Kingbeast's Lair

In 2012 Atlas Games came out with a list of 31 RPG related questions that they wanted people to answer. I will tackle them in small bite sized morsels to make them a bit easier to swallow. Here are the next set of questions.

REVERB GAMERS 2012, #16: Who was the most memorable foe you’ve ever come up against in a game? How did you beat him/her/it? Or did you?

I predominately GM so I am going to answer this questions from the other side of the table. I’ve placed several memorable foes up against my players. One of my favorites was in my Star Aria campaign. The villain was named Ankmil. Ankmil was from a long dead race known as the Patriarchs. The reason he is so memorable is that he was seen doing so many horrible things that the PC really wanted to take him down. On top of that Ankmil was doing these deeds out of pure reason and logic. The PC took him down in a truly climactic battle that I will never forget. You can read about it on the log page at this URL.

REVERB GAMERS 2012, #17: What was the best reward you’ve ever gotten in a game? What made it so great? How much do you need tangible rewards (loot, leveling, etc.) to enjoy a game?

Boy there are a lot of neat “treasures” that my PCs have received over the years. Probably the most memorable item belonged to my college D&D PC named Seth. Seth got a magic ring that could summon an extremely powerful undead entity known as “Ingird”. Well Ingrid was nasty but she came with a price. She took commands literally and complied them with deadly force. Ingird was a perfect “double-edged sword” for a summoning mage. 😉

REVERB GAMERS 2012, #18: Have you ever “cheated” on a die roll/random chance outcome, or looked up a quest solution on a fan site? Why or why not? If yes, was it worth it?

I have very different answers for each part of this question. 🙂

As a GM I have cheated on dice rolls. I only do this when I think it will advance the plot or at times when the death of a PC is on the line. In these cases I will sometimes make exceptions so it is more fun for everyone.

I have never looked up table-top RPG modules online to get details about the adventure. I love being surprised by adventures and GMs so I think this is totally bush league. I have heard of players doing this from some of my friends. If I ever find out my players are doing this in my games I’ll skin ’em alive…ok…maybe I’ll kill them first…then skin ’em. :}

REVERB GAMERS 2012, #19: What’s the weirdest character you’ve ever played? How did you end up with him/her/it?

I have not played too many “weird” PCs over the years but I have seen a couple in my games so I will talk about one of those. The weirdest PC I saw in one of my games was a Champions character called The Michelin Man. Yep, he was that Michelin Man. The PC was a brick that could entangle by throwing tires around the target. Argh. :]

REVERB GAMERS 2012, #20: What was the most memorable character death you’ve ever experienced? What makes it stick with you?

I’ve actually had many character deaths over the years. I think the most memorable death was so memorable because it was so funny. Two Champions PC were exploring an island where they suspected super-villains might be hiding. The telekinetic PC lifted my martial artist PC, Cestus, through a waterfall so he could look around. Behind the waterfall were a squad of alerted agents with automatic weapons. They cut loose on my poor martial artist who could not dodge as he was being held by telekinesis. When the telekinetic PC removed Cestus from the waterfall all that was left was a bloody corpse. 😀

GAME ON! 😀

[Author’s Note: This is the log for the 2nd session. Note that the order of the events in this record may not be in the exact order that they occurred during play. The narrator is shown in italics.]

After a near fatal accident brilliant scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla decides it is time to do more with his incredible resources. Gathering the best and brightest Nikola forms a secret organization to fight corruption and evil head-on. He names this group of heroes Tesla’s Power Core.

Gathering Clues

After assessing the crash and determining that there are no survivors the PC calm down Valerie Braveheart and ask her about Starkweather. Valerie says that she was contacted by Johnny’s friend Jim Black. Mr. Black told her that Doctor Henry Starkweather has been kidnapped by Nazis. She was investigating the warehouse and was discovered by those “ruffians” and that hideous man with the “X” scar. She then asks the PC to investigate the Starkweather mansion while she gets the story into the evening edition of the Times.

Maniac Mansion

On the way to the Starkweather mansion Liam calls ahead. A woman answers the telephone and says that Starkweather is “indisposed”. Liam tells her it is “Klaus” on the line. The woman then tells “Klaus” to “come on in”.

