Stepping up to the plate

[Hermit]

I've heard some complaints about Millennium City's "Champions" making it hard to fit in PC groups. I haven't had that problem , but I'm curious.

What do you think is the best way to have a group of begining heroes get their moment in the sun when there are established NPC heroes in the setting?
Some of the options I have right now include:

The NPC team is killed off, and the city needs new protectors
The NPC team is captured, and needs to be rescued by the PCs
The NPC team can't do it all, and needs the PCs help
The NPC team has gone evil/crazy, and the PCs have to stop them.
The NPC team has a recruiting drive, the PCs get to join
The NPC team retires, passing the torch
The NPC team mysteriously vanishes
There is no NPC team period.

EDIT: Yup, again it's multiple choice. Again, if you have an 'other' please reply.

[Hawksmoor]

I veiw this question the same as I would a question about how many heroes does New York City need in Marvel.

It needs all of them. The other Heroes have their own cases and scenarios to deal with. Plus sometimes it is fun to pull favors and do cameos for other heroes.

Hawksmoor

[Hermit]

I veiw this question the same as I would a question about how many heroes does New York City need in Marvel.

It needs all of them. The other Heroes have their own cases and scenarios to deal with. Plus sometimes it is fun to pull favors and do cameos for other heroes.

Hawksmoor

That's about how I see it.
THough, frankly, I wish Marvel would develop other heroes in other settings a bit more in ways that use the cities.

[CrosshairCollie]

While I like Millenium City, most of the time the team isn't in MC proper, so it qualifies under 'there is no NPC team', though I voted for some other miscellaneous ideas I'm thinking about as well (the recruiting drive, retirement, and just needing help).

[Blue]

The "NPC Team Dies"/"Recruiting Drive" is the basis for my current campaign.

My game's Sentinels were wiped out and the city council lodged an ad campaign to draw in new heroes with inducements (Decent salary, The opportunity to work out of the world's most famous super-base, and naturally the opportunity to be deputized law enforcement officials who handle supercrimes with the city's blessing).

[Enforcer84]

I dig legacies. And I tend to like the passing of the torch.

[Vorsch]

Wont some characters backgrounds say that they have been active for several years and as such the resident teams are actualy junior to them?

I prefer my heroes to be pre-eminent in there own turf, super heroes are by the genre quasi legal at best mainly due to there War record popularity, super heroes shouldlt be civil servants, they do it because its right ( whatever that means ).

Though i admit ive been toying with paying them like IST.

[Worldmaker]

I don't actually use MC as anything other than an inspiration for the occasional idea, but if I did, the first thing I'd do is erase the Champions from existence and replace them with my PC team.

[i3ullseye]

Tried forever to get my group to step up and play Champions, and every time they have backed down. We have tried a few other Supers RPGs, and a few aren't bad. But the one we been playing mostly is the one easiest for all involved to understand... and that has been MURPG. That being said.....

My campaign went to NYC, the very heart of most herodom in Marvel. I basically set up where the department of Homeland Security has declared all supers potential terrorists by a blanket law, and it apprehending them all. The intial attacks were surprise attacks, and all but a handful of the NYC heros are captured.

Only the 4 new heros who just came to the city (and were not in any government databases) can get by undetected and save the rest of the heros from their fate at the governments hands.

Great way for them to meet heros, and make many friends (and enemies). Only player who didn't like this does not read comics and did not know much about the famous people they were meeting. he is normally a cotnrol freak and hated that he was the only one 'in the dark' so to speak. Of course, he also thought it was a good idea to make an immortal arab who controlled blood and carried a big (and deadly) sword to kill every infidel he faced, so his idea of 'hero' was a bit skewed anyway.

[Boll Weevil]

I have used the "NPC team dies" or captured scenario to start a campaign. The PC's had all interviewed for jobs as Champions and were soundly rejected. The scenario allowed for the second-string heroes to come to fore.

