Need help connecting the Dots

[Pavulon]

Below you will find what I have posted to my groups web forum. We try to do some housekeeping stuff between our weekly sessions via the net. Basically my heroes have a HD where I need to put the clues to lead them to the next adventure. My problem is, I dont have the next adventure yet. Seem to be going brain dead. I'd love somebody to point me in a direction, I can usually take an idea and run with it, just sometimes have problems coming up with the initial idea. Sorry it's a wall of text, but I do appreciate any help.

Fri Dec 02, 2011 3:01 pm

This thread is where we can converse about the current M&M adventure. I'm still figuring out exactly what you are going to find out on the Isolated Data Drive you all abducted/rescued from Dr. Coker's Lab. But here's what I got so far.

The Cast of Chars so Far...

Mr. Timothy Kramer Oliphant - engineering genius, chairman of a multibillion dollar tech company, retired power armored hero (TechnoTitan). Currently missing, last seen being teleport kidnapped by Ricochet after she disabled his bodyguard and wrecked most of his house. Before being abducted he was working on 2? projects (mysterious ore & sentient energy being).

Kim Jones - Mr. Oliphant's personal assistant. She has access to many of Mr. Oliphants resources while he is missing. She has no engineering knowledge. She is quite happy to use her influence to help you (the heroes) find Mr. Oliphant.

Dr. Coker - Long time colleague of Mr. Oliphant. Apparently the two were in some type communication about 1/both/either of Mr. Oliphants latest projects.

Stewart ?? - Dr. Coker's lab assistant.

Jimmy ?? - Mr. Oliphant's bodyguard. Last seen when The Nephaliim and MA dropped him off at a local ER.

Sgt. Hathaway - Officer in charge when the Houston PD finally responded to the emergency situation at Dr. Coker's Lab. Dr. Arkadius offered his initial statement to this man. Sgt. Hathaway immediately transferred Dr. Arkadius to .... Lt. Grimes.

Lt. Grimes - Houston PD's main detective for super crimes. He is coordinating the investigation into Dr. Coker's lab with Unity.

UNITY - Basicly the FBI/CIA for superhuman problems. Multinational organization which reports to the UN.

The Story so Far...

After stopping the notorious Dr. Otaku from stealing Mr. Oliphant's original suit of TechnoTitan armor from New York ComiCon, the heroes were invited to a introduction/dinner at Mr. Oliphant's Malibu home. Before arriving heroes spent a few days carousing in Vegas and spending Styx's money on hookers and blow. Upon arrving to Mr. Oliphant's home they discovered that both he and a unique 'rock' he had been investigating had been stolen by a masked criminal later identified as Ricochet. After tracing Mr. Oliphant's interactions during the course of his investigation into the 'rock' the heroes discovered a sentient energy being Mr. Oliphant had also apparently created/discovered (heroes aren't sure which). This being, known only as N.R.G. has joined with our heroes to investigate Mr. Oliphants disappearance. Upon discovering Mr. Oliphant's possible collaboration with Dr. Coker on his 'rock' investigating the heroes find themselves in Houston, TX stopping Ricochet from stealing what informatoin Dr. Coker had on the 'rock'. The adventure ended with Ricochet being thwarted and most of our heroes removing the data device and taking it back to TKO enterprises LA division for investigation. Dr. Arkadius stayed behind and informed the police they had stopped Ricochet's attempted theft and removed the data to another secure research facility...

Now...

Each hero gets 2 power points they can spend now or can horde them up for later. This represents our heroes exercising their mind, body, soul, powers, etc over the last 2 gaming sessions. The power level of the campaign remains at 10, so you can't move above your Campaign PL caps yet.

Kim Jones will allow heroes access to some of TKO Enterprises resources while they are assisting in finding Mr. Oliphant. TKO researchers can help investigate the data. Kim offers the heroes the use of one of TechnoTitan's old hideouts. Please discuss here as to where the heroes would like the base, what type facilities they would like. Basically yall tell me what you want and I'm giving each hero 5 Equip Points that will be put into a pool for base construction. I will then construct the base for you all. This represents Kim finding and refurbishing yall a base based on what she had available. She will also reward the players with 3 EP worth of TKO tech to keep. Miniaturized secure Sat phones which can be incorporated into existing costumes cost about this much EP, but you can say what you want and we can go from there. We can discuss this kinda stuff here in the forums and not take up game time with it next Wed.

Sometime later, when I have had more chance to think about stuff I'll tell you exactly what kind of data you found and yall can begin planning yalls next move.

[prufock]

Broad Suggestions:

Oliphant isn't actually missing, NRG is Oliphant, and the rock is somehow connected to his change. It has loosed him from his physical body, which is left with only a basic level of functioning. However the change was traumatic, thus the loss of his memory and normal functioning as NRG. Over the course of the investigation, NRG will subtly begin to show mannerisms similar to Oliphant - perhaps picking up a habit of his, or liking/disliking the same people/things, attempting to wear his armor, attacking his enemies if the party confronts them, and so on. Coker may have been behind the kidnapping due to a falling out or what have you (though it doesn't seem likely, if his notes were targeted as well). Or maybe Coker's lab assistant (but where's he getting the money to fund a kidnapping)?

On the other hand, NRG could instead be Coker, if it hasn't been established that they are 2 different beings. In this case, perhaps Oliphant has gone rogue for some reason (FOR SCIENCE!), staging his own kidnapping and attempting to get Coker's notes.

