Blackmoor Vituperative

I had an idea a couple of months ago. It would be a marketplace for writers, editors, and artists to come together as collaborators. It would be driven by the authors: in the new model of book distribution, authors are in control. They set the prices, they decide where the book will be distributed, and they are the ones that get paid by the distributors.

But authors need talented editors and gifted artists. Most authors aren’t either of those things. How is an author to find an editor with a good track record, one who sees themselves as on the authors side? How can an author find a cover artist or map artist who can meet a deadline and produce work according to spec? And how can the editors and artists find the authors who need them and who will pay on time (editors and artists want to feed their cats, too).

So my idea was a marketplace for this, where authors, artists, and editors would meet as peers. Everyone would be able to review everyone else, but only if they’d worked with them. The marketplace site would make sure that everyone got paid, and would act as the middleman to keep everyone honest. For this service, the marketplace would keep, say, 10% of the transacction (which should be enough to cover the site’s costs).

I pitched this to the company I work for, but it was too far from our current business focus to interest them. I would love to get it started, but I don’t have the start-up capital or the business acumen to make it work. I wish I did. So, here it is: a business that I believe is desperately needed. If you have the resources to start a business but just lack the idea, feel free to use this one.

More from Bulletproof Blues: Telekinesis. My co-author Susan was a great help in clarifying this. I think this is a huge improvement.

Telekinesis

Activation: Attack
Task roll: Accuracy
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank

Telekinesis permits a character to move objects at range. The maximum mass the character can lift with their Telekinesis is based on the rank of the power. Find the rank of the power in the Benchmarks table and look up the corresponding value in the “Lifts” column. Telekinesis is not normally able to inflict damage directly (to do so, use Blast), but it may be used to squeeze a target or smash a target into unyielding surfaces.

Telekinesis may be targeted using either Accuracy or Willpower. The attribute used by the attacker to hit the target must be chosen when the power is purchased, and may not normally be changed thereafter.

Using Telekinesis requires an Accuracy (or Willpower) task roll against the Agility of the intended target. Grabbing inanimate objects with Telekinesis is generally automatic, unless the GM wants to make it difficult for some reason. To break free of the Telekinesis, the target must make a successful Brawn task roll against the rank of the Telekinesis.

If the attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then the rank of the Telekinesis is increased by 3 for the purpose of breaking free of it. For example, if a character is being held by a rank 6 Telekinesis, and the attacker has expertise with the power and rolled an extreme success, the affected character would need to make a Brawn task roll against task difficulty 17 (6 + 3 + 8 ) to break free of the Telekinesis.

If the defender succeeds at the Brawn task roll to break free, they may use their remaining movement action. If the character being held with Telekinesis gets an extreme success on this roll, then they break free as a free action instead of a task action (expertise is not necessary). For example, if a character is affected by a rank 6 Telekinesis, they would need to make a Brawn task roll against task difficulty 14 (6 + 8 ). If they roll a 17 or more, they achieve an extreme success, and breaking free is simply a free action. If the defender has Telekinesis, they may use the rank of their own Telekinesis in lieu of their Brawn to break free.

Characters being held by Telekinesis are considered “restrained”. A restrained character is not helpless, but they can’t use normal movement until they break free of the Telekinesis. Attacking the held character is easier (attackers gain a +3 attack bonus when attacking the held character), and their attacks are easier to avoid (defenders gain a +3 defense bonus when the held character attacks them).

A character with Telekinesis may either squeeze or move what they are holding with the power.

If the character with Telekinesis wishes to exert strength in an attempt to hurt the held character, the compression causes Endurance damage, and the damage rating (DR) of this attack is equal to the attacker’s rank in Telekinesis. Any power or equipment that provides protection from Endurance damage, such as Invulnerability and Force Field, reduces the amount of damage the target takes from the attack. The protection value (PV) of the protection power is subtracted from the damage rating of the Telekinesis. The remaining damage is subtracted from the target’s Endurance.

