Now that I don't have to concern myself with the A-to-Z Blog Challenge I can get on to more pressing matters.
What I am running, and with whom...
This is a bit like my past 'State of Gaming' addresses, but with the purpose of helping me to organize my thoughts as opposed to entertaining you my audience (My apologizes. Honestly, I haven't forgotten about you. I'll try to be entertaining anyway).
We begin with...
Dan's Group, and The Masked Age 66':
Following a pretty successful first arc of three, consecutive, Friday night sessions, we are going to alternate the campaign to every other Friday night going forward. On the nights I don't run, my friend Alex is running a Harry Potter/Wizarding World/Hogwarts game in which I am a player.
I am really liking the Hogwarts game a lot so I have no problem switching off. Basically it amounts to playing a Harry Potter game twice a month, and running Silver Age Superheroes with a Twist twice a month. I am absolutely good with that.
Oh course, the Superhero game is not without it's bumps. It's a tough group to please in some respects. I'm hopeful however.
The Google Hangouts Group, Kapow!, and Galaxy Quest!:
Whoohoo! I am super excited about this.
For about two years now my friend Keith has been running a really cool Superhero RPG called Kapow! in his own homebrew world. I have played a number of characters in the setting, but for the longest time now I've been using a Superhero named Equinox.
Equinox is actually a very old character I helped my friend Sergio create waaay back before we even knew about RPGs. When I discovered Villains & Vigilantes in 1982 we made up Equinox for a game, and he was so cool I decided to remake him for Kapow!
I've stepped in a few times as GM to cover Keith when he had a family thing, or had to otherwise miss a session (which in two years has been maybe three times. It is exceptionally rare). When I run, the players play a different group of heroes on my alternate setting of Earth-F-Omega, a variant on the Mutants and Masterminds Freedom City* Universe by Green Ronin.
I filled in with an Earth-F-Omega session three weeks ago, and ended up continuing the story even as Keith came in to join us. Tomorrow will be my last session of the arc. Keith then goes away on vacation for two weeks ( ! ), so I offered to run something else. Something different. That's when things got really interesting...
Keith proposed that going forward one of us (he, or I) would run a game for several sessions, or perhaps a month or so, and then the other would take over and do the same. He will be continuing Kapow!, while I plan on a Science Fiction/Space Opera type series. As a test run, I will be GMing a short Galaxy Quest adventure over the two weeks Keith is gone.
More details as I have them. Very excited to get the best of both worlds out of my Wednesday night online game.
Last, but not least...
The Barking Alien Gaming Group, and What Comes Next:
It's been well over a month since I've met with the players in my Barking Alien Gaming Group.
For a short while there it looked like that particular gaming group incarnation had run its course. Luckily, that is not the case. I had a nice sit down discussion with two of the players, and I'm going to try to redouble my efforts to make a game that works for this bunch. In exchange, one of the players will try to overcome a few of his...um...less endearing habits...which often threaten to derail our games. The other player I spoke to will try to keep the first one on track, and act as an intermediary if the player, and I bump heads.
As I look at what I am running, and playing with the other groups I'm a part of, I have to say I'm pretty happy I'm getting the opportunity to run two of my favorite genres already. I'm running Superheroes with one, and I'll soon be running Space Opera/Adventure with the other. I don't need to run those with my monthly group. I am free to tackle something else.
But what?
Then it hit me, and if it didn't make so much sense I probably would've hit it back.
Aerth. My Dungeons & Dragons-But-Not setting of almost 35 years. Superheroic, Anime Influenced, Folklore Fueled [Vaguely] Medieval Fantasy.
System wise I won't be using any form of D&D however. I want to enjoy this. I'm going to be adapting Ars Magica for this campaign.
Yes. I'm going there.
AD
Barking Alien
Showing posts with label The Masked Age. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Masked Age. Show all posts
Monday, April 18, 2016
Thursday, March 31, 2016
A Whole Lotta Supers Going On
What the heck happened to the month of March?!?
Seriously, this month just ran away from me like the Reverse-Flash running from Barry Allen. Like The Hand trying to skip out on a fight with Daredevil, and Elektra.
March came in all mild-mannered, and than changed it's clothes in a broom closet to take off faster than a speeding bullet!
