What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

[Metaphysician]

When you take your turn behind the GM screen, what type of heroes do you run for? Any common types, or types you despise having around?

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

I don't care about which archtypes, I just want them to be heroes - teamwork oriented, and out to do the right thing.

[Dr. MID-Nite]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

Well, my player group....The Outsiders...have powers all over the place. Among them:

 

Violette: Supergirl clone with an origin more convoluted than Wolverine's(if that's possible).

Surgical Steel: Power armored hero with a big mouth and additional powers of regeneration and healing

Solaria: Avatar of the Egyptian Sun God Ra. She possesses a small portion of his solar powers.

Spectre: The team's newly appointed mage. He combines that with inate abilities of desolidification, invisibility, and telekinesis. H also is a decent fighter in a pinch.

EBB: She exists primarily as sentient water...with abilities to match.

 

Teamwise, I'd say they're mostly like The Defenders....powerful members, but not a lot of coordination.

 

Rob

[Checkmate]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

I used to say I rather my players be like the Avengers than the X-Men. The way the Avengers are now, the X-Men seem more heroic than the Avengers (heck Scourge of the Underworld seems more heroic than the current Avengers and he shot criminals in the back), so I guess I'd have to switch my analogy to the Fantastic Four...without the campy-ness.

[OddHat]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

I have a few preferences:

 

1) No casual killers, no characters who don't care about civilian casualties, no torturers, no other villains posing as Superheroes. Yes, soldiers and police may have to kill, and your characters may play those roles; "have to" and "enjoy" are two different things.

 

2) No moody loners. No one so mentally damaged they can't interact with the other players. No blind deaf mutes. If you really want an autistic rape camp survivor without a face as your character, you probably won't enjoy my campaign.

 

3) Don't try to min max past basic combat efficiency. If your concept is interesting and a good fit for the campaign, we'll figure something out; If you want a Celestial on 350 points, most of my games can't accommodate him even if you cad manage the build.

 

After that, I mostly like tight theme or tribute characters. Power level tends to be high in comparison with the normals of the setting.

[Pariah]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

Well, my current group is pretty balanced as far as player archetypes. We've got one Newbie, a Loonie, a couple of Powergamers*, a couple of Thespians, and something more than a century of combined Champions experience. It's a great group to play with.

 

When GMing, I used to be pretty uptight about mechanics. One of my players actually voluntarily retired a character because with just a 30-point VPP, he was causing game balance issues.

 

These days, I'm more concerned with the storytelling aspect of the game. Any kind of character is welcome, as long as s/he can fit in well with everyone else. The current hero lineup, for example, includes a fireman turned superhero, a Superman sidekick wannabe, an extreme sports star, a telepath/blaster with a coin fetish, a cellular manipulator with a winged snake for a pet, a marble-throwing blaster who walks on (and through) walls, and the reluctant leader of a centuries-old secret mystical society. They have radically different backgrounds and attitudes, but they're united for a common purpose. Their differences make them fun to run, and their collective and individual heroism makes them worth running in the first place.

 

--

*Lord Mhoram claims to be a 'reformed' Powergamer. Keep telling yourself that, pal.

[Lemurion]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

I'm going to start with what I don't like:

 

I don't like gun-bunnies, sword wielders, pure martial artists, or people with primary killing attacks. A lot of this is because I want more of a silver-bronze feel, and those characters don't fit it as well.

 

I see Champions as a game to replay the classic comics tropes where only they can stop the villains. If they have the same kind of tools as anyone else, they're no longer special.

 

I like characters who get into the setting: not too powerful, not too weak. Themes are very good. I ran a pulp supers campaign recently that was great because everyone bought into the tone of the game. I'd run it again but I've moved.

 

A big thing for me is that the characters can't seem like they'd burst out laughing when they look in the mirror because they can't take themselves seriously (Foxbat as always excepted.)

[Doc Samson]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

My group runs like a well oiled machine. Their characters always exemplify the archteype they choose and are completely teamwok focused. They are all talented roleplayers who despise powergaming.

