Round One!

After I did Agile Dragons (see below) the next idea I had for a Big Eyes, Small Mouth supplement was one based on fighting games and anime. I didn't touch the idea for ages.

After I burnt out on Maelstrom, though, I still had the designer's itch. I was fresh off of playing Capcom vs. SNK 2, so a fighting game thing seemed to be a good idea. And what system better to implement it than BESM?

What I came up with is this. It's more complete than I remember, and I actually might want to sit down and playtest it someday. Bear in mind this is largely a simulation of how fighting games work, particularly "2D" fighting games (though there are some concessions to 3D fighting in attributes like Branch Chain and Rough N' Ready). Of course, it might be interesting to implement most of the ideas here into a totally new system, given that this ends up being a rather drastic shoehorning of BESM.

Fighting Groove

As an extra bonus - once I worked on making a MUSH based around fighting games. Match of the Millennium has done a better job than I ever could have, but the news file I worked on for my own effort remains. Enjoy. Or don't.

news.txt

Hey, a week's gone by and I'm still working on this thing. Wonders never cease.

D&D Dust-Bin: The Alchemist

Time for a new semi-regular maybe kinda if I feel like ever doing it again feature.

Back before Dungeons & Dragons was 'advanced', 'basic', or even 'd20', there was little magazine called Dragon. Back in its early issues, Dragon experimented with all sorts of little classes and rules, all of which you could say came up during the infancy of D&D and roleplaying in general. The goal here is to take these ideas and see how well they translate to our new-fangled, well-venerated D&D 3.5.

In Dragon Magazine #2, we get to see the Alchemist class. Credit goes to Jon Pickens, copyright goes to TSR - or is that Wizards of the Coast or Paizo Publishing now? I'm not entirely sure.

Anyway, here's the conversion. Much creative license is taken; I tried to stay true to the original concept while at the same time improving it to the point where it's a viable 3.5 class.

Alchemist

There is a magic in all things, and the alchemist knows this. Anything can be reduced to its essential elements, and those who know how to use those elements properly hold power. The alchemist is a master craftsman, mixing and boiling up chemicals in order to create potions, tinctures, and balms of mystical power. Though many alchemists are trapped in a lab, many also venture out on adventures, whether it is simply to seek a rare ingredient, or to put their theories into action on the field. Many good alchemists act as healers, using their concoctions to relieve suffering and illness, while evil alchemists often turn their skills to darker ends - poisons, drugs, etc.

Adventures: Most alchemists go on adventures to see their creations put to use first-hand, and to make money to fuel their research. Furthermore, many of the ingredients they require can only be found in exotic, dangerous locales, and so it's not unheard of for them to join or hire an adventuring party to assist them. A single alchemist is a boon to any group, able to heal wounds, cure ailments, and boost abilities. It's said the greatest alchemists can make any person into a hero with but a sip of a potion.

Characteristics: An alchemist has magic not unlike that of a wizard, but expresses it purely through potions rather than spells. The alchemist is a master of potions, able to develop them at a much lower level than most spellcasters, and can also utilize a number of healing effects usually reserved for divine spellcasters.

Also, an alchemist is well-rounded, much like bards are. He is often capable of wielding a blade with surprising competence, and often has been educated at an academy or school. Unlike the bard or rogue, his knowledge comes from books and scholars, and thus more often reflects "high" learning rather than pure street smarts.

Alignment: The scientific detachment of the alchemist gives them a tendency towards neutrality; most alchemists are at least partially neutral in outlook. However, such tendency is not a restriction, and alchemists may be of any alignment.

Religion: Many alchemists devote themselves to deities of knowledge or arcane power, but many find working with the same base elements the gods formed the world from shakes their faith. Others find their faith strengthened by the power they find in all things. They tend to have a strong faith... or none at all, depending on their outlook.

