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I've had this idea for at least 20 years. Maybe it is too specific or too weird, but I'm going to throw it out and see if there is any interest.
Game system is Mutants and Masterminds 3E.
Setting is Urban Fantasy but Hidden Fantasy, in the general style of Dresden or BPRD. The heroes would be based loosely on characters from Universal Monsters movies and series, but could be very loosely. So you could be a teen Frankenstein's monster, or a female teen Creature from the Black Lagoon, or a Bride of Dracula or a son or daughter of Dracula, or a mummy, or a wolf man, or etc.
The setting would be informed by all of these influences. The plot would be connected to character backgrounds and some mythological ideas I have. The format would be that you have a Nick Fury style handler (maybe Mina Harker or similar) who sends you on missions, but you can have your own agenda.
It would be at least mid-January before I could get this going, but thought I'd toss it out and see if there is any interest in this fairly specific idea.
Hmm, this sounds super interesting! How much leeway would we be allowed in our creations?
For example, could the child of Dracula be a vampire 'mage' or the wolf-man a full shapegchanger(as opposed to just a wolf)?
hmm... I'm thinking a mad chemist who has studied the works of Griffin and Jekyll.
How deep are you expecting the lore to go?
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I'm thinking of "what if the Dark Universe movies by Universal happened and were big and crazy but hopefully also good" combined with super hero horror and heroics.
Inspiration on the comics side would be the more horror versions of Hulk comics, Midnight Sons, Ghost Rider, Strange Academy, Werewolf by Night, Hellboy, Doom Patrol.
Movie inspiration from all of the Universal movies, Brendan Frasier Mummy, Sophia Boutella Mummy, Shape of Water, Hellboy.
Thematically, I would want the PCs to be somewhat monstrous and tragic but also kickass and fun, if that makes any sense.
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Hmm, this sounds super interesting! How much leeway would we be allowed in our creations?
For example, could the child of Dracula be a vampire 'mage' or the wolf-man a full shapechanger(as opposed to just a wolf)?
Creations can wander from their inspiration some, and the Universal monsters will mostly exist and get upgrades to super hero power levels. I'd prefer for heroes to be really good at what they do but not have a gazillion different powers that handle any situation.
A vampire mage would be good, but I probably wouldn't want a full Doctor Strange or Fate style wizard who can do anything.
I'd have to think on a shape changer, partly because of one of the potential villains I was thinking about. Someone limited to vampire themed forms would probably work, and those can get decently broad if you use vampires from around the world.
Whenever I am thinking about campaigns, I do some character proofs of concept. One I came up with is Frankenstein Boy, a teen golem who is sort of a powerhouse who can be resurrected and can punch with the electricity that animates him.
Another is Siren is a Creature of the Black Lagoon with sonic mind control powers.
But avoiding characters who layer on too many things. I'm the heir of Van Helsing who is a vampire werewolf and has James Bond style gadgets and an invisibility potion.
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This would be absolutely amazing. I'd apply for sure.
Not at all sure what I'd play. Would partly depend on other players choices.
Hmm. That said one idea is springing to mind. I'm not familiar enough with all the sources, but would a teen girl Cat themed monster work? Ideally, something like a decent melee combat sort possibly combined with some very cat themed powers (scent, night vision, talk to cats, turn into cats both small and large) or is that starting to get too broad?
Partly inspired by Teen Wolf, partly by the Bastet in White Wolfs Werewolf series, partly by the cat on my lap :-).
And what PL are you thinking of? I'm kinda guessing PL8. To some extent in Mutants and Masterminds PL affects character concept.
hmm... I'm thinking a mad chemist who has studied the works of Griffin and Jekyll.
How deep are you expecting the lore to go?
Creations can wander from their inspiration some, and the Universal monsters will mostly exist and get upgrades to super hero power levels. I'd prefer for heroes to be really good at what they do but not have a gazillion different powers that handle any situation.
To expand on my idea, I was thinking for my mad chemist that they would have a few different formulas that were essentially packages of powers (and the associated mental flaws that go with them). Invisibility would be one, perhaps with a few other tweaks. Hyde would be another. etc.
