A more modern Warrior for the Monstrous Heartbreaker

Last week, I finally statted out a character as the first proof-of-concept exercise for my own take on a fantasy heartbreaker...a Warrior from Ravnica named Sergiu Pijha.  I'm continuing those efforts today with a modern, Earth-based character, as a way to ensure that my oh-so-generic class rules will truly be suitable for the oh-so-unpredictable genre-jumping I'm sure I'll end up doing.

I also don't know exactly how explicit I've been about it, but one of the absolute goals of the Monstrous Heartbreaker is to have a basic set of rules that translate easily to skirmish gaming with action figures.  I have this grand idea to create an accompanying set of skirmish rules called People of Adventure (as a nod to a certain classic toyline) that can be used at any scale...but it'll probably be obvious that 3.75" figures are main game pieces I'm thinking of.  (And then the name can be abbreviated POA...get it?)  Anyway, I was slowly moving in this direction quite a while back...and somehow got off track...but I aim to get back...er, on track.

So I'll start by looking at these guys...

As you may know, these gentlemen are Torch and Thrasher, two of Zartan's goons in the Cobra-affiliated biker gang known as the Dreadnoks.  Thrasher (on the right) drove the Mad Max-ified vehicle known as the Thunder Machine and should maybe fall under some sort of driver/pilot class, but Torch...as a purveyor of violence who lacks formal training as a soldier (although he was in the merchant marine), he's probably a great candidate to be statted out as a general Warrior.

So here we go...

Torch

Warrior, Level 3

From the figure's YoJoe page

Human, 28 years old

Affiliation: Dreadnoks

STR       DEX        CON      INT       WIS      CHA
16 (+2)  13 (+1)   16 (+2)   5 (-2)    7 (-1)    9 (--)

HP 21     Move 30 ft. (6 units)
Attack Bonuses: +6 melee, +5 ranged (additional +2 when attacking with incendiary weapons)
Additional notes: +1 damage on all attacks, +1 AC

Hindrances: Illiterate

Proficiencies
Skills: Athletics, Intimidation, Survival
Talents: Metalworking, Motorcycling
Languages: English

Saves: Strength, Constitution
Weapons: All simple and martial weapons
Armor: All armor, shields

(So...Torch ended up being remarkably similar to Sergiu Pijha, just a couple of levels lower.  I think that can be taken as a positive though...)

Meta Monday: The Sabin Train Suplex becomes an MTG card...

I just have a quick nod to something interestingly meta for today's post.  There's actually a LOT worth rambling about with this, as it comes at a sort of inflection point for Magic: The Gathering...which is morphing from a franchise obsessively restricted to its own universe into a brand that devotes about half of its efforts to mixing in other brands.  As you might imagine, there are plenty of people who don't like the fact that Spider-Man will soon be battling it out at Friday Night Magic against MTG's elves, angels, and dragons.

My thoughts are still developing on this.  In the meantime, though, I find it interesting that connecting all of these universes from different types of original media may provide for some interesting twists in reality.  I don't know that this is the best example of it, but it's the one that really got me thinking...

This is card is from an upcoming MTG set based upon the Final Fantasy franchise.  Apparently this reference is instantly recognizable to FF fans, as there have been all sorts of articles the past few days about "Final Fantasy's biggest meme" being turned into a Magic card.  (I'll admit that I wasn't familiar with it, but you can check out its Know Your Meme page here if you want to get a little more info.)  Briefly...in Final Fantasy VI, the monk character Sabin has an ability called Suplex...which does what it sounds like it should do...and for some reason, he can use this move on a train...

So now this ability is a card that can either damage a creature (nail 'em with the wrestling move) OR get rid of a train (or any other artifact).  I'm having a really hard time even articulating in my own head why this is an interesting meta twist to me.  I guess it just seems like such a video game moment.  So if we follow the trail of...

1.  There's a game about summoning fantasy creatures to battle for you. (MTG)

2.  When playing a game about summoning fantasy creatures to battle for you, some people are able to tap (haha) into that magic for real, casting spells and bringing other beings into our reality. (Duel Masters)

3.  Because some of the magic that can be accessed is based upon a narrative originating in a video game, there are spells that follow the strange physics of 16-bit computing as practiced in a certain time and place. (FF in MTG)

Hmm.

