New heroes for Century City

[Beazulbob]

I'm just starting a game on Herocentral (my first one there), and am trolling for players. It is a 5th edition game, 250 points, 150 base, 15 minimum skills - and is halfway between dark champions and a four color game. There are unfortunate events that will occur. I will be supplementing the game with a yahoo group page, and the game takes place in the same city (and same time) as my home game, so what the groups do will affect the city and each other. I am looking for 6 players total.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: New heroes for Century City

 

Champions/Dark Champions Century City Campaign. Hmmm...

 

What can you tell us about Centry City?

 

Champions Universe 5E? VIPER, PRIMUS, and etc...

 

Character Archtypes prefered?

 

Background/History: Character Plot Hooks

[Beazulbob]

Re: New heroes for Century City

 

I'll answer your questions over several posts -

 

Century City

 

Population 670,000

2 Business districts – minimum 8 floors, maximum of 30, average of 12

2 Separate high rise projects (1 is slum like and poor construction, the other is expensive) – each w 20+ buildings, ea is 9 stories

Commute is handled by bridge access to highway via bridge and ferry fleet

Century line, buses, and 5 taxi companies provide public transportation

3 Hospitals – St Mitchell, Conway Memorial, and Century Hospital

2 Harbors – Facing North and West. The west port can handle large trawlers, the North port is for smaller ships.

Higher Education – (4+ year colleges) CC State College, Abalam Medical School, Century Art School

Higher Education – (2 years or technical) CC Jr. College, Monotech, and Labellum Jr College

Trade Schools – several trade schools exist in the city.

1 Prison, modern, with several cells made to house super villains

Industry includes fishing, underwater mining, electronics, chemical manufacture, and a weapons plant.

 

Some tourist attractions in the city

Century Zoo – a normal zoo

Crowly’s Bug Farm – a zoo of spiders, scorpions, insects, and more!

Century Aquarium (parts of the aquarium are underwater

The Museum of American History – a museum dedicated to the history of North and South America

The Wax Museum – modern and historical figures, a smaller museum

The Museum of Ancient Humanity – dedicated to early human cultures, their art, and tools

The Dinosaur Park – Covers fossil remains from the Palaeozaic and Mesozoic eras.

The Science Academy – much like the Exploratorium, but with a mineral and crystal section

The Academy of Technology – a technology school and museum dedicated to inventions (small)

The Couture Academy – a fashion school and museum dedicated to clothes (small)

Belmont’s Water Park – a normal water park

The Hawkings Observatory – atop a 30 floor building (the Xenon Corporation), the tallest building in the city

The city has 1 large park, Bulgus Park, and 6 smaller parks

A stadium for baseball is under construction

 

Some unusual building features and city design

Most of the city rests on an artificial island

No business building is under 8 floors

No private residence is under 2 floors (house on top of a house), and a maximum of 6 houses are stacked adjacent & atop

Many private residences have a garden on the roof, shared by the 2-6 families living there

Solar and gas powered turbines provide enough energy to run the city on sunny days

Tube-work, mostly at 6th floor, as high as 13th, runs between some businesses and one high rise housing project

About 10% of the businesses have either solar collectors and or aluminum windmills to defray power cost

Rather then a regular airport, Century City boasts 2 Heliports.

The Century Line, a modern subway system with an electro-magnetic rail (quiet)

Several garden parks dot the city

 

Heroes

A city this size usually has a minimum of 15 super heroes, but Century City only has 5 registered heroes so far. They are Mr. Malleable, Rebound, Rocket Man, Star Castle, and Ursa Major.

 

Century City, named after the island it is on, which was a dumping ground for faltering ships with little or no cash value. Later in the 20th century, it was used as a garbage dump for concrete, asphalt, and damaged construction materials. The little island grew large enough that it became a habitat for sea lions, and the growing California population began looking for a place to expand to. By the 70’s, a concerted effort was made to gather these waste materials from all over the state and redirect them to the island, expanding it. City planning engineers began examining the growing structure and planning for a city that would take over twenty years to build. As it turned out, it took twice that before Century City truly began functioning as a city. Unlike most modern cities, this one grew up with advanced technology in mind, so pipes running fiber optic, phone, power, and open lines were placed beneath the city from the start. Attempts to take into account traffic flow, parking needs, and mass transit were made a top priority. Then again, no one is perfect.

Century City suffers from traffic congestion, some contractors skimping on materials, and the intended Utopia showed its feet of clay. While the majority of industry on the island isn’t heavy with pollutants, several companies taking advantage of the situation have been caught shipping in waste, the traffic snarls from people commuting too and from the city contribute to the smog, and the location draws scavengers from the ocean and sky.

[Beazulbob]

Re: New heroes for Century City

 

The universe is not used, it is my home game. Groups...

