Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

[Kirby]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

Well, perhaps since the rest of your mix for your campaign has television shows that are Earth-based, maybe the Jedi in your campaign world can be Earth-based as well. Perhaps one Jedi per country, or continent. Or, you could treat Jedi like Green Lanterns and one gets this "sector" and others don't really show up unless you have an alien invasion.

 

Though I'd probably keep the Jedi Earth-based. With a bit of tinkering, perhaps the NPC is named "Jedi" and that G. Lucas worked a deal with him and this is how Star Wars came to be. This Jedi could be fairly old.

 

Just some thoughts.

[OddHat]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

No. A Jedi is always a bad idea, unless you're actually playing Star Wars. A Jedi Ninja is a worse idea. A Jedi Ninja Slayer is either an intentionally bad idea or a cry for help. Add "Mutant", and the writer is 9.

 

A tribute character with an energy sword might be fun. Your own order of mystic warriors tweaked to fit your game world might be cool.

 

Still, your game; go for it if you like it.

[Mutant for Hire]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

I wouldn't build a jedi per se, but rather I'd build a martial artist with advanced chi powers, which Lucas pretty much ripped off in order to produce his Jedi. As for the light saber, I'd let our martial artist compose a blade in his hand of pure chi energy, which more or less has the same result.

[Badger]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

Well, considering your universe with all the crossovers. It seems pretty good for it. Course, I myself would allow just about anything as long as 1) It doesnt tip the power scales much and 2) Can be convincingly explained by the player (course if am the GM I would over course final say:eg: )

 

 

Not to be too rude, but I am curious about the details of your set-up of your world. As I am (as a pet project) trying to pick up ideas for my own multiple crossover thing. I am trying to do a "garbage" universe. As in where all the extra "garbage" from all the other universes go. Basically, randomly, characters from all the other universes get somehow "sent" to this universe (and generally cant get out of it). It is very basic now. But I havent found a convincing way to combine it to make it work.

[Big Willy]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

As someone already pointed out, the Marvel universe is crossovered like mad as it is. Thor and Hercules have been there since early on; Machine Man span out of Kirby's adaptation of 2001: A Space Odyssey ; Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, was the son of Dr. Fu Manchu; Captain Britain has fought the Special Executive, who started out working for the Time Lords of Gallifrey; Rom the Spaceknight may be long gone, but his enemies the Dire Wraiths still have a place in X-Men history; and who can forget Michael Golden's classic artwork on the original Micronauts run?

 

With all this going on, why not Jedi, particularly as Marvel published the original movie adaptations?

 

So: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, your NPC went into cryosleep/meditation - maybe fleeing the Empire, maybe on an exploratory mission for the Old Republic (or the New), maybe as an emergency procedure, maybe frozen in carbonite by some corrupt local official he was investigating - only to get lost in the depths of space and be revived when his spaceship crashed on Earth. Now, the last of his kind (at least as far as he knows), he uses his Jedi ethics and powers to fight for justice, peace and harmony on a strange new world.

 

Okay, it's not terribly groundbreaking - but it works perfectly well, and if you wanted all-original concepts you wouldn't be running the Avengers anyway, right?

[Bloodstone]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

Laser Sword works fine. Telepathy, Tleekinesis, Prcognition and psionicly buffed physical attributs all work fine. A strong personal code of conduct is great. None of this is at all out of place for a character in an Avengers story. The frequency with which enemies are slaughtered and maimed may not go over well with other heroes though. Depends on how savage the rest of the PC's are.

 

That said, as a player I would probably groan at a character actually refering to himself as a Jedi (or paladin from Waterdeep) if I sat down expecting to play an Avengers based game... other players might think it's neat.

[Big Willy]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

The frequency with which enemies are slaughtered and maimed may not go over well with other heroes though.

 

That wasn't something I'd thought through - good point. It probably depends what role the JK is going to play in the campaign, as well as how long he's been around or able to integrate into society.

 

Given translation facilities and a bit of acclimatisation, I'd say a Jedi could pretty easily get used to the fact that legal process is a bit more involved here than at home, and that dispensing frontier justice without proper authority is just going to get him in trouble.

 

That said, there's scope for his early adventures on Earth to have revolved around exactly that conflict. Such misunderstandings could by now have been resolved, or the character may have "fallen to the Dark Side" as a result, if the campaign is short of a Punisher figure. Both could be interesting situations - and both could be explored, if there were originally two Jedi in the ship (the classic master/apprentice team, for example).

[JmOz]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

How to do a jedi knight in the Marvel Universe: (excuse the spellings)

 

High Evelotionary

 

Knights of Wundungo

 

Simply put, the character is a test tube baby (If you want an alien looking one NO PROB)

 

Powers come from the experiment

 

Martial skills trained by the Knights

 

Lightsaber, The Knights can provide it (and a cool little flying horse as well)

[Bloodstone]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

That's a pretty good idea to use the Knights of Wundagore, but I think all the New Men are artificially evolved animals with human characteristics and intelligece (ie furries. Ninja Training optional.)

