Claimh Solais

Monday Mashup #40: Planet of the Apes

It's a madhouse!!! A madhouse!!
-Taylor, the amazing talking human

The most recent mashup is one of my favorite movies of all time, Planet of the Apes. This is, of course, why I suggested it.

For my Ape-world, I will mash it with the Angel RPG (or Buffy). Of course, this should make my work easier since Eden Studios already released the Unisystem Game of intelligent apes, Terra Primate. So, I should be able to use the systems in that book to help create this topsy-turvy world where Apes rule.

To set up this scenario, I would begin by having the group of Investigators (or Scoobies) end up taking care of a small monkey. Perhaps they are monkey-sitting for a friend or perhaps they find an orphaned chimpanzee that affectionatley attached itself to a member of the cast. Eventually the chimp bugs the wrong pc at the wrong time and, assuming the PC tells the chimp to shove off, the chimp leaves the room, sulking.

The stage is set.

In the next episode, the PCs wake up in a cage. There are several humans in the cage with them and they all only wearing the most basic of animal skins as clothes. The cave is filthy and stinks like animals. When they go to stand up they find it hard to stand up and they find it near-impossible to articulate their speech. Their speech only come out as grunts and basic sounds. "Wah Gah -Ooh." They can however communicate with their hands and gestures. (Make PCs play communicating like this.) Feeling their foreheads, they feel that their foreheads are thicker and slope more.

Eventually they see that their captors are Walking talking gorillas. At one point they lead a four-foot tall talking chimp into the room that looks over the cage with a look of recognition at the PCs. The PCs would also recognize the chimp, even under the clothes and larger size.

The chimp sneaks in later that night and speaks to the PCs. He confessed that he may have made a horrible mistake. You see he was hurting really bad and this vengeance demon showed up.....

FYI: We prefer the name 'Justice Demon.'
-Halfrek

Games I'd like to run

My Thursday night gaming group has been somewhat between games, so I proposed running a game for the group. I threw out a few ideas that didn't seem to click for them but I thought I'd post them here so I can remind myself later about it and get some feedback. This is the exact wordings from my email proposals:

1- Angel - A traditional Angel RPG game set in New York, Chicago or New Orleans (player choice). Players would design and create together an organization that investigates supernatural and weird activities in the city and "help the helpless." (No knowledge of Angel or Buffy shows necessary

2- Law and Order in the Dreaming City - Players take the roles of cops in my original modern fantasy setting, "The Dreaming City." The Dreaming City is a magical city located halfway between the mortal realms and the ethereal realms. This in-between place has traditionally been called Faerie. Years ago, the Aes Sidhe (Faerie) inhabitants of the city known as Murias opened it up to mortals and now their city is a modern city complete with all the technology you might find in a modern city...and the magical elements of Faerie. Do give you an idea: If you've read them, the Borderlands books were a big influence on The Dreaming City. Characters would take the roles of a Homicide or Special Crimes Department for the Murias Police Department. Game could be run using either the Buffy/Angel system (aka Cinematic Unisystem) or Savage Worlds. It would work best in Cinematic Unisystem.

3- Crime and Punishment in the Dreaming City - Players play criminals and organized crime bosses working for a certain family in the Dreaming City. Game would be heavily influenced by The Sopranos, Goodfellas and every other gool mobster movie or show I've seen. Characters, including PCs, may die horrible violent deaths. You think a hit can be messy when you shoot a guy? Wait until magic is involved. This game would be a lot more brutal and violent than any of the other idea I'm proposing. Once again, I could run this in Angel/Buffy or Savage Worlds.

4- Young Mutants - It wouldn't really be named that. Anyways, this would be a game about young superpowered men and women in an original setting, the RDU with new original characters (if Neil is cool with that), an alternate earth version of either the DC Universe, the Marvel Universes (or both combined) or an earththat has never seen metas before. I'm really open on ideas for this one, depending on what people want to play. Game would be run using either Mutants and Masterminds or Marvel Universe RPG. (Sorry, but HERO does not work for me at all as a GM.)

I really want to run a Dreaming City campaign someday, but one of the players in the group refuses to play any modern day settings with magic, since he plays in a Witchcraft game already. This also shot down the Angel game. I plan to send them a few more game proposals fairly soon, including a sci-fi game idea I've had in my head for a while.

More Miyazaki

Cool News!

