October 15th

Sorry, had to explain where all the cash went. It's okay, I got away with it again!

Well, just for some fun I took the following character test and look who I am!

Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man 80% Green Lantern 70% The Flash 65% Iron Man 65% Hulk 60% Superman 55% Supergirl 40% Catwoman 40% Batman 35% Robin 30% Wonder Woman 25%

You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...

Be sure to take the test, I'll be giving extra prizes for people who tell me who they are...

Holiday Time

There will not be a game on 1st October or 8th October due to our fine hosts taking a Holiday. Have a good time away!

Events from 24th Sept 08

The New Base
The players discussed the option of turning in the points from their old base (which previously belonged to Mastermind) and getting a new base, I played around with the figures and came up with the following.

Hero Island [30 points]
An island shrouded in mist just 5 miles from the coast of Freedom City.

Size: Awesome [6]; Toughness: 10 [1]
Features: Communications; Computer; Concealed [3]; Dock; Fire Prevention System; Gym; Hanger; Holding Cells (Toughness 15 & Nullify Device) [2]; Infirmary; Isolated; Laboratory; Library; Living Space; Pool; Power [Teleport: 10; 20 miles range (Progression: up to 25ft x 25ft portal; Extra: Portal +2; Flaw: Medium (pools of water) -1]; Power System; Workshop Personnel; Self-Repair [2]

Implaus-a-Jet [20]
A jet plane the size of a jumbo jet.

Strength: 50; Size: Colossal [4];
Speed: 7 (1,000 mph Flight; and ground speed)[8];
Defence: 2; Toughness: 13
Features: Limited Life Support [Immunity: 8; High Pressure; Low Pressure; Radiation; Vacuum; Suffocation; Starvation; Thirst]

Run Away!
The Mighty Implausibles decide to retreat to their new island base after Stars discovers some hidden files in the computer of the current base. Stars leaves a Duplicate behind to work on the computer and hopefully discover the content of the missing files.

In the meantime there is another explosion in Freedom City, this time Fool is the target. The team rally around and gather all of The 22 who are living in Freedom City and invite them back to their island.

A medical check-up is requested, so they ask Defiant if he can arrange medical scanning, which he is able to do. The big discovery is they each of The 22 have a microscopic sliver of technology located within their brains.

The old base for some unknown reason bursts into flames and is totally destroyed, with a duplicate Stars. The body is recovered from the inferno and a sliver is located within the corpse too.

The Next Step (3)
The Action List of things to do:

1. Welcome Defiant as a new team member. [Done, well kind of, the team are using his resources anyhow]
   
2. Discover the actual status of Mighty Lawman Snr. Can he be saved from the taint and will he join and fight for good?
3. Get a new base with Defiant's help, setting up the current base as a trap for Mastermind. [Done]
   
4. Pay a visit to Behemoth in New Orleans and maybe take the fight to Cactus Jack.
5. Discover what the hidden computer files contain. [Done]
   
6. What is that small thing inside your head?

Cactus Jack
With all this time that the Heroes are giving Jack what kind of evil plot is he going to hatch? Does he want to rule the world, or just turn it into a play thing for imaginably powerful and vast alien demonic beings that corrupt all they touch.

Mastermind
Looks as if his plan is going swimmingly, destroying all of the 22 mistakes which his faulty clone made. Who is next on the list? Does he want the 22 to locate themselves all in one place?

Events from 17 Sept 08

All Talk and No Action - Take 2

This session was not as productive as last weeks one, but there were unforeseen circumstances which I'll not divulge on this blog.

Boom, Boom, Shake the Room
Mighty Lawman's alter ego's home is destroyed by fire. Juggler's home is destroyed by gas explosion. Somebody knows where they live and doesn't like them.

Sun, Moon and Strength
As Mighty Lawman is flying about looking at the devastation caused by the unknown arsonist he takes a flight over to where Sun lives to see if his abode is burning, he finds it occupied by Sun and Moon. They are invited over to the Secret Base, the invitation is accepted with the priviso that Strength can come along too. Mighty Lawman agrees and they all come to visit the Secret Base.

