Masks: A New Generation of Heroes

Game Master Cwethan

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Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

We totally broke some major rules to win the fight. What rules did we break? Whose rules were they?

Okay... so hear me out here... Halcyon city has been established with heroes for generations, so what kind of rules for heroes would that city have? Did we use lethal force? Cause unnecessary levels of property damage? Intentionally involve bystanders in our battle?


Male Human The Beacon | Condition: None

Definitely not the last one - at least, not for Ghost Dragon. Protecting people from danger is why he decided to be a hero. No way he intentionally involves innocent bystanders.


Influence:
I have influence on: Bran the Blessed, Mercy
Conditions: Insecure
Labels:
Danger +2, Freak +2, Savior 0, Superior +2, Mundane +1. Potential 0/5

Hmm, there's a lot of different rules out there. What about time travel (paradox!)? Using a villain's equipment/power/maguffin? Breaking someone out of prison, or stealing an established hero's power source? Agreeing to let someone go who's going to cause problems in the future? Agreeing to do a favor for a bad guy in the future?

I might be able to think of more, but this should be a start.


December 26th Update

We totally broke some major rules to win the fight. What rules did we break? Whose rules were they?

I like where Wingblade is taking the idea. The rules you broke don't have to be dark or deadly (we're playing teen heroes) so it should be something more grey than dark.

Striking a deal with a villain to save hostages, going against an established heroes plans for your own ideals and beliefs, etc.

We stuck together after all was said and done. Why? How'd we keep in contact?

Halcyon City is more of a metropolis, though there's probably a section of the city that's kept its rustic feel. Either works, but location will change. A more modern hideout could be located in the central portion of town where tech and industry are booming The clock tower will be located in a smaller area, much quieter and be more rustic and old.

We found signs that this incident was just the start of something bigger. What were the signs?
The answer to this question won't be the central plot, but it will definitely have an impact on something.

But as it's your question, I'll leave it up to you mostly. What kind of foe did you all face in your first team up?


Angry, Insecure Potential 1/5

We defeated a dangerous enemy. Who or what was it?

I actually kinda wrote this into Tectonic's backstory, so it was kind of easy. Her parents, Jill and Barney Tatum, who attempted to create an army of geokinetic supersoldiers to sell to the highest bidder. The way I figured it, Tectonic, after escaping from her parents' compound, reluctantly used River's government contacts to find any spare heroes who could lend her a hand in taking down her parents. That was the rest of the team. Is everybody cool with that?


December 26th Update

Do you guys have this in your campaigns? Or do I need to create a gameplay thread for you to dot?


When our team first came together... We paid a high cost for victory. What was it?

Okay, so how about something like this scenario:

Tectonic escapes and used River's contacts to request heroes. our various mentors/contacts/what-have-you all said some variant of "you should go help out". As we came together, *something bad happened, involving breaking of some sort of rules, with high cost attached*. During the insuing battle, one of our more tech savvy/investigative characters discovered that the project that Tectonic's parents were running was an ongoing project, and that she was just a member of the latest batch. While there were some oblique clues, we have nothing concreate on the person(s) who were purchasing the soldiers, nor what they were purchasing them for (although probably nothing good).


Male Human The Beacon | Condition: None

It won't show up in our campaigns until the Gameplay thread is up and we can dot it.


December 26th Update

Gameplay thread is up, please dot in


Male Dwarf Oracle 1

The father continued fighting crime with a different costume calling himself the Blur. Wearing a blue and white costume with a slanted B on the left hand side and motion streaks leading off of it to the right.


Influence:
I have influence on: Bran the Blessed, Mercy
Conditions: Insecure
Labels:
Danger +2, Freak +2, Savior 0, Superior +2, Mundane +1. Potential 0/5

If you post, then delete it immediately, it'll show up in your campaigns but we won't clutter the thread. FYI.


Influence:
Deputy Atoms, Tycho, Imagine
Labels:
Danger : +2 Freak : +2 Savior : 0 Superior : 0 Mundane : -1
Kenneth Kaine Potential 2/5 / Conditions: Angry

In regards to Wingblade's question, I really like the idea that we had to retreat back and regroup somewhere and ended up at your secret base. The clocktower feels appropriate and very superhero. The communicators are a nice and easy way to get us all together and stay in communication. How powerful are these communicators and how far do they go? Can you make them better if the plot calls for it?

As for the signs that this was the start of something bigger, I think that ties in well with Tectonic's question. Her parents were getting access to unusually advanced technology to create the geokinetic soldiers, though who this benefactor was and their purpose for doing so is still unknown. Maybe a private army? Maybe to create anarchy? Who knows in the end.

As for the rules we broke, I really like the idea that some or all of us were led there by another villain. This person, however, proved themselves to be right and an ally even if they're on the wrong side of the tracks. We related to them, we understood their need for justice even if perhaps it was simple vengeance. We let them go and they disappeared. Will they be redeemed at all? Will we fight with them? Perhaps against them?

