Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

[longbow]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

sounds like a good idea Matt.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

As near as I can tell (I can't be sure of all the stuff that was percolating in my subconscious)' date=' this was born from a cross between "Hero World" in the old "Champions in 3-D" book (where [b']everyone[/b] has 1+ superpower),

 

That must be where I got mine from as well (here and here).

[TheRavenIs]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

I have a new game that just started. I am going to have them time and dimensional shifting for a few games. I started the team in 1995, and I have to get them upto 2015 for in game reason's.

 

Idea 1. Monster Island: King Kong, like giant ape, Godzila, like giant psydo-dino, etc...

 

Idea 2. Where in time is Carman Sanitago? like run: A group of time hops to recover artifacts that were stolen and the present changed. They have to meet people of that time and stop the crimes to set the 'future' right. (The reason they the hero's in question don't forget the 'real present' is an NPC, The Raven, based off the Blood, is not from this reality and as such can 'feel' the changes and will protect the PC's from the time shift.

 

Idea 3. Pocket realities: A few games where the PC's have to hop into a few small sub-realities in order to find people, material's, etc.

[Peregrine]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

"We're going to play a Gangbusters campaign! Hard-bitten Private Eyes! Speakeasies! Gangster's Molls! High Society!" ...and don't tell anyone it's actually a Call of Cthulhu campaign.

 

1. This is probably the best way to do a Cthulhu campaign.

 

2. If a GM did this to me, it'd be a flip-the-table-and-walk-out offense. (Maybe not quite - but I hate the whole Cthulhu mythos and genre.)

[Korvar]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

"We're going to play a Gangbusters campaign! Hard-bitten Private Eyes! Speakeasies! Gangster's Molls! High Society!" ...and don't tell anyone it's actually a Call of Cthulhu campaign.

 

1. This is probably the best way to do a Cthulhu campaign.

 

2. If a GM did this to me, it'd be a flip-the-table-and-walk-out offense. (Maybe not quite - but I hate the whole Cthulhu mythos and genre.)

 

Well, if I was going to do it, I'd do it subtly - start with adventures that are 100% Roaring 20's and 0% Mythos, then gradually ramp things up. The idea being the slow accumulation of horror, rather than a sudden bait-and-switch.

 

Plus, that way, if it turns out someone's flip-the-table against the Mythos, I can always say I was simply trying something different, and get back to private eyes and speakeasies

 

Although I am curious about what you dislike about it...

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

As an old Morrow Project GM, these next two suggestions are a little hackneyed but still quite serviceable:

 

Sleepers -- Welcome to the far future! The characters were testing a cryogenic hibernation system for NASA and wound up being some of the only people to have survived a Lucifer's Hammer scenario. That was three hundred years ago and the only reason the characters have been revived is that one of the scientists of the project has somehow managed to survive -- by bonejacking the other test subjects of the project! Presuming the characters can survive the scalpel-wielding fiend, can they survive in the strange new world beyond the bunker? Expect the usual assortment of mutated animals and monsters, plus variations on utopian and distopian societies which have somehow survived the rock.

 

One In Twenty -- A swarm of meteorites brings an extraterrestial pandemic to earth which decimates the population of the planet in less than ten days. Only one in twenty humans survives exposure to this organism, but those who do develop superpowers! With a complete lack of governments and the stress of being the only ones left on the planet, what sort of world will the characters attempt to make for themselves? And what else is out there to aid or oppose them?

 

Matt "Still-mining-the-archives-of-broken-campaigns" Frisbee

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

A sudden inspiration has struck me -- a variation on one of the campaigns I've mentioned before.

 

Sleepers GT -- The characters are prisoners who have volunteered to take part in a corporate experiment in long-duration cryosuspension, where a number of different techniques are being tried. The downside is that these life-without-parole characters could die from the experience. The good news is that if they survive the experience, they'll be pardoned and free to resume their lives somewhere in the near future.

 

Fast forward to the future when, for reasons unknown, the characters awaken to a devastated world full of unknown dangers. Eventually, they will discover that nearly three hundred years have passed since they lay down to sleep. Then they discover that their bodies have been changed by the experimental proceedures -- they have super powers! Before they venture out in the world, they discover that there were other such bunkers all over the world.

 

In a world without rules and characters who aren't sterling pillars of morality, what course will the future of humanity take? And just how many others have survived and will they be allies, enemies or something else entirely?

 

Champions meets Gamma World....oh, the possibilities!

[Vanguard00]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

A sudden inspiration has struck me -- a variation on one of the campaigns I've mentioned before.

 

Sleepers GT -- The characters are prisoners who have volunteered to take part in a corporate experiment in long-duration cryosuspension, where a number of different techniques are being tried. The downside is that these life-without-parole characters could die from the experience. The good news is that if they survive the experience, they'll be pardoned and free to resume their lives somewhere in the near future.

