seneschal

Creature write-ups already posted here have been added to the Downloads section.

Here's a scenario idea I've been kicking around. I've got the set up, major NPCs, and some possible outcomes but it isn't quite finished. Let's see what you and SRD for II can do ... Cinderella: Reloaded Or Death Wore A Glass Slipper By Kevin Scrivner After watching the 1997 TV version of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella as well as parts of the 1957 and 1965 versions, a random scenario idea hit me. Briefing Forget lizards and mice. The player-characters, all special ops types, have been assigned to escort Cinderella’s carriage into the palace. Intelligence reports have indicated that enemies of the kingdom plan to assassinate the royal family at the Prince’s grand ball tonight. The plot was discovered 15 minutes before the ball was scheduled to begin. It is impossible to cancel the event at this late date, since the Queen is determined to hold it and the rebellious Prince is equally determined that this will be the last “meat market party” he will consent to participate in. The King has ordered that the rest of the royal family not be informed of the rumored plot, since such knowledge would inevitably disrupt the proceedings and possibly cause diplomatic repercussions with foreign dignitaries and their hopeful princesses. The palace guard has been alerted, however. The team commandeered the last carriage allowed to enter the palace grounds, a gaudy affair, expelling the rather strange-looking coachman and footmen. The hit is supposed to occur sometime before midnight. Mission Protect the royal family; protect the guests as possible; detect and eliminate the assassin or assassins with extreme prejudice; avoid causing an international incident. The PCs may be equipped with whatever super spy skills and gear the GM will allow. Despite the early 19th century nature of the kingdom, they are the special team, after all. Persons of Interest Princess X She has an invitation to the ball but her name is not on the guest list. It doesn’t matter, since her name and identity are unknown. Princess X was a late arrival. Is she an assassin? But surely an assassin would have planned to be in place well ahead of time. Prince Christopher seems smitten with her; it will be hard to place a female agent near him as a dance partner. Options: n Princess X is Cinderella, Lady Amesworth’s rarely seem stepdaughter, a lovely and good natured girl seeking a way out of a bad family situation. Despite her mother’s efforts to the contrary, she’s managed to make it to the ball and has no agenda other than having a good time. She can’t help but be delighted that the Prince has taken such an interest in her. n Princess X is Cinderella, whose resentment against her abusive mother has blossomed into a general hatred of the kingdom’s nobility. She’s been recruited by the republican faction to get close to the Prince and to casually spray him with a small perfume vial. She hasn’t been told what the vial contains. Despite her political views, she can’t help but be flattered by the Prince’s attentions. n Princess X is an agent of Duke Esparza, hastily substituted at the last moment for Cinderella, who was grabbed by foreign agents within the palace itself and stuffed (shaken but unharmed) into a cloakroom. Known only as “The Black Countess,” the agent is an experienced killer for hire, skilled at making a hit look like illness or accident and at getting out of the way before the victim collapses. Count Bartholomew The King’s younger brother has been in retirement since Prince Christopher’s birth. There are some suspicions that he has funded attempts by republican agitators to get the kingdom to adopt a constitution. Protest leaders have been arrested but with no proof of the Count’s involvement. Lady Amesworth Elevated to the nobility by her marriage to a minor aristocrat, Lady Amesworth has been involved in numerous intrigues while trying to promote the fortunes of herself and her two daughters. She reportedly has a stepdaughter, child of the deceased Lord Amesworth, but the girl has rarely been seen in public. Duke Esparza Diplomat from a rival kingdom, Esparza has been negotiating trade and non-aggression treaties with the King’s chancellor. The Duke is suspected of being a spy (he is). His daughter is one of the princesses in attendance at the ball. Additional Guests Because of the Queen’s broadcast of invitations to eligible young women, the guest list has included a number of people previously not included at palace social occasions. These include: Mayor Bernard B. Barnstrom, merchant Wealthy merchant and current mayor of Castle City, Barnstrom is a bulky man with an expansive manner. He’s well-dressed, cordial, genuinely concerned about the well-being and happiness of his employees, known for his philanthropy. Dogs and kids like him. But he’s been known to be a tiger in the marketplace. His success has made him enemies as well as friends. Barnstrom has bailed out the royal exchequer more than once; the King is willing to overlook his common birth. Beatrice Barnstrom, wife When they married, Bea was lithe and fun-loving. Now she’s a haughty matron with a double chin. Beatrice suspects her husband of having an affair with dancer Shonda Sharona. She’s recently taken out an expensive life insurance policy on him. She also has detectives (rivals of the PC security team?) planted among the party guests to get dirt on her husband should he attempt a rendezvous during the ball. Betty Barnstrom, sexy and headstrong daughter Betty used to be an adorable moppet that accompanied her dad to public appearances, guaranteed to say cute things in his support. Unfortunately, she grew up. She’s gone from adorable to alluring, and her tongue has sharpened considerably. Now she seems to find fault with everything from his table manners to his business practices. Betty has had an army of potential suitors but