I was wondering which imaginal realm "modern" fantasy creatures (a spirit of the city, radiation elementals, etc.) would come from? Faerie? Or Babylon? Or somewhere else entirely? Or would they have absolutely no place in the Champions universe?
They do indeed have a place in the Champions Universe, and Babylon is the primary source of such creatures. The Mystic World's description of the City of Man mentions such inhabitants as elementals of smog and toxic waste, plastic, metal, and glass; "conurbites," mostly human-seeming but with plastic-like skin and some machine parts (usually resembling common tools or appliances); intelligent animals such as rats, pigeons, and roaches (and you really don't want to meet the mutant sewer alligators); living machines (packs of stray cars are something of a problem) ; living, talking statues, paintings, and other art; and urban legends like Bloody Mary and Jack the Ripper.
However, natural connections, or "nexus points," sometimes form between the Imaginal Realms and Earth, allowing spirits from those realms to enter Earth. They're called genius loci, or "spirit of a place," because they typically dwell near the nexus, and can usually exert some control over their area of habitation. One intriguing urban genius loci described in TMW is the "Paper Lady," whom most people believe is just a crazy old woman living in an abandoned building, surrounded by stacks of old newspapers. In fact the building is a minor nexus to Babylon, and the Paper Lady's body is really made up of yellowed, wadded newspapers. She can animate and control all paper around her, and knows every detail ever published in her city's newspapers.
I'm playing a 12 year old speedster right now called Fast Forward. Fun so far, but I have some questions.
Obviously a 12 year old is not the typical superhero, it goes without saying it would cause varying reactions in people. I know Indy Kid is pretty young, though I don't know how young exactly off the top of my head, but anyway. How would a hero that young be recieved by the general public, the superhero community and finally the governemtn or organizations such as PRIMUS or UNTIL?
Basically his origin is similar to that of Kinetik, except he got exposed to weird chemicals on a fieldtrip. He gained superspeed and became a hero because he'd already earned a reputation as kind of a hero in the schoolyard, standing up to bullies and helping out weaker students even if he wasn't a very strong or athletic kid himself. He's basically a kid with a huge heart who's gained superpowers and rushed into the superhero life, essentially growing up way before his time. It's a very interesting character to play RP wise because he's a kid, who gets excited about things a kid would be excited about, but has also lost his innocence by zooming around beating up gangmembers or drugdealers in westside.
Now that I've rambled on about the character, quick summary. How would a 12 year old hero fit into society? How would he be recieved by the government, the general public and the hero community? He is currently not a sidekick, he asked Kinetik and Kinetik said no, so he's going it alone for now.
to start with for some in depth information on this subject you might wanna see if you can snag yourself a copy of "Teen Champions" a champions campaign book covering well.. just this.
as for how he'd be taken well none too seriously, the Police would likely be a little less willing to work with him, and villans would be out right condescending, however your character very likely would be offered a spot in the ravenwood academy, a school in Millinum city devoted to the instruction of super powered youths.
of course Viper might wanna kidnap him and foirce him into the "Generation V" project
Salient points are; Only a legal adult can choose to register with Primus in the United States as a hero, anyone younger is legally unable to make those kinds of decisions. Therefore, it is by definition almost impossible for a minor to legally pursue super hero activity. Much as the Police and other authorities look the other way for adult heroes that are unregistered but use non-lethal techniques, so it is with minors, to a degree.
A paranormal or Metahuman minor is as legally bound to his parents or guardians whims as any other minor, and Indy Kid was an 18 year old when he joined Primus, he's like 22 now.
Ravenswood Academy is actually located in Orchardsville, Michigan, by Lake Chippewa some thirty miles north of Millennium City. Probably about forty miles north of Ren Cen proper. Underneath Ravenswood Academy is the super secret Homeroom Alpha [and Beta, Gamma, etc] Facilities called U-hall [short of Underground hall], where a tiny, select 4% of the Academy Student Body [the Metahuman ones, generally] are enrolled in extra courses and training to teach them how to control and live with their abilities, many choosing to become superheroes after they graduate.
The other 96% of the student body are exactly what they seem, the children of the rich and powerful, or politically well connected, and their high tuitions help to bankroll the secrets beneath the campus grounds. Examples in game are Brianna Bisselle, the Mayor's daughter, and her friend, the daughter of the Submarine captain in Lemuria.
Salient points are; Only a legal adult can choose to register with Primus in the United States as a hero, anyone younger is legally unable to make those kinds of decisions. Therefore, it is by definition almost impossible for a minor to legally pursue super hero activity. Much as the Police and other authorities look the other way for adult heroes that are unregistered but use non-lethal techniques, so it is with minors, to a degree.
A paranormal or Metahuman minor is as legally bound to his parents or guardians whims as any other minor, and Indy Kid was an 18 year old when he joined Primus, he's like 22 now.
These points seem very logical and reasonable, but I don't remember those legal details being spelled out in a PnP book. Are they specified in lore passages from Champions Online? Or did you extrapolate them from the real world? (And again, what you describe does sound likely.)
These points seem very logical and reasonable, but I don't remember those legal details being spelled out in a PnP book. Are they specified in lore passages from Champions Online? Or did you extrapolate them from the real world? (And again, what you describe does sound likely.)
Part of it is extrapolated from cannon legal situation spelled out in official lore in 6th edition Champions, and part from Teen Champions.
page 46 sidebar in Teen Champions; Superheroes, Minors and the Law;U.S. Law, in this case
If a Minor must register with the Paranormal Registration Act has never yet been determined in court.
The Act has no special provisions for minors.
Any superhuman minor using metahuman powers while committing a felony is tried as an adult.
Such a minor convicted as an adult is registered as a super villain.
The federal government nor any state may not sanction [employ or utilize] a Minor, Super powers or not.
This is truncated, but you get the idea.
It echoes the legal standing of non-humans as well, particularly the rights [or lack thereof] of intelligent undead and artificial intelligences.
Just as the laws which require superhumans to register in the United states are "without teeth" and not actively enforced by themselves, but are enough for authorities to go after an unregistered vigilante that goes too far...
It is the same with Metahuman Minors acting as adventurers in public, so long as they don't screw up badly or get anyone hurt, they will be mostly let alone by the authorities in general, specific characters such as a police captain with a moral stance against the young endangering themselves, or whatever are always possible.
In my role-playing group here in Champions [Rowan as written in Teen Champions is one of my alts now], I get around all this legal mumbo-jumbo and intrigue by extrapolating the following additions for our version of the setting;
Homeroom Alpha exists, U-hall secretly tucked beneath Ravenswood Academy as described in Teen Champions, but to maintain the secrecy of the program, only certain very highly placed and influential heroes and officials are let in on the secret.
