Campaign/Character Hook

[Utech]

"Genetics loads the gun. Environment pulls the trigger."

 

What does it suggest to you for a campaign or a character?

[Karma]

Re: Campaign/Character Hook

 

Unless he's a mutant not alot

 

As a campaign forshadowing idea: The heroes fight there way to the Supervillians Control room. On the way they find evidence that he has produced an Alpha level superbeing. As they break in to the control room they see him attempting to place a child in an escape pod.

 

What they do now may have ramifications in the future.

 

Allow the child to escape: Brought up by the Supervillians minions the child becomes the greatest threat the world has ever known (and if you don't want to take years to bring him/her into the action develops time travel abilities)

 

Stop the child escaping and then hand him off to the authorities: Brought up either in a lab or as a superweapon or (least likely) in a state foster home becomes the greatest threat the world has ever known.

 

Stop the child and either bring him up themselves (long term story potential) or make sure he is well cared for (again long term potential): Child eventually helps them save the world.

 

You could also create a Mutant (or other 'born with powers/potental') character (as a player) whose Hunted is a twin/clone/Alternate Universe version of himself with the same powers whose upbringing has led him to become a villian.

[Checkmate]

Re: Campaign/Character Hook

 

I'm not entirely sure why, but I'm reminded of Strikeforce: Morituri. People are given (or posses) powers, stressful situations activate those powers, but the powers kill the people that posses them.

[Asperion]

Re: Campaign/Character Hook

 

"Genetics loads the gun. Environment pulls the trigger."

 

What does it suggest to you for a campaign or a character?

 

Campaign: Everyone has some ability to perform "superhuman" abilities. At some point for certain individuals these abilities are manifested and creates what is commonly called the "superhuman". This manifestation is usually the result of some traumatic event, such as a "fatal" situation, death of loved one, or anything else approved by the GM.

 

Character: Richard "Chance" Weis was just a normal high school student who always loved taking chances, hence his nickname. For the most part this was simply harmless chance-taking between him and his friends, although he did occasionally take extra chances that he was advised to avoid. As a result, he developed some bad "debts" that he had to repay. They went to collect the debt. However during the struggle, Chance found that several extremely lucky things were happening in his favor. He eventually discovered that starting that day he possessed the ability to manipulate luck either in his favor or that of another. As a result, he now uses this ability to aid him in casinos, racetracks, poker table, or any other time that luck is involved.

[Cold Steel]

Re: Campaign/Character Hook

 

A group/school run by Mister Sinister. Nuff said.

[bubba smith]

Re: Campaign/Character Hook

 

if the heroes prevented the launch his guardinans could send him to the ravenswood acadamy

[CoreBrute]

Re: Campaign/Character Hook

 

In a legacy campaign, where the heroes are the children of or inheritors of name of team...

20 years ago the evil scientist (Telios/ Dr Destroyer/Any villain with Genetic mastery) claimed to create the greatest weapon in the world. Using the DNA from the last of an extremly powerful race of aliens he had enhanced it to the level he could form a working embryo, using super powered DNA. He had placed it in a gestation pod that would advance it into an adult in only 2 months.

 

And then the heroes attacked. The villain escaped, but there was an explosion in the base. He thought the pod had been lost and thus the embryo and all his work.

 

20 years later- in the forests near Bangra, India, there are tales of a man with the strength of an elephant, the skin of a lizard and the mind of a tiger. He kills anyone who enters the forest, man, woman or child. A local super hero went into to stop what he thought was a simple serial killer. He barely made it out alive.

 

He said the man could fly, and tear trees apart with his bare hands. There was no doubt he was the genetically made super weapon. And the old retired super heroes realise this. And they ask the PCs to find the weapon and bring him in.

 

The geneticist however also realises this and searches for the child himself, with his own personal army of genetic creations.

 

 

For an added twist, one of the legacy super heroes reveal that the super weapon was designed with his DNA, making him his/her son. Thus if the PC is related to the old super hero he or she now has a half brother.

 

[Pól Ruadh]

Re: Campaign/Character Hook

 

Twenty years ago, Professor Genome, a mad geneticist, hatched upon a plan.

 

Every time, every damn time, they stopped him... those 'heroes'... couldn't they see that he and they are on the same side.

