New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

[CrosshairCollie]

Traditionally, all my campaigns have started 'Avengers' style ... a bunch of random heroes with no particular theme or common origin get together ... each with their own set of Hunteds, etc. For a change of pace, I thought I'd do something more like the Fantastic Four ... with all the heroes getting their powers roughly simultaneously from the same source.

 

The idea is that this super-scientist (a normal at the time) has gone on a big 'the world is corrupt' schpiel and he feels that only he is intelligent enough to run it smoothly. He's also aware of the properties of Kelvarite and has decided that he's going to try to create a cadre of super-soldiers to serve as his lieutenants (over some well-trained and well-armed Agents).

 

So, the plan is to kidnap people essentially at random so he can study their DNA and compare it before-and-after the exposure, so he can try to determine which genetic sequences create which powers (or if that's even possible). The PCs will be the third batch, giving him two superteams under his belt that have been brainwashed ... the PCs will get free before they're brainwashed.

 

Now ... this puts more limitations on character design than I usually do. The following things spring up as being no-nos, immediately:

1. No Alien characters.

2. No magical powers.

3. No Foci to begin with, and preferably no major offensive/defensive foci purchased afterwards (lightly armored costumes, flash-defense shades, yes. Iron Man armor or guns, no).

 

Now, I'm going to make a character questionnaire up to get all the characters' backgrounds, personalities, hobbies, interests, etc etc, and have the characters as fleshed out as possible, then get input on the powers; when designing the characters, I intend to make the powers dead LAST on the sheet, shrinking them as need be to make room for the appropriate skills.

 

As a random note, I'm considering denying one player, whom I've complained about a lot here, any characters who may have Law Enforcement or Military backgrounds, because to judge them from the way he plays them, you have to have a lobotomy to pass the physical.

 

Anybody spot any significant flaws in this plan?

[jackalope]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

Anybody spot any significant flaws in this plan?

 

Nope, but here's an alternate suggestion:

 

Have each player make a Skilled Normal (75pt) or Heroic Normal (150pt), then spring the first adventure on them, and after the exposure, give them the rest of the session to spend 200-275 points on powers, with the stipulation that no power can be bought through a focus (though some powers may need object of oppurtunity focuses to work), etc.

[Metaphysician]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

Nope, but here's an alternate suggestion:

 

Have each player make a Skilled Normal (75pt) or Heroic Normal (150pt), then spring the first adventure on them, and after the exposure, give them the rest of the session to spend 200-275 points on powers, with the stipulation that no power can be bought through a focus (though some powers may need object of oppurtunity focuses to work), etc.

 

The problem with this idea being averting player suspicions. Obviously, if you don't care that they know they are going to become superheroes, fine, but I think it would work best if they *think* they are playing some other genre at first.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

The problem with this idea being averting player suspicions. Obviously' date=' if you don't care that they know they are going to become superheroes, fine, but I think it would work best if they *think* they are playing some other genre at first.[/quote']

 

I thought about that, but I figured it'd be a lot of trouble. That, and everybody knows that I don't run 'normal' games, so everybody'd be suspicious already. The other thing being, they would create 'adventure-capable' characters if they thought they were in such a game, instead of normal folks like teachers or mechanics.

[OddHat]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

I'll sometimes run a "You wake up on a slab; you have no idea who you are" scenario. You end up creating all of the characters yourself, but it gives you great control. At the end of the first few game sessions, you fill in blank psyh limits based on how the character was played, and the player can the spend bonus points on skills of their choice as they "remember" who they are.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

Nope, but here's an alternate suggestion:

 

Have each player make a Skilled Normal (75pt) or Heroic Normal (150pt), then spring the first adventure on them, and after the exposure, give them the rest of the session to spend 200-275 points on powers, with the stipulation that no power can be bought through a focus (though some powers may need object of oppurtunity focuses to work), etc.

 

Oh ... and the other problem here is that nobody else has any real interest in designing the characters (in terms of making the power constructs, etc) ... to quote one of my players, they 'acknowledge my mastery'. So the general SOP is they give me a general idea, I ask a few questions, then I slap everything together for them.

 

Probably a good thing, since I know I'd have one guy pulling the old, "Can't I just put all 350 points into an Energy Blast?"

[Maelstrom]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

I ran a game that started this way: "You have all busted out of jail. You were all in jail because you were guilty. Explain how and why." Of course, after the initial character work, the game started in media res outside the prison wall -- chase scene!

[sinanju]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

I've run several FUDGE games using an optional rule where the players design their characters during the first game session (or two). They decide on a basic one-line description of the character at the beginning, but their stats, skills and abilities aren't defined. As the game progresses, they come to points where a stat/skill roll is required--and the players must decide then whether the character has that skill (at all) and, if so, at what level. They spend the points to acquire it then and there; if they decide the character doesn't have that skill, that too is written down. They can't change their minds later.

