TEXT: Cynthia Celeste Miller
  Valentine's Day Special
  
  Cynthia Celeste Miller
  Valentine's Day Special
  Introduction
  One of humankind’s most profound emotions is love… and 
  what better time to talk about love than on Valentine’s Day? 
  In the machismo-filled world of the retro-toons, love wasn’t 
  something that was blatantly bandied about on a regular 
  basis. The characters would rather duke it out or shoot at 
  each other with lasers than engage in romantic situations. 
  That having been said, romance wasn’t completely absent 
  from the retro-toons. It was just muted and watered down a 
  bit, making it more tolerable for the target audience.
  This mini-sourcebook was written with one goal in mind: 
  to help players and GMs introduce romantic elements into 
  Cartoon Action Hour: Season 2 without violating everything 
  that the retro-toons stood for.
  The first section deals with advice for integrating romance 
  into the game, while the second section presents a series 
  that explores romantic themes more than most others.
  Romance in CAH:S2
  On the occasions that romance crept its way into the retro-
  toons, it was kept more or less on the down low. That is, it 
  wasn’t something terribly overt in the grand scheme of 
  things. It was hinted at more so than directly depicted.
  And when it appeared at all, it was most often a plot device 
  aimed at getting the primary characters involved in the story. 
  Perhaps the villains kidnap the person who has been dating 
  one of the heroes or maybe the love interest turns out to be 
  a spy for the villains and is using the hero to get top-secret 
  information. Situations along these lines are definitely in the 
  spirit of the retro-toons, all the while allowing some romantic 
  role-playing to occur in order to establish a connection 
  between the two love interests.
  What Cartoon Romance Didn’t Have
  Before we can start discussing how to run romance-themed 
  games of CAH:S2, we have to talk a bit about the things you 
  just didn’t see in cartoon romance.
  Sex
  This is a no-brainer. Retro-toons were targeting the kiddies as 
  their main audience, so there’s no way in the world that the 
  depiction of sex would have been allowed. In fact, they didn’t 
  even allude to it by way of innuendo. The parent groups 
  would have pitched a fit and had the series pulled from the 
  schedule in a New York minute.
  Excessive Mushiness
  While many girls enjoyed the action-adventure retro-toons, 
  the execs understood that these shows were going to appeal 
  mostly to boys. This being the case, how many young boys 
  were going to sit through a scene involving lots of lovey-
  dovey dialogue? Not very many, that’s for certain. As soon 
  as the sentimentality would get too thick, they would have 
  bolted immediately. A little bit sprinkled here and there 
  might fly, but anything more just isn’t being true to the 
  source material. 
  Major Displays of Physical Affection
  This loosely ties in with sex, as discussed above, but still 
  deserves special mention in its own right. Displays of physical 
  affection were limited to a hug, a kiss on the cheek or the 
  holding of hands, as the execs didn’t want to excite young 
  boys or romanticize lewd behavior.   
  
  Love Interests
  Romance almost exclusively revolved around a love interest 
  for one of the characters. These love interests took one of 
  two forms. Both types of love interests are detailed below.
  The Short-Termer:
  •
   This type of love interest is
  introduced and established early in the episode and
  is most commonly used simply as a plot device for
  the episode’s story. By the end of the episode, the
  hero and the love interest cease to be an item, due
  to various circumstances (the two realize that they
  can’t be together, the love interest moves away, etc.). 
  This ties the plot up, allowing the next episode to
  start without unnecessary baggage for the hero. The
  short-termer is always an NPC and might eventually
  pop up again in the future.
  The Long-Termer: 
  •
  This type of love interest appears
  regularly throughout the series and becomes a
  recurring character as a result. While this love interest
  wasn’t necessarily inserted just to act as a plot
  device, she can still be used as one when duty calls, 
  so to speak. The long-termer could be either a PC
  or NPC. If it’s an NPC, the GM should make sure that
  the two players whose characters are involved are
  comfortable with it. Otherwise, it could lead to some
  seriously awkward and uncomfortable moments.
