This Is The May - From Shadow Lords to Baby Yodas

Today in a galaxy far, far away...

It is May the 4th once more, or as I like to call it, 'Secular Star Wars Day'. 'Orthodox Star Wars Day' being May 25th of course, the actual day the first Star Wars film was released. 

Nonetheless, this is the day we Star Wars fans celebrate George Lucas' creation; a universe of strange aliens, clever droids, fantastic creatures, distant planets, and of course, The Force.

This year, there is a lot to celebrate too, as we currently have the animated series Maul: Shadow Lord and will be getting The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22th, the first Star Wars film in theaters in 7 years. 

As the date approached, I started to get an idea for a Star Wars RPG that leaned even more heavily into the cinematic, often over-the-top nature of things like the Star Was computer and video games, the animated series such as the current and awesome Maul: Shadow Lord, and one of my personal favorite projects, Star Wars Visions. 

A few weeks ago (roughly), I had the chance to play in a game of Outgunned, a rules-lite cinematic 'Action Film' RPG by a company called Two Little Mice. The one-shot was run, quite excellently, by my friend Nick, a member of my Wednesday evening group. I liked it, a lot, though I couldn't resist the desire to tweak and modify the game for an even greater potential. One thing I wanted to be able to do with it was adapt it to other genres and settings such as...hmmm.

The day after the game I started writing up some notes for an Outgunned powered Star Wars game. While the official supplements for Outgunned, Action Flicks and Action Flicks Vol. 2 respectively, each contain Star Wars-like setting options and additional rules for 'Star Raiders' and 'Star Knights', I decided to try building my version of Outgunned Star Wars from scratch. Sort of.

I did read through the Action Flicks homage versions and they did indeed inform some of my ideas and choices going into the project. I also used Twitter's Grok AI to see what different variations of my proposed adjustments would be like. In the end, I'm pretty happy with what I've got. It isn't a full-on new game by any means but rather a functional way of using a particular set of already established rules to run an already established setting. It's the work of a fan of two things hoping to merge them together. 

I'll be making a series of posts across the month of May - Star Wars Month! - detailing my ideas under the working title...

Happy May the Fourth and beware Revenge of the Fifth.

Remember, The Force will be with you, always.

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Barking Alien

31 Questions For Barking Alien - Phase II - Question 11

It's Lights, Camera, Action time with my friend Nick's box office blockbuster of a question...or is an award winning documentary?

Question #11...

What are your thoughts on cinematic gameplay and design vs. simulationist gameplay and design?

I'm going to preface my full answer with a bit of a teaser trailer...all my games are Cinematic games. They all feature Cinematic Gameplay. 

I can't help it. It's baked into the reason I got interested in TRPGs in the first place. At the age of 8 it wasn't my vast knowledge of Sword & Sorcery literature that got me to excited to play as a hero going on adventures and fighting terrible monsters. It was Movies, Television, Animation, and Comic Books. I was raised on The Muppet Show, The Marx Brothers, Mel Brooks, Looney Tunes, Disney films, Star Trek, Star Wars, Superman, The Legion of Superheroes, and a host of other entertainment media that taught me the essentials of Gamemastering; no not rules knowledge silly, the important stuff!

Comedic and dramatic timing, building a scene, cool locations and backdrops, camera angles, sound effects, voice acting, improvisation, and everything that makes a given moment or series of moments in a game exciting and memorable. 

With that out of the way...

My thoughts on the subject kind of go the way of trying to be an 'Emulationist'.

My goal when creating a campaign is to emulate the genre, setting, atmosphere, and particulars of whatever it is I and those I'm gaming with are focused on portraying. 

For example, let's take the American West circa the mid-to-late 19th century. If I were trying to emulate the West as it truly was, if I were doing a realistic portrayal of the era, I would want a Simulationist game. I'd need to track resources, count bullets, have deadly combat, disease rules, etc.

I thin it would require that in order to lean into the brutal and desperate nature of survival in the American wilderness, the cutthroat politics and business of an expanding nation, and the

 tensions between the settlers and the indigenous peoples, etc. 

On the other hand, if I were trying to emulate Wild West movies and TV shows, I would go with a Cinematic system. Something that keeps the feel of the 'Old West' but allows for more dramatic battles and crazy stunts. 

