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keithcurtis

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Posts posted by keithcurtis

  1. Character: John Carter of Mars

    in Pulp Hero

    Posted

    Re: Character: John Carter of Mars

     

    I think he also made it to Venus in one of the later books.

     

    Not in an ERB-written novel so far as I know. I've read all the Mars (Barsoom) and Venus (Amtor) books. Though they are doubtless in the same universe. The character of Jason Gridley (and in a broader sense, the ERB as presented in various forewords himself) ties together John Carter, David Innes, Carson Napier, Tarzan and others.

     

    John Carter has been to Earth, Mars, Deimos and Jupiter.

     

    Keith "Read a lot of this stuff, but oddly, very little Tarzan" Curtis

  2. Cylon Resurrection

    in Star Hero

    Posted

    Re: Cylon Resurrection

     

    I do not know whether I would even define it using the game rules--instead, I would make it an accepted feature of the race that does not really need to be statted out.

     

    But that is positively blaphemous!

     

    Then I'm a blasphemer. I tend to ignore statting out things like that unless necessary. If a character wants to play a Cylon, I might be tempted to, but mortality rates in my campaigns are so low, that it's not likely to be an issue.

     

    Keith "the Player's Friend" Curtis

  4. Character: John Carter of Mars

    in Pulp Hero

    Posted

    Re: Character: John Carter of Mars

     

    Which one? The guy who goes into the huge martian's body?
    No' date=' that was Vor Daj, from Synthetic Men of Mars who is transferred into the body of Tor-Dur-Bar. Ulysses Paxton (Barsoomian name, Vad Varo) did learn the technique of brain transplant from Ras Thavas, though.

    I read (I think) all the martian books.

    I like Hal Hadron (from A fighting man of Mars)

    Tan Hadron of Hastor, a province in the nation of Helium.

    I like The Warlord's Son

    Carthoris.

     

    Keith "Erbophile" Curtis

  7. Possibilities With New Stats

    in HERO System Discussion

    Posted

    Re: Possibilities With New Stats

     

    The Savage Earth uses three figured characteristics: Morphia, Anima and Psyche. These are used primarily as target numbers for Transformation powers.

     

    Morphia = Body + DEF * †

    Anima = Dex/2 + Speed x2 †

    Psyche = (Int + Ego)/2

     

    *In the case of characters, the average of inherent resistant defenses.

    †Double the value for every weight doubling of 100kg.

     

    Keith "Works out well, so far" Curtis

  9. Discourse on Fantasy Hero

    in Fantasy Hero

    Posted

    Re: Discourse on Fantasy Hero

     

    To further derail, I saw a blurb last night for Conan the Barbarian that went like:

     

    "Conan, an Ex-Pitfighter recovers his father's sword from a Snake King with the help of a wizard, a Mongol and a queen."

     

    Keith "Wrong on so many levels" Curtis

  10. Character: John Carter of Mars

    in Pulp Hero

    Posted

    Re: Character: John Carter of Mars

     

    Just wondering, but isn't there a Philip Jose Farmer book that covers all sorts of info on Burroughs' various characters, and that also drags in a few dozen more from just about every dime novel/pulp series/superhero comic that was ever published?

     

    I think I've seen it on the Bison Frontiers of Imagination page, but I can't recall the title.

    Tarzan Alive.

    And the whole Wold-Newton Universe.

     

    Keith "PJ Farmer rocks on research" Curtis

  14. Discourse on Fantasy Hero

    in Fantasy Hero

    Posted

    Re: Discourse on Fantasy Hero

     

    I've got no problems with accepting ideas, but that's not the problem, I've got a jillion ideas. I merely lack the will to execute them. It's burnout, or malaise or something.

    I just have to do other stuff for a while.

     

    Keith "But thanks for asking and feel free to make suggestions anytime" Curtis

  15. Best and Worst Costume/Appearance Changes

    in Champions

    Posted

    Re: Best and Worst Costume/Appearance Changes

     

    But by that logic (which' date=' of course, is valid ina real world), isn't most superhero clothing silly?[/quote']
    shhhh!

    Too late.

     

    Inspector Schwab examined the corpse. It wasn't pretty. These things never are.

    Patrolman Cheeks entered the room and promptly lost his lunch. It wasn't pretty. These things never are.

    Wordlessly, he turned his large, imploring and soulful eyes to the Inspector. The eyes spoke volumes, asking the question that Cheeks never could.

    "Yeah Cheeks," said Schwab. "It's just what it looks like. See the ears, the tail? The unnaturally large eyes and cute little fangs? Some schmuck has been calling attention to reality in comics. Poor little catgirl never stood a chance..."

     

    Keith "*sniff*" Curtis

  19. Character: John Carter of Mars

    in Pulp Hero

    Posted

    Re: Character: John Carter of Mars

     

    Good stuff' date=' Susano. I wouldn't say that he changes a whole lot in books past the first three. John pretty much peaks when he's declared Jeddak of Jeddaks.[/quote']

     

    Is "Jeddak of Jeddaks" a title John Carter actually holds? I remember "Warlord", but not the others.

     

    And actually, if he changes at all, he just gets better. By the end of the series, he had to be severely pressed to draw steel on anyone, because he felt there was little honor in it. It was tantamount to signing the other man's automatic death warrant, ie not sporting.

    The last time he had a real challenge was the Okaran who controlled the big polar magnet switch. Again, as you said, before being elevated to Warlord.

     

    Keith "A wandering panthan I..." Curtis

  20. Best and Worst Costume/Appearance Changes

    in Champions

    Posted

    Re: Best and Worst Costume/Appearance Changes

     

    There were also 2 what-if issues where women had Thor's powers. One was Jane Foster (She found Mjolnir in the cave instead)' date=' in the end, the power was restored to Thor and Jane married Odin.[/quote']

     

    The Thordis page I linked is Jane Foster from that What If... issue.

     

    Keith "recapitulation of the antecedent action" Curtis

  21. Character: John Carter of Mars

    in Pulp Hero

    Posted

    Re: Character: John Carter of Mars

     

    May I also suggest that the disads included a code of honor' date=' will only respond to an attack with an equal or lesser weapon, and that the Radium pistol be statted out?[/quote']

     

    Perhaps that attitude should be rolled into the existing Martian code of honor, since only the lowest of villains would ever think of doing otherwise.

     

    Keith "Spawn of a Calot!" Curtis

  22. Character: John Carter of Mars

    in Pulp Hero

    Posted

    Re: Character: John Carter of Mars

     

    Another very good write up, though I'd say Carter's strength and jumping are really tricky to guess. Sometimes he's casually pulling metal bars out of prison windows and killing giants with a single punch; other times he's trapped at the bottom of a pit and can't remember he can jump at all. Was it in Warlord of Mars when he had a rope hanging in front of him and a braille note saying "follow the rope", and sat there for two pages saying "What could that possibly mean?"

     

    If I used him, I might give him a bit more STR, but (to borrow your phrase) "Writer Induced Obliviousness" as a Common, Strong psych lim.

     

    I suggested something like this the first time the writeup was posted. Carter is an awesome fighter, strong, loyal and brave. But he's about as bright as the inside of a coal mine. He consistently fails to see the most obvious things in front of him. He can't remember the length of a martian year in martian days (He lived there a whole decade). He can't figure out who the jumping kid with lighter skin in his cell could possibly be. He's dense, dense, dense. But Issus, I love the guy. He always comes through in the end, even with a whole planet against him.

     

    Keith "I still live!" Curtis

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