Pittsburgh: City of Champions

[steriaca]

Robert Trueheart has a recording role in the tv show All Right Ranch. (Originally Spin And Marty, but since that is owned by Disney...) All Right Ranch is a sort of Digarsi High School style teenage soap about a ranch for troubled teens. Robert plays...well...Robert. He is a young teen with social anxiety problems. He has never been a main character but is the focus on a few episodes. 

 

In case you don't know, Spin And Marty was a recurring serial within the Mickey Mouse Club show. Blame Mark for having a thing for the show (he is much older than me...I only have vague memories of the show if anything so he has a more solid childhood memory of it).

[Mark Rand]

16 minutes ago, steriaca said:

Robert Trueheart has a recording role in the tv show All Right Ranch. (Originally Spin And Marty, but since that is owned by Disney...) All Right Ranch is a sort of Digarsi High School style teenage soap about a ranch for troubled teens. Robert plays...well...Robert. He is a young teen with social anxiety problems. He has never been a main character but is the focus on a few episodes. 

 

In case you don't know, Spin And Marty was a recurring serial within the Mickey Mouse Club show. Blame Mark for having a thing for the show (he is much older than me...I only have vague memories of the show if anything so he has a more solid childhood memory of it).

There are a lot of Spin and Marty episodes on Youtube.

[steriaca]

11 minutes ago, Mark Rand said:

There are a lot of Spin and Marty episodes on Youtube.

But we can't use that in the book silly. Copyright, remember. 

[Mark Rand]

8 minutes ago, steriaca said:

But we can't use that in the book silly. Copyright, remember. 

True, but they could give us some ideas.

 

 

[steriaca]

1 hour ago, Mark Rand said:

True, but they could give us some ideas.

 

 

Well, I vaguely remember MMC and don't remember Spin & Marty at all. More GMs can work with 'teenager soap opera" set in a ranch then modern day ranch working western.

 

We CAN file the serial numbers off. I gave it a name, but the name can easily be changed.

[Mark Rand]

Robert rides a white American Quarter Horse mare named Snowball, Snowflake, Snowy, or something like that.

 

Probably the only pre-teen there is Karen, the owner’s 9-year-old daughter, who is in a wheelchair because she suffers from a mild form of congenital muscular dystrophy.  She owns and rides Dancer, a pinto American Shetland Pony mare.  Karen Parker, who plays her, actually has that medical condition and actually owns Dancer.  She’s stated, “Dancer isn’t my pet pony, I’m her pet human.”

 

[steriaca]

1 hour ago, Mark Rand said:

Robert rides a white American Quarter Horse mare named Snowball, Snowflake, Snowy, or something like that.

 

Probably the only pre-teen there is Karen, the owner’s 9-year-old daughter, who is in a wheelchair because she suffers from a mild form of congenital muscular dystrophy.  She owns and rides Dancer, a pinto American Shetland Pony mare.  Karen Parker, who plays her, actually has that medical condition and actually owns Dancer.  She’s stated, “Dancer isn’t my pet pony, I’m her pet human.”

 

Considering we are in a superhero universe, that can litterly be true.

 

 

..reminds me of Peabody and Sherman...

[Steve]

4 hours ago, Mark Rand said:

Cordelia and her friends, Mercedes Kendall, a real twit, Gwen Winnicki, and Katherine Chester, whose nicknames are “Kate”, “Katie”, and “Kat-woman”, love to call the school choir, Drama Club, orchestra, and Stage Crew “geeks”.  One favorite target is Donna Gray, an African-American member of the Stage Crew, and a skilled draftsman, who likes to dress in black, standard stagehand garb, and, due to an to a severe allergy to nickel alloys that cause rashes, always wears gloves.   

 

The school principal tolerates, to a certain extent, the name calling.  When it gets out of hand, he assigns the offender to work as part of the Stage Crew until the next big production is over.  For the first time, they will get a tech pack, a tour of the auditorium from one of the Stage Crew, and a set of stage keys that must be returned.  Mercedes, to quote her, “Puts my foot in my mouth,” and often gets assigned to the crew.

 

Are Cordy and the members of her crew part of the cheer squad? That is often a source of popularity. Of the trio following her, who is the "second in command" in their clique? Are the names given in order of social standing? That would make KC (Katherine) the gofer of the quartet. None of the trio of followers are probably allowed to outshine Cordelia, who might have as high as a 13 PRE and maybe a level or two of Striking Appearance to help maintain her social standing.

