Organizations Question

[marediv]

I am trying to find a list of the Good and Bad groups from Champions. Planning on starting a game and hoping to have some references.

[steriaca]

For villainous organizations, there is VIPER (5ed Biper: Coils of the Serpent book), DEMON (the 5ed DEMON book), CoIL (Champions Villains Volume 1), Doctor Destroyer's nameless org (Again  CVV1), and the upcoming IHA book (not yet published). Everything else is piecemealed across various books from 5ed and 6ed.

 

Which is one reason I suggested a Champions Villains Volume 4: Organizations myself.  A one stop shop about the history and low level agents all in one place. 

[Tjack]

I’m not sure how familiar or not you are with Champions game history, so in regards to Steriaca’s post, he’s some context.  I’ll be using a lot of comic book explanations so I hope you’re fluent in geek-speak.

 

VIPER;  This is the equivalent of HYDRA in Marvel comics/MCU.  World-wide, world-dominating, “got our grubby fingers in every pie” bad guys.

DEMON;  What VIPER is using tech, DEMON does with magic.  If somebody is trying to use the Serpent’s Crown to control the President?  Chances are it’s DEMON.

DR. DESTROYER;  The scariest, most competent version of Dr Doom you ever read.  He’s such a bada$$ he doesn’t even need Latveria. If his organization is involved....make sure your characters wills are up to date.

  
   I hope some of this can help.     Always remember GM’s rule #1   Never be afraid to reference (re: steal) from the comics.

 

[death tribble]

There is also Genocide which became the Institute for Human Affairs. These are the mutant hunters/killers

PSI. This is the one for mentalists

 

Supervillain groups include The Ultimates (Binder, Blackstar, Slick and others)

Eurostar a European supervillain group which includes Fiacho, Durak, Bora, Pantera and Le Sone in its original incarnation. Mentalla and the Whip and others later.

GRAB which are a bunch of thieves

The Conquerors which includes Ankylosaur and  Wyvern

Deathstroke which includes Deathstroke, Frost, Death Commando, Stinger and Arrowhead in its original incarnation.

Red Winter who are a Russian group working for the government

The Crowns of Krim who are an evil magic group not sorcerors per se like the Sylvestri Clan

The Brain Trust are a new group but are reminiscent of Doom Patrol villains, The Brotherhood of Evil

The Crimelords are a new group as well.

These also appear in different sets of the rules.

[steriaca]

38 minutes ago, death tribble said:

There is also Genocide which became the Institute for Human Affairs. These are the mutant hunters/killers

PSI. This is the one for mentalists

 

Supervillain groups include The Ultimates (Binder, Blackstar, Slick and others)

Eurostar a European supervillain group which includes Fiacho, Durak, Bora, Pantera and Le Sone in its original incarnation. Mentalla and the Whip and others later.

GRAB which are a bunch of thieves

The Conquerors which includes Ankylosaur and  Wyvern

Deathstroke which includes Deathstroke, Frost, Death Commando, Stinger and Arrowhead in its original incarnation.

Red Winter who are a Russian group working for the government

The Crowns of Krim who are an evil magic group not sorcerors per se like the Sylvestri Clan

The Brain Trust are a new group but are reminiscent of Doom Patrol villains, The Brotherhood of Evil

The Crimelords are a new group as well.

These also appear in different sets of the rules.

You kinda forgotten to tell where to find them.

 

Supervillain are either in Champions Villains Volume 1 or 2 in the 6ed form.

[Lord Liaden]

This would actually make a pretty substantial list, if you include organizations that are only superficially described in various books. There are many that were added for the current Champions Universe, while others from earlier editions are excluded. I'll start with the current setting, focusing on named groups, excluding supervillain teams, and organizations which are essentially extensions of individual mega-villains like Dr. Destroyer or Mechanon.

 

Most of the major players are described in basic terms in the book, Champions Universe, but other books go into more detail about many of them, which I'll mention in connection to them.

