djday38 Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Give me one of the above that you think is a must in a superhero universe. I will start the ball rolling. CHARACTER TYPE Dark Avenger of the Night - example -Batman This is a must have the ultimate normal human crime fighter master of many skills and able to go up against supers and win with his intellect, will and experiance and a healthy dose of heroism and gadgets! rgds Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? The Ultimate Good Guy, a flying brick that could execute criminals with a flick of his pinkie, but who also has a total CVK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? Supervillains who can only possibly be stopped by our heroes. Superhero satires, good and bad, often drop these, as do people who think they want a "realistic" campaign. Unfortunately, without Super bad guys, Superheroes are just flying loons in fetish-wear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinanju Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? Supervillains who can only possibly be stopped by our heroes. Superhero satires' date=' good and bad, often drop these, as do people who think they want a "realistic" campaign. Unfortunately, without Super bad guys, Superheroes are just flying loons in fetish-wear.[/quote'] Example One: The film REMO WILLIAMS. Based on the Destroyer novels about Chiun and Remo Williams, Masters of Sinanju--they're superheroes in all but name. On behalf of CURE, they fight a rogue's gallery of superhuman opponents including, but not limited to, artificial intelligences obsessed with profit or survival, robots, weretigers, cyborgs, super-powered humans of various flavors, and armies of ninjas, commandos, mafia thugs, street gangs and the like. So what's the Big Bad in the movie? Pentagon cost overruns--some corporation is bilking the Defense Department. That's not a job for CURE. That's a job for the OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? Example One: The film REMO WILLIAMS. Based on the Destroyer novels about Chiun and Remo Williams, Masters of Sinanju--they're superheroes in all but name. On behalf of CURE, they fight a rogue's gallery of superhuman opponents including, but not limited to, artificial intelligences obsessed with profit or survival, robots, weretigers, cyborgs, super-powered humans of various flavors, and armies of ninjas, commandos, mafia thugs, street gangs and the like. So what's the Big Bad in the movie? Pentagon cost overruns--some corporation is bilking the Defense Department. That's not a job for CURE. That's a job for the OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET! So exactly right. They could have used the vegetarian vampires, or the Dutchman, or Mr.Gordons, or any of the other amazing bad guys that the series has to offer. Instead, they used chubby middle-aged defense contractors. A Superhero needs worthy foes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenAge Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? A link to the common man... let me explain: Supervillains and superheroes are awesome and that's what we're here for. It's assumed that they will hog the spotlight every time they appear... but who is shining that spotlight on them? Every good campaign needs a common man, a person(s) who can ground the game in reality. If super-powered people are all that's talked about in your game they'll become the norm. That's bad. Super powered folk should always be looked upon with awe as they do things that cause us to drop our jaws in awe and horror, hoping and wishing that they can save us or that some day we can be just like them. Some of the great common men include Lois Lane & Jimmy Olsen, Mary Jane & J. Jonah Jameson. One of the most effective in history was Billy Batson, who also held the godlike stature of Captain Marvel If you look closely there seems to be a common thread among the "spotlight" common man. They're the folks the rest of us get our news from. Be it by newspaper, radio or television these people tell us how we should feel about our paranormal neighbors. There is also the common man who, despite having no other powers than his conviction and courage, puts himself in harms way to protect us. He is the cop, the flatfoot, the PI, the guy who isn't all trusting in our super-protectors. He's the guy who screams foul when he sees the supers abusing their power. People like Police Commissioner Gordon, Harvey Bullock and Sam & Twitch help keep our superheroes on moral ground and are sometimes tasked with the unenviable chore of cleaning up after the supers skedaddle. And finally there's the common man behind the hero - the mechanic, the inventor, and my favorite, the butler. Without Alfred and Jarvis Batman and the Avengers would have been lost long ago. Be sure that your campaign never leaves these people behind. They’re the folks your superheroes are defending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenAge Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? Oh, and a corporate megalomaniac. Y'know, that guy who has a festering love/hate relationship with supers and is determined to prove that a normal man is still their better. Give me Lex or give me death! (Okay Dr. Thaddeus Bodog Sivana will do too... and maybe Ra's Al Ghul, or perhaps Wilson Fisk.. okay, there are a bunch of these guys out there.