seneschal

"Haha. you had me going with that awesome buildup, and then I was thinking "Alright, now how is he going to suggest we make this amazing human ingenuity show up in game!" lol" Except I wasn't trying to string you along, just thinking out loud as such. For instance, dwarfs are master smiths, creating indestructible alloys that they apply to traditional armor and muscle-powered weapons. They create fantastic toys that make the human trading town of Dale wealthy. But it never occurs to them that they could create a full-sized "toy" to saw or haul lumber or transport people or bake bread in half the usual time. They craft light-as-silk chainmail but don't realize they could use the same material to make a flying machine, or a ship's hull. They build intricate devices to amuse children but would never come up with an internal combustion engine. They're creative and highly skilled, but they just don't think that way. Similar examples from human cultures abound. The Greeks invented all sorts of scientific toys but rarely applied them to practical matters. The Romans seized their science and were amazing engineers in their own right but never created labor-saving devices and machines, especially not ones unassociated with military matters. Why would they in a culture that had an excess of slave labor able to accomplish massive tasks by sheer brute force? In the same way, the late medieval Chinese and Arabs possessed fleets of advanced sailing ships and expert navigational knowledge. But they felt they'd already discovered everything worth knowing and seeing and stayed close to home. It fell to that barbarian Columbus to sail beyond the horizon and discover a New World on the other side of the planet, even if he did get his calculations wrong. MatteoN's limit on non-traditional skills might be one way to express that.

I wouldn't reduce underage characters' INT. Children are as smart as adults, just less experienced and less in control of their emotions. Try babysitting a 2- or 3-year-old and see how devious they can be.

I think achieving "balance" in a BRP campaign would involve a role-playing solution rather than a game mechanics solution, although game mechanics may reinforce it. Basically, what compensates for humans is not their stats but the way they think. Here's what I mean: Love-lived races (elves, dwarfs, Gallifreyans, etc.) tend to become set in their ways; their cultures become hidebound, stagnant. And individuals who aren't that way (i.e., who are spontaneous and intuitive like those craaaaazy humans) are labeled as cranks, eccentrics, even criminals and tend to be supressed. Sure, in Middle Earth elves are the seeming master race. They've got the high culture, the developed philosophy, the technology so advanced that those barbaric, ephemeral humans consider it magical. They were powerful enough to defeat Morgoth and Sauron multiple times in the (remote) past. But they've been coasting, resting on their laurels, for a looooong time. They still have the edge, still have the "magic" tools, still have the superior knowledge, but its the same stuff they've been making, studying, singing, etc., for the past umpteen thousand years. They haven't come up with any new ideas, new tools, new ways of solving problems in many of their own generations, much less in human terms of timekeeping. No scientific advances. No new home conveniences or improved weaponry. No new culture-altering inventions. Everything is locked into tradition. They've lost the ability to innovate, to think outside the box, to develop outrageous solutions to problems they haven't encountered before. So when Sauron pops up again, the elves moan, "How can we beat this guy? We ain't what we used to be!" It doesn't occur to them that he ain't all he used to was, either. Humans, confronted by a similar situation at the beginning of World War II sang, "We did it before and we can do it again." In Lord of the Rings, it is the wimpy, short-lived races such as hobbits and humans who step up to the plate and take on the Big Bad with tactics he couldn't anticipate and the elves couldn't come up with. Their shorter, more precarious lives force them to be creative, to rapidly adapt to changing circumstances, something the elder races seem to have difficulty doing. While a human may not live long enough to acquire that 3,500% Longbow skill that his demi-human buddy has, he'll react faster and come up with better solutions when confronted with unfamiliar situations and threats. He'll come up with new inventions, both physical and cultural, that will enable him and his descendants survive longer, travel farther, live more comfortably than his ancestors did. He will attempt things (and maybe succeed at them) that an elf or dwarf would never even conceive of. Meanwhile, his pals will say (when he's out of the room), "Heingrist is a nice guy, but a little twitchy. How does he come up with all this off-the-wall stuff? Humans are a little crazy, anyways." How you incorporate that concept into a role-playing session I'm not sure.

