Supers games - stories to adapt

[weckar]

So me and my friends want to run a supers game. I feel having a narrative framework to kind of hang on to helps a lot when trying a new genre, so I'm looking for a longer running story to adapt.

I generally prefer DC, and it needs to feature a group of characters. All chararcters (protagonists and antagonists) will be switched out, but I'd like to be able to use at least its conflict line.

I tend to prefer street-level heroes over international or cosmic level heroes, but I find there is not nearly as much material available for that.

Any help or advice is appreciated.

[Tinkerer]

Thinking back to my street level DC comics and I get... Hellblazer. Hmm, might not be the most applicable to the situation at hand. Oh wait, Static is a fairly classic one. Although maybe a bit too classic for some peoples tastes (an outbreak of superpowers in a low income neighbourhood and dealing with the fallout from it). Secret Six could be... interesting and it's fairly easily adapted to a street level version (they are mainly street level characters thrust into international situations). In fact why not abandon the idea of street level when looking for inspiration and instead bring an international adventure down to street level. It will definitely help to obscure the source material and you might be surprised by how similar the stories are.

[weckar]

That's... a good idea, actually. While I love Hellblazer (and I can dig Static), team books are probably a better source. Just don't want to immediately bark up the JLA or Titans tree, ya know?
Although there are some quite decent street level-ish Titans stories out there too.

I didn't even think of Secret Six! That's actually a really good call!

[Grod_The_Giant]

Hmmm... street level DC... Birds of Prey? No Man's Land?

[TeChameleon]

Hrm... yeah, 'street-level super teams' aren't exactly DC's forte. Honestly, you have to go a little outside established territory to even get to street-level supers, at least once you get out of Bat country.

Come to think of it, if you like Hellblazer, what do you think about the Shadowpact? A mystic group probably isn't what you have in mind, going by your original post, but they do tend to fall into the right power bracket, and it might be an interesting twist if you know the series well enough to spin off from it.

Only other street-level story that comes to mind at this stage is the Fall of Bloodhaven, which may or may not fit your particular bill.

[weckar]

interesting, to be sure.
To say that DC doesn't do a lot of street-level stuff is kind of true. Outside the bats there ARE a couple (most of them currently on TV in one form or another :)
Not really any established teams though, agreed.

I'm sure I can crib something from some BoP stories too!

[Grod_The_Giant]

interesting, to be sure.
To say that DC doesn't do a lot of street-level stuff is kind of true. Outside the bats there ARE a couple (most of them currently on TV in one form or another :)
Not really any established teams though, agreed.

I'm sure I can crib something from some BoP stories too!
Hmm, that reminds me-- you could check out the Judd Winick Green Arrow run; he generally had our friend running around with Conner Hawke, Speedy, and Black Canary. Sometimes Arsenal, too.

[TeChameleon]

Hrm... yeh, once the Batclan, the Arrow Family, and the Birds are pulled out of the running, street-level DC looks pretty barren.

For that matter, it's kinda barren even with them, but... eh.

Let's see:
Blue Beetle II (Ted Kord)
Wild Dog
Wildcat
The Creeper
The Question (either version)
Richard Dragon, Bronze Tiger, Lady Shiva (all starred in the same book)
The Shadowpact
Hawkman (... maybe kinda sorta?)
Starman (Jack Knight, and again, sort of)
Stargirl (see above)
Doom Patrol (and yet again, sort of)
Anarky
Human Target
Manhunter (whichever version)
Gangbuster
Guardian (with or without the Newsboy Legion)
Argus (the invisible ex-FBI guy, not the agency)
Ravager (Rose Wilson)
Mr. Terrific (either version)
Katana
The Blackhawks
Slam Bradley
The Odd Man
Midnight
Mouthpiece
Tarantula
Empress (Anita Fite, Young Justice)
Onyx Adams
Spy Smasher
Agent X


... yeeeeah, getting obscure enough that I think I'm going to stop there. And that's including padding the list out with WWII-era characters and characters from far enough back that they were 'mystery men' and not 'superheroes'!

Well, hopefully this brief waste of time (and what little brainpower I have left :smalltongue:) proved useful in some fashion, I guess?

