Preparing for a Sentinels game

Games Sentinel Comics RPG
1

So I know that the core rulebook for the RPG isn't out yet, and won't be out for a few months if the hype is to be believed, but me and my friends are all huge fans of the card game and we had a blast playing through the starter kit.  Now, I've always been a fairly creative person, and listening to the podcast plus how the system works has really got me pumped for preparing my own home-game for when the full core rulebook comes out.

Anyway, if anyone is interested, I like some help workshoping some of my ideas.  And, if any GM out there likes them, feel free to use them if you like.

Tone: So my players said that they'd be up for playing any 'style' of superhero game as long as it is lies somewhere between 60's Adam West Batman Sillyness, and Netflix Punisher grittyness.  I've kind of latched on the the 'inFamous' series of videogames for tone.  There's some grim and gritty aspects to it, but there is also a time-traveler trying to stop the emergence of a 50 foot tall super monster so . . . y'know, best of both worlds.

Setting: I've decided that I want to have the game set in Megalopolis, six months after the OblivAeon event.  The city is still ruined, the economy is in the toilet, and there are lots of homeless (litterally, their homes got destroyed).  The crime rate has taken a sharp uptick, but people are still trying to rebuild as best they can.  In fact, there's one residential neighborhood that was evacuated, but completely obliterated (Skyscraper fell on it?  I dunno the lore, was she in Megalopolis during OblivAeon?) and now the place is a shantytown of ramshackle huts as people desperatly wait for government funding/insurance to help them with new housing.

Legacy in particular has been heavily recruiting new heroes, and has take a more back-steat, logistics-focused role.  He considers this a sort of semi-retirement.  His reasoning is that so many heroes were lost during the event, that people need to be training the next generation of heroes, and in addition, there needs to be more heroes, incase a galaxy/multiverse-ending threat ever rears its head again.  

To that end Legacy has created several smaller 'street level' teams in Megalopolis.  One of these is the PCs, who operate out of a remodled convenience store (with secret entrances and exits.)  The plan is for these new heroes to cut their teeth on some street level crime in order to train them up as the next generation of heroes.  Each team will recieve training from existing heroes (such as trainings against supers for Expatriette, or close-combat training from Mr. Fixer, etc.) and will have a logistics guy, plus the team can call in for side support from other teams if they really need it (though they are discouraged to do this too much.)

Story arcs:

I've got about 3/4s of the first story arc figured out, and a little bit of a second.  I can post the specifics down below.  I will say both arcs are mystery/investigation arcs, so I will give all of you guys the information up front, but the heroes will figure it out piecemail.

Story arc 1 "New Blood."

Young (name not made yet) was a seventeen year-old daughter of a Revocorp Scientist.  She was fairly smart, and was set to go to college in the fall when the Oblivaeon event happened.  Her house was one of the ones destroyed and she now lives in the Shantytown mentioned above.  Her father was killed in the event which devestated her.  The college she was set to go to was destroyed, and with their current situation, she can't afford college anyway.  She became a bitter, dispondant youth, like so many in Shantytown, angry at the world and how it had robbed her.

However, while searching the remains of her house, she found an old box of her fathers, containing several thumbdrives and an IV.  Curious, she browsed the thumb drives, and while most of it was too complicated for her, she discovered that her father used to work for the Shadows, the orginization that made superpowers (like the ones that made setback and Baron Blade's powered form).  Her father had been working to further refine the formula, and had discovered a serum that could flood the body with a special energy.  This energy reacted different to each person's body, but it would give you super-powers for about 20-30 hours.  The power you got was based on your unique biology, but when the effect ended, it usually really hurt and sometimes killed the host, plus the powers were never very powerful, certainly nothing to take on the freedom five with, so the project was cancelled, and her father had secreted some home to try and work out the kinks in his garrage.

So she takes the serum, kind of not caring if she dies because she's so disillusioned with society at this point, but luckily, she gains the power of Intuitive understanding.  Essentially she can take a look at any schematics and figure out how that object works.  So, using her newfound powers (and an internet connection at a local coffee shop to look up the stuff she didn't know) she manages to re-create the formula in under 20 hours and give herself another dose, essentially keeping the power going.

After that she becomes a supervillian named "The Pusher" and she basically offers the disaffected and angry youths of Shantytown free superpowers if they come and become part of her gang.  The powers that are granted are fairly minor: such as touching non-living objects under 100 lbs and making them float, Force eye-beams that have enough force to knock the wind out of someone, very short-range teleportation with a cooldown of 5-10 seconds (and you can't take people with you), etc.

The arc covers the PCs finding out about the new gang (dubbed 'The New Blood") and discovering what's going on.

