Friday, May 6, 2011
Free Comic Book Day 5/7/11
Just as a reminder, be sure to stop by your local comic book shop tomorrow to help celebrate Free Comic Book Day!
Trollslayers - Class-based level improvements
This probably should have been included in the earlier Levels & Improvements post...
Warriors gain +1 to the Health score at 1st level, and gain an additional +1 to Health per level acquired. The maximum amount of Health that a Warrior may gain by leveling up is equal to his or her END score.
Magicians start off with an Essence score at 1st level equal to (KNO+PRE)/2. Every level gained after that, they add 5 to their Essence score.
Experts gain an extra Talent at 2nd level, and at each even level afterwards (i.e. 2nd, 4th, 6th, etc).
Paragons add +1 to the Health score at 1st level, and add another +1 to Health at each odd level acquired (i.e. 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc). The maximum amount of Health that a Paragon may gain by leveling up is equal to half his or her END score. Also, they start off with an Essence score at 1st level equal to (KNO+PRE)/4, and every level gained after that, they add 3 to their Essence score.
Warriors gain +1 to the Health score at 1st level, and gain an additional +1 to Health per level acquired. The maximum amount of Health that a Warrior may gain by leveling up is equal to his or her END score.
Magicians start off with an Essence score at 1st level equal to (KNO+PRE)/2. Every level gained after that, they add 5 to their Essence score.
Experts gain an extra Talent at 2nd level, and at each even level afterwards (i.e. 2nd, 4th, 6th, etc).
Paragons add +1 to the Health score at 1st level, and add another +1 to Health at each odd level acquired (i.e. 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc). The maximum amount of Health that a Paragon may gain by leveling up is equal to half his or her END score. Also, they start off with an Essence score at 1st level equal to (KNO+PRE)/4, and every level gained after that, they add 3 to their Essence score.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Trollslayers - damage and injuries
(if there is any question that would need an editor on the off chance this was to be published, this post should remove all doubts - I know what the rules are in my head, but communicating those rules clearly and effectively seems to be beyond me)
Damage inflicted by a successful attack roll is modified by how well the roll is made. If the attack roll is made exactly (i.e. you needed a 9+ to hit, and you roll a 9), this is considered a Graze, meaning you only inflict half your normal listed damage for that weapon.
For every two points above the needed roll an attack roll is made by, the damage is increased by +1 (i.e.if you need a 5+ to hit, and you roll a 10, you add +2 to the damage inflicted).
Damage inflicted is generally assumed to be to the chest/torso area, unless the head, or a limb is specifically targeted before the dice are rolled (-1 attack penalty to target a limb, -2 to target the head). However, if the attack roll exceeds the target number by 4 or more, one of the target's limbs suffer the effects of the wounds, even if it wasn't declared before the roll. If the attack roll exceeds the target number by 8 or more, the attack can be considered a 'head shot'.
Any single attack that does damage equal to or greater either half the target's Health score, or 2/3 their END score (whichever is less), is a Serious Wound. Anyone suffering such a wound is momentarily stunned, suffering a -1 DEF penalty for the rest of the round, -3 to hit for their next action, and a -1 penalty to their Initiative roll for the following round.