 

Villain Organizations

 

VIPER: Worldwide criminal terrorist org like Hydra or Cobra, but more like Hydra in that it pursues extensive covert subversive activities as well. Fully written up in VIPER: Coils Of The Serpent.

 

DEMON: Supernatural counterpart to VIPER in many ways, using magic rather than high-tech, and with an underlying epic agenda. Extensively detailed in DEMON: Servants Of Darkness.

 

ARGENT: High-tech criminal group run like a global corporation. Some similarities to AIM from Marvel Comics, but more diverse and profit-oriented. Please follow the link in my signature for all published details.

 

Circle of the Scarlet Moon: Magic-using occult conspiracy, lacking the raw sorcerous power of DEMON but wielding enormous covert financial, social, and political influence. Substantial info about them in Champions Villains Vol. 2: Villain Teams, although they're much more organization than team.

 

IHA (Institute for Human Advancement): Genocidal anti-mutant conspiracy with strong American government ties, under the public facade of a lobby group. The first few posts on this thread summarize the published info about the group.

 

Cult of the Red Banner: Devoted to worship of one aspect of The Dragon, the source of all the profoundest evil impulses in the human psyche. Based in China but international in scope among the Chinese diaspora. Emphasizes martial arts but with significant magic elements. The Red Banner is detailed in the PDF mini-book, Martial Enemies Vol. 2. The Dragon is written up in the Fifth Edition villain compendium, Arcane Adversaries. (Other cults to the Dragon around the globe are briefly mentioned in the CU sourcebook, The Mystic World.)

 

Those are the biggest villain groups, but there are others covered, particularly in the organization compendium, Cops, Crews, And Cabals. I'll return to this topic as I have time, unless other people fully cover it first.

 

 

22 minutes ago, steriaca said:

You kinda forgotten to tell where to find them.

 

Supervillain are either in Champions Villains Volume 1 or 2 in the 6ed form.

 

And Volume 3. They cover Master Villains, Villain Teams, and Solo Villains, respectively.

[steriaca]

You can always count on the Lord to 411 you into the Champions Universe. Thank you Lord Liaden.

[SCUBA Hero]

1 hour ago, Lord Liaden said:

ARGENT: High-tech criminal group run like a global corporation. Some similarities to AIM from Marvel Comics, but more diverse and profit-oriented. Please follow the link in my signature for all published details.

 

[Off-Topic] Have I somehow turned off a toggle that shows folks' signatures? [/Off-Topic]

[steriaca]

ACI: A business full of illegal business.  One of the CEOs is in VV1 (Franklin Stone of ACI, Villain Volume 1, pages 201-204).

 

ARGENT: A more blatant criminal business. One of the more piecemeal organizations to get information on. I believe some information is in Monster Island (5ed).

 

CoIL: The Cobra Imperial League, brainwashed loyal agents of King Cobra, and his supervillain arm the Ouroboros. Villain Volume 1 pages 

80-98.

 

Mechanon: He doesn't actually have a bane for his organization, it just exists. The Book of The Machine and Villain Volume 1 pages 99-117.

 

"The Mutant Liberation Front": Kinematik and his various mutant followers lime Blindside, Fossil, and Overdrive, but can stand to have other agents pop up. Villain Volume 1 pages 71-79.

 

The War Machine: Gadget laden mercenary runnd by The Warlord. Villain Volume 1 pages 260-276.

 

 

[steriaca]

Some stuff from Tiger Paw Press, from their TPP Villain Compendium books. Some of them are 'abandoned' Champion villains, others all new. But they are not a current part of the Champions Universe. Still...it's your game.

 

Dr. Lirby Koo: TTP Villain Compendium 1 page 7-15.

 

Terror Incorporated: TTP Villain Compendium 1 pages 16-119, along with the upcoming Muerte Files.

 

Oeramm and the Red Desth: A fantasy lich in a superhero world.  His followers in the superhero world are called the Red Death. TTP Villain Compendium 1 pages 120-180.

