bigdamnhero

The timing of throwing an object via a sling vs just throwing the object seems counterintuitive to increasing accuracy. I would think using the sling would only increase range. I might consider a naked buy off of the range based on str limitation  and apply focus of opportunity. Or just buy full ranged if the advantage variant of based on str was used originally.

Scenario: the Battle of Jomsborg
 
The year is 1001, the setting is the "real" medieval Europe, plus some low magic & a few monsters.
 
Norwegian King Olaf Tryggvason, a larger-than-life living legend even by Viking standards, was believed to have died in last year's Battle of Svolder, when the mercenary Jomsvikings betrayed him to his enemy, King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark - tho no body was ever found. For more backstory, and an amusing look at Viking era politics (at least as portrayed in the sagas), see this post.
 
Anyway, the PCs were in Kiev recently when they learned King Olaf is alive and has fallen in with the evil Prince Kor, a steppes nomad leader who may or may not be the literal Antichrist. In fact, they suspect Olaf may have become the embodiment of the Horseman Of War. ("Why yes, his horse did have a reddish coat now that you mention it...") Olaf passed through Kiev a month before the PCs, heading north and recruiting every warrior he could. The PCs have been furiously racing to catch up. In Gotland, they learn that two weeks ago King Olaf and his forces attacked and destroyed the Swedish capital Sigtuna, killed the Swedish King, and burned down the pagan religious center at Uppsala. Olaf then passed through here, hired all the warriors & ships he could, and departed 4 days ago with 30 ships and around 2000 men. They deduce that he's headed for Jomsburg, the fortress of the Jomsvikings.
 
July 24th: Our Heroes reach Jomsborg to find a fierce battle taking place in the bay outside the fortress:
King Olaf’s forces: 25 ships, 1700 warriors, including a large number of berserks (due to Olaf's powers as the Horseman Of War), plus King Olaf Bayan Tarkan, a Turkish sorcerer (demonologist) Prince Yaroslav, 13-year-old son of Grand Prince Vladimir of Kiev, sent off to learn The Ways Of War; Vladimir has asked the PCs to try not to kill him A couple of other Individual Bad-Ass Viking Captains Danish King Sweyn Forkbeard: 30 ships, 2000 warriors Jomsvikings (allied with the Danes): 20 ships, 1300 warriors Our Heroes: 2 ships, 120 warriors plus 10 freed Welsh slaves (marginal fighters), and 5 PCs Thyri: Swedish Viking shieldmaiden Geralt: Irish holy warrior Aeddan: Welsh ranger/archer Abida: Muslim alchemist Edmondo: Roman Catholic priest  
[BTW, Olaf Tryggvason, Sweyn Forkbeard and Prince Yaroslav (later known as Yaroslav The Wise) are actual historical (or at least legendary) people. Same for the Jomsvikings - basically Pagan Viking Templers, which is as awesome as it sounds. The Battle of Svolder I took straight out of the Icelandic sagas; King Olaf's body was in fact never found, and rumors that he had survived persisted for years. But this Battle of Jomsborg is completely fictitious.]
 
LET THE BATTLE COMMENCE!! (When I have more time to post...)

Thanks for playing it! It's not one I've heard people talk about much. And yeah, Steve wrote most of the book- I did "1001" and the zombie material, and I think Jason did one of the mini-settings as well. 

While I'm at it, I had meant to post my interpretation of an interesting race of creatures from Welsh myth called the Coraniaid:
 
 
Coraniaid
Val   Char   Cost    Roll     Notes
  12    STR       2       11-      Lift 132.0kg; 2d6+1 [2]
  12    DEX      4       11-      OCV:  6/8/DCV:  6/9
  14    CON      4       12-
  10    INT        0       11-      PER Roll 11-/16-
  12    EGO      2       11-      ECV:  3 - 3
  12    PRE       2       11-      PRE Attack:  2d6
6+2  OCV      5      
6+3  DCV      5      
   3     OMCV  0      
   3     DMCV  0      
   3     SPD      10                  Phases:  4, 8, 12
12+2 PD          2                   Total:  12/14 PD (8/10 rPD)
12+2 ED         2                   Total:  12/14 ED (8/10 rED)
   5     REC      1
  25    END      1
  11    BODY   1
  25    STUN    3       Total Characteristic Cost:  39
 
Movement:    Running:  10m/20m
                         Leaping:  2m/4m
                         Swimming:  1m/2m
 
