[Risus] CIZR Cryptozoologists

Submitted for your approval, some Risus characters for a modern-era “weird” campaign.

The Chambers Institute for Zoological Research

The Chambers Institute for Zoological Research (CIZR for short) is one of the premiere clearing houses of zoological data and theory in North America. Less well known is CIZR’s secondary mission: quantifiable proof of crypto zoological beasts and other anomalies. These expeditions are funded through a trust fund set up by CIZR founder Alistair Chambers at the turn of the century. Below are five of the agents who investigate these paranormal mysteries.

William Chambers



For most of his adult life William Chambers had no contact with the Institute that his great grandfather had founded. Making his fortune early in life, William retired and began the life of an avid hunter and conservationist. If you meet him in the woods you would have no idea that he was a wealthy and very shrewd businessman. William came back to CIZR when his father Trevor Chambers (below) was attack at his cabin by rival crypto zoologists. Most people who meet William think he likes his dog more than most of humanity. They’re right.

Brooding Avid Hunter who Lives in the Woods (4), Bare Knuckles Brawler (3), Wealthy and Shrewd Businessman (3), Reluctant Cryptozoologist (2)

Hook: Not much for other people.

Cassilda Albright



Cassilda was once a highly paid corporate attorney until her firm took a case defending a firm accused of toxic dumping. A cliché, yes, but the dealing she witnessed touched her conscience and she left the firm she helped build up. Soon after her exit, CIZR hired Cassilda to act as legal counsel for the Institute. She has found herself on several “unofficial” expeditions not covered by her initial job guidelines. She gets along with most people, although William has the tendency to draw out Cassilda’s more argumentative side. She also babies William’s dog way too much.

Beautiful Legal Counsel for CIZR (4), Extremely Limber Self Defense Junkie (3), Realistic Environmentalist (2), Uncontrolled Lucid Dreamer (2)

Hook: Argumentative

Dr. Trevor Chambers



Dr. Trevor Chambers was once one of the premiere biogeniticists in the Northern Hemisphere. That was the case until Trevor published several pages on subjects as Bigfoot, the Jersey Devil, and the possible origins of the changeling myth. (He was never the same after his wife, William’s mother, had died.) Soon afterward Trevor was allowed to quietly dwell in the corner of the university he taught at so he wouldn’t hurt anybody. His brother soon contacted him in his retirement, asking Trevor to come and claim his birthright at CIZR.

Hyper Intelligent Biogenticist with No Social Skills (4), Animated Fortean Cryptozoologist (3), Ex Government Employee (2), Budding Master of Beasts (1)

Hook: Absent Minded

Jackson Napier

Trevor made some friends during his time with the government. The best friend he made was a cheerful young CIA assassin named Jackson Napier. When Mr. Napier tired of the assassin lifestyle, he retired from the Company and disappeared. A man like Napier grows bored rather quickly, and he was almost tempted to seek his old job back. Ennui was dispersed when his old friend Trevor Chambers called him with a job offer. Jackson is the pleasant face of any CIZR Expedition, whose easygoing charm soothes feathers rustled by the others. His past job as an assassin, though, does come back to haunt him.

Whimsical Ex CIA Assassin with a Conscience (4), Handsome Gentleman of Means (3), Collector of Interesting Gadgets (2), Amused Cryptozoologist (2)

Hook: His past comes back to bite him

Rex the Wonder Lab

To the world, Rex appears as an average black Labrador retriever who loves dog treats and chasing after birds who get to close to his porch. And this is all true. Rex is also more intelligent than an average dog, coming from a canine bloodline bred to hunt down monsters. He is protective of everybody at CIZR, but he has a definite love for his master William and Cassilda (who always sneaks him doggy treats). Any attacks or threats to either of them will result in an angry, angry dog who is a lot smarter than people imagine.

Unnervingly Intelligent Black Labrador (4), Hunter of Game on Land, Sea and Air (3), Tracker of the Unnatural (3)

Hook: Still a Dog

Or$on Welle$: Tha Godfather of Hip-Hop

My friend Mark displayed this gem from YouTube yesterday at the FLGS last night. It's kinda funny.



Makes you think a little bit about your next game set in the 40s. Godfather Gangsta Orson Welles vs the Nazis, anyone?

