Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Comicbooks + Heavy Metal = Epic Win!
I recently discovered a heavy metal band called Bal-Sagoth, that based their songs off the yarns of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, and others. Being a Conan fan, I wanted to get strait to the Hyborian Metal, but I get sidetracked. While searching I discovered something quite unique. They made a song about a Silver Surfer story by Jack Kerby, where Silver Surfer has to deal with the Fourth Celestial Host (basically, space gods with the power to kick Galactus' ass!). I'm not a big fan of superhero comics beyond the 70's and 80's X-Men, and the song has a lot of narrative, but their is something epic about the song! Maybe its the way Silver Surfer is up against the all-powerful Celestials. Maybe is the way the lyrics ties in with the comicbook mythology. Maybe its the way it mashes with Jack Kerby's art. Well see it for yourself:
I cant really put thoughts to words, but this somehow inspires me!
I cant really put thoughts to words, but this somehow inspires me!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Big Star Wars Haul
Well, I just had a big score over the weekend! I use an internet service called Freecycle. Its an exchange site for folks to get rid of old stuff, so it wont take up a landfill. I found a lot of good second-hand stuff from it – books, games, movies, furniture, electronics, clothing, my last two pets, and even friends. And all for free!
My huge score is a large collection of Star Wars books. It range from the earliest books, to the newer prequel-based books. I have the Rogue Squadron series, the New Jedi Order, and dozens of others. What I have been really looking forwards to, is Han Solo at Stars' End, and the two books that follows it. Long before Han's unblinking head side-step of Gredo's blast fire fiasco or the introduction of Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds, Han Solo was the unquestioned rogue-scoundrel of the universe!
Well before I was born, my family have been Star Wars fans since the movies' development – it seems that the casting of teen sex-symbol Mark Hamill attracted a lot of young female fans. Growing up, I hear a lot about the Star Wars Mythology – stuff not mentioned in the movies. I grew up hearing snippets of Han's past, learning about how Anakin Skywaker became Darth-Vader (I was told that he shot down by Obi-wan, and his fighter crashed into a volcano), and other stuff. I also seen a lot of Star Wars movies growing up, so then I got older, I lost interest. Now that I'm even older, I'm reminiscing over thing from my past (old shows, comics, and so on). I been remembering all the things about Han Solo's past, so now I have the chance to read about it. I hops its good!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Symbiotic Brain Jelly
[I made this mutant based on a picture I found, made by Philippe “Caza” Cazaumayou. For folks that don't know, Caza did work for Métal Hurlant (Heavy Metal magazine), and he worked with film producer René Laloux, for the French movie Gandahar (aka Light Years). Gandahar has is own unique “transformes” (mutants)]
The mutation can makes for an interesting complications. If you can keep them from taking over you PC, then they can boost mutant's mental abilities.
Symbiotic Brain Jelly
No. Enc.: 1 (2d4)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement:
Swim: 90' (30')
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 3
Attack: 1
Damage: (special)
Save: L2
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: None
These mutant scyphozoa* dwell near bodies of water – both fresh and salt. They usually wait for some random creature to make their way to the water (to drink from it), so they can attach themselves to the creature, in order to find new sources of water. A successful attack results in the Brain Jelly attaching itself to the creature's head. The Brain Jelly may choke the creature (use what rules applies), or perch itself on the creatures skull in order to takeover the creature's mind (a mental attack is needed to resist). Mindless animals generally gives up without a fight, while intelligent creatures usually fight their control. Taking over a human (or some other civilized being) might make for so unusual situations, as Symbiotic Brain Jelly are usually ignorant of even the most basic of human customs. They generally rely on an animal's instincts to survive, and they suppress higher-order intelligence to keep the creature subjugated. So, a human might get controlled while bathing in the river, just to wander around naked (no sense of modesty), and eventually die of exposure after nightfall (ignorant to the fact that humans are not naturally insulated to cold weather). Some Brain Jellies learn to cooperate with intelligent beings, while some beings enjoy the powers that comes from these hosts. With such mutual control, the subjected being benefits from both creature's mutations, plus the Quickness mutation (the synergy of both minds) and the Defective Dual Cerebellum defect (the Brain Jelly being the “Hyde” brain). Androids and Mutant Plants cannot be controlled by these creatures.
Brain Jellies can see in all directions do to their many eyes, are invisible while underwater, and their skin is vulnerable to weak acids – like acetic acid (wine & vinegar) and citrus acid (lemon juice). Such acids are treated as acid attacks. MLs might consider giving them an extra (random) mental mutation, if it seems right, but how that stand, they can really enhance a mutant with offensive mental mutations.
Aberrant Form: extra parts (eyes), chameleon epidermis (only in water), dwarfism (1'), metaconcert, neural telepathy, possession (contact only), epidermal susceptibility (weak acids).
The topless chick is for display purposes only – the boobs are just a plus. ;P
*yes, I know it the technical term for jellyfish (Latin for bowl), but it sounds like a cool name for a giant kaiju monster, that is not necessarily a giant monster jellyfish. Godzilla vs Scyphozoa! How cool is that?
The mutation can makes for an interesting complications. If you can keep them from taking over you PC, then they can boost mutant's mental abilities.
