phydaux Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 For those of you who are unaware, these two two-book series of novels are absolutly fabulous. Each outlines a modern world where supers exist and deal with all the things that modern supers would naturally have to deal with. I'm thinking of borrowing heavily from these books for my next supers campaign. Just how do all those super teams pay for things like their fancy Hoverjets? Endorsement deals, naturally. Half the money goes to the super, and half goes to the team. Unless your agent can negotiate you a better deal. And just what does the super team spend that money on, besides Hoverjets? Well, there's the Operations Manager, who stays back at HQ and monitors everything via comm link, second guessing all the Team Leaders decitions and giving contradictory orders. Turn off your Comm Link and you risk getting traded to Tampa. Or worse, Omaha! Then there's the PR Manager who decides that, no, Liberty Belle CAN'T save that school bus full of nuns right now because she's late for a ribbon cutting appearence at Campaign City Mall. And the Team Doctor who is always threatening to put you on Injured Reserve. And you don't get salary when your on Injured Reserve, except for Cosmic Kid because he has a better agent. You DO have an agent, right? If you can't convince the Board of Directors that kids will buy a lunchbox with your face on it then odds are you're gonna get cut from the team. So who is your team going to get in the Super Teen Draft this season? Is it really true that Miss Mash has a bigger salary than her Team Leader Atlas? Will you go Free Agent at the end of your contract, or will your super team lock you in by making you their Franchise Super? What's true depands on what suparazzi you read. Be careful, because they follow you everywhere. Post below if you've either read these fine series, or if you have ideas for this campaign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyper-Man Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers "...risk getting traded to Tampa" Funny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opale Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers What about the super divorced with a venal ex-wife that want to leech the Team all money using legal traps ? The groupie that is mentally unstable so he/she wants to kill you because you belong to him/her alone and shoots you in the spine when you're back to home or murder all your family because now you are a star ? The other agents or companies willing to ruin your Team to get control over you, so your Team becomes their toy now. What about the Fisc, that seks about your agent taxes cheating and you are on the edge to be jailed for this, while now your agent fled with the money box in Tijuana ? Ever wondered what would happen if you save a suicidal guy that attacks you into justice because he didn't want to be saved and asks for millions dollars because of the mental suffering you caused him ? it's endless Opale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahuna's bro Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers what is the title of the novels again?i might check it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phydaux Posted January 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers what is the title of the novels again?i might check it out Wearing the Cape by M. G. Harmon Wearing the Cape: Villians Inc. by M. G. Harmon A teenage girl has a freeway overpass dropped on her as she is driving to her first day at the University of Chicago. The fact that she doesn't die isn't nearly as supprising as the fact that she can now dig through tons of concrete rubble like it was beach sand. She had rescued her third car load of victims before she realized she was flying. Now she's the teen side kick to the most powerful superhero in all Chicago. It's the life any girl dreams of. Isn't it? West Pacific Supers: Rising Tide by K.M. Johnson-Weider West Pacific Supers: Victory at any Cost by K.M. Johnson-Weider It’s 2013 and West Pacific Supers is the professional superhero team for the city of West Pacific in northern California. It’s hard to know what’s more dangerous for the members of West Pacific Supers: the supervillains out to destroy the city or the superazzi determined to uncover all of their dirty secrets. If juggling heroics and public relations weren’t hard enough, the 2013 Season begins with a shocking death. Now new team members must be recruited to counter two major threats: a scientist with an insane plan that threatens California and an enemy from within West Pacific Supers itself. The team will succeed only after taming their massive egos and getting help from unlikely sources. Unfortunately, just like winning fame and fortune, beating the bad guys always comes at a heavy price. All available for cheap download via Amazon. Dead tree versions also available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phydaux Posted January 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers Wearing the Cape is more of a "fun read." Very Silver Age in flavor, it initially reads like a juvenile fiction. It becomes very UN-juvenile about half-way through, as it tackles a few more serious & adult topics. The author has a 3rd title in the same universe that focuses on a different centeral character, a vigilante who is a "reformed vampire." West Pacific Supers is the setting I'm pulling most of my ideas for my campaign from. These are well worth your time. Another author, Kevin Rau, has a series titled H.E.R.O with several titles in it. First one's a free download from Anazon. I got ~50 pages into the first book and couldn't force myself to read any more. He was trying to do this GRR Martin multipul POV characters thing, and it just was NOT working. The third time reading ANOTHER first hand account of the EXACT SAME EVENTS made me want to pour sand in my eyes. I'm currently re-reading West Pacific Supers after trying to reread Wearing the Cape and stopping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phydaux Posted January 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers Here is my list of NPCs for this campaign: Operations Director - This will be my primary NPC for making my PC's lives hell. She'll be a female yuppie hard charger, sort of a cross between Peter Grynch and Hillary Clinton. President of the Team Board of Directors - Mostly a figurehead/ruber stamp for the Operations Director, he will also be the "money guy." And there will never be enough money. "Can't we buy cheaper band-aids? Do you really need to take two asprin?" PR Director - This will be my second foil for the PCs. General Council - This wil be the guy my PCs negotiate their contracts with. I anticipate sayong a lot of "Make an opposed Legal Skill roll..." Agent - No, not Viper. A smarmy more than willing to "help" the PCs for a tiny cut of their salary. I'm gonna base this guy in Ari Gold from Enterage. Union Rep - The Super League has an exemption, but charter super teams can vote to be union-only shops. And this guy wants the team to go union. Ops & the Board are against it, but it's up to a vote of "labor." Or is it? Can a union thug really threaten to break Spiderman's legs? Team Doctor - Mostly window