Making a more magical Champions Universe

[Steve]

As a result of my group's time travel adventures, the Champions Universe as used in my home campaign has been revised.

 

The main change has been to take the notion of magic suddenly rising to a high level in the CU in 1938 as a result of a ritual and running even harder with it. All superhuman powers and abilities must now have a magical/mystical source of some kind. As a result, superhuman technology vanished, but some forms have been replaced by "magitek" instead.

 

As a result of the 1938 ritual, the new form of CU Earth now exists in its own pocket dimension, cut off from any alien visits. "Alien" beings on earth are instead extra-dimensional in origin.

 

VIPER has gone back to a more comic book COBRA feel. Basic agent weaponry is now high-tech percussion firearms instead of fancy blasters.

 

Mutants still exist, but the working title I have for them is Witchbreed, people having inborn innate abilities that don't require any foci or spells. They awaken at puberty due to exposure to stress and/or the presence of magical artifacts or events. Most have very minor to modest abilities (up to 20 Active Points).

 

The Superhuman World is now understood by the average person to be magical in origin. It's a bit like the Dresden Files and the World of Darkness amped up to handle masked superhumans, only there is no grand masquerade hiding magic from the "muggles" in the world.

[TheQuestionMan]

Energy takes many aspects. Why else do sentient beings seek power in all its forms.

 

Mundane/Technology is the everymans accessible form of energy, of power.

 

Magic/Mystic is simply another form of energy, of power.

 

Mentalism/Psionics is etc...

 

The Multiverse is filled with power. Technology, Magic, and Psionics are but the tools we use to manipulate it, store/trap it, and uses it.

 

Mutants harness it on a genetic level.

 

Mutates harness it through Technology (Frankenstein's Monster to Grond to Mechanon) through Magic (Spirit Posession, Golems, etc...)

 

Assuming energy cannot be destroyed only transformed this could mean the Multiversal energies are every thing and nothing. Only defined by our limited understanding and tools used to manipulate it.

 

Sorry just a thought.

 

QM

[Cantriped]

I already consider all powers in the Champions Universe to be fundementally magical in origin, with those rare exceptions usually involving time travel or alien technology. Almost none of that super-tech would world work, nor would any of those spontaneous mutations (inherited or acquired) have occurred, were in not for that ritual in 1938. Obviously there are exceptions, such as Cateran, who was born immortal and super strong long before the ritual.

 

However, the idea of an alternate CU where magic has been ramped up isn't all that far-fetched, and has the potential to be quite cool really. Have you considered yet how that change will affect other Time Travel related plots (such as Captain Chronos and his mission)?

[Steve]

I already consider all powers in the Champions Universe to be fundementally magical in origin, with those rare exceptions usually involving time travel or alien technology. Almost none of that super-tech would world work, nor would any of those spontaneous mutations (inherited or acquired) have occurred, were in not for that ritual in 1938. Obviously there are exceptions, such as Cateran, who was born immortal and super strong long before the ritual.

 

However, the idea of an alternate CU where magic has been ramped up isn't all that far-fetched, and has the potential to be quite cool really. Have you considered yet how that change will affect other Time Travel related plots (such as Captain Chronos and his mission)?

I'm considering removing the existence of Mechanon and Doctor Destroyer from the timeline, but I'm not certain yet. It's more likely that I'll give Mechanon an alternate origin that eliminates the existence of Captain Chronos, and I could replace Doctor Destroyer's powerset with one more like Shadow Destroyer's.

 

The Battle of Detroit will be revised to have Tyrannon come in instead and lay waste to the entire city in an alternate form of the battle. The outcome would be the same, Detroit destroyed and Millennium City built in its place, but the history would be different.

 

My campaign has been using the magical villains much more than others, so the team's roster of recurring enemies wouldn't really change. It's more the campaign background that would revise.

 

All but one of the team already has a magical/mystical origin, and the one non-magic member could be revised pretty easily to an origin that is more magical.

[Doc Democracy]

I like the idea that aliens are extra-dimensional but is the corollary become that magical planes, like Hell, become part of the mystical geography of the world? Can you descend into Hell by spelunking deeply enough? Enter the elemental plane of Air via top of the highest mountain?

[Cantriped]

In keeping with the revision, you could rename Mechanon "Goleman", and replace every instance of robot with golem. So in your world Goleman might want to replace all life with magical constructs, and he might have a rivalry with Shadow Destroyer regarding their use of magical constructs. Captain Chronos (Now Magister Chronos) might still have the same mission and general powerset, but use magic instead of technology (and still be just as annoying for everyone involved).

 

In a CU with amplified magic, Takofanes should be the biggest bully in the playground (being a 70,000 year old super-wizard). You could easily adjust the timeline such that he was the one responsible for the destruction of Detroit (most likely during his initial rampage in 1987, which might not ended at the Mississippi at it did in the original CU). Likewise the Blood-Moon incident might have been even worse, carried out as revenge against the Heroes who sacrificed their lives to stop him in Detroit, such as Vanguard.

