The Mad GM

Re: Gentlemen Start Your Engines Big explosions. Crowds of innocent bystanders. Some cryptic puzzle. A minor villain who shows strange new powers or gadgets. A duck.

Re: What Would Your Character Do? #63 Lash (blaster with energy whip, errol-flynn meets spiderman sort of personality) - He'd wrap him up with his energy whip and zap him. The potential for the kid having a fit and killing the school bully are too high. then he'd make looking after the kid a part of his patrol, because the kid is now a target of every villain group that wants a powered soldier trained from childhood to obey. It just wouldn't occur to Lash to leave the decision to someone else, especially with people around in potential danger. Take the gun back to the professor for study. Slingshot (genetically modified assassin hiding his past, trying to blend in as a hero, very good rep, especially with kids) - He'd offer to team up with the kid, use his status as a hero to guide him towards being a hero, whether he submits to the ray or not. Slingshot can always use allies. If that doesn't work, tail him and evaluate him. (Slingshot had a horrible childhood (also accelerated, but via genetics), and the thought of coercing a child is repellent) Slingshot wouldn't trust the authorities to decide the childs fate, and has a twisted view of the normal relationship of parents and children. Then, when no one is looking, steal the gun. Kensai (mystic martial artist) - If talking doesn't work, summon the parents to decide. If the child resists the decision of the parents, put him in an armlock and zap him, because children should respect their parents. Either way, offer to train him in control so that he doesn't hurt anybody. Hand the gun over to the authorities. Cybrninja (spy from the future) - Let him run. Sneak up behind him invisibly and zap him back to being a child. Destroy the gun, destroy any physical evidence pointing to the childs identity. Try to quietly return him to his parents. Make a copy of the gun and destroy it in some public way. Tempest (air elemental prince) - Give him the great power=great responsibility speech and offer to be his partner in the fight for good and truth. If he says no, bid him good luck, because he is surely going to need it. If he says yes, treat him like any other hero. When the parents or authorities come to intervene, discuss their wishes calmly with him and help him arrive at a decision. But the decision, for good or ill, is his. (I should point out that Tempest is neither human nor mortal, and has no real experience with children. As far as he's concerned, a powerless creature was given power by some bizarre device, and wants to hold onto it). If other heroes (whom he considers peers) protest, he would be willing to be guided by their better experience with human children. If the child didn't act with responsibility and wisdom toward his new power, try to correct him. If that doesn't work he would regrettably seek out a way to reverse the process. Confiscate the gun, and hand it over to the gadgeteer/scientist of the group.

Re: a VPP for bricks. Steve Long's next project is the Ultimate Brick, so if you can be afford to wait, you will have some canon answers, soon. Barring that, I'd say you buy your strength normally, and any powers as powers in the VPP, not as strength. Energy blast no range, 1 hex for the big swat, Telekinesis, AoE Cone, only to Push or Pull, for superbreath, or whatever. And if you want extra strength for that 'save the day push' you could either buy striaght strength or Aid to Strength.

I recall seeing this in a TV special on Houdini, and so I can't really speak to its authenticity, nor do I remember if he could speak. But he would have to be able to breathe regularly, and while the actor made plenty of cat-with-hairball noises when he produced the key, I can't remember if he was speaking. However, a breif search on the web brought this: Which, maddeningly, still doesn't say if he COULD do it, just that he didn't in Scranton. Also this, as a side note: I'd research it further but I'm starting to gag already.

Real World: Houdini could allegedly do this with keys and small lock picks. I seem to recall he held them in the back of his throat, not actually in his stomach. I get a gag reflex just thinking about it.

A fowl creation A friend of mine had the: Chicken Hawk Based loosely on the chicken-cannnon the Air Force uses to test jet fighter canopies. It was this guy in a chicken oufit with an oversize bazooka slung over his shoulder. He had some Gonzo (of the Muppets) type of personality disorder and a hunted by KFC, as I recall. The bazooka had a multipower of attacks: 1 - Basic Bird: Energy blast 2 - Thanksgiving special - Stronger EB, but fewer charges 3 - Chicken with Feathers: linked energy blast and darkness field (cloud of feathers) 4 - Frozen Chicken: Armor Piercing EB I can't remember the others, but the sound effect was great: "Fear the Chicken Hawk, do-gooder! (mime shooting bazooka) Ba-Kawk! Splat!" I also can't remember where he kept the chickens. Some more of the top of my head: 5 - Kamikaze Chicken: Live chickens, trained to steer during the brief flight - EB No Range Mod. 6 - Scrambled Eggs: Autofire EB, linked to Change environment - Movement requires dex roll, Presence drain 7 - Original Recipe: A huge glob of instant frying crispy crunchy breading, Entangle with no defense (anyone can eat their way out, given time) 8 - Extra Crispy: Same thing but fried twice, normal entangle

I'm with archer and talon. You don't have to write up a backpack as a bonus to str only for carrying items, you don't have to write up clothing as resistance to cold. You don't have to write up rope unless it's a special rope or you have bizarre skills with rope use (lassoing, whip, macrame armor, etc). I don't have the rule book with me, but I'm sure having proper equipment adds to the climbing roll as it is.

