Villian Relocation

[twschulz]

Hi folks,

 

Long time lurker, first-time poster and I have a question that maybe you nice folks can help me with it.

 

So, I've just started this campaign over here in Norway and since most of the players all come from different countries, I figured it would be better to try a different location than your typical U.S. city for a Champions campaign. We decided that Paris would be interesting enough. And I'm happy enough with it, especially since I've been there a few times, always helpful when bringing something to life.

 

Anyway, I also have the great CKC and, well, a lot of people are stationed in the U.S. (at least that's what I infer). Certainly some groups like EuroStar work fine. And most Master Villains work wherever they are. But there's all those nice stand-alone villains I would like to import as well. Certainly, some people can be "on vacation" and get a serious commit-a-international-crime-jones, but that could run rather thin.

 

So, does anyone have some semi-plausible ideas for moving certain nefarious NPC's to Europe by altering their origin or saying why they must relocate? I'm not interested in CU continuity, so name changes and stuff work too. Some ideas to get the ball rolling are what I really need.

 

I'm also aware of Champions Worldwide, but I would like to get a little milage out of CKC first.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

First, many villains would go where the work is. If someone's hiring for jobs in Italy, they'd go to Italy.

 

Second - why relocate when you can reinvent? Just change the nationalities in the origins, and in some cases names. I can't think of many villains that would HAVE to be American. Watch out for "Le Anklyosaur"!

 

Oh yeah...welcome to the boards!

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

Despite what SS said, I do think GRAB would be a likely team to relocate to Europe. Heroes over there tend to play more nicely than the Americans (at least, they might assume as much).

[Rage]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

Despite what SS said' date=' I do think GRAB would be a likely team to relocate to Europe. Heroes over there tend to play more nicely than the Americans (at least, they might assume as much).[/quote']

french cops have Machine Guns, I'd expect their supers to be nastier if anything.

 

I could see Howler in Europe, possibly destroying the Eurovision contest.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

Welcome aboard, twshulz. I think you're going to enjoy your time spent here - it's a pretty lively place, and we're a generally friendly and helpful bunch.

 

As you say, a number of the master villains in CKC could readily be active in Europe, since most of them operate internationally and some have their roots in that continent. Dr. Destroyer, Gravitar, Menton and the Warlord could all plausibly be working there. So too could the villains with well established reputations and m.o.'s as international mercenaries: Lazer, Masquerade, Mechassassin, Shadowdragon, and Utility.

 

Although the majority of the Crowns of Krim are from the Americas, Dark Seraph himself is British and maintains an estate in England, so it would be reasonable for all the Crowns to be assembled there from time to time. From there a short jaunt across the Channel to steal mystic artifacts, perform obscene rituals, or cause general suffering and mayhem, would be easy to justify.

 

Speaking of mystic artifacts, any villains with a background in archaeology and/or secret ID as an archaeologist might arrive to investigate a new find or purloin a special exhibit or collection. From CKC that would include Black Paladin (a natural to return to France), Anubis and Howler. If such a discovery had something to do with the Elder Worms, it would surely attract the interest of the Slug.

 

And let's not forget Cateran. Although she's spent many decades in the United States, she's travelled the world extensively over the centuries and may get a yen to visit the Old World.

 

In their attempts to recruit impressionable young mentalists, PSI might well open a "branch office" in Europe, probably under the cover of their self-help group Mind Incorporated.

 

Firewing will go anywhere in the world he thinks he can find a challenging fight - not much need for justification there.

 

Holocaust has ambitions of ruling the entire Earth, and his wealth and Contacts mean he could have interests anywhere.

[MitchellS]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

Well we know Gravitar is French and if you are using the Holocaust/Gravitar relationship he can also be easily relocated to France. Menton is Spanish, but could easily be anywhere in Europe.

 

Dark Seraph, Black Paladin [and you might want to check out the Shades of Black pdf adventure to use with him], and Cateran are all British and can easily be relocated.

 

Any of the mercenary villains [Ankylosaur, Lazer, Masquerade, Mechassassin, and Utility] could easily be working in Europe as well.

 

Morningstar has a DEMON origin but has faught UNITY so European is not out of the question for him. Riptide has links to a water elemental so she could also have a mystic European origin. I also think Zorran is a better fit in Europe then in the US. Other then that you can always have some of the others like Firewing or Nebula pop in as needed.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

Good call on Morningstar, and I forgot about Zorran. Black Paladin is French, not British, but that works even better for twshulz's purposes.

 

It occurs to me that since no one knows the origins or motivations of the Monster, it could appear in Europe as easily as America. And who better to haunt Notre Dame Cathedral or the caverns beneath the Paris Opera?

[Redmenace]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

1.) An American agency gains the use of a world class mentalist who can track super criminals within the boundaries of the North American continent but not much further. Any non mind shielded crooks who want to go about their business unhindered must find new places to expand into.

 

2.) The US super scene has gotten too violent with the public accepting the most bloodthirsty vigilantes as popular heroes. Some of the local villains get out to the more restrained European countries.

 

3.) Until, or perhaps the E.E.C., have constructed a new containment facility to house convicted super criminals and research means of countering their powers. The US has lent several medium risk offenders for study. Inevitably there is an breakout with the offender liberating as many fellow prisoners in order to maximize the chaos. Local crime figures offer support to the escapees in exchange for their talents.

 

4.) Someone is bringing in American super criminals for a big job, Eurostar is planning on seizing a former Warsaw pact country and declaring sovereignty.

 

5.) Teleios has been collecting samples of superhuman DNA and cloning copies for study. Something goes wrong and his many specimen are released onto the streets of a European city.