 

Ok, the above is half crap but you can't blame me for dreaming. Though my players like to use the AT terms, almost all their characters designed as hybrids with little focus on team strategy. Though they love roleplaying, they share an equal love for kicking butt. Rules debates during character generation are commonplace and the GM has to usually design villains as powerhouses or they quickly eat floor. It's an intense but fun group.

[Balabanto]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

My players are divided into two camps.

 

Those who want the game to be MORE cinematic and those who want the game to be LESS cinematic.

 

This produces TONS of problems. Characters often don't get along as well as they should, and unfortunately, people are starting to take sides.

 

I think there may be a hero war. Not what I want, but if it happens, it happens.

[wrestlinggeek]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

What I want to run:

 

1) The Morrison-era JLA, or

 

2) The first-run New Warriors, or

 

3) The animated JLU.

 

What my players always wanted to play (back when I had players):

 

1) The Vertigo-era Doom Patrol (with all the over-the-top weirdness), or

 

2) The Mystery Men (yes, as in the movie. Never read the Flaming Carrot version), or

 

3) Some combination of the above.

 

Except for the occasions when they actually wanted to play the villains.

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

, a couple of Powergamers*,

*Lord Mhoram claims to be a 'reformed' Powergamer. Keep telling yourself that, pal.

 

One of my players actually voluntarily retired a character because with just a 30-point VPP, he was causing game balance issues.

 

Hey, if I wasn't reformed would I have retired the character.

 

I build efficient characters, but never to the detriment of story or personality.

[Hermit]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

I prefer the characters played fit in the Silver or Bronze age mentalities... no casual killers etc. I also ask for no loners, because that's a game killer as you're forced to focus on either that loner or leave him and go with the main team.

 

EDIT: mmm, or I could just cut and paste most of Oddhat's post

[Spidey88]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

I prefer the characters played fit in the Silver or Bronze age mentalisties... no casual killers etc. I also ask for no loners, because that's a game killer as you're forced to focus on either that loner or leave him and go with the main team.

 

EDIT: mmm, or I could just cut and paste most of Oddhat's post.

 

 

Seconded - though as a self-admitted min-maxer, I'm fairly easy on those sorts of character builds (as long as they aren't abusive one-trick-ponies, and everyone is working on the same level).

 

Any sort of character build is usually okay with me, as long as the following standards are met:

 

1) You are a hero. I'm not big on casual killers (that's villain territory, as far as I'm concerned) - but you can be a jerk as long as your motives aren't too suspect.

 

2) You're willing to work with the rest of the party. Not neccessarily without conflict, but you at least try. Some loner action is ok, as long as you don't go too far.

 

3) Whatever build you work out for your character, be sure you can play it. I'm leery of VPPs for that reason - I'm not going to say "absolutely no", but you'd better be prepared to keep things moving, and not step on everyone else's fun.

 

4) Don't be afraid of skills, perks, etc. Well-rounded trumps powerful.

 

5) Humorous, gimmicky characters are okay, as long as you're still playably competent at some things and you don't go too far. The Tick would fit in just fine in most of my games (and I would love to have a PC like him, too) - but too far past his level and I start putting my foot down. The Tick is loopy as heck, but he's still an effective superhero (sometimes).

 

 

 

I tend to run silver/bronze age games, with fairly powerful heroes (usually 300 base/150 disads or somewhere thereabouts).

[Pariah]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

Hey' date=' if I wasn't reformed would I have retired the character. [/quote']

 

Well, I have to grant you that. Still, some of your builds are pretty sick (i.e., Meeb, Black Cat).

 

I'm probably just jealous that you do it so much better than I do....

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

Well, I have to grant you that. Still, some of your builds are pretty sick (i.e., Meeb, Black Cat).

 

I'm probably just jealous that you do it so much better than I do....

 

I'll grant you Meeb is a little abusive, but Cat isn't really that obnoxious a build, she just has so dang many points.

[BoloOfEarth]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

Players:

I've had the same core group of four players for the past 17 or so years, with one added about 10 years ago. I try to balance the combat and noncombat stuff, since some like combat more than others. Everybody gets along very well; we're basically friends first, and gamers second, so roleplaying inter-character conflict doesn't always work well.

