SKJAM!

Re: A different kind of super mage Mark, while the fiction bits so far have been okay as exposition, they'd need a lot of punching up in a story. Everyone's been far too calm and accepting; there's no sense of conflict or that this change is going to be a problem for anyone.

Re: Glorantha Hero Thanks! The as-yet-uncertain mechanics is why I stripped the "Typical" Broo down to the absolute essentials--you'll note he has thirty unspent points just waiting for the customization. Hmm...I'll have to see if I can find that conversion I did for the Chaos Features/Flaws randomization chart. SKJAM!

Re: Glorantha Hero "Typical" Broo Player: n/a Val Char Cost 13 STR 3 11 DEX 3 15 CON 10 10 BODY 0 8 INT -2 10 EGO 0 10 PRE 0 6 COM -2 4 PD 1 4 ED 1 3 SPD 9 6 REC 0 30 END 0 25 STUN 0 6" RUN 0 2" SWIM 0 2 1/2" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 23 Cost Power 6 Horns: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1/2d6 (1d6+1 w/STR) (10 Active Points); Restrainable (Horns are on top of head; -1/2), Reduced Penetration (-1/4) 25 Life Support (Immunity: All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Immunity: All magical diseases and biowarfare agents), Inherent (+1/4) (25 Active Points) Powers Cost: 31 Cost Skill 2 AK: Chaos Lands 11- 2 KS: Broo Customs & Religion 11- 0 Language: Chaos Speech (idiomatic) (4 Active Points) 1 Language: Tradetongue (basic conversation) 2 Navigation (Land) 11- 2 Survival (chaos lands) (Temperate/Subtropical) 11- 3 Tracking 11- 4 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons Skills Cost: 16 Total Character Cost: 70 Pts. Disadvantage 20 Psychological Limitation: Hates all "natural" races (Very Common, Strong) 20 Reputation: Evil disease-carrying monster, 14- (Extreme) 10 Distinctive Features: Triggers "Detect Chaos" senses (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable Only By Unusual Senses) Disadvantage Points: 50 Base Points: 50 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0 APPEARANCE Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Yellow Height: 1.83 m Weight: 82.00 kg Description: The "typical" broo looks like an anthropomorphized goat. They dress in filthy rags and bits of armor, and stink to the skies. BACKGROUND This is what I imagine a "typical" broo might look of, stripped of all variable enhancements or skill sets. For those unfamiliar with Glorantha, a broo (or "goat-man", after their most common appearance) is a thing of Chaos, a race that exists primarily to propagate itself and destroy all others. They have been blessed by Mallia, the goddess of disease, with a complete immunity to diseases of all kinds. Their mother-goddess, Thed, allows broo to propagate by inserting their young into beings of other species, which then are devoured from the inside by the nascent broo. While all right-thinking sentients exterminate broo wherever they are found, the broo propagate quickly and thrive in the Chaos Lands. Roving bands of broo are a familiar threat to anyone who wanders away from civilization. PERSONALITY Broo consider life to be a painful and brutal joke at their expense; they know they were created to be a weapon against the so-called "natural" races, and want to kill as many of them as possible before returning to the formless void of Chaos. The self-centeredness and surliness of most broo make it difficult for them to have a stable government, and any gathering above a small tribe is rare. In raiding parties, there's usually a pecking order based on physical prowess. Broo will, however, cooperate with other chaos creatures in the short term. The broo sense of humor is crude and scatological. Female broo are extremely rare, and the nature of their reproductive cycle ensures most do not live long. QUOTE "Wanna see my spear?" POWERS/TACTICS All broo are inherently immune to disease of any kind. This does not stop them from carrying said diseases, and they often deliberately infect themselves. They also befoul all their weapons and equipment in hopes of infecting wounds and punishing anyone foolish enough to dig through their belongings. Most broo have some sort of horns, and a head butt is a favorite tactic against unarmed foes. Broo prefer to attack smaller or weaker looking groups, and understand the concept of support magic. Beyond that, they're not normally given to clever tactics. Note that I have not statted out the reproductive system. This should never actually happen in play, though the threat of it might. CAMPAIGN USE In general, broo are the "enemy race." They're the one thing Praxian nomads, Heortling steadholders, mechanistic Dwarfs, elitist Sorcerors, leafy Elves and omnivorous Trolls all will put aside their differences to wipe out. They also work as metaphors for disease and rape. Ramping up a broo's threat level is easy and done in numerous ways. Fighting Skills: Longer-lived broo learn combat techniques quickly, by the simple expedient of trying them in combat. If they find an interesting but exotic weapon, they'll learn how to use it. Equipment: Most broo do not have the patience to learn advanced manufacturing techniques, and thus carry only the crudest weapons and armor. But successful broo can scavenge better equipment from fallen foes, so it's not unusal to see a good piece of equipment, especially on the leader. Any magic items they find that can be used in combat, they will. Truly powerful broo might even have custom-made equipment. Disease: As noted above, many broo deliberately make themselves carriers of nasty diseases. Magic: Broo tend towards animistic (Shamanic) or deistic (God-worship) magics. Most don't have the patience or literacy for the more scholarly styles of magic. They are especially fond of disease spirits. Broo shamans and priests tend also to be pretty good warriors, as they had to stay alive long enough to find out they were good at magic. Chaos Features: Living too close to Chaos means that you take on some of its nature. This can manifest either positively (Feature) or negatively (Flaw). A Feature can be anything from slightly higher stats, through Talents, to full-blown Powers. Usually, this gives the broo a Distinctive Feature related to the power. (for example, a high INT might result in a grotesquely swollen head.) Chaos Flaws, conversely, are usually Disadvantages, and also give Distinctive Features. The broo have a ritual for adding more Chaos to an individual, but the effects are somewhat random and therefore dangerous.