Background: Most alchemists come from large cities, where the institutions of high learning required for their knowledge can be found. Many are of the noble or merchant class, as only wealthy families can afford such schooling. Rarely, though, a promising prodigy can find his way into a school under the wing of a master, or study with an independent alchemist as an apprentice. Many alchemists are part of a guild, whether that be a specific organization for alchemists or an arcane group of one sort of another. They tend to share a common academic bond with other alchemists, and often share their discoveries and knowledge.

Races: Most alchemists are humans, elves, gnomes, or half-elves. Gnomes possess a natural capacity for alchemy, and many say they were the first to devise it. The natural curiosity of humans guides them towards this career, and the arcane leanings of elves sometimes makes them take up this path. More rarely, dwarves take up this path, using the essential elements of the earth. Halflings are typically too flighty to dedicate themselves to the art of alchemy, and orcs and half-orcs simply lack the brains required in most cases.

Other Classes: An alchemist often finds common ground with wizards and bards, sharing their wellspring of knowledge. Also, he alchemist can often find much to appreciate in the martial skill of a fighter or the divine magic of a cleric. Druids and rangers may be somewhat alien to the alchemist, but their ability to find natural resources is hard for him to discount. However, the alchemist is often more distant from the larcenous ways of a rogue, the rage of the barbarian, and the natural power of a sorcerer. Rarely does he find such occupations offensive in and of themselves, but may find them puzzling or somewhat troubling.

Role: Like the bard, an alchemist serves best as a support character, supplementing the abilities of others. While well-rounded, he isn't isn't an expert at skills, warfare, or spells like other classes may be. His main skills lie in the ability to brew potions, and in that he has no peer - not even the wizard can top his tightly focused ability. However, with the right sip, he can be an expert, or make somebody an expert at many things. Also, his alchemy can be used to create alchemical weapons as well as merely support others, and he can serve as both arsenal and medic to a group.

Game Rule Information:

Alchemists have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Intelligence determines how powerful an alchemist's creations are, and the strongest potions he can devise, as well as his skill checks with Craft (alchemy). Wisdom is also important to many of the alchemist's class skills.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d6

Base Attack Bonus: As Cleric.

Good Saving Throws: Reflex, Will.

Class Skills

The alchemist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are:

Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (any, taken seperately) (Int), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the alchemist.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An alchemist is proficient with all simple weapons, and with light armor and shields (except tower shields).

Alchemical Spellcasting: Though the alchemist never gains the ability to cast spells directly, he has the ability to craft items based on them. He may emulate any bard or sorcerer / wizard spell for the purposes of creating a magic item, as long as he has it contained in his spellbook. He may not emulate any spell of a level higher than his (class level x 2) - 1 or his Int - 10, and must expend any material and XP components as usual. He may do this any many times per day as he wishes, but is still limited by the time required. Unlike the normal Brew Potion feat, the alchemist may Brew Potions of any spell level he has access to via this class.

Sorcerous Appraisal: The alchemist may use the Appraisal skill to identify magical items, rolling against a DC of 15 + the caster level of the item. Failure means the information gained may be misleading or faulty.

Brew Potion: At 1st level, the alchemist is treated as if he has the Brew Potion feat, even if he does not have the prerequisites for that feat.

Poison Use: At 2nd level, the alchemist is trained in handling dangerous materials, and is never accidentally poisoned when handling poison.

Quickened Brew Potion: At 3rd level, the alchemist may brew two potions a day (a eight-hour period) as long as the combined cost of the potions does not exceed his level x 100 gp. This increases to three potions a day at 8th level, four potions a day at 13th level, and five potions a day at 18th level.

Educated Presence: Beginning at 4th level, an alchemist gains a +1 on all Knowledge checks. This increases to +2 at 8th level, +3 at 12th level, +4 at 16th level, and +5 at 20th level.

Bonus Feats: At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level, the alchemist may select any item creation feat as a bonus feat.

Master Crafter: At 7th level, the alchemist reduces the base price of any magical or alchemical item he is crafting by 25%.

Potion Duplication: At 8th level, the alchemist can may ignore the need for a spellbook when creating a potion if he already has the potion available to him.

