Can I Dream?

The conclusion to my 30 years in the making, 8 session, ALIEN FRONTIER campaign - run with Free League Publications' ALIEN RPG - occurred on Saturday, August 7th of 2021 after a year+ hiatus due to the Global Pandemic. 

I would describe the outing as an excellent session but a disappointing end to the series as a whole. 

Originally I wanted to give you all the play-by-play and detail everything that great and not-so-great about the session. Now, with sometime having past and my disappointment with the series' conclusion having truly set in, I would prefer to just give an overview of the game and why it didn't work as the end of what had up to that point been one of my best campaigns in a long time. 

To start with, not all of the players were available for the finale and that forced me to treat their characters as NPCs; something I don't mind doing but which doesn't feel right for a final episode of a series with really good characters.

One of the players missing was my dearly departed friend David Cotton. Not having Dave their was something I was very aware of the entire session and it made me very sad. Thankfully, the players who did show brought wonderful, positive energy and it made the event very enjoyable. 

The session was set for a six and a half hour run time and ended up going a full seven hours (more on that below). It featured six of the nine players (as mentioned above), though all the Player Characters were present and accounted for in the story. 

From a gamemaster's perspective, I divided the episode into three acts in order to facilitate what I hoped would a well organized narrative with a satisfying conclusion. I was not wholly successful. While Act 1 and 2 were fantastic - full of fast paced action, close calls, dark humor, and great PC characterization - I dropped the ball in Act 3. 

The problem was this...in the final act, when the stakes were highest and people were willing to have their characters die in order to save others or accomplish something significant, one player revealed that he'd been working toward a single goal the campaign and was unwilling to change course this [literally] late in the game.

I felt for him. I heard in his voice and saw on his face that what he wanted to accomplish was essentially what he'd been playing for for the past seven sessions. That's when I made the mistake of caving and allowing said player's PC to succeed. I made sure it was difficult to accomplish by increasing the task difficulty. The rolls were in the player's favor.

This touches on my recent discussion of Fudging. I should have Fudged a number of times during this session or simply not allowed a roll. That isn't my style of course. In fact, one of my personal 'Prime Directives' is as follows: If a player has a good idea and comes to it through solid reasoning, in-game knowledge and references, and employ nothing that defies the milieu as it has been established, I tend to allow it. At the very least it gets a roll. 

My second major directive is that the universal laws of my game are those of the setting/genre that the game covers. In other words, if you are playing a Superhero RPG based on Marvel Comics than the bottom line deciding any unclear action or event is to ask and answer the question, 'Well, how does it work in Marvel Comics?'

So, while we ended the game with a series of actions that brought about a reasonable ending, it wasn't right for the game. As one of the players put it, "This was an ALIEN game. The ending felt like the ending of a Star Trek adventure. It didn't feel like ALIEN." That perfectly sums up my feelings as well. 

The ending was too positive. It had too many survivors. It accomplished things too well and too cleanly.

I am not one for killing PCs but here I was totally ready to because, as noted, one of my goals is always to do things the way the genre/setting/IP does them. In ALIEN, nearly everyone should be dead at the end. I felt sorry for that one player and their PC and it cascaded from there. 

The entire series, the campaign, is still one of my best works. I am extremely proud of it and the cast of players and PCs that were a part of it. The finale just didn't land right.

I meant to be the Russo Brothers but ended up as Benioff and Weiss. 

Next time...

END TRANSMISSION.

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Barking Alien

GAME OVER, MAN! GAME OVER!

Last Saturday, August 7th of 2021, was the first time in over a year that I'd run an in-person game. 

The game is question? The finale 'Episode' of my planned eight session ALIEN RPG campaign...ALIEN FRONTIER. 

One of the best campaigns I've run in several years, the series was put on hold in March of 2020 due to the Covid-19 Global Pandemic. With all attending players and myself confirmed to be fully vaccinated and everyone wearing masks during the game, we scheduled the Grand Finale to begin in the late morning/early afternoon of the 7th. 

Here is a recap of the story thus far...

Preface: Initially the players had no idea they were playing in a game set in the ALIEN franchise universe.

The game was billed as a Dystopia Science Fiction RPG with Cyberpunk elements based on an idea I had been making notes on for over 30 years (which was true). It was simply entitled, 'FRONTIER'.

The concept was that the Smithsonian Institute, in cooperation with the United Americas government and various megacorporate interests, had set up a scientific research project on the planet SA-2, orbiting the star 18 Scorpii, for the purpose of exploring various ways to save a dying Earth. 

The PCs, operating from 'Frontier Station' in orbit around SA-2, would test ways of improving and/or surviving the harsh conditions of this world and applying successes to the Smithsonian Institute Terran Revitalization Initiative - SITRI. 

FRONTIER STATION

Periodically the game would feature elements that evoked concepts from various Sci-Fi films such as Blade Runner, Outland, and of course Alien and Aliens. When this came up, I would answer questions regarding these elements absolutely candidly, matter-of-factly, and truthfully. 

For example, when a [Non-Player] character bled a milky-white substance, revealing her to be an Android, the players began a discussion about Androids in both 'this setting' and Sci-Fi in general. When Replicants were brought up as a comparison to some point being made I said with a completely straight face, "Well, the Tyrell Corporation and Hyperdyne Systems have very different ideas and approaches to what an artificial person should be."

Around the fourth session one of the players said, "This is some Weyland-Yutani level techology"

I replied, "Don't be ridiculous. This is waaay beyond anything we have in Human charted space. Weyland-Yutani wishes they could get their hands on stuff like this."

Everyone did a double take. "Wait...are you saying there is a Weyland-Yutani Corporation?"

"Of course", I said with a warm smile, "This is ALIEN."

Previously on ALIEN FRONTIER:

The Smithsonian Institute Terran Revitalization Initiative (SITRI) Project was set to begin on SA-2, a world orbiting the star 18 Scorpii, on May 25th, 2212. A few hours before, a supply ship entered the system and reported Another Ship in its flight path. In an attempt to avoid this other vessel the supply ship changed course, causing it to collide with the orbital 'Frontier Station' and eventually crash onto the surface of SA-2.

