Sword and Board

Riddler for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-02-01T18:44:00.001-05:00

Riddler

Secret ID: Edward Nigma
Professional Career: Criminal Mastermind
Hobby Career: Detective
Charge: Enigma (daughter?)

LIFE: 11

Training: Cane

Build: Quick
Mentality: Logical
Temperament: Cautious

Move Die: HIGH
To Hit Die: LOW, Martial Attack +1
Evade Die: HIGH, Martial Dodge +1
Damage Die: LOW, Cane +1, Mundane, Villain +1
Block Mundane Die: HIGH
Block Fantastic Die: LOW, Weak -1

Character Bio
Riddler is an insane criminal genius. He pulls off perfect crimes, and then leaves a clue for Batman to find. He has even tried to not leave clues, but couldn’t do it. He uses Enigma as a sidekick for a while, and may have killed her.

Green Goblin for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-02-01T12:03:00.000-05:00

Green Goblin

Secret ID: Norman Osborn

Professional Career: Industrialist

Hobby Career: Inventor

Charge: Harry Osborn

LIFE: 13

Training: Goblin Glider

Build: Quick

Mentality: Logical

Temperament: Bold

Move Die: HIGH, Goblin Glider +1

To Hit Die: HIGH, Bomb Throwing +1

Evade Die: LOW, Weak -1

Damage Die: LOW, Pumpkin Bombs +2, Mundane, Villain +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH

Block Fantastic Die: LOW

Barrier Power: Fast Healing +1

Character Bio

The Green Goblin is an insane supervillain with a deep hatred for Spiderman. He knows that Peter Parker is Spiderman, and even kills Gwen Stacy, Peter’s girlfriend. He uses pumpkin bombs in battle, which emit hallucinogenic gas or explode with enough heat to melt steel.

Nightcrawler for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-02-01T11:40:00.000-05:00

Nightcrawler

Secret ID: Kurt Wagner

Professional Career: Acrobat

Hobby Career: Fencer

Charge: X-Men

LIFE: 13

Training: Fencing

Build: Quick

Mentality: Intuitive

Temperament: Bold

Move Die: HIGH, Teleportation +2

To Hit Die: HIGH

Evade Die: LOW, Acrobatics +2

Damage Die: LOW, Fencing +1, Mundane, Heroic +1

Block Mundane Die: LOW

Block Fantastic Die: High, Weak -1

Character Bio

Nightcrawler is the son of Mystique and a demon named Azazel. He grew up in a circus, being raised by Margali Szardos. He is a member of both the X-Men and Excalibur. He is a devout Catholic, and trained to become a priest. He loves swashbuckling movies and playing pranks on other people.

Scarecrow for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-31T20:32:00.000-05:00

Scarecrow

Secret ID: Dr. Jonathon Crane

Professional Career: Psychologist

Hobby Career: Professor

Charge: Thomas Elliot/Hush (student)

LIFE: 13

Training: Gas Attack

Build: Quick

Mentality: Logical

Temperament: Cautious

Move Die: HIGH

To Hit Die: LOW, Gas Attack +2

Evade Die: HIGH, Fear Gas +2

Damage Die: LOW, Scythe +1, Mundane, Villain +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH, Weak -1

Block Fantastic Die: LOW

Character Bio

Scarecrow is an insane psychologist, obsessed with fear and its causes. He dresses up in a scarecrow costume. He uses fear gas to attack his enemies, often through such items as children’s dolls and grenades. He wields a scythe in combat, though he can also fight bare-handed using his “violent dancing” martial arts style.

Doctor Doom for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-31T03:05:00.000-05:00

Doctor Doom

Secret ID: Victor Von Doom

Professional Career: Monarch

Hobby Career: Scientist/Mage

Charge: Latveria

LIFE: 21

Training: Magic Spells

Build: Powerful

Mentality: Logical

Temperament: Bold

Move Die: LOW, Jetpack (armor) +1

To Hit Die: HIGH, Sensors (armor) +1

Evade Die: LOW, Weak -1

Damage Die: HIGH, Concussive Bolts (armor) +2, Mundane, Villain +1

Damage Die: HIGH, Magic Spells +2, Fantastic, Villain +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH

Block Fantastic Die: LOW

Barrier Power: Power Armor +2

Character Bio

Doctor Doom is the King of Latveria, having usurped its throne. He is both a scientific genius and a student of the arcane arts. He wears his power armor when engaging in combat. He hates Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four with a passion. He is prone to megalomaniacal outbursts.

Catwoman for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-30T12:29:00.000-05:00

Catwoman

Secret ID: Selina Kyle

Professional Career: Cat Burglar

Hobby Career: Socialite

Charge: Helena Kyle (daughter)

LIFE: 14

Training: Roof Jumper

Build: Quick

Mentality: Intuitive

Temperament: Cautious

Move Die: HIGH, Roof Jumper +1

To Hit Die: LOW

Evade Die: HIGH, Acrobatics +3

Damage Die: LOW, Martial Arts and Whip +2, Mundane, Heroic +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH

Block Fantastic Die: LOW, Weak -1

Character Bio

Catwoman alternates between being a villain and a hero. She robs people, but often gives the money to the poor and homeless. She has taken on the mafia to protect poor neighborhoods. She knows Batman’s true identity.

Magneto for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-30T12:22:00.000-05:00

Magneto

Secret ID: Max Eisenhardt

Professional Career: Mutant Leader

Hobby Career: Criminal Mastermind

Charge: Brotherhood of Mutants

LIFE: 20

Training: Magnetized Metals

Build: Powerful

Mentality: Logical

Temperament: Bold

Move Die: LOW, Flight +1

To Hit Die: HIGH

Evade Die: LOW, Tactician +2, Weak -1

Damage Die: HIGH, Magnetized Metals +2, Mundane, Villain +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH

Block Fantastic Die: LOW

Barrier Power: Magnetic Field +2

Character Bio

Magneto leads the Brotherhood of Mutants. He believes mutants are the next evolution of man and that they should rule the Earth. His helmet protects him from telepathic attacks. He can control metal, even stopping bullets in mid-air.

