[Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

[AdamLeisemann]

Monsters lurk in the shadows.

Terrible creatures hailing from our nightmares, stalking us, and somehow making use of us for terrible purposes. Some kill, some abduct, and some do far, far, worse.

But there is hope. Not all of these nightmare beasts seek to do us harm. Some of them are actually out to protect us from those who would do such unspeakable things. As beasts, they are a part of the encroaching night upon us all, but as heroes, they are beacons of hope for us all.

As such, they could be called beacons in the night.

 

What's all this about?

 

"Beacons in the Night" is an idea for a Champions game based around monsters from mythology and horror movies. The heroes are vampires, werewolves, ghosts, zombies, and other dreaded supernatural entities, as are the villains. This would be a mix of the dark (as the heroes must deal with what makes them monsters) and the comic-bookish (as we have some such creatures seek lofty goals as world-domination or world recognition (by creating and unleashing horrible beasts).

 

Generally, the player should start with a monster from myth or nightmare and go from there to create their characters.

 

How does this sound?

[Zed-F]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

Something like that was tried on HeroCentral once or twice. In neither case does the game seem to have lasted long, but in theory it's a workable premise.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

One thing you'd need to establish is a reason for these particular "monsters" to defend normal humanity, who presumably would fear and shun them if they encountered them, against other creatures like themselves. The campaign should feature one or more justifications for the "beacons" to act like this which the players can incorporate into their PC histories. That should also include some kind of support system, like an organization or at least a safe-house, in which the PCs would feel secure and accepted.

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

You hold a good point Liaden. I've been thinking about this along the lines of X-Men, but with something much more reasonable to fear.

 

I have considered, actually, a Professor X kind of person who would get the team together and provide our heroes with protection. However, picking a type of creature for this one is naturally going to be difficult.

 

As a random side note; Characters will be monsters, but it would also be a good idea to think outside the box. Yes, Frankenstein's monster would make a great Brick, but given his natural genius (read the book), he might make a good gadgeteer.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

You hold a good point Liaden. I've been thinking about this along the lines of X-Men, but with something much more reasonable to fear.

 

I have considered, actually, a Professor X kind of person who would get the team together and provide our heroes with protection. However, picking a type of creature for this one is naturally going to be difficult.

 

As a random side note; Characters will be monsters, but it would also be a good idea to think outside the box. Yes, Frankenstein's monster would make a great Brick, but given his natural genius (read the book), he might make a good gadgeteer.

 

For that matter, the patron of the group could actually be Frankenstein's monster, the original. Since the end of Frankenstein never definitively showed the monster's death, he could still be alive in the modern day. With almost two hundred years in which to study and to accumulate wealth, his resources today could be very considerable.

 

There are certainly plenty of classic monster archetypes that could be redefined as supers, many of which have already been used in comics:

 

Vampire trying to control his bloodlust;

Lycanthrope trying to control her bestial changes;

Ghosts (great for stealth types and mentalist/psychics);

Mummy cursed with eternal unlife;

Free-willed golems; not just fleshly types like Frank's experiment, but magically animated statues (literal "bricks");

Moreau-style mutated humanoid animals;

Robots or androids, experimental or from the future;

Stranded aliens (shape-shifters, Predators with a conscience, and the like);

Leftovers from the mythic eras (harpies, Rhinemaidens, tanuki, etc.);

Escaped demons from Hell seeking redemption (possibly possessing someone).

[Enforcer84]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

It's the Monster Squad!

 

 

 

 

 

anyone remember that cartoon show? Or the live action "Batman" Like one?

[OddHat]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

I've done these. If you search for my Defilers thread, you'll find a full villain team with plot seeds based on a similar premise.

 

Stellar Games Nightlife is also a good place to look for inspiration.

 

I always handled the Heroic monsters by saying that the transformation from Human to Monster doesn't rob you of your memories or personality. Most of the transformed are overwhelmed by blood lust or go insane, but a small percentage manage to hang on to their human perspective, and others fight their way back to empathy after years or decades of preying on humanity.

 

Another common approach is the one taken in the Nightwatch and Daywatch films; Good spiritual entities are also active in the world, and offer a choice to the newly awakened, allowing them to turn from evil.

 

Also see the books GURPS Cabal, GURPS Voodoo, and GURPS Black Ops.

