Let's Go, Blue Jays!

After an absolutely thrilling Game 7, the Blue Jays are on their way to the World Series for the first time since Joe Carter touched 'em all. I was on the edge of my seat as I watched, and I cheered like a little kid when Julio Rodriguez struck out with Cal Raleigh on deck in the top of the ninth and the score 4-3 Jays. It was like I was back working at that seedy bar in 1993, looking up at the TV screen as Joe hit the bomb and the place erupted. The DJ started playing 'We are the Champions', the crowd was hugging and toasting each other. Total strangers who would never see each other again were acting like long-lost friends. It was glorious.

And a decade ago in 2015, I watched the most impossible inning in baseball history unfold, and the Blue Jays come back thanks to three errors and a mammoth blast from Jose Bautista known forever as the Bat Flip. Like Springer's dinger, it was a 7th-inning blast, and it was a three-run home run, and it broke the back of the opposing team so that they went down without a fight after that. They got a leadoff single and a walk in the eighth, but Roberto Osuna came out and shut them down with a five-inning save, sending the Jays to the ALCS for the first time since Carter's blast.

The next year, it was Edwin Encarnacion's turn to be the hero, hitting a walk-off three-run home run on the first pitch he saw from Ubaldo Jimenez in the bottom of the eleventh inning, which sent the Jays to the ALDS for a rematch with the Rangers that had a lot of bad blood from a fight that happened in the last game they played together in the regular season, when Roughned Odor punched Bautista in the face and cleared the benches. Fortunately, the Jays got their revenge with a three-game sweep, the first in their playoff history, and the icing on the cake was Odor making a throwing error that allowed Josh Donaldson to scamper home with the series-winning run in the 10th inning of game 3. Maybe he should have practiced throwing to first instead of throwing punches.

Now, the Jays have made the playoffs three times since then, in the Covid-shortened 2020 season, 2022, and 2023. They lost all six games they played, and their young star, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., was ineffective and virtually silent at the plate. This time, though, they held on to a first-place finish in the regular season, tied with the Yankees in terms of their record but winning the tie breaker due to beating them 8 games to 5 during the season. Then they dominated the Yankees, beating them in four games in the best-of-five ALDS and moving on to face the Mariners in a battle of teams that joined the league exactly 49 years ago in 1977. It was the first time they ever faced off in the playoffs.

No, 2022 DID NOT HAPPEN. Do not bring that fever dream up again.

The Jays, with home field advantage, lost the first two games at the SkyDome (I refuse to call it the Rogers Centre) and their backs were to the wall. Fortunately, they came back in Seattle and tied the series at 2-2 before dropping game 5 with particularly boneheaded pitching change in the 8th inning that allowed the Mariners to go from 2-1 down to a 6-2 win. Now forced to return home with no margin of error, the Jays replied with a convincing 6-2 win of their own, before facing down the Mariners in a winner-take-all Game 7.

I maintain that there is nothing better than a Game 7 in baseball. Everything is magnified, even moreso than in hockey or basketball. Because unlike those two sports, every pitch takes time. Every play unfolds slowly and yet in the blink of an eye. One swing of the bat can crush a team's hopes and dreams...in either direction. And this was a Game 7 to remember. Was it the best one ever? Probably not; plenty of people will point to the 1991 World Series between Atlanta and Minnesota that went 10 innings and finished with a 1-0 score. And there have been plenty of other classics over the last 122 years of World Series play. But this one...this one is special for Blue Jays fans.

So, now it is on to the World Series against the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers. The oddsmakers are heavily favoring the Dodgers to take it despite the Jays having a better season record and playing in a tougher division (the AL East is a dogfight every year, and the NL West had the Colorado Rockies to play doormat).The Jays have shown the resilience necessary to win, and lead the majors in come-from-behind wins this year with 52, 17 of those when trailing in the 7th or later. So don't count out the Blue Jays, because this is a team that gets contributions up and down the lineup every single night. The Dodgers have plenty of stars, including ex-Jay Teoscar Hernandez, but it remains to be seen if their lineup will be as deep. The Jays have hit 20 homers in the playoffs next to the Dodgers' 15, despite the Dodgers playing only one fewer game. The Dodgers have a much better ERA in the postseason, but there are no weak spots in the Toronto lineup for a pitcher to ease up. And the Dodgers have faced no adversity in these playoffs, going 9-1 with two swept series.

All in all, I would say the Dodgers are favored, but it's not going to be a four-game sweep like some people are predicting. Historically, the Blue Jays get dismissed by many fans because they play in Canada. And it's been 32 years since those fans were reminded how good the Blue Jays can truly be. Here's hoping that the Jays can continue this magical run and finish the job. Four more, baby.

My prediction: Blue Jays in 6.

Let's Read Champions 1e (character creation example: Nightshade)

 Alright, I'm going to create a character using these rules. I know they already put three sample characters in, but what's the point of doing this if I don't include a character of my own? I could take a character I created in a different edition; I have lots of those. Or I could start completely fresh and create an entirely new character from scratch.

I'm thinking something new and creative would be a good idea; some of the characters I've created before wouldn't fit in the limitations of the 1st edition rules, whether it's powers that don't show up here, or additional skills, or whatever. So, let's start fresh.

I'm going to use the name idea and create a character called Nightshade. Maybe not the most original name, but hey, it's hard to come up with something completely new. So, Nightshade it is. With a name like that, he's going to have some powers related to shadow or darkness, so here we go.

First, I'm going to use the Multipower framework to save on points. We'll give him a 40-point pool and see what we can fit in there.

40  Multipower (40-pt. pool, darkness powers)

8    Darkness, 8" radius

8    Desolidification, 8 BODY

8    8D6 Energy Blast

4    Teleportation, 20", only between dark and shadowed places (+1 limitation)

10  Ultraviolet Vision (not in the Multipower)

So, that's a total of 78 points in powers. Now for some characteristics (the value on the left, the cost on the right):

10    STR    0

20    DEX    30

20    CON    20

10    BODY    0

15    INT    5

15    EGO    10

15    PRE    5

10    COM    0

8      PD    6

10    ED    6

5      SPD    20

10    REC    8

50    END    5

25    STUN    0

And that's a total of 115 points, giving a total of 193. I'm going to add the Stealth skill with a +1 bonus for 7 points to bring the total to 200 exactly. Now, for some Disadvantages.

Dependent NPC, 11 or less, incompetent (20 points)

Hunted, Pulsar (supervillain, 20 points)

Hunted, VIPER (large group, advanced weapons, 20 points)

Physical Limitation, color blind (infrequently, slightly, 5 points)

Psychological Limitation, Code Against Killing, 20 points

Secret Identity, 15 points

And that's 100 points of Disadvantages to go along with the 100 base points every character gets. So, here's a bit of background for Nightshade.

Drew Deveraux was a college student studying high-particle physics. One night he was working on a light-absorbing device when a superbattle between Pulsar and Starburst intruded on the lab. Pulsar knocked Drew back into the device, which exploded. The explosion staggered Pulsar, allowing Starburst to capture him. Drew, however, was forever changed, his body absorbing tremendous amounts of energy and giving him superpowers to control darkness. After training himself to use these new abilities, he designed a costume and began to fight crime as the hero Nightshade.

Yes, it's pretty simplistic, but that's a typical writeup for this early edition of the game. So, let me know what you think of Nightshade, and I'll continue on with the read-through. Up next...combat!

Let's Read Champions 1e (27-29)

Okay, so yesterday I stopped early on page 27 because I wanted to talk about the character examples a bit more. So, let's see how the designers walked players through creating what would some of the most iconic Champions characters of all time. Going back to the first pages of the book, there are three ways to come up with a character conception: Abilities, Name, and Costume. And like a good game design company, they give us examples of all three.

The first example is a player deciding he wants to play a Batman-type with martial arts and skills. So, he picks several appropriate skills (Acrobatics, Detective Work, Gliding, Martial Arts, and Stealth) before buying characteristics. He takes strong physical characteristics (20 STR, 25 DEX, 20 CON), as well as a high INT (20). Since this will be a melee character, he wants to bump up his defenses, so he pumps 10 points into PD (total of 14) and 6 more into ED (total of 10). And since martial artists are known to be fast, he jacks up the SPD score to a full 6. Since END gets burned so quickly in combat in this first edition, he also boosts his REC score to 12. Not a bad start.

Since Martial Arts costs as many points as your STR score, he goes back and adds that cost to his total. Now he's got a total cost of 200 points, including 150 in characteristics and 50 in skills. No powers, though, although Gliding would become a power in later editions. Since he's got 100 base points, he needs 100 points in Disadvantages to make up the difference, so he gives him a Secret ID (15), a 30-point Hunted, the criminal organization known as VIPER, a 20-point Code vs. Killing, another 20-point Hunted in the CIA, and another Psych Lim worth 15 points, a hatred of Killing Attacks. And then we get a casual mention that the character's name is Crusader.

For long-time Champions fans, that name will be very, very familiar; he was always the first sample character up until the 4th edition. And they'll also note something is missing: Crusader's shield. That's right, in this original version there is no Missile Deflecting shield. He's got the little gliding wings under his arms, but no shield. That caught me off-guard when I read it. Even the art on the sample character sheet shows him with no shield.

