Houston GM

Re: Magic field names If you want them to sound impressive, don't "mancy" them. Call it Blood Magic. Call it Death Magic. Call it Fire Magic. Call it Phlebotomancy or Sanguinomancy when you're trying to tell the city watch that your not practicing forbidden arts. Really, you aren't.

Re: Magic field names Here are some possible fields (in addition to the ones you suggested)... Anthromancy: Men's magics. Cerebromancy: Mind magics. Chromamancy: Magic based on the spiritual affiliations of colors. Chronomancy: Time magics. Dracomancy: Dragon magics. Geomancy: Earth magics, or magic based on the spiritual affiliations of gems & precious stones. Gynomancy: Women's magics. Hedomancy: Pleasure-based magics. Heliomancy: Sun magics. Hydromancy: Water magics. Lunamancy: Moon magics. Phlebotomancy: Blood magics. Photomancy: Light-based magics. Technomancy: Technology-based magics. Zoomancy: Beast magics. Some of these magics could be broken down into subtypes. A red chromamancer and a yellow chromamancer would have drastically different powers. The same situation would apply to a jade geomancer & diamond geomancer, or a stag zoomancer & tiger zoomancer.

Scripting the ogres. Regarding the ogres... They did scout the path, and they did detect the ogres. 1) A hawk told the beast mage that there were "a few people" ahead. 2) They saw the smoke from the ogres' fire. 3) The snuck up (undetected) and got a glimpse of the ogres. They didn't think about silencing the mule. Even if they had, it would have been difficult to succeed. (This mule has a PsychLim: uncooperative, strong, very common.) Even if they did keep the mule from braying, it's still too obvious & noisy to sneak past a group of ogres in a narrow mountain pass. And the ogres didn't quite find them. They heard the mule and realized that someone was back there. The players decided to introduce themselves before the ogres wandered back to find out who was around. Actions defined beforehand: The mule would make noise at the least convenient moment. The ogres wouldn't attack people unless they were provoked. Only one of the ogres could speak the same language as the PCs. The ogres would answer questions (and ask a few). The ogres would let the players have things that the ogres didn't want. One of the ogres would mimic the beast-mage's spellcasting. The other ogres would find this very funny. The ogres would ask the players to help hunt for food. The ogres would keep watch at night. Everything else was based on what the players did. The players could have avoided the encounter, but it was highly unlikely based on the information that they had when the encounter started.

Scripting encounters This is a matter of differing definitions, but I would claim that most of this planning is scripted. Sword-dancer, re-read the encounter with "The 'Friendly' Ogres" again. That whole encounter was heavily scripted. The group encounterd the ogres in a narrow mountain pass, where they couldn't easily go around. They snuck up on the ogres, but the mule was noisy. They could have attacked the ogres, but it was obvious that the ogres were much tougher than them. By looking at the ogres' equipment, the elven mercenary could tell that the ogres were mercenaries (and unlikely to make unprovoked attacks). Did the ogre slang seem clever? It was scripted in advance. I thought up 20 lines of potential dialogue and ended up using about 12 of those lines. I've GMed for this group for 3 years. They're smart, but I can usually make some educated guesses about what they'll do. Did the encounter go exactly as I planned? Of course not. The players said and did some things that I didn't predict, but I am comfortable with winging it. Their actions did have some minor consequences, but it was easy to adapt them into the larger plot. The encounter seemed spontaneous because I scripted it. I can't make up a dozen lines of appropriate ogre slang on the spur of the moment. If the group had met humans, I would have made fewer preparations (since being human is easier for me to roleplay).

Re: Things I'd like to see more of in fantasy gaming Reading this as GM is great. You get to see all the different things players might want to see in a campaign. Posting ideas seems a little strange. If I want to see something in a Fantasy Campaign, it's already there. Here were some of the big ones that I wanted to incorporate into my campaign world when I set up the original design: I wanted a world without adventurers. Only in D&D worlds do you constantly stumble across people whose sole profession is "adventurer". Most fantasy novels revolve around ordinary (or extraordinary) individuals who get caught up in adventures. I wanted antagonists that the PCs could defeat using their own abilities. I played in one campaign that relied too heavily on "MacGuffins". We couldn't defeat any main antagonist (or even their chief minions) using our own abilities. We had to first find the sword, amulet, staff, box, gem, or widget that was made to defeat them. Once in possession of this item, any country bumpkin could defeat the terrifying enemy. I don't want players to feel like spectators at the climax of the adventure. Ideally, they will be frantically using their swords, spells, and wits to defeat the enemy. I wanted a world where normal people are important. You don't talk to Master Butterbur because he's really an exiled prince disguised as an innkeeper. You talk to Master Butterbur because he's really an innkeeper, he can get you a room, and he hears news & rumors from distant lands. I like that one. In addition, Evil isn't omniscient. The Skaven may be smart and know many arcane secrets, but all humans look alike to them, so they end up retaliating against an innocent village (or a bandit camp) after you attack. Treachery gets overused. Once they players start wondering which NPC will betray them (since one of them always does), the plot device is useless. The longer you go without using treachery, the more surprised the players will be when it finally happens to them. Beautiful. I think you've just summed up the biggest problems with the genre.

