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[Songbird]

Oh my god. Are they blind? Did they have no faith in their previous customers?

...and are we sure this isn't a fa/tg/uy troll attempt?

---

Apparenty from 3rd edition is this:

 

[dude]

Oh my god. Are they blind? Did they have no faith in their previous customers?

...and are we sure this isn't a fa/tg/uy troll attempt?

---

Apparenty from 3rd edition is this:

Actually, this is from the second edition

Without the anime crap all around it, it was actually pretty clever and funny! Her back story is that the cult tried to summon and demon but accidently brought this fictional character into the real world, and she became a Noble. it's pretty cool, the idea is to show that Nobilis aren't necessarily human.

And I'm pretty sure this is real, I cheked out some previews, and the art in them seem to be as horrible.

 

[golem]

The one funny thing about my group is how they have all bought Game Science dice.

My group is pretty much a pure Game Science crew now as well haha

Everytime someone rolls a 20 they whisper 'Game Science' in reverence :lol

 

[krypt0nian]

My group is pretty much a pure Game Science crew now as well haha

Everytime someone rolls a 20 they whisper 'Game Science' in reverence :lol

Mostly Chessex sets (I tend to buy new set for a new chara), and my beloved Q Workshop set. - http://q-workshop.com/main.php?lang=EN&sell_type=DETAL

 

[Songbird]

Actually, this is from the second edition

Without the anime crap all around it, it was actually pretty clever and funny! Her back story is that the cult tried to summon and demon but accidently brought this fictional character into the real world, and she became a Noble. it's pretty cool, the idea is to show that Nobilis aren't necessarily human.

And I'm pretty sure this is real, I cheked out some previews, and the art in them seem to be as horrible.

My mistake. At least it does not have author's notes for bishonen like the 3rd ed screen caps.

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

So, DM'med my first adventure in 4e and in forever last night.

It was not so bad.

Made it through 2 encounters, lack a back ground and threw in a plot twist.

The players, many who are new, were kinda bummed that they really only have a couple powers to use over and over again. But I suppose that's just the nature of level 1 characters, where they only have so many choices.

 

[krypt0nian]

So, DM'med my first adventure in 4e and in forever last night.

It was not so bad.

Made it through 2 encounters, lack a back ground and threw in a plot twist.

The players, many who are new, were kinda bummed that they really only have a couple powers to use over and over again. But I suppose that's just the nature of level 1 characters, where they only have so many choices.

Give them some creative, cinematic ways to use them for small bonuses to hit/dmg to show them that there are more possibilities.

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

Give them some creative, cinematic ways to use them for small bonuses to hit/dmg to show them that there are more possibilities.

I did. I got them to realize that maybe by not killing everyone...they might be able to pump some NPCs for information.

 

[BattleMonkey]

So, DM'med my first adventure in 4e and in forever last night.

It was not so bad.

Made it through 2 encounters, lack a back ground and threw in a plot twist.

The players, many who are new, were kinda bummed that they really only have a couple powers to use over and over again. But I suppose that's just the nature of level 1 characters, where they only have so many choices.

Low level characters have very little variety, but 4E in general really skews the classes into their role as well so things will always be limited in what a character can do and many times characters in 4E fall into patter of doing the same things over and over again once the group figures out it's dynamic. They get more options as they get higher level of course.

You might want to have players do something like start with lvl 3 characters instead of 1 to have a bit more creative freedom and play options.

 

[krypt0nian]

I did. I got them to realize that maybe by not killing everyone...they might be able to pump some NPCs for information.

If they realize that they can use the limited powers in unlimited ways that should cut down on the complaining. Heck our group is constantly stunning off their at-wills to create a cooler battle.

 

[JayDubya]

So, DM'med my first adventure in 4e and in forever last night.

It was not so bad.

Made it through 2 encounters, lack a back ground and threw in a plot twist.

The players, many who are new, were kinda bummed that they really only have a couple powers to use over and over again. But I suppose that's just the nature of level 1 characters, where they only have so many choices.

In higher tier games I have played in, there have been many fights over before I could come close to using all the encounter powers I have, and sometimes my at-wills were situationally better anyway.

If you think they won't go all "sure grandpa, you had to walk uphill both ways in the snow" on you, remind them that if they had been a 1st-20th Fighter or Rogue or almost anything without power points or spell slots, really, they would only have one "power" they could use over and over again - basic melee attack, basic ranged attack.

