Build a Shared Champions Campaign World Wiki?

[pbemguy]

2 hours ago, IndianaJoe3 said:

Setting the IP issues aside for the moment...

 

In this setting, have superpowers always existed (at least, since the 1930s), or did they develop more recently?

 

Indiana, can you set up a poll for that? I usually play campaigns where superpowers are a new development (last few years). But I also like the idea of several generations of heroes.

 

I'm not being lazy. (I mean I'm not just being lazy.) I just think that it truly is everybody's campaign world. So if someone gets to a juncture like this, I think poll is the way to go. Then we also have a "paper trail" showing that we did it democratically.

[pbemguy]

1 hour ago, Sketchpad said:

 

Keep in mind, before developing any license, you should make sure that Hero is okay with this. Whether it's free or not, I would loop Jason Walters in and make sure that Hero doesn't have any issues with you using the system for said project. If you're planning on using the Community Content license, look very carefully at it. While I'm not a lawyer, I did find some things that made me hesitate. 

 

I will definitely bring Jason in. I'll message him now.

1 hour ago, Sketchpad said:

 

Which arrangements were those? I think some of any kind of arrangement has changed quite a bit over the years considering some changes that were made. 

 

I just mean that Foxbat seems to be a special case--and we're looking into that--and many of the Guardians seem to be at least partially owned by their creators. 

 

So when you said "[w]hich arrangements were those?"....exactly. Exactly what we're trying to ascertain.

[pbemguy]

I messaged Jason and he is fine with the campaign wiki project:

 

"

Quote

You're fine unless it becomes a commercial product that you charge money for. Even then you're still fine so long as you talk to me first. 

 

Both we and Cryptic Studios are firmly in favor of fans expressing their love of the CU through projects like Wikis. 

 

Jason

 

I also asked about hosting the wiki software etc. here at this site (i.e. doing an on-site wiki instead of an off-site wiki). He's not sure about that, but he didn't say no yet.

[steriaca]

I'm looking forward to providing things for the Wiki.

 

Lord knows I got tons of little stuff on this board. Like Malkronos, the TED, the Skull, Lady Heart, among others.

[archer]

On 7/12/2020 at 6:41 PM, IndianaJoe3 said:

Setting the IP issues aside for the moment...

 

In this setting, have superpowers always existed (at least, since the 1930s), or did they develop more recently?

 

I would much prefer that superpowers have existed, at the very least, for decades. You're losing a ton of creative space if you don't allow for the potential to introduce older generations of heroes and villain organizations, legacy heroes, gods, ancient magical artifacts, etc.

 

If you want to recent new surge in heroes which is unusual, you can always have a White Event (ala the Marvel Comics New Universe), the emergence of mutants, aliens found Earth and spread technology & experiments, or whatever other things which might be appealing.

[sinanju]

Here's an idea: instead of a single, unified game world, maybe provide options?

 

Characters, organizations, artifacts, adventure ideas--they all could be tagged to indicate what sort of background assumptions work for them.

 

[Character A] exists in a world where superpowers only came into existence a few years ago.

[Character B] exists in a world where Pulp Heroes first appeared in the early 20th century, but now costumed supers are common.

[Character C] has lived for millennia, revered as a god in the ancient past, and now is part of a team of modern-day superheroes.

[Organization X] was formed as a supernatural adjunct to the Third Reich and is still around today.

[Organization Y] was formed in the 1990s in response to the sudden appearance of superhumans.

 

GMs looking at the wiki could see which characters/organizations/etc would fit the background they want for THEIR campaign. And they'd be able to see quickly which ones would need some work to fit.

[pbemguy]

10 hours ago, sinanju said:

Here's an idea: instead of a single, unified game world, maybe provide options?

 

Characters, organizations, artifacts, adventure ideas--they all could be tagged to indicate what sort of background assumptions work for them.

 

[Character A] exists in a world where superpowers only came into existence a few years ago.

[Character B] exists in a world where Pulp Heroes first appeared in the early 20th century, but now costumed supers are common.

[Character C] has lived for millennia, revered as a god in the ancient past, and now is part of a team of modern-day superheroes.

[Organization X] was formed as a supernatural adjunct to the Third Reich and is still around today.

[Organization Y] was formed in the 1990s in response to the sudden appearance of superhumans.

 

GMs looking at the wiki could see which characters/organizations/etc would fit the background they want for THEIR campaign. And they'd be able to see quickly which ones would need some work to fit.

 

We are focusing on creating a complete campaign world first and foremost. Other angles and aspects can certainly come into play. Tagging entries can and should happen.

 

Absolutely I can see GM's coming in and selecting a villain here and an organization there. But the unifying concept is a complete campaign world.

[Panpiper]

I'm sure I could toss a few characters at least into this, maybe even developed establishments.  About the only thing I enjoy more than fleshing out detailed characters is spending experience points. 😉 Here's a great example of a 'bouncer' who works at a bar that caters to those who are too marred by their powers or appearance to easily go elsewhere.