Can you tell I have Superheroes on the brain?
What an amazing month it's been to be a Superhero fan, am I right? There has been a veritable butt load of Superhero TV shows, and events, movies, and gaming goodness. It hasn't all been astounding, but just the sheer volume, and scale of it is staggering.
I've been getting in on the four-color fun personally by running a lot of Superhero RPG awesomeness myself, and I couldn't be happier. Well, I guess I could always be happier [as I always think I can do better], but so far so good. Even great if I may be so brave, and bold!
A lot to discuss...Where to begin?
Gaming!
Masked Age '66!
I have run two sessions (Issues) now of The Masked Age '66 for Dan's Group, and it looks like we're going full on campaign mode with this one for sure.
The premise is 'Silver Age with a Twist', as the heroes, villains, and NPCs are modeled after the comic books of the mid-to-late 60s while simultaneously dealing with the real world issues of that turbulent time. We are definitely not going into 'Watchmen' territory here, but we won't be ignoring the political, social, and cultural elements that defined the era.
The system is a Japanese fan-made RPG my friend found at a convention over there not long ago called 'The Masked Age' (actually Masuku no Jikan, or 'The Time of the Masks'). See more about it in my previous post.
I am loving our team! We have..
Aegis (Experiment Paragon Epitome) played by Leo. A dove/Anti-Vietnam War Superman analog. He is quite political, and an avid supporter of Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He is a legacy character, being the son of the Golden Age superhero Major Victory. He possesses the classic Epitome power set: Flight, Invulnerability, Super Strength, Super Senses, and Laser Vision.
Drifter (Cosmic Crusader Magician) played by Dan. A member of a mysterious group of interstellar, and interdimensional travelers, Drifter has decided to remain on Earth for a while. He is haunted by the knowledge of lost memories (that is, he is aware he has amnesia, and that the condition may be self-inflicted). These are memories of something terrible that happened, or that he did. Drifter can open portals, and gates to travel, attack enemies, or defend himself. With the help of a focus - such as a car, motorcycle, or other vehicle - he can teleport anywhere on Earth. Drifter is in with the scene man. He is hip, happening, and in the now daddy-o. A cosmic 'street level' hero, he is known and well liked by the lost, the looking, and the disenfranchised across the highways, and byways of the world. Far out brother.
Mummy Queen (Supernatural Obliged Adept) played by Alex. The spirit of a murdered, and mummified queen of Ancient who possesses, and transforms her host, a mousy Egyptologist working for New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mummy Queen is played with the no quarter taken, no quarter given arrogance of Namor, The Sub-mariner, or the mighty Thor. At the same time, she has a nobility, and a sense of compassion that reminds me of the classic Wonder Woman. She can stretch, and manipulate her mummy bandages in order to snare, entangle, whip, or throw objects, and opponents. Mummy Queen also possesses enhanced strength, and the ability to make dramatic entrances, and exists.
Titan (Cosmic Obliged Gestalt - Metamorph/Epitome) played by Arthur. A Human agent of the Council of Galactic Order, it is Titan's job to protect the Earth from alien invasion, especially of the gigantic, Japanese movie monster kind. As such, Titan is able to grow to enormous size, as well as shrink down to just a few inches. At any height, he can fly, has Super Strength, and Invulnerability. He also possesses an Energy Blast that he fires from his hands, or the faceplate of his helmet. My favorite power is his 'Kaiju Sense' which alerts him when monsters are present, or about to attack.
Robogirl (Technology Genius Gestalt - Epitome/Magician) play by Erick. A young, Japanese woman who came to the United States to make her fortune, she is both an engineering savant, and a wealthy if reclusive CEO. She wears a suit of powered armor that gives her Flight, Super Strength, Armored Protection, and Blasts, but her real power is her unparalleled mechanical genius. She can build, modify, and analyze advanced technology in moments. Her political and social views, especially on the subject of military conflict, differ greatly from some of her teammates (notably Aegis, and Drifter). In addition, her background involves her parents adding the Nazis in World War II by building many of the diabolical super-weapons they used to battle the Golden Age heroes (such as Aegis' Dad!). The player noted that although she is called Robogirl, her 'comic book series' is called Robogirl Z.
