Menagerie Card Help

It sounds great :smile:

Things are progressing a bit slower than expected with Unmute, but still progressing. I still need three more art assets and one of them is going to be a bit tricky, but I think once I have the composition right everything else will fall into place.


One thing I don't think I've talked about is exactly what decks I want to do. My initial plan was just to do the final configuration of the Menagerie and some villains I found interesting and call it a day, but ambition has gotten the better of me and I now have a three-tier system that ranks everything from MUST HAVE to WOULD BE COOL TO HAVE.

MUST HAVE
Hero Decks
Charade DONE
Concord
Ghost Girl DONE
Mercury
Radiance DONE

Villain Decks
Netherwarden (Ghostheart rebrand) DONE
Tyran Corporation (Rook Industries rebrand)
Unmute (Iconoclast rebrand) DONE

Environment Decks
Downtown Halcyon
Oakland Cemetery
St. Lucia Medical

WOULD LIKE TO HAVE
Hero Decks
A10
Armiger
Jason Quill
Link and Pneuma (both represented in a single deck)

Villain Decks
The Azure Empire (Vyrotivia/Dread Queen rebrand)
The Christmas Invasion
Clockwork (Doctor Infinity rebrand)
The Concordant Trio

Environment Decks
AEGIS Prison Break
Halcyon International
The Sepiaverse

WOULD BE COOL TO HAVE
Hero Decks
Hot Mess
The Newmen Brothers (Otto, Mo, and Bill)
Nono
Snowman
Space Bug (Farlander rebrand) (?!)
Super Chica

Villain Decks
The Architects of Evil (Blaster of Paris, the Flying Bu�ress, Intern, Madhesive, Rubble Rouser,
and Super-Grandma)
Grasscutter One (Carbine rebrand)
Sablestar (rebranded, eventually)

Environment Decks
The Orphean Market

On top of these, I also have some decks from other superhero games I’ve played/run I would like to make for myself, mostly because I think more people need to experience the awfulness of Cortex Rex and Cybersaurs (still one of my greatest accomplishments as a GM, by far).

Ambition is a hell of a thing.

2 Likes

Similar to Link & Pneuma, what if you had a combo Hot Mess/Nono deck on the list? That means one fewer item on the backlog.

We haven’t seen much of Big Bill outside a couple teamups, and nothing of Mo. That’ll be changing soon.

I’ve been writing the Trio more toward anti-hero territory but they could still function as villains. I do have some space villains in the works…

2 Likes

That is true, and everything in the Would be Cool to Have list is so far out (other than Space Bug which is due to my love for feral gremlin characters and him mostly being based on when I played him in supers game two years ago) that it’s highly possible that they could work like that. It’s also entirely possible they just show up as non-character targets in other decks (Alex AND Hot Mess in the AEGIS deck? It could work.)

Oh yeah, they definitely fall more into the “was antagonists in a handful of stories” camp than strictly villains. If I get far enough, I would really want to release a hero deck version of the Trio (and Ghostheart/Netherwarden) for exactly that reason. Sentinels of the Multiverse did that exact same thing, so I think I’m allowed.

2 Likes

So now that we have the list of decks, let’s assign some level of efforts to them.

Clockwork [villain deck]
I honestly have no idea how to handle this deck. Its entirely possible to have it be a big supers slugfest (that was kind of what the original fight looked like) but time travellers have the possibility of leading to interesting mechanics (the Cauldron’s Mistress of Fate basically plays out like Groundhog’s Day, while Marvel Champions’ take on Kang the Conqueror involves the heroes getting split up into different time periods fighting different incarnations of Kang and having to regroup) and I feel like Clockwork warrants at least exploring that possibility.
LOE: High

Jason Quill [hero deck]
There are two paths to take with Jason: play up the nanites or play up the science adventurer. You could go with both, but I would be worried that if you attached mechanics to either, you would leave yourself a bit bare there. I currently have one that goes all in on the nanites, but I think it doesn’t show off enough of Jason’s character and will likely go much more into the science adventurer route with the nanites just being something that are there but don’t have a lot of mechanics around them.

