Fictional cities

[L.Craig]

Im just wondering from gms when you guys use a fictional city(that you created) for a campaign, do you guys create a history of the city, or do you guys create it as you play the camapign.

[Derek Hiemforth]

My usual tactic for Champions campaigns is to start by making the campaign city an analogue of a real-world city. (For example, my "Watchmen" Champions campaign (no relation to the comic book) was set in "Lakeside," which was basically their universe's version of Chicago.) Then I note any major ways the city's history differs from the history of the real-world city (including major supers-related events, of course). Beyond that, it's assumed that the city has basically the same history as the real-world version, until or unless something different is revealed during play.

[L.Craig]

Thats a great idea, im going to use Victoria Bc, but in the campaign world its a lot bigger than what it is. Im trying to think why it grew in size in the 1970's. Maybe a earthquake or something(Or sometype of dimensional shift increased the city size, maybe combined a city from a parrallel world).Made them rebuilt the city. Im just going to think of a new name for the city.

[Vondy]

I usually use a real world city I'm familiar with and note any campaign specific history or differences.

I have used Vibora Bay with some changes to the who's-who.

[WarriorKnight]

I created the city of Bay Reve,Org. for my campagin.I placed it in the Port Orford city area. I worked up a big background on Bay Reve;but left room to expand as play progressed.Its a 4 color campaign(mainly modern day) ,but I've got it set for my Golden Age game.

[moquif]

I briefly GMed a Dark Champions campaign that took place in Chicago but with some historic differences. The FBI was never given field duties to assist law enforcement so the gangs during Prohibition were allowed to grow in influence until the present day. It let me use real world maps and places in Chicago for game events. I think it added to the campaign, but I'm not sure if the players agreed.

[wrestlinggeek]

With me, it depends. Sometimes I base a city off a real world location, sometimes I make one up from whole cloth, and sometimes I steal someone else's fictional city, change the name, and possibly even move it. I like to come up with at least an outline of the city's history, but leave room for player input and PC backgrounds to change things.

[Vondy]

I briefly GMed a Dark Champions campaign that took place in Chicago but with some historic differences. The FBI was never given field duties to assist law enforcement so the gangs during Prohibition were allowed to grow in influence until the present day. It let me use real world maps and places in Chicago for game events. I think it added to the campaign, but I'm not sure if the players agreed.

Just as an FYI, Hoover ignored organized crime during the Prohibition era. In fact, he refused to even admit the Mafia existed until the 1957 Appalachin Conference. Only then did he create the Top Hoodlum Program, which later became the Organized Crime Division, though his real motive was to compete for ink rather than convictions with the McClellan Committee headed by Bobby Kennedy.

What's more, the THP mandate was to gather "criminal intelligence" and not to build cases because he didn't believe organized crime could be successfully prosecuted and he wanted the FBI's public image to remain "perfect." It was only after Hoover died in 1972 (two years after RICO and the same year as the Knapp Commission) that the FBI became a noteworthy player in countering organized crime.

In the prohibition era it was the Treasury Department - first the IRS and then the Bureau of Prohibition Enforcement - who fought the gangs of the 1920's and 1930's. The idea that the FBI was fighting bootleggers and mobsters during prohibition is an unfounded myth. During that era the FBI's famous busts were big name bank robbers - Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, Machine Gun Kelly....

[Kap]

The closest I come nowadays to using fictional cities is taking a real city and making changes, kind of what Stan Lee did when he took New York and inserted the Baxter Building and Stark Mansion.

I find it's easier to use a real city because I've had players complain that their PCs live in the fictional city but don't know what's there until they're told, which takes away their sense of verisimilitude.

[Log-Man]

I like to make real city analogs, rather than use real cities. I just feel an obligation to be more authentic if I use San Francisco rather than Enterprise Bay.

[Agent 13]

I've experimented with tossing down the basics for a city, and then letting the players come up with the neighborhoods their characters initially patrol as part of character creation.

