(Kickstarter) DC Heroes Role-Playing Game 40th Anniversary

For most of the Fall, I've complained about the social media marketing campaigns for some Kickstarters: long lead-in, the redundancy, the lack of transparency, even as a teasers.  

Cryptozoic certainly didn't over-advertised, and they definitely undersold the potential of their latest. 

When I saw the Kickstarter for a 40th Anniversary Edition of the DC Heroes RPG (Mayfair Games), I had hoped for a nice box-set, some premium add-ons, and reasonable stretch goals of a few classic supplements.

Not only are they reproducing the 1st Edition AND 2nd Edition boxed sets ($60 each), but they're reproducing every supplement and every module for both editions!  For $695 you get both sets, the other 50 or so books, and all the add-on accessories.   Somewhere in the middle, there might be a better solution for each fan of the game....

(KAPOW!) Canadian Mint - Mislabeled Super Hero - #CharacterCreationChallenge

Sometimes, you have to be very particular with your AI prompts for both text and image.  

As I was pondering some fresh characters if I ever run my Canadian Cthulhu game, I used ChatGPT to create some basic concepts and plugged the descriptions into Nightcafe for an image for our online game.  Most are pretty run of the mill late-80s/early 90s college kids, but then one generated this:  

Rebecca Turner from Day 2 evolved from this picture, and it perplexed me why this one came out like some enchantress/superhero.  Then I realized that ChatGPT generated a character with a vibrant energy, and emerald eyes... originally named Elsa Anderson.... and Nightcafe took that and ran with it!  I changed the name during the evolution and never looked back. 

So what to do with this one?  I'm not a big superhero gamer, so I found KAPOW! through DrivethruRPG.

Rebecca Turner - Canadian Mint - Superhero 

Scope:  City   

Drive: Protect your friends

Battlecry:  "Prepare to be Eh-mazed!"

Bumps: 3 

Toughness: 2              Will: 2                Stamina:    2                  Actions:  2

Power: Flight    Level 10 (d10,d10)

Canadian Mint can use her energy projection to propel herself in the air, including hovering.  If she needs to use her Energy Projection in an manner while she's flying, reduce the Level to 6 (d6, d6).  

Power: Energy Projection   Level 8 (d8,d8)

Canadian Mint can generate impressive Energy blasts from her hands.  These blasts do create a lesser area effect (splash damage) when they make contact with the target.

Power: Energy Shield Level 6 (d6,d6)

Canadian Mint can generate an Energy Shield to protect her from one facing.  

All energy powers manifest in a translucent state that lingers after the effect has concluded, it's been known to manifest "fairy godmother imagery" and the surroundings smell of wintergreen and spearmint.

======

Rebecca Turner just wanted to be a normal high school student in early 1990's Canada, hang out with friends, have an awesome summer before heading off to university, but she had to manifest superpowers the last two months of school.  

The class trips was a jaunt down to the States, and wouldn't you know it, the whole class got stuck in the middle of some super-hero struggle.   Rebecca was forced to use her powers to protect her classmates, and KO some of the villain's underlings as a result.    While this would be a viral sensation nowadays, it was a slow culminated on pictures, and tabloids articles cobbling together a new Canadian superhero making her first appearance ever on American soil.   Her wispy power manifestations, peculiar smells those powers make, and some some unoriginality from the editors of the Weekly World News, the Sun, and National Enquirer gave her the name Canadian Mint.  Somehow this has stuck.  

Being labelled something by the press is something, but being called Canadian Mints when the candy is actually called Canada Mints, irks her beyond belief. 

Now, she is trying to be a normal student at university, and for after the initial hoopla, she's settled down with a group of friends and is enjoying school as a normal girl.  

Except, strange things are afoot around campus.    No costumed villains plotting the destruction of the town square with a giant mechanical watermelon blimp, but some far sinister lurking in the far corners of town....

And one day, she'll find her true super-hero name.

(TWERPS) Americ-Ann, the Nation's Sweetheart - #CharacterCreationChallenge

Day 19 of the #CharacterCreationChallenge  and I did into the recently painted minis, specifically Americ-Ann, All-American Heroine from the Macho Women with Guns line.

