Hello folks,

I am a experienced GM in a lot of systems but only started with classic marvel 2 - 3 month ago.

I am not too familiar with the marvel comic universe and will build my own canon, stealing flagrantly left and right.
In this topic I plan to describe the setting my also new players are building with me while playing.
Providing other GMs with inspiration, settings and perhaps giving me some inspiration with their comments also.
I am not a native speaker, so please excuse my poor writing skills.


If one of my players find his/her way into this thread, go away or the big Nurgle will hunt you in your dreams, cursing your dice.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2012 11:52PM by Gideon.

Introduction

We are playing in NYC.
I know the competition is high but I limited it to 3 big player(s), and NY is worth it, playing big from the start.

Other superdudes:

• Spiderman
• Fantastic Four
• Avengers

Others are ignored at the moment out of simplicity.
Our group consists of four superheroes (short power description).

• The Vampyr (Light control, fix it guy, can fly with wind control.)
• Lady Iceangel (Ice generation (Ice Bow with arrows), entangling missle (ice arrow also, limitation one target), Wings (out of ice), Body armor (ice))
• Bullfrog (BA limitation does not work against edged things, wall crawling, extra tongue (arm), sonic attack)
• Chameleon Girl (imitation, earth control, magnetic control (weak),

Except for the Vampyr all are mutants, he is an altered human.
They were grouped up by a government type who called himself Mr. Grey.
His idea was to set up a new superhero team, fighting crime and injustice and that they
would be paid by the government.
Since they had a high motivation to do that already it was no big deal for them to seal the deal.

Shortly after they set up base in an old fire department, and their first equipment arrives, Mr. Grey vanishes.

They don't know for which g.-branch they are working, nor how to contact other people except Mr. Grey whose cell phone tells them he is temporarily unavailable.
They also recognize, that they don't know their operation area.
Except for fighting crime they missed to ask for the details. Players tststs....

Anyway, they have a base in Manhattan, sparse resources and a red telephone which phone calls can not be tracked back, at least with "normal" measures.

My players decide to call themselves "The Guardians", start fighting crime and make a name while looking for the whereabouts of Mr. Grey.

I start with the adventure "After Midnight" since it seemed to me like a good easy start up, (having some minor villains like gangs etc.. in it), it also leaves me enough room to seamlessly put in my own background plots.




Edited 10 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2012 01:10AM by Gideon.

As a heads-up, reserving isn't a good idea around here. Editing posts only has a short span of time allowed so most if not all of those reserved slots aren't ever going to actually get filled unless you're REALLY quick about it.

True.

So sad.

Is there an administrator who can delete the thread plz.

Thx to the mod/admin who cleaned up the mess. XD
Well, it seems this will not be as structured as I planned it to be...

I will write down things that happened in normal text and my comments, thoughts as a GM in italic

1. What happened at the beginning.

We start at the Metropolitan, our heroes come into contact with the Bifrost siblings and fight some
strange supervillains, namely the "Werewolf".

Their first fight works. Bullfrog is very proud that he can stomp around letting all the bullets bounce away from his greenish skin. When one of the thugs takes a hostage Lady Iceangle takes care of him and nearly kills him with an arrow. Not quite used to the power they have and the difference in hp between normal thugs and supervillains.
It was a close one,the thug nearly blow a way the hostages head...
The Vampyr and Chamaeleon girl trade some blows with the werewolf, when Chamaeleon girl sees the damage done on The Vampyr she starts to pull shields up from the floor and the walls with her earth control.
The werewolf is teleported away and the Guardians save the day.

Positions in the group are fast established.

• Bullfrog is a good brick,
• Lady Iceangle will become their main damage dealer as far as I can see and
• the Vampyr as the tactian. He is the only one with a high fighting skill. He also did all the talking with the press after the fighting. Since he is not a mutant, he has the best starting popularity.
• Chamaeleon girl is not a fighter but will be very good for covert ops. I have to create some situations where she can save the others to make it interesting for her. She rolled feeble for fighting and agility which makes it hard for her to be of direct use in a fight. Any suggestions? Her earth skill is good for protection, but she needs to bring down an enemy once in a while.

I also like to throw romantic relationships at my players. So the vampyr talked to Felicia in the Met. He was friendly but seemed not really interested. Perhaps the damsel in distress does not work here. We will see.

Johnny was taken up by Lady Iceangle and since the Vampyr promised him a job she will use her contact, a security agency where she works under her secret ID (as a bookkeeper btw), to give him a trainee position.
At the moment she sees him just as a boy playing with knives, perhaps we can change that later...


bd




Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/2012 11:04PM by Gideon.

Background

Meanwhile ...

