Monday, January 31, 2011

USHER Dossiers out now from Vigilance Press!


Welcome to the USHER Dossiers!

The official setting for the “Vigilance Universe” that has appeared in our popular WWII line is now put under the spotlight. It is a world where metahumans have existed for tens of thousands of years, walking alongside ordinary men and women, sometimes in secret, other times reshaping the world to suit their desires.

In ancient times, men called these beings gods, while today they serve nation states or fight for their own beliefs and ambitions. The setting continues into the present day, where the aftermath of the Scion’s brief conquest of the planet defines the setting going forward.

This brand new metahuman universe can be used as the setting for your ICONS games, or combined with other popular metahuman settings from comics or television.

The USHER Dossiers features the following:

  • A full timeline of the setting from 70,000 BCE until the present day. This timeline devotes special attention to WWII, providing the game master with numerous events and adventure hooks she can incorporate into her campaign.
  • The Secrets of the Minuteman: For every war America has fought, the Minuteman has risen to defend her. The full secrets of the Minuteman are revealed in the USHER Dossiers.
  • Old Glory and the Savant: Two friends who have saved the world again and again, now on opposite sides of a conflict only they understand.
  • Exclusive! Live from Metahuman Network News (MNN), Exclusive brings you the metahuman beat as only a metahuman can! Once they walked the world in secret, then they styled themselves as gods, then national heroes, now metahumans have entered the “reality show” generation!
  • Old Guard and MAN: The Old Guard are a “human first” organization who believe humans must defend themselves against a rising tide of metahuman influence. MAN, the Mutant Army of Nationalism believes metahumans are the next step in human evolution and destined to the rule the planet. Innocent men and women are caught in the crossfire between these two terrorist groups.
  • Pawn Broker: Need a government propped up or taken down? Are you a mastermind who needs a little hired muscle to conquer the world? Well the Pawn Broker is here for you friend. Bringing you the finest in state of the art battlesuit technology. No budget is too large or too small.
  • Time Enforcement Agency (TEA): Patrolling the lanes of the space-time continuum, TEA protects the integrity of history from meddlesome time travelers and records the past for their mysterious leader, The Chronicle.
  • The Scion: This intergalactic despot had the entire Earth in his grasp for three years. Though the planet is free once again, the effects of his rule threaten to tear the planet apart. And deep within the walls of Rock City, the Mad Emperor lies caged, plotting his revenge.
Check it out!

Sunday, January 09, 2011

Field Guide to Superheroes Vol. 2


The Field Guide Vol. 2 continues the definitive encyclopedia of superhero archetypes in modern comics.

Written by Jason "Dr. Comics" Tondro, who studied comics for his PhD in Literature, the Field Guide is a gold mine of ideas and inspiration for your next hero. After a discussion of each archetype generally, the Field Guide then gives a fully fleshed out hero, suitable for immediate use as a PC or important NPC in your ICONS campaign.

Rather than break archetypes down by power set, the Field Guide looks at the character's origin and role in the story. This makes the archetypes much more versatile and puts the emphasis on character, rather than power.

Here's a short list of the ten archetypes discussed in this second volume of the Field Guide to Superheroes.

  • The Descendant: A second generation hero carrying on the legacy of a mentor or relative.
  • The Divine Hero: An avatar of a living religion such as Christianity or Judaism.
  • The Embodiment: A living manifestation of an idea or natural force such as speed or justice.
  • The Ex-Con: A petty criminal turned hero.
  • Femme Feline: Dangerous, ambiguous and attractive, she represents the most popular variant of the animal hero.
  • Feral Hero: A Jeckyll and Hyde character, this hero struggles with a dark inner self.
  • Focused Hero: This hero has only one power which he has mastered completely.
  • Gadget Guy/Girl: Is a scientist who uses technology to fight crime.
  • Handicapped Hero: Has a serious disability which doesn't prevent him or her from fighting crime.
  • Jungle Hero: A caretaker of a hidden land.

Night Ride Part 1

Night Ride Part 1 “Look, Pa, it’s my turn. Also, Nana is having one of her spells again and she has no idea who I am when she gets this w...