(For Russel's July 2011 Exalted Game)
Jory was the third son in the line. For four generations, each controlling lord had had four children. Their blood line was always powerful but not in the top tier of house Tepet. They created a formula that worked fairly well. The first was to rule, the second became the master of secrets, the third worked for the Empire and the fourth learned the sciences. But Jory did not satisfy his father's expectations for military stratagem so he decided that sending him to work in the Imperial bureaucracy would work better. The diviners said he was likely to exalt in Water, despite the family's propensity for Air, from his mother's bloodline, but since he never exalted, his father quietly made arrangements for him to become a monk upon graduation instead since he proved fairly adept at martial arts.
He exalted the day his brother (the second) died, he exalted as air, not water. Jory's father took this as a sign from Heaven, and had Jory enrolled in the Heptagram, academy for sorcerer's only four months before he was supposed to graduate. But he proved an excellent student at sorcery, and was able to use these skills plus the contact network his brother had established to be an excellent master of secrets. As a sorcerer he was tolerated. His father had more tolerance for him than others in the house primarily because he was still able to perform many useful roles for the house.
Five years ago, his older brother and father died in the day of great tragedy. Jory would become the ruling lord instead. Jory didn't want the job, but he had no choice. In some ways, he has done well, but feels less than up to the task.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Pregen Characters for Time Cops on Shot July 2011
Pregen Characters
Professor Augustus Faustus – Discover of Time Travel in the year 2100. This is his fourth journey in time, and the one in which he finds out about time cops, and decides to set up the entire program. He could make just about anything out of some coconuts, duck tape and a radio.
Captain Luck Dodgers (Time Patrol) – A human from the 1930's who accidentally stowed away on board a time machine to the mid 25th century, who is surprisingly resilient to Paradox. He is sent on their most difficult assignments. He is able to use high tech weaponry in ways that do not cause paradox.
Captain Bravia Panera – The most famous piratess you have never heard of, scourge of the Seven seas, she hijacked a time ship and began to rob ships out of time. Rumor has it she also stole the ORIGINAL USS Monitor before they rebuilt it for use against the Merimack. Naturally the Time Cops had no choice but to recruit her.
Ooooooooooogalamana – Five human being to achieve sentience. Arguably the most intelligent human ever to walk the earth. He determined that if he invented fire, the process would naturally continue, and plotted the time and place where a time agent would appear to observe the past. Thus he cleverly bypassed 30000 years of pointless waiting for things like toilet paper and rice pudding. He earned a fortune with his witty insights but grew bored and wanted a life of action. What better place than the Time Cops?
Dent Arthur – A hapless Englishman born in the late 1800's. It was discovered that he was originally supposed to be on the Titanic when it went down when a missing passenger manifest was found, but he proved surprisingly resilient at being on the actual titanic until the Time Cops actually recruited him. They've assured him that they're going to get him off once it starts to sink. Really. They mean it.
Cleopatra – Because really, if it involves Time Travel, Cleopatra's one of those people that show up sooner or later? She's actually the fourth clone daughter of the original Cleopatra but has all of her looks and charm and memories, plus some kick ass internal cybernetics to boot.
Molly Brown – Given that every time traveler who goes to the Titanic wants to talk to the Unsinkable Molly Brown, keeping Time Travel secret became essentially impossible, so the Time Cops finally just recruited her as a honey trap to retroactively catch and fine all of the people violating the time protocols to talk to her.
Jack the Ripper's Second Cousin – Wilfred Muckley – Jack the Ripper is well guarded. There are more time cops assigned to keeping an eye on him than there are on the Titanic. However a small cult following began to lurk around his extended family, and one of them, Wilfred Muckley finally caught on, and proved resilient to attempts to keeping in the dark. So naturally the Time Cops recruited him.
Dr. Oom – Time travel beyond the 31rst century is impossible. The Time Guardians deny the Time Patrol, Time Directive and Time Cops access beyond that point. Occasionally, they send a representative, and the mysterious Dr. Oom is one such being. No one knows his abilities or his agenda.