SITRI Project Director Rebecca Jordan (aka Newt) sent the PCs to investigate and if possible rescue any survivors and/or salvage any cargo. The PCs managed to secure some supplies and found two crewmembers alive - well, one at least; the ship's pilot, a man with Cybernetically enhanced vision and Pierce, an Android. They also discovered that the supply ship's AI had indeed detected the signal of Another Ship, though it did not appear on sensor logs nor did the rest of the ship's crew see it. 

The PCs (at this time) consisted of:

Dr. Aaron Allen (Dave) - Robotics Specialist. Serving as Recon and Security using Drones. 

Templeton 'Temp' Diaz (Andy) - Mechanic and Engineering Specialist.

Dr. Stanley 'Stitch' Hudson (Eric) - Station Medical Chief and Surgeon.

Samantha 'Tex' Hunter (Ray) - Scout/Survey Specialist.

Dr. David Myers (Nick) - Social Sciences and 'First Contact' Specialist. 

Lt. Mitchell 'Ace' Thompson (Carl) - Pilot and Owner/Operator of the USRSS The Queen

Prof. Mara Typhi (Will) - Life Sciences Specialist

Chief Charley Venchenko (Leo) - Security Chief

This began an investigation into a mysterious signal with three sending and receiving points: They were discovered to be an ancient temple/Outpost belonging to an extraterrestrial species dubbed 'The Thinkers', a crashed medical ship containing Dr. Ana Myr Clearwater (Lynn's character), and finally a derelict alien vessel belonging to a species Director Jordan identified as the 'Space Jockeys'. After exploring all three sites, the PCs learned that the Space Jockeys and The Thinkers were at war or at least had been at some time in the past. The Space Jockeys used a creature known as Xenomorph XX121 to virtually wipe out The Thinkers. The remaining members of the latter captured and modified some of the Xenomorphs in an attempt to fight fire with fire.

In the end, it is unclear what the outcome of this endeavor was. The Space Jockey ship was crashed at the bottom of a massive, continent sized crater and filled with small creatures called 'Facehuggers'. The Thinker temple was likewise devoid of living Thinkers, having only mutated experimental Xenomorphs and a single, long dead member of The Thinker species.

Following their investigation of the Space Jockey derelict, the PCs returned to their ATV and tried to radio Frontier Station. No response. All channels were flooded with the message, 'Another Ship...Another Ship...Another Ship...', in spite of the PCs deactivating all known signal transceivers.

The last episode ended with a pyramid shaped vessel, a Thinker ship, descending from the sky.

And now the conclusion...

AD

Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - THE HYBORIAN

The Hyborian

Character: The Hyborian

Early in the campaign we sometimes called him 'The Hyperborian'. It wasn't a mispronunciation or a mistake so much as we hadn't actually decided on his name. Eventually we settled on The Hyborian, jokingly calling him Hyperborian in the campaign finale for reasons you'll glean later.

Player: Andrew Frank Rodriguez

System: Mutants and Masterminds, 2nd Edition.

 

Campaign: Dynamos Unlimited

Gamemaster: Adam Dickstein

Circa: 2003-2004

Origins: I am going to let my good buddy Andy tell this tale, piping in only as needed. Take it away Andy:

I was about 20-something, the year was 2003 going into 2004 

I had heard that a friend of mine was going to be playing a new game with Adam [as GM] called The Dynamos. It was a superhero world of Adam's creation that’d been around for a few decades. This was years before I had started a career in comics and creating content for gaming myself.

So here I was, this 20 year old looking at a bunch of players that had all these great, heroic creations. Some that could fly like a laser beam, a paragon with phasing abilities, a man in a black suit with tactically applied, mental energy abilities, and even a circus clown styled character.

You had these amazing players, some of which were industry folks, some were young guys and first time gamers, all walking into the Compleat Strategist in NYC one Saturday a month and everyone really excited about this game. Now here's me, wanting to play a character that is not just bonkers but one hell bent build. I decide to create a Hercules meets Spartan type wrapped in the mindset of a Cimmerian but here's the kicker; they [the character] were not alive but a psychic imprint, a collection of heroes through the Ages of Mankind enveloped in a device that can be worn on your head.

Once activated, you get full battle armor and can summon weapons that are hand-held and of a martial nature. No guns. Just about every sword ever made, hammers, flails, pole-arms, clubs, and any ranged weapon before the gun. You also all this collective knowledge of the past wearers in a magical matrix database within this ancient helm that predates even the earliest of humanity’s history of warfare. When I created this, Images of Frank Frazetta and Sword and Sandals movies came into mind. Once I approached Adam this idea.. Adam, he just smiled and stated “Oh I know what we can do with this character!” 

Backstory: The story goes that during the Second World War, the uncle of the young man who would become The Hyborian witnessed a German Soldier take out dozens of allied soldiers single handedly. Observing him from a distance and behind cover, he realized the German soldier was garbed in a suit of armor not unlike a Teutonic Knight. 

When the soldier removed his helmet, his armor vanished. He was once more in the standard uniform of the German army and the helmet changed to resemble one more ancient and like something out of a Pulp magazine. Before he placed the helmet on his head once more, the uncle shot him with a rifle. He than retrieved the helmet and placed it in a duffle bag. 

It is unclear how the uncle returned to the United States with the artifact. The helm would disappear during bunk inspections and reappear later more than once. It seemed to have some peculiar power to hid itself when necessary. When the uncle got home to New York City, he had every intention of selling the strange helmet to a museum or auction house, yet whenever this occurred to him he would find he'd misplaced it. 

Some years later his son and nephew were exploring the old family house when they discovered the helmet hidden in a box in the attic. The soldier's son convinced his cousin to try it on, saying it looked like something out of a Conan movie or a game of Dungeons and Dragons. Donning the helmet and having that thought in mind, the cousin was transformed into The Hyborian! The two spent time testing out the powers and new body of the Hyborian when the young man wearing the helm first heard strange whispers...the voices of past wearers. 

Focusing on the one he could make out most clearly, he was rewarded with a bit of an explanation and tutorial. He also had to explain to his cousin why he was talking to himself as no one other than the wearer could hear the voice(s) in the helmet. 

