Kevin Scrivner

Cheesy but... "Doctor Who" is famous for its cheesy special effects, almost so bad they're good. However, the reason it has so many fans is that the character development and well-written story arcs overcome its limitations. The reason the goofy-looking Daleks became menacing was that their opponent was not a team of sexy, heavily armed space soldiers as in "Battlestar Galactica" but a lone time traveler whose only weapons were his wits, a yo-yo, and a bag of jelly beans. Because you came to care for the Doctor and his friends, the cardboard monsters became real.

Oops, forgot the poll! They're both ruthless, space-faring cyborg races who have successfully destroyed a humanoid civilization. Both display an odd combination of treachery, cunning, arrogance, and stupidity. Both want to put mankind on the Endangered Species List, although the Daleks have been known to keep human slaves and convert some of them to robomen soldiers. Despite their mechanical vulnerabilities, both races have managed to establish themselves on a wide variety of planetary types because of their sophisticated technology. So the two conquest-crazed robotic civilizations meet and decide they are in each other's way. What happens next?

And then there's Isis What can I say? Mar-Vell never had his own Forties movie serial or live action Saturday morning TV show. I give the nod to the Big Red Cheese. Now, if Mar-Vell teamed up with Marvel (Photon), Marvel ("Split!"), and Marvel (the other cosmic fellow) against Marvel ("Shazam!") THEN things could get interesting. Hmmm, I suppose we could throw Captain Marvel Bunny into this one, too.

Awww. Do we HAVE to?

Charlton Heston was right! "Soylent McNuggets is PEOPLE!"

If you installed a freight elevator in the above-ground garage, would that solve the vehicle problem without compromising security and safety?

How to create a rykor? Figuring out how to represent the rykors stumped me, too. I figured the kaldane would use Mind Control or Telepathy to guide its mount (rykors have such low EGOs it should work automatically) and Clinging to hang on. The rykor itself I considered building as a 75-point follower with agent-level physical stats and zero INT and EGO. It would have to have kaldane guidance to move, even to feed itself. Any skills exercised by the rykor would, of course, be owned by its kaldane rider.

Martian meditations No offense taken. However, I did factor in a couple of your concerns. The Green Martian's strength is 25 rather than the 35 STR that 18 feet worth of Growth would normally give a humanoid in Earth gravity. So he's strong enough to tussle with John Carter (who in previous Barsoom threads has been given a STR of up to 35) but not so strong that your more normal player-characters couldn't take him on. The 12 DEX for size also mitigates the Martian's STR somewhat. Also, I did give him +2 on all Perception rolls for those huge eyes and mobile ear stalks. You have a point on the longevity. On the other hand, if everyone on Mars lives to be 1,000 years old, why spend the points on it? It's the "normal" lifespan. But what about the partial kaldane write-up? No one has commented, and I really wanted some input on how to finish the critter up. The radium guns would be bulky, extra-long musket-like devices. My write-up gave them the No Range Modifier Advantage (like a laser) since Burroughs said they could target the horizon. However, he also gave them virtually unlimited ammo, which seems a bit too powerful to me. I mean, how do Martian warriors survive long enough to have those spectacular sword duels if their firearms have inexhaustable rounds and limitless range? They'd simply post spotters with telescopes and pick each other off at the first glimpse. My version is more like a musket or shotgun; you get one or two shots then have to stop to reload. Since the weapon is so long and bulky, a human-sized Red Martian soldier needs a tripod or some other sort of support to fire it effectively. Green Martians, however, are large and strong enough to simply pick up a captured radium gun and fire it like a carbine. The 40-foot lances sound impressive (more Burroughsian hyberbole) but wouldn't necessarily do more damage than a terrestrial pike. They'd simply be effective at a longer range, and would be useless if an enemy slipped closer than the 40-yard-line.