 

Fast forward to the future when, for reasons unknown, the characters awaken to a devastated world full of unknown dangers. Eventually, they will discover that nearly three hundred years have passed since they lay down to sleep. Then they discover that their bodies have been changed by the experimental proceedures -- they have super powers! Before they venture out in the world, they discover that there were other such bunkers all over the world.

 

In a world without rules and characters who aren't sterling pillars of morality, what course will the future of humanity take? And just how many others have survived and will they be allies, enemies or something else entirely?

 

Champions meets Gamma World....oh, the possibilities!

You know, that's a pretty cool idea. I mean, there have been lots of cool ideas, but that one just kinda pinged, ya know?

[Kirby]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

Cryogenics is always cool.

[Peregrine]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

Well, if I was going to do it, I'd do it subtly - start with adventures that are 100% Roaring 20's and 0% Mythos, then gradually ramp things up. The idea being the slow accumulation of horror, rather than a sudden bait-and-switch.

 

Plus, that way, if it turns out someone's flip-the-table against the Mythos, I can always say I was simply trying something different, and get back to private eyes and speakeasies

 

Although I am curious about what you dislike about it...

 

I game to be a Hero, not a victim... and the latter is the only way I've ever seen Cthulhu ran or discussed.

[TheRavenIs]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

Fast forward to the future when, for reasons unknown, the characters awaken to a devastated world full of unknown dangers. Eventually, they will discover that nearly three hundred years have passed since they lay down to sleep. Then they discover that their bodies have been changed by the experimental proceedures -- they have super powers! Before they venture out in the world, they discover that there were other such bunkers all over the world.

 

In a world without rules and characters who aren't sterling pillars of morality, what course will the future of humanity take? And just how many others have survived and will they be allies, enemies or something else entirely?

 

Champions meets Gamma World....oh, the possibilities!

 

Now that was rep worthy.

 

Looks like I am going to lift an idea again.

 

Thanks Matt

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

Now that was rep worthy.

 

Looks like I am going to lift an idea again.

 

Thanks Matt

 

Thanks for the rep!

 

Still working the idea over in my head, here's an alternate idea if your players are lukewarm to being prisoners: In the corporation's desperation to get a decent sample of humanity, certain members of the population were offered a monetary payment for their participation -- either in advance to take care of immediate financial problems or to assist family members through the character's absence; or promised in the future (substancially more) to either the character or the character's heirs depending on if the character survived.

 

If you do run this one, keep me updated on how it goes!

[Super Squirrel]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

Guards!!!

 

The characters all build Fantasy Hero level city guards. They try and stop the adventures and the bad guys alike from break the crimes of the city and making their area safe to sleep in at night.

[Korvar]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

I game to be a Hero' date=' not a victim... and the latter is the only way I've ever seen Cthulhu ran or discussed.[/quote']

 

Are you saying being a hero is only fighting the battles you can win?

 

More seriously, I know what you mean. I do need to be able to feel that I can make a difference, and after the adventure is over, that I have made a difference. And the Cthulhu I've played in has generally been like that. Certainly the proposed Mythos Gangbusters would be more that way.

 

Having said that, I've played in some astounding good one-off Cthulhu adventures (by Pagan Publishing, I think) where the plot can be basically summed up as "You all die horribly." But what a ride! Of course, that's one-off scenarios, where you don't mind your character dying quite so much

[Basil]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

Guards!!!

 

The characters all build Fantasy Hero level city guards. They try and stop the adventures and the bad guys alike from break the crimes of the city and making their area safe to sleep in at night.

From Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

Dedication

They may be called the Palace Guard, the City Guard, or the Patrol. Whatever the name, their purpose in any work of heroic fantasy is identical: it is, round about Chapter Three (or ten minutes into the film) to rush into the room, attack the hero one at a time, and be slaughtered. No-one ever asks them it they wanted to.

 

This book is dedicated to those fine men.

Somehow, your idea doesn't sound so appealing, considering that.

[GoldenAge]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

A few years back I started a game called Time For A Change.

 

It was a "you're the very first paranormal ever" low powered mixed game (Dark/4color Champs). Each character could have only 1 super power. In addition he/she had to define that power in such a way as to allow real world consequences for its use.

 

Flinder: A young black male from the ghetto whose anger drove him to burst into flame. Upon immolation he had only a few seconds to act and a few minutes to live. (No flight, EB or other stuff, just a Flame Damage Shield to which he was not immune)

 

Elijah Rhodes: A cop who manifested super speed during a standoff. As he ran to disarm the criminal his speed came upon him and he and the criminal collided. The criminal was killed and Elijah ended up in traction for months. Elijah required special shoes, a breathing apparatus, and an exoskeleton (to keep his bones and tendons from snapping during turns) to utilize his power. Large degree turns at full speed made him black out due to the G forces involved.