[JmOz]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

Most are, but this is a new character, so he is a hyper evolved Man (or if alien Jedi is what you want, well Mon Cal's are humonid squid or some such)

[psm]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

Just make your NPC delusional. Like those people that think they're the reincarnation of Napeolon. Or like Thor in the Ultimates.

 

He's a super that thinks he's a Jedi Knight. You know the type. The lonely kid that watches Star Wars too many times because he has no friends. Watches it for the next 25 years until he believes that its an alternative reality. Then discovers he can do some of the stuff. Declares himself the first Jedi Knight.

 

Your PC's obviously know hes not but they're not sure if he really believes it himself. But he's a good guy, pretty harmless (well not to the bad guys). He's just trying to help out.

 

Of course, things go a little bizarre when he starts preaching the Jedi ways as a religion. Next he tries to start recruiting new Jedis out of the disenchanted followers hes obtained (usually young teenage boys). Obviously, the results are not great. A few end up in the hospital.

 

Obviously, George Lucas tries to sue him. Then it gets fun.

 

I hate to say this but you just gave me a new plot idea.

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

Just make your NPC delusional. Like those people that think they're the reincarnation of Napeolon. Or like Thor in the Ultimates.

 

He's a super that thinks he's a Jedi Knight. You know the type. The lonely kid that watches Star Wars too many times because he has no friends. Watches it for the next 25 years until he believes that its an alternative reality. Then discovers he can do some of the stuff. Declares himself the first Jedi Knight.

 

I've played that character. Total star wars freiak, and the in the game the PCs were the first superpowered people. This kid was bascially a full spectrum mentalist - TK., Mind powers, Mental control of energy, some precog... but he didn't know he could do all that so in actuality he had some basic mind control, telekenesis (which also gave him some extra leaping). He also generated his energy in two ways the lightsaber and blue lightning. He thought he was a Jedi.

He called himself Padawan - and really irritated the rest of the group by quoting Jedi philosophy when questions came up.

 

As to the original question - An homage is good, the leap of the screen is good. Full blown transportation is problably not a great idea, unless the campaign is devoted to cross dimensional heroes.

[KA.]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

I don't see any reason why he has to be delusional, etc.

Why not just do a Jedi/Superman homage?

At some point in the past/future/far distant corner of the universe (wherever you imagine Star Wars as occurring), a small group of Jedi were afraid that they would be totally wiped out by the Empire/Sith.

They took one infant candidate and put him into some type of time/space vehicle and sent him to our world, just to make sure that there would be one person alive with a link to the Light Side of the Force.

He grows up during the trip, being taught along the way by something built into the ship. Either a computer, or a Droid if you want that.

Because of the huge distance, in space as well as time, there are no other Jedi's , Wookies, Sith, etc, around.

Just him.

He is a unique individual who, as far as he knows, may be the last link to the Force.

They build their own lightsabers anyway.

And, if you want him to act like a 'pure' Jedi, no problem.

After all, since he has no others to fall back on for advice, he is probably going to be very careful about anything that would lead him to the Dark Side.

 

KA.

[psm]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

I don't see any reason why he has to be delusional, etc.

 

He/she doesn't. It was only a suggestion.

 

I just have a different level of suspension of belief. Crossovers of different genres is difficult for me not to question. When I see something like that it takes me out of the story. Thats why I need to have something that makes more sense within the confines of the story/genre.

 

To each their own:)

[KA.]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

He/she doesn't. It was only a suggestion.

 

I just have a different level of suspension of belief. Crossovers of different genres is difficult for me not to question. When I see something like that it takes me out of the story. Thats why I need to have something that makes more sense within the confines of the story/genre.

 

To each their own:)

 

Agreed.

I know that I responded right after your post, but I wasn't really aiming my response at you.

There have been several posters in the thread who seemed to advocate the:

"He must be delusional" concept.

For me it mostly depends on genre.

If someone wanted to play a Jedi in a hard-boiled, Pulp-era, detective campaign, I would say "No!" in a heartbeat.

But I have always liked my Superhero stuff to be a bit more fanciful, sort of like a branch of light Science Fiction.

When I am faced with something that seems a little too out there, I prefer the Twilight Zone approach.

The guy who everyone thinks is crazy is the one who actually the only one who knows what is really going on.

The thing I don't like is a lack of internal consistency.

If Mega-Girl is a Former native of Kryptopolis, then she is!

You don't say, that she is, but then she isn't, but then really she is an angel who wanted to pretend she was from there, but no, actually she is a clone of Mega-Man who was created to destroy him and inplanted with fake memories so she could make friends with him, but really is just a normal girl that everyone else thinks has powers, or maybe a robot . . .

That kind of crap drives me nuts!

If you can figure out a way that your Jedi somehow found his way into the campaign world, and it makes some sense, then fine.

But you can't turn around six weeks later and say,

"No, wait, I'm really a space-ninja who pretends to be a Jedi, because The Beyonder challenged The Grandmaster to a . . ."

 

KA.

[OddHat]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

If Mega-Girl is a Former native of Kryptopolis, then she is!

You don't say, that she is, but then she isn't, but then really she is an angel who wanted to pretend she was from there, but no, actually she is a clone of Mega-Man who was created to destroy him and inplanted with fake memories so she could make friends with him, but really is just a normal girl that everyone else thinks has powers, or maybe a robot . . .

