Steve

I keep feeling like Thomas Avery needs a nephew (possibly with a high level of magical potential) to come live with him as his apprentice, and the boy could also start hanging around with the squad of magical girls popping up around town like Lady Heart and the Jewish Sailor V.
 
He could be a possible love interest for one or both, but then there’s also the Court of Hate who can keep trying to entice him to the Dark Side, or perhaps Queen Nightmare lusts after him. The boy could be a first-class snarker with a shadowy edge to him like a young Professor Snape, or maybe brighter with a BTVS Xander sort of nerdiness to him.

I’m reminded of the webcomic “Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki” when I read this.
 
I suppose it could be played for “Ranma 1/2” wacky hijinks. Maybe the snarky girl next door suspects something is off and keeps snooping around Robert like a cross between Lana Lang and Nabiki Tendo. The captain of the high school football team develops torrid feelings for the new girl seen around town. The queen bee of the school/captain of the cheerleading squad hates the new girl and wants to stomp her into the mud. A young superheroine from another town keeps dropping by with rivalrous intentions. You get the idea.

I keep feeling like Thomas Avery needs a nephew (possibly with a high level of magical potential) to come live with him as his apprentice, and the boy could also start hanging around with the squad of magical girls popping up around town like Lady Heart and the Jewish Sailor V.
 
He could be a possible love interest for one or both, but then there’s also the Court of Hate who can keep trying to entice him to the Dark Side, or perhaps Queen Nightmare lusts after him. The boy could be a first-class snarker with a shadowy edge to him like a young Professor Snape, or maybe brighter with a BTVS Xander sort of nerdiness to him.

Yeah, then imagine how things would be if Xander was the Secret ID and Buffy was the superhero ID of the same person.
 
Wacky hijinks.
 
All you’d need is a version of a Watcher to act as a mentor character to the young superhero and a Willow homage as childhood friend, and then things start becoming quite a twisted version of BTVS.
 
It would then get even more interesting if the proud queen bee of the school becomes empowered and goes into full-blown arch-enemy nemesis territory.
 
You could also throw in a teacher or two getting supervillain IDs from lab accidents or cursed artifacts and really start playing up that high school drama, bringing in a bit of Smallville to add to the fun.

I’m reminded of the webcomic “Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki” when I read this.
 
I suppose it could be played for “Ranma 1/2” wacky hijinks. Maybe the snarky girl next door suspects something is off and keeps snooping around Robert like a cross between Lana Lang and Nabiki Tendo. The captain of the high school football team develops torrid feelings for the new girl seen around town. The queen bee of the school/captain of the cheerleading squad hates the new girl and wants to stomp her into the mud. A young superheroine from another town keeps dropping by with rivalrous intentions. You get the idea.

Abbot & Costello films from that era maybe? They met Dracula, Frankenstein and the Wolfman.
 
There’s also the Sailor Steve Costigan series of stories by Robert E. Howard.

I've updated the Hero Designer files and added 5th Edition versions with the 6th Edition write-ups for Ms. Victory (Wayne and Burke).
 
 

Here are my character write-ups for AC Comics' Ms. Victory, featuring the original (Joan Wayne) and her daughter who was her temporary replacement (Jennifer Burke). Both are roughly each other's equal in power levels at 400 points. In the few times I brought them to a game convention, players who had heard of Ms. Victory used her for the scenario (the original was generally preferred since she could fly).
 
The Hero Designer Files and character sheets in Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF are included in the Zip file.
Ms. Victory (Wayne and Burke)
Enjoy! 😉

The 1999 Film, The Mummy with Brendan Frazer

I know it's not the campaign premise you want to run, but you might still find some usable stuff in Digital Hero #39, in the article, "War of the Worlds: Champions." It's set in the era and follows the conventions of H.G. Wells' original novel, with one critical difference. The toxic "Black Smoke" used by the Martian invaders is lethal to the vast majority of humans; but in a very small percentage of the populace it instead engenders a variety of super powers, physical and mental.
 
The article includes a variety of weapons and vehicles, both Martian and human "steampunk supertech" (thanks to at least one mutated supergenius), as well as several NPC heroes suiting Victorian Britain, such as its Superman/Captain America analogue, the mighty Britannic (illustrations by Sketchpad).

Not background, but has some interesting facets:
Chaotic Shiny - Modern Character Generator
 
There are a number of Fantasy NPC character generators out there (albeit for D&D, but you can always just ignore the stats) - again not really background, but may provide interesting facets of NPCs:
Chaotic Shiny - Character Generator
NPC Generator
donjon; 5e Random Generator (bin.sh)
RPG Tinker - D&D 5e NPC Generator
 
Found this and thought it was interesting:
Auto Roll Tables

There was a trio of books way back when called Central Casting (I had the sci-to one and the fantasy one once upon a time).
 