 

White Queen and Mister Black: Mutant crimelords running a criminal organization. TPP Villain Compendium 1 pages 188-197.

 

The Aces of Death: An assassination group. TTP Villain Compendium 2 pages 7-35.

 

The Arrangers: A group specialising in support of other supervillain groups. Whatever you need, the Arrangers can provide.  TTP Villain Compendium 2 pages 36-67.

 

CLOWN: You know them. You love them. TTP Villain Compendium 2 pages 94-157.

   While not official, The Kollege is CLOWN's agent arm. Just a bunch of normal in CLOWN masks, colorful robes, and motherboards on their heads, they only exist to help CLOWN with their pranks. Nothing else. CLOWN wants it that way.

 

Evil Mutant Society: Another group of mutants putting on resistance against hunters. TTP Villain Compendium 2 pages 245-274.

[marediv]

Thanks that covers the baddies I think if I am correct Primus is like Shield? Any other good groups? I appreciate all the help guys want to make a good campaign for my group.

[steriaca]

1 hour ago, marediv said:

Thanks that covers the baddies I think if I am correct Primus is like Shield? Any other good groups? I appreciate all the help guys want to make a good campaign for my group.

Primus, UNTIL, and Tiger Paw Press did a book for SAT.

[Lord Liaden]

4 hours ago, SCUBA Hero said:

 

[Off-Topic] Have I somehow turned off a toggle that shows folks' signatures? [/Off-Topic]

 

If you have, here's how you can find out and fix it. From the drop-down menu by your username at the top right corner of this page, click on Settings. Go to the bottom of the left-hand menu, and hit Signature. Above the box for your signature there's a toggle for View Signatures?

 

Mind you, I view the website on a computer. I don't know if all that works for a mobile device.

[Lord Liaden]

All right, let's look at major heroic organizations. Unsurprisingly, it's a shorter list than for villains.

 

UNTIL: The United Nations Tribunal on International Law is the premier global agency devoted to dealing with supercriminal and superterrorist villains and agencies, hostile aliens, and the like. It combines investigative, espionage, and military combat functions (kind of a mix of GI Joe and Marvel's SHIELD). Most nations have signed the Tribunal Treaty allowing UNTIL to operate on their soil in accordance with international and local law. The organization is thoroughly treated in UNTIL: Defenders Of Freedom.

 

PRIMUS: The Paranormal Research and Investigation Mission of the United States is a division of the Department of Justice like the FBI, and in some ways America's counterpart to UNTIL, performing many of the same functions with a national focus, and having been set up after the US government refused to sign the Tribunal Treaty (it did so years later). Unfortunately, a dedicated source book on it for the current official setting was planned but never written. The last such book, just called PRIMUS, dates from 1998 (still available in inexpensive PDF, and a fine book in its own right). The rather thin references to PRIMUS in Champions Universe have some similarities to the earlier book, but also differences.

 

(There are similar agencies in some other nations, such as the Steelhead Division of Canada's RCMP, and Japan's Bureau 16, 17 and 18.)

 

The Trismegistus Council: For over two centuries, the occult scholars of the Council have watched over the Mystic World and helped protect the Earth from supernatural threats. With over three dozen members around the world, the Council are among the most knowledgeable occultists on Earth, but are primarily scholars and researchers. Few of them wield magic comparable in power to even a beginning superhero. They primarily alert more powerful "supermages" to any threats they detect, and provide background information and consultation to them. Almost all the information about the Trismegistus Council is in Champions Universe.

 

DOSPA: Although most Americans probably think of PRIMUS when they think of their government's response to supervillains, the Department of Superhuman and Paranormal Affairs is far more important and influential. It's the Cabinet-level agency responsible for coordinating all American governmental research and responses related to superhuman and paranormal threats, and for managing America's superhuman assets, even if they're employed by another US government agency. DOSPA is outlined in fair detail in Champions Universe.

