COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

[Sketchpad]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

How about something like Icon from City of Heroes that deals in costumes and gadgets? Kind of like Edna Mode or McQuark

[Ranxerox]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

A religious group. How has the Vatican kept demons from our doorstep ? Simple they have their own researchers and hit squads but they have to keep it small and discrete. This has been covered in comics and Van Helsing for example..

 

I would like to second (or possibly third or fourth, if second is already taken) requesting a religious group(s). Recently, I did a game where demons played a big role and was surprised by the paucity of official CU religious NPCs for the players to turn to for information.

 

Instead of the Vatican I was thinking more in terms of a church doing a lot of outreach to the superhuman community. This would step on fewer real world toes and could make for some interesting role-playing as hero (and possibly villains) get targeted as potential converts.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

The other idea is a group of Time cops...

 

I've already used the Temporal League from Digital Hero.

[gojira]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

I also was thinking some sort of Henchmen Inc. and Supply for villains. An equipment list to pick and choose from would be great. What does VIPER make available and sell to other villain groups? How about Duchess Industries? What other black market items are available for the small start up villain team or a new mastermind looking to outfit some eager new henchmen? Dr. Destroyer and The Warlord might be selling stuff too. A big old equipment list of villainous stuff would be great.

 

 

On the good side, I'd like to see the return of DanCo and Turtle Armor. Plus, what have they been up to? Surely DanCo has some new gadgets that small super teams and corps could outfit themselves with.

 

 

If you just go through the opening parts of CU, there's a lot of discussion of villain and hero groups by category, origin and location. Detailing any of those would be great. For example, besides PRIMUS, the DEA, FBI and NASA are also mentioned. What about detailing some of those latter three groups' lower powered or smaller teams? What resources could each help a player team with? How might they opposes a well-meaning but un-sanctioned player team?

 

You could just go through CU chapters two through four, and see if anything that's briefly mentioned jumps out as something that would be good to detail out. I wouldn't mind seeing some lower-powered superhero teams too, like the California Patrol.

 

 

I also think that a generic corporation building would be good. Give it a name, but make it easy to file the numbers off. Include maps of the insides of the building. Lots of floors, labs, computer rooms, basements, etc. Add protective gadgets and guys in power armor for guards. Use the equipment lists if you put them in.

 

I love maps, and aids like this make a book very valuable to me.

[Alric]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

How about a superpowered sports team, as either an exhibition team like the Harlem Globetrotters, or as an example of a sport that allows super powers. Like Marvel's Unlimited Class Wrestling.

[Enforcer84]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

How about a superpowered sports team' date=' as either an exhibition team like the Harlem Globetrotters, or as an example of a sport that allows super powers. Like Marvel's Unlimited Class Wrestling.[/quote']

Luchador HERO tiein!

[Manic Typist]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

How about a company that specializes in making costumers for supers? You know, tough, reliable, and up to standards?

[Lord Liaden]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

I really didn't want and don't want to derail this thread, but since this is a "what do you want to see" topic...

 

At Thursday night's chat I asked Steve about the prospects for seeing more in print about some of the already established organizations of the Champions Universe, given his remarks regarding some of them in the first post on this thread; specifically, the publication fate of ARGENT, the Trismegistus Council, the IHA, L'Institut Thoth, and the Cult of the Red Banner.

 

ARGENT will eventually get its own book. The Cult will get covered in some book at some point, perhaps pertaining to the Martial World. The IHA will be squeezed in somewhere. The rest probably won't get any additional coverage.

 

I would like to put in a vote for "the rest" to appear in CCC. Generally speaking I would prefer that established CU groups receive some attention before new ones are introduced. I understand that those slated for their own books do not belong here, but the Trismegistus Council and L'Institut Thoth would seem to fit the parameters for this book as Steve laid them out. They're both relatively small and specialized, and although both have been mentioned in previous books neither one has been given more than sketchy description.

 

The Trismegistus Council is the premier occult support group in the Champions Universe, with numerous references in the various "mystic" sourcebooks. L'Institut Thoth is a potentially valuable resource to superheroes in several fields (possibly superceding a couple of the orgs proposed for CCC), and its roots go all the way back to Kingdom of Champions. IMHO they both deserve further development, and this would appear to be an appropriate book for them to appear in.

 

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled survey.

[OzMike]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Thirded.

 

 

I was thinking the same thing, in addition to the ideas that Lord Liaden had with this - perhaps an agent training facility.

 

Something like what the Taskmaster ran in the Marvel Universe would be cool - training services and intelligence and such.

 

Also something like Power Broker, Inc. from Marvel would be cool as well.