I believe they are still available in PDF form,somewhere. Yes, they are lengthy series of "roll on chart X" books, and kind of random.  However, clicking a button on someone's web-based character generator is kind of random, too, but I find the dice /charts / take notes approach to be a lot more fun than "click here; receive bacon."
 
Warning:  the age of these books kind of shows.  Depending on what and where your path takes you, you may have to either ignore or apply judicious use of the Ignomious Black Highlighter in order to not get worked up over some random (and bizarre) scattered bits of homophobia.  Really wierd considering that the name Paul Jaquays is attached to them....
 
_really_ wierd.  Granted, she may have still been in denial then; I dont know.
 
Still, they are lots of fun, and they fill me with old-school nostalgia.  I never used them to build actual character backstories, but I could spend am hour or two just rolling up backgrounds on a rainy afternoon...
 
 

I just steal ‘em.   Do you need an editor for a big city newspaper?  There’s the history’s for Perry White and J.J.J. on their comic company’s websites.  Not realistic enough?  Look up Ben Bradley on Wikipedia, he was the editor of the Washington Post during Watergate. 
      Do you need a soldier or a cop?  Comics, movies, TV and history are full of them.   I like to use obscure stuff and go whole hog.  I saw a bad movie that starred Tommy Lee Jones as the Commander of a squadron of Apache helicopters.  (Fire Birds)  Soon after my Star Wars campaign had a new Commander for its B-wing squadron.
     Check out the episode of Big Bang Theory where Wolowitz is the DM for their D&D game.  The actor is a very good mimic and breaks out celebrity voices for all the NPC’s.   You don’t have to go that far, but I find that casting a real person in the role gives me an immediate grasp of what they sound, look and behave like.
        Good luck.

In a number of recent interviews with the remaining actors the weight of the packs was mentioned. All three actors said they were around 40 lbs. and very difficult to wear on a long term basis or when running.

Remind me I still have to watch Afterlife eventually.
 
Has anyone ever considered just making the proton packs a straight Telekinesis with the destructive properties a zero level Side Effect? Nobody actually uses it against living things after all, and the side effect can simulate destroying books, desks, and such.

My thought is that if Ravenswood it too far from Millenium City, just move it closer.  We won't tell.  I will also say that with kids as rich as those at Ravenswood I would expect a lot of "Sweet Sixteen" cars available to bum rides in.  In a highschool game I'd probably let a 16 or older PC buy a normal car with their wealth or a relatively cheap "4 wheeled friend" perk to reflect the beater they got running over the summer.
 
This question seem familiar.  Didn't you post this exact same thread a year or so ago?  Here was my answer then:
 
I've been running a Ravenswood game for several years now.  
 
The way I've been dealing with it is by:
- Getting the kids off campus (Dates, Movies, visiting parks, Music Shows)
- Having adventures come to them (hunteds who know where they live, ex-students with an axe to grind, shennanigans in the science labs & library)
- School Events (Rival Schools, Secret ID drama at the Spring Formal, Field Trips)
- Family (One PC's father is hunted by Viper, another is the son of a Supervillain, several NPCs are the children of Heros)
 
I've found that you have to get out of the "Mayor calls the PCs on the Red Batphone" type of adventures with teenagers.  I lean into the drama of highschool.  Not only do you want to get the right date for Prom, but she is being wooed by a "nontraditional" student from Von Drotte Academy (aka a mutant from Viper's school for budding supervillains).
We have a whole ongoing plot about the future version of one PC's first girlfriend who keeps attacking the PCs to prevent them from doing all the evil she says they do in the future.
 
Also: One PC paid points for a fake ID that lets them use Rideshare services to get around town.  It won't help them get to a superfight, but it lets them get to interesting locations.
 
Having another year under my belt with my Ravenswood game I will add the following:
Have a couple of the staff be up to something.  Let the PCs find out but make sure they never get hard evidence to prove anything and have the other teachers side with the adults.  Harry Potter kept this up for like 5 books. Adventures in the city should never just be a weekend thing.  Stuff going down on a school night is just the sort of thing that adds time pressure, angst, and drama to a teen heroes life.  "I have to stop the Candyman, but if my RA catches me out past curfew I won't be able to take Wendy to the spring formal!" I've gotten a lot of mileage out of all the other kids at school, normal and powered.  (I try to make a point of having the normal kids matter, it makes the whole "secret ID thing" an actual struggle.  I'm running my game "today" so there is one normal kid who has several times gotten into internet fights with teen supervillians that the PCs had to bail him out of.  The kids themselves are friends, bullies, loaners, etc.  Crack out all that teen drama for some great roleplaying One NPC called his uncle Zorran the Artificer to see if "uncle Z" could fix his mind-controlled girlfriend The kids' parents got that money somewhere & kids have had viper try to kidnap them as hostages against their parents or been drawn into dynastic family stuff There is one kinda OK kid with *really* rich parents that keeps throwing his money around to try to buy a cool and interesting reputation.  His parties keep getting crashed by the super kids from Viper's training school.