 

Character Archetypes:

The PCs tend to be more on the physical (than energy or mental) side. We generally have a martial artist, a brick, and maybe a TK'er, plus an energy blaster (or two) and maybe a mentalist.

 

The current lineup of heroes is a martial artist, two blasters (though one if more a healer/protector), one semi-metamorph, and a luck-based character that probably best works as "Miscellaneous."

 

Character Personalities:

Generally comic-book heroic, they're probably "tarnished Silver age." Lots of wisecracks and poking fun at the bad guys, but they're big on protecting innocents and stopping the bad guys' plots.

[TheRavenIs]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

HEROES! They have to be team players, other than that most anything else goes.

[Comic]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

Players:

I've had the same core group of four players for the past 17 or so years, with one added about 10 years ago..

 

So, how's the new one working out?

 

 

Think you'll keep them long term?

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

I like the kind of character that has realistic problems (even if they are about unrealistic situations). I like characters that actually interact with the rest of the world in their secret/civilian identities and try to have a life in spite of their powers, since that gives me a chance to role-play as well. I like characters that not only work with the other supers in the group, but can socialize with them as well. I like slightly underpowered characters in comparison to the villains because they have to work for their victories by using their brains rather than just rolling dice. I like heroes that really want to be heroes by helping and protecting complete strangers -- not glory-hound posers who are only in it for the endorsements and ego-stroking publicity photos. I like heroes who stand up to the really big baddies, even though they know they're seriously outclassed, and use inventiveness and teamwork to thwart the plans of evil. I like heroes who are modest and thankful for the trust the local authorities and populace have placed in them and feel the awful responsibility of that trust every time they answer the call. I like heroes who can treat their enemies as people too, showing compassion and concern for those they have vanquished, offering to help them become better people and turn their lives around. And most importantly, I want characters in my campaign to be cool -- to have that something special that sets them apart from every other character I've run over the years -- so that the player will love that character enough to want to make him or her better, to take the lumps and early defeats in stride and keep coming back for more.

 

Yeah, that's what I want.

 

Matt "Knows-what-he-wants" Frisbee

[BoloOfEarth]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

So, how's the new one working out?

 

 

Think you'll keep them long term?

 

He thought he would stop being the "new guy" when we got another new guy, but *that* one only lasted a year or two before he had to move out of town.

 

(I wondered if anybody was going to catch that.)

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

Players:

I've had the same core group of four players for the past 17 or so years, with one added about 10 years ago.

 

I hear that.

Our group - the core three have been a group for 16 years, one recent addition about 6 months ago (a kid who is trying HERO for the first time), and everyone else is at least 7 to 12 years in the group.

[Pariah]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

I hear that.

Our group - the core three have been a group for 16 years, one recent addition about 6 months ago (a kid who is trying HERO for the first time), and everyone else is at least 7 to 12 years in the group.

 

Sweet mercy, has it really been that long?

 

[Plex]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

I'm in a unique position in which none of my players have ever played Champions / Hero System. They have extensive experience in fantasy d20 and some in Superhero d20 and other various systems. I can get them to try just about any game as long as no one has to buy anything, so I get to create everything for the campaign I am interested in running. I've stuck with the stereotypes, here's the list: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52975 , though I no longer need the 8th character. I'll only need 5 or 6 of the original 8 planned. I am really interested in capturing the feel of a Bronze/Silver Age, but will probably explore all the ages if it goes on long enough. (All my players love the animated shows Batman, JL, Superman, Teen Titans, though I think I'm the only one that is currently watching LSH and liking it.) So that is definitely the feel I want to go for. And since I'm designing everything hopefully I'll be able to capture that feel.

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: What Kind of Heroes do you GM?

 

Sweet mercy, has it really been that long?

 

 

Yeah, amazing isn't it.

 

I've been at my current job for a year and a half, had about half a year of unemployment before that, 7-11 for 12 years, and my previous job was 2 years. You started GMing us about 3 months into that job. So 15 to 16 years, give or take.