[Asperion]

The best way to pull this off is to have the pre-existing team go on some extended mission somewhere else that will take a LONG time. While they are gone either the team themeselves or some other agency (ala government) will recrute a new team to fill the void. The first several adventures would take place while the other team is away. At some point (after the PCs have gotten some XP) the other team could return and both teams would then have to convince the people (or organization) why they are the team to defend the town. Maybe the NPC team would be the one that deals with major problems that take them away from Campaign City while the PCs remain behind and deal with the villains that are harassing the locals.

[zornwil]

I like the rescue, the resignation, and the vanish, as they all require the newbies to step up in a way they can be proud as well as a way in which pretty much no one can resent them. if they have to beat the evil older team, it's rather contentious and besides there's a sense it's sort of a "dirty" victory, at least possibly as the outcome can be hard to control precisely. Other variations don't seem as glorious.

[TheEmerged]

See, running a supervillain campaign makes this easy. They're SUPPOSED to bump heads with the NPC hero teams, and they're automatic rivals of most of the NPC villain teams.

[Solomon]

Two of the best old third-edition Champions adventures ("To Serve and Protect" and "VOICE of Doom") included NPC superteams needing PC help. And in one case the team apparently fell to evil ways. Same thing for that old V&V adventure, "Crisis at Crusaders' Citadel". Yep, I love running adventures with NPC teams. Of course one should pay attention not to overshadow the PCs. Players should always be at the center of the stage - ultimately, their actions, not the NPCs', should determine success or failure for the scenario. In my current campaign, the PC took under their protection a lesser team of young reformed villains and are helping them shape up a superheroic team.

[Chuckg]

In the campaign I'm currently in (750 points, high-end 'epic hero' Champions), we're doing the 'replacement' thing.

One of our team members has the backstory of being the last surviving member of the Sentinels, who in our campaign's timeline all died at the Battle of Detroit save for Horus-Re (our team brick) and the retired Dr. Daniel "Microman" Collins (canonical NPC).

Another of our PCs is the android known as "Microman II", whose origin story is that he was created by Dr. Collins to carry on the legacy.

The rest of our party are powerful heroes who have been scouted out by Horus-Re and Dr. Collins. So far, we've got one amnesiac mystical entity who thinks she's a superpowered human ("Starguard"), one extra-dimensional alien who's a defector from Istvatha V'Han's dimensional army ("Warmaster Fielan"), one billionaire playboy who also happens to secretly be a powerful mutant ("Daniel 'Warp' Stone"), and we just got joined by by an alien mutant/genetically-engineered person ("Princess Cyrande of Malva").

[JohnOSpencer]

I chose the NPC team can't do it all and needs the PC team for help. But that is more of a second option. My favorite is the NPC team is bound by red tape, or strict adherence to the Law, and don't have the freedom to act like the PCs do.

John Spencer

[AngryBug]

Hi to all! Recently delurked...
I think there's usually room for more than one hero team in a large city ("NPCs can't do it all..."), working parallel to each other without needing to constantly cross each other's paths. This works best, IMO, if the PCs and NPCs are roughly the same power level. That said, I usually liked (past tense, no current campaign :weep: ) to have the PCs be either vastly more or less powerful than the NPCs, so there is not so much overlap/conflict of interest. A less powerful NPC group is still available to help or interact with the PCs, but doesn't threaten any fragile (player) egos (quite the opposite, in fact, as it provides the PCs opportunities to show how tough they really are). Conversely, there's the street-level PC group who handles the problems that are too "small-time" for the Galaxy-spanning NPCs, knowing they can never match the NPCs in raw power, but feeling (smugly?) more in touch with the "Common People".
Handled properly, NPC groups can really contribute to a PC team feeling like part of a larger community of Superhumans. (Plus, it's nice to have someone around whose mere presence can keep the less genre-minded players in check... "Just because your own team ignores your excesses doesn't mean the Justice Guild will...").