If I were making a 'Bonanza RPG', I would go Cinematic but search for one the specifically modeled the tropes and cliché story beats we saw in that series.

Near future, realistic Science Fiction like the upcoming Pioneer RPG isn't a rollicking Space Opera like Stars Without Number. Nor is Stars Without Number the same sort of rollicking Space Opera the same as Star Trek Adventures. Each of these is its own animal and I am looking for the RPG whose gameplay matches the substance and style of that distinctive and unique animal.

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Barking Alien

I feel the need to acknowledge the deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele.

I grew up watching Rob Reiner as Michael 'Meathead' Stivic on All in the Family. Later, the accomplished comedic actor and director would direct some of my all time favorite films. In addition to his Entertainment Industry accomplishments, Reiner was a good and decent man who warmed the hearts and inspired the minds of those who knew him and appreciated his work.

I didn't expect this particular passing to effect me so but it has.

Rest in Peace.

Coming To Save The World This Summer

It's June 8th, 2025 - Happy Ghostbusters Day to one and all!

For a month or more prior to the release of the film posters with the Ghostbusters 'No Ghost' logo appeared in train stations, in movie theaters, and in a variety of all places. No one [I knew] had any idea what they were for. 

Eventually they were replaced by the poster you see above, the mysterious emblem accompanied by the words, 'Coming To Saving the World This Summer'. My grandfather, a theater manager, didn't get the film in his movie house but it did show in one of his previous locations with whom he was on very good terms. 

Through this connection my younger sister and I went to go see it together, just the two of us as I recall, at the Kings Highway Theater in Brooklyn, NY. We got in free since we were 'Al's Grandkids'. I would've been 15 years old and my sister about 10. I don't recall if it was opening day but I do remember I was one of the first among my friend group to have seen it.

That was 41 years ago and I've been an avid fan of the franchise and especially that first film ever since. 

Yesterday was the celebration of Ghostbusters Day at Hook and Ladder No. 8 in Downtown Manhattan (New York City, NY), the real world working firehouse that serves as the Ghostbusters HQ in the films. I was down there myself last year and I hopefully will be there next year but unfortunately, for various reasons, I wasn't able to attend myself in 2025. 

Jason Reitman, son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman and current head producer and writer for the GB franchise, was there along with Carrie Coon and McKenna Grace of Afterlife and Frozen Empire. Serving as ambassadors of good will between the studio and the fans (and doing an awesome job!), the event featured music, walking tours of the film locations, product announcements, and lots of people in incredible cosplay. Oh and the Ecto vehicles! The Ecto Vehicles! Absolutely awesome!

Last but far from least, Sony Pictures teamed with Ghost Corps and the massive collection of fandom franchises to initiate 'Ghostbusters Give Back', a year long competitive charity drive wherein Sony will match donations up to $150,000. You can learn more about this here and at the Ghostbusters Give Back hub.

The various Ghostbusters Fan Club 'Franchises' across the USA and the world have long been involved with charity events and fundraisers. This is not only an extension of that tradition but yet another example of how well the Ghostbusters IP partners with those who love it, something other studios could learn a lot from. 

I do wish they'd given us more details on some of the upcoming film and animation projects but I feel like that will be coming soon enough as the Annecy International Film Festival begins today.

You'll definitely be seeing some Ghostbusters RPG ideas from me in October but keep an eye out; you never know when and where a paranormal imanifestation will appear. When it does...Who You Gonna Call?

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Barking Alien

The Unmitigated Gaul

Asterix, also known as Asterix The Gaul, Asterix and Obelix, or The Adventures of Asterix, is a franchise based on the French Comic Strips and Albums of the same name(s) created by René Goscinny (Writer) and Albert Uderzo (Artist) and originally published in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Pilote, first released in 1959.

I am a big fan of the Asterix comics - 41 Volumes as of this post selling over 393 million copies in 111 language across the world - as well as the animated films - a dozen of those I believe - and the recent 3D Computer Animation series Asterix and Obelix: The Big Fight (in French) on Netflix (based on the story from a comic album published in 1966). I haven't seen any of the 5 live-action outings yet - two of which were among France's high grossing films! - as I'm nervous they won't be able to duplicate the feel of their illustrated counterparts. 

