The Idea Pile

[Shreyas Sampat]

Gah.  We both had half of it; I just Googled a little and found S.W.A.T. Kats.

Anyway, to throw an idea on the pile:
Title: Three Rings

Premise:
A travelling circus is secretly a group of vigilantes with weird Gypsyesque magical powers.

Tone: Think Gargoyles.  Mixed dark action, drama, fantasy.  Characters are members of the circus, and use their powers to protect the innocent as well as entertain.  Among their deepest fears is being found out.

[Eddy Fate]

Gah.  We both had half of it; I just Googled a little and found S.W.A.T. Kats.

THAT was it!

[Derek Devlin]

S.W.A.T. Kats looks awesome. Too bad I never got to see it first-run.

Dogs of War is a great idea and I hope it's expanded on in this thread or as an article in ATM.

I like the circus idea, as it gives the characters a reason to work together and an excuse to travel. It might make for an interesting campaign in any RPG.

I have great memories of Gargoyles. Are there any cartoons on TV nowadays that have the same "dark fantasy" tone?

Derek Devlin

[Cynthia Celeste Miller]

I'm glad to see this thread getting so much activity!  I've seen a lot of fantastic ideas posted here.  Anyway, to contribute a bit myself, here's one of the brand new series seeds you'll see in the CAH rulebook.  Enjoy!


Dino-World
Created by Cynthia Celeste Miller

Tagline: "Prehistoric time, big adventure!"

Premise:  The time travelling miscreant who calls himself Zelgar, came to the 20th century from ten thousand years in the future.  And he brought an assortment of scalawags with him.  His goal:  to conquer the world in an era with technology far inferior to his own.

Unfortunately for Zelgar, his plot (and headquarters) was stumbled upon by a group of motorcycle daredevils who travel the country in a large van (with their cycles stored in a trailer latched to the back).  To prevent the fiend from unleashing his fury upon the world, the stuntmen tried to use the time machine to send Zelgar and his henchmen back to their own time.  But, things suddenly went awry and Zelgar, his goons, the daredevils and their vehicles all got sucked through time, back to the prehistoric age.

The evildoers quickly adapted to their new setting by locating a large amount of mean-spirited dinosaurs and injecting them with a serum that enabled them to evolve in a matter of seconds.  These reptillian beasts gained human-level intelligence and were turned into humanoids.  

But all did not go as planned.  These Dinoids (as they called themselves) weren't about to serve mere humans, who they viewed as nothing but cave men.  They broke free and started their own society, vowing to conquer the earth for themselves.

Meanwhile, the stuntmen made contact with a tribe of cave dwelling humans (who could  inexplicably speak English.  Broken English, but still...).  They became staunch allies and the cave men agreed to help them fight against Zelgar and the Dinoids.  Thus began a three-way conflict that would engulf this prehistoric age for a long time to come.

Specifics:  The players should play the daredevils and/or the cave men.  Either way, 75 to 100 CPs should suffice.  But remember that each daredevil must have his own motor cycle, which must be purchased as per the normal rules for creating vehicles as SAs.  Zelgar's minions should be created with 100 to 125 CPs.  The Dinoids, on the other hand, should come off as being superior to them all.  200 to 250 CPs would do them justice.

[Derek Devlin]

Since we've got some Deadlands fans here...

Title: Ghost Riders

Premise: In the days of the Wild West, not every problem could be solved by a fast draw or a right cross. Sometimes you need a little holy water, or a silver bullet, or a steam-powered zombie flattener. That's when you call in the Ghost Riders, those ridin', ropin', shootin', fightin' experts on the occult and paranormal. We're ready to believe y'all!

Tone: "Ghostbusters" meets "The Magnificent Seven", with a dash of "The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne". Players are operatives for a special agency dedicated to dealing with paranormal threats through the use of wit, holy relics, and highly destructive steampunk technology. Whether it's Native American ghosts, Chinese hopping vampires, or a pack of immigrant werewolves, the Ghost Riders will solve the problem with a fistful of ingenuity and a crooked smile.

