Jab’s Builds! (Miss Piggy! The Swedish Chef! Sweetums! Gonzo!)

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Armor Dragon

Post by Jabroniville »

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SHARON
Race:
Armor Dragon
PL 8 (88)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+9)
Expertise (Warrior) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Close Attack 2, Improved Critical (Breath Weapon), Improved Critical (Fireball), Power Attack

Powers:
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]
Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -3 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
"Tail Attack" Unarmed Damage +0 (Feats: Reach) [1]

"Fireball" Blast 5 (Feats: Accurate 4) (13) -- [14]
  • AE: "Breath Weapon- Burst" Damage 5 (Feats: Accurate, Reach) (7)
Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Breath Weapon +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Fireball +8 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +5, Fortitude +7, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Winning the Competition)- The winner is awarded riches, and the hand of the Queen. But they must defend their title next year...

Total: Abilities: 30 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 23 / Defenses: 18 (88)

-"Sharon" is an enormous dragon at least twice your character's height. She's extremely slow, but has a long tail attack and a short-range breath weapon that aims down, and a smaller fireball that blasts out. Her wings never seem to let her fly, however. At battle's end, her head falls off, regardless of where you hit her. She's pretty easily the best-designed of all the characters in the game. At a full-ish PL 8, she's your most dangerous opponent so far, being fairly accurate (ie. she has a long reach) and tough- her two different kinds of fire give her versatility.
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Kylo Ren! Solo! The Mandalorian!)

Post by Jabroniville »

KorokoMystia wrote: Tue Feb 25, 2020 9:19 pm Interestingly, the Player 2 gladiator has a different hairdo, sporting a mohawk like a Fist of the North Star Mook, but besides that is pretty much a pallete swap like Ken originally was. Much like Street Fighter 1, a second player joining would be a mirror match.
Wow, I didn't even realize there was an option to play two-player. I was wondering where that pic of a mohawked guy came from.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Kylo Ren! Solo! The Mandalorian!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Spam wrote: Wed Feb 26, 2020 1:33 am I don't know if I would call Gina Carano an MMA washout. She only had one loss to and it was to Chris freaking Cyborg, a physical specimen who could get even Jab to say "That woman is too muscular." Although that loss did put the entire field of women's MMA on hold till they could find another attractive woman who could take center stage, because Cyborg as the face of the women's division was NOT something that could get the UFC's attention.
See, she practically fell off the face of the Earth after that, though. She had amassed a series of victories (though mostly against what look like scrubs to me- most of them don't have very impressive records, though some were doing well until losing to Carano), but she hasn't fought since the Cyborg fight.

When Rhonda Rousey became a thing, she was approached with the idea of fighting her, but after being brusquely dealt with by Dana White (BIG SURPRISE, right?), decided not to go through the effort of putting a team together (a very long process for a fighter). I mean... if you win seven fights and then lose one and immediately retire, what do you call that?
Spectrum
Posts: 3128
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:08 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Kylo Ren! Solo! The Mandalorian!)

Post by Spectrum »

M4C8 wrote: Wed Feb 26, 2020 2:48 am Wait, the winner of the tournament gets to marry the Queen right? are the monsters you fight just challenges to prove your worth or are they competitors that have an equal chance of marrying her?
This becomes much more disturbing as I see more of the characters for this game.

Unless the Queen is very, very, very open minded about her bed partners.
We rise from the ashes so that new legends can be born.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Solo! The Mandalorian! Hippodrome!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Squirrelly showed this on Discord, but I've been so far behind on my Tangled re-watching that I just not got to the episode. Another EPIC example of what happens when you have Alan Menken on your songwriting staff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkZEpNsw6zA

I'm getting real Valjean/Javert vibes from their "Angry Mutual Duet" moment.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Solo! The Mandalorian! Hippodrome!)

Post by Jabroniville »

One last note about Star Wars, and the hullabaloo surrounding it, from Adam Hughes on Twitter:
Nothing gives me a cluster headache like seeing a STAR WARS hot take I disagree with, wanting to chime in, and just biting my virtual tongue. I used to love talking about STAR WARS.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Scorpion Man

Post by Jabroniville »

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DALDNOA
Race:
Scorpion Man
PL 8 (64)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+9)
Expertise (Warrior) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Close Attack, Equipment (Trident +1), Improved Critical (Scimitar), Power Attack

Powers:
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]

"Gum" Affliction 6 (Dodge/Strength; Hindered & Dazed/Defenseless & Stunned) (Feats: Accurate 3) (Extras: Ranged, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (15) -- [16]
  • AE: "Tail" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach, Indirect- From Below) (3)
Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Trident +9 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Gum +8 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +6, Fortitude +8, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Winning the Competition)- The winner is awarded riches, and the hand of the Queen. But they must defend their title next year...

