Space Princess: Pick Your Species

Here’s where species (not races – that hasn’t been the right word for about a century now) currently stand in Space Princess.

Human
Human characters have no special bonuses or penalties, but they do begin the game with one extra Destiny Token to help them get out of dangerous situations intact. Humans begin with a standard Defense Rating of 10 and a standard Movement Rate of 40.

Android or Gynoid
Androids are sentient robots that generally resemble males, while gynoids are sentient robots that generally resemble females. Of course, your android character can look however you like – it need not even be humanoid in configuration, although such a shape could influence how it interacts with the environment in the game (i.e. it is unable to climb a wall because it has no arms or legs, etc). Androids are immune to mental domination, fear and poison. Androids have a standard Defense Rating of 12 and a standard Movement Rate of 40.

Alien
Aliens come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. You can either invent your own alien species on the spot, or your Referee might provide you with a selection. Aliens have a standard Defense Rating of 10 and a standard Movement Rate of 40, unless otherwise stated below. Aliens are built as follows:

1. Choose Kingdom: Crustacean, Fungus, Humanoid, Insect, Mammal, Mollusk, Plant, Reptile or Silicon-Based.

Crustaceans: Crustacean aliens have a thick carapace that grants them a standard Defense Rating of 12. The player can choose to give them pincers in place of normal hands. These pincers make it difficult for them to handle ray guns (-2 to hit) and perform acts of fine manual dexterity (-10%).

Fungoids: Fungoids have thick skin and their lack of internal organs makes them resistance to damage, giving them a standard Defense Rating of 12. They are immune to poisons not designed to kill fungus (i.e. fungicides) and their alien intellects give them a +10% bonus to resist mental domination and fear.

Humanoid: Humanoid aliens look like human beings with slight physical differences – pointed ears, red skin, six fingers on each hand or four toes on each foot. Humanoid aliens enjoy a +2 bonus to one ability score (chosen by the player), but suffer a -2 penalty to another ability score (chosen by the Referee).

Insects: Insect aliens have chitin that provides a standard Defense Rating of 11. Their powerful mandibles add +1 to their damage when engaged in unarmed combat.

Mammals: Non-humanoid mammals might resemble other members of the mammal kingdom, from dogs to cats to elephants and gazelles. They have thick fur or skin that gives them a Defense Rating of 11 and their natural weaponry (claws, fangs, antlers) add +1 to their damage when engaged in unarmed combat.

Mollusks: Mollusk aliens that can leave the water are usually covered with a mucus membrane that makes them difficult to grapple in combat (-2 to the attempt). Their tentacle-like limbs make them expert grapplers (+2 to the attempt).

Plants: Plant aliens have the same general benefits as Fungoids.

Reptilians: Reptilian aliens have a standard Defense Rating of 11 due to their scaly hides. If deprived of warmth, they become sluggish and their Movement Rate is cut in half. A reptilian’s natural weapons (fangs, claws) grant it a +1 bonus to damage when engaged in unarmed combat.

Silicon-Based: Silicon-based life forms are essentially living rocks. Like androids, they might take almost any form the player can imagine, with the same consequences. Silicon life are immune to all poisons and seemingly require no sustenance to stay alive. They have a standard Defense Rating of 12, but their standard Movement is reduced to 20.

2. Choose One Special Ability: You can add an additional special ability by permanently spending one Destiny Token.

Ability Bonus: The alien can improve one ability score by +2.

Bulk: The alien is especially bulky and heavy, making it difficult to knock over in combat.

Climbing: The alien can climb walls and ceilings as easily as it walks on a flat surface.

ESP: The alien can attempt to read another’s mind by making physical contact. The alien must make a Mentality saving throw to make contact, and the target can make a mentality saving throw to resist. The ESP reads the surface thoughts of the target. Attempting to access deeply personal secrets permits the target to make a second saving throw to resist.

Hearing: The alien has hearing well beyond that of human beings.

Infra-Vision: The alien can see in the dark via infra-red radiation – in essence, it sees body heat.

Leap: The alien can leap up to 20 feet in any direction.

Mind Control: Whether by hypnotic eyes, intoxicating spores or simple brain waves, the alien can attempt to impose its will on others. The target of the mind control can make a Mentality saving throw to negate the effect. The mind control makes the victim believe the alien is a good and trusted friend. The alien cannot use the mind control to order the person to kill themselves, and orders that seriously counter the target’s personal beliefs (like having them attack a loved one or betray a very valued cause) allow them a second saving throw to shake off the control.

Multiple Arms: Multiple arms allows the alien to hold more objects than normal and to make one additional attack during combat.

Multiple Legs: Multiple legs increases the alien’s Movement Rate by +5.

Stunning Grasp: The alien can stun others with their touch. They must make a normal, unarmed attack in combat to make contact. The victim suffers normal unarmed damage and must pass a Mentality saving throw or fall unconscious for one combat round.

Space Princess Quickie

Okay – if this image by Allen Anderson is actually in the public domain …

… then this crap just got serious.

