Cosmic Level Gameworld...

[Yogzilla]

[insert brief history here]
A couple years back, I was enamoured enough with WW's Aberrant to want to run a one-shot adventure with my usual gaming group. I asked them all to make up "idealized" versions of themselves, using the rules for pre-Eruption character creation. I then used a series of questionaires to gain some insight as to what kind of super-powers they'd develop - and then I would create their actual "Nova" abilities.

So far, so good.

One-shot got played out, and we all had a good enough time that it evolved into an ongoing campaign. In fact, at present, it's probably the longest continuing game I've ever run.

But then the cracks starting appearing... Or, rather, the more we played, the more we realized how limiting the Aberrant system actually was. The flavor text for the powers just didn't jibe up with the actual game mechanics. More and more, we were using house rules up the wazoo (ouch).

Then, along came Hero 5th!!

Remembering all the fun I had playing in the Champions game back during my college days, I broached the subject of converting my Aberrant gameworld over to Hero. I even came up with an in-story explanation for any differences that might occur to powers in the transistion.

Sold the idea, but with a hitch. Much as I had come up with the player's original powers, I felt it was up to me to do the actual conversion. And that's when I realized I wanted these Hero characters to be more in line with the Aberrant flavor text. So, I resolved myself to convert the characters so they could do what their power descriptions said they could, not what their WW stats indicated - - and point totals be darn'd!!
[end brief history]

[insert current quandry here]
So, I've now got 6 players who run Hero characters, and the lowest point total is 1600+! Suffice it to say, they're pretty cosmic - - there's little that can actually present a challenge to them.

And that's my current problem - - how do I keep coming up with challenges for these "gods among men"? I've already thrown "Crisis" level threats at them, as well as alien invasions, mutated freaks, paramilitary forces, etc. I'm currently building to an encounter with a 'mythic creature', but I'm having real difficulty coming up with where to go from there. Any thoughts? Any ideas?

-Yogzilla
(in over my head? wouldn't be the first time...)

[Hermit]

Well, there are two ways to go that come immediately to mind. You can either have threats to reality itself appear, threats so powerful as to dwarf even them; or you could have problems that are very small... but real. What do they do about a teenager in the family who seems ready to commit suicide for some reason? Save him... of course, but he might just try it again. Let them earn his trust...and try to get him to talk about it.

Mind you, Telepathy would allow them to bypass that, but still... it's just one idea.

I'm sure others will have more

[OddHat]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but off the top of my head;

1) 1600+ Point foes, or absurdly combat optimized 350 pointers. Standard formula for the adventures.

2) At those levels they should rule the world(s). Let them. Adventures become almost entirely character driven and/or politcal. Some groups will find this dull.

3) Retirement. After you've saved the world X number of times, that may be the only option. If you like the world background, create a new group of heroes and let them try to fill the void left by the "old guard."

4) There's a Galactic Champions book coming out that will include info on Cosmic campaigns. A forum search on that may get you some ideas.

[Pax]

Along the same lines as above.

Read the JLA
Read Authority.

Those two books show how very powerful heroes can be challenged.

Another idea is to look at the characters and ask what you want to accomplish. I have just started watching the JLA cartoon with my son (He records it for me while I am at work) I am amazed at how weak all the characters are. Superman may have a 60 strength but it is possible he only has a 50. One of the problems with champions is that real world stuff is way to tough. When a bank vault is supposed to have 20 defense Grond (THE brick in champions) is going to have a hard time and be forced to haymaker it just to start taking it down. If the problem with getting the flavor text of the character to match what they can do then I have a very simple fix.

Give all real world things ½ defense verses super hero attacks and make all normal humans die when they drop to 0 body.

If you want to take it to then next level give all the heroes 50% damage reduction verses normal stuff so the 4d6 RKA law which rolles all 5’s (20 body and 80 stun) will do no body to your 25r defense brick and only 27 stun. That said if laser dude does the same thing it is good night time.

If you use the above then even a very weak superman with only a 60 strength could kill a normal human in one hit dead! And after a couple mighty blows he would cave in a bank vault which is appropriate for the cartoon.

Hope this helps


Peace,
Bryan

[Yogzilla]

Originally posted by OddHat
Maybe I'm missing something here, but off the top of my head;

1) 1600+ Point foes, or absurdly combat optimized 350 pointers. Standard formula for the adventures.
Well, yeah; but that's a bit obvious, izinnt?? :)


2) At those levels they should rule the world(s). Let them. Adventures become almost entirely character driven and/or politcal. Some groups will find this dull.
Unfortunately, they prefer to remain in hiding - - each and every one of them prefer their peace and privacy.


3) Retirement. After you've saved the world X number of times, that may be the only option. If you like the world background, create a new group of heroes and let them try to fill the void left by the "old guard."
Aside from the backlash I'd probably get for having them "retire" favored characters, there's the problem that my current gameworld would not support new "supers" (i.e. the PCs and a handful of NPCs [8 or so]) are all that's left.


4) There's a Galactic Champions book coming out that will include info on Cosmic campaigns. A forum search on that may get you some ideas.
And I'll definitely look into that when it comes out. I'm already using Fantasy Hero to flesh out my world's magic system...


Originally posted by Pax
Along the same lines as above.

Read the JLA
Read Authority.

Those two books show how very powerful heroes can be challenged.
I read both, and have done so religiously for years (decades? gah, now I feel old :) ). However, I'm the comic book guy of our little group. The PCs, some of whom have read comics but others haven't, tend to role-play in a more realistic manner - - while I seem stuck on presenting comic book style villians.

As an example, when I had the group go up against a powerful sorceress, I had a full villian tirade ready - - y'know, the old standby where she'd outline why she was doing things and that the heroes didn't possibly stand a chance, THEN the big fight. Before she could utter a single word, the speedster of the group raced right up to her and pounded her face into hamburger!! Brought her BODY into negatives!! And that was Phase 1!!! I was so ready for her big speech, I never saw this coming... Sigh...

-Yogzilla
(wondering yet again if I'm truly qualified...)