Confessions of a Compulsive Gamemaster

Invested in Essentials

2010-11-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

The newest additions to my Essentials library.

Dammit Wizards of the Coast! You've gone and done it. Pulled me back into DnD when I swore I was out! I'm really digging this new Essentials line. I just dropped by Endgame and picked up a copy of the Monster's Vault and Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdom. While I haven't had a chance to read them in depth, I'm again impressed by their production value and content. The Monster's Vault in particular I'm very impressed with. The book format is great and the die cut tokens are fantastic. Not too sure how I feel about the adventure yet, but I'm confident I can edit it to my satisfaction. I can't wait to spring this stuff on the Dandies!

I'm four books deep into the Essentials line. That should suffice.

I'm really digging the tokens.

The adventures line up for the Dandies

First Session

2010-10-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

Traevus

Our first session started with the players escorting the dwarven merchant Traevus to Fallcrest. The players were unfamiliar with one another, but Gottri and Kipling had business with the dwarf. The cleric and the mage were just along for the ride. While en route they were beset upon by a pack of goblins. They managed to drive the goblinoid raiders off but not before the beasts made off with a small chest belonging to the merchant. As the goblins scurry off and disappear into the hills, the adventures catch a glimpse of a mysterious black clad rider who meets them and follows them out of site.
Desperate to get his chest back, the dwarf promises payment to whoever can bring the chest back. Gottri and Kipling decide to track the goblins, as Valora and Daevus continue with Traevus back to Fallcrest.
The halfling tracks the goblins back to their warrens and find the entrance guarded by goblins who spot the duo and attack on sight! The 2 adventurers best their attackers, but decide it best to venture into the caves with some assistance. They return to Fallcrest to recruit their 2 travelling companions. Traevus promises the adventures 30 gold for the safe return of his chest and the group agrees. They take off into the hills to investigate the goblin warrens and find the merchants missing chest.

As they travel along the road to the caves, Kipling's sharp eyes spy suspicious movement around a ruined guard tower on the road. Spotted, a pair of goblins each barely controlling a wolf hops out and attacks the group. The wolves harry the Avengers as the goblins shoot arrows from a far. Kipling manages to get the upper hand on one of the goblins and does it in. Gottri and Daeven do some major damage against the wolves, as Valora finishes the other goblin with Kipling's assistance.

With it clear that the goblins are aware of their approach, the party sets off expecting trouble.

Next Session: The Twisted Halls

Meet the Party

2010-10-24T01:13:00.000-07:00

We're into our 4th session so far and we are LOVIN' it! The Dandies are really enjoying their charactersm and I'm really having fun with where it's going. I just finished running the group through the "Twisted Halls" adventure in the Red Box, and while it did get hairy, there were no casualties (there were a few near death experiences though.)
One of the things we really love doing is casting our characters. It immediately gives us all an idea of where the characters are coming from, and what they're like. So without further ado, meet the Netir Vale Avengers:

Gottri- Dwarven Knight
(Brian Cox)

One of the few remaining members of an order of Dwarven Knights that was almost wiped out by an Orc invasion, Gottri seeks to return the order to it's formal glory and to one day win back the Hold that fell to the Orcs.

Valora- Elven Warpriest
(Tilda Swinton)

Hailing from the mysterious Cloak Wood Valora has ventured into human lands as part of a pilgramage for her Lord Pelor. Driven by mysterious visions of the Netir Vale in flames, Valora seeks the favor of her god to help prevent this tragic vision from coming true.

Daeven- Human Mage
(Jesse Eisenberg)

A wandering sage and powerful illusionist, much of the young mage's background and motives are shrouded in mystery. He aims good or ill are kept very close to his chest.

Kipling- Halfling Thief
(Mark Sheppard)

A member of the illustrious and industrous Weatherwill Clan (his words, not ours), Kipling seeks to extend his families already extensive network (again, his words) even further throughout the Vale. Unfortunately his mother's fallen a foul of a "corrupt" religious leader and much now be "liberated by her loving son.

Now the you've met the players, next time I'll post their misadventures.

D&D!

2010-10-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

So they did it. The wizards at Wizards pulled us in with the Red Box. I plunked down the iconic starter box in front of the Dandies and they were all for it. Now a full on campaign has sprung from the whole affair. I don't know what it is that I like so much more about Essentials than Original 4th Edition, the simplification of classes, the straight forward layout, maybe the world without Teiflings and Dragonborn. Whatever it is we're diggin' it and planning on sticking with it for the foreseeable future.
We've finished the adventure that came with the Red Box and all of the characters are 2nd level and itching to get out into the world. I picked up the Essentials rule books and the DM's kit and I plan on running them through the adventure in that box as well. Look for the game postings soon!

