Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

[Hermit]

Feeling a bit downed lately, I thought I'd perk myself up with a new campaign (If my players refuse to GM, they'll have to put up with my love of novelty for no reason). We decided to try something we'd not done before. After bouncing a few ideas off them... we all settled on a "Your characters have been friends for years, and will have a common origin."

As this was meant to be sort of in the vein of the FF, I ripped them off shamelessly where needed.

 

 

Three friends go to pick up their workaholic member at a science lab, where an NPC Scientist seeks to blend Radium and Kelvarite in an effort to form a new compound that will make fosil fuels obsolete cheaply. Her aide (said workaholic PC) warns her that she might not have taken the full strength of the reaction into affect, and that maybe it's too soon.

 

Naturally, she gets ignored and told to mind her place.

When the friends come to visit... there's a big boom, with NPC scientist in the center of it.

 

The others are on the fringe, and ... after a brief bout where "Nothing seems wrong with you" in the hospital, they begin to discover their powers.

 

They go on their planned vacation, and practce so they don't hurt themselves or others... unsure if they want to be a heroes or not.

 

When they return, a villainess called Cataclysm (Yup, the lady scientist in a Doom homage) has kidnapped an NPC hero team, and is threatening to release radium through out the city unless it makes up for the damage done to her.

The first adventure had the PC team break in, free the big name heroes, and stop her. She escaped, swearing horrid revenge on them (and later it would be revealed she knew who they were... but pscyhoticly possessive, she plans to tell no one else).

In the mean time, the Press has dubbed the Quartet "The Fabulous Four" akin to the CU's now defunct Fabulous Five (Themselves a FF homage)..and yes, there are some Beetle jokes They are instant celebrities and I'm throwing this sudden fame and power at them to see how they're characters will react.

 

 

Now I have to wonder where to go from here...

 

It's a small group, so small that I feel no shame in having an NPC among them.

The roster is :

Brainwave: Scientist of the group. Well, she's currently more of a scientist asst and working on getting a few doctorates under her belt. She's getting a hang on her mental powers, and tackles being a hero like she tackles anything else... with drive. Brainwave and Firepower have become an 'item' already. Her parents are in another part of the state, and continually sing the praises of her older brother.

 

Dervish: The Speedster of the group, Dervish is a computer programmer par excellance and so far plays his overconfidence disad to the hilt. Dervish loves to use his powers, and seems to be having the most fun with them. Dervish Less background on his family, but that's easily rectified.

 

Impact: The Brick, Impact is on the Bomb Squad for the police in her city, and from a large proud family of Italian Americans who have a history of being cops (at least the guys in it do). Impact's backstory includes the loss of an olderbrother when she, as a rookie (and before she was in the Bomb Squad) made a mistake that may or may not be responsible for his death indirectly. Her character is enjoying the 'new her' (They all gained some com points from their old appearances and are finding excuses to cover) and in costume is quite the flirt.

 

Firepower: Since I only had three players for this one, I decided to give them the Energy Projector for help. David is similar to Defender (wealthy, old family, etc) ,except where Defender was a dedicated young man who pretended to be more responsible than he is, David really is ... or was, frivolous. Lacking direction, he was a dabbler and a diletante. Now that he has powers, he's trying to get something in his life right for once that money alone can't solve. Fortunately for him, Brainwave seems determined to kick him in the rump and motivate him.

 

They have some common NPCs in their background (Besides Cataclysm). Impact and Brainwave were both played by the same guy in their backstory and met thanks to Dervish letting them know about it via a faked email. Firepower has a history of golddiggers that pursued him.

 

Cataclysm herself is meant to be the archnemsis of the group. She is NOT more beautiful, nor does she seem super powered (But her INT may have been incredibly increased in all non creative areas). She blames the Fab4 (especially Brainwave who was clearly 'envious') for deliberately sabotoging her experiment. She now realizes she is not a match for them alone.

 

I'm looking for ideas of where to go from here, be it plot seeds or whatever. I want them to have a fun time with this one. Any suggestions would be welcome.

[lemming]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

That's a great FF homage. I'll have to think some for ideas. I seem to be a bit dry myself.

[death tribble]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

Radical Arabs see the Dervish as an insult to the whirling Dervishes of Africa (specifically Khartoum in the Sudan) and seek to get him at best to change the name and at worst kill him for the blasphemy of using the title of a holy man who spins into a trance.

 

The Mob. Brainwave seems like someone with a brain, good then she can work for us plotting a crime wave. Or else....

