Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

[Spidey88]

Hi, folks!

 

I'm about to introduce a new player into my Champions game.

 

In a nutshell, his character is a natural lycanthrope (and based on the character's background as well as precedents in the CU, his lycanthropy is a condition of supernatural/mystical origin).

 

He was captured by some as-yet undefined paramilitary organization (specifically him because of his lycanthropy) who infused his body with a pool of nanites that was intended to turn him into a cybernetic werewolf killing machine with an integral combat computer (Ware-wolf, perhaps?). Fortunately, the character has some impressive scientific skills and has managed to subvert much of the combat computer's rather lethal programming - but he's now on the run from the organization, wandering from town to town Bill Bixby-style.

 

Sort of a Bruce Banner, by way of Werewolf: The Apocalypse, with some of Wolverine's background for spice.

 

 

At any rate, the organization that created him is a minor pickle. Ideally, it's got to have some significant resources in both scientific and mystical arenas, in order to have cybernetics that can synergize with a mystically transformed beast.

 

As far as the CU goes: you've got organizations like VIPER and ARGENT mostly on the scientific side, and groups like DEMON on the magical side. Are there any groups in the CU that cover a little of both? Some bunch of covert nasties who might recreate Von Frankenstein's revivification experiments for the field of battle, employ vampire snipers, or infuse high-tech missiles with the spirits of dead rattlesnakes to improve their infrared targeting systems? That kind of stuff.

 

I'm certainly fine with creating such an organization from scratch - or assume that a well known organization from one side of the science/magic fence recruited an individual or group of experts from the other - but I'd rather find a group/organization that fits better right off the bat. Unsurprisingly, an analogue of Werewolf: The Apocalypse's "Pentex" would fit the bill nicely.

 

Alternatively, tell me how an organization I may have initially not considered as appropriate would be a good choice after all - I'd like to avoid VIPER if at all possible, since it's got a lot of exposure in my games already. I'd also like to avoid using Pentex whole-cloth, as the player in question is far more familiar with it than I, and would likely assume too much about it right from the start.

 

At the risk of sounding lazy, I'm basically looking to save myself some time, as our next game is Wednesday night!

 

Thanks in advance!

 

(Ideas for an interesting monster-hunter adversary will be appreciated too!)

[lemming]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

I believe Enforcer84 made up an organization that may work with little modification.

 

Magewerks

[GoldenAge]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

DEMON uses plenty of tech...

 

"DEMON has a variety of deadly, insidious devices which they use in their quest for power. "

 

I just happen to have an old Classic Organizations right in front of me.

 

Paraphrased: While they prefer more traditional enchanted weaponry DEMON recognizes the effectiveness of modern weapons including power armored Demonspawn Mech Agents...

 

It wouldn't be beyond their scope to have a hand in the creation of cyberware-wolves.

[jkwleisemann]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

Also, if you want to stick with the modern version, DEMON has ditched the power armor troopers, but they've supplemented them with an entire wing of demented techno-magic researchers working to unveil secrets Man Was Not Meant to Know, so they still work.

 

But, then, I just love DEMON, any version (the current one in particular; much more menacing than the last batch I think).

[FenrisUlf]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

DEMON uses plenty of tech...

 

"DEMON has a variety of deadly, insidious devices which they use in their quest for power. "

 

It wouldn't be beyond their scope to have a hand in the creation of cyberware-wolves.

 

Also' date=' if you want to stick with the modern version, DEMON has ditched the power armor troopers, but they've supplemented them with an entire wing of demented techno-magic researchers working to unveil secrets Man Was Not Meant to Know, so they still work. [/quote']

 

This does sound like it's right up the Black Scientists' alley.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

DEMON uses plenty of tech...

 

"DEMON has a variety of deadly, insidious devices which they use in their quest for power. "

 

I just happen to have an old Classic Organizations right in front of me.

 

Paraphrased: While they prefer more traditional enchanted weaponry DEMON recognizes the effectiveness of modern weapons including power armored Demonspawn Mech Agents...

 

It wouldn't be beyond their scope to have a hand in the creation of cyberware-wolves.

 

The Fourth Edition DEMON used technology more as a supplement and disguise for their magic, but you could certainly redefine them that way. OTOH:

 

This does sound like it's right up the Black Scientists' alley.

