I admit, my grand plans for writing up Smallville Season 10 fell apart. I had some freelance work for Vigilance Press come up and Smallville receded in memory. But I've worked ahead on this, so I've got plenty of material.
The inspiration for this comes from Steve Kenson's Blog, where he'd looked at Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes and Justice League from a gamer's perspective. So, in addition to writeups, I'll be sharing my thoughts on the episode. I should also mention that this would have been a lot harder to do without the fine people at the Young Justice Wiki.
So, stay tuned for Young Justice: Episode One - Independence Day.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Friday, December 14, 2012
Campaigns I'd Like To Run: The Star Harvest
First off, sorry it's been so long since I updated. I've had lots of fun freelance RPG work that's kept me busy.
So anyway, we're in pitch season again in our Tuesday group. I like to write pitches as movie trailers.
This'd be Marvel Heroic Roleplaying, using a hodgepodge of various RPG stuff for source material. (The ION Guard, some Vigilance Press stuff, and stuff I'd lift from the upcoming Annihilation sourcebooks.)
Cue John Williams Music
EXTERIOR, SPACE: Computer sounding voice over.
VOICE OF ION PRIME: For millions of years, the ION Guard have protected the universe from cosmic threats.
PANS DOWN to see the artificial world ION PRIME. It's the size of a small moon surrounded by an orbiting ring of linked towers. There are small golden dots flying around, members of the ION Guard.
ION PRIME: In that time, they have never been defeated.
Swarming into space are the insectoid ships of The Star Harvest.
A space battle ensues, with the ION Guard flying up to meet the Hive Ships. The sky is full of explosions and beams of golden light.
ION PRIME: Until now.
On the surface of Ion Prime, the once proud citadel of the Ion Guard is in ruins. A handful of Guardsmen are looking around, shell-shocked.
CUT TO Space, the Harvesters on the move, cutting through the defenses of the LOKK Empire's warships. Cut to interior of one of the ships. The LOKK are a cloned race, the bridge crew is made up of 3 "models."
SECOND IN COMMAND: Captain, we must retreat.
CAPTAIN: We leave and those colonists are dead.
SECOND: We stay and they die hours later. The Hive Ships will track them down and... consume them along with us.
The CAPTAIN thinks for a moment. He rubs his chin, Kirk style. "Dammit. Order the-"
THIRD: CAPTAIN, multiple inbound signatures.
CUT TO SPACE: Warping in are a group of heroes, flying in formation around a badass little ship. (Something like the Defiant)
CUT TO LOKK Command Ship. On the view screen is Enkidu, a super-intelligent Gorilla from Savage Titan. Enkidu wears glasses perched on his nose and has a bandolier of tools ending in a big pouch (like Chewbacca's, but his are covered in tools, not clips.)
ENKIDU: Greetings, LOKK Fleet. This is the Excelsior. We are here to assist. Cover the evacuating colonists. We will cover you.
LOKK SECOND: Captain, they are a single ship, with four meta-beings.
LOKK THIRD: Captain, those four signatures are registering more power than half of our fleet.
The Captain smiles.
CAPTAIN: Thank you Excelsior.
Cut to the command deck of the EXCELSIOR. Enkidu is standing at the command post (like where Nick Fury stood on the Helicarrier or where Commander Shepard stands on the Normandy. Other gorillas are manning the other stations. They've got similar bandoliers, but Enkidu's is gold, showing he's the Apex Ape.
ENKIDU: Ladies and gentlemen, you know what to do.
In space, the four fliers are:
TEMPEST SHEPARD, ION GUARDIAN from Earth: She's scarred from battle but going total badass on the ships. She throws spheres of golden energy like a baseball pitcher, and each sphere tears through a ship.
ODYSSEY, a near-human alien with the standard Flight Invulnerability Strength and Speed, but on a cosmic scale . She tears ships in half and beams just bounce off her.
MARAUDER, a battlesuit hero - the battlesuit is big and bulky, like Iron Man's Hulkbuster armor. There's a giant cannon running along his arm, just as long and almost as thick. The cannon glows brightly and a huge energy beam punches through ships. Maneuvering jets have him sliding through screens of Hive fighters like they were in slow motion.
