The Freak Show

[fredrik_nilsson]

I’ve begun to sketch on the layout for (yet another) new campaign. The campaign is based upon the following premises:

 

• The players want a game akin to the X-Men movies
  
• The players don’t want a direct (or at least not obvious) homage campaign
  
• Several of the players want to avoid camp (I guess that is there way of saying no to the Silver Age)
  
• At least one player is a huge fan of the Ravenloft setting (I don’t know about the others)
  
• All of them like the World of Darkness setting

 

Taking all this into consideration I’ve decided to start a game about super-powered freaks; as in freak of nature (and the freak shows from the late 19th century). Obviously freak is primarily another name for mutant, but to me (and by extension the campaign) it holds a more sinister “feel” to it.

 

To honor the inspiration from the world of darkness the game will be set in Chicago. The name of the city will be changed to Stormhaven (isn’t Chicago called the windy city?) due to it’s occasional reality storms.

 

I haven’t set the power level for the campaign yet. Initially I thought about running it as a standard superheroic game, but I’m afraid that standard supers might be a bit too over-powered for what I’m after. At which level would you run such a game? I’m currently leaning towards using the recommendations for either WWI supers (same as Victorian Age I guess) or golden age supers.

 

Just to get things started I wanted to start a thread here to get some inspiration.

[OddHat]

Re: The Freak Show

 

On and off I run a light hearted splatterpunk game using Hero, based on the old Stellar Games Nightlife book; think WOD without the uber NPCS or metaplot and played for laughs. What you're trying to do sounds similar.

 

I'd think about the history of the Freaks. How long have they been around, did they always have paranormal powers or is that recent, are there commonly occurring Freak types, are there any ancient conspiracies or immortals, etc.

 

This type of game generally works best without costumes, and with personal struggles and stories lifted from horror movies and novels rather than crime fighting, though of course tastes differ. I never did much faction vs faction stuff; always seemed contrived and ultimately dull. An action-adventure story shouldn't involve policy meetings or cocktail parties, unless a fight is going to break out.

[OddHat]

Re: The Freak Show

 

Oh, power levels:

 

I wouldn't worry about this exactly; instead, I'd be concerned with SFX and power choices.

 

If Unbreakable Steve buys 25 PD/25 ED armor defined as a Glowing Aura of Protection, he's going to look and act pretty superheroic.

 

If he sinks the same points into 20 PD/20 ED Armor that always lets one Body through, plus regeneration w/ regrowth and resurrection, then defines the compound power as "I Can Not Die", horror elements will be much easier to bring into play.*

 

*Which is why this has become a bit of a cliche itself in comics over the last twenty five years; it allows writers to have characters who are just as indestructible as Superman, but who bleed and splatter a lot more.

[Gadodel]

Re: The Freak Show

 

My first though was Pulp Supers with a Lovecraft vibe going on. In terms of Ravenloft-an awesome setting BTW, the characters might find themselves drawn to communities or dwellings were Freaks try to blend in, hide or simply live. However, some Freaks are friendly both towards their own ilk and towards normal humans; whereas some Freaks are not-akin to the theme in X-Men. Lovecraft themes emerge as cults, self-proclaimed Deities and other elements on the edge of sanity become the 'wild card' antagonists.

[fredrik_nilsson]

Re: The Freak Show

 

On and off I run a light hearted splatterpunk game using Hero' date=' based on the old Stellar Games Nightlife book; think WOD without the uber NPCS or metaplot and played for laughs. What you're trying to do sounds similar.[/quote']

My game first draft for the world seems pretty much like how you describe Nightlife. It’s hard to run a game completely serious, but preferably I want to keep the “for laughs” part down as much as possible.

 

I guess you could say that it [the campaign] would become the love child between the X-Men movies and the Adams Family movies, with just a dash of Victorian horror for flavor (to appease the Ravenloft player). Just to bring in some confusion, include bit of TMNT (the 2003 TV-series); for the story seeds, not the turtles. The series has an extreme amount of meta-plotting, without making the turtles second-stringers. If I manage to do that in my game, I would be very pleased.