Our initial plot deals with the team members assembling all together for the first time (though some of them knew each other prior to the start of the campaign) in order to thwart a plot by The Scarab Society, a mystic cult that has existed since the very beginnings of the kingdoms of the Nile. They are the Arch-Nemesis of Mummy Queen, and responsible for her mortal death.
I hope to have more soon, as we are due to run the third issue, and the end of the story arc tomorrow night!
Kapow! The Freedom Force of Earth-F-Omega!
The regular GM of the Google Hangouts group I'm a part of had to take a night off for some family stuff, so I returned the group to the alternate world of Earth-F-Omega, and their PCs in the new, and revitalized Freedom Force.
This is my second time using this particular Supers setting, which is why I say 'returned'. You see, the last time I ran Kapow!, it was also in this particular setting, which is basically a variant on the Freedom City universe of the Mutants & Masterminds RPG. That previous time I was also filling in, but only so our regular GM could recharge, and play for a change.
After dealing with his personal obligations our GM, Keith, was able to join in with his character from last time. As the story wasn't really finished in the one session, we decided to continue with me as GM until such time as the story is complete. I ran last week, this week, and we should be finished next week. Keith will then return for a one night adventure before he heads off on vacation (have fun Keith!).
While Keith is away from two weeks, we're going to...no wait...I'll save that for next month.
Trust me...it's going to be interesting.
Cosmic Handbook for Mutants and Masterminds 3rd Edition!
I've been waiting at least two editions for this book, and I finally got it as a belated birthday present from a good friend of mine.
A sourcebook/supplement on all things cosmic, from Alien Empires to Existential Entities, is right in this fantastically illustrated, and put together tome. I highly recommend it to any fan of Superhero adventures across Time, and Space.
Excellent.
OK, other stuff...
Film and Television!
Supergirl and The Flash!
This past Monday on the CBS live-action television series Supergirl (a series I am quite enjoying by the way), The Flash guest-starred! That's right, Grant Gustin appeared on Supergirl as The Flash/Barry Allen from HIS OWN TV SERIES! Wow! I don't know about you, but to me this is monumental.
This is a crossover, not just from one program to another, but a crossover across networks. A hero from Earth-CW has traveled to Earth-CBS! THIS IS INCREDIBLE! For an old school DC Comics fan like me, this is a dream come true.
Why?
Because the episode was charming, fun, action-packed, and very much like an old school comic book in many ways. At the same time, it was a modern, prime-time TV show, applicable to and enjoyable by a much wider audience. This is what happens when you get it.
The makers of Flash, and Supergirl - They get it.
Unlike...
Batman vs. Superman
I don't really want to talk about this...um...film. But...
If you saw it and enjoyed it, good for you. I'm glad. Honest.
I found it completely awful. I can't really tell you what the plot was, what the director, and writer were thinking, or why they made the choices they did. For me, the movie failed on all fronts. Most of all, it failed its two lead characters.
In all the ways I enjoyed Supergirl AND Flash, I hated Batman VERSUS Superman. The basic differences in approach aside, the main issue was the characters not acting to their established natures. While Supergirl acted like Supergirl, and Flash acted like Flash, Batman and Superman were barely recognizable in their movie.
You could excuse it by saying, "These are alternate versions of the characters you know". That would be fine if you had established this universe properly. Even better, if you had developed a film universe with the characters as they'd always been, depicted in the base forms essentially. Then a variation like this would be an interesting contrast. But no.
Daredevil - Season 2
Great! Extremely well done series. I did have some minor issues with the second half of Season 2 once Elektra is introduced, but overall I think the whole thing was pretty spectacular. Looking forward to a Season 3, and of course the upcoming Luke Cage Season 1.
There are other things of a Superheroic nature I would like to talk about, but right now it's getting late here in the Big Apple, and I need to get some sleep.
Rest easy citizens,
AD
Barking Alien
Seriously, this month just ran away from me like the Reverse-Flash running from Barry Allen. Like The Hand trying to skip out on a fight with Daredevil, and Elektra.
March came in all mild-mannered, and than changed it's clothes in a broom closet to take off faster than a speeding bullet!
Can you tell I have Superheroes on the brain?