Spellbook: An alchemist has a spellbook identical to that of a starting wizard, except the alchemist gets any 8 0-level bard or sorcerer / wizard spells, and 3 1st-level bard or sorcerer / wizard spells. In addition, the alchemist gets an additional number of 1st-level spells equal to his Int modifier (if positive).

Dark Sun. Oh, I Get It...

What I wanted to do today is taking too long to get done and actually have it posted before midnight. So instead you get filler from the garbage bin of my old webpage; Dark Sun conversions! I remember being terribly dissatisfied with the work from Athas.org (no idea if they've gotten better), so I decided to fool around with some conversions. And now they see the light. Again.

No OGL here, just riding-by-the-seat of my pants completely frickin' unofficial material. Not exactly Origins-award winning material, either, but there some interesting idea nuggets, I think. Two templates, one race.

Tomorrow will be better. Cross my heart.

Athasian

Many creatures on the prime world of Athas have been bred by the harsh environment to be superior to their extraplanar counterparts found on other prime worlds. Wild talents, natural psionics, are also highly prevalent amongst them.

Creating an Athasian

"Athasian" is a template that can be added to any aberration, animal, beast, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, plant, shapechanger, or undead native to Athas (referred to hereafter as the 'base creature'). It uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

• Speed: Same as the base creature.
• Attacks: Same as the base creature.
• Saves: Same as the base creature.
• Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +2.
• Skills: Increase from the base creature by 1 point per hit die or class level.
• Feats: Increase from the base creature by 1 free feat.
• Climate / Terrain: Same as the base creature (typically desert).
• Organization: Same as the base creature.
• Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1.
• Alignment: Same as the base creature.
• Treasure: Same as the base creature.
• Advancement: Same as the base creature.

Athasian Characters

Athasian humanoids run the gamut of classes listed in the Player's Handbook. However, Paladins and Monks are largely unknown on their world, as the trappings of religion are not quite so entrenched on their world. Many are Barbarians, Clerics, Druids, or Rangers - classes that excel at self-sufficiency and wilderness survival. An athasian creature with class levels gains 2 extra skill points at 1st level instead of 1 skill point. The athasian template increases the ECL of whatever race it modifies by +2. In addition, many Athasians have at least three class levels by the time they come of age.

An athasian character is considered to have psion or psychic warrior as a favored class in addition to any favored classes it may normally have due to race. Once it takes a level of psion or psychic warrior, that becomes fixed as the favored class and cannot be changed after that point.

Wild Psionic

Though most worlds have psionic powers develop through training, sometimes mutations, heritage, psionic phenomena, and other bizarre events can cause otherwise non-psionic creatures to develop "wild talents". These talents allow the creature in question to manifest one or several psionic capabilities. While these powers are typically little more than basic abilities compared to an natural psionic, psion, or psychic warrior, it does give the creature an extra edge.

Creating a Wild Psionic

"Wild Psionic" is a template that can be applied to any creature that does not have the psionic template - usually denoted by the presence of the Psionics special attack or special quality. The creature will be referred to hereafter as the "base creature".

A wild psionic creature retains all of its base statistics save as noted below.

• Special Attacks: A wild psionic creature retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the following:
• Psionic Powers (Sp): A wild psionic creature gains one to three psionic powers, each usable 1/day (at will for 0-level powers). One may apply any metapsionic feat to this powers; this metapsionic feat is always considered to be applied to the power, regardless of whether or not the creature actually has the metapsionic power in question. The creature's primary discipline is that which matches the creature's highest ability score. The power(s) cannot have a combined power point cost (after metapsionic feats are applied) higher than the key ability modifier for your primary discipline. A 0-level power is considered to have a power point cost of 1 for purposes of choosing these psionic powers. For example, a creature with a key ability modifier of +3 could have one 2nd-level power, two 1st-level powers, one 1st-level power and one 0-level power enhanced by Extend Power, etc.
• Psionic Defense Modes (Sp): A wild psionic creature has one psionic defense mode from the five available. The power cannot have a power point cost higher than the key ability modifier for your primary discipline. It may manifest this defense mode freely without need to expend power points. Wild psionic creatures otherwise follow all the rules for psionic combat. For every three class levels or advancement hit dice thereafter, a wild psionic creature gains a additional psionic defense mode. It must still meet the requirements above to obtain the defense mode, however.
• Saves: Same as the base creature.
• Abilities: Same as the base creature.
• Skills: Same as the base creature.
• Feats: Same as the base creature. Though the creature is treated as psionic, it may not take psionic or metapsionic feats. However, it does gain access to wild psionic feats, listed below.
• Climate/ Terrain: Same as the base creature.
• Organization: Same as the base creature.
• Challenge Rating: As base creature +1.
• Treasure: Same as base creature.
• Alignment: Same as the base creature.
• Advancement: Same as the base creature.

