Showing posts with label mutants masterminds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mutants masterminds. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

DC Adventures from Green Ronin Pre-Order

I am very geeked about this.

DC Adventures is now up for Pre-order at Green Ronin's website.


And if you pre-order at their website, or at your FLGS you can get a code to buy the PDF for 5 bucks.

That's not too bad really.
I have seen some of the changes they have made to the system and while I was hoping to see it evolve more towards True20, I am very curious to see how it all works out.

Looking forward to this one and it is one of just a small handful of books on my Gen Con must buy list

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Willow & Tara: Mutants & Masterminds

Willow and Tara: M&M Conversions

A while back my semi-regular Willow and Tara game was coming to an end.  I had just finished the second season, "Season of the Witch" and wanted to work on a third season.  But for this season I wanted to do something different. I wanted to change to a new system.  Nothing against Cinematic Unisystem, I love it in fact.  But I had been eating and breathing it for years. I also tried out BESM and liked a lot of it and experimented a bit with Fudge, Fate and True 20 (more on all of those in later posts).

I had been toying around with the idea of them teaching at a school for “gifted youngsters” for some time before all of this. I honestly thought though I’d do it in BESM. But since by 2006 the girls were already living in or near Boston (for many reasons that seemed to converge at once) the idea firmed up when I saw that MDSnowman (from the Atomic Thinktank) had put his version of Freedom City in Massachusetts (his is much farther south).

I had just done a conversion of Erzsébet Báthory and had a great idea.  What if Bathory had taken over Claremont and Duncan Summers went to Willow and Tara for help.  My "mini series" "A Mid-Semester's Nightmare" was born.  I kept the school fairly non-descript in-case I later converted back to another system. But M&M just seemed to work very well.

So it was settled, Willow and Tara are teaching or working at Claremont Academy. It’s possible I could still work in my BESM and other ideas with this, but this was my start.  As things progressed though, we switched systems from M&M, to Marvel super Heroes, had a brief flirt with BASH and even Witch Girls Adventures.  None though ever really worked out they way I liked.  You have seen the WGA versions, I might post the others as well.

So here are my witches in their Mutants and Masterminds guises for the short lived mini-series.  These versions of the girls are post "The Dragon and the Phoenix".  So it is many years later and Tara is alive and her and Willow are well and living together.



Willow Rosenberg “The Witch”
Quote: “Wow. And here I thought my high school was weird.”

PL: 11 (165 pp)

Abilities: STR: 9(-1) DEX: 11(0) CON: 11(0) INT: 18(+4) WIS: 16(+3) CHA: 17(+3)

Skills: Acrobatics 8 (+8) , Bluff 4 (+7), Climb 4 (+3), Computers 15 (+19), Concentration 10 (+13), Craft(Chemical) 9 (+13), Craft(Electrical) 6 (+10), Craft(Mechanical) 2 (+6), Diplomacy 1 (+4), Disable Device 4 (+4), Disguise 0 (+3), Drive 2 (+2), Escape Artist 2 (+2), Gather Information 9 (+9), Handle Animal 1 (+4), Intimidate 4 (+7), Investigate 7 (+11), Knowledge (Arcana/Magic) 15 (+19), Knowledge (Chemistry) 8 (+14), Knowledge (Math) 8 (+14), Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 8 (+14), Language (English, French, Greek, Hebrew, Latin) (4), Medicine 4 (+7), Notice 7 (+10), Perform (Ritual) 7 (+10), Pilot 0 (0), Profession (Computer Analyst) 2 (+5), Ride 0 (0), Search 0 (+4), Sense Motive 0 (+3), Sleight of Hand 0 (0), Stealth 0 (0), Survival 0 (3), Swim 0 (-1)
Saves: Toughness +11 Fortitude +5 Reflex +5 Will +6

Feats: Attractive, Ambidexterity, Ritualist

Powers: Magic 16 (Telekinesis 16, Telepathy 11, Astral Projection (dimensional only) 11, Lightning bolt 11, Force Field 32, Magical Sight 32)

Combat: Attack +9 (Meele +9, Ranged +9) Defense +19 (+13 Flat-footed) Init +0

Drawbacks: Minority (Lesbian Jewish Wicca)

Real Name: Willow D. Rosenberg
DOB: August 1, 1981 (Age 23 in Summer 2005 when game takes place)
Identity: Public, but unknown as a witch
Occupation: Part time computer instructor at Claremont Academy; Private Computer Security Systems Analyst.

Height 5’3”, Weight 110lbs, Eyes Green, Hair Red


Tara A. Maclay “The Sorceress”
Quote: “I am not teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. I know they don’t have it, I am just saying.”

PL: 11 (165 pp)

Abilities: STR: 12(+1) DEX: 9(-1) CON: 12(+1) INT: 16(+3) WIS: 18(+4) CHA: 16(+3)

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+3), Bluff 4 (+7), Climb 2 (+3), Computers 4 (+7), Concentration 6 (+10), Craft (Alchemical) 4 (+7), Diplomacy 6 (+9), Disable Device 0 (+3), Disguise 0 (+3), Drive 3 (+2), Escape Artist 1 (0), Gather Information 4 (+7), Handle Animal 4 (+7), Intimidate 4 (+7), Investigate 2 (+5), Knowledge (Arcana) 15 (+18) , Knowledge (Theology/Philosophy) 8 (+11), Knowledge (Art) 4 (+7), Language (Greek, Japanese, Latin, Spanish), Medicine 4 (+8) , Notice 6 (+10), Perform (Rituals) 4 (7), Perform (Painting) 4 (7), Perform (Song and Dance) 4 (7), Pilot 0 (-1), Profession (HS Teacher) 5 (+9), Ride (Horses) 6 (+5), Search 6 (+9), Sense Motive 6 (+10), Sleight of Hand 2 (1), Stealth 4 (3), Survival 6 (+10), Swim 0 (+1)
Saves: Toughness +11 Fortitude +5 Reflex +5 Will +6

Feats: Attractive, Fearsome Presence (to Demons and Vampires only), Ritualist

Powers: Magic 14 (Telekinesis 14, Magical Sight 14, Astral Projection 2), Healing 5 (by touch).

