Here's a recap of the latest session of my Sentinels RPG campaign "The Alternates"! As per usual, there's a narrative recap (written as if it was in-metaverse) and then I go over the actual running of the game, and any lessons I learned as the GM.
If you're lost, you can catch up with the previous Game Recaps! You can find links to the first "Season" (the first 12 episodes) in the Recap for Game12, and here is the Recap for Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, and Episode 17.
Brief Description of the Game: In the meta-verse (where Sentinel comics is a published comic book multimedia empire), there is a premium cable computer-animated (in a style similar to “Into the Spider-Verse”) television series (which itself is based on a comic series called "The Alternates"). This RPG campaign represents that show, with each game session (ideally) representing one hour-long Episode of the show. The recap below is written in-metaverse as if it was an article on a popular website that posts recaps of episodes.
Player Characters:
- Cytoblast: Dr. Douglas Hemlocke can control plants, including transforming himself into a plant form, all thanks to his mystical knowledge and his ancient magical staff.
- Dr. Comet: Possessed by a demon that travelled to earth inside a comet, Dr. Diana Aster can magically control fire and ice, though her powers often go often out of control when her emotions flare up.
- Jersey Devil: A barely human cryptid of mysterious origins, "Mr. Leeds" is both man and monster, able to teleport by way of a parallel dimension.
- Kid Radical: A highly skilled autodidact with a strict code of behavior, Kid Radical has a superhuman ability for following trends and learning new skills, although it often seems like he can't quite connect with modern society.
- Quasar Kid: A superhero teen from the far future, Quasar Kid has a cosmic metabolism, super strength, and the power of flight, but he hasn't yet adjusted to being in "the past."
Recurring allied NPCs:
- Starshadow: A retired intergalactic adventurer, Starshadow wields mighty cosmic powers, but he is now reluctant to use them.
- Bouncer: An invulnerable action movie star, Bouncer is also super-strong and capable of mighty leaps (hence the name "Bouncer"), but he hasn't been the same since the Oblivaeon Crisis.
A Very Quick Story Synopsis: In an alternate timeline where Baron Blade was killed decades earlier (causing countless changes to the world of Sentinel Comics), the heroes of the Multiverse are almost all killed in the "Oblivaeon Crisis." The few remaining heroes, especially the Alternates, are left to deal with the villains and interstellar threats that still endanger the Earth!
Also, some important villain stuff going on - Unbeknownst to the heroes, Baron Blade has reappeared (after being presumed dead), and was secretly striking at the heroes during the last season. He has assembled a Vengeful Seven team, which is being lead by Hippocampus (the Hippo, except now he's super-smart). They are working behind the scenes on some sort of revenge plot
I've also done some very amateur sketches for the game! You can see them in this Google Photos album.
And now, an imaginary recap of an imaginary episode of an imaginary television show about an imaginary superhero team!
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The Alternates Episode #18 Recap:
“Here We Are, Born to Be Kings”
By Eddie Jaczerkowski
This week’s episode features more Alternates space opera, and an opening vignette that’s sure to be a fan favorite. Let’s get on board with Episode #18, “Here We Are, Born to Be Kings”!
Episode Recap
The episode starts in the sub-basement of an unnamed building, where we last left the Vengeful Seven (or at least four of them) and the Guardians of Freedom. The show starts right off with Freedom Train charging headlong at Hippocampus!
As Freedom Train shouts out train noises and fast approaches the villains, Hippocampus tells Safe Bet to get what they came for. Safe Bet nods and rushes down a side hallway.
Hippocampus stands ready, seemingly to take Freedom Train’s charge head-on. At the last second, the huge hippopotamus-suited man steps deftly aside, using Freedom Train’s momentum to throw him through a wall. Freedom Train leaves an enormous hole in the wall, and through the hole we can already see he’s getting back up.
Highwire rears back his metal whip and snaps it around Ms. Rushmore’s arm, but as he channels electricity through the whip, her arm turns to stone. She uses her other stoney hand to grasp the wire and yank hard, which sends Highwire flying through the air towards her.
