Some of my friends have asked me to run a game weekly instead bi-monthly. I told them I would do it if it were a superhero game and that I would be using the Hero System/Champions. Each player gave me basic information about powers/abilities, general skill areas etc and I wrote the characters up. Once I got the basic framework of the character then I asked for character backgrounds so I could change skills if I had to plus the backgrounds were helpful to determine the character's disadvantages.
One player has left it so that I have a pandora's box of ideas and I plan on opening the that box with a real big ass bang. The basic skeleton he gave me was that he wanted a character named Whiplash, who could generate energy tendrils that worked much like Dr. Octopus' tentacles. he wanted to give him some type of energy blast too. The player saw Whiplash being a part of CIA/ARMY super soldier project during the Vietnam War. The player also told me that he wanted him to know some martial arts. I gave him a character that I happen to like and would play him in someone else's campaign. That isn't the problem. It's the background he has written.
Whiplash's background:
Jake Freeman has lost most of his memory prior to enlisting in the super soldier project which was a joint venture between the CIA and the US Army. He served as a SOG soldier in Vietnam, prior to volunteering for the super soldier or "SS" project.
Prior to the war in Vietnam most everything is a blur. He succesfully finished screening for the SS project and entered into training. There he was selected to be one of the first energy enhanced soldiers. This is where he attributes picking up his unique abillity to manipulate energy blast and energy whip like tendrils. He completed the alterations and was put into action acting as a secret super agent during the cold war years. The mutation causing elements that the SS program used to make him into whiplash over time has had some side affects. While giving him some enhanced senses super strength and healing he is gradually losing long term memory. He knows nothing of his childhood or family, and even now does not remember if he was actually serving his country for good or evil as he has forgotten the purpose of most of his missions.
After a botched mission where he was to assassiinate an elected government leader and stage a rebellion, he decided to try and escape from the SS program.
He knows that the SS program agents will not let him go and is always running from them trying to stay one step ahead.
He has come to start a new life with a super group, and hopes to be able to find help uncovering his old life as well.
I have 30 points of disadvantages left to give Whiplash. I have discussed this with the player and he told me to make the disadvantages a Mystery Disadvantage. So, with that in mind along with Whiplash's amnesia I plan on giving him his learning experience. What follows is a general idea that I have had considering that I plan on running the Return of the Destroyer scenario in the back of the Champions Universe book.
Here is the real low down on Whiplash. My players don't peruse the website so I feel confident they won't read this however I must give a shout out to Dave M. Please don't reveal this to Wildcore's player.
Whiplash is a creation of Dr. Destroyer. It is that simple. He has taken some poor shmuck, imbued him with some sort of bio/genetic technology that gives him superpowers, wiped his memories and implanted new ones then put the poor dude in a place so that he may be placed on a superteam so Dr. D will have a sleeper agent. At the end of Return of the Destroyer when the PCs confront Dr. D or his robot Whiplash will suffer an intense migraine headache during the battle. This will activate the implanted devices which allow Dr. D to spy on the team. What do you think?
I plan on having the Champions caputred then a crime wave hits Millennium City in their absent. Each PC is fairly new or looking to join a team so they show up at Homestead to petition for membership. Of course the team is either attacked or hears about a series of crimes and decide to act on them. Not long after the PCs will be approached by a Mr. Benefactor (name TBD) to offer them backing to form their own superteam. Mr. B is a geniune rich dude who wants to do good in the world also wants to find the Champions.