Speaking of which, the next page is mostly taken up with a hand-written character sheet showing exactly how everything is laid out. And the Champions character sheet is a thing of beauty; everything you need is there. Formulas for figured characteristics, combat maneuvers, space for the powers, skills and disadvantages, space to put your various characteristics rolls and your movement, and even space for your combat stats and your XPs earned. All that, and a quarter of the page is taken up with space to draw the character. They absolutely nailed the character sheet, and the basic structure of the sheet didn't change for several editions. It didn't need to.

So, Crusader comes off as a slightly underpowered Batman clone; no utility belt or other gadgets, but he's a tough fighter who can solve crimes with his brains as well as his fists. He's a classic character for a reason.

The next sample character is based off a name: Ogre. Yes, that Ogre. Crusader lasted into the 4th edition but I don't recall seeing him after that. Ogre, however, has been a staple of the game from 1981 to today. Everyone needs a big, dumb brick to punch out (or get punched by). And Ogre fills that category beautifully. And even here, he's one tough bugger, with a massive 60 STR (giving him a 12D6 punch) and 30 CON (giving him lots of END to burn). He's dumb and ugly (5 INT, 6 COM), but he's a menacing presence (20 PRE). He also picks up a few powers: Damage resistance (10 pts), Superleap, and Reduced Endurance on his STR.

I forgot to mention this: Power Advantages and Limitations can be applied to characteristics; just use the value of the characteristic to calculate the additional cost or savings. So, a 60 STR with 1/2 END cost would mean the advantage costs 15 points, even though you paid 50 points for the additional STR; you go by the value of the characteristic.

Alright, back to everyone's favorite brick. Ogre gets some Disads to pay for these points; he's at 197, so he'll need at least 97 Disad points to make up the difference. He gets a Psych Lim (hatred of people who remind him how stupid he is) for 15 points, another Psych Lim (fear of heroes with Ego powers) for 5 points, a 10-pt. Vulnerability, taking 2x STUN from Ego Attacks, a 30-pt. Hunted (the FBI), a 10-pt. Susceptibility to being affected by Ego powers, and a 20-pt. Hunted named Mechanon, who is another classic Champions villain who we'll get to later. That's a full 100 points, so he's got 3 points to play with. Ogre gets a +1 Enhanced Sight to improve his PER roll (since PER is based on INT, which means his PER is bad at 10 or less before this additional power). And there it is. The GM gives him a background to fit the disadvantages (he was a normal guy that Mechanon experimented on, and now he's dumb and extremely strong). And there we have it, our first Champions villain is ready to go.

The third method of character conception is a costume. The player comes up with a cape and a star on the hero's chest, and thus we are introduced to Starburst. Stealthy this guy is not. Since his powers define the character, we start with those. And we are introduced to the Multipower, as Starburst's powers are defined as sharing a pool of 40 points. He's got an Energy Blast, a Force Field, and Flight, which he can use up to a total of 40 points split between all three. So, he could have 5" of Flight, a 5 PD/5 ED Force Field, and a 4D6 EB running at the same time. Or, he could put them all into his Energy Blast, or drop the EB and use 10" of Flight and 10 PD/10 ED of Force Field. Multipowers give a character plenty of flexibility, within limits.

So, his characteristics are going to be important, particularly his DEX, CON, and END. SPD also helps. So, with 20 in DEX and CON, and additional points to boost his END to 50, Starburst has a total of 180 points spent. This requires some Disads, and we get a 10-pt. Psych Lim (unsure of himself, may hesitate in emergencies), a Secret ID, a DNPC (15 points, a lab assistant who gets involved on occasion), a 20-pt. Vulnerability to hand-to-hand Killing Attacks, and a Hunted worth 20 points (another villain, Pulsar, who will be introduced at the end). All total, he's got 80 points in Disads, so this is another balanced character.

People who know Champions from the 5th and 6th editions might have their minds blown by how small those point totals are; two 200-point characters and a 180. 5th edition used 350 as the base; 6th edition bumped it to 450. But there just wasn't as much stuff to buy in the earlier editions as there is now. A lot fewer skills, no Talents or Perks, and the powers weren't as complex as they are. So, characters didn't need to be loaded up with points to be effective.

Now, I get the whole 'point bloat' thing; I love creating powerful, Justice League-level characters myself. But there's a reason the X-Men were the most popular comic of the 1980s, and it wasn't because they were the most powerful team around. Same with the Teen Titans, who were very popular when this game was released. These were lower-powered heroes, sidekicks of the big guns, and much more relatable, if I can use that term. They were tough, but not invulnerable. They were powerful, but not demigods. They had weaknesses that made their heroics all the more impressive.

The end of the page discusses how to simulate powers that aren't listed in this edition, such as running up the side of a building or shapeshifting into different animals. The latter would become a full-blown power later (Multiform), and running up the building is simulated by buying Flight with the Limited Power that it only works when you are touching a solid surface (a +1/2 Limitation).

So, that covers all the character creation stuff, and we're just getting to page 30. Before I move on to Combat, I'm going to create a couple of sample characters using the rules we've seen: One hero, and one villain. But that will have to wait until next time.

Let's Read Champions 1e (page 27)

We'll finish off with the last two Disadvantages, then jump right into character examples. Starting off with a final note about the Unluck disadvantage from last time, which states that Unluck should be a constant thing, not always needing a roll to affect the character in minor ways whenever things are looking up. And some characters will have both Luck and Unluck, which makes for some fine confusion when things are going both good and bad at the same time.

Unusual Looks just means you look weird. The Thing or Metamorpho would be good examples of this disadvantage. Basically, you get points depending on how people react to your appearance. The more hideous you are, the better. Note that wearing a super-hero costume does not qualify; there are plenty of other ways to look ugly as sin, but costumes are commonplace in a superhero game.

Finally, we have Vulnerability. This is different from Susceptibility, which affects the character whenever a particular object or condition is near. Vulnerability means that certain attacks cause additional damage when they strike you. For example, Aquaman may be Susceptible to being out of water for too long, but he has a vulnerability to fire attacks and takes extra damage that a normal person would not. The more common the attack form, the more points you get. And there are two options for how much damage you take: 1 1/2 times, or double damage (which means double the points for the disad). Finally, you can choose to be vulnerable to STUN or BODY damage; taking both means taking the Disadvantage twice.. Examples given include 2x STUN from sonics (Uncommon, 2x) for 5 x 2 = 10 points; 1 1/2x STUN from punches (Common) = 10 points; and 1 1/2x STUN from physical Killing Attacks (Very Common) = 15 points.

And that is it! That's all the information for 1e character creation: Characteristics, Skills, Powers, Advantages, Limitations, and Disadvantages. All the things a growing character needs.

I'm considering splitting this part off from the next section, which is just character examples. I want to talk about them a bit more, so I'll save them for the next post where I can get into more detail. So, this one is a short one. But a good one, nonetheless, right?

Let's Read Champions 1e (page 26)

Okay, we continue on with some more Disadvantages to make your character more interesting and, more importantly, get extra points to buy cool powers. Because that's what it's all about, right?

So, the first one we have here is Psychological Limitation. Along with Hunted, this is probably the most common Disadvantage, since it provides lots of ways to define your character's personality. Generally, these are psychological quirks that cause a strong reaction in the character, often fear or hatred. Points vary depending on how common the limitation kicks in, and how serious it is. Uncommon situations (once in a while things) are worth 5 points; Common ones are worth 10, and Very Common Psych Lims are worth 15. Now, if you have a very strong reaction and you take irrational actions as a result of being triggered, you get an additional 5 points. If you become completely useless due to retreat or collapse when the trigger happens, you get 10 more points. However, you can make an EGO roll (9 + EGO/5 or less) to minimize the effect (lowering the effect down one level). That's your character using their willpower to overcome the triggering situation.

Psych Lims should be significant to be worth points; being afraid of ants is not going to get you any points; neither is hating rap music (although it should be). No, this is for the big things. Examples given are Code vs. Killing (common, total commitment) which is worth 10 + 10 = 20 points; Claustrophobia (uncommon, irrational) for 5 + 5 = 10 points; and Overconfidence (Very common, irrational) for 15 + 5 = 20 points. You can, of course, make these more or less intense if you want to.

Next up is Public Identity. The Fantastic Four have this; their identities are not even remotely secret; everyone on the planet knows that Reed Richards is Mr. Fantastic, and so on. Some villains (such as Doctor Doom) can have this as well. Basically, the character is always 'on call', so the authorities, villains, and paparazzi can easily find them whenever they want. This Disadvantage is worth 10 points.

The counter to that is, of course, Secret Identity. Most superheroes do have this, since it allows them to live a normal life, hold down a job, have friends, etc. This can require significant efforts to keep that secret. And it's worth 15 points.

Next is Susceptibility. This is where you take damage from objects and effects that would otherwise be harmless. Can you say 'Kryptonite', boys and girls? I knew you could. The more common the object of the susceptibility is, the more points it's worth, and the more it hurts, the more points you get. Like Psych Lims, the categories are Uncommon, Common, and Very Common, with the same point values. The base effect is 1D6 damage per phase; 2D6 is worth an additional 5 points, 3D6 is worth +10. And the damage is both STUN and BODY, so a Susceptibility can be lethal if exposure is lengthy. For example, vampires are Susceptible to sunlight, taking 2D6 damage per phase in full sunlight. This is worth 15 (very common) + 5 (2D6 damage) = 20 points.