You could have the familiar buy the spells with the limitation: "Only at express direction of controling character", and then have the end paid by the caster. Might run into problems with differing speeds, though that might be appropriate to the set-up. or Buy the spells UBO, familiar or caster only, caster pays end, ranged, etc.

Alot of things can be done by just making a general bonus to appropriate skill rolls. General: Preservatives: Keeping food from spoiling, prevent rust/wear & tear Love charms: +2 for seduction rolls, only to a previous acquaintance who is at least interested Merchants: Evaluation: +2 to Perc rolls only to determine value and validity of goods, or +2 to appropriate PS Re-evaluate: -2 to others perception rolls Tipping the Scales: Tk 0 str, invisible effects, only to affect a scale reading up to +/- 20% Speakade-engrish: Universal translator, lots of gestures and extra time, 0 DCV, speech only, only the most common language of the area, only on topics related to money or exchange, side effects: make serious faux pas and engender a killing frenzy among all natives within hearing. Craftsmen: Midnight Oil: Life support, no need for sleep, only up until deadline, OAF: caffeine Understanding the Customer: Telepathy. Believe me, it is the only way. I don't know, maybe blue...: Mental control, only to make customer decide and not change their mind. Teachers: Eyes in the back of your head: Targeting sense for hearing, only to identify perpetrator, only in classroom, etc. Parent/Teacher Conference: Presence drain, 1 hour extra time, only in presence of parent, only at school, 1/day Fingernails on the chalkboard: Sonic energy blast, stun only, area effect, immobile oif,

Precog, with a few more bits. A really gonzo level of Danger Sense, some variation on Deduction, and several skill levels could add a little extra to the precog option: "The bomb has a secret motion trigger! Don't touch it!" "Mega-goon is going to aim high, so I'll dodge low" "That elevator is going to open in a second with more agents, so I'll entangle the doors shut." EDM is a little problematic, paradox wise. Also, asking everyone to re-roll several rounds of combat on a regular basis sounds like a real potential for friction. Combat takes long enough as it is.

A long time ago I picked up a CD called "Fright Night: Music That Goes Bump in the Night" It's classical creepy music: Night on Bald Mountain Danse Macabre In the Hall of the Mountain King Funeral March of the Marionette Mars-Bringer of War Mephisto Waltz Ride of the Valkyries (probably my favorite, smells like victory) Toccata from D-minor Toccata & Fugue (most people think of it as the Phantom of the Opera background) Great stuff for setting a mood, and I got it for like 5 bucks in a bargain bin. The only problem is that every time I hear classical I think Bugs Bunny. I had a friend who bought one of those keychain sound effect do-hickeys with like 8 sounds, and he used it for emphasis. Of course it was occasionally the wrong sound because of the small buttons, but usually he could hit it right on cue.

Geronimo A hero named Neutron had a multipower with Flight and Density Increase (and EB, I think), in a game based in NYC. We were fighting some big bad guy, and were also being badgered by a seemingly endless number of undead/agents swarming out of a half collapsed building, so Neutron did what came to be known as his "Move-Through on Manhattan": Power dive for a full phase then switch at the last moment to full Density Increase. Collapsed the building, KO'd Neutron.

If you look through Fred at the perks section, you'll see that "Low Justice" and "License to Kill" are their own perk. "Diplomatic Immunity" is also a seperate perk. As far as nobility goes - yes, you get posh treatment, and people give you the benefit of the doubt. But in general, anyone with a fighting skill is in someone's chain of command, and they wouldn't follow some stranger's orders just because they're noble. He couldn't, say, tell a city guard to imprison someone for no good reason. At most the guard would prevent that other person from attacking the noble until he could figure out what the problem was. Serfs might respond to such a command, but they have no skill, and might simply run away if facing a significant threat. Also remember that there are other nobles, who hold authority over wherever the character might be, and they might object to his overstepping the bounds. He might bluster his way to special treatment, but it will eventually catch up to him. Even nobles had to obey some laws, and if he wants immunities, let him pay for them.