Also – I have an offer to do some art for the interior … I’m going to have to ponder this for a bit and finish up a couple other projects, but I may pursue this and add yet another game with virtually no sales potential to my ever increasing repertoire.

H/T to Illustrateurs blog for the JPEG image

Eyebots, Horned Tigers & Space Princesses

A couple things today.

First – some cool sci-fi art harvested from the digital tides.

This one makes me think Traveller, but very ’70s slick sci-fi. From the Syd Mead Gallery.

These images are more Encounter Critical to my mind – the kind of game I’m probably way more likely to play than Traveler. To be completely honest, though, I’ve never played either game. I’ve rolled up characters, but never had the chance to play. Found at (like the image above) Super Punch!

Also …

So, I was perusing a blog that asked why sci-fi RPGs never hit it as big as fantasy RPGs. My take was that D-n-D (’cause when you’re talking about uber-successful fantasy rpg’s, you’re talking about D-n-D) was successful because it borrowed things from the fantasy genre without trying to emulate fantasy stories. Instead, it was a wargame set in a dungeon. That kind of game is easier to run than story emulation, and therefore it was more popular. So – my question – would a sci-fi game that attempts to be nothing more than, for example, “save the space princess from the starlord’s fortress” work. I think my next project that I promised I wouldn’t write was just born. And I think I’ll call it Space Princess.

Hmmm – Star Warrior, Scoundrel, Scientist and Psychic … this could be fun.

Update: Jay reminds me of X-plorers. I need to look into that game.

Update 2: In the meantime, I’m thinking about the concept of sci-fi heroes delving into star fortress, and here’s where my mind is wandering:

Four ability scores – Strength (bonus to hit, bonus to hit points), Dexterity (bonus to hit, bonus to defense), Mentality (for psychics) and Knowledge (for scientists) – simple bonuses and used for saving throws (maybe score x3 as a percent + 5% per character level?)

Four classes – As above; I’ve already written a scientist and psychic class that I could adapt, and the star warrior and scoundrel should be pretty easy as well.

Races – Human, Android, Alien – the alien rules would be a “build your own alien” concept – probably would resemble d20 race builds more than anything else. They would probably have a level limit and be able to take levels as star warrior or a multi-class based on whatever ability score they get a bonus to.

Scoundrel skills – Disguise, Defeat Security System, Hide Contraband, Avoid Notice, Fast Talk, Pilot Ship – percentage skills like a thief, except you get six columns with percentage changes and assign the skills yourself; maybe Star Warriors can choose a skill as well?

Would rules that assign levels to players by dice roll – a’la Young Hero (Luke), Experienced Heroes (Han and Chewie), Old Hero (Obi-Wan) – be any good? Maybe a fun option. Also – maybe just five levels with slow advancement in the middle.

Need rules for the space battle when you’ve escaped the space fortress and the minions are chasing you.

I don’t know if I’ll go any further, but it’s fun to think about.

Two New Villains for Mystery Men!

To celebrate Easter I present two super villains that aren’t remotely themed to Easter, Spring or anything else. Huzzah!

Super Size
Dexter Finkel was well liked. He was funny, terribly sarcastic, hard working and generally regarded as a “good guy”. He was also miserable, because being a good guy, and a good guy weighing north of 260 pounds, wasn’t much help with the ladies. He’d tried just about every diet plan conceived by modern man (except exercise and eating less, it should be noted), but one disappointment and he was right back at the burger stand (Mister Patty, with seventeen locations around Shore City for your convenience) and the double patty bacon blast with fries and a shake.

It was after on such binge that he awoke to an advertisement on the radio – Wainwright Labs seeking overweight people to take part in an experimental weight loss drug. Dexter grabbed his phone and, after a few questions, got himself on the list.

The drug worked well, at first. He started shedding pounds, though it made his teeth ache, and had himself down to a slim 180 when a minor rejection from the receptionist at his office sent him right back to Mister Patty. Only this time, he couldn’t stop at one double. After four he felt something must be wrong, because he not only didn’t feel full, he was growing. After ten, he’d put on 200 pounds and 3 feet and it wasn’t stopping. Naturally, a rampage resulted that only ended when Fantome used her natural charisma to distract him long enough for Miss Victory to put the hammer down on the 10 ton, 15 foot tall Dexter Finkel (and by hammer, I mean bulldozer). Nicknamed “Super Size” by the Daily Herald, Dexter is now serving time at Iron Island, where positive affirmations and a very controlled diet are temporarily keeping him from being a threat to himself and others.

Ro-Man
Out in the cold depths of space, there exist a race of cyborg apes called Ro-Men. For ages, these apes have watched the advancement of human beings and now they are beginning down the long road to mankind’s destruction. Their advance scout is Extension XJ-2. His mission is to lay the foundation for man’s destruction, starting with the sabotage of his space programs. Unfortunately, Ro-Man’s activities brought him into conflict with Rocky X and his Rocketeers, and he found his plans delayed, if not stopped entirely, by a stint in Iron Island. He still manages to send short messages to the Great Guidance via his antennae, and still plans to finish his mission when he finds a way out of prison.

