The People of Campaign City

[Hermit]

But what if I don't much care for Twin peaks? 

No offense to fans, but the few times I saw it on, it just did not hold my attention

[Lawnmower Boy]

But what if I don't much care for Twin peaks? 

No offense to fans, but the few times I saw it on, it just did not hold my attention

You're a bad person, and you should feel bad.

[Lord Liaden]

When developing a fictional city in a real-world location, one of the first things I do is look for a list of ghost towns in the area. They often have very cool names, and it's easy enough to "what-if" them to have grown and prospered.

 

List of ghost towns in Colorado

[Hermit]

That's an excellent idea, LL. 

 

Btw folks, I am moving slow for more than one reason. In this case, National Novel Writing Month is going on, and trying to get 2000 words a day is harder than it looks if I want those words to be remotely coherent

[Enforcer84]

*eagerly awaits the followups: Meet the City of Campaign People, and Meet the Campaign of People City.*

[BoloOfEarth]

Cross-posted from Campaign City News:

 

The Webcaster

 

"... so what say you?  Is it Mechanon?  Demonic possession?  Maybe the precursor to an alien abduction?  Or the genesis of the first Talkie Toaster?  Only time will tell, folks -- and hopefully before Old Lady McGraw is toast.  Well, folks, this has been your Friendly Gnu with some wild Wednesday weirdness.  Tune in tomorrow, for Thursday's tall tales on Gnu's Gnews.  Until then, keep your eyes open and stay safe."

 

Wally Tucker is the man behind Gnu's Gnews, a nightly live webcast featuring strange goings-on in Campaign City.  (It was originally The Smoking Gnu until he got a cease-and-desist order from Terry Pratchett's estate.)  Thanks to a growing and diverse fanbase (plus his share of internet trolls) emailing him information, "The Gnu" (Wally's online alter ego) is able to bring some interesting tidbits to light.  Like all things on the internet, a good number of these tidbits are either overblown or outright false, but Wally has a talent for finding a few real gems each night to bring to peoples' attention.

 

While he does find nuggets of gold among the piles of pyrite, Wally is a bit of a conspiracy nut.  Thus, he likes to garnish the facts with links to his conspiracy-of-the-week.  But if a listener can ignore that, he or she may just find something useful to the current investigation, or perhaps future goings-on in Campaign City.

 

 

 

Wally's webcasts are coming to the attention of forces both criminal and parnaormal, and they're not happy that someone is airing things that they'd prefer be quietly ignored by the masses.  Thanks to a tech assist from Spider (Florence Glickman), it's rather difficult to trace the origin of the Gnu's Gnews webcast.  But Wally does occasionally let slip bits of info in his webcasts that may help somebody find him.  With luck, the heroes can intervene before the Gnu is permanently silenced.

 

 

[Hermit]

*eagerly awaits the followups: Meet the City of Campaign People, and Meet the Campaign of People City.*

Yeah, sorry about the delays...

National Novel Writing Month *Sheepish* 

[TheQuestionMan]

Bump

[Hermit]

*Watches dust fall off old project*

 

So that's where I left this

[Nothere]

As I've said no project dies on the internet. It just dosent advance.

[BoloOfEarth]

Looking back, I see that Hermit intentionally skipped over President (along with Governor and Senator).  But nothing says it has to be the United States President...

 

The President

 

President Alexei Vitalek heads the small nation of Estoccia, a former minor republic of the Soviet Union.  President Vitalek is a retired air force general decorated for bravery and known for his loyalty to his men, and is charismatic enough to have decent support from the civilian populace.  And since Estoccia is a mostly-ignored nation with no strategic location and few resources of note, Vitalek has has a relatively low-stress presidency... until recently.

 

A few months ago, sizable deposits of the rare mineral quartium were discovered in Estoccia.  (Quartium is a key component in the alloy maclainium, which is nearly as durable as adamantium while also being much easier to work with.  The rarity of quartium has made impractical the widespread use of maclainium, but the Estoccian deposits of the mineral will change that significantly.

 

Suddenly, President Vitalek is the toast of the town, as countries and corporations seek to woo him.  One of those corporations is headquartered in Campaign City and has been particularly strident in seeking Vitalek's favor.  He's also taken quite the shining to the heroes of Campaign City -- okay, he's a total fanboy -- so he has visited their city even before the quartium was found.

 

QUOTE:  "Ah, what a pleasure to meet the heroes of [Hero Team]!  I am big fan!  Collector of all your comic books, and even have [PC Hero] action figure!  Wery rare in Estoccia, let me tell you!"

 

 

One does not become a country's president on charisma alone.  There have been a few dark deeds done and bargains made with a devil or two during Vitalek's rise to power.  Is his nice-guy image for real, or just a facade of a would-be President-for-life?  Only the GM knows for sure.

 

President Vitalek is also seen as a potential obstacle by shadier elements both within and outside Estoccia.  Thus, he could easily be the target of an assassination or kidnapping attempt while visiting Campaign City. 