Re: A question for Comics fans There's the Hal Jordan thing from Rebirth. If Marz had given him a more heroic death, would old timers have liked Kyle more rather than lobbying for his return for how many years? They might still have been irked by the seemingly random pick of the kid, but yes, I think the stink of how Hal was pushed out of the job unfairly tainted the reception of Kyle for years. The way the writers tried to metatext Kyle as a great Green Lantern didn't help either. Much like the extremely dubious method of killing off Ronnie Raymond hasn't helped the new Firestorm endear himself to fans.

Re: A different kind of super mage So, for more useful thoughts, a lot of the character's personality will depend on how much mental dichotomy there is between the super and normal identities and just how this came about. For example, on the mental dichotomy.... No Change: The personality of Sun Maid (placeholder name) doesn't change at all in the transformation. The female form is effectively just a flesh costume. Sun Maid uses masculine speech patterns (much more noticeable in Japanese), acts macho, and ogles women. Mind Male, Brain Female: Much the same as above, since Sun Maid retains all her male memories and personality traits, but the physical wiring of her brain has changed to a "female" setting. The effects are subtle (depending on which studies about brain differences you believe) but this can have the fun effect of Sun Maid being mentally attracted to women while physically attracted to men. Partial Change: Sun Maid is still mostly the same person inside, but his more overtly male behaviors and emotions have been switched out for female ones. She acts much more naturally feminine, but is still probably a tomboy by Japanese standards. The Secret ID gets much easier to maintain, since Sun Maid is now much less likely to make gender role slips. Massive Change: Sun Maid is almost entirely a different person than her normal identity. She retains his memories, but reacts to them as though she had always been female. Both forms may now fear turning into the other and "losing myself." Complete Change: Sun Maid and the teenage boy are entirely separate personalities, sharing only a body. The transformation now becomes essentially an "Accidental Change" as neither is likely to voluntarily become the other. (This can also be done as "the voice in my head" option; the second personality is aware and can talk to the "driver" but is otherwise unable to affect anything.) And the How Sun Maid Got This Way options: Accident: Teenaged boy just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and ZAP. This version may have no "tech support" whatsoever and have to learn her powers by trial and error. In "Pastel Angel", Pastel Angel Pink's archenemy was going to be the girl who was *supposed* to get the powers. Chosen (non-inheritance): The being that gives out these powers decided that teenaged boy is the only person worthy of wielding the power of Sun Maid. Generally this option comes with a great destiny that Sun Maid must fulfill at any cost. Does come with either a wise mentor or a helpful sidekick who can explain needed details. Inheritance (non-genetic): The teenaged boy is descended from a long line of female supermages, and has broken the line by being born male. Good thing Mom or Grandma had that handy gender-changing trinket handy for just such an occasion. Now, if they'd only shut up about Sun Maid needing to ensure the succession.... Genetic: "Well, son, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. All the men in our family have the ability to turn into hot women with magical powers. I myself was Princess Pyro back in the day." "No offense, Dad, but eww." This is a good one to use the Mind Male, Brain Female option on. Side-Effect: The teenaged boy wanted to become a supermage, and trained to get the chance--it's just that in order to use the magic, he has to be female first. Your option whether he knew about that catch in advance.

Re: A different kind of super mage Yep, it's been done various places. I have around someplace the first two chapters of "Pastel Angel" which does that. For a more long-form version, seek out Shining Generation Valkyrie Yuuki (webcomic) though in that case, the gender switch is effectively permanent for both identities.

Re: A question for Comics fans Actually, Green Arrow voted *against* the Dr. Light mindwipe. He was outnumbered, but once the group decision was made, he was bound to keep the secret. Note how quick he was to put the worst possible spin on the memory alteration the moment it came up. This is an important thing to remember about ID Crisis--Dr. Light's brainwashing wasn't the top of the slippery slope, it was the bottom.