Not that I minded that so much, but in retrospect, it's so much more interesting to have some choices like that routinely.

Next level they get a Utility and a feat, the one after that, a second encounter power, then a feat and two stat bumps, and then a second daily power. The game should start simple at L1 - people don't know their characters yet or the team yet.

 

[Patryn]

So, after meaning to try D&D out for forever, I finally got a chance to check it out at PAX East. After having played all the Infinity Engine games, I played my first game IRL ever, and I loved it.

But now I'm starting to kind of want to look for a game, but given that I know nobody who plays it, I'm a little intimidated. I've looked at Meetup.com, and I'm tempted to put my information up, but I'm a little worried because I have literally zero years of playing experience.

If I do find a game, any advice for someone who's just starting out and probably knows more than he should, but less than he thinks?

 

[krypt0nian]

So, after meaning to try D&D out for forever, I finally got a chance to check it out at PAX East. After having played all the Infinity Engine games, I played my first game IRL ever, and I loved it.

But now I'm starting to kind of want to look for a game, but given that I know nobody who plays it, I'm a little intimidated. I've looked at Meetup.com, and I'm tempted to put my information up, but I'm a little worried because I have literally zero years of playing experience.

If I do find a game, any advice for someone who's just starting out and probably knows more than he should, but less than he thinks?

Meetup.com got my current group together and it's been a year of amazing gaming. Go for it, and don't just pick the first person that replies. Most are cool with noobs to the game.

 

[JayDubya]

So, after meaning to try D&D out for forever, I finally got a chance to check it out at PAX East. After having played all the Infinity Engine games, I played my first game IRL ever, and I loved it.

But now I'm starting to kind of want to look for a game, but given that I know nobody who plays it, I'm a little intimidated. I've looked at Meetup.com, and I'm tempted to put my information up, but I'm a little worried because I have literally zero years of playing experience.

If I do find a game, any advice for someone who's just starting out and probably knows more than he should, but less than he thinks?

Advice?

Well your group at this point is an unknown, so be open and receptive to playing with people of various ages, backgrounds, etc. Do have some standards, of course - don't just be stuck in what you consider to be a shitty game - but for the most part I think you'll find that most DMs and most players understand it's a collaborative effort and everyone kind of has to understand what everyone else is looking for out of the game - so communication and advice and discussion about the game itself is a good thing.

You can use meetup.com, to some extent you can use Obsidian Portal to see if there's any ongoing games looking for new members in your area (which is nice because you can actually read up on the campaign that group is in the middle of right now).

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

Or check with your local game store. That's how I got into the Encounters game I do on Wednesday nights.

 

[dude]

Welp, I bought the Nobilis 3e book. The art is... Horrendous, but the rules look great so far, I really think they managed to solve some of the problems of the old rules. I'll have to playtest it of curse, so I hope to have some impressions once my group meet and play. But, there are more bad stuff - the fluff writing is defintley a step down, it's a complete 180 degrees in tone.

In the second edition book, this is the description of Lord Entropy, the ruler of Earth:

The touch of Lord Entropy is corruption, and so dark have been his deeds that his hands drip forever with blood . Where Za'afiel (the angel of destruction) teaches lessons with pain and brings forth new growth from decay, the Darkest Lord commands the destruction in which healing has no part.
[...] The Darkest Lord can be nothing other than he is. Labels like "unethical" or "evil" are at best misnomers. His malice is not a vice or a weakness, but the same elemental hostility towards life that the deserts and and the ocean deep possess.

But, in the third edition book:

There is an evil god who rules the mortal world from his hidden Chancel.
He is Lord Entropy.
He is so evil that his hands drip blood even when he’s just hanging out watching a basketball game. He is so evil that he can just smile at you and not do anything at all to you and a few years later you’ll turn into a degenerate third world dictator like Saddam Hussein. Some people estimate that as many as 2⁄3 of all corrupt dictators, CEOs, and other important people are people who met Lord Entropy without knowing it and carry his stain upon their soul

There's also a picture of him as a blond little boy trying to reach a jar of candy, with bloody hands of curse.

I wouldn't use this book to get new players into Nobilis, it doesn't help convey the feel of the world at all. If anyone here wished to try Nobilis out, and you should, it's amazing - Buy the new book for the rules, and download the old out of print Big White Book for everything else. It's the only way. It's sad, anyone not familiar with Nobilis already will have no idea what the heck is going on in this new book. I understand she tried to make the book less "pretentious" and more accessible, but this is... too much.