I think perhaps the high cost that we paid can get worked with my own question, which is....

When our team got together, we destroyed our surroundings. Where was it? What was destroyed?

I think that we should've been fighting in the corporate/research section of the city, against dozens of active but weaker geokinetic soldiers. This, combined with our already formidable powers, ruined office blocks, collapsed streets, and left most of it in ruins. The battle reached a climatic encounter in a nuclear reactor nearby the area, a battle that left us destroying it by accident. The high price we paid was that our mentors had to step in and save that last part after we were beaten up badly from the fight and too exhausted to contain it. The public sees as a bit as dangerous or at least rebellious and our mentors are both proud we took initiative but upset with the actions we took.

That at least is the initial idea. What do people think? Any suggestions or changes?


Angry, Insecure Potential 1/5

That sounds amazing!


Influence:
I have influence on: Bran the Blessed, Mercy
Conditions: Insecure
Labels:
Danger +2, Freak +2, Savior 0, Superior +2, Mundane +1. Potential 0/5

Okay, it sounds like we've got a pretty good outline, but I'd like to make a few suggestions, because there's a few things I really don't like.

We're teens, untested and unknown for the most part. If River sends out the call for heroes, they wouldn't send us. My suggestion is most of us stumble on this by accident. Either River doesn't have the connections (maybe she gets them later, as a result of our success), or she'd been targeted by those in power and she couldn't go to the more visible heroes. She has to sneak out a desperate message and by luck or fate, one of us finds it and begins to investigate. Then, by the time everything hits the fan, we're the only ones poised to stop it.

The next thing I would suggest we change is the rule that we break. A villain leading us to the problem doesn't mesh well with River's getting us involved. Instead, I'd go with something else.

If we wreck a major research installation, I think the high price would be accidentally destroying the evidence implicating Tectonic's parents and/or benefactors, so they essentially get away and worse, make us highly suspected since we can't show proof of their wrongdoing.

That leads me to what I feel should answer my other question: Why did we decide to stay in contact with each other? I want to say that we know that we were right, even though the rest of the world isn't sure. We have to stick together because everyone else isn't sure about us.

So... how does that sound?


Angry, Insecure Potential 1/5

That's what I was thinking, Wingblade. It was less of a "We've got government clearance, get the Paragons," and more of "We've got two hours before the army goes public, we need to find somebody NOW." And I like your suggestion, as well. We have a subplot of trying to cast off suspicion while we track down Tectonic's parents and shut them down before they activate another nefarious plot.


December 26th Update

I can imagine the first meet up as a sort of "and they came together for the first time that moment" situation. In fact, I don't think you're supposed to be an established team until after that first big fight.

A possible suggestion is having River be some sort of Criminal as well, which would be very interesting since Tectonic is still living with her.

Just thinking out loud though.

I like the idea that you all may have acted rashly and caused unintended consequences or even the somewhat cliche "And no one believed them" if the super soldiers deconstructed into regular-earth after being defeated but before the Adult Heroes arrived. It also fits well that while there may have been something dangerous here, none of the adult heroes saw the threat you were up against and many wonder if such destruction was really neccessary or if you all just wanted to run wild.

=============

So Wingblade....what do those communicators look like? Personalized to each hero? Any limitations? All chat only or private message capable?


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

I'm liking how this is all working out. I just don't have much more to contribute here except my presence probably had a chunk to do with them not believing us, since I'm the son of a villain.


conditions:
None.
Influence:
I Have Influence on: No One
Labels:
Danger: 0, Freak: +3, Savior: +2, Superior: +1, Mundane:-1

And I will contribute that River DID actually reach my mentor, but he sent me instead, by absolutely forbidding me to do so (it's the kinda adversarial relationship I envision for them).

I also personally like the angle that there is suspicion on us, because that can be used to tie into my character's temptation of "wouldn't it be easy to just MAKE people realize the truth".

As for who would have influence over me, I vote for Hashtag. We both have potential futures that we are running from, and we both are trying to buck what people are expecting of us.


Influence:
I have influence on: Bran the Blessed, Mercy
Conditions: Insecure
Labels:
Danger +2, Freak +2, Savior 0, Superior +2, Mundane +1. Potential 0/5

My mentor Whippoorwill has a gadget/tech guy named Whetstone who makes stuff for her. She's been on a number of different super hero teams over the years. The communicators we first use would probably be older-generation earbuds that share one signal so everyone can listen in, and probably have a range that would encompass the majority of the city. Later on, I could probably request an upgrade to give us private channels and maybe even a video chat feature.

=================
BACKGROUND
Here's another observation that I just realized: most of us come from villain stock. Wingblade is a Weapon X-style former assassin. Hashtag is a son of a villain. North Star is a past self of a future despot. Eldritch draws his power from an evil outer god. Tectonic is an experiment by her evil scientist parents.

