Malatrothe

Rigor Rictus's page

2,173 posts. Alias of LastNameOnEarth.


Classes/Levels

A killer GM with a killer smile.

About Rigor Rictus

Here's a draft of the recruitment post I'll be putting up in the next day or two. You had mentioned a list of characters you'd like me to avoid. Given that we're dealing with Villains as PC's in this game, the list would be helpful so I can steer applicants away from those concepts as well.

Private Recruitment: This game will be run in the same game world as tumbler’s Justice League Generations campaign. Players from that game will have top priority for spots in this game, though I have also invited players from a few other games using the same system. This will be a Mutant’s and Masterminds 2nd Edition game set in the DC universe.

Recruitment Notice wrote:

Attention Detainee:

Are you a convicted and currently incarcerated criminal? Are you a psychiatric patient previously found not criminally responsible for criminal actions, but required to remain within a designated psychiatric facility for non-voluntary treatment?

Do you regret your criminal actions and wish to make a positive contribution to society? Do you have special skills or abilities that might be used to benefit your country? Are you dissatisfied with your present accommodations or incarceration? If so, this might be the opportunity for you!

By volunteering for this project, you may be eligible for benefits or improvements to your circumstances, based on the details of your present confinement. These include:
•••Improved Conditions/Privileges at your place of incarceration.
•••Reduced or Commuted Sentence
•••Full Pardon (Murder Convictions are not eligible for this benefit)
•••Induction into long term service as a diversion from traditional incarceration

While it is possible that you will be called upon to make use of specialized skills you previously used in your criminal endeavours, the uses to which you will put them as part of this program will be for the benefit of society as a whole. Should any unfortunate “violent actions” be required as part of your duties, rest assured that appropriate counselling will be made available to assist you with the emotional ramifications of such actions, and that these actions will be channeled in societally beneficial directions.

Be advised that compliance with the guidelines of the program will be strictly monitored and enforced, and failure to comply could not only jeopardize your entitlement to program benefits, but endanger the safety of your fellow program participants, as well as your own. As a result, deviation from program parameters will not be tolerated, and may result in immediate sanction.

This will be a villain oriented Mutant and Masterminds 2nd Edition game played on this forum via play by post. I do not have a strict number of players in mind, so the total number may depend on how many express interest. The party may be larger than is typical for a Pathfinder game, as seems to frequently be the case when M&M games come up.

This is a sister game to tumbler’s Justice League Generations, and will take place in the same world. However, where that game is an open, sandbox type game, this game will run for a set length, covering specific goals and plot points. Once the initial run is completed, we will reevaluate and see whether everyone involved (myself included) are interested in a second run. This will be a darker and more violent game than tumblers, given that you will be playing villains, often of the deranged or maniacal variety. Mature themes are likely, though we will be avoiding certain topics, such as violence against children or sexual violence, as some things are not appropriate for any entertainment venue.

Setting: This game is set in the DC Universe so 20 years or so from the present time. Many of the big names in Super Heroics and Villainy may have moved on, having died, retired, passed their name onto someone else, etc. Some are immortal, or would have no problem continuing to operate as more mature individuals. I’ve never been a DC comic collector, but I’m a fan of the DC Animated Universe, so I will be drawing more from the DCAU than from the comics for the particulars of the setting. The key shows I know are Batman the Animated Series, Superman the Animated Series, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and Young Justice. Assault on Arkham is a Suicide Squad mission, but will not be considered canonical.

Gameplay: Violent and lethal. Lighter on story, heavier on action. I generally run two kinds of games; involved and intricate stories, and hack and slash gore-fests. I’m feeling the need for catharsis, so this game will be of the second variety.

Why 2nd Edition?:
I am using 2nd edition as opposed to 3rd, as I feel 2nd offers a lot more detail in terms of customization and nuance (3rd has been simplified in many respects), and because 2nd handles the darker, grittier aspects likely in a Villain game better than 3rd (3rd feels better suited to 4-color games in my opinion, and the mechanics make death extremely difficult and rare, where our game will be significantly more deadly).
Concepts:
You are a criminal and/or supervillain. You are not a world ending threat, but not a common thug either.
Right kind of scale: Joker, Parasite, Captain Boomerang, Mr. Freeze, Deathstroke, Captain Cold, Solomon Grundy, etc.
Wrong kind of Scale: Parallax, Darkseid, General Zod, Mongol, Ras Al’Ghul, basically anyone whose goals include conquering or destroying the world and/or galaxy. If it is any hero’s arch nemesis, it’s probably too powerful for the setting. Keep in mind, the government has to plausibly believe that they can control you as part of a team.

20 years or so have passed from the present day, so keep that in mind when you pitch your concepts. I am not expecting people to stick only to characters in the DC universe by any means, but they can be used, and make a good basis for the flavour I’m looking for in the game.

Aged/Immortal Villain: You’ve been around since the good old days, fighting the not-so-good fight. You may be older, you might be ageless, either way, you’ve never let minor details like that get in the way of achieving your goals.
Legacy Villain: You are not the first villain to bear your name or theme, but you were trained and/or inspired by one of the greats. You may even have a super villain for a parent; or perhaps even both parents. A blending of powers and themes might result in that case.
New Villain: Your name and theme are entirely your own, but you are consistent with the flavour and atmosphere of other villains that came before you.

Background:
Background does not have to be extensive, given that this is a more action oriented game. However, what you bring to the party should include the following at a minimum:
Are you associated with a previous villain?
Could you be considered to belong to a given hero's Rogues Gallery? Which one, and what is your relationship with your adversary like?
Prison or Asylum?
How long since your last escape/release?
What was your last crime/scheme (resulting in your present confinement)?
Point form is fine.
Build Rules:
Power Level: 10
Power Points: 165
Impervious: Capped at ½ your Toughness.
Trade Offs: Capped at +/- 4. For instance, Defense/Toughness max at a combined total of 20, average of which would be 10 and 10. Max trade off value would be 6 and 14 or 14 and 6.
What I am looking for are more rank and file, small scale, or urban villains, as opposed to take-over-the-world types. The high PP point is to stress experience. Most villains have been around the block a few times. They are not as powerful as the big-name heroes, but they are resourceful.
Gear: While you may not have had your regular toys and equipment in prison, they’ll be returned to you for the performance of your mission. Devices and Equipment are both fine, and some extra mundane equipment may be provided by your handlers on request. As a result, I’ll allow each character to request up to 5 pp (25 ep) in commonly available gear. This can include anything you think you might need to accomplish your mission, including armour, automatic weapons, explosives, and/or vehicles. As this game is set slightly in the future, equipment that you can convince me would be commercially available can also be obtained as equipment as opposed to devices.