dbsousa

Re: 'Empire': a cliché? I think what you have here is a Franchise...

Re: Campaign Brainstorming: "The New Abbey" I have two suggestions to move away from Catholicism. First, instead of Latin, try Esperanto. It has a Latin base, but the words are different enough to throw off the scent. If people worship at the "Eklezio Sanktaplej Galaksia" ("Most Holy Galactic Church") and are guarded by the "Soldatoj Terura de la Dio" ("Terrifying Soldiers of God") Second, I have not heard you suggest that this mathematical proof includes Christ in the equation. Is this a Christian Church? If I could mathematically prove the existence of God tomorrow, it would not end the conflict between Jews, Christians, and Muslims, all of whom believe in one God... One way to remove the Catholic influence is to remove the Christian influence. As an aside, I don't see how mathematical proof of "God" is enough to create one church. There are Baptists who say that whenever three Baptists are in a room together, one of them considers splitting off and forming his own church. Churches split for secular reasons as well. If you are in New England, and see a church named "South Church", it is so named because that church split with the Congregational Church over Abolition (they have since regrouped). I love the concept, but as a player I would have questions. Does this proof of God include properties that God has? Is he omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent? Does he have a plan for us? Does this proof allow us to divine his will? Certainly the Church extols a system of ethics, but do they mathematically follow from the Divine Proof (Sankta Pruvo)? Cool...

Re: Interstellar communications I played in a campaign where information could only travel as fast as the FTL ships that carried it. my character carved out a news empire in the way that the 19th century news barons did. I hired "stringers" in remote locations, and paid ship captains to gather their stories at each port of call, and broadcast them to me as soon as they were close enough to use light-speed communications. (Before the Trans Atlantic Telegraph, newspapers would do this with sailing ships and carrier pigeons)

Re: Super Skills Here are some I am working on for a CON game tomorrow: (MCPD Blues, RuneCon) Good Cop: Xd6 Mind Control, only to blurt out information, requires opposed roll (Conversation vs Streetwise), only in presence of "Bad Cop" Bad Cop: Xd6 Mind Control, only to blurt out information, requires opposed roll (Interrogation vs. Streetwise) only in presence of "Good Cop" Leadership: Overall Skill Levels, Usable by Others Hostage Negotiation: Xd6 PRE Drain at Range requires opposed roll (PRE vs. PRE) Sniper's Aim: Naked Advantage: +1 STUN Multiplier on X Points of RKA

I think so, Brain, but where are we going to find enough hot fudge sauce to fill a swimming pool?

Buster, sans wrecking ball Here is a picture of Buster, created with the (free) Freedom Force Character Editor, using a Savage Dragon Mesh

Don't forget, summoned creatures, even slavishly loyal ones, are under the GM's control. Beyond simple commands, the PC should not be able to dictate their actions completely... Villians with appropriate Dispels should neutralize such a PC, as should Mentalists. Imagine the look on your PC's face when his minions turn on him...

If this goblin were super crafty, he might set up his kingdom as a serfdom, with a human government composed of figureheads. The Goblin King is believed to be the Head Servant, but in fact dicates the decisions of the Duke directly. The wine is physically addictive, and has a narcotic effect that tends to make humans suggestible, When served throughout the kingdom will make the Goblin overthrow as simple as installing Goblin wine stewards in every household.

This is the problem with mechanics out of context. What are you trying to simulate? The FAQ talks about reasoning from effect, and without that, the exercise is pointless. If what you are trying to simulate is a character who burns endurance when he increases his speed, I would suggest the following construction: SPD Aid: Standard Effect, Delayed Fade Rate, Side Effect (Physical Limitation: All actions cost X2 END)

I would meet my Freshman high school self, and give him $1000, and the following advice: When G__ tells you that the couple making out in the front seat is making her horny, go in for the kiss. When you meet S___, don't even bother to ask her out. be casually friendly with her, but you're not really interested in her. K__ will try to provoke you into a fight. Tell him that you will count to three, and if he doesn't walk away, you will beat the crap out of him. Then do it. (Warning: you might get the crap beaten out of you, but you will feel better about it ten years later...) Do your god-damned homework! Do it in high school, because it is easier than anything you will do later in life, Do it in your first college because you will be able to transfer all of your credits rather than flunking out. Do it at your Second College so you don't have to return 12 years later to get your degree. About the first and second college thing... Go to U___ for three semesters and transfer to C___. You will lose your virginity at U___, but you will make lifetime friends at C___ you will be offered a job at P___. Offer to consult for them part time instead. The magazine will not get made, the job will fall apart in three months, you will be back at your old job, and you will kick yourself when your boss laughs at your suggestion to rethink the project and publish the magazine on the "World Wide Web", because "Who goes to the Web to read stuff?" Start working out. You are 6' 2" and you will never be any thinner. Make it a habit, so I don't have to. Go to the record store, and start buying music. You are going to love the Smiths, the B-52's, REM, U2, and Joy Division. You are also going to like some older stuff, like Pink Floyd, David Bowie, and Elvis Costello. Learn to play guitar, and when you buy one with your first tax refund, treat it well. Take some singing lessons while you are at it. you like to sing, and a little bit of training will save you a few sore throats. Get yourself checked for sleep apnea. you will lose several years of sleep if you don't. Finally... This $1000 is a high school graduation present. put it in the bank now, and invest it in K___ when you graduate. When you are offered a job with K___ in 1997, sell it for $300,000.

