Because of my busy work schedule I haven't actually run a game in weeks. Actually I think I haven't run since I played at RECESS.
So to cheer myself up I'm giving myself a little present and running a one-shot tomorrow of whatever I want. But what to run?
The obvious choice for a cheerful pick-me-up is Star Trek (which pretty much always puts a smile on my face) but I could also go with something a bit wilder since it is a one-shot.
Decisions, decisions.
I'll entertain ideas and suggestions for all of you out there in internet land.
What should Adam run? The suspense is killing me.
AD
Barking Alien
Saturday, February 12, 2011
42
You say it's your Birthday? It's my Birthday too yeah.
I am 42 today.
While I should know all about life, the universe and everything, I feel I know less than I ever have before.
As we get older, we hope to gain knowledge about how to live life better based on the experiences we've had. The truth however, is we only gain knowledge of things we have done and have happened to us. This means as the world advances and new ideas develop, our understanding of our world is still woefully insufficient. If I am correct than it always will be.
I'm also not entirely sure I learn my lessons in many cases. That is to say, I'm not sure I make decisions any better now than I did 10 or 20 years ago. Perhaps that has less to do with experience and knowledge and more with how my mind works. I could have all the knowledge in the cosmos and still make a bad call or two with the information I've collected.
In case you haven't gleaned it yet, I am not a huge fan of my Birthday. I love celebrating other peoples but I find my own to be my least favorite day of the year. I always get a little down as I reflect on years past and where I am now, which is not really where I want to be.
Well, that's enough of this mess. Thanks to those who read this diarrhea of the brain for putting up with my melancholy. I needed to do it so I can get on with the stuff you really come here for, my stunning good looks and sparklingy personality. OK, the game stuff. I'll get back to the game stuff.
AD
Barking Alien
I am 42 today.
While I should know all about life, the universe and everything, I feel I know less than I ever have before.
As we get older, we hope to gain knowledge about how to live life better based on the experiences we've had. The truth however, is we only gain knowledge of things we have done and have happened to us. This means as the world advances and new ideas develop, our understanding of our world is still woefully insufficient. If I am correct than it always will be.
I'm also not entirely sure I learn my lessons in many cases. That is to say, I'm not sure I make decisions any better now than I did 10 or 20 years ago. Perhaps that has less to do with experience and knowledge and more with how my mind works. I could have all the knowledge in the cosmos and still make a bad call or two with the information I've collected.
In case you haven't gleaned it yet, I am not a huge fan of my Birthday. I love celebrating other peoples but I find my own to be my least favorite day of the year. I always get a little down as I reflect on years past and where I am now, which is not really where I want to be.
Well, that's enough of this mess. Thanks to those who read this diarrhea of the brain for putting up with my melancholy. I needed to do it so I can get on with the stuff you really come here for, my stunning good looks and sparklingy personality. OK, the game stuff. I'll get back to the game stuff.
AD
Barking Alien
Friday, February 11, 2011
Super Classic
This is so cool.
As Warner Brothers cancels 'The Brave and The Bold' I find myself wishing they'd replace it with Superman Classic.
AD
Barking Alien
As Warner Brothers cancels 'The Brave and The Bold' I find myself wishing they'd replace it with Superman Classic.
AD
Barking Alien
Thursday, February 10, 2011
THE BIG ONE: Three Ring Circus
February 10th, 1940
Signals Intelligence Service
German Supernormal Development Report, Part 1
According to information obtained by US Intelligence Agents and confirmed by several allied foreign sources the German military, under direct orders from Adolf Hitler, have engaged in three separate but related projects to unlock greater than normal abilities among humankind, although specifically focused on what they believe to be the superior 'Aryan' race.
The three projects, secreted away in hidden bunkers throughout Germany whose locations have yet to be identified, collectively form 'Ausführung: Drei Ringe' or 'Operation: Three Rings'.
Project 1, 'The First Ring', is a serum designed to enhance and restructure a person's physical attributes to as close to perfect as possible. The results would be increased strength and endurance, heightened agility, improved resistance to physical harm and possibly rapid healing.
