Sigil

The Legend of Zelda, Descendants of the Hero

Breaking post-skirmish tension, a single note of rosin stringed music cut through the air, drawing attention primarily because of how out of place it seemed, circumstances considered. Another note followed, joined by another, and another; expertly strung together by skillful, dexterous hands. A cunning and soulful interpretation of the Hero’s Song expressed itself through an intricately worked fiddle, filling the hearts of those listening with pride and hope.

The source of these dulcet tones, however, made some uneasy. A crop of white hair cascaded over long, pointed ears pierced in several places with small rings of worked gold. Eyes, intelligent and red hued, took in their surroundings, one of which bore a mark that few still remembered: Three black triangles over, and a single black teardrop underneath, tattooed permanently. These markings inferred the disturbing rumor that no, their people had not all departed the world. He was Sheikah. Ramming further proof of his heritage home to the now growing onlookers, no one seems to have remembered him entering the town, before or after the battle at the dock. It was as if he failed to exist until the first notes of his music caressed the souls of those nearby.

Slowly he stood, atop the rubble of a downed building, moving slowly and allowing all to see him. Such actions flew in the face of what was known about his people. They are not seen easily, and do not expose themselves to the light without good reason. Two obvious weapons girded his form, short blades common to his people, buckled over a mottled brown cloak. Dark clothing and boots peek from beneath his outer garb, contrasting his fresh, youthful features. Nimbly, still playing every note flawlessly, he descends the pile of ruined building, placing one foot in front of the other until reaching the ground. The crescendo of the Hero’s Song swelled as the strange one closed his eyes briefly, feeling the moment, and abruptly stopped.

With practiced hands, he quickly put away his instrument and produced from the back of his belt a largish boomerang of nigh ethereal craftsmanship. A Relic of the Hero, without mistake. Holding it in a firm but non-threatening manner, he faced the recent combatants and brought his arms out wide beside him, allowing his cloak to open further and reveal his clothing more, a shadowy copy of Sheikah and Kokiri design, accented by several knife hilts strategically placed for ease of removal. He flashed a sincere, boyish smile, and nodded slightly at those around him.

The Hero’s Song? The Relic? Maybe he was trying to communicate something, but he stood mute, warm expression despite his otherwise dark appearance.

The Other Guys

It is a time when Heroes are needed.

Here in the confines of The City (though we’re not 100% on exactly where “The City” is), villains plot to overthrow the government. Street gangs and organized syndicates control the seedier parts and extend their influence into richer wards. Rumors come in from The Capital (ditto, still not sure precisely where, but it’s not too horribly far away) about domestic entities and international corporations squeezing their way into positions of power. Far to the east, a brilliant scientist mad with power conducts devilish experiments, slowly building a private army of abominations. It is indeed a time for Heroes.

Unfortunately, all they have is you.

The real Heroes, the big-name sirs and madams, are all spoken for - taking on their individual nemeses and banding into super groups to battle the big, scary forces of Ultimate Evil. These guys get the corporate funding, the military contracts. The President shakes their hand. Little kids want to be them when they grow up. They have the keys to several cities. These stalwart defenders of the masses get on cereal boxes and have action figures made in their likeness.

You are not one of these people. I cannot stress this enough.

Don’t get me wrong, you have powers. Most likely, anyway. Hell, you may not have any powers, and just be a hardboiled, Dedicated mundane. Either way, you’re in over your head, despite the fact that you’re still in the shallow end. So, fight the good fight, and above all: have fun with it.

If you are a fan of The Tick, Captain Hammer, or Human Occupied Landfill, this is the game setting for you. If you’ve never heard of these productions before, join in anyway. Just please try not to take yourself too seriously. Point of fact, it’s really best if you take nothing too seriously, at least at first. Those that choose to play in this setting will take on the role of neophyte Heroes. Some are wannabes, some actual persons of heroic potential. You guys are just starting out in a world FILLED with things that are probably more powerful than yourselves. Situations will come up where running up to the bad guys with guns a’blazin’ might not be the best approach.

This game will be very stereotypical. There will be henchmen. There will be cunning traps. People will be kidnapped and stuck in easily escapable deathtraps while the villain walks away, confident that their plans will succeed and the good guys/innocent will die. Banter, actual BANTER will be exchanged. Your Heroes will be half-qualified, but your enemies will be fairly predictable. Join us!

