Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

[BigJackBrass]

Seriously now, does Foxbat feature as a regular in any campaigns out there? And if so, what does he bring to the setting? I've always imagined that my players would lynch me if I presented them with a loon like this running loose in the world.

 

I mean, rampaging bricks and megalomaniac mutants make perfect sense, obviously...

[red_eagle123]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

Foxbat has become a regular feature in my game. To the point that my just mentioning Foxbat makes half of them do facepalms accompanied with groans of mock-pain.

 

At the moment, Foxbat is running around calling himself Kitsune Dragon, as an homage to one of the PC's who nearly killed him. He's playing the part of the hero, but the players are all dead certain that's not going to last. They're right of course, but I'm just waiting for the right moment to spring the 'Heel Change' on them.

 

Foxbat has appeared 4 times now. By comparison, other published characters/teams that have appeared in my campaign include:

 

Mechanon (2 appearances, no other references, no other plans ATM)

Eurostar (1 Appearance, numerous references, no other plans ATM)

Dr. Muerte (1 appearance, more appearances coming soon)

Zodiac (1 appearance, no other references, possibly another scheduled appearance soon)

San Francisco Protectors (1 appearance, numerous references, no other plans)

NY Champions (1 appearance)

Dr. Destroyer (1 appearance, numerous references made, another appearance scheduled)

Viper (2 appearances, numerous references, no other plans ATM)

[TheTemplar]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

We've used Foxbat in a very similar manner. In one previous encounter where he was the villain ("How the Foxbat Stole Christmas") he inadvertantly trapped himself in a parallel dimension. Then, in our last season finale, whilst using the same device that banished Foxy, we managed to get a tremendously powerful supervillain trapped in there as well. However, the opening of this pocket dimension allowed Foxbat to get out. Convinced that The Defenders were trying to save his life, Foxbat has (as the previous poster used him) sworn off his life of crime and is now trying to join The Defenders. He's shown up twice now since then trying to prove what a valuable asset he could be to the team, each time emulating the schtick of one of the PC's as he struggles to find his own "heroic identity."

 

Naturally, because he's Foxbat, his attempts to aid in the superfight, no matter how noble they may be, inevitably end up aiding the opposition. And, he's always good to spend at least one or two phases a turn simply gliding around the battlefield warning the evil-doers that, "Foxbat can fly! FLY!!!!"

[Sketchpad]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

I use Foxbat quite a bit He's become the nemesis of one of the heroes and has even picked up his own "crew" to use in battles (though he tends to sacrifice them for his own getaway)

[BigJackBrass]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

...he inadvertantly trapped himself in a parallel dimension.

 

I think you might have just summed up his character in that one line

[Blue]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

Have not employed him in my current campaign. But he did make an appearance in my previous one.

 

He's just what you think he is; Comic relief! He's there for a change of pace.

[incrdbil]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

Mentioned, but not seen. My face to face game is in way too serious of a mode right now to through it off by a sideshow.My PBEM could use a cameo later though.

[CBikle]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

I've used Foxbat a few times in one-shot scenarios where he has some kind of elaborate and improbable plan that goes awry.

 

My experience has been that characters like Foxbat go over better (with PCs) if they make a quick entrance, do their thing and make a quicker exit.

 

Also Foxbat works because he's got sort of a "fun vibe"(unlike Clown, which had a "GM-fun" vibe.).

[Hermit]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

I use him as often as my players allow, but have to be careful not to let my fondness for the character bias me in his favor.

 

In addition to his whacky schemes:

I've used him as an ally to PCs to stop REALLY bad guys

I've used him as a source of info, he's crazy, not stupid, and his understanding of how comic book universes work means he has an oddly accurate instinct about what might go down next.

I've used him as a hunted for lovely lady characters who he has a crush on, or really cool characters who he wants to emulate or become a partner to.

I've even used him for social commentary.

 

The important thing to remember is Foxbat is a thorn in everyone's side, yet quite endearing as well, or should be, to the players if not their characters. He is... or at least plays the fool, rather than making fools of the PCs, but might still teach them something about themselves or their world. IMO anyway.

[Tom McCarthy]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

Foxbat is the recurring villain who gets the most play in my campaign. A Foxbat caper tends to be shorter and a bit more direct, and there aren't layers or minions to worry about (inept sidekicks, yes, but not minions).

 

So even if more sessions are devoted to mechanon or Dr. Destroyer, Foxbat runs more plots.

 

And he's the only one who can really be the villain for the Christmas Special (Foxbat plans to shoot down Santa!), the comedy caper (Who is kidnapping all the original guest stars of the Batman television series, and why?), and the mad Science! plot and still be the same guy.

 

I last used him to kick off an adaptation of M&M's Time of Crisis using the Champions Battlegrounds mall fight. Before that, one of the players wanted to GM, and I needed a quick and dirty 350 point hero. So I took Foxbat's character sheet, called him the Cannoneer, and proceeded to ham it up (8D6 NND up the nose!). When the Cannoneer was revealed to be Foxbat and to have successfully infiltrated the team, the players were flabbergasted.

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

I've even used him for social commentary.

 

Oh, please do tell.

[Hermit]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

Not TOO often, and it's hard to do them justice in detail.

 

There was a time he kidnapped various people, put them in cages (I forget why), but explained that it was okay for him to keep them there for a few hours because he was calling them 'cubicles'

 

That was one of my favorites, but then I've worked in coporate America and perhaps needed that for venting

 

I'll try to remember others.

[Kristopher]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

If I did have Foxbat show up in one of my games, he'd end his appearance in a mental institution, never to reappear.