The Red Skull for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-29T19:05:00.000-05:00

Red Skull

Secret ID: Johann Shmidt

Professional Career: Criminal Mastermind

Hobby Career: Nazi

Charge: Synthia Shmidt/Sin (daughter)

LIFE: 18

Training: Toughness

Build: Powerful

Mentality: Logical

Temperament: Cautious

Move Die: LOW

To Hit Die: LOW, Expert Shot +2

Evade Die: HIGH, Weak -1

Damage Die: HIGH, Pistol +2, Mundane, Villain +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH

Block Fantastic Die: LOW

Barrier Power: Toughness +1

Character Bio

Red Skull was personally trained by Adolf Hitler. He believes in the Nazi Party and its twisted ideals. He sets up masterful plots against Captain America, his hated foe, and has a bad habit of talking too much during a confrontation.

Captain America for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-29T18:54:00.000-05:00

Captain America

Secret ID: Steve Rogers

Professional Career: Avenger

Hobby Career: Soldier

Charge: Bucky (sidekick)

LIFE: 19

Training: Shield

Build: Powerful

Mentality: Logical

Temperament: Bold

Move Die: LOW

To Hit Die: HIGH, Shield Throw +1

Evade Die: LOW, Martial Dodge +1

Damage Die: HIGH, Martial Arts +2, Mundane, Heroic +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH

Block Fantastic Die: LOW, Weak -1

Barrier Power: Shield +2

Character Bio

Captain America fought in World War II, and even beat up Hitler. He was frozen in the Arctic, and revived in the modern age. He is the leader of the Avengers.

Superman for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-29T00:06:00.000-05:00

Superman is probably going to be the most powerful character I write up, aside from someone like Darkseid, who will be of similar strength.

Superman

Secret ID: Clark Kent/Kal-El

Professional Career: Reporter

Hobby Career: Kryptonian

Charge: Lois Lane (girlfriend)

LIFE: 23

Training: Heat Vision

Build: Powerful

Mentality: Logical

Temperament: Bold

Move Die: LOW, Flight +3

To Hit Die: HIGH

Evade Die: LOW

Damage Die: HIGH, Super Strength +3, Mundane, Heroic +1

Damage Die: HIGH, Heat Vision +1, Fantastic, Heroic +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH

Block Fantastic Die: LOW, Weak -1

Barrier Power: Invulnerability +3

Character Bio

Superman is known as the Man of Steel. He leads the Justice League. He built the Fortress of Solitude at the North Pole. He is susceptible to Kryptonite and magical attacks.

Wonder Woman for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-28T18:19:00.000-05:00

Wonder Woman

Secret ID: Diana

Professional Career: Amazon Princess

Hobby Career: Warrior

Charge: Steve Trevor (boyfriend)

LIFE: 21

Training: Bulletproof Bracelets

Build: Powerful

Mentality: Intuitive

Temperament: Bold

Move Die: LOW, Flight +1

To Hit Die: HIGH, Martial Attack +2

Evade Die: LOW, Martial Dodge +1

Damage Die: HIGH, Super Strength +2, Mundane, Heroic +1

Damage Die: HIGH, Lasso of Truth +1, Fantastic, Heroic +1

Block Mundane Die: LOW

Block Fantastic Die: HIGH, Weak -1

Barrier Power: Bulletproof Bracelets +1

Character Bio

Wonder Woman is an Amazonian Princess. She is a member of the Justice League, and a part-time member of the Justice Society.

Johnny Sorrow for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-28T15:59:00.000-05:00

Johnny Sorrow

Secret ID: Johnny Sorrow

Professional Career: Criminal Mastermind

Hobby Career: Actor

Charge: King of Tears

LIFE: 16

Training: Ghost Form

Build: Quick

Mentality: Logical

Temperament: Cautious

Move Die: HIGH, Teleport +2

To Hit Die: LOW

Evade Die: HIGH, Ghost Form +2

Damage Die: LOW, Remove Mask +3, Fantastic, Villain +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH, Weak -1

Block Fantastic Die: LOW

Barrier Power: Energy Manipulation +1

Character Bio

Johnny Sorrow was a silent screen actor and small-time criminal in the 1930’s and 1940’s. He acquired a teleportation device and fought the JSA. Sandy damaged the device, hurtling Johnny into another dimension. He periodically returns to Earth and attempts to summon the King of Tears, an outer-dimensional being who will destroy the world. When Johnny removes his mask, any living thing that sees his face dies.

The Sandman for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-27T14:52:00.005-05:00

Sandman

Secret ID: Wesley Dodds
Professional Career: Inventor
Hobby Career: Detective
Charge: Dian Belmont (girlfriend)

LIFE: 13

Training: Gas Gun

Build: Quick
Mentality: Logical
Temperament: Cautious

Move Die: HIGH, Weak -1
To Hit Die: LOW, Precognition +1

Evade Die: HIGH, Martial Dodge +1
Damage Die: LOW, Gas Gun +2, Mundane, Heroic +1
Block Mundane Die: HIGH
Block Fantastic Die: LOW

Barrier Power: WWI Gas Mask +1

Character Bio

The Sandman is a founding member of the JSA and All-Star Squadron. His gas gun puts his enemies to sleep. It also functions as a truth serum. He dons a gas mask, fedora, and trench coat to fight crime.

Plotting D&D 5e transcript

2012-01-26T21:14:00.002-05:00

A copy of the transcript from D&D XP is up at RPGSite HERE. I was going to just post it here, but it's pretty long. Mike Mearls, Monte Cook, and Jeremy Crawford answer some questions about the upcoming 5th edition.

It looks like they want to move away from stuff like Attacks of Opportunity, and that they want to bring back more judgement calls from the DM. Both of these are good things, in my opinion. I'm interested in how they describe the Fighter as not improving his To Hit rolls, but getting other abilities instead. I suspect at least some carryover from 4e is part of this. I'm curious about this, and I really hope it will be awesome when the game is finally released.

