TheImperialKhan

Re: TOS Star Trek and The Warp Drive Eodin, that idea came from FASA's background material iirc. I have trouble with it though. I just can't see the Constitution class starships being so crappy that Kirk was the only captain to bring one back. Besides Chris Pike and Bob April would have done it before him anyway. I look at it as more the fact that Kirk's 5-year mission was truly outstanding simply for all that it accomplished. Certainly the other Connies had done a lot but no where near as much as the Enterprise under James Kirk. And let's have a big welcome for my old friend MisterBaldy who decided to play thread ressurection and bring this one back from the cold dark night. He has just bought a copy 5ER and is returning to HERO after a 10-year absence. Welcome back, Baldy Boy!

Re: Solar Hero This might also be of use to you: http://www.geocities.com/blademaster01757/orionshist.html Just plop yourself at any point in that timeline that strikes your fancy and go from there.

Re: Does your Team have a Charter? In the group that I played for about seven years we did indeed have a charter. I wrote it and drew very heavily on the Avengers Charter although there were some changes made of course. This was the Strike Force - Boston campaign which included the characters of Centurion and Patriot both of which can be seen at my old website. Frankly I think that the Avengers Charter is the model to go by. It's really well done.

Re: Perry Rhodan Hero Actually I think that the first cycle is a great period to set a campaign. Particularly if your players are World-Builders. Let them play Rhodan, Bell, et al and give them a chance to really build a new world. Alternately set a campaign right after the end of the first cycle with Earth trying to build the Solar Imperium while still remaining hidden from Arkon. Plenty of adventure, space exploration, interaction with small local space-faring powers more in the New Power's league at the time (something that the series glossed over), maybe a short duration conflict or three and there would still be opportunities for plain old terrestrial menaces that need to be dealt with. Set it aboard a K-class auxilary vessel to start, the New Power picked up another 40 that were aboard the Titan in addition the original and the twelve from the Stardust II, they would be great for this sort of thing, 60-meter diameter, well-armed for their size with a crew of up around 50 or 60. Later you could eventually move the players over to something bigger when it was built, maybe a 200-meter Terra class heavy cruiser. You might even try having Earth start to trade with a Springer clan that was ostracized for being too honest and above-board, that in turn leads into the espionage missions of Earth's Solar Agents which could be another great campaign. That early period was really a great period for roleplay. The players really have the chance to make a difference without the benefit of the safety net that a massive space fleet provides. When all you have is a handful of heavy-class spaceships you really can't afford to go throwing your weight around.

Re: Minor question on Armored character Give him just a 10 dex normally and then use the characteristics - dex power to buy him 2 extra points of dex with the limitation Only when not wearing armor. How much the limitation would be worth would depend on how often he goes into action without his armor. Hope this helps

Re: Favorite Pulp Character I guess my favorites would be The Phantom and Flash Gordon. I liked Doc Savage too but I think he was a bit too over the top in that He's better than all of his assistants even in their chosen fields, which they're supposed to be the best in the world at.

Re: When was the "Silver Age" in the CU? Gwen Stacy was Spider-man's girlfriend at the time. The Green Goblin tossed her off the Brooklyn Bridge. Spidey grabbed her with his webbing but the sudden stop broke her neck. After which Spidey basically went berserk and nearly killed the Goblin. It went pretty much like the ending of the first Spider-man movie with the exceptions that the girl was killed and the Goblin was completely hammered by the Spider-man before he impaled himself on his own glider. As for a date that this happened I'm not positive but 1973 sticks out in my mind for this. Can't help you with the Flash, I know it was in the 50s but that's it.

Re: Enterprise NC1701A vs. Imperial Star Destroyer Enterprise hands down. I like Star Wars and all but lets be honest here. I mean when did you ever see a blaster disintegrate its target like a phaser can.

Re: HUDSON CITY: What Do *You* Want To See? And when will that be? BTW I wasn't describing it. That was all of it, the whole adaptation. I was talking about taking the material for the present day and making minor changes to use the exact same material in say the 1890s. I didn't mean to imply that you should redo everything for the different time periods. Not that I'd object if you wanted to do that.

