And men, elves, dwarves, halflings, superheroes....but still mostly witches.
Showing posts with label tara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tara. Show all posts
Friday, October 19, 2012
Binders full of Women?
Yeah have that too.
And men, elves, dwarves, halflings, superheroes....but still mostly witches.
And men, elves, dwarves, halflings, superheroes....but still mostly witches.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Willow & Tara: Slasher Flick
Willow & Tara for Slasher Flick
It's been a been a while since I stated up my favorite witches for a game. While reading through Slasher Flick yesterday I could not help but think how well these two would work in a slasher flick like movie or game.
So I am going outside of the the Dragon and the Phoenix canon here and going back to when the girls where young. Given the universe they don't have a lot of magic. So this is a geekier, computer expert Willow and a quiet, but has a scary power Tara. They end up being the Last Girls because our slasher is out cutting up all the male/female couples having sex, but doesn't know what to do about these two. If Buffy is a slasher flick turned on it's head, then I am turning Buffy on it's head.
Or something like that.
Anyway here are my girls. Just in time for Halloween. And look it's Friday the 12th. So, not at all like Friday the 13th.
Willow
Primary Character
Stereotype: Geek Girl/Computer Nerd
Brawn: Poor
Learned Fighter: Positive
Finesse: Normal
Brains: Good
Analyze Info: Positive
Computers: Positive
Occultism: Positive
Science: Positive
Spirit: Good
Attractive: Positive
Brave: Positive
Impatient: Negative
Prone to Anger: Negative
Special Ability: Versatile (Computers, Science)
Tidbits: In love with Tara
Items: Flashlight, Laptop
Tara
Primary Character
Stereotype: Quiet-Shy Girl/Psychic
Brawn: Normal
Finesse: Poor
Learned Fighter: Horse Riding
Brains: Good
Occultism: Positive
Perceptive: Positive
Psychology: Positive
Telekinesis: Positive
Spirit: Good
Attractive: Positive
Socially Awkward: Negative
Willpower: Positive
Special Ability: Psychic Power
Tidbits: In love with Willow
Items: book of magic lore
So they are last ones to survive the film. They build some sort of trap with Willow's skill and they try to lead our killer into it. Of course he comes in the wrong way and it looks like he has the girls cornered, till Tara pushes him into the trap with her TK. He dies a horrible death.....or does he!!?!?
My numbers are a little high in the above builds, but that is ok really.
It's been a been a while since I stated up my favorite witches for a game. While reading through Slasher Flick yesterday I could not help but think how well these two would work in a slasher flick like movie or game.
So I am going outside of the the Dragon and the Phoenix canon here and going back to when the girls where young. Given the universe they don't have a lot of magic. So this is a geekier, computer expert Willow and a quiet, but has a scary power Tara. They end up being the Last Girls because our slasher is out cutting up all the male/female couples having sex, but doesn't know what to do about these two. If Buffy is a slasher flick turned on it's head, then I am turning Buffy on it's head.
Or something like that.
Anyway here are my girls. Just in time for Halloween. And look it's Friday the 12th. So, not at all like Friday the 13th.
Willow
Stereotype: Geek Girl/Computer Nerd
Brawn: Poor
Learned Fighter: Positive
Finesse: Normal
Brains: Good
Analyze Info: Positive
Computers: Positive
Occultism: Positive
Science: Positive
Spirit: Good
Attractive: Positive
Brave: Positive
Impatient: Negative
Prone to Anger: Negative
Special Ability: Versatile (Computers, Science)
Tidbits: In love with Tara
Items: Flashlight, Laptop
Tara
Stereotype: Quiet-Shy Girl/Psychic
Brawn: Normal
Finesse: Poor
Learned Fighter: Horse Riding
Brains: Good
Occultism: Positive
Perceptive: Positive
Psychology: Positive
Telekinesis: Positive
Spirit: Good
Attractive: Positive
Socially Awkward: Negative
Willpower: Positive
Special Ability: Psychic Power
Tidbits: In love with Willow
Items: book of magic lore
So they are last ones to survive the film. They build some sort of trap with Willow's skill and they try to lead our killer into it. Of course he comes in the wrong way and it looks like he has the girls cornered, till Tara pushes him into the trap with her TK. He dies a horrible death.....or does he!!?!?
My numbers are a little high in the above builds, but that is ok really.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Zatannurday: MachSabre Superwomen
Long time readers here might recognize the name or at least his art. David was one of the two Davids of the ShadowGirls fame and I have featured his art here many times. I am doing that again today. Mostly because I like his art and Dave loves Supergirls.
So to celebrate the announcement that David is part of a new comic, Shadow of the Black Banshee, here are some of my favorite pieces, featuring of course Zatanna.
Zatanna by ~MachSabre on deviantART
Raven by ~MachSabre on deviantART
The Scarlet Witch by ~MachSabre on deviantART
Ms. Marvel vs. Power Girl by ~MachSabre on deviantART
Hawkgirl by ~MachSabre on deviantART
Kim Possible 02 by ~MachSabre on deviantART
Last Daughter of Atlantis by ~MachSabre on deviantART
Starfire by ~MachSabre on deviantART
Wonder Woman by ~MachSabre on deviantART
Wonder Spin by ~MachSabre on deviantART
This one of all the Batgirls was my desktop bitmap forever.
Chiropteras by ~MachSabre on deviantART
And of course you have all seen this one,
Commission - Tara and Willow by ~MachSabre on deviantART
But imagine my surprise when I found this one!
Willow and Tara Cuddling by =AstronSoul on deviantART
AstronSoul is just another fan like me that had D Rey make this. I think it is cool.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
So Long City of Heroes
It has been announced that City of Heroes, the Supers MMORPG is closing up shop.
http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/news/news_archive/thank_you.php
I never played CoH, but I did playtest the RPG version that Eden was working on back in the day.
Of course I stated up some characters.
What can I say? This was at the height of my involvement with The Dragon and the Phoenix.
I have to admit I liked how these turned out.
http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/news/news_archive/thank_you.php
I never played CoH, but I did playtest the RPG version that Eden was working on back in the day.
Of course I stated up some characters.
What can I say? This was at the height of my involvement with The Dragon and the Phoenix.
I have to admit I liked how these turned out.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Willow & Tara: World of Darkness (new)
Willow and Tara in Mage the Awakening
This is my last post for the YAM Magazine LBGT Blogathon. I wanted to end with Willow & Tara and using one of the most accepting RPG I have ever known.
Following up on my post from earlier today on The World of Darkness RPG.
One of the reoccurring themes in Willow & Tara fiction or games is their shared growth of magical power. As they grow together and grow more in love, their powers increase to a near phenomenal level. Sort of like the powers wielded in Mage the Awakening.
Now in my last Buffy campaign, "Season of the Witch", I had Willow and Tara become "mages". Not exactly what is here, but very close. I would be lying though if I didn't say there was some influence. There was. You can read about that in the last three adventures of that game:
This is also a common theme in the various Willow & Tara fanfics out there. In fact one of the best Willow/Tara fan fics out there is “Unexpected Consequences” by Lisa Countryman. Lisa even uses the word “mage” to describe their power level even though I know for a fact she has never seen any White Wolf game. In Lisa’s “Unexpected Consequences” Tara’s Awakening happens too soon and it causes, well, all sorts of unexpected consequences. It takes place during season six and is far, far better than what happened on TV. In the sequel fic “Milestones” Lisa deals quite well with Willow and Tara’s true Awakening some 10-15 years in the future. Not only does she capture 30-something Willow and Tara quite well, it is an excellent narrative of how an Awakening can happen or be done. Willow and Tara knew it was coming, and yet they are still totally unprepared for it. It also shows what an Awakening must be like through the eyes of a mundane or other non-awakened witches.
So as they grow old together Willow and Tara will get much more powerful.
