Tuesday Reviewsday: ThunderCats (2011)

 

We're drowning in fantastic animation. In the age of Avatar, Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts, Voltron: Legendary Defender, and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power you're easily forgiven the sin of overlooking the excellent 2011 ThunderCats series. After all, it hasn't been on any streaming service as far as I know.

Recently added to Hulu, the 2011 series was planned for 52 episodes but tragically cut in half when the toy sales failed to meet expectations. I don't use the word "tragic" lightly considering how good the 26 episodes were I wish the studio could have finished their tale. I hold no nostalgia for the original series and this series grabbed me by the throat. The stakes are high, the animation fluid, the voice acting is top notch, and the characters draw you in. In the alternate world where the 2011 ThunderCats reached its conclusion, we might praise it as effusively as Avatar: the Last Airbender.

Both ThunderCats (1985) and ThunderCats (2011) are streaming on Hulu right now.

Card Captor of Many Things

If you don't know - I'm a member of the Minionworks podcasting collective and I run most of the games. February 1, 2019 was our 5th year anniversary, in celebration we decided to go back to the game that brought us together - Dungeons & Dragons. The gang dusted off their old 4th edition characters and converted them into 5th edition. 

Similarly, I adapted Madness at Gardmore Abbey to the most recent edition. The encounters were pretty straight forward, cherry picking the most memorable/interesting parts. Most of the work was leaning into the module's core conceit - the Deck of Many Things has been split up and you can use their powers with some degree of safety while the Deck is disassembled. In 4e, you can use the Cards of Many Things and fill a space on the board with the specific card's encounter power.

You can find the episode here.

CHAOS CARDS - You can call upon the individual cards in your possession and wield their power. Unless specified in parentheses they require a Use Item Action.

SOUL EATER - Divided as it is, the Cards are no longer fueled by the havoc they cause. You can recharge expired cards by feeding them dying breaths. The bracketed number is how many sapient creatures the card needs to feed from in order to recharge. (You have to allocate the fallen to each card.)

You can also increase the effects of the cards by feeding them your Hit Dice. Each Hit Dice expended increases the attack bonus, damage, and duration by 2.

Vizier - [2] (bonus action) You have advantage on your next attack rill and deal 5 extra points of damage.

OO

Sun - [4] You heal 4D6+4 hit points and become invisible to everyone.

OOOO

Moon - [5] Instantly recharge another card.

OOOOO

Star - [special] You gain advantage on all rolls until either you fail one or 5 minutes pass. This card can only be recharged by the Moon.

Comet - [10] If you single handedly defeat the next encounter, you (singularly) gain Experience Points enough to gain one level.

OOOOOOOOOO

The Fates - [4] (reaction) If an enemy’s attack hits you, force them to re-roll it. They have to take the second result.

OOOO

Throne - [X] You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill, and double your Proficiency Bonus to that skill. In addition, you gain rightful ownership of a small keep full of monsters. Who can say where? This card does not recharge until the Deck is fully restored.

Key - [4] You teleport 50 feet and take 2D6 points of damage. The card gets your shape mostly right.

OOOO

Knight - [6] You gain the service of a Knight (see Monster Manual) who appears in a space you choose within 30 feet of you. They belonged to a knightly order that's relevant to the plot.

OOOOOO

Gem - [special] You can take an extra action, which includes a bonus action, this turn. A body part transmutes into gemstone after your additional turn ends. It’ll be fiiiiine. This card can only be recharged by the Moon.

Talons - [4] Make a ranged attack with a +11 bonus against a single target. If successful, the target is Restrained for 2D4 turns.

OOOO

The Void - [4] Make a melee attack with a +11 bonus against a single creature. If successful, both of your souls are drawn from your bodies and contained in an object in a Far Away place, guarded by one or more powerful beings. While your soul is trapped, your body is Incapacitated. A wish spell can't restore your soul, but the spell reveals the location of the object that holds it.

OOOO

Flames -[4] All creatures within 30 feet of you have to make a Dexterity save DC 16. If they fail, they take 4D8 fire damage and 5 ongoing until they can put out the fires.