The Red Box

2010-10-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

So for some reason I've been on a serious D&D kick. Not Old School DnD, or 3.5 or Pathfinder (which I was very close to running a few weeks ago). I'm talking 4th Edition here. Yes the boys at WotC managed to pull me back in. I tried the original 4th edition rules (which spawned the Dandies), but none of us really dug the feel. But this new Essentials line... something about it called to me. Kicking it all off with that iconic red box with the classic Elmore painting on the front went a long way towards that. And after checking some of the sneak peeks on the Wizards site, I finally caved in and picked it up. I have to say, I'm liking it. There's a solo adventure/character creation in the set that really brought back some memories. I sat down and tried it (and the additional downloadable solo) out and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. They did a really good job of introducing the rules to the player and getting you into the game.
So I'm giving you another shot DnD. I'm hoping it plays as good as it all looks.

Failed rpg mash up expirement.

2010-07-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

So I tried a little something the last time I ran. I tried an RPG Mash-up; The Pathfinder adventure Hollow's Last Hope with Warhammer 2nd edition rules. One of my players suggested I run some gritty fantasy, and the Falcon's Hollow adventure seemed like a good fit. For some reason I figured it might be really fun to run this game with Warhammer because I remember how intense it was rolling hit location and damage and praying to God the black orc didn't get a critical. Well as it turns out, I forgot how much of a whiff factor starting WH characters have. That and the fact that a Worg with a WS of 45 and 2 attacks per round is not something that a lot of beginning players can handle. Needless to say, I've decided against the pairing. It's sort of like chasing a Long Island ice tea with a Jager. You'll definitely fuck yourself up, but you won't necessarily enjoy the experience.

Descent!!

2010-01-07T09:06:00.000-08:00

So my comparision between Warhammer and Dragon Age aside, there are many things that I enjoy about the new incarnation of Warhammer. The production value being chief among them. Fantasy Flight games makes pretty toys. Lots of neat shiny bits, and cool runic dice. While researching Warhammer I came across FFG's dungeon hack board game Descent. Tempted by thoughts of the Heroquest box set back in the day I went and picked this up for my birthday a few days ago. Man is this game fun! I love everything about it from the amazing plastic figures, to the cool extra bits (wound and fatigue markers) to the puzzle piece dungeon maps! It's a great hack n' slash with no roleplay required.

I played with a few of the Dandies and everybody loved it. I will say the one thing of concern is the 4 hour play time. It's not a game you whip and an play lightly. If you want to get your mileage out of it, you better ask your buddies if they're willing to make the time commitment cuz it's a doozy. That said, Descent, love it, get it, play it.

Warhammer 3E vs. Dragon Age: Round 2

2010-01-06T22:19:00.000-08:00

I had a great Holiday break. I caught up on all my rest, enjoyed the first Christmas with my daughter, and did a whole hell a lot of gaming. An old gaming buddy of mine from back in the day joined me and the Dandies for some good ole clickety clack. I ran 2 demos of Warhammer, ran one game of Dragon age and played in another. After a few more sessions, I can honestly say that I much prefer Dragon Age over Warhammer. Don't get me wrong. Warhammer is fun, and I'm starting to get into the mechanics a bit more, but Dragon Age runs like butter. It slips right into the background, and after a couple of combats, you really start to get the stunts. I really like simple elegant systems. Warhammer tends to be pretty crunchy (and I can acknowledge that much of that comes from learning the systems ins and outs). Dragon Age you can explain to a new character and just jump right into your story. There's a serious learning curve that comes with Warhammer. That said, there's also a lot of room for cool nuances in the dice mechanics.

Now these are still early impressions. I'm planning a WHRP game at the moment and I'm really curious to see how that goes. I'll post further impressions after I run a few sessions.

(Oh btw- I planned on running a Earthdawn game from my buddy but switched at the last minute and wrote up a Dragon Age adventure on the spot. I scribbled down some notes, wrote down the adversaries stats and ran the game. I don't think I'd be able to do the same for Warhammer.)

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

2009-12-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

Warhammer... ah Warhammer. I don't know where to begin. Some of my best games I've played in were played in this setting. I was really excited to try out this new system. The dice mechanic looked fun. I enjoy the setting. That said, after last night's game I have to say that I'm underwhelmed. I don't hate the game by any means, but after playing a session I will say that this game is a hot mess. It sits firmly in the place that DnD 4e sits with me in that it's over designed. I enjoyed this much more than 4e, but damn... this game is just too busy. With cards for this, tokens for that, stances, different dice... it's not exactly GM friendly. To be fair, I was not entirely boned up on the mechanics. I had to refer to the book a lot and I can honestly say that because we focused so much on the mechanics, it made for some uninspiring play. Set up and clean up is a pain in the ass as well. The funny thing is I ran for 2 players and it went at a snail's pace. I was planning to run for 4! Luckily 2 players had to bail. It would've been a disaster. My players aren't giving up on it yet and neither will I. I ran the demo A Day Late and a Shilling Short (which I think is a pretty poor introduction to the system btw) so again I was unhappy with the scenario as written. Next time we play I'll be running something I cook up which should prove to run much smoother.

After the game I got some great feedback from Munchanka and Lawnrocket. I went home and reread the books and I can say that I'm much much more prepared to run another session. Still I will say that Fantasy Flight Games went a little ape shit making this game. I could have done without the cards and the tokens and stuff. Or at least simplified things. Two or 3 stacks of cards (ALL THE SAME SIZE PLZ!), a few universal token. Something that's easier to manage. I'm really finding that I enjoy simpler more elegant systems. Dragon Age was much more fun in comparison. The system just sort of melts into the background allowing you to get into the story. With Warhammer, the system surrounds you, bulleys you, and extorts you for money.