Re: Your Character's Room at the Base Rock Bottom: Extra-sturdy bed with a firm mattress and other furnishings to match. College textbooks, some Johns Hopkins banners and posters. His brothers have smuggled him pictures of his family in happier times. Calculus: Bare mattress, no decorations, nothing to indicate his personality or background at all. Mask of Justice: All the superhero mementos it would be too dangerous to keep at his apartment, spare outfits, and several different masks. One wall is all newspaper clippings, changing frequently; they aren't about the Mask, but a way for him to keep track of crime trends in the city. Kira Midori: A fairly spartan room, as she has her own apartment. Blue and silver are the dominant colors. Has her own police scanner, and various electronic gadgets are tucked away. Pictures of people she is friends with adorn the wall nearest the door. Talion: The lock has been jimmied so often by She-Cat that it no longer works at all. When Talion really needs privacy, he props furniture against the door and hopes for the best. Said furniture is in poor shape, and mismatched; and has only gotten worse since Talion picked it up from Goodwill. The walls are covered in cheap posters to hide the burn marks, blood stains and other hazard-induced damage. Two large dressers hold spare clothing. Talion often has a TV or boom box playing when he's in, but they tend to get trashed on a regular basis.

Re: Your Character: The Action Figure Rock Bottom: Manufactured by a vendor with an official contract with the City of Baltimore. Bulkier-looking than Rock actually is, to make him look more brickish. Costume is painted on, and it comes with a "boulder." Calculus: Unofficial, probably a bottom feeder fly-by-night operation taking advantage of Calculus' low profile. Very low-grade, wrong colors, with a "space armor" attachment. Mask of Justice: Nostalgia line by the campaign equivalent of Todd McFarlane. Loving detail, complete with gas gun and removable fedora. Way too expensive for actual kids to play with. Kira Midori: Officially licensed toy. Comes in several packs: Cop Kira, Casual Kira and Beach Kira (she's not at all happy about that one.) Mattel is really hoping she gets a steady boyfriend soon, because Wedding Dress Kira should be especially lucrative. Talion: After the factory making the prototype burned down, half-melted dolls circulate on the grey market. It's considered a very good likeness.

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams An Italian team based on the Commedia Dell'Arte? Harlequin (male character), Columbine (his female counterpart), Scaramouche, Il Dottore, the Lovers, etc.

Re: "TaleSpin" as a pulp setting The heck?