That said, I do kind of want there to be a mechanical hook to Jason in case I ever feel the need to make a deck for the evil version of Jason from the future, that way I can make that villain a riff on Jason’s existing mechanics.
LOE: Medium

Grasscuter One [villain deck]
Bill’s rebranding of Carbine as the mercenary group of the Grasscuters instantly sparked a lot of ideas for me. And I have the basics of a deck already drafted for their leader, Grasscuter One. Currently, there’s an effort among the Playtest Group to make villains for the Vengeance Mode of play (where instead of fighting a single villain, you fight a team of three-to-five villains) that aren’t a pain in the butt and scale horrendously, but Vengeance mode is perfect for relatively one-note villains and I think GC1 qualifies there.

Really, the biggest challenge here is going to be fluff and theming. I have styled GC1 as a former Chin follower and most likely a Charade nemesis, so I’m probably just going to need to run some stuff by Dave to make sure they fit his vision for the followers of Achilles.
LOE: Low

Bonus Round: Environments
Environments are simulantously very easy and very hard. They’re easy in that you can just slap a bunch of mechanics together and call them a deck, and they fall right in line with what already exists out there both canon and fan-created. But they are difficult in that it means they live and die by theming.

And the Menagerie’s fights tended to not matter too much about where they took place at. It says a lot that when I think of strong ideas for environments, a particular museum and an under construction skyscraper come to mind more clearly than anywhere the Menagerie went.

Oakland Cemetery is on the easier end: Ghosts. Lots of ghosts and ghost adjacent things.

St. Lucia Medical is a mixed bag: I can pull some stuff from the Menagerie’s fight with the Trio, some stuff with Silver Streak while he was laid up with the mental whammy put on him, and also cheat in Doctor Liljenquist from CWC. That might be enough, but we’ll see.

Downtown Halcyon is simultaneously too big and too small: so many things that I could include, but so few of them canon. After watching the finale of season four of Young Justice (four years after hearing about how much I should watch the show and I finally watched it over the course of last month) I’m thinking about stealing some ideas and concepts from that to flesh this out a bit. I’ll keep things vague for spoiler reasons, but hopefully I’ll have something to show off in a couple weeks.

That said, if you ever feel the desire to start making custom content for Sentinels, I wholehearted recommend starting with environments.

2 Likes

The Magic Kingdom” is going to be all about time war from the time warriors’ perspective. It’s Summer, Jordan, Nassir Amari, Ghost Girl, and Ghostheart vs. Doctor Infinity. Hopefully how I handle it will give you some ideas.

I’ll always defer to Dave here, but Jason’s Phase Two story right now uses the “science adventurer” angle as the way he gets things done, with “nanites” being more the MacGuffin and story driver than the source of his moment-to-moment powers.

I don’t know how much you want to incorporate things like Jenny’s Poppet system, where there’s other spinoffs of Jason’s nanotech that do more specialized things, but I’m writing those in as options.

1 Like

I am both eagerly looking forward to this and completely frightened by this synopsis.

That is probably the route to go, barring Dave’s input. That could also be the basis for the separation between hero Jason (Jason who uses the nanites as a tool) and villain Jason (Jason who is all in on the nanites).

Trust me, the moment I get to use the Antibodies, the Poppet system, and Talos in any meaningful way I’m going to take it. It makes me slightly disappointed I didn’t go in on modding Marvel Champions where I could make some cool Antibody-themed modular set so that Antibodies could mix in other villains’ plots.

Hmmm, Talos as a Vengeance villain? The FSB site from The Golden Fleece as an environment? :thinking:

2 Likes

No spoilers! (Yet.) I’m trying to wangle Margie into watching the last half of the season with me.

1 Like

I always found Jason’s story and talent as a science adventurer more interesting than his nanites, so I’m with you there. The nanite stuff makes him a localized Green Lantern kind of guy, with the handicap of (early days) having it be gradually lethal. That’s okay, but that could also be pretty much anyone. The “boy adventurer / child soldier / kid actor who now has to grow up” – or just the straight adventure/action side of things – to be the fun part (they made a cartoon about it and everything).

Yup!

Or, from a character perspective, the pithing of Byron and Achilles is a turning point in more than one way. Hero Jason branches from that seeing it as peak just-crossing-the-line and will never, ever, even if he could find the power, do something like that again. Villain Jason branches off it, saying, "Well, if we could to that, just think if we tried this …" especially if we think it’s a good enough cause.

3 Likes

A bit more that happened the other day on the Discord while I was away. Given how worried I was about Charade’s deck design, it’s always good to see people naturally experiencing what I had hoped they would when they play the deck.