Combat: Attack +9 (Meele +8, Ranged +10) Defense +18 (+12 Flat-footed) Init -1

Drawbacks: Minority (Lesbian Wicca)

Real Name: Tara A. Maclay
DOB: 11/07/1980 (24 in Summer 2005 when game takes place)
Identity: Public, but unknown as a witch
Occupation: Youth Counselor and Art instructor at Claremont Academy

Height 5’5”, Weight 125lbs, Eyes Blue, Hair Blond



Notes:
As usual, I am going with “The Dragon and the Phoenix” versions of these characters.
Briefly: Tara is back, Season 7 never happened, they defeated Leviathan. This would be the start of my Series 3 with Willow and Tara.

Neither are strong physical fighters, here or in Unisystem, so that converts well enough.

No dynamic Powers. I opted, for a couple of reasons, not to give Willow and Tara dynamic magic powers. Partially because they start this series as semi-retired but mostly I have something in mind for them later and dynamic magic plays a role in that.
Tara has healing separate from her Magic array same as her Unisystem counterpart. This plus her fearful presence to vampires and demons are the remains of her divine power as a Keribum (Kerubim). Tara also Magical Sight to cover her Empath and Sight qualities from Unisystem, but to better emulate it I might pull it out of her Magic array.

To mimic the Cinematic Unisystem magic better you can add Fade to the magical effects.

Casting together. 

In my games Willow and Tara can cast together to produce phenomenal effects via Anamchara Quality. In M&M this would be a special power or a special feat. In either case the results would be the same, Willow and Tara add their Magic levels together when casting together.


Links
My version at the Atomic Think Tank, http://www.atomicthinktank.com/viewtopic.php?t=14876
Also have a look at Narsil's builds for Willow and Tara on the Atomic Think Tank.


Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Zatanna, Every Little Thing She Does is Magic


Note: Continuing my posting on DC Comics and Mutants & Masterminds this week.  If you want to know why then read this; Green Ronin to do DC.

Like many my first comics were DC Comics. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman defined "super hero" to me. And like many people I moved on to Marvel Comics, to Spiderman and the X-Men, and then later still to the independents (Witchblade and the like). While I was never a huge reader of comics as a kid (I read them more now than I ever did then) I always gravitated to the more mystical or horror elements of the comic book world. Tomb of Dracula and Doctor Strange is what really got me into Marvel, along with Ghost Rider and for a while I equated that with why I thought Marvel was "better". I came back to DC when the "Bat Craze" of the 90's broke out. That and the death of Superman made me look at something I thought I knew well in a new light. To my surprise I discovered something. I just liked DC Comics better. Sure I still like Doctor Strange, but when someone says "Master of Magic" I don't think of Doctors Strange or Fate, but rather a Mistress of Magic, Zatanna.

Ok, this really should be a no brainer. I love witches, we all know that. But Zatanna has something that some of the other magic wielding types don't have; a pedigree. Her father was a stage magician of the Golden Age comics, Giovanni "John" Zatara. Her mother is a member of a magical race that resembles what passes in some horror fiction as a "witch" race (ala Kim Harrison, Kelley Armstrong or Witch Girls Adventures) or the "Gifted" (WitchCraft RPG). So Zatanna comes from two distinct lines of magical use and she combines them. Of course her father was doing his thing in the 1930s and "Zee" herself appears in comics in the mid 1960s so she is by most rights in her 60's but still looks great in fishnets. Well that is no big deal, since the same fictions that separate out witches into their own race also have them long lived. So at 60 Zee probably still looks like she is in her 30s. But I never "got" Zatanna till I read the "Hellblazer" and "Books of Magic" comics and read about her relationship with John Constantine. I felt that this gave her a more interesting background, plus it should that Zee was willing to try multiple paths to magical enlightenment (including "black" magic and even Tantra with Constantine). Of course there is also the whole deal with her magical lobotomy of Dr. Light in "Identity Crisis", a comic that was good for Zatanna's character but I mostly disliked.

I am not going to go into detail about her life, history, her interesting sex life, or her smoking pot with Constantine on his 40th birthday, since that can all be found in other places on the web.  But it's all pretty cool for a superhero.

And normally I would convert her to a bunch of my favorite systems, but Paul Dini and I are not alone in our obsessions (ok, Paul Dini is several orders of magnitude above me in this one), and others have already done that for me.

Thom Marrion did a great Cinematic Unisystem / Ghosts of Albion version, http://edenstudiosdiscussionboards.yuku.com/reply/34516#reply-34516

A bunch great ones over at the Atomic Think Tank for Mutants and Masterminds, Baron's, Batgirl's, Jabronville's, Narsil's, Pamela Isley's, and MDSnowman's.

But I think I want to do something different. How about a teenaged Zatanna, just getting started out in the magic biz. Ok, so not all that different, but it could make some fun stories.