Moreso, any serious wound has a chance to inflict extra injuries, depending on the type of weapon used. Blunt weapons have a chance of breaking bones, cutting weapons of causing continual bleeding, and impaling weapons of getting stuck in their target. In these instances, the victim must make an END roll to avoid these further effects. The base roll is 8+, unless the amount of damage done is equal to or greater than the victim's END score; then the base roll is 10+. The results of failed END rolls are listed below:
Blunt attacks: chest/torso – broken ribs, MOVE score is halved, -4 to Initiative, -2 to attack, -1 DEF, 2nd roll must be made to avoid internal bleeding (lose 1 pt of Health per hour)
Blunt attacks: arms/legs – broken bones, limb is useless, ½ MOVE for legs
Blunt attacks: head – skull broken, doing double damage; if still alive, 2nd roll must be made to avoid internal bleeding (lose 1 pt of Health every 10 minutes)
Cutting attacks: chest/torso – serious bleeding, lose 1 pt of Health every minute, -2 to Initiative, -1 to attack
Cutting attacks: arms/legs – limb is severed, continued bleeding causes loss of 1 pt of Health per combat round, severed legs halves movement, and victim falls down
Cutting attacks: head – head is severed from body; get ready to create a new character (barring access to some serious magic)
Piercing attacks: chest/torso – weapon is impaled in chest; attacker must make STR roll (8+) to remove the weapon, and doing so does the base weapon damage again to the victim, as well as resulting in serious bleeding, lose 1 pt of Health every minute, -2 to Initiative, -1 to attack
Piercing attacks: arms/legs – weapon impaled as per chest/torso (including penalties and serious bleeding, but only a 6+ is required to remove weapon), any actions with impaled arms are at -2, impaled legs reduced MOVE by ¼
Piercing attacks: head – brain is punctured, character killed
Also, any Serious Wounds to the head, assuming he victim is still alive, requires yet another END roll to stay conscious (8+ for cutting and impaling attacks, 10+ for blunt attacks)
Damage inflicted by a successful attack roll is modified by how well the roll is made. If the attack roll is made exactly (i.e. you needed a 9+ to hit, and you roll a 9), this is considered a Graze, meaning you only inflict half your normal listed damage for that weapon.
For every two points above the needed roll an attack roll is made by, the damage is increased by +1 (i.e.if you need a 5+ to hit, and you roll a 10, you add +2 to the damage inflicted).
Damage inflicted is generally assumed to be to the chest/torso area, unless the head, or a limb is specifically targeted before the dice are rolled (-1 attack penalty to target a limb, -2 to target the head). However, if the attack roll exceeds the target number by 4 or more, one of the target's limbs suffer the effects of the wounds, even if it wasn't declared before the roll. If the attack roll exceeds the target number by 8 or more, the attack can be considered a 'head shot'.
Any single attack that does damage equal to or greater either half the target's Health score, or 2/3 their END score (whichever is less), is a Serious Wound. Anyone suffering such a wound is momentarily stunned, suffering a -1 DEF penalty for the rest of the round, -3 to hit for their next action, and a -1 penalty to their Initiative roll for the following round.
Moreso, any serious wound has a chance to inflict extra injuries, depending on the type of weapon used. Blunt weapons have a chance of breaking bones, cutting weapons of causing continual bleeding, and impaling weapons of getting stuck in their target. In these instances, the victim must make an END roll to avoid these further effects. The base roll is 8+, unless the amount of damage done is equal to or greater than the victim's END score; then the base roll is 10+. The results of failed END rolls are listed below:
Blunt attacks: chest/torso – broken ribs, MOVE score is halved, -4 to Initiative, -2 to attack, -1 DEF, 2nd roll must be made to avoid internal bleeding (lose 1 pt of Health per hour)
Blunt attacks: arms/legs – broken bones, limb is useless, ½ MOVE for legs
Blunt attacks: head – skull broken, doing double damage; if still alive, 2nd roll must be made to avoid internal bleeding (lose 1 pt of Health every 10 minutes)
Cutting attacks: chest/torso – serious bleeding, lose 1 pt of Health every minute, -2 to Initiative, -1 to attack
Cutting attacks: arms/legs – limb is severed, continued bleeding causes loss of 1 pt of Health per combat round, severed legs halves movement, and victim falls down
Cutting attacks: head – head is severed from body; get ready to create a new character (barring access to some serious magic)
Piercing attacks: chest/torso – weapon is impaled in chest; attacker must make STR roll (8+) to remove the weapon, and doing so does the base weapon damage again to the victim, as well as resulting in serious bleeding, lose 1 pt of Health every minute, -2 to Initiative, -1 to attack
Piercing attacks: arms/legs – weapon impaled as per chest/torso (including penalties and serious bleeding, but only a 6+ is required to remove weapon), any actions with impaled arms are at -2, impaled legs reduced MOVE by ¼
Piercing attacks: head – brain is punctured, character killed
Also, any Serious Wounds to the head, assuming he victim is still alive, requires yet another END roll to stay conscious (8+ for cutting and impaling attacks, 10+ for blunt attacks)
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
V&V Vednesday: Undertow
(posting the various V&V characters was so much fun, I'll be continuing to do so, albeit at a saner (weekly) pace)
Character Name: Undertow Real Name: Joesph Conner Side: Evil
Character Name: Undertow Real Name: Joesph Conner Side: Evil
Gender: Male Height: 5'9" Weight: 180 lbs Age: 17
Physical Description: A young Caucasian male with pale skin, gills on his neck, and webbed fingers and toes. He has black hair and brown eyes, and generally just wears swim trunks.
