Streets and Capes: The Superhero Genre in Roleplaying Games

Supers Revised Edition

2016-07-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

Working with Peter Saga on converting some villains from the Supers Revised system to Hero 6th Edition as well as making some new characters and some scenario ideas. Stay Tuned Fans.

His site is located at http://www.artofpetersaga.com/

Pen and Cape Society

2016-06-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

Following a link from an Indie Comic Book Creator friend of mine, led me to the Pen and Cape Society.

A number of different authors in the Superhero Genre all working together, links to their works, some articles and podcasting going on as well.

Go check out The Pen and Cape Society.

Separately here is a site with tons of Web Comics in the Superhero Genre Collective of Heroes

Inspirational Flavor Texts: Winter / Holiday Season

2015-12-26T13:24:00.002-08:00

While working on an article for the Horror Gaming EMagazine Protodimension Magazine FB Group I started putting together a list of Key Words suitable for Winter / Holiday Times.

See Below

Potential Seasonal Keywords

Winter / Christmas

Ballet

Black Ice

Blizzard

Christmas

Decorations

Elves

Fog

Freezing

Freezing Drizzle

Frozen

Frozen Lakes

Gifts/Gift Giving

Gingerbread

Ice

Icicles

Lights

New Years

Nutcracker

Ornaments

Pine Trees

Presents

Reindeer

Saint Nick / St Nicholas

Santa Claus

Sleds/Sleighs

Sleet

Snow

Snowflake

Snowmen

Snowstorms

Stories

Tales

Tinsel

Toymaking

Toys

White Out Conditions

Winter

Yule

Yuletide

Crossposting to my other gaming blogs

Creatures and Character Inspirations and Random Generation

2015-07-04T20:04:00.000-07:00

Creatures and Character Inspirations and Random Generation

So on FB I saw an ad for a game titled Magerealm: Rise of Chaos. In the ad there was a card or character titled Inferno Bear which lead immediately to thinking about conditions and creatures combined into PCs, NPCs, or Monsters. So see the following list where you roll or chose on Column 1 and then on Column 2 to create something random.

In looking them over they should work the best for Superhero style games as well as monsters in Horror or in Post Apoc Games as well. Feel free to mix and match to your hearts content of course.

Take into account that conditions like Electric can also stand for Electrified or Electrical. Alternate terms are not included in the base table though. Ice can be Ice, Icy, Icicle, and so on, in further example. Looking over the choices some of them are not the most viable, so take that into account and alter accordingly.

These tables are made before I actually start playing the game. So take them for what they are worth.

Condition / Environment

1d30 or roll 1d6 to determine which 1/3rd to roll a d10 for

1. Blizzard

2. Cold

3. Darkness

4. Dawn

5. Decayed

6. Dusk

7. Eclipse

8. Electric

9. Empty

10. Faceless

11. Fire

12. Flames

13. Forgotten

14. Forlorn

15. Frozen

16. Ice

17. Infectious

18. Inferno

19. Light

20. Loneliness

21. Masked

22. Mold

23. Molten

24. Rain

25. Shadow

26. Sleet

27. Snow

28. Snowstorm

29. Toxic

30. Viral

Creature / Thing

1d20

1. A.I.

2. Bear

3. Bee

4. Boar

5. Bot

6. Cat

7. Cyborg

8. Dog

9. Eagle

10. Hawk

11. Hornet

12. Lion

13. Owl

14. Rat

15. Robot

16. Shark

17. Spider

18. Tiger

19. Wasp

20. Wolf

Hero 6 Simple Stock Character Sheet (Revised 12/02/16)

2015-06-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

Streets and Capes Entry 06 27 15 Saturday

Sitting here on a rainy Saturday and off to get a post and update to support my being a writer and creator.

First up will be a template for me to use in posting characters online, sort of a simple character sheet for me to use for my own purposes. Of course anyone reading this is welcome to copy and use as their own, paste in for a very simple character sheet with nothing resembling a frill at all.

