"Apocalypse...NOW?!?" For Stuper Powers Now Available For Download

As this post goes live, I'm running a group of U-Con players through a new adventure for Stuper Powers -- The First-Rate RPG of Third-Rate Heroes! If you'd like to run it for your own home group, here it is available for download. Click the cover to download it. Enjoy, and let me know if your superhero wanna-be's were able to stop Doctor Dredd from destroying Washington DC!

Michigan's U-Con Starts One Week From Today!

We're now one week away from U-Con Gaming Convention to be held November 20 - 22 in frosty Ypsilanti, Michigan. I enjoyed myself so much last year, that I decided to return to run (and play) in several games. Although I won't be manning a Goblinoid Games / Pacesetter LTD booth in the dealer's hall, Roy Snyder has graciously offered to carry the entire game line in his booth at the convention! So be sure to stop by the Goodman Games/Troll Lord Games/Out Of Print Games and Books booth and toss some gold pieces in Roy's direction!

This year, I'm planning on running several games, as well as participating in the OSR Track as a special guest. I'm all about the "old-school" gaming this year, so be sure to sign up for any one of these amazing events referred by (or attended by) yours truly!

Friday, 9 a.m.
Stuper Powers!: “Apocalypse...NOW?!”
Doctor Dredd and his evil team of villains have taken over Washington DC! They plan to start World War III unless your team of "D-list" heroes are able to stop them. Will your ability to "Induce Slight Headaches" and "Turn Things Plaid" be enough to thwart Armageddon? (Nah...probably not...)

Friday, 1 p.m.
Ghostbusters: “Ragnarok-A-Bye Baby”
Judgment Day may be at hand!  In the center of all the 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)!

Friday, 6 p.m.
OSR Discussion Panel: Old School City Scapes Roundtable Panel
Come gather round and take part in a round table style panel with the OSR Track's Guest of Honor Bill Webb (Frog God Games), Industry Insider Jim Wampler (Goodman Games), our track's sponsor John Reyst (PFSRD.com), along with Tim Snider (Goblinoid Games) and Michigan's own Bill Barsh (Pacesetter Games). We will discuss cities and their importance in old school gaming from the earliest days to the OSR as it is today. Time permitting, discussion and Q&A will be allowed with the audience. Hosted by Gamers & Grognards' Ryan Thompson and RPG Podcaster Adam Muszkiewicz (Drink Spin Run). Free! 

Saturday, 9 a.m.
Mutant Future: “Thundarr the Barbarian: Warlord of the Sacred Library”
Lords of Light! Drakexx the Unstoppable has established a stronghold in the forbidden Congers Library where thousands of Ancient texts are stored. What use does a warlord have with these tomes, and what secrets does he hope to unlock? The tribal shaman of the village of Linkon has tasked Thundarr, Ookla, and Princess Ariel with stopping and driving out the mindless brute!

Saturday, 2 p.m.
Cryptworld: “Wasted”
It's a raucous Saturday night at "Sweet Oblivion," the roadhouse on the outskirts of town. But this night of revelry will turn to horror when Death stops in for a nightcap. Can you survive The Night of The Living Dead (Drunk)?

And, as always, I'll be live-blogging from the convention, so stay tuned next week for observations, news, and you-are-there coverage from Michigan's U-Con!

What Am I Running At Con On The Cob / U-Con This Year?

The fall con season is upon us, and two of my favorite conventions are just around the corner. Ohio's Con on the Cob will be held October 15-18 at its new digs in Brecksville. And Michigan's U-Con Gaming Convention will be held November 20-22 in Ypsilanti. If you're in the area for either of these great gatherings, make plans NOW to attend.

At Con on the Cob, the Goblinoid Games/Pacesetter LTD vendor's booth will once again be present, offering up the complete line of games and supplements for Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, Starships & Spacemen, as well as Timemaster, Majus, Rotworld, and Cryptworld. (And there's a good chance the new Cryptworld supplement Monsters Macabre will be available for purchase too!)