Cost   Powers                                                                                   END
           Hearing-Based Abilities, all slots Hearing-Based (-½)          
7         1)  Accuracy:  +2 OCV (10 Active Points); Hearing-Based (-½)     
4         2)  Accuracy:  +2 OCV (10 Active Points); Only vs. Ranged Attacks (-1), Hearing-Based (-½)               
7         3)  Attack Tracking:  +2 DCV (10 Active Points); Hearing-Based (-½)         
6         4)  Ranged Attack Tracking:  +3 DCV (15 Active Points); Only Vs. Ranged Attacks (-1), Hearing-Based (-½)   
7         5)  Anticipation:  Lightning Reflexes (+10 DEX to act first with All Attacks) (10 Active Points); Hearing-Based (-½)      
21      6)  Alertness:  Danger Sense (immediate vicinity, out of combat, Function as a Sense) (32 Active Points); Hearing-Based (-½) 16-                                                                                                  
11      7)  Danger Sense Dodging:  Resistant Protection (8 PD/8 ED), Hardened (+¼) (30 Active Points); Requires A Roll (Danger Sense Roll; -½), Instant (-½), Hearing-Based (-½), Nonpersistent (-¼)      0
2         8)  Absolute Range Sense (3 Active Points); Hearing-Based (-½)  
10      9)  They Know Of Any Plans Made Against Them:  Deduction 16- (15 Active Points); Hearing-Based (-½)         
           Can Hear Any Sound Carried By The Wind                          
10      1)  Enhanced Hearing:  +5 PER with Hearing Group         0
20      2)  Combat Hearing:  Targeting with Hearing Group          0
18      3)  Parabolic Hearing:  +12 versus Range Modifier for Hearing Group       0
7         4)  Discriminatory Hearing:  Detect Respiration  11-/16- (Hearing Group), Discriminatory     0
30      5)  True Awareness:  Spatial Awareness (Hearing Group), Discriminatory, Analyze  0
81      6)  Clairsentience (Hearing Group), Mobile Perception Point (can move up to 12m per Phase), Persistent (+¼), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½), MegaScale (1m = 100 km; +1 ½) (81 Active Points)           0
1         Long-Lived:  Life Support  (Longevity: 200 Years)            0
 
           Skills
4         WF:  Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons
3         Defense Maneuver I
7         Analyze:  Sounds 13-
3         Climbing 11-
7         Shadowing 13-
7         Stealth 13-
2         AK: Cymru (Wales) 11-
0         Language:  Coranaid (idiomatic) (4 Active Points)
3         Language:  Welsh (completely fluent)
2         Language:  English (fluent conversation)
1         Language:  Irish (fluent conversation; Similar to Welsh)
 
Total Powers & Skill Cost:  281
Total Cost:  320
 
225+     Matching Complications
10      Negative Reputation:  "The First Plague", Frequently (Extreme;  Known Only To A Small Group)
5         Physical Complication:  Small (4-5') (Infrequently; Barely Impairing)
15      Psychological Complication:  Hates Humans (Common; Strong)
10      Social Complication:  Mean, Nasty & Ornery Frequently, Minor
5         Susceptibility:  Extremely Loud Noises 1d6 damage Instant (Uncommon)
30      Susceptibility:  The crushed dust from a certain insect 3d6 damage per Segment (Uncommon)
95      Experience Points
 
Total Complications Points:  320
 
TYPICAL EQUIPMENT CARRIED
Spear, Medium
Club
Axe, Small
Bow, Medium
Sling
Heavy Leather Armor
 
Background/History:  The First Plague that beset the reign of Lludd Llaw Eraint were the Coraniaid, a stunted race of beings who came to Britain and could not be forced out because their hearing was so acute that they could hear any sound the wind touches. Thus did they instantly know of any plans made against them. Indeed it is said their ears were so sharp they could hear arrows and other blows as they moved through the air and thus avoid all harm. Much woe did they cause among the Britons and all action against them seemed impossible. Thus did Lludd cross the water to Gaul and seek aid and advice from his brother Llefelys who was King there. And they did craft a long trumpet that muffled their conversation so that the Coraniaid could not hear their speech. And thus did Llefelys tells Lludd of a certain insect that when crushed up and mixed with water was deadly to the Coraniaid, but harmless to the Britons. Lludd returned to the country with many of the insects and did crush them up and mix them with water. And Lludd called a meeting of all his people and all the Coraniaid, and when all had gathered he threw the mix over the whole crowd, thereby killing the Coraniaid without harming his own people. Thus were the Coraniaid destroyed, but King Lludd did save some of the insects for breeding in the event the plague ever returned to Britain.
Personality/Motivation:  Mean, nasty & ornery, the Coranaid hate humans and wish to displace them from the land.
Powers/Tactics:  The Coranaid's main ability is their unnaturally-acute hearing. The primary narrative effect of their superior hearing is that they can hear any plans being amde against them, making them nearly impossible to surprise. It also allows them to "hear" attacks coming, making them hard to hit in combat, especially at range. They typically wear leather armor and carry a mix of spears, clubs and axes, although they prefer to fight at range with bows and slings.
Campaign Use:  Force your players to get creative in figuring out how to deal with them.
Appearance:  A dwarvish race of beings who average between 4' to 5' in height and stout. Their faces are misshapen and asymmetrical. Their hair ranges in color from dark brown and dark blue to black, and is usually worn long and stringy.
Coraniaid.hdc