Doctor Fate for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-26T15:51:00.000-05:00

Doctor Fate

Secret ID: Kent Nelson

Professional Career: Sorcerer

Hobby Career: Archeologist

Charge: Inza Cramer (wife)

LIFE: 19

Training: Invulnerability

Build: Powerful

Mentality: Intuitive

Temperament: Bold

Move Die: LOW, Flight +1

To Hit Die: HIGH

Evade Die: LOW

Damage Die: HIGH, Magic Spells +3, Fantastic, Heroic +1

Block Mundane Die: LOW

Block Fantastic Die: HIGH

Barrier Power: Invulnerability +2

Character Bio

Doctor Fate is a founding member of the JSA. He wears the Helm of Nabu, Amulet of Anubis, and Cloak of Destiny. He is a powerful sorcerer, yet he cannot dispel magic once it is cast.

Hi/Lo character fixes

2012-01-26T03:09:00.004-05:00

After reading Banes comments, I made some adjustments on a number of characters. Mainly, I adjusted their power totals downwards. I also did a little tweak like combining Batman's martial arts and batarang into one listed power. I also combined the Joker's various attacks into one power. That way it's not confusing, since both do Mundane damage. I also had the LIFE scores wrong on a couple heroes, so I fixed them as well.

Green Lantern, The Flash,and Wildcat are still very tough, but they should be. I trimmed one or two points from each.

When I do Superman, he'll probably have seven upgrades, for Flight, Invulnerability, and Super Strength. But he is Superman, after all.

The Joker for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-26T02:53:00.000-05:00

The Joker

Secret ID: Unknown

Professional Career: Crime Boss

Hobby Career: Arkham Resident

Charge: Harley Quinn (girlfriend)

LIFE: 13

Training: Sneak Attack

Build: Quick

Mentality: Intuitive

Temperament: Bold

Move Die: HIGH

To Hit Die: HIGH, Sneak Attack +1

Evade Die: LOW

Damage Die: LOW, Guns, Bombs, and Fists +2, Mundane, Villain +1

Block Mundane Die: LOW

Block Fantastic Die: HIGH, Weak -1

Barrier Power: High Pain Tolerance +2

Character Bio

The Joker is an old enemy of Batman’s. He is a master criminal and is quite insane. He usually has a number of thugs working for him, and will attempt to flee if the tide of battle turns against him.

Hawkgirl for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-25T15:54:00.001-05:00

Hawkgirl

Secret ID: Shiera Sanders

Professional Career: Scientist

Hobby Career: Reincarnated Princess

Charge: Carter Hall (husband)

LIFE: 13

Training: Wings

Build: Quick

Mentality: Logical

Temperament: Bold

Move Die: HIGH, Wings +1

To Hit Die: HIGH, Eagle Eyes (Nth Metal) +2

Evade Die: LOW

Damage Die: LOW, Mace +1, Mundane, Heroic +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH

Block Fantastic Die: LOW, Weak -1

Barrier Power: Fast Healing (Nth Metal) +1

Character Bio

Shiera Sanders is the reincarnation of Princess Chay-Ara of Egypt. She is destined to be reborn and reunited with her lover, Prince Khufu (Carter Hall). She is a member of the JSA, JLA, and All-Star Squadron. Her belt, boots, and wings are made of Nth metal, which grants her superpowers.

Hawkman for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-25T15:52:00.001-05:00

Hawkman

Secret ID: Carter Hall

Professional Career: Archeologist

Hobby Career: Military Strategist

Charge: Shiera Sanders (wife)

LIFE:19

Training: Wings

Build: Powerful

Mentality: Logical

Temperament: Bold

Move Die: LOW, Wings +1

To Hit Die: HIGH, Master Tactician +2

Evade Die: LOW

Damage Die: HIGH, Mace +2, Mundane, Heroic +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH

Block Fantastic Die: LOW, Weak -1

Barrier Power: Fast Healing (Nth Metal) +1

Character Bio

Carter Hall is the reincarnation of Prince Khufu of Egypt. He is fated to spend eternity with his true love, Princess Chay-Ara, who is reincarnated as Shiera Sanders (Hawkgirl). He is a founding member of the JSA and led it for many years. He is also a member of the All-Star Squadron. His belt is made of Nth-metal, and grants him his superpowers.

Green Lantern/Sentinel for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-24T19:19:00.005-05:00

Green Lantern

Secret ID: Alan Scott
Professional Career: Railroad Engineer
Hobby Career: Green Lantern Corps
Charge: Molly Mayne (wife)

LIFE: 20
Training: Energy Sheath

Build: Powerful

Mentality: Intuitive
Temperament: Bold

Move Die: LOW, Flight (Ring) +2
To Hit Die: HIGH
Evade Die: LOW
Damage Die: HIGH, Energy Blast (Ring) +3, Fantastic, Heroic +1
Block Mundane Die: LOW, Weak -1
Block Fantastic Die: HIGH
Barrier Power: Energy Sheath (Ring) +2

Character Bio
Green Lantern (also known as Sentinel) is a member of the JSA and the Green Lantern Corps. He was the original Green Lantern on Earth. He crafted his ring from the Starheart, which came from the planet Oa. His powers do not work against wood.

The Flash (Jay Garrick) for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-24T16:51:00.002-05:00

Flash

Secret ID: Jay Garrick

Professional Career: Chemist

Hobby Career: Football Player

Charge: Joan Garrick (wife)

LIFE: 16

Training: Speed Force Aura

Build: Quick

Mentality: Logical

Temperament: Bold

Move Die: HIGH, Superspeed +3

To Hit Die: HIGH, Rapid-Fire Punches +1

Evade Die: LOW, Superspeed Dodge +2

Damage Die: LOW, Whirlwind Spin +1, Mundane, Heroic +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH

Block Fantastic Die: LOW, Weak -1

Barrier Power: Speed Force Aura +1

Character Bio

The Flash was one of the founding members of the JSA, and it’s first chairman. He lives with his wife, Joan. He is friends with the other Flashes.