There's More Than One? 1989 Underwater Menace Movies

Welcome to B-Movie Monday at the Amazing RPG Fun Pad! This week is the first entry in an irregular series suggested by my friend Gene, benevolent dictator of Fever Dream Studio. I'm also drawing from the many round robin events on the B-Movie review sites.

There's More Than One? celebrates the wonders of incredibly narrow genres that generate more than one movie. These are the times you ask "Wow. There was more than one post- apocalyptic cyborg kickboxer movie?" Or "There were how many movies about beds that kill people?" Or:

"There are how many underwater sci-fi/horror movies circa 1989?"

That's what we'll be looking at today. Each of the movies below were released in 1989 and all involved people fighting strange forces under the sea. Some you'll recognize, some you may not.

Join me here every Monday for B-Movie Monday!

[Supers] Some Scattered Campaign Ideas

I've been on a Superhero clip of late. With my tax return I picked up Supers by Simon Washbourne and pre-ordered Steve Kenson's Icons from Adamant Entertainment. This, with my love of BASH Ultimate Edition, is on my mind right now. Tooling around the net, I rediscovered some Superhero posts that I had scattered on message boards. All three involve dimension travel and alternate super earths. They can be used for campaign ideas.

Below are two posts I made for a forum.rpg.net thread entitled A Moore/Ellis like Super-Hero Campaign in a line.

***

"I don't understand it. A 3-subject notebook a day. He just keeps writing and writing. Just stops for sleep and eating."
"Have you read the notebooks, Doctor?"
"Yes. It's just story upon story about metas. The Justice Battilion, Paragon, everybody and more. Except he's writing as if he was watching year upon year of history . Each notebook is different-each a 'different world'."
"Did he ever say why he was spinning these tales?"
"Simple. He claims that he is helping infinity heal itself from it wounds."
"How?"
"By telling stories, Sir. By telling stories of better times."

Part of a recorded discussion dealing with the mental state of former metasorceror Professor Chimera. The Professor, as you know was instituonualised after an brutal encounter with Typhon Shiva, one of the New Avatars.

***

Remember the disappearances of dozens of the second-tier heroes several years ago? The media followed it for a while. Blamed it on several arch-villains, but soon it was overran by other big metafights and crisises.

It wasn't a villain. It was a coordinated effort to gather those heroes for one reason--each of them are the soul survivors of their earths:

Electric Johnny--Earth 45. Thorion Applebum, Rocket Halfling--Earth Shire. Miz Turquoise--Earth ACE. The Scarlet Rebel--Earth 6. Reflex--Terra Q. Galactic--Erde 3.

And others that I know of. All great heroes on their own earths. Each one a piece of the puzzle used to build the world.

You see, 17.8 earths is not enough to create a new world. There are remnants of many other worlds scattered throughout this one. I think its for background. Sometimes it's a building, sometimes it's a book. Sometimes the remnant is a person

I think someone is trying to collect these pieces of dead realities for a definite reason. To either somehow heal this world or to ressurect the other eaths. If there is a way to do that.

Who am I? Oh. Forgot my manners. They call me The Traveler. Last survivor of Earth-Pi.

***

The next idea I have is the concept of the Randoms, dimensionally displaced heroes. This is one I've worked on for years. I originally posted this in the Mutants & Masterminds message board the Atomic Think Tank. The post is entitled Halfling Rocketeer!

***

In our year 2000, a being of great evil called the Godhead was summoned to the European island of Sterling. The summoning rent the fabric of the multiverse. As the Godhead approached the Earth, the after wake of its passage began to rip champions of good away from the alternate earths, as if to balance the evil approaching. Sir Thorian was caught up in this after wake while helping evacuate a city during a natural disaster. The woman he was saving was flung into the arms of a fellow Rocket Knight; he seemed to disappear in a flash of lightning. On the world of Lunkartor, Sir Thorian was hailed as a fallen hero.

Sir Thorian and the other heroes and heroines that appeared on Sterling began to battle the twisted minions of the Godhead alongside the weary Sterling Royal Guard and scattered European heroes. After the summoning was averted, mages tried to send the heroes back to their world, but the residual dimension energy was to great. The summoned heroes could not go back to their worlds. The Randoms, as they were named, were given identities and citizenship by a grateful nation of Sterling. Many of them formed a group called Patchwork, Inc., a non-profit group of superheroes who can support other teams in times of need. Some have joined established superteams, others have went solo.