3 Likes

You did great work :grin:

1 Like

Okay, something I could use an extra set of eyes on. I am wrapping up an environment deck and want to also close out the flavor text. This is Challenger Park, an amalgamation of different locations from the game (the area around Tasha Star’s studio where the first couple games took place, as well as all the different coffee shops) wrapped up as an inter-city park and the surrounding area.

There are space requirements, so trust me when I say I did the best I could with the space provided.

Community Service
Art: Unmute and crew cleaning up the park.
Quote: Park clean-up sucked, but Becky still took any opportunity to get out of her cell she could. And if she got time off for good behavior, all the better.

Corner Store Snack Run
Art: Mercury running into a store to pick up an armful of snack food.
Quote: “Hey Harry,” the shop owner called to the speedster, “I got in a box of those Norwegian fish-flavored chips you wanted.” “You’re the best, Mister Fleuter!”

Falling Debris
Art: Rocks fall, everyone dies.
Quote: Lucius’ fight with his spectral foe had gotten out of hand. The creature thrashed about, tearing debris loose from any buildings it touched.

In the Shadow of Justice
Art: Armiger looking at the statue of Justice
Quote: Justice was Halcyon’s first hero and a symbol of what could be accomplished to all future generations. Today, many aspiring heroes flock to her statue for inspiration.

Interview with Tasha Star
Art: A panicky Concord sitting down with Tasha Star.
Quote: With a studio overlooking Challenger Park, Tasha Star is always on the hunt for new supers. Most think it’s for her tv show, but they don’t know her corporate sponsors.

Jaycee
Art: Jaycee at Haas Beans with a towel over her shoulder, to make her look a bit more like a boxing trainer.
Quote: Named Halcyon’s Best Barista by the Halcyon Herald, Jaycee spends her evenings improving her pastry cooking, researching history, and training the Grail Knight Will Eddison.

Lucius
Art: Lucius sitting at a table in Haas Beans, with a checker board set up in front of him.
Quote: The retired Knight only takes up the sword in times of need, but is always around for the next generation of heroes to consult in matters of the mystic and supernatural.

Power Pony
Art: Power Pony, pony on the street.
Quote: “Thanks for the tips on handling Ego Trip, I’ll relay them to Link,” Jason Quill said with a smile. “Can you also tell him to follow my Twitter? And the rest of your team too!”

Public Nuisance
Art: Ego Trip throwing a park bench at an airborne Concord.
Quote: “How does he keep getting stronger?” Jason wondered aloud. “That’s Ego Trip!” a girl behind him shouted. “He gets more powerful the more people are paying attention to him.”

Small-time Thief
Art: A bargain-bin super mugging Summer. (see above)
Quote: Kevin knew his fatigue-inducing powers wouldn’t do squat against an actual superhero, so he took to robbing coffee shops and corner stores.

Weekend Training
Art: Armiger on a morning run, while Jaycee watches with a stopwatch.
Quote: As Armiger turned the corner, Jaycee checks the stopwatch. “3:40 isn’t bad, but the rest of your team-” “Can you at least compare me to Alloy? She doesn’t fly.”

Thoughts? Corrects? Things that don’t look right if you squint at it wrong?

3 Likes
  • It’s spelled Haas Beans here and for Lucius, but was originally Has Beans. Is that change deliberate?
  • Would it be better to call him Armiger throughout, for consistency?
  • “on mystical matters” might sound better, would be shorter, and I think conveys the same thing

I think we spelled it Starr originally

I’ve been using that spelling for a while, as I thought it was the correct version. Typo ascended to canon? :stuck_out_tongue:

Likely. I have been using real names interchangeability with hero names depending on the circumstances, but I think using Armiger here might help tie things together.

See, I’m actually worried about shortening this one and creating dead space. As is, it fills the quote box nicely (max of four lines is the standard for these).
image

Looks like it. Need to get better about checking these spellings on names I don’t use frequently.

Thanks Bill!

2 Likes

Jesus, that’s how I felt playing Charade in Masks, too. :grimacing:

2 Likes

So I finished my first pass on Unmute’s bio which is definitely rough first draft. I’m going to work on so re-writes, but if anyone has recommendations feel free to add some comments in (either here or directly in the doc).

I’m also not tied to any of the details except for the broad strokes: (i.e., Unmute got her tech from Tyran, her first appearance was with Ego Trip during the first issue, she showed back up for an one-off story at St. Lucia’s hospital, eventually she gets out because Tyran faked her and other villains’ deaths) so if something sounds better, feel free to suggest it.

