A Gathering of Heroes!

[Hermit]

Defender looked out among the throng of super heroes filling homestead, fortunately the room chosen was large enough, but still it was an impressive number. The Champions were all there, save Nighthawk, who had some how slipped out and made his escape. Ironclad was trying to assure Witchcraft that all would be well, but the shy redhead didn't seem totally comforted. Most of the MC-8 had made an appearance, though the more somber members seemed down right envious that they hadn't thought of Nighthawk's solution first.

Nor was team membership a requirement for attending. This situation called all heroes of Millennium City to rally. With some distaste, Defender noted Cavalier had let himself in. Nightwind seemed to be discussing martial arts with Sai. Dr. Silverback was his usual cheery self, and was chatting up a storm with a less verbose hero.

The armor clad hero suspected the lovable ape was in the "know" for whatever plot was about to hatch. The plot master was about to make his move, and they were helpless to prevent it. He noticed that the curtains were hiding whatever was on the stage.

He behaved himself, and rather than peek around, merely asked softly, "Sting, it's time I think, are you ready?"�

"Si,"� El Aguijon's voice responded from behind the curtain, "Never let it be said the Sting does not hold his obligations. If you could announce to the others we're ready to start? Gracious."�

Defender nodded, and got in front of the wooden platform, "Ladies and Gentlemen, as you know, every year at this time we gather together as people united by a common bond, a solidarity, not just of power, but cause. While we must never place ourselves above the common man, there is a community within a community here, and it is good to know your neighbors. Homestead is happy to host the 3rd Annual Millennium City Super Hero Get Together. While last year's inter team hokey match went well..."

"Until two heavies went through the ice anyways,"� Sapphire snickered and winked at Ironclad and Steadfast. Ironclad didn't dignify it with a response, and Steadfast, who actually had control over his weight just blushed with renewed sheepishness.

Defender continued, "... this year we thought we'd try something less competitive. The lucky winner of the lottery to pick was none other than El Aquijon, aka The Sting. I'm sure he's got something wonderful lined up for us all tonight."�

Lady Liberty leaned over and muttered something to Rubberbando Commando, Defender couldn't hear the comment, but her expression showed she found Defender's words dubious.

The curtain began to open, and Defender spoke even as he stepped to take a seat, "And here we go."�

The insect controlling scientist appeared first, and bowed to the crowd, "Thank you, Amigos and Amigas, I give you what is to be, to my knowledge, the very first EVER: Super Hero Karaoke Night!"�

As the machine, mike and stand came fully into view, the expressions on the faces of the assembled heroes ran the spectrum to horrified, delighted, and just plain amused.

"Now,"� The Sting rubbed his hands together eagerly and asked the crowd, "Who's first?"

Pardon my fiction, I was in a mood again.
In areas with plenty of NPC heroes to pick from, I enjoy a good super hero social gathering. Does anyone remember the JSA and JLA team-ups when they actually got a chance to talk? Anyone enjoyed the West Coast Avengers against the East Coasters in the 80s in sporting events?

Does anyone do this sort of thing in their own games just for fun, a bit of RP intense but mood light chatter? Naturally, it rarely lasts. There's always aliens confusing your baseball diamond for a landing strip or some villain team coming in to pick a bar fight; but that's just part of the fun as well. My own thought is Millennium City has more than enough NPC heroes to make this sort of an event doable. In fact, the Karaoke situation was actually used with my PCs for a fun easy romp of a game session one night. The players got a kick out of it.

I may tack a poll onto this, but I'm more interested in posts regarding your own experiences in this sort of thing and how well it worked for you.

[Trebuchet]

Well, your poll left out shopping.

Our team periodically hops onto Cyberknight's 35-meter luxury yacht Drakkar and heads for warmer climes. (Of course, since MidGuard is based in Oslo, almost everywhere qualifies as a warmer cllimate.) The French Riviera and Caribbean are particular favorites. Because she's so fair-skinned Zl'f almost always gets sunburned, but her Regeneration heals it overnight.

As of yet we haven't set up any sort of cross team social interaction. But then, MidGuard seldoms encounters other teams except of course the requisite villainous ones. We usually do those interactions with our fists, not with karaoke (Although Silhouette plays a mean piano).

[DocMan]

This reminds me of the X-Men and their periodic games of full power softball.

"So, if the ball is foul when the teleporter catches it, but he touches down inside the foul line when he lands, is it a foul ball or an out?"

Doc

[Blue]

Gives new meaning to "The X-Games".

With softball, catching the bal would put them out regardless. In football, I'd have to say T-porting and catching and t-porting back would be just as fair as stretching to catch the ball and... WAIT A MINUTE! Now I'm coming up for rules for X-men sports.