 

Current groups

 

 

ACE (Alien Contact & Containment)

A secret agency with a black bag budget, it has ties with 2 other agencies: DUST and NASA. It focuses mostly on predicting the actions of and making contact with aliens, diplomacy efforts with other planets, and the containment of hostile aliens. Not shared with the public is the fact several alien species have been encountered and 3 aliens are currently jailed. The prison cells used to contain the aliens is being considered as a prototype for cells used for super villains. Alien technology is forwarded to the DUST organization for their scientific value. NASA and the Special Forces are the primary enlistment sources for ACE.

The agents are literally the Men in Black, regular agents armed with some deciphered alien technology. The agents operate with a license to kill in order to prevent the truth from becoming common knowledge, although some mind wiping tools do exist. ACE is centered in Idaho, with agents abroad most of the time. The location was chosen for its isolation and innocuous appearance as a pesticide plant. There are 100 ‘local’ offices, spread through the US, located in metropolis areas, each with a different cover.

 

CHESS (Criminal Hunting and Security Services)

CHESS is a private organization with locations in the US and Europe. CHESS efforts are in collecting super-villain bounties and mercenary activity. While they advertise the benefits they offer the cities they operate in, there is question as to what CHESS will evolve into. It maintains several paramilitary action groups, has several super-humans working for it, and specialized agents for field work. CHESS has, at one time or another, crossed paths with Primus, UNTIL, Viper, and PSI. They have avoided political pressure with well placed bribes, donations, and their high success rate.

The agents are armored with Kevlar and armed with standard firearms. The paramilitary groups under their command included suburban assault vehicles, recoilless rifles, grenades, and helicopters. The agency has a few blasters and flight packs but does not have the manufacturing ability or license to produce their own.

 

Demon

Spread throughout the world, Demon focuses on the growing magic, a recently established force that has for centuries defied scientific inquiry. Practicing black magic and demonology, they are a small but powerful group with locations in several countries in Europe, Asia, and the US. Reputed to be led by the Devil, with warlock regional commanders and their bases defended by demonic servants; Demon has remarkable resources and powers that belie their size.

Agents are typically armed with automatic weapons and covered in mystic tattoos that provide protection. It isn’t unusual for an agent to use an enchanted item, nor for them to have supernatural aid. Demon has very few super-humans working for them, but many super-non-humans.

 

DUST (Department of Unusual Science and Technology)

A black bag budget supports this secret organization. It works hand in hand with NASA and ACE. When dangerous or technology beyond current understanding shows up, it gets shipped to DUST, including from Primus and SAT – though most members of those organizations have no idea where these items go. DUST is sometimes referred to as the Warehouse. Most of the technology goes into secure storage, with a select few items out for examination by the science teams.

Agents focused on defense of the Warehouse are armed with experimental weapons and defenses and are rarely sent into the field. When they are sent, it is to recover a specific item. Individuals who find out about DUST are remanded to ACE for memory wipe or imprisonment.

 

Genocide

Backed by the US government, Genocide is a black bag operation that continues on from an initial program assigned to determine the threat mutants and superhero’s represent. While instigated as a limited life program, it has metastasized into a permanent organization. SAT and Primus are officially told to be ‘hands off’ when dealing with Genocide, though the US government will eventually have to deal with them. Part of Genocide’s long life is its collection of blackmail material, giving them enough clout to keep their budget rolling in and protect them from the government agencies that should confront them.

Agents typically are armed with lasers or standard fire arms. They have received a fair number of flight packs, giving Genocide agents the edge when dealing with most others. Genocide can legally raid the US Army depots for supplies.

 

Primus

Performs UNTIL’s job in the united states. Special duty revolves around talents and mutants. Agents are sent in response to crimes being committed by super villains. A hero not signed up with Primus is considered a vigilante and is technically committing a crime while acting heroic. They maintain a hero and villain registry.

Agents use blasters, armored suits, and have paramilitary vehicles at their disposal, as well as official police powers and the responsibility to maintain captured criminals. A project by ACCU is under development to aid Primus in this goal, although technically, the ACCU is noted as a military unit unrelated to SAT.

 

PSI (Psionic Study & Investigation)

Formed by a scientist who made breakthroughs with the mind, the nucleus of the group formed around the initial faculty and students involved with the study, and the two dozen participants. The test subjects quickly turned the tables on the teachers and students, putting PSI under the control of the psychics. A small group with a limited pool of agents, PSI has the highest percentage of super-beings as members, most with subtle powers, allowing them to operate more openly then most groups.

The agents, while few in number, are fanatic (having been ‘modified’ psychologically), willing to lay down their life and sacrifice their families for the good of PSI. They mostly use normal firearms, though they do have access to chemical weapons (personal, not mass destruction).

 

SAT (Special Assault Taskforce)

Military arm, special forces only, intended as a reaction force to super villain activity. They tie in with US military and the CIA, respond to super-villains assaulting the US’s armed forces, and are available for special missions. SAT technology is very limited, with special orders needed to have blasters brought to the forefront, though what they get (military grade weapons) is most often more then enough. Membership in SAT is considered being in an armed service.

