Champions Villain (Volume) 4: Organizations; What Do You Expect Out Of This?

[Ninja-Bear]

For Anti-America organization, I have the Blue Dragons. People for All the Far Eastern countries that want Imperial America to fall. Main three would be Japan, China & Koreas. All others like Vietnam are accepted.

[steriaca]

Well, I did create Orochi, a group of Japanese people who want the return of the shogenate, and the removal of non-japanese influence from Japan. The agents are Hi-Tech samurai, using strong plastic armor, and laser katana, and other Hi-Tech weapons which look like traditional samurai weapons.

 

Note: Orochi is willing and able to leave Japan to support and enforce there views.

[TheQuestionMan]

VOICE (of Doom) taking advantage of political, economic, and other opportunitirs to takecontrol of organized crime in the pacific rim.

[Ninja-Bear]

Just thought of this, The Loyalists. People who want an Imperial Britain. Also part of that plan is to have USA & Canada become colonies again!

[Lord Liaden]

Just thought of this, The Loyalists. People who want an Imperial Britain. Also part of that plan is to have USA & Canada become colonies again!

 

I guess it couldn't hurt to include one or two "snowball's chance in Hell" lunatic fringe orgs.

[TheQuestionMan]

200 years to late.

 

Resurect JFK hand a Colt Peacemaker called X-Caliber.

 

The King from Under the Hill.

 

A new american camelot. New knights of the round table.

[steriaca]

More on Orochi.

 

Founder: Tetsushogun (Iron Shogun).

Next Level: Tetsushiteno (Tetsushogun's bodyguards, "One", "Two", "Three", and "Death").

Leaders: The eight heads of the group.

Solders: The Tetsusamuri (Iron Samurai) are the highest standard solders of the group, riding there Testuma (Iron Horse robots). Then there are the Tetsuyumijin (Iron Bowmen), who also use the Testuma. Finally the Tetsuyarijin (Iron Spearmen), which are the lowest level of standard agents.

 

Note: There are other agent types. Hi tech ninjas, techno geshas who also can fight, among others.

 

For the book, the Testuyarijin, Testuyumijin, Testusamuri, and Testuma need to be detailed. If needed, we could also write up the Testuninja (Iron Ninja).

[Ninja-Bear]

I guess it couldn't hurt to include one or two "snowball's chance in Hell" lunatic fringe orgs.

And since when did that ever stop a group?

[IndianaJoe3]

Just to deal with this category for a moment, I think it would be helpful in developing such an agency, to identify why and what makes it "rogue." What's its motivation, its agenda? Is it just trying to grab power, maybe by subverting or overthrowing the current government? Has it identified and focused on a particular thing as a threat, which it believes requires extreme measures to counter? Does it have a laudable goal, but has become excessive in the pursuit of that goal?

 

I think there are a few possibilities.

• Simple corruption. They're in it for the money, and an agency with few rules and little oversight is a good way to get it.
• Bureaucratic paranoia. They're worried about getting their funding cut or merged into another agency, so they take (extreme) steps to justify their existence.
• Twisted agency goals. They're so focused on their own agenda that they've forgotten they're supposed to be acting on the government's behalf.
• At one point, they may have been co-opted by another organization. Even if the other organization is defunct, it left its mark.
• The agency attracts (or actively recruits) people with a certain unpleasant mindset.

Earlier on the thread I mentioned the CU American DoD's Department 17, which has long researched ways to safely and reliably create superhumans to serve the government, as well as methods to make them more controllable. It's an extremely secret project, and its funding sometimes falls short of its aspirations. Any of those facets of D17 is open to abuse by members who believe the end justifies the means. (It's also one of the more interesting potential character origins in the setting IMHO.)

 

D17 looks to combine both 2 and 3. The stereotypical small-town sheriff's department combines 1 and 5.

[Spence]

I have an idea for a orginized crime network. "SYN-Net" is the name of a orginzation which controls crime in the multiple state area (Wisconsin, Illinois, Mishagen, Minasota, and any other states you feel fit). The leadership is the mysterious "Boss". Everyone in the org believes Boss is a powerful super villian with amazing powers, but multiple personalities. In reality, "Boss" is the rulling party, a group pretending to be a single person. Some of the "Boss" have superpowers, others have more social/political powers.

 

Neat idea.  Written detailed for the lower levels and getting more vague in the motivation/plot area.  This would be a great addition to any campaign. 

 

I always thought it would be a great idea for an organization product to put all the closely linked plot/motivation material in highlighted text blocks.   That way if you intended to use the product as designed you could.  But if you were retooling it for a custom world, all the interlinked stumbling blocks would be easy to find. 

 

Considering that Hero's core rules are so open and easy to customize, the old tool kit.  Most of the supplements are written so tightly and well from the perspective of the authors intent, that they can be a bear to customize.  

[StGrimblefig]

I know I am very late to this discussion, but how about an update/mutation of the organization that ran Sanctuary (from the 4th Ed Classic Organizations/Neutral Ground)?

 

I might have to be updated so much as to be a different organization, but a place for supers to relax is sorely needed.

[tiger]

I know I am very late to this discussion, but how about an update/mutation of the organization that ran Sanctuary (from the 4th Ed Classic Organizations/Neutral Ground)?

 

I might have to be updated so much as to be a different organization, but a place for supers to relax is sorely needed.