OUTRIDER, the Quantum Magician: He looks like the Babylon 5 Techno-Mages. Robes covered with arcane symbols and circuitry. He is standing on an asteroid and gestures with a staff. As he does, other asteroids accelerate to near light speed and slam into the giant Hive Command Carrier. At first, they bounce off of the ship's shields, but then the shields shatter under the bombardment.
OUTRIDER: I've disabled the shields on the command carrier.
CUT TO the bridge of the Excelsior.
ENKIDU: Team Two, Transit now.
CUT TO the interior of the COMMAND CARRIER. In a flash of blue light, a group appears. There's a squad of Ape Soldiers, each carrying BIG GUNS. At the front of the team are, Shamus Starhawk, Galactic Gumshoe (imagine Tars Tarkas dressed like Sam Spade - he's got blasters in each of his 4 arms) and Pulsar Dragon, a human martial artist wearing a gi made out of the same starfield stuff that Star Boy of the Legion wears. She's holding a staff.
SHAMUS: We're in. Heading for the engine room.
In swarms a bunch of bug-aliens. The apes open fire. Shamus opens fire, targeting different bugs with each blaster. Pulsar Dragon glows with a chi energy aura and wades into the bugs. Whenever she strikes something, there's a flash of green chi energy.
CUT TO: Interior of the Black Harvest's Queenship. A drone is standing next to the Queen (who is eclipsed in shadow). They are watching all this on a holo-monitor.
DRONE: These Guardians may be trouble, my lady.
QUEEN: They will fail. ... They will fall.
The Queen leans forward into the light. She's an HR Giger nightmare.
QUEEN: And the Harvest will continue.
So anyway, we're in pitch season again in our Tuesday group. I like to write pitches as movie trailers.
This'd be Marvel Heroic Roleplaying, using a hodgepodge of various RPG stuff for source material. (The ION Guard, some Vigilance Press stuff, and stuff I'd lift from the upcoming Annihilation sourcebooks.)
Cue John Williams Music
EXTERIOR, SPACE: Computer sounding voice over.
VOICE OF ION PRIME: For millions of years, the ION Guard have protected the universe from cosmic threats.
PANS DOWN to see the artificial world ION PRIME. It's the size of a small moon surrounded by an orbiting ring of linked towers. There are small golden dots flying around, members of the ION Guard.
ION PRIME: In that time, they have never been defeated.
Swarming into space are the insectoid ships of The Star Harvest.
A space battle ensues, with the ION Guard flying up to meet the Hive Ships. The sky is full of explosions and beams of golden light.
ION PRIME: Until now.
On the surface of Ion Prime, the once proud citadel of the Ion Guard is in ruins. A handful of Guardsmen are looking around, shell-shocked.
CUT TO Space, the Harvesters on the move, cutting through the defenses of the LOKK Empire's warships. Cut to interior of one of the ships. The LOKK are a cloned race, the bridge crew is made up of 3 "models."
SECOND IN COMMAND: Captain, we must retreat.
CAPTAIN: We leave and those colonists are dead.
SECOND: We stay and they die hours later. The Hive Ships will track them down and... consume them along with us.
The CAPTAIN thinks for a moment. He rubs his chin, Kirk style. "Dammit. Order the-"
THIRD: CAPTAIN, multiple inbound signatures.
CUT TO SPACE: Warping in are a group of heroes, flying in formation around a badass little ship. (Something like the Defiant)
CUT TO LOKK Command Ship. On the view screen is Enkidu, a super-intelligent Gorilla from Savage Titan. Enkidu wears glasses perched on his nose and has a bandolier of tools ending in a big pouch (like Chewbacca's, but his are covered in tools, not clips.)
ENKIDU: Greetings, LOKK Fleet. This is the Excelsior. We are here to assist. Cover the evacuating colonists. We will cover you.
LOKK SECOND: Captain, they are a single ship, with four meta-beings.
