Christopher R Taylor

(Woses are my campaign world's equivalent of Ents)

 
WOSEWOOD: Made from the wood of Wose, this is somewhat rare and sometimes will generate great hatred and rage in people who see someone using it.  Wosewood is a deep green with golden highlights, and has magical properties, as well as being very hard.  Wosewood has a base PD of 7 and ED of 9.  Working Wosewood takes a penalty of -2.
 
Weapons and armor made from Wosewood wood both grant +2 DCV and 5 Power Defense versus undead.

I thought black Heimdall was a bit much, I mean, you'd think that the Norse would have noticed this dude is black when they told the legends and myths these people were based on.  I can buy they got Thor's hair color off, but a black guy in Norway kinda stands out.  And the white British ancient one bothers me less by the change than by taking away a pretty significant role from an Asian actor.  I mean, how hard would it be to find an old mystical seeming Asian dude?  It was just obviously a "we need more women in the movies" move rather than any story thing.
 
Half Vietnamese is not all Asian, nor less Japanese.  I'm not a huge Munn fan to begin with, either, but I haven't been terribly impressed with any of the X-Men movies anyway so, no big deal.
 
But for me, the casting choices matter less than the motivation behind them: they're not doing it for story reasons or character reasons, its the stuff Vondy and Zslane wrote about above, its striving for a checklist of "social justice" choices in some kind of virtue signalling that is just lame.

I agree. A few characters, however, you could get away with changing. For instance, while it would be playing to stereotype, you could make Iron Fist an Asian (or Eurasian) and not alter the character too deeply (and considering the dirth of Asian characters... maybe not such a bad thing). And, speaking of mixed-race people, I think Hollywood has a black-and-white mindset (pun intended) that ignores biracial people and implies we never mix and are forever divided.
 
Its kind of like the government census and EOE forms: you only get to check one, even if you are many. We officially endorse the divisive racial purity mindset. This is one of the things about Obama that saddened me. He's biracial. That was a huge opportunity that was completely missed. Is his having a black father and white mother really so uncomfortable that we can't put it out there and say he's a black and white president? Sorry. That was an unnecessary rant.
 
But, I guess my point is, I think staying true to the core concepts works well and shows respect for the source material - I agree with you - but racial background isn't key to every concept, either. In some cases you might be able to make an adjustment without doing damage.

Vaultwood:
These 4+ meter fat trees never grow to great heights, reaching only a ten meters at most.  However, they are known by some for a useful, if strange property.  The trunk of the tree near the ground usually grows a fairly large cavity, about a meter tall and half a meter wide.  This cavity can be accessed by one side of the tree, and when cut open can be used to store items.
The bark regrows over this cut fairly rapidly, and within 2 weeks there is no sign the tree was ever cut away, sealing the materials in side dry and cool away from prying eyes.  Some forest dwelling peoples will use Vaultwood trees for secure storage, remembering the location for picking up items later.
Vaultwood are found in temperate forested areas and swamps.

If they keep to the comics, it'll be the most diverse show they have.
 
Danny-Caucasian
Misty-Black
Colleen-Asian
Shang-Chi-Asian
Luke Cage-Black

Wouldn't he then end up beat up all the time?

Drexl: This is a curious creature related to the porcupine.  Slow and clumsy, it seems easy prey, since its spines are fewer and not barbed like the porcupine, but it is left alone by most creatures.
 
When frightened or upset, the Drexl emits a strong stench that smells terrible to humans but is overwhelmingly awful to most animals, particularly predators such as cats and dogs.  Further, they give off a trilling shriek which is primarily outside the range of human hearing and will almost always drive predators fleeing from the awful sound in their ears.  Docile and slow, Drexl are fond of fruit and vegetables and can be coaxed into staying in an area with ready food.  Any camp with a Drexl in it is unlikely to be bothered by natural predators, who fear its defensive abilities.
 
Drexl are about two feet in length, including the hairless tail, and weigh around fifteen pounds as adults.  They are a reddish gray in color, with spines of black that are tipped in white.  These spines are useful for needles and similar applications, but are brittle.  They make fine quills for writing as well.
 
