Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

[Steve]

This is a campaign idea I've had in my mind for the past few weeks, and I wanted to post it for comments and suggestions for improvement. The name comes from the CoH costume store chain. The premise is sort of a cross between Gestalt and the old TV series The Greatest American Hero.

 

Campaign Premise: Until recently, this world was just like ours. But at midnight in the recent past, several major cities saw the opening of a store called ‘Icons’, one that sells super-powered identities. Only a select few ever even notice the store, most people pass it by without a second look. Inside, a nondescript individual called simply "The Tailor" is found amidst racks of costumes and selections of equipment.

 

As a potential customer wanders the store, one costume in particular seems to draw their attention. Some customers have described it as a kind of sparkle or shimmer. That costumed identity and powerset is the one that is most suitable to their personality. Pulling it from the racks will seem to summon the Tailor from the depths of the store, and he will ask a question: "Hero or villain?"

 

If asked what he means, the customer is told he has two options to obtain a costume and powers. The choice is usually pre-determined by the personality of the customer, but the Tailor has sometimes seemed surprised by the customer’s choice.

 

To be a hero means being tasked with opposing the actions of those who choose to be villains and helping those who need help. The costume and powers are otherwise free of charge.

 

To be a villain allows the purchase of a costume and powerset on a line of credit, but that credit can only be paid back with money made by committing crimes using the costumed identity. No matter where the villain deposits their ill-gotten gains, even if they hide it or bury it, the installment payments come out of their loot like clockwork each month. Failure to make payment by ceasing to commit crimes causes repossession of the costume and powers.

 

In both instances, the customer is required to maintain a secret identity. In addition, the existence of Icons is not to be revealed to the public. It has since become a type of urban legend.

 

If the customer tries to reveal their identity in public, the powers vanish and the costume becomes a replica of the original costume. After the first few people who tried this ended up committed or dead, everyone follows the rules.

 

If a customer is killed or dies from natural causes, the costume and powers vanish, returning to Icons. Rumors persist that some costumed heroes and villains walking around are not the original people who first used those identities.

 

The source of the costumes and powers is unknown. It could be aliens, the Devil, the Lords of Faerie, or some kind of government experiment. If asked, the Tailor won’t answer.

[kahuna's bro]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

good campaign steve ,the reptonfa has swung

[assault]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

Interesting. Repped.

[Doctor Agenda]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

Awesome concept! Maybe a wearer can choose a successor if they die in costume, maybe anyone they choose, maybe only someone present.

[Doctor Agenda]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

Would they all be normal in their original identity, having to put the costume on or transform into their heroic ID?

[Querysphinx]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

Could be fun with the right group of players.

 

PC: "I am not wearing That! It's.... puce. With taupe lace! And fetish pumps! And a rubber thong!"

Tailor: "I'm sorry, that's the costume meant for you. It even has your name on the tag"

PC: "Gah! The bustier looks like it's made of tentcales, and the stocking are dripping slime."

Tailor: "That would seem to be your style."

PC: "Is not! I'm sane, straight and male!"

[Black Ops]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

Correct me if I am wrong but wasn`t there a Store like that in Vibora Bay ?

[kahuna's bro]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

i think ther was i'll chek my copy later

[Steve]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

Would they all be normal in their original identity' date=' having to put the costume on or transform into their heroic ID?[/quote']

 

That's a really good question. Building every character with their powers limited to "Only In Alternate ID" would seem to make sense given the source of power.

 

There are a couple of Complications that are mandatory for the campaign premise.

 

15 Social Complication (Secret ID) - Frequently, Major

20 Physical Complication (Subject to Icon Code of Conduct or lose powers) - Infrequently, Fully Impairing

 

The Icon Code of Conduct is that you won't reveal your secret identity to the world, you won't reveal the existence of Icons, and you'll act as a superhero (help people, fight villains) or supervillain (rob banks, etc), depending on their initial choice.