Wild Psionic Characters

Wild psionic humanoids come from all classes, but often come from races or regions with natural psionic tendencies, such as duergar, drow, the prime world of Athas, the Astral Plane, the Underdark, etc. Wild psionics seem to arise more in conditions that are particularly brutal, where survival demands constant development and forced evolution.

A wild psionic PC's effective character level (ECL) is equal to the creature's character level +1; thus. a 3rd-level barbarian human has an ECL of 4 and is the equivalent of a 4th level character. At the DM's option, a character may spontaneously develop wild psionics due to mutation or the like; the character must forgo a level of advancement in order to obtain the wild psionics template.

Wild psionic characters and creatures also have access to several special feats, listed below.

New Feats

Talent

To characters without the wild psionics template, all talent feats are considered to be special (only characters with the wild psionics template can take them). They allow a wild psionic creature to develop its wild psionic power without requiring a psionic class, such as psion or psychic warrior.

Few characters develop more than one or two wild psionic feats. For a wide variety of psionic feats and powers, it is simply more efficient to cross-class into a psionic class. Though these abilities allow one to duplicate many of the powers manifested by psionic classes, it does so in a more ponderous and costly fashion.

Contact [Talent]

Prerequisite: Key ability modifier for primary discipline equal to or higher than the power point cost of the psionic attack mode gained.

Benefit: You gain a single psionic combat attack mode from among the five available. You may manifest this attack mode at will, without need for power points. This ability otherwise follows all the rules for psionic combat.

Special: You may purchase this feat multiple times. Each time it is purchased, it provides a new psionic combat attack mode.

Focus Wild Talent [Talent]

Benefit: You may manifest a single psionic power you have from the wild psionics template 2/day rather than 1/day.

Special: You may purchase this feat multiple times, either to apply it to a different psionic power or to increase a single power's usage per day even further. When this feat is purchased twice for a single power, that power is then usable 3/day. When this feat is purchase three times for a single power, that power may then be manifested at will.

Elves of Athas

Athasian elves have diverged profoundly from their counterparts on other prime worlds, having become flighty, wild beings that live for the moment rather than slowly savor existence. Runners and hunters, they retain the elven grace, even if they are much more down to earth. On the planes, it is said that athasian elves live on the third layer of Arborea, in the realm of Amun-Thys, but those rumors remain unconfirmed.

Elves of Athas reach adulthood at 18 years, middle age at 50 years, are old at 67 years, and become venerable at 100 years, with a maximum age of +2d20 years. For a random starting age, roll 1d6 for Barbarians, Rogues, and Sorcerers, 2d4 for Bard, Fighters, and Rangers, and 2d6 for Clerics, Druids, and Wizards, and add it to 18 for your starting age. Athasian elves have a base height of 6'6" for males and 6' for females, with a height modifier of 2d8. Their base weight is 160 for males and 130 for females, with a weight modifier of x (1d6) lb.

For more on athasian elves, reference the Dark Sun Campaign Setting and Elves of Athas. The official conversion can be found at athas.org. This conversion is not intended to supercede theirs; rather, it is intended for games that wish to mix athasian and non-athasian PCs, use athasian elves in a setting other than Dark Sun, or simply keep Athas more in line with the standard D&D character design and progression. The Athasian template (found in the Prime Vault section of this page) and the Wild Talents rules (found in the Psionics Vault section of this page) can also be used to keep this conversion true to its AD&D 2e counterpart.

