Why not. Though Marquis of Queensbury rules did not exist yet in Ghosts of Albion, but it is hard to find Vicortian-era hip-hop.
How many points should a "Fighting Trousers" Quality be worth anyway?
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Even Witches have itches
Saw this the other night on "That 70's Show", yeah I know I am behind a bit on my TV watching.
Cause even witches have itches... Made me laugh.
Cause even witches have itches... Made me laugh.
Justice is Blind, Issue 2: BASH!
One thing that Justice is really needs is a nemesis. All good heroes are defined by their enemies. For the moment I'll leave that one to my GM. Though I did just finish Batwoman: Elegy and I am thinking that the best nemesis for her would be her own twin sister.
Justice is sort of my anti-Witch. She is smart, yes, but she is strong and has no affinity for magic whatsoever. So this makes for a character that is more physical than I have done in the past.
Since this is a new character I think I need to use the game that was my first new game of 2010, BASH!.
BASH is a pretty simple system. Basically it is kind of a modified point buy with points determined by the campaign setting. Pretty common for a supers game. The mechanic is kind of an odd one with multipliers (but I think it works for supers) and exploding doubles on 2d6, which I admit I like. It also has a cool FASRIP-looking chart for die results, so it gives it an old school feel (something all old school supers games had were charts, lots of them!). I like that the main Abilities have been reduced to just three; reminiscent of Tri-Stat, but these a Brawn, Agility Mind (BAM!). Everything after that are skills and powers.
It has it's legions of fans and that is cool and I can see why. I don't know if I'll ever play it myself. I'll try it out one day to be sure, but if and when I do, I have a character ready to go.
Here is Justice based on a 40 point game.
Name: Justice
Real Name: Astra Kent / Astra Kal-el
Brawn: 4
Agility: 3
Mind: 2
Soak: 9
Defense: 4
Mental Defense: 2
Powers
Martial Arts Mastery (Tough, Fast, Wrestling styles) (+2 Brawn, +1 Agility) 2
Flight, 15 squares, 3
Armor, Impervious (+3 Brawn) 3
Super Senses, Vision and Hearing 3
X-Ray vision 3
Keen Senses, Vision
Skillful, +2 to Skills 1
Heat Vision, Special Attack 2
Super Speed
Skills
Social/Sci - Law
Social/Sci - History
Athletics - Acrobatics
Athletics - Running
Stealth - Prowl
Investigate - Finding Clues
Security - Surveillance
Advantages
Contacts
Never Surrender
Resources
Disadvantages
Outsider
Secret
Magic Weakness (Negates Armor)
Character Points: 39
Again I like the picture being put together here.
If this was an on going narrative, Issue #1 (Mutants & Masterminds) focuses on her powers and how much she is like her parents. Issue #2 here (BASH!) then is told in flashbacks to talk about her training as an Amazon and then her later training with Bruce on martial arts and how to be a detective. Issue #3? Well not sure yet, either Icons or Villains and Vigilantes.
Either way tune in next time for the exciting new adventures of Justice!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Reviews, True20 Edition
Some more reviews from DriveThruRPG. Since I have been on a True20 kick again of late, here are some True20 products.
Colonial Gothic (True20 version)
The world of Colonial Gothic using the True20 system instead of it's normal house system. Typically when a product is converted to a "generic" system some of the style and feel is lost. Though I will say that CG survived with much more of it's soul intact. The system is normally a very easy one to learn so the conversion here does not sacrifice complexity. The game is still same, one of a supernatural New World as it becomes a new country, America.
The conversion does highlight many of the pluses of the game including it's atmosphere and style of play. It also allows you know to bring other True20 that might be helpful. In some ways I prefer this to the original. This one also gets a plus from me as a fan of this time period for play. So kudos for giving revolutionary era America a go.
5 out of 5 stars.
