Spes Magna Games

Today I revisit Old-School Essentials via a portrait from Jeshields – RPG Stock Art.

Through the open flaps of the ragged, colorful tent, you see an unpleasant creature. Stunted and wizened, large pointed ears below his stained turban, the stench of urine thick in the air around him, the aged goblin grins, showing scab-black gums almost devoid of teeth. Rats wriggle in the folds of his baggy clothes. One fat rodent sprawls atop his turban, its shiny eyes studying you.

“Welcome!” the goblin says, “I am Yad Al-shaytan. Enter my shop freely and in peace.”

Yad Al-shaytan appears as an aged goblin, itself an unlikely encounter given how nasty, brutish, and short goblin lives tend to be. In truth, Yad has more than goblin blood coursing through his veins. He has lived several decades beyond the normal lifespan for goblins. Despite his apparent age, he remains healthy and vigorous. Some of Yad’s abilities have birthed rumors that Yad is some sort of half-vampire, but he is not undead.

Yad’s colorful, ragged tent looks to have a diameter of about 20 feet with a 20-foot tall center pole. Its inner dimensions are considerably larger, and tables, chests, barrels, freestanding shelves, taxidermied creatures, et cetera crowd the interior, turning the inside into a veritable maze of twisting aisles. Visitors often catch glimpses of strange shadows moving about, but direct observation fails to reveal the true nature of these fleeting impressions.

Yad Al-Shaytan: AC 4 [15], HD 3+3 (16 hp), Att 1 × weapon (1d6+1 or by weapon +1), THAC0 16 [+3], MV 90’ (30’), SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (5), ML 8, AL Chaotic, XP 35, NA 1, TT S x4, T x2
Hates the Sun: -1 to-hit in full daylight.

• Infravision: 90’.
• Regeneration: Yad gains 3 hp at the start of each round, as long as he is alive.
• Summon Beasts: Creatures from the surrounding area: 1d8 x 8 rats, 4d4 giant rats, 1d8 x 8 bats, 3d4 giant bats, 2d4 wolves, or 1d4 dire wolves. Yad uses speak with animals to communicate with these types of beasts.
• Teleport Shop: Within his shop, Yad can cast teleport once per day, causing him, his shop, and all of his property to vanish.

Tags: monsters, NPCs, Old School Essentials

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For several months, I’ve played Kid Avenger in a Savage Worlds post-apoc campaign. Kid appears to be a normal lad in his early to mid-teens, but his speed, strength, and agility belie that appearance. He claims he’s the result of an attempt to recreate the Super Soldier Serum created by Abraham Erskine, and that the truth of his origins are the subtext of his collection of pre-apoc comic books. Kid’s compatriots think Kid is insane, which he might be, but just because someone’s paranoid doesn’t mean nobody is out to get them.

I ended up with Kid Avenger as my character concept because I wanted to play a superhero game, but the majority of players wanted to play post-apoc in the U.S. South, and so I pretty much went with my original concept, tweaked to make him fit the setting. I’m getting a kick out playing Kid. He’s hell on wheels in combat, and his delusions (or clouded memories?) make him fun to roleplay as well.

Pinnacle Entertainment Group recently released the Savage World Super Power Companion, and I purchased the PDF. It’s my favorite expansion to Savage Worlds. It hits most of the right notes with the supers genre, and builds well on the core Savage Worlds rules.

And I say this as someone who has something of a love-hate relationship with Savage Worlds. What the game system does well, it does very well, but, ye gods, it can get fiddly and slow, especially in combat involving one or more villainous Wild Cards, at which point the fight degenerates into a contest to see who has the most Bennies. (But, this might be more a function of my erratic attention span than the game itself.)

All of what preceded really serves as an excuse to introduce two Savage Worlds supers: the Human Fly and the Fly. The former is built as a beginning character. He could be introduced into a street-level Savage Worlds superhero game as is. The Fly, however, is built as a villain, and so I wasn’t particularly worried about point costs. He’s roughly equivalent to a Power Level III character, but would likely give a Novice Power Level III hero a hard time in a fight.

