In a Time of Heroes

Elements

Under the ice, the crashed spaceship lies.

A penthouse apartment with a secret room

The abandoned subway station, never completed and forgotten, now has a new use

A brilliant scientist, racing against time to find a cure for her affliction

Player Characters

[Bryan] Dominion, a telepathic alien creature in statis onboard the spaceship

• Covertly d10
• Directly d6
• For myself d12
• For others d4
• With love d8
• With violence d6
• Puppetmaster, with a touch, I can switch the subject of my possession, taking control of their mind and body
  • PCs: For myself
  • NPCs: Self-protection
  • Far-reaching: can affect anyone who can see and hear her
  • Its die is a d8
• It's in Dominion's best interests to...
  • escape the planet Earth unchained
  • prevent these animals from stealing any of my physical substance

[Katie] Dr. Billie Conners, PHD in Genetics. Brilliant scientist trying to find a cure for her own affliction (Body is slowly turning to jelly).

• Covertly d6
• Directly d8
• For myself d12
• For others d10
• With love d6
• With violence d4
• Wheelchair maneuvering
  • PCs: For myself
  • NPCs: Action
  • Potent: Its die is a d10
• It's in Dr. Billie Conners's best interests to...
  • find the cure for my jelly body
  • sequence the first alien genome

[Chris] Dr. Guilt, A freakishly strong genius labors underground to find the ultimate cure to the human disease!

• Covertly d6
• Directly d12
• For myself d8
• For others d4
• With love d6
• With violence d10
• Double-muscled
  • PCs: Directly and With Violence
  • NPCs: Action
  • Broad
• It's in Dr. Guilt's best interests to...
  • throw Professor Oakbeam out of a window
  • use the alien's strange anatomy and biology to perfect the doomsday virus

[David] Ken Cooper, a computer prodigy

• Covertly d12
• Directly d4
• For myself d6
• For others d8
• With love d10
• With violence d6
• Technopathy, technology obeys me like a close friend thanks to my psionic gifts
  • PCs: For others and Covertly
  • NPCs: Action
  • Broad
  • Unique: there are no other technopaths in the galaxy
  • Its die is a d8
• It's in Ken's best interests to...
  • find his destiny as as a spacefarer
  • keep his technopathy from becoming public knowledge

Non-Player Characters

Sentient Liminal Algorithmic Processor (S.L.A.P.), on-board AI, the mind of the crashed ship

• Action d10, d6
• Maneuvering d6, d4
• Self-protection d12, d8
• Ship control, the ability to manipulate the systems on the crashed ship, good in self-protection
  • PCs: ?
  • NPCs: Self-protection
  • Potent: Its die is a d10
• It's in S.L.A.P.'s best interests to...
  • return to space
  • acquire novel biological specimens

Dr. Marcus Landry, a clever engineer and freshly minted post-doc

• Action d12, d8
• Maneuvering d10, d6
• Self-protection d6, d4
• Gadgeteering, A handful of small, one-time gadgets on my person that duplicate minor super powers
  • PCs: ?
  • NPCs: For others
  • Potent: Its die is a d10
• It's in Marcus's best interests to...
  • defeat a supervillain

Sir Thomas Oakbeam, a wealthy and old-fashioned gentleman explorer

• Action d6, d4
• Maneuvering d10, d6
• Self-protection d12, d8
• It's in Sir Thomas's best interests to...
  • secure his legacy

Owe List

1. [Chris] Kid Quasar, the Pipsqueak Princess
2. [Rob] Isk, the Maimed and Rebuilt
3. [Chris] Kid Quasar, the Pipsqueak Princess

Back Issues

Battle for the Temple of the Noble Mantis

Elements

An alien princess asking for asylum

Smuggled goods of rare fortune, small enough to slip in a pocket

An ancient temple defiled by a swarm of insect-bots, sent by a disillusioned adherent

A galaxy on the cusp of open war

Additional Elements

A neutral space station around a neutral planet on neither side of the war, orbiting the planet containing the temple, whose own neutrality, perhaps temporary, has kept the planet neutral.

Characters

The alien princess [Chris]

A smuggler [David]

A customs officer [Katie]

The disillusioned adherent [Rob]

Player Characters

[Chris] Kid Quasar, the Pipsqueak Princess a diminutive alien princess from a species that is not normally so small

• Covertly d8
• Directly d6
• For myself d6
• For others d10
• With love d12
• With violence d4
• Everyone loves me, through tone of voice and physical appearance people want to aid me, but it requires people to see and hear me
  • PCs: With love
  • NPCs: Self-protection
  • Far-reaching: can affect anyone who can see and hear her
  • Its die is a d8
• It's in Kid Quasar's best interests to...
  • befriend an insect bot and have it become her trusted steed
  • have the Temple Master declare for her people in the galactic war