STR: 11/27 END: 12/29 INT: 9 AGL: 8/16 CHA: 10
Level: 2nd XP: 3,856 Basic Hits: 4 Hit Points: 4/48 Healing Rate: -/3.2/day
Movement: 31"/132” Power: 40/81 Carrying Capacity: 228 lbs/2,033 lbs
HTH Damage: 1d4/1d12 Damage Modifier: -/+1 Accuracy: -2/+2
Detect Hidden: 8%/24% Detect Danger: 12%/36% Inventing: 27%
Inventing Points: 1.8 Reaction Modifier: - Training: Agility
(splits numbers indicate score while out of water, and then in water)
Powers/Talents
Heightened Endurance B: +17 (in water only)
Heightened Senses: Detect scores are x3 underwater
Heightened Strength B: +16 (in water only)
Speed Bonus: +60” underwater
Telekinesis: 220 lbs capacity out of water, 540 lbs in water, limited to manipulating and moving water
Water Breathing (type B) – Heightened Strength and Endurance only activate while in water, Reduced Agility activates out of water
Weaknesses
Reduced Agility: -8 (out of water only)
Areas of Knowledge
The Ocean
Character Notes/Origin/Personality: During his early childhood, Joesph Conner was a normal boy, not that much different than most. It was in his early teenage years that his mutant abilities began to manifest. Showing signs of massive dehydration, Joe almost died until he was submersed in water. His body continued to mutate, and eventually the gills and webbed digits made it fairly clear is body was adapting itself to aquatic life. Beyond the basic changes in his body, Joe learned that he could also telekinetically manipulate nearby water to do his bidding.
Unfortunately, the extended research and study of Joe's condition was quite costly, something that his parents eventually wasn't able to afford. In desperation, Joe attempted to get the needed money by robbing a nearby ocean cruise liner. Joe's inexperience in such criminal matters meant that he was quickly identified.
Now wanted by the law, Undertow, as he now calls himself, continues to commit various marinetime thefts, even though the need for money is now pretty much moot. In part, he likes having nice things for himself in his underwater abode, even those things that no longer work for him (you try hooking up an Xbox underwater). Partially, he steals things out of spite; if he can't have nice things, why should anyone else?
Campaign Use: Undertow is a villain that presents an environmental challenge; defeating him out of the water is fairly easy, but it's not like he's going to make things that easy for any PCs. More than likely, they must confront him underwater. While still somewhat inexperienced, he knows enough to use the underwater environment, combined with his 'hydrokinetic' abilities to his best advantage.
If the PCs need a reason to confront Undertow, one of his thefts may have him acquiring something of great importance to the heroes, such as a much-needed vaccine to help cure an ailing ally or friend.
Unfortunately, the extended research and study of Joe's condition was quite costly, something that his parents eventually wasn't able to afford. In desperation, Joe attempted to get the needed money by robbing a nearby ocean cruise liner. Joe's inexperience in such criminal matters meant that he was quickly identified.
Now wanted by the law, Undertow, as he now calls himself, continues to commit various marinetime thefts, even though the need for money is now pretty much moot. In part, he likes having nice things for himself in his underwater abode, even those things that no longer work for him (you try hooking up an Xbox underwater). Partially, he steals things out of spite; if he can't have nice things, why should anyone else?
Campaign Use: Undertow is a villain that presents an environmental challenge; defeating him out of the water is fairly easy, but it's not like he's going to make things that easy for any PCs. More than likely, they must confront him underwater. While still somewhat inexperienced, he knows enough to use the underwater environment, combined with his 'hydrokinetic' abilities to his best advantage.
If the PCs need a reason to confront Undertow, one of his thefts may have him acquiring something of great importance to the heroes, such as a much-needed vaccine to help cure an ailing ally or friend.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Capsule reviews: Comics from 4/20 and 4/27
(What, you expected prompt and timely? Hah!)
