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Tips on running a superhero campaign
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<blockquote data-quote="Steverooo" data-source="post: 2939845" data-attributes="member: 9410"><p><strong>C3i</strong></p><p></p><p>In modern-day & Superhero campaigns, especially, always stop to consider C3I - Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence. This is important to any super, and especially teams.</p><p></p><p>Now with your ONE Superhero, Command, Control, and Communications are relatively simple, as he doesn't need to command or control anyone, but once Intelligence gets added into the mix, Communications become important. The PC is going to need information, and probably isn't going to have the skill(s) to suss it out, on his own. Hence, he needs to have access to someone else who can explain the evidence to him. Blade had the black doctor girl at the hospital, in the first movie, and Whistler, in all three.</p><p></p><p>Contacts will be important to the PC. Folks who can answer questions for him. He will also need to be able to contact them. This could be as simple as cell phones, or tougher "social contacts", where he has to go chase down Wesley in a bar/corp, whatever.</p><p></p><p>Transportation can also be important. Can the PC Fly? Run at Superspeed? Does he have a car? If it's wrecked, can he afford a new one? What are his finances? Does he have to scrounge for cab fare, or steal a bus?</p><p></p><p>(Hey, don't laugh! I once knew of a Superhero team where the Telepath almost burned herself out, trying to keep the party in communication, and when the team ran out to stop their enemy, only to realize that they didn't have the mobility to reach their goal, and stood around arguing about what to do, until one of the less socially-conscious team members drove up in a stolen bus!)</p><p></p><p>One way to resolve ALL of this, easily, is the "Angel/Iron Man" solution (both Warren Worthington III & Tony Stark were rich), or the "We're from the Government... We're here to Help!" motif. In eaither case, C3I is all nicely taken care of, and backup is a radio message away. The Hero needs help, he calls for it, and someone responds ASAP. Hero Teams aren't usually so lucky!</p><p></p><p>Another point to consider is, how does the law see the PC? As an accepted part of the establishment? As a vigillante? As shady? As a criminal? Superman fits in the first group, as does Batman. The Punisher is more often than not in group IV. Where does your PC fit in? Joss Whedon's Angel probably fit in as Group I, because he ran a "Security Agency"/Paranormal Investigations Agency. Other than that, group II or III, at best.</p><p></p><p>In any case, work out with the players the PC's "schtick". What tech do they use, and which are part of their "schtick"? Angel used a lot of gear, but carried pretty much nothing. Ichiban the Chinese Sorcerer will use magic, but generally disdain firearms & explosives, the sleazoid alien's web guns, Pyro's Flamer, etc. Superman always destroyed or turned in the bad guys' high-tech gizmos. Fury, the Martial Artist, isn't really going to want to lug around Joey Balboa's machinegun... although The Punisher might! So determine the PC's schtick, ahead of time.</p><p></p><p><strong>Play to their Strengths; Play Off their Weaknesses:</strong> If the PC has superstrength, let them toss the bad guy's mooks around, dangle them off bridges by one foot, wrap them up in steel girders, etc. If they have superspeed, let them run around town and beat the NPCs to wherever they need to be. Let them enjoy it! Let them deck Doctor Doom through the walls, ceilings, and floors! Doom can take it! Let them enjoy the power!</p><p></p><p>Doom is no dummy, however. He will keep a running file on the PCs, too, and isn't above bribing contacts, threatening whomever, or having mooks infiltrate whatever organization(s) sponsor(s) the PC. Any weaknesses he discovers will be used to their fullest by the Smart Villians to overcome them.</p><p></p><p><strong>Villians Never Kill Captured Superheroes:</strong> No, James Bond never gets shot in the head. He always gets put into an ingenious death-trap, from which he always manages to find a way to escape, AND pick up a chick! Batman & Supes rarely get the chicks, but never seem to get killed, either. Devise a few ingenious death-traps for the Smart Villians, and some less-clever ones for the dumber ones and mooks. Sooner or later, the PC will mess up, and you'll need one!