Wildcat for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-24T12:35:00.003-05:00

Wildcat

Secret ID: Ted Grant

Professional Career: Heavyweight Boxing Champion

Hobby Career: Martial Artist

Charge: Tom Bronson (son)

LIFE: 20

Training: Martial Attack

Build: Powerful

Mentality: Intuitive

Temperament: Bold

Move Die: LOW

To Hit Die: HIGH, Martial Attack +2

Evade Die: LOW, Martial Dodge +1

Damage Die: HIGH, Martial Arts +3, Mundane, Heroic +1

Block Mundane Die: LOW

Block Fantastic Die: HIGH, Weak -1

Barrier Power: Nine Lives +1

Character Bio

Wildcat is one of the founding members of the Justice Society. He is a master of unarmed combat, and mentored Batman and Black Canary when they first started out.

Dr. Mid-Nite for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-24T10:59:00.001-05:00

Dr. Mid-Nite

Secret ID: Charles McNider

Professional Career: Surgeon

Hobby Career: Mathematician

Charge: Myra Mason

LIFE: 18

Training: Martial Arts

Build: Powerful

Mentality: Logical

Temperament: Cautious

Move Die: LOW

To Hit Die: LOW, Nightvision +2, Weak -1

Evade Die: HIGH, Blackout Bombs +2

Damage Die: HIGH, Martial Arts +1, Mundane, Heroic +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH

Block Fantastic Die: LOW

Character Bio

Dr. Mid-Nite is a member of the Justice Society. He has an owl “sidekick” named Hooty. He is blind in the daylight unless he wears his goggles.

Power Girl for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-24T08:24:00.003-05:00

Power Girl

Secret ID: Karen Starr
Professional Career: CEO of Starr Enterprises
Hobby Career: Computer Programmer
Charge: The Cat (mangy tabby cat)

LIFE: 21
Doubles: 5
Training: Martial Attack

Build: Powerful

Mentality: Logical
Temperament: Bold

Move Die: LOW, Flight +2
To Hit Die: HIGH
Evade Die: LOW
Damage Die: HIGH, Super Strength +3, Mundane, Heroic +1
Block Mundane Die: HIGH
Block Fantastic Die: LOW, Weak -1
Barrier Power: Invulnerability +3

Character Bio
Power Girl is the current leader of the Justice Society. She is from Krypton and is Superman’s cousin. Kryptonite does not harm her, but she is susceptible to magic.

Batman for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-23T21:13:00.002-05:00

Batman
Secret ID: Bruce Wayne
Professional Career: Owner and CEO of WayneTech
Hobby Career: Detective
Charge: Robin

LIFE: 15
Training: Martial Arts

Build: Quick
Mentality: Logical
Temperament: Cautious

Move Die: HIGH, Swingline +1
To Hit Die: LOW, Martial Attack +1
Evade Die: HIGH, Acrobatics +1
Damage Die: LOW, Martial Arts and Batarang +2, Mundane, Heroic +1
Block Mundane Die: HIGH
Block Fantastic Die: LOW, Weak -1
Barrier Power: Armored Costume with Gas Mask +2

Character Bio
Batman is a member of the Justice League. He is very influential in Gotham City, and is friends with Police Commissioner Gordon. He has a sidekick named Robin, and is romantically linked to Selina Kyle (Catwoman).

He has a secret base (the Batcave, which has a supercomputer) and multiple vehicles (the Batmobile, the Batwing, and the Batboat). Bruce is incredibly wealthy, so he can obtain any item he needs.

Hourman for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-23T17:47:00.001-05:00

Hourman

Secret ID: Rex Tyler

Professional Career: Scientist

Hobby Career: Vigilante

Charge: Rick Tyler (son)

LIFE: 18

Training: Invulnerability

Build: Powerful

Mentality: Logical

Temperament: Bold

Move Die: LOW, Super Speed (Miraclo) +1

To Hit Die: HIGH, Nightvision (Miraclo) +1

Evade Die: LOW

Damage Die: HIGH, Super Strength (Miraclo) +2, Mundane, Heroic +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH

Block Fantastic Die: LOW, Weak -1

Barrier Power: Invulnerability (Miraclo) +1

Character Bio

Hourman works with the Justice Society and the Justice League. He was in the Freedom Force during World War II. He is addicted to Miraclo, a drug that grants him super powers.

Mr. Terrific for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-23T14:45:00.003-05:00

Mr. Terrific

Secret ID: Michael Holt

Professional Career: Scientist

Hobby Career: Medical Doctor

Charge: Karen Starr/Power Girl

LIFE: 19

Training: T-Spheres

Build: Powerful

Mentality: Logical

Temperament: Cautious

Move Die: LOW

To Hit Die: LOW, T-Spheres +2

Evade Die: HIGH, Invisible to Technology +2

Damage Die: HIGH, Martial Arts +2, Mundane, Heroic +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH

Block Fantastic Die: LOW, Weak -1

Character Bio

Michael Holt is known as Mr. Terrific. He is active with the Justice Society of America and Checkmate.

Hi/Lo Heroes House Rule

2012-01-22T18:53:00.000-05:00

Under DOUBLES and spending them for experience:

LIFE can be improved by 1 point for 5 Doubles. This can be done up to 3 times for one character.

I'm thinking of writing up some kind of rules for a superbase, but I wasn't sure if anyone had already done so. Unfortunately, the game doesn't have a huge presence online, and it's hard to find house rules for it.

Stargirl for Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-22T01:29:00.006-05:00

Stargirl

Secret ID: Courtney Whitmore

Professional Career: Student

Hobby Career: Gymnast

Charge: Atom Smasher (boyfriend)

LIFE: 14

Training: Super Strength

Build: Quick

Mentality: Logical

Temperament: Bold

Move Die: HIGH Flight (Cosmic Rod) +1

To Hit Die: HIGH

Evade Die: LOW, Weak -1

Damage Die: LOW, Super Strength (Converter Belt) +2, Mundane, Heroic +1

Damage Die: LOW, Shooting Stars (Converter Belt) +1, Fantastic, Heroic +1

Block Mundane Die: HIGH

Block Fantastic Die: LOW

Barrier Power: Invulnerability (Converter Belt) +2

Character Bio

Stargirl is a member of the Justice Society of America and the JSA All Stars.