Presented here are a possible Willow and Tara right after the events of Season of the Witch. I am borrowing heavy from Lisa here as well as my own World of Darkness (old) stats. This would have lead up to my Season 3 that would have been more magically focus. In fact these conversions lead right from my Mutants & Masterminds 2.0 conversions in terms of when they happened (game wise) and when I wrote them (real time). It was because of these two games that gave me the idea to move the girls to Boston.
Their Awakening in Brief
Lisa and I both consider Willow and Tara to be “old souls”, they have both been reincarnated many times and have shared many lives together. Our separate visions of this were so compatible that we meshed them. I had considered their first incarnations to be “Bodhmal” (Willow) and “Liath” (Tara) from Celtic Ireland, Lisa’s are “Belen” (Tara) and “Damara” (Willow). In either case Willow and Tara’s Awakening in Mage is a similar event to awakening their Old Soul in WitchCraft; contact with their primal soul-selves. In Mage Revised this would have been their avatar. In Mage the Awakening this is the primal spirit that instructs them on who they were, who they are now and what they are to become. I choose them both to take the Path of Thyrsus. While they are not really “shamans”, there is an earthy quality about Tara. It was more for their seeking of their Primordial Soul-selves. Plus in Lisa’s fiction Willow and Tara’s awakenings was always about a surplus of life and life-power. In UC Tara becomes faster, stronger and more confident. Something she tries to maintain later in MS. What also struck me was the description of the Thyrsus’ extreme emotions. This also fits Lisa’s fictions.
Delving deeper into the “Tome of The Watchtowers” (which also inspired the name for Episode 13) we learn that Thyrsus was the only Watchtower formed by a woman. The sexual nimbus fits with sex=magic we saw on TV and Lisa’s description of Adourflame (Episode 11).
I could have chosen Acanthus as well since this communication with their previous souls is across time and space, but I did not feel either of them fit the “Fool” or extremely lucky archetypes.
Willow Rosenberg
Path: Thyrsus Order: Mysterium
Virtue: Justice. Willow is very much about what is right and what is wrong.
Vice: Wrath. Some people bring a gun a knife fit, Willow brings a flame thrower.
Merits
Allies
Ambidextrous
Encyclopaedic Knowledge
Language 2
Striking looks 2
Size: 5
Speed: 8
Initiative Mod: 4
Defence: 2
Health: 8
Willpower: 6/6
Morality: 6
Mana: 9
Gnosis: 5
Wisdom: 8
Personal Data
Age: 27 (in 2008)
Ht: 5’3”
Wt: 115#
Hair: Red
Eyes: Green
Gender: Female
Arcana
Death: 0
Fate: 0
Forces: 3
Life: 2
Matter: 1
Mind: 2
Prime: 2
Space: 0
Spirit: 1
Time: 0
Tara Maclay
Path: Thyrsus Order: Mysterium
Virtue: Temperance. Tara is nothing if not understanding and temperate
Vice: Sloth. She is not lazy, but she likes things to move a little slower. She does not enjoy fighting monsters.
Merits
Allies
Encyclopaedic Knowledge
Language 3
Striking looks 2
Size: 5
Speed: 9
Initiative Mod: 4
Defence: 2
Health: 8
Willpower: 7/7
Morality: 8
Mana: 10
Gnosis: 4
Wisdom: 8
Arcana
Death: 0
Fate: 0
Forces: 2
Life: 3
Matter: 1
Mind: 2
Prime: 1
Space: 0
Spirit: 1
Time: 0
Personal Data
Age: 28 (in 2008)
Ht: 5’4”
Wt: 125#
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Gender: Female
Of all the re-builds I have done of the girls these are in my top 5.
If I were to pick-up playing these characters again I would seriously consider using the nWoD/Mage rules.
For Arcana I gave Willow 11 dots and Tara 10. This actually might be a little light.
I would love to play around some more with this game some day, but I can't find people to play it.
---
One of the reoccurring themes in Willow & Tara fiction or games is their shared growth of magical power. As they grow together and grow more in love, their powers increase to a near phenomenal level. Sort of like the powers wielded in Mage the Awakening.
Now in my last Buffy campaign, "Season of the Witch", I had Willow and Tara become "mages". Not exactly what is here, but very close. I would be lying though if I didn't say there was some influence. There was. You can read about that in the last three adventures of that game:
This is also a common theme in the various Willow & Tara fanfics out there. In fact one of the best Willow/Tara fan fics out there is “Unexpected Consequences” by Lisa Countryman. Lisa even uses the word “mage” to describe their power level even though I know for a fact she has never seen any White Wolf game. In Lisa’s “Unexpected Consequences” Tara’s Awakening happens too soon and it causes, well, all sorts of unexpected consequences. It takes place during season six and is far, far better than what happened on TV. In the sequel fic “Milestones” Lisa deals quite well with Willow and Tara’s true Awakening some 10-15 years in the future. Not only does she capture 30-something Willow and Tara quite well, it is an excellent narrative of how an Awakening can happen or be done. Willow and Tara knew it was coming, and yet they are still totally unprepared for it. It also shows what an Awakening must be like through the eyes of a mundane or other non-awakened witches.
So as they grow old together Willow and Tara will get much more powerful.
Presented here are a possible Willow and Tara right after the events of Season of the Witch. I am borrowing heavy from Lisa here as well as my own World of Darkness (old) stats. This would have lead up to my Season 3 that would have been more magically focus. In fact these conversions lead right from my Mutants & Masterminds 2.0 conversions in terms of when they happened (game wise) and when I wrote them (real time). It was because of these two games that gave me the idea to move the girls to Boston.
Their Awakening in Brief
Lisa and I both consider Willow and Tara to be “old souls”, they have both been reincarnated many times and have shared many lives together. Our separate visions of this were so compatible that we meshed them. I had considered their first incarnations to be “Bodhmal” (Willow) and “Liath” (Tara) from Celtic Ireland, Lisa’s are “Belen” (Tara) and “Damara” (Willow). In either case Willow and Tara’s Awakening in Mage is a similar event to awakening their Old Soul in WitchCraft; contact with their primal soul-selves. In Mage Revised this would have been their avatar. In Mage the Awakening this is the primal spirit that instructs them on who they were, who they are now and what they are to become. I choose them both to take the Path of Thyrsus. While they are not really “shamans”, there is an earthy quality about Tara. It was more for their seeking of their Primordial Soul-selves. Plus in Lisa’s fiction Willow and Tara’s awakenings was always about a surplus of life and life-power. In UC Tara becomes faster, stronger and more confident. Something she tries to maintain later in MS. What also struck me was the description of the Thyrsus’ extreme emotions. This also fits Lisa’s fictions.
Delving deeper into the “Tome of The Watchtowers” (which also inspired the name for Episode 13) we learn that Thyrsus was the only Watchtower formed by a woman. The sexual nimbus fits with sex=magic we saw on TV and Lisa’s description of Adourflame (Episode 11).
I could have chosen Acanthus as well since this communication with their previous souls is across time and space, but I did not feel either of them fit the “Fool” or extremely lucky archetypes.
Willow Rosenberg
Path: Thyrsus Order: Mysterium
Virtue: Justice. Willow is very much about what is right and what is wrong.