Not long after this, the Hyborian made his first crime-fighting debut and the young man was immediately contacted by his uncle. Now an old man, his uncle revealed how he came upon the item and warned that it was neither good nor evil. Clearly the helmet could be worn by anyone. The helmet disagreed. According to the spirits within it, many who've worn it have found it to be simply an ancient example of costuming and nothing more. The ghosts within determine the worthiness of the wearer though they have widely varying and mysterious criteria. The German soldier for example may well have personally been a man of honor, even if he served a terrible regime. 

Eventually, the young man and the helmet came to accept and to a small extent understand each other. His uncle and cousin are the only two people to know his secret identity until he befriends the superhero team known as 'Dynamos Unlimited' and key agents of I.N.S.I.G.H.T. (The International Suprahuman Intelligence Garrison Highly Trained).

Overview: So here's the first “Hero meet up”; all the players I knew from games past at the Compleat Strat, some new players I wish I'd met years before, and a few I didn't think I would ever get along with but are now my closest friends, gathered around the table. (Adam's Notes: We had somewhere between 7 and 9 players in the first session and by the end of the campaign there were around 10 or 11 players at once at maximum) Everyone kind of recognized each other from other gaming stores and game groups.

We made our heroic presentations (everyone introducing their characters to the other characters - that was key) and I took a deep breath. I made my hero's introduction “Heracles, Ajax, Achilles, Alexander, Genghis...They are all wimps compared to me! For I am the one who made them...I am of the time when heroes were legends and the very gods bowed in my passing! Call me...The Hyborian!”  

This was an amazing character.  Everyone at the table felt it was kind of cool to have a 'Conan the Barbarian'-style Superhero in the party and I was welcomed right away. 

I loved the idea that throughout history, especially successful warriors both famous and unknown had worn this magical relic and their wisdom and skill were passed down into the helmet and then on to the next person to wear it. Those who had died while wearing it or holding it were not just psychic impressions on the helm but actually inside it, their spirits forever haunting the artifact. 

The look of the Hyborian - R.E. Howard inspired bare-chested warriors with pieces of armor, furred loincloth, and of course the epic, horned helmet itself - were revealed to be an unconscious side effect of the wearer. In past incarnations, the helmet had changed shape to be compatible with Samurai armor in Edo Period Japan or an antlered, Germanic helmet and hood during World War I. The current look was a result of the current wearer's preference for Sword and Sorcery art and fiction. 

This is also why he didn't use guns. At first he thought it was because most of the helmets previous owners and many inhabitants had never used guns but that was only partially true. It was because that's how the current user thought things should be based on the way the helmet looked to him. Indeed it even took time and consideration for him to realize he could make a bow and arrow or crossbow. 

The Highlights:

Early on we knew that the Hyborian was one of our heavy hitters, though perhaps not as versatile as the density altering Mass Master, the psychic powerhouses Big Brother and Psychosis, or IMPACT!, our resident Juggernaut-like wrestler. It was really fun imaging his battles, using ancient Javelins, Bolas, and even Chakram to fight Robots, Supervillains, and other modern or even futuristic opponents. 

There was one instance where I got Hyborian but good in an uncharacteristically 'EVIL GM' move that the player absolutely loved even though his character totally did not. The team was trapped on a strange, other-dimensional planet called Nth World - a homage to Jack Kirby's Fourth World stories of Darkseid and the planet Apokolips. There they faced but four villains: Afterlife, The GAMMA MAN, The Relic, and the Sovereign (an evil doppleganger of the recently lost hero the Savior). 

Hyborian goes after Afterlife who has among his abilities the power to 'haunt' an opponent with voices and images of the dearly departed. Focused on Hyborian, the power caused the hundreds, if not thousands of spirits inside the helmet to all talk at once, many shouted advice to the overwhelmed wearer. As Andy describes it, "My Character had felt, heard, and saw every single one of the helmet's dead former occupants and was nearly rendered insane."

Another part well remembered by both Andy and I was in the final arc of the campaign when the Earth was invaded by an Alien Empire. We divided the team, along with a ton of NPC heroes we'd met throughout the series, into three teams. One would be on the moon protecting a secret weapon being built there. One group would be in the Earth's upper atmosphere to take out as many alien ships trying to land as possible. Finally there would be a group on the Earth, ready for anything that got passed the aerospace team. 

As Andy notes...

So the question is who would you send to protect a Moon Base filled with Scientists and their families? A group of Space/Sci-Fi style characters or maybe a Science based hero with an assortment of Space Age high tech weapons? Nope! In an Adam Dickstein game you go full Pulp comic! I dubbed this chapter: BARBARIANS ON THE MOON! - Starring: The Hyborian! 

Legacy: I haven't used the Hyborian since that M&M campaign in 2004, largely because I haven't set a follow-up campaign in that particular setting/game universe. I would though and I would love to see a previous or future wearer of the helm in some other period RPG.

It would be really interesting to see an Ars Magica or Bushido version of him wouldn't it?

Game Info:

This one is tough as I can not find any of the original character sheets for this campaign. I believe that is because I let the players keep theirs this time. I do recall that we were running 2nd Edition Mutants and Masterminds and started with 10th or 12th level characters, so around 150-180 points I believe. We ended the campaign about 15th or 16th level. 

In addition to Super Strength, Super Endurance, and some kind of Invulnerability/Toughness, The Hyborian's main ability is Item Creation. He can, as noted above, 'Summon into Being' virtually any weapon that can be wielded by a single individual, needing no outside power source or ammo (although a loaded or connected power source or ammo is allowed), no more advanced than the year the wearer of the helmet is familiar with. 

This means that for a modern wearer, a Flamethrower or Rocket Launcher is possible but a Sci-Fi Laser Pistol or 'Laser Sword' is not. A Machine Gun is possible but once the clip or belt feed is empty the weapon can not be reloaded. A new one would have to be summoned. 

Furthermore, if the wielder is not knowledgeable about the weapon he must rely on help from one of the spirits/minds of previous wearers inhabiting the helmet to use it. If none of them are aware of the weapon, the current wearer receives no Skill bonus. For example, the last wearer prior to Andy's character was a German soldier during World War II. If Andy's PC watches the demonstration of a new-ish grenade invented five years ago, neither he nor any of his predecessors would be familiar with the weapon. 