</p><p></p><p><strong>The Cavalry/Deus Ex Machina:</strong> Sooner or later, the PCs get beat. TPKs are extremely rare, in comics. How will you handle it when the PC fails? There are several good ways...</p><p></p><p>1) The Villians Were Stopped by a Miracle! The martians were winning, until they caught cold, and died! Deus Ex Machina! Shew! Good thing that the Vampires attacked just DAYS before the Garlic-Blooming Festival! That was a close one! (Not very satisfying, but if it's only a reprieve, the adventure continues when the blooms die!)</p><p></p><p>2) The Cavalry! If WonderBoy works for F.O.R.C.E. (The Federal Organization for the Registration & Certification of Exotics), then F.O.R.C.E. can show up, with garlic-gas-sprayers and shotguns loaded with silver buckshot and/or toothpick flechettes, and drive back the Vamps, at least long enough to save WonderBoy's Underoos!</p><p></p><p>3) The Sacrifice of the Lessers! "Radman and Hobbit saved you... may they rest in peace! I hope they don't come back as Vampires! C'mon, WonderBoy, time's a'wastin'!"</p><p></p><p>4) Suspect Circumstances: Similar to "Miracle", but less so... The weakened floor collapsed, dropping the hero/villian down, out of range. Just as the Vampires surrounded WonderBoy, the sun came up! Just as Doktor Doom was about to press the Doomsday Button, the entire city was blacked out! As Chemex moved in to stomp Nine-Lives' head in, the electrical wiring exposed by the rents in the wall gave off a shower of sparks, which sent the chemical horror into uncontrollable spasms, allowing the hero to crawl away! (Not exactly miraculous, by certainly extraordinary!)</p><p></p><p><strong>Have a Little Mystery!</strong> Plenty of room for that, in your scenario! Some false leads don't hurt, especially if the Smart Villian is supplying them! <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious :]" data-shortname=":]" /> </p><p></p><p><strong>Always Involve the SuperHero's Secret Identity:</strong> SpiderMan I without Peter Parker just isn't much of a tale. While Superman can do almost anything, Clark Kent has far fewer options! Angel didn't so much have a Secret Identity, but Angelus did! Don't just bedevil the Superhero, but his alter-ego, as well! Hostile Corporate takeovers, tax audits, getting fired and looking for work, Aunt May/Mary Jane getting kidnapped/bitten...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Steverooo, post: 2939845, member: 9410"] [b]C3i[/b] In modern-day & Superhero campaigns, especially, always stop to consider C3I - Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence. This is important to any super, and especially teams. Now with your ONE Superhero, Command, Control, and Communications are relatively simple, as he doesn't need to command or control anyone, but once Intelligence gets added into the mix, Communications become important. The PC is going to need information, and probably isn't going to have the skill(s) to suss it out, on his own. Hence, he needs to have access to someone else who can explain the evidence to him. Blade had the black doctor girl at the hospital, in the first movie, and Whistler, in all three. Contacts will be important to the PC. Folks who can answer questions for him. He will also need to be able to contact them. This could be as simple as cell phones, or tougher "social contacts", where he has to go chase down Wesley in a bar/corp, whatever. Transportation can also be important. Can the PC Fly? Run at Superspeed? Does he have a car? If it's wrecked, can he afford a new one? What are his finances? Does he have to scrounge for cab fare, or steal a bus? (Hey, don't laugh! I once knew of a Superhero team where the Telepath almost burned herself out, trying to keep the party in communication, and when the team ran out to stop their enemy, only to realize that they didn't have the mobility to reach their goal, and stood around arguing about what to do, until one of the less socially-conscious team members drove up in a stolen bus!) One way to resolve ALL of this, easily, is the "Angel/Iron Man" solution (both Warren Worthington III & Tony Stark were rich), or the "We're from the Government... We're here to Help!" motif. In eaither case, C3I is all nicely taken care of, and backup is a radio message away. The Hero needs help, he calls for it, and someone responds