A Glimpse Into My 1982 Villains And Vigilantes Campaign

My folks are cleaning out their house after 40+ years, getting getting to put in on the market. Apparently, my mom discovered an old folder tucked away in some forgotten closet. This folder contained notes, pictures, and sheets for several Villains and Vigilantes bad guys I cobbled together while running The Great Supervillian Contest, which I discussed on this blog. I'll likely put these up individually in the weeks to come, but for now I wanted to share this glimpse from Days of Roleplaying Past...

Let's see, from left to right: Mystic, V-H1cLe, Delver, The Apparition, and Rook.

And as an extra special bonus, the first-ever sketch made of Puzzler by my teenaged hands. I may have mentioned him once or twice here on this blog...

RPG-A-DAY 2015 Day 19 Favorite Supers RPG....Villains & Vigilantes

19. FAVORITE SUPERS RPG...

Villains & Vigilantes

As I explained on Day 15, Villains & Vigilantes was the second RPG I ever played, and it became a very well-played and well-loved game for my group. Everything just "clicked" with us: the straight-out-the-Silver-Age comic book artwork and a system that encouraged "play as yourself" PCs. V&V also had amazing support, as there were a TON of modules released for the game. (I should know -- we played them all.) And while my other players wrote new monsters and adventures for D&D, I was busy designing supervillian bases to infiltrate and new evil overlords to overthrow. And after nearly 30 years, I still have my original V&V rulebook from my teens -- now signed by Jeff Dee.

RPG-A-DAY 2015 Day 15: Longest Campaign Played...A 10-Year-Long V&V Game

15. LONGEST CAMPAIGN PLAYED...

I had a verrry long-running Villains & Vigilantes campaign that ran through both my high school and college years. By my figurin', it was a campaign that ran nearly 10 years.

The campaign started in 1982 when I picked up the V&V boxed set at The Panzer Hut -- the local FLGS at the time. I was a sophomore in high school at the time, and my group had been playing a lot of AD&D. As a change of pace, we decided to get some superhero action going, so we rolled up characters and started with the classic Crisis at Crusader Citadel. When the smoke cleared, our team of Grav-Man, Metamorph, The Arachnid Kid, and Brainwave (yours truly) had rescued the Crusaders and established our own supergroup -- The Guardians.

With the establishment of a supergroup, we had a rotating membership of other supers (ie, players) who would drop in and out of the campaign depending on availability and interest. Some of the team members I can recall were Grav-Man, Seeker, Metamorph, Brainwave, Gadget, The Arachnid Kid, Sparrowhawk, and Apparition. (And I've mentioned Puzzler in previous posts.) We played through nearly every V&V module released. During the height of the Satanic Panic, we even played an in-campaign V&V game for a class project to show what "role-playing" actually was. That's right...we played V&V during school as a class presentation FOR CREDIT.

Eventually, we went our separate ways post-high-school. However, in college, I found a new group of RPGers. I suggested V&V, and they were game for it. Even though they started with new characters and a new base, as the GM, I created their campaign to dovetail into the world I had already created in high school. Events that happened to them were continuations of events that happened in my HS game. And on those rare occasions when the HS group got together, their games neatly dovetailed into the college campaign world. This went on until around 1992 when the campaign kind of petered out.

Sadly, I was never able to work out how to get both groups together for one big final Secret Wars-type mega-crossover. But it would've been awesome.

[Villains & Vigilantes] Puzzler Leaps Into Action Once Again!

As described in an earlier post, Puzzler has been my favorite go-to NPC for nearly every superhero RPG I've ever played for nearly 30 years. As a chaotic nuisance villain, he was always great fun to drop into a campaign to see how my PCs would handle the antics of this Ambush Bug / Deadpool "mentally cracked anti-hero." I described Puzzler's past exploits in the previous post, but presented here are his original V&V stats as best as I can remember. So here you go. Use him as a either a chaotic superhero in town to "help" your PCs with the newest threat. Or take him back to his early days as a pain-in-the-neck thief out for sh*ts-n-giggles at the player's expense. Enjoy!

PUZZLER

Identity: Puzzler
Name: Wayne Matthews
Side: Good
Level: 8
Experience: 35,001
Sex: Male
Age: 39
Training: Agility

