Aging Campaigns

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

Squirrel,

It sounds almost like an issue with your players not your game, or at least not just your game. You can make more of an effort to draw them in, but, in the end, they have to want to step into the spotlight, as opposed to just having combat after combat. Sounds like a cool game, BTW...

 

It is. I'm having a lot of fun. ^ v ^

[Lightray]

To address the need for more "background interaction" in my game, I offered 1 exp to anyone who wrote a paragraph of what their character was doing in the down-time between each adventure. I handed out a list of significant NPCs, even, so they could choose from the list who they'd be interested in interacting with.

 

It had some odd results (Nano the alien super-scientist has been attending NASCAR events?), but it also gives me an idea of what NPCs people are interested in seeing more of.

 

 

As far as the "getting too powerful" problem, I allow everyone to have multiple PCs to play - and we've got a pool of PC "extras", too. Either I, or the players, choose which set of PCs are appropriate for the adventure.

 

This not only keeps the experience-inflation under a little more control, it also supports the "everybody likes making up new characters" addiction that Hero players seem to get.

 

I'm actually at the point now where I'm thinking of setting a limit on the number of PCs each player can have (currently they've got 2-3, plus higher point characters for an occasional one-shot adventure). I figure I might even convince someone to volunteer an extra PC for a martyr's death or betrayal storyline...

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

I simply can't do the blue book thing. Mostly because I couldn't find blue books at Walmart and I had a better idea while I was there. I also want to do more keeping track of the game history and as much as I hate to admit it, I'm terrible of keeping track of certain things.

(snip)

I'll start each game by handing out sheet paper for people to write what their characters have been doing for the past two weeks. It will also allow some players such as the player for Kaleidoscope who like to write, to get information on their character down on paper. I'll emphasise that these are for things they did that are not game actions. Such as researching a crime that took place.

 

Well, "Blue Booking" doesn't HAVE to be done in the actual "Blue Books" - the term started b/c they were easy to get and conveniently sized. Regular spiral notebooks, etc can work just fine. For "what did you do between sessions?" email can work very well if everyone's got online access. An added benefit is that you can get the emails BEFORE your next session and either reply before the session or hand out/play out results as you see fit. Gives you some time to incorporate it into the story. Print out their emails, print out your replies, stick them in your binder. For conversations & more give and take in-game interactions, use the spiral notebooks.

[Super Squirrel]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

I like the idea of three ring binder paper because it will be easier to maintain. Blue books just sounded cool and I wanted to try that first.

[Storn]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

Here is what I've gleaned as a GM of many years when it comes to more indepth interactions with PCs and NPCs. You can't force it. And DRAMA is needed.

 

Especially in Champions. Where combat is so varied, so large scale... it is dramatic almost by hapstance.

 

But the subplots need to have as much *oomph* and *verve* and most importent, engagement.

 

HOw does one achieve this?

 

1. Soap opera storylines are wonderful places to mine, and you don't even need to see a single soap opera ever. It is soaked into our pop culture. Desperate Housewives anyone? Never seen it myself... but I can guess.

 

2. Expect many subplots to miss. And that is okay. Just keep tossing interactions at the players, eventually one(s) will start to groove.

 

3. Have NPCs have feelings and questions and admit those feelings and questions to the PCs. If you have an NPC walk up and ask any Hero about "how do you feel about gun control?" or "do you think superheroes take the place of religious personaes like Saints?"... I'm pretty sure you are going to have a discussion on your hands.

 

4. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT!!!! Let your players create some NPCs, Let them suggest subplots, let them create situations.. give them some power in a "GM Stance". It is often easier for a player to create an NPC for social interactions, because that NPC is pre-primed to respond and react in such a way that draws the PC into the situation. And only the player is in the PC head and knows which way that PC is going to "jump". Of course, subject to GM approval....

 

5. For every action there is a consequence. Nonaction on the players part IS an action. How does the jilted paramour feel? The reporter who was refused an interview? The lawyer who didn't get a witness?

 

 

In RDU, one of the real interaction problems we've seen crop up time and time again is that POWER makes for isolation. Normal folk react in a variety of ways to us Supers/Paras/Capes/Specials... but most of them just draw attention to how different we are from the norm. It is hard to hang out with the normal folk. They are put in danger a lot. They don't quite understand *what WE* are going through. But RDU is very much about high power levels and politics and the use of power. It isn't street level anymore, where day to day interactions are much easier. Heck, I got a character who is colonizing Mars and is GLAD to have gotten away.

[Tech]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

Tech you have some good ideas but some of the things you posted missed what I was after. Take, for example, your #4.

