Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (Updates)

Here are a few more pages from the adventure book I'm working on. Most pics are taken from the film (sorry for graininess), others are stuff I 'scavenged' from elsewhere. Fans of the original movie (Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone), will recognize folks, even if some of the details have changed (notably, Chalmers, who is no longer an Android, since such things are very rare in the Star Wars universe and I didn't want to just make her into a protocol droid or something). Again, the following haven't been proof-read or anything. If you see anything you like, or hate, or wonder about, just comment. Thanks!

Adventure Module Update...

Just to show those who care that I am indeed working on the interior of the modules mentioned in my last post, here are the first few pages of 'Adventures in the Forbidden Zone'. Keep in mind that these are pre-proofreading. If you see something wrong, however, feel free to point it out. More updates will follow as I progress. I will also, as I finish, release these modules on mediafire to whoever wants a copy. They are, of course, not for profit in any way. Just some 'fanfic' I wouldn't mind sharing with folks.

New Projects...

So. These are what I've been working on lately. Just for fun.

Working on my Star Wars adaptations of these various movie favorites (or guilty pleasures as the case may be). The covers are for my inspiration, done in the classic Star Wars D6 module format that I love so much. The interiors will likewise be a homage to West End Games design. Hopefully, folks will know what movies these covers are referencing. But if you don't I'll comment later.

OTHER CREWS (PART 2): STARHUNTERS

INTRODUCTION (Repeated from Part 1)
One of the things I wish I had done more of in my Star Wars campaign is introduce more NPC 'crews'. Some could be allies to the PCs. Others could be rivals and still others could turn out to be enemies. Oh, every now and then I'd throw a ship captain or two (there were several neat ones in the old Minos Cluster campaign found in the D6 Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters), but for the most part, these were few and far between.

What seemed to be the barrier to me was that there weren't a lot of 'ready made' NPCs of this sort- at least not in 'official' products of the time. But looking at it now, I see a whole slew of possible ideas I could just steal from other sources (something I am not afraid of doing). So below are some ship crews who I think would make interesting encounters for a PC group in a Star Wars setting. And FYI, I am once again slanting this towards a Rebel vs. Empire time-period. So, without further ado...

THE CREW OF THE SUNRIDER (II)
This crew is based on the short-lived DC comic introduced in the late 70's…'oddly enough' right after Star Wars was released! What a coincidence! In any case, it was billed as a space-opera sort of book. I actually own a couple issues of this and found it…entertaining. In truth, though, I was a little annoyed by the main 'hero' of the book (Flint)- he was just 'too much' for me, with his bad wisecracks and worse accent. Even so, the 'Starhunters' could form a fun NPC crew for your players to bump into.

In the original story, the crew was put together by the corrupt mega-corporation that runs earth. They were sent off to find 'the true origin of man'…and got involved in a battle between powerful ancient races of good and evil. Oh, and they were genetically altered so that if they tried to return to earth, they would mutate and die, so… there.

THE SHIP
The exact capabilities of the Sunrider are a bit vague. In fact, the Sunrider was actually destroyed early on in the series and the group commandeered another ship and promptly renamed it the Sunrider II. As far as I can tell, it was a bit larger than something like the Millennium Falcon, but still something of 'transport' scale. As with many sci-fi stories, the ship's computer ("Ozzie") is sentient and forms a member of the crew.

THE CREW
Donovan Flint, Soldier of Fortune
He's a swashbuckler and man of action with an outrageous moustache and goatee and an equally outrageous accent (Irish). He also has this cool blaster pistol that extends (on a chord.. powerchord?) from his wrist. In fact, I think he has two. He was 'recruited' by the corporation for his fighting abilities and rather quickly assumes a leadership role- taking over from Darcy Vale- the Corporate agent sent to lead this particular expedition. Needless to say, there is some friction between the two as well as some sexual tension.

Darcy Vale, Corporate Agent
A beautiful, talented and intelligent woman- but also one with unswerving loyalty to a corrupt corporation. One can assume from this that she is at least somewhat 'greedy'- i.e. she is being well paid and wants to continue to be. She is not happy about being 'demoted' by the rest of the crew when Donovan took over. In fact, she may very well betray the group if given the opportunity. Even so, some of the tactics the corporation uses are enough to give her some 'pause'- and may force her to reexamine her loyalty at some point.

Jake Hammersmith, Engineer (?)
I was never clear exactly what this guy's role on the crew was, though I think he may have been an engineer? In any case, he's a big, strong guy with a massive mutton-chop moustache thing. He also seems to have some kind of a past friendship with Donovan Flint and the two seem to be good buddies. Jake is enamored with the ship's computer-tech, Mindy Yano, and concerned about her health problems. He is also not a big fan of the Corporation or their manipulative tactics.