Dark Lord of the Sith for Mystery Men!

I’m finally finished editing NOD 7 and should have it up for sale tomorrow. To celebrate, I figured I’d take a crack of statting up the villain that loomed largest in my pre-teen years …

Darth Vader
Adventurer Lvl 10

STR 10 | DEX 12 | CON 4 | INT 5 | WIL 6 | CHA 3
HP 75 | DC 20 | SPD 2 | XP 15,000 (70,000)

Powers: Catfall [P], Force Hand II [L], Haste [S], Jump [L], Mind Fog [L], Mind Reading [L], Precognition [L], Shield [P], Suggestion I [L], Super Dexterity (+6) [P], Telekinesis [P]

Gear: Lightsaber (sword + energy blade power and potent weapon), light armor (super strength +6), helm with respirator, black cloak

And since he’s right there in that image above, I might as well stat out the dark lord of Latveria as well.

Doctor Doom
Scientist Lvl 8, Sorcerer Lvl 8*

STR 14 | DEX 3 | CON 3 | INT 18 | WIL 5 | CHA 5
HP 43 | DC 25 | SPD 2 | XP 22,600 (70,000 XP)

Powers: Super Intelligence (+12) [P]

Armor Powers: Armor [P], Energy Ray (Electricity) [L], Force Missiles [P], Shield [P], Super Strength (+12) [P]

Sorcery Pool: 10,000 XP

Science Pool: 15,000 XP

Gear: Heavy armor (invested with several powers – see above), green hooded cloak

* Multi-classing isn’t baked into the MM! rules, but I figured they made sense with Victor. Essentially, I just split the XP remaining after powers between the two classes

Darth Vader versus Doctor Doom by Jim Califiore (TM Marvel Comics & LucasFilm Ltd.)

Read more: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/geek-to-me/2010/07/fantasy-face-off-darth-vader-vs-superman.html#ixzz1E5u54TX7

Science Is Now Active!

Speaking of Encounter-Criticalesque pop culture, Destructor is a web comic by Sean T. Collins (writer) and Matt Wiegle that’s made my weekly to-visit list. I think the image above tells you everything you need to know about why any lover of gonzo sci-fantasy should be reading this strip.

If things go as planned today (HA!) I’ll be putting up what I’m calling the gamma rules for Mystery Men! – no, not gamma as in radiation that turns you green and huge, but gamma as in “after beta”. I think I have enough changes to the rules to warrant another set of preliminaries.

Have fun today children – and if I hear any edition wars going on up there I’m going to tell your father when he gets home!

L. Sprague DeCamp Is Awesome!

Okay, maybe the title of the post should be “Edd Cartier is Awesome!” My first introduction to Mr. DeCamp was in discussions of how he ruined REH’s Conan stories by over editing them. Knowing nothing else about the guy, I tended to look on him as a bit of a villain. Later, I discovered he was favored by EGG, and just finished reading his Harold Shea stories, which I found enjoyable. Then I discovered these delightful pieces of art by Edd Cartier at Golden Age Comic Book Stories (follow this blog if you follow nothing else) from a story called The Hand of Zei

 

 

 

 

 

Nobody who can write something that inspires these gonzo images can be all bad. I have to find a copy The Hand of Zei. I have to believe the fictional creators of Encounter Critical were inspired by this story when they were penning their magnum opus in the 1970’s.

Four Day Planet by H Beam Piper

I just finished listening to an audio book of H. Beam Piper’s Four Day Planet on LibriVox. I’d never heard of Piper before, and really just picked the book at random from a list of sci-fi titles that had recently showed up on the site. Of course, that’s the wonderful thing about the internet – churning up all sorts of wonderful (or even mediocre) stuff that you’ve never heard of and serving it up free of charge. Between LibriVox, the Internet Archive and GoogleBooks, I defy you not to stay entertained with a computer and hi speed connection. Anyhow …

Four Day Planet is not fine literature – it’s not even among the better scientifiction that I’ve read (or listened to, in this case). The dialogue is stilted, the plot is okay as it goes – nothing ground breaking, but told competently – and the characters are pretty wooden. So why would I recommend it? Because it strikes me as a wonderful “gazetteer” for games like Traveler – a really well realized and interesting setting for science fiction games.

The “four day planet” of the title is Fenris – inhabitable by humans, but only just. It has a four day year, spending half of it as a boiling hell hole and the other half as a frozen iceball. There is native life, mostly in the oceans, and humanity living in a large bunker-city. The main industry of the planet is the collection and sale of “tallow” – a waxy substance taken from massive sea creatures called “sea monsters”. The tallow is collected by monster hunters, guys who work on “boats” that act as both submarine and aircraft – in essence, futuristic whalers. What Piper lacks in storytelling or characterization, he makes up for in a fantastical-but-believable science fiction world and universe.

If you’re a Traveler player or enjoy semi-realistic sci-fi, I suggest giving this one a listen or read. You can also find it on Project Gutenberg.