If the character with Telekinesis wishes to move the held character, the distance an attacker may move the defender is based on the Telekinesis of the attacker and the mass of the defender. First, look up the mass of the defender or object to be moved in the “Lifts” column of the Benchmarks table (rounding to the nearest weight value), and find the corresponding rank for that weight. Subtract that rank from the Telekinesis of the attacker, and look up that resulting rank in the Benchmarks table. Find the corresponding distance in the “Throws” column. This is how far the attacker could move an object of that weight in one round. This rank is also the damage rating (DR) of the impact if the attacker makes the defender hit a solid object such as a wall or the ground. Particularly soft or yielding surfaces can reduce the impact damage by as much as half.

Example:

Darkmind has Telekinesis 7, and wants to move Stone. Stone weighs 800 pounds, which would be rank 4 in the “Lifts” column in the Benchmarks table. Subtracting 4 from Darkmind’s rank 7 Telekinesis gives us rank 3. Consulting the “Throws” column for rank 3, we find that Darkmind can move Stone 25 feet per round.

Darkmind uses Telekinesis to smash Stone into an armored car. The impact has a damage rating of 3. After subtracting Stone’s rank 7 Invulnerability, the attack does no damage to Stone at all. The armored car has Invulnerability rank 8. It is rocked on its wheels a bit, but suffers no real damage from having Stone smashed into it.

More from Bulletproof Blues: Telekinesis. I am not thrilled with how complicated this is. I have rewritten it a few times, making it simpler each time. I expect I will revise it once or twice more before publication. I’ll probably eliminate the distinction between “grappling” and “moving”, and just lump moving in with holding, squeezing, and interposing, and do away with the concept of “grappling” altogether.

Telekinesis

Activation: Attack
Task roll: Accuracy
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank

Telekinesis permits a character to grab and lift objects at range. The maximum mass the character can lift with their Telekinesis is based on the rank of the power. Find the rank of the power in the Benchmarks table and look up the corresponding value in the “Lifts” column. Telekinesis is not normally able to inflict damage directly (to do so, use Blast), but if the Telekinesis grab attack is successful, attacker may grapple the target or move them, both of which are explained below.

The first step of a grapple or move is a successful grab attack. Grabbing inanimate objects with Telekinesis is generally automatic, unless the GM wants to make it difficult for some reason. Grabbing an opponent with Telekinesis requires an Accuracy task roll against the Agility of the intended target or a Willpower task roll against the Agility of the target. The attribute used by the attacker to hit the target must be chosen when the power is purchased, and may not normally be changed thereafter. If the attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then the rank of the Telekinesis is increased by 3 for the purpose of the target breaking out of it.

If the grab is successful, the defender may make a reaction task roll using their Brawn attribute against the attacker’s Telekinesis. If the defender also has Telekinesis, they may use the rank of their Telekinesis to resist the grab, instead. If the defender succeeds on their reaction task roll, they have broken the attacker’s Telekinesis, and suffer no ill effects from the attack. If the defender fails their reaction task roll, the attacker may grapple the target or move them.

Grappling

Grappling involves using Telekinesis to hold or restrain another character.

If the defender fails their reaction task roll, the attacker may do one of the following during this round:

• Hold: Hold on to the defender and keep them restrained. A restrained character is not helpless, but they can’t use normal movement until they break the grapple. Attacking the grappled character is easier (attackers gain a +3 attack bonus when attacking the grappled character), and their attacks are easier to avoid (defenders gain a +3 defense bonus when the grappled character attacks them).
• Squeeze: Exert strength in an attempt to hurt the grappled character. The compression causes Endurance damage, and the damage rating (DR) of this attack is equal to the attacker’s rank in Telekinesis. Any power or equipment that provides protection from Endurance damage, such as Invulnerability and Force Field, reduces the amount of damage the target takes from the attack. The protection value (PV) of the protection power is subtracted from the damage rating of the Telekinesis. The remaining damage is subtracted from the target’s Endurance.
• Interpose: Use the grappled character as cover. By using the grappled character as a living shield, the character with Telekinesis gains a +3 defense bonus.

Moving

Telekinesis may be used to move an object or character a distance through the air.

If the defender fails their reaction task roll, the attacker may move the defender. The distance an attacker may move the defender is based on the Telekinesis of the attacker and the mass of the defender. First, look up the mass of the defender or object to be moved in the “Lifts” column of the Benchmarks table (rounding to the nearest weight value), and find the corresponding rank for that weight. Subtract that rank from the Telekinesis of the attacker, and look up that result in the Benchmarks table. Find the corresponding distance in the “Throws” column for the resulting rank. This is how far the attacker could move an object of that weight in one round. This rank is also the damage rating (DR) of the impact if the attacker makes the defender hit a solid object such as a wall or the ground.