 

That pretty much covers the main orgs, but there are a number of others that are either smaller, more tightly focused, or more confined to specific regions of the globe. I'll note them here as time permits.

[Tjack]

Here we go again...

 

U.N.T.I.L. ; United Nations Tribunal of/on International Law  It is basically SHIELD from Marvel & the MCU. Global good guy spy group.  They counter VIPER and any other world wide threats, including Alien invasions.

P.R.I.M.U.S. ; (I don’t remember the acronym) It’s more or less the American Counterpart to U.N.T.I.L.  But, with a strong nationalistic viewpoint.  Think SHIELD if it were run by Secretary of State “Thunderbolt” Ross.

M.E.T.E. ; (See above note) Good guy research and First Contact experts in Extra-Terrestrial matters. A number of lost or homeless aliens reside there.

Quest Industries;  Cutting/Bleeding edge technology.  Inventors of Questonite, the Champions ‘verse version of Adamantium.  Friendly to Heroic types since the founding family has a long tradition of adventurers.

The Blood; Long-lived family line of heroic/villainous types that began with a dimensional traveler.  (Have you read Zelazny’s Amber series?)

Dr. McQuark’s;  Mad, but friendly Scientist always willing to help out a hero in need of tech support for little or no cash. His stuff works great....if it doesn’t explode, turn everybody in 100 foot radius invisible or accidentally open a portal to another dimension.

The Circle;  A magical study and training group run by an ancient Asian wizard.  Think of a magical version of the early X-Men.

These should help you get started.

    (I was writing while Lord L. was posting.  I defer to his vastly superior experience.)

[Lord Liaden]

No deferral necessary. I don't presume to believe I have the only material worth contributing.

 

However, I want to make clear that I've been confining myself to groups that are "official" for the current incarnation of the Champions Universe, the one described in books for the Fifth and Sixth Editions of Hero System. Books for those editions are relatively easy to find and are consistent from one to another. I don't know yet whether that matters to marediv or not (it would be helpful if you could clarify that, marediv), but this thread has already mentioned organizations from much earlier books which have not been carried over to the more recent ones, or which are third-party products that aren't necessarily compatible with the CU. With the game's four-decade history contributed to by scores of authors, there are dozens of orgs one could mention if one wanted to cast that wide a net.

[Tjack]

19 minutes ago, Lord Liaden said:

No deferral necessary. I don't presume to believe I have the only material worth contributing.

 

However, I want to make clear that I've been confining myself to groups that are "official" for the current incarnation of the Champions Universe, the one described in books for the Fifth and Sixth Editions of Hero System. Books for those editions are relatively easy to find and are consistent from one to another. I don't know yet whether that matters to marediv or not (it would be helpful if you could clarify that, marediv), but this thread has already mentioned organizations from much earlier books which have not been carried over to the more recent ones, or which are third-party products that aren't necessarily compatible with the CU. With the game's four-decade history contributed to by scores of authors, there are dozens of orgs one could mention if one wanted to cast that wide a net.

     Maybe not the only material certainly, but my offerings were meant only to be thumbnail sketches to example the types of groups while yours were much more detailed.

[marediv]

I appreciate all of you help. Everyone is so helpful and I am grateful that the community is do helpful.

[tiger]

12 hours ago, steriaca said:

Some stuff from Tiger Paw Press, from their TPP Villain Compendium books. Some of them are 'abandoned' Champion villains, others all new. But they are not a current part of the Champions Universe. Still...it's your game.

 

Dr. Lirby Koo: TTP Villain Compendium 1 page 7-15.

 

Terror Incorporated: TTP Villain Compendium 1 pages 16-119, along with the upcoming Muerte Files.

 

Oeramm and the Red Desth: A fantasy lich in a superhero world.  His followers in the superhero world are called the Red Death. TTP Villain Compendium 1 pages 120-180.

