GAME SUNDAY OR MONDAY?

I may have been hasty when I threw out running something this weekend, as I will be away at a conference all the way through Saturday. However Monday is Patriot’s Day (which we apparently celebrate here in Massachusetts), and sooo . . . maybe I can run a game anyway. Some options:

1. Invasion of Avengers’ Tower: Loki, Ronan & Wizard invade Avengers’ Tower to steal artifacts from vault (courtesy of Plot Points).

2. Ninjas on a Plane: Hand Ninjas invade jet airliner to reclaim Hydra turncoat. Avengers et al intercede (courtesy of Exploring Infinity).

3. Gojira!: Supers defend San Francisco from a rampaging Godzilla!

If you are interested in playing, let me know. Time to be determined — but most likely noon or early afternoon. Until then. ‘Nuff Said!

UPDATE: It seems unlikely that there will be a game tomorrow. OK with that, as my traveling to Indy for the conference really took it out of me. But it does point to the difficulty of putting together games with responsible adults with everybody’s busy lives. Will keep trying, though.

HUMAN ROBOT

More than anything else, what gives the Agents of Atlas its retro cool is M-11, the Human Robot. With his telescoping limbs that he can electrify, his heat ray and mechanical strength, M-11 literally does the heavy lifting for the team. His motives are as mysterious as his silence is . . . .

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PLAYER

HUMAN ROBOT [M-11 :secret]

Affiliations: Solo D6, Buddy D10, Team D8

Distinctions: Crush Kill Destroy!; Strong But Silent Type; Weird Science

ROBOTIC BODY: Cybernetic Senses D6, Heat Ray D12, Stretching D8, Superhuman Durability D10, Superhuman Stamina D10, Superhuman Strength D10

SFX–Electrify: On reaction against physical stress, inflict physical stress with your effect die at no cost OR spend 1PP to step it up by +1.

SFX–Immunity: Spend 1 PP to ignore stress or complications from sources that only affect organic lifeforms.

SFX–Self Repair: Before you make action including ROBOTIC BODY power, you may move your physical stress die to the Doom Pool and step up power by +1 for this action.

Limit–System Failure: Shutdown any ROBOTIC BODY power to earn 1 PP. Activate opportunity or participate in Transition Scene to recover that power.

Specialty: Menace Expert D8

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Given his support role, I had given thought to making him a Watcher character. But mechanically this seemed problematic — because the Watcher never rolls against the Doom Pool. Instead (if not a player character) one would use him as a supporting team asset. And I can see him being really fun to see someone play him as a strong but silent hero. Excelsior!

PROPOSED GAME TOMORROW . . .

In the interest of promoting regular play, I’m thinking about running an action scene tomorrow (Sunday, April 6 at noon EST). My thought is to run a version of the NINJAS ON A PLANE scene posted on Exploring Infinity.

The wrinkle I’m introducing is that the VIP is actually a Hydra Defector/Informant and the briefcase contains critical info about the Hydra organization and the location of its secret bases. (Or something like that . . . )

Avengers seem to be natural choices for supers to play, but anyone you can explain/justify being on the jet plane is OK. Anyone interested in playing, please let me know . . . .

UPDATE: Game didn’t happen today. But I wasn’t especially surprised — as I announced this relatively last minute. We’ll just have to see about next weekend . . . .

AND VENUS WAS HER NAME . . .

One of my favorite comics lately has been AGENTS OF ATLAS. I first fell in love with them when they robbed Fort Knox. This was when I first came across them, reading online via my Marvel Digital Unlimited subscription. I’ve just about finished collecting their TPBs. (I think there’s still an Agents of Atlas Vs to get . . . )

They are the Rat Pack of the Marvel Universe — made up of 1950′s supers. They were brought together as a team in a 1978 What If? An idea that eventually found its occasion and time. The name Atlas Foundation makes reference to one of the former incarnations of Marvel Comics. So, without further ado, here’s the first from the team, Venus!:

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PLAYER

VENUS [unknown]

Affiliations: Solo D10, Buddy D6, Team D8
Distinctions: Hedonist; Other Venus; Past Guilt

GODDESS OF LOVE: Mind Control D10, Swimming D8

SFX—Area Attack: Against multiple targets, for every additional target add D6 and keep +1 effect die.
SFX—Immortal: Spend 1 PP to ignore stress, trauma or complication caused by aging, disease, poison, radiation or vacuum.
SFX—Siren Song: Add D6 and step up your effect die by +1 when using MIND CONTROL to inflict persuasion-based complications.
Limit–Must Be Heard: When silenced, shutdown MIND CONTROL to earn 1 PP.

