Anyone Ever Run an All-Esper Group?

[EvilEmpryss]

Years ago I was in a campaign that pulled from just about every sci-fi movie or show ever made. One of the major components was a Psi-Corps faction, as well as the esper underground that opposed them.

 

I came up with a group consisting of a dozen espers, all with different powers, but they cover the full range of mental powers available in the book. Each one is a specialist, with maybe two or three powers each and perfectly normal physical stats, and a codename to describe their abilities. I've kicked around the idea for years, but I kept thinking that they would be too powerful to throw against any of the groups I've been in, even in a Supers campaign.

 

Has anyone ever run an all-esper group, either of heroes or villains? How did it work out?

[Lawnmower Boy]

Re: Anyone Ever Run an All-Esper Group?

 

No, But there was talk of a never-done non-CU setting built around this idea in some way. Psi Wars?

[nexus]

Re: Anyone Ever Run an All-Esper Group?

 

I ran a campaign called Millennium several years ago where the PCs were on the run from a shadowy underground organization of psis (no connection to the TV show of the same name). It was allot of fun but one problem was making the characters feel "different" initially but once that hurdled was cleared it was a blast for quite awhile. To be fair, it was more a "people with powers" game than a Champions game.

[Kirby]

Re: Anyone Ever Run an All-Esper Group?

 

Has anyone ever run an all-esper group' date=' either of heroes or villains? How did it work out?[/quote']Not quite, but something similar. I wouldn't worry too much about an all mentalist group. They have their strengths, but also have their weaknesses when discovered. Look at PSI as a group that covers pretty much all the bases as well as having weaknesses. In addition, PSI can always be used as a nemesis group.

 

If you have 4th Ed Enemies for Hire, look at the mercenary Ronin. He's a martial artist designed/built as an anti-mentalist. I have a player playing him in my online campaign as a reformed hero. Believe me, mentalists have a tough time against him. As well as that, your weapon master (somehow, archers especially, from my experience) will have smoke bombs or some such that affects the Sight Group. Mental powers are line of sight, so only one with Mind Scan will be effective.

 

If you by some odd chance have Enemies of San Angelo, there's a group called the Scions. They're a family of mentalists.

 

In general (and this may not be true for your group) mentalists tend to have weaker defenses, which balances their advantages.

 

What I would do in the campaign (not saying you have to, of course) is let the PCs face a few typical scenarios of people without mental defenses (a bank robbery would be great as the PCs probably don't have to expose themselves at all). Then let them face a group that maybe has one mentalist or someone with mental defenses to give them a little challenge. After that, hit them up with a mentalist counter group or a group that has lots of mental defenses. VIPER does have contingencies for mentalists and if your group is in one campaign city, the VIPER nest (while initially beaten down) will exchange some agents for those with mental defense training. Suddenly, VIPER becomes a challenge again. (Modify to fit your campaign, of course.)

 

Tossing them up against Eurostar would be interesting and the group's 'master villain' nemesis could be Menton instead of Mechanon or Dr. Destroyer.

 

Hope this helps.

[Kirby]

Re: Anyone Ever Run an All-Esper Group?

 

I ran a campaign called Millennium several years ago ....

Around 2001?

[Comic]

Re: Anyone Ever Run an All-Esper Group?

 

I ran a campaign where the players played the villains.. and they were all espers.

 

It worked out pretty well, but that may have been because of the villain angle.

 

Since villainy is easy, and good guys are pushovers. Apparently.