Re: "TaleSpin" as a pulp settingDon KarnagePlayer: Disney Val Char Cost 12 STR 2 14 DEX 12 12 CON 4 10 BODY 0 11 INT 1 12 EGO 4 13 PRE 3 10 COM 0 4 PD 2 4 ED 2 3 SPD 6 4 REC 0 25 END 1 25 STUN 3 7" RUN23" SWIM12" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 43Cost Skill 3 Breakfall 12- 3 Climbing 12- 5 Combat Piloting 13- 3 Interrogation 12- 2 AK: South Seas 11- 3 AK: Pirate Island Locale 12- 2 KS: Aircraft 11- 2 KS: Karnage Family History 11- 0 Language: Spanish (idiomatic) (4 Active Points) 3 Language: French (completely fluent) 3 Language: English (completely fluent) 4 Navigation (Air) 12- 3 Oratory 12- 4 PS: Air Pirate 13- 3 Stealth 12- 2 Survival (Marine Surface, Tropical Coasts/Pelagic Environments) 11- 3 Tactics 11- 3 TF: Combat Aircraft, Large Planes, Small Planes, Small Rowed Boats 5 WF: Emplaced Weapons, Blades, Electron Beam Weapons, Vehicle Weapons Skills Cost: 56Cost Perk 1 Reputation: Fearsome pirate (A small to medium sized group) 8-, +1/+1d6 Perks Cost: 1Cost Talent 8 Combat Shooting 18 Evasive 24 Hotshot Pilot (Star Hero) Talents Cost: 50Val Disadvantages 20 Hunted: Air Police 11- (As Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 15 Psychological Limitation: Vain and Egotistical (Common, Strong) 10 Psychological Limitation: Code of the Pirate (Well, actually more like a set of guidelines) (Common, Moderate) 5 Reputation: Idiot Pirate, 8- 15 Social Limitation: Wanted Criminal (Frequently, Major) 10 Unluck: 2d6 Disadvantage Points: 75Base Points: 75Experience Required: 0Total Experience Available: 0Experience Unspent: 0Total Character Cost: 150 Height: 1.72 m Hair: Brown Weight: 77.00 kg Eyes: Black Appearance: Don Karnage is a wolfish-looking man (or just plain wolf), with brown hair and pronounced canines. He is not as good-looking as he thinks he is. He normally wears a blue captain's coat, with a cutlass hung on the belt.Personality: Don Karnage considers himself a great pirate, a master swordsman, an ace pilot and a man of honor. All of these are disputed by other people. At this point, he is a pirate because it is the only life he's ever known. Pirate Island has a cave full of treasure, but it can't be spent because all the pirates are wanted men. So, Karnage comes up with ever greater plans of piracy to show his skill and increase his reputation. He's fairly vengeful, and not averse to killing to get his way. Quote:"This is a pretty fix you have found yourself in, yes, no?" While Don Karnage's primary language is Spanish, his accent is fluid, reflecting a polyglot youth.Background: As with most of the Tale Spin characters, we don't know much about Karnage's personal history. We do know that he comes from a long line of pirates, highwaymen and raiders, possibly as long as a thousand years. Karnage (his given name is unknown, "Don" being an affected title) had no hesitation about going into the family business, choosing the new and exciting field of air piracy. He's managed to assemble a crew of mostly loyal and reasonably competent pirates to assist him, though his primary stroke of brilliance was locating Pirate Island and turning it into a nearly impenetrable base of operations. Karnage's biggest mistake in recent times was recruiting young Kit Cloudkicker, an orphan with remarkable aeronautical gifts, and rather more moral fiber than he was willing to admit. Subsequent events brought Karnage and his Air Pirates into conflict with the Higher for Hire crew who consistently outfoxed and outflew them. Ever since, Karnage has considered anyone connected with Higher for Hire his personal enemies. Powers/Tactics: Don Karnage is in good, if not spectacular, physical shape, and has been trained in both hand to hand and aerial combat. While Karnage has not problem with using his plane's machine gun, or various emplaced weapons, he disdains firearms in personal combat, relying instead on his trusty cutlass. Don Karnage is a good planner, but consistently overestimates his own skills and luck. He's proven remarkably difficult to capture. (Note that I have not included the points for his followers, base and vehicles, which would pump up his cost considerably.) Campaign Use: Not surprisingly, Don Karnage is meant as a major villain in an aviation-based pulp campaign. He and his Air Pirates make a good long-term foe. He's fairly translatable to a sea pirate or desert bandit with minor alterations. An interesting twist would be to make him an ally of the player characters if a greater threat appears, as for example, war breaking out. If he needs to be more powerful, give him Fencing, a few combat levels, and maybe a point of Speed. To make him less powerful, cut off his access to his Air Pirate followers.

Re: Home-town HERO - wide-spread plot seeds My actual hometown, Sandstone, has a federal prison. And a disused sandstone quarry (not abandoned, turned into parks.) Minneapolis, where I live now, has the Mall of America, the Cherry Spoonbridge, a federal reserve bank and an Aquatennial. St. Paul, of course, has the Winter Carnival.

Re: Sample Oddity From Gestalt-Earth For another example of an evil Food Gestalt: Taoist Gogyo from the manga Iron Wok Jan. His meanest trick is the meal that makes you unable to stop eating, no matter what is placed in front of you afterwards....

Re: Thought Experiment 1: Azumanga Champions Kaorin: Shapeshifting, which she uses to appear male in Kimura-sensei's class (take that, you perv) and as cute animals near Sakaki.

Re: Alternate Marverlverses I like the version of the Defenders in that world, with Dr. Strange and the Sub-Mariner having UST (unresolved sexual tension) because Doc won't let go of an unrequited crush on Thor. Meanwhile, Son of Satan has become the apex of a love triangle with the other two points being Hellcat and the herald of Galactus. Great stuff.

Re: Power Rangers Thanks! Rep (short for Reputation) is a way we give each other egoboo on the board. You get a certain amount of Rep power just by being on the boards for a certain amount of time, and by making gaming-related posts, but the fastest way is to convince other people to give you Rep. As for how it's done, you'll see a little "scales" icon to the upper right of each post. Click on that, and you'll be offered the chance to approve of the post, and leave a short comment. If you click on the scale for one of your own posts, it will tell you if anyone's Repped it, and your total Reputation. (For detailed info on your Reputation, go to your User Control Panel.) To avoid Rep inflation, you must Rep at least twenty other people before Repping the same person again, and you can only Rep five people a day. Use your powers wisely, and they will increase.

Re: How would you "Gath" Earth? The Upper Midwest then becomes the Cold Lands full of Scandanavian/Germanic/Saxon types (ala the Heortlings of Glorantha) who live in a tenuous peace/raiding relationship with the nomadic horse peoples of the Plains. Not so much Vikings though, except on the Great Lakes.