Really well; thanks for asking! I stopped posting recaps because it didn't seem like anyone was actually reading them, but in summary:
 
From Constantinople, they headed East over the Caucasus, and met up with Kor's army near Rey. (Current-day Tehran.)
 
They infiltrated the army and were getting good intel, but they slipped up and got captured.
 
They spent a session getting tortured by Kor's daughter, before eventually managing to escape. I was surprised at how much the players loved this session!
 
While hiding from Kor's army, they stumbled onto a portal to Faerie and spent a few days there. (See above post.)
 
They left Faerie through another portal and found themselves outside of Kiev. Grand Prince Vladimir had fallen under Kor's influence, but the Heroes were able to free him.
 
They learned that Othar Trygvasson, the King of Norway who was thought to have died last year, had headed through here several weeks earlier gathering warriors as he went. Having reason to suspect Trygvasson is also the Horseman of War, they decided to go after him.
 
They caught up with Trygvasson as he was attacking the fleet of Danish King Sweyn Forkbeard and the mercenary Jomsvikings. Trygvasson's forces seemed to be winning, partly due to his inhuman strength. The Heroes joined the battle, engaging Trygvasson and his chief retainers on the deck of his own longship. After a long, fierce battle, Aeddan pinned Trygvasson's kidney to the mast with an arrow, and Thyri cut off his head. One Horseman down!
 
In the aftermath, Thyri fought a duel with her nemesis, the Jarl who killed her family, etc. Thyri killed her enemy, but not before he nicked her with a poisoned blade. With Thyri dying, they called on their Fey friends to take her off to Faerie/Avalon/Whatever until she could be healed. [The player was moving out of town.]
 
The Heroes got information that the two Fey swords they had promised to recover were somewhere in Ireland, so they headed that way.
 
They stopped off in Aeddan's homeland of Wales first, defeated a plot to destabilize Wales by turning Aeddan against his King, and defeated an ancient Welsh enemy called the Coraniaid. (Who are really cool and you should totally Google them!)
 
Hopping over to Ireland, where Brian Boru is challenging the rule of High King Mael Sechnail. The heroes pick up a new PC, a semi-crazy pilgrim carrying a ton of Holy Relics (most of which are completely bogus...), and succeed in recovering the two Fey swords from a dungeon that may have been built by Odin? Afterwards, having figured out that High King Mael is going blind, the alchemist and the herbalist try to restore his sight...rolling not one buy two natural 3s in a row! They not only restore Mael's eyesight to 20-20, but he now also can see into the future!  Mael realizes that Brian Boru is the leader Ireland truly needs right now, and abdicates in his favor, ending the civil war and reuniting Ireland. The crowning of the new High King at Tara is interrupted by an army of wicked Fae, led by several monstrous Fomorians. With the Heroes holding the center of the line, they are able to kill or drive off all the wicked Fey.
 
About that time, a messenger arrives from Rome, announcing that Emperor Otto and Pope Sylvester have called a great Council of the Kings of Christendom, to be held in the City of Venice, to discus the threat posed by Kor. But the Heroes don't have the time to reach Italy by normal travel, so they decide to take a shortcut through Faerie.
 
Unfortunately, they lose their way (due to some mischievous illusions cast by one of the wicked Fey who survived the battle). They wind up at the castle of a gigantic Fomorian named Cathaoir, formerly their fiercest warrior, but who has taken an oath of peace out of love for his "improbably beautiful wife" who may be the goddess Bridgit and/or the Irish Saint Bridget of Kildare. Unfortunately they are told that by using the Fey swords to kill Fomorians at Tara, they accidentally violated an ancient treaty and started a war between the Fomorians and the Fey. (Whoops!) They convince Cathaoir and Brigit to go try to persuade the Fomorians not to wipe out the Fey. [Results TBD]
 
Leaving Faerie, they find themselves outside of Rome, which is in revolt against Emperor Otto (who is German). They find Otto camped with his army outside the walls of Rome, desperately in need of both a military and a moral victory here to solidify his credibility as Roman Emperor. But it seems the City's defenders have some supernatural help. Sneaking inside the walls, the Heroes find the leader of the opposition is their old frenemy Count Gregory (from way back in episode 1), along with some demonic forces sent by Kor. The Heroes manage to kill Gregory and the demons, and do so in such a way that the Senate sees the light, throws open the gates, and welcomes Otto in begging his forgiveness. The heroes grab a quick couple hours of sleep, because in the morning they have to ride like hell to get Otto to Venice in time for the Council he called.
 
