Mentors for Sidekicks

[HeroGM]

A friend and I was talking about Teen Hero along with what has been going with DC's Rebirth titles for Titans and Teen Titans.

 

Something that nagged on my mind was this. How would you write up your Mentor for a teen hero? Yes, you could do it as a Contact or even a Watched By...You have some who are full on OCD about their sidekicks (Batman) while others just kinda look the other way because they are so wrapped up in themselves (Green Arrow). Plus you have some who are just teachers and don't fully interfere with their lives (New Mutants: Back to School).

 

 All in all how would you do?

 

 

[Hermit]

Honestly I mix it up, taking the mentor as a perk of some sort AND as a Disad/complication Watched by... I recall some edition has this as a no no, but it makes sense to me. Heck, you could forget watched and turn them into a full on hunted with a mild punishment ("Go back to the batcave NOW") but what works in comics doesn't always work in game so I would probably find ways to sidetrack said mentor.

[Brian Stanfield]

Just a quick thought: Teen Champions has a "social limitation: minor" that describes how kids are limited by their parents' rules and other such things. I'd think you could rewrite it in such a way that they are limited by their mentor's code of conduct, etc.

[Cassandra]

Retired Hero who can't do the job anymore but has the resources to train and equip a team.

 

Or Batman.

[Duke Bushido]

5 hours ago, Hermit said:

Honestly I mix it up, taking the mentor as a perk of some sort AND as a Disad/complication Watched by... I recall some edition has this as a no no, but it makes sense to me. 

 

 

It always did to me, too, so I did it anyway. 

 

Then I figured out it was still book-legal, if you followed the math to its logical conclusion. ( and were willing to call the whole thing a "complication.") 

 

Stat it out-- write out everything.  Then take the total cost or value of the "good stuff" and subtract the total value of the "bad stuff.". Name this complication "Mentor" and you're done. Pay the final remaining cost or accept the final remaining Disadvantage points and move on. 

 

As a  nifty side-effect, you can now math out the true value of being a sidekick!  Is this a beneficial relationship, or is slipping on your tights and cruising the streets with a middle-aged man kind of weighing you down? 

 

Honestly, that's exactly what's happening when you take them separately anyway.  This way you've just made a sort of Complication Package Deal. 

 

Yeah; I know: "package deals are gone.". The only thing "gone" is the name: there is still that nigh-standardized suite you assign cops and agents, and the one you give dwarves and the one for elves and the one for alien race X and the one for ninjas and the one for pirates--

 

Yeah. They're "gone." 

 

The only thing they ever were was a shortcut to assign those things you were going to assign.  They even counted against your points and disadvantages total.  There was no rebate, no framework--nothing that wasn't just doing the math you were going to do anyway.  The only way they are "gone" is admitting they were never a real thing anyway. 

 

So sure: I have no problem with a package labeled "mentor," and I've never understood why the books do. 

 

Duke

[dmjalund]

older package deals had rebates

[archer]

If a mentor gives the character an advantage, the character should pay for any advantages. If the mentor gives a disadvantage, the character gets a disadvantage. As Hermit and Duke pointed out, if it is both, give the character both.

 

I kind of liked how the Legion of Superheroes Academy dealt with mentors (at least in some versions). While the kids were on campus, the mentors were involved in training. When the kids were off campus on official missions, the mentors would try to hang back and let the kids work rather than micromanaging their every action. When the kids were off campus on unofficial missions, they had to hide their activities from their mentors or get into trouble.

 

The LSH mentors in all cases were definitely Contacts who had significant resources and contacts of their own. The kids were definitely Watched. The mentors weren't OCD trying to control the kids at all times.

[Duke Bushido]

"who are you?" 

"I'm the uh... Sidekick.  Ulp." 

"Okay.  Boils!  Kick him to de side." 

 

:rolf:

 

One of my favorite bits.  That and

"Hey, Zipper Neck!  Show him ya stuff!" 

 

 

 

[Sketchpad]

It depends on the campaign. In the past, I've ran mentors that are similar to Batman, or Bruce Wayne from Batman Beyond, to Charles Xavier or even Cable. For active mentors, I use them as regular NPCs that help drive the Player Heroes, and offer not only advice, but resources and training. In one campaign, the mentor (a Batman type with a splash of Captain America) worked with the team as a strategist, suggesting tactics and helping them with research as needed. The mentor had excellent contacts that he'd use to help the team whenever it came up. In an older game, the mentor I used was more of a Patron and not as active in the team's activities. In this case, he served as a resource the players purchased as an ally. In turn, they had the Watched Disad (along with Media Star, because cameras followed them everywhere). 

Mechanically, when the mentor came into play, I would often have the players make the rolls needed from him. This allowed them to have more of a stake in his fate, while also gaining some insight into what he would do for them. In the rare instance that the mentor would take action, I would continue to let the players make certain rolls to involve them in the combat. Worked out well.