[Steve]

I like the idea that aliens are extra-dimensional but is the corollary become that magical planes, like Hell, become part of the mystical geography of the world? Can you descend into Hell by spelunking deeply enough? Enter the elemental plane of Air via top of the highest mountain?

No, it's not quite like that, but there are some openly-known gateway areas in the world to places like Faerie.

 

In one neighborhood in Millennium City, there is a "goblin market" that PRIMUS keeps an eye on, and there are agents stationed there as the local police force, augmenting what is pretty much Faerie's version of "mall security" there. The rest of the nearby neighborhood is mostly composed of half-breed fae and changelings (humans altered by exposure to Faerie), although such beings also live elsewhere in the city and other cities.

[Steve]

In keeping with the revision, you could rename Mechanon "Goleman", and replace every instance of robot with golem. So in your world Goleman might want to replace all life with magical constructs, and he might have a rivalry with Shadow Destroyer regarding their use of magical constructs. Captain Chronos (Now Magister Chronos) might still have the same mission and general powerset, but use magic instead of technology (and still be just as annoying for everyone involved).

 

In a CU with amplified magic, Takofanes should be the biggest bully in the playground (being a 70,000 year old super-wizard). You could easily adjust the timeline such that he was the one responsible for the destruction of Detroit (most likely during his initial rampage in 1987, which might not ended at the Mississippi at it did in the original CU). Likewise the Blood-Moon incident might have been even worse, carried out as revenge against the Heroes who sacrificed their lives to stop him in Detroit, such as Vanguard.

I like these ideas and will steal them.

 

After thinking about it for a bit, Mechanon could be tweaked into a clockwork golem of advanced design, and Chronos could have come from a far more advanced magical future that created him.

 

Having Takofanes be the big bad who wrecked Detroit is a good idea because it means smaller tweaks in other areas to fit things together. He is served in my campaign by the Crowns of Krim as his version of Sauron's Nazgul.

[bubba smith]

do you mean a 'fantasy HERO' type of CU ?

[TheQuestionMan]

Superheroes Reimagined as Medieval Knights. 

[TheQuestionMan]

Shining Knight 

 

Knight (Cyril Shielddrake) 

 

Atomic Knight 

 

Black Knight (Dane Whitman) 

[Steve]

do you mean a 'fantasy HERO' type of CU ?

Sort of. It still has normal humans and modern technology, so it would be like a superhuman version of Urban Fantasy Hero. I also borrow many elements from the Gestalt universe created by Scott Bennie.

[DShomshak]

It sounds reminiscent of Poul Anderson's Operation Chaos.

 

Dean Shomshak

[Steve]

One of the ideas I'm planning to explore in the campaign could be termed magical transhumanism.

 

Some of the Superhuman World is filtering down into normal society, such as things you could acquire with money or trade items as a regular person in the "goblin markets" that are accessible by just going to the right neighborhood in a city.

 

Another is providing access to low-point Multiform bodies for people to purchase. I got the idea from reading the Superseeds column on rpg.net a while back. They have some pretty severe limitations compared to superhuman-level Multiform abilities, but for the price of a new car, a person could transform themselves into a different human form with some added minor abilities and boosts to characteristics. NuYu, Inc. is one of the pioneers in this field.

[PhantomGM2602]

There was something similar to Shazam! Oh Yeah, it's Marvelman AKA Miracleman, You may find the original comics in Marvelman Family [MARVEL] Hopefully in comixcology 

Check out the site why don't you?

[Steve]

There was something similar to Shazam! Oh Yeah, it's Marvelman AKA Miracleman, You may find the original comics in Marvelman Family [MARVEL] Hopefully in comixcology

Check out the site why don't you?

Yes, I've read Miracleman, and it's one of my inspirations.

[Durzan Malakim]

Since humans adapt quickly, I would expect magic to be the new normal in people's everyday lives. They would study it, determine it's limits, and found companies devoted to developing industrialized applications of it.

 

I'd expect things like:

• Home security brought to you by house spirits, Foo dogs, or literal guardian angels.
• Glamors and actual transformations to replace plastic surgeries, make-up, and fashion.
• AI and the Internet is replaced with or supplemented by knowledge spirits, imps, or ghosts. Maybe Siri actually has a real voice now.
• Walmart sells magic items of Made in China.

[Mr. R]

Reading this made me think of Scott Bennies "Gestalt" world.  All powers come from a specific source with the super tech eventually percolating down to the normal person.  Aliens are very specific, and no real atlternate dimensions.

 

Replace his power source with "Magic" and you're good to go.  

 

I'd give it a look for inspiration!

[Steve]

Reading this made me think of Scott Bennies "Gestalt" world. All powers come from a specific source with the super tech eventually percolating down to the normal person. Aliens are very specific, and no real atlternate dimensions.

 

Replace his power source with "Magic" and you're good to go.

 

I'd give it a look for inspiration!

I'm using it as source material for ideas.

[bubba smith]

I'm using it as source material for ideas.

good thinking there's too much reality in super hero stories for me