Victorian Champions

[geoffnsandiego]

So I've started a campaign with my home group that takes players from low-powered near normal Victorian heroes through the Golden Age and on to the Iron age. Power levels increase each time and they can create characters with connections to what has come before or something entirely new. It is something of an exercise in collaborative world-building. To start they created 225/50 heroes with normal characteristic maxima. The setting is London in the late 1880s/early 1890s.

 

Victorian Heroes Everyman Skills - I used the list out of 6e Skills with just a couple of changes.

Home City Knowledge 8-

Native Language Idiomatic w/Literacy

Profession or Trade 11-

Acting 8-

Climbing 8-

Concealment 8-

Conversation 8-

Deduction 8-

Paramedic 8-

Persuasion 8-

Shadowing 8-

Stealth 8-

 

I'll add stat blocks and HL files for the PCs and for NPCs as I create them.

[HeroGM]

Along with that if you've never seen it try this series:

 

[Spence]

Western Hero is a resource that can be useful. 

[Tjack]

You may also find some of the historical reference stuff in Space 1899 useful.

[Lord Liaden]

I know it's not the campaign premise you want to run, but you might still find some usable stuff in Digital Hero #39, in the article, "War of the Worlds: Champions." It's set in the era and follows the conventions of H.G. Wells' original novel, with one critical difference. The toxic "Black Smoke" used by the Martian invaders is lethal to the vast majority of humans; but in a very small percentage of the populace it instead engenders a variety of super powers, physical and mental.

 

The article includes a variety of weapons and vehicles, both Martian and human "steampunk supertech" (thanks to at least one mutated supergenius), as well as several NPC heroes suiting Victorian Britain, such as its Superman/Captain America analogue, the mighty Britannic (illustrations by Sketchpad).

[Khymeria]

Trust me on this, get Gaslight currently being offered in the Hero Games Patreon. It sets the stage for Victorian Era gaming quite nice. It has a Madness mechanic that allows you Cthulhu-esque style, lots of places in London of interest, the world at large, templates like Criminal, Psychic, Faithful, Inventor, Savage, Academic, Retired Military, Detective and more. Gadgets and talents specific to the genre. Starting at Competent Normals and building. The release is about to get into character generation, templates, talents, powers, campaigns, technology, carbon monoxide poisoning, early automobile, medicine. There will be write-ups for Dracula, Renfield, Van Helsing, Invisible Man, Dorian Gray, Doctor Jekyll/Mr. Hyde (literary and Hollywoodized), Holmes, Watson, Moriarity, Spring-Heeled Jack, Jack the Ripper, Victor Frankenstein and his creation, Captain Nemo and the Nautilus, The Time Machine, banshees, ghosts, spirits, seances, new way to hold back the undead. Just all kinds of stuff. I wrote it so feel free to ask me any questions. It is more than 200 pages without a single piece of art or map laid out. I love the literature of the period and that is the idea of mixing literary and real world individuals into an 1890 something campaign against nefarious people and forces just outside the illumination of the Gaslight.

[Mr. R]

I made some NPC with a Victorian feel to them.   I'll post the links to them

 

Here:   Bottom of page 14 and top of 15

 

 

[steriaca]

Can't wait for Gaslight. I just wish Lupin (the 1st) was among the writ ups, but I'm sure there is a Gentleman Theth template which can be jerryrigged into a decent Lupin.

[Khymeria]

1 hour ago, steriaca said:

Can't wait for Gaslight. I just wish Lupin (the 1st) was among the writ ups, but I'm sure there is a Gentleman Theth template which can be jerryrigged into a decent Lupin.

Thanks so much. I’ve definitely received so much great feedback with suggestions such as Lost World, military engagements, India, and such to consider for an expansion. Like Pulp, the setting and time period offer a lot. Gaslight and Western Hero: Rough and Ready Roleplaying are a good pairing.