Author Topic: The Heroes of New Arcadia - RPPR Superheroes campaign - Wild Talents  (Read 550948 times)

Robot Master

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Re: The next big RPPR campaign - what will it be?
« Reply #30 on: December 19, 2010, 12:46:00 PM »
Hey the Morlocks aren't useless. There's something pretty cool in my opinion about a bunch of people with "lesser" powers having to band together to be one pretty badass power suite. Unfortunately another team (the Marauders) with a bunch of "better" powers gathered together and slaughtered them. It's all up to what the DM throws at the players.

I don't want to seem over-opinionated, but in my experience people that always wanted to play Wild Mages were the same kind of people that got a laugh out of "accidentally" casting fireball on another player's character or wanted to have the biggest "damage dick" at the table.
Thanos: "I am going to sacrifice the Earth to gain the love of Death"
Me: (slowly raise eyebrow) "Destroy the Earth? That would be...illogical"
Vortex: "Yes...that...would be...highly...illogical."
Thanos: "Your Star Trek references bore me."

joecrak

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Re: The next big RPPR campaign - what will it be?
« Reply #31 on: December 19, 2010, 01:15:05 PM »
Hey the Morlocks aren't useless. There's something pretty cool in my opinion about a bunch of people with "lesser" powers having to band together to be one pretty badass power suite. Unfortunately another team (the Marauders) with a bunch of "better" powers gathered together and slaughtered them. It's all up to what the DM throws at the players.

I don't want to seem over-opinionated, but in my experience people that always wanted to play Wild Mages were the same kind of people that got a laugh out of "accidentally" casting fireball on another player's character or wanted to have the biggest "damage dick" at the table.

I was kind of joking about the morlocks, But the point i was trying to make was not every power one manifests will be blatantly useful.

I mostly wanted to play a wild mage just to get the really ridiculous results, like background music, swapping voices with target, suddenly spewing bubbles from his mouth.  I get a kick out of the absurdity of it all, and playing potentially useless characters..

Sadly, no one i knew played 2e, and the wild mages in 3.5 weren't any where near as fun sounding.
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clockworkjoe

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Re: The next big RPPR campaign - what will it be?
« Reply #32 on: December 19, 2010, 02:33:58 PM »
I am going for a straight up comic book feel but I am aiming more for Batman than Superman or the Justice League in terms of power level. There will be plenty of costumed heroes and villains, just that the vast majority will be new to the game or underpowered. I definitely hate games where there are plenty of epic/cosmic NPCs just hanging around waiting to save the players from any fuck up or are so powerful the players can never overthrow or stop them.  FUCK ELIMINISTER

It will be like Marvel or Image but just after a major 'event' that removes all the heavy hitters so a new generation of heroes can rise. People will be used to seeing superheroes and villains in the news and new superhumans will put on costumes to hide their identities.

I'm also tired of the cliche motivations and plots of most superhero comics - villains that commit crimes because they are serial killers, or want to get revenge or rich or take over the world/city are boring as fuck. Heroes that just fight crime are boring too.


Robot Master

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Re: The next big RPPR campaign - what will it be?
« Reply #33 on: December 19, 2010, 03:34:43 PM »
I am going for a straight up comic book feel but I am aiming more for Batman than Superman or the Justice League in terms of power level. There will be plenty of costumed heroes and villains, just that the vast majority will be new to the game or underpowered. I definitely hate games where there are plenty of epic/cosmic NPCs just hanging around waiting to save the players from any fuck up or are so powerful the players can never overthrow or stop them.  FUCK ELIMINISTER

It will be like Marvel or Image but just after a major 'event' that removes all the heavy hitters so a new generation of heroes can rise. People will be used to seeing superheroes and villains in the news and new superhumans will put on costumes to hide their identities.

I'm also tired of the cliche motivations and plots of most superhero comics - villains that commit crimes because they are serial killers, or want to get revenge or rich or take over the world/city are boring as fuck. Heroes that just fight crime are boring too.



Hell yeah, dude I agree. I've got two characters waiting to be played in a DC Universe game. My buddy Dave is gonna start running it pretty soon here.

Guy number 1 is a masked investigator that dresses and moves like a ring wraith. Picture the ragged cloaks, the face that's invisible to see, etc. He's a former police officer that's taken to being the "patron saint of honest cops". I'm not going to post a whole character history or whatnot but the long story short is that he's your Batman archetype who's overview is to make sure that honest cops make it home to their families...especially undercover cops. Since Batman uses fear and intimidation to shake the aim of bad guys, he's going to use the same weapon.

