AlHazred

... I'm picturing squads of Rocket-Pack toting Waffen Ubersoldaten, the Baron's specially-treated supersoldiers, carrying small Rocket Guns as they fly in formation in front of a zeppelin in the clouds... ... I'm seeing a huge zeppelin, it's envelope constructed of translucent superstrong aerogels, dumping mist out of ports on the side as it conceals itself in the clouds; several large Flying Wing aircraft wait in its hanger to release their explosive burdens on a hapless American public... ... The Baron sips wine as he ponders his latest instructions, received from the Enigma II operator. Behind him, rocket-soldiers train for the coming day when America enters the war...

I've settled on a name for my villain. After watching a discussion of recycling characters, I've decided to recycle one from an old Cyberpunk game, who was later recycled into a Vampire game. Now he has another lease on life: Baron Wolfgang von Shreck (or, loosely translated, "wolf-trail from fear"). He'll be a scientific genius with a Gadget VPP, figure 90 point or so pool. Luftschloss Shreck; I like the sound of that. Plans forming, Campaign Cartographer calling, plots thickening... I think I'll be using those Cloud Generators after all, with some Sack AS-6 airplanes. These were propeller-driven planes with an important quirk: their wings were constructed to form a circle. I'm thinking: foo fighter outbreak...

In this case, "Recovery" means buying a new seat.

I've played in a bunch of FH campaigns, and run several more. I always try to come up with characters with a hook, but some of my players are more original. My longest-running FH character is a rogue who was based on Cugel the Clever from Jack Vance's Eyes of the Overworld and Cugel's Saga. I ended up having to change him because the GM thought he was too mercenary; 'tsokay, he turned out just fine. I played a huge dumb fighter with a glandular deformity which caused him to have one level of Growth, Always On (4th Edition). He was fun; I don't think he ever figured out what was going on... I play a wizard in a campaign on hiatus. He's an air mage who has traveled the world and is a little senile. His spellbooks were distributed to the winds before the party met him, so he's very scattered, with spells that resemble any of five or six different magic systems. On the other hand, his Area Effect (Line) Lightning Bolt found its mark in the last adventure. Now, in a high fantasy game I ran, I told people to go nuts. Unfortunately, they created their characters independently of each other, so they didn't get along; however, I liked the creativity that was shown: * A wizard of darkness/necromancy/demonology, who had been cast out by his order. * His imp familiar who was secretly working for an opposing demonic patron. * A feline (old FH) who had been raised to believe he was a wizard's familiar and was given demonic investments (basically, powers). * A paladin with a holy sword and armor. * A sacred assassin of the Church of Light, who was as jaded as they come. * A mercenary who had been in an alchemical lab accident and was imbued with the power of Elemental Earth. * A ranger devoted to the Old Faith, who had the power to change into animal shapes. * A minotaur escaped slave. You can see where the problems were, I hope...

Thanks, Cyberknight! Good links, all. I keep waffling between revolutionary designs and traditional ones. Nice. I'll use it. I actually have a "breaking glass" sound effect that could come in handy... Good idea. I'll play with it a little and see if I can put a superscience spin on it. The PCs first adventure involved an invisible plane that had sonic cannons on board, with which the bad guys destroyed buildings. I have a feeling we know where the villains got that technology. I'm going to go with classic Continental styling. Think luxury train car; the idea is to include all the touches the Baron would have at home. Nice. I'll steal this one too. I'm thinking of naming it Luftschloss Falkenburg. It's German for "Air Castle Falkenburg."

When we run more or less normal campaigns, there seems to be a subconscious attempt to maintain some level of "real science." Part of it is probably because my group is composed primarily of engineers, computer professionals, mechanics and technicians. Another might be the fact that an overabundance of magic in a campaign causes logic and deduction to be less useful.

Thanks, LoganD! Sad that there aren't any larger scans available; looks like a lot of work went into a memorable vessel. I'd attempted to find more online about the Akron a few weeks ago, but the site must have been down. The Navy has a great deal of info on it's historical site. I found the following link particularly good: http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h80000/h80769.jpg May have to see whether I can manipulate the image in Photoshop. My artistic talents are slightly inferior to most stick-figure artists, but we shall see...