Mindy Yano, Computer Tech
A petite young woman who is a whiz with computers and electronics. She is shy and somewhat reserved but seems to return Jake Hammersmith's affection. Unfortunately, she has been suffering from siezures which the ship's doctor seem to think may have to do with the Corporations genetic tampering. In reality, unknown to the rest of the crew, Mindy was implanted with a signalling device- something that records (through Mindy's senses) the Sunrider's mission. It periodically sends off messages, and when it does, she has siezure-like symptoms.

Bruce Sellers, Ship's Doctor
An older man with short hair that is greying at the temples. Little is known of his past but he seems to be a very competent and intelligent member of the crew- good at his job and very curious about the ailment Mindy Yano seems to be suffering.

Theodore 'Mac', McGavin, Exobiologist
A wiry older man, "Mac" is a talented and extremely curious scientist. Though he dislikes being 'forced' into the current mission, he is curious if there is actually something to find out there. He seems to get along well with Dr. Sellers, with both men being quite intelligent.

Ozzie, Ship's computer
A highly-spirited artificial intelligence who seems to have taken quite readily to Donovan Flint's command. He is helpful and competent but (as I recall) somewhat annoying in his 'humorous' comments.

ENEMIES
I don't know enough about the Series to point to any particular enemies of the crew of the Sunrider- but their main nemesis was the Corporation itself. A bunch of powerful men and women scheming to gain some great power from the discoveries of this crew- and not just for financial gain, either. Rather, they seem to want some kind of 'mystic' power (or at least, that's the feeling I always got).

USES IN THE GAME
The whole 'hunting for the origins of mankind' thing from the comics may be a little far out for a Star Wars setting. But not /too/ far off. What I see is much the same situation. A secret council of powerful businessmen within the Corporate Sector Authority 'recruited' a band of criminals/political-prisoners. They implanted cybernetic devices in order to ensure the loyalty of the crew- and sent along a trusted agent (Darcy Vale) to command. The devices prevent the group from taking direct action that would hurt the Council- but otherwise gives them free will.

The mission the Sunrider's Crew is sent on is to discover some ancient device- a supposedly 'mythological' artifact. I could see this as something like the 'genesis' device from Star Trek. Along the way, they would be beset by space pirates, hostile aliens, monsters, crazies, rival corporations, Imperial agents, etc. Even after Flint 'rebels' and takes over command of the ship, the Corporation (aware of things through its 'spy' Mindy) would let the ship continue, since Flint seems determined to find the artifact anyway. If the crew succeeds, the corporation could just find Flint and take what they want from him anyway.

Does this sound convoluted? Well, yes. But within acceptable limits, I think. In any case, PCs could become involved with the Sunrider crew in several ways- they could be assigned (as rebel agents) to find the 'genesis artifact' and run into this 'rival' group. Or, they could be looking for it on their own prerogative. Or it could be something as similar as a chance encounter in a remote cantina somewhere. Perhaps a couple encounters to set things up. Finally, assuming the crews get along, the PCs and NPCs could team up to find the Artifact together- perhaps taking slightly different (but mutually supporting) paths to it.

OTHER CREWS (PART 1): BLAKE'S 7

One of the things I wish I had done more of in my Star Wars campaign is introduce more NPC 'crews'. Some could be allies to the PCs. Others could be rivals and still others could turn out to be enemies. Oh, every now and then I'd throw a ship captain or two (there were several neat ones in the old Minos Cluster campaign found in the D6 Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters), but for the most part, these were few and far between.

What seemed to be the barrier to me was that there weren't a lot of 'ready made' NPCs of this sort- at least not in 'official' products of the time. But looking at it now, I see a whole slew of possible ideas I could just steal from other sources (something I am not afraid of doing). So below are some ship crews who I think would make interesting encounters for a PC group in a Star Wars setting. And FYI, I am once again slanting this towards a Rebel vs. Empire time-period. So, without further ado...

THE CREW OF THE LIBERATOR
These are, of course, stolen from the classic British Sci-Fi series "Blake's 7". Alas, I have only ever seen a handful of moments from these series, but the premise is very intriguing- and happens to fit in very well in a Star Wars setting. Just replace the evil 'Alliance' with the evil 'Empire' and there you go- a whole crew of freedom fighters seeking to overthrow tyranny.

THE SHIP
The Liberator is an advanced starship that the crew was able to... liberate. In the Star Wars universe, I see it as being a prototype Imperial warship or perhaps a prototype developed by some other planet or faction that was seized by the Empire. In either case, it would be a purpose-built warship of transport scale (thus being a bit smaller than the ship shown in the series). I could also see the ship as having been built by a race of artificial intelligences that the Empire perhaps wiped out or forced into hiding.

THE CREW
The crew themselves consist of the following- thrown together by circumstance.