LOKK THIRD: Captain, those four signatures are registering more power than half of our fleet.
The Captain smiles.
CAPTAIN: Thank you Excelsior.
Cut to the command deck of the EXCELSIOR. Enkidu is standing at the command post (like where Nick Fury stood on the Helicarrier or where Commander Shepard stands on the Normandy. Other gorillas are manning the other stations. They've got similar bandoliers, but Enkidu's is gold, showing he's the Apex Ape.
ENKIDU: Ladies and gentlemen, you know what to do.
In space, the four fliers are:
TEMPEST SHEPARD, ION GUARDIAN from Earth: She's scarred from battle but going total badass on the ships. She throws spheres of golden energy like a baseball pitcher, and each sphere tears through a ship.
ODYSSEY, a near-human alien with the standard Flight Invulnerability Strength and Speed, but on a cosmic scale . She tears ships in half and beams just bounce off her.
MARAUDER, a battlesuit hero - the battlesuit is big and bulky, like Iron Man's Hulkbuster armor. There's a giant cannon running along his arm, just as long and almost as thick. The cannon glows brightly and a huge energy beam punches through ships. Maneuvering jets have him sliding through screens of Hive fighters like they were in slow motion.
OUTRIDER, the Quantum Magician: He looks like the Babylon 5 Techno-Mages. Robes covered with arcane symbols and circuitry. He is standing on an asteroid and gestures with a staff. As he does, other asteroids accelerate to near light speed and slam into the giant Hive Command Carrier. At first, they bounce off of the ship's shields, but then the shields shatter under the bombardment.
OUTRIDER: I've disabled the shields on the command carrier.
CUT TO the bridge of the Excelsior.
ENKIDU: Team Two, Transit now.
CUT TO the interior of the COMMAND CARRIER. In a flash of blue light, a group appears. There's a squad of Ape Soldiers, each carrying BIG GUNS. At the front of the team are, Shamus Starhawk, Galactic Gumshoe (imagine Tars Tarkas dressed like Sam Spade - he's got blasters in each of his 4 arms) and Pulsar Dragon, a human martial artist wearing a gi made out of the same starfield stuff that Star Boy of the Legion wears. She's holding a staff.
SHAMUS: We're in. Heading for the engine room.
In swarms a bunch of bug-aliens. The apes open fire. Shamus opens fire, targeting different bugs with each blaster. Pulsar Dragon glows with a chi energy aura and wades into the bugs. Whenever she strikes something, there's a flash of green chi energy.
CUT TO: Interior of the Black Harvest's Queenship. A drone is standing next to the Queen (who is eclipsed in shadow). They are watching all this on a holo-monitor.
DRONE: These Guardians may be trouble, my lady.
QUEEN: They will fail. ... They will fall.
The Queen leans forward into the light. She's an HR Giger nightmare.
QUEEN: And the Harvest will continue.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Smallville Season 10 - Green Arrow [MHR]
Oliver Queen / Green Arrow Solo d10 Buddy d6 Team d8
Distinctions:
Assembling a Team
Playboy by Day, Vigilante By Night
World's Greatest Archer
Power Sets:
Constant Training
Enhanced Reflexes d8, Enhanced Stamina d8
SFX: Focus. If your pool includes a Constant Training power, you may replace two dice
of equal size with one stepped-up die.
SFX: Second Wind. Before you make an action including a Constant Training power, you
may move your physical stress die to the doom pool and step up that Constant Training power for this action.
Limit: Exhausted. Shutdown any Constant Traning power to gain 1 PP. Activate an opportunity or participate in a Transition Scene to recover that power.
Tricked Out Bow
Weapon d8, Zipline d6
SFX: Knockout Gas Arrow. Target multiple opponents. For every additional target, add d6
to your pool and keep +1 effect die.
SFX: Explosive Arrow. Step up or double Weapon for one action. If the action fails, add
a die to doom pool equal to the normal rating of your power die.
Limit: Gear. Tricked Out Bow and gain 1 PP. Take an action vs. doom pool to recover.