Re: Power Rangers And just for the heck of it, Good Guy Types in Sentai The Main Team : Traditionally, a sentai team has five main members, though three-member teams are not uncommon, and Westernized teams may have four members. More may be added later (the Sailor Moon series went up to nine at the end) and sometimes a member will die, temporarily reducing the team's numbers. They will have similar uniforms, usually color-coded, and their basic powers will be the same. They will generally have the same origin, and always the same origin type. Teamwork skill is a must-have. Individual powers generally follow some sort of theme, such as Birds, Movie Genres, or Elements. Here's some typical stereotypes to mix and match. Stalwart Leader : Your basic square-jawed, serious leader-type fellow. Usually has a decent PRE, Tactics, and good hand-to-hand skills. His character flaws tend to be in the "takes his job/responsibilities too seriously" category. Always has a romantic subplot, even if he doesn't want one. Female Lead : Also known as "the token girl" in the older series. Has a decent or high COM, good DEX, and her individual powers are often support based. Usually has common sense. While she will not stand for any nonsense about women being unfit for combat, the Female Lead is proud of her femininity and often acts maternally towards her teammates or younger supporting cast. Always has a romantic subplot. Hothead : aka "the Rebel." This character is the counterpart to the Stalwart Leader's seriousness. He has Disadvantages like "Rash" and "Quick-tempered." He's the one who openly challenges the Leader's or Mentor's orders, and often goes out on his own (invariably getting in trouble.) His powers tend to be aggressively-oriented, and he rides a motorcycle. May have a romantic subplot. Smart One : Usually a bit wimpier than the other team members, high INT, Computer Programming and Inventor. Often wears glasses in his Secret ID. Another likely candidate for the group's common sense. Note that in the genre, the Smart One will never "break genre" by coming up with a plan that would end the series early that works. If he comes up with such a logical plan, it *will* fail. May have a romantic subplot. Big Guy : Bigger and stronger than the other team members, and usually thicker through the middle as well. The Big Guy tends to be the backbone of the team, making sure they can stick it out until the Stalwart Leader figures out a plan. The Big Guy tends to be an optimist, and gentle at heart. He's also usually good with kids and small animals. Seldom has a romantic subplot. Moody Loner : The fellow who tends to wear black, not talk much, and shows up late at fights. Often musically gifted, may ride a motorcycle, and has either a Tragic Past or a Dark Secret . Always has a romantic subplot with the one woman who can truly understand him . While a great favorite of female fans, he's usually a pretty sucky character type to interact with in game. Ingenue : If there are two women on the team, this is the second one. She's a bit younger than the Female Lead, and usually has adjectives like "cute", "chipper" and "perky" attached to her. She's often saddled with Naive as well. She is sometimes pretty useless in combat at the beginning of the series (unlike the Female Lead) and has to train hard to catch up. Will have a romantic subplot, but a less "serious" one. The Ingenue without powers is often a DNPC of one of the team members. Playboy : This fellow likes the ladies. He'll have a decent COM (but not an overwhelming PRE), Seduction, and Lechery or Sucker for a Pretty Face. Many Playboys also have some level of the Wealth Perk. Playboys like flying vehicles. His main function in romantic subplots is to be the loser of a triangle, though sometimes he'll get a consolation relationship. "Reformed" Criminal : This character was a crook before signing up with the team; he may have gotten his powers due to random selection, or because he took out the person who was supposed to have gotten them. He tends to be rough around the edges, have skills like "Streetwise" and "Sleight of Hand", and is less scrupulous than the rest of the team. This character type is often mistrusted by the Stalwart Leader, and in some cases hasn't entirely given up his criminal ways. May have a romantic subplot, but is unlikely to be the winner in it. Kid : The Kid is visibly younger and smaller than the other team members, and usually has a very high DEX, but wimpy STR. While he's fully capable of handling himself in combat, he's still socially and emotionally immature, and prone to poor judgement. He is prone to tantrums and sulking when his teammates treat him "like a child." May have a romantic subplot, but only on a "puppy love" level. The Kid without powers is a common DNPC for sentai characters. Number Six : This character starts out as a rival or enemy to the sentai team, though it's obvious from the start that he got his powers in the same way/place as the heroes. Initially, he's more powerful than the team members (and may have his own giant robot), but is either toned down when he becomes a member of the team or the others are upgraded to match him. Number Six is often a Moody Loner or a Hothead, unwilling to work with the heroes until they prove their trustworthiness. Will often have a romantic subplot. Ally : This character is just as powerful as the player characters, but has different powers and/or equipment, and will never join the team. He may work for another government or branch of the military, or even technically be a criminal. But he has no objection to teaming up with the player characters when the need is obvious. Some allies are mysterious figures who will eventually turn out to have a secret connection to one of the sentai team members. Sometimes have romantic subplots, though the mystery angle makes this difficult. Mentor : This character is older than the player characters, and advises them. He may be the one who gave them the powers or created the technology, or just their superior officer. Some mentors are wise and caring, while others are cold and domineering, though all truly care about the team and its members. The mentor may have powers of his own, but has the Age Disadvantage or other reasons for not joining the fight on a regular basis. Almost never has a romantic subplot, but the "terminal illness" subplot is appropriate. Support Staff : The characters that perform all the chores that enable the player characters to go out and fight the enemy without having to spend a lot of downtime on maintenance and monitor duty. This can be anywhere from a single servant (often a robot) to a full-fledged set of bridge bunnies and mechanics. They're usually near-useless in combat but have useful non-combat skills. Sometimes have romantic subplots, though just as often it's comic relief.