It should also be said that while most of the previous wearers of the helm were soldiers or warriors of some kind, Andy's PC's secret identity was a researcher for a TV news channel. Helpful for investigations but not directly helpful in the use of his Super-Abilities. I always thought that was very cool. 

Next up, a character I have discussed before but never in full detail. He's another of my all time favorites and he deserves some love, so here comes the one, the only, IPPERIUS WITSPEAR!

Thanks for the help Andy!

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Barking Alien

Player Profiles - David Cotton

On Saturday, May 30th, 2020, one of my closest friends passed away. 

David Cotton, mentioned numerous times throughout the online history of this blog, suffered a heart attack as a result of a seizure. I was informed on Thursday, June 4th, by our mutual friend Eric, who was contacted by Dave's mother earlier that day.

Last night, from 6 pm to roughly 11 pm, Dave's friends including myself (who facilitated the event) held an online Memorial, sharing memories, telling stories, and of course recounting his many RPG characters and exploits. Eight members of our circles of friends showed up with calls, messages, and emails from literally dozens of others sending their love and sadness over his passing and their regret over not being about to attend live. A post on Facebook related to the new gained over 40 comments and nearly 60 likes/hearts in just a day and a half.

I first met David Cotton about 14 or 15 years ago when I decided to run a campaign of Mutants & Masterminds at my FLGS, The Compleat Strategist, in New York City. My wife and I had separated a year or so before and I hadn't gamed since. Gaming was such a big part of our time together and it didn't bring me joy any longer to do it without her. That was until I realized not doing it, not doing something I really loved, was preventing me from moving on and so I set up this Superhero campaign and opened the table to anyone who wanted in. 

At first I got some old friends and acquaintances I'd met over the years of shopping at the store and working in the retail game industry myself. It was a good sized group right off the bat, maybe six or seven players. Then a fellow came in, saw us getting ready, and asked what game we were running. This was Dave.

He came up with a character concept based on one he'd made for fun (not specifically for gaming) and I fudged his stats and such for the 'Session Zero' introduction. He returned the following session and from there on in never missed a game. In addition he brought in his cousin and later another friend. 

That campaign was easily one of my best Superhero games ever and the largest, with an average of 9 players showing up monthly and a maximum of 12. Dave was a key part of making the game entertaining and over time we learned we had a lot of interests in common beyond games. We shared a love of the same foods, films, social concerns, and many other details. Amazingly his birthday was February 11th. Mine is the 12th. 

Dave's A-List Superhero Characters

(Only a small portion of the ones he'd created)

IMPACT!, Silver Sun, Night Knight, and Anthem

The following fifteen years or so saw us becoming really close friends, discussing some of life's best and worst moments. From hirings to firings, found loves to break-ups, Dave was always there with warmth, intelligence, and honesty. And I gave it all right back because that is what true friends do even, no especially, when times are tough. 

He was also a great sounding board for ideas; creative and supportive but honest when he didn't like something or thought is could be better. He coined a number of phrases and concepts that still stick with me and always will about the creative process, how I myself do things, and how things can be done. We didn't always agree. We definitely had our differences of opinion but we shared a love of reasonable discussion and debate. We changed each others minds as often as we patted each other on the back. 

He would say, "I am a Reese's guy. I want some chocolate in my peanut butter." This was his way of explaining why he would combine two or more genres together to me, who can sometimes be a setting purist. 

When I would got confused or even frustrated over what to run he would say, "Adam, you make two kinds of campaigns: Summer Blockbusters and Indie Art Films.The Blockbusters aren't as close to your heart but they always go over well. Doing them earns you the credit and good will to suggest the Art film".

Mobile Suit Pilot Dane Bradley and his GM Striker

We would also speak about our views on racial injustice and equality that ring through my head continuously in our current world situation. I regret that I will never hear his thoughts on this past week. I, and others, will never get to know his take on what can be done to make things right and make them better. 

Universally, every person I have ever spoken to about Dave, whether they were close to him or had only met him once for a game at a Convention, described him the same way - One of the truly good people on this Earth. Kind, supportive, compassionate, confident not only in his own abilities, his own success, but in yours.

The Lady Luck, caracca of the Half-Elven Pirate Hero Jorvan StarsByNight

You believed him too, because his belief in himself and in you was like a force of nature. It was like a hurricane. 

The winds have died down. The storm is over. Only memories remain. 

Through the memories, I hope to retain a spark of Dave's lightning within me always. 

So long my friend,

AD

Barking Alien

Don't Call It A Comeback! I've Been Here For Years

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Barking Alien blog to bring you this important announcement...

This past Saturday - July 6th, 2019 - I went back to my roots so to speak and started a new campaign at my FLGS, The Compleat Strategist. 

In the process of doing so a pretty amazing thing happened. I got my groove back. I felt like my old gaming self again. I didn't second guess myself or my players, no one second guessed me, and I didn't pull any punches. 

It was pretty damn glorious.

The campaign is titled, simply, FRONTIER.

Based on an idea I've had for over 30 years now but could never quite figure out how to put into motion, I was lucky enough to get a large group of players to buy in on what I described as, "A Science Fiction story about scientists at the very edge of known space trying desperately to save a dying Earth. Our home world needs a miracle. It's up to you to find or make one."

The setting is basically a Hard Science Fiction, Space Exploration universe with a look and feel reminiscent of late 1970s and 1980s Sci-Fi films like Alien, Aliens, Blade Runner, Outland, The Abyss, and The Thing.

The game's setting has more advanced technology than is seen in many of the aforementioned movies, with artificial intelligence, robots, cybernetics, genetic engineering, and laser weapons being a bit more common place. A bit mind you. I wanted to keep things grounded in real and current speculative science with allowances for the game's year of 2212. 

