Mark Rand

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Now I rember. Future Cop was one of several serieses about futureistic police officers. Others were Holmes and Yoyo, Automan, Robocop and Something is Out There. As for Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot, I don't think it was ever shown in Pittsburgh. But then, we never had the good animated serieses here.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU If you look inder Hero System Documents in the Free Stuff part of this website, you'll find a list of superheroes worldwide. For the most part, these exist in my version of the CU. The changes made will depend on my campaign. If I set it in Mellinnium City, the heroes in my campaign will replace the iconic characters as The Champions and Witchcraft will be the Archmage. If I bring the Champions to Pittsburgh, the iconic team, in Mellinnium City, will be renamed. If I do a silver-age style Batman campaign, either in Pittsburgh or Gotham City, there will be no changes.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU The United Kingdom was mentioned briefly in my second post. That's where the Knights of Pendragon are. UNIT, from Dr. Who, could be part of UNTIL World Security Incorporated, from Search, would function as a private security firm, like it was in the series. John Steed and Emma Peel have, no doubt, passed the torch onto the next generation. He is now Mother and she's now Father. (For those of you who don't remember, Mother, the head of The Ministry, has always been male and Father, the second in command, has been female.) I hadn't thought about Questor, but he could be easily added. Who was HAVEN and what was The Unicom Organization? Information on Slayers and such to follow by the end of the week. I have to get my notes together before I can post the info.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU No, her ability to change into a cougar is the result of a curse. Without the magical choker she wears (an IIF) she shifts when she's enraged and the animal part of her is in control. Slayers, Hellmouths and such are up next.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Was Collinsport the city Dark Shadows was set in? Karl Kolchak was a reporter in The Night Stalker. William Sebastian and Dr. "Ham" Hamilton were in a failed pilot and occult mystery movie produced by the late Gene Roddenbury. The two FBI agents you mentioned might be Mulder and Scully. It might be interesting to have these people show up and get involved with the heroes. Thanks for the idea.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Major Samantha Carter, USAF, PhD in astrophysics, who, due to Colonel Jack O'Neill's incapitation, is in command of Stargate Command's SG-1 team, is still Jolinar's host. Nevada's Perfection Valley is the residence of about 50-people and a sterile graboid known as El Blanco. The valley floor is coated with Mix Master, a chemical that six months ago escaped from a secret government lab that was built in the 1940s and can mix non-human DNA with ease. An earthquake dropped the city of Sunnydale, California into a sinkhole. A Starbucks Coffee fan labled, on his website, the Sunnydale Starbucks as "The one that got away". Many mages have a fastness, or mystic refuge. Some start out that way, while others start out as normal dwellings, then have spells cast on them. Some also serve as the headquarters for a superhero team that includes the mage. The Trismegistus Council is one of the oldest organizations of white mages in the world. Many mages that are associated with superhero teams are associated with it. More to come.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU No, but I might cast Gillian Anderson as an FBI agent that can morph into a cougar, with human intelligence and ego. I assume the panther writeup in the Hero System Bestiary is the right one for a cougar.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Secret Service Agent Alex McGregor heads the detail protecting the President, his family and other VIPs. Her husband, corporate adventure company owner and former wilderness guide Grant Coleman sometimes assists her. Alex doesn't mind superhero teams assisting her, if they are invited to do so, have a federal liaison and are willing to place themselves under her orders. The Champions, The Justice Squadron and The Sentinels are among the ones she's worked with. More to follow, including, somewhere down the line, supernatural stuff.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Agreed

