BoloOfEarth Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 My players were joking around last week, talking about VIPER, and one of them said something about vbay. (Wierd Al's ebay song was playing at the time.) That got me thinking, "maybe that's not such a bad idea..." With all sorts of new weapons and equipment coming out all the time, what does VIPER do with the old stuff? Auctioning stuff off could be an interesting idea, and provide some fun adventure plots. Never having bid or bought anything on ebay, my big question is how this would work. (I'm assuming VIPER would have to do some convoluted stuff to avoid putting themselves at risk, so it wouldn't be exactly like ebay.) How could they safely (in a comic-book world) receive payments? Or ship goods without getting them traced back? I'm not looking for what would work in the real world, just what would be plausible in a game world. Also, any plot ideas that strike your fancy would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Perhaps they need a Viper variation of Paypal for starts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Serpent Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 They could easily do something within VIPER itself; among the Nests using the Serpentine Network. Nest A has upgraded its weapons, and no longer needs the piles of old blasters, but Nest B is just starting out, and could use some cheap weaponry...perfect fit. VIPER central could handle shipping/payment arrangements, and gets a cut of the action. VIPER central could even auction out the services of staff supervillains to different nests that way - "OK, who wants to use Ripper for the week of 11/5-11/11?" I like that a lot. Will have to incorporate it in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 I now have a mental image of Radar from M*A*S*H* Working for Viper.... "Hey Sparky? Yeah, this is Radar at the Otomwa Nest. Look, we're running low on battle armor, and we recently got a super team in the state, can you believe it? Guess you can't stop progress. Anyways, got any spare suits you can loan us? HQ is being awfully stingy ... uh huh... no, we don't have Ripper any time soon, and boy could we use him. How about we give you 10 flash grenades, 6 old blasters for back up... oh, and I got a copy of Scum Magazine that's only two months out of date." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
death tribble Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Hermit, Thanks for that. I have not seen MASH in a long while but that was really funny. I could just imagine him doing that. As to V Bay. That could work. Other organised crime units would make use of it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 In the Wired Age, I don't think it would be that difficult to set up an auction website where criminals could bid for various items. It would probably have some innocuous site fronting it, with passwords from registered users necessary to get to where the real action was taking place. You might have to be sponsored by a previous member in good standing before you can register. Payment would probably be cash for goods at a pre-arranged meeting place, as is typical for drug deals and other exchanges of contraband, to assure that neither party would be cheated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lupus Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Originally posted by Lord Liaden In the Wired Age, I don't think it would be that difficult to set up an auction website where criminals could bid for various items. It would probably have some innocuous site fronting it, with passwords from registered users necessary to get to where the real action was taking place. You might have to be sponsored by a previous member in good standing before you can register. Payment would probably be cash for goods at a pre-arranged meeting place, as is typical for drug deals and other exchanges of contraband, to assure that neither party would be cheated. And it all gets busted open when some 12-year-old hacks a password and gets a crate delivered to his house. "Hey, let's go play 'paintball' with the bullies!" Okay. Was I the only one with childhood fantasies like these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Serpent Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Originally posted by Lupus And it all gets busted open when some 12-year-old hacks a password and gets a crate delivered to his house. "Hey, let's go play 'paintball' with the bullies!" Okay. Was I the only one with childhood fantasies like these? Makes for a fun scenario - why is VIPER robbing candy stores? Ripping off Pokemon cards? Sabotaging schools? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Originally posted by Lupus And it all gets busted open when some 12-year-old hacks a password and gets a crate delivered to his house. "Hey, let's go play 'paintball' with the bullies!" Okay. Was I the only one with childhood fantasies like these? No you weren't. Heck, it's no sillier than Ankylosaur changing the shipping address on an UNTIL crate and having a prototype powered-armor suit delivered to his front door. Besides, the potential for the website being hacked is the stuff of game scenarios. But that 12-year-old better have a stack of cash handy when the VIPER delivery guys show up at his house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rage Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Originally posted by Lord Liaden No you weren't. Heck, it's no sillier than Ankylosaur changing the shipping address on an UNTIL crate and having a prototype powered-armor suit delivered to his front door. Besides, the potential for the website being hacked is the stuff of game scenarios. But that 12-year-old better have a stack of cash handy when the VIPER delivery guys show up at his house. If he could hack a website like that im sure a mere credit card company is no sweat for him. And then he could out fit his freinds, and mutilate his enemies... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterhawk Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 This is a really cool idea. My question is would it be open to other criminal organizations? On one hand, I don't know if VIPER would allow its tech to be distributed to the masses. On the other, selling off outmoded tech to drug cartels and 3rd world despots might be a significant source of income from otherwise 'dead' inventory. Opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JmOz Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Not a bad idea, and it would explain where some "Master Villian Wantabe's" got the equipment for their masses of loyal servents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Originally posted by winterhawk This is a really cool idea. My question is would it be open to other criminal organizations? On one hand, I don't know if VIPER would allow its tech to be distributed to the masses. On the other, selling off outmoded tech to drug cartels and 3rd world despots might be a significant source of income from otherwise 'dead' inventory. Opinions? I'd say that selling off obsolete equipment would be very desirable for the VIPER bean-counters, and as long as it doesn't involve some fundamental secret technology like the "Universal V-Chip" , the agency leadership should have no problem with it. Moreover, handing blasters to "common" criminals is one way to raise their credibility and threat level to four-color superheroes who normally waltz through thugs without breaking a sweat. And cutting off the source of supply for those devices might become a campaign priority. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 The scene in the movie The Jackal in which the Bruce Willis character uses an anonymous computerized system to order contraband weapons from a mysterious supplier might provide you with some ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCUBA Hero Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 I thought that system was vbay. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Serpent Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Originally posted by Hermit Perhaps they need a Viper variation of Paypal for starts "PayUpOrElsePal!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Originally posted by Hermit I now have a mental image of Radar from M*A*S*H* Working for Viper.... I was looking into something like this, but hadn't thought of the V-Bay angle. Now we have Radar as well. Thanks Hermit & Bolo. I'm thinking there would be the internal to Viper site so that Viper equipment stayed in Viper, but I can see the older outdated stuff could be available to other organizations and villians. Hmm, I'm thinking perhaps something more like Craig's List In the Champions Universe we do have Larisagrad (I think that's the name) which is the "free" city in terms of computers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Serpent Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 There could very well also be "facilitator" type villains out there who don't normally go out and do crimes themselves, but supply things to villains that they need. Like Marvel's Tinkerer who made gadgets, AIM that supplied things as well as doing its own plots, or Taskmaster / CU's Thugmaster who train muscle for villains. Someone to get other contacts from, costumes, info on local law enforcement/supers, hideout locations, local muscle, etc. Could be a good business. After all, most interrogations focus on "who do you work for?" not, "Where did you get the lead to hire Guido & Nunzio?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 I sort of picture ARGENT as being into this as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Yeah, I was thinking that this approach could put VIPER into direct competition with ARGENT, not to mention the War Machine. OTOH, the different groups could specialize: the War Machine supplying cutting-edge weapons, ARGENT designing other types of devices to order, while VIPER provides used merchandise for the budget-conscious criminal. VIPER might even buy older inventory from the other two in bulk for resale. Adds a new dimension to the term "robber-baron." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Originally posted by Lord Liaden I'd say that selling off obsolete equipment would be very desirable for the VIPER bean-counters, and as long as it doesn't involve some fundamental secret technology like the "Universal V-Chip" , the agency leadership should have no problem with it. Moreover, handing blasters to "common" criminals is one way to raise their credibility and threat level to four-color superheroes who normally waltz through thugs without breaking a sweat. And cutting off the source of supply for those devices might become a campaign priority. Actually if I were a Hero, I would fear a standard assault rifle a lot more than a blaster. A FN-FAL or AK-47 is a lot better than a 8-10d6 energy blast. And 8/8 Kevlar is better than a standard 8/8 FF belt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 "Here at CRAZY Setti's, everything MUST go! That's right, we're cutting laser prices in half! Need armored vehicles to break into those banks? Tanks, tanks alot! Here at CRAZY Setti's! You can net yourself a net laucher, and for those speedy gooddozies, you can purchase up to three barrels of our patented Super Slippery Snake Oil! Why do we sell the best from every Nest for Less? Because I'm CRAZY Settie, that's why!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Originally posted by Gary Actually if I were a Hero, I would fear a standard assault rifle a lot more than a blaster. A FN-FAL or AK-47 is a lot better than a 8-10d6 energy blast. And 8/8 Kevlar is better than a standard 8/8 FF belt. Well, that depends. Physical Defense is often higher than Energy Defense for many supers, because of the difference in cost for buying up Strength compared to Constitution and deriving the Figured Defense Char. therefrom. Moreover, those blasters could be laser or other Killing Damage, which if against ED will usually be more effective than bullets. Heroes whose Missile Deflection only works up to bullets will be in trouble with blasters, as well. Then we have the more exotic high-tech weapons based on NND or AVLD, which can bypass that Kevlar altogether. Speaking of which, since a Force Field has a lower Base Cost than Armor for the same Defense, you can often work the Advantages and Limitations on a FF so that it's more effective than Armor for the same cost, at least over the short term. For ex, does that Kevlar perchance have an Activation Roll? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Anomaly Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 This thread reminds me of something I did...gosh, over 10 years ago for the Champions game I was running at the time. A very annoying supervillain named Psi-Clone began showing up & annoying the heroes no end. In reality he was a world-cracking mentalist, with the ability to duplicate another person ("Psi-Clone", get it? ) The problem was that what he WANTED to be, more than anything, was a physical/brick type. Therefore, in most situations, he didn't use his hundreds of points of mental powers...he used various gadgets & gizmos (most, but not all of the strength-boosting variety) that didn't always work well (Activation Roll, etc.) During their dealings with this nutball, the PCs came across a catalog...the one from which Psi-Clone had been ordering his stuff. I actually typed up this catalog and handed the copy to the players when the characters found it. It was filled with all *kinds* of stuff, not just the things Psi-Clone had been using (but those were in it as well). I wrote it in the style of a guy operating out of his garage -- sort of the way you used to see things in the old Edumund Scientific catalogs, before they got all slicked & commercialized. Things like: "Tornado in a Can! Order several, and let the kids take them to school to make those tornado 'drills' more realistic!" My players seemed to be hovering somewhere between amused and horrified by the catalog... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoloOfEarth Posted October 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 Originally posted by lemming I was looking into something like this, but hadn't thought of the V-Bay angle. Now we have Radar as well. Thanks Hermit & Bolo. Actually, my friend John is the one who came up with the idea of vbay. I'll pass on your thanks. I really liked all the ideas here. I've been trying to infuse a little more character into the faceless minions of supervillains and like the Radar O'Reilly-type character idea. We can always count on Hermit to come up with great ones. I never thought about the super-vehicle angle, but that would be an interesting plot device. Dr. Anomaly, I like your idea of the catalog, though I don't have enough time to do something like that. The closest I've come is some in-depth info on some of the player characters that they've discovered in the hands of thugs and in a villain base. It's kinda disconcerting to have some street tough know exactly what your top running speed is... Thanks again, everyone, for the great input and feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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