Professor Augustus Faustus – Discover of Time Travel in the year 2100. This is his fourth journey in time, and the one in which he finds out about time cops, and decides to set up the entire program. He could make just about anything out of some coconuts, duck tape and a radio.
Captain Luck Dodgers (Time Patrol) – A human from the 1930's who accidentally stowed away on board a time machine to the mid 25th century, who is surprisingly resilient to Paradox. He is sent on their most difficult assignments. He is able to use high tech weaponry in ways that do not cause paradox.
Captain Bravia Panera – The most famous piratess you have never heard of, scourge of the Seven seas, she hijacked a time ship and began to rob ships out of time. Rumor has it she also stole the ORIGINAL USS Monitor before they rebuilt it for use against the Merimack. Naturally the Time Cops had no choice but to recruit her.
Ooooooooooogalamana – Five human being to achieve sentience. Arguably the most intelligent human ever to walk the earth. He determined that if he invented fire, the process would naturally continue, and plotted the time and place where a time agent would appear to observe the past. Thus he cleverly bypassed 30000 years of pointless waiting for things like toilet paper and rice pudding. He earned a fortune with his witty insights but grew bored and wanted a life of action. What better place than the Time Cops?
Dent Arthur – A hapless Englishman born in the late 1800's. It was discovered that he was originally supposed to be on the Titanic when it went down when a missing passenger manifest was found, but he proved surprisingly resilient at being on the actual titanic until the Time Cops actually recruited him. They've assured him that they're going to get him off once it starts to sink. Really. They mean it.
Cleopatra – Because really, if it involves Time Travel, Cleopatra's one of those people that show up sooner or later? She's actually the fourth clone daughter of the original Cleopatra but has all of her looks and charm and memories, plus some kick ass internal cybernetics to boot.
Molly Brown – Given that every time traveler who goes to the Titanic wants to talk to the Unsinkable Molly Brown, keeping Time Travel secret became essentially impossible, so the Time Cops finally just recruited her as a honey trap to retroactively catch and fine all of the people violating the time protocols to talk to her.
Jack the Ripper's Second Cousin – Wilfred Muckley – Jack the Ripper is well guarded. There are more time cops assigned to keeping an eye on him than there are on the Titanic. However a small cult following began to lurk around his extended family, and one of them, Wilfred Muckley finally caught on, and proved resilient to attempts to keeping in the dark. So naturally the Time Cops recruited him.
Dr. Oom – Time travel beyond the 31rst century is impossible. The Time Guardians deny the Time Patrol, Time Directive and Time Cops access beyond that point. Occasionally, they send a representative, and the mysterious Dr. Oom is one such being. No one knows his abilities or his agenda.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
The Cannibal and the Sky Pirate
System: Fate 3.0
Date Run: 5/28/2011
Thumbnail: A bunch of pirates find the USS monitor in 1750 and use it to make a Booty call.
Players:
Sergey - Dr. Franklin - Ship's Surgeon who is secretly a cannibal.
Daniel - Oglethorp or "O" as he is known - Radical engineer/ship's carpenter who has stolen the design for an ornithoper and claimed it as his own.
The Roberts had been having a run of bad luck, so the Captain Ohara decided to take the long way around through the Devil's triangle. They are stuck in the mists for three days. When they come out the spot a strange Iron Island. The captain sends them to investigate.
O went to investigate first and lands, but smelled 'cooked meet' inside after opening the hatch, waiting for the long boat to arrive. O entered shortly before everyone else. Dr. Franklin discovered that the people were some cooked from the inside out. O discovered the engine room and with a bit of finagling manages to get it working. They figured out how to steer the ship. Dr. Franklin sampled a few of the dead.
There was a lot of discussion, with the Captain listening to input from the crew as to what to do. It was decided that they will go into the nearest Pirate haven to listen for rumors. They parked the Iron Clad near by and sailed the ship in. Most of the crew were kept on board the ship to maintain secrecy. They listened carefully and found out about a Spanish treasure ship in Cartagena.