Here, try this on... Shapeshift (Sight Group; Additional Sense Group: Touch Group, Variety of Shapes: Limited Group of Shapes), Reduced Endurance 0 END (+1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (46 Active Points); Only affects Clothing (Power loses almost all of its effectiveness, -2), IAF Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; -1 1/2) Total Cost: 10

We have a silver age group and a golden age old guard in our game, each taken from other campaigns... The Junior Achievers (Silver Age) were a teen team established in 1959 by Doc Wizard. when creating PC's for this, each player had to detail the PC's connection to a World War II hero. The team members were: Johnny Angel: combat precog whose daddy, Rebel Walker, fought with Sarge Steele in the Suicide Squadron, and whose neighbor, Doctor Daedalus was a Homefront Hero. Stray Cat: martial artist who ran away after finding evidence that her parents, the homefront heroes Black Cat and Mad Dog, were involved in criminal activity Mastermind: 13 year old Bobby Oppenheimer II, named after his famous uncle, has discovered the secret to cold fusion, and keeps it hidden in his battle suit so the government won't turn it into a bomb. Barracuda half-breed heir apparent to the Atlantean throne with the ability to mimic the powers of marine life, Shelly Beechwood grew up on the shores of Florida with her human father. more to follow...

a dozen years ago, when I ran a superhero game, I charged points for a portable radio setup as mind link, uses radio waves, etc. I ran a reunion game last month and decided that a cell phone was an everyman power, and handwaved it.

A friend of mine ran a campaign in which the emperor was an immortal 12 year old boy. Cynical folk believed he was swapped out like a Menudo singer when he reached puberty, but those closer to the palace believed he was a dragon in human guise...

Thanks! I put our game site back up. The Living Galaxy has a lot of ideas cribbed from various space operas...

New Britain, CT is nicknamed "Hardware City", because Stanley Tools used to make them here. Now they make them elsewhere, but they are still incorporated there.

Another concerned power in my game (fairly obviously lifted from Asimov)... The Encyclopedia Guild The Encyclopedia Guild is the oldest known organization in the Galaxy, having recently issued its 800th five-year update of its Original Book of Knowledge. Operating without a homeworld, the guild is merely a nomadic nation of researchers and writers, editors, and publishers. Every five years they converge in an unknown location to integrate their data. They are accepted in almost every non swarm world, and have pledged themselves to non-violent gathering and distribution of information. Fact Checker Some believe this is the most boring job in the universe. In actuality many Fact Checkers expose themselves to life threatening danger on a daily basis, and more than a few have been killed by desperate people trying to hide the truth from the all seeing eyes of the Encyclopedia. A senior Fact Checker must be able to schmooze both High and Low Society, infiltrate the most secure data repositories, and seduce, bribe, or intimidate anyone who can confirm or deny any part of the assigned story. University This spaceship houses a quarter of a million students, faculty, and staff, and tours the Galaxy, making a full rotation every ten years. It is here where the Encyclopedia Ships converge, and eager Deans and their assistants begin sorting the data and distributing it to multiple departments. University politics would occasionally shame the most ruthless bureaucrat, but are always bloodless. The vast majority of Tenured Professors ignore politics, being engrossed in their particular field of study. Branches Every First World, most Second Worlds, and even a few Third Worlds have an Encyclopedia Branch that serves as Library, Virtual Museum, University, and Embassy. A few sentients who join a branch as an undergraduate are recruited to join the Encyclopedia, becoming Assistant Fact Checkers or Graduate Assistants. Most people become tired of Encyclopedia life after becoming a Master or a Doctor, and retire to another world, but some continue on, striving for the rank of Tenured Professor, Chairperson, or even Sub Assistant Dean.