Americ-Ann fighting Mech-Nasty

She was on my list of characters early, but the big question remained, "What system?"   My forays into Top Secret last year were lackluster, I did my required GURPS character already this month, and since I can't find any stats online (Americ-Ann either brings up the miniature or a cannabis company), I figured a solid dive back into TWERPS seemed fitting.  

Next issue, putting her more into the costumed superhero vibe, I haven't had a copy of TWERPS Superdudes for 25+ years, a more grounded Netflix production means I'll use... The T.W.E.R.P.S.- Files.

Americ-Ann, All American Heroine with Twin .45s

Strength:  7

Special Agent +1, Spy +2 (+2 to deception and tailing rolls), Gun-Fu +2

Equipment: Two pistols (2pts damage, 5-hex range) lockpicks, can of hairspray, motorcycle (Strength 5, Move 15, Defense +2)

(Kickstarter) Able Company by Sally 4th

I know Sally 4th for their buildings and building interiors, but I often forget their classic movie-inspired miniatures.  

In that spirit, they've launched a Kickstarter for Able Company, a collection of eight super 28mm soldier sculpts, with options to order from their Classic Movie Miniature range.  

Only drawback I see is that shipping outside of the UK looks a little crazy, especially when compared to other recent Kickstarters coming from the British Isles.  

I'm not too big on WW2, but these might convince me to pick up some pulp Germans.

Another Month of New Gaming (December 2019)

ViscountEric's Must-Have Want List
Monkeyfun Studios
Spirit of 77- Greatest Hits - Vol 2 .................................... $24.99

ViscountEric's Money-Is-No-Object Want List
Fat Goblin Games
Stranger Stuff (Tiny d6) ............................................... $19.95

WizKids
DC Heroclix: Justice League Unlimited
Yeah, this would lure me back into buying a few Heroclix.

The Imaginary Store List (The Pegleg Gnome)
Alderac Entertainment Group
Tiny Towns:  Fortune ..................................................... $29.99

Arc Dream Publishing
Delta Green: Ex Oblivione ............................................. $14.99

Army Painter 
Wet Palette ...................................................................... $24.99

Asmodee Editions
15 Men ........................................................................... $29.99
7 Wonders:  Wonder Pack Expansion ............................ $14.99
Bandido .......................................................................... $12.99
Beer IQ ........................................................................... $19.99
Dragon Boats of the Four Seas ...................................... $49.99
Top Gun: Strategy Game ............................................... $24.99

Atlas Games
Feng Shui 2 HC .............................................................. $49.95

Bedrock Games
Strange Tales .............................................................. $29.99

Chaosium
Call of Cthulhu: Alone Against the Frost .................... $19.99

Dork Storm Press
Dork Tower X:  The Tao of Igor ................................. $24.99

Fat Goblin Games
Pathfinder RPG: Fellow Travelers - Animal Companions ...... $15.95
Pathfinder RPG: Game Changer- Alchemical Tools ............... $15.95
US Marshalls RPG .................................................................. $19.95

Gale Force Nine 
D&D Eberron - DM Screen ................................................... $15.00

Gallant Knight 
Zorro: The RPG ....................................................................... $50.00

Games Workshop
Dark Imperium (40k)   ............................................................ $160.00
Know No Fear Starter Set (40k) ............................................. $ 80.00
First Strike Starter Set (40k) ................................................... $ 40.00
Storm Strike (Age of Sigmar) ................................................. $ 40.00
Beastgrave (AoS) .................................................................... $ 70.00
The Grymwatch (AoS) ........................................................... $ 30.00

Green Ronin Publishing
The Expanse: Abzus Bounty ...............................................  $32.95

Kobold Press
D&D: Warlock Grimoire HC ............................................... $24.95

Konami Digital Entertainment
Yu-Gi-Oh! Ignition Assault Boosters
Yu-Gi-Oh! Ignition Assault Special Edition Box Display
Yu-Gi-Oh! - Legendary Duelists - Magical Hero Booster

Monkeyfun Studios
A Town Called Malice ........................................................ $24.99

Monster Fight Club
If it comes pre-assembled and painted, their Monster Scenery line looks like a decent investment. 

Onyx Path Publishing
Trinity Continuum RPG:  Core .................................................................... $39.99
Trinity Continuum RPG: Reference Screen ................................................  $19.99
Trinity Continuum RPG: Aeon ....................................................................  $49.99
Trinity Continuum RPG: Aeon Reference Screen ........................................ $19.99

Trinity (Aeon) is back? What the heck?  And if I read things right the Core Trinity book can be used to run other Onyx Path Products.  Aeon is setting.