Headmaster Pelvanen has a specific contract with my Main RP Super Group, the Silver Age Sentinels, to train the Alpha kids that desire to learn Fieldwork, and all such Homeroom Alpha students are invited to join the "Young Sentinels", who are legally the junior partners of the very legal Sentinels team. All Young Sentinels are registered with Until, and Primus as well for those that are old enough... None of the Ravenswood kids are Primus registered, obviously. This acts as a double blind cover, if caught in Public a Homeroom Alpha kid is merely another "Young Sentinel", which helps to keep people from even beginning to wonder in the first place.
There must be and thus are *very* highly placed people in political and military circles [as well as in the Metahuman-superhero community] who view this secrecy as beneficial if not necessary, and so some strings are pulled to help keep the ostensibly illegal operation working behind the scenes to help young metahumans and train new superheroes. Thus the Young Sentinels connection and continued support.
Only normal-looking metahumans with completely secret Identities may work at Ravenswood as faculty, Ms. Pelvanen will not hire a teacher with a public ID and history as a hero or metahuman, nor do anything else to publicly endanger the secrecy of the Homeroom Alpha Program. She herself has been retired for over a decade, and is nearing seventy years old, yet her old ID as Rowan remains her secret to protect the program as well.
Finally, Ms. Pelvanen has a final escape plan ready to send the Alpha Program south to Windsor, Canada, if there is a crack down or political wind shift in America. It is also a back-up if the secret is uncovered some other way, such as Viper or other villains discovering it.
Ah, got it now. Your use of the term "registration" in your previous post (which has a specific meaning in the CU related to superhumans) confused me a bit, but I see where you're coming from. Excellent summation of the issues, Rune, thank you.
Your roleplaying group's modifications to canon don't seem a great stretch, since Teen Champions p. 47 sidebar notes that "the upper echelons of such organizations as UNTIL and PRIMUS" know about Ravenswood, so they must give the operation at least tacit approval.
It sounds like your interpretation of the setup features a touch more paranoia than the official one, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Ah, got it now. Your use of the term "registration" in your previous post (which has a specific meaning in the CU related to superhumans) confused me a bit, but I see where you're coming from. Excellent summation of the issues, Rune, thank you.
Your roleplaying group's modifications to canon don't seem a great stretch, since Teen Champions p. 47 sidebar notes that "the upper echelons of such organizations as UNTIL and PRIMUS" know about Ravenswood, so they must give the operation at least tacit approval.
It sounds like your interpretation of the setup features a touch more paranoia than the official one, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
We're trying to preserve at least a small sense of the "New Mutants" flavor that the Ravenswood Academy is so obviously a loving homage of, and it is a dangerous world out there. A touch of paranoia is a good thing when your students might find themselves facing down a super terrorist and sociopathic heavy like Ripper.
Ripper, who gets his name from enjoying Ripping people limb from limb with his bare hands. That's just one.
*I should note one of my own Teen Hero Characters once said to Ripper in Aftershock, "So, the name.. you Rip some pretty nasty farts, right Dude?"
I imagine Ripper wasn't too amused. I know the other players with me were.
Here's a couple questions. I recently got my hands on Hidden Lands and love all the info on Atlantis, Arcadia, and Lemuria. However the book was published before the Lemurian Civil War occurred, so there's no information on Those Who Dwell in Bleakness, or the various goings-on in the Lemurian zone ingame. I was wondering if there's a book that has information on the updated Lemurian lore.
Second, I've got a great love for the Kings of Edom. I've found information on some of them in the DEMON book and Arcane Adversaries, but there's not much on some of the lesser known kings, like Orogtha or Mragtrroar. Is there anything out there with info on all of the Kings, or even a little more about the Qliphothic?
As far as Lemuria goes, understandably the pace of publication of PnP books isn't able to keep up with new developments in the MMO; and those books that are published tend to focus on particular topics, like the most recent Champions Beyond dealing with outer space in the CU.
The currently-available edition of Champions Universe, published in 2010, which covers the whole setting in general terms, has about half a page summarizing the recent developments in Lemuria, but provides less detailed information than what one can glean from Champions Online itself. Hero Games plans to eventually (i.e. in a few years) publish an update to Champions Universe which may delve into this situation further.
As for the Qliphothic World, The Mystic World, which describes all places and things magical in the CU, offers about a page worth of material on it; the minority of that in general, while the major portion describes one of the dimensions that's part of the Qliphoth, "the Shining Darkness." Arcane Adversaries really is the most thorough source available at present about the Kings of Edom and other Edomites. However, if you're interested in the Kings beyond just their interactions with present-day Champions Earth, I can suggest one other possibility.
The Champions Universe is part of an integrated timeline of the greater Hero Universe, embracing several major past and future eras (reflected in setting books published by Hero Games). Some six centuries in the future, when mankind has spread to the stars (but superheroes are just the stuff of legend), one of the greatest threats to the galaxy will be the "Church of the Infinite Dark", devoted to attempting to free the Kings into the galaxy. It's divided into factions serving specific Kings of Edom, and three of them are devoted to Mgatrraor, Orogtha, or Esleggua.
The Church is well described in a chapter of Scourges Of The Galaxy, based in the "Terran Empire" era. While the actual Kings don't receive any more treatment, the book does demonstrate how their powers may be manifested in their servants, as well as the horrifying effects, physical and mental, on people who traffic with the powers of the Qliphoth.
Are there anything written about World War 2 in the Champions Universe? Of course, I can fully understand if nothing have been written about it. But if there is anything about it, what is there to know about it? (Specifically, are there any significant villains in that war?)
Are there anything written about World War 2 in the Champions Universe? Of course, I can fully understand if nothing have been written about it. But if there is anything about it, what is there to know about it? (Specifically, are there any significant villains in that war?)
There's some background in Champions Universe, but we're all waiting with bated breath for Darren to finish the Golden Age of Champions. No ETA on when that will be.
As for significant superhumans, here's a few of the majors:
Allied side: Captain Battle, Dr. Twilight, MeteorMan, Nightengale (US), Lady Lightning (UK), Red Ensign (Canada), General Winter (USSR), the Defenders of Justice (team).
Axis side: Der Totenkopf, Sturmvogel, Donner (Germany), Tasho (Japan).
More are listed in Champions Universe, 6th edition, which is highly recommended for general background knowledge of the game world.
Champions Universe features about two pages devoted to events leading directly to superhuman activity during WW II, and their actions during the war itself. It mentions a number of superhumans, even more than Thundrax cited, and outlines their histories in general terms. CU also has a timeline for Champions Earth history including specific wartime super events.
Golden Age Champions is a pet project of Hero Games president Darren Watts, which he's been writing for years. Unfortunately with all his other duties, he can only work on it intermittently. Steve Long has called it a "done when it's done" project -- it'll be put on the printing schedule whenever Darren finishes it.
I'm part of Darren's ongoing playtest for the Golden Age book. I don't know how discrete Darren would want me to be about the specifics. Although he has no ETA he appears to be well progressed on the manuscript; he sure has the research down. It is by far the most educational RPG I've ever played. In playtest there are some very minor deviations from the continuity presented in 6e Champions Universe, but I don't know if they will make it into the finished product.
