Half Baked

Re: Help with a concept

It's one of those times when I have a picture but only vague concepts of any powers/abilities/tomatos/whatever/etc. to go with the picture. The basic concept is that of a billionaire teen girl (16-17) who is joining the ranks to help fight crime.

 

Okay, that's all I've got. It's possible she will not wear a costume but that's not set in stone. I will throw out some of my ideas about this heroine but I have nothing solid to go on.

I think you just have to ask what Paris Hilton would have done if she decided to fight crime as a teenager. What I think you'll get out of that approach is she definitely would not have worn a costume

Re: Writing a good character origin

Something that tells me this is a Person first and foremost.

Ghost-Angel has hit the nail on the head for me. As a GM I like the character background to be written and finalised before I even see any of the game system numbers. The focus being who they are as a person and how they came to the point of becoming a hero. After I'm satisfied with the background we then start work on the disadvantages before any other detail of the character numbercrunch. All the disadvantages should derive naturally from the character background and if they don't it is back to the drawing board.

It is a very time consuming method, but it does, in my experience, produce better characters. It also weeds out some munchkins as a benefit

Re: Gestalt - An awful thought

Still waiting to pick up a copy of Gestalt (buying a house really does get in the way of other purchases), but reading through a few of the articles and interviews I was struck by a terrible thought:

 

The Village People.

 

The Gestalt of construction workers? Motorcycle cops? The rest?

 

I think I have an adventure idea to horrify my players

Just make sure they never forget that they might stop the Village People, but:

YOU CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC, NOBODY CAN STOP THE MUSIC

Re: Realism vs cynicism The world's reactions to superhumans

It would not have to be wicked or corrupt either.

 

Right now, the governments of most civilized nations tightly regulate both firearms, explosives, poisons, etc. for reasons of public safety. Politics aside, a benevolent government will still have to do this - not so much for their own safety - but because the potential damage and loss of life that can happen if one of these items were to be abused. (And we can find LOTS of examples in the news now a days.)

I'm not disagreeing with you that governments would try to take steps to control or co-opt superpowers no matter whether they are benevolent or not. I was arguing that extreme "Iron Age" comics tend to present authority figures as evil and then use it to justify the more extreme actions of the "heroes" of the comic.

Superpowers would hardly be any different. Using my own example' date=' Str 75 = 15d6 normal = 5d6 Killing = High Exposive Tank Shell! (And with no real ammunition problems!) Would having that walking - uncontrolled - in your neighborhood make you feel safer?[/quote']

 

I might feel safer if I knew the guy and he helped change the tire on my car or used his strength in some other way to help me or my neighbours. There might always be a fear that he could turn that strength on me, but it is not much different than another neighbour deciding to run me down with a car or chasing me with a chainsaw.

 

On the other hand I might feel threatened if I don't know him or I know he is a dangerous criminal. So my answer would be: It depends!

 

More importantly, I'd certainly want the government to protect me from those who would harm me with superpowers. However, I would not want them interfer with the human rights of my superpowered friend and neighbour who I know and trust.

Re: Realism vs cynicism The world's reactions to superhumans

I don't know.

 

While it is the nature of the Comic medium to exaggerate, there are a couple of things to keep in mind on this.

• "Eat the Rich" - people in the real word do decend viciously on people they see as having advantages that they do not. This already happens with people who are more wealthy and/or famous right now - hence the quote. This is compounded by the way the Media (every hungry for a headline) will decend on a celebrity at the earliest whiff of scandal or weakness.
  
• "Fear" - People can and do to stupid things when they are afraid. And, with some Superhumans they would have a right to be. A Brick with a Strength of 75, punches with the same force as a Railroad Locomotive hits a Brick Wall at 30mph. And he/she can do this with every blow.
  • And while people may be afraid, governments will be terrified by this threat to their authority (even relatively benign governments would be concerned about this kind of uncontrolled power walking about). They would typically react either to control or eliminate the threat.

So, while a lot of the "Iron Age" comics may go overboard on their reactions, I think they may still be on the right track.

I think there is something in what you say and government reactions will be about fear and power. They will be fear them and try to co-opt their power for the state and/or themselves. However, the extreme comics tends to start with a very distorted view of the world that is then used to explain extreme reactions later. Not every politician, bureaucrat or business leader is corrupt and evil. It is unlikely the establishment is consistently engaged in wicked conspiracies to keep everyone else poor and oppressed.

My problem isn't with the idea that governments would fear and attempt to co-opt superpowers for their own devices, but with the sloppy, lazy and self-indulgent assumptions about the world and how it works or doesn't work. The more extreme those assumptions then the more extreme the piece of "Iron Age" fiction that tends to get written.

Re: Realism vs cynicism The world's reactions to superhumans

In the end' date=' it seems to boil down to a simple question: "What kind of stories do you want to tell?" At least that's how I look at it.[/quote']

 

That's the only way to look at from my point of view.

 

 

But what gets to me ususally occurs on the opposite end up the spectrum from four color/silver age style supers' date=' the supposedly more "realistic" Iron age and later stages. It seems like most of them confuse realism with cynicism.[/quote']

 

I don't even think the extreme viewpoints are particularly cynical. To me they look like adolescent wish fulfillment of those who feel they are weak and powerless and are bitter about it. Shooting your classmates is a very extreme expression of it, but there are clear similarities:

 

1. Develop a view of the world where all the problems, either personal or global, are someone else's fault. Either it is corrupt governments, stupid voters, evil corporations, rich girls who flaunt their looks and wealth, but won't give you time of day, classmates who are conspiring against you, calling you a creep behind your back, blah blah blah.

 

2. Tell yourself you are smarter and/or better than anyone else because you can see this and they can't.

 

3. Fantasize about what you would do if you had the power to change the world and show everyone you were right.

 

4. With any luck they are talented enough to write an entertaining comic rather than some of the less savoury actions.

 

I don't mean that those who write very rusty iron age are the same as mass murderers, but there are some parallels in the way the see the world and the acceptance of victim status in my opinion.

Re: 'Divine' Characters

I can see no reason why a character would have to worship a god or pantheon because they are the source of their powers. The character might not believe in the divine power, but it may believe in them .

There are a couple of provisos. Firstly, the god in question may expect worship in return for power. This is dependent on the god/pantheon in question and largely a question for the GM. I'd feel it should be discussed with the player before hand to make sure everyone is with the situation and any complications that may result from it. Secondly, even if worship isn't required the god/pantheon is going to take an interest in the character.

Re: Gestalt is Online

I've purchased it and have been very impressed with it so far:)

Re: Grandiose Schemes

1. Kidnap the G-7 leaders at the conference then let rescuers rescue your replacements for them.

Sounds like someone has already kidnapped one of them to take them down from the G8 to G7

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

I have. Aren't you the lucky one then?

You should try be a Carlton supporter

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

It is next to impossible to get a broadcast of Aussie rules football here in America.

Australia is not called the 'Lucky Country' by its inhabitants just because of the weather

It is difficult to watch a match in the UK too, but as my team has been in the doldrums in the six years since I left Australia it is not a completely bad thing

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

There is Australian Rules Football and then the second raters like:

Rugby Union

Rugby League

Gaellic

American

Soccer

Re: Character: Socially Conscious Man!

Socially Conscious Man rocks. I hope he seems himself as just one socially conscious individual, rather than the only socially conscious man. I am sure he does as SCM would fully understand that others are also striving to be socially conscious. In fact, would not Socially Conscious Man have positive and encouraging thoughts about others striving to be socially conscious

Re: Muppet Champions

You could also do a journey to that strange and sick alternate Muppetworld of the Feebles .

Re: VILLAINS, VANDALS, AND VERMIN -- What Would *You* Like To See?

Actually' date=' as you'll see in CU:NotW, I've taken steps to move Gravitar in that very direction. That was my plan all along, but of course gaming supplements aren't nearly as good for character development as actual comics -- takes longer. [/quote']

 

That's good to hear Steve, but one or two more would be great

Re: VILLAINS, VANDALS, AND VERMIN -- What Would *You* Like To See?

It reminds me of a GURPS character in one of the supplements I read. I forgot her name but she was a mad scientist who looked like June Cleaver. She would build a death-ray in one hand and bake cookies with the other. That in itself would be an interesting writeup.

 

My mom, the supervillian

Unfortunately this was entirely the sort of thing I was hoping to avoid

It's amusing, but the character is still built upon a feminine archetype cliche.

Re: VILLAINS, VANDALS, AND VERMIN -- What Would *You* Like To See?

I'd like to see a female master villain (Mistress Villainess???) with real depth and character who is a both a schemer and a physical threat like Dr Destroyer. One who isn't aloof from the world and the PC's like Istvatha V'han and isn't a spoilt girl with superpowers cliche like Gravitar. A woman with power, drive and ambition who isn't a one dimensional personality straight from the adolescent schoolboy's clichebook.

One who might say:

"When the major newstory of today is how difficult it is for the modern woman to juggle the demands of work, family and a social life I consider it my moral obligation to conquer this nation of corrupt fools! When I can manipulate world governments, juggle a thousand plots and still find the time to destroy this band of taudry superheroes I am doing you a favour you should all be grateful for!

Instead of:

"I had nothing to wear so I thought I'd do a quick smash and grab shopping trip down Rodeo Drive!"

Re: Superpowered Worlds

One of the more persuasive theories about the development of civilization is that food production is a fundamental driver. The theory goes that as large game became more scarce in some parts of the world around 10,000 BCE humans were forced to supplement their hunter/gathering existence by producing their own food. That is, by domesticating grains (wheat, barley, etc) and large animals (Cattle, sheep, goats, horses and pigs). Those groups that learnt those skills became more sedentary and could produce a food surplus that permitted the development of specialisation and urban centres.

