Tjack

OK children, get comfy ‘cause ‘ol uncle Tjack has a Halloween story for you. I swear before all the Gods in Southern California that this is the absolute honest truth....or wouldn’t be funny otherwise. Once upon a time in that magical college heavy city by the sea from whence I came. It was a lovely fall night around this time of year....It was the last Friday of the month and the week had been a brutal one, selling computer supplies and furniture to the early birds coming into their new dorms. Well, after closing up the store and punching out I was dead on my feet and still had to hustle to catch the connecting bus to get to the one that would take me home. So I was about to cross a major city street, I looked both ways and stepped off the high curb in the middle of the street and almost got clobbered by a drunk, driving a black car without his headlights on. I jumped up and back and started to stumble on the curb when a small delicate hand steadied my shoulder. I looked down at my own feet and turned looking first at the feet of my rescuer. Black high lace up combat boots. Black tights with holes in spots. Baggy black shorts, black bustier, black fingerless gloves, pale (REALLY pale) skin, shoe polish black hair in all directions and a pale (REALLY pale) face with an ankh centered over one eye. (Looked a little like Tori Amos) As I tried to get my brain to reboot I definitely said out loud “I think I may be in trouble here.. “ she just giggled cocked her head to the side, smiled at me and turned and skipped away. I spent the next two bus rides and the rest of the night telling myself that it was the last Friday night before Halloween and the area was packed solid with dorms and frat houses throwing costume parties. Sometimes I still tell myself that.

I’m going to go with Sturgeon’s Law....90% of EVERYTHING is crap.

Things are probably more screwed up than usual due to the recent news about layoffs and budget cuts in the Postal Service to take place right before the busiest time of year. (the Christmas season) I know I’d be as disgruntled as hell. The comic Jimmy Tingle used to do a great bit about the Post Office and how it was a prime target for everyone’s complaints like stamps going up in price five cents. But when you think about it they’ll take your letter and send it around the world for “a freaking quarter” “Jeez, could you just tip the guy a nickel !?!”

Hill Street Blues The 1980’s police drama was the first version of what N.Y.P.D. Blue became. With many of the same producers, writers and actors this was a gritty and honest for the time look at a police precinct in an unnamed large U.S. city. Memorable characters and a number of “before they became stars” (Star Trek TNG’s Jonathon Frakes as a petty criminal afraid to go into the system because he was “too pretty” and Brent Spiner as a sleazy Porn Director) actors make this a show to watch if you get the chance.

.....and that’s on a good night.

What’s the image? I’ve looked at things you’ve tagged in other posts but can’t figure out who you’re talking about.if you could either post the pic here or give us a simple way to find it we might be able to help.

Yeah, it’s nothing to get all burned up about......Heated exchange....Hot under the collar.....I’m just trying to get them all out of the way.

Cool, you’ll have to show me what those are at some point. But for now we’re standing on a roof top with the police, ambulances and pretty soon the press showing up and I think we should get the hell outta Dodge while we’ve got the chance! What do you say?!?

If you do, don’t expect to sleep tonight!😈👻💀🧛‍♂️ BWAH-HA-HA!!!!

I went looking on YouTube for the Tell-Tale Heart clip and found both movies on there for free! Have fun!!

If they were written by Jeff Rice you’re OK. It was his original unfinished book that he turned into the script for N.S. He wrote novelizations of both movies. Anybody else I have no idea. Wouldn’t those books being read by McGavin have been cool? The man had a great voice. On the Halloween episode of some daytime talk show in the ‘70’s he read an excerpt from The Tell-Tale Heart that scared the crap out of my little kid self.

They’re worth looking up, given the season and they still hold up storywise. Also the guest stars are great Barry Atwater (Surak on Star Trek:TOS) was the baddie in the first one and John Carradine and Ronny Cox were in the second one.

I don’t know if it would ever be the same without Darren McGavin. Are you familiar with the two original 90 minute TV movies. The first one, “The Night Stalker” was crazily successful in the ratings when it debuted. And the second one “The Night Strangler” ‘s were nearly as good.