she’s dating Jason Jemison, not least because Daddy finds him objectionable. Andrea Delaney, socialite, cat burglar Lithe and charming, Andrea is one of the many maidens summoned to the ball. She’s also a professional pickpocket and master thief with an eye on the Sepoy Sapphire that Mrs. Barnstrom is wearing. That interest won’t prevent her from filching whatever other valuables she can get her nimble fingers upon. Mrs. Grimsby, grim housekeeper Head of the palace cleaning staff, she knows the castle intimately. Grimsby is a confederate of Doctor Sodameyer. Jason Jemison, Betty’s annoying boyfriend Third son of a member of the gentry, Jemison is a bad kid from a good family. He’s also a hired goon for Dedric Monson. Jason began chasing pretty Betty Barnstrom before he realized who her father was. Now that he knows, he hopes to profit by the association. Johnston, haughty butler and major domo ? Madam Mimi, shopworn sorceress The Queen’s private spiritual adviser has the air and appearance of a carnival midway fraud. However, her powers are real, at least some of the time. The King would like to be rid of her, but the Queen won't hear of it. Madam Mimi has been careful not to become a noticeable drain on the royal pocketbook and steadfastly refuses to dabble in politics. Rumor has it that she has some sort of family connection to Lady Amesworth, but royal intelligence hasn't been able to catch her involved in any of the schemes surrounding the noblewoman. Dedric Monson, “businessman” Monson is escorting his daughter, who was summoned to the ball. He was once involved in questionable deals with Mayor Barnstrom. There’s been a falling out between the former partners and he’s here to collect. Heather Hadley, gossip columnist On matters of taste, fashion, manners and entertainment, Hadley’s pronouncements are almost as influential as the King’s edicts. The people and businesses her poison pen affects have learned to fear her. Hadley knows a lot of people, and knows a lot about a lot of people. Her host of informants rivals that of royal intelligence. Despite having more information than some people would like her to, Hadley hasn't attempted blackmail or treason ... as for as royal intelligence knows. She has, however, made some bitter enemies. And the columnist is one of the few people that can make the Prince flee like a frightened child with her queries of, "Who's the girl? When's the date?" Shonda Sharona, aspiring opera singer and ballet dancer Sharona is secretly Bernard Barnstrom’s mistress, Jason Jemison’s ex-girlfriend, or both. She’s not the type to allow past flirtations to get in the way of personal advancement. She’d cheerfully dump either lover to get her claws on the Prince. She’d also be willing leverage her knowledge of Barnstrom’s and Jemison’s personal affairs to pry a little cash out of them, or maybe more than a little. Doctor Winton Sodameyer Prominent physician, Sodameyer was invited to at the ball in case of a medical emergency. He’s also secretly an important member of the republican faction with his own plans for the Prince. Leopold “Chubby” Young, bitter band leader A prodigy (“upstart” according to older musicians), Young’s dance compositions are all the rage among the kingdom’s youth. He’s conducting the royal orchestra tonight. Young blames Barnstrom’s ruthless tactics for the ruin and suicide of his father, a formerly prosperous tradesman. He’s out for revenge. The Evil That Men Do: Duke Esparza tipped off Andrea Delaney about Mrs. Barstrom’s jewels so that the theft would cover his own attempt to rifle the King’s office for secrets. Alternately, he’s hired her to get into the office for him. Her success at either venture might make her a disposable asset. The vial given to Cinderella by the republican faction in Option 2 contains a fast-acting sedative. Doctor Sodameyer will rush to ailing Prince’s side to offer assistance – actually to make a kidnap attempt with the help of his associates. The Prince will be temporarily put in same cloakroom Cinderella would have been in during Option 3. The Black Countess will try to dance with the King or the Prince or both. Her drugs, unlike those of the Doctor, are slow acting to give her time to get out of the way, observe, and make a second try if necessary. Blackmail attempts by Jemison, Monson, or Sharona could result in murder: Bernard Barnstrom – philanderer and tough tychoon. Murdered by jealous wife? Murdered by avenging son of small businessman he crushed? Shonda Sharona – mistress, amateur blackmailer. Murdered by jealous wife? Murdered by angry daughter, protecting either her dad or herself, or killing rival for Jason Jemison’s affections? Murdered by Barnstrom himself when he discovered he’s been set up? Andrea DeLaney – burglar, disposable accessory. “Removed” after successful burglary by Duke Esparza or The Black Countess after she got the papers/jewels? Jason Jemison – sneaky boyfriend, amateur blackmailer. Killed by Betty when blackmail/connection to Shonda Sharona discovered? Barnstrom’s business rival, is an aristocrat wanting a royal monopoly on products the merchant has been successfully trading, is still trying to harm the competition via sabotage, blackmail, espionage. Could Jason Jemison, Betty Barnstrom’s beau, crash the ball to prevent her from dancing with the Prince? Could he get past security? Or perhaps he’s there in the capacity of kitchen or wait staff. MORE ? Notes: So we have five basic sub-plots so far: n Robbers shaking down the guests n One or more burglars after the mansion safe n Someone(s) spying on the host n Blackmailers attempting to collect n Murder attempt during party Clarifying questions: How does Chubby Young plan to get revenge? What does Mrs. Barnstrom plan to do about her husband’s supposed infidelity? What information/evidence do Jemison and Shonda have to blackmail Barnstrom with? Why is Dedric Monson at the party; what is he trying to do or to gain?

