Brainstorming: Golden Age Champions

[McCoy]

Have a story in mind for a Golden Age game that I will probably never run. But I'm seeing some WWII threads lately, so maybe herodom in general is at least slightly interested?

 

What would you like to see in a Golden Age game? Would you want your character on the Home Front, or the front lines? What tropes are essential for a Golden Age game, and what do you hope to never see again?

 

If you were told "Golden Age," no other details, what character would you like to run? What makes a good Golden Age villain? What NPC would become your favorite contact?

[kahuna's bro]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

as i pt in another thread, my heroes abilitie would be seen as something out of a hooror movie so the army would reject him but the authorites on the home front could use his help

[Certified]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

When I picture he Golden Age it really gets broken down into 4 big categories for me. There are adventures at home, for some reason these involve a lot of mad scientists and or aliens, then the war. Here it's split you have the super powered titles and the war story comics. For me this is an important distinction as a lot of the war story comics seemed to be much grittier and aimed at older teens and adults, possibly solders. Both shared a fair amount of racism. Remember Superman Says You Can Slap A Jap. However, that may not translate into a game other than say the attitudes of characters in the setting.

 

While occasionally the war stories saw some super science or occult I don't think they really focused on this, with notable exceptions. Super heroes in the war however seemed to always be stopping an new super weapon, death ray or Nazi cult that's sacrificing children for some reason.

 

The last category for me is the Space Opera, this may or may not be super powered. This also may be a bit of a pulp hold out.

 

When it comes to the Golden Age what I think is important is that everything seems new. This is the first super tank or flying saucer. No one has seen the ancient magics of Abu-Tet. Capturing that sense of something new or something we don't see is important. The question I guess is how do you capture that sence of wonder now that we think we've seen it all?

[Pizza Man]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

Golden age means you can mix nazis with anything.

But that gets boring after a while.

 

Toss in some Indiana Jones type stuff. Let the players awaken an ancient Mummy.

Have a Cuthulu style adventure.

[csyphrett]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

What would you like to see in a Golden Age game?

A lot of daring do and mad science. Throw in some supersoldiers and monsters.

 

Would you want your character on the Home Front, or the front lines?

Depends on the adventure.

 

What tropes are essential for a Golden Age game?

Mad Science, Monsters, Magic, and the war machine keeping supers at bay from Berlin.

and what do you hope to never see again?

I don't know.

 

 

 

If you were told "Golden Age," no other details, what character would you like to run?

I used to run Zatara and a Zatara clone in various games.

 

What makes a good Golden Age villain?

A consistent mo, and a lot of ham.

 

What NPC would become your favorite contact?

The local cop on the beat, maybe.

CES

[Beast]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

either home front or deep behind enemy lines

leave the front line to the real heroes

[McCoy]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

When it comes to the Golden Age what I think is important is that everything seems new. This is the first super tank or flying saucer. No one has seen the ancient magics of Abu-Tet. Capturing that sense of something new or something we don't see is important. The question I guess is how do you capture that sence of wonder now that we think we've seen it all?

So how would you feel about something the player can easily recognize, but the character cannot possibly know? Let's say the character is alone against some mooks. As they face off against the last one, a red dot appears on the mook's forehead, their head explodes, THEN the character hears the crack of a rifle shot. Player thinks "Laser site, high powered rifle, more than 300 yards behind me. Either I have a guardian angel who is a crack shot, or someone was shooting at me and rolled an 18." Character thinks "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?"

[Pizza Man]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

either home front or deep behind enemy lines

leave the front line to the real heroes

This.

[Certified]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

So how would you feel about something the player can easily recognize' date=' but the character cannot possibly know? Let's say the character is alone against some mooks. As they face off against the last one, a red dot appears on the mook's forehead, their head explodes, THEN the character hears the crack of a rifle shot. Player thinks "Laser site, high powered rifle, more than 300 yards behind me. Either I have a guardian angel who is a crack shot, or someone was shooting at me and rolled an 18." Character thinks "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?"[/quote']

 

That may be good for a grittier war story kind of feel. However, if you are doing supers I'm not sure how people will take to snipers. The question becomes do you want to introduce that level of realism into your heroing?

being a great case study.

[assault]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

What would you like to see in a Golden Age game?

Home front crimefighting, not particularly tied to the war. Batman, not Captain America.

 

Would you want your character on the Home Front, or the front lines?

Home front. Occasional excursions to the front line are possible.

 

What tropes are essential for a Golden Age game,

Theme villains, mad scientists, gangsters.

 

and what do you hope to never see again?

Too many powered supervillains. Too many Nazis.

 

If you were told "Golden Age," no other details, what character would you like to run?

Toss up between Superman/Captain Marvel type or a non-powered Batman type.

 

What makes a good Golden Age villain?

A theme. Or a bald head and a labcoat.

 

What NPC would become your favorite contact?

The smokin' hot socialite (and her father).

[csyphrett]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

why wouldn't you run this McCoy?

CES

[McCoy]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

why wouldn't you run this McCoy?

CES

Time, mostly. Keep saying "next year."