These creatures only live in forested areas.

I think that in their desperate push to repeat the financial success of one blockbuster movie, movie execs try to exert as much control over the sequel as possible. I get the feeling that execs believe creative genius can't be counted on; that such enormous success is a fluke and that their best bet for insuring an equivalent subsequent success is to micro-manage it to death.
 
You have to remember that the movie business is intrinsically risk-averse. They don't treat billion-dollar returns as a given. The financial performance of a movie is an unknowable, and unpredictable thing. But they definitely know how much they are spending, and that is something they can control. So when all they know is that they are spending $200-300 million, it is hard for them to put $200-300 million of faith in one person. Even after the movie rakes in $2B, they don't take it as given that the next one will do the same. All they know is that they are putting their asses on the line again to the tune of $200-300 million. They clench their sphincters even tighter over the knowledge that not only are they expected to not lose money again, but they are expected (by shareholders) to out-perform the previous success. Thus they tighten their grip even more, allowing more star system to slip through their fingers...

One of the different kinds of enchanted ores available for characters to make things from (and find things made from).  Working this kind of metal takes a specific skill called "Spellsmithing" which is basically applied magic.
 
 
BLOODIRON: Under the battlefields of Jolrhos can be mined iron at times, iron that has been changed from the presence of the spirits and death nearby.  The carnage makes the iron slightly reddish in color, and it resists rusting.  Bloodiron has a base defense of 8. Working Bloodiron is a -2 penalty.   Bloodiron armor gains +1 DCV when the wearer takes 1 Body damage, lasting a minute.  This effect does not stack.  Weapons made from Bloodiron do +1 DC damage once they draw blood (does BOD damage).     Once the weapon is clean or no additional BOD damage is done for a turn the extra damage or armor fades.  Weapons can be made with Bloodiron without the spellsmith skill, but they do not gain these special properties.

The longest film series in history is the Wong Fei Hong series, which has around 90 installments. Beyond that, the record for Western-made films of recent vintage is around 20 to 30. So the scale and ambition of the MCU is truly impressive.

I am a bit worried about Captain America Civil war.  A couple of points that are not in the movies favour.
 
1: Civil war the comic series was bad. 
 
2: Robert Downey Jr. is very popular and famous and the Iron Man franchise is bigger than the Captain America franchise this probably will lead to Iron Man being much more level headed and sympathetic in the movie version. Not that that is a bad thing but usually how Hollywood does it is that they make one guy look good by making his opposition look worse then him. Like Batman vs Superman they made Superman into a doofus just to make Batman look cooler. (The Frank Miller method if you will)
 
3 From the trailer all the heavy hitters are on Iron man's side. Iron man got two super scientists two flying super tanks, one android as powerful as Superman and two super level fighters. Not only does he also have Shield and the US government on his side but the super science magical kingdom of Wakanda as well. Captain America on the other hand has two super level fighters one with a shield one with an cyberarm, a top tier fighter with wings and a guy with trick arrows. When your most powerful guy on your super team is Hawkeye you got trouble. Thor and Hulk could join in on Captain Americas side and they  still would be in trouble. 
 
4: The severe difference in power probably would "force" Captains team to use dishonourable tactics, hit and run and so on. I seen so many movies and TV series where the heroes are called terrorists now that I have lost count and I worry that either the movie will try to justify such tactics or use it as an excuse to make Captain America "Darker and grittier". Dont you believe me? How about the change from Iron man 1 to Iron man 3? In the first Ten Rings were an real terror organisation but in the third... Well not spoilers but it was what it was. We all know where the sympathies of Hollywood lies when it comes to terrorists vs the western world and I worry they will try to go really political and try to convince us that their pot fueled crime groupie views are legitimate.

Please, please can we finally have a FUNNY, 'spitting-one-liners-like-an-uzi' Spider-Man?!?!?  PLEASE?

Hey it takes time for him to find and steal plots from people.

Work is ongoing with this project, and I plan on posting some things here to help give a glimpse into what the project is.
 
