Argent

[tiger]

Hey everybody. I'm starting work on an Argent supplement. Was just curious what people thought and would like to see in the supplement.

[Lord Liaden]

Congratulations!

 

I've blathered on about this subject before , so I'll try to be succinct.

 

I'd welcome an update/summary of what ARGENT has been up to, since it's been over a decade since the last published word on their activities. The outcome of some of their past schemes, as well as the major projects they're researching now.

 

I'd like a breakdown of ARGENT's organization, its various branches and what they do, plus at least names, titles and descriptions of their prominent officers.

 

Some more examples of ARGENT front companies would be nice. If possible, maybe a map of a sample secret base, e.g. the one in Millennium City.

 

More clarification, and possibly game stats, of their teleportation network for delivering goods to their clients. What are its limitations? Does it have other uses, such as transportation of people?

 

The various means by which ARGENT acquires its raw materials, particularly human experimental subjects. Also its activities to "acquire" technology from others, either as data or hardware.

 

What services ARGENT offers to its clients, particularly in the Superhuman World; and how those clients go about contacting them.

 

ARGENT's relations with the various factions and power players in the Superhuman World, including world governments they are or have been closely associated with, e.g. Awad, Larisagrad, and Chiquador.

 

More superhumans who are regularly employed by ARGENT. Perhaps a write-up of one of their task forces set up to deal with particular superhuman opponents. It would also be nice to see a character sheet for their "Maskbot" person-replacing androids.

 

 

[Setherak]

I'm also very happy to hear this. The current Champions Universe needs a solid, evil corporation.

 

In addition to all of LL's excellent suggestions, I'd especially like to see details that distinguish ARGENT as a corporation, as opposed to all of the other evil organizations in the CU. Some examples might be: A mission statement and operating philosophy or a peek into the corporate culture. Anything, really, that underlines the fact that ARGENT is made up primarily of employees, rather than agents. 

 

Story seeds wouldn't go amiss, either. Of course, ARGENT is a great resource for hero and villain origins, but industrial espionage, environmental and human exploitation and catastrophes, and corruption involving local and international political leaders and agencies could all help to further bring a "corporate" flavor to your work. 

 

I'm looking forward to seeing the supplement!

[Lord Liaden]

Very salient points, Setherak.

 

Along the lines of corporate perspectives above, it would also be appropriate to look at ARGENT's approach to other major corporations with high-tech emphasis in the CU, particularly the other villainous ones, Franklin Stone's Advanced Concept Industries, and Duchess Industries which I doubt VIPER has told ARGENT is their ally. Millennium City runs down the diverse Champions tech corps.

 

Since ARGENT's focus is bleeding-edge technology, they must also have an interest in the official scientific think-tanks, notably Angelstone Laboratories, the Goodman Institute, and L'Institut Thoth. Their front companies may even compete with some or all of them, e.g. the Silverbrook Corporation. Champions Universe describes the three mentioned, although Angelstone gets a more thorough write-up in Cops, Crews, And Cabals.

[Stanley Teriaca]

Thank heaven I can post freely again.

 

Lesson learned. Don't respond to political thread if I want to keep on the board.

 

As for what I want. Well, what everyone else said.

 

A nice section of villains who work for ARGENT. Unlike other orgs, they hire there superpowered help. But of course there hierlings tend to be smarter and more scientifically inclined then normal, or more business inclined.

 

Defently Beamline should be one.

 

My own Professor Scorpious would also work (a Doctor Octopus proxy which I described but not written up. A mecha mad scientist who lost his legs in an accident and replaced it with a mechanical device resembling a scorpion body. Handy for climbing and the welder 'arm' resembles a scorpion's tail.)

 

Of course the idea of there "Salesman" agents seems cool. A real 'sunglasses at night' type, with a bottomless suitcase, image inducing watch, protective clothing and a big enough VPP to give a good product demonstration. ("This here is the ARGENT Force Bubble Entrapment Projector. Perfect for when you absolutely want to capture and not kill your target.")