 

Since this is meant to simulate the comics, someone who initially chose to be a hero could fall to villainy, or a villain could reform. I suppose as long as they followed the rules for their new role, they could retain their powers. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

[Steve]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

Awesome concept! Maybe a wearer can choose a successor if they die in costume' date=' maybe anyone they choose, maybe only someone present.[/quote']

 

When I was thinking about successors, I was imagining that there was a rack in Icons for "previously used" identities. Maybe if the customer is willing to take on an established identity, they could also start out at a higher power, but they also have to deal with any accumulated history that identity has (hunteds, etc).

 

In the comics, costumed identities do get recycled with new people under the mask. Maybe the costume retains the memories from the previous wearer when they were in their super-powered identity and passes it on to any successor?

[teh bunneh]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

"I'll be a villain, please. But robbing banks? So not me. I'd like to be more of a Victor von Doom world-conquering villain than a Flint Marko holding up a liquor store type of villain. May I kindly take a look at the stock you keep in your back room?"

 

[Steve]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

"I'll be a villain' date=' please. But robbing banks? [u']So[/u] not me. I'd like to be more of a Victor von Doom world-conquering villain than a Flink Marko holding up a liquor store type of villain. May I kindly take a look at the stock you keep in your back room?"

 

 

Tailor: "Ah, a man with discerning tastes. A pleasant change from our more pedestrian customers. Allow me to show you our "World Conqueror" selections. I feel you won't be disappointed."

 

I had actually been thinking about how to present these sorts of villains as a selection option for Icons. One of the ideas I came up with was that minion costumes were available for purchase, from outfitting a single minion for the beginning crime boss to enough to equip an army.

 

Conquering regions of the world does provide loot (tribute?), so I suppose Icons could still take their payments.

[Haerandir]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

Since this is meant to simulate the comics, someone who initially chose to be a hero could fall to villainy, or a villain could reform. I suppose as long as they followed the rules for their new role, they could retain their powers. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

 

It might be an interesting RP wrinkle to force them to continue to operate under the original rules... A reformed villain might have to bank enough ill-gotten gains to make his payments before he 'went legit', or he'd lose his powers. A fallen hero would be able to commit crimes and keep the cash, as long as he continued to protect innocents and oppose other villains.

[Steve]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

It might be an interesting RP wrinkle to force them to continue to operate under the original rules... A reformed villain might have to bank enough ill-gotten gains to make his payments before he 'went legit'' date=' or he'd lose his powers. A fallen hero would be able to commit crimes and keep the cash, as long as he continued to protect innocents and oppose other villains.[/quote']

 

Actually, I suppose there is a middle ground that still fulfills the rules for either side. A hero or villain could rob drug dealers or steal from people engaging in illegal activities and just keep the cash. If you were operating under the hero side of the rules, you'd get to keep all the cash for yourself. I don't know if I can call this a bug or a feature of Icon's Code of Conduct rules.

[teh bunneh]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

Sounds like something you would call "The Vigilante Loophole" or something...

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

I like this idea a lot. The meta story of where this really comes from is so ripe with potential, but it's probably best never to truly be revealed.

[BlueCloud2k2]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

Sounds like something you would call "The Vigilante Loophole" or something...

 

"I think I'll take this one."

 

"Ah yes, 'The Saint.' This particular outfit come with... conditions."

 

"Conditions?"

 

"Yes. You must pay for it by stealing from the criminal and corrupt and giving all of the proceeds to those whom need it - charities, churches, orphanages, and such."

 

"Why not call it the Robin Hood?"

 

"Too cliche."

 

"Gotcha."

[Doctor Agenda]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

Of course, this is an origin that works in a wide variety of superhero settings...most Champions settings I've played in, 'Challenger gets his powers from his costume, which he got from a mysterious costume shop and comes with conditions...' works fine.

[Querysphinx]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

I like this idea a lot. The meta story of where this really comes from is so ripe with potential' date=' but it's probably best never to truly be revealed.[/quote']

 

So... what you're saying is, "no revealing costumes."

