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Ryver
2007-11-14, 03:22 PM
Hey, guys. Long time no post.

I come to you in need of help. I have been deprived of a decent roleplaying group all my life - the only one I was ever a part of ended badly. The task has fallen to me to start my own campaign, but I have come across a recurring problem.

Over the years, this whole "Ryver is going to DM a game" theme has popped up more than once. Each time, we roll characters, get psyched about it... and then it never happens. Each time, I sit down with a general theme going on in my mind, but I can never figure out how to get the campaign started.

The campaign in question this time is a supers game set in an alternate-Earth. The idea is that random people are supernatural in one way or another, and the world is just about to find out. You could compare this to the TV show Heroes, in a way, but as the more creative among us can imagine, this can take many different paths. It could play like anything from a light-hearted comic book-style "power and responsibility" story to dark government conspiracies or Lovecraftian horror. Even the source of the mysterious powers is negotiable - it could end up being something closer to Urban Arcana by the time the game is over. Part of the game is going to be finding out why it is that Lily can light things on fire with her mind, so to speak.

It's the age-old problem I have: why are the characters adventuring together? In my case, there's a bit of a twist: this particular group of four or five people have extraordinary abilites they have successfully kept secret from the world thus far. What possible reason could I throw at them that would convince them to share that secret with a group of strangers, and then collaborate with them to overcome a great challenge?

My (future) players are cooperative, though half newbies, and I know they'd take the hints and form a group. However, I'd like the transition to be as natural as possible, with little railroading from me. When the campaign is underway, I don't want to look back at the beginning and say, "Man, that did not make any sense." Or worse, I don't want the players to take a step back and say, "Wait... why are we all in a group, again?"

I'll be honest; I may not be the best storyteller, and the role of GM may not be the best for me. However, I'm the one with the greatest working knowledge of the system, and a decent writer, if not for my giant writer's block. I do have a few ideas, but nothing concrete. Some of it just screams "plot device here" and "railroading". It is my hope that with a few suggestions from you kind folks, I'll be able to get the ball rolling and into the swing of things.

VerdugoExplode
2007-11-14, 03:31 PM
Players get attacked by evil group A.
They defend themselves and are assisted by good group B.
Good group B reveals they know things about the heroes and would like to help.
B shows that staying together would increase their odds of survival.
Players stay together because they don't want to be picked off one by one.

When you're working with a scenario like yours, where a few people are different than the majority of the population its more than likely going to sound similar to heroes, x-men and general racial prejudice, if you feel like nothing you can think of is original you shouldn't sweat it too much. Actually, if you want to throw your characters for a loop make the populace genuinely envious of their ability, harboring few, if any malicious intentions.

Also, for modern, throwing money at the PC's can prove to be a tremendous motivator.

Ryver
2007-11-14, 03:43 PM
Players get attacked by evil group A.
They defend themselves and are assisted by good group B.
Good group B reveals they know things about the heroes and would like to help.
B shows that staying together would increase their odds of survival.
Players stay together because they don't want to be picked off one by one.
This is a classic opener. PCs are in Village X, town gets attacked, PCs rise to the occasion, form a group.

The problem is the following: Imagine I can fire bolts of energy from my hands, and nobody knows. A guy shows up who's extremely powerful, and takes the whole building hostage. I could take him down from a distance with little risk to myself, at the cost of potentially exiling myself from society. What do I do?

Well, it depends on the character, doesn't it? Perhaps it would suit me to speak to the players about their characters and whether or not their character would do the right thing in that situation.


When you're working with a scenario like yours, where a few people are different than the majority of the population its more than likely going to sound similar to heroes, x-men and general racial prejudice, if you feel like nothing you can think of is original you shouldn't sweat it too much. Actually, if you want to throw your characters for a loop make the populace genuinely envious of their ability, harboring few, if any malicious intentions.
I'm not necessarily worried about sounding original. That's a good point about the admiration. It certainly runs perpendicular to the mainstream, and I might end up using that. Maybe make it something like Spider-Man: some people (including the media) hate and fear the Supers, and others idolize them and realize their potential for goodness.