It would be flexibility, but once I'm in a package it would take some time to switch. I was thinking I'd need to inject myself to purge the previous package and then another injection to bring on the next one.
If you prefer me to keep with one package, I can be okay with that. I'd probably develop the invisibility formula.
I'd like to know the PL as well.
The sources are the Universal Monster movies.
I'm thinking full super hero PL 10. Obviously the original characters aren't at that level, but this is bringing them more into a superhero comics style.
hmm... I'm thinking a mad chemist who has studied the works of Griffin and Jekyll.
How deep are you expecting the lore to go?
Creations can wander from their inspiration some, and the Universal monsters will mostly exist and get upgrades to super hero power levels. I'd prefer for heroes to be really good at what they do but not have a gazillion different powers that handle any situation.To expand on my idea, I was thinking for my mad chemist that they would have a few different formulas that were essentially packages of powers (and the associated mental flaws that go with them). Invisibility would be one, perhaps with a few other tweaks. Hyde would be another. etc.
It would be flexibility, but once I'm in a package it would take some time to switch. I was thinking I'd need to inject myself to purge the previous package and then another injection to bring on the next one.
If you prefer me to keep with one package, I can be okay with that. I'd probably develop the invisibility formula.
I'd like to know the PL as well.
I’m fine with that idea. As long as it takes time and has some downside.
This sounds like a fun idea. I was thinking of a Ghost Rider/Lobo type character. So a supernaturally powered bounty hunter probably with a demonic (or undead) stead as his mount and companion.
This sounds like a fun idea. I was thinking of a Ghost Rider/Lobo type character. So a supernaturally powered bounty hunter probably with a demonic (or undead) stead as his mount and companion.
It's one of my PF1e goals to eventually play a GR dupe. The easiest way is via the Ghost Rider Cavalier(surprise! lol) but if the game allowed 3pp, there's also the Omen Rider for the Harbinger.
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For this game, I think I'll grab the role of a childe of Dracula. Unsure what sort of power set just yet.
Also, I might need some help when it comes time to actually build the character, as I'm only passingly familiar with M&M.
sounds fun
Heh, as a bit of an aside, this concept does remind me greatly of an obscure 80's Saturday Morning Cartoon series, The Drak Pack; here's their opening. ;)
PS. And there was an even earlier 70's Saturday Morning Live Action series, Monster Squad; here's their opening and closing. ;p
Uncle Fester when younger Me thinks
Critzible, not sure what your question means. I’m sure a supernatural scholar could work and tie into one or more of the creatures.
Hmm... I have a thought about playing an auto-frankenstein - a brilliant young scientist who is constantly replacing damaged or sick parts of her body to the point where essentially nothing from her original body is still attached.
Power set would include strength/resilience, probably some sort of anatomical control, and of course the power of Thing meets greatest champion of the 31st century
Oh also, in your initial post a lot of your example characters are teens - are you envisioning this as a young heroes campaign?
Not a teen heroes campaign. Those are just the characters who came out of my head when I was prepping.
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I'm interested, if I can come up with a character concept. Right now I'm thinking something along the lines of the Mummy/Ancient Egypt themed.
Annoyingly Long and Detailed Questions:
1. Do you need to play a monster, or could you play something like a monster hunter or archeologist who gets wrapped up in the events? (Could still have supernatural elements, like an archeologist who gets cursed by an artifact and channels the spirit of an ancient god or something, which I think is an actual DC Comics villain (actually, at least two, now that I think of it), but still.)
2. Is this a heroic campaign, a villains campaign, or something in between? Many of the monsters from the source material are villains, although of course many of the stories also lean into "well meaning but misunderstood." If a heroic campaign, what is the potential conflict or enemies we might face? Is it good monsters versus bad?
