djday38 Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 I have noticed there are plans for a Galactic Champions sourcebook, and their are tentative plans for sourcebooks dealing with the teen, golden and silver age sub genres as well. I was just wondering are their any plans for a sourcebook dealing with the mutant genre as per the modern marvel universe. We already have have some over spill such as the Minutemen robots and the institute for human advancement. We also have quite a few solo mutant villains and heroes running around. I cannot remember however any X-Men type group being mentioned thus far. are there plans for these type of characters or will the mutant problem be kept "light" and not dominate too much as it seems to in the modern marvel universe? rgds Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 We don't have any particular plan for a Champions supplement focused on mutants. I won't say the idea is beyond the realm of possibility, but it's not on our present agenda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom McCarthy Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 I don't know if it fits the Champions Universe In my own campaign, I've got one player who really wants to play in an angst-filled prejudiced riddled mutant-hating campaign world. And I've got 4 players who are mutants and don't. I think it's a genuine subgenre of superhero adventure, and I think Hero Games should consider doing such a book someday. It has its own tone, its own unusual characteristics ('the enemy of my enemy' takes on interesting tone when all three factions have conflicted at one time or another). I just don't know if it will work except as a tiny corner of the Champions Universe. I certainly struggle with the idea that one 350 pt mutant wants Hunted by IHA (11-, more pow, kill) while another wants Hunted by IHA (8-, less pow, capture); or that the same two have reaction to their DF: Mutant at opposite ends of the scale. Perhaps if the mutant hating agenda came to a climax in the Champions Universe, you could have one timeline where events snapped back to 4-colour and another where prejudice remained. You could isolate the setting geographically, but I'm not certain about the wisdom of portraying a particular geographic region as less tolerant than the rest of the world (As a campaignsetting, it might be neat to say all those pogroms against mutants happen in Springfield, USA, but what about when people from Illinois find out you mean Springfield, Ill ?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 I'm not sure if you're aware of it, Dean, but in the days of 4th Edition Hero Games did put out a supplement focussing on X-Men style anti-mutant campaigns: The Mutant File by Sean Fannon. Now, you're liable to hear from people who disliked various elements of that book: the high power levels of many of the characters (they don't seem quite so powerful now compared to the new standards ), or the organization and structure of the main groups in the book (admittedly derivative). However, IMO many of the characters are interesting, you get lots of ideas for specialized anti-mutant equipment, and the book presents some useful observations on how to run a mutant-paranoia campaign, what attitudes and interactions the characters were likely to experience, what constitutes a "mutant" in a supers world, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 Re: I don't know if it fits the Champions Universe Originally posted by Tom McCarthy In my own campaign, I've got one player who really wants to play in an angst-filled prejudiced riddled mutant-hating campaign world. And I've got 4 players who are mutants and don't. Well, if the players are mutants themselves, they're probably trying to get away from that sort of angst-ridden life -- in fact, that's probably why they play RPGs in the first place. I think it's a genuine subgenre of superhero adventure, and I think Hero Games should consider doing such a book someday. It has its own tone, its own unusual characteristics ('the enemy of my enemy' takes on interesting tone when all three factions have conflicted at one time or another). I just don't know if it will work except as a tiny corner of the Champions Universe. I certainly struggle with the idea that one 350 pt mutant wants Hunted by IHA (11-, more pow, kill) while another wants Hunted by IHA (8-, less pow, capture); or that the same two have reaction to their DF: Mutant at opposite ends of the scale. Perhaps if the mutant hating agenda came to a climax in the Champions Universe, you could have one timeline where events snapped back to 4-colour and another where prejudice remained. You could isolate the setting geographically, but I'm not certain about the wisdom of portraying a particular geographic region as less tolerant than the rest of the world (As a campaignsetting, it might be neat to say all those pogroms against mutants happen in Springfield, USA, but what about when people from Illinois find out you mean Springfield, Ill ?). Or even Springfield, Oregon.... Seriously, I think there would be some merit to doing a book on The Mutant World to go along the lines of The Mystic World, a book already on the Hero Games calendar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klytus Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 My campaign tends to strike a balance with the whole "mutant-problem" issue. To the majority of the general pubic, mutants are "cool, neat and fascinating", but they are also regarded with fear. I mean, lets face it, folks who can shrug off bullets or toss cars are scary to behold! Governments tend to see mutants and metahuman as problems to be dealt with - after all, it is almost impossible for normals to contain most metahumans without the aid of other metahumans. There is, however, a very powerful minority that fears and hates all metahumans (and not just mutants) to the point of targeting them for extermination. So being a mutant or some other type of metahuman is a Distinctive Feature in my game, as there are those who can track you and will try to kill you simply because of that fact. But it is not the all-pervasive prejudice mutants face in the Marvel Universe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutant for Hire Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 There was always one point about the Marvel Universe that annoyed me. The fact that there was this mutant hysteria only when it was convenient, for the most part. There was plenty of anti-mutant prejudice in the X-titles, but what about the Avengers or the Fantastic Four? Especially