That leaves poor Ghost Dragon as our lone non-villainous origin character -- which I think is really cool!

So clearly, no one's going to trust us.

Here's what I suggest.

North Star's future self wants him to take part in the geokinetic soldier program. In fact, it was his first step in his world domination plan, having an army of earth-based soldiers at his beck and call. So Future NS and Tectonic's parents are either working together or they're being manipulated.

Tectonic is still trapped inside the facility as an experiment. River sneaks out a desperate message, and a few of us get it. Most likely Wingblade, Eldritch, Hashtag and Ghost Dragon.

They investigate, and encounter an army that thrashes them, forcing them to fall back, recover and regroup.

Meanwhile, North Star gets a cryptic message from Alleghory that the other characters are important somehow. He goes to them for help stopping the geokinetic soldier army. But it's not that simple.

We have to break the rules somehow (and I'm still not sure what's best here). Whatever we do, during the battle we free Tectonic and she joins the fight. The we trigger whatever rule we break, unleash massive destruction and obliterate the evidence.

Whippoorwill lets Wingblade use one of her old hideouts, since she believes them that they did the right thing, but she doesn't have the kind of influence like a Captain Goodness icon to fully take the heat off them. Like it or not, they have to stick together.

Thus ends the four-part limited series! Watch for Issue One of the new ongoing series, coming soon to a comic shop near you! Excelsior!

...

How does this sound?

(And obviously, I'm just going with the finished characters right now. I know we have others who may pop in and join the team, which will require some more adjustments.)


Angry, Insecure Potential 1/5

Huh... That sounds really good, actually.


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

I... really like Wingblade's ideas. Totally sounds good to me.

I would be fine with working with you guys to prove we're right because Hashtag'd be pissed that they just dismissed them outright because he's just the spawn of a villain and this was expected to happen. He'd stick with the group all the way through just to prove a point and spite the attitudes of the guys who thought they're just villains in the making.


December 26th Update

So these communicators, do they buzz when someone's calling on them? How do people know someone's calling without actually wearing them all the time?

I like WingBlade's breakdown as well. Still need some specific's from people in regards to their personal "When we came together" question, but that's a good framework.


Influence:
Deputy Atoms, Tycho, Imagine
Labels:
Danger : +2 Freak : +2 Savior : 0 Superior : 0 Mundane : -1
Kenneth Kaine Potential 2/5 / Conditions: Angry

I like Wingblade's idea as well, Eldritch was in the area nearby investigating weirdness that had been occurring of some sort in the area and got drawn in to the fight against Tectonic's parents.

The research center was where we fought a major battle and maybe a learning center, dedicated to one of the Golden Age era heroes, was what was caught as collateral damage instead of the nuclear reactor? Not only was it of cultural significance but it was also was having important research for the betterment of the city (and the world) being done and without any evidence, that also was put on our heads.

So we're looked at like we're going to be more trouble and we are -solidly- in the mindset that we are right and they are wrong. Her parents are bad people, something strange was going on with this equipment here, and no one believes us.

If we go with the nuclear reactor, perhaps the rule we break is destroying it? Perhaps the soldiers were actually too much again but we needed to fight back and overloading the reactor was the edge we needed to save one/more of our lives? Really depends on what flavor you guys are thinking, I like them both.

----------

As for my own influences, I took locked-down for Eldritch's demeanor and I'm going to give it to Wingblade. Once he learned of her fight against her own nature, he found something akin to kinship in his own struggle and she was one of the first he began to open up to.


Male Human The Beacon | Condition: None

Wingblade's breakdown is great, and I definitely approve of it apart from one thing. Ghost Dragon doesn't have a mentor or any official connection to the hero community at large. He's basically Daredevil at the beginning of the Netflix series - he's wearing a costume he made himself and beating up gangsters and thugs who commit crimes in his neighborhood.

What I'm thinking for his involvement is that he stopped a mugging in his usual fashion (fight off the attackers). The victim could have been a custodian who worked at the lab, and told him there was some really weird stuff that was going on there. He thought there might be some people in trouble, and asked him to investigate. Ghost Dragon happened to get there at the same time as Wingblade, Eldritch, and Hashtag (and Airacomet III once the character's complete).

As for the rule we broke, I'm in favor of either cutting a deal with a villain that allowed them to escape, or that we caused a vast amount of property damage.

Our signs of something could definitely be that Tectonic's parents were getting resources from some outside source to create the geokinetic soldiers, and that the knowledge for how to create them may have been duplicated, even though we destroyed everything on-site and Tectonic's parents got away.

------

EDIT: As for my Influences, I'm waiting for everyone's character to be complete, since I have to choose who I think is Awesome and always want to hang out with, and someone who I have to prove myself to. I'm going to make those two of my three influences, then decide from who's left my third influence.


December 26th Update

Protege/Wingblade - We stuck together after all was said and done. Why? How'd we keep in contact?

Beacon/Ghost Dragon - We found signs that this incident was just the start of something bigger. What were the signs?