Unofficial Challenge Ratings for Fantasy Adventurers Orc war band (mildly dangerous) Sorcerer riding griffin (dangerous) Troll foraging party (very dangerous) Dragon ("you've got to be crazy" dangerous) Abbott and Costello (total party kill)

It's the Phantom (the Ghost Who Walks) vs. the Phantom (of the Opera, stats in Cthulhu By Gaslight). Both are unusually strong, stealthy and agile. Both possess preternaturally keen senses and a presence able to awe those around them. Both wear funky costumes yet seek to keep their existence a secret. Each is a master of his chosen domain (jungle/urban jungle). Each has a signature weapon (pistol/lasso). Both are skilled at tracking down people who seek to elude them. Both have a soft spot for a beautiful woman. Both are active in the 1870s. Discuss -- tactics, damage, likely outcomes.

It's the Phantom (the Ghost Who Walks) vs. the Phantom (of the Opera, stats in Cthulhu By Gaslight). Both are unusually strong, stealthy and agile. Both possess preternaturally keen senses and a presence able to awe those around them. Both wear funky costumes yet seek to keep their existence a secret. Each is a master of his chosen domain (jungle/urban jungle). Each has a signature weapon (pistol/lasso). Both are skilled at tracking down people who seek to elude them. Both have a soft spot for a beautiful woman. Both are active in the 1870s. Discuss -- tactics, damage, likely outcomes.

Tastes differ, I guess. During the initial 1940 season, all kinds of bad things were going on in and around Metropolis. Despite his awesome powers, Superman had to figure out that something was wrong, discover what it was, and then (finally) try to stop the perpetrator in time. Sure, opponents such as The Wolf, the Yellow Mask, or Dr. Bly couldn't last 3 seconds in a fistfight with Supes, but they all could cause catastrophic damage that only he could prevent or repair. The tactic drew out the suspense and made Clark Kent a much more interesting character, since Superman spent 90% of the show in investigative reporter mode and actively tried to prevent people from realizing that there was a flying strongman in their midst. By 1945, Superman's existence was public knowledge. The radio writers introduced Kryptonite; there was just one meteorite, in the Metropolis Museum. It was promptly stolen by the Scarlet Widow, enabling Nazi holdouts to create the Atom Man, Superman's first opponent with powers as devastating as his own. He died, but the comics later revisited the concept in the villain Metallo.

Tokyo in Tulsa 2015 is scheduled for July 17-19. Despite the Japanese manga/anime theme, the annual event is Oklahoma's largest science fiction and role-playing convention. This year, tabletop role-playing was dominated by evangelists for Pathfinder Society. How about spreading some D100 love on the lone prairie in 2015? Early bird registration lasts until February 2. http://www.tokyointulsa.com/ https://tokyousainc.wufoo.com/forms/z1hgt7wh1e2u1vh/

The Blue Beetle program was fun, but its production values were inferior to those of The Green Hornet or The Adventures of Superman. While the latter two shows evolved into convoluted dramas that could enthrall adults and well as children, The Blue Beetle remained strictly for the kiddies. On the other hand, you can find the whole series online for free. Mad scientists don't patent and profit from their works for several reasons. They fear their inventions might fall into the wrong hands (assuming they aren't there already). They are afraid someone else will steal their research. They believe the world is not ready for such knowledge. They are determined to use their discoveries for their own selfish ends and don't want to alert authorities of their criminal intent. They want to be able to gloat that they are the only kid on their block with such-and-such a device.

"Also, Seneschal, great links. WAY before my time but very entertaining nonetheless." Thanks! Some other necromantic (is that a word?) gems include the 1975 TV movie The Dead Don't Die and I Walked with a Zombie (1943) In addition, don't skip the pulp novel Dead Men Kill by L. Ron "I invented Scientology" Hubbard, available both as a book and as an audio CD. https://nh131.infusionsoft.com/app/storeFront/showProductDetail?productId=171

"But it all depends on the relative size of the predator and prey. What a Lion can do to a man, a housecat cannot, so the housecat will probably just run away, or if cornered, go from the closest body part and get in a quick nip or slash before taking off." Unless you're in one of those horror settings where the crazy old rich lady's hidden fortune is guarded by her pet cats, listed first in her will. The player-characters benefit only after her "babies" pass on. Any interloper attempting to search her mansion or violate her crypt (where the loot may be buried) will be confronted by a seeming army of feral felines bent on revenge. Hope you wore goggles and have had your shots.