Kaldane write-up From my Green Martian write-up you know that I, too, am a fan. I tried next to write up the kaldanes from "Chessman" but was stymied. They're pretty complicated even without their mounts and mental powers. Here's what I've got so far ... Name: Kaldane Val Char Cost 3 STR -7 26 DEX 48 15 CON 10 5 BODY -10 20 INT 10 20 EGO 20 20 PRE 10 2 COM -4 3 PD 2 3 ED 5 SPD 14 4 REC 30 END 15 STUN Characteristic Rolls: STR: 10-, DEX: 14-, CON: 12-, INT: 13-, EGO: 13-, PER: 13- Run: 4", Swim: 2", Jump: 1/2", Lift: 37 Cost Powers END/Roll "Alien Physiology" 6 "Leathery Skin," Armor 2 PD/2ED 14 "Spidery Legs," Clinging 15 STR 5 Extra Limbs 32 Tunneling 4" through DEF 8 material 10 "Chelae," HKA 1/2D6 Bite 10 Life Support: Self-Contained Breathing 2 Life Support: Diminished Eating: Once Per Year 25 "Super Intellect" Multipower 5 Mind Control 6D6, +1/4 adv Telepathic, -1/2 limit Requires Eye Contact, 4 END 5 Telepathy 6D6, -1/2 limit Requires Eye Contact, 4 END 10 Mental Defense 14 Cost Skills, Talents, Perks Roll 3 Acrobatics 14- 3 Acting 13- 3 Animal Handler: Rykors 13- 3 Breakfall 14- 7 Bugging (Eavesdropping) 15- 3 Climbing 14- 7 Concealment 15- 3 Conversation 13- 5 Cramming 3 Scholar 5 Five Knowledge Skills at 11- 3 Oratory 13- 2 PS: Philosopher 11- 3 Riding 14- 3 Scientist 5 Five non-technical Science Skills at 11- 7 Stealth 16- 3 Survival (Underground) 13- 2 Familiar with Common Melee Weapons 9 Talent: Ambidexterous 3 Talent: Bump of Direction 5 Talent: Eidetic Memory 3 Talent: Lightning Calculator 4 Talent: Speed Reading 100+ Disadvantages OCV: 9; DCV: 9; ECV: 7; Mental Def.: 14; Phases: PD/rPD: 3/2 ; ED/rED: 3/2 Costs: Char.: 93 Disad.: Powers: + 221 Base: + 100 Exp.: + Total: = 314 Total: = 314 Source: Edgar Rice Burroughs, "The Chessmen of Mars," 1922 Background: Tara of Helium, daughter of John Carter, discovered the kaldane civilization while escaping from an over-zealous suitor who had abducted her and carried her far from home. And rykor Powers and Abilities: Disadvantages: Height: cm (1' 2"), Weight: kg (8 lbs), Sex: Asexual, Race: Kaldane Appearance: Kaldanes are leathery, spherical, burrowing creatures about the size of a volleyball or basketball. They crawl on six spidery legs and have a pair of chelae for eating and fighting. They are blue-gray in color, have large, bulging, round eyes and tiny sphincter-like mouths. They also have vestigial nostril slits although they don't have to breathe. They can speak human languages but do so in a monotone since they lack a fully developed larynx and lungs for voice inflection. Like all Barsoomians, they enjoy draping themselves with jewelry. Their rykor mounts are well-proportioned humanoid bodies with a mouth and rudimentary sensory organs where the head should be. Rykors are clothed in the shabbiest of loin cloths but have a saddle arrangement mounted on their necks and shoulders. They sometimes are equipped with a sword and scabbard but are incapable of using them (or of doing anything useful) unless a kaldane is aboard. ========= Hero System write-up by Kevin Scrivner

Convention #49 Heroines possess not merely Buns of Steel but thighs, knees, calves, ankles and feet of the substance as well. This explains why they can run, leap, climb, and perform complex martial arts manuevers in footgear that would cripple an ordinary woman after a few minutes' wear.

Jingle Belle Ever see the graphic novel "Jingle Belle"? The premise is that Santa and the Elf Queen had a daughter who grew up to be the teeny-bopper from Hell. She wants to earn Daddy's respect and goes about it in all the wrong ways. Pretty funny stuff. Think Disney's "Little Mermaid" meets "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

Unfortunately ... It seems the Mighty Tentacled One has pulled an Al Gore and chosen not to run. Ever since Pat Robertson ran on the Republican ticket back in the '80s, candidates with obvious religious affiliations have been under attack by liberals. You can see, of course, how that would put Cthulhu at a disadvantage. After all, he IS a god and has the ultimate in conservative agendas (bring back the Elder Gods and return mankind to snack food status). And the Innsmouth lobby is a New England special interest group by anyone's definition.