So here is Zee for Witch Girls Adventures. This is Zee after she left her formal schooling or just about ready to graduate. In a WGA style school she would have really had it tough as most of the girls would have focused on her human father the stage magician and ignored that fact that her mother was a really powerful witch. Though they would not have done that for very long.

Zattana Zatarra





Witch Sorceress
 Age: 17

Body: d6
Mind: d6
Senses: d8
Will: d8
Social: d6 +1
Magic: d10

Life Points: 12
Reflex: 9
Resist Magic: 13
Zap Points: 20

Skills (Rank)
Acting d6
Basics d4 

Hear d4
Look d6


Casting d6
Focus d4 (needs to talk backwards to achieve this)
Magical Etiquette d4
Mysticism d6

Talents
Beautiful, Entertainer (+1 to rolls)

Heritage
Legacy (mother was the powerful witch Sindella, father John Zatarra has witch-blood and was a stage magician).

Magic
Alteration 5 (4 +1)
Conjuration 3
Curse 2
Divination 2
Illusion 3
Mentalism 2 (later will be at Rank 6 here)
Offense 1
Protection 1

Signature Spell - Forget

Equipment
Crystal Ball (+1 to Scry)

Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zatanna
http://www.mykey3000.com/cosmicteams/profiles/zatanna.html
http://batman.wikia.com/wiki/Zatanna
Misty Lee, aka Mrs. Paul Dini, aka the real life Zatanna, http://www.mistylee.com/
Toyriffic on the JLU Animated figure. http://toyriffic.blogspot.com/2009/04/abra-abra-cadabra.html


The Zatanna pic at the very top was made by Mach Sabre.  You can find his Deviant Art page here: http://machsabre.deviantart.com/ and his co-effort, the awesome Shadow Girls comic here:  http://www.shadowgirlscomic.com/  Not sure why there is a lobster in her hat though.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Dracula: Mutants & Masterminds

More Mutants & Masterminds today.  Here is one of my favorite builds.

Dracula, Lord of Vampires, Prince of Darkness




Duncan Summers left the lecture hall to bright mid-day sun. It was, by all accounts, a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly, it was warm, not too hot for August, with a gentle breeze. Freshman Orientation had gone off with out a hitch and the new faculty hires he had made the previous semester were working out great. Pleased that everything was going so well today that he decided to take a more leisurely walk across campus instead of straight to his office; there was plenty of time for paperwork later.
That’s when he saw 
Him.

It was so much that he saw him at first but rather felt his presence. To see him there was too much, like a black eye on a beautiful model’s face, or like someone had taken a marker and defaced the Mona Lisa. Duncan wasted no time in hurrying over to where the man sat.
Not once did the intruder move or even turn his back. He continued to sit there, reading his newspaper as if he belonged there.

Duncan had finally reached the side of the intruder, he only just now saw his face, but he knew who his old enemy was long before that.

“Get the hell out of here!” Duncan hissed.
“Good Afternoon Raven.” The man said calmly, not once averting his gaze from the paper. “Or is it ‘Professor Summers’ now?”
“What do you want?” Duncan asked. He needed time to find some help.
“You killed my mate Duncan. I came here to return the favor. Much to my disappointment I see I am too late. No matter.” He folded up his paper. “Speaking of ‘Raven’ your daughter is lovely by the way. The very image of her mother, but I fear she is a fool like her father.”
“So help me if you so much as touch her I’ll…” Duncan began, but his words were cut in his throat.
“You’ll do what?” the man hissed in Duncan’s face. He had moved so fast that even Duncan had trouble keeping track. “You are a cripple, a mere shadow of who you were, and I am Lord of my kind.” Duncan felt the vampire’s will beating down on him, attempting to overpower his psyche.
“Yet…and yet I defeated you once.” Duncan reminded his old foe.
“And yet here I stand. She will be mine Summers. Her, this school, this city will all be mine. And you will live to see it all fall, and then, only then will I kill you.”
“Revenge? This is nothing more than simple revenge?” Duncan asked, hardly believing it was true.
“Professor, there is so much you still need to learn. There is nothing ‘simple’ about it.”
There was a blur and the intruder was gone. Duncan looked around, but even to his highly trained eye, he could not see any trace that he was even there.

He paused and composed himself. He pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial that would put him in contact with the members of the Freedom League.


“We have a situation. Dracula has returned.”

No literary person or creature in the English language (and many others) has gained the notoriety, the infamy, or prestige as Count Dracula. His story has been told and retold in thousands of pages of text, hundreds of hours of film and not to mention having gone up against nearly every comic book and action hero there is. He has been sinister and monstrous, as well as suave and sexy, but always dangerous. He is quite simply the biggest villain of all time. Who else can claim to have fought Batman, Blade, the X-Men and Buffy and still be around to tell the tale? Are your characters ready, or just next in line to die?

The Freedom City source book only gives us a brief tantalizing clue to what the Lord of Vampires aims were for the city. In 1973 Dracula was reported to be in the city and coincidentally there was a rise in “Satanic Cult” activity.
Given this time period, it is VERY tempting to base the Freedom City version of Dracula off of the old Hammer films. So think Christopher Lee.

