Happy Birthday Lucy Lawless

In celebration of who might very well be the biggest reason most people come to my blog, here is a happy birthday to Lucy Lawless, aka Xena.

And since DC Women Kicking Ass has declared Xena an honorary DC ass-kicking woman, here are some stats for her for DC Adventures/Mutants & Masterminds 3rd Ed.

I am going with the idea here that Xena might be more than just human.

Xena, Warrior Princess - PL 8
Strength 4, Stamina 4, Agility 4, Dexterity 3, Fighting 5, Intellect 2, Awareness 2, Presence 3

Advantages
All-out Attack, Attractive 2, Chokehold, Connected, Contacts, Defensive Roll 3, Diehard, Equipment 2, Improved Critical: Nerve Pinch: Suffocation 1, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Leadership, Power Attack, Precise Attack (All) 4, Skill Mastery: Close Combat, Skill Mastery: Ranged Combat

Skills
Acrobatics 6 (+10), Athletics 6 (+10), Close Combat: Sword 4 (+9), Insight 2 (+4), Intimidation 6 (+9), Perception 6 (+8), Persuasion 6 (+9), Ranged Combat: Chakram 8 (+11), Stealth 4 (+8), Treatment 1 (+3)

Powers
Leaping: Leaping 1 (Leap 15 feet at 4 miles/hour)
Nerve Pinch: Suffocation 1 (DC 11, Advantages: Chokehold; Grab-based)
Protection: Protection 2 (+2 Toughness)
Regeneration: Regeneration 1 (Every 10 rounds)
Equipment
 Chakram (Boomerang), Sword

Offense
 Initiative +4
 Chakram, +11 (DC 20)
 Grab, +5 (DC Spec 14)
 Nerve Pinch: Suffocation 1, +3 (DC Fort 11)
 Sword, +9 (DC 22)
 Throw, +3 (DC 19)
 Unarmed, +5 (DC 19)

Complications
 Honor
 Motivation: Doing Good
 Relationship

Languages
 Greek

Defense
 Dodge 7, Parry 7, Fortitude 8, Toughness 9/6, Will 4


Power Points
 Abilities 54 + Powers 8 + Advantages 22 + Skills 25 (49 ranks) + Defenses 11 = 120

Wanted to Trade

Hey out there!

So I have a couple copies of the 4th Edition "Manual of the Planes" and a copy of the 1st Edition "Manual of the Planes" that I'd like to trade for a 3rd edition version.

The 4e one is in very good condition. A couple of the pages have had some corners bent by accident, but I have it sandwiched between some heavy books and that should fix it.  That is all that is keeping it from being in Mint status.

The 1st Ed one is in really sad shape.  It has one of those "Dragon Skin" covers on it that has melted to the cover.  The book is stained a bit and the binding is loose. It is in poor to fair shape.  You can still turn the pages and read them all.  But I don't want to play this one up, it is in sad shape.

I'd like a 3e version if anyone would part with one.  Just email me or post something below.

I am not at home at the moment, or otherwise I'd post pictures.

A to Z blog challenge, update

Getting ready for the A to Z April blog challenge.  I see there are a lot of RPG bloggers taking part too.  That is great, I can't wait to see what everyone does.

I have a tentative schedule and even some posts in the starting phase.  Trouble is I keep re-doing my posts for A, B and C!  That and I have two Hs, no J yet.  Though I think I just came up with something....

I have some game posts, but I am also using this as an excuse to post some non-rpg, non-horror content.

Hey! If you have a blog and are going to participate post a link to blog below so others can also see what you do!

Here are some I am going to follow.

• B/X Blackrazor
• Gaming All Over the Place
• Lands of Ara
• Sword +1
• Sea of Stars
• Places to Go, People to Be (still one of my favorite RPG sayings ever)
• Old School Heretic
• Porky's Expanse!
• Asshat Paladins
• Grognardia
• Grubb Street
• The Dump Stat
• A Hamsterish Hoard of Dungeons and Dragons
• Calvin's Canadian Cave of Coolness

Ands a few new blogs to me that are also participating.

• City of Iron
• Tower of the Archmage
• The Jovial Priest
• There's Dungeons Down Under
• Quickly, Quietly, Carefully
• No Signal
• Redwald
• Nine and Thirty Kingdoms
• Lasgunpacker
• Appendix N
• The Underworld Kingdom
• Alien Shores

Reviews: Eden Studios / Misfit Studios Edition

Some more reviews, my goal is to have my review queue cleaned out by the end of 2011.