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 14 (90)

-Daldnoa is a very tall Scorpion Man with a trident. His sprite is one of the more unique things you'll find in pre-1990 gaming, actually- very detailed and thorough. He's a mobile, jumping fighter whose tail can pierce up throught he ground and attack you from below.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Assassins

Post by Jabroniville »

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CHARRY & STEEVE
Race:
Assassin
PL 7 (68)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+9)
Expertise (Warrior) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Equipment (Curved Blades +1, Feats: Split), Improved Critical (Curved Blades), Power Attack

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Blades +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Winning the Competition)- The winner is awarded riches, and the hand of the Queen. But they must defend their title next year...

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 15 (68)

-Now this is a clever one- one of your opponents is actually a DUO- the Assassins are among the lowest-health of all the enemies you'll fight, but the trick is there's TWO of them. They leap onto each other's shoulders to gain height, leap about to throw you off, and more. Not many fancy attacks (they just slash away with their short curved blades), but the lack of walls further diminish your dodging capabilities (too far and you'll fall to your death), making this a tough one.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun Jul 24, 2022 2:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Wizard

Post by Jabroniville »

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SOLOMON
Race:
Wizard
PL 9 (104)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+9)
Expertise (Magic) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Perception 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Magic) 8 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Equipment (Sword +1), Improved Critical (Main Attack), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 1

Powers/Equipment:
"Magical Might"
"Ice Storm" Blast 5 (Extras: Multiattack) (Reduced Defenses -2) (11) -- [15]
  • AE: "Acid Rain" Blast 4 (Feats: Indirect- From Above) (Extras: Multiattack) (Reduced Defenses -2) (9)
  • AE: "Defensive Short-Range Burst" Blast 4 (Feats: Accurate) (Diminished Range -1) (8)
  • AE: "Lightning" Damage 4 (Feats: Reach) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (9)
  • AE: "Fireball" Blast 5 (10)
Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Short-Range Burst +13 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Acid Rain +11 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Lightning +4 Area (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Fireball & Ice Storm +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +7, Fortitude +7, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Winning the Competition)- The winner is awarded riches, and the hand of the Queen. But they must defend their title next year...

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 14 (104)

-ah, the "Wizard" race, of course. Solomon is your most versatile opponent by far, and takes the most damage to fall yet- he throws out a variety of Energy Attacks, many of which halt your advance, because they all come at different angles- Lightning from above, Ice from in front, Acid Rain in an arc, and Fireballs from a diagonal angle. This makes him PL 8.5, and at RANGE, which is truly unusual for this series. When killed, he collapses like Obi-Wan Kenobi- an empy robe is all that's left of him.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Giant

Post by Jabroniville »

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PON
Race:
Giant
PL 9 (95)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+9)
Expertise (Warrior) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 7 (+7)
Perception 4 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Spiked Ball) 4 (+10)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Close Attack 3, Equipment (Shield +2), Improved Critical (Spiked Ball), Improved Critical (Fireball), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5

Powers:
Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -3 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]

"Spiked Ball & Chain" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [6]
Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Ranged 7) (7 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Spiked Ball +11 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (+10 Shield, DC 18-20), Parry +8 (+10 Shield, DC 18-20), Toughness +8, Fortitude +9, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Winning the Competition)- The winner is awarded riches, and the hand of the Queen. But they must defend their title next year...

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 15 (95)

-Easily the same size as the Dragon, the enormously ripped Pon the Giant is muscled like a '90s comic character, and charges at you with shoulder rams and blasts out with a HUGE spiked ball on a chain- one that easily goes the length of the screen! This and his incredible toughness make him a worthy Final Boss character, tougher and harder-hitting than any other foe.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Mutant Fighter

Post by Jabroniville »

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MUTANT FIGHTER:
Game Type: Fighting Game
Release Date: 1991
Developer: Data East

-Called Death Brade (hee hee) in Japan, this is a 1991 Fighting Game by Data East, inspired by their own Hippodrome, but turned into a more traditional 1-on-1 fighter, with selectable characters. The story is that a King has died, and a tournament must now be held to determine a new ruler- twelve challengers rise to the task. Three humans and five monsters are selectable, with four Bosses facing you- the Hydra, Doppelganger, the demon Pazuzu and the Archmage. You choose the order of your first three opponents, then face the Golem, Dragon & Hydra.

-The game is much more similar to pro wrestling than the gladatorial combat of the last game, with every character featuring wrestling holds like backbreakers, german suplexes, etc., with only a pair of unique "Special Moves" outside of regular combat. There's even a major function for the Irish Whip- the most ubiquitous, yet impossible, of wrestling moves- you grab the opponent and throw him to the other end of the ring... and he just keeps running! In Mutant Fighter this takes the purpose of throwing the opponent into Stage Hazards- the game is littered with wall spikes, raising pylons, lava, and even stationary spiked balls attached to bouncy sticks!

