soldiers would have a hard time taking one down without casualties. Maybe I’ll post their write-ups in the near future, but I’m still in the “outlining†stages of construction, so I haven’t turned to numbers yet. Oddly enough, in my campaign world it is thought that humans and dwarves were somehow created by elves to be their slaves. Humans worked the fields and forests, dwarves worked the mines. There is no proof of this, though the elves will tend to promote this theory. Halfings, believe it or not, consider themselves to be the ‘original’ race from which all other humanoids can trace their origins. Everyone patently refuses to believe this. Mostly the other races believe they simply came about through the meddling of gods or (more rarely) through natural selection.

Re: Strange Race Question Like Hierax I try and open up areas of exploration (figuratively and literally) with new races. What I prefer to do, however, is to spin the usual stereotype. I don't do it just to do it, but rather because I want the race in question to fill a niche. Elves, for example, are a warrior race who used to enslave humanity and rule a vast empire. Halflings are my fantasy world's version of Gypsies, often mistrusted and misunderstood, without a home of their own. Uruk (orcs) are more civilized, and are slowly but surely being drawn into the "good" category. Giants are the remnants of the "old races". Saurians are the new "up and coming" race, and are the most aggressive by far. I think you can use whatever you want, but make sure there's a reason for them. Centaurs exist in my world, for example, but only in limited quantity because of constant encroachment by other races. They live on plains and mostly try to keep to themselves. They're my world's version of the American Indian. The winged race I have proposed (but not yet named) will fill a similar niche but in the mountains. I based my 'watermen' (waterbreathers) on the original Submariner (from Marvel Comics), somewhat bitter and aggressive when landdwellers encroach or pollute their environment, but otherwise detached from the world as a whole. I won't use minotaurs or faeries or dog-men or cat-men (probably) because I don't see a need for them, and they just won't fit in the grand scheme of things. Create whatever races you want, but try and ensure that they have an actual place in the world. They should fulfill a need of the world and your campaign, both.

Re: What do you call this genre?

Re: Fiddling With 6th - Skills (first of ??) I like this idea better, as well, since there are times when [9+(CHAR/5)] = 11. I'd hate to see people buying the "2 pt" version rather than the "3 pt" version to get the same results.

Re: Sword of Omens come to (cough, cough) sorry hairball Here's Saberhagen's twelve "Swords of Power" from his Book of Swords series. Note that the drawbacks aren't included: Coinspinner - Sword of Chance (bestows luck) Doomgiver - Sword of Justice (repel any attack back at attacker) Dragonslicer - Sword of Heroes (a dragon slayer) Farslayer - Sword of Vengeance (kills at a distance) Mindsword - Sword of Glory (gives the wielder incredibly high charisma/presence)) Shieldbreaker - Sword of Force (shatters weapons and armor, but won't touch flesh) Sightblinder - Sword of Stealth (more illusion than invisibility) Soulcutter - Sword of Despair (area of effect despair, as in, you don't care about ANYthing) Stonecutter - Sword of Siege (cuts through stone like butter) Townsaver - Sword of Fury (protects innocents against attacks) Wayfinder - Sword of Wisdom (finds straightest path to destination) Woundhealer - Sword of Mercy (heals, cannot inflict damage) Edit (forgot to answer the question): What makes a great fantasy sword? It should have both a history (usually told as a legend) and a prophecy (another legend) attached to it. It doesn't matter if the blade is really all that powerful or not, but if the wielder believes it is, the sword will become a thing of legend in its own right.

Re: What do you call this genre? I've heard it referred to as the "Early National" period in history and in politics, so that might be as good a name as any. It usually covers from about 1800-1850 (which was...um...1825? 1829? Something like that). Some variation on "Western Expansion" or "Exploration" or even "Settler" might work for ya. G'luck.

Re: Longest Running Thread EVER Gotta give my first time about an 7. She was a few years older than I was and took the time to show me the ropes (so to speak...nothin' kinky). I don't know how she'd rate it, but definitely a 7 for me. Maybe an 8. Heck, it was my first time, so at that moment it was a 10.

Re: Longest Running Thread EVER I actually am, too, but after Tina posted the link to a page full of crossover/spinoff info, I figured I'd see about taking the TV talk in another direction. It's a strange and distracting day at work, and that was the best I could do on short notice.