I ran this encounter during our last game. The setting is based on the Warhammer world. Some of you might find it fun to use in your campaigns. The PCs were trying to avoid human contact by traveling through a little-known mountain pass that was mainly used by smugglers. As they traveled up the pass, they encountered a group of ogre mercenaries who were having lunch. I had previously informed one of the characters (an elven mercenary) that ogre mercenaries usually won't attack unless they're paid to ... or they're hungry. The ogres were about as "friendly" (non-hostile) as any ogres get. The group of ogres was large enough to trounce the PCs in the case of an attack. The ogres noticed the PCs when their mule brayed and gave away their presence. The ogre language revolves heavily around eating. I've provided translations of ogre slang from exerpts of the conversation that followed. Grif, the ogre: (after hearing the mule) "Oy, slim! How's yer been fixed for food?" (Translation: "Hello, non-ogre. What's happening?") Eldanth, the elven mercenary: "The hunting was good back in the hills. We're well provisioned for travel." Grif: (pointing around the circle at his companions) "Grok, Grat, Grug, Grel, Grif. Wot's yer called." Eldanth: (using one of his aliases) "I'm Findolan, and this is Radka." (Lindiil was out of sight talking to the mule.) Grif: (pointing at them) "Cleaver, food-finder." (Translation: "A swordsman and a scout.") Radka, the entertainer: (whispering to Eldanth) "I guess I'd rather be a food-finder than an entertainer to a group of ogres." Eldanth: "Where are you headed?" Grif: "Heading to Mad Dog. See if anyone pay us for dinner." (Translation: We're on our way to Mad Dog Pass. Hopefully someone will pick up our contract there.") Eldanth: "There's always lots of work there." Grif: "We'll be eating greens for weeks." (Translation: "Yes, we expect heavy fighting against the goblin hordes.") Grif: (pointing to a pile of stuff) "Got some shells, if you want." (Translation: "We acquired some armor that didn't fit us. We were just going to throw them away, so you're welcome to them.") Eldanth: (after digging through the gear and discovering some dwarf-mail that wouldn't fit them either) "I guess 'shells' are armor." Radka: "I see dwarf gear, but no bodies. If they offer me anything to eat, I'm going to decline." Grif: (seeing Lindiil and the mule coming up to the camp) "Oy, slim!" (Translation: "Hello, non-ogre.") Lindiil, the beast mage: "Um ... hello?" Eldanth: (pointing at Lindiil) "He's with us." (whispered) "I think he calls everyone Slim." Lindiil: "What are you eating?" Grif: "Some stunties came for lunch." (Translation: "A group of dwarves attacked us. Their arrival fortuitously coincided with our mid-day meal.") The encounter continued for most of a day as the ogres traveled alongside the party. The PCs finally found an excuse to slip away. Then they made a forced march down the rest of the pass in order to stay ahead of the ogres. I found this encounter quite fun to run since the players were struggling to understand what the ogre slang meant. Grif spoke the local human language, but you can see how his vocabulary usage differed greatly.

