Jkeown

Reticulax Repulsoids

The Reticulax Repulsoids have only cartilage analogs and hate holding them together. Morphologically similar to armored 4-armed snakes, they are actually a form of evolved spite.

They care for nothing and no one. They are immune to pain.

I had dealings with a group of Repulsoids while working at Research-o-Rama. The Bloody Moon sect had informed me of a cache of "scientific equipment" stored in a disused shuttle bay in the jungles of Praxima II.

Quickly assembling a crack team from the University Inebriax Burger Bar and Gyration Dome, we set out to recover the gear. We found the shuttle bay with a Repulsoid landing craft inside. While I set up the distress beacon and rigged it for hot stand-by, my study group entered the ship. The shooting started almost immediately.

I ran farther away to get a wide angled view of the conflict and to avoid stray blaster fire.

Several of my associates fled the ship, one of them engulfed in flames. The Repulsoids followed, cutting them down easily. The aliens went about their work with cold efficiency, no sign of strong emotion, hesitation or mercy.

Never did recover that gear, however.

Reticulax Reqpulsoids.pdf

18. We got through maybe 3 turns of combat in a 4 hour session. 

Edit: My current group is only 5 at max and runs smooth as silk. 

I suppose I'd better get the flavor text and illustrations ready. Let's see if I can make this thing happen. 

They are specific to my campaign, but some might find a home in yours. new demons, variant trolls, the emotion-themed Exarchs of Hate, Joy and Pain. Some normal animals you don't see in other works. Wyverns... Undead Wyverns... icy wyverns, flaming wyverns...

Do we need more monsters? I have ~190 critters at hand, and I wondered if they'd be welcomed? I'm going through the document now, adjusting stuff and thinking about selling it. Maybe get some illustrations going as well. I might just post it for free, as I have some other stuff.

Chew on this, ya mutant freaks! I was working on this right up to my wife's cancer diagnosis. I sort of associate it with her condition now, and have no real intention of finishing it. Want the Word doc? Might hand it over.

I've stolen some talents from somewhere. If you recognize your work. You have first my apology and second my promise to remove it. Other than stuff obviously ripped from Gamma World, all of this is me.

Gamma Terra Public.pdf

Here's a thing. My buddy Chris is here in Indy for Gen Con, and I can't go, so I thought I'd whip up a dungeon for a special episode of my long-running (1986) Caleon game.

Quick Background: A lost sword is now the hands of the vile wizard Dragon Mask (aka Chadros Fane). He and his cult swiped it from some ants. The PCs are sent by this hive of semi-intelligent ants to return Fane alive to the Ant Queen; they can keep the sword, she can't use it. She just wants revenge on him for killing all those pupae. Dragon Mask worships my weird version of Bahamut from Arabic myth.

This thing references my 561-page Campaign Guide, so pardon me, but it's very local. Fits really nice into my "Sea of Dragons/Forbidden City of Tsang" arc that I'm running presently, but you might have trouble making it fit in your game. There are numerous references to Fantasy HERO products of various editions..

The maps use hexes, but this is more of a design choice than cartography, really. Makes them nice to look at. I'm not quite sure of the scale. Probably 2 meters.

Anyhow, a work in progress. Feedback is appreciated.

Things to do:

Actually edit the thing.

Work on NPC Complications

Create the Pillar of the Dragon artifact

Balance Chadros Fane to my party.

Create the Symbol Traps (Triggered by looking at them, I suppose)

Assault on the Dragon Cult.pdf

My Players gang up on my Bad Guys. So I've created a list of abilities to handle this situation. The powers are named for various members of the Control Freak World Tour, a group that has been around in one form or another since 1984.

"In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed."
--William Ernest Henley, Invictus

In an effort to keep the Bosses/Elites/Weird Lieutenants alive. One or more of the following Powers may be present on Maelstrom Campaign villains and Key NPCs. The cost for these abilities will be recorded as usual.