Like the Smurfs, I first came across those in both French and English adaptions when I was very young and so I was familiar with Asterix and his adventures long before they'd gained any kind of widespread footing in the book and comic book stores of the USA. In addition to the artwork and humor, I loved the mix of History and Fantasy. As with Smurfs, there was an occasional anachronistic twist on the setting and its inhabitants that was expertly handled and so I pretty much fell in love with it.

 

The premise is fairly simple and nearly every Asterix story begins...

The year is 50 BC. Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans. Well, not entirely... One small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders.

The mighty Legions of the Roman Empire, four of which camp not too far from this small Gaul village, have been unable to defeat these 'barbarians' as they possess a secret weapon; their Druid Panoramix (Getafix in English versions) has created a potion that temporarily gives the imbuer Superhuman Strength. In addition, one member of the village, Obelisk, has permanently enhanced strength as he fell into a cauldron of the concontion when he was a child.

As with all things that interest and/or inspire me, at some point I have to ask myself, "How do I game this?" 

As it turns out, Asterix is no stranger to gaming. 15 Board Games, a few dozen Computer/Video Games, and even a series of 10 'Choose Your Own Adventure' style Gamebooks have been produced over the decades since 1970. Impressive, no? Of course, I'm talking about Tabletop Roleplaying Games and it's very likely I'm the only one crazy enough to want to...wait a sec. What's this?

Indominable Gauls by Thomas M. Grenery is an Asterix inspired game that uses an interesting mechanic based on the game Cthulhu Dark [as I understand]. It is very clearly Asterix with the numbers filed off and that's not a criticism. That was basically the objective and he achieved his goal. 

So we have our Asterix game, yes? It would certainly make my life a lot easier to just use this instead of trying to make my own version, if indeed I was looking to run an Asterix RPG. Well...I do intend to do this, I've never been one for 'the easy way' if there might be 'a better way', and I actually do I a system in mind. 

I think Asterix and his world could benefit from the game system designed to run the adventures of our gallant Gaul's Franco-Belgian Comics cousins the Smurfs. 

Please note this is a fan made creation. As of this writing Maestro Media does not have the license to and is not making an Asterix RPG to my knowledge. If that changes in the future, call me guys. 😉

Gamemechanix

The core rules of the Smurfs RPG regarding Character Creation, Difficulty Level/Dice, and how Actions are resolved will largely remain the same. Probably identical at their most basic level. Having one 'Specialty' or signature ability that can lower the Difficulty Dice as well as Expending Effort will also be handled in the same way.

Where things get interesting is that Smurfberries and Smurf Power would need to be renamed or replaced, especially Smurf Power. I am thinking I need something that simulates how the Gaul Villagers become Super Strong once they drink their magic potion and that should be more reliable than the way Smurf Power works but also perhaps more rare.

Rare or infrequent isn't really the correct terms though. Conditional or Contingent Upon is a better way to put it. Their Superpower comes from drinking this elixir and it lasts X amount of time and that's it. There is no way to spend points to that. It either happens within the context of the narrative or it doesn't. 

Asterix getting his drink of the Magic Potion in Asterix and Obelix: The Big Fight

Maybe. I am suddenly thinking of an alternate approach wherein one can spend or activate a condition, like how Smurf Power functions, to gain Super Strength but you need to explain it. 

GM: Your group is surrounded by Romans who happen to have lions with them. It seems they were taking them to the Colosseum when they ran nto you.

Gaul Player 1: Lions?! Well that does it! I activate my Indominable Power! Now I have Super Strength (However I decide to have that function mechanically)! 

GM: Wow! How did you get a potion?

(You must come up with a reason why you have a potion handy if not anywhere near one).

Gaul Player 1: Uh...wait! Remember when I was discussing with Druid whether the potion would still work if reheated or frozen? Well I took a small vial to test my idea at some point and still have it on me.

GM: Ah-ha! Most fortunate! The vial is small though so it will only last one round.

Gaul Player 1: That's all I need! *Rolls up sleeves*

I'll need to think on this some more and test it in play a few times and see if anything else needs major adjustments. Overall, I think the conversion from the Smurfs to Asterix should be pretty smooth. 

Theatrix

A key component of Asterix's charm are the characters and the interactions between them. The Roleplaying opportunities abound! While its pretty obvious that Asterix and Obelix are best pals and Dogmatix is just the best friend doggo a Gaul could have. The rest of the village is a bit more complicated and surprisingly nuanced. 