What an amazing month it's been to be a Superhero fan, am I right? There has been a veritable butt load of Superhero TV shows, and events, movies, and gaming goodness. It hasn't all been astounding, but just the sheer volume, and scale of it is staggering.
I've been getting in on the four-color fun personally by running a lot of Superhero RPG awesomeness myself, and I couldn't be happier. Well, I guess I could always be happier [as I always think I can do better], but so far so good. Even great if I may be so brave, and bold!
A lot to discuss...Where to begin?
Gaming!
Masked Age '66!
I have run two sessions (Issues) now of The Masked Age '66 for Dan's Group, and it looks like we're going full on campaign mode with this one for sure.
The premise is 'Silver Age with a Twist', as the heroes, villains, and NPCs are modeled after the comic books of the mid-to-late 60s while simultaneously dealing with the real world issues of that turbulent time. We are definitely not going into 'Watchmen' territory here, but we won't be ignoring the political, social, and cultural elements that defined the era.
The system is a Japanese fan-made RPG my friend found at a convention over there not long ago called 'The Masked Age' (actually Masuku no Jikan, or 'The Time of the Masks'). See more about it in my previous post.
I am loving our team! We have..
Aegis (Experiment Paragon Epitome) played by Leo. A dove/Anti-Vietnam War Superman analog. He is quite political, and an avid supporter of Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He is a legacy character, being the son of the Golden Age superhero Major Victory. He possesses the classic Epitome power set: Flight, Invulnerability, Super Strength, Super Senses, and Laser Vision.
Drifter (Cosmic Crusader Magician) played by Dan. A member of a mysterious group of interstellar, and interdimensional travelers, Drifter has decided to remain on Earth for a while. He is haunted by the knowledge of lost memories (that is, he is aware he has amnesia, and that the condition may be self-inflicted). These are memories of something terrible that happened, or that he did. Drifter can open portals, and gates to travel, attack enemies, or defend himself. With the help of a focus - such as a car, motorcycle, or other vehicle - he can teleport anywhere on Earth. Drifter is in with the scene man. He is hip, happening, and in the now daddy-o. A cosmic 'street level' hero, he is known and well liked by the lost, the looking, and the disenfranchised across the highways, and byways of the world. Far out brother.
Mummy Queen (Supernatural Obliged Adept) played by Alex. The spirit of a murdered, and mummified queen of Ancient who possesses, and transforms her host, a mousy Egyptologist working for New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mummy Queen is played with the no quarter taken, no quarter given arrogance of Namor, The Sub-mariner, or the mighty Thor. At the same time, she has a nobility, and a sense of compassion that reminds me of the classic Wonder Woman. She can stretch, and manipulate her mummy bandages in order to snare, entangle, whip, or throw objects, and opponents. Mummy Queen also possesses enhanced strength, and the ability to make dramatic entrances, and exists.
Titan (Cosmic Obliged Gestalt - Metamorph/Epitome) played by Arthur. A Human agent of the Council of Galactic Order, it is Titan's job to protect the Earth from alien invasion, especially of the gigantic, Japanese movie monster kind. As such, Titan is able to grow to enormous size, as well as shrink down to just a few inches. At any height, he can fly, has Super Strength, and Invulnerability. He also possesses an Energy Blast that he fires from his hands, or the faceplate of his helmet. My favorite power is his 'Kaiju Sense' which alerts him when monsters are present, or about to attack.
Robogirl (Technology Genius Gestalt - Epitome/Magician) play by Erick. A young, Japanese woman who came to the United States to make her fortune, she is both an engineering savant, and a wealthy if reclusive CEO. She wears a suit of powered armor that gives her Flight, Super Strength, Armored Protection, and Blasts, but her real power is her unparalleled mechanical genius. She can build, modify, and analyze advanced technology in moments. Her political and social views, especially on the subject of military conflict, differ greatly from some of her teammates (notably Aegis, and Drifter). In addition, her background involves her parents adding the Nazis in World War II by building many of the diabolical super-weapons they used to battle the Golden Age heroes (such as Aegis' Dad!). The player noted that although she is called Robogirl, her 'comic book series' is called Robogirl Z.
Our initial plot deals with the team members assembling all together for the first time (though some of them knew each other prior to the start of the campaign) in order to thwart a plot by The Scarab Society, a mystic cult that has existed since the very beginnings of the kingdoms of the Nile. They are the Arch-Nemesis of Mummy Queen, and responsible for her mortal death.
