Amorkca

“I want you to do something.”
 
Jason smiled at Marlene. “For you, anything.”
 
“Not for me. For you.”
 
“What is it?”
 
* * * * *
Charlemagne Bascomb allowed her companion to remove her trench coat. He shook the rain off it and folded it over his arm. She took her wide-brimmed hat off and allowed the rain to roll off the brim. A low whistle came from one of the bar's patrons. Charley smiled.
 
Her companion looked at the notice hung on the wall reading “Accorded Neutral Territory”. “Someone's a Dresden fan,” he commented.
 
“Hey, Charley!” the bartender called.
 
“Hey, Bob. Ale for me. My booth available?”
 
“Sure is. Made sure it was empty. Anything for your companion?”
 
“No. He's just here to keep me out of trouble.”
 
Bob laughed.
 
Many eyes followed Charley when she walked. It wasn't just her seven-foot plus height that drew the eyes. She was a beautiful woman to behold.
 
The booth Charley headed to was spaced to accommodate a person of her build. One seat and table raised just a little bit higher than usual, with the other seat having a single step up to accommodate people of more natural builds. A seat already occupied by a platinum-haired beauty.
 
“Silver,” Charley said in greeting.
 
Looking up, Silver returned the greeting. “Titania. I'm here. What do you want?”
 
Sliding into the booth, Charley said, “I'm just here for an ale.”
 
“Then why call me?”
 
Hanging Charley's coat on a hook outside the booth, Pulsar took off his own coat and hat and disappeared them. Silver practically hissed when she saw him. “He wants to talk to you.”
 
“Damn, Charley,” Bob called out. “You brought a Guardian here?” Chairs scuffed across the wooden floor.
 
Turning to look at him, Pulsar stared and turned his attention to the notice. “Accorded Neutral Territory. Your place. Your rules. Anyone wants fight I will be more than happy to step outside first.”
 
“What do you want?” Silver snapped.
 
Pulsar slid in next to Charley. “Nice blouse.” Silver wore a silver silk blouse with several buttons undone.
 
“Didn't you do enough last time?” She held up her right arm, the cuff pinned closed.
 
Bob brought over Charley's ale and a wine glass for Silver. “Just keep it civil.”
 
Pulsar nodded. “Do you think I was somehow unfair to you at our last meeting?”
 
“You could have just killed me.”
 
“I could have,” Pulsar agreed. “But if you recall, I wanted you to deliver a message. And it seems that the message worked.”
 
“Then what is it you want? I have things I could be doing.”
 
“Someone... Several people, actually, think that I was excessive with you and feel that some reparations are in order,” he said.
 
“You were!”
 
Pulsar laid his hands flat on the table. “Keep in mind I could have simply killed you. Message would have been similar, but then we wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation.”
 
“Put your arm on the table, Silver. He isn't going to hurt you. This time,” Charley said.
 
Staring at Charley, Silver slowly laid her arm on the table. “If you need to fortify, now might be a good time to take a drink,” Pulsar said.
 
“What are you going to do?” Silver asked.
 
“I would like to say that this won't hurt, but experience tells me otherwise.” Pulsar unfastened the pins and unbuttoned the cuff. “It looks like it healed nicely.”
 
“Bob,” Charley called out, “You might want to bring her something stronger than wine.” Bob nodded.
 
Pulsar gently wrapped his hand around Silver's forearm. He locked eyes with hers. His power flowed.
 
While the healing was happening Charley turned her attention to her ale. She heard someone retching. “Don't watch if you have a weak stomach,” she called out.
 
While Silver's hand regrew, Pulsar's shriveled and turned into a claw. In time he released her arm. Bob delivered a double shot of whiskey. Silver downed it in one gulp. Pulsar's hand filled out and he stretched his fingers.
 
Silver turned her hand over, looking at the unblemished skin. “Don't think this makes us even.”
 
Pulsar snorted a bit of a laugh and shrugged his shoulders. He stood up and took Charley's coat off the hook. “I'll catch up in a sec,” she said. Pulsar headed to the bar.
 
“He doesn't think this makes the two of you even. Not by a long shot. Bauer still owes him for the woman you hurt. If you ever make a run at her again, or anyone like her, I will kill you, Silver. Don't ever doubt me for a second.”
 
Charley slipped from the booth and gathered her hat.
 
“Why did he do this?” Silver asked.
 
“Reclaiming a piece of his soul,” Charley answered without ever looking back.

Personally I'm bored with Nazis. They're a cliche.
 
The poll has a pretty good spread among the various types. Robots have held a small but consistent lead for awhile now. I guess the fact you (usually) don't have to feel guilty over busting them up makes them appealing.
 
Now, robot Nazis? That I could get behind.

Our early game that had the Society of Ternaugh* also had Queblar Elves, who were known for their uncommonly good magical baked goods. One of the more useful combat spells expanded a special cookie into a decoy to draw fire.
 
 
*Ternaugh was a wizard who gained his inspiration for spells by scrying nearby dimensions. Spells usually had box somewhere in the title**, and they also had really odd Side Effects for when the Magic Skill roll was flubbed. It's probably everything that people in this thread feel breaks fantasy immersion, but we had a lot of fun with it, and that's all that really matters.
 
