Scott Ruggels

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.....
 
 
 
 

Our _country_, Sir.  Our entire country.
 

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. 

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.

That was a Great Game, you should run it again.

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.

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."
 
 
 
 

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...?"
 
 

 
 

We've had a bunch of disruption to our games, between holidays and a few illnesses.
 

I miss @Drhoz. It’s been too long since the last update.

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. 😉

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.

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.

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.

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:
 

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.

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. 

Yeah physical THerapy was kind of a bitch after the bad sumer of 2018.
 

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.

That's a fair point especially with the first character I built with it. But one could construct it so the skills, abilities and some of the disads cross over, though adding new ones would probably be necessary due to the new form. But it ads to the flexibility of a build, so one can build to their concept either way. Just be firm with the concept and don't succumb to feature creep?

Found this awesome post on Facebook, dunno the author to give credit.  Bold emphasis mine
 
Who is the best Marvel movie or TV Marvel villain? Hands down, David Tennant's Kilgrave from Jessica Jones' first season, the perfect embodiment of sexual and domestic violence. He's one of those rare villains who leaves you with unease long after you turn off the TV, and it's because he was there before you turned it on. He's not the best villain because of his personality, though his glee and charm is a large part of it. He's not the best villain because of the scope of his villainy. He's not out to destroy any cities or conquer any galaxies. He's not even out to take down a hero, although that's what he's going to do along the way. You see, Kilgrave's power is this: You have to do anything he wants you to do. Anything at all. Maybe he wants your jacket. Maybe he wants you to have sex with him. Maybe he wants you to become his lover and live with him happily, forever and ever, in a lovely little house for the two of you. Maybe he wants you to murder your mom. You know those intrusive thoughts, the ones you would never in a million years do, the ones that make you wonder if you're a monster? The ones that say, jump over the railing. Hold the match to your sleeve. The dog sure looks happy; why don't you kick its brains in? Kilgrave whispers the very worst things to you, and you do them. Kilgrave makes it your fault when he does what he does to you. Makes it your idea. Does it with your hands. Makes your body something bad. And he makes the people you depend upon blame you for it. So when Kilgrave uses his powers on you, you aren't a victim. You are a villain. And you're utterly, eternally alone in your hurt and your horror. And it doesn't end when it ends. He's got no master plan or secret agenda. He's just following his whims. If he decides he really likes you, he'll bring the trauma back over. And over. And over. He can leave an idea in your head that never goes away, an idea that sits there where you can't see it until it suddenly shows up at the worst possible moment. Creating a villain who generates such revulsion and horror in the audience is like capturing lightning in a bottle. As Dorothy Sayers told us, it’s almost impossible to write the Devil without making the audience root for him, because those attributes that make a villain an opponent worthy of writing about are virtues, or are at least the personality traits that make a character fascinating. If your villain isn’t powerful, you’ve got no story. If your villain isn’t talented, you’ve got no story. If your villain isn’t persistent, isn’t charismatic, doesn’t have a good reason to do what they do . . . no story. There is a sense in which it's very hard for us to tell honest stories about evil, because real evil isn't extremely watchable. So instead of making legitimately evil villains, we make villains who are heroes on the wrong side, or villains who are heroes with a streak of malice, or we just take the hero, run through a list of their strengths, and come up with a foil for each bullet point. Those methods make engaging villains. Those are the villains you love to see, because they thrill you at the same time that they horrify you: the Darth Vaders and the Hannibal Lectors, the Moriartys and the Lex Luthors. Those bad guys may not have our allegiance, but they have our attention, our fascination, the stamp of the viewer's approval. But to write a villain who elicits horror in the audience, who’s a perfect counterpoint to all the hero’s strengths, and to have the audience feel sick when he’s on the screen—that’s extraordinary. And in this case, it’s achieved by tapping into a kind of violence that has only rarely been addressed on the screen, and even more rarely shown from the victim’s point of view. It’s not the “violent rape” that politicians discuss, the kind that grabs you in an alleyway with a stranger’s hands. It’s the kind that gets up close and personal in all the other ways, in ways that nobody can see from the outside. And its perpetrator is an emotional toddler, raging for anything and everything they want, right now, as if their whims were as essential as oxygen. There is absolutely nothing appealing about Kilgrave. Zilch. Even his charm isn't directed toward us; it's directed toward the other characters, the ones Jessica needs to believe her and help her, and so we hate his charm. He convinces the audience that he’s powerful, maybe too powerful to be defeated, and we’re right there in Jessica’s misery with her, feeling isolated and despairing. Kilgrave's comic-book villain in Jessica Jones does what speculative fiction does best: turns a mirror on reality. You can make a villain who is stronger than other villains, who rules a bigger empire or has a bigger weapon or is out to kill more people than any other villain ever written. But all you're doing is playing the game of "Oh, yeah? My bad guy is bad times a hundred. No; times a million. Times infinity plus one." Kilgrave tells us what bad really is, and it rings true. Anybody who's had to take out an order of protection knows Kilgrave already. Anybody who's undergone a rape kit knows Kilgrave already. He's the rarest sort of screen villain: the one we were afraid of before he was written.

KA-BONNNGGG!!!

Season 3 of Star Trek: Lower Decks came in at the library. I've only just started watching (not a binger, me) but I'll note the first episode snarkily inverted one of the overused tropes of, well, many dramas with young protagonists: The People in Charge Are Idiots, So The Kids Must Save The Day. Mariner believes this, all the more because everyone tells her to "trust the system." And for once, she's wrong. Whaddaya know, the people running Starfleet turn out *not* to be idiots, they see as clearly as she does that her mother is being framed, and how (the Original Series episode "Courtmartial" had this), and deal with it competently. As they were supposed to.
 
Wow. Now that's satire.
 
Dean Shomshak