Nova/North Star - When our team got together, we destroyed our surroundings. Where was it? What was destroyed?

Doomed/Eldritch - When our team first came together... We paid a high cost for victory. What was it?

Bull/Tectonic - We defeated a dangerous enemy. Who or what was it?

Delinquent/Hashtag - We totally broke some major rules to win the fight. What rules did we break? Whose rules were they?

EDIT: Note to the Legacy, Outsider, and Transformed. Your questions will not be added until a hero alias is made with the appropriate information filled out. If you need some guidance, please refer to the other characters.

Please type out what you would like to be filled in for your respective question. Unfortunately, no idea where our outsider is, but if they haven't posted in yet. So we're just going to keep going with character creation and such and we'll add them in when they do get here.

As most of the Alias's have been created, feel free to start doling out your influences, and make sure that the person who receives your influence knows they have it.

You only have to keep track of Who you have influence over. Trust me, its a lot simpler than keeping track of who has influence on you as well.

When we finish with that, I'll start the game.


Angry, Insecure Potential 1/5

We defeated a dangerous enemy. Who or what was it?

Tectonic's parents, Barney and Jill Tatum, and their army of geokinetic soldiers.

Don't have access to the playbooks right now, but I recall that nobody except their Lover or Rival can have influence over the Bull. Does that apply in reverse, as well? Can I have influence over somebody who's not my lover or rival?


Since we're getting into the whole influence side of things, I'm going to post a rough draft of my The Transformed character. It's my hope that I'll have him finished by later today.

Spoiler:
___________________
Hero
___________________
Hero Name: Deputy Adams/Atoms, AtomiCop
Real Name (if different): Shaun Adams
Abilities: Inhuman Might and Superhuman Senses [able to perceive wireless transmissions; such as from cellphones, computers, etc.; and see things on an atomic level]
Look: Man, White, Strange Eyes, Untouchable Flesh, No Costume

Once a young, athletically-built, tall caucausian male with short, unkempt black hair and blue eyes, Shaun Adams is now Deputy Atoms, a being of living energy in the form of a brightly glowing white-blue humanoid. The Deputy's atoms are constantly being split and re-formed by his body, making him an ongoing example of nuclear fission and fusion, and granting him extraordinary power. However, he fears that this process is not only making him unstable, but is also affecting his mind and his humanity. Making matters worse is the fact that many of those around Deputy Atoms fear that he is extremely dangerous and radioactive, further driving him away from normal human contact. But Shaun's discipline is strong and he has vowed to not only remain human, but also to use his powers to defend the world.
___________________
Labels
___________________
Danger : +1
Freak : +3
Savior : +1
Superior : -1
Mundane : -1
___________________
Influence
___________________
Have Influence on:
___________________
Team Moves
___________________
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, clear one condition if they treat you like a perfectly normal person and mark potential if they praise your power or abilities.

When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, ask them if they think you’re losing or gaining humanity. If they say losing, mark a condition and mark potential. If they say gaining, clear a condition and shift Mundane up and any other Label down.
___________________
Advancement
___________________
Write dowsn any current advancements.
___________________
Backstory
___________________
Who were you before?

Shaun Adams was a member of the Halcyon County Sheriff's Department Explorer program, which offered training and practical experience to teenagers interested in a future career in law enforcement. Polite, friendly and very quick to help, he was well-respected and liked by his community and fellow officers. During an attack on the city by Redshift, an organization of supervillains seeking to rule mankind, Shaun was on a ride-along with Deputy William Wakefield.

When did you change? What caused it?
Both Shaun and Deputy Wakefield were caught in the middle of the attack and their squad car was destroyed.

Who, outside of the team, is helping you understand your new body?

Why don’t you just try to hide yourself away?

Why do you care about the team?

___________________
Relationships
___________________
We'll answer these questions in discussion.
___________________
*Any Other Abilites Unique to your Playbook
___________________
I am not my body: When you take a powerful physical blow, you may roll as if you had two fewer conditions marked. If you do, on a 10+ you must choose to lose control of yourself in a terrible way.

Unstoppable: When you smash your way through scenery to get to or away from something, roll + Danger. On a hit, the world breaks before you, and you get what you want. On a 7-9, choose one: mark a condition, leave something behind, or take something with you. On a miss, you smash through, but leave devastation in your wake or wind up somewhere worse, GM’s choice.

Wish I could be: When you comfort or support someone, if you tell them what you most envy about them, you can roll + Freak instead of + Mundane.


December 26th Update

@ Tectonic
I believe the wording of the Bull is mostly flavor. You choose a lover and rival and they get influence on you, but you are affected by influence as every other character is.

Ohterwise, I'd just be robbing an entire system of character development from you.

@ CCCXLII
looks good so far.


