ULTIMATE Teen Titans setting

[kevperrine]

creating an...
the ULTIMATE Teen Titans setting
I'd like to build a campaign for the DC Universe focused on the TEEN TITANS.
This idea would be an "ULTIMATE" version of the characters/team and their stories.

What's "ULTIMATE"?
Are you familiar with "Ultimate Spiderman" and "the Ultimates" universe from Marvel?
From Wikipedia: "The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint. Ultimate Spider-Man exists alongside other revamped Marvel characters in Ultimate Marvel titles including Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Fantastic Four, and The Ultimates."
The Ultimate titles (and their Universe) is a "reimaging" of classic characters. To "reinvent the Marvel Universe ... that has become inaccessible to new readers", re-envisioning the early adventures/years of the characters/storylines.


What *can* change?
Player Characters take the roles of any member of the Teen Titans. Both PCs and NPCs/Villains should remain MOSTLY the same in spirit of the original, but cosmetic changes can be made - to specifics on how powers work, to origin details altering slightly, to costume/look, to attitude, to even the character's race. And lastly, their future/fate WILL change necessarily once the RPG stories begin (ie. a PC might make a different decision or a die roll might change the course...)
What stays the same?
If you summed up the original character in 1-2 sentences, anything summed up should be the heart/spirit of the original character. That stuff should remain majorly unchanged.


So with that...
Thoughts and suggestions!


First, I'd like to ask for help.
I'd like to have each player READ 1-2 comic book stories to help understand the "Ultimate" idea better and to understand the vibe of the Teen Titans basics.
I'm thinking:
#1. Ultimate Spiderman (any suggestion on which story arc?)
#2. The Ultimates (first story)
#3. A great Teen Titan story (any suggestion on which story?)



Second, I would like to USE Teen Titan (and base DCU) storylines for inspiration on reimagining/recreating the adventures.... Any ideas on GREAT Teen Titan storylines and DCU storylines that involved the Titans? I'd like to read them if I haven't already.
What NPCs, Villains, BigBads, Teams, organizations and what storylines are a MUST to use?
What would be the coolest OPENING story? (and NPCs)



Third, IDEAS?!?!!
STORY
In making this Ultimate version of the setting how would you "frame" it? What has already "happened" in the timeline of the DC Universe? Has the JLA characters been around and adventured much? What villains are known/active? What organizations and plots are beginning? How/Why are the Teen Titans formed?
RULES
What rule alterations/changes/additions would you make? Would you start the team with any equipment or freebie points for Titan gear? Would you set any parameters on their backgrounds for advantages/disadvantages, that need worked in, etc... (ie, they must tell the story of how they broke from their "mentor").



I'll be posting my ideas (and my buddy Karl's! if he doesn't first) for suggestions!!
thanks!
-kev-

[Nestor]

One thing about the Ultimate series is how common elements will run through some of the characters' backgrounds. For example, the attempts to recreate the Super Soldier serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America are instrumental in creating Spider-Man and the Hulk.

I've not read enough Teen Titans (especially recently) to come up with equivalent concepts, but I think it would be neat to see some brought up in the campaign.

[Lindharin]

This sounds very cool, and I'm looking forward to seeing more about it. Unfortunately, I won't be much help. I never read many of the Teen Titans comics growing up so I don't have a lot of familiarity with them, but I did like what little I've seen. And I have seen the animated show, but that's pretty different, so I'm not sure how much help that would be.

[kevperrine]

One thing about the Ultimate series is how common elements will run through some of the characters' backgrounds. For example, the attempts to recreate the Super Soldier serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America are instrumental in creating Spider-Man and the Hulk.

I've not read enough Teen Titans (especially recently) to come up with equivalent concepts, but I think it would be neat to see some brought up in the campaign.

This is a GREAT suggestion! I hadn't considered that, but you're totally right about the Marvel Ultimates Universe. I shall have to consider that!
thanks!

