Mark
Jason
Princess
Tiny
Keyops
M J P T K
3 0 1 3 1 Careful
3 1 2 2 2 Clever
0 3 3 2 2 Flashy
2 3 0 3 0 Forceful
2 2 3 0 3 Quick
1 2 2 1 3 Sneaky
In a few minutes, what would you give them…or the Fiery Phoenix and others?
Remarkable, Incredible and Amazing nerdiness
Mark
Jason
Princess
Tiny
Keyops
M J P T K
3 0 1 3 1 Careful
3 1 2 2 2 Clever
0 3 3 2 2 Flashy
2 3 0 3 0 Forceful
2 2 3 0 3 Quick
1 2 2 1 3 Sneaky
In a few minutes, what would you give them…or the Fiery Phoenix and others?
FATE: Modesty Blaise
Ex-criminal Superspies versus current criminal depraved supervillains thanks to Peter O’Donnell, Jim Holdaway and Enrique Badia Romero.
Draft 1.0 April 15, 2013 – Blue Tyson
SETTING
Pre-mobile phone modern. Fancy radio communication is cool. Sixties to eighties works nicely. Modesty Blaise is the retired ex-head of the criminal Network organisation, rising from wandering orphan at a very young age. Blackmailed agreeable into helping out the British Secret Service by Gerald Tarrant she is officially a British citizen. Platonic best friends with Willie Garvin, turning his life around after pulling her out of prison. Previously her second in command the partners are ultra-competent and deadly adversaries, more than capable of taking on greater odds. Stylish and sophisticated and witty, their adventures are brilliant in prose and comic. Allies and previously outdone enemies abound throughout the world.
ISSUES
Sir Gerald has a problem. Again. The British Secret Service is still useless.
If it doesn’t involve a sociopathic, psychopathic or depraved supervillain we’ll be disappointed.
Too tough? Target their friends.
Crime doesn’t pay if we disagree with it.
THE PLAYERS
Modesty Blaise
Ex-Crimelord
Retirement is boring
Willie, I Really Need You Now!
Orphan Out of Everywhere
No drugs!
Yes, I’ve got a place on this continent.
F: Incredible +4
A: Incredible +4
S: Good +1
E: Remarkable +3
R: Excellent +2
I: Incredible +4
P: Incredible +4
Resources Incredible (+4)
Popularity -Remarkable (-3)
Other Skills
Amazing (+5) Leadership, Linguist, Kongo, Pistol, Quarterstaff, Survival
Incredible (+4) Alertness, Contacts, Rapport
Remarkable (+3) Intimidation, Weapons
Excellent (+2) Burglary, Deceit, Drive, Empathy, Investigation, Lapidary, Pilot, Ride, Stealth
Good (+1) Dance
Typical (+0) Academics, Art
Stunts
Close At Hand, Face the Pain, Money Talks, Preemptive Grace, Quick Draw, Shot On the Run
Acrobat, Big Name, Cold Read, Con Man, Criminal Mind, Death Defiance, I Know A Guy Who Knows A Guy, Inner Strength, Martial Arts, Mental Blueprint, Signature Strike, Tripwire Sensibilities
Willie Garvin
Ex-Crimelord 2IC
Retirement is boring
What the Princess says goes
Don’t count the Princess out
A Girl In Every Port
No drugs!
I Do Own a Circus, Actually. Also, a Pub.
F: Incredible +4
A: Remarkable +3
S: Excellent +2
E: Remarkable +3
R: Excellent +2
I: Amazing +5
P: Remarkable +3
Resources Remarkable (+3)
Popularity -Remarkable (-3)
Other Skills
Unearthly (+7) Knife
Amazing (+5) Alertness, Rapport, Throw
Incredible (+4) Contacts, Intimidation, Quarterstaff, Rifle, Survival
Remarkable (+3) Disguise, Empathy, Engineering, Linguist, Ride, Survival, Weapons
Excellent (+2) Burglary, Deceit, Drive, Gambling, Leadership, Pilot, Ride, Stealth
Good (+1) Academics, Science
Poor (-1) Pistol
Stunts
Danger Sense [His Ears Prickle], Everybody’s Friend, Good Arm, Headquarters, Scary, Scientific Invention, Uncanny Hunch
Acrobat, Big Name, Cold Read, Con Man, Criminal Mind, Death Defiance, I Know A Guy Who Knows A Guy, Inner Strength, Martial Arts, Mental Blueprint, Signature Strike, Tripwire Sensibilities
Sir Gerald Tarrant
British Secret Service Chief.