The Highwind is nice. Would be nice to find wallpaper-sized scans, but I guess tiny thumbnails will have to do for those of us who haven't played the game (which includes my entire crew.) If I posit Trebuchet's vacuum lift, and superstrong materials, it becomes doable. Most of the structures are then housed in the pods, and "takeoff/landing" is done with the aid of hooks lowered from the structure. Hmmmm...

You're absolutely right. A vacuum weighs nothing at all. Thus, there's nothing pushing against the envelope to keep it "inflated;" very little pressure is required to crush it like a beer can. I've seen a video of a demonstration (can't find it online anymore), where a steel drum was filled with steam and then unceremoniously dropped into a kiddy pool filled with cold water without letting the steam out. The steam lost it's heat, becoming water and creating a large vacuum in the drum. The 55-gallon steel drum was crushed instantly. I'm not averse to creating the superscience necessary to come up with material strong enough to make this possible. But if I do, the bad guys are going to have some incredibly tough body armor...

Wow, I sit on the list and worry that I'm posting too often and "shouting people down." I do other things for a few days, and the list fills like Saddam Hussein's ego on Dictator Appreciation Day... Good ideas. Can't get to them all while I'm at work, but a few points: 1) I've got a book called Inside the Hindenburg which has some decent cutaway paintings of the interior. I visited the Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshaven last month while visiting my relatives, and I can vouch for the accuracy of the drawings -- they're spookily well done. It's a short book (oversized, only 32 pages) but Borders had it on sale for $1.99 and I couldn't resist. 2) I've spent some time on Luft '46, which is a great resource on Nazi "paper projects," that is, plane designs that either never got off of the drawing table, or were only produced in small experimental quantities and never made it to production. There's some great stuff in there. I've given the players a V/TOL plane from a design from that site. The rocket planes I'll be using are the Messershmitt ME 183s, which were gliders that had almost 8 minutes of rocket power. They were designed for tactical interception and home defense, and were never meant for typical battlefield conditions. The idea I had is, they could be used as throwaway interceptors, deployed as gliders; when they get far enough away from the Zeppelin, they ignite their rocket packs and jet over to the heroes' plane and engage them. After 7 and a half minutes of combat, they lose powered thrust and glide to a landing. Once there, the Baron really doesn't care what happens to them. Maybe the pilots take suicide capsules, or they've been poisoned and need to take an antidote every day, or the planes themselves self-destruct when the rocket charge is done; I haven't worked out the Baron's personality in that much detail yet. 3) Regarding the vacuum dirigible, what Wyrm Ouroboros said. I'm and engineer, and I'm running a pulp superscience game for physicists, computer technicians and mechanics. I know what I can get away with, and I know what I can't.

Most of that was already taken care of in-game. The players with new holdings have been granted them by the King, in recognition of service (and to tie the PCs more closely to the fortunes of the Kingdom). For the most part, the players are getting semi-ruined keeps with deserted lands; they will be receiving no income from them until the people resettle, and they get their keeps rebuilt and restocked with men-at-arms. (Note that these aren't really personal followers; they're needed to fulfill the requirements to keep these lands, and will be staying in the keep/out of the story.) The two exceptions are the Baron with the small manor (who isn't really trusted enough to be given more responsibility) and the knight (who is from a noble family and has been gifted lands by her family; this is slightly better land closer to the center of the Kingdom, with income associated with it). The other factor is that this might come into play. The next phase of the campaign is Rebuilding after the players have staved off a major invasion. There will be set piece battles and skirmishes; I hope to use the Mass Combat rules to allow some player interaction in the Warfare that will surely erupt. I imagine that this warfare will take place on the frontier; some of the players' keeps will likely be besieged (hey, no one said it was easy!) As I said, I could just handwave everything; I've run completely statless games where everyone had fun. However, the point of Hero is to accurately reflect the character being built; if he has lands, but they never come into play, then I have no problem with Money, Contacts, etc. However, if it comes into play, there should be points associated with it. I wasn't really interested in debating the fine points of whether or not to spend points on it; the whole point of the thread is to posit examples of what can result if you do.