Example:

Darkmind has Telekinesis 7, and wants to move Stone, who has failed his reaction task roll to break out of the grab. Stone weighs 800 pounds, which would be rank 4 in the “Lifts” column in the Benchmarks table. Subtracting 4 from Darkmind’s rank 7 Telekinesis, we find that Darkmind can move Stone 25 feet per round.

Darkmind uses Telekinesis to slam Stone into an armored car. The impact has a damage rating of 3, which is the rank of 25 feet in the “Throws” column in the Benchmarks table. After subtracting Stone’s rank 7 Invulnerability, the attack does no damage to Stone at all. The armored car is rocked on its wheels a bit, but suffers no real damage from having Stone slammed into it.

Particularly soft or yielding surfaces can reduce the impact damage by as much as half.

More from Bulletproof Blues: Alternate Forms. This power could be used by characters like Ben 10, Maleficent from the 1959 adaptation of Sleeping Beauty, the Sleeper from the Wild Cards series of books, and of course Dial H for Hero.

Alternate Forms

Activation: Activated
Task roll: —
Target: Personal
Range: —
Cost: 1 character point per rank

A character with the Alternate Forms power has multiple independent identities, each with its own powers and appearance, and potentially even a different personality for each (if the player wishes). The character can only use one alternate form at a time, and changing forms requires activating the power with a free action (although the character can only activate one form per round). The number of alternate forms the character has is equal to the rank of the power. The cost for all forms is paid by the base character; the alternate forms are created using the same number of character points as the base character (minus the cost of the Alternate Forms power), and they may not themselves have the Alternate Forms power.

Alternate Forms must be activated with a free action: if the character is staggered or goes unconscious, the power turns off, and the character reverts to their base form. The character may also turn off their Alternate Forms voluntarily, of course. A staggered character may attempt a challenging Willpower task roll (task difficulty 12) to keep their Alternate Forms activated while staggered.

The specific mechanism of the Alternate Forms can vary greatly from character to character, which may offer minor benefits and disadvantages to the character.

Defects

Dial R For Random: Normally, a character with Alternate Forms has a set of predefined forms and identities. With the Dial R For Random power defect, the knowledge and memories of the character are preserved, but their powers and appearance (and personality, if the player wishes) are that of a completely new person each time the power is activated. With the GM’s approval, even the character’s skills and advantages might be changed. A character with the Dial R For Random power defect must have at least 2 ranks in the Alternate Forms power. -1 character point

I intend to have very little “setting” information in Bulletproof Blues. I want the base book to be small, inexpensive, and easily read in one sitting. However, to some degree the setting affects how we present the rules. So it’s a balancing act to provide enough setting information so that players understand the context of the game system, but not so much that they are swamped by backstory and discouraged from making the game their own, or perhaps even put off even trying the game at all.

Here is a section from the Introduction chapter which gives a brief introduction to the setting. What do you think? Too much? Too little? Does it spark your interest?

The Kalos Universe

Bulletproof Blues takes place in the world-famous universe of Kalos Comics, creators of Paragon (who first appeared in Amazing Adventure Magazine in 1938), Rook (who first appeared in Tales Of Mystery in 1939), Antiope, Doctor Arcane, and the rest of the Justifiers, as well as sinister organizations like Aegis and GORGON, and mysterious entities like The Bride. From the ancient ruins of Lemuria to the far reaches of the Hausdorff Dimension, the Kalos Universe is now yours to explore.

On the surface, the Kalos Universe closely resembles our own. The outlines of the continents are the same, and the names of the nations that humans have created within those borders are familiar. The names of the leaders are similar, and the organizations used by those leaders to exert power are largely the same as in our world. Much as in our own world, extremes of good and evil exist, but the gulf between them is a murky area where those of good will can and do disagree not only on the means but on the ultimate ends they seek in pursuit of a better world. However, those of good will are in the minority. Most people are morally ambiguous: they want the best for their friends and family, but are ambivalent, at best, about what that may cost others. Those who seek power may start with good intentions, or at least a benign desire for their own betterment, but power swiftly becomes its own reward. The ultimate goal of the powerful is to retain and expand that power.

