here's a brief section from the introductory chapter talking about the tone in Extreme Earth. btw - the
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Extreme Earth as a Supers Campaign Setting
At first glance, Extreme Earth is clearly different from the typical, more traditional supers settings and may not even seem like a superhero campaign setting at all. In addition to Iron Age comic books and recent television shows featuring people with superpowers in more realistic circumstances, it draws inspiration from other sources including science fiction, alternate history, and techno-thrillers. At heart, however, Extreme Earth is indeed a supers campaign setting about people who possess extraordinary powers and abilities and how they choose to use them. Extreme Earth embraces the grim realism and dark outlook of the Iron Age of Comics, but it is only one type of Iron Age setting and not intended to be a sourcebook for the Iron Age of Comics.
In this section, we will examine the tropes and touchstones from Extreme Earth's inspirational sources that underlie the central conceits of the campaign setting and highlight some of the differences between Extreme Earth and more traditional four-color superhero settings.
Grounded In Realism
Extreme Earth is a campaign setting that despite its fictional elements should still feel almost plausible and within the realm of possibility given enough time to develop the scientific and technological know-how. Super Talented individuals tend to be weaker than the more stupendous superheroes found in traditional supers campaign settings, but they are by no means impotent and still possess an impressive array of abilities. While other settings include amazing superpowers derived from a variety of often fantastical sources, the Super Talents of Extreme Earth are strictly a man-made phenomenon wrought by scientific hubris. Super Talents are therefore limited not only in how they come about but in what they can accomplish. No one can control time, for example, and time travel is not even a possibility. There is no magic, there are no mythical beings, and there is no such thing as inter-dimensional travel through astral, ethereal, or elemental planes. Likewise the supernatural does not exist, and ghosts and vampires and other things that go bump in the night are no more than fairy tales. On Extreme Earth, the monsters are either human or created by humans.
The Rise of the Anti-Hero
On Extreme Earth, they say one man's hero is another man's villain. The heroes of Extreme Earth often lack the time-honored heroic qualities like altruism and nobility found in more traditional supers settings. Instead, many are deeply flawed individuals struggling with their own problems and circumstances. Some are looking for redemption for past transgressions. Others might be villains who in the moment rise to the occasion and become unlikely heroes. The paragon of virtue is rare, if he exists at all, and idealism is often the first casualty to the harsh reality of Extreme Earth. Still, there are those who desperately cling to their virtues and hope for a better world even in the face of impossible odds. For some, their Super Talents are a blessing; for others, they are a curse. And that personal perspective can change on any given day.
Nothing Is Black And White
Moral dilemmas and ethical quandaries are a central theme in Extreme Earth. Unlike many traditional supers campaign settings, there are no hard-defined lines between right and wrong (or good and evil), only shades of gray. A typical Extreme Earth adventure might involve black ops or clandestine missions that include some unpleasant elements like leaving no witnesses behind, even if they are just innocent bystanders. Many times, the player characters will have no choice but to obey the orders of those who hold control over them and undertake a disagreeable assignment. Once they are on their own in the field, however, they can expect to be called upon to make on-the-spot difficult choices like who lives and who dies. But afterward, they will have to learn to live with the decisions they make.
Trust No One
Throughout Extreme Earth, there is an underlying current of fear and paranoia that affects all levels of society. Widespread government corruption and corporate greed have created a prevailing sense of hopelessness and despair among the everyday citizens as they struggle to go about their daily lives. On Extreme Earth, respect for authority and the rule of law commonly found in traditional supers settings have been replaced by fear of governments and law enforcement agencies that cannot be trusted. This distrust is not entirely without cause as many people have witnessed all manners of injustices and atrocities committed by the very people entrusted with their safety and well-being. Government surveillance is as much a fact of life as death and taxes. The existence of Super Talented individuals is another constant source of fear and distrust, and many hold them in great disdain. Extreme Earth is a world where no one can be trusted as neighbor spies upon neighbor while betrayal awaits around every corner.
Skills and What You Know
In an Extreme Earth campaign, your character's skills and knowledge are just as important as the Super Talents they possess. Not every situation encountered can be handled by the use of Super Talents alone, and then your character's education, experience, and years of training must come into play. Many missions will require investigation, technical or scientific expertise, surveillance, or just the ability to use a weapon efficiently in a firefight. Skilled leadership can also be essential to the success of a mission, especially in a world where trust and respect for authority are not easily given. The successful application of your skills will lead to mission success and gained knowledge of the campaign setting's facts and secrets. And knowledge is power on Extreme Earth, a valuable commodity that can be used as a bargaining chip when the right opportunity comes along.
Lethality
During the Iron Age of Comics, once mighty and invincible titans started to fall, and superheroes began to die. On Extreme Earth, no one is a god, neither those with Super Talents or those that created them. Player characters on Extreme Earth are strong and gifted but not invincible, and a bullet is still something to be feared. Every day they will face serious injury, even death. Those possessing some form of invulnerability to certain types of personal injury will find it is not unlimited in its capability to protect them from all harm. Likewise, Super Talented player characters should never underestimate the ability of those who fear them to devise ways to exploit their weaknesses, neutralize their special abilities, and bring them crashing down.