Specialties:
Acrobatic Master d10, Business Expert d8, Combat Master d10, Covert Master d10, Crime Expert d8, Menace Expert d8, Tech Expert d8, Vehicle Expert d8
Milestones:
The World Needs Heroes
1 xp when you talk to another metahuman about joining The Team.
3 xp when you aid a prospective member of the team, either in a combat or transition scene.
10 xp when you convince the hero to join The Team or reject them.
Money Is Like a Super-Power
1 xp when you use your Business Expert in a conflict.
3 xp when you exploit another character’s business holdings or resources.
10 xp when you choose to either seize another character’s business assets or surrender your own to them.
Smallville Season 10 - Lois Lane [MHR]
Lois LaneSolo d10 Buddy d8 Team d6
Distinctions:
Has to Get The Story
Clark is the One
Army Brat
Power Sets
I Can Handle Myself
Enhanced Reflexes d8, Enhanced Senses d8
SFX: Take A Fall Spend 1 PP to take physical stress intended for a nearby ally or
friend.
Limit: Exhausted. Shutdown any I Can Handle Myself power to gain 1 PP. Activate an
opportunity or participate in a Transition Scene to recover that power.
Specialties:
Business Expert d8, Combat Expert d8, Covert Expert d8, Crime Expert d8, Psych Master d10
Milestones:
Getting The Story
1XP When you talk about an article you're working on or talk to a contact to get information from them.
3 XP When you put yourself in physical danger to get the story.
10 XP When you either get the story to press first or kill it because it would reveal a friend's secret.
Behind Every Superman....
1 XP When you talk to Clark about his destiny as a hero.
3 XP When you help Clark recover from stress or trauma during a Transition Scene
10 XP When Clark adopts one of your suggestions about his destiny. (I.E. Wearing glasses all the time, the whole klutzy act.)
Notes: Lois has been a real tricky character to write up. For one thing, she's certainly considered an equal by Clark, Oliver and other members of the "Junior Lifeguards", so she should be a fully playable PC. On the other hand, she doesn't have real super-powers and usually gets knocked out so that Clark can do his thing.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Smallville Season 10: Locations (MHR)
Sorry to have left this idle for so long. I had the flu and anything requiring more mental effort than watching TV just wasn't going to happen.
- Daily Planet: The Daily Planet building is known for it's trademark BIG GLOBE ON THE ROOF, which tends to get knocked off or blown up. Lois and Clark often use the ARCHIVED OLD ISSUES or the TOP OF THE LINE COMPUTER NETWORK to dig out facts. And, lest it be forgotten, the publisher's office has a SECRET ESCAPE SLIDE.
- Fortress of Solitude: HIDDEN NEAR THE NORTH POLE, the Kryptonian Fortress is home to KRYPTONIAN SUPER-TECHNOLOGY (most often, the ECHO OF JOR-EL that has been trying to mold Clark into the hero he will become).
- Kent Farm: The Kent farm is the place where Clark and company come TO REST AND RECOVER. It's also where Clark keeps his SECRET STASH OF KRYPTONIAN GIZMOS.
- LuthorCorp Headquarters: At the start of the season, LuthorCorp is co-owned by Tess Mercer and Oliver Queen. Tess seems to work both at LuthorCorp and at the Daily Planet (presumably so she can keep an eye on Clark). Still, there's plenty of LUTHORCORP SCIENCE PROJECTS, a STATE OF THE ART SECURITY SYSTEM and all sorts of HIDDEN ROOMS where Luthors can hide and plot evil deeds.
- Watchtower: Home to the "We aren't calling it the Justice League yet", the Watchtower has BLEEDING EDGE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY and ACCESS TO NETWORKED SATELLITES. It's also got a MEDICAL LAB for the injured super-heroes and a SCIENCE LAB so they can study the weird stuff they find. The tower is protected by THE BEST SECURITY SYSTEM MONEY CAN BUY and that NOBODY KNOWS it's a meeting group for a bunch of young metahuman heroes.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Smallville Season 10 - Clark Kent [MHR]
Solo d10 Buddy d8 Team d6
Distinctions:
Destined to be the World's Greatest Hero
Lois Is The One
Son of Smallville or Son of Krypton
Power Sets:
Kryptonian Abilities
Heat Vision d8, Superhuman Durability d10, Superhuman Leaping d10, Superhuman Reflexes d10, Superhuman Senses d10 (Vision, Hearing), Superhuman Speed d10, Superhuman Stamina d10, Superhuman Strength d10
SFX Invulnerable Spend 1 PP to ignore physical stress or trauma results unless caused by Magic or Kryptonite Attacks.