Vampire: Chicago by Night ......................................................................... $45.00
Everything old is new again... and adjusted for inflation.

Paizo Publishing
Pathfinder RPG: Adventure Gear Deck (P2) ............................... $22.99...
Pathfinder RPG: AP Extinction Curse Pt 2 - Legacy of the Lost God .... $24.99
Pathfinder RPG: AP Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition (1st) .... $29.99
Pathfinder RPG: Pawns Base Assortment (P2) ........................ $14.99
Pathfinder RPG: Flip-Mat The Dead God's Hand Multi-Pack .... $24.99
Pathfinder RPG: Adventure - The Dead God's Hand HC .......... $34.99
Pathfinder RPG: Weapons and Armor Deck .............................. $22.99
Starfinder RPG: AP The Threefold Conspiracy 1 - The Chimera Mystery ..... $22.9
Starfinder RPG: Pawns Alien Archive 3 Pawn Box .................... $44.99

Rio Grande Games
Monster Baby Rescue ............................................................ $64.95
Robin of Locksley ................................................................... $34.95

Sanguine Productions
Usagi Yojimbo RPG 2nd Edition ............................................ $34.95
Wow, the Kickstarter was just in August.  Pretty impressive turnaround for a December release!

Steve Jackson Games
Le Boomb! ............................................................................. $ 6.95
Kitten d6 Dice Set .................................................................. $13.95
Munchkin Cthulhu: Sanity Check ........................................... $ 9.95
Munchkin Warhammer Age of Sigmar - Death and Destrutction .... $19.95

Tasty Minstrel
Mini Rails ............................................................................. $39.95
Solar Draft ...........................................................................  $19.95

Troll Lord Games
5th Edition Adventures Archives Vol 2 ................................  $79.99

WizKids
D&D Fantasy Minis:  Icons of the Realms - Cave Defenders .... $24.99
D&D Fantasy Minis:  Halaster's Tumultuous Templates ...........  $59.99
D&D Fantasy Minis: Spell Effects Mighty Conjuration ............... $49.99
D&D - The Falling Star .............................................................. $104.00
DC Heroclix Justice League Unlimited Dice and Tokens .......... $ 9.99
DC Heroclix Justice League Unlimited Starter Set .................... $34.99
Warlock Dungeon Tiles Core Set .............................................. $99.99
Warlock Dungeon Tiles Starter Set ........................................... $49.99

Word Forge Games
Chivalry & Sorcery 5th Edition ................................................ $70.00

(Kickstarter) Tiny Supers by Gallant Knight Games

With less than two weeks to Historicon, and piles of Summer projects staring me in the eye, Kickstarter continues to torture me so.

Now Gallant Knight Games has launched a Kickstarter campaign for Tiny Supers: Minimalist Super-Hero Roleplaying.

Simple mechanics, special dice that are fun, but not required, for play, and clean artwork make me lean beyond the simple pdf pledge level.  

Events for Mepacon Spring 2018 Have Been Submitted!

After a poll and much consternation, I've submitted my events for Mepacon, April  27-29 at the Hilton in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

I really wanted to try to revert back to my old style of GMing with a twist towards the youngsters with TWERPS Superdudes and TMNT/After the Bomb games, but in the end, you go with what targets the largest non-D&D organized play demographic.

I shall run six 2-hour sessions of My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria, and I shall like it!

My Little Pony: Tokens of Friendship  
My Little Pony has a role-playing game and it's as magical as the power of friendship! Each session you can create your very own pony and share adventures with your friends in Ponyville, Canterlot, and beyond! Or bring back your pony from a previous session (or previous Mepacon) to play some more! Parents welcome to help their child or play alongside them. 

6 players

Running  4-6 Friday, 11-1 Saturday, 4-6 Saturday

And since the theme of the convention is "Heroes and Villains" it's only fitting to run a variant on the "Power Ponies"

My Little Pony: The Infinite League of Avenging Justice!
The POWER PONIES have returned to Maretropolis!  But what happens when the Doomsday device isn't controlled by a villain, but by everyone's favorite team, The Rustlers of Justice?  Who will Rustle the Rustlers?   Super-Ponies provided at the table.  Parents will be needed to assist some youngsters, but they can certainly play alongside older children.
6 players
Running 8-10 Friday, 9-11 and 2-4 Saturday

(Kickstarter) Villains and Vigilantes 3.0 Mighty Protectors RPG

Jeff Dee and Monkey House Games announce the launch of the latest Kickstarter for Villains and Vigiliantes 3.0:  The Might Protectors RPG.