History
I'll forego posting his history here. There are lots of places to get that story. Start with Bram Stoker's book and then move on to movies and then comics.
Here are some links for you to start with,
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/345 
http://www.classic-literature.co.uk/bram-stoker/dracula/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/draculav.htm
Dracula for the WitchCraft RPG

Dracula in Freedom City, 1972
Dracula’s actual involvement in Freedom City begins the year before he is claimed to have been spotted. The Vampire Lord books passage on the Aphrodite passenger liner (commonly, and somewhat despairingly referred to as the ‘Love Boat’ in later years) and arrives in Freedom City. His timing could not have been better, while a new ‘Zero-Tolerance’ campaign was taken against costumed Heroes (thanks to the CODE), Dracula infiltrated Freedom City’s wealthiest families. He was, inevitably, put at odds with Duncan Summers. While the two aristocrats (Dracula by birth, Summers by wealth) were entangled in their war of intrigue in social circles of Freedom City’s elite, the original Raven had been hearing rumors of a new crime lord that had “magical” even “satanic” powers. Both Lords of the Night met in battle for the first time and the Raven barely made it out alive. Dracula had taunted him the whole time, offering him true power and the chance to really be able to clean up the crime ridden streets of Freedom City. It was not long after that battle that both men discovered the true identities of their antagonist. Dracula taunts Summers during the daylight hours and Raven during the night time. Dracula even sends Duncan, via a possessed messenger, a letter with only a pressed Jasmine flower in it. Panicked the Raven sought out Dracula and the two fought amongst the spires of the abandoned St. Michael’s cathedral. The Raven fought harder than he had ever fought before, and many times Dracula almost bested him. Finally the roof gave way and Dracula and Raven fell. Raven fell and landed on the rotten pews below, Dracula fell and was impaled on an ornate cross below. The Raven, sure his foe was defeated, lit a magnesium flare and set the cathedral ablaze.

Using Dracula in Freedom City
The Freedom League heard that Dracula was once again active. He was spotted on the western coast of the United States in the later part of 2000 and in Detroit by 2004.
Dracula wants more than just revenge against Duncan Summers, though that is reason enough for his return, he also wants to control the greatest city of super heroes in the world. The following are some plot hooks you can use for Dracula.

Brave New World
Dracula comes to Freedom City and works with leading geneticists collecting samples of super-hero blood. While the scientists believe they are working on a cure for some disease, they are in truth working on a formula that will make Dracula more powerful than he already is.

School Daze
Dracula uses his power, both vampiric and his great wealth, and gets himself appointed the Claremont Academy Board of Directors. He finds a way to publicly embarrass Duncan Summers and gets him removed as Headmaster. With Duncan gone, Dracula begins to feed on the super powered students.

Urban Decay
The heroes believe that Dracula is targeting one of their own, possibly Raven II. Only once the heroes have Dracula cornered is his true plan revealed. His true target is Dr. Metropolis and Dracula believes that if he can turn Metropolis into a vampire the entire city will become corrupted. The dead rise and zombies walk the streets of a corrupted Freedom City.

War in Hell
Dracula has come to town to unleash some nefarious plot but is thwarted, not by the Freedom League, but rather by the Crime League. After several days of nearly no crime the Crime League goes to the Freedom League begging for help.
Subplot: Dracula is actually working with Medea and the two are lovers.

The Impaler Returns
For a much darker and grittier game take the War in Hell plot and have Dracula return to his zero tolerance ways with criminals. Several mooks and maybe even a major member (my money is on The Maestro) have been impaled outside the city limits.

Count Dracula
PL: 18 (270 pp)

Born: 1431, turned 1476

Str: 26 (+8) Dex: 21 (+5) Con: NA (-) Int: 16 (+3) Wis: 15 (+2) Chr: 25 (+7)

SKILLS: Acrobatics 6 (+11), Bluff 10 (+17), Climb 4 (+12), Concentration 4 (+6), Diplomacy 10 (+17), Disguise 5 (+12), Drive 2 (+7), Escape Artist 6 (+11), Gather Info 6 (+13), Handle Animal 6 (+13), Intimidate 12 (+19), Investigate 6 (+9), Arcane Lore 8 (+11), History 8 (+11), Tactics 8 (+11), Theology and Philosophy 6 (+9), Streetwise 8 (+11), Medicine 2 (+4), Notice 8 (+10), Ride 4 (+9), Search 8 (+11), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Sleight of Hand (+5), Stealth 4 (+9), Survival 8 (+10), Swim (+8)

FEATS: Animal Empathy, Assessment, Contacts, Fascinate (1), Fearless, Fearsome Presence (1), Inspire (1), Leadership, Minions (4), Accurate Attack, All-out Attack, Attack Focus (Melee) (5), Blind-Fight, Critical Strike, Elusive Target, Improved Critical (1), Improved Grapple, Power Attack, Rage (1), Uncanny Dodge

POWERS:
Animal Control (8), Drain Constitution (blood Drain) (1), Immunity (Fortitude Effects) (30), Insubstantial (mist) (2), Protection (7), Regeneration (blood drain based) (5), Shapeshift (Wolf, Bat) (2), Mind Control (visual dependent) (5), Weather Control (obscure, wind and fog) (3), Super-senses (Acute) (2), Super-movement (wall crawling) (1)

COMBAT: Melee 20 Ranged 15 Defense 25 (25 flatfooted) Init +5

SAVES: Toughness 7 (7 flat-footed) Fortitude 0 Reflex 10 Will 10

DRAWBACKS:
Weakness -Blood Dependence
Weakness -Holy Items
Weakness -Sunlight * Dracula can move about during the daylight hours, but he can not use his powers. (Gave him this as opposed to Power Loss).
Weakness -Garlic, Mirrors

Breakdown: Abilities 43 + Skills 42 (165 ranks) + Feats 27 + Powers 96 + Combat 60 + Saves 13 – Drawbacks -11 = 270

Creation Notes
I based this write up largely on my Erzsébet Báthory one and the “Vampire Lord” archetype from the Core Book. I also based the stats on my conversions of the Unisystem Dracula (both the WitchCraft and Buffy versions by Thom Marrion), the d20 Masque of the Red Death version and Dracula from “Chill: Vampires”. I was very pleased with the way all the conversions sort of dove-tailed into this one. In a way this represents an “Ultimate Dracula” for me. Speaking of which; one of the things I really wanted to capture was the Dracula of the old Marvel series and his later appearances in Marvel comics. I still have this picture of Colossus trying to punch Dracula and he stops him with one hand.   The M&M Dracula needs to be as cool as this.