Influence:
I have influence on: Bran the Blessed, Mercy
Conditions: Insecure
Labels:
Danger +2, Freak +2, Savior 0, Superior +2, Mundane +1. Potential 0/5

Thanks everyone, I'm glad you like what I've put together so far.

Okay, my communicators are earpieces that have a pocket/buzz function so they can alert someone when they're not worn. They also have a special detachable earbud that will stay in the ear if the communicators are forcibly removed (in the event of capture). If that happens, the earbud will send a short emergency burst using local cell towers to boost the signal, and will continue to ping at roughly ten minute intervals until the battery goes out (usually about two to three days). The bud can also be activated by the wearer to actually send a message, but that uses up the battery pretty fast.

How's that?

==========

We stuck together after all was said and done. Why? How'd we keep in contact?

Although WE know we saved the day, the rest of the city is not so sure about us. Since there's not much chance of the rest of the superhero community accepting us the way things currently stand, we're all we've got. I let everyone keep one of the communicators that I leant them, and who knows? Maybe one or more has asked to crash in my clock tower for a bit.

==============
Influence

Wingblade's standoffish manner and tendency to brood means that no teammate has influence over her (yet).

It's looking like so far, she has influence over Eldritch.


conditions:
None.
Influence:
I Have Influence on: No One
Labels:
Danger: 0, Freak: +3, Savior: +2, Superior: +1, Mundane:-1

When our team got together, we destroyed our surroundings. Where was it? What was destroyed?

I like the idea of their secret base for creating soldiers being under a normal research center, especially for something dealing with one of the major diseases. It would be especially fitting if someone from said institute/lab said that they were close to a cure for the disease that they studied (for some reason I like it being a parkinson's disease lab, especially since they could probably draw their test subjects from desperate people). When we starting fighting inside the lab, it caused several key support structures to collapse down and more or less sink the facility.


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent
Wingblade wrote:


We stuck together after all was said and done. Why? How'd we keep in contact?

Although WE know we saved the day, the rest of the city is not so sure about us. Since there's not much chanceof the rest of the superhero community accepting us the way things currently stand, we're all we've got. I let everyone keep one of the communicators that I leant them, and who knows? Maybe one or more has asked to crash in my clock tower for a bit.

I know I'll be 'popping in' to your clocktower every now and again to 'hang out' whenever Hashtag feels like not attending classes (we could go to school... right?) or to try to spend time around you guys. It's just that he probably has a tendency to be there when Wingblade's trying to brood and that's all kinds of good fun for a delinquent like him.

Hashtag's gonna come across kinda like a punk-kid version of Tsundere.


December 26th Update

Actually that's something for you all to decide.

You guys go to school? And if you do, the same school?


Angry, Insecure Potential 1/5

Hm. So, first, I think I've gotta chose my love (can be platonic or romantic) and rival (friendly rivalry). I like the idea for a rival in Hashtag, because of reasons he's already mentioned and the interesting contrast between his powers and Tectonic's. The love would probably be Ghost Dragon, since Tectonic would admire him for managing to keep up with the team despite his lack of innate powers, and his straight-up good nature.

I would think that Wingblade would have some Influence over Tectonic, simply by virtue of being the team leader, and Tectonic and North Star would have Influence over each other, because they can relate over being a good bit more powerful than the rest of the team and the struggle between letting that power loose and restraining it-although North Star has it far harder than her. Maybe Eldritch has some Influence over Tectonic, because she admires him for his ability to keep on truckin' despite his inevitable doom?


December 26th Update

You all totally allowed to give influence to anyone you want, but the minimum is stipulated under the influence section of your playbook.


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

Halcyon High sounds kinda catchy, you know?

I also need two other people to have Influence over me.


December 26th Update

@ Hashtag
You'll need to think about who your character cares about/care what they think about him.

===============

There's so many of you, you can make your own individual choices if you wish to be enrolled in the prominent Halcyon High. Your choice also whether to be public about your hero antics.


Shaun Adams - The Transformed

Deputy Atoms is ready! I'm opening up my relationship questions to you guys, and would appreciate discussion on the "one important person who now hates and fears us". I would like to give Influence to the teammate who wants to be the one who comforted Shaun when he was at his lowest.

=QUESTIONS=
When our team first came together...
We drew attention and ire from plenty during the fight. One important person in particular now hates and fears us. Who is it?

Relationships
________ comforted you when you were at your lowest.
________ knew you before you changed.

Influence
You try not to care what other people think, even if you can’t shut everyone out. Give Influence to one teammate.


Influence:
I have influence on: Bran the Blessed, Mercy
Conditions: Insecure
Labels:
Danger +2, Freak +2, Savior 0, Superior +2, Mundane +1. Potential 0/5

Regarding being the team leader:

The game seems to set the Protégé up to be the leader, which is fine by me if everyone wants to look to Wingblade that way. It makes sense that she's been "established" in the superhero world unlike everyone else (except perhaps the Legacy). But be aware that at the outset, Wingblade is not going to want the job. (I purposely did not take any of the leadership moves because of that.) I think her growing into the leader position, either because it's foisted upon her at the start or because she later takes up the mantle, will be fun to watch in-game.