Whew! And that's where we're paused at the moment. 33 bi-weekly game sessions, 6 months game time. I'm seeing the Venetian Council as the end of Act 2 and start of Act 3, as the Heroes gather together the allies they've made for the final battle against Kor...

He's my creation, as is the entire chapter, with Steve's editing. However, credit where it's due, it was Steve's idea to make him 666 points. My first draft came in at like 640, and he quite correctly scolded me for it.  dw

Really well; thanks for asking! I stopped posting recaps because it didn't seem like anyone was actually reading them, but in summary:
 
From Constantinople, they headed East over the Caucasus, and met up with Kor's army near Rey. (Current-day Tehran.)
 
They infiltrated the army and were getting good intel, but they slipped up and got captured.
 
They spent a session getting tortured by Kor's daughter, before eventually managing to escape. I was surprised at how much the players loved this session!
 
While hiding from Kor's army, they stumbled onto a portal to Faerie and spent a few days there. (See above post.)
 
They left Faerie through another portal and found themselves outside of Kiev. Grand Prince Vladimir had fallen under Kor's influence, but the Heroes were able to free him.
 
They learned that Othar Trygvasson, the King of Norway who was thought to have died last year, had headed through here several weeks earlier gathering warriors as he went. Having reason to suspect Trygvasson is also the Horseman of War, they decided to go after him.
 
They caught up with Trygvasson as he was attacking the fleet of Danish King Sweyn Forkbeard and the mercenary Jomsvikings. Trygvasson's forces seemed to be winning, partly due to his inhuman strength. The Heroes joined the battle, engaging Trygvasson and his chief retainers on the deck of his own longship. After a long, fierce battle, Aeddan pinned Trygvasson's kidney to the mast with an arrow, and Thyri cut off his head. One Horseman down!
 
In the aftermath, Thyri fought a duel with her nemesis, the Jarl who killed her family, etc. Thyri killed her enemy, but not before he nicked her with a poisoned blade. With Thyri dying, they called on their Fey friends to take her off to Faerie/Avalon/Whatever until she could be healed. [The player was moving out of town.]
 
The Heroes got information that the two Fey swords they had promised to recover were somewhere in Ireland, so they headed that way.
 
They stopped off in Aeddan's homeland of Wales first, defeated a plot to destabilize Wales by turning Aeddan against his King, and defeated an ancient Welsh enemy called the Coraniaid. (Who are really cool and you should totally Google them!)
 
Hopping over to Ireland, where Brian Boru is challenging the rule of High King Mael Sechnail. The heroes pick up a new PC, a semi-crazy pilgrim carrying a ton of Holy Relics (most of which are completely bogus...), and succeed in recovering the two Fey swords from a dungeon that may have been built by Odin? Afterwards, having figured out that High King Mael is going blind, the alchemist and the herbalist try to restore his sight...rolling not one buy two natural 3s in a row! They not only restore Mael's eyesight to 20-20, but he now also can see into the future!  Mael realizes that Brian Boru is the leader Ireland truly needs right now, and abdicates in his favor, ending the civil war and reuniting Ireland. The crowning of the new High King at Tara is interrupted by an army of wicked Fae, led by several monstrous Fomorians. With the Heroes holding the center of the line, they are able to kill or drive off all the wicked Fey.
 
About that time, a messenger arrives from Rome, announcing that Emperor Otto and Pope Sylvester have called a great Council of the Kings of Christendom, to be held in the City of Venice, to discus the threat posed by Kor. But the Heroes don't have the time to reach Italy by normal travel, so they decide to take a shortcut through Faerie.
 