  Twists
  Love interests in the retro-toons were seldom bland. Rather, 
  the writers usually threw in a curveball that would shake 
  things up a bit. What follows is a quick summary of a few 
  different twists for GMs to use. The list is hardly exhaustive, 
  however, and GMs are encouraged to devise their own twists.
  The love interest is secretly a villain and the hero
  •
  doesn’t know it.
  The love interest is secretly a villain, but the hero
  •
  knows; a classic case of forbidden love.
  The love interest is torn between two loves – the
  •
  hero and somebody else (perhaps one of the hero’s
  comrades).
  The love interest isn’t as perfect as the hero thinks.
  •
  The love interest has a dark secret that could
  •
  threaten their relationship.
  The love interest doesn’t know the hero exists or
  •
  doesn’t care; yet that doesn’t stop him from trying to
  capture her heart.
  The love interest belongs to another social class and
  •
  it’s taboo for them to be together. 
  The love interest has a defective personality and
  •
  nobody else likes her but the hero.
  The love interest has no idea that the hero
  •
  has feelings for her, as he hasn’t told her or
  demonstrated it to her.
  Ladies of Might
  “Behold the power of virtue!”
  PC Creation Guidelines
  The following guidelines apply to all PCs for the Ladies of 
  Might series.
  Proof of Purchase Points: PCs are created using 30 PoPPs.
  Maximum Trait Ratings (Regular Traits): 10
  Maximum Trait Ratings (Action Features): 14
  Miscellaneous:
  The characters must be females.
  •
  The characters must be members of the Council of
  •
  Might.
  Each character must have a Trait that represents her
  •
  own Item of Virtue (a sword, locket, amulet, bracelet, 
  hairbrush, mirror, shield, etc.). This item is a major
  focal point of the character and should tie into her
  theme (see below) if she has one. It’s up to you to
  decide what the item does.
  There are no computers in the series. While it
  •
  does feature robots, gadgets, vehicles, and other
  technological doodads, actual computers have not
  been created. 
  Thematic characters are appropriate, but aren’t
  •
  required. To theme a character, simply choose an
  animal, object, material, or whatever else you’d like, 
  and base your character’s identity off of it.
  Backstory
  In 1984, Warriors of the Cosmos was ruling the syndicated 
  cartoon market. Boys everywhere were buying merchandise 
  and religiously watching the show every weekday afternoon. 
  Lewis Gretchman of Grabbo Toys (the company behind 
  the Warriors of the Cosmos toy line) wanted to move the 
  franchise into a new market. That’s right, he sought the girl 
  demographic. He discussed an idea with his staff for a new 
  toy line and cartoon series that would tie into the Warriors of 
  the Cosmos. The idea was to attract girls to the product and 
  possibly have crossover potential as well. The name of the 
  series would be Ladies of Might. 
  A year later, the first episode (also produced by Kilamir 
  Studios) debuted to lukewarm ratings, much to the chagrin 
  of everyone involved. Fortunately, the companies invested 
  in a marketing blitz that paid off for them in dividends. The 
  show started to skyrocket (as did the toy line), winning over 
  girls all over the world in the process.
  Sadly, the show lost its steam about as rapidly as it gained it. 
  The quality of the show’s second season was noticeably poor, 
  causing a drastic lack of interest. From there, things only got 
  worse and the series and toy line were cancelled after the 
  sophomore season wrapped.
  
  The Genre
  Ladies of Might can best be described as science-fantasy. High 
  technology exists side by side with all the tropes of classic 
  sword-and-sorcery fantasy. Lasers and swords. Airships and 
  dragons. Cybernetics and castles. Still, the series gravitated 
  a bit more toward the fantasy aspects than Warriors of the 
  Cosmos did.
  The Series
  Hidden away from the rest of Iconia, there exists a continent 
  called Dreama. Dreama is a place of utter utopian beauty, 
  covered with lush forests, snow-capped mountains and rich 
  farmland. High above the land, though, is a magical city in 
  the clouds, a place of kindness and compassion; it is known 
  as Paradise, for that’s truly what it is. 