Re: HUDSON CITY: What Do *You* Want To See? I'd like to see enough background to be able to use the city in different time periods. Nothing really detailed, just enough to adapt what's in the rest of the book. This is what I did for one of my old JI campaigns to adapt Justice Not Law: Hudson City ca. 1931 1.) Delete all references to Supers and Costumed Avengers. 2.) Geography: This Hudson City is much smaller and rotated 90 degrees clockwise so that the Stewart River runs North/South through the city. The Northern half is now East while the Southern is now West. The city is 10 miles wide by 7 miles long encompassing some 70 square miles. The population is 3.9 million including the suburbs. Also the great Truman Blvd. project isn't even a dream yet, let alone completed. 3.) Politics: Mayor Umstead ran on a pro-Union ticket. The Deputy Mayor is Caucasian and the Personnel Manager is a man George Flynn. 4.) Neighborhoods: The Pierpoint neighborhood doesn't exist, it's still the warehouse district. 5.) Police: The following HCPD squads do not as yet exist - Citywide Task Force, Special Weapons And Tactics, Vigilante Activities Investigation Squad, and the Youth Crime Task Force. Vice & Narcotics is just Vice and includes the Prohibition Enforcement Group. Most police officers patrol foot beats, but the city has about 200 radio-equipped Prowl Cars manned by 2 officers each as mobile patrols and fast response units. The Police Call Box is in evidence. The force consists of approximately 3,000 officers. The city contains 8 Police Districts, each of which is divided into 5 precincts. There are about 50 men assigned to each Precinct House, 75 to each District Station and 400 to the new Police Headquarters on Centre and Fourth. 6.) Espionage: Replace Sayid El-Ghazali with Comrade Colonel Ivan Ivanovitch Goraskov, an NKVD Officer of similar capabilities. 7.) Martial World: Delete all and replace with numerous neighborhood gyms. 8.) Mercenary: The contacts points are mostly basement speakeasies otherwise unchanged. 9.) Military: Wendover is an Army Air Corps base about 20 miles North of the city. Delete Fort Houke and replace with the US Naval Base at New London about 30 miles to the East. 10.) Mystic: The Pilkenton Murders took place in 1903 otherwise unchanged. 11.) Professional: The International Finance Bank was backed by Russian money and controlled by Comintern. 12.) Medical: the specializations of the Doctors have changed as follows; Amory - Blood, Armstrong - Psychiatry, Green - Thoracic Surgery, Manzanetti - Toxicology, Paulson - Orthopedics and Reichart - Neurosurgery. In addition all are now male. 13.) Religion: Reverend Pick has almost no support except for a small group of rabid followers. The Cults and the Fringers are almost unknown. 14.) Technology: Gablesoft and Sewell Computing Laboratories do not exist. Albemarle Laboratories is a biology and agricultural lab, Armbruster Industries is an aviation firm, Fordham ChemTech is a chemical and electronics company and Henderson Electrics is an electronics firm. 15.) Commerce and Industry: Ben Berkley's business is radio and newspapers. Duchess Industries, Quilann International and the Keller Corporation are all manufacturing firms. The chain stores are gone replaced with the appropriate small stores and shops. The Malls don't exist but real world department stores Macy's, Gimbels', Filenes' and Jordan Marsh compete with Boudreau's. In addition there is also Walker Global Enterprises a major commercial/industrial corporation based in Hudson City (see #24 for more information). 16.) Media: Replace the Sun and the Inquisition with the Hudson City Express in newspapers. Delete all the radio stations and use the TV stations as Radio in there place. Also change the TV reporters to Radio. 17.) Sports: Of the Professional sports teams only the Hudson City Heroes Baseball team exists at this time although there is talk of a Football team in the future. The Hudson City Fighting Arts Tournament is a boxing Tournament instead and the Tour de Hudson does not exist. 18.) Nightclubs: All of these are now basement speakeasies and subject to raids. The music at Dante's Inferno is Big Band. The Skyline Club is a private club it's membership dues are sky-high but as a private club it can legally serve alcohol to members. The Neon Samurai is gone replaced by a casino called The Brass Ring. Caribbean Karma has been replaced by The Black Pearl (aka Ham-Hand's) from Adventurer's Club issue 20. 19.) Music: Delete all and replace with real world Jazz, R&B, Big Band and Crooners. For example - Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller and Bing Crosby. 20.) Fine Arts: Add about six Movie Theaters the largest and most opulent of which is the Constitution Theater on the corner of 4th and East Jackson owned by Ben Berkley. 21.) Museums: The Gangland Museum has been replaced by the Hudson City Museum of American History. 22.) Parks: The parks of 1930 have not been vandalized and turned into war zones. MLK is still known as Abercrombie Park. 23.) The Empire Club, that well-known haunt for adventurers, does have a branch in Hudson City on 20th Avenue near Le Mastre Park. 24.) When Walker Global Enterprises was incorporated in 1894 the company was already well over a century old. Initially founded in Worcester MA by Joshua Walker as Walker Shipping and Transportation the company, which had made a fortune in privateering during the Revolutionary War, was moved to Hudson City in 1805 by Joshua's son, Jeremiah Walker. Emil Hudson had found himself short of cash in the founding of Hudson City and approached Jeremiah for the money. The request came at a time when Walker had been looking to relocate to a coastal city. A deal was worked out which gave Jeremiah several large plots of prime land in and around the city in exchange for his financial backing. The Walkers moved to Hudson City (although a strong presence in Worcester was maintained) in 1805. The company has grown in fits and spurts according to fate, history, and the whims of the current president. In 1827 Jeremiah's eldest son, Louis Walker, founded the Hudson City Express (the city's biggest newspaper), and 8 years later he also founded the Worcester and Hudson City Railroad. In 1877 Clint Walker (who would one day be Governor) started up Walker Engineering, and just 3 years later Premium Oil and Gas. After 2 terms in Congress Clint returned to Hudson City and founded Coronet Publishing in 1891. It was under the auspices of Gov. Walker's son, Daniel Walker II that the company expanded into motor vehicles with the founding of Walker Automotive in 1909. Almost 20 years later Daniel went out to LA and American Artists film studio was founded. The Walkers were extremely wealthy by this time, so much so that they were able, not merely to weather the great depression but actually to profit from it, by buying up the massive numbers of mortgages from the failing banks. U.S. Realty was formed in 1929 to hold and administer the mortgages. The Corporation is headquartered at 13050 North Madison Street. Although Daniel Walker II is still Chairman of the Board much of the day-to-day running of WGE is done by his younger son Richard Walker. Daniel's eldest son is the well-known adventurer and war hero Major Preston Walker who has led expeditions across Africa, Asia and South America. The elder Walker is pressuring his son to settle down but the Major shows no signs of heeding his advice yet. Obviously there's some of my campaign material in there but it gives you an idea of what I'm talking about and it really isn't very long at all.