-A Super NES version came out, ommitting the Werewolf, Golem & Dragon for graphical reasons- the system SHOULD be able to hold twelve characters... but Data East probably cheaped out. This version was vastly hated in some gaming mags, scoring 22% in one magazine.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Mutant Fighter Characters

Post by Jabroniville »

MUTANT FIGHTER CHARACTER
Role:
Early Fighting Game Character, Human or Monster
PL 4 (49)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 10 (+10)
Expertise (Warrior) 5 (+5)
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+6)
Perception 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort ("Super Throw"), Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Hold, Improved Trip, Power Attack

Powers:
"Super Throw" Leaping 2 (30 feet) (Flaws: Limited to Every Several Rounds) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Winning the Competition)- The winner is awarded riches and rulership. But they must defend their title next year...

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 12 (49)

-Mutant Fighter, unlike Hippodrome, effectively has one sort of character, and only the physical abilities change for the most part. This means I can easily use a Template and get everyone at once.

Mutant Fighter Characters:
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HERCULES (Pon)- PL 7 (87): ST 5, STA 5, FIGHTING 9 [38]
-Hercules is named "Pon", exactly like the Final Boss of Hippodrome. A strong fighter, he typically does body blocks and big punches, but also a few splashes, a Powerslam, a Gorilla Press, and a Piledriver. the most "Powerhouse Wrestler" of the group, obviously.

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AMAZONESS (Cindy)- PL 7 (85): ST 2, STA 2, AGI +2, FIGHTING 12 [36]
-The smallest and weakest fighter, "Cindy" the Amazoness is also the fastest. Her big moves include a Rolling Savate Kick, a German Suplex, a Neckbreaker, and Ryu's "Tomoe Nage" back-rolling kick-throw.

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FIGHTER (Michael)- PL 7 (85): ST 4, STA 4, FIGHTING 10 [36]
-This guy is the true-blue generic boring character, clearly made to resemble Guile from Street Fighter II. He shouts "Hey, you will die!" and does a lot of generic wrestling moves, like jumping elbow drops, knees, and more. He uses a Body Slam & Neckbreaker in grapples, and his Super Throw is the typical "throw the guy high into the air and follow him down with a slam" move.

BEAST (Flea)- PL 7 (86): ST 4, STA 4, FIGHTING 10, Intimidation +2 [37]
-The beast is a hunched-over reptilian creature resembling something out of Where The Wild Things Are, and is a more balanced fighter. He uses headbutts, a Flying Neckbreaker, and a Powerslam.

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WEREWOLF (Boggy)- PL 7 (92): ST 3, STA 3, FIGHTING 11, Intimidation +2, Perception +4 [37]
"Animal Senses" Senses 6 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Scent-Tracking, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [6]
-A large werewolf, he's actually a faster fighter. He uses a flying spin attack like M. Bison's Psycho Crusher, and a lot of other jumping moves, including a Frankensteiner takeover, from the looks of things.

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MINOTAUR (Shankar)- PL 7 (91): ST 5, STA 5, FIGHTING 9, Intimidation +2 [39]
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision, Radius Sight) [3]
-The Minotaur is one of your strongest opponents, and uses horn-stabs, horn-grabs, and the Argentine Backbreaker (aka the Torture Rack) as a move.

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GOLEM (Bodca)- PL 8 (108): ST 7, STA --, FIGHTING 9 [22]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects), Protection 7 [37]
-The Golem is huge but incredibly slow, dishing out a ton of damage with "Fat Guy" wrestling moves like Avalanches, Splashes, and Hip Tosses. He also does the Giant Swing, a Press Slam (with one hand!) and a High-Angle Powerbomb.

DOPPELGANGER (Behoroi)- PL 7 (119): Variable 10 (Copies Powers of Opponent) [70]
-The Doppelganger you face has no unique stats of his own- it's just a "Mirror Match", like was becoming a thing in Fighting Games around this time. The trick was, he looks EXACTLY like you, so it can be difficult to tell which one is which, messing up your controls.

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DRAGON (Joseph)- PL 8 (91): ST 4, STA 4, FIGHTING 11, Intimidation +2 [39]
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent) [3]
-A man-sized, blue Dragon-Man, this character also ends up balanced, like the Beast. Even with his bestial nature, he uses wrestling moves like Powerbombs, but also has a "Flame Breath" attack (a close-range melee strike). His big grappling attack is actually Fire-based, and not an unarmed attack, but is otherwise the same thing in terms of damage, as he screams "Feel the heat of my BREATH!" when he blasts you.

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HYDRA (Charry)- PL 8 (96): ST 4, STA 4, FIGHTING 11, Intimidation +2 [39]
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision, Radius Sight), Movement 1 (Slithering), "Multiple Heads" Extra Limbs 2, Benefit (Ambidexterity) [8]
-The best of the designs in the game, the Hydra has five distinct heads, and its special consists of pulling at all your limbs at once. Not a bipedal monster and instead a slithering snake-creature, he's quite distinctive, and even collapses into a skeleton when defeated!

