Mark Rand Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 In the 60s, a young mage used a spell to convert his family's mansion on Pittsburgh's Fifth Avenue into a fastness. Like all others, it's bigger on the inside than the outside. Forty some years later, he's retired and sponsoring the superhero team that lives in his mansion, while he and his familiar, a black cat, live in a retirement home. I have the 4E book Mystic Masters and the article The House that Jack Built, but I'm hoping to get some ideas from my friends on the board about the things that occurred when the spell was cast. The two I have already decided on are as follows. One, going through the back wall of the garage, takes you to a car park the size of the playing area of a football field. Two, a gateway somehere leads to the inside of a van that has a motorhome beside it. Anyone looking around the area will find themselves in the motorhome parking area of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. (The van and motorhome were given to the Marie Anders, the team housekeeper, and her lover, Jim Daniels the team's technical manager, by the team's patron.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion I love stuff with mirrors myself. Perhaps one doesn't, like normal mirrors, reverse left and right, or to get fancier, maybe one of the mirrors shows a reflection of an opposite gender or of a different age. The reflection could get bored, and leave, that sort of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion We never did map out the Protector's Mansion. A big haunted mansion with all sorts of rooms. It was always just a cut scene going from one part to the other. If the mansion didn't like you, it would just take longer... Due to having a GM that had been subjected to the Death Trap base* by a different GM, we didn't have any fights in the base. The villains didn't want to risk it, and neither did we. *Death Trap Base was in a different campaign where we constantly ambushed by villains in our base. Fiacho once leaped out of a closet, stuff like that. Funny now, not so much at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pavanne Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion Food arrives in the fridge(s), cupboard(s), like that. Doesn't have to be brought in, just arrives. Might be not paid for, might be after paid for; GM decides. Other supplies the same. Imagine never running out of TP! Heating/cooling straight from elemental planes, or wherever. Always a good temperature; private rooms always what the person wants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Monster Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion Steal ideas frm the Harry Potter books - shifting stairways, hanging portraits you can talk with, animated brooms & mops, etc., etc. Ghost staff (butlers, maids, repairmen) can be good for a laugh or plot twist whenever you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theron Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion A sundial in the garden that always shows the proper time in the heart of Nepal, whether the sun is shining or not. Windows to other places and times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Rand Posted July 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion I love stuff with mirrors myself. Perhaps one doesn't' date=' like normal mirrors, reverse left and right, or to get fancier, maybe one of the mirrors shows a reflection of an opposite gender or of a different age. The reflection could get bored, and leave, that sort of thing.[/quote'] I have Enchanted Items on order from my dealer. Hopefully, there will be some cool mirrors in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Rand Posted July 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion Steal ideas frm the Harry Potter books - shifting stairways' date=' hanging portraits you can talk with, animated brooms & mops, etc., etc. Ghost staff (butlers, maids, repairmen) can be good for a laugh or plot twist whenever you want.[/quote'] Nice idea. I'm a Harry Potter fan myself. I have all seven books (I'm reading Deadly Hallows right now), and the first four movies on DVD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion A door in the back of the Pantry leads to a Tibetan villiage high in the Himalayas. This village has provided wizards with their faithful retainers for over two thousand years. One door is not only locked, but secured with an oak 4x6 bar. Burned into the bar are the words "Do not open if you wish to live." The owner doesn't remember why. One room is a planetarium, showing the stars and planets in their correct positions 24 hours a day. Any NPC with precognative ablities will report they are stronger in this room. Let me second the idea of ghosts on the staff. In my old RuneQuest campagine the PC's made the HQ in an old Humakti temple that still had a librarian and armsmaster in residence. A room based on M. C. Escher's Relativity is almost standard issue for wizard's mansions. A variation might be a room where you can see everyone in the mansion, but not their actual distance from each other, and no two people viewed from that room agree on which way is "down." This might be the "Safe Room" or defensive fallback, from here a wizard or mentalist has line of sight on everyone in the mansion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion Take a page from Neil Gaiman's Sandman: A portrait gallery, good for summoning (or at the very least contacting) the subject. Useful for keeping in touch with allies. The library to end all libraries. A variety of mystic guardians. You probably can't have them outside, but a dragon in the foyer will discourage intruders. Peculiar staff and houseguests. Sometimes it's the people just hanging around that make the place interesting. Also, have a look at the first post on this Call of Cthulhu thread over at the Lead Adventure forums: http://forum.backofbeyond.de/viewtopic.php?t=252 Really, every backyard needs one of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Emu Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion Sorry to chime in so late and this may have already been mentioned, but in an old Toxic comic series called "Brats Bizarre" the heroes' mansion was serviced by a ghostly buttler who had at one time been alive but had been necesarily killed by one of the team members. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber Nytstar Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion Have one or more doors lead to different areas where the heroes can let loose with their powers without having to worry about collateral damage. Each area could have a different environment that can amplify certain sfx while dampening others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattingly Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion Our campaign's magical HQ had doors that opened approximately wherever you wanted to go in the city. If you needed to get from HQ to City Hall in a hurry, you'd exit the base's front foor, and end up within a block or two of City Hall, walking out of some other door (maybe a bank's revolving door, maybe a fire exit, maybe a port-a-potty). Likewise, the base's front door could only be entered by someone who was authorized to do so. Otherwise, instead of a superhero HQ, you'd end up in a closet. The "danger room" was magically configurable, but when the PC wizard left the team, the room was "stuck" on the street corner with Rosie's Bar. No matter which direction you went, a block later you'd end up back at the same spot. As a safety device to protect the rare magical books, the library had an enchantment on it that whoever went inside forgot what they were looking for. So the PCs knew ahead of time that they'd have to write themselves a note before they went into the library. There was an entryway to another dimension, guarded by puzzles and illusions, where the wizard kept the Source Of All Magic. The PCs once had to go there (without the wizard, and had to figure out the puzzles and fight the monsters since they didn't know the passwords) to save colliding universes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Rand Posted July 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion I like the ideas about the ghosts and peculiar staff and houseguests. The mansion's ballroom is haunted, on most evenings, by an orchestra and group of dancers in 1980s formal wear. A hero that enters while the dancers will be approached by a dancer of the opposite sex and invited to join the group. If the offer is accepted, the dancer will feel solid to the hero and prove to be skilled. The a statue looking like the attached image will be at one end of a hall. Pressing the right part of it will open a gate to the pocket reality where the labs, gymnasium, medical area, meeting room, and other areas are. Elaine Davis, the team's secretary/receptionist, has worn gloves since she was six. They hide the fact the skin on her hands looks like a snake's. The team's nurse honors a pledge she made to her mother on her deathbed and always wears one of her white uniforms and cap instead of scrubs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alverant Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion A security walkthrough like a metal detector at the airport, but on the screen/crystal ball it shows people who they really are (sees through Images, Shape Shift, Multiform, Transform, etc) Fridge that won't let food spoil no matter how old it is, and can even unspoil food Fridge that gets over-eager in unspoiling food and will eventually reduce any food place in it to its basic ingredients in separate containers. Air-ponics herb garden (yes, it's real and mundane but would work well in a magical lab with the right plants) A magical air-ponics garden with mini versions of trees, vines, ents, etc Easy chair that molds itself to the person's thoughts and includes a massager and thought-controlled master remote control for the entertainment center. Stereo speakers that are Magic Mouths or has a tiny orchestra inside each one. mini-fridge that walks by itself and has an arm to give you a bee - I mean a cold beverage of your choice SELF-CLEANING CARPETS/WALLS Smart washing machines/dryers that perfectly cleans and folds all clothes even when crammed full and whites are mixed with colors. Furnace with a fire-elemental, AC with ice-elemental Windows that look out over other places than the building's neighborhood (and can be changed like a TV channel) The always-clean kitty litter box Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion The gardner for our mansion looked like a shredder from the V&V sets. His face was always cloaked in darkness. That and the gardening tools included chainsaws, flamethrowers, etc... Another reason the villains never attacked, they were afraid of the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iuz the Evil Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion Wow, great ideas... I gotta swipe some of these if I build a mystic base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ockham's