winterhawk Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 Originally posted by allen one of the first (if not the first; can't recall) atomic piles was under the UofC football field (Stagg Field). i think. Correct, where Fermi first split the atom. On the subject of Fermi and radiation accidents, don't forget about the particle accelerator at FermiLab south of the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barton Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 Atomic Energy and Chicago The world's first atomic pile was under (YES under!) the University of Chicago stadium. Went critical for the first time in December 1942. The waste (mostly graphite) was put into 55 gallon drums and buried in a forest perserve north of the city. A interesting plot starting point..... Fermi lab also has a interesting story. Numerous (hundreds!) UFO are spotted around the labs. A interesting plot starting point... Fermi lab is very large and has a bison herd on its grounds. The lab has a beautiful 10 story building in Batavia (well west of Chicago). A great site for plot involving high tech thieft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barton Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 CHA and rats My formal training is in toxicology, and Chicago has a story to tell! The CHA (Chicago Housing Authority) erected many high rises in the 1960's for the cities poor. Rodents (mainly Norway rats) were a problem. Warfarin was new, a blood anti-coagulant poison, and was widely used in the projects. The problem was the building gardens often had kale growing them, a source of vitamin K the antidote to Warfarin. This some theorize led to the "super rat" that exists in the south side of Chicago. They are very resistant to Warfarin and some other poisons. In fact to prove a new rodenticide works it must be tested in the south side of Chicago. Lets take this a step farther.... Natural selection leds to better, smarter, more resistant rats. They expand to the tunnels under the city. Pets go missing and are found chewed up. Let the players investigate this and introduce them to giant rats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Rand Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 Hi all, Sorry, I should have said that although the "Early Edition" and "Buffy" stuff shouldn't be in the 5E Chicago book, a GM could add them to his campaign. They will be in mine, which will be set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, my home town. Also, my campaign *won't* by in the Champions Universe. Hope that clears things up. I will, however, follow this thread. I'm sure I'll find good ideas here. Yours, Mark Rand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patriot Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 The campaign I run (Team Vanguard), has been based mainly out of chicago for over 12 years. And I am Currently working on a sourcebook for the city, (yes it will be mostly for my team, but others may get some use out of it.) I will let you know When I am Finished(who knows when) if anyone wants a copy, just ask. The best thing about the city of Chicago(and its suburbs) is it literaly has everything, especially if you pull bits from other genres. And every secret base has an enterance on lower wacker drive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor Agenda Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 I like Hermit's curse idea. Our current Chicago campaign features a new team, Justice Watch (yeah, I know there's only supposed to be one team, you can guess how long that lasted--at least we've got a Chicagoan attitude about justice). The GM is using the original Champions Universe as history. So, the Freedom Squad is an example of the curse: they lost two members and disbanded years ago. The Peacekeepers aren't doing that well either, apparently. The GM hasn't revealed the membership of the Peacekeepers yet beyond their acting leader, but two NPC heroes have joined them so that's one way of filling up their ranks and recycling discarded heroes (the Peacekeepers being kind of like that island for broken toys and misfits). Leftover Freedom Squad members that aren't too geriatric might be in the Peacekeepers as well. Will the curse hit our team too? Maybe I shouldn't share this curse idea with our GM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Barton or winterhawk: since you seem to be the most up on the Windy City, may I ask if you know of the current status of the Deep Tunnel project? Was it ever completed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 FYI, the VIPER sourcebook that Scott Bennie and I are currently writing has a lot of details on the main Chicago VIPER's Nest, including maps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevoDog Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Originally posted by Worldmaker Not that the public would turn their backs on Reed Richards in favor of Spider-Man, but the feeling would be that Spider-Man is a regular guy from the neighborhood, while Richards is part of the uptown artsy-fartsy crowd. You obviously aren't familiar with Uptown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevoDog Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Fermilab Location Originally posted by winterhawk Correct, where Fermi first split the atom. On the subject of Fermi and radiation accidents, don't forget about the particle accelerator at FermiLab south of the city. Fermilab is in the far West suburbs (Batavia). Approximately half-way between Elgin and Aurora. Oops, Barton (from Lombard) caught that one also. Batavia also has curium (safe levels) in the town's water supply. Not enough to be dangerous, but I was able to read in the dark as a child without using an artificial light source. I grew up in Batavia (far west Chicago burb), move to W Trenton NJ for 2 months, then to Naperville (west Chicago burb), northern Japan, Germany, Arlington Heights (nw Chicago burb), then into the city itself (Uptown/Ravenswood areas). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Worldmaker Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Originally posted by DevoDog You obviously aren't familiar with Uptown. I was using the term generically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevoDog Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Uptown Originally posted by Worldmaker I was using the term generically. I was trying to be funny. Uptown (capital U) is a neighborhood in Chicago. It doesn't have a great reputation. In fact, some of the newer condos going up in the area state that they are in Sheridan Park, which, AFAIK, isn't a real neighborhood in Chicago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allen Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Re: Uptown Originally posted by DevoDog Uptown (capital U) is a neighborhood in Chicago. It doesn't have a great reputation. In fact, some of the newer condos going up in the area state that they are in Sheridan Park, which, AFAIK, isn't a real neighborhood in Chicago. actually when i lived there (Lakeview, just north Clark and Diversey) i knew several artists who kept studios in Uptown (rent was cheap; not much worth stealing in a studio)... anyway... i have to admit I have never heard of the Deep Tunnel project... the last thing I recall hearing about