I don't know if I agree with that construction. In the pilot episode, D'Argo hits Crichton with it, he loses consciousness and comes to some time later in the cell with Aeryn. Entangles don't cause the character to lose consciousness. Second, the Entangle can still be targeted separately. This doesn't seem to represent the Stunning effect. I'd do it as a Stun Only EB, probably NND, requiring the character to target naked flesh.

Okay, let's try this out. Here's the writeup for the PC Baron's demesne. He's a wizard, as were his forebears. The once-extensive De Winters holdings have dwindled due to neglect and the sale of properties to finance arcane experimentation. This has left the Baron with a single manor and one loyal henchman who's tied to the property.I'm using Lord Albrecht's Manor from the Fantasy Hero Companion (4th Edition supplement), which has an area of somewhat less than 50 hexes. At x32 Grounds, that comes to about 1600 hexes, or 5,500 square meters, or about an acre. This only represents his Demesne, that is, that part of his fief that is primarily for his use.Baron De Winters' DemesnePlayer: DELETED Val Char Cost 7 BODY 5 6 DEF 12 4 Size 20 Characteristics Cost: 25Cost Skill 9 Sanctum: Magic (INT-based) 12- 6 Extensive Library: KS: Arcane Lore 15- 1 Extensive Library: KS: Odivshe Lore 8- 2 Extensive Library: KS: Pvaric Philosophy 11- 2 Extensive Library: KS: Melderyni Shek-Pvar 11- Skills Cost: 20Cost Perk 5 Demesne: Grounds (x32 Base Size) 5 Steward: Follower (25 Base, 25 Disad) 10 In A Far Province: Location: Distant Perks Cost: 20Val Disadvantages 15 Social Limitation: Lordly Responsibilities (Maintaining roads, building fortifications, outfitting knights, etc.) (Frequently; Major) Disadvantage Points: 15Base Points: 65Experience Required: 0Total Experience Available: 0Experience Unspent: 0Total Character Cost: 50/5 = 10

Vacuum-filled ships wouldn't work in RL. I'll probably go with hydrogen. The American government was worried that the Germans would use helium to build war machines, so they forbade any company to sell helium to the Zeppelin company. So they used hydrogen instead; it provides more lift anyway, which allowed them to carry more passengers. I can foresee a plotline where the Baron (it's always a Baron, isn't it) has brought his airship/castle to America and tries to steal a quantity of helium to make it safer. Hijinks ensue. As far as electrical attacks and lightning-filled clouds, well, static discharges can lead to the end of a hydrogen-filled airship. I'll avoid that for the time being. Of course, if that helium theft works, the PCs could have more difficulties the next time...

1) Based on what I remember of the series, I think this is just a Physical Limitation which prevents him from coming out during the day. 2) Cursor is a Follower of Automan, with Flight, probably Desolidification, and the ability to Summon Autocar and Autochopper; you might give him a VPP to represent most of the other things he can make. 3) I recommend Googling "Automan" and taking it from there. It was only on for 13 episodes, and not many people will have seen them all. Good luck.

Well, that's not the only reason you're here... Originally, I did exactly this; a few PCs started with noble titles (a household knight, his squire, and a baron), and the baron had "lands" that were not paid for. Since the adventure took place far away from his manor, this was not an issue. Now, however, it's been several years (out of game; in game, it's been about 1 year). When I announced that the next cycle of the campaign would start soon, I told the players it would be six months later; this way, they could train up, spend XP, and what not. Anyway, the PCs have gotten more powerful, both in rank and in skill. While several wanted to do other things with their time, at least one of the new Vassal Knights (i.e., "landed" gentry) stated he would spend the intervening time building up his property by hook or by crook. I'd like to have a way to reflect this. Plus, the next cycle will take place in the kingdom, with politics becoming more important and the PCs having a greater stake in the outcome. Ergo, I've decided to see how many points a Fief would be as a Base. I'm not expecting hugely complicated, exhaustive Bob Greenwade-style write-ups a la The Ultimate Vehicle. But I'd like to get a handle on how that PC spent his XP.

