(AoH)Age of Heroes Proposal Thread

[Craig ST]

Age of Heroes

Okay, this here is the official thread for my 3e M&M super hero game. To submit a character, please send it to this account in this format.

(AoH Character) charactername

As of this moment I have 11 players interested so I’m not accepting anyone else. My players should know who they are and I will post a list of you at the bottom of this post as I get your submissions.

I would like both background and stats in the same PM thread. Taking a page from Carver’s playbook, I would like you to use a dedicated account for your character with an Avatar representing him or her and the character’s stats to be put in a spoiler box in your account signature.

Game Proposal

As stated in my original thread, the idea is that the characters are some of the first super heroes to appear in the modern world. An alien race has come to earth and is sharing its advanced knowledge of science and technology in exchange for the right to stay and Magic is rising in power, allowing mystics and wizards to perform fantastic feats of magic.

Theme & Genre

Age of Heroes takes place in the modern times but with somewhat shinier ideals. It can be classified as a “Modern Age” game.

The game is set in 2012. Heroes are a new phenomenon , the first one appearing in 2007, and between their appearance and the technological improvements the Kal’shiir (a stranded Alien race) have brought, the general opinion of the average person is hopeful. The future seems to be getting brighter and better even with the appearance of super villains.

Fights will be big and flashy but with little concern for collateral damage; it happens but isn’t really focused on unless a story reason draws attention to it. Heroes and Villains don’t kill normally, Heroes capture and Villains monologue and put people in “inescapable” death traps. You know, back when comics were fun!

Location

The location of the game is the greater San Francisco Bay Area. This includes the areas of North Bay, East Bay, Silicon Valley/San Jose, The Peninsula, Santa Cruz/San Benito as well as San Francisco proper.

Alcatraz is being refurbished into an Ultra Max prison, designed to contain super powered criminals. While not slated to be finished until 2014, at least 1 wing is operational.

The Kal’shiir, an alien species that crashed into the San Francisco Bay, has created an artificial island at the site for their downed ship as a refuge. Very few humans have had the privilege of being their guest.

More details on the various districts will follow at some point and once I get comfortable with Google My Maps I will create one for the game

Aliens

There is only one known Alien race on earth (unless a PC is an Alien), although thanks to the Kal’shiir, the authorities of Earth know about a second race.

The Kal’shiir: The Kal’shiir are a humanoid race of blue skinned aliens that follow some sort of caste hierarchy. This hierarchy is not entirely social as some obvious physical variances exist between the castes. There are 5 castes and each caste is responsible for different tasks and jobs in Kal’shiir society. No one on Earth is really sure what the Kal’shiir want or why there were in earth space to begin with but since they are willing to share the secrets of advanced science and technology with the world, the UN and America are willing to play host.

The Valinoshi: Supposedly a humanoid race that looks very similar to humanity but more fragile and graceful. The Kal’shiir claim they are aggressive and violent conquerors that use their psionic abilities to power their fantastic technology. The Kal’shiir have stated that while they are not currently enemies of the Valinoshi, their relations with them are tense and hostile.

Science & Technology

With the advent of the human/alien science collaborative, Humanity’s understanding of science and technology has greatly increased. Everything from communications technology to new energy sources to personal electronics has improved. It should be noted however that while many advances have been made, most of them have yet to trickle down to the common person’s hands.

Government and big business have played a major part of this stalling of technological advancement either because they don’t want things like ray guns, personal force fields and flying car in the hands of the general public or because having things like free energy or cures for diseases just aren’t profitable.

That said, significant advancements that have been made available to the public include medical and computer technology, cybernetic prosthetics, more efficient vehicle engines, Cellular communication technology, incredibly durable building materials and so on.

Magic

Magic is an oddity in this world in that it’s always been there; it’s just not always been accessible to believers. Magic is tied to the beliefs, hopes, and dreams of humanity and ebb and flows with their collective faith in it. Magic has steadily been on the rise for several years now and with its rise, the creatures that go bump in the night have returned.

To help combat the encroachment of supernatural evil and those people who would abuse the rising power of magic, a group of mystics from a variety of traditions have gather together to create The Conclave of the Arcane. This organization seeks to battle supernatural threats to the earth as well try to keep magic hidden from the general population.

Naturally this is unknown to the general populous at large, who tend to believe that mystics are just crazy people with normal super powers.

Character Creation

Okay, the nitty-gritty. Characters are built on 150 points at PL 10.

Most Origins should be okay, but please remember that the first Super Hero didn’t become publicly known until 2007 although rumors of his (and others) existence were floating around the internet as early as 2004. All character backgrounds and origins have to take this fact into consideration. If you want or need to have your character gain their powers before 2007, talk to me in private and we will try to work things out.

