seneschal

There's always GORE ... :innocent:

Grease Monkey Graphic Novel Don't know if you've seen this. I picked up the hardback book at my local library. It describes just such a campaign ... humans and uplifted gorillas (dolphins declined the honor) aboard the warship Fist of Earth seeking the aliens who devastated Earth. The uplift and Earth's reconstruction were made possible by another, supposedly benevolent alien race. In the course of the graphic novel, we never actually run into either of the aliens but there's an exciting battle against the baddies in the animated series promo film.

"Snakes! Why'd it have to be snakes?"

OK ... so we're "uplifted." But what exactly does that mean? It wouldn't necessarily create a race of comic book style superheroes (unless, of course, you just want it to). It depends upon what our supposed benefactors think of as "better." Which probably means, "more like them." In stories I've read where humans were the manipulators, "uplifting" animal species, the results were dramatic but didn't produce gods. The subjects -- rodents, dogs, cats, apes, dolphins -- acquired human-level intelligence, the ability to stand upright on two feet (because humans do it that way), the ability to use their forepaws or flippers to manipulate things (again, because humans have and value hands), and the ability to speak a human language, usually English (never mind what methods they used to communicate before). These creatures retained many of their animal abilities (senses, agility, strength) that were non-human but were not necessarily super-human. They couldn't run faster than a speeding bullet, change the course of mighty rivers, or bend steel in their bare hands (well, maybe the uplifted gorillas could). And you'll notice, they're all mammals that some humans might consider cute and cuddly. No researcher was anxious to uplift garden slugs or rattlesnakes. With that in mind, it's a question of what affinity do the aliens have for us, what potential do they see (are we cute and cuddly to their sensory organs?). What are they like, what do they value, and thus, what would they consider an improvement? Maybe we wouldn't agree with them. Humans value intellectual ability and physical strength. But what if the aliens value musical ability (and they think Donny Osmond or Slim Whitman is the greatest thing since sliced bread, or whatever it is they eat)? What if they value rapid reproduction? Or the ability to emit certain chemical compounds (which may be unpleasant to human senses)? In other words, what happens to the poor test subjects if our "benefactors" are the blood-drinking, soap-eating, asexual spider-cephalopods from Centauri VII?

You're welcome. Thanks for the encouraging words. And remember, when investigating strange nighttime noises in the darkened lab, if the main overhead lights won't come on, DON'T try to reach the switches for the auxiliary lights on the other side of the room. Call the cops; situations like these are why you pay those exorbitantly high sales taxes.

Nope, I agree. Some of them have even been posted on these forums. If my co-author and I had managed to get things together faster we might have been able to beat the other guys.

So far, about 74 folks have downloaded "Matinee Monsters" for GORE. Just curious what you thought and whether it has been useful for your campaigns even sans stats?

It may be heretical to mention it ... but GORE, the Mongoose Runequest SRD, and the old Worlds of Wonder version of BRP are all available as free PDFs at various locations on the web. So you could get your feet wet without spending a dime. Of course, these versions wouldn't have all the nifty options and refinements contained in the current $40 phonebook-sized BRP core rulebook. But you could quickly get a feel as to whether you like the general system or not. And the money you saved on minis and battlemats can go toward printing costs. P.S. Don't swat your sexy assistant with that core rulebook. It's pretty hefty, and you might get a critical.

The old GURPS Atomic Horror covered a lot of the B-movie themes pretty well.

I'm not a big fan of occultish or bloody fare ... but good, old-fashioned 1930s-1950s B-movie sci-fi stuff is my cup of tea. Inspirations could include: The Host (bus-sized fish thingy menaces Seoul) The Creature From the Black Lagoon (Deep Ones sans Dagon) It Came From Outer Space/Invaders From Mars/Invasion of the Body Snatchers (is it just me, or is little Johnny acting strangely lately?) Alligator People/The Ape Man/The Monster Maker (maybe it isn't his Lionel trains Doc Feebles is playing with in the garage late at night) For more inspiration, check out "Matinee Monsters" in the downloads section. Also, don't forget cartoons: Scooby Doo, Jonny Quest, Disney's Gargoyles, Extreme Ghostbusters, Spirited Away ("Well, gang. It looks like we've got another mystery on our hands.")

Sounds intriguing. Don't forget to include Spring-Heeled Jack ... a supervillain or superhero depending on whose version of him you pick.