Character Shield: (Total: 28 Active Cost, 28 Real Cost) +10 BODY (Real Cost: 10) plus +20 STUN (Real Cost: 10) plus +8 CON (Real Cost: 8) Real Cost: 28

Danimmunity: Power Defense (20 points) (20 Active Points); Requires A Roll (14- roll; -¼) Real Cost: 16

Dawn Defense: Mental Defense (20 points total) (20 Active Points); Requires A Roll (14- roll; -¼) Real Cost: 16

Iron Buttmonkey: +15 PRE (15 Active Points); Only To Defend Against Presence Attacks (-1) Real Cost: 7

Just Stop It, Son!: Entangle 5d6, 4 PD/4 ED (Stops A Given Sense Normal Sight) (50 Active Points); Requires A Roll (14- roll; -¼) Real Cost: 40

Plot Armor: Resistant Protection (6 PD/6 ED/6 Flash Defense: Sight Group/6 Flash Defense: Hearing Group) (36 Active Points); Requires A Roll (14- roll; -¼) Real Cost: 29

Protection Vs Brian: Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75% (60 Active Points); Requires A Roll (14- roll; -¼) Real Cost: 48

Really, Chris?: Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75% (60 Active Points); Requires A Roll (14- roll; -¼) Real Cost: 48

Reinforcements: Summon 2 200-point Minions (45 Active Points); Requires A Roll (14- roll; -¼) Real Cost: 36

Secret Escape Route: Teleportation 24m, x32 Increased Mass, MegaScale (1m = 1 km; +1) (98 Active Points); Requires A Roll (11- roll; -½) Real Cost: 65

TPK: RKA 2d6, Personal Immunity (+¼), Area Of Effect (4m Radius; +¼), +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+¼), Armor Piercing (+¼) (60 Active Points); No Range (-½) Real Cost: 40

They Never Recovered The Body: Regeneration (3 BODY per 6 Hours), Resurrection Real Cost: 38

I have an idea I call the Long Sleep.

In it, the human race has wandered out into the galaxy and found life everywhere, but none of it very intelligent or even self-mobile. They decide to fix it. Using Deep Time Sleep Modules (whatever that is), the Sleepers engineer a few viruses (virii?) and go into the Long Sleep to await the emergence of intelligence. A powerful monitoring system alerts the Sleepers to threats to their project planet, and awakens them in an effort to preserve the project.  These projects can last millions of years.

Ideally, each Sleeper Team consists of 12 specialists who oversee various aspects of the project. They have almost complete autonomy, but coordinate with the Team Leader when required.

• Team Leader
• Combat Specialist
• Thanatologist
• Astrophysicist
• Scholar
• Explorer
• Caretaker
• Botanist
• Mechanic
• Biologist
• Reactor Tech
• Teacher

Eventually, the lifeforms they foster get a handle on living without their assistance and the team moves on, hopefully proud of the work they accomplished.

Every once in a while, the have to prune their gardens, or destroy worlds outright to protect the galaxy at large.

Long-Time Heroes:

So is The Mutant File any good at all? Is it just a "Mutant Monster Manual" or Enemies book, or is there discussion of the mutant hero trope in there somewhere?

That is totally disgusting, but brilliant.

 

That being said, I think they would just engineer a gas explosion when the girlfriend is out shopping, blow up the house and Martin, and call it a day. 

So you've met my players, then?

Blattodea and I
A Ravenna Threat Report

An Indianapolis resident by the name of Martin Donnelly lives with a secret, literally. He has had a run of good luck lately. Bill collectors stopped calling, two of his worst supervisors quit suddenly, and a woman who snubbed him fell in front of a bus. Shortly thereafter the counter girl at CVS fell for him.

All of this could be marked up as coincidence were it not for the simple fact of a giant alien cockroach in his basement. The walls are filled with weird writing (they look like inky bug tracks (which is what they are)), the place stinks (it is, after all, a cockroach), and the monster’s newspaper subscription is going toward building a bizarre maze-like nest down there.

The beast subsists on a steady diet of cheap beer and what used to be called “TV Dinners.” Martin keeps the bug secret, and in turn, he gets spells cast for him. Martin’s girlfriend can’t remember how she met him, and can’t seem to notice the smell. In fact, she can’t even see the basement door.

These spells are Mind Control, Unluck (Usable As Attack), and soon (very soon) Killing Attack.

Martin himself does not have magical abilities. Just a weird friend.

The Player Characters probably start by investigating murders or something, tie the strings together at Martin's house in Drexel Gardens and then lock and load.
 