dressing Trainer - Mostly window dressing Major Domo - Jarvis the butler, or Jarvis the AI? Or is it Hazel the maid? Power Armor Pilot - Just take a salvaged suit of power armor and an out of work power armor pilot and Presto! you've got a franchise super hero. Except the suit doesn't exactly, you know, work. And the "pilot" is actually Lou the 2nd shift janitor. OK, that's my list so far. But I need two things: First, is there anyone I'm leaving out? Second, I need names. Good names, funny names. All kinds of names. I was thinking of naming the power armor suit "Jet Blue." And have the airline of that name being a former sponsor of that hero. Who died quite publicly, four years ago, when his boot jets cut out during a high altitude battle with a supervillian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinanju Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers I havent' read the West Pacific Supers series (and from the description above, sounds like I won't), but I have read--and enjoyed--the Wearing the Cape books. I recommend them. I also recommend the "Velveteen vs _______" series of shorts by Seanan Maguire (aka Mira Grant). They're series of shorts posted on her livejournal and/or her website about Velveteen, a superheroine in Portland, whose power is the ability to bring toys to life to fight for her. She's a former member of Super Patriots, Inc. As a former member of Super Patriots, Inc. (emphasis on the Inc, and all the corporate middle-management and PR flaks and general douchiness), she is of course labeled a supervillain by them at first (as all former members are). Not that there are a lot of ex-members. Though they don't actually BRAINWASH you (in the superpowered sense), they get their hooks on super kids early and the cult-like indoctrination and constant supervision and stage management take their toll. Imagine the worst money-grubbing Hollywood PR flak working for Disney combined with an intolerably controlling stage mother--only worse. It's not a happy life. Velveteen is glad to be away from it, but life away from Super Patriots Inc isn't a bed a roses either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phydaux Posted January 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers I havent' read the West Pacific Supers series (and from the description above, sounds like I won't), but I have read--and enjoyed--the Wearing the Cape books. I recommend them. Wow. That would be 180 out from my recommendation. While I enjoyes reading Wearing the Cape, I thought West Pacific Supers was a much better read. Honestly, there were times while reading Wearing the Cape that I thought I was reading a romance novel aimed at 13 year-old girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahuna's bro Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers Wearing the Cape by M. G. Harmon Wearing the Cape: Villians Inc. by M. G. Harmon A teenage girl has a freeway overpass dropped on her as she is driving to her first day at the University of Chicago. The fact that she doesn't die isn't nearly as supprising as the fact that she can now dig through tons of concrete rubble like it was beach sand. She had rescued her third car load of victims before she realized she was flying. Now she's the teen side kick to the most powerful superhero in all Chicago. It's the life any girl dreams of. Isn't it? West Pacific Supers: Rising Tide by K.M. Johnson-Weider West Pacific Supers: Victory at any Cost by K.M. Johnson-Weider It’s 2013 and West Pacific Supers is the professional superhero team for the city of West Pacific in northern California. It’s hard to know what’s more dangerous for the members of West Pacific Supers: the supervillains out to destroy the city or the superazzi determined to uncover all of their dirty secrets. If juggling heroics and public relations weren’t hard enough, the 2013 Season begins with a shocking death. Now new team members must be recruited to counter two major threats: a scientist with an insane plan that threatens California and an enemy from within West Pacific Supers itself. The team will succeed only after taming their massive egos and getting help from unlikely sources. Unfortunately, just like winning fame and fortune, beating the bad guys always comes at a heavy price. All available for cheap download via Amazon. Dead tree versions also available. thanks for the update Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uthanar Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers Wearing the Cape did a poor job with the romance, and I was very glad when I was not needing to read it. The author did a better job with the side characters (Which receive almost no development) than he did with the main character(s). That said, I liked Wearing the Cape, thought Villains Inc was a much better delve into the setting. Have not tried West Pacific Supers, might give it a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phydaux Posted February 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers Wearing the Cape did a poor job with the romance' date=' and I was very glad when I was not needing to read it. [b']The author did a better job with the side characters[/b] (Which receive almost no development) than he did with the main character(s). That said, I liked Wearing the Cape, thought Villains Inc was a much better delve into the setting. Have not tried West Pacific Supers, might give it a look. So much better than he devoted an entire 3rd book to one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uthanar Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers I would consider Artemis to be a main character at times. Perhaps it is more that she seems to be the only other 'character' to me rather than a piece of mobile scenery that talks and feels. Most of the other characters come off in a pretty poor representation of a real person. But I think that a lot of that comes from the 1st person writing style. Did you read the Artemis book? I haven't picked it up yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phydaux Posted February 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers No. For many years I have steadfastly refused to read "vampire fiction" for the simple reason that everyone was writing it. FWIW this predates the Twilight "SAGA" (/irony voice) by several years. I think it goes back to when I discovered the Anita Blake series by Laurel Hammilton, and realized after five books in that THE WOMAN CAN NOT WRIGHT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epiphanis Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers Wearing the Cape and Villains, Inc were YA novels intentionally written to appeal to a tweenie-girl demographic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Celt Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers Kevin Rau's H.E.R.O. series, while not well written, has some interesting ideas for a supers verse, where heroes are rewarded on a per incident basis with a sliding scale based on severity of crisis. The first book H.E.R.O. - Metamorphosis is free on Kindle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 Re: Wearing the Cape / West Pacific Supers Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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