SKJAM!

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It Yep, Light's pretty much toast if you can figure out his Secret ID before he can figure out yours.

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It Correct, so Light can for example, kill Tom Cruise with a micro-meteorite, or being beaten to death with an Oscar (if Tom happens to be near an Oscar at the time specified, better odds than most people) but not by Hitler's animated corpse.

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It Technically "L" and the Task Force are the good guys, though L is pretty damn ruthless himself. (Which is why this is in the Dark Champions section.)

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It Oh, Ryuk knows where it is. He dropped it deliberately to see what would happen. He thinks Light is the most fascinating person ever.

Re: CU - Wold Newton For 1860-70s Japan, Ruroni Kenshin (manga/anime) might be useful to mine, including some proto-supervillains. ("I have a flaming sword fueled by the rendered fat of my victims!")

Re: WWYCD: think of the children

Re: WWYCD: think of the children Skipping the characters who would never, never be in this scenario: Kira Midori: Is already a cop. She's also telepathic, clairvoyant and precognitive. She loathes pedophiles, but there's that whole "uphold the law" thing. Her most likely obstacle would be fellow officers trying to keep her off the case so she won't solve it too soon. Talion: Is all too aware that just because you're on a registry doesn't actually mean you're guilty, just that you were convicted. He'd have to reluctantly team up with She-Cat, the New Legends member who has special senses, and would proceed as per Snow Leopard. He hopes that the killer knows to use nonlethal weaponry against costumed types too, because otherwise, well.... And I'll note that Minnesota has laws that do indeed keep people considered the worst sex offenders locked up long after their sentences expire. It's just rather inconsistently applied so far.

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? "Underwater"--Mary's Danish About someone who has superhuman powers, but only when their significant other is present.

Re: Who Would be Your Character's Sidekick? Rock Bottom: One of his old classmates from the Venture Institute, perhaps Whiz Kid (speedster); it would be more of an equal partnership, even if the media might not see it that way. Calculus: His young son, who turns out to have inherited his hyperintelligence upon puberty. The kid will get stuck with Brain Boy, since that's the codename his father used at that age. Calculus would encourage Brain Boy to join a teen supergroup; "I know that just working for your father is a bit much, especially for a kid as smart as you are." Mask of Justice: One of the Junior Justice Club members, no powers, not really all that great at combat, mostly just there for the Mask to give exposition to. A clean-cut youngster, he's given to phrases like "Golliwogs!" and "The Mask is never going to let you crooks get away with this." Kira Midori: A fellow police officer, as an assigned partner. In the tradition of action buddy movies, her partner will be as much of a mismatch as possible. They will verbally spar a lot while tracking down crooks. Talion: Only a crazy person would want to be Talion's sidekick. So, someone crazy. Probably with no actual superpowers or skills, but a willingness to put on a silly costume and "fight crime." Fanboy from the Freakazoid cartoon comes to mind. Probably dies quickly after ignoring Talion's pleas to just go home already.

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Hotel Mandatory Routine Man This fellow shows up for exactly three days every month, always rents the exact same suite, orders the exact same meals from room service, and insists that all fabrics in the suite be bright red. Orders from the owner are that he is to be indulged in this, even if it means upsetting other guests. If something is not just so, MR Man goes into a seizure until the problem is fixed.

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Hotel Just Left of Reality Guy At first glance, this average-looking fellow just appears to be a little clumsy. He walks into doorframes, knocks over water glasses, and signs forms just to the left of the dotted line. But if you talk to him for a while, you realize that his version of events doesn't quite match up with anyone else's. The colors are subtly different, numbers off by one or two, and sometimes names are spelled in an unusual way. Is he just suffering from some sort of perception defect, or is he seeing another reality, just left of the one we know?

