SuperHEROing for humor

[godfish]

Has anyone else ever done this one? I once ran a game centered around a group of "loser" heroes on about the level of Arthur from "The Tick." The characters included the likes of Ratman (with the ability to turn into a completely normal - if slightly more intelligent than usual - rat, and who was strong enough to - in his player's colorful terms - "lift a really, really fat guy!"), the Gamer (who threw different-shaped dice at people, and that was it), 2 Ton Mary (a librarian who was made of steel - literally - she only fit into the set because of her utter and complete lack of any skill relating to making the best use of her strength and toughness), and Mr. Nobody, whose only real ability was a minor Mind Control limited to suggesting bad ideas to people while being invisible. They battled the likes of Dairy Queen (a villain obsessed with dairy products and terribly inappropriate cross-dressing for his size and body type), The Sheepmaster (he could Mind Control sheep), and Magnudo (the former members of a Hispanic boy band who had magnetic powers), with their last climatic battle being against The Iconoclast, who impersonated a classic theme villain-types to confuse law enforcement and the heroes while he actually committed completely normal crimes like robbing a bank across town while the heroes were waiting at the location his thematic clues led them to. He also used a device called the Existential Quandrifier, that had a multipower that was randomly assigned each time he activated it.

[Escafarc]

Played in a TOON Superhero campaign once.

[dmjalund]

How about The Big Gulp - the guy can drink an inordinate amount of liquid - any liquid - very quickly

[McCoy]

How about The Big Gulp - the guy can drink an inordinate amount of liquid - any liquid - very quickly
Without harm? Or with normal, natural consequences?

Sounds like the Legion of Substitute Heroes.

[kahuna's bro]

or the inferior5

[Michael Hopcroft]

Without harm? Or with normal, natural consequences?

I'm not sure I want to think about that too hard, given what happens to me after I drink a very large soda (and I have a 64oz. cup that I fill every so often -- gives me enough Diet Dr. Pepper to last me all morning if I'm careful and not too greedy.)!

[godfish]

Without harm? Or with normal, natural consequences?

Sounds like the Legion of Substitute Heroes.

I called the campaign the Second Stringers.

And The Big Gulp would fit right in. :D

[ned-kogar]

I called the campaign the Second Stringers.

It sounds great. Were The Gamer's d4s his only Killing attack? If it's not too straight a question - what did you set as a points total? Or did you just let the concepts lead the way?

I ask cos I'm thinking of running a back-up strand for a campaign: minor villains trying to eke out a living.. it'll be played pretty po-faced, but with the meagre powers as the underlying gag.

Ned

[godfish]

It sounds great. Were The Gamer's d4s his only Killing attack? If it's not too straight a question - what did you set as a points total? Or did you just let the concepts lead the way?

I ask cos I'm thinking of running a back-up strand for a campaign: minor villains trying to eke out a living.. it'll be played pretty po-faced, but with the meagre powers as the underlying gag.

Ned

Actually, I think the d4s were RKAs, but they had the limitation of Stun Only unless used against robots, objects, or the like.

I think I did something like 150 total (75+75), but there was a lot of play in the numbers for character humor. The villains were all plot devices with a theme, with few if any real stats - just foils for the PCs.

I love the loser villain angle too.

[Spence]

In second edition I once played in a Powers campaign. Each character could have one power. So we had Energy Blast Man, Force Field Girl and so on.

needless to say, team work was essential :nonp:

[SatinKitty]

OddHat ran a game at a Con where all the heroes and villains were kidnapped and only the sidekicks and henchmen were left. The players played sidekicks against the henchmen. It was fun.
Remember Brain Guy from MST3K ? He was the kidnapper. He decided that instead of fighting each other the heroes and villains should compete in games. Like Stratego. But the action of the game was the side kicks fighting to rescue their Masters.

[kahuna's bro]

sounds good

[Spence]

The thing about humor/strange games is that they tend to suddenly appear, a spontaneous event that everyone in the group thinks is hilarious for a while.

I never seen a humor based game work when it was preplanned to be funny.

Of course that is my experience. Has anyone else played in or ran a humor game that was intended to be funny from the start and had it work?

[Michael Hopcroft]

It may not be germane to this discussion, but I was once in a Teenagers from Outer Space (aka Urusei Yatsura the RPG) campaign that ran for a year and a half, despite the GM's habit of occasionally sabotaging players. TFOS is legendary as a pickup game, but to have a campaign that runs a year and a half face-to-face is virtually unheard-of.

Most of the comedy was driven by the characters and their foibles. Which is one way to keep any comedy campaign funny -- make the humor organic to the characters' personalities and decisions as opposed to their powers. Let the choices of the players drive the humor as opposed to simply setting up comedic situations.

[ned-kogar]

Most of the comedy was driven by the characters and their foibles. Which is one way to keep any comedy campaign funny -- make the humor organic to the characters' personalities and decisions as opposed to their powers. Let the choices of the players drive the humor as opposed to simply setting up comedic situations.

Very very true - this is the reason that we used to be able to maintain Paranoia campaigns: the deadly absurdity of the setting maintained a steady level, while the resentments, betrayals and sheer dodgy humanity of the characters became the centre of the bigger laughs. I think it also depends on the type of funny that's aimed for - to sustain itself you need the funnies to bounce off a straight backdrop. If I may quote genius Ken Campbell: Silly + silly = stupid. Silly + serious = funny.

[Spence]

I think it also depends on the type of funny that's aimed for - to sustain itself you need the funnies to bounce off a straight backdrop. If I may quote genius Ken Campbell: Silly + silly = stupid. Silly + serious = funny.

Too bad Follywood has never figured that out :lol:


:rofl: I kill myself....:whistle:

[godfish]

The thing about humor/strange games is that they tend to suddenly appear, a spontaneous event that everyone in the group thinks is hilarious for a while.

I never seen a humor based game work when it was preplanned to be funny.

Of course that is my experience. Has anyone else played in or ran a humor game that was intended to be funny from the start and had it work?

My "Second Stringers" game worked as a humor game, but it was one of many games being run in our gaming group during that time, so it was the easy "pickup" game we did any time we needed something quick and easy...or if people had started drinking earlier... :D

[Doctor Agenda]

Mystery Men...how can that not be funny?

[Doctor Agenda]

How many posts does godfish have to make before he gets rep power?

[Escafarc]

How many posts does godfish have to make before he gets rep power?

I believe 50 posts outside of the NGD.

[godfish]

Mystery Men...how can that not be funny?

That's my thought as well. :D

[Doctor Agenda]

Only six more posts and I can show my appreciation...if ya know what I mean.

[godfish]

Only six more posts and I can show my appreciation...if ya know what I mean.

I'm taking it slow. Lurking is more my specialty.

[Shadow Hawk]

I played a game where the characters were serious but the situation was not. The "League of Unusual Individuals" was run by the "Department of Metahumans Bureau", and commanded by the "Special Tactical Undersecretary for Personal Intelligence Director". We fought the Invincible Clonemaster and foiled his plot to clone Ron Revolta and the Osmonoids (Dummy and Mary).

[godfish]

I played a game where the characters were serious but the situation was not. The "League of Unusual Individuals" was run by the "Department of Metahumans Bureau", and commanded by the "Special Tactical Undersecretary for Personal Intelligence Director". We fought the Invincible Clonemaster and foiled his plot to clone Ron Revolta and the Osmonoids (Dummy and Mary).

Those are the best ones. Playing the "straight men" to the comedy punchlines of the world around them...

[Doctor Agenda]

Life as I know it.