Spence

Re: Champions Space Campaign Plot Ideas Or an impending/happening invasion along the line of the Vang, Beserkers, or Posleen. There is no way that the normal fleets and can stop them. But the aid of the mighty {insert group name here}, Galactic civilization will be saved.

Re: Making the Big Map I use the Starfire model where the nodes (warp points) are natural. I use their system creation method for the rough, heavily tweeked with Traveller, Space Master and StarHero.

Re: Making the Big Map Yep, I was just noting that it was what I used. I also find it easier for an RPG since it limits the PC choices on where to go. As a GM it makes it easier that is.

Re: Making the Big Map Since I tend to center the game on systems and like to keep the PC options managable, I do the "warp point network" map. I actually use the old Starfire campaign map generator to build the map. Then I can create 5-6 basic systems and whichever warp point they transit will wind up in one of my prepared systems. I add to that list as needed.

I am going to be running a new game soon. One of my only problems is figuring out how to model an effect of the game. I'm using the plot-mechanism where the Mechs are based on alien tech adopted by earth. PC's have control of their biomechs due to a very rare genetic marker, hence the need to use relatively young and inexperienced pilots rather than professional soldiers. Also the abilities inherent within the technology is not clearly understood by anyone. What I need help with is how would you write up/model capabilities/powers that the PC's do not know exist? Or better yet how would you trigger the new capabilities manifistation? I'd like something a little more than GM fiat if possible. Any help or suggestions would be really appreciated.

Re: Witch Hunter Robin It looks like Starblazers is in the live action arena too. http://www.darkhorizons.com/news06/060424j.php Lets see... Evangelian (sp?), WHR, and now Starblazers.... Either "REALLY cool" or "AARRRRGgghhhhhhhh"

Re: Witch Hunter Robin Great news. I would really like to see some anime make it into live action. WHR is one I think could be done well and also have enough cross interest to draw in the supernatural/horror crowd.

Re: Firefly You're thinking Foxnews Fox TV used to be one of the more liberal entertainment networks, and constantly skirted the edge of "acceptability". "Married with Children" and so on. Now they just disappoint. "Firefly", "Wonderfalls" the list can go on.....

Re: Witch Hunter Robin Well after the level of high quality and production they have been doing at SciFi (minus BSG and the SG shows of course) I can't fault you for that. I really wish there was a single source to track anime to live action conversions. There are several "in the pipe" but you can never really get any details...

Re: Western Champions, Redone If you are wanting to keep a Western Hero feel, I keep Undertaker named The Undertaker. Think of the western movies. They are not big on flair like four color heros. Naming a gunslinger Texas, or the Ringo Kid was about as far as they went. Also I wouldn't go alien or anything like that. Villains should have a more Western storyline. A land grab, stopping sheep farmers, stopping sodbusters (farmers), stealing land because of mining rights. The "ghost" that is running off settlers and killing some turns out to be a Shawnee super intent on driving out the white man from the sacred hunting grounds. If you are wanting to go western, then do a western.

Re: Help with a name My vote is for Sigil. Or maybe a modified version

Re: Genre conventions

Re: Help with a name Now that is a good one. Sounds like a Pulp Villian to me. hehehe....

Re: Help with a name Effigy, Icon, Idol, Talisman, Charm, Fetish, Amulet, Glamour, Hex, all can be suitably modified.... ie ShadowHex, Whispering Charm, Ghostly Glamour, Black Talisman.....

Re: Help with a name Method of "casting"? Verbal, Thought, visible. Describe her casting a "spell".

I am in the middle of working up deck plans for various ships. Now for Age of Sail warships I have tons of references. One entire section of my library is filled with books, which is great for my ongoing project to map out an armed merchantman, which IMO is the best ship "type" for a RPG in that era. But on to the relevant problem at hand. I have found some, some not many, books that cover the merchant ships of 1880-1930 era. But nothing with any real usable detail. What I would really like to find is a book that has detailed coverage of a “tramp†freighter of the early 1900’s. You know the Pulp staple small freighter that carries 10-20 passengers and hold and deck cargo. I have served at sea aboard a warship, but not a merchantman. So I can come up with many missing pieces on my own, but not the cargo holds and cargo handling setup. This is important! How can the hero's track down the mysterious killer hiding in the hold, if we don’t have a good idea of the holds layout? Hmmmmm? Hmmm?