**Examples include:
Ternaugh's Box of Puffed Grain and Nuts with a Secret Magical Surprise, which was an Aid spell with a requirement that the target must use the Secret Magical Surprise found within in order to gain the benefits. Eating the Cracker Jack was optional.
Ternaugh's Box of Slightly Questionable Liquid Refreshment summoned either a case of Sprite soda, or a really angry sprite if the wizard failed the magic skill roll.
Ternaugh's Box of Summoning created a phantom telephone booth that pulled a creature into it. The wizard needed to pick up the ghostly receiver, drop a coin into the slot, and dial the number of the creature so desired. Failures would result in "wrong numbers", which would summon a different creature.

The Turakian Age p. 36 mentions that when dealing with shorter-lived races (nearly everybody) Elves use shortened versions of their full names. I figure those races shorten Elvish place names as well, for convenience. But "Shularahaleen" isn't that lengthy a name, actually. It's no worse than Herzegovina, for example. And the Welsh would laugh at its brevity.
 
BTW France doesn't have crackers. France has frogs. Georgia has crackers. [Preceding included for reference purposes, not as recommended usage.]

Never let it be said that Dr Nymax! does not have a sense of humour. He has long been aware of Dr Clement Blatchford and his Omnitron and the fact that Blatchford is jealous. So why not have some fun with him ?
So he spoke with The Fae and between them they came up with an idea. How about an arch-foe for Clement ? It would need the right moment and the right person but still.
Thus it came to pass that Clement's employers kidnapped an heiress from a charity gala and brought along her boyfriend who they mistook for a bodyguard. Said boyfriend was a bit of a daredevil and a Bruce Lee fan but lacked the courage to say how he felt to his love. However our  resident Mad Scientist and The Fae can bend the rules so they knew what Blatchford and his employers did not. It came to pass that there was an 'accident' and the boyfriend 'fell' into the Omnitorn which then started working. The machine changed him into an anthropoid llama. The unconscious body was taken away for disposal but burst into sudden life when the heiress was threatened taking down the goons with martial arts. He then used a bike to rescue the heiress and return her to safety. His identity is kept secret as he hunts down the villainous Dr Blatchford. He performs stunts and fights crime in the meantime.
He is Evel Llamneval.

A Quiet Moment
 
“If you don't stop hovering I'm going to ground you,” Marlene said playfully. “I'm fine. Really.” Jason watched as Marlene slipped into a long sundress. Her leg bared through a slit, she stepped into a wedge sandal and bent over to fasten it. “Are you ever going to get tired of that?” She cast a smoldering gaze over her shoulder at Jason with a smile that held promises. “Watching me get dressed, I mean.” She stepped into the second sandal and stood up.
 
Marlene was a bit startled when Jason's arms slipped around her. “I hope not,” he whispered in her ear.
 
Turning about to face him, Marlene's arms went over his shoulders. “Me, too.” Jason kissed her gently. “Mmm. Would you mind getting the other sandal for me? I suddenly feel like I won't be able to do it without help.”
 
Jason knelt. He placed Marlene's foot upon his thigh and set the strap around her ankle, drawing the buckle tight. Looking up, his fingers caressed the back of her calf. She smiled down at him. “Thank you.”
 
Standing up, he asked, “Do you want me to go with you?”
 
“No. You know how us girls get when we start chatting. Besides, I don't have to be back in the office until tomorrow. You, on the other hand, have a meeting you need to get to.” Reaching up, Marlene tightened Jason's tie.
 
Jason's hands settled on Marlene's hips. “Marry me.”
 
Smiling up, Marlene said, “I already said yes.” She slipped her hands up around his neck. “I have decided that tonight is date night. What time do you think you'll be back?”
 
“I can be back around five. What do you have in mind?”
 
“I don't have anything in mind,” she answered him. “You and I are going out. Where, I don't care. What we do, I don't care. That's all up to you.”
 
Taking his suit coat off its hanger, Jason put it on. “Oh, I think I can come up with something.”
 
“That's good,” Marlene said with a grin. Hand in hand they left the room, Jason closing the door behind them. At the bottom of the stairs, Marlene tugged Jason towards the doors to the back, unwilling to let go of him until she absolutely had to.
 
On a table lay three bouquets, a blanket, and Marlene's sunhat. Releasing her hand, Jason took up her hat. Marlene had braided her hair that morning. Placing the hat on her head, Jason caught the braid and gently tugged it down, forcing Marlene to lift her chin. She smiled at him before he kissed her.
 
“Are you sure...”
 
“Go. Get out of my hair before I turn into an old nag before my time,” she teased. She flipped the blanket over one arm and gathered her bouquets. She smiled at him and blew him a kiss before heading out into the sunlight.

I have used this construct for a long time. My issue, as GM, is that players push the envelope always.
 
My players began using the animal forms as ways of fooling folk.  Who would think that a sparrow was a superhero?  What chance does the super-powered lookout have to spot that the oncoming sparrow is Captain Multiform?  SFX of powers have to be obvious to more than one sense, does your construct meet that?  If the sparrow is trapped in a cage can Captain Multiform escape by changing into a rhino?  Or does the cage prevent that happening?  The bars crushing a growing sparrow before the armour and strength of the rhino come into play??
 
playing devil’s advocate simply because these are some of the issues I have had to adjudicate on...
 