Some things to work out:

• Why can’t the cockroach just turn invisible and stay hidden that way?
• Can’t it go live in the sewer?
• Why must Martin help him out of his own free will?
• Why can’t he be coerced or Mind Controlled? 
• Something about the relationship must be benefiting the bug, or he wouldn’t do it.
• The roach arrived via panspermia – bug eggs drift through the cosmos and sometimes survive the trip through an atmosphere (there is a big pile of them on Mars, unviable and unhatched). The bugs awaken, mill about for a bit, and then get to the task of recreating their eons-old civilization.
• How many other spell-casting cockroaches are there? A few? A few thousand?

Conclusion
So, gonna work all this out, then the PCs will find the bug, and all the detail in the world won’t matter; they’ll blow the house up, kill Martin, Mind Control the girlfriend into forgetting everything and get some Experience Points.
This is Ravenna, however, and they must abide by the Segreto – Magic must remain hidden. Can they do this without alerting the world to the Bug’s presence, let alone revealing magic to be a real force?

I see this as a kind of Faustian story, but instead of the Devil, it's a cockroach.

Question: Does anyone have a Gazelle-Class Close Escort converted?

My CD arrives tomorrow. So psyched. (Is that still a word?).

I would say that the pacing needs a little. Each of them are giving a little speech and then the other, a little speech. It's not really a back and forth, though that's hard to do by yourself.

 

There needs to be a sort of call and response BETWEEN the speeches. Something one says that the other responds to, maybe even one interrupts the other. Otherwise, one might ask, why are these bitter enemies giving each other so much time to finish every speech?

 

Just my thoughts.

They knew each other long ago... but aside from that... maybe just drama... and my need to command the table for a minute.

I think I would tilt my head sideways and go "aarrou?"

It is probably just a lack of context and backstory; I want to understand what is going on in this scene, but you lost me. Hopefully your players will not likewise be vexed by your old-timey phrasing. 

You make a fine point.

I started with Kythros, Saduria, and the Rumallan Empire and never left them. I bought the others, but I expanded upon FH 1E so much its hard to think of it as the work of another now. I don't think I'd buy a new setting at this point.

So tomorrow ends a year-long arc in which the Player Character, Olokai, attempts to reclaim the throne of Kythros from both the False King and Ysarnai, a foul lich (and worshipper of the minor death god, Narghast) who was once a usurper king, 2300 years ago. I thought, since this is the Final Battle, it deserved a flowery, over-written intro and a bit of voice acting.

In the scene, the sneaky Navigator Gwaihir reveals that he's been pulling strings, including stealing the child of Ysarnai's brother (the rightful King from so long ago) and raising him in the future, to await Ysarnai's return. The Players, at Gwaihir's hidden urging, assembled a force of Noble Wolves, Frost Giants, Orcs and the army of Kythros to fight the final confrontation. The wizard Kos only knows that he has a time travel adventure in his future, not that he is the one who will actually steal his friend as a baby and deliver him to a foster family some 30 past. (got that? cause I'm not sure that I do)

Gwaihir has not been "on screen" in probably 33 years, since I stopped playing him as my own character. I've just mentioned him every few years.  

Do any of you do this sort of thing? What would you do if your GM suddenly started spouting this nonsense?

[A Prologue of Sorts]

Gwaihir: Foul Usurper, quit this exploit, for you have aroused the Wrath of the North – It is the might of ages. 

Ysarnai:  Gwaihir, my old friend, you alone need not fear my anger, for your own will doom you for this day. You are undone. You have broken your own most sacred law in defiance of my inheritance. You have brought troops to battle – something forbidden to Navigators. I leave you to them and take my crown.

[Ysarnai turns from Gwaihir to face the False King. Gwaihir blips to a position face-to-skull with the lich.]

Gwaihir: My fellows I shall face anon, for they busy themselves with threats far greater than thou. As for thee, here stands Olokai, the True Wyvern King, lost prince of a lost throne, orphaned son of a murdered father, child of frost, torn from his age by my trusted agent. Gathered to his side are the mighty, the hosts of Kythros, and a secret army 23 centuries in its terrible mustering.  His ties to the land and the throne are strong. They will survive the likes of you.

[Looks to Kos]

Hearing this, if you yet covet his throne, quake in your unhallowed greed and vile ambition. For the time of the Wolf-Brother has come. The Rensai, cursed by you, howl in his name. All of the North stirs to his ire and your doom. The assembled Lords of the Winter Throne gather to view your demise. Depart this place, and take these foul puppets with you!