In my conception, the rock would probably show some electromagnetic fluctuations similar to patterns of brain waves - the rock is, in a matter of speaking, "alive" and conscious, just with no real way of interacting with humans. You can play this up with the rock "reading" and interpreting electromagnetic patterns in its environment. It can't see or hear but it can detect that there are other patterns present. They may be able to vaguely communicate with it in some manner - interpreting its magnetic patterns as best they can. It doesn't speak english or anything like that, but it should be able to understand common patterns.

This works particularly well if you go with the idea that the rock "created" NRG (or turned one of the professors into NRG).

I realize this doesn't really answer your main problem, which is where to go storywise, but maybe it will get the ball rolling.

[Pavulon]

Thanks Prufock that does give me some ideas. I like your description of the Rock. Unfortunately NRG is the newest PC that was just how I introduced him into my ongoing campaign.

What I think I'm going for is that the villain mastermind behind all this is goin to be Jules Vern. He discovered this mysterious element down at the center of the earth. He is still living there and being an evil overlord over the primitive species/dinosaur people that live in the center of the earth. This 'rock' is going to be what powers his victorian era super tech. I need some way to get the heroes down to hollow earth after doing several 'topside' adventures. As of now, the whole hollow earth thing is unknown to everybody but Jules and his followers. I think by this time he has mutated his hollow earthers into Morlock & Eloi type workers and they all live in a enclosed city which keeps the dinosaurs at bay. Obviously the dino jungles are a perfect layer of defense that function autonomously for the city.

We ran through the Con Season adventure published in one of the annuals or online, but I tweaked it to be the TechnoTitan armor instead of the Crimson Katana's stuff that Doc Otaku was trying to steal. Otaku is going to be Vernes kid and trying to adapt his dad's unique power supply to more modern technology on the top side. Verne eventually wants to bring his minions up and retake the surface, with Otaku paving the way. However long it takes my heroes to finish up down below will kind of determine how bad the surface is when they return, because unknown to my players the alien invasion is also enroute.

BAck to Prufock's idea, the 'rock' may be part of a collective consciousness of rock energy beings that Verne is enslaving their whole civilization to power his tech. Just Oliphant and Coker didn't have access to a big enough sample to really communicate with it (like 1 ant is stupid, but the colony is smart kinda idea). So maybe the 'rock' not only provides power, but fundamentally makes whatever it is powering better. Verne may not be as smart as he thinks he is, he just knows then he hooks his hokey lightning guns/whatever steampunkish tech up to a normal generator it works OK, but when powered by 'rock' tech it gets way way better. It's the 'rock's intelligence at work. I can keep my heroes from abusing the resource later, cuz that would be enslaving the 'rock' people. Or maybe Verne knows full well his inventions suck but 'rock' is the true power behind is empire. Possible Otaku his illigetimate son stole some rock and is 'tearing shit up' topside with 'rock'nology in his rebellious teenage years and Verne didn't even want the topsiders knowing about his world and technology. Maybe the heroes go down below expressly to free the 'rock' people.

What I need now is some ideas to slowly introduce the idea of going below and letting myself and my players become more conversant with the combat mechanics and rules. I'd like to have another 2 or 3 'normal' topside encounters before going underground where Eloi fly around on pterydactyls mounting lightning guns and rockets.

[CourtFool]

A traitor from the approaching alien army arrives long before the invasion in an attempt to warn Earth of its impending doom. This alien recognizes the 'rock' for what it truly is and assists the PCs on finding the rest of it/them. Regardless of whether the PCs believe the alien or not, the 'authorities' do not.

The alien turns out not to be a traitor after all, but a scout sent ahead to gather as much of the 'rock' as needed to build a portal to allow his alien buddies to invade Earth.

[gerbilattack]

you could make it so that unlike a jealous rival plot-line, Corker and Oliphant are good friends, in which case the kidnapping might be a way to leverage one of Corker's high tech items or services; ie i both hold you trusted friend and all his research you so wanted to (personal life item; heal daughter in coma, free son from demonic possession, move SIENCE! up one TL...) you need to build me my [deathray, giant robot, supersuit, ps3, orbital kitten cannon*] (nothing the scientist could use to thwart the villain but useful for his plans).

1) to blackmail Corker (i have your friend and your research, what now?)

2) To be a techie for a villainous device (the rock may be fuel or just insurance)

3) for giggles (for a super thief, mad scientist, or madman, may have just done it because they can or to have someone (another scientist) to admire his or her handiwork)

4) The rock is an alien entity who mind controlled Oliphant to go off to do something (such as send it home)

5) Oliphant learned the TRUTH, staged the kidnapping, and is hiding the rock somewhere it will never be found so it can never be used/freed. He plans on never coming back.

6)The villain did it as a call out or challenge to the heroes (also a convenient hostage for escaping)

7) Annual Mad Scientist Contest or; mad scientist feels Oliphant is a rival and seeks to defeat him in a contest of SCIENCE! to the death.

Oliphant fell victim to one of his own experiments, he is the masked intruder and stole a dummy of himself on camera so he would have time to reverse the process; cure himself of the result of a lab accident; for his job and family he had to cover it up so he would not be both fired (loosing the resources necessary to fix himself [which he also takes]) and due to the hideousness of his new form (or oddness) he can't face his family.

What is the style of your game, anyways? (grim, lighthearted, silly, serious/)