[Steve]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

So... what you're saying is' date=' "no revealing costumes."[/quote']

 

Tailor: "Well, I wouldn't say that Icons promotes prudery. Behold one of our young lady customers."

 

[Steve]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

I like this idea a lot. The meta story of where this really comes from is so ripe with potential' date=' but it's probably best never to truly be revealed.[/quote']

 

Yes, it's essentially a single power source sort of world, but it still gives a lot of variety for costumed identities, easily enough to fill a world with lots of superhumans.

[freakboy6117]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

strangly this reminds me a lot of a British kids TV show called Mr Benn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPDUaPrD7x0&feature=related

 

Mr Benn visits a costume shop tries on a costume and goes through a door into an alternate universe where he has Adventures

 

an Interesting twist would be a Narnia type adventure when the characters are actually people from the mundane world who cross over to do super-heroics

[Chimera 12]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

This setup makes me kind of wonder how many customers come to bad ends because they decide to use their powers to investigate who's really behind Icons and what that person/entity/organization/whatever really gets out of the deal. Because, let's face it, the people who'd make the best superheroes and -villains as we think of such just happen to also be the kinds of people who'd keep prying into these things.

 

I disagree with Log-Man here, I think. If Icons is supposed to remain a permanent fixture of the setting (as opposed to something that one day vanishes as mysteriously as it appeared), the truth about it will have to come out eventually.

[Lucius]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

Yes' date=' it's essentially a single power source sort of world, but it still gives a lot of variety for costumed identities, easily enough to fill a world with lots of superhumans.[/quote']

 

Doesn't have to be. Maybe part of the reason the shops appear is BECAUSE there are already superheroes and supervillains present, and this is in some sense a response to that.

 

I note that there's also the option to say "no thanks" and walk out. Such a person probably would never see the shop again, but such people talking about are probably the reason so much as the "urban legend" exists.

 

Supposing I say "Both!" and take both a hero and a villain costume?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary option

[Steve]

Re: Icons - The Costume and Superpowers Store

 

This setup makes me kind of wonder how many customers come to bad ends because they decide to use their powers to investigate who's really behind Icons and what that person/entity/organization/whatever really gets out of the deal. Because' date=' let's face it, the people who'd make the best superheroes and -villains as we think of such just happen to [i']also[/i] be the kinds of people who'd keep prying into these things.

 

I disagree with Log-Man here, I think. If Icons is supposed to remain a permanent fixture of the setting (as opposed to something that one day vanishes as mysteriously as it appeared), the truth about it will have to come out eventually.

 

Well, I had a couple of ideas on the continuing existence of Icons. As GM of this game world, I know why Icons suddenly appeared and what its purpose is, but if a player put forth a really good theory, I might appropriate it.

 

1) Icons remains in the campaign world after starting a modern Superheroic Age. Characters can investigate it, since that isn't against the rules. They are limited in that superpowers don't work when a character is inside Icons, which also would make it a good neutral ground for a meeting place. They are also limited in that scrying and telepathic powers don't work against Icons from outside. Players could consult extra-dimensional entities or other sources for answers. Perhaps the answers will lead them to some early patrons of Icons, now locked away in asylums.

 

2) Icons has appeared before, creating previous Superhoic Ages, but nobody remembers those heroes ever existing. They inspired the comic books that still exist in the world today. So there was a Superman and Captain America when World War II was raging, but Icons vanished at the end of the war, leaving the world suddenly without superheroes, and even the memories of them having ever existed vanished. Perhaps old newsreels or articles might exist in some locations, maybe kept by an aged Clark Kent or Steve Rogers, but most evidence of the existence of superheroes vanished along with Icons. In the 1960s, Icons returned, and there really was once a Spider-Man or Captain Atom, but their powers and Superheroic Age vanished when Icons vanished again. And now Icons is back once again.