If you are making an Alien/Non-Human we will need to discuss its place in the universe (or Earth if it’s from a divergent society). I am very open to input but just want to make sure things align with my vision of the world. For example – I don’t want a whole race of “Kryptonians” or other glodly powered race.

Mystic characters need to decide on a “Tradition” of magic that they practice and this tradition will limit the types of powers they can take as a spell array. Being a mage is not an excuse to lump any old power into an array in this game. It is possible for Mystics to use the magic of more than one tradition; they have to treat those as separate arrays.

Also, when it comes to mythological gods I have no problems with people being divinely powered; demi-gods, and godlings, empowered by the gods, or their Avatars and so on. However no one can actually be a God. That territory is off limits.

Complications: As per the rules all PC are required to have 2 complications and one of these must be a Motivation for why your character does the hero thing.

If your character is a “mutant” (Someone born with their powers) then you must have a physical mutation. This mutation can be related to you powers but doesn’t have to be. Also, we will need to chat about your background.

Note: Time Travel is off limits. From a power standpoint this means Movement: Time Travel and Senses: Postcognition & Precognition cannot be taken by players. Time Manipulation as a powers theme makes me a tad uncomfortable but I will judge any character with it on an individual basis.

NEMESIS!

Okay sort of but not really. When making your characters I’d like you to think up a villain that is in your character’s rogue’s gallery. It doesn’t have to be the most powerful baddie of all but it should be something fun, cool, and useable. Maybe it’s a jobber you continually beat, the head of a small crime ring or gang of some sort, or a “wrong side of the law” rival. It can be a full on nemesis too; someone that hates you enough to keep coming at you. I’m trying to keep most of the top tier villain spots open (Like Dr. Doom or Magneto) but will still look at those types of suggestions.

I don’t need stats for these villains, just a general concept and how your character has interacted with them in the past.

House Rules

So far I only have one house rule and it is regarding Hero Points.

Collateral Damage: If a player chooses, he can have one of his character’s actions cause “Significant Collateral Damage” to earn a hero point. This is a big deal. Maybe bystanders get hurt, maybe a building collapses but it should be something more than the average “cracks in the pavement and uprooted lampposts.” By doing this, you the player are saying your actions in this battle have caused a lasting mark on the city and it’s people and there will be consequences.

Obscure Power:

Action: Standard, Range: Ranged, Duration: Sustained, Cost: A single sense for 2 points per rank, two senses for 4 points per rank, and so forth, with visual senses costing double (4 points per rank) and 10 points per rank affecting all sense types.

Obscure affects a default area with a 30 foot radius (distance rank 0). Each additional rank increases the distance rank of the area by 1. So Obscure 10 has a radius of 2 miles, while Obscure 20 has a radius of 2,000 miles!

-

Okay, I think that is everything for now. As I add more information I will post it here or create a thread for specific information. So if you guys want to post you character concepts with some brief information here, feel free. This would be a good place for you guys to figure out who has ties to who and to ask me any questions you may have.

Approval Process

Approved

Jameson - Talos

Joani - Chance

Jeremy - Psi-Warrior

Dave ST - Crimson Spider

Carver - The Unknown Archer

Titan - Titan

Salmonmax - Visage

Kamiko - Charta Domina

Long - Icarus

AtomicWeasel - Neutrino Girl

Awaiting Submission

Moira - Unnamed - on hiatus

[Craig ST]

Okay this is a major work in progress but here is what I have so far.

TIMELINE OF THE AGE OF HEROES

2002

February 14, 2002 - Alien spacecraft crashes into San Francisco bay, coming to rest in the bay itself, between the San Mateo Bridge and the Bay Bridge. Americans (and the rest of the world) panic and hostilities ensue until the Aliens (Who call themselves the Kal'shiir) sue for peace. While they have superior technology, their numbers are few and they do not want to be destroyed.

April 20, 2002 to December 12, 2003 – The Kal'shiir enter into furious talks with the American government first, and then the United Nations. Eventually it is decided that the Kal'shiir will be "allowed" to stay on Earth in exchange for their advanced scientific knowledge. The Kal'shiir choose the location of their their crashed ship to set up their "refuge"

2003

Mystics around the world notice a sharp upswing in magical energy, spells and rituals that previously wouldn't work were now producing results and there seemed to be no indication of when it would stop. Certain groups reveled in their new powers but many in the magical community were concerned with what this meant. The cause of this increase in magic is unknown. The rest of the world is naturally unaware of this.