Re: Power Rangers Villain Types for the Sentai Genre Cannon Fodder : The ground troops of the enemy forces. They tend to be faceless and nearly identical. (Indeed, in many cases, they are literally faceless and identical.) They may be artificially created, or recruited from the villain's home world/dimension, but the bad guys never run out of them. Cannon fodder types are fanatically loyal to the enemy cause, and are of low intelligence; they are almost always just used as a way to distract or tire the heroes before the villains spring their real plan. They should be built on many points less than the player characters, and appear in great numbers. Cannon fodder should only do serious damage to a PC rarely and when it advances the plot. Typical quote: "Get them!" Monster of the Week : The focus of many sentai episodes. This does not literally have to be a monster, but that's the way it usually turns out. This is a one-shot creature or weapon that the enemy hopes will finally achieve their goal of (world domination/destroying the universe/winning the heart of Paris Hilton/getting rid of the pesky heroes) once and for all. Most MotWs are fanatically devoted to the enemy cause, or are nonintelligent. Friendly or tragic MotWs should be a once-off as a change of pace. A Monster of the Week should be built to be a challenge to the entire PC team and/or their giant robot. It's often handy to have a theme for the enemy monsters (Household Appliances/Endangered Species/Things that Annoy the GM) and base each monster's specific powers on something from that theme. Typical quote: "Raahhr!" Traitor : This is a character who supposedly is on the heroes' side, but turns on them at an inopportune moment. Their motivations vary, and the character should be given a Disadvantage to represent the reason for the betrayal. (Greed, Feels Unappreciated, DNPC: Child who's been kidnapped by the baddies, etc.) Usually, this character is not a combat-ready one, though his knowledge of the heroes' secrets and weaknesses makes him dangerous. Those with base motivations tend to meet a sticky end; the enemy has no intention of keeping its promises, and needs someone to turn into a Monster of the Week anyway. A Traitor plotline may stretch over several adventures, but the GM should only use it once per sentai campaign. Typical quote: "So I was 'useless,' eh, Attitude Ranger? Now who's laughing? Hahaha!" Mad Scientist : A relatively rare type (usually combined with one of the Lieutenants instead), the Mad Scientist builds and maintains the enemy technology/magic/majitek. When he's around, he's usually the one who comes up with the Monster of the Week that the Boss will then build a plan around. Player characters rarely interact with the Mad Scientist unless they've been captured, in which case one or more of them will wind up in his lab for painful/blasphemous experiments. This usually happens to either the Stalwart Leader (for interrogation purposes) or the Female Lead (because the Mad Scientist didn't get to date much in college.)The Mad Scientist will have a high INT (maybe EGO) and a whole bunch of science-related skills at high levels, but is invariably physically frail and no match for an unrestrained player character at fisticuffs. Typical quote: "Behold my latest creation!" Lieutenant : As mentioned upthread, there are usually four of these fellows, who oversee various plots for the Boss. They should be tough enough to take on two or more player characters at the same time, and should be provided with some method of escaping capture easily. They vary more than any other level of sentai villain; I'm providing some stereotypes frequently seen that you can mix and match. The Brute : This fellow is bigger and stronger than the other lieutenants, and will have brick-style powers appropriate to the campaign flavor. He's not very bright, and his plans are straightforward. Brutes tend to be very macho, and often disdain the Female and the Androgyne. Some Brutes will be "Big Softies" who secretly love puppies and babies. Usually dies in direct combat with the heroes. Typical quote: "Stand still so I can smash you!" The Military Nut : This lieutenant takes the whole "evil army" thing seriously. He usually has a military title attached to his name, uses a lot of spit and polish, and a costume styled after a historical army. (All too often these guys go for the Nazi imagery. Idiots.) His plots tend to be meticulously planned, and his cannon fodder are better trained than usual. He's the most likely to make use of actual military weaponry as well, such as carrying a gun. The Military Nut tends to be anal-retentive, and hates it when his fellow Lieutenants make fun of him. Usually dies in a big explosion. Typical quote: "Blue Army is in position! Launch the counterstrike!" The Usurper : This fellow is primarily interested in career advancement. Of course, in the enemy organization, there's only one position above him. His plans generally involve being sneaky, and making sure his personal safety isn't in danger. His powers will often emphasize stealth or "unfair" attacks. He and the Noble hate each other's