 

Character sheet now available at this thread. Reference 'Black Hole'.

 

 

[Sketchpad]

Have you considered an export template from Hero Designer that's specific for the wiki? It could put in the proper tags needed to export and paste in the wiki. Might I suggest @DreadDomain's excellent character format?

[Panpiper]

4 minutes ago, Sketchpad said:

Have you considered an export template from Hero Designer that's specific for the wiki? It could put in the proper tags needed to export and paste in the wiki. Might I suggest @DreadDomain's excellent character format?

Link?

[Sketchpad]

9 minutes ago, Panpiper said:

Link?

 

 

[Panpiper]

That is not a hero designer export format, that is something DreadDomain whipped up with Word.  As such it is pretty useless for us.  Moreover I think having  the export format 'also' output things like everything written on the background tab of Hero Designer is crucially important, not just the stats.

 

I am personally partial to Tasha's Ultimate Character Sheet.  Sadly there are two, in my opinion, vital areas missing in that one from the background tab, which would be the description of "Powers/Tactics" and "Campaign Use". A modified version of Tasha's sheet that 'did' include those two fields would be perfect.

[DreadDomain]

 

6 hours ago, Sketchpad said:

Have you considered an export template from Hero Designer that's specific for the wiki? It could put in the proper tags needed to export and paste in the wiki. Might I suggest @DreadDomain's excellent character format?

Thanks for the nod!

5 hours ago, Panpiper said:

That is not a hero designer export format, that is something DreadDomain whipped up with Word.  As such it is pretty useless for us. 

I would love to set my sheet as an export format but alas, I do not have the skills to do so.

5 hours ago, Panpiper said:

Moreover I think having  the export format 'also' output things like everything written on the background tab of Hero Designer is crucially important, not just the stats.

Which I would include if I knew how to create export formats Fortunately, you have other, better options!

 

[archer]

Are we going to make the builds in 6th edition only or just build in whatever edition we're most comfortable with?

 

I have access to 2nd-5th and Champions Complete which I think is sort of 6th edition lite from what I gather. I'm comfortable in 3rd or 4th in my head and can do 5th with a rulebook at hand. I'm not even sure what the differences are between Champions Complete and 6th.

 

 

[steriaca]

I think we should all be on the same page, and this is the same edition. I have Champions Complete myself.

 

You can have other editions also as long as we include the edition most of us have also as a prime version. We shouldn't confuse newbies after all. 

[pbemguy]

I think we should build in 6th but have versions in other editions as well. I actually play 5e the most but using the newest edition would be the best thing for Hero, IMO.

[Sketchpad]

22 hours ago, Panpiper said:

That is not a hero designer export format, that is something DreadDomain whipped up with Word.  As such it is pretty useless for us.  Moreover I think having  the export format 'also' output things like everything written on the background tab of Hero Designer is crucially important, not just the stats.

 

I am personally partial to Tasha's Ultimate Character Sheet.  Sadly there are two, in my opinion, vital areas missing in that one from the background tab, which would be the description of "Powers/Tactics" and "Campaign Use". A modified version of Tasha's sheet that 'did' include those two fields would be perfect.

 

Well, the idea would be for someone to make DD's format as an export format. I'm sure there's someone on the boards who could create such a thing. Background and other non-stat info is a pretty easy add on wiki pages, right? Having the stats formatted would need a bit more finesse, right?

 

16 hours ago, DreadDomain said:

Thanks for the nod!

 

Dread, no problem. I really like the format and think that Hero could use something like it. Heck, I made a variant of it in InDesign.

[Panpiper]

My brain is starting to build the idea of an exclusive members club that caters to the powered crowd. It would be a safe zone for villains, heroes and the uninvolved alike. Membership would not be completely exclusive to supers, but a fairly involved waiver must be signed before being allowed to join, and normals are made aware that if shit goes down despite all efforts, things could get very dangerous indeed.  Membership for (those who can demonstrate powers) are steep, but affordable ($1000. to join, $500. annual dues.) For the most part, only fairly well to do and overly adventurous normals join, as the membership fees are quite steep for normals, ten times that of the fees paid by supers. However the place remains a good place for supers wanting to network with the rich and famous to find opportunities.

 

The club is a very nice place visually, well painted, decorated, and tastefully lit, even though the whole place is built to danger room standards. Very little is destructible inside the public areas.  Tables and chairs are mostly booths with everything built as single contiguous ferrous concrete, everything coated with ballistic steel. Nothing  other than tableware and cushions can be picked up and moved. Table tops are polished steel. Bench cushions are fireproof and acid resistant.

 

Several supers find employment there. Each will be detailed. Employment is available for players looking for jobs. Pay is not exorbitant but significantly higher than what one would get doing the same job elsewhere.