Finally on this page, we have Unlucky. This is the opposite of the Luck skill; bad things happen to you without warning or explanation. Like Luck, you roll 1D6 for every 5 points in this Disad, with a maximum of 3D6 for 15 points. Every 1 on the roll is one level of Unluck. For example, a single 1 might mean you slip in combat, or one of your minor gadgets (like your IR Vision goggles) malfunctions. It can also affect you out of combat; you're stuck in traffic, an annoying news reporter shows up just as you were about to go on a date, etc.

2 level of Unluck could mean someone gets between you and the bad guy, blocking your shot when you almost had him down. Or people that would normally give you information are suddenly unavailable, or close-mouthed. Or your Blaster Gauntlets just broke down.

3 levels of Unluck means you should have stayed in bed this morning. Another enemy shows up in the middle of a fight, for example, or your boss is demanding your presence while the Ravager is picking up a school bus to throw it at you. If your DNPC is scheduled to show up in this session, she might be on the bus...

Anyway, that's it for this page. Tomorrow we wrap up Disadvantages, and with that we'll have all the Character Creation section done...except for building some sample characters. Until then!

Let's Read: Champions 1e (page 25)

First of all, I have to say how grateful I am to those of you who are still reading this blog. I took quite a hiatus, but every post I've made since starting up again has had views, so thank you. I hope you'll take a look at my other blog project, 25 Years Later..., my retrospective on the 3rd edition D&D game.

Alright, now back to this Let's Read. We're into the Disadvantages section, and we're reviewing the Dependent NPC (DNPC) writeup. As mentioned last time, they are the normal people in the hero's (or villain's) life that have some sort of impact on their adventures, whether intentionally or accidentally. The more often they are involved, the more points they are worth. However, there are other factors to consider, such as how competent the character is and how many points they themselves are built on. Yes, NPCs are built on points, too. Anyway, you can have a competent DNPC (someone with some special characteristics and/or skills), which doesn't add any points to your Disadvantage. Lois Lane or Alfred, for example, would be competent; both would be built on at least 20 points thanks to their skills and characteristics. A normal is basically an average person built on 0 points; they may have some points shifted around (e.g., a higher STR at the expense of a lower INT), but they're more or less just there. Pepper Potts would be an example. Finally, there are the incompetent NPCs, the ones who actually have a negative point total (lowered characteristics, limited skills). The classic example is, of course, Aunt May.

So that's the DNPCs. Next up is the Hunted disadvantage. This will be one of the most common disads; it's the basis of the character's Rogue's Gallery. Again, Hunteds have evolved over the course of several editions, so this is different from what I am used to. There are three variables to the Hunted Disadvantage. First is the number of people involved in hunting the character. A single person is worth 5 points; a small group (less than 4 villains or 40 people) is worth 10, and a larger group is worth 15. So a solo supervillain would be worth 5 points; the original Enforcers (from Spider-Man), a group of three villains, would be 10 points, and the CIA (lots of agents) would be worth 15. This can vary depending on just how powerful the group actually is.

The next variable is the group's firepower. If they have advanced weapons or highly-trained personnel, that's worth 5 additional points. Hydra is an excellent example. If there are supers involved, that's 10 points. If the Hunted IS a super, that's worth 15 points. Finally, the frequency that the Hunted appears must be noted. The base is an 8 or less roll for the Hunted to show up in a scenario; for 5 more points, that becomes an 11 or less, and for 10 points it becomes a 14 or less. These are the fanatical stalker-types who just won't leave you alone. Use them with caution; it can be very annoying to have the same supervillain show up almost every session. Note that Hunteds can't be added later on in a game for additional points; that's just the benefit of gaming.

Our last Disadvantage on this page is Physical Limitation. This is a problem that hampers the character on a physical level, such as Daredevil's blindness, or Professor X being confined to a wheelchair. The points given for this disad depend on how serious the affliction is, and how often it affects the character. The frequency can be Infrequent (5 pts), Frequent (10), or All the Time (15). If it's a slight limitation (such as color blindness), there's no additional points. If it's greatly impairing (such as hard of hearing), it's worth 5 more points. And if it's fully impairing (unable to walk, or blind), it's worth 10 more points. Note that heroes often have powers that compensate for these disdvantages (such as Daredevil's enhanced senses and radar sense).

And that's another page done. We're moving on steadily, and we'll soon be done with character creation, believe it or not.

Let's Read Champions 1e (page 24)

So, we're done with Power Advantages and Limitations, but there's one small thing left. Actually, it's not that small. The next page has a table that was very helpful for calculating the various limitation point reductions. It's a table with a horizontal line of Active Point costs, and a column of total Limitations from +1/4 to +3. You cross-reference the active points of the power with the total limitations and you get the actual cost of the power. As I said, very helpful for the math-challenged.

Okay, there's one more thing to do for character generation: Disadvantages. These are weaknesses the character has. They provide you with additional points to buy more powers, skills, etc. while simultaneously giving the GM ways to torment...I mean challenge your character. Examples of Disadvantages would be Superman's vulnerability to Kryptonite and magic, Wolverine's berserk rages, Spider-Man's devotion to his feeble Aunt May, and Batman's Rogues' Gallery that makes his life difficult.

The more debilitating the Disadvantage is to the character, the more points you get for it. However, if you take multiples of the same type of Disadvantage (such as multiple Hunteds or Psychological Limitations), there's a diminishing returns thing going on; the first two disads are at full value; the third and fourth are at half value, 5th and 6th for 1/4, and any further disads of the same type don't get you anything. The example is a character who takes three Hunted disadvantages; the first two (the ones worth the most points) are full value, the third Hunted is worth only half the points.

The first Disadvantage is Berserk. This one is more suited to villains than heroes, Wolverine being the obvious exception. Basically, with this disadvantage your character loses control in combat and attacks everyone indiscriminately, closest target first. No pulling punches, no esoteric attacks; your strongest attack, full power, until there's no one left standing or until you're not standing. But combat isn't the only time you'll lose it; you have to define a non-combat circumstance that will trigger the berserk, such as the sight of blood or a woman screaming. There are three levels of berserk; you roll 3 dice, and if the roll is lower than your target number, you're berserk. The levels are 8 or less, 11 or less, and 14 or less. Once the combat is done, you roll to see if you come out of the berserk rage; again, three levels at 8, 11, or 14 or less. And the commonality of the non-combat circumstance will also affect your point bonus from the disadvantage, but it's the GM who decides what level it is. Your chance to go berserk is checked once per incident, not repeatedly. The chance to recover is rolled every phase, and you get a free roll when you run out of END, knock out or kill the opponent, or someone tries to snap you out of it.

The next disadvantage is Dependent NPC. This one is mostly on the next page, but I'll summarize it a bit. Basically, this is your Aunt May, Alfred, or Lois Lane. It's someone who matters to you who sometimes (or often) gets involved in your adventures, either deliberately or unwittingly. The more often they get in trouble, the more points they are worth to you. The rolls are 8 or less, 11 or less, and 14 or less, each worth an increasing number of points. So Lois Lane, who is constantly getting into trouble needing Superman to pull her out of it, would probably be a 14 or less. By contrast, Jarvis, the Avengers' butler, is around but generally isn't involved in the team's adventures all that often, so he would be an Infrequent DNPC, with an 8 or less roll.

I'll continue with this disadvantage next time. Until then, Excelsior!

By the way, if all this talk about superheroes has stirred your interest in reading about such characters, I do happen to have a book about that, called The Awakening. Set in the Gilded Age, this is the beginning of a series of stories about the genesis of superheroes in a world slowly preparing for what will become a world war. Check it out!

Book Review: The Sword of Shannara

I know, it's an old book...but it's not as old as I am, so it counts as a new book. Actually, I have read it before; I read it when I was about eleven or twelve, so it was about five years old (and in paperback). But it wasn't the first Terry Brooks book I read; I read The Elfstones of Shannara first, so I was a bit out of sorts until I realized that it was a sequel to another book. So, since I really liked the Elfstones, I decided to see what had come before.

Now, most people today know that The Sword of Shannara is basically a shameless ripoff of Lord of the Rings; I've seen videos on YouTube about the many, many parallels between the two tales. But here's the thing: I read Sword before I read Fellowship. So it didn't feel like a ripoff to me, because I hadn't read the story it was ripping off yet. I didn't read LotR for another three or so years, and I have to be honest, I didn't feel like I was reading the same story.

Alright, so this is Brooks' debut novel, published in 1977; he's gone on to a very successful writing career since then, but a lot of people still complain that he is the reason that fantasy became almost entirely LotR ripoffs in his wake. In some ways, that is true; Sword was very successful, and showed every publisher and writer that LotR pastiches would go over very well with the reading audience. So, that's what they gave us. And so, for a long time, I figured that this was the entire breadth of the fantasy genre; I hadn't heard of Burroughs, Merritt, Dunsany, or Leiber, and I hadn't read Lovecraft or Howard at all.

I've mentioned all this in a long-ago post, discussing Abraham Merritt's The Moon Pool and its disappearance from public notice. But I just finished re-reading Sword after many years, and I thought I'd give my thoughts on it.

First of all, it's a quick read, much quicker than Lord of the Rings, since it's just one book. And while I can now recognize the parallels (since I've had several reminders of them over the last few years), there are enough of Brooks' own ideas to give the discerning reader a fun story that can stand on its own. Yes, it's still a ripoff of Tolkien, but it's also its own thing. And Elfstones proved that Brooks was more than a pastiche artist.

