BlackSword

Re: How long does tech last after The End?

Re: FRPG Ideas from D&D that ain't necessarily so

Re: Urban Fantasy Recommendation To expand on Neil Gaiman, Books of Magic and Anansi Boys. Also from DC/Vertigo, Constantine/Hellblazer.

Re: Hmmm...okay, how about a Bosnian Pyramid? I actually got to use Bosnian pyramids in a pulp game earlier this year. It was a lot of fun, and as required for pulp goodness, it was an ancient Atlantean temple.

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? A co-worker whistling....badly

Re: HLV Ninjas Animation is nice because it opens up a lot of opportunities. Also prior to the recent special effects, animation did a lot of superhero stuff better. I really couldn't look at someone with a straight face if they said Batman the Animated Series was a second rate art form, while Adam West and Burt Ward walking across a building with the camera turned sideways was the real way to translate comics to the small screen.

Re: Gurps Deadland Hero : Husckster Or you could just use a deck with both jokers in it during the game.

Re: Has anyone tried Deadlands Hero?

Re: Has anyone tried Deadlands Hero?

Re: Jedi build ideas? The best Jedi as a Superhero I have seen is the Mace Windu episode in Genndy Tartakovsky's animated Clone Wars microseries on Cartoon Network. In the second season they had Windu and Yoda fight entire droid armies as well. From memory a few of the force tricks he performed were: Super speed, super leap Super strength/martial arts (he was punching holes in the droids) Area of Effect Knockback Disassemble a droid by TKing all of its nuts and bolts out Using disassembled droid as an area effect range attack by using TK to pick up the pieces and accelerate them into more droids Ranged crush, used TK to destroy to droid weapons. The mind powers seem fairly low powered. You can usually convince someone to do something that is not too far outside their nature. Also there are several people/beings that can block the Jedi mind trick.

Re: Musings on Random Musings

Re: A Thread for Random Musings If you've got a problem say it to my face. Don't yell it out your window and then flip me off as you drive by in your pick-up. Sure, I'm a little slow grinding my bike up hill, but I checked for traffic, signaled and safely moved over to the left turn lane.

Re: I am a comic book dinosaur. I will second (or third, or fourth) this suggestion. The animated DC Universe is very well done and has some fantastic storytelling.

Re: A Thread for Random Musings I ran my first triathlon on Sunday. It was a short course, I didn't do as well as I hoped, but it was good experience to get through the first race and prepare for the longer race this fall. Now I know what I need to spend the rest of summer training, just so long as I can actually find time to train as opposed to traveling for business (and GenCon ).

Re: Musings on Random Musings I'm split on the decision. She is still under house arrest. I know, I know, its rough being confined to a mansion. Also she is a non-violent offender, prison overcrowding etc. Because she doesn't get time off for good behavior, her 23 day sentence is now 40 days house arrest. I don't follow much criminal justice, so I don't know how much it is special treatment, or just publicized treatment. Since they already have the anklets she is obviously not the first person under house arrest. On the other hand, tough cookies for her, of course its hard to be in prison, its what happens when you break the law. 23 days in the slammer may be able to shape her up a bit.

A daily moment of zen Yesterday I was out riding my bike, I was rode up an overpass and at the top the stoplight was red. I braked to a stop, put my foot down on the curb and turned to my right. The plain to my right had tall grass, swaying in the wind, the breeze picked up and cooled the sweat on my body. It only lasted a second or two, but it was a perfect moment of peace before the light turned green and I pedaled away.

Re: A Thread for Random Musings I had my first encounter with outsourced help, or maybe it was just someone who shouldn't have gotten a job. I called my mortgage company to get some questions answered and try to reduce a few payments. Suprisingly enough the wait for a human operator is not that long, unfortunataly the human operator knows nothing about mortgages. I ask him a question, he gives me my balance, which had nothing to do with the question. I quiz him on another aspect of mortgage charges, he gives me my balance again. I ask again and he says he has to find the answer, please hold. He returns and tells me my interest rate. I break it down into small words, he leaves again...10 minutes later he returns with a wrong answer. I give up in frustration. 25 minutes of time on the phone, he only ever answered one question correctly. He knew nothing about mortgages and obviously his only purpose was to repeat the bill to me, which is exactly what the operation the computer operator performs.

Re: X-Com Hero I think combining KS's and Sundogs examples give a pretty good start. Inventions can decrease size/weight or add functionality/active points to device. Set some benchmarks that translate AP to time scale, and let the scientists roll at the beginning of the session. Game time + down time between sessions for developing the new technology. Some considerations would have to be made for reverse engineering the alien technology. Also some break points for colloboration between PCs and NPCs.

Re: New Avengers are very Dark Champions Which was published on time, every week...while Marvel struggled to get six(?) issues of Civil War out. As much fun as it was to follow 52, reading the series was not required reading for any of the other titles. They brought the multiverse back...the last part is just a guess. Which are well done, and keep good continuity because they don't have a monthly schedule to keep.

Re: Venture Brothers Hero? We meet Mr. Quest in Season 2. I enjoy the shared world where Rusty Venture and Johnny Quest were contemporary "boy adventurers."

Re: Imperialize it! The Count of Monte Cristo: Days before his wedding and becoming captain of a free trader, Edmond Dantes is accused of a crime he didn't commit, arrested and taken away to a prison planet. After spending several years in prison, he befriends another prisoner and learns from him of a stash of valuable merchandise on the planet of Monte Cristo. Escaping from prison, Edmond claims the treasure and transforms himself into the Count of Monte Cristo. Fueled by wealth, Edmond begins his plan of revenge on those that took away his life. Side 1: The PCs have been hired by Dantes to help him in his plan. Side 2: The PCs are employees of the people being targeted by Dantes. Side 3: The PCs are caught up in Dantes schemes, either as Imperial Agents, or other entities. They must unravel the truth and then choose a side, or wait and see how it plays out. Side 4: Background for a PC

Re: A Thread for Random Musings It was an interesting weekend downtown. Baseball game, NRA convention, and a half and full marathon. I was only there for the run, one hour and forty minutes, which was four minutes less than my last half marathon. My legs are still fatigued, but I am already planning my training for the rest of the summer.

Re: Imperialize it! I'm not sure about churning the plot into butter....or are you refering to a different Imperial. The Malvan Falcon: The Legend goes that an important artifact was hidden hundreds of years ago in order to protect it from being stolen. The jeweled statue was covered in lead in order to hide its true nature. It has passed from owner to owner, its legend growing every generation. Now its been stolen, the PCs are brought in to help find the statue and return it to its rightful owners. The only problem is that everyone in town is also trying to get their hands on the statue. Even when the PCs find it, is it the true statue, is it fake, or was the entire legend a sham.

Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Crossroads with Ralph Macchio and Joe Seneca, from 1986. Story of the an old blues man, Willie Brown (Joe Seneca) who sold his soul to the devil for musical fame. Eugene 'Lightning Kid' Marton (Ralph Macchio) is a classical guitarist who yearns to be a bluesman. He breaks Wille Brown from a prison old folks home and heads to Mississippi. The story is fairly straightforward, but the best part of the movie is the soundtrack and the conitunuous exploration of blues music throughout the movie. The finale is a guitar showdown of Steve Vai vs. Steve Vai. (for the showdown of Eugene vs Jack Butler as the Devil's guitarist, Vai plays both sides of the duel). Ry Cooder plays the slide guitar parts.

Re: When you hear Urban Fantasy...