Role-playing roundup: Fantasy, fall 2011 edition

Wallpaper for Mouse Guard RPG — Mouse Guard!

In the past few months, I’ve enjoyed reading through some of the role-playing games displayed at this year’s GenCon. During recent visits to game shops and on various message boards, I’ve heard and seen speculation about a fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons, prompted in part by the return of designer Monte Cook to publisher Wizards of the Coast.

I still feel strangely detached from these discussions because I’m not running or buying D&D4e supplements. Even if I’m not a hardcore grognard as some in the old-school Renaissance, I’ve come to prefer simpler rules, lower-powered scenarios, and heroic role-playing over combat simulation. If D&D5e addresses those preferences as well as some retro-clones do, I might yet return to the popular tabletop fantasy RPG brand.

Fortunately, I lack no support as a Dungeon Master in the meantime, thanks to Paizo’s excellent Pathfinder (a.k.a. “D&D3.75”) line. Although the rules are still complex, the artwork and prose in each book about the Golarion/Inner Sea setting inspires the imagination. The Ultimate Magic and Ultimate Combat books are no exception, with numerous options for Pathfinder Player Characters of all occupational classes.

I found Ultimate Magic to be slightly more useful and better balanced than Ultimate Combat, partly because the latter introduced classes such as the Gunslinger and Ninja that I would limit in my homebrew game. Between them and the Advanced Player’s Guide, any Pathfinder player should have more than enough ways to develop and tweak characters, replacing a veritable pile of D20/Open Game License/D&D3.x splatbooks (many of which I’ve now sold).

On a related note, I recently got the Tome of Horrors Complete for Pathfinder. I was a big fan of the D20 monster book, which revived several old favorites from previous editions of D&D. It included creatures from old adventure modules and the Fiend Folio, including the gold-eating aurumvorax, the statuesque caryatid column, and the floppy flumph. The new compilation has about 800 pages of monsters, with everything from the mysterious dark creepers to Lucifer himself and numerous animals!

Even though I’ve tried to limit the number of sentient species in my “Vanished Lands” campaign setting, I and most of my gamers have enjoyed encountering new beasties in the books and scenarios. The Tome of Horrors Complete is a fantastic addition to Pathfinder‘s Bestiaries I through III.

The Pathfinder: “the Vanished Lands” teleconferencing team is still struggling to get back to its regular Sunday night schedule because we’ve had difficulty getting quorum because of travel and family obligations. I hope that the eight role-players, scattered across the U.S., will soon be able to resume Skype sessions.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve considered using FATE 3e Legends of Anglerre for the telecom fantasy game because I think the lighter rules set would be a good fit for that venue. Also from Cubicle 7 is The One Ring, the latest game set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

I was favorably impressed by the production value of The One Ring, which overcame some of my initial misgivings about its limited scope — it’s set in the Wilderlands during the Third Age, between the events of The Hobbit and those of The Lord of the Rings. A game with more limited starting options is a good idea for starting players, but then why not outline the character–creation process more clearly?

What if I was relatively new to the hobby and wanted to replicate a member of the horse-riding Rohirrim or an Elf from Lothlorien because I’ve seen Peter Jackson’s popular films? Just as Iron Crown Enterprise’s Middle Earth Role-Playing stuck too closely to the complicated RoleMaster system and Decipher’s Lord of the Rings RPG relied too heavily on the movies, Cubicle 7 risks confusing fans with its plan to expand its view of that world piecemeal.

That said, I liked The One Ring‘s character–development mechanics, which encourage altruistic play over the “kill things and take their stuff” mentality that’s all too common in D&D and various videogames. This feature is similar to what I enjoyed in Decipher’s underrated Lord of the Rings (if slightly less so in Lord of the Rings Online multiplayer computer game).

Speaking of encouraging good role-playing, the Mouse Guard boxed set is a thing of beauty. Based on an award-winning set of comics and a streamlined version of Burning Wheel, this would be the ideal way to get my animal-loving nieces into gaming. I strongly encourage fans of anthropomorphic fantasy, such as GURPS Bunnies & Burrows, Redwall, and Shard, to read the collected comics and buy this game.

