Lord Liaden

It's also assuming that members of Congress are clever enough to smuggle a gun past metal detectors, and then have enough guts to actually shoot someone, rather than just posture and brag.

Or that the company wouldn't still be thriving in 2020, or they might not be publishing Champions Universe supplements, or they might want to reboot the setting and start fresh. Or what you suggest. Remember that time line was first publicized in 2002, so I suppose eighteen years seemed far enough away that they felt no need to prognosticate that finely. Hey, we were all considerably younger then, so eighteen years seemed a lot longer to us too. In the CU, rising magic "loosens" the laws of physics, which not only increases the probability of empowering origins, but in most cases allows the resulting powers, super-technology, etc. to function. These things are explicitly stated to not be magic in themselves; magic just creates more potential within physics that can be exploited. The way I look at it is, quantum theory allows for the possibility of events we'd normally consider impossible to occur, but on the macroversal level the probability of them happening is so minute as to be practically impossible. Magic greatly increases that probability. But all the CU sources make it clear that all super-powers, super-technology and the like which was based on exploiting that potential, cease functioning when magic falls below a certain level. In the official Hero future post-2020, creatures whose life-functions depend on magic, like the Atlanteans, have to flee Earth's universe for other dimensions. However, even after that happens, the advanced tech of older races in the galaxy, like the Malvans and Mandaarians, does not appear to be significantly impaired. While I'm not aware of any official explanation for that disparity, I've been rationalizing it as those civilizations having had more time to study the universe and develop a more profound understanding of the principles of science. In many cases their tech can still create effects as fantastic as any "supertech." As one example relevant to this topic, the Malvan called Tateklys discovered the principles of how to traverse time and dimensions even when and where magic is at its lowest ebb, and does so aboard his personal star ship, the Aurelius. (Tateklys' relevant write-up appears in Scourges Of The Galaxy, a book of NPCs for Hero's future "Terran Empire" setting.) OTOH during the galaxy's magic nadir, the powers of the Star-Staffs wielded by the Star*Guard will be substantially diminished, implying they were at least partly dependent on magic's effect. Pursuant to archer's theory above, I've been assuming that the "cosmic energy/power" wielded by beings like the Galaxars is the ultimate expression of the laws of science, the manifestation of the elusive Grand Unified Field Theory, the fundamental force underlying all others.

How long do you think until Congress looks like the Taiwanese Parliament?

She might have been referring to the "get your life and your power back after you die" part. As I hinted earlier, there are some Champs Uni precedents which don't require time travel.

Completely understandable assumption. But AFAIK Il-Ryveras at the default start date doesn't have a ruler claiming the title of Empress; and the closest to it would be the Witch-Queen of Abyzinia, a society based on slavery. V'han, however, is an Empress known to hate and bar the practice. Which in connection with time travel led me to guess this might involve her. Could be wrong, of course.

If we are indeed talking about the Empress of a Billion Dimensions, Istvatha V'han, that is not entirely the case, at least within the vast territories under her control. As described on Book Of The Empress pp 154-55, her Temporal Security Patrol have the means to monitor the Imperial time-stream looking for unauthorized time travelers, undesired changes to Imperial history, and the like. They will pursue such offenders to apprehend them and prevent commission of crimes or actual historical changes.

Wait, does this scenario you're speculating about involve Istvatha V'han? That would bring up a whole bunch of other issues. And if you're considering involving a time-traveling conqueror from the Champions Universe, IMHO Korrex would be much more likely to meddle in Earth's pre-historic eras than V'han. There are necromancers on Champs Earth in the present day, not all entirely malevolent; and several beings who have found ways to function post-death. If you like I could give you more info on this thread, or via PM if you don't want it to drift too far. Your thread, your rules.

Kong's also carnivorous. Like in the scene where he ate the giant river octopus. And there are plenty of big packets of walking protein on that island. The square-cube law actually makes logical sense when compared to standard kaiju durability against modern artillery and bombs and such. For things that size to move under their own weight, their flesh and bone has to be stronger than steel and diamond. There's also a brief view in the trailer of a young Oriental man when an offscreen voice says, "These are dangerous times." If you freeze that view you can see what look like schematics for MechaG in the background.