[lapsedgamer]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

I would like to put in another vote for The Cult of the Red Banner. I would buy that book, or a book with a detailed run down on ARGENT. Saddly, there isn't anything in the list at the start of thread that would make me buy this particular book at this point.

 

I wouldn't mind seeing a write up of a few more folks from The Tiger Squad. I'm sure that is wishful thinking.

 

Another thought: does the CU have something like Planetary? A group of supers who are dedicated to investigating the secret history of the CU, and preserving artifacts and knowledge. I know there is the Goodman Institute, but they don't seem to have any front line combatants.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

I would like to put in another vote for The Cult of the Red Banner. I would buy that book' date=' or a book with a detailed run down on ARGENT. Sadly, there isn't anything in the list at the start of thread that would make me buy this particular book at this point. [/quote']

 

I regret to say that I find myself in a similar frame of mind. Had CCC included a few of the orgs I mentioned upthread it would have moved well up my "must buy" list. While this collection sounds interesting, nothing is leaping out at me to make me want it right away.

[transmetahuman]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Huh. Gotta disagree; the stuff Steve listed sounds great to me (minus the time travel guys, since I hate time travel in my games, and ICON - yet another villain agent group, yawn).

 

I'll add a vote for some super-villain infrastructure like fences/hench-temps/etc., and maybe for the supers-specialist legal (and/or PR) firm (I loves me that She-Hulk).

 

Some kind of mystic group from an unusual direction - religious, governmental, law enforcement... something to add a mundane element to the stereotypically otherworldly mystic set.

 

I *don't* really want to see smaller-scale versions of groups we've already got, like ICON or the mini-ARGENT that was suggested.

 

Hopefully Angelstone will get lots of detail - the CU needs a good STAR Labs dealie.

[Andrew Byers]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

This probably isn't quite the right book for them, but I would love to see updated write-ups (and expansions?) for Aaron Allston's The Blood.

[Steve Long]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Well, some good suggestions so far! I like the idea of a "villain support services agency" and a "secret resort for superheroes"; those both seem appropriate to this book.

 

A few more quick responses:

 

I'd like to see the return of DanCo and Turtle Armor

 

You already have. The powered armor section in G&G basically lets you do what Turtle Armor did; it even includes random tables for rolling up different parts of armor. Short of expanding on that in The Ultimate Armor someday, I think it's sufficient.

 

The Cult of the Red Banner needs far more coverage than I can give it in this book. It needs to wait for a more appropriate venue.

 

We've already published plenty of material on the Trismegistus Council IMO; I don't see any need for further detailing.

 

I have no particular interest in covering L'Institut Thoth in greater detail. At best it's worth saving for some theoretical future book that looks more closely at Europe.

 

I don't really want to cover religious organizations, particularly real-world ones. That makes a lot of people twitchy.

 

In terms of the Taskmaster/Power Broker sort of thing, Bastion Alpha Security largely covers that territory, though that of course isn't publicly known.

 

In re: the Blood, even if I wanted to do them (which I don't), I don't think this is the right venue. Even if it were, those characters were returned to Aaron years ago. I will leave them for him to cover when and where he sees fit.

 

I wouldn't mind seeing a write up of a few more folks from The Tiger Squad. I'm sure that is wishful thinking.

 

Yes, I'm afraid so. Unless we cover China in greater detail in some book down the line, I don't have any plans to write up any more of these guys than are covered in VVV.

 

How about a company that specializes in making costumers for supers? You know, tough, reliable, and up to standards?

 

This isn't a bad idea, but it's too small a thing to deserve its own section of the book -- this merits a couple of paragraphs, probably, no more, and I need each of these organizations to take up several thousand words at least. It's a service I might wedge into another organization, if that seems appropriate.

 

I wouldn't mind seeing some lower-powered superhero teams

 

By and large that's not the purpose of this book. There will certainly be some character sheets, but I'm more inclined to stick with character briefs where possible. We've got enough NPC heroes out there for the most part; I'd rather look at some other interesting facets of the CU that have largely been ignored up to now.

 

I also think that a generic corporation building would be good. Give it a name, but make it easy to file the numbers off. Include maps of the insides of the building. Lots of floors, labs, computer rooms, basements, etc. Add protective gadgets and guys in power armor for guards. Use the equipment lists if you put them in.

 

That's way beyond the scope of this book. I wouldn't mind covering corporations (and business models in other genres) in more detail sometime, but I doubt it would be worth the effort required in terms of sales generated.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Thank you for the specific responses, Steve.

 

We've already published plenty of material on the Trismegistus Council IMO; I don't see any need for further detailing.

 

I have no particular interest in covering L'Institut Thoth in greater detail. At best it's worth saving for some theoretical future book that looks more closely at Europe.

