Which of these Champion Campaign ideas sounds best to you?

[Hermit]

Okay, I'm sorting through a few ideas for my table top group, which we'll probably never have time to play anyway, but I wanted some opinions on if any of these appealed to folks in general. So, in a 'shared origin' selection for a Champions game, which of these would appeal most to you? (Yes, there will be a poll) Each has some inspiration from one source (or many sources) or another. I'm sure you'll recognize a few

 

The Baddest Blood- (Teen Champions) Some say Project Good Apple should never have gotten approval. Supervillains rarely make good parents, but that doesn’t' stop them from procreating. Rather than immediately transfer the children of supervillains to the foster system and wait for them to possibly inherit powers and become villains themselves, some Smartguy in Primus had the idea of letting a select few agents raise the very young ones as their own through adoption. At the least, it was a hope that the kids would have a better chance to grow up right than usual. At the best, some hoped it would lead to a new generation of registered superheroes that were a lot more willing to work with the government than many of the maverick teams of the time. Budget cuts happen, former agents start to become true parents who aren't as crazy about their kids being fast tracked to a life of violence even for a fed job, and somehow, Good Apple and its kids got lost in the shuffle. You're in your early teens, and you and your fellow PCs are about to learn they aren't just gifted, they get those gifts from the baddest blood.

 

The Color of Survival- (Champions) When a modern day terrorist cell discovers notes on something that killed with light and has a maybe twelve percent survival rate, they figure it's radioactive or something, and that's fine with them. They set the bomb to go off during a concert, and it does, in a cascade of lights of all the colors of the rainbow. The terrorists have unwittingly used a device meat to grant powers not kill. Fashioned by the villain Prism, it was how he made his supervillain Spectrum (See the Excellent Champions Presents #1). That was the 80s. Prism now serves four consecutive life sentences in Stronghold along with most of his buddies. However, few can survive the effects of it, and few did. Out of a nearly hundred people there, only a dozen survived. The survivors were also transformed forever. Some more obviously than others, but each gained powers along with a tendency towards a particular hue. For those who are not too badly deformed, it might be a dream come true- Except, of course, for the ugly fact any family and friends they came with likely died horrible deaths while they didn't. Some of the NPCs may become villains yet, others may just want to pick up what they can of their lives and grieve. The PCs? There are terrorists out there to capture, victims to avenge. Justice first, grief after, and a whole lot of survivor's guilt in between

 

Iconic Man checked the Donor Box- (Champions) You've been on the waiting list for an organ transplant for a while. Truth to tell, you were getting worried. Then, in anbotherwise dark time (One of the cities most beloved superheroes had died) you got the go ahead. A man had passed away, and his organs were going out. Maybe you got a kidney, a lung, or even a heart? The important thing is, you had a new chance at health! The transplant was surprisingly smooth, recovery time was swift. And then? Then you began to develop superpowers! You see, Iconic Man was one of those shapeshifting super strong telepaths with freaky supervision you hear about. You have just one of those aspects. But the other organ recipients? They've gotten his other powers, and, you appear to be able to talk to each other in your heads through a funky mind link. None of you are as powerful as Iconic Man was, but when the city still faces his old foes? Maybe you owe it to the man who saved your lives to work together, as a team?

 

Terra Force Reunited- (Champions)  During the 80s, there was horrible and cheesy attempt to make a Superhero themed TV show. With outdated special effects, cheesy lines, and let's be honest, not the greatest acting, it was a modest success and ran for two years. The actors split up after the show, and while one or two went on to bigger things, most of them had to settle for weaker and weaker parts, and some just quit show biz entirely. Meanwhile, in a highly advanced planet, the lessons of Terra Force, about truth, honor, justice and the Terran way have become a part of their culture mainstay! It has revolutionized their planet over the last two years. It took a while for the signals to reach. Space probes were sent out to find out what happened to their heroes, only to learn the horrible truth. This, Terra Force, practically, a religion to the aliens now, was based on mere pretense? Did this mean their ethics were now a lie? No! said one brave scientist of that world. There was a way to make it right, to make it true! The Actors were found, and 'borrowed' for a time, when they woke up, each one of them was young again, with the same powers they had on the show, and released back onto Earth! With rediscovered youth, super powers, and warp bypass transmission devices implanted in their brains, a group of very confused actors can only wonder what happened and what will they do now? Meanwhile, the Aliens in question have no idea they have just exchanged a Cheesy early 80s show for a new Reality one. All involved are in for quite the learning process. Each Player plays a character who was a former actor, and they can talk it over with the others which ones are still loved by obscure fandoms, moved on to 'real roles', or just shucked it all to help sell used cars back in their home town.