 

No violence is permitted inside the grounds of the club, in its associated parking garage (which is also built to danger room standards), or on the road and highway approach ramp that leads to the club. Anyone initiating violence looses  their membership. Minor violations can be appealed after one year to have it reinstated. Major violations are permanent, as are second minor violations. Anyone initiating violence will find themselves fighting not just whomever they attacked, but the super powered staff who work at the establishment.

[archer]

21 minutes ago, Panpiper said:

My brain is starting to build the idea of an exclusive members club that caters to the powered crowd. It would be a safe zone for villains, heroes and the uninvolved alike. Membership would not be completely exclusive to supers, but a fairly involved waiver must be signed before being allowed to join, and normals are made aware that if shit goes down despite all efforts, things could get very dangerous indeed.  Membership for (those who can demonstrate powers) are steep, but affordable ($1000. to join, $500. annual dues.) For the most part, only fairly well to do and overly adventurous normals join, as the membership fees are quite steep for normals, ten times that of the fees paid by supers. However the place remains a good place for supers wanting to network with the rich and famous to find opportunities.

 

The club is a very nice place visually, well painted, decorated, and tastefully lit, even though the whole place is built to danger room standards. Very little is destructible inside the public areas.  Tables and chairs are mostly booths with everything built as single contiguous ferrous concrete, everything coated with ballistic steel. Nothing  other than tableware and cushions can be picked up and moved. Table tops are polished steel. Bench cushions are fireproof and acid resistant.

 

Several supers find employment there. Each will be detailed. Employment is available for players looking for jobs. Pay is not exorbitant but significantly higher than what one would get doing the same job elsewhere.

 

No violence is permitted inside the grounds of the club, in its associated parking garage (which is also built to danger room standards), or on the road and highway approach ramp that leads to the club. Anyone initiating violence looses  their membership. Minor violations can be appealed after one year to have it reinstated. Major violations are permanent, as are second minor violations. Anyone initiating violence will find themselves fighting not just whomever they attacked, but the super powered staff who work at the establishment.

 

They did a book built around that concept in 3rd or 4th edition but I can't think of the name at the moment. Something like Neutral Ground, which was the name of a famous gaming store in New York in the 1990's.

 

I like doing something like your concept. Places like the Adventurer's Club or the hotel from the John Wick movies should be a vital part of the community.

 

Though I think the membership fees should be a bit higher to keep out the riff raff. 

[pbemguy]

12 minutes ago, archer said:

 

They did a book built around that concept in 3rd or 4th edition but I can't think of the name at the moment. Something like Neutral Ground, which was the name of a famous gaming store in New York in the 1990's.

 

I like doing something like your concept. Places like the Adventurer's Club or the hotel from the John Wick movies should be a vital part of the community.

 

Though I think the membership fees should be a bit higher to keep out the riff raff. 

 

Yes, Neutral Ground is the name.

[Panpiper]

15 minutes ago, archer said:

Though I think the membership fees should be a bit higher to keep out the riff raff. 

 

Superpowered 'riff raff' would still have to cough up $1000. to join.  There is a gentleman's club in my own city that charges exactly that and it's pretty freaking exclusive. Normals would have to pay ten times that and they most certainly would not be riff raff.

 

It has to be affordable for a player character super that did not buy a wealth perk.

[pbemguy]

The reason I say we build in 6e is that it is the newest edition. We can totally have earlier conversions. I imagine the default character sheet appears in 6e form and then there are tabs that show you the other edition versions. The Forgotten Realms wiki is like that:

 

 

i.e. If you love your edition so much, why don't you marry it?

[archer]

7 hours ago, Panpiper said:

 

Superpowered 'riff raff' would still have to cough up $1000. to join.  There is a gentleman's club in my own city that charges exactly that and it's pretty freaking exclusive. Normals would have to pay ten times that and they most certainly would not be riff raff.

 

It has to be affordable for a player character super that did not buy a wealth perk.

 

I think of a higher membership fee as incentive for the players to find a way to get into an exclusive place.

 

I have this weird image in my mind of Bulldozer and Dr. Destroyer sitting close to each other in the dining room with the good doctor asking to look at the wine list as Bulldozer is downing one beer after another and asking the waitstaff if they have any unshelled peanuts. But I guess that weird juxtaposition of characters who you would not normally see together is kind of the point.of introducing the establishment...

[Panpiper]

I think it should be a club for supers, not just supers with a wealth perk. Otherwise we are SEVERELY constraining the utility of the whole affair. Moreover there just aren't enough super wealthy supers to support an establishment like this. There might however be enough supers on the whole to do so. The super wealthy normals who would buy the 10X priced membership (for normals) would be doing so to rub shoulders with supers in general, not just well heeled supers.

[IndianaJoe3]

It would be interesting if this establishment was virtual, instead of physical. It would make enforcing the relevant tropes much easier.