I thought a barghest was a pastry thing you ate with premium coffee. :confused:

You're welcome! So ... when did you say your "BRP Hard Sci" supplement would be ready?

Couldn't find any pre-done deck plans for L5 colonies but I did find these links: L5 Society - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia National Space Society Space Settlement Space Settlement Space Colony Artwork 1970 Space Studies Institute » Space Art The Spacefaring Web - 1.19 The Martian Alternative | SpaceRef - Space News as it Happens John Carter McKnight - The Spacefaring Web 1.18 - Finance and Freedom in L5 Steve Jackson Games Forums - L5-type Space Colonies as RPG settings. !! L5Development.com - a privately funded, for profit, commercial space exploration and development program

Here's a link to another set of plans. You can copy and paste them from the discussion, but the provider can also e-mail you a 2MB file. Model Ship World :: View topic - 1929 Tramp Steamer Plans Another RPG fan had a custom made model of the Venture from King Kong. Photos here: http://theminiaturespage.com/profiles/784643/

The cover looks different than what I remember, but I browsed through some of the Softech items. Creepy icky! Instead of your standard pulp jet or rocket pack, imagine a living dragonfly-ish creature that attaches itself to your spine to enable flight. (Shudder.)

I haven't actually read any stories, but it is my understanding that South Sea island-hopping adventures were a popular pulp sub-genre during the Thirties. Louis L'Amour, later famous for his Westerns, began his literary career by writing such tales. He switched genres because Pacific ocean adventurers waned in popularity after World War 2. You can get a taste of this nearly forgotten genre from some old movies such as the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby road pictures and John Wayne's 1948 film Wake of the Red Witch. Another inspiration could be the following radio show from the 1950s, Voyage of the Scarlet Queen. Give it a listen. It is very much in the vein you described. RadioLovers.com - Voyage Of The Scarlet Queen

The "creepy guy in the back room" phenomenon is a legitimate concern. To attract younger gamers we have to create a family friendly environment. Not immediately killing off a new player's starting character is only part of that. A couple bad examples: I've taken my kids to a couple local game/comic shops. At one, teen and pre-teen Halo players greeted us by loudly cursing like sailors at the online action. My 11-year-old son said he had no desire to return to that location. Another store hosts Saturday HeroClix sessions ... in a dirty, cramped back room with icky bathroom facilities. Ruthless gameplay wasn't so much a concern, but the language and attitudes of older players was. One insisted on using foul language and discussing questionable topics despite remonstrance by another player (not me) that children were present. And tournament play required participants to purchase new playing pieces on a regular basis, OK perhaps for singles with no responsibilities but not sustainable when you've got kids to house and feed. If we want to attract younger players, we'll have to adjust our language, dress, behavior and possibly playing style as well. If I want 10-year-olds to participate, perhaps I shouldn't run that half-demon lesbian axe murderer even if she does happen to be my favorite character. My campaign scenarios perhaps should be more upbeat, less violent, less focused on the occult, should avoid some topics altogether. Maybe I shouldn't wear that T-shirt featuring the nearly nude female warrior with blood dripping from her scimitar. Does it cramp my 40-something '70s sci fi nerd style to do so? Maybe. But such sacrifices may be necessary if I'm to win the enthusiasm of new players and (as importantly) the trust of their parents.

Congratulations!

I can tell you've put a lot of thought into and done a lot of hard work on this. Maybe I'm just not your target audience. My reason for role-playing is to escape the sorrows and drudgery of daily life. Ashes to Ashes sounds depressing, like watching the news.

Despite their apparent fragility, there has to be a way for the kids to win, too. Underage heroes have battled and beaten monsters from the Brothers Grimm to Jonny Quest.

Harry Turtledove's "Fox and Empire" series. It features a pseudo-historical Dark Ages Europe where the various polytheistic pantheons are real and active.

I agree that props are essential. My first role-playing experience with my kids was a failure. The second time I used household toys to represent player-characters, monsters, and scenery. They got into it.

H. Rider Haggard, King Solomon's Mines and She C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series ... but also his Martian trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength. It starts out as sci fi and becomes wierder and more mystical as you go along. Madeline L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time series. Other titles include A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and Many Waters. George MacDonald, The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and Curdie The author's name escapes me for the moment, but The Black Cauldron series: The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Lyr, Taran Wanderer, The High King