Campaign Startup Ideas

[Christopher R Taylor]

I found an old paper while cleaning my room that has a list of ideas for Champions campaigns of various types and power levels.I figured I would post them here to offer some inspiration for GMs looking to start up a campaign:

 

• Part of a government or state official super team collected to fight crime and terrorism
• Each character is a child of an extradimensional being who has sown his oats widely - characters probably don't even know they were related.
• Dying alien distributes part of their power amongst all people gathered nearby to help fight his evil family.  Low powered game, possibly no other super types in the world
• Characters all awaken in a high tech lab in a dark  and dystopian future world, each with powers.  Who did this to them?  Why don't they remember anything?
• Regular people in this world who use a special device (alien tech? Magic item?  Extradimensional debris?) that ports them into the Champions Universe, with powers, but only for a set time period each day
• Members of an existing team with a base, contacts, history etc get into a dispute over tactics and goals and split off: the PCs are the new team
• Wake up on a deserted South Pacific Island with no memory, and powers.  They are in an alternate dimension where aliens are invading and have to fight them off.  But where are they really from?
• All were terminally ill of various ailments, even advanced old age, and submit to an experiment to save their lives.  The mad scientist is a supervillain who in exchange wants them to use their powers for him -- but will they?
• Very low powered police force members, part of a special powered task force in a big city to help fight low level street crime and minor supervillains
• Old retiring supergroup seeks out new members, holding auditions and picking a new team.  In the process a new potential member does not take rejection well, but is extremely powerful.
• Very rich old geezer wants revenge on the supervillain that casually crippled him in a battle with police in collateral damage.  He hires the PCs to deal with the villain, and the team stays together with his sponsorship.
• Individual superheroes are all captured by a big bad supervillain to keep them from interfering with his plan, they all escape and work together to beat the guy, and gain a nifty new base (with many secrets to discover) in the process

 

I'm sure other people have ideas for campaigns as well

[assault]

Somewhere (country, state, city, whatever) needs a super team, but doesn't have enough suitable potential members. They are recruiting contractors to fill the gap and train whatever locals they have. 

[steriaca]

VIPER recruited new potential Dragon Branch members and puts them in one location. They put them up and set them up as superheroes, secretly using them to take out the competition and to note which members of the group are full Dragon Branch material and who are more goodie goodie for the group's taist. How long can the heroes work as false superheroes before they start asking questions?

[Cancer]

Asteroid impact.  No bad guys behind it, just Earth getting in the way of a big space rock.

 

There are already real-world preparedness exercises published based on this situation, albeit none using superheroes.  As an example, the one from 2021 has its materials here.  As a teaser, it includes this happy fun chart:

 

[Hermit]

I've done so many of these in the past, some more suited for typical hero stuff others a bit out there . Rather than post links to them I'll repost them here and use spoilers to cut down on the wall of text

 

The Price of Dreams (Teen Champions)-

Spoiler

Maybe you came to the USA's southern border from Honduras after a harrowing trip through Mexico with your family. Maybe your father sided with the Americans in Afghanistan as a guide and now his life is on the line if you can't get him haven in. Perhaps you want to escape a war torn nation in Africa. If you were ordinary, there would be a good chance you'd be refused. But you're not ordinary, you have gifts, super powers. And thanks to you, your family is going to a fast track to citizenship. Of course, there's a price. The government has a program for super teens that they hope to make into useful supers of American society. This isn't some super secret school for the gifted. It's a trade. You want a chance to save your family. Uncle Sam wants you... to eventually wear a cape. You're going to learn to control and develop your abilities (Which maybe a relief if they were getting wild) And you have no idea going in if this is a boot camp to turn you into a living weapon for the system, or maybe a true hero looking out for your new fellow citizens. Maybe nothing is that clear.

 

 

Turncape: The Defectors (Cold War period Champions)-

Spoiler

It's the early 70s, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics has a relentless grip on it's superheroes, including you. Do you have family? Of course you do. How is your son anyway? Your mother? One hopes they are in good health. The Party takes good care of them, and you. You should be grateful, da? In some ways, it's even worse for you than it is the average Soviet citizen. After all, the Kremlin made sure that there is a telepathic handler for your team, to ensure no slips in loyalty. Your nonpowered peers at least have their thoughts. In a team of 13 supers, you're pretty sure you're not the only one who wants to defect to the West but some, maybe even most, are diehard loyalists. Then, you get a lucky break. That damn telepath ends up in a car accident of all things. He'll be out of operation for weeks. This maybe your chance for you (And your fellow PCs) to get your family and yourself out of the USSR. All you have to do is find a way to remove the tracker they've implanted (Did you really think they counted just on the telepath?) , avoid the suspicion of your Party Loyal team mates until you can either elude or over power them, then  transport your family safely, and get in contact with the Western Government of your choice. Maybe not in that order. You hear Canada is very beautiful.