 

The old standby. Someone in Firepower's family or a servant is kidnapped and a ransom is received. The person or persons unknown specify that no paranormals or police should be involved. Can the heroes crack the case without using their powers.

 

Bigger, Better, Faster. Cataclysm tries to recreate the experiment to create evil versions of the heroes or to reverse the effects. Unfortunately things don't seem to go to plan.

 

Fire in the hole. Firepower disappears. Then a mine (current or disused/abandoned) suddenly springs to life with a fountain of fire. Is someone misusing Firepower's powers ?

 

Sudden Impact. For no reason people try to ram Impact with vehicles and attack him with fury. But only him. Que pasa ?

 

These are offhand ones. If I come up with anything else, I'll post it.

[Hermit]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

Thanks Death Tribble!

These are some great ideas. Would have never thought of the Dervish one pricking a nerve or two. Oh, Impact is a girl Sorry about the missunderstanding.

 

 

 

Bigger, Better, Faster. Cataclysm tries to recreate the experiment to create evil versions of the heroes or to reverse the effects. Unfortunately things don't seem to go to plan.

 

 

This one I was thinking of doing actually (great minds think alike) I was wondering if it would be better to use NPCs the PCs know or knew, or just make them strangers off the street.

 

Brainwave has theorized that Cataclysm does not deal well with surprise, that the villainess' genius is enhanced in all other areas, but her creativity now seems stunted; Unknowns seem to confuse her.(Think the "Mad Thinker" in Marvel).

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

This one I was thinking of doing actually (great minds think alike) I was wondering if it would be better to use NPCs the PCs know or knew, or just make them strangers off the street.

 

Who's to say that Cataclysm and the PC's were the only ones affected by the original accident? Perhaps others working nearby got affected as well. Plus, perhaps the residual energies affected some of the rescue workers. And humans aren't the only ones who could be changed. Labs sometimes have test animals around, and there's always some nearby rats or bugs that could get changed too...

 

Maybe later on the PC's can discover that the original experiment wasn't as flawed as they thought...that someone DID sabotage it. Big corporation with interest in the status quo? Aliens? (perhaps it was the mix of an alien beam with kelvarite and radium that caused not only the explosion, but the super side-effects as well...)

 

other ideas...

 

Impact discovers that a cop relative of hers has been on the take for years. He's due to retire soon, so won't be "in position" to do so in the future. Will she turn him in, send him to jail and make him the disgrace of the family? Or will she allow his past misdeeds to go unpunished in the name of family harmony?

 

Powers going out of control. Brainwave reading everyone's thoughts to distraction, can't seperate out her own. Impact getting too strong, can't control it, does massive damage with the slightest touch. Dervish can't slow down. Firepower (assuming fire powers) can't shut off, is danger to everyone around.

[Hermit]

Thanks, SS

 

Who's to say that Cataclysm and the PC's were the only ones affected by the original accident? Perhaps others working nearby got affected as well. Plus, perhaps the residual energies affected some of the rescue workers. And humans aren't the only ones who could be changed. Labs sometimes have test animals around, and there's always some nearby rats or bugs that could get changed too...

 

Oooo... I like that one as well, especially the animals idea. I sense potiential for a rampaging giant monkey, a gag lab rat that uses it's power to purloin munchies, or an evil telepathic cat. Could be fun.

 

The other ideas you mentioned are also good.

[Kevin]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

In keeping with your homage to the FF, why not combine elements of Doom and the Red Ghost in Cataclysm?

 

Have her attempt to recreate the experiment that gave the Fab Four their powers, and her first attempt mutates the lab animals she is using.

 

You've got your super-powered animals, a connection to Cataclysm, and the jealousy hook can become invested in Brainwave and friends stole all the power that was rightfully hers, not just the "my brain is bigger than your brain" jealousy like the one between Doom and Richards.

 

Just a thought.

[winterhawk]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

How about the ole' one-enemy-with-the-powers-of-all ala Superskrull, Super Adaptoid or Amazo. Seems like a natural fit.

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

How about the ole' one-enemy-with-the-powers-of-all ala Superskrull' date=' Super Adaptoid or Amazo. Seems like a natural fit.[/quote']

 

I like these types of guys, esp Superskrull. I was already planning on bringing such a villain into my next game, and then I find out that one character is going to be an energy absorber, and another a kinetic-energy absorber. Wonder how they'll handle a guy who absorbs both?

[Hermit]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

I like both Kevin and Winterhawk's additional ideas as well. I might go with AMAZO sort of thing for the 'has all their powers' gig in the vein of 'Tabla Rasa' from the Justice League Animated Series, for those that saw that.