WhyBother
2007-11-14, 04:50 PM
It would help to know a bit about the characters (if possible). What powers do they have? What ages? Any characteristics that would draw them together even if their powers weren't there?

For a pyrokineticist like Lily, you might have her trapped in a burning building or a similar situtation. If her powers let her waltz out of an otherwise lethal situation, someone's bound to notice. (And yes, I realize that comes from Heroes, and Unbreakable, and pretty much every other powers story.)

As far as age, I find that teens are easiest to form into groups. Just the right mix of idealism, rebellion, and isolation, plus they're willing to take stupid risks. Just a thought, I'm sure you've probably got something in mind already,

VerdugoExplode
2007-11-14, 04:56 PM
Remember for modern it doesn't really take much to get people working together. Especially when they feel somehow isolated from society as Whybother pointed out. Look at the countless anonymous groups we have dedicated to making people feel comfortable and among those who understand them. These exist at every age group and its human nature to group with those you feel some connection to, no matter how tenuous that connection is.

Funkyodor
2007-11-14, 05:28 PM
Twisting the plot is always funner.

Party meets friendly person X. Everyone on the block loves X. He helps with homework, provides money to charity, and runs a homeless shelter. Homeless shelter is really going to be turned into Evil Center #8. Players get hints that things are amiss, investigate, and possibly reveal to all that he is bad, or just stop him themselves, whatever (Insert random sterotyped bad guys, like Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight guy, The Tall Man from Phantasm, Dr. Jeckl/Mr. Hyde etc...). Group bonds fighting evil and Adventure, like good Adventurers and travel to Community Y. They brag (you know it happens) that they stopped X from doing his Evil Plan. Community Y loved X; he helped with their homework, provided money to charity, and ran a very successful bank, and now hate players. Dun Dun DUN!

Zencao
2007-11-14, 07:24 PM
If you're characters are older, and working, you could have one or two working in the same company/job together, or have some be already friends or otherwise business related (like someone and their lawyer and such).

In example, 3pc's.

PC's one and two, work together in their job, PC one thinks his wife is cheating on him, PC 3 is a friend of PC 2 whom PC 2 suggests could help (perhaps PC3 is a private investigator or something) PC 3 investigates, and finds PC 1 acting suspicious and alerts the authorities, who notice strange things happening.

Then when PC3 is investigating he finds out that the guy has superpowers, so at the last minute rushes to talk to him about it (being curious that someone else had powers too) but interrupts PC 1 finding his friend PC 2 in bed with his wife, at that moment the authorities the PI warned storm the place and they have to get out/break out of wherever they're taken together.

But ofcourse this has too many variables, if you're using set characters or making them up as you go, whether you're players choose class and such and then have the DM make the backstory or if everyones starting from scratch.

Also, I'd recommend trying out some unorthodox powers, one of my favorites for originality is from heroes where one twin is a disease and the other is the cure :P

Prometheus
2007-11-14, 08:12 PM
I think the exploration of the occult and the supernatural is a much more intriguing way at looking at a Modern setting than, "how magic would effect a modern world", or "superheroes and villains".

The indie-rpg, "Unknown Armies (http://www.atlas-games.com/pdf_storage/ua2_preview.pdf)", is a vastly different system of play, but I really like the RP and the style of the plot. Focus on the description and details rather than how the plot will come together in the end.

I offer my own hooks:
"A long-distance truck driver notices a pattern in the graffiti across various bathrooms and gas-stations that he believes links to a vast conspiracy. He tries to tell someone but no one believes him. Promptly after, he and his truck disappear without a trace."
"Mixed into the incoherent ramblings of a schizophrenic appears to be predictions of the world with an incredibly complex symbology."
"In the heart of Africa there is a man who is called "Ibilisi" or Satan in Swahili. Wherever he goes chaos follows - famine, plague, civil war, drought, earthquakes, anything. It explains at least half the conflict on the continent."

shadow_archmagi
2007-11-14, 08:18 PM
Jury duty. The heroes are summoned to jury duty, and end up getting involved in the case themselves. This gives you a great way to spend long periods of time introducing villains and background information.

