Theron Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Here's one of those little ideas that could turn into something big and different, and it seemed fairly cool to my admittedly jaded about superhero settings self. I only wish it were my idea; it actually came from one of my gaming buddies who's using it as a one-shot for a convention game he's running, but the premise seems like a really nifty starting point for a campaign. The high concept is that the campaign starts off with a somewhat gritty, low-powered superhero world. Sort of like the "Heroes" TV show, but a few years further advanced with superhumans being somewhat more prevalent and a good deal less secretive (though still relatively rare). The PCs are members of a government agency saddled with assessing and responding to outbreaks of metahuman activity. Sort of "X-Files" meets "The Six Million Dollar Man." With me so far? Good. Because things are about to change. During a fairly routine investigation of metahuman activity in a small Colorado town, the PCs find themselves on the sharp end of nothing less than a full-scale dimensional invasion by gaudily, ridiculously costumed individuals from another reality. A big, crazy-wonkers Silver Age reality. For lack of more precise terminology, Apokalips has just invaded your gritty reality. And established a beachhead in the central United States. As the beachhead expands, the influence of the other reality leaves a footprint, changing the world you know into a world of comic book reality within its boundaries. What do you do? Do you remain as you are, superpowered, yet gritty, or do you cross the boundaries, transforming yourself into something more powerful, but...less...yourself? What happens to America when the heartland really adopts the ethos of a simpler time and black and white morality? Of course, since this was a one-shot, we simply stopped the invasion cold by destroying the Boom Tube-ish device and busting heads with superpowers, SMGs, and an exploding school bus. But in a long-term campaign, I think it would make an interesting starting point, with the heroes barely getting out in time to get word to their superiors and having to make some of the choices noted above along the way. Anyway, that's it. Just a kernel of a campaign premise, really, but it seems pretty keen to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Re: From Tiny Campaign Acorns, Something...Something...Happens This is spooky as hell... I started a campaign almost exactly like this a few weeks ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theron Posted October 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Re: From Tiny Campaign Acorns, Something...Something...Happens This is spooky as hell... I started a campaign almost exactly like this a few weeks ago. I guess there's nothing new under the sun. If you can give us updates, I'd love to see how it plays out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Re: From Tiny Campaign Acorns, Something...Something...Happens I guess there's nothing new under the sun. If you can give us updates' date=' I'd love to see how it plays out.[/quote'] I spoke a bit too soon, your PCs starting out with Government agents is a nice twist I wouldn't have thought of and there were NO powers before hand that could be proven, so instead of low powered to higher powered, it's 'our world' to 'Comic Book World' with alarming rapidity. But in a nutshell, Captain Incredible from a superheroic universe discovered a grave threat was coming through dimensions, and when the threat did, it would alter the weaker (normal/mundane) reality, but a conquest would come so fast that wouldn't matter. Instead, he decided to head the threat off to the past, and burst through the dimension himself. Now, he's set the tone as a CU llke universe alters the formerly mundane one. Now, laws of physics are merely guidelines, and you are as likely to get superpowers from a bug bite as leukemia. Old myths are taking form, and often in inaccurate ways as the collective sub conscience can't always agree on the history of the myth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Re: From Tiny Campaign Acorns, Something...Something...Happens Here's one of those little ideas that could turn into something big and different, and it seemed fairly cool to my admittedly jaded about superhero settings self. I only wish it were my idea; it actually came from one of my gaming buddies who's using it as a one-shot for a convention game he's running, but the premise seems like a really nifty starting point for a campaign. The high concept is that the campaign starts off with a somewhat gritty, low-powered superhero world. Sort of like the "Heroes" TV show, but a few years further advanced with superhumans being somewhat more prevalent and a good deal less secretive (though still relatively rare). The PCs are members of a government agency saddled with assessing and responding to outbreaks of metahuman activity. Sort of "X-Files" meets "The Six Million Dollar Man." With me so far? Good. Because things are about to change. During a fairly routine investigation of metahuman activity in a small Colorado town, the PCs find themselves on the sharp end of nothing less than a full-scale dimensional invasion by gaudily, ridiculously costumed individuals from another reality. A big, crazy-wonkers Silver Age reality. For lack of more precise terminology, Apokalips has just invaded your gritty reality. And established a beachhead in the central United States. As the beachhead expands, the influence of the other reality leaves a footprint, changing