Dragon Age!

2009-12-20T09:58:00.000-08:00

So we played our first game of the Dragon Age RPG this past saturday. Meanmunkee did a great job for his first time in the GM's chair. I daresay that with some practice, his skills could very well rival my own one day. ;) I played Weyon Faydrick, a city elf from Denerim wanted for attacking a powerful noble. I was travelling with Siknaz's character also a City Elf named Dresden who is a friend/rival of mine, and Munchanka's character Aryn the noble's apostate son.
Character creation was quick and easy, and although I found a lot of complaints on the forums about the random character gen, I really liked it.
I wasn't sure about the rules, but after playing them I have to say I dig them. We did have to refer to the stunt list a lot which slowed down play some, but by the end of the game, we were already getting some. It was cool because we started developing individual tactics as players. There were definitely some stunts we each favored more than others. It made the characters stand out a bit more which was nice. I also have to say that I enjoyed playing in a smaller group. I'll have to do more of that. The 8 player Deadlands group is a bit like trying to herd sheep.
All in all, I really really enjoyed it and I'm excited to play again. We'll have to see how it holds up to Warhammer.

Fantasy Overload!

2009-12-16T11:41:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've posted and I've been BUSY! Not only working on my comic, but working on being a new dad and crunching like crazy at work. But I've still managed to find time to game. And game I have! The Lunch hour supers game has, for the most part, fizzled out. Whether due to lack of interest or scheduling, I'm not entirely sure. I'm sure at some point we'll be circling back around to it, but for now, it's on the back burner.
I started up a Deadlands game on Monday nights and that's been a blast. We're actually really close to wrapping it up, but that's not the big news. Fantasy has been slowly creeping back into the mix in a big way. 2 new games have been released and we're looking to play both. The culprits; The Dragon Age rpg based on the computer game of the same name, and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. Both take place in a grim setting, they're pretty much polar opposites gameplay wise. Dragon Age is a rules lite game aimed at rpg newbies, and Warhammer is a prop heavy game with tons of dice, cards, paper minis and other such fiddly bits.
I'm running a Warhammer session, and my buddy Meanmunkee is taking a stab at Dragon Age. I'm really excited about both because each hasan interesting set of mechanics that I'm looking forward to trying out. Dragon Age should be especially good seeing as Munkee has never run a game before. Never really PLAYED either! @_@. I'll post about the experience of both. I think at least one of these may become the big campaign for next year.

Crap ending

2009-12-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

So I ran the finale to my Deadlands game, Coffin Rock. I have to say that it ended on a pretty sour note. TPK. Total Party Kill. It was mostly my fault. I realized I put a few too many bad guys in the game. On top of that, the presentation of one of the final scenes was boring and one dimensional. I felt really bad about it. I read through the adventure and that particular scene I didn't like I planned to change.
After the game the Dandies (our group) gave me a really good critique. I came away with a lot of notes and good strategies for future games. That said, I'm thinking that this is probably one of the last times I'm going to run a pregen or if I do I'm going to heavily alter it to my tastes (which is what I should've done anyway). Much of the praise I recieved was from material that I added to the game. And indeed when I run scenarios that I plan myself they run smoother and a much more fun for everybody.
So my plan to run The Flood after Coffin Rock has been abandoned. I've passed the torch onto my sister Gunghogirl. I'll join the posse as a PC, something I haven't done in awhile. I'm sure I'll get fidgety at some point and I'll bust out a game.

UPDATE: So I've decided to rerun the ending rewritten and reconfigured. I'm pretty excited about it actually and I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out. On top of altering the scenario, I'm actually fiddling with the system. I'm going to be using a Savage Worlds homebrew that alters a bunch of the mechanics but I think may play a bit better and makes a bit more sense. Of course it could also be broken as hell. All will out after the holidays.If it works out, I may post the House rules here for people.

Issue 1

2009-06-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

After all that set up the group was primed and ready for action. Here's an account of what when down the first session.