Essentially, the Field Guide is a book of the other stuff in the world besides monsters and treasures and player characters.  It is about the animals, plants, minerals and such that player characters can interact with to their advantage or detriment.  This includes poisons, trades such as blacksmithing and leatherworking, herbs of fantastic enchanted quality, and much more.
 
For example, in the world of Jolrhos you will find this:
 
Pepper Moss This dappled green and white hanging moss is uncommon on trees.  It dangles like Spanish moss, especially in areas away from water sources.  Dust-like material grows on the moss containing spores, and a strong wind or being physically jostled can cause the dust to cascade around the moss.   Most creatures are not particularly bothered by Pepper Moss, but humans, ratmen, wolfen, and zhai (not elves or dwarves) react to the dust as if it is very finely concentrated pepper.  The moss causes stinging in the eyes and strong repeated sneezing.  This acts as a flash attack of d6 worth of d6 (1-6d6) in the target for each plant’s worth of dust.  Further, at the beginning of each phase while blinded, before moving,  the target must make a Constitution Roll at -1 for each additional segment of blindness they are suffering from (so if a character has 3 segments of blindness, they must make CON roll at -3).  Failing this CON roll means they are stunned and must recover as normal that phase, taking no other action.   These effects are only on creatures that are affected by the pepper effect.  Others only cough slightly in annoyance.  All normal animals and most monsters are affected, but nothing such as dragons, demons, or undead is bothered by Pepper Moss.  Naturally any creature that does not breathe is unaffected as well. Pepper Moss is found in forests, swamps, and jungles, in temperate to tropical regions.

He spent the last few years building up an immunity to iocane powder kryptonite.

It makes for really depressing storytelling but a superhero that finds out he's in a society where these days feels trump freedom would be a pretty effective sci fi type cautionary tale.

Firefighters wear masks, just like criminals and terrorists. 

I'm using hyperbole to make a serious point.   Raymond Chandler: “As to the emotional basis of the hard-boiled story... obviously it does not believe that murder will out and justice will be done — unless some very determined individual makes it his business to see that justice is done. These stories were about the men who made that happen.”   The focus in on private and individual and justice. Not on public and institution and order. It was assumed, if the powers that be had their way, no justice would come to the common man. The hard-boiled hero was not cop, soldier, g-man, member of the elks, or lover of PTA women.    He was a disruptor who did right despite - and in spite of - those in authority with official power. He represented purity in the face of institutional corruption and an oppression under color of law. He did not enforce bankrupt rules. He went out and fought for principles and righteousness.   He was a modern day Jeremiah the Prophet. Jeremiah was God's prophet. He stood up for truth, and justice, and righteousness. He went against the corrupt system and called out the leaders. What happened? They tried to kill him, imprison him, and discredit him.  He kept going - infused with courage and compassion for the people and a dogged desire to see justice win out.    That is the emotional basis that drives the superhero, but our culture has changed. Today, we are regulation loving sheep who fetishize government, order, the status quo, institutions, and rules. We obediently accept censorship, thought police, intellectual boshevism, zero tolerance policies, TSA gropings, and pervasive invasive government surveillance.   Extreme rendition? Water boarding? Extra-judicial killings? The loss of freedom? Insofar as its the other guy. Insofar as we are safe. Insofar as the government does for us instead of our doing for our neighbors and ourselves. When I said Zero Dark Thirty and Jack Bauer were now our national anthem and our national hero, I meant it.   And, it shows in our comic book derived media, too. Who will protect us from the heroes? Well, the government of course. They'll make sure all is well. Those superheroes have to be registered and regulated! After all, they wear masks, just like criminals! The constant zombie-horde of cop shows and espionage thrillers and special forces movies have increasingly become bald-faced propaganda for statist power.   Put your faith in the system, the institutions, and the powers that be. Don't question the rules. Don't question the outcomes, or the means to the outcomes, or the corruption and injustice inherent in our society. Don't rock the boat. And, especially, don't trust the goodness of the individual that marks the hallmark of the knight errant, the cowboy, the hard-boiled detective, and the superhero.   Superheroes are disruptors, superheroes threaten to unmask the status quo, and superheroes are therefore dangerous. Tony Stark in Civil War represents the antithesis of the hard-boiled detective and his pajama wearing son. Captain America is Chandler's bygone hero tilting at windmills in a world that would rather he stand down. Cap is The Last of the Mohicans. Which, as a term, is probably violating someone's speech-code and zero tolerance policy.   I guess what I'm saying is that the superhero hasn't realized society is looking the other way while the government unmasks him and puts him in a cell, to protect itself in the name of the people. That his mask was originally a totem intended to strike fear into evil-doers and to protect not himself, but his loved ones, from reprisals is lost on the sheeple who more deep down inside agree with Tony Stark. That the authors don't understand the emotional basis of the superhero is just a sign that the cultural rendition order has already been given.   Rant Off!

