Australia in the current CU

[st barbara]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

My problem is, after looking at the submission guidelines, I feel sort of intimidated and doubt very much that I could actually WRITE anything that is publishable.

[assault]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

My problem is' date=' after looking at the submission guidelines, I feel sort of intimidated and doubt very much that I could actually WRITE anything that is publishable.[/quote']

 

Digital Hero articles look less scary. The submission process seems simple enough, and all the stuff about formatting is just a matter of following instructions.

 

Quality of writing is, of course, the main thing.

 

I've been thinking about what could be done through DH over the last couple of hours. The most promising idea seems to be setting up some kind of overarching crisis, and then letting people write their own scenarios within that framework.

 

Basically, we would set up a situation that couldn't be handled by the Australian (and NZ) supers, and was serious enough to attract heroes from all over the world. The "big" teams could either be elsewhere, or dealing with other parts of the problem.

 

I considered a Kelvarite meteor shower, but it probably wouldn't create a big enough crisis immediately. A massive outbreak from the Well of Worlds might be a better option, since it would release lots of committed bad guys with mayhem on their minds. They could scatter (either individually or in small groups) across the country (or the globe!), and have to be tracked down before doing too much damage. Imagine if a bunch of them decided to break out Taipan!

 

All of this would bring out any newbie superheroes waiting in the wings, or could involve opportunistic supervillains. The PCs would also encounter non-powered NPCs, would fight in interesting places, and generally have an excuse to travel around and punch things.

 

Of course, that's just one possibility. The Kelvarite idea could be made to work too, or we could use something completely different.

 

Any ideas?

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

If you'll pardon observations from a foreigner , the Well of Worlds does seem like the best bet as a source for this great event, being a major and uniquely Australian phenomenon (in the CU anyway). Keep in mind that the Well need not only release refugees from other worlds. A wave of reality-warping magic erupting from the Well could enhance all the unusual events that create supers on the rest of Champions Earth: cause improbable events to result in "radiation accident" origins, stimulate latent mutations, cause "supertech" designs to actually function, arouse elemental spirits from the land itself, and so on. That way the resulting heroes and villains don't have to be predominantly mystical in nature.

 

Then it just becomes a matter of deciding on an appropriate precipitating event. Marmoo would be a likely instigator of trouble at the Well, as would DEMON. OTOH a high-tech villain like Dr. Destroyer or group like ARGENT might try to harness its pan-dimensional properties through technological means. Maybe Ayers Rock was formed or moved when a piece of the exploding fuel core of the Mandagalor impacted it, and the Lemurians discover this and try to "liberate" the fragment.

 

I can also state from experience that the requirements for writing for Digital Hero are less stringent than for a full book. DH would definitely be the place not only to develop your ideas and hone your writing skills, but to prove to Hero Games staff that you have what it takes to ultimately turn this into a book.

[assault]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

A wave of reality-warping magic erupting from the Well could enhance all the unusual events that create supers on the rest of Champions Earth:

...

Then it just becomes a matter of deciding on an appropriate precipitating event.

 

Very true, and thank you. Reppage.

 

There is an even easier, if lamer, way of approaching the issue in DH, though, and that's just doing a series of "tour" type articles, similar to Darren's Hero Universe articles. While these would be easier to write, they are much less interesting from a "what are we supposed to do with this stuff?" POV.

 

I'm still inclined to go with the Crisis in Australia approach.

 

Failing that, I suppose we could all just do our own thing, but that means we all have to navigate the formalities independently. Oh well....

 

Out of curiousity, roughly how many PCs should be assumed to be present when you're writing adventures?

[tribe]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

I think I might go with writing an adventure for Digital Hero based in an Australian setting (city most likely) and then presenting some information on that particular setting to the reader.

 

At the moment I am tending towards the premise that an Australian TV station (probably Channel 10) has put together a reality TV show to work out the best super hero in the world (kind of a Secret Wars idea). Unfortunately the producers of the show don't have the big bucks to hire the best heroes the world has to offer (and those heroes would most likely refuse anyway), so they have offered a role on the show to a variety of super heroes from around the world. The offer includes a free holiday in Australia, all expenses paid, plus the opportunity to win $1,000,000 in prize money and the right to be known as The Greatest Super Hero In The Southern Hemisphere (or some other monniker not yet really sure of this part).

 

The reason for the reality TV show is because Australia doesn't have many super heroes of their own and Channel 10 has decided that if you don't have something of your own, borrow it from someone (someplace) else. The Australian public is starved for authentic superhero action.

 

Of course there will be an Australian entrant (a character newly introduced to the world, not a pre-existing one) and the public will undoubtedly be supporting them against the others.

 

The player characters will either be:

• members of a small team from the USA or someplace else
  
• individuals from different places who band together in the opening scenario (most likely a bank robbery or other such random spot of crime)
  
• a single character (the idea of a Solo Adventure is a possibility)
  

 

There will also be information at the end for the players and gamesmasters who might be looking for ways to keep the heroes in contact with Australia, setting up the possibility for running an Australian campaign.