Well, a $100 million sale might ease their cash flow problems .... Where is Donald Trump now that we need him?

I suppose Burroughs was following "The Rule of Cool" decades before it was formulated. He was more interested in frantic action and grand aerial pyrotechnics than in nuts and bolts verisimilitude. More Flash Gordon and Star Wars, less Buck Rogers and Star Trek.

What makes designing Barsoomian vehicles tough is that not only is ERB vague in his descriptions but he is inconsistent as well. In his early novels the airships feel like flying sailing ships, with masts but no sails,that act like dirigibles in flight. By the final novels, especially the ones finished by his sons, the fliers feel like World War 2 bombers or something out of Nausiccaa and the Valley of the Winds. The small one to three man fliers are less like Buck Rogers personal rocket ships and more like floating skis or surfboards. the dragonfly like ships from Disney's John Carter movie didn't fit my preconceptions but they were cool and as good an interpretation as any.

Wish I was there to join your campaign. If you find some way to show off Nyarlahotep anyway, you could save Nictocris for later and have her hunt down the thieves who took her stuff.

SPOILER ALERT!!! I agree. Gore galore, foul language out the wazoo, and CGI special effects are no substitute for a thoughtful, suspenseful script and competent acting. It is why Doctor Who survived long enough to be revived in the 21st century. Movies that have a similar feel are The Unearthly and Night of the Demon. In the original version of both films, the supernatural entity was never actually shown, requiring the audience to fill in the blanks and draw its own conclusions. After watching the first two segments of the 1958 version of Pit I am struck by how subtle and understated it is. The show presents the evidence that the "missile" is indeed prehistoric without any of the characters drawing the conclusion for the audience by exclaiming, "Geez! This thing has to be 5 million years old!" It assumes that viewers are attentive enough and smart enough to figure out on their own that something isn't right. I will be interested in seeing how the TV show ties the haunted house meme into the weird stuff surrounding the missile. The Hammer version was rushed and the 1927 weirdness didn't seem to connect.