[csyphrett]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

Time' date=' mostly. Keep saying "next year."[/quote']

 

You could probably run this online as a mail game if you had enough players. Then you could take as long as you want.

CES

[Clonus]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

One thing I think too many golden age GMs and resources neglect is the Axis countries that aren't Germany. It's for that reason that most of the Axis characters I dream up are Italian (Contessa Verdi) and Japanese (Science Warrior) (but I also have a Vichy Frenchman).

[Certified]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

One thing I think too many golden age GMs and resources neglect is the Axis countries that aren't Germany. It's for that reason that most of the Axis characters I dream up are Italian (Contessa Verdi) and Japanese (Science Warrior) (but I also have a Vichy Frenchman).

 

Though we covered this earlier with reminding people of Superman's sage like war advice. Although I think it may not have been the Japanese if we look at WWII era comics but strange Vampires with yellow skin.

[sinanju]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

When I hear "Golden Age" I think of Captain America in WWII. The Submariner, the Invaders, etc. So I'd expect costumed heroes fighting in the war. If not, then I'd expect lower-powered costumed crimefighters dealing with homegrown threats--spies, saboteurs, traitors--trying to harm the war effort. With maybe an occasional war profiteer or other merely greedy bad guy for variety. (Plus, it gives the opportunity for the bad guys and the heroes to join forces against an alien threat. As a mobster said in The Rocketeer, when his guys united with the feds to fight the real villains, "We may be crooks, but we're AMERICAN crooks!")

 

A good Golden Age villain would be an agent of the forces of evil, be they Nazis, Commies, or what have you. The Big Boss would probably be the villainous equivalent of Captain America, a super-powered icon representing the ideals thereof.

[Alverant]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

What would you like to see in a Golden Age game? Would you want your character on the Home Front, or the front lines? What tropes are essential for a Golden Age game, and what do you hope to never see again?

 

If you were told "Golden Age," no other details, what character would you like to run? What makes a good Golden Age villain? What NPC would become your favorite contact?

 

One of the tropes of GA has been one of the things that turned me off was the black and white morality. We're good. They're evil. Kick their a$$. It felt 2D. Heroic motivations were little more than patriotism and villains were motivated by their desire to inflict pain and conquer. I'm not sure if it could really be otherwise, but I would like to see more complexity in characters and setting.

[McCoy]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

One of the tropes of GA has been one of the things that turned me off was the black and white morality. We're good. They're evil. Kick their a$$. It felt 2D. Heroic motivations were little more than patriotism and villains were motivated by their desire to inflict pain and conquer. I'm not sure if it could really be otherwise' date=' but I would like to see more complexity in characters and setting.[/quote']

Racism, sexism, and nationalism are part of the period, for better or for worse. But I do plan to try a little less black and white morality.

 

One NPC I'm planning is "Chinese by birth, American by choice," who is "in the import/export business." Grey market, if not entirely black. Will be able to supply the PC's with anything they might have trouble getting due to war-time shortages, such as new tires. On the wall of their office are framed photographs of the First American Volunteer Group ("The Flying Tigers"), and an autographed picture of Gen. Chennault with a note of thanks for the Christmas boxes.

 

Another is a mysterious, some might even say suspicious, man with a German accent with his own agenda, but willing to assist the PC's when their interest converge.

 

There will be homegrown villains who are simply greedy, but I will try to show those actually employed by Axis powers as German/Italian/Japanese patriots, nor evil incarnate. Working on one Charles Lindbergh inspired villain who is a patriotic American who believes America has entered the war on the wrong side.

[Alverant]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

Racism' date=' sexism, and nationalism are part of the period, for better or for worse. But I do plan to try a little less black and white morality.[/quote']

I'm not sure if this qualifies as part of the B&W morality, but one thing I do like about the pulp/golden era games was the lack of deception. People didn't pretend to be something they're not or if they did 1) it becomes obvious quickly with little effort on the heros' part or 2) a good guy is going undercover but will always be there to help the PCs whenever necessary.

 

The problem with deception in an RPG is that it greatly depends on the skills as a GM. If a player spots something but the character doesn't then the player has to restrain him/herself. But if the player doesn't spot it, who's to say the character would have?

 

One NPC I'm planning is "Chinese by birth, American by choice," who is "in the import/export business." Grey market, if not entirely black. Will be able to supply the PC's with anything they might have trouble getting due to war-time shortages, such as new tires. On the wall of their office are framed photographs of the First American Volunteer Group ("The Flying Tigers"), and an autographed picture of Gen. Chennault with a note of thanks for the Christmas boxes.

 

Another is a mysterious, some might even say suspicious, man with a German accent with his own agenda, but willing to assist the PC's when their interest converge.

 

There will be homegrown villains who are simply greedy, but I will try to show those actually employed by Axis powers as German/Italian/Japanese patriots, nor evil incarnate. Working on one Charles Lindbergh inspired villain who is a patriotic American who believes America has entered the war on the wrong side.

 

One idea I had was an NPC who is 120% German. He wears leiderhosen, drinks everything out of a stein, uses German words instead of English whenever possible, has German artifacts and flag from 1930 and before, etc and would almost be an exaggerated stereotype. Except he loves his country and NOT those running it. He knows the Nazis will only bring ruin to der Fatherland and hates them even more for that. He would do anything to stop the Nazis and when the war is over, he will return home and lead the rebuilding effort. Everything he does is for restoring Deutschland to it's pre-WWI glory and that means stopping the Nazis.