Not the leadership we need, but probably the leadership we deserve
 

I agree, its a violation of the very core principles of super hero comics, one that demonstrates almost painfully how completely the guys in charge of Marvel right now do not get what they are doing and the legacy they've taken over.

What I find to be a drag about the whole premise of Civil War and the argument over governing superheroes is that it renounces the very core of superheroes as wish fulfillment. I don't read superhero comics (or play superhero RPGs) in order to explore the question of "What would be the real-world consequences of superpowered individuals on society?" I do it to vicariously live a life of adventure and vigilantism, where having virtuous intentions gets rewarded with victory. Where I get to watch superpowered individuals and organizations do what ordinary citizens and bureaucracies can not, and triumph over evil in dramatic and epic fashion.
 
That is why the modern obsession with examining issues of collateral damage, government corruption, and the thorny issues of ethics and vigilantism has made the superhero genre a whole lot less fun while it desperately attempts to become "relevent" and "though-provoking." Sure, Marvel made a name for themselves using superhero stories as a way to hold up a mirror on a turbulent society in the 60s and 70s, but the more they drag superheroes down that rabbit hole, the further and further away from they get from delivering that fundamental element of wish fulfillment that I value so highly.
 
I'm looking forward to Thanos coming along and, in effect, slapping everyone upside the head with the sobering realization that there is a lot more to worry about in the MCU than whether or not superheroes should be forced to function like civil servants.

I have both because my soft cover fell apart and I had to repair it with duct tape.  Still got it though. And champs I-III and 3rd edition with the Viper's Nest module  I can't keep up with the publishing these days, though. I'm just glad I got stuff like Valley of Mystery and Strike Force when they came out.

Yeah, as long as none of the Powers exceed the AP cap, I wouldn't mind if the Framework itself does. It'd be kindof a Caution Sign for me to look at closely to make sure the specific build wasn't open to abuse, especially with variable slots, but that's just to make sure I'm not being out-muchkined.

This matches what I've experienced 100% of the time when playing with GMs who have caps -- i.e. the GM holds the powers in the framework to the cap, not the framework, itself.
 
As a matter of clarification, only once have I had advantages on a VPP (framework) -- specifically an @0 END advantage on a VPP for a character for whom it made sense.  I point this out because when laying advantages onto a framework that is at or above the cap, the advantages absolutely should be scrutinized and considered with the active points of the powers -- since max strength powers (i.e. powers at cap) will effectively violate the cap when the advantages are considered.  (In this lone, edge case, there were no caps on the game, so it was irrelevant.)

The problem is, what's the same?  The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had no time to set up any sort of equilibrium whatsoever.  Cap showed up briefly, then is lost.  Iron man shows up and all hell breaks loose, with Manhattan being flattened by an alien invasion.  Then SHIELD is wiped out.  The only time "never be the same" really works is if there's ever been a reasonable time period where things were a certain way.
 
Civil War is one of those ideas that people think is a terrific idea because they haven't thought through what it means to basic tropes and themes of comic book superheroes.  MCU has done enough damage to that with basically nobody having a secret identity or code name, let alone really any sort of costume except Iron Man and Captain America.  This deconstruction really undermines the wonder and fun of comics until all that's left are burly men and women beating the crap out of each other in a preview of Kingdom Come.