  For centuries, Dreama has been ruled by the Council of 
  Might, a group of women who wield the legendary Items of 
  Virtue. Each member possesses one such item, bestowing 
  upon her a unique power that reflects her own personality or 
  beliefs. The Council makes Paradise their home and they ride 
  to and from the ground on winged unicorns.   
  In the past, the realm hadn’t required much protection by 
  the Council. That is, until the arrival of Tyranna! This despotic 
  conqueror came by way of the Prysm Sea via her floating 
  fortress. With her thousands of minions in tow, Tyranna is 
  poised to take over Dreama and rule it with an iron fist. 
  Of course, the Council of Might isn’t just sitting back and 
  letting it happen. They  
  The Player Characters
  This series revolves around a small group (between 3 and 5 is 
  about right). As such, there’s no need to stat out pre-existing 
  heroes. This allows the characters created by the players to 
  form the entirety of the group.
  Factions 
  The following groups play an important role in the Ladies of 
  Might.
  Ladies of Might
  This is the group the PCs belong to. These women act as 
  Dreama’s first line of defense against Tyranna, as they are 
  the realm’s mightiest warriors, thanks in part to their Items 
  of Virtue. The wielders of the Items are acknowledged as the 
  rulers of Dreama.
  Lords of Valor
  The Lords of Valor are the male equivalents to the Ladies of 
  Might. The only exception is that they do not have the mystic 
  Items of Virtue. Still, they are highly skilled and can hold their 
  own against anyone.
  The Wretched Legion
  This is the army controlled by Tyranna, consisting of a 
  handful of powerful minions and a horde of robots that 
  she calls the Dreadbots (Battle Rating 2; Rugged, Specialists 
  [Detect Characters 2]). 
  Romantic Aspects
  The Ladies of Might series featured a decent amount of 
  romance in comparison to other retro-toons. Most of the 
  romance was between the Ladies of Might and the Lords of 
  Valor, as they all shared similar experiences and had similar 
  roles in the series. 
  If your group has any male players, you could allow them to 
  play Lords of Valor in order to keep them from feeling “icky” 
  about having male love interests. 
  Crossovers
  During the course of the series, the writers conducted 
  several crossovers with Warriors of the Cosmos. In the first 
  crossover, the Guardians of Iconia and the Blackskull Empire 
  both discovered Dreama. Nekrottus decided to take it over 
  for himself, but Tyranna wasn’t having any of that. The two 
  butted heads initially, but ended up joining forces, requiring 
  the Guardians of Iconia to team up with the Ladies of Might 
  and the Lords of Valor in order to fend them off.
  The Adversaries
  Most, but not all, of the series’ villainy was caused by Tyrana 
  and her band of henchmen. 
  Below, you will find Tyranna’s game stats, as well as stats for a 
  handful of her most notorious minions.
  Tyranna
  “Heartless Conqueror”
  Quick Bio:  Nobody knows where Tyranna came from, though 
  it’s suspected that she hails from another dimension. Whatever 
  the case may be, she is a being with absolutely no compassion 
  or sense of honor and her hunger for power is fathomless.   
  Appearance:  Tyranna is a tall, slender woman with green-
  tinted skin and a mane of full black hair that spills down her 
  back. Her red eyes are narrow and filled with hatred, and her 
  lips have never experienced a genuine smile. She wears gray 
  battle armor with dark purple trim that covers most of her 
  body. Her weapon of choice is a long, thin sword that crackles 
  with purple energy. 