Re: (location) Marsh's Drug Store Thanks! It was loosely based on my hometown's pharmacy, mixed with drug stores depicted in pulp stories I've read and movies of the period. And you never know when that last little bit of authenticity will come in handy. I remember reading one pulp story where one of the plot points was that the federal government had recently changed the law on prescriptions of narcotics, requiring them to be on special forms. Would have been early forties, I think. And of course, pulp law, like pulp science, can be dubious.

Re: Alternate United Nations & UNTIL For a long thread on a similar idea done with GURPS IST, go over to Usenet and google "Joseph Justice GURPS IST". To be honest, some of the campaign events required the NPCs to be idiots who should never have been in the jobs they were given, repeatedly and with no immediate consequences to themselves, but interesting nonetheless. (But for a real-life example of serial incompetence/stupidly acting against your own interests, I need merely point to //deleted due to political opinion//, right?)

Re: [Fifth Ed Conversion] Villainy Unbound: Phobos and Deimos Thanks! While the characters from Allies can't be directly updated (they're in a limbo state; Hero Games has no immediate plans to use them in a project, but reserves the right to hold on to them just in case), you might be interested in the Zen Team "sequel" campaign there was a thread about a few weeks ago.

Re: [Fifth Ed Conversion] Villainy Unbound: Phobos and Deimos For what it's worth, I give permission to redo Hitsusatsu (including correcting his name to "Hissatsu") and Kawaii.

Re: (location) Der Schnitzlehaus Strangely enough, I've patronized several restaurants built in the time period, and the basement is indeed where they put the restrooms. Go figure.

Re: (location) Der Schnitzlehaus Glad to see someone's paying attention.

Re: (location) Der Schnitzlehaus Er, it turns out that the function space should probably be called the "JaegersStube" instead.