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DEMON (Pazuzu)- PL 8 (104): ST 6, STA 6, FIGHTING 10, AWA +1, PRE +3, Expertise (Demon) +6 [55]
-A giant arch-demon named for the Mesopotamian Demon-King of the Winds (who then gave his name to Dungeons & Dragons, he's bird-faced, winged, and has his stats all maxed out to hell. He copies Dragon's Fire Breath, and has an Exploding Fireball, too. His grapples are more wrestling standards, like the Argentine Backbreaker Suplex, Running Bulldog, and a Powerslam.

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ARCHMAGE (Cronus)- PL 8 (106): ST 2, STA 2, FIGHTING 12, Ranged Attack +8 [40]
"Mini-Blast Fireball" Blast 4 (Accurate), "Bigger Blast Fireball" Blast 6, "Meteor" Blast 6 (Indirect- From Above), "Fire Aura" Damage 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst), Teleport 4 [17]
-The Final Boss of the game, the Archmage throws out as many attacks as Solomon the Wizard from Hippodrome- multiple kinds of Blasts, plus a quick-moving Teleport that makes reining him in a giant pain in the ass. He has no Super Throw- his insane attacks are simply his regular command moves! The GameFaqs guy flat-out says that he doesn't know how to beat him without cheating- he can "Zone" you by Teleporting to wherever you are.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

OZ

Post by Jabroniville »

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OZ:

"OZ... that's the name on the street for the Oswald State Maximum Security Correctional Facility- Level Four"

This show stands out as one of my all-time favourites, despite a few hiccups. This was HBO's very-first original series: before The Sopranos, Sex and the City, The Wire and others came THIS. The brainchild of series creator Tom Fontana, Oz takes place in the Oswald State Maximum Security Penitentiary (later Correctional Facility, as narrator Augustus Hill notes- nobody is "peninent". NOBODY.), and details the daily lives of the inmates and whichever workers are on-shift.

The core of the show is the cast of "Emerald City" (a play on the prison's nickname), an experimental unit by a bleeding-heart type named Tim McManus, who hopes for a "better kind of prison", after seeing what went wrong in Attica at his hometown. Based partially on what some real-world prisons were doing, Emerald City is made up of glass "pods" instead of cells, and allows inmates free reign of movement and their own clothes to wear (so that the entire cast doesn't have to wear orange or grey one-sies), but at the cost of personal freedoms and more rules- they have to clean up after themselves, eat, sleep and watch TV when they're told to, etc.

Oz was a brutally fascinating show, and legendary for it's total level of violence, vulgarity, explicit content (they REALLY MEAN that this show is violent and has sexual content- I can't think of a single other TV show that contains more of either), and of course, the famous amount of anal rape involved. Fontana doesn't apologize for it (even though at times they're clearly being vulgar for the sake of being vulgar and EXTREEEEME)- this is based off of ACTUAL events in most prisons (of course all mashed together in ONE prison, making Oswald look like the most poorly-run facility in the world), and anything less would be a lie. It's a violent, mean, ugly show, and knows it. But deep at it's centre, you JUST might find a tale of redemption or two. Fontana says that his show is always about looking for humanity in the strangest places, and the potential for some people to get better. A few characters actually got honest-to-God FACE TURNS during the show, going from good to crazy to evil to good again.

This is combined with some of the most insightful, in-depth characterizations I've ever seen. When HBO okay'd the show, they told Fontana "We don't care if they're likeable- we just want them to be interesting". To say that this is like every TV & movie writer's wet dream is a HUGE understatement, and Fontana was beside himself with joy (he was originally gonna do a "Club Med" show about a minimum security prison, when HBO came around looking for a Maximum Security-type show). He based it around some real events, but didn't try too hard to make things realistic (when critics called the show "Real", they really meant "Gritty and with real swearing", since this was at that point a HUGE rarity on television)- guys are given access to fancy clothes, huge knives, tons of free time with no guards around, etc. Fontana also produced some of the most interesting and multi-faceted characters in television history:

* Warden Leo Glynn- a serious, strict, over-bearing personality who nonetheless wanted the right thing done. NO sympathy for the inmates whatsoever.
* Tim McManus, Unit Manager of Emerald City- A "good cop" of sorts to Leo's "Bad Cop", he is a little too keen to rehabilitate, and often goes for lost causes. A notorious womanizer and bleeding-heart, a bit too naiive for his own good.
* Tobias Beecher- A rich lawyer from a good family, who nonetheless has a ton of issues, which ultimately landed him in prison after he killed a young girl. The ultimate "P.O.V." character, you see the prison through HIS eyes, because he's new to the experience and needs to find out everything, being not streetwise in the slightest. Vulnerable, shy and nervous, he is quickly and horribly victimized, and ultimately suffers a colossal series of tragedies, to the point where you're like "ENOUGH ALREADY!" He's left with the choice to become a terrible person in return, to get revenge (The Abyss looks also), or to try and rise above it all, and forgive.
* Vern Schillinger- A sadistic, racist leader of the Aryan Brotherhood, Vern commits the show's first rape, and makes lives hell for numerous victims over the course of the show. One of the ultimate expressions of evil.
* Kareem Said- A blowhard of a Muslim activist, and the first Muslim main character in American TV history. Moralistic and charismatic, but with his own set of demons, including a huge ego.
* Simon Adebisi- A hedonistic animal of a man, and the craziest character, but capable of some sly planning.
* Ryan O'Reily- A nasty schemer, who plays everyone against each other like a true Manipulative Bastard, who ultimately ends up falling for a doctor within the prison, and ends up manipulating himself into a corner, as bad things keep on happening to him and everyone he knows.
* Chris Keller- Debuting in Season Two to seduce Beecher in revenge for what goes on with him & Schillinger, Keller ultimately becomes an obsessive, controlling bastard in his own right, and frequently shifts in how he treats "Tobey".
* and many, many more. This show ends up with a HUGE cast, among the biggest I've ever seen, as people come and go frequently.

Recurring themes are:
* Crimes- Every inmate is introduced with a shot of what their crime was, shot in a "home-video" type of way. They go from the mundane (shooting a guy in a drug deal gone wrong) to the understandable (Schillinger- the vilest person on the show- beats up a guy for drug dealing to his kids, in a great case of irony as it's not that vicious compared to what the man really is) to the epically villainous (Jefferson Keane murders a rival and his wife as they're exiting the church on their wedding night) to the chaotic (Ryan O'Reily is on a drug-fuelled vehicular rampage) to the sudden (Bob Rebadow casually uses a pen to pierce the throat of a man ripping up his architectural designs) to the vicious (Adebisi decapitates an undercover cop). Tom Fontana notes that "EVERYONE deserves to be there", and there's no frame-ups sending these guys to jail. Though characters can be framed of wrongdoing from WITHIN prison, every inmate is a real criminal.

* The Routine & Rules- Guys are bored a lot of the time, and as such, they get EXTREMELY excited every time violence is inflicted on someone. All infractions result in everyone being forced into their cells for a while. Occasionally, the whole prison gets locked down. Notably, every prisoner is introduced by their number (year of crime, followed by their last initial, then the actor's birth month or something)- they ARE numbers, as far as the system is concerned.

* Drug addiction- A fat chunk of the show is made up of drug addicts, recovering and otherwise, and the tribulations they have to go through.

* Gang warfare- The Latinos, Blacks & Italians are usually fighting for control of the drug (called "Tits"- because they're like "Mother's Milk") trade. The Aryans protect their own, and various other side-groups also wrestle for either power or respect.

* Racism- The Aryans & Bikers hate minorities in general. The Muslims are distrustful of whites. The Latinos are out for themselves. The Homeboys dislike whites, and Adebisi in particular despises them. Race is a HUGE factor in Oz- though arguably less so than in real prisons. Scenes of white & black characters chatting with each other about things are absolutely alien to much of real prison life.

* Rape- Probably the show's most famous aspect, to both outsiders who've only heard about it, and anyone who watched. A horrible reality of prison life (they leave this out of most comic books, thankfully), plenty of weak male characters (Beecher, Peter Schibetta, Cyril O'Reily) are beaten up and sodomized by sex-hungry monsters, and we see the full repercussions of it. It's rarely played for laughs (even though it can be a little funny, and other characters will joke about it), as you're left watching in horror at what these guys have to go through. I've read a couple of articles on prison rape, and one psychologist points out that Oz gets it bitterly right, in that the biggest rapists in prison are the "Alpha Males"- Schillinger & Adebisi.

* Prison Love- Beecher and O'Reily in particular. Beecher with fellow inmate Chris Keller (in the most interesting homosexual relationship I've ever seen on TV), and O'Reily with Dr. Nathan, who saves him from breast cancer. Curiously, every time people fall in love in Oz, someone has to die.

* The Outside-
Prisoners are left only hearing about what goes on "Outside the walls". In a great bit of directing, you pretty much NEVER see actual daylight on this show, except for the home-video crime scenes, and TWO instances of people walking outside the prison. This gives the show a palpable sense of claustrophobia, as everything is lit by artificial means, and takes place indoors. EVERYTHING.