tunnels was in '92 (maybe; somewhere in there at least) abandoned tunnels flooded from the Chicago River (i think) and the flooding shut down the Red and Blue Lines (these two El trains are underground from the near-north side (actually northwest side for the Blue line) to just south of the Loop) and are major commuter lines. the Blue line runs from O'Hare to downtown (in neighborhood terms, downtown is the Loop although stretches into the Gold Coast (alternately called Streeterville)). afterward, they attempted to close up those abandoned tunnels. to bring this back around to superheroes, the flooding tunnels phenomena always sounded like a good plot for an invasion by an aquatic race... Atlanteans or what have you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Obvious Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Originally posted by Mightybec A fiery villain would be ironic. How about a flame projector in a cow costume? Seriously, though, having only read the first page of this thread, this is some really good stuff, and something that might eventually need a Digital Hero article.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Obvious Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Re: CHA and rats Originally posted by Barton Natural selection leds to better, smarter, more resistant rats. They expand to the tunnels under the city. Plot idea: The heroes are drawn into a long-running war between the mutant tunnel children and the humanoid rats living under the city. Peace must be worked out, one way or another, before the underground struggles collapse the very foundations of the Windy City. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted June 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Originally posted by Steve Long FYI, the VIPER sourcebook that Scott Bennie and I are currently writing has a lot of details on the main Chicago VIPER's Nest, including maps. Cool! Thanks for the heads up! Guys, that's one less organization we need to cover for this 'project' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J4y Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 FYI, the VIPER sourcebook that Scott Bennie and I are currently writing has a lot of details on the main Chicago VIPER's Nest, including maps. Steve beat me to it. I was going to point out that: 1. Chicago has one of the most active superhuman communties in the United States. 4. The Peacekeepers have been around for two decades. Their main enemy seems to be VIPER, and they recently lost their leader in battle with that loathed group. Despite an active superhuman community, VIPER comes out on top as the main enemy making one wonder what causes VIPER to be so interested in it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted June 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Originally posted by J4y Steve beat me to it. I was going to point out that: 1. Chicago has one of the most active superhuman communties in the United States. 4. The Peacekeepers have been around for two decades. Their main enemy seems to be VIPER, and they recently lost their leader in battle with that loathed group. This sounds oddly familiar The CU also mentions (I believe) that the Peacekeepers had shut down some Nests in the past. There's a darn good reason for the current nest to be hunting them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Rand Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 Hi all, Since I've finally, after days of research, decided to set my campaign in Gold Rush Games's San Angelo, I take my leave of this thread and wish all of you much happiness. Yours, Mark Rand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted June 23, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 I hear nothing but praise for that setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent X Posted June 24, 2003 Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 Originally posted by Hermit I hear nothing but praise for that setting. Perhaps you guys need to set up a framework to compile all this data for everyone's perusal. That way everyone would be able to fill in the gaps and could get more use out of this exercise. Heck, maybe steal San Angelo's organizational structure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent X Posted June 24, 2003 Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 Originally posted by Hermit I hear nothing but praise for that setting. Perhaps you guys need to set up a framework to compile all this data for everyone's perusal. That way everyone would be able to fill in the gaps and could get more use out of this exercise. Heck, maybe steal San Angelo's basic organizational structure in the table of contents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted June 24, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 Alas, despite the fact I've heard nothing but good about the product... I don't have San Angelo myself. Embarrasing, but true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted June 24, 2003 Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 Originally posted by Hermit Alas, despite the fact I've heard nothing but good about the product... I don't have San Angelo myself. Embarrasing, but true. This could work in your favor; now that Gold Rush Games has the San Angelo setting back in their control, they're planning to release a bunch of SA material starting later this year, including an update of the San Angelo city setting to 5E. Should be a good way to get in on the ground floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted June 24, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 Organizations in Chicago Since VIPER in Chicago is going to be covered, I thought I'd carry on with a few other organizations as they might work in Chicago. Tell me what you think. ARGENT: Currently, ARGENT sees the Chicago situation as ideal for its own purposes. Using VIPER as a large green lightning rod, its own activities go relatively unnoticed: Chief among those activies are R&D and the selling of high tech equipment to various buyers. As crowded as Chicago is with super heroes, the city itself is seen as one large testing ground. ARGENT happily helps outfit any super villain that asks (and can pay) then watches the "practicial applications" of their attempts. ARGENT also takes advantage of the city's many fine universities for recruitment. Indeed, more than one college in Chicago has an ARGENT mole as a dean. IHA: Chicago is currently the victim of a heavy marketting campaign. IHA spins to the audiance of the Windy City with surprising expertise. To the "blue collar" masses, the IHA sends out warnings of mutants and superhumans taking jobs from the "Average Joe" in a deliberate attempt to drive hard working normal people to 3rd tier citizens. On the other hand, at least one medical expert, Dr. William Danner, does the IHA's work among the scientific circles. Danner has proposed a theory that when two competing species must suddenly coexist, the newer one will have instinctive aggression towards the predecessor and its first subconscious priority will be to supplant and wipe them out. This two pronged marketting move is having a subtle effect. Only time will tell how much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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