Journeys in the forever-verse

[Bedrockbrendan]

Had a playtest last night for a supers game we are working on (for this one I am not the lead designer since supers are not my forte).

Right now it is built on the same frame as Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate and Sertorius but it is a little more streamlined and not quite as complicated as either of those games (there are fewer abilities to juggle).

You have Origins rankings in one of four categories: Cerebral, Tech, Genetic and Mystic. This determines your aptitude for different Abilities. For example if you take Astral Projection, that is a Cerebral Ability. Each ability has a number of levels to it, and you can only take levels equal to your rank in the ability's respective origins.

The game is also skill based so when you use your Ability, you usually need to make a Skill roll to pull it off.

Because a lot o the adventures seem to take place within a single city, we've been making good use of the Survival skill/encounter system and keying it to different areas of the map (so if you move from one section of the city to another, you make a survival roll---this is something the designer decided to do, and I borrowed it to use in my Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate campaigns when the city becomes the focus).

[Bedrockbrendan]

Here is the latest session log (this is being designed and run by Drew Tierney). For the original blog post, go here: http://snowboycomics.blogspot.com/2017/06/missing-persons-campaign-and-rule.html

Missing Persons Campaign and Rule Development

I have been somewhat remiss in my duties and have not written up recaps from previous sessions.

Characters:

Brick Soldier - a brick-strong Heroic from Capitol City
Starshine - a mystic with the ability to use shadows and starlight, from Great Arbor
War Urchin - a tech user with a gadget for everything, from Concord City


Story

*RECAP* The team made it back to the college (AIT) and were healed from the bio-fallout in session 3.  From there they continued their search for Dr. Recluse and investigated some of his old hideouts, running in to a Deviant creature called the Hatchery who spawns small bugs that attach to the back of a person's neck and controls their mind.  After defeating the Hatchery's spawns, they regrouped at Saint Superior's lair and found that the Saint was very ill.  They took him to AIT where it was revealed that some manner of biological device had been implanted within him.  SS was left in the care of the girls at the college and the group continued searching for Dr. Recluse.  A run in with the Dark Joke gang provided an additional tip that he was somewhere with trains, but while they investigated this lead they encountered a group of Mung Fu Monkeys looking for Koh'di.  The monkeys put the smack down on the team and demanded the turn-coat chimp be returned to them.  War Urchin promised to do so and then quickly recanted on her word.

The team returned to the college to plan their next steps and found that it was overrun by Slungos and Half-Amps from the Abscension Zone.  They worked their way through the levels of the school, finding some rare weapons (The Wand of Unmaking and the Baton of Fealty) and also freeing Ms. Moon and Alexa Universe who led them to the portal to the Abscension Zone.  A Deviant called Tyrannical Rex had come through and abducted one of the girls, Kid Flora and taken Saint Superior.  Going into the Abscension Zone, they found it to be a strange place where the laws of physics and logic did not apply.  Finally, they made their way to where Rex was holding Kid Flora, but were told that Saint Superior had already been given to Dr. Recluse.  They promised not to interfere with Rex if he sent them to where Recluse was and so were transported back to Centropolis. *END RECAP*

The most recent session picked up here with the team searching for Recluse.  Brick Soldier scouted a rooftop, trying to see if he could spot anything suspicious while Starshine and War Urchin went in search of a power plant to see if they could find an area draining more power than another.  On the way, the encountered a gang of Boss Leone's henchmen preparing to attack a laundromat.  They fought the men and then questioned the man inside, discovering that there was an illegal money laundering operation going on below.  The worker gave them a tip on a location for the Dark Joke gang if they overlooked the enterprise and the heroes agreed.

The Dark Joke gang were known to hole up in an old firehouse, but upon entering it was found to be empty.  War Urchin did find a map of a railway yard with notes and a drawing of a spider on it.  They then regrouped with Brick Soldier and began to scout the railway location, spotting some Dark Joke members on site.

[SIDE NOTE] During the time in the Abscension Zone, War Urchin began using the Baton of Fealty on Half-Amps to mind control them.  After several hours of not using it, a need began to overtake her to use it again.  If the need is not fulfilled, it can start to do harm to her. [END SIDE NOTE]

The team tried to convince the police to come, but they were not believed, so War Urchin used the Baton on a cop and made him head to the precinct to alert others.  Starshine then used her shadow stealth to infiltrate the compound and sneak into the main building, but an automated turret spotted her and began to fire.  This drew out more Dark Joke members who were then attacked by War Urchin and Brick Soldier.  During the battle, one of the turrets took down Brick Soldier, but the team was able to prevail.  They had to make a tough decision, to take Brick Soldier for medical help or continue on to Dr. Recluse.  It was decided that the threat of the bomb was more dire and so Brick Soldier remained behind in the hopes that medical help would come with the police.

Inside the main building, War Urchin and Starshine fought the remaining turret and also four more Dark Jokes, all who had powers themselves.  Beaten up, but still standing, the two prepared to go down to the lower level to confront Dr. Recluse.

This is where the session ended.