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is finally getting a proper release here in the U.S.! It was released here years ago as Warriors of the Wind but the American edit was so chopped up that it made the movie almost unwatchable. The original is supposed to be a lot better and I've been wantig to see it for years. It's by Hiyao Miyazaki, the same director who made Princess Mononoki, Spirited Away and Castle in the Sky. They're also releasing a special edition of My Neighbor Totoro and Porco Rosso.

Monday Mashup #38: Sandbaggers

For the thirty-eighth Monday Mashup, Bryant challenged us to mash Sandbaggers.

I've never seen Sandbaggers, but I'm told its a lot like MI5/Spooks, so I'm working from there and mashing it with Champions.

The PCs are members of the D.M.O. (Department of Metahuman Operations), a government intelligence agency that has been assigned to keep the United States safe from the growing super-powered threat. With the growing threat of super-terrorism, they are kept pretty busy.

None of the PCs are supers. They are just really good agents. They infiltrate supervillian bases to set up bugs and surveillance equipments, go undercover to gain the confidence of cults working towards world domination and generally do all the dirty work that the government needs to do to stay one step ahead of the super-menace. Of course, when the government passes the M.R.A., the Metahuman Registration Act, and all unlicensed supers are declared wanted outlaws, their lives get even busier and the questions of morality become more complicated.

This game would be played in a superhero setting a lot like the setting found in The Authority or The Watchmen, where superheroes aren't always "the good guys."

Superman Lives script

I'm just bookmarking this for myself, but I am sure there are others reading who would be interested in reading it: Kevin Smith's script for Superman Lives.

Angel: Series Finale

It was OK. It wasn't great. It felt too rushed. It had some great lines and some fun scenes. (For those of you that saw it, I loved the scene with Spike at the Poetry Slam.) I loved how the very last scene ended the show. I thought it was a perfect way to end the series. I just didn't care much for the fights leading up to it.

There were a few great quotes in the episode that cracked me up. (SPOILERS ahead....but then these quotes won't be that great without the context anyway....)

I wish to do more violence. Illyria, explaining how she is mourning.

Personally, I'd like to slay the dragon. - Angel giving his battle-plan to the group.

Smallville: Kissing Cousins

The season finale of Smallville was on tonight. The Smallville series hasn't been as good as Buffy or Angel, but I've got a say this: They sure know how to do a season finale cliffhanger. This is the third season in a row that has ended with one of those cliffhangers that just kills you when you realize you'll be waiting months to see the continuation.

In related news, I've been meaning to share this for a little bit now. Alex Ross drew this image for Superherohype.com of what Smallville actor Tom Welling may look like if he plays Superman someday in a movie:

Season Finale Spoilers Ahead!

So, the whole thing with Kara from Krypton was probably pretty cool for all the people watching the show that don't know all about the comic mythos, but being a fan of the comics, I did not need to see Clark and Kara kissing. It was just....wrong.

Still it was a pretty neat way for them to work Supergirl into the Smallville version of Superman.

Wednesday Weird #11: The Party

The characters have been invited to a party. It's a birthday for someone they barely know. Maybe they go so they can talk to someone else at the party. Maybe they go to polite. Whatever the reason is that they are there, something gets weird. Maybe, the birthday boy or girl is a tad weird. Maybe, they play a strange party game. (Jumanji anyone?) How does it get weird? It's up to you.

William Batson is a successful businessman. He is also a practicing occultist. On William Batson's 25th birthday, it has been prophecized that he will asend into his higher form and gain great powers. All he has to do is say the magic word at midnight. The stroke of midnight comes and he says the magic word.....and the whole party gains great power. What happens when a bunch of party guests gain superpowers?

Gillian the Vampire Slayer 1.9 -Prologue

A car sped down a mostly deserted road. Between the red ball fringe in the windows and the woven blanket in the back, you can almost smell the burritos cooking. Inside the car, two figitives from justice were heaidng back towards the scene of the crime.

"Why do I have to be Sancho?"

Andrew gave his companion a tired smile. "Because I don't know the words to Sancho's parts. Besides, I'm taller than you."

"No you're not."

Jonathon looked away. Out the window, he looked at a sign. "Sunnydale. 20 miles."

"We're going to be heroes this time, aren't we Andrew?"

