seneschal

Eek! A scary and different take on the basic vampire. Good monster guide, 1d8+DB! Jiangshi are from China, Korea and Japan. Here are links to more info and some pictures, including miniatures. Jiangshi are sometimes depicted with a piece of paper with writing on it hanging in front of their faces but I haven't yet been able to find out why. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiang_Shi http://wanderingamericantravelblog.com/2012/04/04/jiang-shi-the-chinese-zombie/ http://www.crooked-dice.co.uk/forum/Blah.pl?v-print/m-1325534299/

Good write-up! It goes to show not all monsters are giant, hulking creatures. By the way, Citadel made a miniature of The Gronk: http://www.artwho9figurepainting.co.uk/CITADEL%202000AD%20MINIATURE%20THE%20GRONK.htm Feel free to jump in with your own monsters, gentle readers. Don't let me and Mr. Jealousy have all the fun.

Go, go gadget: order!

You're welcome. Sometimes you just gotta throw the mushrooms against the wall and see what sticks. "my players don't like the play getting too comical" Awwww. I was going to suggest that at one point the player-characters be chased through a maze by large spherical yellow monsters with huge mouths.

The initial mushroom transports the player-characters to an arcade-like universe where they must bounce across a mushroom kingdom to rescue a princess (or two) from an evil turtle king and his henchmen. Additional mushrooms provide assorted "power-ups." Success or failure in the alternate universe affects their fortunes in the "real" world in odd ways, with unexpected reminders of their otherworldly journey. For instance, after defeating the turtle king in the other world, the adventurers are invited to a banquet in their own where the main dish is turtle soup and turtle fudge cookies are dessert.

Perhaps, but it was either that or have his scientific skills be really low (limited by his skill point budget). Since he made such a groundbreaking discovery, I figured that's where the points needed to go. As Conrad said, Griffin would depend on his raw Invisibility to sneak around rather than ninja reflexes. Another concern was the relatively low damage he does (hand-to-hand combat, 1D3+DB). I guess that is good enough against normal opponents. In the book he never had difficulty slaying a victim he'd set his sights upon, usually strangling him. But as his write-up says, the Invisible Man isn't superhuman (although he thinks he is), just a relatively young, athletic guy with a good chance of taking his targets unawares.

It's almost October, time for more monsters. The last posting of an Invisible Man was a joke. Here's the real deal, source The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells: The Invisible Man In 1897, Dr. Griffin, a brilliant young English medical researcher and physics instructor, developed a series of chemical and radioactive treatments that changed the refractive properties of living tissue – first turning his laboratory animals into albinos, then making them transparent, and ultimately invisible. Despite unfortunate side-effects on his subjects, Griffin elected to test an improved version of the process on himself. It was a complete success, rendering the graduate student (but not his clothing) wholly invisible. Too late, Dr. Griffin discovered that he didn’t have a means to reverse the process. His attempts to concoct an antidote were failures. Horrified frustration, and the strange substances coursing through his flesh, slowly began to warp his mind. Driven by his bizarre condition and a lack of funds to continue his experiments, Griffin left his metropolitan laboratory for a remote country village where he attempted to steal money and equipment needed for his research. Continued failures and the demands of his suspicious landlady ultimately caused the Invisible Man to snap. He stripped off the bandages, smoked glasses and gloves that had concealed his secret and fled naked into the countryside, convinced of his invulnerability and plotting a terrorism campaign that would make him supreme ruler, first of England and then the world. Griffin is an athletic man of about 30; his strength and relentlessness make him a dangerous combatant even for law enforcement veterans who have figured out where he is. On the rare occasions when he momentarily regains visibility, he possesses the red eyes and chalk-white skin and hair of an albino. Although mad and utterly ruthless, he remains brilliant and well-spoken. He has a powerful, persuasive voice (hence his APP) and can sound quite reasonable until he starts describing the series of murders that will bring him to power. In addition to food and shelter, he seeks a suitable assistant to help him in his work. Whether this unfortunate person wants to help him is beside the point. Even before his transformation, Griffin was ruthless and self-centered. He embezzled money his father was managing to fund his research and exhibited no remorse when his despairing Dad committed suicide as a result. He abandoned his girlfriend of ten years as an unnecessary distraction. He didn’t hesitate to commit fraud and burglary to complete his experiments and arson to prevent (so he thought) his landlady from “stealing” his research. The Invisible Man’s powers don’t work quite as described on Page 158 of the Big Gold Book. For starters, he doesn’t have to concentrate or expend POW points to remain invisible since he can’t turn off the ability. He can’t turn objects or other people invisible, requiring him to shed his garments if he wants to be unseen. He can move and fight normally without becoming visible. That said, there are many indicators of his presence. Invisibility hasn’t removed his mass or weight. Griffin still makes squeaky floorboards creak, leaves footprints and fingerprints, and radiates body heat and body odor. Revealing dust and mud collects on his feet. In rain, snow, smoke or fog, his interfering bulk appears as a hazy bubble. He has to breathe, eat, and relieve himself just like anyone else. Undigested meals, exhaled breath on a cold day, inhaled cigarette smoke, or bleeding wounds can give him away. And despite his conviction that he’s superhuman, The Invisible Man doesn’t possess any especial resistance to blows, blades or bullets, assuming foes manage to hit him. STR 16 CON 12 SIZ 15 INT 18 POW 15 DEX 14 APP 9 Move: 10 Hit Points: 27 (CON+SIZ) or 14 Damage Bonus: +1D4 AP: None (he has to be naked to be unseen) Heroic-level Powers: Invisibility (modifier – no range, self only, activation has no POW requirement); Extra Energy 110 points Failings: Always Invisible (+5); Megalomaniac (+3) Attacks: Brawl 50% 1d3+DB; Grapple 50% 1d3+DB Skills: Craft (Chemical/Medical Laboratory Equipment) 30%, Disguise 26%, Dodge 33%, First Aid 43%, Hide 35%, Insight 30%, Language (English) 90%, Language (German) 20%, Listen 25%, Medicine 25%, Persuade 40%, Research 50%, Science (Chemistry) 39%, Science (Physics) 38%, Spot 30%, Stealth 35%, Technical Skill (Pharmacology) 25%, Track 35% Notes: The limitations on Griffin's Invisibility cancel out the need to pay power points to turn it on. His Extra Energy effectively enables him to stay unseen as long as he's interacting with the player-characters. How many fights last 110 combat rounds?