That kind of crap drives me nuts!

 

Yes, I hate what they've done to Power Girl as well.

[Mutant for Hire]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

Yes' date=' I hate what they've done to Power Girl as well.[/quote']

The problem is, she's still less of a mess than Cable.

[FenrisUlf]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

There's another way of doing it; a Jedi jumps out of a movie screen during the climactic battle of Attack of the Clones and finds himself in the real world (a la Woody Allen's "Purple Rose of Cairo"). Why? How? Well' date=' every good campaign needs a mystery... :-)[/quote']

 

No way would i want to use a jedi, but I can think of characters from other fictions* that I'd gladly use with that idea.

 

* -- A Heinlein term, I think, referring to alternate worlds that happen to closely resemble fictional ones in our universe.

[MisterBaldy]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

There are a number of problems when you introduce "cross-genre" character types (or for that matter "established characters")...

1. The mixing of genre types can "backlash". Just because you think it's a great idea, doesn't mean that your players will fell the same way. If your players are true "purists to the superhero genre", then this mixing will more than likely cause a rapid downward spiral in the interest of your Champions Campaign.
   
2. THE JEDI: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...enough said!!!
   
3. Personally, I have never been a real fan of introducing a Champions Campaign where Marvel and/or DC characters coexist with the PCs. The majority of these "established characters" have a tendency to make your players want to try to compete/measure-up to these "established characters". The game is supposed to be about the exploits of your PCs, and they should be the major focal point...not Captain America, Spiderman, the Fantastic Four, Batman, Wonder Woman or the JLA. GMs have to be extremely careful when introducing such characters. This goes for Jedis as well. They must be treated very carefully.
   
4. Before you introduce such a character...talk to your players, and get their feelings on the character. If many of your players have reservations...don't do it. Part of the problem with introducing established character types (such as Jedi, Captain America, Batman, etc.) There is a good chance that if you do something that would be considered even a minor deviation from the "established character"...your gonna get called on it, and start needless deviations from the game. This cause unwanted distractions...and destroys the "fun factor". Make sure you do your homework. The last thing you need is to do something with Batman in your game is for Batman to do something, and have a player whip out his copies of Detective Comics #XXX, #XYY and #XYZ and show you categorically that Batman would never do such a thing. This causes a loss of confidence that your players will have in your ability to run a proper campaign.

I could go on and on about this...but I do have to go to work this evening!!!

[Guest bblackmoor]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

I have never been a real fan of introducing a Champions Campaign where Marvel and/or DC characters coexist with the PCs.

 

I do not care for it, myself, but it's clear from a perusal of the Irony Games announcements that a lot of peole do.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

As far as the "Jedi" goes, my current thought is that he's a 17-year old, with latent psi powers, who was playing, in his back yard, with a replica of Luke's saber from Return of the Jedi when something happened that activated his powers. He's still learning how to use them and needs the replica saber to produce the effect of one. It's not as powerful as a real lightsaber, but it looks cool.

 

As far as the other crossovers go, they're not required for the campaign, they just add a lot of color to the universe.

[Big Willy]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

What a copout.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

What a copout.

The original plan was to have the mother of a Slayer, or a Scooby, be a Jedi knight that escaped Vader's purge by coming to Earth, through a wormhole, from a galaxy far beyond Andromeda. She, of course, trained her child in the ways of the Jedi.

[TrinSarda]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

Actually, if you are going to have a jedi, make him a real jedi. Don't make him a delusional fan. That smacks of religious intolerance. (Yes, jedi'sm is an officially recognised religion. It bears strong similarities to a branch of Zen Buddhism.)

 

Secondly, I have to point out, especially to the naysayers: Official word from Marvel is that all fictional universes, including Buffy/Star Wars, are existing alternate realities in the Marvel multiverse. As a matter of fact, when gatekeeper, the aboriginal teleporting mutant from the Xmen storylines, showed Bishop a vision of a group of alternate reality versions of himself, one of them was recognisably a Jedi in the Star Wars Universe. He was of some species with green skin and a bunch of short green tentacles for hair. His lightsabre was blue.

 

I would recommend an alternate reality version of another NPC who happens to be an Alien Jedi, fleeing the Empire.

 

Good Universe, by the way. Love Xovers like that.

[Bloodstone]

Re: Is a Jedi reasonable in a Marvel Avengers campaign?

 

Actually' date=' if you are going to have a jedi, make him a real jedi. Don't make him a delusional fan. That smacks of religious intolerance. (Yes, jedi'sm is an officially recognised religion. It bears strong similarities to a branch of Zen Buddhism.)[/quote']

 

When the vast majority of a religions own followers consider it a joke designed to mess with a government census, it's kinda hard to take the rest of them very seriously...

 

Secondly, I have to point out, especially to the naysayers: Official word from Marvel is that all fictional universes, including Buffy/Star Wars, are existing alternate realities in the Marvel multiverse.

 

Not that they haven't done ample crossovers but... cite?

 

As a matter of fact, when gatekeeper...

 

It's Gateway, for the record.