You Wake Up With Powers... Now What?

[prufock]

I'm entertaining the idea of running a very open sandbox-y game with my group. If you've ever entertained those hypothetical questions of "what superpowers would you like to have?" and "what would you do if you had superpowers?" you'll understand the type of game for which I'm aiming.

Basically, the players make PL2 analogues of themselves. None of them have combat training, so their 30 points will mostly be spent on skills, maybe a point or two in certain abilities, a few feats, and some equipment. Then they add 60 more points worth of powers on top of that to make a PL 6 character.

Story: The previous night the affected people were all at the same bar. They're partying, celebrating something. The next morning they wake up at home, possibly hung over, with no memory of how they got home. Over the course of the next day or two, they discover they have powers. Now what do they do with them?

There will be some urges to use their powers for profit, perhaps to use them for common good, maybe hide them, whatever. They may still need to keep their jobs, or they may become famous. They may attract followers or enemies. They might be branded angels or demons or saviours or mutants or nutjobs.

I'm not concerned with the actual mechanism by which they receive powers - it will likely remain a mystery. I haven't conceived of one, and probably won't. It's really just a plot convenience to get to the consequences.

What I AM looking for is some possible plot hooks, keeping in mind this will be a very open-ended game. Anything can happen, but except for a couple dozen people suddenly having superpowers, the world is exactly like ours. I have a few ideas, but I'd like to collect as many as possible to see how the players might respond to certain events, opportunities, setbacks, and so on.

If you have any suggestions, I'd appreciate it! Thanks.

[Thakowsaizmu]

I suggest asking your players if they want to play themselves first, before going ahead with this. A lot of players do not like to play themselves, even super powered or fantasy versions of themselves, so make sure your players would actually want to do that.

[prufock]

Well, naturally I wouldn't do any game if my players weren't interested in it. Also, I've already decided that their analogues don't have to be exact. They can have different personality traits or life situations, but they are effectively "normals" (not super-rich, super-genius, technomancers) that wake up one day with unexplained powers.

I want them to be similar enough to their real-world selves, however, to act as they would act in this situation. The "what do you do now" question is the one I'd most want to explore.

[Thakowsaizmu]

You could always do the bait and switch. Again, I would suggest not asking them to play themselves, but instead tell them they are all going to play normal people in a little "slice of life"game. For the first session, actually have them play normal people doing normal people things, then either at the end do something "strange"to get them hooked, or some time in the middle if you are going to play a long session. That way they can get a feeling for their characters and being normal, develop some relationships with each other and some NPCs and have some normalness before BAM! Superpowers. (Also, are you letting them choose their powers? Or just handing them out arbitrarily?)

[prufock]

Oh, I think I'd let them choose their own powers. I like to let them decide what to play. Helps them identify with their characters.

I actually don't think they'd fall for the bait and switch. It's been attempted before and never really works out.

[mrdent12]

Some of the basic plot hooks to build off of are:

-How the world reacts to the PC's: If someone flew into a burning building tomorrow and saved everyone how would the public react? Do the people welcome the super hero, try to make him register as law enforcement, sue him for some collateral damage, etc. On the same token, how would the military and government react? Having a super hero as a soldier would be a big advantage. Intelligence services would have a field day if a PC was a mind reader. Even if the PC's avoid issues with the general public or governments, once the PC's start using their powers to get huge advantages they will come under the scrutiny of the group they are besting. The end result could be a price on their heads, threatened with jail time, or being banned from certain activities.

-If the PC's keep their powers secret: This a little trickier. I would go about creating situations like robberies, kidnappings, relatives in trouble, etc that allow the PC's to use their powers and try to hide them. Without the subtle feat, a lot of the powers are pretty blatant like flying or telekinesis.

A good reference for ideas it he Paragon Setting book. It has pretty good long term plots and adapts to the world as we know it if you tweak a few of the groups.

[Thakowsaizmu]

Oh, I think I'd let them choose their own powers. I like to let them decide what to play. Helps them identify with their characters.

I actually don't think they'd fall for the bait and switch. It's been attempted before and never really works out.

Well, given that it is the MnM game, I doubt you'll convince them that they won't be playing people with powers at some point. I more mean keeping them in the dark about the campaign until it is time for the reveal.

I have to say though, given the setting, I would actually arbitrate the powers. As in make up the powers that I think would work best for the story and them let the players receive the powers randomly, see how the people react to not only suddenly having powers, but to suddenly having a power they may never had thought of using.

[Plan B]

This if PL allows

[ursinethemadbear]

I ran a game like this for 2 years, restarting it when the new school year started. It was a lot of fun, I ran it late after our normal gaming group hours, and we averaged from 8 to 13 players, since i kept it open to anyone that wanted to play.

The second year I even started alternating running the game with my friend, so that I got to be a player as well. I think the secret to a good game where players play themselves is to not take it to seriously. The rules were simple, you stated yourself, then added powers and came up with an interesting origin for your powers. Between the two years we had:

1) A Dhalsim clone, who gained enlightenment and powers in his first yoga class at the Athletics Center.

2) A wizard who gained the ability to cast any D&D spell after acquiring Gary Gygax's original notebooks.

3) A technology controller whose powers came from reading the manuals, all the manuals.