 

 

Universal Rejection (Champions)-

Spoiler

- It was a losing battle against Istvatha V'han, but that didn't mean you didn't fight her conquest of your Earth. She called you terrorists, you preferred the term superhero. There were times you thought you might have crossed the line but you always tried to spare innocent lives even those who welcomed V'han with open arms. More and more governments in your world cut deals with the Empress, surrendering their freedom for security or profit. You destroyed Imperial communication grids, you broke political prisoners out of confinement, you did what you could to stop her soldiers from abusing citizens in the shadows. Then it happened, one of V'han's top scientists lured you into a trap and infused your very quantum matrixes so that your universe's frequency was toxic to you. There was no time for a cure, so you did what you could and fled to a new Earth, THIS Earth. Your old world is death to you now. So like it or not, you're out of the fight for it. Now you have to make a home for yourself in a world filled with superheroes like yours used to be. They seem noble, they play by rules you yourself had to abandon. You can't decide if you think they're naïve, or if seeing them makes you feel ashamed.. Of course,  that's only the tip of the ice berg. The people you knew have doubles here, with slight or extreme changes. Villains you fought there are heroes here, and those you called allies have taken a dark path. Some are different in age, or backgrounds, others are so exact to those you knew that it's alarming. You yourself may have a double here. You might have never been born here but have duplicates of loved ones who do not know you here. Welcome to Earth whatever number it is. You have a new life to make.

 

 

Wrongfully Convicted, Divinely Conscripted (Champions)-

Spoiler

- Perhaps before you were empowered, you didn't know much about Mesopotamian mythology. Not like a lot of people really study up on it. No, all you knew before Utu (aka Shamash) came into your life that you were in jail for a crime you didn't commit. Maybe you were set up by enemies, maybe the local police in your area needed a fall guy, maybe the prosecuting attorney with held evidence but you couldn't prove it. It didn't change the fact that even in a world with superheroes, sometimes innocent people get screwed. And you weren't alone. Assigned at a big prison to serve time for a crime you didn't commit, you found many who claimed to be innocent, and you later learned that a group of them weren't lying. Long story slightly shorter? Some mystical villain tried to open a path for Tiamat (yeah, not just for Dungeons and Dragons? Who knew?) to create destruction on his behalf and was going to use all the folks in the prison facility as a sacrifice. Fortunately, there are heroes in the world. This incredibly attractive superhero lady was also a mystic used the open portal to call on any god of good for aid. Utu peeked past 'the barrier', saw you and others who had been screwed over by the 'Justice System' and bestowed powers on you! It felt great! Suddenly you were young, powerful, and most importantly free! Even the most bitter of you didn't want a whole city nearby to DIE so you fought and turned the tide. Then the Sun God of Justice or whatever said 'Fight for True Justice, never become the villains they claimed you were, or I Shall take back what I have given" and he withdrew! Now you're barely recognizable (Or maybe not even that) but you're also a free man and out of the system. As far as the authorities know, you were killed by the supervillain. If you had religious convictions to monotheism before, this is HELLA awkward. But you're free, and you're going to do Justice right.

 

 The Baddest Blood- (Teen Champions) -

Spoiler

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)

Spoiler

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)

Spoiler

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) 

Spoiler

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.

 

 

[DShomshak]

On 10/21/2021 at 3:49 AM, assault said:

Somewhere (country, state, city, whatever) needs a super team, but doesn't have enough suitable potential members. They are recruiting contractors to fill the gap and train whatever locals they have. 

This is a lot like an old fill-in campaign of mine, UNICoRN (United Nations International Criminology Resource Network). In my campaign world, some countries had more heroes, or would-be heroes, than they needed; others had a shortage. So when supervillains start causing trouble in, say, Togo, the government asks UNICoRN for help and UNICoRN tries finding volunteer heroes to respond. I encouraged players to make heroes who were low-power and a bit goofy, such as American Ninja (ninja suit is also flag suit!) or Insectomorph (a.k.a. Bug-Eater Man... don't ask). These were not Earth's Mightiest Heroes; they were All We Could Get On Short Notice. Sometimes they fought similarly loopy villains. At the other extreme, some adventures got very dark (sometimes even on purpose). The "headquarters" consisted of a small office in the UN building with a file cabinet, a rolodex, a phone, a secretary and a morose Brazilian bureaucrat in charge of it all.

 

Alas, I didn't get a chance to run the adventure in which the goofier villains (such as Baroness von Boom and Commander Coleoptera) formed a revenge super-team called CAToBLEPS (Criminal Alliance To Beat Law Enforcement Personnel Soundly).

