Campaign Concept: Political Cape-rs

[jkwleisemann]

As a note: I will not run this game. Not barring clearing up a lot of other games I'm running. If I start trying to run this game, somebody come over here and smack me upside the head, please.

 

===~~~===

 

CAPED CRUSADER TAKES WHITE HOUSE BY STORM!

 

In a surprising political upset yesterday, popular superhero Norman Stonefine, better known as the Golden Guardian, won the presidential election by a landslide. Despite his steadfast refusal to identify with any political party, running instead as the "Caped Candidate" on the ticket, his platform of being tougher on crime, super-crime in particular, and cleaning up corruption, helped win over voters from both parties, as well as his untarnished record of public service for the last twenty years. While some analysts question whether or not he is up to the challenges of the Presidential office, particularly considering his lack of political experience prior to this point, the public is obviously eager to see somebody who isn't part of the political machine take over running it.

 

When asked what he thought the greatest challenge of his new position would be, President Stonefine answered in his increasingly familiar deadpan manner: "Probably the fact that I'm not allowed to punch the crooks I'm dealing with in the face anymore. Congressmen don't like it when you do that." He also confirmed that this would be the end of his superheroic career, at least while he was in office, but that he did have 'some plans he was working on' to fill in the gap.

 

President Stonefine has indicated that his first order of business once in office....

 

continued on Page 3

===

 

Norman, AKA Golden Guardian, AKA President Stonefine, smiled as his new recruit read the article.

 

"Well, as you can see, I pulled it off. That's where the problems start, of course. I'm not worried about myself, really. My family... that's another story. I'm bulletproof; they're not. The fact is that there's always somebody who wants to kill the President... and I don't know if the Secret Service can keep up with the added threat posed by my old Rogue's Gallery, to say nothing of the fact that they'll probably be facing at least twice as many supervillain threats as they're used to just because I'm in the same league. I need help... and that's where you come in...."

 

President Stonefine's first order of business, *before* he was in office, was to put together a team of heroes. He'd worked with them all before, trusted them, and knew that they'd be able to do what he needed them to.

 

He needed them to take his place as a superhero, first off, and after that, to help protect he and his family from supervillains. They would all receive positions with the Secret Service, a special Presidential Detail that he would establish. They would all be trained, and receive a token salary, to say nothing of the publicity and prestige involved.

 

You are one of the President's new recruits; welcome to the Service, hero.

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: Campaign Concept: Political Cape-rs

 

Certainly an interesting concept.

[Certified]

Re: Campaign Concept: Political Cape-rs

 

What comes to mind reading this is compromise. We have our President who was able to bypass the political system up to this point by way of name recognition and charitable deeds. Now however he is thrown to the wolves so to speak.

 

I like that you kept him out of one of any political party but at some point he will have to take stances on a huge array of issues.On a high level the political system itself seems to be is set up as a series of checks and balances to promote compromise and moderate approach. Without getting bogged down in details between the branches, parties and everything in between this seems like a major issue facing the campaign. Heroes are used to overcoming challenges politics seems to be more about what are you willing to sacrifice to archive your goals.

 

To divorce the concept of good and evil, every politician has a point of view that is justified by personal perspective. If these beliefs are perceived as evil by the PCs how then will they cope when the President is forced to comprise with these parties to achieve some larger goal?

 

Additionally the concept of abuse of power and threat escalation comes to mind. What happens when A hotel in Rovinialtia is taken over by insurgents and the PC heroes go rescue them? Normally, the day is saved everyone rejoices and things move on. Now, it is a blatant show of force by a foreign government that makes other leaders nervous, do we have a super squad too?

 

This seems like excellent fun but I think going into it there would need to be at least some discussion of campaign tone and making sure everyone has the understanding that this is for fun. People can be very touchy about their political views.

 

I look forward to seeing how this goes if you find someone to run the campaign.

[jkwleisemann]

Re: Campaign Concept: Political Cape-rs

 

A Fistful of Plot Seeds:

 

A few months into his presidency, the team overhears an argument in the Oval Office. Stonefine seems to be arguing with somebody... and when they go to look, the heroes catch a glimpse of a teleporting supervillain the Guardian fought during his campaign leaving abruptly, leaving the President absolutely livid behind him.

 

Why weren't they called when the villain teleported into the room... and what business did he have with the former Golden Guardian, that led to the argument?

 

===

 

The Guardian opened the floodgates. Suddenly, mass numbers of supers are running for office, riding the wave of their popularity into positions of political power... is the country ready for its political structure to be replaced with vigilantes capable of levelling half a city block?!? And what if a supervillain - one who hasn't been convicted of any crime - manages to sneak his way in, by hook or by crook?

 

===

 

The IHA has always suspected that the Guardian was secretly a mutant, and now that he's the President, they're not going to take any chances. Their militant arm, Genocide, takes matters into their own hands - Our Heroes discover that an attack is scheduled for the President's inauguration, hoping to take out the President, First Lady, and their children all in one fell swoop.

 

Is Genocide really planning to attack the President? Or is this just a massive political stunt... or cover for another, more nefarious plot?

 

===

 

The President starts acting a little strange. He commutes the sentences certain supercriminals, claiming that they've reformed, and puts them together into an official team of superheroes. He reverses key policies, and alienates old allies... worst of all, he puts his new team in place of Our Heroes!

 

Is he going crazy? Mind controlled? Or can you just really not trust any politician, even one who can leap tall buildings in a single bound?

[jkwleisemann]

Re: Campaign Concept: Political Cape-rs

 

Re: Certified

 

I know. That's part of the point of what'll create a lot of trouble here.

 

I kinda envision the game as being a hybrid between Justice League or the Avengers and West Wing or Commander in Chief....

 

Another of the reasons I don't particularly care to run it, as an aside. The idea just came at me out of nowhere, and I thought somebody might like it. ^^

[Cygnia]

Re: Campaign Concept: Political Cape-rs

 

What sort of diplomatic immunity (if any) would such a team have if they're "assigned" to work in foreign lands? And what sort of benefits/contingencies are made for THEIR loved ones and families should anything happen?

[jkwleisemann]

Re: Campaign Concept: Political Cape-rs

 

I *doubt* they'd have any... as for contingencies, I suspect that it's similar to those in place for Secret Service agents, given they're effectively a superpowered branch of the presidential detail, with a few extra duties.