Hmmm, the elf was friendly, so the effects should be beneficial rather than harmful. One mushroom expands rapidly to the size of a patio table umbrella ... either to shield the holder from harm or to provide enough eats for the whole party in a gastronomic emergency. One mushroom can be ingested or smoked with narcotic effect -- which propels the user into a spirit journey a la Hero Quest to enable him to get wise counsel, hidden information, heightened self-awareness, or whatever. It's the whole Sixties head trip, man, except that in this case the fungus really does provide enlightenment. One mushroom transforms into a horde of little mushroom servants reminiscent of those little dancers in the Nutcracker Suite sequence of Disney's Fantasia. Like the three dogs from The Tinderbox or the genie from Aladdin and His Magical Lamp, they can perform seemingly impossible tasks for their master, for a limited duration or a limited number of times. Oh, and all three mushrooms look and smell exactly alike, so you can't tell which one is which. More ideas ... The mushrooms expand -- with thin but sturdy stems and huge spinning caps -- enabling the holder(s) to fly Mary Poppins style. Each mushroom is able to summon the elf himself once to aid the adventurers. The exact method (such as throwing the mushroom onto the ground hard or tossing it into a fire) should be discovered accidentally in a moment of need. Dropped on the ground, the mushrooms grow beneath the adventurers' feet, acting like an elevator to get them to the top of an unclimbable cliff (or down from said unclimbable cliff). Dropped in the water, cap-side down, the mushrooms transform into mushroom ships, slightly squishy but seaworthy. One mushroom stretches and stiffens into a sturdy walking stick or staff that doubles as a devastating magic weapon. Maybe it sprays narcotic spores at the wielder's opponents.

I saw that. Call of Cthulhu and especially RuneQuest are both mentioned (along with Traveller and Champions). Lots of love for Cthulhu and RQ.

Whew! I just submitted my entry for the 2012 BRP Children's Adventure Contest. Managed to get it in a day and a half ahead of time. Wish me luck! Anyone else participating?

Saw Wizards, but after all the anticipation was disappointed. The animation was good but the story wasn't. The robot Peace on his riding beast was the best part. Never saw or read Heavy Metal, although the movie posters were everywhere. I have seen clips of Rock and Rule on youtube.com.

Um, guys. After arguing for 25 pages about shields and their use, are you now going to do the same with magic? Can't we all just get along? (Or at least combine the two threads by swatting that sorcerer upside the head with a buckler! )

One week and two days to go on your children's adventure or Cthulhu poetry contest entry. Is everyone hard at work?

Don't be ashamed. Caring for a family is very demanding. You have to squeeze in writing time whenever you can.

Thanks for the update. These things get announced with a lot of hoopla, and then ....