There's some background in Champions Universe, but we're all waiting with bated breath for Darren to finish the Golden Age of Champions. No ETA on when that will be.
As for significant superhumans, here's a few of the majors:
Allied side: Captain Battle, Dr. Twilight, MeteorMan, Nightengale (US), Lady Lightning (UK), Red Ensign (Canada), General Winter (USSR), the Defenders of Justice (team).
Axis side: Der Totenkopf, Sturmvogel, Donner (Germany), Tasho (Japan).
More are listed in Champions Universe, 6th edition, which is highly recommended for general background knowledge of the game world.
Der. Totenkopf. I know just enough german to know how wonderfully cheesy that is I imagine he'd be heavily inspired by Red Skull.
Der Totenkopf is superficially Red Skullish, but is an incredibly powerful supersorcerer whom we believe to be possessed by/conjoined with some demonic otherdimensional entity. In some ways, more similar to Sin (Red Skull II) from the Fear Itself crossover event than to her father, the original Red Skull. Totenkopf's true nature is not completely understood by us, and he has appeared to pull off some stunts that ought to have been downright impossible even by most brands of comic book logic. Even so, Darren has managed to maintain the impression that Totenkopf's powers are constrained by certain rules even though we haven't been able to figure out what exactly they are.
I can't wait to check it out when it gets released!
I have the first two versions of Golden Age of Champions (Firebird Ltd and Hero Games) as well as (multiple copies of) Wings of the Valkrie. I'm looking forward to the 6th edition version so I can do some conversions and mix-n-matching of materials...
The Roin'esh are a race of natural shape-shifters, the CU's analogue to Marvel Comics' Skrulls or DC's Durlans. They're one of the very few races still subject to the Malvans, because the Malvans find their abilities endlessly entertaining. However, the Roin'esh scheme to free themselves and eventually become a power in the galaxy.
The Roin'esh have learned of Earth through the Forum Malvanum on Luna, and have identified humans, especially superhumans, as a potential future threat to their plans... or who perhaps can be tricked into aiding them escape the Malvans.
just out of curiosity is there anything on WW1 and vietnam?
There's about a paragraph in Champions Universe dealing with the first couple of decades of the Twentieth Century, when there were few costumed "mystery men" active. This was before the era of true superhumans, which began in 1938. The only WW I reference is to the British aviator called the Black Eagle, who flew "top-secret" missions during the war.
Vietnam receives about as much attention in the book, mostly referring to how various superheroes responded to the controversy of the war and the "hippie" movement. And as Krusedullfaen notes above, the Korean conflict isn't even mentioned.
Generally speaking, when nothing specific is said about a particular modern era or event, Krusedullfaen's approach is probably safe.
There's about a paragraph in Champions Universe dealing with the first couple of decades of the Twentieth Century, when there were few costumed "mystery men" active. This was before the era of true superhumans, which began in 1938. The only WW I reference is to the British aviator called the Black Eagle, who flew "top-secret" missions during the war.
Vietnam receives about as much attention in the book, mostly referring to how various superheroes responded to the controversy of the war and the "hippie" movement. And as Krusedullfaen notes above, the Korean conflict isn't even mentioned.
Generally speaking, when nothing specific is said about a particular modern era or event, Krusedullfaen's approach is probably safe.
ok thx.. well what wars are covered in champions lore?
Because it's been gnawing at the back of my mind and having some basis to start with will help out a bit..
I'm working up a shapeshifter-type character, and haven't settled on just how they do what they do. What kind of options am I looking at here? Perfectly willing to go browse books for more data, but I gotta know where to start. Any suggestions at this point would be helpful, really, as I haven't decided on anything and thus am in a period of extreme flexibility in this regard.
I'd been toying with the idea of a Lemurian, but it seems like they're a bit more form-locked as of late. I could also just go the nanotech goo route, but that one's so hard to be consistent with personaltiy/theme wise. Aliens also aren't quite off the list yet - I'd been debating going with Munitions and fluffing it out with whatever worked, but I'm not entirely married to that as far as concept either.
Thanks in advance. o7
EDIT: Though reading up on the lore on Lemuria in Hidden Lands, I. Am. Enthralled. While I may not use it for this concept, I am definately going to have to do something Lemurian in the future. And maybe visit the zone!
Because it's been gnawing at the back of my mind and having some basis to start with will help out a bit..
I'm working up a shapeshifter-type character, and haven't settled on just how they do what they do. What kind of options am I looking at here? Perfectly willing to go browse books for more data, but I gotta know where to start. Any suggestions at this point would be helpful, really, as I haven't decided on anything and thus am in a period of extreme flexibility in this regard.
I'd been toying with the idea of a Lemurian, but it seems like they're a bit more form-locked as of late. I could also just go the nanotech goo route, but that one's so hard to be consistent with personaltiy/theme wise. Aliens also aren't quite off the list yet - I'd been debating going with Munitions and fluffing it out with whatever worked, but I'm not entirely married to that as far as concept either.
Thanks in advance. o7
Well, Champions being based on comic books, the "how" isn't always explained in detail. Mechanisms for these powers may be based in magic like the Lemurians, genetic mutation, or some form of super-science. The degree of shape-shifting also varies somewhat depending on background. The super-spy and assassin Masquerade can only assume other humanoid shapes, but can duplicate a given person's form down to fingerprints, retina patterns, and DNA codes. The mutant villains Menagerie and El Sauriano can only become various animals. The alien Roin'esh race range in skill from simulating the general appearance of other humanoid races, to a small percentage who can assume nearly any shape, and even transmute their bodies' substance to other materials.
I'm going to offer a suggestion which I think would have the widest range of possibilities for you, and allow as much or as little background baggage as you like. The supervillain Morph (Champions Villains Vol. 3), was -- although she herself doesn't know it -- originally an inhabitant of "a dimension called Xargann whose advanced and sophisticated people naturally possess shapeshifting powers." (CV3 p. 214). The inhabitants of Xargann have total control of their bodies' substance. They can't become gas or energy, or machinery with moving internal parts, but other than that they can transmute their bodies partially or wholly into any shape or substance, and mimic others as flawlessly as Masquerade above.
Morph's people can view our world through a "transdimensionscope," and she wanted to experience life among the "unchanging." A skilled scientist, she created a device to cause her to be born to an Earth woman, and grow up human until her preprogrammed memories and powers returned to her. But a jealous rival scientist sabotaged her experiment, so Morph grew up not knowing her true history.
Your character could be another Xargannian (or whatever they're called), trying a similar experiment, or even someone who knew Morph in her original identity and wants to find and help her. He or she could be born into this world the same way as Morph, or find a way to breach the dimensions and come here directly as an adult. The character could have been left with full memories after the transition, or none, or partial ones, which among other things could mean the character must rediscover the full extent of his or her powers gradually (i.e. by leveling up). And if desired, the aforementioned "jealous rival scientist" can provide a ready-made nemesis.
If that doesn't work for you, if you can give us more parameters we can try to narrow it down.
