GURPS IST in Champions

[Mark Rand]

In the 1990s, Steve Jackson Games came out with the International Super Teams (IST) for its GURPS Supers game.

 

What do you think of using the IST universe with the Champions system?

 

With a team at UN Headquarters in New York and another in Washington, D.C., and other teams in the country, would it be reasonable for a team to be in Pittsburgh?

[Lord Liaden]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

The IST world is a very well-developed one, particularly in its study of the social consequences of the existence of superbeings. It diverges in several key areas from real-world history, and even that of mainstream comic universes; and its timeline needs more than a decade worth of updating. These aren't insurmountable obstacles, though. I myself have mainly used it as a source for cool names for international supers - it has quite a few from many nationalities.

 

If you want to use characters from the International Super Teams, that would of course require conversion. If you want help with that I'd suggest the HERO/GURPS Supers conversion notes on Michael Surbrook's excellent website:

http://www.devermore.net/surbrook/herosource/gurpshero.html

 

You might also want to take a look at some GURPS Supers conversion writeups that Mr. Surbrook recently posted on the boards here, including two IST members, Argurous Astraph and Midnight Angel:

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14755

[Redmenace]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

I apologize for not having the URL but the author used to have a website of the original IST world that greatly detailed the 80s and 90s. You might search on Google.

 

If you want to use it in the Champs Universe I'd reccomend combining it with Until.

 

As to why they'd have a resident team in Pittsburgh, they probobly wouldn't unless there some grandiose phenomena locally. In past you've suggested a Stargate or a Hellmouth. They'd work fine.

[Just A Guy Name]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

I'm glad you asked that question (well, it was implied at least ) IST World is the creation of Bob Schroeck, the author of the GURPS:IST sourcebook. He has some other interesting bits on his site, and you might want to check out his fanfic "Drunkards Walk", about a dimension-hopping hero from a world very much like IST Earth.

[Mark Rand]

Good ideas from Redmenace and Just A Guy Name. Thank you.

 

We can locate Stargate Command in the Laurel Highlands, which are the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, a part of the Appalachian Mountains. It was secret until an alien invasion caused the President to reveal that it existed. We can even decide that Samantha Carter is still Jolinar's host. Would the UN call Teal'c or Somantha/Jolinar supers?

 

The Hellmouth can be in southern Allegheny County. The Initiative let the IST know about the Hellmouth, Slayer, vampires and related stuff. I don't think Pittsburgh's Slayer(s) would be part of the IST, but they's work with it.

 

I visited the IST World website and got good ideas from it.

[Mark Rand]

The existance of Stargate Command was revealed to the world by the President during the height of Anubis's attack on Earth (at the end of season seven).

 

The President is Henry Hayes. The Vice President is Gloria Valdez (former Vice President Robert Kinsey is in jail). The Chief Justice of the United States is Evelyn Baker Long. Dr. Elizabeth Weir is now the head of Stargate Command. Former SGC commander Major General George Hammond now commands the Prometheus, an X-303 spaceship, the world's only space battleship and its X-302 starfighters.

[Guest Major Tom]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

I've noticed from your previous threads that you like to incorporate some of

the stranger themes from TV shows into your campaign, particulary those of

recent vintage. What I was wondering, though, was if you've ever included

ideas from older TV series in your campaign world; say, for instance, Project

Tick Tock from Irwin Allen's The Time Tunnel?

 

Major Tom

[Southern Cross]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

So when can we see a Fifth Edition character sheet for Douglas Q. Sangnoir?

(And no,I won't tell you what the Q. is short for - go and read Chapter 15 of Drunkard's Walk II to find out.And if you haven't read it before,start with Chapter One.like I had to).

 

A

[Just A Guy Name]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

Or any edition, for that matter I suppose I could give it a try..but you know, I generally don't like converting to Hero, it's so complicated

[Mark Rand]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

I've noticed from your previous threads that you like to incorporate some of

the stranger themes from TV shows into your campaign, particulary those of

recent vintage. What I was wondering, though, was if you've ever included

ideas from older TV series in your campaign world; say, for instance, Project

Tick Tock from Irwin Allen's The Time Tunnel?

