Supreme Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 You've read them. You've probably even written them. Now, let's hear 'em. Tell us the most over-used elements from a super-hero campaign background that you have personally witnessed. I'll start. 1. The first super-hero is from the pre-war period and is a patriotic flying brick modelled after Superman (who was not very patriotic back then, btw). 2. Super-heroes are given the bum's rush during the mid-50s McCarthy era. 3. Mutant registration acts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckg Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches > 3. Mutant registration acts. Our DM has a personal promise of his players that if he ever goes down that path, we are detonating his planet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches Gaining powers through radiation exposure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches 4. Nosey reporter possible love interests I can't throw stones mind you, I've used this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckg Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches 5. Their primary interface with the goverment is an officious bureaucratic foil. Honest, just more of a hindrance than a help. I'm using this one right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightray Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 6. The government is running a top-secret super-soldier program. Which produces one (or more) PC heroes and one (or more) NPC villains. This one is in-progress in my own campaign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Serpent Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches Supers existed and participated in major conflicts in the past (WWII, Cold War) but their actions primarily cancelled each other out, leading to historical outcomes identical to the "real world". Pretty standard issue. Played in those games, ran those games. Someday I'd love to play in/run a long Champions campaign starting w/the 1930's or WWII and have the world drastically diverge more and more from our timeline as the game progresses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches Supers existed and participated in major conflicts in the past (WWII, Cold War) but their actions primarily cancelled each other out, leading to historical outcomes identical to the "real world". Pretty standard issue. Played in those games, ran those games. Someday I'd love to play in/run a long Champions campaign starting w/the 1930's or WWII and have the world drastically diverge more and more from our timeline as the game progresses. Building this campaign now... It isn't easy though, and matching my vision with potential players seems to be a sincere hindrance. BoT: Used to be a villian but realized his error after a short incarceration. Now, he uses his powers for good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Jogger Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches 7. Magic, Superheroes, Aliens, etc.. have always existed, but up to this point, hidden in a elaberate conspiracy of lies and half-truths. Until they are exposed by the heroes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitewings Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches 8. At least half of all super-beings seem to need a long course of psychotherapy. 9. Even if they don't need therapy, most of them have some kind of serious trauma attached to their origins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proditor Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches 10. Some bizarro uber-powerful race of humans that were tweaked by aliens and now either reside in secrecy on Earth or one of the nearby planets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Posted December 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches 6. The government is running a top-secret super-soldier program. Which produces one (or more) PC heroes and one (or more) NPC villains. This one is in-progress in my own campaign. Actually, what I've observed is that the "heroes" turned out by this program are always villains beneath the veneer and engage in viciously brutal and politically incorrect human rights violations. The only "heroes" from these programs are the maverick "anti-heroes" who defect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Posted December 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches 10. Some bizarro uber-powerful race of humans that were tweaked by aliens and now either reside in secrecy on Earth or one of the nearby planets. Hurm... That one's actually rather new to me. It might be interesting to see the cultures that spring up from the people who comprise these colonies, particularly from the time periods they came from: 1950s world, 1800s world, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckg Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches Actually' date=' what I've observed is that the "heroes" turned out by this program are always villains beneath the veneer and engage in viciously brutal and politically incorrect human rights violations. The only "heroes" from these programs are the maverick "anti-heroes" who defect.[/quote'] Captain America is an anti-hero who defected? Did I miss an issue? (Edit -- not to mention, in the 5th edition CU, all but one of the PRIMUS Silver Avengers...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckg Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches Hurm... That one's actually rather new to me. Marvel Universe -- Eternals, Inhumans, Deviants. Champions Universe -- the Empyreans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proditor Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches Marvel Universe -- Eternals, Inhumans, Deviants. Champions Universe -- the Empyreans. Ayup, that's who I meant. Glad I'm not the only one who reads about the weirdos of Marvel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proditor Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches Oh, I almost forgot one that tends to be more RPG cliche in general. 