EDIT: Though reading up on the lore on Lemuria in Hidden Lands, I. Am. Enthralled. While I may not use it for this concept, I am definately going to have to do something Lemurian in the future. And maybe visit the zone!
I sometimes fear the way it's been handled in the MMO, particularly mechanically, may have unfortunately turned some people off to exploring the epic coolness that is CU Lemuria.
I sometimes fear the way it's been handled in the MMO, particularly mechanically, may have unfortunately turned some people off to exploring the epic coolness that is CU Lemuria.
I'm inclined to agree at this point - and it's not so much that the zone is designed poorly either. I think it's a brilliantly well-done interpretation of what a similar place under the ocean would be like. Unfortunately, that doesn't really translate very well to 'intuitive' or 'easy to understand' when it comes to the average human's (mine included) primitive ape minds. It's a bear to navigate and I imagine it would be just as hard for me to get around in if it were a real place as it is in-game. Kind of the beauty of it.
That was honestly one of my bigger problems with EVE, too. They did a very adequate rendition of a space game - the problem was, space is boring as heck. I think STO does a better job (for me) by putting in enough action and excitement to keep things on track.
I may have to give Lemuria a better shot - admittedly, the Crisis and trying to navigate the caves is what ultimately turned me off of it (I had so much trouble trying to figure out what I was supposed to do in the crisis), despite the fact the feel and lore behind the zone was interesting enough before I started reading the inspiration point in-depth. In hindsight, that's not very fair of me.
May have to re-roll my one mystic character into something more Lemurian... Or just make some editorial tweaks. But, I'll save that for after I work out my current shapeshifting quandry (going to meditate a bit on that one, and try and narrow my band on it).
And ironically, as you've certainly discovered from your reading, Lemuria originally wasn't really an "underwater zone," in that Lemurians weren't water-breathers. Most of their activities were under air-filled domes or underground.
Indeed! Though it has been down there a fairly long time. Plenty of time for erosion and other geological things to take place and alter the landscape (plus, the amount it gets blown up and/or otherwise near-destroyed certainly can't be helping maintain it's former surface glory - s'almost as bad as Tokyo in that regard from the sounds of it!).
When they don't look like something else, the Roin'esh aren't especially dramatic. "Theyre a humanoid species with brownish-grey skin, small eyes, short, fine hair on their heads and backs, and a series of distinctive vertical furrows on their foreheads". (Champions Beyond p. 279)
Well, after a full hour of research and about six-eight of pure, unadulterated goofing off (I started reading bits of this, bits of that, and before I knew it I'm reading completely unrelated things and only noticing it an hour or two into it; Hooray, ADD!) I think the Lemurian angle is looking pretty neat. I'm going to have to compile a few more notes, though.
There's really a lot of ways I can go with it, but I'm kind of enthused with the idea of a Lemurian science-sorceress that 'cheats' the system through mystical 'augmentation' (bound rituals in tattoos) and gegaws from other mystics after clueing in to [SPOILERS IN BOTTOM] about Lemurian mysticism to get an edge up. I think I just need to iron out a bit of the details... But, is this a workable idea? And if so/if not, what kind of shenanigans can I employ to make it a bit moreso (or just plain fun things to mess with - or places to discover such things!).
Kind of a half-formed post, I wanted to post it before I get any more lost in not-research. Unrelated, I keep mentally correcting myself on how to pronounce 'Takofanes'. It's not as fun pronouncing it right.
(SPOILERS: It's mostly her theory that Lemurian magic is somehow 'broken' and that by working off of 'lesser' magic, she can still do something to save her people. Even if she's starting to wonder if that's such a great idea, given what little history she's able to piece together. Not to say that Lemurian magic isn't powerful, but with everyone else seeming to get better and nothing changing with the home-brew sorcery, it may be time to turn to other methods.)
Well, after a full hour of research and about six-eight of pure, unadulterated goofing off (I started reading bits of this, bits of that, and before I knew it I'm reading completely unrelated things and only noticing it an hour or two into it; Hooray, ADD!) I think the Lemurian angle is looking pretty neat. I'm going to have to compile a few more notes, though.
There's really a lot of ways I can go with it, but I'm kind of enthused with the idea of a Lemurian science-sorceress that 'cheats' the system through mystical 'augmentation' (bound rituals in tattoos) and gegaws from other mystics after clueing in to [SPOILERS IN BOTTOM] about Lemurian mysticism to get an edge up. I think I just need to iron out a bit of the details... But, is this a workable idea? And if so/if not, what kind of shenanigans can I employ to make it a bit moreso (or just plain fun things to mess with - or places to discover such things!).
Kind of a half-formed post, I wanted to post it before I get any more lost in not-research. Unrelated, I keep mentally correcting myself on how to pronounce 'Takofanes'. It's not as fun pronouncing it right.
(SPOILERS: It's mostly her theory that Lemurian magic is somehow 'broken' and that by working off of 'lesser' magic, she can still do something to save her people. Even if she's starting to wonder if that's such a great idea, given what little history she's able to piece together. Not to say that Lemurian magic isn't powerful, but with everyone else seeming to get better and nothing changing with the home-brew sorcery, it may be time to turn to other methods.)
That's weird, when i woke up half asleep I kept trying to pronounce Takofanes over and over as well...
(SPOILERS: It's mostly her theory that Lemurian magic is somehow 'broken' and that by working off of 'lesser' magic, she can still do something to save her people. Even if she's starting to wonder if that's such a great idea, given what little history she's able to piece together. Not to say that Lemurian magic isn't powerful, but with everyone else seeming to get better and nothing changing with the home-brew sorcery, it may be time to turn to other methods.)
So, rather like Baelrath trying to combine Lemurian techno-magic with human science. I don't see anything wrong with this concept, if it works for you.
That's a motivation to get your character out of Lemuria and into the wider world. I do think you need to ask yourself, once she's out in the world why would she participate in the superhero community? Heroics aren't a pastime that being raised in Lemurian society inclines one towards.
I also suggest that you start a new thread for further discussion of the character, maybe even in the "Costumes and Concepts" forum. This thread probably isn't the most appropriate place.
OK besides viper are there any good* organizations that are focusing on creating a super soldier?
By "good" do you mean "good-guy," or just "interesting?" Your asterisk after "good" leads me to guess the former, and this post is based on that assumption. If you mean the latter, just post a clarification and we'll give you a rundown.
The United States government has a long history of special projects to produce superhumans, dating back to WW II, with at best mixed results. The most successful have been the Perseus Project, which augments a subject physically and mentally (although not to superhuman levels), and which has been used to create a series of "official government superheroes" who use the code name The All-American; and the Cyberline process, compatible with only a small percentage of humans, which grants the recipient low-level superhuman physical attributes (but which must be periodically renewed), used to create the Golden Avenger and Silver Avengers of PRIMUS. (I can post a list of all the other projects if you're interested.)
Currently the US government maintains a top-secret division of the Department of Defense, code-named Department 17, which continues to explore ways to safely and reliably create (and control) superhumans.
