Hello everyone,
I’m a newcomer to M&M, both as a player and definitely as a GM, but I’ve been playing and running various RPGs since I was a kid (age 11, I think). I’m working on a new campaign setting for M&M 3E, instead of using any of the pre-existing material out there. I thought I’d run it past the folks of the ATT, and see what opinions come up. Any ideas for improving what I’m designing, or anything that might add to the world would be greatly appreciated.
Like so many popular games out there, I’m beginning with a realistic setting based on our current world, in our current timeline. No definitive proof of UFOs, ghosts, an afterlife, or the existence of Bigfoot. And no supers or hyper-advanced tech of any kind beyond our current scientific levels. The PCs will be playing normals built initially on 50 (?) points.
Day one of the campaign will involve the sudden, unexpected and extremely violent, simultaneous transformation of a small number of humans (hundreds? thousands?) into paranormally powered entities. Those who manifest powers or abilities come to be referred to as The Awakened. Virtually any character type will be possible. Magical, mutation, even extraterrestrial, although I’ll have to come up with a good back-story for that if someone decides that’s what they want to do. Aliens won’t play a large role in the campaign, but they will exist. For those who want to play characters using advanced tech (battle-suits, or weapons) they will either have to purchase enhanced INT to justify their ability to build such equipment, or have the means to steal or get them from someone else, such as another Awakened.
Once the shock and awe of the “reality” of super powered individuals begins to pass, society begins to not only accept their existence, but to treat it like they do anything like this that happens in our world (not that things like this happen very often…). The Awakened come to be seen as celebrities (much like in the flawed but interesting Aberrant setting). Of course, some of those people manifesting incredible powers don’t all use them for the benefit of their fellow man, leading to a new criminal caste, the so-called “super-villain,” and there will be those touting dogmatic or jingoistic agendas as well, leading to Awakened being folded into the religious, political or military arenas.
The initial part of the campaign will be taken up with the requisite period of the PCs learning their powers, meeting each other, dealing with the fallout and devastation resulting from the initial Awakening, and ultimately facing some of their fellow Awakened using their new abilities for evil. As time goes on, however, it will become clear that the Awakening was merely the beginning of something much larger, and the PCs will begin to investigate the cause (or not, if they choose not to pursue such story angles, I won’t force them…until the truth comes and bites them in the a$$).
Where I’m going, ultimately, is an End of the World scenario, with the “typical” religious trappings of The Apocalypse, with a few little twists thrown in. As the game progresses, the PCs will begin meeting NPCs who talk about taking sides in the coming struggle. The “Anti-Christ” (won’t be called that) has come and is gathering his forces, which will include those Awakened with a penchant for evil, as well as other mystical beings (demons, devils, mythological creatures) that begin to appear. On the other side, heroic figures from mythology and history make their existence known, leading to increasingly destructive battles between the gathering armies.
Four individuals appear in varying forms to the PCs to offer insight and advice. They will ultimately be revealed as the angels Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel. At some point they will inform the PCs that The Creator long ago stopped speaking to them, or anyone, and essentially “retired” from running the universe. They will also tell them that while there is a “Creator,” he is not the only God and that virtually every religious belief has some basis in fact. The rest of the Heavenly Host has removed themselves from the coming struggle, but these four were compelled to come to Earth and lend their aid to humanity.
What I’m going for in the end is a real heavy game, full of brutal battles mixed with some serious philosophical explorations of the concepts of religious belief, sacrifice, good and evil and the freedom of choice.
The campaign is still in its very early development, so I’m sure there’s a lot of stuff that sounds clichéd or trite. I’m hoping that I’ll get some interesting input or advice to help make this a great game.
Any suggestions?
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Saving the world, one d20 roll at a time
Saving the world, one d20 roll at a time