In the radio show version, the Beetle got his powers and his equipment from Doctor Franz, owner of your friendly neighborhood corner pharmacy (BB was rookie beat cop Dan Garrett in his secret ID). Franz apparently was that rare entity, a good-guy mad scientist. When Garrett was gunned down by mobsters and seemed unlikely to recover, the Doc slipped him an experimental vitamin formula that not only enabled him to survive but to heal to full strength (and beyond) overnight. Garrett gained (in BRP terms) enhanced STR, CON, DEX and Regeneration -- which may explain why all those bullets didn't leave him a bruised mess. He couldn't burst through walls, but he was strong enough to slap around 6-8 thugs at once. In addition to armor, Franz also provided him with a "magic ray gun," the 1940s equivalent of a laser pistol, a weapon greatly feared by the Beetle's opponents. Other gadgets field tested by the Blue Beetle included invisibility paint, a lightning gun (taser?), and a wireless telephone (cell phone?). The mysterious Doctor Franz was either a super genius, a time traveler, or both but he devoted his research to quietly arming Garrett for his private war on crime.

Heh, the Blue Beetle encountered exactly this situation during his short-lived 1940s radio show. BB's signature gear was his blue chain armor, "flexible as silk but stronger than steel." Presumably of some miracle metal alloy, it easily protected the hero against gangster's bullets. But BB nearly roasted when goons attacked him with electricity. (His scientific sponsor eventually came up with an insulated costume.) Strangely, he was able to swim like an Olympic champion while wearing the stuff. Meh, it's OK. I never liked encumbrance rules anyway.

You are correct. In the BGB, standard armor types listed in the equipment section, whether Kevlar or plate metal, defend against standard kinetic energy. You'd have to buy appropriate defenses for your hero's bulletproof vest to also deflect laser fire or to protect him from the effects of Polar Panda's ice gun. Structural stats are trickier, sneaked in to discussions of SIZ. See the chart and article on Page 277. That chart, by the way, is also how to figure out exactly how strong your hero is. A character with STR 40, for example can dead-lift SIZ 40 weight, equivalent to picking up a missile or small plane. He'd have to have more STR than that to actually move the missile around or to throw it at the aforementioned Polar Panda. Since enhanced STR in BRP is relatively expensive compared to strength costs in other supers games, characters with the 50+ STR required to heft and toss an automobile (as Superman did in his initial appearance in Action Comics) are rare.

Unfortunately, I've never yet gotten to play BRP, RuneQuest or Call of Cthulhu. Still looking for a local group. During high school and college my gaming consisted of Hero System (Champions and Justice, Inc.), Classic Traveller, and TOON. As a parent, I've sought to find a game that will attract my kids. I've had modest success with Mazes and Minotaurs and Mini Six, both relatively rules light and quick to prep and run systems. For some reason, my family didn't tumble for easier systems such as Legends of the Ancient World (a Fantasy Trip retroclone), Teenagers From Outer Space, TOON, or Usagi Yojimbo (Instant Fuzion version).

But is it well represented in your role-playing experiences?

Heh, I hadn't heard of the show or the manga before. But it was popular enough that they did a live-action version of it.

Bah! Moore was obviously under the malign influence of the eeeeeevil Zombie Master. Besides the movie title says it all: Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068370/

The films I listed didn't include gorillas but killer apes are definitely another staple of the old dark house mystery, inspired no doubt by Edgar Allan Poe's The Muders in the Rue Morgue. They almost comprise their own sub-genre. Everyone from Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi to The Three Stooges ran into them at one point or another. Whether it is an escaped circus exhibit, a mad scientist's experiment, an evil jungle queen's pet, or a human murderer in a costume -- the killer gorilla excels at hiding in rafters, lurking in dark corners, scaling walls to enter through an open bedroom or office window. Mere iron bars and wooden doors cannot restrain its brutal rage. Of course, it never leaves behind any evidence that a '40s movie policeman can interpret correctly, sometimes even making its way back into a cage or pen before authorities arrive. Fer gosh sakes, don't go in the attic/basement/south wing/exhibit hall D!!! Mr. Jealousy -- Played many a game of TOON. Good times! Rules lite, and since nobody ever dies you don't have to keep rolling up replacement player-characters.