Some others that my friends have played: novitiate(?) (the step before becoming a nun) rock star model manager of a chinese restaurant bounty hunter mercenary stage magician (guess what his powers were based on) mime (he died early) comic book artist divinity student small rodent CEO of high tech company draftsman

college student (had some familiarity with this one) college professor homeless guy reporter for a tabloid geriatric patient (he could temporarily become young and powerful again, claimed it was his grandson who inherited his powers) janitor for miscatonic u archaeologist winner of a lottery retired cop private detective black panther in zoo scientist romance novelist (specializing in superhero bodice rippers)

Frankly there have been a number of posts as to why strong kingdoms around it might not want to invade. Nations might also have a great number of different reasons. Make it the center of trade routes to several kingdoms, and use all of the reasons. Nation One: It's better to keep all the goblins under one chieftan Nation Two and Three: Their treaty states that occupying that land is an act of war Nation Four: Secretly controlled by Goblin King and his addictive wine Nation Five: Can't possibly match the sheer numbers of goblins, and afraid of native goblin uprising in case of war. Nation Six: Wants the wine, knows that it can't be grown anywhere else and doesn't want to destroy the crop. The Goblinate Realm could literally be a great crossroads of conflicting forces and intrigue.

Perhaps the wine is a by-product of an attempt to distill greek fire. That might give them a military edge.

Cool I really like the font-play, Rook, especially for Diamond and the brick. Some of them verge on the hard to read, but I can see any of them on the cover of a comic.

An odd twist would be if the wine was slowly poisonous to the goblins, keeps the population down, and export volumes up. Tee-totalers would point to the broken families, social problems of addicition, etc. But the powers that be would be hushing it up. Sort of like tobacco in the fifties and sixties.

Dudes, lay off the guy What's the point of having a flexible system if you can't use it to support the setting that you want? It sounds like a low magic game with players who like to push things. The whole booze thing is trivial, really, but out of context, there's no reason to dis either side.

Life Support offers lower cost variants for Aging, to model very long lived but mortal characters. I don't see why Immunity to alcohol couldn't be subdivided the same way: 1 pt - Character can consume two times as much alcohol for the same effect 2 pt - Character can consume four times as much... 3 pt - Immune to alcohol The multipliers are frankly arbitrary. Even if they don't want to use this construct, a 3 pt level for a single stat roll only under certain conditions is waaay to much. Especially for something that is only really background color.

I've considered it, but except for duplicating a vast number of minor spells and cantrips, it seems open to abuse unless you limit it heavily, and at that point you might as well use a multipower. Since experience points theoretically make every spell stronger at the same time in a VPP, that makes for a very different progression than a Multipower, where experience must be split between power and variety. Hmm...must ponder further.

We've always used martial arts manuevers for fighters, though this assumes they actually got trained by somebody, not just natural skill. I've used +DC with MA with limitations, like "Only from surprise" for a backstab type effect, or "Only versus giants" for a Giant-slayer. I do find them very cost effective, though. It's a great way to give begining fighters an edge, plus more combat options.

Usually, I have a complete writeup of a "Guard" or an "Orc" or whatever, then some standard variations (+/- 10 to 15 points) so they aren't all identical. I usually try to think of 10 variations, but I've found I use alot of the same ten (the Drunkard, the Slimeball, the Youth, the Cranky ex-Soldier, etc) for virtually anything. I use ten because I can roll 2d6, subtract 1 and get my number. If I roll boxcars, I add about 20-25 points and call him a Sergeant, or whatever is appropriate. I use to try to come up with 15 variants (for 3d6 - 2, 18 is a Sergeant) but it seems like too much work, and a stiffer bellcurve. Then I try to vary how I play them somewhat so the players don't catch on too easily. During a big combat, I frequently don't even do that, just treat them all the same unless there's a good reason not to. All of this is just for times when they approach individuals and attempt to interact with them. I had thought of making some tables, but it gets too complicated for in-game use, and I'm not too good at programming. Of course, main NPCs and Bad Guys get their own writeup.

Potential game troubles If you have a single magic item that defines the campaign, you should limit it in some way so that the players who didn't get it aren't made completely secondary to any given combat. For instance, maybe it can only do its mighty thing against the demons that constantly war against the kingdom, or it is the key to undoing a major curse. Maybe it is the only ADO weapon that works on the invulnerable (desolid with special effect: impervious) dragon. Or the same person can only wield it for, say, a day at a time before they start encountering problems, like becoming slaves of the sword, or losing CON and STR from its mighty burden. That way everyone gets a chance at being the uber-daddy with the weapon 'o mighty butt-kicking, but no one steals the show. Maybe finding the one person who CAN weild it and installing the incompetent but good-hearted peasant NPC on the throne would be an odd twist to a campaign, but still leave the characters free to adventure.