Here are some of my favorite products from two of my favorite publishers, Eden Studios and Misfit Studios.  They had a partnership a while back and produced some really good products.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?cPath=299_4530&affiliate_id=10748

Armageddon: Armed Force
For a while Misfit Studios and Eden Studios worked on a partnership, one of the outcomes of that partnership was this new book for the Armageddon game.  Filled with just tons of information on real world and the world of 2018 military equipment.  Plus a bunch of new qualities that would also work great for WitchCraft or even Conspiracy X. Great map of the conflicts and what is going on in the war, new combat rules for Unisystem. Not to mention new magic and monsters. If you play Unisystem and need any type of military information then this is the book you need. If you play Armageddon, then this is the book you need.
5 out of 5 starts

Armageddon: Enemies Archived
You can never be too rich, too thin or have too many monsters. And in the post-Reckoning world of Armageddon, this is also true. This book contains a number of horrible beasts that rose up after the reckoning occurred. Some have always been around, others are new to this realm. Written by Steven Trustrum for Misfit Studios under license from Eden studios. This book is a fantastic guide that is perfect for any Classic Unisystem game or even Cinematic Unisystem. It's faux military dossier style makes it perfect for Conspiracy X or even an Initiative based Buffy/Angel game.
5 out of 5 starts

Odyssey Prime
Odyssey Prime is a fantastic premise that was perfect for the time. What if all your d20 (and Unisystem) worlds were connected? One part Armageddon: The End Times, one part Conspiracy X and one part Stargate SG1, the Odyssey Prime Mission was to "seek out new life and new worlds, and get to them before ours blows up!". Some examples were given of various d20 products from many publishers on how link in their product to this one. Pluses: Great use of the d20 system to do a variety of things (military, tech and magic). Built in excuse to use all your d20 books in one game. Minues: Lacked product support since the line was delayed. Still a fun game though and one I would enjoy seeing come back.
4 out of 5 starts

Odyssey Prime: Southern Discomfort
Odyssey Prime was a noble experiment. Take all the d20 worlds you can grab (or buy) and link them all together with a Stargate like device to transversing the multiverse. And for good measure include the in-house rules of Unisystem.
The game was a great idea, but something about it never caught on with everyone. Regardless the ideas are sound and this is a good adventure based on the simple idea that everything is better with velociraptors.
Worth it for the dino-stats alone really.
4 out of 5 starts

The Dragonslayers vs White Plume Mountain, Part 2

We continued on with White Plume Mountain.

The Dragon Slayers made their way through and fought the giant crab protector of Wave.  They got the idea really fast about not poking the semi-solid membrane and they even remembered to shut all the doors in case it did break.

They are now in the inverted ziggurat room they defeated the first water layer and the dessert layer.  Then pizza came and the combat was held for another day.  I have mentioned that there are other groups of adventures here also looking for the other items, Blackrazor and Wave (they are supposed to get Whelm for Omar), but I have not pulled them out yet.   I think I will do that next session.

Also the final battle will be with Keraptis and Dragotha.  Dragotha will swoop down and grab the PC holding one of the items and carry them off to the Cave of Bones.  Cheesy I know, but it works.

I have the 3.5 update for WPM and while it is nice to have the stats for the monsters handy I don't care for how the weapons have been re-done as legacy weapons.  Even with everything that you need to do to get the powers up and going they seem less interesting than they did under 1st Ed.  I am thinking of just using the 1st ed stats to be honest, not even really upping them.

Might get some more in tomorrow.

Zatannurday: Adam Hughes

I have mentioned elsewhere that I think Adam Hughes might be my favorite artist for Wonder Woman.  He also does a very awesome Zatanna.

This might one of his most recognized versions of Zee.

And this one,

And let us not forget this awesome piece of all the DC women.

He keeps his Deviant Art page updated as well and you can visit his Zatanna gallery here, http://adamhughes.deviantart.com/gallery/27635250

Season of the Witch: Episode 11

Episode 11: The Burning Times

April 30, 2005 (Beltane)

Willow and Tara are mad. They have spent the last month researching all things mage, “Awakening” and every prophecy they can find and there is nothing useful out there. Though lots of stories of mages going insane or accidently causing destruction wherever they go. Plus their Adourflame condition is getting steadily worse, now they can barely touch each other without setting something on fire. A quick kiss in the kitchen one night causes the microwave to explode. In fact they discover in their research that most fire-starting supernaturals are either evil or groomed by evil. Independently each discovers something that might help, the binding ritual they used on Amy and Beth to remove their own magic. They do not mention it to the other.