Bottom line: Dracula needs to be powerful and a credible threat to a group of super heroes. Dracula is not a team player, he has minions of course, but they are minions-not equals.
If you are going to go through the trouble to add Dracula to you game it needs to be a memorable encounter for both your characters and your players.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Green Ronin to do DC

In what I am sure is already "old news" Green Ronin sent out a press release today about their new partnership with DC Comics to do a new DC Adventures RPG.

You can read the details here, http://www.greenronin.com/2010/05/dc_adventures_press_release.php

Personally, I couldn't be more thrilled.
Mutants & Masterminds is one of my favorite Supers RPGs and I have been more of a fan of DC over Marvel since pretty much the late 80's early 90's.  I loved the DC Animated universe (Batman, Superman, Justice League) and all the Batman movies.  In fact I was just talking to Greg this weekend about how much I prefer DC over Marvel.

Yes as a teen I read Spider-man and the X-men.  I loved Dr. Strange (especially all the 70s occult influences)  and Tomb of Dracula. But the the stories were getting to be retreads of things I had already seen before and I was not an avid comic reader by any means.  I actually read more comics in college than I did in high school and I read more now than I did then.
Sure I still think Wolverine is cool, but Batman is a hell of a lot cooler.  The older I got the more I appreciated what DC had to offer in terms of story.  Marvel went for the quick angst more times than not from my point of view.

Given my roots I also liked DC's take on magic and horror a bit better.  Sure they never had anything quite like Tomb of Dracula or even Blade, but they had Zatanna and John Constantine. Dr. Fate is not as cool as Dr. Strange, but he is still pretty cool.    Plus my kids like the DC universe more now.  I have a theory that most people start out liking DC,

So maybe I'll spend this week doing some posts on the DC universe and on Mutants and Masterminds.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Vampyres Week: Wrap-up

Vampyres Week: Wrap-Up

So that was my week for Vampyres.

Here are the links for future reference.

- Introduction
- Chill, 1st Edition (Pacesetter)
- C. J. Carella's WitchCraft RPG
- Mutants & Masterminds
- Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM) 3.0
- Witch Girls Adventures

Some Facebook discussions:
- WitchCraft RPG
- Witch Girls Adventures

I have had requests to do nWoD versions and I might also do one for  Hellcats and Hokey Sticks.
Any other systems?

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Vampyres: Mutants and Masterminds

Mutants and Masterminds

Vampyres in Freedom City
As an option, use the Mayfair's scenario I posted. As vampires go, they are not very powerful, so they are less likely to pose a serious threat to a group of superheroes. Even at PL 10 they are better suited to starting characters (but not really a Claremont-based adventure). They are not masterminds, don't really have any criminal intent outside of murder for food, and really are not interested in joining a team. Now they could be uneasy allies in an adventure against Dracula.

As vamps running a local night club or strip joint they would have certainly heard of Dracula's return to Freedom City. Maybe they go to the Heroes in hopes of securing passage out in exchange for knowledge about Dracula and his plans.

What keeps the heroes of Freedom City from shutting them down? Simple, Mayfair's is on the books a legit legal enterprise. Fran and Miriam pay the city thousands in tax revenues not to mention their charitable contributions to homeless shelters (where they can also look for new recruits) and to homes for battered women (nothing nefarious here, Fran feels the need to help). So even city leaders that are not customers see Mayfair's as positive thing. Their underground business has never been proven, so any crimes that happen are hearsay or rumor only.



Fran
PL: 10 (150 pp)

Str: 14 (+2) Dex: 16 (+3) Con: NA Int: 13 (+1) Wis: 20 (+5) Chr: 26 (+8)

SKILLS: Acrobatics 4 (+7), Bluff 10 (+18), Climb 4 (+6), Concentration 4 (+9), Diplomacy 6 (+14), Disguise 4 (+12), Drive 2 (+5), Escape Artist 4 (+7), Gather Info 4 (+12), Handle Animal (+8), Intimidate 8 (+16), Investigate 4 (+5), Arcane Lore 2 (+3), History 4 (+5), Tactics 2 (+3), Theology and Philosophy 2 (+3), Streetwise 4 (+5), Notice 8 (+13), Dance 2 (+10), Acting 4 (+12), Ride (+3), Search 4 (+5), Sense Motive 8 (+13), Sleight of Hand (+3), Stealth 6 (+9), Survival 8 (+13), Swim (+2)

FEATS: Accurate Attack, Assessment, Attractive (1), Blind-Fight, Critical Strike, Elusive Target, Fascinate (1), Fearless, Improved Critical (1), Improved Grapple, Uncanny Dodge      

If using the Mayfair's scenario above Fran also has the following Feats
Connected, Contacts and Well-Informed     