I mean, sure they FIGHT crime, but he was looking at destroying the SOURCE of crime... anomalies inside the human brain. THEY claimed he was trying to make people into mindless zombies... HAH! What do THEY know? He was trying to set humanity FREE! Free of their petty jealousies and hatred! Free of their prejudices and distrust! A clean, pure humanity, a race of superhumans!

 

So he decided to show them. Show them exactly what they were 'protecting'.

 

Following his last successful jailbreak, the Professor went into hiding. There was evidence that he was gathering an incredible array of materials and ingredients, but all trails led to dead ends... finally... less than a month later, the Professor appeared on the front steps of Police Headquarters, asking that he be taken back into custody.

When asked what he had been doing and where he had been, he replied, "We'll see, shan't we?" He refused to say any more. From then on, he'd been a model prisoner. Waiting. Biding his time.

 

What he had been doing was building a slow-acting mutagen which would give a person superhuman powers... a mutagen he then introduced to a number of maternity wards around The City.

 

If society deserved saving, then those babies born twenty years ago would have grown up in peaceful, happy surroundings. They would be noble, cheerful, well-adjusted. If society was inherently good, then surely, it would produce 'good people', who would use their powers for the benefit of their fellow humans.

If, however, the Professor's theory was RIGHT, and there WAS something horribly wrong with society, then these superhumans... their abilities keyed to activated twenty years after their initial exposure... would be cruel, arrogant, vengeful, greedy, self-involved.

 

If they became a plague upon humanity, well then, humanity had only itself to blame.

Genetics may load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger.

[Split Decision]

Re: Campaign/Character Hook

 

Ah, the law of unintended consequenses. Comes back to bite you in the ass everytime you mess with something that's working. Very well done.

 

Also reminds me of Professor Pythias Pommegranite aka the Resurrected Man a little.

[jkwleisemann]

Re: Campaign/Character Hook

 

Twenty years ago, Professor Genome, a mad geneticist, hatched upon a plan.

 

Every time, every damn time, they stopped him... those 'heroes'... couldn't they see that he and they are on the same side.

I mean, sure they FIGHT crime, but he was looking at destroying the SOURCE of crime... anomalies inside the human brain. THEY claimed he was trying to make people into mindless zombies... HAH! What do THEY know? He was trying to set humanity FREE! Free of their petty jealousies and hatred! Free of their prejudices and distrust! A clean, pure humanity, a race of superhumans!

 

So he decided to show them. Show them exactly what they were 'protecting'.

 

Following his last successful jailbreak, the Professor went into hiding. There was evidence that he was gathering an incredible array of materials and ingredients, but all trails led to dead ends... finally... less than a month later, the Professor appeared on the front steps of Police Headquarters, asking that he be taken back into custody.

When asked what he had been doing and where he had been, he replied, "We'll see, shan't we?" He refused to say any more. From then on, he'd been a model prisoner. Waiting. Biding his time.

 

What he had been doing was building a slow-acting mutagen which would give a person superhuman powers... a mutagen he then introduced to a number of maternity wards around The City.

 

If society deserved saving, then those babies born twenty years ago would have grown up in peaceful, happy surroundings. They would be noble, cheerful, well-adjusted. If society was inherently good, then surely, it would produce 'good people', who would use their powers for the benefit of their fellow humans.

If, however, the Professor's theory was RIGHT, and there WAS something horribly wrong with society, then these superhumans... their abilities keyed to activated twenty years after their initial exposure... would be cruel, arrogant, vengeful, greedy, self-involved.

 

If they became a plague upon humanity, well then, humanity had only itself to blame.

Genetics may load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger.

I'd love to play in that one, I think - particularly in a game set X number of years into it. Could be a good source for a Teen Champions campaign too....

[Checkmate]

Re: Campaign/Character Hook

 

Twenty years ago, Professor Genome, a mad geneticist, hatched upon a plan.

 

Every time, every damn time, they stopped him... those 'heroes'... couldn't they see that he and they are on the same side.

I mean, sure they FIGHT crime, but he was looking at destroying the SOURCE of crime... anomalies inside the human brain. THEY claimed he was trying to make people into mindless zombies... HAH! What do THEY know? He was trying to set humanity FREE! Free of their petty jealousies and hatred! Free of their prejudices and distrust! A clean, pure humanity, a race of superhumans!

 

So he decided to show them. Show them exactly what they were 'protecting'.

 

Following his last successful jailbreak, the Professor went into hiding. There was evidence that he was gathering an incredible array of materials and ingredients, but all trails led to dead ends... finally... less than a month later, the Professor appeared on the front steps of Police Headquarters, asking that he be taken back into custody.