Tommas Hammond alias Mr. Grey a former Special Operations Colonel is taken prisoner.
It all started some years in the past...

1991 - The First Gulf War. Iraq.

--------------
Tommas Hammond is under siege in some unknown ruins in the desert, somewhere near to the saudi border.

While bullets zip left and right into the old clay walls his unit is securing a sarcophagus onto a motorsled.
While running for their lives the weight of the sarcopahgus is slowing them down, too heavy even for the pimped motorslide. Their unknown enemys, invisible between the sand and the ruins take a high blood toll.

When they reach the boundary of the ruins only two of them are left.
Tommas swears while looking back into the ruins who swallowed nearly his whole unit. Friends and assholes alike, but brothers in arms all the same. He looks to Master Sergeant Peter Blake, 10 years older than him and still the best @#$%& knife fighter in the ops, he nods, signaling his readiness.

They start to run over the open field to the meeting point. The copter was hidden behind the next dunes, that doesn't seem like such a smart decision now.
Peter is driving the sled while Tommas is running behind, spending his last ammo in a covering fire, with his last bullet spend he throws away the assault rifle and sprints to the dunes.

When he runs down the dune, the copter is already prepared to lift up. Specialist William, their pilot is new to the team, but it seems that he knows what he's doing. Peter drives the sled into the copter, while he turns around to help Tom enter. William draws his gun and shoots, first Peter than Tom point blank.

Tom is lying in the hot desert sand and through a red blanket before his eyes he sees the copter flying away. Before he loose consciousness brown-grey shades with blue shawls surround him, looking up to the copter. "Tuareg" is his last notion.


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

1994 - Washington Pentagon

Tommas Hammond smiles at the CIA Director while he takes the envelope.
Off course, Sir, never been here, don't know what this pentagon is actually.
Finally, he thinks, finally I can start hunting the people who were responsible for killing Peter, for the senseless sacrifice of my unit.
Black accounts, didn't thought they really existed...

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

2004 - New Mexico Albuquerque

- Hello Tom!
- Hi William, you have grown since I last saw you... What is this here? Tom makes a gesture with his gun including
the whole machinery in the old fabric. Another mad plan to acquire money over the dead body of innocent people? But not this time! At last I found you and you will not escape your punishment.
- But I don't want to escape Tom.
- What?
- You're getting old Tom, you thought I did it for the money. No, don't you see it. The rise of a superior race, the beginning of a new age. And I will be part of it. Come on shoot me if you dare!
- k! "BANG".... "BANG, BANG",
- Hahahahaha, it's no use Tom I am invincible. I am a Mutant now, guns and rifles are child's play to me. And I am
immortal, forever young. All thanks to you and your team. You guys were always to short sighted, never asking what was in that sarcophagus, never questioning orders. Anyway your futile attempts to stop me end here. Throw him into the waste container guys.

Four arms with inhuman strength take hold of him. His struggle is useless as he is lifted to one of the containers,
yellow steam is leaking from a valve.
- No, no, Oh god noooooo! You will regret this William! I will get you! Noo!
There is always a stronger one! Aaahhh.

William laughs while Tommas Hammond is thrown into the waste container of his special fabric.
- Let's go guys I have plans, our work here is done.

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

Two weeks later from the debris of an old fabric a hairless creature is seen fleeing.
Tommas Hammond died, but Mr. Grey was born.

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

Now - unknown

Mr. Grey is on a mission. A mission for himself.
He is recruiting mutants to fight a mutant. He hates what he has become, not his looks, but how he uses the ones who trust in him. His subordinates, but he can't tell them, he can't trust them. He is now holding back infos like his superiors did in the old times. The first time in years he understands them. He looks up when he sees the walls of the mansion. This should be it, the place where young, easy to influence youngsters are trained and educated.
A signal to Ruby and she stops to prepare their entry.

It's too easy. The fake invitations are only casually checked. Two minutes later and they are inside the mansion on a reconnaissance mission. The fund-raiser event proved to be an excellent opportunity to look around for new recruits. And while he sweats under his face mask, he enjoys dancing with Ruby. But when an ice cold beauty enters the ball-room everything changes. Suddenly alarm bells ring and the people stop dancing looking over to him and Ruby. He can't move, he has trouble breathing, as she is slowly walking over to him.

- Hello Mr.Grey, my Name is Emma Grace Frost and I make a habit of knowing everyone of my guests.
And I have a feeling that you will be my guest for a long time. Sit!