POWERS:
4        Mind Control (visual dependent)
1        Drain Constitution (blood Drain)
30      Immunity (Fortitude Effects)     
5        Protection
5        Regeneration (blood drain based)
2        Supersenses
1        Time Control*
     
COMBAT: Melee 5 [Unarmed +2 (Bruise)] Ranged 5 [Unarmed +2 (Bruise)] Defense 15 (15 flatfooted) Init +3             
     
SAVES: Toughness 5 (5 flat-footed) Fortitude 0 Reflex 8 Will 13     

DRAWBACKS:      
Weakness -Mirrors [Freq DC 5] [Sev DC 5] -2
Weakness -Blood Dependence [Freq DC 10] [Sev DC 5] - 3
Weakness -Sunlight [Freq DC 5] [Sev DC 10] -4
     
Breakdown: Abilities 29 + Skills 28 (110 ranks) + Feats 11 + Powers 57 + Combat 20 + Saves 13 Drawbacks -8 = 150     

Notes: Can move about in the daylight, but is very weakened. When sleeping or in her crypt she appears to be dead.


Miriam
PL: 10 (150 pp)     
Str: 16 (+3) Dex: 16 (+3) Con: NA Int: 14 (+2) Wis: 20 (+5) Chr: 22 (+6)             

SKILLS: Acrobatics 4 (+7), Bluff 8 (+14), Climb 4 (+7), Concentration 1 (+6), Diplomacy 6 (+12), Disguise 4 (+10), Drive 1 (+4), Escape Artist 4 (+7), Gather Info 4 (+10), Handle Animal (+6), Intimidate 4 (+10), Investigate 4 (+6), Arcane Lore 2 (+4), History 8 (+10), Tactics 1 (+3), Theology and Philosophy 1 (+3), Streetwise 4 (+6), Medicine 2 (+7), Notice 6 (+11), Dance 2 (+8), Acting 4 (+10), Ride (+3), Search 4 (+6), Sense Motive 8 (+13), Sleight of Hand (+3), Stealth 4 (+7), Survival 8 (+13), Swim (+3)      

FEATS: Accurate Attack, Assessment, Attractive (2), Blind-Fight, Critical Strike, Elusive Target, Fascinate (1), Improved Critical (1), Improved Grapple, Uncanny Dodge              

If using the Mayfair's scenario above Miriam also has the following Feats
Connected, Contacts and Well-Informed             

POWERS:     
1        Drain Constitution (blood Drain)
30      Immunity (Fortitude Effects)     
5        Mind Control (visual dependent)
7        Protection
5        Regeneration (blood drain based)
2        Supersenses
1        Time Control*
     
COMBAT: Melee 5 [Unarmed +3 (Bruise)] Ranged 5 [Unarmed +3 (Bruise)] Defense 15 (15 flatfooted) Init +3             
     
SAVES: Toughness 7 (7 flat-footed) Fortitude 0 Reflex 8 Will 13     

Weakness -Mirrors [Freq DC 5] [Sev DC 5] -2
Weakness -Blood Dependence [Freq DC 10] [Sev DC 5] -3
Weakness -Sunlight [Freq DC 5] [Sev DC 5] -3
     
Breakdown: Abilities 28 + Skills 25 (100 ranks) + Feats 11 + Powers 61 + Combat 20 + Saves 13 Drawbacks -8 = 150

Note: Miriam can move about in the daylight better than Fran and she waken from her torpor easier (her lesser Daylight drawback).

ETA: Also at the Atomic Think Tank. http://www.atomicthinktank.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=23130

Monday, December 14, 2009

Stop! Hammer Time

Sorry had to do that.



I just picked up "To the Devil... a Daughter", the last Hammer Studios film produced and their first "occult" based one (unless you count "The Satanic Rites of Dracula"), rahter than their staples of Gothic Horror or even the odd "devil worshipping cult" films.  The film itslef is not very good either as a Hammer film or even as an occult thriller.  It would be forgetable really had it not been for the rather scandalous scenes of full frontal nudity from then underage Nastassja Kinski.  Though it does have some things going for it.  For one it was nice to see a Hammer film outside of the "Hammer Hamlets" and take place is urbane, even swinging, London.  Chritopher Lee is still great, if under-used here.  And this film does capture a zeitgiest of 70s occult revival very well.  Sure it is not as good as Rosemary's Baby or the Exorcist, but it is still a far cry better than the Omen.  I guess Satan really loved the 70s. It certainly does explain some things. 

I am not going to go too deep into Hammer film theory or analysis other than they are good fun.  I have not seen all of them and a few I have not seen in maybe 20+ years but they have always had a profound effect on the games I write.   Ghosts of Albion in particular is overflowing with my love for Hammer, as are most of my adventures.   My vampires are not modern mopey emos.  They are blood thirsty killers in the sauve exterior of Christopher Lee. 


Even in Eldritch Witchery I have tried t tap into that same vibe of Hammer Horror.  Even though most of their moveis were made in the late 50s and 60's, there is something very 70's about them to me.  Maybe that is when I watched most of them (then and the early 80's).  In this respect I would have to say that my view of Mal Havoc (previous blog post) was greatly affected by Christopher Lee's Dracula.

Hammer, I am glad to say, is on their way back, http://www.hammerfilms.com/.  While I am sure some of the old magic is gone I will hold my judgement till I see some of their newer movies.  In the mean time I have several hours of "Dracula" to keep me busy for sometime to come.

