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View Full Version : Swords & Spandex - how to introduce superhero culture into a fantasy setting



cesius
2014-11-29, 12:09 PM
I was sitting around watching Young Justice and it occurred to me that with the right proportions that the adventurers in a setting could have the same distribution (numbers and power-level) as superheroes. They already are basically vigilante justice that also take down kingdom ending monsters so how much of a stretch is it to make them superheroes in the culture they're in?

The one problem I'm bashing my head against the wall with is the costume issue. I mean the difference between Death Wish and The Punisher is Charles Bronson wears normal clothing and Thomas Jane wears a costume (or at least close enough). For our world there is a historical backing to it and at this point, to quote Wearing the Cape, "[people] knew that a flying man wearing a cape was a superhero... slap a cape on a guy who can fly and suddenly he's familiar and even comforting, or at least a little less strange." I want to set up something similar for a fantasy setting but I'm not sure shoe-horning in traditional costumes is the best idea in a setting where armor is a a valid thing to take out of the closet.

Sartharina
2014-11-29, 12:19 PM
Ornate armors, and distinctive appearances. Unique heraldry that doesn't say what your family is, but who you are. Winged helms, Silk bandoliers, armor shaped to the form as much as possible (And, with magic, beyond reasonable). The clothes make the superman.

Costumes are especially important for monstrous heroes.

Tarlek Flamehai
2014-11-29, 02:22 PM
Zorro might help here. Of course, maintaining a Secret ID might be impossible in a campaign with Divination.

Hmm, "hero-worship" is just a step away form "worship". In a D&D style setting this could be problematic.

JusticeZero
2014-11-29, 02:46 PM
Or necessary! What if breaking past the "e6" power level actually *requires* a certain amount of worship? You can be a great level 6 fighter, but if you want to advance any further into the real power, you need to invest in your image.. That can just be a standing assumption to work with, particularly if that is needed to gain power, but losing that worship doesn't actually strip the already gained power away. Powerful magic items might require people to hear a memorable story about the item's history before it can be created.. or that might just happen spontaneously.

Raphite1
2014-11-29, 02:58 PM
The most powerful heros in the region, wielding magic and supernatural strength, aren't already superheroes?

Geared out with rare and magical equipment, armor, weapons, and clothing, unimaginably beyond the means of common people, they aren't already wearing superhero costumes?

tyckspoon
2014-11-29, 03:23 PM
The most powerful heros in the region, wielding magic and supernatural strength, aren't already superheroes?

Geared out with rare and magical equipment, armor, weapons, and clothing, unimaginably beyond the means of common people, they aren't already wearing superhero costumes?

I was just about to post something like this. In D&D in particular any adventurer who makes it past the first few levels is going to look pretty fantastic just because of the assortment of magic items.. very few of those things appear mundane.

Jay R
2014-11-29, 03:44 PM
In original D&D, the levels had names. A superhero was an 8th level Fighting Man, above Champion (7th level) and below Lord (9+ level).

And the primary reason for skintight superhero costumes ion comics (which pre-dated spandex by several decades) is that they were easier to draw and color, and cleaner to reproduce, in the days of relatively primitive printing.

Some of the earliest super-heroes (Green Hornet, Sandman, Crimson Avenger, Shadow) did not start out with skin-tight outfits.

Vitruviansquid
2014-11-29, 04:00 PM
The problem isn't so much *how* a medieval setting superhero would have a costume, but rather *why* a medieval setting superhero would have a costume.

In an age without photography, barely any writing, and no method of communication faster than a horse, being incognito is as easy as painting over your shield or just not telling anyone your name.

Tarlek Flamehai
2014-11-29, 04:46 PM
Except for all the divination and mind reading magics and psionics.

Vitruviansquid
2014-11-29, 04:51 PM
Except for all the divination and mind reading magics and psionics.

Because a costume will help against that? :smallconfused:

TeChameleon
2014-11-29, 05:00 PM
And the primary reason for skintight superhero costumes ion comics (which pre-dated spandex by several decades) is that they were easier to draw and color, and cleaner to reproduce, in the days of relatively primitive printing.

