Since people are talking about Champions of late, I was wondering if anyone here still plays V&V at all? The game has seen a slight resurgence, and quite a bit of new releases have come out in the last two years.
I started playing it again about 2 years ago with a local group that has played on and off for over 20 years, and have been having a blast. The GM has a set of house rules he implemented, but I'm finding out once more how much fun this game was. It was my first supers game before Champions, and I have find memories of playing/running both games in my younger years.
The game is pretty solid even now. Which is why I fear 3E's upcoming "modernization" there are issues it has, but none that need to be really scourged. Just improved by tweaking. (Jumping being one of the whacky rules that doesn't quite work well without houserules.)
I love V&V, but not as much as more free flowing games like MSH, Marvel Saga, H&S, Truth & Justice.
Still I've pages of NPC's, and based off me PC's as well as randomly rolled ones.
Its a good game.
I guess I'm in the other camp. It's okay but needs some serious modernization.
I'd like to see the first edition origin types back as a power type filter. I'd like a cleaner stat based method of figuring carrying capacity and hit points. A benchmark table for playing yourself would be nice too. And of course a bit of a skill system.
In principle I really like the game but I think it could be a lot better with a little tweaking.
What I don't want to see is Living Legends or whatever it was. Keep it clean and simpler, just clean it up a bit around the corners. I keep saying that for some reason...I feel...compelled...to suggest a big box of vinyl figures and some cardboard sky scrapers....strange...
Quote from: David Johansen;567708What I don't want to see is Living Legends or whatever it was. Keep it clean and simpler, just clean it up a bit around the corners. I keep saying that for some reason...I feel...compelled...to suggest a big box of vinyl figures and some cardboard sky scrapers....strange...
That would be cool too. Especially with generic versions in the game we can paint/color from the old chits and Dee/Herman art..
For me, the game is a great spot between the complexity of Champions and the simple nature of twerps. The game really is not complex and you are encouraged to modify powers to suit the group and game. I recommend a calculator during character creation, but afterward no need for one. And you only need it for 2 calculations then.
The game is a lot of fun during play and runs quite fast with familiarity.
A few minor tweaks here and there, but eventually, I am sure there will be revision.
It's a great game with plenty of staying power that has the best GM/Player flexibility out there.
Love this game.
only bad thing is the agility break if agility gets out of control due to multiple attacks and additional damage.
Wow V&V, haven't played that in ages.
Running an occasional V&V campaign for the last 5 years or so. Players like the game (flaws & all) because its entertaining.
Current roster:
The Stove: Super-endurance & able to shoot a jet of fire.
Body Check: High-Flying Hockey player w/ Titanium goalie stick.
Loosewire: Power Blast, 'nuff said.
Oblivion: Flies using wings made from dark-energy, energized talons too.
Doc Snooze: Able to fire a beam that puts the target to sleep instantly.
Mace-n-Dixon: Good ol' boy w/ an energized flail.
Zamboni: Master of Cold.
Having played V&V on-and-off for the last 25+ years, I like the game's overall ease of character generation (10 minutes for most characters, 30 minutes for the occasional complex ones). The original concept of playing "yourself, but in super-hero form" is novel and useful for players that have never played RPGs before (OK, Dave...what would YOU do in this situation), but the novelty wears off after the first hero. Making up my own comic-style universe is more entertaining and allows for a broader character base.
Combat is a little tricky for people that are used to the standard d20 mechanic. In V&V the object is to roll low. So much for that lucky 'always rolls 20s' die. Each power has an attack type with a base target number that you have to roll beneath. There are defense types that can alter that target number. As long as you remember to apply all modifiers to the target number instead of the die roll, you should be good to go.
While on the subject of combat an important, but often neglected, part is the level-vs.-level table. If you are squaring off against a hero of the same level as you, there is a -1 modifier to the attack. If you are more experienced, this penalty becomes a bonus, based on your level. The opposite is true as well; experienced villains know how to dodge your attacks.
The game world in V&V is our world with a few tweaks...but it is mostly left wide open for the game master to develop. If you want a world similar to the "X-Men", "Judge Dredd" or "Justice League" it is all easily done. The high-tech government organization known as C.H.E.S.S. gives the heroes an ally & information source similar to S.H.I.E.L.D. while the villainous group known as "Intercrime" runs in the shadows, a mega-corporation of criminal industry. How you use these organizations is also open for interpretation.