If you're looking for more or different information, please post a follow-up.
By "good" do you mean "good-guy," or just "interesting?" Your asterisk after "good" leads me to guess the former, and this post is based on that assumption. If you mean the latter, just post a clarification and we'll give you a rundown.
The United States government has a long history of special projects to produce superhumans, dating back to WW II, with at best mixed results. The most successful have been the Perseus Project, which augments a subject physically and mentally (although not to superhuman levels), and which has been used to create a series of "official government superheroes" who use the code name The All-American; and the Cyberline process, compatible with only a small percentage of humans, which grants the recipient low-level superhuman physical attributes (but which must be periodically renewed), used to create the Golden Avenger and Silver Avengers of PRIMUS. (I can post a list of all the other projects if you're interested.)
Currently the US government maintains a top-secret division of the Department of Defense, code-named Department 17, which continues to explore ways to safely and reliably create (and control) superhumans.
If you're looking for more or different information, please post a follow-up.
the Perseus project? well ive been looking into again the outdated lore books my father has but i cant find anything on super soldiers which in my belief aren't truly super just stronger and mentally capable than regular humans. my archer comes from a set up that sounds familiar to what u described as the perseus preject can you tell me more about that?
There isn't a whole lot of detail about Project Perseus in the books other than what I cited above. Let me just summarize all the relevant super-soldier info revealed in the PnP books to date, and you can see if there's something there you can use:
During WW II research programs were haphazard. Two of them produced single successes, the heroes Achilles and The Comet, both of whom were killed during the war.
In the late 1960's, "Project Perseus" developed a method of producing enhanced (although not truly superhuman) people. This method has produced a succession of "official" government heroes up to the present day using the name The All-American.
In 1977 "Project Yeoman" granted low-level superpowers to six Navy Seals, who were christened Ameriforce One. It's unclear whether Ameriforce One was ever known to the public, but their missions were normally secret. They were killed in 1983, but a new Ameriforce has recently been created, although using recruited rather than created supers.
Perhaps the most successful project was the development of Cyberline in the 1980's, a drug/gene therapy which grants superhuman physical abilities to compatible recipients (but must be periodically renewed). It was used to create the Golden Avenger and a small number of Silver Avengers, who supplement the forces of PRIMUS, the American domestic equivalent of UNTIL.
In 1994, "Project Sunburst" deliberately exposed soldiers to a nuclear explosion to attempt to spawn superhumans. Almost all the soldiers died; most of the survivors remain comatose today; the few who didn't did gain energy-based powers, but to date all have become villains.
Around the same time as Sunburst, the Army's "Man Amplification Program" was trying to develop inexpensive, practical powered armor for soldiers. The only test subject to successfully interface with the prototype armor stole it and became the supervillain Armadillo.
"Project Onslaught" in 1998 attempted gene splicing of human with animal DNA. Two successful results are known, the now-deceased superhero Janissary, and the supervillain who calls himself Onslaught.
All of these projects were under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense. In addition to the various American projects, UNTIL also attempted their own enhanced-human project in the early 1980s, dubbed the "Future Soldier Program." Almost all the volunteers developed permanent disability or madness. Its only unqualified success, known as Gladiator, currently leads UNTIL's "Light Horse" division of aerial agents.
As you can see, the desire to "manufacture" superheroes for government service on demand is long-standing and persistent. No official projects are listed for the current millennium, though, so there's room for more recent successors. This could include reviving some of the earlier projects, as is being considered by UNTIL for the FSP.
There isn't a whole lot of detail about Project Perseus in the books other than what I cited above. Let me just summarize all the relevant super-soldier info revealed in the PnP books to date, and you can see if there's something there you can use:
Perhaps the most successful project was the development of Cyberline in the 1980's, a drug/gene therapy which grants superhuman physical abilities to compatible recipients (but must be periodically renewed). It was used to create the Golden Avenger and a small number of Silver Avengers, who supplement the forces of PRIMUS, the American domestic equivalent of UNTIL.
.
HUH this is probably where i got my idea for jane archer and her brother. basically what she went through was a series of injections of certain drugs directly into her DNA. she is on a human level. her bones are stronger but hollow which allows her to do precise movements. (she wont be taking on grond 1v1) but the most interesting part is that not only did the tests enhance her strength and mental capacity but her superpower which is what i like to call preflex. the ability to see what your opponent will do before the do and act on it. the only issue is that her body is slowly deterating eventually she will go back to being the sickly person she was before.
Well, they're similar. The Cyberline treatment involves introducing DNA taken from several superhumans via an RNA retrovirus. It boosts the recipient's strength, speed, durability, sensory perception, and metabolic efficiency. These benefits fade unless a daily booster treatment is administered.
However, the most recent researches by Department 17, which I described earlier on the thread, have focussed on improving the Cyberline procedure, experimenting with genetic engineering, chemical treatments, exotic radiations, and the like. You could certainly choose to have your character be a product of those experiments.
Here's a more general one that has had me rubbing my chin in contemplation -
How often (and to what) do more neutral or heroic type wizards make pacts with entities outside the norm? The evil sort make all sorts of pacts to dark (or in the cases of DEMON, 'darker' fits better) things in exchange for power, but is there any examples of a more heroic type making a deal with a mystical being?
It came up while reading through the Archmage stuff and why the list of candidacy was so short, which sort of implied that there were good-type mystics that had done something to not meet that qualification in particular (binding or pacting themself to any entity of the Four).
Well, I can think of a couple of relevant examples. The Drifter of the Justice Squadron is one of the world's mightiest heroic mystics, and one would think he'd be a leading candidate for Archmage; but in his origin he accepted the offer of an unknown occult entity, whom he suspects is some power of the Outer Planes, to be returned to life and granted great magic to fight for "what is right."
The powerful Somali sorceror known as The Iron Imam is a great foe of supernatural evil across the Middle East and North Africa, but he's also a hard-line Muslim who refuses to call on the magic of any entities save those from Elysium, or even to deal in any way with infidels. Perhaps not a "pact" as such, but this commitment definitely excludes him from aspiring to Achmage status.
EDIT: The setting also includes quite a few magically-powered superheroes who aren't trained sorcerors, but who agreed to be given their powers from one supernatural entity or another.
also remember that the archmage doesn't have to be good. There's a genuine fear that Takofanes could become archmage.
And the rumors that he may have been one already. Though I think the current worry on that front is... Demonologist? And a handful of others.
It was really only tangentially related to the Archmage office as a question as the phrasing suggested it was likely that one could pact to something from any of the Inner Planes (which is sound in theory) and got me wondering what sort of people would do that.
Thanks, guys. Starting to get a clearer idea of it now.
also remember that the archmage doesn't have to be good. There's a genuine fear that Takofanes could become archmage.
Takofanes is disqualified based on his Undead nature. One of the stipulations is "Mortal", so Empyrians and Liches are out.
He might have been many thousands of years ago, during the Turakian Age, when he was a Mortal himself, Kal-turak.