B-Movie Monday: Ninjas!

One of the staples of my corner video store youth was the Ninja movie. Whether set in the age of the Shoguns or in your back yard, these black garbed masters of secrets fought with deadly skill.

One of my favorite cheesy Ninja flicks, Ninja 3: The Domination featuring the legendary Sho Kosugi! Thank you Golan-Globus!

The cheesy amazingness that is Ninja Terminator. It's been a long time since I've seen that one.

Americans can make Ninjas too!

More Sho Kosugi whooping ninja ass!

Join us every Monday for B-Movie Monday!

B-Movie Monday: Sword and Sandal Edition

In tribute to the new Clash of the Titans, B-Movie Monday celebrates the peplum, the sword and sandal movies of Italy! First, get an introduction/overview to the genre in this Wikipedia entry. Now lets have a spot of fun!

The classic Hercules movie made by the amazing Mario Bava:

A collection of various sword and sandal monsters:



And the trailer for the original Clash of the Titans, featuring the work of Ray Harryhausen. Bow your heads!



Some posters:

For great roleplaying in the Peplum genre I recommend Mazes & Minotaurs. What if Jason and the Argonauts inspired Gygax and Arneson? This is the fun result. The site given has two versions of the rules: the original 1972 edition and the revised 1987 edition. There also supplements, modules and more!

Join me every week for another fun B-Movie Monday!

Crisis of Infinite Terminators

Another idea that was siting in my head...

Imagine one of the versions of Skynet destroying the Human Resistance. Without the humans to fight, Skynet (now referring to itself as Skynet Prime) seeks to increase it's technological base exponentially. So it discovers dimensional travel technology, and begins to search the multiverse for other mechanical life. Three parallel earths later it discovers another Skynet. Logically, Skynet Prime's superior technological abilities would make an alliance between the two Skynets as foregone conclusion.

The war that broke out was much greater than Skynet Prime had anticipated. And it soon involved the Skynets from other timelines.

Skynet Prime has won many initial battles with the alternate Skynet timelines. A stalemate soon developed that was only broken when the final breakthrough was found. A stray probe found the coordinates for Terminator Prime, the original timeline that all other timelines branched out from. Now each Skynet plots to reach Terminator Prime to either rule the universe or end the mechanical madness once and for all.

Ideas for alternate Skynets include:

*A world where the technological basis of the Terminators was reverse enginered by the remenants of alien invasions. From the Dalek and the Cyberman invasions of the 70s and 80s.

* On a parrallel world where the Reich overran the free world fifty years before, the Nazi's rule a terrified world. As the fires burn over the last city in the United States, a signal goes to a secret bunker deep within a secret location. A red light begins to burn in the eyes of an army of skeletal robots, and soon the Nazis will know fear...

* A world where Skynet was infected with the ramblings of a madman. The book the madman was carrying was Necromicon Ex Mortis, the Book of the Dead.

* Skynet is a giant babbage machine built after the first invasion by the Martians. It soon goes rogue, and man must fight the clockwork army that was meant to protect its creators.

* Skynet was the first bio-computer created that could tap into the limitless storage capacity of the DNA Helix. The Terminators created by this Skynet are amongst the most terrifying things man can see.

One could play this as a superheroic dimensional travel game as supers try to keep the Skynet war from spilling out into the multiverse. Even more fun could be is for the players to each play a Skynet. This is perfect for miniature or board game type play. Each Skynet would have a set amount of Hunter Killers, Infiltrator Terminators, aircraft, etc. A system would be provided to individualise each faction.

When Terminators Make War

Robocop vs Terminator: A great miniseries, the main source of this idea.

GURPS Reign of Steel: Great reference for two reasons. First, it shows one way how AIs would wage war, both hot and cold, against each other. Second, it's probably the closest you'll get to a Terminator roleplaying game.

Terminator: The main wikipedia entry on the Terminator franchise.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The late Fox TV series, which had hints of alternate timelines and different versions of Terminators working against each other.