Guy number 2 is a character idea that is a result of my buddy Dave's game idea, which is to make a "soon to be" costumed crimefighter to work out of Bludhaven but to focus the character build on when they were just a "mild mannered" something. So quite literally my starting character is going to be an in-line skating document messenger that lives with three roommates that play too much Call of Duty and occasionally plays in a city-wide ice hockey league. He has no real investigative skills but has a near encyclopedic memory of various ways to get around town. "Oh, you're looking for Monroe Pharmaceuticals? That's down in the pipeline district near the..."

My formula is to decide what they were before becoming a superhero. Then decide what sort of extreme event put them on the path. Then decide why they would even decide to be a hero in the first place. Then decide exactly what sort of lines they won't cross or allow others to cross. That usually makes me a pretty detailed dude to start with.
Thanos: "I am going to sacrifice the Earth to gain the love of Death"
Me: (slowly raise eyebrow) "Destroy the Earth? That would be...illogical"
Vortex: "Yes...that...would be...highly...illogical."
Thanos: "Your Star Trek references bore me."

joecrak

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Re: The next big RPPR campaign - what will it be?
« Reply #34 on: December 19, 2010, 03:45:05 PM »
Ok cool bean Ross, I guess i just misread the initial post, and I agree, batman is my favorite character for many reasons.

And the idea to be indebted to whoever give you the powers is great, reminds me of rhino from spectacular spider-man, as well as regular spider-man of course.
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Re: The next big RPPR campaign - what will it be?
« Reply #35 on: December 19, 2010, 03:48:24 PM »
Hi, forum folk.  This is Caleb from the AP's. I'm learnin' how to use this new-fangled computer thing.

If we go the Wild Talents route, I've already talked some with Ross and Cody.  I think it is important to have some sort of hook that gets the whole party adventuring together.  Otherwise, it'll just be a whole bunch of PC superhero fights without the team-up at the end.  Here's what I've brought up and what I've heard.

Awesome Things By Caleb
Anyway, I'm just thinking aloud here.  Interested to hear what y'all have to say.

Hooray! Caleb is among us forum-folk now! Welcome!

Highly intrigued by your ideas here. I think the main component of #2, the "designing your 'burg" has some of the best potential. It would be VERY cool to see what the RPPR group comes up with.

I'm also inferring from this post that the campaign would feature a rotating GM, like Dark Sun? Ross, any comments there?
"It's heresy. Burn the heretics." - Ross Payton NEVAR FORGET
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clockworkjoe

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Re: The next big RPPR campaign - what will it be?
« Reply #36 on: December 19, 2010, 04:00:06 PM »
no I would GM the whole thing - the Dark Sun campaign is already pretty convoluted from having 3 GMs add in their own plot hooks.

Anyway as for the money thing - being indebted to a crime syndicate is only one possibility - if a person spends millions on illegal DIY transhumanist experiments, then there can be all kinds of complications:

A trustfund baby can easily afford the cost but family gets suspicious and wants to find out what the PC is doing. Cue family drama and complications.

A corporate finance officer embezzles the money to pay for it - keeping the missing money secret is an ongoing problem of course.

A bored B-list celebrity affords it but agents, paparazzi and producers want to exploit the character's new abilities.

 

joecrak

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Re: The next big RPPR campaign - what will it be?
« Reply #37 on: December 19, 2010, 05:11:34 PM »
You know the celebrity thing reminds me of animate series matt hagan aka clayface.  Sure he naturally looks like an ugly mud monster, but he can split into various forms and shapeshift and change his voice, in what way is that not a useful skill for an actor?  Not to mention the money studios would save due to his own natural special effects.

anyway, i kind of hope the group tries to go the villain route, but doubt that will happen, regardless im sure it will be brilliant.
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Jason

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Re: The next big RPPR campaign - what will it be?
« Reply #38 on: December 19, 2010, 05:54:55 PM »
I'm definitely intrigued by the initial premise.  I've always been a bigger fan of the street level heroes, and moreso on stories that consist of more than thwarting some random bad guy from carrying out whatever nefarious deed.  For me, comics are more interesting when they reflect current political and social concerns.  How would heroes with a means to do something about it tackle poverty, hate crimes, fanatic religious groups, energy crises, government corruption, hunger, and even genocide?  I remember reading a Squadron Supreme miniseries that delved into how certain members were dealing with issues in Darfur, and I loved how the characters interacted with a real world concern in their own ways.  While I know our characters in this game would not be able to affect anything on that scale at first, I could see us evolving our skills and powers in such a way that we could confront something on this scale, make the tough decisions, and deal with the fallout.