[Twilight]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

It's the Monster Squad!

 

 

 

 

 

anyone remember that cartoon show? Or the live action "Batman" Like one?

 

I remember the Monster Squad. It was a movie about a group of kids who were young monster enthusiasts who were required to thwart the Universal classic movie monsters [minus the Invisible Man, though he could've been there and just wasn't noticed ] in order to save the world. Fun movie and Duncan Reghr was a pretty decent Dracula.

[jkwleisemann]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

For that matter' date=' the patron of the group could actually [b']be[/b] Frankenstein's monster, the original. Since the end of Frankenstein never definitively showed the monster's death, he could still be alive in the modern day. With almost two hundred years in which to study and to accumulate wealth, his resources today could be very considerable.

 

There are certainly plenty of classic monster archetypes that could be redefined as supers, many of which have already been used in comics:

 

Vampire trying to control his bloodlust;

Lycanthrope trying to control her bestial changes;

Ghosts (great for stealth types and mentalist/psychics);

Mummy cursed with eternal unlife;

Free-willed golems; not just fleshly types like Frank's experiment, but magically animated statues (literal "bricks");

Moreau-style mutated humanoid animals;

Robots or androids, experimental or from the future;

Stranded aliens (shape-shifters, Predators with a conscience, and the like);

Leftovers from the mythic eras (harpies, Rhinemaidens, tanuki, etc.);

Escaped demons from Hell seeking redemption (possibly possessing someone).

 

Well, I know I'd be interested, personally. And yeah, Frankenstein's Monster would be a good leader for something like this, at least if he'd mellowed out some over the years.

 

Of course, another option would be something a bit more Hellboy-ish. You've got the monsters out there, going against folks... some of them are good guys, of course (our heroes). There is, however, a human agency/individual/organization/whatever that helps to coordinate those monsters. It could serve as a safe haven, and a place where, when the rest of humanity finds out about them, a nice place for everything to go to... well, where those demons are trying to get away from. Our Heroes work for/with them, helping out humanity for their own personal reasons. ^^

[Trebuchet]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels feature a number of vampires and werecreatures which fight evil along with the title character. Some do it out of genuine altruism; others do it out of loyalty or love for her. She works for a detective agency which specializes in the occult, so something like that might provide a useful locus for your campaign.

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

My brother gave me another idea involving Frankenstein's Monster:

 

At the end of the book, "the creature" escapes to the arctic with intentions to end its life after pursuing a path of revenge against the man who made him, only to find him dead.

 

Over a century later, in 2006, scientists (working for the human organization mentioned above) discovered a necroform of stitched flesh, beleived to be the creature made by Victor Frankenstein back in the Victorian Age, encased in ice. They dig out the creature (Think Captain America of the Avengers here) and attempt to bring it back to the lab in America for study.

 

On a stormy night, as the scientists are headed back to the laboratory, they are trapped by a pack of werewolves (as long as we're getting monsters in here...). Things start to look awfully bleak when suddenly, a bolt of lightning strikes the ice, giving the creature inside it a jolt of life. The frozen creature breaks free, and sees the scientists in grave danger. The creature then charges in and fights off the werewolves, causing them to flee with their tails between their legs. The scientists are grateful, and tell the creature of the organization, their mission, and the plight of humanity. The creature, having had over a century to chill out (sorry, folks) from the rage of his former life, tries to comprehend what is going on and they go through it for some time on the way to HQ.

 

(WARNING: I am about to do something I really hate to do, but it is most logical going from the book. Admittedly, naming characters after myself just feels so egotistical.)

 

Now, the creature, dubbed "Adam" within the organization, is one of the leading figures among the heroes, much like Captain America is one of the leading figured for Earth Mightiest Heroes, the Avengers.

 

This was just something my brother mentioned to me this morning.

[Twilight]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

I recall at least one version of the Frankenstein's Monster being named Adam, I belive it was the Marvel version so you're not the first person to call him that Adam. I hope that makes you feel better about the 'hate to name a character after myself' thing.

[CraterMaker]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

Some normally evil creatures could work for the side of good because-

 

A- They were cursed to be good (ala "Angel" series)

B- They are controlled by someone who IS good, whether a wizard or through a mystic device

C- They are compelled to be good as some sort of plot by their evil masters .. and eventually learns to be good, thus frustrating all sorts of nefarious plans

D- Amnesia - They were evil, some traumatic event wiped their memories and they started over from innocent scratch

E- Supposedly "inherently" evil, but raised from a baby by good people..