Barrier and Apogee arrive at the Ikarus launch command center with Valkyrie and enter the facility amid a hail of photo flashes. Apogee poses grandly for pictures as the press' attention is drawn towards the familiar airborn sight of Star City's premiere superhero Champion arriving fashionably late to meet them. The heroes exchange greetings and then head inside to prepare for the launch. Dr. Elena Mitchum greets them and briefly goes over the flight plan. She then subjects them to a battery of tests before their all cleared for the journey. The Heroes are all then lead to the portal room where they are teleported to the Ikarus. This is Barrier's and Apogee's first portal experience and it doesn't go very well for them. After a quick clean up the flight crew prepares the warp drives for a jump.
Elsewhere, Mungo Man, Voltz and The Temporalist wait in one of Dr. Omega's conference rooms to start the mission. They wait for another of Omega's hirelings, a Rogue named Oni, to take control of the Ikarus' portal room so they can beam aboard. Dr. Omega hands the Rogues each a device.
"It's a shunt. An emergency portal device. Keep it on you at all times if you want to make it back to base safely."
The Temporalist, never being a trusting man, decides to open the device and get a look. Being a man of science himself he easily opens the casing and checks it out. Not all looks in order, and in his expert assessment, the item doesn't do exactly what Omega claims. But before the Temporalist can figure it out the device explodes. He's thrown to the ground but his pride is hurt more than anything else. Dr. Omega's Omega-men surround the Rogue and call Omega to the room. The Temporalist takes it in stride telling the others he doesn't trust the device and refuses to use it. Dr. Omega tells them that there is a safety built into the device in case one of them decides to try and turn on them.
"You can refuse to use it if you like. If so, you're going to have to try and get back to earth on your own."
The Temporalist still refuses, but Mungoman and Voltz reluctantly keep their devices. Dr. Omega gives Mungoman one more device, a small disc and tells him he must attach it to the ship's navigational controls and leads them to his portal room. Oni makes contact, she's in position.
The Rogues appear in the Ikarus' portal room with a blast of portal energy. As they try and recover from the disorientation, the see Oni for the first time standing at the portal controls. 2 technicians lie at either side of her and one guard lies next to a severed rifle all unconscious.

"Portal room, we've registered an unscheduled teleportation. Is everything alright?"

The Rogues spring into action without a word between them. On the bridge. "Something's wrong." Valkyrie reports. Barrier springs into action. Valkyrie joins him ordering Champion and Apogee to protect the bridge.

The door to the portal room swishes open as 2 Prescient Industries security guards burst into the room guns leveled. Mungoman, Voltz and the Temporalist make quick work of them as Dr. Omega appears on the portal platform. Barrier makes his way onto the scene with Valkyrie. Mungo Man lashes out with a vicious attack on Barrier only to find it turned back on himself. Oni takes a step back and unceremoniously disappears. The Temporalist lets off a barrage of bullets at the hero only to find them turned back on him as well.
"Fascinating." Dr. Omega blasts the hero with his Omega Ray and Barrier turns away from the attack in pain. Barrier decides to take on Dr. Omega himself but can find little purchase against the powerful rogue.
Mungo Man breaks from the fight and moves into the hallway to join Voltz against Valkyrie. Oni makes short work of the PI Security guards helping the heroes as they find their rifles suddenly sliced in half by an unseen force.
Voltz has managed to throw Valkyrie off her game. She barrages the armored hero with electrically charged fists. "You're not so tough."Voltz gloats over Valkyrie right before a blast of crimson energy smashes her against a near by wall. Champion has joined the fight.
"Get to the bridge!" Omega commands Mungo Man. He complies with a nasty glare for the mastermind. Omega turns towards Barrier and clicks a control on his belt disappearing with a discharge of particle energy. Mungo Man races to the Bridge and runs into Apogee. Before the hero can do anything Mungo Man wraps himself around him tightly. Apogee easily uses his telekinesis to pop the villain off of him. Suddenly the Temporalist appears next to Mungo and takes the navigation device as well as the villains emergency shunt. He heads towards ship controls and a surprised Dr. Mitchum.
Dr. Omega appears on the bridge with a flash of light. He quickly grabs the young Doctor and lifts her off the ground, his gauntleted hand wrapped around her neck just as Champion and the other heroes get enter the bridge. "Ah, ah, ah. One more step and I snap poor Dr. Mitchum's neck."
The heroes quickly surrender. Omega has the rogues gather all of the scientists and heroes together as the Temporalist attaches the navigation device to the ship's computers.
Suddenly a field appears around everyone clustered on the bridge. The field seems to arch from Dr. Omega's henchmen, to all the Rogues wearing shunt devices creating an energy web that traps anyone nearby. Only Dr. Omega and Dr. Mitchum are unaffected. On the bridge monitor a countdown starts for a jump.
"I've been waiting a long time for this Champion." Omega begins his monologue. He tells them how this has all been an elaborate ruse to trap Champion on board and launch him into deep space. He's set the ship for Saturn, a trip that would expend the jump engine's power source leaving them stranded far from earth. The trip back would take decades and they'd all be dead long before that happens. The hero and rogues watch in horror as the countdown gets towards one. But before Omega can finish his gloating and leave, Dr. Mitchum manages to kick the statis field control in the villain's hand. The stasis field drops and Champion launches a vicious attack at Omega. Champion gets 2 quick hits on the villain before anyone can launch their own attacks. And then BOOM! They both disappear in a burst of energy.
Everyone looks towards each other and then the countdown clock. 3-2-1.... JUMP!

Primer

2009-06-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

With the back story all set, I sent out emails to both sides to set the stage for our first epic game.

The Heroes set up:

Alpha Force's Star City HQ wasn't exactly what you were expecting. You were thinking something along the lines of it's New York counter part, a glass and metal spiraling affair that defiantly challenges the city's skyline. (Well... technically it's not really glass. It's a high density alien polymer that's a 10 times more resistant than construction steel. Another gift from the Altaari.) Star City's branch is a rather mundane affair. A corporate office building centrally located in the heart of Downtown, simple enough to miss if you were walking by. But this is a rather new installation, and new lot construction on the island is hard to come by.

