Ways to manage a huge team with a lot of characters?

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Ways to manage a huge team with a lot of characters?

 

I assume it's likely a tourist' date=' or someone new to our neck of the woods that took the footage.[/quote']

 

I drove down Jasper today - I'm 99 3/4% sure that was taken from the northern Telus Tower (nowhere else could get that view of the Westin). Probably a Telus employee, although I suppose it could have been one from out of town.

 

Maybe the hero they want to consult (and you don't) is in Edmonton and won't come outside because it's too cold for him, poor widdle Super!

[Spidey88]

Re: Ways to manage a huge team with a lot of characters?

 

I drove down Jasper today - I'm 99 3/4% sure that was taken from the northern Telus Tower (nowhere else could get that view of the Westin). Probably a Telus employee, although I suppose it could have been one from out of town.

 

Maybe the hero they want to consult (and you don't) is in Edmonton and won't come outside because it's too cold for him, poor widdle Super!

 

I agree with you fully on the location. I only assumed "tourist" because an Edmontonian probably wouldn't call that a blizzard. Recent transplant from Vancouver for a new job, perhaps?

[Christopher]

Re: Ways to manage a huge team with a lot of characters?

 

Maybe the hero they want to consult (and you don't) is in Edmonton and won't come outside because it's too cold for him' date=' poor widdle Super![/quote']

Hey, I have a character with weakness against cold temperatures.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Ways to manage a huge team with a lot of characters?

 

Maybe the hero they want to consult (and you don't) is in Edmonton and won't come outside because it's too cold for him' date=' poor widdle Super![/quote']

 

Hey' date=' I have a character with weakness against cold temperatures.[/quote']

 

All I can say is

poor widdle Super!

[casualplayer]

Re: Ways to manage a huge team with a lot of characters?

 

People who have to do resource allocation quickly realize the error of putting all their eggs in one basket. Whoever's in charge is going to keep some superstars in reserve, save them for a rainy day. If the Alpha Team keeps getting sent to the first blip to come across the trouble-alert, how long will it be before the villains realize that they can lure the heroes to the other side of the globe of what their true objective is with a cracked dam or forest fire?

 

The rotating membership is a great way for the understudies to get a chance to take the stage, Elongated Man to get to do some detective work for example. How often does the Justice League try to call in Batman and get a gruff "I'm buzy. *click*" A chance for Mr. Miracle to show off his agility and escapology, Black Canary her hand-to-hand skills, Blue Beetle his gadgets.

 

There will be subgroups that naturally tend to congregate and address missions, and not only because they are the best powerset for the job. Ultra Boy-MonEl-Shadow Lass-Phantom Girl are powerhouses and their main squeezes. Shrinking Violet and Lightning Lass, same deal. Wildfire-Dawnstar-Blok-Timber Wolf-Invisible Kid-White Witch is probably the most well-rounded, handle-anything clique of the Legion, the one that actually looks like a preplanned team.

[kjandreano]

Re: Ways to manage a huge team with a lot of characters?

 

I've done stuff similar to this, and the sub-team method (as has been mentioned) works well. Also, the NPC add on (even if it's occasionally a PC) works too as long as the overall number of heroes doesn't get too large. I've had as many as 8 PCs, but 4-6 is a better number, with a max of +50% NPCs. YMMV though. EXP was awarded to those heroes in play (even as NPCs), with occasional bonuses to others so they don't get too far behind the active PCs & NPCs (they are expected to be doing things after all).

[Spidey88]

Re: Ways to manage a huge team with a lot of characters?

 

People who have to do resource allocation quickly realize the error of putting all their eggs in one basket. Whoever's in charge is going to keep some superstars in reserve, save them for a rainy day. If the Alpha Team keeps getting sent to the first blip to come across the trouble-alert, how long will it be before the villains realize that they can lure the heroes to the other side of the globe of what their true objective is with a cracked dam or forest fire?

 

Actually, this is pretty much exactly what I'm doing right now - the PCs and a couple NPCs are dealing with Grond running amok in downtown Phoenix. VIPER dumped him there to draw attention (both that of superheroes and police) away from a heist they're pulling simultaneously.

 

In addition, VIPER's committed significant resources to an all-out assault on the team base as I mentioned before - at the same time! (plans within plans. )

 

The PCs decided to track down Grond as their first major mission (part of the competition to prove themselves), and found his last known coordinates in New Mexico. The park ranger that showed them the spot is, unbeknownst to them, a VIPER plant whose job it is to keep tabs on heroes sniffing around. His mission parameters stated that if anyone seemed close to figuring out what happened (as the clever PCs are), he was to keep tabs on them too. As the "friendly ranger" traveled with the heroes, he slipped a tracking bug on one of the PCs - so VIPER is able to track their location minute by minute. Thusly, VIPER found out where the team base is, and know when the PCs have left it (presumably) relatively defenseless.

 

They're trying to shut down the team before it even gets started (to send the world a message and eliminate opposition at a good opportunity), thinking that the base is deserted - what they don't know is that all the leftover NPCs (all the misfits and oddballs that didn't get assigned to other specific tasks) are still there to try and fend off the attack. The PCs will get to choose one of the legion of misfit heroes, and use him as a character in the big fight - it should be interesting! My players all seem to be chomping at the bit for our next session.

 

I want to present VIPER as an organized, credible threat - hopefully it plays out that way! 20 agents and several members of Dragon Branch should do the trick...

 

If the NPC heroes get defeated and captured (the consequences for failure won't be too lethal, as I'm not aiming for a harsh, dark game), then the PCs can run in to the rescue and be awesome in the process. If the NPCs manage to save the day (while being run by the players), huzzah! The weirdos are afforded respect, and the players still get to be the ones who pulled off the win.