Some of the earliest super-heroes (Green Hornet, Sandman, Crimson Avenger, Shadow) did not start out with skin-tight outfits.

Primitive printing wasn't really the reason for the skintight outfits- the much-mocked underwear-over-the-pants and nearly-as-mocked capes are a hint towards that, along with the amazing prevalence (largely forgotten, nowadays) of war, romance, and horror comics, which, by and large, featured nary a single skintight outfit. To my understanding, Superman's costume (largely regarded as 'the original superhero costume', despite the fact that the Phantom actually beat him to print by a year or so) is actually based on the classic circus strongman garb- tights to show off the muscles, shorts over top so that the audience didn't get a closeup of the guy's tights-outlined junk, since he was on a raised platform and it would be pretty much at eye level, and the cape, well, frankly, pretty much just for the theatrical touch. That and Siegel and Schuster knew a good design idea when they saw it- if the guy 's gonna be zooming all over the place, the cape adds a nice flourish to the action.

Also, the early supers you mention weren't really considered 'super heroes', per se, but rather 'Mystery Men' (as an aside, which Sandman are you referring to? The Kirby-designed Sandman of the 40s actually did wear tights (http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/sandmanKirby.jpg) originally- the suit and gasmask are, to the best of my knowledge, a later retcon). Not that that really matters that much.

Anywho, to get mildly back on topic, a lot of superhero costumes wouldn't really raise many eyebrows in Greyhawk or Feyrun. Dr. Mid-Nite, for example, wouldn't even get a second glance if he put his hood up (or got a hood, whatever, can't remember if his costume is supposed to have one or not). Most armoured heroes, at least the ones who don't have tons of kibble all over like War Machine, would be more likely to get shop talk from wizards or fighters wanting to know who enchanted their armour than shock. Really, the only costume-type that you'd have an even slightly harder time getting away with would be the all-skintight ones, and there's no real reason to go with those.

As to 'why a costume'? It's pretty much been covered- unique personal heraldry, magic items, disguising your identity... doesn't really need a whole lot of reason beyond 'it looks cool' in all honesty.

BeerMug Paladin
2014-11-29, 09:17 PM
As with all things, it could be cultural. Maybe the god of justice in the setting is commonly depicted as a man or woman wearing a cape and a mask or hood, to conceal the face. You know, since justice is an abstract ideal, the face/gender/race/etc doesn't matter. So it is concealed, so that people don't focus on it.

So, if one were to be a particularly devoted individual wishing to pursue that ideal, dressing up in a costume could be an indicator that the person is acting in the god's image.

Different costumes would exist to identify different individuals trying to serve the just god's aims.

Maybe the god of justice either had an avatar, or was an ascended mortal who, for whatever reason, dressed and acted (but not necessarily had powers) similar to Superman. And they covered their tracks well enough that nobody figured out who they were in life. So those who have a similar sense of justice take up a similar disguise to honor the role.

The costumes would be different because the individuals themselves, while not necessarily wanting the attention, might not want to have their actions tainted by the mistakes or bad actions of another costumed hero.

And over time, this tradition could become second nature to the point where people don't really question or think too much about why they do these things. They just do them because it's how things work in the setting.

Jay R
2014-11-29, 10:00 PM
Span Dex, the god of heroic justice, was originally portrayed nude in arts, but all the statues were defaced by a prudish later culture. These statues were later misinterpreted as showing a skin-tight outfit, and his followers have followed this example ever since.

Mando Knight
2014-11-30, 01:19 AM
The problem isn't so much *how* a medieval setting superhero would have a costume, but rather *why* a medieval setting superhero would have a costume.

In an age without photography, barely any writing, and no method of communication faster than a horse, being incognito is as easy as painting over your shield or just not telling anyone your name.

Except that it's a fantasy setting, where magic can do those things.