When asked what he had been doing and where he had been, he replied, "We'll see, shan't we?" He refused to say any more. From then on, he'd been a model prisoner. Waiting. Biding his time.

 

What he had been doing was building a slow-acting mutagen which would give a person superhuman powers... a mutagen he then introduced to a number of maternity wards around The City.

 

If society deserved saving, then those babies born twenty years ago would have grown up in peaceful, happy surroundings. They would be noble, cheerful, well-adjusted. If society was inherently good, then surely, it would produce 'good people', who would use their powers for the benefit of their fellow humans.

If, however, the Professor's theory was RIGHT, and there WAS something horribly wrong with society, then these superhumans... their abilities keyed to activated twenty years after their initial exposure... would be cruel, arrogant, vengeful, greedy, self-involved.

 

If they became a plague upon humanity, well then, humanity had only itself to blame.

Genetics may load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger.

Wow, that does sound like a good time.

 

Although I would make it a world where there are no supers. The babies would be the first ones. I would also make it more than 20. Maybe like 300 or something. I would make the world very realistic. Maybe make the powers all Psychic (Lot 6 anyone?). Hmm that does have the making of a great campaign.

[jkwleisemann]

Re: Campaign/Character Hook

 

Mmm... I don't know about a non-super world, myself, but I'm that *that* fond of the "first super" type worlds. Particularly for this one - Professor Genome wouldn't necessarily fit in too well in that type, I don't think.

 

Caveat - I *could* see it as a world where the babies are the first *super* heroes, but you've got Batman/Shadow/Phantom-esque 'costumed crusaders' out there too. That sort of world Professor Genome would fit just dandy into (a 'modern pulp' world), thus allowing for his developments. And it opens the possibility for conflict between the 'traditional' heroes and the supers, and for an older costumed pulp-esque hero to play mentor to the new kids on the block.

 

Hell, *I* might try running this on HC, if I get a little more time for it... and can plot out something so it doesn't stall as badly as most of my games have.

[Checkmate]

Re: Campaign/Character Hook

 

Who knows maybe Utech posted this because HE wanted to start a new game on HC. Let him do all the work

 

What I was thinking was more of a world like the Stephen King book "Firestarter", or the movie Push (which I don't recommend). Real world that introduces Psionic Powers.

[Shadow Hawk]

Re: Campaign/Character Hook

 

Twenty years ago, Professor Genome, a mad geneticist, hatched upon a plan.

 

Every time, every damn time, they stopped him... those 'heroes'... couldn't they see that he and they are on the same side.

I mean, sure they FIGHT crime, but he was looking at destroying the SOURCE of crime... anomalies inside the human brain. THEY claimed he was trying to make people into mindless zombies... HAH! What do THEY know? He was trying to set humanity FREE! Free of their petty jealousies and hatred! Free of their prejudices and distrust! A clean, pure humanity, a race of superhumans!

 

So he decided to show them. Show them exactly what they were 'protecting'.

 

Following his last successful jailbreak, the Professor went into hiding. There was evidence that he was gathering an incredible array of materials and ingredients, but all trails led to dead ends... finally... less than a month later, the Professor appeared on the front steps of Police Headquarters, asking that he be taken back into custody.

When asked what he had been doing and where he had been, he replied, "We'll see, shan't we?" He refused to say any more. From then on, he'd been a model prisoner. Waiting. Biding his time.

 

What he had been doing was building a slow-acting mutagen which would give a person superhuman powers... a mutagen he then introduced to a number of maternity wards around The City.

 

If society deserved saving, then those babies born twenty years ago would have grown up in peaceful, happy surroundings. They would be noble, cheerful, well-adjusted. If society was inherently good, then surely, it would produce 'good people', who would use their powers for the benefit of their fellow humans.

If, however, the Professor's theory was RIGHT, and there WAS something horribly wrong with society, then these superhumans... their abilities keyed to activated twenty years after their initial exposure... would be cruel, arrogant, vengeful, greedy, self-involved.

 

If they became a plague upon humanity, well then, humanity had only itself to blame.

Genetics may load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger.

 

 

That is excellent. I'm stealing that for my next campaign: a low powered super game, where everyone has the 'same' origin...

[Shadow Hawk]

Re: Campaign/Character Hook

 

and I'm apologizing for the double post.