Legends of Excalibur: Arthurian Adventures (True20)
Legends of Excalibur, True20 edition. This conversion of the very, very good d20 edition is also very, very good. In some ways I prefer it since it takes much of the d20 overhead and trims it out. Instead we are now focused on a game that strives to emulate Arthurian Legends with a very tight and neat system. Everything in the d20 version is also here, so this is not a "trimmed down" version of anything except rules. Maybe some of the unique flavor is lost (no prestige classes or new magic systems), but they are all there expressed in terms of the True20 system, so what would have been a class in d20 is now a background feat in true20. I think the system works well in presenting that low fantasy, high romance feel that one often associates with Arthur too. In the end I think the True20 version works better than the d20 one.
I think I even like this better than Pendragon.
5 out of 5 stars.
Gearcraft: Amazing Machines and Their Construction: The True20 Steampunk Sourcebook
Gearpunk and Steampunk for your True20 games. It is in interesting book. Not set in any particular genre or time the illustrations are evocative of Victorian Steampunk, Pulp and even weird science. The rules are fairly straight-forward on how to build various machines; almost as if they were characters in their own right. Feats and skills are discussed. If you have True20 or a TRue20-based game and want to add some gear based machines (no Matric here yet) to it then this a great little book.
4 out of 5 stars.
World of Nevermore (True20)
Ever wonder what the lands of dream are like? Wonder no more with this world guide book, World of Nevermore. Filled cover to cover with a fantastic world where dreams live. A perfect world for someone with True20 and desire to do something very different. Take your characters (and players) out of their reality and into this one. The book reads like one part Lovecraft's dreamlands, one part Shakespeare's land of the fae and one part Ravenloft.
Plenty of new rules for characters including roles, feats and powers. Plenty of new monsters and 200 pages worth of world to play with them. Really fun stuff here.
5 out of 5 stars.
Shadows of Cthulhu
Any game that tries to do H.P. Lovecraft mythos has an uphill battle against the very venerable "Call of Cthulhu" which is arguably not just the best Mythos game, but maybe the best horror game ever. That is some steep competition. Shadows of Cthulhu holds up quite well really. Looking at it as a Modern Supernatural game using True20 it works out really, really well. There are plenty of new roles and backgrounds for characters. SoC does what only CoC has been able to do well and this incorporate a sanity system into the game that makes sense. Here SoC makes good use of the True20 rules and gives us the Sanity Save. Works just like the damage track already used by True20 it works very, very well with the system.
There is a great section on role-playing in the 1920s (as it should have) and a great section on sanity and the Mythos, which includes the magic common to the HPL games. All regulars are here in the bestiary and some of the "gods" of the Cthulhu mythos. I didn't notice anyone was missing. The book ends with a bit on the town of Innsmouth.
SoC had an uphill battle, but I think it did a great job of giving us a good mythos-based RPG. You would think that we were all Cthulhued-out by now, but SoC is so good and makes True20 really shine. Fantastic use of True20 and the rule additions, while not earth shaking, are great all the same. A must buy if you are Cthulhu fan or a True20 fan.
5 out of 5 stars.
The Imperial Age: True20 Edition
True 20 has become a great solution for all sorts of Modern d20 based games for me and Imperial Age shows why. The rules are adapted from the Imperial Age supplements for d20, so a lot here has been seen before, but all of it looks new through the lens of True 20.
All the Imperial Age products ooze style and this one is no different. There may be better Victorian Age games out there, but one can't deny that this is a great product and a welcome addition to any Victorian gaming library.
5 out of 5 stars.
Unlike some of the d20 books, the True20 games even by 3rd party publishers, seem to work together a bit better. Hope these games are as fun for you as they were for me.
Colonial Gothic (True20 version)
The world of Colonial Gothic using the True20 system instead of it's normal house system. Typically when a product is converted to a "generic" system some of the style and feel is lost. Though I will say that CG survived with much more of it's soul intact. The system is normally a very easy one to learn so the conversion here does not sacrifice complexity. The game is still same, one of a supernatural New World as it becomes a new country, America.