This sounds very cool, and I'm looking forward to seeing more about it. Unfortunately, I won't be much help. I never read many of the Teen Titans comics growing up so I don't have a lot of familiarity with them, but I did like what little I've seen. And I have seen the animated show, but that's pretty different, so I'm not sure how much help that would be.

S'okay.... I'm about in the same boat. Though I have read a few of the BIG storylines (like "The Judas Contract") and I've seen a smattering of the animated series. Enough to be DANGEROUS really, hehehe...

If you have any thoughts to toss out about the "BEST" of the Animated series, I'd be happy hearing those too.
The Animated show was (in a way) an "ultimate" version of the Teen Titans in itself. And many (most?/all?) of the storylines were taken from or based on the original comic stories. So using ideas from those could be a good way to go too. Hadn't considered that....

any ideas?
-kev-

[Lindharin]

Let's see, when I think of the animated TT, the Terra story lines are the ones that come to mind first. I actually had some of the comic books with Terra (the only TT comics I recall reading), and I've always liked her.

The Raven / Trigon story line, and Starfire / Blackfire, and the Robin vs Slade rivalry, come to mind next, which I guess says that, for me, the characters' relationships are much more of a focus in the Titans than in most team comics. Do you agree, and if so, are you planning to do that in your campaign too?

Of the other, less character-specific, plot lines, the HIVE academy jumps out (I particularly liked the animated Jinx).

Has your group chosen characters yet?

[MrJupiter]

Wow, I know pathetically little about the Teen Titans and have never heard of the Ultimates storylines before but I think this is a great way of reincarnating a gameable version of whatever favorite super team you want to center a campaign around: it makes the characters and possible storylines fresh as all previous assumptions are now unpredictable.

I remember reading a post over on the MnM Atomic Think Tank where a GM was having his players make up the starting 1st class of the X-Men -- in a what-if campaign where Xavier was just starting the team right now for the first time: any Marvel mutant could be on the rooster (good or evil) but the player had to massage the character background to fit the basic hero premise.

This kind of a game is great! Everyone could play their favorite Teen Titan in a version that is a little unique and tweaked to their personal satisfaction. As the Narrator, you have a ton of stories and rivalries you can rip from the comics and alter in unpredictable ways which will be both familiar and mysterious at the same time.

Your players are sure to have a great time with this…

…maybe I should try something like this, too?

[Nestor]

If you have any thoughts to toss out about the "BEST" of the Animated series, I'd be happy hearing those too.
The Animated show was (in a way) an "ultimate" version of the Teen Titans in itself. And many (most?/all?) of the storylines were taken from or based on the original comic stories. So using ideas from those could be a good way to go too. Hadn't considered that....

any ideas?
-kev-

Yes, a lot of my experience with the TT is from the animated series. One element from the show that Lindharin touched and that I believe works nicely in campaigns is the mini-arc, an ongoing plot that spans a number of episodes and involves one or two of the characters.

During the arc, you can have key runs that advance the plot and others that are just bridging adventures, as a sort of break. Characters not primary to the plot aren't ignored; they are involved in what's going on. You could even have multiple arcs going on at the same time, spotlighting different characters in their own struggles to deal with their own issues.

Then again, this may be appealing mostly to me since our games tend to be long-running soap operas.

[kevperrine]

I remember reading a post over on the MnM Atomic Think Tank where a GM was having his players make up the starting 1st class of the X-Men --

Bizarre in a neat-awesome way...
That GM is me!
You're referencing something I've done 2-3 times (and posted about on M&M a great deal).

As the Narrator, you have a ton of stories and rivalries you can rip from the comics and alter in unpredictable ways which will be both familiar and mysterious at the same time.