Trivia Moment! Marvel’s Bill Mantlo had a hand in creating the Human Fly and the Fly for publication.

The Human Fly
Power Level II Hero

Rick Rojatt suffered serious injuries in the car crash that claimed the lives of his wife and children. A benefactor paid for multiple surgeries aimed at restoring Rojatt to health by replacing 60% of his damaged skeleton with metal bones. Even still, Rojatt was an invalid for years before a combination of physical therapy and raw will regained for him full mobility. Enhanced by his metal skeleton, Rojatt dedicated himself to training in order to develop the skills needed to become the world’s greatest daredevil stuntman. Costumed as the Human Fly, Rojatt is less a crimefighter and more of a philanthropist, using his abilities to raise awareness and money for a variety of noble causes.

Rank: Novice
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d10
Skills: Athletics d10, Common Knowledge d4, Driving d6, Fighting d10, Notice d6, Persuasion d4, Stealth d6
Pace: 8; Parry: 8; Toughness: 8
Hindrances: Environmental Weakness (minor – electromagnetism interferes with metal skeleton), Pacifism (minor), Vow (major)
Edges: Martial Artist, Nerves of Steel, Super Powers (30)

Powers

Dodge (2): Direct ranged attacks are at -2 to hit the Human Fly. Trapping: Training.

Fearless (2): Immune to Fear checks. Trapping: Training.

Leaping (2): 4″ (8 yards) vertical, 8″ (16 yards) horizontal. Trapping: Training.

Pace (2): Base Pace and running die type +2. Trapping: Metal Skeleton.

Parry (2): +2 Parry. Trapping: Training.

Super Attributes (10): Agility +2, Spirit +2, Strength +2, Vigor +3. Trapping: Metal Skeleton.

Super Skill (7): Athletics +3, Fighting +4. Trapping: Training.

Super Edge (2): Nerves of Steel. Trapping: Training.

Toughness +1 (1): Trapping: Metal Skeleton.

The Fly

Richard Deacon, small-time thug, ran afoul of Spider-Man during an attempt to gain ransom for two kidnapped persons. Deacon was injured and fell into the river, and authorities presumed he died. Deacon survived, and he happened to overhear J. Johan Jameson and Dr. Harlan Stillwell discuss the creation of a new hero that Jameson hoped would get rid of Spider-Man. Deacon later forced Stillwell to transform him into a metahuman by grafting onto his DNA the genetic coding of a common housefly. Thus Deacon became the Fly, a supervillain who has met little lasting success despite his amazing powers. Nevertheless, even an experienced hero ought to avoid underestimating the Fly.

Attributes: Agility d12, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d12+6, Vigor d12
Skills: Athletics d16, Common Knowledge d4, Driving d4, Fighting d10, Focus d10, Notice d12+2, Persuasion d4, Shooting d6, Stealth d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 12 (4)
Hindrances: Distinctive Appearance (minor), Greedy (major), Mean (minor)
Edges: Alertness, Extraction, No Mercy, Quick, Super Powers

Powers

Armor (2): Augemented muscles and bones. Trapping: Mutation.

Dodge (3): Direct ranged attacks are at -3 to hit the Fly. Trapping: Mutation.

Extra Limbs (2): Wings grant a +2 Gang Up bonus when used to fight. Modifier: Not Prehensile. Trapping: Wings.

Flight (8): 90″ (60 MPH). Trapping: Wings.

Push (3): Wind blast from wings. Cone template. Modifier: Strong (-2 Strength to resist and 2d6″ knockback). Trapping: Wings.

Ranged Attack (9): Sonic blast from wings. 4d6 damage. Modifier: Cone Template Optional. Trapping: Wings.

Super Attributes (16): Agility +3, Strength +3, Vigor +2. Trapping: Mutation.

Super Skill (10): Fighting +3, Focus +4, Notice +3. Trapping: Training (or Mutation for Notice).

Uncanny Reflexes (3): Excels at avoiding area attacks. Trapping: Mutation.

