Oh. My. God.
C'mon, why wait until May, just show it now, okay?
SHOW IT NOW, DAMNIT!!!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
V&V Vednesday: Anansi
Character Name: Anansi Real Name: Gabriel 'Gabe' Barnes Side: Evil
Gender: Male Height: 5'5" Weight: 120 lbs Age: 19
Physical Description: A short, extremely skinny young black man with short-cut black hair and brown eyes. His costume is a simple black bodysuit, notable only for the lack of gloves and boots. His belt has several lockpicking and safecracking tools attached, and he wears a pair of high-tech goggles.
STR: 9 END: 12 INT: 16 AGL: 28 CHA: 25
Level: 1st XP: 1,368 Basic Hits: 3 Hit Points: 15 Healing Rate: 0.9/day
Movement: 49” (running), 25" (climbing) Power: 61 Carrying Capacity: 116 lbs
HTH Damage: 1d3 Damage Modifier: +4 Accuracy: +5
Detect Hidden: 12% Detect Danger: 16% Inventing: 48% Inventing Points: 1.6
Reaction Modifier: -4 good/+4 evil Training: STR
Powers/Talents
Animal Powers (Arachnid)
Body Power: Wall-crawling (1/2 running speed)
Heightened Agility A: +11
Natural Weaponry (claws): +1 to hit, +2 to damage
Poison/Venom - a 'carrier attack' that can be used with any successful use of Natural Weaponry that inflicts damage: does an additional 1d8 damage, and has a chance to knock the victim unconscious (requires a second attack roll, treat as Paralysis Ray), 12 doses/day.
Heightened Charisma B: +17
Equipment
Goggles (UV vision, distance or fine detail magnification x10, camera function)
Areas of Knowledge
Crime, Electronics
Character Notes/Origin/Personality: Gabriel grew up in a poor neighborhood with a distant father and an alcoholic mother. A short, skinny kid who was also smart and more than a little shy, he was a natural target for bullies while growing up. He had a natural talent for fixing and fiddling with various electronic devices, but aside from that he never quite had the drive or inclination for the type of study that would have been needed to get a college scholarship. He knew at a young age that he would have to make his own way in the world, that no one would be helping him along the way.
His earliest attempts at breaking-and-entering were aimed more at getting back at some of the bullies who had tormented him, with getting some of their money a secondary consideration. However, he soon realized that this might be a way for him to get ahead; it seemed a lot easier and more profitable than flipping burgers for a living.
He had a pretty good run, but was caught after nicking some diamonds from a jewelry store shortly after his 18th birthday. While in jail he met up with some of the Scarlet Queen's henchmen who had recently been captured. When Scarlet Queen and some of her superpowered followers busted the imprisoned henchmen out of jail, Gabe managed to tag along with the other escapees. At first the Queen was upset that Gabe had presumed to use her to escape jail, but she eventually decided that the young second-story thief might have his uses.
Although not used to working with others, Gabe's talents served him well as one of the Queen's henchmen, even if his combat skills were mediocre at best. Eventually, the Scarlet Queen offered Gabe the opportunity to gain superpowers, much as her other favored henchmen had. Despite the risks, Gabe accepted.
Most of the abilities that Gabe gained were pretty obvious early on. His ability to climb wall, the small claws that could extend from his finger and toe nails, the ability to generate a knock-out venom from those claws, and his reflexes being enhanced made him even more useful as a break-in guy, and although he still didn't exactly relish getting into a straight-up fight, the Queen often used him to sneak ahead to disable key targets on certain missions.
Less obvious to the Queen and her followers was the quiet confidence and natural charm that now replaced the young man's shyness and lack of social graces. Anansi, as he is now called (named after an African trickster figure), has no particular loyalty to the Scarlet Queen; while he is grateful for his new abilities, he can see better than most that SQ is a highly unstable person psychologically, and he figures her downfall is more a matter of when than if. Although he has made no attempt to usurp the Queen's leadership, he has begun to ingratiate himself with the Queen's other superpowered followers. He figures one of them will take over eventually, and he is positioning himself to be the adviser/power-behind-the-throne to that new leader.
And if things really go bad... well, it wouldn't be the first time Gabe has had to work alone. It's not like there's anyone else he really trusts.
Campaign Use: Anansi would most likely be encountered by superheroes as an advance agent, either to break into somewhere, or to disable someone key to the operation at hand. It's also fairly likely that Anansi will eventually become a solo villain, a superhuman thief for hire that might make a good foe for a beginning solo hero.
Gender: Male Height: 5'5" Weight: 120 lbs Age: 19
Physical Description: A short, extremely skinny young black man with short-cut black hair and brown eyes. His costume is a simple black bodysuit, notable only for the lack of gloves and boots. His belt has several lockpicking and safecracking tools attached, and he wears a pair of high-tech goggles.