BTW, has anyone here heard of Mystic Empyrean? I'm very intrigued by the setting, and I really like the lack of GM... I mean, I tried it with Polaris, but I didn't really like the system (or the setting). There's a free preview out, but with the new Nobilis out I don't think I'll get around to reading it soon...

 

[krypt0nian]

I'm brainstorming a multi-session DC heroes campaign for my group back home. The tone should be fun, zany, heroic. Nothing grim and gritty at all.

They are a mix of comic folks, and people with a very basic comics background so I want to show off the DCU. Anyone up for throwing some ideas out there?

So far its about the Phantom Stranger approaching the heroes, and telling them of a plan of the Lords of Chaos to gather artifacts from Magic, Science and the Lost World (a combo of both) to bring about the next age of things (think Mayan calendar) with a spin of Chaos.

It will send them to various locations in the DCU to try and stop the agents of Chaos from aquiring the objects, while taking them on a tour of the DCU proper.

Threw this preliminary brainstorm together just now on the iPad. Any suggestions? Villains to use in each location?

Reposting this in the comics thread as well.

 

[JayDubya]

Just a reminder for those 2-4 people that saw my recruitment post and posted here or sent me a PM to express interest: we are planning on playing Sunday as of right now.

If you want to play in that session I need your character built for that today as I'll be out of town tomorrow and Sat. Otherwise I suppose you're welcome to observe a session. Inputting a new character into Maptool and fine-tuning / playtesting all its macros can take some time.

At the minimum - let's say you don't own a D&D book and / or don't have access to a character builder - I can use the builder to make something for you if you tell me a name / race / class combo you want and what sort of build / role you're trying to fill. If that's the route we go, I'm totally cool with you retraining feats, skills, or powers during the party's next extended rest or once you get access to books or D&D Insider and have played a bit to know what you like don't like.

Also, anyone should be able to find some character art they like to use for your pog.

 

[Gorgon]

I stoped playing AD&D (now D&D again) maybe 14 years ago as soon as I discovered stuff that I considered better.

These days I mostly care about Ars Magica and Pendragon. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful systems and mechanics.

 

[krypt0nian]

I stoped playing AD&D (now D&D again) maybe 14 years ago as soon as I discovered stuff that I considered better.

These days I mostly care about Ars Magica and Pendragon. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful systems and mechanics.

Dnd always drags me back. It's my first love. No matter what new pretty whore comes along, I still know I'm going to get a nice long skilled fuck, that knows what buttons to push.

 

[BattleMonkey]

I stoped playing AD&D (now D&D again) maybe 14 years ago as soon as I discovered stuff that I considered better.

These days I mostly care about Ars Magica and Pendragon. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful systems and mechanics.

I mostly play Pathfinder now, all my buddies who were into D&D left it. I'm not exactly crazy about Pathfinder either though because it's still at it's core D20 which is a bloated patch job of trying to keep an archaic old game system up to date.

But roleplaying is a huge genre with lots of options for everyone. I really dig the new Warhammer Fantasy RPG system, and another cool game to look at is the Burning Wheel.

 

[JayDubya]

Just a heads up for everyone...

I've now had enough respondents / applicants to join my current game that if everyone who inquired was serious about playing, we could run a second game, though I certainly couldn't DM both.



Of course, I still need your characters (even just the minimal info above) today for whoever is wanting / able to play this Sunday.

But that is promising, certainly. Hopefully we'll have more than one GAF game running at some point soon.

*EDIT*​

So far, I've recieved PMs from 5 interested players.

To recap, we play Sunday bimonthly at 1830 CST.

The game currently has 4 PCs, 3 of which are or were on GAF. Theoretically I can adapt a module or design custom content for up to 7-8 or so people but the game is probably best with 4-6.

Current Group

• Human Warlord (Leader, Inspiring build, healing focus, sword-&-board)
• Half-Elf Paladin (Defender, Chaladin build, charging & reach weapon focus)
• Elf Ranger (Striker, bow focus, ranged DPR)
• Shadar-Kai Wizard (Controller, wand focus, good mix of AoE and terrain control)

Aspirant newbies, refer to this post for a good summary of info and some links you'll need to play.

