Big Adventures

[Raveled]

This is more of a discussion thread than anything else. I have an idea in mind for a big adventure. It's inspired by the X-Men's hunt for the journal's of Destiny. This is going to be a big, multi-thread adventure in Europe, doing some skullduggery and big fights. My reservation is that this is going to take the involved PCs out of circulation for a long time, maybe a couple of months; it's really more like a classic game campaign. I'm just wondering if FC PbP is even the correct place to tell this story.

[Heritage]

Color me intrigued! Grim is good at skullduggery, or maybe a good launching point for new or returning characters.

[KnightDisciple]

I think it's certainly possible; there's probably a few comic book storylines that do something similar (tie up a particular group for a longer period of time and make them unavailable for "crossover" titles), though moreso back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s (before crossovers became the default).

 

I think the key is figuring out a good group to do it with.

 

You need to ask a few questions to figure that out (well, you and the other players, really). A few suggestions but not an objective, definitive list:

-What characters can afford to be tied up for longer periods? Now, this is (as most of them will be) something of a meta-question. But this looks at whether the character can financially afford it, socially afford it, academically afford it, etc. A really rich character who doesn't need to work? No problem. A really poor character who just kind of subsists on odd jobs? Actually, not a big problem! But a middle class 9-5 job type with only a few days of vacation, probably not so much! Claremont students might have problems if it's not set in the summer (or even then).

-What characters would do well on long treks like this? Does the character need a steady stream of material supplies or some sort of "support system" to keep them at their best? This could be Complication fodder, but it's a knife-edge balance in my mind; a character who can't actually contribute to combat for multiple threads isn't much fun, really. Also, getting an extra HP in every single thread might get a bit silly after a while, but that's also just me.

-What characters would do well on a globe-trotting adventure? Is your character suited to adapting to multiple places and environments and cultures? Some "culture shock" is good, but taken too far it can be taxing. As well, it's good to be able to help out with the goals of various stages of the adventure.

-How will your character do interacting with new people and forming a semi-impromptu group?

 

For the GM in particular:

-How will they interact with local hero teams, if at all?

-How will they interact with UNISON?

-What sorts of "pot-stirring" might result from this string of super-fights across Europe?

 

Again, totally doable here in my mind. Possibly a good way to shake status quo a bit! But definitely not a thread to just jump into without looking.

[Tiffany Korta]

Yeah it sounds like a nice slightly different idea for a thread. You would have to think a little about the the characters and players involved.

[Heritage]

Based on what KD discussed above, Grim would be my choice for this sort of thing. She has enough money to afford it, she can leave the store in Kiki's hands for a while and take a semester off of school. Plus her powers make her very self-sufficient and she can speak any language, and if it's actually books we're looking for, she has a natural in!

[souffle_girl]

Mechanized can definitely work in this campaign. She's rich enough that being away for a while doesn't matter, and her dad's company is likely spread in Europe too, so while she can get logistical support, there's always the chance the local warehouse or office doesn't have really everything she needs.

 

The main problem would be involving her, giving her a real reason to take part to the adventure. Also, she's currently involved in Incursion so she wouldn't be available until after that.

Edited January 20, 2015 by souffle_girl

[Raveled]

I'm not advertising yet! This is just a proof of concept discussion.

[Ari]

In that case, and in the interest of random interjections, a couple of questions.

What are the PCs and their antagonists fighting for? Obviously they're fighting over this artifact, but what are they trying to achieve or stop from happening by obtaining this? Will the NPCs develop or change any in the course of this series? As you mentioned that this is going to take place over a long period of timethe superheroes' enemies outright transforming over the course of the story could be a good way to both indicate progress and show the impact the players have made on the world.

Why Europe? Where exactly in Europe? As Knight mentioned, UNISON might be interested in a merry band of powered foreigners trekking across the continent, are they planned to be involved in the story? What about "local" supers? Is this a public affair or a secret mission? Is Overthrow or the Thule Society part to this, or even SHADOW?

Why here, and not, say, play-by-email? Or sessions over Skype? Our format has had a serious problem with long threads in the past, still does, in fact.

[Raveled]

I don't want to reveal too many details, because it will tie into other storylines I have in mind, but there are a few questions I can answer.

Why Europe? Europe is sufficiently industrialized and liberal that I feel like a team can move about there with more-or-less freedom. If I set this in East Asia there'd be a lot of trouble with government regulation controlling where people can go. If I set it in South America or south or central Africa, well our mostly-Caucasian PCs would stand out there, which I feel would detract from the feel of the game.

Why play it here? Because the people I want to play with and the character I want to write for are here. I have no trouble imagining that I could run this as an Agents of SHIELD-inspired game without trouble; but then I couldn't have the characters I already know and enjoy be part of it.

[KnightDisciple]

Nothing says all the GM-related questions have to be answered publicly, Rav. They're just things I/we think you should ponder while preparing this.