ForzaFiori
2007-11-14, 08:29 PM
since your not worrying about sounding original, why not have them go to a special school for special kids? with a paraplegic who tells them what they are and what they need to do. Then, if you ever get stuck somewhere and need something to happen, you have a whole school of people to work with.

i mean, everyone will get your hint.

The owner of X-Men might sue you though.

Lemur
2007-11-14, 08:30 PM
Jury duty. The heroes are summoned to jury duty, and end up getting involved in the case themselves. This gives you a great way to spend long periods of time introducing villains and background information.

Better yet, the case decides to start involving them, and everyone else in the courtroom, with his insane destructive powers conveniently after enough exposition has been given. Or a surprise raid set on freeing the defendent occurs. This conveniently allows for the rest of the jury to be redshirted away ('cause you know they'd just get in the way otherwise) and for the PCs to start using their own powers in front of each other in order to survive. That way they have some common ground, and a good reason to at least associate with each other in case someone comes after them.

Winterking
2007-11-14, 08:47 PM
If it's a modern campaign, and you're feeling particularly meta-ironic the day the campaign starts...have the pcs be a roleplaying group.

Or another club on a college campus. Or in the same dorm, class, coffee-shop-when-it-is-attacked/blown up/invaded/squid-pelted.

Or they all discover their powers on their own, and receive notes in their mailboxes shortly thereafter, telling them to meet at a certain spot (for further instructions?). Who was watching them? Are they bad/good? Is one of the group a mole? Is this a government plot? Should it become a government plot? Is another super manipulating them?

Ryver
2007-11-15, 01:28 AM
I want to thank everyone for all the feedback. It's really appreciated.


It would help to know a bit about the characters (if possible). What powers do they have? What ages? Any characteristics that would draw them together even if their powers weren't there?
Not all the characters have been created quite yet, as this thing is not anywhere near "off the ground" status. So far, we have Mastery of Fire, Mastery of Sound, and Mastery of Shadow as our 3 main powers. In the system we'll be using, it's easy to home-brew anything, and using the Mastery of Element as a template is usually a pretty good way to do it.

The one thing that I do know about the PCs so far is that they're all aware of their abilities, and have been for years. Other than that, so far we've got three very different people. At least two of them aren't fleshed out very well, but as far as I can tell, mental trauma runs deep in our group. The aforementioned pyrokinetic was abandoned at a young age, eventually selling her body to get by. (As a side note, the system encourages the "haunted past" thing, and actually requires that each character be made with at least one flaw.)

However, the fact that they're already aware of their powers puts a damper on some of these otherwise fine ideas. I like to let my players write their own backgrounds if they want to, so we're making the plot fit the backgrounds rather than making the backgrounds fit the plot.

There's always a way that you can tie people together. For example, X's mentor works with Y, whose boss a family friend of Z... and so on.

In the end, I need to find a way for them to be in the same place at the same time, and from there, a reason for them to face their fear and stand up.

However, if I push the timeline around a little, and have others in the spotlight first, I can then make it less of a huge deal, societally. That kinda limits the directions the game could take, though.

In the end, it would be greatly helpful to speak to all the players to find out what they'd be interesting in playing. At this point, I almost have too many options to pin it down.


Also, I'd recommend trying out some unorthodox powers, one of my favorites for originality is from heroes where one twin is a disease and the other is the cure :P
Oh, yes. Interesting power combinations are a beautiful thing. As I mentioned, it's incredibly easy to make up new powers in a matter of minutes, so any oddball concept is fair game. In addition, everything becomes more interesting if it's also Out of Control... >:D


Jury duty. The heroes are summoned to jury duty, and end up getting involved in the case themselves. This gives you a great way to spend long periods of time introducing villains and background information.
I love this idea. It's pretty much exactly what I'm looking for: a reason for all the characters to be in the same place at the same time, so that I can introduce some sort of catalyst that will turn them from strangers into a cohesive group.