As for the games I'll be running at the convention, lots of horror is on the docket!

Cryptworld: “Condition Critical”
Dr. Howard Eastman has called a press conference at his remote research facility to announce a medical breakthrough that will “eradicate human illness and suffering forever.” But what if the cure proves to be worse than the disease?

Cryptworld: “Unquenchable”
Three days ago, a group of hunters failed to return from their annual deer hunt near Akron, Ohio. Your team of expert trackers and investigators have been brought in to assist in the search. But there seems to be an undercurrent of unease amongst the police who whisper of a disturbing discovery they’ve made. Is there something sinister lurking in the forest?
 
Chill-Black Morn Manor boardgame
Something is loose in Black Morn Manor. Your team of envoys has been dispatched to investigate and (if possible) drive off the unseen evil. Will you succeed, or will you be converted into yet another minion for the creature? Come play this classic Pacesetter boardgame from 1985!

And a month later, I'll be running a bunch of games for U-Con's OSR track, including the following:

Mutant Future: “Thundarr the Barbarian: Warlord of the Sacred Library”
Lords of Light! Drakexx the Unstoppable has established a stronghold in the forbidden Congers Library where thousands of Ancient texts are stored. What use does a warlord have with these tomes, and what secrets does he hope to unlock? The tribal shaman of the village of Linkon has tasked Thundarr, Ookla, and Princess Ariel with stopping and driving out the mindless brute!

Stuper Powers!: “Apocalypse...NOW?!”
Doctor Dredd and his evil team of villains have taken over Washington DC! They plan to start World War III unless your team of "D-list" heroes are able to stop them. Will your ability to "Induce Slight Headaches" and "Turn Things Plaid" be enough to thwart Armageddon? (Nah...probably not...)

Ghostbusters: “Ragnarok-A-Bye Baby”
Judgment Day may be at hand!  In the center of all the 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)!

Cryptworld: “Wasted”
It's a raucous Saturday night at "Sweet Oblivion," the roadhouse on the outskirts of town. But this night of revelry will turn to horror when Death stops in for a nightcap. Can you survive The Night of The Living Dead (Drunk)?

Stop by and say "Hey" if you're at either of these events!

Join The Ranks Of The D-Listers In The Great Stuper Powers Giveaway!

Wanna copy of my favorite "incompetent superheroes" RPG? I have two brand new copies of Stuper Powers! (first edition) that I'm giving away to two visitors to the Savage AfterWorld! If you want one of these, just comment to this post. Sometime tomorrow, I'll draw two names at random from the commentators, and those two folks will get a copy! I don't mind shipping to other countries, so this is open to everyone worldwide. Good luck!

[Review] Stuper Powers!: The First-Class Game Of Third-Rate Heroes

I have a soft spot in my heart for superhero RPGs. My first real RPG was Villains and Vigilantes, and I'm no stranger to FASERIP. But my favorite superheroes are the ones who aren't exactly "super," per se. You see, I'm a huge fan of the "D list" superheroes -- those characters who have weak, useless, embarrassing powers, but who somehow manage to save the day in spite of their abilities. I'm sure everyone's seen the movie Mystery Men, which has a great cross-section of super-incompetents. And in the comics world, you have joke teams like the Legion of Substitute Heroes, Hitman's Section 8, and the classic Inferior Five.

Which brings me to one of my FAVORITE superhero RPGs: Stuper Powers!

Stuper Powers! tags itself as "The First-Class Game of Third-Rate Heroes." These are not the superheroes you call when there's trouble. These are the heroes you call when you have no one else you can summon -- and I mean NO ONE ELSE. You see, the heroes in Stuper Powers! have powers and abilities that are far less useful than The A-Listers. You might be able to "Give Wedgies Mentally," "Entangle With Armpit Hair," or the ever-popular "Turn Things Plaid." Face it, you're gonna have a tough time bringing down Doctor Dredd and his minions with your ability to "Glow In The Dark."