Woo-hoo! Here is the original 1958 BBC TV version: versus the 1967 Hammer version:

This one is my fault, not Ben's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-021Y09VK5g Mental Vampire Source: Fiend Without A Face, Producers Associates/Amalgamated Productions, 1958 Arcane horrors comprised of materialized thought, mental vampires are normally invisible unless the ambient broadcast energy in their area is especially strong. Although they require this energy – be it atomic, electrical, or something else – to retain physical form, they feed on the brains and spinal cords of living creatures (preferably humans), sucking them out through punctures made at the base of the victim’s skull. Mental vampires are intelligent and evil, able to use tools, read and understand documents, and operate or sabotage equipment. They are determined to multiply and spread as quickly as possible. In 1958 they were limited to the area around an isolated U.S. Air Force base with a nuclear power plant. Today, with power plants, power lines, wi-fi hot spots, dish antennas and cell phone towers everywhere, their potential range is much greater. Denied broadcast energy, mental vampires quickly die and dissolve into sticky, icky puddles. Thought monsters, when visible, appear as brain-like creatures almost as large as an adult human head with a spinal cord body trailing behind. Extending from the “brain” head is a pair of 10- to 12-inch tube-like organs; there are additional tentacles trailing with the “spinal cord” body. The tubes appear to be some sort of sensory organs but can also be used as manipulative limbs, while the body can act as a prehensile tail. Mental vampires can crawl and climb caterpillar-like, even on sheer surfaces, and can also make startling leaps of six to eight feet. They attack by leaping at prey, wrapping their bodies about the victim’s neck in a strangling grip while the “brain” fastens on the back of the victim’s head. Victims are found with a look of absolute horror on their faces. Despite their usual invisibility, mental vampires aren’t stealthy. They make all sorts of strange growls and weird bumping noises while on the hunt. Although strong enough to cling to a surprised and terrified target, thought monsters aren’t particularly tough. They can be pulled off a victim by a person of normal strength and have no special defense against blows or bullets. They can, however, multiply from a single creature to dozens in less than a week if prey is readily available. And they rapidly gang up on those aware of their presence, especially if the latter have figured out ways to thwart them. STR (2D6+2) 9 CON (2D6) 7 SIZ (1D3) 2 INT (3D6+6) 16-17 POW (3D6) 10-11 DEX (3D6+12) 22-23 Move: 5 Hit Points: 5 Damage Bonus: -1D6 Armor: None (eww, squishy!) Attacks: Grapple 45%, 1D3+DB; Brain Suck 55%, 1D10 Skills: Climb 70%, Jump 80%, Heavy Machine 35%, Sense 60%, Track 45% Powers: Leap, 1 level, +2 meters horizontal leap (total 3 meters), 1 build point Wall Walking, 10 build points, 1 power point per combat round Extra Energy, +200 energy, 20 build points Notes: I didn’t charge the mental vampires for invisibility since that is their normal state. Also, actually seeing these things should cost some SAN, especially if player-characters witness them eating somebody.

I don't know. The effect of Minmei's music was a Star Trek style plot device rather than a power, per se. It wasn't like Superman using his heat ray vision, more the unintended consequences of one alien culture encountering another. Like in one of Harry Turtledove's sci-fi novels where the reptile aliens roll over Earth's defenses until we discover that the spice ginger is a dangerous drug to them. Suddenly the alien forces are being debilitated by a widespread addiction to ... cookies.

Lynn Minmei, Force of Nature! But wouldn't this come up only if you allow one of your player-characters to be a wannabe pop star?