  Factoids: “Has a lust for power”, “Cares nothing for her 
  minions”, “Often touches her fingertips together when 
  hatching an evil scheme”
  Subplots: Vow (To conquer Dreama)
  Traits: Sword of Conquest 6 [Enhancer +3, Bonus (Can shoot 
  energy from the sword), Defend, Accessory] Conniving Mind 
  7, Commanding Voice 6, Cunning Fighter 5, Leaping 3, 
  Resilient 3, Crafted Battle Armor 4 [Enhancer +2, Accessory], 
  Impenetrable Will 6, Keen Eyes 4  
  Stats: Threshold 12, Battle Rating 6
  
  Enchantra
  “Beautiful Controller of Minds”
  Quick Bio:  Enchantra isn’t your average girl next door. She 
  delights in controlling the minds of others and forcing them 
  to do her bidding. This talent has made her an invaluable 
  resource for Tyranna who considers her to be the second-in-
  command of the Wretched Legion.   
  Appearance:  Enchantra looks like the classic seductress, 
  albeit toned-down for the retro-toon audiences. She has 
  full curly blonde hair and eyes that appear to have heavy 
  eyeliner. She wears a slightly slinky green dress and carries a 
  dagger with her at all times.
  Factoids: “Enjoys playing mind games”, “Has a superiority 
  complex”, “Every movement she makes is intended to be 
  sensual (which nearly got her yanked from the show, thanks 
  to parent groups)”
  Subplots: Mental Hang-Up (Obsessed With Her Looks)
  Traits: Dagger 1 [Enhancer +1, Situational Boost (+2 to rating 
  when target is under her control), Accessory], Mind Control 6 
  [Has a duration; Extra Duration, Oomph Powered, Disadvantage 
  (Victim can try to shake the effects once per scene by rolling 8+ 
  on a single die)], Gorgeous 4, Sneaky Combatant 1, Athletically 
  Inclined 4, Manipulative 4, Stealthy Movement 4, Dodge 4  
  Stats: Threshold 10, Battle Rating 6
  Cogwheel
  “Clockwork Warrior”
  Quick Bio:  Cogwheel is a titanic cyborg built by artisans back 
  from wherever it is that Tyranna originated from. His strength 
  is beyond compare, as is his ability to withstand massive 
  amounts of physical damage. He doesn’t seem particularly 
  violent or driven. He merely does what he’s told without 
  question.
  Appearance:  Cogwheel stands close to 8 feet in height and 
  is nearly as wide as he is tall. His lower face is the only part of 
  him that looks remotely organic. The rest of his body consists 
  of copper and silver metal plating, smokestacks, cogs and 
  pipes. Positioned on his right forearm is an oversized steam 
  cannon with tubes that connect it to an even larger device 
  on his back.
  Factoids: “Has no passion”, “Blindly obedient”, “Speaks slowly 
  and only uses simple words”
  Subplots: Mental Hang-Up (No Mind of His Own)
  Traits: Steam Cannon 12 [Enhancer +6, Area, One-Shot], Metal 
  Body 8, Aim 2, Cumbersome 2X 
  Stats: Threshold 10, Battle Rating 12
  Lynxia
  “Catlike Warrior”
  Quick Bio:  Lynxia is Tyranna’s go-to warrior when she needs 
  a skilled combatant. Lynxia takes commands easily, but 
  voices her opinions when necessary. Normally, this manner 
  of outspokenness would infuriate the would-be conqueror, 
  but she knows that Lynxia never contradicts an order without 
  good reason. 
  Appearance:  Lynxia is a graceful-looking feline-like 
  humanoid. Her head looks mostly human aside from her cat 
  eyes and teeth. Her body, though, is covered in luxurious 
  golden fur and she has a long, nimble tail. She wears light 
  chainmail armor that doesn’t reduce her agility. She carries 
  an elaborate silver trident. 
  Factoids: “Is relatively quiet and contemplative”, “Never brags, 
  but is very self-assured”, “Moves around gracefully”
  Subplots: None
  Traits: Trident of Ku’gar 5 [Enhancer +3, Accessory], Light 
  Chainmail Armor 1 [Enhancer +1, Accessory], Master of Close 
  Combat 5 [Specialty], Catlike Agility 6, Toughness 3, Vision 3  
  Stats: Threshold 10, Battle Rating 6
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Cartoon Action Hour/Season 2/CAHS2 Valentine Special.pdf