In the Kalos Universe, much like in our own world, sometimes things don’t work out the way we’d like them to. Life is neither fair nor unfair, and the universe is indifferent to human suffering.

The struggle, then, is to make the best possible world with the tools at our command. Your character has great power. How will they use it?

Posthumans

The first half-dozen posthumans who made their presence widely known appeared during World War 2, as part of the Red Army fighting the invading forces of Nazi Germany. Soon after, similar groups of posthumans appeared, fighting for the Axis in Europe and Africa and for the Allies in Europe and the Pacific.

Today there are fewer than 800 posthumans worldwide. Approximately 200 of these are in North America, roughly 100 of which are in the United States. Posthumans, particularly those who originate in the Americas, have a slightly greater than average tendency to migrate to the United States.

Despite their incredible powers, posthumans have had a subdued effect on world affairs. Posthuman geniuses have made extraordinary scientific and medical discoveries, but these advances have been kept from the public until the powerful have deemed society “ready”. In some cases, a posthuman invention has been reverse engineered so that less powerful versions of the device may be gradually introduced over the course of several decades. This was the case for lasers and nanotechnology, for example. The primary beneficiaries of these scientific breakthroughs have been the governments and corporations who rule the world, and the powerful people who secretly control them.

Similarly, at the insistence of conventional authorities, posthumans have generally refrained from involvement in everyday politics and diplomacy. The exceptions to this rule have been condemned as terrorists and threats to all of humanity. This phenomenon was most evident during the McCarthy era, when a small handful of politically active posthumans calling themselves the Committee For The Advancement Of Mankind were convicted in absentia of violating the Smith Act.

The Fall Of Paragon

Bulletproof Blues is set shortly after the “Fall Of Paragon” crossover event, during which the Justifiers were killed by their former teammate, Paragon. The city of Atlanta, Georgia has been demolished, Singapore rests beneath the sea, and both the Keystone Pipeline System and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System have been destroyed. It is a difficult time for posthumans. Posthumans have never been completely trusted by humanity, and Paragon confirmed everyone’s worst fears. Although Paragon was ultimately defeated and killed by a small team of posthumans at the Justifiers’ headquarters in Antarctica, his actions have changed forever the relationship between humanity and posthumans.

If you are unfamiliar with the Kalos Universe, you will find more information in the World chapter.

More from Bulletproof Blues: Combination. This power was invented by my old friend Phill Ash, back in the mid-to-late 1980s when we used to play Champions. He called it “Gestalt”, but I like the name “Combination” better.

Combination

Activation: Activated
Task roll: —
Target: Personal
Range: Touch
Cost: 1 character point per rank

Combination permits several characters to merge into a single larger and more powerful character. Every character wishing to combine must have the Combination power, and the maximum number of characters who may combine is equal to the lowest rank of Combination among them. Activating Combination takes one standard action, and requires the characters to all be touching each other. In addition to being more massive, the combined character has Brawn, Prowess, and Invulnerability (if any) equal to the highest rank of any of the combined characters, plus one rank for every combined character after the first.

Example:

Moe, Larry, and Curly each have rank 3 Combination. Moe has Brawn 3 and Prowess 2. Larry has Brawn 2 and Prowess 4. Curly has Brawn 2, Prowess 1, and rank 2 Invulnerability. When Moe, Larry, and Curly combine, they form the mighty Stoopendigous, who has Brawn 5 (Moe’s rank 3, plus 2 more for Larry and Curly), Prowess 6 (Larry’s rank 4, plus 2 more for Moe and Curly), and rank 4 Invulnerability (Curly’s rank 2, plus 2 more for Moe and Larry).

More from Bulletproof Blues: Barrier. As Hedwig says, ain’t much of a difference between a bridge and a wall.

Barrier

Activation: Attack
Task roll: Power
Target: Radius
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank

Barrier permits the character to create walls and simple geometric shapes made of a particular force or substance. The specific type of force or substance must be chosen when this power is purchased. Some typical examples are air, earth, fire, water, light, darkness, force fields, electricity, magnetism, gravity, cloth, and plants. The player can pick any force or substance they like, subject to the GM’s approval.