You've been a formal member of the team for a few weeks now and you still haven't quite gotten used to walking into the lobby in the mornings. You still feel a tad ridiculous striding in in costume and checking in at the lobby. But Gen-F4 (or Jennifer) always makes you feel comfortable. She greets you as bubbly and warm as she does every morning "Good morning gentleman. I trust you're feeling well today." She smiles broadly and you marvel at how she could ever be a construct. "Everyone is getting together for a group meeting in the staging room. I think there are new assignments today." You're pretty sure she- it knows exactly what's going on, but you find her conversational tone comforting. "I have a cup of your preferred morning beverage waiting for you. Have a great day." With a hiss a dispenser door in Jennifer's desk slides open and a small tray with whatever you take in the morning is presented to you. This job definitely has it's perks!

The elevator doors glide open and you stride through a short hallway to find yourself in the Staging Area, Alpha Force's command center. A large circular table dominates the center of the room and you see most of the other Alpha Force members clustered engaging in morning conversation. Red Cross and Blue Shield converse amiably while the Huntsman listens quietly. Valkyrie works on the computer, probably preparing for the days briefing. Titan sits on the floor at his full 12 feet. He can be smaller, but he seems to feel more comfortable at that size. Him and the Comet seem captivated by the enchantress Illuma. You can't help but be captivated yourself. She's supposed to be the reincarnated Sorceress Supreme of Atlantis. something like a magical Dali lama. You've seen her powers in action so you know there's probably something to that claim, but seeing the 18 year old blue skinned girl in a loose fitting blue and foam green tunic makes it a little hard to swallow.

"Barrier and Apogee have arrived." Jennifer's voice announces your presence as you walk into the room. Valkyrie looks up for a moment and returns to the virtual screen hovering all about her. "Hey guys. Come on in. Take a seat." You do as everyone follows suit. Even Titan recedes to a more manageable size to sit at the table. The group welcomes you and quickly transitions into business. Titan and the Comet are assigned to look into a rash of high tech crimes across the city reportedly committed by zombies. Red Cross, Blue Shield and Illuma mention something about volunteering for some reconstruction at the site of a recent super clash in the Northpoint district. Huntsman claims to have leads on a designer drug ring run by the Family. He doesn't want backup. That guy loves working alone. Valkyrie leaves the last bit of business to you.

"Alright rookies. We haven't forgotten about you. You guys have done well on patrol and SoCorp says you were instrumental in helping stop that new super-perp Cacaphony. So I thought I'd throw you a bone and give you something exciting." Valkyrie runs her gantleted hands across the table projection screen and brings up a couple of images. One of Dr. Elena Mitchum, creator of Valkyrie's powered armor. The other of the Ikarus, a shuttle scheduled to launch within the week.

"No doubt you've all heard about the launch this Thursday. No need to tell you how important a launch like this is for the future of our planet (the media's doing a fair job of that.) Well, as a high profile event, Dr. Mitchum is understandably concerned about security during the test. Now, the Global Space Exploration Initiative has been kind enough to spare some security for the launch, but Dr. Mitchum has asked me and a few Alphans to add a little extra muscle." She turns to face you, the table reflecting off of her visor. "You guys ever been to Mars?" You wouldn't know it by looking, but you're pretty sure she's smiling under that helmet.

"It'll be a short trip. We'll be back by Saturday. It'll be me, Apogee, Barrier and one more." She actives another virtual monitor and the iconic face of Champion fills the screen. You're taken aback a bit. Champion is a legend and this is the first time you've interacted with him since you've been a part of the team. He's also stationed at the New York HQ, so his presence is a bit of a surprise.

"Hey guys," his voice is easy, oozing confidence and control, "I'm going to be in Star City for a few weeks, so I promised my good friend Dr. Mitchum I'd help out." He folds his arms across the iconic white C that's stretched across his chest. "It'll be great working with you guys. I've looked into your pre-Alpha career. You both seem pretty solid."

Valkyrie picks it up, "Alright, I've prepared a short bit of material to familiarize you guys with the assignment. Go over it and get ready. We're going to be part of history." With that the briefing is concluded. Your fellow Alphans leave congratulating you on your first big assignment. Whether you're ready for it or not, you're officially part of Alpha Force.

And the Rogues' set up:

