FROM THE ASHES OF SAN ANGELO....
Mark Jones
CAMPAIGN CONCEPT # 1: HEROES IN UNIFORM
Metahumans have been around for about 30 years at this point, following a world-wide mass empowerment event that produced hundreds of metahumans. In the decades since, additional metahumans have—and continue to—emerge, typically in a “breakout” under extreme emotional or physical stress. Some early metahumans deliberately adopted costumes and codenames to evoke the superheroes of comics and try to ease the fears of individuals and governments confronted with unprecedented threats.
Thirty years later, things have stabilized in the USA. Metahumans have been integrated into law enforcement, the military, and many other fields. The Department of Superhuman Affairs handles things at the federal level. At the state level, Crisis Aid and Intervention teams composed of superhumans operate in major cities; they’re accountable to the state government, but work closely with local governments. They act as first responders to natural disasters, accidents, and superhuman-involved crimes. They have legal authority, but do not get involved in ordinary crimes unless specifically requested by the police or the local government.
PCs are members* of one such team, located in the Campaign City. There would be rules of engagement for combat, field leaders to obey, and teamwork required—and all the other "PCs working together" stuff we've been discussing on the boards. PCs would also be required to possess various skills and perks (such as Legal Enforcement Powers).
Non-sanctioned supers exist, as well. Many are drawn to Hollywood, where they work as actors or stuntmen. Others use their powers to perform mundane jobs. A very few operate as vigilantes, but they are technically lawbreakers and will try to avoid sanctioned heroes when possible. If captured, they’re typically offered a choice of abstaining from “hero” work on pain of arrest and imprisonment, or being recruited (some would say “drafted”) into a CAI team on probation until they’re considered rehabilitated.
And then there are, of course, supervillains. Some adopt costumed personas, but most—like real world bad guys—just try to remain anonymous. CAI teams try hard to take bad guys alive, but on occasions when a villain is especially violent and/or hard to contain a General Arrest Warrant (Dead or Alive) may be issued by the courts, in which case the gloves are off.
*The PCs are new recruits to the team, brought in to replace casualties suffered in a major battle against superpowered terrorists (in California) a few weeks ago. You could be ex-military, a transfer from another CAI team elsewhere, or a recent breakthrough.
Characters are built on 400 points, plus up to 50 points of Complications. Active Point cap is 80 points. Speeds should be 4-6 unless you’re a Speedster.
Required Skills: Paramedics 11-, KS: Law Enforcement 11-, PS: CAI Procedures 11-
Teamwork 11-
Package: CAI Credentials (Local police powers and Watched by CAI, total cost: 0 pts)
CAMPAIGN CONCEPT #2: CHAOS IN CAMPAIGN CITY
Superheroes and supervillains never existed--until today. Some kind of mass-empowering event happens in the campaign city and/or worldwide. Chaos ensues as huge numbers of people die, either directly from the event itself, or from the consequences (fires, accidents, building collapses, the effects of newly-discovered powers being thrown about). A smaller but still large number of people are badly altered by the empowering event, but not in a good way, leaving them transformed (disfigured, maimed, no longer human looking). A small fraction of those affected are gifted with superhuman powers.
The PCs are among the very first (and most powerful) metahumans to appear. The situation is unprecedented. Nothing like this has ever been contemplated by the authorities. There are no laws covering this, no policies in place for dealing with superhuman crimes and violence—and no provisions for arresting or holding most superhuman criminals.
How the PCs (and other newly-powered metahumans) behave will have a strong influence on future events. Decisions made by the PCs will have a powerful effect on other superpowered individuals. Will they wear costumes and act like comic book superheroes? Wear normal clothes and use their real names? Will they wear masks and avoid the authorities? Will they go out of their way to investigate and fight crime, or leave it mostly to the authorities? What about dealing with less upright superhumans? Will they confront them alone? Aid the police? Will they use lethal force?
Whether the public accepts superhumans or turns against them like the mutant X-Men is going to be up to the players.
Characters are built on 400 points, plus up to 50 points of Complications. Active Point cap is 80 points. Speeds should be 4-6 unless you’re a Speedster.