 

[Gorgon]

Dnd always drags me back. It's my first love. No matter what new pretty whore comes along, I still know I'm going to get a nice long skilled fuck, that knows what buttons to push.

I don't really pay any attention anymore to new stuff. I can still play Call of Cthulhu, Space 1889 and a few other old stuff, but my loves are Ars Magica and Pendragon (pretty old series too) and I don't search for anything else.

I mostly play Pathfinder now, all my buddies who were into D&D left it. I'm not exactly crazy about Pathfinder either though because it's still at it's core D20 which is a bloated patch job of trying to keep an archaic old game system up to date.

But roleplaying is a huge genre with lots of options for everyone. I really dig the new Warhammer Fantasy RPG system, and another cool game to look at is the Burning Wheel.

Yep, there's a shit ton of stuff out there, literally hundreds of different systems, many of them out of print. There's something for everyone. But I can't really stand stuff like charcater levels and character classes anymore (well, pretty much since I discovered other stuff beyond AD&D, basically).

 

[krypt0nian]

Played so many games I've lost track but our group is pretty much Dnd, Shadowrun, a quick bit of Aberrant (blech), and now I'm going to run DC Adventures/Mutants & Masterminds 3E, which is easily the best supers system since DC Heroes/FASERIP days.

I want to try Deadlands and Fiasco soon. And maybe Song of Ice and Fire. I've heard great things about them.

 

[Gorgon]

Played so many games I've lost track but our group is pretty much Dnd, Shadowrun, a quick bit of Aberrant (blech), and now I'm going to run DC Adventures/Mutants & Masterminds 3E, which is easily the best supers system since DC Heroes/FASERIP days.

I want to try Deadlands and Fiasco soon. And maybe Song of Ice and Fire. I've heard great things about them.

I've read (not played) Deadlands, and looks like a pretty nice system.

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

Can anyone reccommend a good windows D&D DM management program, for 4E?

 

[BattleMonkey]

Yep, there's a shit ton of stuff out there, literally hundreds of different systems, many of them out of print. There's something for everyone. But I can't really stand stuff like charcater levels and character classes anymore (well, pretty much since I discovered other stuff beyond AD&D, basically).

Class system games have their place and work well in some respects for fantasy games, in other settings I think it's awful.

 

[G-Pink]

Just began a campaign with three friends, and I think it's going well so far. I ran them through the first part of a small campaign I've been working on that involves them helping a Professor with an archeology experiment, and being betrayed when it turns out the Professor is actually a powerful magus. The rest of the campaign involves them encountering an NPC named Hemlock Jones, and through thorough investigation of the places they've met the magus, being able to track him down to his headquarters. It ends with a choice of joining the magus (which obviously won't turn out well for them), or ransacking his HQ, and procuring some magic items or some other loot.

What I'm concerned about is making these investigations interesting. Obviously, they'll involve some checks, and as you can tell, Hemlock Jones is a Sherlock pseudonym, so he'll be pointing out important things that the PCs won't see, and deducing when the PCs won't be able to put it together. But I was wondering if the creative people in here might have some ideas as to circumstances or possibilities of skill challenges that would work well here.

And a quick question. As far as XP is concerned, do I give XP to the group as a whole, or do I give them XP based on what monsters they kill and what challenges and traps they overcome as single players?

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

After each session, I split up the XP for everything they've done that session, so if they do level up they can adjust characters in time for the next session.

 

[fallengorn]

Can anyone reccommend a good windows D&D DM management program, for 4E?

I'm still doing things the old fashioned way, but I hear good things about DnD4eCM:
http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/DnD4eCM

General campaign stuff I use Obsidian Portal.

And a quick question. As far as XP is concerned, do I give XP to the group as a whole, or do I give them XP based on what monsters they kill and what challenges and traps they overcome as single players?

Up to you. I've only been using XP as a loose guideline as to when to level up everyone.

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

Thanks for the link.

 

[shoplifter]

Yeah, I've decided that I'm pretty much done with D&D, at least anything 3e or later. I might give the new Hackmaster a shot once it's finally out. I liked where they were headed with Basic. I get what 4e is trying to do, but I just don't care for it mechanically. It's a fantastic jumping on point for new gamers though.

For the time being, I think it's going to be Nobilis 3e (I agree that the art is horrendous, but it does a far better job of explaining the game in a way people who are not Dr. Moran can get) or maybe I'll finally be able to get a Burning Wheel or Freemarket game off the ground. Or maybe Strands of Fate.