Anyway, Shea Ohmsford is the sole remaining heir to a now-defunct line of Elven kings, and the only man who can use the legendary Sword of Shannara. Allanon the Druid comes to fetch him to go collect the sword so he can use it to defeat the fearsome Warlock Lord, Brona. Shea and his step-brother Flick, along with Shea's friend Menion Leah, travel through terrible peril to the safety of Culhaven, where  Allanon tells them more about the Sword and the threat from the Warlock Lord. A motley group of companions joins Shea and Allanon to go find the Sword in the druid fortress of Paranor, but Shea is separated from them and falls in with a pair of unlikely companions, the one-handed thief Panamon Creel and the mute Rock Troll Keltset. They end up chasing a crazed gnome who actually has the Sword, all the way into the Warlock Lord's kingdom where they have even more trouble. Meanwhile, Allanon and Flick seek to rescue the missing elven king, Eventine, so he can lead his armies to help the beleaguered human forces of Callahorn in the city of Tyrsis, where the noble Balinor hopes to lead the famed Border Legion in a successful defense of the city while they wait for the elves and for Shea to destroy the One Ri--I mean, the Warlock Lord. Shea eventually succeeds, the evil armies are routed, the Warlock Lord is ash, and everyone rejoices...except Hendel the dwarf, who was played by Sean Bean.

Okay, so the story is pretty basic. I've learned over time that this wasn't actually how Brooks originally envisioned the story; instead, it was his publisher, Lester Del Rey, who made him dig into the Tolkien well and give the story a heavy coating of Middle-Earth. Still, Brooks did give the story its own personal touches, which helped make the book so successful. Neither Menion nor Balinor are Aragorn clones; the elven brothers are not all that much like Legolas, and Hendel is definitely not Gimli. Brooks has his dwarves friendly and allied with the elves, and they are pretty much all claustrophobic and hate being underground due to having been stuck there after some ancient cataclysmic war.

One thing I didn't realize when I first read these books is that Brooks set this in the distant future of Earth. This became much more obvious with the Genesis of Shannara series, which is set in our very near future. So the cataclysmic war was nuclear, and humanity barely survived, evolving into dwarves, gnomes, and trolls as well as humankind. The elves are a separate story that gets more detailed in Elfstones. Anyway, the ancient, ruined world does get a few nods here and there; one of the nasty monsters they encounter is an ancient survivor of those wars, and the party encounter it in the skeletal ruins of an ancient city. I know, a lot of 'ancient' in that sentence. So, I'll give Brooks kudos for doing a post-apocalyptic fantasy story in a Tolkienesque style. That can't have been easy to juggle, especially at editorial demand.

So, what did I think of the book? As I said, I have read it before, albeit a long time ago. And I enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun and a pretty quick read, with vivid descriptions that nevertheless don't achieve the Tolkien effect of feeling like every single blade of grass and flower petal needs a paragraph of description. And that is a good thing. Even knowing the story, the pace is good, the characters are pretty well-developed (except the elven brothers, who get the shortest shrift in the book), and the climax is genuinely different. The power of the Sword of Shannara is real, but not what one might expect, and it gives the best indication of Brooks' talents as a writer. The characters that feel the most like Brooks' own creations are Panamon Creel and Keltset, neither of whom feels like a port from LotR. Creel is an unapologetic thief, and Keltset has his own motives for what he is doing, and he is definitely more than he seems.

In short, I like this book. I still like Elfstones better, partly since it was the first of the series that I read, and partly because it doesn't have the same Tolkien pastiche feel that Sword invented. I recommend it for younger readers who are just getting into fantasy fiction and haven't started with the heavies like Tolkien; it's a gateway drug for fantasy, and the rest of the Brooks' oeuvre has plenty of merits of its own.

If you're interested in my own fantasy writing, I invite you to check out Apprentice, an initiation into a fantasy world of my own devising, that doesn't have a whole lot of Tolkien influence. But it's still a fun read.

Let's Read Champions 1e (page 23)

More Limitations to go over tonight. There are six on this page, and it turns out that there aren't any on the next page, so there are a total of seven Limitations in this edition.

We begin with Always On. This Limitation means that the power cannot be turned off; it's always operating. To buy this, you have to buy the END cost of the power down to 0 using the Reduced Endurance Advantage. Cyclops' eye blasts would have this limitation, requiring him to wear special ruby quartz glasses to keep his blasts in. The multiplier on this Limitation is +1/4.

Incidentally, for those who are familiar with Champions in its later editions, you'll note that the Limitations are listed as positive, not negative, multipliers. I'm not sure when they switched it, but the switch certainly made it easier to understand.

Moving along, we have the Endurance Battery. This Limitation is much different in later editions, so it will require a bit of explaining. Basically, you're setting up a reserve of END points to use for the limited power. Think of it like...well, like a battery. You can use a certain amount of END that is separate from your normal END score. The multiplier for the limitation depends on how big the battery is. Calculate the maximum END necessary to use the power at full capacity. Then decide the multiple for the battery (double the END, quadruple, and so on). If the battery is only good enough to use the power once at full capacity (no additional END), the multiplier for the limitation is +1 1/2. Double the END is +1; four times is +1/2, 8 times is +1/4, and 12 times means there's no benefit to taking this limitation (although you can still take it).

For example, a 10D6 Energy Blast (costing 50 points to buy) costs 10 END to use. If Iron Man is using his Repulsor Beam off a dedicated power supply that would be an END Battery. If the battery is good for 8 shots, then the multiplier for the Battery limitation is +1/4, which means the Battery would hold 80 END for using the Energy Blast (but not the Jet-Boots), and the cost of the power would be reduced to 50 / 1+1/4, or 40 points. If it was a smaller battery good for only four full-power shots, the limitation would be +1/2, making the final cost 33 points. Note that you do not have to use full-power shots; if Iron Man fires a half-strength Repulsor (5D6), he uses 5 END and the Battery still has 75 END available for more shots.

I know, there's a lot. And it's not done yet. Normally, the Battery recharges in about a day. However, you can make it regenerate faster (1 END per full turn, or instantly recharged by a specific special power source) by reducing the Battery Multiple by one step. For example, Iron Man's Repulsor battery can be recharged by connecting it to a powerful electrical generator. If the Battery has 40 END (so a x4 Battery), normally the multiplier would be +1/2, but because it can recharge faster the multiplier is reduced to +1/4.

Phew! As I said, this does change in later editions to become a bit less unwieldy. But that's how it started, so we'll go with it.

Next, we have one of the most common Power Limitations in Champions history: Focus. This Limitation means that the power is operated through some sort of device. Almost any power can be given a Focus. There are four different types of Focus: Obvious and Inobvious, Accessible and Inaccessible. Every focus has one item from each of these pairs, so the possible Foci are Obvious Accessible (+1 multiplier), Obvious Inaccessible (+1/2), Inobvious Accessible (+1/2), and Inobvious Inaccessible (+1/4). An Obvious focus is...well, isn't it obvious? The power gauntlets that shoot Iron Man's Repulsor, Captain America's shield (but there's a caveat I'll mention in a moment), Batman's Utility Belt, Punisher's body armor...all of these are Obvious Foci. If you can tell what item the power is coming from, it's Obvious. If you can't (such as Spider-Man's web-shooters, which are concealed beneath his costume), it's Inobvious. Accessible Foci are items you can remove or render useless in combat. It's not necessarily easy (you have to make a Grab maneuver to take it from them, or attack the item to damage it), but it can be done if you try hard enough. For example, Hawkeye's bow can be taken away from him or broken by an attack (thus, it is an Obvious Accessible Focus). If it takes a lot more effort to take the item away (try taking Iron Man's gloves off when he doesn't want you to), that makes it Inaccessible; it can be done, but it takes time and work outside of combat. The Repulsor Gauntlets are an Obvious Inaccessible Focus).

You must also define the Focus as replaceable or unreplaceable (the word really should be irreplaceable, but I didn't write the book). This doesn't change the cost of the power either way; if it is replaceable, that means it's breakable and has 1 BODY for every 5 active points of the power(s) in the device. If it's irreplaceable, it's unbreakable.

Now, that caveat I mentioned. There are a couple of skills that are defined as Foci, but you don't get a limitation on either one. They are Missile Deflection and Swinging. So Spider-Man's web-shooters don't give him a Focus Limitation on his Swinging skill, but it does apply to other uses, such as Entangles. Likewise, Captain America's shield gives him Missile Deflection, but the skill doesn't get a cost reduction since that's built into the original cost in the first place.

Man, there's a lot to talk about here, isn't there? Alright, we've got three left. Next up is Increased Endurance Cost, which is, of course, the reverse of the Reduced Endurance Advantage. No, you can't buy both on the same power. Importantly, here we finally get the official confirmation and explicit rule that powers cost 1 END per 5 points of power used. If you take this Limitation, the END cost is increased. This would be good for powers that can be overloaded, such as the Human Torch's Nova Blast. It takes a lot out of the hero, but the benefit means you can get a much higher level of power for a low cost in points. The Endurance multiples (and their cost multiples) are: x 1 1/2 (+1/2), x2 (+1), x3 (+2), x4 (+3), and x5 (+4). So, the hero Supernova can buy a 12D6 Energy Blast with Area Effect (Radius) on it, which would normally cost (gulp!) 120 points, but with a x4 END multiplier, it would reduce the cost to 30 points. Just don't ask what the END cost of using it would be...alright, at full power, it would be 96 END. No, I'm not exaggerating. The END cost is 1 for every 5 Active Points, not just the Base Points. At a power cost of 120 points, that means a base cost of 24 END to use it. With a x4 Increased Endurance Limitation, that bumps it to 96 END. Supernova is going to be napping after he uses this even once.

