Shared Campaign World?

[Enforcer84]

Now that I have gotten out of the time loop that was my wish fullfillment character thread...

Would anyone be interested in making a shared campaing world for a Champions game? I know there are a lot of really creative world makers out there. And you probably have better things to do than this, but it might be fun to toss ideas back and forth.

 

Any takers?

 

 

 

Just curious.

[Siberian Tiger]

I'll be the first to bite and say count me in - especially interested in looking at how the rest of the world views and develops superhumans

[Hermit]

An entire world? Mmm laziness is part of the reason I use the CU (That, and I enjoy much of what I've seen so far), but I'd be happy to help.

 

Any starting foundations you're trying to lay yet?

It seems to me you/we need to determine a few things at the begining.

 

1. What's the over all "feel"/"age" of the game world? Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron- a mix?

 

2. Where do powers come from? Alien Seeding, Wild Card type virus, Magic flows, mutations or multiple sources?

 

3. How long has super heroes been around? Since WW2? Before? Always?

 

4. How much is it like our own world nation/history wise? Are we talking "The United States" etc, or are their entirely different contienents? "As you know, Megea is the largest land mass on Terra..."

 

5. Assuming it's much like our own, will we be using fictional cities/ real cities, both?

[OddHat]

I'm happy to chime in with an organization or three. I'd be interested in the answers to Hermit's questions as well.

 

So how long have supers been known to be around? And what's the Secret History?

 

My current campaign uses a Mick Farren / Philip Jose Farmer / Wild Cards set up, but I doubt that's the style you're going for.

[Hermit]

Mmmmm

 

It occurs to me it might help if I gave some of my own input instead of just asking questions- sorry about that.

 

Besides, I could use a break from the Non-Gaming boards ("Kids, remember just to say NO" )

 

 

1. What's the over all "feel"/"age" of the game world? Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron- a mix?

I'd go for a mix, in fact, I'd go for a spectrum. Perhahps you should even have one mini setting/city for each age (Roughly, there would have to be SOME Spill over)

Example:

Glory City- Which did it's part in WW2, and to this day, new generations of young patriotic Americans with gifts gather to twhart evil. (gold)

Archstone City- In costume it seems good always triumphs, but when the masks are off, these icons of justice must struggle with the same burderns of love, jobs, family and just getting by that we all do. (Silver)

New Orleans- Yeah, that New Orleans. The one with a rich background, a mix of delights and problems. Things can get a bit mixed up. (Bronze)

Arcadia, CA- This once small city in California was devastated by a villian's attack. Corporations and Entertainment industry joined with heroes to help it rise from the ashes, but something has gone horribly wrong. Getting on the 6 oclock news is almost as important as stopping the bad guy, super heroes sell their merchandise without shame, and try to ignore the nagging feeling that the new super villains are the corporations that own their very image (Iron)

 

2. Where do powers come from? Alien Seeding, Wild Card type virus, Magic flows, mutations or multiple sources?

I'd go with a mix myself.

 

3. How long has super heroes been around? Since WW2? Before? Always?

While occaisionally in history, 'super powered people' have wandered, the full quirks of the Super Hero world (Costumes, secret IDs, etc) were formed during the World Wars.

 

4. How much is it like our own world nation/history wise? Are we talking "The United States" etc, or are their entirely different contienents? "As you know, Megea is the largest land mass on Terra..."

Keep it like Earth, generally, and wave off any oops as "Heroes have had a sublte effect on this world, even on the city designs"

Perhaps one new chain of islands for either a fictional nation, villain base, or both.

 

5. Assuming it's much like our own, will we be using fictional cities/ real cities, both?

 

I prefer fictional cities for running, but am cool with either option

[OddHat]

So in othe words, Hermit is casting a vote for the standard CU.

[Hermit]

Originally posted by OddHat

So in othe words, Hermit is casting a vote for the standard CU.