 

I'd think about the history of the Freaks. How long have they been around' date=' did they always have paranormal powers or is that recent, are there commonly occurring Freak types, are there any ancient conspiracies or immortals, etc. [/quote']

Regarding history, the players will be among the first known supers (or freaks if you want). Some lower powered once hasn’t managed to stay hidden as long as the players, so they aren’t the first. However, there have been freaks earlier in history (I haven’t figured out an exact history yet).

 

Assuming I stay without the “freak show mythos” (and turn it into a supernatural level), what can of supers would I find? The answer to that question would probably make it easier to flesh out the world.

 

This type of game generally works best without costumes' date=' and with personal struggles and stories lifted from horror movies and novels rather than crime fighting, though of course tastes differ. I never did much faction vs faction stuff; always seemed contrived and ultimately dull. An action-adventure story shouldn't involve policy meetings or cocktail parties, unless a fight is going to break out.[/quote']

At least one player (again, the Ravenloft guy) has explicitly said that he don’t want to run I costumed game, so your recommendation about no costumes will be followed. There might be some costumes in the form of power amplifying suits (doesn’t Aberrant also have that?), but I haven’t decided upon that yet.

 

The personal struggle/horror part is also taken, since it fits the Ravenloft view on horror.

[fredrik_nilsson]

Re: The Freak Show

 

My first though was Pulp Supers with a Lovecraft vibe going on.

I guess you could call it that. Comics like Hellboy or the Planetary --whom I rank in that sub-genre you mention -- might very well be played in this world.

 

In terms of Ravenloft-an awesome setting BTW' date=' the characters might find themselves drawn to communities or dwellings were Freaks try to blend in, hide or simply live.[/quote']

The majority of the Freaks will -- if possible --try to blend in, but a few deviant (and often low-powered) once will gather in real freak shows (this is how the media will give the group its name).

[OddHat]

Re: The Freak Show

 

Assuming I stay without the “freak show mythos” (and turn it into a supernatural level), what can of supers would I find? The answer to that question would probably make it easier to flesh out the world.

 

That bit is easy.

 

Giants

 

Tattooed Ladies and (more rarely) Men - Plenty of chances to mystic up this archetype

 

Wolfmen

 

Mermaids (and mermonkies) (no, really)

 

Hermaphrodites - Plenty of chances to mystic up this type as well

 

Midgets

 

Co-joined Twins (all sorts, up to and including two headed men)

 

Geeks (of the eats live animals and unspeakable substances variety)

 

Wild Men / Wild Women

 

Rubbermen / Contortionists

 

Fat Ladies / Fat Men (though they'd have to be really fat to get noticed today)

 

Two circus types that often traveled with Freak shows -

 

Strongmen (often crossover with giants, but not always)

 

Mind Readers / Mediums / Other sorts of magician

 

Option - Fantasy Taxidermy. All sorts of freak show exhibits were manufactured by stitching dead animals together, from jackalopes to mermonkies. In your campaign, some of these could be real.

[fredrik_nilsson]

Re: The Freak Show

 

I haven’t set the exact starting date for the campaign, but to continue in the same vein as the previous post in this thread assume the pulp era, but with some anachronistic technology (if for now other reason than to safe guard that I haven’t set the time yet).

 

POWER SOURCES

 

• Alien Species: I’ve had this idea of re-interpreting the Australian aboriginal mythology as if their mythology were aliens, just like Sitchin did with the Mesopotamians. I guess we could work with that from now on. Dreamtime is a matrix-like computer network where ancient godlike aliens have uploaded themselves while waiting for “something”. The Aboriginals could be their guardians. There are always a few aliens that are active (or downloaded if you like), but the majority of them stay within the computer net. They aliens might have colonies on other planets within the Solar system to allow for some off Earth adventures.
  
• Extra-dimensional Energies: I guess this would be okay, but I don’t know what to do with it yet. What do you think?
  
• Genetic Manipulation: Uplifted (or at least modified) animals seems within genre, and it would explain the Minotaur (and similar creatures) myth. Could be alien projects.
  
• Magic And Mysticism: This is well with both the pulp supers genre, and the freak show mythos.
  
