Blackmoor Vituperative

A random bit, just for fun. This is an Advantage, which are small not-quite-powers that characters can have:

Headquarters

The character has one or more bases of operation, equipped with supplies and equipment reasonable for the character’s background and skills. If the character is a member of a team, the base(s) might be shared with the other team members, at the player’s discretion. A headquarters is primarily a convenience for the GM and a fun asset for the character. It is not generally useful in combat, and is mainly used for flavor and a setting for roleplaying. For example, a high-tech base might have an air-tight security system, complete with laser turrets and knockout gas, but this won’t keep the base from being broken into by villains or taken over by an evil computer virus.

A couple of months ago I was interviewed on the BAMF Podcast about Bulletproof Blues. The podcast itself is located at “Bulletproof Blues – new Supers RPG”. Transcripts of the podcast took a while to obtain, but those are below.

BAMF_Podcast_-_Bulletproof_Blues_2012-02-08 (DOC, 51 KB)
BAMF_Podcast_-_Bulletproof_Blues_2012-02-08 (HTML, 67 KB)
BAMF_Podcast_-_Bulletproof_Blues_2012-02-08 (ODT, 36 KB)
BAMF_Podcast_-_Bulletproof_Blues_2012-02-08 (PDF, 67 KB)
BAMF_Podcast_-_Bulletproof_Blues_2012-02-08 (RTF, 51 KB)
BAMF_Podcast_-_Bulletproof_Blues_2012-02-08 (TXT, 52 KB)

Minor hiccup in the remodeling. The contractors were putting in the floor this week, and after a day it became clear that although the color was what we wanted, the finish was much too rustic (“imperial handscraped maple“), with an uneven surface and dark lines around each piece of wood. I am sure it would have been lovely in a farmhouse or log cabin, but Castle Blackmoor is not rustic. So I stopped them, and they had to tear up what they’d put down. Some calm but firm conversations followed, and I gave the contractors more specific instructions on what I wanted (which I should have done to begin with).

Here is a photo of what I want.

I don’t know if this is the sort of thing that will interest people, but here is a section from the Character Creation chapter: “Archetypes”.

Archetypes

When writing up a character, it can be useful to have an archetype in mind for inspiration. An archetype is a brief description of the powers and modus operandi of the character, and their role in the group dynamic. Many popular comic book characters actually combine two or more of these archetypes. You aren’t limited to these archetypes, of course. These common archetypes are just here to offer you a jumping-off point for your character.

The Beanstalk

The Beanstalk can dramatically change their size. They might be able to grow to massive heights, or shrink down to the size of a dust mote. A Beanstalk who can do both can solve a number of difficult problems all by themselves.

Examples: Atom, Atlas, Mighty Man

Common powers: Growth, Shrinking

The Calculator

The Calculator knows the variables and takes all of them into account. The Calculator might be a chess master, a scientific genius, a brilliant military strategist, or a robot that can think millions of times faster than a human being. When there are questions, the Calculator is the one who comes up with the answers.

Examples: Mister Terrific, Henry Pym, Henry Bendix

Common powers: high Reason, Danger Sense, Immortality, Mind Shield

The Cannon

The Cannon is the proverbial big gun, capable of firing blasts of astonishing power. Since they focus on ranged combat, many Cannons have an alternate form of movement, such as Flight or Teleportation. Most Cannons are capable of dishing out far more than they can take, which is why they are sometimes called “Glass Cannons”.

Examples: Starfire, Cyclops, Apollo

Common powers: Blast, Flight, Force Field, Teleportation

The Clay

The Clay can change their physical form in some way. The Clay might be able to change their appearance to mimic other people, or perhaps they can take the form of animals or inanimate objects. Alternately, the Clay might not be able to take on other shapes, but might instead be able to stretch and twist their body in amazing and unsettling ways, or take on the physical attributes of various substances.

Examples: Plastic Man, Copycat, Menagerie

Common powers: (Element) Form, Shapeshifting, Stretching

The Dolphin

The Dolphin is at home in the sea. The Dolphin may be a ruler of an undersea kingdom (Atlantis, for example), an aquatic visitor from another world, or a freak of nature. Some Dolphins can control sea creatures, while others can command the sea itself. Regardless of their origins, a Dolphin in their element is a force to be reckoned with.

Examples: Aquaman, Namor, Fathom

Common powers: Animal Control, (Element) Mastery, Life Support, Super-swimming

The Elemental

The Elemental is the living embodiment of a force, substance, or idea. Some Elementals can physically transform into the appropriate material. Others can create limitless amounts of their chosen element, or mentally manipulate it. Some Elementals can do all three.

Examples: Red Tornado, Human Torch, Jenny Sparks

Common powers: Blast, (Element) Form, (Element) Mastery

The Gadget

The Gadget isn’t the strongest or fastest character around, but they always seem to have a gizmo or incantation on hand to make up for it. The Gadget might have a utility belt filled with clever devices, or they might be a magician with a spell for every occasion. With the Gadget on the team, you’ll probably have the right tool for the job.

Examples: Zatanna, Iron Man, The Engineer

Common powers: Force Field, Super-senses, (Ultra-power)

The Hammer

The Hammer is the heaviest hitter in the neighborhood, and perhaps one of the heaviest hitters in the entire world. The Hammer is usually super-strong, but they might have a mighty weapon instead of great strength (or in addition to it).

Examples: Superman, Thor, Mister Majestic

Common powers: high Brawn, Invulnerability, Strike

The Mirror

The Mirror wields forces beyond the material world. The Mirror might be a sorcerer, a psychic, or a mathematician who has unlocked the secret equation that controls the universe. When the paranormal knocks, the Mirror is the character who answers the door.

Examples: Doctor Fate, Professor X, The Doctor

Common powers: Amazing Movement, Mind Shield, Telepathy, (Ultra-power)

The Rocket

The Rocket is fast — super fast. The Rocket might be born to move with preternatural quickness, their speed might come from years of training, or they may just wear a jet pack. The Rocket may be a runner or a flyer (or, rarely, a swimmer), but whether it’s by land, by air, or by sea, few vehicles and fewer characters can keep up with the Rocket.

Examples: Flash, Quicksilver, Swift

Common powers: high Agility, high Prowess, Haste, Multiple Attacks, Super-Running, Flight

The Shadow

The Shadow can go where no one else can go, and can appear and disappear without a trace. The Shadow might be a super-spy, a ninja, or even a ghost. However they do it, the Shadow makes being spooky look easy.

Examples: Batman, Black Widow, Spawn

Common powers: Flight, Intangibility, Invisibility, Swinging, Teleportation

The Sword

The Sword is a fighter, through and through. They may hail from an ancient warrior tradition, they may be a genetically modified super-soldier, or they may be a serene kung-fu master. Regardless of where they came from, the Sword can be found on the front lines trading blow for blow with the enemy.

Examples: Hawkgirl, Iron Fist, Midnighter

Common powers: high Prowess, Danger Sense, Multiple Attacks, Strike

The Tank

The Tank is an immovable object in a world of irresistible forces. The Tank may be inherently super-tough, they might wear high-tech armor, or they may be able to project an impenetrable force field. The Tank can take any damage the world can dish out, and then some.

Examples: Black Adam, Invisible Woman, Caitlin Fairchild

Common powers: high Brawn, high Willpower, Barrier, Force Field, Invulnerability

Van Dykes are not goatees. Goatees are not Van Dykes. For pete’s sake, use the right term. Calling a Van Dyke a “goatee” is like calling your beard your “eyebrows”.