The boxed set includes a softcover version of the core rulebook (which I already have in hardback), character record sheets, and rules and adventure supplements. The counters are a bit funny, looking like oversized collectible erasers, but even if I don’t get to run Mouse Guard anytime soon, this game will be another rich source for sparking imagination and setting a heroic tone.

I’ve been swamped again with work and travel, but I plan to post about science fiction RPGs, the new TV season, and more as soon as I’m able!

“Vortex” Update 5b.20 — Saturnian sleuths/home on the range

Titan orbital station — Station near Titan, Saturn

Fellow role-players, here are my notes for Session 5b.20 of the “Vortex” space opera campaign. Team 2 met on Monday, 19 September 2011, and is using FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures/Mindjammer, Bulldogs, Diaspora, and Limitless Horizons.

In one future, humanity has begun to colonize the Sol system, but ecological degradation and internecine conflicts persist. Open and official First Contact with Galactic societies, themselves at war, threaten Terra’s very survival. Will heroes rise to the challenges?

A band of grifters and near-humans retrieved dangerous samples from a battlefield north of Karachi and the Ghanki undersea station. It stole starship engines from a lunar base and an orbital city and was involved in medical disasters in the Venusian colonies. After finding a dimensionally displaced derelict, the team made inquiries into its cargo amid religious turmoil on Titan….

>>FATE 3e “Vortex” Team 2 (5b), crew of the Appomattox:

-“Gabriel Adams” [Paul J.]-male North American Terran near-human with telepathy, courier and pilot

-“Hector Chavez” [Beruk A.]-male Latin American Terran human, “burned” operative and communications expert

-“ARTHERR” [Greg D.C.]-Advanced Resonance Theoretical Heuristic Exploration and Research Robot created by megacorp Vimeco

-“Jasmine” [Sara F.] female Martian Felinoid (Synth, “Uplifted” tiger), former professional pit fighter

-“Mr. Richmond Garrett” [Dave S.C.]-male Southern American Terran human, space snake-oil salesman and social climber

-“Dr. Dieter Klein” [Rich L./absent]-male European Terran human, semi-retired physician, altruist and thrill seeker

-“Nero Bartholomew” [Non-Player Character]-male Terran human, former owner of the “Fortune’s Fool,” ship’s cook

-“Averki ‘Deep Dish’ Dyashenko” [N.P.C.]-male reptilian Synth (genetically engineered humanoid), onetime Venusian miner

>>”11 to 14 October 2194 A.D./C.E. or 0 Terran Galactic Era:” At the request of Archbishop Javier Fuentes, the group investigates the murder of fundamentalist preacher Hugh Doyle. Hector Chavez pilots the Appomattox from Titan to Eclipse Station in orbit around Saturn.

After spending a few days casing the Lucky Garden Casino for a potential heist, Capt. Gabriel Adams contacts “fixer” Lillian Morrissey back on Earth for information about smugglers in the outer Sol system. In addition to researching the cargo of artifacts from the Vatican Museums, Gabriel believes that the colonial underworld must know something about Doyle.

ARTHERR, Hector, and Jasmine go to station security to ask for permission to examine the crime scene and Doyle’s corpse. Capt. Garzan Cisneros reluctantly agrees, noting that the Brotherhood of Illumination is no friend to the United Ecumenical Movement (U.E.M.) in New Quebec on Titan. The local lawman sends Lieut. Yasmin Al-Ghuj to escort them.

Mr. Richmond Garrett returns to Eclipse Station’s infirmary, where he is greeted warmly by patients who remember his faith-healing rallies. The “real” Dr. Garrett isn’t too happy to see the snake-oil salesman, but he is distracted enough to allow ARTHERR and company to more closely examine Doyle’s body.

They find that the spewer of fire-and-brimstone speeches was eviscerated with a vibroknife and that he seemed to offer little resistance. Jasmine feels guilty, because she had saved Doyle from electrocution, only for him to be killed sometime later. The toxicology report mentions that he had taken stimulants.

The adventuring party briefly regroups at the Appomattox and informs Nero Bartholomew and Averki “Deep Dish” Dyashenko to expect more potential “Synth” (nonhuman engineered) crewmembers, including Delphine (“Uplifted” dolphin) astrogator Erta Garza and gynoids Tanya and Galia.