Symbiotic Brain Jelly
No. Enc.: 1 (2d4)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement:
Swim: 90' (30')
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 3
Attack: 1
Damage: (special)
Save: L2
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: None
These mutant scyphozoa* dwell near bodies of water – both fresh and salt. They usually wait for some random creature to make their way to the water (to drink from it), so they can attach themselves to the creature, in order to find new sources of water. A successful attack results in the Brain Jelly attaching itself to the creature's head. The Brain Jelly may choke the creature (use what rules applies), or perch itself on the creatures skull in order to takeover the creature's mind (a mental attack is needed to resist). Mindless animals generally gives up without a fight, while intelligent creatures usually fight their control. Taking over a human (or some other civilized being) might make for so unusual situations, as Symbiotic Brain Jelly are usually ignorant of even the most basic of human customs. They generally rely on an animal's instincts to survive, and they suppress higher-order intelligence to keep the creature subjugated. So, a human might get controlled while bathing in the river, just to wander around naked (no sense of modesty), and eventually die of exposure after nightfall (ignorant to the fact that humans are not naturally insulated to cold weather). Some Brain Jellies learn to cooperate with intelligent beings, while some beings enjoy the powers that comes from these hosts. With such mutual control, the subjected being benefits from both creature's mutations, plus the Quickness mutation (the synergy of both minds) and the Defective Dual Cerebellum defect (the Brain Jelly being the “Hyde” brain). Androids and Mutant Plants cannot be controlled by these creatures.
Brain Jellies can see in all directions do to their many eyes, are invisible while underwater, and their skin is vulnerable to weak acids – like acetic acid (wine & vinegar) and citrus acid (lemon juice). Such acids are treated as acid attacks. MLs might consider giving them an extra (random) mental mutation, if it seems right, but how that stand, they can really enhance a mutant with offensive mental mutations.
Aberrant Form: extra parts (eyes), chameleon epidermis (only in water), dwarfism (1'), metaconcert, neural telepathy, possession (contact only), epidermal susceptibility (weak acids).
The topless chick is for display purposes only – the boobs are just a plus. ;P
*yes, I know it the technical term for jellyfish (Latin for bowl), but it sounds like a cool name for a giant kaiju monster, that is not necessarily a giant monster jellyfish. Godzilla vs Scyphozoa! How cool is that?
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Player vs Magic Items
I'm not a big fan of all the superfluous amounts of magical devices in D&D. The +1 Sword - or +2 Backscratcher, as I call it - is just pathetic! I like magic items to be strange and unique. When I dish out a magic item (once in a blue moon), I like it to have a mind of its own, and I like to trip up the player. The problem with this is, that its too many magic items is too much work for the DM, as it another NPC to focus on. But I found a simple answer: make it a PC item!
How this works, is that when the player finds a magically enchanted item - of any sort - roll it up as an Intelligent Sword (added tables would be needed for less sword specific items). At first, the DM would control the item until the nature of the item becomes known ). Once its magical nature becomes known, handout an index card with the item's general information to a player who is not the items holder - ideally, to a player that controls a PC that can not use such an item, in case the item needs to change hands. The card not just notes the stats and powers, it also notes the general goal and personality of the item. So you could have a Fighter who is played like a jock, who also wields a obnoxious and perverted sword that is controlled by a girl that is playing a goody-two-shoes Half-elven Cleric. If I put the Fighter player under control of his own sword, then he would play the sword the the Fighter's benefit, he would have too much meta-knowledge of the sword's secret powers, and the Sword's personality would not be as apparent. But by putting the sword under the control of the other player, the sword has more personal attention then as a NPC, and the interaction of both players could be vary interesting - considering the unusual relationship between an intelligent item and the one carrying it.
Now, how do you get that player - the one that likes to play the goody-two-shoes types - to play as a total bastard? Simple: XP bonuses! I dont give out XP for killing critters; I give XP for how the players deal with situations. They dont get XP for each gold they find; they get XP for pissing the gold away - after all, what the point of getting more treasure if you are just going to save it? Most of all, I reward good role-playing and clever thinking. A magic item has no need for XP - as they cant gain level - but the PC could use it. Yes, the PC is getting supplemental XP from an item that it not used by the PC, but players are universally greedy, and they would milk the item with all sorts of conflicts and "Spock vs McCoy" melodrama!
Well, that how I roll! I might not make critical hits, but I still roll well!
How this works, is that when the player finds a magically enchanted item - of any sort - roll it up as an Intelligent Sword (added tables would be needed for less sword specific items). At first, the DM would control the item until the nature of the item becomes known ). Once its magical nature becomes known, handout an index card with the item's general information to a player who is not the items holder - ideally, to a player that controls a PC that can not use such an item, in case the item needs to change hands. The card not just notes the stats and powers, it also notes the general goal and personality of the item. So you could have a Fighter who is played like a jock, who also wields a obnoxious and perverted sword that is controlled by a girl that is playing a goody-two-shoes Half-elven Cleric. If I put the Fighter player under control of his own sword, then he would play the sword the the Fighter's benefit, he would have too much meta-knowledge of the sword's secret powers, and the Sword's personality would not be as apparent. But by putting the sword under the control of the other player, the sword has more personal attention then as a NPC, and the interaction of both players could be vary interesting - considering the unusual relationship between an intelligent item and the one carrying it.
Now, how do you get that player - the one that likes to play the goody-two-shoes types - to play as a total bastard? Simple: XP bonuses! I dont give out XP for killing critters; I give XP for how the players deal with situations. They dont get XP for each gold they find; they get XP for pissing the gold away - after all, what the point of getting more treasure if you are just going to save it? Most of all, I reward good role-playing and clever thinking. A magic item has no need for XP - as they cant gain level - but the PC could use it. Yes, the PC is getting supplemental XP from an item that it not used by the PC, but players are universally greedy, and they would milk the item with all sorts of conflicts and "Spock vs McCoy" melodrama!
Well, that how I roll! I might not make critical hits, but I still roll well!
Monday, March 23, 2009
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