 

Donna sounds like a potential Cinderella sort who could clean up to be dazzling at prom.

 

Is there a Glee Club? Or is that what was meant by school choir?

 

No Science Club?

 

 

[steriaca]

I'm sure there is a science club. But it is probably not popular ("yeah sports...boo nerds... "). Same with glee club/school theater club.

[Mark Rand]

18 minutes ago, Steve said:

 

Are Cordy and the members of her crew part of the cheer squad? That is often a source of popularity. Of the trio following her, who is the "second in command" in their clique? Are the names given in order of social standing? That would make KC (Katherine) the gofer of the quartet. None of the trio of followers are probably allowed to outshine Cordelia, who might have as high as a 13 PRE and maybe a level or two of Striking Appearance to help maintain her social standing.

 

Donna sounds like a potential Cinderella sort who could clean up to be dazzling at prom.

 

Is there a Glee Club? Or is that what was meant by school choir?

 

No Science Club?

 

 

Cordy and her crew are cheerleaders.  They're not listed in any order.  However, Mercedes is her best friend.

 

There are five levels of both Choir and Orchestra with A level being the highest, and the ones that perform for the school.  The Glee Club members are in the A Choir.

[Mark Rand]

3 hours ago, steriaca said:

Considering we are in a superhero universe, that can litterly be true.

 

 

..reminds me of Peabody and Sherman...

Dancer is actually Karen's pet.  Karen just likes to mess with the minds of the animal rights folks.  It's up to the GM if she has a mental link with her pony.

[Steve]

1 hour ago, steriaca said:

I'm sure there is a science club. But it is probably not popular ("yeah sports...boo nerds... "). Same with glee club/school theater club.

 

And let's not forget the Game Club or maybe RPG Club.

[Mark Rand]

4 minutes ago, Steve said:

 

And let's not forget the Game Club or maybe RPG Club.

Yes to both, along with the Chess Club.  The theater clubs are the Drama Club, who put on two plays per school year, and the Stage Crew. 

[Steve]

57 minutes ago, Mark Rand said:

Cordy and her crew are cheerleaders.  They're not listed in any order.  However, Mercedes is her best friend.

 

There are five levels of both Choir and Orchestra with A level being the highest, and the ones that perform for the school.  The Glee Club members are in the A Choir.

 

Mercedes might have a sub-8 INT stat (perhaps EGO too) based on her description and use those saved points to invest in a 2-point or 3-point Striking Appearance.

 

Even with 25 points to spend as Normals, Cordy and her crew could have decent social skills.

 

 

[steriaca]

6 minutes ago, Steve said:

 

And let's not forget the Game Club or maybe RPG Club.

I remember my teen years. There was an RPG ckub in my Jr. High, but only AD&D. In high school I was introduced to the University of Wisconsin Gamers, and was surprised that you didn't have to actually go to the college to game with them.

[Steve]

Teachers deserve some mention.

 

There's a Principal mentioned but there's likely also a Vice-Principal who could be the dreaded disciplinarian of the school.

 

Cordy and her crew answer to the cheerleading coach, who may or may not be an homage of the one from Glee. The football and wrestling coaches could be out and out thugs.

 

A science teacher could be into Tesla and steampunk, and the History teacher could secretly be a witch alive since the Revolutionary War.

 

What about the student body president and his/her cohorts?

[Mark Rand]

1 hour ago, Steve said:

Teachers deserve some mention.

 

There's a Principal mentioned but there's likely also a Vice-Principal who could be the dreaded disciplinarian of the school.

 

Cordy and her crew answer to the cheerleading coach, who may or may not be an homage of the one from Glee. The football and wrestling coaches could be out and out thugs.

 

A science teacher could be into Tesla and steampunk, and the History teacher could secretly be a witch alive since the Revolutionary War.

 

What about the student body president and his/her cohorts?

The cheerleader coach is good-looking, in her mid-20s, and also the activities director.  The football coach, Anthony Dunlap, named for two coaches I had in high school, is a good guy and the athletic director.  The swimming coach for both teams is Ms. Mary Anne Kramer, named for my 4th grade homeroom teacher and a coach I met in high school.  She is also the mermaid swimming class teacher. 

