Guide to Street Supers

[JmOz]

So I am starting writing the book that my powers book got morphed into. This is going to be a guide to playing in the world of Daredevil, Batman, some spider-man, etc...Basically the hero who deals with organized crime and serial killers more than costumed villains (who normally work for organized crime). I am planning on useing Hero Basic as the primary engine for this, borrowing from 6th when needed.

I. Introduction
a. Who I am
b. What this book is about
c. What this book is not about

II. Chapter 1: Guide to Street Heroes
a. A quick review of the super hero genre in general
b. A More detailed looking at the street super hero genre
i. Common Genre Conventions
ii. A call for maturity
iii. Power Levels, averages, etc…
iv. Optional rules
c. Character Creation
i. Powers
ii. Skills
iii. Perks (lots here)
1. Vehicles
2. Bases
3. Followers

III. Chapter 2: Setting
a. City Information
i. General City information (Population, etc…)
ii. History of the city
1. History of the Fox
b. Areas of the city
i. Docks
ii. Chinatown
iii. Warehouse
iv. “Richy” neighborhood
c. Daily Life
i. Politics
ii. Crime
iii. Culture
iv. Mystisism/Religion

IV. Chapter 3: SourceBook
a. Powers/Equipment
b. Defenders of the City
i. Vixen
ii. Cub
iii. Marksman
iv. 3 others
c. Undesirables
i. 12 villains
d. Generic NPC’s
i. Cops
ii. Mobsters
iii. Gangbangers/thugs
iv. Reporter?

[assault]

III. Chapter 2: Setting
a. City Information
i. General City information (Population, etc…)
ii. History of the city
1. History of the Fox
b. Areas of the city
i. Docks
ii. Chinatown
iii. Warehouse
iv. “Richy” neighborhood

Neat. I was thinking about how to briefly present a city setting earlier this week, and you seem to have a similar approach.

I'd suggest a "v" in section "b" - a detailed slum area. Basically, an area that has a particular need for a vigilante protector. Kind of like Hell's Kitchen in Daredevil, Suicide Slum in Metropolis, or bits of Gotham city. The kind of area where you would find Daredevil, Catwoman, Black Lightning, the Guardian and the Newsboy Legion, or even Green Arrow in his more "relevant" moods.

Obviously much of the city would be like this - that's kind of the point - but an area that is particularly vulnerable, and detailed, would be useful.

I was actually thinking that my version of it would lie between Chinatown, the Docks and the (Abandoned) Warehouse district, so I guess we share a common set of tropes.

[itsalwayssunny]

I would like to read your book! I like "street-sweeper" heroes.

It would be neat if you had more types of neighborhoods in your city, like the Garment District, Banker's Hill, Central Park, Harlem, Financial District (or Wall Street), Fleet Street, Coney Island, and so on, for more variety than the usual "Chinatown," "Docks," and gratuitous part of town full of conveniently abandoned run-down warehouses. Or is this based on a real city?

--Kap

[JmOz]

not really based on a real city, and still very rough outline on that part. I know it will be based on a mission in California however

[megaplayboy]

I like the idea of a street superheroes book. I'd particularly like one that offers more than a vigilante campaign setting. Street superheroes can encompass powered heroes and colorful costumes as well as grim and gritty gothic avengers. I'm working on the "uptown" side of superheroing--Epic champions, so to speak--right now. Would be a nice complement to each other.

[JmOz]

Good point. Spiderman types need to be covered, maybe an example character like that...

[moquif]

I was actually considering something like this for a Champions campaign. The PCs would be low powered heroes. One thing I would like to shoot for is the feeling that their world is a lot stranger than they realize. My problem is that if you can fly, your world is already strange and discovering the hidden mysticism in Campaign City won't have the same effect if the campaign had no powers.

One thing I'd like to see addressed in your book is dealing with paranormal powers. Is magic allowed and if so, what kind? Is it the "realistic" magic as described in some of the books? Is it tied to religious rituals like exorcisms? Can it be used in combat? Etc.

[JmOz]

Interesting points, maybe a page should be given based on what type of campaign the city is,,,

[itsalwayssunny]

not really based on a real city, and still very rough outline on that part. I know it will be based on a mission in California however

That's even more interesting to me than a generic Northeastern city since I'm in the San Diego area. You could include some stuff based on real Southern California locations like a mission, a presidio, the Navy base, Catalina Island, Disneyland...or is it Northern California for your book? Not a lot of missions up that way past San Francisco.

Could be neat section for "outside the city" for the mountains and deserts and valleys.

--Kap

[megaplayboy]

I think campaign power levels are something to discuss as well. "low-powered" street supers could be as low as, say, 200 points(in 6E), with a "standard" beginning street supers at 300 points, "experienced" street supers at 400, and "high-level" street supers at 500 (or more). Damage Classes could range from 5-9 for the low-powered setting to as high as 12-16 for the high-level setting. Basically, at low-level, they're a lot tougher than the average street thug, but hardly invincible or bullet-proof.

Silver Age vs. Bronze Age vs. Iron Age is another thing to discuss. Drug dealers and street gangs are more of a BA/IA kinda thing, while Mafia-types and costumed crazies are more SA.

[JmOz]

That's even more interesting to me than a generic Northeastern city since I'm in the San Diego area. You could include some stuff based on real Southern California locations like a mission, a presidio, the Navy base, Catalina Island, Disneyland...or is it Northern California for your book? Not a lot of missions up that way past San Francisco.

Could be neat section for "outside the city" for the mountains and deserts and valleys.

--Kap

SoCal, while I will not come out and say it, the main hero is a decedent of the original masked hero named the Fox...

[JmOz]

I think campaign power levels are something to discuss as well. "low-powered" street supers could be as low as, say, 200 points(in 6E), with a "standard" beginning street supers at 300 points, "experienced" street supers at 400, and "high-level" street supers at 500 (or more). Damage Classes could range from 5-9 for the low-powered setting to as high as 12-16 for the high-level setting. Basically, at low-level, they're a lot tougher than the average street thug, but hardly invincible or bullet-proof.

Silver Age vs. Bronze Age vs. Iron Age is another thing to discuss. Drug dealers and street gangs are more of a BA/IA kinda thing, while Mafia-types and costumed crazies are more SA.

Good call, I was going to just set it at low powered super (300, 50 disads), but some comments about upping and lowering power level is warranted.

[Ninja-Bear]

Have you seen the San Angelo sourcebook? WOW that has just about everything written out about a city that could be.

[kahuna's bro]

I was actually considering something like this for a Champions campaign. The PCs would be low powered heroes. One thing I would like to shoot for is the feeling that their world is a lot stranger than they realize. My problem is that if you can fly, your world is already strange and discovering the hidden mysticism in Campaign City won't have the same effect if the campaign had no powers.

One thing I'd like to see addressed in your book is dealing with paranormal powers. Is magic allowed and if so, what kind? Is it the "realistic" magic as described in some of the books? Is it tied to religious rituals like exorcisms? Can it be used in combat? Etc.

if magic does exst you could adapt the power levels of urban fantasy HERO to fit your game

[TheQuestionMan]

Damn, just what the Doctor ordered.

Good timing.

QM