The power of kings & emperors Sword-dancer, I hope your GM is reading this. Who cares? The emperor takes her to court in front of the Sisterhood or the Pantheon. Is the leader of the Sisterhood willing to risk the Emperor's wrath just to protect a prideful priestess? Even if she is, the Emperor will just appeal to the Pantheon court. What percentage of the Pantheonic court does the Emperor need to get his way? Half? Two thirds? How many of the church leaders would be willing to condemn your Amazon priestess to death (even if she was innocent) just to curry favor with the Emperor? He's the Emperor. The deck is stacked in his favor. He will find a court that is authorized to judge you. The presiding priest will from a church that is a traditional rival (or enemy) of the Amazon Sisterhood. The presiding priest will be a personal enemy of your Amazon priestess, one with a long-standing grudge. Rumors will start spreading around the Empire about all the dirty tricks your priestess is attempting, and how the upstanding Pantheonic court is foiling them all. (Who cares if it's patently false? The population is going to believe in the Emperor.) Emperors aren't considered fighting persons. Amazon priestesses are. This ploy would backfire immediately. The population won't understand the social intricacies that allow priestesses to avoid duels. They're just going to hear how an Amazon priestess was too cowardly to answer a duel, and they'll believe the rumors. And no Emperor will care about that. Emperors don't care that a law is "practically not changeable". By definition, that means that only the Emperor can change it ... at his whim. Is your Amazon priestess the leader of the Amazon Sisterhood? So what. The Emperor will find an ambitious subordinate of yours that's looking to advance. He'll execute you (and your most loyal subordinates) and install the ambitious subordinate in your place. The subordinate will publicly denounce the "hubris" of her predecessors. Is the entire Amazon Sisterhood fanatically (and personally) loyal to you? No problem. The Emperor will find some rival (i.e. patriarchal) churches who will publicly announce that the Amazon's are breaking the law, and the Emperor is simply enforcing divine mandate. Read Chinese history. There are several accounts of churches acting in defiance of the Emperor. The outcome is formulaic. The Emperor summons the army, kills the priests, destroys the temples, and burns the books. The church only continues to exist in hiding or exile (where they no longer have influence in the Empire). And many Emperors are the highest religious court, as defined by imperial and religious law. Don't tell me what the Emperor can't do. He's the Emperor because he can do whatever he chooses. Do you need further convincing? Henry VIII (a mere king) drove the Holy Roman Catholic Church (perhaps the most powerful ecclisiastical institution in history) out of England because they wouldn't give him a divorce. Even if the Emperor is only a figuredhead (a puppet for the true powers), the powers behind the throne will not want to risk the status quo by allowing one Amazon priestess to expose the true state of affairs. That sort of thing could be a destabilizing influence in the Empire. They would not hesitate to kill one prideful priestess (under the guise of proper imperial authority) to keep you from disturbing their happy state of affairs. In other words, you're in the unique position of having an extremely weak Emperor. If your campaign is realistic, he will be overthrown in the next year or two (because someone can). The new Emperor will be a strong Emperor, and he will be fully capable of doing everything I've described. In fact, he will not hesitate to make necessary examples as he consolidates the power of his throne. The Emperor and Regent have commited the only Imperial sin: they've lost power. According to Chinese history, as soon as the nobles stop assembling armies when the Emperor commands, one of the nobles assembles his army and overthrows the Emperor. There are at least two Chinese legends where the power-hungry noble plays a little political brinkmanship with the Emperor then says "We can't do it this year, but we'll check again next year." The first year that the nobles refuse to send their armies, the Imperial Throne changes hands. Even a weak Emperor would probably execute a discourteous priestess (even in defiance of the law) in order to keep from looking weak (and ripe for overthrowing).

Re: Exotic Methods for Executions? For pure sadism, I'd use a deep telepathic probe to learn the criminal's deepest fears. Then I'd tailor the punishment to fit their fears. Example #1 Slythe the Traitor is afraid of snakes. He is condemned to die by giant constrictor. The punishment is announced to Slythe, and the execution date is set a week or two in the future. In the meantime, a giant constrictor is captured and put in the cell next to Slythe's (or somewhere else where Slythe can see it constantly). Every day, the prison guards bring a cage with a small snake in it and place it in front of Slythe's cage. They then feed a rat to the small snake as an "educational demonstration". If Slythe deliberately avoids watching the snake dine, the prison guards can supply helpful commentary: "The snake has worked his way down to it's front legs now. Hey! Did the rat just kick? I thought it would be dead by now for sure." When Slythe falls asleep, the guards can toss a small, non-poisonous snake into his cell. The snake will seek to keep itself warm by snuggling up under Slythe's blanket. Minutes before the scheduled execution, Slythe is given a brief stay. "Slinkey doesn't look like he's quite hungry yet. I guess we better wait another three days." After being allowed to agonize over his fate for a sufficiently long time, Slythe gets put into the constrictor's cage, and the snake enjoys a leisurely meal. Example #2 Blanca the Aldulterous Consort is afraid of heights. She is condemned to die by falling. The punishment is announced to Blanca, and the execution date is set a week or two in the future. Blanca is imprisoned in a small cage which is hung from a pole that extends two yards from the tallest tower in the keep. The courtyard below her is kept lit so she can see how far down it is even in the dark. When Blanca falls asleep, the prison guards push the cage with poles in order to make it sway back and forth. Minutes before the scheduled execution, Blanca is given a brief stay. "The Lord Magistrate wanted to view the execution, but he won't be back for another four days. We'll have to wait until he arrives." After an appropriately long delay, the rope supporting Blanca's cage is slowly cut through while she watches, sending her falling to her death.