Next...no, I'll save this one for last. The last one on the page is Limited Uses (Charges in later editions). Basically, you can only use the power a certain number of times a day. Unlike the Endurance Battery, which lets you use low-powered shots to save power, this Limitation doesn't give you the savings option. If you've got five uses, then that's all you get. Here's the chart, so I don't have to retype it.

Number of Uses    Bonus
1                            +2
2                            +l 1/2
3                            +l
4-6                        +1/2
7-10                      +1/4
11-15                    No Bonus

If you want the power to still cost END, you add +1/2 to the multiplier.

Alright, let's go back to the previous Limitation, which is called 'Limited Power'. But this one is cheating, because this might as well be called 'Miscellaneous Limitation'. It's literally a catch-all for limiting the power in a way that isn't covered by any of the standard Limitations. So really, there are effectively an infinite number of limitations on this page, all covered by this 'Limited Power' umbrella. Some of the examples given include: Power has no Range (+1/2 multiplier), which obviously can't be taken unless the power is ranged in the first place (such as Energy Blast or Flash), Power only works in Hero Identity (+1/4), Power only works (or doesn't work) in a given situation (variable limitation depending on how common or uncommon the situation is), and Power is linked to another (higher-cost) power, so the smaller power only works when the higher one is active (+1/2).

These are just a tiny sample of the possibilities for this Limitation. The player and the referee have carte blanche to come up with others; just make sure that it's actually a limitation before giving out any multipliers.

And...that's it! We've almost got everything we need to create a balanced character. There's just one more thing: Disadvantages. We'll go over those next time.

Incidentally, I'm still running a parallel review of 3rd edition Dungeons and Dragons on my 25 Years Ago... blog, if that would be of interest to you. I'm about to dive into the 3rd edition Monster Manual, so come and check it out.

Let's Read Champions 1e (page 22)

We continue with Power Advantages; there aren't that many of them, and so we'll also learn about Limitations today.

The next Advantage is Invisible Power Effects. This is pretty self-explanatory; your powers work, but no one can see them work. For example, Microwave Man can use his power to launch a microwave attack, which is invisible to the naked eye; this would be an Energy Blast or Ranged Killing Attack with Invisible Power Effects. There are two options for this advantage. First, your power is invisible to normal sight, but IR, UV, X-Ray and N-Ray Vision can still see it; this Advantage has a multiplier of +1/2. Or, your power is fully invisible to all forms of sight, which is a multiplier of +1. This Advantage doesn't count for calculating the END cost of the power.

Power Affects Desolidified Objects is a wordy name, but it basically means what it says: The power can affect desolidified targets, including people. The multiplier is +1/2, and the cost of this advantage is not counted for the purposes of how much END the power costs to use. Looking ahead, I can see that all the advantages on this page also have that feature, so I won't repeat it again. The ones on the previous page, however, do not; I didn't forget about them.

Next is Range, which is just as obvious as the last one; contact powers can be used at range. Examples would be Characteristic Drain or Darkness. The usual range modifier (-1 per 3") applies to any attacks made. The multiplier is +1/2.

Reduced Endurance is a long-time favorite. This one makes it less tiring to use your powers. However, it works differently in this edition than it does in later ones (at least, 4th edition and later). Each level of Reduced END is a +1/4 multiplier, and you can take it several times. Each time you take it, the END cost of the power is reduced by half. The example here is of the Invisibility power, and we get our first confirmation of how END is calculated: 1 END for every 5 points in the power. Invisibility costs 40 points at a minimum, so the END cost is 8. Damn, that's hefty. No wonder you get 2 END per point spent on the characteristic; you need a lot. So, reducing this by half would cost 10 additional points (1/4 of 40), and reduce the END to 4 per use. You can do it again, paying 10 points and dropping it to 2 END per use. Now the power cost you 60 points, but it doesn't tire you out. If you reduce the END to 1/2 Pip or less through multiple purchases of the multiplier, the power now costs 0 END to use. For example, if you bought Reduced END twice more for the Invisibility power, that would reduce the END to 1/2 Pip, so for a total cost of 80 points you would pay 0 END to use your Invisibility. Is it worth it? I doubt it, but like I said, it works differently in later editions.

Okay, the final Advantage in this edition is Usable on Others. This means that powers that would normally affect only you will now affect others; it requires an attack roll, and it's not at range; you have to touch the target (unless you also buy the Range advantage). Examples here are Invisibility, Enhanced Senses, and Regeneration; with this advantage you can give someone else this ability, although it is under your control. For example, the Invisible Woman can make other objects or people invisible; her Invisibility would be bought with this Advantage. The multiplier is +1/2.

And that is it for Power Advantages in the 1st edition. There are only eleven Advantages in total here, but they cover a surprisingly wide range of abilities.

Next, we get into Power Limitations. These are the opposite of Advantages; they weaken the power in some manner, giving you a discount on the cost. Like Advantages, these are measured in multipliers. You calculate the discount just as you would the additional cost of Advantages: Active Cost divided by the total of the Limitation multipliers plus one to get the Real Cost. Rounding is used.

For example, if Iron Man has 20" of Flight (40 Active Points) with the Limitation Focus: Jet Boots (Obvious, Inaccessible), the multiplier is +1/2, which means the Real Cost is 40 / (1 + 1/2) = 26 2/3, rounded up to 27. Another example is an energy pistol, which is a 6D6 Energy Blast (30 points) with 10 shots (a +1/4 Limitation) in an Obvious Accessible Focus (+1 Lim), which gives a formula of 30 / 1 + 1 + 1/4, which results in a Real Cost of 13 1/3, rounded down to 13 points.

The only Limitation we get on this page is Activation; this represents a power that doesn't work all the time, such as an experimental weapon or a character who doesn't quite have full control of their power. There are three levels of Activation, with different multipliers for each. If the power usually works, you would have an Activation Roll of 14 or less, which is a +1/2 multiplier. If it works about half the time, that's a roll of 11 or less, and a +1 multiplier. And if it rarely works, it requires a roll of 8 or less to operate the power, and that's a +2 multiplier. Well, that would be a cheap power, but you wouldn't get to use it very often, which is kinda the point, isn't it?

So, that's it for Advantages and the beginning of Limitations. Next up...well, more Limitations. 

Let's Read Champions 1e (page 21)

Alright, we're back after a brief hiatus. Hey, it didn't last seventeen months, so that's good. Anyway, we're finishing up the powers section of the book today and beginning on the Power Advantages. There are two powers left, so let's do those first, then I'll talk more about Advantages.

First up is Teleportation. This is the Nightcrawler power. You disappear from one spot and appear in another spot anywhere up to your maximum Teleport range. The minimum cost for this power is 30 points, which gives you 15" of Teleportation. Every 2 points above that gives you an additional +1" of distance. You can also spend points to increase how much mass you can teleport; for an additional 5 points, you can teleport twice your body weight (effectively, one additional person). Every additional 5 points doubles the mass available, so if you spent 40 points on Teleport, you would have 15" of range (30 pts.) and be able to teleport yourself and three additional people (+10 points) that far.

But wait...there's more! For an additional 5 points, you can also double the range you can teleport by taking an additional Phase to do so. You can also memorize a particular location for one additional point, and if that location is within your range limit, you can teleport there even if you can't see it (inside a room, for example). Of course, you can't change that memorized location, so unless you have a stupidly high Teleportation range, it's not going to come into play very often. Finally, you can Teleport half your maximum distance and attack in the same Phase if you pay an additional 10 points.

How's that for a complicated power? The restrictions are that you can't teleport to a place you can't see (unless it's a memorized location as above), and you can't teleport into a solid object. That's more of a perk than a restriction, though, since every D&D player knows that teleporting into a solid object is very high on the Bad Thing list. Teleport costs END to use.

Finally, our last power is Tunneling. I'm trying to think of a character who uses this power; I think the Juggernaut did it a few times while walking underground and just shoving earth and everything else out of his way. That would qualify as Tunneling. It costs 5 points to Tunnel 1" per phase, with a minimum cost of 10 points. So 2" per phase doesn't sound like a lot, but that's four meters at a time, and with a SPD of 4 that means in 12 seconds you just tunneled 16 meters, or 50 feet. So yeah, that's fast. Not as fast as running, but still. Air resistance is a lot less than earth resistance, right? You have the option to leave the tunnel open behind you or fill it in as you go at no cost. The power does cost END to use.

So, that's our powers list. It started on page 12, and ended on page 21. That's 10 pages to describe all the powers. Anyone who's played 5th edition Champions, can you even imagine that? There are single powers in that edition that seem to take ten pages to fully describe. And we just did 42 powers and two power frameworks in ten pages. Wow.

Okay, so now we move on to Power Advantages. These are ways to modify your power to give it different effects. Advantages cost points, based on a multiplier. The formula is the base cost of the power times 1 + the total of all Advantages. For example, a modifier with a cost of +1 would mean you multiply the cost of the power by 2, so a 30-point power with a +1 Advantage would cost 60 points. Needless to say, Power Advantages can make things quite expensive.

