Basic Action Super Heroes!

Okay lay it out.

What do you want in a supers setting?

If you could have your druthers, what would it be like?

What would it have?

Don't just say something like "Freedom City" or "Megalopolis", actually try to define it a bit.

What age?

What style?

What tropes?

What kinds of Npcs?

etc..

Hmm, interesting questions. I first would start out saying that my absolute favorite comic book settings/universes ever have been DC and Marvel (pretty standard) and the Champions Universe. I can't tell you how worn out my 4th edition books are, including adventures.

I like settings which are Bronze with Silver tinges, I want it to be cool with just alittle bit of camp.

It should have a rich, almost complex history. I want to know why a supervillain hates a particular hero or group of heroes.

Included should be classic world-spanning criminal organizations (such as Cobra, VIPER, HYDRA, etc.), world class villain masterminds, as well as minimum power villains meant to be the guys the heroes fight at bank jobs and other heists.

I want heroes to be heroes and villains to be villains, I'm not a fan of violent "heroes" blasting away with guns and grenade launchers unless its the BBatB or JLU animated guns which fire glowing energy which knock foes down or stun them.

(ok I think I've just convinced myself what I want to work on next.)

-UB

I grew up on pretty much all Marvel. I like interesting stories with the characters. I like to see a good mix of street-level types like Daredevil/Batman as well as the heavy weights, like X-Men/Avengers/Justice League.

I think a setting is served well by having elements like organizations (Aegis - from MnM, C.H.E.S.S. - from V+V, and S.H.E.I.L.D. - from Marvel), alien empires (Skrulls and Kree), godly pantheons (Olympians, Asgardians, Eternals). Also, an interesting backstory of the history of supers (who was the first publically recognized hero/villain; what kind of hero/villain teams are well known; what effect have these guys had on the campaign world?) is important. Together, these bits provide an important context for the players and narrator to fit their heroes and stories into. All this detail makes your setting come alive with possibilities.

Most importantly, though, is to leave room for your customers to get into your world. Maybe, you intend for the buyer to pick up Lady America or Captain Adventure and start gaming with characters that have a cool story. That's the main thrust for most supers rpgs based upon Marvel, Wild Cards or Nocturnals.

If you envision your purchaser using your product mainly as a great setting to fit their heroes into, then be sure to show how their new elements and stories can be added and integrated into the campaign. Maybe even provide a whole "new area" that has all these problems and villains and very little heroes there to help. However you work this, your heroes, villains, and stories will provide a rich framework that they can interact with.

And, from what I've seen so far, your setting will be very rich indeed!

BASH & MARVEL that would be cool!

I'd like to see a major city or urban area as a Supers setting that actually has active conflict going on. Most large Super cities are modeled on New York circa 1970. How about a city in which there is currently a war ravaging the area? Imagine having your Heroes trying to do good in Bosnia, circa late 90's. How about Africa? There's ALWAYS major conflict going on in Africa. I don't necessarily mean for the Supers to be fighting in the war, as much as doing their best to protect the innocent.

A large city.
Downtown could be really nice, like in Millenium City or Freedom City.
I'd love an older ethnic neighborhood with something like the Hanged Man from Astro City as it's protector.
The Mob, Yakuza, Russian Mob, and various street gangs detailed, like they do in Shadowrun.
A group of heroes similar in power to the Avengers.
A couple vigilantes, and their Joker-esque foes.
The old asylum, which is still in use. And is haunted. And it not well regulated by any authorities.
A Teen Titans style group.
I definitely prefer a more modern approach to the world. Some remnants of the Gold and Silver Ages might still be around, but I like a bit more violence.

Great stuff gang!

Chello!

As far as age, modern...what are comics in now? I know it's not iron anymore...maybe a retro-silver? Think Superman Returns but without the "deadbeat Superdad" subplot.

A Superman-like protector. However, to make room for the PCs, he can be dead and remembred fondly, like Centurion in Freedom City.

A large city, definitely. Maybe not NYC, but a good size...like Boston, Charleston, New Orleans, or San Francisco.

Tropes...hmmm. Lots of villain hooks that can be adapted for the PCs. That said, no established major heroes. Maybe they all recently died defending the city. Or maybe the heroes went away when the Cold War ended and there's a need for them now.