Andrew did not answer. Instead, he pushed an 8-track of "The Man of La Mancha" into the player. It began playing somewhere in the middle of "Impossible Dream." A few lines in, Jonathon joined in to sing along.

.....to fight for the right
Without question or pause,
To be willing to march into hell
For a heavenly cause!

And I know, if I'll only be true
To this glorious Quest,
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest.....

Quickie Reviews

For Gamers with Short Attention Spans

(I haven't had much time these days to post much here. So, to try and keep somecontent here, I think I will start posting the occassional "quickie reviews." The goal for each review is for me to write each review in a minute or less, so please excuse any grammatical errors.)

The Order (Movie, 2003)- This movie stars Heath Ledger as one of the last members of an order of priests who investigates occult mysteries and fights against the darkness. The movie has a much slower pace than most Hollywood movies, but it works. There are parts that are horribly predictable, but they are mixed with some truly cool suprises. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who is GMing a Buffy RPG or any other modern/occult setting like Witchcraft or the World of Darkness.

Van Helsing (Movie, 2004)- It's silly fun, but its still fun. The high cheese-factor may bother a lot of people. Personally, I went to the movie expecting to see a bunch of monsters, special effects and overly-dramatic fights. The movie delivered that, but not much more. Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale were pretty good as the action hero duo, but the plot was thin.

Heaven and Earth Player's Guide (RPG book)- I'm fairly certain that this RPG from Guardians of Order is out-of=print. The game allows players to take the roles of townspeople in a small town where the battle of good and evil is being fought. This game seems a lot like the kind of RPG game that Stephen King would write. It uses a fairly good card-based system for task resolution that I would recommend to anyone looking for an alternative to dice mechanics that has random-ness but allows players more control.

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (Animated Movie, 2002)- This movie is a continuation of the Batman Animated Series. Robin is now a little older and Batgirl has left for college. A new vigilante has shown up in Gotham City and she is stealing Batman's schtick. She seems to be targeting The Penguin. Who is the new Batwoman? Conveniently, here are three new women in Batman's life. It could be one of them. (Sure, in a huge city like Gotham there are thousands of possible candidates, but why wouldn't it be one of these new characters?) The mystery isn't really much of a mystery. Most people should have it figured out shortly into the movie. However, the writers never treat it like it's a tough mystery and Batman figures it out very quickly. (There's nothing I hate more than when writers write a character who is supposed to be some great detective and they can't figure out the mystery while the audience figured it 30 minutes earlier.) The animation is very good, although it seems like they used a lot more animation short-cuts than in the previous Batman animated movies (such as "Mask of the Phantasm" and "Sub-zero") to make it look a bit cheaper. It's worth a rental.

Colonial House (TV Series, PBS 2004)- The first two episodes were on PBS (in the U.S.) last night. Episodes 3 and 4 should be on tonight at 8:00. This is the reality show where they took 17 people and had them live like an American colonial colony in the 1600s. I normally despise reality TV but I'll make an exception for this, since is the period of history that I am most interested in. It was really good and helps a lot for imagining what it would be like to live back then, which will help as a GM when I am running games to add the flavor of the time. Little details like how people would prepare their foods or prepare for their days usually get left out in most games to leave more time for the exciting stuff. I highly recommend this show.

My Little Justice League Ponies

These have to be seen to be believed.

Song Meme (with answers)

Not really gaming related, but it looked like a fun game to play.

(from Eternal Eponine)
On your current playlist, hit shuffle and pick the first twenty songs on the list (no matter how cheesy or embarrassing), and write down your favourite line of the song. Try to avoid putting the song title in the line. Then, have your friends comment and see if they know the songs.