SFX Multipower Use two or more Krytonian Abilities powers in your die pool, at -1 step for each additional power.
SFX: Unleashed. Step up or double any Kryptonian Abilities power for one action. If the action fails, add a die to doom pool equal to the normal rating of your power die.
Limit Power Loss. In the presence of blue kryptonite or while affected by red sun energy, shut down Kryptonian Abilities power set and gain 1 PP. Activate an opportunity to recover.
Limit Green Kryptonite In the presence of Green Kryptonite, shut down Kryptonian Abilities power set and take d6 physical stress per turn. Activate an opportunity to recover.
Limit Red Kryptonite. In the presence of Red Kryptonite, add a Complication: Base Instincts d6. An ally must activate an opportunity to recover.
Milestones:
Jor-El's Trials
1xp When a heroic or Watcher character urges Clark to embrace or reject his destiny to become the world's greatest hero.
3xp When you take Emotional stress as a consequence of embracing your destiny.
10xp When you finally put on the Red and Blue Suit Martha Kent made for you or reject it forever.
Keeping Secrets
1xp When you make a lame excuse to get away from someone you care about to go do something as The Blur.
3xp When you take Emotional stress as a consequence of keeping your identity secret from someone you care about.
10 xp When you reveal your abilities to someone or completely alienate them due to your habit of keeping secrets.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Smallville Season 10 Event Overview (Marvel Heroic Roleplaying)
"Always hold on to Smallville." -Jonathan Kent, Smallville Season 10, Finale Part 2
So, my stalker-like fandom of Margaret Weis Productions RPGs started with Smallville. In fact, the game itself reignited my love of the show, and I fell back into it just in time for the awesome season 10. So now, I cross the streams and write up Smallville Season 10 as a Marvel Heroic Adventures Event. I'll be filling in the blanks as I go along.
Factions
Act One: The Vigilante Registration Act
Act Two: Apokolips, Now
Hero Datafiles
So, my stalker-like fandom of Margaret Weis Productions RPGs started with Smallville. In fact, the game itself reignited my love of the show, and I fell back into it just in time for the awesome season 10. So now, I cross the streams and write up Smallville Season 10 as a Marvel Heroic Adventures Event. I'll be filling in the blanks as I go along.
Factions
- Apokolips
- Justice League
- LuthorCorp
- the Suicide Squad
- VRA
- Daily Planet
- Fortress of Solitude
- Kent Farm
- LuthorCorp Headquarters
- Watchtower
Act One: The Vigilante Registration Act
Act Two: Apokolips, Now
Hero Datafiles
- Clark Kent
- Lois Lane
- Green Arrow / Oliver Queen
- Tess Mercer
- Watchtower / Chloe Sullivan
- Aquaman / Arthur Curry
- Blue Beetle / Jamie Reyes
- Booster Gold / Michael Carter
- Black Canary / Dinah Lance
- Cat Grant
- Clark Luthor
- Connor Kent
- Deadshot
- Desaad
- Emil Hamilton
- General Sam Lane
- General Slade Wilson
- Gordon Godfrey
- Granny Goodness
- Hawkman / Carter Hall
- Isis
- Impulse / Bart Allen
- Lex Luthor
- Lex Luthor Unstable Clones
- Lionel Luthor (Earth-2)
- Lt Trotter
- Lucy Lane
- Mad Harriet
- Martha Kent
- Mera
- Rick Flag
- Stargirl / Courtney Whitmore
- Supergirl / Kara Kent
- Warp / Emil LaSalle
- Zatanna Zatara
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