 

 

[Hermit]

Bonus likes if you tell me WHY you voted the way you did and what you liked about it? (not above bribery to get some interaction going and brainstorming)

[winterhawk]

To be honest, I picked the dog with the least fleas.  I've never been crazy about the 'unified origin' story, I always though it limits the players and the characters they can create and kind of narrows to potential stories you can tell.  However, if it works for your players, who am I to judge?

 

I picked 'Iconic Man' simply because it seems like it offers the most flexibility with both characters and the campaign.  The other suggestions seem too predetermined.

 

For whatever my opinion is worth...

[Hermit]

49 minutes ago, winterhawk said:

To be honest, I picked the dog with the least fleas.  I've never been crazy about the 'unified origin' story, I always though it limits the players and the characters they can create and kind of narrows to potential stories you can tell.  However, if it works for your players, who am I to judge?

 

I picked 'Iconic Man' simply because it seems like it offers the most flexibility with both characters and the campaign.  The other suggestions seem too predetermined.

 

For whatever my opinion is worth...

 

Your opinion is worth a lot. You've got creative goods and I've enjoyed being in your games more than once. *G*

 

So thanks. I do get that a shared Origin can be kind of limited, and I don't plan on forcing anything on my players if they don't like any of the concepts. 

[mrinku]

I realise "Terra Force United" is basically ripping off Galaxy Quest in a superhero mode, but it worked there and this works for me.

 

Second choice would be "Baddest Blood", which I think has fantastic roleplaying potential. I'm not a big fan of "high butchers' bill" scenarios, so "The Color of Survival" didn't do it for me, and I found the "Iconic Man Checked the Donor Box" one just a little ho-hum compared to the others for me (not that it's bad, mind you.)

[assault]

Pretty much what mrinku said.

[Enforcer84]

In order of likeability 4, 1, 3, 2.

Like the goofiness of the aliens

Like the idea of the kids (could be because we were Thunderbolts once.)

The organ donor game is good - a similar comic was fun.

And the last one isn't bad at all but a little dark for me.

 

Don't mind shared origins at all. 

[Doc Democracy]

I like the idea of Iconic Man - as the game has not started, noone really knows what powers Iconic Man should or did have so there is wriggle room for the players.  I like the potential there is for a number of future developments as powers might be further discovered and the potential for special powers when particular individuals cooperate....

 

:-)

Doc

[BoloOfEarth]

As a GM, I picked Baddest Blood because of the potential for creative roleplaying if/when any true (supervillain) moms and dads learn where their children are.  Motivations can range from "How dare they take my child away!" to "I never wanted a kid, but the brat can serve a purpose in my latest plot."  Then there's always some government alphabet agency suit who learns of Project Good Apple and wants to use one of the kids for his/her own agenda.  Plenty of fodder for a clever GM to use.

 

As another fan of Galaxy Quest, second choice to me would be Terra Force.  This would be followed by Iconic Man, with Color of Survival being last.  (Like mrinku, I'm not a fan of large-scale death scenarios.) 

 

If going with Iconic Man, though, I would suggest that you let the players pick their major powers first, then from that devise what powers Iconic Man actually had.  Oh, and if Joe PC got IM's left eye, it's possible Mike NPC got his right eye (or kidney, or whatever) and also has powers... as well as the telepathic link.  It's up to you whether Mike is an opportunist, or a reporter, or a cop, or a criminal...

[Tom Cowan]

Going with the teen one, each kid can have a lot of different powers origin , or be the same.  'we have the same dad? wow!'

Heck you could have one of the kids be a offspring of a dead hero, or the unknown kid found in the mad geniuses lab, some one has to adoption them.

[Hermit]

10 hours ago, mrinku said:

I realise "Terra Force United" is basically ripping off Galaxy Quest in a superhero mode, but it worked there and this works for me.

 

Second choice would be "Baddest Blood", which I think has fantastic roleplaying potential. I'm not a big fan of "high butchers' bill" scenarios, so "The Color of Survival" didn't do it for me, and I found the "Iconic Man Checked the Donor Box" one just a little ho-hum compared to the others for me (not that it's bad, mind you.)

 

Yup, lots of Galaxy Quest and a bit of a Futurama episode (New bodies and all).

 

Looks like you're in the majority of finding the massive death as part of an origin scenario too grim, which is totally understandable, it is the darkest despite the rainbow power source.

 

 

[Hermit]

9 hours ago, Enforcer84 said:

In order of likeability 4, 1, 3, 2.

Like the goofiness of the aliens

Like the idea of the kids (could be because we were Thunderbolts once.)

The organ donor game is good - a similar comic was fun.

And the last one isn't bad at all but a little dark for me.

 

Don't mind shared origins at all. 

 

Ooo I admit the 'similar comic' has me curious. I know what I was borrowing a lot from, I'm curious if I've missed a good one.

