The Potential of HeroMachine 3

Not not long ago, I made a pic to highlight the capabilities of the HeroMachine 3 app, based on a set of videos by this guy. There are limits on what you can do on HeroMachine 2, but with HM3, you can do a lot more. Even with the wider options, HM3 is still limited with its features, so people find creative ways to make the most with whats available, and come with novel ways of getting around the limits. One of the most common things is to re-purpose objects into different things by tilting and reshaping them. It is neat what you can do with the fading and transparency of some of the background objects to emulate the effect lighting and shadowing. It is also good to learn how the "masking" feature works, as you can get a lot of neat results form it. Experiment! Dick around! It is a lot of fun!

Not too long ago, I posted the image on this one forum based on D&D and free-speech, but to the chagrin of the founder/administrator — Prespos — the perverts at ProBoards have issue with breasts. They see it as pornography, and if he dose not take action on pics like them, ProBoards would pull the whole site down. I do not fault Prespos for this, as he hates the restrictions more than me, but he wants to keep the site running. ProBoards is run by faggots who would rather make things kosher for the sake of the ad sponsors. Sponsors should not care who they get advertised to, as longs as someone see the ads. Simply put, if I was to run a forum, I would not use them, and for their shameless and draconian policy, I will maintain my AdBlock on all the ProBoards forums I frequent.

OK, enough with that shit, here is this the picture. Basically, it is a slightly drunk sunbather lying on the beach, dressed as God intended... well, as how I'm used to seeing beach-goes dressed, growing-up in the San Fransisco Bay Area. Enjoy!

(click for full-size image)

Who knew such a simple little program can do so much? _\\\

My Gaming Swag Has Arrived!

Awhile ago, I won a Mutant Future character design contest. Do to delays IRL (mostly from my end -- long story), I did not get it since yesterday. When the package arrived it was surprisingly heavy, and when I opened it, it was full of books and printouts. Blood Axe did say there was a surprise with the package, but it was more then I was expecting. What I got was:

• Metamorphosis Alpha Universe (MA 3rd edition)
• Fight On! Issue 12
• The Slayer's Guide to Kobolds
• Dungeon Crawl Classics #12 The Blackguard's Revenge
• Rotworld (printout)
• Labyrinth Lord Module: Idol of the Orcs (printout)
• Labyrinth Lord Module: Shadowbrook Manor (printout)
• Excavator Monthly Issue 3 (printout)

Before getting this book, I never opened a MA book. I have the 1st edition rules, but its a shabby print-out booklet I put together from a text-only document I found years ago (without page numbers or art, its hard to navigate). The 3rd edition book has added rules that really compliment the classic rules, like how you can boost your Weapon Class with a particular type of weapon after 10 kills using them. I'm still not keen on the alien invasion twist - mostly as an unnecessary element - but it still a great game.

The biggest surprise was Fight On! Issue 12. For a game 'zine, it is THICK! This issue is dedicated to James M. Ward, and has an article about Ward's involvement in the early years at TSR. It is full of fantastic articles, but one of the featured rules I like the most is Treasure Types, by Simon Bull. I seen the original post mouths ago, but I lost the link. I find this method much better then the dry old Treasure Type table.

Rotworld was a neat surprise, as I did not know (or just forgot) that Dan Proctor made a zombie apocalypses/survival horror RPG. It seems to be based on a game Dan required called Timemaster (I never seen this game, but I did know about it). I'm not a fan of table-based systems or attributes that double as a percentile number, but I find a lot of useful stuff in this game.

I already have the Dungeon Crawl Classic module from a box set I found at a book store, and the Kobold book was one of the Slayer's books I do not already have.

I have yet to read the last three books, as I'm pouring through the aforementioned books. I also have to get more plastic sheet sleeves and binders, as the printouts are loose one-sided sheets. This is not a problem, as I already go through a lot of plastic sleeves & binders, do to my artwork and game stuff.

Its going to be a busy week or two for me, as I enjoy reading game books as much an regular literature, so I am happy! =D

I Just Won a Mutant Future Contest

Blood Axe at Goblinoid Games forum held a contest in the Mutant Future sub-forum.