Origins (or How You Got Super):

Metahuman: Representing the next stage in human evolution, or some such claptrap. This is the easy way out for characters, or simply “I was born this way”. Most Metas begin to exhibit latent powers at puberty, though a rare few show their true colors much younger. It is almost certain that Metas will have Meta offspring, but spontaneous Metahuman expression still happens among normal people with normal parents. Though it is the most common occurrence, there is no guarantee that similar powers will be passed down from parent to child (the lady with mind control powers and an affinity for unarmed combat has a son that climbs walls and talks to spiders).

Metahumans have an odd penchant for giving themselves catchy birthday-clown nicknames and dressing up in strange clothes. Also, most Metas will have at least one natural feature that seems a little …off… though not all. Many pass as regular human to all but the closest inspection.

Altered: Altered Humans have a bit more of a backstory. Their powers came from somewhere, whether by accident or choice. Cosmic rays, cybernetic modification, exposure to secret formulae, gifts bestowed by powerful extradimensional beings, military experimentation, etc. are all classic, standby causes. These individuals have powers on par with Metas, and in some cases can pass their “Alter” down to the next generation or gift it to others. They are as varied as their origins, and often have codenames attached to their identity, most times by the powers that altered them or the media.

Technology: Tech Heroes, as the name implies, derive their abilities through amazing acts of engineering niftiness. Many use a series of gadgets, often one-of-a-kind devices to accomplish what normal humanity otherwise could not. Some of these Tech Heroes even go as far as to build their best work into a formidable battlesuit, enabling them to look like some manner of futuristic knight errant with laser-vision. The upside: Tech Heroes can freely give their persona to others they deem worthy, preferably after a period of training in its proper use. The downside: Some halfwit can steal it (or the blueprints thereof) and make life very interesting for the Hero.

Relic: Relic Heroes are the mystical equivalent to Tech Heroes, except that their equipment is magical or extradimensional in nature. Maybe they stumbled across a forgotten temple that still housed an item of power and intelligence, maybe they inherited a lucky somethingorother that, for whatever reason, chose to reveal its true power to them. Perhaps a set of golf clubs got caught in an electrical storm during the autumn equinox while a virgin used them as impromptu stress relief aids, thus giving them strange and unusual powers and the ability to share said powers with their wielder, so long as they first make a hole-in-one while wearing the appropriate checkered pants. Y’know, standard stuff.

Alien: If you abuse this, I will smite you. Aliens are sentient creatures that come from another planet, another reality, another dimension, whatever. Their powers commonly come from their different biology, resulting in any number of exotic (read: WEIRD) abilities. Also, they may still have access to bits of offworld tech or extradimensional energies. Well, sometimes. Unless they’ve been earthbound for a long frigging time, these guys will have the most difficult time blending in or accepting our cultural norms. This is a character type that you’re really going to have to work with your wise, humble, giving GM to flesh out. Again, you abuse, I smite.

Mystic: People with a talent for Magic. Yes, in my campaign world, Magic does exist, but it is very rare and difficult to wield. With the right training, anyone can use it. Of course, with the right training anyone can become a chainsaw-juggling spinal reconstructive neurosurgeon, but the training and natural talent as a prerequisite keeps all but the most serious far, far away. That, and when you open the door to a Mystic origin, other things can peek back through said door at you. Most practitioners of the Mystic Arts choose to specialize and work in a single area of magic, as every kind requires a somewhat different mindset. In all cases, the unlucky bastards that choose this as their calling find that their life is absorbed by it; it is notoriously hard to be an EX-magician. Further, the intellect, emotional openness, and pure force of will necessary to do more than “light as a feather, stiff as a board” keeps their numbers low.
But, if you can deal with the hassle without cracking (and sometimes even if you do), lots of cool stuff can come your way. Eventually. Sometimes.

Automaton: You are an artificial construct. Maybe you have sentience, maybe you have really detailed programming. It’s quite possible that you’re a terracotta statue that got sick of standing there and decided to see what was outside of your particular burial shrine. Golem, robot, android, whatever; you are the non-living given animation and freedom of action (if not always freedom of will). If your creator is still around, they may have very opinionated views on how you should spend your time.

Dedicated: Normal humans, these characters have absolutely zero super powers. What they DO have is a massive amount of angst, inner turmoil, and/or reserves of mental fortitude necessary to make them lethal. At least useful. The Dedicated often have shadowed pasts, and their skills have put them in demand amongst more traditional Hero types. Sometimes this can lead into a grey area with Tech Heroes, but for the most part the two are very distinguishable. A Dedicated human may be a street savvy operator, an highly trained agent of some bureaucratic organization, well established cult, best of the best of the best military unit; they could be an unstoppable computer hacker, or maybe they just don’t care one whit about their personal safety and, against all odds, kept surviving (yeah, that’d be YOU, if you pick this origin). Such characters tend to have their own specialized gear, or at least a preference in recurring equipstuffs.