Overall, the game can be a little math heavy with certain powers, but nothing a player with a simple calculator can't handle. The idea of 'game balance' didn't exist when V&V came out, so some characters may be grossly overpowered while others are veritable weaklings, and I find this can make for some interesting interactions. One player rolled a high Agility character that wiped the walls with all villains before the next hero could act...and then rolled an empath with only 6 hit points. These tend to be extremes, but both were entertaining to watch in action. And that's really the point of these games, isn't it?
I've never actually played Villains & Vigilantes, but I do have the comic book from... I think it was the 80's, but it could have been _very_ yearly 90's. The plot involved two new superheros, a pair of friends, who are attempting to join the big name supergroup only to find that they've been captured by, I believe, Dr. Destroyer.
Quote from: jcfiala;568419I've never actually played Villains & Vigilantes, but I do have the comic book from... I think it was the 80's, but it could have been _very_ yearly 90's. The plot involved two new superheros, a pair of friends, who are attempting to join the big name supergroup only to find that they've been captured by, I believe, Dr. Destroyer.
Nope. Mimic and the Crushers. I've got the set of comics.
Quote from: Silverlion;568544Nope. Mimic and the Crushers. I've got the set of comics.
As do I. The comic actually emulated the storyline of the module "Crisis at Crusader Citadel", which came with the box set.
I still run my V&V campaign. It's one of my 'fill in' games. Everyone has characters so if we are between games we play a couple of night of V&V. My current gaming group comprise the team The Valiants working out of Lakeside City (thinly veiled Chicago). They are the 5th team of players to form up in my campaign world over the years. The Valiants' roster is:
Nightmare (Fear projection, Super strength and Intangibility)
Mr. Carnival (Telepathy, Illusion Creation, Light Manipulation)
Peregrin (Flight, super speed, high agility)
High Priestess (Telepathy, Telekinesis, Astral Projection, Emotion Projection: Awe)
Dark Space (Darkness Projection, Disintegration Ray)
Vox (Sonic Powers, Force Fields)
Honeysuckle (Super Strength, Super Con. Entangling Vines and a Pollen projection power that attacks a victims power score)
I'm running V&V 2nd ed. currently. Though I would pick up the version just out of curiosity. If it was too difficult to translate the characters over I would probably not use it.The world has been running for so long it would just be too much of a headache if they did a complete re-write.
Quote from: urbwar;568559As do I. The comic actually emulated the storyline of the module "Crisis at Crusader Citadel", which came with the box set.
Indeed it does, with a few changes (level ups) on most characters parts, and the few swapouts--Hauntress the ghostly villain who was once the Shrew.
The edition that is being sold by Monkey House Games (Jack Herman & Jeff Dee's game company) is considered version 2.1, so modifying characters to that edition should be easy. The original 2nd edition game is still available from FGU.
3rd edition V&V is still under construction.
I don't think you'll be seeing MHG selling v2.1 much longer. It is my undertanding that FGU was ruled as never dissolved so MHG jumped the gun on this in more wys than one.
I wouldn't expect MHG to be allowed to produce 3.0 if this is correct.
Did they "fix" your strength score determining how much damage you did with firearms in any of the editions?
Not to say I didn't find it charming!
Quote from: Imaginos;568863I wouldn't expect MHG to be allowed to produce 3.0 if this is correct.
They could still produce it. it just couldn't be called V&V 3.0
Quote from: urbwar;568944They could still produce it. it just couldn't be called V&V 3.0
True. Though in hat case they could save the effort and just rerelease Living Legends.
Quote from: Imaginos;568863I don't think you'll be seeing MHG selling v2.1 much longer. It is my undertanding that FGU was ruled as never dissolved so MHG jumped the gun on this in more wys than one.
I wasn't able to find any references online via google - where'd this happen?
Quote from: jcfiala;569139I wasn't able to find any references online via google - where'd this happen?