Wall Walker (1): Trapping: Mutation.

Tags: NPCs, Savage Worlds, superhero games

Okay, let’s be upfront. Today’s Tuesday Terror is not a terror, unless you’re evil or, worse yet, an evil cat. Mighty Mouse was created by Paul Terry to parody Superman. Mighty Mouse’s original name was Super Mouse, and he first appeared in an animated story titled The Mouse of Tomorrow. Super Mouse became Mighty Mouse in 1944, about two years after his creation, and he became an opera-singing hero in 1945, in part due to the widespread popularity of Mario Lanza.

Mr. Trouble never hangs around, when he hears this Mighty sound, “Here I come to save the day!” That means that Mighty Mouse is on the way! Yes, sir, when there is a wrong to right, Mighty Mouse will join the fight! On the sea or on the land, he’s got the situation well in hand! We know that when there’s danger, we’ll never despair; because, we know that when there’s danger he is there, on the land on the sea in the air. We’re not worrying at all. We just listen for his call, “Here I come to save the day!” That means that Mighty Mouse is on the way. When there is a wrong to right, Mighty Mouse will joint the fight. “Here I come to save the day!” That means that Mighty Mouse is on the way!

Mighty Mouse
Tiny humanoid (mouse), neutral good

Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 170 (20d4+120)
Speed 40 ft., fly 90 ft. (hover)

STR 20 (+5), DEX 20 (+5), CON 23 (+6), INT 11 (+0), WIS 16 (+3), CHA 18 (+4)

Saving Throws STR +10, DEX +10, CON +11, WIS +8
Skills Athletics +10, Insight +8, Intimidation +9, Investigation +5, Perception +8
Damage Resistances acid, force, necrotic, psychic, radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from magical attacks
Damage Immunities cold, fire, lightning, poison, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages Common
Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)

Flyby. Mighty Mouse doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when he flies out of an enemy’s reach.

Flying Charge. If Mighty Mouse flies at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits with a slam attack on the same turn, that target takes an extra 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Super-Senses. Mighty Mouse has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks related to sight and hearing. As a bonus action, his sense of sight works like a ring of x-ray vision with no danger of exhaustion.

Super-Strength. Mighty Mouse is treated as Gargantuan for purposes of using the Attack action to grapple or shove a creature. Mighty Mouse’s lifting and carrying capacities are equal to his Strength score multiplied by 120. Mighty Mouse deals double damage to objects and structures.

Actions

Multiattack. Mighty Mouse makes four attacks using his Slam, Cape Contrail, and/or Whirlwind attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6+5) bludgeoning damage.

Cape Contrail. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 18). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. It remains grappled for 1 minute or until it escapes the grapple. Mighty Mouse does not need to maintain the grapple.

Whirlwind. Mighty Mouse flies at least 40 feet in a circle to create a 5-foot-radius, 30-foot-tall cylinder of swirling air magically forms on the point around which he flies. The whirlwind lasts until the end of Mighty Mouse’s next turn. Any creature but Mighty Mouse that enters the whirlwind must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be restrained by it. A creature can use its action to free a creature restrained by the whirlwind, including itself, by succeeding on a DC 18 Strength check. If the check succeeds, the creature is no longer restrained and moves to the nearest space outside the whirlwind.

Tags: 5E D&D, NPCs, Tuesday Terror

The Kids’ Game campaign continues. The heroes left behind Miami, Florida, in the 1980s and entered the Nile Empire, a strange mixture of ancient Egyptian society, Depression-era pulp noir, weird science, and masked men of mystery. Transformed from 8th-graders into men of action, the heroes found themselves thwarting attempted murder by giant scorpion, matching wits and bullets and fists against a master of disguise, and racing against the agents of the diabolical Wu Han, servant of Pharoah Doctor Mobius, to retrieve a set of mysterious tiles stolen from the Temple of Tears deep in be-jungled Leopard Man territory. The tiles, it is said, must be restored to their original configuration in the Temple in order to reveal the location of the fabled Chalice of Possibilities, an obscure but allegedly powerful artifact that several would-be world conquerors seek to possess.