Gabriel learns of some of Doyle’s wealthy patrons, including transportation magnate Esteban Bakafret, industrial smuggler Adrian Valentin, and Louise Reinhagen, whose husband, an Oromax megacorp executive, was killed in the Hephaestus Stadium disaster near Venus.

At the murder scene, former spy Hector reviews gaps in the security recordings of a back corridor, and ARTHERR examines the blood-encrusted deck plating. The robot eventually deduces that Doyle was probably held down with electromagnetic or gravitic restraints.

Tiger-woman Jasmine, who is afraid that her fellow Synths are responsible for splaying the man’s intestines, is relieved not to smell any signs of them. She does, however, detect candles, a rare commodity on an enclosed station and an aspect of a ritual killing.

While searching Doyle’s quarters under the watchful eye of Lt. Al-Ghuj, Jasmine, Hector, and ARTHERR find a Bible whose marked verses could be used as an encryption key. They cross-reference it with various messages and shipping records.

Underworld courier Gabriel radios his companions about Doyle’s patrons and the Mukhdadi brothers, local provisioners. Gabriel talks with Amir Mukhtadi, who explains that Doyle used his popularity to get free transport and lodging around the outer Sol system.

Gabriel theorizes that Doyle might also have been working with local preacher and gambler Rev. Winston Jones because they both arrived to disrupt Richmond’s rally at the station chapel. Richmond talks separately with Faisal Batar, a stogie-smoking Chim (“Uplifted” chimpanzee) who hints that Canid (canine “Synth”) Melita Veturia has ordered cases of weapons for rebels on Mars.

Meanwhile, Hector and ARTHERR hack into Doyle’s correspondence and the Mukhtadi’s databases. They find that Valentin and Veturia ordered machine parts and generators that could have been used in the hatemonger’s murder. Bakafret and Reinhagen made an increasing number of calls to Doyle in the days before his death. Is blackmail behind the ritual slaying?

Hector contacts his onetime handler Max to check official records for similar crimes, while Gabriel tries to learn more about Valentin, still wondering who would want to smuggle Vatican relics to Epsilon Eridani. ARTHERR, posing as a mere drone, reluctantly disengages from the Mukhtadi computers.

Although Veturia is a suspect, Jasmine doesn’t think the Synth Liberation Front on Mars would have anything to gain from killing Doyle. Richmond goes with Hassan Mukhtadi to a secret firing range — on the outside of Eclipse Station!

As Saturn’s bright rings loom in front of them, the two men try various firearms. Richmond temporarily trades the blunderbuss he retrieved from the Dawn’s Retreat for military surplus gear, including a tripod-mounted rail gun, a grenade launcher, and a gyroc pistol. Hassan discovers that the blunderbuss fires an electromagnetic pulse resembling ball lightning.

Back at the Appomattox, Gabriel says he believes that Bakafret, Valentin, and Reinhagen are somehow responsible for Doyle’s death, even if their exact motives are still a mystery. ARTHERR concurs, adding that while the U.E.M. might have the means for a ritual murder, it has little motive for creating a martyr. Gambler Rev. Jones, who is known to resent any intrusion by other clergy, didn’t have the necessary generators.

Jasmine acknowledges that Veturia had the equipment and may have disliked Doyle’s statements that “God gave man dominion over all creatures,” but neither she nor any potential followers was at the scene. ARTHERR points out that a robot or remote-controlled device could still have committed the crime.

Other than getting into the good graces of Archbishop Fuentes, Richmond doesn’t care about solving the murder. Hector transmits the party’s findings to the U.E.M., and ARTHERR and Richmond say they’re ready to deliver the Vatican art to unknown recipients at Epsilon Eridani.

Gabriel still plans to rob the Lucky Garden Casino, but Jasmine disapproves. Hector observes that some authorities can connect their crew with the plague on Venus, stolen starship engines, and now the faith healing near Saturn. While waiting for prospective “Synth” crewmembers to come aboard, the gang debates its next moves….

Note that I won’t be running any games on Sept. 25 and 26. Since Beruk and Brian can’t make certain dates, I’ll need to hear back from the rest of you before determining which “Vortex” team will meet on which Monday nights in October. Jason, let us know your one-shot plans. The Pathfinder/Skype: “the Vanished Lands” fantasy telecom group hopes to resume on Oct. 9. Stay in touch, -Gene

“Vanished Lands” Update T3.23 — Leaving Alarn, again/Twigjacks

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session T3.33 of the latest adventuring party in my “Vanished Lands” heroic fantasy campaign setting. The teleconferencing team met on Sunday, 18 September 2011, and has been using Pathfinder, Skype, and an online dice roller.

