A lot of page views but only one real comment on my last post regarding my Supernova Brown adventure. Truth be told this is why I don't really like doing session recaps. I prefer to generate and have conversations about games and gaming. Still, I am curious as to what people thought of it overall.
A few final notes about my Blaxploitation Sword and Planet one-shot...
The Mechanics:
The game was run as a 5 hour session using Risus, more or less unmodified. Over the last year I've learned that a large number of gamers seem to prefer 4-5 hours sessions and for the life of me I can not fathom why.
When you hardly get to game I say game as long and hard as you can. Also, in 5 hours I barely got to half of all the crazy crap I wanted to use. Lastly, considering travel time and cost, food and other expenses, if I'm only going to play 4 hours I'd just as soon pop on my computer, order a pizza and play World of Warcraft. Cheaper and I never have to leave my favorite chair. Of course I love RPGs and would rather play 10 minutes of one than 12 hours of WoW but after a week of working on my feet my legs do not necessarily share my opinion or enthusiasm.
Risus is awesome, especially for this type of game. While I'm sure it could be used for more in depth play I think it works best for high adventure one-shots like this. Its clever and fast paced but not overly deep and that suited us just fine.
Some characters...
Supernova Brown
Cliches: Big Daddy (3), Jim Kelly Jr. (3), Cool Hand Luke (2), Smooth Operator (2)
After playing the game the player noted that he should have reversed those numbers making the first two '2' and the second two '3'.
Prof. Winston Tycho
Cliches: Fountain of Trivia (3), Obsessed Genius (4), Overprotective Father (3)
Mira Sunshine Tycho
Cliches: Damsel in Distress (3), Beacon of Hope (4), Idealistic Freedom Fighter (3)
Poindexter Humperdink
Cliches: Sci-Fi Geek (4), MacGyver Meets Scotty (4), Love Sick Puppy (2)
Humperdink had a serious crush on Vulpurra
Vulpurra
Cliches: One with Nature (3), Red Hot Momma (3), Smart Mouth (1), Warrior Princess (3)
The Soundtrack:
The place where we ran the game was an open public space. Speakers played a radio station in the background whose focus appeared to be rock and R&B of the late 60's and 70's. We had the perfect soundtrack for the whole game. Seriously it was almost eerie. The first time Vulpurra went into action "Brickhouse" started playing. For the second and much larger battle she was in, Donna Summer's "Bad Girls" was on. The rest was a mix with a lot of the Doobie Brothers, Marvin Gaye and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' and Lady Marmalade were definitely well received.
The In Jokes:
Vulpurra's kick leaving a go-go boot print on a Bugman's chest was a reference to Karem Abdul Jabar leaving a foot print on the chest of Bruce Lee in 'Game of Death'.
Some of the sound effects I made were inspired by the sounds from various 1970's TV shows and movies.
Numerous references, voices and jokes from the players and GM (myself) alike were inspired by the animated series "The Boondocks".
Poindexter Humperdick is not only the token white guy, he's also got a name I've been using for NPCs since the early 80's. This is the first time a character by that name was played by a player.
The Quotes:
"My starship is purple because purple is the color of kings baby.""The say insects like sweet things. Well, I'm about to do some real sweet talkin'."
"Nobody likes a sick ass plant."
"Flying motorcycle? That's cool. I've got to steal me one of those."
"Danger is my middle name."
"Danger? I thought you said your middle name was Irving."
I haven't had time to do any artwork unfortunately but I may get the chance and do a art dump this weekend. We'll see.
Well, on to the next crazy idea.
AD
Barking Alien
.
Showing posts with label Sword and Planet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sword and Planet. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
I'm Gonna Blast You Sucka!
As our episode continues we get down with our bad selves and make a plan. Vulpurra heads back to the ship to protect the crew while Prof. Tycho, Mira and Humperdink work on repairs. Meanwhile Supernova heads to the Pygmy Bugman village nearby to talk to its 'elder'. Turns out the leader of the tribe is a butterfly-like matriarch and if its female, well you know Supernova Brown can sweet talk it (Vulpurra appearing to be the only exception). Convincing the tribe to give him a scouting party to lead him to the enemy base, Supernova and a handful of Pygmy Bugmen head out.