...But children should dance.

It seems they thought you were a shiftless worker. Or shifty, either one.

Yeah, besides someday you may run into a magical boy warrior of hate. And you’ll need to rap him one right in the mouth. My money’s on you.

That’s what I mean. I can’t think of anything you might use them for, but sometime down the line they might be useful for something we could never expect.

As I come up to the roof level I go visible and say “You never know what will come in handy.” “I thought a grappling hook gun would be useless to somebody who could fly, but it certainly got used tonight.”

Make a quick search of the area for any other members of the gang and if there’s not I check the unconscious guards again then get the hell out of there before I get spotted by the incoming police. I go back to the roof.

(Over the radio) “Paladin to team leaders, two goons down, about to start starting search for any more.....By the way next time you start handing out equipment....you might want to include some handcuffs.” “I’m using line from the grappling gun here!” ****I checked both the in game mentioning of equipment and the handout...there’s no flexi-cuffs mentioned.****😋😂😛😇😜

(Over the radio) “ I’ve got another guard down, two goons here I’m moving to intercept!” Still invisible I tackle into the two masked men (thought bubble) Keep it to near normal strength, I don’t want to kill anybody here. I’ve just got to keep them both busy until some back up gets here. *** How do you want to do combat? Do you roll it or do I? I figure I’d go up from his 15 Str. normal up to 20. With Martial Arts & a +1 skill level that should give him a solid shot at a knockout without putting them in the hospital.***

To knock this question down to it’s bare bones, to a formula that can be used in any game, any genre, it would be the opposite side of the coin to “garbage in, garbage out.” The more history, details, background, illustrations, whatever you can provide will get your players to create more interesting, more varied, more detailed characters. There’s no way to know what will get two neurons rubbing together in a players brain and create a spark that will light up your game. It doesn’t have to be a dry history and timeline that you wrote but instead refer your players to the books, TV shows and movies that inspired you to create that world and run that game. Put on your Professor Harold Hill straw hat (or the guy who sold the monorail to Springfield) and get them fired up. The more excitement you can generate to them is the more fun you’ll all have in the game. If you’ve ever seen the movie L.A. Confidential remember the opening sequence with the postcards and newspaper photos of Los Angeles in the early ‘50’s. How it brought you into that world ? That was all taken from the pitch meeting presentation the would be Producers of the movie did for the studio exec’s to try and get funding for the project. It was such a success that it became the entryway for the audience as well. This is what you have to do for your players It’s an axiom in the military that “The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat.” The same thing holds here. The more you give the player, the more you will get from the player.

***********I’m back & We have the power!!*************** I float down slowly from the overlook to the main floor, when I touch down I move carefully to the Gems exhibit staying as silent as possible. They may be expecting the Bat and have a surprise waiting for him. He likes to swoop down onto his targets so I’ll stay as low as I can hoping to avoid whatever they’ve got ready.

“Team leader, I’ve got a guard down, slugged, semi conscious and tied.” His vitals seem OK and I am proceeding to the Mineral Hall.” “ You may want to alert police and ambulance.” “Over.” I move to the overlook and look over the room below. (smirk) (OOC: What do I see?) ****I’ve got an electrician scheduled in 20 minutes from now. I may be off line for a few hours. Sorry.*******

“OK, bigmouth.” “Time to put up or shut up.” I muttered as I cloaked up again. As I edged over to the skylight I realized I was acting like I could be seen by anybody, but decided that was probably a good way to go. Dad always said “When you’re in enemy territory always assume the enemy is looking right at you.” I slipped over the edge and floated to the ground. I moved slow and careful looking out for tripwires or motion sensors that might have been left to warn the robbers about any patrolling guards, and I cycled my vision up and down the scale for photo electric beams. Even with all this I still made decent time getting across the room. Since I didn’t really have any idea which direction they went after coming down the rope I just flipped a coin in my head and picked a direction towards what might be a soft sound.