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenAge Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? Oh, Oh... and a superbase!!! Every hero group needs a place to meet and call their own. Without places like the Halls of Justice, Avenger's Mansion, Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum and the Baxter Building there would be hundreds of unintended civilian deaths as hordes of villains rut around trying to find our heroes. A well defined superhero headquarters saves lives!!!! Even hidden headquarters like the Batcave and Superman's Fortress of Solitude are hella-fun. Where else will your supers keep the Brillion death ray they confiscated from Professor Poof? How else will they keep the entire genome of the human race safe as a contingency plan for global genocide? Where the heck will they park their cars??? Can you imagine Batman feeding the meter every 3 hours? Well, can you?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemurion Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? A sense of family and continuity. A feeling that the heroes are connected to the world and to each other. Things like an early issue of Young Justice where Batman could not show up to deal with something regarding Robin, so he sent Nightwing instead. Nightwing is the perfect example of what I'm talking about. He started as a sidekick, then moved up to be a character and team leader in his own right, taking what he learned from his mentor and applying it in his own way. That and villains who aren't dead until you've done the autopsy, and even then you can never be sure that was really... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? A sense of family and continuity. A feeling that the heroes are connected to the world and to each other. There doesn't need to be any reason whatsoever to believe that the heroes exist in the same universe. Unless the heroes have a crossover, or become members of a team, it is quite acceptable to treat them as though they do not co-exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimpira Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? There doesn't need to be any reason whatsoever to believe that the heroes exist in the same universe. Unless the heroes have a crossover' date=' or become members of a team, it is quite acceptable to treat them as though they do not co-exist.[/quote'] Does that mean that you do not believe in a 'Living' Universe? By this I mean that maybe the heroes are having trouble fighting a villian and calls not for help but advice from another group that have successfully stopped the villian before. They know this because they saw it on the news while they were embroiled in their own fight against a different villian. This could work in reverse as a member of a superteam that they have not met but know of stumbles into their bases looking for help. I find that this would have more punch to it if they already know of this hero, instead of me having to inform them on the spot that the hero is supposed to be famous. Name recognition is a powerful thing.This is not to say that the world would get along well without the heroes nor should you feel that everyone has to be connected by more than the fact that they are heroes as well. You should never let the players feel that. One of the best times that I can remember having gaming was working with all the other Hi-tech characters (heroes and villians) in Sanctuary to rig the Sanctuary beauty contest (in revenge of the nerds style). This plot was not cooked up by the GM but myself and another player while we were there. This would not have happened if we did not live in a universe where we knew of the other heroes and villians (Seeker from The Champions and Lorelai from The Strike Force won every year). Although we did not know them personally, we knew of them and quite frankly I think it would have been funny if we had to go and ask Seeker or Lorelai for help later on because of our history with them. For the climax of an adventure to one of my old games, the Heroes took control of teleportation/communication system and called in every Super that they knew of to help in a fight against an alien invasion. Aliens that they had been fighting for quite some time. It was quite a scene with my players fighting a horde of enemies and then supers started porting in, buying the time for the players to do what they had came there for and giving dozens of worlds a chance to free themselves from the alien conquerors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? A lost land. Be it Atlantis, Shangri-La, Mu, Lemuria, or a valley of dinosaurs and cavemen, you need a lost land filled with ancient ruins, otherwise extinct animals, and a race of mystically (or technologically -- or both!) empowered people. And at least one hero and one villain need to come from said land and adventure in the outside world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clsage Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? Character Type: "The Smartest Guy You Will Ever Even Think Of Meeting" He could be a tech nerd who never leaves the safety of his apartment due to agoraphobia or he could be your favorite shellheaded power armor wearing hero. He could be benign and helpfull or a potential threat