Living Megapolis (OOC)

[Saker]

We're close to releasing the the first three issues of a Living Megapolis campaign, which are two free adventures and a setting/ character creation guide. If there is any interest in me running the first adventure as a play by post here, I will to generate some buzz.

Characters are superheroes living in the city of Megapolis and team members of the Defenders.

Defenders recruiting
Ace Ashby selected each new Defender at the conclusion of a three week recruiting event. The heroes survived many physical and mental challenges to demonstrate their talents, capabilities, and abilities to work within a team. There were several preliminary cuts to down-select and to focus on the final team. The last challenge tested the heroes’ heroism and morality to ensure that each of them were truly superheroes.

Character points
Living Megapolis is a Street Level campaign allowing characters to build with 25 points as per Table 1-1 of BUE. Some character concepts do not equate exactly to 25 points; therefore, players are allowed two points latitude. Also, players can run Mystery Men with only 20 character points. To be clear, legal characters can build with a character point total of 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 or 27.

More details to follow if suitable interest...

cheers

[Dustland]

I'm in!

[BeardedDork]

I'm thinking, about this.

[kevperrine]

Interested (to get back into BASH!)

let me know how to proceed....
i.e. should we pitch PC concepts? make full PCs?

-kev-

[Saker]

let me know how to proceed....
i.e. should we pitch PC concepts? make full PCs?

We need a couple more committed players before the game is go. I'll post the character creation rules, so you can see the boundaries.

Maximums & guidelines
While BUE identifies maximum limitations, this section intends to clarify them for the campaign.
Stats: Brawn, Agility & Mind
The maximum each stat can be rated is five (5). This limitation also includes any use of the boost power to increase stats. Therefore, the total of a stat and boost has a maximum of five (5), too.
Powers
All powers have a maximum of five (5) before any enhancements. However, some powers have lower maximums listed in BUE. For example, the powers of armor, deflect and boost have maximums of three (3) before enhancements. The only BUE exceptions are the following:
• Immobilization has a maximum of 30 Brawn
• Resisted damage is halved after soak
Limitations & enhancements
Power limitations reduce a power’s effectiveness. As in BUE, the cost of a power is reduced one point when it has a limitation. However, putting additional limitations on that power does not reduce its cost.
Power enhancements increase a power’s effectiveness. As in BUE, the cost of a power is increased by one point for each enhancement. Powers can have unlimited enhancements.
Advantages & disadvantages
As in BUE, an advantage is a special edge a hero has that is not governed by powers or skills. For every advantage, a hero must have a disadvantage to balance.
The following advantages have modifications:
• Leadership can only be used by one character during an issue. Other characters in the issue with Leadership replace it with two (2) hero points
Due to the controlled nature of the story within Living Megapolis, the following disadvantages are prohibited:
• Arch-Enemy
• Hidden Powers
• On the Run
• Rogue’s Gallery
Weaknesses
The Living Megapolis campaign uses the character option of weakness. However, characters can only take a maximum of one weakness worth two (2) points.
Hero dice & points
Every issue heroes begin with one hero die, which can be converted into five (5) hero points per the rules in BUE, plus an additional amount of hero points. Players calculate these extra hero points as their character’s point total subtracted from 30. For example, if a character is built with 27 character points, she would have three (3) hero points and one hero die. A 20-point character would have one hero die and ten extra (10) hero points, which is effectively three (3) hero dice. To be clear, the one hero die and calculated hero points recharge every issue for use by the character.
Fame
Living Megapolis uses the Fame rules as described in BUE. All characters begin with a fame score of ten (10) acclaim and zero infamy due to the publicity of volunteering and being selected as a Defender. Fame scores are modified by certain advantages and disadvantages as follows:
• Celebrity +20 acclaim
• Resources +5 acclaim
• Social Stigma -5 acclaim
Before the start of each issue, characters lose two (2) from both their acclaim and infamy scores to a minimum of half their maximum values. Therefore, characters must track their current and maximum fame scores.
Characters with infamy scores of ten (10) or more at the beginning of an issue are asked to resign from the Defenders by Ace Ashby, effectively removing the character from the Living Megapolis campaign.
Mental malfunction
Please ensure your character’s mental malfunction enables them to volunteer and be a team player for the Defenders.
Origin & description
To ensure that narrators and other players understand your character, please write an origin about 100-words in length. If your character does not have a picture, please also add a three sentence description.