Night Terror attempts to sneak up behind the Arithmetist, but he projects extremely bright lights from his hands, and she recoils at them, slithering around a corner.
Back at the other end of the hallway, Freedom Train stands back up, puts his head down, and shouts, “You can’t throw me off the rails, Hippo!” His foe mumbles a reply - “My name is Hippocampus, trains-for-brains.” As Freedom Train charges again, Hippocampus mutters, “So predictable.” This time, as Freedom Train reaches the hulking Hippocampus, the villain takes Freedom Train by his “cowcatcher” helmet, tilts backwards, and twists Freedom Train’s head, whirling the huge man’s form around. This sends the train-pun-tossing villain-turned-hero spinning uncontrollably through the air back down the hallway, where he nearly collides with Ms. Rushmore.
Hippocampus assumes a martial arts stance and rolls his shoulders. “I have trained in a half-dozen forms of martial arts, and you’re stuck with a one-track mind. I could do this all day.”
Freedom Train gets back up with barely a scratch. “All day? That’s just fine by me! All aboard! Wooo wooooo!” However, Freedom Train doesn’t charge impulsively this time, instead watching Hippocampus for an opening.
Suddenly, Safe Bet is standing next to Hippocampus, holding a metal box. “I got the stone, big guy! It was right where you said it’d be, and lucky me, I guessed the combination on the first try!”
“Right, right, of course you did,” Hippocampus says, rolling his eyes. “Let’s go then. This is hardly how I want to spend my morning.”
“Stop right where you are!” Ms. Rushmore shouts at them.
“Yeah, this is your last stop!” says Freedom Train.
“Wonderful banter, everyone,” says Hippocampus. “I’m glad that the United States government is funding such engaging dialog,” he says, reaching up to his helmet. “But I’m afraid we must be going.” Hippocampus presses a button on his head device, and he and all his allies fade away as they teleport out of the building.
“Wha… how’d they do that?” Freedom Train says, flustered.
“I don’t know,” Ms. Rushmore replies. “But we are going to find out.”
And thus ends the fight everyone’s been wanting to see - Hippocampus versus Freedom Train! (I’ll share more feelings about this fight at the end of the article.)
Now, back to the Alternates, who are lightyears (dare I say parsecs?!) away from Earth on Benevolence, the capital “astral dome” (fancy space station) of the Ascendant Empire, attending the Naming Day Ball for the Thrice-Blessed Emperor, Deciotitus.
This is, of course, not where we expect the Alternates to excel. It’s a fancy party in a distant galaxy involving a culture and government they know almost nothing about. Sure, Starshadow is there to help them, but on top of all it, he (and his allies) are asking the Alternates to hide their superpowers (with the exception of Cytoblast, who is disguised as a plantoid alien, and Jersey Devil, who is disguised as a whatever-people-see-when-they-look-at-him, because he’s really weird).
The scenes at the party unfold in a non-linear fashion, as the writers use a sort of asynchronous storytelling device to slowly reveal all of what happens. I’m going to try to recap the scene as the show reveals it, so bear with me if it’s confusing!
First, we see the Alternates with “Duke Blackmoore” (Starshadow), who hopes the heroes can talk to a few partygoers to find out why they support Duke Sato Malsecretus to be the next Emperor, and find out if they can be persuaded to change their mind. He points out Duke Alko Bariamas, Duke Salmak Salzari, and Duchess Farrha Arjin. We don’t hear all of what he tells the heroes, but he nods to them and departs. They all look at one another and go their separate ways, seemingly to mingle with the party.
In the first sequence, Kid Radical approaches Cytoblast and points out a man standing across the room. “He’s a scientist from House Salzari. Why don’t you go talk to him?” We see a brief flashback of Starshadow explaining that House Salzari, a very major and important noble house, has traditionally allied with House Mariatus (whose candidate Starshadow supports for Emperor). Cytoblast waks across the room to talk to the scientist.