I don't know whether it will carry any weight for the Dems to point out that they have absolutely nothing to do with San Francisco's school boards. But if I were them I'd start messaging that now.

Kong in the Skull Island movie was already over 100 feet tall, and by the standards of his species was a child. It was mentioned in the movie that he was still growing. And that movie was set nearly fifty years in the past. To match Kong to Godzilla for their first movie meeting in 1962, Kong's height was set at 45 meters, or 148 feet. So "Kaiju Kong," as zslane puts it, was already precedented.

I get the joke and I think it's clever; but unless her fantasy world runs on a completely different monetary standard than the real world ever did, she's now in a position to buy all the freakin' straw her cow could ever want.

Unfortunately those 5E sheets were removed from this website years ago. I'm guessing after 6E came out there was either anticipated reduced demand for 5E freebies, or the company wanted to exclusively promote the new edition. However, the great Internet Archive still has the earlier version of the website accessible via their Wayback Machine. Perhaps you'll find what you're looking for on this page from the archived website: https://web.archive.org/web/20070328180939/http://www.herogames.com:80/FreeStuff/csheets.htm

Honestly, I'd say this would be pretty easy, and not require you to do much different than for this type of character in the modern day. Archery has a history of millennia, and remains a popular recreational and competitive sport today. I don't expect it would disappear in another thousand years. You also suggested this was for a Star Wars-like universe, and if that's your inspiration, high-tech analogues to archaic weaponry is an existing motif Contemporary super-archers mostly use tech-gimmicked arrows, and that would be even more appropriate for a typical future-supers setting. The only other suggestion I might make is to up the tech level to make her weapon's SFX more sophisticated. Maybe her bow fires "energy arrows" in various configurations, rather than physical arrows. (Check out Hank the Ranger in the old Dungeons and Dragons cartoon for inspiration.) It might generate a defensive force shield, or be made of special materials so she can deflect attacks, perhaps even rotating to do so. It could morph into a hand-to-hand weapon, like a sword or a staff. Hawkeye's bow does this in Captain America: Civil War. (I used to play an archer character wielding twin electrified fencing epees, which would join hilt-to-hilt to form a bow.) If it rotates maybe the bow even provides lift like a helicopter rotor, as with the Inquisitors from the Star Wars Rebels animated series

Hey TC, "free speech" doesn't mean, "free of rational thought."

I'm thinking somebody flunked out of economics.

I can see how you'd view the axe that way from a plot perspective, but I reacted to it entirely differently. Kong is a king, and the last of his kind, thus the rightful heir to the axe fashioned by his ancestor for the previous battle of the titans. To me this felt like an Excalibur moment, an Anduril moment, a Mjolnir moment.

And pursuant to that last point, while the following is not directly relevant to AlgaeNymph's initial request, it does build on the Valdorian Age and the unified time line. As I've mentioned here, I often apprise and advise the Champions Online community about Champions Universe "lore." I collaborated with one player to develop a new PC for her inspired by VA. Here is her biography for the character: Viviane The Last Witch-Queen of Abyzinia Once, she ruled an empire. Viviane the Abyzinian was born to the commonfolk of that empire, her magical abilities untapped until the day she discovered a lost relic of an ancient age - a mystical gauntlet clutching a magically-preserved skull; both had belonged to the Turakian wizard-king Ansgar the Twice-Lived. The latent magic she possessed was enough to rouse the King of Khrisulia's spirit, and the ancient wizard's relic combined with his tutelage made Viviane the greatest sorceress Abyzinia had seen in generations. She ascended the throne, but though she ruled wisely and was beloved by the commonfolk of the Empire, the nobles took offense at her 'staining' the throne with her common blood. Besieged on all sides, she was forced to turn to the demonic powers she had sought to avoid to protect her reign - and in the end the sacrifice doomed her. Betrayed and defeated, she was dragged away into Hell. For millennia uncounted she was imprisoned in that dark realm, her power broken and her spirit with it; only Ansgar's company kept her from going completely mad and surrendering to the darkness and evil that surrounded her. Time disappeared. The world changed. Then, one day, Ansgar spoke to his companion with horror that not even Hell could bring. Something had stirred across the cosmos, a darkness thought long-sealed had awoken. Kal-Turak the Ravager of Men had been loosed once more, into an age unprepared to face his wickedness - but his awakening also served as a beacon for the other lich to follow. Though it took decades, he was able to guide Viviane back to the mortal realm... ..and beneath a bloody moon on Halloween of 2018, the Last Witch-Queen of Abyznia and her Turakian counselor collapsed through the realms into a world neither recognized....