 

SUre sure... pick on the guy with the over inflated post count... *sniff*

 

Actually, I have a few requests for things I DON'T like that are in the CU.

 

No registration requirement nationwide for the US. That's one part of the CU I loathe, no matter how 'realistic' it might be.

 

Let's not have super heroes presence be based on when the magic tide is in.

 

If we have a powered armored guy, let's not have EVERY other women he knows panting for him unbenownst to him

 

No swashbuckling Aussie Ninjas (Yeah, I KNOW he's not in 5th ed save as a comic book character; I'm just putting this in to piss the Seeker fans off *G*)

[OddHat]

I thought I'd outline my current campaign world by Hermits guidelines. Maybe there's something you can use.

 

Originally posted by Hermit

1. What's the over all "feel"/"age" of the game world? Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron- a mix?

 

Bronze with a touch of silver. People have realistic motivations (money, friends, family) and realistic fears.

 

Originally posted by Hermit

2. Where do powers come from? Alien Seeding, Wild Card type virus, Magic flows, mutations or multiple sources?

 

One source that appears to be multiple sources to the general public.

 

Originally posted by Hermit

3. How long has super heroes been around? Since WW2? Before? Always?

 

At least the last 50000 years, though as far as the general public is concerned they first started appearing in the mid to late 1800s.

 

Originally posted by Hermit

4. How much is it like our own world nation/history wise? Are we talking "The United States" etc, or are their entirely different contienents? "As you know, Megea is the largest land mass on Terra..."

 

Almost exactly like our world in the western hemisphere, but with a radically different publicly known history for China, the Middle East and Africa.

History as known to those in the Super community is very different.

 

 

Originally posted by Hermit

5. Assuming it's much like our own, will we be using fictional cities/ real cities, both?

 

I use and prefer real cities, but I can work with fictional as well.

[OddHat]

Originally posted by Hermit

SUre sure... pick on the guy with the over inflated post count... *sniff*

 

Actually, I have a few requests for things I DON'T like that are in the CU.

 

No registration requirement nationwide for the US. That's one part of the CU I loathe, no matter how 'realistic' it might be.

 

Let's not have super heroes presence be based on when the magic tide is in.

 

If we have a powered armored guy, let's not have EVERY other women he knows panting for him unbenownst to him

 

No swashbuckling Aussie Ninjas (Yeah, I KNOW he's not in 5th ed save as a comic book character; I'm just putting this in to piss the Seeker fans off *G*)

 

All good ideas. The first gives a more silver age feel, and the second raises another question:

 

Is there magic, and if so how is it different from whatever other sources of power heroes have?

 

Personally I favor all magic, Psionics are Magic, or No Magic settings to settings that try and draw a distinction between Psi and Magic, but that's just the sci-fi fan in me.

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by Hermit

SUre sure... pick on the guy with the over inflated post count... *sniff*

 

Actually, I have a few requests for things I DON'T like that are in the CU.

 

No registration requirement nationwide for the US. That's one part of the CU I loathe, no matter how 'realistic' it might be.

 

Let's not have super heroes presence be based on when the magic tide is in.

 

If we have a powered armored guy, let's not have EVERY other women he knows panting for him unbenownst to him

 

No swashbuckling Aussie Ninjas (Yeah, I KNOW he's not in 5th ed save as a comic book character; I'm just putting this in to piss the Seeker fans off *G*)

Huh. Hermit shares my brain, thats what it is.

 

Ditto me on the above, particularly the Magic bit.

[Killer Shrike]

When I collected comics I collected Marvel X-titles and pretty much the entire line of Valiant comics. I collected rom around 1985/6 until 1994. Image comics and the ensuing collapse of the X-Titles into a confused mess soured me on comics, and then the eventual demise of Valiant put the final nail in. Now I just buy the occasional graphic novel, like Kingdom Come (I like Ross's Style), Earth-X, and the Astro City collections.

