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Need help fleshing out a campagin idea


Stone

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Hi All. I know I have asked for a lot of help here recently, but I am asking once again. I appreciate everyone's help from my previous posts. This idea has been bouncing around inside my head all day. If anyone is interested, I would appreciate some fleshing out the concept. I understand everyone has their own things going on, so no worries if you are not interested. So, here is the idea:

 

HomeGuard

 

 

After the events of September 11, 2001, the 911 Commission recommended the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. The main purpose of this new department was to aid in the security of the United States. The department works very closely the National Security Administration, the FBI, CIA, and various other governmental agencies in order to achieve this mission. One aspect of this mission was the formation of the HomeGuard.

 

Simply put, the HomeGuard is a government sponsored team. However the HomeGuard is anything but simple. The team is made of dozens (hundreds?) of super powered or gifted non-power individuals. These members are divided by power levels. The lowest power level and the majority of the gifted non-powered individuals form the Gamma Wing. Don’t be fooled by the hero’s low power level or total lack of powers. These team members are the front line fighters against terrorism here in North America and Mexico. Gamma Wing works very closely with local and governmental law enforcement agencies in discovering terrorist threats, finding terror cells, apprehending terrorist, and dealing with the aftermath of missed threats. These folks are the real heroes. This is the only level that mentalist are allowed. The other two wings do not have mentalists for fear of not being able to control them if they go rogue.

 

The next level is Omega Wing. National level threats are dealt with at this level. This is not necessarily a threat from a hyper-powered beings or teams, but also includes natural or manmade disasters. Members on these teams are very powerful or extremely trained/talented individuals. Should a major terror threat be discovered that is beyond the ability of Gamma Wing, then an Omega Wing team will be sent in to handle the situation. When these instances occur, Gamma Wing usually maintains and secures the parameter around the situation. This does create some conflict between the two levels from time to time, but so far nothing that has a been a serious problem. Omega Wing does not operate independently. Homeland Security must authorize Omega Wing actions in all, but the most immediate need occasions. This leads to Omega Wing being referred to as Easy Wing, since Omega Wing spends a large amount of time waiting for the approval to act.

 

The highest level is Alpha Wing. These beings could also be classified as weapons of mass destruction. It should be noted that there are two Alpha Wing members that do not posses any powers. These two individuals are simply peak human who are incredibly well trained. Members at this level posses truly frightening power levels. There is one member who is capable of stopping a hurricane simply by turning it off. Other members of the team are equally powerful in their own right. Homeland security does not talk about Alpha Wing. In fact, the existence of the team is classified. Only the top level Homeland Security members and the senior members of the Senate Oversight Committee know of Alpha Wing (however, there are a few Gamma Wing hackers who know a little about Alpha Wing and have managed to keep their knowledge hidden). Alpha Wing involvement literally is the full force of the government short of a nuclear warhead. All team members are closely watched to minimize any chance of any one member going rogue.

 

Champions Power Point Level:

 

Gamma Wing: up to 250 pts

Omega Wing: 301 – 600 pts

Alpha Wing: 651 + pts

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Re: Need help fleshing out a campagin idea

 

The superhero population would have to be pretty high to have potentially hundreds of members in the gamma squad. It almost sounds like a superhero version of GIJoe in terms of membership. One change I would make is to expand their duties to include stopping drug and smuggling operations since terror cells are often funded by illegal drugs and bootleg items. I would imagine in a superhero world where there's already a Primus, Homeland Security/Homeguard would already be part of it.

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Re: Need help fleshing out a campagin idea

 

I'd suggest different names for the wings. Less obvious or less connected.

 

There is a Gamma Wing and an Omega Wing, that people know about. But the existance of Alpha Wing is a big secret. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me - the public is going to look at this set-up, and the first thing many will wonder is "Hey, they don't have an 'Alpha' listed. Hmmmm."

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Re: Need help fleshing out a campagin idea

 

With a public, US government-sponsored superteam that large, there will inevitably be a supers "arms race" with other nations unwilling to allow America to have total supremacy on the superhuman battlefield. If your PCs have to travel outside North America to deal with international threats, they should expect to come up against supers acting on behalf of China, Russia, possibly the European Union, and so on. They may also have to deal with "rogue states" trying to develop their own superhumans, analogous to the development of nuclear, chemical, and biological WMDs.

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Re: Need help fleshing out a campagin idea

 

With a public' date=' US government-sponsored superteam that large, there will inevitably be a supers "arms race" with other nations unwilling to allow America to have total supremacy on the superhuman battlefield. If your PCs have to travel outside North America to deal with international threats, they should expect to come up against supers acting on behalf of China, Russia, possibly the European Union, and so on. They may also have to deal with "rogue states" trying to develop their own superhumans, analogous to the development of nuclear, chemical, and biological WMDs.[/quote']

Wouldn't a large US government superteam also make the natives restless? The people who fear the "ebil gubment" (unless their party is in charge) might call for more independent and local superteams to supplement the police.

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Re: Need help fleshing out a campagin idea

 

I see that there would be a fair amount of inter-agency rivalry here. Ok, these guys are the "top" US government supers. But it is very easy to imagine there being "turf wars" over their control and usage - the military, various federal law enforcement agencies, generic bureaucrats, political types, etc..

 

Plus, imagine that you head a branch of the military or a US / State government agency (or portion thereof), and you discover that some of 'your people' are supers. Sure, you might tamely send them to this big group (and, if you send enough of them, then make a case that "you" should be controlling the group anyhow). Alternatively, you might try to retain them as being particualrly valuable to your own organization - ie. a super-forensics dude for the FBI, a water elemental for the Coast Guard, and so on.

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Re: Need help fleshing out a campagin idea

 

I had a couple of thoughts. maybe they apply, maybe not.

 

The first thought was to set up as a GI Joe concept with members working for their branches that are called up for missions on demand. Instead of the main book with GI Joe versus Cobra, you have agents who specialty fit some kind of criteria for one shot use like Ace, Maverick, Slipstream, Wild Bill and Lift Ticket doing an air mission against a target somewhere.

 

The other idea was similiar but only the handler is part of the organization and the agents are freelancers.

CES

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Re: Need help fleshing out a campagin idea

 

You can use a demographics rule of thumb that the farther you go down the power level scale, the more examples there are, maybe 2x, maybe 10x per step. For example, if you decide there are 200 standard supers in the whole world, that might mean 400 (or 2,000 or whatever) low-powered supers and high-powered heros suitable as 'Joes'.

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Re: Need help fleshing out a campagin idea

 

For best story line potential, I think it is important that the highest level wing, whatever you end up calling them, have well-fleshed out characters. There aren't going to be too many of them so it shouldn't be a problem (you can always add another one or two as needed since they are covert and all). But they should all have strong personalities, and probably conflicting ones. These individuals are powerful enough that they are likely to feel they are above the law, especially as a secret group that is unlikely to face normal criminal prosecution. Some of them might be truly noble, but some may just enjoy the government sanctioned use of their powers regardless of who they hurt. Some might have their own agenda entirely and just find the government position convenient. Members of the other wings may realize just how dangerous and uncontrolled the top level metahumans are, and may subtly or overtly work against them out of either patriotism or fear.

 

Bottom line is that you have a great setup for a Bzyantine political infighting so make sure you know who side everyone is on before you start. Also realize that these kind of political machinations make for strange bed-fellows, so this will give you an opportunity to have the PCs work with people they might nominally consider enemies. Have fun!

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