Ro-Man XJ-2 Source: Robot Monster, Three Dimension Pictures, 1953 Henchman for the extraterrestrial entity known as The Great Guidance, Ro-Man was tasked with clearing the Earth of all human life. He used a death ray to destroy all but a few survivors who had taken refuge underground, inadvertently releasing preserved prehistoric beasts in the process. Sent to eliminate the Last Family on Earth, the creature ultimately failed when he found himself lusting after their eldest daughter. In addition to his brute strength, Ro-Man XJ-2 is a technical whiz able to whip up long-range communications devices and “psychotronic” weaponry from whatever primitive Earth hardware is lying around. He also has an innate ability to manipulate electricity. He speaks English fluently and enjoys taunting his victims as well as boring them with long-winded ruminations on life and love. Maybe if he didn’t adore the sound of his own voice so much, he’d be a more effective assassin. The Robot Monster resembles a gorilla wearing a round diving helmet equipped with long antennae that stick out of either side at a 45-degree angle. The filtered round faceplate reveals a skull-like face when the light is right. Despite his simian physique, Ro-Man stands upright like a human rather than walking on his knuckles. STR 36 CON 11 SIZ 24 INT 18 POW 16 DEX 11 Move: 8 Hit Points: 18 Damage Bonus: +3D6 Armor: 8 (kinetic, head only) helmet plus 3 kinetic (tough body) Attacks: Brawl 45%, 1D6+DB; Grapple 30%, 1D3+DB; Calcinator Ray 60%, 1D10+2 Skills: Craft (Electrical Device) 35%, Heavy Machine 45%, Perform (Orate) 55%, Repair (Electrical) 60%, Repair (Mechanical) 60%, Technical (Computer Use) 30% Powers: Helmet – Armor, 8 points (kinetic), head only, 8 build points Electrical Control, 20 levels, 60 build points, requires 20 energy points to activate per round plus 1 per round to keep active; can control up to SIZ 20 electrical device or do 2D6 damage with electric touch Extra Energy – +120 energy, 12 build points Super INT (+13 INT), 39 build points Antennae – Radio Hearing, 3 build points Failings: Ladies Man, +3 build points; Subservient to The Great Guidance, +3 Notes: Ro-Man’s stats were randomly rolled at the “Fantastic” level on the online Call of Cthulhu Creature Generator. He had 116 power points based on unmodified characteristics, plus 6 for Failings. Skill percentages were randomly assigned. Research: http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Ro-Man http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046248/

Ben Monroe's job description at Chaosium includes the subtitle "Earth Ro-Man." I knew that mighty Voltron fought Ro-Beasts, but "Ro-Man" didn't sound like something from Alephtar Games. I had to find out what it was. Some things man was not meant to know ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI60-9DWuIQ And yes, I am working on a write-up!

Ahem, posted that last comment from my cell phone ... "Dabbling" -- working on something sporadically "Da Bling" -- what one hopes to purchase after selling well-written material to one's favorite game publisher

It is hard to believe I have been da bling with this for five years.

Reviewing the stats, they should all be appropriate for "Red Martians as normal humans" play. My initial concern was that calots are too strong; but they are capable of taking on Barsoom's great white apes, so maybe that's OK. I was also worried that maybe the sith write-up is too tough. The bugs are huge and dangerous but John Carter was able to fend off and kill one with a longsword. (But then he's John Carter, superman from Earth.) Too bad Martians don't use shields. I'll have to compile and alphabetize these entries before uploading them. Most of them are in a single Word document, which helps. I'm still working on entries for the Great White Apes and polar region Apts.