Handle

Real Name

A/S/L

Groups and Affiliations

Costume

Appearance

Characteristics

Stat Score Points

Str

Dex

Con

Int

Ego

Pre

OCV

DCV

OMCV

DMCV

Spd
Rec

End

Body

Stun

Skills

Perks

Talents

Powers

Complications

Total Points

Backstory

Plot Hooks and Goals

Hero 6th Edition Copyrights

2015-06-27T07:21:00.003-07:00

Following are the Hero 6th Edition Copyrights
Any posts here are my own, do not reflect Hero Games, and are not intended as an infringement on their copyrights

HERO System™® is DOJ, Inc.’s trademark for its roleplaying system.
HERO System Copyright © 1984, 1989, 2002, 2009 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights
reserved.

Vylan (DC Adventures/M&M Character)

2015-06-13T19:34:00.001-07:00

Some DC Adventures (Mutants and Masterminds) character ideas I came up with

These are the first ones I have made.

In fact this is the first one I made. More a vigilante style than real 4 Color

Vylan

Pow Level 10

30 Pts

Str 3

Sta 4

Agl 0

Def 0

Fgt 5

Int 0

Awe 1

Pre 2

7 pts

Dodge 1

Fort 4

Parry 7

Tou 4

Will 5

Skills

30 pts

Close Cbt 10

Deception 10

Expertise 10 (Networking People)

Insight 10

Intimidation 10

Stealth 10

Advantages

6 Pts

+1 favored Environment Urban / City

+ 2 Attack / Active Def

+1 Great Endurance

3 Languages Spanish, French, Tamil, Esperanto Rank 3

1 Well Informed

Powers

Claws / Nails 5 Ranks, Damage, Str 3 5 pts

Communication Olfactory 2 ranks

Healing, action, 1 Rank, Self Only (-1)

Immunity Poison 1

Protection 4 4

Gyst (Jist)

Sensor Type

Str 0

Sta 1 (2)

Agl 3 (6)

Dex 3 (6)

Fgt 2 (4)

Int 1 (2)

Awe 10 (20)

Pre 0

Dodge 10 (7)

Fort 1

Parry 3 (1)

Tou 1

Will 15 (5)

Init # + 16 = 19

Skills

Deception 2 (1)

Expertise 10 (5)

Expertise 10 (5) Databases

Insight 10 (5)

Investigation 3 (1)

Perception 14 (2)

Technology 3 (1)

Advantages

Imp Defence +2 Active Def 1

Imp Init +16 Init 4

Uncanny Dodge 1

Equipment 4 Ranks 20 pts 4

Hide in Plain Sight 1

Powers

Communication Radio Rnak 3 12

Comprehend Machines 2 Ranks 4

Objecs

Mind Reading 5 Ranks (10)

Sensory Link (+5)

Remote Sensing Vision 2 Ranks (40)

Medium Cameras -10 pts

Senses 4 Ranks 4 pts Postcognition

Random Name Generator Lists for either Heroes or Villains for the Supers Genre

2013-08-10T11:07:00.001-07:00

So in the overall blogosphere of gaming, random lists are making a serious comeback.
From products available for sale to short lists suitable for hexcrawl creation, tons of lists as content are out there.

I am a fan of random lists at times. Helps me in the creation and oftentimes the fleshing out of an adventure or scenario.

There does seem to be a lack of lists for the Superhero Genre that I can tell. So here is a starting point, for me, to expand into this perceived lack.

Following are 2 d100 lists of words, mostly pulled from the 2 main Comic Publishers, along with a liberal dose of other common terms as well. Organized into a mostly alphabetical order and posted here for your use.

Some discretion is needed. Some of the random results are well, random. But with a little mix and match and use as inspiration heroes and villains can be named and then from their name, abilities can be derived.