I Must Have Modesty Blaise!
What’s a bit of blackmail between friends?
F: Typical +0
A: Good +1
S: Typical +0
E: Good +1
R: Excellent +2
I: Excellent +2
P: Remarkable +3
Resources Incredible (+4) [In government capacity, otherwise Excellent (+2)]
Popularity Excellent (+2)
Other Skills
Incredible (+4) Bureaucracy, Contacts, Espionage
Remarkable (+3) Deceit, Intimidation, Investigation
Good (+1) Guns, Stealth
Stunts
Center of the Web, Expert Staff
Weng
Houseboy
Reformed druggie
Quite happy in this job, thanks very much
F: Typical +0
A: Typical +0
S: Typical +0
E: Good +1
R: Good +1
I: Good +1
P: Good +1
Resources Good (+1)
Popularity Typical (0)
Other Skills
Excellent (+2) Administration, Drive
John Dall
Billionaire businessman
Occasional boyfriend of Blaise
F: Good +1
A: Good +1
S: Good +1
E: Good +1
R: Excellent +2
I: Good +1
P: Excellent +2
Resources Amazing (+5)
Popularity Remarkable (+2)
Other Skills
Incredible (+4) Bureaucracy
Excellent (+2) Guns, Leadership
Good (+1) Ride, Pilot
Stunts
Center of the Web, Fantastically Rich
Steve Collier
Retired mathematician and textbook author
Psychic Investigator
Ex-Lover of Blaise
Husband of Dinah
F: Typical (+0)
A: Typical (+0)
S: Typical (+0)
E: Typical (+0)
R: Good (+1)
I: Good +1
P: Typical +0
Resources Typical +0
Popularity Typical +0
Other Skills
Excellent (+2) Academics, Mathematics, Mysteries
Good (+1)
Dinah Pilgrim
Blind Diviner
Ex-Lover of Garvin
Wife of Steve
F: Poor (-1)
A: Poor (-1)
S: Typical (+0)
E: Typical (+0)
R: Typical (+1)
I: Excellent +2
P: Good +1
Resources Typical +0
Popularity Typical +0
Other Skills
Mysteries (+2)
Stunts
Fortuneteller, Secrets of the Arcane
Doctor Giles Pennyfeather
Adverse Conditions Medical Genius
Bumbling Goofball
F: Poor (-1)
A: Typical 0
S: Typical +0
E: Typical +1
R: Typical +0
I: Good +1
P: Typical +0
Resources Poor (-1)
Popularity Typical (+0)
Other Skills
Excellent (+2) Medicine
Good (+1) Science
Stunts
Doctor, Medic, Surgeon
ADVENTURING
Most definitely a Spirit of the Century via Shadows of the Century style game.
TWO PLAYERS
A perfect two player scenario team, Blaise and Garvin can be easily Compelled into whatever outlandishly led super spy or crime scenario Tarrant can come up with for them to solve. The most likely abduction victims in their oeuvre are detailed above, for added spice. Others include Tarrant’s 2IC and Maude, an operative they have worked with in the field before.
ONE PLAYER
The ‘needs the other’ Aspects can be used in there is only one PC. Got to get to the other.
THREE PLAYERS
Or if three players, an abduction victim attempting to use their brains to survive until Blaise and Garvin can get there. Then surviving to escape with them.
MORE PLAYERS
A possibility is a support team for the two heroes, particularly competent local talent, ex-Network members or others provided by Tarrant to assist in a particular caper that could be on the level of a standard FATE Core beginning character. Which the players could design and based on what they come up with, the actual scenario can then be designed aorund them.