Unfortunately, they lose their way (due to some mischievous illusions cast by one of the wicked Fey who survived the battle). They wind up at the castle of a gigantic Fomorian named Cathaoir, formerly their fiercest warrior, but who has taken an oath of peace out of love for his "improbably beautiful wife" who may be the goddess Bridgit and/or the Irish Saint Bridget of Kildare. Unfortunately they are told that by using the Fey swords to kill Fomorians at Tara, they accidentally violated an ancient treaty and started a war between the Fomorians and the Fey. (Whoops!) They convince Cathaoir and Brigit to go try to persuade the Fomorians not to wipe out the Fey. [Results TBD]
 
Leaving Faerie, they find themselves outside of Rome, which is in revolt against Emperor Otto (who is German). They find Otto camped with his army outside the walls of Rome, desperately in need of both a military and a moral victory here to solidify his credibility as Roman Emperor. But it seems the City's defenders have some supernatural help. Sneaking inside the walls, the Heroes find the leader of the opposition is their old frenemy Count Gregory (from way back in episode 1), along with some demonic forces sent by Kor. The Heroes manage to kill Gregory and the demons, and do so in such a way that the Senate sees the light, throws open the gates, and welcomes Otto in begging his forgiveness. The heroes grab a quick couple hours of sleep, because in the morning they have to ride like hell to get Otto to Venice in time for the Council he called.
 
Whew! And that's where we're paused at the moment. 33 bi-weekly game sessions, 6 months game time. I'm seeing the Venetian Council as the end of Act 2 and start of Act 3, as the Heroes gather together the allies they've made for the final battle against Kor...

Really well; thanks for asking! I stopped posting recaps because it didn't seem like anyone was actually reading them, but in summary:
 
From Constantinople, they headed East over the Caucasus, and met up with Kor's army near Rey. (Current-day Tehran.)
 
They infiltrated the army and were getting good intel, but they slipped up and got captured.
 
They spent a session getting tortured by Kor's daughter, before eventually managing to escape. I was surprised at how much the players loved this session!
 
While hiding from Kor's army, they stumbled onto a portal to Faerie and spent a few days there. (See above post.)
 
They left Faerie through another portal and found themselves outside of Kiev. Grand Prince Vladimir had fallen under Kor's influence, but the Heroes were able to free him.
 
They learned that Othar Trygvasson, the King of Norway who was thought to have died last year, had headed through here several weeks earlier gathering warriors as he went. Having reason to suspect Trygvasson is also the Horseman of War, they decided to go after him.
 
They caught up with Trygvasson as he was attacking the fleet of Danish King Sweyn Forkbeard and the mercenary Jomsvikings. Trygvasson's forces seemed to be winning, partly due to his inhuman strength. The Heroes joined the battle, engaging Trygvasson and his chief retainers on the deck of his own longship. After a long, fierce battle, Aeddan pinned Trygvasson's kidney to the mast with an arrow, and Thyri cut off his head. One Horseman down!
 
In the aftermath, Thyri fought a duel with her nemesis, the Jarl who killed her family, etc. Thyri killed her enemy, but not before he nicked her with a poisoned blade. With Thyri dying, they called on their Fey friends to take her off to Faerie/Avalon/Whatever until she could be healed. [The player was moving out of town.]
 
The Heroes got information that the two Fey swords they had promised to recover were somewhere in Ireland, so they headed that way.
 
They stopped off in Aeddan's homeland of Wales first, defeated a plot to destabilize Wales by turning Aeddan against his King, and defeated an ancient Welsh enemy called the Coraniaid. (Who are really cool and you should totally Google them!)
 
Hopping over to Ireland, where Brian Boru is challenging the rule of High King Mael Sechnail. The heroes pick up a new PC, a semi-crazy pilgrim carrying a ton of Holy Relics (most of which are completely bogus...), and succeed in recovering the two Fey swords from a dungeon that may have been built by Odin? Afterwards, having figured out that High King Mael is going blind, the alchemist and the herbalist try to restore his sight...rolling not one buy two natural 3s in a row! They not only restore Mael's eyesight to 20-20, but he now also can see into the future!  Mael realizes that Brian Boru is the leader Ireland truly needs right now, and abdicates in his favor, ending the civil war and reuniting Ireland. The crowning of the new High King at Tara is interrupted by an army of wicked Fae, led by several monstrous Fomorians. With the Heroes holding the center of the line, they are able to kill or drive off all the wicked Fey.
 
About that time, a messenger arrives from Rome, announcing that Emperor Otto and Pope Sylvester have called a great Council of the Kings of Christendom, to be held in the City of Venice, to discus the threat posed by Kor. But the Heroes don't have the time to reach Italy by normal travel, so they decide to take a shortcut through Faerie.
 