Infos on Mr. Grey:

• Mr. Grey is no longer aging. He looks like end forty. His skin has an unhealthy look in different shades of gray.
• He has no hairs anywhere on his body.
• He suffers from ever present pains due to a cancer raging in his body and destroying
  his inner organs which are replaced short before he dies of the malfunctioning.
• He has spectacular resources from a black account in the CIA.
• His regeneration powers are in a stalemate with the cancer, therefore he has no other advantages from them, other than eternal "youth".

Comments:
Emma Grace (Frost) is still in the hellfire club, training the hellions




Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/2012 01:00AM by Gideon.

2. Going around the Gangs

The Guardians go around to the next Gang facing Shroud and Frankenstein.
They try to negotiate with the gang, after Chamaeleon Girl checks the location.
When Shroud and Frankenstein appear, the negotiations are over. Frankenstein proves to be the bigger thread in this fight since the Vampyr has light control he is not so strongly affected by shrouds darkness. After some hits Shroud goes down and the Vampyr dives him to prevent the teleportation or at least is teleported with him. It doesn't work and he's swearing ... XD.
Frankenstein is teleported along even though he is not beaten yet.

The chars messed up the whole building, tables, walls, etc... Bullfrog even charged through two doors from the entry in the back.
The players start to learn that they have to be more careful with the environment but I don't take to much karma away, just to make them aware, that they messed up some other guys property. They still come out in the positive.

When they go to Hammerheads HQ. It's nearly a soloplay for Chamaeleon Girl while the other heroes are ready to give backup.
She goes in checks the bar and imitates one of the waitresses to get entry to the backroom. The plan of the Vampyr to catch the star player from Chicago is neglected by the rest due to possible passwords etc...

Chamaeleon girl sadly just checks the backroom for the book and doesn't stick around long enough for Hammerhead to give them a hint for the Washington Park.

The chars miss the fight in Washington Square Park. But I am satisfied not to give my players everything easily. Once in a while it is good, when the players notice that they are not railroaded and can even miss big events, like they do when they buy the daily bugle next morning.

The chars decide to check with the National Guard Army depot next evening when they notice the robbery. They are after work heroes after all.

• Bullfrog working in a big research firm, he himself is an expert for superglue.
• Lady Iceangel is a bookeeper in a security agency as stated above.
• Chamaeleon girl is still studying, have to check what excatly.
• Only The Vampyr has free time, but he is tinkering around, wishing he had more resources.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2012 01:01AM by Gideon.

3. More NPCs

The Guardians arrive at the national guard army depot.
The crime scene is investgated by the national guard and the NYPD.
The chars pass a popularity check and are allowed to meet with the CO.
They are meeting General Berger and two Detectives from the NYPD.

General Berger is an old grumpy style officer in his late 50ies. He is more interested in the results
than in the methods. The plan is to put him in a kind of supervisor positon to the heroes, but with less obligations.
The two detectives on the other hand are here to become annoying roadblocks in the campaign.

Although, the detectives are not eager to let masked civilians into the crime scene, General Berger overrules them.
The chars check the scene and the camera footing and come to the conclusion that this was a work similar to that
in the Met. The General gives them a phone number in case they find something.


... Lady Iceangle meanwhile is pissed.
Johnny didn't show up for the job in the agency and since her secret id recommended him
she looks bad in front of her boss.
When Johnny calls that he is being shadowed and frightened they instantly meet with him in the
whashington square park. While they wait for him to show up, they check the park for hints on the
strange fight that happened here last night. It looks like some giant was digging for gold but other than that and
a strange dust covering the area they find nothing.
The vampyr takes some of the dust for a later analysis.
When Johnny shows up, a short fight erupts with the gang members who are following him.
It's a funny fight, kind of. The gang members are no fit opponents but the powers of the Guardians, when used with
to much force are a dangerous source for foes and friends alike.
Most of the foes flee after 1-2 rounds but the park is slightly damaged.
Bullfrog hit the washington square arch with a charge and some bushes/trees are preserved in a beautifull but deadly coating
of ice.

The chars let the thugs flee again, not interested in the small fishes. I am not sure if i didn't tell them often enough that they
get karma for getting criminals into prison, and of course it is the right thing to do, or if they are really stylish and
don't care.

Johnny tips them of to the docks, telling them the gang members wanted to get him before he could tell
somebody - the heroes, about the meeting of Mr. Fear and the gangs....

Hello Gideon.
I just wanted to comment that you are off to a very nice start.
I like the early build up of the campaign and I think you have orchestrated it quite well.
The inclusion of many open plot points for new adventures are also VERY NICELY done. I have seen many experienced DM/Judge/Keeper/Gamemaster (etc, etc.) who did not think that far ahead. So, nice job there, especially if its your first go around with MSHRPG.