 

Maybe a group of hi-tech ninja hierlings would work well. Why develop stealth or ki powers when you can have a stealth suit give you invisability, a silence field to muffle noises you make, etc.

Edited July 20 by Stanley Teriaca

[Stanley Teriaca]

About my Argent Salesman idea.

 

There are multiple salesman agents, but they tend to be solo agents. Superheroes rarely find more then one.

 

Standard equipment.

 

Sunglasses. Flash Defense (sight). Various enhanced preception abilities salesmen can find useful.

 

Suit. "Argent Resistance Buisness Suit." Resistance Protection. Cosmetic Transformation (to change color if needed). Probably also backed by a Force Field generator, probably hidden in a belt buckle.

 

Wrist Watch. It projects Images for items and services he CANT just yank out of his briefcase. Either it can't fit through the portal or that it is not a physical product but instead a service. Like really smart maids slash scientists to help keep your lab clean and organised (and also helps to spy on the person hired for Argent).

 

The Briefcase. It is an excuse for his Variable Power Pool. It has Extra-Dimentinal Spaces. It should have Item Creation (as it could pull out normal objects also. You need a kitchen sink? He can pull out a kitchen sink.) Also...he can step into the Briefcase to excape, and only HE can use it. It only goes to the Argent warehouse.

 

Anything else. Anything else will be provided by the VVP.

 

His (or Her. Agent doesn't discriminate based on gender and race. Only smarts.) only job is to sell the various equipment and services to the less than legal customers. They don't rob banks. They don't commit crimes themselves. They might accompany a group of villains to sell them what they need for a job when they need it.

[Ninja-Bear]

Would Argent sell experimental equipment to unsuspecting Heroes too? For my write up of Kronos, I had agents that had recording equipment just so they could gather information on Heroes or Villains that they fought.

[Stanley Teriaca]

1 minute ago, Ninja-Bear said:

Would Argent sell experimental equipment to unsuspecting Heroes too? For my write up of Kronos, I had agents that had recording equipment just so they could gather information on Heroes or Villains that they fought.

Heck yes. If you got the cash, they got the product for you with both functions they will tell you about and functions they will not tell you about.

 

An excuse for Hunted by Argent (watching) on a high watch roll. Your using items they create and it tracks you.

Humm...you think Argent could be the Speedwagon Foundation of the superhero world?

[Christopher R Taylor]

The only supervillain group with their own theme song

 

 

[Lord Liaden]

3 hours ago, Ninja-Bear said:

Would Argent sell experimental equipment to unsuspecting Heroes too? For my write up of Kronos, I had agents that had recording equipment just so they could gather information on Heroes or Villains that they fought.

 

ARGENT, through its secret subsidiary Larisagrad (at the time), sold wrist communicators to the members of the mercenary team Red Winter, which included hidden trackers so ARGENT would always know where they were. So there's certainly precedent for what you postulate.

 

But if ARGENT would do this, I believe they'd be very cautious and selective in the heroes they target, what they would give them and the method of delivery. Too much assistance to people who would oppose ARGENT can turn around and bite them, and in fact has in the past. Any front organization which gains a reputation for treachery will lose its effectiveness, and might draw investigation which could compromise other ARGENT operations.

 

Which doesn't mean any of the above negative consequences couldn't occur if a GM wants them to.   Just that they should be exceptional -- ARGENT hasn't lasted this long, and gotten this big, by being chronically careless.

 

The "experimental" part would also be key IMO. ARGENT might let heroes "test run" stuff that they haven't ironed all the kinks out of yet, to review its performance in the field without risking their own personnel. Malfunctions could make for interesting scenarios in themselves, particularly if the effect of the malfunction was radical.