Rant on grognard gamers and the 1e reprint

2012-01-20T19:18:00.000-05:00

.
It's kind of annoying reading Dragonsfoot, especially the thread about the 1e reprint announcement. For years, these guys have been saying 1e is the best and everyone else is wrong. Now, with WotC going to republish the main three rulebooks, a number of the same damn people are complaining about it.

They say the books are too expensive (when they are actually cheaper thanks to inflation). Seriously, the PHB and MM will be just a little cheaper than they were in 1980, after inflation. The DMG will be an even bigger deal.

They also say this is dumb because people can buy used copies on eBay really cheap. Yes, you can. Good luck getting kids into the game that way. Also, good luck waiting weeks or months for a good copy to fall into your hands. I know I bought a "Very Good to Near Mint" copy of the 1e DMG last year. When it showed up, it had orange fuzz growing on the back cover and all the pages are yellowed by age.

Their next big complaint is that WotC is just using this to "destroy the OSR". Really? What kind of conspiracy website do you run when you're not gaming?

They also say WotC is just doing this to appease older gamers and get them to check out 5e. NO SHIT! I mean, seriously. WotC is a corporation. They want their older customers back so they can sell them new 5e books. Why is this bad?

By the way, Gary Gygax was something of a bastard in the way he ran TSR. He also really wanted your money, and happily sued several companies who dared to print AD&D compatible products, because they were taking sales away from TSR. It's called business, dummy.

Lastly, they say WotC should make zero profit from these books and all the money should go to the Gygax Memorial Fund. Also fucking lame. Even if they only give $1 for each book sold to the fund, it will likely be enough to pay for the statue (assuming WotC prints and sells as many books as I think they can). They are NOT a charity or a non-profit organization. They are doing this as a thank you to Gary, and as an olive branch to bitchy old gamers who only want to complain and don't actually care about the future of the hobby.

WotC reprinting 1e

2012-01-19T00:53:00.001-05:00

They will be publishing limited edition versions of the 1st edition Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual in April! I'm kind of surprised by this. I will be buying one of each. In addition, some of the proceeds will be going to a statue of Gary Gygax in Lake Geneva. Kudos to WotC for this!

1e PHB
1e DMG
1e MM

Now if we can get them to do Unearthed Arcana, so that there will be copies without their covers falling off, life would be perfect.

Hi/Lo Heroes Character Sheet

2012-01-18T20:13:00.001-05:00

I've made up a Excel character sheet for Hi/Lo Heroes. Currently, there is only a pdf version that you can print out. With this, you can have an extra-special printed version. ;)

Hi Lo Character Sheet

I tried contacting the publisher via his email on his BLOG, but he has yet to respond. I'm not sure he is actively supporting the game anymore, but I like it, and the game's still there, and still free.

Hi/Lo Heroes

2012-01-17T14:43:00.002-05:00

In the comments yesterday about me looking for a good superhero game, Bane pointed me at Hi/Lo Heroes. It's a very simple supers game that looks quite interesting.

For your various abilities, you choose either High or Low as your value.To use an ability, you roll 2d6. If your ability is High, you keep the highest result. If it is Low, you keep the lowest result. If you roll doubles, you add the dice together.The higher your result, the better.

The abilities are also related, so you can be either tough or quick, but not both. Or be scientifically minded or intuitive. It's a pretty clever system.

The game designer's blog is HERE. He has a number of other free games for download, as well (though I'm really only interested in Hi/Lo Heroes).

Bane, who provided me the link, has a blog for Hi/Lo located HERE.

Both blogs haven't been updated in a while, but they do contain a decent amount of info for the game. In any case, I think the game has potential, and wanted to spread the word about it.

Wish I could find a good Supers rpg

2012-01-15T15:05:00.000-05:00

I have a number of supers rpg's. I have issues with all of them, though. I wish there was a game that combined all my favorite parts of each into one amazing whole.

Champions/Hero is too complex and it requires minis and hex maps. It does have really good supplements, easily the best in the genre. I'm torn on power creation. I can make just about any power, but I end up with a long list of stuff just for something simple like an energy beam that ignores armor and can kill.

ICONS doesn't let the GM roll dice. It's a pretty good system, otherwise. But I like dice, and I'll be the GM, so it's a no-go. I also prefer points-buy as the standard form of character creation.

Mutants & Masterminds 3e/DC is also too complex, especially during character creation. It has many of the same issues that Hero does. Freedom City is a fantastic setting book, too bad it's not planned for the M&M3 rules.

Supers! is the best supers game that I've found, but it's actually too simple. I almost want to type the whole thing into word, and then write an extra 10 to 20 pages of powers and rules.

Savage Worlds Supers Companion is kind of cool, but I'm burned out on SW. I also would like it more if it was a single book, instead of a supplement for the rules book.

Villains and Vigilantes is too old school for it's own good. Your character is you, but with supers? And you're supposed to judge your friends stats? Yeah, right.

BASH! Ultimate has a decent system, but the writing puts me to sleep. Not sure why, but it is the most boring rpg ever written, to me.

Big changes coming to DC 52

2012-01-14T12:38:00.004-05:00

.
The following titles are being cancelled (around issue 8):

Men Of War
Mister Terrific
O.M.A.C.
Hawk And Dove
Blackhawks
Static Shock

New titles will be:
Batman Incorporated - Writer: Grant Morrison, picking up from pre-boot continuity

Dial H - W: China Mieville Artist: Mateus Santoluoco, covers by Brian Bolland, relaunching the Dial H for Hero concept

Earth 2 - W: James Robinson, A: Nicola Scott = JSA!!!!