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Yeah, it would

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU All the typos on my first two posts have been corrected. There will be a post dealing with the Secret Service later today.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU The Santa Barbara, California based Nelson Institute of Marine Research, founded in 1961 by the late Admiral Harriman Nelson and now run by Admiral Lee Crane and Vice Admiral Chip Morton, is one of the world's best-known oceanographic institutes and has been the home for all three versions of the submarine Seaview. The current one was launched in 2002 and is commanded by Captain Robert Morton. Lee's son, Commander David Crane, is his executive officer. Down the coast, in La Jolla, California, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography is home to the Seabat, an experimental research submarine with a cold fusion reactor and a transparent nose. Until an attack on our world by Anubis, the existance of Stargate Command, which is located near the campaign city, has been kept a secret. When he made the existance of Stargate Command known to the public, he also closed down the National Intelligence Department, claiming that it was no longer needed. Dr. Elizabeth Weir is now the head of Stargate Command. Its former head, Major General George Hammond, now commands the world's only space battleship, the Prometheus, an X-303 spaceship and its X-302 fighters. Currently, the United Nations is debating what, if anything, to do about Stargate Command. More to follow. Comments on what has been presented so far are invited.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Thanks. The duplicate post has been deleted. A furthur post will be made later today.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU More is coming. Sorry about the double post. I had computer problems last night when I typed it up.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Now, modern times. The Knights of Pendragon are one of the United Kingdom's most famous hero teams. The current group is businesswoman Francesca Lexley Grace, who prefers to be addressed as Grace, Astra TV's fearless and beloved reporter Kate McClellan and Joey Chapman, the current Union Jack. Joey's lover Lady Jacqueline Falsworth-Crichton, the now rejuvinated World War II heroine Spitfire often joins them. All members have armor that can be called into being and use high-tech speader bikes to travel from place to place. Grace always wears her armor in combat. Kate prefers street clothes (recently she has been seen in a black leather jumpsuit, gloves and combat boots that she bought before doing a five-part story on British motorcycle clubs), but occasionally wears scale mail with a black tabard, brown leather boots, gloves and sword belt, and a shield. (The shield and tabard bear Queen Guinevere's coat of arms). Joey wears his Union Jack costume or armor, Spitfire wears her old costume without its mask. Jonathan Hayes, a widower with one college-age daughter, Jess, is the President of the United States. He's engaged to Kathryn Yarnell. Gloria Valdez is the Vice President. Evelyn Baker Long is the Chief Justice of the United States. Lady's gloves went out of style in the early 1970s. Dressy ones came back into style in 1979 and by 1985 they were being worn with even the most casual clothes. Some fashion experts belive that women are imitating female metahumans. Also in 1979, stuntwoman and Wheel of Fortune hostess Susan Stafford started wearing evening gowns and long gloves after cutting her left arm open in a movie stunt that went wrong. (Due to letters from fans, saying that they loved the look, Susan, who is still on the show and looks as young as when she started, continues to wear them.)

Archeologists, historians and linguists are always making discoveries. Here's a look at some of the ones the heroes may have heard about. In Southern Greece, evidence of the existance of Xena, Gabrielle and the Amazons has been found. Eveidence has also been found of a great battle between 200 Amazons and 2 Roman legions. All the Amazone were killed, as were half the Romans. It is believed that the Amazons kept the Romans occupied while other Amazons escaped into the world at large. The remains of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere have been found near Gladstonbury Tor. Evidence of Camelot Castle, a post and beam structure, has been found on Cadbury Hill, near the River Cam. Buried under the castle were records of Arthur's battles. A partial list of his knights and spiritual allies were also found. According to the list, there were three female knights, Queen Guinevere, Queen Aleta of the Misty Isles, and Lady Rowanne (also spelled Rowenne), a soldier who became a knight. Among the spiritual allies were Vivianne, the Lady of the Lake, and Morgaine, her successor. Morgause was mentioned as a trator. The remains of the nineteenth century Spanish town of Santa Helena was found in what was once Spanish California. After Colonel Luis Montoya was expelled for his crimes, the Spanish appointed Don Gaspar Hidalgo governer. His wife, Vera, proved to be much smarter then people thought. There was also a record of the vigilante known as the Queen of Swords. Once Gol. Montoya and his thugs left, she proved to be a protector, and not the bandit queen as Montoya made her out to be. Next, we find out about modern times.