Derek Devlin

[Derek Devlin]

Episode listing for Season Two of "Iron & Steele":

1. "When Darkness Calls: Part II"
It's Morgan and his team of heroes versus the corrupted Biff and his team of villains as the fate of Savage City hangs in the balance!

2. "Interview with the Umpire"
Biff and Morgan are called in to investigate the disappearance of a baseball player from the locker room just before a big game. The only eyewitness is an umpire, but can the eyes of an umpire be trusted?

3. "How to Succeed in Blackmail Without Really Trying"
Biff's getting a lot of visitors lately. Some of them want to give him a lot of money. Others want to kill him. Can the gang figure out what's going on before Biff falls prey to another would-be assassin?

4. "The Past and the Curious"
A student doing a research paper on retired heroes from Savage City begins getting threatening messages. What's being covered up, and who wants it to stay that way?

5. "One Ring After Another"
Biff and Morgan head to Chinatown to keep the jade ring of the First Emperor out of the hands of a group of artifact smugglers.

6. "Software Pirates of the Caribbean"
The gang's vacation is interrupted by the high-tech heist of some experimental software. It's sand, surf, and subterfuge as our heroes search for the thief and his loot.

7. "Never Say Trevor Again"
An injured man claiming to be an MI6 agent named Oxnard Trevor ends up at Biff's office. He's promptly kidnapped by men in black who tell our heroes not to interfere or speak of this to anyone. Biff and Morgan risk it all to derail an insane plan for world domination!

8. "Wizardry Loves Company"
A long-dead Arabian sorceror is resurrected and seeks to claim a bride. It's 1001 Arabian fights as Biff and Morgan race the clock to defeat the villain before he marries one of their friends.

9. "Zen and the Art of Supervillain Maintenance"
A series of impossible robberies leads the gang to a ninja honor-bound to serve a demented cyborg mastermind. Can our heroes free the ninja from his vow before the cyborg is fully rebuilt and takes over the city?

10. "Requiem for a Heavy Date"
Biff agrees to go out on a blind date, but the woman disappears and he's blamed for it! Morgan and the gang must find the mystery woman before Biff goes to prison for kidnapping and murder.

11. "When the Bullet Hits the Throne"
The King of Bolitania insists that the Iron Ghost be his bodyguard during the monarch's stay in Savage City. Assassination attempts are made, but are they being made on the king...or the Ghost?

12. "Laid to Rest: Part I"
Morgan collapses while chasing the villainous Feminine Wyles. At the hospital, Biff and the gang reminisce about their past adventures. And then, the unthinkable happens.

13. "Laid to Rest: Part II"
Morgan Robeson is dead, and Feminine Wyles boasts of her victory. Can anyone stop her from taking over Savage City? Perhaps...the Iron Ghost???

A third season was planned under a new name, "The Iron Ghost Chronicles", and was to feature Biff as the Iron Ghost, one of the younger regulars as his sidekick, and have Morgan appear in flashbacks a la "Kung Fu". The season was never finished, but pieces of it may yet be made into a TV movie called "The Return of the Iron Ghost".

Derek Devlin

[Derek Devlin]

Title: Beans & Bacon

Background: The characters of Beans and Bacon first appeared in "Tales from the Liverpool Rat", a sci-fi anthology series about the denizens of a seedy bar somewhere out near Alpha Centauri. The space trucker duo became popular after the airing of the episodes "American Money" and "Let Loose the Dogs of Mars", where they took center stage. A series of their own was almost inevitable.

Premise: Luke Beans and Joey Bacon are two good ol' boys making their living as space truckers. They travel the universe delivering cargo and living a vagabond life. To make some cash on the side they offer their services as investigators, smugglers, and guns-for-hire. They've got only three rules: their fee isn't negotiable, they don't give refunds, and they have to be paid in American money(an antiquated currency still in use in certain backwater places).