Back at the Soul Flyer, the group is attacked and captured by the big bad ass Bugmen of Betelgeuse Prime who have discovered their ship and overwhelmed them with sheer numbers. Unbeknownst to the bad Bugs, Humperdink has eluded detection and sneaks off to find Supernova. Meanwhile the captured crew are loaded into a hover truck type vehicle and taken to the Bugmen's headquarters (that's one way to find the base! Sheeeit.).
On his way through the dense, alien jungle Supernova has a run in with one of the local fauna, the dreaded Wiretongued Turreting Mantis! Using its long, thin, flat and razor sharp 3 1/2 foot tongue and pivot jointed head, this living weed wacker tries to decapitate our hero but some kung fu action and fancy jet pack flying and the creature was finished. Supernova made a makeshift monowire whip out of the beasts tongue and started bookin' for the base. Yeah. He is just that bad a mo'fo.
Humperdink eventually finds Supernova and his Pygmy scout group and reveals what happened back at the ship. While Supernova insists the Pygmies head back as its now too dangerous, one Pygmy (who they named 'Steve') wants to stay to repay the life debt he owes Supernova for saving him from the Wiretongued Mantis. Humperdink than lets Supernova know about a new pistol he's been working on, the Oscillating Deciminator. Supernova is happy to hear it since one of his Dyn-o-Mite Ultra Beamers got destroyed battling the Mantis.
Ok, so Supernova, Humperdink and Steve the Pygmy Bugman approach the enemy base just as the hover truck containing the rest of the group drives up a hill toward the garage entrance. The truck is escorted by a bunch of Bugmen on hover cycles. Using the Wire-Whip-Tongue weapon, Supernova lasso's a rider off his cycle and steals it. As he rockets toward the truck his runs into a swarm of small, four legged insect-crustaceans that shock him and cause his vehicle to malfunction. Humperdink mentions running into the little critters earlier and they messed up his communicator and Compucorder (Tricorder meets hand held computer).
After a brief discussion and some experimenting, the team discovered the EM frequency that attracted the creatures (called Nitpickers). By setting a communicator for the right frequency and throwing it, the Nitpickers will give chase and short circuit or screw up most of the tech in the vicinity of where it lands.
So...Supernova waits for the Bugmen to pull all their vehicles, including the truck with the 'prisoners', into the garage and then sets the communicator on his stolen hover cycle to emit the right frequency, then sets the bike to autopilot and sends it careening into the garage. Dozens and dozens of Nitpickers pour out of the jungle and fill the garage causing all many of havoc. Lights go on and off (mostly off), doors fly open or jam shut, weapons fail, vehicles go dead, etc.
Amid the chaos, Supernova, Humperdink and Steve rush in. Two Bugmen come out of the truck with the heroes inside and then a third is suddenly hurled out the door with a go-go boot imprint on his chest. Vulpurra pops out and starts wailing on the stunned insect soldiers. Supernova acquires another hover cycle, this one deactivated during the initial wave of Nitpickers and thereby spared. Using it he navigated the huge hangar like garage and took out a number of Bugmen including a commander type and a big bruiser type.
Humperdink located a secret hatch to an underground starship hangar whose bay doors were hidden behind a waterfall. In their supply depot area he found an Aetheric Stabilizer, which the team immediately loaded onto a Betelgeusen spaceship they found. Before leaving, Supernova instructed Humperdink and Prof. Tycho to get into the base's computer system and make their primary communication unit (a big 70's radar dish looking thing on the roof) emit the same Nitpicker summoning signal. Soon the entire base was overrun by thousands of the little gremlins, causing untold amounts of damage and discord.
The group lands the Betelgeusen ship next to the Soul Flyer, gets on board and quickly installs the new stabilizer. Humperdink apologizes to the ship for leaving it to which the ship replies, "Ain't no thing little man. Why it ain't no thing but a chicken wing." Powered up and ready to go, the team says goodbye and thanks to Steve and says they'll be back since they never found the secret weapon they were originally looking for. The camera pulls back, back, back until the image is on a TV screen/monitor in a dark room where a very short man (almost a child) and a beautiful black woman in a Ming the Merciless type outfit view the events surrounded by Bugmen.