[David] Ken Cooper, a human smuggler with a non-hidden heart of gold

• Covertly d12
• Directly d4
• For myself d6
• For others d8
• With love d10
• With violence d6
• Technopathy, technology obeys me like a close friend thanks to my psionic gifts
  • PCs: For others
  • NPCs: Action
  • Unique: there are no other technopaths in the galaxy
  • Its die is a d8
• It's in Ken Cooper's best interests to...
  • prevent the war he sees coming, which he sees Kid Quasar as the best way to do
  • keep his technopathy from becoming public knowledge

[Katie] Anka Tripper, a customs officer, a blobby frog-person, no-nonsense, naturally gifted at detecting lies, cranky, with a sticky tongue

• Covertly d8
• Directly d12
• For myself d10
• For others d6
• With love d4
• With violence d6
• I can eat anything, if my tongue can reach it and it can fit in my mouth, I can eat it
  • PCs: Directly
  • NPCs: Action
  • Potent: Its die is a d10
• It's in Anka Tripper's best interests to...
  • get the promotion by solving/catching a high profile case
  • preserve the neutrality to prevent the war

[Rob] Isk, the Maimed and Rebuilt the disillusioned adherent, insectoid brought back from death with forbidden tech and filled with his children

• Covertly d6
• Directly d12
• For myself d10
• For others d6
• With love d4
• With violence d8
• Unleash children, by entering into a harmonizing trance to connect with one's swarm of insect bots to assault and assail
  • PCs: With violence
  • NPCs: Action
  • Far-reaching: his children can travel throughout his local area
  • Its die is a d8
• It's in Isk's best interests to...
  • stop the princess from entering the temple of the Noble Mantis
  • harmonize with the Technopath

Non-Player Characters

Snivil Gabbuh, the Temple Master, influential within the religion, but neutral within this conflict

• Action d6, d4
• Maneuvering d10, d6
• Self-protection d12, d8
• It's in Snivil Gabbuh's best interests to...
  • preserve the independence of the Temple of the Noble Mantis

Nameless Guard, who has a crush

• Action d12, d8
• Maneuvering d10, d6
• Self-protection d6, d4

Notes

Hivvand, destination planet.

Galapagos. An independently operated freighter. All of the PCs but for Anka travelling aboard.

Cooper came to KQ's attention because he was smuggling off-world clothes against the planet's protectionist policies.

Isk wants to avoid drawing special attention to his cyborg nature. KQ wants to avoid being seen by Anka.

KQ has a travelling home in a case. PortaPad. Inertial dampeners. Luxurious, though not at the standard of her home palace.

Anka discovers the case. KQ is taken to diplomatic custody. Ken is taken to the brig.

KQ escapes from custody, but has to abandon her case.

Ken escapes from the brig by distracting the guard with a love note.

Ken hacks Anka’s electronic clipboard.

Race to the temple. A freestanding stepped pyramid with a pair of giant mantis statues alongside.

Snivil is mortally wounded and dying, but not yet dead.

Anka is knocked out for the remainder of the fight.

Kid Quasar frees the insect drones, except for her new mount, and one kept by Ken Cooper. Isk runs away in the chaos, vowing revenge. The temple agrees to support the princess's planet in the war.

Oracles

http://www.random-generator.com/index.php?title=In_a_Wicked_Age#Fan_Oracles

Selected options:
http://www.random-generator.com/index.php?title=Superhero_Oracle
http://www.random-generator.com/index.php?title=Superhero_Oracle_-_Modern
http://www.random-generator.com/index.php?title=Hellboy_BPRD_Oracle
http://www.random-generator.com/index.php?title=Modern_Occult_Oracle
http://www.random-generator.com/index.php?title=Paranormal_Spy-Thriller_Oracle
http://www.random-generator.com/index.php?title=Noir_Oracle_-_Down_These_Mean_Streets
http://www.random-generator.com/index.php?title=Pulp_Oracle_-_I_Love_A_Mystery