The ideas just keep itching... DER SCHNITZLEHAUS Background: Helmut Grubermann, like many patriotic German men of the time, volunteered his services to the military during the Great War. But an accident during training severed his left leg below the knee, and he was given a medical discharge before even learning how to march properly. Stuck on the home front, he worked hard at the brewery and took an interest in economics. After the war, Helmut realized that the punitive terms of the armistice would mean hard times ahead for Germany, and arranged for he, his wife, and their young sons to emigrate to America. They faced some discrimination in the United States, where feelings were still running high about the late war, but the community they settled in had enough people of German ancestry to soften the blow. More of a problem for Helmut was the institution of Prohibition, which ended his legal brewery employment. Unsurprisingly, Helmut turned to bootlegging, brewing up a strong German-style beer for illegal consumption. His wife came up with the idea of opening a restaurant as a front for the distribution of their product. To their surprise, Frau Grubermann's cooking was so popular that the restaurant paid for itself even not counting the beer profits. They remodeled and expanded the building, and when Prohibition ended, Gruberbrau could be openly served, making Der Schnitzelhaus more popular than ever. Helmut's wife died a couple of years ago, leaving her eldest son Hans in charge of the cooking. Facilities: Der Schnitzelhaus is a two-story building, marked out by a relatively tasteful neon sign. It's open from 5 PM-1 AM Wednesday-Sunday. Inside, the decor is dark wood and murals of Bavarian landscapes, the lighting tends to be on the dim side. To the right as you enter is the coat room, followed by the front stairs. To the left is the bar area, new since the end of Prohibition. Straight ahead is the cash register/host area, beyond which is the dining room proper. At peak times, there may be up to an hour's wait for a table, but reservations or a large tip can reduce the delay. The fare is primarily rich, filling Bavarian cuisine, though there are dishes from other German traditions and some Americanized selections as well. (The "American Steak" is a hamburger, in a rare menu joke.) Two kinds of beer are served, Gruberbrau and the local commercial brand. The wine list leans heavily towards German vintages and similar American brands. The choice of hard liquors is very small, but serious drinkers in this town usually go to a dedicated bar. There's a small stage with a piano, and dinner music is either that or an accordionist, except on Saturdays when a small local band crams themselves into the space. The music tends heavily to polkas and waltzes. Helmut does not like jazz one bit, and won't allow it to be played. The crowd is mostly German- or Scandanavian-American, working-to middle-class. Troublemakers are usually taken care of quietly by common consensus between the busboys and some burly regulars. Some cops are known to enjoy low-cost meals here; nothing...illegal...you understand. In back is the bustling kitchen, which opens onto the loading dock and has the ground floor dumbwaiter. The basement holds the storage cellar, most notable for its many barrels of Gruberbrau, and the restrooms. The ladies' room has a secret door leading to an escape tunnel. This is a remnant of Prohibition days; now it's mostly used by young women ditching unpleasant dates. The door cannot be opened from the outside as an anti-theft measure, and the exit is concealed in a thornbush. (You'd better be sure you want to dump the boy!) Upstairs are the business offices, and the Jaegersraum, a function space. The Jaegersraum takes its name from the stuffed heads and fish that decorate the walls. Combined with the dark wood and dim lighting, the room has been known to disturb those of a nervous disposition. Various parties and club meetings take place here. The Rotary Club has a permanent reservation for Wednesday night, and the Bund has the same for Thursdays. It's rumored there's another secret exit up here, but