Here are some sample die rolls and what can be made from them

11, 18, 40
With both tables comes up with the following possible combos

Britain
China
Fist

Cat
Dog
Light

So then some decent possible combinations using these words could include:
LightFist
China Cat
The Fist of China
The Fist of Britain

So more examples using a smaller set could be
Die Rolls of 64 and 24 which results in
Crimson
Green
Lash
Spider

So Crimson Lash, Crimson Spider, or Green Spider.
A villainous Crimson Lash and 2 possible more pulp styled heroes, either the Crimson or the Green Spider

Go ahead and takes some rolls and see what you are inspired to create.

Here is a Random Number Generator Website as well. I have no affiliation with this site, but it claims to be truly random based on atmospheric noise.

https://www.random.org/

	List 1
1	America
2	apocalypse
3	Aquarius
4	Aries
5	baron
6	black
7	blade
8	box
9	break
10	breaker
11	britain
12	bulls
13	cable
14	Cancer
15	capricorn
16	captain
17	cat
18	China
19	claw
20	cloak
21	constrictor
22	cowl
23	crawler
24	crimson
25	dagger
26	dare
27	day
28	dead
29	death
30	devil
31	doctor
32	doll
33	domina
34	domino
35	doom
36	dynamo
37	eye
38	fate
39	father
40	fist
41	fury
42	gambit
43	gemini
44	Gemini
45	ghost
46	Giggle
47	goblin
48	harrowed
49	hawk
50	heart
51	hearted
52	hell
53	Hood
54	hooded
55	human
56	hunter
57	iron
58	ivy
59	Jig
60	key
61	king
62	knight
63	lady
64	lash
65	Leo
66	Libra
67	lock
68	long
69	lord
70	machine
71	madame
72	magic
73	Magnet
74	magnetic
75	man
76	marvel
77	master
78	mercury
79	moon
80	Mother
81	Nebula
82	night
83	nomad
84	nova
85	octopus
86	Orion
87	panther
88	phantom
89	pin
90	Pisces
91	poison
92	pool
93	pumpkin
94	punisher
95	puppet
96	python
97	quasar
98	queen
99	quick
100	quicksilver

	List 2
1	amber
2	angel
3	arrow
4	arsenal
5	bear
6	black
7	borg
8	boy
9	calling
10	card
11	cat
12	cleaner
13	cold
14	craft
15	crafter
16	cyborg
17	dark
18	dog
19	element
20	fade
21	fire
22	girl
23	great
24	green
25	grey
26	hat
27	heart
28	heat
29	heavy
30	hood
31	ice
32	injustice
33	jack
34	jasmine
35	Justice
36	knife
37	lad
38	lantern
39	league
40	light
41	outlaw
42	phase
43	Ranger
44	rapier
45	Red
46	rhinocerus
47	rider
48	rogue
49	ronin
50	Sabre
51	Sagittarius
52	sand
53	Saw
54	Scorpio
55	scorpion
56	shade
57	shadow
58	shaman
59	shark
60	shot
61	silver
62	sinister
63	skull
64	spider
65	spirit
66	stain
67	star
68	Star
69	star
70	Stellar
71	strange
72	stranger
73	strike
74	super
75	surger
76	sword
77	tarot
78	task
79	Taurus
80	tech
81	tooth
82	top
83	torch
84	toy
85	valiant
86	venom
87	viper
88	Virgo
89	war
90	warlock
91	whale
92	whip
93	white
94	wick
95	widow
96	witch
97	Wolf
98	wolverine
99	woman
100	wraith

Real World Occupations

2012-10-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

This post was placed on my Horror Gaming Oriented Blog. It fits in well over here as well for general perspective...

One thing that most RPGs have are lists or suggestions of careers or occupations related to the setting or genre.

In Call of Cthulhu from Chaosium there are the different Occupations in the rule book such as Athlete, Author, Dilletatte, Clergy, Parapycholigist, and Policeman to name a few of the 28 Occupations listed in the main rule book. In ADnD there were the secondary occupations, listing all manner of Medieval Jobs such as Mason, Carpenter, Hunter, Millwright, were the sorts of entries made.

