Lonewalker

Re: Avengers: The Next Generation on Hero Central Oh, just for fun... I had another concept in mind, but someone mentioned the spawn of Tigra and a second idea formed and I wanted to see how he'd work out. May I present...Tyger Fury, the Crimefighting Catman - and son of Tigra and Starfox! Enjoy! - Lonewalker

Re: Avengers: The Next Generation on Hero Central I recommend Knockout. (Other suggestions include Emerald, Malachite, Gamma Girl, Impact, Gladiatrix, Hardcore, Risque, Broadside, Wildheart, Fury, or Haymaker) Lonewalker

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... This takes me back to a session of my old Bay City Champions game where one of the characters (Archer) is forced to defend the team's base from a supervillain assault all by herself. She's injured and gravely outnumbered and spots Oculon coming toward her. Archer (OOC): Is he wearing any armor? Me as GM: Nope, it looks like he's just wearing spandex. Archer (OOC): Well, that doesn't mean anything. He's an energy blaster and probably has a force field or something. Archer proceeds to tag Oculon with an RKA arrow, hoping to put him down quick. Well, it turns out that the villain had decent normal defenses, but no resistant defenses. Oculon went down into negative STUN and lost more than half his BODY in one hit. Archer's response? "Oops." Lonewalker

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... The mad scientist actually stayed far behind the battle, but Patriot (who is indeed clad in red, white, and blue) did ride dinosaurs, mostly trying to get them to run into each other and start some in-fighting. (The Bunneh is crazy that way!) Still didn't compare to Clubber (our resident super-strong guy) who was Martial Throwing dinosaurs on top of each other! (Thanks for the rep, BTW!) Lonewalker

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... More quotes dropped at our latest Chronicles of the Agency Pulps Champions campaign.... --------------------------------------------------------------------- As our heroes walk through the streets of New York City, the adventure begins! Rocket Ranger: We're being bombed by a pterodactyl! Patriot (as Tom Jefferson): That's...not normal. Or I assume not. I've never been to New York. Havoc gets a sit-rep on the battle over New York City... Havoc (OOC): How's Rocket Ranger doing with the critters? Rocket Ranger (OOC): I'm being chewed on. You make the call. Upon discovering Columbia University had mad scientist Dr Reinhard Sorros as a professor on campus... Patriot (OOC): I'm going to tell the Dean that when he hires professors to not hire the crazy ones. In keeping with his Secret ID, the Patriot disappears, showing up to Agency briefings as mild-mannered Tom Jefferson... Rocket Ranger: Where is Patriot? He never shows up for meetings. Guy must have a vulnerability to paperwork. Clubber: Do you blame him? Regarding would-be conqueror Dr Sorros... Rocket Ranger (OOC): You'd think a master of temporal physics would be on time more often... Impromptu planning as the heroes creep up on Dr Sorros's farm-like base... Rocket Ranger: So, we should sneak over near the giant barn. Clubber: Nah, let's call the Air Force and have them bomb the place! Patriot (OOC): Um, this is Champions...not Top Secret. Havoc: Yeah, right, how are we going to convince Tom to finance a bombing run? (Tom Jefferson, Patriot's Secret ID, is a former banker and financial officer for the team.) As Rocket Ranger and Clubber close in the farm, they notice many normal looking animals... Rocket Ranger: Look, a cat. Clubber: Better take it out. Rocket Ranger: It's just a cat! Clubber: A cat belonging to a mad scientist who conjures prehistoric monsters from the primordial past and compels them to do his bidding! Rocket Ranger: ... A peek in the barn reveals a half dozen massive dinosaurs! Clubber: Okay, somebody get on the phone and call animal control. Havoc goes desolid to scout out the barn... GM: At the controls is the fiendish Dr Reinhold Sorros. Havoc (OOC): Okay, I go back to the guys and tell them what I saw. Rocket Ranger (OOC): Do you actually use the word 'fiendish?' Havoc (OOC): Naturally. Typical beginning of our team plans... Patriot (OOC): Let's start with a good old-fashioned 30 Strength boot to the door! The GM has some fun... Patriot (OOC): Patriot kicks down the door. GM: It bangs open then bounces back into your face. Patriot: Oww! Gah! I think I got a splinter in my nose! Clubber: Good door springs. Rocket Ranger: Patriot, I'm sort of losing faith in America here. Clubber: Why? They're American-made door springs. The dinosaurs attack after Patriot's grand entrance! Rocket Ranger: I blame you for this. Patriot: I...blame me as well. The heroes have some of their own fun... Patriot (to the tune of "Duke of Earl"): Di-di-di-di-no-saur-saur-saur...di-no-saur-saur-saur...di-no-saur-saur-saur... Rocket Ranger: Less musical interlude, more punching! Patriot: I can get behind that. I am American. If there's a problem that can't be solved by hitting it, it's not a problem worth solving. Analyzing our opponents... Patriot (OOC): Is that a dimetridon coming to eat me? Clubber (OOC): Looks more like a stegosaurus. Rocket Ranger (OOC): Always good to be precise when devoured by monsters. As the friendly fire gets awfully close... Patriot (OOC): I better take a step back. Rocket Ranger (OOC): You might want more than a single step. Patriot (OOC): I didn't say how far a step. A battle cry...? Patriot: Taste star-spangled justice, you beast from another era! A triceratops clambers up a wall in an attempt to reach the flying Rocket Ranger... Patriot: I wish I had a camera right now! Rocket Ranger: I wish I had a better life insurance policy! Havoc has snuck around the battle to close in on Dr Sorros... Havoc (OOC): I'll invisibly run over and full-body tackle him. Clubber (OOC): And he's a reclusive scientist who probably hasn't had contact with a woman in a while. He could go into shock. Havoc (OOC): I'm hoping. The insane Dr Sorros realizes he's been beaten... Dr Sorros (NPC): I seem to have underestimated you... Patriot: That's ri-... Dr Sorros (NPC): ...but this is not the end! If I cannot conquer the present with the past... Havoc: Oh, no, he's monologuing. Dr Sorros (NPC): ...I will change the past to conquer the future! Havoc: Darn it! I got distracted listening to him! Post-session discussion... DM: Okay, what did you learn from this session? Havoc (OOC): Always knock out the scientist first chance you get! Rocket Ranger (OOC): Stay in touch with your ground-bound teammates! Patriot (OOC): Dinosaurs are fun to ride! --------------------------------------------------------------------- More next week! Lonewalker