 

That was the element from Fifth Edition DEMON that I first thought of, as well. DEMON has great secret influence through all layers of society, so I could see them being behind the creation of a secret "government-backed" laboratory for this kind of work, with the government having no idea of who they're really working with.

 

I agree that Enforcer84's Magewerks group would fit here, although you would need to work up a lot of the details yourself. As conceived Mageworks isn't actually malevolent, but you could make them so or simply amoral. And they'd be a natural for a government contract for this sort of project.

 

If you'll pardon me plugging my own creation , Digital Hero #44 presents a re-envisioning of the classic Champions villain, Profesor Muerte, whose schtick has become the blending of magic with technology. Your character's origin is certainly the kind of experiment he would attempt. Muerte isn't government connected, but he does have a fairly substantial organization behind him, with the potential to call on even bigger resources through the master villains he's connected to. And as a monster-maker himself, his crew would be a natural for monster-hunter campaigns.

 

Although this version of the Profesor isn't "official," I did make his default origin compatible with the official Champions Universe, so he'd be easy to use with elements of that (but I included options to fit him into other settings).

[Guest Major Tom]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

You could always swipe -- er, excuse me, I mean use the Millennium

organization from Hellsing for this techno-mystic organization. Any

group that has the means to create artificial ("Freak-chipped") vampires

wouldn't find it very hard to create a cyberwere at all.

 

 

Major Tom

[Lord Fyre]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

Alternatively, tell me how an organization I may have initially not considered as appropriate would be a good choice after all - I'd like to avoid VIPER if at all possible, since it's got a lot of exposure in my games already. I'd also like to avoid using Pentex whole-cloth, as the player in question is far more familiar with it than I, and would likely assume too much about it right from the start.

 

At the risk of sounding lazy, I'm basically looking to save myself some time, as our next game is Wednesday night!

 

Have you considered Nazis?

 

In addition to being clearly evil, there would be no stretch for a group of Neo-Nazis to be "High Tech" and thanks to Himmler, the Nazis have quite a bit of an occult influence as well.

[FenrisUlf]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

Have you considered Nazis?

 

In addition to being clearly evil, there would be no stretch for a group of Neo-Nazis to be "High Tech" and thanks to Himmler, the Nazis have quite a bit of an occult influence as well.

 

Well, Herr Doktor Pandemonium (from the DEMON book) is a German mad scientist, and his main base was built by Nazis (it even has SS cyborg troopers!), so that's halfway there already...

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

Well' date=' Herr Doktor Pandemonium (from the DEMON book) is a German mad scientist, and his main base was built by Nazis (it even has SS cyborg troopers!), so that's halfway there already...[/quote']

 

Speaking of Herr Doktor, for my own recent running of DEMON I used the Demonspawn Mechagent writeup from 4E DEMON in Classic Organizations as the basis for Pandemonium's Hartherzig Soldaten. One of several elements from the group's earlier incarnation that I was able to adapt to the newest one.

[Darkfire]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

I agree DAEMON's black scientists are the most logical choice.

 

But you could use Interface, the arch-villain form the Champions Battlegrounds book, he and his organization are tech based, actually they are an sipn-off group from ARGENT. with the addition of a mage(maybe form DAEMON) they could easily meddle in techno-magical matters.

 

after the PCs deal with Interface ARGENT and/or Daemon could notice them:D

[Guest Major Tom]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

Have you considered Nazis?

 

In addition to being clearly evil, there would be no stretch for a group of Neo-Nazis to be "High Tech" and thanks to Himmler, the Nazis have quite a bit of an occult influence as well.

 

Referring to my earlier post in this thread, the Millennium group is composed

of Nazis who want to do to England with techno-sorcery what they weren't

able to do with bombs and V-2 rockets.

 

 

Major Tom

[Spidey88]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

Thanks for all the response thus far, folks! Much appreciated!

 

Anyway, to respond to your posts as best I can:

 

 

It would seem than DEMON might be a decent fit after all. Admittedly, I don't own the book yet (despite having about 25 other 5th ed. books, and a dozen or more 4th ed.), but it's at least a name I can throw into the background if it comes up. I don't necessarily need a ton of detail this very second (so I can do some research shortly), but I would like to be able to answer the player when he asks "so who's my hunted again?"

 

Herr Doktor Pandemonium + Nazi cyborgs sounds pretty decent in that regard. Barring any other insights, I'll probably at least drop the name; though the character in question won't really know too much about the group that messed with him. DEMON can still be rather obscured in the background for now...