Hi Necromancer,

thank you very very much. It's nice to know that someone is actually reading the thread . This
creates a lot more motivation than simply writing for myself.
Yeah, its my first MSHRPG, but as I mentioned I have some experience as a GM.
Please feel free to critizise or suggest on the story/npc/style.

So for example I was thinking about Ruby, Mr. Greys assistant.
Perhaps she can escape the mansion but has an accident on the getaway and lost her memory.
But I am not quite sure how to bring her reasonably into contact with the Guardians.

Any ideas?

She should be there as a backup when Emma Frost is beginning her moves to take control of the guardians.
At least when it's getting hotter.

Thanks again,
Gideon




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/2012 11:34PM by Gideon.

Sounds simple enough, perhaps Ruby wanders into a separate room and discovers Emma Frost plotting or up to no good. Emma decides to strike early to keep her secrets quite. They have a scuffle and Emma tosses Ruby through a window. She hits the ground, strikes her head and becomes a wanderer. Perhaps she wanders right next to the Guardians firehouse, perhaps a Guardian member discovers her while traveling a favorite road. If the White Queen has control of Ruby's thoughts with her mental powers it becomes much harder for Ruby to escape and the escape remain believable. I think maybe the scuffle idea would pay off later when her memories returned, at least it would be more convenient then Ruby having to fight past a mental block placed by the White Queen.

Yeah,

well the Problem is exactly here:

Quote
Perhaps she wanders right next to the Guardians firehouse, perhaps a Guardian member discovers her while traveling a favorite road.

The question remains why should the guardians do something about her (take her in).
Why should she be at their HQ. How is it, that she walks up to the fire department, mere chance? That story has to become real deep. My players, while not playing Superheroes long time, know me and are very suspicious about strangers walking up to them at random. One of my players is a mathematician and the discussions I had with him about things happening by chance are sometimes funny, sometimes annoying.
You have to sell them a good story here.

It's not that Ruby is there to hurt them, but they don't know it.
The same goes for Emma Grace, but I did this already. We played faster than I can write things down here.

-------

I think, for the mental block an accident would be best? The strike to her head sounds reasonable.
If the block would be from Emma I think you are right it would be to hard for Ruby.
Also, Emma would perhaps know where Ruby is right know.... Hm, well this could be interesting.
Perhaps Ruby is there to hurt the Guardians after all, but she don't know it.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2012 11:12PM by Gideon.

4. Meeting your Fear

The chars go to the docks to infiltrate Mr. Fears meeting.
Johnny is send to stay at a hotel.

When the Guardians arrive at the docks the meeting is just starting and Chamaeleon girl enters the meeting
in the disguise of a thug they beat at the park.
When Mr. Fear distributes the weapons she puts her magnetic talents to the test.
The weapons clump up in one big ball. A chaotic fight erupt as the other guardians enter the warehouse.
Mr. Fear tries to knock some of them out with his gas, but doesn't succeed. Bullfrog uses karma to withstand the fear.
While Mr. Fear pulls out a device and activates his teleport, he is entangled in ice and the thugs panic.
The Vampyr picks up the device after he skillshots it out of Mr. Fears hand.
Chamaeleon girl calls the National Guard and the gangs are imprisoned in the warehouse after the guardians put containers in front of the doors.

15 minutes later the national guard cleans up and General Berger is pleased, giving the Guardians his private number for emergency.

I let General Berger ask about the whereabouts of the mastermind, to incite the thought process.
When the Vampyr shows him the device he captured, General Berger suggests to show it to Mr. Fantastic.
He offers to establish a first contact. The Vampyr accepts.

I thougth it was time to bring in some of the other superdudes. When they will come into contact with the Fantastic 4 they have something to look up to, e.g. how far you can put the HQ development.

As planned they go to the Roaring Twentys to warn/speak with Hammerhead.
They are still not sure who has the book after all. But they think Mr. Fear or Hammerhead are the masterminds behind the Monster sightings.
They enter the bar and have a tough fight with the three super villains.
Whirlwind especially is nearly killing chamaeleon girl and Bullfrog (his BA does not work against Whirlwinds edge attack).
Chamaeleon girl pulls a power stunt enclosing him in the floor, but he can free himself.
In the end they overpower him with 3 people after Boomerang fled and whiplash is unconscious.

They interrogate Whirlwind, when they realize the villains are here to protect Hammerhead they let them run and retreat from the bar before the police shows up. They asked for a talk with Hammerhead but he has gone into hiding, not even his own people know where he is.




Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2012 11:03PM by Gideon.

5. Radioactive Man, man!

A lot happened since i last wrote so I will write it down in a more compact way.

1. The Guardians split up as Lady Iceangle is annoyed at Johnny when Felicia calls, telling her he's missing again.
The others want to go to the hospital checking on the "walking dead".