[TheQuestionMan]

Hello folks , in the past I have used the Legacy schtick . Having the older Champions on inactive duty , retired , or killed in the line of duty .

The League of Champions :
Flare - deceased , accelerated aging
The Huntsman(Marksman) - modified C:NM , injured by Dr.Destroyer
Rose - deceased , sacrificed herself to save the world from Tyrano the Conqueror
Icestar - reserve , retired to raise family
Icicle - active independant , disliked the team atmosphere
Sparkplug - active independant , acelerated aging
Giant 1 & 2 - deceased , KILOD Harness in possession of supervillian
Doctor Arcane - deceased/active ,sacrificed herself to save the world from Tyrano the Conqueror , Spirit advisor to young Mystic Hero
Lady Arcane - reserve , independant mentor/meddler ( something like Hellblazer meets the Phantom Stranger )

The Champions :
Seeker - deceased , sacrificed himself to save innocents
Quantum - imprisoned , murder , assault , etc ...
Defender - reserve , married Wendy , mentor
Obsidian - inactive , returned empire to claim throne with Champions help from tyrants
Jaguar - deceased , killed by Monster Hunter when the curse took him too far
Solitaire - deceased , sacrificed herself to save the world from Tyrano the Conqueror
Crusader - deceased , murdered by vigilante Crusade , but another has taken on the mantle as Crusader an has continued the fight .

Millenium City Champions :
Defender - inactive , taken on greater responsibility of the Harmon Industies
NightHawk - deceased , KITLOD battling the Monster who appeared to be an agent of Takofanes
Saphire - reserve , pursuing music career
IronClad - deceased , KITLOD battling Takofanes
WitchCraft - reserve , independant mentor/meddler ( something like Hellblazer meets the Phantom Stranger )
Kinetik - deceased , KITLOD battling Takofanes
NightWind - active , independant

The New League of Champions :
Ungoliant - active , Giant spider w/ Spider Powers and Abilities and Mystic
ShadowWalker - active ? , a Nightbreed with Shadow Manipulation Powers and experimental Chemist/Inventor
Bhodi Li/WarChild - deceased ? , alien clone super soldier/Martial Artist turned hero . KITLOD fighting VIPER allowing the heroes to escape . Later Cloned by Malachite/Telios and rejoins team
Action Boy - active ( oh god ) , anime kid w/very high defenses and lots of enthusiam if no skill . Hero in training .
Vanirsson - active , Mystic Multiform and Mystic ( my favourite )

Cheers

QM

[pinecone]

I often use the "other group" as rivals...even if the heros don'tsee it that way the NPC team does, and the players soon recipicate.....

[Metaphysician]

In the campaign I'm currently in (750 points, high-end 'epic hero' Champions), we're doing the 'replacement' thing.

One of our team members has the backstory of being the last surviving member of the Sentinels, who in our campaign's timeline all died at the Battle of Detroit save for Horus-Re (our team brick) and the retired Dr. Daniel "Microman" Collins (canonical NPC).

Another of our PCs is the android known as "Microman II", whose origin story is that he was created by Dr. Collins to carry on the legacy.

The rest of our party are powerful heroes who have been scouted out by Horus-Re and Dr. Collins. So far, we've got one amnesiac mystical entity who thinks she's a superpowered human ("Starguard"), one extra-dimensional alien who's a defector from Istvatha V'Han's dimensional army ("Warmaster Fielan"), one billionaire playboy who also happens to secretly be a powerful mutant ("Daniel 'Warp' Stone"), and we just got joined by by an alien mutant/genetically-engineered person ("Princess Cyrande of Malva").

I wouldn't say we are doing the "replacement" thing, though, unless you mean retroactively replacing whatever form the canon Sentinels take. After all, the Champions are still around, still MC's superteam.

Its just that the Sentinels are/will be the preeminent superteam in the entire world. The Champions just aren't competition in the slightest.