Don't be shy, man! Share it!

I usually don't mind hand-waving, but with some of my campaigns I end up waving up a hurricane. I'd like to remain grounded in the mechanics for as long as possible. The main thing about a castle is the defensive works. These are easily represented by tough exterior walls, DEF 6 BODY 12 at a minimum. A Bailey can be constructed by using the Partial Coverage rules. The fief itself is definitely Grounds, and any serfs would be Followers. Were there any other people who would be considered part of the property? Laboratories would be very appropriate for lords with wizard followers, and every fantasy castle needs an Interrogation Lab... Equipment is a little more hazy. Obviously, most such Fief Bases will have no gun emplacements, but I wonder what else could be considered equipment that is bought with the base. Hoardings? Wells? Mills? Have to think about this...

I've read the books/seen the documentaries and I'm convinced it was the material they used to "dope" the skin to prevent gas leakage. It seems the Zeppelin company also knew this, just a few months after the accident, but it didn't hit public consciousness until very recently. The Zeppelin in The Ultimate Vehicle has a DEF of 4, which seems pretty good for a rigid airship. I'll probably give it a 5 overall, with a more heavily-armored gondola (Partial Coverage). Since I'm using Pulp Superscience in this game, there might very well be more advanced planes than P-41s flying about. The PCs have a team transport that is based on the Weserflug P.1003/1, which would have anticipated the V-22 Osprey by 50 years. I expect the villain of the piece to know this and plan accordingly. I'm less interested in tactical details (he'll probably be using salvaged Martian Heat-Rays as primary weapons), and more interested in the special touches that make any base memorable. Launch assist/arrest platforms for Messerschmitt Me 163B Komets and other experimental planes? If a platform, is it on top of the gasbag, or slung underneath? Large side-mounted propellers to provide lift/steering? Faux stone wall and tower designs, emulating the character's lost castle? Or pulp-era continental styling, making it look like a luxury train car? The devil is in the details...

You can't improve Familiarity skill rolls with Skill Levels. You must have the skill at the minimum level at least before you can start applying skill levels to it. You might want to glance at Fantasy Hero's Magic section for some inspiration; some of the variations suggested in there seem "Harry Potteresque" to me.

I've been doing some work on my Golden Age Superheroes/Pulp Heroes campaign, and I've decided to make one of the main villains a Nazi mad scientist/Prussian noble whose purpose is to keep the heroes busy at home so that they don't go to Germany to fight. I thought it would be cool to give him an interesting base, but the whole "German castle" thing didn't work because it needed to be in the US. Then, last time I visited Germany, we went to the Zeppelin museum. I've decided to give him a "castle" in the sky -- a giant zeppelin! I figure his ancestral castle was destroyed during World War I, and he rebuilt using "high technology". I've even gotten inspiration from the SHIELD helicarrier and Baron Wulfenbach's dirigible/castle in Girl Genius. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to make it interesting? I mean, I could just take the zeppelin from The Ultimate Vehicle and upgun the Size a notch or three, but I'd like to make it unusual. Any thoughts? What about pictures I can use as inspiration?

I've been working on some material for the next round of my Hârn Hero game. I'll be giving some free experience points in specific things to represent some of the personal development that occurs during the period between the end of the last cycle and the beginning of this one. One thing I'd like to do is give the nobles Bases to represent their newly-acquired lands. I realize most people would hand-wave this (as would I, normally) but I'd like to see how it would turn out anyway. So, anybody have any thoughts on how you would go about statting out a fief? (And I'm not willing to wait until The Ultimate Base comes out...)

I'm sure you've got takers already, but I'd be interested. It's the one Champions product I don't have.

Until they handwaved this, the attack would never have had a Penetrating effect. Since a roll of "1" equals no BODY, the attack never does anything except to unarmored targets.

No wait, Transformation (target character into castleing character), with a Transformation Side Effect (castleing character into target character)... Seriously, your options are somewhat limited. What's the Special Effect?