* Violence- Another brutal reality of prison life. People are beaten, maimed and murdered on this show in stuff comparable to "The Passion of the Christ". The LIGHTER deaths see guys with their throats slit or stomachs punctured by "shanks". A man is NAILED TO A GYMNASIUM FLOOR in a crucifixion pose because he molested some kids. A guard has his eyes gouged out of his skull by an inmate on the orders of a boss. A guy dies of a horrible allergic reaction to eggs, deliberately placed by another inmate. Someone dies of internal hemorhaging after being fed ground-up glass for months.

* Death- ANYONE can die. One of the very first TV shows to do this (if not THE first)- major characters come in and die at lightning speed sometimes. Introduced characters can get a big push, only to be suddenly-killed episodes later. Various characters even get TONS of characterization and backstory, only to die early. Having just gone through the entire series, it's bizarre to realize that at one point Jefferson Keane was one of the most-focused on characters in the first season, since he dies halfway through it.

* Revenge- The never-ending cycle of torment and revenge is huge, as gangs repeatedly "get each other back" for every possible slight. The Beecher/Schillinger war STARTS with anal rape, and only gets worse from there, as Schillinger victimizes Beecher in every way possible, only to be maimed, beaten, crapped on (literally- Beecher ties him to the floor and takes a steamer on his face) and set-up for more jail time. Schillinger responds by wrecking Beecher's sanity. The men lose three children between them, and despite several attempts at burying the hatchet, in the end, only one can walk away.

* Redemption & Rehabilitation- You see what guys go through, trying to improve their lot in life. Guys try to kick drugs, become better people, and make parole... and usually fail. Fontana knew damn well from his research that most people released from prison just end up going right back, as they're left in even WORSE shape once they get out. In effect, the prison was only making more effective criminals. It's a huge victory for the staff (and the show's writers) every time someone can actually get out with their morals intact.

In short, this is one of the most interesting shows of all time, and comes hugely recommended. Some of the acting on here is among the best I've ever seen- Dean "Ryan O'Reily" Winters does a TOUR DE FORCE performance in the episode when Cyril is to be executed, Adebisi and Schillinger are so menacing that I STILL have trouble watching them in movies ("G.I. Joe" and "Spider-Man", amongst others), and you REALLY believe that Beecher and Keller are two guys brutally and insanely in love. Just avoid it if you're AT ALL light of heart. This show makes "Prison Break" look like a frickin' Club Med, and makes "The Sopranos" look like it's for sissies. It makes an unmistakeable dive later on, with a bunch of flaws popping up. Sure, "Anyone Can Die" makes things interesting, but the show lost a MAJOR factor when a certain Nigerian immigrant was killed in Season Four. Tons of great characters were killed before their time, and more interesting things could be done with them (Cannibal Donald Groves only lasted a handful of episodes, The Colonel in later seasons was killed WAY too early), and the final seasons sees a never-ending stream of people wiped out. The show generally lacks subtlety, beating you over the head with it's morals and reasoning behind various plots. Episodes start to get REALLY outlandish and silly later on, as we deal with Super-Aging Drugs (aging prisoners until the point of there release, then letting them go), Luke Perry haunting people from beyond the grave (makes sense in context), a guy believing he is Satan himself, a guy BUILDING A BOMB WHILE INSIDE THE JAIL, and more. The acting in this show is some of the best I've ever seen on TV, but a lot of the background cast is lacking, especially when it's time to step up and become major characters (Timmy Kirk, Jaz Hoyt). But still, check it out. Try to rent, though- those DVDs are FREAKING EXPENSIVE.

Most Awesome "Oz" Moments:
1) Beecher is given the kiss-off by Schillinger (who'd been brutally abusing him all season), and set up to be beaten/killed, and responds by going ****ING CRAZY, chucking a chair through his glass pod, slicing his cornea and threatening to murder him, all while the entirety of Emerald City goes nuts and chants his name.

2) Said & Adebisi forming an alliance (Said was faking), and Adebisi says "Nothing can stop us! Nothing... nothing... nothing..." and a huge chant goes up, as all the blacks in Em City get into it, forming a super-army that takes over the entire Unit. O'Reily and Keller, two of the only whites left, go "Said and Adebisi together..." "That's the end of the ****ing universe."

3) Peter Schibetta and his enforcer Chucky Pancamo corner Adebisi in the kitchen, and prepare a beat-down. Adebisi responds by using the Improvised Weapons Advantage, wiping out both of them. Locking Pancamo in the warehouse, he goes up to Schibetta, and just when you think he's gonna do some horrific act of violence... he puts in his headphones, yanks Schibetta's pants down... and ANALLY RAPES HIM.

4) Schillinger tries to corner Beecher in the gym and beat the hell out of him, but Beecher smuggles in a weight-bar and slugs Vern, KOing him. Then he proceeds to tie him up, put a bench on his chest, squats over him... and then TAKES A SHIT ON HIS FACE. Now THAT is owning somebody!

5) The entire riot that ends Season One. Some of the most raw, violent energy I've ever seen channeled on the screen.