I have a character idea in mind and discussed it a little with Ross, but I thought I'd put it up to the board to flesh it out.  I'm thinking of an anti-hero spellcaster type a la Constantine (Thanks Cody for loaning me those trades).  With the death of so many heroes, I figure not only our there headquarters now ripe for the picking, but the parts of the city they once protected are witnessing an upsurge in crime like never before.  Local law enforcement is stretched thin and some neighborhoods are purposefully overlooked because of the danger from criminal organizations or ragtag gangs vying for control and utilizing ransacked items stolen from deceased villains and heroes.  My character would be from one of these areas.  He would be some street kid, who is just trying to survive and provide what he can for his family and closest neighbors.  While some teenagers his age have joined up with gangs for protection or to gain some semblance of power in numbers, my character would've rejected this because of the unnecessary violence and brutality inherent within such groups.  Instead he and his friends would use cunning and stealth to take what they needed (food, clothing, and other basic goods).  At some point, he witnesses some thieves break into an old abandoned building and trigger some nasty magical defenses.  Many of the thieves die, some get away with various magical items, and one stumbles away into an alley, frantic, dazed, and dying.  Curious as to what he just observed, my character approaches the dying man cautiously and sees that the thief has an artifact or a grimoire (I haven't decided) clutched tightly as he is in his death throws.  Thinking he might be able to sell it, my character wrenches it away from the thief and bolts.  As days go by, he studies the artifact and researches what he can about it at the local library and the internet to see how much he might get out of selling it.  While on his way to sell it, he reflexively uses the artifact in a desperate act to save a kid from being viciously beaten by a group of thugs.  It's at that moment that he decides it would be more valuable in his hands, defending his neighborhood.

I imagine as he develops as a hero, he will have to make hard choices, and each time he uses the artifact to make morally compromising decisions, he will lose a little piece of his soul/conscience or what have you.  He is conscious of this fact, but he believes losing his soul is a small price to pay if he can ease the suffering of others.  Furthermore, I could see him sacrificing an innocent if it meant others might live.  Tentatively, I'm going leaning toward the code name Martyr. So what are your thoughts?

-Jason
« Last Edit: December 19, 2010, 06:05:32 PM by shadowofweb »

Z

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Re: The next big RPPR campaign - what will it be?
« Reply #39 on: December 19, 2010, 05:57:59 PM »
Ross Payton is the Wes Anderson of the roleplaying world. (POSSIBLY INFLAMMATORY)

Setherick

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Re: The next big RPPR campaign - what will it be?
« Reply #40 on: December 19, 2010, 05:59:52 PM »
Ross Payton is the Wes Anderson of the roleplaying world. (POSSIBLY INFLAMMATORY)

Other than the fact that he actually shows up for the game and just doesn't email instruction to players.
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clockworkjoe

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Re: The next big RPPR campaign - what will it be?
« Reply #41 on: December 19, 2010, 06:20:29 PM »
Ross Payton is the Wes Anderson of the roleplaying world. (POSSIBLY INFLAMMATORY)

<a href="" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win"></a>

Ryo

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Re: The next big RPPR campaign - what will it be?
« Reply #42 on: December 19, 2010, 10:05:34 PM »
One thing about WT also is that, where D&D is Bow + Arrow = Dead Orc, WT is Bubblegum + Bottle cap = End of the World.

 

clockworkjoe

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Re: The next big RPPR campaign - what will it be?
« Reply #43 on: December 20, 2010, 02:21:10 PM »
A few things about the world

Similar to the real world
For the most part, the same cultural and political events happened as they did in real life. Superhumans have been used in the military since World War 2 but they have largely canceled each other out.

Aliens
Aliens are real and multiple species have made contact with Earth. However, no permanent diplomatic relations have been made with any species, as they have been incompatible with humanity - we are either too violent or not violent enough for them and our technology offers little to them.  There have been a few alien invasions but all were repelled by superhumans.

Multiverse
It is known that other dimensions exist. Dimensional travel is impossibly difficult though. Only a few methods have been found and after the Tunguska event, all nations and corporations research into it stopped.

Tunguska
Chernobyl happened but it was quickly stopped and cleaned up. The Soviet Union fell because of the Tunguska Event. Their secret super solider R&D program wanted to exploit finds from other dimensions. They discovered an easily manipulated natural dimensional portal in Tunguska. They recovered many artifacts and samples from other universes. Unfortunately in 1987, they stumbled across a hostile alien macrocosmic being, too large to fit through the portal. It tried to force open the portal so it could move through but it was driven back after months of fighting. The dimensional portal became unstable and uncontrollable. The sheer costs of stopping the Event and containing it bankrupted the USSR. They collapsed in 1989. Today the Exclusion Zone is as big as Massachusetts and a permanent UN security garrison is kept there to to contain it. Still scavengers and looters sneak into the zone for artifacts to sell on the black market.