Re: Things I'd like to see more of in fantasy gaming In Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series, magic wielders act precisely like artillery in battle. However, this is restricted to the ones who are sufficiently powerful, and who are not prevented by some form of Oath. In addition, Jordan's magic wielders do start shuttling (important) people around as soon as they relearn the secrets of magical travel. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" clearly specified that the palantirs were orignally intended to function as a communications network between the great cities. Communication and travel are concepts that have been around since the beginning of civilization. It doesn't take a scientist to realize that it's more convenient to talk to someone directly than to write a message and send a courier who will take 2 weeks to reach his destination. Similarly, it's not too difficult to imagine that magic might be able to find a faster and more comfortable solution to travel than getting footsore, saddlesore, or seasick. How many wizards are there in Tolkien? Sauron, Sauraman the White, Gandalf the Grey, Radagast the Brown, Elrond, Galadriel, Celeborn, several other elves, maybe Tom Bombadil, maybe several of Sauron's minions. And how much magic do they actually use on a daily basis? Gandalf wields a sword and regularly travels by horse. The elves have the highest concentration of wizards, and there are hints that magic has influenced their society. (And their insular nature has prevented this influence from spilling over into any other societies.) In order to keep magic from influencing society, you have to build your world so magic wouldn't have an impact on everyday life. Either there are too few wizards, or they have too little power, or magic generally takes more effort than creating the same effect non-magically. That seems like a rather harsh interpretation. Assuming sea travel is even moderately common, all it takes is for the wizard to cast one spell while one a ship. Unless he's oblivious, he's going to notice that it's weaker, shorter duration, etc. He immediately experiments with a few other spells and gets similar results. As soon as he gets to shore, he notices that his spells have returned to full strength. By the time he takes a second sea voyage (and notices the decrease in power), he's going to have an easy time making a connection. And if wizards regularly communicate with each other, word is going to get around.

Re: Things I'd like to see more of in fantasy gaming I like this thread. I've actually incorporated many of these into my Fantasy Hero campaign. Geographical Knowledge The main map of the civilized world actually says "Here there be dragons" along one edge and "Sea Monsters" along the opposite edge. Everyone knows that the map isn't completely accurate, but it's the most accurate map in circulation, so everyone uses it. Common Folk Over 90% of the population spends their entire lives within 10 miles of where they were born. Most humans living in rural areas have never seen an elf or dwarf, but they've heard stories about them, and maybe even seen an accurate picture. And all commoners are superstitious. Of course, that might just be common sense in a fantasy world. Prices There are no standardized costs. An inexpensive meal costs a copper penny in a farm village. The same meal costs 1 or 2 silvers in a major city. Supply and demand is a major factor in all transactions. News Most news travels by rumors. The further the news travels, the less accurate it's likely to be. One of the PCs went into a tavern to listen to the rumors last game. Of the 8 rumors she heard, she was only willing to believe one of them might be completely true (it involved crop failures due to storms). Two rumors mentioned mercenaries heading south, but for completely different reasons. One rumor about a dragon attack was in direct contradiction to events the PCs had personally witnessed (there had been an attack and a fire, but no dragon was present). "The Wheel of Time" series provides good examples of rumors in a fantasy setting (despite some of its flaws as a literary work). Communication Most long-distance communication occurs in the form of written letters, despite the lack of a postal service. The rich can afford to hire couriers to directly deliver their letters. The middle class finds a merchant heading to the appropriate city and pays them to deliver the letter when they get there. (About 80% of the letters actually reach their destination.) The poor don't send letters. They can't read; they can't write; they don't know anyone who lives that far away. If you're going to write secrets in a letter, be certain that the recipient is actually literate. Otherwise it might get embarassing when they hire someone to read the letter to them. Transients (like adventurers) have additional troubles in receiving letters. If someone wants to send a letter to a recipient that travels a lot, they'll usually send it to an inn in a city that the recipient is likely to visit soon. Innkeepers don't mind holding on to letters indefinitely, since people who come in to pick up their mail are likely to be paying customers (and the exceptions usually leave a tip). Innkeepers don't have any way to check ID, though. If you address your letter to "Sir John", it will be given to the first Sir John that enters the inn (even if it's a very common name). Sir John might hand the letter back (after reading it), but that depends on how honest and honorable he is. Innkeepers also seem to be reluctant to hold letters for "Walter the Cutthroat" or "Eric the Bloody-Handed". Fantasy Beasts: Zoology isn't exactly a common field of study. People have heard the stories and legends, but that's all they've heard. Everyone knows that dragons are big lizards with wings that breathe fire. So what happens when the PCs encounter a big lizard without wings that casts spells? Did they encounter a different kind of dragon, or is it a completely unrelated creature? And what about some of the other strange looking creatures around? In Medieval Europe, a giraffe is going to seem more fantastical than a unicorn. People have heard of unicorns, but not a skinny cow with a neck like a snake. Magic Knowledge Mages and priests get taught how to work magic. There are theories why it works, (most of which I haven't bothered to explain) and players can choose (or make up) whichever explanation sounds the most credible. All spellcasting PCs/NPCs (and some non-spellcasting ones) have KS: Magic. This might give them some understanding of what a spellcaster is doing (or can do) based on observation. "Well, it sounds like he's asking animal spirits to give him the strength of a bear." I don't have any big magical mysteries in my campaign like sbarron or Eosin. I do have something similar.... Chaos Chaos is seen as the ultimate evil in my world (based on the Warhammer fantasy setting). It's also greatly unknown. The PCs have already discovered that their knowledge of Chaos is incorrect. It's also a lot less than the knowledge they need for the circumstances they've found themselves in. Culture & Morality My campaign setting is similar to the early Rennaisance, so there are distinct inequalities. (It's okay for men to commit adultery, but not for women.) So far I haven't had too much trouble with PCs applying modern morality to the campaign. That's not a discrepancy. Slave owners support the institution of slavery, but they're going to take strong exception with being slaves themselves. First you have to ignore the notion that all sentient people are equal. If you're a dwarf, other dwarves are your equals. Elves and humans are inferior to dwarves, but you can do business with them ... if you can tolerate their company for that long. Goblins and orcs are animals, and they can be killed or enslaved just like livestock. "Make sure you find and kill all the young ones, Snorggi. They grow up fast and breed like rabbits." Does killing baby goblins seem heartless or unheroic? To a dwarf it seems absolutely necessary. Goblins have a reproductive rate that drastically exceeds dwarven capabilities. Furthermore, dwarves are already losing to the goblins and orcs. Mercy is a luxury they can't afford. Dwarves solve the moral dilemma by stating that orcs and goblins are dangerous vermin, not people. In our society children don't have the same rights as adults (especially regarding wealth and property ownership). They're considered incapable of making those decisions for themselves until they reach a certain age. More benevolent slave owners might see their slaves in the same manner ... children who are incapable of surviving without their intervention. Institutions of slavery can vary greatly from culture to culture. In old testament Israel it was common for people to sell themselves into slavery (usually to pay off debts). The slavery was for a limited period of time (up to 7 years). Slaves still had a number of rights under the law. While they may not have enjoyed being slaves, they generally accepted their circumstances. In other cultures, prisoners of war became slaves. In some of these societies, the period was for a limited duration. In many of these societies, children of slaves were automatically adopted as full (and free) members of the society. In small, tribal societies, this practice was necessary to avoid inbreeding. For non-modern morality, any member of another tribe (or culture) may be viewed as subhuman (or even as an animal).