What I need from you:
Craft a character, run the idea past me, and let me make the final cuts to it.

Each character must have an overall theme/gimmick/tie-together for their powers. Keep it modest.

Each character may have THREE skills. These represent non-power abilities, trade skills, combat training, etc.

Each character may have TWO contacts, which may be most anyone. Again, keep it modest.

Give me a detailed description of your character. From there, I will assign numbers to your physical and mental stats. I have lovingly ripped them off from an older RPG, this is just a series of points that help me keep things together. I give advancement for ROLEplaying, not ROLLplaying.

Character Sheet Template

Name: (Real name, or facsimile thereof)

Identity: (Superhero name)

Origin: (Origin of powers, described above)

Stats:

(This is for me to fill in, after we converse)

Fighting -
Agility -
Strength -
Endurance -
Reason -
Intuition -
Psyche -

Appearance:

(How your Hero is perceived)

Powers:

(Either the easiest or most difficult part to nail down. Keep it fairly modest, and work with me on this. B-list Heroes beginning careers, remember?)

Talents:

(Everyone starts with three. Non power related skills or background experience.)

Contacts:

(Everyone gets two. People you know that may be of use to you; friends, family, business contacts, former teachers, etc.)

Background:

(How you became the way you are, and why.)

After I spit the stats back at you, form a “Public Bio” for everyone else to see. Whatever you want to share, share. Whatever you want to keep quiet, keep quiet. For inspiration, I like to look at the old profiles at http://classicmarvelforever.com/cast_list/all.htm When we have enough characters to get started, I'll set us up in the IC.

One last thing: You throw the punch. I land it. Tell me your actions, I determine (through my own nefarious means) the outcome. Above all, HAVE FUN WITH IT.

And… begin.

The Legend of Zelda, Descendants of the Hero

Well, you said full character sheet. Here he is.

Name: Cricket

Age: 17 (though he looks younger)

Race: Sheikah

Appearance:
Cricket is of average height and lean, with thick white hair and tawny skin. His eyes are his most striking feature, red and very expressive, with three triangles tattooed above and a teardrop tattooed below his left eye. His style of dress is distinctive, combining elements of Kokiri and Sheikah attire, mostly colored black with an extra scarf-like bit around his neck that acts as a half mask when necessary. Cricket’s ears are pierced in three places each with small, simple gold rings. A brown hooded cloak covers most everything. This is good because he is generally covered with knives of various sizes, including two particularly large and nasty ones, very similar to Sheikah kodachi. The last two are worn openly.

Stats-
Hearts: 3
Strength: 4
Magic: 1

Inheritance:
Magic Boomerang – At this time, capable of stunning enemies and retrieving objects. Fast movement, long range. Always returns to Cricket, regardless of those pesky laws of physics.

As he gets better acquainted with the item, upgradable abilities may include manipulation of flight path, attacking multiple targets in one throw, and spontaneous generation of three such boomerangs.

Inventory:
Kodachi (2), Knives, various (8), Deku Nuts (20), Fiddle (in case), Traveling rations, Canteen

Rupees: 50

History & Bio

Cricket was born into a clan of Sheikah, living in secrecy in the forests near Kokiri lands. The two peoples were more than a little wary of each other at first, but over time they came to be allies. The Kokiri helped them adapt to the ways of the forest and attune their skills to their new environment, and in return the Sheikah defended their forest and taught them the ways of stealth and martial prowess. In these hard times, sadly, even the innocent must take up arms from time to time. As generations passed, the two cultures diffused, resulting in a more forest-running and musical clan of Sheikah, skilled in the use of Kokiri tools in addition to their own. Deku staves became an easy to make and use weapon alternative, and deku nuts became a staple product.

Cricket himself is rather musically inclined. He is adept with the harp, flute, and has particular talent with the fiddle, which he takes with him when travelling. Martially, he is skilled with one-handed, sharp objects, preferring speed and stealth to larger, slower blades. He has become quite proficient with Deku Sticks, using them in the same manner as rattan staves, as well. His main talent in combat, however, is thrown weapons. Growing up with the Hero’s own boomerang, he trained with it from an early age. Throwing other weapons, or improvised weapons, came very readily to him. Knives, spikes, deku nuts, even rocks from the ground are deadly effective in his hands.

