Urban Fantasy Champions Campaign

Doctor Agenda · January 4, 2011

I'm starting a new campaign which is sort of a pulp superhero urban fantasy thing. Usually when I post a new thread concerning a campaign I'm running, it's because I have a specific question. This one is a little different. In addition to my regular crew, a couple of people from out of town want to participate via Skype; so it will be a larger group than I'm used to. Between running for possibly eight players and some of them being so enthused about it based on very little information, I'm a bit nervous about providing them with something that lives up to expectations.

The premise is that the world was your typical hidden magic setting with monsters and sorcerors all avoiding attention out of fear of mundanes in general coming down on them and the Dark Inquisition (occult conformity enforcers) or the New Inquisition (ecumenical witch/monster hunters) in particular making their continued existence difficult. Then, in the 1930s, a private eye in Los Angeles who was a big fan of The Shadow radio show got turned into a Tympanios (a relatively mild variety of vampire) and resolved to use his powers to emulate his fictional hero as The Shade. As it turned out, using your powers publicly without making your true nature indisputable (you can flat-out tell most people you're a vampire and they'll dispute it unless you go to some lengths to convince them) and maintain a secret identity; there's a lot you can do without having those feneral and particular hammers fall on you.

Today, every city and not a few big towns have costumed adventurers and criminals, starting with 'Reals', moving up to Mystery Men/Kickass level, and on to the tiny minority who are exceptionally competent or have real occult power. Masks and capes are sometimes used as accessories by regular people; for instance, it is fairly common to wear a stylish mask for anyonymity or to conceal scars (police have an established right to see people's faces on request and most businesses require patrons to shop unmasked). There are no space aliens, and technology advanced beyond cutting-edge is most likely the work of a mechurgist or cybermancer. Almost every training or supernatural origin is approprate. The strongest person in the world may have a strength of 60, although no NPCs or submitted characters so far are that strong. One NPC can fly and toss lightning. No one can take on a modern army head-to-head and expect to win; or single-handedly stop tsunamis or personally air-lift enough food to stop a famine. In other words, no one can beat the world single-handed; but a few are arguably in Champions territory. Magic is almost anything-goes; but Unknown Armies obsession-based magic styles are a feature. Most supernatural entities have an ultimate origin connected to one of the realms of either the Spirit World or Other World; and magical power is drawn from those 'dimensions'.

It's a 250-pt game, takes place in a medium-sized Southern city with more than its share of paranormal problems thanks to a curse laid by a badly-treated hoodoo woman in slave days. I'm looking to at least occasionally have Southern supernatural flavor, like hoodoo doctors, boo hags and confederate ghosts. Proposed player characters so far are a psychic detective, burn-scarred flame mage who wears a mask in both identities, a vigilante with a magic staff, and a 'mill golem'.

My concerns are about handling so many players, maintaining suspension of disbelief, and exploring this sub-subgenre. Also, some of my players weren't ready for a more classic Champions game, and I would like to provide them with things to kill with a clear conscience a lack of reprisal from the authorities in hopes they'll respect a strict 'no killing humans rule'. I think some form of Dark Champions where they can still have cool super powers is worth trying. Any thoughts or suggestions?

csyphrett · January 4, 2011