ASAP. Hero Teams aren't usually so lucky! Another point to consider is, how does the law see the PC? As an accepted part of the establishment? As a vigillante? As shady? As a criminal? Superman fits in the first group, as does Batman. The Punisher is more often than not in group IV. Where does your PC fit in? Joss Whedon's Angel probably fit in as Group I, because he ran a "Security Agency"/Paranormal Investigations Agency. Other than that, group II or III, at best. In any case, work out with the players the PC's "schtick". What tech do they use, and which are part of their "schtick"? Angel used a lot of gear, but carried pretty much nothing. Ichiban the Chinese Sorcerer will use magic, but generally disdain firearms & explosives, the sleazoid alien's web guns, Pyro's Flamer, etc. Superman always destroyed or turned in the bad guys' high-tech gizmos. Fury, the Martial Artist, isn't really going to want to lug around Joey Balboa's machinegun... although The Punisher might! So determine the PC's schtick, ahead of time. [B]Play to their Strengths; Play Off their Weaknesses:[/B] If the PC has superstrength, let them toss the bad guy's mooks around, dangle them off bridges by one foot, wrap them up in steel girders, etc. If they have superspeed, let them run around town and beat the NPCs to wherever they need to be. Let them enjoy it! Let them deck Doctor Doom through the walls, ceilings, and floors! Doom can take it! Let them enjoy the power! Doom is no dummy, however. He will keep a running file on the PCs, too, and isn't above bribing contacts, threatening whomever, or having mooks infiltrate whatever organization(s) sponsor(s) the PC. Any weaknesses he discovers will be used to their fullest by the Smart Villians to overcome them. [B]Villians Never Kill Captured Superheroes:[/B] No, James Bond never gets shot in the head. He always gets put into an ingenious death-trap, from which he always manages to find a way to escape, AND pick up a chick! Batman & Supes rarely get the chicks, but never seem to get killed, either. Devise a few ingenious death-traps for the Smart Villians, and some less-clever ones for the dumber ones and mooks. Sooner or later, the PC will mess up, and you'll need one! [B]The Cavalry/Deus Ex Machina:[/B] Sooner or later, the PCs get beat. TPKs are extremely rare, in comics. How will you handle it when the PC fails? There are several good ways... 1) The Villians Were Stopped by a Miracle! The martians were winning, until they caught cold, and died! Deus Ex Machina! Shew! Good thing that the Vampires attacked just DAYS before the Garlic-Blooming Festival! That was a close one! (Not very satisfying, but if it's only a reprieve, the adventure continues when the blooms die!) 2) The Cavalry! If WonderBoy works for F.O.R.C.E. (The Federal Organization for the Registration & Certification of Exotics), then F.O.R.C.E. can show up, with garlic-gas-sprayers and shotguns loaded with silver buckshot and/or toothpick flechettes, and drive back the Vamps, at least long enough to save WonderBoy's Underoos! 3) The Sacrifice of the Lessers! "Radman and Hobbit saved you... may they rest in peace! I hope they don't come back as Vampires! C'mon, WonderBoy, time's a'wastin'!" 4) Suspect Circumstances: Similar to "Miracle", but less so... The weakened floor collapsed, dropping the hero/villian down, out of range. Just as the Vampires surrounded WonderBoy, the sun came up! Just as Doktor Doom was about to press the Doomsday Button, the entire city was blacked out! As Chemex moved in to stomp Nine-Lives' head in, the electrical wiring exposed by the rents in the wall gave off a shower of sparks, which sent the chemical horror into uncontrollable spasms, allowing the hero to crawl away! (Not exactly miraculous, by certainly extraordinary!) [B]Have a Little Mystery![/B] Plenty of room for that, in your scenario! Some false leads don't hurt, especially if the Smart Villian is supplying them! :] [B]Always Involve the SuperHero's Secret Identity:[/B] SpiderMan I without Peter Parker just isn't much of a tale. While Superman can do almost anything, Clark Kent has far fewer options! Angel didn't so much have a Secret Identity, but Angelus did! Don't just bedevil the Superhero, but his alter-ego, as well! Hostile Corporate takeovers, tax audits, getting fired and looking for work, Aunt May/Mary Jane getting kidnapped/bitten... [/QUOTE]
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