• At the hospital they encounter Dr. List who ask them strange questions and scribbles something down at his notepad anytime they do or say something "interesting". They meet with the three patients and can barely rescue them from the poisoned candy. The hint at hammerheads doodles is filed away as a fake instantly.
• Lady Iceangle checks Johnnys "home". She finds the bomb - rushes through the window and throws the bomb into the sky with incredible strength. She finds the note and the guardians meet to check the factory.

The Guardians arrive at the aurora mill factory and sneak in from all sides. When Black Talon starts to lower Johnny they move in. Those fights starts to become annoying, pistols are so useless even automatic ones. Only Chamaeleon girl is in danger but she holds back from the fight long enough to not be threatened by something like bullets.

The radioativity is the only thing they have problems with, but they power through their karma to not be hit by it, whatever the outcome might be.... While The vampyr flys a dieing Johnny to the next hospital the other guardians clean up with the goons. Chamaeleon has a bit of a run around followed by two radioactive zombies.
- They call General Berger and tell him from the possible fallout, it's not his operation zone but he will help anyway.
This strength of radiation, making people dieing in 1-2 minutes would normally kill most people in NY around 1-3 month from now, regardless of what you do at that moment. So i changed the radiation to a new kind of unknown delta-magic radiation who might result in mutations and is less threatening in greater distances.

Johnny dies on the way to the hospital and is reborn as "Beam". Several sessions already played were needed to decide on the name. Funny, the players are not sure if he is a good or a bad guy because you can't see his eyes anymore discussing it in all length; which superheroes/villains have normal eyes and if it is a significantly sign - sigh - those metagamers..

The national guard and a fallout team start to do their thing on the whole factory area.

---

The vampyr meets with Mr. Fantastic. He suggest to hit the villains with a radio transmitter and offers a needle gun to the vampyr. He is enthusiastic about the idea. When moving out he is an innocent bystander while the building is attacked by an unkown flying female supervillain. The F4 start chasing her, leaving a destructed top floor behind. showing of a bit. With big fame and money come big foes and dangers.

--




Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 09/16/2012 10:45PM by Gideon.

6. Loan

The heroes take Johnny home and start to debate about their current state, knowledge in the case.
Johnny tells them about the possible robbery at the bank.
I held back a bit with the information so that the fights are not rushed. When you follow the book to the letter it is kind of stumbling from one fight to the other. Better put in some slower, between Char action somewhere and draw it out a bit.
They try to get a grip at the things Johnny can do. When he accidentally destroys the TV station it is decided, that Johnny needs a bit more training.

Johnny stays home while they deal with the bank robbery.

Bullfrog calls the director of the Mafia bank. He tells him of a possible robbery and persuades him not to call the cops.
He asks for support and keys, etc...
The heroes don't want "civilians" who could be harmed at the scene. Since this is a mafia bank the director is a bit shady and I let him accept this, because he sees a way to make profit.
The director asks Bullfrog to be discrete, nobody should know that the director was informed already, since it would be his duty to inform the cops. Bullfrog gives him his word.
The director instantly contracts a high insurance against superhero damage.

The fight against the villains start with Chamaeleon girl inside the bank(they acquired a key card from the director).
The other three break through after the villains teleport inside.
They have a hard fight with the Gebrüder Grimm, Chamaeleon girl is stunned the whole fight. The Vampyr is trying to tag everyone with his needle gun to make sure he gets a signal once they port.
When the villains port and the police arrives, the radio transmitters stay behind... The Vampyr swears, calling Mr.Fantastic names.

They go with the special police team, without resistance.

Two of them get their story right and two don't. Bullfrog and Chamaeleon roll to low for the pop. check.
Bullfrog then tells the two Agents(it's a matter of national security remember) about his telephone call to the director, to proof that they don't tried to rob the bank, forgetting his promise.
The Agents check, the director tells them he knows nothing. Bullfrog remembering his promise, changes his story, telling he just tried to call him and they can check that the call was made, but he couldn't reach the director.
The agents check again, recognizing the call was made and it was a 15 minute call. The director is asked for interrogation since he lied about the call. General Berger puts his name on the line for the heroes.

In the end I let the heroes go. Bullfrog gets a karma loss. The director goes into jail for insurance fraud. The whole thing is ridiculous anyway. Which judge would let a masked hero without known identity go, who wrote that part of the adventure? A bail on someone you can't identify? Or the alternative: demask the whole group? I just canceled the Judge thing, didn't liked it.

