(no subject)

Currently reading up on Mutants and Masterminds in order to run a half-assed game for Nook and Arwel (+?) tomorrow evening. I've basically got the combat system down ( like so )

, but I sort of have to memorise each and every power and feat now. Ye gods, there's a lot. Current plan is to wait until everybody picks a character archetype (I'm using the templates and letting them customise, rather than full-on chargen since we don't have the time or the rulebooks) and then read up on the relevant powers. PS, players, go look at character archetypes now. Note that you don't have to use the character names and/or illustrations there. Note also that I'd advise against playing the Gadgeteer since it requires a pretty much encyclopaedic knowledge of the available powers.

The differences from mainline d20 are subtle but many. Dodge feat, for example, gives you +1 defence against all foes or +2 against a selected foe, as opposed to only +1 against a selected foe. I am taking this as a blessing rather than a curse, since it means if I get anything wrong and somebody complains I can say "this is not mainline d20, it is Mutants and Masterminds, you are wrong and I am right." Not that I will get anything wrong. Oh no.

You don't need no money when you look like that, do you, honey?

O! I remembered that song that I thought sounded like U2. It was Supergrass (I remembered that the first time, and only said it was the Super Furry Animals on Tuesday because arwel was wearing a SFA T-shirt), and the song is Kiss of Life. Very different from their earlier stuff.

In other news: I'm not fantastically impressed by Keane, I think their stuff is a bit samey and possibly generic. It's nice enough, and I generally have a lot of time for piano, but I don't think I'd want to listen to a whole album. I certainly wouldn't say they're the greatest thing since sliced bread (maybe since Coldplay).

I fully expect to receive scorn from certain quarters for this, but I don't care because I'm INDIE.

The song I'd heard and thought was Keane - mostly because it was new and exciting, and everybody was saying Keane was new and exciting - was in fact Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet. Which I like. Though, after looking around their site, I suspect I may like the single rather than the band in general. Which is usual.

Mutants and Masterminds update

samharber has already picked a character archetype and written a background. This will heavily influence the game.

Alright, not heavily. But he's got my full attention for the moment, and certain things may twist to fit.

(no subject)

5 minutes til the end of the day and I can't see the point of starting anything new before the weekend, so here I am looking busy.

In a surprising show of generosity and principles, Green Ronin have given carte blanc for people to publish their own Mutants and Masterminds sourcebooks. Well, not in so many words - that's forbidden under the Open Game License, at least without entering into individual trademark agreements or whatever with everybody, and anyway they'd be fools to throw their trademarks out for all and sundy to use and abuse. Instead they've created this M&M Superlink "license", which is basically a way of saying "This is a Mutants and Masterminds product" without actually mentioning Mutants and Masterminds in any way. It's like official, only not, for legal reasons. You could take the point of view that they want to make damn sure everybody buying these sourcebooks gets pointed back to the main M&M book, but I think it's jolly decent of them. Of course I could be wrong.

OMG look, Freeport!

Now off home for the weekend. Must run games for people. Ta ta!