The rules are simple:

• "Post a cool character for Mutant Future with a picture and I will pick a winner."
• "Enter as many times as you like, but have a character with all stats & info, along with a picture."
• "[This] is only open to USA members."

Here is the prize:


Yes, a copy of Metamorphosis Alpha 25th Anniversary Edition.

I posted 6 entries, but this was the one Blood Axe liked:

Lergon, the "Many Hands"
Race: Mutant Human
Level: 6
Hit Points: 54
Armor Class: 6
THAC0: 15
Saves: Eng 13, P/D 10, Stun 12, Rad 11
Alignment: Chaotic

Attacks: 1/round, +0 to attack for melee and +1 to attack for missiles.
Damage: 1d6+1 w/spear or 1d4+1 w/daggers and 1d4 w/sling.

Strength: 11 (+1 level) (+0 to attack and +0 to damage)
Dexterity: 14 (+1 level) (+1 to missile attacks and initiative and -1 to armor class)
Constitution: 16 (+0 on poison saving throws)
Intelligence: 7 (-5% to technology; can write simple Trade words)
Willpower: 9 (+1 level)
Charisma: 7 (+1 level) (+1 to reaction rolls, 3 retainers at morale 6 each)

Mutations: Aberrant From - Extra Parts (8 arms); Bizarre Appearance (stubby arms - 3 baby-like), Control Light Waves; Greater Force Screen; Know Direction; Negative Empathy.

Equipment: Spear, 2 daggers, shield, sling w/20 stones, fur armor, bedroll, flint & steel, grappling hook, lantern, small steel mirror, 5 flasks of oil, 5 weeks of trail rations, 4 small sacks, 2 large sacks, 3 waterskins (2 water, 1 wine), 16 soup mixes, 7 light sticks, motion detector, 4 blood agent grenade launcher shells, 97 gp worth of assorted coins and scrap metal.

Lergon is a many-armed mutant with few friends. From a young age, he was an outcast of his tribe, so he had learned to survive on his own, and for it, he never developed a personality. The impulse that drives other to fight him, also makes him vary paranoid, and for the most part, he keeps quiet and introverted around others. When he do speak, its usually simple, short statements in Trade speak - a form of "Pidgin English". Beyond his emotional distance to others, he strongly desired to be loved. If he finds someone to love, who can tolerate his negative empathy, he would handle the relationship with obsession and petty jealousy. In his travels, he did befriend some adventures, but his impulsive behavior around women tend to cut things short.
________

He told me that "[he] captured that old school Gamma World feeling for me." I glad, as this is how I present characters in my games. I like my mutants to look freakish (Bizarre Appearance is a given in my games). I like them to be somewhat primitive (but not necessarily simpleminded). With PCs or NPCs, I like to make well-rounded characters, with personality traits and interesting character flaws.

By the way, the picture I chosen was from a french animated movie called Gandahar (or Light Years, in the US). This movie has a number of unique looking mutants, that are perfect for any Metamorphosis Alpha, Gamma World, or Mutant Future game. Here are more pics, if anyone is interested.

End of an Era

One of the first online communities I joined was the Conan group on the Mongooses Publishing forums. Because the licensing ended with Conan LLC, Mongoose has ended the Conan line and will absorb the Conan post into "Other Roleplaying Games" by the end of October. If it gets thrown to the gaming mixing-pot, the community would just get diluted. This was a great place to talk about Conan with a lot of friendly people, and it even goes off-topic with other sword & sorcery systems and settings from time to time.

For sometimes now, I have been thinking about making a new off-site forum to not just to preserve the Conan gaming community, but to have a community that focuses pulp fantasy in general. This community would have topics on supernatural horrors akin to Lovecraft, planetary romance akin to A Princess of Mars (each with sub-pages for settings, and gaming regardless of system), and sub-topics on books and movies and such on pulp fiction. I have been playing with the phpBB demo features, and I have the hang of it. The only thing I'm stumped on is a good name. I what the name to be evocative to the over-all theme. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears!