Steve

Follow up to above
 
Some wonder at why the city has not declined/ fallen to seed as fast as other similar cities in similar situations.  Infrastructure still good, port facilities operable.   As well the old mining operations still have equipment and elevators that are in good repair.  WHY?
 
Most don't know about a plan that in case of evacuation of the government and the royal family, Corvid Cove is one of three possible leave sights.  So the facilities are kept up at Royal expense so in case of emergency, It all still works!

Though it has fallen on hard times the port facilities and local infrastructure are still good.  So Corvid Cove still sees some ships come in and people disembarking or embarking.  Some say that most of these people are those who don't want to be seen entering or leaving the Nation.   Also there is a mercenary / adventuring group who operate out of an old estate in the what was the nicer part of town.  Are the two related?

The cove itself was originally cut into the rock by a mid-sized river. Over time and with the assistance of human (or other races if your world has them) the cove has been cut into a deep multi-tiered affair with the river still running through the middle. After the cove was expanded copper, iron, and other metals (prized by magic-users but dangerous to most people if not handled correctly) were found in the hills and mountains further inland. These, now abandoned and dried up, mines were the primary catalyst that drove the expansion of Corvid Cove.
 
The miners and stoneworkers using the port expanded and grew the city, bridging the river, levelling out areas, creating buildings, ramps and stairs. There's even a small network of, long unused, freight escalators. Many of the structures still standing are from this hey-day of the mining boom, solidly built from stone into or up against the rock itself. Most residents live at the very top or very bottom, either working land or surviving on what trade still comes through.
 
Walking the empty streets is a little disconcerting to the newcomer, as the stone takes sound and bounces it around. Is that one crow, or a chorus? Your footfalls, or is someone... someTHING following, just out of sight...

Colorized and expanded a little

I'm looking forward to Hero Games starting a Patreon account and plan to join it as a supporter, and I'm especially excited to hear about the Martial World supplement.

Are you sure it's not a large quantity of bats that are around COVID Cove?

Sort of....
 
In as much as everyone got mad, the mood dropped and stayed that way, and the game petered out within an hour.   While we met for other games, it was in the neighborhood of a year before anyone wanted to pick that one back up.  The entire time with that "well how were we supposed to know...?"  Nonsense.
 
How were you supposed to know what?  That the ship was likely in danger?  That you were hired to guard it and _walked off the job_?  That Lt. Sandbag stressed several times that the job wasn't over?  That there was a war going on, and the company you were working for was one entire side of the war?  What was it, exactly, that you needed to know that would have properly stressed "hey, you know, some really bad stuff could go down any minute?"  Or perhaps this is Ghost Rider 2, and we're playing the world's first inaction game....
 
 
 
 
Excellent catch, Sir!     Yes; this is my long-running Traveller-on-Champions wheels game.
 
 
 
 
Yeah, but usually "hey, that ship is our honest-to-God only ride home" had worked in the past as a motivator to at least post a guard. 
 
Didn't that time, though. 
 
 
 
 
 
I just wanted to say thank you for that.  The way, in my head, that this comment was stated was hilarious.   
 
I have had very, _very_ few TPKs, but I would like to share my favorite (though I really think that I have shared this before, many years ago).
 
It's a space opera game (Yes; Sci-Fi is my genre of preference.   Specifically, not Star Wars sci-fi).  One of the party members had managed several sessions ago to get his hands on a Phase Field generator.  This experimental Force Field generator is a body-worn protective device that, when activated, creates a phase field "bubble" of protection.  Anything-- physical or energy-- is phased and randomly expelled from some other part of the surface.  To skip the rubber science, it's essentially Missile Deflection, Area of Effect (could be cranked to a 10 meter radius) costs END, and a couple of other things that are not important for this story.
 
We had two Johns in this group with the unique distinction of being identical cousins.  That is their fathers were identical twins who, against the odds, married identical twins.   I won't pretend to be a scientist, but given what I did learn while going through my medical education, they are, genetically speaking, siblings. (purely genetic, mind you).  They are both named for their grandfather  (and they were just almost two years apart, and because of that, I find it a bit hard to forgive doing that to your kid, but that's neither here nor there).  They were strikingly similar in appearance, though technically there was no reason for that, as neither favored one parent more than the other.  Conversationally, we referred to them as "Old John" and "Young John" (or Little John), mostly because Straight John hated being called Straight John (Gay John did not mind being called Gay John, but Straight John was something of a spoilsport  >:-/  )
 
Anyway, the party is making their way though the prison (they are tasked with questioning and possibly having to exterminate a prisoner.  They have opted to spring him and help him get off world, because that's who they are: they are the good guys).
 
So we have the five players and two NPCs sneaking their way toward the auxiliary command to do a couple of quick overrides and create an express exit, as their presence (but not their whereabouts) has been discovered.    As they  step out into a _wide_ and empty corridor, they see nothing, and the group pushes ahead.  As the bulkhead seals behind them, they make their way to the intersection fifty feet ahead.
 
A lone staffer from the prison pops around the corner, sees them, and stops dead in his tracks, shocked.
 
Brent announced "I shoot him before he can raise the alarm!" and fires off his hand cannon-- his straight-from-Johhny-Dangerously 88 magnum (recoilless, as Jim DiGriz would have wanted) slug thrower.  BOOM!
 
The..  uh.....  the alarm...  has been raised.....
 
The security systems guy turns to see if he can open the bulkhead for a quick retreat; Old John wants to sprint dead-ahead beyond the intersection in the hopes of getting through it before any guards appear.  
 
Sixty seconds of indecision and guards arrive-- eight of them, with full riot armor and armed with stun cannons (before there were real-world shoots-a-wire-at-you Tasers, there weren't, so we had to guess.  These were basically weapons that fired arcs of electricity at incredible voltage and very low amperage: they were non-lethal, usually, sort of).
 
Right away Amy says "I activate my force field and crank it up enough to cover everyone!  John's right; we've got to make a run for it!"
 
Young John, who has been letting his mind wander to who-knows-what hears "John" and snaps to attention-- sort of.  "Full auto, Baby!"
 
Young John's character has a plasma weapon that can be toggled to single shot, burst fire, and what he calls "Full auto."  This is a setting that, with a single button press, will set the weapon firing full auto (5 shot autofire) repeatedly, until the setting is changed again or the energy clip is spent.   "Full Auto" was something he liked to do as he seemed to think it was allowing him to take "extra attacks," no matter how many times it was explained to him that it in fact did not do that, as he couldn't really aim save on his Phase-- it was just firing.
 
 
So the Plasma rifle begins to fire, unceasingly--
 
into the inner surface of the Bubble of Missile Deflection.
 
Roll Activation.
 
Neat!  Rolled a 4!
 
Oh!  Time to roll again...
 
Neat!  Rolled a 5!
 
Wow!  A 3!
 
It was grim, and it was hilarious.
 
Many dice where thrown that evening, most of them at Young John.
 
 
 

I just want to play out that Dregslist scenario so much!
 
I like the tricky high-tech hero schtick so doing that is exactly the kind of thing I would have proposed. 

Have you ever wondered how supervillains just starting out get their first minions? What does a minor master villain do when one of their agents gets sick or incapacitated right before a big job?
 
Mook Temps is an underworld temporary help agency that matches mooks and thugs with aspiring supervillains and short handed villain organizations. They also provide technicians for hire.

I had the Adversary Academy that trained henchman at varying levels to assign to villains and Dregslist which was another way to make contact with underlings or low powered villains to employ.

There's a guy called The Human Capitalist in the 5E book Dark Champions Animated.  Look on page 53.

I just kinda have Loan-a-Mook as one of the services of VIPER, if the villain in question doesn't have ties to organized crime to get them any other way. 
 
I figure VIPER is always recruiting and always have people on their fringes trying to get hired on. Loan-a-Mook for the mooks is basically "you do this one thing for us and do it well, then we'll think about putting you on the payroll".
 
So VIPER gets a cut of the action from the villain and/or perhaps a favor in return and "tries out" mooks at no particular risk to themselves.

Have you ever wondered how supervillains just starting out get their first minions? What does a minor master villain do when one of their agents gets sick or incapacitated right before a big job?
 
Mook Temps is an underworld temporary help agency that matches mooks and thugs with aspiring supervillains and short handed villain organizations. They also provide technicians for hire.

Great. If your looking for an excuse to create a low power Enimies book, this would be the excuse. The only thing you need to really lock down is who is the CEO of this illegal company, and who is the DIR (Director of Inhuman Resources, the guy who has the list of which supervillain is "in the company", and to pair up there powers with what the client needs), and the rest of the book is the 'product'.

Got psyched to run Target Hero back in the day. Read through the module, made notes to modify the characters... then lent the book out to a friend. Who told the group and shared the notes. And never gave me back the book until AFTER the session. 

This is for you GMs to tell some of your mistakes made before or during a Champions game.
 
1) I've written up a clever episode where the heroes eventually run into some robots to fight. It shouldn't be easy but not too powerful that they'll lose. Yes, everything looks good... except I forgot to stat out the robots!
 
2) The game is going well, the heroes are beginning to get near to the mastermind's base and the players are really looking to stomp some goodness into the baddy except... the stat sheets for the minions AND the villain simply can't be found. "I had them a minute ago!"
 
3) The heroes encounter an impressive villain for the first time and when I read out his speech, it goes flat. (thinking to self, "It sounded better on paper.")

During it's trading heyday, several large, and secure warehouses were constructed opposite the docks. They have ornate brick and stucco facades, slate roofed, many with the names of trading companies that have long since gone defunct sculpted over the large entrances. The windows are narrow, and a normal human will not fit through them, even so, they are barred. The doors in front are huge, made of thick, oiled and studded oak logs, with one small sally port. So far, only one has been lost to fire, with the rest still owned, and in decent repair.   The landlord knows exactly what he has here, and has a very dim view of thieves, and will hire bullyboys to snuff out any thievery, or suspicious activities around the buildings. Is it out of a consideration of his renters, or removing the competition? Most people are quite happy with his services, and storing cargoes here costs a reasonably inexpensive  rate per month. However anything flammable is stored at double rate, otherwise he is quite content to mind his own business.

Again there are other ornate buildings along the waterfront, that have been subdivided down into small shops, and chandleries, and brothels. Only the Harbor Master's and Customs office is as it was in the glory days, and edifice of cut stone of a peculiar color, and a tall green copper roof., though it is woefully understaffed.  Otherwise only a few of the docks are fit for tying up to, with a stone quay in front of the green roofed building. 

As one of the pillars supporting the town, the farmers have long been organized as the Grammarspire Guild of Crofters. The weekly meetings are mainly an excuse for the men to get together and drink and gamble a bit, but they also set prices for grains and gathered nuts and fruits from the woods and come together to support each other during times of trouble, like fires or suchlike. A number of them are decent brewers, sharing their products with each other and selling their wares to passing merchants.
 
They are semi-friendly rivals with the Grammarspire Fraternal Order of Ranchers and Sheepherders, the other main mens group in the town. Grammarspire Wool is known for having a certain softness and sells well in neighboring towns and cities. The milk from the local cows stays fresh for far longer than normal and makes quite excellent cheeses, which makes for a decent trade with merchants. They also sell their excess sheep and cattle for eventual butchering.
 
The Craftsmen Guild is smaller than the other two but its membership includes businesses in town such as candlemakers, silversmiths, paper makers, bookbinders and so forth. Wine is their favored drink, viewing it as a bit more highbrow than the ales and beers the farmers and sheepherders drink.
 
The Quill and Parchment Club is even smaller and includes those men who provide scribe and accounting services. As a clergyman and a man of letters himself, Father Ebenezer socializes with them. They are more the brandy and tea sort of drinkers.

Yes, I backed the Kickstarter as well, so I know where you’re coming from. As it is, I use it as source material for a potential Hero campaign setting I would run.

Humm...
 
I'm wondering if they would allow for making Enimie books again? I have a few ideas in my brain (Here They Be Serpents for a batch of new VIPER Dragon Branch members, etc...)

"So the Victocoras had a secret nuclear reactor in their pond."
 
The first time through I read this as "So Victoria's Secret had a nuclear reactor in their pond" and did a doubletake.  
 
 
Thanks to everyone who has taken part in this thread for the wonderful hours of reading.

I'd add a few curious people to the town too.
 
The dunken sot, who claims people aren't what they appear.  "Pure evil demons they be."  He's a little loud and obnoxious but doesn't break any major rules other than drinking too much and bathing too little.
 
A little goblin peddler offering substandard goods at substandard prices.  Things like 50' of rope made up of 3-5 sections tied together of various makes and quality.  Or the mace at half price because its just a lump of metal at the end of a relative straight stick.  The waterskin which holds 3/4 what it normally holds because its been patched up badly.  They have tried to chase him away but he's fairly agile and at least smart enough to argue that he deserves just as much a chance as anyone else.  He keeps coming back because people keep buying stuff from him and the stuff works at least a few times before breaking.
 
Harry's Souvenir Shop:  The first of its kind!  Originally a toy maker, Harry Mudd thinks he's got a bright idea for making money.  He sells little porcelain tower trinkets.  Amulets with the image of the tower.  Dolls of the Mighty Morphin Wizard (a cloth, stuffed doll you can pull inside out to make into a stuffed dragon - slow seller because of the lack of little girls in town).  Sherriff Brawn Action figures (also a slow seller but it stokes the ego of the Sherriff which is always good for business).  Toy swords and wands.  Maps of the Tower (almost totally useless and kind of cartoony, like a map of the stars).  Books on the history of the wizard.  Etc.  His most recent product Grammarspire Mud, which he says the women use keep looking young and beautiful by applying it to their skin.  The townsfolk do buy the mud (as a distraction, which they start calling Harry's Mudd.
 
 
 

Rough draft

I wouldn't go there. It's one thing that the community has a sketchy basis - it's another to rub it in and mark it as a target.

I concur with assault. OTOH one crazy hermit druid might be fun to add to the mix. Maybe not even a real druid. Perhaps someone committed to "saving" the nymphs from "sexual slavery."