The first Power Advantage is Area Effect (Hexes). This allows a power that normally affects only one target to affect a wider area. The total number of hexes effected by the power is the total points of the power divided by 5. The description doesn't indicate if the cost of the Area Effect advantage itself is included in those points. I can't remember if that is clarified in later editions or not; I'll have to look it up later. The effected hexes must be adjacent, but can be in a line, circle, triangle, square, or other shape. The player chooses a target hex and makes an attack roll against DCV 0, modified by -1 per 3" of distance as per usual for ranged attacks. If the attack fails, the power is centered on an adjacent hex, but still goes off as normal. Any character within the area of effect is affected by the power as normal, with no additional attack roll needed. This Advantage has a multiplier of +1.

Next is Area Effect (radius). Like the previous Advantage, Area Effect (Radius) makes the power affect all targets within a radius centered on the target hex. Again, the player rolls an attack against DCV 0 modified by range, and the radius is 1" for every 10 Active Points in the power. The multiplier is +1.

The Armor Piercing Advantage means that the target's defenses against the attack are halved. So an Energy Blast with this advantage against a target with a 20 ED would mean that the target's defense against the EB is only 10 points against both the STUN and BODY. This Advantage has a multiplier of +1/2.

Attack with No Normal Defense is even better than Armor Piercing, because the target has no defense points to subtract against the attack. So a Force Field, Armor, high PD, etc. are useless against it. There are a couple of caveats. First, the attack does STUN only; no BODY damage. Second, when buying the power you must define a reasonably common way to defend against the power that completely nullifies it. For example, a 4D6 Energy Blast defined as a gas attack might be stopped by having 10 points in Life Support (which means you don't have to breathe). Against anyone without those 10 points, the gas has full effect (roll 4 dice, add them up and subtract that from the target's STUN), but anyone who does have it is fully immune. Other examples are a poison dart attack (stopped by any sort of Resistant defense), a solidification attack (such as someone who is Desolid solidifying their fist inside the target's body) is stopped by Force Fields, and a Hypnotic Attack is stopped by any amount of Ego Defense. The multiplier is +1.

Based on Ego Combat Value means that the power is effectively a mental power rather than a physical one. For example, a Characteristic Drain that affects DEX that is defined as super-hypnosis putting them to sleep would be Based on ECV. Like other mental attacks, this can be defended against only by Ego Defense; normal defenses are useless. Like NND attacks, these should be STUN only unless the GM allows otherwise. The multiplier is +1.

The last Advantage on this page is Explosion. It's like an Area Effect (radius) attack (roll to hit the target hex), but unlike that Advantage, the power weakens as it gets further from the target hex. The multiplier is +1/2. I'll just quote the text of the book here to save time:

The full effect of the base power occurs in the target hex. The damage done by the attack is -1D6 for every l "·distance from the target hex. The largest D6 is always subtracted from the total first. Example: A 5D6 Energy Blast Explosion goes off. The character rolls 1,3,3,5,6 for his damage. The target hex takes 1+3+3+5+6 = 18 STUN and 0+1+1+2 = 5 BODY. Someone 2" away from the target hex would take 1+3+3 = 7 STUN and 0+1+1 = 2 BODY.

So, to show how Advantages work, let's do a quick example. Let's say Dr. Infinity has a spell called 'Mind Flames' that is a 4D6 Energy Blast with the Explosion and Based on ECV advantages. The base cost of the power is 20 points for the 4D6 EB. The Explosion multiplier is +1/2, and the Based on ECV multiplier is +1. Add them together and you get +1 1/2. The formula is Base Cost (20 points) x 1 + total multipliers (+1 1/2), which is 20 x 2.5, or 50 points.

All clear? Good; we'll do more Power Advantages next time. Until then, have a great day, and keep your costumes clean.

Back on the Farm

After a fun week back in Ontario, we have returned to the homestead on the island and...well, it's back to work. Chickens to feed, gardens to prepare for the winter, bread to bake...yeah, it's back on.

The trip had its ups and downs; we got to see family we haven't seen in a few years, we got to see Niagara Falls and spend a couple of days there, and Tanner and I got to watch the Blue Jays clinch the AL East and the #1 seed in the American League. That was the best birthday present since the one where we moved here five years ago and I got a house.

We're all tired, of course; travel takes a lot out of you to begin with, and we're fighting colds and such. So, I'll keep it short tonight, but I intend to continue the Let's Read ASAP. In the meantime...Let's go, Blue Jays!

Now THAT is a Birthday Celebration!

Well, I got what I wanted for my birthday. We had an absolute blast at the game, and Tanner and I got to watch the Blue Jays clinch the division title in convincing fashion.

Not bad for an old man who now qualifies for seniors discounts. We also got to walk around and explore some of downtown Toronto before the game, which was rather eye-opening for a certain teenager.

You don't get authentic Japanese Ramen from CostCo, believe me. So, I'm going to call that a successful 55th birthday. Now, on to Niagara Falls!

Ahhhhhhhh.....

A really short post tonight. We are taking a well-deserved break, and are visiting family in Ontario this week. I will try to post something while we are gone, but relaxing is hard work, so I might miss a day or two along the way.

Let's Read Champions 1e (page 20)

This is a busy page, with lots of short power descriptions. We start with Regeneration, aka the other Wolverine power. Normally, BODY damage is recovered at a rate of 1/10 the character's REC per day. So, a REC of 10 would get back 1 BODY point per day. That's pretty quick, but not too many non-super people will have a REC that high anyway. I don't recall the rounding rules mentioning this, so I'm not sure if it works on a percent basis where if you have a REC of 5, you would get 1 BODY back every 2 days. That would make sense to me, but we'll see in the Combat section if it is mentioned. In the meantime, Regeneration just means you get 1 BODY back per recovery per 10 points in the power, and there's a minimum cost of 20 points, so the lowest Regen you can buy is 2 BODY/recovery. No END to use this, of course.

Next is Running. Wanna be the Flash? Buy lots of this. Standard movement speed is 6" per phase; every 2 points spent on Running gives you +1" to that speed. Running costs END to use. There's no minimum cost to this power.

Shrinking is next. This is for the Wasp or the Atom-type characters. It costs 5 points to buy one level of Shrinking, no minimum points required. Every 5 points halves your height and gives you a bonus of +2 to your DCV and -2 to all other character's PER rolls to see you. However, you're also 2" slower on the ground, and any knockback that happens is increased by 3" per level. Oh, and you only weigh 1/8 your normal size.

Mr. Fantastic and the Elongated Man are up with the Stretching power. This lets you attack at range with hand-to-hand combat as well as reach for things at long distances. Every 5 points gives you a 1" Stretch in combat, doubled when you're not in combat. The minimum cost is 10 points. The range modifier for using Stretching to attack is -1 for every 3"; the first 3" have no modifier. I'm pretty sure this one costs END, but it's not specified here.

Superleap! This is what Superman originally did before he found out he could fly. Normal jumping rates are 1" forward per 5 points of STR, and 1" up per 10 points. Pay 10 points (the minimum for this power) and you double that. Leaping isn't directional; you jump in a straight line. And it costs END.

Alright, now we're into Swimming. Aquaman and Sub-Mariner, anyone? Normal swim speed is 2"; this gives you +1" of swim speed for every 2 points, just like running. Flight, too; I think this is the standard cost for any movement power. There's no minimum cost to this, although using it does cost END.

Ah, Telekinesis. Marvel Girl could do this. This power lets you manipulated objects at a distance with your mind The base is 10 points of STR and 10" of range per 10 points in the power, and you can basically grab an object; if you want to do fine work like push buttons or disarm a bomb, you have to roll against a base of 9 + TK points/5. For example, if you have a TK power of 40, your TK STR is 40, your range is 40", and your base roll is 9 + 40/5, or 9+8, or 17 or less. Of course, this has a range modifier of -1 per 3" of range, and it does cost END to use.

Finally, we have Telepathy. Martian Manhunter and Professor X have this, which allows you to read minds or communicate with someone mentally rather than verbally. You have to pick which one you are trying to do (not at character creation, but every time you use it). Either way, you roll an ECV attack roll, and if successful you roll 1D6 per 5 points in the power to see how much of an effect you had. Subtract the target's Ego Defense, of course. If you match their INT score, you can read their surface thoughts. Double the INT means you're into their deep, hidden thoughts. Triple the INT means you can get into their memories, and quadrupling the INT gets you right into their subconscious mind. Good luck with trying to do that with the Joker. END is expended to keep in contact, and if you try to go to a deeper level of their mind, you have to roll another attack and Telepathy roll. Range is line of sight with no modifiers.

And that's it. There are only two more powers to go, and then we learn about Power Advantages and how they help to simulate pretty much any power you see in the comics.

Let's Read Champions 1st edition (pg 19)

Alright, this page has a grand total of two entries, both of which take up a full column. The first is Mind Scanning, which allows a character to search an area with his mind in order to find a particular mind. To use it, you have to define how big an area you are searching (no limit, apparently), then make an ECV attack roll which is modified by the number of people in the area. There's a full chart that shows what the modifier is based on the area's population. For example, if you're in a bar (about 16 people), your ECV roll is at -4. If it's a small city (250,000 people), the roll is at -18. The whole world (4 billion people when this was written 45 years ago) would be -33 to find someone; I would probably leave it at that modifier even though the population has pretty much doubled since then. A -33 penalty to a roll is sufficient, I think.