 

Ideally, Vitalek would be introduced to the PCs prior to the discover of quartium in Estoccia, visiting Campaign City trying to draw corporate investments to his tiny country (and satisfy his fanboy self by meeting the heroes).  Then, as the element's discovery puts Estoccia on the map, the GM can increase Vitalek's complexity as the heroes begin to see their #1 European fan in a new light.

 

[BoloOfEarth]

So, Hermit, should we challenge you to add to this project?  Maybe make suggestions, like The Cabbie, or The Agent, or The Street Person?  (Though the original inspiration for your project does admittedly make a pretty complete list.)

[bubba smith]

or the hero wannabe ?

[Hermit]

The Cabbie

Clydewell Hodel runs cab number 13 for the small local taxi franchise "13th Hour Taxi Service". In retrospect, he should have realized that would be a sign that his life was going to get a little weird. Fresh off the end of his military service in some still fairly hot spots in the Middle East; Clydewell figured running a cab would be a piece of cake. Man, was he wrong. A year and a day later after his first night on the job, and he can honestly say he has seen some truly weird ####. Clydewell is a guarded man, not hostile, but you need to ride more than once with him and maybe mention some weirdness in your own life before he starts sharing stories.

 

Once you do though, he'll open up with a few anecdotes of his own. He once got flagged down by a man in a red suit standing square in the middle of four empty lanes, a crossroads as it were. The guy smelled of brimstone, real charming otherwise, but knew way too much about everyone for Hodel to feel comfortable. He once let some woman in who muttered in a language he didn't understand at first, then switched to English and told him to drive her to a deserted park. He asked if she wanted him to stick around a bit, she shook her head and went into the park deeper. A moment later, purple lights filled the sky, then nada. The lady never returned. A few weeks ago, some guy started changing clothes in the back seat of his cab to show a costume, asking Clydewell to take him "Where ever the scum are"... Hodel dropped him off at a city council meeting, and got a tip of a solid uncut diamond (Not a big one, but hey, it paid the rent that month). 

 

And yes, he's dealt with criminals and more immediately dangerous (to him) events as well. It's why he keeps no less than two guns stashed in his vehicle at all times, though when it comes to superhero stuff he wisely picks flight over fight. Any passenger trying to car jack or rob him though is liable to end up with a sawed off shotgun pointed at him and a warning "I can have the blood off the back seats cleaned, y'know that right?" or some other equivalent warning. He's got more than guns though. Some folks have paid their fares with some weird tips. A collection of holy symbols dangle from his rear view mirror along side a long expired 'pine fresh' car freshener. He doesn't even know what religion half of them represent. When one passenger noticed he had a gun, said passenger nodded approvingly and left him a silver bullet as a bonus . Clydewell figured the guy had some kind of Lone Ranger fetish. One red headed guy with a camera spent his entire ride sobbing on the way to the airport and handed Clydewell a watch explaining "Since he's chosen that reporter tramp, I guess I don't need THIS anymore."

 

People in this town can get weird, at least while he's in #13

 

 

Clydewell is only a few points short of an action hero himself, partially because of some truly strange gear he's accumulated along with his combat training. However, his real 'power' is not in him, but the cab he rides. #13 is a weirdness magnet if ever there was one. It seems to have a knack for either drawing strangeness to it, or finding the strange by accident. Any player character getting into the vehicle who is a psychic sensitive or mystically attuned might realize there is something odd about this cab's aura... and yeah, it has a frickin aura, like it was alive or something. No thoughts can be picked up, but one gets the feeling regardless of that that if anyone were to succeed in hurting Clydewell, #13 would be very very pissed off. Which is sort of hypocritical when you realize that the cab somehow brings him to events like college sororities summoning hunks from hell

 

 

 

QUOTE: "You want to go where? You do know there's a villain tearing up that location right? Okay, okay... I'll ask you no more questions you tell me no lies. I know a shortcut... it ain't legal, but then neither is cutting through areas taped off by police. Strangest request I've had all day? Lady, you ain't even in the top five this shift."

[Hermit]

So, Hermit, should we challenge you to add to this project?  Maybe make suggestions, like The Cabbie, or The Agent, or The Street Person?  (Though the original inspiration for your project does admittedly make a pretty complete list.)

 

Well, the next stage in the project was to build the city around them. You know, put up locations ...maybe a few notes about the city etc. But that got pretty daunting PDQ. With so many NPC notes, I did feel I did my service for king and country, but to appease I have put up a cabbie which I hope folks like.

 

And your visiting president is a fun hook

[Hermit]

or the hero wannabe ?

That would be the Mechanic Benito Esparza 

[BoloOfEarth]

The Agent(s)

 

Brothers Phil and Tom Chalmers (Phil's the older brother) have always been close, with Phil always looking out for Tommy ever since their parents died in a car accident when the boys were both teens.  Phil worked hard to help his baby bro get through college, even taking some less-than-legal work to pay the bills.  Unfortunately, since graduation Tommy has had a lot of trouble finding a job (who'd have thought a dual degree in sociology and English literature wouldn't lead to immediate employment?) and the Chalmers brothers have had a tough time making ends meet.