THE LADDER
Being a big Marvel Super Heroes fan from way back, this is how I like to think:
Value Adjective
+13 Cosmic 5 (Class 5000)
+12 Cosmic 3 (Class 3000)
+11 Cosmic 1 (Class 1000)
+10 Legendary Z (Shift Z)
+9 Legendary Y (Shift Y)
+8 Legendary X (Shift X)
+7 Unearthly (Epic)
+6 Monstrous (Fantastic)
+5 Amazing (Superb)
+4 Incredible (Great)
+3 Remarkable (Good)
+2 Excellent (Fair)
+1 Good (Average)
+0 Typical (Mediocre)
-1 Poor
-2 Feeble (Terrible)
-3 Awful 0 (Shift 0)
-4 Abysmal
FASERIP – basic human attributes
Physique is split compared to Core, into a Strength component and an Endurance component, the latter of which should be used for the Stress track. Reason is native intelligence.
Fighting (Fight)
Agility (Athletics)
Strength
Endurance
Reason
Intuition (Notice)
Psyche (Will)
secondary
Popularity is a measure of charisma, reputation and public influence. If you like, bad people can have a negative popularity ladder equivalent. Supervillains, mass murderers, ruthless thugs in The Ball, etc.
Popularity
Resources
REFERENCES
Modesty Blaise: Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modesty_Blaise
The Complete Modesty Blaise Dossier – http://www3.sympatico.ca/jim.pattison/modesty/
Review
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/93/WG5MordenkainenFantasticAdventureCover.jpg
I have always mused at the end of this that after finding the possibilites in the Tome of the Black Hand, that the Lost City of the Elder is :-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynosure_(comics)
This multiversal possibility leading to the ability to travel to any game universe. Gotham City, Ringworld, Glorantha, etc.
I am sure PCs could learn to hate this villain :-
Superhero Random Encounter Generator
A hunter that can shrink, phase and has a Mental Blast.
Superhero Random Encounters
Generating Random Encounter –
Human
1 – Human
– Road
2 – Perpetrator
– Super Villain
3 – VillainMotivation
– Survival
4 – Archetype
– Great White Hunter
5 – Origin
– Human
6 – Random Power Numbers
– 4 Powers
7 — Random Powers 1 : Shrinking
— Random Skill Numbers : 4 Skill
—- Random Skills 1 – : Forensics
—- Random Skills 2 – : Sewing and Tailoring
—- Random Skills 3 – : Parapsychology
—- Random Skills 4 – : Acoustics
7 — Random Powers 2 : Astral Detection
— Random Skill Numbers : 2 Skill
—- Random Skills 1 – : Martial Arts B
—- Random Skills 2 – : Electrical Engineering
7 — Random Powers 3 : Phasing
— Random Skill Numbers : 4 Skill
—- Random Skills 1 – : Martial Arts E
—- Random Skills 2 – : Martial Arts B
—- Random Skills 3 – : Video Games
—- Random Skills 4 – : Business/Finance
7 — Random Powers 4 : Mental Blast
— Random Skill Numbers : 4 Skill
—- Random Skills 1 – : Artist
—- Random Skills 2 – : Acrobatics
—- Random Skills 3 – : Forensics
—- Random Skills 4 – : Seismology
Gamng Nerds r Us Downloads – Wildstorm, DC, Polyhedron etc
In the Wildstorm book it has random generation for characters from that universe, so you could be a Kheran or a Black Razor agent etc.
Including :-
Original Works
Marvel Super Heroes Role Playing Game (MSH RPG)
The Ultimate Origins Book, Version 2
The Ultimate Origins Book, volume 3: Golden Age and More
The Ultimate Origins Book, supplement 1: DC Origins
The Ultimate Origins Book Supplement 2: Wildstorm Origins (as mentioned previously – I am a big Wildstorm fan).
The Ultimate Talents Book, version 3.1
Sexcetera: the Extended Director’s Cut!
Sexcetera encore: Rideau Appel!
Compilations of Others’ Works
Marvel Super Heroes Role Playing Game (MSH RPG)
The Almost Complete Polyhedron Newszine Collection
That is definitely cool.
Lots of other generators to go with this one. Very nice.
1. One article or blog entry that exemplifies the best of the Old School Renaissance for me:
Today, I like this FASERIP Wildstorm supplement, Wildstorm being one of my favourite things.
The_Ultimate_Origins_Book_-_Wildstorm
There are some MSH groups on facebook doing things, for some reason not sensibly available on the internet in general, consistently. Don’t know why.