Going to school

Whippoorwill would have enrolled Wingblade in online courses. Having large, bladed, metallic wings would surely violate any school's zero weapons policy. Though I think a Halcyon High School setting would be fun, I think it might strain credulity that someone like her would be allowed in school.


Influence:
Deputy Atoms, Tycho, Imagine
Labels:
Danger : +2 Freak : +2 Savior : 0 Superior : 0 Mundane : -1
Kenneth Kaine Potential 2/5 / Conditions: Angry

I think the Doomed and I got mixed up. I'm the Nova, Tycho is the Doomed :P

I've got to do some errands but I'll post here as soon as I can.


Angry, Insecure Potential 1/5

Aaaaah. In which case, the roles for Eldritch and Tycho are reversed for the sake of Influence over Tectonic.

As for school, Tectonic is currently in a remedial education program, administrated by River. She's actually quite intelligent (represented by +1 Superior), and is blazing through the courses quickly. Maybe an interesting subplot would be Tectonic finally going to real high school?

Tectonic does have a civilian identity and a heroic one, simply for the purpose of throwing her parents off the trail in case they try to capture her again, since they escaped the assault on their base. Despite her not wearing a mask or costume, nobody has managed to identify Tectonic as Nora Wild so far, simply because she's, you know, made of bedrock with bits of iron sticking out of her while in hero form. That tends to throw people off a little bit.


December 26th Update

Whoops.

Protege/Wingblade - We stuck together after all was said and done. Why? How'd we keep in contact?
Although WE know we saved the day, the rest of the city is not so sure about us. Since there's not much chance of the rest of the superhero community accepting us the way things currently stand, we're all we've got. I let everyone keep one of the communicators that I lent them, and who knows? Maybe one or more has asked to crash in my clock tower for a bit.

Beacon/Ghost Dragon - We found signs that this incident was just the start of something bigger. What were the signs?

Nova/Eldritch - When our team got together, we destroyed our surroundings. Where was it? What was destroyed?

Doomed/North Star - When our team first came together... We paid a high cost for victory. What was it?
I like the idea of their secret base for creating soldiers being under a normal research center, especially for something dealing with one of the major diseases. It would be especially fitting if someone from said institute/lab said that they were close to a cure for the disease that they studied (for some reason I like it being a parkinson's disease lab, especially since they could probably draw their test subjects from desperate people). When we starting fighting inside the lab, it caused several key support structures to collapse down and more or less sink the facility.

Bull/Tectonic - We defeated a dangerous enemy. Who or what was it?
Tectonic's parents, Barney and Jill Tatum, and their army of geokinetic soldiers.

Delinquent/Hashtag - We totally broke some major rules to win the fight. What rules did we break? Whose rules were they?

Outsider/Deputy Atoms - We drew attention and ire from plenty during the fight. One important person in particular now hates and fears us. Who is it?

================

Well, the subject of a high school can go multiple different ways, and Halcyon city is vague enough to allow for differents settings:
1. A normal high-end high school.
2. A high school that has a program for young heroes (still secret but offers training).
3. Open policy on heroes, hero status elicits popularity in most cases.
4. Entirely super-powered school, with some if not a majority of students aspire to be heroes.

Heck, we could techincally have multiple different high schools (though that might get confusing for me).

Your choice guys.
================

While the Protege can take a leader-type role well, its easy enough to change hands or take turns based on the scenario. For example, the Legacy might lead better when faced with more political atmosphere and the delinquent may be better for a mission tied to the seedier side of Halcyon city.


Angry, Insecure Potential 1/5

I like the idea of #2. It kinda sets up the whole more subversive, slightly edgier, but also willing to take in heroes with more socially unacceptable powers, and are also pseudo-illegal and secretive and have very bad PR (i.e. the X-Men in their early days), versus the stand-up, shining bright, cape and spandex, full on LG, but maybe a bit overbearing and superior, league of heroes (the Avengers) dynamic that makes a lot of comic-book universes really interesting.


Male Human The Beacon | Condition: None

We found signs that this incident was just the start of something bigger. What were the signs?

The signs were a financial paper trail indicating a source of outside funding for the lab and for the geokinetic soldiers that clearly showed these beings were just the tip of a possible conspiracy, as well as several status reports sent to an email address by Barney and Jill Tatum. The email address is now defunct.

Relationships
[blank] is awesome, and you take every chance you get to hang out with them.

You've got to prove yourself to [blank] before you feel like a real hero.

For the first blank, I'm going to make it Deputy Atoms, as they both have the strong desire to help others.

For the second blank, right now I'm choosing Wingblade, although once our Legacy makes their profile, I might choose them, instead.

