The idea here is not all that original - it's been done as a game system, a TV series and even borrows heavily from a movie series. I hope that it generates some interest nonetheless and that a few people like the idea...
The game is, essentially, a war for reality. It borrows from Torg and ReBoot as primary sources of inspiration...
Game Concept
Set in a semi-modern era, other realities try to invade our own. The purpose and cause of these invasions are as yet unknown. The PCs begin as operatives within a protected Metropolis, assigned to defend against invading paradigms. (I am using the DCU city of Metropolis, but not necessarily the exact people and personalities...)
Starting with simple missions of preventing a paradigm invasion on a shielded city, the game will expand to taking the fight into the wilderness and eventually to find and fight back against the invaders.
Characters have superpowers even though this is not the norm for this world. They have been granted these powers by Lexcorps' bio-engineering division.
Setting
Tomorrow’s world today. Essentially, the modern world without many of the distractions/ issues that we face. Hunger and homelessness have been eradicated. The notion of the replicator has driven the need for scrounging for resources, hunger and many other ills to the brink of extinction.
That is, until other realities began invading. Many cities were able to fight off the original onslaught and some developed shielding capable of fending off many aggressive attacks automatically. The occasional paradigm assault still gets through, and people of the PCs calibre step in to do what the automated defenses could not.
Cities/ regions that have fallen to the paradigm assaults are often assimilated by the invader. Just as often they are barren wastelands as the invading paradigm’s nature is unable to maintain its hold and crumbles.
Occasionally, the areas become rifts leading back to the invading dimensions instead of an extension of that realm. In the case of this last, the surrounding area could be a devastated wasteland, a co-existing realm and other undiscovered combinations or scenarios. (Note that a large swath of the internet is gone because cities that housed various servers are destroyed or subsumed.)
The game starts within the protected streets of Metropolis. An energy shield is visible over the city, protecting all within from invading realities.
Character Concepts/ Creation
- • Characters are to be existing DCU personalities. Marvel personalities are also permitted. Essentially, take the secret id of an established hero and use the character as a base for abilities and personality. This is to give a sense of continuity or immediate “belonging” for the character’s place in the game.
• It is not required to have an identical powerset to your character’s model personality. Clark Kent, for instance, has access to a battlesuit and other technology that gives him superhuman abilities.
• Use of an existing character name can also be to reflect their powers as a new personality. For instance, Robert Drake gets his name of Ice from his personality. The augmentation process actually turned him into a pyrokinetic. Alternatively, Erik Lensherr has a magnetic personality instead of magnetic powers...
• Powers can be as limited or extensive as PL and PP limits permit (see Crunchy Bits for concept limitations).
• Characters are heroes. Not villains. Not villains in disguise. Heroes.
• Having said that, if you want to take the name, skillset or even powerset of an existing Marvel or DC villain and make them a hero, I am open to the idea.
• I am looking for ideally 4-6 players. Ideally I’d like a scientist/ cleric type, a mage/ blaster type, a leader type and a scout type. The exact way that these niches are filled is up to the players and overlap is permissible.
Unavailable Personalities
These characters are claimed as NPCs by the GM. I've tried to keep the list as short as possible... If you choose a villain to tweak to goodness, be aware that I have claimed some as NPCs already and they may be unavailable. I am not listing those here yet.
- • Colonel Clark Kent
• Bruce Wayne: (He’s in Gotham)
• Lana Lang:
• Jose Delgado:
• John Jones/ Martian Manhunter:
• Reed Richards:
Power/ Character Origins
- • Agent: You are an agent of one of Earth`s military, paramilitary or secret societies. (Perhaps of the Science Police.) This does not preclude access to "superpowers" but requires some creative explanation for why you have powers, depending on the nature of the powers. Enhancement suits, battlesuits and the like ae appropriate. The world's primary paradigm, after all, is akin to our own.
• Augment: You volunteered to be augmented to fight the invasions and protect your home. The bio-organic enhancement process runs the gamut of powers but tends to produce X-Men or LSH style characters with a tight set of powers that fill an archetypal niche. That is not to say that spread out powers (akin to Supes and the like) are out the door.
• Paradigm Shifted: Your PC is not of this world. You might be directly from an invading paradigm, left behind when the incursion was repelled. You might also be a changed being altered during the course of the incursion. Either way, the reality you carry is not the one that most people are accustomed too. The shift can be subtle, concealable or outright evident (see the Paradigm Shifted Complication). At most, I’ll allow one PC to start as a Paradigm Shifted character. Paradigm Shifted characters begin play with the complication “Mistrusted.” (Think Teal’c from Stargate SG-1.)