After years of legal issues, everything is resolved, and the new third edition will include streamlined rules, an intro into the Mighty Protectors Multiverse, and brand new artwork.

Huge plus:  It appears to offer free shipping to the US.

Equally huge plus:  The add-ons and stretch goals are reasonable.  Sorry, you're not getting gilded vellum pages just for the campaign hitting a certain number.  Stretch goals are for add-ons that cost just a couple of dollars.  If enough people tack $10 of miscellaneous add-ons to their pledge, the $15 pdf level becomes $25, $30 softcover to $40, and $55 hardcover up to $65, all negligible increases for material the person wants.    Free stuff is great, but I have a folder full of articles, supplements, and lists that were free with Kickstarters that I've never looked at.  If I want character sheets programmed into Excel, paying a dollar or two or three ensures that I actively want it and will not toss it aside, never to view again.

Batman versus Superman versus Gnomes!

An article over at Comics Alliance covers World's Finest #265 from 1980, where Batman, Robin, Superman, and Merlin all team up against gnomes and other magical creatures of myth.


This would make gnomes 20-pt creatures in Heroclix.

(HX) Avengers of Justice #3 Mouser Mayhem!

Avengers of Justice Wasp and Mockingbird had just discovered the lair of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and were working towards befriending them when strange metallic noises could be heard skittering down from the tunnels. 

Both women were caught off guard by the calm voice behind them, "Danger awaits all of us, we must be prepared to fight." 

Giant Ninja Turtles weren't enough to surprise them, but a talking rat in a robe confused them for a bit.

As the mechanical creatures known as mousers began streaming into the Turtles HQ, everyone fell back towards the living room.    The girls felt out of place as three turtles swarmed near their ... master(?) and Donatello stood guard over the bottleneck at the one bridge.



 

The mousers were stopped by Donnie, but the ones coming out of the side tunnels were getting dangerously close to the living room.  Wasp and Mockingbird kept their side clear with ranged attacks, and Leonardo held of the Mousers running around the one couch.

 

A different noise could be heard as the Rat King and his real-live giant rat minions stormed towards Donnie.  Between Donnie and Michelangelo  holding the bridge, and Wasp's blast softening up the onslaught, everything appeared to be in hand.  In fact, they formed a celebratory conga line to celebrate their victory!

The Conga.... of JUSTICE!

Little did they know, the Rat King and a few mousers had snuck down the side of the chamber and attacked Splinter!   Splinter took out the Rat King and two mousers before he was overwhelmed by more of the sneaky robots and spirited away. 

The Turtles were crestfallen.  What just happened? 

Lucky for them they received Good news/bad news from the captured Rat King.

Good News:  He told them that Splinter was being held by Baxter Stockman.
Bad News:  Baxter also held April O'Neil as his prisoner!

Maja's got the math and movement down pretty good, now we work on the special abilities on the cards.  We kept it simple:  All turtles get toughness (damage reduced by 1) and two have charge (figures makes half move and can attack as a free action).    Between the two extra characters and the half the side tunnels to generate mousers, they easily made the 8-turn basic goal.  But on turn 9, the bad guys seized Splinter.  Maja's love of Conga lines may get someone hurt... again. 

(HX) Avengers of Justice #2 Turtle Training... Interrupted

Back at the Hangout of Justice, Mockingbird was getting a thorough ripping by the higher-ups. 

"If we told you once, we told you a million times, Mockingbird, we are the Avengers of Justice.  Do not refer to us as 'The Death Squad' anymore!"

A less-enthused Mockingbird skulked back to the Den of Justice, where her team partner Wasp was not winning over the other heroes with the details of foiling the Big Kahuna Burger Hesit.

"Really?  A giant talking turtle?  With a Bo Staff?  Perhaps the Big Kahuna's special recipe has hallucinogens in it!!  Bwa-ha-ha-ha!"

Wasp took her teammate aside and it was certain:  They needed to go down into the sewers and find proof that this turtle existed.

