Prometheus Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 When I run a story arc for my players, I usually like to pay a little homage to something we (or I) enjoy. Old games, TV shows, movies, defunct comics and characters- whatever happens to inspire me at the time or strikes my fancy. I generally keep it subtle, a reference to a location, an NPC's name, a quote, etc. This time around I'm going for something a little more ambitious. For a change of pace, I'm running a story arc with a conspiratorial/political bent, the inspiration being Steve Jackson's wonderful game, Illuminati. I'd planned to have the PCs' opposition each represent an Illuminati power, and I had a fairly detailed- but flexible- outline for the plot, with some room to later include the groups I couldn't immediately link to the Champions Universe. Well, "best laid plans" and all that. The story is moving along, but I'm having a bad case of writer's block, coupled with indecisiveness, that's giving me trouble with the references. I already locked down the Gnomes of Zurich, the Network, and the Bavarians- and even included an appearance by the U.N.- but that still leaves several other important groups. Anybody have some suggestions for characters/groups/NPCs in the Champions universe that might fit the bill? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redmenace Posted May 14, 2003 Report Share Posted May 14, 2003 Re: Illuminated Hero Originally posted by Prometheus When I run a story arc for my players, I usually like to pay a little homage to something we (or I) enjoy. Old games, TV shows, movies, defunct comics and characters- whatever happens to inspire me at the time or strikes my fancy. I generally keep it subtle, a reference to a location, an NPC's name, a quote, etc. This time around I'm going for something a little more ambitious. For a change of pace, I'm running a story arc with a conspiratorial/political bent, the inspiration being Steve Jackson's wonderful game, Illuminati. I'd planned to have the PCs' opposition each represent an Illuminati power, and I had a fairly detailed- but flexible- outline for the plot, with some room to later include the groups I couldn't immediately link to the Champions Universe. Well, "best laid plans" and all that. The story is moving along, but I'm having a bad case of writer's block, coupled with indecisiveness, that's giving me trouble with the references. I already locked down the Gnomes of Zurich, the Network, and the Bavarians- and even included an appearance by the U.N.- but that still leaves several other important groups. Anybody have some suggestions for characters/groups/NPCs in the Champions universe that might fit the bill? Slug and his Elder Worm masters for Cthulu or find a copy of Champions 3D for the Horror world section, there was also a Horror enemies book. The Ufos could employ Firewing but that seems too overt, Esper from CKC would be better and Menton and Mentalla better still. Fiacho could represent the Gnomes of Zurich. Doctor Destroyer would be aware of the other power blocks and working to subvert them. Maybe his expatriate agents Menton and Mentalla are actually pulling strings from behind the scenes. Maybe Doctor Destroyer doesn't exist at all. Of course in a truly Illuminated campaign the Champions would be working for Shangrila, or whatever the "good guy" illuminated group is, which would secretly be manipulated behind the scenes by Doctor Destroyer. Imagine how surprised they will be when they discover they helped him take over the world. Good Luck and if you don't already have them, consider taking a look at Gurps books Warehouse 23, Pyramid and Black Ops. Fnord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted May 14, 2003 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2003 The outline I have has the main plot with two "bookend" stories that relate to it. The first involves Eurostar as the Gnomes of Zurich ("Eurostar does not rob banks. We wreck economies."), the last may have to be the UFO's, since- like you mentioned- aliens tend to be a little overt. I own GURPS Illuminati and Wherehouse 23; they were actually the two key inspirations. There are some good guidelines, particularly in Illuminati, but I can't seem to get my brain to mesh them together with the Champions universe. Some of it was easy: CKC has a great representative for the Network (who also happens to fit into the plot very nicely), and everyone in the Champions Universe knows at least one Bavarian with an agenda and the power to back it up. The Servants of Cthulhu have a least one potential representative, but what about the Discordian Society, or the Bermuda Triangle (GRAB, perhaps?)? And that's before you even consider the likes of Shangri-La. Ugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackCobra Posted May 14, 2003 Report Share Posted May 14, 2003 Oooh, ooh -- happy to oblige. Lot's of good ideas: Society of Assassins: easy, all those different hitmen, murder organizations and assassins-supervillains are really all part of the Society -- or (of course!) work for someone who does. You hardly ever need to tip your hand, just perhaps have odd connections between assassins (or assassinations) that seem to be completely unrelated. UFOs: also easy -- just lump all the aliens (or all the ones not in the Bermuda) into an umbrella organization, maybe an alien UN that can't entirely agree on how to manage first-contact relations, or is attempting to meddle in Earth affairs to get it ready for joining up. Servants of Cthulhu -- gosh, do you really need help with this one? Let's try various demon-summoning and/or death cults, variously showing up and causing havoc, each of which (it turns out) is attempting to (1) weaken the World Gates for the great Summoning to occur in X years, or (2) collect all the correct stuff to do the Great Summoning. In either case, I'd suggest a nameless underling that visibly gets away each time (even if they use something flashy like teleport) right as the rest of the cult is getting trounced. You might even have them use the same spell or item to effect their escape. Bermuda Triangle -- several possibilities here. Option A: this is a tightly-held secret opening into an alternate world, one Atlantis went to when the rest of the world went to heck. They've been watching, waiting and quietly changing things from behind the scenes. Once in a while, they capture individuals they think are special and incorporate them into their Plan. Option B: they're a different faction of aliens who don't quite agree with what the UFO group are doing. Or rebels who fled to Earth and can't let anyone know they're there...... Discordians -- oh, who knows WHAT these guys are up to! But I can tell you one thing, a certain fox-styled superclown is definitely a member. And you could probably stick every other lame or clownish super into it, and then slowly reveal strange connections between them (they're all the same age? they all use the same glue in their glue-guns? they all have green eyes?). Shangra-La -- ah, my personal favorite. Have you ever seen a movie (old!) where this plane crash-lands somewhere in the himalayas, and the folks are rescued by natives & europeans. They're taken to a valley, where it turns out they've been preserving art and knowledge against the ravages of time and men. They're also aging Really Slowly (because life is so KEEN there). So agents of Shangra-La will be a strange mix --- those who acquire art, buy books, computers, etc. They also make strange offers to scientists and philosphers, if they can make the journey and weather the coming Storm. They also work to promote peace in the world, which is no mean feat. But above all they preserve what's good and keep it secret from the rest. Enjoy -- hope that helps your writer's block! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Destroyer Posted May 15, 2003 Report Share Posted May 15, 2003 Hello, Ah, the tangled webs of Illumination... Most of the villainous characters and organizations in CU and CKC, even the "master villains", are fairly straightforward criminals in the classic "four-color" style, and seem more suitable as potential pieces on the Secret Masters' Great Game board, than as the Masters themselves. Still, there are some that strike me as having a fair degree of Illuminated potential. In no particular order, we have: VIPER - with ties to Victorian-era secret societies, links with mysterious serpent-cults, and a hidden leadership whose true goals are cloaked in obscurity, VIPER has always seemed to me to be a group with lots of Illuminated possibilities. Their continual struggle for political power by violent means would seem to align them with the master political conspirators, Bavaria. DEMON - arcane secrets that grant great power, multiple levels of initiation steeped in ancient ritual, and an unholy agenda known only to an elite few of the highest leadership would seem to make DEMON the most Illuminated among known CU organizations. Obvious Illuminated affiliations would seem to include the Servants of Cthulhu and the Adepts of Hermes. ARGENT - a technological conspiracy of this magnitude must surely have come to the attention of the Network. Their forays into the arenas of crime and conquest may indicate that they are a Network tool for use against Bavaria. UNTIL - they are an arm of the United Nations, that has been granted unprecedented international power, even in nations such as the United States that have traditionally resisted UN influence. And the UN is, as all students of conspiracy know, the current shaper of the One World Government plot that will bring on the New World Order desired by the Ancient Illuminated Seers of Bavaria... PSI - with their potential for subtle manipulation, they would seem to be excellent conspirators. But a closer look shows them to be low-rent gutter sweepings who lucked into power; far too ignorant and limited of vision to operate on an Illuminated scale. Their former mentor, Dr. Sebastian Poe, would seem a much more likely candidate for Illuminati recruitment; perhaps his current ruination is Illuminati punishment for failing with the experiment that has wound up as the current incarnation of PSI... the Lemurians - a remnant offshoot of humanity, remembering true history stretching back to the glory days of Atlantis, living secretly in subterranean fastnesses, and even in their decadence commanding strange and awesome ancient magics like no other. All kinds of potential here for ties to about any of the not-explicitly-technological Illuminati groups. the Atlanteans - similar to the Lemurians, but living underwater instead of underground, and also ideally situated for