 

Disagree, but understood and accepted. With what's already been published about both, and other HERO resources I can adapt, I can make both work nicely in my own games, so no skin off my nose.

 

In terms of the Taskmaster/Power Broker sort of thing' date=' Bastion Alpha Security largely covers that territory, though that of course isn't publicly known. [/quote']

 

I suspected that the moment I read BAS's description. I may finally be starting to penetrate Steve's devious mind.

 

That's way beyond the scope of this book. I wouldn't mind covering corporations (and business models in other genres) in more detail sometime' date=' but I doubt it would be worth the effort required in terms of sales generated.[/quote']

 

If ARGENT is still organized along the corporate model, the sourcebook for that might be a good place to work in some such material. Something along the lines of the 4E Corporations sourcebook, emphasising corporate entities as heroic support or as foes.

[Lawnmower Boy]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

_I_ would like to see the religious angle covered. Why not writeups for a made-up church? Say, the Zoroastrian Church of America, conveniently headquartered in Campaign City, right next to the offices of the Old Northwestern Baptist Conventicle, which features as an example of how to handle interfaith issues. Then if we want to use the Chief Priest's writeup for the Dalai Lama or relocate the Secret Underground Exorcist Headquarters to the Vatican, that's our lookout.

And now that I'm being eccentric, can I put in a request for a DNA Project (as in the Kirby Jimmy Olsen run, and/or Hydrobase down in the Submariner's neck of the woods? Gotta love those irresponsible scientists in their underground laboratories/ regular people irreversibly transformed by the evil science of Doctor Dorcas and making a new life for themelves in an exotic environment.

Also, I like the Time Bandits group. (Perhaps because these days I only read the stuff rather than running campaigns. But, heck, I'm a market, too.)

And I am now officially waiting for the ARGENT sourcebook. Hope it is half as cool as DEMON.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Well' date=' some good suggestions so far! I like the idea of a "villain support services agency" and a "secret resort for superheroes"; those both seem appropriate to this book.[/quote']I'm not sure what to make of the absence of the super-specializing forensics lab in your post... unless it's just that you consider it too obscure a service for this book.

[Steve Long]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

I may finally be starting to penetrate Steve's devious mind.

 

No, some things are too dense to penetrate. Just a case of GMTA, SMRT.

 

If ARGENT is still organized along the corporate model, the sourcebook for that might be a good place to work in some such material. Something along the lines of the 4E Corporations sourcebook, emphasising corporate entities as heroic support or as foes.

 

If we ever did a book about businesses, I wouldn't want to mix ARGENT in. I'd essentially want to do "The Ultimate Business," looking at medieval merchant guilds, Silk Road caravans, East India Companies, modern business in all its forms, interplanetary merchant conglomerates -- the whole gamut of business and the adventure possibilities it offers. But as I said, I don't think it would sell well enough to justify the effort.

 

I'm not sure what to make of the absence of the super-specializing forensics lab in your post

 

Make of it whatever you like, including some or all of the following: a brief summary of a book doesn't cover every single detail of what's in that book; I don't want to include whatever it is you're looking for in the book; I want to include it but don't feel like telling you; I am ignoring you specifically; I am ignoring a large number of people in general; I don't like criminalistics; I do like pie.

[FenrisUlf]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Cult of the Red Banner.

 

Please.

 

I heartily second this.

 

And some more info on the Trismegistus Council would also be vastly appreciated.

 

EDIT: Just read Steve's answer above --rats! Teach me to be too quick on the trigger.

[Remjin]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Make of it whatever you like' date=' including some or all of the following: a brief summary of a book doesn't cover every single detail of what's in that book; I don't want to include whatever it is you're looking for in the book; I want to include it but don't feel like telling you; I am ignoring you specifically; I am ignoring a large number of people in general; I don't like criminalistics; I do like pie.[/quote']

 

Wow... nice! I like pie too! Rep!

 

... stupid rep thing. Too much rep in 24 hours.. blah blah... I'll get it tommorow.

[Sketchpad]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Re: The Costume Shop

This isn't a bad idea, but it's too small a thing to deserve its own section of the book -- this merits a couple of paragraphs, probably, no more, and I need each of these organizations to take up several thousand words at least. It's a service I might wedge into another organization, if that seems appropriate.

How about giving a small section devoted to small agencies? Something like a glossary of businesses and such? Might fit in something akin to that ...

[Comic]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

I'd love to see some guidance on how to set up my own small organization.

 

I've been kicking the idea around for a while (The Augustinian Academy) of my own 'Mystic Academy' which would fit the same general category. Several of the posts to this thread have gotten wheels turning for me in new directions.

 

A section in CCC on what to consider when setting up an organization would certainly be appreciated.