When they get home exhausted and angry, Johnny is gone, ... again!
When he isn't back the next morning they start searching, but he calls them on his own:
He tried to find his sister.
The heroes by the way never, not even for a second, thought that Felicia had sent them into a trap!
They come together at the HQ to discuss his vision and next steps.

When the telephone rings The Vampyr takes the phone call. It's from Emma Grace (look under Background Mr. Grey) an old acquaintance of Mr.Grey, worried about his long absent, asking if the heroes know anything. She got this number from Mr.Grey, he told her it's his working place. When The Vampyr declines knowing anything about his whereabouts, she wants to meet with him. - Alone in a public place, exchanging information...

The Guardians split up:
The Vampire meets with Emma Grace in a Cafe to exchange information on Mr.Grey.
The others go to find Felicia.




Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2012 12:46AM by Gideon.

over all you are running a fairly good game and you have a knack for playing out the fall out of the heroes action and this i applaud most hartly.

Hi Gilgamesh,

thank you very much.
We are near the end of the second module now, but I am writing my PhD thesis and sadly have not enough time to keep the thread up to date. Perhaps in the new year.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/2012 10:54PM by Gideon.

7. Kill the robots

Lady Iceangle transports Chamaeleon Girl, Bullfrog and Johnny to ellis island.
When i put down the map, Bullfrog metagames with a smile and says, let's go to the last number on the map!
I had to laugh...
The heroes split up and check on the hospital while Lady Iceangle flies over to the Elevator near the helipad.

While she is fiddeling with the wooden door, the Sentinels come up behind her. Her combat senses give her a chance to evade the suprise attack but she fumbles and can only evade two Sentinels. The third hits her and she plows through the cement. The three Sentinels make their first appearance to the guardians.
Bullfrog rushes to help Iceangle, Chamaeleon phones The Vampyr at his meeting for backup ( I'll describe the meeting in another post!).

A tough fight evolves on the top of Ellis island. Chamaeleon girl is shielding and shooting around with the cement debris, but can't hurt the sentinels. Nobody can... the robots are just too durable and it looks grim. Then Johnny gets hit full front by a laser and absorbs it. His discharge makes the first dent in the robot. With new vigour, the Guardians change their battle plan. Lady Iceangle in a dogfight with Sentinel number one, uses another sentinel as cover. I let him damage the other sentinel, since it was a stylish action. Bullfrog jumps up from the ground and climbs Sentinel number 2, he rips open the armourplate. While dodging the robot arms he pulls out as much electric "things" he can grab.
Lady Iceangle kills Sentinel number one with frequent iceshots against his eyes (several karma forced kill results do the job!).
When the Vampire shows up Sentinel number three makes a charge attack straight down at Bullfrog who is standing over the remains of Sentinel number two. Bullfrog can dodge, it is a close one. Sentinel number three lying in the crate of his crash is showered with everything the Guardians can muster. Again an Icearrow to the head is the final blow.
The guardians stay victorious but are shaken in their confidence.

Best fight so far.




Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/2012 11:25PM by Gideon.

8. Meeting Emma Grace

The Vampire meets Emma Grace in a nice Café around 5th avenue.
He told her he will send a confidant, since it is a public place and he does not want to reveal his
true identity.

When he arrives at the place Emma is already sitting in the Café. She wears high heels, tight skirt and a white blouse,
sexy but business like. She is observed by all the bankers, managers sitting around.
When The Vampire in his alter ego sits down on her table he earns jealous looks.
I tell him Emma does not look comfortable in her business outfit.
So they start talking...
When bringing in traitors or such things into a rpg group I have made the experience never, never to give hints, tipp etc.. at the first meeting. Just play it to the book, imagine the person that would meet the players as she would be without her hidden agendas. This is very important for the first meeting. Also I hit on the Vampire with her, but not straight, he should feel like she is a price worth fighting for.


The story she tells him:
Mr.Grey and her father met in the army. Both served in the Irak together. She knows Mr. Grey since she was a child.
When her father died, Mr. Grey came over once in a while, playing with small Emma, helping the small family with whatever he could. She knew he is involved in the CIA in some way, but otherwise he is a mysterious man. He knows, she works with mutants.
At this point The Vampire asks if she is a mutant herself.
When lying make sure to tell the truth in some way!
She tells, him she is, and her power is to recognize if other people are mutants too. (She can, due to her mind probe)
She straight up asks him, if he is The Vampire, since she recognized his power. (She already knows everything about him at this point in the meeting...)
He affirms it.
Emma is concerned about Mr. Grey, some month ago he came to her asking for help in recruiting young mutants for a new unit under his command.
"I work as a teacher at a secret school for mutant kids. Not like the famous x-men, we don't want the publicity it's to dangerous for our kids. There are a lot of mutants, whose power is not something one could use in a fight and we don't want our kids running around playing superhero getting themselves killed!"
So they had a heated argument about her not helping and being ungrateful. In the end they split up.
But now it is 4 month since their dispute and she hasn't heard anything about him. She called the number he gave her and here she is....

