Kevin B. Madiso

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Howdy Folks, I've been out of commission the last two weeks, busy with work and other projects, but I wanted to swing by and let you know, the latest Change the World character for the Country Brief: Canada is now up at the Scott Free Press site. He's a Russian ex-Spetsnaz gangster/pimp named Nikolai Khapov who has cold/ice abilities. Here's a preview pic: I also wanted to thank the folks who gave me advice on Hero Designer. I tried out the demo this weekend and now I can't wait for my tax return to come in so I can pick it up. One question I had though was whether you can get it to work on Windows-based PDAs? It would be pretty freakin cool if I could work on these characters on the bus or on the Skytrain. Anyhoo, I'll be picking up the full version of Hero Designer later this week and the plan is to devote Saturday to using it to write up all the Change the World characters that I've posted so far. Until next time I remain,

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Howdy Folks! Ok, they're a day late, but the latest Change the World character and State of the World are up at the Scott Free Press site! This week's State of the World looks at Mob Campaigns in M&M Superlink and HERO System campaigns. The latest Change the World character is named Nachtjäger and he's an ex-East German assassin who has come to Toronto, Canada to... well, I guess to say more would be to spoil his story. Here's a peek at his portrait: Enjoy! Until next time I remain,

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Thanks Vurbal! That's sold me on it then.

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Howdy Jack! Thanks for the kind words about the site. That's an excellent idea about the Herodesigner software. As much as I like writing things up by hand, for the sake of time and the sake of my math (which can be sketchy at times) I'll be looking to get it this week. One question I had was whether you can export the data to other programs (like Word) or whether it only displays in the HERO format I've seen posted to the forums? Cheers, Kevin

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Howdy HERO Folks, A quick one here. Just got approval of the HERO System version of the Country Brief: Indonesia cover from Steve and I wanted to share the pic here. Enjoy!

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Howdy Hero Folks, For those who are interested, I've posted a new State of the World that takes a look at structuring and running thief-centred Caper Campaigns inspired by such films as Snatch, Reservoir Dogs, The Italian Job and Heat. Also, we'll have a HERO System version of Ali'ran Agama up by Wednesday morning for use in your own campaigns. Cheers,

Re: The Greatest Marvel Comics Martial Artist "Sacre bleu! I now 'ave ze jugs!"

Re: The Greatest Marvel Comics Martial Artist I almost fell out of my chair when I read that Hawkeye comment.

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Howdy Sketchpad, Thanks for the advice on Totem's stats. I'm gonna take another run at him later this week, now that I'm armed with your advice. Cheers. In other news, I've posted the tardy State of the World column to the Scott Free Press site for folks to enjoy. It's a lengthy examiniation of how to structure campaigns that feature superhuman law enforcement characters. Check it out! Until next time I remain,

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Howdy Folks, As you've no doubt guessed by now, the big Marvel announcement was only an April Fool's prank (and wishful thinking on my part). However, in an effort to make it up to you, the next Canadian character, Totem, is now up and ready for use in your own M&M Superlink campaigns. I was trying to have the HERO System version of the character up at the same time (and get that much closer to catching the HERO System versions up with the M&M Superlink versions), but I was having a hell of a time writing up his animate images ability in HERO, so I'm appealing to the community for advice. Basically, what he can do is animate about 10 different images at the same time, all of which can stick around for a pretty extended time, all of which are totally loyal to him. The troubles I'm having with the HERO version are: 1) Would the fact that he can only Summon things that are drawings or paintings make the power have an OIF (drawn/painted image) or a specific form of Limited Power? 2) To simulate the Mental Link with the summoned creatures, should I buy a 25 point version of Mind Link (One mind in a group of minds, 8 minds at once, planetary range) and if so, can it get a limitation for being usable only on the Summoned beings and if not that can it get a limitation for being Linked to Summon? 3) Can you think of a better way to build the Artificer feat (which allows him to build magical items for use in specific situations) other than VPP (although this is looking like the best way at present)? Anyhoo, that's all of my HERO questions for now. Unfortunately, I didn't quite have the time to finish this week's State of the World column, so I'll be posting that (which deals with structuring superhuman police campaigns) along with a few write ups of the spirits Totem can summon tomorrow evening (M&M Superlink stats). Finally, sorry to see you go Kirby (thanks for the help with Ariswanto's stats) and thanks for the kind words Mitchell. Oh and before I forget, if anyone has a website they'd like to see added to the list of links at Scott Free Press, drop me a line at postmaster@scottfreepress.com with the URL and I'll add it to the Links page. Until next time I remain,

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Howdy Folks, HUGE news over at Scott Free Press! Check it out here!