Project 2, 'The Second Ring', involves a series of high frequency rays or waves whose exact nature is at this time uncertain, being broadcast or beamed at a subject's brain. According to our sources, the effects of this 'treatment' are intended to give the recipient enhanced mental capabilities up to and including increased intelligence, ESP, the ability to see into the future and perhaps even the power to move objects by force of will alone.
Project 3, 'The Third Ring', is a technological device of considerable interest for its potential to be mass produced. It essentially consists of a tight fitting suit of clothing, including a hood, with electrical diodes and wires connecting it to a battery pack in the form of a belt. A unit on the power belt sends regulated pulses through the suit that stimulate and improve the wearer's abilities, both mental and physical. A soldier wearing this suit would be the equivalent of five normal men. If used in combination with one of the other two 'Rings' who knows what they may be capable of.
So far, none of the three projects have successfully created the Ubermenschen that Germany is looking for. Current reports indicate that The Third Ring is furtherest along and has had the most postive results and the fewest user-related injuries and deaths. The First Ring has a long way to go. The Second Ring might as well be science ficition but they keep trying.
A possible 'Fourth Ring' may be in the works, related to less to science and more toward occult beliefs but right now information on this avenue of exploration is scarce.
More information as it becomes available...
AD
Barking Alien
Signals Intelligence Service
German Supernormal Development Report, Part 1
According to information obtained by US Intelligence Agents and confirmed by several allied foreign sources the German military, under direct orders from Adolf Hitler, have engaged in three separate but related projects to unlock greater than normal abilities among humankind, although specifically focused on what they believe to be the superior 'Aryan' race.
The three projects, secreted away in hidden bunkers throughout Germany whose locations have yet to be identified, collectively form 'Ausführung: Drei Ringe' or 'Operation: Three Rings'.
Project 1, 'The First Ring', is a serum designed to enhance and restructure a person's physical attributes to as close to perfect as possible. The results would be increased strength and endurance, heightened agility, improved resistance to physical harm and possibly rapid healing.
Project 2, 'The Second Ring', involves a series of high frequency rays or waves whose exact nature is at this time uncertain, being broadcast or beamed at a subject's brain. According to our sources, the effects of this 'treatment' are intended to give the recipient enhanced mental capabilities up to and including increased intelligence, ESP, the ability to see into the future and perhaps even the power to move objects by force of will alone.
Project 3, 'The Third Ring', is a technological device of considerable interest for its potential to be mass produced. It essentially consists of a tight fitting suit of clothing, including a hood, with electrical diodes and wires connecting it to a battery pack in the form of a belt. A unit on the power belt sends regulated pulses through the suit that stimulate and improve the wearer's abilities, both mental and physical. A soldier wearing this suit would be the equivalent of five normal men. If used in combination with one of the other two 'Rings' who knows what they may be capable of.
So far, none of the three projects have successfully created the Ubermenschen that Germany is looking for. Current reports indicate that The Third Ring is furtherest along and has had the most postive results and the fewest user-related injuries and deaths. The First Ring has a long way to go. The Second Ring might as well be science ficition but they keep trying.
A possible 'Fourth Ring' may be in the works, related to less to science and more toward occult beliefs but right now information on this avenue of exploration is scarce.
More information as it becomes available...
AD
Barking Alien
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Elseworlds
I once said that aside from Star Trek, Star Wars may be the game I've run most often. Looking back, that may not be true. It may well be Superheroes if you consider the genre and not any one particular system. It was most certainly superhero comic books that got me into gaming in the first place.
Though I have never before run a Golden Age Superhero campaign, I have run a number of Superhero campaigns in non-standard settings. Recently, while I was reminiscing with a few friends about these old games, I thought it might may a fun post to mention them. Here are but three...
SUPERS: 1889
Using a heavily houseruled/homebrewed/kitbashed version of GDW's Space:1889 game, this short but memorable campaign focused on the first superhero team the world had ever known (a point of continuity I've kept throughout many later Supers campaigns). The team consisted of a number of unusually gifted individuals operating under Queen Victoria for the purpose of protecting the world from a German mad scientist and his army of steampunk robots powered by quasi-mystic crystals from Mars. The campaign's background was original though I borrowed librally from the Space:1889 game, Marvel, DC and other sources.