• Mutation: Well, I guess this is what the Freaks are. These could be the descents of ancient (at least a few generations back) alien genetic experiments.
  
• Psionic Powers: Again, okay according to our inspirational sources
  
• Super-Science: Definitively okay, especially since I’ve already told you about the anachronisms
  
• Supernatural Forces: Hmmm, I’m a bit ambivalent… this is horror-ish supers after all, but the aliens and their “off-spring” (the freaks and the genetically manipulated creatures) fill this role quite well. What do you think?
  
• Training: I would definitively allow this.

[fredrik_nilsson]

Re: The Freak Show

 

Here are some example characters (based on what we’ve done in this thread this far):

 

Mokoi: One of the few aliens that are active on Earth in these days. He has been involved in a war with the other aliens for quite some time. He is also infamous for his low regard of humans.

 

Ambrose, Adam: Among the hidden society of freaks few people are famous as enigmatic as Adam Ambrose. He is rumored to – among other things – be an immortal.

 

Tanaka, Nobu: A male Japanese-American contortionist

[GoldenAge]

Re: The Freak Show

 

I have a PDF of a mansion based on the X-Mansion. PM me your e-mail and I'll send you a copy.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: The Freak Show

 

 

POWER SOURCES

 

• Alien Species: I’ve had this idea of re-interpreting the Australian aboriginal mythology as if their mythology were aliens, just like Sitchin did with the Mesopotamians. I guess we could work with that from now on. Dreamtime is a matrix-like computer network where ancient godlike aliens have uploaded themselves while waiting for “something”. The Aboriginals could be their guardians. There are always a few aliens that are active (or downloaded if you like), but the majority of them stay within the computer net. They aliens might have colonies on other planets within the Solar system to allow for some off Earth adventures.
  
• Extra-dimensional Energies: I guess this would be okay, but I don’t know what to do with it yet. What do you think?
  
• Genetic Manipulation: Uplifted (or at least modified) animals seems within genre, and it would explain the Minotaur (and similar creatures) myth. Could be alien projects.
  
• Magic And Mysticism: This is well with both the pulp supers genre, and the freak show mythos.
  
• Mutation: Well, I guess this is what the Freaks are. These could be the descents of ancient (at least a few generations back) alien genetic experiments.
  
• Psionic Powers: Again, okay according to our inspirational sources
  
• Super-Science: Definitively okay, especially since I’ve already told you about the anachronisms
  
• Supernatural Forces: Hmmm, I’m a bit ambivalent… this is horror-ish supers after all, but the aliens and their “off-spring” (the freaks and the genetically manipulated creatures) fill this role quite well. What do you think?
  
• Training: I would definitively allow this.

 

Hmmmm.....

I kinda like the Dreamtime/Alien connection, but I'd think basing it too closely on the Matrix might shake the pulp horror feel.

Maybe something similar but less explicable/more Lovecraftian (Hmmm... The lost City of the Great Race is in Austrialia... Techo-psionic time manipulating aliens are always good...)

 

Other ideas right off the top of my head...

The Tunguska explosion could be the vector by which uneartly energies or mutagens are introduced into the world.

The Martian invasion could work too, tho it's a very high profile event if you use it.

[Gadodel]

Re: The Freak Show

 

 

 

The majority of the Freaks will -- if possible --try to blend in, but a few deviant (and often low-powered) once will gather in real freak shows (this is how the media will give the group its name).

Plot Hook: When the 'Circus' comes to town, some problems are mysteriously solved; thus promoting some level of acceptance.

 

[fredrik_nilsson]

Re: The Freak Show

 

I kinda like the Dreamtime/Alien connection...

Thanks! It might not be extremely ground breaking, but I it works for me. Have you read about their mythology? They scream sci-fi potential to me.

 

http://www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/oceania/aboriginal/articles.html

 

… but I'd think basing it too closely on the Matrix might shake the pulp horror feel.

Initially I hadn’t seen this as pulp horror; that idea grew from this thread. I can’t say the pulp supers’ idea hadn’t crossed my mind before, but going into pulp horror (like Lovecraft) wasn’t anything that I’d thought of before.