Re: Alternative Superman I think a more interesting question is, what if he were African? Imagine a black Superman raised in the turmoil of mid to late 20th century Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe or the Congo. What happens when someone with that much power comes from having so little? What happens when an apartheid state is confronted with someone who completely disproves the state's racist ideology (or, if he turns violent, possibly supports it)? What happens to the international system when it suddenly becomes apparent that one of the poorest nations on the planet (using 'nation' in the loosest sense of the word in the Congo's case) suddenly has someone more powerful than all the militaries of the world?

Re: I need your opinion My vote would be with mundane, non-superhuman guards with high-tech gear as members of the Titan Guard. While guarding superhuman criminals in Prometheus is certainly a step up from the average job in corrections, it's still basically guard duty, which can be very monotonous and boring. Corrections officers don't get as much training as the average soldier, nor even as much as your average police officer. My understanding is that this is the case because highly trained individuals, like soldiers and police officers become bored with guard duty, because they aren't able to make use of their training in most cases. For similar reasons, I find the idea of superhuman corrections officers to be similarly unlikely, because they'd likely grow bored with the hum-drum of everyday life in prison, not to mention the soul-crushing experience associated with being exposed to prison-life all the time (although if superhumans are as common as they are in some settings, like in Neopolis in Alan Moore’s Top Ten, superhuman guards would seem a lot more likely). While it's quite possible that the Titan Guard would have a few superhumans on the payroll (officers who lead the capture teams or possibly founding members of the Prometheus Corporation), it's likely the vast majority of the Prometheus staff are moderately trained mundanes with access to impressive high-tech riot gear (like the Guardsman or Mandroid armours from Marvel comics) for if/when prison riots break out. Anyhoo, that’s my 2 cents.

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Alrighty folks, the HERO System stats for Ifrit are now up at the Scott Free Press site. Three down, two more to go before we're caught up. Cheers,

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Howdy folks, Just wanted to let you all know that the new State of the World is up at the Scott Free Press site, discussing how the media can be used in your HERO System campaign. In addition, early this week, the HERO System version of Ifrit will be up at the site. Until next time I remain,

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Howdy folks, I just finished up and posted the HERO System version of Abdul Rahman to the site for your viewing pleasure. Next up will be Ifrit, the Indonesian superhuman terrorist. Also, after seeing V for Vendetta this weekend and seeing what's been happening in Belarus this week, am I the only one who thinks that country could use a superhuman? Cheers,

Re: Comics you loved...but apparently no one else did Wasteland was amazing. It was how I learned what a bezoar is. In the Ostrander vein, the Manhunter series was awesome too (although I never really had a thing for Doug Rice's art). The next few are a bit shameful: Stryke Force, Pitt and Youngblood. In each of them I loved for what they could be, not what they tragically were (which was a steaming pile in all three cases....excepting of course the Alan Moore Youngblood).

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Damn your fast fingers Keith! That's an awesome idea. If anybody has the time or inclination to look over the HERO write-ups of the Change the World characters, I'll be more than happy to give them full credit on the site and in the published product!

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Heh heh. Consider it a lesson learned. I was sloppy with the write-up and the post and it won't happen again (well, I'm going to try to be sure it doesn't). One of the nice things about posting the characters to the site first is I'm able to fix errors in them as quickly as they're noticed. That said, I realize the high standard of quality associated with the HERO System and I'll be making damn sure I triple check my write-ups in the future. I also appreciate the advice regarding posting on other threads too. Your comments are spot on and I'm really regretting having approached these boards the way I did. I'll be making a concerted effort in the future to be more of a participant on the boards, rather than a Scott Free Press mouthpiece. As for links to sites, if anybody has a site they'd like to have linked from the Scott Free Press site, please drop me a line at kevinmadison@scottfreepress.com with the url and I'll be happy to add it to the links (another one of the perks of being my own webmaster...instant edits). Cheers,

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Is this a reference to the amount of incorrect character builds from the old European Enemies? I don't own the book, but I seem to remember reading something about it before.

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Howdy Folks, Some answers to your questions: None, just pencil, paper and a calculator. Corrected (I rounded down when I should have rounded up). In my mind, it fits the character concept. Ariswanto is an Indonesian Super-Soldier and while he may be quite fast and agile on land, I don't see the same translating to the water (although there may be a case for a higher than average Swim). All Fixed. According to the Hero Games Writing Guidelines, this suffices. Ariswanto has contacts with the Indonesian military, but since Indonesia became a democracy, he's lost many of the contacts that would have raised the cost of this Perk (he's seen by the current administration as a useful tool, but also an unfortunate reminder of some of the worst acts of the Suharto regime). This isn't a flaw in the design, it's an intended shortcoming. In Ariswanto's history, it describes how he was trounced by a Timorese superhuman when he faced him head-on, which is why he now makes use of stealth and guerilla tactics against other superhumans. I used the write-up for a Flashlight on page 189 of the HERO 5th Revised Rulebook, but I can see how Change Environment would work too. As for the weapons that you mentioned were missing in the description, I've written them up two ways (one as individual items and another as a VPP), leaving players and GMs to choose whichever works best for their campaigns. Thanks for the excellent feedback Kirby (good to have a pair of eyes more experienced in HERO than mine to look over the stats). Please keep it coming. Heh heh. I think I'm safe on this one. Like many of the other characters in the 'Fourth World' line, Mr. Miracle's secret ID name speaks to his character (an escape artist who gets away 'scott free') in the same way that Darkseid's name spoke to his character (a ruler with a pronounced Dark Side). The name of my company is simply based on this same common phrase. In any case, as I mention on the site, the name comes from combining the phrase 'scott free' with the idea of a 'free press'. Hopefully that will keep DC's lawyers at bay for now (although if you want to read about potential litigious correspondence from Marvel, read here). Thanks for the comments guys! Until next time I remain,