Influence
The following have Influence over me:

Deputy Atoms - because of his past as a Department Explorer
Wingblade - because she's team leader and he has to prove himself to her
Tectonic - out of respect for what she's endured in her life thus far

I don't know that it makes sense for the Beacon to necessarily start with Influence over anyone, since he's fairly inexperienced at heroing and lacks any formal hero training.

---------------------------------------------

As for school, is there a less prestigious public high school in the city? Possibly one that doesn't have as much funding and isn't as good, in what might be a rougher part of town. I don't mind Halcyon High, but I'm not sure it fits with what I envision Ghost Dragon attending.

Also, Tectonic, Ghost Dragon totally has powers. He has phasing. And...well, okay phasing's it, but he knows martial arts. Not everyone does, so that makes it kind of like a power, right? Sort of? Maybe?


Angry, Insecure Potential 1/5

Ah. Sorry. A lot of the Beacon moves are based around the conceit that they rely on high-tech gear more than powers. Sorry about that.


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

Delinquent/Hashtag - We totally broke some major rules to win the fight. What rules did we break? Whose rules were they?

Look... the 'authorities' say our actions were without 'probable cause'. Other words they used were stuff like 'excessive property damage', 'wanton destruction', and 'public menace'. Look, that's all a load of s#@& and you know it. We did what we had to; if we hadn't, you'd be praising your new overlords by now.

Tectonic is one of his influences. He thinks she looks cool, actually helps people, and looks badass in a leather jacket. He'd treat her the closest as he can to a regular 'friend', if only because he finds her to be a lot like him. Currently, he has no romantic interest in her, despite how attractive she is.

I'd like to let Nova have influence over Hashtag, because he's actually a little scared of him (Not that he'd actually admit that). His powers are some of the few that could potentially pin him down or hit him even if he were hiding in his illusions.

I need a volunteer for my third mandatory influence. My playbook says I need to (albeit secretly) let 3 members have influence over him.

I vote for either option 1 or 2 for Halcyon High. I'd be a student there; Not that I'd be there all the time, but since my parentage is public knowledge, I suspect they might have the use of super-powered truancy officers for me... :P

Also I, in general, like everyone in the group, unless they try to act like those adult 'authorities' and try to dictate to him how to live.

I think because he's an illusionist, his costume alone is actually just a deep black full bodysuit made of standard superhero costume materials (Cause after 2 generations, there's GOT to be a standard in hero costume retailers). A consequence of his illusion powers, though, is that he can make the suit look like it's colored with all kinds of weird things.


Shaun Adams - The Transformed

Deputy Atoms probably doesn't go to highschool, even if it were a special superhuman one, as his powers are just too dangerous. Imagine if someone were to get pushed in the hallway and bump into him. They wouldn't fall through or anything, he's solid, but... burns, radiation poisoning, the works.

While I'm at it, in the same vein, I don't believe he can use the team communicators as they would 'something' (melt or vaporize maybe, I'm not really sure what would happen). His superhuman senses however, do allow him to perceive the transmissions, meaning that he'll always be able to 'hear' whenever the team makes a call.

The thing about the Deputy is that he doesn't need to stop for any reason, as he doesn't need to eat or rest. Even when he's not with the team, he's still being a superhero, either training or continuing to fight crime. Yes, he has his secret identity as Shaun Adams, and he isn't making that public, but it's impossible for him to live that identity. Only Deputy Atoms is left now. And he doesn't stop. Ever.

Influence
I'm going to go ahead and give everyone in the team Influence over Deputy Adams. There's really no one else who is willing to hang out with a walking nuclear reactor, and that combined with his personality makes him really care about his team members.

Thanks Ghost Dragon for giving me a start!

Relationship
________ comforted you when you were at your lowest.
________ knew you before you changed.

I'm still not sure on these. Though I'm inclined to give at least one of these to Ghost Dragon. Who wants the other?

We drew attention and ire from plenty during the fight. One important person in particular now hates and fears us. Who is it?
This is another one I'm still trying to figure out. But I imagine some kind of authority figure.

Influences/Labels:

The Transformed has influence over...
The Beacon - Ghost Dragon

The Transformed labels themselves as...
Danger : +1
Freak : +3
Savior : +1
Superior : -1
Mundane : -1


Potential: 0/5
Condition(s): Doing good!


December 26th Update

Protege/Wingblade - We stuck together after all was said and done. Why? How'd we keep in contact?
Although WE know we saved the day, the rest of the city is not so sure about us. Since there's not much chance of the rest of the superhero community accepting us the way things currently stand, we're all we've got. I let everyone keep one of the communicators that I lent them, and who knows? Maybe one or more has asked to crash in my clock tower for a bit.

Beacon/Ghost Dragon - We found signs that this incident was just the start of something bigger. What were the signs?
The signs were a financial paper trail indicating a source of outside funding for the lab and for the geokinetic soldiers that clearly showed these beings were just the tip of a possible conspiracy, as well as several status reports sent to an email address by Barney and Jill Tatum. The email address is now defunct.