The conversion does highlight many of the pluses of the game including it's atmosphere and style of play. It also allows you know to bring other True20 that might be helpful. In some ways I prefer this to the original. This one also gets a plus from me as a fan of this time period for play. So kudos for giving revolutionary era America a go.
5 out of 5 stars.
Legends of Excalibur: Arthurian Adventures (True20)
Legends of Excalibur, True20 edition. This conversion of the very, very good d20 edition is also very, very good. In some ways I prefer it since it takes much of the d20 overhead and trims it out. Instead we are now focused on a game that strives to emulate Arthurian Legends with a very tight and neat system. Everything in the d20 version is also here, so this is not a "trimmed down" version of anything except rules. Maybe some of the unique flavor is lost (no prestige classes or new magic systems), but they are all there expressed in terms of the True20 system, so what would have been a class in d20 is now a background feat in true20. I think the system works well in presenting that low fantasy, high romance feel that one often associates with Arthur too. In the end I think the True20 version works better than the d20 one.
I think I even like this better than Pendragon.
5 out of 5 stars.
Gearcraft: Amazing Machines and Their Construction: The True20 Steampunk Sourcebook
Gearpunk and Steampunk for your True20 games. It is in interesting book. Not set in any particular genre or time the illustrations are evocative of Victorian Steampunk, Pulp and even weird science. The rules are fairly straight-forward on how to build various machines; almost as if they were characters in their own right. Feats and skills are discussed. If you have True20 or a TRue20-based game and want to add some gear based machines (no Matric here yet) to it then this a great little book.
4 out of 5 stars.
World of Nevermore (True20)
Ever wonder what the lands of dream are like? Wonder no more with this world guide book, World of Nevermore. Filled cover to cover with a fantastic world where dreams live. A perfect world for someone with True20 and desire to do something very different. Take your characters (and players) out of their reality and into this one. The book reads like one part Lovecraft's dreamlands, one part Shakespeare's land of the fae and one part Ravenloft.
Plenty of new rules for characters including roles, feats and powers. Plenty of new monsters and 200 pages worth of world to play with them. Really fun stuff here.
5 out of 5 stars.
Shadows of Cthulhu
Any game that tries to do H.P. Lovecraft mythos has an uphill battle against the very venerable "Call of Cthulhu" which is arguably not just the best Mythos game, but maybe the best horror game ever. That is some steep competition. Shadows of Cthulhu holds up quite well really. Looking at it as a Modern Supernatural game using True20 it works out really, really well. There are plenty of new roles and backgrounds for characters. SoC does what only CoC has been able to do well and this incorporate a sanity system into the game that makes sense. Here SoC makes good use of the True20 rules and gives us the Sanity Save. Works just like the damage track already used by True20 it works very, very well with the system.
There is a great section on role-playing in the 1920s (as it should have) and a great section on sanity and the Mythos, which includes the magic common to the HPL games. All regulars are here in the bestiary and some of the "gods" of the Cthulhu mythos. I didn't notice anyone was missing. The book ends with a bit on the town of Innsmouth.
SoC had an uphill battle, but I think it did a great job of giving us a good mythos-based RPG. You would think that we were all Cthulhued-out by now, but SoC is so good and makes True20 really shine. Fantastic use of True20 and the rule additions, while not earth shaking, are great all the same. A must buy if you are Cthulhu fan or a True20 fan.
5 out of 5 stars.
The Imperial Age: True20 Edition
True 20 has become a great solution for all sorts of Modern d20 based games for me and Imperial Age shows why. The rules are adapted from the Imperial Age supplements for d20, so a lot here has been seen before, but all of it looks new through the lens of True 20.
All the Imperial Age products ooze style and this one is no different. There may be better Victorian Age games out there, but one can't deny that this is a great product and a welcome addition to any Victorian gaming library.
5 out of 5 stars.