[Kevin]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

Tweak some other FF plot lines around, and that could be fun for your gender reversal!

 

What if the paparazzi were very enamored with this comeliness enhanced quartet? Being pursued more for magazine covers, dating advice, etc. could throw a girl like Brainwave for a loop.

 

And as if being turned into a media "Babe" wasn't bad enough, what if your frivolous male energy projector was whom the media and general public turned to, incorrectly assuming he is the team leader?

 

Having the perplexed party boy taken seriously and the brilliant scientist treated like a super model could make for some fun moments!

[Hermit]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

Tweak some other FF plot lines around, and that could be fun for your gender reversal!

 

What if the paparazzi were very enamored with this comeliness enhanced quartet? Being pursued more for magazine covers, dating advice, etc. could throw a girl like Brainwave for a loop.

 

And as if being turned into a media "Babe" wasn't bad enough, what if your frivolous male energy projector was whom the media and general public turned to, incorrectly assuming he is the team leader?

 

Having the perplexed party boy taken seriously and the brilliant scientist treated like a super model could make for some fun moments!

 

Actually, something like that is occuring with Impact. She was 'one of the guys' on the Bomb Squad, and now she's an Mediteranian knock out instead. She's enjoying it immensely. Brainwave is a bit more camera shy so far

 

Firepower attempting to be leader could be amusing, but my fear there is that the players might let him, and having the GM as leader is probably too much influence over player actions.

 

And yes, the whole team is going towards celebrity status.

[Kevin]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

Firepower attempting to be leader could be amusing, but my fear there is that the players might let him, and having the GM as leader is probably too much influence over player actions.

 

True, true.

 

But what if Firepower didn't act like the leader, but the media covered things that way?

 

Or he started to clumsily take on that role, but was really, really bad and Brainwave had to actually lead if they weren't all going to be annihilated pretty quickly.

 

Could be fun to play with, or not, as things go in your game.

[Hermit]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

 

But what if Firepower didn't act like the leader, but the media covered things that way?

 

That's a winner. And yeah, the team will have to put up with a lot of "Is Brainwave dating Defender?" (The player doesn't see why Witchcraft and Sapphire have the attraction) in the media

[Hermit]

Update

 

In keeping with the FF feel, last night I ran a short session where they encountered and defeated "The Underking", my Mole Man rip off

 

I didn't expect him to be captured so quickly, but that's nothing a master of giant worms and beetles can't escape with help.

 

EDIT: Oh, and I started up the idea of Firepower being mislabeled as the leader. That was fun.

 

FIREPOWER: "We've got trouble."*Showing the paper*

BRAINWAVE: "What trouble?"

FIREPOWER: "What trouble? They think I'm the leader of this team..."

IMPACT: "So? Let them think what they want, we'll do it democratically anyways."

FIREPOWER: "Yeah, but what if the rest of you screw up? I'll get blamed for it."

 

[assault]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

There are lots of decent FF riffs to borrow from.

 

I'm not sure how you would approach it, but a Namor equivalent might be fun. And a Hulk equivalent too, of course.

 

And definitely a Super-Skrull. Every campaign needs a Green Shapeshifting Alien.

[Kevin]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

Why start small with an FF homage?

 

A Galactus clone ought to make any FF inspired group quiver with fear/anticipation.

 

Especially if you start with a Herald clone first.

 

"I am the Golden Glider...Herald of Galaxia. Prepare your world for her arrival."

 

And the players wet themselves...

[Blue]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

Things I've always enjoyed about the FF

by Blue

• The Mole Man
• Galactus and his many heralds
• Ben Grimm's revolving door of girlfriends (Including Thundra, Tigress, Alicia Masters)
• The Negative Zone and Annihilus
• The U-Foes (the FF wannabe villains)
• The Puppetmaster
• Doc Doom
• The Sub Mariner and a potential war with Atlantis

 

I'm partial to the Moleman, myself. In fact, I repurchased the Invaders from Below adventure recently and updated all the participants to 5e (and removed all the "Likes to Kill" disadvantages... sheesh!). And right now I'm putting all of the 4e Atlantis sourcebook folk into herodesigner and tweaking them to my campaign.

 

As you can see I'm in an FF mood myself.

[Hermit]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

Reading too many Nightwing Trade paper backs lately, I've ended up with the Fabulous Four also dealing with some DC like villains.

 

The Bogey Man as a Scarecrow rip off for one.

That was fun.

