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Scott Ruggels

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  1. Thanks
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Old Man in What Have You Watched Recently?   
    First episode of Shogun, the FX remake of the '80s miniseries based on the book by James Clavell.  I never read the book, and I only dimly remember the Richard Chamberlain miniseries, but so far this iteration is really good.  From what I recall, the last miniseries was almost entirely from Blackthorne's POV.  This one shows a lot more of what's going on among the nobles, which is perfect for Game of Thrones fans who are literate enough for subtitles.  Also I remember that in the first miniseries, Toranaga was basically a bad guy, whereas in this version his story is much more nuanced.  It's a nice change for Hiroyuki Sanada, who in most U.S. productions has been cast as a bad guy.
     
    I'm able to get to FX on demand through my Spectrum cable subscription, but it might also be available on Hulu or something.
  2. Haha
    Scott Ruggels got a reaction from Susano in A Star Hero NPC Concept   
    The puns, they hurt!
  3. Thanks
    Scott Ruggels reacted to DShomshak in More space news!   
    https://www.npr.org/2024/02/29/1234998832/the-space-missions-that-aim-to-explore-distant-moons
     
    NASA plans probes to Europa and Titan.
     
    Dean Shomshak
  4. Like
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Duke Bushido in To the streets   
    I have to agree with Lone Wolf.
     
    All of our campaigns-  all of them--  start out at low level.
     
    As far as the need for backup and support--
     
    Well, _that_ is why you form a team. 
     
    (And yes; that is one of many reasons I prefer to start out with 200-250pt Pcs)
     
     
  5. Like
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Duke Bushido in How is Chaosium Basic Role Playing compared to Hero System?   
    Only in Robot Warriors, I'm afraid. 
     
    I _wanted_ Battletech, but as the only person I knew who was interested, I couldnt really justify the expenditure back then; Robot Warriors I could justify, having accidentally bought Robot Gladiators first.  At that point,I obviously _had_ to have the game, or the supplement was wasted money, right?
     
    I liked Robot Warriors well enough, but the overall genericness of it (game-build and mech-wise) was always just a bit disappointing. 
     
    it's like you really wanted to see the Jovian Chronicles anime but your parents bought you Robot Jox instead:  you liked it, but it didn't quite scratch that itch.....
     
     
     
     
  6. Sad
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Duke Bushido in How is Chaosium Basic Role Playing compared to Hero System?   
    Our _country_, Sir.  Our entire country.
     
  7. Like
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Rich McGee in How is Chaosium Basic Role Playing compared to Hero System?   
    An exception:  LBB Traveller had a fairly involved character generation process (including what was arguably the first "life path" system in the industry) but was not only quite deadly during play, it could even shortcut things by occasionally killing you during creation. 
  8. Like
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Susano in Strike Force Organizations   
    I am going to revisit Cult of the Beast. I have some additional information and a character sheet to add. It won't be much, but it will give an idea of the Cult's structure.
  9. Like
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Gauntlet in Restricted power origins campaigns   
    That was a Great Game, you should run it again.
  10. Like
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Susano in Strike Force Organizations   
    Update for those following the Strike Force Organizations progress: the Wanderers are at ~24,000 words. I need to add the Campaign Use and Scenario sections, edit the character sheets a bit, fix some errors, and do some formatting. I hope to have this section done by the end of the week or so.
  11. Haha
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Duke Bushido in Quote of the Week from my gaming group...   
    Actually, there were two from,tonight's session.
     
    In the brief battle,just before the moment above, when Red Cloak summoned his Spectral Guardian (SFX for Force Field; this spirt,movws to impose,himself,and,his shield,between,RC and,incomming attacks.  He is also the SFX of Missile Deflection (only useable when Spectral Guardian is active), as we are going,through the combat, me,detailing the precision and periodically,acrobatic maneuvers of the ghostly warrior, right down to him spinning around Red Cloak just in time to protect him from a blow to the back of the head yet still managing, as a gunshot rang out, to thrust his sword from,behind Red Cloak and,over his shoulder, spearing the buller with the tip of his ethereal blade and flicking it harmlessly away--
     
    "Holy crap!   This guy is amazing!  But Mr. Duke, how the heck did this guy get killed?!  He's awesome!"
     
    "Cancer.  He was a smoker."
     
     
     
     
  12. Haha
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Duke Bushido in Quote of the Week from my gaming group...   
    Rhw youth group game had another session after a "it is too srinking cols to ait our here at a picnic table!" hiatus.
     