 

As for the Crisis in Australia meta-storyline, I like the idea and would be interested in joining in, but I'd like to do this independent one first. The Crisis one would need more planning, but we could start a new Thread for it or create a list off this Forum (to keep details secret).

 

Ben

[tribe]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

My problem is' date=' after looking at the submission guidelines, I feel sort of intimidated and doubt very much that I could actually WRITE anything that is publishable.[/quote']

 

What about if we create a Support group someplace and help each other write articles for Digital Hero. Bouncing ideas across each other, proof reading work, assisting with specific regional information if/when required?

[st barbara]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

While I don't think that I could write anything myself. (I'm currently a bit "blue", suffering from the after effects of a double surgical tooth extraction last monday!) I could help with some ideas for anyone else who is thinking of writing something.

[assault]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

For the record:

 

I've been thinking more about this stuff over the last week or so.

 

Back in the 40s, my mother and her siblings were reading The Phantom. That was their major concept of what a superhero was like.

 

Fifteen years ago, I was living in Papua New Guinea. The Phantom was the most visible representation of a superhero then. I'm sure the same would have been the case in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga or Western Samoa.

 

In short, The Phantom was "the superhero" in these parts of the world for a "real long time".

 

That's a worry, since the CU already has a Phantom homage - Black Mask. It tends to cut off our (my!) main homage option. Normally, our local Batman-equivalent would actually be a Phantom homage.

 

I need, no, I want, a Batman-equivalent for my version of what would happen here in the CU. I can't use the obvious thing - a Phantom homage, and I can't use Seeker, so I have to go a little bit away from where I want to go.

 

Bummer.

 

I guess I might have to go with a homage to the Jackaroo. Or, failing that, I might have to tap Spyforce, but that requires a bit more clever writing than I want to know about. Trust me, I've written several drafts on this one...

 

Fortunately, Frew Publications published quite a few Phantom homages back in the day. They were the Phantom's publishers, so they weren't about to sue themselves.

 

I may have to homage one of their homages. I'm already playing a character along these lines in a PBEM...

 

It would be really handy to be able to bring back Seeker.

 

I will probably add a Superman homage, and some supporting cast, just to fill the holes a Batman homage can't fill. If nothing else, he would play the role my own Mary Sue character would otherwise play....

 

There are Atlanteans in the Coral Sea, whatever else I decide is true.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

I have a suggestion regarding the Batman/Phantom homage. The official Champions Universe has several pulp-era "mystery man" types active during the 1930's in America, including the Raven (homage to the Shadow), the Black Owl (whose M.O. sounds a lot like Moon Knight), the martial-arts hero the Cobra, and the Grey Guardian (schtick unspecified). A few more details about the Raven and the Black Owl can be found on p. 10 of Champions Universe. Any one of these heroes could have retired, moved to Australia, and had children or other proteges who became their successors in their new home. That would give you a CU-based character with the right motif, and a legacy that, while not as long as the Phantom's, does allow for multi-generation succession.

 

The Raven is featured in a Hero Plus e-book, so might be off limits; but the others are probably obscure enough that DoJ might be willing to let you use the name and concept. I've found Steve Long to be pretty accomodating with characters he doesn't intend to use in official books, so it would be worth asking him about.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

I will probably add a Superman homage' date=' and some supporting cast, just to fill the holes a Batman homage can't fill. If nothing else, he would play the role my own Mary Sue character would otherwise play....[/quote']

 

I wonder if Hero Games still has the rights to "Captain Australia" that Scott Heine wrote up for Hero System Almanac I? I'm sure you wouldn't want to use that name, but he was clearly a Superman homage, and his origin as written would work almost perfectly for the current Champions Universe. Just change the crystaline "Cosmic Locus" from HSA I to Ayers Rock and the Well of Worlds, and you'd be pretty much good to go.

 

Come to think of it, the event that led to Captain Australia's birth also created a destructive cosmic monstrosity called Entropi. The return of Entropi (or your analog to him) to finish the destruction of the Well of Worlds would be a marvelous event not only to introduce CA and draw out other Australian supers, but to initiate the previously-suggested supers-sparking magic wave from the Well.

[Southern Cross]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

As someone who actually purchased Hero System Almanac I,I have to point out that in it the original Captain Australia was crippled and replaced by his twin sister.

Still a good idea though....

[tribe]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

...and I can't use Seeker, so I have to go a little bit away from where I want to go.

 

Why can't you bring back Seeker for a Digital Hero article?

 

I'm playing with the idea of bringing in Seeker - an Australian hero based on the comic book character. Playing with the idea only at the moment though.

[assault]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

I'm playing with the idea of bringing in Seeker - an Australian hero based on the comic book character. Playing with the idea only at the moment though.

 

I've been thinking about it too. This suggests it should happen.

 

One option I have been considering is a martial artist being nicknamed Seeker derisively, and later adopting it seriously.

 

"Who do you think you are? Seeker?"

"Well... actually that's not a bad name, is it?"

 

"Seeker as popular culture reference" is a natural extension of "Seeker is a fictional character".

 

Of course, if Seeker is brought back, the next step would be the adventure called: "Seeker of Two Worlds!"