Tone: Sci-fi action ranging from mysteries and crime capers to pulp adventure and fantasy. There's humor, but it's not meant to overwhelm the action and adventure.

Characters:
Luke Beans is the brains of the operation. He gave up a respectable job as a computer systems analyst to become a wildcat space trucker and he's never looked back. Luke is a capable con man, able to concoct disguises and tell bald-faced lies with ease. One of his most oft-quoted maxims is "There's nobody easier to fool than a con artist", something he enjoys proving but that has also come back to bite him a time or two.

Joey Bacon provides the team's muscle. He's a combat veteran who served in the Ventura Conflict and the Quadrant Wars, which gave him a severe distaste for high-ranking military types and bureaucrats. As big as a bear(and about as dangerous to wake up unexpectedly), Joey has a soft spot for kids and animals. He intends to settle down and raise horses on Mars when his trucking days are through.

Episodes:

1. "Gimme All Your Lovin'"
B&B are hired to track down a girl when her boyfriend suspects her of cheating. In fact, the boyfriend wants the girl found because she has a pouch of jewels they stole together and split without giving him his share.

2. "Sharp-Dressed Man"
The only clue to a hotel bombing three years ago is a security camera picture of a well-dressed man no one can identify. B&B agree to look into the closed case, eventually discovering that the Sharp-Dressed Man might not be a man at all!

3. "Rough Boy"
Joey goes undercover as a zero-g pro wrestler and falls for a rival's valet when B&B investigate a wrestling promoter suspected of hiring out his wrestlers as muscle for the mob.

4. "Tush"
Actress Tushy Galore has joined a cult operating out of a jungle world in the middle of nowhere. Her studio boss says it's all a publicity stunt, but her fiance isn't so sure. B&B have to steal her from the cult's clutches and thwart the leader's mad plan for control of the universe.

5. "My Head's in Mississippi"
An old friend of B&B's has died, and left them a cryptic list of last wishes. The boys race to rebuild their buddy from cloned pieces scattered throughout the universe, while the greedy relatives want to make sure none of them make it out alive!

6. "Pearl Necklace"
It's worth a quarter million, but who's got the pearls? There's no shortage of suspects when the necklace disappears during a swanky party, but B&B take a gamble in order to flush out the greedy and guilty party.

7. "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide"
Crimelord Vinnie DiTillio is running for the presidency of the Saturnian Republic...and winning! B&B are hired to derail Vinnie's campaign, but how do you sling mud at a guy who's admitted to every illegal thing he's ever done?

8. "Viva Las Vegas"
B&B hire on as bodyguards for a professional gambler hosting a gambling tournament on the casino planet Vegas IX. They soon discover that the death threats their client has been receiving aren't aimed just at him, but the entire planet!

9. "Doubleback"
B&B are caught in a timeloop while smuggling artifacts out of a restricted sector. What's causing the loop? How can they get out? Why is there never a timecop around when you need one?

10. "Gun Love"
The boys are hired to transport a gunrunner's daughter to her wedding, along with a dowry of black-market weapons. But the groom's jilted space pirate girlfriend has put a bounty on B&B's cargo, and every pirate, mercenary, and bounty hunter in the quadrant is gunning for them!

11. "Got Me Under Pressure"
B&B wake up after a week-long bender to discover that they're 200 grand in debt to crimelord Mama Shark. With no idea how they ended up with the debt and a desire to keep their fingers and kneecaps intact, B&B have a choice. Come up with the cash in less than a week, or somehow take down Mama Shark!

12. "Give It Up"
A sassy teen stows away on B&B's rig, and brings all kinds of trouble with her. She's the only one who knows where her father hid a fortune in rare antiquities, and some very bad people want that information.

13. "Cheap Sunglasses"
Desperate for cash, B&B take a job delivering a shipment of cheap sunglasses to a planet on the Outer Rim. A cryptic request for help scratched into a lens leads the boys to uncover a network of sweatshops, a kidnapping, and an assassination plot.