Roj Blake
The Captain and idealist of the crew. Blake has suffered personal loss at the hands of the Empire and desires nothing less than its overthrow. He is a charismatic leader, but one prone to obsession about his task. I see him as joining the Rebel Alliance, but operating largely independently.

Kerr Avon
A computer expert (and cyber-thief) who is logical, pragmatic and self-serving- in many ways the opposite of Blake.

Jenna Stannis
The hot-shot pilot and smuggler. Despite her criminal background, she is very loyal once her trust is earned.

Vila Restal
A thief and con-man. He is smart but cowardly and has a weakness for alcohol and women.

Cally
A guerrilla resistance fighters who also happens to have Force powers. Though minor, she is learning quickly. Unfortunately, she has not learned much in the way of mental defense, thus leaving herself open to mental attacks.

Olag Gan
An ex-convict imprisoned for killing an Imperial trooper who murdered his girlfriend. He has been implanted with an experimental cybernetic device that prevents him from killing (and is evidently very difficult to remove). He is, however, courageous, strong and dedicated to the cause.

Zen
The advanced control computer onboard the Liberator. Something of an enigma, the dour Zen's true loyalties are unknown, though it does cooperate with the crew- so long as they do not put the liberator (and itself) in positions of undue danger.

Though all the characters in the TV series were human (except Zen), a GM could easily alter the races of any of the crew to give them a more varied look/feel. Who's to say Vila isn't a Bothan or Cally isn't a Togruta. Whatever your particular tastes are.

THE VILLAINS
This crew would also come with its own villains- folks dedicated to their destruction and/or capture. These include:

Supreme Commander Servalan
A ruthless and intelligent woman in charge of a task force assigned to crush resistance to the Empire. She is cold, calculating and not above using her sex-appeal to get what she wants. She has a certain (sociopathic) fondness for Kerr Avon (Blake's second), and it seems as though he reciprocates- though neither trust or even 'like' eachother.

Captain Travis
A brutal and (like Servalan) ruthless Imperial soldier. He was responsible for Blake's initial capture and was seriously injured by the freedom-fighter as well- resulting in his having a cybernetic arm and scarred face. Needless to say, he sees his hunt for Blake as a personal vendetta. His blunt and single-minded approach to this conflicts with Commander Servalan's style and plans for her own rise to power... a situation that may eventually come to a head.



USES IN THE GAME
Using such a crew in an RPG is tricky- since they are 'heroes' in their own right- with their own storyline and such. One of my major rules for Game Mastering is to NEVER allow the PCs to be outshone by NPCs. Thus, I would see Blake's crew as an interesting roleplay encounter- another 'team' of rebels who they bump into while 'off duty' or some such. Friendships or rivalries could be formed. Then, at some future date, the PCs may find themselves in a tough spot where the Liberator Crew has to help them out- or vice versa, the Liberator might require their assitance. After several such close brushes, the PC and NPC crews might join together for some important mission. The 'tragic' ending of the Blake's 7 TV Show could easily be expounded upon in an RPG session or two- perhaps with the players showing up after or during the 'final stand' of Blake and his crew.

New Star Wars Movies...

There isn't a whole lot more to this post than a bunch of subjective rambling about Star Wars. Oh, wait, that's every post on this blog! Well, anyway, I just want to throw up some stuff I would love to see in any future Star Wars movies and some things I really hope don't happen:

What I'd love to see:

1) The original characters. Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, Lando, Artoo and Threepio. Hell, I'd love to see 'Wedge' again- and Ackbar and... you get the point. That being said, I would NOT want to see an action movie where all the action centers around 60-70 year-old folks. No, I'd want these characters to take the 'background leadership' roles to a new set of young heroes- their children, proteges, etc.

2) A focus on non-Jedi/Sith characters (at least one). Yes, Jedi are cool. But you ask any fan who the coolest character is, you're probably going to get either 'Han Solo' or 'Boba Fett'- neither of whom are Jedi or Sith. I have long said that 'non-idealistic snarkiness' was absent from the prequels, and they suffered for it.

3) Dialogue. Good dialogue. Jokes that are actually funny. Lines that don't sound stilted. Disney, you have an awesome pool of writers and directors. Please use them.



What I hope I don't see:

1) The plots of ANY of the expanded universe books/series. As much as I liked Heir to the Empire, I don't think it would make a particularly good trilogy- especially if you were using the original actors. Ditto for the Dark Empire arc. And do not get me started on the New Jedi Order books. If you're trying to appeal to a PG or PG-13 audience, you don't have a story about a war where trillions of people are slaughtered by masochistic aliens, Han becomes a drunk, deadbeat father, Luke becomes an ineffectual tool, Han's kids are killed and/or tortured by giant space-chickens until they turn to the dark side of the Force, etc.

1a) The above includes the inexplicable and jarring changes in personality of the main heroes (Luke, Leia, Han, etc.) from their characters as shown in the original trilogy. Please keep them true to what we have seen in the movies, not to some authorial need to have them act a certain contradictory, idiotic way because it advances the plot of a shitty novel.