I hope to have more soon, as we are due to run the third issue, and the end of the story arc tomorrow night!
Kapow! The Freedom Force of Earth-F-Omega!
The regular GM of the Google Hangouts group I'm a part of had to take a night off for some family stuff, so I returned the group to the alternate world of Earth-F-Omega, and their PCs in the new, and revitalized Freedom Force.
This is my second time using this particular Supers setting, which is why I say 'returned'. You see, the last time I ran Kapow!, it was also in this particular setting, which is basically a variant on the Freedom City universe of the Mutants & Masterminds RPG. That previous time I was also filling in, but only so our regular GM could recharge, and play for a change.
After dealing with his personal obligations our GM, Keith, was able to join in with his character from last time. As the story wasn't really finished in the one session, we decided to continue with me as GM until such time as the story is complete. I ran last week, this week, and we should be finished next week. Keith will then return for a one night adventure before he heads off on vacation (have fun Keith!).
While Keith is away from two weeks, we're going to...no wait...I'll save that for next month.
Trust me...it's going to be interesting.
Cosmic Handbook for Mutants and Masterminds 3rd Edition!
I've been waiting at least two editions for this book, and I finally got it as a belated birthday present from a good friend of mine.
A sourcebook/supplement on all things cosmic, from Alien Empires to Existential Entities, is right in this fantastically illustrated, and put together tome. I highly recommend it to any fan of Superhero adventures across Time, and Space.
Excellent.
OK, other stuff...
Film and Television!
Supergirl and The Flash!
This past Monday on the CBS live-action television series Supergirl (a series I am quite enjoying by the way), The Flash guest-starred! That's right, Grant Gustin appeared on Supergirl as The Flash/Barry Allen from HIS OWN TV SERIES! Wow! I don't know about you, but to me this is monumental.
This is a crossover, not just from one program to another, but a crossover across networks. A hero from Earth-CW has traveled to Earth-CBS! THIS IS INCREDIBLE! For an old school DC Comics fan like me, this is a dream come true.
Why?
Because the episode was charming, fun, action-packed, and very much like an old school comic book in many ways. At the same time, it was a modern, prime-time TV show, applicable to and enjoyable by a much wider audience. This is what happens when you get it.
The makers of Flash, and Supergirl - They get it.
Unlike...
Batman vs. Superman
I don't really want to talk about this...um...film. But...
If you saw it and enjoyed it, good for you. I'm glad. Honest.
I found it completely awful. I can't really tell you what the plot was, what the director, and writer were thinking, or why they made the choices they did. For me, the movie failed on all fronts. Most of all, it failed its two lead characters.
In all the ways I enjoyed Supergirl AND Flash, I hated Batman VERSUS Superman. The basic differences in approach aside, the main issue was the characters not acting to their established natures. While Supergirl acted like Supergirl, and Flash acted like Flash, Batman and Superman were barely recognizable in their movie.
You could excuse it by saying, "These are alternate versions of the characters you know". That would be fine if you had established this universe properly. Even better, if you had developed a film universe with the characters as they'd always been, depicted in the base forms essentially. Then a variation like this would be an interesting contrast. But no.
Daredevil - Season 2
Great! Extremely well done series. I did have some minor issues with the second half of Season 2 once Elektra is introduced, but overall I think the whole thing was pretty spectacular. Looking forward to a Season 3, and of course the upcoming Luke Cage Season 1.
There are other things of a Superheroic nature I would like to talk about, but right now it's getting late here in the Big Apple, and I need to get some sleep.
Rest easy citizens,
AD
Barking Alien
Monday, March 21, 2016
Route 66
The cold I worked so hard to rid myself of back in February has returned, causing me to once more do the thing I detest above all other things - slow down. It's definitely the same cold to. I'd recognize it's foul stench anywhere. Like a comic book supervillain it has become my nemesis, rearing it's head periodically to threaten the sanctity of our fair city. OK, well, the sanctity of my vein attempts to get a good night's sleep and blog regularly.
While I continue to fight the good fight against this uncommon cold (Hmmm. Good supervillain name), I want to try and catch up on posting. I have half a dozen post drafts waiting to be finished, and I'm really excited to get them out there before month's end.