14. "Sleeping Bag"
After a hectic run, B&B take some R&R by camping out on a forest moon. Strange things start happening, leading the boys to realize they aren't alone and whatever's there doesn't want them to leave!

15. "Planet of Women"
B&B plan to make a fortune selling a shipment of prototype home appliances to Zamaron V, the Planet of Women. Instead they are forced into the role of planetary saviors, combatting a deadly virus that only men are immune to.

16. "La Grange"
B&B go to the desert planet of New Texas to collect a bill in the tiny town of La Grange, and are soon up to their necks in corrupt cops, beautiful women, and a feud between rival moonshiners.

17. "Tube Snake Boogie"
Surf's up on the water world of Costner XII, as B&B hit the waves to find out why so many wave-riders are disappearing. Is something out there preying on them, or someone?

18. "Legs"
Meet "Legs" Lorraine, a sexy kick-boxing con woman and Luke's old flame. "Legs" is on the run from the victim of a past swindle, and needs the boys' help to get out of the system. Luke suspects she isn't telling them everything, but can he leave his old love in the lurch?

Derek Devlin

[Michael Hopcroft]

Are all the Beans & Bacon episode titles also ZZ Top songs?

That's a cool way to lay out a series of episodes. I can imagine someone going through severeal seasons just with the catalog of titles from any number of bands. For Beans & Bacon, ZZ Top is highly appropriate: the band are good ol' boys who love cars.

Here's a challenge for you -- what kind of series would use B.B. King titles for their episodes? Maybe a fantasy series about a young bluesman who really did meet the Devil at the Crossroads -- discovered the glorious music he played was being used for evil purposes by a greedy promoter (who happens to be a demon), and now wants his soul back! But how do you track down the Devil himself, escpecially when Old Scratch is trying to make sure he gets to collect his prize?

[Eddy Fate]

Are all the Beans & Bacon episode titles also ZZ Top songs?  That's a cool way to lay out a series of episodes.

VERY cool.  I'll have to remember that for a campaign sometime.  :-)

[Valamir]

Yeah, I was down to #7 before I clued in.  
I'm thinking some old Johnny Cash would work excellent for the second season :-)

Hmmm....but as a CAH game?  I'm thinking Beans and Bacon is custom made for OctaNe.

[Derek Devlin]

Guilty as charged. :) I wanted to see if I could make a series out of the track listing from ZZ Top's Greatest Hits, and it turned out I could.

I was picturing the songs playing in the background during the episodes so I built the stories around them. For instance, "Rough Boy" has a slow-dance vibe so I made a romance element part of the story.

I like the B.B. King inspired series idea. A bluesman named Angel trying to recover his soul and help a few other "lost souls" along the way. While I'm familiar with King's music, I'm not really up to snuff on specific song titles. Any websites that could help?

I'm a big fan of octaNe and B&B would be right at home there, except that it says in the core book not to let your players go into space. But hey, who follows core rules anyway? ;)

Derek Devlin

[Drew Stevens]

Some friends and I have been kicking around running Dune recently, especially as we've been re-reading the series (which is much better in college with a few classes in philosophy and social psych under belt, than it was in high school ;).  However, what system has been a sticking point.

Our generalized consensus had been a d20 variant, with slightly different base classes and what not.  But no.  Now, it must, in fact, be an 80s Action Toon.  Because Dune is so righteously doable in such a format in hurts my eyes.

So, yeah.  Dune will be animated sometime later 2003. :)

[Eddy Fate]

So, yeah.  Dune will be animated sometime later 2003. :)

I would love to see your notes on this, once you start running it.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Title: Planet of the Monsters

Premise: It's an oldie but a goodie. A team of astronauts on an experimental mission crash-land on an alternative Earth. It seems just like their world -- until they realize it is plagued by kaiju, giant monsters with the power to level cities. Worse, the kaiju appear to be intelligent and working under a plan. Can the vistitors from another world figure out the plan and counter it before this alternative Earth is depopulated?