It may also help if I have an NPC Super kinda lead the way by inadvertently revealing their own powers (a power that automatically activates itself, for example), or perhaps a "detector" character that can sense others like himself. That's only a half step away from the Mysterious Benefactor idea, which I tried and abandoned.


Or they all discover their powers on their own, and receive notes in their mailboxes shortly thereafter, telling them to meet at a certain spot (for further instructions?). Who was watching them? Are they bad/good? Is one of the group a mole? Is this a government plot? Should it become a government plot? Is another super manipulating them?
The Mysterious Letter idea was another one that I tossed around, going back to the Mysterious Benefactor thing. Somebody offers them what they want in exchange for services that eventually take a very dark turn until it becomes apparent that they've made a deal with the devil.

In the end, I couldn't find a way of doing it that didn't sound lame.

--

Okay, keep the comments coming. Again, I really appreciate all the feedback.

Dervag
2007-11-15, 01:40 AM
I'm not necessarily worried about sounding original. That's a good point about the admiration. It certainly runs perpendicular to the mainstream, and I might end up using that. Maybe make it something like Spider-Man: some people (including the media) hate and fear the Supers, and others idolize them and realize their potential for goodness.Who says the media will line up all on one side?

"SPIDERMAN: THREAT OR MENACE?" makes a funny headline, but it seems likely that mainstream organizations will be split over whether or not people with superpowers are a good thing, and over what to do about them (Co-opt them into the government? Force them to wear radio collars? Leave them alone?).

A lot depends on the kinds of powers in question. If the superpowered individuals aren't strong enough to reliably defeat groups of soldiers or to warp the laws of physics, society may not see them as a major threat because they can be contained by SWAT teams and such in an emergency. If they are powerful enough to fight armies and win, you may get something like the Marvel Comics Civil War series.

Another thing to remember is the question of whether or not supers are popping up in other parts of the world. If your alternate Earth contains regions like the modern world's Middle East, where there's lots of political tension and revolutionary violence, supers in those areas may be incorporated into mundane movements on many levels.

Ryver
2007-11-15, 08:14 AM
Who says the media will line up all on one side?

"SPIDERMAN: THREAT OR MENACE?" makes a funny headline, but it seems likely that mainstream organizations will be split over whether or not people with superpowers are a good thing, and over what to do about them (Co-opt them into the government? Force them to wear radio collars? Leave them alone?).

A lot depends on the kinds of powers in question. If the superpowered individuals aren't strong enough to reliably defeat groups of soldiers or to warp the laws of physics, society may not see them as a major threat because they can be contained by SWAT teams and such in an emergency. If they are powerful enough to fight armies and win, you may get something like the Marvel Comics Civil War series.
You've got a lot of good points here. Civil War scares me, because part of me can't help but think that it's exactly what would happen if we really had superpowered individuals amongst us. We'd have people clamoring for registration, because they're afraid of what they don't understand. A person is smart, but people are dumb, panicky animals. The fear and intolerance shown in the Civil War series (and most of the X-Men series) has some base in reality, IMO.

However, that doesn't mean that my game has to be anything like that. It could be quite refreshing to turn it around and play it the opposite way, or even somewhere in the middle.

While my players haven't all made characters yet, the ones that have are pretty powerful destructive forces. On the other hand, some of them have very little in the way of defense. While they're strong, they're not necessarily invincible. They could probably take out large groups of armed humans single-handedly, though. Put them in a group, and things could very easily get out of hand.

At this point, I guess it goes back to having that giant talk with my players about what kind of game they want. If they'd rather just blow stuff up than get asked the hard ethical questions... well, it's not always a bad idea to start light when we've got first-timers in the group.

With the holidays coming up, maybe I'll find the time to get this stuff going.