While the men of the village seem to do all the things - Vitalstatistix (French: Abraracourcix) is the Village Chief, Fulliautomatix (French: Cétautomatix) is the Blacksmith, Unhygenix (French: Ordralfabétix) is the Fishmonger, etc. - it is the women of the village that have the real power, at least to a considerable extent.

A Variety of Female Characters from the Asterix Franchise

The wives of the aforementioned villagers are crucial to the smooth operation and continual existence of this group of Gauls. For example, Chief's wife Impedimenta (French: Bonemine) has numerous flaws but fights along side the men against the Romans, often wielding a Rolling Pin as a club. She is not only a good fighter and the village's best cook but is often able to rein in the chaos of the rest of the village when her husband can not. 

Many of the relationships and therefore the characters themselves are very old. The Druid Getafix (French: Panoramix) and the eldest villager Geriatrix (French: Agecanonix) are depicted as looking exactly the same in prequel and flashback stories that show the rest of the villagers as children or very young adults. Geriatrix makes references to having fought in a number of earlier wars and has knowledge of other villages long gone. Imagine playing an older character who remembers fighting Romans before the magic potion!

So many ideas in this category, I could easily write an entire post just on character concepts and stories. Hmm. Perhaps the 'Motivation' entry on the Smurfs Character Sheet could be modified to Relationship so you can identify what other character is important to your PC and why.

Geographix

Where does Asterix take place? Obviously Gaul, in the year 50 B.C.. On to the next...OK, OK, I'll expand on this. 

The Gaulish Village of Asterix and his friends is a seaside town, giving the inhabitants easy access to as much fish as they like. Unfortunately, they are somewhat limited in where they can travel by the four encampments of Roman Legionnaires near by (See above). 

That said, the villagers and their stories go all over the place in the Asterix Comics thanks to use of their magic potion, clever trickery, and dealings with those in power from other lands. Asterix and Obelix have gone to Roman, assisted Cleopatra in Egypt, and traveled to Spain, Germany, and Britain to name just a few of their exstensive travels. 

Sometimes the adventures come to them. Other Gaul tribes occasionally stop by to ask Chief Vitalstatistix and/or Getafix the Druid for assistance. The villagers are constantly confronted by Roman Soldiers of course. Additionally, Asterix's group of Gauls has been visited by the Normans (in the comics. The Vikings in the animated film adaption) and Huevos Y Bacon, the leader of a small town near Montilla in Hispania (Spain), and his son Pepe. 

I can see a nearly limitless series of scenarios of mixing Comedy, Action, Adventure, and Historical Fiction. That's not even addressing the Fantastic Elements of the franchise. 

Mythologix

Asterix takes a really interesting approach to Magic and Mythology. While there definitely is magic as evidenced by the Magic Potion that grants Super Strength, in many other cases the mystical falls more squarely into the realm of heresay and folklore.

Gods of both the Gauls and the Romans are referenced regularly but never seen in the 'flesh', nor do they appear to directly effect the stories in any physical way. In Asterix and The Griffin, the rumored half-eagle and half-lion creature is revealed to be a dinosaur skeleton frozen in a lake. 

However...in some stories and the animated films, the Magic Potion if made improperly can create other effects such as causing people to change color, glow, fly, and even give Getafix 'telekinetic' control over the imbuer. We've seen other evil Druids perform tricks of their own and Sulfurix (aka Demonix) [in Asterix and The Secret of the Magic Potion] grew into a giant after following into a puddle of bad potion. 

So are there 'real' magical creatures, spells, and/or gods in Asterix. It would seem the answer is...maybe. Yes?

Does magic exist? The answer is certainly yes. It takes a subtle hand and a bit of finesse to balance the nature and supernatural worlds of Asterix's setting in my opinion. Personally I love this sort of thing but I can see it being difficult to resist adding a host of witches and dragons and other major sorcerous elements. It can be done but takes a little mental effort to keep the feel of the comics authentic. 

Appendix

This project obviously needs a lot more thought and work but I was so jazzed about it I figured I'd share what I did have. If you have any suggestions, questions, or ideas on the subject I'd love to hear from you. 

Thanks for indulging me and onward ho!