[kevperrine]

let me know how to proceed....
i.e. should we pitch PC concepts? make full PCs?

We need a couple more committed players before the game is go. I'll post the character creation rules, so you can see the boundaries.

So then... I couldn't help but come up with an idea that I think would be fun. Both personality and figuring out how to "battle" crime with his power type.
I've not seen a superhero with this type power to deal with, so I thought it'd be fun! Going as far away from the normal "street level" dark brooding hero as I can.

(The) REMEDY
Vincent "Vince" Van der Born

MENTAL MALFUNCTION
Like most superheroes, Vince abhors killing and usually avoids it at all costs. While he adheres to a strict moral code, he is not entirely inflexible when the situation he's in calls for him to take actions towards the greater good.

His sheer willpower, and his complete refusal to back down from any fight, have made him into the hero (although reluctant) as he is seen in the media. An immensely complex character with several different sides to his personality, while he accepts the responsibility of his powers, he gets extremely annoyed at their insistent call.

This has given him a notorious reputation with those closest to him as an obnoxious butthead, but the sheer nature of his power has always outweighed his attitude from a public light. Despite the disapproval from his peers for his unrelenting offensive tendencies, he's always kept his chin up, and refused to let the opinions of others stop him from doing what he knows is the right thing. This creates a bit of a wild card in terms of attitude when interacting with those pressing him.

Overall, it's his powers that shine the spotlight on Vince. It can't be helped. So... he relentlessly enjoys the fruits of the labor he's dealt with for antiquity. [a personality mix of Tony Stark and Guy Gardener]


B: 3
A: 1
M: 1
[TOTAL: 10]

SKILLS
Physical: Escapology (Improvising)
Mental: Deception (Medical Jargon)

HEALING 4
Concentration
You may spend a panel in combat to heal damage by rolling your level in Healing as if it were a damage roll (x4). Outside combat, automatically heal 40 Hits/hour.
E: Affects Others
E: Mid Range (x5sq.) [3]
L: Extra Effect: when healing the healed roll damages you as a normal damage roll.
[TOTAL: 7]
(Power Stunt: Affects Collateral Dmg)

RESTORE 4
Range
(x4 vs. Mind)
E: Mid Range (x5sq.) [2]
[TOTAL: 4]

SUPER JUMP
90sq/450'(45sq/305'; 10sq distance/panel in mid air)
[TOTAL: 1]

PUSH 3
(choosing Brawn to affect)
x4 Atk; x6 Knockback (x2 Dmg Mult)
[TOTAL: 3]

ADS
Celebrity
Immortality
Never Surrender
Resources

DISADS
Age (old: 80 Hits)
In a Relationships(multiple girlfriends)
Involuntary Change (when people are in desperate need, power mystically compels to seek out problem and aid; also transforms into gaudy supersuit)
Public ID


WEAKNESS
Devastating Negating Weakness
Whenever you resist power's call (i.e. compelled but don't/can't seek out those in need, lose all powers, and Brawn and Agility are reduced to 1 each. In addition to losing stats and powers, also causes you to take x3 damage each page!
This is worth 4 Character Points.


BACKGROUND
During his mid-teens, Vince became a juvenile delinquent. He was straightened out by his sister, now a police officer/detective, and he eventually went to college, supporting himself, and earning bachelor's degrees in education and psychology, where he also played football until a career-ending incident.

The incident... During a national bowl football game, Vince was victim to an errant blast of power from the supervillain Doctor Chronulus! A massive super-battle (with the Defenders?) had found its way into the stadium - when Chronulus was smashed to the field Vince was hit by the villain's blast, sending him hurtling back in time! There, in the time before the Earth's Pangaea state Vince survived as best he could taken from his world... It would be an alien artifact (super suit!) that would be his savior. Finding the reminiscent of an alien spaceship crash, Vince used the resources found within. It was when he donned the alien suit that would transform him into the powered hero he is today. Naturally empowering him, Vince learned over decades he was essentially immortal, living through the eons - hibernating for millennium at a time to rejuvenate his body and mental state. In fact, Vince wouldn't even have known he had been transported in time to an ancient Earth until he began seeing things he would be familiar with from his knowledge of history (the coming of dinosaurs being the first giveaway)!