Just found there is an internet compilation of several of these at :- Gaming Nerds R Us Downloads
2. My favorite piece of OSR wisdom/advice/snark:
Have fun.
3. Best OSR module/supplement:
Bloody hell,hard to pick that one.
Today I will pick Frostbitten & Mutilated, as we have been adventuring there recently. Consistent, nasty, useful setting that can be dropped in a game pretty easily. Say, north of Vornheim for example . A very nice book in print.
4. My favorite house rule (by someone else):
Today, it is :-
So Many Bullets, So Little Time: Exactly how is it that Spider-Man is able to dodge automatic weapon fire from half a dozen armed thugs when, according to the rules, the most actions that any character can make in a single round is three?! Easy. Under the Agility FEATs listed in the Judge’s Book, dodging bullets is an Incredible Intensity Agility FEAT. So if the player controlling Spider-Man states that he is doing nothing else that round but Dodging, all he has to do is make an Agility FEAT versus the listed Intensity and viola! He’s dodged them all! Of course this only works if the hero has gone TOTALLY defensive. Any offensive actions made in the same round negate this option.
5. How I found out about the OSR:
In 2007 Phil Reed proposed a project to do a public domain version of TSR’s Marvel Superheroes, which I donated to, and 4C System was born. This got me interested in game stuff again after working basically 7 days a week for years. This led to OSRIC and to everything else from content to online gaming.
6. My favorite OSR online resource/toy:
The Classic Traveller character generator is excellent.
Scout Rin Itō B57AA5 Age 22
1 term Cr50,000
Skills: Jack-o-T-1, Mechanical-1, Pilot-1
Service History:
Attempted to enlist in Scouts.
Enlistment accepted.
Chose not to reenlist after first term.
7. Best place to talk to other OSR gamers:
Google+ certainly was it.
8. Other places I might be found hanging out talking games:
RPG Talk, OSR, Stars Without Number discords, and now MeWe. Occasionally facebook.
9. My awesome, pithy OSR take nobody appreciates enough:
The CR thing is waste of time, many decades happened without it.
10. My favorite non-OSR RPG:
Currently, Mindjammer :- Which has a Traveller supplement I have linked to!
11. Why I like OSR stuff:
There is tons of great, creative stuff. Even some amazing quality published books that are lovely artifiacts.
12. Two other cool OSR things you should know about that I haven’t named yet:
Monster & Magic is a 3d6 resolution D&D game designed to work with all the old modules.
13. If I could read but one other RPG blog but my own it would be:
The first one I think of is Christian Lindke’s Advanced Dungeons and Parenting
14. A game thing I made that I like quite a lot is:
Superhero Random Encounter Generator which distills a lot of stuff from a lot of games into a crazy mega-agglomeration of results to give gaming prompts.
15. I’m currently running/playing:
Lamentations of the Flame Princess.
16. I don’t care whether you use ascending or descending AC because:
It is arithmetic. I always think descending in my head and then have to convert, however.
17. The OSRest picture I could post on short notice:
$9.95 – http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/51684/THRILLING-TALES-…
on sale today again
Academic Professor, Acrobatic Hero, Average Joe, — Amazon,
Cowboy, — Cat Burglar, Cult Leader,
— Foreign Spy,
Good Girl,
Magician, Man of Many Faces,
— Nazi Temptress,
Occult Gumshoe,
— Ruthless Dictator,
Swashbuckling Actor, — Shadowy Assassin, Sky Pirate,
Torch Singer,
0.55 Character Cost
0.82 Character Density
M&M
$9.95 – http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/20905/THRILLING-TALES-…
Black Friday price $1.99 which is pretty decent (have to check normal price later to see if it is lower than 9.95)
The same sort of idea as the Freedom City Archetypes, specifically designed for a PL 6 game.
Ace Reporter, Air Ace,
Boxer, — Big Game Hunter,
Fortune Hunter, — Femme Fatale,
G-Man, — Gun Moll,
Gumshoe,
— Hooded Terror,
Man of Mystery, Mesmerist, — Mad Scientist, Mastermind, Mobster,
Noble Savage,
Paragon,
Rocket Ranger,
Trusted Sidekick,
0.52 Character Cost
0.79 Character Density