Worlds' Finest - W: Paul Levitz, A: Kevin Maguire/George Perez - starring the Earth 2 versions of Power Girl and Huntress

G.I. Combat - W: J.T. Krul, A: Ariel Olivetti - picking up some of those great weird war stuff of old, like War That Time Forgot and the Haunted Tank

The Ravagers - W:Howard Mackie, A: Ian Churchill - spins out of Teen Titans/Superboy

-----------

Rob Liefeld will have more of a presence in DC's "The New 52" than ever, joining the creative team of three ongoing series in May.

Liefeld will be plotting both The Savage Hawkman and Grifter, as well as writing and illustrating Deathstroke, replacing previous series writer Kyle Higgins and artist Joe Bennett. How this affects the existing Hawkman writing team of Tony Daniel & James Bonny and Grifter writer Nathan Edmondson is currently unclear. Liefeld joins all three series as of their ninth issues.

========

How the heck letting Liefeld work on even more comics, after his own was one of the worst ever published, is a good idea is beyond me. I swear, he has some really good blackmail on Stan Lee or something.

Rethinking the Core Races

2012-01-13T20:42:00.002-05:00

My perfect mixes of races for inclusion in a OSR/5e game would include the following:

Human - The standard race that provides a touchstone of reality.

Elves - Leave them open as to being big Nordic/Tolkien elves vs. smaller playful elves.

Dwarfs - Because they are cool.

Halflings - Kind of a standard thanks to Tolkien.

Shifters - Maybe have them be straight up animal hybrids, but the general idea is really good.

Tiefling/Cambion - Human/demon hybrids are just cool.

Aasimar/Nephilim - Human/angle hybrids are also really cool.

Lizardmen/Dragonborn - I'm not a huge lizard fan, but many are. They do provide a great resource for those designing new worlds.

Warforged - This might not work for every fantasy setting, but it's great if you want a steampunk vibe. Though if any would be removed from the core, it would be this one.

If I owned D&D and was making 5e

2012-01-10T08:28:00.004-05:00

If I owned D&D free and clear:

Simplified rules, along the lines of Castles & Crusades, but with a decent yet simple skill system.

Include a bunch of races and classes in the book, enough to cover lots of different campaign styles.

Have a really good DMG and Monster Manual. Cover stuff like domains and armies in the DMG.

Have non-spellcasters be roughly equal to spellcasters in power, even at high levels.

$5 PDF. Make some money off of this, but also it's cheap enough that most gamers will buy it.

OGL, except for the trademarked stuff like beholders and githyanki.

Forgotten Realms as the only setting. The 4e version never happened. Set it 10 years after the last 3e book. No massive earthquakes. No spellplague. No death of Mystra or other gods, etc. Make sure people don't need all of the 2e/3e books to run it, though.

Maybe lease the other old settings to other publishers, similar to how it was done with Ravenloft and White Wolf.

Give Paizo the option to restart Dragon and Dungeon magazines in print.

Advertise the heck out of the game on Cartoon Network and other channels frequented by the target customer base.

D&D 5e officially announced

2012-01-09T12:10:00.001-05:00

In case you haven't been reading any gaming blogs, it's now official. Looks like it might be GenCon 2013 for release (though it's kind of confusing the way it's written). In any case, the edition treadmill is turned on once again.

ANNOUNCEMENT

"As you may have read in the New York Times, it’s an exciting time for Dungeons & Dragons. We are happy to announce today that we are developing the next iteration of D&D, and will be looking to the legions of D&D fans to help shape the future of the game along with us.

Our mission is to ensure that D&D enters its next 40 years as a vibrant, growing, and exciting game. By listening to the needs of the D&D community, we can meet this goal. As part of our increased efforts to engage with the player-base, we launched a series of weekly articles in early 2011, including Rule of Three and Legends & Lore, to give you a voice in our work. We’ve listened to both praise and criticism from all D&D fans, regardless of their edition of choice, and we’ll continue to do so.

That is why we are excited to share with you that starting in Spring 2012, we will be taking this process one step further and conducting ongoing open playtests with the gaming community to gather feedback on the new iteration of the game as we develop it. With your feedback and involvement, we can make D&D better than ever. We seek to build a foundation for the long-term health and growth of D&D, one rooted in the vital traits that make D&D unique and special. We want a game that rises above differences of play styles, campaign settings, and editions, one that takes the fundamental essence of D&D and brings it to the forefront of the game. In short, we want a game that is as simple or complex as you please, its action focused on combat, intrigue, and exploration as you desire. We want a game that is unmistakably D&D, but one that can easily become your D&D, the game that you want to run and play.

D&D is more than just a set of rules for fantasy gaming. It launched an entire gaming genre and played a pivotal role in creating the entirety of the gaming industry, both analog and digital. The game has lived and thrived because it has awoken a spark of creation, visions of daring adventure, wondrous vistas, and untold horrors that pull us all together as a community of RPG fans. It is the countless players and DMs who have brought it to life over the years. The game is at its best when it is yours.
For that reason, we want your participation. The goals we have set for ourselves are by no means trivial or easy. By involving you in this process, we can build a set of D&D rules that incorporate the wants and desires of D&D gamers around the world. We want to create a flexible game, rich with options for players and DMs to embrace or reject as they see fit, a game that brings D&D fans together rather than serves as one more category to splinter us apart.

We have begun obtaining feedback from a limited Friends & Family playtest consisting of internal employees and their gaming groups and soon we will be expanding that group to consist of members from our existing body of playtesters. Then at the D&D Experience convention in late January, Wizards of the Coast will conduct a special playtest of ideas currently in development. The D&D Experience will be moving to Gen Con in 2013, so as a convention special this year, we will be offering show attendees a first-look at a draft of the new set of rules. Then beginning sometime in the spring, we will begin open playtesting. Through our web site, we will release a growing set of rules, classes, monsters and other materials for your study and feedback. We seek to reach as many people as possible, from the gamer who just started with D&D last week to the gaming group that has been together since the early-1970s. For this process to work, we want to give a voice to all D&D fans and players of all previous editions of the game.
The next year is going to be an exciting one. There is a lot of work to be done, and I’m hoping you have the time, energy, and inclination to pitch in. We sure hope you do, as we seek to make gaming history by shaping the future of D&D, together."