6) The whole "Variety Show" episode, featuring the most broad humor in the series, but done well- nothing beats Beecher & Schillinger doing "The Last Duet" when you consider all the crap between them, but Rita Moreno's "Days Like These" is beautiful, and Father Mukada doing Tori Amos' "Leather" is classic.

7) Shirley Bellinger, a woman on Death Row, spends two seasons manipulating and trying to seduce every single person in Oz, all the while being as smarmy and arrogant as humanly possible. It culminates when her slowly walking towards the Gallows (she requested to be hung), but suddenly breaks down, saying she doesn't want to die this way... But it's too late. All the crap she's pulled comes to a head, as she's carried up the stairs, has the bag put over her head, the noose is tightened, and she drops, sobbing like a wuss. Is watching evil people killed supposed to be cathartic?

8) The final ten minutes or so of the episode where Cyril O'Reily, the brain-damaged inmate, is supposed to be executed. You want Dean Winters put on an acting clinic as the older brother Ryan forced to watch this happen, and they do this long musical montage of everything going on in Oz when Cyril's set for Old Sparky. Eventually, every single person in Em City starts banging on the walls of their pods in solidarity (based off of real events at prisons while inmates are being executed), creating this huge racket, while Ryan walks the maze in the gymnasium to deal with his mental torment.

9) Said spends a season going a little crazy after having slain his greatest enemy- feeling Adebisi's spirit inside of him. Finally, he's pushed to the breaking point, and saves Beecher from Schillinger... by popping up behind Vern, hissing "Adebisi LIVES!" and stabs the Nazi right in his side.

10) Beecher & Schillinger's final scene together, performing "Macbeth". When Schillinger says "I have taken too many of thine already", they're basically hitting you over the head with the similarities, and when the prop-knife is revealed to be a real one, you get a CLASSIC funny moment when the black guy pretending to be a slain body pops up and goes "THAT motherfucker's DEAD!"

11) A pedophile priest is paroled from Oz, and everyone from the COs to Father Mukada to the inmates (even the NAZIS) are disgusted by him. In a moment of mercy, Mukada allows him to stay in Oz after being refused a stay anywhere in town (thanks to "Megan's Law"). The Nazis find out, and sure enough, a guard is bribed, and the guy ends up NAILED TO THE GYM ROOM FLOOR, with his hands and feet in a Crucifix position.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Fri Feb 28, 2020 12:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Star Wars Done! Hippodrome! Mutant Fighter!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Y'all have no idea how happy I am to finally be able to re-post OZ and Rome from HBO. I know it'll only take a few days, but I have these ANCIENT-ass builds waiting to be re-posted and I could never find an ideal time. I figured after a more popular set like Star Wars, it's a good time.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Oswald State

Post by Jabroniville »

OSWALD MAXIMUM SECURITY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, LEVEL FOUR:

-Nicknamed "Oz" by it's inmates, and people on the outside, Oz is a huge maximum security holding pen, containing something like 60,000 inmates (one would question how Warden Glynn could interact with so many prisoners on a one-to-one basis. I guess he just plays favourites like Principal Belding does on "Saved By The Bell", by ignoring thousands of others in favours of a handful). It's run by Warden Leo Glynn, a stern, hard-edged, world-weary, cynical character who doesn't take any crap from anybody. The State in which Oswald is located is never stated outright (California would fit, but someone once said "I'm moving to California", so it's not that), but it features nearly every possible race of people. It's close to the coastline (some Chinese refugees were housed there briefly), features a large amount of black people, and a sizeable Latino population, in addition to enough Italians to form a very powerful Mafia presence. It seems like these are all still minorities to a white population, however, and there's a good population of rednecks, though none with Southern accents.

The prison features the following locales:
The Administration Lounge: Where Correctional Officers and other prison administrative staff eat and hang out. They usually discuss the day's gossip. Also a guy got his eyes gouged out and wandered into here.

The Hospital: Run by Dr. Gloria Nathan, this is where torn anuses are healed, and sides punctured by shanks are sewn up. A LOT of cast members end up taken through here. Dr. Nathan is frequently exhausted, and often harassed, because she's an attractive woman IN A PRISON, but she does good work, in spite of a dwindling budget (Ryan O'Reily's lumpectomy is done in the cheapest way possible). She has a small staff of less-attractive, inconsiderate nurses, and the Latinos act as her orderlies. Inmates with the most-severe issues get sent to Benchley Memorial Hospital, apparently close by.

The AIDS Ward: Close to the hospital, all inmates who are discovered to be HIV positive are sent here, lest they infect the others. Plenty of gay inmates, as well as intravenous drug users, are here. Not much time is spent here, as only a few named characters get AIDS, but you see it a bit.
Sister Pete's Office: Sister Peter-Marie Reimondo runs the psychiatric program at Oswald, and is usually seen in one-on-one meetings with the inmates. Most of the time she does no good (some men are unsalvageable), but she's provided tremendous help to inmates such as Beecher, Hill and O'Reily. She helps several men out with their drug addictions.