Things seem the same at the Deadend cafe. It's still mostly empty except for the few regulars that seem to haunt this spot. In fact you seem to remember the exact same people in the exact same places the last couple of times you were here. If they noticed you entered you'd never be able to tell. You sit at the table you were instructed to by your employer and it isn't long before your waitress Darla comes to your table.
"The special?".
You nod an affirmative, she scribbles something on her pad and leaves. You watch her post your order for Carlos the short order cook and she gives you the all clear sign. You take a trip to the bathroom making sure to use the "special" stall. The toilet drops, tilts and swings you around quickly replacing it with another. You fall into darkness descending quickly with a hydrolic hiss. As abruptly as it starts, it ends. A sliver of light marks doorway in front of you that slides open to reveal a long corridor lined with halogen lights. Dr. Omega has a flare for the dramatic.
You quickly lose your civilian disguise and walk down the hall. There no doubt Omega is watching your every move.
An Omega-man greets you by name and escorts you to a briefing room where your allies await. Almost everyone is here. Temporalist. The Mungo man. Voltz. Only Landslide is strangely absent.
The briefing room is lit by a single ring of lights that illuminate a medium sized circular table. As the last of you sit a doorway appears flooded with light across the room and the armored silhouette of Dr. Omega appears flanked by two of his henchmen.
"Ah good. Everyone's here. Greetings associates. I trust Darla was accommodating. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today." His voice is conversational yet still commanding. "Let us get straight to the business at hand. I'm sure you are all wondering what heist I have planned for you. Well, truth be told if I said it was going to be a high profile job I'd be understating things. If you're wondering where your earth moving associate is, his particular skill set is not going to be of much use on this mission."
With a casual gesture a wall monitor blinks to life. An article from the Star City Tribune fills the wall, a picutre of the shuttle Ikarus docked at the Inspiration space lab.
"No doubt you've heard that the Ikarus is scheduled to launch this week. The Ikarus, the vangaurd vessel that will usher in a new age for our tiny little planet."
" Billions of dollars have been invested by the world's most elite and forward thinking minds and institutions. The cost of the engine alone could finance the purchase of a small island in the South Pacific." he pauses for dramatic effect. "I'm counting on it because come this Thursday I plan to steal it with your help."
The audacity of the job stuns you for a moment. A moment which Omega uses to sell you on the job.
"At approximately 5:45 am Eastern time Dr. Elena Mitchum and a few of her technicians will be teleported from her lab to the shuttle. After a full diagnostic is run on the shuttle, it will be prepared for it's maiden voyage to Mars. At 12:15 it will make it's jump. And they won't be alone. I have good intel that Champion and a few Alpha Force members will be there as well. That's why your assistance is needed. I need you to come aboard with me to take the ship. I have an infiltrator on the ship who will take the teleportation room and program our coordinates in. We will be beamed from a pod in my facility to the shuttle where it will be a simple matter for us to take the ship, reprogram the flight coordinates, and ransom the ship for billions. A small price to pay for the future of human astronautics wouldn't you say? All said, if you all do your job properly, you could stand to walk away with more money than you could ever hope to spend in your lifetime."
He lets the gravity of his proposal weigh on you for a few moments before he gets into the specifics. You feel a flush of excitement and trepidation. Battle with a global icon. The theft of a cutting edge spacecraft. Win or lose, this one definitely puts you in league with the big boys.

Backstory.

2009-06-11T19:01:00.000-07:00

I decided not to drop my players into the NE meta-plot right away. I wanted to create some tension in the group, and I wanted them to experience a pre-invasion earth. I sent out a few emails to the players to set the stage.
This is the first email I sent out the the Hero characters:

ALPHA FORCE HQ
15 Bannerman Ave
Downtown, Star City
May 18, 2004
Alpha Force applicant,
After careful review of your civilian policing record, and a week of probationary membership, Alpha Force has agreed to induct you as a formal member of our team. Following Alpha Force tradition, you will find a formal certificate enclosed with a copy of your Federal Policing license number. Please accept our personal congratulations for your outstanding achievements.

As a new recruit, you will be serving as ancillary Supers-support in conjunction with State and Federal law enforcement in Star City. As you know, Alpha Force is nearly a global policing entity, but with the growing number of Supers in the world it has become necessary to expand our once static numbers. Nowhere is that more apparent than Star City. Please report to AF Central HQ, Downtown within the next 7 days to begin basic training and orientation. We look forward working with you.

Upwards and beyond,

Champion
Red Cross
Blue Shield
The Comet
Valkyrie
Titan

The Villains setup was a bit different. I had already run one game with them so they had a bit of history. Dr. Omega had hired them to steal and sabotage a new facial recognition algorithm. After they completed the job, he contacts them again to setup another mission:
------------------------------------------------------------------DECRYPTIONENGAGED--------------------------------------------
----------------------REBUILDINGDATASTACKS-----------------------------------REROUTINGTOSECURESERVER
--TRANSMISSIONESTABLISHED--<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>AUTHOR:DR.OMEGA<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Greetings recruits. I congratulate you on the success of your last mission. I have received the data and the prototype and you have all been compensated in the agreed upon fashion. After such a successful display of your capabilities, I'm encouraged to invite you into a much larger roll within my organization. I'm looking
to do a high profile caper and I need reliable assets of your caliber to assist me. Whatever payment you received from the Omnitech job will pale in comparsion to what you stand to gain from this job. If you're interested in taking an active role in my organization (and you would be foolish if you did not). Meet me at the agreed upon location on the last job for details. In our line of work alliance is not a perk, it's a necessity.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>TRANSMISSION:TERMINATED<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Next I sent out a mock newspaper article to foreshadow the upcoming heist:

Project Ikarus to test prototype "jump engine"