 

Before I forget, the mermaid class is open to mermen, too.  Passing a swimming test is required for the beginners class (Try Mermaid).  Having a Try Mermaid card is required for the advanced class (Ocean Mermaid).

 

I like the ideas about the History and Science teachers.

 

Edit: The cheerleader coach/activities director is Carol Roth.  Matt Reese is her student assistant.  They serve as master and mistress of ceremonies for the Homecoming Coronation Dance.

[Steve]

Since the school likely has delinquents, they would provide a different sort of nemesis than Cordy and her crew (who would likely never physically harm someone, just make catty remarks about them).

 

The son or niece of a teacher or the principal could be a dimwitted bully, roughing up anyone who gets in their way. This could be the Draco Malfoy sort, maybe with a couple of thugs to do the dirty work.

 

A junior or senior rebel might have a 'Fonz' vibe going for them, but not become an outright delinquent if befriended by a PC.

 

One kid might be a son/daughter of someone in the local mafia organization. While the Pittsburgh Mafia (the LaRocca crime family) died out in 2021, they could be alive and growing in a superhero universe.

 

Pittsburgh's organized crime element might have to deal with costumed busybodies that don't have overwhelming powers like those flying overhead and may just be highly-trained normals with tech assistance. What goes on in the shadows of the city would be another aspect of its costumed crimefighters, from gunslinging, murderous vigilantes to preternaturally skilled martial artists who break bones but don't kill.

[steriaca]

Delinquent? Ah...reminds me of the Kunio-kun game series. In delinquent anime, manga, and media the delinquents are rather protective of their school. Not nessisary of the teachers and adult workers of the school...just the fellow students of the school.

[Mark Rand]

Donna, who Cordy and friends call "Goth Girl" because of her dress, can be elegant when she wants to.  In fact, she and Cordy have been members of the homecoming court, which has two princesses from each grade, since ninth grade. 

 

Donna and Sharon are willing to come in on weekends to give Stage Crew orientations to anyone who needs one because of an athletic practice.  No surprise, both the Stage Crew and Drama Club sometimes rehearse on weekends.

 

Maestra Jennifer Collingsworth, the orchestra teacher and conductor, is related to the President.  It's generally believed that her teaching assistant is actually a Secret Service agent.

[steriaca]

Robert's horse is named Shiro (Japanese for White). At least on camera...

 

Beyond the drama club, Robert is a member of the Anime and Manga club.

[Steve]

6 minutes ago, steriaca said:

Robert's horse is named Shiro (Japanese for White). At least on camera...

 

Beyond the drama club, Robert is a member of the Anime and Manga club.

 

That collection of otaku is doubtless drooling over there being local magical girls in their town. Even the members of the Hate Court might have fans depending on how sexy they are in costume.

 

Come to think of it, there's likely a fan club for superheroes organized on campus. Maybe a supervillain one too.

 

The adults in Pittsburgh probably also organize conventions celebrating the superhumans, replacing the comic conventions that we have in our world. There might even be superhero/villain collectables sold by enterprising supers cashing in.

[steriaca]

3 minutes ago, Steve said:

 

That collection of otaku is doubtless drooling over there being local magical girls in their town. Even the members of the Hate Court might have fans depending on how sexy they are in costume.

 

Come to think of it, there's likely a fan club for superheroes organized on campus. Maybe a supervillain one too.

 

The adults in Pittsburgh probably also organize conventions celebrating the superhumans, replacing the comic conventions that we have in our world. There might even be superhero/villain collectables sold by enterprising supers cashing in.

I wouldn't say "replace" more than "supplement".

[dmjalund]

the bully wouldn't have to be dim-witted

[Steve]

16 hours ago, steriaca said:

I wouldn't say "replace" more than "supplement".

True. I was picturing them as folding together though. I can’t picture a comic convention in a world of superhumans without them bringing in discussion panels and other displays involving actual supers. Some heroes might even appear as guests of honor. More publicity minded villains without current warrants out for them (Foxbat or Lady Blue) might also make an appearance.

 

I could picture Foxbat staging an appearance at an event with a hero in attendance, maybe acting like a pro wrestling heel in some ways.

14 hours ago, dmjalund said:

the bully wouldn't have to be dim-witted

Granted. They often aren’t too bright in fiction though.