Well, I think there's something cool here.  Maybe at some point I'll figure out how to express it in such a way that others find it cool too...[shrug emoji]

Geeky SKAturday: The Modbirds' "Spin it to Win it" (and other odes to vinyl)

In my teen years, I was pretty obsessed with acquiring new music.  If you asked me at the time, I don't think I would have guessed that music access would be so different before I turned 50 years old that I wouldn't even care about having CDs anymore.  (The laser doesn't even touch the disc!  They're gonna last forever!)

As music was a pretty big part of both of our lives, Laura and I had a fairly extensive CD collection that we finally cleared out several years ago.  It was time.  On at least one occasion, we bought a CD at a show so we could support the artist, only to come across it months later still in its wrap.  As a lifelong geek with the spirit of collecting running through my veins (not always a positive thing), I don't need anything extra to feed my tendency to just keep stuff around.

So, with streaming possible for just about any music out there, the only hardcopy music I buy these days is on vinyl.  Because...it's fun!  I still stream more than I listen to physical media, but picking up the occasional record feels like a good way to give musicians a little extra support and have a sort of "souvenir" of stuff I especially like.  And it's a good time to enjoy vinyl...most artists (that I pay attention to, at least) seem to have records on their checklist for major releases these days, often special/limited editions on colorful vinyl.  (Again...it's fun!)

Maybe one day I'll decide enough's enough with that, too, and clear the house of vinyl as well.  But until then...not sure if I've mentioned this...but it's fun!

From the band's Facebook page

Which brings me to today's song for Geeky SKAturday!  The Modbirds are a fairly new band (founded 2023), but they count among their numbers some members of more experienced crews like Los Placebos and Celtic punk rockers The Porters.  I'm pretty sure they're German.  And the sound of this new(ish) song of theirs, "Spin it to Win it," sits squarely in the heart of my metaphorical ska happy place.  Traditional, catchy, soulful...it's a great track.  Oh...and it's about the joy of listening to music on vinyl!  (THAT's why I rambled about that to start this post...)  Spin it to win it, 45 times a minute...I love it!

Listening to this song has reminded me that I have a bit of a history of loving catchy songs about listening to records.  The Cornershop hit "Brimful of Asha" (from their album that should be nominated for best title ever, When I Was Born for the 7th Time) is pretty irresistible.

I also remember being somewhat blown away by this little ditty by The Features when I first heard it ca. 2005...

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Now what does this mean for the Agents of SKA?  Well, when I first threw together some uniform patches for various divisions of the organization, I had this one for Communications:

I'm an 80s kid, so that cassette image had a fun retro feel for me (plus, cassettes have kind of been making a comeback too).  I thought it'd be cool for the organization's messages to be carried on classic physical media, maybe even in musical form.  However, considering ska's emergence in the late 1950s and early 60s, I guess it makes a lot more sense for the associated image to look something like this...

From Pixabay

(I should probably update the Comms division patch...)

A Warrior for my Monstrous Heartbreaker

And now I'll take my first real crack at creating a whole character using the uber-simplified Warrior class I wrote about a couple days ago.  He's a guy from Ravnica.

I really love the setting of Ravnica and am pretty happy that it was the first Magic: The Gathering plane to have an official splatbook printed for it.  It's a sprawling city covering the entire plane, infused with magepunk technology and perpetually caught in a struggle for power among ten guilds, each of which represents one MTG's two-color combinations.  The red/green "guild" is a loosely affiliated group of clans called the Gruul who largely oppose the trappings of civilization and often seek to preserve -- or, uh, reintroduce -- wild spaces on the plane.

Among these clans is the Ghor, who have been represented on a number of cards in various Magic sets...

And their leader is the fearsome ogre warleader Ruric Thar...

Today, though, I'm just looking at one particular Ghor-Clan Wrecker (updated image coming along at some point)...