 

I want relationships to happen. How do I get those to happen?

Sorry about missing that. Alot of the ideas suggested already are good, such as 'bluebooking'. Regarding relationships, it depends on the age of your players. If you have a bunch of 10 year old players, don't expect too much. The players must be willing/interested in having their hero become involved with someone whether good friend, girlfriend or boyfriend, etc. One way is to introduce alot of NPC's, whether the secretary at the hero's job, the waiter at the restaurant and so on. Different people with different personalities allow a PC to interact with them.

 

Oh, don't forget to have someone become a 0 pt DNPC at times for a hero without saying it to the Player. At times, I have one of my female NPC's show up when there's trouble and the dashing PC rescues her. However, don't make the NPC a walking target; make the NPC capable. This will enhance the NPC's likeability. (Is that even a word?) Having a picture for the NPC will also help.

[Super Squirrel]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

I think the Millennium Force Dosier is going to help. I actually took the time this morning to do the write-up for The Greek's Golden Chariot. I'm going to try and "trick" my players in doing some basic information on any contacts they might already have and a couple of NPCs that they don't have on their sheet.

 

This will help get the elements suggested by people here.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

I think the Millennium Force Dosier is going to help. I actually took the time this morning to do the write-up for The Greek's Golden Chariot. I'm going to try and "trick" my players in doing some basic information on any contacts they might already have and a couple of NPCs that they don't have on their sheet.

 

This will help get the elements suggested by people here.

 

Oooooh, it's done? Any improvements I should know of?

 

[Super Squirrel]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

Oooooh, it's done? Any improvements I should know of?

 

It is mostly stuff you already knew.

 

• 12" Flight x4 Non-Combat Movement
  
• No Backwards Movement
  
• Limited Protection of Passangers
  
• Low DEF but High BODY
  
• 35 STR
  

Your chariot, when doing a move through does 11d6 in damage. However it takes half of the damage itself.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

It is mostly stuff you already knew.

 

• 12" Flight x4 Non-Combat Movement
  
• No Backwards Movement
  
• Limited Protection of Passangers
  
• Low DEF but High BODY
  
• 35 STR
  

Your chariot, when doing a move through does 11d6 in damage. However it takes half of the damage itself.

 

Nice. Good to know.

 

What about its "heal factor" while it's dismissed? That's the whole point of making it go away - so it can recover. Is that the equivalent of "taking a recovery?"

[Ghost who Walks]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

How do I get the deeper development in my game?

A lot of this has actually been done by my players. My players have gotten so interested in their characters lives, that I enocurage them to look for pictures online of their workplace, coworkers, house, car, stuff like that. Some players enjoy more that you expect, and you should see the look on their face when the get in an auto accident...

 

The pictures are usually placed on an Excel sheet, where they are really easy to manipulate, and printed out. They are kept in a three ring binder.

 

 

Does anyone have any guideline ideas or suggestions for dealing with XP on long campaigns?

Well, my campaign has been going for 10 years now, the original 200 point characters have become very powerful.

 

One thing that I have done, is do some scenarios where players meet future or alternate versions of themselves. This can be a lot of fun, as it gives the player a window into their possible future. It also allows you to suggets possible directions for characters, without it looking liking you are forcing them anywhere.

 

One way to deal with a lot of experience, is to have some time pass in the game world. Send all the characters off to superhero training camp for three months, they come back with new skills/powers.

 

Lastly, consider coordinated attacks. Can two (or more) characters combine their powers, creating a more powerful attack? Make the power, split the cost between them.

 

You can also require the players sarifice some of their experience, that goes into a pool for that character. When it gets big enough, something happens and they get a new power/ability.

 

 

I want relationships to happen. How do I get those to happen?

Have a few superhero "social events"

 

~The heroes are about to get government funding (of some level), and need to recruit some new member(s) so satisfy a requirement. The new members have to compete against each other, and the PC's get to have the fun of performing background checks.

 

~The heroes are invited to a superhero wedding, where they meet various other heroes. No supervillain attacks, but they get to have the fun of being accepted by a larger community.

 

~A hero kills an NPC, thorough accident. Now he/she must deal with supporting the victims family.

 

~Look into family backgrounds for characters, and consider developing them in someway. Relationships exist in many levels, and not all family members are DNPCs.

 

~You can always have a team meeting...

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11977

 

~Or got to therapy...

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12541

 

Good thread, btw.

[Mike W]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

Charity events work great too. Yes, Mr. Hero-man, can you stop by and help us raise money for the new Children's Hospital? TV works good too if you have a mystic, scientist, or techie who has knowledge well beyond the norm. Every news show/talk show may want their opinion on the latest cloning development, whether witches are real, or what the newest computer trend might be.