Athasian Elven Racial Traits

• +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Con, -2 Wis. Though possessed of a natural genius and agility, Athasian elves lack common sense and stamina (outside of their 'elf run' state). Medium-size: as medium-size creatures, athasian elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Athasian elven base speed is 30 + (Dexterity modifier x3) feet. In addition, athasian elves can use a special meditative state called 'elf run' to run for much longer periods of time than their Constitution score would normally allow. Beginning an 'elf run' counts as a full-round action. An athasian elf in such a state is subject to none of the normal penalties for a forced march. However, after each 24 hours of sprinting, an elf of athas in an 'elf run' must make a Concentration check against a DC of 10 + 5 for each full day he has run. A failed Concentration check means that the elf must cease running or take 1d6 points of subdual damage for every 8 hours he continues to run. This subdual damage cannot be healed unless the elf rests for at least four hours. An athasian elf must rest for at least a full day (after healing any subdual damage from the elf run state) before beginning another elf run. If the elf does not rest in this fashion, the elf takes 1d6 points of damage for every 8 hours he continues to run.
• Low-light Vision: Athasian elves can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similiar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and and detail under these conditions.
• Proficient with longsword; proficient with longbow and composite longbow. Athasian elves have a heritage of warriors and hunters, and all are trained to wield their traditional weapons with skill.
• +2 Racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. +2 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks when in wilderness terrain. The athasian elves have adapted over generation to put their keen senses and agile forms to good use.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Elven.
• Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclass athasian elf's ranger class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing (see Experience for Multiclass Characters, PHB pg. 56). Hunters are vital to the existence of their tribes, and many athasian elves learn this vital occupation in order to forage for whatever resources they can find on their ravaged world.

Insert "Flock of Seagulls" reference here.

Most of this post is being written in advance. Five-second gap and everything. "Mind the gap."

The reason being is tonight is the night I run my Planescape game, using D&D 3.5. Been going on for awhile now, close on the heels of my Planescape game run using D&D 3e. And so I know I'll be strapped for time.

So today I'm going to go on about Runaways.

Runaways is a comic that's been going for about a year now under Marvel Comics' "Tsunami" imprint. The imprint is dying, but it looks like Runaways will be sticking around as a Marvel title for awhile now. The basic premise.is that you have a secret society of super-villains known as the Pride. The Pride have kept their existence secret from just about everybody, their children included. And when their children find out what's going on... well, you can guess what they do, right?

It's an interesting premise. Setting the parents up as the primary villains (though it's been hinted somebody or something else is pulling their strings) is a great premise, bringing the idea of teenage rebellion to the fore in a way that comics like Gen13 never really managed (the only one that got it half right was DV8, I think). Also, the art and characters are damn solid.

So... why not make it into a campaign?

It wouldn't be hard, and it makes for a great premise for a teen supers game. The great power you gain from the onset is offset by the fact that the villains have more experience, power, and have the law on their side. And if you want to do the right thing... it's that much harder. In fact, in a tabletop setting, you could make the villains even more powerful or world-spanning.

Right now my favorite superhero system is Mutants & Masterminds. It'll be interesting to see if Marvel does anything with Runaways and their own system someday... though I have no idea what book they'd throw them in.

In any case, it's time for another useless character... s. Two of the Runaways, statted up for Mutants & Masterminds.

Nico Minoru aka Sister Grimm

130 pts.; PL 8; Init +2; Defense 15 (+2 Dex, +3 Defense); Spd 30 ft.; Attack +3; Attack +5 melee (+4S, staff); SV Dmg +1, Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3; Str 11, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 18. Skills: Bluff +8, Concentration +7, Craft (Fashion) +8, Diplomacy +8, Hide +4, Knowledge (occult) +4, Knowledge (trivia) +4, Listen +5, Move Silently +7, Spot +5. Feats: Attack Finesse, Attractive, Point-Blank Shot. Weaknesses: None. Powers: Sorcery 8 (Extras: Strike - Stun 4 ranks only; Flaws: Device, Limited: Cannot Cast Exact Same Spell Twice; Spells: Elemental Control, Neutralize, ESP, Obscure, Paralysis, Animation, Teleportation; Source: Mystical)*

* The "Staff of One" hides in her body when not in use, but she must shed blood to draw it out. These two effects are considered minor enough to cancel each other out, and are not counted towards her point total.