 

 

[Hermit]

3 hours ago, Doc Democracy said:

I like the idea of Iconic Man - as the game has not started, noone really knows what powers Iconic Man should or did have so there is wriggle room for the players.  I like the potential there is for a number of future developments as powers might be further discovered and the potential for special powers when particular individuals cooperate....

 

:-)

Doc

 

I had not actually thought about the' cooperative power angle, kind of a 'by our powers combined' thing huh? That might be very useful later on if I go with that one. Thank you

[Hermit]

2 hours ago, BoloOfEarth said:

As a GM, I picked Baddest Blood because of the potential for creative roleplaying if/when any true (supervillain) moms and dads learn where their children are.  Motivations can range from "How dare they take my child away!" to "I never wanted a kid, but the brat can serve a purpose in my latest plot."  Then there's always some government alphabet agency suit who learns of Project Good Apple and wants to use one of the kids for his/her own agenda.  Plenty of fodder for a clever GM to use.

 

As another fan of Galaxy Quest, second choice to me would be Terra Force.  This would be followed by Iconic Man, with Color of Survival being last.  (Like mrinku, I'm not a fan of large-scale death scenarios.) 

 

If going with Iconic Man, though, I would suggest that you let the players pick their major powers first, then from that devise what powers Iconic Man actually had.  Oh, and if Joe PC got IM's left eye, it's possible Mike NPC got his right eye (or kidney, or whatever) and also has powers... as well as the telepathic link.  It's up to you whether Mike is an opportunist, or a reporter, or a cop, or a criminal...

 

Good suggestions all around, thank you. Yeah, there's always some jerk in a suit going "They're not kids, they're weapons" and has the other govt types going "Jeez, Dave, take a vacation"

 

 

[Hermit]

1 hour ago, Tom Cowan said:

Going with the teen one, each kid can have a lot of different powers origin , or be the same.  'we have the same dad? wow!'

Heck you could have one of the kids be a offspring of a dead hero, or the unknown kid found in the mad geniuses lab, some one has to adoption them.

 

Actually, in my game setting for the kids of orphans born of heroes? I have a superhero community program for that. The small town of Valhalla has some retired heroes who take in children and teenagers who have lost their superparents and try to give them a normal life. Others are raising their own kids as well. Naturally the town has that 'awful cliquish' vibe to any outsiders who aren't in the know.

 

But that's another campaign

[Enforcer84]

2 hours ago, Hermit said:

 

Ooo I admit the 'similar comic' has me curious. I know what I was borrowing a lot from, I'm curious if I've missed a good one.

 

 

I wanna say it was Dynamo 5? It was an image title where the titular 'Superman' pastiche was a bit of a turd and had a bunch of kids from different mothers, he died and a portion of his powers went to each of his children. I think they even swapped powers at one point. I believe they were in the Noble Causes Universe. 

[Hermit]

1 minute ago, Enforcer84 said:

I wanna say it was Dynamo 5? It was an image title where the titular 'Superman' pastiche was a bit of a turd and had a bunch of kids from different mothers, he died and a portion of his powers went to each of his children. I think they even swapped powers at one point. I believe they were in the Noble Causes Universe. 

 

Ha! yay. that's the one I was using. I quite enjoyed it myself. Yes, you got me. That was my main inspiration for that one.

[Enforcer84]

[BoloOfEarth]

There's also Power Pack, who got their powers from the dying alien.  And also switched them around at one point.

[TrickstaPriest]

Likely my votes would be like Bolo for much the same reasons.  For an adult game likely the Terra Force idea for its fun premise?  I feel like the kids of villains is an interesting role-playing theme though.  Maybe I'm watching too much hero academia ;p

[lemming]

Voted for Terraforce since I think it would be the most fun, second place would be Baddest Blood, though I think super villains being related was incredibly common in our group.

[Christopher R Taylor]

I think Baddest Blood is a pretty fun concept for a game, with lots of potential for storylines and interesting role playing.  Plus I like "teen heroes developing powers" as a concept.

[Christopher R Taylor]

In fact, I'd say it would make a great book.

[massey]

Baddest Blood and Terra Force

 

Baddest Blood has a Gen-13, DV8 quality to it.  I liked those comics.  And while it's sort of a shared origin story, it's really not because there are all kinds of reasons you could have your powers.

 

Terra Force is like Galaxy Quest, and that's a good thing.  If everybody is on board with the concept, it could be a hoot to play.

 

Edit:  Gen-13 was the name of the comic.  Posting before I had any caffeine.

[Shigeru]

Iconic Man. It looks like it will allow for some wonderful built-in RP with the PCs having a link of sorts to one another. Also, they have to work together to overcome "super threats" because none of them have all the powers needed.