OOOO

Skull - [4] Make a melee attack with a +11 bonus against a single creature. If successful, they fall unconscious.

OOOO

Idiot - [4] Make a melee attack with a +11 bonus against a single creature. If successful, they are Stunned for 1D6 turns.

OOOO

Donjon - [4] Make a melee attack with a +11 bonus. If successful, remove 1D4 creatures from play until the end of your next turn.

OOOO

Ruin - [4] All creatures within 30 feet of you have to make a Constitution save DC 16. If they fail they take 4D10+10 damage and suffer the Poisoned condition.

OOOO

Euryale - [3] Make a ranged attack with a +11 bonus against a single target. If successful the card's medusa-like visage curses your target. They have disadvantage on Saving Throws while cursed in this way and their speed is halved as their extremities petrify.

OOO

Rogue - [4] Make a ranged attack with a +11 bonus against a single target. If successful, the target is Charmed for 2D4 hours.

OOOO

Balance - [4] Make a melee attack with +11 bonus. If successful, deal 4D12 damage to one target and heal that much.

OOOO

Fool - [4] (reaction) If an enemy hits you with a melee attack, deal 2D10 psychic damage and they fall prone.

OOOO

Jester - [4] (reaction) After being hit, you move 10 feet away without provoking an opportunity attack.

OOOO

Sunhome's Shadows: The Boros Legion

"When I meditate I see the world as it should be. All that does not fit, I remove." 

- Alovnek, Boros guildmage

Daniel at Detect Magic laid out Mouse Guard's game structure for more general use and an example adaption for a crew of thieves. I'm going to adapt the structure for Ravnica's various guilds, starting with the military police - the Boros Legion. I also included some example downtime activities.

This is a conceptual warm up for the 5e Ravnica game I'm running tonight for some of my fellow Minionworks members.

MISSIONS - Choose 1

1.  Investigate - Uncover a spy in your midst, trace a Legionary who's skipped duty, or probe the neighborhood after a crime. Spice it up with murder and/or body snatching.
2.  Arrest - Gruul raiders, Orzhov racketeers, and Rakdos demagogues sow disorder and discontent among the Guildless. Bring 'em in and adjust their attitude.
3.  Intervention - Whether it's elementals amok, rioting, disaster or Selesnya beautification outta hand; sometimes you gotta suit up and get involved.
4. Cover Up - Absolve a fellow Legionnaire or yourselves. Steal evidence, intimidate witnesses, and cut backroom deals if you have to.

ENCOUNTERS - Choose 2

1. Rowdy Citizenry - Vigilance committees, guild affiliated gangs, and guildless hooligans all threaten the Boros' Guildpact mandate on legitimized violence. Don't let them skate.
2. Rival Officers - The Legion, the Senate, and the Syndicate all pursue the same thing - Order. They just don't agree how to establish it.; violently, preemptively, or economically. Hold the line.
3. Wilderness - Giants, beasts, and unnatural weather. Ravnica is so close to being tamed by urban planning that the remaining wilderness fights back with tusk and thorn. Prune the hedge.
4. Interlopers - Take the wrong turn and you stumble onto something you shouldn't have. Maybe the Shattergang Brothers or the Cult of Yore. Maybe House Dimir, the mythical tenth Guild. Straighten them out.

EXAMPLE DOWNTIME ACTIVITIES

• Ongoing Investigation - Maybe someone killed your mom and it was closed to no conclusion. Maybe you're haunted by the look in the deceased's eye. Maybe your mentor killed himself and you need to know - why?
• Getting Out - You've seen one bad thing too many and the Legion doesn't like to let go. You'll need leverage if you want out of their grip.
• Unwinding - After a long day of training for war that will never come and putting boots to asses, you need to let you hair down; grab a drink, catch a show, or play some cards.
• Getting Even - Someone screwed you over and no one gets away with screwing you. Likely suspects are: an Azorious arrester beating you to a collar,a Golgari findbroker refusing the release evidence, or a Simic honeypot who's blackmailing you. Maybe an advokist won't leave you alone for using excessive force last month.