a NEW UNIVERSE campaign

Posted by GmJoeSolarte 
a NEW UNIVERSE campaign
November 02, 2013 05:19PM
I know I have mentioned this a LONG time ago, but thought maybe a formal thread detailing the NEW UNIVERSE campaign and my experiences in how to run one might go over well with you all.

I remember getting the original and advanced versions of Marvel Super Hero RPG's by TSR back around 1987 I think. I liked it, but using the established heroes that were included in the game, it just did not feel inspired to us. Yeah we liked our superheroes, but playing them in character just did not go over well. Everyone wanted Wolverine when we did X-MEN campaigns, stuff like that. So it just did not resonate with us.

Around that time, the NEW UNIVERSE was launched by STAR COMICS, headlined by STARBRAND. In that comic, we got a grittier comic series. We had a world that was essentially our own world in 1986, where Reagan was President, the Cold War was on. The Mets were on their way to winning the world series. That sort of thing. And then, for the first time, a simple man would find the STAR BRAND and become the worlds first superhero.

I don't know why but it inspired me to try again with the MARVEL SUPER HERO RPG. I called my friends in and made my pitch.

I told them how, we are going to be doing a NEW UNIVERSE style campaign. I told them that on DAY 1, it is based on our world EXACTLY as it was in 1987 or 88, whenever I made the pitch. How there has never been anything PUBLIC that has been mentioned. Oh, there has been UFO sightings, there is the FBI unit that details with supernatural stuff. But nothing ever provable.

I then announce that would change, were the PC's that we create would be the first superhumans to ever be on the earth. And just in time, because there is about to be an onslaught of supervillains coming. I tell them that in OUR campaign, there is NO Marvel vs DC, if you want to make a hero, make him. It can be from every genre, although I emphasized the need to have things on a 'street level' campaign. So I mentioned that if someone took someone traditionally really powerful, at least at the start, we would be much reduced in power and thus have the ability to rapidly advance based on goings on in the campaign.

I also emphasized that the PC's that we would be creating.....would be US! In that we personally would become the superheroes of this world. We would be the ones that were the REAL Last Son of Krypton. We would be the ones to build the first Iron Man mark I armor. We would be the ones to find the hammer of Thor.

The impact it had on my PC's was instant. My brother INSTANTLY claimed to be IRON MAN, that he would be the one to build the armor. A friend of mine instantly claimed up the mantle of Krypton's last son, how he had crashed in Southern California and not Kansas. Someone else claimed to find the Hammer of Thor. Someone else would find a dying Green Lantern Corp member and was given their ring. And so forth.

And thus was borne our NEW UNIVERSE.

The limitations we put into place were very reasonable. For SUPERMAN, for example, we limited his STR to REMARKABLE, his END to INCREDIBLE, to replicate that he had not advanced like he was. Limited his speed I think to EXCELLENT for only long distance flying and TYPICAL if he wanted any real manueverability. And restricted his other traditional powers at first. THOR was similarly restricted. I think we agreed with EXCELLENT strength for THOR at start, with mandatory bumps that would come when he went to ASGARD for the first time; when he came to terms with actually being THOR, that sort of thing.

And what really helped, was I ruled that each of us had to name our hated enemies in real life to become our villains. It was great. My brother HATED the NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK, so they instantly in addition to being evil mutants and boy band members were also industrialists that wanted to put my brother's fledgling industry out of business. People we did not like at school became our villains. One person that a lot of us hated, this one kid whom also played D&D and stuff but just did not get along with the rest of us and had his own group.....I named him a villain named THE DUNGEON MASTER, where I empowered him to be a Cleric of Chaos working to destroy the world for the demons of the Abyss.

Just thought I would share this with you all.

Joe Solarte stats, background. [www.classicmarvelforever.com]
 
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