Spes Magna Games

Back in 2016, I released my own superhero game, The Four Color Hack (TFCH). To date, it’s my only product available print-on-demand. It was mostly well-received. Since it’s release, I’ve netted a bit more than $200 from its sales, which for Spes Magna Games is a lot of money. Unfortunately, I sort of ran out of steam for its continued support, which is a shame. I think it’s a pretty good game.

Which brings me to Prowlers & Paragons Ultimate Edition (PPUE) from Evil Beagle Games. PPUE is a new, improved version of Prowlers & Paragons (PP) by Lakeside Games. PP was released about three years before I released TFCH, which is a game I wrote because I wanted to see what a superhero game might look like if it was written specifically for me.

(N.B. The PPUE and PP links are affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I get a few coppers.)

I’ve read in recent days both PPUE and PP. The latter is a good game. The former is a great game. And while neither was written by me specifically for me, they punch a lot of the same jaws that I was aiming for with TFCH. What’s more, PPUE is undoubtedly a better game than TFCH.

Heck, it might very well be the best superhero game on the market today. Seriously. It’s that good.

So, what’s so good about PPUE? Here’s a short but not exhaustive list:

1. PPUE has a unified task resolution mechanic that is easy to grok and is designed to assist the narrative. Everything is rated as X number of dice. You roll the dice, and you count 2s and 4s as one success and 6s as two successes. Subtract the target number from the total number of successes to determine the degree of narrative control the dice roller gets over the action’s results.

2. PPUE respects the genre. Color me pleased that PP and PPUE use comic book terms to describe the flow of action. A page is a round, for example. This sort of terminology found its way into TFCH, proving great minds think alike. The emphasis is on the action, but the comic book melodrama is not ignored. Instead, it’s built right into character creation in the form of Perks and Flaws.

3. PPUE can handle multiple power levels and comic book subgenres. Want to play star-spanning cosmic champions that fight planet-destroying threats? You can do that. Want to play gritty do-gooders who get knocked around in barfights? You can do that too. World War II heroes? Check. Swords and sorcery barbarians fighting evil wizards? Check. Angsty teenagers at an elite prep school for mutants? Yes, that’s possible as well.

4. PPUE has point-based hero creation, but with an emphasis on basic arithmetic. On the other side of the law, the GM can use the point system to make up villains, but that’s not a requirement. PPUE understands that it is not necessary for the enemies faced by the PCs to be made with the same rules as the PCs. Character creation rules are primarily intended to ensure that the PCs are relatively balanced against each other. The NPCs get to do things the PCs don’t get to do, and whinging that this is unfair is beside the point. (If things were fair, there’d be no need for heroes.)

As mentioned in a previous post, I return to campus this week. The students return some time after, and I hope to get my story game club up and running again. PPUE is a strong contender for the first system that I’ll teach the students who participate.

Also, I’ve made up three characters using PPUE. One of them is a hero suitable for play. The other two are villains. The last link is for a villain made using TFCH, just in case you want to do a little compare-constrat. Each link opens a PDF.

Enjoy!

Baron Samedi, a PPUE Villain.

The Galveston Giant, a PPUE Villain.

The Villain, a PPUE Villain. Duh.

Brutacles, a TFCH Villain.

Tags: Prowlers & Paragons, reviews, superhero games, TFCH

Merry Christmas!

It’s been quite some time since I posted anything about The Four Color Hack. The last time I did so was may back in May 2019 when I posted a villain glommed from Ms. Marvel.

Therefore….

The Doorman
Level 4 Metahuman

Quote: “Enjoy your stay.”
Real Name: Jacob Endo
Identity: Secret
Place of Birth: Seattle, Washington
Height: 5 ft. 6 in.
Weight: 145 lb.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

Hit Points: 23 (4 Vigor)
Base Damage: 2d4
Powers: Acrobatics d8, Enhanced Senses d10, Karate d8, Teleportal d12

Background: Jacob Endo works serves the Doorman for the mysterious Metaplex, a interdimensional five-star resort hotel that caters to metahuman guests. The origin of Jacob’s powers and how he came to work for the Manager are topics of much speculation but few definitive answers. Jacob remains politely circumspect about his past. In the performance of his duties, Jacob is discreet, professional, and friendly. He works closely with the Metaplex’s staff, especially the Concierge and the Desk Clerk. With those two employees, Jacob is the Metaplex’s first line of defense, helping to ensure that guests have a peaceful stay.

Powers: The Doorman’s main power is his ability to create teleportals out of any sort of access point (such as a door or window) between the Metaplex and its exterior as well as within the Metaplex. By means of this power, the Doorman teleports himself, guests, et cetera. The maximum range of his teleportation is about 100 yards, sufficient to grant him access to any location within the Metaplex. People and material teleported must move through the teleportal in order to be instantly transported to the location chosen by the Doorman. He can also open a teleportal that moves through interdimensional space, thus exiting the Metaplex entirely. The Doorman can also seal the Metaplex’s interdimensional entrances, whether to affect a total lockdown or just to exclude a troublesome guest.