At any rate, the idea behind the costume isn't simply to conceal your "true" identity, it's to draw attention to your assumed identity. A holy warrior in ornate, shining plate armor emblazoned with his deity's symbol isn't just a knight, he's the Paladin, divine champion of justice. The difference between a normal hero and a super one is the same as with villains: PRESENTATION! (http://youtu.be/JQJJjcrwXQE) A distinct, symbolic appearance via a well-fashioned costume goes a long way in that.

Sartharina
2014-11-30, 03:04 AM
The problem isn't so much *how* a medieval setting superhero would have a costume, but rather *why* a medieval setting superhero would have a costume.

In an age without photography, barely any writing, and no method of communication faster than a horse, being incognito is as easy as painting over your shield or just not telling anyone your name.

The purpose of the costume isn't to go incognito - it's to be recognized. But faces can be hard to convey for people who've never seen the face. An iconic helm, color scheme, or emblem is MUCH easier for common people to talk about and propagate knowledge of. People know the day is saved when the Holy Paladin wearing the Shining Armor with the crimson sash and Winged Helm flies in on his matching-armored steed, brandishing what can only be a Holy Avenger (With a broad, uniquely-shaped shining blade, winged, gilded crossguard, and jeweled pommel), and the symbol of his deity emblazoned on his shield, shining with divine power while a brightly-colored and trimmed cape flows dramatically behind him. Some guy in tarnished, undecorated (or mildly decorated) plate armor using a plain sword and simple heater mounted upon an unadorned horse with a bland traveling cloak does not get the same reaction.

As far as skintight suits go... The human body is a beautiful work of art, and if you've got a good-looking one, it feels great to show it off.

hamishspence
2014-11-30, 05:22 AM
The purpose of the costume isn't to go incognito - it's to be recognized.

Except for masked superheroes - Batman etc. They need to both be recognisable as "a hero" and at the same time conceal their "civilian identity".

Sith_Happens
2014-11-30, 05:33 AM
Except for masked superheroes - Batman etc. They need to both be recognisable as "a hero" and at the same time conceal their "civilian identity".

That's not an "except." Recognizable =/= identifiable.

hamishspence
2014-11-30, 05:35 AM
Fair enough - I was thinking in the colloquial sense of "I recognize that person".

Sartharina
2014-11-30, 11:33 PM
Fair enough - I was thinking in the colloquial sense of "I recognize that person".Yes, you do. You recognize him as Batman.

hamishspence
2014-12-01, 02:22 AM
Problem is - a number of people can wear a Bat-suit (or a facsimile of one) as demonstrated in the Nolan films.

But there is only one Bruce Wayne. Who wears a mask precisely because he doesn't want to be "recognized" (in common parlance) or "identified".

EnglishKitsune
2014-12-01, 06:25 AM
From my perspective you could go the He-Man/Shazam(Cpt Marvel) route, a magic item that physically transforms the person into the hero. This could ward off Divination magic, as the Hero only exists when the magic is in use. See also the Hammer of Thor, an artifact blessed by the gods that chooses a worthy person to become an avatar. But to truly need superheroes, you need supervillains, and a environment to cultivate such personalities. You need the vast majority of people to be "normal" for the few heroes to be "Super"

Looking at the varied time periods you could go for the "Arthur and his Knights" Route, but they were just heroes galavanting around and being heroic, nothing actually super about them plus Arthur had royalty going for him. Or go for something like Assassin's Creed, with the hoods and the stealth and the anti-hero vibe, again, not really super, but just good PR, you could have the PC's do something similar, building up their own legends carefully. Or even Fable 2/3, where Heroes in the regular sense are long dead/destroyed, and the players are remaking the legends of old.

The easiest thing that comes to mind would be: Jump forward from the medieval a few hundred years, to something close to Eberron, cities are more advanced and so is Peace, there are fewer wandering monsters and heroes are a long forgotten concept being replaced by guards and the mercenaries guild. Sure, there are fighters and Rogues, and Wizards aplenty, but all low level dealing with day to day events. There simply isn't any need for high level adventurers, because there aren't any high level threats.

I would also run it very tongue in cheek. Don't be afraid to make it campy and well, toonish.