no one outside the Grubermanns know if it's true. Personnel: Helmut Grubermann: Now pushing fifty, Helmut limps heavily on his artificial leg. He's got a considerable beer belly, and his grey hair constrasts with his still-dark brown walrus mustache. Helmut's German accent is still strong, and nearly unintelligible when he's angry. He likes to play the role of the jolly, generous patrician, and those who want to flatter Helmut call him "Braumeister." His major character failing is that Helmut is virulently anti-Semitic, to a degree that embarrasses even other anti-Semites. He believes that the Protocols of Zion is non-fiction and that every misery in his life was somehow secretly caused by Jews. Once he's off on a rant on the subject, those who know him make excuses to leave. Helmut isn't too fond of people of color either, but doesn't make a point of it. Hans Grubermann: Head cook, he's in his mid-thirties, and has a paunch nearly the size of his father's. Hans has a walrus mustache like his father's as well. He's an excellent cook who's memorized and sometimes improved upon his mother's prize-winning recipes, as well as expanding his knowledge of related cuisines. He's considered a good boss by the other cooks, and everything runs smoothly when he supervises. However, at home, he is constantly quarreling with his wife, especially over the fact that as yet she has not produced children. Hans is convinced she's seeing another man behind his back, but has no real evidence yet. Edvard Grubermann: Host and cashier. He's almost thirty, and is only a little stocky, and clean-shaven. He's in this position because he doesn't have a talent for brewing or cooking, rather than because he makes a good cashier or host. Ed is vain and short-tempered, although tipping him heavily will soothe his wounded pride and ensure a good dining experience. He is unmarried, and is not known to court women. There's a persistent rumor that Ed is "light in the loafers", but it isn't true. He secretly has a small daughter by his Mexican mistress, who he keeps in a small house in the next town. Frederick Braun: Barman. He's a native-born American of Germanic descent, in his mid-forties. Frederick has close-cropped blond hair and bulging muscles, as well as a battered-looking face. He was a boxer, back in the day. Frederick isn't much of a talker, but listens and watches very carefully. He is divorced, twice, something of a scandal, and won't say if he has children. Workers: Helmut hires only people of Germanic or Nordic ancestry, and prefers them to be on the substantial side. He thinks that skinny waitresses imply that the food isn't good. The Grubermanns are considered good to work for, despite their foibles, and most of the workers are long-time employees. Campaign Use: Even Nazi spies need to eat. At least one of the "name" NPCs is a Nazi, though perhaps not all of them. Der Schnitzelhaus is also a good place to have dinner in a dark booth while making conspiratorial plans. Some plot seeds: "Bugging the Bund": The player character knows that a Nazi spy is operating in the vicinity, but don't know exactly who it is. The local Bund is meeting tomorrow night at Der Schnitzlehaus, and they might know something. But how to get that information without alerting the spy? Some of the Bund members are full-blown Nazis themselves, others just admire Hitler for getting Germany back on its feet, and a few are being coerced with the old "ve know you haff relatiffs in Chermany" squeeze. Adjust proportions as appropriate. "Hunter's Blood": Prominent customers of Der Schnitzelhaus are being murdered, each in the method used to kill one of the trophies in the Jaegersraum. The man shot through the heart with a high-powered rifle might have been an ordinary murder, but not the one who was found with a hook through his lip and gutted like a fish. Is this the work of a human madman, or as one frightened old man claims, the revenge of Zamael, spirit of the Black Wood? "Raid": Or you can turn back the clock to Prohibition, and have the PCs be in on (or victims of) a raid on Der Schnitzlehaus and its illegal booze. Thoughts, comments?