If you are new to my blog

2012-01-06T14:57:00.001-05:00

Check the Labels list to the left on my page. If you click on stuff like monsters and house rules, you will find all kinds of things you can add to your games. Just an FYI.

Forgotten Realms gray box and religion in my games

2012-01-04T13:52:00.002-05:00

This is an offshoot from an excellent post on the Stocking The Dungeon blog. Up until I got the gray box, I never really bothered with detailing my gods while playing D&D. Clerics just followed God or some evil force. It wasn't important. Religion wasn't a huge factor in the early Known World products that I had and used (as presented in the Isle of Dread, which was the basis for my first few campaigns).

Once I bought the gray box, though, that all changed. Religion was IMPORTANT. Lots of gods were introduced, and they had friends and enemies, and they affected the world. While this isn't really a big surprise for most of us, I was only 15 at the time and it clicked for me that I really should make the gods more important in my games.

Every since then, I've always made a point of having religion matter. Even if it's just the names of artifacts or the priests giving blessings. I was a huge fan of the Forgotten Realms for many years, so much of this was done for me, and made my life a lot easier. Faiths and Avatars was a great supplement that I got a lot of use out of. The other religion books were also well-received, but I've never owned them.

Thinking about it, I wonder how many other gamers had this happen to their games?

ebay - Gloranthan Classics Runequest lot

2012-01-03T17:02:00.001-05:00

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=140674872287

Softcover Griffin Mountain, Cult Compendium, and Borderlands & Beyond.

Continental USA only. Thanks for looking!

(ebay) Wilderlands of High Fantasy lot

2012-01-03T12:52:00.004-05:00

I'm selling my Necromancer Games Wilderlands of High Fantasy stuff on eBay. Here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140674732580

Skyrim Draugr for BFRPG

2012-01-03T09:26:00.003-05:00

Draugr

Armor Class: 17

Hit Dice: 9**

No. of Attacks: 1 (weapon)

Damage: 1d10+3

Movement: 30’

No. Appearing: 1

Save As: Fighter 9

Morale: 12

Treasure Type: B, M

XP: 1,225

Draugr are the undead remains of ancient nord kings. They appear as a skeleton wearing ancient plate mail. They wield an ancient nord two-handed sword in combat. They are only encountered in ancient crypts.

Draugr can see invisible opponents.

Once per turn, they can use a dragon shout. Anyone in front of the draugr when he shouts must make a Save vs. Spells or drop anything they are holding in their hands. Items dropped will scatter 10 feet behind the character.

Draugr may be turned as vampires. Draugr are immune to Sleep, Charm, and Hold spells.

Bunch of updated/new BFRPG pdf's available

2012-01-02T08:55:00.005-05:00

For those who don't check regularly, there are a bunch of new and updated materials for the Basic Fantasy Roleplaying Game. Chris was busy over the holidays. I recommend checking them out.

There are new adventures and a monster supplement, all of which should make your game even better. A number of adventures have also been updated, with more material and better editing. As a bonus, these materials are easily ported to any other Old School game.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T01:29:00.000-05:00

Best wishes to everyone! I hope 2012 is amazing for you!

New Years Celebrations

2011-12-31T13:02:00.001-05:00

New Years Celebrations
1. The villagers light a big bonfire and everyone gets really drunk.
2. A large feast is held after slaughtering a bull, with gifts given to friends and family.
3. The eldest person in the village is sacrificed to the gods to ensure the upcoming year is better.
4. A large dance is held, with much drumming and wild costumes.
5. New Years is the one day a year where marriage bonds do not hold. Everyone has a great time.
6. A parade is held, with all of the children born that year brought forth. Gifts are given to the parents.
7. A captured goblin, orc, or other monster is placed in a wooden effigy of the local god, which is then set on fire.
8. Races, wrestling matches, and archery contests are held. The winners receive gifts and gold.
9. Magicians create colored lights that twirl throughout the town. Illusionary dragons and other creatures fight in mock battles in the town square.
10. Priests hold day long sermons reminiscing about the previous years and those who died. The townsfolk all attend and are dressed in black robes. As night falls, bells ring and the townsfolk throw off their robes to reveal brightly colored clothes. A large party then ensues (and includes the clergy).

Silver standard

2011-12-29T16:06:00.000-05:00

I've decided to use a silver standard in the mini6 game I'm working on. It makes more sense to me than the buckets of gold approach found in D&D. It was a pretty easy conversion, as I just took the D&D equipment list and converted it to silver pieces. It's still not very accurate historically, but I think it makes a bit more sense.

There's a pretty cool thread about all of this over at RPG Site. I recommend giving it a lookover if you are interested in this kind of thing.

And regarding my mini6 fantasy game, it's coming along. I still need to come up with a bunch of magic items, but much of the work is now done, other than tweaking stuff.

Some Mini Six stuff I've made

2011-12-27T12:01:00.003-05:00

I'm working on a standalone fantasy game using Mini Six. It's going to have a lot of influence from D&D. It uses hit points instead of wounds. Here's a couple things I've come up with, so far:

Spells:

Cure Disease

TN: 20 + Resistance Roll

Duration: Permanent

Resisted: Disease Severity

The target of the spell is cured of all diseases. Assign the Resistance Roll based upon the severity of the disease. A common cold would be an Easy roll, while the Black Death would be a Difficult roll, and a magical disease might be a Very Difficult roll.

Linguist

TN: 14 + Resist Roll

Duration: Concentration

Range: 20 feet

Resisted: Charm

When cast, you can understand someone speaking in another language. You can speak limited phrases in their language, as well (I’m hungry. Where is store. Etc.). You can also read basic sentences in other languages (complicated passages are beyond this spell, though). No Resist Roll is required if the target wants to speak with the spell caster (just the standard spell roll is needed).