August 18, 2003 - A select group of Mystics from a variety of traditions gather a form The Conclave of the Arcane to watch the magical world and work to contain any magical threats and to keep magic hidden.

2004

Rumors begin to spread over the Internet of a man with super powers performing good deeds in the greater Los Angeles area. Footage of the man is grainy and shaky at best and is largely considered a hoax by most people. As the year progresses, rumors and amateur video begin to pop up of other super powered people in half a dozen other American cities.

January 30, 2004 - The Kal'shiir begin construction on their refuge, while setting up an alien/human collaborative to share their scientific knowledge.

2005

2006

2007

January 1, 2007 - The Samaritan makes his official debut in Los Angeles as hundreds of witnesses, including several news teams, film him fighting off a giant, Godzilla-like sea creature. After the battle, the hero speaks briefly to several reporters, accepting the name Samaritan and confirming that he is LA's new champion. Within days four more heroes publicly reveal themselves. The are; The Mariner in Bay City, The Ghost in Huston, The Knight in Chicago and Oubliette in New York City.

April, 2007 - the young hero Psi-Warrior makes his debut in Bay City.

2008

2009

April 2009 - The Bay Area is hit by a massive earthquake (an X on the Mercalli scale; like a 9 Richter) as a result of a fight between the Samaritan and an unknown opponent. This marked the first appearance of the mechanical hero Talos. Talos saved hundreds of lives, helped fire crews stop dozens of fires, and generally helped rescue efforts all across the city. He made an indelible impression on the civilians of Bay City that day and his actions led Bay City to contract Talos to serve as a municipal servant/defender for the city. He has been working alongside Police and Fire since and is one of the city's first defenses against super crime. People know he is a creation of Olympus Technology which is based out of Alameda.

2010

2011

January, 2011 - The super villain Splicer makes his first appearance in Bay City, using a device called the DNAlterator to turn the inhabitants of the Mission neighborhood into brutish monsters under his control. Talos and Psi-Warrior team up to take down the villain, but find that the citizens do not revert to normal immediately. With Talos desperately working to rewire the DNAlterator to turn the people back Psi-Warrior engages in furious combat with the poor victims to buy time for Talos

2012

May 2012 - Talos and a young heroine calling herself "Arrow Storm" fight a demon known as Malrog the Golden Skinned and a witch known as Blackmoon. After their defeat the woman turns into a middle aged soccer mom and claims that she was possessed. The authorities set her free after magical examination shows that she does seem to be free of demonic influence.

June 2012 - Famous physicist and Bay area resident, Dr. Nathan McNamara is declared missing and presumed dead. The company founded by Dr. McNamara and his partner Dr. Spears, issues a statement denying any link between Dr. McNamara's controversial work on Kal'shiir technology and his disappearance.

August 2012 - A new hero in a bubblegum pink powersuit is filmed by Action Five News trying to rescue a cat from a tree. The hero's efforts to get the cat down result in the obliteration of the tree and a safe, but very irate, feline. The copy-editor at Action Five dubs this new hero Neutrino Girl, and the name sticks.

[Cassandra]

Submission sent

[Fisher Capra]

And I'd sent mine too.

[Talos]

I should be able to get something to you tonight. Mostly I need to get the background done.

Name and Avatar may change if I come up with something better.

[Dawn OOC]

I'm playing a weapon master, weapon undecided.

Is Jordan taking submissions yet? Last I heard, he wasn't.

[jameson (ST)]

It's buried up above somewhere. PL 10, 150 pp, PM to his account tagged with something or other

[Sailor OOC]

Yep.

Now hopefully I can get myself done today, otherwise it'll have to wait till Saturday for submission.

[Titan]

I'll resubmit, no problems, and I have some tweaks I want to make anyway. I'm using this account, and will put my stats in the sig, but I'll continue to use it for other things- hope that satisfies.

[Talos]

New avvie & image:

Edit: Note that the head in this pic is forward and down, in a hunched over combat pose.

[Craig ST]

Hey guys, some interesting concepts and backgrounds so far! I'd just like to remind people to assign descriptors to their character's powers.

I have no problems if you are using the account for other things Titan, as long as that is your character's identity and avatar.

[Talos]

Hey folks. Jordan gave my background approval and since it has impact on the setting I wanted to post up some details for people to take into account if they desired.

Two years ago in April 2010 the Bay Area was hit by a massive earthquake (an X on the Mercalli scale; like a 9 Richter). This was the first time that Talos was seen and he was responsible for saving hundreds of lives and helping to stop dozens of fires. His actions that day led Bay City to contract for Talos to serve as a municipal servant/defender for the city. He has been working alongside Police and Fire since and is one of the city's first defenses against super crime. People know he is a creation of Olympus Technology which is based out of Alameda.