Re: (location) Marsh's Drug Store Postcards (and other stationery) are most assuredly available. The default setting is 1935, by which point Prohibition is over, and the underworld is beginning to move more strongly into other intoxicants. In the 1920s, Marsh's Drug Store is considerably less modern-looking, with wooden display racks and narrow aisles. It's also less well-ventilated, so you can really smell Old Doc's pipe smoke.

Re: (location) Marsh's Drug Store Good point. After all, it's not like smoking causes lung cancer or anything, per the ads of the period.

Re: Clown, Inc. I'd run CLOWN like the real-life practical jokers I've known. Low to no empathy, and no real concept of when not to cross a line. Not murderous out of habit (ala Black Harlequin), but certainly not possessing Code vs. Kill. Their pranks might be funny, or they might be incredibly hurtful; they'll laugh either way. CLOWN might feel bad if no one else gets the joke, but it's not their fault you don't have a sense of humor. (I mean, c'mon, how likely is it that Tag won't kill someone eventually?)

Re: (location) Marsh's Drug Store Thanks, guys. I just had a few ideas floating around, and may have some more, but I don't know when.

Since y'all like these. MARSH'S DRUG STORE History: Marsh's was originally Grimmon's Drug back when it was founded in 1883 by Elihu Grimmon. He ran the store until 1903, when he retired and sold it to Emmett Marsh, who'd been working there for several years. Over the years, Emmett slightly updated the store's look and inventory, and ingratiated himself to the neighborhood. In the late 1920s, the store began to falter due to Emmett's poor business sense, and he was forced to make his son Edgar a full partner. Edgar has put Marsh's on a sound business footing and modernized the place. Thus, the drug store has thus far weathered the Depression quite well, though not everyone likes what "Young Doc" has done with the place. Facilities: The front portion of Marsh's is clean and modern, with shiny chromium fixtures and glass cases. In addition to patent medicines and home remedies, the store carries a wide variety of items only vaguely related to pharmaceuticals, ranging from cosmetics to emergency knicknack gifts. There's a soda fountain up front that sells ice cream and cold sandwiches as well as fizzy water, and a magazine rack stuffed with pulps. (Comic books are still a couple of years off.) Behind the pharmacists' counter, however, there is still a maze-like warren of wooden cupboards holding the chemicals and drugs that are their stock in trade. The Marshs are the only ones who can navigate with ease back there, though Edgar has plans for modernizing this section as well. There is a cramped office with two safes. One is for cash and important papers; the other is more secure and holds the narcotics and other restricted drugs. There's a pay phone booth near the soda fountain; the door tends to stick. Marsh's is open from 8 AM to 10 PM weekdays, and 11-5 on Sundays. The soda fountain serves 11 AM to 7 PM, and is closed on Sunday. By agreement, Edgar works the early shift, and Emmett the late one. In addition to the services a twenty-first century drugstore might provide, the Marshes act as emergency first aid for the neighborhood, treating small cuts, scrapes and such. Emmett only charges for the materials used, but Edgar charges for labor as well. They can recommend good doctors for more serious cases. Emmett also provides another service for the neighborhood--he's become the local sex advice expert. His "VD talk" is a rite of passage for teenagers in the neighborhood. Emmett Marsh: "Old Doc" Marsh is in his late sixties, a thin, kindly-looking man with white hair and horn-rimmed spectacles. His voice is a bit quavery, but he has a calming way of speaking. Emmett is a fully qualified pharmacist who's been running the drug store for decades. He's well acquainted with the medical history of everyone in the neighborhood, though he doesn't gossip. He's friendly and well-liked. Unfortunately, he's not really a good businessman, and too kind-hearted for his own good. He has a very patient wife (who used to be a counter clerk at the store), one son (Edgar) and three grown daughters with families of their own. Edgar Marsh: "Young Doc" Marsh is a stockier man in his early thirties, with a strong facial resemblance to his father. Though also a qualified pharmacist, Edgar is better at the business part of running the store. He tends to be brusque, and has little patience for "charity cases." Edgar's not nearly as popular with the customers, but without him the Depression would have finished the store off. He has a young wife who he married for her money, and a four-year-old son. Ralph "Pep" Ellis: The primary soda fountain clerk. He's nineteen, and has been doing this since he dropped out of high school. Ralph has close-cropped blond hair, the better to fit under his paper hat, and sharp features sprinkled with freckles. Ralph's not particularly bright, but he's well able to handle the soda jerk duties, and shows up on time. (Most of the substitute clerks have had difficulty with the last.) Ralph uses a lot of slang, and has a big mouth. He's between girlfriends right now, and his parents are nagging him about getting a more "respectable" job. Counter Clerks: Young, female, ranging from kind of pretty to kind of ugly. There's a fair amount of turnover in these positions, as Edgar has no compunctions about firing them for the slightest fault. Johnny: The store's chore boy. He's twelve, but big and strong for his age. Johnny's father is dead, and his mother is sickly, so the small amount of money he pulls in for sweeping, cleaning and moving boxes after school and on weekends is desperately needed. Johnny is an ethnic or racial minority appropriate to the area the campaign is set in, and his life has been hard. Despite this, he keeps a positive outlook and believes in the American dream. Johnny wants to be either a pharmacist or masked crimefighter when he grows up. Johnny's a huge masked crimefighter fan, and has all the decoder rings and secret badges any kid could want. If one of the player characters is a masked crimefighter, he's Johnny's favorite. Campaign Use: Marsh's Drug Store is for use in a very large town or a city; smaller towns would not have enough business to keep two pharmacists fed. The most likely use in an adventure is as a meeting place, or a first aid station. Some plot seeds... "Protection Racket": Marsh's is typical of the sort of establishment gangsters would like to squeeze money from. As one or two PCs are present, a number of goons come in, disrupt business and damage one of the displays. Their leader makes barely veiled threats of worse to come unless the Marshes pay "insurance." Edgar is willing to fight, but it's clear that the crooks will only be put away for good is if the PCs convince the whole neighborhood to stand firm against them. "The Predator": More for "spicy" games. A young woman, perhaps a year or two older than Pep, has been hanging around outside the store all day, looking in every so often. When approached, she rabbits, coming back in half an hour or so. Finally, she sees that Emmett is the pharmacist on duty, and comes in. She's clearly quite distraught, and Emmett takes her into the back office. Although it's never directly stated, it's made clear that she's been sexually assaulted, and that she's not the first girl in the neighborhood that this has happened to recently. Emmett recognizes one of the player characters as the sort of person who'd do something about this (if this hasn't already been known to him) and directs the woman to that person for help. It's time to find the scum that did this, and get him off the streets. "Special Sprinkles": Pep is surprised one day by a customer ordering "special sprinkles" on his banana split. When he asks the customer to clarify, the man becomes nervous and claims to have been joking. What's actually going on is that the latest substitute soda jerk has been using the position to distribute illegal drugs. But how to prove it and remove the perpetrator without damaging the store's reputation? Thoughts, comments?