Legion of Super-Heroes (DC, $2.99, Paul Levitz, Yildiray Cinar) - The ongoing conflict between the Legion and their villainous counterparts continue. We see elements of the two teams battle on different fronts, with a fair amount of back-and-forth, as Saturn Queen continues to recruit new members into the LSV ranks, and by the end the bad guys have definitely gained the upper hand for the moment. Interspersed between these fight scenes we get some more info on the Star Boy subplot, Kodama's appearance last issue is explained somewhat, and Mon-El and Dyogene's investigation into the destruction that Saturn Queen has wrought.
Levitz seems to have finally hit his stride on this book, juggling multiple characters, scenes, and setting with aplomb. Cinar's art continues to shine; this month he's inked by Jonathan Glapion, who seems to work well with Cinar, giving a little extra edge to the fight scenes. Overall, this title has picked up nicely, and continues to entertain.
The Spirit #13 (DC, $2.99, David Hine, Moritat) - The Clockwork Killer storyline concludes. As the gang war escalates, Spirit fights his way through the city in hopes of somehow ending the bloodshed, and Ellen comes to understand the nature of the Professor's obsessions. It's a damned shame that this book seems to be destined for cancellation, as Hine and Moritat are doing fine work here. Hine's dialog for the Spirit works in ways that other writers would probably screw up (*cough*FrankMiller*cough*), and Moritat's art, if anything, continues to improve, wonderfully illustrating the mixture of pulp and noir that a book like The Spirit demands. The highlight of this issue is the treatment of Ellen as a character, who holds her own and shows why she's worthy of being the Spirit's love interest. Pick this title up while you can, because it probably won't be around that much longer.
Fables #104 (DC/Vertigo, $2.99, Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham) - Part three of the 'Super Team' storyline. The cover is, of course, a nod to the cover of the 1987 reboot of the Justice League by Kevin Maguire. The issue starts off with some of the characters visualizing how the fight with Mister Dark will go, in a rather four-color fashion. Someone who isn't paying attention might think these early pages are a waste of space, but besides acting as a contrast to how the fight will eventually go down, it also hints at the desperate nature of the fables, as they try to talk themselves into believing they really have a chance to survive and win.
There are other training sequences, and more subplots here and there, but the kicker to the issue is Bigby being confronted by his father, who informs him of his intent to kill Ghost. Man, talk about lousy timing. It's hard to tell where exactly this is all going, but it continues to be a hell of a ride. Still recommended.
Dark Horse Presents #1 (Dark Horse, $7.99, Paul Chadwick, Howard Chaykin, Neal Adams, Carla Speed McNeil, Michael T. Gilbert, Frank Miller, Harlan Ellison, Richard Corben, Randy Stradley, Paul Gulacy, David Chelsea, Patrick Alexander) - The inaugural issue of the revival of the classic anthology series. Now in an 80-page format, with a metric truckload of comic book talent included inside its pages, this is probably one of the best values in the industry today. Of course, the content is uneven, and it's highly unlikely that all of the stories will appeal to any given reader, but even so, there's a lotta bang for the buck.
Paul Chadwick's Concrete is one of those books I keep intending to check out but have never quite gotten around to doing so. Here we get an entertaining story with the lead character stumbling across not one, but two different crimes, although the second isn't immediately obvious. It's a nice little piece, giving a good taste of how the rest of this series probably reads.
Howard Chaykin's Marked Man is the first part of a storyline concerning a criminal who is desperately trying to keep his wife and family from finding out about his illicit activities. It's a little light, but sets up the premise well, and knowing Chaykin there will be no lack of the characters being complete and utter bastards as the story progresses.
Neal Adams' Blood has some really nice art, as one might expect. As for the story... well, let's just say that as a writer, Adams is a really good artist.
I don't have any previous knowledge of McNeil's Finder, but part one of Third World is certainly entertaining, and has me interested in possibly checking out more about McNeil's work.
Michael T. Gilbert's Mr. Monster story is pretty much what you would expect if you have any previous familiarity with the character, which is to say, goofy, over-the-top shameless fun.
Next is an interview with Frank Miller plugging his upcoming sequel to the 300 mini-series, Xerxes, with a few pages of art to act as a teaser. The preview doesn't really give enough to indicate how the sequel might turn out, although the interview has a certain entertainment value.