The scientist is at first very interested in Cytoblast’s “background” (believing him to be a plantoid alien), and the two start talking about various flora arranged around the room. We don’t see the whole conversation, but rather a sort of montage which shows us that, over time, Cytoblast comes to dominate the conversation, with the scientist just nodding most of the time. When Cytoblast finally mentions the House’s support for Duke Sato Malsecretus, the scientists spills that the members of the House are unhappy about it, but Duke Malsecretus insinuated he would gouge them on power contracts (House Malsecretus generates much of the power for the Empire via “Black Hole Accretion Generators”), which would ruin House Salzari’s industries, and could threaten their position as a major noble house. Cytoblast nods and lets the scientist go on at length about the poltiics between the Houses.
Next, we see Dr. Comet speaking with Duchess Farrha Arjin. We briefly flash back to Starshadow explaining that House Arjin is made up of artisans and performers, and Duchess Farrha no doubt picked out many of the pieces of sculpture and paintings that were on display at the ball that night. The Duchess is talking to several well-dressed sycophants who hang on her every word, but Dr. Comet, as usual, seems unimpressed. She also seems drunk, and she sways a bit while listening.
Finally, the Duchess points to a large painting of Duke Sato Malsecretus, hanging prominently in the hall. She explains that the painting is by her favorite painter, an experienced man whose attention to detail is exquisite.
Dr. Comet snickers, and the Duchess, intrigued, asks her what she finds so funny. Clearly drunk, Dr. Comet explains that the painting depicts a certain nebula in the background, as well as a cluster of stars. However, if that particular cluster of stars was visible in that particular configuration, she says, “Then the nebula would look like a giant butt!”
“If that painter has an exquisite attention to detail, then it seems like he might think Duke Sato is a giant ass!” Dr. Comet says, chuckling. “Excuse me,” she says, as she grabs a flute of sparkling beverage from a nearby waiter and walks off into the crowd.
The show cuts to a scene of Jersey Devil piling food onto a plate at a buffet. He overhears someone talking about the possibility that the Emperor is stepping down, so he wanders over to listen. There, standing with a circle of other nobles, is Duke Sato Malsecretus himself. He speaks with false modesty about his own aspirations to replace the Thrice-Blessed Emperor, and he also speaks subtly but negatively about the possibility of the young Duchess Trova Mariatus being the next Emperor.
As the Duke drones on, Jersey Devil slowly gets closer and closer behind him, slowly putting piece after piece of food in his mouth. Even without noticing him immediately, everyone in the conversation slowly seems to become more and more uncomfortable. Soon, the group of nobles, Duke Sato included, nervously chatter while constantly glancing to look over at the increasingly ominous (and increasingly taller) stranger. Finally, Jersey Devil reaches out to Duke Sato’s own plate, grabbing a shelled food resembling an oyster. He places the whole hors d'oeuvre into his mouth at once, shell and all. Slowly, he crunches down on it, making loud, disgusting cracking noises as he does so.
“Well, uh… if you’ll excuse me,” says the Duke, and the whole group quickly disperses. Jersey Devil looks down at his plate and steps back toward the buffet.
In another part of the room, Quasar Kid is talking to Duke Alko Bariamas. Again, via flashback, Starshadow explains that House Bariamas are craftspeople who live simply, and enjoy making and building things. Quasar Kid tries a few times to speak up and enter the conversation, but it seems like he never quite knows what to say. Eventually, the Duke brings up the topic of power generators, and Quasar Kid gets his chance to chime in.
The two talk with each other for a bit, and Quasar Kid brings up House Bariamas’s support for Duke Malsecretus. The Duke explains, simply, that Duke Malsecretus promised him new contracts to build Black Hole Accretion Generators in the Bleak Reaches (which is where the Earth is).
Dr. Comet barges into the conversation, still drunk, and laughs at the idea. “You think you can just build your power generators in the Bleak Reaches? We’re House Blackmoore! We live in the Bleak Reaches! You don’t know anything about the Bleak Reaches! How are you going to deal with the Todito anomalies?”
The Duke seems taken aback, but also intrigued. “Todito anomalies?”