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Barking Alien

A Fourth To Be Reckoned With

A very Happy Star Wars Day to all!

This has been a very interesting year for Star Wars fans, with the Star Wars Celebration fan convention of 2025 having taken place in Japan from April 18-20. While news from the show may not have been abundant, much of what was announced was intriguing to say the least. 

We got updates on the next two films, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Starfighter, as well as an announcement of the new Star Wars Animated Series Maul: Shadow Lord. Plus, there's Tales of the Underworld, a six episode limited series releasing, wait...Today! Nice!

 

What intrigued me the most, not surprisingly, was the information about Star Wars VISIONS Volume 3 and the introduction of Star Wars VISIONS Presents...

For those unfamiliar with this project, Star Wars Visions is an animated anthology series created and produced by a variety of international animation studios. Volume 1 featured studios that were all from Japan. Volume 2 had a world wide collection of animators from countries such as England, Chile, France, Ireland, and South Korea to name a few.

Volume 3 returns to Japan with 8 Studios and 9 Episodes including 3 that are continuations of characters and stories first seen in Volume 1! I am incredibly excited for this, especially the 'reoccurring VISIONS'.

Heheh. See what I did there?

Kamikaze Douga/ANIMA are returning to the black and white + a shock of color world of DUEL, featuring a Sith Ronin hunting other Sith in a galaxy heavily influenced by Japanese Samurai films. The new installment is called 'Payback' and looks to be easily as insane as the original. 

Production I.G., the venerable Anime studio behind Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Kaiju No. 8, brings back The Ninth Jedi, arguably the most popular episode of the first VISIONS. 'Child of Hope' is a sequel to the entry that so many found intriguing that...hold on. Not yet. I don't want to ruin the surprise.

 

The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope

Lastly, 'The Lost Ones' features the young female Jedi introduced in The Village Bride. While that a fine episode, it wasn't one of my favorites. That said, I absolutely thought the Jedi was cool and wanted to see more of her. Now we will thanks to the work of Kinema Citrus, Co. 

In addition to these follow-ups there are several brand new stories including:

• Yuko's Treasure - Another entry by Kinema Citrus, Co. 
• The Smuggler - By Studio TRIGGER (who do my beloved Delicious in Dungeon!).
• The Bounty Hunters - By WIT Studio
• The Song of Four Wings - By Project Studio Q
• The Bird of Paradise - Polygon Pictures
• Black - David Production

The first two VISIONS Volumes contain some of my all time favorite examples of Star Wars content. I absolutely love the mix of art styles, cultural elements, and creative alternate takes on that galaxy far, far away. Really looking forward to seeing what Volume 3 brings. 

As for Star Wars VISIONS Presents, it's a new Star Wars animation 'imprint' in which one of the stories from VISIONS is expanded beyond the original, beyond a sequel episode, and into a full one animated series! The first of these continues the story of The Ninth Jedi from Volume 1. So after this year's sequel 'Child of Hope', we'll get an entire season of stories set in this variation of the Star Wars universe. Honestly, this new blew me away. Can hardly wait for this!

 

Since you're on the Barking Alien blog you've probably figured out that a major factor in my desire to see this new anthology is that I'm hoping to incorporate components of Star Wars VISIONS Volume 3 (and its predecessors) into some far, far away gaming. I've been trying to figure out how best to merge elements of the Japanese TRPG 'Space Ship Story' with the awesome Star Wars D6 game by West End Games. 

And I think I've done it...

This and other Star Wars gaming thoughts coming soon. In the meantime go watch Tales from the Underworld, Andor Season 2, and as always May The Force Be With You!

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Barking Alien

Savin' The Day

Happy Ghostbusters Day Everybody!

Saturday June 8th was the 40th anniversary of the release of the original Ghostbusters film, a movie near and dear to what passes for my heart. Forty years of bustin' ghosts and feeling good! 

Though my work and life schedules have been crazy again of late, I still managed to go down to the firehouse of Hook & Ladder Company 8 (which doubles as the Ghostbusters HQ in the films) and participate (to some extent) in the celebration held there to commemorate this auspicious occasion. 