 

My personal take on the superheroic genre is heavily influenced thusly. Probably classified as Tarnished Silver/Bronzish and stopping cold at Iron Age -- which I prefer to call Pewter Age.

 

 

In the past Ive run several variations of custom superhero settings. Ive taken 2 basic tacts: either retroconned "almost like the real world" alternate history approaches, and completely altered settings up to and including an entirely different planet. Ive also run everything from Golden Agish to Cyberpunkish with supers, and even tried a stint of Fantasy Supers which I thought had potential, but which stretched genre conventions too far for the group I was playing with at the time.

 

 

To be honest, if I were to put the effort into making another supers setting now (Im pretty happy with the CU), Id probably do an Astro City conversion. I really really like that world.

[Enforcer84]

Well good, We have some posts. I was worried.

To be truthful, I agree with Hermit, I like the CU, but what I have noticed is that I come up with cool ideas for Villains, Heroes, Organizations, etc. and see that a glut exists, how many snake themed super organizations and high tech shiva's does one superhero based world need?

 

I'm at work so sorry if I make some leaps here:

 

So yes, An Alloyed Age campagin with areas of distinct flavor is perfect. I tend to keep Magic, Psionics, Technology, and "Cosmic Energies" as four "elemental" type forces. I also like the obligatory hidden civilizations, returning pantheons of gods past, and at least two organizations per element. ( i e a heroic magic organization and an evil one) I have battering about a Harry Potter like hidden society (but with far less silly names) for users of magic (having the major governments of the world having a "Ministry of Magic" (UK) or Beureau 13 (USA) seems cool).

 

I also liberally sprinkle fantasy creatures into my worlds (via convenient dimensional pockets).

I like to have a galactive empire that occasinally threatens earth.

 

Another favorite world element of mine is the Superbeing who rules a country. Either a Dr. Doom style tryant or a more benevolant monarch who brings such vast improvement to an impoverished African nation that he is worshipped as a god.

[Jinx999]

I've got some bits I could give you.

 

I've got a couple of ideas that you could use.

 

1) A mechanism for super-tech that explains why it hasn't changed the world drasticly.

2) A not quite nation resulting from a mad scientist's failed attempt to conquer the world.

[Hermit]

One Powered Armored dictator for your consideration

 

Originally posted by Enforcer84

Another favorite world element of mine is the Superbeing who rules a country. Either a Dr. Doom style tryant or a more benevolant monarch who brings such vast improvement to an impoverished African nation that he is worshipped as a god.

 

Interesting there, sort of a Doom/Storm/Black Panther combo. I find myself wondering, what if Africa had its Tony Stark? May I propose....

 

Proffesor Ananasi- That's not his real name, of course, but thanks to the web like design of his solar collectors and irrigation machines, along with his cleverness in handling foreign affairs, that is the name he's been granted.

 

Pr. Ananasi is a scientist, a genius that is typical of only super heroic worlds, but combined with a political ruthlessness. While he has studied at some of the finest institutes in the world as a young man, his homeland is more than where his heart is, it is where he rules. Unlike other superheroes, he tired of the poverty, of the corrupt governments that took foreign aid money and directed it towards weaponry while children starved. He took over.

 

There was outrage. This 'Facist in Powered Armor' had crossed a line that even his peers found uncomfortable. More than one attempt was made on his life, but when his uber tech began to feed those starving children, and the quality of life improved, it became harder and harder for other authorities to protest.

 

Now, Pr. Ananasi oversees the land of Tuboko (change it if it sounds stupid *G*) with a seemingly gentle but FIRM grip. He has been known to decieve US super heroes into fighting threats to his nation (and indeed, all of Africa). He has spied on the US govt, just as it spies on him. He's blackmailed megacorporations into sending aid or providing jobs by threatening to expose what his own tech has unvield about their own illegal practices. He considers himself a hero, but he has no doubts that his own people come first. If he must lie, manipulate, and use to further that cause... so be it.