Human communities with greater food production could then compete better against those without. With specialised warriors, better technology from specialised craftspeople and a much greater population they had the tools and resources to displace other communities through violence or outbreeding. Rival communities had to either adopt food production and its associated technologies or face destruction. Only geographic obstacles such as physical barriers (oceans, desert, mountains) or climate/soil unsuitable for food production would protect hunter/gatherer communities.

This theory could be used to explain a super-strong race being more advanced than our own. Going back to first premise that food production came about due the scarcity of large game to hunt. There are two theories as to why that occurred. The first is due to climatic change and the end of the Ice Age and the other is that they were hunted to extinction by newly arrived humans. The second is probably the more credible given that most large animal species had survived numerous ice ages and it cannot be complete coincidence that many became extinct in places shortly after mankind arrived. If we accept this theory and add super-strong humans. This super-strength would be of great benefit in hunting and they would more quickly reach a point where they had hunted most large protein sources to extinction and would be looking for alternatives. To survive they would discover food production earlier. That leads to earlier specilisation and perhaps a more advance civilization.

The super-strength could lead to even more specialisation as fewer are needed to produce food and other essentials.

It is an interesting argument as long as you accept the underlying assumptions. If you think the Wooly Mammoth died out due to the end of the ice age rather than being hunted to extinction by man then it is much less persuasive.

Re: WWYCD: Egg-olution!

I'd like to thank everyone so far for their eggcellent contributions! I hope you shell continue to help me eggzamine every aspect of this eggciting scenario.

Adventure theme song.

No longer, I'm ova this thread

Re: WWYCD: Egg-olution!

I think this is an eggstremely silly WWYCD by an eggcentric member of these boards; and I don't think I'm eggsagerating when I point out all these eggscruciatingly bad puns are eggsecrebale.

Be careful, you'll only egg him on

Re: WWYCD: Egg-olution!

This just CRACKS me up:D

Re: 7 heroes summoned through time: who are they?

Uhhh... Achilles' date=' Lancelot, Robin Hood, and Paul Bunyan are all mythical/semi-mythical, and Muhammed Ali is still alive. I guess Bruce Lee would work, but I don't want more than one from the same century.[/quote']

 

Almost all historical based heroes have a mythical element as a legend develops around them. This even happens with modern day heroes as parts of their story get emphasised and others submerged depending on who is telling the story. Look at the controversy that surrounded the movie Schindler's List. Was Schindler a hero who acted out of compassion, friendship and sense of rightness or was he a greedy businessman who exploited the Jews for profit? There is no need to argue which is correct, what is important is that both views of Schindler and his motivation are out there. It is quite possible neither is true and what we are left with is a distortion, much as any legendary figure that is based on truth such as King Arthur.

 

The further back you go the more difficult it becomes to separate fact from fiction. Take Alexander the Great. There are two extreme views on him. One that he was a visionary who had a great dream about the brotherhood of man. The other was that he was a bloodthirsty, drunken, egotistical, meglomaniac tyrant who saw war and conquest as a means to stroking his enormous ego and need for glory and public aggrandisement. Which was true?

 

With historical figures from cultures with an oral tradition, rather than a written on it is even harder to gain a balanced view of what that person was like. Someone mentioned Boudiccea. Most of what we know about her that is proveable as contemporary comes from her enemies, the Romans. Are they going to paint a truthful picture of her? Any sympathetic interpretation comes much later and would based on a great deal of supposition and distorted oral tradition.

 

The point of all that is where do you join the line between a myth and fact with historical figures?

Re: Champions Universe without the Crowns of Krimm

The only credible way I could think of is through corruption and deceit. Maybe a member/s of the heavenly host who guards the Crowns of Krimm is tempted by the thought of that power. It has happened before and who can say it won't happen again. They steal the crowns and are cast out to earth. Perhaps a Loki type character sneaks into to heaven to steal them or corrupts another to do so. Maybe they are allowed to be stolen as a test of some sort. We are talking about a God who gives Adam and Eve paradise, but puts a tree in it and tells them not to eat the fruit. If you don't want them to eat the fruit put the tree somewhere else! God definitely has form for testing his followers

Personally I wouldn't bother just to get the Crowns of Krimm back into circulation. Evil magically items are a dime a dozen in stories and legends, just use a different a one to provide the magical threat.

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

Are there any plans to release a Hero Designer pack of the characters? That would be something I'd be interested in buying.

Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews

Gent's if you haven't added this book to your Christmas list' date=' you need to. It's worth every penny you pay. And if you like the previews wait until to you see The Prometheans, Krait, and Sepulchre![/quote']

 

I'm looking forward to seeing Sepulchre. A great villain in my book! He is one of the primary mystical villains in my campaign and I'm curious to see how my Hero conversion from Algernon Files 1 stacks up:)