Re: Longest Running Thread EVER And just to do a spinoff on the spinoff thread, the infamous "jump the shark" website can be found at: http://www.jumptheshark.com/ And if you're wondering what "jump the shark" means, it's that defining moment in a TV series when everything after that is just downhill. The phrase is coined from the episode of "Happy Days" when Fonzie literally jumped a shark. The sight has votes on just about every TV show. It's a chuckle-worthy place to visit.

Re: Longest Running Thread EVER And just because this site amused me... http://www.patheticgeekstories.com/

Re: Longest Running Thread EVER There's "Buffy TVS" and "Angel". Both pretty darn successful. "Babylon 5" and the short-lived "Crusade". Wasn't there a "Baywatch" spinoff? "Baywatch Hawaii" or something... "21 Jump Street" spawned "Booker". (egads, I watched 'em both) "Benson" came from the show "Soap". "Simpsons" came from "The Tracey Ullman Show". And who can forget "Happy Days" and the ever-lovable "Joanie Loves Chachi"? "Highlander" had a spinoff I never watched... "Cosby" had a spinoff for Lisa Bonet, but she left and that other chick took over, and I can't for the life of me remember the name of it. "Spenser for Hire" actually had a very short lived spinoff called "Man Called Hawk". Believe it or not, that's all I can remember off the top of my head.

Re: Exerience Wish List/Character Creation Question I've not seen or used a "formal" system, but there are times when I've asked characters for a generic "wish list" of things they want to spend experience on in advance. It doesn't have to be absolute but sometimes I like advance notice if they're going to buy off a disad or buy a new power. Revising or upgrading existing powers isn't a problem for me (usually), but if they're going to purchase new skills I require them to RP the learning of those skills. Same goes for increasing existing skills. But that doesn't usually require a "wish list". I think it's cool to have an idea of where the character wants to go, but I don't use the "wish list" as an etched-in-stone guide.

Re: Every good four color supers games needs:

Re: Every good four color supers games needs: Four color superheroes. Not gun-toting psychopaths, not bizarre creatures of the night, but good ol' fashioned heroes. You'd be surprised at how often that's overlooked. A friendly, slightly-older-yet-still-distinguished-looking genius, preferably the father of a hero or a former hero himself. An upbeat and focused (driven, even) journalist, charming in a meddling sort of way. At least one public detractor who has no hidden agenda. He just doesn't like the hero/heroes/superheroes in general.

Re: Longest Running Thread EVER

Re: Creation Myth I hate it when the bar is raised... Excellent post, Dr. A. Very creative, complete and entertaining. I have a creation myth of my own but nothing so integrated. I'll obviously have to revise my thinking on such. Well done.

Re: How Many Points? Assuming the "base" is the prison that they're normally held in until mission time, I wouldn't make 'em pay for it. Without knowing exactly what the scoop is, I'm guessing they're confined to the base when not going on missions. That means the "nifty gadgets" can be used against 'em if they try and get out of line. It'd be just plain mean to make 'em pay even a few points for a base that can be used against 'em like that. I'll go with 'none' on this one, too.

Re: Longest Running Thread EVER Well, I've been an on-again-off-again smoker for about twelve years, and started drinking about sixteen years ago. I'm not afraid of being an alcoholic because I rarely drink to excess, or even that often. I won't drink a beer by myself unless it really really sounds good. I'm actually more addicted to the social lifestyle I've developed than I am to cigarettes or alcohol. If I don't go out for a week my smoking habit dwindles greatly, and I probably won't have a sip o' booze of any kind. By way of comparison, though, on two separate vacations I probably drank every night for two weeks straight. Not always a lot, but at least a little. I guess it's as much personality as predilection.

Re: Answers & Questions

Re: PBEM Soundtrack Just a thought, Jack, maybe you should post a general description of the GGU and/or individual campaigns so people have an idea of what sort of music might be appropriate for the game. "Olympic Fanfare" by John Williams, for example, would probably be a good opening number for the actual "Global Guardians" campaign, whereas "Meddle" by Pink Floyd might be good for one of the darker campaigns ("Shades of Gray", maybe), and "Behind Blue Eyes" for "Redemption". Just a thought. You might get some really cool answers.

Re: Sidekick v FREd, among other things.