 

Recently, Phil found work as a lackey for [villain group name], mainly working as a legit security guard above their hidden base, though on a few jobs he's had to put on a costume and tote a blaster pistol.  Still, the pay is good, so when their wheelman got cold feet, Phil got Tommy a job as a driver for the group.

 

Of the two, Tom has plenty of book smarts and Phil has the lion's share of street smarts.  Tom uses a lot of $20 words when he talks, while Phil seems intent on mangling his sentences with words that are close-but-not-quite-right.  But each will look out for the other like nobody's business.

 

QUOTE:  (Tom)  Interesting conundrum [Villain] has contrived for the constabulary.  Do you expect we shall stand triumphant?

(Phil) We got capes comin', baby bro, so I have high expectorations we're gonna have to run for it soon.

 

 

Working for supervillains isn't exactly the safest profession, and Phil's past work has exposed him to radioactive materials and mutagens along the way.  He's a pretty laid-back guy, but the stress of a face-to-face (or fist-to-face) encounter with a superhero might trigger a major change...

 

[BoloOfEarth]

Well, the next stage in the project was to build the city around them. You know, put up locations ...maybe a few notes about the city etc. But that got pretty daunting PDQ. With so many NPC notes, I did feel I did my service for king and country, but to appease I have put up a cabbie which I hope folks like.

 

IMO, your People of Campaign City is written generically enough that the NPCs can be dropped into practically any modern-day American setting.  I'm betting you could do a Locations of Campaign City easily enough whose restaurants, offices, hospitals, and what-not could be equally universally useful, without detailing an entire city. 

 

Though a good Locations listing should probably include a blurb on a key individual for many Locations (the maitre d' at the Fancy Restaurant, the counter girl at the Fast Food Place, the overworked doctor at the Walk-In Clinic, the night nurse at the Major Hospital, etc.).  So, yeah, I guess it could get daunting.

[Cancer]

Though ... there's no need to prepare scenes that are never used in a campaign. Public branch library, small corner church, neighborhood park, Granny McGurk's house, etc. Probably shouldn't need elementary school or middle school; might want high school. Do one strip mall and you've done them all. Ditto generic downtown office building. Might want two banks, one small branch, one downtown main bank.

[Nothere]

The empty street, and abandoned riverfront warehouse. Assuming there is a river.

[assault]

Of course for locations to be really useful, they need to be mapped... and that's nasty.

 

But it makes plug and play really, really easy.

[massey]

Just saw this thread.  Very cool.  I have a few suggestions.

 

To really give a campaign city an identity, you need radio guys.  Irritating radio guys.  "We're Dan and Steve in the morning, rocking you on your way to work with this non-stop all-talk rock and roll power hour!" (which is half commercials, zero songs, and 100% annoying voices).  And you need an AM shock jock conspiracy guy.  The J. Jonah Jameson of today wouldn't be a newspaper editor, he'd be your local wannabe Glenn Beck.  Sports talk radio guys are also generally well known.  You have your local "homer" who always talks about how great the local sports team is, as well a former local athlete whose playing days are far behind him, and a 'villain' type who bashes the local teams and talks about how stupid the coaches are.

 

Radio guys are something every city has, and half the population hates them.

 

As far as locations, I'd suggest coming up with as many interesting places to have superhero fights as you can.  People use banks all the time, or the middle of the city street, or warehouses.  Branching out from there and going to other places can keep the campaign fresh and memorable.  How about:

 

A large aquarium, complete with large, breakable glass panes and sea life that is a bit larger than in real life

A trainyard (active or not)

Subway tunnels

A haunted old mansion

An enormous cathedral

A comic book convention, with people in costume (sometimes as the villains you're fighting)

A movie studio set

A carnival, with a house of mirrors, a tunnel of love, some small roller coasters, etc

A steel foundry, ala Terminator 2

[segerge]

Don't know if this has been suggested already, but what about an airport?  Lots of jets, tanker trucks to fuel them up and go BOOM, lots of open space, lots of large and breakable glass panes, and in my experience some part of them is always under construction or being expanded (with lots of things like heavy construction equipment and girders to be used in your fights...).

 

Another good site would be your local nuclear power plant -- as long as you don't have someone in your group (like me) ready to scream "THAT'S NOT HOW NUCLEAR PHYSICS WORKS!!!" in the heat of battle.

[Lawnmower Boy]

While we're on the subject of locations, put in islands, deltas, and mountains and you can get some pretty incongruous urban settings:

 

-The hydroelectric plant in the mountains;

-The Farm Village In the Middle of the Open Area They Can't Build In For Some Reason;

-The local airport that can't expand because it's on an island or something (like a real airport, but small and rustic, which is actually kind of cool when you can just look across a 100 yard channel at high rises)

-The mountain wilderness in sight of the city;

-The desert island in the harbour;

-the hillbilly farm right next to --Okay, now I'm just trolling Hermit. 

[Opale]

I so Loooooove this post ! ^^

 

I'm actually working on my VB campaign, and using lots of DNPCs from the city book or Everyman, but the more the happier !

 

Thanks for posting your work

 

Common Opale