[Kapow]

It is not really DC, but the Wildstorm Universe has the Stormwatch Team Achilles and Stormwatch PHD series. I'd consider them streetlevel.
Perhaps Planetary? The setting/storylines are at least easily adaptable to streetlevel, I believe.

[Grod_The_Giant]

It is not really DC, but the Wildstorm Universe has the Stormwatch Team Achilles and Stormwatch PHD series. I'd consider them streetlevel.
Perhaps Planetary? The setting/storylines are at least easily adaptable to streetlevel, I believe.
Technically it's DC these days; they bought out Wildstorm a few years back.

Team Achilles isn't really street level so much as "badass normals with gratuitous tech beat up superpeople." (Not a fan of giving human-level types "**** you, I turned off your powers" tech and calling them underdogs).

Planetary, on the other hand, is just awesome. Not sure how adaptable it would be, as it's mostly standalone issues of "new spin on classic superhero/sci-fi ideas" with an emerging metaplot, but it's worth reading.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Did your friends ever see the first ninja turtles movie by any chance?

Probably, yes, at least one of them. Too bad, it has everything from overwhelming odds and good bosses to a kidnapped mentor and a comic side character that can be used as backup for the players.

Several of the best sequences were lifted straight from the comics, but put in a logical order.

[Herobizkit]

If you're running DC, then I'd suggest focusing on the character's personal relationships (with each other and NPC's) over the scope of their powers.

I'd borrow heavily from live-action TV superhero dramas of any quality. With a smaller budget, they're forced to rely on character interaction/drama to carry a lot of their shows. The Netflix series of Marvel shows (Daredevil S1, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and the Defenders [Iron Fist not-so-much]) offer some great examples of criminals hidden in plain sight.

Even though this example isn't live action, I'd suggest something like the Incredibles - heroes are forced into retirement and have to deal with the monotony of daily life while villainy continues to work successfully behind the scenes.

[TeChameleon]

*grin*

If you wanted to mess with player expectations a little, adapt a really famous storyline (for example, the Judas Contract), but alter something fairly major- like the Terra-analogue not actually being a traitor, they just have some anger issues.

[Jay R]

Read a bunch of JLA, JSA, Titans, or other group comics from your favorite era. That's the kind of game you want.

[weckar]

Thanks for all the awesome insights. Not sure if I really want something too JLA/JSA styled, but if it's your cuppa -- go right ahead.

Now just the decision of system. :smalltongue:
[Silver Age Sentinels VS Mutants & Masterminds 3e]

[Grod_The_Giant]

Thanks for all the awesome insights. Not sure if I really want something too JLA/JSA styled, but if it's your cuppa -- go right ahead.

Now just the decision of system. :smalltongue:
[Silver Age Sentinels VS Mutants & Masterminds 3e]
M&M 3e is my all-time favorite RPG and I really can't recommend it highly enough.

[weckar]

I've heard a lot of good about it, but I'm developing a bit of an allergy for d20s... And I understand the systems are surprisingly similar.
And both of them are gridless as far as I know, so combat will be rather freeform one way or another if it comes to that.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I've heard a lot of good about it, but I'm developing a bit of an allergy for d20s... And I understand the systems are surprisingly similar.
And both of them are gridless as far as I know, so combat will be rather freeform one way or another if it comes to that.
Aside from using a d20 and a few vaguely structural things like ability scores and saves, M&M is pretty far off the usual d20 style. No levels, no classes, no hit points, no endless lists of fiddly options...

(Also, it switches very nicely to a 2d10, which is how I usually play these days)

[weckar]

The fiddly options are one of the good features, imo.

I'll just read both over the weekend and see which plays better in my head. I guess I just have a weakness for giving underdogs a shot too.

[weckar]

So I've been reading, and M&M's Hero Points seem awfully gamey to me and ripe for table conflict. GM bias, apparent or true, seems like a huge problem there...

[Grod_The_Giant]

So I've been reading, and M&M's Hero Points seem awfully gamey to me and ripe for table conflict. GM bias, apparent or true, seems like a huge problem there...
That's not been my experience, overall. About 95% of the time, the only points in play are the ones you start the session with, and they're hoarded against the possibility of being incap'd. (Or, occasionally, used to wrap up the last fight of the session a little faster). I also really like having a resource that can be used to pay for DM-cheating, but that's personal. The game certainly functions without them, unlike-- say-- Fate.