• Mixed Bag: Combining the above is possible and permissible.
• Others: Other origins are possible, but should fall in the above options. Superhero mutants are paradigm shifted. The alien posing as a paradigm shifted character is for all intents and purposes a paradigm shifted character…
Crunchy Bits
- • Mutants and Masterminds 3rd Edition
• PL 10/ 150 (+GM bonuses) points
• Range on any given power really shouldn’t be greater than a city. (Teleport beyond that range is mostly pointless in this setting at least at the beginning. Likewise, worldwide communication/ scrying is impossible.) Characters ignoring this and expecting HP when their powers do not work will be disappointed.
• Likewise the range on equipment may be limited. Cellphone calls to Toronto, New York or any other city may work, but may not as well. This failure of technology is a part of the setting and to be developed IC.^
• Quickness vs Invention, Ritual and the like - Quickness can be used for these effects.
• Dimensional Anchor All characters receive a pool of 5 power points above and beyond the standard allotment. These are to be assigned to PCs in various Paradigm Incursions. The GM determines what these points grant, and players can make suggestions based on the environment. Players may allot more points to this pool at a cost of 6 points per 5 power points. (Variable Power: Limited to Invading Paradigms, Assigned by GM)
• Dimensional Anchor Part 2 All Characters received the Advantage Quick Change 2, limited to within a paradigm shift. This enables characters to blend into the world that invades and coupled with the Paradigm Incursion points from above, gives them some advantage/ benefit in whatever reality they find themselves in.
Combat Posting
1) Post an action for your character whenever you are online and haven`t already acted that round.
2) I will resolve posts that are posted via the initiative order (including villains).
3) You have until your initiative comes up (or I resolve the action) to change your action (in the original post or a new one. Indicate OOC if you do the former)
4) A summary post at the end of each round will be posted.
New/ Modified Advantages
- • Favoured Paradigm: This advantage is available to characters at the normal cost, and functions exactly like the advantage Favoured Environment. Favoured Paradigms include High Fantasy, Mecha, Manga, Sci-Fi. Characters must further define favoured paradigms to specific genres. Every character gets one free Favoured Paradigm
• Benefit – Status (Science Police) - ranked: You are a ranking officer in the Science Police. This benefit grants security clearance and other base advantages associated with being in the military at rank one, contacts (the “connected” benefit and may have other benefits if taken at higher rank.)
Complications
- • Mistrusted: You are not of this reality and it shows. Your appearance generates mistrust on first contact with most beings, and can go so far as to cause outright hostility towards you. Your character may have been from this world and changed in an incursion, or left behind when an incursion was repelled.
• Paradigm Shift: It happens, even though the player respected the guidelines for character creation, devices or equipment don`t work due to the nature of an invading paradigm. This could also apply to the personal reality that a Paradigm Shifted character "carries" with them... (All players receive this complication.)
Locations of Note
Metropolis: PCs home town. Shielded but occasional incursions.
- • Baxter Building: Home of Challengers of the Fantastic who strive to protect their home city and fight back on a global level.
• Daily Planet: Source of news for the city – electronic media and social hub.
• Science Police:
• SCU 1 – Colonel Clark Kent, Lt Jose Delgado
• SCU 2 – Colonel Lana Lang,
• Lost Angels: Tribute to the ReBoot TV series, a destroyed twin city to Metropolis. The ruins exist within the shielded area of the city.
• Lexcorps Towers: Centerpoint of the city, home to Lex Luthor and HQ of the Science Police
Posting Conventions
I don't plant to reinvent the wheel here. Please use a color for speech, italics for thoughts, put your character name, HP, and current condition at the top of your post... the usual.
As for die rolls, please use [http=http://invisiblecastle.com/]Invisible Castle[/url]. Note, I do not plan to check die rolls on a regular basis. I am of the firm opinion that cheating only cheats the cheater. However if you notice flagrant cheating and it diminishes your enjoyment, please let me know and I will address it.
I plan to post with the group rate. However, I want to move things along whenever possible at least every 48-72 hours possibly faster in combat. I've seen games implode because players seemed to want split second response that only a tabletop game gives...
) of alternate realities. The other solution is to, well, withdraw interest.
