Count Zero

Just last week after I caught my players in a perfect moral trap.... "You are an unbelievable bastard you know that don't you?" I had never felt better about myself. Jonathan

I picked up the Fafred/Grey Mouser series when White Wolf released them not to long ago. I read the first story and there were things I liked about it here and there, but as a whole I felt like the writer was a sex depraved looser. I really get tired of fantasy that is almost porno. It get really old. I am getting the new collections of the Conan stories soon, I am hoping that don't suck as much as the Fafred series. I have the feeling that it will because both sets of stories are from the same era. Jonathan

Just last week I ran a game that was a set up. The players are part of UNTIL. They were called in to assist the normal UNTIL agents with the apprehension of some supers working with 14k Triad in the smuggling of slaves. Basically I was using this as an opportunity to introduce one of my player's hunted. Basically they got the info on where the supers were hiding. When they got there it was a trap. The character's hunted demanded that he give up his focus (a suit of power armor) or the villian will blow up a cargo ship full of slaves. He thought the villan wouldn't do it, so he decided to try and get away. The villian detonated the cargo ship and still managed to capture his armor. At this point I am still trying to figure out the exact plan. He dies without his armor in six hours, and if they don't figure out the one clue I gave them at the end of the adventure a character effectively dies. Compunded with the fact that about 250 people are dead.. I am trying to figure out how UNTIL will respond exactly... for me... all hell has broken loose.

Not only cybernetics... they aren't really the tough part. I was also trying to figure out how to do the Virtual Reality internet. I was thinking either multi-form, duplication, or transdimensional travel. Any ideas? Later, Jonathan

man... I am a dope... worldobserver.rpgmainframe.com

So I am a big fan of the Cyberpunk Genre... How would you recommend handling cybernetics. Are they focuses (probably IIF or OIF)? Just powers? Not quite sure how to do it. Thanks, Jonathan. PS: Do any of you know of any recent cyberpunk style novels you would recommend?

I was looking at the on-line store and wanted to see what people had to say about some of the e-books. I have only gotten into Hero System with the 5th edition. Awsome system and I am looking for more info. The question is how are the following e-books and how which ones are from 4th edition and what are the high points and low points of each book. Finally, do any of you know if these books are going to be printed. Also, how do these books compare the traditional print value when it comes to quality? The following books are: Kazei 5 Shades of Black The Kandris Seal PRIMUS Ultimate Super Mage Thanks

Hey Guys, I have set up this site for my Superhero Game. I like to get continuing opinions on the content. It is set up to be the database of their base's computer. I have set up the following: 1) Database of Teams and the personnel in them 2) Techincal Files 3) History of the World 4) General Game Information (i.e. Character Creation Stuff, etc). 5) Finally, a news paper from the world. I alter real news stories to fit. to fit and throw in clues for the coming adventure. For example, the recent bombings in Turkey was done by a super human. It gives hints of possible coming adventures and such. Let me know what you think, Jonathan

Actually, I would make a point to favor history over fantasy. Mainly because it requires the players to think and it breaks the standard mold. The thing this creates is a connection to people. They simply can't move town to town like a cowboy with swords and sorcery. Many fantasy games are modeled after the western. Try to break the cliche. Players being bound to a lord creates many more gaming possibilities than the traditional adventurer. First they have some stake in seeing thier lord be successful. His success effects them. Second, it is a good starting point which allows them to get together with out any strange and often cliche convention (i.e. tavern barfight, random person calling them all together, etc.). More than likely they would have grown up together in the lords lands. They will be even more connected because you can introduce all kinds of NPCs from thier past and have the random reoccuring person that is a hinderence or benefit and it doesn't seem odd they are there. DNPC's are very useful and would make much more sense. That sick mother won't be someplace far away. They will be just outside the castle walls when the orcs or evil creature attacks the town. Also, having a limited money system creates a focus on something else. The story. Players far too often worry about money rather than the story. In a barter society where they have everything provided by the lord, you get players to stop talking about money on focus on the job at hand. They don't refuse a job because of loyalty. They are bound to their lord and do it out of duty. They actually care about things. Even if they choose to be adventurers they have to barter to survive. They are effectively killing the orcs so they can get a place to stay and food to eat. They have more of a connection because their survival depends on it. Also keep in mind culture. The average medieval person traveled no more than about 3 mile from home. That is a small world. The players being sent to other places will seem more exciting. Especially if you focus on how different it seems to them. Also social class is a big deal Peasents are the lowest class and then you have the lords. There are many things which can be done with class. Think about where adventurers would be. They are wanderers who kill things for profit. They often drink alot and sleep with hores. They get into fights all the time and carry lots of weapons. They are effectively thugs... who want to be a thug. They would be below a peasent. You could even have the beginning of the merchant class and the conflict between money and heritage. You could place the game after an equivilant of the Black Plague (what is believed to have caused the rise of the merchant class) and have many stories associated with it. Just some ideas, Jonathan

I notice that too about the white on black... also if you try to print it out you only get blank pages... I am looking at doing maybe shades of green with black... a la the matix... but that means I need to know a lot more about web editing and graphics than I already do... working on getting someone to help me with that.. Jonathan

Hey guys... I am posting a URL for a web site I set up for my game. The concept for the world is the characters are part of Storm Watch, a U.N. super team (no relation to the comic other than the name). The idea is they are accessing the super computer that is part of UNTIL and UNSOC. Check it out. Tell me what you think. http://worldobserver.rpgmainframe.com Later, Jonathan

I will have to look into that product... I work in a game store and I know we have it. I will just read it during one of the many lulls at work. Jonathan

Actually I have set up a world spanning organization. I am calling it Specter at this point in time... modeled after Viper but more subtle. Kind of Illuminati style in the aspect of trying to conquer the planet. The big thing I have is the creation of super soldiers is illegal under the Geneva Convention/international law. One of the reasons for invading Iraq is the belief that he was building super soldiers. While having super humans in your army is find you can't create them... they have to be naturally born. Jonathan

Hey Guys, I am currently running a super hero game set in my own world. The characters are part of a United Nations super team. I am using bits and pieces from the Champions Universe. I liked the idea of UNTIL and formed a super team called Storm Watch (U.N. Force was the orignial name but it sounded lame). I have a version of Dr. Destroyer named Apocalypse (but not as campy). He destroyed San Diego, CA while trying to conquer California. He captured the military base on Coronado Island and was stopped by a collection of heroes. After that they US signed the Tribunal Treaty and Storm Watch operates in the U.S. The big problem I am running is the standard adventures don't work (i.e. bank robberies, supervillian taking hostages) because there are local police super teams which deal with stuff on the local level, federal super teams which deal with super crimes which cross statelines, and secret service and spec ops teams that do stuff for the U.S. The big problem is I can't seem to figure out any adventures for an international super team with very heavy support from the UN. Can you make any suggestions or direct me to any good net resources. Thanks, Jonathan

Hey Guys, I am starting a Champions game and I wanted to use some of the pictures of characters of Marvel, DC, Image, and other comic book companies as a basis for villians and NPC's in my game. I don't know a lot about the different comic book lines (I haven't read comics in 10 years). Can anyone recommend a good site to find pictures of comic books characters. Thanks, Jonathan