Vice: Wrath. Some people bring a gun a knife fit, Willow brings a flame thrower.
| Attributes | ||
| Intelligence: 5 | Strength: 1 | Presence: 3 |
| Wits: 3 | Dexterity: 2 | Manipulation: 2 |
| Resolve: 3 | Stamina: 3 | Composure: 3 |
Skills |
||
| Mental | Physical | Social |
| Academics 4 | Athletics 2 | Animal Ken 0 |
| Computer 5 | Brawl 1 | Empathy 1 |
| Crafts 1 | Drive 0 | Expression 1 |
| Investigation 2 | Firearms 0 | Intimidation 1 |
| Medicine 2 | Larceny 1 | Persuasion 2 |
| Occult 3 | Stealth 1 | Socialize 1 |
| Politics 1 | Survival 1 | Streetwise 1 |
| Science 4 | Weaponry 1 | Subterfuge 1 |
Merits
Allies
Ambidextrous
Encyclopaedic Knowledge
Language 2
Striking looks 2
Size: 5
Speed: 8
Initiative Mod: 4
Defence: 2
Health: 8
Willpower: 6/6
Morality: 6
Mana: 9
Gnosis: 5
Wisdom: 8
Personal Data
Age: 27 (in 2008)
Ht: 5’3”
Wt: 115#
Hair: Red
Eyes: Green
Gender: Female
Arcana
Death: 0
Fate: 0
Forces: 3
Life: 2
Matter: 1
Mind: 2
Prime: 2
Space: 0
Spirit: 1
Time: 0
Tara Maclay
Path: Thyrsus Order: Mysterium
Virtue: Temperance. Tara is nothing if not understanding and temperate
Vice: Sloth. She is not lazy, but she likes things to move a little slower. She does not enjoy fighting monsters.
| Attributes | ||
| Intelligence: 3 | Strength: 2 | Presence: 3 |
| Wits: 4 | Dexterity: 1 | Manipulation: 1 |
| Resolve: 3 | Stamina: 3 | Composure: 4 |
Skills |
||
| Mental | Physical | Social |
| Academics 3 | Athletics 0 | Animal Ken 2 |
| Computer 2 | Brawl 1 | Empathy 3 |
| Crafts 1 | Drive 1 | Expression 0 |
| Investigation 2 | Firearms 0 | Intimidation 0 |
| Medicine 1 | Larceny 0 | Persuasion 0 |
| Occult 5 | Stealth | Socialize 1 |
| Politics 0 | Survival 1 | Streetwise 1 |
| Science 1 | Weaponry 1 | Subterfuge 0 |
Merits
Allies
Encyclopaedic Knowledge
Language 3
Striking looks 2
Size: 5
Speed: 9
Initiative Mod: 4
Defence: 2
Health: 8
Willpower: 7/7
Morality: 8
Mana: 10
Gnosis: 4
Wisdom: 8
Arcana
Death: 0
Fate: 0
Forces: 2
Life: 3
Matter: 1
Mind: 2
Prime: 1
Space: 0
Spirit: 1
Time: 0
Personal Data
Age: 28 (in 2008)
Ht: 5’4”
Wt: 125#
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Gender: Female
Of all the re-builds I have done of the girls these are in my top 5.
If I were to pick-up playing these characters again I would seriously consider using the nWoD/Mage rules.
For Arcana I gave Willow 11 dots and Tara 10. This actually might be a little light.
I would love to play around some more with this game some day, but I can't find people to play it.
---
This is my last post for the YAM Magazine LBGT Blogathon. I wanted to end with Willow & Tara and using one of the most accepting RPG I have ever known.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The Dark Druid
Originally posted here in 2010.
The Dark Druid: The Director's Cut
A bit of history. Back in 2002 Eden was getting ready to release their newest game, The Buffy the Vampire Slayer game. As you may know, I had already been playing a Willow/Tara focused WitchCraft game for about a year, so I was pretty excited by this. Well I got asked by Eden to write the first Buffy adventure that would appear in "Games Unplugged" along with an interview with C.J. Carella talking about the game.
I took an idea I had been working on for my other game (tentatively called "All Soul's Night") and thus the Dark Druid was born.
I had been reading a ton of Irish myths then. Among those were the stories of Fionn MacCumhaill ("Finn MacCool") and his foster mothers Bodhmal and Liath. It occurred to me that Liath and Bodhmal were lovers, and to tie it more directly to my work in Buffy, they were reincarnated later on into the form of Willow and Tara. Since that time anytime I read a story about Fionn MacCumhaill I can't help but read Bodhmal and Liath as lovers.
The original featured, rather prominently, Willow and Tara, as to be expected. I had to make some changes to make it playable for others and to make it an "intro" or season opener type episode. The plot dealt with an enemy from the Cast's past as a portent to greater evil in the future. It was designed to be a opening episode of the season, but one that may or may not be directly related to the seasonal arc. We were going to use this i n part of the great "Djinn" story, but that never happened.
Fast forward a few years and I was finishing up work on Ghosts of Albion and another adventure that sprang from "All Soul's Night" called "Blight" (which I have played at Gen Con before). I felt it was time to bring back the Dark Druid and restore it to the mythology that I had created in my games. Now you can have it too. So it became a Prequel or an Episode 0 for my huge Willow & Tara series, The Dragon and the Phoenix. This adventure and the Dragon adventures were designed to feature Willow and Tara. My players were extremely pissed off at Tara being killed, so this was our way of getting our own way.
I updated it not only to fit better with my world-myths, and with some of the work I did on Ghosts of Albion and the adventure Blight. In fact you can run Blight and The Dark Druid as co-adventures, separated by time.
The story is rather direct and linear. This was partly due to the nature of the story and what is was supposed to do (introduce new players to the game) and part of just me writing for the Buffy game for the first time. I have opted not to change that here, despite nearly 10 years of Cinematic Unisystem adventure writing since then. It is supposed to be a quick, fun little adventure dealing with past lives.
The episode was well received and even has a bit on Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffyverse_role-playing_games#Adventures
It was the first. The start of a series of adventures that led me personally down a crazy path. It's hard to gauge the effect it has had, it was so fundamental. From this point my writing increased maybe a 100 or 500 fold. Hard to say really.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Willow and Tara Digital Comics
I don't read the Buffy comics. No desire really, and the world I had created with the RPG was far more interesting to me anyway.
But when Amber Benson and Christopher Golden team up to write a Willow & Tara based comic, well how can I possibly say no?
This month Dark Horse re-released the two (well three, two stories in three books) Willow & Tara comics. Wanna Blessed Be and Wilderness.
You can get them here:
I enjoyed the heck out these and went ahead and bought them again in digital format.
I ran a Ghosts of Albion adventure loosely based on these, it seemed appropriate. The adventure still needs some work, but I do like it. And it has a pedigree.
So here they are. Thought you might like to check them out.
Now if someone would make a comic of the Dragon and the Phoenix I'd be thrilled to death!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
More Free Downloads
In the interest of providing you, the reader of the Other Side, only the finest in gaming accessories I give you a couple more more character sheets I have used in the past.
These were designed for my "Willow & Tara RPG", which was a mix of Eden's Buffy, WitchCraft and Ghosts of Albion games.
The Character sheet is a one page deal. The Journal is nine pages to track everything for your Unisystem character.
These were designed for my "Willow & Tara RPG", which was a mix of Eden's Buffy, WitchCraft and Ghosts of Albion games.
The Character sheet is a one page deal. The Journal is nine pages to track everything for your Unisystem character.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Willow and Tara: Marvel Heroic Roleplaying
I am still playing around a bit with Marvel Heroic Roleplaying now that I have seen it out in the stores. Saw a copy at my local Barnes & Nobel last night in fact. I thought this might be appropriate for today.
Willow and Tara in the Marvelverse
I have to admit, that anytime I think about the girls in a super hero universe I always think of it in terms of DC. But the roleplaying and character development aspects of MHR are too good to ignore.
I have already done up my two DC go-to characters Zatanna and Justice with this system. And I have stated up Willow and Tara in one other version of Cortex in the past.
For the girls in this universe I'll start with the assumptions that the events in my previous games, The Dragon and The Phoenix and Season of the Witch happened. In fact even though this game was not part of the original plan it would work fine as part of the Generation HEX season I started and never finished.
Name: Willow
ID: Willow D. Rosenberg (public)
Age: 32 (2012)
Base of Operations: Boston, MA
Affiliations: Solo d8, Buddy d10, Team d6 (Willow in highschool was certainly more Team, but this is an older Willow)
Distinctions:
Bad Ass Wicca
Technophile
Quick to Anger
Power Sets
Sorcery d10
Magical Spells d10, Blast d10, Senses (magical) d10, Teleport d10, Telekinesis d10
Limit: Conscious Effort
SFX: Versatile
SFX: Area Attack
Anamchara d10 (Willow and Tara can combine their powers)
"I will always find you." (Telepathy) d8, "I am you know...yours" (Combine) d10
Limit: Distance/focus
SFX: Multipower
SFX: Boost
Specialties
Mystic d10
Tech d10
Cosmic d8
Science d8
Milestones
Magic
1xp You uncover some plot that is magical in nature.