Doc

Not interested in this at all.  Here are some questions:
4e:  Who owns the rights? Tooling?  Hero Designer - I suspect that it will not be changed to support any versions other than 5e & 6e.  Hero Combat Manager - Not happening unless there is a huge demand TTS Hero System Mod (Beta) - No idea Again my recommendation has always been teach people the current version.  If you want to invest time/effort into something then create adventures/'adventure paths' that can live inside one of the many campaign worlds that are available.

Instead of writing a whole bunch of new material, how about using the material that is already available (either 5e or 6e).  Also in this time of COVID-19 when people are going to only be able to game in a virtual environment, I would highly recommend using Tabletop Simulator with the Hero System Mod (Beta).  By doing this it will be possible to get new players up and playing faster.
 
Here is my ambitious plan.  A friend of mine is a coach for a high school robotics team.  They want a GM to run them in a game, they have been teaching themselves D&D.  My plan is to run them in my campaign world and if I can convince their parents to invest in TTS ($20 each) we will use that or we will use a different VTT which I have been using for a while now.  Either way I am going to teach them Hero 6e.  There are 7 teenagers that I will be doing this with.  If I can get 3 or 4 of them to be hooked on Hero I will be classify that as a success.  If one or two wants to learn how to GM a Hero 6e game then it will be a smokin' success.

And 10x longer... 🙂
 
I'd hate Duke to get some time on his hands.  God knows how many more words we would have to read!!!!

Yes, one of the biggest problems I've always had with the books, even the older 3e games, was the layout order! The problem is exacerbated when the character creation stuff is spread over different chapters. For example, the standard charges stuff always leads the book, but then the templates and setting details are always somewhere near the back of the book. So new players picking up Fantasy HERO Complete have no idea as they start reading that there is anything like "character classes," equipment, and the other stuff they're used to finding up front in a D&D book. There are many ways to skin a cat, but the HERO layout has always seemed backwards to me. 
 
I like your arrangement. I also like your micro-campaign idea. Aaron Allston put a "choose your own adventure" type of game example in the Campaign Book for Justice Inc. It's admittedly very brief, but not too far off what every game should offer. It's a guided tour through the game mechanics, not simply an example of combat. He guides you through some choices, and they lead to different resolutions (skills, combat, etc.). A more developed version of this to lead new players and GMs would be a most excellent idea. 
 
I'm in total agreement here. As I've said before, I'm not interested in rewriting the rules. But I think they need a serious overhaul in how they're presented. It was easy and efficient when the books were virtually pamphlets compared to what we have now. But that same format was used as the books ballooned in size with each edition. They really needed to be reorganized at some point, although one major problem is that the 6e1/6e2 rules, for example, would make a mini-campaign virtually impossible because they are universal, so no assumptions are made about anything that could be played. The problems with being universal is that, while anything can be made with the rules, nothing has been decided on for how to demonstrate the rules. 
 
I think DOJ could really benefit from a remodeling of how they present their games. This should also include an online presence, like through the Tabletop Simulator mod that @Brennall has been working on. That's of course way beyond this particular thread, but it's time to come into the 21st Century! So many games now can be played in one night. There's no reason a game "Powered by HERO" can't live up to modern expectations, if it's laid out correctly. 

I play my games in one night online. Even better, if we don't finish I save the game and it remembers the state so we start at exactly the same position when we come back to it.
 

The HERO System is a roleplaying game ruleset, intended to support any genre of play, from sci-fi to horror, from fantasy to superheroes.  It is a point based system, where players purchase the abilities they want, and characters are balanced against one another by starting with the same number of total points.  The GM determines what types of abilities are appropriate for the story (i.e., no starships in a Victorian vampire tale), but within those limits players are free to customize their characters and are not bound by artificial class restrictions.
 
The rules do not change from one setting to the next.  Superheroes use the same game mechanics as fantasy adventurers, though they may be built on many more points (and thus have far more power).  Skill checks are resolved with a 3D6 roll (with a lower roll being better), whereas damage or effect rolls have multiple D6s added together (rolling high being better).  The game rules are "exposed", meaning each ability will begin with a descriptive name, followed by a shorthand version of the appropriate power (Zarhan's Smiting Blast -- 3D6 Ranged Killing Attack, requires gestures and incantations).
 
Customization options are almost limitless.  A comprehensive system of Powers, Advantages, and Limitations, means that players and GMs can fine tune their characters and NPCs to have exactly the kinds of abilities they want.  The HERO System lends itself well to player groups who like to tinker.  While there are many pregenerated settings to choose from, the many options available means that most groups will want to change one thing or another.  There are often multiple "right ways" to accomplish something in the HERO System.  Your lightning bolt spell could use any of half a dozen different Power combinations.  You build it the way *you* want it to work.
 
297 words, by my count.

Z makes an _excellent_ point here, Greysword, as does Brian, right here:
 
 
 
But I feel that they both stop just a tiny bit short of what you really need to hear.  I am not saying that they are wrong, because they aren't.   I think they might be just a bit blinded by the tendency of the last couple of editions to include words like "must."
 
There is _no_ "must."  There is _nothing_ you _must_ do, period.
 
