"Go to the sign of Marvel's Axe, a dubious inn on the edge of the Thieves Quarter, in the City of Greyhawk, and look to your own wrist. If you perceive a bracelet and dangling dice, watch for the next throw in the war between Law and Chaos and be prepared to follow the compelling geas." -Signal

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Countdown to Armageddon - DCH, Item Invisibility

Countdown to Armageddon is a One on One module for DC Heroes that  was released in 1986. It is designed for the last son of Krypton  aka Superman. The module is demanding enough that only Superman  or another hero with that level of abilities will be able to  complete it.

Since the module is marketed as a Countdown it is designed with a  rather extensive timeline of events. It also features an  intricate time keeping system since where the player is time wise  is very important. The events do not have to be played in a  linear nature and in fact there will be hard choices that the  player will have to make as to what problems to handle.

The adventure itself has a few problems plot wise that I could  see but nothing that would make it unplayable. It would also need  to have a little updating if it were to be played as a modern  scenario. It is as designed intended for a one on one with  Superman but I think with a little work it could be converted to  allow for group play with the right set of heroes. If it were  designed for a none specialized group it would need to be  modified to a great extent.

I have never had a chance to run this for anyone as we always had  a large enough group that one on one was never really needed or  something I wanted to get into. Reading through it over the years  it seems like it would be a fun one to play. Even with a  character on level with Superman it poses situations where even  he can't be all things to all people. Think of multiple  situations like the one at the end of the first Superman movie  from back in the 70's.

The plot behind the module for when it was written might have  seemed a little far fetched. Today the possibility of something  like this has been done in a few movies. The technology behind  the scheme is becoming more and more real everyday. One does not  have to let their imagination wander to far to see where  something like this could be played out in theory without the  super villain.

If you are a fan of DC Heroes and have a need for one on one  adventures then this one would be something I would suggest  picking up. It is also something that could be converted and  expanded into a group play module with lower powered heroes. The  plot is also one that could be converted to other systems. Like  many of the DC Hero modules it can be picked up fairly cheap so  the risk versus reward will probably make it worthwhile.

From the back of the module:

Has this ever happened to you? You are flying over metropolis  when suddenly your super hearing picks up five different distress  calls from all over the world. All are urgent, all deal with the  lives of thousands of people, but which one will you pick?

Find out in this exciting adventure that pushes Superman to the  limits of his endurance. Can he keep the Earth from falling  apart, discover the fiendish plot behind it all, use his super- computer in the Fortress of Solitude to find a solution, and  still make his 6:00 newscast as Clark Kent? Only those brave  enough to play this adventure will know what it's really like to  be the Man of Steel.



Spell:

Item Invisibility


Level: Second
Range: Touch
Duration: 2 Turns/Level
Area of Effect: One Item/Level
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 4 Segments
Saving Throw: None

With this spell the magic user is able to make a limited number  of items become invisible. The items that are made invisible must  be touched by the magic user during the casting of the spell  though they may be carried or owned by anyone.

The size of the items that can be affected are limited to items  that an individual would be able to carry. This could mean any  individual so an item a leprechaun could carry and one that a  Titan could carry will both count as one.

The items would not actually need to be carried for the spell to  remain in effect. They could be stowed away on a wagon or in a  bag that is being carried. The spell will remain in effect until  such time as the spell expires or the item is actively used.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the  write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the  80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other  than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be  slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of  spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :)  Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on  me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please  let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit. 

Popular Posts