the world you know into a world of comic book reality within its boundaries. What do you do? Do you remain as you are, superpowered, yet gritty, or do you cross the boundaries, transforming yourself into something more powerful, but...less...yourself? What happens to America when the heartland really adopts the ethos of a simpler time and black and white morality? Of course, since this was a one-shot, we simply stopped the invasion cold by destroying the Boom Tube-ish device and busting heads with superpowers, SMGs, and an exploding school bus. But in a long-term campaign, I think it would make an interesting starting point, with the heroes barely getting out in time to get word to their superiors and having to make some of the choices noted above along the way. Anyway, that's it. Just a kernel of a campaign premise, really, but it seems pretty keen to me. And to answer your question? I'd probably step through in a heartbeat, you can see it as diminishing, or, as refining ... it's a matter of view I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattingly Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Re: From Tiny Campaign Acorns, Something...Something...Happens Sounds a bit like a Gestalt wave that crashed into the New Universe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Re: From Tiny Campaign Acorns, Something...Something...Happens Sounds a bit like a Gestalt wave that crashed into the New Universe... Speaking for myself, what I had heard about Gestalt was very much part of my inspiration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theron Posted October 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Re: From Tiny Campaign Acorns, Something...Something...Happens And to answer your question? I'd probably step through in a heartbeat' date=' you can see it as diminishing, or, as refining ... it's a matter of view I think.[/quote'] I can accept it's what you'd do, since you're very much a four-color kind of guy. :-) I got to thinking about what the character I got handed last night in the playtest would do. Eagle is very much a superpowered Special Forces op. High strength, High Dex, very agile and martial artsy (the game was actually using M&M, so I'm speaking in generalities) but more than willing to use guns if they're better suited to the job. I don't see her staying in the "infected zone" and becoming all Silver-Agey, thought it would make for some interesting character exploration if, for instance, she got stuck or ordered to do so and what sort of changes she'd go through. Odd. Normally one-shot characters that I didn't make up don't resonate like this with me. I think I may have to mull this one over some more. If only I actually had the time to run it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Re: From Tiny Campaign Acorns, Something...Something...Happens And to answer your question? I'd probably step through in a heartbeat' date=' you can see it as diminishing, or, as refining ... it's a matter of view I think.[/quote'] Let's see. superpowers..... costume...... good versus bad.... little or no grey.... all you would hear is the sound of air rushing to fill the space I was in before I shot across the line Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theron Posted October 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Re: From Tiny Campaign Acorns, Something...Something...Happens Let's see. superpowers..... costume...... good versus bad.... little or no grey.... all you would hear is the sound of air rushing to fill the space I was in before I shot across the line Ah, but bear in mind, you already have superpowers. If you go to the other side, you may have MORE superpowers, but you won't be yourself anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Re: From Tiny Campaign Acorns, Something...Something...Happens Ah' date=' but bear in mind, you already have superpowers. If you go to the other side, you may have MORE superpowers, but you won't be yourself anymore.[/quote'] mmmmmmmm.......more......mmmmmmm....more...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drhoz Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Re: From Tiny Campaign Acorns, Something...Something...Happens interesting... I can't think of any of my characters that would be happy with the More Power/Less Identity trade off. And at least one of them, if he did go over the line to get more power to achieve his aims, would promptly sprout spiky armour/cape combo, a Big Magical Whacking Stick, and probably a tower of skulls, too. And Evil. Lots and Lots of Evil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyrm Ouroboros Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Re: From Tiny Campaign Acorns, Something...Something...Happens And Evil. Lots and Lots of Evil. I tried that, once. Didn't go with my decor. And Hermit, you rassin' frassin'!! I didn't know you was Recluse!! Learn somethin' new every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Re: From Tiny Campaign Acorns, Something...Something...Happens I tried that, once. Didn't go with my decor. And Hermit, you rassin' frassin'!! I didn't know you was Recluse!! Learn somethin' new every day. I am a man of many faces.. and all of them don't make eye contact.. wait, that doesn't sound impressive at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drhoz Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Re: From Tiny Campaign Acorns, Something...Something...Happens I tried that' date=' once. Didn't go with my decor.[/quote'] heehee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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