Re: Genre conventions Having read this thread and failing to "grok" I will say this. True villians never fail. They win, re-write history and we usually know them as the "Hero".

Re: SpaceCraft Miniatures... The Silent Death mini's are well made and really do look good. But they are all fighters. I like SHIPs, not fighters. And it is hard to find ship mini's that are "generic" and not contaminated by the mistake of the "hey if we overload the mini with tons of useless bumps and knobby things, people will mistake it as detail and they will look really cool" syndrome. Two of the existing Cold Navy lines are good (though I wish they didn't have the obvious turrets) and the AoG Turning Point mini's are too. Just my opinion of course.

Re: SpaceCraft Miniatures... I was looking for "non genre" ships for the same reason. That is why i plan on getting some of the Cold Navy ships. But go to the AoG link above and look at their Turning Point ships. They are actually pretty generic now that the game itself never took off. The B5 Earth force FA auxilaries, like some destroyers or corvettes are also blocky/generic looking. The FA scale that is.

Re: Age of Sail: Sailors and Officers Skills Andrea I am in the middle of a "book panic", when I moved last year I never unpacked all of my books and now I cannot find some of them….. I did find two that might be of use. They both include information on actual crew positions and duties on a warship in the "Nelson" era. They are: "The Illustrated Companion to Nelson's Navy" by Nicholas Blake and Richard Lawrence. Stackpole Books in the US and by Chatham Books in the UK. ISBN 0-8117-0864-0. It is a basic book that covers everything from jobs, the food they ate, sail combat tactics, general ship layouts (simple deckplans) to even a glossary of terms from the period. A very good book for the purpose of running a RPG. The other book is "Naval Warfare in the Age of Sail, War at Sea 1756-1815" by Bernard Ireland. By W.W Norton & Company (U.S. and U.K) In agreement with HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-393-04983-3. It is more technical. On pg 45 is shows a diagram by deck and gun by the positions of all the gun crews at action stations after beating to quarters. Gun crews that are keyed on the diagram: Captain, Lieutenant, Warrant Officer, Midshipman or mate, Gun Captain, member of gun crew, seaman (non-gun crew) and Artisan ( non-gun crew). On pg 113 it breaks down the crew by watch (starboard, larboard) as they are placed for sail. The sections are Fore Topmen, Main Topmen, Mizzen Topmen, Forecastle Men, Afterguard, Officers, Idlers, Servants, Marines, Boatswain's Mates, Quartermasters, Gunners Crew and Carpenters Crew. These are all color coded by: Commissioned Officers, Seaman Warrant Officers, Civilian Warrant Officers, Mates and Midshipmen, Petty Officers, Ordinary and Able Seamen, Landsmen, Artisans, Boys, Marine Officers, Marine NCO's and Marine Privates. Of course the manning of every ship was different, but it is a fantastic sample. I hope this helps.

Re: SpaceCraft Miniatures...

Re: Age of Sail: Sailors and Officers Skills All excellent references. I have will post a few more titles when I get back home. For skills I would recommend a broader brush. I would talk about occupations and areas of responsibility, with NPC's simpley slotted to a job. For skills available to PC's, I would instead write up some general packages that include several items/skills and named for general idea, say "ships navigation" as an example. In fact, most PC's should probabaly not be regular crew at all, if the game is to be played in a Napoleonic type AoS setting. I would lean toward making them all officers of some capacity or gentlemen volunteers from at least minor titled families or non-titled holding measureable and influential wealth. If the PC's are regular crew in that period they really wouldn't have much of a say in just about anything. I would even avoid Midshipmen or "cabin boys". It would be like playing a "records clerk" in a modern setting. Not "records clerk" as a secret ID, but the actual clerk. A solid occupation in the real world, but not really that fun in a RPG.

Re: Military Size

Re: Horrorclix! Scary minis by the fistful!

Re: 17thc Sailling ship OOOoooooooo.......aaaaahhhhhhhhhh1 Normally I would say "maps map maps maps maps...." But I think "deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans...." is better in this case.... so.... deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans deckplans