Re: Does you campaign have a central rationale? The players and characters suspect there's a common origin. I can't discuss the full details (because my players sometimes read the forums), but I will tell you what they believe. The first recorded metahumans/paranormals occurred roughly five years ago. These powers can be classified into several categories. MUTANTS: Mutation can occur at any point in a person's life. There are some prepubescent mutants as well as some who did not develop their powers until they were senior citizens. MENTALISTS: This is probably just a variant of mutation. SKILLED PEOPLE: Logically, this should be a separate origin that predates the others, and in many cases it probably is. However, it is strongly suspected that many of these people are actually mutants with very subtle enhancements. (INT 40 ain't normal, Jim.) SUPER TECH: Super tech is designed by super geniuses. Super geniuses are probably mutants (since they weren't inventing death rays and powered armor more than 5 years ago). MYSTICS & ODDBALLS: There are a few metahumans that seem to be outside those categories. The Count claims to be a 1000 year old vampire, but there's no record of him before 4 1/2 years ago. He might be a mutant with delusions, but how did he become so wealthy? Nick O'Keefe is a ghost who died 20 years ago, in front of witnesses. But why didn't he reappear until 3 years ago? Are his powers unrelated to all the other metahumans, or is he some kind of freakish latent mutant whose powers only manifested a couple decades after his death? Pyre claims to be a mage, but he could just be a mutant who can weild an extremely broad variety of powers. No one knows for sure. ALIENS: There are no known aliens on earth. There are a few people who claim to be aliens, but genetic testing indicates that they are probably mutants. However, The PCs have discovered that there are alien races living within 20 light years of earth. They're part of an expanding alien empire. Furthermore, The PCs have discovered that an alien spacecraft crashed into the Gulf of Mexico around the same time as metahumans began to appear. That's probably not a coincidence. It's possible that this alien crash is indirectly the cause of all metahumans on earth.