Hopefully that will help you guys out some. If anybody wants to talk about character ties find me in chat and we can maybe talk.

[Dave ST]

Crimson is ready, but I'm talking to Chosen about an account issue. Until that is fixed I'll be doing my Crimson stuff through this account.

[Craig ST]

That is fine Dave, send it on over to me

[Cade]

Will be using this account, though I'm undecided on whether Icarus will be male or female...

[Craig ST]

Just a quick update. I have 6 submissions so far although only 1 (well 1 and a half really) have add a villain concept. Talos' background has been approved and I will be working on the approving sheets I do have tonight.

As ever, if you have any questions please post them here

[Titan]

I have edited my submission to add a Nemesis.

[jameson (ST)]

Just a quick update. I have 6 submissions so far although only 1 (well 1 and a half really) have add a villain concept. Talos' background has been approved and I will be working on the approving sheets I do have tonight.

As ever, if you have any questions please post them here

is mine the half? if so you can count it as a full unless you object.

[Dave ST]

Crimson's I think has one, plus there's a host of others I could add. I'm even will to share a villain with someone.

[Craig ST]

Okay, the Approval process has officially started! Talos is now approved. Check the first post to keep up to date.

[Talos]

Cool thanks!

I added my sheet, combat stuff, and complications as spoilers. I don't mind if other players look at the complications or combat stuff, but please don't look at his sheet without asking first.

[Cassandra]

Yay! I'm Approved

[Sailor OOC]

Charta Domina is still in the refinement process, but she'll be all set this weekend, I promise.

[Craig ST]

No worries Kam, I'm still working on things so there is no rush yet.

[Sailor OOC]

np, besides we can tweak her numbers since I'm a 3e noob. I need to unlock that door in my mind that I could unlock in 2e and be able to generate out of my head without using the book... yes I could do that with 2e.

[Craig ST]

Okay something I'm having a bit of trouble keeping track of is who knows who and in what capacity. If I were to team people up for beginning threads, who has worked who who in the past?

[Fisher Capra]

The only PC combination I have so far established as working together has been Psi-Warrior/Chance.

Devin (Scarlet Spider), Cassandra (Chance) and Dave (Psi-Warrior) all know each other in their regular lives, since Dave works at Nerdvana, and the other two are frequent patrons - but have not connected the dots otherwise.

Obviously if people want, Psi-Warrior can have worked with more heroes, but that's what I have so far.

[z-Tempest Greer]

She-Who-Has-No-Name has in-costume ties with Talos and out-of-costume ties with Devin. That is all.

[Dave ST]

The Crimson Spider is a vigilante and so far he's not officially worked with any other super hero yet. With a secret identity and the vigilante status, feel free to toss in an obsessive detective or something that thinks him a menace that needs to be brought down.

Devin (the Crimson Spider's not so sexy alter ego) goes to school with Tempest (opposite ends of the popularity spectrum), knows Dave and Chance from the comic store. They're not really friends, but more like buddies, who all sort of get together and debate comic book or RPG lore. You know... those guys who seem cool, but you're not quite sure if you should invite them to your gaming night because you think they'd be too cool for you? That's how Devin feels about Dave and Chance. Devin knows of Talos and thinks he's the tits! Mostly because he's a uber geek and technophile and a cybernetic super hero like Talos is about the coolest thing to ever cool in the history of cool.

Since I've not really heard hide nor hair about any other of the PCs (aside from conceptual stuff) I'd be safe to assume that Crimson/Devin doesn't have any ties to the others, yet. Although the Iron Man dude would certainly tickle Devin's fancy. Any chance I can get a Crimson Spider Battle Suit commissioned? With a spider symbol spotlight built into the belt buckle?

Oh, that'd rock.

[Titan]

Titan has not worked with anyone yet, PC or otherwise. He has barely begun to patrol, and may not have even been noticed in the press or on the street. Or not much.

No real reason for this, except I want to start at the beginning.

[Dave ST]

Does he have a Titan Symbol flashlight belt buckle? Bet not.

Loser.

[Titan]

Look. I've heard about this friggin belt buckle for a week now. Who, exactly, are you signaling? Yourself? I thought the point of a signal was so the hero would know there was trouble. What kind of hero flashes up his OWN signal? Also, no belt. Ergo, no belt buckle. So, yeah, I've got a bit of buckle envy. So what?

[Cassandra]

The Crimson Spider is a vigilante and so far he's not officially worked with any other super hero yet. With a secret identity and the vigilante status, feel free to toss in an obsessive detective or something that thinks him a menace that needs to be brought down.