Moon reveales that she can take the form of animals, like a lycanthrope. Specifically a bear, she say's that the bear is BIG! Moon also asks if they have searched throughly the base, as it formally belonged to Mastermind. The team re-search the base and find nothing much, except Stars discovers something in the computer system that is hidden from him.

The Next Step (2)
The Action List of things to do:

1. Welcome Defiant as a new team member.
2. Discover the actual status of Mighty Lawman Snr. Can he be saved from the taint and will he join and fight for good?
3. Get a new base with Defiant's help, setting up the current base as a trap for Mastermind.
4. Pay a visit to Behemoth in New Orleans and maybe take the fight to Cactus Jack.
5. Discover what the hidden computer files contain.
   

Events from 3rd Sept 08

All Talk and No Action

As this session involved information gathering and revealing secrets I'm not going to worry about the order in which it happened.

Mrs Giovani
The Glass-Spider finally revealed to her team mates that she got married in Vegas to Marcus Giovani. This was met with mixed reactions, however the smokescreen of the other bombs that Glass-Spider dropped the negative reactions really didn't matter.

Facts Revealed about Marcus Giovani:

• Glass-Spider and Marcus attended the same high school.
• He and his family were the target of the attacks by Cactus Jack; apparently it was one of his ancestors that "ratted out" Jack to Lady Violet Pennyworth so Jack and his gang are just settling a score, by killing all the Giovani's they can.
• The company which Marcus owns is one of the top secret developers for AEGIS (American Elite Government Intervention Service; US government agency established in 1962 to deal with
• superhuman and paranormal threats to public and national safety.)
• Marcus wishes to join the team as a battle suited hero called Defiant. The suit is 90% ready for action and looks just like the amazing picture below.
  
• Marcus pulled some strings and had Behemoth freed, with the addition of a tracing device. Behemoth's current location is just outside New Orleans.

Iron Mandarin by *D-MAC on deviantART

Eldrich Awakes
Eldrich has finally awoken from the assault that happened a couple of days ago. He has been undergoing epic mental combat with a demonic entity, he is drained but the team still need to get some answers from him.

He capitulates and answers the questions as best he can. The following information is revealed.

• Cactus Jack's immunity to magic comes from a lucky Jackalopes's foot which he wears around his neck.
• Mighty Lawman Snr. may well have joined forces with Cactus Jack.
• Taint is nasty - and can only be removed at a place of power.
  

The team's dilemma of whom they should be targeting (Cactus Jack or Mastermind) is resolved as Mastermind is only killing The 22; whereas Cactus Jack is out to cause maximum chaos.

The Next Step
The Action List of things to do:

1. Welcome Defiant as a new team member.
2. Discover the actual status of Mighty Lawman Snr. Can he be saved from the taint and will he join and fight for good?
3. Get a new base with Defiant's help, setting up the current base as a trap for Mastermind.
4. Pay a visit to Behemoth in New Orleans and maybe take the fight to Cactus Jack.

Events from 22 Aug 08

At home-base
Glass Spider is interrogated about her husband, as the team didn't know that she was married to Marcus Giovani (the tenth richest man in the world) in Vegas.

The team discuss what is happening:

• The World [xxi] has been killed and Judgement [xx] is missing.
• Cactus Jack is out and about and members of his team attacked the Glass Spider while she was meeting the new relations in a nice Italian Restaurant in New York, several of the new relations were killed in the assault.
• Eldrich, who was injured in the assault in New York is still out of things after a few days have passed.

