mrswing

Re: Sonof Secret Origins! When did you start reading superhero comics? The addiction began in '79 I think, with Amazing Spider-Man 178-179. (As well as a Superman two-parter featuring the Atomic Skull and Titano, but I didn't get into DC seriously until after the Crisis).

Re: Hero Needs Reviewers!! And here's my latest (I'm mailing the links to Ben and Tina too)! http://www.gamingreport.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=1205 Hope you like it.

Re: Hero Needs Reviewers!! My first three just went live over at Gamingreport: Reality Storm http://www.gamingreport.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=1187 The Ultimate Brick http://www.gamingreport.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=1196 Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth http://www.gamingreport.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=1197 More are on the way. So, coach, do I make the team??

Well, I bought it too to help DOJ out - even though I originally had no intention to. Simply because I'm not a fan of magic-centered superhero stories. Anyway, I generally agree with the consensus: the art is very good, the maps are extremely well done and useful. Didn't need them in color if that means a lower price (probably doesn't for PDFs) but they are first-rate gaming aids. As for the whole Art In Pdfs-issue: for superhero games I think illos of the new characters are essential. but general 'mood' art illustrating potential scenes from the plot are less so unless there's a good reason for the artwork (showing a certain location/item/event so that the players really visualize the situation). Finally I have to be honest: I wasn't planning on getting this because of the playtest file. I think that sharing adventures for playtest reasons will lessen sales, simply because once you've read or played it, you're through - you have the info or have had the gaming experience, why go back to it? It's different for rulebooks, especially additions like MMM where art will be essential in bringing the entire book to life. So I would advocate either sharing your adventure material (which you SHOULD keep producing!!!) to a limited group of trusted playtesters, or else adding so much to the adventure pdfs in the way of goodies (the maps are a nice beginning, how about character standups for all the NPCs as well as for some vehicles/items? Just a thought) that buying the pdf becomes essential. Anyway, I think this current marketing campaign has worked really well and I sincerely hope that the Champions Plus-line does become a succesful venture in future!

For Strikeforce, keep hounding the ebay boards. I got my copy at $40 or thereabouts BUT it's signed by Aaron Allston (sigh... RPGing greatness in my grasp). The specific excellence of this book is that he actually details how his campaign went, what the big storylines were, what mistakes he made and how he corrected them - in short, excellent stuff. The many PCs and NPCs are very good as well, of course.

I don't think there ever really was an iconic CU Spider-man - and no iconic Superman either. Both great oversights IMO...

This 'how to create a campaign'-idea is quite interesting too. If done well it would be both a very viable game background for people to start playing in and an example for GMs (and players) on how to create a world/well-rounded character. If one really pitches this at beginners, the first adventure could even be an origin issue, using all the elements of the sourcebook part of the book to create richer adventures than generally possible in superhero gaming. Another thought : if one were to do this in a 128-page book, then there could be four different hero types/campaign flavours (acrobatic vigilante-detective, rampaging brick, high-tech hero and mystic master, for example, or alien champion of justice, misunderstood mutant, mirthful mercenary, troubled teen... oops, seems like I'm channeling too much of Stan Lee there). If such a project wasn't dual-stat, I would definitely tie it into the main setting of the game (CU-Millenium City). As such that would help make that setting even more alive to GM and player and enhance compatibility with later products.

I too would like to see a set of iconic solo heroes for the CU. IMO, the CU has generally (in all editions) been weakest on the hero front. A large number of really good villain concepts have been published over the years, but relatively few heroes of comparable quality have been presented (and yes I would also consider the Protectors as the best of the lot so far). Freedom City succeeds in giving us very recognizable heroes (sometimes so recognizable I worry about plagiarism suits) which do not detract from the enjoyment of the game in any way. Somewhat related to this is an idea I've had for a long time. The problem with most published superhero rpg adventures to my mind is that they can only work on the level of spectacle (action sequences) because they have to work for a huge number of gaming groups. On the other hand, many people find it difficult to find large gaming groups, while getting together with one or two friends is more manageable. Wouldn't it be possible to come up with sourcebook/adventures focussing on one hero (or maybe two, Batman and Robin style) who is examined in depth, also presenting a ready-made set of NPCs and story hooks, and then use this hero in a short campaign (three adventures maybe?) in the same book? This would help new players immensely, and save time for GMs - as well as enable the sourcebook writer to add more (and deeper) character interaction in the adventures so they actually are closer in feel to the source material? If these supplements were not too big in size (or presented a lot of extra campaign material) I think they could be quite succesful - and perhaps even cross over to other superhero game systems (indeed, they could be dual- or tri-statted).

Hi Furface, Thanks for the reply! I already have the original 4th ed, as well as Ninja hero (both versions) and Watchers Of The Dragon which is indeed a very good sourcebook. Are there any important rules changes and/or additions in 5th compared to 4th, though? I know there is overlap, I just wonder if it's worth spending +/- $30 on (living in Belgium, so that's what postage will do to prices...)

I've read some of the old discussions about 4th/5th ed products and I'm still in doubt about getting this one or not. Specifically : how much material is new/altered here and what (globally speaking) are the differences between the two editions? Thanks in advance for your help!

I have to agree about not being impressed by the new Champions. I especially don't understand why only Defender was retained from the original bunch - he always struck me as a pretty dull hybrid of Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic. Either come up with something all-new or just update the original characters. Ironclad is my least favourite character but that's primarily because of the visual, I find him very un-appealing with the klingon-like forehead and stuff... I also have to agree that I am not too happy about the restarting of the universe for this edition. I didn't consider the 4th ed. universe broken or to have run out of steam. Bringing it up to date would have been more to my liking - though that doesn't mean I hate the new elements. In fact, I think the new Champions Universe edition is a fine supplement in itself, it's just that I personally would have preferred a continuation of the old one as it was quite satisfactory for a superhero rpg background.

Harvester, Arggh!! Strikeforce gone! The holy grail of Champions supplements! However, all is not yet lost! Do they still have Atlas Unleashed? If so I'd be very interested in that. Thanks for going to all this trouble for us!

I'll second Talislanta. I used to play in a FH Talislanta campaign a long time ago and in general the game archetypes were perfectly transferable. The campaign unfortunately ground to a halt when our party was attack by shadow-like wraiths and the only PC with a magic weapon capable of harming them decided to do a 'Predator-Schwarzenegger' (i.e. burying himself in mud and leaves to camouflage himself from the monsters) while we were already under attack. By the time he had unburied himself all of the other characters were dead... There are a lot of pretty good settings out for D&D right now as well. Dark Sun was excellent in conception, and nowadays Scarred Lands, Arcanis, Bluffside, Kalamar have a lot of different but good material to offer. Also, check out the new Midnight setting which seems very promising and actually takes another step closer to HERO by making wizards almost extinct as a single class but allows every character to take magic as a skill... And if you can find it, the old Bard Games The Lexicon (a fantasy version of Earth at the time of Atlantis and Cimmeria) is extremely intriguing stuff. Since it's not geared towards any single game system using it would be fairly simple.

How to take out Batman? Have the Flash vibrate through him at maximum speed - forget preparation, before anything could possibly go off the Flash has probably crossed the globe three or four times. Result : Batman explodes, being microwaved to death in less than the blink of an eye. Preparation Shmeparation : anyone of the DC big guns would squish Batman to a pulp if it ever came to a REAL confrontation.