seneschal

Sword of the Valiant (1984) Prince Valiant (1954) The Legend of Prince Valiant (1991) The Magic Sword (1962) So, I guess Quest for Camelot (1991) is just a no go then?

The session won at least one potential convert. I had given a co-worker a copy of the BRP and 6th edition Call of Cthulhu Quick Start rules. He wasn’t interested much, but after watching Critical Role he is wanting to give it a shot.

Historically, there are stories of early explorers in Canada (and/or Iceland or Greenland) encountering blue-eyed, light-haired natives. The theory was that survivors from the various failed Norse colonies were absorbed into local tribal populations, bolstered by the fact that some tribal languages seemed to have Norse words in their vocabularies. Author Ian Cameron used this idea for his 1961 lost worlds adventure novel “The Lost Ones,” which Disney made into the 1974 movie “The Island At The Top of the World.” Both are fun. No Lovecraftian entities to illustrate but the yarn is as perilous as “At the Mountains of Madness.” In summary, a discussion of eldritch horrors leads us inexplicably but inevitably to The House of Mouse. Hmmmm. Both Lovecraft and Disney were active in the 1920s and ‘30s. Mickey Mouse launched the same year as Call of Cthulhu and Cool Air. What are they not telling us!

Your pictures and write-ups are fun as always. Thank you. But would a helmet of shell really offer much protection? Or is the headgear mostly ceremonial?

Now THOSE are scary! 😱

Do you have the Big Gold Book? If so, you could assign the mutant PC a minor Failing to offset the benefit of his subtle powers. Rules in the super powers section, although you could do this sort of thing without game mechanics. For example, the character was spotted using his unusual ability by a nosey neighbor/classmate/co-worker. Mr. Curious now occasionally spies on the PC or follows him around trying to figure out what is going on. Enough to be annoying or embarrassing but not too much.

Sadly, klecser, political correctness achieves the exact opposite of its purported goals. Instead of promoting harmony and understanding among people it squelches diversity of speech and thought while dividing folks into ever-narrower mutually suspicious and aggrieved interest groups. It evaluates and values people based on their assigned category instead of on their uniqueness as individuals. Despite its demands for “tolerance” it prevents people from toughening up and learning to accept and work together with those who may disagree with them. It promotes the opposite of Martin Luther King, Jr.s’ dream that people would be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin (or their ethnicity, or sexual preference, etc.). Political correctness is evil and counterproductive — and as midwinter points out, ultimately silly and futile.

As I’ve said before, political correctness is an enemy of (among other things) good gaming. It is a distraction from coming up with exciting stories to share with your friends. A quality product will attract customers without regard to their demographics, and it has since the inception of role-playing in the 1970s. Want to include a black investigator on, say, the cover of the new starter set? Good! Art looks great, fits the time period depicted. But that’s a whole other thing from an attitude that says, “OMG! We haven’t had enough art depicting Group X on our product. We must immediately do triple flips to include more depictions of Group X in our gaming books!” That’s silly. Write good games. Tell exciting stories. Members of Group X will buy and enjoy your games, along with members of Groups A, H, Y and Z, respectively. That’s being inclusive. Wow. Really.

Gee, I didn’t realize the Japanese had already invented audio and video duplicating equipment by then. Hang onto your intellectual property, ladies! Seriously, folks. How did a discussion of scary cover art devolve into “Fifty Shades of Political Correctness”? I don’t care about representation, diversity or inclusiveness in a horror game. Cthulhu is coming to devour the WHOLE species, regardless of race, ethnicity, etc., and you want to go all Baskin Robbins and offer him 31 flavors? Have you thought this through?

Please let us know how it goes. My wife enjoyed playing a tough-talking private investigator and searching for clues ... until she located the villains in their lair and saw how intimidating they were. Then she lost interest. My daughter played the detective’s photographer sidekick and kung-fu fighter — except her character was so petite her best moves were unlikely to damage the bad guy’s brawny henchman.

But ... it’s trying to seduce and corrupt the kids. Weasel its way onto the pillows of innocents, and then ... (shudder)! 😳

Get it before it gets you!

I can’t see the problem. What we can see of the monster is scary, and our three protagonists look suitably stressed out. Is it because the critter is glowing bright neon green? It’s not easy being green.

I have enjoyed the ones I’ve been able to watch.

But David Scott already provided us with stats for the H’Reli. Granted, Other Suns isn’t BRP and the attributes aren’t necessarily the same, but let’s see how a straight conversion shakes out. I will assume that WIL (Will?) is equivalent to POW and BLD (Build?) is roughly equivalent to SIZ; characteristics with the same names are considered to be the same. STR 3d6 (10-11) CON 2d6+6 (13) SIZ 3d4+2 (9-10) INT 2d6+6 (13) POW 3d6 (10-11) DEX 3d6+2 (12-13) APP 3d6 (10-11) So what we end up with is a petite but physically fit species whose attributes are well within human norms. The H’Reli are smart and agile but not outrageously so. They are neither hulking brutes like the Aslan or Kzinti nor super stealthy like the Tiger Men of Mars. A nicely balanced player-character race.

Look! It’s Rafiki from “The Lion King!” Guy gets around. https://armorcast.com/ll03048-baboon-shaman/

Well, the topic is cat people, and the clip shows some rather feline-ish folk. Almost Thundercats in nature (which is the movie we really want to see). The criticisms I read had nothing to do with Judeo-Christian morality. Rather, some people felt the animation and movements fell into the uncanny valley. Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson and other actiors still recognizable despite realistic ears, fur and tail that clearly weren’t a costume. My wife and I didn’t have that reaction but apparently some folks did. “Avatar” featured animated cat-like humanoids, but they were blue and nine feet tall and didn’t closely resemble the actors who played them.

Trailer for the CGI remake of the musical “Cats.” What do you think? https://m.imdb.com/title/tt5697572/videoplayer/vi2422258713?ref_=m_tt_ov_vi

The Crimson Bat? Isn’t that the superhero character that TC (Telmori Comics) is suing Prax Publishing over?

“Are you pondering what I’m pondering, Pinky?”

Makes sense. “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” assures us that mice are actually ruthless pan-dimensional beings with sinister designs on our planet. Felines may be our ultimate salvation!

But the plague is alive and well today in the once beautiful cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco — brought by sick illegal aliens and nourished by armies of the homeless who pee and poop on the pavement and cover their waste with used needles (given them by town hall to somehow reduce drug use or something). Who needs Cthulhu or World War Z? The authorities are too politically correct to deal with these real dangers and instead focus on banning plastic drinking straws and soft drinks. It would be as if Godzilla were wading out of Tokyo Bay and the authorities ran around issuing parking tickets and arresting anyone who engaged in “hate speech” against the big lizard. Indigenous mutated sea creatures have rights, too! Oh, and giant rats (and their attendant plague-carrying fleas) have taken over the basement of the Los Angeles main police station and the cops can’t get rid of them. Where is Willard now that we need him?

Shin Godzilla played on the fear of an unprepared bureaucracy. EricW’s fears remind me of the silent film ”Nosferateau.” When Count Orloff (aka Dracula) comes to London he brings plague with him, in addition to killing whomever he snacks on. The outbreak doesn’t subside until the vampire is vanquished.

Ten years ago? Do you realize how many Spider-Man reboots there have been since then? 🙂

Plus “Arkham Now” was published in what, the ‘80s or ‘90s? There’s been a lot of “now” since then. 😉 Even if unofficial, a little catching up won’t hurt.