You're the GM!
 
No-- don't anyone start thinking that you know what I'm thinking.    This isn't a God Complex thing; I'm actually going somewhere (and apparently it's not "to bed."    )
 
You are the GM, which means that you are tasked with, as Z said, developing a mastery of the rules.   You are _also_ tasked with creating and bringing life to whole stinkin' _world_!  I mean, my wife was in absolute agony to push out a seven-pound baby, and you've got to drop an entire planet and seven billion adults to live on it?!   Of _course_ it's rough!
 
 
 
 
But back to the point:
 
Dude, HERO GMs are _rare_.  Seriously.  HERO _players_ aren't that common anymore, unless you're willing to make them yourself, but the GMs are _way_ more rare.
 
Players _want_ to play.  Hell, GMs want to play.  And if I read your posts right, at least two of your players are already HERO-knowledgeable, meaning that not only do they know the system, but they know how rare the GMs are.
 
Use that.
 
 
Seriously:  you said yourself that there is a _lot_ to learn, and gave KnockBack as an example.  So you know you have a lot to learn.  So do your system-skilled players.
 
 
Now I'm an old man-- I just turned 60 Friday past.  I know things aren't the same now as when I was a kid, but when _I_ went to school, they taught Calculus.
 
 
But they didn't teach it in _first grade_.
 
They taught single-digit addition in first grade.  By the end of first grade, you could add a short list of three-digit numbers.  You could even subtract one three-digit number from another.   It was pretty cool, really.  I mean, I felt damned _amazing_ by the end of first grade!
 
But there was no Calculus.
 
 
Let's take another look at what Z and Brian had to say:
 
"There are simply too many options in the game."
 
"It's about as thin as you can get, and still include all the advice and such that the book covers."
 
Both of these are completely right, but they don't include everything you need to know to really learn this system:
 
You can change that.
 
Seriously.  You can solve the "too many options in the game" thing.  You can solve the "it's as thin as you can get" thing.
 
Lose 'em.  Ditch 'em.  Throw them out.   You want to make that book even thinner?  Rip out some of that advice that the book covers.  Too many options?  Hell, there's a universal _cure_ for "too many" of _anything_, and I don't even have to tell you what it is!
 
 
Get with your group.  Tell them your dilemma.  Think of it this way:  You just posted about some unhappiness in that you don't think the group communicated enough with you or each other to make the sort of characters you were hoping to see.   It goes two ways, my friend:  You have to communicate with them about the sort of game _not just that you want_, but the sort of game with which you're _capable_ at this point.
 
Having trouble remembering knock back rules?  Lose 'em!  Just flat get rid of them!  Tell the guys honestly, though:  "Look, I have got a _lot_ I need to get under my belt, but the best way to learn Spanish is to move to Spain, so I'd like to go ahead and run a game, but I have _got_ to set some tight edges on what we are and aren't going to use from the rules, at lest until I get the basics rock solid."
 
Tell them "I have a lot of trouble keeping Knock Back straight; I'd kinda like to just not do it this time around.   Multipowers are killing me.  Can we just go ahead and agree that we are going to use the powers in the slots at either 1/2 or Full strength, at least until I get better at mathing it out on the fly?  And maybe we can drop Linked.   Also, I've got some problems remembering everyone's Complications and keeping it all straight, and I'm just not ready to deal with Succeptible _at all_.  Tell you what:  let's put another 25 points on your base and drop 25 points of complications, okay?  Your points totals don't change, but it takes a lot off of me to keep up with."
 
Or even "I'm not ready to keep up with so much mechanics.  Can we do a 300 pt game instead?"
 
 
Seriously.  You can actually _do_ that!   And I'm going to level with you: the _majority_ of players-- HERO players in particular-- are pretty cool with it!  They _want_ to play, and you're willing to run.  You're being honest with them, and presenting individual examples of your problem areas.  Even if they aren't happy, they are going to respect that.  Be _honest_:  "Okay, let's build powers with no more than two modifiers each; I don't even understand what the hell half of the things on your sheet _are_, let alone how to deal with them."
 
 
Two of two things is going to happen:  You are going to get a lot of understanding people who are willing to make at least a _few_ concessions to your problems.  There's no price for that, either-- that's just _gold_.
 
Another thing that's going to happen is you are going to get a lot of suggestions-- _GOOD_ ones, I mean; not just "well you need to read this and study that and memorize this"-- you are going to get _solid_ suggestions if you've got rules-knowledgeable players.
 
I bet if you told them up front "Guys, I keep forgetting about knock back / never remember how to figure knock back--"  I'd be willing to _bet_ that someone is going to say "how about we tell you what it is, until you get the hang of it?  We'll roll our damage and calculate our knock back, and give you the result."
 
I don't know if it will help you, but it's still a solid idea.  Hell, someone might decide to keep track of it for the bad guys, too!  "Okay, Player Two, you take eight points of BODY"  Then Player Two says "and one inch knock back" and you keep on rocking:  "Player One, you take eleven points of BODY."  and Player Two chimes in with "and no Knock Back."
 
I won't say that will happen, but I _can_ say I have seen it happen, and at more than one table.
 