 

Foxbat isn't funny, he's sad.

[Hermit]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

"We don't use the word insane. We prefer the term mentally hilarious. "

[Lucius]

Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

A couple of years ago, there was a thread soliciting quotes for Foxbat.

 

I said

 

(Foxbat slowly looks the players characters up and down)

"So I think I'm living in a comic book. Have you looked in the mirror lately? What am I SUPPOSED to think?"

 

 

 

Michael Nonenon once posted an incredible, elaborate idea for a campaign - I don't want to steal his thunder by describing it, but it involved an alien force abducting all the most "spiritually evolved" people on Earth. And he said "I want to work Foxbat into it but I'm not sure how."

 

I respoded "Obviously, Foxbot is among the chosen few, the most spiritually advanced. If it's spiritually evolved to be aware of the Truth about the universe one is in, and free of the common delusions about it, Foxbat qualifies.

 

He KNOWS he's living in a comic book."

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary only wishes we were living in a comic book.

[Brandi]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

There was a time he kidnapped various people, put them in cages (I forget why), but explained that it was okay for him to keep them there for a few hours because he was calling them 'cubicles'

 

That sounds more like the kind of street theatre I'd have Lady Blue do.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

Not TOO often, and it's hard to do them justice in detail.

 

There was a time he kidnapped various people, put them in cages (I forget why), but explained that it was okay for him to keep them there for a few hours because he was calling them 'cubicles'

 

That was one of my favorites, but then I've worked in coporate America and perhaps needed that for venting

 

I'll try to remember others.

 

Did he ransom them off?

 

"I'm placing these 100 men and women in "cubicles" where they will be forced to type randomly on typewriters until they come with something publishable! If the general public does not buy their work for $10,000, and agree to publish it, I will be forced to let them go after weeks of painstaking labor without compensation!!! Mwuhahahahahahahahaha!

[Dust Raven]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

I've used Foxbat as the primary nemisis for a player character before. The idea was that the player character was an honorable do-gooder who self styles himself as a borderline villian. Since Foxbat is an insane criminal who self styles himself as a borderline hero, they were the perfect match.

 

I've also picked him as a Hunted when I created Zectron, a superhero who thought life was a comic book. Who better than a villain that thought the same. Whenever the two would meet, combat would stop instantly as they attempted to soliliquey each other to death.

[Rapier]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

Foxbat and CLOWN show up pretty regularly.

 

The nice thing about the semi-serious villains is that you can pummel them silly and aren't too put out when they bust out of prison. It's also nice to not have to get deeply involved in some real serious plot device. Most of my plot lines are fairly real and not very "funny" and some lighter hearted villains are a nice change.

 

Not to say that Foxbat's schemes are push-overs or don't present some rather strong difficulty in resolving...it's just a different kind of tone.

[DEFCON Clown]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

I love Foxbat, I've only GMed once but I used him as the bad guy. He decided to run for mayor on the Foxbatocratican party. He used "voter-bombs" that exploded leaflettes to drum up support and he did win. He registered preschool kids and bought their votes with candy and Foxbat action figures. He also had stickers that said Vote for FOXBAT, and could only be removed with bleach.

[Haerandir]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

Foxbat is like a bad penny in our campaigns. He keeps turning up. Mostly he's used as comic relief, as a change of pace encounter after a big plot-heavy adventure.

 

However, I've seen him used as a way to rope the PCs into a longer-term plot without giving away too much at the beginning, as his crimes are so loony that he can reasonably be involved in (or interfere with) anything.

 

He's also good for giving the PCs a bad rep with the police or the media, if the plot should call for it, when he issues a challenge to them that they ignore because they're busy dealing with a 'real' villain.

[pinecone]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

Seriously now, does Foxbat feature as a regular in any campaigns out there? And if so, what does he bring to the setting? I've always imagined that my players would lynch me if I presented them with a loon like this running loose in the world.

 

I mean, rampaging bricks and megalomaniac mutants make perfect sense, obviously...

To me the looney hero is a part of the comics genera...even in "grim and gritty" games.(the sort I tend to run)

I don't use him often but thats because I'm not good at humor, not because I don't think he has a home.....

[pinecone]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

Foxbat is like a bad penny in our campaigns. He keeps turning up. Mostly he's used as comic relief, as a change of pace encounter after a big plot-heavy adventure.

 

However, I've seen him used as a way to rope the PCs into a longer-term plot without giving away too much at the beginning, as his crimes are so loony that he can reasonably be involved in (or interfere with) anything.

 

He's also good for giving the PCs a bad rep with the police or the media, if the plot should call for it, when he issues a challenge to them that they ignore because they're busy dealing with a 'real' villain.

 

For years I've been dying to spring this one on the players....I am irrationaly fond of mirror universe adventures...so I nab a write up of batman, erase the name , write in Dark foxbat, and we're off to the races...

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

Foxbat crops up semi-regularly. After doing a long, drawn-out, serious, end-of-the-world story arc, it's time to break it up with something more lighthearted.

 

He's also good for idiot savant GM hint dropping. He's remarkably skilled at showing up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and sometimes there's clarity in madness, after all.

[Rapier]

Re: Foxbat: A place in your campaign?

 

However' date=' I've seen him used as a way to rope the PCs into a longer-term plot without giving away too much at the beginning, as his crimes are so loony that he can reasonably be involved in (or interfere with) anything. [/quote']

 

This is actually quite a bit of fun in and of itself. With Foxbat's "issues" it's not too hard for a villain to convince him into some wacko plot.