\/\/ If I'm going to play anything 3e-derived, I'm playing Fantasycraft. Edited to clarify that I sort of hate 3e too.

 

[BattleMonkey]

Yeah, I've decided that I'm pretty much done with D&D, at least anything after 3e. I might give the new Hackmaster a shot once it's finally out. I liked where they were headed with Basic. I get what 4e is trying to do, but I just don't care for it mechanically. It's a fantastic jumping on point for new gamers though.

For the time being, I think it's going to be Nobilis 3e (I agree that the art is horrendous, but it does a far better job of explaining the game in a way people who are not Dr. Moran can get) or maybe I'll finally be able to get a Burning Wheel or Freemarket game off the ground.

You should try Pathfinder. Lot of folks who hated the jump to 4E have gone over to Pathfinder

 

[Gorgon]

Class system games have their place and work well in some respects for fantasy games, in other settings I think it's awful.

I don't like them either in fantasy settings. It's not that they don't work well, it's just that they feel artificially constrained and you can achieve the same (and most times better) with a classless and leveless system.

I agree that outside fantasy the class system is absolutely horrid, though. But I understand it is easy for many people to just use a familiar system regardless of setting, so it has its place.

 

[ultron87]

After each session, I split up the XP for everything they've done that session, so if they do level up they can adjust characters in time for the next session.

I never keep track of XP. I just tell the players they leveled up after an appropriate encounter or story beat.

 

[DurielBlack]

After each session, I split up the XP for everything they've done that session, so if they do level up they can adjust characters in time for the next session.

When I first started GMing I used to give individual PCs experience calculated out from traps disabled, monsters killed, etc on an individual basis. Of course after a while you run into the problem of some characters advancing far faster than others, so I got away from it.

Next I started just splitting XP across the party, and doling out bonuses to people that did some good role-play as individual rewards.

Nowadays I am just lazy and PC's level up when I tell them too after they have reached some pre-designated milestone I have in my head.

The last two methods are probably the best to use as they keep the party relatively well-balanced. The third method also cuts down on recordkeeping a bit so you no longer have to spend 30 minutes before or after a game tallying up XP, instead you just say "Well, you foiled the BBEG's plot after investigation and confrontation, so you get a level" or "Well, they only got past the first few rooms of this dungeon. Maybe if they beat the trolls next session that will be a good time to let them level up."

The hard part about the third method is determining WHEN to give out the levels. Wait too long and the players get fatigued with their current level, give them out too quickly and they start steamrolling what you had planned or even worse, start expecting to level after every encounter or two.

 

[krypt0nian]

I never keep track of XP. I just tell the players they leveled up after an appropriate encounter or story beat.

We do that now as well. Everything in our 4E campaign is story/drama based.

 

[JayDubya]

I never keep track of XP. I just tell the players they leveled up after an appropriate encounter or story beat.

Oh man. I can't stand that. Maybe it's just because I'm a by the book rules lawyer kind of guy, but if there's a mechanism for experience, for how much quests are worth, for how much you get for doing this or that...

... then I do plan when I want them to level up, I just make sure the math adds up.

You can mix it up a lot within those parameters though. Quests, skill challenges, trap rooms, loads of minions with Elite leader support, solo boss fights, a simple "number of players" mix of equivalent number, equivalent level monsters...

 

[krypt0nian]

I have to say that I was like JayDubya for ages until this latest gaming group.

Our GM was my first story beat GM and I flinched at first, but learned to love it. It just feels more heroic to ding up a level once you've saved the town, or defeated the arch wizard you've been fighting against for weeks.

 

[DurielBlack]

I enjoyed last weekends gaming group. First time playing 4e, first time playing using maptool/mumble, first time with that group, and first time in 2 years I have actually played D&D. I mostly GM a lot.

I should have been more vocal in the group, but I had a few issues. First was my family decided to invade the room and were being a peanut gallery any time I said anything, it was rude and distracting.

Second, I have shitty internet, so voice reception and the map were always on a delay. I'd try to talk when I heard a gap in conversation only to find myself speaking on top of someone that started talking 3 seconds ago. Frustrating.

I'll install all the software needed on my laptop next time, so if I need to avoid rude people I can abandon ship from my main computer and go lock myself in my bedroom. Can't do anything about the internet problem though.