I read it on the wiki entry for V&V. Here's the section (I bolded the part about the Judgement in favor of FGU):
QuoteAs of 2011, the game's creators are involved in a legal dispute with Fantasy Games Unlimited. They claim that Fantasy Games Unlimited, Inc. ceased to exist in 1991, and that their contract specified that in such an event the rights would revert to them, and that therefore the current Fantasy Games Unlimited (which they claim is a separate legal entity, although with the same owner) has no right to sell V&V material[5]. A court case filed in U.S. Federal court, Arizona district (REFERENCE: case no. 2:2011-cv-02036) supports the claim by Fantasy Games Unlimited that the owner properly followed procedure to continue with the obligations of the New York business entity in continued operations as the Arizona entity. The case also asserts further that at the time of its dissolution in New York, FGU was current on all obligations with that state and in good standing which then devolved into the entity currently operating simply as Fantasy Games Unlimited. A judgment given on July 11th, 2012, on the first two counts of case no. 2:2011-cv-02036 in U.S. Federal court, Arizona district ruled in favor siding with Scott Bizar resulting Jeff Dee and Jack Herman being guilty of libel and unfair business practice causing unspecified damages to the plaintiff. More judgments on other counts were still pending as of that date. The judgment ordered (not withstanding any other punitive measures to be determined for damages on all counts) the defendants within 30 days to post conspicuously in every place on the internet a retraction/corrective measure where their false statements have been posted. Whether or not they comply with this remains to be seen.
In addition, I emailed Scott Bizar to see if they might be willing to allow 3rd parties to produce V&V material. He told me that the case is still ongoing, but that they had won the first round. Jeff Dee seems to be posting about rpg material other than V&V of late (on FB, all he talks about is his art kickstarters, cavemaster, and the Pathfinder version of Quicksilver), and Jack Herman seems to not be online much of late. They haven't released anything since Ancient Evil, and the supposed re-release of Bill Willingham's Death Duel with the Destroyers/Island of Doctor Apocalypse omnibus in full color hasn't been mentioned in about a year. On the other hand, FGU keeps pumping out product at a decent rate, and it's been pretty good quality as well. I think that tends to support that this appears to be true.
There is also a new "Official Announcement" on the Monkey House Games site here (http://monkeyhousegames.com/), which was posted today. After reading this statement, it seems that the wiki article hold some truth, as they are making a public apology regarding some statements made in the past (mostly, iirc, made by Jeff Dee).
ouch
Methinks this bodes ill...
The lawsuit has worked out in Bizar's favor as it has drawn attention to V&V again. It was only after Monkey House Games started printing their updated version that FGU started cranking up the presses again. Also, .pdf sales have given new life to these older games.
Quote from: David Johansen;569243ouch
Methinks this bodes ill...
Not really.While MHG might have started things with 2.1, they released very little product. There's 3 or 4 that I can think of, 2 of which were, iirc, freebies. on the other hand, FGU has put out around 12 new products, possibly more (I haven't been keeping track), with one just released this week, and at least 3 in the pipeline. Maybe Dee & Herman got interest going again, but it's FGU who've really supplied the demand that is there for product.
It's sad that both sides couldn't work things out, but Dee/Herman made their bed, and now have to lie in it. They've been working on what they were going to call V&V 3.0, but as Jeff Dee has been pimping other rpg materials (along with redoing his old D&D), it seems they knew things were going south for awhile now.
Quote from: Roll 3d6;569261The lawsuit has worked out in Bizar's favor as it has drawn attention to V&V again. It was only after Monkey House Games started printing their updated version that FGU started cranking up the presses again. Also, .pdf sales have given new life to these older games.
Considering there's a forum for V&V that is quite active (and was so while no one was releasing stuff), there was a built in, if small, customer base ready to buy stuff. The lawsuit might have brought some new people into it (or like me, back to it), but I still don't think the game is anywhere near where it used to be in popularity.
I still enjoy playing it, but more for the fact our GM is one of the best I've ever had, and not necessarily the game system itself (especially given his extensive house rules that make it play better, imho)
I wish personally that they'd realize it work best if Dee and Herman had the writes and would willing sub-license them for supplements to Bizar. Because lets be franks--its been almost dead for years and years, and its been propelled to activity thanks to Dee and Herman.
Sometimes the Shadowrun way of solving problems is best.
I read that V&V entry on Wikipedia several weeks ago. I thought it a bit odd that they were treating what looks like simply moving a business from New York to Arizona as a full on winding down of business. Businesses relocate all the time for whatever advantages they can gain.
Quote from: Lynn;569389[...] they were treating what looks like simply moving a business from New York to Arizona as a full on winding down of business.
That wasn't what happened.