There's a plant called the purple orchid which only grows in the Ylsythen Jungles on the northern continent of Pelosa. It's the base component of various recreational narcotics and hallucinogens, and its smoke was used by necromancers to induce a dream state during which their reserves of spell-powering vitality were renewed. Obviously the orchid is extinct in the modern world, but it could be a key ingredient in some type of healing or other potion, or used to induce visions revealing a vital piece of information. It's fair to decide it's a mistake, but I prefer to view it as an exploitable opportunity.

Pizza. The combined tastes of bread, cheese, and tomato sauce just turn my stomach. It doesn't help that pizza also looks disgusting and is messy to eat.

First thought: eliminate VIPER's serpent-god patron, Nama, by attacking him in this low-magic time when he's most vulnerable. This era is when Nama and his brother and sister first found the caves whose strange vapors granted them immortality. They could be killed while they're still normal serpents, before achieving enormous size and sapience. Kind of like the concept of murdering Hitler as a child. Mind you, The Valdorian Age specifies that the serpents aren't from Il-Ryveras, the part of the globe which VA describes. They'd be from elsewhere in the world surveyed in The Atlantean Age, but that book doesn't mention them. I have my own theory, though, which I think fits the available histories quite well. (Steve Long admitted that he forgot to include the three serpents when he wrote AA.) Another target could be the Towers of the First and Last Sunset, abandoned capital of the Drindrish and apparently a place of lingering supernatural horrors. They could contain some artifact of magic or book of lore that heroes from the future need to acquire; or perhaps there's a reason why those heroes want to learn the final fate of those descendants of the Elves. I'll give it more thought and get back to you. EDIT: Oh, I thought of another possibility: magical materials. As Il-Ryveras is part of the same global configuration containing the island of Atlantis and the Lemurian Archipelago, time-travelers could travel to those lands when they were on the surface, and before the Atlanteans and Lemurians inhabited them, to take all the orichalcum and/or ignaetium they want. Of course they might still have to deal with hostile natives and monsters, but that's better than confronting whole magic-packing armies.

The character's name was Omoc, played by Tobin Bell, who later achieved horror-movie fame as Jigsaw in the Saw movie franchise. Even more deserving of a punch in the face; or maybe straight-up evisceration. While on the subject of Stargate SG-1, I'd say no one in that series was more deserving of a face punch than NID Colonel Maybourne, that arrogant, conniving little weasel.

Shortest Godzilla was the first one, and a few successive ones, at 50 meters. This Godzilla is now defined at about 120 meters tall, or around 400 feet. That would fit the scale of the Nimitz-class American aircraft carrier we see in the trailer, which is slightly over 1,000 feet in length.. This is also the tallest Godzilla we've gotten in live-action movies. Tallest ever appears in the recent Japanese anime trilogy, at 300+ meters.

I'm guessing this picture refers to another. Could anyone point me to where I'd find it?

If you really want to look like a gangsta, priority one should probably be not making it impossible to run from the cops.

I don't think it's the "uncanny valley" effect that disturbs me. It's that we've built machines with such extraordinary capacities, and we spend our time making them simulate a dance party. It reinforces my impression that our technological advances are now being driven by an obsessive desire for cooler toys.