Re: A Guide To Villainous Motivations Enlighten the Masses I use the Idiot King (4th Ed) as this kind of villain. Yes, he also loves the game, but the main goal is to point out major flaws in society. i.e. The government wages a "war on drugs", even though we have a drugstore at every major intersection. In response, the Idiot King wages a campaign against legal drugs to point out this hypocrisy. Personal Safety This is a very immediate form of maintaining the status quo. If a person believes that something threatens their life, they will go to any lengths to remove that threat. People in Genocide might hate mutants, but they mostly fear them. They're afraid of the death and destruction mutants could cause. This inspires Genocide to murder and commit other atrocities against mutants.

Improvised weapons in real combat I've been on the receiving end of some improvised weapons. Fbduary's ideas are completely idealistic and unsupported by reality. In one instance, someone took a swing at my head with a snow shovel. I easily blocked the shot by slapping my hand into the middle of the snow shovel blade. The aluminum blade may have been harder than the kid's fist, but its broad surface allowed me to painlessly difuse the impact across the surface of my palm and fingers. Another time a kid tried an overhead swing with a saxaphone case at my head. Again, the weight of the case slowed his swing, and it increased the surface area which difused the PSI. Not all improvised weapons increase damage. You have to choose carefully in order to get one which actually provides an advantage over your fists. (One of the major advantages is that your knuckles don't take damage from hitting your opponent.) Chains are actually poor weapons unless you have some sort of training with them. They tend to leave welts instead of doing real damage. They are beneficial as blocking weapons, and many people find them intimidating (which can give you a psychological advantage in combat). Jacky Chan can use improvised weapons because he is a master in a martial arts style that specializes in using random household objects as weapons. Most people would get owned if they tried to use a folding ladder as an effective weapon. (And judging by the outtakes at the end of the film, Jacky would get owned 75% of the time if he tried to use a ladder in a real fight.) Right or wrong, the Champions rules are reasonably balanced. Improvised weapons already can provide an advantage for AE, reach, or other non-damage benefits. I don't see any need to give bricks extra power based on genre (since reality doesn't support the increase).

Munchkin at work ... One of my ex-players was a bit of a munchkin. I'm moderately lenient with my Elemental Control rules (since I like to encourage tight character concepts). This player sometimes tried to take advantage of this. He would come up with a set of powers that would be very powerful together. Then he would try to kluge together some hokey special effect that would allow him to claim them all as one Elemental Control. In one case, this lead him to try to claim one set of powers were "Mucous Powers". After a week of badgering me to let him play this unseemly creation, I told him Snotboy wasn't coming into the game as a hero.

Fulfilling the goal. Since he's not stupid, he's not going to take on the entire team at once (unless he's extremely overconfident). nailing 1-3 of them at a time is a lot more practical, and it proves the same point. Get them into any circumstance where they have to split up to find or pursue him. It's pretty easy to set up. When they're all out doing their own business, have him ambush one member of the group. The speedster doesn't flatten him/her immediately. He waits until this person radios the rest of the group for help. The group is starting from different spots, and they all travel at different speeds. Therefore, you can guarantee that they won't all arrive at the same time.

Battlefield, tactics, objective. Battlefield: Choose your battlefield. Since most people cannot attack through brick walls (or even see through them), the Speedster gets a large advantage from having buildings that he can run around/through. I wreaked havoc on my players by sending them against a speedster that started and ended every action behind heavy cover. For realism's sake, don't leave a figure on the table when his action ends. When he's out of sight, they truly should have no idea where he is. Skills: In order to counter AEs, buy him lots of skill levels for Dive For Cover. If he has a respectable chance of successfully diving for cover 30 hexes away, he should be reasonably immune to those attacks. I also recommend the Speedster Martial Arts on p71 of UMA. Power: Clinging (by inertia). We frequently see Flash zip up walls by using his inertia to hold him to the surface. Tactics: Smart villains are the most dangerous. Assume this one is smart. He's done some general research on the team, and knows common knowledge about them (or perhaps even more than that). Determine which PC is the biggest threat. He goes after that one first. If this is an ambush type scenario, he could get the first attack off before the characters know they're being attacked. In your case, the big threats might be Brimstone (can fly up out of range), Spiritwalker (who might be able to target and attack through buildings), and Dark Sun (who might be most capable of overcoming his outrageous DCV). Since Brimstone/Spiritwalker probably have fairly low PD, use a passing grab/throw maneuver to get them off the battlefield and knock them out. As a coup de grat, you can later drag them back onto the battlefield and throw them into other characters as a variant "fastball special". For Dark Sun, use a passing disarm to get his weapon away from him. Ditch the weapon a few blocks away. As soon as the speedster has achieved his objective, run away. If any member of the group follows too closely, they've become vulnerable to attack. Turn around and nail them while they're separated. The Objective: Make the objective something that the villain can achieve. Is he supposed to kidnap one of the players (or someone they're guarding)? Is it a snatch & grab job (perhaps on their Foci)? Is he supposed to publicly humiliate them? Is it just a diversion to draw them away from the real target? Speed is his main advantage. This especially applies to his ability to get away. Don't stay in combat a segment longer than necessary. What is your team's mode of transportation? What sort of defenses does the team's base have? Does the team have a vehicle? Does Spiritwalker teleport them all to the scene? Does the team have substantial defenses on the base besides themselves? Is the base vulnerable when they're gone? For a fun scenario, have the speedster create a disturbance 10 miles (or some appropriate distance) away. The team is alerted, and responds at their best speed. The disturbance is just a diversion, to draw them away from the base. As soon as they show up, the speedster jumps the transport specialist and knocks them out (and steals the vehicle's keys, if appropriate). As part of the disturbance, the speedster may injure a number of bystanders. This could prompt the team to stop and help the injured. While the team is occupied, the speedster races back to their base. His super speed allows him to overcome their security much faster than other criminals. After breaking in, he steals what he wants, then vandalizes the place. By the time they get back, he's long gone.