 

 

Interface? The other PCs have already faced him - and though the scenario you describe is just dandy, Darkfire, I think it might be retreading the same ground a little too much for my tastes (plus, I already have some plans for Interface's revenge plots against the other PCs anyway). Good idea, though!

 

The Millenium Organization? Probably too familiar to a couple of my players for my tastes, in the same way I'm not comfortable with just using WW:TA's Pentex. I'd prefer that I hold the cards, rather than cajole the players for info when I stumble, or have them put words in my mouth. Still, this sort of thing would be right up their alley, save for one thing - they seem to be vaguely "the good guys", or at least "the good guys who do terrible things because they must". I like my world fairly black-and-white (going for a silver/bronze age feel), and I'd rather have an organization that was really eeeevil, or failing that, utterly amoral. A group no one will have issues opposing!

 

 

As for Prof. Muerte? Well, even if he wasn't responsible for this character's creation (and he still might be if I like your article enough, LL) - he'd want to get his hands on him as soon as possible! I'll have to give it a read toute suite. I'm fairly familiar with his 4th ed. incarnation (though I realize things have changed a lot, what with the whole "back from the dead" thing), so I imagine bringing him in wouldn't be much of a bee in my bonnet. He's got some history I can work with.

 

 

 

This has all been great, guys! Feel free to throw me more!

 

(BTW - I'm all out of Rep for now. You all deserve more!)

[assault]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

Have you considered Nazis?

 

In addition to being clearly evil, there would be no stretch for a group of Neo-Nazis to be "High Tech" and thanks to Himmler, the Nazis have quite a bit of an occult influence as well.

 

Nazi science sneers at the occult!

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

It would seem than DEMON might be a decent fit after all. Admittedly, I don't own the book yet (despite having about 25 other 5th ed. books, and a dozen or more 4th ed.), but it's at least a name I can throw into the background if it comes up. I don't necessarily need a ton of detail this very second (so I can do some research shortly), but I would like to be able to answer the player when he asks "so who's my hunted again?"

 

Herr Doktor Pandemonium + Nazi cyborgs sounds pretty decent in that regard. Barring any other insights, I'll probably at least drop the name; though the character in question won't really know too much about the group that messed with him. DEMON can still be rather obscured in the background for now...

 

My advice to you, based on objective quality assessment as well as subjective enjoyment response, is: get DEMON: Servants Of Darkness. Get it as soon as humanly possible. It blows previous incarnations of DEMON completely out of the water, and will give you a ton of material and ideas to work with, as well as being a very entertaining read.

 

One thing about Herr Doktor Pandemonium: his connection to DEMON is one of the Big Secrets of the 5E organization, so if you do allow your PCs to encounter him you probably shouldn't make it clear right away that he's part of that group. His background is such that you could even run him and his personal followers and resources as a completely separate entity.

 

As for Prof. Muerte? Well' date=' even if he wasn't responsible for this character's creation (and he still might be if I like your article enough, LL) - he'd want to get his hands on him as soon as possible! I'll have to give it a read [i']toute suite[/i]. I'm fairly familiar with his 4th ed. incarnation (though I realize things have changed a lot, what with the whole "back from the dead" thing), so I imagine bringing him in wouldn't be much of a bee in my bonnet. He's got some history I can work with.

 

Hey, Dave Mattingly! I made you another sale.

 

I paid homage to the precedents for Muerte created by Steve Perrin and Scott Bennie, so a lot of his background should be familiar; but yes, in many ways he's a very different (and much more dangerous) character.

 

Since the article came out I've received feedback from readers which have caused me to revise some elements of the characters, making them better overall IMHO. If you like the article and are interested I can send you a summary of them. (That goes for anyone else.)

[FenrisUlf]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

Speaking of Herr Doktor' date=' for my own recent running of DEMON I used the Demonspawn Mechagent writeup from 4E DEMON in [i']Classic Organizations[/i] as the basis for Pandemonium's Hartherzig Soldaten. One of several elements from the group's earlier incarnation that I was able to adapt to the newest one.

 

I never even thought of that, and it makes so much sense.

 

Thanks again, Lord Liaden.

[Lord Fyre]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

My advice to you' date=' based on objective quality assessment as well as subjective enjoyment response, is: get [i']DEMON: Servants Of Darkness[/i]. Get it as soon as humanly possible. It blows previous incarnations of DEMON completely out of the water, and will give you a ton of material and ideas to work with, as well as being a very entertaining read.