YES!
This is great. It's exactly what I did. With the X-men it was "X-men Year One" for me... I've had three different versions played, all have been great.
But what I'd do (and what I would do for Ultimate Titans) was to find and reread the original first 10 issues... then take the keys of those stories (and their villains) and add a few elements (or mix full stories) from other stories in the series.
Two of my big adventures that I loved were from:

- X-men #1, which had the Vanisher looking to assassinate the US President. At that point mutant hysteria hadn't kicked in yet, so Xavier was asked by the government to help protect the President. So he gathered the team. I did this one in the modern day with great fun!

- X-men early issues (#4?) with Magneto finding/raising a Russian submarine to threaten the world... I took this with a more modern story (the Jim Lee, Claremont stories) of the same idea and mingled things for a new plot on the same idea (taking a part from classic Submariner stories, back in the day when he'd team-up with Dr. Doom and such)

Your players are sure to have a great time with this…

…maybe I should try something like this, too?

Heck yeah!
I wish I had a good day in the week and a good "comic minded" game gang to do this with the Titans! I just picked up the first two "essential" Teen Titans B/W trades to mine for ideas. Then plan to use (alot) of the stories from the newer 80s gathering of the Titans (when Raven, Starfire, Cyborg, etc... first formed the newer team by George Pérez).

Once I read through some stuff, I'll try and come back to post my ideas.

I'm particularly interested in trying to reinterpret the OLD 60's Teen Titan comics into a solid modern story of some sort... with the strange/goofier villains and the simple plots.
When Kid Flash, Robin, and Aqualad banded together top save the town of Happy Harbor from a villain calling himself “Mr. Twister.” Shortly afterward, the three of them met again, along with Wonder Girl and Speedy, battling an alien called the Antithesis who had taken control of various JLA members.

I think the fun and challenge of GMing this idea IS to take those bizzare ideas and make them "feel" right for a modern spin. (eheheheheh, spin... Mr. Twister, see what I did there? hehehe)


Any ideas in this direction?
-kev-

[kevperrine]

Has your group chosen characters yet?

No.
Sadly (and happily) my game gangs have mostly always been ACTIVE in playing something great, so it's hard to slow/stop the current rolling game to switch up.
So sometimes campaign ideas (and rule systems) like this NEED to be (for my groups) in an in-between campaign state to GET to play these type games.

Currently on Fridays I'm playing/DMing a D&D4 game set in a THUNDARR Barbarian setting (about to run "A Paladin In *" for a Thundarr/Gamma World style).
And on Saturdays I'm DMing a Patherfinder game using the Earthdawn setting.

Both very cool, but this means I need an extra DAY in the week (and a job so I don't feel like a bum only playing games all the time) and I need a game group is LOVES comics... for me, I tend to have my expectations fall through when my groups aren't knowledgeable or passionate about Supers Comics (even though most of my game gangs are open enough to TRY a game I plan, like this)

That said...
I need another day. ugh...
-kev-

[MrJupiter]

Bizarre in a neat-awesome way...
That GM is me!
You're referencing something I've done 2-3 times (and posted about on M&M a great deal).

Wow! What a small world this hobby is…

Until reading this Teen Titans topic I had forgotten all about that great X-Men: Year One discussion over at the MnM threads. They were so enjoyable to read, and full of great ideas. I especially remember the description of how a player retooled Blob as a football jock (if I remember correctly) and offered him up as a team member.

I can’t wait to hear how this Teen Titans endeavor goes!

[kevperrine]

Wow! What a small world this hobby is…

Until reading this Teen Titans topic I had forgotten all about that great X-Men: Year One discussion over at the MnM threads. They were so enjoyable to read, and full of great ideas. I especially remember the description of how a player retooled Blob as a football jock (if I remember correctly) and offered him up as a team member.