May 15th 2004- Project Ikarus, the Global Space Exploration initiative, is set to test it's prototype space shuttle later this week. The Shuttle, Ikarus, has been outfitted with a state of the art "jump engine". What used to be the stuff of science fiction, the engine would allow the shuttle to make a trip that would take hundreds of years, takes mere weeks. According to Prescient Industries, the company spearheading the program, this is a titanic leap forward in the space exploration race. CEO, and lead researcher Elena Mitchum known for her development of the Tempest powered armor system (the armor powering the legendary Valkyrie's super suit), stated "In light of the past 2 thwarted alien invasion attempts, it has become extremely important for Earth to makes it's presence know in the the galaxy. The Ikarus is a huge step in that direction."
The researcher has made it clear that the engine is an early prototype. The scheduled trip is a "jump" to Mars and back, a round trip that should take under 72 hours. Ikarus, while still in early development, has many of it's systems on line and fully functioning. The engine itself has been reverse engineered from remnants Altari technology. The Ikarus' scheduled jump is next Thursday, May 23rd at 9 am.

Finally! SUPERS!

2009-06-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

So now I am officially full swing into a Supers game with my lunch game crew. We've had 2 sessions so far (We've been calling them issues) and it seems like everyone is loving it (I know I am!). I've been wanting to run a Supers game for a long time, but outside from a few M&M games and a Champion game or two back in the day I haven't been able to.
I picked up Savage Worlds' Necessary Evil about two years ago and tried to talk a bunch of people into playing. Well I've finally succeeded and it's ON! The basic premise behind Necessary Evil is you take on the role of villains who must band together to save the world. I love the idea, but I wanted more conflict so I convinced half the team to play heroes and the other half to play villains. The line up consists of the Temporalist, a time slowing foe played by Dovi, Mungo Man a diabolical stretching aborigine hunter played by Austin. The Heroes consist of Barrier, former astronaut with kinetic reflecting abilities played by the incomparable Mandrews, and Apogee, Master of Telekinesis played by Paul.

We've also got a couple of NPC Supers to round the group out. Voltz, electro punk with an attitude, was created by Emma who's been busy working on a film. Hopefully she may join us later. And Valkyrie, a senior member of Alpha Force. (She's basically a female Iron Man... wouldn't that make her an Iron Maiden?)

The first couple games were great and the player tension is perfect. I can't wait until next game.

Next up: THE SETUP!

Update: Almost forgot one more of Dr. Omega's hirelings. Oni, the disappearing super-ninja.

Started a Supers game!

2009-06-09T21:54:00.001-07:00

I started a supers game recently. We're 2 games in (2 issues if you will) and it's going great so far. I'll be posting more pics and more info later.

art by Austin Madison

Bergamont kicks ass

2009-04-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

Man I was so inspired by Emma's ass whupping session that I had to crank out a pic of her character. Nastiness personified.

First game

2009-04-17T14:36:00.000-07:00

Just finished our first lunchtime session of Shadowrun and it was AWESOME! The Shadowrunlite rules ran wonderfully and every body really got their characters. Our own Emma Coats was even able to beat her dice curse and kick some major ass!
It started off as all good games do in a bar. As the players were taking some time to get in a little R&R at the local faux divebar, the Nosedive, a prominent local Fixer named Warlock decides to pay a visit. Warlock has a rep for being a solid Fixer with great connections who actually looks out for his runners. Chase, who's running the 'dive, tell Bergamont to make sure no one disturbs the Fixer. But before the Adept can make that happen, the bar is overrun by Gangers in leathers and fezes. The Braineaters, a tech fetish gang rushes the door and make a bee line for Warlock's table. Bergamont, Cole and Turk make short work of the gang and Chase manages to get things under control. Warlock, impressed thanks the group and leaves his card. Looks like they just might have a future in the Shadows.

I love Shadowrun

2009-04-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

It really gets the creative juices flowing. The character sketches have begun. My interpretation of Turk.

The Runners

2009-04-15T09:06:00.001-07:00

I've been fiddling with the Shadowrun system a lot lately. I think 4th ed is a step in the right direction, but personally I feel it needs to be pared down and some of the classic elements could be folded back in. While trolling a few gaming forums, I came across the Microlite d20 system which is basically D&D boiled down to it's essence. Well I loved it. I also came across a Storyteller version as well (Vampire the Masquerade, Mage, etc.) So I immediately thought, "Wait. I can do a Microlite version of Shadowrun!" Well I whipped it up and these characters reflect what I came up with. It's still in playtest right now, but I'm liking it a lot already. I let you know how it all goes.

For now, check out the crew!

Chase
Human Face

ATTRIBUTES
BOD 3
DEX 4
MND 3
CHA 5
WIL 3
REA 8
INI 7+1d6
ESS: 5
EDG 4 (human)

SKILLS
Communication 5
Combat 2
Perception 2
Vehicles 2
Subterfuge 1

Cyberware
Datajack
Cybereyes with Thermal vision, smartlink (+2 shooting) and image link

GEAR
Light Pistol (smartlinked)
50 regular rounds
Armor Jacket
Pocket Assistant
Yahmaha Rapier

SPECIAL
Connections

Chase is the defacto leader of the group. A former Corporate demo tech for Ares Macrotechnologies he was burned by a rival and is now forced to make his bread and butter in the Shadows.