More Hollow Earth goodness I can't remember the author, but "The Moon Pool" is another well-written lost worlds adventure set inside the Earth. Don't neglect Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth." C.S. Lewis' "The Silver Chair" and H.G. Wells' "First Men on the Moon" and "The Time Machine" feature subterranean civilizations you could glean ideas from. Robert Howards' "Worms of the Earth" and H.P. Lovecraft's "The Forbidden City" (at least I think that's the title) feature eerie underground denezins. Also don't miss the old Universal Pictures B-movie "The Mole People." TSR published a series of Hollow Earth modules and supplements back.

Convention #29 Costumes can be comfortably worn beneath street clothes in any sort of weather or climate. A hero need never fear becoming overheated or developing jock itch. Furthermore, flared sleeves and flowing capes never bunch up or stick out of ordinary clothes so that people look at the hero funny while he's walking down the hall ("Clark, have you gained weight?"). Also, a hero can use a public restroom without his fellows noticing any colorful extra layers.

Genre Convention #9 There is always a handy, unmetered parking space available for the (Fill-in-the-blank)-mobile at the scene of a crime. If a hero does find it necessary to double park, he never gets a parking ticket. Furthermore, the hero's favorite means of transportation never gets its doors dinged by the careless owners of nearby vehicles.

Another approach Another way to tackle this would be to let the good guys win -- at least in the short term. (This assumes your players enjoy their characters and want to continue your campaign.) The heroes really have thwarted your master villain's current plot. Let him retreat into the woodwork and launch your next adventure. It need have no apparent relation to the heroes' first outing. Have your various characters cross paths again in the course of their investigations. Maybe by then things will have cooled off a bit and they'll be able to work together again. But the villain from Episode One hasn't forgotten about them, and he still wants to summon that demon. Maybe while the good guys are pursuing their current quest they begin to notice small items in the news that indicate a familiar pattern: a missing child, a rare book stolen from the downtown library, a mausoleum broken into at the city's oldest cemetary. If they're particularly on their toes (and make some Perception or INT rolls) they notice they're being watched by shadowy figures in alleys or darkened doorways. Maybe they discover that someone has gone discreetly through their rooms and taken some trifling possession -- a locket, a scarf, a pen knife. When they confront their current nemesis and his thugs, he denies any knowledge of these occurrences. Have them catch a fleeting glimpse of your master villain or one of his main henchmen on the subway, or in a reflection in a storefront window, or across a crowded ballroom. Of course, he's gone by the time they can turn around or push through the crowd. Maybe these glimpses are followed by some nasty event directed at one of the heroes, or at one of their DNPCs. The subway train derails or suddenly loses power. A pedestrian killed in a freak accident in front of the store turns out to be some kind of special investigator. An important guest at the ball dies of an apparent heart attack. What all this adds up to is up to you but the police will think the adventurers are nuts if they tell officers of the common link.

More Golden Oldies What about some of the older guys, older as in Golden Age? I'd add Lee Falk's The Phantom and the Blue Beetle to the enlistment rolls. Radio's Green Hornet relied on his gas gun but could throw a mean punch, too. Heroes such as Spy Smasher and the Masked Marvel are probably too obscure but would fit this category. And JSA's Dollman was essentially a pugilist with a shrinking schtick.

No Harley Quinn? I realize your write-up is based on a specific version of the Joker and that Harley Quinn is a recent addition to the mythos. But she does add something to the Joker's persona, don't you think? Just wondered, have you ever thrown your Joker up against a group of pulp adventurers? Even though he's almost 500 points, he seems as if he would work better in combat against Dick Tracy and Indiana Jones types than 350-point superheroes. Not a criticism of your write-up, just a consequence of dealing with hard stats rather than comic writers' plot devices.

An Irwin for all campaigns Zed-F's 75-point Steve Irwin is probably more like the real man, although I'd give him more STR so he can wrestle those crocs and more DEX so he can avoid snakebite. My version is based on Irwin's persona in the movie "Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course." I didn't expect it to balloon to superhero proportions but it does reflect his cinematic abilities.