I can’t wait to hear how this Teen Titans endeavor goes!

hehehe.... yeah... I love the Blob. I have no clue why.
In one of my couple X-men Year One campaigns (the 1st) I had Blob as a big (still very bloblike) overweight black kid. I was spinning the idea off of a young Biggie Smalls (aka. Christopher Wallace, aka. Notorious B.I.G.), and with his power that wasn't so flashy be became the Football star. My pal Karl (who introduced me to BASH recently) played one of the new X-men - Thunderbird... the campaign opened in classic media res. But instead of an action, battle or robbery, etc.... It was in the middle of a play in the 4th quarter of the football game between Xavier's school and the Hellions' school - Thunderbird (PC) vs. Blob (NPC) rocked. We also had another player playing Longshot! which as you might guess..... HELPED the good guy's team, heheheh....
The neat thing... after the game the Hellions trashed Xavier's gym when they crashed the prop (that the game was held for).
Then a storyline later, "something" happened to the Blob ... and a neatly dressed Freddrick Dukes enrolled at the Xavier Institute, dressed in a complete nerd outfit (think blob-sized Izod shirt and kakis).... The thing was, Xavier (in my idea) wasn't against "helping" Blob to see the error of his ways. So he went from a gang-bangin' hip-hop hoody and baggie pants to a poindexter and he didn't even "know" to think it was weird.

The X-men (PCs) really started thinking of the Professor a LITTLE differently after that.
Some even wondered if he'd helped THEM change their minds.........


and
PS... thanks for the luck on TT.
I'll post ideas I'm coming up with later in the week as I digest some of the TT materials I'm organized for my research over the weekend.

-kev-

[MrJupiter]

Then a storyline later, "something" happened to the Blob ... and a neatly dressed Freddrick Dukes enrolled at the Xavier Institute, dressed in a complete nerd outfit (think blob-sized Izod shirt and kakis).... The thing was, Xavier (in my idea) wasn't against "helping" Blob to see the error of his ways. So he went from a gang-bangin' hip-hop hoody and baggie pants to a poindexter and he didn't even "know" to think it was weird.

The X-men (PCs) really started thinking of the Professor a LITTLE differently after that.
Some even wondered if he'd helped THEM change their minds.........

-kev-

Yeah, I know I’d be a little nervous around a guy with such powerful mental abilities. You’d really have to trust that he has your best interests in mind. A friend told me about how the professor had once wiped the minds of an entire small town of all memories of a young mutant. Scary, really!

[Nestor]

Heh. In our gaming group, we tended to describe Xavier's powers as, "Take off your hat, son. I'm going to play with your brain."

[kevperrine]

another interested in Ultimate Teen Titans mentioned this....
I thought it might help spark some thoughts.

Kid Flash at least would likely have been an intentional attempt to recreate the Flash rather than an accident.
Possibly even a clone.

YEAH!
That's more of the kinda stuff I'm looking for ideas for... that really is a neat spin that could be potential for alot of directions.


As previously noted, in Marvel's "Ultimate" line, the majority of these type "meta" things were either directly or indirectly a project from the Super Soldier serum plans, then spun to Oscorp and the Government...


In DC continuity what would be the most obvious "spin-point" for the meta-gene?
On top of that... what would be multiple OTHER options, here I'm looking for the other villain/hero scientists and organizations that might be connected.
I think it could be great to make a "relationship map" of a new "ULTIMATE DC" setting for these things. How Bruce Wayne's company, Luthor, H.I.V.E., even folks like the Atom or old "mystery men" from times past (like JSA membership) are connected.... and various other characters/orgs are mingled in... That could help figure out places to "fit" nearly any PC or NPC into!


Anyone have characters or organizations that you think would be important to toss in?
Anyone want to try to help make a relationship map?
Anyone??

[Lindharin]

I'd be happy to brainstorm some stuff, although I'm in a rush right now, but I'll be back later. To contribute something now, though, I think Project Cadmus seems like a great organization to play a role. They've got a long established history for doing genetic manipulation, cloning, etc. with a focus on trying to create supers. And they seem to be both tied to the government and almost somewhat rogue/off-the-books at the same time, so they can fill a variety of roles from legitimate research to something much more shady.

More later...