Ysarnai: Be still, Wind Lord, I know no fear - Let us see what you mastered whilst I slept. I shall clear the board of you and your pawns. Olokai, dread nephew, your own ambition is cut off this day, Gwaihir will see you dead, your throne and his grand plan melt away like the snows of spring. The names of Ysarnai and Narghast shall be lifted hereafter!

[segment 12]

I think giant robots (ala Transformers) are silly too. However, I think large mechs (ala Battletech) are very cool, even if they are a ridiculous solution to a reasonable military problem. Battlemechs aren't robots, they are anthropomorphic AFVs, a distinction that I feel is kind of important.

 

To wit, I prefer the idea of mechs as vehicles you pilot, rather than (giant) suits you wear, and as long as mechs aren't brandishing swords or spears or engaging in any martial arts nonsense, I'll gladly join a campaign. But if you make mechs (and their pilots) into giant proxies for samurai, I'm out.

I can dig that. I almost left out melee weapons and "Mekajutsu" (1 pt - Use Art with Mek). I didn't know what my players would want. So everything went into the blender. What comes out will hopefully be a big recipe book for any sort of Giant AFV game folks want to play.

PS - I recommend picking up Robot Warriors on PDF if you don't have it already.  $4.99 at the Hero Games store.

I have it. Been sitting on my shelf for years waiting for me to write this. I started it finally last week, to try to engage a friend who I can't seem to reach with my more recent offerings. He tries, I try, but I just can't give him the look and feel of a game lately. I think he's depressed or something. I'm on a new drug to treat my own struggle (it is obviously working). 

I also have plans for a cyber-western (The Wired West using Cyber Hero), and Caleon 1337, a magical cyberpunk ala Shadowrun, set in my steampunk world's future.  For now, Raiden Z seems to excite him, and my playtest game yesterday shook out some bugs (notably in the areas of Power Plants and Targeting Aids). So there will be an update later today or tomorrow.

None at all. I do not do HERO for money (Chris Goodwin can tell you that!). I do HERO for HERO. I do it for you guys, and my local group who I've been GMing for (guessing here) 30-something years. For what its worth, I think giant robots are silly, and so are giant bugs and all this other stuff. That's why I do it, It could never happen in Real Life so I bring it to the table, free of charge. I have tons of this stuff, books hundreds of pages in length, and no intention of ever making a dime off of it.  

I might earn some hate for this, but here is my attempt at Battletech, Mekton, Armageddon 2089 and Robotech.

Be gentle. It is a work in progress.

Raiden Z v1.pdf

I just want to make sure I'm interpreting this correctly: the BODY damage can be Healed with normal Healing, it just takes twice as much, right?

 

Assuming I've read that right, I like it and the cost doesn't feel out of line to me.

Correct! And Thanks!

Can an attack power purchase multiple levels of "Vile" and "Inevitable"? Would doing so require additional multipliers of Healing (ie 4 CP of Healing to Heal 1 CP of damage, etc.)?

 

Is there a counter modifier which Healing can take? Penetrating is countered by Impenetrable, Armor Piercing by Hardened, etc. If there is a counter modifier for Vile/Inevitable, is it a single modifer, or is there one for each, and does said modifer counter 1 level of Vile/Inevitable or all levels of said modifiers?

So many questions! All good ones!

I never imagined more than one level of Vile/Inevitable, to be honest.

I think a +1/4 Advantage (Defenses are always cheaper, yes?) called Adaptable Healing ought to do it.

Thanks for all the replies! I decided it was a bit too complex. I ended up presenting my players with these two constructs:

Vile
A Vile blade inflicts terrible wounds on creatures, golems, and objects aligned with Apeiron, the Source, the Light and the Eventuality. The BODY from each wound cannot be healed normally. It takes 2 BODY of Healing to repair 1 BODY from a Vile weapon. This is a +½ Advantage.

Inevitable
An Inevitable blade inflicts terrible wounds on creatures, golem, and objects aligned with the Maelstrom, the Void, the Shadow and or the Archons. The BODY from each wound cannot be healed normally. It takes 2 BODY of Healing to repair 1 BODY from an Inevitable weapon. This is a +½ Advantage.

Again, thanks so much!