 

Major Tom

I remember the series. The idea was wonderful, but the stories weren't that great. Of course, it still could be under the desert somewhere, either abondoned or still in operation.

 

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was anotherseries from back then. The Nelson Institute of Marine Research could exist in California and there could be a new Seaview.

 

We might even meet the Battlestar Galactica on day (the original, not the miniseries, of course).

[Redmenace]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

If they met the Galactica it would be even more interesting to meet the fleet of basestars that aren't too far behind them.

[Mark Rand]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

If they met the Galactica it would be even more interesting to meet the fleet of basestars that aren't too far behind them.

Agreed. No doubt, we'd have one heck of a battle.

[Guest Major Tom]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

If they met the Galactica it would be even more interesting to meet the fleet of basestars that aren't too far behind them.

 

I remember seeing something along those lines in one of the earlier Champions

rulebooks (which version it was escapes me at the moment), where one of the

writers mentioned in the section on running campaigns how his campaign ended

with the PC team defending Earth against a dozen Base Stars ( Crikey!).

 

I don't know about you, but I think facing just one of those monsters would

be more than enough of a challenge for a hero team...

 

Major Tom

[Redmenace]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

Thats for sure, though it would make an interesting transition for a normal modern day campaign to a Galactic hero one.

 

I don't remember which Champs book it was from but It was Aaron Allston who ran it.

[Guest Major Tom]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

Now that I've had some time to prowl the old memory banks, I believe it was

in Champions II (the one with the wraparound cover showing Jimmy Dugan

walking in on the Champions -- or was it the Guardians? -- during a Danger

Room session).

 

Major Tom

[Mark Rand]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

Sorry I couldn't join the discussion this past weekend. My home computer is being repaired and I can only get on the web at work.

 

The UN Security Council has always had both covert and overt resources. Until 9/11, they were separate. After 9/11, however, they began assigning an intelligence analyst and a field agent to each IST embassy.

 

Through some quirk of fate, portals to realities where Earth's population has died off have appeared in some embassies. Usually there are two, with one being a garden or garderns and the other having additional living quarters, a pool, and, occasionally, a chapel or church. If there is only one, the garden or gardens are there, too.

 

In our world, nurse's uniforms and caps have gone out of style. Not so in the IST world. Nurses still wear uniforms (not always white) and caps (also not always white).

 

In our world, gloves have, except for cold weather or the most formal occasions, gone out of style. Not so in the IST world. Although they were out of style during most of the 1970s, dressy gloves came back into style in 1979 and by 1985, they were being worn with casual clothes, too.

 

Also in 1979 Wheel of Fortune hostess and stuntwoman Susan Stafford started wearing them after hurting her left arm in a movie stunt. (Due to letters from fans saying that they loved the look, Susan, who is still on the show and still looks young, continues wearing them.) Salome, a 17-year old belly dancer, who performs with the Pittsburgh Opera when they do Salome, wears long gloves as part of her regular belly dance costume.

[Redmenace]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

How are you planning on dealing with a UN team on US soil? I'd think the government would be pretty leary of that and demand to have superhuman americans, of their choosing, on the team or some kind of minders.

[Mark Rand]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

When the IST was founded, a treaty was prepaired that prohibited military or national police supers and permitted the establishment of IST teams in the country that signed it.

 

After seeing thatCongress might not like it, President Jimmy Carter, if I remember correctly, signed it as an executive order. (I'll check my GURPS Supers book and check on this. If I'm wrong, I'll correct it.)

 

The United States government reacted by creating the Department of Metahuman Information, which sanctions superheroes and superhero teams in the United States.

[Mark Rand]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

As promised,I checked my GURPS Supers book and checked my last report.

 

In 1982, the UN forbad all national military superteams, on the grounds that they were a "destabilizing" influence. They still permitted them to employ metahuman bodyguards and law enforcement personal. They then revealed the IST to the world. Most nations capitulated. They also voted to ban strategic nuclear weapons.

 

In response, the United States government eventually formed the DMI, The Division of Metahuman Information.