Re: Avengers: The Next Generation on Hero Central Figures. Still four weeks left of school before I can reliably commit to a game. Not fair! Lonewalker

Re: Must use villains My faves (some already mentioned): Grond for the traditional rampage. Foxbat to keep folks from taking things too seriously. Lady Blue to show not all supervillains are bad. VIPER for the quintessential villain organization (and GI JOE / COBRA jokes). DEMON for the supernatural bent. The Ultimates for a supervillain team. (Eurostar works too - for higher powered teams.) Pulsar, Oculon, Ankylosaur, Vibron, Freon, Ripper, Green Dragon (and probably a couple others) as individual brawls and short threats. GRAB for a supervillain team that you have to out-think. Doctor Destroyer makes a great big bad. Seeker for a superhero guest star (maybe the PCs can rescue him). My two shillings. Lonewalker

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... Yeah, we gotta work on the whole party unity thing with that group. Like a dysfunctional soap opera family, they are. Lonewalker

Re: X-Men: The Next Generation campaign on Hero Central

Re: What was Marvel's WORST decade? Hear, hear. (Between Disassembled, Civil War, and Infinite Crisis, it's a minor miracle I still bother to read comics these days...) Lonewalker

Re: X-Men: The Next Generation campaign on Hero Central

Re: WWYCD: miscarriage of justice Rocket Ranger: Barely pays any attention to the newsreels and thus wouldn't even know said mastermind was free until the villain's next plot is unveiled. Then Rocket Ranger would fly in and trounce the double-dealing miscreant once again! Straight Arrow: Would take no overt action, but would begin monitoring the criminal's activity upon his/her release. Nothing too obvious - don't want to get charged with harassment or something. He'd definitely look into the aforementioned blackmail or corruption to see if he could expose something useful. However, he would take no direct action against the villain unless the villain starts something. Naturally, if his superiors ordered him to stop the investigation, he probably would. Green Lantern V: Would be royally ticked off and probably pay the villain a visit, warning him/her in no uncertain terms that he/she had better stay on the straight and narrow if he/she doesn't want Green Lantern and the rest of the resurrected League to drop down on top of him/her. Then GL would mention his concerns to his buddy Johann and let a REAL mastermind loose. Lonewalker

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? A blending of the hum of the freezer with the sound of my laptop's fan running. What? -Lonewalker