No required skills, perks, or fringe benefits. Before today, you could have been any sort of character, from a homeless bum to a housewife to a billionaire industrialist.
CAMPAIGN CONCEPT #3: PRINEVILLE
This game takes place in a world where costumed superheroes are known to exist. The central Oregon town of Prineville has been plagued for many years with numerous unexplained miscarriages, stillbirths, and children with severe birth defects (some of whom possess small metahuman abilities). It is a rare family which has neither experienced such a tragedy personally nor had friends who did. Nobody is quite sure why it is happening, though explanations ranging from radioactive or chemical waste to alien experiments have been proposed. State and federal agencies have investigated, but no valid explanation has yet been determined.
Over the years, the town of Prineville has been the subject of stories on radio and television, as well as newspaper articles and magazine features. Some were straightforward journalism, but most of it has been of the tabloid variety, complete with tasteless (if not actually libelous) stories about many of the unfortunate victims of Prineville's mysterious malady. This unwelcome attention has dwindled in recent years. The lack of a satisfactory explanation (National Enquirer claims of "radioactive metorites" notwithstanding) combined with the near universal shunning of reporters arriving in Prineville has led the tabloids to find stories eleswhere. It would take only one convincing story of local superhuman activity, however, to bring the tabloids back to Prineville in droves.
The PCs are among the first teenagers in Prineville to develop full-blown superhuman powers. They are well aware that it is only the luck of the draw that they have superpowers instead of being horribly disfigured, crippled, or dead like so many of their neighbors' children. The local authorities remain ignorant of the existence of metahumans in Prineville so far, though how much longer the player characters can keep the secret remains to be seen.
The powers of all the superhumans in Prineville (PCs and NPCs alike) stem from a common source. The long-term arc of the game is the discovery of that cause, and determining how to deal with it.
This is a lower power game. Characters are built on 200 points, plus up to 50 points of Complications. Active Point cap is 50 points. Speeds are 3-5, unless you’re a Speedster
Special Restrictions: All of the player characters gained their powers from the metagene. You're probably an outright mutant (whether you were born with active powers or they've only recently developed), but maybe your powers manifested in some kind of accident. In any case, no other source of superhuman abilities is allowed.
The median age for player characters should be 16. You might a year older or younger, but no more. You must take the Social Complication: Minor (Infrequent, Slightly: 5 points) detailed below.
Gotham
Fry: So I guess without jobs, we'll be fugitives forever.
Prof. Farnsworth: Not necessarily. Are you three, by any chance, interested in becoming my new spaceship crew?
Bender: New crew? W-What happened to the old crew?
Prof. Farnsworth: Oh, those poor sons of - but that's not important. The important thing is I need a new crew.
Mr. Infernal
Mark Jones
Mr. Infernal
Chris B
I know a loose idea of John's character and think he will be posting more about it here on the forums. But would love to hear what other people would like to create so I can find a niche to fill. I have no issues fulfilling a role as long as I can conceptualize it.
Gotham
Chris Goodwin
Gotham
On Monday, July 1, 2019 at 1:17:57 PM UTC-7, Chris B wrote:
Chris B
I need someone to pitch me an idea on what they will be playing (not powers - I don't care about them).Who is your character? These powers are extremely recent so you had to be something - a bus driver, a yard man, the President of the United States, a CEO of a company, a test pilot....whatever this way I can attempt to link my character with someone else before the game even begins.
!My concept is he just got powers of martial arts and dealing with electronic devices (technology).
Chris B
Just because I made 3 characters for Tylers game, 4 (maybe more?) for Evergreen and 2 for San Angelo.... I lost track of what I was about to say another character concept came across my mind :)
Gotham
On Monday, July 1, 2019 at 1:39:12 PM UTC-7, Chris B wrote:
Mr. Infernal
Ian Sheadel
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Gotham
Mr. Infernal
Gotham
Chris B
On Monday, July 1, 2019 at 3:54:35 PM UTC-7, Gotham wrote:
Chris B you might be able to talk your way into playing this Saturday since you will be out of town the following weekend?