It was a blast getting to see and talk to follow fans from all over the country and even a few international visitors. The outfits - complete with amazing Proton Packs, Neutrona Wands, Ghosts Traps, PKE Meters, and more - were incredible to behold! There were at least five different Ecto-Mobiles, from recreations of the original to GB customized alternative car models. Loved the different license plates! 

All in all it was a really fun time and I'm glad I went. There weren't any major announcements about new Ghostbusters projects but teases of a Netflix animated series and more being in the works have been making the rounds across social media. I know I'm excited to see more and intend to keep the faith through tabletop rpgs.

Here's to 40 more years and beyond! 

Who you gonna call?

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Barking Alien

Great Shot Kid! That Was One In A Million!

 Happy Orthodox Star Wars Day Everybody!

While we love to celebrate Star Wars on 'May the Fourth' for the pun if nothing else, the true birthdate for Star Wars is May 25th. It was on this day in 1977 that the original film, now referred to as Episode IV: A New Hope, was released in movie theatres across the USA..

I saw the film opening day and loved it so much I watched it again! And again. And again. And yes, again. Five times on the day of its release thanks to a day off from school (the reason for which I do not recall) and my maternal grandfather being the manager of a theatre.

Raise a glass of Blue Milk with me won't you and join in wishing Star Wars a Very Happy Birthday!

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Barking Alien

Fullbore Connective Splatter!

The plan was to have another 31 Day Character Challenge post here but something came up that I knew I had to address first. Two things actually and thankfully they are related. 

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE

AND

TOKYO GHOST RESEARCH

NO SPOILERS for the movie!

I'm definitely going to have a lot more to say about both of these in the days come but I wanted to get out my initial thoughts while they are fresh in my mind.

Firstly, the newest film in one of my all time favorite franchises, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which I saw earlier today...

Professional film critics have generally panned the movie, giving it a rather low score on Rotten Tomatoes and not having positive words about it for the most part. This is because they are film critics and not fans of Ghostbusters. They are also film critics not filmmakers. Lastly, it is distinctly possible many of them were high when they went to see. 

The film is entertaining with a capital 'E'! It is action-packed, funny, and has a lot of heart. It also expands the franchise's universe in a few ways. A number of interesting elements were introduced, though unfortunately not as fully explored as I would have like. Adding them to my kitbashed RPG and exploring them there is definitely something I am looking forward to.

It isn't perfect but if the original 1984 film is given 5 stars and Afterlife is given 4 1/2 stars, I'm personally giving Frozen Empire 4 stars. I might be in the minority here but I'd absolutely put it ahead of Ghostbusters II. Other than The Real Ghostbusters animated series, that's all we've had to go on up 'til now. 

I said that's All We've Had. Ahem.

Now on to Tokyo Ghost Research...

Tokyo Ghost Research is a free Japanese Doujinshi Tabletop Roleplaying Game by Seiji Nakata of Story Engine Lab that revolves around the idea that you (the player and by association your PC) are an employee of a company that investigates and removes paranormal phenomena. Sound familiar?

The business in question, called Tokyo Ghost Research, is not portrayed as a Ghostbusters-like 'Mom and Pop' operation but a mid-size corporation with Japanese Salaryman types, problematic bosses, and inconvenient budget cuts. It's a very Japanese company culture take on supernatural investigation and elimination and I am here for it! 

I've had the game for over a month now and have pretty much translated the whole thing. I'm going through the process of editing it and hope to test it out soon. The rules are very simple but there are enough theme specific bits to give both the players and GMs (called Managers or MGs in the game) something to sink their teeth into. Sort of. The game's one weakness is that there don't appear to be any stats provided for the strange entities or events you might encounter. It is completely up to the Manager to determine what the weirdness is and what it can do. 

The more I think about it the more I'd like to discuss this game in more detail and I'm even pondering a way to combine it with my Ghostbusters material. I want to finish my next 31/31 entry but man oh man, I am really getting excited about this new idea I'm forming...

Ghostbusters: Tokyo Ghost Research!

Maybe.

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A bit of trivia - In Japan, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has been retitled Ghostbusters: Frozen Summer. Personally, I kind of like that better.