 

[krypt0nian]

I'm so hazard that planning for my Mutants & Masterminds campaign is going so well. I haven't GMd in years and I was afraid I had lost it. Plus our group's GMs are so good, I was kinda feeling some pressure to be awesome. I have say that is still true and will be until I run the game a few times, but everyone is so jazzed to play superheroes, it's making it much much easier.

 

[JayDubya]

I have to say that I was like JayDubya for ages until this latest gaming group.

Our GM was my first story beat GM and I flinched at first, but learned to love it. It just feels more heroic to ding up a level once you've saved the town, or defeated the arch wizard you've been fighting against for weeks.

That can still happen just fine within the design.

That's usually what I aim for, to be honest, ending each level with a big quest complete or boss fight...

 

[krypt0nian]

That can still happen just fine within the design.

That's usually what I aim for, to be honest, ending each level with a big quest complete or boss fight...

I think it's the best way, xp calcs or not. Just feels right.

 

[besada]

Threw this preliminary brainstorm together just now on the iPad. Any suggestions? Villains to use in each location?

Reposting this in the comics thread as well.

If you're going to take them to Gemworld and to see Mordru, why not a tour through the 30th century, including a mindfuck game with the Time Trapper. Player characters suddenly awakening on Earth to discover their powers have been retconned out of existence is a blast.

Also, rather than S.T.A.R. Labs, why not Cadmus? It ties into Kirby's FourthWorld, which gets you Darkseid, High Father, Jimmy Olsen with super powers, and groovy space hippies. Get cosmic on them. Have Metron strand them on the surface of New Genesis or Apokalips for some convoluted reason.

For comic relief, do an Ambush Bug game. Or Video Jack. I've done both and they were a blast. It's a lot of fun embedding the players in specific comic genres or TV shows and watching them muddle through. You could also have them eat one of Swamp Thing's tubers and do a mindfuck Alan Moore themed game.

 

[krypt0nian]

If you're going to take them to Gemworld and to see Mordru, why not a tour through the 30th century, including a mindfuck game with the Time Trapper. Player characters suddenly awakening on Earth to discover their powers have been retconned out of existence is a blast.

Also, rather than S.T.A.R. Labs, why not Cadmus? It ties into Kirby's FourthWorld, which gets you Darkseid, High Father, Jimmy Olsen with super powers, and groovy space hippies. Get cosmic on them. Have Metron strand them on the surface of New Genesis or Apokalips for some convoluted reason.

For comic relief, do an Ambush Bug game. Or Video Jack. I've done both and they were a blast. It's a lot of fun embedding the players in specific comic genres or TV shows and watching them muddle through. You could also have them eat one of Swamp Thing's tubers and do a mindfuck Alan Moore themed game.

besada, I love you. Amazing suggestions that take real advantage of the DCU.

Since you've Supers games, feel free to drop knowledge at any point. I'll need it.

 

[besada]

besada, I love you. Amazing suggestions that take real advantage of the DCU.

Since you've Supers games, feel free to drop knowledge at any point. I'll need it.

I do mostly original stuff, but my co-GM likes to play in the DC and Marvel universes.

DC's got a ton of occult characters, if you're going to do a bunch of occult games. Doctor 13, Xanadu, Baron Winter, Jason Blood (always fun to spring Etrigan on players), my favorite, John Constantine, Doctor Occult, The Shade, Nightshade, Raven, Tim Hunter, the Endless, etc.

I guess the best advice I have is to figure out what the heroes are going to be early on, so you can tie your plot lines into their back stories. It's classic comics to suddenly discover your origin was not at all what you thought it was. If you get anyone with elemental powers, it's a great tie in to a full on elemental war.

The last game I ran, one of the players found out halfway through the he was actually the product of genetic engineering in a japanese lab, and that the lab was continuing to turn out variants of him, including a mildly retarded mega-power variant. He was a speedster, so we got to do a classic speedster battle, whipping around the world at mach 20, running up the sides of waves, etc. It was good fun.

 

[krypt0nian]

I do mostly original stuff, but my co-GM likes to play in the DC and Marvel universes.

DC's got a ton of occult characters, if you're going to do a bunch of occult games. Doctor 13, Xanadu, Baron Winter, Jason Blood (always fun to spring Etrigan on players), my favorite, John Constantine, Doctor Occult, The Shade, Nightshade, Raven, Tim Hunter, the Endless, etc.