JUSTICE LEAGUE EARTH
Run with the DC Heroes RPG by Mayfair Games, this campaign was set in the 30th century of the Legion of Superheroes, my favorite comic book superteam of all time. The premise was, in celebration of the Earth's freedom from a Dominion invasion and to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the formation of its unified world government EarthGov, a reformed Vidar (aka the villain Universo) assembled a team of superheroes he called the Justice League of Earth. Vidar explained that the Legion has to protect the entire United Planets and that's not only a lot of work but they can't be everywhere which is how the invasion of Earth by the Dominion occured.
Vidar's JLE was designed to emulate the famous 20th and 21st century Justice League teams and consisted of heroes from all over the planet. From Japan, Talon Guard, the team's bird of prey themed Batman who resembled the heroes of Battle of the Planets/G-Force/Gatchaman. From Ireland, Balefire, a descendant of Alan Scott/Green Lantern and Jade who possessed mystical green flames he could shape into virtually anything. From Kenya, Radi Roho, 'The Lightning Spirit' who possessed the superspeed of the Flash but could also read the speed force to determine information about objects in motion. From an unknown African nation (a mystery to be revealed later in the campaign) came Nubia, whose physical abilities, combat experience and skill with melee weapons resembled none other than Wonder Woman. Finally, from the good old U.S. of A. came Maximum, a half-Daxamite, half-Human hero with a powerful secret who represented the one and only Man of Steel - Superman!
It was eventually revealed that Universo intended to use his mind control powers and hidden devices in the JLE's ear plug communicators to turn them into his personal army. Talon Guard figured it out and freed Maximum seconds before the latter pulverized the former. Maximum than used his secret weapon to reach the rest of the team and free them or fight them as needed with Talon Guard going after Universo himself (until the rest of the group could catch up). Maximum's secret? His Human side. Family name: Freeman. As in Freddy Freeman, Capt. Marvel Jr.. When Maximum says, "CAPTAIN MARVEL", a bolt of lightning and a crack of thunder transform him into Max Marvel. Plus Daxamite. Yeah baby.
THE LAST PROTECTORS
A Gamma World game originally run by a friend but which I took over half way through because he was starting to run out of ideas and had difficulty with 'where to go' with Gamma World. I've had this issue as well with Post Apocalypse settings. Sometimes its hard for story oriented GMs to find a focus or purpose to a Gamma World campaign.
My idea once I took over what my pal had already developed was that it seemed clear to me he was trying to determine who was at fault for the current state of the planet. I also thought he was hinting at some epic event as the cause or at least the catalyst. Furthermore, we had found an ancient device the was receiving messages from the Moon. So my thought was...
There was a Crisis on Infinite Earths and nobody won. Everybody lost. Gamma World is the way it is because an infinite number of parallel Earths merged and not quite correctly. Its also why mutants abound and many have superpowers. Our main enemy had been a robot mastermind who reminded me of Brainiac or Ultron.
I decided that the villain was indeed an arch-nemesis of the original heroes of one of the Earths who was the only real survivor from the time of the Ancients (i.e. the time of superhero comics). On the Moon, unbeknownst to the PCs, was the headquarters of 'The Protectors', the primary superteam of the old world. Its own AI was attempting to contact any member it could by communicator (and had been trying this for hundreds and hundreds of years). Eventually the PCs find the ruins of a 'Batcave' like base belonging to another long dead hero and use its intact rocketship/plane to reach the HQ on the Moon. There they are assumed to be various heroes by the base's damaged AI and healed and repaired by it, against their will and not completely correctly (new mutations, powers altered or adjusted, etc.).
Ever run an off beat Supers game? Tell me about it.
Up, up and away,
AD
Barking Alien
Though I have never before run a Golden Age Superhero campaign, I have run a number of Superhero campaigns in non-standard settings. Recently, while I was reminiscing with a few friends about these old games, I thought it might may a fun post to mention them. Here are but three...