3xp You discover some new magical tome or artifact.
10xp You defeat the main villain without magic.
Anger
1xp When you loose your temper
3xp When someone you are helping takes trauma
10 xp When your anger threatens the world, or saves it.
Willow in "Generation HEX" is one of the most power spell casters in the world. But her own issues surrounding her anger still plague her. She has turned to magic as a means of not just obtaining control over her situation, but of herself. She is slowly getting there.
Name: Tara
ID: Tara A. Maclay (public)
Age: 33 (2012)
Base of Operations: Boston, MA
Affiliations: Solo d6, Buddy d10, Team d8 (Tara does best with Willow or in a group)
Distinctions:
Witchy Woman
Loyal
"Tara hide your magic" - Tara is a deep, quiet, well of magical power, but she has been told her whole life to hide it.
Power Sets
Sorcery d10
Magical Spells d10, Blast d8, Senses (magical) d10, Telekinesis d10
Limit: Conscious Effort
SFX: Versatile
SFX: Healing
Anamchara d10 (Willow and Tara can combine their powers)
"I will always find you." (Telepathy) d8, "I am you know...yours" (Combine) d10
Limit: Distance/focus
SFX: Multipower
SFX: Boost
Specialties
Mystic d10
Psych d10
Cosmic d8
Science d8
Milestones
Magic
1xp You uncover some plot that is magical in nature.
3xp You discover some new magical tome or artifact.
10xp You defeat the main villain without magic.
Soulmates
1xp When you or Willow are dragged into a problem together
3xp When someone uses you to get to Willow or visa-versa
10 xp When you have to work together after being apart to stop the threat
Tara is more self-actualized than Willow is. She knows and accepts the dangers and responsibilities of her power. What she is most afraid of is loosing Willow; either to death or darkness. In my games the girls have seen many alternate realities, any reality without a Tara in it results in Willow turning evil and destroying things.
Willow and Tara have a lot of linked powers and milestones, as to be expected given their lives together.
To follow along with the Generation HEX plot ideas, they are living in Boston teaching at a school that has a lot of magical kids enrolled. In my game they would of course know of Zatanna and I would still have to say they are not up to her power level on their own, combined though they could give Zee a run for her money. Not that they would mind you, Tara is a HUGE fan of Zatanna, I have this on authority.
Of course this would also be a good episode to have the girl visit the wilds of Canada and check out the Cave of Cool.
"Willow and Tara" by David Reynolds
Willow and Tara in the Marvelverse
I have to admit, that anytime I think about the girls in a super hero universe I always think of it in terms of DC. But the roleplaying and character development aspects of MHR are too good to ignore.
I have already done up my two DC go-to characters Zatanna and Justice with this system. And I have stated up Willow and Tara in one other version of Cortex in the past.
For the girls in this universe I'll start with the assumptions that the events in my previous games, The Dragon and The Phoenix and Season of the Witch happened. In fact even though this game was not part of the original plan it would work fine as part of the Generation HEX season I started and never finished.
Name: Willow
ID: Willow D. Rosenberg (public)
Age: 32 (2012)
Affiliations: Solo d8, Buddy d10, Team d6 (Willow in highschool was certainly more Team, but this is an older Willow)
Distinctions:
Bad Ass Wicca
Technophile
Quick to Anger
Power Sets
Sorcery d10
Magical Spells d10, Blast d10, Senses (magical) d10, Teleport d10, Telekinesis d10
Limit: Conscious Effort
SFX: Versatile
SFX: Area Attack
Anamchara d10 (Willow and Tara can combine their powers)
"I will always find you." (Telepathy) d8, "I am you know...yours" (Combine) d10
Limit: Distance/focus
SFX: Multipower
SFX: Boost
Specialties
Mystic d10
Tech d10
Cosmic d8
Science d8
Milestones
Magic
1xp You uncover some plot that is magical in nature.
3xp You discover some new magical tome or artifact.
10xp You defeat the main villain without magic.
Anger
1xp When you loose your temper
3xp When someone you are helping takes trauma
10 xp When your anger threatens the world, or saves it.
Willow in "Generation HEX" is one of the most power spell casters in the world. But her own issues surrounding her anger still plague her. She has turned to magic as a means of not just obtaining control over her situation, but of herself. She is slowly getting there.
Name: Tara
ID: Tara A. Maclay (public)
Age: 33 (2012)
Affiliations: Solo d6, Buddy d10, Team d8 (Tara does best with Willow or in a group)
Distinctions:
Witchy Woman
Loyal
"Tara hide your magic" - Tara is a deep, quiet, well of magical power, but she has been told her whole life to hide it.
Power Sets
Sorcery d10
Magical Spells d10, Blast d8, Senses (magical) d10, Telekinesis d10
Limit: Conscious Effort
SFX: Versatile
SFX: Healing
Anamchara d10 (Willow and Tara can combine their powers)
"I will always find you." (Telepathy) d8, "I am you know...yours" (Combine) d10
Limit: Distance/focus
SFX: Multipower
SFX: Boost
Specialties
Mystic d10
Psych d10
Cosmic d8
Science d8
Milestones
Magic
1xp You uncover some plot that is magical in nature.
3xp You discover some new magical tome or artifact.
10xp You defeat the main villain without magic.
Soulmates
1xp When you or Willow are dragged into a problem together
3xp When someone uses you to get to Willow or visa-versa
10 xp When you have to work together after being apart to stop the threat
Tara is more self-actualized than Willow is. She knows and accepts the dangers and responsibilities of her power. What she is most afraid of is loosing Willow; either to death or darkness. In my games the girls have seen many alternate realities, any reality without a Tara in it results in Willow turning evil and destroying things.
Willow and Tara have a lot of linked powers and milestones, as to be expected given their lives together.
To follow along with the Generation HEX plot ideas, they are living in Boston teaching at a school that has a lot of magical kids enrolled. In my game they would of course know of Zatanna and I would still have to say they are not up to her power level on their own, combined though they could give Zee a run for her money. Not that they would mind you, Tara is a HUGE fan of Zatanna, I have this on authority.
Of course this would also be a good episode to have the girl visit the wilds of Canada and check out the Cave of Cool.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Willow and Tara: Doctor Who Adventures in Time & Space
I think it is an obvious conclusion, but if Willow and Tara had been characters during Russel T. Davies run of Doctor Who, they would have fared far, far better than they did on some other show. Heck even under Steven "Tipping the Scales" Moffat they would have been better off.
But that is the fantastic thing about RPGs. They let us go places and do things we otherwise never could.
So what you have Willow and Tara been like as companions to the Doctor?
Well let's take them back a bit to when they were younger, maybe when Tara first showed up on the show. Given that it is tempting then to use my WitchCraft RPG stats as a point of origin. But there is an issue with that. There is no magic really in the Doctor Who universe. There are plenty of things that look like it and there are psychic abilities, but nothing like the magic I typically have the girls doing. So for completeness sake I am going to look at stats I did about the same time the 10th Doctor was doing his thing. Something like my Fudge, Chill or Mutants and Masterminds stats. So maybe instead I'll go with their ages then.
So here is an idea. Play up Willow's tech back ground a lot more. She becomes, what is known in the game is a Boffin. Some one that can argue with the Doctor on tech and science. Sort of like what River Song can do now or how Romana was. Tara is still shy and quiet, but she has a very good reason, she is psychic. Like scary psychic. Makes for some great plots and gives me something weird and alien to work with, maybe even giving her some Carrionite ancestry.
I like it.