Edited July 20 by Lord Liaden

[tiger]

I've already been in contact with Lord Laiden and am using his history of Argent as research material. Then you add in input from Jason Waters and my own demented mind and the outcome should be interesting. For the record, as of right now, this isn't going to be a Tiger Paw Press supplement.

[Ninja-Bear]

@Lord Liaden naturally the heroes are exceptional, no? 😄. Being that Argent is careful, I could see perhaps they do have a false corporation that does indeed help the Heroes.

[Lord Liaden]

I believe it's at least as likely that they have plants in other scientific organizations that legitimately help the good guys, including Thoth, Angelstone, and Goodman.

 

Any front company the heroes turn to would likely resemble Silverbrook in having done enough legitimate quality work to build up a sterling reputation, while keeping its questionable activities under the radar.

[Stanley Teriaca]

@tiger, will there be someone with an actual big brain? Or will that be too much on point? (If Argent is to AIM, what is to MODOK?)

[tiger]

A big floating brain😆

[Stanley Teriaca]

29 minutes ago, tiger said:

A big floating brain😆

With tiny, tiny limbs.

[Stanley Teriaca]

There is also the reverse, tiny, tiny brain and huge, huge limbs.

[tiger]

32 minutes ago, Stanley Teriaca said:

There is also the reverse, tiny, tiny brain and huge, huge limbs.

Lol

[Lord Liaden]

Heck, the CU already has a floating brain. And God knows I wouldn't want anything hearkening back to MODOK. Especially after what Quantumania did to him. 🤢

 

For my part, I don't want some supervillain leading ARGENT. Corporate sharks with greed in their hearts are evil enough. OTOH takeover attempts by uncontrolled "experiments" could liven up ARGENT's history. Mutated genius, rogue AI, mind controller, that sort of thing.

 

Philosophically, I see ARGENT as kind of an opposite number to the Circle of the Scarlet Moon. Both groups seek to accumulate wealth and power, but while the Circle bases their efforts around magic, ARGENT is invested in science. The Circle draws inspiration from the past, while ARGENT wants to shape the future.

[Stanley Teriaca]

Well, the MODOK thing is a joke, considering in theory Argent is AIM if you look at it sideways while shutting both eyes and forgetting that Champions 6ed is starting to do more DC proxies then Marvel.

 

But the small brain big arms and legs thing can work as androids which are designed to obey the boards every command and are used more for heavy lifting. Call them MODFL (Mechanical Orginzation Designed For Lifting). Ok...not that. There is a better name for them.

 

And Beamline would abuse the back out of them. They are pea brained bricks after all.

[Lord Liaden]

Didn't Tiger say that Beamline is owned by Heroic Publishing?

[Stanley Teriaca]

1 hour ago, Lord Liaden said:

Didn't Tiger say that Beamline is owned by Heroic Publishing?

He might of. Which simply means he has to scrape the serial numbers off to create a new science based energy projector.

 

And doing a deeper think, Argent is actually Roxxon Oil and Hammer Incorporated from Marvel. Mostly because they are evil businesses, as also Stane International also.

 

Ok. AIM also...but two businesses outweigh one science. 

[Lord Liaden]

One thing that became clear to me in my research, and which I tried to convey when I presented my summary, is that ARGENT is ARGENT, not some other group from the comics under a different name. Yes, it bears certain similarities to other organizations, but it's also very much its own thing. What it does, how it works, is in many ways unique among superhero precedents. If I were to give Tiger any advice -- which I don't think he needs -- it would be to underscore all the things that make ARGENT distinct from AIM or Roxxon or Lexcorp or the HIVE.

 

 

Edited July 21 by Lord Liaden

[Stanley Teriaca]

Hive? In the comic books were they a cult led by Brother Blood?

[Steve]

Actually, I could see value in providing GM advice on how to use ARGENT in different ways as an “evil corporation” template, such as how to tweak it to be more like Roxxon or Lexcorp.

AIM or HIVE would seem to be more like modified versions of VIPER or maybe DEMON.