Move onto d20 Modern, a much more recent release and in there we can find 19 Starting Occupations, such as Academic, Celebrity, Dilettante, Entrepreneur, and White Collar, covering a broad swath of 1990s/2000 sorts of overall fields.

NOTE: There is a lot of overlap between the two games of CoC and d20Modern. Both are covering roughly the same sort of timeperiod in history. With Human Existence being about 50k years, then the time from the 1920s to 2000 is just a tiny speck.

Three different examples from 3 genres/areas. Still there are overalaps between them all. There is Education, Military, Clergy, Craftsman in all of them.

So for more modern and potentially futuristic games and settings what sorts of careers / occupations are there. An idea, a concept, I have been mulling for a while. So here is a starting list of more 2012 and beyond careers, pulled from a variety of sources. These are suitable for other genres besides Modern and Horror. They can apply to near future, covering such genres as Cyberpunk or Singulairty/Transhuman. They can apply to any setting that has a current component to it. Change up the words or what it deals with and it can apply to Steampunk or Clockpunk (Insert Steam or Mechanical into pretty much anything and it might apply).

List of New Occupations (Because we gamers do like our lists) Of course this is not completely inclusive, but it will give some ideas:

NOTE: These are all real job titles...all 244 of them

Account Executive

Account Manager

Account Representative I

Account Representatives / Agents

Accountant

Accounting Manager

Accounts Payable Clerk

Acoustic Archeologist

Acoustic Ecologist

Adjuster, insurance - inside homeowner claims

Admin Assistant / Ops Manager

Administrative Assistant

Air Conditioning Technician

AML Operations CAO Initiatives Project Manager

Application Architect

Application Developer - SQL, .Net, C#, JavaScript

Application Support Specialist

Appointment Setter

AS/400 - RPG Senior Programmer Analysts

Assistant Director of Nursing

Assistant Operations Manager

Assistant Vice President, Creative Development

Audit Associate

Aural Architect

Auto Property Damage Adjuster

Automotive Technician

Bilingual Billing Supervisor

Billing and Enrollment Specialist (Commercial Insurance)

Body Injury Supervisor

Business Analyst

Business Development Manager

Business Systems Analyst - Lead

Cable Technician

Call Center Operations Unit Manager

Caregiver (CNA/HHA)

Case Manager - IT Forward Civic Justice Corps

Case Manager I (Concurrent Review)

Cashier

CEI Contract Support Specialist

CEI Senior Roadway/Bridge Inspector

Center Receptionist

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Certified Sr. DOT Field Technican

