Captain Obvious

Re: Silly question, How much damage do nukes do
 
According to Weapons: An International Encyclopedia from 5000BC to 2000AD, for a 200Kton warhead, the heat will vaporize metals up to 1.7km away, melt metals up to 2.5km away, burn and melt rubber and plastic up to 5km away, burn and char wood up to 5.8 km away, cause third degree burns at up to 7.6km, second degree burns at up to 10.5km, and first degree burns at up to 15.3km.
 
The blast will cause total destruction at up to 1.3 km, destroy massive structures at up to 1.6km, cause widescale destruction at up to 1.7km, damage multistory buildings at up to 2.2 km, wreck factories at up to 2.8km, wreck dwellings at up to 3.5km, overturn vehicles at up to 4.5km, damage brick houses at up to 5.4km, and damage wooden buildings at up to 9.4km.
 
Radiation at 1.6 km (1 mile) will be 2730 RAD (enough to kill 100% of those affected within hours), and at 3.2 km it will be 3.4 RAD (which will cause practically no effect in and of itself).

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine
 
It's Buck Parsec, Star Marshal

Re: What "Pulp" have you read lately ?
 
Pretty much everything I've ever read by Clive Cussler, while set in modern times, has a very distinct pulp adventure feel to it.

Are there plans to keep this in stock?  Money's tight right now, but I'd love to have this...

Marc got the CDs today, and they are now available on his website, https://www.discmakers.com/AVLFlashViewer/?p=ecTr4vCQS1CXg3vP2PTHUw%3D%3D#.VwvqMUfGApr is a flash demo of the packaging etc
http://www.farfuture.net/FFE-CDROMs.html

The movie "Sahara" (with Matthew McCounaghy or however you spell it) takes place in the modern day, but might as well be an Indiana Jones movie. 

I finally picked up The Martian. I can recommend it. As Robinsonades go, it was a lot of fun. The character was kind of flat, but he was funny, and he had the kind of optimistic I-can-do-this attitude that we see too little in sci fi these days. And Chris Hadfield liked the technical accuracy in it so it has that going for it.

I recently read The Martian by Andy Weir.  It's about a manned, 30-day Mars mission that has to abort after 6 days, and a mishap during the evac leaves one crew member behind and assumed dead.  Once he realizes what's happened, he has to figure out how to contact Earth to let them know he's alive, and then stay that way until they can come get him.  Luckily, the next mission is set to land about 1000km away and in about 4 years, so, no pressure.  I read this in essentially one sitting, and while I am no astronaut, it seemed realistic...it was definitely realistic enough to get me thinking about the Solar Hero period.  I definitely recommend this to anyone setting up a campaign in that time period.

The Scary Solstice and Even Scarier Solstice CDs from the Howard Philips Lovecraft Historical Society.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...
 
I saw Billy Campbell in a terrible HamleT in NYC many years ago. I saw a great MacBeth in New Haven that was set in post-colonial Africa. The MacBeth was more complete even with the AK-47s.
 
Umm... said Dr Bad Guy as he assaulted my PCs this week. Yeah.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...
 

incidently, this reminds me of a character in a game played long ago. He was an Earth Elemental Druid. His spirit was forced from his plane by an evil sorcerer, he was to be used as a weapon against the sorcerer's enemies but joined them instead, being a noble and good being. However, the sorecerer had created the vessal for his spirit, an obsidian statue that looked quite demonic. He joins the heroes and in his first meeting of the press they asked him the usual questions and finally it came to this exchange (not verbatum but...)
 
Reporter: You're heroic actions belie your form. Why did you choose such a look?
 
Blaquestone: I'm sorry...I am new to your language...what did you ask?
 
Reporter: Well your look is terrifying; why did you choose it?
 
Blaquestone: Terrifying?
He looked to his other allies and then back to the reporter.
Blaquestone: I frighten children?
 
Reporter (Suddenly, not so eager for the answer): Well, yeah, I mean no disrespect, but you scare the bejeezus out of me.
 
Blaquestone: *Begins to cry*
 
Reporter: ...
 
Dreamqueen: "Way to go, you bully!"
 
Curiously enough; the first villains we faced after that were a group of mercenaries. Including Bulldozer. He spent the entire conflict insulting Blaquestone's "Manhood". Ofcourse that particular "Entire Conflict" lasted about 4 segments before Bulldozer was ...er, dozing.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...
 