Superhero

1. Ace of Cyan: She takes up the mantle of a fallen hero, desperate to make a difference
2. Two of Cyan: A young man discovers his birthright and the mask and cape that go with it
3. Three of Cyan: By day they are lovers; by night they are on other sides of the law. Neither knows the other's secret
4. Four of Cyan: An alien civilization bestows a gift of great power to an ordinary youth
5. Five of Cyan: Changed by radiation, she manifests strange powers of the mind
6. Six of Cyan: He is the only surviving volunteer of a genetic experiment. They wonder how long until he realizes they can't control him
7. Seven of Cyan: His power is in the suit
8. Eight of Cyan: He was content with being the sidekick until the Crisis
9. Nine of Cyan: A masked woman seeks glory and fame
10. Ten of Cyan: The millionaire playboy finds his true calling among the rooftops, beating up petty criminals
11. Jack of Cyan: She came to this planet only recently and tries to fit in
12. Queen of Cyan: Their costumes are mirror images of each other; they can never touch
13. King of Cyan: He uses future tech here in the past to avert the apocalypse
14. Ace of Magenta: Alarms from the downtown district echo in the city streets
15. Two of Magenta: A mysterious craft appears over the city
16. Three of Magenta: A three-alarm fire in the slum district
17. Four of Magenta: A jumper on the bridge
18. Five of Magenta: The visiting jewelry display at the museum provides a tempting target
19. Six of Magenta: A strange visitor from another world arrives in the city with a portent of danger
20. Seven of Magenta: A rift in time disgorges villains from the past
21. Eight of Magenta: A cry for help turns out to be a trap for our heroes
22. Nine of Magenta: A gathering of heroes and villains from around the world
23. Ten of Magenta: The intrepid reporter love interest is in trouble again
24. Jack of Magenta: A gathering of the world's brightest minds
25. Queen of Magenta: The test of a military weapon goes horribly wrong
26. King of Magenta: A government crackdown on costumed vigilantes
27. Ace of Yellow: An underground lair, filled with trophies
28. Two of Yellow: A penthouse apartment with a secret room
29. Three of Yellow: The warehouse by the docks, not as abandoned as one might think
30. Four of Yellow: An orbiting satellite, hidden from the world
31. Five of Yellow: A flying fortress, invisible to radar
32. Six of Yellow: The abandoned subway station, never completed and forgotten, now has a new use
33. Seven of Yellow: Beneath the river, a underwater habitat
34. Eight of Yellow: The sign on the building read CONDEMNED, but inside they met
35. Nine of Yellow: The rooftops of the block were all interconnected and had convenient shadows
36. Ten of Yellow: The Gothic cathedral had been undergoing renovations for years; a hidden rooftop entrance was all the security she needed
37. Jack of Yellow: Under the ice, the crashed spaceship lies
38. Queen of Yellow: The futuristic city on the Moon, shielded from prying eyes
39. King of Yellow: The abandoned government bunker, deep in the mountain
40. Ace of Black: His parents murdered, he sets off on a complicated method of revenge
41. Two of Black: He isn't fueled by hatred, he is Hatred
42. Three of Black: A trio of villains plot their revenge on the hero that did them wrong
43. Four of Black: She finds committing the perfect crime thrilling
44. Five of Black: Just one more big score, and he can retire to that island paradise
45. Six of Black: The parasitic hive-mind seeks hosts
46. Seven of Black: Who is behind the robot army?
47. Eight of Black: Two villains, after the same score, work against each other
48. Nine of Black: A vain billionaire wishes to control the nation
49. Ten of Black: A vast organization of masked terrorists plots to overthrow all world governments
50. Jack of Black: An immortal villain wages a secret war against all that is good
51. Queen of Black: They saved Hitler's brain!
52. King of Black: He's a former hero, driven mad by the loss of a loved one
53. Joker: A museum devoted to gigantic props.

Space Opera

1. A galaxy on the cusp of open war
2. An interplanetary cold war, threatening to turn hot in an instant
3. A runaway experiment, with strange, inexplicable powers
4. An ancient weapon of mass destruction, left behind by a forgotten race
5. An eccentric inventor, on the run from a dangerous corporate empire
6. A distress signal, with no apparent source
7. A small community of Christians, humans and alien converts, on the aliens' home planet
8. A blue skinned orphan fleeing an arranged marriage to her elderly tutor
9. Smuggled goods of rare fortune, small enough to slip in a pocket
10. An alien princess asking for asylum
11. A young fertile planet with a newly awakened consciousness
12. The rotting hulk of a spaceship, flagship of the old empire, found at the end of a beacon
13. A gunship sold at the end of war into private hands
14. A daring young explorer, fresh from her stint at the academy, eager to prove herself and taking on all comers
15. A sassy spelunker looking for an alien god's heart in the depths of a planet made up entirely of millions of space ship derelicts that have accreted over time
16. A crew of rogues, led by a former war hero
17. A young doctor, throwing away a promising career over a deadly secret
18. A smuggler of dubious repute, only interested in a quick payday
19. An expert assassin, laying low after a botched job
20. The universally famous monarch, hiding as a citizen of no consequence
21. A brilliant scientist, racing against time to find a cure for her affliction
22. The galactic savior-child stolen by pirates who want a planet as ransom
23. A stranded alien, trying to get back to its own people
24. A military AI, trying to override its destructive programming
25. The first settlers on a newly terraformed frontier world
26. A group of freedom-fighters, waging a desperate war against a tyrannical government
27. A secret technology, unearthed by an archaeologist on the homeworld of a long-dead race
28. A cryptic warning, left behind by an extinct alien race
29. The last survivor of a brutal attack, by a previously unknown race
30. A young woman, selected via lottery by an alien power
31. A wayward traveler, hopping between the stars after his homeworld was destroyed
32. An accidental immortal, bored with life, who has become obsessed with carrying out some mundane task
33. A group of alien scientists, trying to recover their lost data, possibly by vivisection
34. An ancient temple defiled by a swarm of insect-bots, sent by a disillusioned adherent
35. The first interspecies child is born
36. A colony of refugees in an asteroid belt