Christopher R Taylor

I'm talking about plotting and crafting an effective story, not "can you explain why they are doing this in the setting"

I'm getting the impression that this isn't a sequel so much as a full reboot. As in "here's how we should have done this the first time" but without Joker. I really like the Suicide Squad concept (at least, as Ostrander built it in the 80s) but its not supposed to be full of fun. Its one of DC's darker titles.

Kind of nice to see them do more with the Ten Rings. First scene should have the actual Mandarin show up and brutally murder Trevor Slattery.

New Suicide Squad trailer. I mean it looks entertaining, kinda but the CGI on the weasel and King Shark look pretty weak. Also, pointless eye candy Harley Quinn is included (She's just a petty girl with no moral compass). They recycled Deadshot's character and arc with a new, fresh... actor using the same "save my daughter" bit. The "rimshot" jokes are stuffed in so it feels Marvel-style snark. I dunno. I like Stallone voicing the Shark, but he seems basically to be Groot with fangs. Sending them against Starro is just a bit over the top, why not send them out against a more modest threat the first time out, then give them something really awful in the sequel??

This one is a bit unusual but there is comic book and fantasy, and even sci fi precedent for it Seeking: An attack keeps trying to hit the target for x increments over y time period.. Starts immediately, cannot be a limitation. Must roll to hit normally each increment. Increments = the number of times the Seeker continues attempting to hit the target. Once the Seeking attack is started, it continues to attempt to hit the target without the character needing to pay attention, it is "uncontrolled". Endurance or charges are paid when the first attack is made, and need not be paid over the rest of the duration of the Seeking attack. Ordinarily, the attacker must maintain line of sight with the target for this to continue, but can purchase an exemption to that for double the increment advantage total. Normal ranges apply (if a character gets outside the range of the attack from the point it was launched, the attack dissipates and cannot hit. Range modifiers are not applied, the OCV used when the attack is first launched is used each increment it attempts to hit against the target's current DCV. MOD INCREMENTS +0 1 +¼ 2-4 +½ 5-8 +¾ 9-12 +1 13-16 x2 Need not maintain line of sight half Cannot have more than one attack seeking at once half Attacker must channel attack MOD TIME BETWEEN ATTACKS +½ Segment +¼ Every other segment +0 Every three segments -¼ Every Four Segments -½ Every Six Segments -1 Every Turn

Yeah me too, but I think mostly because of the art It looks interesting, and I think I saw abomination at the end there. Possibly Fin Fang Foom.

OK I found a way to show off all the character designs at once, you can see all the colored version and the male/female images of each character at THIS HERE LINK. All 10 characters are in there in both sexes. I haven't finished coloring all of them as of this posting but am getting them done slowly. Please let me know what you think, I really appreciate the input.

Yeah but here's the thing: Blast ½d6 DOT 12 intervals once a segment, (cannot stack defenses apply only once) is a 15 active point power. Blast just plain ol' 6d6 is a 30 active point power. Because while they end up doing exactly the same, damage the DOT can be stopped at any point before the effect ends and the character can be healed in between. Its that time in between that makes it worth less active cost. And even with the fire-and-forget nature of a DOT, its still not as valuable. Not being able to access all your power right away means the same kind of thing happens, I only got him with a 4d6 blast because I could only shoot him once. Or, I got him with a 4d6 and a 5d6, but in between he recovered. That's just not the same as a 12d6 blast even if eventually you can get there. Once you get there it is, but until then, you've got significantly less power. I think that if this is properly designed it won't have the same active cost as a just "I can do this out of the box" 12d6 blast.

The thing to remember with Marvel (and DC) is that the money for them comes from stuff that isn't a comic book these days. Tee Shirts, pajamas, buttons, hats, ... games. So if they can get a share of the RPG market with this, well its all just cash for them because the IP is already locked in and they have a gazillion art samples to use for illustration. It doesn't have to be good, it just has to get interest and sell.

I liked the way the twins in Alpha Flight worked, individually they were powerful but they could do a big Flash attack if they worked together. The concept of two characters in a group who aren't quite as powerful alone but get more powerful and use great teamwork together is appealing to me as well. I really like this one

As I noted before, I understand the prohibition on penalty offsets for Multiple and Combined attacks. The maneuvers are already really powerful and GMs need to be really cautious about allowing them. But at the same time, we're simulating genre, and it's important to not hinder or counter genre standards with rules or campaign concerns unless absolutely necessary. I think allowing them for "trash mobs" or "mooks" is a reasonable compromise that well simulates the genre and the source material. The examples are incredibly numerous in just about every setting and genre: characters can plow through the goblins/combat bots/agents/etc in large numbers, but have to be more careful and square off individually against more dangerous foes.