You said it yourself:  There is a metric assload of system to learn.   Why the Hell would you force yourself to learn it all at once?      If you're not having fun, keep whittling away until you've got something you can enjoy.  As you get confident with that, add another thing or two when you're ready.  Nobody really likes to admit it, but that's how _most_ of us learned to play:  start with first edition at a whopping fifty-something pages, play it a couple of years, then they add a few pages to the next edition.  Hell, I wouldn't want to force myself to memorize ten text books, either!  
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

dieRoller.html

Like, the way it can be played in three levels. You can do maps in three levels.  Level one has an off white sheet with a hex grid on it. it also has ruler tools that are accurate to the hex grid scale so you can use the ruler and turn the grid off, if you so choose.  Even in this level one, you can use the pen tool to "draw' directly on the map with what ever color you choose, and the result is similar to what was once done on Chessex battle mats with water soluble markers (wasserlosich pens). 
 
The second level is to load pre generated map images, either found online, or drawn and scanned by the GM. These can be free, or paid, or what have you and the tools in TTS will allow you to scale the image up and down as you see fit to use in the game. This will look similar to what is seen in Roll 20, with full color maps or photo downloads of overhead views of areas.
 
As for GM preparation, there are some pre-made characters, such as  Soldiers, thugs and average humans, one can use as base starting characters, BUT any powerful characters or Supers will need to be built or baked from Hero Designer files, and pre-loaded in so that one has them ready to load into the combat controller. It's not really set up for a gGM to generate powerful characters on the fly, But it IS set up to run endless standard mooks, with just one version of their stats. 
 
The Third Level involves a lot of work, but the results are spectacular.  Going through the TTS workshop on steam, one can find  free OBJ models and Unity assets that can be used in your game, with miniatures (some that move), buildings, terrain pieces, props and scenery dressing, to make a fully 3D environment for your heroes to interact with.  The assets are free, but the Gm will have to collect and organize them, and put them into "chests" that can be unpacked or packed with a click, as the GM needs them.  Lighting effects, and environmental effects can be added, changing the lighting to night time with street lamps, or magical effects providing illumination if necessary.

epilogue
Buck Clinton and Deshawn Barden met at Maulton Mall. It was neutral ground for
all of the gangs, not just the Aardvarks and Razorbacks. No one wanted to get kicked
from the Mall.
 
“What you want, Clinton?,” asked Barden. His group had spread out in a rough
crescent around him. He frowned at the number of Aardvarks that had arrived with
their leader.
 
“I want to get rid of Log Man,” said Clinton. “He’s hurting my business, and I know
he’s hurting yours.”
 
“Do you really think that’s a good idea?,” said Barden. “The cops will be all over you
if you try to make that happen.”
 
“He’s all over me now,” said Clinton. “And I want him gone.”
 
“So what you want from me?,” said Barden. He didn’t like the look of this.
 
“I feel like I need something to draw Log Man out,” said Clinton. “Then I can get him
to come after me on my terms. He won’t be able to back down even if he knew it was
a trap. He’ll still have to do something.”
 
“And what do you think you can do that will make him hound you more than what he
is already doing?,” asked Barden.
 
“I was thinking I could wipe all of you out,” said Clinton. “That would send a
message. Then when Log Man comes at me, I could wipe him out. All I would have
to do is get rid of the weapons and any witnesses after the deed’s done.”
 
“So you’re drawing down on us here?,” said Barden. His hand reached for his
waistband.
 
Clinton raised a hand. More cars lit their lights. Gangsters got out, hauling serious
hardware with them. They pointed the weapons at the Aardvarks.
 
“I know a guy,” said Clinton. He waved a hand at the light machineguns he had
procured. “He steals weapons from the Army and Marines. I told him about my
problems with you and Log Man. He gave me these to deal with it. They fire a couple
thousand rounds a second. They’ll chew up that wood gimp, just like they’re going
to chew you up. What do you think of the plan now?”
 
“I have one question,” said Barden. His hand never strayed from his waistband. If he
got a chance, he was going to put one in his rival’s head.
 
“What’s that?,” asked Clinton.
 
“Did you tell Log Man about your plan?,” asked Barden. He pointed at the other
group of Aardvarks.
 
Clinton turned to look at what he was pointing at across the parking lot. He growled
in anger as he saw the Log Mobile rolling right at the triggers on the Razorbacks.
Some of the group turned to fire at the wooden car coming right at them.
 
A silent explosion of discs slicing through cars and people sent some of the gunners
ducking for cover. Then the Log Mobile rolled over one of the cars, crushing it under
the wooden shaft of a wheel.
 
Clinton turned. He couldn’t let this chance get away from him. He had to at least get
rid of Barden. That was the end goal for this.
 
Barden shot him before he could get his weapon out and ready. The distraction had
been enough for him to draw his own weapon and start shooting and his first target
had been the other gang leader.
 
Barden felt an explosion of pain in his leg. He started limping away. He had to get
looked at before something else happened. He fired into the general melee to cover
his escape.
 
Clinton sat up. Foam dripped from his mouth. He fired at Barden until the bullets
stopped coming out of his gun. He jumped to his feet and charged his enemies with
the empty gun to be used as a hammer against anyone in his way.
 
The bullet holes in his shirt weren’t bleeding. Crushed bullets dropped to the ground
as he moved.
 