While he is loathe to do so, the Doorman is not incapable of using physical force to emphasize the importance of following the Metaplex’s rules. He is a skilled acrobat and martial artist. The Doorman’s senses of hearing and sight are superhumanly acute.

Tags: superhero games, TFCH

Thanks to the generosity of a friend, I got me a copy of the Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook by Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. (Nota Bene: That’s an affiliate link.) It’s a lovely book. Great art throughout, easy-to-read double-column format, et cetera. It’s got some neat stuff, including a spiffy Quickstart Character Generation section, which I’ve used to help me figure out hero creation. The MMDHH is the third edition of Mutants & Masterminds, and it bills itself as “The World’s Greatest Superhero RPG!” It’s not, but it’s still a solid system that I’d love to play, but probably less-than-love to GM.

The first and second editions of Mutants & Masterminds are both too fiddly and too slow (in my opinion) to be a really enjoyable superhero RPG from a GM’s perspective. Those editions aren’t as fiddly and slow as Champions, but few games I’ve played over the past four decades can match Champions in slow fiddliness.

The third edition Mutants & Masterminds resembles the first two editions in big ways at first glance. It’s still sort of a d20 System game, but it deviates from that system enough that it’s closer to its own system than not. It feels like gameplay would be faster than the earlier editions, but only once the differences are learned. I’ve only run a short trial combat with one player to try to get a feel for the new edition. We both had plenty of questions about how to do this, that, or the other thing. Thus, our brief playtest had numerous interruptions, but, like I said, that’s more due to the newness of the edition as compared to what we’re accustomed to with Mutants & Masterminds.

One thing that’s still the same is how much I enjoy making up heroes using the system, and I do think the third edition improves on the earlier ones in this regard. There’s still more math and accounting than I’d normally want to bother with to make up a character, but it’s math and accounting that’s kind of enjoyable. It’s fun to come up with a character concept, to take 150 points, and then to figure out how to turn those 150 points into that character. This is, I think, the strongest feature of the system in any edition, especially when I consider the system as a GM.

I am not a fan of having to crunch numbers in order to come up with adversaries and what not for a group of players. That sort of ciphering is the major factor that turned me off on GMing Pathfinder. It’s too much like work, and, for me, the simplicity of an AD&D stat block wins the day against the complexity of a Pathfinder stat block. I’m also not a fan of systems in which adversaries are built using the same rules used for player characters.

But, because I enjoy making up Mutants & Masterminds characters, that sort of number-crunching doesn’t bother me with Green Ronin’s superhero game. Taking a villain from concept to finished product with Mutants & Masterminds both amuses and relaxes in ways that creating a level-appropriate NPC in Pathfinder ceased doing months before I retired from that game system.

I want to play the new Mutants & Masterminds. If that happens, it probably means I’ll end up having to GM the game. My gaming group’s track record with superhero games is spotty at best. The most success we had was with the excellent Marvel Heroic Roleplaying. That campaign went on for a good while (and then we lost half the players). Our two or three attempts at superhero campaigns using earlier editions of Mutants & Masterminds and even my own Four Color Hack all fizzled out pretty quick.

But I digress.

The main point of this point is show off that great picture of Double-Header. The artist is Chris Schweizer, who graciously agreed to let me use the piece for this post. This sentence is a link to Mr. Schweizer’s Patreon site. This sentence links to an article about Mr. Schweizer with links to places related to his work.

Double-Header stands out in the category of wannabe superheroes. He had the will but not the ability. Among Double-Header’s liabilities? In addition to his complete lack of superpowers or noteworthy skills, Double-Header was a member of an alien race who “twin” as they mature, eventually separating into two adults. Double-Header isn’t a guy with two heads. He’s two guys sharing a body until such a time as they reach a level of maturity resulting in separation. Among Double-Header’s people, twins love and help each other. Not in Double-Header’s case. They couldn’t stand each other.

My version of Double-Header can function as a superhero. They’ve got powers and abilities suitable for the gig. While they’re not terribly fond of each other all the time, they do get along well enough to function as a team. Also, my version isn’t an alien. They’re human mutants, super-powered conjoined twins.

If you click on the pic of Double-Header, it opens up a PDF of their character sheet.

Tags: Mutants & Masterminds, superhero games, TFCH

Way back in 1978, Ms. Marvel met a race of lizard people who had mutated from common desert reptiles into an intelligent society, all as a result of atomic bomb testing. I used to have that comic book. I’m pretty sure it was among the several comics from late 60s through the mid-80s that did survive the purge of my bedroom after I left for basic training in the summer of 1985.

Dinosaurs, lizardmen, et cetera have long been a staple of fantastic fiction and roleplaying games. From Lost Worlds to Lovecraftian serpent people to tragically mutated one-armed scientists, who doesn’t love scaly creatures? People who are wrong. That’s who.

