Saffron

Saffron is a very alluring redhead who usually has a very innocent look about her. The innocent look is nothing but a ruse. When she shows her true self, which is rare, she is cocky and arrogant, but no less beautiful. Saffron knows that he looks and her training drive men wild. In fact. that’s what she relies on when it comes to pulling a job.

Shark

Shark is generally aloof and quiet, letting other people chat it up while making mental notes to himself, but he won’t hesitate to tell a war story or two of his own if asked. He is a young Hispanic man, about 23 years old and in good physical condition. He’s not all that interested in fashion, and wears what typically blends in with the crowd as long as it’s somewhat comfortable. He’s got tinted green hair, and always wears a pair of fingerless leather gloves. Shark smokes like a chimney, having picked up the habit from years growing up in pool halls and gambling joints.

Big Eyes, Small Mouth: Rules Alterations

by Nick Culver

I’m making some alterations to some of the attributes available and rules used from Big Eyes, Small Mouth. Hopefully these will help add depth and detail to character statistics and enhance the game play experience without clogging the game with an abundance of new rules and rolls.

Weston Tarmel

by Nick Culver

As soon as he was deemed able, Weston was sent out scouting and procuring for the Academy, taking trips to gather supplies or carry messages to the capitol. The trips were designed to both teach and test Weston, as well as actually deliver notes and procure supplies.

On one such outing a few years ago, Weston ran into a young centaur maid in the capitol, a woman who was a little more world savvy than he, but not by much. Her name was Seibell, her coat shiny, her hair golden brown, and her personality charming. Weston almost fell head over heels (quite a problem for a centaur) trying to get her attention. He succeeded, but stayed missing from the Academy for a week. When he finally did show up, his head was in the clouds and the message he was supposed to deliver was still in his pack. The next three weeks were spent assisting Melvin De La Menta, one of the worst punishments on campus for the mechanically disinclined or the not so fleet of foot. However, Weston was saved from going mad at his punishment when he found that Seibell wished to come and visit him.

The Eye of Istar

Aura strong divination; CL 20th
Slot none; Weight —

Istar was the greatest diviner in the world. At birth, she was abandoned as an abomination, for she was born with a third eye in the middle of her forehead. However, she soon became renowned for the powers this eye brought her, for it allowed her to see into the future almost effortlessly. Even as her body decayed, her third eye remained sought after, and was eventually taken from her corpse by a group of shameless grave robbers.

Adelei Niska

Were it not for Adelei Niska’s brutal reputation, he might be able to pass for a legitimate businessman from the old country. He is small in stature and bald, with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He wears fine suits, usually appears well-mannered, and speaks with a thick accent. The simplicity and elegance of Niska’s appearance lends to the horror of his reputation, though. He maintains his calm demeanor and eloquent speech even when angry, and always keeps his philosophical banter going during long torture sessions. Those who haven’t heard of Niska might not think that they’re dealing with much, but he tends to change people’s minds very quickly.

The History of Superheroes

In creating a setting for a superhero RPG, one of the first steps is to think about how super-powered beings affect the world. Some comic continuities choose to alter history greatly, for example, Watchmen provides a world where Richard Nixon has successfully run for five terms as president after the presence of superheroes allowed America to win the Viet Nam War. Other settings assume that history happened as recorded, but with superheroes somewhere in the background. Most mainstream comics are representative of this philosophy.

An example history of superheroes in described below. This history takes something of a mix of the two philosophies described above. On the one hand, history hasn’t deviated greatly from the real world. On the other hand, many historical events happened because of superheroes – they helped captured Al Capone, inadvertently led to the Kennedy assassination, and so on. This is obviously just one example of a fictional continuity, and can easily be changed to fit many settings. Superheroes and villains are described in the history, but the details on their background and personality are vague, allowing GMs to tweak them to fit their campaign preferences.

Melody Felino

by Nick Culver

Melody Felino is one of the few neko-jin, or catfolk, to graduate from Sir Gutain’s Academy for the Alternatively Talented in the ranks of magic users. Most end up as rogues, huntsmen, or warriors, specialized in areas that appeal to the rough and tumble or laid back nature of neko-jin. As such, Melody is somewhat of an oddity. She’s shown a large amount of dedication and intelligence, bringing her to the attention of Sir Gutain, who assigned her to learn the art of summoning and dismissing creatures.

The Owlbear

David Ernst was a nobody. A garbage collector by trade, he had parents who were ashamed of him, a wife who had just left him, and a boss who treated him like he was the filth in the back of his truck. After drinking too much and running the wrong collection route, his boss gave him a pink slip. Thanks to some groveling from Ernst, his boss allowed him to finish out the week in order to make rent money. It didn’t matter, though – his landlord had sold his apartment complex, and the new owner wanted Ernst out immediately. Fed up with a world that treated him like a joke, Ernst vowed revenge.

Mick Mannus

Mick Mannus is 34 years old. He’s survived numerous assassination attempts, and he’s still around. He plans on being around as long as he wants, no matter who gets in his way.