The Vampire now tells his side of the story, which isn't much concerning Mr. Grey. He asks her what she is doing in NY and where this school is.
She can't tell him, it's not her decision alone. But she can tell him, that she is here for a business meeting with some sponsors for the school, which are interested in integrating mutants into society, improving the public view on mutants, since they themselves are working with mutants.

At this point, Emma tells The Vampire, some of those sponsors are interested in the work of the Guardians.
Perhaps wanting to support them, if the guardians keep on making good publicity for the mutant community.
This is the carrot on a stick, Emma knows the guardians have not much money, so she will support them and slowly but surely pull them over, doing some favors for the sponsors...

The Vampire is interested, he gets an emergency call and they depart. She gets his personal phone number for further contacts.
(She has to pay her own bill, The Vampire surely needs lessons in dating, but it's business so she will keep flirting.
He has some mild interested I think, showing around her picture to the others (I photoshopped one of her pics.)

Off he goes, to the rescue! (Meeting the others at Ellis island!)




Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2013 12:35AM by Gideon.

I hope more is to come.

Nicely done.
Good narration skills and it always good to consider what wasn't done.
When meeting a foe that you can't directly beat make you think and get innovative.

A good way to introduce new allies is often,(if the player think on it),
hacking a PC,
finding a hidden file,
mysterious rescuer/benefactor,

Hi it's always nice to get some posts, knowing
somebody is actually reading this stuff.


MajorSteel Wrote:

> A good way to introduce new allies is often,(if
> the player think on it),
> hacking a PC,
> finding a hidden file,
> mysterious rescuer/benefactor,

you mean for Ruby?
Hm, I like the idea of hacking a pc.
Or finding a hidden file somewhere in a villain hideout about her.
Perhaps an assassination contract with ruby as the target and her current whereabout in some hospital...
That should give them a motivation.

ty




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/2013 02:26AM by Gideon.

9. F*** this teleporting s***.

The Guardians descend to the secret lab under E. Island.
They are a bit harsh and nervous (had a hard fight recently).
The guards are frightened and try to overwhelm them with firepower, they
have no chance against Bullfrog's BA shielding the rest of the group behind him.

When Chamealeon girl starts to clump up the assault rifles with her magnetic control the project leader commands the surrender, concerned for the safety of his machines.
Johnny "Beam" gets his sister out of the lab. The guardians leave the place. (I gave them much more information about Project Wideawake through Felicia and the project leader. Since it is of major concern for mutant heroes and a nice sideplot in this campaign. Also my players are no experts in the marvel universe and some never heard of the Project before.)

When they reach New Jersey, Felicia is teleported away. Johnny is out of his mind and the players damn the higher authorities (so me) for such unfairness in life.

Soon afterwards they are contacted by Director Pride and since they have no other hints, meet with him.
Nothing interesting here, he puts them on the track of the ghost.
They missed the first battle at the Washington Square Park and decide to check there for the ghost or to find at least some clues of supernatural activity at the arch.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/2013 02:31AM by Gideon.

Since we're nearing the culmination point of Act I I have to tell you, we already finished Act II.
So do you ( the guys who are really reading this ) want me to write Act II the way I did Act I?

Which will take some time, just look the date I started this thread
Or just a roundup, coming to the here and now in our campaign.

btw I made Act II the last of the gang wars, starting with my own thing from there.

TY




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/2013 02:39AM by Gideon.

We read, at times we don't say a lot unless there a request or something happens that a bit twisty.
Often when dealing with players, they tend to do player driven goals.

If you are verging off into your own adventures now, posting what happened or just start new where you are at is fine.



Gideon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi it's always nice to get some posts, knowing
> somebody is actually reading this stuff.
>
>
> MajorSteel Wrote:
>
> > A good way to introduce new allies is
> often,(if
> > the player think on it),
> > hacking a PC,
> > finding a hidden file,
> > mysterious rescuer/benefactor,
>
> you mean for Ruby?
> Hm, I like the idea of hacking a pc.
> Or finding a hidden file somewhere in a villain
> hideout about her.
> Perhaps an assassination contract with ruby as the
> target and her current whereabout in some
> hospital...
> That should give them a motivation.
>
> ty

10. Ghostbuster trainee. Part 1

The Guardians reach the Whashington Square Park.
At midnight the Ghost of Jacobs shows up. He has no problem giving our heroes his story.
Lady Iceangle, the good soul reaches out with her hand and the exchange is done!