I was going to suggest, as an alternative combat simulation, The Witch-King of Angmar (Lord of the Nazgul) vs. Darth Vader (Lord of the Sith). But Ok, OK, OK, I see how you guys are. Since it is to be Ladies’ Night, we’ll expand our options a bit: Princess Leia Organa (Star Wars) and Colonel Wilma Deering (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century) vs. Lady Arwen and Eowyn, Shield-Maiden of Rohan (Lord of the Rings). All four are dedicated to preventing evil forces from conquering the universe. All four get going when the going gets tough, kicking butt and taking names. All four fill out a clingy white gown (or jumpsuit) quite nicely. Princess Leia supported The Rebellion as a spy and diplomat but her father’s death forced her to take on a more active combat role. She’s a crack shot with a blaster, experienced with demolitions, and has a solid grasp of strategic thinking. She wards off reversals of fortune with a sardonic sense of humor. Wilma Deering is commander of the Earth Defense Force. She is an expert space fighter pilot, an energy pistol markswoman, and skilled in several styles of hand-to-hand combat. When Buck Rogers isn’t there to distract her, she’s unflappable in the face of adversity. She’s performed diplomatic duties, but espionage is her stock in trade. Lady Arwen, unlike the other contestants, isn’t a professional warrior, although she does know how to use a sword, ride a horse, and shoot a bow. She is, however, an immortal elf with heightened senses and reflexes and gods only know how many decades or centuries of practice. She might be able to put some sort of telepathic whammy on her opponents as well. Eowyn is the product of a militaristic culture that trains its noble daughters as well as its aristocratic sons in the arts of swordsmanship and horsemanship. She prefers lance, shield, and sword to the bow, although she may be equipped with a pair of javelins on the battlefield. Driven by family ties and an iron sense of duty, she is willing to overcome her fears to brave any danger, even a one-on-one confrontation with the Lord of the Nazgul. Begin! (Chainmail bikinis and jello optional)

Since we have an (apparently endless) ongoing discussion of BRP combat options, let's put them to practical use: Gollum (Lord of the Rings) vs. Yoda (Star Wars). It's the master of stealth and assassination versus the master of the Force. Both are short, wrinkled guys, hundreds of years old, who talk funny, have arcane powers, prefer damp living quarters, and routinely take out opponents much bigger and brawnier than they are. Both are cunning. Both have preternaturally sharp senses. Both possess insane merchandizing licenses and are honored by action figures, trading cards, McDonald's toys, etc. Who wins? And how, specifically employing BRP combat maneuvers?

I'd say it'd be a POW (or Luck) roll, since that is the closest to a willpower stat BRP has. You might also use an INT (Idea) roll.

My complaint is that you guys have spent 24 pages arguing about shields, and no one has drawn up stats for Captain America's.

Rip off a movie, preferably one the players aren't intimately familiar with. In this case, it is Doctor Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine, an obscure Sixties Vincent Price spoof of the James Bond mania of the time. A mad but gifted and ambitious inventor plans to make himself insanely rich by seducing the world's wealthiest men with his irresistible bikini-clad female robots. Enthralled by the "assets" of their alluring new wives, the plutocrats will sign over their monetary assets, which the android brides will then pass along to the not-so-good doctor. Getting the players-characters involved: the adventurers are contacted by a relative of one of Doctor Goldfoot's targets concerned that this whirlwind romance doesn't bode well for the rest of the family. Or the wealthy mark could be a friend of the PCs, or even one of the PCs. Stat up the Doc and his sexy cyborgs, throw in a map for his laboratory/swinging Sixties bachelor pad and lair, and you're good. Works well for multiple genres, since every society has rich men to seduce, and even fantasy and historical settings have assorted golems, magical servants, and clockwork humanoids. You can play it silly, as the movie did, or play it straight. Follow-up: the sequel, Doctor Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs, had the Doc re-wiring his robots as walking bombs to assassinate important public figures. One kiss and BOOM!

Thanks, Pete, for the Barsoom radium gun stats. Kaor! One of the short stories in Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles mentioned a weapon that fired a swarm of bees instead of a slug or energy bolt. A jealous Martian husband used one to remove a handsome Earth astronaut his wife was mooning over. I suppose in practical terms it is just another gun. But maintenance for such a weapon, literal care and feeding of your ammo supply, could be problematic. It would probably be a poison attack of some sort, and of limited range (since the bees can only see and scent their prey a certain distance away). The potential problem of the bees turning on the gun's user wasn't addressed, but the weapon did make a noise when fired (Buzz! Buzz?).

I haven't got the whole "lazy GM" thing down, although I'm trying to learn. Rarely run sandbox games, although I have winged it once or twice. I tend to have a specific situation and/or set piece or two in mind, and I usually fully stat the major villain and his most common minions. For a plot I often mash together bits of a favorite movie and/or novel, and a pre-written adventure I have mouldering in my closet. I then add a map for said climactic set piece pulled out of an old gaming magazine or module, downloaded off the Internet, or appropriated from a museum or mall brochure or a house beautiful newspaper special section. I don't have time to attempt plan out all contingencies as I did before I got married and had children, but I usually have a pretty good idea of what the Big Bad is up to. The labor involved in doing this, of course, depends on the game system I'm running. It is a lot easier to throw things together on the fly with Mini Six or Mazes and Minotaurs than it is with BRP or Hero System. (Sorry you CoC and RuneQuest grognards, but distributing 250-400 skill points with BRP is for me as much work as fully statting out a Champions character built with a similar number of points.)

If you've had Cthulhu on your plate, you've been very busy! (How'd he taste?)

Chaosium is encouraging folks to enter a BRP children's adventure by September 30. But April 25 they announced a science fiction adventure contest, deadline August 30. Just curious whether anyone here participated in the first contest? Also, anyone submitting a kids' adventure?