My characters turn out (surprise!) to be social misfits, much like their player. Anthem has no leisure time; She's got a dozen oars in the water at a very young age. Uncle Slam is a workaholic; Only socializing he does is the result of work-related social functions (at embassies, the white house, etc.). Audra Blue is an agoraphobe, though she's a baseball fan, strategy game player, and builds many ruthless computer programs to defend her network.

The New Sentinels don't do a lot of socializing, but written into their backgrounds are very singular hobbies that have little to do with one another.

[Brandi]

I couldn't speak for all of Omega Unit (the team in the campaign I was in) but Irving enjoys social gatherings with lots of talk. Oh, and gaming, though he sometimes needs help (or the waldos on his base) for manipulating cards/dice/game pieces.

[Enforcer84]

Gives new meaning to "The X-Games".

With softball, catching the bal would put them out regardless. In football, I'd have to say T-porting and catching and t-porting back would be just as fair as stretching to catch the ball and... WAIT A MINUTE! Now I'm coming up for rules for X-men sports.

My characters turn out (surprise!) to be social misfits, much like their player. Anthem has no leisure time; She's got a dozen oars in the water at a very young age. Uncle Slam is a workaholic; Only socializing he does is the result of work-related social functions (at embassies, the white house, etc.). Audra Blue is an agoraphobe, though she's a baseball fan, strategy game player, and builds many ruthless computer programs to defend her network.

The New Sentinels don't do a lot of socializing, but written into their backgrounds are very singular hobbies that have little to do with one another.

The East and West coast Avengers used to play and annual softball game.

Personally, I think dinner and dancing at a nice location would be cool

[steriaca]

Lady Heart would poably be eather Role Playing, watching anime, or going to conventions involving role playing or/and anime watching. Of course, rairly will she bump into another hero while cosplaying, let alone a villian (except Foxbat, who thinks that putting on a top hat and putting a domino mask over his own, that nobody can tell that he is Foxbat, and that eveyone thinks he is Tuxedo Mask).

[fbdaury]

Uh, I like characters going out for a night on the town, though in the campaigns that I used to pay in, that usually turned out bad- our ABBERANT game started when we witnessed the detonation of a powerful nova, imbuing our characters with fluxing quamntum at point blank range; our SAS disco night turned into the attack of the neo-nazi shapechanger borgs and our teen champs left clubbing out of the question. Still, all in all, I think that heroes who can share a few brews together are the best kind, like the X Men back when they used to frequent Harry's Hideaway.

[assault]

Assault doesn't care, as long as the beer's cold, plentiful and not too expensive. Oh, and not Fosters, or anything American.

I should also point out that alcohol has absolutely no effect on Assault, and his fondness for drinking insane amounts of beer is purely an affectation, at least partly intended to annoy more strait-laced heroes.

[Bengal]

The only time we socialized as a team was when we were forced to for the greater good of our country. Being on a government-sponsored team means a lot of that sort of thing.

[Blue]

The East and West coast Avengers used to play and annual softball game.

Personally, I think dinner and dancing at a nice location would be cool

Yeh, but we all know the East Coast Avengers were just taking it easy on them.

[fbdaury]

Yeh, but we all know the East Coast Avengers were just taking it easy on them.

I don't know about that- Wonder Man could put a ball into orbit and while Hawkeye isn't exactly Bullseye, I bet he was one mean pitcher. 'Sides, anytime the East Coast team got too far ahead, Byrne would come in and retcon the game, turning hafl the East Coasters into toaster-humpers

[Chuckg]

Heh. Yeah. I remember that one game where Wonder Man was on the mound throwing his hottest fastball against Thor batting clean-up... with Mjolnir for the bat.

I'm wondering how the hell the baseball didn't disintegrate...

[teh bunneh]

Myrmidon, team leader of our Bay City Champions team, hosts BBQs in the mansion's backyard every couple of months. Free food, a swimming pool, a volleyball pit, a big open greensward, lots of socializing... It started as a recruiting drive and became a tradition. As Invisible Boy from the Mystery Men pointed out, superheroes are mooches, so just about every mask in the area always showed up.

I even went so far as to buy Myrmidon "PS: BBQ chef" when I had some extra XPs, therefore the burgers, brats, and ribs were terrific.

Bill.

[Dynamo]

I'm wondering how the hell the baseball didn't disintegrate...

By means of the mightiest, most unpredictable force known to humankind, comicbook physics.

I played in a Champions game featuring great roleplay. One week when the GM hadn't had time to plan, he colluded with a couple players before everyone else arrived, and our heroes ended up playing a game of Calvin Ball.

That was a blast. I think everyone at the table devised new applications of their powers that night.