 

-CraterMaker

 

P.s. Cool on the Frankenstien Monster heading the org...

[csyphrett]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

I was in a game like this. One of the players had a basilisk, another a monster who could be a film slasher, a void, and I had a character based on Joe Baldwin's Lamp.

[Haven Walkur]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

...Generally, the player should start with a monster from myth or nightmare and go from there to create their characters.

 

How does this sound?

 

Oh, yesss, I'd play. Indeed I would, friend Adam....

 

The concept of "playing the monsters" reminds me of Creature Feature from the old Pacesetter Chill RPG...but playing the monsters as heroes, now that sounds like a rather different approach. Actually, it sounds like an absolutely fascinating premise for a campaign, and something I'd love to play in -- as long as the heroic monster PCs can avoid trying to upstage and out-angst each other (that game's available from White Wolf).

 

Victor Frankenstein's created man -- and yes, I think "Adam" is an eminently suitable name for him -- is an inspired choice as the founder of the Beacons organisation. In the novel, "Adam" was an extremely intelligent man, who spoke several languages fluently, studied philosophy, religion and literature, and was concerned about the plight of the American Indian.

 

However, "Adam" also had more than a touch of monomania. He was obsessed with "belonging", with being accepted, so much so that he demanded Frankenstein make him a mate, a female who was like him and would accept him. And throughout the novel, "Adam" repeatedly demonstrated his over-developed sense of vengeance towards his creator.

 

"Adam" -- the Monster -- apparently deemed any means acceptable in his attempt to attain those ends of companionship and revenge. In the novel, he was capable of murdering a child, framing an innocent woman for the crime (she was hanged for it) and using threats of violence against Frankenstein's fiancée to coerce Frankenstein into creating a mate for him -- using the body of the woman hanged for the child's murder!

 

So "Adam" would also make an excellent "father confessor" figure, someone who had done terrible things in his youth, but has gained precious wisdom over the years. He has learned to govern his own passions and eschew violence, or at least seek other alternatives. And he would hardly be shocked by even the most dreadful secrets revealed to him by potential recruits to the Beacons.

 

Oh, here's a thought: Perhaps "Adam" is literally a father confessor these days! Perhaps at some point in his long life, he became convinced that he did indeed possess a soul, and in seeking to atone for his sins, ended up entering the Church -- and at last being ordained a priest. Father "Adam"....

 

Let's do it, Adam! The monsters are waiting!

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

The Father Confessor idea certainly seems interesting. I will have to arrange a campaign setting and pick out a final answer as to the role of "Adam", whether or not there will be a vampire/werewolf war (I'm leaning towards "no" on that one... I have no clue where it came from.), what kinds of villains to use (horror flavored traditionals or full-out horror monsters), campaign "age" and other things. Oh, and also if I should raise the campaign power levels from the 350 point norm or not to reflect the great power possessed by monsters.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

IMO 350-point "Standard Superhero" levels should be more than adequate to make your monsters very powerful compared to normal humans, unless you expect them to fight military-level hardware on a regular basis.

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

Personally, I have no intentions of pitting the heroes against the military, but:

 

In the Hero System Bestiary, Succubi (and Incubi by extension) total 407 points, requiring 232 points of experience. Vampires total 412 (and that's a lesser vampire, greater ones total 696 points...). The easy solution would be to simply not have the players be full-fledged versions of these monsters, but the average monster would then have a likely advantage over them. In fact, by the numbers, a pack of werewolves would be a fairly close match for the PCs, and a group of vampires would likely overpower them.

 

Of course, that assumes the stereotypical "unthinking players" who just go in without a strategy because they got started in the D&D someone once ran where strategy didn't matter anyways because many of the players would most likely get killed even if they ran away (he had a penchant for using Pit-feinds against 11th-12th level parties).

[Lord Liaden]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

Very valid points. OTOH those Bestiary creatures are not as "efficiently" built as many supers are, using Power Frameworks and Limitations. IMHO their point totals are a good measure of their effectiveness vs. heroic level opponents, but most published Champions supers of the same point totals would eat those monsters for breakfast. (If the supers are monsters themselves, perhaps literally.)