[st barbara]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

The only thoughts I had was that a team of U S villains might decide that life is too tough in the U S and try relocating to Europe. You might be able to have fun with them committing crimes while grappling with a strange language, strange customs, and a completly new bunch of heros (the PCs) who want to bring them down(not to mention the local villains who do NOT like the competition !)

[twschulz]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

Cool. Thanks for all the suggestions thus far. This is exactly what I needed, some sort of premise that places villains in the area and I was just stalled. We'll see how this goes, I must admit, it's been a few years since I've done this seriously, but it's exciting to have an enthusiastic group to start with this time.

 

Thanks again!

[Tamashii2000]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

I could easly see the ultimates moving over seas if they thought thier 'world vision' of a technocracy would be easier to make there. Followed by them quickly getting crushed by Eurostar...

 

 

Eurostar/Ultimates war anyone?

[Lightray]

If you're in a Bronze Age or Iron Age mindset (mainly), don't forget that by relocating to Paris you've given yourself another set of potential opponents:

 

American superheroes

 

It's a classic in comics that your superhero team must face off against teams of other nationalities, who should be allies, but which circumstances force them to be opponents.

 

Given the current US-France relations, this shouldn't be too hard to set up. It'll also allow you to use some of the Champions Universe heroes as rivals to the hero teams. Always good to mix it up in your PCs' opposition.

 

Of course, tradition would have it that eventually the two teams must set aside their differences and join forces against a greater threat -- which is where Firewing, Menton, Gravitar or the like could factor in.

[twschulz]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

Hmm... yes I would think a "Freedom Fries" type episode could even work for comic relief too. Well, in the ironic sense at least. Especially since it's no guarantee that the PC's necessarily are French themselves either. So the U.S. heroes think that, oh, heroes in Paris, they must be French. What? You're German? Same difference.

[assault]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

It's a classic in comics that your superhero team must face off against teams of other nationalities' date=' who should be allies, but which circumstances force them to be opponents.[/quote']

 

This is one of my favourite bits.

 

Of course, for some reason it's always American teams that end up fighting everyone else.

 

And they have the nerve to slag off the French...

 

---

 

Back in the 80s, the Australian published comic Southern Squadron had a really neat fight between Australian and American hero teams. It was inspired by the X-Men story which saw that team resettling in Australia.

 

I'd scan a few panels except some of the language isn't really Comics Code compatible, and it's off-topic for the thread anyway.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

Hmm... yes I would think a "Freedom Fries" type episode could even work for comic relief too. Well' date=' in the ironic sense at least. Especially since it's no guarantee that the PC's necessarily are French themselves either. So the U.S. heroes think that, oh, heroes in Paris, they must be French. What? You're German? Same difference. [/quote']

Now, wait a minute -- we're not that stupid.

 

Well, most of us aren't, anyway.

 

Well, most of us who are classy enough to be "heroes."

 

Well... never mind.

[Doc Tough]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

Doc sez...

 

It really should be simple to relocate them. Since Champions tends to be very US centered who's to say that you can't tweak the origins of the villains you want to be Eurocentric with the US as the area that has fewer supers. It would be interesting to see something like this take place in a campaign.

 

Doc Tough

[st barbara]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

If you're in a Bronze Age or Iron Age mindset (mainly), don't forget that by relocating to Paris you've given yourself another set of potential opponents:

 

American superheroes

 

It's a classic in comics that your superhero team must face off against teams of other nationalities, who should be allies, but which circumstances force them to be opponents.

 

Given the current US-France relations, this shouldn't be too hard to set up. It'll also allow you to use some of the Champions Universe heroes as rivals to the hero teams. Always good to mix it up in your PCs' opposition.

 

Of course, tradition would have it that eventually the two teams must set aside their differences and join forces against a greater threat -- which is where Firewing, Menton, Gravitar or the like could factor in.

Well it was always a cliche of "Marvel" comics that that happened. At D C in the "Silver Age" all the heros seemed to know one another and got on just fine. Very few fights unless there was some sort of "mind control" involved.

[jack-o-lantern]

Re: Villian Relocation

 

Most villains will relocate with decent bait.

 

Demon- could definitely see a shadowy circel of cultists commiting rituals in the gothic sewers of Paris. Lots of artifacts and "objectes artes" pass through Paris to be sold at auction or displayed who knows what poweres they actually have.

 

Viper- Have a small to medium sized cell to run day to day blackmial, extortion andmmaybe drug rackets. They also keep the ear to the ground for work requiring them to hire in specialists for heist or terrorism.

 

Detroyer- Paris is a capital city with lmany embasssies why not have the Doctor have one established. Diplomatic intrigues and incidents abound.

 

Foxbat- Read (well looked ot the photgraphs he doesn't speak French) and article in a Sunday magazine of Figaor or Le Monde about him. Moves to France where is genius will be appreiciated.

 

Tech seeking Villains- Pairs is a city where deals are done and has several high tech industries based there or a little further north to Lille. Heits and espionage opportunities.

 

Green card- Super merc tires of the rat race and realises he can't settle down anywhere civilised. No problem he signs up to the foriegn legion. The French goverment is unsure to begin with but is convinvced that this an opportunity for publicity. The merc does his tour with flying colours and is offered citizenship. Is he trusted by all, a hero to armed forces from his tour, have enemies cahsing, turned over a new leaf, have a secret agenda.

 

Borders- The EU has made it easier to travel across europe. Villain from any European nation could turn up your heroes may need to chase down. Several such as Menton and Dark Seraph have been mentioned already.

 

American homage- Grab a wereolf, base like villain. Attach a french name and throw him into the countryside.