3. How does the setting/gameplay differ from the World(s) of Darkness (e.g., Vampire the Masquerade, Werewolf the Apocalypse, etc.) which delved deeply into the themes of "I am a monster" and dealing with that personal horror? Some of these games of course were more manipulation and internal politics (Vampire), others definitely had a more heroic bent. In other words, do you want something more WOD-like dealing with personal horror (and themselves pulled from the earliest Universal monster films) or are you looking for something more pulpy/campy? Is there a lot of deep universal lore we need to pick up or even help develop that threads things together or is this more "mostly we are in the real world and you are a monster and that's it" sort of thing?
This is a cool idea, and I would definitely try to come up with a fun concept if you ran a recruitment. Off the top of my head: Son of the Invisible Man, Igor's brain finally transplanted into a Frankenstein's Monster (sort of the plot of Ghost of Frankenstein), and anarchist punk werewolf.
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Excellent questions, as always.
I'm interested, if I can come up with a character concept. Right now I'm thinking something along the lines of the Mummy/Ancient Egypt themed.
Annoyingly Long and Detailed Questions:
1. Do you need to play a monster, or could you play something like a monster hunter or archeologist who gets wrapped up in the events? (Could still have supernatural elements, like an archeologist who gets cursed by an artifact and channels the spirit of an ancient god or something, which I think is an actual DC Comics villain (actually, at least two, now that I think of it), but still.)
The best way I can think of to answer this is that characters should be "powered by the Universal Monsters." And should be in some way monstrous (doesn't have to be physical). I think Tom Cruise gained powers from the Mummy or a curse in the mummy movie he was in (which is both terrible and an inspiration for the campaign).
So you could be a vampire, or a wolfman, or have flesh golem parts, or be cursed, or be a partially turned vampire, or whatever crazy ideas we can come up with. The chemistry/alchemy of Invisible Man and Jekyll/Hyde offer possibilities.
2. Is this a heroic campaign, a villains campaign, or something in between? Many of the monsters from the source material are villains, although of course many of the stories also lean into "well meaning but misunderstood." If a heroic campaign, what is the potential conflict or enemies we might face? Is it good monsters versus bad?
Maybe something in between, but definitely monsters doing heroic things. I have several ideas for adventures. The overarching idea would be that there is something worse than these monsters that we need them to fight (in the same way that the BPRD uses Hellboy and company).
3. How does the setting/gameplay differ from the World(s) of Darkness (e.g., Vampire the Masquerade, Werewolf the Apocalypse, etc.) which delved deeply into the themes of "I am a monster" and dealing with that personal horror? Some of these games of course were more manipulation and internal politics (Vampire), others definitely had a more heroic bent. In other words, do you want something more WOD-like dealing with personal horror (and themselves pulled from the earliest Universal monster films) or are you looking for something more pulpy/campy? Is there a lot of deep universal lore we need to pick up or even help develop that threads things together or is this more "mostly we are in the real world and you are a monster and that's it" sort of thing?
The tone of the campaign is big pulpy things, not in the style of WOD. I'm running it in MnM and with PL 10 characters because I want the characters to feel big and heroic.
I am still debating whether the setting has public awareness of all of the weirdness or if it is more like Godzilla vs Kong where there is a fair amount of weirdness but everyday life is still pretty normal. In either case, the general public would be freaked out by the monsters, but don't live in constant existential dread.
Hope those answers help. As always, the answer to all of them would depend somewhat on characters and players involved.
I was intending to start a recruitment thread for this and possibly another supers game this weekend, but I'm in the path of the winter storm that is brewing in the US. I don't want to start recruitment and then disappear while I lose power, but feel free to continue discussion here for how.
As for lore, there isn’t much to worry about. I will no doubt dig deeply into as many sources as possible for inspiration, but nothing players need to know.
I was intending to start a recruitment thread for this and possibly another supers game this weekend, but I'm in the path of the winter storm that is brewing in the US. I don't want to start recruitment and then disappear while I lose power, but feel free to continue discussion here for how.
Good luck!
Changed my mind. Going to risk it. Posted a recruitment.
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Oh, and nobody had better propose playing Tom Cruise. He's already killed one Universal crossover.