Upon reaching the mansion the PC decide to use stealth. Tommy Kelly takes the lead while Quigley, Brent, Johnny, and Liam stand watch. Tommy finds a gray haired man packing a suitcase in one of the upstairs rooms. He then enter a window where he spots a wheelchair and a small elevator. Downstairs the grayed haired man, Starkweather, is meeting with a woman. Tommy overhears them speaking about having “visitors”. He then finds a study with a safe. After rigging the door the teen thief starts to work on the safe lock. At this point a black sedan approaches the front of the Starkweather mansion and starts down the driveway. The PC recognize it as the same one that ran down Jim Black. Quickly Brent jumps on the back of the sedan. When the car reaches the front door Brent rolls off into the bushes. An attractive blonde woman in a black pencil skirt and white blouse opens the door. As Tommy finishes with the safe he removes a locked metal briefcase, some money, and a pistol. At this point Tommy hears someone entering the study. He quickly closes the safe then hides under the desk with the briefcase. At the same moment the four thugs exit from the front door with a large suitcase. Brent decides it is time to act and jumps out guns blazing! After hearing gunfire outside Starkweather rushes to the safe. The woman stands watch at the door to the study. Tommy emerges from under the desk with his gas mask on and a vial of toxic gas that he took from the back of the truck. He drops the vial then attempts to run. The woman heads back into the house. Outside Johnny, Liam, and Quigley join Brent in attacking the thugs. After a short exchange of gunfire the ruffians are down. When Tommy reaches the door Starkweather tells him to give up the briefcase then tries to wrestle with him. At this point Liam and Brent run into the house. Liam finds the woman, Claudia, on the phone and detains her. Brent knocks out Starkweather then ties him up.

Balloon Busters

After gating evidence from the briefcase and Claudia the PC realize that Starkweather plans to poison NY City using the gas and a company blimp. They rush to Liam’s plane in hot pursuit. When the PC catch up to the Starkweather Industries dirigible it is over the Hudson River. Liam artfully lowers the plane above the blimp so others can jump out. Upon entering the gondola they are met by a large man with an “X” scar on his forehead and four flunkies. Are these guys with the “X” scar on their foreheads brothers?!? Valerie Braveheart is tied and gagged in his arms. After espousing on the might of the Reich and their brilliant master plan to end the war now he throws Ms Braveheart out of the gondola door! With that the PC jump into action. Tommy dives out of the gondola door after Valerie. Quigley and Brent open fire. Johnny gums up the works with a well placed Super Expanding Foam pellet. When “X” falls his body slumps back against the switch that releases the gas! At the same moment the pilot who is unsuccessfully trying to pilot the gummed up zeppelin crashes into the spire of the Chrysler Building. The blimp is ruptured and is starting to fall. Liam puts the plane into a power dive while artfully maneuvering it along side Tommy and the helpless ace reporter. Tommy grabs Valerie then rolls into the plane door. At the last possible moment Liam pulls the plane out of the nosedive inches above stunned onlookers. In the blimp Brent grabs the controls and steers it towards the Hudson River. Just before crashing the PC jump to safety.

This is the end of the first daring tale of adventure that will become the legend that is Tesla’s Power Core. In our next heart pounding story the Core travels to Greece where they will learn the hard way that some myths are better left alone!

During the early 90’s I published a newsletter that I emailed out to anyone who would listen. At the time my audience was comprised primarily of gaming buddies and folks on the Checkered Demon BBS. Each issue is like a collection of mini blog posts. 😉

Topics vary from issue to issue but focus on Hero Games product reviews/rules, video game reviews, comic book reviews, and other miscellaneous news items that would be appropriate for my gaming group. Looking back I think doing the small reviews in these issues whet my appetite for the type of more in depth reviews that I am performing now on this very blog.

You can find copies of the currently posted issues at this URL: https://usandacat.com/thelair/file-downloads/other-files/

Issues 41 to 48 include the following highlights:

• The Kid reviews Lobo Paramilitary XMAS Special and H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu.
• My article on Hero System: Player Friendly, GM Ugly.
• Review of Champions Presents, Gamer Magazine, and Normals Unbound.
• Paladin’s review of the best computer games of 1991.
• The Saga Of Rolf Sanswit by Chris Armstrong.
• My review from Gen Con 25.
• A Hero System trivia challenge!
• More funny gaming quotes!

This is the last set of gazettes. Enjoy! 🙂