The Idealists
The most powerful and sane superhumans formed an organization to protect humanity from existential threats. This group is called the Ideal and members were Idealists. It was led by a Superman-esque figure named Avalon.The Ideal was treated as a nation state for all intents and purposes by the U.N. Up until the end of World War 2, governments coerced any superhuman they found into working for them or die. The Ideal wanted to make sure the thousands of superhumans of the world would not be enslaved by the governments, as that would lead to war between human and superhuman, a war that would kill billions. A deal was brokered where the superhumans of the world would not be persecuted or harassed by governments in exchange for the Idealists not interfering with political events unless the U.N. Security Council asked for their help.  The Ideal policed superhumans that didn't behave and focused on protecting humanity from alien species and extradimensional threats.

Avalon
Every 20 years or so Avalon radically changed appearances, even switching race and gender. Avalon claimed that it had to undergo a kind of reincarnation in order to maintain its power but swore it was the same person. Most accepted that as the truth but no one knew for certain. Avalon collected artifacts from around the multiverse and stored them in a series of hidden fortresses around the solar system.

Omega
Avalon's chief advesary and singular most powerful being in the world. Omega conquered a large swathe of Eastern Europe and ruled it with an iron fist. As a super genius, Omega mastered super-science and magic and was focused on killing Avalon and conquering the world. In 2005, the US invaded Omega's country with the help of the Ideal, as part of the war on Terror. Omega was hopelessly outmatched but in a move of desperation unleashed mystic weapons of mass destruction. They backfired and Omega was killed or banished. His people had suffered the most from the invasion and had to be relocated as the mystic weapons had made the country unlivable. Avalon placed them in Sanctuary. Today, Omega's former land is recovering nicely and is up for grabs by the existing nations No one wants the refugees to come back.

Sanctuary
An Eden-like world in a pocket universe, Sanctuary was discovered by Avalon. It is used as a permanent refugee camp for displaced aliens, humans from parallel Earth and Omega's former citizens. It is ruled by wise and just aliens so crime and corruption are all but unknown. Super-tech is used to keep things running. However, it is isolated from the rest of the multiverse. No Earth government wants the refugees and no alien government is trusted enough to take them. The people of Sanctuary want to open permanent dimensional portals to Earth so they can trade and move freely. No government wants to deal with the headache and corporations fear competing with such a technologically superior country. Only Avalon could move freely between Sanctuary and our world. Many wonder if Sanctuary will be okay now that Avalon is gone.  Some have called for the government to find a way to Sanctuary so they can make sure they are okay. Cynical observers have remarked that the US just wants to find Sanctuary so they can exploit its technology and people.


clockworkjoe

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Re: The next big RPPR campaign - what will it be?
« Reply #44 on: December 20, 2010, 02:48:24 PM »
Common sources of DIY Transhuman power

American/NATO Super Soldier Drugs
Think bleeding edge steroids and performance enhancing drugs. Captain America level strength, agility and speed. But not just that. Enhanced low light vision. Moderate regeneration. Resistance to to psychic powers. Bone density enhancers to handle the strength. All with relatively minor side effects - increased aggression - shave ten years off of lifespan or so - increased sensitivity to certain drugs -
Treatment requires months worth of drugs and they are expensive. Few facilities can produce them and they are tightly regulated.

Soviet Super Soldier Drugs
Soviet drugs offer more raw power but with even more risk than American drugs. Soviets preferred strength over agility. A soviet super soldier could pick up a tank and throw it - but such a feat could only be done once. Alternate drug programs could grant psychic powers. The top of the line was the Widowmaker - a blend of psychic boosters and performance enhancers that granted precognitive and telekinetic powers that seemlessly blended in with martial arts training. Soviet drugs are 99.7% lethal after 7 years of use and even 1 year of use is enough to increase the user's risk of cancer by 700%.

Other Super Soldier drugs
Various corporations are trying to perfect the processes first created by the US and USSR. These drugs are often experimental and can grant unique powers. They are 'leaked' on occasion as a kind of covert field test.

Tunguska artifacts
Alien weapons and other devices make it on the black market. Most are useless or only dangerous to the user but every once in a while, a diamond in the rough is found.

Omega-Tech
Omega financed his country by selling his super-science and sorcery to criminal syndicates and third world despots. Knock offs and imitations have flooded the market since his disappearance. Power armor and mystic potions that grant temporary powers are especially popular.  The UN is cracking down hard on Omega-Tech dealers though.

Cerulean's Library
A mystic visionary and Ideal - Cerulean had a vast library of magical books. It has been raided and many of the books have turned up in the oddest places. Most are normal but a few spellbooks have gotten out.

Ideal Safehouses
Loaded with alien tech, each safehouse has an armory of devices and is connected to ID-NET, a private computer network used by the Ideal. A few have been found and looted.

Alien Invasions
3 alien invasions hit the earth in the last 60 years. Each left behind at least a few crashed alien ships loaded with strange tech. Most were seized by Earth governments but many smaller scouts and fighters crashed in isolated areas.