On the topic, in Fifth edition timeline [invalidated by Cryptic now with CO and sixth edition], Witchcraft became the New Archmage but magic fades from the world in 2020, ending the Super Heroic age and dawning the gritty age of Cyber-hero.
Comments
They do indeed have a place in the Champions Universe, and Babylon is the primary source of such creatures. The Mystic World's description of the City of Man mentions such inhabitants as elementals of smog and toxic waste, plastic, metal, and glass; "conurbites," mostly human-seeming but with plastic-like skin and some machine parts (usually resembling common tools or appliances); intelligent animals such as rats, pigeons, and roaches (and you really don't want to meet the mutant sewer alligators); living machines (packs of stray cars are something of a problem)
However, natural connections, or "nexus points," sometimes form between the Imaginal Realms and Earth, allowing spirits from those realms to enter Earth. They're called genius loci, or "spirit of a place," because they typically dwell near the nexus, and can usually exert some control over their area of habitation. One intriguing urban genius loci described in TMW is the "Paper Lady," whom most people believe is just a crazy old woman living in an abandoned building, surrounded by stacks of old newspapers. In fact the building is a minor nexus to Babylon, and the Paper Lady's body is really made up of yellowed, wadded newspapers. She can animate and control all paper around her, and knows every detail ever published in her city's newspapers.
Salient points are; Only a legal adult can choose to register with Primus in the United States as a hero, anyone younger is legally unable to make those kinds of decisions. Therefore, it is by definition almost impossible for a minor to legally pursue super hero activity. Much as the Police and other authorities look the other way for adult heroes that are unregistered but use non-lethal techniques, so it is with minors, to a degree.
A paranormal or Metahuman minor is as legally bound to his parents or guardians whims as any other minor, and Indy Kid was an 18 year old when he joined Primus, he's like 22 now.
Ravenswood Academy is actually located in Orchardsville, Michigan, by Lake Chippewa some thirty miles north of Millennium City. Probably about forty miles north of Ren Cen proper. Underneath Ravenswood Academy is the super secret Homeroom Alpha [and Beta, Gamma, etc] Facilities called U-hall [short of Underground hall], where a tiny, select 4% of the Academy Student Body [the Metahuman ones, generally] are enrolled in extra courses and training to teach them how to control and live with their abilities, many choosing to become superheroes after they graduate.
The other 96% of the student body are exactly what they seem, the children of the rich and powerful, or politically well connected, and their high tuitions help to bankroll the secrets beneath the campus grounds. Examples in game are Brianna Bisselle, the Mayor's daughter, and her friend, the daughter of the Submarine captain in Lemuria.
These points seem very logical and reasonable, but I don't remember those legal details being spelled out in a PnP book. Are they specified in lore passages from Champions Online? Or did you extrapolate them from the real world? (And again, what you describe does sound likely.)
Part of it is extrapolated from cannon legal situation spelled out in official lore in 6th edition Champions, and part from Teen Champions.
page 46 sidebar in Teen Champions; Superheroes, Minors and the Law; U.S. Law, in this case
This is truncated, but you get the idea.
It echoes the legal standing of non-humans as well, particularly the rights [or lack thereof] of intelligent undead and artificial intelligences.
Just as the laws which require superhumans to register in the United states are "without teeth" and not actively enforced by themselves, but are enough for authorities to go after an unregistered vigilante that goes too far...
It is the same with Metahuman Minors acting as adventurers in public, so long as they don't screw up badly or get anyone hurt, they will be mostly let alone by the authorities in general, specific characters such as a police captain with a moral stance against the young endangering themselves, or whatever are always possible.
In my role-playing group here in Champions [Rowan as written in Teen Champions is one of my alts now], I get around all this legal mumbo-jumbo and intrigue by extrapolating the following additions for our version of the setting;
Homeroom Alpha exists, U-hall secretly tucked beneath Ravenswood Academy as described in Teen Champions, but to maintain the secrecy of the program, only certain very highly placed and influential heroes and officials are let in on the secret.
Headmaster Pelvanen has a specific contract with my Main RP Super Group, the Silver Age Sentinels, to train the Alpha kids that desire to learn Fieldwork, and all such Homeroom Alpha students are invited to join the "Young Sentinels", who are legally the junior partners of the very legal Sentinels team. All Young Sentinels are registered with Until, and Primus as well for those that are old enough... None of the Ravenswood kids are Primus registered, obviously. This acts as a double blind cover, if caught in Public a Homeroom Alpha kid is merely another "Young Sentinel", which helps to keep people from even beginning to wonder in the first place.
There must be and thus are *very* highly placed people in political and military circles [as well as in the Metahuman-superhero community] who view this secrecy as beneficial if not necessary, and so some strings are pulled to help keep the ostensibly illegal operation working behind the scenes to help young metahumans and train new superheroes. Thus the Young Sentinels connection and continued support.
Only normal-looking metahumans with completely secret Identities may work at Ravenswood as faculty, Ms. Pelvanen will not hire a teacher with a public ID and history as a hero or metahuman, nor do anything else to publicly endanger the secrecy of the Homeroom Alpha Program. She herself has been retired for over a decade, and is nearing seventy years old, yet her old ID as Rowan remains her secret to protect the program as well.
Finally, Ms. Pelvanen has a final escape plan ready to send the Alpha Program south to Windsor, Canada, if there is a crack down or political wind shift in America. It is also a back-up if the secret is uncovered some other way, such as Viper or other villains discovering it.
Your roleplaying group's modifications to canon don't seem a great stretch, since Teen Champions p. 47 sidebar notes that "the upper echelons of such organizations as UNTIL and PRIMUS" know about Ravenswood, so they must give the operation at least tacit approval.
It sounds like your interpretation of the setup features a touch more paranoia than the official one, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
We're trying to preserve at least a small sense of the "New Mutants" flavor that the Ravenswood Academy is so obviously a loving homage of, and it is a dangerous world out there. A touch of paranoia is a good thing when your students might find themselves facing down a super terrorist and sociopathic heavy like Ripper.
Ripper, who gets his name from enjoying Ripping people limb from limb with his bare hands. That's just one.
*I should note one of my own Teen Hero Characters once said to Ripper in Aftershock, "So, the name.. you Rip some pretty nasty farts, right Dude?"
I imagine Ripper wasn't too amused. I know the other players with me were.
All three [he can fly] AND his bravery was bolstered by the many Until Troops and his teammates with him!
well that or his GM was VEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERY generous with the XP
Second, I've got a great love for the Kings of Edom. I've found information on some of them in the DEMON book and Arcane Adversaries, but there's not much on some of the lesser known kings, like Orogtha or Mragtrroar. Is there anything out there with info on all of the Kings, or even a little more about the Qliphothic?
The currently-available edition of Champions Universe, published in 2010, which covers the whole setting in general terms, has about half a page summarizing the recent developments in Lemuria, but provides less detailed information than what one can glean from Champions Online itself. Hero Games plans to eventually (i.e. in a few years) publish an update to Champions Universe which may delve into this situation further.