Like most of his clan, Cricket was trained to be a stealthy agility monster. He stays to the shadows when possible and out of close range unless absolutely necessary (or they don’t know he’s there). Cricket does not block, he dodges. He does not parry, he attacks the weapon. If the bad guy must be taken out, and there is no diplomatic solution available, he prefers it to be quiet, decisive, and in their sleep. His clan has won many battles this way, even before the enemy was aware a battle was taking place. Also, like many in his clan, Cricket is an accomplished acrobat; enough to incorporate elements into combat.

Now, about his name - For some odd reason, crickets seem to like him. He will often walk out into a clearing in the dead of night, sit down, and play short chirps rhythmically on his fiddle. A truly remarkable chorus of the little guys respond, creating an awe-inspiring nocturnal symphony. He is rarely without one or two on him, who appear to know when he needs to be quiet. They seem to take care of themselves. It is unknown why this phenomenon occurs, or if he has some kind of unconscious control over them. Regardless of why, it has served no actual practical purpose thusfar, aside from being fairly impressive and a little creepy. It earned him his public name. His birth name revealed only to his clan, maybe a trusted few.

Fun facts: Cricket rarely speaks, preferring to communicate with hand gestures, facial expressions, and occasionally his music. It’s a shame, he has an angelic singing voice that few outside of his clan ever hear. He is multi-lingual, being familiar with Sheikah, Hylian, Ancient Hylian, and Sheikah hand signs. Further, he does possess a trace of Hylian in his bloodline, brought into his family by the very ancestor who passed down the Boomerang.

Cricket received a calling; a bit of wanderlust, if you will. Among his own people, he is just now considered an adult, and as such is allowed to explore the wider world. He is compelled to walk the path of the Hero, such as it is in this day and age, even if the means to the ends aren’t always that heroic (in the classical sense). He believes that there is a great future ahead of him, so long as he follows these compulsions and gut feelings. Curiosity as to where this takes him next drives him forward.

The Other Guys - Heroes Gone Sideways

Sounds good, need at least two to get the ball rolling. I'll set up an OOC this evening, and we'll see where this takes us.

The Other Guys - Heroes Gone Sideways

@The Roman07

Yes, there are indeed superpowers. Just don't expect to be in JLA or Avengers recruiters' sights.

The Legend of Zelda, Descendants of the Hero

Is this RPG still open? I like the concept, and have a character idea I'd like to go over with the GM.

The Other Guys - Heroes Gone Sideways

"The Other Guys" highlights a smallish group of superheroes, just starting out. Potential for character development.

Imagine a setting in the style of "The Tick" or "Mystery Men". Now imagine that all Hell breaks loose on a semi-constant basis, and it's up to a group of low to mid powered yahoos to set things right, at least locally. Let the big heroes handle the nationwide dilemmas. You have to handle the here and now. Considering that your little slice of conflict is chock filled with things that are a lot nastier than you are, teamwork and outside-the-box thinking are going to be your friends.

Anyone who's interested may have the opportunity to cross swords with Captain Stabby or assist The Masked Asshole, of The City's most beloved figures (though we're not sure why, he's not very courteous). Perhaps share a plate of quiche with Le Poisson before he psychologically eviscerates you, rendering you into a puddle of tears that no bowl of rocky road can salve.

I intend this to be equal parts serious and slapstick. Is anyone interested?

Click HERE.

Forgotten Realms: Tales of the Dead

Is this still open? I'm interested.

Finally...

Ello all.

It's about frigging time that I found an active RPG forum online that didn't look too, umm... Culty? Yeah, we're going with that, culty. So, here's the short and skinny version of this introduction:

I've been RPing for some many years now, and writing for almost as many. Nothing huge, mind you, my biggest claim to fame was storyline and flavor text for a couple smaller online game companies, a few business pieces, and a lot of talking myself up to strangers on the 'net. I'm here because I miss the crunch of a good forum RPG, and the savory nuttiness that comes with the open freedom it allows with character development. It's the story, for me. How does this character develop? What happens next? Will I work well with my fellow players? Also, I haven't run a forum RPG in a very long time. I'm rusty as all hell, but I'm looking to jump into it ASAP.

My playing/GMing background runs heavily along the lines of AD&D (second edition, the only way to fly) and Shadowrun (anything after 3rd edition should probably be burned). To a lesser extent, I have been involved with Marvel, Human Occupied Landfill, Nightlife, and a handful of others. I am still interested in expanding my horizons, so if someone can present me with a compelling storyline I'd love to jump in. If you can provide me with a tried-and-true comfort one, I'll be just as apt.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to meeting the lot of you in play.