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... From our Pulps Champions game...dubbed The Chronicles of the Agency: Patriot (OOC): I'll have you know that I only heal fast on American soil so don't kill me, okay? Or at least get me to the nearest embassey. (To the GM after taking two painful shots from German gunfire...) Rocket Ranger (OOC): You know, if you didn't like my character, you could have just said so. NPC Prisoner: Who are you? Havoc: You're better not knowing. Don't worry - I'm friendly. NPC Prisoner: How do we know? Havoc: I'm speaking English without a German accent. (Still bleeding badly...) Rocket Ranger: We've gotta bug out soon so I can find a hospital to collapse in. (Looking for something to throw...) Clubber: The best thing to hit a German with is...another German. (Having just discovered Wiltrude, the beautiful daughter of a Nazi archaeologist, Rocket Ranger decides to fly away with her...) Rocket Ranger: Sorry, ma'am. We need information and you look a lot more interesting to read than a book. NPC Scientist: The Germans were looking for the Tablet of Destiny. Tom Jefferson (Patriot's mild-mannered secret ID): We've heard that word before. Rocket Ranger: That's three words, yank. (Our party is interrupted in our purchasing of supplies by Nazi forcing closing in...) Rocket Ranger: Forget the receipts, Tom. We gotta go now! Tom Jefferson: But, my financial tracking... Rocket Ranger: You can explain it to the American budget board or the German army...your choice. Tom Jefferson: Okay, let's go. (The heroes don't have a high opinion of Patriot's comparatively weak unpowered alter ego. Before prepping an ambush, we leave our two "civilians" under cover...) Rocket Ranger: Tom, you stay in the car and protect Wiltrude. Rocket Ranger: On second thought, Wiltrude, why don't you protect Tom. Tom Jefferson: Hey, I went through Basic. Havoc: Basic what? GM: Do you have a plan? Patriot (OOC): We have some schemes... Rocket Ranger (OOC): Mine's more of a whim... Rocket Ranger: I'll just fly over the lake. GM: You're rocket pack fails to work. Rocket Ranger: Didn't we gas this thing up at the last village? Patriot: Yes, I think we used regular. Rocket Ranger: What?! This baby runs on premium only! (As Wiltrude tends to the wounds of our party...) Rocket Ranger: She has hands like warm milk. Clubber: So? I've got abs like the grille of a Studebaker. Rocket Ranger: What's the most dangerous thing ya'll can think of? Patriot: You with a fuel leak. Clubber (OOC - regarding Rocket Ranger): He's like Foghorn Leghorn with an afterburner. Patriot (referring to his fists): I call this one 'Stars' and this one 'Stripes' Lonewalker

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... Think I'll jump in on this thread with some quotes (mostly OOC) from our new Chronicles of the Agency Pulps/Champions game... During our mission briefing... Agent Libby (NPC): Your contact in Baghdad will be able to provide you with anything you need. Havoc: Really? I've had a real serious need for a jacuzzi! Upon arriving in Baghdad for our mission... GM: Do any of you speak Arabic or German? Rocket Ranger (OOC): Um, I don't speak either of those. Patriot (OOC): I only speak American. Havoc (OOC): None of us speak any foreign languages? Clubber (OOC): In the movies, everyone speaks English, don't they? GM: Patriot (OOC): You guys don't know that Captain Tom Jefferson is the Patriot. Rocket Ranger (OOC): So what's he doing on this mission? Patriot (OOC): Uh, he's the civilian mission supervisor. Rocket Ranger (OOC): Oh, great, so the party's obligated to ditch him first chance we get to do things our way...and Patriot spends the rest of the mission trying to find his teammates! Patriot (in his 'mild-mannered' secret ID after cleaning up and resting): Wow! I feel like a new man! Rocket Ranger: We only wish. Ambassador Whitby (NPC): The Germans have an archaeological dig to the north. We don't know what they're looking for... Havoc: Probably old stuff buried in the earth. Ambassador Whitby (NPC): Dr Stephen Dietrich [German mastermind] has come here accompanied by his daughter Wiltrude... Havoc: Great! We kidnap the daughter and offer an exchange for the kidnapped American curator! Patriot: Better idea - we have Brett [Rocket Ranger] seduce the daughter to gain her confidence! Rocket Ranger: The things I have to do for my country. On location in 1938 Iraq... Patriot: Where might one find the appropriate authorization to enter the German camp? NPC: Germany. Patriot: That's a bit of drive from here. Rocket Ranger: Okay, everybody back on the plane! We'll have to hurry back! GM: So do you all have a plan? Rocket Ranger (OOC): No, we have more of a notion. Patriot (as mild mannered Tom Jefferson): So if the Germans come up and pull guns on us, we can whup their tails. And by "we" I mean you guys. I'll be hiding behind the truck. Havoc sneaks into a tent in the German camp to find kidnapped prisoners. It's dark and she doesn't want to attract attention by using light so she's looking around for clues about the sleeping occupants... Havoc (OOC): Can I find any writing materials to see if these guys are English or German. GM: You find no writing materials at all. No pencils. No pens. No paper. Clubber (OOC): Ah, they must be the prisoners. Patriot (OOC): Yeah, the Nazis were afraid the prisoners might write a note in a bottle to call for help. Havoc (OOC): Right, floating on those desert sand currents. Still trying to figure out who the sleeping occupants are... Havoc (OOC): Do any of them snore in a particular language? Lonewalker