How Interesting: A Tiny Man is a short prose piece by Harlan Ellison. It's not Ellison's best, but Ellison's not-best is still usually pretty entertaining, and this is no exception.
Part one of Richard Corben's Murky World, set in what appears to be a post-apocalypse world, is pretty much what you would expect, in terms of both Corben's art and writing. If you like Corben's past stuff, then there's no reason you won't like this.
Stradley and Gulacy's The Third Time Pays For All comes off as little more than an ad for the latest Star Wars: Crimson Empire mini-series; it's decent enough, but if you're not already following this story arc, this probably won't sway you to start.
David Chelsea's Snow Angel is quirky and cute, and the sort of thing that would never sell big on its own, but complements an anthology series nicely.
Finally, there are two one-page strips by Patrick Alexander; 'quirky' is probably he best way to describe his dark humor and minimalist art style.
Overall, this is an excellent value, and should be sought out by comic book fans who are looking for something new, but don't know where to start. This first issue is a bit heavy on older, well-established creators, but hopefully following issues will showcase some newer talent alongside the old pros.
King Conan: The Scarlet Citadel #3 (of 4) (Dark Horse, $3.50, Timothy Truman, Tomás Giorello) - The penultimate chapter of the mini-series. Things start to crank up as Conan struggles to escape his prison, fighting various unholy threats, and encountering a wizard along the way, who may or may not be trustworthy. Truman's script picks back up a bit from last issue's somewhat pedestrian approach, and Giorello's art continues to shine. A good setup for what should hopefully be a satisfying final issue.
Conan: Road Of Kings #4 (Dark Horse, $3.50, Roy Thomas, Mike Hawthorne) - Sometimes the enemy of your enemy is your friend. And sometimes, the enemy of your enemy is also your enemy, and the best you can hope for is that they'll fight each other while you get out of the way. Conan in this chapter faces torture and death, but the multiple factions at play in this story gives him a chance to escape and fight once again. Things are slowly building, some secrets are revealed, and this storyline, after a couple of hiccups, is moving along nicely.
Legion of Super-Heroes (DC, $2.99, Paul Levitz, Yildiray Cinar) - The ongoing conflict between the Legion and their villainous counterparts continue. We see elements of the two teams battle on different fronts, with a fair amount of back-and-forth, as Saturn Queen continues to recruit new members into the LSV ranks, and by the end the bad guys have definitely gained the upper hand for the moment. Interspersed between these fight scenes we get some more info on the Star Boy subplot, Kodama's appearance last issue is explained somewhat, and Mon-El and Dyogene's investigation into the destruction that Saturn Queen has wrought.
Levitz seems to have finally hit his stride on this book, juggling multiple characters, scenes, and setting with aplomb. Cinar's art continues to shine; this month he's inked by Jonathan Glapion, who seems to work well with Cinar, giving a little extra edge to the fight scenes. Overall, this title has picked up nicely, and continues to entertain.
The Spirit #13 (DC, $2.99, David Hine, Moritat) - The Clockwork Killer storyline concludes. As the gang war escalates, Spirit fights his way through the city in hopes of somehow ending the bloodshed, and Ellen comes to understand the nature of the Professor's obsessions. It's a damned shame that this book seems to be destined for cancellation, as Hine and Moritat are doing fine work here. Hine's dialog for the Spirit works in ways that other writers would probably screw up (*cough*FrankMiller*cough*), and Moritat's art, if anything, continues to improve, wonderfully illustrating the mixture of pulp and noir that a book like The Spirit demands. The highlight of this issue is the treatment of Ellen as a character, who holds her own and shows why she's worthy of being the Spirit's love interest. Pick this title up while you can, because it probably won't be around that much longer.
Fables #104 (DC/Vertigo, $2.99, Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham) - Part three of the 'Super Team' storyline. The cover is, of course, a nod to the cover of the 1987 reboot of the Justice League by Kevin Maguire. The issue starts off with some of the characters visualizing how the fight with Mister Dark will go, in a rather four-color fashion. Someone who isn't paying attention might think these early pages are a waste of space, but besides acting as a contrast to how the fight will eventually go down, it also hints at the desperate nature of the fables, as they try to talk themselves into believing they really have a chance to survive and win.