Here is old Dracula, very much inspired by "Dracula A.D. 1972".  You can see the full Mutants and Masterminds stats and background here: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=421189 or here: http://www.atomicthinktank.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=18364&p=274952

Count Dracula

PL: 18 (270 pp)

Born: 1431, turned 1476

Str: 26 (+8) Dex: 21 (+5) Con: NA (-) Int: 16 (+3) Wis: 15 (+2) Chr: 25 (+7)

SKILLS: Acrobatics 6 (+11), Bluff 10 (+17), Climb 4 (+12), Concentration 4 (+6), Diplomacy 10 (+17), Disguise 5 (+12), Drive 2 (+7), Escape Artist 6 (+11), Gather Info 6 (+13), Handle Animal 6 (+13), Intimidate 12 (+19), Investigate 6 (+9), Arcane Lore 8 (+11), History 8 (+11), Tactics 8 (+11), Theology and Philosophy 6 (+9), Streetwise 8 (+11), Medicine 2 (+4), Notice 8 (+10), Ride 4 (+9), Search 8 (+11), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Sleight of Hand (+5), Stealth 4 (+9), Survival 8 (+10), Swim (+8)

FEATS: Animal Empathy, Assessment, Contacts, Fascinate (1), Fearless, Fearsome Presence (1), Inspire (1), Leadership, Minions (4), Accurate Attack, All-out Attack, Attack Focus (Melee) (5), Blind-Fight, Critical Strike, Elusive Target, Improved Critical (1), Improved Grapple, Power Attack, Rage (1), Uncanny Dodge

POWERS:
Animal Control (8), Drain Constitution (blood Drain) (1), Immunity (Fortitude Effects) (30), Insubstantial (mist) (2), Protection (7), Regeneration (blood drain based) (5), Shapeshift (Wolf, Bat) (2), Mind Control (visual dependent) (5), Weather Control (obscure, wind and fog) (3), Super-senses (Acute) (2), Super-movement (wall crawling) (1)

COMBAT: Melee 20 [Unarmed +8 (Bruise)] Ranged 15 [Unarmed +8 (Bruise)] Defense 25 (25 flatfooted) Init +5

SAVES: Toughness 7 (7 flat-footed) Fortitude 0 Reflex 10 Will 10

DRAWBACKS:
Weakness -Blood Dependence [Freq DC 10] [Sev DC 5]
Weakness -Holy Items [Freq DC 10] [Sev DC 10]
Weakness -Sunlight [Freq DC 5] [Sev DC 5]* Dracula can move about during the daylight hours, but he can not use his powers. (Gave him this as opposed to Power Loss).
Weakness -Garlic, Mirrors [Freq DC 5] [Sev DC 5]

Breakdown: Abilities 43 + Skills 42 (165 ranks) + Feats 27 + Powers 96 + Combat 60 + Saves 13 – Drawbacks -11 = 270

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Mal Havoc: I was waiting for this?

So back in the day I gleefully stole pretty much anything for my games. It was the 80's and we were all doing it. But one thing I remember fairly well was from The World's Greatest Superfriends. The episode was "The Lord of Middle-Earth" and the villain of the week was this Anton Le Vey, vampire looking wizard called "Mal Havoc" (or maybe just Malhavoc). I was psyched about this episode because at the time I was sucking up anything related to Tolkien, or rather more to the point, anything related to the Hobbit having seen the old cartoon on TV recently (well back in 77 or 78).

Well......that is not what I got.

I got trolls, and something like a Drider and a dragon. Which was all fine, but even then I recalled the episode was weak. But I did like the character of Mal Havoc (and I guess I am not the only one). So I began to use him in my D&D games. Though I admit I messed with the character a little. He was still a wizard, but I turned him into a real diabolic one. Not that he was fiendishly clever (he was) but diabolic in the sense that he worshipped Beelzebub. Did I mention it was the 80's?  Oh. and he was also a vampire.  So Mal Havoc became a "hellspawned vampire of the court of Beelzebub" and a semi-reoccuring bad guy in my games.  When I later went on to develop "The Dragon and the Phoenix" for the Buffy game I was running I knew I wanted one of my old D&D bad guys.  Mal Havoc was a serious contender, ultimately he lost out to Yoln (another baddie) since I didn't want to confuse my game with anything Malhavoc Press was doing at the time.

Watching it now I am struck by how bad these things really were (and I own several Superfriends DVD collections) and yet how much potential could have been here.  I can attest that Mal Havoc can be one serious bad ass.  Ok so he smacks around Superman, but that is fine Supes always had a problem with magic.  But he also does the same to Wonder Woman and Batman.  Aquaman doesn't even try.  He also a serious evil vibe going on.  He enslaved a race of trolls (ok more like gnomes really) and has some inhuman or subhuman lackeys working for him.  His "ultimate power" can even kill all the trolls in "middle earth". That serious shit right there.

Given my love (yes, it remains) for the old Super Friends I decided to give Mal the "Bruce Timm" treatment.  I updated the character look to seem more of physical threat, think Glenn Danzig only taller and with a goatee.  He is a wizard still or maybe one of the very, very few cases where I would use the term "Warlock" in a modern game, and look fiendish (and might even worship some devilish or demonic lord), but his deal is he is a vampire crime lord.  "Crime" in he is not interested in crime for money, it's just the things he does keeps him on the wrong side of the law; ie murder, kidnapping, theft, not your typical saturday cartoon fare.  Though in the original SF he had enslaved trolls to mine diamonds, so slavery, forced labor and diamond smuggling is also possible.  He has group of followers, his "Coven"  (not "Camarila" to stay true to the 70's/80's vibe) and of course lackeys and conscripted labor (ie slaves).  Maybe a tad mature for games with kids, but a perfect foe for a group of adult gamers looking to rid the world of evil.