Ahem, priceless Ming dynasty vase, conveniently placed on a pedestal or table, near a wall or corner where a player-character can get the drop on an opponent when he turns his head momentarily. Damage 1d10 (piercing shards, heavy pottery). Hope you had insurance.

Just wondered if anyone had ever run a successful campaign mixing humor with horror? Some of my favorite inspirations for the sub-genre include: The Cat and the Canary (1939) -- Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard A remake of the venerable 1927 old dark house mystery with Bob Hope guarding the lovely heiress from the mysterious "Cat" killer The Ghost Breakers (1940) -- Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard Hope again romances and protects an heiress who has inherited a spooky Cuban castle haunted by ghosts, zombies and perhaps more. The zombie is smarter and more energetic than we've come to expect of the breed. Hold That Ghost (1941) -- Bud Abbott and Lou Costello The duo inherit a gangster's abandoned roadhouse, complete with secret passages and changing rooms. Somebody else is crawling about the place. Is it a ghost? Spooks Run Wild (1941) -- The East Side Kids Boys from a tough neighborhood encounter Bela Lugosi while attending summer camp. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) -- Bud Abbott and Lou Costello This is the first and best of their "meet" series. In this case, they're up against nearly every Universal Monster except the Creature of the Black Lagoon (who encountered them later on TV). Castle of the Monsters (1958) -- Antonio Espino Masked wrestlers met lots of horror icons in Mexican cinema, but this is an early supernatural comedy starring a less buff protagonist. Is there a spooky castle? A mad scientist? A creepy assistant? Secret passages? Need you ask? The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) -- Don Knotts A cub reporter gets more than he bargained for when he agrees to spend the night in a mansion in which a celebrated murder took place. But afterward, no one will believe him. There are other comedic thrillers, of course, but these entries all share similar tropes and most are set not too long after the classic Lovecraftian era. There is usually a damsel in distress, a large edifice of evil renown riddled with secret passages, multiple antagonists both human and supernatural, and stubborn but nervous heroes who can't simply beat the bad guys up.

The ducks of Dragon Pass might disagree with you.

It seems to me that for NPCs you could skip the whole game mechanics thing and just let evil necromancers (anyone heard of a good necromancer?) do what they do. Being the villain means never having to say you're sorry (or justify your abilities). I can't envision a campaign where you'd have PC necromancers. I mean, the player-characters are supposed to be the good guys, right?

But see, a mammoth would conveniently ignore those annoying city guards, forcing its way through the gates to reach the heaps of fruit in the marketplace. It's a familiar, a means of transportation, a key to the king's capitol, and a tool for urban renewal all in one. Ditch that D&D nonsense about losing a spell once you've used it. An elephant never forgets. And you can fund your magical research by selling varnished dried mammoth plops as novelty gifts -- or use the dung as emergency fuel in the treeless wastes of Kazel-Hruum. What's not to like?

A campaign that might provide both cosmic action and fit in with BRP's lethality is one based on E.E. "Doc" Smith's six Lensman novels, published between 1948 and 1954. The Lensmen are an elite component of the Galactic Patrol, which defends galactic civilization against an organized criminal conspiracy seeking to overthrow it (ultimately revealed to be backed by a Cthuluoid race of aliens attempting to expand their tyranny into yet another galaxy). Lensmen have an alien device implanted in their bodies that grants them vast psychic powers, which each agent must develop individually. It's sort of like the Green Lantern Corps before the Green Lantern Corps existed. Except, despite their powers, Lensmen are still mere mortals who can (and do) die in nasty ways. Both the good guys and the bad are willing to sacrifice whole solar systems and vast fleets of advanced spaceships to win the day. It's all presented in the purplest of prose which would do Conan proud and make even John Carter of Mars wince. So you've got spaceships, ray guns, superpowers, dastardly villains, and heroes which remain fragile and human despite their arcane abilities. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lensman_series