 

One thing about Herr Doktor Pandemonium: his connection to DEMON is one of the Big Secrets of the 5E organization, so if you do allow your PCs to encounter him you probably shouldn't make it clear right away that he's part of that group. His background is such that you could even run him and his personal followers and resources as a completely separate entity.

 

Sticking with Nazi and 3rd/4th Reich symbolism it would not be hard at all to cover his true allegiance.

[Spidey88]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

Sticking with Nazi and 3rd/4th Reich symbolism it would not be hard at all to cover his true allegiance.

 

True enough - and it should be enough reason on its own for the other PCs to want to get involved!

 

I paid homage to the precedents for Muerte created by Steve Perrin and Scott Bennie, so a lot of his background should be familiar; but yes, in many ways he's a very different (and much more dangerous) character.

 

Since the article came out I've received feedback from readers which have caused me to revise some elements of the characters, making them better overall IMHO. If you like the article and are interested I can send you a summary of them. (That goes for anyone else.)

 

 

I'm still waiting for a credit card payment to go through, LL, so I haven't been able to pick up that DH issue yet (I should be able to tomorrow). I am interested, though - I'll give you a heads-up when I've got it, and am ready for further illumination.

 

Of course, if there's info that would be appropriate without having read the article yet, feel free to send it my way! Thanks for the offer, at any rate!

 

 

 

I was able to get DEMON today, and Herr Doktor Pandemonium looks like a pretty much perfect fit. When we get into the character's background, he'll have vague memories of a surgical theatre, and a blonde man with some arcane device on his face and neck wielding some nasty-looking implements: before everything goes black, he notices swastikas displayed on the wall...

 

Perhaps the character's whereabouts were provided clandestinely to Herr Doktor by Prof. Muerte, who was curious to see what the Doktor could produce? If the project goes well enough, Muerte might just have to make a pawn of this Pandemonium fellow (or plagiarize his results)!

[JmOz]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

Just a quick note, VIPER now has a magical department, and so, for alittle darker conspiracy type thing does PRIMUS

[Kal'El Wayne]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

Thing is, occult/cyber/regular Nazi bad guys have been done to death. And then another death, and another...

It's still cool but if you don't want your players in on it, you don't want a mad scientist with a German accent, trust me.

 

GMPC: "Ah, ve meet at-"

Player: "Did he say 'V' instead of we?"

GM: "Um, yea-"

Players: "We shoot him in the head."

 

You could try a Neo-Soviet Militia. They keep the WWII/Cold War theme but they don't usually get the occult stuff, despite the great Russian myths. So even if someone does suspect the scientist with the 'Czech' accent, it (probably) won't be assumed that he's here to spy on the were-wolf.

 

Of course, if you want to keep the players in the dark, you could just give very little away. Maybe the agent in charge of spying on the werewolf, uses magic nanites to mind control civilians into spying for him. Then he looks through their eyes. The pcs only find out about it when they run into the same civilians again and again, till they confront one and his head explodes. The only clue left behind is a big cyborg brain chip that seems to have been magically emitting what the civilian was seeing to a remote location. E.T.C.

[Spence]

Re: Evil organization with science + supernatural elements?

 

Thing is, occult/cyber/regular Nazi bad guys have been done to death. And then another death, and another...

It's still cool but if you don't want your players in on it, you don't want a mad scientist with a German accent, trust me.

 

GMPC: "Ah, ve meet at-"

Player: "Did he say 'V' instead of we?"

GM: "Um, yea-"

Players: "We shoot him in the head."

 

You could try a Neo-Soviet Militia. They keep the WWII/Cold War theme but they don't usually get the occult stuff, despite the great Russian myths. So even if someone does suspect the scientist with the 'Czech' accent, it (probably) won't be assumed that he's here to spy on the were-wolf.

 

Of course, if you want to keep the players in the dark, you could just give very little away. Maybe the agent in charge of spying on the werewolf, uses magic nanites to mind control civilians into spying for him. Then he looks through their eyes. The pcs only find out about it when they run into the same civilians again and again, till they confront one and his head explodes. The only clue left behind is a big cyborg brain chip that seems to have been magically emitting what the civilian was seeing to a remote location. E.T.C.

 

Use PETA! They are an evil organization hiding behind a public persona of public service.