Stuper Powers! obviously doesn't take itself or the genre seriously, and that's half the fun! Although presented as a bit of a one-night-joke RPG, there is a lot of fun replayability in this game. Case-in-point: I ran a Stuper Powers! game at a convention for three players who randomly rolled their powers. We had Patty Cake with his ability to "Bake a Pound Cake in 30 Seconds"; Deja View who could "See 2 Seconds Into The Future"; and The Unit with his "Pogo Penis". (Yes, that's the power and, yes, it's exactly what it sounds like.) These three "heroes" formed S.U.C.K. Squadron (Superheroes United Crushing Krime) and they stumbled into a scenario where the town was going to be blown up unless they acted. And in spite of these lousy, useless, nearly-obscene abilities, the players defeated the Big Bad, won the game, and laughed their asses off in the process. And that's what Stuper Powers is all about, Charlie Brown.

Admittedly, Stuper Power's "gimmick" are the bizarre powers and the creative ways the players use them during the game. But what of the system? Well...there really isn't one. Players don't have ability scores or skill sets or anything like that. According to the rules, all contests and checks should be done in one of two ways: flip a coin for a 50-50 chance to succeed/fail, or defeat the "Big Mac Daddy" (the GM) in a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. That's it. Now, when I play Stuper Powers, I prefer a little more, so I've house-ruled to let my players use 1d4. All checks are on a scale of 1=sure thing, 2=average, 3=hard, 4=damn hard, 5=impossible. Roll the number or higher to succeed. And I offer situational bonuses of +1 or -1 depending on the event. (Hitting someone at point-blank range is a 1, but if the player is blinded by "Adhesive Snot", there's a -1 penalty. So a 1 is not always a Sure Thing, and I have seen players make "Impossible" checks.)

Something else I do when I play Stuper Powers is that the world around the players is no joke. Although the game offers similar bizarre villains and crimes to foil, I find the game is a LOT more fun when everything is deadly serious and straight -- except for the PCs. When the stakes are high and Doombringer The Unstoppable is about to destroy the town, nothing is funnier than having Kid Dorito appear on the scene with his ability to start a "Nacho Downpour." And seeing Xxyrkkk, Destroyer of Worlds, KO'ed by a pair of "Concussive Breasts" is a show-stopper.

Stuper Powers! is great beer-and-pretzels RPG for folks who'd like to try something a bit less "super" in their superhero games. Stuper Powers! is available in two editions: the original 32-page comic-book-like version from Unstoppable Productions, and an updated 112-page "deluxe" version by Wingnut Games. The original has 48 stuper powers, whereas the deluxe version has 100 stuper powers (three contributed by Yours Truly) as well as four adventures, a map of Knee Jerk City (the home-city of the players), LARP rules (seriously), an Instaventures Creator, and tables-tables-tables. Either version gives you plenty of bang for your buck. (But the deluxe version is admittedly much, much "bangier".)

I have had a TON of fun with this game over the years,and wanted to sing its praises. But it gets better...

Noble Knight apparently has a bunch of the original editions of Stuper Powers available for 1 cent. Yup, one penny will get you a near-mint copy of the original D-List superhero game. That's a crazy good deal! Grab them now while they still have 'em! Or, if you'd like a PDF of the deluxe version for your eReader or tablet, you can buy it directly from Wingnut Games via Gumroad for a minimum $2.00 PWYW. Again, crazy good deal. Still not sure? How about you download the Stuper Powers Quick Start Rules for free and check it out for yourself? Finally, if you want to truly support the game and its creators, Stuper Powers Deluxe is available in print for $16.95 from Wingnut Games.

All this talk about Stuper Powers! has me fired up to schedule a game or two at some conventions next year. In 2015, Bufferin-Man ("Induce Slight Headache"); Glass Jaw ("Bloody Nose Power"); and Scoutmaster Jim ("Summon Cub Scouts") will fight the forces of evil! (Cue Smash Mouth's "All Star")