31 Days / 31 Characters - CRIMSON CYCLONE CYBERO

Crimson Cyclone Cybero was a character my buddy Aldrin originally created for a game we only ran a single session of and then couldn't seem to get around to scheduling. I think his original name was Crimson Hurricane and he was a homage to DC's Red Tornado. He was randomly rolled up for a Villains and Vigilantes game with the premise that the PCs were a team of international heroes. Crimson Hurricane represented Myanmar (Burma at the time) but it might also have been the Indochina region. Buzz really liked him and wanted to use him for this other game so I said sure, since I liked him too. 

Character: Crimson Cyclone Cybero

Cybero is pronounced sigh-BEH-row.

AKA: A Secret Identity (that I don't recall). 

Player: Aldrin 'Buzz' Aw

System: Mekton RPG, 1st Edition and Villains & Vigilantes, 2nd Edition kitbash.

 

Nature: Short Campaign: Super Savior Cybero

Gamemaster: Adam Dickstein

Circa: 1985-1986

Origins: I spent some time over one Summer with my Dad and where he lived he got foreign language TV stations if you messed with the antenna and channels a bit. I discovered and was able to watch Kamen Rider in Spanish and Ultraman in either Chinese or Japanese (depending on the day). I think I was also able to catch one of the Sentai programs as well. 

Sometime after running my first 'campaign' of Mekton (if you could really call it a campaign), I wondered if there was a way to take parts from R. Talsorian's Mecha game and glue them into the Superhero RPG that was 2nd Edition V&V in order to run a Tokusatsu RPG. It worked! OK, it worked 'cause I made it work and probably fudged some things. Maybe a lot of things. We got a good game out of it didn't we?

Backstory: When Doctor Simon Date invented the Cybero Circuit, a revolutionary Organic Computer far ahead of its time, he completely changed the field of cybernetics overnight! Unfortunately, the benefactor funding his research was secretly Catastrophe-X, leader of the would-be world conquering organization 'Armageddon Genesis'. 

With the help of his assistant Sana and his daughter Sadako, Dr. Date had just enough time to complete his three Super Cybero Savior projects and escape with them before X's minions arrived. Now, protected by this trio of cybernetic superheroes, the group tries to take down Armageddon Genesis and defend all mankind!

Overview: The campaign was very episodic, with each session following a basic format; either Armageddon Genesis would send agents to capture or kill Dr. Date or his Daughter and the PC heroes would have to protect them - or - the heroes would hear reports of a peculiar crime or occurrence and go to investigate, uncovering some scheme by AG to take over the planet.

The villains would consist of a half dozen to a dozen faceless goons and 1-3 'lieutenants', more formidable opponents using Super Weapons and Armor or else being Super Cyborgs themselves. 

As far as the PC good guys we had:

Protector Cybero Paladin - Blue, White, Gold - A normal but skilled young man wearing an 'Iron Man' type Powered Armor. He had Super Strength, near Invulnerability, a multi-setting Raygun and a Power Sword that delivered stunning blasts. The Cybero Circuit gave him mental control over the suit - he can change the settings on his weapons with a thought for example. He was basically our Captain America/Superman boy scout.

Cybero Midnight Mask - Purple, Black, White, Gold - was a cyborg whose enhancements were undetectable until he donned his special mask. Midnight Mask's cybernetics gave him 3x the strength, speed, and agility of a normal Human. He was equipped with numerous crimefighting gadgets like a tricked out Motorcycle, Throwing Disks, Shock Tonfa, Smoke Bombs, and Power Inhibitor Handcuffs. The Cybero Circuit activated his cybernetics and let him remote control his motorcycle. Midnight Mask was our cynical and grim detective in the vein of Kamen Rider and Batman. 

and last but not least...

Crimson Cyclone Cybero - Red, Black, Gold - is a full android and he was built before Dr. Date realized his work was being funded by a Supervillain! The prototype designs were shown to Catastrophe-X in his secret identity and as such were copied by Armageddon Genesis to create some of their powered minions. However, the good Doctor kept tinkering and eventually created a unique sentient machine. His primary power is Super Speed, able to travel so fast he appears to be a blur of red light. He can also move quickly, not just run quickly, giving him the ability to perform multiple attacks and catch or deflect projectiles. Crimson Cyclone can also use his speed to build up wind, creating powerful gusts and striking like a 'living' tornado. His Cybero Circuit allows him to transform into a normal looking person and he does have emotions. His personality is split; in battle he is a cold, calculated, and no non-sense, though still heroic and honorable. Out of combat he is like a child, a Data-like Pinocchio learning to be Human. A little Silver Surfer is in there as well. 