Sith Contrary to what George Lucas would have us believe, a “sith” is not an evil galactic sorcerer. On Barsoom at least, it is a bison-sized flying carnivore somewhat resembling a terrestrial wasp. It has sharp, eager mandibles, a long, mobile, poisonous sting and compound eyes that just won’t quit. Such creatures are rare, and siths are (fortunately for adventurers) solitary rather than communal beasts. STR (4D6+24) 38 CON (2D6+9) 16 SIZ (4D6+24) 38 INT 2 POW (2D6) 7 DEX (2D6+6) 13 Move: 8, Flying 12 Hit Points: 27 Damage Bonus: +4D6 Armor: 6 (exoskeleton) Attacks: Bite 30%, 1D10+DB; Sting 45%, 1D6+1+DB plus poison (POT 8) Skills: Climb 70%, Dodge 35%, Fly 80%, Spot 90% Mutation: 360 degree vision

I would like to see Superworld available again, if only as POD. I find the powers useful for all sorts of non-superhero-y things, such as creating monsters, aliens, and boss villains. Another thing I'd like to see is a reprint of Call of Cthulhu's back catalog of adventures. Everyone boasts about how there is 30 years of material for the game, but the truth is that most of it is out of print with surviving mouldering manuscripts available at Amazon or e-Bay at outrageous prices. Again, POD is the place to be.

On the other hand, if you could market it to Alephtar, no mechanical changes needed. But, yes, it'd be a shame for venerable Chaosium to vanish at this late date. I mean, TSR is long gone, Game Designer's Workshop is history, Hero Games has died and resurrected several times, Steve Jackson Games and Palladium Games exist but are shadows of their former selves. BRP's birthplace is one of the few first generation role-playing game companies still kicking along under the same name and same owners (well, sort of).

Still, wish my teenage son was as "lazy" as you. Just sayin'.

"Tweaks, obviously, for Gloranthan specifics but we're not rewriting anything. We're too lazy, for one thing." So lazy that you wrote Mongoose RuneQuest I and II, then produced a version 6 capable of deflecting small arms fire and doing 1D8 to potential home invaders.... So ... ducks?

Plant Man “Men” in name only, these omnivorous guardians of the Valley Dor are bizarre even in a world of strange creatures. The corpse-blue humanoids have head, torso and two legs but the resemblance ends there. Their heads are topped with an 8-inch mop of thick black cilia – “hair” – that functions as an auditory organ. They have a single all-white eye below which is a ragged, inflamed nasal hole. There is no mouth in the face. Their “arms” are boneless appendages somewhat like an elephant’s trunk ending in clawed “hands” with mouths where the palms would be. A 6-foot powerful tail extends from their humanoid buttocks, and their feet are long like a rabbit’s or kangaroo’s. Plant men travel rapidly in great 20- or 30-foot leaps and are relentless pursuers. They feed upon pilgrims making the journey to Barsoom’s version of heaven upon the River Iss. The creatures attack by striking victims from above with their tails while in mid-air. Their mouths make a loud purring sound while plant men are on the hunt, ceasing only when the claws attach leech-like to the prey’s flesh to suck out bodily fluids. When they can’t get people, they graze upon the valley’s multicolored vegetation. This keeps the red grass as smooth as a golf putting green and ensures that the lowest branches of the great trees are well out of reach. Plant men live in a herd or pack led by the oldest, largest specimen. They are not sentient but have been trained by the Holy Therns to attack visitors on command. Despite their activity and diet, they are plants and reproduce by budding. Young grow from stems in their elders’ armpits and drop when they reach about a foot in length. They are miniature adults and begin grazing and hunting as soon as they hit the ground. Adults average 10 feet tall and can reach up to 12 feet tall. STR (3D6+10) 20-21 CON (2D6+6) 13 SIZ (4D6+14) 28 INT 2 POW (3D6) 10-11 DEX (3D6+6) 16-17 Move: 12 Hit Points: 20 Damage Bonus: +2D6 Armor: None Attacks: Leech Claw 55%, 1D4+1D3 per round attached; Flying Tail Bash 60%, 1D3+DB+Knockdown Skills: Jump 80%, Listen 50%, Pack Tactics 45%, Spot 35%, Track 30% Powers: Leap, 4 levels, +8 meters horizontal leap (total 10-11 meters)

The radium gun fires explosive projectiles that do 3D6 damage over an area of about six feet. So that Green Martian sniper doesn't actually have to hit you; if he misses but hits the rock you're taking cover beside, you might still be hurt by the blast.