So let's get started...
One of my three regular gaming groups* is Dan's Group, so called because we always meet at the apartment of my friend Dan.
Of all the group's I games with, Dan's Group has been the toughest to 'sell' on the idea of a long term game. The main reasons for this are:
A) the group's make up initially fluctuated a lot
B) Interest, and availability for a one-shot is easy to come by. Commitment not so much.
C) Some members of the group actively didn't care for long term campaigns.
Luckily for me, someone who really likes this group, and really wants to run long term games these days, a few things changed.
The group doesn't fluctuate so much anymore. Meeting regularly on the more than occasional Friday night, it's generally the same 5-6 guys who show up.
As for commitment, barring family responsibilities, the periodic plans-you-can't-get-out-of, and the like, you can pretty guarantee these 5-6 people are going to be there.
Last, and perhaps most importantly, the desire to run/play a longer term, continuing campaign was made possible by a few prior attempts that were positive. My running a couple of successful Star Trek RPG mini-campaigns with them surely helped. My friend Alex's current Harry Potter/Wizarding World campaign is going very well, and the group definitely wants to come back for more after each session (myself included! I love my character. Me!).
It was a not-quite-successful, but full of potential Supers mini-campaign using Marvel Heroic that got the ball rolling for the possibility of a Supers game with a bit more staying power.
Two weeks ago I ran the first session of a Japanese doujinshi (fan-made), small-press table-top RPG that a friend of mine picked up the last time he was in Japan. The game in question is called Masuku No Jikan, or literally translated, 'Time of the Masks'. I decided to call our campaign (for now) 'The Masked Age'.
The Masked Age is a largely rules-light RPG in the genre of Western-style Superheroes. You don't play Japanese Anime/Manga style characters, but rather the mask, cape, and bright emblem bearing heroes from the good old U.S. of A (and other Western nations with Superhero comic books)!
As such the game has an interesting view of the tropes of Western comics, and makes a point to bring them to the forefront. For example, characters are built by creating a template out of Origin (What Genre of Superhero You Are - Kind of), Drive (Why Does Your Hero Do What They Do), and finally Power Source (Which is Really Power-Set).
So for example:
Batman is a Self-Made Crusader Exemplar.
Superman is an Alien Paragon Epitome.
Spiderman is a Science Crusader Totem.
Captain America is an Experiment Patriot Adept.
The descriptions of these components are both pretty clear, and cast a wide net; you could easily find the proper descriptors to build any known hero, but there are also a number of different ways to translate certain characters. This is a great system for quick and dirty Superhero construction, since you can say, "I want powers like Wolverine, but I have this idea that he's been empowered by the trickster Coyote god. The Coyote god has it in for a bunch of evil spirits currently wrecking havoc in the world in Human form. He's the Coyote god's agent on the mortal plane basically."
Ok. Supernatural Origin (Coyote god). His drive is Obliged (He has a patron, the Coyote god, who tells him what to do), and he kinda has to listen). His powers are best done with Totem (Pick an animal - have powers based on said animal - fits Wolverine with his Claws, Feral Senses, Healing, etc. pretty perfectly).
The Drive component is really cool because the characters have Tensions, two of which come from your Drive, and three that you pick. By dealing with your Tensions, you gain Resolve, which can be used to perform feats above, and beyond your regular superhuman abilities. Think of Resolve Feats as Power Stunt in old school Marvel Super Heroes, or Plot Point maneuvers in Marvel Heroic. In some cases they are actually better, but a tad more costly.
The best part is how you deal with your Tensions. Using my favorite Superhero Green Lantern, you've a Cosmic Obliged Magician (Space Character, Patron in the Guardians of the Universe, single Power Source that has set parameters, and requirements but can otherwise do almost anything).
So GL has to deal with the Guardians, those short, big headed, blue skinned know-it-alls from the center of the universe. Each time Green Lantern heeds their call, and does a mission on behalf of them, he gains a Resolve Point. He also gains one, and possibly two (up to the GM) for arguing with them, and playing up the differences between the ultimate authority of the Guardians, and Hal 'Highball' Jordan, who has a real problem with authority.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but one of the coolest parts of the Marvel Heroic RPG was also one of it's biggest letdowns.