In one ancient world, there was a region where strange majicks and demihuman races thrived. After “Holy Steel‘s” journey to the distant empire of Khemet, another motley group gathered in the northwestern “Vanished Lands” to explore a world full of perils and wonders….

After meeting in the Wisalef Forest, an unlikely band of adventurers encountered the hostile Centaur followers of Vappu Lahja on the Plains of Sathendo….

>>Telecom party Player Character roster, as of autumn 2011:

-“Gawain Keary” [Paul J.]-male Saganim human Illusionist (proto-Celtic Wizard); NGc, Age 20, Lvl. 2

-“Davven ‘Digger’ Hollysharp” [Robert A.S.]-male Faldine Halfling archaeologist (Tallfellow Rogue) from a pipeweed farm in Tarken; CGn, Age 45, Lvl. 3

-“Asish Chen Ti” [Byron V.O.]-male Tsucharim human archer (Mongol-style Ranger), escaped from the kingdom of Gokuri; owner of Akita dog Genghis and horse Onimusha; NGl, Age 20, Lvl. 3

-“Jovinda Halflight” [Sammy H.]-female Half-Elf (Grugach/Hifalendorin) Cleric of Mekkil, goddess of nature; owner of horse Wyth-Amoi, or “Wind Spirit”; NGl, Age 23, Lvl. 3

-“Kazuo Takenaga” [Taum D’A.]-male Nezumi (Rat-kin) Monk from the Zedu kingdom in the Therud Forest; LNg, Age 20, Lvl. 3

-“Kovar” [Beruk A./absent]-male Half-Orc/Saganim human Paladin of Mithras, god of contracts and brotherhood; LGn, Lvl. 3

-“Favelhorn Riftbringer” [Dexter V.H./absent]-male Mountain Dwarf Summoner; CGn, Age 51, Lvl. 1

>>”4 to 6 September 1229 B.C.E.:” Upon returning to the haunted hamlet of Alarn, the wanderers found slain knights, Unseelie Fey among buildings damaged by a summoned tornado, and Assassin Vines in nearby woods. They then regrouped at an outlying barn.

Asish recommends comparing the map of the borderlands that Digger had obtained for mysterious mage Octavius Karstus, now that the Ley lines hidden on it have been enhanced. The scouts compare the intersections, or Ley line nodes, to the positions of villages and abandoned hill forts.

Gawain and Kovar note that the nefarious kingdoms of Zuromm or Gokuri could exploit the old forts to destabilize the frontier between the Waletku kingdom of the Elves and the (proto-Western European) human kingdom of Hifalendor. Jovinda and Kazuo agree that Vappu Lahja and the Unseelie Fey would also be attracted to such nodes.

The group focuses on one pair of mystical currents. One supernatural stream runs from northwest to southeast, roughly from Alfendi to Kedetura, while the other runs from northeast to southwest, from Alfhileno to Nadwi, parallel to the Aspar River. The Ley lines intersect a few miles north of Alarn, on the way to the Sandia family farm.

Rather than deal with the Redcap in Alarn’s ruined chapel, the rodent of unusual size, or whatever is lurking in the “Mellow Mule” inn, the adventuring party rides northeast. Ranger Asish helps his companions ford the Aspar River.

While hiking through high grass, Monk Kazuo hears the jingle of armor, and the group halts and quietly dismounts. A Halfling mercenary from Tarken, Digger’s hometown, breaks camp while chatting with a female Centaur. Wary of followers of Vappu Lahja, the team of six waits for them to leave before continuing its ride.

Rather than have everyone visit the Sandia homestead and potentially offend the peasants, Jovinda goes alone. The priestess of Mekkil recognizes the field hands from Alarn she had met previously and is greeted by Daisy, granddaughter of family matron Violet. Jovinda enters the main farmhouse as her allies watch from a safe distance.