Research on Cactus Jack and the Jackalopes revealed:

• Cactus Jack - A shaman who sacrificed his people for power over fate. He is known to be immune to all forms of magic. He is the leader and driving force behind the Jackalopes, his goals appear to spread chaos. It is also known that he is able to perform rituals, not hazardous in combat unless he has had time to prepare.
• Brimstone - Before gaining powers the Rev. T Scott was a hell fire and brimstone style preacher who put the fear of God into his parish. On the night of his transformation he had pushed the people too far and they had snapped. They locked him into the church and set it on fire. He may have burnt to death if not for the actions of a single woman from the town who looked up to him. Brimstone's known powers are control over "Hell Fire" (production in blasts and an area around himself) he is also immune to fire.
• Suzy-Floozy - Susette Dove had a hard upbringing, her father mistreated as long as she could remember and she ran away from home as soon as she could. She became a "saloon girl" and was mistreated by more men, strangers this time. The only person who she had any liking for was the local Rev. T Scott when she found out the townsfolk were going to burn him alive in his church she stole a gun and started her one woman crusade to stop their madness. Suzy-Floozy's known powers are that she is awesomely skilled with almost any weapon.
• Railroad - A gambler who gained mental command over metal.
• Behemoth - The origin of Behemoth is unknown, his first appearance was when he ran with Cactus Jack on a daring bank robbery. Behemoth's known powers are that he is extremely resilient to all forms of damage.

Breaking news

• TinkaHULK has been broken out of prison, reports of a normal cat causing havoc are being connected with his escape.
• One of the many Giovani funerals was disrupted by an assault by a pair of super-villains identified as Brimstone and Suzy-Floozy members of Cactus Jack's Jackalopes gang. In this assault Marcus Giovani was seriously injured.
  

Glass Spider, Flash, Stars and Juggler
Head to New York for a number of reasons, Glass Spider to visit her husband taking along Stars as he may be able to heal Marcus and Flash for moral support.

Juggler hunts down The Emperor [iii] a Vince Bloomburg who's last known abode is in New York whom she finds. Vince knows she is coming and tells her that all of The 22 are being "removed" as they were a "mistake." Vince is unwilling to help as he believes that he isn't in trouble until Juggler (The Empress [iv]) is dead. Vince also thinks that there will be only one survivor of The 22 at the end but will say no more on the subject.

Glass Spider talks to Marcus and he requests that he get her to his home, atop his corporate headquarters in Freedom City. Eventually this is arranged and Flash opens a portal to the building, where they are met by high tech security guards with strange looking firearms and some doctors. They take Marus away for "life saving surgery" and politely ask the team to leave. Flash attempts to mind read the doctor, this sets off an alarm and the guards start pointing weapons at people. The team are again asked to leave and this time they comply.

Mighty Lawman and Anti-Light
The pair of heroes track down Bill Pardy (The Sun [xix]) to inform him that he is next on the list of a super assassin who is killing off The 22. They find him a little drunk at a bar, apparently he has been attempting to drown his sorrows as he hasn't taken to being a "freak" as well as some of the others. He isn't interested in the warnings as "like the sun I am reborn every morning." As he stumbles out of the bar mumbling to himself that he is going to see Maddie; the duo are thinking of apprehending him, but in the blink of an eye he turns into a streak of light and is gone.

Taint

I use counters to represent Hero Points in the game, white ones for Hero Points and Red ones for Taint.

The characters can gain a rank of Taint when they have contact with a source of the taint, such as a demonic entity from the beyond.

Once a character gains their first rank of Taint the following rules come into effect.

At the beginning of each session the character gets one red counter per rank of Taint. The Taint counter can be spent as a Hero Point, but only when the character is out of regular hero points.

• If the character spends a Tainted Hero Point on self-preservation or other non-heroic act then the character needs to make a Willpower save [DC: 10+ PL + Taint Rank] to avoid gaining another rank of Taint.

While a character has a Taint counter they may make use of extra-effort without becoming fatigued.

• If the character uses extra-effort and avoids the fatigue level then the character needs to make a Willpower save [DC: 10 + Taint Rank] to avoid gaining another rank of Taint.

Taint Drawbacks
A character may possess up to 4 ranks of Taint with no ill effects, however when the fifth rank of taint is awarded the GM will assign a 5 point mental or physical drawback. The character can avoid this by taking a mental drawback at any time equal in value to the current effective rank of Taint.