"There's a sumptuous divan in the center of the room, and -- I'm going to spell this because I KNOW YOU GUYS -- a six-foot H-O-O-K-A-H in the corner."
 
The Paladin: "At the risk of sounding dirty, I'm going to lay hands on myself."
 
The Paladin, again: "Well, since I don't have time to use my Detect Evil ability, I'm just going to cast the free-action version,Assume Evil and charge the bandit leader."
 
"For the third game session in a row, you get a bad guy down to 1 Hit Point and he gets to stay there for three rounds. I'm not sure if this warrants a 'way to go', but ... way to go."
 
Illumian Artificer: "I suggest you seek cover, [The Paladin] is about to do something stupid."
Halfling NPC: "I know. I saw the holy symbol."

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...
 
Foxbat is attempting to woo (or, as originally mistyped 'woe') a female hero by the name of Juggernaut, no relation. She is seeking him out, at the deputy mayor's orders because he has demanded a thousand bucks... not cash, male deer, or he will use "A weapon of Mass Destruction". Juggernaut fails to find him, but she returns to her apartment to find a note on her pillow (she has a public I.D).
 
Fear not my love... our pouding beats shall heart as one soon enough. We are pedestined you and me, to know a love that would make angles weep. In the mean time, hurry yourself to safety... the city seems reluctant to aseed to my demands, and so, I must use my weapon to rain mass destruction upon them. A pity we must be at odds, my sweet.
 
Internally yours,
Foxbat.
 
PS: I'm sorry, there are a lot of typos in this letter I'm thinking which is why I shouldn't write in ink like this. Darn pens don't have spell checkers even in the 21st century, it's criminal. Anyway, I didn't have any more paper and I hope you're willing to forgive the few errors that might have cropped up.
Ta, F.B.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...
 
I was running my Zombie Apocalypse game, with several long-time friends.
 
The three PC's and one NPC are on the top of a sporting goods store that they and their survivor group has been holed up in for a couple of days, as they prep to leave L.A.
 
The three PC's are Jordan, a gorgeous LAPD "kiddie cop" (think of Eliza Dushku in the LAPD uniform. Now youre on track), Eric, a recently-graduated high-school athletic star who was about to turn pro before the world ended (looks like Tom Welling), and Gabriel, a six foot ten EMT ambulance driver (who looks like Abraham Benrubi). The NPC with them is most often referred to as "Conspiracy Man", and goes only by the name of Ed. Despite a few comments about the "alien overlords" and the "flouride mind-control policy", they nevertheless gave Ed a rifle, as they had just raided a pawn shop, and his oddly useful skill-set was instrumental in their success. (They suspect he is ex military, and has seen too much).
 
The group has recently discovered that there are a few more survivors trapped on the fourht floor of a building about a block away from their own hideout. The people trapped in the office building have smashed out a window and hung a sign out of it written on a drape that says "Help Us".
 
As the characters are deciding what to do next, the sounds of gunfire erupt from a rooftop a few buildings away. The characters look around, and realize that it is coming from four gang-banger types who are taking shots at the "Help Us" sign, and the people behind it. (These are people with the same mentality as those who were shooting at police, ambulances, and fire fighters during the L.A.riots).
 
Jordan, the cop, is the first to spot the perps. She aims her rifle at them. The others follow suit. I tell them that one is shooting, another has a rifle also, and there are two others with pistols besides. They look like they are in their early twenties, of mixed ethnicity, and are wearing loose clothes with alot of sports team endorsements. Jordan makes a Perception roll and recognizes them as wearing local gang colors.
 
Ed: Firing order?
 
Jordan: Im taking down the shooter.
 
Ed: Ill take the other one who has a rifle.
 
Eric and Gabriel's Players both indicate they are also going to fire. I ask them to pick targets. And then...
 
Gabriel's Player: Ill shoot whichever one has the most underwear showing.
 
 
 
 
After we all finally stopped laughing, Garbiel then proceeded to randomly hit the unlucky s.o.b. in Location 13. For near-max damag,e and maximum Stun.
 
I guess Gabriel -really- didnt want to see that guys underwear!
 
(Edit: If this post accidentally offends anyone out there who habitually "busts a sag"... TOUGH! Pull your gorram pants up!)

Re: Magic system opinions
 
That is the major drawback of a multipower magic system...new spells are cheap and don't need much in the way of limitations. It's fine if you want powerful mages, but it's not for every system.
 