I liked sanctuary, but as I recall it was gone with 5th edition.

[Nothere]

With all this talk of rouge government agencies the question must be asked how what ratio of overt/covert organizations. Do you want a lot of easily identified agents ala Viper, or heroes not be sure if a particular group is behind a plot till the end of at all?

 

And to move from the book to your campains. Do you have a variety of types of orginizations, or focus on one type.

[Lord Liaden]

Sanctuary is indeed gone, but the current official setting has something comparable: the Caribbean resort island of Grand Cienelago, briefly described in Champions Universe 6E, and extensively detailed in Cops, Crews, And Cabals.

 

Grand Cienelago Island has two major differences from Sanctuary. One, its existence is secret from most of the world, hidden by sophisticated devices. Two, it's only open to superheroes, and only those heroes who have proven themselves trustworthy are told about it.

[Lord Liaden]

With all this talk of rouge government agencies the question must be asked how what ratio of overt/covert organizations. Do you want a lot of easily identified agents ala Viper, or heroes not be sure if a particular group is behind a plot till the end of at all?

 

And to move from the book to your campains. Do you have a variety of types of orginizations, or focus on one type.

 

I like variety. Different M.O.s lead to different flavors of game, which helps keep a campaign fresh.

[steriaca]

I like variety. Different M.O.s lead to different flavors of game, which helps keep a campaign fresh.

I agree totally. It also opens the book up for various GMs, as they could at least find one group to there liking and in the players power level.

[steriaca]

Any thoughts on a space org of villainous agents? Not of the "conquering Earth for Planet X" (they can always pick up Champions Beyond and pick an alien race at random for that), but a group of alien no-do-wells.

 

Space Pirats are one possability. Alien smuglers and drug pushers might be another (Prehaps a chemical in the human brain is highly addicted to members of Alien Race X, and the heroes have to stop a mass alien kidnapping to harvest said chemical).

[Lord Liaden]

I've always been fond of the Psindicate, detailed in Scourges Of The Galaxy for the Star Hero book line: a criminal network made up of members of diverse mentalist species. They don't aspire to conquest or glory, just getting as much profit as they can through crime. The Psindicate exploit local criminals by first pretending to offer their assistance for hire to a local crime boss, using their powers to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of his operations. While they actually do this, they also insidiously subvert the mind of the boss and other chief gang operatives, until they're effectively running his gang themselves.

 

In a Champions setting the Psindicate (another name could be chosen if the authors don't want to repeat the Scourges reference) could pose as one or more mentalist and/or gadgeteer villains, providing their powers or alien technology to a formerly mundane Terrestrial gang. Over the course of a campaign PC heroes could discover the true nature and scope of the group, possibly teaming up with alien law enforcement officers, even traveling off world to confront the leaders of the Psindicate to defeat them, or at least convince them to leave Earth alone.

[steriaca]

Humm...another type of org we could borrow out of Power Rangers. A magical boss with an expendable "putty patrol" grunts which are stronger than humans, but easily taken care of by supers.

[TheQuestionMan]

PSI (Sin) Dicate - sounds cool. 

 

Alien Invaders - Past. 

 

NASA - Space Exploration, Colonization, and Industrialization. 

 

UNTIL Beyond. - System Defense Force. 

 

Warlord and the Shadow Army. 

 

Star*Guard and the Star*Marshals (filked from Sabre Riders). 

[SteelCold]

VOICE

 

Zodiac

 

King Earthwyrm and The Subterrans

[mrinku]

I'm very out of touch with post 4e organisations (and not even all earlier ones...), but is there any established one that's just a ruthless corporate force?

 

Not wanting to take over the world directly, but more seeking global monopolies and such, through whatever means they can get away with. My own campaign has Vile International, founded by Hubert Vile (which in my planned 20 year update has diversified into Vileco, Viledyne, V-Com and Burger Tycoon), now run by his three children; Honey, Harold and Hayley, after Hubert's own fall from grace and imprisonment. Honey's the mega-bitch in charge, Harold's a dupe and Hayley is Honey's spoiled and seductive social weapon of choice.

 

Star Guard International (SHADO tribute) were out of Super Agents. They still around in any form?

[SteelCold]

If you can find it this book is an excellent resource:

 

 

Kingdom of Champions had the Redirection Cartel and Ironbridge Industries.

[assault]

Franklin Stone is a (post-Crisis) Lex Luthor businessman type. He's the head of Advanced Concepts Industries, which more or less fits the bill.

 

VIPER controls Duchess Industries (or vice versa).

 

ARGENT has been exposed as criminal, but is basically a business.

 

I don't recall seeing Star Guard International. The name has been used for the CU's Green Lantern equivalent, the Star*Guard, so SGI is unlikely to appear.

[Lord Liaden]

For corporate villainy, Advanced Concepts Industries (ACI) is the arm of the CU's Lex Luthor analogue, Franklin Stone (see Champions Villains Vol. 1). Duchess Industries is much the same, but firmly allied with VIPER. (You can read more about DI in VIPER: Coils Of The Serpent.)

 

Regarding an analogue to Starguard International, the CU has two major "super agent" private security firms, Executive Control Solutions (ethical), and Bastion Alpha Security (secretly unethical). Both are extensively described in Cops, Crew, And Cabals.

 

But for major comic-book corporate villainy, allow me to pimp The Full Scope of ARGENT.