The original FGU was dissolved by proclamation by the state of New York in 1991 for failing to pay their incorporation fees (basically an annual fee paid to the state for a corporation to exist as a legal entity independent of its proprietors). Dee and Herman said that it was dissolved for failing to pay
taxes, which is potentially libelous since it implies tax evasion (a crime).
Scott Bizar is currently operating as Fantasy Games Unlimited under a "doing business as" license, usually a way for sole proprietorships to fake looking like an independent corporation without actually being one. Despite having the same name and sole proprietor, "Fantasy Games Unlimited" and "Scott Bizar d/b/a Fantasy Games Unlimited" are not the same company and there does not appear to be any continuity between the two.
TL;DR: Dee and Herman shot their mouths off about the fiddly details of FGU's business operations and it cost them their suit.
Quote from: daniel_ream;569394That wasn't what happened.
The original FGU was dissolved by proclamation by the state of New York in 1991 for failing to pay their incorporation fees (basically an annual fee paid to the state for a corporation to exist as a legal entity independent of its proprietors). Dee and Herman said that it was dissolved for failing to pay taxes, which is potentially libelous since it implies tax evasion (a crime).
Scott Bizar is currently operating as Fantasy Games Unlimited under a "doing business as" license, usually a way for sole proprietorships to fake looking like an independent corporation without actually being one. Despite having the same name and sole proprietor, "Fantasy Games Unlimited" and "Scott Bizar d/b/a Fantasy Games Unlimited" are not the same company and there does not appear to be any continuity between the two.
TL;DR: Dee and Herman shot their mouths off about the fiddly details of FGU's business operations and it cost them their suit.
That much I got. What I don't get is how Bizar-dba gets to publish V&V content if the original legal entity FGU is gone (even if he owned both).
Quote from: Silverlion;569376Because lets be franks--its been almost dead for years and years, and its been propelled to activity thanks to Dee and Herman.
Quote from: Roll 3d6;569261It was only after Monkey House Games started printing their updated version that FGU started cranking up the presses again. Also, .pdf sales have given new life to these older games.
These two statements are both incorrect. FGU was already in the process of releasing NEW material when MHG made their announcement. New products were already contracted out.
Quote from: jcfiala;569139I wasn't able to find any references online via google - where'd this happen?
I might have misspoke. I was aware of the required retraction and might have read too much into it at this point.
Quote from: daniel_ream;569394That wasn't what happened.
The original FGU was dissolved by proclamation by the state of New York in 1991 for failing to pay their incorporation fees (basically an annual fee paid to the state for a corporation to exist as a legal entity independent of its proprietors). Dee and Herman said that it was dissolved for failing to pay taxes, which is potentially libelous since it implies tax evasion (a crime).
Scott Bizar is currently operating as Fantasy Games Unlimited under a "doing business as" license, usually a way for sole proprietorships to fake looking like an independent corporation without actually being one. Despite having the same name and sole proprietor, "Fantasy Games Unlimited" and "Scott Bizar d/b/a Fantasy Games Unlimited" are not the same company and there does not appear to be any continuity between the two.
TL;DR: Dee and Herman shot their mouths off about the fiddly details of FGU's business operations and it cost them their suit.
Of course, a court in Arizona determined that there was continuity between the two as part of their judgement when they found Dee/Herman guilty of libel and unfair business practice. Whether or not that was the right decision is something time will tell, but that appears to be what the court ruled.
Quote from: Silverlion;569376Because lets be franks--its been almost dead for years and years, and its been propelled to activity thanks to Dee and Herman.
I thought the same thing myself. However, while no new product was coming out, there was still a very loyal group of people playing it. There is (and was for some time) a dedicated forum for the game, run by John Bua, who is the GM for the group I play V&V in. There was also Patric Rogers site (iirc, it was called Morpheus Unbound). These were mostly overlooked because many moved on to other games. But for those who still actively played it (one campaign has been going on for 20 years or more), the game wasn't considered dead.
I would have liked to have seen them get the rights back. However, they went about it the wrong way (likely at the advice of a lawyer who obviously gave them bad advice). Does it suck? Of course it does. However, unless they can win an appeal, I think they're not going to get the rights back. The crux of their case was judged to not be true by an Arizona court, so I suspect their own suit won't last much longer.