 

Among his advisors is one seemingly eccentric "Witch Doctor" who says he (Pr. Ananasi) IS Ananasi's champion. When the Professor points out he doesn't even believe in such legends, and his powers are science, not magic... his advisor merely grins and says that the irony is probably why Anasai chose him.

[Enforcer84]

very cool hermit. The first time I had the idea I used a V&V character. I had rolled 7 powers, two of which were death touch and revivication. How could this guy not think he was a god?

He called himself the Savior and as a quirk people he killed and then revived came back with superpowers. So he would make this national superteam by killing volunteers and then bringing them back with superpowers (kind of like the Elementals i think).

[OddHat]

Hermit, well done on Prof. Anasai.

 

Meanwhile, in the fractured land that once was China...

 

Chau Sing-chi has been called many things in the west. When he fought the British opium peddlars who had fractured his country they called him a criminal, naming him Doctor Manchu in their ridiculous fictions. When he fought the Japanese as they raped an pilliaged their way through his beloved Manchuria the westerners called him "rebel" and "monster." Later, when the Japanese turned on their American masters the Americans tried to name him "Ally," but the brilliant Doctor, still young and strong despite nearly one hundred years of war, would have none of it. Now in 2003 "Doctor Chau" uses his mastery of Kung-Fu, western science and Chinese magic to hold together all of Southern China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The Communists still hold the North and trade through the free city of Shanghai, and petty Chi-fueled warlords holds much of the country's center, but Dr. Chau is not discouraged. His immortal life is dedicated to one China, one Emperor, and he will achieve that dream.

[zornwil]

Re: Mmmmm

 

Originally posted by Hermit

 

Besides, I could use a break from the Non-Gaming boards ("Kids, remember just to say NO" )

 

 

Nonetheless, it is vital to determine if this new campaign world allows gay marriages

 

Seriously, I'd throw in this thread but am coincidentally working on the same thing with lemming, kind of sort of maybe (we'll see how it goes) and so I'm "saving myself".

 

Just dropped a message to subscribe to the thread...

[Blue Jogger]

Originally posted by Hermit

If we have a powered armored guy, let's not have EVERY other women he knows panting for him unbenownst to him

 

Could we make it an armored WOMAN, who is disguised as a man (who can tell in all that armor?) and then have EVERY other woman panting for her unbenownst to her.

 

The kicker, the armor isn't powered, she's just so radioactive that she needs to be behind thick lead shielding. "Let's put this way, I glow in the dark."

 

Watched by EPA. " You fire Gamma Bursts? Not within city limits, you don't."

[Hermit]

Originally posted by Blue Jogger

Could we make it an armored WOMAN, who is disguised as a man (who can tell in all that armor?) and then have EVERY other woman panting for her unbenownst to her.

 

The kicker, the armor isn't powered, she's just so radioactive that she needs to be behind thick lead shielding. "Let's put this way, I glow in the dark."

 

Watched by EPA. " You fire Gamma Bursts? Not within city limits, you don't."

 

Interesting, one of my Players has a female character named "Torpedo" who was thought to be male because of her power armor.

 

However, I like the radioactive version

[BishopofB&W]

Originally posted by Blue Jogger

Could we make it an armored WOMAN, who is disguised as a man (who can tell in all that armor?)

 

The law of marketing sayeth:

 

Lo! If a woman pursueth justice or evil in a suit of finest graphicnovelite, and yea it concealeth her face(or not), such armor must be cunningly crafted that her womanly charms be well-presented. Yea, verily, from the swelling of her bosom through the valley of her flank to the curve of her hips it must needs be that such be presented for all to see. Ornamentation of the breastplate with two small shining lights shall be neither encouraged nor discouraged but verily left to the conscience of each wearer.

[PhantomGM2602]

How about Teen[and Preteen]SuperHero archytytpes?