Re: Foil Powers!

Re: Okay, Who's yer favorite Icon?

Re: Location of Hudson City Please try and get the coastline right this time. That's all I ask. I had an awful trying to fit it anywhere on the East Coast the last time. In the end I rotated it 90 degrees, cut it's dimensions in half and put it in CT. It was the only way to make it fit anywhere. Also be careful of the dimensions, East Coast cities tend not to sprawl the way the way West Coast cities do. They more grow upwards rather than outwards (although their suburbs are all over the place). I suggest keeping the metropolitan area under 100 square miles instead of the 525 you had last time. Just my $ 0.02

Re: Pokey Starships?

Re: What Gold/Silver/Iron Age story or series do you love? Golden Age - Sorry but I've never really read any, at least not enough to have a favorite one way or the other. Silver Age - Spider-man, particularly from around issue 50 through the Death of Gwen Stacy that ended the Age. Bronze Age - Iron-man, I got back into comics just in time for Tony Stark's first bout with the bottle. It was what got me reading again. Iron Age - The Nick Fury vs SHIELD limited series. Fury has to destroy the agency that he built after it becomes rotten with corruption from within. Great stuff that completely obliterated the old SHIELD and killed several well-liked characters.

Re: Arquebus, Musket, Cannon I've written a couple of historical novels as well as some short stories set in the late 18th century. In getting the details correct I've done a fair bit of research on that era and the earlier ones. The load times come from a handout that I got years ago at the Bunker Hill Monument and Pavillion. When I first started looking into things I was quite surprised at how small the field artillery pieces were in comparison to naval guns which are themselves quite small compared to seige artillery. And you know what the funny part is? As time marched on seige artillery got smaller while naval and field artillery got larger. Since what was writing was naval fiction more-or-less that's where my focus was in research but the books I used also had some information on shore artillery as well. Throughout the 17th century, and I suspect the 16th as well, guns were identify by a distinctive name rather than bore or weight of shot; here are a few example from a reproduction of a gunnery table from 1627 that is printed in E.H.H. Archibald's The Fighting Ship of the Royal Navy 897-1984: the Cannon Royall with a bore of 8.5 inches firing a 66 pound ball, the Demy Cannon with a bore of 6.5 inches firing a 30.5 pound ball, the Minion with a bore of 3.25 inches firing a 4 pound ball and the Faulconet with a bore of 2 inches firing a 1.25 pound ball. BTW that's how those names were spelled back then. Napoleon's field artillery of nearly two centuries later topped out a twelve-pounders and that was considered quite heavy for the time. The British topped out at nine-pounders but fours and sixes were more usual until 1808 when a few nasty surprises with the French prompted them to opt for heavier guns. Mammoth seige artillery had fallen out of use at this time much as Battleships have today, they were still powerful but a fundemental change in the way wars were fought had rendered them obsolete, although some were turned into shore batteries used to protect naval vessels at anchor. BTW I've seen a picture of MonsMeg, the damned thing is a dinosaur. Slow to fire, almost completely immobile, with an absolutely pitiful range it was useful for only one thing: battering down the walls of a castle or fortress and even then only when protected by infantry to prevent a rush of men from charging and destroying it.

Re: Arquebus, Musket, Cannon I would strongly advice that you change that "2 phases to load". There were sixteen, yes I said sixteen, steps to loading and firing a musket and it took your average musketman about a minute to do them all. By the late 18th century advances in weapons and drill plus the advent of paper cartridges had that down to about 30 seconds. There was a good reason why troops would wait to charge until after the enemy had fired their volley. Also in those days cannons were rated for the weight of shot they threw not their bore and that remained until the introduction of shell-firing howitzers in the 19th century. In the period you're talking about cannons were either big and immobile, seige guns were often built in place, or small and mobile in the 4 to 6 pounder range and on wheeled carriages. They also took even longer to load and fire, a crack gun crew taking about a minute and a half. Hope this helps.