Alyssa angrily calls down from an upstairs nursery to ask about Kazuo, “the only person who ever understood me.” Daisy says that childbirth has not improved her cousin’s disposition, although Violet is still more charitable toward her heir.

Other than the Centaur attack that Jovinda and her friends helped repel a month before, the farm has escaped Alarn’s fate. Violet explains that she “has an arrangement” that somehow keeps monsters away from her kin. The Half-Elf excuses herself to the outhouse, where she covertly casts Detect Evil.

The Cleric senses malicious intent coming from the nursery and politely declines Violet’s offer for her group to stay the night. Jovinda rides Wyth-Amoi back to her fellows, whom she informs of the strangeness at the Sandia homestead. Nezumi Kazuo is not surprised. As promised, Jovinda delivers some of the horses left behind in Alarn by the deceased Paladins of Urda and Otih before departing.

The setting sun casts long shadows as the travelers continue north toward the faerie rings that Jovinda had previously encountered. However, they find the edge of the Wisalef Forest difficult to pass through because of overgrown underbrush and brambles that they don’t remember. Kovar senses evil all around them.

Eight small stick figures emerge and surround the party! Asish whistles to his dog Genghis to guard Jovinda, as the tiny humanoids spray the Tsucharim rider with thorns. Kazuo hits one with a Stunning Fist, but Jovinda’s first arrow misses.

Digger readies his sling staff, and Illusionist Gawain identifies the Twigjacks as Unseelie Fey creatures. Kovar maneuvers, but the armored Half-Orc Paladin of Mithras finds the no easy trail for the horses to retreat.

Asish fires cold steel arrows, eventually destroying two of his foes. The Twigjacks press their attack, wounding the intruders with splinters. Kazuo unleashes Flurries of Blows, shattering another opponent, and Jovinda casts Shield of Faith on herself and Guidance on Kazuo.

Although Digger’s first sling stone goes wide, his Deadly Teamwork with Kazuo is successful, and the Halfling helps fell another rogue Fey. Gawain’s Color Spray spells stun some of the Twigjacks, and he casts Bull’s Strength on Kazuo.

Archer Asish badly damages the remaining ambushers, which badly injure his horse Onimusha. As martial artist Kazuo drops a fifth Twigjack, Jovinda invokes Mekkil for a Cure Light Wounds on Digger and to channel positive energy, healing all combatants.

Digger maneuvers to flank with Kazuo, and Gawain casts Aid Another and Bull’s Strength on the nimble Rogue. Jovinda casts Resistance on Asish, who refrains from using flames against the stick folk because he fears igniting the forest. The three remaining Twigjacks flee into the dense thorns.

Gawain and Digger pick up some branches left behind for later study. Perceptive Asish eventually deciphers them as a map of nearby caches of scavenged treasure. It includes a longspear and heavy wooden shield, probably taken from one of the knights’ men at arms; a bird Feather Token; and 250 crowns (gold pieces) in assorted coins and gems.

Jovinda notes that the Elves of the Seelie Court in Alfhileno and Alfendi had also offered money for scouting various threats in the borderlands. The group hastily finds a spot to camp for the night before venturing deeper into the forest…

Despite another slow start and a late and abrupt ending, I enjoyed seeing all of you online for the game. Since I’ll be traveling again this coming weekend, and Paul, Byron, Sammy, and Taum won’t be available on Sunday, 2 October 2011, our next session probably won’t be until Oct. 9. In the meantime, please take advantage of the Google Groups message board!

The FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures/Bulldogs: “Vortex” space opera teams will also continue in October. Take it easy, -Gene

“Vortex” Update 5a.21 — Escape from Boobulon!

Fellow role-players, here are Josh’s and my notes for Session 5a.21 of the “Vortex” space opera campaign. Team X met on Monday, 12 September 2011, and is using FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures/Mindjammer, Bulldogs, Diaspora, and Limitless Horizons.

Two aliens and their human allies encountered xenophobes and megacorporate intrigues on and around Earth. After visiting factionalized Mars and acquiring a starship in the Asteroid Belt from the Olvar Star League, they continued their mission of diplomacy and exploration to Titan, Tyche, and beyond….