Among foes faced by the heroes were a Priestess of Sobek and an Avatar of Sobek, a monstrous crocodile. Between the Avatar’s jaws and the Priestess’s fear magic, the heroes nearly met defeat.

Avatar of Sobek (Wild Card)

Larger and more powerful than most Nile crocodiles, the Avatar of Sobek bears the hieroglyph of Sobet on its head, branded between its eyes. It obeys its mistress’s orders.

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d8, Strength d12+4, Vigor d12
Skills: Fighting d10, Notice d12, Swimming d10
Charisma: —
Pace: 4
Parry: 7
Toughness: 12
Special Abilities:

Aquatic Pace: 6

Bite: STR+d6

Tail: STR+d6. The Avatar of Sobek cannot target the same creature with its bite and its tail.

Death Roll: With a raise, the Avatar of Sobek inflicts +2d4 damage.

Size +4: The Avatar of Sobek is more than 20 feet long.

Priestess of Sobek (Wild Card)

Scaly fleshed and wearing a crocodilian mask, the Priestess of Sobek is a fearsome enemy.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d10, Notice d12, Swimming d10
Charisma: +0
Pace: 6
Parry: 6
Toughness: 7
Special Abilities:

Aquatic Pace: 5

Crocodile Fang Sword: STR+d6

Crocodile Paw Throwing Knife: STR+d4 (3/6/12 range)

Miracles of Sobek: The Priestess has 10 Power Points to spend on Beast Friend and Fear. She gets a +2 to influence reptiles, but has a -2 to influence other animals.

Scaly Blessing: +2 TOU

And, just because I did it for two other game systems, here’s a third version of the bearboar:

“Everybody died,” the scientist claims. The grizzly boar charged through the grounds and impaled the rich hunters, one after the other, on its sharp tusks. Though it was shot a few times, the creature seemed to have no problem absorbing bullets.

Mad scientists in a lab with poor security? Of course. Sheesh, what fresh hell will it be this time?

Bearboar

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6 (A), Spirit d8, Strength d12+4, Vigor d12
Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d8, Swimming d6
Charisma: —
Pace: 8
Parry: 6
Toughness: 10
Special Abilities:

Bear Hug: A bearboar that hits with a claw and gets a raise has pinned its foe. The foe may only attempt to escape the “hug” on his action, which requires a raise on an opposed Strength roll.

Bulletproof: The bearboar’s mutated hide negates up to 4 AP from bullets and provides +4 protection from them as well. This bonus is not added to the bearboar’s Toughness above.

Claws: STR+d6

Improved Frenzy: The bearboar can make two Fighting attacks each action at no penalty.

Tusks: STR+d6. If the bearboar can charge at least 6″ before attacking with its tusks, it adds +4 to its damage total.

Size +2: The bearboar is more than 8 feet long and weighs more than 1,000 pounds.

Tags: monsters, NPCs, Savage Wednesday, Savage Worlds, The Kids' Game

Johnny Appleseed (Wild Card)

Johnny is an eccentric entrepreneur. He travels the country, usually on foot, pretending to be an impoverished vagrant. In truth, he is quite wealthy. Kind-hearted, pious, and generous, Johnny uses his skills and uncanny powers to help others. He is not a man of violence, however, preferring to overcome hostility with his wits and words.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d6, Vigor d10
Skills: Gambling d6, Healing d8, Knowledge (horticulture) d10, Persuasion d10, Repair d8, Survival d10, Swimming d6, Tracking d6
Charisma: +2
Pace: 6
Parry: 2
Toughness: 7
Special Abilities:

Animal Lover: Johnny can speak with animals. Animals won’t attack Johnny unless he attacks them first.

Elan: When Johnny spends a Bennie on a Trait roll, add +2 to the total.

Pacifist: Johnny is a pacifist. He won’t fight living creatures.

Plant Control: Johnny can control plants. He has 20 Power Points that he can spend on the Barrier and Entangle powers.

Tags: NPCs, Savage Wednesday, Savage Worlds