Sort of my character. Since I'm the GM, I don't exactly have a character. However, one recurring NPC is a vigilante. The Count The Count would consider the duplicates to be "magical simulacrae". While he would consider this to be a "sordid pasttime", he wouldn't see anything inherently illegal in what the man is doing. Laughing in the Count's face is a bad idea. He will tolerate sordid sexual preferences. He's a lot less forgiving about crass and beligerent behavior. And this sounds a lot like a challenge. Assaulting the old man is hardly sporting. The Count wants to see the old man arrested, tried, and convicted. Private Investigators with cameras are cheap and plentiful. The old man likes to have sex with the blinds open. A reporter with the local newspaper gets an exclusive story on the old man's behavior. The police get photographs anonymously mailed to them. The public, the press and the police all start giving the old man a lot more attention than he ever wanted. Then two children come forward claiming to be victims.... (The Count has no ability to tamper with the memories of others. He does, however, possess exceptional people skills. It wouldn't be too difficult for him to locate a couple children with a knack for lying, and then coach them into being state witnesses.) The case gets assigned to the judge who is most likely to be hostile. The prosecution gets tips on which jurors to exclude (tips that are uncannily accurate). The Count wouldn't stoop to bribing or blackmailing the jury (it's not sporting). Bribing or blackmailing the defense attorney is a lot more entertaining. "It's unfortunate that we did not place a wager on the abilities of the constabulatory. It seems that they have not only arrested you, but also convicted you."

How haunted do you want it? I have a notable haunted house in my campaign, so I've given some thought to how you create haunting. A lot of it revolves around the end result. I won't give the exact details of this haunted base, because my players read the board. However, I will use it as examples as how you might use various powers and disadvantages to create a haunting effect. The Halloran House, a walled estate in River Oaks, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Houston. The current occupant is The Count. Previously it had been abandoned for decades. Distinctive Features: Haunted You take one look at the house, and it's the stereotype of a haunted house. The yard is overgrown, there's spanish moss hanging from the trees. There's iron spikes lining the top of the wall. The bushes move when there's no wind, or they stay still when you can hear the wind howling. Sometimes the gates and doors creak loudly, other times they open silently. Sunlight never reaches the yard, and the grounds are often obscured by a low-lying fog. Reputation: Haunted Everybody knows that the house is haunted. "She said he lives in a haunted house." "Oh, you mean the Halloran House." This can be a disadvantage when you want to bring a lady home with you. "I'm not going there. It's haunted." But it does keep the salesmen away. Change Environment: Haunted Perception rolls are penalized due to the constantly changing nature of the house and grounds. Statues and pictures change when you're not looking at them. You hear footsteps where nobody is. Cold spots (approximately the size of a person) drift through the house. The house radiates with anger and menace, but there's no mind behind the emotions. Telekinesis: Poltergeist, No Conscious Control Objects randomly move around the house. Doors open and close. Furniture falls over or flies through the air. Unluck: Poltergeist The tool you're looking for is missing. The books in the library have been rearranged in an order that makes no sense. The door locks itself behind you when your keys are inside. Physical Limitation: Haunted It's hard to get a good nights sleep here, because screams wake you up in the middle of the night. The lights go out randomly, including candles and lanterns. NPC: Ghost The ghost is a character in its own right. It has its own motivations (which may be cross-purposes with the PCs). It plays an ongoing role in some of the plotlines. Buy appropriate powers as necessary. Watched or Hunted: Haunted This should only be used if the ghost is an NPC. Otherwise, it really doesn't apply. Security System: Noisy Ghost The ghost is quiet unless someone is actively working against the occupant. Then the ghost wails, bangs pans, and knocks pictures off the wall. Images: Ghosts, No Concious Control The ghostly images replay events that occured in the house. You can't interact with them, but they may give periodic clues about what happened in the house before. Postcognition: Haunted Dreams, No Concious Control, Usable Against Others Anyone who sleeps here relives scenes from the lives of deceased occupants. These are frequently the more emotionally charged scenes.