So, how do you scan an area with any hope of success? You pay 3 points for a +1 to the attack roll. There's no range modifier, of course. If your modified target roll is less than 3, the area is too big and you'll have to narrow your search until you need a 3 to succeed. Assuming you do succeed, you roll 1D6 for every 5 points in the power (not counting the attack roll bonus costs), subtract the target's Ego Defense if they have it, and the resulting amount is compared to the target's EGO. If you get at least their EGO score, you know roughly where they are. Double their ego means you can pinpoint their location. Tripling the EGO score means you can use your other mental powers, if any, on the target no matter how far they may be with a normal attack roll (and no range modifiers). END costs only apply to maintaining your target lock after it is established. The minimum cost is 10 points for a 2D6 scan; attack roll bonuses don't count toward the minimum.

Big writeup for that power, isn't it? Well, now it's time to go crazy with the Multipower. Multipowers are basically a grouping of powers that run off the same point reserve. Sort of like the Elemental Control, except that in the case of the EC, all the powers could be used at their full potential at the same time. In a Multipower, you have a common pool of points to draw from, but using a power means those points aren't available for any of the other powers in the Multipower pool. There's an example involving a flying energy projector (who we will now call 'Blaster') with a 50-point Multipower with three slots: Flight, Energy Blast, and Force Field. Every phase, the player can decide to shift points from one power to the others if he so chooses; in his first phase, Blaster has his Force Field at 10 PD/10 ED for a total of 20 points, and is flying at a speed of 15" for a total of 30 points. That leaves no points for his Energy Blast in this phase. In his next phase, Blaster takes 20 points from his Flight and 10 from his Force Field and puts them into his Energy Blast, for a 6D6 blast while his Force Field is reduced to 5 PD/5 ED and his Flight to 5".

A Multipower point reserve can be divided however the character wants, as long as the total points don't exceed the reserve amount.

Multipower slots cost 1 point for every 5 points that can be put into the slot; a slot that can take the whole 50 points (so Blaster has a 10D6 Energy Blast, for example) costs 10 points. If a slot has a lower maximum (Blaster can't push his Flying speed beyond 15", for example), then the cost is proportionate to the maximum points available (in this case, 6 points since 15" of Flight costs 30 points, which is divided by 5 to make 6).

However, sometimes a slot will be 'fixed', also called an 'ultra'. This means that when the power is used, it is used to its full power every time. So, if Blaster has his Energy Blast in an ultra slot, then he always has to assign all 50 points to it every time he wants to use it, even if he doesn't want to use it at full power. An ultra slot costs 1 point for every 10 points of the reserve that it uses (so the full 10D6 EB in an ultra slot would cost 5 points instead of 10). The ultra slot doesn't have to be the full amount of the reserve; Blaster might make his Flight ultra slot limited to 30 points used, meaning it would cost 3 points for the slot.

You can apply Power Limitations to Multipowers, either to the whole thing or to just a particular slot. If it's applied to the whole Multipower, it means the overall cost for both the reserve and the slots is reduced; if it applies to a single slot, it means the active points are increased. Um, what? This is completely different from the way Multipower works in later editions. The example is given of a powered armor character who puts a Charges limitation on his Force Field. The multipower has a 30-point reserve, but the Charges limitation on the Force Field (which gives a +1 bonus multiplier to his costs) means that the slot can be up to 60 points instead of 30. That makes a very powerful Force Field, although it will only be usable a certain number of times per day.

To figure the cost of the Multipower, you add up the reserve points (modified by any Advantages or Limitations that are applied) and the cost of each slot, regular or ultra. Note that the minimum reserve is 10 points.

We're on to the next page now, but I'll finish up the Multipower writeup just because there are lots of powers on the next page. You can't put skills or characteristics in the Multipower unless the GM gives you permission. I would say that some characteristics, such as STR, should be allowable in a Multipower. I wouldn't put COM in a Multipower, though; that seems pointless to me. But I'm sure someone tried to do it at some point.

And that's Multipowers. Next time we've got no fewer than eight powers to review; we're getting close to the end, I think. This is a heck of a lot easier than the 5th edition read-through would be, that's for sure; that book would require eight pages for just a single power in some cases. Yikes.

Let's Read Champions 1e (page 18)

Alright, let's continue our run through the various powers of 1e Champions, shall we? Next up is the Killing Attack (ranged). This is basically the same as the HTH version, except you don't add any STR bonuses but you can fire at targets at range. The range is 5 times the points, and the minimum cost is 15 points (which buys you 1d6 RKA). You define whether the attack is physical or energy at the time it is bought. END costs apply. This power would work to represent guns as well as powerful laser attacks or fire blasts.

Life Support allows you to survive in unfriendly or even deadly environments without any ill effects. The more points you spend, the more environmental factors you can ignore. The base is 5 points, which makes you Aquaman (breathing water). For 10 points, you don't have to breathe and you're immune to inhaled gases. At 15 points, you're also immune to gases absorbed through the skin. At 20 points you can survive in the vacuum of space or in high-pressure environments. For 25 points you don't eat or excrete anymore. And at the full amount, 30 points, you can survive under conditions of extreme heat, cold or radiation (or any other excessively hostile environment), but that doesn't mean you don't take any damage from attacks based on those effects thanks to shock. There's no END cost for Life Support. Note that each of the levels is cumulative; at 30 points you have all the levels, not just the safe environments of heat, cold, etc.

Next up is Mental Illusions. This power lets you project illusions into an opponent's mind. So, only the target can see the illusion. This is a mental power, which means it is based on your Ego Combat Value (ECV), which is your EGO/3. You define the illusion when you use the power, and you're limited only by your imagination as to what the target sees in their mind. You roll 1D6 for every 5 points you have in the power (minimum 10 pts), and subtract any Ego Defense they may have. The remainder is compared to the target's INT score to determine the actual effect. At a level equal to or greater than the target's INT score, they see the illusion; double their INT means they perceive it fully (all their senses accept it as real). Triple INT means they can actually be hurt by the illusion (STUN only), and quadrupling their INT means they take both STUN and BODY from the illusion.

You can make the illusion more effective by making it fit into the preconceptions of the target (for example, the target is in a zoo, so an illusion of an escaping lion is more believable here than in the middle of the downtown core), moving it up the chart a line. The maximum damage dice the target can take is your points in the power divided by five. The only range limit is your line of sight, and mental powers don't take range modifiers. They do cost END, however, and this one is no exception.

Finally on this page, we have Mind Control. Unlike the previous power, this one is just taking over their mind and forcing them to do what you want them to do. Like Mental Illusions, this is an ECV-based power, and Ego Defense reduces its effects. The minimum cost is 10 points, you get 1D6 per 5 points invested, it's line of sight, there are no range modifiers, and it costs END to use.

Your total effect on the target depends on their EGO score rather than their INT. Matching or exceeding the EGO score means they will do things they would likely do anyway. Doubling their EGO makes them do things they wouldn't mind doing. Tripling will get them to do things they wouldn't normally do, and quadrupling it means you can make them do things they would never otherwise do. You have to determine what you want the target to do before you roll the attack itself. You can maintain the command by expending END per turn without having to reroll. However, if you try to instill a new command, you have to reroll the attack from scratch.

Short and sweet, but we have some good stuff. Next page, another mental power and a different way to save points on powers.

Let's Read Champions 1e (pg 17)

Alright, we're back with more powers. We'll jump right in with Force Field. This is a field of energy surrounding the character that absorbs damage. Minimum cost is 10 points, and you get 1 point of fully resistant defense for every point you pay. However, you have to choose whether your points go to PD or ED; one point only covers one of the two options. So, if you spend 20 points on Force Field, you can split it 10 PD/10 ED, or 8 PD/12 ED, or even 0 PD/20 ED if you want. If you decide not to use it at its full potential, you have to keep the same ratio of defense allocation. For example, Snowcone spends 30 points on his Force Field, splitting it 20 PD/10 ED. If he chooses to use only half of his allocation (such as in a Multipower), his Force Field would then be 10 PD/5 ED. It costs END to use this power.

Force Wall is a different kind of Force Field; Sue Storm projects these all the time. Force Wall covers a circle of hexes at range. The cost is 10 points for 5 points of fully resistant defense. Like Force Field, you have to choose whether those points go to PD or ED. Since this power is used at range, the range in inches is the number of points in the power, and the radius is 1" for every 10 points in the power. For example, the Invisible Woman has 40 points in Force Wall. She can project her Force Wall up to 40" (80 meters) away, with a radius of 4". The defense is 10 PD/10 ED (or a different ratio if you choose). The ratio of defense has to be chosen when you buy the power; you can't alter it during game play. And of course, you're paying END for this power as well.

Next is Gliding. This isn't flight; you're just gliding through the air and slowly descending as you go. It costs 5 points to get 4" of Gliding, with a minimum cost of 10 points. To get to gliding speed you have to actually drop 1" in altitude per 1" of Gliding. Once you get to your Gliding speed, you can gain altitude if the GM allows it (depending on the circumstances, like a strong wind). Gliding is END-free.

Growth is straightforward; you get bigger. As a result, you gain in several characteristics, but you're also easier to hit. For every 10 points of Growth, you grow 1 meter, weigh twice as much, and gain the following: +5 STR, +2 BODY, +5 PRE, +1 PD, +1 ED, +2" of ground movement, +1" of climbing movement, +1 OCV in HTH combat, -1 DCV overall, and -1" when knocked back. Your increased primary characteristics do not affect your figured characteristics. The minimum cost is 10 points. The listing doesn't specify if you have to pay END for the power, but I believe later editions state that you pay the END cost to activate the power but not to maintain it.