Specialty: Psych Expert D8

MILESTONES, HUH?

Perhaps the most difficult thing is to design good milestones. It’s something I definitely have to work on. I have no idea how they were able to produce so many, so regularly at PLOT POINTS for so long. To be honest, I’m not really very happy with the ones I’ve written already and am going to strip them from existing datafiles. (This will prevent me from holding myself up on player datafiles. And I will mark them to make it clear as either player or watcher datafiles.)

Having said this, there is some good advice  for CREATING MILESTONES out there. And I will be posting character milestones later as I develop them. Coming soon . . . VENUS from AGENTS OF ATLAS!

“PILOT” DEBRIEF

OK. So the Event started a little roughly. The characters met in an overcrowded Winnebago to see what they could come up with for a plan. They pretty quickly went to the pizza idea — but with Microbe instead! (In the comic, it’s Speedball.) Microbe nearly fainted when confronted by Tiger Shark at the doorway. Rather humorous opening.

Need to better describe scene first. Frame options for them — more intel and/or options to consider. While I didn’t expect them to use Microbe, I ran with it. Though, in retrospect, I should have insisted on another character accompanying him. Maybe use Microbe as an asset — always keep PCs in focal role.

Tiger Shark immediately flattened Microbe, which brought in the cavalry. The heroes teamed up on him, but he easily held his own. The house wasn’t so lucky. The players complicated him out of the scene by asphyxiating him and literally “wringing” him out. Microbe nearly took down Armadillo by given him an epic D12 cold. But it was Nova, waking up from his nap, who knocked him out into the wide blue yonder.

Need to do a better job of describing scene and keeping us grounded in it. Good use of humor throughout. Had beefed up Tiger Shark so he could take on multiple heroes by upping his affiliations to D10/D8/D6 and making sure he came on to scene fully hydrated and at full strength. Really didn’t have to. Wasn’t shy about using the Doom Pool, yet ended up with 6D8+2D6. Need to step up dice more on single opportunities.

Muffed some rules, but not badly. Just made some rulings so that the game wasn’t interrupted unduly. Keep better track of what’s going on, and communicate it better to my players.

We captured the funny, high-spirited character of the comic. I muffed some things, but I made my rulings and moved on — feeling that the pace and feel of the comic was more important than getting the rules right. And everyone had a blast! So I’d have to say it was a success . . . .

Until next time then. ‘Nuff Said!

GOJIRA … FOR KAIJU

So yesterday, after our game ended. I turned on the TV and saw Godzilla (1998) was on. And I thought of my friend Steve, who I know is a HUGE franchise fan. At the same time, I was looking over Agents of Atlas characters and saw that Jimmy Woo had been part of the SHIELD “Godzilla Squad” Taskforce. So it was just one of those cases where everything just happened to come together. So I’ve written him up as a Watcher Super-Scale Menace. Hope you all like it. Enjoy!

(Special thanks to Midnight Blue for his feedback.)

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WATCHER CHARACTER

GODZILLA [GOJIRA :public]

Affiliations: Solo 3D10, Buddy 2D8, Team D6
Distinctions: Creature from the Deep; Eeyaeeearrgh!; Higher Instinct

ATOMIC HORROR: Atomic Fire D12, Godlike Durability D12, Godlike Stamina D12, Godlike Strength D12, Growth D10, Swimming D10

SFX–ENERGY ABSORPTION: On successful reaction against energy-based attack, convert your opponent’s effect die into ATOMIC HORROR stunt or step up ATOMIC HORROR power by +1 for your next action. Spend DD to use this stunt if your opponent’s action succeeds.
SFX–INDESTRUCTIBLE: Spend DD to ignore physical stress.
SFX–KING OF MONSTERS: Add three dice for your total. Spend any DD to add die to your total — not just die of equal or greater size.
SFX–RAMPAGE: Against multiple targets, for every additional target add D6 and keep +1 effect die.
LIMIT–GARGANTUAN: Can’t attack anyone smaller than human, can’t fit between narrow structures and obstacles. Turn ATOMIC HORROR power into complication and add D6 to Doom Pool. Spend D6 from Doom Pool to recover.

Specialties: Menace Master D10