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Sergiu Pijha

Warrior, Level 5

Wallpaper-style artwork taken from here

Human, 26 years old

Birthplace: Ravnica, Tenth District

Guild: Gruul Clans (Ghor)

STR       DEX       CON      INT       WIS       CHA
16 (+2)  11 (--)   13 (+1)   8 (-1)    6 (-1)    11 (--)

HP 30     Move 30 ft. (6 units)
Attack Bonuses: +8 melee, +6 ranged (additional +2 when attacking with chain weapons)
Additional notes: 2 attacks per round, +1 damage on all attacks, +1 AC

Proficiencies
Skills: Athletics, Intimidation, Survival
Talents: Metalworking
Languages: Common, Goblin
Saves: Strength, Constitution
Weapons: All simple and martial weapons
Armor: All armor, shields

Sergiu Pijha was born in the heart of Ravnica and began an apprenticeship as a metalworker in his early teens.  About a year in, a shady redevelopment project funded by the Orzhov Syndicate forced the closure of the metal shop where he worked.  He arrived home that day to find that his parents had been arrested and his family's apartment ransacked by members of the Boros Legion.  Those events planted a seed of distrust that eventually grew into total opposition to the corrupt set of systems that we refer to as civilization.

He likes breaking shit and hitting people with chains.

Slowly rolling out my fantasy heartbreaker: The Warrior

I've given enough lip service to the idea of creating my own fantasy heartbreaker on this blog that it's time I finally start to to officially chip away at it.  I don't want to go to my grave thinking, "One day I'll get the Monstrous Heartbreaker put together, and from that point on, I'll have my default RPG ruleset...!"  Heck, why not go to my grave with a copy of the Monstrous Heartbreaker in my hands??  And...did I just channel a prophecy?  (Anyone who reads this and sees me going to my grave, please take note of what's in my hands, just in case I've been a seer this whole time.  It'll be a bit late to capitalize on it, but cool nonetheless.)

Okay...I'm already off topic.

Hrm.

So, my fantasy heartbreaker...

No, this one isn't mine, but it's one of the first games designated as such (cover image from the Fifth Cycle Wikipedia page)

First, if you're unfamiliar with what I mean by that (and it is a fairly loose term), you might want to read this essay by Ron Edwards on The Forge.  I'm not sure if the term originated there, but I'm pretty certain that this specific essay is why the term is so widely used today.  Now...it's been a while since I've read anything substantial from that work, and I can't say for sure that I've ever actually read the whole thing.  I know that Ron Edwards is a bit of a divisive voice in the RPG hobby...but I also don't know if most manifestations of that divisiveness have been in the words of those for whom divisiveness is a key element of their presence in the community.  I guess that if you know any of the specifics I might be alluding to...cool, hopefully I'm making sense...but in general, I'm just saying that I'm not necessarily vouching for Edwards or any of his views.  But that term...fantasy heartbreaker.  It's a good one.  And while it's intended to be pejorative, I think it's time for all of us to claim it as a decidedly positive approach to the hobby.

To me, a fantasy heartbreaker is simply one individual's personally houseruled D&D.  It represents what its creator looks for in a fantasy RPG, and thus, to an extent, it represents its creator.  But it's also representative of that creator's specific takeaways from the meta-experience of D&D...the circumstances that have led to their likes, dislikes, and quirks.  It's about both the personality of the individual AND the ways in which they have been shaped by the community.  Is it innovative?  Maybe.  If its creator wants it to be.  But it doesn't NEED to be...D&D has been "good" from the moment it was created, and it's all about shaping it to individual tastes and needs at this point.  And so, by calling one's own take a fantasy heartbreaker, you're acknowledging that it's simultaneously a window into the soul of a single creator AND that it's not to be taken too seriously.  And personally...I like that.

I'll get into some of the details of what I want out of my own take in future posts.  For now, I'm just gonna start at the most basic point I can think of:  a fighting class.  The fighting class.  But not a fighter.  In the Monstrous Heartbreaker, it is...

Artwork for the MTG card Ghor-Clan Wrecker (taken from the wallpaper art at its Cards Realm page)

The Warrior

Hit Die: d10

Proficiencies
Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: All simple and martial weapons
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Athletics, Intimidation

What are your character’s interests and hobbies? What have they done with their life up until this point? Choose one additional Skill and one Talent to represent these.  (Talents basically work like Tools in 5E...I just think the term Tool is more limiting than it should be for what it represents...)

Equipment
Begin with a set of campaign-appropriate equipment (per DM).

Beginning Warrior Bonuses
At 1st level, you get a +1 Class Bonus to all attack and damage rolls.

Weapon Expertise
At 2nd level, you choose unarmed combat OR one class of weapon (e.g. Swords, Bows, Handguns) and gain Expertise with all attacks that fit that category. This provides an additional Expertise Bonus of +2 on all attack rolls. (This stacks with the Class Bonus.)