Devin (the Crimson Spider's not so sexy alter ego) goes to school with Tempest (opposite ends of the popularity spectrum), knows Dave and Chance from the comic store. They're not really friends, but more like buddies, who all sort of get together and debate comic book or RPG lore. You know... those guys who seem cool, but you're not quite sure if you should invite them to your gaming night because you think they'd be too cool for you? That's how Devin feels about Dave and Chance. Devin knows of Talos and thinks he's the tits! Mostly because he's a uber geek and technophile and a cybernetic super hero like Talos is about the coolest thing to ever cool in the history of cool.

Since I've not really heard hide nor hair about any other of the PCs (aside from conceptual stuff) I'd be safe to assume that Crimson/Devin doesn't have any ties to the others, yet. Although the Iron Man dude would certainly tickle Devin's fancy. Any chance I can get a Crimson Spider Battle Suit commissioned? With a spider symbol spotlight built into the belt buckle?

Oh, that'd rock.

Cassandra is roommates with Kamiko (Charta Domina) but they are unaware of their super alter egos. Cassandra and Chance don't have any similarities at all bought as feature power.

Chance has worked wih Psi-Warrior but has generally been more of solo type of crime fighter. Chance causes a lot of collateral damage and she looks more like villain than a heroine. She produces as much positive as negative Press.

Might be NSFW

While Cassandra is more of a dorky/geeky wallflower

She'd totally be into talking about Comics/Movies/RPGs and Videogames and hangs around the shop most of her freetime - She looks like 15/16 but is actually 21 and a student at the SFU. Cassandra is rather shy and the clumsiest girl you've ever seen. To every outsider it's obvious that Cassandra has a crush on Dave but she probably won't even show on his radar.

[Talos]

A little more public info about Talos...

• Talos' first appearance was during the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake where he was instrumental in the rescue and recovery operations working with police, fire, and national guard.
  
• Shortly after the earthquake the city hired made an agreement with Olympus Technology Inc. based out of Alemeda, CA, to hire Talos as a public defender.
  
• Talos remains based out of the Alemeda facility of Olympus Technology. He appears to require regular maintenance there.
  
• It is unknown if Talos is a man or a woman, though his voice is pitched to imply male.
  
• Likewise it is unknown if Talos is a robot, an armored human, a cyborg, or something else.
  
• Talos stands 9' 6" tall and weighs 852 lbs.
  
• Talos is massively strong, easily capable of lifting dozens of tons. His upper limit is unknown.
  
• Talos is very heavily armored, and his actions against the supervillain team Fusillade has shown him able to withstand heavy machine-gun fire without damage.
  
• Talos has a spotlight in his chest. He famously used it to locate a lost child in Golden Gate Park and escort her back to her parents.
  
• Talos prefers to fight in close combat with unarmed strikes and grappling techniques, but when the need arises he has demonstrated ample ability with thrown objects.
  
  And a few notes about Olympus Technology Inc.

  • Olympus has their fingers in dozens of tech sectors ranging from industrial machinery to medical prosthetics.
    
  • Olympus is based in Alemeda with locations worldwide (though most are within the US, or US allies). They favor mythological Greek names for divisions, ex. Zues Power Systems, Hippocrates Medical, and Hermes Motorworks, among others.
    
  • Olympus has an untarnished corporate record. They are well known for paying above average wages, keeping manufacturing within the US, and having a stance of corporate responsibility to their community.
    

[Dawn OOC]

• Olympus has an untarnished corporate record. They are well known for paying above average wages, keeping manufacturing within the US, and having a stance of corporate responsibility to their community.
  

Hence, they are unquestionably secretly EVIL!!

[jameson (ST)]

Well I suppose that is ultimately up to Jordan to decide, but my preference (since this is 4 color) is that they are actually as bright and shiny as they appear. Altruism doesn't have to be unprofitable and this isn't shadowrun, so I think it would be nice to have something like Stark Enterprises or Wayne Corp (or is is Wayne Enterprises?), a corporate entity that is genuinely good.

[Dawn OOC]

I was joking. Its a sign of my cynicism toward corporations that I read that and that's where my mind goes. But yes, in a four color setting, it is perfectly logical that they'd be exactly what they appear to be.

[jameson (ST)]

I suppose its a sign of my cynicism with regards to the games around here that I didn't for a moment consider that you were joking.

At all.

*sigh*

[Dawn OOC]

I suppose its a sign of my cynicism with regards to the games around here that I didn't for a moment consider that you were joking.

At all.

*sigh*

Don't worry Jim, we still love you, even if you're a grumpy old man.

[jameson (ST)]

Git off ma lawn!