Willow Rosenberg (circa 2006)
Story Points: 12
Attributes
Awareness 2
Coordination 2
Ingenuity 6
Presence 3
Resolve 4
Strength 2
Skills
Athletics 1
Convince 1
Craft 2
Fighting 1
Knowledge 4
Marksman 0
Medicine 2
Science 4
Subterfuge 0
Survival 1
Technology 4
Transport 1
Traits
Ambidextrous (not in the book, but in my reality), Attractive, Boffin, Photographic Memory, Technically Adept, Insatiable Curiosity
Equipment
Laptop, Smart Phone (PDA Phone)
Home Tech Level: 5
Nationality: American
Profession: Software Engineer
Education: B.S. in Computer Science, 2003 University of California, Magna Cum Laude
Tara Maclay (circa 2006)
Story Points: 10 (2 points used)
Attributes
Awareness 4
Coordination 2
Ingenuity 4
Presence 2
Resolve 3
Strength 3
Skills
Athletics 1
Convince 0
Craft 1
Fighting 1
Knowledge 3
Marksman 0
Medicine 1
Science 2
Subterfuge 1
Survival 1
Technology 2
Transport 1
Traits
Attractive, Animal Friendship, Empathic, Psychic, Telekinesis, Telepathy, Code of Conduct, Eccentric
Equipment
Cellphone
Home Tech Level: 5
Nationality: American
Profession: Part time QMHP.
Education: B.A. in Art History, 2003 University of Southern California, Cum Laude,
M.A. in Psychology, Counseling emphasis, 2005 University of Southern California.
Looks good to me. Now to see if they will ever run into Vastra and Jenny.
But that is the fantastic thing about RPGs. They let us go places and do things we otherwise never could.
So what you have Willow and Tara been like as companions to the Doctor?
 |
| Willow, the Doctor, Tara and the Dodecahedron (my clock-face d12) |
So here is an idea. Play up Willow's tech back ground a lot more. She becomes, what is known in the game is a Boffin. Some one that can argue with the Doctor on tech and science. Sort of like what River Song can do now or how Romana was. Tara is still shy and quiet, but she has a very good reason, she is psychic. Like scary psychic. Makes for some great plots and gives me something weird and alien to work with, maybe even giving her some Carrionite ancestry.
I like it.
Willow Rosenberg (circa 2006)
Attributes
Awareness 2
Coordination 2
Ingenuity 6
Presence 3
Resolve 4
Strength 2
Skills
Athletics 1
Convince 1
Craft 2
Fighting 1
Knowledge 4
Marksman 0
Medicine 2
Science 4
Subterfuge 0
Survival 1
Technology 4
Transport 1
Traits
Ambidextrous (not in the book, but in my reality), Attractive, Boffin, Photographic Memory, Technically Adept, Insatiable Curiosity
Equipment
Laptop, Smart Phone (PDA Phone)
Home Tech Level: 5
Nationality: American
Profession: Software Engineer
Education: B.S. in Computer Science, 2003 University of California, Magna Cum Laude
Tara Maclay (circa 2006)
Attributes
Awareness 4
Coordination 2
Ingenuity 4
Presence 2
Resolve 3
Strength 3
Skills
Athletics 1
Convince 0
Craft 1
Fighting 1
Knowledge 3
Marksman 0
Medicine 1
Science 2
Subterfuge 1
Survival 1
Technology 2
Transport 1
Traits
Attractive, Animal Friendship, Empathic, Psychic, Telekinesis, Telepathy, Code of Conduct, Eccentric
Equipment
Cellphone
Home Tech Level: 5
Nationality: American
Profession: Part time QMHP.
Education: B.A. in Art History, 2003 University of Southern California, Cum Laude,
M.A. in Psychology, Counseling emphasis, 2005 University of Southern California.
Looks good to me. Now to see if they will ever run into Vastra and Jenny.
Friday, March 9, 2012
What Does "The Dragon and the Phoenix" sound like?
What does the first season of my Willow & Tara game, "The Dragon and The Phoenix" sound like?
Episode 0
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
Episode 9
Episode 10
Episode 11
Episode 12
A little like that.
Episode 0
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
Episode 9
Episode 10
Episode 11
Episode 12
A little like that.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Zombies vs. Robots
IDW has a new series of short stories up called "Zombies vs. Robots".
I'll admit I knew nothing about it but today my friend (and Ghosts of Albion RPG co-writer) Amber Benson has a new book out in the series.
Zombies vs. Robots: Mademoiselle Consuela and Her Army of One
She is also running a contest around the book and you could win a lunch with her over Skype.
So go. Download. 99 cents won't buy you much, but it will get you Amber's newest book. And would make her happy. Unless of course you have something against happy.
In other Amber/Tara news, Zap2It is running a poll on the most "crush worthy" dearly departed TV character. If you enjoy my blog, pop over and give "Tara Maclay" a vote.
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/02/tvs-most-crushworthy-dearly-departed-mischa-barton-ian-somerhalder-amber-benson-vote-now.html
I'll admit I knew nothing about it but today my friend (and Ghosts of Albion RPG co-writer) Amber Benson has a new book out in the series.
Zombies vs. Robots: Mademoiselle Consuela and Her Army of One
She is also running a contest around the book and you could win a lunch with her over Skype.
So go. Download. 99 cents won't buy you much, but it will get you Amber's newest book. And would make her happy. Unless of course you have something against happy.
In other Amber/Tara news, Zap2It is running a poll on the most "crush worthy" dearly departed TV character. If you enjoy my blog, pop over and give "Tara Maclay" a vote.
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/02/tvs-most-crushworthy-dearly-departed-mischa-barton-ian-somerhalder-amber-benson-vote-now.html
Friday, January 27, 2012
Willow & Tara: World of Darkness (old)
I have been going over a ton of my old books and looking at what I want to keep, what I want to give to my kids and what I want to get rid of. I cam across some old World of Darkness stuff the other day and I am not 100% sure what I am going to do with it yet. Most likely sell it all in my local game auctions. But considering that I have wanted to do some posting on my girls, I thought this would be a good choice.
I never really got into the original World of Darkness. I did have Vampire the Masquerade and I recognized why and how it was good, but at the time I had also just discovered WitchCraft, so that was the game I had chosen to scratch my Modern-Supernatural itches.
Though I did really like Mage. A lot. I really like Sorcerer's Crusade, I thought it was a really cool idea and much more interesting than Mage the Ascension. That lead me to Sorcerer: The Hedge Wizard's Handbook, which is not part of Sorcerer's Crusade, but part of modern Mage. But I am glad I made that mistake, since I really liked this book and it made me look again at the World of Darkness.
For Willow's and Tara's stats in the old World of Darkness I am opting to use Sorcerer: The Hedge Wizard's Handbook instead of Mage proper for a couple of reasons.
First, it is obvious that in the first five seasons of the show Willow learned magic from books and self study. Tara learned from her grandmother and mother. Plus, Season Sux (what I have been calling it that for years) aside, neither Tara nor Willow achieve the power levels in Mage. Sorcerer handles everything nicely. I also happen to like Sorcerer a little bit better than Mage anyway. Now of course in my own games, especially in "Season of the Witch" the girls do achieve Mage like power levels. I'll detail that on a future posting when I talk about new WoD.
What works nice with this version is that it mirrors my WitchCraft/early Buffy stats, and then once I got the characters on my own I took them to Ghosts of Albion, and even the "new" Mage..
Of course I never did use these versions. I did use the Mage: The Awakening versions in one game way back when it first came out, but that is about it.
Willow Rosenberg
Atributes
Abilities
Tara Maclay
Atributes
Abilities
I never really got into the original World of Darkness. I did have Vampire the Masquerade and I recognized why and how it was good, but at the time I had also just discovered WitchCraft, so that was the game I had chosen to scratch my Modern-Supernatural itches.
Though I did really like Mage. A lot. I really like Sorcerer's Crusade, I thought it was a really cool idea and much more interesting than Mage the Ascension. That lead me to Sorcerer: The Hedge Wizard's Handbook, which is not part of Sorcerer's Crusade, but part of modern Mage. But I am glad I made that mistake, since I really liked this book and it made me look again at the World of Darkness.
For Willow's and Tara's stats in the old World of Darkness I am opting to use Sorcerer: The Hedge Wizard's Handbook instead of Mage proper for a couple of reasons.