 

In Europe, the governments aid superheroes as much as the UN regulations will permit. The United Kingdom's only team that operates throughout the country is the Knights of Pendragon, a group of three warriors that were infused with superhumasn powers by the Green Knight. All have heightened abilities, powers and senses. They have high-tech mystical armor that they can summon with just a thought and speeder bikes that can jump through ley space to where they need to be. The team consists of Francesca Laxley Grace, Kate McClellan and Joey Chapman. Joey's lover, Lady Jacqueline Flasworth-Crichton, often is with them.

 

When she's on a mission, Francesca Lexley Grace, who likes to be called Grace, is always in full armor. Kate wears street clothes (she has recently started wearing black leather jumpsuits, motorcycle boots and gloves as street clothes) or golden scale mail with a black tabard and hooded cloak and brown leather boots, gloves and sword belt. Joey wears armor like Grace's or the Union Jack costume he wore before becoming empowered. Jacqueline, who was the World War II superheroine Spitfire and has been rejuvinated(sp), wears her old costume without its mask.

[Mark Rand]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

I have more information to give you.

 

Redmenace suggested a Hellmouth in the area and I agreed with it. We are, I assume talking about BtVS Hellmouths, post season seven. Slayer Central is the 20 square mile manor in Westburry, England the Watcher's Council once owned. There's a helipad in front of the house, a small, stream-fed lake with small boats on the property, a wearhouse, two libraries and a gymnasium that they had constructed. They also own other wearhouses and libraries, transport companies, several ships, a fleet of cars, five helicopters, pieces of land all over the world, several shops and a zoo. In the wearhouse itself, when first examined by Buffy and company, were books, various weapons, excavations, religious items and magical weapons and artifacts.

 

The Slayers, the IST and the Knights get along well. Since the Red Lord, a demon, and his thugs, the Banes, are foes of the Pendragons, the groups sometimes gather together and hunt demons and such.

Kate, Astra TV's fearless and beloved reporter, bought her leathers before doing a five-part story on England's motorcycle culture. Since she liked how it felt, she decided to wear it regulary.

 

When discussing Kate's armor, I forgot to mention her shield and the coat of arms on her shield and tabard. It is diamond-shaped with a blue field with three gold crowns placed up and down on the upper right and lower left. On the upper left and lower right is a right-facing lion on a black background.

 

Hopefully, someone who knows about coats of arms will look this discription over and make sure I have Queen Guinevere's arms, after she married Arthur, right. Kate once said, "I am Kate McClellan, Knight of the Pendragon and current wielder of the Pendragon power once wielded by Queen Guinevere."

 

Although the campaign's going to be set in Pittsburgh, I think the more background information on the world we have, the more real it seams.

[Mark Rand]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

More game world background to chew on.

 

The Greek legends of Amazons were true. During Roman times, 200 Amazons, possibly from the tribe Xena's friend, Gabrielle, was queen of, held a key pass against 2 Romam legions while their sisters fled into the countryside. The 200 Amazons died, as did half the Romans.

 

Among the legendary Amzon queens are Gabrielle, Rowanne (also spelled Rowenne), Nicole, Vera Adelina Velasquez Hidalgo, Margo Lane and Nancy Sterngood. Gabrielle rode with Xena. Rowanne, a master archer, was one of King Arthur's soldiers before becoming a Knight of the Round Table. Nicole rode with Joan of Arc. Vera, who lived in Santa Helena, in Spanish California, in the early 19th century, was a secret ally of the Queen of Swords, who, depending on your point of view, was either a bandet or a vigilante. Margo, a scientist's daughter and socialite, was part of a group that secretly fought crome in the 1930s and 1940s. Nancy, the current queen, is a ceramicist based in Perfection, Nevada, the home of the great white graboid known as El Blanco.

 

Amazons are women skilled in armed and unarmed combat, Greek language and culture and who worship Artemis and call out her name in battle. Many work in intelligence and law enforcement agencies throughout the free world, including the IST. However the FBI, which Amazone call the 'Federal Bureau of Incompetence', isn't one of them.