Re: Marvel Heroes Quotes From Walt Simonson's run on Thor after a Frost Giant said "Ain't he supposed to be dead?": Rash Thurse who would trample Asgard into dust, Thor hath risen from his grave, for Death hath given him up and she shall not go unrewarded. To me, Mjolnir, the killing is before us! Death to the enemies of Asgard! and (although you can't really use it ) later from that same issue: Confronting Loki at his castle. Loki: so what are you going to do? Bore me to death? Thor: Nay Brother, I intend to depart this cheerless place. Loki: Good. Thor: But first I will leave thee with a memento of my sojourn in hell and a reminder that not all wounds are healed by magic. Some must heal naturally. as he brings Mjolnir down on Loki's arm drawing a scream of agony. Loki: My arm! You've broken my arm! Thor: There speaks the wily Loki at last! Quickly his cunning mind pierces to the heart of the matter. And the heart of the matter is this - Only Odin's forebearance was infinate! Farewell... Brother. On the other hand there's certainly something to be said for the simplicity of "I SAY THEEE NAY!"

Re: Character: Duncan MacLeod You know I never thought of that. It should be higher, not extremely so but maybe about a 20 or so. Thanks. And glad you like the write ups.

Re: Character: Duncan MacLeod Since thread resurection seems to be in vogue these days I thought I'd bring back this one with a new character: Stuart MacLeod Val Char Cost Roll Notes 20 STR 10 13- Lift 400.0kg; 4d6 HTH damage 21 DEX 36 13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7 20 CON 20 13- 20 BODY 20 13- 13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 12- 15 EGO 10 12- ECV: 5 18 PRE 8 13- PRE Attack: 3 1/2d6 14 COM 2 12- 11 PD 10 Total: 11 PD (0 rPD) 8 ED 4 Total: 8 ED (0 rED) 5 SPD 29 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 10 REC 4 40 END 0 40 STUN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 158 Movement: Run: 7"/NC" Swim: 2"/NC" Cost Powers END 6 Sharp Senses: Enhanced Perception (+2 to PER Rolls for All Sense Groups) 15 No Blood Loss: Does not bleed (15 Active Points) 5 Empower Weapon: Killing Attack - Ranged 1d6 (vs. PD) (15 Active Points); OAF Sword (-1), Linked to Sword Attack (-1/2), No Range (-1/2) 1 15 Eternal Youth and Perfect Health: Life Support (Immunity: All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents, Longevity: Immortal) 13 The Quickening: Aid 1d6 (max. Aided Points: 6): Any, Can be applied to any Characteristic or Power (+2), Delayed Return Rate (5 Points per Century; +3 1/4) (62 Active Points); Only by beheading another Immortal (-2), Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12); -1 1/4), Self Only (-1/2) 40 Regeneration: Healing 1d6 (max. Healed Points: 6) (Resurrection (may be stopped by beheading)), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (60 Active Points); Self Only (-1/2) 25 The Way of Yeng Tao: Multipower, 25-point reserve 1u 1) The Knifehand Blow: Hand-To-Hand Attack +3d6, Armor Piercing (+1/2) (22 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), No Knockback (-1/4) 2 1u 2) Fist of the Five Warriors: Hand-To-Hand Attack +1d6, Autofire (5 shots; +1/2) (7 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), Only vs one target (-1/4), No Knockback (-1/4) 1 1u 3) Hand of the Winds: Hand-To-Hand Attack +3d6, Invisible Power Effects (Sight Group; +1/2) (22 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2) 2 2u 4) The Delicate Whirlwind: Hand-To-Hand Attack +2d6, Personal Immunity (+1/4), Area Of Effect (2" Radius; +1 1/4) (25 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2) 2 1u 5) The Catapulting Blow: Hand-To-Hand Attack +2d6, Double Knockback (2x KB; +3/4) (17 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2) 2 1u 6) The Rock-smashing Fist: Hand-To-Hand Attack +3d6, Penetrating (+1/2) (22 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2) 2 Equipment Blood Crystal Sword: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 2d6 (plus STR) (vs. PD), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Armor Piercing (+1/2), Penetrating (x2; +1) (90 Active Points); OAF Unbreakable (-1) Martial Arts: MA NAME Maneuver OCV DCV Notes 5 1) Thrust - Defensive Strike +1 +3 STR Strike 4 2) Slash - Martial Strike +0 +2 STR +2d6 Strike 4 3) Parry - Martial Block +2 +2 Block, Abort 5 4) Lunge - Offensive Strike -2 +1 STR +4d6 Strike 4 5) Disarm - Martial Disarm -1 +1 Disarm; +10 STR to Disarm roll 5 6) Beheading Stroke - Sacrifice Strike +1 -2 STR +4d6 Strike Perks 5 Money (Well Off) 3 Anonymity Talents 15 Combat Sense 12- 7 Sense Immortal - Danger Sense (12-) (Function as a Sense, Sensitivity: Out of Combat) (22 Active Points); Only vs Immortals or Pre-Immortals (-2) Skills 3 Acrobatics 13- 3 Animal Handler (Camels, Canines, Equines) 8- 3 Breakfall 13- 3 Climbing 13- 3 Computer Programming 12- 3 Concealment 12- 3 Conversation 13- 3 Criminology 12- 3 Cryptography 12- 3 Deduction 12- 5 Defense Maneuver: I-II 3 Fast Draw 13- 7 Gambling (Card Games, Chess, Craps, Horse Racing, Roulette) 12- 3 High Society 13- 3 Lipreading 12- 3 Oratory 13- 3 Persuasion 13- 2 PS: Teacher 11- 3 Riding 13- 1 SS: Astronomy 8- 1 SS: Botany 8- 1 SS: Chemistry 8- 1 SS: Geology 8- 1 SS: Medicine 8- 1 SS: Physics 8- 1 SS: Zoology 8- 3 Sleight Of Hand 13- 3 Stealth 13- 3 Streetwise 13- 8 Survival (Desert, Temperate/Subtropical, Tropical, Urban) 12- 3 Tactics 12- 3 Tracking 12- 3 Trading 13- 12 +8 vs. location penalties for Beheading Stroke 16 +2 with All Combat 3 +1 with any blade 4 +2 with Blood Crystal Sword 9 TF: Common Motorized Ground Vehicles, Camels, Carts & Carriages, Equines, Parachuting, Basic, Rafts, SCUBA, Skiing (snow), Small Rowed Boats 4 Weaponsmith (Firearms, Muscle-Powered HTH, Muscle-Powered Ranged) 12- 12 WF: Common Martial Arts Melee Weapons, Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons, Early Firearms, Lances, Small Arms, Staffs 3 Linguist 2 1) Language: Bengali: Completely Fluent, w/Accent (3 Active Points) 2 2) Language: Cantonese: Completely Fluent, w/Accent (3 Active Points) 2 3) Language: Dutch: Completely Fluent, w/Accent (3 Active Points) 3 4) Language: English: Idiomatic, native accent (4 Active Points) 3 5) Language: French: Idiomatic, native accent (4 Active Points) 3 6) Language: German: Idiomatic, native accent (4 Active Points) 2 7) Language: Indonesian: Completely Fluent, w/Accent (3 Active Points) 3 8) Language: Italian: Idiomatic, native accent (4 Active Points) 2 9) Language: Japanese: Completely Fluent, w/Accent (3 Active Points) 2 10) Language: Latin: Completely Fluent, w/Accent (3 Active Points) 2 11) Language: Mandarin: Completely Fluent, w/Accent (3 Active Points) 4 12) Language: Native American: Imitate dialects (5 Active Points) 2 13) Language: Norwegian: Completely Fluent, w/Accent (3 Active Points) 1 14) Language: Punjabi: Fluent Conversation (2 Active Points) 2 15) Language: Russian: Completely Fluent, w/Accent (3 Active Points) 2 16) Language: Spanish: Completely Fluent, w/Accent (3 Active Points) 1 17) Language: Scots Gaelic: Idiomatic, native accent (Literacy) (5 Active Points); Native Language (-5) 3 Scholar 3 1) KS: Other Immortals (4 Active Points) 13- 1 2) KS: Current Events (2 Active Points) 11- 2 3) KS: Court Intrigue (3 Active Points) 12- 2 4) KS: Espoinage (3 Active Points) 12- 3 5) KS: Fine Arts (4 Active Points) 13- 2 6) KS: Hunting (3 Active Points) 12- 5 7) KS: Rare Books, Prints and Manuscripts (6 Active Points) 15- 2 8) KS: Religions (3 Active Points) 12- 1 9) KS: Swordfighting (2 Active Points) 11- 4 10) KS: The China Trade (5 Active Points) 14- 2 11) KS: The Masters of Yeng Tao (3 Active Points) 12- 2 12) KS: The Way of Yeng Tao (3 Active Points) 12- 5 13) KS: World History from the 15th century on (6 Active Points) 15- 3 Traveler 2 1) AK: The World (3 Active Points) 12- 2 2) AK: Atlanta (3 Active Points) 12- 1 3) AK: Berlin (2 Active Points) 11- 1 4) AK: Bombay (2 Active Points) 11- 1 5) AK: Boston (2 Active Points) 11- 1 6) AK: Brisbane (2 Active Points) 11- 1 7) AK: Chicago (2 Active Points) 11- 2 8) AK: China (3 Active Points) 12- 2 9) AK: Edinburgh (3 Active Points) 12- 3 10) AK: Europe (4 Active Points) 13- 1 11) AK: Florence (2 Active Points) 11- 2 12) AK: Hong Kong (3 Active Points) 12- 1 13) AK: India (2 Active Points) 11- 1 14) AK: Indochina (2 Active Points) 11- 2 15) AK: Japan (3 Active Points) 12- 3 16) AK: London (4 Active Points) 13- 2 17) AK: Macao (3 Active Points) 12- 3 18) AK: Hudson City (4 Active Points) 13- 3 19) AK: the Middle East (4 Active Points) 13- 1 20) AK: Montreal (2 Active Points) 11- 1 21) AK: North America (2 Active Points) 11- 3 22) AK: Paris (4 Active Points) 13- 1 23) AK: Philadelphia (2 Active Points) 11- 1 24) AK: Rome (2 Active Points) 11- 1 25) AK: San Fransisco (2 Active Points) 11- 4 26) AK: the Scottish Highlands (5 Active Points) 14- 3 27) AK: the South Pacific (4 Active Points) 13- 1 28) AK: Tibet (2 Active Points) 11- 1 29) AK: the West Indies (2 Active Points) 11- 1 30) AK: Vienna (2 Active Points) 11- Total Powers & Skills Cost: 472 Total Cost: 630 200+ Disadvantages 10 Distinctive Features: Immortal, Not Concealable, Always Noticed by other Immortals, Detectable Only By Unusual Senses 10 Distinctive Features: Deep blue eyes that seem to stare through you, Easily Concealed, Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction, Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses 20 Hunted: Other Immortals, As Powerful, 14- (Very Frequently), Harshly Punish 10 Hunted: Renegade Watchers, Less Powerful, 8- (Occasionally), Harshly Punish, Extensive Non-Combat Influence 10 Hunted: The Watchers, Less Powerful, 14- (Very Frequently), Watching, Extensive Non-Combat Influence 15 Psychological Limitation: Will not fight on Holy Ground, Uncommon, Total 15 Psychological Limitation: Mysterious and Enigmatic, Very Common, Moderate 20 Psychological Limitation: Devoted to Justice, Very Common, Strong 10 Psychological Limitation: Vengeful, Uncommon, Strong 15 Social Limitation: Secret Identity: Normal Human, Frequently (11-), Major 5 Reputation: Powerful Immortal, Frequently (11-), Known Only To A Small Group 10 Reputation: Not a man to get close to, Frequently (11-) 10 Dependent NPC: Jenna DeFalco, student - a young immortal, Slightly Less Powerful than the PC, 11- (Occasionally) 10 Dependent NPC: Pierre de St. Marie, old friend, Normal, 8- (Infrequently) 0 Normal Characteristic Maxima: No Age Restriction Total Disadvantage Points: 630 Appearance Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Blue Height: 5' 10" Weight: 169 lbs Description: Stuart MacLeod is an average sized well muscled man in what appears to be his late twenties or early thirties. He has long brown hair, penetrating blue eyes and wears a neatly trimmed moustache and goatee. He dresses tastefully in clothing of good quality, often wearing a long duster or trench coat. Personality: He is usually closed-mouthed except among close friends when he lightens up considerably but not completely. He only lets his guard down completely with Pierre whom he has known since the 1950s. To the rest of the world he remains an outwardly pleasant but mysterious man with a sardonic sense of humor. Even to his student, Jenna, he remains something of an enigma in that he's clearly attracted to her but politely declines her advances even though he knows that she's in love with him. The fact of the matter is simply that Stuart has seen too many loved ones grow old and die while he stays young and alive. Even other immortals lose their heads eventually. To armor himself against that pain he simply doesn't let people get too close any more. He's aware of Jenna's feelings for him and in his heart he returns them but he won't let it show. He has considered finding her another teacher but he knows that sending her away would break her heart, something he refuses to do. He has recently begun looking for Sophia in the hopes that she and Jenna will strike up a friendship and Sophia will take Jenna on as her student at the younger immortal's request. So far he has had no luck. Background/History I was born in the Scottish Highlands in the year twelve