The High City of Cyfalaf, center of the Alban empire, has known peace for many years, defended, protected and upheld by the King's Iron Legion, a force of Warforged that was created to serve the Mantle of the throne. There is relative peace in this time, while crime is present, it is all relatively minor, delegated to the local guards. Until...

Victus, the King's High Battlemage, betrays the realm with his secret Cabal and kills the king and his court, takes up the Mantle, and crowning himself Lord Tngy-Hedubefore rules over the capital with his legion of Animated Armours, enforcing total control. Soon, evil becomes the common element of society, with the Cabal employing thugs and monsters, as they treat the city like a playground, rampaging at will.

In this darkest time, a group of heroes emerge, powerful enough to fight the Iron Legion and the new lords, and eventually take on Victus himself...

Wearing shining armour, daubed in the True Kings Blue/Red Colours, and weilding the Shield of Alban itself, the Defender fights for all that is good in the world. Urging people to be the best they can be. Many have marked upon his resemblance to the old King.

Oliver Goodchild, bastard-son of the former King, was a squire in the castle under his unknowing father, present when the King fell, Oliver grabbed his Lord's Shield and fled for his life. Later that Night, in a dark alley, he was set upon by three thugs. Without a blade, he was forced to use the shield to defend himself. As the last thug fell to the ground, he felt a presence behind him. Turning, shield raised, he saw his King's Spirit, looking down upon him. In that moment, Oliver swore an oath to retake the throne, and help the people of Alban.


Upon First Glance, the Iron Orc looks like a gaudy warforged, bedecked in gold and red and with a gruesome orcish visage. When seen in combat however, people realize it is much more. Moving with a fluid step, and armed with an array of gadgets that seem limitless, both in quantity and destructive power, none can say what truly drives this warforged to strike against it's Kin.


Miranda Wrafton had long kept her power a secret, it was important, her mother had told her, that the lineage remain hidden, lest the Royal Battlemage tried to gain her power. That all changed, however, with the conquest, and the Legion at the door, told to flee, Miranda found herself drawing on long forgotten magics, time slowed, and froze. In the room now stood a hulking red shape, grinning evilly, it offered her a simple deal, her soul, for her life. She accepted.

Changed by the deal, now bearing red skin and horns like the devil she dealt with, Miranda can no longer hide. But she needn't worry, for now she has power, ancient power, to warp the world as she see's fit. But she is not yet strong enough to take on Victus, she would need help...



Noone can say if the Jester Williamson was ever truly sane. He never acted as such in court, and often used his role to get away with a lot more than he rightly should have. Quickly after Victus' rise to power, he found himself in another laughing matter entirely. Experimented on, tortured, broken, this is how the Jester found himself as he staggered away from the castle's sewer grate. Whatever fragile grasp on sanity he had was gone. He should by all rights be dead. Maybe he was, and that's why he couldn't die now. He was a fool. And dead, apparently, a Dead Fool.

He knew Victus was to blame, and giggled idly to himself. This was after all, a laughing matter.


These heroes, for their own reasons, swear to champion all that is good, and because noone else will, Avenge the King...

They are: THE KING'S AVENGERS


That's how I'd run something like this, slightly warped and off-cuff. Have them overthrow Victus, and then potentially deal with his attempts to retake the throne, and the ensuing chaos that follows with the power vacuum etc.

The image is the thing, not really the identity. If you are mysterious, or larger than life, that's when you can become a force greater than yourself.

Having a reason behind the symbol also helps. Batman was because of Bruce's fear of Bats, Superman's S is for Hope. Captain America is old fashioned patriotism. So Public Relations will always be a big thing. For every Villain to knock out there is a baby to be saved from a burning Building. A People's Champion.

Sartharina
2014-12-01, 09:39 AM
Problem is - a number of people can wear a Bat-suit (or a facsimile of one) as demonstrated in the Nolan films.Batman doesn't wear Hockey Pads.:smalltongue:

Kitten Champion
2014-12-01, 10:24 AM
Hmm... I would say something like Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn or Stormlight series does this convincingly well -- this in part I think explains a lot of the broad appeal of his work in the nerdscape.