[SAVeira]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

I will be going over the same grounds as other but I just want to state what I personally like to see at some point.

 

It is a shame that ARGENT and IHA will not be included but I understand that they deserve their own books. Hopefully they will be in print sooner rather than later. Speaking about absent organizations, PRIMUS should have been updated to the 5th Edition years ago. All three are too important to the Champions Universe to be left to the wayside for so long. On that tangent, we also need Stronghold and Golden Age Champions.

 

As for the organizations planned so far, they all look good.

 

Angelstone Laboratories – A replacement for Dr. McQuark, finally. Not that I have anything against the good doctor, but something more in line with DC Comics’ S.T.A.R. Labs is a good thing.

 

Exoplanetary Society – Hope this a more neutral organization then M.E.T.E. or the Exterminators. It would be interesting if it different wings and completing factions.

 

ICON – Sounds good, but hate the name. It is just as bad as the name IMAGE from the Mutant Files.

 

Sickbay – Again good stuff. Similar to AP’s MetaDocs series or the medical role of S.T.A.R. Labs plays sometimes in DC Comics.

 

The Timestream Buccaneers – Just was rereading my copies of X-Thieves and I have good memories of Time Bandits.

 

Trans-City Construction – A better version of Marvel Comics’ Damage Control then Aftermath Inc., one can hope.

 

Now Steve Long has stated that CCC is “not going to be a really large book,” but I hope he change his mind as there is so many organizations that could and should be covered.

 

Tailor:

• In the Flash comic books there was a tailor who made the costumes that his rogues gallery would wear.

• Edna Mole from the Incredibles, the fashion designer to superheroes.

• Marvel Comics’ the Wasp is similarly a fashion designer and she continuously modeled new costumes.

 

Henchmen:

• In Kim Possible, Jack Hench founded Hench Co., the leading supplier of henchmen and henchmen related products.

 

Cult of the Red Banner: Yes, I know it is not going to be part of CCC, but I just want to add my voice to those who want to see it somewhere at somepoint.

 

Meeting Grounds: Places where one can meet other super people. Some only for heroes, others only for villains and somewhere they mix.

• Neutral Grounds give us Sanctuary.

• In Marvel Comics criminals drink at the Bar with No Name.

• Wildstorm has a bar in New York called Clark’s where the superpowered hang out.

• Also in Wildstorm there is the town call Tranquility where both heroes and villains retire.

• Astro City features the bar, Bruiser’s, and the private club, Bulter’s.

• In DC Comics’ Identity Crisis, it is revealed that supervillains have meets at random places.

 

Information Brokers:

• The most famous is Oracle, the former Batgirl, and leader of Birds of Prey.

• In DC Comics’ Identity Crisis, Batman’s old foe, the Calculator was reintroduced as the supervillain version of Oracle.

• I believe it was from one of the GURPS Supers books that the concept of the Exchange was introduced. A clearing house of evil. Connects supervillains to those that want their services.

 

Superhero Management Services:

• People to look after various licensing right. For books, comic books, movies, television and toys.

• Accountants to look after insurance, royalties and taxes.

• PR agents.

• Household staff.

• Lawyers for criminal and civil matters.

 

Legal Services for Supervillains:

• Lawyers for criminal and civil matters.

• Bail bonds agencies and their bounty hunters.

 

Superpowers Support Society: Not everyone who develops superpowers dress up in long underwear and becomes a superhero or supervillain. Some folks have no interest in that and just want to live a normal life. Some band together to share information about their rights, ways of coping with abilities or making a legal buck. So someone with superspeed who does not want to be a hero or villain, but is interested in being a courier, here is where he would turn for help.

 

Superhero Lobby Group: Every other group on the planet has lobbyists in Washington work on their behave, why not superheroes. Mostly to protect the civil liberties of superheroes and prevent things like a superhero registration act or other such nosense.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

L'Toth Institute and related agencies

[ParagonAlpha]

Re: COPS, CREWS, AND CABALS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Superpowers Support Society: Not everyone who develops superpowers dress up in long underwear and becomes a superhero or supervillain. Some folks have no interest in that and just want to live a normal life. Some band together to share information about their rights, ways of coping with abilities or making a legal buck. So someone with superspeed who does not want to be a hero or villain, but is interested in being a courier, here is where he would turn for help.

 

 

 

 

"Hi my name is Harold Harper and I'm a metahuman."

 

"So doctor, I've been having these dreams. In them I'm working as an accountant, in a tiny cubicle, from 9 am to 5 pm. I then drive in bumper to bumper traffic for 45 minutes to my home in the suburbs where my wife and two kids give me a hug every night."

"And how does this make you feel, Captain Freedom?"