Spoon Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion There is only one door to access all of the storage closets, pantries, attics, etc. Which one of these rooms you get depends on which key you use to unlock the door. And of course one day some character finds a key they have never tried before... The lights in the study (or other room, or even all rooms) change color depending on the level of supernatural threat to the house or world at large. The ticking of the huge hall clock speeds up or slows down with the color of the light, because it is really the heartbeat of the house. The house may or may not be full grown, but either way you have to trim the woodwork periodically to keep it from becoming too unruly; let's face it, no one wants an ingrown doorframe - not only are they uncomfortable but they are hard to open too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Rand Posted July 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion The mansion is based on the plans for Wayne Manor in the DC Heroes Batman Sourcebook which was published by Mayfair. Although the map has a grid, there is no scale with it. Marie is the third generation of her family to serve as the mansion's housekeeper. Besides serving as technical manager, Jim does a lot of the repairs around the house. Elaine has what she considers a cute pet, a three foot long, fire breathing, green dragon, (Puff from The House that Jack Built). The mansion is also home to a pack of wolves, two of which are always by Elaine's desk. The mystical "security walkthrough" relays information to Elaine's mind. The small sitting room has, at least, four viewing windows. One looks onto the Great Barrier Reef. A second shows the inside of a public bus. Most women seen are in Islamic clothes and veiled. I haven't decided on the others, yet. The gate to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was a gift to Jim and Marie from the mage marking their one year anniversary as a couple. (I may change the motorhome and van to either a van or an SUV pulling a travel trailer.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoloOfEarth Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion I'd include some oddness that won't (necessarily) affect game play: Doors that only work if a specific person or type of person (only the butler, or only women) opens them. Magical creatures taking a "shortcut" through the mansion. (For example, a gnoll or wood elf comes through one door, waves at the heroes as he walks across the hall, and exits through another door, but when they check both doors, they reveal the normal rooms, both empty.) A book in the library that details the team's exploits -- and automatically updates itself. Distant echoes of music (from different periods) play in various rooms at various times. A hallway with no light, that allows no light (flashlights go out, candles and other flames automatically extinguished, etc.). The heroes can feel suits of armor in a few spots, paintings on the wall, and so on... but all crumble to dust while being removed from the hallway, and immediately reappear in their original positions just fine. Only one doorway in that hall, exact center of the darkness, but the door won't open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion Me, I like the scenes in the early part of the old Yellow Submarine Beatles movie where odd things scamper between doors in the hallway when none of the named characters are present. Maybe you can hear them if you stay in your room ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion I also suspect there's a lot of stuff you can use in AlHazred's old Creepy Hotel thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Rand Posted July 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion I also suspect there's a lot of stuff you can use in AlHazred's old Creepy Hotel thread. I remember that thread. Very cool stuff. I'm considering starting a version 2.0 of this thread using Mobius, the house from the $E book Mystic Masters as the basis. Anyone know if I can post the plans for it here without legal problems? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Rand Posted August 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion The team's sponsor is Thomas Lindmer. The house will be based on The Mobius, but with more gates, hauntings, and at least 5 viewing portals. Details to be posted later. The only people, besides the heroes, living there are Marie Anders, the housekeeper; James Daniels, the technical manager, handyman, and Marie's lover; Kate Thompson, the DHS representative; John Harrison, the DOSPA liaison; and Midori Lewis, his bedridden maternal grandmother. The jester, if that's what it is, statue is in the third floor hall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StGrimblefig Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: Brainstorming a mystical superhero mansion If you aren't using the Hogwarts-ish living paintings (or maybe even if you are), there should be at least one painting, a portrait of some imposing figure, which has eyes that follow a person that walks by it. My suggestion would be that it is not functional in any way, just a personal joke of the patron -- of course, the painting is ensorcelled to ignore him, but follow anyone else. "That painting is watching me." "Nonsense. You've been watching too many Scooby-Doo cartoons." Mages have such odd senses of humor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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