He really was one of the all time hall of fame greats.  His art could turn a meh story into a page turner, and he made Teen Titans into a huge winner.

Sad to report that George Perez has died, aged 67, from cancer.  Details:
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/george-perez-dead-wonder-woman-teen-titans-comics-1235261261/
 

I just posted a write-up for the public domain superheroine Yankee Girl as featured in various titles such as FemForce. The character format is both in 5th and 6th Edition with their corresponding Hero Designer files.
 
Enjoy! 😉
 

Where’s the challenge?

Well, there are all those rebels out there who unimaginably dislike V’han’s New World Order being imposed on their society. Welcome to V’han’s version of the SS, only your conscience won’t bother you very much because you are bettering society. Really.
 
But what if your enlightened reforms run up against V’han’s rules? Congratulations! You’re now a traitorous rebel, and one of V’han’s jackbooted minions will be along to teach you the error of your ways any minute now. Perhaps some telepathic reconditioning of your errant neurons will bring you back into the fold, comrade.

Superhero to young sidekick as they eye the place from a distance: “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.”

In 5th edition 1 point got you 10 END and normal END cost 1 point for 2 END.  REC for the reserve was 1 point per recovery vs 2pt for normal recovery.  So, while the END has gotten more expensive the REC has actually gotten cheaper.  This changes the dynamics of using an END reserve to be the complete opposite of what it should be.    Now instead of being a way to have a power that can be used for a while and then needed to be recharged it has become a way to get a power costing 0 END without increasing the active cost of the power.  
 
The most efficient way to use an END reserve now is to calculate out the cost of the END you will use in a turn and buy both the reserve and the recovery at or slightly above that number.   Cost wise it works out to about the same cost of purchasing the power with 0 END, but does not increase the active cost and does not drop to 0 when you are knocked out. 
 
I am thinking of using an adjusted 5th edition pricing for END Reserves.  Probably 20 END for 1 point and REC being 1 for 1.   

Okay, I'll admit there was sarcasm in my comment.   But to address the point seriously... government practically speaking is bureaucracy. That's your oversight, who you have to answer to. It has its own priorities, regulations, ways of doing things, to which you're expected to conform. It has its local representatives, with whom you may or may not agree or get along. It reacts and adapts to changing situations notoriously slowly. And as steriaca says, directives from above, or the personnel in charge of your activities, can change without warning.
 
And all of that applies even if the government isn't corrupt. Yes, V'han's administration is infamously tough on corruption, but it wouldn't have to be if that didn't exist. BOTE outlines several major criminal organizations within the Empire, and those couldn't thrive if they couldn't subvert local authorities.
 
You also asked about newly annexed worlds. The process of "pacification" of conquered territories is ongoing, usually taking years at least. And there are always newly annexed worlds, many of them. V'han is constantly expanding her reach. As for a science-oriented hero, several of the dimensions described in the book have mysteries or special challenges or new technologies which call for scientific investigation. That investigation might unleash something in turn requiring heroic intervention.

I can tell Steve was laying on the sarcasm more heavily than I did, but what he's describing is essentially what BOTE outlines. V'han's rule very much uses the carrot-and-stick approach. If you conform to her policies life is usually good, but criticism or protest is censured fast and hard, and actual defiance is ruthlessly crushed, up to and including lethality. And if you're part of her administration, particularly a member of her Imperial Battalion, you may be called upon to do the crushing.

Istvatha V'han was designed to present those shades of grey to PCs, to present them with moral dilemmas. But grey is made up of black and white, and both are part of Istvatha's package. She has unquestionably brought a lot of good to a great many people, and opposing those who, for whatever means-justifying end, would cause people in her empire suffering and grief, would be the work of a true hero. You could run a campaign in the Empire on that basis if you wish, and never have to present your PCs with hard choices. However, what Steve was describing is why there are rebellions against V'han, and a campaign could be run from the rebel viewpoint. But heroes who serve her might never have seen the worst excesses of her rule, or have accepted propaganda rationalizations for it, and therefore oppose the rebels as criminals. There are more than enough examples of such regimes in history, up to the present day
 
As an example of the white from BOTE, on an alternate Earth the Nazis won WW II, then went on the conquer the whole planet. Aryan-looking people held all the power and privileges, while other ethnicities were subject to the oppression one would expect. Then V'han conquered that Earth. She usually allows local governments a lot of leeway to continue their function as long as they follow her general directives, but she absolutely will not stand for institutionalized racism. She rescinded the Nazis' racist policies and granted all the peoples of that world full citizenship and rights in her empire.
 
Now for an example of the black, on one world she conquered, there was a region where the populace was divided along religious lines, and had been warring over that issue for generations. Despite all attempts at negotiation or enforcement, V'han could not get the factions to stop fighting each other. So she completely exterminated both groups, then opened their region to resettlement from elsewhere in the Empire.