They spent several days training with the Iron Clad to learn how to use it and then sailed in the dead of night, just before the ship was set to leave, only there was not just one ship but seven, plus four fully loaded gun ships. The pirates surprised one of the gunships, blowing it out of the water, and quickly sank the other three. Dr. Franklin treated the injured. O flew above them and dropped bombs. There was a tense moment with the admiral on one of the seven treasure ships but a deal was made in a secret note delivered by O. Right before they left, however, the Pirates made an offer to the Spanish soldiers to join them, and stole an extra ship worth of treasure, taking nearly 5 ship's worth of bullion.
Things got tense on the ship as the Captain and Boatswain and First Mate worked hard to keep the pirates who were now insanely wealthy in line. A plan was hatched to approach Port Royal and talk with the governor to essentially buy a pardon from the British. Whilst this was going on, O noticed several people going missing, and being bored, clever and a little bit unwise from time to time put together that they had all been to see Dr. Franklin about the subject...alone...in his room. Dr. Franklin quietly shut the door and convinced O to drink a drugged potion but as he collapsed, he shot a gun into the air. A short while later, the Boatswain entered to find out what had caused the ruckuss. At first the Doctor tried to explain that O had gone crazy but the Boatswain was having none of it. He ungagged O and O explained how Dr. Franklin was merely showing him an escape trick. The Boatswain rolled his eyes and left but muttered something about 'kinky.' O and Dr. Franklin came to an accord.
A short while later, the group went to meet the Governor and bought their pardons. Dr. Franklin and O both bought knightships as well. O established a mighty university in North America (as far away from O as possible) where he had agents scour the world for designs and inventions...so he could steal them and claim them as his own. Dr. Franklin bought a nice isolated island where he could hire many servants and entertain many guests. And occasionally eat them.
Date Run: 5/28/2011
Thumbnail: A bunch of pirates find the USS monitor in 1750 and use it to make a Booty call.
Players:
Sergey - Dr. Franklin - Ship's Surgeon who is secretly a cannibal.
Daniel - Oglethorp or "O" as he is known - Radical engineer/ship's carpenter who has stolen the design for an ornithoper and claimed it as his own.
The Roberts had been having a run of bad luck, so the Captain Ohara decided to take the long way around through the Devil's triangle. They are stuck in the mists for three days. When they come out the spot a strange Iron Island. The captain sends them to investigate.
O went to investigate first and lands, but smelled 'cooked meet' inside after opening the hatch, waiting for the long boat to arrive. O entered shortly before everyone else. Dr. Franklin discovered that the people were some cooked from the inside out. O discovered the engine room and with a bit of finagling manages to get it working. They figured out how to steer the ship. Dr. Franklin sampled a few of the dead.
There was a lot of discussion, with the Captain listening to input from the crew as to what to do. It was decided that they will go into the nearest Pirate haven to listen for rumors. They parked the Iron Clad near by and sailed the ship in. Most of the crew were kept on board the ship to maintain secrecy. They listened carefully and found out about a Spanish treasure ship in Cartagena.
They spent several days training with the Iron Clad to learn how to use it and then sailed in the dead of night, just before the ship was set to leave, only there was not just one ship but seven, plus four fully loaded gun ships. The pirates surprised one of the gunships, blowing it out of the water, and quickly sank the other three. Dr. Franklin treated the injured. O flew above them and dropped bombs. There was a tense moment with the admiral on one of the seven treasure ships but a deal was made in a secret note delivered by O. Right before they left, however, the Pirates made an offer to the Spanish soldiers to join them, and stole an extra ship worth of treasure, taking nearly 5 ship's worth of bullion.
