Thoughts on superheroes involved with the military

[Jinx999]

Drafting Supers

 

Faced with superhumans, the military will do it's very best to match them. Otherwise it wouldn't be much use. If it cannot defend America (or Canada or Britain or Eastern Mongolia), it might as well quit.

The only question is how does it go about this? Researching super-technology? Trying to create superhumans? Recruiting superhumans?

The military can offer very good recruitment deals if necessary. Forced drafting of superhumans would be a very bad move. First, if they are so powerful that conventional forces cannot beat them, trying to force them to do something they don't want to would be foolish. If conventional forces can beat them, you don't need them that badly. Second, they would be most useful in a special forces role and you really don't want someone in such a sensitive role who doesn't want to be there.

Besides, when you can appeal to their self-interest / patriotism / whatever, drafting would be the last resort.

[Guest Celebrin]

Jinx999: Great idea about recruitment - I've been trying to figure out exactly what kind of incentive the military could offer the civilians in the game. They're students, so there is always the free education angle, not to mention the job to earn money at the same time. I'll be putting more thought into that now, thanks!

 

I was worried I had ignited a fire there for a bit, but I'd forgotten how generally good-natured the boards here were. Thanks a bunch for spurring new lines of thought for my game, WW, Storn, et al. (those are the names I remember but I know there are others)

 

IMC, the military has had only limited success with super-human experiments and are looking forward to exploiting the strengths of the mutants it does have access to. This means the characters and a few other select NPCs (who don't quite rate on the same scale as the characters).

 

You've given me plenty of things to consider when it comes to the military vs supers, technological advances, etc.

 

I haven't introduced any home-built-heroes into the game with battlesuits, etc, but those suits do exist in paramilitary forces such as the TAC (Tactical Armor Corp - private law enforcement agency/corporation that specializes in dealing with superhuman criminals) and in the army itself to a limited degree (pared down MI gorilla-suits most likely).

 

Thanks a bunch folks,

Darren

[Wolf]

I kindof skimmed the surface of page 2 here, sorry all. I saw the direction that it was going and wanted to give you some help in the campaign departmen. KS you had a great thing going...

I don't know if you read alot, so I don't know if it will help, however I usually run a normals game in military with Hero, I helped me to pick up Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy, it's his idea of how WWIII would have happoned in the 80's you could give it a read, it may help. There are plenty of cheap books on tactics and military knowledge at any local book stores. Don't forget Janes Sets They do a wonderful job of telling you what units are using what. It could give a sence of realism.

What I've found though with taking this tac as far as hero goes you pretty much have to let the Supers use weapons without buying them... Not that it does alot of good firing a M-4 when you can "blast" your enemies, however even Cap. used a Sub gun during WWII, so you need to consider that, and actually now that I think on it look into the Captin America WWII stuff, along with the old Image line Team 7 (if you don't know them, they were a supers team during Viet Nam.

Hope I've at least given you some ideas, if I have repeated all this chalk it up to my lazyness in not wanting to read all the posts.

-Wolf

[Guest Celebrin]

I have been toying with giving them weaponry and basic equipment for free (they have 300 pt. characters and the military life may not be what they intend to continue with, so that equipment may not be something they hang onto in the long run so I see little harm in it. I'll have to think of typical equipment in their load, given what they can already do, not all of them will necessarily need weapons (or perhaps want them, as some have CVKs and are primarily civilians).

 

Thanks!

Darren

[Wolf]

Just for starts, I was Infantry (in the Army, Airborne 82nd) If you wish to know. I had as basic load.

1- Colt M-4 (however now they use the Bushmaster M-4 in spec. ops.) Carbine assult rifle.

7- Mags (30 rounds)

2- Ammo pouches

1- Cumpass, With Radioactive Isatopes so you can still read the #'s at night.

1- Firstaid kit (it's pretty bare bones- Feild Gause really) They tell you to only use the Kit that people are wareing, so yours can be used on you if you need it.

1- Butt pack, it's small, to stoe things like your Chem lights ( those breakable light-sticks you see in Raves and Halloween) As a side note they also Have IR chemlights, that don't show up to "normal eyes". POGy bate (Snacks that you might want to eat, usually beef-jerky) 100 rounds for the SAW gunner, cold weather gear, and anything else you wish to fit, including extra ammo.

1- set of NODs (Night Vision goggles), I forget the nomenclature, I think its PVS7-B. Anyway they now have a Monoculer, and usually it's worn around the neck, you don't want your shooting eye (also usually your good eye) to get too use to the bright light.

2- Fragmentary (frag) granades, and sometimes a Incideary granade.

1- set of armour, the RBI was used in the late 90's however now they have a set that you can connect your gear directly to so you don't have to use any extra gear (Like the classic H-harness) to strap your mag pouches and water canteen to.

2- canteens, however now they use Camelbacks. it's a hidration system that you carry on your back.

1- Ruck sack, this has all your changes of cloths and other assortments. It's also got Quick Releise straps so you can ditch it quickly during an ambush... I use it to cut encubrance down.

And that really is the basics of Ground pounders.

The Squad leader usually also has:

A radio, a Granade launcher (M-203) underslung on the front of his rifle, and extra granades.

The Saw gunner has an Full-time automatic macheine gun, whitch is light, it's the M-249, it rocks, however gets sluggish if not cleaned properly, and then missfires alot. He also carries about 500 belted 223 ammo (same as the M-4's and M-16's) And the older 249's can use the same ammo mag's that the rifle take, incase it's needed, but it's a b*tch.

SF vary, several notable exceptions are the use of Cuncussion granades (stun dmg only, and a ton of it I'd say like 10d6 nnd, area effect- they can take out a whole room for hours, and yes they make you bleed from every pore of your body (read as eyes and nose, sometimes mouth). Also SF have started to use the H&K MK-23, it's a .45 pistol, that can attach a silencer and "LAM" ( a lazer sight, and flashlight in one) It's what they got the idea for for the tag picture for... I can't remember the name of the vidio game... Solid Snake and all that... If you can remember.

Like I said, you can find plenty of info on the web from "gearheads" who love collecting gear. I dabble, however I have friends that are worse, and would give you a 10 page write up.

I figure that's good enough for now.

I hope it's of use.

-Wolf

[Guest Celebrin]

Looks like a reasonably comprehensive list, Wolf, thanks. It's given me a couple more ideas than I originally had for their equipment. I think at best only one or two of them will actually be carrying weapons (rifles/pistols/etc) but much of the other gear will come in handy and give me ideas of what else to give them besides armor, radios and the odd non-lethal grenades (it's still a super-hero game after all).

 

Darren

[Wolf]

Not a prob. I'll try to come up with a more comprehensive list when I think of one, however with it being the hollidays it's hard to find the time to sit down and just do it. I've never had to do one before, because all of my friends back in Ohio were all Gear Heads and former military themselves, so we just never wrote anything down, being that we knew what everyone would have. Now that I'm in Arizona, I'll have to make a list sooner or later to give to new players, so if you wan't I'll fire off a copy to you once I get it done (read as some time after January 10th).

-Wolf

[Guest Celebrin]

I think I'm doing alright for now with what you've already posted, but thanks!

 

Darren