hundred and eighty. As a youth I fought in the battles of Dunbar and Sterling against the English King - Edward I - who was attempting to seize our lands. But the wanderlust in me was strong and at length I sought adventure in distant lands. I sold my sword to lords throughout Europe for ten years. France, Castille, the Holy Roman Empire - the fight didn't matter to me, only the gold which I spent as soon as I got. I was in Norway fighting for a Viking Chieftain whose ranks of warriors had been thinned by recent raids when a disagreement over a serving girl caused me to cross blades with a berserker, also in the chief's employ. His sudden rage took me by surprise, with a single stroke his axe had opened my belly and bitten so deeply into my spine that the killer was able to wrench it free only with some difficulty. Leaving my disemboweled corpse where it lay the berserker took the wench for himself. Hours later I awoke, I remembered my death with perfect clarity, and yet my body did not bear the least mark. But on the ground next to me lay the berserker's axe, still stained with my blood. I had died, and yet I had then been reborn. The desire for vengence swept through me. I woke the berserker with a bucket of ice water, his growl of anger turned into a squeek of fear when he beheld my dark continence, for great is the terror of his kind at things supernatural, so great in fact that the beast voided himself at the sight of me. With one blow I slew him, the force of which split his skull in twain. Suddenly out of the darkness a voice said "Well struck, Highlander." A strange buzzing tingle swept over me but I forced it into the background. I whirled about, sword at the ready, as the speaker stepped into the firelight. By any standards, ancient or modern, she was lovely, her eyes were deep indigo, her hair the color of heather honey. She was dressed in fine silks with a cloak of bearskin to keep out the winter's chill. In her hand she carried a sword the like of which I had never seen before, her stance and grip told me that she knew how to use it. Looking at her I knew that no matter what else she may be, this woman was dangerous. "I am..." I began. "Stuart MacLeod," she interupted, "of the Clan MacLeod." "You seem to have me at a disadvantage." I said, "Who are you?" She replied "I am Sophia Marie Arnesto, once of the city of Venice. I have been searching for you, Stuart MacLeod, for over two years." "If you're looking for a fight," I said as I gripped the hilt of my sword more tightly and assumed a combat-ready stance, "You'l be finding me a very difficult kill." At this she laughed, a light playful laugh. "The Quickening wouldn't be worth the effort." "Quickening?" I asked and again she laughed. "Highlander, you've got a lot to learn. Follow me." I did. Over the next twelve years Sophia became my teacher and also my lover. We were both Immortals, there are others like us, some good and some evil. We cannot be killed unless it is by beheading which if it is done by another Immortal will transfer the power of the dead Immortal to the live one, this process is known as the Quickening. Our only sanctuary is Holy Ground where, by mutual agreements of necessity, the killing of an immortal is forbidden. We cannot have children, so sex is therefore something indulged in only for the pleasure of the act itself and as an expression of love. It is said that in the end there can be only one. Sophia and I remained together, travelling from place to place, until 1393. Our passion had cooled but the bond of friendship remained strong. Even now we still meet every fifty years or so. As a parting gift she gave me a sword like hers. The Blade is a rare stone called a blood crystal, they are initially clear but as the blade is used it avsorbs the color of the blood with which it is covered. Capable of being sharpened to a mono-filiment edge among Immortals a Bloodcrystal sword is the most prized weapon of all. I travelled to the far eastern kingdoms of the Khmers, the Sultanate of Delhi, the Mings that ruled Cathay and the powerful Diamyo clans of fuedal Japan. Late in the 15th century I returned to Europe by way of the Ottoman Empire and settled for a time in Naples. Hearing that the English were once again moving against the Scots I returned home in 1564, walking the highlands for the first time in more than 250 years, and then met a young kinsman also immortal - Connor MacLeod and his teacher Juan Ramierz. In 1570 I travelled to London to pay court to the English Queen - Elizabeth I and try to persuade her against further invasions of Scotland. It took nearly twenty years to completely accomplish this for the Queen was in the thrall of a villianous noble - Lord Wolfingham - who was secretly in the pay of Spain. I had to first expose his treachery. This I was able to do with the aid of a valiant sea captain by the name of Geoffery Thrope and the raids on Scotland were stopped. In 1607 I joined a group of English settlers in the founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in the Americas. Late in the 1640s I took to visiting the other settlements in the New World - north to the French colonies, south to the Spanish Main and to the Dutch and Puritan colonies along the eastern seaboard. From the 1680s through the 1720s I travelled west deep into the interior to live among the great tribes - Cherokee, Iroquois, Algonquin and Sioux, the Kiowa and Cheyenne, and the Apache, Crow and Blackfoot. Eventually I returned to Europe to learn what had transpired in the last century. I attended Cambridge Trinity College and thereby was brouaght up to date on all matters historical, political, theological and scientific. At length I decided to make my home in Florence for a time where I operated an art gallery for the city fathers from 1726 to 1753. Then I moved north to Paris where I procured art for the Palaise-Royal at Versailles until 1769 when I faked my own death and disappeared. I returned to America, this time settling in Philadelphia, it was not long after that the American Revolution began. I