Bergamont
Human Physical Adept

BOD 3 (4)
DEX 4
MND 3
WIL 3
CHA 2
MAG 3
REA: 7
INI: 7+ 2d6
ESS: 6
EDG: 4 (Human)

SKILLS
Athletics 3
Combat 3 (4)
Subterfuge 2
Perception 1
Vehicles 2

ADEPT ABILITIES
+1 Phy
+1 Combat
Increase Reflexes +1D6 initiative

GEAR
Telescoping baton
Machine Pistol (laser sight)
50 APDS rounds
Armor Vest 6/4

A former Feral, Bergamont was taken from the streets and trained to be a "pit dog". He showed much more potential and was trained to be a "guard dog". While on duty his "master" was kidnapped and Bergamont was unable to stop it. He now searches for the people responsible.

Turk
Troll Merc

ATTRIBUTES
BOD 7
DEX 4
MND 2
WILL 3
CHA 2
REA 7
INI 7 + 2D6
ESS 6
EDGE 2

SKILLS
Combat 4
Perception 2
Subterfuge 1
Vehicles 2
Athletics 3

CYBERWARE
Smartlink (+2 die shooting)
Wired 1 (+1D6 INI)

GEAR
Heavy Pistol (smartlinked)
50 regular rounds
Assault Rifle (smartlinked)
100 APDS round
Armor Vest 6/4

Stash
Light Machine Gun (smartlink, recoil comp 3)
100 explosive rounds
Full Body Armor (10/8)
2 frag grenades
2 flash bang grenades

Turk is the awakened Mickey Rourke. A burned out old soldier who has just about given up on the world. But something has changed recently in his life that leads him back into the Shadows for work.

Cole
Elf Shaman (dog totem)

ATTRIBUTES
BOD 2
DEX 3
MND 3
WIL 3
CHA 4
MAG 4
REA: 6
INI: 6 +1d6
ESS 6
EDG 2

SKILLS
Sorcery 5
Combat 1
Knowledge 2
Subterfuge 1
Perception 2
Communication 1

SPELLS
Manabolt
Invisibility
Heal
Armor
Inc. Reflexes

GEAR
Light Pistol (laser sight)
50 regular rounds
Armor Jacket
Combat Spell fetish

Dog approached Cole when he was very young and lead him onto the path of magic. Cole is very active politically in his neighborhood and is involved with several local programs. He secretly runs to fund many of these programs.

That's all of them for now. Depending on how the playtest goes I'll may be running Shadowrun lite from now on!

Simple Shadowhack sheets

2009-04-13T09:09:00.001-07:00

So I decided to put together a simpler sheet for my team of newbies. It's got all the same slots at the last sheet, except without all the skills listed. It works. Here, take it.

Next post. The Runners.

Gaming micro sessions

2009-04-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

So time is definitely an issue now that I'm a new dad (loving it!). So as a way of getting my gaming fix in, I'm going to run a one hour weekly lunchtime game. It's going to be Shadowrun. It's going to be a small group. And it's going to be a blast.

SHADOWHACK! Character sheets

2009-04-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

I put this sheet together in anticipation for the Shadowrun game. Obviously I favor the 3rd edition character sheets.

Look for characters to be posted soon.

SHADOWHACK!

2009-04-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

UPDATE:
Sorry but I had to take SRlite down. I changed providers and I haven't gotten around to reposting the work. I'll also say that after taking a look at the work I did, there are a good number of holes in it. So rather than frustrate anyone, or leave bad work up I'd rather revisit the rules when I get more of a chance.
___________________________________________

So this is what I do. I'm always on the prowl for the perfect system. It has to be a blend of speed, intuitiveness, and believability (screw reality). Right now Savage Worlds wears the crown. It's my default go to game because I can get it to run whatever I need it to. If I wanted to, I could convert every single gaming module I own into a SW version (and I have a lot of modules!)
But I digress, I have put together a set of house rules for my upcoming Shadowrun game. It's a 3rd edition/4th edition mashup with a bit of D6 thrown in for some flair. I haven't playtested it yet, but it looks good 'on paper'. I'll probably be adding more house rules as we start to play. If so I'll update the site. I'll let you know how all that goes. In the meantime, feel free to use it for your Shadowgame. You need the 4th edition ruleset to make any sense out of it.

Back to what got me started

2009-04-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

I've been gaming for over half of my life. I started a bit in high school, but it was never anything serious. I didn't really get into gaming until I moved back to Denver from Florida and I was living with my sister trying to get into college. I started playing a game called Shadowrun published then by FASA. It was the start of something wonderful. It is to this day, one of the games I'm most familiar with and it holds a special place in my geek lovin' heart.
Well I'm planning on taking a trip back to this one. I'm looking to start a new Shadowrun game with my new crew. They have very little to no experience with the game world and I'm actually anxious to introduce them to it. I'm using the new 4th edition rules, which I had, up until this point, been avoiding. Of course I'm putting my own unique spin on the rules. There are definitely some things done in the new edition that I'm not crazy about. We'll see how all that goes. I'm looking forward to this!