[OddHat]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

Personally, I have no intentions of pitting the heroes against the military, but:

 

In the Hero System Bestiary, Succubi (and Incubi by extension) total 407 points, requiring 232 points of experience. Vampires total 412 (and that's a lesser vampire, greater ones total 696 points...). The easy solution would be to simply not have the players be full-fledged versions of these monsters, but the average monster would then have a likely advantage over them. In fact, by the numbers, a pack of werewolves would be a fairly close match for the PCs, and a group of vampires would likely overpower them.

 

 

As others have said, the monsters in the Bestiaries are rarely a threat to Supers on the same point level. Non-optimized builds with, by most Supers campaign standards, lowish DEX and SPD.

 

Still, having been through this, I'd suggest building your own Monster templates and going from there, or just letting the players play straight Bestiary write ups with 25-50 extra points for skills and perks.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

It should be noted that not all creatures in the Bestiary are built to the same standards. For example, the Demon Princes are well optimized and stack up well against published master supervillains of comparable points, and would be a match alone for most hero teams.

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

Okay. That might work; putting together monster templates.

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

Here's the first monster template: Vampires. Warning: They are pared down to the absolute essentials.

 

Ability Cost

Fangs: HKA 1 point (½d6 with STR) 5

Drink Blood: Transfer Body to Body 1d6, Continuous (+1), Reduced

Endurance (0 END; +½), Reduced Recovery Rate (5/hour, +1), +14

Maximum, Fangs must do BODY first (-½), Concentration (0 DCV,

must concentrate throughout, -1), Extra Time: Full Phase (Must take

no other actions, -3/4), Target must be unable to resist (-1/2) 20

Doesn’t die easily: Healing 3d6 (Regeneration 3 BODY per day),

Resurrection (Others can stop resurrection by burning the body, staking

the vampire through the heart, or decapitating the vampire), Reduced

Endurance (0 END; +½), Persistent (+½), Self Only (-½), Extra Time

+ Increased time increment (3 BODY/Day; -2 ¾), Resurrection only

(-½) 21

Undead Vitality: Life support (Immunity: All terrestrial diseases and

biowarfare agents; Immunity: All terrestrial poisons and chemical

warfare agents; Longevity: Immortal; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in

High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in

Low Pressure/Vacuum; Self-Contained Breathing) 44

Vampiric Nose: Detect blood, Base Perception roll. (smell/taste group) 3

Total Cost of Abilities 93

 

Disadvantages Value

Susceptibility: To Direst Sunlight; 2d6 per segment (Very Common) 35

Dependance: Blood. Easy to obtain, Weakness (-3 to all rolls). Needed

per day. 0

Enraged when the Dependance triggered: Go 8-, Recover 8-, Berserk 25

Total Value of Disadvantages 60

 

What do you guys think?

 

And yes, I know the formatting is pretty bad. That's a fault of the forum's format...

[FenrisUlf]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

whether or not there will be a vampire/werewolf war (I'm leaning towards "no" on that one... I have no clue where it came from.)

 

Well... in Gypsy legend, wolves instinctively hunt and kill vampires, so going from that to 'werewolf' isn't such a leap.

 

And there are also the Benandanti (and associated orders like the Calusari and Kresniki and such), who were werewolves who traveled to a 'land beyond the sea' every year where they fought stregoni (witches), evil shapeshifters, demons, and assorted monsters. Vampires could fit in easily with that listing, especially considering that the Italian word for 'witch' did double duty for 'vampire'. (And a lot of European witches were vampires and vice-versa.)

 

BTW, your idea is great, and I like the idea of Adam bankrolling the team.

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: [Game Idea] Beacons in the Night

 

Well... in Gypsy legend, wolves instinctively hunt and kill vampires, so going from that to 'werewolf' isn't such a leap.

 

And there are also the Benandanti (and associated orders like the Calusari and Kresniki and such), who were werewolves who traveled to a 'land beyond the sea' every year where they fought stregoni (witches), evil shapeshifters, demons, and assorted monsters. Vampires could fit in easily with that listing, especially considering that the Italian word for 'witch' did double duty for 'vampire'. (And a lot of European witches were vampires and vice-versa.)

 

Thanks for the information. Sorry I can't Rep you for this one because I need to spread my Rep.