Re: Year One Batman Campaign Idea Perhaps I should've said "Batman before he became paranoid" instead of "Batman Year One". As I type this, it occurrs to me that, in the DCU, Batman's identity is known by, if memory serves correctly, 20 people. It would, I think, be reasonable for Batman's fellow teammates, the two-woman support staff and the non-DOSPA liaison to know who he is. This way, Alfred could keep the Batcave clean while others are there and Lady Arcane's house doesn't have to be used as an entrance.

Re: Year One Batman Campaign Idea A gate, or mystical portal, connects the Batcave to a hallway. The other doors in it lead to a first aid room, a Japanese garden, a hotel and a church and Lady Arcane's house in Sommerset, near the University of Gotham and Sommerset Planetarium. (Gotham University, which is also known as both Gotham City University and Gotham State University, is in Chelsea.) The staff, an engineer and a nurse, and the liaisons live in Lady Arcane's house and the heroes enter the Batcave through it. Alfred, of course, doesn't enter the Batcave. By the way, the engineer is also a ninja who prefers working on equipment and her conditioning to fighting crime, However, Batman can sometimes talk her into coming on a mission.

As you probably know, I'm a Batman fan. Sure, I don't like his paranoia and stubberness(sp), but I still like hime and I think the Batcave's cool. I'm giving a lot of consideration to running a campaign with a Year One version of Batman. The following is a list of a few things in the universe. 1) We're using a CU varient, not the DCU. 2) Jonathan Hayes is President of the United States. 3) Batman is recruting a group of allies. The first of which is Batgirl, whose costume looks like Cassandra Cain's. 4) Batman has no problem with magic and mages. 5) The federal government assigns at least two liaisons to each solo hero or hero team. The one from the DOSPA is the team leader. The others can come from the CIA, FBI, Homeland Security, or PRIMUS. (After 9/11, Congress permitted the CIA to work in the United States.) 6) Batman has a small support staff helping him and his team out. (Said staff does not includ Alfred, who also has duties in Wayne Manor.)

Re: The IST World Historians in the Monterey area of California discovered the remains of the town of Santa Helena. In it were records of a vigilante known as The Queen of Swords. One of her secret allies was Vera Adelina Velasquez Hidalgo, an Amazon queen, who gave her information and, at least once, took her place. Santa Barbara is the home of the Nelson Institute of Marine Research, the owners of the submarine Seaview. Captain Robert Morton is the submarine's current commanding officer. His executive officer is Commander David Crane. Their fathers, Admiral Lee Crane and Vice Admiral Chip Morton, now head the institute. Sunnydale, California was destroyed by an earthquake. New York City was, during the 1930s and 1940s, the home of Margo Lane, an heiress, socialite, Amazon queen, and part of a covert group of crime fighters. The town of Perfection, Nevada is the home of ceramicist Nancy Sterngood, the current Amazon queen. The town is also home to El Blanco, a sterile white graboid. The President of the United States is Jonathan Hayes, a widower with one daughter, Jess. He and Kathryn Yarnell are engaged. No wedding date has been set. Alex McGregor heads the Secret Service unit protecting him. Her husband, corporate adventure company owner and former wilderness guide Grant Coleman sometimes assists her. Next, we wrap the whole thing up. Comment is invited.

Re: The IST World Among France's favorite villains is le Chat Noir, or The Black Cat. She's a polite, soft-spoken cat burglar whose silenced pistol is always loaded with knockout darts. A daring woman, she recently threatened to send The Sauve Marauder a hairball after he said, in his regular column in Metahuman Monthly, that her flat black costume was too dull and needed some feline touches. IST Sinai is near Mount Saint Catherine in the Sinai Range. The Monastery of Saint Catherine, a Russian Orthodox monastery that also has a mosque on its grounds, is at its feet and The Chapel of the Holy Trinity is at its peak. What makes this mountain so special is that it's believed to be the Biblical Mount Sinai and is considered holy ground. The monastery's spiritual heart is The Burning Bush Chapel, which sits on the roots of the Biblical burning bush. A few feet from the chapel is the reputed bush itself, a rare species of the rose family, Rubus Sanctus, which is endemic to Sinai and extremely long lived. The underground spring that supplies the monastery with water is said to sit on the very spot where Moses met his future wife, Zipporah, after protecting her and her sisters from an aggressive group of local sheperds. Next up, we visit California, New York City, Nevada and Washington, D.C. Comment is invited.