“I’ll teach you,” said Clinton. He dropped the magazine out of his pistol. He reloaded
with a snap of his hands. “I’m going to be the one running things now.”
 
He fired into Barden as the other gang leader tried to get into his car and make his
getaway. He fired until he ran out of bullets. He threw the empty gun at another
Razorback trying to get to his own car and drive away. He needed more bullets to
shoot.
 
Clinton looked around. There had to be a gun he could use. He needed to kill Log
Man before he ran for it. Everyone else was trying to get to their cars and drive off.
Flying wood was everywhere.
 
Clinton had Barden’s car right there. All he had to do was get behind the wheel and
take off. He could ditch it somewhere else and claim he had lent his car to one of his
friends who had been dropped during the fighting.
 
It wasn’t a perfect plan. It was better than getting hammered by the flying logs raining
down on the lot.
 
He ran to the driver’s side of the Cobalt and pulled open the door. The keys hung
from the ignition. He smiled.
 
Let them try to prove he had shot Barden. How were they going to do that when he
fixed himself an alibi across town.
 
Clinton slipped inside the car and slid the seat back. He turned the key and listened
to the engine. He dropped the gear into drive and pushed the gas pedal all the way
down. He needed to head for the exit and run from the mall as fast as possible. He
couldn’t claim to be innocent if he got caught driving a dead man’s car from the scene
of a gunfight.
 
Something exploded behind him. He ducked his head, and kept going. Other cars 
ahead of him ran for the street just like he was. None of them got hostile with him as
they all wanted to escape.
 
Clinton glanced at his rearview mirror. He grimaced as the Log Mobile filled the
glass. He wished he had something to deal with the masked man.
 
He spotted a whirling piece of wood flying through the air. He yanked on the wheel.
The log bounced off the rear passenger fender. He knew he had saved himself from
a takedown. If that thing had come through the window, there was no telling what it
would have done to him.
 
Clinton decided to split off from the running group. Log Man couldn’t chase them all.
He would probably go after the ones that stuck together. By the time he got back
to chasing a lone driver, the gangster planned to have dumped the car and gone
somewhere he couldn’t be touched.
 
The Log Mobile rolled up on his left. He looked over. That kid waved at him. Then
the kid exploded in a storm of wooden discs slicing through the air. His tire came
apart, dropping the car on its rim. The wheel jerked in his hand. He hit a telephone
pole before he could put on the brakes.
 
Clinton pushed the air bag out of his face as he tried to get out of the wrecked car.
He hated vigilantes. They were worse than cops. He hated them more than anything.
Why couldn’t they have left him alone? Now everything was in ruins thanks to
two geeks in wooden costumes.
 
He got out of the wreck. He could still get away from the scene if he could get away
from Log Man. He still had a chance.
 
“It’s over, Clinton,” said Log Man. The vigilante climbed out of his strange car with
his cape waving around him. “You killed Barden, and you’re going to jail over it.”
 
“You’re not taking me anywhere, puppet boy,” said Clinton. “I’ll take you apart.”
 
“I don’t have time for this,” said Log Man. He pointed his hand at his enemy. A
stream of logs flew across the feet separating the two men. Clinton went down under
the assault. “I told you to get out of town. You should have listened. Now the police
are going to hand you to people to cart you out of town. Congratulations.”
 
Sirens filled the air. Log Man dropped a column on Clinton to keep him from going
anywhere. He shook his head as he walked back to the Log Mobile and drove off
into the night.
 
Clinton struggled to get out from under the weight. He swore as he pushed on the
wood. He had to get away before the police arrived and took him away. Everyone
would say he killed Barden. He was in deeper trouble than just a prison sentence if
he went in.
 
He tried to push to one side. If he could get most of his torso out of the way, he could
just roll it off his arm. Then he could get up and run.
 
Flashing lights told him he was too late. Uniforms approached. They examined his
situation without saying anything.
 
“How you doing?,” said one of the uniforms. “I’m Officer Crookshanks. It looks
like you have a problem, bud. You want to tell me how you wound up under what
looks like a telephone pole next to a wrecked car?”
 
“No, I don’t,” said Clinton. “Can you get this thing off me?”
 
“I think we’ll need firefighters to do that,” said Crookshanks. “Call this in, will you,
Jerry? We’ll get someone out here who can lift that log up and take him down to the
ER. I think he’s going to be booked and put in a cell after that.”
 
“I’ll say,” said Jerry.
The End

Kelvarite: This mysterious, green-glowing extraterrestrial mineral has been found in meteorites from several falls. It's a powerful source of energy, but is extremely unstable and prone to explosion when disturbed. Some people who have been bombarded by radiation or fragments from exploding kelvarite have gained superhuman powers, typically (but not exclusively) superhuman strength and durability, and some type of enhanced movement capability, e.g. super-running or -leaping, flight, or teleportation. They also acquire a susceptibility to radiation from other samples of kelvarite. Known superhumans with this origin include the solo villains Tachyon and Thunderbolt II, Dr. Destroyer's servant Meteor (all in the CV trilogy), and the African superhero Gazelle (in Champions Worldwide).