4) A light controller got powers from another player. The light controller was not there at the first game, and he was someone they ran into during the game. One of the characters, insisting he was dreaming, decided that if he had powers, all of their friends must have them as well. The light controller showed up the next game.

5) A character whose hat collection became enchanted, giving him different powers based on which hat he was wearing. The best was the viking helmet, for combat skill, and the mickey mouse ears, for incredible business skills.

6) A girl who was indestructible while naked, because noone would want to hurt someone that hot.

7) A catgirl whose powers were a manifestation of her inner self.

A speedster fueled by Red Bull.

9) A girl with superhuman shooting skills. In real life she was a NRA safety instructor. And a nut, but most of my friends are king of crazy.

And many others. It was weird and crazy, and pure fun, one of the best games I ever ran.

[tggdan3]

The british TV show MISFITS is a great source for this- since that's pretty much the plot of the show.

Plot Considerations: The Masquerade? Will the powers be made public? Will NPCs who got powers come forward on their own? How will the government react to people with powers? Will superheroes get put in a lab somewhere, or will they enjoy protected celebrity status? Do they need secret identities?

Player Considerations: Do the players even care about stopping crime? How many players are there? In a world where very few people have powers, and normal people just got powers, they might use them for self gain, and they may not NEED each other. (If I use invisibility to rob a bank vault, why would I bring my immortal friend along?)

[JetstreamGW]

8. A speedster fueled by Red Bull.

That's ridiculous. Red Bull gives you WINGS

[Geredik]

Because the characters are effectively "normals' before they receive their powers, have them have difficulty adapting to their powers.
Examples: Super Strength means super strength all the time (just not when you need it) crushing phones, hurting friends involuntarily etc. etc
Energy Controller: You need to supply yourself with the energy you produce. Whenever you use your powers you are left exhausted, or you need to eat a lot more in order to produce energy to blast.
Super Sensees: Imagine how disoriented you would be if you could hear and see everything in a 1000 mile radius

[gerbilattack]

i would agree with Geredik and thakowsaizmu, if the players are gaining the normal person "and suddenly powers!" sort of thing there are a few approaches, but making the powers randomized, and making them have to learn control is a very effective way hot help create that theme. If possible design this into the powers (unless by 'issue' 2 you want [the players] to have their powers down."

Another good option (if you want to keep looking) would be to do something resembling (but not identical to) WoD's Mage: you build the character, but lets start a little before you become that character. (I.e. running through getting powers, figuring out what they are... ect.) the problem with this method as it causes a strain on players (as well as the gm) if everyone doesn't just roll with it all, as how fast powers *ought* to be learned learned competes with how much patience your players have with waiting for their toys. I have seen this done both well and poorly.


I hope this was of use!

[prufock]

making the powers randomized, and making them have to learn control is a very effective way hot help create that theme. If possible design this into the powers (unless by 'issue' 2 you want [the players] to have their powers down."

I would leave this up to the players. I'd give them an option before the game starts - build your own powerset or have one generated by me. Whatever they agree on is what I'd do. I would definitely have them need adjustment to their powers, but I would probably not make it a mechanical thing, just roleplay and hero points for setbacks applied by the GM.

Another good option (if you want to keep looking) would be to do something resembling (but not identical to) WoD's Mage: you build the character, but lets start a little before you become that character. (I.e. running through getting powers, figuring out what they are... ect.) the problem with this method as it causes a strain on players (as well as the gm) if everyone doesn't just roll with it all, as how fast powers *ought* to be learned learned competes with how much patience your players have with waiting for their toys. I have seen this done both well and poorly.

It would be a balancing act, but I generally leave these kinds of decisions to the players. I want them to have fun the way they like, not get boxed into what I think is appropriate.

Thanks for the feedback!

[saint_matthew]

I would hate to imagine a world wheree i woke up with powers. Because i would make the world a better place & i would be the villain of the piece. I'd be alright being painted as the bad guy, as long as i knew i could get rid of all the major negative influences on society.

If i woke up with Superman level paragon powers, well lets put it this way:

Day 1. Good bye Vatican, good bye mormon church (an a considerable part of salt lake city), every Scientology centre & any other cult i can think of. Good bye Gaza Strip, but i'm not a monster, so here, i'll be fair: any other contested middle eastern territory, you have 48 hours to come to a peace accord, or you get what the gaza strip got. An unlike the gaza strip i won't be giving anyone time to evacuate. I'll be back in 48 hours & we will be having words about this Shariah Law thing & those words will start with "no" & end with "more."

An to be honest, its going to be down hill from there. Next goes the creation centre, the creation research buildings, homeopathy & any other creator of bulltwaddle. Then i close off access to the oil field, until the oil companies cough up the alternate power source designs we all know they've been sitting on for years.

An then i turn my sights on Korea, China & Africa, where there will be an immediate exchange of political power... But its okay, i'm not a complete monster, these people like rulership, thats fine, they can rule each other on the new island prison i created overnight (one of the problems with not needing to sleep anymore).

So yeah in conclusion if i woke up with Superman level super powers, i would be the villain of the piece... Because lets be honest, the thing the world needs to be saved from is itself.

An that ladies and gentlemen is how you write a trully terrifying villain.