"Oh yes Supernova Brown...we'll see each other again soon. Very soon."
Dig It!
AD
Barking Alien
Watch this blog for the last notes on my epic Blaxploitation Sword and Planet adventure complete with some character write-ups and artwork. Catch you on the flipside.
Back at the Soul Flyer, the group is attacked and captured by the big bad ass Bugmen of Betelgeuse Prime who have discovered their ship and overwhelmed them with sheer numbers. Unbeknownst to the bad Bugs, Humperdink has eluded detection and sneaks off to find Supernova. Meanwhile the captured crew are loaded into a hover truck type vehicle and taken to the Bugmen's headquarters (that's one way to find the base! Sheeeit.).
On his way through the dense, alien jungle Supernova has a run in with one of the local fauna, the dreaded Wiretongued Turreting Mantis! Using its long, thin, flat and razor sharp 3 1/2 foot tongue and pivot jointed head, this living weed wacker tries to decapitate our hero but some kung fu action and fancy jet pack flying and the creature was finished. Supernova made a makeshift monowire whip out of the beasts tongue and started bookin' for the base. Yeah. He is just that bad a mo'fo.
Humperdink eventually finds Supernova and his Pygmy scout group and reveals what happened back at the ship. While Supernova insists the Pygmies head back as its now too dangerous, one Pygmy (who they named 'Steve') wants to stay to repay the life debt he owes Supernova for saving him from the Wiretongued Mantis. Humperdink than lets Supernova know about a new pistol he's been working on, the Oscillating Deciminator. Supernova is happy to hear it since one of his Dyn-o-Mite Ultra Beamers got destroyed battling the Mantis.
Ok, so Supernova, Humperdink and Steve the Pygmy Bugman approach the enemy base just as the hover truck containing the rest of the group drives up a hill toward the garage entrance. The truck is escorted by a bunch of Bugmen on hover cycles. Using the Wire-Whip-Tongue weapon, Supernova lasso's a rider off his cycle and steals it. As he rockets toward the truck his runs into a swarm of small, four legged insect-crustaceans that shock him and cause his vehicle to malfunction. Humperdink mentions running into the little critters earlier and they messed up his communicator and Compucorder (Tricorder meets hand held computer).
After a brief discussion and some experimenting, the team discovered the EM frequency that attracted the creatures (called Nitpickers). By setting a communicator for the right frequency and throwing it, the Nitpickers will give chase and short circuit or screw up most of the tech in the vicinity of where it lands.
So...Supernova waits for the Bugmen to pull all their vehicles, including the truck with the 'prisoners', into the garage and then sets the communicator on his stolen hover cycle to emit the right frequency, then sets the bike to autopilot and sends it careening into the garage. Dozens and dozens of Nitpickers pour out of the jungle and fill the garage causing all many of havoc. Lights go on and off (mostly off), doors fly open or jam shut, weapons fail, vehicles go dead, etc.
Amid the chaos, Supernova, Humperdink and Steve rush in. Two Bugmen come out of the truck with the heroes inside and then a third is suddenly hurled out the door with a go-go boot imprint on his chest. Vulpurra pops out and starts wailing on the stunned insect soldiers. Supernova acquires another hover cycle, this one deactivated during the initial wave of Nitpickers and thereby spared. Using it he navigated the huge hangar like garage and took out a number of Bugmen including a commander type and a big bruiser type.
Humperdink located a secret hatch to an underground starship hangar whose bay doors were hidden behind a waterfall. In their supply depot area he found an Aetheric Stabilizer, which the team immediately loaded onto a Betelgeusen spaceship they found. Before leaving, Supernova instructed Humperdink and Prof. Tycho to get into the base's computer system and make their primary communication unit (a big 70's radar dish looking thing on the roof) emit the same Nitpicker summoning signal. Soon the entire base was overrun by thousands of the little gremlins, causing untold amounts of damage and discord.