Nico Minoru is the child of two sorcerers. She has become bonded to the mystical "Staff of One" and can use it to cast a variety of spells. Though she usually dresses in 'goth' attire, she hardly fits the goth stereotype; her occult knowledge is relatively limited, and she seems more eccentric than gloomy.

Alex Wilder

130 pts.; PL 8; Init +7; Defense 16 (+3 Dex, +5 Defense); Spd 30 ft.; Attack +3; Attack +7 melee (+2S, punch); SV Dmg +5, Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +7; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 20, Wis 20, Cha 16. Skills: Bluff +8, Computers +10, Diplomacy +12, Drive +8, Hide +7, Knowledge (culture) +6, Knowledge (geography) +6, Knowledge (history) +6, Knowledge (trivia) +6, Listen +10, Move Silently +7, Search +10, Sense Motive +9, Spot +10. Feats: Improved Initiative, Inspire, Iron Will, Leadership, Toughness. Weaknesses: None. Powers: None.

Alex comes from a wealthy but strict home - though lacking in any powers or devices, he is a natural leader (a trait he shares with his father). His resourcefulness and way with words can often make up for his lack of hitting power, though his crush on Nico can cloud his better judgement from time to time.

The Runaways are copyrighted by Marvel Comics. Surprise!

Legend of the Five Rings

During my early college years, I was a huge Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) nut. Yes, I was a vertiable walnut of L5R-loving goodness. I loved the CCG, I loved the RPG, I... never paid much attention to the Disc Wars game, but I had a set of the Button Men! Didn't care much for Clan War, though. I was in the Imperial Assembly as Phoenix (even through our terrible time during the early parts of Hidden Emperor), played in tournaments... never did very well, but I did win a local tournament through enlightenment victory long before the monks got their 'easy enlightenment victory' foo with the House of Tao stronghold. So that's gotta count for something.

Anyway.

I decided that trying to write for the Imperial Herald would be a good 'in'. After all, that's how Ree Sosebee got her start, and she wrote the metaplot! Well, at the time she did, anyway.

So I was coming up with a city to be the setting for the L5R game I was about to run, and I came up with Sani Okoku Toshi (the Japanese may be terrible; I don't know, it's been years since I originally studied it). I decided to do a short write-up, throw in some adventure hooks, and voila! Instant Imperial Herald submission.

And it was accepted!

Unfortunately, then the rights for the Herald went to... Wizards? I don't recall exactly. So I contacted the folks and Wizards lost my submission and I got repeatedly bounced back and forth between then and AEG until I stupidly just gave up.

But here's the original article. Once again, these are in the accursed and ancient Wordperfect format.

5sot.wp

They also had a contest for the Unexpected Allies book, where people wrote up characters and sent them in. A number of lucky winners would get their characters in the book! Sounded like a perfect opportunity. So I wrote up two submissions and sent them.

I wasn't printed.

Considering what a dog of a book it was for the most part, I don't know if I'm sad or happy regarding that fact... I thought Rei was a good submission, though, and still do. It needs some refinement, looking back at it... on the other hand, I can see why Ieyasu wasn't selected pretty easily.

l5rrei.wpd

l5rieyas.wpd

And, as a free bonus!

These are some tips I wrote for myself regarding writing for L5R. Are they worth a damn? Hell if I know...

5tips.wp

Hopefully, I can find my GM notes for Code of Bushido at some point... and tell the sad, tragic tale that was me playtesting Greg Stolze's original Code of Bushido rough draft in the future. Or maybe I'll speak on my disenchantment with the game, and how I traded all my cards for a computer.