[Drhoz]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

as far as Aussie supers go, you'ld have to take into account that whilst Australians like to think of themselves as ruggedly independant, we do tend to jump up and say "yes, sir!" whenever our government (or rather, whoever our government is currently looking up to - originally Great Britain, the last 60 years the US ) says "hey you, come fight and die to protect our interests"

 

On the other hand, even when whoever is in charge is an abject incompentant, Australian soldiers do tend to be highly professional, compentant, high in initiative and absolutely disinclined to take shit from their allies.

 

So the official super will probably be on loan to allied governments, and heavily involved in peace-keeping and, quite often, disaster relief.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

As someone who actually purchased Hero System Almanac I,I have to point out that in it the original Captain Australia was crippled and replaced by his twin sister.

Still a good idea though....

 

Since you wouldn't be bound by the original precedent, you could follow that story or change it to make the character either male or female from the start, and either one still active.

 

There's a shortage of very powerful superheroines in the CU, and I for one would welcome a Supergirl homage (besides the villainous Viperia). Perhaps the most physically mighty Australian superhero having always been a Sheila is a notion you could have a bit of fun with?

[Southern Cross]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

I've also been working on Seeker myself.I've been building a 250-point version and a 350 point version,and have almost finished the 250-point version.

Problem is,I've discovered that Seeker's actually got 155 points of disadvantages,so I'm rebuilding his disads from scratch.

Anybody got any suggestions?

(Yes,I do intend for "Code of The Chinese Knight" to be one of his Psych Lims.)

[Cygnia]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

Ever consider doing something with the concept of the Illywhacker? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illywhacker

 

My late ex-BF had a con-woman/actress with a heart of gold from Australia for a pulp-era game based on that book.

[assault]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

Ever consider doing something with the concept of the Illywhacker? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illywhacker

 

I can't say I'd ever heard of it. Not a bad idea though.

 

---

 

On the Seeker - non-powered supers thing:

I won't try to use Seeker to fill my non-powered super niche. It would come too close to trying to monopolise the character. I'll whip up one of my own.

 

Seeker should be available for everyone to use.

[st barbara]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

I remember that I once had a character in a shortlived "Godlike" campaign (Low lkevel supers in a World War II setting, for those who might not know it) named "Sparrow". He had stealth, invisibility and was deadly with a knife. His name came from one of the independent Australian commando units that operated in Timor and other pacific islands uring the war.

[assault]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

His name came from one of the independent Australian commando units that operated in Timor and other pacific islands uring the war.

 

There was also the Krait.

 

I think it is pretty obvious that all of Australia's Pulp heroes would have been drafted into units like this.

 

The pilots would have been in RAAF units, though. Early in the war they would have been flying Spitfires and shooting down Jerries. Later on, some would have been flying Flying Boats and possibly the odd transport aircraft, ferrying commandoes and supplies behind enemy lines in the Pacific.

 

Costumed adventurers would have been rare in comparison to the US.

 

Conveniently, this reflects the general pattern in the Australian comics industry at the time.

[st barbara]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

"Krait" sounds like the name that the head of an Australian "Viper" nest might use . ("Taipan" already having been taken !)

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

If you want to base your characters in the official CU, I'm afraid "Krait" has been taken too. He's a super operative in COIL, King Cobra's organization. (Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth and Evil Unleashed)

 

Actually that gives me an idea. Australia has the most diverse reptile population in the world, and something of a reputation for venomous snakes. That experimental potential might attract King Cobra's attention and cause him to build a base in the country's sizeable wilderness. It would help set Australia apart from other elements of the Champions Universe if COIL became a player in Australia, especially since VIPER has tended to overlook it in the past.

[Southern Cross]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

As long as COIL doesn't build a base in Ayers Rock,I'll be happy.

(Aside from the fact that Ayers Rock is a sacred Aboriginal site and also a major tourist attraction,it's already been done-Black Ghost had a hidden base there in the 2001 anime version of Cyborg 009).

[st barbara]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

If you want to base your characters in the official CU' date=' I'm afraid "Krait" has been taken too. He's a super operative in COIL, King Cobra's organization. ([i']Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth[/i] and Evil Unleashed)

 

Actually that gives me an idea. Australia has the most diverse reptile population in the world, and something of a reputation for venomous snakes. That experimental potential might attract King Cobra's attention and cause him to build a base in the country's sizeable wilderness. It would help set Australia apart from other elements of the Champions Universe if COIL became a player in Australia, especially since VIPER has tended to overlook it in the past.

Grumble ! I'm having trouble thinking of cool names for a possible "Viper" leader in Australia ! "Brown Snake" or "Red Bellied Black Snake" just don't seem fearsome enough.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Australia in the current CU

 

As long as COIL doesn't build a base in Ayers Rock,I'll be happy.

(Aside from the fact that Ayers Rock is a sacred Aboriginal site and also a major tourist attraction,it's already been done-Black Ghost had a hidden base there in the 2001 anime version of Cyborg 009).

 

Of course in the Champions Universe it's also the site of the pan-dimensional access called the Well of Worlds. Might not be too healthy for COIL to poke around in there. OTOH aren't there some major mythological snake spirits in the Dreamtime?