The group lands the Betelgeusen ship next to the Soul Flyer, gets on board and quickly installs the new stabilizer. Humperdink apologizes to the ship for leaving it to which the ship replies, "Ain't no thing little man. Why it ain't no thing but a chicken wing." Powered up and ready to go, the team says goodbye and thanks to Steve and says they'll be back since they never found the secret weapon they were originally looking for. The camera pulls back, back, back until the image is on a TV screen/monitor in a dark room where a very short man (almost a child) and a beautiful black woman in a Ming the Merciless type outfit view the events surrounded by Bugmen.
"Oh yes Supernova Brown...we'll see each other again soon. Very soon."
Dig It!
AD
Barking Alien
Watch this blog for the last notes on my epic Blaxploitation Sword and Planet adventure complete with some character write-ups and artwork. Catch you on the flipside.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
He's A Cosmic Mutha...Shut Yo Mouth!
Today I ran a one-shot adventure designed to shake the getting-older and not-gaming-enough blues. Four magic words...
Blaxploitation Sword and Planet.
Yes ladies and gentlemen, at the risk of being denied the right to celebrate Black History Month for the next decade, my group and I decided to delve into the thrilling and incredibly groovy adventures of that funky space ranger...Supernova Brown.
You know how the narrator opens every episode... so don't be a jive turkey and say it with me...
Children gather round,
We're gonna hear a story now,
About the baddest cat in town
And how he was lifted off the ground.
He was brought into the sky
by a funky beam of light.
He sailed up through the clouds
And on into the night.
He travelled past the stars,
Flew past Jupiter and Mars
And when he finally touched down
There were spacemen all around.
Up walked a strong and pretty lady,
Whose hands were kinda shaky.
She said, "We don't wish to bow down,
Can you help us now?"
He said, "Don't you worry sweet space baby...
I'm Supernova Brown."
Imagine a cross between Shaft and Adam Strange. Picture the Flash Gordon serials from the 1930's and 40's created in the 1970's and staring Tamara Dobson and Jim Brown.
Our story goes something like this...
Sometime in the early 70's, Professor Winston Tycho invents a device the transports him, his assistant Poindexter Humperdink, his daughter Mira Sunshine Tycho and his mysterious and sexy female bodyguard Vulpurra to a distant planet orbiting the star Rigel. The transporter beam damaged, the group is unable to return to Earth.
Not long after their arrival, the team learns that the native people of Rigel are constantly being besieged by invading insectoid aliens from Betelgeuse. The Earthlings try to help the Rigellians but it only doubles the efforts of the Bugmen of Betelgeuse, especially after they learn of Prof. Tycho's Translocationizer Beam.
Battles between Rigel and Betelgeuse are only barely a stalemate, with Betelgeuse sure to win eventually, when the Rigellians offer to add their mysticism to Tycho's technology. The Translocationizer comes to life and fires beams across the galaxy, searching for a champion destined to defeat the bad ass Bugmen of Betelgeuse.
The beam finds its mark in downtown Detroit in the form of a womanizing, hard-living, hero for hire by the name of Irving 'Supernova' Brown. With smarts from books and life lessons learned in the school of hard knocks, Supernova Brown is just the man to put those pests from Betelgeuse in their place. That place is often under his boot or at the end of his Oscillating Deciminator Pistol.
Today's episode saw Supernova and the gang going down over Betelgeuse II while on a spy mission to discover the source of the Bugmen's newest weapon. Yes fans, the Soul Flyer, Brown's purple starship with silver trim, had been hit by enemy fire, though they managed to destroy the Betelgeusen gunship that clipped them.
Even with a ruined Aetheric Stabilizer and reduced power, The Soul Flyer (whose AI sounded like Barry White) was brought to a relatively safe landing by young genius Poindexter Humperdink. The area of the planet they were in appeared to be some sort of tropical jungle. Supernova and Vulpurra went outside the ship to check out their surroundings and discovered the ship being watched by strange Pygmy Bugmen. Fearing the large aliens and their craft, the Pygmy Bugmen attacked and then quickly ran into the jungle. Supernova and Vulpurra gave chase, caught up with them and sweet talked the little fellas into helping the team out.
