Campaigning In The Golden Age

[Cassandra]

Golden Age Campaigns are set shortly before and after World War Two. In fact, many of the era's most popular characters have origins directly tied into the conflict. While there are a wide range of types of heroes and powers, most had a few things in common.

 

Most were Classic Comic Book Heroes. They were cooperate with the authorities, protect the innocent, patriotic, and in general good role models.

 

Most, even with flame powers, or exotic weapons, would fight hand to hand to settle things.

 

And Most weren't bulletproof, and relied on avoiding being hit rather then some powerful defense.

 

The villains would be Gangsters or Axis Spies, with a few super villains thrown in. The main enemy was a Mastermind, who was physically weak, but would have some powerful weapon, or scientific genius, that would balance the heroes physical powers and fighting skills. The villains would fight dirty, because in a fair fight they couldn't win. Any captured hero would be put in a death trap because the villains loved to prologue the heroes suffering.

 

A campaign in the Golden Age would be low level. Superman couldn't fly at first, Green Lantern was vulnerable to Wood, the Human Torch to Water, and Sub-Mariner to the lack of water. All heroes would have a sidekick, even if they didn't wear a costume. The Government would enlist the heroes aid, even if they weren't made government agents anyway.

 

Most heroes should have the following . . .

 

PsyL: Code Of The Hero (Very Common/Strong)

PsyL: Superpatriot (Common/Total)

 

Combat Luck +6 rPD +6 rED

Reputation: Mystery Man

Martial Block

Martial Disarm

Martial Dodge

Martial Strike

Martial Throw

Offensive Strike

Breakfall

[kahuna's bro]

that sounds about right to me

[Cassandra]

Additional Skills

 

Contortionist (To get out of those death traps)

Fast Draw

CSL: Pulling Punches +2

Shadowing

Stealth

Streetwise

Follower: 100+ Disadvantages (For The Sidekick if the Hero Is 150+ Disadvantages)

 

A Sidekick should have the same SPD and DEX as a hero, but less STR and CON, and fewer if any weapons.

 

[Cassandra]

All super-powered Heroes of the Golden Era should have a weakness that would "turn off" their powers. A flame controlling hero, for example, should be helpless in water, and have a susceptibility to fire retardant chemicals. A seagoing Brick should lose his powers in Intense Heat, and have a susceptibility to alcohol, and so forth.

 

There was a post-war All Winners Squad story where Sub-Mariner teamed up with Toro, the Human Torch's sidekick. Toro got excited before going into battle that his heat drained Sub-Mariner of his strength. Toro was then taken down with a water hose, and left to drown in the ocean. Sub-Mariner had Acting, however, and convinced the criminals that he was too weak to survive is they dumped him in the water. The cruel villains did so, and Namor regained his strength, and saved Toro.

[massey]

You should decide if you're going to play "real" Golden Age or retconned Golden Age. In the real Golden Age, as in what was actually published during the 1940s, there weren't many Axis supervillains, not with powers. Only Fawcett Comics really had them in any number. Roy Thomas added a lot of stuff later, though. There's probably a lot more you can do with the retconned style storyline, which would allow for more traditional superhero adventures. Of course you could do most heroes just fine on 250 if the toughest guy Superman ever punches only has an 8 PD.

[GhostDancer]

Very nice. Thank you. Notes- 1) Golden Age Campaigns are set shortly before, during and after World War Two, of course. 2) Namor the Submariner was originally a villain. 3) Some heroes had DNPCs instead of Sidekicks- Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Etta Candy, etc. Of course, some heroes had DNPCs and Sidekicks. 4) One detailed, concluded retcon Golden Age campaign with a lot of source material, pics, articles, etc. is here- http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/..._of_Democracy/ Join the usegroup to access files.

[assault]

There weren't a lot of superhero teams in the actual Golden Age. Many of the stories involving those that existed were essentially loosely linked collections of solo stories. True team stories seem to be related to dropping page counts.

 

Even in the Silver Age, it was common for a "team" story to involve characters splitting up into groups of two or three, essentially continuing the Golden Age practice.

 

Following on from this, it would be appropriate for a Golden Age campaign to only involve a small group of players, each with a set of characters that they would rotate through in different scenarios. These characters would not have to be of the same power level, as long as the players are comfortable with taking turns with who gets to play the more powerful character.

 

As for off switches - they were far from universal. Superman didn't have one. Nor did the Flash. They could be enforced in a campaign, but are not a universal feature.

 

Some characters are self-limiting, of course. The Flash wasn't invulnerable, so you could take him out if you could manage to hit him. Superman, on the other hand, was more tricky. He could be temporarily stopped by various super-weapons, but these wouldn't take him out for long. A more effective, if rare, technique was to drain his powers, or mess with his mind. Personally, I'd teleport him to Neptune, and hope he doesn't make it back. (Unfortunately, he would).

[Cassandra]

It's true that some superheroes didn't have "off switches", but many of their powers were "Restrainable". There is a Justice Society story where they are fighting the Injustice Society. Flash is caught in "Invisible Wires" and is unable to free himself. He and the rest of the team are captured one by one and are chained together, and using teamwork manage to free themselves. Green Lantern, who was thought to have been killed, turns up in disguise and prevents the Heroes from being ambushed.

 

So, buy Disguise and Contortionist.

 

[SKJAM!]

Another JSA story has all the heroes except Black Canary confined, because she still had her "working undercover as a crook" cover story and managed to sucker the villain into thinking she'd backslid. A little Acting and the right backstory can also help.

[Cassandra]

The Digital Comic Museum and Comic Book Plus have many free online Golden Age Comics available.

 

I was reading Smash Comics 32 starring among others Wildfire. She was a flame using heroine who was considered for The All Star Squadron back in 1983, but DC turned her down for fear she might be confused with the Legion of Superheroes member. The villain wears a Frog costume, and stuns her with a water hose to get away (Vuln: Water Based Attacks), and later has her chloroformed (No Range NND LS: Self Contained with Surprise Attack 2x Bonus). He tries to killer her by putting her in the Hotel Furness, but this just wakes her up (Absorption Fire BODY To STUN, and Armor +6 rED Fire Only). She also in a previous issue lifted a man over her head and took a gang on hand to hand, so she's at least STR 15, with Classic Martial Arts.

 

Nice to put comics in game terms.

[Cassandra]

Another JSA story has all the heroes except Black Canary confined, because she still had her "working undercover as a crook" cover story and managed to sucker the villain into thinking she'd backslid. A little Acting and the right backstory can also help.

Was that one where Black Canary finds the JSA office empty except for an unconscious Harlequin, and after she explains she was trying to warn the heroes they're both frozen (i.e., Entangled) by Icicle?

[SKJAM!]

Another JSA story has all the heroes except Black Canary confined, because she still had her "working undercover as a crook" cover story and managed to sucker the villain into thinking she'd backslid. A little Acting and the right backstory can also help.

Nope, this was a couple of issues later.