First, the abilities of his heroic characters are rare in the world they inhabit. Not one of a kind precisely, but encountering others like them is a very noteworthy event. If the capabilities of the characters are shared by too many, well, you're no longer The Hero so much as part of a heroic craft.

Second, he gives them superheroic attributes without obviously doing so. For instance, the Mistborn wear unusually shaped sweeping cloaks as part of a traditional camouflage and make use of coins as their main ammunition, both of which are something you could easily see finding their way into the pages of a comic book. The Knights Radiant from Stormlight have unusual magical armours and swords, each with its own aesthetic, that gives the user near invulnerability. It's more than just the costume though, with the Mist Cloak at least it's putting on another persona to go along with the change in outward appearance like with Batman, whereas with Stormlight's Shard Plates it's more like Superman donning his blue and red costume -- a symbol of the character's virtue that all can see.

Lastly, he gives them very supervillain-esque antagonists which have much of the same qualities as above, but naturally inverted natures. They have interesting pseudonyms attached to them, infamous reputations to live down, and a general sense of being that characters' nemesis.

Nargrakhan
2014-12-01, 10:34 AM
He-man and She-ra were in fantasy settings (albeit with a bit of vehicle tech) who maintained secret identities. It was always alluded that the magic swords (easily artifact level items) somehow obscured divination magic from revealing their identities... or when the bad guys did discover Adam was He-man, Skeletor found it too incredulous a pacificst like him could be the most powerful man in the universe.

Nevermind the fact that Adam was insanely ripped for an inept wimp, and the same divination magic that obscured He-man also obscured Adam. Plus... you know... magic sword. Then again, Skeletor was never the brightest villain of the 80's. :smalltongue:

TheCountAlucard
2014-12-01, 10:44 AM
Looking at the varied time periods you could go for the "Arthur and his Knights" Route, but they were just heroes galavanting around and being heroic, nothing actually super about them plus Arthur had royalty going for him.If, and only if, you're reading the watered-down versions from (relatively)-recent accounts.

Some of the knights had super-strength. One was an honest-to-goodness werewolf. Galahad was a miracle worker. Lancelot vanquished hundreds of opponents in a single year, some of them giants.

They were more or less a medieval Justice League.

EnglishKitsune
2014-12-01, 01:41 PM
If, and only if, you're reading the watered-down versions from (relatively)-recent accounts.

Some of the knights had super-strength. One was an honest-to-goodness werewolf. Galahad was a miracle worker. Lancelot vanquished hundreds of opponents in a single year, some of them giants.

They were more or less a medieval Justice League.

I didn't know that, gonna have to reread my Arthurian history methinks. Thanks for the heads up.

Maybe a Medieval NWOD campaign setting then? :smalltongue:

Agrippa
2014-12-01, 03:17 PM
If, and only if, you're reading the watered-down versions from (relatively)-recent accounts.

Some of the knights had super-strength. One was an honest-to-goodness werewolf. Galahad was a miracle worker. Lancelot vanquished hundreds of opponents in a single year, some of them giants.

They were more or less a medieval Justice League.

Really, would you please tell me where to find these Arthur/Knights of the Round Table you're talking about? I kind of like the idea of a superpowered band of knights, especially if they're also the Knights of the Round Table.

Arbane
2014-12-01, 04:54 PM
Ancient Greece is a bit further back in time than the usual Quasi-Medieval Fantasy Setting, but a lot of Greek heroes are pretty much superheroes. A guy who's invulnerable except one small weakness. The World's Fastest Woman. The World's Strongest Man. A genius inventor who made himself (and his son) wings. A man who can't be killed as long as he's touching the ground.