Unlike some of the d20 books, the True20 games even by 3rd party publishers, seem to work together a bit better. Hope these games are as fun for you as they were for me.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Red Sonja: Mutants and Masterminds 3rd Edition
Was re-reading my Mutants and Masterminds 3rd Edition book here and thought I should give Sonja a try.
I put her at PL 9, which is about where she would be for the Warriors and Warlocks book for M&M 2nd Ed. Plus it puts on par with Tarot Witch of the Black Rose. The two certainly seem distantly related. Or maybe not so distantly really.
Red Sonja
Real name: Sonja
Gender: F
Age: mid-20s
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 140 lbs
Hair: Red
Eyes: Green
Power Level: 9
Abilities
Dodge: 9
Parry: 9/14
Fortitude: 8
Toughness: 9
Will: 4
Armor (Chain mail)
Sword
Advantages
Accurate Attack, All out attack, Attractive 2, Close Attack, Diehard, Equipment (Sword and Armor), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical +3 (Sword), Improved Defense +2, Languages (Hyrkanian), Precise Attack (all), Prone Fighting
Skills
Athletics +7, Close combat (sword) +19, Deception +4, Insight +3, Intimidation +10, Investigation +3, Perception +5, Persuasion +4, Stealth +7
Powers
Gift of the Red Goddess Scáthach
-Enhanced Ability: Dexterity 4
-Enhanced Ability: Strength 4
-Enhanced Ability: Stamina 5
-Enhanced Ability: Fighting 10
Cold Immunity 1
Complications
Compulsion: Must never lie with a man unless he has beaten her in single combat
Fame: Sonja is known throughout the land
Power Points
Abilities: 36 Powers: 47 Advantages: 28 Skills: 14 Defenses: 10 = 135 pp
Fairly pleased with this build. I am sure it is a matter of opinion where fighting skills vs her agility vs her strength lie, but this woks out well.
Cross-posted here:
http://redsonjashedevilwithasword.blogspot.com/2011/01/red-sonja-mutants-and-masterminds-3rd.html
http://www.atomicthinktank.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=39403
I put her at PL 9, which is about where she would be for the Warriors and Warlocks book for M&M 2nd Ed. Plus it puts on par with Tarot Witch of the Black Rose. The two certainly seem distantly related. Or maybe not so distantly really.
Red Sonja
Real name: Sonja
Gender: F
Age: mid-20s
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 140 lbs
Hair: Red
Eyes: Green
Power Level: 9
Abilities
| STR: 5 (1) | AGL: 3 | FGT: 14 (4) | AWE: 2 |
| STA: 6 (1) | DEX: 5 (1) | INT: 2 | PRE: 4 |
Dodge: 9
Parry: 9/14
Fortitude: 8
Toughness: 9
Will: 4
Armor (Chain mail)
Sword
Advantages
Accurate Attack, All out attack, Attractive 2, Close Attack, Diehard, Equipment (Sword and Armor), Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical +3 (Sword), Improved Defense +2, Languages (Hyrkanian), Precise Attack (all), Prone Fighting
Skills
Athletics +7, Close combat (sword) +19, Deception +4, Insight +3, Intimidation +10, Investigation +3, Perception +5, Persuasion +4, Stealth +7
Powers
Gift of the Red Goddess Scáthach
-Enhanced Ability: Dexterity 4
-Enhanced Ability: Strength 4
-Enhanced Ability: Stamina 5
-Enhanced Ability: Fighting 10
Cold Immunity 1
Complications
Compulsion: Must never lie with a man unless he has beaten her in single combat
Fame: Sonja is known throughout the land
Power Points
Abilities: 36 Powers: 47 Advantages: 28 Skills: 14 Defenses: 10 = 135 pp
Fairly pleased with this build. I am sure it is a matter of opinion where fighting skills vs her agility vs her strength lie, but this woks out well.
Cross-posted here:
http://redsonjashedevilwithasword.blogspot.com/2011/01/red-sonja-mutants-and-masterminds-3rd.html
http://www.atomicthinktank.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=39403
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Zatanna Saturday: Zatannurday!