I always figured they got it by pulling off a series of smaller crimes, saving up for the big caper that will make them filthy rich and their names household words (at least that was the plan). This structure shapes the plot. For example: The villains begin their crime spree by kidnapping a series of scientists and technicians, forcing them to design The Ultimate Weapon . Once they've got a set of blueprints, the evil protagonists scour the countryside for materials to build it. Once they've got it assembled, they've got to transport it to the firing site without the authorities catching on. Finally, they hack into the city broadcasting and broadband networks to air their big threat, "Pay up or fry!" Having a getaway plan and a means of transporting the ransom is also a good idea. Of course, there are more subtle ways than a spree of bank robberies. Maybe they've got a chain of small businesses that provide capital -- bookie joints, massage parlors, tattoo studios, pawn shops, and the like. They'd have to manage the business, protect their resources, and fend off competitors and the cops. Maybe they've got a sophisticated Internet or mail fraud scheme going. Maybe their master hacker is siphoning off a tiny percentage from innumerable bank accounts. How the group handles its money also depends on its goals. Joker and Riddler types care more about style than profit. They'll blow a hard-snatched wad to pull off some spectacular stunt. Powermongers, Lex Luthor and Obadiah Stane types, will maintain a respectible front while manipulating others from behind the scenes. If they really are into supervillainy for the money, they might be cautious about expenditures, won't sweat over complicated long-range schemes, and will zip off to Monte Carlo once they do land an appreciable amount of cash.

"Wouldja lookit those FANGS on Grond? Ain't he a beauty?" OK, here's a more complete write-up based on YOUR suggestions. Still need help on Disads. He's 76 points in the hole. Name: Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter Val Char Cost 20 STR 10 18 DEX 24 25 CON 30 15 BODY 10 15 INT 5 18 EGO 16 30 PRE 20 16 COM 3 18 PD 14 5 ED 4 SPD 12 9 REC 50 END 38 STUN Characteristic Rolls: STR: 13-, DEX: 13-, CON: 14-, INT: 12-, EGO: 13-, PER: 12- Run: 13", Swim: 6", Jump: 4", Lift: 400 kg Cost Powers END/Roll "I've Been Doing This Since I Was A Child. Don't Try It At Home." 25 Luck 10D6, -1 limit Only When Dealing With Animals 30 Physical Damage Reduction 50%, Resistant 15 Talent: Lightning Reflexes +10 (Moves first to avoid getting bitten) 40 "Animal Empathy," Telepathy vs. Animal Minds 10D6, -1/4 limit Not vs. Avians, 5 END 20 +30 PRE, -1/2 limit, Defensive Only 14 Running +7" (Total 13") 4 Swimming +4" (Total 6") Cost Skills, Talents, Perks Roll "Croc Wrestling" Maneuvers 4 Martial Dodge 4 Martial Escape 3 Martial Grab 3 Martial Throw Boxing Maneuvers 4 Punch (Martial Strike) 4 Block (Martial Block) 12 Animal Handler 15-: All Listed Types Except Birds and Raptors 3 Breakfall 13- 3 Climbing 13- 3 Combat Driving 13-: Common Ground Vehicles, Small Motorized Boats 3 Concealment 12- 2 KS: Reptiles 11- 2 KS: Insects and Arthropods 11- 2 KS: Showmanship 11- 2 Language: 3 Mechanics 12- 3 Navigation 12- 3 Oratory 15- 3 Paramedics 12- 2 PS: Naturalist 11- 3 Riding 13- 3 Science: Herpetology 12- (INT-based) 3 Science: Entomology 12- (INT-based) 2 Science: Zoology 11- 3 Stealth 13- 3 Tracking 12- 7 TF: Common Ground Vehicles, Small Motorized Boats, Riding Animals, Small Planes, SCUBA Gear 5 WF: Common Melee, Lasso, Small Arms 9 +3 with Lasso 200+ Disadvantages 20 Psychological Limitation: Code vs. Killing Animals, common, total 20 Psychological Limitation: Must Get Up Close and Personal with Vicious, Venomous, Predatory Creatures, very common, strong 10 Psychological Limitation: Always "On Camera," common, strong 15 Enraged 11- When Animals Harmed, Recover 14-, common circumstance 10 Hunted 11-: Poachers, less powerful 10 Watched 11-: Various International Governments (They Think He's A Spy), more powerful 10 Distinctive Features: Always Wears Khaki Bush Shirt and Shorts, concealable with effort, always noticed 10 Reputation 11-: Crazy Aussie Naturalist 10 Social Limitation: Famous, frequent, minor 5 DNPC 8-: Daughter, normal, useful skills 1 Quirk: Disgustingly Cheerful In All Circumstances 1 Quirk: Can't Resist Examining Animal Droppings 76 "My Dad Taught Me This When I Was A Child. Don't Try It At Home" Bonus OCV: 6 (9 with Lasso); DCV: 6; ECV: 6; Mental Def.: 0; Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 PD/rPD: 18/0 ; ED/rED: 5/0 Costs: Char.: 144 Disad.: 122 Powers: + 254 Base: + 200 Exp.: + 76 Total: = 398 Total: = 398