Things got tense on the ship as the Captain and Boatswain and First Mate worked hard to keep the pirates who were now insanely wealthy in line. A plan was hatched to approach Port Royal and talk with the governor to essentially buy a pardon from the British. Whilst this was going on, O noticed several people going missing, and being bored, clever and a little bit unwise from time to time put together that they had all been to see Dr. Franklin about the subject...alone...in his room. Dr. Franklin quietly shut the door and convinced O to drink a drugged potion but as he collapsed, he shot a gun into the air. A short while later, the Boatswain entered to find out what had caused the ruckuss. At first the Doctor tried to explain that O had gone crazy but the Boatswain was having none of it. He ungagged O and O explained how Dr. Franklin was merely showing him an escape trick. The Boatswain rolled his eyes and left but muttered something about 'kinky.' O and Dr. Franklin came to an accord.
A short while later, the group went to meet the Governor and bought their pardons. Dr. Franklin and O both bought knightships as well. O established a mighty university in North America (as far away from O as possible) where he had agents scour the world for designs and inventions...so he could steal them and claim them as his own. Dr. Franklin bought a nice isolated island where he could hire many servants and entertain many guests. And occasionally eat them.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Stilts: Character for Four Color Comix Mush
(I don't get to play on this very often but from time to time I drop in for the nostalgia of the old days when I'd play Grenademan on Children of the Atom 2....The picture was done by Flynn Nicholls))
Stilts is a young man of approximately 6 feet 2 inches of height. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He is comely but not handsome. He is muscled, but not muscular. He has posture but is not graceful. Were one to look at his face it would seem largely forgettable and and average 18 year old boy.
The exception to that might be the large robotic stilts that compose his legs. At the moment they're underneath a large pair of blue jeans. He also is wearing a white t shirt. He has a wrist watch that looks like it was made in the 1950's with the tiny initials, "JS" written in one side.
-----------------------------< Stilts () - Male >-----------------------------
Brought to you by Megalith Corp
Approved Character PL 10 Type: 150 PP Avail: 0 Spent: 150
---< Attributes >------------------------------------------< Value: 24 PP >---
Strength: 14 (+2) Dexterity: 14 (+2)
Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 14 (+2)
Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 14 (+2)
---< Skills >----------------------------------------------< Value: 25 PP >---
Survival Wis 1 [3] Stealth Dex 3 [5]
Sense Motive Wis 3 [5] Pilot Dex 3 [5]
Notice Wis 4 [6] Acrobatics Dex 15 [17]
Climb Str 2 [4] Craft Mechanical Int 10 [12]
Craft Structural Int 10 [12] Knowledge Technology Int 10 [12]
Knowledge Physical Sci Int 10 [12] Gather Information Cha 4 [6]
Escape Artist Dex 1 [3] Disable Device Int 14 [16]
Computers Int 10 [12]
---< Feats >-----------------------------------------------< Value: 19 PP >---
Acrobatic Bluff Improved Trip
Attack Focus:Ranged [5] Inventor
Beginner's Luck Jack Of All Trades
Crushing Pin Luck [2]
Dodge Focus [2] Power Attack
Grappling Block Sweeping Strike
Improved Throw
---< Powers >----------------------------------------------< Value: 40 PP >---
Protection 10 (10pp) Technological - Link With the Stilts
Blast 7 and Enhanced Strength 10 (Flaws: Lower Body Only (-1) (For Enhanced Strength); 19pp) Rapid Extension and Retraction of the Leg
AP: Elongation 6, Leaping 7, Enhanced Strength 10 (Flaws: Lower Body Only -1; 18pp)
AP: Trip 9 (Extras: Area Effect (Cone); 18pp)
AP: Trip 10 (Feats: Split Attack, Indirect (3); 14pp)
AP: Super Strength 10 (Flaws: Leg's Only (-5); 5pp)
Super Movement 3 (6pp) Wall Crawling, Trackless
AP: Swimming 6 (6pp) Water Mode
---< Drawbacks >--------------------------------------------< Value: 0 PP >---
Complications:
Everybody's Used The Suit
Over His Head
Idle Hands are the Devil's Plaything
Drawbacks:
None.