Looks pretty close to what happened in game, but with a new backstory. It’s JJJ if he’d been the one in the Scorpion suit

1 Like


Unmute is all wrapped up, along with digital conversions of Radiance’s Princess variant and Ghost Girl’s Christmas-themed variant are up on Steam and being pretty well received. In an odd twist of things, Spirit of the Solstice was the one I saw the most clamor for. Bizarre.

In other news, I am continuing along with my work on Challenger Park but I also managed to pull Ghost Girl’s home of Oakland Cemetery across the finish line. If I can manage to finish it and St. Lucia up, I’d like to package all three environments together since environments tend to be the least exciting new addition to the game. St. Lucia is proving difficult on that front, however, so it might be two environments.

With that in mind, I would certainly appreciate some input from @Margie on Oakland Cemetery since it is Ghost Girl’s home, though as always input from everyone is much appreciated. In particular, I feel like my handling of all of Charlotte’s dialogue is only adequate at best.

Charlotte Palmer’s Grave
Art: A mid-shot of Charlotte’s headstone. In the background, Netherwarden is lurking, just barely visible except for their glowing right eye.
Quote: Nono was very confused. “So if your ghost was turned into a person, does that mean your dead body is still down there?” “I hadn’t thought of that, dear.”

Devon Crowninshield
Art: Devon looming from a catwalk, observing something we cannot see.
Quote: Devon’s PAIMON project started a lot of buzz around Tyran Tower, he just needed suitable test subjects to test his theories on divinity.

Echoes of Battle
Art: A two card spread, with only half the art on either card (there are two copies total). Dr. Infinity/Clockwork and the Magus are locked in combat, each at arm’s length from one another.
Quote: Echoes of the battle between Clockwork and the Magus rung out throughout time and space. Just whenever one thought the fight was finally over, they reappeared.

Free-Roaming Spirits
Art: A group of ghosts (see here) are swirling around a character, probably one of the Ponies. The character looks apprehensive about this.
Quote: “They’re harmless,” Charlotte said with a laugh that betrayed whether she fully believed that. “Just don’t let too many of them gang up on you. They’re… feisty.”

Hallow’s Eve Picnic
Art: Ghost Girl and the Ponies setting up a picnic in the cemetery. Around them, friendly-looking ghosts are looking to join.
Quote: Charlotte loves these get-togethers with the girls. Leslie called it a séance, but Charlotte just saw it as a get-together between both her new families.

Magus Griffith’s Tomb
Art: A still smoldering crater in the ground, ringed with sparks of eldritch fire.
Quote: A crater named for what seemed like the end of a fatal clash between Clockwork and the Magus, but then they showed up again, and again, and again…

Manny’s Left Arm
Art: A disembodied skeletal arm strangles Pietro the Plasma Prince. Manny is floating nearby, but doesn’t seem to concerned about this.
Quote: “Watch out for it, lad!” Manny shouted as the skeletal arm wrung Pietro’s neck. “'Tis a sinister appendage!”

Whisper of Pandemonium
Art: Someone walking through the Cemetery, assaulted by ghostly faces that they do not seem to notice, except that they look unwell.
Quote: The Netherwarden’s nemesis, the terrible Pandemonium, is less an entity than an idea. A dark cloud of directionless divinity that could form wherever lost souls congregate. The pull to join is hard to reject.

Tyran Scientists
Art: A pair of nerds stealthy exploring the Cemetery. Ghosts lurk nearby.
Quote: Devon brought assistants to help him conduct his research. He did, however, fail to mention that they were also part of the test group.

Wound in the Worlds
Art: Leo Snow stands in front of a small portal with a sparking handheld device, like the sensor from the Ghostbusters movie Egon always had.
Quote: Cancerous tumors on the multiverse created from the battle between Magus Griffith and Clockwork. Ghost Girl is driven to find the answer to getting rid of them.

In particular, the quotes on Devon, Manny, and the Scientists are bit short with the Tyran pairs having a bit of dead space on the fourth line, while Manny’s only takes up part of three lines which looks super awkward in the space.
image

The quote on Whispers of Pandemonium, however, take up five lines and so could use some tightening up. What I have right now was definitely written more towards just having something to put there as opposed to something I felt strongly about, so if anyone has a better/different direction to take that one, feel free to take a crack at it.

3 Likes

Message relayed.

1 Like

Margie has read it, but not yet commented.