Sollersaurus
Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 1-6 (4-24 in lair)
Armor Class: 4
Move: 15″ or 21″ (see below)
Hit Dice: 4+4
% in Lair: 20%
Treasure Type: D
No. of Attacks: 3
Damage/Attack: 1-4/1-4/2-8
Special Attacks: See below
Special Defenses: See below
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Average
Alignment: Neutral
Size: L (6′ tall, 12′ long)
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
Level/XP Value: IV/250 + 5/hp (Alphas: IV/290 + 5/hp)

The sollersaurus is an intelligent saurian carnivore. It is fast, and it has a whip-like tail, grasping forearms with hand-like appendages sporting sharp talons, a strong jaw full of fangs, and powerful hindlegs. The sollersaurus travels on either two legs or four (move 15″ or 21″, respectively). Its coloration is highly adaptable, much like that of a chameleon.

The sollersaurus has keen senses and infravision of the 90-foot variety. It is immune to illusions and is surprised only 1 in 8 times. The sollersaurus moves quickly and stealthily. It surprises its prey 4 in 6 times. On the first round of combat, the sollersaurus may leap up to 3″ and attack with the gutting talons on its hind legs. This attack enjoys a +2 to-hit bonus and inflicts 3-12 points of damage.

A pack of sollersauruses numbering at least 4 creatures will be coordinated by a mated pair of alphas. These alphas have at least 6 hit points per hit die and have a +1 to-hit bonus on attacks.

The sollersaurus speaks it own language of barks, trills, and hisses. It has a 25% chance to understand 1-2 other languages, although the sollersaurus lacks the vocal apparatus to speak most other tongues. Despite its intelligence, the sollersaurus seldom makes use of tools.

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It’s been a while since I featured anything for The Four Color Hack, and a post that opens talking about a comic book seems an good time to remedy this omission.

The lizard people that Ms. Marvel met included some pretty tough customers. Some had psychic powers. One was a giant viper of sorts. Another threw a tank at Ms. Marvel. That takes some muscle.

Sca-Lor
Level 5 Villain

Quote: “Rraauwrrr!”
Real Name: H’stok
Identity: Secret
Place of Birth: Somewhere in the southwestern United States
Height: 7 ft. 6 in.
Weight: 390 lb.
Eyes: Yellow
Hair: None

Hit Points: 30 (4 Vigor)
Base Damage: d10
Powers: Desert Camouflage d10, Regeneration d10, Super-Strength d16 (d10+d16 damage), Thick Scales d12 (7 protection)

Background: Sca-Lor is the war-like champion and self-appointed guardian of the saurian people who live hidden in caves in the southwestern United States. Belligerent, xenophobic, and ambitious, Sca-Lor believes he should lead his people out of hiding in order to wage war on the “sssoft skinsss” that seem to be increasingly encroaching on saurian territory.

Powers: Sca-Lor’s powers are straightforward and quite exceptional for a saurian. He can lift 50 tons, and his thick scales are immune to most conventional weaponry. He heals rapidly, and he can even regenerate lost limbs and organs.

Tags: monsters, TFCH, ThursdAD&D

My next stop in the AD&D Deities & Demigods is the sanity-threatening Cthulhu Mythos. For the first post, I present the Byakhee, those monstrous servants of He Who Must Not Be Named, statted for 5E D&D.

These giant furry bat-like creatures have humanoid legs that enable them to stand like men. They can be summoned by clerics of Hastur through use of a gate spell (1-4 Byakhee will appear). (Deities & Demigods, page 44)

Byakhee
Huge aberration, chaotic evil

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 125 (10d12+60)
Speed 15 ft., fly 60 ft.
Ability Scores STR 25 (+7), DEX 11 (+0), CON 23 (+6), INT 10 (+0), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 12 (+1)

Damage Immunities cold, fire
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Innate Spellcasting.. The Byakhee’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: dimension door, plane shift (to and from Carcosa only), teleport

Magic Resistance.. The Byakhee has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. If an Elder Sign is used as an additional material component for a spell, the Byakhee’s magic resistance does not apply.

Unnatural. The Byakhee does not require air.

Actions

Multiattack. The Byakhee makes two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d10+7) slashing damage. If the target is Large or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, the Byakhee can automatically hit the target with its claws, and the Byakhee can’t use those claws against another target. The Byakhee has two claw attacks, each of which can grapple one target.

Reactions

Abduct. When a Byakhee has restrained a target with its claws, at the end of a target’s turn if that target remains restrained, the Byakhee may attempt to plane shift to Carcosa. The restrained target must make a DC 13 Charisma saving throw. If the target fails, the target and the Byakhee are transported to Carcosa.

*****

Penance, Texas for The Four Color Hack is up and running. Not only has my Patreon site has been transformed and relaunched, but all three tiers of patron-only perks have been posted. These perks include a new villain for all patrons, a new scenario for Avengers and League Members, and a special surprise for League Members only.

Tags: 5E D&D, Deities & Demigods, monsters, TFCH