Alternative Superheroes

[Rogerd1]

I blame Pong.

Did Ping dare him to?

 

[JAMUMU]

I'm pretty sure my group would have killed them, taken their stuff, and then began work on a skull-shaped stronghold in a swamp somewhere.

The PCs were all level X D&D characters. I used M&M (1e, iirc, maybe 2nd) character sheets for the party that stomped them into the dirt and asked, using a magical artifact forged from glowing golden rope, if they were going to change their ways when it came to waylaying strangers.

 

[Alzrius]

In our last D&D campaign, we had an enemy country's national hero modeled after Captain America (and very likely to turn on his country's leadership once he realized quite how much they were perverting his country's ideals). Considered extending that to a whole set of Avengers equivalents, but likely not to happen now.

Not quite the same, but this reminds me of the hilarious "Captain Texas" from @jonrog1's Pulp Spycraft story hour here on this site.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I forgot about HELLBOX:

Warforged Ftr/Sorc (or BttlSorc)

Using the basic Mage-brute theory, he takes Adamantine Body as his first level feat, maximizing Str, Con, and especially Cha. His weapon should be the spiked chain.

Instead of the Draconic Heritage & BW feats, take Infernal Heritage and Infernal Sorcerer's Howl ASAP.

Describe him as having an adamantine body, somewhat darkened by blackish-red enamel paint, with elaborate golden filigree.

That's right- he's a walking, talking LeMarchand Box, a living Lament Configuration- constructed to be an autonomous key to the gates of hell.

Like Hellboy, however, he rejects his intended destiny, and seeks to travel a different path.

 

[Blue]

I never understood why so many DnD groups are complete murderhobos?

About a year and a half ago I started running a campaign where the party had been gathered as agents of the Imperium because they had each woken a semi-sentient mask artifact tied to the Imperium. These were magic items that grew with them, and I said there wouldn't be a lot of other items. Also, as Maskbearers of the Imperium they can requisition any mundane equipment. The Paladin started with plate. They need horses, the local Imperial Post gives them horses. That sort of thing. And finally I use milestone/story-based leveling instead of XP for overcoming creatures.

Why did I tell you all that? Because this has been the absolutely least murderhobo party I have ever seen - including multiple other campaigns playing or running with the same players. Killing things gets rewards - loot and XP. Once those aren't important, the party faced a lot less head on and was a lot more selective about the times they wanted to employ deadly force.

 

[Voadam]

5) Major Mosquito: a Brujah who was madder than a Malkavian. His broken mind thought his vampiric abilities meant he had become a superhero. Based on NEC’s The Tick.

Great minds.

Kevin Carbone: A Brujah who as a mortal had a mental snap and took on a persona as violent vigilante KC (Casey) wearing a hockey mask and using a golf bag full of blunt instruments (baseball bat, hockey stick, wrench). Becoming a vampire meant potence and celerity and a new world of bad guys to fight, starting with his sire.

In my brother's 3e game there was a guy who made a dump stat int paladin with blue plate mail and modeled his roleplay on the Tick.

 

[Rogerd1]

About a year and a half ago I started running a campaign where the party had been gathered as agents of the Imperium because they had each woken a semi-sentient mask artifact tied to the Imperium. These were magic items that grew with them, and I said there wouldn't be a lot of other items. Also, as Maskbearers of the Imperium they can requisition any mundane equipment. The Paladin started with plate. They need horses, the local Imperial Post gives them horses. That sort of thing. And finally I use milestone/story-based leveling instead of XP for overcoming creatures.

Why did I tell you all that? Because this has been the absolutely least murderhobo party I have ever seen - including multiple other campaigns playing or running with the same players. Killing things gets rewards - loot and XP. Once those aren't important, the party faced a lot less head on and was a lot more selective about the times they wanted to employ deadly force.

Sounds like a breath of fresh air.

There is a quote from Savage Worlds Shaintar I love, "This is not for perfectly-balanced parties of Dungeon Delvers. Not for Self-Centered Rogues and Murder-Bent Warriors. It is a land for Heroes, a crucible of Legends. Leave the dungeons for the grave robbers and the mercenaries. You have greater, finer things to do."

This pretty much sums up the games I want to play and GM.

 

[ProfessorDetective]

Depends on your definition of 'superhero'. MOST of my characters end up as some form of detective, with the magic users leaning towards a less-angsty John Constantine. Hell, one (a Pallid Elf Tome-bound Warlock of the Fiend) sold his soul to a devil. Not as bad as you'd think, Ms. Erin Avarnum is a fair employer, if a bit... familiar...

 

[Thondor]

As someone who plays a lot of Super RPGs (mostly my own published game) I am . . . genuinely puzzled by this thread. If it was in one of the D&D forums I wouldn't be puzzled, but this is ttrpg general. . .

Have I ever had someone try to mimic a superhero (or super-villain) in a fantasy game? Not that I am aware of or can remember. Have I? Again not that I am aware of.
I have had talks with players about fantasy characters they wanted to emulate in some fashion.

When I am running supers, most people come up with something pretty unique. Like - sure there are power similarities now and again say "archers with trick arrows," or "guy with ice-powers" but these still end up feeling like their own person. Maybe because part of the character generation in Simple Superheroes #0 is to have Relations (people, places, things) that they care about . . . and that tends to be a big point of departure.

 

[Voadam]

As someone who plays a lot of Super RPGs (mostly my own published game) I am . . . genuinely puzzled by this thread. If it was in one of the D&D forums I wouldn't be puzzled, but this is ttrpg general. . .

The original post and one of the responses also include Vampire the Masquerade characters.