 

Society's Shield: Over a two month period SS gained incredible density (but not size). His bones bent and broke as the weight came on. After two years in traction his body finally adapted to the abnormal weight. Unfortunately the world had not. Society's Shield couldn't ride an automobile smaller than a Mac Truck, Walk up stairs, walk on wooden flooring... etc. He was given a special pair of boots with big weight dispersion soles (shaped like inverted medieval shields), which allowed him to walk on roads and sidewalks without damaging them. However, the mark of Society’s Shield was often left at the scene of the action.

 

There were others.

 

This campaign was meant to be a mind bender. The characters still needed to save the day, but do so within the limitations of their very own powers.

 

We tried to play by e-mail… but life got in the way.

[Hermit]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

West Coast GRAB: You're a minor super villain who doesn't really want to hurt anybody. Maybe you're in it for the thrills, maybe you're in it for the cash, maybe you want to play Robin Hood and share the wealth... whatever it is, you're perfect for GRAB, but they're mostly hanging out in Millennium City and points east, and here you are near the pacific. Not to worry, the Old man has a plan... franchising the GRAB name and making a network. You're invited.

[Hermit]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

Squash City A dark city where its always harvest time. Where zuchinni in the sex entertainment industry protect their patch of turf, where an old gourd has to keep a pretty young tomato safe from being violated by a deranged pumpkin, and a Melon named Marv worries his mind may rot if he forgets to take his perservatives.

 

 

 

(Obviously a parody/homage to Sin City; also inspired by Dan Simon's insistance that no sexy Zuchinni pictures be posted unless you have the rights to them )

[i3ullseye]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

One I hop to start up this weekend actually.....

 

Ach Tung! Cthulhu!

 

the heroes are working with/for the Allies in late World War I. As the war ends, they follow up on some of the activities of the new growing Nazi/Workers party. I want this to run during the transisiton between the end of WWI and the start of WWII. The rumour is that the Nazis are after occult artifacts, and the group is trying to make sure they don't find anything actually useful.

 

As time goes on, they find out the truth is that Hitler thinks the occult is all bunk, but masterfully uses symbo.logy and Jungian archetypes to control people. All very real world history here. Also real world history, some of his higher lieutenants are into the occult and believe that holds the key to their power. So while the masses think hitler is an occult crazed nutjob, the players realize he isn't, but his followers just might be onto something.

 

As they investigate further, they uncover ancient evils ala Cthulhu, and have to intercede without making anyone aware of the real power, and real danger, that lurks just beneath the surface.

 

Dark Shores!

 

I hope to re-start a FH campaign I ran years ago with new players. the basic idea is that a prophecy has come true on the Western Shores (form the FH 4th Ed book) and a powerful lich like creature has turned the lands into a dark and undead infested shell of it's former self. Very Ravenloft stuff.

 

All the lands were tainted, except for the one bastion of purity and hope in all the shores, the pirate island of Dornica! It was protected from the darkness so the only chance for salvation comes form the peoples of the island of crime and backstabbing. This limits the magical choices, and many other backgrounds, but keeps things very tightly focused into a common goal.

 

As the campaign progresses, 2 major foes are found to be trying to take the dark power they both thought was rightfully to be theirs. One, a dark lich who leads a council of death knights, the other a Lich empowered Shogunate lord, who uses accupuncture needles to turn normal humans into walking Samurai undead.

 

The players, while trying to stop the overall evil, get caught between a power feud of these 2 liches, each of which see the heroes as bait, or potential tools, to steal the dark power for themselves.

 

Kolchak/Chronicle

 

Both of these shows were great. I woudl love to run a game where the players ran investigators or reporter types, looking into bizarre and supernatural happenings. Not to be overly cliched X-Files type stuff, but kinda tongue in cheek the world isn't ready for the truth type stuff.

 

This one would make for GREAT one shots, and the few overarching storylines could be almost anything.

[Chimpira]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

From Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

 

Somehow, your idea doesn't sound so appealing, considering that.

 

Ah but Since I have read every single novel featuring those guards from that novel, I would sign up in an heartbeat.

 

Just as long as get to be Sam Vimes.

 

From Thud! by Terry Pratchett when Sam Vimes is in a meeting with the City's ruler.

 

"WE need to know the truth, Vimes. Commander Sam Vime's truth. It may count for more than you think. In the Plains, certainly, and much further. People know about you, Commander. Descendant of a watchman who believed that if a corrupted court will not behead an evil king, then the watchman should do it himself-"

"It was only one king," Vimes protested. "It waasn't a habit!"

"Sam Vimes once arrested me for treason," said Vetinari calmly. "And Sam Vimes once arrested a dragon. Sam Vimes stopped a war between nations by arresting two high commands. He's an arresting fellow, Sam Vimes. Sam Vimes killed a werewolf with his bare hands, and carries law with him, like a lamp-"

[hooligan x]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

I used this once and now it's done. But I miss it so...