    A couple of rhe toughest players,have forgotten a couple of the basics, so as a quick refresher, Red Cloak and Feral j(who have the most complicated builds od the group) ust happen to have been ambushed while doing some,after-hours research at the library archives undner the museum.
     
    "...and the last of the villainous agents drop, victim of your sleep spell.  That was an attack action, C, so we have to end Red Cloak's Phase without any movement."
     
    "It's cool. I look for the leader- the super-powered guy.   I want to bind him up with my restraining spell until Feral gets back to help me move him."
     
    "You will need to re-allocate your points in your Multipower; remember?"
     
    "Oh yeah!  Okay, I guess I can turn off the Flight; it can't really use it in here, anyway-"
     
    "Still, being in the air did reduce the amount of damage you sufferered when that sexons goon ahot you the teaser,he took from the guard..."
     
    "Yeah, but these guys are out cold now. Oh, I guess I should turn off my force field, too-"
     
    "Remember parr of the dun is sticking to the themes of your character and his world."
     
    "Hunh?"
     
    "Do you have a force field, or do you-"
     
    "Oh, right!  I make the handsign at the warrior spirit protecting me, and thank him, and tell him he is dismissed."
     
    "His ghostly form turns to you,standing tall and proud, bashes his sword against his shield, holds his sword up in front of his face in salute, bows, and disappears."
     
    "That would be _so cool_ if it was real-"
     
    "In the game, it is real; enjoy it.  If you change your mind, you make it something else."
     
    "Nah.  I think a pet warrior ghost is pretty cool."
     
    "Sure, but he isnt a pet.  You summon him,to protect you; there is a contract to fulfill."
     
    "Right, but we have a job, too.  I need to get information from the metal guy."
     
    "You look around the room, and even with the rows of library stacks and the computer equipment, it seems kind of empty with the sounds of battle absent,  seven thugs lie strewn around the forefront of the room, victims to poor judgement and your ancient magic--."
     
    "Yeah, I don't think these guys are gonna be making any more rabbit-out-of-a-hat jokes again!"
     
    "-but none of these faces are familar you."
     
    "What do you mean?"
     
    "You don't see Big Iron, the street name,for the thug that can turn into metal."
     
    "Ah, Man!  He got away-!  I guess I better go see if Feral is back yet-"
     
    "You turn to leave the room and almost bump your face into a statue.  No, wait; statues don't move-"
     
    "Move?"
     
    "You glance up just in time to see the ceooked and cruel wry grin of Big Iron, his fist drawing back over his head, muscles tight,as bow strings.  "Suprise, Houdini!" he snarls-"
     
    "Ah, crap!   Okay, so how do I Push my PD...?"
     
     

     
     
  13. Thanks
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Sundog in Quote of the Week from my gaming group...   
    We've had a bunch of disruption to our games, between holidays and a few illnesses.
     
  14. Like
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Steve in Quote of the Week from my gaming group...   
    I miss @Drhoz. It’s been too long since the last update.
  15. Thanks
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Weldun in Quote of the Week from my gaming group...   
    You have to understand that @Drhoz works outdoors, has been on holidays and returned to work during a heatwave.
    Quotes are inbound, but my man needs some recovery time. 😉
  16. Thanks
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Lord Liaden in A Thread For Random RPG Musings   
    There is no substitute for a good index in a game book. When you have a big collection of them, it can be hard to find which book holds a particular detail you vaguely recall. I really appreciate the near-omniscient indexes that DOJ put in all their Hero books from 5E on.
  17. Thanks
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Lord Liaden in A Thread For Random RPG Musings   
    For some reason, I'm fascinated by the inland Sea of Mhorec, from Hero Games' Turakian Age setting. It's a freshwater "lake" which by my calculations is at least half the surface area of the Mediterranean Sea, somewhere in size between Hudson Bay in northern Canada, and the Gulf of Mexico. The idea of a freshwater lake as big as a major sea is just compelling to me.
     
    That prompted me to research the largest lakes in real-world history, with the record going to the Paratethys Sea, which formed about 12 million years ago. Covering much of what's now Europe and the Near East, this mega-lake was a little larger than the Mediterranean. It was generally shallow, although with much deeper basins within it; but it still held ten times the fresh water of all today's lakes combined. It also supported a thriving ecosystem with unique species of life.
     