Interesting legal situation. Obviously, it's not technically my character, since I'm the GM. However, I can see this potentially happening in my campaign. Texas has very lenient self-defense laws. I can think of two cases (in recent history) where a Texas homeowner has shot an unarmed man on their property and gotten off because it was "self defense". Both cases received international attention. One of the victims was from Scotland. The other was from Japan. Neither aquittal was due to some miscarriage of justice in the courtroom. Texas does not require absolute proof that your life is in danger. You just happen to believe that you're in danger. (Example: if someone is breaking into your home at night, you can legally assume your life is in jeapordy.) Texas law also permits you to use lethal force defending your own property, even when you're not in any personal danger. (You can legally shoot someone in the back, if they're running away with your TV.) Any citizen at the scene could legally kill the Intimidator, and have numerous eyewitnesses testify that they all feared for their lives. -------------------------------------------------- However, there's a twist. My players are all police officers. Police officers are held to a higher standard. They have to identify themselves and offer the perp an opportunity to surrender, unless they can reasonably believe that someone is in imminent danger. Therefore, it all hinges on how the Intimidator behaves at the scene of the crime (and previous crimes). Did the Intimidator say he would kill bystanders? Was he standing in a threatening posture? (Since he's a metahuman, this would get interpreted much more broadly than usual.) Did the officers have any prior knowledge that would lead them to believe he was just bluffing?

Radar doesn't work well under water. "I can't think of anyplace safer than the Danger Room. There's something inherently wrong with that." -------------------------------------------- "Brace for < CLANG >." "Torpedo in the boat!"

Collapse of Society Have you ever read Tom Clancy's "Executive Orders"? One of the threats in there is an act of bioterrorism: "Worst case? Twenty million deaths. At that point, what happens is society breaks down. Doctors and nurses flee the hospitals, people lock themselves in their homes, and the epidemic burns out pretty much like the Black Death did in the fourteenth century. Human interactions cease, and because of that the disease stops spreading." This may be a work of fiction, but Tom Clancy is know for doing his research. This is talking about societal collapse from 20 millions deaths out of 288 million population in the U.S. 7% of the population. The Black Death killed about 50% of the European population. It took 150 years for population numbers to recover. ------------------------------------- In a post-apocolyptic world, basic survival (food, water, shelter, safety) are king. Unless the "heroes" are subsistance farmers, that means they are getting their food and water from someone else. So your PCs could be bandits, stealing what they want, or they could be getting the necessities through legitimate trade. What do they have to trade? Safety. They're the protectors of their village. They keep everyone safe, and they get food as payment. 1) Eliza Pratt's child is missing. It's their job to go find him. 2) Someone's rustling the cattle. Unless they're stopped (and the cows recovered), there won't be meat and milk this winter. 3) The next village over made a retalitory strike. They threw a diseased goat into the well. Now there's no clean drinking water. The players need to go find the equipment to set up a water purifier, and they need to do it fast. ------------------------------------- Shrugging off gunshots is easy, but how do you keep an enemy from torching the crops? Perhaps the biggest lesson the players will need to learn is diplomacy. Talk their enemies out of attacking them before the problems even start.

Thanksgiving Are you meeting next week? If not, this week can be your thanksgiving episode. Or it can be the lead-in to the Thanksgiving episode.

How are you using it. I base a lot of it on their background. For example, KS: Local Law might be good for finding a loophole or a precedent that works in your favor. PS: Lawyer will teach you how to select a jury, file a motion, when to object, etc. I might give someone with the KS a 8- (familiarity) in a contested roll against someone with the PS. ------------------------------------ One of my players bought KS: Newtonian Physics instead of SS: Newtonian Physics. His knowledge comes entirely through personal experience ... trial and error. If you give him a standard physics exam question, he'll just give you a blank look. If you ask, "What happens when you throw a bowling ball at a mailbox?" ... then he can give you a very good guess.

Slapstick Slapstick: +8d6HA, does no body, does no stun, double knockback.

I liked it. I've used several of these normals as recurring NPCs: "Crystal" Claire Vosser Kent Elfberg & Debbie Dr Joan Armstrong Steve "Sarge" Baker Ian Rhine A few others have put in brief cameos. In my first campaign (as a rookie GM), one of my weaknesses was the lack of important NPCs. There were a couple recurring NPCs with powers, but normals had almost no impact on the team. In my current campaign, I tried to correct that flaw. "Normal's Unbound" was a great starting point.