Certified Surgical Tech - Labor and Delivery - Celebration Health - Nights

Chief Building Engineer

CISSP Enforcement Specialist

Claims Approver Long Term Care

Claims Coach

Claims Representative - Liability

Clinical Research Coordinator Direct Hire

CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) Operator and Programmer

CNC Machinist

Collections Agent

Commercial Banking Assistant, Full Time

Commercial Loan Servicing Administration Director

Commercial Real Estate Servicing Generalist

Commercial Truck Rental Representative

Commercial Truck Technician

Concrete Finisher

Construction Mobile Building Installer/CDL Driver

Consumer Loan Underwriter

Contract Occupational Therapy

Contract Specialist

Cook

Coordinator, Fulfillment/Records Management

Corporate Trainer

Cost Estimator

Credit Representative

Credit Risk Analyst

Custodian

Customer Care Representative I

Customer Service Agent

Customer Service Representative

Customer Service/Technical Support Specialist

Cyber CI Audit Rules Policy Engineer

Cyber CI Auditor

Cyber Forensics and Network Warfare Analyst

Cyber Warfare Program Analyst

Data Security Analyst

Delivery Driver

Dialysis Patient Care Technician

Dining Room Server

Director, Performance Improvement - RN

Distribution Manager

District Sales Manager

Driver

Driver Helper

Early Childhood Education Coordinator

Echo Technologist PRN /INT

Education Specialist

Electrician

Electrician Apprentice

Electrician Helper

Electronics Engineer - Analog & Digital Circuit Design

Elementary Instructional Aide

Elementary Perm Substitute

Employability Skills Instructor

Employee Communications Manager

Employment and Training Coordinator

Enrollment & Advertising Consultant

Enrollment Services Specialist

Event Specialists/Product Demonstrators

Executive Chef

Executive Housekeeper

Experienced Driller

Facilities and Fleet Coordinator

Facilities Building Tech A

Facilities Custodian

Facility Maintenance

Field Compliance Inspector

Field Operations Manager

File Clerk

Food Service Assistant

Foreman / Crew Leader

Forklift and Truck Mechanic

Forklift Operator - General Warehouse

Fraud Intake Coordinator

Front Desk Sales & Service Representative

Front Office Assistant/Medical Assistant

General Staff Accountant

Housekeeper

Housekeeping Inspector

Housekeeping Manager

Houseman

HR Functional Specialist

HR Specialist

HVAC Apprentice

HVAC installer

HVAC Mechanic Journeyman

Hyperion Systems Administrator

Industrial Sheet Metal Mechanic

Information Technology Technician

Infrastructure Project Manager

Inside Sales Associate

Intake Coordinator

Irrigation Technician

IT Project Manager

Kennel Tech

Landscape Foreman

Laundry Supervisor

Lawn Maintenance Worker

Lead Analysts

Lead Direct Support Professional

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Life Insurance Sales Agent

Line Cook

Maintenance Mechanic

Maintenance Supervisor

Management Assistant

Manager - Food and Beverage

Manager of Import Accounting & Compliance

Manager of Project Management

Manufacturing Assistant

Manufacturing Process Supervisor

Marketing and Communications Officer

Marketing Coordinator

Marketing Manager (Media Relations)

Marketing/PR Communications Manager

Mechanical / Technical Service Specialist Opportunities Job

Medical Appointment Clerk

Medical Assistant

Medical Billing Manager

Medical Receptionist-Starts Immediately

Medicare Provider Relations Rep II - 20872

Mental Health Technician

Mentor Coordinator

Merchandising and Pricing Lead

Mortgage Specialist

Multi-craft Industrial Machinery Mechanic

Multidisciplinary Analyst

Night Auditor

Nurse Assistant Training Instructor

Nurse Manager Quality

Occupational Therapist

Office Assistant

Oncology Technician

Optical Management Technology & Opticianry Instructor

Painter / Powder Coater

Partner Manager-OEM - MicroStrategy

Personal Banker

Physical Therapist

Physical Therapist Assistant

PIP Claims Supervisor

Pipefitter

Polisher

Portable Restroom Service Driver

Powder Coat Supervisor/Powder Coater

Press Brake Operator

Process Technician

Processing Associate

Product Manager

Program Coordinator

Project Coordinator

Project Management Assistant

Project Manager

Property Associate

Psychoacoustitician

Purchasing Manager

Quality Assurance Specialist

Radio Frequency Technician

Receiving Associate

Receptionist

Recreation Attendant

Recruitment & Placement Manager

Regional Director of Managed Care Contracting

Registered Nurse

Reliability Engineer

Report Writer

Residential Service Plumbers

Restaurant Cashier

Restaurant Purchasing Manager

Route Sales Driver

Sales Account Manager

SAP FICO - Specialist Senior

Scaffold Builder

Seasonal Sales Associate

Security Officer

Semi Truck Driver

Senior Account Executive

Senior Personal Injury Protection Claims Adjuster

Senior Software Engineer

Senior Tradesworker

Senior Workers' Compensation Lost Time Claims Adjuster

Service Electrician

Service Technician

Shipping/Receiving Supervisor

Software Engineer - Android Development

Sound Designers

Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)

