Now a very belated continuation of a thread from this summer. I finally pulled my act together enough to figure out where I'm going with this.
In a nutshell: Punchclock supervillains.
In more detail: Superpowers are cropping up in general populace, and individuals with these powers are required to register themselves with the government. There are a few well-paying jobs out there... but they are few and far between. For the superpowered individual who does not have one of these jobs, and still wants to pay the bills, there are opportunities in the private sector: namely, supervillainy. Oddly enough, this is not
illegal, strictly speaking: in fact, quite a few of these self-styled 'supervillain' organizations cooperate readily with police. However, the goals of these groups, and of the individuals within them, do not necessarily match up with the public good.
"Supervillainy, Inc." is one of the gold standards of the industry out there. As their advertisements inform, "Do not go with generic evil! Go for the worst! Supervillainy, Inc.!" They regulate squabbles between superpowered individuals, handle casing locations for supervillains, and even assist the local police when a rogue supervillain goes on the rampage. Their leader goes simply by the moniker of "The Mogul."
In the city where the campaign will take place, there are a few individuals in the limelight, who your characters should be familiar with and recognize on sight. One of them is Mighty Miss, who humbly introduces herself to the public as a "flying brick." Endowed with super strength, damage resistance bordering on invincibility, flying ability, and a few *ahem*
assets that render her quite photogenic, she is one of the public's best-loved heroes, and enjoys a lucrative government wage.
The other maverick superhero of the region, the Flasher, is a self-proclaimed vigilante whose claim to fame is that he fights crime at high speeds... in the buff. Despite numerous public decency violations, he has always evaded police captures. However, there are quite a few videos circulating the Internet showing him having 'hands-on' interactions with his adoring female fanbase.
Now: mechanics. We will be using the Window system. For those who are not familiar, the link is
http://www.mimgames.com/window/ With your character app, please include your appearance (in costume) and background. Please keep in mind that at the start of the game, you will be playing entry level characters, who are trying to succeed in getting a job or internship with Supervillainy, Inc.
A few notes on the superpowers: I am dividing this into both raw power and control. Say your power is over fire. If you have great power, you can launch a fireball that devastates a city. If you have great control, you can shape your flames into lacework. If you have great power, but not great control, you might end up with huge unintentional collateral damage. If you have great control, but not great power, you may have to content yourself with being your group's cigarette lighter.
Sample character sheet:
The InternAppearance: A tall, slender woman with blonde hair, tied back into a high ponytail. Most of her face is obscured by a satin blue, slightly oversized domino mask. Underneath the mask, her eyes are nothing but a blank, unblinking white glow. Meeting that gaze for too long can be slightly uncomfortable, despite the cheerful smile she is more than willing to bestow. When manning the front desk, she favors powder blue business attire.
Background: Ever since high school, the Intern has been avidly following Mighty Miss' exploits, and wishes nothing more than to follow in the footsteps of her hero. However, until donning a domino mask at a somewhat creepy Halloween store (which has never been heard of again!), she knew her lack of powers would hold her back. Once the mask was on though, she realized that she had enough powers to get into the game, but not enough to make her as big a success as Mighty Miss. Additionally, she has the uncomfortable feeling that the mask whispers things while she sleeps. Since then, she began college, working on her marketing degree, and has recently begun her internship at Supervillainy, Inc.
Quote: "Like, omigawd! I SO hope Mighty Miss will thwart me!"
Superpowers: Illusion magic.
Basic StatsStrength: A bit on the weak side. (d20)
Agility: Average agility. (d12)
Health: Takes good care of herself. (d10)
Knowledge: Some college. (d10)
Perception: Keenly aware of her surroundings. (d8)
Superpowered Stats: Illusions (visual)
Power: She has decent powers, but can't perform large illusions, as they tend to look rather attenuated. (d12)
Control: Excellent, due to her practicing in her highschool's drama department. (d8)
SkillsCombat: Like all employees, the Intern has been taught basic hand-to-hand combat. (d12)
Cooking: Cooks as little as possible. (d30)
Driving: Practiced in evasive driving techniques. (d10)
Firearms: A lousy shot. (d20)
Swimming: Swims with more practicality than style. (d20)
I will accept as many character apps as I feel comfortable GMing for, which will probably be about 3-6. I haven't set any particular power guidelines because I am curious to see what people will come up with.