I always think of orcs as a cross between the Mongol horde (who were no dummies) and cave men (who generally were). Not that they are idiots, but crude and savage, uncivilized. I also see them as irredeemable; there are no good guy orcs because they are all horrible monsters.

Limited Recovery: Wounds cannot heal normally, and require special attention to heal. Stun damage does not heal with every recovery, but instead only when circumstances or special devices are used, which allows the wound to begin to heal normally: +½ if the healing method is common (bandages) +¾ if its uncommon (a Healing power, surgery, etc) +1 if its rare (unicorn touches its horn to your wound, special isotope found only in the marianas trench, full moon once a year at a special location). -¼ from the advantage total if the wound heals completely when the special circumstances are met This must be purchased separately for stun and body if used on a normal or killing attack. If used with an adjustment power, the circumstances begin the normal fade rate. ===== And yeah, you can kinda build an array (using Aid) or extra time to simulate a power that builds up, but not only is it clunky (the block o' text), but it gives a big chonk of active cost where you really are not getting all the power from that you normally would. Why should 12d6 blast and 4d6 blast that eventually becomes 12d6 if you have time and circumstances have the same active cost?

I don't actually mind magic working the way it does: you have to be a better wizard to undo someone's spell. But overall there is a problem in other settings.

Both of these are ideas I have played with in the past and never found a really good solution to make them work. DOT unlocked some possibilities for this kind of build, so you don't have to buy 800 giga active points then limit them down in cost, but have a minor thing that the active cost goes up with based on its utility, allowing reasonable builds within active point limits.

It almost always is. This is way off topic but its something close to my heart as a writer, so... forgive me. People will complain about how violence is okay to show in movies but sex is forbidden blah blah. The thing is, everything you write into a story has to serve the story: move the plot along, develop character, etc. Violence can easily do that, but sex tends not to. Sex is almost always just sex for its own sake: ooh, sexy and hawt!!! It doesn't reveal anything about a character, it doesn't drive the story, its just this titillating interlude in almost all cases. Sex can do the right thing (reveal this character's fears, or their violence, or whatever) but usually its just... sex. And that's a waste of pages, or frames, or digital storage. Cut that out and what has the story lost? Nothing.

I kinda liked the format for Winter Soldier, but it meant the first episode I kinda scrolled past a bunch as it were, having not seen the show. As for Steve Ditko, artists and writers (trust me, being one) are generally strange people. Sometimes the strange matches up well with what we are comfortable with, sometimes its a clash. Ditko was a bit of a curmudgeon but I really have to admire his holding to his principles and find his Mr A stuff fascinating even though I am no Objectivist. I mean, its not like nobody is preaching their own worldview and politics in comics today.

AE Ring: Creates a 2x2-hex ring at the purchased radius. Use AE Line for cost, the ring is centered at one end, and appears at the far end of the Line. Tiis ring is "two dimensional" in that it does not create a shell all the way around the central point, only a 2m x 2m ring of effect.

Great recap of the Golem story, its such a great one

I don't want to do any spoilers, but that was the entire concept of the Thunderbolts: an entire team of villains pretending to be a new hero team. But... in the doing of heroic deeds and being a hero some of them changed their ways for real.

Possibly watched as well: either team constantly on the lookout for reasons to "cancel" the other

This one is just a minor variant but has been useful for building some powers and effects Focus: If a focus is needed only to start a constant power but not maintain it, the total limitation value is reduced by half. Example: a Wizard has to use their trusty staff to begin a spell, but once its going the staff is no longer connected to it and it doesn't matter what happens to the focus.

Yeah, people abuse the term slave a lot to distort and betray its meaning as well.

Yeah I hate Comic Sans as much as pretty much everyone, but I am using a better comic font for headers (same I used in the Dr Destroyer adventure) called Anime Ace. The main body is Calibri I think? I used an older, little bit less legible font for Western Hero but it really looked great for the tone of the book.

Oh, OK I'm sorry I misunderstood. AVAD is "attack vs alternate defense" in the 6th edition rules, a broader mechanic to include NND and so on. In this case, it replaces the defense that protects from the attack with a roll: make this roll and take no damage from the attack. So instead of like, Life Support protects you from poison gas, its DEX roll protects you from the magical spear of ice.