Milestones in that game are experience point rewards for role-playing certain actions specific to a given character. If, for example, Captain America assembled, or disbanded a team of heroes while denoted them as 'The Avengers', he would get 10 XP.
Problem is (1) you can only do each one once, or perhaps a limited number of times a session (I forget), and (2) you can't really do much with XP in the system. That's right - they created a really cool way to gain XP, but didn't create any real rules for improving your character. In fact, a conscious decision was made to create a game where improving your character is not really a concern at all. After all, comic book characters don't change much, right?
However there is further silliness going on here. Plot Points, not XP, are the true currency of the game. So why don't Milestones just give you more of those?
In The Masked Age, if Captain America, who represents 'The American Way', feels a government official is playing politics instead of doing the right thing for the American people, the hero gets a direct, immediately applicable reward for airing his philosophical grievances in the form of Resolve.
Whew. Sorry. A combination of a pet peeve from one game, and an idea I'm really fond of from another crossed paths. Glad I got that out of my system.
So...
There is a ton more I can say about this game, and I will in upcoming posts, but the main thing I wanted to talk about is something I haven't even gotten to.
How the game went.
It went well. Really well. So well I have since run a second session, with due to be run this coming weekend! The first two are part of the opening story-arc for what we've decided will [definitely] become an ongoing campaign. With one member missing this week (one who is key to the current arc) we're going to do a side story under the premise that the adventure will take place in the one of the team members own titles, as opposed to the team book.
Heheh. I love stuff like that.
Stay tuned for more about the game rules, and the campaign (including the PCs, villains, and plots).
Coming up...hopefully soon...
AD
Barking Alien
*I probably need to do a State of Gaming Address to update everyone on my current gaming status. Suffice to say, I've been playing in an online, Google Hangouts Supers RPG once a week, running, and/or playing with Dan's Group roughly once a week (week take turns GMing different campaigns), and I am still playing to run something once a month with The Barking Alien Gaming Group.
If I don't pass out first of course.
Laters.
While I continue to fight the good fight against this uncommon cold (Hmmm. Good supervillain name), I want to try and catch up on posting. I have half a dozen post drafts waiting to be finished, and I'm really excited to get them out there before month's end.
So let's get started...
One of my three regular gaming groups* is Dan's Group, so called because we always meet at the apartment of my friend Dan.
Of all the group's I games with, Dan's Group has been the toughest to 'sell' on the idea of a long term game. The main reasons for this are:
A) the group's make up initially fluctuated a lot
B) Interest, and availability for a one-shot is easy to come by. Commitment not so much.
C) Some members of the group actively didn't care for long term campaigns.
Luckily for me, someone who really likes this group, and really wants to run long term games these days, a few things changed.
The group doesn't fluctuate so much anymore. Meeting regularly on the more than occasional Friday night, it's generally the same 5-6 guys who show up.
As for commitment, barring family responsibilities, the periodic plans-you-can't-get-out-of, and the like, you can pretty guarantee these 5-6 people are going to be there.
Last, and perhaps most importantly, the desire to run/play a longer term, continuing campaign was made possible by a few prior attempts that were positive. My running a couple of successful Star Trek RPG mini-campaigns with them surely helped. My friend Alex's current Harry Potter/Wizarding World campaign is going very well, and the group definitely wants to come back for more after each session (myself included! I love my character. Me!).
It was a not-quite-successful, but full of potential Supers mini-campaign using Marvel Heroic that got the ball rolling for the possibility of a Supers game with a bit more staying power.
Two weeks ago I ran the first session of a Japanese doujinshi (fan-made), small-press table-top RPG that a friend of mine picked up the last time he was in Japan. The game in question is called Masuku No Jikan, or literally translated, 'Time of the Masks'. I decided to call our campaign (for now) 'The Masked Age'.
The Masked Age is a largely rules-light RPG in the genre of Western-style Superheroes. You don't play Japanese Anime/Manga style characters, but rather the mask, cape, and bright emblem bearing heroes from the good old U.S. of A (and other Western nations with Superhero comic books)!