affiliation with the Bermuda Triangle... Shamballah and Agharti - secret cities hidden past labyrinthine passages and mystical wards that stretch and twist under the mighty Himalayas, locked in a centuries-old mystic struggle fought with sorcerous means towards unknown ends. Geography and apparent philosophy would seem to link Shamballah with Shangri-La; Agharti may have ties with other mystically-oriented Illuminati groups. RSvKg - the occult roots of Nazi prejudices have a prominent place in some conspiracy theories, and the RSvKg seems like a CU analogue to such shadowy real-world organizations as the Thule Gesellschaft, the Germanenorden, and the Ahnenerbe ("Ancestral Research", a branch of the SS). Sure, the Nazis have been out of power for a few decades; that just means that the RSvKg packed into the U-boats and sailed off to the secret Argentine and Antarctic bases with the rest of the Fourth Reich plotters... Alien Races - most of the CU alien races seem much more the Starship Troopers/War of the Worlds type unsubtle alien invaders than the X-Files-ish alien conspirators that would best fit into an Illuminated campaign. The Varanyi, with their psi powers, would seem to have some potential here, but the best fit looks to be the Thane, with sorcerous powers (or simply "sufficiently advanced" technology?) and a reason to stay secretive until they can re-establish themselves. Dr. Yin Wu - here is one who seems truly to have the power, the brains, and the temperament to be a conspiratorial master. But the standard Illuminati groups seem a bit Western in outlook for him, except for Shangri-La which seems too benevolent; something along the lines of the White Lotus Society or the I Ho Chuan ("Boxers") would seem more appropriate for one of his anti-Western sentiments. Menton - with, like PSI, tremendous potential for behind-the-scenes shaping of events, Menton would seem to be an ideal master in a world-threatening conspiracy. But his power and his arrogance are so great that he would neither desire nor need the assistance of any conspiracy beyond those he can create for himself with telepathic compulsions. Mechanon - all but screams "Network! Network!". So much so, in fact, that he may be just a diversion by another Illuminated group... Tyrannon the Conqueror - definitely on the level of a Thing Man was Not Meant to Know, but about as unsubtle as it is possible to get. Still, despite disdaining conquest by means other than raw power, he (or, more likely, his servants) may become involved in conspiracy for reasons relating to his odd code of honor. So, there are a few ideas to play with. Have fun with them! Posted by Prometheus: I own GURPS Illuminati and Wherehouse 23; they were actually the two key inspirations. There are some good guidelines, particularly in Illuminati, but I can't seem to get my brain to mesh them together with the Champions universe. You may also want to take a look at GURPS Cabal, which is written by Kenneth Hite, and steeped in conspiratorial weirdness. It also contains the way-cool GURPS Hermetic Magic rules, a development of the standard GURPS magic system. Posted by BlackCobra: ah, my personal favorite. Have you ever seen a movie (old!) where this plane crash-lands somewhere in the himalayas, and the folks are rescued by natives & europeans. They're taken to a valley, where it turns out they've been preserving art and knowledge against the ravages of time and men. They're also aging Really Slowly (because life is so KEEN there). This sounds like a film version of Lost Horizon, the novel in which Shangri-La first appeared. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Goodwin Posted May 15, 2003 Report Share Posted May 15, 2003 Old idea: Deal out a Tarot reading using your Illuminati cards. Make sure your placements of cards follow the Illuminati rules. Find some way to work the groups you get into the Champions universe. Viola. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug McCrae Posted May 15, 2003 Report Share Posted May 15, 2003 Discordia = CLOWN, assuming they exist in the new Championsverse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug McCrae Posted May 15, 2003 Report Share Posted May 15, 2003 If you have the old Steve Jackson card game (either version would work fine) you could try this, something I've considered but never implemented. Play a game and take notes as it progresses. For example, Bavaria takes control of the Pentagon, which then, asssisted by the Hackers, take control of the Ku Klux Klan. Italy gets destroyed by a combination of Meteor Shower and Giant Kudzu, sent by the Servants of Cthulhu. Instant plot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted May 15, 2003 Report Share Posted May 15, 2003 Originally posted by Doug McCrae Giant Kudzu, sent by the Servants of Cthulhu. Instant plot! Dude! That is so Foxbat! Hmm. A definite Discordian. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackCobra Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 Originally posted by Scott Destroyer This sounds like a film version of Lost Horizon, the novel in which Shangri-La first appeared. Hope this helps! [/b] Wow, I bow to your superior, er, geek-knowledge-ness. And I just saw this movie again like 2 weeks ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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