Unfortunately, they lose their way (due to some mischievous illusions cast by one of the wicked Fey who survived the battle). They wind up at the castle of a gigantic Fomorian named Cathaoir, formerly their fiercest warrior, but who has taken an oath of peace out of love for his "improbably beautiful wife" who may be the goddess Bridgit and/or the Irish Saint Bridget of Kildare. Unfortunately they are told that by using the Fey swords to kill Fomorians at Tara, they accidentally violated an ancient treaty and started a war between the Fomorians and the Fey. (Whoops!) They convince Cathaoir and Brigit to go try to persuade the Fomorians not to wipe out the Fey. [Results TBD]
 
Leaving Faerie, they find themselves outside of Rome, which is in revolt against Emperor Otto (who is German). They find Otto camped with his army outside the walls of Rome, desperately in need of both a military and a moral victory here to solidify his credibility as Roman Emperor. But it seems the City's defenders have some supernatural help. Sneaking inside the walls, the Heroes find the leader of the opposition is their old frenemy Count Gregory (from way back in episode 1), along with some demonic forces sent by Kor. The Heroes manage to kill Gregory and the demons, and do so in such a way that the Senate sees the light, throws open the gates, and welcomes Otto in begging his forgiveness. The heroes grab a quick couple hours of sleep, because in the morning they have to ride like hell to get Otto to Venice in time for the Council he called.
 
Whew! And that's where we're paused at the moment. 33 bi-weekly game sessions, 6 months game time. I'm seeing the Venetian Council as the end of Act 2 and start of Act 3, as the Heroes gather together the allies they've made for the final battle against Kor...

While I'm at it, I had meant to post my interpretation of an interesting race of creatures from Welsh myth called the Coraniaid:
 
 
Coraniaid
Val   Char   Cost    Roll     Notes
  12    STR       2       11-      Lift 132.0kg; 2d6+1 [2]
  12    DEX      4       11-      OCV:  6/8/DCV:  6/9
  14    CON      4       12-
  10    INT        0       11-      PER Roll 11-/16-
  12    EGO      2       11-      ECV:  3 - 3
  12    PRE       2       11-      PRE Attack:  2d6
6+2  OCV      5      
6+3  DCV      5      
   3     OMCV  0      
   3     DMCV  0      
   3     SPD      10                  Phases:  4, 8, 12
12+2 PD          2                   Total:  12/14 PD (8/10 rPD)
12+2 ED         2                   Total:  12/14 ED (8/10 rED)
   5     REC      1
  25    END      1
  11    BODY   1
  25    STUN    3       Total Characteristic Cost:  39
 
Movement:    Running:  10m/20m
                         Leaping:  2m/4m
                         Swimming:  1m/2m
 
Cost   Powers                                                                                   END
           Hearing-Based Abilities, all slots Hearing-Based (-½)          
7         1)  Accuracy:  +2 OCV (10 Active Points); Hearing-Based (-½)     
4         2)  Accuracy:  +2 OCV (10 Active Points); Only vs. Ranged Attacks (-1), Hearing-Based (-½)               
7         3)  Attack Tracking:  +2 DCV (10 Active Points); Hearing-Based (-½)         
6         4)  Ranged Attack Tracking:  +3 DCV (15 Active Points); Only Vs. Ranged Attacks (-1), Hearing-Based (-½)   
7         5)  Anticipation:  Lightning Reflexes (+10 DEX to act first with All Attacks) (10 Active Points); Hearing-Based (-½)      
21      6)  Alertness:  Danger Sense (immediate vicinity, out of combat, Function as a Sense) (32 Active Points); Hearing-Based (-½) 16-                                                                                                  
11      7)  Danger Sense Dodging:  Resistant Protection (8 PD/8 ED), Hardened (+¼) (30 Active Points); Requires A Roll (Danger Sense Roll; -½), Instant (-½), Hearing-Based (-½), Nonpersistent (-¼)      0
2         8)  Absolute Range Sense (3 Active Points); Hearing-Based (-½)  
10      9)  They Know Of Any Plans Made Against Them:  Deduction 16- (15 Active Points); Hearing-Based (-½)         
           Can Hear Any Sound Carried By The Wind                          
10      1)  Enhanced Hearing:  +5 PER with Hearing Group         0
20      2)  Combat Hearing:  Targeting with Hearing Group          0
18      3)  Parabolic Hearing:  +12 versus Range Modifier for Hearing Group       0
7         4)  Discriminatory Hearing:  Detect Respiration  11-/16- (Hearing Group), Discriminatory     0
30      5)  True Awareness:  Spatial Awareness (Hearing Group), Discriminatory, Analyze  0
81      6)  Clairsentience (Hearing Group), Mobile Perception Point (can move up to 12m per Phase), Persistent (+¼), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½), MegaScale (1m = 100 km; +1 ½) (81 Active Points)           0
1         Long-Lived:  Life Support  (Longevity: 200 Years)            0
 
           Skills
4         WF:  Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons
3         Defense Maneuver I
7         Analyze:  Sounds 13-
3         Climbing 11-
7         Shadowing 13-
7         Stealth 13-
2         AK: Cymru (Wales) 11-
0         Language:  Coranaid (idiomatic) (4 Active Points)
3         Language:  Welsh (completely fluent)
2         Language:  English (fluent conversation)
1         Language:  Irish (fluent conversation; Similar to Welsh)
 