to all existance due to his own curiousity induced hubris. Best examples (of the basically benign type) are, of course, Reed Richards and Tony Stark. A case could be made for potentially including Bruce Banner, Ted Kord, Bruce Wayne and possibly Barbara Gordon (as Oracle). -Carl- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Serpent Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? Group: The Organization (evil) The criminal/terrorist group involved in all manner of plots, up to and including world domination. Frequent use of high tech and treachery to compete with a) greater numbers of conventional forces (police, army) and higher power of supers. VIPER, HYDRA, AIM, etc. Group: The Organization (good) Nemesis to the evil org. UNCLE to CRUSH, SHIELD to Hydra, GIJoe to Cobra. Usually government run, sometimes strictly military/intel, othertimes also has police powers. Group: PLOT Device Labs Various scientists working on all kinds of things that can run amok, be targeted for theft by villains, cause superheroes powers to act strangely, provide device needed to defeat villain, etc. STAR Labs in DC, Stark in Marvel, various independent scientists, university researchers, etc. Person/Threat: The Force of Nature Villain/beast/threat so powerful can rarely, if ever, be beaten by straight up force. Has to be defeated in roundabout, creative ways, or by unusual powers. Hulk, Juggernaut, Godzilla and the like. Group: The Threat from Beyond Be it international (Cold War Reds), alien (Skrulls, Thanagarians, etc) or extra-dimensional (Dark Dimension/Dormammu), this force of outsiders threatens our heroes, their home, and their way of life. Frequently much more powerful overall, but unable to turn their full attention to Earth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Serpent Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? People: Dark Reflections Villains who are the flip side of a hero, frequently with similar powers. Can be copy of powers, reversal of key psychological elements, or both. Red Skull to Captain America, Sinestro to Green Lantern, Zod to Superman, Magneto to Prof. X. Shows the "road not taken" by the hero. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelcyron Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? Place: The antimatter universe. This is also the source for other must-haves (such as SS's evil duplicates in DC, The Crime Syndicate of Amerika). "Every superhero needs at least one trip to the antimatter universe" -Kyle Rayner (might be slightly misquoted) Kelcyron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Serpent Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? Person: Thief with a Heart of Gold Criminal who engages in high-sneak, no-casualty robberies. Can be difficult to defeat, but little to no danger of the heroes being killed by them, and might provide a useful ally at times against other threats and possibly a strained romantic interest for a hero as well. Various versions of Catwoman in DC, Black Cat in Marvel, Lady Blue from the CU. Character type: Quipster Hero who engages in the serious business of crime-fighting in a (seemingly) devil-may care fashion, sometimes with a comedic theme to their costume/powers, frequently making jokes and puns in battle, often humiliates opponents as they defeat them. Spider-Man, Ambush Bug, Jack-in-the-Box from Astro City, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted November 23, 2005 Report Share Posted November 23, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? Does that mean that you do not believe in a 'Living' Universe? By this I mean that maybe the heroes are having trouble fighting a villian and calls not for help but advice from another group that have successfully stopped the villian before. I'm not saying that crossovers are undesirable. I'm simply saying that they are not necessary. In the example you give, there would be no other group that has stopped the villain before. Indeed, there may be no other (super)group at all. In the extreme case, there may only be one superhero in the entire universe. Or else there will be a main superhero and his or her supporting cast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 24, 2005 Report Share Posted November 24, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? Villains: The Chump. There will always be some need of comedy relief in a game. You need a Bulldozer, MechanMarauder (Fabian Stankowicz from marvel), White Rabbit & the Walrus (also Marvel), Enforcer84 (these boards, here) to give players a fun, minor league threat that they can simply enjoy watching the GM parody the megalomaniacal rantings of a lightweight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starlord Posted November 24, 2005 Report Share Posted November 24, 2005 Re: Characters Places Things and Groups Needed for the Perfect Superhero Universe? - Archmage or Supreme Mystical Defender - Evil Power Incarnate Type Being - Deformed/Ugly Brick With Heart Of Gold - Alien Protector Of Solar System Who Happens To Spend An Inordinate Amount Of Time On Earth - Superhero Gods Or Godlike Beings - Hidden Civilizations On The Moon - Near Omniscient/Omnipotent Impartial Observer Of Superheroic Activities Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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