SQL Database Administrator

Sr. Risk Representative

Store Manager

Surgical Technologist

Sustainability Manager

Systems Administrator

Systems Administrator/Developer

Title Examiner

Tractor Trailer Driver

Transportation Specialist

Trauma Nurse Coordinator Clinical Education/Performance Improvement

Web Developer - ASP.NET - C# - PHP

Welder

Workers' Compensation Adjuster

Yard Laborer

Sources:
Dwell Magazine November 2012 Issue
TV Commercials
Job Searches on Job Boards

Scrapped City: Campaign Setting

2012-10-06T20:42:00.002-07:00

Scrapped City is the working title for the setting I started up for Hero Gaming once I joined the Haymaker Champions/Hero System APA.
My first submission had some details for the setting. Sadly I have not done a lot with it since then. Still I have a renewed focus to support The Hero System, so development will continue here in Streets and Capes.

Posting it here will also allow me to consolidate lots of divergent information scattered all over the place in one central location, pending final product creation and support creation. Champions / The Hero System (up until the 6th Edition which I need to dig into) has been my favorite gaming system since about 1982. So I have a long fondness for the system. Even with the flaws dealing with buildings and vehicles. Still all RPG systems have issues in some area, and others where they excel. Hero excels in the flexibilty and allowing a person to make what they want.

The Rusted Age
In the Comics there are various Ages associated with different times and viewpoints in the comics industry.
There is The Golden Age. Early Comics, WWII Era and before. Full of heroism and daring deeds.
The Silver Age, more mature, still 4 Color Full of Larger than life Heros
The Bronze Age is the crossover time from the Silver Age (50s to 70s) to the Iron or Modern Age. (The Bronze Age is when I first started collecting comics back about 1977)
The Iron Age, rise of the Vigilante, the Dark Hero, Brooding Loners, etc. . Also known as the Dark Age or Modern Age.

So as far as I know, there is no set/defined age right now. But for me, my sensibilites take me into a bleaker perspective. Into a Rusted Age as I like to call it. So I am taking it for my own.

The Scrapped City
There are three distinct versions of The Scrapped City.
There is the 'Conventional' or Rusted Superhero like version.
There is a very Steampunk influenced version
There is a strange and surreal version.
Think of it as 3 different dimensions that can cut across each other.
Marvel has different universes, DC is very overt (prior to the 52 Reboot) in defining the different worlds, the differences in characters, etc. between them all.
This is my distinction.

The topography is loosely based on Tampa Florida (close to where I live now and where I work at).
A large city, along the coast with a large harbor full of secrets and commerce.
Each version of the city has overlapping geographies, heroes and villains, roles are occassionally reveresed, and plots will cross from one to the other.

Characters present in The Scrapped City

There are many heroes and villains in The Scrapped City. Here are some of the groups active in the setting.

Groups	Short Note
Church of The Ribboned Way	A nefarious Cult
Ragmen	To be determined
S.A.B.	Special Action Bureau
Scrappers	Recyle metal, etc
The Pistoliers	Gun toting trick shots
The Shipfitters	Waterborne pirates and mechanics
The Underground Freak Show	The Circus has come to town
Yard Dogs	All sorts of Mangy

Welcome to Streets and Capes

2012-09-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Streets and Capes, the newest blog on the topic of Superhero Roleplaying Games.

My favorite system for Superhero games is The Hero System (now in its 6th Edition) as published by Hero Games. I have played in other systems, but for me none compare to Hero, in any edition.

This blog will post characters, ideas, adventure vignettes, previews of upcoming for sale products (once completed) as well as general information relating to the genre as well as Comic Books themselves.

The entire spectrum of support for this genre, fiction, ideas, stories, characters, maps, heroes and villains, everything to support playing in The Hero System, along with details on the different settings I have had in development and use since first gaming with The Hero System back in 1982.