Vince lived and slept, awaking in several time points of history - always finding his powers enacting a mystic compulsion to seek out those in desperate need. The super suit proved impossible to remove, gaudy at best - Vince maintained his privacy as best possible by layering other cloths atop it. But when the call came, the suit would always explode the clothing away to reveal itself (i.e. Push power) and incite Vince to have the nagging need to seek out those in need (though it gives him know way to know where exactly, which is annoying!)

Generally Vince accepts the power and call he's grown accustomed too... In his heart he knows the good he's done throughout history. To those closest to him he might seem a passive aggressive optimist with a pessimistic attitude of humorous complaints when the suit calls. His power affords a great deal of social pleasantries... wealth (from both his long lived collections and from dozens of gracious people he's saved, some very influencial/rich!). With power and wealth, as well as a young face and football player physique) comes an unlimited attraction of girlfriends. Vince is never without "the next Mrs. Van der Born" at his side, from world-class super model to gorgeous actresses, he's never alone from love...

Now "caught up" in time, he was able to watch but not warn his young self of the original incident that threw him back in time. Just as he rushed to get himself out of the line of fire, the suit called him away (to collateral damage from the battle). Dooming the young Vince to begin his origin story as the elder Vince couldn't stop it.

BUILD COMMENTARY
When making up character ideas, I like to give some short insight into the whats/whys of the powers and such I chose. Here's commentary on "REMEDY"...


(The) REMEDY
Of note... the media refer to Vince (the hero) as "The Remedy" primarily, but peers often just shorten it to "Remedy". (like "The Batman" vs. "Batman" in use)

ABILITIES
The suit gave Vince some minor "just beyond human" strength/soak at 3 as a natural ability. Since the suit can't be removed it's not a gadget.

SKILLS
Physical: Escapology (Improvising)
Mental: Deception (Medical Jargon)

I chose Escapology for the fact that Vince has been alive for nearly ever learning to improvise issues.
I chose Deception, considering that when pressed in front of a media microphone - although he really doesn't know what he's talking about he blurts out an endless blah-blah-blah of medical laden explanations as to the whys and whatfors...


HEALING 4
The keys to Vince's healing abilities are the drawbacks of needing to concentrate AND (worse) the crappy factor that when healing anyone (even himself) he needs to roll essentially vs. himself (his Soak vs. his Heal power) or he takes damage - the idea being that the suit draws so much "cosmic energy" to heal that it inversely affects him. Perhaps if he had an instruction manual or an alien teacher to explain HOW to avoid that Limitation of the suit he wouldn't be drained...
I also noted that with effort (i.e. a Hero Point) he can help repair damage to buildings and such after battles if he is feeling really heroic/kind... hehe

RESTORE 4
The power Restore will be helpful to peers in battle to take away conditions. But it's not automatic - he'll roll his Restore rank x4 vs. the villainous Mind of whomever put the effect on the victim.

SUPER JUMP
I really liked the image of needing to FIND the problem (i.e. the compulsion the suit gives as Weakness) with him searching the news/net to figure out that there's a massive car accident or a supervillain harming folks - and he's jumping all around to figure out where it is... hehe

PUSH 3
(choosing Brawn to affect)
x4 Atk; x6 Knockback (x2 Dmg Mult)
Push is The Remedy's only real offensive power. I thought of it as both protection (i.e. "get away from us") when he's working to help innocents and as an attack to help his peer heroes. Jumping into battles to do HUGE Knockbacks - potentially through buildings (to do damage to big bads) . This is not at range - so it uses his Agility to Atk (x1+x3 Push rank) and Brawn to Dmg (x3 x2). This could either be shown in description as a punch/kick or a shoulder throw but in reality is actually a defensive repulsor effect from the suit.

[Dustland]

Saker, you may consider posting a link or info page in the General Discussion setting for this game (if you aren't getting much traffic).

[Saker]

Saker, you may consider posting a link or info page in the General Discussion setting for this game (if you aren't getting much traffic).

Great minds think alike. I posted it yesterday.

Kev, Dust

Please start posting concepts to generate interest.

cheers

[Dustland]

I have two characters in mind, either Ricochet or the Elemental.