 

You might want to give your players a pool of Stat points and a pool of skill/talent points. Then run them through an adventure with lots of different challenges. Let them decide where they want these points to go. Pretty soon, if it goes like my games, personalities and skill focuses will begin to emerge pretty quickly. (It may also keep them focused on this part of the character design and avoid them planning for their inevitable ascension to superhero status.)

 

Once they've finished nailing down all these points, THEN you spring superpowers on them.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

You might want to give your players a pool of Stat points and a pool of skill/talent points. Then run them through an adventure with lots of different challenges.

 

That's something I may consider in the future, but it really doesn't work for what I'm planning. The idea is that the PCs are completely normal civilians one day, then get nabbed by the villains and empowered ... that's where the adventures start. The first game will likely be the first day of their lives where something interesting happens to them.

[Acroyear]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

We did something similar to this in that we all had to create 50 point characters as normal folks. The general idea was that you had to know at least one other PC. (we eventually came up with this idea that we were all part of an expedition/dig. Some people were pros, some people were just college students... that sort of thing).

 

Then we added 200 points of powers to that... the +200 points was then given to the GM.

 

At opportune moments, we would manifest our powers... not all at once. Everything was essentially working as "no conscious control" the first few times until we learned to control the powers. The GM give us control of our own powers little by little, depending on how we played.

 

It was pretty fun.

[Pegasus]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

I like the general idea of the campaign. I've always wanted to play in this type of scenerio. The only problem I have is...I'm not sure I understand your character creation process. Are the players designing the characters and you'll translate into a character sheet? Or are you choosing the powers to give to them? Also, if they are really random average people, then you're going to have a lot of characters with 8-12 dex and str, unless they're specifically super powered exceptions, right?

 

...Now, I'm going to make a character questionnaire up to get all the characters' backgrounds, personalities, hobbies, interests, etc etc, and have the characters as fleshed out as possible, then get input on the powers; when designing the characters, I intend to make the powers dead LAST on the sheet, shrinking them as need be to make room for the appropriate skills.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

I like the general idea of the campaign. I've always wanted to play in this type of scenerio. The only problem I have is...I'm not sure I understand your character creation process. Are the players designing the characters and you'll translate into a character sheet? Or are you choosing the powers to give to them? Also' date=' if they are really random average people, then you're going to have a lot of characters with 8-12 dex and str, unless they're specifically super powered exceptions, right?[/quote']

 

They're going to say what kind of powers they want, and I'll translate that to the sheet. This sounds kind of control-freaky, I know, but even when I do the 'Avengers' style opening, that's what happens. "I want wind powers." "Can you make a speedster for me?" "Can I have someone with powers like InsertCharacterHere?", usually with one particular trick/stunt that they want to make sure they have. Then the disads are hammered out.

 

I'm going to boost the stats to typical superhuman levels, and blame it on the Kelvarite. I know that's not how it 'officially' works, but I'm bending it for the sake of the setup. So, yeah, you had an 11 Dex when you went in, but a 20 when you came out (or whatever).

[Metaphysician]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

Actually, I think that *is* how it works officially, sort of. Certainly, mystics have noticed that magic items seem to boost dexterity and endurance even without deliberate enchantments to do so. . .

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

Actually' date=' I think that *is* how it works officially, sort of. Certainly, mystics have noticed that magic items seem to boost dexterity and endurance even without deliberate enchantments to do so. . .[/quote']

 

Well, I'm having to monkey with it a little as I understand it, generally Kelvarite only gets you super-strength, invulnerability, and a movement power; I'm throwing it open to a full 'whatever' power enabler like the Cosmic Rays from the FFs origin, which gave every person exposed to it completely different powers.

[st barbara]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

I am a litle surprised that your players don't seem to want to create their own characters. Sure, if they aren't used to the system you might need to help them but I would have thought that they would want to do the creation themselves. Maybe you have been spoiling them and they need to get back to basics !

[Half Baked]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

I thought about that' date=' but I figured it'd be a lot of trouble. That, and everybody knows that I don't run 'normal' games, so everybody'd be suspicious already. The other thing being, they would create 'adventure-capable' characters if they thought they were in such a game, instead of normal folks like teachers or mechanics.[/quote']

 

Tell the players that the 'normal' characters are for a mood setting prequel and that something horrible will happen to them and then they will get their superpowered characters. You don't have to lie, just imply that the prequel characters will die or become mindless victims in an asylum. Tell them it is just meant to be a short, fun prequel adventure and 'adventure-capable' characters are not just unnecessary, but less fun.