Monsters

Tyrannosaurus Rex ***** Scale: +4D

Top of the food chain.

Might: 6D Wit: 0D

Agility: 2D Charm: 1D hp: 50

Attacks: Bite (11D damage vs. human scale)

Tail Bash (8D damage vs. human scale)

Perks: Tough Hide (+5 armor)

Static: Dodge 6, DR 5

Velociraptor *** Scale: +0D

Fast hunter.

Might: 4D Wit: 0D

Agility: 4D Charm: 1D hp: 50

Skills: Tracking 3D

Attacks: Bite (4D damage)

Perks: Tough Hide (+3 armor), Fast (Base move 25’, Runs 50’)

Static: Dodge 12, DR 3

Elemental (Air) **** Scale: 0D

Living air creature.

Might: 4D+1 Wit: 1D

Agility: 4D+2 Charm: 1D hp: 37

Skills: Brawling 5D+1, Dodge 5D+2

Perks: Insubstantial (Can only be harmed by magic weapons or spells).

Whirlwind (Can throw characters ten feet up into the air on a successful Might check vs. the character’s Might. Character takes 1D of damage and must make a Difficult Agility check or drop all items in his hands).

Fly (can fly up to 120 feet per round).

Static: Dodge 17, Block 16, DR 0

Ooze *** Scale: +2D

A living pool of acid.

Might: 0D Wit: 0D

Agility: 1D Charm: 0D hp: 24

Skills: Acid Touch 3D, Stealth 4D

Perks: Ooze (can only be harmed by fire or magic),

Acid touch (attacks do 3D acid damage and ignore armor).

Static: Dodge 3, DR 0

I have a number of other spells and monsters completed, but this should give an idea of what I'm doing. If something doesn't look right compared to similar stuff in the game, let me know. Thanks!

Christmas wrap-up

2011-12-26T14:11:00.001-05:00

I went out to my parents place for the holidays. Lots of relatives were in town. We ate a ton of food and watched a lot of football on Saturday (Christmas Eve).

I am SO glad the Steelers played at 1 pm and not 4 pm. Dinner and presents would have sucked if the game had been on then, as most of us would have been trying to watch it.As for presents, I got some clothes and a couple gift cards to Barnes and Noble. Not sure what I'll buy with them, yet.

Yesterday my brother and I watched the Firefly marathon through most of the day, then went back down to my parents for another meal and another round of presents (and different relatives). It was a good time.

We then watched the Doctor Who Christmas special, which was pretty good. Not great, but not bad. It was a bit more cheesy happy Christmas than the typical Who episode, which kind of surprised me. Usually, something horrible happens to the Doctor or his companions on Christmas. We then finished watching the rest of the Firefly marathon.

Overall, my holidays were damn good! I hope everyone else's were as well!

Merry Christmas! Ho! Ho! Ho!

2011-12-25T08:25:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Mini Six rpg

2011-12-22T18:54:00.001-05:00

I've been making my own fantasy version of the Mini Six rpg the last week or so. I've still got a lot to do, and I'm not sure this will ever see the internet, but it's a lot of fun. I really like what AntiPaladin Games did with their version of the Open D6 license. I really recommend people check it out.

Mini Six is a pared-down version of the old Star Wars D6 game, and I think it's amazingly well done. They got rid of a lot of the extraneous rules, and made the game simpler to learn and play, while still allowing a lot of options.

For my personal version, I'm working on the following:

1. It's going to be fantasy. I've removed all the guns and starships and aliens. done
2. I'm using hit points instead of wound levels. I do not like the death spiral created with wound systems. done
3. I'm adding in new monsters and spells, mostly stuff I'm converting from D&D. started
4. I'll be adding in new races like the cambion, nephilim, and wildfolk, that are already in my BFRPG Sword & Board supplement. not started yet
5. I'm going to add in the standard D&D gold system. not started yet
6. More magic items. started

I've already gone through and done some stuff, like getting the basic formatting set up and removing references to wounds. Now it's just adding things.

trailer for "The Hobbit"

2011-12-21T04:41:00.000-05:00

I'm excited! Love that the dwarves are singing. Many familiar faces, as well. Wish it would get here before next December!

I like chainmail bikinis!

2011-12-20T08:27:00.003-05:00

Why yes, I think they are fantastic! I'm also easily annoyed by people saying they are unrealistic and "break the immersion". Guess what, 99% of the stuff you see in any D&D campaign is completely unrealistic. This includes the fact that your characters are allowed to run around with weapons and in armor while not being nobility. Unless one of the party is a noble of some type, every adventuring party would be jailed, and possibly tortured and executed, just for carrying a sword.

The Daedra

2011-12-16T20:20:00.000-05:00

The Daedric Princes in The Elder Scrolls series really feel like the Titans of Greek mythology. They are more forces of nature and and not really concerned gods. A few would count as really evil, depraved gods that don't like their own followers, though.

The quests they put you on in the game are generally really nasty. They get in your head and try to get you to kill your companions. They try and force you to sacrifice good priests, especially Boethia, the cannibal. I really like how they are implemented in Skyrim, and they should provide a great base for DMs to model evil gods and priests on.

As I've said before, DMs who need inspiration owe it to themselves to play Skyrim, especially the side quests (the main quest with the dragons is not even the best questline in the game, IMO).

Skyrim Official Game Guide for D&D

2011-12-14T14:56:00.000-05:00

Not sure how many of you play Skyrim, or have seen the game guide by Prima. I would recommend it for GMs. It has tons of maps in it for small to medium sized dungeons, along with some towns. The various dungeons also are detailed with monsters and some treasures. Mining and Alchemy and Enchanting are also covered, which would provide ideas for GMs, especially for OSR games that dont' have a lot of detail. There's also a poster map of Skyrim. If you like Norse style gaming, this book would be a great purchase for setting ideas. I really like the book. Also, it's 656 pages and only $27.