I guess the best advice I have is to figure out what the heroes are going to be early on, so you can tie your plot lines into their back stories. It's classic comics to suddenly discover your origin was not at all what you thought it was. If you get anyone with elemental powers, it's a great tie in to a full on elemental war.

The last game I ran, one of the players found out halfway through the he was actually the product of genetic engineering in a japanese lab, and that the lab was continuing to turn out variants of him, including a mildly retarded mega-power variant. He was a speedster, so we got to do a classic speedster battle, whipping around the world at mach 20, running up the sides of waves, etc. It was good fun.

I love the idea but did your player mind you tampering with his creation so liberally?

I have a player that wants to have a demigod of some pantheon to be decided (he was leaning Greek until I explained the WW connection in DC) but I'd love to throw him for a loop with a different origin. Kinda like Maxi Zeus psychotically thinks himself as a Greek god. He opened the door by telling me that he wants a selective amnesia that blanks out much of his past.

I have to say that I'm having fun with my light zany Batman Brave & the Bold feel. The last thin I want is serious superheroes as our other game's campaigns are always dire and serious. This game is to be our stress relief game.

 

[besada]

I love the idea but did your player mind you tampering with his creation so liberally?

I have a player that wants to have a demigod of some pantheon to be decided (he was leaning Greek until I explained the WW connection in DC) but I'd love to throw him for a loop with a different origin. Kinda like Maxi Zeus psychotically thinks himself as a Greek god. He opened the door by telling me that he wants a selective amnesia that blanks out much of his past.

Some do, some don't. Some expect you to, and some get pissed. It helps to feel them out early and figure out whether they're the kind that cares much about their origin or not. If they type up a three page back story, you probably don't want to mess with it too much. If you make it cool, and in the end it makes the character deeper and more interesting, or gives him a new power, they usually don't mind.

As an example of how NOT to do it, we had a player who stole Ultra Boy's origin (flew his spacecraft through a radioactive space whale) basically. He discovered that he was actually delusional, and that his space ship was a card board box in his basement, and he was really connected to an ancient alien blood line that were all trying to murder him. He did not take it well.

Any player who allows you to give him selective amnesia is basically begging to have his origin retconned for fun and profit. When I build characters, I always leave about twenty points in mystery disads, because my co-GM really loves to monkey with origins, and it gives him a safe space in which to do it without turning my character into a freak.

Edit: I understand wanting to avoid the gritty darkness. Those games can really get ugly fast. I once found myself in one of those where the heroes eventually decided to snap the necks of the villains, stuff them in a washing machine, crimp the lid shut, and dump it in the ocean.

 

[Trurl]

If Lupin the III (the nicer incarnations) were given a D&D alignment, what would it be?

I ask because I play a character with moral standards similar to those of Arsene Lupin and some of the people in my group complain that I'm not sticking to alignment (chaotic neutral). Either I am acting too good (random acts of kindness and generosity, refusal to kill prisoners) or too evil (constant stealing and lying). Personally I think that they have way too narrow of a view of alignment and as long as an internally consistent character is being developed it shouldn't even matter.

 

[krypt0nian]

If Lupin the III (the nicer incarnations) were given a D&D alignment, what would it be?

I ask because I play a character with moral standards similar to those of Arsene Lupin and some of the people in my group complain that I'm not sticking to alignment (chaotic neutral). Either I am acting too good (random acts of kindness and generosity, refusal to kill prisoners) or too evil (constant stealing and lying). Personally I think that they have way too narrow of a view of alignment and as long as an internally consistent character is being developed it shouldn't even matter.

If you're using the older alignments, I'd say you're closer to Chaotic Good, even though you're stealing. As long as you can justify the thefts according to your logic, I'd say you're still in the realm of "good" There have plenty of good thieves in literature, and if you balance the kindness and good deeds vs the stealing, I'd say you could make a good case for CG.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChaoticGood

Chaotic Neutral to me always felt like near schizophrenia. No compass plus random course corrections.


EDIT: hmm after reading Chaotic Neutral on TVTropes it may be correct as well..

The Chaotic Neutral character may have a kind enough heart and even help out others sometimes, but they do not feel committed to helping others as they are random, and sometimes they are nothing but an amoral nutjob, not consciously thinking about the consequences of their actions.