First, it is obvious that in the first five seasons of the show Willow learned magic from books and self study. Tara learned from her grandmother and mother. Plus, Season Sux (what I have been calling it that for years) aside, neither Tara nor Willow achieve the power levels in Mage. Sorcerer handles everything nicely. I also happen to like Sorcerer a little bit better than Mage anyway. Now of course in my own games, especially in "Season of the Witch" the girls do achieve Mage like power levels. I'll detail that on a future posting when I talk about new WoD.
What works nice with this version is that it mirrors my WitchCraft/early Buffy stats, and then once I got the characters on my own I took them to Ghosts of Albion, and even the "new" Mage..
Of course I never did use these versions. I did use the Mage: The Awakening versions in one game way back when it first came out, but that is about it.
Willow Rosenberg
| Nature: Sage | Society: None |
| Demeanor: | Mentor: None |
| Concept: Wicca |
Atributes
| Strength: 1 | Charisma: 2 | Perception: 2 |
| Dexterity: 2 | Manipulation: 2 | Intelligence: 5 |
| Stamina: 3 | Appearance: 3 | Wits: 3 |
Abilities
| Talents | Skills | Knowledge |
| Alertness 1 | Leadership 2 | Computer 5 |
| Instruction 2 | Research 5 | Enigmas 2 |
| Intimidation 1 | Survival 1 | Investigation 2 |
| Medicine 1 | ||
| Occult 3 | ||
| Science 4 |
| Paths | Backgrounds |
| Conjuration: 3 | Arcane: 1 |
| Enchantment: 2 | Library: 5 |
| Ephemera: 1 | Relic: 1 (Doll’s Eye Crystal) |
| Hellfire: 3 | Status: 2 |
| Herbalism: 2 |
|
Counterspells |
|
| Warding |
Tara Maclay
| Nature: Sage | Society: None |
| Demeanor: | Mentor: None |
| Concept: Wicca |
Atributes
| Strength: 2 | Charisma: 3 | Perception: 3 |
| Dexterity: 1 | Manipulation: 1 | Intelligence: 3 |
| Stamina: 3 | Appearance: 3 | Wits: 4 |
Abilities
| Talents | Skills | Knowledge |
| Alertness 1 | Animal Ken 2 | Cosmology 3 |
| Expression 1 | Research 4 | Enigmas 2 |
| Instruction 2 | Survival 2 | Investigation 2 |
| Linguistics 2 |
||
| Lore 1 |
||
| Occult 2 |
| Paths | Backgrounds |
| Conjuration: 3 | Arcane: 2 |
| Enchantment: 2 | Library: 5 |
| Healing: 2 | Status: 4 |
| Herbalism: 3 | |
| Counterspells | |
| Warding |
Friday, December 30, 2011
Looking Forward to 2012: Willow and Tara
I have been missing my Friday Willow and Tara posts.
I have been reading and re-reading a ton of my old supers games (and new ones) and I have been thinking that maybe I need to revive Generation HEX. I think it would be a good time and frankly, I miss the girls.
Expect to see some supers related posts in 2012.
I have been reading and re-reading a ton of my old supers games (and new ones) and I have been thinking that maybe I need to revive Generation HEX. I think it would be a good time and frankly, I miss the girls.
Expect to see some supers related posts in 2012.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Willow & Tara: DC Heroes
DC Heroes from Mayfair Games was one of the "Big Games" for me back in the day. One of those games that was like entering into an entire sub-culture, not just a game. You know like old World of Darkness, Call of Cthulhu, Rifts or Exalted. One where they have their fans and they are very loyal and the entry seems to be a bit high.
I loved DC comics at the time, though I was slowly going over to Marvel. I never got into DC Heroes. Villains & Vigilantes seemed easier to get into coming from D&D and when I finally got back around to Supers, it was Marvel Super Heroes. I feel I missed out on something though to be honest.
DC Heroes has a certain style to it. A certain elegance I see now on the other side of several graduate level statistics courses. It is a game I'd love to give another chance too. Course parts of it seem pretty dated too. Tables with "column shifts" and exploding doubles. Course that sounds exactly like the kind of thing that would get the OSR's blood pumping. I also like it because in many ways DC Heroes is the antidote to "grimdark" and "gritty", not that you can't do those with this, you can rather easily, but DC Heroes was about being a hero, being the good guy.
I have not done a lot of posting of Willow and Tara in a while. When "Season of the Witch" died down and "Generation HEX" never took off I had run out of creative juices. Plus I had moved on Ghosts of Albion by then and other games. Though Gen HEX was going to be my supers/animie/comics game. I still have great plans to run each "issue"/episode/adventure with a different rule set. But I am not likely to get to it all now. More's the shame. In any case here are my girls, in their Generation HEX best.
Since these are very seasoned vets of many battles they are starting higher than your average character.
Willow Rosenberg
Mystic Link:
Empathy (Will) 2, Magic Blast (Spirit) 6, Magic Shield (Spirit) 6, Mystic Shield (Will) 5, Telekinesis (Will) 7, Telepathy (Int) 5 (9 with Tara), Teleportation (Will) 4, Truesight 3
Limitations: Since the events in "Season of the Witch" Willow has no limitations on her powers.
Skills: Detective 2, Gadgetry 5, Medicine 1, Occultist 7, Scholar (Supernatual) 7, Scientist 5
Connections:
Business (high), Supernatural (high)
Motivation: Learn more about her power
Wealth: Affluent (maybe a bit higher, but not Multimillionaire)
Job: Semi-retired software designer and CEO, teacher
Race: Human (Homo Magi is what she would be in the DC universe)
Origin: Mystical Heritage (Major)
Alter Ego/Aliases: none
Base of Operations: Boston, MA
Tara Maclay
Powers: Mystic Link:
Empathy (Will) 6, Heal (Spirit) 4*, Magic Blast (Spirit) 2, Magic Shield (Spirit) 3, Mystic Shield (Will) 2, Telekinesis (Will) 4, Telepathy (Int) 5 (9 with Willow), Truesight 5
(*Heal is not in the rule book, but something Tara can do. At 4 AP she can heal 4 AP of damage per touch)
Limitations: Since the events in "Season of the Witch" Tara has no limitations on her powers.
Skills: Animal Handling 2, Artist (dancing) 4, Artist (singing) 5, Artist (painter) 4, Occultist 6, Scholar (Witchcraft) 7
Connections:
Supernatural
Motivation: Responsibility of Power
Wealth: Affluent
Job: High school art teacher, girls counselor
Race: Human (Homo Magi)
Origin: Mystical Heritage (Major)
Alter Ego/Aliases: none
Base of Operations: Boston, MA
Willow and Tara in Generation HEX
In Generation HEX we pick up a few years after the events from Season of the Witch. Magic is outed and the first generation of magic using children are reaching high school age. One of which is their own daughter. Tara is an art teacher and girls counselor at a school for magical teens. Willow, having sold off her software firm is also teaching. They relocated to Boston, MA and despite being older, there is still plenty of adventure left to have.
Willow and Tara in the DC Universe
Personally I would think that the girls would have fared much better in the DC Universe than in others. I can easily see them both joining the Teen Titans, or depending on when we do this, Young Justice. Though Willow would need something else to do than turn evil since that was already done by Raven.
Given their backgrounds I would expect they would be viewed as resources into the occult and supernatural worlds the same way that Zatanna, Doctor Fate and Madame Xandu are. Only less dangerous to deal with. In the DC universe though, the nod has to go to Zee. I am assuming a more magic-rich world than the 1st edition rules laid out, maybe something closer to what we saw in the 3rd ed DC Heroes.
In either case the girls work as a team. Willow is the heavy hitter, but Tara has a greater store of power and more subtle powers.
I loved DC comics at the time, though I was slowly going over to Marvel. I never got into DC Heroes. Villains & Vigilantes seemed easier to get into coming from D&D and when I finally got back around to Supers, it was Marvel Super Heroes. I feel I missed out on something though to be honest.