guts. Eventually, the Usurper will make an attempt on the Boss, and either be squashed like a bug, or succeed and become the Boss himself as a mid-season twist. Typical quote: "Of course, my lord. I would never dream of disobeying your orders." The Noble : This fellow would probably be a good guy, if it weren't for his personal loyalty to either the Boss or to the enemy organization. He usually has high PRE, decent COM, strong hand-to-hand combat skills (sword, most likely) and a Code of Honor. He's invariably a snappy dresser, and capes go well with this character type. He hates the Usurper and other "dishonorable" types. Either switches sides towards the end when his Code of Honor tells him it's appropriate, or is bushwhacked by a fellow Lieutenant who thinks he's about to turn. Typical quote: "I could kill you now, and have done with it. But I cannot strike a helpless foe. Come, pick up your weapon and we shall begin again." The Female : Usually seen as mere eyecandy by her male counterparts, and deeply resentful of it. It doesn't help that the Female will have a high COM (even if obviously non-human) and usually dress in a sexualized costume. A Female will usually have more common sense than the other Lieutenants, and should have about the same power level. Her plans will generally be well thought-out and show an understanding of psychology. Some but not all Females will fall in love with a male Player Character; the others will be in love with a fellow Lieutenant or the Boss. The Female will die protecting her beloved. (If the beloved is a good guy, there's a chance that she will survive her ordeal, but she's still not going to be much help.) Typical quote: "Ah, but these petunias happen to be...carnivorous. Ohohohoho!" The Psycho : This character became a villain because he likes to kill people, or at least hurt them a lot. His most distinguishing feature is the "Casual Killer" Psych Lim, though the insane look in his eyes comes a close second. His plans will involve the maximum of death and destruction, even on what are supposed to be stealth missions. He is roundly despised by all his fellow lieutenants for obvious reasons. He will usually be equipped with bladed weapons, the scarier they look the better. The Psycho usually dies very, very quickly due to his complete lack of self-preservation instinct. Typical quote: "I wonder what your internal organs look like. Let's find out." The Androgyne : AKA the "bishie." He has a high COM, and can pass for either male or female, usually dressing so as to heighten the confusion. This creeps out the Brute, and the Androgyne despises the Brute's excessive masculinity. Often a master of disguise, the Androgyne's plans will involve throwing the player characters off balance and events that are not what they appear. The Androgyne may or may not be gay. He has no special death pattern. Typical quote: "Well, it seems I've given it away." *rips off disguise, revealing costume that could not possibly have fit underneath* "Get them!" The Sidekick : An exception to the usual rule about Lieutenants not cooperating, the Sidekick is personally loyal to or in love with one of the other Lieutenants, and supports him both in battle and in arguments with the other Lieutenants. He can have any power set. May die protecting the person he's attached to. If the heroes kill him, this will trigger a Hunted (more so) by the surviving partner. Typical quote: "I think we should do what Venal-sama suggested. It's a good idea." The Brainwashed Hero : Often a midseason twist; one of the heroes is captured and mind-controlled into working for the enemy. Up his major attacks by 10-20 AP; turning evil always boosts your power. But the Brainwashed Hero is vulnerable to things that remind him of his true history/nature. (Reacting as if Stunned, provided it works just right.) This twist works especially well if for some reason the character's player can't make it to game sessions for a while/anymore. Usually returns to his senses by the end. Typical quote: "I do not know this Attitude Ranger. I am Lord Attitude." Boss : The enemy leader. Could look like just about anything, but rules his Lieutenants by force and fear. Sometimes the true identity/nature of the Boss is a late season twist. The Boss should be able to take on the entire player character team (and their giant robot if any) single-handedly, but far more intelligently than the Monster of the Week. May have a "true form" that's even more powerful. The boss dies either in the last episode or the next to last. In the latter case, it's so the Final Boss can come out. Typical quote: "Now you face true power!" Final Boss : The Boss' boss. It's best if the GM has hinted to the players that this person exists, because otherwise they're going to feel a little annoyed that beating the Boss didn't solve things. The Final Boss is even more powerful than the Boss, capable of taking on the entire team, their giant robots, their allies, and any surviving Lieutenants who've realized just what they were actually serving. Only the power of love and friendship can save you now! Typical quote: "No! This cannot be!"