POWERS
Heightened Agility A: +11 to Agility score
Heightened Intelligence A: +14 to Intelligence score
Device -- Armor B: Puzzler's costume is woven of a special impervious fabric of his own devising. The material is flameproof, bulletproof, and has a 93 Armor Defense Rating. The costume's question mark belt buckle also doubles as a grappling hook with 100 feet of retractable high-tensile cord.
Device -- "The Pencil": The Pencil is principally a hologram-projector that can project a wide range of illusions that have been pre-programmed into it. It has the following abilities:
    Psionic Illusions -- Puzzler can fire a hypnotic crossword pattern at a target which envelops them. Overwhelmed by the cascading black and white squares, the target will be "hypnotized" into inaction. They are allowed a saving throw versus INT to "snap out" of the trance.
    Visual/Audible Illusions -- Puzzler can project a realistic 3D image that looks and sounds real. Due to the sizable number of preprogrammed images, anything Puzzler wishes to project should be considered available.
    Power Blast -- Puzzler can fire all of the power within The Pencil in one massive blast. This attack drains The Pencil and does 2d20 damage to the target. The Pencil must be recharged for 24 hours after this attack (used as a last resort).
     HTH Weapon -- The Pencil is incredibly sturdy and has been used as a clubbing weapon, a thrown spear-like weapon, a polearm, a quarterstaff, etc. Puzzler has trained extensively on how to use The Pencil as a hand-to-hand weapon, and can fight and defend himself quite readily with it.
Mental Immunity: Due to Puzzler's chaotic grasp on reality, he is immune to most forms of mental attack including mind control, psionics, weakness detection, etc. If a mental link with Puzzler is attempted, such as mind reading and telepathy, the mentalist will be overloaded by the imagery and will be stunned for 3 rounds.
Weakness: Low Self-Control: Puzzler will do and say anything that pops into his head at any given moment. He has to focus to keep from making an ill-timed joke or silly comment, even during times of combat or those requiring silence or stealth. Any time a situation calls for self-control and mental focus, the GM should roll a d6. On a 1 or 2, Puzzler will instead do the most outlandish thing he can think of in that moment.

Weight: 210     Basic Hits:  5    Agility Mod: --
Strength: 13     Endurance: 16
Agility: 28     Intelligence: 31
Charisma: 19     Reactions from Good: +3 Evil: -3

Hit Mod: (1.2) (1.8) (1.7) (2.8) = 4.23
Hit Points: 22  
Damage Modifier: +5     Healing Rate: 2
Accuracy Modifier: +5     Power: 88

Carrying Capacity: 398 lbs.     Base HTH Damage: 1d8
Movement Rate: 57
Detect Hidden: 22%     Detect Danger: 26%
Invention Points: 12.8    Inventing %: 93%

Origin and Background: As a child, Wayne Matthews developed a split personality, one that used jokes and chaos to shield himself from an abusive family. As he grew, Matthews became a brilliant scientist and inventor working in the fields of optics and hologram technology. Later, as an adult, Matthews was attacked by thugs, and his split personality returned with a vengeance. After trouncing the roughs, Matthews spied a newspaper crossword puzzle blowing through the alley and, taking the moniker "Puzzler," began a life of chaotic thievery and general public mischief. He later "made peace" with his dual nature, and Puzzler offered to fight crime to make amends for past misdeeds. Puzzler has been a member of the Northcoast Guardians as well as the national superteam known as Vanguard. Always the entertainer, Puzzler now enjoys the public accolades he gets from the public,though his teammates often have difficulty keeping him focused on the task at hand. Matthews is also a brilliant inventor, creating many gadgets and devices for the teammates of any group he's associated with.

Legal Status: Reformed criminal; now works in conjunction with gov't-recognized crime-fighting teams.
Security Clearance: Level 11 (though always monitored while in a secure area just to be safe)

My Favorite NPC: Meet "Puzzler"

I recall a recent G+ thread where GMs were asked about their favorite NPC. There was a wide variety of non-player characters mentioned: the archvillian who thwarted the PCs at every turn until the campaign ended with his inevitable confrontation and defeat; the innkeeper/bartender who became the party's "go-to" person for rumors, supplies, and accommodations; the femme fatale who eventually became the wife of a player character; etc. But in my home campaign, one NPC stands above all others. Today, I'd like to introduce you to "Puzzler."

"Puzzler" was originally a Villains and Vigilantes NPC. I had a supervillian group known as "The Gamesmen," where each bad guy had a different gaming theme. There was Rook (chess-themed leader and strategist), Videon (videogame-themed electrical terrorist), Delver (RPG-themed barbarian tank), and Bad Sport (sporting-themed weapons expert). Then there was Puzzler -- a puzzle-themed computer hacker, inventor, and thief. Puzzler's suit (illustrated here by Chris Theisen many years ago) had a wild crossword-puzzle pattern and was also fairly impervious to damage. He was incredibly agile, and his belt had several gizmos and devices in it. (The question mark buckle was actually a grappling hook and line.) His primary weapon was The Pencil -- a giant No. 2 pencil that fired hypnotic solid energy illusions that he used to befuddle and confuse his foes. Plus, it made for a dandy battering ram, spear, and all-purpose club when necessary.

But where the other Gamesmen were "serious" villains, Puzzler was more of a nuisance bad guy. He wasn't into crime for profit. He was more into it as a game of one-upmanship. Was he smarter than the supposed "good guys?" To him, being a supervillian was a way to test his intellect against the police, the feds, and any supergoodie who came after him. (Yes, there was a bit of Riddler showing through the cracks.) But here's the fun part I forgot to mention: Puzzler was also completely insane.