 

While it deviated from the plot a bit, I'm sort of tying in old foes from a previous 4th Edition campaign (The bloodline of old foes anyways) and they get a kick out of continuity like that

 

Galactus story? The mind boggles on how I'll handle that but I like it (And the "Golden Glider" heh )

[Hermit]

Insomnia update

 

Thanks for the suggestion of the animals ala Red Ghost.

Cataclysm's lab animals were sent on a mission, which (after some RP and detective work) were thwarted by the PCs.

The Fab Four now have a super stretching Python as a pet for Brainwave (And Firepower doesn't want it in his bed, whether it likes his body heat or not) and a speedster rat hooked up to a generator to save on electricity at the base.

[Sean]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

It's been a long time since I've collected comics, but one FF adventure sticks in my mind (might've only been 1 or 2 of 'em in this scenario -- heck might've just been the Thing /shrug). They come across a town where the people are acting mighty strange. They seem to have this odd fixation about milk. Push comes to shove and I think it ends up that the town is working on taking over the rest of the country with their contaiminated milk that seems to have this odd mind controlling effect. In the end they discover that skrulls had crashed to earth and somehow assumed the form of the milk cows.

 

That or I had a really bizarre dream one night.

 

Anyway, do something like that if you like the "Invasion of the Body Snatcher" scenario.

 

The Inhumans were pretty cool too. A misguided Inhuman like Medusa coming to the outside world is another plot hook. Just read through the Champions book a lil while ago and noticed the powers in the sidebar.

[lemming]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

In the end they discover that skrulls had crashed to earth and somehow assumed the form of the milk cows.

IIRC, that's one of the Annuals written by Bryne. The Skrulls were the original Skrulls that had tried to discredit the FF and after they were defeated, they were hypnotized by Reed to be Cows.

[Hermit]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

Things I've always enjoyed about the FF

by Blue

• The Mole Man
• Galactus and his many heralds
• Ben Grimm's revolving door of girlfriends (Including Thundra, Tigress, Alicia Masters)
• The Negative Zone and Annihilus
• The U-Foes (the FF wannabe villains)
• The Puppetmaster
• Doc Doom
• The Sub Mariner and a potential war with Atlantis

 

 

Wanted to address your suggestions on this post myself, because some I've used, others I plan to.

 

The Mole Man tribute is "The Underking" who was captured, but will be making an escape soon and plotting his revenge against the surface world.

 

Galactus and his heralds I want to do, but I may have painted myself into a corner by using a similar idea in a higher point campaign.

 

There's been some romance here and there. Nothing up to Ben's love life, but then, hey, it's hard to match the ever luvin blue eyed Thing.

 

Negative Zone and Annihulus... hmmm good idea. I hadn't even considered that (And lo, I sit humbled). I'll need to make an equivilent, but nothing's coming to mind yet.

 

The U-foes (and I always liked them for some reason) will be made from Cataclysm's first attempt to empower human beings, now that she's got animals down pat. Of course, she'll have to steal some Kelvarite first.

 

Puppet master could work, but Brainwave maybe immune. Nothing wrong with giving the mentalist a chance to shine, but I don't want to leave the others out.

 

Doc Doom's homage is Cataclysm. The scientist scarred by her own hubris when Brainwave (in her secret id) warned her (BOY did I rip that one off pretty direct) Cataclysm also had her intelligence boosted, wears powered armor, but her creativitey is stiffled.

 

Atlantis I've been hesitant to use. The game is in Chicago for one thing (not so close to the ocean to say the least *S*), and for another I wanted more on the official CU 5e Atlantis before I went further.

[Hermit]

Update

 

While not often seen as an FF villain, I ran a homage of sorts to Arcade with a villain named Minos. The Fab 4 were put in the "Labyrinth" (a section of which looked like Oz) where they had to evade death traps, and try to fend off brainwashed pawns, and agents. Minos considers himself an honorable fellow (Unlike Arcade in Marvel) and released the heroes once they won through, even defying Cataclysm who hired him. Oh, he plans to "test them again" sometime.

[SuperBlue]

Re: Looking for ideas for my campaign (Danger: Long)

 

That's a winner. And yeah' date=' the team will have to put up with a lot of "Is Brainwave dating Defender?" (The player doesn't see why Witchcraft and Sapphire have the attraction) in the media [/quote']

 

Okay.. I'm not familiar with Witchcraft or Saphire... but if they are villains... maybe after seeing the "Brainwave/Defender Affair" in the papers, they come a-calling to teach her not to be a little hussie lol.

 

Or...

 

They get Mind Controlled by a villain to attack Brainwave because the Mind Control induces severe jealousy. *Shrug*