fought on the side of the Americans for I believed them to be well justified in there cause. I was with Ethan Allen at Ticonderoga in 1775; and with Washington at Trenton, Brandywine Creek and Yorktown in 1776, 1777 and 1781 respectively. As the century turned yet again I travelled to the Far East and became involved in the China Trade of Indian opium to Chinese silver to Chinese tea, silks and spices; which in turn could be sold in Europe for a very handsome profit. Unfortunately all of this had to be done under the auspices of the Honorable East India Company which had been granted a trade monopoly with China. It was comparitively easy to obtain a license from the company, however my cargo for Europe had to be sent on the company's ships at high rates. Still the trade was profitable and when Parliament stripped the HEIC of its monopoly in 1833 the profits increased greatly. I got out of the trade in 1844 when I managed to obtain 400 lbs. of tea seeds, this cost me the not inconsiderable sum of 40 Lacs of silver, about one million pounds sterling. It was well worth the expense however because it allowed me to set up tea plantations in India, removing the Chinese Emperor from the equation and eliminating the Opium-Silver-Tea triangle at a stroke. Once my tea plantations were up and running the trade dwindled down to a trickle by 1852, I sold out for a fantastic profit in 1855 and returned to Europe. I lived in London until 1861 when Sophia, who was a fire-and-brimstone abolitionist, dragged me into the American Civil War. I formed a regiment of volunteers - the 114th New York Cavalry - and was assigned to Grant's army and fought at Shiloh and Vicksburg. I was with Sherman during the March to the Sea in 1864 and then with Sheridan at Petersburg and Appomattox in 1865. After the war I helped rebuild Atlanta and then returned to London in 1879. There I met with many leading industrialists and used the fortune I had made in tea where it would do the most good. I also became something of an amateur detective and helped Scotland Yard on several baffling if uncelebrated cases with two notable exceptions. The first was the case of a kidnapped Greek interpreter and the second involved a missing treaty. Both were fictionalized by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, with my role being taken, and greatly embellished upon, by Doyle's famous detective - Sherlock Holmes. Near the turn of the century I heard rumors of a monastery in Tibet where one could learn the powerful and deadly art of Fa Yeng Tao, a supremely effective form of unarmed combat. As the open carry of swords was no longer prevalent I determined to learn this art. I travelled to Tibet and after some difficulty was permitted to learn the Way of Yeng Tao. When I returned to Europe there were once again rumblings of war. Wanting nothing to do with this idiocy I stayed in England for but a few months before going to the French Colony of New Caledonia in the South Pacific to sit out the Great War. I stayed there for near thirty years, then a new war found me - World War Two. I joined the RNVR and was assigned to Naval Intelligence working as an Analyst, a Planner and sometimes even an Undercover Agent. Later in the war I was a Commando Training Officer and also served as a liason to Washington and the American OSS. Since the end of the war I've been running a bookstore (rare volumes, prints and manuscripts), I move the operation on a regular basis first starting in San Fransisco and then moving to Hong Kong, Brisbane, Boston, Vienna, Rome, Paris, Edinburgh, Montreal, Chicago, London and now Hudson City. Three years ago crime reached such epidemic proportions that I felt I had to take a stand. Fighting the occassional evil Immortal as I'd been doing for centuries was helpful but in the modern world much more was needed. So once more I battle the forces of Darkness, and this time there is no true sanctuary. I am Stuart MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod. Quote: There can be only one, and at the rate you're going it isn't going to be you. Powers: Stuart MacLeod is a highly skilled fighter of long and wide experience. He is more than capable of tearing through any number of agents and lowered powered supers but he cannot stand up to a true superpowered individual. Thus when faced with them he tends to make use of stealth and mis-direction while he sets up something using the surrounding terrain to his advantage. His Yeng Tao abilities help him in this. The Hand of the Winds allows him to confuse an opponent as it is so fast that it cannot be seen, and thus avoided, without enhanced senses. The Catapulting Blow is very useful when fighting a non-flying brick atop a bridge or other high object. The Knifehand Blow and The Rock-smashing Fist are reserved for oppents with high defenses, while the Fist of the Five Warriors and The Delicate Whirlwind are extremely useful against agents or when surrounded. When he feels it is necessary Stuart has no problem drawing his Blood Crystal Sword. The supremely sharp blade is capable of destroying gadgets with ease and even powered armor is of little protection against it. His ability to channel his quickening to empower the blade boosting its damage still further makes it even more dangerous. Campaign Use: Stuart MacLeod is the man the PCs go to when they're stumped. He's lived through more than seven hundred years of history and there's little that he doesn't know about or know where to find. He's more than willing to accompany the characters on an investigation if asked but he won't volunteer and his sometimes cryptic answers will only be of as much help as you want them to be. In a fight he'll deal with the agents freeing the PCs up to handle the supers. If need be he can provide a divertion. If he's too powerful for your campaign reduce his multipower by one DC, drop the second penetrating from his sword, lose the Empower Weapon and drop his SPD to 4. If he's too weak boost his sword to 3D6, add a DC to his Multipower and give him a few extra skill levels.