What makes the game special and rather unique for me is that it includes elements of dystopian fiction and horror, two things I generally avoid except as a little seasoning here and there. FRONTIER on the other hand truly comes alive by telling the players that the Earth is a hair's breadth from either dystopian ruin or a new utopian age. It's all up to their PCs. At the same time the job is hard, space is dangerous, alien worlds are deadly and unforgiving to those who come from somewhere else. The players need to be smart, they need to be decisive, and they need to deal with bureaucracy, the greed or ego of government officials, and finite time and resources. 

Saving the world is not going to be easy. 

There is so much more I want to say about the setting and how the first session went but I will save that for another post. Suffice to say I had a fantastic time and the group seemed to really enjoy it as well.

More than anything else, it just feels like this is MY kind of game. I feel in my element. I feel like this is going to be one for the ages. It's been a long time since I felt this way. 

This is Frontier Station, SITRI Project HQ, from SA-2, 18 Scorpii system, signing off...

...for now.

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Barking Alien

Sufficiently Advanced

May is over, June has begun, and I am way behind on my self-assigned quota of new posts. 

Real life has been busy, I've been kinda down, and when I sit at my computer to write I inadvertently get distracted and lose focus in regards to what I wanted to say. This has been happening more and more lately. It's getting a bit discouraging. Or it would, if I wasn't highly focused in other areas. 

I am working on a new 'Blockbuster' campaign. It's going to be a big to-do with all the stops pulled out. The plan is to run it at The Compleat Strategist, my FLGS here in The Big Apple, beginning in July. I will tell you guys more about it as we get closer to the launch date. 

For now, let me shake out the cobwebs with a another post inspired by my pal Leo Jenicek. I mentioned Leo recently as he did an essay on his blog about preferring smaller gaming groups when it comes time to roll the dice and adventure into the unknown. I on the other hand like larger groups, even going so far as to enjoy a group size many other GMs find unwieldy. Here is his post and my 'counter-post' as it were. 

Now he posts on an subject I find particularly interesting; the idea that for the purposes of entertainment fiction (books, movies, RPGs, etc.), Magic and Advanced Science are essentially one and the same. Once again our viewpoints differ somewhat but I can totally see where he's coming from. Go check it out. It will not only be well worth your time, it will give this post extra context. 

Let's start where Leo starts...with Clarke's Third Law:

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

A caveat of sorts to this incredibly famous statement is that one must think carefully on the first part and what it means  - 'Sufficiently Advanced'. 

To be 'sufficiently advanced', advanced enough to seem like magic, it would have to be generations ahead of the prevailing level of technology available to the general populace. It would also, very specifically, have to be a technology that is sufficiently advanced to the viewer viewing the tech for that individual to think its magic.

For example, if you traveled back in time to the European Middle Ages with your cell phone you would clearly be marked a wizard, witch, or perhaps even a demon. Even without telecommunications access or the ability to connect to the internet, the small item in your hand may have saved images, videos, or music that could be displayed for the locals to see or hear. There was literally and figuratively nothing like it in the Medieval Period of Europe. Nothing even close. This device is sufficiently advanced to appear to be magic.

However, If you traveled to the late 1960s, the device, while still far beyond the technology of the time, would still be reasonably received as some advanced form of the telephone, walkie-talkie, cameras, computers, or even the television. It would seem amazingly advanced but I would argue that it would not seem like magic. 

Why? Because technology is the product of scientific understanding. It is what we, the Human species, can construct once we comprehend certain particulars in the fields of chemistry, physics, metallurgy, etc. The people of the Middle Ages did not possess anywhere near the level of scientific knowledge that we have today. The people of the 1960s had the fundamentals in the areas that lead to our cell phones, many of which were first developed before their time. 

The modern computer had its origins in the late 1930s. The ancestor of the modern electronic television was first operational in 1927, though not perfected until 1931. Mobile phone technology was first developed in the 1940s, though it would be well after the 60s (specifically the 1980s) when it would become a viable means of communication for the common civilian use. 

My point is that with the existence of practical scientists, visionary and theoretical scientists, and even science fiction authors, for something to seem like magic it would have to be...magic. It would have to be something intelligent, knowledgeable, well informed individuals can not explain. There would have to be no way to analyze it, comprehend it, test it to see if the effect can be reliably reproduced, etc. 

What makes a thing magic and not science or vice versa? My friend Leo is essentially putting forth the idea that for the purposes of narrative, there doesn't have to be a difference. A fire ball hurling magic wand and a hand held, flame-thrower pistol are basically the same.

Sure, they have the same effect - fire damage caused at range by an item - but they shouldn't (in My Humble Opinion) be the same. There doesn't have to be a difference but isn't it more fun if there is?

I am a huge advocate of the idea that things should feel different from each other. If things don't have their own flavor and identity, their own rules, rhyme and reason, they don't hold much interest for me. If Magic is just Science and Science is Magic, why should I get excited or care about either?

Returning to my example with the cell phone, imagine traveling forward in time to the mid-to-late 2100s. Your device is not magic, it's probably junk. It's an outdated antique. The key though is that it is still Science. The Scientific Method can be applied to device. The construction and operation of a cell phone is something anyone can learn. You don't need 'The Gift' or whatever causes you to be 'A Wizard Harry'.

To some it up as it's already gone longer then planned, there is nothing wrong with Magic and Science being interchangeable, but for me that isn't my preference. I prefer them to be different, perhaps very different. I want separate rules (both world-building and mechanics wise) that makes each a unique element of your game. 

I end with a quote from Neil DeGrasse Tyson that helps define Science for me...

"The good thing about Science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it."

See you soon,

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Barking Alien

A First Step Into A Larger World

I apologize for the lack of posts this Summer. My business has really picked up and it's done so in the awful heat and humidity of a New York heat wave. I am a Winter Child, born during a February snow storm. This heat takes a lot out of me. Even if I wasn't so busy, the temperature would still leave me pretty exhausted. 

I am taking a short break from discussing Pixar Superheroes to address something else rather, well, incredible (Heh. See what I did there?).

Fantasy Flight Games has recently released the Star Wars: The Role Playing Game - 30th Anniversary Edition, reprinting the original Core Rulebook and Sourcebook of the 1987, West End Games RPG that changed the course of Star Wars canon forever.