DC Heroes has a certain style to it. A certain elegance I see now on the other side of several graduate level statistics courses. It is a game I'd love to give another chance too. Course parts of it seem pretty dated too. Tables with "column shifts" and exploding doubles. Course that sounds exactly like the kind of thing that would get the OSR's blood pumping. I also like it because in many ways DC Heroes is the antidote to "grimdark" and "gritty", not that you can't do those with this, you can rather easily, but DC Heroes was about being a hero, being the good guy.
I have not done a lot of posting of Willow and Tara in a while. When "Season of the Witch" died down and "Generation HEX" never took off I had run out of creative juices. Plus I had moved on Ghosts of Albion by then and other games. Though Gen HEX was going to be my supers/animie/comics game. I still have great plans to run each "issue"/episode/adventure with a different rule set. But I am not likely to get to it all now. More's the shame. In any case here are my girls, in their Generation HEX best.
Since these are very seasoned vets of many battles they are starting higher than your average character.
Willow Rosenberg
| DEX: 2 | STR: 1 | BODY: 3 |
| INT: 9 | WILL: 4 | MIND: 5 |
| INFL: 11 | AURA: 13 | SPIRIT: 12 |
| Initiative: 22 | Hero Points: 20 |
Mystic Link:
Empathy (Will) 2, Magic Blast (Spirit) 6, Magic Shield (Spirit) 6, Mystic Shield (Will) 5, Telekinesis (Will) 7, Telepathy (Int) 5 (9 with Tara), Teleportation (Will) 4, Truesight 3
Limitations: Since the events in "Season of the Witch" Willow has no limitations on her powers.
Skills: Detective 2, Gadgetry 5, Medicine 1, Occultist 7, Scholar (Supernatual) 7, Scientist 5
Connections:
Business (high), Supernatural (high)
Motivation: Learn more about her power
Wealth: Affluent (maybe a bit higher, but not Multimillionaire)
Job: Semi-retired software designer and CEO, teacher
Race: Human (Homo Magi is what she would be in the DC universe)
Origin: Mystical Heritage (Major)
Alter Ego/Aliases: none
Base of Operations: Boston, MA
Tara Maclay
| DEX: 2 | STR: 2 | BODY: 3 |
| INT: 8 | WILL: 5 | MIND: 4 |
| INFL: 10 | AURA: 14 | SPIRIT: 12 |
| Initiative: 20 | Hero Points: 20 |
Powers: Mystic Link:
Empathy (Will) 6, Heal (Spirit) 4*, Magic Blast (Spirit) 2, Magic Shield (Spirit) 3, Mystic Shield (Will) 2, Telekinesis (Will) 4, Telepathy (Int) 5 (9 with Willow), Truesight 5
(*Heal is not in the rule book, but something Tara can do. At 4 AP she can heal 4 AP of damage per touch)
Limitations: Since the events in "Season of the Witch" Tara has no limitations on her powers.
Skills: Animal Handling 2, Artist (dancing) 4, Artist (singing) 5, Artist (painter) 4, Occultist 6, Scholar (Witchcraft) 7
Connections:
Supernatural
Motivation: Responsibility of Power
Wealth: Affluent
Job: High school art teacher, girls counselor
Race: Human (Homo Magi)
Origin: Mystical Heritage (Major)
Alter Ego/Aliases: none
Base of Operations: Boston, MA
Willow and Tara in Generation HEX
In Generation HEX we pick up a few years after the events from Season of the Witch. Magic is outed and the first generation of magic using children are reaching high school age. One of which is their own daughter. Tara is an art teacher and girls counselor at a school for magical teens. Willow, having sold off her software firm is also teaching. They relocated to Boston, MA and despite being older, there is still plenty of adventure left to have.
Willow and Tara in the DC Universe
Personally I would think that the girls would have fared much better in the DC Universe than in others. I can easily see them both joining the Teen Titans, or depending on when we do this, Young Justice. Though Willow would need something else to do than turn evil since that was already done by Raven.
Given their backgrounds I would expect they would be viewed as resources into the occult and supernatural worlds the same way that Zatanna, Doctor Fate and Madame Xandu are. Only less dangerous to deal with. In the DC universe though, the nod has to go to Zee. I am assuming a more magic-rich world than the 1st edition rules laid out, maybe something closer to what we saw in the 3rd ed DC Heroes.
In either case the girls work as a team. Willow is the heavy hitter, but Tara has a greater store of power and more subtle powers.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Strippers make the best informants
So if you have been following Sarah Michelle Gellar's new show "Ringer" you know she has ties to the mob (or her sister did, not sure) well tonight we get a treat in the form of Amber Benson, playing a mob informant/stripper named...Tara Mary.
http://www.tvline.com/2011/10/ringer-buffy-amber-benson-sarah-michelle-gellar/
http://www.tvguide.com/News/Ringer-Amber-Benson-1040084.aspx
Now where have I seen that before? Oh yeah.
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2010/09/dragon-and-phoenix-episode-4.html
So in the Ringer-world Willow's spell went really wonky and "Kara" became real, but was implanted with "Candy's" personality. Sure. Why not.
ETA: I guess the sources got it wrong. Her name was "Mary" on the show.
http://www.tvline.com/2011/10/ringer-buffy-amber-benson-sarah-michelle-gellar/
http://www.tvguide.com/News/Ringer-Amber-Benson-1040084.aspx
Now where have I seen that before? Oh yeah.
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2010/09/dragon-and-phoenix-episode-4.html
So in the Ringer-world Willow's spell went really wonky and "Kara" became real, but was implanted with "Candy's" personality. Sure. Why not.
ETA: I guess the sources got it wrong. Her name was "Mary" on the show.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
DriveThru RPG August PDF sales
It is about that time again. DriveThruRPG's blog support program where I reward you the loyal reader with savings found no where else! That is till the other bloggers also post this list!
Anyway some cool things for you all this month and the code to get 20% off of any or all the products here.
Vampire Hunter$ Modern OGL [Team Frog]
SAWS+ Character Sheet for Pathfinder [Dire Giraffe]
Field Guide to Superheroes Vol. 3 (ICONS) [Vigilance Press] *Read me review of this one on the product page*
Plastic Ships and Fuzzy Men [Inner City Games Designs]
The Genius Guide to Another 110 Spell Variants (Pathfinder) [Super Genius Games]
Iron Dynasty: Way of the Ronin [Reality Blurs] *for Savage Worlds*
Your discount code is: AfterGenConGlow2011
And for one lucky reader a FREE copy of Iron Dynasty: Way of the Ronin if they can answer this Other Side trivia question:
In "The Dragon and the Phoenix", Tara learns to speak fluent Japanese. How did this happen?
The first correct answer posted below (and some means of me emailing you the free code) will win a PDF copy!
Good luck!
Anyway some cool things for you all this month and the code to get 20% off of any or all the products here.
Vampire Hunter$ Modern OGL [Team Frog]
SAWS+ Character Sheet for Pathfinder [Dire Giraffe]
Field Guide to Superheroes Vol. 3 (ICONS) [Vigilance Press] *Read me review of this one on the product page*
Plastic Ships and Fuzzy Men [Inner City Games Designs]
The Genius Guide to Another 110 Spell Variants (Pathfinder) [Super Genius Games]
Iron Dynasty: Way of the Ronin [Reality Blurs] *for Savage Worlds*
Your discount code is: AfterGenConGlow2011
And for one lucky reader a FREE copy of Iron Dynasty: Way of the Ronin if they can answer this Other Side trivia question:
In "The Dragon and the Phoenix", Tara learns to speak fluent Japanese. How did this happen?
The first correct answer posted below (and some means of me emailing you the free code) will win a PDF copy!
Good luck!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Willow & Tara: Icons
I have been missing my regularly scheduled Willow and Tara posts. I posted everything for Season 1: The Dragon and the Phoenix and Season 2: Season of the Witch.