Quasar Kid joins in, “Oh yeah… the nacho energies from the Todito anomalies will be tough to deal with…”
“Then there’s the foosball particles that emanate from the Albuquerque nebula…” Dr. Comet adds.
“Yeah, there’s no way that you could get a proper spin on that accretion generator with foosball interference,” Quasar Kid comments.
“It’s impossible!” Dr. Comet drunkenly shouts.
“Oh, I see,” says Duke Bariamas, though he clearly doesn’t understand what they’re talking about.
“Well, if you’ll excuse me,” Quasar Kid says, “I’m going to see if the Professor Eminent and I can find some of those delicious canapes I saw earlier.”
This is where the entire scene seems to reset, as we once again see the earlier conversation between Kid Radical and Cytoblast. This time, after Kid Radical points Cytoblast toward the scientists, we follow Kid Radical’s point of view. He stands in the middle of the room, listening to conversations, and looking at the crowds of people and the way they move around. We see the room from above, and we can see the patterns of people moving through the crowd and forming circles to converse.
Kid Radical moves through the crowd and finds Jersey Devil with a handful of appetizers, eating them straight from his hand. “Please use a plate, Sir Leeds,” he says. Jersey Devil shrugs. Kid Radical looks over to the far side of the room. “There’s a great spread of seafood over there,” he tells the Devil. “Plus, there are plenty of clean plates.” Jersey Devil, his interest piqued, nods and walks in that direction. He ends up where his scene started - at the buffet table, near Duke Sato.
Next, Kid Radical finds Dr. Comet hiding near a large plant, her mouth tightly closed and her body language uncomfortable. “Feeling alright?” Kid Radical asks her. “No. I hate this kind of thing. When I have to do this at the university, I usually end up getting drunk.” Kid Radical sees a waiter passing by with a tray of drinks and grabs two fluted glasses full of bubbling liquid. “Try this,” he tells her.
“What is this, champagne?” she asks.
“Not unless it came from the Champagne region of the Bleak Reaches,” Kid Radical says.
Dr. Comet looks slightly amused despite herself, and sips at the drink. Kid Radical tells her, “Just do what you can,” and walks off through the crowd. We see Dr. Comet swallow the beverage, grab another glass from a passing waiter, and finally walk off in the direction where Duchess Farrha Arjin is having her conversation.
Kid Radical runs into Quasar Kid. “Have you seen Duke Bariamas?” Quasar Kid asks him. “Over that way,” Kid Radical says, pointing. Quasar Kid nods and walks off.
Kid Radical completes his circle of the room. He sees Cytoblast talking to the scientist, Jersey Devil standing behind Duke Sato, Dr. Comet drunkenly approaching Duchess Arjin, and Quasar Kid standing near Duke Bariamas. He nods to himself, satisfied, and grabs an appetizer from a passing waiter.
(If you’re wondering what this is all about, Kid Radical has an inherent ability to “recognize trends,” and while he isn’t really “manipulating” events to certain outcomes, he can kind of see where things are going, and put the right pieces in the right places so things work out for him. Usually, this involves him watching others and either copying their moves or finding their weaknesses, but he can also use it for “bigger picture” applications, like guiding his friends at a party so they go with the flow and don’t embarrass themselves. In this case, no matter how ill-behaved the Alternates were, it never actually caused a scene, and they managed to advance their cause along the way).
As Kid Radical sits down to enjoy his morsel, a herald stands atop a large staircase nearby and makes an announcement to the crowd. “Dinner will now be served!” he announces. “As is tradition, His Majesty, the Thrice-Blessed Emperor, will invite several attendees to sit at his private table to enjoy dinner in his company. Tonight, His Majesty invites Professor Eminent High Minister Diana Aster of House Blackmoore (Dr. Comet’s alter-ego), Lord Chemist and Master of Security, Sir Leeds, Esquire, of House Blackmoore (Jersey Devil’s alter-ego), Fargo, Lord Puissant of Calidamus, of House Blackmoore (Quasar Kid’s alter-ego), Sir Willoughby Sattler, Lord High Botanist of House Blackmoore (Cytoblast’s alter-ego), and Baron Radicliffe, Lord High Doge of Cybonics of House Blackmoore (Kid Radical’s alter-ego).”