STR: 9 END: 12 INT: 16 AGL: 28 CHA: 25
Level: 1st XP: 1,368 Basic Hits: 3 Hit Points: 15 Healing Rate: 0.9/day
Movement: 49” (running), 25" (climbing) Power: 61 Carrying Capacity: 116 lbs
HTH Damage: 1d3 Damage Modifier: +4 Accuracy: +5
Detect Hidden: 12% Detect Danger: 16% Inventing: 48% Inventing Points: 1.6
Reaction Modifier: -4 good/+4 evil Training: STR
Powers/Talents
Animal Powers (Arachnid)
Body Power: Wall-crawling (1/2 running speed)
Heightened Agility A: +11
Natural Weaponry (claws): +1 to hit, +2 to damage
Poison/Venom - a 'carrier attack' that can be used with any successful use of Natural Weaponry that inflicts damage: does an additional 1d8 damage, and has a chance to knock the victim unconscious (requires a second attack roll, treat as Paralysis Ray), 12 doses/day.
Heightened Charisma B: +17
Equipment
Goggles (UV vision, distance or fine detail magnification x10, camera function)
Areas of Knowledge
Crime, Electronics
Character Notes/Origin/Personality: Gabriel grew up in a poor neighborhood with a distant father and an alcoholic mother. A short, skinny kid who was also smart and more than a little shy, he was a natural target for bullies while growing up. He had a natural talent for fixing and fiddling with various electronic devices, but aside from that he never quite had the drive or inclination for the type of study that would have been needed to get a college scholarship. He knew at a young age that he would have to make his own way in the world, that no one would be helping him along the way.
His earliest attempts at breaking-and-entering were aimed more at getting back at some of the bullies who had tormented him, with getting some of their money a secondary consideration. However, he soon realized that this might be a way for him to get ahead; it seemed a lot easier and more profitable than flipping burgers for a living.
He had a pretty good run, but was caught after nicking some diamonds from a jewelry store shortly after his 18th birthday. While in jail he met up with some of the Scarlet Queen's henchmen who had recently been captured. When Scarlet Queen and some of her superpowered followers busted the imprisoned henchmen out of jail, Gabe managed to tag along with the other escapees. At first the Queen was upset that Gabe had presumed to use her to escape jail, but she eventually decided that the young second-story thief might have his uses.
Although not used to working with others, Gabe's talents served him well as one of the Queen's henchmen, even if his combat skills were mediocre at best. Eventually, the Scarlet Queen offered Gabe the opportunity to gain superpowers, much as her other favored henchmen had. Despite the risks, Gabe accepted.
Most of the abilities that Gabe gained were pretty obvious early on. His ability to climb wall, the small claws that could extend from his finger and toe nails, the ability to generate a knock-out venom from those claws, and his reflexes being enhanced made him even more useful as a break-in guy, and although he still didn't exactly relish getting into a straight-up fight, the Queen often used him to sneak ahead to disable key targets on certain missions.
Less obvious to the Queen and her followers was the quiet confidence and natural charm that now replaced the young man's shyness and lack of social graces. Anansi, as he is now called (named after an African trickster figure), has no particular loyalty to the Scarlet Queen; while he is grateful for his new abilities, he can see better than most that SQ is a highly unstable person psychologically, and he figures her downfall is more a matter of when than if. Although he has made no attempt to usurp the Queen's leadership, he has begun to ingratiate himself with the Queen's other superpowered followers. He figures one of them will take over eventually, and he is positioning himself to be the adviser/power-behind-the-throne to that new leader.
And if things really go bad... well, it wouldn't be the first time Gabe has had to work alone. It's not like there's anyone else he really trusts.
Campaign Use: Anansi would most likely be encountered by superheroes as an advance agent, either to break into somewhere, or to disable someone key to the operation at hand. It's also fairly likely that Anansi will eventually become a solo villain, a superhuman thief for hire that might make a good foe for a beginning solo hero.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Music Monday: "Jonny Quest/Stop That Pigeon"
What could be better than a melody of the opening themes to the original Jonny Quest and the Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines cartoons, you ask? Why, said melody being performed by The Reverend Horton Heat, in his trademark psychobilly sound, of course!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Campaign Setting: Tripods & Titans
July, 1902: A month after the first landing of the Martian invasion, the war enters into its second phase.