[Constantine]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

Or, you could crib from Astro City. The heroes of Astro City saw that two of their own (the superman-like Samaritan, and the wonderwoman-like Winged Victory) really needed to go out on a date. The two heroes were getting so caught up in their work, that they had almost no social life. So all the other heroes volunteered to be on duty, and not call them, no matter what, and set them up on a blind date... I'm not doing the story justice, but I'm sure you get the idea. Maybe you can hit one of the players with something like this..

BTW, Astro City, excellent comic. Gone downhill somewhat lately, but get some of the early stuff (all collected in trades) and enjoy...

You can usually find good inspiration for superhero campaigns in the comics...

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

Or, you could open your eyes and ears when one of your PCs comes up with something to find a way to help you with this, and, rather than placing as many roadblocks in her way as possible, go along with it. Try chewing on THAT concept for a while, Josh.

 

Yes, someone is very, very bitter right now.

[Tech]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

Charity events work great too. Yes' date=' Mr. Hero-man, can you stop by and help us raise money for the new Children's Hospital? TV works good too if you have a mystic, scientist, or techie who has knowledge well beyond the norm. Every news show/talk show may want their opinion on the latest cloning development, whether witches are real, or what the newest computer trend might be.[/quote']

Total agreeance. I periodically use charity events for many reasons. Having the heroes help raise money is a great morale booster for the players and characters. However, I've also used charity events to have villains show up to a) attempt to steal the money raised (you dirty rats)

attack the heroes

c) attempt to use the audience there to speak out on something the villain feels strongly about, possibly the reason for them being a villain, environmental issues, how great/wonderful they are or whatever

d) challenge a hero to a fight and if the hero wins, the villain will also donate money (and if the hero loses, the villain got to publicly beat up the hero and humiliate him)

e) any multiple reasons

 

Talkshows have been used many times also. It's so much fun to take a talkshow the players don't like, put it in your episode and stage a battle during the talkshow.

[zornwil]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

I would just like to amplify what Storn said in part of his commentary - definitely throw stray subplots the characters way, create interactions, and if it doesn't stick...that's okay. The PCs will pick out of some of them - even if just because something strikes them funny.

 

You mentioned taking notes and such - personally, I do it in-game, taking copious notes. It makes the write-ups afterwards very detailed, which is a large part of why I do it, but it also has the benefit of finding little bits and things you can use later and should follow up on - and doing so does help flesh out your campaign. I know you may not be able to do this for any number of reasons, but I type directly into Word on my laptop. In the "old days" I of course just hand-wrote, but I do find that I type fast and it works better to keep notes that way.

[zornwil]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

Oh, one more thing, something very specific relating to character interactions - as GM, you do not have to do everything. Just shut up sometimes and let people go on and on, exploring stuff, even if mainly they're goofing around. Good stuff can come out of semi-in-character goofing off. Mainly, though, you do have to be careful to just let people talk and prompt them for their own ideas.

 

I'm not saying you don't do this, just giving pointers as if it's not occurring, so please pardon if a weird tone came through.

[Super Squirrel]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

No, it is alright. Tonights game I'm using some of the elements for. We will see how it goes.

[Super Squirrel]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

The game went really well. We ended up not having combat and stopping right before the big battle. The pregame stuff went well too. One player came with information prewritten, three players took the time to write things down. One player quietly protested and wrote nothing. Though he did specify that his free time was spent searching.

 

I especially like the depth this added to Reptile's character. When they were writing things up, Reptile's player asked Voltage's player if they could have hung out together. Voltage recommended a double date and consider that Reptile is a, well, giant reptile it was an amusing description.

 

The amount of depth it gave was amazing. For example, Reptile wrote down his journal as the double date being forthcoming. The Greek's snippet gave me an entirely new NPC and a new location in Millennium City. Voltage gave me a new location inside the city as well. Kaliedoscope's snippet didn't give me that much except for that it made introducing her new character easier and helped me understand her family life a little better. This will be useful when I bring up her DNPC next.

 

And of course the game went really well.

[Mike W]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

Glad it worked out for you.

 

One of my players was late getting his history to me, and I about flipped when I saw it. It solved one definite problem I had with a future plot line and may open up a whole new one.

 

"I love it when a plan comes together!"

[Sketchpad]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

Another suggestion for Blue Booking ... get a Yahoo group and utilize the message and file sharing features. That's what my group and I do ... if we start a new game, the players post their stats there and I review them. There have been times when I've asked people to post "What did your character do ..." files in their personal folders

[zornwil]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

Super Squirrel, nice to hear!