Enough has been said about the impact of the original game on the Expanded Universe and even the movies, and animated series that I needn't reiterate all that here. I mean I could, I'd enjoy it, but that's not what I want to do with this post. Instead, I'd like to tell you about my first encounter with the Star Wars D6 RPG way back in 1987. 

My apologies if I've told this story on the blog already. I honestly thought I had, but couldn't find it in a cursory look through past posts. It is a tale I've told to friends and fellow gamers over the years and it may be those recollections I am remembering. 

Here we go...

Sometime between December of 1987 and February of 1988, I was asked to GM at an RPGA Event in New York City. The event was called Crusader Con or Crusade Con, I forget exactly. There were more than two dozen Gamemasters, and over a hundred and fifty attendees were expected. 

That weekend, NY was hit by the mother of all snowstorms. We're talking full on blizzard. 

If memory serves, all of the staff and GMs were able to attend but only about half the attendees showed up. The end result was that each referee ran one session and then had nothing to do for hours on end. They couldn't just leave, as part of the event was an award ceremony at the end wherein the best players (voted on by their GM and fellow players) and the best GMs (voted upon by their players) would receive a gift certificate for the Compleat Strategist (NYC's friendly local game store par excellence!).

At some point I decided to leave the hotel where the event was being held to grab some lunch. I went with some fellow GMs I had become acquainted with and passed a room with three other Gamemasters playing a game. I had spoken to one of the three at length earlier in the day and asked if he needed me to pick anything up for him. He was gracious but told me he'd already gone out to lunch and just got back.

It was then that I noticed the book in front of him had images from...Star Wars. A huge Star Wars fan, I was surprised that I didn't recognize the book. Wait...there were dice on the table. The three guys were clearly gaming but...

"What Star Wars book is that?", I asked.

"It's the Star Wars Role Playing Game. It just came out. I picked it up at the Strat (common nickname for The Compleat Strategist in NYC). We're going to try to create characters and see how it goes. I'll tell you about it when you get back."

My new found friends and I spent our lunch break discussing the Con, the styles and techniques of the various GMs we'd met, and other 'shop talk' you'd expect referees at a game convention to discuss. At the same time, I couldn't stop thinking about the new Star Wars game book. I was eager to learn more, see more, and to get it myself. 

After about 45 minutes or so, we headed back to the convention. 

When we got back upstairs I walked to the doorway of the room where I had left the three fellows and the game that had me practically vibrating with anticipation. 

As I approached I could hear them speaking excitedly and the sound of dice clattering. I didn't want to interrupt but I had to know how character creation was going. Also, why did it sound like the most action-packed character generation session I'd ever heard?

After observing from the doorway for a few moments, unable to quite make out what was going on, I cleared my throat and said a friendly, "Hey guys...". I was quickly and politely as possible waved off. 

"Can't talk right now. In the middle of a big battle!", my acquaintance exclaimed.

"Wait...", I started, "You already made two characters and got into an adventure? In 45 minutes?"

"Yeah", he said.

One of the others added, "This game is awesome!"

There is more to this tale, but I think I've reached the part that illustrates a point I want to make. Yes, there was a point to all this you salty little Porg bottoms. 

Up until the Star Wars D6 game, it seemed serious RPGs were often quite complicated and crunchy. Comedic games - Ghostbusters, Paranoia, Toon - were simpler and usually more rules light. A serious Action/Adventure game, especially one involving Space Travel and Ray Guns, that was also quick and easy play was quite revolutionary at the time. 

When I got the game myself and read it over (and over and over), I couldn't believe how well it managed to hit the mark between detail and ease. It was both lightly textured and amazingly fast. To this day, even with the added material and mechanics of of its Second Edition, Star Wars D6 remains, IMHO, the best system for the kind of stories I want to tell in that universe. 

West End Games' Star Wars: The Role Playing Game is a treasure, a brilliant masterpiece of simple gaming ingenuity. I love it, and I am overjoyed to have this 30th Anniversary Edition in my collection. 

May The Force Be With You!

See you soon,

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Barking Alien

VILLAINS AND VIGILANTES - FOUR FOR FREEDOM!

Here's a special treat for those of you who've been following this blog, and specifically my posts on past campaigns that I have run. This one is a doozy, and another I've been wanting to talk about for a very long time. It's not so much the campaign itself that's interesting, but the participants, and the backstory.

Ladies and Gentlemen...and if identify yourself differently more power to you!...introducing

Campaigns I Have Known - Celebrity Edition!

Wha?

Pay close attention, and you can follow along with the home game.

First...a little set up...

Let's begin in 1985-86.

I was visiting NY's premiere game store (IMHO), The Compleat Strategist, at their Upper West Side location (technically Midtown West)*, when I saw a friend of mine who worked there. He gave me a warm welcome, as I realized I hadn't seen him in quite a while. When I asked what he'd been up to, he said he had been in California shooting a movie.

I was vaguely aware he was an actor, but a real Hollywood movie? Awesome! I asked when it was going to come out, and what role he played. He seemed a bit taken aback, even hurt.

My Friend: "You didn't see it? I..Wow...I figured you of all people would've seen it. It was really popular, a comedy, and it had mad science Sci-Fi."

Me.: "Whoah. Maybe I did see it. Did you have a big part?"

My Friend (Kind of crestfallen): "Yeah. I was...a co-star. One of the stars of the movie."

My buddy from the Compleat Strategist starred in a Sci-Fi Comedy and I didn't know? Impossible.

Me: "What movie?"

My Friend...Ilan: "Weird Science."

Me: "..."

*Brain suddenly makes a connection it should have made already on its own*...

"HOLY S%^&!!!" (Very possibly my first experience with swearing out loud in public)

I know that guy!

I just...didn't know I knew that guy.

It wasn't that I had forgotten the movie. It wasn't that I'd forgotten my friend. No. My brain simply did not equate the guy I knew at the Compleat Strategist with the fellow in the film. In my mind's eye that were two separate, distinct, completely different people.

Instead of being upset, he laughed. So did I. For a while, I frequented that location more, just so I could hang out, and talk to Ilan.

Sometime between 1987, and 1988. I had graduated the High School of Art and Design, and would soon be attending Pratt Institute. I got a job working at the Forbidden Planet's Upper East Side location (really Midtown East)*.