[Ninja-Bear]

I do the same as it seems a majority of posters stated. I use a real city and change the name (and anything else that fits.) My two cities are River City (Harrisburg, PA) and Iroquois City (Erie, PA).

[Hermit]

I prefer fictional cities too. Less hassles if I get something "wrong" It also allows me to touch it up to fit the players characters more easily. If one of them is a dark and shadowy vigilante type, I know I'll want to develop a gritty 'bad part of town' complete with a dive they can go check out etc. If one is a 'Very Rich' CEO in his secret ID, then I can adjust some areas to reflect how much influence he and his company have in the town. Mystic types usually cause me to lay down a few ley lines and induldge in Masonic buildings from the city founding.

[quozaxx]

The first game I GM'd (for 5 years) was in the fictional city of Sentry City. Below is a snipped of it's history.

June 6th, 1806	June 6th, 1806, Lewis and Clark see strange lights over the future spot of Sentry City on their trip back to St. Louis from the Pacific Northwest. They agreed not to publicly share their findings.
June 6th, 1906	June 6th, 1906. The small town of Sentry is officially renamed Sentry City. Many "strangers" arrived on the fateful day, and strange occurrences were reported continuously on and off for months later. An unofficial treaty was reached with the strangers who called themselves "The Grays". Details of the treaty and the strange occurrences remain sketchy at best.
March 6th, 1907	March 6th, 1907, James Sentry, son of founder Jebidiah Sentry is born
June 6th 1906	June 6th, 1906, 9 year old James and his family are attacked by "living furniture". Jebidiah Sentry dies in the fight.
June 6th, 1936	June 6th, 1936, 19 year old James temporarily quits his first year of college to search for a specific mystical item. He becomes obsessed with finding it. About a year later he rejoins the college scene graduating at the tops of his classes
June 6th, 1936	June 6th, 1936, 29year old James to wed sweetheart Victoria. The wedding area is soon turned into a prehistoric scene. He manages to close the time rift, but not before his fiance dies.
August 12th, 1943	August 12th, 1943, James is drafted into WWII. He is soon nicknamed Dr. Bizarre.
June 6th, 1946.	June 6th, 1946, Dr. Bizarre, his troop, and several Nazis are suddenly transported to Sentry City where most of all his troop is killed along with most of the Nazis. Dr. Bizarre's left foot is blown off in the process.
June 6th, 1956.	June 6th, 1956, 49 year old Dr. Bizarre holds back an army of undead. At midnight the undead suddenly stop attacking and return to their proper graves.
June 6th, 1966	June 6th, 1966, 59 year old Dr. Bizarre's secret ID is publicized. Nothing unusual happens, or at least nothing you know about.
June 6th, 1976	June 6th, 1976, 69 year old Dr. Bizarre publicly announces retirement. The organization known as DEMON tries to take over the city. The town's heroes unite but most are killed. DEMON is run out of town by Dr. Bizarre, they haven't been back since.
June 6th, 1986	June 6th, 1986, 79 year old Dr. Bizarre is attacked at a nursing home by a mechanical construct later to known as Mechanon. This was Mechanon's first public appearance, and most were hoping his last.
June 6th, 1996	June 6th, 1996. The folks at Sunshine Assisted Living Center find Dr. Bizarre dead in his room from a self inflicted wound to the head. He was believed to have shot himself at 6 am that day.
June 6, 2006	June 6, 2006 Krum officially declares war against VIPER The Guardian Program is started.
June 6, 2010	June 6, 2010. The heroes arrive to rescue the Festival from another dimension. The Guardian Program is stopped, and the group of heroes now call themselves "The Guardians"

[Bolon]

I use a campaign city map but populated with familiar places for the players like restaurants and bars they know. I also have a lot of things we are use to the city so I don't have to teach them everything. I change the name of things but also let them know what it is like. It is a shorthand for the storytelling. I do think all characters should have some free skills due to the fact they are people like KS:Campaign City for free if from that town. It makes things easier.