TheCountAlucard
2014-12-01, 05:10 PM
Really, would you please tell me where to find these Arthur/Knights of the Round Table you're talking about? I kind of like the idea of a superpowered band of knights, especially if they're also the Knights of the Round Table.Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur has quite a bit of the stuff. The bit I mentioned about one of the knights being a werewolf comes from Melion where the eponymous Melion is transformed into a werewolf by his wife by means of a magic ring, though Le Morte d'Arthur has a knight by name of Sir Marrok mentioned in one line as being made a werewolf by his wife for seven years, so the two are probably linked.

Even the (relatively!) recent The Ill-Made Knight has Lancelot training with a hundred pounds of armor and a sword that weighs, if I recall correctly, sixty pounds. Even if that's not superhuman, toward the end of his life, a dozen knights team up with Mordred and Agravaine to catch him together with Guinevere, and he defeats all of them despite being caught without armor or weapons, so he's at least on par with Batman.

WarKitty
2014-12-01, 05:50 PM
Or necessary! What if breaking past the "e6" power level actually *requires* a certain amount of worship? You can be a great level 6 fighter, but if you want to advance any further into the real power, you need to invest in your image.. That can just be a standing assumption to work with, particularly if that is needed to gain power, but losing that worship doesn't actually strip the already gained power away. Powerful magic items might require people to hear a memorable story about the item's history before it can be created.. or that might just happen spontaneously.

I am playing this currently. So far it's been interesting. A few nice touches I've found:

- Chosen one type stories. PC is the 7th son of the 7th son of a great wizard and blessed with arcane might. Or they were born during a sunshower on the summer solstice, which gives them a special connection to nature.

- Artifacts. Only the one who braves the trial of the ancient grove may wield the longbow made from its wood. The armor only functions for the pure of heart, or the book only opens for the true seeker of knowledge.

Jay R
2014-12-01, 07:25 PM
Nevermind the fact that Adam was insanely ripped for an inept wimp, ...

Agreed. That's why one of my personal Evil Overlord rules is:

17. Any tall, ruggedly handsome man who is too mild-mannered or effete to carry a sword or gun will be put to death. Real wimps look like wimps.

Nargrakhan
2014-12-01, 08:54 PM
Agreed. That's why one of my personal Evil Overlord rules is:

17. Any tall, ruggedly handsome man who is too mild-mannered or effete to carry a sword or gun will be put to death. Real wimps look like wimps.

lol... tis true. Though seriously, why did Skeletor need the most powerful divination magic in the universe to decipher He-man's identity?

Adam walks around with a giant green talking tiger. He-man walks around with a giant green talking tiger.

Adam has a hot blonde haired twin sister with nice legs. He-man has a hot blonde haired twin sister with nice legs.

Etc, etc, etc.

I guess we just sweep it all under, "It was the 80's," excuse rug. :smalltongue:

Jay R
2014-12-01, 09:14 PM
lol... tis true. Though seriously, why did Skeletor need the most powerful divination magic in the universe to decipher He-man's identity?

Disguises that shouldn't work but do have a rich, noble literary heritage, including Shakespeare, Commedia del' Arte, and Plautus.

Sartharina
2014-12-02, 12:06 PM
Disguises that shouldn't work but do have a rich, noble literary heritage, including Shakespeare, Commedia del' Arte, and Plautus.My Groucho Marx glasses are a foolproof disguise!

TeChameleon
2014-12-02, 01:07 PM
My Groucho Marx glasses are a foolproof disguise!

The really weird part? They occasionally worked for Groucho Marx himself. I've read bits where he commented that he occasionally ran into people who didn't believe he was... well, him... because they didn't recognize him without the glasses and the heavy (greasepaint) mousteache and eyebrows...

hamishspence
2014-12-02, 01:17 PM
The really weird part? They occasionally worked for Groucho Marx himself. I've read bits where he commented that he occasionally ran into people who didn't believe he was... well, him... because they didn't recognize him without the glasses and the heavy (greasepaint) mousteache and eyebrows...

It's quite common:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ClarkKenting

(real-life section).

GungHo
2014-12-03, 09:50 AM
Then again, Skeletor was never the brightest villain of the 80's. :smalltongue:
This is likely why he's gone into early retirement and is now working at a Honda dealership.