Instant Change is just that: You instantly change from your normal identity to your super-hero identity. Wonder Woman did this in the old 1970s TV show with her spinning thing; Superman does it in phone booths. It costs 5 points to change back and forth to the same set of clothing; 10 points means you can change back into any clothing you want. No END for this power.

Invisibility is next. You are invisible to normal sight for 20 points; additional invisibility to various enhanced sight senses costs more. You can also become invisible to radar. You do have a fringe effect of light bending around you, so someone who is really close to you (1" or less) can spot you on a successful sight Perception roll. You can, if you want, eliminate this fringe effect by paying an additional cost equal to half the cost of the power (for example, you have the basic Invisibility to normal sight, which costs 20 points. To eliminate the fringe, you would pay an additional 10 points). To become invisible to everything the power lists would cost a total of 40 points, or 60 points without the fringe. Again, this power doesn't specify the END cost, and I would use the same rule as mentioned for Growth.

Finally, we get to the Killing Attack (Hand-to-Hand). Wolverine, step forward, please. This also covers things such as knives and lightsabers, or even really powerful martial arts attacks (knife hand to the heart, for example). For 15 points, you get 1D6 of Killing Attack, to which you can add a bonus of 1/2D6 for every 10 STR points you use with the attack. The minimum cost is 15 points, and the Killing Attack doesn't cost END (but using your Strength to boost it does cost END as per normal). This is strictly hand-to-hand; no ranged attacks.

So, that covers yet another page of power. This was the Invisible Woman's page, really; three of the powers here define her pretty well. On the next page, we'll get into some other mental powers.

Finally!

The package I was waiting for arrived. Over on my other blog, 25 Years Ago..., I'm doing a 25th anniversary retrospective review of the 3rd edition D&D game. I finally got the September purchase order in, so I'm working on the review of the 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide.

The nice thing about this is that I got a 1st printing DMG. It is a sweet deal, although it means errata is necessary to keep it updated. Still, I can't complain. There were some other things in the package as well, which I'll discuss in later posts on that blog.

I was supposed to get this package two days ago, but FedEx is a pain. They told me they 'tried' to delivery the package on Monday, but they didn't bother letting me know where the package actually was, so I spent two days hunting for it. Talk about frustration.

Ah, well. What's done is done, and it's nice to finally have it.

Some horrible news from south of the border as Charlie Kirk was assassinated at an open-air forum at a Utah university campus. Prayers go out to his family, who were there when it happened and were with him when he died in the hospital. It's insane to think about how far political discourse has deteriorated in the 21st century. I'm worried that this will touch off a wave of political violence, possibly escalating into a full-blown civil war. After all, wars have started with less provocation than an assassination.

I avoid talking about politics on this blog because I get enough of that on different websites, and I wanted to keep this clear from all of that. But something like this makes my blood boil, and I can't stay silent. I'm not going to turn this blog into the Huffington Post or Rebel News, though. I just hope people can start thinking before they act before we see even more violence and death. We are supposed to be civilized, people. We need to act like it.

And now, back to baking...

So Many Chickens...

This picture is just a sample of the chickens we raised this year. We have layers, but these are Cornish Cross, the tastiest meat birds around. We ordered 200 birds this spring; attrition has taken that number down more than I would like, but we're still going to have nearly 150 birds processed.

'Processed'. Such a sterile, sanitized word for how a chicken goes from what you see above to the freezer. But I'm not going to go into detail on this. Suffice to say...well, the chickens consider me both their guardian angel who feeds them, and their serial killer who has dwindled their numbers down to a mere handful left in the coop.

And this year, we had people ask us to process their chickens for them...for money. Yes, I was paid to kill chickens this year. You know what that makes me, right? Yep; I'm a chicken assassin.

The surprising thing about the chickens you see is that I didn't expect to see any of them up off the ground; Cornish Cross are both stupid and heavy, and I've never seen one get off the ground at all. They'll run at me flapping their wings like they're trying to take off whenever they see the food bucket in my hand, but actually flying? Not a chance. But here we are, Cornish Cross jumping up and roosting like they are real chickens. It warms my heart.

The nice thing about these chickens is that they don't take a long time to grow; none of these ones are more than 15 weeks old before they meet Mr. Freezer. And even that is longer than I would prefer. But they eat. And eat. A lot of food. I was going through a full 40-kg bag a day for a while, trying to keep all these birds fed. So despite their short lifespan, they end up cost as much as another breed, Rustic Rangers, would cost despite the Rangers taking twice as long to grow out to the proper size.

Raising our own food is a big deal; we know what these birds are eating, so we know what we are eating, too. With my health issues this year, my diet is important. I don't want to screw my health any further than it already was, so I'm watching my intake much more than I used to. And raising and growing our own food is a big part of that. I'm looking forward to getting back to gardening next spring.

So, if you live out in the country, support your local chicken farmer, especially if he's got meat birds you might want to try. If all you're used to eating is store-bought chicken, I guarantee you will taste the difference. And you won't look back.

Let's Read Champions 1e (pg 16)

More powers today, and we start with Entangle. This is where you either immobilize an opponent or create a barrier. I would have thought that would be Force Wall, but here we are. This is a ranged power. Assuming you hit with your attack roll, you roll 1D6 per 5 points in the power (minimum cost 10). Read the BODY damage as if it were a normal attack; the total BODY is how strong the Entangle is. So if you have a 5D6 Entangle, and you rolled a 6, 1, 2, 6, 3...the total BODY would be 6 (2 for the 6, 0 for a 1, 1 for the rest). To break out of an Entangle, you need to do at least that much damage through some method of attack. If you're Entangled, you can't move. You can also create a "wall" with this power using the Area of Effect Power Advantage. Examples of Entangles include webbing, ice bonds, and turning the ground to mud. It's a ranged power (pts. x 5 in inches), and costs END to use.

Next up is Extra Limb. This can be an extra arm, leg, or a prehensile tail (Nightcrawler is the first example that comes to mind). You can use it just as well as any other limb with your normal STR and DEX. However, you don't get any extra attacks because of it. It costs 10 points for each extra limb, and while the power itself doesn't cost END, using the limb's STR does.

FTL Travel is a fun one, allowing your flying character to travel faster than the speed of light in space (so not in an atmosphere, making it a really niche power). For 10 points, you have the base power; every 5 points additional doubles that speed. What speed is it? Well, first you calculate your sustained Flight, which is how many inches you can fly in a full turn (we'll get to that power at the end of this page) and use your Recovery in END as a multiplier. This isn't explained very well in the rules, so let me try to suss it out. I checked the next three editions, and the description in 2e and 3e is basically the same as 1e. 4e changes the power entirely. So, let's see if I can get this from 1e. From the Flight power, the END cost is 1/5" of flight. There's lots of math here, so bear with me.

Okay, I think I got this figured. Your sustained flight speed is based on your REC. If you have a SPD of 5, Flight of 15", and REC of 10, your maximum speed in a turn is 75". However, that would cost you 15 END per turn. With your REC of 10, you can only sustain your flight at a speed of 50" (10" of flight x SPD 5), because your END would be 10/turn (2 END/phase). Therefore, your maximum sustained flight speed is 50". And...that's how many light years you can travel IN A DAY with this power. Holy crap...50 LY in a single day? That's Star Trek: Voyager speed. And you can double that for a mere 5 points more. This is seriously overpowered. Fortunately, as mentioned earlier, it's only for flying outside of an atmosphere. So it's not going to get much use in a typical game, and very few characters will ever even need to buy it.

Alright, let's move along. Next up is Flash. No, not the speedster. This is a blinding flash, with 1D6 per 10 points. Like Entangle, you calculate the BODY damage on a successful attack roll, and every character within a 1" radius per 10 points is blinded for 1 phase for every point of BODY. It's interesting that the duration is based on the target's SPD, not the attacker's; some targets will recover faster than others. There's no actual damage done with this power, just the blindness. Blinded characters have a CV of 0 unless they have Enhanced Senses that can target. If you have advance warning of the Flash, you can cover your eyes or otherwise prepare for it, meaning you're still blinding while you're protecting yourself, but otherwise the Flash doesn't affect you at all. You can't Flash someone in Darkness, either. This is a ranged attack, and uses END.

The counter to Flash is, of course, Flash Defense. At a minimum cost of 5 points, you have 5 or more points of defense against Flash attacks. No END to use it, of course; it's a passive defense.

Finally, we have Flight. I touched on this in the FTL description. Flight is a minimum of 10 points, which gives you 5" of Flight; 2 pts. gives you an additional inch. END is 1/5", as previously mentioned. The details on how to handle movement in flight are covered later on in the Movement section.

And that's it for this page. We're just motoring along, aren't we? And we've got quite a few powers already covered. You can see that building a high-powered character will be very expensive; most characters built with these rules will be on the line of the 80s X-Men or the Teen Titans; you're not building Thor or Wonder Woman with just 100 points. I have seen someone build Superman with 250 points, but it's the Action Comics #1 version, not the Christopher Reeve fly-around-the-earth-and-reverse-time version.

Next up...more powers, surprise, surprise. We've had lots of attacks over the past couple of pages, now it's time to get some defenses.