Nova/Eldritch - When our team got together, we destroyed our surroundings. Where was it? What was destroyed?

Doomed/North Star - When our team first came together... We paid a high cost for victory. What was it?
I like the idea of their secret base for creating soldiers being under a normal research center, especially for something dealing with one of the major diseases. It would be especially fitting if someone from said institute/lab said that they were close to a cure for the disease that they studied (for some reason I like it being a parkinson's disease lab, especially since they could probably draw their test subjects from desperate people). When we starting fighting inside the lab, it caused several key support structures to collapse down and more or less sink the facility.

Bull/Tectonic - We defeated a dangerous enemy. Who or what was it?
Tectonic's parents, Barney and Jill Tatum, and their army of geokinetic soldiers.

Delinquent/Hashtag - We totally broke some major rules to win the fight. What rules did we break? Whose rules were they?
Look... the 'authorities' say our actions were without 'probable cause'. Other words they used were stuff like 'excessive property damage', 'wanton destruction', and 'public menace'. Look, that's all a load of s*!! and you know it. We did what we had to; if we hadn't, you'd be praising your new overlords by now.

Outsider/Deputy Atoms - We drew attention and ire from plenty during the fight. One important person in particular now hates and fears us. Who is it?

=========================

Sure, there's a not-as-developed section of Halcyon City. Halcyon High is the largest and most prestigious high school that features boarding and many facilities. However, there are additional public schools and private schools spread throughout the city including the least fortunate, Franklin High. Its not terrible, but its definitely overburdened.

=========================

Deputy Adams, if you could come up with more concrete reasons why every should get influence on you that would be helpful.

Also, not entirely sure radioactive body is covered under transmuting flesh....its a bit of a stretch, but it fits so should be fine. As for a way you could attend a high school, you could have a suit you wear that contains your radioactive properties and people will still be frightened of you in case that suit breaks.

Also, we need to define what your super senses are and how it fits with your theme. As a being made of energy there are some ways I can see certain abilities working, but I don't want to leave it too vague.

And regardless if you decide your hero will go to school or not, I must insist on the suit. I doubt the Adult heroes would let you off if you accidently gave a villain cancer. The powerset you have is definitely a danger, so we need to make adjustments somewhere for the story to make sense.


conditions:
None.
Influence:
I Have Influence on: No One
Labels:
Danger: 0, Freak: +3, Savior: +2, Superior: +1, Mundane:-1

Relationships:
You told Wingblade all about your doom and the danger you’re in.

Cause I'm fine with it all being her fault.

You’d love to kiss ________________ before your doom comes. Not sure here yet. I think it'll take a bit of game play before I can answer this one.

As far as schooling goes, North Star's is lackluster at best. He doesn't know how to read, and anything beyond basic math is currently beyond him. It's not that he's stupid, it's just that he never had any sort of education, other than in learning to control his powers.

I think I'll give Eldritch influence over me, because he and I had very similar upbringings.


Angry, Insecure Potential 1/5

Maybe Tectonic and North Star are in the same remedial program together?


Influence:
I have influence on: Bran the Blessed, Mercy
Conditions: Insecure
Labels:
Danger +2, Freak +2, Savior 0, Superior +2, Mundane +1. Potential 0/5

Er, DM Default, Deputy Atoms is Transformed, not the Outsider. He's a latecomer.

==========================

The subject of the high school actually leads to a larger question, in my mind, and that is how 'comic book-y' is this setting going to be? Obviously, with there being three to four generations of superheroes preceding us, the concept of superheroes is ubiquitous and no one is going to truly freak out when they see a person with wings, or glowing skin, or who can phase through solid objects.

So, that means we're dealing with a society that is pretty much used to the concept of powers, magic, superscience, aliens, alternate dimensions and the like. However, how that society has adapted needs to be explored.

The way I see it, there's a couple ways that can be addressed:

Society is very similar to ours, despite everything.
This is how most of Marvel and DC comics tend to portray things. There's sort of a collective blindness to all the weirdness by society as a whole. The largest questions, like how all this impacts commerce, religion, international conflicts, etc. are all totally ignored to focus on the superhero antics of the select few. When society is saved, even after a planet-devouring entity was thwarted by the longest of odds, it goes right back to business as usual.

In this type of world, I don't think there'd be a public super hero school. Obviously super-powered students would have to go to secret schools or private institutions. If it's this world, only options 1 and 2 should exist.

Society is fundamentally different
This is harder to wrap our minds around, since everything would be different. Super powered people and super science should fix most of society's ills. The powered are literal gods and the greatest celebrities of the world. Nations would count their powered citizens as assets just like nuclear weapons.

Super powered schools would probably exist, and everyone with a power would be quickly assessed, sorted and stuck somewhere. In this type of world, only 3 and 4 should exist.

What do you think, DM? I personally prefer high school #1, and a society very similar to ours. It strains credulity, but it's also comforting.

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