Large organizations such as the US government and UNTIL have secured all the kelvarite they can find, but sometimes lend samples to research laboratories. Other kelvarite meteorites remain to be discovered. However, what no one is aware of is that what they call kelvarite is actually impure samples, which is why it's unstable. Pure kelvarite doesn't resemble the impure mineral, and is extremely rare on Earth. Its energies respond to the will of intelligent beings in physical contact with it, allowing them to wield formidable energy-projection powers. (It isn't obvious that the power comes from the kelvarite itself.) The only pure kelvarite discovered so far was made into rings worn by the four men who have used the superheroic identity, Meteor Man.
 

*ahem*  I thought we should have gone to Seattle. 
 
 
I think that was partly because we had our characters already made.  
 
 
Let us help!  Heck, one of us can play the villains, their tactics and such, while you handle the overall flow.  Co-GMs! 

With my local game convention postponed and the gathering limit almost certainly shutting down on-side gaming at Guardian, I would be interested in learning how to do this. And where can I get the mod?

So I just finished lunch.... 
 
When I have the chance to get lunch, I like to run to the local grocery store down the street from the plant: there's a small lunch counter in the back. More food than you can eat for three or four bucks, and it's always home cooking. 
 
You have to carry your plate through the store and check out at the registers on the front.   I commented upon watching a crowd of people descend on the fresh pallet of toilet paper (oh, and they've added "pasta" to the hoarding list.   What the hell, people?). 
 
The lady at the counter looks at me "Oh God, yes!  And it's been going on like this for two weeks!  Toilet paper!  Paper towels!  Napkins!  Baby wipes!  Ramen noodles!  Spaghetti! 
 
You know what they are _nit_ hoarding up on?!  What we haven't even had to order in three weeks? 
 
MEDICINE! 
 
They're all _idiots_, and they're going to end up in the hospital with fevers and rotten lungs and shiny clean lemony-fresh asses! "
 
 
:rofl:   
 
(apparently they aren't laying on soap of any kind, either.  I feel I have seen vindication for the article I mentioned explaining how the hoarding type was the least likely to survive owing too poor decision-making skills) 
 
 
 
 

Log Man decided the best thing to do was to get the other man to come to the door.
If he could do that, then maybe he could use his power to change things around. How
did he get that to happen?
 
He decided that he should knock on the door. That should get things started. If he
could get the man talking, that would give him a location to target.
 
Log Man knocked on the door. That was the easiest thing for him to do. Hopefully
the guy didn’t just start shooting.
 
“Who’s there?,” said the other voice.
 
“Mr. Fabreau?,” asked Log Man. He hoped it was the same man that belonged to the
nameplate on the door. “This is Log Man. The police are cordoning off the building.
I expect they will come in after you in a few minutes. Why don’t you come out before
things get worse.”
 
“Why should I make it easier for them?,” said Fabreau. “I have a hostage. I can shoot
him if I don’t get what I want.”
 
“I don’t think that will help you exactly like you think it will,” said Log Man. He
listened, trying to pinpoint where the man was in the office. “Shooting your hostage
will just make it where they will want to shoot you instead of talking you down. Why
don’t you tell me what’s going on? I can call somebody and see if I can get you some
kind of leeway.”
 
“My life is over,” said Fabreau. “This guy is going to expose me and the deals I made.
I can’t let that happen.”
 
“It’s too late for that,” said Log Man. “You could have bluffed things out if the
building hadn’t seen you pulling a gun.”
 
Log Man didn’t know if that was what had happened, but someone must have seen
what was going on. Then they had called the cops. The rest of the building had fled
to the exits.
 
“What was I going to do?,” said Fabreau. “This guy was all in my face, asking me
about the land I bought. He wanted to know why there was a discrepancy in the
money moving through the office. He said he had copies of the receipts. I couldn’t let
him wreck everything. It’s not like I could invite him to lunch.”
 
“I know,” said Log Man. “Reporters. They’re the worse. Don’t you think this is a
little overboard. You might been able to explain everything away in a court. Now you
might be shot. You don’t want to get shot. The police don’t want to shoot you. Why
don’t you come out here and we’ll go down and talk to one of the officers
surrounding the building.”
 
“I’m going to make it worth it going to prison,” said Fabreau. “I’m going to shoot this
guy first. That will get me a good stretch for something major. That way I don’t have
to worry about picking up the pieces of my life when I get out. There aren’t any jobs
for a bookkeeper who went over the line.”
 
“I think that’s just adding on to your problems, Mr. Fabreau,” said Log Man. He
raised his hands to point at the inset window of the office door. “I think you should
just leave the gun on the desk and come out of there.”
 
“What if I don’t?,” said Fabreau,
 
“I’ll come in and get you,” said Log Man. “You don’t want that. I’m a vigilante. I
might use excessive force.”
 
“I would like to see you try that,” said Fabreau.
 
“All right,” said Log Man. “I’m coming in.”
 
He blasted a stream of wood through the window. He heard someone scream. He
hoped he had hit the right guy.
 
Log Man opened the door and shouldered it out of the way. He raised his hand and
pointed it at the stricken accountant. Phillips stood in a corner. He had his hands up
to protect his face however much that would stop a bullet.
 
“You might want to get out of here before he tries to use you for a hostage again,”
said Log Man. He used a thumb to indicate the doorway.
 
