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IC: Heroes, But Not In This World [Hero 6E]

Posted by LonePaladin
LonePaladin
member, 550 posts
Creator of HeroForge
Fri 13 Jan 2017
at 08:12
  • msg #1

IC: Heroes, But Not In This World [Hero 6E]

I was taking ideas from my players in another Hero System game, when this concept gelled in my head all at once. It's not what they wanted to do, so I thought I'd describe it here and see what people think about it.


Initially the players will make low-powered characters; either competent Normals or skilled Heroic types, somewhere in that range. A cut above average, but not outrageously exceptional.

That being said, they would likely have their own little bits of expertise. Maybe one of them has really good reflexes. One might be really good with machines and making old tech work again. Perhaps one is really big and tough. Things like that.

The setting is a post-apocalyptic world. It originally had superheroes and super-powered villains and everything that goes with them. At some point, one of these villains made the ultimate bid: threatening to destroy the world with a doomsday weapon. As expected, superheroes turned up to oppose him.

Except they failed. The device went off, and 95% of the world population died. Not just people, but all living things. And a chunk of the rest were twisted and mutated, so the survivors had to deal with monsters as well as scarce resources. It would make the Wasteland in Fallout look like Disneyland.

The PCs in this scenario have been eking out a living for some time, banded together for survival. And not in a pretty way -- they've had to do some less-than-kind things in order to get by. Murder, certainly. Theft, sure. Raiding and banditry, very likely. It's a harsh world, and there's no room for chivalry or rigid ethics.

At some point during their scavving, the PCs stumble across an old device in a ruin. Whether by design (if they have a handyman) or accident, they reactivate it, and it opens a portal to an alternate timeline. Specifically, a timeline in which the super-villain never threatened to destroy the world. It's bright, clean, lots of people; compared to what they've been living it, paradise.

And in stepping through the portal, the PCs get changed on that end, into what they would have been. Superheroes. More importantly, they quickly learn that they are a team, and are the resident defenders of the local city-state. Big Damn Heroes, with a responsibility toward the civilians and the powers to make it happen.

That big bruiser? Suddenly much bigger and tougher. The handyman? Maybe he's built his own power armor, or a belt full of gadgets. The agile guy? Hyperkinetic martial artist. Whatever they're good at back home, they're ten times better here.

Except they can't stay forever. Maybe the portal has a built-in time limit, or their bodies are left behind and still need food and water. Plus, if anyone else finds the portal, they'll probably kill the PCs to gain control of it. They can bring stuff back to make life easier, but if they overdo it they'll give away their advantage.


A bit more long-winded than the first time I drafted this idea. But the general concept is having the PCs flip between a blasted world where they're bad guys in a world with nothing but bad guys, and a bright shiny world where they're expected to be the heroes.
Alex Vriairu
member, 390 posts
Fri 13 Jan 2017
at 08:44
  • msg #2

IC: Heroes, But Not In This World [Hero 6E]

Eh if you find the right people for it I think you got a great concept, for me I don't think I'd fit the bill, I'm to likely to just take what my world would need, almost reguardless of what it would do to the alternet timeline to be the kind of player your looking for.
lady_politic
member, 130 posts
Fri 13 Jan 2017
at 10:36
  • msg #3

IC: Heroes, But Not In This World [Hero 6E]

Sounds like fun!
LonePaladin
member, 551 posts
Creator of HeroForge
Fri 13 Jan 2017
at 16:13
  • msg #4

IC: Heroes, But Not In This World [Hero 6E]

In reply to Alex Vriairu (msg # 2):

This is true, I'm not looking for that kind of play. I'd want people to actually care about what happens to the second reality, not just loot it indiscriminately.

Thank you for being honest about it.
LucidWarrior
member, 37 posts
Fri 13 Jan 2017
at 22:15
  • msg #5

IC: Heroes, But Not In This World [Hero 6E]

In reply to LonePaladin (msg # 4):

This is too sweet for me to pass up! Count me in.
HEarlPendelfield
member, 26 posts
Sat 14 Jan 2017
at 21:01
  • msg #6

IC: Heroes, But Not In This World [Hero 6E]

It is a very interesting idea. I particularly like the idea of a time limit on how long they can stay in the other world, otherwise you would have a hard time making them go home.

Would work well if the group were actually of a mind to improve their worlds situation and not just their own lives.

Have to say I would love to join such a game.
Cubist
member, 68 posts
Sun 15 Jan 2017
at 04:28
  • msg #7

Re: IC: Heroes, But Not In This World [Hero 6E]

LonePaladin:
In reply to Alex Vriairu (msg # 2):

I'd want people to actually care about what happens to the second reality, not just loot it indiscriminately.

Given the scenario you've described, it seems like the PCs' reactions are likely to cluster around two possibilities.

Possible Reaction One: This other reality has everything we need! Why shouldn't I just grab stuff—we need it more, and they'll never miss it!

Possible Reaction Two: This other reality is paradise. To hell with the crapsack world I came from, I wanna live here for the rest of my life!

I'm not sure how either of those general reactions would fit with your expectations for such a campaign?
Alex Vriairu
member, 393 posts
Sun 15 Jan 2017
at 07:08
  • msg #8

Re: IC: Heroes, But Not In This World [Hero 6E]

Cubist:
Possible Reaction One: This other reality has everything we need! Why shouldn't I just grab stuff—we need it more, and they'll never miss it!

Possible Reaction Two: This other reality is paradise. To hell with the crapsack world I came from, I wanna live here for the rest of my life!

I'm not sure how either of those general reactions would fit with your expectations for such a campaign?



My reaction falls into Possible reaction 1, and I was told I was not in line with what was expected so yeah.  If you take their backgrounds into account into shaping their psychology I really don't see how either group one or two can be avoided.
LonePaladin
member, 553 posts
Creator of HeroForge
Sun 15 Jan 2017
at 07:12
  • msg #9

Re: IC: Heroes, But Not In This World [Hero 6E]

Cubist:
I'm not sure how either of those general reactions would fit with your expectations for such a campaign?

Two things. First off, there would be something compelling the PCs to return to their origin world on a regular basis. Either a set time-limit on each visit, or the need to go back and keep their bodies running. One way or another, they would have to go back on occasion and deal with the wasteland for a while.

Second, they can certainly take things back with them to improve their quality of life in the wasteland. But they're not the only scavengers out there; if they start making it obvious that they're faring better, they're going to have other people trying to get their hands on it.

Obviously, I'll have to work on some limits as to what can come back (and why), or they'll just immediately swipe a bunch of high-powered weapons and turn into bandit kings. I might revise this part of it.

Maybe instead, the PCs simply come back from their trip stronger. Still in their original low-powered bodies, but fully healed and healthier. That alone would be an enviable state in the wasteland, but let them gain a little more strength each time. Maybe, given enough trips, they could even start manifesting the powers they exhibit in the alternate world (albeit much weaker at first).
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