Total Powers & Skill Cost:  281
Total Cost:  320
 
225+     Matching Complications
10      Negative Reputation:  "The First Plague", Frequently (Extreme;  Known Only To A Small Group)
5         Physical Complication:  Small (4-5') (Infrequently; Barely Impairing)
15      Psychological Complication:  Hates Humans (Common; Strong)
10      Social Complication:  Mean, Nasty & Ornery Frequently, Minor
5         Susceptibility:  Extremely Loud Noises 1d6 damage Instant (Uncommon)
30      Susceptibility:  The crushed dust from a certain insect 3d6 damage per Segment (Uncommon)
95      Experience Points
 
Total Complications Points:  320
 
TYPICAL EQUIPMENT CARRIED
Spear, Medium
Club
Axe, Small
Bow, Medium
Sling
Heavy Leather Armor
 
Background/History:  The First Plague that beset the reign of Lludd Llaw Eraint were the Coraniaid, a stunted race of beings who came to Britain and could not be forced out because their hearing was so acute that they could hear any sound the wind touches. Thus did they instantly know of any plans made against them. Indeed it is said their ears were so sharp they could hear arrows and other blows as they moved through the air and thus avoid all harm. Much woe did they cause among the Britons and all action against them seemed impossible. Thus did Lludd cross the water to Gaul and seek aid and advice from his brother Llefelys who was King there. And they did craft a long trumpet that muffled their conversation so that the Coraniaid could not hear their speech. And thus did Llefelys tells Lludd of a certain insect that when crushed up and mixed with water was deadly to the Coraniaid, but harmless to the Britons. Lludd returned to the country with many of the insects and did crush them up and mix them with water. And Lludd called a meeting of all his people and all the Coraniaid, and when all had gathered he threw the mix over the whole crowd, thereby killing the Coraniaid without harming his own people. Thus were the Coraniaid destroyed, but King Lludd did save some of the insects for breeding in the event the plague ever returned to Britain.
Personality/Motivation:  Mean, nasty & ornery, the Coranaid hate humans and wish to displace them from the land.
Powers/Tactics:  The Coranaid's main ability is their unnaturally-acute hearing. The primary narrative effect of their superior hearing is that they can hear any plans being amde against them, making them nearly impossible to surprise. It also allows them to "hear" attacks coming, making them hard to hit in combat, especially at range. They typically wear leather armor and carry a mix of spears, clubs and axes, although they prefer to fight at range with bows and slings.
Campaign Use:  Force your players to get creative in figuring out how to deal with them.
Appearance:  A dwarvish race of beings who average between 4' to 5' in height and stout. Their faces are misshapen and asymmetrical. Their hair ranges in color from dark brown and dark blue to black, and is usually worn long and stringy.
Coraniaid.hdc

How has the campaign been going?

Since the City of Babylon is described as including fictional places like the City of Oz and associated characters, I threw Star Trek and Star Wars pop culture references into a blender to get a Ferengi used starship dealer in Babylon selling stripped down copies of the Millenium Falcon to tourist rubes from Earth. Warp drive was too slow.  
 
They just now have to figure out how to get it from the City of Babylon's dimension to Earth and hope it actually gets them into hyperspace.

After rewatching the Retro Encabulator recently, my technobabble threshold is reinforced.
 

Blade Runner 2049 -- Serviceable extension to the Blade Runner setting, suffers some of the same flaws of the original with pacing and story development, but is visually and audibly stunning. The Dolby Atmos mix on the 4K Blu Ray is *LOUD*, especially in the LFE (subwoofer) and height channels, and I wouldn't recommend playing this late at night unless you want everyone to be shaken awake.
 
Halt and Catch Fire -- Finished the first season, having trouble getting into the second season.
 
The Good Place -- About halfway through the first season. I had stalled on this one in the second episode, until I found an article online that gave me a peek at a plot point in the last episode of the first season.

Sorry, but Rocky and Bullwinkle are eternal. Cartoon specialty channels, children's specialty channels, kids' viewing hour local programming, DVDs, streaming, file-sharing websites... Moose and Squirrel will be rediscovered by every succeeding generation.
 
Just because most of us here are old farts who think everything cool for kids came out when we were that age, doesn't mean it all has to die with us.

I love how anyone hungry for characters that aren't male, white, and straight to headline some movies in Hollywood for a change is a "social justice warrior."