They do get a visitor in the form of Anya, who is here to represent Lilith. She tells them that they have learned that Witches’ Committee is pissed off and they will be sending operatives to come and get them soon. They change plans and instead look for a refuge since they figure out that the town will not be safe. They discover there is a coven of witches, The Daughters of the Flame, in Sacramento. Willow and Tara are certain they can teleport there on their own. Anya remains, not wanting to trust their new powers teleporting them to an unknown location.

Not a moment too soon either as Bob appears to tell them that there are Witches’ Committee operatives headed their way. Anya says she will try to stall them. The girls along with Bob and Cordy, teleport out.

Arriving at the covenstead Willow and Tara are surprised to see it is really a commune with a few score witches. As soon as Willow and Tara though arrive they are set upon. There is a scuffle but soon the leader of the coven, Mistress Brent, recognizes the two and kneeling she welcomes them “home”.

They all go to Brent’s office. Cordy and Bob are silent as Brent explains the history of this coven. Bob and Brent keep looking at each other, till finally Bob calls her “Cathy”. She gasps out loud and says “Robert?” Brent, like all the women here, takes a coven name that is some form of a Celtic Goddess’ name. She explains she has been expecting them for some time now. She knows they are the reincarnations of Bohdmal and Liath, the founders of this coven. She didn’t know that Liath/Tara was the daughter of Robert Mclay, a man she had known about, but never met. Tara’s mother had been raised by the coven and was sent out to work with a “Robert Mclay” many years ago. Brent blamed that man for Megan’s death. Though Brent is torn now that Megan’s own daughter is here, seeking aid and the reincarnation of Liath to boot. Cordelia asks her leave to report this situation to the Elders and find out what she needs to do.

The girls explain what their problem is, the magic and being followed by both the Witches Committee and Lilith. Brent doesn’t trust either side. Brent offers the coven’s library, but she has never heard of two witches that were becoming mages that were also Anamchara. Bohdmal and Liath were Anamchara, but they never became mages. Brent says it is an exciting time in their cycle of life to have become mages at this point and waxes on what their next life might be like. Willow doesn’t care about the next life, she wants this one, with Tara. Tara mentions the binding ritual. Brent says that would destroy their magic, all of it, and also remove them the witches’ cycle of life, death and rebirth. Plus there is the roll they have to play in the Awakening. Willow and Tara argue that a life that they can’t have each other is no life at all. Brent agrees that if they ask her to she will perform the binding. It also means that they will never see Cordy or Bob ever again, but it will stop the Witches Committee and Lilith from chasing them. But she asks for 24 hours so they can all research a better solution.

They all agree and set to work. Because of their position in the coven, Willow and Tara are given a “Guardian” by the name of Ceridwen and a research assistant named Brigh. Brigh is in awe over Willow and Tara, having studied Bohdmal and Liath all her life. She couldn’t help but notice that their auras were brighter than any she had ever seen and more strangely they were exactly the same. Brigh said that even married couples whose auras begin to blend still retain distinctive patterns. As an example she asks them to view her and Ceri. They had been handfasted a few years back (June 21, 1997) and legally married recently (in Cerri's home of Boston last year), though both agreed that their handfasting was the true date of their bond. Brigh mentions that her own aura had been disrupted due to exposure to Taint a few years ago and when she and Ceri fell in love and were married the interplay between their auras “smoothed out” the Taint. Willow and Tara are a little stunned to meet two married women and their thoughts turn to each other. Brigh notices this and studies their auras more carefully. She gasps and tells them the exchange spiked the power in their auras. She doubts that they have 24 hours. She doubts they have 2 hours in fact before their magical feedback blew a hole in reality.

With Brent involved now the girls begin to think very seriously about the binding ritual. Of course I had dropped a hint or two, but they asked not about a binding ritual, but a bonding one. They discovered that a handfast could do the same thing but also allow them to still use their magic as always. Taking that huge step they agreed. That evening they prepared. Robert stood for his daughter, Cordy for Willow and with Cerri and Brigh as witnesses. Brent performed the ceremony. The girls kissed for the first time in a month and their auras were visible to all.