Re: The IST World

Re: The IST World

On a pervious thread, I mentioned my IST campaign ideas. I've decided to rework it, putting each item, the world, the campagn city, the embassy, the gate worlds and the people in the embassy in separate threads. We start with the world itself. Please note, there crossovers. Some are for historical reference only. Others are current. When the IST treaty was signed in 1982, the UN forbad all national military superteams, on the grounds that they were a "destablizing" influence. They still permitted them to employ metahuman bodyguards and law enforcement personal. They then revealed the IST to the world. Most nations capitulated. In response, the United States formed the DMI, The Division of Metahuman Information, which sanctions superheroes and superhero teams in the United States. In Europe, the governments aid superheroes as much as the UN regulations will permit. Europeans love their metahumans. Even villains are loved, if they show style. Some are cult figures for their flamboyance and refusal to cause serious harm to persons or property. Historians in Ancient Greece have found proof that tribes of Amazons exist. According to one historian, an Amazon queen, a decendant of Xena's friend, Gabrielle, led her people out of Greece and into the world while 200 older Amazons kept 2 legions of Roman troops at bay. In the end, all 200 Amazons died, as did half the Romans. In England, the remains of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere have been found. The site of Camelot Castle, a post and beam structure, has been found on Cadbury Hill, near the River Cam. Historians now believe that Arthur had both male and female knights. One female knight, Rowanne (also spelled Rowenne), is believed to be an Amazon queen. England's best-known hero team is the Knights of Pendragon, a group of men and women infused with superhuman power by the Green Knight. They also have heightened abilities and senses. They also have mystical armor that they can summon with a thought and speeder bikes that can jump through ley space. The current group consists of Francesca Lexley Grace, Kate McClellan and Joey Chapman, the current Union Jack. Joey's lover, Lady Jacqueline Falsworth-Crichton, the rejuvinated World War II superheroine Spitfire, is often with them. Next, we'll visit France and the Sinai region. Comment is invited.

Re: What?? Bruce Wayne isn't Batman??? The Batcave, located below Wayne Manor, is home to Batman and his associates It has three entrances in Wayne manor itself, an elevator that bypasses the secret basement room (of course, you have to know how to access the cave from the manor), a staircase behind the grandfather clock in Bruce's study that leads to the hidden basement room and the staircase behind one set of library shelves that also leads there. The secret basement room holds the Batcave's library and makeup and disguise equipment. The main floor has a complete workshop, turntable that holds the Batmobile, parking spaces for other vehicles, the crime lab, a restroom and the gate to Lady Arcane's house and other places. Sub-level one holds the gymnasium, trophy room, power and machinary room, a restroom, and the Batcomputer. Sub-level two holds an underground river that team members swim in. The team itself consists of Batman (Bruce Wayne), Robin (Dick Grayson), Batgirl ([Alfred's neice] Barbara Wilson, who uses the Cassandra Cain costume) and Spirit Cat (engineer/ninja Keiko Nakamura, who prefers working on gear to fighting crime, but sometimes can be talked into going out with the others). Knowing that they are mortal and their fight could last forever, Batman has started recruting beginning heroes that he can train. Yes, Batman can be stubern and Robin is often cocky and acts before he thinks, but Batgirl and Spirit Cat can be easy to get along with. Although asked, Lady Arcane decided not to join the team because she deals with mystical threats, not normal ones.