*Several yuck-filled hours later*

The sewer tunnel opened up into a cavernous but well-lit room.  The tunnel was one of many pouring its contents into it, but the vast majority of it was covered by a steel grating.    In the center of the grating were four mannequins  dressed like ninjas, that were set up to form a large square.  Off in the distance... was the a couch covered in pizza boxes.

The pair slinked back into the darkness of their tunnel when someTHINGS broke the surface of the exposed water.  There wasn't one giant turtle, there were FOUR of them!!!  And they were ready for a fight. 

It was obvious that the mannequins were for training purposes, as a turtle wielding two ninjato sliced into one.  The familiar one with the bo staff played at the training dummy from a distance, as the other two, one with nun chucks and another with a pair of sais tussled with each other.  The hits landed hard, but neither turtle did as much as wince. 

The turtle with the Bo staff, Donatello paused from his training and peered down the tunnel.  Defensively, he took a few steps forwarded and recognized the heroes. 

"Heh-hey ladies," Donatello stuttered.  "Um... welcome to Turtle HQ.  Hey, Leonardo, we've got company."

The other turtle lowered his ninjatos and looked amusingly at the heroes, "I guess you need to upgrade the security system, Donny, if these woman can waltz right in."

Girls???    Not named April???

Pleasantries were exchanged and possibly a food order or three discussed before Michelangelo and Raphael finished their skirmish! 

"Master Splinter would be most interested in talking to these two.  I wonder where he is? "

After the echoes of the two turtle's fight finally subsided, it appeared to be replaced by the sounds of moving metal and... rats.

"What's that sound?"  Mockingbird asked.

Leonardo could only reply, "Trouble."

With the addition of heroes from our last "issue," the Turtle vs. Turtle scenario devolved into something known as... role-playing?  Maja could care less about training dummies and the Turtles wrestling with each other.  As soon as the girls were within sight, she wanted Donatello to run over and say hello, and the entire Raphael/Michelangelo brawl was my doing.    The Turtles will have extra allies for next issue "Save Splinter."

(HX) Avengers of Justice #1 The Big Kahuna Heist

Following my kids' request for a superhero game and a successful test run of Heroclix, it was time for an adventure "Ripped from the headlines..."

Location:  The Big Kahuna Burger in Londontown (the fictional setting for our adventures).

The Big Kahuna Burger truck driver arrived early Saturday morning with another delivery of tasty burgers.  Too early for the manager to be there to unload the truck, so the driver unhitched the trailer and found a place to sleep.

With no one else around, some nefarious folks descended upon the trailer, looking to score some Hawaiian goodness.

This ain't no Royale with Cheese

Once the person calling described the would be burglars, 911 forwarded the call to the League of Girls Who Kick Butt (true name TBD).  At such a late hour, only two heroes were still up: Mockingbird and Wasp.

None of the theives noticed them get into location atop the trailer, where Wasp's ranged attack took out the supposed leader.   They caused a commotion in a building across the parking lot, and the others sent the Troll Bodyguard to check it out.  

*ZZZOOOOOTTTT!*

Mockingbird jumped down to fight the bad guys 3-on-1, while Wasp checked some actual commotion coming from the building the Troll was investigating.  Soon, the unconscious body of the Troll came flying through a wall, and a strange green man emerged.

"Do they have Hawaiian Pizza?"

Wasp flew over to introduce herself to Donatello the turtle, all the while, Mockingbird was slowly getting overwhelmed by the bad guys.  

The pair dashed back over to the truck, and in a manner of a few seconds, justice was served, and new friends were made. 

As our heroes recovered from the fight, a strange figure in purple could be seen spying from atop the trailer.  When they realized they had been spotted, they dashed off into the night.  

Something was a "Foot"!

For our first storytelling superhero game, everything went off with only one hitch:  Millie didn't want to play.  So while Millie did some arts and crafts, Maja and I ran through foiling the burger heist.  

With the arrival of TMNT Heroclix, and my pre-ordered Fast Forces set not arriving at the FLGS, I snagged up four of the singles.  Once the fight started, Wasp, Mockingbird, and the first bad guy each rolled a d6 before they did anything.  On a six, I grabbed a pack out of my work bag and let Maja open it.  Donatello and the Foot Soldier got opened before the fight was over.