Turns out the Pygmies are constantly getting bullied by the bad ass Bugmen of Betelgeuse Prime (IV). The larger Bug brethren regularly steal resources from their smaller cousins and the tiny green dudes are sick of it. They've heard about the Rigellians and the heroic alien who helps them named Supernova Brown. The Pygmy Bugmen decide to help the Earth people get a replacement Aetheric Stabilizer and get off the planet if they'll put a dent in big Betelgeusen operations on their world. Supernova Brown can't resist a cry for help anymore than he can resist the smooth taste of Colt 45. Works every time.
We'll be back with more funky fly space action after these messages...
AD
Barking Alien
Blaxploitation Sword and Planet.
Yes ladies and gentlemen, at the risk of being denied the right to celebrate Black History Month for the next decade, my group and I decided to delve into the thrilling and incredibly groovy adventures of that funky space ranger...Supernova Brown.
You know how the narrator opens every episode... so don't be a jive turkey and say it with me...
Children gather round,
We're gonna hear a story now,
About the baddest cat in town
And how he was lifted off the ground.
He was brought into the sky
by a funky beam of light.
He sailed up through the clouds
And on into the night.
He travelled past the stars,
Flew past Jupiter and Mars
And when he finally touched down
There were spacemen all around.
Up walked a strong and pretty lady,
Whose hands were kinda shaky.
She said, "We don't wish to bow down,
Can you help us now?"
He said, "Don't you worry sweet space baby...
I'm Supernova Brown."
Imagine a cross between Shaft and Adam Strange. Picture the Flash Gordon serials from the 1930's and 40's created in the 1970's and staring Tamara Dobson and Jim Brown.
Our story goes something like this...
Sometime in the early 70's, Professor Winston Tycho invents a device the transports him, his assistant Poindexter Humperdink, his daughter Mira Sunshine Tycho and his mysterious and sexy female bodyguard Vulpurra to a distant planet orbiting the star Rigel. The transporter beam damaged, the group is unable to return to Earth.
Not long after their arrival, the team learns that the native people of Rigel are constantly being besieged by invading insectoid aliens from Betelgeuse. The Earthlings try to help the Rigellians but it only doubles the efforts of the Bugmen of Betelgeuse, especially after they learn of Prof. Tycho's Translocationizer Beam.
Battles between Rigel and Betelgeuse are only barely a stalemate, with Betelgeuse sure to win eventually, when the Rigellians offer to add their mysticism to Tycho's technology. The Translocationizer comes to life and fires beams across the galaxy, searching for a champion destined to defeat the bad ass Bugmen of Betelgeuse.
The beam finds its mark in downtown Detroit in the form of a womanizing, hard-living, hero for hire by the name of Irving 'Supernova' Brown. With smarts from books and life lessons learned in the school of hard knocks, Supernova Brown is just the man to put those pests from Betelgeuse in their place. That place is often under his boot or at the end of his Oscillating Deciminator Pistol.
Today's episode saw Supernova and the gang going down over Betelgeuse II while on a spy mission to discover the source of the Bugmen's newest weapon. Yes fans, the Soul Flyer, Brown's purple starship with silver trim, had been hit by enemy fire, though they managed to destroy the Betelgeusen gunship that clipped them.
Even with a ruined Aetheric Stabilizer and reduced power, The Soul Flyer (whose AI sounded like Barry White) was brought to a relatively safe landing by young genius Poindexter Humperdink. The area of the planet they were in appeared to be some sort of tropical jungle. Supernova and Vulpurra went outside the ship to check out their surroundings and discovered the ship being watched by strange Pygmy Bugmen. Fearing the large aliens and their craft, the Pygmy Bugmen attacked and then quickly ran into the jungle. Supernova and Vulpurra gave chase, caught up with them and sweet talked the little fellas into helping the team out.
Turns out the Pygmies are constantly getting bullied by the bad ass Bugmen of Betelgeuse Prime (IV). The larger Bug brethren regularly steal resources from their smaller cousins and the tiny green dudes are sick of it. They've heard about the Rigellians and the heroic alien who helps them named Supernova Brown. The Pygmy Bugmen decide to help the Earth people get a replacement Aetheric Stabilizer and get off the planet if they'll put a dent in big Betelgeusen operations on their world. Supernova Brown can't resist a cry for help anymore than he can resist the smooth taste of Colt 45. Works every time.
We'll be back with more funky fly space action after these messages...
AD
Barking Alien
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)