I am a huge fan of the special features of some blogs out there. I love Harley Qwensday over at Toyriffic and the respective Wonder Woman Wednesdays at Hero Press and The Happy Whisk are also faves.
When I do my morning blog reading it is something to look forward to. Well I have wanted to do something similar, but I already contribute to both the Amazon Princess and the Red Sonja: She Devil with a Sword blogs, so I didn't want to do something that conflicted with those. Given my likes, I would want to want to do something magical, maybe a little horror themed and something I could use in a game.
Plus I have noticed that a fair number of you are reading my blog on Saturdays, a day I don't often post since that is my day to sleep in! Of course this all lead to obvious choice: Zatanna on Saturdays. Thus Zatannurday is born!
So what's my plan? Not much of one really. Just post some pics, links maybe some game stats. We will see what happens.
So for this first Zatnnurday I'd like to share one of my favorite pics of the Mistress of Magic by David Reynolds, aka MachSabre aka one of the Daves from ShadowGirls.
I am not sure what the deal is with the crab, but I like it.
When I do my morning blog reading it is something to look forward to. Well I have wanted to do something similar, but I already contribute to both the Amazon Princess and the Red Sonja: She Devil with a Sword blogs, so I didn't want to do something that conflicted with those. Given my likes, I would want to want to do something magical, maybe a little horror themed and something I could use in a game.
Plus I have noticed that a fair number of you are reading my blog on Saturdays, a day I don't often post since that is my day to sleep in! Of course this all lead to obvious choice: Zatanna on Saturdays. Thus Zatannurday is born!
So what's my plan? Not much of one really. Just post some pics, links maybe some game stats. We will see what happens.
So for this first Zatnnurday I'd like to share one of my favorite pics of the Mistress of Magic by David Reynolds, aka MachSabre aka one of the Daves from ShadowGirls.
I am not sure what the deal is with the crab, but I like it.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Gen Con 2011 - Ghosts of Albion
So Gen Con 2011 is only like 194 days away! Where did the time go!!
I am going. I am going to run some games.
Here is my issue though.
Should I run Ghosts of Albion?
Every year I go I run Ghosts of Albion, I provide everything people need to play including sheets, a printed rule book and dice. AND I let people keep the cheat sheets, character sheets and dice. I do this on my own dime because I care for this game a lot.
But it seems I am the only one.
Look I don't want to get snarky here, but I run this game all the time I promote it, I make sure that people leave the game feeling like they had a great time. Not to brag, but I get people telling me it was the best game of the whole Con for them. I work hard on it.
Is it too much to ask then that the publisher actually you know, have books to sell?
I am not asking for free books. I just want the book that has been done for YEARS (that I still have not been paid for) to be out.
This year it is weighing on me.
I want to run Ghosts, but the joy is getting sucked out of me every time I have to say "no, you can't buy it yet. No I don't know when." It is very discouraging.
So. Anyone out there want to play Ghosts of Albion at Gen Con this year?
Should I run something new?
I am going. I am going to run some games.
Here is my issue though.
Should I run Ghosts of Albion?
Every year I go I run Ghosts of Albion, I provide everything people need to play including sheets, a printed rule book and dice. AND I let people keep the cheat sheets, character sheets and dice. I do this on my own dime because I care for this game a lot.
But it seems I am the only one.
Look I don't want to get snarky here, but I run this game all the time I promote it, I make sure that people leave the game feeling like they had a great time. Not to brag, but I get people telling me it was the best game of the whole Con for them. I work hard on it.
Is it too much to ask then that the publisher actually you know, have books to sell?
I am not asking for free books. I just want the book that has been done for YEARS (that I still have not been paid for) to be out.
This year it is weighing on me.
I want to run Ghosts, but the joy is getting sucked out of me every time I have to say "no, you can't buy it yet. No I don't know when." It is very discouraging.
So. Anyone out there want to play Ghosts of Albion at Gen Con this year?
Should I run something new?
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