    Here's a map of the Paratethys, with an outline of the region's modern geography superimposed:
     

     
    This shows that there's ample precedent for a more diverse and distinctive hydrology in a fantasy world than most of us tend to think of. And it proves you don't need some cataclysmic global geologic upheaval to produce drowned or desertified kingdoms, or unusual sea creatures. Merely enough of a change in climate to raise or lower water levels, or a shift in local geography, for a sea to be cut off from direct access to the world ocean, as with the Paratethys.
  18. Haha
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Lord Liaden in What Have You Watched Recently?   
    Spader's Raymond "Red" Reddington is one of the most fascinating characters ever created for television IMHO. Brilliant, charismatic, mercurial, ruthless. Utterly charming one moment, utterly terrifying the next. He may work with you, but only in service to his own hidden agenda, and you know he'll turn on you if and when that serves his interests.
     
    I tend to think of him as being like Doctor Who if the Doctor was an amoral psychopath.
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  21. Like
    Scott Ruggels got a reaction from tkdguy in More space news!   
    Intuitive Machines Odysseus Lander makes a successful landing on the Moon.
     
    https://www.space.com/intuitive-machines-im-1-private-moon-landing-webcast
    More information:
     
  22. Like
    Scott Ruggels reacted to Jkeown in HERO SYSTEM + ChatGPT   
    Doing a fun thing with ChatGPT and HERO. I'm dropping images into the chat, it gives me the text of a HERO Bestiary write up, and I then create a Fantasy HERO monster from it. 
     
    For example, this monster (ArtStation - Toxic Spider, Olekzandr Zahorulko) caused ChatGPT to give me this. So now I'll go create a HERO writeup for it. I've licensed 600 pieces of art from Olekzandr and I'll be compiling them into a PDF for everyone's enjoyment. 
     
    Ecology: Behold the Jadeback Shellspider, an extraordinary amalgamation of mineral and arachnid lifeforms. This creature is typically found in the depths of ancient forests where magic runs as rampant as the foliage. It feeds off the rich mineral deposits in the soil and is known to integrate these elements into its exoskeleton, resulting in its unique and robust armored hide.
    Personality/Motivation: The Jadeback Shellspider is a solitary guardian of the forest's heart, acting as a living bulwark against those who would harm its sacred grounds. It moves with purpose, driven by an intrinsic connection to the life force of the trees and the earth it roams. This creature does not seek out confrontation, but it does not shy away from it when the sanctity of its home is at stake.
    Powers/Tactics: With a carapace as hard as the rocks it emulates, the Jadeback Shellspider can curl into a formidable shield to withstand assaults. In offense, it can hurl shards of its jade-like armor, which regrow over time, or ensnare foes with webs that have the tensile strength of steel. It is a patient hunter, lying in wait, camouflaged until the perfect moment to strike.
    Campaign Use: The Jadeback Shellspider can be a fierce adversary, a steadfast ally, or an environmental hazard in a campaign. It could guard ancient secrets, obstruct a path that adventurers must pass, or be the subject of a quest where its unique mineral-rich carapace is sought after by alchemists or smiths.
    Appearance: This creature's most striking feature is its glowing, jade-green carapace, which appears to be carved from the gemstone itself. Its body structure resembles that of a spider, with long, jointed legs perfect for traversing its wooded home. The translucent green of its shell gives off a faint luminance in the dappled light of the forest, creating an otherworldly aura.
  23. Like
    Scott Ruggels got a reaction from GoldenAge in HERO SYSTEM + ChatGPT   
    I am impressed at what it did on your prompt. I can see how useful it is. I suppose you could run it through Hero Designer if you really needed the numbers to add up, or we’re going to use the character in Tabletop Simulator, but that can give you a very good start on villain creation. 
  24. Like
    Scott Ruggels got a reaction from Duke Bushido in A Thread For Random RPG Musings   
    Yeah physical THerapy was kind of a bitch after the bad sumer of 2018.
     
  25. Like
    Scott Ruggels reacted to pawsplay in Druids   
    The big issue I see with Multiform is that you don't really become someone new. Especially if you retain spellcasting or other abilities, you end up having to buy a lot of your abilities twice. And how does that work with adjustment powers?
    I think Shapeshifting with a Multipower is the correct approach. I see the "no multipowers" rule cited above, but that has to do with putting unrelated spells in a Multipower. I don't think it applies to a standalone supernatural power, and certainly, I've never seen issues with creating a multipower for a spell that does multiple things.
    The D&D 3e version of a druid, which involves paging through a half dozen books to pick out the most advantageous "animals" and casting in animal form is probably more like a VPP, but I don't think that was the intention. Assuming a druid has a number of forms related to local species, I think you could get away with a Multipower that lets you slip in Growth and Shrinking, natural weapons, movement changes, special senses, boosted STR, and a little ED and PD. If all you do is turn into a wolf or a bird, all the easier.
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