 

When my PCs went to Hell, they found it it the end of a civil war. The Queen of Hell lived in a walled city built on wheels and pulled by a million damned.

 

I got a note passed under the table by on of the players that read:

 

"Cooooooooool!"

[BcAugust]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

This is one I've been mulling over for a while, given my groups habit of making alternate worlds, and the blast I have running them.

 

"Everybody knows about alternate worlds, especially recently with the introduction of superheros from them. However, not everyone knows there are people who can consiously cross into them, sometimes just mentally, sometimes physically. You are those people, and you've been hired by Janus Gateway corperation. Using experimental techniques, they've managed to unlock some of the worlds... but they need you to explore them and find out more. Of course, the process isn't always perfect..."

 

A game where the whole point is exploring alternate realities to their own. Sometimes in their own bodies, sometimes in the bodies of their own alternate self. It basically lets them tinker, me tinker and do crazy stuff like change power sets completely at one time or another. Oh, and what does Janus Gateway sell? *smiles* That's to find out in game.

[gmurie]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

Bioarmor Teen Champions

 

Inspired by one of my favorite games, Cybergeneration.

 

This is a teen champions game. You provide the players with some templates of popular teen stereotypes (Goth, Jock, Geek, Motorhead, Burnout, Honors Student, etc...) and have them build 0 point characters. These would be exceptional kids in one respect or another. Most teens, lets be honest here, are -25 point characters.

 

Lots of mental limits with no skills or perks to balance them.

 

Have the players play out a session where they are chosen to go on a wilderness retreat together. Get them lost, have them run into wild animals, then on the next session....

 

The kids wake up lost in the wilderness, and they have the sense that some time has passed, and they're not where they went to sleep. They're all bruised, scraped up and cut. Parties unknown have implanted them with "Guyver-like" bio armor. Aliens? Dr. Destroyer? Viper? Rogue elements of UNTIL or PRIMUS?

 

Unknown! But small contingients of all these agencies and more appear to collect the characters and get into a fracas over them. As they dodge blaster fire their powers manifest.

 

The fun is that you as the GM choose the powers. This was the fun of Cybergeneration, and believe it or not the players were often thrilled by it. THey had no idea what powers they got, so the Jock ended up as a Mentalist, and the nerd ended up as a Brick. They often found creative ways to use their powers that you'd never imagine.

 

So character construction goes thusly:

 

1. Players build 0 point teens

2. You tack 200 points "Bioarmor" powers and disads onto them.

3. The players get to add another 20 points powers and skills of their own choice over the next three play sessions as they choose what they want to do with their new powers. 50 points from limits and base cost and 10 points experience.

 

There! Now maybe that will stop ricocheting around in my skull!

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

One I hop to start up this weekend actually.....

 

Ach Tung! Cthulhu!

 

the heroes are working with/for the Allies in late World War I. As the war ends, they follow up on some of the activities of the new growing Nazi/Workers party. I want this to run during the transisiton between the end of WWI and the start of WWII. The rumour is that the Nazis are after occult artifacts, and the group is trying to make sure they don't find anything actually useful.

 

As time goes on, they find out the truth is that Hitler thinks the occult is all bunk, but masterfully uses symbo.logy and Jungian archetypes to control people. All very real world history here. Also real world history, some of his higher lieutenants are into the occult and believe that holds the key to their power. So while the masses think hitler is an occult crazed nutjob, the players realize he isn't, but his followers just might be onto something.

 

As they investigate further, they uncover ancient evils ala Cthulhu, and have to intercede without making anyone aware of the real power, and real danger, that lurks just beneath the surface.

 

One of my favorite plots from comics is from Operation: Stormbreaker, set in WWII with Dr. Tomorrow. http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=fullsize&issue=59036211644%201

 

**Spoiler**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part of the plot includes Hitler's astrologer trying to use a nuke to create a new "star" in the right position to change his own fortunes dramatically.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: Sharing the Campaign ideas you can't use... yet

 

This one is inspired by Tim Powers novel "Declare" (and to a lesser extent Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum"), and ever since I read it I have wanted to run this campaign. Basically an espionage-type of campaign in which the supernatural exists, although it is largely hidden from the masses. However, various agencies have special, ultra-secret groups that deal with the supernatural threats and other agencies attempts to control the same. Characters would be your basic spy, but probably with some mentalist or occult powers. Characters would have to figure out who are their allies, who are their enemies, and who are just crackpots who have no real idea of what is going on. Most of the time would be spent on various missions, but the overarcing storyline would be to find out who is really pulling the strings and why, and ultimately where the characters loyalties really lie.

 

___________________________________________________________

"Rich people scare me. They can already evade taxes." - Grim Reaper