There are murmurs in the crowd, and questions about why the Emperor would choose only members of House Blackmoore to eat with him, as well as questions about who any of them are. Everyone takes their seats, and the Alternates join the Thrice-Blessed Emperor on a raised dais at the head of the dining room.
The Emperor is an older man, but not yet frail or weak. His hair is white and his face is wrinkled, but he carries himself as a strong and confident man. He makes some small talk with his guests, and remarks at his respect for House Blackmoore and their leader, Duke Blackmoore. He mentions that Duke Blackmoore once saved the entire Empire when their space was wracked by anomalous black holes, using his knowledge of the astro-sciences to stabilize the singularities and eliminate them.
Insisting that they call him Deciotitus during dinner, and asks politely if he may call them by their names. Then, he poses an ethical question to them - “Many people have deep secrets. Why is it that I can trust some people who keep secrets from me, but I do not trust others who keep secrets from me?”
Cytoblast poses an answer about models and data - that you might not know all of the data, but you can still make models based on the available data, and that might lead you to trust some and mistrust others. The Emperor nods sagely, and comments that Cytoblast’s answer is analytic and scientific.
Then, Kid Radical offers a more philosophical answer - that secrets are tools. You might trust a hammer in the hand of a carpenter, but not in the hand of a murderer. Thus, we trust people based on what we know about them, and how they are using secrets.
Quasar Kid just sits and eats his meal, seeming out of his element. Dr. Comet, still drunk, scowls and asks, “Are you accusing Duke Blackmoore of keeping secrets?”
The Emperor chuckles and says, “I appreciate your direct question, Diana. It’s true - Duke Blackmoore keeps many things to himself. He’s a man of many secrets. He disappears for months at a time, leaving House Blackmoore to his majordomo. But I trust Duke Blackmoore a great deal.”
"Maybe that's his real secret,” Jersey Devil interjects after swallowing a mouthful of something that looks like shrimp. “Keeping his House happy, accomplishing so many things, and still making it to the best parties."
“Still, there are others,” he says, pausing. “...who keep fewer secrets than Duke Blackmoore, perhaps, but whom I do not trust.” The Emperor implies that he does not trust Duke Sato, who seems positioned to replace him when Deciotitus steps down. But he also hints that Duchess Trova is too young to have earned the trust of the people, though she shows great promise for the future.
After further discussion, Cytoblast offers an awkward metaphor about a tree and a seed, which seems to imply that the Emperor should not step down until a worthy successor is ready. The Emperor nods sagely, but asks, “What is your advice to me, then?”
“Just… don’t step down,” says Cytoblast.
Jersey Devil tells the Emperor, "You leave now, do you really want to keep living in this place with what comes next?"
The Emperor nods and thanks his guests. “I knew I could trust House Blackmoore to give wise counsel,” he tells them.
As the ball ends, the Emperor thanks all the attendees, and tells them that the rumors that he would be stepping down are not true - that he intends to continue to serve as Emperor. There is surprise in the crowd, but it soon turns to an uproar of applause.
In the final scene, the Alternates and Starshadow are boarding a star galleon to return to Earth. Dr. Comet is clearly hung over. They say their farewells to Grosshak and Gommesh, and the ship sets off into the stars.
The credits roll, and we are suddenly and starkly treated to “God Save the Queen” by the Sex Pistols.
Final Thoughts
I really loved this episode, but let's get straight to my nerdy notes:
- The title of this episode is taken directly from the Queen song, “Princes of the Universe,” but the end song takes a total 180 degree turn from that. So why did the show runners end the episode with “God Save the Queen,” the ultimate punk song against royalty and nobility? I think, in the end, the showrunners wanted to give a disdainful scowl to imperialism - and perhaps facism - as represented by the Ascendant Empire. While there might be some degrees of freedom, representation, and meritocracy in the empire, there’s also a class system, a whiff of racism against the “alien” races (anyone who isn’t Benedouli), and autocracy. The Alternates helping keep the Ascendant Empire away from Earth was good for humanity, but in the end, it’s hard to say whether they did anything for the people of the Ascendant Empire. I would have to say Duke Sato seemed like he’d be a much more “evil” Emperor than Deciotitus is, but it’s still an imperial autocracy, isn’t it?