The source of all goodness in my world is the Confederacy... The Confederacy The most successful government in recorded history, the Confederacy celebrates its 520th birthday by Galactic Reckoning (a year is defined as the amount of time it takes a ship to travel a complete galactic rotation in the hyperstream) The Confederacy succeeds by acknowledging the sovereignty of each system. However before joining the Confederacy, a system must ratify a charter which guarantees all citizens suffrage, basic food and shelter, a fair trial if accused of a crime, and a just sentence if convicted. Over 1000 systems enjoy the benefits of Confederate life, and over 100 are engaged in the arduous process of preparing their society for membership. Each system is allowed to make its own laws within the boundaries of its charter. When sovereign worlds and their legal systems clash, a number of agencies exist to deal with the conflict. Confederate Justice League: When a Confederate citizen is accused of a crime, and flees the system in which he is accused, that government may petition the Confederate Justice League to extradite him from wherever he has fled. Field Agents have the authority to pursue a suspect to any Confederate world, but must cooperate with the local authorities and follow their laws and restrictions. Once captured, a suspect may be returned to the world that petitioned for his capture. No laws exist to punish intersystem flight, and the Justice League may not detain a suspect except to return him to his accusers. The Confederate Appellate Court: Any Confederate citizen may appeal a criminal conviction if he can convince the CAC to question the fairness of his trial or the justice of the sentence. The CAC is more likely to overturn a harsh sentence than a questionable verdict. If an appeal overturns the conviction, the system which prosecuted may exile the defendant, denying him entry to that world for the duration of the original sentence. One of the provisions in the Confederate Charter requires all systems to abolish the death penalty; any system trying to skirt or subvert that provision will come under the intense scrutiny of the CAC Consiglieri: Scholars debate endlessly over whether these computers are sentient. The twelve that are known to exist reside in huge towers on Confederate Planets. Consiglieri advise the Confederate Parliament on matters of science and law, and are instrumental in crafting the treaties and policies that keep the Confederacy together. A Consiglieri class computer requires vast resources to recreate, including the ennegrams of tens of thousands of scientists and scholars, and must be allowed to develop for scores of years before it gains a semblance of wisdom. If such a supercomputer started to falter, it could not be repaired, as any change to its code may remove its ability to think freely. The Confederacy has brought a new Consiglieri online every 40 years for its entire history. As the confederacy celebrates its 520th year, it is preparing to test a thirteenth unit. The Court of Consiglieri: When a system is accused of violating its confederate charter, either by unfair trade practices or civil rights violations; it's case is reviewed by the Court of Consiglieri. The CC will take as long as three years to decide the case, and provide a plan of action to return a system to compliance. Upon receiving this plan, the system may choose to accept it or withdraw from the Confederacy. A system that withdraws from the Confederacy loses all trade privileges within the Confederacy, and suffer an almost universal boycott from Confederate systems. Citizens of former Confederate worlds have twenty years from the date of withdrawal to relocate to another Confederate World.

One of the common foes in my game is the Franchise Army, known as the dynamic wedge... The Dynamic Wedge When a sentient being has nowhere else to turn, when he is exiled from his homeland, on the run from the law, abandoned by his lifemate, or in debt beyond all hope of repayment, he may always find a home in Dynamic Wedge. Millions of Franchise Marines serve systems in time of war, as defenders or invaders, sometimes fighting one another, but always fighting under the dynamic wedge that serves as the Franchise Brigade’s corporate logo. The following is an excerpt from a Dynamic Wedge brochure: “If you are the sort of self motivated individual who is looking for a unique money making opportunity, you may purchase your own franchise! Come to our War College, and learn everything you need to know about recruiting, training and deploying an armed force for glory and profit! And best of all, your troops will benefit from the most sophisticated and robust support staff in the galaxy! From belt buckles to Warrior Meals to city busting warheads, Your soldiers will have access to everything they need to carry out your orders. In addition to home office support, your franchise will benefit from the renown of the Dynamic Wedge Brand, a symbol that is recognized and feared or highly feared by over 60% of Traveled Space…â€

Isn't this a variant of Concentrate? if the character has a 6 OCV, there is no difference. I would sacrifice the exact number for elegance in the game...

How does this feel... Cost Power END 27 Fallon's Fatiguing Force Field: Force Field (10 PD/10 ED), 4 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Day each (+1) (40 Active Points); Costs Endurance Costs END Every Phase (-1/2) 4 Powers Cost: 27 This modifier you describe turns out to be an advantage rather than a limitation...

I would like to be able to download this as an FCW file, so that I can mess with it in CC myself...

Force Wall allows you to use a half phase action to alter the shape or size. As a special effect, I would allow the person with a key to take a half phase to open a door...

Check out this link, blimp lovers... http://popularmechanics.com/science/military/2002/3/return_of_battle_blimps/print.phtml

Check out this link, blimp lovers... http://popularmechanics.com/science/military/2002/3/return_of_battle_blimps/print.phtml