As for the Qliphothic World, The Mystic World, which describes all places and things magical in the CU, offers about a page worth of material on it; the minority of that in general, while the major portion describes one of the dimensions that's part of the Qliphoth, "the Shining Darkness." Arcane Adversaries really is the most thorough source available at present about the Kings of Edom and other Edomites. However, if you're interested in the Kings beyond just their interactions with present-day Champions Earth, I can suggest one other possibility.
The Champions Universe is part of an integrated timeline of the greater Hero Universe, embracing several major past and future eras (reflected in setting books published by Hero Games). Some six centuries in the future, when mankind has spread to the stars (but superheroes are just the stuff of legend), one of the greatest threats to the galaxy will be the "Church of the Infinite Dark", devoted to attempting to free the Kings into the galaxy. It's divided into factions serving specific Kings of Edom, and three of them are devoted to Mgatrraor, Orogtha, or Esleggua.
The Church is well described in a chapter of Scourges Of The Galaxy, based in the "Terran Empire" era. While the actual Kings don't receive any more treatment, the book does demonstrate how their powers may be manifested in their servants, as well as the horrifying effects, physical and mental, on people who traffic with the powers of the Qliphoth.
There's some background in Champions Universe, but we're all waiting with bated breath for Darren to finish the Golden Age of Champions. No ETA on when that will be.
As for significant superhumans, here's a few of the majors:
Allied side: Captain Battle, Dr. Twilight, MeteorMan, Nightengale (US), Lady Lightning (UK), Red Ensign (Canada), General Winter (USSR), the Defenders of Justice (team).
Axis side: Der Totenkopf, Sturmvogel, Donner (Germany), Tasho (Japan).
More are listed in Champions Universe, 6th edition, which is highly recommended for general background knowledge of the game world.
Golden Age Champions is a pet project of Hero Games president Darren Watts, which he's been writing for years. Unfortunately with all his other duties, he can only work on it intermittently. Steve Long has called it a "done when it's done" project -- it'll be put on the printing schedule whenever Darren finishes it.
Der. Totenkopf. I know just enough german to know how wonderfully cheesy that is
I have the first two versions of Golden Age of Champions (Firebird Ltd and Hero Games) as well as (multiple copies of) Wings of the Valkrie. I'm looking forward to the 6th edition version so I can do some conversions and mix-n-matching of materials...
The Roin'esh have learned of Earth through the Forum Malvanum on Luna, and have identified humans, especially superhumans, as a potential future threat to their plans... or who perhaps can be tricked into aiding them escape the Malvans.
I usually just end up grounding backgrounds in reality, then saying "Oh, and there were superheroes, so you kno...super stuff happened"
There's about a paragraph in Champions Universe dealing with the first couple of decades of the Twentieth Century, when there were few costumed "mystery men" active. This was before the era of true superhumans, which began in 1938. The only WW I reference is to the British aviator called the Black Eagle, who flew "top-secret" missions during the war.
Vietnam receives about as much attention in the book, mostly referring to how various superheroes responded to the controversy of the war and the "hippie" movement. And as Krusedullfaen notes above, the Korean conflict isn't even mentioned.
Generally speaking, when nothing specific is said about a particular modern era or event, Krusedullfaen's approach is probably safe.
ok thx.. well what wars are covered in champions lore?
I'm working up a shapeshifter-type character, and haven't settled on just how they do what they do. What kind of options am I looking at here? Perfectly willing to go browse books for more data, but I gotta know where to start. Any suggestions at this point would be helpful, really, as I haven't decided on anything and thus am in a period of extreme flexibility in this regard.
I'd been toying with the idea of a Lemurian, but it seems like they're a bit more form-locked as of late. I could also just go the nanotech goo route, but that one's so hard to be consistent with personaltiy/theme wise. Aliens also aren't quite off the list yet - I'd been debating going with Munitions and fluffing it out with whatever worked, but I'm not entirely married to that as far as concept either.
Thanks in advance. o7
EDIT: Though reading up on the lore on Lemuria in Hidden Lands, I. Am. Enthralled. While I may not use it for this concept, I am definately going to have to do something Lemurian in the future. And maybe visit the zone!
See Posts #164-68 above.
Well, Champions being based on comic books, the "how" isn't always explained in detail.
I'm going to offer a suggestion which I think would have the widest range of possibilities for you, and allow as much or as little background baggage as you like. The supervillain Morph (Champions Villains Vol. 3), was -- although she herself doesn't know it -- originally an inhabitant of "a dimension called Xargann whose advanced and sophisticated people naturally possess shapeshifting powers." (CV3 p. 214). The inhabitants of Xargann have total control of their bodies' substance. They can't become gas or energy, or machinery with moving internal parts, but other than that they can transmute their bodies partially or wholly into any shape or substance, and mimic others as flawlessly as Masquerade above.
Morph's people can view our world through a "transdimensionscope," and she wanted to experience life among the "unchanging." A skilled scientist, she created a device to cause her to be born to an Earth woman, and grow up human until her preprogrammed memories and powers returned to her. But a jealous rival scientist sabotaged her experiment, so Morph grew up not knowing her true history.
Your character could be another Xargannian (or whatever they're called), trying a similar experiment, or even someone who knew Morph in her original identity and wants to find and help her. He or she could be born into this world the same way as Morph, or find a way to breach the dimensions and come here directly as an adult. The character could have been left with full memories after the transition, or none, or partial ones, which among other things could mean the character must rediscover the full extent of his or her powers gradually (i.e. by leveling up).
If that doesn't work for you, if you can give us more parameters we can try to narrow it down.
I sometimes fear the way it's been handled in the MMO, particularly mechanically, may have unfortunately turned some people off to exploring the epic coolness that is CU Lemuria.
I'm inclined to agree at this point - and it's not so much that the zone is designed poorly either. I think it's a brilliantly well-done interpretation of what a similar place under the ocean would be like. Unfortunately, that doesn't really translate very well to 'intuitive' or 'easy to understand' when it comes to the average human's (mine included) primitive ape minds. It's a bear to navigate and I imagine it would be just as hard for me to get around in if it were a real place as it is in-game. Kind of the beauty of it.
That was honestly one of my bigger problems with EVE, too. They did a very adequate rendition of a space game - the problem was, space is boring as heck. I think STO does a better job (for me) by putting in enough action and excitement to keep things on track.
I may have to give Lemuria a better shot - admittedly, the Crisis and trying to navigate the caves is what ultimately turned me off of it (I had so much trouble trying to figure out what I was supposed to do in the crisis), despite the fact the feel and lore behind the zone was interesting enough before I started reading the inspiration point in-depth. In hindsight, that's not very fair of me.
May have to re-roll my one mystic character into something more Lemurian... Or just make some editorial tweaks. But, I'll save that for after I work out my current shapeshifting quandry (going to meditate a bit on that one, and try and narrow my band on it).