I was really looking forward to that color re-release of Death Duel with the Destroyers/Island of Doctor Apocalypse omnibus too.
Quote from: CRKrueger;569401That much I got. What I don't get is how Bizar-dba gets to publish V&V content if the original legal entity FGU is gone (even if he owned both).
If you read what I quoted earlier in the thread, a court ruled that the NY FGU had fulfilled it's obligations before becoming the one in Arizona. I assume that means that all deals from the old FGU transferred to the new one.
Quote from: urbwar;569562Of course, a court in Arizona determined that there was continuity between the two as part of their judgement when they found Dee/Herman guilty of libel and unfair business practice. Whether or not that was the right decision is something time will tell, but that appears to be what the court ruled.
This. The central issue of the suit was not the the legal status of FGU post-dissolution, but rather the charges against Dee and Herman.
IANAL, but it is entirely possible that even though there was no actual legal continuity between the two companies, the judge ruled that way as part of a ruling-in-the-plantiff's-favour decision. As it's a civil suit, the judge isn't so much bound by the truth as by making an equitable judgment. So he could have said the legal equivalent of "well, the two companies weren't continuous, but you guys have been such right dicks about the whole thing that I'm ruling they were, just 'cause. Nyah."
Quote from: daniel_ream;569573This. The central issue of the suit was not the the legal status of FGU post-dissolution, but rather the charges against Dee and Herman.
True. But since this was the main part of their case against FGU, this judgement is going to affect that, because right or wrong, a judged ruled that their claims are wrong (at least, that's what I'm getting from what was written). It will be interesting to see how this judgement affect's their case against FGU
Anyway, enough talk of legal issues between FGU/MHG. Anyone else care to talk about the game itself?
It would be unfair to criticize it for being the things that it is - overcomplicated exception-laden D&D clone, etc. - because of its vintage. I have two issues with the system that keep me from enjoying it: high Carrying Capacity characters have grossly inflated damage compared to other Powers/character types, and for a game based on the Silver Age of comic books the combat mechanics are likely to produce dead heroes and villains pretty frequently. The pick-list superpower system means that all heroes/villains with a particular power will look the same. Its age means it's not much more than a combat system, and so it doesn't support the standard comic book trope of having to out-think or outwit the villain; generally conflicts are last-man-standing slugfests.
The strength of V&V was always the art and character design. The adventures were often either amateurish or just dungeon crawls with a supervillain lair substituting for a dungeon. Worst are the "gamer porn" adventures, where the adventure is set at a comic book convention or in another dimension that's just like D&D.
There are notable exceptions. I've run an expanded version of the Death Duel with the Destroyers/Island of Dr. Apocalypse duology more times than I can count in multiple superhero systems. F.O.R.C.E. and Assassin are also good. Ken Cliffe's work for the system is notable for its enthusiasm and faithfulness to the genre tropes, but generally needs editing to be usable.
Very good points Daniel. I definitely agree about how battles can turn into slugfests at times.
One of the things that got me back into playing it was our gm's extensive house rules (which can be found here (http://www.villainsandvigilantesforum.com/RuleBookModifier.doc)).
Being able to use inventing points for power stunts and such has been helpful. It actually saved my character's life in our last adventure (he was caught in a massive explosion, but his battlesuit's ADR was down to about 10 pts, and between low power and hits he had taken would have died. The gm allowed me to attempt to use a device I had designed to modulate my light control attack to affect incorporeal beings to shift myself into the Astral Plane. Saved my life, but my armor was disintegrated in the blast. Now he has to spend to build a new suit. Guess it's a good thing he's rich!). I like some of the modifications he's made to powers as well, and I like the rules for rolling with damage (which I tend to forget at the table, hence my needing a copy of the House Rules handy at all times)
As I stated previously, my main enjoyment is how good I consider my gm to be. His world is very detailed (he has many posts with tidbits about the world on his forum), and I really like how he blends various things together. We've fought aliens (and alien supers), demons, mythos entities (one of which was the physical form of Cthulhu, which was only 1/3 of the total being, thank god!), in addition to mundane villains. In his world, there is a chance you can go insane; it almost happened to me once, but due to his Karma rules (where you spend xp for an opportunity to reroll certain failures), I was able to overcome the urge to go crazy.
Ok enough rambling about the campaign I'm in :p
Quote from: daniel_ream;569394That wasn't what happened.