Self-Preservation
Starting at 3rd level, you become better at defending yourself in the heat of the action. You get a +1 Class Bonus to AC.

Ability Score Increase
When you reach 4th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1.

Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

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Hopefully I'll be back to stat out one or two class representatives before the week closes out...!

Meta Monday: Duel Masters

The Duel Masters franchise is one that I would honestly say I've been a fan of for a long time, but I've really never dug in very deep.  That may be slowly changing as it catches more and more of my attention as a decidedly meta take on a fantasy world.

It all started with a manga more than 20 years ago.  If the story I read was correct...and I'm remembering it correctly...creator Shigenobu Matsumoto was supposed to make a comic based on Magic: The Gathering.  The intention was for him to tell a story set among the fantastic planes of MTG.  What he delivered, though, was a tale of a young boy (Shobu) striving to become a Magic: The Gathering champion...

From Wikipedia

It wouldn't be until later in the series that the manga would lend its name to a completely new card game, clearly inspired by the mechanics and the five-color cosmology of MTG but operating as its own entity.  There's definitely a sort of MTG meets Yu-Gi-Oh! aura about it, and it seems to have been a pretty smart move by Wizards of the Coast.  (I realize that last statement doesn't get written very much in our hobby these days...)

From the Duel Masters Wiki

I was just observing from the sidelines as the game made its way to the States and gained a reasonable amount of popularity.  And when I saw that the second set was called "Evo-Crushinators of Doom," I could tell that there might be something interestingly self-aware about the property.  I would eventually pick up one of the GBA games, and Fr. Josh and I split a set of mega-discounted starter decks at Dragon Con one year.  (In fact, my favorite experience with the game itself is probably the time my friend John wanted to get in a lunchtime game of MTG at Georgia State, and while I found myself without a Magic deck, I did happen to have a Duel Masters deck on me.  John graciously allowed me to play the Duel Masters deck in a game of Magic...dividing combat values by 1000, of course...and it worked pretty darn well!)

While the game seems to still be going strong in Japan, it hasn't had an English release in almost 20 years.  There was an attempt to reboot/reinterpret it as Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters, but this didn't last very long.  And so, in 2025, there doesn't seem to be much of a push for the IP in North America.

Thankfully, the animated series is readily available via streaming, and the property's meta bona fides really come out in these episodes.  We eventually realize that as a Kaijudo Master in training (Kaijudo being "the way of the monster," the dueling that takes place between...duel masters), Shobu is actually capable of summoning creatures from their own realms into ours.  Before long, Shobu and his friends make their way into these fantastic worlds (referred to as "Civilizations" and bearing great similarity to the five colors of MTG).

It's also worth noting that the English dub of the anime takes the multiversal nature of the storyline to even another level, as the characters often seem to be aware that they are characters in an animated show.  And while I haven't watched a ton of it, what I've seen has been a lot of fun.  It's clear that the team localizing the show for North America really enjoyed what they were doing with it, as the dialogue is often a rapid-fire series of pop culture references, fourth wall acknowledgments, nods to genre clichés, and good old dad jokes.  It won't all land for everyone, but I'll admit that I have laughed out loud on more than one occasion (not full-bodied guffaws, but definitely audible chuckles...).

I really think I have to incorporate something along the lines of Duel Masters into the Monstrous Matters universe.  The idea of being connected to fantastic realms via a card game is just too cool to ignore for someone like me who, gaming-wise, might be a cardflopper at heart above all else.  I did write up a Card-caster class for OSR gaming way back when in connection with the Tenkar's Landing crowdsourced hexcrawl project...so maybe I need to dust that off and see if I can work it into something that will fit into my fantasy (monstrous) heartbreaker...

Oh man, I love that art by my bud J.R. Mounts...!

Geeky SKAturday: "Walls of Jericho" by the Melbourne Ska Orchestra

Hey hey, happy weekend everyone!  Just enough time to still make this a Geeky SKAturday...!

This is an awesome new song from the Melbourne Ska Orchestra...truly one of the most immediately striking new tunes I've heard this year...

The imagery of horns bringing down the walls of a city is pretty cool in the context of adventuring ska musicians.  There must be some sort of ability that horn sections among the Agents of SKA can use to topple a barrier.  I'm thinking it should probably be some sort of spell-like ability that can't be used without limits though...?  The capability for a few folks with trumpets and trombones to knock down any wall in their way seems too powerful, but I'm sure there's something there...