It has been a week since the Martians (so named for the world where they set up their advance bases before invading Earth - their actual homeworld is in another solar system) suffered the results of terrestrial viruses. Some of the Martians die as a result, although the alien invaders did manage to inoculate themselves with their advanced science before their numbers were further reduced. However, in their panic during the hours that they thought themselves to be eradicated, the Martians released a deadly virus of their own design onto the landscape, targeting the major cities of the globe that the aliens were now occupying, designed to wipe out the human race in retaliation. Of those humans infected, the vast majority of them do indeed die, their bodies horribly mutated as death overcomes them. A small percentage of those infected also also mutated, their bodies becoming horribly twisted, deformed and grotesque, but they somehow manage to survive (although many would say that survival is no kindness).
Of the survivors, a very small percentage are not changed in terms of appearance, but rather become something perhaps more than merely human. The reports that one hears is astounding, but there are enough of them from credible sources that they can not be dismissed out of hand: men (and women) who can fly, or display superhuman feats of strength, or create lightning from their bare hands, or read the thoughts of other humans, or any other number of remarkable and terrifying abilities. These 'titans' (as some have dubbed them) are not powerful enough to to change things individually, even given their unique talents, and many have died under the heat rays and the black smoke of the Martian tripods. However, there are reports of some of these titans banding together, each using their individual talents as part of a greater whole. Most notably, a group of a half-dozen of these titans managed to take down and destroy one of the alien tripods in these streets of London recently.
Of course, given human nature, not all of these titans are dedicated to fighting the alien invaders. Some are merely interested in their own survival and well-being, and avoid any contact with the Martians, using their abilities to lord over other humans for their relative comfort. Even worse are those titans who have sided with the Martians, along with the other human quislings* who have thrown in with the invaders in hopes of retaining or achieving some degree of power over their fellow human beings. Perhaps the worst of these quislings are the 'keepers', scientists who have thrown in with the Martians so as to learn more of the unearthly science of the aliens.
As the Martians have settled in, they now begin a number of scientific experiments, perhaps for their own amusement, which also seem to be designed to help keep humanity in line, and to also counter the threat poised by the titans. There are rumors of Martians projecting their thoughts into human bodies, so that they may walk among the conquered undetected. There are whispers of captured humans being experimented on in hopes of creating a Martian-human hybrid that can more easily cope with Terran gravity. And perhaps most disturbing of all, there seems to be evidence of the Martians mutating various animals and giving them intelligence so as to act as ground soldiers against the human resistance. The most notable of these reports come out of the dark continent of Africa, where it seems the Martians are creating a new breed of ape: apes that can speak human tongues, apes that can use tools and fire guns, apes that can organize into armies for their Martian masters, apes that hate human beings.
(Inspirations: War of the Worlds, Wild Cards, Planet of the Apes, Killraven)
*yes, I know 'quisling' isn't a term used in WOTW, and in fact would not become a word for traitor until WWII - I'm using it here anyways, so deal with it.
Of the survivors, a very small percentage are not changed in terms of appearance, but rather become something perhaps more than merely human. The reports that one hears is astounding, but there are enough of them from credible sources that they can not be dismissed out of hand: men (and women) who can fly, or display superhuman feats of strength, or create lightning from their bare hands, or read the thoughts of other humans, or any other number of remarkable and terrifying abilities. These 'titans' (as some have dubbed them) are not powerful enough to to change things individually, even given their unique talents, and many have died under the heat rays and the black smoke of the Martian tripods. However, there are reports of some of these titans banding together, each using their individual talents as part of a greater whole. Most notably, a group of a half-dozen of these titans managed to take down and destroy one of the alien tripods in these streets of London recently.
Of course, given human nature, not all of these titans are dedicated to fighting the alien invaders. Some are merely interested in their own survival and well-being, and avoid any contact with the Martians, using their abilities to lord over other humans for their relative comfort. Even worse are those titans who have sided with the Martians, along with the other human quislings* who have thrown in with the invaders in hopes of retaining or achieving some degree of power over their fellow human beings. Perhaps the worst of these quislings are the 'keepers', scientists who have thrown in with the Martians so as to learn more of the unearthly science of the aliens.
(Inspirations: War of the Worlds, Wild Cards, Planet of the Apes, Killraven)
*yes, I know 'quisling' isn't a term used in WOTW, and in fact would not become a word for traitor until WWII - I'm using it here anyways, so deal with it.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
I feel like I'm all grown up now
I just had to delete my first spam post from the comments section of a post.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Review: "Presto"
As the 1980's were drawing to a close, Rush would once again begin stretching themselves musically, moving in a different direction from their last several albums. As it turns out, Presto would not be a total break from the synth-heavy material that dominated the band's output during the 80's, but it would indicate yet another transition in the group's musical approach.