The original FGU was dissolved by proclamation by the state of New York in 1991 for failing to pay their incorporation fees (basically an annual fee paid to the state for a corporation to exist as a legal entity independent of its proprietors). Dee and Herman said that it was dissolved for failing to pay taxes, which is potentially libelous since it implies tax evasion (a crime).
Scott Bizar is currently operating as Fantasy Games Unlimited under a "doing business as" license, usually a way for sole proprietorships to fake looking like an independent corporation without actually being one. Despite having the same name and sole proprietor, "Fantasy Games Unlimited" and "Scott Bizar d/b/a Fantasy Games Unlimited" are not the same company and there does not appear to be any continuity between the two.
TL;DR: Dee and Herman shot their mouths off about the fiddly details of FGU's business operations and it cost them their suit.
Before a lot of misinformation gets out in this forum too:
FGU was in good standing in New York before it purposely stopped doing business there: It allowed itself to stop doing business there. It's assets belong to the primary shareholder, Bizar. He kept up the obligations of the corporation and continued to do business legally in Arizona, where he paid all fees and taxes necessary since 1987. All his contracts contiued to be legal and in full force.
FGU installs the copyright on behalf of all its creators, including Jeff and Jack. Dee and Herman own the copyright to the likenesses and the work which allows them to be paid royalties. They are not supposed to use those likenesses in a competing product (including Living Legends).They do not own the MARK which is demonstrated by use and formed because of a recognized business USE. It doesn't matter that Dee or Herman wrote the rules or drew pictures in this regard, FGU created the MARK and the BRAND.
MHG did NOT start the V&V revival, that again would be FGU in 2009 by allowing Woodrum to use the mark to test the water and contracting Woodrum and Satter in December 2009 and February 2010, respectively to release new paid products.
MHG did not even begin operation until May 2010, and that 2.1 fiasco was nothing more than the Revised edition with art from Living Legends and Jeff Dee's sketchbook thrown together in a PDF that didn't even have a completed back cover until July 2010.
I understand being fans of the creative team, but this is not a creator's rights issue. This is about publishing and trademark law, not copyright law.
The heap of evidence referred to by MHG in their statement was due to be turned in on June 22nd, 2012. Witnesses, expert testimony, documents, etc... They turned in nothing.
It's almost over now, and the game is what is supposed to be important here. No more slamming FGU. We didn't do anything wrong and there was no devious plot to steal this from MHG, rather the evidence points the other way.
I'd like to think the game can go on without any more bickering.
If anyone has anything positive to say about things we're releasing, I'm all for it.
Quote from: daniel_ream;569394The original FGU was dissolved by proclamation by the state of New York in 1991 for failing to pay their incorporation fees (basically an annual fee paid to the state for a corporation to exist as a legal entity independent of its proprietors). Dee and Herman said that it was dissolved for failing to pay taxes, which is potentially libelous since it implies tax evasion (a crime).
Scott Bizar is currently operating as Fantasy Games Unlimited under a "doing business as" license, usually a way for sole proprietorships to fake looking like an independent corporation without actually being one. Despite having the same name and sole proprietor, "Fantasy Games Unlimited" and "Scott Bizar d/b/a Fantasy Games Unlimited" are not the same company and there does not appear to be any continuity between the two.
DBA / Sole proprietorship is a legitimate form of business (I wouldn't do it that way, but it is). Changing from one type of business to another also doesn't qualify as disolving/winding down/etc. That happens all the time, again, usually for tax purposes or simplification of management.
Was there any actual continuity between that 1991 fee issue and the formation of the company in Arizona? There's no reason to pay a fee if you are leaving the state. If they were relatively close in time, then there shouldn't have been an issue - or was it something crazy, like several years later?
Quote from: AlabasterKnight;569711...He kept up the obligations of the corporation and continued to do business legally in Arizona, where he paid all fees and taxes necessary since 1987. All his contracts contiued to be legal and in full force.
Okay, that answered my question. That does look like continuity to me.
Quote from: Silverlion;569376I wish personally that they'd realize it work best if Dee and Herman had the writes and would willing sub-license them for supplements to Bizar. Because lets be franks--its been almost dead for years and years, and its been propelled to activity thanks to Dee and Herman.
I wish personally, people would realize that Scott is the publisher and Jeff and Jack's participation would have had the
same impact had they agreed to simply
return.