 

What you are trying to do is get them to think these are the characters that discover the initial evil plot or horror from deeps in the movie, but die horribly. Maybe one survives as a gibbering wreck to tell the main characters that something bad is out there. You never know, it might fool them

[Agent X]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

The problem with this idea being averting player suspicions. Obviously' date=' if you don't care that they know they are going to become superheroes, fine, but I think it would work best if they *think* they are playing some other genre at first.[/quote'] This doesn't work for me as a player. If you sell me on a campaign and then you pull a switch to a different genre, I would walk away.

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

Well' date=' I'm having to monkey with it a little as I understand it, generally Kelvarite only gets you super-strength, invulnerability, and a movement power; I'm throwing it open to a full 'whatever' power enabler like the Cosmic Rays from the FFs origin, which gave every person exposed to it completely different powers.[/quote']

 

Obviously the mad scientist figured out a way to create "Enriched Kelvarite" or "Unstable Kelvarite" which endows a wide variety of powers. Maybe his first group was created using regular K, so has a limited set of abilities, but then he stumbled upon the secret of "EK" and has used that for later groups.

 

My main question as a player to this setup would be: "Why didn't he brainwash everyone *before* giving them superpowers?"

 

Two possible answers: 1) The failure rate is high, and usually fatal, so it's a lot of wasted effort to brainwash someone who's 85% likely to be dead soon.

 

2) A side effect of the Kelvarite transformation is also a mental realignment - throws off mental domination, etc. (and could also help explain why so many people who get powers go strongly good/strongly evil)

[Battlestaff]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

I ran a one-shot game like this idea when the GM wasn't going to be able to run one weekend. Since it was just going to be a one-off, I developed all the characters, then gave each character a history sheet for their characters, along with any disadvantages they might have before gaining super powers (though I explained them in general terms, not game terms).

 

I started the characters off by waking up on gurneys in a lab, except the one guy who woke up on a heavily reinforced gurney (due to being extremely dense). The question of where they were and the common threat required that they work together to escape the lab without a lot of the problems you might have with four total strangers hanging out. They had to rely on their own skills until they figured out what their individual powers were. And some of them never did figure out all their powers.

 

It turned out to be a lot of fun. The best was the one player who had a character sheet that said the character really enjoyed reading comics. He ran around trying every different power he could think of (he was a telepath, but didn't find out until almost half-way through the adventure).

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: New Campaign Start Idea - Critiques Wanted

 

Obviously the mad scientist figured out a way to create "Enriched Kelvarite" or "Unstable Kelvarite" which endows a wide variety of powers. Maybe his first group was created using regular K, so has a limited set of abilities, but then he stumbled upon the secret of "EK" and has used that for later groups.

 

My main question as a player to this setup would be: "Why didn't he brainwash everyone *before* giving them superpowers?"

 

Two possible answers: 1) The failure rate is high, and usually fatal, so it's a lot of wasted effort to brainwash someone who's 85% likely to be dead soon.

 

2) A side effect of the Kelvarite transformation is also a mental realignment - throws off mental domination, etc. (and could also help explain why so many people who get powers go strongly good/strongly evil)

 

Excellent point on the 'why not brainwash first' ... I hadn't even thought of that. I think I was whitewashing it in the 'classic villain blunder' mold, right up there with gloating at the hero in the deathtrap. Looking at it more closely ... not all the mutations he gets from the Kelvarite are going to be useful ("You've developped the K-power to turn real bunnies into chocolate bunnies. While handy around Easter, it doesn't work well for my world domination plans. Enrique, show him to the autopsy room." "But I'm not dead!" "Don't get ahead of yourself.") Obviously, he can't let the 'unworthy' go free, since they'd blow the whistle on him, but their bodies could be used as research material to find out *why* they got a lame or weak power or even a negative mutation.

 

I could also see being lowered, tied to a slab, into a radioactive Kelvarite reactor as being very traumatic, which would probably snap any mental alterations (and probably create a few more!).

 

As a random sidenote ... I'm considering doing everything I can to get the main baddie (at the start, a powerless but driven scientist) flung into the reactor during a fight ... which will make it explode, but of course, imbue him with fantastic powers. I'm even considering making him REALLY dangerous and stealing from an old Superman villain, Conduit, who had the ability to project Kryptonite radiation, and giving him Kelvarite-radiation powers (NND, defense is 'not having Kelvarite-induced powers'), but I almost feel that it's too twinky. On the other hand, it definitely DOES put the guy in the 'deeply personal nemesis' category. Opinions?

 

(P.S. Sorry it took me so long to get back to this, I lost track of the thread.)