Re: Throwing curveballs at the spies I believe you're thinking of It takes a Thief the TV series with Robert Wagner and Malachi Throne. A very good possibility too, another might by professional gamblers who if nothing else will have nerves of steel.

Re: What genre is Champions really about? Absolutely. It's very valid. But by the same token what does such a hero do when the consequences of locking the villian up in what amounts to a sieve from which he keeps escaping to kill again come up and bite him on the ass? I think that having face this kind of moral quandry is what makes the genre interesting and the decision a character makes regarding them helps the player examine his own attitudes and preconceptions, learning a bit more about himself in the long run.

Re: What genre is Champions really about? The way I see it if the hero is running around in a skintight costume (even if he wears a trenchcoat over it) or the villian is and they have "Powers and Abilities Beyond Those of Mortal Men" as shown in the comics - then it's a Superhero game. Note the use of the word "Hero" not PC or Story Protagonist. That means a person who is genuinelly making the world a better place and yes that can mean killing the villian. Example: As much as I think the Joker is a great villian I truly believe that Batman should have killed him long ago and by refusing to he is partly responsible for every murder the Joker has committed. That is a case where killing the villian is in fact the lesser by far of the two evils. Keep in mind though that this is only after repeated failures to: a.) hold the Joker and b.) rehabilitate him. Does this make the CvK any less valid? Hell no! The decision to kill the villian or let him die rather than save him is a very dificult one and that is as it should be. But there are times when the correct call is death and that doesn't make the Hero any less of a Hero for having made it. In my novel The Frigate Captain when the hero Captain Sinclair found his lady Miss Tara Mason about to be gang-raped, he promptly shot dead two of the rapists and his companions Colonel Therrien and Ian MacGregor shot two more. When they reached Tara's side he curtly ordered his friends to "Kill them all." regarding the remaining four. It did not make him any less the hero for having done so or them for obeying the command. That's my take on it. BTW, bblackmoor, I love your sig and avatar. It pretty much says it all as far as I'm concerned.

Re: Brainstorming a James Bond campaign According to his SMERSH dossier Bond only spoke French and German. Besides English of course. From Russia With Love chapter 6 - Death Warrant. The Cambridge line was added for the movie to simplify things for the audiance and to avoid using sub-titles.

Re: Brainstorming a James Bond campaign Psst... I don't wear all this armor just because it looks cool you know.