While working there I made friends with some of the regular customers, especially if we had shared interests. At some point, I met two fellows who were working on an independent comic book.

One fellow was Joseph Naftali, a younger guy (well, younger than me) who had a darn cool idea, the money to back the project, and just needed an extra writer, or two and a few other artists. He was hoping to start with an anthology book. We started talking, and I helped him edit some ideas, pitched a few new ones, and the next thing we knew we were pals, and working together.

The other fellow should be known to some of you if you're familiar with Superhero RPGs. His name is Storn Cook. Yep, that Storn Cook. For those unfamiliar (and too lazy simply click on a link - I mean c'mon!), Storn is an illustrator whose work has appeared in numerous RPG products including Champions, and Mutants & Masterminds. Storn also became involved in the comic book project, including doing the back cover ad for a story by yours truly intended for the second issue.

A week, or so later, Storn and Ilan come in to the Forbidden Planet in full Kendo gear, covered head-to-toe in mud. They'd been to a Kendo class in Central Park, only to fall down a hill made super slippery by rain the previous day. Every female employee there bugged me to introduce them to these two. A lot of swooning went on I can tell you that.

Now hold on...these two knew each other? Of course they did. Millions of people in New York, yet somehow the world of geeks was strangely small.

So I talk to Joe, Joe talks to Storn, Storn and Ilan talk, and they get a fifth guy named Grey**. We all meet at Joe's place - a very impressive, multi-level home hidden in New York's West Village. With a gaming table set up in the basement, this eclectic group got together to play a short campaign of Villains and Vigilantes.

Campaigns I Have Known

Proudly Presents...

VILLAINS AND VIGILANTES -

FOUR FOR FREEDOM

At this point we...OK I...have a problem. I remember the players quite well. I remember the characters quite well. I am not 100% sure who played who. So embarrassing. I'll do my best. 

UPDATE: I'm pretty sure I have it right.

We created the characters together using V&V 2nd Edition, and a little house-ruling on my part, but not much. I allowed for certain choices in addition to the roles. Also, although default V&V has the players play themselves, we created fictional secret identities for these characters.

Title: VILLAINS and VIGILANTES - Four For Freedom

System: Villains and Vigilantes (Fantasy Games Unlimited), 2nd Edition.

Circa: 1987-1988. There were only six sessions unfortunately.

Player Base: In 1987-1988 I was 18-19 years old I believe. I know Ilan and I are the same age. Storn probably is as well, or close, and the same goes for Grey. Joe is younger by a couple of years I think.

So to be clear, I was the GM - Joe, Ilan, Storn, and Grey were the players.

Characters: The four heroes were...

The Resolute (played by Storn C.)

The team's de facto leader (most of the time), Resolute was a former government operative combining a super soldier formula, bionic enhancements, and high tech gadgetry and weapons into one potent combination. He specialized in military tactics, stealth, and had a host of military, police, and other government contacts.

If I remember correctly, he had Heightened Dexterity, Heightened Senses, Heightened Expertise, a Speed Bonus, Martial Arts, and a suite of weapons including a Blaster Rifle, a Stun Pistol, and a lightsaber-like Energy Sword.

His weaknesses included Electrical/Lightning attacks which caused him extra damage, and potentially shorted out his abilities, and a psychological drawback that gave flashbacks to some previous conflict he can't clearly remember (possibly implying that turning him into Resolute saved his life).

For some reason I now picture him as being very similar to Soldier 76 from the Blizzard Entertainment computer game Overwatch.

Attitude and personality-wise, Resolute was a dry humored, somewhat sarcastic, slightly rebellious version of Captain America. A Captain America born of the 1970s and 1980s instead of World War II, and the 1960s (when he was brought back to life).

The Obscure (played by Ilan S.)

Our mystical specialist was Obscure, a strange individual whose origins remained a mystery throughout the game.

While he definitely had a physical form while hanging out at the team headquarters, or when talking to the police, Obscure spent most of his time in a semi-gaseous state. Below the waist, from within his cloak, and often circling about his hands were billowing  clouds of gray-black fog, or smoke.

He was well versed about all things magical, and supernatural, could read ancient languages, including runes, and hieroglyphics, and could even speak with spirits, ghosts, faeries and the like.

Powers included Flight, Darkness Control, Intangibility, and a number of smoky looking Magic Spells.

His only real weakness was candles, the light from which could harm him...or weaken him...or drive him off. I forget. I also forget if it was just any candles, or a specific type.

Obscure always maintained an air of being wise, macabre, and 'terribly mysterious'. If Resolute was the brains of the operation, Obscure was the soul of the team.

The Cosmic (played by Joe N.)

I liked all the characters here, but I really liked this one.***

An extraterrestrial humanoid from a species so 'sufficiently advanced', it is difficult to identify whether we are talking about a machine, a living creature, energy, or something else. This unusual 'physical form' gave the character his amazing powers, but also an interesting perspective on life on Earth.

While understanding many space related subjects, and being familiar with various alien species, starships, and the like, Cosmic himself was from a region of space so distant he could not identify it on our star charts. It was assumed he had traveled through a worm hole from another galaxy entirely.

Cosmic's powers included Flight, Force Field, Telekinesis, Telepathy, and a cool, weird shape-changing ability that allowed him to become two-dimensional, stretch (but when he stretched his arm for example, the rest of him became either thinner, or shorter in height), and other tricks dealing with altering his size, mass, and density. The idea being he wasn't so much a solid being as a certain amount of psychic energy taking a humanoid form.

He had a weakness to magic, as it did not obey the same laws as the perceivable, and understandable universe according to the character.

Most of the time Cosmic was inquisitive, child-like, and very reminiscent of the Silver Surfer. During battle however, he became a focused, disciplined combatant. The personality switch was so distinct, and clear cut it was almost like someone with multiple personalities.

Was he possibly a gestalt being made of the thoughts of different individuals?

[I am pretty sure this was Joe's character. I am almost positive he came up with the idea. See Bonus features for a funny story about this PC's creation.]

The Maverick (aka The Wild Card, played by Grey B.)