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Howdy folks, Just wanted to let y'all know the first HERO System character is up for you viewing please at the Scott Free Press website. You can find him here. We should have another few up in the next two days. Enjoy! Until next time I remain,

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Howdy folks, Lots of fun stuff to report on this week! First up: there's a new Country Brief featuring Canada up on the site now, along with the first of four new characters related to Canada. The Country Brief gives you all you'll need to have your campaign head to the Great White North. The first Canadian character is a superhuman who was first active in the 1960s, but has subsequently become a Canadian Senator. In addition to her full history and stats, you'll get some sneak peeks at other characters of the Change the World setting. Also up at the site is a new State of the World discussing how state sovereignty relates to superhuman characters who are heads of state. So if you've got a Doctor Doom wannabe in your campaign, this week's column will be up your alley. In addition, we've got a detailed schedule for future Change the World characters and Country Briefs up. Finally, all this week we'll be working to get the HERO System versions of the Change the World characters finished and posted so you can use them in your own campaigns. There's lots to see, so swing by the site and take a peek! Until next time I remain,

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! Heh heh, it's called instant e-mail notification. Glad to hear you're giving us a second chance.

Re: Introducing Scott Free Press! OK, a few things Kirby. First off, with the exception of the first post (which I apologized for) none of my posts have been about anything I have for sale (with the exception of the HERO announcement, but that can be considered a response to inquiries people have made about us posting HERO versions of our characters). As for 'buy from us' posts, have you been to the Scott Free Press site Kirby? There isn't anything on the site that I charge for. All the State of the World columns I refer to in my posts are not game system specific, making them as useful to a HERO gamer as an M&M Superlink gamer (or GURPS or DC Heroes or Marvel Super Heroes or any other superhuman RPG for that matter). Furthermore, they're free every week. As for talking to other people on the boards, I honestly don't have the time to post to other threads. I used to post on these boards (and the GURPS, RPG.net and Atomic Think Tank boards) as Badmudderfugger. When I started promoting Scott Free Press online I decided it would be better to put my name behind it, rather than an online pseudonym. While I couldn't be considered a regular here, it's not like I've never posted here (check out my old Advent Rising Space Hero thread). When people have responded to this thread (either by posting or PMing me) I've responded as soon as humanly possible. In addition, I've got threads going on several other forums in addition to the correspondence I get through Scott Free Press. On top of that, I'm writing a weekly column for the site, drawing and providing stats and backstory for a new character every two weeks, compiling a Country Brief every two months and working on Scott Free Press' actual for-profit products. All of this is while I'm working full-time as well. While it would be nice to make some money from this, the primary focus I've had is to make sure that the free stuff I've promised on the site is always up there on time. Furthermore, all of the information on the website that has been posted there free will remain free, published or not. It should be clear by now that I'm not doing this for the money. If I was I would have released the Country Briefs for sale, rather than for free on the site and just to clarify, even when the PDF versions of the Country Briefs are up for sale, all the information contained within (including characters) will remain free on the site. The reason I'm charging for the Country Brief PDFs is to partially offset the cost of hosting the site (which isn't free) and to be able to donate a greater percentage to SOS Children Villages (50% as opposed to the usual 10% we have planned). Anyhoo, what I'd ask, Kirby, is that you take a look at the Scott Free Press site first and judge for yourself whether what I'm doing here is leaving 'buy from us' posts or just telling the HERO community about a free resource and hoping to get feedback from this active (and vocal) community (in particular in light of the fact we'll be providing HERO System versions of our characters there in the near future). As for getting involved in other threads, I would love to if I had the time but at the present all I have time to do is look over the thread names and poke in on the ones that interest me. I'm hoping to pick up Pulp Hero this weekend (today's review on RPG.net sold me on it) so you may see more of me on the Pulp boards soon. However, if I am absent from other threads on this board, I ask that you consider the circumstances I mentioned above. Thanks for you comments Kirby and I hope to hear from you again soon. Until next time I remain,