Whenever Puzzler appeared in a game, I played him as if Charlie Callas (with a touch of Curly Howard) were cast in "The Ambush Bug Movie." Every comic played-for-laughs bad guy was channeled into Puzzler. The players would be staring into the manhole Puzzler escaped into, trying to plot their next move. Then Puzzler would lean over their shoulders to stare into the same manhole. "What're we looking for?" he ask. There would be a comedic beat, then he'd go scampering into the night, laughing joyously as the players fired energy bolts and concussive sound waves at him. Puzzler was great fun, and any game with him was always a chance for the players to play a "silver age" superhero game more for laughs than any BIG STAKES.

Eventually, I decided to run The Great Super Villain Contest for my players. And I tossed every homebrewed villain I'd ever created into this adventure -- including Puzzler. Puzz easily made it through the first few rounds of the contest but, not one to play fair, he broke into the private offices of The Crimson Claw (the contest organizer)to see what the future rounds were like. When he discovered the final round was a fight to the death amongst all the finalists, he panicked. Puzzler was many things, but he was no killer. But he also knew that to run was a death sentence. So he called upon the only "friends" he had -- my players. "You guys gotta get me outta this!" he begged as my players pleaded with me to let them blast him. But cooler heads prevailed and Puzzler, acting as their inside man, actually helped my players thwart The Crimson Claw. Puzz even saved one or two PCs during the final brawl.

Many months later, the players -- now acting as a government-sponsored superteam -- were asked to train a new hero-in-training. When Puzzler stepped off the bus, I thought my PCs were going to have kittens. "The Crossword Crimefighter" had become the citys' newest superhero, under the tutelage of the PCs. Eventually, Puzz left to protect a town of his own, but the occasional team-ups were inevitable.  

Years after my long-running V&V group dissolved, I introduced Puzzler into a shared superhero universe called "Vanguard Dossier." Much like the Wild Cards universe, the writers each created and "owned" a superhero who could be borrowed and remixed into their shared narrative. As a member of Vanguard, Puzzler's powers, gimmicks, and mental instability were all present, as well as his lengthy backstory as a former villain who reformed. Vanguard Dossier ran for quite a number of issues (near 20 as I recall), and I have them all lovingly collected and filed away for occasional reading. (Vanguard Dossier is also where my first inklings of being a writer surfaced.) Almost 30 years after I first created Puzzler, the Conundrum King still surfaces in pick-up game sessions. Whenever I pick up a new superhero RPG, I inevitably stat up Puzzler first. And that brings me to today.

I recently ran into one of my old V&V gaming group, and we got to talking about past games. He asked specifically about Puzzler and whether I still had his old stats. Sadly all of my old handmade V&V materials are long since gone. But over the course of the conversation, we managed to recreate Puzzler's stats for Villains and Vigilantes. So, in the coming days, I'll post up my favorite NPC for one of my favorite RPGs. Stay tuned.

Sneak Peek At Sniderman's 2014 Convention Game Offerings

I'm getting my events lined up for the 2014 convention season. Here's what's on the docket this year:

The Scourge From Beyond Infinity
Dungeon Crawl Classics
The natural flow of time is running amok across the lands, causing every living thing to spontaneously deteriorate, wither, and die of old age. Even the PCs can feel the icy grip of time sapping their youth and vitality. Immune from the ravages of aging, Hyzelsia the Eternal approaches the group for assistance in dealing with this threat. Is the danger magical or natural…or both?

Three Hours ‘Til Armageddon
Villains & Vigilantes
Twenty-four hours ago, a madman promised to detonate a hidden anti-matter device in Washington D.C. unless his demands were met. The city has been evacuated, and the Guardians superteam has been summoned. In three hours, the nation’s capitol will be reduced to rubble. Can your team locate and neutralize the threat in time? (Note to players: This game will be played in REAL TIME.)

Tangled Threads
Cryptworld
In 1901, the gold-mining boomtown of Weaver, Arizona, was suddenly abandoned by its citizens after a series of unexplained disappearances, and the town was left to crumble in the desert sands. Recently, however, tourists are flocking to the former ghost town, which has been revitalized as a historical attraction. Is history about to repeat itself?

Seen Through Dead Man’s Eyes
All For Me Grog
Avast, ye scurvy hounds! You’ve been summoned before the cap’n of The Midnight Vulture who has need of your particular “talents.” He knows the whereabouts of a vast treasure that he’s willin’ to share with ye, but it’ll take The Dead Man’s Eyes to reveal its final restin’ place. The cap’n’s waitin’ in his quarters to parlay about this task. And bring a shovel, mates!

Ragnarok-a-bye Baby
Ghostbusters
Judgment Day may be at hand! Violent earthquakes have been shaking the area, and an eclipse of the sun has lasted far longer than normal. In the center of all of this chaos and destruction, one place seems untouched – The Wee Tots Nursery School. Could this be the Antichrist’s day care center? The Ghostbusters are mobilized to save the world (and perhaps change a diaper or two)!

Thundarr the Barbarian: “The Wizards’ Graveyard”
Mutant Future
Demon dogs! The evil wizard Thraxx has discovered an Ancient weapon that will allow him to destroy The Cleaved Lands! Thundarr, Ookla, and Princess Ariel must journey to the legendary “Wizard’s Graveyard” where the key to his downfall is said to lie! Lords of Light!