As such the game has an interesting view of the tropes of Western comics, and makes a point to bring them to the forefront. For example, characters are built by creating a template out of Origin (What Genre of Superhero You Are - Kind of), Drive (Why Does Your Hero Do What They Do), and finally Power Source (Which is Really Power-Set).
So for example:
Batman is a Self-Made Crusader Exemplar.
Superman is an Alien Paragon Epitome.
Spiderman is a Science Crusader Totem.
Captain America is an Experiment Patriot Adept.
The descriptions of these components are both pretty clear, and cast a wide net; you could easily find the proper descriptors to build any known hero, but there are also a number of different ways to translate certain characters. This is a great system for quick and dirty Superhero construction, since you can say, "I want powers like Wolverine, but I have this idea that he's been empowered by the trickster Coyote god. The Coyote god has it in for a bunch of evil spirits currently wrecking havoc in the world in Human form. He's the Coyote god's agent on the mortal plane basically."
Ok. Supernatural Origin (Coyote god). His drive is Obliged (He has a patron, the Coyote god, who tells him what to do), and he kinda has to listen). His powers are best done with Totem (Pick an animal - have powers based on said animal - fits Wolverine with his Claws, Feral Senses, Healing, etc. pretty perfectly).
The Drive component is really cool because the characters have Tensions, two of which come from your Drive, and three that you pick. By dealing with your Tensions, you gain Resolve, which can be used to perform feats above, and beyond your regular superhuman abilities. Think of Resolve Feats as Power Stunt in old school Marvel Super Heroes, or Plot Point maneuvers in Marvel Heroic. In some cases they are actually better, but a tad more costly.
The best part is how you deal with your Tensions. Using my favorite Superhero Green Lantern, you've a Cosmic Obliged Magician (Space Character, Patron in the Guardians of the Universe, single Power Source that has set parameters, and requirements but can otherwise do almost anything).
So GL has to deal with the Guardians, those short, big headed, blue skinned know-it-alls from the center of the universe. Each time Green Lantern heeds their call, and does a mission on behalf of them, he gains a Resolve Point. He also gains one, and possibly two (up to the GM) for arguing with them, and playing up the differences between the ultimate authority of the Guardians, and Hal 'Highball' Jordan, who has a real problem with authority.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but one of the coolest parts of the Marvel Heroic RPG was also one of it's biggest letdowns.
Milestones in that game are experience point rewards for role-playing certain actions specific to a given character. If, for example, Captain America assembled, or disbanded a team of heroes while denoted them as 'The Avengers', he would get 10 XP.
Problem is (1) you can only do each one once, or perhaps a limited number of times a session (I forget), and (2) you can't really do much with XP in the system. That's right - they created a really cool way to gain XP, but didn't create any real rules for improving your character. In fact, a conscious decision was made to create a game where improving your character is not really a concern at all. After all, comic book characters don't change much, right?
However there is further silliness going on here. Plot Points, not XP, are the true currency of the game. So why don't Milestones just give you more of those?
In The Masked Age, if Captain America, who represents 'The American Way', feels a government official is playing politics instead of doing the right thing for the American people, the hero gets a direct, immediately applicable reward for airing his philosophical grievances in the form of Resolve.
Whew. Sorry. A combination of a pet peeve from one game, and an idea I'm really fond of from another crossed paths. Glad I got that out of my system.
So...
There is a ton more I can say about this game, and I will in upcoming posts, but the main thing I wanted to talk about is something I haven't even gotten to.
How the game went.
It went well. Really well. So well I have since run a second session, with due to be run this coming weekend! The first two are part of the opening story-arc for what we've decided will [definitely] become an ongoing campaign. With one member missing this week (one who is key to the current arc) we're going to do a side story under the premise that the adventure will take place in the one of the team members own titles, as opposed to the team book.
Heheh. I love stuff like that.
Stay tuned for more about the game rules, and the campaign (including the PCs, villains, and plots).
Coming up...hopefully soon...
AD
Barking Alien
*I probably need to do a State of Gaming Address to update everyone on my current gaming status. Suffice to say, I've been playing in an online, Google Hangouts Supers RPG once a week, running, and/or playing with Dan's Group roughly once a week (week take turns GMing different campaigns), and I am still playing to run something once a month with The Barking Alien Gaming Group.
If I don't pass out first of course.
Laters.
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