 

White Queen and Mister Black: Mutant crimelords running a criminal organization. TPP Villain Compendium 1 pages 188-197.

 

The Aces of Death: An assassination group. TTP Villain Compendium 2 pages 7-35.

 

The Arrangers: A group specialising in support of other supervillain groups. Whatever you need, the Arrangers can provide.  TTP Villain Compendium 2 pages 36-67.

 

CLOWN: You know them. You love them. TTP Villain Compendium 2 pages 94-157.

   While not official, The Kollege is CLOWN's agent arm. Just a bunch of normal in CLOWN masks, colorful robes, and motherboards on their heads, they only exist to help CLOWN with their pranks. Nothing else. CLOWN wants it that way.

 

Evil Mutant Society: Another group of mutants putting on resistance against hunters. TTP Villain Compendium 2 pages 245-274.

Actually TTP Villain Compendium II & III or organizations and villain groups. TTP Villain Compendium I is has masterminds, and their lackeys, and solo villains. So thee are organizations or groups in all editions depending on ones definition of organization.

[steriaca]

4 minutes ago, tiger said:

Actually TTP Villain Compendium II & III or organizations and villain groups. TTP Villain Compendium I is has masterminds, and their lackeys, and solo villains. So thee are organizations or groups in all editions depending on ones definition of organization.

I ordered a physical copy of TPP VC 3, but I'm still waiting for it to arrive. 

[steriaca]

Here is one me and MajorTom thought up and are Definitely Not Official, but can be used.

 

The T.E.D.: Short for the Tempral Enforcement Directive (could also be Division...), these people are a 30th Century time cop organization. They secretly send agents to the past (like my own Paradox Timely and MajorTom's Tempos Fugue) to make sure the flow of tim goes "correctly". In one sense they are the "good guys", protecting the flow of time from time meddles and out and out time criminals. In another they are "bad guys" because of a strict view of the time stream which allows massive bad events to occur because that is what the time line says happens and nothing should change it regardless of how many people die. Your mileage may vary. 

[SCUBA Hero]

10 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

 

If you have, here's how you can find out and fix it. From the drop-down menu by your username at the top right corner of this page, click on Settings. Go to the bottom of the left-hand menu, and hit Signature. Above the box for your signature there's a toggle for View Signatures?

 

Mind you, I view the website on a computer. I don't know if all that works for a mobile device.

 

That did it!  Thanks!  (I use a computer as well)

[steriaca]

3 minutes ago, SCUBA Hero said:

 

That did it!  Thanks!  (I use a computer as well)

Signs don't show up on mobile. 

[steriaca]

It should be noted, in order for an organization to be considered an organization...

 

1) There must be an agent arm. A bunch of guys which believe in the organization's goals.

 

2) The agent arm should be at least in the double digits.

 

The ability to use one writeup for all members of the agent arm is not necessary. Some, like certain pro-mutant groups it is litterly impossible to use one writeup to be used for every minor member of the group. Others (like businesses like AIC), the heroes wouldn't even encounter normally, so no writeup would even be necessary or needed. 

[Lord Liaden]

Personally, I don't define any group of agents, however large, as an "organization" in the classic Champions sense, if they only serve the ambitions of some mastermind villain. For me an organization has a purpose and a structure which can persist even if the leader is taken out. For example, Doctor Destroyer has a literal army of agents, but they exist only to serve his ambition. There is no command hierarchy other than those he appoints, there is no agenda to be followed except his own. Over the years it was believed DD was dead, many of his followers drifted off to other activities. Mechanon's robots, King Cobra's COIL mutates, the Warlord's Shadow Army, are creations and extensions of the mastermind who leads them.

 

VIPER is led by the Supreme Serpent, but there have been multiple SS over the group's history. DEMON was spawned by Luther Black to fulfill his epic ambition, but its higher-ranking members all have ambitions and goals of their own. The Circle of the Scarlet Moon and the Cult of the Red Banner have persisted for centuries, through many turnovers in leadership.