 

The connection with Matrix isn’t that strong. I don’t think the players will see of it as Matrix, for them it would be more like shamanic vision-quests. You know that it is a computer simulation and I know that it is a computer simulation, but neither the players nor their characters know that. See it as Clarke’s third law in practice.

 

Besides, Matrix isn’t the inspiration, SJ Games’ Transhuman Space is.

 

… The lost City of the Great Race is in Austrialia...

As for a lost alien empire (maybe even the root for the legends about Lemuria) I think the Sahul Shelf might fit the bill.

 

During the last ice age… [dum-dum-dum-dum] … the Aboriginals used this land bridge to get to modern-day Australia.

[GoldenAge]

Re: The Freak Show

 

Mansion sent. Let me know what you think.

[assault]

Re: The Freak Show

 

This all looks very interesting.

 

One comment about that "Aboriginal mythology" site: it's a very eclectic collection of material from a whole bunch of different and geographically wildly dispersed cultures. It's a bit like collecting material from all over Europe and calling it a "European mythology".

 

Don't let that stop you from having fun!

[fredrik_nilsson]

Re: The Freak Show

 

Mansion sent. Let me know what you think.

The short review is WOW! A longer review deserve its own thread.

[fredrik_nilsson]

Re: The Freak Show

 

This all looks very interesting.

Thanks

 

Once comment about that "Aboriginal mythology" site: it's a very eclectic collection of material from a whole bunch of different and geographically wildly dispersed cultures. It's a bit like collecting material from all over Europe and calling it a "European mythology".

I've realized that, but since the main use for the mythology is to get inspiration for an ancient alien culture – that for some reason got stuck on Earth – it doesn’t really matter.

 

Don't let that stop you from having fun!

As long as this isn’t a one man’s thread, it won’t.

[GoldenAge]

Re: The Freak Show

 

The short review is WOW! A longer review deserve its own thread.

 

Glad I could help!

[fredrik_nilsson]

Re: The Freak Show

 

Here comes a first attempt to make something coherent of all this:

 

 

Exodus (100 0000 years ago)

 

Several groups of hunter-gatherers leave the eastern coast of Africa, continuing along the southern coastline of Asia.

 

 

The Ocean Dwellers (50 0000 to 60 0000 years ago)

 

After several thousand years of settlements along the coats of Asia, the first tribes begin their journey out in the Oceanic islands.

 

 

Alien Arrival (50 0000 years ago)

 

A group of aliens – later named the Wondjina by the natives – crash land on the Island of Flores.

 

 

Dreamtime (40 0000 to 50 0000 years ago)

 

As soon as the aliens realize their technological superiority compared that of mankind they begin to create a civilization with themselves ruling as god-kings. Their might kingdom spread out to cover the entire Sahul Shelf; which due to the ice age wasn’t covered by water by then.

 

 

Space Race (18 0000 to 40 0000 years ago)

 

The alien manage to remodel their metal-based technology into a biological-based one. They begin to try to re-conquer space; first by creating colonies on Venus and Mars, and later by moving outside the asteroid belt.

 

 

The Experimental Era (13 0000 to 18 0000 years ago)

 

By the end of the space race era the majority of the aliens either move to space or upload themselves into their vast biological computer network to sleep a form of virtual sleep thru the ages. To give the remaining aliens better servants, the aliens perform extensive genetic manipulation on their slaves to such extent that they diverge into an entirely new race; albeit one mostly humanoid in physical appearance.

 

 

The Great War (10 0000 to 13 0000 years ago)

 

The genetic engineering turns into a full-scaled war, when the aliens begin blame each other for using their skills to create weapons to use against the others. By the end of the era the few aliens still alive decides end the war and go into hiding from mankind, but by then some of their former slaves had fled out into the world and begun to breed with the unmodified counterparts.

 

 

The Final Times

 

The fugitives’ descendants were instrumental in the creation of the first human-created civilizations. Occasionally one of the dormant alien infected genes pops up in an individual or two. Sometimes these individuals were seen as saint, heroes or even demigods, but most of the times they were forced to live in the shadows.

 

With the ever-increase population in the world, the shadows are beginning to be over-populated. It’s only a matter of time before mankind has to acknowledge these freaks of nature…