SUPERS: 1889
Using a heavily houseruled/homebrewed/kitbashed version of GDW's Space:1889 game, this short but memorable campaign focused on the first superhero team the world had ever known (a point of continuity I've kept throughout many later Supers campaigns). The team consisted of a number of unusually gifted individuals operating under Queen Victoria for the purpose of protecting the world from a German mad scientist and his army of steampunk robots powered by quasi-mystic crystals from Mars. The campaign's background was original though I borrowed librally from the Space:1889 game, Marvel, DC and other sources.
JUSTICE LEAGUE EARTH
Run with the DC Heroes RPG by Mayfair Games, this campaign was set in the 30th century of the Legion of Superheroes, my favorite comic book superteam of all time. The premise was, in celebration of the Earth's freedom from a Dominion invasion and to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the formation of its unified world government EarthGov, a reformed Vidar (aka the villain Universo) assembled a team of superheroes he called the Justice League of Earth. Vidar explained that the Legion has to protect the entire United Planets and that's not only a lot of work but they can't be everywhere which is how the invasion of Earth by the Dominion occured.
Vidar's JLE was designed to emulate the famous 20th and 21st century Justice League teams and consisted of heroes from all over the planet. From Japan, Talon Guard, the team's bird of prey themed Batman who resembled the heroes of Battle of the Planets/G-Force/Gatchaman. From Ireland, Balefire, a descendant of Alan Scott/Green Lantern and Jade who possessed mystical green flames he could shape into virtually anything. From Kenya, Radi Roho, 'The Lightning Spirit' who possessed the superspeed of the Flash but could also read the speed force to determine information about objects in motion. From an unknown African nation (a mystery to be revealed later in the campaign) came Nubia, whose physical abilities, combat experience and skill with melee weapons resembled none other than Wonder Woman. Finally, from the good old U.S. of A. came Maximum, a half-Daxamite, half-Human hero with a powerful secret who represented the one and only Man of Steel - Superman!
It was eventually revealed that Universo intended to use his mind control powers and hidden devices in the JLE's ear plug communicators to turn them into his personal army. Talon Guard figured it out and freed Maximum seconds before the latter pulverized the former. Maximum than used his secret weapon to reach the rest of the team and free them or fight them as needed with Talon Guard going after Universo himself (until the rest of the group could catch up). Maximum's secret? His Human side. Family name: Freeman. As in Freddy Freeman, Capt. Marvel Jr.. When Maximum says, "CAPTAIN MARVEL", a bolt of lightning and a crack of thunder transform him into Max Marvel. Plus Daxamite. Yeah baby.
THE LAST PROTECTORS
A Gamma World game originally run by a friend but which I took over half way through because he was starting to run out of ideas and had difficulty with 'where to go' with Gamma World. I've had this issue as well with Post Apocalypse settings. Sometimes its hard for story oriented GMs to find a focus or purpose to a Gamma World campaign.
My idea once I took over what my pal had already developed was that it seemed clear to me he was trying to determine who was at fault for the current state of the planet. I also thought he was hinting at some epic event as the cause or at least the catalyst. Furthermore, we had found an ancient device the was receiving messages from the Moon. So my thought was...
There was a Crisis on Infinite Earths and nobody won. Everybody lost. Gamma World is the way it is because an infinite number of parallel Earths merged and not quite correctly. Its also why mutants abound and many have superpowers. Our main enemy had been a robot mastermind who reminded me of Brainiac or Ultron.
I decided that the villain was indeed an arch-nemesis of the original heroes of one of the Earths who was the only real survivor from the time of the Ancients (i.e. the time of superhero comics). On the Moon, unbeknownst to the PCs, was the headquarters of 'The Protectors', the primary superteam of the old world. Its own AI was attempting to contact any member it could by communicator (and had been trying this for hundreds and hundreds of years). Eventually the PCs find the ruins of a 'Batcave' like base belonging to another long dead hero and use its intact rocketship/plane to reach the HQ on the Moon. There they are assumed to be various heroes by the base's damaged AI and healed and repaired by it, against their will and not completely correctly (new mutations, powers altered or adjusted, etc.).
Ever run an off beat Supers game? Tell me about it.
Up, up and away,
AD
Barking Alien
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)