Trebuchet Posted March 28, 2003 Report Share Posted March 28, 2003 I'd like to see if we can come up with some alternate terms for superhumans. I use "paranormals" in my campaign, and I've seen "metahuman" and I think "novas" mentioned as well. But none of these really float my boat except "novas", which I think is sort of campaign specific. Anyone else have any other terms? Perhaps in foreign languages? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Seeman Posted March 28, 2003 Report Share Posted March 28, 2003 Dunno if I heard this in a movie, a comic or what but I have heard the term "Homo Superior" used before. I've also heard the term "Evolutians" or "Evolutes" for short. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 Metahumans Metas Supers Paranormals Paranorms Mutants Mutates P.I.s (Powered Individuals)*S* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 In Wild Cards: Ace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Toki Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 in my current campaign I call them elites though an alternate world, calls them simply metahumans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Hiemforth Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 How about PEAs? (People of Extraordinary Ability) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Shecky Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 Originally posted by Ben Seeman Dunno if I heard this in a movie, a comic or what but I have heard the term "Homo Superior" used before. That "Homo Superior" thing started in the X-Men comic. In "Powers" they are called Powers. In "Rising Stars" they're called Specials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEmerged Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 "Nova" is the term used in the Aberrant setting, by White Wolf. I've adopted it, along with some other terminology (especially "eruption" for the process by which a normal person becomes a nova), for my own NeoChampion Universe. In the Emergence Universe, I used the term "emergeds" for superhumans -- but that tends to drive Word nuts One other term for superhumans I'm aware of is "delta", used in the Brave New World setting by AEG. That setting also uses the term "alpha" to describe a delta that's even more of a delta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 The "Ultraverse" comics line (can't remember the publishing company, but Prime was their flagship character) used the term Ultra. Of course, the official Champions Universe cites a popular slang term for superbeings, at least the more colorful ones: "capes". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent Escafarc Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 Originally posted by Lord Liaden The "Ultraverse" comics line (can't remember the publishing company, but Prime was their flagship character) used the term Ultra. That was Malibu Comics bought out by Marvel then killed due to lack of imagination and poor buisness sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormraven Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 In one of my campaigns, I use Parahumans. Para as a prefix can mean beyond or a modification of, so it seemed to fit. However, in that same campaign, the media still tends to use Metahuman, even to the creation of the magazine MaxiMeta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 Names for Supers One of the best ones I've heard is 'augments', as it covers a wide variety of possibilities (Batman's not a 'super', but he's definitely 'augmented' because of the gadgets and training, for instance). Capes or Tights is a good slang term for 'em, IMHO, especially if those who don't like them preface it with 'Rats In'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Steve Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 From Marshall Law there was "Capers" and on a lighter note, Supermegatopia uses "Rats with Capes":) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 SMT Of course, given Supermegatopia's unique population structure, it wouldn't necessarily be that unusual to actually find a Rat in a Cape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusader108 Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 In the comics, I've seen several different terms: Spikes (as in power-level spikes) Tweaks (low power supers) Capes Masks Roofcrawlers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattingly Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 However, in that same campaign, the media still tends to use Metahuman, even to the creation of the magazine MaxiMeta And if they ever come out with a pocket-sized digest edition, they could call it MiniMaxiMeta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattingly Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 they could call it MiniMaxiMeta with wings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brutal Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 Originally posted by Ben Seeman Dunno if I heard this in a movie, a comic or what but I have heard the term "Homo Superior" used before. I've also heard the term "Evolutians" or "Evolutes" for short. Hahaha...Homo Superior. That is gonna be popular among gay people badguy: omfg that was a bad punch! goodguy: here's another one for you *smack* badguy: *cusses* homo goodguy: thats homo superior for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mad GM Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 I've always classed them as either Powered, Trained, Mystic, Gadget or Weird, though the lines blur. In general, I just call 'em PC's (for Powered Crimefighters or Powered Criminals, of course). Other terms I've used: Targets Walking Property Damage Fights in Tights Hardcandy (a pejorative term started by one of my players because my villains had so many bright colors to their costumes. A 'rainbow of fruit flavors' was the term, from a then popluar candy ad. I came back with a brick named 'Jawbreaker'.) Personally I like 'tights' more than 'capes' because it's easier to say with a villainous leer. Plus I have shapely calves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidsavior Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 Other names for Superhumans One used in the Authority universe is "Post-Human". I've used "Uber-Human" in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepyDrug Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 Also from comics: Spandex Alphas, Omegas, Betas - power rating terms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted March 29, 2003 Report Share Posted March 29, 2003 Short lived comic series called the Preternaturals. or Prets' for short Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Steve Posted March 30, 2003 Report Share Posted March 30, 2003 Originally posted by mattingly And if they ever come out with a pocket-sized digest edition, they could call it MiniMaxiMeta. Dude, think Hero. MinMaxiMeta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Cadet Posted March 30, 2003 Report Share Posted March 30, 2003 A couple of years ago, I was prowling around a Morrow Project- oriented website called The SupplyBunker.net, and, in the process of checking out adventure scenarios contributed by various people to this site, came across a term that you just might get some use out of: Enhanced Human. Space Cadet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilGM Posted March 30, 2003 Report Share Posted March 30, 2003 We use Harbinger. It's has its basis in the history we created for our campaign universe. There was a famous speech by a professor of modern history at Yale who called people who had superpowers as "harbingers of humanity's fate". The press liked the term, and it stuck. Later, when the gene that caused people to have superpowers (as opposed to people with magical abilties) was discovered, the term was then more narrrowly defined to cover those people with the gene, but in practice, anyone who's not proven to be a mage (or user of magical foci) as called Harbingers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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