when you consider that a very high percentage of the people in the Marvel universe were mutants one way or another. In my opinion, the Hulk, Spiderman and the Fantastic Four were all mutants. If there really was this x-factor gene that gave mutants their powers, but lay dormant in most people, then it's pretty clear what got accidentally triggered when Reed Richards was hit by cosmic rays or Peter Parker was bitten by that spider. Now certain characters may not have experienced a genetic shift, but its not entirely clear that the Wasp for example isn't a specific type of induced mutant created deliberately by Pym. Of course there are plenty of non-mutnat superheroes around. Doctor Strange for exmple. But then I considered his mystic powers more of an astral phenomena than a genetic phenomena. Likewise Captain America and the supersoldier formula. It didn't induce any genetic alterations, it mearly took him to the peak of his genetic potential and gave him a few breaks with fatigue toxins. Give it to a mutant like Beast and the results could be very spectacular, assuming it was chemically compatable with him. However, how could people tell, or not be suspicious of Doctor Strange's powers being some weird mutant phenomena? And then there were non-human creations like the Vision which should have been freaking people out as well. Personally, I think if you're going to have anti-mutant hysteria, you need to have people who consider anyone with powers to be freaks of nature, and be just as xenophobic to non-humans. After all, part of the point is that mutants are not considered humans by many people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 The Avengers took flak in the latest reboot. But it was pretty much mostly from the Triumverate or what ever they were. The X-Titles almost focus entirely on Mutants. The protagonists, most of the Antagonists, etc. they fight a secret war almost, so its bound to seem that its skewed in some titles. Besides, the FF and Avengers are way popular teams, they can be forgiven for having mutants as they are "looking out for us". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutant for Hire Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 True, but you'd think there would be more anti-mutant activists wanting the Avengers "mutant free" if there's that much prejudice against mutants. Especailly with Magneto's daughter on the team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klytus Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 Originally posted by Mutant for Hire True, but you'd think there would be more anti-mutant activists wanting the Avengers "mutant free" if there's that much prejudice against mutants. Especailly with Magneto's daughter on the team. There's also the problem that Beast was A-OK so long as he was one of the Avengers, but when he's in an X-title, he's just another mutant. This is why the anti-meta human prejudice in my games is not limited to just the "mutants": normal folks have no way of knowing a mutant from a magician. Besides, its the powers that freak out the anti-meta bigots, not how they get them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djday38 Posted June 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 I bought the subject up as the issue seems to be glossed over in the new CU. There does seem to be a niche for an X Men like organisation (and a Brotherhood type while you are there) to be created. I am not a fan of the current situation in the Marvel universe where in my own humble opinion it has got way out of hand and it seems lopsided in favor of mutant storylines, but they were only going with what sold I guess. I much prefered the situation when their was only the uncanny x men title during the golden age of Bryne & Claremont when the X-Men were important to the Marvel universe but not ALL important. I do own the Mutant File but thought it suffered from much the same problems as the Allies book. I would like to see the mutant storyline expanded a little within the CU but again not to the point of domination. rgds Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutant for Hire Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 Originally posted by Klytus This is why the anti-meta human prejudice in my games is not limited to just the "mutants": normal folks have no way of knowing a mutant from a magician. Besides, its the powers that freak out the anti-meta bigots, not how they get them. And there probably are people who would be pro-mutant but anti-magic, believing that sorcery comes from the Devil. And there are people who should be anti-alien as well, and others afraid of any AI or who refuse to recognize them as living beings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom McCarthy Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 IHA I think the IHA in the new Champions Universe has a decidedly prejudiced view against any and all sources of superpowers, not just mutants and mutation. I'm not sure if they mistake all powers for mutation, or just don't like powers in general. Anyway, they're far more likely to attack the likes of Ironclad and Witchcraft than our old standby Genocide was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zornwil Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 FWIW I think a mutants sourcebook by HERO would be a great idea. I bought another game company's (it's not with me, I can't remember who, sorry) mutant sourcebook just recently and it was filled with decent ideas, and I think HERO could do it even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug McCrae Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 I think for my new superhero campaign I'll have the main prejudice against aliens despite all that ET, Close Encounters of the Third Kind propaganda. Robots and mutated animals are second class citizens but not really feared and hated. Mutants are just 'ordinary' superheroes really. Any lost race that is discovered - Atlantis and the like - will probably be disliked but not as much as the aliens. Humanity would have a terror of supernatural creatures and extradimensional aliens if it knew about them, but it doesn't. The Mighty Marvel Monsters of the late 50s and 70s are rightly villified. Well, they kept trying to eat Tulsa, didn't they? They are the only race that has a worse rep than aliens but they are mostly destroyed now or confined to Monster Island. Gods, I'm not sure about. The public probably won't believe they are really divine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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