---< Combat >----------------------------------------------< Value: 42 PP >---
Base Attack: 8 Toughness: 10+2=12
Melee Damage: 2 Fortitude: 6+2=8
Initiative: 2 Reflex: 3+2=5
Defense: 18 FF: 13 Will: 5+2=7
----------------------------------------------------------< Skills System >--
#===Stilts's +note: Complications=============================================#
Approved: Yes
Everyone's Used the Suit: Old enemies, Old Allies, There are all kinds of expectations that others might have about someone who has worn the suit, and most of them are negative. People are generally not going to take him seriously.
Over His Head: Jeremy still doesn't consider himself a super hero, not really so it is rather possible for him to quickly be overwhelmed by the magnitude of circumstances. If people's lives are on the line, he'll still rise to the occasion, but otherwise his own mind might play tricks against him causing him to screw up at the worst moment.
Idle Hands are the Devil's Plaything: Jeremy hates being bored. He will find something to do if something to do isn't found for him which means he may be the guy to push the button or the guy to pull the lever unless someone gives him a rather good reason not to (or he thinks it will get him killed.)
Background:
The Stilts first showed up in the 1950's and were used by the evil Stilt Master. Largely regarded as one of the least effective villains in history, the list of people who beat the crap out of him is a veritable who's who list of heroes at the time. It became a bit of a running joke that the Stiltmaster was a loser and that having him on your team was a sign that not only would you lose, but lose badly. The pressure and humiliation eventually caused the Stilt Master to go insane and he was placed in an asylum for the criminally insane.
A panoply of petty thugs picked them up, both because of the extreme ease at which they could be repaired and also for a lot of henchmen looking to reach the ranks of super villaindom, though they quickly gave it up as they were mocked and most proved to be just as ineffective as the original owner of the suit. One villain, the StiltMeister, enjoyed a brief reign of success at the right hand of Horus-Mael in his attempt to take over the city of Cleveland, but his unfortunate accident with a manhole cover soon ended that notable success among a string of otherwise ghastly failures.
Enter Morvis Butler, a strange youth with a masochistic streak. He was determined to resurrect the reputation of the Stilts, not as a villain but as a hero. He was by far the cleverest of the wielders thereof, and added many enhancements. This was both a curse and a blessing. He was often harassed by the police, but at the same time he achieved many stunning victories against Villains who merely assumed that he was one of their number when he showed up at a scene. He wielded the stilts through the 1970's and eventually gained quite a reputation in the city of Cleveland as a beloved hero. He retired with honor in 1980.
The Stilts then passed to Hoseph McGuilicuddy, the most heroic to have the stilts. He even became a reserve member of the AHA and was well known in the mid west in the 1980's. He wasn't known as being particularly...effective...though he had heart. A lot of heart. In fact, there were at least three instances where 'heart' saved lives and his absolute refusal to give up on his friends proved to be his most valuable asset. He was run over by a bus at the tragic age of 43.
A few extremely minor heroes tried their hand at the Stilts, as they were passed from one relative or friend to another. Nothing much happened until they were stolen again by a rather minor thug looking to make a name for himself. He didn't do well either. For six or seven years the Stilts passed through seven or eight different owners, none of whom really amounted to any resounding degree of success.
The stilts eventually ended up on the reality TV show, "Who's a HERO?!" With one of the whiniest contestants using the Stilts. He was also one of the first booted out but they liked him so much that they brought him back on "Worst of Who's a Hero" "Worst of Who's a Hero 2-12" and a large amount of c-list celebrity gigs including Dancing With Kittens. However, a life of high edge living and drug changes made Steebs Jlaster end up dead from an overdose.
Jeremy had always wanted to be a super hero. He managed to convince his parents to let him enroll in martial arts, gymnastics, wrestling, electronics and as many classes in high school as he thought would be applicable. He even found a real magician to test him to see if he had any magical skill. He didn't. He had himself tested for a meta gene. He didn't have one. He applied to several genius scholarships....Jeremy is smart but he's not a super genius. He was about to give up, when he saw IT online.
The estate of the previous owner was selling the Stilts. A quick Google search later he was able to find out the Stilts had a sort of super heroic history. He took his college fund ($20000) and used them to buy the stilts. His parents were furious. While they haven't 'disowned' him, they are very upset and things are rather icy between him and the rest of his family. He moved out on his own.