2) The collapse of the New Republic from corruption. Seriously, the heroes of BOTH trilogies were fighting to save and then restore the Republic. To me, this means that it MUST have some merits. Billions died to restore it. Heroes sacrificed to restore it. To have it fall apart (again) from corruption in just a few decades reflects poorly on our heroes for having believed in such a system and for allowing it (on their watch) to crumble in such a short time. One would think/hope/pray that our heroes would fight as hard as they did DURING the war to ensure the survival of the Republic AFTER the war. One would also think that trillions of oppressed beings would also take measures to ensure a functional government- at least for another thousand years.

3) Any mention of midicholorians. At all. Ever.



Stuff I am still on the fence about:

1) The inclusion of popular EU characters. The two that spring to the top of this list would be Mara Jade and Kyle Katarn. I wouldn't necessarily mind the inclusion of either of these folks, except for the fact that if you DID include Mara Jade, you would have to have some kind of 'explanation' for her presence- and I already said I hoped they will NOT delve into the Heir to the Empire stuff. As far as Katarn goes? Doubt you'd need much backstory on him, he could appear in the background without much question. Could have a kid that participates in the adventure as well. Could even be a main character. That would be neat.

A short post, I know, but just some stuff on the top of my mind. How about you? What would you like to see? What do you hope they don't include?

A New Era for Star Wars?

Yesterday's news that Disney has purchased Lucasfilm was a huge surprise. My initial reaction could be best described as 'leery'. Especially with the news that they would be doing an Episode VII. Why? Because my first thought was "Please god, no. Not the stupid New Jedi Order series." And my second thought was. "Please god, no, not the Legacy series either!"

But the more I thought about the situation- the more I began to see what wonderful possibilities this opens up. Why? Because Disney is really awesome at what they do. They make entertaining movies (really good ones through Pixar) and they have extraordinarily well designed events and attractions (seriously, Disney World and all the other parks are amazing).

Yes. They are also great at making money. But in the last decade at least that seems to be a result of putting out quality stuff rather than just milking the 'direct-to-VHS/DVD/Blueray' market. And really? I have no problem with people making money if they give you quality in return. And for me, Disney does that.

An example of that:

A year or so ago, Star Tours was re-opening at Disney Hollywood studios. They had a traveling 'show' go to malls across the region to promote this. The show included a really cool kiosk style booth complete with costumed characters (C-3PO, R2-D2, Jedi Mickey and Minnie, etc.). They also had this official 'Star Tours' representative in uniform- and in character- chatting up the crowds and cracking jokes. They had giveaway items and picture opportunities. They made the whole thing a lot of fun. Why? Because they're good at it. They hire people who are good at it. They care- because they know the Disney brand stands for quality fun.

That is why I am glad to see the Star Wars brand turned over to Disney. Because they care. That's the thing that I felt was lacking from Lucasfilm alone. George Lucas just didn't seem to have the 'passion' about his creation that he did in those early years. And it shows- to me at least- in the prequels. They were 'okay' movies, but not 'great'- despite the huge budgets and awesome special effects and film technology.

What makes me feel even better about Disney acquiring Star Wars was the interview Lucas gave about the fact that he was 'moving into another phase of life', and (mostly) retiring from running a company. He said he has ideas about Star Wars- treatments for the 'next three' movies. But as Kathleen Kennedy (the new head of Lucasfilm under Disney) pointed out- they have writers working on those treatments. Lucas would be a creative advisor (the 'Yoda on her shoulder as she put it), but man... I was so excited to hear they had WRITERS. Don't get me wrong. George Lucas is a visionary when it comes to ideas- putting disparate themes and ideas together (Samurai Westerns in Space with Nazis), but he really isn't a great writer when it comes to dialogue. And he is not a great director when it comes to ACTORS. Disney on the other hand, has used a pool of very AWESOME writers and directors to make some incredible films (Toy Story, The Incredibles, Up). I can't help but feel 'giddy' imagining people of this caliber being put in charge of my favorite universe.

And this doesn't even touch on the fact that there is now a very real possibility of more Star Wars themed attractions in Disney parks. Why not a 'Star Wars Land' in the scale of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at Universal Studios? I can think of any number of attractions I would LOVE to see...

With all of this, I am trying to remain 'cautiously optimistic'. I am hoping for the best- because I really see a lot of potential here. I just hope it pans out. And I hope to hell I never have to sit through "Episode VII: Vector Prime"... seriously. Screw you guys. I will never forgive you for killing Chewbacca. Though even more than that, I will never forgive you for turning Han into a selfish jerk and Luke into a whining, ineffectual loser or... wait, wait.. Whew. Breathe. Cautiously optimistic. Yes, cautiously optimistic.