The girls are given the night to consummate their marriage, but by morning the reality of their mission hits them again. The Witches Committee are at the coven’s doorstep demanding that they release Willow and Tara to them.
The Daughters of course refuse, but the Committee tells them that they are not capable of dealing with mages. If Willow and Tara were only “just witches” it would be fine, but the Committee was set up to deal with witches that become mages. Both sides agree to allow Willow and Tara to be seen by the Committee’s people (called The Keepers). To everyone, Willow and Tara’s auras no longer look like mages, but just really powerful witches. Though they still have their mage powers. The Keepers, seeing but not believing, challenge them both to a battle Arcane. If they are Mages then they will be fine, but have to go with the Keepers. If they are witches then they will loose, but can remain here. Before anyone can say anything though Willow is grabbed by the female Keeper and Tara by the male and they all phase. All four have been removed from the reality of the coven, though everyone can still see everyone else. Willow and Tara are also not in the same reality and can’t touch to get the benefit of being Anamchara. The battle progresses, and does so poorly for the girls. Willow is locked in a reality with her attacker and Tara is also locked with her own. Cordy and Bob both make different attempts to phase into either girl’s reality, only to run into a wall. Willow and Tara both try to exploit their own connections to somehow bring themselves together, but no luck there either.
Tara does notice that the aura’s of the Keepers are also strangely linked. She figured out (with some good rolls and a drama point) that these two must be sleeping together, but don’t want anyone else to know (she sees lust and guilt). She uses the binding ritual on the male keeper to pull him closer to his clandestine lover. They crash into each other, metaphysically speaking, a cancel the magics in place. Brent rules that since Tara defeated them both not with mage magic, but witch magic they don’t have to leave with them and they can stay here. The male Keeper, furious, knocks down Brent, pulls out a gun and fires on Tara. Willow throws up a barrier and the bullet ricochets off and hits the Keeper in his side. He lives, but will need surgery to repair is intestines.

Willow and Tara decide to remain with the Daughters as a “honeymoon” and as a way to be trained on their new mage powers.

Notes: Brigh was “played” as Lexa Doig, Ceri was Yancy Butler, Brent was played by Kate Jackson, I did not cast the Keepers, but any resemblance to certain Executive Producers or show runners I am sure is by coincidence only.

Ok what is going on here?
A few things. The Daughters of the Flame are a coven I had made for my 1999 AD&D Witch book. I had used the coven a number of times in my own works and games for years before that. Lisa, who had been helping write a bunch of these episodes and was my Tara had also, independent of me, used the Daughters in her own writing. Brigh, Ceri and Brent were her creations. I ran Brigh and Ceri through some WitchCraft adventures back in 2003-2004 (where Brigh picked up some Taint from a Mad God cult), so it was nice to have them back here. In my WitchCraft game at the time I specifically mentioned that Brigh can’t read auras. Ah well, I forgotten that. The Keepers were also her creation (though she only had one) and their job was to train Mages into assassins. I wanted them all here in Season of the Witch since their genesis was so related to the “witch culture” I had built in my own games (Mages were even Prestige Classes for witches in my later d20 book).

The Daughters also gave us the chance to poke a little fun at our selves, the Willow and Tara fan community. Often stereotyped as fanatical lesbians devoted to Willow and Tara above anything else, the daughters became (on the surface anyway) a group of fanatical lesbians who believe that Willow and Tara (or rather their past lives) were their reason for being. If the Wicce book had ever come out for the WitchCraft game you would have seen a more balanced view of the Daughters of the Flame. There were the “Eala” or swans that were more passive and the “Brenna” or ravens were more fanatical.

The date the girls were married is set in my world as April 30, 2005.
Marriage. If there is one thing that is debated more in W/T fan communities more than when they first had sex it is what sort of wedding the girls should have, if any at all. I forced the issue by well, forcing the issue. Since no situation would have appealed to all tastes I made it so they had to get married in order to preserve their magic. There is a nice little bit of parity there. To save their magic (which had been a metaphor for love) and likely the world they had to get married. The Keepers, who were having an illicit affair (the male Keeper was married), actually became their weakness. I don’t pretend to be subtle.
This is also the Gaelic Tree month of "Willow".  Again.  Not subtle.
Plus we wanted to talk about the whole same-sex marriage issue, it's not something a TV would do to be honest, at least not one at the time.

Originally there was going to more to this episode making a double episode really. Dawn was going to be there as well since she was taking college courses and still in town. Willow and Tara were going to “confront their Old Souls”, but we had kind of done that with The Dragon and the Phoenix. Cordy was mostly an NPC by now anyway, but I was happy she was at the wedding, someone from the Original Series there was nice. I had more political play between the Daughters and the Witches Committee but it never came out well in the game, so it was dropped. There was also more scenes with Willow/Tara and Brigh/Ceri. We did learn that Ceri’s birth name was Susan and she had played drums in an all girl KISS tribute band called LICK when she lived in Boston. Brigh had been born Amy Nakamura to a Japanese father and an Irish mother. She had lived in Toronto.  Amy's transformation into Brigh was part of the background for my Witch Guardian post.

Next up: The Cast travels north to find the Veil between realities is torn and the witches holding it together are not in the mood to hear some new-comers' ideas on how they are supposed to do their jobs; fated or no.