Season 3 was going to be more "supers" or even "anime" like. So I played around with Mutants and Masterminds and Big Eyes, Small Mouth quite a bit to get what I wanted, but I never quite got it there. The idea behind Season 3: Generation HEX was Willow and Tara would play a less central role as educators of the next generation of witches growing up in a world where everyone knows all about magic.
Again I never quite got it working. But the releases of Mutants and Masterminds 3rd Ed, as well as Bash, Icons and Villains and Vigilantes has got me thinking about it all again.
So here are the girls using Icons, plus some new Icons related supplements I picked up.
Icons
Icons is not really the game I would use if I were going to run a multi-year, multi-arc long game; that's what Mutants and Masterminds is for. But if I needed to run a supers game on a rainy afternoon or a convention or just something to have some fun with, then Icons is a great choice.
Icons though is perfect for trying out a couple of episodes. The biggest issues of "Generation HEX" is it lacked a bit of an identity. "Dragon" was a "Buffy Game", "Season of the Witch" was a "Ghosts of Albion" Game. So the best thing I think is to try out a couple of different "episodes" or "issues" in the various games that went to inspire the series. Now I had stopped work on "Generation HEX" long before Icons came along, but there are still things I can do.
Since I am experimenting I am used the the official module The Mastermind Affair as my test.
You can read my review of the adventure on DriveThruRPG's site.
Since I am rebuilding this season I also grabbed a ton of books on playing in High School and supers:
Willow Rosenberg
Prowess: 2
Coordination: 3
Strength: 2
Intellect: 7
Awareness: 6
Willpower: 7
Height: 5'3" Weight: 114 lbs.
First Appearance (Icons): Season 3, Episode1: We Could Be Heroes.
Powers
Wizardry (magic) 7 (Telekinesis, Blast)
Detection
Mind Control 4
Supersenses (magic, ghosts, astral [sight, hearing, touch]) 3
Telepathy 2 (4 /w Tara)
Specialties
Science, Occult, Electronics, Computers, Languages
Stamina: 9
Determination: 1
Aspects
Qualities
Connections, Motivation: "To learn more magic"
Challenges
Personal: Out Lesbian.
Relationship: Tara
Tara Maclay
Season 3 was going to be more "supers" or even "anime" like. So I played around with Mutants and Masterminds and Big Eyes, Small Mouth quite a bit to get what I wanted, but I never quite got it there. The idea behind Season 3: Generation HEX was Willow and Tara would play a less central role as educators of the next generation of witches growing up in a world where everyone knows all about magic.
Again I never quite got it working. But the releases of Mutants and Masterminds 3rd Ed, as well as Bash, Icons and Villains and Vigilantes has got me thinking about it all again.
So here are the girls using Icons, plus some new Icons related supplements I picked up.
Icons is not really the game I would use if I were going to run a multi-year, multi-arc long game; that's what Mutants and Masterminds is for. But if I needed to run a supers game on a rainy afternoon or a convention or just something to have some fun with, then Icons is a great choice.
Icons though is perfect for trying out a couple of episodes. The biggest issues of "Generation HEX" is it lacked a bit of an identity. "Dragon" was a "Buffy Game", "Season of the Witch" was a "Ghosts of Albion" Game. So the best thing I think is to try out a couple of different "episodes" or "issues" in the various games that went to inspire the series. Now I had stopped work on "Generation HEX" long before Icons came along, but there are still things I can do.
Since I am experimenting I am used the the official module The Mastermind Affair as my test.
You can read my review of the adventure on DriveThruRPG's site.
Since I am rebuilding this season I also grabbed a ton of books on playing in High School and supers:
- Smallville High School Yearbook (Cortex Plus)
- Hope Prep #0: Orientation (Icons)
- Hope Prep School Freshman Handbook (M&M 3)
- Mutants and Masterminds 2nd Edition Beginners Guide
Prowess: 2
Coordination: 3
Strength: 2
Intellect: 7
Awareness: 6
Willpower: 7
Height: 5'3" Weight: 114 lbs.
First Appearance (Icons): Season 3, Episode1: We Could Be Heroes.
Powers
Wizardry (magic) 7 (Telekinesis, Blast)
Detection
Mind Control 4
Supersenses (magic, ghosts, astral [sight, hearing, touch]) 3
Telepathy 2 (4 /w Tara)
Specialties
Science, Occult, Electronics, Computers, Languages
Stamina: 9
Determination: 1
Aspects
Qualities
Connections, Motivation: "To learn more magic"
Challenges
Personal: Out Lesbian.
Relationship: Tara
Tara Maclay
Prowess: 2
Coordination: 2
Strength: 3
Intellect:
Awareness: 7
Willpower: 6
Height: 5'5" Weight: 128 lbs.
First Appearance (Icons): Season 3, Episode1: We Could Be Heroes.
Powers
Wizardry (magic) 6 (Telekinesis, Force Field)
Aura 3 (supernatural creatures affected only, fear aura)
Blast 2
Emotion Control 2
Healing 4
Supersenses (magic, ghosts, astral [sight, hearing, touch]) 3
Telepathy 2 (4 /w Willow)
Specialties
Art, Occult, Psychiatry, Languages
Stamina: 8
Determination: 1
Aspects
Qualities
Connections, Motivation: "To protect the innocent"
Challenges
Personal: Out Lesbian.
Relationship: Willow
These are built assuming this is the start of Season 3 and the girls have quite a bit of experience. I like these builds, but I think I am going to need more practice in this game.
Icons has some great advice/hints/tips on making an archenemy, I think I am going to have to take that advice and figure out someone for the girls to battle.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
K is for Kittenboard
Back in the day I spent a lot of time on Discussion Boards. Lots and lots of time. The board though arguably I spent the most time on was The Kitten Board.The Kitten Board, also known as "The Kitten" is short for "The Kitten, The Two Witches, and The Bad Wardrobe". As can be gleaned from the name, it is a board dedicated to Willow and Tara. Members are also known as Kittens.
The Kitten was my place to go back in the early part of the 2000s. I had started my WitchCraft based Willow and Tara game back in 2001 and was told I really need to visit "the Kitten" since it was the place for Willow and Tara fans. I did and was hooked. It was through the Kitten that I met all sorts of great people. All of the authors and players in my Willow & Tara games "The Dragon and the Phoenix" and "Season of the Witch" as well as meeting Christopher Golden and Amber Benson.
Back in 2001 I lost my dot com job like so many others so I was at home for a while looking for a new job. I was laid off on Sept. 10, 2001. So I was at home on Sept 11, 2001 and watched the whole World Trade Center on TV. I worked back and forth between the Kitten and the TV to see what was going on. That was the start of my time there.
Of course we were the first to also learn that Tara was going to be killed. It was my rather vocal opposition to this on the Kitten that got me the attention of several of the shows writers. While some were pissed at us, I also had others that secretly agreed with me and were sending my copies of the scripts as soon as he could.
We ran a charity event and raised over $8,000.00 to support the Trevor Project. That was at the time (and I think of all time) that any "Buffy" based board had ever raised for charity. Recently Amber Benson herself donated to the Trevor Project with the help of the Kitten Board.
One thing the Kitten is most remembered for is of course the "Dead/Evil Lesbian Cliché FAQ". IF you have not read it, then please do. While Whedon/Mutant Enemy may not have set out to tell a clichéd, ultimately they did exactly that. Intentions are good for the Road to Hell. Before you start quoting Season 7 or the godawful comic keep in mind when this was written and that all those later things happened after Whedon and co had to answer the question of why Tara had to die a 1000 times and are still be asked about today. they were wrong and now ten years later I see more people saying "the Kittens were right".
10 years later the Kitten is still going when many of the other boards that were around at the same time are distant memories.
I don't get into boards much anymore. I hated the fighting between them that made the Edition Wars look like two first graders pushing each other on the play ground. I hated some of the cliqueness of it all. I still have close to 5000 posts there, which is not a lot given that it is 10 years old, but a lot if you consider I did most of those in the first 3 years.
I know one thing though, I'll always have a home at the Kitten.
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