Well, that's really all there is to be told. I traded my cards for a computer. I still pay attention to it and look at the newer RPG books coming out of it, but my passion for the game will probably never burn quite so bright again. I still like it, but we broke up awhile ago, and just don't talk much anymore.

Agile Dragons!

Back when Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM) was young and so was I, I was trying to find a way to break into the RPG writing / design field. I saw BESM, and figured that the sort of 'small press' that Guardians of Order was at the time would be easier to break into. And so, inspired by 'demon hunting' anime (mainly Devil Hunter Yohko at the time, but also 3x3 Eyes, Vampire Princess Miyu, etc.), I decided to work on doing an original world based around that sort of thing.

It was rejected largely on the grounds that they just weren't that interested in world backgrounds, namely backgrounds that were relatively close to existing material. In retrospect, I can understand their position better. Personally, I don't think Agile Dragons was that good... it had some interesting material, but it's simply competent rather than great.

Nonetheless, it now sees the light of day. Since this is sample work as part of a proposal, it's incomplete. Sadly, I haven't made another submission on this scale since.

All the files are in old Wordperfect format... which most modern copies of Microsoft World should be able to translate.

This was the proposed outline for Agile Dragons.

aoutline.wpd

This is the rough introduction.

adintro.wpd

Here's what exists of the player's section.

adplayer.wpd

A fragmentary start to the character section.

adchar.wpd

And the start of a GM section.

adgm.wpd

Looking back on it, I can see why I didn't touch it again. It's all pretty derivative, and though smidgens of material is interesting, it's nothing that really excites me like some of the aforementioned Maelstrom material. Certainly, were I to do something in the "modern occult" genre for Anime, I'd aim for something more original and interesting. Hellsing and Demon City Shinjinku are probably the closest properties they've used since, and they've done a very fine job with them.

The Savage Dragon Punches Your Head Off Rule

I was thinking about Mutants & Masterminds and Savage Dragon, and came up with the Accidental Lethality option, or the "I don't know my own strength" option.

Add this to the Massive Damage option found on page 128:

• If you fail your damage save by more than 15 (stun), you are disabled.
• If you fail your damage save by more than 20 (stun), you are dying.
• If you fail your damage save by more than 25 (stun), you are killed instantly.

And now more for Mutants & Masterminds: useless stats!

Ba-Goom!, aka Mr. Glum

98 pts.; PL 7; small size; Init +2; Defense 18 (+2 Dex, +1 size, +5 Defense); Spd 20 ft.; Attack +5; Attack +3 melee (-2S, punch); SV Dmg +4, Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 6, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 14. Skills: Bluff +8, Climb +0, Craft (energy weapons) +10, Diplomacy +6, Disable Device +8, Hide +8, Intimidate +9, Listen +4, Move Silently +7, Repair +8, Spot +4, Taunt +10. Feats: Assessment, Fame, Dodge, Iron Will, Minions, Startle, Surprise Strike, Toughness. Weaknesses: Quirk: Desire to Conquer. Powers: None known.

Ba-Goom is a "warrior born" from Dimension-X. Arriving on Earth, he planned to spearhead an invasion, starting by defeating the Savage Dragon. Unfortunately for him, he miscalculated somewhat, and turned out to be rather small on this world. He was mistaken for a stuffed animal by Angel, Dragon's daughter, and decided to use it as a ruse. Operating undercover, he decided to use his position to discover the Dragon's weakness. While the family was away, Ba-Goom assembled an enormous cannon in the living room, only to be discovered a short time before its completion.

Since them, Ba-Goom has been obstenibly part of Dragon's "family", considering Angel a friend. Recently, during a trip to Dimension X, it was revealed that Dragon's evil counterpart had slaughtered his world; this version assumes he still rules his world in Dimension X (hence the minions and fame). Remove his Quirk, Minions, and Fame for the more recent version, which totals at 104 pts.

Ba-Goom is copyright Erik Larsen.

Side note: the links from yesterday have been corrected. They should work now. Ooops!