There are other training sequences, and more subplots here and there, but the kicker to the issue is Bigby being confronted by his father, who informs him of his intent to kill Ghost. Man, talk about lousy timing. It's hard to tell where exactly this is all going, but it continues to be a hell of a ride. Still recommended.
Dark Horse Presents #1 (Dark Horse, $7.99, Paul Chadwick, Howard Chaykin, Neal Adams, Carla Speed McNeil, Michael T. Gilbert, Frank Miller, Harlan Ellison, Richard Corben, Randy Stradley, Paul Gulacy, David Chelsea, Patrick Alexander) - The inaugural issue of the revival of the classic anthology series. Now in an 80-page format, with a metric truckload of comic book talent included inside its pages, this is probably one of the best values in the industry today. Of course, the content is uneven, and it's highly unlikely that all of the stories will appeal to any given reader, but even so, there's a lotta bang for the buck.
Paul Chadwick's Concrete is one of those books I keep intending to check out but have never quite gotten around to doing so. Here we get an entertaining story with the lead character stumbling across not one, but two different crimes, although the second isn't immediately obvious. It's a nice little piece, giving a good taste of how the rest of this series probably reads.
Howard Chaykin's Marked Man is the first part of a storyline concerning a criminal who is desperately trying to keep his wife and family from finding out about his illicit activities. It's a little light, but sets up the premise well, and knowing Chaykin there will be no lack of the characters being complete and utter bastards as the story progresses.
Neal Adams' Blood has some really nice art, as one might expect. As for the story... well, let's just say that as a writer, Adams is a really good artist.
I don't have any previous knowledge of McNeil's Finder, but part one of Third World is certainly entertaining, and has me interested in possibly checking out more about McNeil's work.
Michael T. Gilbert's Mr. Monster story is pretty much what you would expect if you have any previous familiarity with the character, which is to say, goofy, over-the-top shameless fun.
Next is an interview with Frank Miller plugging his upcoming sequel to the 300 mini-series, Xerxes, with a few pages of art to act as a teaser. The preview doesn't really give enough to indicate how the sequel might turn out, although the interview has a certain entertainment value.
How Interesting: A Tiny Man is a short prose piece by Harlan Ellison. It's not Ellison's best, but Ellison's not-best is still usually pretty entertaining, and this is no exception.
Part one of Richard Corben's Murky World, set in what appears to be a post-apocalypse world, is pretty much what you would expect, in terms of both Corben's art and writing. If you like Corben's past stuff, then there's no reason you won't like this.
Stradley and Gulacy's The Third Time Pays For All comes off as little more than an ad for the latest Star Wars: Crimson Empire mini-series; it's decent enough, but if you're not already following this story arc, this probably won't sway you to start.
David Chelsea's Snow Angel is quirky and cute, and the sort of thing that would never sell big on its own, but complements an anthology series nicely.
Finally, there are two one-page strips by Patrick Alexander; 'quirky' is probably he best way to describe his dark humor and minimalist art style.
Overall, this is an excellent value, and should be sought out by comic book fans who are looking for something new, but don't know where to start. This first issue is a bit heavy on older, well-established creators, but hopefully following issues will showcase some newer talent alongside the old pros.
King Conan: The Scarlet Citadel #3 (of 4) (Dark Horse, $3.50, Timothy Truman, Tomás Giorello) - The penultimate chapter of the mini-series. Things start to crank up as Conan struggles to escape his prison, fighting various unholy threats, and encountering a wizard along the way, who may or may not be trustworthy. Truman's script picks back up a bit from last issue's somewhat pedestrian approach, and Giorello's art continues to shine. A good setup for what should hopefully be a satisfying final issue.
Conan: Road Of Kings #4 (Dark Horse, $3.50, Roy Thomas, Mike Hawthorne) - Sometimes the enemy of your enemy is your friend. And sometimes, the enemy of your enemy is also your enemy, and the best you can hope for is that they'll fight each other while you get out of the way. Conan in this chapter faces torture and death, but the multiple factions at play in this story gives him a chance to escape and fight once again. Things are slowly building, some secrets are revealed, and this storyline, after a couple of hiccups, is moving along nicely.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Music Monday: "Batman"
Does anyone know enough French to translate the extra lyrics they're singing?
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