Elseworlds

[wrestlinggeek]

Re: Elseworlds

 

Getting back to the original question:

 

How about a universe where 2 or more of the PCs switch places/roles? I'm mostly thinking of Speeding Bullets and Darkest Knight, here. In the first, Kal-El's ship lands just outside Gotham City. The infant from Krypton is adoubted by the Waynes and named Bruce. They are murdered before his powers really develop (although that night is the first time he uses his heat-vision, against the gunman), and this causes him to mentally surpress his abilities. When he rediscovers them years later, he becomes Batman.

 

In Darkest Knight, Bruce Wayne is sitting in his father's study, after his disasterous first foray into crime-fighting. He is looking for inspiration for a way to give him an edge right from the begining of a confrontation. That's when Abin Sur's ship crashes outside the manor, and Bruce Wayne becomes Earth's Green Lantern.

 

So, let's see how character A does with character B's powers. And how character C changes now that he has character D's back-story. Could be pretty interesting.

[Captain Obvious]

Re: Elseworlds

 

Getting back to the original question:

 

How about a universe where 2 or more of the PCs switch places/roles? I'm mostly thinking of Speeding Bullets and Darkest Knight, here. In the first, Kal-El's ship lands just outside Gotham City. The infant from Krypton is adoubted by the Waynes and named Bruce. They are murdered before his powers really develop (although that night is the first time he uses his heat-vision, against the gunman), and this causes him to mentally surpress his abilities. When he rediscovers them years later, he becomes Batman.

 

In Darkest Knight, Bruce Wayne is sitting in his father's study, after his disasterous first foray into crime-fighting. He is looking for inspiration for a way to give him an edge right from the begining of a confrontation. That's when Abin Sur's ship crashes outside the manor, and Bruce Wayne becomes Earth's Green Lantern.

 

So, let's see how character A does with character B's powers. And how character C changes now that he has character D's back-story. Could be pretty interesting.

 

I saw some graphic novels a while back that were basically Stan Lee's re-imaginings of DC characters. They kind of fall along these lines too...characters that are very similar to what you already know while also being quite different.

[wrestlinggeek]

Re: Elseworlds

 

I saw some graphic novels a while back that were basically Stan Lee's re-imaginings of DC characters. They kind of fall along these lines too...characters that are very similar to what you already know while also being quite different.

 

 

I saw those and actually found them to be quite entertaining. Although the ideas more than the execution. Stan the Man is great with ideas, one of the best ever. But he still writes dialogue and exposition exactly the same as he did in the '60s. It was "hip, cool, and modern" back then; today, it just feels dated. But, that's just IMHO. YMMV, and all that.

[wrestlinggeek]

Re: Elseworlds

 

What about something along the lines of what DC did with Tangent Comics? The PCs travel to an alternate universe where all the heroes and villains have the exact same names as characters in their home timeline, but with completely different powers, backstories, and personalities. You can even switch names between individuals and organizations. PRIMUS, a para-military law-enforcement agency in the main universe, becomes Primus, world's first superhero in this one.

[lapsedgamer]

Re: Elseworlds

 

What about something along the lines of what DC did with Tangent Comics? The PCs travel to an alternate universe where all the heroes and villains have the exact same names as characters in their home timeline' date=' but with completely different powers, backstories, and personalities. You can even switch names between individuals and organizations. PRIMUS, a para-military law-enforcement agency in the main universe, becomes Primus, world's first superhero in this one.[/quote']

 

That's a great idea. Repped.

[rjcurrie]

Re: Elseworlds

 

Getting back to the original question:

 

How about a universe where 2 or more of the PCs switch places/roles?

 

In a similar vein, if any of the characters or the team have made significant decisions (either during play or in the backgrounds), you could have an alternate universe where the decision went the other way.

[Clonus]

Re: Elseworlds

 

A couple of years back my previous incarnation started a thread about how marvel comics was really several different not especially compatible universes held together with baling wire and duct tape and suggested it might be interesting to have alternate more consistent versions of the marvel universe. Among the spin-offs were:

 

X-Men: The primary power source is mutation, although there is also some super-advanced technology, much of it created by mutants. There are no characters with magic and no radiation accidents. Thus, Reed Richards is a scientific genius who has three mutants who he has been studying, Ben, Johnny and Susan. Iron Man's armour was created by Forge, who works for Stark Industries. And so forth.

 

Iron Man: The power source is technology, so the heroes and villains of this world have costumes/armour that gives them powers or are robots cyborgs and androids. Thus the X-Men are a team of runaway robots gathered together by the AI Cerebro and the Fantastic Four are obedient androids based on the Human Torch's technology, while the Avengers are mostly humans with gadgets.

 

Thor: Characters are either mythological beings, or have been endowed with power from mythological beings or their artifacts. Thus, Spider-Man is a black man who got his powers from Anansi and Iron Man wears a suit of armour crafted by Hephaestus.

 

Doctor Strange: Characters are wizards, martial artists and supernatural entities who operate in secret. Thus, Reed Richards is a dabbler in wizardry who accidentally summoned the four elements into himself and three others.

 

And so on. You could make some interesting variants on the default Champions universe by picking restricted origin types and then modifying the official characters to fit.

[Dr Archeville]

Re: Elseworlds

 

"Egypt World": Ankhenaten never tried to convert Egypt to monotheism -- he was assassinated soon after his rise to the throne in 1368 BC. As a result, Egypt never lost half its holdings, and continued to grow unchecked. Cleopatra arranged for Caesar’s assassination, and soon took over Rome. Servants loyal to the Pharaohs were protected from the Black Plague that ravaged Europe from 542-594, and two-thirds of the opposition to the Pharaohs died. In 1776, the United States of Assyria was formed in the “New World.”

Magic (Hekau) is much more common in this world. Manhattan Island is a gigantic series of mausoleums, one for the mummy of each Emir (President), and his servants & possessions.

[Princedarkstorm]

Re: Elseworlds

 

I would do the old Adventurers Club or the Champions in 3 d for info.

[Guest Major Tom]

Re: Elseworlds

 

Doesn't work! It is a basic characteristic of the Nazi regime to be fascist and racist, totalitarian and militaristic. You cannot declare them to be good and not take away their defining principles.

 

Try a campaign where the wolves are herbivores and the caribou are carnivores. Soon the wolves would have antlers and mass in herds. And the caribous would get claws, hunt in packs and lose their antlers.

 

 

He's right about the Nazi regime, you know. Just ask John Gill.

 

 

 

Major Tom