Taking the drawback doesn't award the character any points.

Once the 5 point drawback has been assigned the character then gains two ranks of Taint where they would have gained one previously. If the character gains double the amount of taint they had when the 5 point drawback was assigned then that character is lost to the darkness.

Removing Taint Drawbacks
A drawback can only be removed when the rank of Taint has been reduced to a point below when the drawback was assigned.


Okay, I'm confusing myself. Let me have a think and I'll try and re-write this with a little more clarity.

What Happens in Vegas...

Las Vegas
The team are here at the invitation of Mighty Lawman, Snr (a "Paragon" sheriff from the old west) who's Immunity to Ageing is failing and with the prospect of a long, painful and drawn out death has asked his "son" if he can go out in a blaze of glory and have a heroes death. The team agreed in principal.

Mighty Lawman, Snr even knows of something that he would like to gain vengeance upon the menace wiped out his posse back in the 1890'ies and that he has been running from ever since. Mighty Lawman, Snr's nemesis is Cactus Jack (a native American shaman who sacrificed his entire tribe to gain power) who managed to summon a giant spider demon to do his bidding, as far as M.L.Snr knows Cactus Jack and the demon are still about, lurking somewhere in the dark as the demon can be destroyed by the light.

The team, with the guidance of M.L.Snr search the desert for Magic Mesa which they find. They encounter the Mesa's guardian, avoid conflict with him and attempt to discover what is wrong with the Mesa, as it's showing signs of being corrupted in some way. A connection is made with the Spider demon and Cactus Jack so the team vow to defeat the bad guys and (hopefully) lift the curse on Magic Mesa.

The team return to Vegas to sleep and plan how to take on Cactus Jack and his Demonic Spider. They encounter Eldrich at the Casino and speak with him about the Mesa and the Demon, he reveals that is was a former Master Mage (Lady Violet Pennyworth) that managed to defeat Cactus Jack and his demon for long enough to bind them with an entrapment spell, a spell that is powered by the energy of the Mesa and keeps them safe today. While the team are wondering just how Lady Pennyworth defeated Cactus Jack (who some say is immune to magic) along comes Dr. Tomorrow, Guardian of Time and asks the Team if he could be of any help?

Dr. Tomorrow has been following their exploits since there abduction by Mastermind and it was him that left them messages on how to defeat Mastermind and save the world from an ice age. He bargains with them for their help back on Erde for an interview with Lady Pennyworth so they can, with any luck defeat Cactus Jack. For his part Eldrich can banish the spider demon back to where it came from provided the team can handle Cactus Jack. They are all agreed, the team leave for Victorian London (all except Juggler as the player was being an ass and didn't want to play along) and Eldrich heads back to his base to prepare for the long ritual to banish a demon.

Tinka Winky
As Juggler is heading for her room she hears a smashing sound and loud shrill yells of "Jackpot!" Upon investigation she discovers that a small green fairy is smashing up the one armed bandits of the casino. Approaching a security guard she asks him if they need any help.

"Don't worry miss, we have everything under control."

As he says this TinkaHULK crashes out the front of a giant one armed bandit yells "Jackpot!" at the top of his tiny voice and proceeds to fly directly upwards creating a TinkaHULK shaped hole in the ceiling.

What followed was a hectic chase between Juggler and TinkaHULK the highlights of which involved Tink flying under a coach of Elvis impersonators and throwing it at Juggler and the destruction of several other cars, Tink also managed to assault several showgirls by giving them a "gentle" pat on the behind (sending them flying into the air).

All the time this was going on Winky watched Juggler with knowing eyes from his spot on the top of a flagpole, occasionally saying "meow."

The rest of the team by this time return from Victorian London and see the bedlam caused by "The Juggler" not waiting to change from their Victorian costumes the rest of the team take up positions all around attempting to help out where they can.

Mighty Lawman "saves" Winky from the flag pole, Winky gives him a knowing look and clings onto his arm. Once the initial clear up has been done the team look for TinkaHULK and notice that he has entered another casino.