11. Parents? They: blew up/were cut to ribbons/disowned me/Died while saving me from a savage Narwhal...etc, etc. I've been in many many games where my PC was the "weirdo" because he had a living family that were pretty normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbsousa Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches Captain America is an anti-hero who defected? Did I miss an issue? (Edit -- not to mention, in the 5th edition CU, all but one of the PRIMUS Silver Avengers...) You missed the 70's, apparently. Not the issues, but the decade, wherein exposes the President of the United States as the United States as Enemy Number one of the USA, and sees him commit suicide... (source ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches Hurm... That one's actually rather new to me. It might be interesting to see the cultures that spring up from the people who comprise these colonies' date=' particularly from the time periods they came from: 1950s world, 1800s world, etc.[/quote'] I'm guilty of using that one all the time. One of my favorites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckg Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches *makes a mental note to design Dr. Pain's parents* Yes, that does happen a bit. In the campaign I'm playing in (New Sentinels), the family scorecard is: Horus-Re -- immortal 60,000-year-old demigod. Has long since outlived both his divine father (lack of worship) and his mortal mother. His DNPC (which he doesn't get points for, as it's another player character) is Starguard. Starguard -- has two healthy parents that she couldn't remember having for the first 40 sessions due to amnesia. Still hasn't gotten up the nerve (or opportunity) to go back home yet. Not taken as DNPCs. Microman II -- is an android. His 'father' (creator), Dr. Daniel Collins, is still alive and well. Taken as DNPC. Princess Cyrande -- is the daughter of the Phazor of Malva, who is also alive and well. ... she and him just don't get along very much. It has something to do with his being an utterly decadent, corrupt, debuached, and near-immortal alien despot. /Definitely/ not her DNPC. Warp -- gets along with /his/ father (Franklin Stone of Advanced Concepts Industries) about as well as Cyrande gets along with hers. His mother died in the Battle of Detroit. His uncle Steven Barlowe, his mother's brother, is his former legal guardian and trusted advisor. Uncle Steve is a DNPC, his father is a Contact. In the campaign I'm DM'ing (Aegis), the scorecard is: Alexander Valor -- is half-Empyrean. Both his aged father and his immortal mother are alive and well, but since they're in Arcadia and he's wandering the world, he doesn't see them very often. Not taken as DNPCs. Diomedes -- his elderly parents are retired and live in the 'burbs. He visits frequently. They count as DNPCs. Peregrine -- parents dead due to (IIRC) a mundane automobile accident, not tied to origin story. No siblings. DNPC is his almost-fiancee. Nox -- [classified]. The player took a Mystery Origin, and they haven't found out in play yet. No DNPCs. Malleable Man -- IIRC, status of parental units is TBD (the player hasn't decided yet, and as it hasn't come up in play yet, the continuity is still in flux there -- hey, if it's off-stage and has never yet affected game play, that means I can Schrodinger it if I have to.) Has one older sister, a Chicago police detective, as his DNPC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckg Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches You missed the 70's' date=' apparently. Not the issues, but the decade, wherein exposes the President of the United States as the United States as Enemy Number one of the USA, and sees him commit suicide...[/quote'] I know the Secret Empire arc, yes. (Although Number One's being Nixon was never explicitly referred to in the comic, merely talked about later by the author, IIRC.) However, my point stands -- at no time did Cap become an anti-hero or defect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbsousa Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches I know the Secret Empire arc, yes. (Although Number One's being Nixon was never explicitly referred to in the comic, merely talked about later by the author, IIRC.) However, my point stands -- at no time did Cap become an anti-hero or defect. Immediately following this arc, he abandons the costume, calls himself Nomad, and wanders the land like Kane from Kung Fu. How much more anti hero do you want? He never did defect, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckg Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches > Immediately following this arc, he abandons the costume, calls himself Nomad, > and wanders the land like Kane from Kung Fu. How much more anti hero do > you want? He never changed his moral standards or methods in the slightest -- he just got a new costume and took a trip to find himself. I don't call that 'anti-hero'. Anti-heroes are guys like Wolverine and the (early) Punisher.(*) (*) The current Ennis Punisher isn't even an anti-hero anymore, he's just a psychopath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbsousa Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches > Immediately following this arc, he abandons the costume, calls himself Nomad, > and wanders the land like Kane from Kung Fu. How much more anti hero do > you want? He never changed his moral standards or methods in the slightest -- he just got a new costume and took a trip to find himself. I don't call that 'anti-hero'. Anti-heroes are guys like Wolverine and the (early) Punisher.(*) (*) The current Ennis Punisher isn't even an anti-hero anymore, he's just a psychopath. OK, fair enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Posted December 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Re: Background Cliches Captain America is an anti-hero who defected? Did I miss an issue? (Edit -- not to mention, in the 5th edition CU, all but one of the PRIMUS Silver Avengers...) We're talking about gaming background cliches. And sorry, but I never read any of the CU material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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