There's really a lot of ways I can go with it, but I'm kind of enthused with the idea of a Lemurian science-sorceress that 'cheats' the system through mystical 'augmentation' (bound rituals in tattoos) and gegaws from other mystics after clueing in to [SPOILERS IN BOTTOM] about Lemurian mysticism to get an edge up. I think I just need to iron out a bit of the details... But, is this a workable idea? And if so/if not, what kind of shenanigans can I employ to make it a bit moreso (or just plain fun things to mess with - or places to discover such things!).
Kind of a half-formed post, I wanted to post it before I get any more lost in not-research. Unrelated, I keep mentally correcting myself on how to pronounce 'Takofanes'. It's not as fun pronouncing it right.
(SPOILERS: It's mostly her theory that Lemurian magic is somehow 'broken' and that by working off of 'lesser' magic, she can still do something to save her people. Even if she's starting to wonder if that's such a great idea, given what little history she's able to piece together. Not to say that Lemurian magic isn't powerful, but with everyone else seeming to get better and nothing changing with the home-brew sorcery, it may be time to turn to other methods.)
That's weird, when i woke up half asleep I kept trying to pronounce Takofanes over and over as well...
IMHO it's kind of a cheesy concept, best suited to a comical take on the genre.
That's a motivation to get your character out of Lemuria and into the wider world. I do think you need to ask yourself, once she's out in the world why would she participate in the superhero community? Heroics aren't a pastime that being raised in Lemurian society inclines one towards.
I also suggest that you start a new thread for further discussion of the character, maybe even in the "Costumes and Concepts" forum. This thread probably isn't the most appropriate place.
By "good" do you mean "good-guy," or just "interesting?"
The United States government has a long history of special projects to produce superhumans, dating back to WW II, with at best mixed results. The most successful have been the Perseus Project, which augments a subject physically and mentally (although not to superhuman levels), and which has been used to create a series of "official government superheroes" who use the code name The All-American; and the Cyberline process, compatible with only a small percentage of humans, which grants the recipient low-level superhuman physical attributes (but which must be periodically renewed), used to create the Golden Avenger and Silver Avengers of PRIMUS. (I can post a list of all the other projects if you're interested.)
Currently the US government maintains a top-secret division of the Department of Defense, code-named Department 17, which continues to explore ways to safely and reliably create (and control) superhumans.
If you're looking for more or different information, please post a follow-up.
the Perseus project? well ive been looking into again the outdated lore books my father has but i cant find anything on super soldiers which in my belief aren't truly super just stronger and mentally capable than regular humans. my archer comes from a set up that sounds familiar to what u described as the perseus preject can you tell me more about that?
During WW II research programs were haphazard. Two of them produced single successes, the heroes Achilles and The Comet, both of whom were killed during the war.
In the late 1960's, "Project Perseus" developed a method of producing enhanced (although not truly superhuman) people. This method has produced a succession of "official" government heroes up to the present day using the name The All-American.
In 1977 "Project Yeoman" granted low-level superpowers to six Navy Seals, who were christened Ameriforce One. It's unclear whether Ameriforce One was ever known to the public, but their missions were normally secret. They were killed in 1983, but a new Ameriforce has recently been created, although using recruited rather than created supers.
Perhaps the most successful project was the development of Cyberline in the 1980's, a drug/gene therapy which grants superhuman physical abilities to compatible recipients (but must be periodically renewed). It was used to create the Golden Avenger and a small number of Silver Avengers, who supplement the forces of PRIMUS, the American domestic equivalent of UNTIL.
In 1994, "Project Sunburst" deliberately exposed soldiers to a nuclear explosion to attempt to spawn superhumans. Almost all the soldiers died; most of the survivors remain comatose today; the few who didn't did gain energy-based powers, but to date all have become villains.
Around the same time as Sunburst, the Army's "Man Amplification Program" was trying to develop inexpensive, practical powered armor for soldiers. The only test subject to successfully interface with the prototype armor stole it and became the supervillain Armadillo.
"Project Onslaught" in 1998 attempted gene splicing of human with animal DNA. Two successful results are known, the now-deceased superhero Janissary, and the supervillain who calls himself Onslaught.
All of these projects were under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense. In addition to the various American projects, UNTIL also attempted their own enhanced-human project in the early 1980s, dubbed the "Future Soldier Program." Almost all the volunteers developed permanent disability or madness. Its only unqualified success, known as Gladiator, currently leads UNTIL's "Light Horse" division of aerial agents.
As you can see, the desire to "manufacture" superheroes for government service on demand is long-standing and persistent. No official projects are listed for the current millennium, though, so there's room for more recent successors. This could include reviving some of the earlier projects, as is being considered by UNTIL for the FSP.
HUH this is probably where i got my idea for jane archer and her brother. basically what she went through was a series of injections of certain drugs directly into her DNA. she is on a human level. her bones are stronger but hollow which allows her to do precise movements. (she wont be taking on grond 1v1) but the most interesting part is that not only did the tests enhance her strength and mental capacity but her superpower which is what i like to call preflex. the ability to see what your opponent will do before the do and act on it. the only issue is that her body is slowly deterating eventually she will go back to being the sickly person she was before.
was cyberline sorta like that?
However, the most recent researches by Department 17, which I described earlier on the thread, have focussed on improving the Cyberline procedure, experimenting with genetic engineering, chemical treatments, exotic radiations, and the like. You could certainly choose to have your character be a product of those experiments.
How often (and to what) do more neutral or heroic type wizards make pacts with entities outside the norm? The evil sort make all sorts of pacts to dark (or in the cases of DEMON, 'darker' fits better) things in exchange for power, but is there any examples of a more heroic type making a deal with a mystical being?
It came up while reading through the Archmage stuff and why the list of candidacy was so short, which sort of implied that there were good-type mystics that had done something to not meet that qualification in particular (binding or pacting themself to any entity of the Four).
The powerful Somali sorceror known as The Iron Imam is a great foe of supernatural evil across the Middle East and North Africa, but he's also a hard-line Muslim who refuses to call on the magic of any entities save those from Elysium, or even to deal in any way with infidels. Perhaps not a "pact" as such, but this commitment definitely excludes him from aspiring to Achmage status.
EDIT: The setting also includes quite a few magically-powered superheroes who aren't trained sorcerors, but who agreed to be given their powers from one supernatural entity or another.
And the rumors that he may have been one already. Though I think the current worry on that front is... Demonologist? And a handful of others.
It was really only tangentially related to the Archmage office as a question as the phrasing suggested it was likely that one could pact to something from any of the Inner Planes (which is sound in theory) and got me wondering what sort of people would do that.
Thanks, guys.
Takofanes is disqualified based on his Undead nature. One of the stipulations is "Mortal", so Empyrians and Liches are out.
He might have been many thousands of years ago, during the Turakian Age, when he was a Mortal himself, Kal-turak.
On the topic, in Fifth edition timeline [invalidated by Cryptic now with CO and sixth edition], Witchcraft became the New Archmage but magic fades from the world in 2020, ending the Super Heroic age and dawning the gritty age of Cyber-hero.