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Monday, August 30, 2010

Mystery Men! - The Golden Gladiators

Introducing the Golden Gladiators, a fictional super team of public domain comic characters from the golden age. Uses the system described HERE, giving all heroes 15,000 XP to spend.


Barry Kuda
Barry is the defender of the underwater kingdom of Merma from the "Midget Kingdom".
Real Name: Barry Kuda
Occupation: Adventurer

Strength: 9 (+2)
Intelligence: 7 (+2)
Wisdom: 6 (+1)
Dexterity: 11 (+3)
Constitution: 8 (+2)
Charisma: 12 (+3)

Level:3
Hit Points: 13
AC: 13
XP: 13,200

Powers: Magic Weapon (CL 3, 300 XP, makes harpoon a +1 weapon for 3 min.), Water Breathing (1500 XP, 6 hour duration)


Black Bat
District attorney who had acid thrown in his face by a criminal, blinding and scarring him. After an eye transplant, he gains the ability to see in the dark and takes up a life of crime fighting.

Real Name: Tony Quinn
Occupation: Lawyer

Strength: 2
Intelligence: 14 (+4)
Wisdom: 7 (+2) / 13 (+4) for 3 minutes with Owl's Wisdom
Dexterity: 9 (+2)
Constitution: 5 (+1)
Charisma: 12 (+3)

Level: 3
Hit Points: 19
AC: 12
XP: 13,800

Powers (1200 XP): Darkvision (600 XP), Owl's Wisdom (600 XP)
Other Skills: A skilled brawler, and handy with a gun


Blackout

Brusilof, a Yugoslavian scientist, gains his weird powers in a lab accident prompted by a Nazi attack. He is covered in black fur and has a wolf-like face.

Real Name:Basil Brusilof
Occupation: Scientist

Strength: 11 (+3)
Intelligence: 9 (+2)
Wisdom: 8 (+2)
Dexterity: 9 (+2)
Constitution: 9 (+2)
Charisma: 1 (-1)

Level: 3
Hit Points: 29
AC: 12
XP: 12,200

Powers (2800 XP): Bull's Strength (600 XP), Darkvision (600 XP), Fly (1500 XP), Obscuring Mist (100 XP)


Captain Triumph
When Lance Gallant's twin brother Michael is killed in an act of sabotage, the Greek fates decide to intervene. Now, when Lance touches his "T"-shaped birthmark, he merges with Michael's ghost and becomes Captain Triumph.

Real Name: Lance Gallant
Occupation: Adventurer

Strength: 12 (+3) / 16 (+5) for 3 minutes with bull's strength power
Intelligence: 3
Wisdom: 2
Dexterity: 3
Constitution: 12 (+3) / 16 (+5) for 3 minutes with bear's endurance power
Charisma: 2

Level: 3
Hit Points: 35 (damage reduction 10/adamantine, up to 30 hp damage)
AC: 10
XP: 8,900

Powers (6100 XP): Bull's Strength (600 XP), Bear's Endurance (600 XP), Fly (1500 XP, 3 minutes), Invisibility (600 XP), Stoneskin (2800 XP)


Jupiter
Jupiter is the master magician of the planet Jupiter.

Real Name: Unknown
Occupation: Magician

Strength: 7 (+2)
Intelligence: 11 (+3)
Wisdom:12 (+3)
Dexterity: 6 (+1)
Constitution: 10 (+3)
Charisma: 3

Level: 1
Hit Points: 13
AC: 11
XP: 1,550

Powers (13,450 XP): Baleful Polymorph (4500 XP), Cure Light Wounds (100 XP), Fly (1500 XP), Minor Creation (2800 XP), Prestidigitation (50 XP), Teleport (4500 XP)


Man o Metal
A foundry worker, Pat Dempsey gets his super powers in a factory accident.