“I didn’t think he would try to shoot me over a land grab,” said Phillips.
 
“Go,” said Log Man. He kicked the pistol from Fabreau’s straining hand. “The police
might shoot you. Look non-threatening.”
 
“All right,” said Phillips. “I need to call this in to the paper. I’ll be on the front page
tomorrow.”
 
“Would you just get the heck out of here already?,” asked Log Man. “Otherwise, I’m
dropping you out the window.”
 
“Can I get an interview?,” asked Phillips. “The editor would love that.”
 
“All right. Out the window you go,” said Log Man.
 
Phillips went out of the door. He looked over his shoulder as Log Man waved at him
to keep going.
 
Log Man shook his head. At least he didn’t have to move the wood out of the way.
The police and emergency services could do that when they got there.
 
He should have asked Phillips how much money was involved in this before he had
given his okay to chase the story. He had a feeling he had thought a penny ante sum
was there, when it was really in the millions.
 
He still had to get his bag and head over to the lawyer’s office. Phillips would be
calling the office to report everything first hand. Log Man saving the day would be
in the headlines unless he squashed it somehow.
 
And he didn’t see how he could do that.
 
Log Man made sure Fabreau couldn’t get to his pistol before he left the office. He
looked up and down the corridor. He thought he heard footsteps. If Phillips had
reached a policeman, this might be them coming to ask him questions.
 
He needed to get by them and head out of the building before someone decided to
lock him down. He didn’t want to reveal his identity to the world. That would cause
a lot more trouble than just the threat to his wife and son.
 
He doubted he could hide in one of the offices until things were cleared up. He still
had to get across town. He decided to head to the stairs. The police would have it
cordoned off, but maybe he could slip by.
 
He didn’t see anyone in the hall as he rushed the stairwell. He heard the elevator.
Phillips must be taking it down to the lobby. The police might not know it was safe
to enter the building yet. That gave him some time.
 
Log Man entered the stairwell. He created a pole to carry him up to the roof door, and
stepped outside. He didn’t see any helicopters in the sky. That was good. He ran to
the edge of the roof and dropped down to the ground on another pole hooked to the
rampart of the roof. He walked to the edge of the lot he was in and created the Log
Mobile, and drove away.
 
He pulled into a public parking garage and covered any cameras that looked like they
could see where he parked the Log Mobile. He took it apart and headed into the
public stairwell. He discarded his disguise and walked out of the public entrance. He
headed back to the paper to get his Datsun, and his case.
 
Logan walked along, keeping his eyes open. City Hall would be surrounded by
police. He needed to get his Datsun out of the garage and around all that. He should
call Ken to let him know that he had tried to get into the building and been rebuffed.
 
He hoped that would cover his secret well enough for him not to be on the front page
with everything he had ever done on both sides of the law out for everyone to read.
 
He pulled out his phone and called his editor. If he was going to construct a lie,
he might as well do it.
 
“I don’t have time to talk,” said Ken. “Leave a message.”
 
The phone beeped in Logan’s ear.
 
“I couldn’t get into City Hall to track down Phillips,” said Logan. “Something is
going on. We might need to cover it. Call me back when you have a minute.”
 
He hung up the phone. That went easier than he thought it would. He supposed
Phillips was filling him in on what had happened, and everything that had led up to
it.
 
He used the public access to get into the paper’s parking garage and got behind the
wheel of his Datsun. He drove out of the garage. He still had to worry about the
potential buying problem, and if Buffy was going to drive the price up. He didn’t
need that headache to get worse at all.
 
He was glad that his city didn’t have major villain problems wanting to take him on.
He would be busy all hours of the day and night putting out fires.
 
Logan drove around the mess that Downtown had become with the police on duty
and rolled to the office building his lawyers rented space in. He found parking at a
nearby hotel and went into the building.
 
Ken called as he stepped into the elevator. He went to the back of the cab after
pushing the floor button.
 
“Go ahead, Ken,” Logan said.
 
“We have a first hand account of Log Man trying to talk this guy down from killing
Phillips,” said Ken. “We even have pictures. I’m running this on the front page
tomorrow.”
 
“Do we have turn any of this over as evidence?,” asked Logan. The police were going
to want to shore up their case. Pictures of the crime in action would draw their
interest.
 
“I don’t know,” admitted Ken.
 
“Give them copies anyway,” said Logan. “That way it makes us look good, and it puts
the guy in jail.”
 
“Got it,” said Ken. He hung up.

I just turned sixty-two. If I haven't outgrown it yet, I believe the next major change in my thinking will be death.
 
And I'm afraid you'll find in this community, my thinking has a lot of company.

“I think Warren is right,” Kris said. “In my nightmare I saw two men. They reminded me of those thugs Mind Warp uses.”
 
“Oh?” Ash stepped outside.
 
“You mean those two that did that riff off Hans and Franz?” Warren asked.
 
“'I'm Ahlo,” Ash said with a heavy accent.
 
“'And I'm Alphonse,” Warren added.
 
In tandem, Warren and Ash said, “And we're here to...” they clapped their hands, “f*** you up!”

I am a Barbarian GM. I revel in crushing my players, seeing them driven before me, and hearing the lamentations of their women. It is what is best in life.