Creating a simple shape with Barrier (a wall, dome, cube, and so on) requires a challenging Barrier task roll (task difficulty 12). Creating more complex shapes requires a more difficult task roll, with the task difficulty set by the GM based on the complexity of the desired shape. For example, a “T” or “W” or other angular shape would require a demanding Barrier task roll (task difficulty 15), while an intricate labyrinth would require a frustrating Barrier task roll (task difficulty 18).

The maximum length or circumference of the barrier is based on the rank of the power. Find the rank of the power in the Benchmarks table, and look up the value in the “Affects” column. This is the maximum length or circumference of the barrier the character may create.

The Barrier has Endurance and protection value (PV) equal to the rank of the power. If the character has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then the Barrier created is significantly tougher (+3 Endurance). If the damage rating of an attack is less than or equal to the protection value of the Barrier, the attack bounces off harmlessly and the Barrier is undamaged. If damage from an attack exceeds the Barrier’s protection value, the remaining damage is subtracted from the Barrier’s Endurance, and the attack makes a hole in the barrier large enough for a normal person to walk through. If the Endurance of the Barrier is reduced to zero, the Barrier is destroyed: it crumbles, dissolves, or fades away, as appropriate.

A Barrier may also be used to support weight, as a bridge, support column, or other such structure. Find the rank of the power in the Benchmarks table, and look up the value in the “Lifts” column. This is the maximum weight which the Barrier can support. If the load on the Barrier exceeds this weight, the Barrier loses 1 Endurance each round that the weight on it exceeds its lifting capacity.

If a Barrier is not attacked or damaged, it will normally remain in place until the end of the scene, after which it crumbles, dissolves, or fades away, as appropriate.

Enhancements

Permanent: The Barrier is relatively permanent. It does not dissolve at the end of the scene, and will remain in place until destroyed. +1 character point

Another random bit. This time it’s Absorption, which is probably one of the more complicated powers in the game:

Absorption

Activation: Always On

Task roll: —

Target: Personal

Range: —

Cost: 1 character point per rank

Absorption permits the character to absorb damage from a force or substance and use that energy in specific ways. The character can heal themselves, or they can temporarily gain the power that attacked them, or they can boost one of their existing powers. The specific type of force or substance that can be absorbed must be chosen when this power is purchased. Some typical examples are air, earth, fire, water, light, darkness, force fields, electricity, magnetism, gravity, cloth, and plants. You can pick any force or substance you like, subject to the GM’s approval.

The amount of energy which can be absorbed from a single attack is equal to the rank in the Absorption power. For example, if a character has rank 3 Force Field and rank 2 Absorption (electricity) and is struck by a rank 7 electrical attack, the damage rating of the attack reduced the character’s Endurance by 4 (7 – 3 = 4), and the character absorbs 2 ranks of energy. These two ranks are added to a pool of absorbed energy which depletes at the rate of one rank per round, starting the round after the energy was absorbed.

The ranks of energy absorbed by the character may be used in one of three ways, which may be chosen by the character on a case-by-case basis.

• Healing – The character restores an amount of lost Endurance (or other damaged attribute) up to the rank of energy in the pool. Each rank of restored Endurance requires the expenditure of one rank of absorbed energy. Healing themselves in this fashion requires a free action.
• Power – The character gains the power that inflicted the damage, and can use this power to attack others. Each rank of the gained power requires the expenditure of one rank of absorbed energy, and the power lasts for only one round. Gaining the power requires a free action, but using it requires a task action.
• Boost – The character may Boost either one of their attributes or one of their powers. Each rank in Boost requires the expenditure of one rank of absorbed energy, and the Boost lasts for only one round. Boosting an attribute or power requires a free action, but using the attribute or power usually requires a task action.

Absorption does not provide protection against an attack: the damage rating of attacks is not reduced by the rank of the Absorption power. If the damage of the attack knocks the character unconscious or kills them, the character automatically uses their absorbed energy to heal themselves as much as possible.

Enhancements

Delayed Depletion: The absorbed energy depletes at a rate of one rank per minute rather than one rank per round. +1 character point