Write-up so far Cost Powers END/Roll "I've Been Doing This Since I Was A Child. Don't Try It At Home." 25 Luck 10D6, -1 limit Only When Dealing With Animals 30 Physical Damage Reduction 50%, Resistant 15 +10 Lightning Reflexes (to avoid getting bitten) 25 "Animal Empathy," Telepathy 10D6, -1 limit Only vs. Non-Human Biological Species (Animals), 5 END Cost Skills, Talents, Perks Roll "Croc Wrestling" Maneuvers 4 Martial Dodge 4 Martial Escape 3 Martial Grab 3 Martial Throw Boxing Maneuvers 4 Punch (Martial Strike) 4 Block (Martial Block) xx Animal Handler 3 Breakfall 3 Climbing 3 Combat Driving xx-: Common Ground Vehicles, Small Motorized Boats 3 Concealment 2 KS: Reptiles 2 KS: Insects and Arthropods 2 Language: 3 Mechanics 3 Navigation 3 Oratory 3 Paramedics 2 PS: Naturalist 3 Riding 200+ Disadvantages 20 Psychological Limitation: Code vs. Killing Animals, common, total 20 Psychological Limitation: Must Get Up Close and Personal with Vicious, Venomous, Predatory Creatures 15 Enraged 11- When Animals Harmed, Recover 14-, common circumstance 10 Hunted 11-: Poachers, less powerful 10 Watched 11-: Various International Governments (They Think He's A Spy), more powerful 15 Distinctive Features: Always Wears Khaki Bush Shirt and Shorts, not concealable, always noticed 10 Reputation 11-: Crazy Aussie Naturalist 10 Social Limitation: Famous, frequent, minor 5 DNPC 8-: Daughter, normal, useful skills 1 Quirk: Disgustingly Cheerful In All Circumstances 1 Quirk: Can't Resist Examining Animal Droppings

Clever, but not futuristic The ice bullet IS a clever idea but not necessarily futuristic. Charlie Chan matched wits with a murderer who employed such a weapon in "Meeting At Midnight" (1944). In this case, the bullet was made of frozen blood of the same type as the victim's. In an era before DNA testing, that made it even harder to detect. The projectile melted and mixed with the blood flowing from the wound. Incidentally, the "gun" itself was quite compact -- a dual-purpose cigarette case.

I wondered if Irwin might have some type of Entangle since he always seems to have plenty of rope or straps or bags to restrain wildlife with. Or would you simply give him WF: Lasso and some skill levels?

Watching the movie "Crocodile Hunter" last night reminded me of the web comic somebody posted "Steve Irwin Meets Cthulhu." It occurred to me that Irwin could easily replace Jimmy Dugan as the NPC normal heroes love to hate, if anyone who cuddles venemous snakes for a living can be considered "normal." Imagine. Your Friendly Neighborhood Heroes are about to put some smackdown on those pesky alien invaders or Elder Gods when HE shows up to rescue the poor victimized brutes. Here's what I've got so far. Let me know what you think. 200+ Disadvantages 20 Psychological Limitation: Code vs. Killing Animals, common, total 20 Psychological Limitation: Must Get Up Close and Personal with Vicious, Venomous, Predatory Creatures 15 Enraged 11- When Animals Harmed, Recover 14-, common circumstance 20 Hunted 11-: Poachers, more powerful 10 Watched 11-: Various International Governments (They Think He's A Spy), more powerful 15 Distinctive Features: Always Wears Khaki Bush Shirt and Shorts, not concealable, always noticed 10 Reputation 11-: Crazy Aussie Naturalist 10 Social Limitation: Famous, frequent, minor 5 DNPC 8-: Wife, normal, useful skills Cost Powers END/Roll "I've Been Doing This Since I Was A Child. Don't Try It At Home." 30 Luck 6D6 xx Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant xx Lightning Reflexes (to avoid getting bitten) xx "Animal Empathy," Telepathy 10D6, -1 limit Only vs. Non-Human Biological Species (Animals)