>>FATE 3e “Vortex” Team 1 (5a), crew of the Blackbird:

-“Syzygy” [Brian W.]-Trinoid (trilateral amphibious alien) xenologist with an organic laboratory and a pet cat named “Mr. Sniffles”

-“Tela” [Sara F.]-female Tharian (winged reptilian humanoid alien) escapee from the Encegulans, engineer

-“Chris McKee/Agent Prometheus” [Josh C.]-male Terran cyborg human sniper working for eugenicists at Black Box Security Co.

-“Aughest-vor…” [Jason E.R.]-male human from the Lemuria orbital city, onetime dilettante, solar-sail racer, pilot

-“Lt. Kevin Reese” [Bruce K.]-male Terran human, burned-out officer and explorer in the Interplanetary Patrol

-“Gombo Shisel” [Rich L./absent]-male Mongolian/Martian human, former horse rancher and wilderness survival expert

-“Dr. Bucket” [Non-Player Character]-United Earth Authority astromech robot assigned to the Blackbird

>>”The Blackbird Chronicles, 8 to 14 October 2194 A.D./C.E. or 0 Terran Galactic Era:” After successful first contacts at Alpha Centauri and Van Maanen’s Star, the Blackbird evaded a trap at Cetus Eridani. From there, the Olvar scout ship went to Beta Canum Venaticorum on its way to Oasis Station, about 40 parsecs from Earth….

>>Scene 1: The caves of squeal/Thanks for the mammaries [From the notes of “Agent Prometheus:”]

On “planet Henson,” nicknamed for its exotic life forms, we left the drop ship Dragonfly under the watchful eye of the natives. Some of them approached us, but communications initially proved to be difficult. Lt. Kevin Reese tried to talk with the green-skinned humanoids until our ship’s translation program began to work.

Eventually, one three-breasted woman stepped forward as their leader and identified herself as Magabelka. She spoke English and somehow recognized the Morifaiwet — the Olvar scout ship we renamed the Blackbird — even though it was still in orbit, and we had seen no signs of high technology.

All of us were invited into a temple, carved into the side of high cliffs. The scantily-clad priestesses recognized Syzygy as a Trinoid. Magabelka, who wore a feathered headdress, explained that travelers from her home planet and beyond often offered goods in trade for enlightenment [insert Heavy Metal soundtrack here].

Three-armed Syzygy partook of alien food and offered a gift of a bioluminescent spore in return. Tela touched geometric patterns on the gold-encrusted pillars of the temple to the elemental mother. The local culture apparently had specialized roles for each gender.

I [Chris McKee] accepted acolyte Lirmapia’s offer of bliss, and Aughest-vor… had a similar, if less exciting, experience of “enlightenment” with “Boobulon” priestess Magabelka. He renamed the planet “Hefner.” I was unsure of how to process my experiences, which didn’t involve guns. Frustrated, Lt. Reese tried to communicate with Dr. Bucket in orbit.

That night, Tela sneaked off to explore, but she encountered spear-toting guards. Dr. Bucket eventually told Aughest and Kevin that the translator had parsed Old Norse [insert Stargate SG1 soundtrack here] and that our ship’s sensors had detected cloaked energy readings. The Interplanetary Patrol officer warily talked with sentry Lankpor.

>>Scene 2: Bugging out

The humans in our crew interrupted Syzygy’s sleep, and the scientist agreed to return to the Blackbird to analyze his biological samples. On behalf of Black Box Security Co., I went to talk with Magabelka about future relations (even though I would have liked something to shoot at). Pilot Aughest took Syzygy back to orbit on the Dragonfly.

Meanwhile, as we later learned, engineer Tela found a concealed door, behind which she saw gleaming technology and Ru’ulok (heavy-gravity reptilian aliens) in silver spacesuits! The Tharian tried to glide away, but she was spotted by the Boobulon guards and “treed” on a pillar.

Kevin and I were eventually reunited with Tela. He talked her down, and we apologized to the acolytes as we hastily departed with the Tiger Hawk Sandstorm modular ground-effect vehicle. Tela reported that she had found a Ru’ulok mining operation hidden beneath the Boobulon temple.

After Aughest-vor picked us up with the Blackbird, we debated whether to contact the interolopers via radio. We eventually talked with Ru’ulok miner Reveek, who claimed that he had negotiated for rights to the planet’s heavy metals, including gold and beryllium, a component in faster-than-light drives. We didn’t trust the Ru’ulok, so we sent warnings to the Kharvamid Alliance and United Earth Authority.