Have you tried ditching the multipower and seeing what a few sample characters would look like without it? They may end up being too weak, but it's worth a look.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...
 
In this week's game, I got a new player (Deborah) that was the girlfriend of one of my players and a good friend of another (Jason).
 
We play for a little while and then Deborah turns to Jason
 
Deborah: Hey, Jason. I am surprised that you are not playing a woman in this game.
 
Jason: Wha...What do you mean?
 
Deborah: It is just that you like playing those girls in online games so much.
 
Jason: Oh..Er.. Well, I play a mix. Sometimes girls. Sometimes boys.
 
Deborah: Oh, okay.
 
In my game Jason is playing a woman pretending to be a man and none of the other players know. I nearly spit out the coke I was drinking and had to excuse myself to the bathroom to have a quick laugh.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...
 
In a 7th Seas game my wife was running, I was playing a Cap'n Nick, captain of the dread pirate ship The Skull and the Rose. We raided a Montaigne ship and were in the process of mopping up the defenders when my character saw a lovely Montaigne noblewoman carrying a chest and running towards one of the lifeboats.
 
Cap'n Nick leapt to intercept her, brandished his sword, and said, "Not so fast, my dear. I'd like to take a better look at your chest. Also, I want to see what's in that box."
 

 
Bill.

Re: Rifts HERO?
 
Well, here's what I have since come up with (I used to be Dr. Dementos) after researching other's ideas and concocting my own.
 
First, I like the Mega-Damage = +7 DCs idea, that is the best approach.
 
Second, based on that, you can then make equivalent DEF based on MDC
Just use the HERO's geometric scale for comparison
A character with, say, 100 MDC is equivalent to having enough defense to defend against an average 7DC attack = 7 DEF
This also means that any given MDC creature or structure should have 7 DEF in addition to their other defenses
 
So let's take that Glitterboy for example.
Glitterboy Main Body = 770 MDC
2^9.5 = 724
3 Active Points to 2 DEF for every 5 Active Points to 1 Damage Class (3/5)
9.5 x 3 = 28.5 Active Points / 1.5 = 19 DEF + 7 DEF = 26 DEF.
So maybe Rifts is not so powerful, just imbalanced.
We all have super-characters that can take this guy.
 
But what about his Boom Gun?
If memory serves me correctly, that is 3d6x10 MDC
This is my personal preference for damage conversion, but it has its kinks:
I take the type of die of damage that an attack does, divide by 2 to simulate the standard effect. This damage must be assumed to be BODY damage. That remaining number is the equivalent # of Damage Classes.
So back to the Boom Gun:
3d6, using these rules = 9 DCs
x10 has already been established as = +3 DCs
MDC = x100 = +7 DCs
9 DCs +3 DCs +7 DCs = 19 DCs = 19d6 Normal Damage or 6d6+1 Killing Damage.
There's your Boom Gun Damage.
And the rest is relatively easy to convert.
 
Sometime later I'll post about how I have decided to go about converting OCCs and RCCs.

Re: Valdorian Characters
 

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...
 
D&D game, the party cleric hits a zombie with a mace and does good damage.
Player: "Is he dead?"
Me, the GM: "Yep, he sure is." Roll dice. "You take 5 HP from him."
Player: "Crap"

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...
 
From my Dark Champions game at GenCon: The game opened up with the members of LIBRA being set up, so needless to say they're a bit ticked. Especially Sarge, as he has a thing about plans that don't work out. Once they find the first of their street contacts, Sarge tells Blade to come with him and pull his biggest knife (actually a machete).
 
Sarge to contact: "Now, we can do this the easy way or the cutlery way."

Here is the rough draft of an Alternate Mass Combat System I made a couple of years ago in May of 2003, and recently got around to editing.
 
Im interested in getting constructive criticism.
 
Thanx!

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...
 
A D&D game I was in several years ago...
 
OK, between a combo of a DM who used inappropriately high-CR monsters, a player who thought that 'Lawful Good' meant 'Lawful Stupid' and yet for reasons known only to himself picked the paladin anyway, and a supporting cast who faithfully RP'ed their alignments even when all common sense was telling them it was time to run away, most of the party died.
 