1- So raise your fists and march around, dont dare take what you need. I'll jail and bury those committed and smother the rest in greed. Rage Against the Machine, "Sleep Now in the Fire"
2- The Minister's daughter's in love with the snake. The Doors, "Not to Touch the Earth"
3- These loathsome parasites that cling to the cross, the cloth and the skin.... Christian Death, "This is Heresy"
4- I found an island in your arms; a country in your eyes. The Doors, "Break on Through"
5- All these melodies, they go on to long. - Sweet, "Sweet's Song" (From the Once More With Feeling Soundtrack) Patrick
6- I tried to tell her about Marx and Engels, God and angels. I don't know what for. Sisters of Mercy, "Ribbons"
7- I'm just tryin' to get a little better says a little better than before. Guns & Roses. "Mr. Brownstone"
8- I put this question to you because I want you to be with me. Prince, "Trust"
9- You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. - "John Lennon, "Imagine" BriAnne
10- I see him and he sees it all. Boingo, "Spider"
11- Before you slip into unconciousness, I'd like to have another kiss. The Doors, "The Crystal Ship"
12- Tell them some hookah-smoking carterpillar has given you the call. Jefferson Airplane, "White Rabbit"
13- People think I'm insane because I am frowning all the time. Black Sabbath, "Paranoid"
14- Shakespeare and I are often low-brow.Einstein Savage, "Archy Confesses"
15- The bats have left the bell tower. The victims have been bled. Bauhaus, "Dark Entries"
16- If all we have is a second to say goodbye, I'll watch the world blowing to pieces in your eyes. AM Radio, "If This is the End of the Word"
17- I was left in a basket, just like baby Moses to float down that muddy river protected by the stupid little fairies. Boingo, "Pedestrian Wolves"
18- Death of Mother Earth. Never a rebirth. Evolution's end. Never will it mend. Metallica, "Blackened"
19- ...and when the rain comes down, will you choose to walk or stay? Sisters of Mercy, "Walk Away"
20- Fifteen bucks, little man. Put that **** in my hand. If the money doesn't show, then you owe me, owe me, owe. Jason Mewes, "Jay's Rap" from the Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back soundtrack

Wednesday Weird #10: Zombies!!

They're coming to get you, Barbara....

This week's cliche that is begging to get weird is a classic horror staple and dungeon crawl opponent: the zombie. Whether shambling about ancient crypts looking for fresh brains to munch, serving the will of a voodoo priestess, or turning a local shopping mall into a place of carnage, zombies have been a long-time favorite of gamers. Now, let's twist it.

J.S. has already come up with the ultimate zombie weird in "Rum Soaked Zombies," so I won't even try to compete. Instead, I offer up a rather traditional game scenario with an untraditional monster.

Curse of the Graffalon
A short adventure for high level characters.

"Curse of the Graffalon" is a fantasy adventure for 3-5 adventurers that takes place around the city of Gilscot. The Graffalon is inspired by a monster from "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night."

Plot synopsis: After a plague kills hundreds of the locals, another horror begins to affect the town. The dead are returning from their graves. The characters may be passing through Gilscot or have heard of the hamlet's troubles and come to the town to offer their services. The city has had several zombies in the last few weeks attack locals in the night.

When the players investigate a local graveyard they find that all of the graves have had the dirt removed from the tops of the coffins and placed neatly (still in the shape of the rectangle) to the side. The coffins are found to be empty. Visiting other graveyards reveals the same thing.

Shortly after investigating one of the graveyards, the PCs are attacked by the Graffalon: A giant ball of floating corpses. With 200 corpses appearing to cling to eachother, the ball floats above them, dropping 1-3 zombies each turn on the PCs. If the PCs attack the graffalon, more zombies fall off of it, but these ones are not animated The GM will need to keep track of how many zombies have fallen off. After about 25% have fallen off, the PCs will be able to see the creature beneath it. The creature inside is a tentacled thing with several long eyestalks. Once the creature is revealed, it starts shooting telekinetic blasts at the PCs. (This power of TK is also how it made the cleanly dug holes. It simply willed the dirt out of the ground.) As an alternative for D&D players, perhaps it is a Beholde with Necromantic spells.

If any PCs have abilities to sense such stuff, the Graffalon appears to be the combined hate/anger of the collected dead at first but once the creature inside is revealed, they will be able to see that it is what is really what is animating the corpses by bringing back all that anger/hate.

MST3000: Dark Dungeons

The classic Jack Chick tract gets a MST3000 update here.

(Link thanks to The Ferrett.)

Mentality of the Collector

(I posted this earlier in the week and then couldn't figure out where it went. It has been located and placed in its proper location.)

Mark Rosewater, the head of R&D for Magic the Gathering, wrote this really neat article about collectors and how it applies to designing collectible games like Magic.

I agree with him on most points and can really indentify with him, since I've also got a weakness for collecting superhero action figures. I have a fairly decent collection of the old "Superpowers" line from the 80's. I've even thought about buying some of these DC Pocket Heroes for the same reason he did: They're small and easier to display.