 

Dean Shomshak

[Lawnmower Boy]

Now do NEO-OTYUGH. 

[DShomshak]

Not even at gunpoint.

 

Dean Shomshak

[death tribble]

22 hours ago, Lawnmower Boy said:

Now do NEO-OTYUGH. 

I'll give it a shot

 

New European Order- Orthodox Tactical Youths Undergoing Gene Hormones.

[steriaca]

Isakai Champions

 

Your an average joe living in the real world. One day, while crossing the street you get hit by Truck-kun. You awaken in the hospital in a superhero laiden world.

 

In fact, every PC awakens in the hospital in a superhero laiden world. Also, everyone has a superpower or two. Truck-kun didn't take everyone to the new world (there are other methods of extradimensinal travel after all). Some of you might actually only be in a coma in the real world. 

[assault]

On 10/16/2022 at 6:41 AM, Lawnmower Boy said:

Now do NEO-OTYUGH. 

 
New European Order - Operational Team Yellow Unit General Headquarters

[Hermit]

NEO-OTYUGH.

Neuro Education Oversight- Organization for Training Young Ultras in Group Harmony

[death tribble]

Alright if it is a competition you want

 

Nazi Elimination Organization - Only Tough Youths Undergo Genetic Harmonisation

[Lawnmower Boy]

On 10/17/2022 at 8:51 AM, death tribble said:

Alright if it is a competition you want

 

Nazi Elimination Organization - Only Tough Youths Undergo Genetic Harmonisation

Wait. We have to judge the entries now?

 

....Open to bribes here. Also, and I'm not saying that I just opened a bag of a nice, artisanal Tennessee coffee here (hand-picked by Joe-Bob Valdez), but I rate Hermit's entry at One Million. And a half.

[steriaca]

Nocturnal Eternal Organization- Operation Tengu Yaten Ugella Goonga Harmonga.

[death tribble]

Getting back on the subject did anyone ever attempt to do characters as D+D archetypes or as monsters from D+D ?

[Pariah]

5 minutes ago, death tribble said:

Getting back on the subject did anyone ever attempt to do characters as D+D archetypes or as monsters from D+D ?

 

No, but I did an Alien Invasion campaign where the baddies were all thinly-veiled ripoffs from DOOM.

[Drhoz]

Low-level supers hired by a theme park to use their abilities in the shows. Eventually learn exactly why the founder was so interested in metahumanity. 

[Pariah]

Champions: The Next Generation. Children / sidekicks / legacy characters with links to earlier iterations of the team. This could include everyone from Marksman, Rose, and Flare to Seeker, Defender, and Quantum to Ironclad, Witchcraft, and Kinetic. 

[Clonus]

On the same day each of the heroes encounters an ambush or trap in the middle of doing something that would make news.  The goons out to capture are equipped with both advanced technology and a surprising amount of knowledge of their abilities and vulnerabilities, including things that have not yet been seen by any foe (the heroes are mostly if not all rookies).  Those heroes who are captured will be taken alive and restrained for transportation to Europe.  Any heroes who triumph will learn that the mastermind behind the attacks calls theirself "Unbekkant" (Unknown in German) and where they were supposed to be taken and presumably follow the trail.   Unbekkant is a time traveller trying to eliminate the super team before it starts and accidentally bringing it into existence.  (Originally the concept was for superheroes in 1938).  

 

 

[Drhoz]

On 10/20/2022 at 11:57 AM, Drhoz said:

Low-level supers hired by a theme park to use their abilities in the shows. Eventually learn exactly why the founder was so interested in metahumanity. 

 Have been thinking about this one a bit more - if you're wondering what kind of plots you can have in a theme park, consider Niven and Barne's Dream Park novels, Spider Robinson's The Free Lunch, the SHOCC park in Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill's Marshal Law : Fear and Loathing, the current Adventure Zone campaign Steeple Chase, etc. Also every conspiracy about Disney, visiting collections of valuable superhero memorabilia, custody snatches, supervillians looking to collect low-level supers as unwilling minions, supervillians who are just in the park for a nice day out, Mob involvement in the contracting, every possible level of corporate incompetence and malfeasance, union-busting, ride disasters (look up the Luna Park fire here in Australia for a spectacularly awful one ), corporate espionage, Halloween special scares, and the rather odd fact that the rate of superpower manifestation among people that have visited the unnamed park is 80 times higher than in the rest of the population. And despite what you may have heard, the founder's frozen head is absolutely not under the fairytale castle. 

 

 

 

[Drhoz]

https://yourheartonfire.tumblr.com/post/700361128046395392/hello-if-you-are-receiving-this-medic-has this minific has promise as a campaign start too