[Mark Rand]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

The IST recently opened their embassy in the southern part of the Sinai, near the Sinai range. The closest mountain is known as, among other things, Mount Saint Catherine, after the Russian Orthodox monastery, which also has a mosque, at its base. It isn't the only religious structure there. The Chapel of the Holy Trinity is at its peak.

 

The mountain is considered holy ground by many people. Why? Simple. For centuries, people have believed it to be the Biblical Mount Sinai.

 

The monastery's spiritual heart is the Chapel of the Burning Bush, which sits atop the roots of the Biblical bush "that burned with fire, and was not consumed" (Exodus, 3, 2). A few feet away from the chapel is the reputed bush itself, a rare species of the rose family called Rubus Sanctus, which is endemic to Sinai and extremely long-lived.

 

The underground spring that supplies the monastery with water is said to sit on the very spot where Moses met his future wife, Zipporah, after protecting her and her sisters from an aggressive group of local sheperds (Exodus, 2, 16-21). According to the monks, the well never dries up and is the monastery's main source of water.

 

The information about the mountain and monastery has been taken from several web pages about them.

[Mark Rand]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

Europeans love their metahumans. Even villains are loved, if they show style. Some, like le Chat Noir, are cult figures for their flamboyance and refusal to cause serious harm to persons or property. In my campaign, le Chat Noir is a polite, soft-spoken female cat burglar whose silencer-equipped pistol is always loaded with knockout darts.

 

Recently, after he insulted her costume in his regular column in Metahuman Monthly, she threatened to send a hairball to The Suave Marauder, the magazine's regular fashion columnist.

 

Three years ago, the IST started using a long-sleeve Khaki jumpsuit as the uniform for its maintance workers. It has since become the regular uniform for IST technical workers of all kinds.

 

Many ISTs have staff photographers. In addition to doing work for the publicity department, they assist the medical and dental people with medical photography and film processing.

 

Next up, well visit the Pittsburgh area.

[Mark Rand]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

The Pittsburgh area has two horse tracks, the Meadows, in Washington County, a 5/8 mile harness track and Beaver County Downs, in Beaver County, a thoroughbred track with a 7/8 mile grass track inside the one mile dirt track. Both have slot machines.

 

There are four major car tracks in the area, BeaveRun, in Beaver County, Washington County Raceway, in Washington County, Pittsburgh Motor Speedway in Moon Township and the Pittsburgh Vintage Car Grand Prix course. Washington County Raceway has a 2.99 mile road course, a dragstrip, a 1/2 mile paved oval and a go-kart track. Pittsburgh Motor Speedway is a one mile oval with an internal 1.51-mile road course. The Pittsburgh Vintage Car Grand Prix course is a 2.33-mile temporary street circuit in Schenley Park.

 

Bars and nightclubs abound. Belly Dance fans gather at The Falcon's Rest, a nightclub, on Ninth Street in Downtown and Zorba's, a Greek bar, on Forbes Avenue in Oakland. People wanting to watch Salome go to Zorba's. That's where she, her mother, Nura, and their teacher, Safura dance. People who like jazz have many options. Danny's, on Bouquet Street in Oakland is a popular place. The Jazz Angels play there Thursday through Sunday. The goth crowd goes to the Sucubus Club in the Strip District. Magic fans go to the Cabaret of Magic, a Strip District supper club.

 

The Pittsburgh Ice Arena, in the Strip District has two rinks, one for ice skating and one for hockey. The Penguins, despite their desire for a new arena, won't play there, but the owners don't care. There are, at least, 20 hockey games there each week.

 

If you like the stars, the new Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science is the place to be. It's on Fifth Avenue in Oakland and has a five story garage that's open to the public under it. The refurbished Zeiss projector, nicknamed Jake, is still there and it's in use every day.

 

IST Pittsburgh in at Fifth Avenue and Wood Streets, where the Lazarus was.

 

Next time, we'll tour the embassy.

[Mark Rand]

Re: GURPS IST in Champions

 

No, I haven't forgotten this thread. I've just been busy with other stuff, and other threads.