Mighty Lawman checks in with the Lighthouse to get information about TinkaHULK, he speaks to Captain Thunder who gives him the back story and explains that TinkaHULK is a royal pain in the butt and a trouble maker.

The team enter the darkened casino (TinkaHULK has smashed all the lights) they spread out and try to find him, Juggler taunts TinkaHULK and he attacks her, the hit bouncing off her force field.

Winky looks as demure as he can at the Mighty Lawman (Disarming attempt to befuddle Mighty Lawman) who ignores the cat (getting a natural 20 [DAMN!]) Winky then jumps off into the room and vanishes behind a table.

The team leap into action and unleash all their attack at poor TinkaHULK, which he managed to soak or avoid. TinkaHULK flys over to where The Anti-Light is and provokes Mighty Lawman (wins the rolls and manages to redirect Mighty Lawman's attack into Anti-Light).

Other highlights of the battle include both Mighty Lawman Snr and Jnr teaming up to lift/grapple TinkaHULK out of the Casino, while this was under way Winky sneek attacked Jnr and almost badly savaged his ear (he burnt a HP to avoid being dropped to unconscious)

Also Captain Thunder's description of Winky as being the bigger threat and that he badly savaged some of the Freedom League when they encountered him while busting Mastermind, who is the former owner of Winky.

Masterminds Major Arcana

When Mastermind kidnapped the victims/subjects as part of the process he tattooed a Roman numeral on the back of their head once he had removed all their hair. This was all part of the transformation process.

Here is a list of the people who were kidnapped and altered.

• The Fool [0] - Oxana Malaya
• The Sorceress [I] - Melanie Pinkerton (Pat)
• The Priest [II] - Jamia Al'Teranni
• The Emperor [III] - Vince Bloomburg
• The Empress [IV] - Danielle Oto (Justin)
• The Priestess [V] - Vicky Bradshaw
• The Lovers [VI] - Jake Falon
• The Chariot [VII] - Suzy Lovelace
• Justice [VIII] - Patrick “Paddy” Flint (Bill)
• The Hermit [IX] - John F Hooper
• The Wheel [X] - Leo Johnson
• Strength [XI] - Evie Wolf
• The Hanged Woman [XII] - Amanda “Giovanni” (Kelvin)
• Death [XIII] - Neil Oliver Summers (Gavin)
• Temperance [XIV] - Jacqueline Daniels
• The Devil [XV] - Simon Horewood
• The Tower [XVI] - Phil Adams
• The Stars [XVII] - (Jay)
• The Moon [XVIII] - Maddie Fforde
• The Sun [XIX] - Bill Pardy
• Judgement [XX] - Neeta Nehar
• The World [XXI] - Mary Jane Kelly

The Story So Far

Adventure One - Project Snowball
This was the team getting together and discovering that they had been kidnapped by Mastermind and have been genetically tampered with to "awaken" their super powers.

It lasted a couple of sessions and went as well as I expected. They stopped the tanker full of the super-freezing reagent that Mastermind wanted to dump into the Atlantic ocean to kick start an ice age. Flew to his base in the wastes of the Antarctic (using his escape plane) and eventually gave him a sound thrashing. Well, they destroyed his base.

Final scene was the real Mastermind turning up to destroy his flawed clone and vowing to undo the flawed work that his inferior clone had started.

Adventure Two - Seed
The adventure ran as written, none of the villains gave the heroes any trouble. Green Man himself ended up as a tree in a park within Freedom City.

Introduction

Earth-VII
This is the base Earth for my own Freedom City series.

So far I've had Mastermind kidnap 22 normal people and enhance them with powers. His whole idea was to create a team of support that would help him take control of the world.

However, this is not the Mastermind that you know and love, the Preserver technology at one of his bases has malfunctioned and created a new (and flawed) clone of Mastermind. The other spanner in his plan is that the players happened to be among the 22 people that he kidnapped.