Three of the major inspirations for Crimson Cyclone Cybero

(Left to Right) Android Kikaider, Joe from Cyborg 009, and The Red Tornado

The Highlights: 

It is difficult to recall many of the game's specific moments. It was so long ago, a campaign of no more than a dozen sessions, probably less, and there were so many other games going on at the time. Even so...

I recall one really good session where Sadako, Dr. Date's daughter, had been kidnapped by the bad guys and ransomed. Armageddon Genesis would return her if Date handed over the blueprints for the Cybero Circuit, otherwise she would be killed at dawn! The heroes discovered the location where Sadako was being held and went to rescue her but it turned out to be a trap! The real Sadako was hidden somewhere else and the one at the place the PCs went to was an android duplicate. Worse yet, one with Magnetic Powers! 

The battle was extremely difficult, as Crimson Cyclone and Protector Paladin fought the Iron Maiden (her code name) while Midnight Mask sneak into the place where the true Sadako was held. MM had to fight through a bunch of goons and traps all on his own before being confronted by a major lieutenant. Meanwhile, the other two PCs had a tough time being Metal Heroes against the Mistress of Magnetism. 

What turned the tide was when Crimson Cyclone started to ask her why she was doing this, fighting against another android such as himself. She replied that it was her programming and what she was designed and built to do. CC got all existential on us, discussing what it meant to be an Artificial Intelligence and whether the fight was logical if you were going to think like a robot or decent and compassionate if you were going to think like a true living being. As she starts to get second thoughts about her role in all this, the villains signal that they're going to blow up the base with Cyclone, Paladin, and Maiden inside it. Cyclone appeals to her better judgement once more and convinces her to work with them to get free.

Just as Midnight Mask and his opponent duel to a standstill, Crimson Cyclone, Protector Paladin, and Iron Maiden blast through the ceiling to come to MM's aid. The heroes, including Sadako, depart after defeating their enemy and Cyclone asks Maiden to come with them. She declines as she must discover who she is now and what her purpose is but she assures them they'll all meet again. 

Game Info:

After running a lot of Villains and Vigilantes and then a lot of Mekton, it just struck me that if you mixed these together you could cover those Metal Hero series style characters. Now, how did I do it? What did it look like? Beats me...

It was a long time ago and I don't think I ran any other games with this particular kitbash. If I remember correctly, it was mainly Mekton with the powers from V&V stapled on and adapted to work with the former. Somehow.

Notes:

This was one of many games I ran between the mid-80s to the mid-90s that was initiated because I just really wanted to run a game about whatever the heck I thought was cool that month. Most of the time this worked because I was playing with people who also thought those things were really cool. I also had a number of people who didn't care to know anything before being introduced to it during play. I miss those days. Everyone now needs a 10 page write-up on the world background and mechanics in order to even consider playing a suggested game. Seems our sense of adventure only extends to our characters in their settings and not to the players in the real world. Sigh.

Thinking back, I wonder if the rules I stitched together actually worked or whether we all just agreed to pretend they did. It was an unholy mish-mash to be sure but it made sense to us at the time and I guess that's all that matters. 

Doctor Date's name is pronounced Dah-TEH. It is a Japanese family name that means Intelligent

I forgot to mention, one ability all three PCs got from their Cybero Circuits was to instantly change into their 'costumes'. Midnight Mask's Cybero Circuit was on his belt and activating it summoned his mask/helmet to him. Once putting it on he fully transformed. Protector Paladin's was on his wrist I think. Crimson Cyclone's was in the center of his chest a la Tony Stark's Arc Reactor. 

Legacy:

As mentioned under 'Origins', Crimson Cyclone was first created for a V&V campaign featuring international superheroes. He has since appeared or been mentioned in that capacity in various Supers games I've run over the years. More often than not its a name drop when discussing what Superheroes are around or available in the area of Southeast Asia. 

I've always liked this character and still do, though I haven't thought about him in a while. I am sure some version of him is out there in the Multiverse somewhere, defending Humanity while still trying desperately to fully understand it.

Not unlike myself I suppose.

From live action Superheroes to Space Opera Anime - tag along with dangerous DEE HOSHIYORU and face the Cregurian!

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