From the genetic and linguistic samples, as well as gaps in the Olvar records, Syzygy concluded that planet “Henson/Hefner” was seeded with genetically engineered organisms derived from Terran stock about 1,000 (Earth) years ago. However, the xenologist was uncertain of whether the Ru’ulok were responsible.

>>Scene 3: Back in deep space

Aughest-vor… scanned and set a course for BD+04-123, the next inhabitable system on the way to Oasis Station. Syzygy examined me and found no sign of drugs. Tela was still scared of the Ru’ulok, allies of her onetime captors, the Encegulans. Lt. Reese ordered an immediate departure from Beta Canum Venaticorum, although I would have preferred to investigate further.

Once Tela verified that our REM drive was working, the Blackbird reentered Transit space. This time in FTL, our crew experienced a shared dream of being in archaic garb in a dungeon setting!

>Out-of-character notes: Chris became addicted to “enlightenment,” and he and Kevin exchanged some harsh words. The issue was tabled for now, but we may return. Also, when Tela went off by herself, she did find Ru’ulok in containment suits in a lab hidden underneath the temple where the party was staying. This was not explored further.

It was good to see everyone in Team 1, and I look forward to the latest schemes of the Appomattox crew tonight (Monday, 19 September 2011). The Pathfinder/Skype: “the Vanished Lands” fantasy telecom team is still going through some scheduling hiccups. Please note that the next “Vortex” Team 1 game will be on Monday, Oct. 3. Be seeing you, -Gene

My Justice League, Part 1

Pre-DCnU Justice League — Pre-"Flashpoint/DCnU" Justice League

DC Comics has been releasing more issues in its recalibrated universe (a.k.a. the “DCnU“). Many fans and critics greeted the renumbered titles with skepticism, but I still give DC’s editorial management credit for a bolder experiment than usual annual crossovers, which inevitably lead to a short-term spike in readership followed by diminishing returns. Many of the early reviews have been positive so far. I liked the first issues of the renumbered Justice League, in which Batman and Green Lantern met for the first time, and Action Comics, featuring a denim-clad Superman.

I’ve already blogged about how I would approach DC’s “Big Three” — Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman — with a mix of reverence to their 70 years of shared history and an attempt to keep them young and relevant for new audiences across serialized media.

As I’ve portrayed the Justice League in my “Societe de Justice Internationale” role-playing scenarios (using GURPS Supers and Mutants & Masterminds), that group of superheroes is the “national team,” similar in theme and power levels to Marvel’s Avengers. It has international branches, but it is based in the U.S. and focuses on threats such as natural disasters, alien invasions, and supervillains that no single superhero can handle alone.

The “major leagues” include the Justice Society, which is composed of “legacy” heroes — semiretired costumed vigilantes and their children and grandchildren. Marvel has its Invaders. The Justice Society, which began in World War II, disbanded during the Cold War (in a parallel to the censorship of comics) and served as mentors and inspiration to the Justice League.

The experienced metahumans of the Justice Society and Justice League have a few offshoots, such as Justice League International, the covert Outsiders, the futuristic Legion of Superheroes, and the street-level Birds of Prey. I’d put Marvel’s X-Men and Fantastic Four at this level.

The “minor leagues” include the young adults of the (formerly Teen) Titans and the up and coming Young Justice. Marvel’s equivalents include the New Mutants, Runaways, and Young Avengers. Some of the people on these supergroups are the protégés of older heroes. Just as the Justice League has its Legion of Doom, so do the sidekicks have their own foes, such as the Brotherhood of Evil.

I like this generational aspect and would try to keep it. See my previous blog posts on how relative ages should work out. For example, the Justice Society’s Nite Owl is the protégé of the Golden Age hero of the same name, and Batman (about age 30) is the dark vigilante of the night in the Justice League. In turn, Batman’s former sidekick Nightwing (about 20) leads the Titans, and Red Robin (age 17) is on Young Justice.

For the sake of convenience, I’m limiting my ideal Justice League roster to 12 members. In upcoming posts, I’ll share which characters I picked and why. My approach is similar to that taken by the very cool DC Adventures: Heroes and Villains, Vol. 1.