While I like the Freedom city treatment, having major groups that take the place of the Justice Society, X-men, or Fantastic Four doesn't leave much room for player-created content. Maybe they could be mentioned in villain writeups, but not fleshed out...placeholders for the Pcs.

AslanC wrote:What do you want in a supers setting?
If you could have your druthers, what would it be like?
What would it have?

A Ready to Run campaign!

So far the best example I've seen is Necessary Evil. Super Squadron also had quite a well-done connected series of adventures as well.

At that point I don’t really care about the other trappings. I can make it my own with a good framework.

For example, I LOVE ION Guard, but there has been only ONE adventure every published suitable for playing Green Lantern and it was a solo adventure.

So I can't really do anything with it.

I also love the idea of Teenage Heroes. Something like Legion of Super Heroes would be great. I also liked the movie “Sky High” and would love to see a set of adventures along that line. Both Champions & Mutants & Masterminds has done sourcebooks like that, but I want Adventures!

I’d also love to see a really well done low-level superheroes setting along the lines of the movies “The Specials” and “Mystery Men”. The TV show “Heroes” was more “Psi World” than superheroes to me.

CauldronOfEvil wrote:

AslanC wrote:What do you want in a supers setting?
If you could have your druthers, what would it be like?
What would it have?

A Ready to Run campaign!

So far the best example I've seen is Necessary Evil. Super Squadron also had quite a well-done connected series of adventures as well.

At that point I don’t really care about the other trappings. I can make it my own with a good framework.

For example, I LOVE ION Guard, but there has been only ONE adventure every published suitable for playing Green Lantern and it was a solo adventure.

So I can't really do anything with it.

I also love the idea of Teenage Heroes. Something like Legion of Super Heroes would be great. I also liked the movie “Sky High” and would love to see a set of adventures along that line. Both Champions & Mutants & Masterminds has done sourcebooks like that, but I want Adventures!

I’d also love to see a really well done low-level superheroes setting along the lines of the movies “The Specials” and “Mystery Men”. The TV show “Heroes” was more “Psi World” than superheroes to me.

Agreed. More adventures would be great to have. And they need not be long. I love the format of the old V&V adventures, concise and to the point, with just the right # of maps and npc illustrations.

Sky High! I love Sky High! Definitely an under rated movie. I'm a sucker for adolescent superheroes in high school (e.g. X-Men etc.). It's been done pretty heavily (e.g. Teen Champions from Hero Games and Hero High from M&M) so I'm not sure I'm up for that. But if the idea was unique enough (say, maybe something like the Runaways from Marvel....not using the actual Runaways mind you) I could dig it.

I would really like to see Japanese anime influence stuff. Not necessarily a whole anime' genre' book (but that would welcome also). But I would LOVE to have more giant mecha, giant monsters, power ranger type supers, and other anime type tech.

Come to think of it, it would be cool to have a book of supers gadgets and/or super vehicles. Just dreaming.

Just some thoughts...

As far as cities goes I know there are tons (at least 7 and probably more - I dont have my list with me) cities written specifically for superhero RPGs.

Whats wrong with adapting one of those?

As far as gadget books, I know there are at least two for Champions and two for DC Heroes. Why not adapt those?

In other words, why not do something *new* for BASH instead of a rehash of the same stuff that's been done to death plenty of times?

Easier to say than do I know, but I just can't get excited about 'yet another city book' and 'yet another gadget' book.

Off the top of my head I rather see a book of ION Guards adventures. the only thing even *close* to that is a Green Lanter solo adventure.

JMO

Those books have been done multiple times for a REASON. They're actually useful for GMs running games. And I'd much rather have a BASH gadget (or similar) book than have to convert from Hero.

What about a random campaign city generator? Have random tables for things like size, criminal element (with a chance for multiple, so you might have a gangwar situation between the Yakuza and the Russians, etc), supernatural influence, ethnic backgrounds (indigenous ninja populations) tech levels, etc.

...oh with random encounter tables. Yeah, I could like that! Random generator tables are big fun!

Great stuff guys! Keep it coming