He had to get a job somewhere, and the only skill that he was good enough to earn a living at that would give him money quickly enough was working as a mechanic at Smith's Garage. Of course, the equipment that could help him repair the Stilts couldn't hurt either. Jeremy began to research all of the other owners and learn every trick and every buried secret they possessed. He even managed to work out a few on his own. Finally after a year he was ready to try them out.
As he went out to fight crime, at first he tried to keep a secret identity, but he tripped and fell and the bad guys (before beating the crap out of him) took a picture of his face, and soon word was out about who currently owned the Stilts. He nearly gave up then and there but decided against it and kept training with the Stilts. For the next six months he trained for every waking hour he wasn't working. Finally, finally he felt he was ready. Ish.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Character History - The Lifting
When I was around 11, I was able to play D&D in Houston TX with a totally random class mate of whom I remember almost nothing, and basic D&D and Keep on the Border Lands. The character is a vague memory as is almost everything else except the fact that it was a glass table.
Odd how, after 'cheating' and doing the forbidden I remember almost nothing about the ending of it. Odder still what the memory considers important.
Odd how, after 'cheating' and doing the forbidden I remember almost nothing about the ending of it. Odder still what the memory considers important.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Retro RPG - My First Character
My first character in Dungeons and Dragons, when I was 8 years old, was made when playing D&D with our rather awesome neighbor in Caspar Wyoming named Robbie. It was myself, Greg and He. I made a hobbit thief, in a fit of originality named Lippin. There were the other two characters Flipping and Nippin. We walked down a corridor and killed a bug bear.
That was it. Not a big deal really but I was hooked. Actually, I was obsessively hooked since I'd never found such a potent tool to unlock my extremely repressed imagination. I constantly bothered Robbie to let me play, even to the point that I left my soccer party early so I could go play. My parents, having read a Jack Chick pamphlet distributed by National Right to Life about the dangers of D&D, forbade me from playing.
This lasted several years.
That was it. Not a big deal really but I was hooked. Actually, I was obsessively hooked since I'd never found such a potent tool to unlock my extremely repressed imagination. I constantly bothered Robbie to let me play, even to the point that I left my soccer party early so I could go play. My parents, having read a Jack Chick pamphlet distributed by National Right to Life about the dangers of D&D, forbade me from playing.
This lasted several years.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
LARP: VILE at DragonCon 2010
My Character: Dr. Spork, radical experimenter in telekinetic fields that make him INVULNERABLE!
Background: A group of wannabes are trying to get into the world's paramount super villain org, VILE. Only one will be accepted.
Game: This game was put on by the people who run the Forest of Doors LARP, as a one shot and it ROCKED. There wasn't really much in terms of story, and the role play was...very light but thematically interesting. Basically, everyone started with a power, and had to perform capers to gain infamy points.
Every caper required a certain number of powers. So by definition you have to get people to team up with you. You can also make gadgets with tech points. You get tech points by doing things like bringing the GM's drinks, or, most fun of all, rushing out into the con and getting pictures of things like villians giving a thumbs up or down, or 'pranking' good guys. It was extremely fun though it devolved into a bit of really a relaxed party in the last hour, mainly because the GM's were all smashed.
Background: A group of wannabes are trying to get into the world's paramount super villain org, VILE. Only one will be accepted.
Game: This game was put on by the people who run the Forest of Doors LARP, as a one shot and it ROCKED. There wasn't really much in terms of story, and the role play was...very light but thematically interesting. Basically, everyone started with a power, and had to perform capers to gain infamy points.
Every caper required a certain number of powers. So by definition you have to get people to team up with you. You can also make gadgets with tech points. You get tech points by doing things like bringing the GM's drinks, or, most fun of all, rushing out into the con and getting pictures of things like villians giving a thumbs up or down, or 'pranking' good guys. It was extremely fun though it devolved into a bit of really a relaxed party in the last hour, mainly because the GM's were all smashed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