 

Spider

A US based mob that managed to gain a few super-villains as operatives, their focus is on crime. They do not hesitate to hire Viper for support should they find themselves in trouble, but they do not pursue non-profitable crimes. They have been active in South America in order to take over the drug export business, though with limited results. Unlike most groups, Spider has little interest in technology, having better things to do with the money. They will use the technological items they find, though.

Agents tend to be mercenary or drug lord troops, armed with standard firearms.

 

Tarot

Tarot is a European organization that has just recently started activity in the US. Both Viper and Demon oppose Tarot, as does UNTIL and Primus. Tarot has the second highest percentage of super-beings to agents. Practicing magic, Tarot’s leaders are steeped in the occult, although they typically do not have demons working for them. Tarot’s focus is white collar crime, not the high profile attacks many others pursue. Tarot is the second smallest organization, being roughly twice the size of PSI.

Tarot agents are armed with blasters and when they are sent to take action, at least 1 super-being is sent to accompany them.

 

UNTIL (United Nations Tactics League)

International, with branches in almost all of the UN member countries. The most notable exception is the US – UNTIL has very limited power to act in the US, has jurisdiction only over international forces that flee to the US, and must act in concert with either Primus or SAT when active in the US.

While the US limits UNTIL’s access to her lands, the US provides most of the budget for UNTIL. UNTIL is involved in European politics and is attempting to gain a foothold in Asia and the US. UNTIL, as an extension of the UN, has a limited conventional army, fielding tanks and planes when needed.

 

Viper

An international terrorist group, they fight for profit, topple governments, begin wars, and otherwise keep things off balance to allow them to reap the largest rewards. Viper actually has weapons and vehicles of war. The primary enemies of Viper are SAT and UNTIL. Viper actively pursues a cutting edge super-powered program and they are the most advanced of the groups in bio-technology.

[Beazulbob]

Re: New heroes for Century City

 

Describing the world requires understanding a few things prior to the explanation.

 

1st: Viruses attach to proteins, but not at just any location. The virus and protein have unique topologies, limiting whether or not the virus can attach to it, where it does attach, and the type of protein and how it interacts with the virus determine the result.

 

2nd: A still body of water will have all heavier then water sediment sink to the bottom, limiting the surface area of contact between the sediment and water.

 

3rd: Superstring theory has variations, one of which includes the assumption that there are 11 dimensions. It is assumed we do not interact with these extra dimensions, having a curled or atrophied non-contact with them. Hence, although the dimensions exist, they do not effect our daily interaction with physics (hence classic physics covers daily life, but fails to describe certain attributes of our universe).

 

Put together – Our planet’s contact with these extra dimensions changes over the years, settling down till there is almost no interaction. Occasionally, though, the Earth passes through an area that is active on one or more of these dimensions and in fact just recently (about 65 years ago) passed through a dark-matter cloud and our planet was struck by multi-dimensional meteorites. Almost entirely unnoticed, it started a change in our galaxy, and more importantly, our world. It stirred up the sediment, making interaction with these additional dimensions more common.

These extra dimensions didn’t affect everyone – just as a virus is limited in what it can contact, so to is a human’s ability to connect to these other dimensions. Even when a contact is made, the effect can vary from person to person. This introduced mutations that were dormant before – they existed but didn’t connect to the dimension as it was ‘settled’. Hence mutants now exist. Also, certain environments and energies can be required before changes occurred, so accidents can now produce heroes in rare cases (most radiation accidents still just kill you). Finally, there are cases of people able to create incredible technology that only works in their, or a limited number of, hands. These people connect to dimensional zones that have different constants and altered physics, allowing them to build devices that only work for people connected to those dimensions.

Magic does exist, although the world governments mostly deny its existence to avoid what could become a religious melt-down. It is under study, and until they have to, most governments actively squelch any news stories about it.

[Beazulbob]

Re: New heroes for Century City

 

Character Archtypes prefered?

 

I'm open to what I'm accepting - though no magic for the beginning of the game (you could have a magic character, but he shouldn't realize it's magic until later in the game). The technology of the world is limited, although individuals with super-tech do exist. It is ok to have a character that will kill on special occasions, but not on a regular basis. I will be using some dark story material - for instance, there is someone kidnapping children and a serial killer on the loose. Arson with buildings full of people, drug dealers and such - but I also plan on having 4 color villains and occasions of clear right vs wrong.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: New heroes for Century City

 

American Cities with Populations around 670,000

18 Detroit Michigan 713,777

19 El Paso Texas 649,121

20 Memphis Tennessee 646,889

21 Baltimore Maryland 620,961

22 Boston Massachusetts 617,594

 

For comparison only. BTW East Coast or West Coast?

 

QM

[Beazulbob]

Re: New heroes for Century City

 

West coast. The city is on an artificial island between San Rafael and Vallejo.