Let's be more frank; had Dee accepted Scott's offer take the keys to the car and drive it anywhere he wanted to take it... to come back and promote the game in March/April of 2010 ....
instead of running out to form MHG to spite him, we'd have a robust revival with all hands on deck.
Just for the sake of interest, Alabaster, who are you exactly? An FGU employee?
Quote from: CRKrueger;569927Just for the sake of interest, Alabaster, who are you exactly? An FGU employee?
My name is James Bishop. I am a illustrator, writer, and proponent of the game Villains and Vigilantes. I've drawn 10 full length books, 3 mini-adventures, of which I wrote 1 of each of those. I am working on finishing illustrating another full length book, and after that's complete (almost there!), I have two more full length books in the pipe, both of which I also wrote for V&V. I'm also on a 3rd of 3 Daredevils adventures to be release in a volume soon. All for FGU fee-for service.
I have deep knowledge of the real events from a very unique point of view and am only posting straight information in the interest that enough bad information that is untrue is out there, but now the truth is actually starting to trickle out. This topic has been fed an overabundance of misinformation and assumption about the laws of our land and the way they affect this issue.
I am able to represent FGU as someone 'in the know' to post authoritatively but not officially. I'm not trying to deceive people, but I don't speak '
for' Scott or FGU as an official, although I am aware of the boundaries of what I am authorized by Scott to disclose if fans/posters want to ask questions (since Scott has no interest in maintaining forum presence).
PS: I'm not trying to be a jerk and I love V&V with all my heart. It is a shame the way this has all had to go and it's so far been very costly. It (the legalities) will be over soon and perhaps V&V will actually see more promotion when we aren't wasting resources fighting about it.
Quote from: daniel_ream;569654...D&D clone...
That's actually one of the reason I quite like it!
Welcome to the RPG Site, James/Alabaster. Thanks for telling your side of the story. This thread makes me want to check out V&V, in fact.
Quote from: Benoist;569984Welcome to the RPG Site, James/Alabaster. Thanks for telling your side of the story. This thread makes me want to check out V&V, in fact.
Ironically, the FGU version of the rulebook is much cheaper than the MHG version, which is being sold through Cubicle 7 currently. I'm planning on getting a new copy of the FGU one, as the MHG one's text is a bit smaller (and my eyesight has taken a hit in the last year due to diabetes), so it's harder for me to read.
Quote from: Benoist;569984Welcome to the RPG Site, James/Alabaster. Thanks for telling your side of the story.
Hear, hear! As a fan & GM of V&V for a long time, I am glad to see new products being released, regardless of who is releasing them. Thank you for setting us straight, Alabaster.
Roll 3d6
Some of the more 'entertaining' powers in V&V are the customizable ones, such as "Body Power", "Mutant Power" and "Psionics". These powers give the player & GM open license to create whatever they want within reason. Some examples I have used are:
- Body Power: Centauroid, roll on the Animal/Plant power table to find what animal the character's lower half is.
- Psionics: Insanity: The Psionic character attacks the target's mind, slowly driving them mad. Attack as Emotion Control. If successful, the target suffers 1d6 points of damage to their Intelligence statistic. If their Intelligence stat should ever drop below 3, the character is considered insane. An insane character may react violently for no reason or just sit in the corner and drool. The effects are temporary as lost Intelligence points are regained at a rate equal to the character's Heal Rate per day.
What sort of interesting customized powers have you come up with?
For those who are new to V&v -- or just getting back into the game -- the Free Downloads page on the FGU website includes several free villains, adventure/rules supplements, and counters. Even if you use other game systems, some of these free materials might be of interest.
Here's the link:
http://www.fantasygamesunlimited.net/page7.html
So I ran a session tonight for our regular Gm and one other player. It was a golden age era game, set in my own loose setting. The two heroes, Dr. Mysterious and The Sweet Scientist, fought a villain named Electru (an actual character from the comics). After dealing with members of his gang, the faced down the villain as he tried to off high ranking officers of the NYPD meeting to discuss strategy about The Council of Crime, a group Electru was trying to join. He sizzled both our heroes a bit, but in the end, they prevailed, and Electru (imprisoned in a makeshift cell made from a bank vault) is awaiting trial on multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, and other various counts against him.
A decent, but enjoyable first session. I look forward to when I can run something again for them.