 

While we're on the subjct of heroes why don't we add some preteen and teen superheroes to spice up the shared world?

We could create mutants,mutates, or even magically endowed supers[shades of Captain Marvel and Sailor Moon, anyone?] to the list of origins.

 

you can add some elements of Romance,Drama,Adventure,

and maybe a little bit[ ok maybe a lot] of Comedy if the GM might so desires.

[Enforcer84]

Who did Prototype, was that malibu?

The origninal prototype guy, who still had his armor had taken to calling himself Ranger. They (the two prototype fellows) fought a japanese villan named Arena. Ranger finally defeated Arena and revealed that the male visaged samurai was a woman. Not only that , but the suit basically utilized bio energy and was powered by spikes that pierced her body. It was cool and gruesome at the same time.

[Agent X]

On the "departments of magic" - I have my own take on this called Project M that started out around the turn of the century as an investigation of the paranormal. By WWII, it had become essentially an espionage/counter-espionage agency versus other "mentalist" organizations be they government affiliated or independent. As far as magic is concerned, the government to this day is undecided. Some members of Project M are actually capable of magic and form a sub-agency of Project M. When they file their reports, they file an official report that "cleans up" the magical nature of their adventures but, if a person is able, they can read the true report on the same page.

[Enforcer84]

Well to get the ball rolling abit on Organizations. Really I did have a serpent themed organization that I thought was a hoot to come up with. This would be an organization that grew with the campaign. It starts quite suddenly really.

 

The idea was that an individual was given great power and a throng of loyal followers and she didn't know why. A geeky "gamer grrl" she gains vast superhuman power of a magical nature, is transformed into the picture of evil beauty, finds five loyal (and gorgeous) men of similar fantastic power to be her generals and even has a small (about 250 members ) standing army. Overjoyed, she begins to plot world conquest. She is organized, creative, thoughtful and maybe just abit insane.

For some reason, her powers are based on the five evil races of dragons from ther favorite fantasy RPG. Each General represents one of these dragons (Black, Blue, Green, Red, White). She dubbs herself Tiamat, Queen of the Dragons. Her organization spends its infancy trying to gain recruits and capital. She outsoruces the technology aspect until she can form a cadre of loyal scientists. She also seeks Arcane power. And some more supervillains would be nice.

 

Things seem to go right for Tiamat in the beginning. Her agents stay healthy, even if they don't win every battle, the more she grows into the role the more impressive and deadly her organization becomes.

 

The Mysteries about them simply are: How in the world is this happening, its too convinent, the coincidences are too bizzare. Even Tiamat knows this. She suspects a mysterious benifactor but has no idea who.

 

In my original plan it was the true Tiamat, the dragon goddess from The pantheon of Babylon. The Dragon sought a foothold in the modern world to return to glory. She is using her new namesake.

 

This was chllingly similar to another snake themed organization. I am unsure if I wish to continue.

[BlackSword]

Originally posted by PhantomGM6101

While we're on the subjct of heroes why don't we add some preteen and teen superheroes to spice up the shared world?

We could create mutants,mutates, or even magically endowed supers[shades of Captain Marvel and Sailor Moon, anyone?] to the list of origins.

 

you can add some elements of Romance,Drama,Adventure,

and maybe a little bit[ ok maybe a lot] of Comedy if the GM might so desires.

There will probaby be several "Schools for the Gifted" spread throughout the world, and perhaps a team similar to Young Justice.

 

Some friction between the cities of different eras could aid in role-playing experience. "Oh you're from Glory City, well here in Arcadia we have real problems to deal with, move over, they need to get a picture of my good side." And of course cross-city issues. A corporation pushing a drug in New Orleans and happens to help fund a particular super in Arcadia could lead to a bit of tension.

 

All the super cities mentioned were American, and surely America will have all that diversity, but what about European supers, anyone from across the pond want to take on a city or two which might fit with a particular country? (comments on Asia are welcome too)