This was the first album for the band with Atlantic records, having ended their long-time partnership with Mercury/ PolyGram. Rush had originally intended to work again with Peter Collins as the album's producer, but Collins had to bow out for personal reasons. The group eventually wound up working with engineer Rupert Hine, who would produce both this album and the next one to follow for the band. Hine and Rush did not completely move away from the synthesizers that helped to define the band earlier in the decade, but their use was lessened, with Lifeson's guitar moving once again into the forefront. Peart's approach to songwriting also shifted with this album, moving away from abstract concepts, instead concentrating on more personal, yet concrete, experiences.
The album starts off with 'Show Don't Tell', a slightly funk-inspired tune which deals with confronting someone who has fooled them once too often with lies and misdirections, framed against the backdrop of a courtroom trail where the deceived is both “the judge and the jury”. It's not the strongest opening track on a Rush album by any means, but it was a popular single for the band, becoming only the second song for the group to top the U.S. Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart (the first being 'New World Man'). Next is 'Chain Lightning', where Neil returns to his science-as-metaphor trick that he occasionally employs, in this case touching on how we deal with our surroundings, and we share that experience with others. It's one of the best tracks on the album, merging powerful music with excellent and heartfelt lyrics.
'The Pass' is arguably the band's most poignant song, a solemn, slower tune that deals with the topic of teen depression and the romanticization of suicide, and manages to do so without being clichéd or patronizing. Geddy's singing is at his most emotional here, and the music backs up that emotion nicely. 'War Paint' touches on the nature of illusions and masks, framed against the courtships of youth (using both classical and modern imagery), where neither the image we show to others, and the self-image we think of ourselves as, are necessarily a truthful representation of our true selves. 'Scars' features a complex drum arrangement inspired by various tribal rhythms that Neil encountered during his bicycle tour of Africa. It's also a rare instance of the bassline actually being the result of a sequencer. Lyrically it touches on the nature of memories, both good and bad, and how those memories can leave lasting impressions on us.
The title track 'Presto' has a nice bit of acoustic guitar work from Alex, a playful and spritely riff that nicely accompanies Neil's wistful lyrics about hindsight and the desire to make all the wrong things right. 'Superconductor' is a fast-paced, highly kinetic, and extremely tight tune with a great guitar riff; its catchy, upbeat nature (it just may be the only Rush song that you can actually dance to) is deliberately contrasted with highly cynical lyrics about how easy it is in the music industry to market a false-but-entertaining persona in lieu of actual musical talent (and remember, this was written years before American Idol hit the airwaves). After that we have 'Anagram (for Mongo)', a humorous title for a song that deals with serious topics, but in a playful manner (many of the song's lyrics are anagrams of each other). This seems to be a song that a number of hardcore prog-rock fans seem to dislike, which only feeds into my theory that no small amount of prog fans take themselves waaaaay too seriously, and seem to regard 'fun' as a strange and foreign concept.
'Red Tide' is an ominous, yet dynamic piece that talks about an ecological plague and the need to address it while it is still possible to do so. Musically, there's a lot of tension that is conveyed here, between both Lifeson's guitar solo and a really nice bit of piano work from Geddy. This is one of those songs that's easy to ignore at first, but can slip up on you after you hear it a few times. 'Hand Over Fist' addresses the need for forgiveness to overcome conflict, and to open yourself up to others even if you've been hurt in the past, framed around the classic game of rock-paper-scissors. Finally, the album's closing track 'Available Light' is a sweeping and heartfelt composition, with more fine piano work from Geddy, as well as some bluesy riffs from Alex. It's a reflective piece (not unlike 'Time Stand Still' from Hold Your Fire), but it's also hopeful and optimistic, choosing not to dwell too much on the past, while acknowledging that the past is inevitably tied to where you are now. It's a beautiful song, and a fine choice to close out the album.
Presto is a definite step up from Hold Your Fire; there are several excellent tracks here ('Chain Lightning', 'The Pass', 'Superconductor', 'Red Tide', 'Available Light'), and the rest of the songs here are still quite good, even if they don't stand out quite as much. In the end, Presto is even by Rush standards an album that stands alone; it has a unique sound that is distinct from the rest of the band's output throughout the years. As a result, it's remarkably un-dated; it's still very fresh musically, even two decades after it was made, and if it was released today it would not sound anachronistic.
Probably the main drawback of the album is the almost subdued nature of the production at times, which works well enough on some of the subtler pieces, but drains a bit of the energy from the more fast-paced tunes that are present here. Overall, it's a far cry from the band's bombastic 70's fare, instead showing a surprising amount of restraint, using just the notes needed for each song, and not a single note more. Presto isn't as immediately accessible as some other Rush albums, but it is one that benefits heavily from multiple listenings.
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