We were a level 7-8 party. Basic sequence of events was this:
 
* Paladin opens door, sees lich, and rather than close the door and get the eff out of dodge -- seeing as how a lich is *well* above our ability to survive -- he screams and charges. See above re: 'had a point to prove about how LG supposedly means LS'.
 
* LG cleric of the dwarven war god goes 'You idiot!'... and goes in anyway, as both alignment and honor code are compelling him to back up his comrade-in-arms.
 
* LG cleric of the same deity that the paladin worships (my character)... well, I'm stuck. Not only are alignment and ethos absolutely not letting me abandon my comrades to their deaths, but Sir Brain-Dead and I are in the same church hierarchy. So, resigning myself to gruesome death, I go in.
 
* CG half-orc fighter -- sees that his buddies are in trouble, charges in to go help them out. Entirely in character. (Especially given his Int 8).
 
* N mage -- stays in partial cover at the doorway arch, snipes with spells.
 
OK, I just went down the initiative order for round one. Then the lich took its action... and proceeded to obliterate all five characters I just named, with some type of area-effect negative energy damaging spell that I don't even know the name of. I mean, we're talking "straight from full HP to below -10 in one shot". Only the paladin successfully saved, but even half damage was enough to atomize him, as we were already down some HP from an earlier encounter.
 
However, while the area of effect covered the entire room and the doorway, it did /not/ cover the hall outside... so two of our party were still alive.
 
Those two party members were a N thief/mage, and a CN thief.
 
And I swear to God, feet sticking up, that as soon as the lich blew us all into ash, the two players in question turned to each other at the table and said, without missing a beat:
 
"Race you back to camp."

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...
 
Shaping up to be in the Top 10 most Crap-tacular weeks of my life... so Thursday's game was kinda lame... but it had two of the funnier moments come out of it.
 
Me: Make your perception rolls.
 
Brigit: I miss by... (then in total cutesy voice) oh wait, I make it right on the nosey!
 
Rest of us stare at her, then crack up. Cutesy is not Brigit's normal style.
 
Brigit: (trying to be serious again) What I meant was, I had plus one... so I made it!
 
Me: Wouldn't that be "plussey onesey?"
 
Rest of the night... "Right on the nosey!" was a very common phrase!
 
------
 
Later... as my poor GMing connected with exhaustion, I tried to describe a terrorist gunman jumping into a communter plane.
 
Me: Ok... he's wearing a baklava!
 
Everyone stares and I immediately realize what I said... Laughter...
 
Eric: That would be balaclava...?" snort!
 
Me: Yeah, no pastry stuck to his forehead! (shaking my own head)
 
But I couldn't stop there... no... I then try to continue describing him further...
 
Me: No uniform... but he is carrying an mp3.
 
Brigit: What? He's carrying his music with him?
 
Me: 'gasp'... blah! I meant MP-5. Yeah... so this guy has Greek pastries and his I-pod with him!
 
James: He's carrying snacks and his tunes? Worst terrorist ever!
 
------
 
Yeah... it was one of those nights.

Early Firearms
 
While I am working on the campaign...
 
Early Firearms
 

Cost Power END Matchlocks 3 1) Arquebus: RKA 1d6+1 (20 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 4 2) Caliver: RKA 1 1/2d6 (25 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 3 3) Matchlock Pistol: RKA 1d6 (15 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 5 4) Musket with rest: RKA 2d6 (30 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 3 5) Target Rifle: RKA 1d6+1 (20 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] Wheellocks 2 1) Belt Pistol: RKA 1d6-1 (10 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 4 2) Horse Pistol: RKA 1d6+1 (20 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 5 3) Jager Rifle: RKA 2d6 (30 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 2 4) Pocket Pistol: RKA 1/2d6 (10 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] Flintlocks 5 1) Blunderbuss: RKA 2d6 (30 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 5 2) Brown Bess: RKA 2d6 (30 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 4 3) Charleville: RKA 1 1/2d6 (25 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 4 4) Durs Egg Holster Pistol: RKA 1d6+1 (20 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 4 5) Fusil: RKA 1 1/2d6 (25 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 3 6) Highland Pistol: RKA 1d6 (15 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 4 7) Musketoon: RKA 1 1/2d6 (25 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 3 8) Naval Pistol: RKA 1d6 (15 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 5 9) Pennsylvania Rifle: RKA 2d6 (30 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1] 3 10) Wogdon Dueller: RKA 1d6 (15 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
Basically ripped off from G.U.R.P.S. Swashbucklers.