[Certified]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

One idea I had was an NPC who is 120% German. He wears leiderhosen' date=' drinks everything out of a stein, uses German words instead of English whenever possible, has German artifacts and flag from 1930 and before, etc and would almost be an exaggerated stereotype. Except he loves his country and NOT those running it. He knows the Nazis will only bring ruin to der Fatherland and hates them even more for that. He would do anything to stop the Nazis and when the war is over, he will return home and lead the rebuilding effort. Everything he does is for restoring Deutschland to it's pre-WWI glory and that means stopping the Nazis.[/quote']

 

Pre-World War I glory, prior to WWII Germany was still in a bit of a slump after that first little dust up. Part of the reason the Nazi's came to power is they proimised a return to the former glory. In such they took on major public works projects putting people to work and making them feel pride.

[Captain Obvious]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

So how would you feel about something the player can easily recognize' date=' but the character cannot possibly know? Let's say the character is alone against some mooks. As they face off against the last one, a red dot appears on the mook's forehead, their head explodes, THEN the character hears the crack of a rifle shot. Player thinks "Laser site, high powered rifle, more than 300 yards behind me. Either I have a guardian angel who is a crack shot, or someone was shooting at me and rolled an 18." Character thinks "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?"[/quote']

 

Actually he'd think "William Tare Fox?"

 

To me, for a Golden Age campaign, it's either flagwaving "over there" or home front vigilantism. I like Golden Age, and I like Captain America, but the actual Golden Age stuff where Cap is beating up gangsters with a bunch of 12 year olds just has a certain cognitive dissonance with me. I like the pseudo-Golden Age Invaders, where Cap is doing military missions.

[Lawnmower Boy]

Re: Brainsorming: Golden Age Champions

 

I'm not sure if this qualifies as part of the B&W morality, but one thing I do like about the pulp/golden era games was the lack of deception. People didn't pretend to be something they're not or if they did 1) it becomes obvious quickly with little effort on the heros' part or 2) a good guy is going undercover but will always be there to help the PCs whenever necessary.

 

The problem with deception in an RPG is that it greatly depends on the skills as a GM. If a player spots something but the character doesn't then the player has to restrain him/herself. But if the player doesn't spot it, who's to say the character would have?

 

 

 

One idea I had was an NPC who is 120% German. He wears leiderhosen, drinks everything out of a stein, uses German words instead of English whenever possible, has German artifacts and flag from 1930 and before, etc and would almost be an exaggerated stereotype. Except he loves his country and NOT those running it. He knows the Nazis will only bring ruin to der Fatherland and hates them even more for that. He would do anything to stop the Nazis and when the war is over, he will return home and lead the rebuilding effort. Everything he does is for restoring Deutschland to it's pre-WWI glory and that means stopping the Nazis.

 

Lederhosen=Bavarian.

 

This

rather busy ensign is the German Imperial flag, pre-1914. As you can see, it's a generic cross flag quartered with the Royal Prussian flag. Not that upsetting to a lederhosen-wearing Bavarian to be sure, but the flag that he would salute is the old Bavarian flag.

 

 

And, believe it or not, the idea of the pre-1914 glory of the Second Reich is in itself offensive to some Germans --not least of them Adolf Hitler himself, and likely for the same reason that any lederhosen wearer would be upset. It's a "small German" solution to the problem of a unified Germany, as opposed to the "great German" solution of a Germany including Austria and Bohemia (oops on that last part) that would have a Catholic majority.

[assault]

Re: Brainstorming: Golden Age Champions

 

Frankly, a Golden Age game should feature Golden Age character tropes. Otherwise it's just a Bronze (or Iron:( ) Age game set in the 30s and 40s.

 

I don't see a lot of point in backdating modern style games - it's a lot of work for little change in "feel".

 

I'll concede the racism and sexism point, but they can usually be avoided without doing too much damage. The nationalism aspect isn't a problem in crimefighting adventures (unless the gangsters are all Italian, Jewish or... well, actually, a lot of historical gangsters were. Oops.) In other situations, just avoiding the more obvious "slap a Jap" stuff should be fine.

 

And maybe the Axis actually is allied to yellow skinned vampires, and a race of evil dwarves and their near mindless giant minions.

[Certified]

Re: Brainstorming: Golden Age Champions

 

And maybe the Axis actually is allied to yellow skinned vampires' date=' and a race of evil dwarves and their near mindless giant minions.[/quote']

 

That is brilliant! You get Nazi mysticism and super science and the bind the vampires forcing them to make undead soldiers. Summon the dwarfs who build the giant mindless minions. This way you have images that fit into the Golden Age but have their own spin. Then you could have actual Japanese soldiers who don't meet the stereotype from the Age terrified of the German Undead.

[fbdaury]

Re: Brainstorming: Golden Age Champions

 

Character that I would want to play? An homage to this one:

http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Wesley_Dodds_(New_Earth)