So given that, it looks like that stating him up in Muntants and Masterminds is a must!
My M&M is a bit rusty, but here it goes.

MAL HAVOC
PL: 13 (200 pp)

Str: 22 +6
Dex: 18 +4
Con: NA NA
Int: 16 +3
Wis: 15 +2
Chr: 22 +6

SKILLS: Acrobatics 2 (+6), Bluff 4 (+10), Climb 2 (+8), Concentration 4 (+6), Diplomacy 4 (+10), Disguise (+6), Drive (+4), Escape Artist 4 (+8), Gather Info 4 (+10), Handle Animal 2 (+8), Intimidate 7 (+13), Investigate 3 (+6), Arcane Lore 10 (+13), History 2 (+5), Tactics 4 (+7), Theology and Philosophy 2 (+5), Medicine 2 (+4), Notice 4 (+6), Ride 4 (+8), Search 2 (+5), Sense Motive 2 (+4), Sleight of Hand (+4), Stealth 2 (+6), Survival 4 (+6), Swim (+6)

FEATS: Assessment, Fascinate (1), Fearless, Fearsome Presence (1), Leadership, Minions (2), Blind-Fight, Improved Critical (1), Power Attack, Rage (1)

POWERS:
2 Supersenses
5 Mind Control
1 Drain Constitution (blood Drain)
2 Hellfire Control
30 Immunity (Fortitude Effects)
2 Insubstantial (mist)
7 Protection
5 Regeneration (blood drain based)
1 Shapeshift (Giant Bat)
5 Magic
   5 Mystic Blast ("Hellbolts")
   1 Trasform (humans to trolls)
   5 Teleport
   5 Drain Powers

COMBAT: Melee 13 [Unarmed +6 (Bruise)] Ranged 13 [Unarmed +6 (Bruise)] Defense 23 (16 flatfooted) Init +4

SAVES: Toughness 7 (7 flat-footed) Fortitude 0 Reflex 9 Will 10

DRAWBACKS:
Weakness -Blood Dependence [Freq DC 10] [Sev DC 5]
Weakness -Holy Items [Freq DC 10] [Sev DC 15]
Weakness -Sunlight [Freq DC 5] [Sev DC 5]

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Elizabeth Bathory, Mutants & Masterminds

Here is Elizabeth for Mutants & Masterminds 2nd Edition.

It was playing M&M that I got the idea for her to be the new head mistress at a school of magical/gifted/special children. She would live of of their blood to make herself immortal. She would have taken over on Mid-winters night and had until Walpurgis Night (April 30) to get all of her required souls. Of course that is the night of the big school dance.

I plan to expand it for Witch Girls Adventures. Instead of a huge (and literal) bloodbath, I might take a page from the WitchCraft RPG and have her drain Essence instead; which to a witch is more precious than blood anyway.

Erzsébet Báthory
Mutants and Masterminds d20

PL: 12 (185 pp)

Str: 22 (+6) Dex: 20 (+5) Con:NA Int: 20 (+5) Wis: 16 (+3) Chr: 16 (+3)

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+9), Bluff 8 (+11), Climb 2 (+8) , Concentration 2 (+5), Diplomacy 10 (+13), Disguise 6 (+9), Drive 2 (+7), Escape Artist 2 (+7), Gather Info 4 (+7), Handle Animal 2 (+5), Intimidate 8 (+11), Investigate 2 (+7), Arcane Lore 4 (+9), History 7 (+12), Art 6 (+11), Theology and Philosophy 6 (+11), Streetwise 3 (+8) , Medicine 1 (+4), Notice 6 (+9), Keyboards 3 (+6), Acting 4 (+7), Ride 4 (+9), Search 6 (+11), Sense Motive 8 (+11), Sleight of Hand 1 (+6), Stealth 4 (+9), Survival 6 (+9), Swim (+6)

Feats: Animal Empathy, Assessment, Contacts, Fascinate (2), Fearless, Fearsome Presence (1) , Inspire (1), Leadership, Minions (1), Rage (1), Skill Mastery (1)

Powers: Animal Control (wolves, rats, ravens) (8) , Drain Constitution (blood Drain) (1), Immunity (Fortitude Effects) (30), Insubstantial (dancing lights) (1), Protection (7), Regeneration (source: blood drain) (5), Shapeshift (Wolf, Raven) (2), Magic [- Emotional Control (2), Mind Shield (4)] (4+1)

Combat: Melee 10 [Unarmed +6 (Bruise)] Ranged 10 [Unarmed +6 (Bruise)] Defense 19 (14 flatfooted) Init +5

Saves: Toughness 7 (7 flat-footed) Fortitude NA Reflex 8 Will 7

Drawbacks: Weakness -Blood Dependence [Freq DC 10] [Sev DC 5], Weakness -Holy Items [Freq DC 10] [Sev DC 10] , Weakness -Sunlight [Freq DC 5] [Sev DC 15], Weakness -Garlic, Salt, Wild Rose [Freq DC 5] [Sev DC 5]

Complications: Obsessions: Stay young and beautiful. Temper.
Roleplaying Complications: Erzsébet Báthory is a proud and vain woman, she will always use some form of her real name.

Breakdown: Abilities 34 + Skills 32 (128 ranks) + Feats 12 + Powers 75 + Combat 38 + Saves 7 – Drawbacks -13 = 185