How Do You Use Dark Champions?

[Deadman]

Dark Champions is the genre for Modern Action oriented games but that seems to encompass so much. I would like to get an idea of the pervasive thought about Dark Champions games and the use of the genre in general.

[Hawknight]

I use it for a combined Vigilante (all 3 subclasses above). Characters can be Batman, Punisher or between (My character/avatar from the 80's was a combo of Batman & Moon Knight). If I was to run a secret agent or mercenary team game I would use the rules.

[Killer Shrike]

All the above I suppose.


My two biggest forays with it are MetaCyber and Here There Be Monsters.

Action Adventure

[Bolon]

Personally, I have ran it as street levels like Punisher and Sin City . I would like to take it to more like Grimm, Underworld, Blade balanced with more Crow or Batman level. I like lower level games versus the 4 colour games.

[Zen Archer]

The only time I played it was in a solo game (just me and the GM) which was a non-powered Vigilante game with a few detours into some Espionage stuff.

As a player, I don't have any genre preferences. If the concept sounds good, I'll give it a try.

[Vamphyr1]

I ran a 150 point talented norms game with two people. They were tactical swat from New York, their characters woke up in the hands of a secret government agency called ECLIPSE and were informed the options were join or get mind wiped. They joined and have fought various villains and monsters. I put them against Italian mobsters, automatons, genetically engineered monsters, and an adrenaline junky Ex-General with lots of Hard to Kill. Sadly had to call the game off for now since one of the players was having housing issues, but hoping to get back to it soon.

[Deadman]

All the above I suppose.


My two biggest forays with it are MetaCyber and Here There Be Monsters.

Action Adventure

KS,

I have been on your site and all I can say is "UNGLAUBLICH!" My group is using some of your HTBM ideas for our Dresden-like game.

I only wish that you lived 70 or 80 miles North so that I could experience them first hand.

[Tasha]

DC was my go to book for Guns, modifications for guns, and modern equipment. Other than that, I never really used the book for anything else. I kind of assumed that it was a rewrite of the Original DC which was a low powered street level Champions game. It wasn't till recently that it was pointed out that DC was also the replacement for Espionage and Danger International.

For Urban Fantasy I used Urban Fantasy Hero and my own head more than DC.

[Deadman]

DC was my go to book for Guns, modifications for guns, and modern equipment. Other than that, I never really used the book for anything else. I kind of assumed that it was a rewrite of the Original DC which was a low powered street level Champions game. It wasn't till recently that it was pointed out that DC was also the replacement for Espionage and Danger International.

For Urban Fantasy I used Urban Fantasy Hero and my own head more than DC.

Tasha,

You just illustrated one of my points perfectly. I always felt that the name "Dark Champions" somehow suggested that it had to be a somewhat darker version of a traditional Champions game. I don't think that the fact that Dark Champions also encompasses, and in my opinion almost centers on, an action oriented, cinematic, modern style of play is readily communicated. I have come to really like the "non-powered powers" type of campaign which really conveys cinematic modern action well.

Dark Champions is a great resource for all modern campaigns due to it's extensive detail on modern weapons and gear. It also has some terrific information on modern gangs, organized crime and other criminal organizations. Combine the former with a near encyclopaediac rundown of forensics and crime scene investigations and you have a terrific book that can be used in any modern game.

It is my opinion that it should be essentially renamed, "Action Hero" to better communicate the genre. If you want to keep the "Dark Champions" title it can be used as a subgenre book under Champions.

Just my $.02,

[Tasha]

Tasha,

You just illustrated one of my points perfectly. I always felt that the name "Dark Champions" somehow suggested that it had to be a somewhat darker version of a traditional Champions game. I don't think that the fact that Dark Champions also encompasses, and in my opinion almost centers on, an action oriented, cinematic, modern style of play is readily communicated. I have come to really like the "non-powered powers" type of campaign which really conveys cinematic modern action well.

Dark Champions is a great resource for all modern campaigns due to it's extensive detail on modern weapons and gear. It also has some terrific information on modern gangs, organized crime and other criminal organizations. Combine the former with a near encyclopaediac rundown of forensics and crime scene investigations and you have a terrific book that can be used in any modern game.

It is my opinion that it should be essentially renamed, "Action Hero" to better communicate the genre. If you want to keep the "Dark Champions" title it can be used as a subgenre book under Champions.

Just my $.02,

It's a VERY old argument here. I agree that Action Hero, Modern Hero or something like that does a better job of explaining what is in the book. I believe that the thought behind the Dark Champions name was to capitalize on the name recognition of Champions. Also in the past the Original Dark Champions was one of Hero's best sellers. Approaching or even surpassing the sales of the Original Ninja Hero (the Original Ninja Hero included the Martial Arts building kit so was very popular for that reason alone).

Perhaps when it comes time to update Dark Champions to 6e, Steve or who ever actually authors the book will think about a name change or something. As it stands any new edition of DC will be slimmer by quite a bit esp if they don't feel the need to reprint the Guns portion of the book (as it is already printed in HS Equipment Guide).

[Killer Shrike]

KS,

I have been on your site and all I can say is "UNGLAUBLICH!" My group is using some of your HTBM ideas for our Dresden-like game.

I only wish that you lived 70 or 80 miles North so that I could experience them first hand.

Gesundheit. Glad you like it; it's a collaborative project, several people from the boards had a hand in it and though I'm not actively working on it new submissions are welcome.

There's a longish post on it in the Dark Champions subforum. On the subject, I had actually started writing up a vampire themed vignette before I drifted off to work on other things. Maybe I'll get around to finishing it up eventually...{putters back off into absentminded land}...

[Deadman]

I think I am beginning to see a trend in the voting. It appears that Urban Fantasy has become quite popular and many of you are utilizing DC to support that sub-genre. Additionally, many people are using DC for exactly what it seems to be intended for, namely Vigilante games (whether powered or not). I would like to get more voters to see if the percentages change but as it stands I think that DC seems to be missing out somewhat on the Espionage, Special Ops and Post Apocalyptic sub-genres.

[Orion]

I use Dark Champions strictly for superpowered heroes. It's about the theme and feel of the campaign, not the power level. For example, there is no Real Gun or Real Equipment modifier, because every last thing is a Real Object. Invulnerable super gadgets just don't exist in my world. Many villains, and a few heroes, will kill their opponents, and whether or not a hero kills has nothing to do with them being a hero. Several heroes carry pistols, just in case something happens to their powers. They aren't in it for fun, or for their daily boxing match with Big Bad Guy, and silliness like the Silver Age is left at the door. Dark Champions is just a much better fit for this style of play.

I'd also use it for agent and private eye type stuff, but I have zero ability to create interesting stories in those genres.