[Tech]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

Another suggestion for Blue Booking ... get a Yahoo group and utilize the message and file sharing features. That's what my group and I do ... if we start a new game' date=' the players post their stats there and I review them. There have been times when I've asked people to post "What did your character do ..." files in their personal folders [/quote']

 

I've heard some details of Blue Booking. Has anyone actually used it in their campaigns? Do you still use it? If you use it, how did you introduce it to your group and what do you use the Blue Booking for? I'm quite the experienced GM and have thought time & again of intro'ing it to my group.

[MitchellS]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

I've heard some details of Blue Booking. Has anyone actually used it in their campaigns? Do you still use it? If you use it' date=' how did you introduce it to your group and what do you use the Blue Booking for? I'm quite the experienced GM and have thought time & again of intro'ing it to my group.[/quote']

We've always used it in one form or another. We use it for private conversations that other players might not need to know about, thought panels [the GM can write down what the detective might be thinking based on the clues of the case instead of telling everyone. That way the player can decide what he wants to share with the others - you get a Batman feel then], private messages, inter-player communications, and several other things. It works fairly well and allows each player to shine at different times due to things they've learned that no one else knows.

 

The easiest way to introduce it is to just do it. What our GM does is go out and purchase a cheap loose-leaf clip folder for each player. He puts about 50 blank pages of paper inside the folder for each player. The GM then just writes the first page for each player to get the ball rolling. During some games the GM will pre-write things and just hand the player the sheet of paper during the game to add to his book. These are things the player might know based on contacts and skills. That way each session each player gets some information that no one else has. An example might be something like:

 

The Champions are doing an investigation that will involve Omni-Tech Labs. The GM would write up something about OTL to give to Defender [based on his corporate connections telling him about who owns the company, what it does, etc.] and something to Nighthawk [perhaps he recalls one case he worked on 6 months ago that involved a robbery at OTL]. Maybe Sapphire will also get a sheet [she attended a charity function sponsored by OTL last year where the CEO was intoxicated and kept hitting on her and calling her Tara].

[Diamond Spear]

Re: Aging Campaigns

 

Recurring villains

 

I don’t mean every session, oh God it’s them again, didn’t we beat these guys up all last month, kind of villains. What I am talking about is the “show up once in a while but always in a memorable fashion†kind of villains.

 

For instance, suppose DEMON has set up a hame in the campaign city. Well, your heroes aren’t going to run into them every week but the times they do should be memorable. DEMON is evil to the core and you should run them that way. Maybe the heroes arrive just after a human sacrifice. It gives them a reason to get interested in DEMON but the structure of DEMON means that it will be a long time until the group even gets close to the morbane. This is the kind of thing that you can string out for a year or longer of real time (assuming once a week meetings) and the characters might only run into DEMON every four or five sessions. They will start by rounding up some low level flunkies and gradually work their way to the top. Of course DEMON will react to this so it becomes a drawn out, low-level war between the two groups with sometimes lengthy periods of inactivity. The group gets a hated enemy and the GM gets a long running plot that won’t get stale. You can of course substitute VIPER or some other organization. Even though Terror Inc. has been broken up whose to say that their mercenary army of agents didn’t go looking for some new supervillians? One more advantage to using organizations like this is that it helps avoid the “supers vs. supers†battle blues. And trust me, no matter how powerful your heroes are a well handled team of agents can be VERY effective.

 

 

Unusual Scenarios

 

The scavenger hunt. The heroes are blackmailed into participating in a city-wide “scavenger hunt†with the safety of the city at stake. Perhaps an empty building is destroyed with a threat that the next one will be occupied if the heroes don’t participate. The items to be collected can be almost anything and the defenses could include agents, robots or low powered supervillians or anything else you can think of. Then of course there are loads of reasons “whyâ€. Perhaps Foxbat was board and felt like making the heroes look silly, perhaps a new trickster villain chose this method of making his debut, perhaps someone or some organization did it to distract the heroes from something they were doing at the same time.

 

The kidnap and chase is fun if used sparingly. Perhaps the victim is an important NPC. And just to make things interesting set it up so the heroes can’t use their movement powers. Maybe they are in narrow winding tunnels with an uneven floor and many branching corridors that need to be checked. Perhaps there are difficult to detect tripwires. Heighten the tension by having the heroes find smears of blood or hear distant screams. You get the point.

 

The out of city experience. Perhaps your heroes are bored with the same setting all the time. Devise a scenario that takes them out of their comfortable surroundings. Make them appreciate home all over again. This also lets them meet new important people both normals and supers.

 

I hope my rambling has been at least a little helpful.