Father Mukada's Office: Father Ray Mukada runs the Catholic Services at Oswald, and tries to include Protestantism for the other inmates. A large portion of his "flock" turned away to the Reverend Cloutier's control at one point. Ray does a lot of what Sister Pete does (focusing on hard-luck Latino Miguel Alvarez), helping out people spirtually as well as mentally. He & Sister Pete are generally the two most moral characters on the series.

Warden Glynn's Office: Inmates do a lot of begging here, for special privileges or whatever.

Death Row: Once Governor James Devlin (only an honorable man could have that kind of a last name) re-instated the Death Penalty, all people stentenced to die end up here. Curiously, 95% of the inmates here are white, in contrast to the real world. Inmates were first given a large choice of ways to die (basically anything they could think of- like Hanging, or Stoning), but eventually it got whittled down to the Lethal Injection or The Electric Chair. There's only four cells here, and it's run by usually the nastiest COs.

The Gym: Anyone in the prison can go here, and there is some CRAPPY staff presence at times (usually because guys were bought off). A really shoddy set of work-out equipment is here, so it's a curiosity how all these guys got SO BLOODY RIPPED. A small Basketball Court is on the other side of the equipment. Plenty of gang-related fights occur, and one time, a Priest got nailed to the floor.

The Hole: Inmates who get into fights, or commit large infractions, are sent here. They're stripped naked (most of the show's nudity is in here), chucked into a windowless stone room, and left there for days, before being released.

Solitary Confinement: Inmates who commit egregious acts of violence are sent here, and left for a certain period of time. Some are forced there for their entire lives, often for decades (such as the grandfather of Miguel Alvarez, or William Giles). Almost everyone goes nuts in solitary, even those left there for only a few weeks (like the Riot Leaders). Considered the harshest form of punishment in Oz.

The Kitchen: Where the food gets made, and most of the drugs come through. Ownership of the kitchen is considered the Holy Grail of being a powerful gang in Oz- it's either the Italians or the Homeboys in charge. A huge amount of freedom is given to the inmates here, which makes you wonder, since SO MANY PEOPLE are killed in it. It's also the General Meeting Place, where Sister Pete's drug counselling and rape counselling take place, as well as Religious Services, the Variety Show night, and the performing of Macbeth (which, naturally, involves cast members turning up dead.

General Population- Unit B: The only "regular" prison unit seen in "Oz"- basically a small row of standard, barred jail-cells is seen. It's unclear how large it really is, as all we get is a small set. Much non-Emerald City stuff goes on here, as it becomes the sole location of Vern Schillinger after Season One. Few major characters other than him stay here.

and finally...
Emerald City: The experimental unit of Oswald, and the place where everyone wants to be, since they have TVs, their own clothes, and more personal freedom. This is designed to give them some hope and joy, to counter-act the horrors of prison life, but it really just means that everyone gets up to more nonsense. "There is no fighting... no f*cking...", but all that goes on anyways since guards here SUCK. There is a general gathering area with tables and chairs, with the glass "Pods" all around them. They are unlocked via a Guard Centre above the Gathering Area. "Em City" is two floors, has a small shower room (#2 for male frontal nudity, after The Hole), a laundry room with REALLY ugly TV lightning (the actors complain on DVD Commentaries about it), and two overlooking rooms, one for the classroom (for when the High School Education Program was running), and one for Tim McManus' office, where inmates plead their cases.

Prison Slang (stuff you need to know to exist in jail):
* The prison slang of Oz is slightly different from that of real life- deliberately-so, as slang tends to change rapidly in real-time, and would "date" a show horribly after a point. Plus they didn't want to use cliched terms like "bitch" or "screw".
"Oz"- Oswald itself. Generally the only name it's given in-story, unless it's a formal news report.
"Gen Pop"- General Population, the non-Emerald City cellblocks in Oz. Unit B is the only one seen.
"Tits"- Drugs, usually heroin. Named because it's "like Mother's Milk".
"CO"- Correctional Officer, ie. a guard.
"Hack"- Derogatory nickname for the guards, by the inmates.
"Dinks"- McManus' term for the inmates. Mean kind of in a jolly, lecturing kind of way.
"Shank"- Various types of bladed weapons constructed for prison life. Common types included filed metal shards (causing puncturing wounds), bedsprings filed into points, filed toothbrushes (never used in-show), and the popular "Gilette Bayonette", a razor blade tied to a pencil.
"Air-Holed"- Killed, usually by stabbing.
"Prag"- The latter an appellation created by Tom Fontana. Basically, a guy who gets raped, and is usually then forced to be a subjugated "woman" to another. This often involves being dressed like a girl.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Fri Feb 28, 2020 12:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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