Re: Champions games you've run Oh, yeah, I'd forgotten that we did eventually covert that over to HERO! I'd partly blocked the memory of a chunk of that game 'cause of the Palladium aspect. Poor Wendigo/Avalanche who wanted to be the mutant animal brick of the team - but was weaker than Angel, who rolled lucky on the Powers table and ended up with Karmic Power and Invulnerability. Ah, those were the days. Oh, yeah, and I believe the team eventually adopted the moniker "Argonauts." Lonewalker

Re: Champions games you've run Bay City Champions The second superhero campaign I've ever had the opportunity to run and probably with the third longest running time (next to PanTalos and Star Wars). Set in a blend of the 4th edition Champions world and the Fuzion New Millennium timeline, it's a few years following the Proprietor War that devestated the superhuman community. Now, in the sprawling metropolis of Bay City, a new team of Champions emerges to honor the name of those that have come before them. (Some of the most well-developed characters I ever had a the honor of granting XPs to.) Century Station Short-lived campaign (one rollicking adventure) set in the same world as Bay City. A new young team of heroes forms in the city of Century Station. A lot of focusing on the logistics of making a superhero team while battling a dysfunctional band of villains. Would have loved to continue this one. (Might have to dig up and post some details to these campaigns one day...) Lonewalker

Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters Pff. "Well, Boh, you knew this job was dangerous when you took it." Ya pays yer nickel, ya takes yer chances. ('Course, it's easy to say that since we won... ) Lonewalker

Re: PBEM: Capes! Spiffy! Sounds like the Champions: New Millennium setting with a Wildguard spin. I might have to make some time for this one... Lonewalker

Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters That all ends when we throw down with the current so-called Fearless Monster Hunters....and then we begin our rampage of blood and destruction across the Sylvan Gulf! - Lonewalker

Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters

Re: How many Dragon's teeth adorn YOUR shield? Everything I've ever read for planning a Draconic encounter says that dragons are powerful and intelligent. They choose the terrain of their lairs with great foresight and use the area in a cunning manner. They're the type to prepare traps and security to their homes and have no qualms about hiring some lesser help to defend their troves (as long as the minions are suitably devoted and loyal). Dragons stay on top of what's going in and around their territory so they're usually the first to know if there are dragonslayers in the vicinity. Half the dragonslaying adventure is usually just getting to the dragon! One of my favorite short stories from the old Dragon Magazine told a tale about a young warrior who gathers together the four greatest and most powerful heroes of the land in order to slay an ancient wyrm. The heroes, confident in themselves, march through the traps and trials of the dragon's mountain home until they reach the great treasure room of the dragon. At which point, the warrior reveals that he was the dragon in disguise and proceeds to slay them by surprise. It turns out that he lured them all there in order to eliminate potential rivals or enemies on his own terms. My own game experiences with dragons have been varied. For example: 1. I ran a fantasy game in which one of the players accidentally bonded with a lesser dragon (called a Drake). This was played more for fun than anything else as the critter gradually grew more powerful but still had the mind of a golden retriever puppy. 2. I played in another fantasy game where the dragons were ancient and historical beings that hadn't been seen in centuries. In one adventure, my party was to recover a crystalline shard that was once part of the body of one of these great beasts. Later our employer promptly created a gigantic crystalline dragon (golem-like) that rampaged across the city. We had to enter the body of the dragon-thing (through its mouth) and destroy its heart from the inside. Suffice it to say that the dude is "on our list." 3. Recently, I ran a somewhat tongue-in-cheek D&D game where the final adversary was an ancient Black Dragon. The creature was canny and prepared for the party but the main issue was that there were so many characters that the party had something like ten concentrated attacks to the dragon's four or five. Finally the dragon was finished when the kobold henchman zapped it with a Rod of Wonder and turned it to stone (botched Fortitude save - what are the odds?) 4. A while back I played in a Forgotten Realms game where we ran into a young Black Dragon. We had three clerics in the party who kept healing people as soon as they were hurt. The rest of us kept wailing on the beast and the result was similar to above - where the dragon just couldn't keep up with all our attacks. Plus, in the dragon's defense, our DM hadn't read up on all the dragon's special powers and abilities. We jokingly named the dragon "Timmy" after a South Park character. Bottom line: I think encounters with dragons should be memorable. That doesn't mean that the dragon should totally stomp the party - but the players should walk away (assuming they survived) from the battle with an attitude of "Whew! I can't believe we made it!" My two florins. Lonewalker

Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters Since Bill hasn't seen fit to do so, I'm posting the (rather extensive) background info for my character: Sir Justin Whitestar. Followers of Bill's UNITY thread will probably see parallels between Justin and Straight Arrow. What can I say? I like playing Heroes (with a capital 'H'). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- BACKGROUND FOR JUSTIN WHITESTAR Appearance: Justin is a tall and lean-muscled youth in his early twenties. The Elven part of his bloodline shows itself in his lithe but strong figure and graceful movements. He wears his thatched blond hair short and as neat as the thick mass will allow. His eyes are the color of the ocean at dusk and his attractive face is often graced with a smile. His complexion is a few shades darker than fair and marred only by a few small scars and two colored tattoos (a lion's head on his shoulder and a coiled dragon on his lower back). Personality: Justin is a very atypical Paladin of the Trinity. He is very laid-back and easy-going about life and even his own devotions. He tries not to be judgmental toward those of other faiths or cultures and in fact is eager to learn more about them. He is casual and gracious in speech and manner, always polite and friendly, with a quirky sense of humor. Beneath his relaxed exterior, though, Justin a fiercely devoted to the edicts of the Trinity in general and Mitra in particular. He follows the Code of the Paladin as closely as he can without becoming too rigid and hidebound. He believes strongly in compassion for others and is trusting and generous almost to a fault at times. Having failed in his endeavors many times in the past, his ego is nicely tempered with humility and he is not above poking fun at himself. Justin is surprisingly but quietly devout. He had made a conscious choice to avoid sermonizing or insulting another's beliefs and chooses instead to preach by example. He feels that a good example makes the best sermon. He speaks to Mitra (and the other deities within the Trinity) constantly and is never without his holy symbol and a copy of the Book of Light. Justin also considers himself very 'down-to-earth' compared to other Paladins (many of whom come from wealthy or noble families). His time on the streets gave him a common man's view of the world which combines with his highborn training and schooling to make him accepting of folk from all walks of life. He treats all people as equal, from the poorest farming peasant to the highest lord of the land. Quote: Background: From the Excerpts of The Whitestar Legacy by Myles Conrad. Powers/Tactics: Justin is a frontline melee fighter and prefers to face an opponent in single, fair combat. If given such a chance, he will usually fight defensively (using Martial Strikes and moving levels into DCV) until he gauges his enemy's skill. Then he will adjust his tactics accordingly. However, Justin is neither a linear nor an unimaginative combatant. He sees no problem with ambushes, ganging up on strong opponents, deception, or even the occasional 'dirty trick' if it gets the job done. His training at the Academy of War taught him a number of military tactics, which don't all include marching into the enemy ranks and bellowing out a challenge to their leader. Justin is canny and clever in battle and has no qualms about using any advantage required to win. That said, Justin still maintains the Paladin code of honor and fairplay. Thus, he will always accept an enemy's surrender and endeavors to fight on even ground with his opponent(s). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for reading...and wish us luck in the challenges that Bill undoubtedly has planned for us! Lonewalker

Re: Weirdest Party You]ve ever had

Re: Random Dungeon Generators That first one is particularly useful. I used it (plus an NPC generator located on the same site) to create an entire monstrous dungeon adventure that ran the better part of a year. (The campaign was dubbed "The Order of the Torch.") Good stuff. Lonewalker