Theme: Every Godzilla movie you ever saw plus a heavy dose of Planet of the Apes for good measure. Perhaps the astronauts have trouble communicating with the locals (nobody but them speaks English), further complicating their quest. The PCs would be faced with a major moral dilemma should a way home appear -- go home to their own world and abandon this new one, or stick around to fight the kaiju? Maybe not all kaiju are evil and a few might be befruendable allies.

[Derek Devlin]

And now, in a blatant act of self-promotion...

Title: The Amazing Adventures of Derek Devlin

Series Theme: The Stray Donkey Strut by djpretzel, which you can download here...

http://remix.overclocked.org/detailmix.php?mixid=OCR00792

Premise: During the 1930s, a cocky Hollywood stuntman discovers that he is the Chosen One, destined to serve the Forces of Light in a cosmic game played out once every 10,000 years. Pitted against his opposite number, a New England scholar chosen by the Forces of Darkness, Derek Devlin travels the world claiming artifacts and places of power for the side of good. Who will win in the ultimate battle of good and evil?

Tone: Somewhere between homage and outright parody of the pulp genre. Derek often gets in over his head due to his cockiness, but finds that bad guys in the movies and bad guys in real life often think along similar lines...

Cast:
Derek Devlin - While a competent stuntman, Derek gained a reputation as "The Stuntman Who Thinks He's A Star". Frustrated by Hollywood's refusal to take him seriously and tired of taking falls while others took the bows, Derek received a strange letter offering him a starring role in a picture set in Africa. He jumped at the chance and soon found himself in an ancient temple shooting his big scene, the recovery of an idol. Before long he found the traps were real, the idol was real, and the guns the "film crew" pulled on him were real. The intervention of the African sorceress Cassandra saved him that day, and Derek began his quest to thwart the Forces of Darkness. Something of a know-it-all and glory hound, Derek has the makings of a real hero, if he lives long enough to realize his potential.

Cassandra - A beautiful African sorceress, Cassandra has been groomed since childhood to be the assistant of the Chosen One in the Great Game. She just can't believe it's THIS clown. Truth be told, Cassandra had a very idealized version of what the Chosen One would be and had even fallen in love with her "ideal". Derek shattered her illusions pretty quickly, and she still hasn't come to terms with it. Cassandra is a skilled sorceress and scholar of the ancient and occult. She is very much the brains of the operation.

Whistler Singh - The son of an Indian warrior and an American artist, Whistler is a huge bruiser skilled in a variety of weapons and combat styles. Like his father, Whistler is a member of the Holy Defenders, a secret society of warriors devoted to the protection of holy men. It is his job to bodyguard the Chosen One, and since Derek insists on doing dangerous things, most of his time is spent pulling the Chosen One's fat out of the fire. Whistler is a cool customer and skilled African whistler.

Ward Curwen - The Chosen One of Darkness, Ward is an occult scholar and amateur alchemist. Condescending and melodramatic, Ward is a sucker for flattery and can never resist telling his foes how brilliant he is once he has them in his power. Ward is obsessed with winning the Great Game and beating his rival.

Moe Manchu - While Moe plays the part of the Insidious Oriental Mastermind, he's actually from Brooklyn, a fact that becomes obvious in his speech when he gets really angry. He loves to design deathtraps, but tends to make them over-elaborate, leaving loopholes for the victims to escape through. Moe is a master of several Oriental martial arts and has some skill as a hypnotist. He is often slapping around his incompetent henchmen, Larry and Curly.

Anna Conda - This South American mercenary is quick as a snake and just as deadly. Veteran of a dozen uprisings and petty wars, Anna is an expert in the use of firearms, heavy weapons, and explosives. She has a very short fuse and a tendency to shoot first and ask questions later. Anna's the kind of person who kills an annoying mosquito with a grenade launcher.