Real Name: Pat Dempsey
Occupation: Foundry worker, private eye

Strength: 11 (+3)
Intelligence:11 (+3)
Wisdom: 6 (+1)
Dexterity: 9 (+2)
Constitution: 11 (+3)
Charisma: 3

Level: 3
Hit Points: 32
AC: 12
XP: 9,400

Powers (5600 XP): Fire Shield (2800 XP), Stoneskin (2800 XP)


Nelvana of the Northern Lights
Demi-goddess and daughter of King Koliak.

Real Name: Nelvana
Occupation: Princess, demi-goddess

Strength: 3
Intelligence: 2
Wisdom: 7 (+2)
Dexterity: 5 (+1)
Constitution: 6 (+1)
Charisma: 8 (+2)

Level: 1
Hit Points: 6
AC: 11
XP: 1,700 XP

Powers: Control Weather (9100 XP), Fly (1500 XP), Haste (1500 XP), Invisibility (600 XP), Scorching Ray (600 XP, 1 ray for 4d6 damage)


Nightmare

Bob White is a pro wrestler who fights crime without special powers or gadgets. He is accompanied by his teenage manager, Terry Wake, known as Sleepy.

Real Name: Bob White
Occupation: Wrestler

Strength: 13 (+4)
Intelligence: 2
Wisdom: 7 (+2)
Dexterity: 12 (+3)
Constitution: 15 (+4)
Charisma: 7 (+2)

Level: 3
Hit Points: 31
AC: 12
XP: 13,500

Powers (1500 XP): Heroism (1500 XP, 30 min. duration)


Spider Queen

Shannon was the wife of chemist Harry Kane, who invented a spider-web formula before being killed by criminals. She discovered his notes and developed bracelets to shoot the webbing.

Real Name: Shannon Kane
Occupation: Adventurer

Strength: 7 (+2)
Intelligence: 11 (+3)
Wisdom: 6 (+1)
Dexterity: 8 (+2)
Constitution: 6 (+1)
Charisma: 7 (+2)

Level: 3
Hit Points: 24
AC: 12
XP: 13,800

Powers (1200 XP): Spider Climb (600 XP), Web (600 XP)


Zippo

Joe Blair fights crime in a costume with wheeled feet.

Real Name: Joe Blair
Occupation: Private Eye

Strength: 9 (+2)
Intelligence: 8 (+2)
Wisdom: 14 (+4)
Dexterity: 13 (+4)
Constitution: 2
Charisma: 6 (+1)

Level: 3
Hit Points: 18
AC: 14
XP: 13,400

Powers (1600 XP): Longstrider (100 XP), Haste (1500 XP)

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Moving Forward

I've had some pretty good response to this little notion, and I'd like to take it to the next level. Here's the idea:

A cheap, open content Super Power game based on the SRD, essentially taking the Mystery Men! post and expanding it to include all the rules needed to play the game. I want it to include the rules of play (lots of powers, simple mechanics, a monster list of viable opponents), sample heroes and villains drawn from the public domain and a sample city setting, a super-sandbox, so to speak, with random encounters and a few set villain lairs.

What I need for such a product is some art - is there anyone willing to provide some black & white drawings of a few public domain heroes and villains - maybe six of each? If not, maybe I could do this as a patronage project and commission some art. So - who wants to make a supers game? If I can get some support, I'll devote the time to write the game and post it as a beta test document that anyone can download and critique and then put it up on Lulu as a download and print book.

If you have some interest in this little project - let me know

5 comments:

  1. From my comics dabbling, I know at least one artist who loves to draw Golden Age characters, and may be willing to help. I'll ask and get back to you.

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  2. As much as the idea seemed silly to me, this is looking cooler and cooler. I'll be watching to see what comes next.

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  3. Trey - Thanks! That would be great.

    Matthew - I hope you like what you see.

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  4. Fantastic stuff! Thanks for posting this! I'm in the middle of a retro noir superhero campaign & this is exactly what I needed. Eric

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  5. Glad I could help. Check out the free downloads section for the outline I'm using to turn Mystery Men! into a full game - I'd love to get some input for someone actually gaming in the genre.

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