- Okay, Hippocampus versus Freedom Train! I think Fright Train could take the Hippo, but Hippocampus is a whole different animal (literally, it’s from the Greek for “seahorse,” but here I think it’s intended to refer to a part of the brain. Fun Fact - “hippopotamus” is from the Greek for “river horse.”) And Freedom Train is a whole different… train!
So Hippocampus kind of handled Freedom Train like a chump, but I think that shows how much more dangerous Hippocampus’s intelligence makes him. He seems to acknowledge that Freedom Train is stronger and tougher, and the way he intends to defeat him is through clever tactics and martial arts training. He uses his opponents strengths against him, which is a classical “fight smarter, not harder” move. In the end, I think Hippocampus clearly wins, but Freedom Train also learns a lesson here - if they ever meet again, it might be a little more evenly matched.
- A parsec is only about 3.3 lightyears, so my “Dare I say parsecs?” comment was tongue-in-cheek, in case there are other nerds other there who know things about astronomical measurement units. The Ascendant Empire is probably something like megaparsecs away from Earth, since it’s mentioned as being “another galaxy,” but who’s counting, really? Of course… since it can only be entered through “starstreams” (which seem to be some kind of wormholes), it’s hard to say. The galaxy of the Ascendant Empire could be anywhere! It could even be displaced in time!
- We get a neat look at Kid Radical’s “powers” in this episode, as he uses his ability to “see trends” in a new way. Even though Kid Radical wasn’t bitten by a radioactive skateboard or injected with alien energy drinks, it does seem like this ability is a little bit “super.”
That’s all for this week! It was a long recap, but a fun episode! Join me next week for a recap of Episode #19, titled “A Little Taste of Rook City.”
Eddie Jaczerkowski is a staff writer who loves comic books and writes about television.
Running the Game!
This game was run entirely without a die roll! I sincerely congratulate my players, who just went back and forth with me, and with each other, to create this story. Certainly, much of the session was straight-up roleplay between the players and the NPCs, but a lot of it was the players deciding how "The Alternates Attend a Very Fancy Party" would go. I knew Kid Radical's abilities could play a major role, and his player did not disappoint. Also big kudos to Cytoblast's player, who came up with the episode being told in a series of scenes and then later showing how Kid Radical had influenced "trends" so that everyone was kind of in the right place at the right time. It really made the narrative stick together!
Now, I don't run every game diceless. That is no fun. But I went into this session knowing die rolls would probably not enhance the story, and I offered to my players at the beginning of the session, "Feel free to tell me you want to roll dice, but you have abilities on your sheets, I know what you can do, and I am a big fan of your characters, so let's just tell the story we want to tell!" I mean, paraphrased. That wasn't my exact quote.
Also I LOVED writing the Hippocampus versus Freedom Train bit. I mean, the players just get to hear me narrate the vignettes, they don't participate in them, so it's just a chance for me to do whatever I want and make fun things happen. So I do that. With these "Alternate" versions of Sentinels characters that I really enjoyed making. Sometimes, some things are just for me. ;-)
...like doing a whole three-episode arc making this cool, friendly-ish space empire of space opera funtimes, then ending it by playing "God Save the Queen"? That was just for me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the whole Ascendant Empire, and I would love to read (or write!) the stories of Starshadow saving the Ascendant Empire and the fights between the noble houses and stuff, but... look, I personally just don't trust Emperors. I mean, Paul Atreides seemed cool until he went and declared himself Emperor and then next thing you know, Arrakis goes to absolute crap. And there's Palpatine. Zarkon. The Emperor's New Groove. I just don't trust Emperors. But I do trust punk rock.
So I might have snuck some political considerations into my RPG campaign, but hey, that part's for me. ;-)
Thanks for reading! See you next time!