I put her in another room and tell her about her situation (Chained to the pillar and staying there forever if the others
successfully lead Jacobs to the book). We go back and she sits in the room pouting.

Jacobs is very pleased with his new body, strong, fast, flying, what more is there to wish for.
I describe his search like some kind of smell, making his behavior more animal like, therefore pointing out the difference between "normal" Lady Iceangle and this Jacob version.
They soon descend into the sewers below NY.
I decline most of the random encounters except two:

1. The Guardians have to leap over a big stream of garbage. While doing that a mutated alligator tries to help himself to some yummy guardian steak. Bullfrog has no problem swatting him aside, stunning Albert the alligator for the rest, Chameleon girl looks suspicious at the stirring dirt nonetheless, jumping over it.
2. They soon reach a new level and come into contact with a drug dealer lab hiding in a big room.
   The guardians waltz through them having no problems with the "normal" thugs. Normal bullets are just not enough and CG getting smarter each time waits outside. Since they don't want to waste time in finding the book, much to the dismay of pouting Iceangle, Chameleon Girl seals the drug dealers in with her matter control, making sure they have enough oxygen.

I choose those two encounters for several reasons. The alligator encounter just was the right thing for this moment, a bit creepy and it marks the passing point between the regular sewers, and the more creepy and darker ones.
The drug dealers are a warm up for the fights to come. Also they are a part of a bigger plan to show them how the medias can screw around with the facts.

When they move on, they recognize the sounds of a fight. Skids and Arclight are going at each others throats.
The Guardians are not sure which one to help. The Vampire calls out for them to halt the fight. Both stop, but Arclight uses the diversion to hit Skids with a electro shock. An error, the guardians decide instantly that this is the kind of things only villains do!
Bullfrog attacks Arclight while Chameleon girl calls up a shield for Skids out of the ground, which results in damaging the water main.
Bullfrog is swept aside by the water stream, as are Arclight, Skids, Johnny and Chameleon girl. The Vampire and Jacobs/Iceangle just move up into the air, the Morlock tunnel is really big!
Bullfrog jumps to the wall and on all four runs up to where Arclight and Skids lay. When Arclight gets up she jumps farther away from the water and uses her power, the water making it easy for her. Bullfrog is hit hard and falls stunned to the ground. Johnny absorbs the damage. The Vampire throws his little steel bats at arclight, hitting her in the chest. She stumbles back swearing.
Meanwhile Lady Iceangle enjoys the show, doing nothing to help.

The Vampire showers Arclight with his projectiles forcing her to only defend. But she is hit most powerfully by Johnny with his retaliation laser. The smell of burned flesh and rubber fills the air.
When The Vampire moves in for the "kill". The ground opens and Jacobs master appears! Arclight turns around to flee.
She ducks from the steel bats and jumps for the next door, but Chameleon girl caught her in steel with the frame of the very door she wanted to use for her escape.

The adventure wants Arclight to escape, but I will not force this outcome if the heroes are doing good and the dice roll accordingly, so they capture Arclight.




Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2013 12:06AM by Gideon.

11. Ghostbuster trainee part 2

The voice from the abyss demands that Jacobs throws the heroes into the pit in exchange for his soul.
He is happy to deliver and "Lady Iceangel" attacks the Vampire flying beside her. Even though The V. is the better fighter,
she/he grabs him and drags him over to the pit. Bullfrog recovers from the lightning and jumps up catching Lady I.
by her feet. The three struggle in an embrace over to the pit.
Meanwhile the true Lady Iceangle, climbs out of it with inhuman will and determination .
Chameleon girl and Johnny check on Skids and close the water leak.
Bullfrog and the vampire try to overpower Jacobs/Iceangel and throw her to the ground but they miss and accidentally throw him back into the pit.
I rolled on the slam direction table and he really falls into the pit, they wanted him for interrogation instead, but it is better this way, making it possible for Lady Iceangle to climb the last steps out of the pit recovering her own body. The pit closes and the guardians calm down.
Skids tells them about the captured Callisto and when they interrogate Arclight they get to know where she is held captive.
Of course they are going to help!
The rescue of Callisto is an easy thing for the Guardians.
Since they already have Arclight, the two remaining Marauders are no match for them. Only Vertigos attack made a bit of a hussle. Its the first Psychic attack they encounter and they are not prepared for that.
This is kind of their achilles heel, hehe.
The Vampire is stunned and falls into the water. Harpoon electrocutes him but Bullfrog and Lady Iceangle clean up in the end. Harpoon escapes via a tunnel.

Callisto is grateful for her rescue and agrees to lead them to the hideout of Mr. Fear.