Ricochet is a super whose body has the properties of a dense rubber, allowing him to bounce and absorb incredible amounts of impact energy without harming him. He's kind of embarrassed by his power because really, who would say "I wish I was a superhero so I could bounce!"

The Elemental is a magical construct created for some dark purpose but escaped his master's control. He now uses his ability to shapechange between elemental forms to battle villainy and whatnot.

Character concepts subject to changing moods of the creator

[BeardedDork]

I came up with a couple ideas.

Prodigy, who is a jack of all trades taken to the next level.

And the Grey Hunter, Super Archer and former Side Kick.

[Saker]

I came up with a couple ideas.

Prodigy, who is a jack of all trades taken to the next level.

And the Grey Hunter, Super Archer and former Side Kick.

Cool. I look forward to seeing more detail. Happy holidays!

With three committed players (Dust, Kev and Bearded), let's play.

cheers!

[BeardedDork]

Prodigy (27 points, 14 attributes, 13 powers)

Brawn 2 Agility 2 Mind 3

Martial Arts Mastery 3
Skillful 2 Variable

Omnibelt Multi-power
Conjuration 5 Easily Taken Gadget
Flight 4 Easily Taken Gadget Linked to Force Field 4 Same Source

Priority x3
Defense x2(x4 v. HTH, Counter Attack on Doubles)
Soak x2(x4 v. HTH)
Mental Defense x3

Gadgeteer
Leadership

Normal
Public ID

Athletics/Acrobatics, Stealth/Prowling, Medicine/Research,

Science/Physics, Technology/Invent

Acclaim 10
Infamy 0

Hero Dice 1
Hero Points 3

Mental Malfunction
Still doing the right thing despite having been "Outed" as a Super

Hero in the press.

Origin Story
Jack Danger was the son of former WWII Hero turned Senator Richard "Rick" Danger, by all accounts he had some big shoes to fill, but there was never anything he tried that he didn't excell at. Recently a reporter investigating Senator Danger discovered the truth of the Mysterious Dr. X and revealed his secret identity to the world. Jack went into seclusion for a time, eventually returning when he realized that of everything he could do, being a hero was the only thing that satisfied him. He reinvented himself as Prodigy to become a Defender.

---------------------------------------------------
The Grey Hunter (21 points, 8 attributes, 13 powers)

Brawn 1 Agility 2 Mind 1

Martial Arts Mastery 2 (Tricky, Fast, Grappling)
Attack Weak Point
Bow Mastery +1 Hit/ +1DM
Skillful

Swingline Arrow: Swinging Ammo Finite Gadget

Hunter's Goggles
Danger Sense, Fragile Gadget
Targeting System: Boost Agility 3 For Bow Attacks Same Source

Cloak
Deflect 1, Easily Taken Gadget
Armor 1, Easily Taken Gadget
Reactive Camoflage: Invisibility 1, Easily Taken Gadget
Gliding, Easily Taken Gadget

Gadgeteer
Resources

Combat Block
Priority x5
Defense x5 (Counter Attack HTH on Doubles, Reflect Ranged on Doubles)
Soak x2
Mental Defense x1
Bow Attack x6 to hit, x4DM

Normal
Age (young)

Athletics/Acrobatics, Drive/Tricks, Science/Chemistry,

Technology/Invent

Acclaim 15
Infamy 0

Hero Dice 1
Hero Points 9

Mental Malfunction
To find and bring to justice those responsible for killing his adopted father and to clear his former partner's name in the process.

Origin Story
Dean Laroux the Grey Hunter was, like his former partner the Red Hunter, adopted at an early age by an eccentric millionaire, and trained at great expense to become a super hero. With the best training and equipment money could buy the two fought crime in Megapolis for several years. When their benefactor was killed in a car bombing the Red Hunter was convicted of his murder and sent to prison. Dean knows his partner and adopted brother is innocent, he just needs to make the world see.

Of the two I like the Grey Hunter a bit better I think.

[Dustland]

I'll stat up a character and post him when I get back in town Wed.

[Saker]

I like Hunter a bit better too.

cheers

[kevperrine]

With three committed players (Dust, Kev and Bearded), let's play.

cheers!

I'm still not knowing what the STYLE of the campaign is to really sink teeth in, to make an appropriate character.
Any comparisons to comics or characters to give a hint?