Last but not least was a very unpredictable hero named The Maverick, who many referred to by his nickname 'Wild Card'. Maverick's origin was that he was created by a group of villains (possibly the notorious InterCrime) to defeat a well known superhero, but the programming didn't stick. Maverick instead turned on the villains and dedicated his life to using his abilities for good. 

[I may be wrong, but I think Maverick was the prototype for a planned army of such beings].

Maverick was very knowledgeable about InterCrime, super villains, and crime in general. He had a number of underworld contacts, and knew the location of a few secret lairs. Maverick was also the team's best driver, and pilot.  

Mavericks powers are kind of strange. In addition to Adaption, Regeneration, and Willpower, Maverick would randomly manifest different powers based on the situation he was in. For example, if trapped in a burning building he may attain the ability to shoot blasts of water, flame on himself, find his skin coated in an asbestos-like material, or simply gain superspeed so he could run out of there. (In manner ways the character resembled Shane Goosemen, from the animated series 'The Adventures of The Galaxy Rangers'.

Maverick was, as you can probably imagine, the loose cannon, 'Wolverine' character on the team. He didn't talk much, was soft-spoken but authoritative when he did speak, and extremely protective of civilians (especially the very old, the very young, and the infirm).

Synopsis: The plot (and I use the term loosely here) was pretty simple. The campaign was really just an excuse to run, and play superheroes with a cool bunch of guys.

I decided to start with the module that comes with the V&V 2nd Edition boxed set, Crisis at Crusader Citadel. I made some minor modifications, then proceeded to run more of the pre-made adventure modules, tweaking them and adding elements to tie the superhero sandbox game into a single narrative. It went something like this...

One bright Monday morning, four superheroes show up at the front entrance of Center City's famous Harmon Building, the top of which serves as the headquarters of the world's greatest superhero team, The Crusaders! 

Each new hero has been invited by one or more of the Crusaders to potentially join the team. Unfortunately, there is only room for one additional member. The assembled newbies will have to be interviewed, and possibly compete in a try-out test.

It soon becomes clear that the Crusaders are not home. Their AI Computer indicates that an emergency has taken them off-world. The Center City police, who were been aware that the Crusaders are unavailable (but kept in secret by order of the Mayor to prevent villains from thinking the city is an easy target), ask the new heroes if they can help out with a rash of technology thefts. The four gladly agree to assist.

It doesn't take long for the PCs to learn that the Crusaders' arch-enemies, The Crushers, are up to something big. It turns out they've captured and imprisoned the Crusaders within their own base!

After defeating a few of the Crushers to gain additional information, the new heroes proceed to return to The Crusader Citadel where they are able to free the Crusaders, and defeat the Crushers. When the Crusaders lament that they wish they could add all four fellows to their roster, the new supers decide to decline membership in the Crusaders to form their own team called The Four For Freedom.

As they proceed/progress through a number of other harrowing capers, the group learns that the sinister super villain Bloody Sunday has been behind all their troubles. Angry over the perceived failure of superheroes to protect himself, and his family when he was a child in a war torn region of the world, Bloody Sunday attempts to engineer the defeat/destruction of the superhero community.

He is eventually defeated and captured in a public battle with the Four For Freedom.

Appendix N: In addition to obvious influences such as the Byrne/Claremount X-Men, the Wolfman/Perez Teen Titans, and the like, I was also strongly influenced by The Seven Soldiers of Victory, and Watchmen. 

Villains & Vigilantes products, with their implied, but never truly fleshed out universe were also a major source of inspiration.

Bonus Features:

* The Uptown Compleat Strategist, and Forbidden Planet are sadly long gone, having closed their doors many years ago now.

** Grey's full name was Grey Bowman. Grey Bowman. Is it me, or does that sound like the name of a superhero character right there? The Green Arrow - The Grey Bowman. Seriously.

So I said to Grey, "You should create an archer character called the Grey Bowman." He stared at me like I was speaking another language. I kept trying to not only sell him on the idea, but also explain why he should embrace the fact that his name was sooo damn cool. He didn't get it. It simply would not click. 

Ilan pulls me aside and says, "I know you think it's an amazing idea, but you have to understand that to him you're suggesting he create a character named 'Adam Dickstein'. To him it's just his name. Same as with you."

"OK...I guess...except my name isn't freakin' GREY BOWMAN!" O_O

Towards the end of the campaign the villain has some other (NPC) heroes tied up including The Grey Bowman. I had drawn a picture, and I showed it to him. Grey stares at it for a moment and goes, "Ahh. Now I get it. Man. That is cool." LOL

*** Joe says to the group after trying to think of a background for Cosmic, "Hey guys, I've come up with a background for my character.

He is an alien, right, and he's sent away from his homeworld when it gets destroyed. He arrives on Earth, and...and is raised and taught Human values. Human rights, defending the weak, etc. He decides the best way to pay the people of the Earth back for allowing him to walk among them is to protect them from danger as a Superhero! 

What do you think?"

We all looked at him, dumbfounded, for what felt like a long time. Finally, someone said, "It'll never sell", and we all burst out laughing. All but Joe. He couldn't figure out what we thought was so funny.

"Seriously man? That story is just a little familiar no?"

"Familiar?", Joe replies a bit insulted. "What do you mean?"

"SUPERMAN! Joe, that's the origin of Superman."

Joe starts to say, "No! NO! It's nothing like Superman it's...it's...", and then suddenly Joe is laughing. "The way I told it, man, I said only the parts that sound like Superman's story. I left out all the details that...Hahaha!"

Joe retold the story, and honestly, it was pretty great. It wasn't like Superman at all. The whole thing was a great lesson in how to convey information.

***

Sadly, I didn't really keep in touch with the group as the years went on, except Storn who I periodically talk to on Facebook in various gaming, and art related discussion groups. 

Ilan left the film, and television entertainment business to become a professor of medieval studies. For a time he was a contributor on at least two gaming blogs, and a podcast - Forces of Geek, and Talk Wargaming.

Well, that's my story of playing a short, but awesome campaign of V&V with a very interesting group of people. Hopefully I will be able to more such stories out next month than I did this month.

That's out show! Good night everybody!

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Barking Alien