That's what it was reminding me of! I couldn't quite put my finger on it! Tho fortunately (my childhood crush on Joan Severance notwithstanding) Annable is both a better actress, and a much more convincing athlete. (And/or has better stunt double and better fight choreography.)
 
And Brany's hair didn't bug me so much as his makeup job. I'm sure it was done that way on purpose, but to me the uneven coloration just made it look like...well, a bad makeup job.

And for villains:
 
All together now....
 
SERPENT SOCIETY!!
 

A couple of scenes I would like to see in the Black Widow movie--
 
We begin with an ending--specifically the ending of The Avengers at the shawarma scene--
 

 
An adorable little red-haired girl comes up to Natasha--

"You're one of the heroes, aren't you?"

Natasha smiles wearily. "I don't know as I'd say I was a hero--"

"Can I have your autograph?"

Natasha sighs. "Honey, I really don't think that's a--"

Then she trails off when she catches sight of Tony Stark across the table nodding his head and mouthing the words "Yes! Sign It! Come On!" She looks back at the little girl and sees the beginnings of disappointment in her eyes.

"Okay, sure," says Natasha, and takes the piece of paper the girl offers her. "What's your name?"

"Tasha."

Natasha looks at her incredulously for a moment, then thinks for a moment and writes on the paper. She hands it back to Tasha, and she reads what's written out loud.

"To Tasha--Keep Fighting The Good Fight--Best Always--The BLACK WIDOW!" Tasha's eyes light up like Times Square. "That is so cool!  I'm gonna tell all my friends I got an autograph from the Black Widow!"

She launches herself at Natasha and gives her a big hug. "Thank You, Black Widow!" As she runs off, Natasha looks after her until Stark speaks again. "You see? It feels good to get recognized for a good job."

"Especially when you've earned it," says Steve Rogers, who offers Tony his hand. "I owe you an apology. I was wrong about you."

"You don't owe me anything," replies Tony. "But you could pick up the tab."

"Sorry," smiles Steve, "I left my wallet in my other suit."

"You have another suit?" jokes Tony, and they laugh at each other while Natasha looks off thoughtfully, trying to deal with what just happened.  Scant hours before she was Natasha Romanoff, agent of SHIELD and spy without a country.  Now--she's the Black Widow, defender of New York and one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
 
I'd also like a scene with Melinda May.  Something in a dive bar, I think--
 
"If it isn't the Black Widow."
 
"If it isn't the Cavalry."
 
"You know I don't like that name."
 
"Don't know why.  As far as code names go, it's pretty solid.  Besides--isn't Chun Li taken?"
 
"Oh, you're funny."
 
"Thanks.  I'm thinking of a career in stand-up comedy."
 
The bartender--who bears a remarkable resemblance to Stan Lee--steps up.
 
"Ladies--whattya drinkin'?"
 
"Whiskey," they say in unison.  "Straight up."
 
"What, no vodka?" says May.
 
"What am I, a cliche?  (Switches to Russian accent) You vant I should be chasing after Moose and Squirrel, dahlink?"
 
May laughs.  "Now that's funny."
 
"I got a million of 'em."
 
Or something like that.

Yes, but it fits with the movie continuity. Pym told Lang early that the helmet is what helps protect him from the deteriorating madness that infected Yellowjacket, because he didn't have the right technology. It is also why Pym couldn't wear the suit himself, because even with the helmet, the cumulative effect had meant he couldn't.

Again, I didn't say it was just a movie with a famous black lead; its a quasi-blockbuster with an (almost) entirely all-black cast (usually only reserved for small serious dramas fighting oppression and for civil rights or Tyler Perry-esque comedies) that just broke a record for early ticket sales. IMO this is somewhat of a big deal.  YMMV.

It may be happening--Black Widow to get her own movie. Writer found to write screenplay. Although Marvel has not confirmed, so I'd chalk this up to a rumour. 
https://www.thewrap.com/jac-schaeffer-marvel-black-widow-movie/

Eye.

Yeah.
 
Again, waited my whole life for these movies; I'm amazed that most of them are, at least, well made, good pictures and I still don't get this 'fatigue' thing.  IF you actually like pizza, why would you get tired of eating it only once every three months?

i finally got to watch Rogue `1 which my mother got me as my New Year present. Impressive. Showed the power of the Death Star as it powered up. It gave a credible reason for the Death Star to have the weakness all along. Nice to see Mads Mikkelsen playing a good guy for a change. Adding veterans like Forest Whitaker and Donnie Yen did not overshadow the cast but added to it. It was good. And yet again adding British actors to the mix.  Mother liked K2SO and knocking out the troopers. Adding footage of Star Wars was a nice touch as the squadrons would be around. Nice to link the prequels and the main Star Wars films through this film.