Re: Power Rangers I wrote up a list of villain types appropriate for Sentai genre games a while back. If you folks are interested, I can dig it up.

Re: Power Rangers

Re: Power Rangers Not the Power Rangers per se, but if you can find the Allies sourcebook for Fourth Edition, Zen Team is my homage to the sentai genre.

Re: "TaleSpin" as a pulp setting Tips on playing anthropomorphic animals can be found in the Furry HERO thread down in the "other genres" section. For those who didn't already know, Shere Khan is a tiger. Baloo Baloo is a tall bear of a man (or an actual bear), and was probably quite imposing in his youth. Prematurely grey hair and a heavy paunch make him look older than he is. Baloo habitually wears a red pilot's cap and sloppy yellow shirt. Relatively little is known about Baloo's personal life, including whether Baloo is his first name, family name or a nickname. Nor do we know if he has any living relatives. It's quite likely that he got his first flight training during the Great War, like most pilots of his generation, but unlike many others, he never talks about that time. He's quite free with stories of his adventures as an independent freight pilot, which he's been for quite some time. At some point, Baloo made Cape Suzette his home, and acquired the Sea Duck, a small amphibious cargo plane. He's had numerous upgrades made to the Duck, including at one point an experimental turbocharger for short bursts of speed. However, Baloo's indolence caused him to run out of money, and the Sea Duck was purchased by Rebecca Cunningham, who used it to create Higher for Hire, an independent shipping concern. Baloo works for Ms. Cunningham in hopes of buying back the Duck, but never quite seems to scrape together enough money. Baloo is proud of his abilities as a pilot, and usually has the skills to back up that pride. However, he's also lazy and gluttonous, a combination that has made him loath to actually work for a living, and spend most of his money as soon as he gets it. He's often involved in treasure hunts, gambling (but only if it's "a sure thing") and get-rich-quick schemes. While Baloo has no objection to a good bar brawl and can handle himself in a fight, he does not consider himself a man of violence and does not carry guns. (Nor has he armed the Sea Duck.) Baloo is a sucker for a pretty face, but has no interest in being tied down to a woman; he is sometimes condescending towards the "fairer sex." (Some would claim his frequent bickering with Rebecca hides a deeper relationship. He'd laugh at those people.) Baloo's close friends include navigator Kit Cloudkicker, mechanic Wildcat, and bar owner Louie. He's also fond of Rebecca's daughter Molly. The most obvious use of Baloo in a pulp campaign is as a colorful pilot; the Sea Duck can carry passengers, if they don't mind sharing the cargo hold with whatever bizarre freight Ms. Cunningham has managed to scrape up for the trip. As noted above, he'd be glad to help out in a treasure hunt in exchange for a share of the prize. If one of the player characters is a pilot, Baloo can be a good-natured rival.

Re: Characters for Hero High Name: Emerald "Emmy" Schmidt Sex: Female Race: Caucasian Ethnic Group: Mixed European, some German ancestry, 1/32nd Lakota. Height/Weight: 5'4"/buxom Eye Color: Blue (sometimes wears green contacts) Hair Color/Style: Naturally light brown, dyed auburn, curly, shoulder length. Distinguishing Feature: top-heavy for her age General Appearance: Attractive and calling attention to it. Wears "slutty" clothing as modeled by her favorite pop singers, too much makeup, lots of junk jewelry. Grade: 9th School Social Grouping: Cheerleader School Club: Cheerleading squad, choir Significant Skill/Ability/Talent: Smart shopper. Knows how to find a bargain, how to drive a hard deal, and what's a good value for money. Personality: Outgoing, friendly (especially to boys), but self-centered and spoiled. Positive Trait: Doesn't slack off in her studies, no matter how much partying she does. Negative Trait: Mistakes sex for love. Quirks: Isn't really into any music created before the 1990s. Any Fears/Manias/Mental Problems?: Irrational hatred of a female player character. Religion: Mainline Protestant by upbringing, doesn't actually believe in any of it. Any Strong Opinion on Todays issues?: In favor of Women's Rights. Does NPC Drink? and if so, what/how often: Yes. Whatever is served at parties, but tries not to get too drunk. Does NPC take drugs? and if so what/how often: "Ew, smoking is gross." Has sometimes taken uppers on Monday mornings. Basic Family Structure: Both parents alive and still married to each other. Any siblings? and if so how many?: Four older brothers, two older sisters. Short Background: Emerald is the youngest child of her family, born five years after her next-oldest sibling. Her birth coincided with an upturn in prosperity for the family, as her father got promoted at his office job. Thus she got many of the luxuries her older siblings had missed out on (though the family still had strict budgets, something she's learned to do herself.) Despite her material well-being, Emerald often felt starved for attention, as her parents often were distracted by her big brothers and sisters' problems. Emmy was an "early bloomer", and quickly learned to love the attention it got her from boys. She was one of the first girls in her class to "go all the way." She hasn't actually learned any seduction skills, as most teenage boys don't need much seducing. However, her reputation as "easy" is beginning to give some boys pause. Recently, Emerald developed a hatred of (female player character) for an imagined slight. So far it's just been verbal harrassment, but Emmy might up the stakes if provoked.