 

Story Arc 2

In the aftermath of Arc 1, the PCs discover some strange roberies, such as stealing beds, chairs, and tables from a furniture store, and linnins and pillows from a wal-mart like store.  Shortly after, they discover a group trying to kidnap a little girl from Shantytown.  Turns out, she was someone that was experimented on by 'The Pusher.'  But unlike the others, her powers were perminent.  

This girl, as it turns out, has the power to turn any non-living matter into other non-living matter, but at a slow pace (it takes her about five minutes to make a small child's shirt.)  She has hard times with harder materials, and she can't make anything if she doesn't know how it works (and since she's a kid, she can make a chair or a bed, but not a cell-phone or even a door knob.)  However, the PCs can discover that the reason she keeps her powers is that her body is subconciously pulling in excess material that she eats, and continiously making The Pusher's serum (for some reason this process is autonomic and she doesn't even realize she's doing it.)

More villians try to kidnap this kid, and the PCs eventually discover that it is some members of the Citizens of the Sun!  They are trying to rebuild the Citidel of the sun and have it ready for (if?) Citizen Dawn returns.  And they need the girl to provide amenities for the citidel, as they can no longer rely on Dawn's power to just carve a new citidel out of the rockface.  They have already taken to naming the child Citizen Crafts (to go along with Citizen Arts?).  Big fight one of the more famous Citizens at some point (Citizen Truth?)

 

So, what do you guys think?  Any ideas?  Suggestions?

2

Really cool setup, and allows for a lot of involvement, from helping users that want out but are afraid of the cost to experimenting on what happens if a powered person takes it.

Pretty cool powers you have there too.  I like the idea of a limitless supply of low level powered thugs with various abilities for the villain to throw at the heroes.

 

I like how it has the option to move away from Broken City gangs into Citizens of the Sun which puts them in a different tier.

I also like the potential of The Exemplar finding out about The Pusher and her drugs and what he might do with it.  Could be a cool full circle style story, like they deal with the pusher and put her in rehab or something and go deal with the citizens, only to come back and find Exemplar is building an army with The Pusher's serum.

 

There's a lot of potential there.

3

Thanks for the positive response phantaskiply.  I have brainstormed a few of these thugs and even named a few.  Remember these are just brainstorm characters and not all may make them in.

Rockstar DJ: Lieutenant and physically strongest member.  Annoying guy who talks about himself in the third person.  Gets stronger and tougher the more caffeine he consumes, but gets weaker as he matabolizes it.

El Chupacabra: gains claws, horns, a tail, slightl enhanced strength and speed.  Plot critical for part of the story.

Force-projecting eyebeams

Enhanced speed (top running speed: 80 kph)

200 kg telekenisis

Create firework-like energy beams

Create small-scale energy constructs (super scaled down captain cosmic)

“TazerFace!” (Shoots electricity from face)

“Vagetta” (DBZ fan who can surround himself in an aura that minorly protects him and makes his fists as hard as Steel)

“Coin Shot” (Can empower items less than 10 grams with a lot of force, allowing him to flick coins at people for non-trivial damage)

Wall-bouncing (enhanced leg strength and the ability to stick to walls for a split second lets this character push off a wall/ceiling to attack)

super camoflage

short range teleport with a 6 second cooldown

Ability to create a twin/1 duplicate

Flight (limited to 15’ high)

Photographic Reflexes

Gargantu-Anne (limited size growth; up to double size)

 

4

Your setting is pretty close to the default RPG setting, so that's all well and good, though it's a bit odd that a "street" group of heroes would be mentored by the Sentinels of Freedom rather than Dark Watch--especially considering the specific training examples you gave were members of that team.  And I'm not sure why you changed RevoCorp into "The Shadows."

I also like the idea of pitting these low-level gangs of supervillains against each other.  The Citizens have history but have lost Dawn and most of their powerful members.  The New Blood have numbers and a lack of standards on their side.  And while the Chairman (not Exemplar in this timeline) is based in Rook City, he'd definitely be interested if he finds out about them--possibly with some new Spites to add to the mishmash.

5

In the podcast Christopher and Adam mention that Revocorp’s clandestine group that researches superpowers and commits crimes is called The Shadows or shadow branch or. . . Something, I can’t remember exactly.  Essentially her dad worked for the secret ‘develop superpowers’ branch of Revocorp

And yeah, The two I mentioned were from Darkwatch.  I guess I’m usd to justice league/Avengers where any hero can call on any other hero.  But the idea is that the Legacy is trying to train up as many new heroes as he can, so that if there is another Galactic-scale threat (or larger), the earth will have enough heroes to defend it

6

That's not an official name.  "Shadow" in this context just means the hidden part of the company, as opposed to the part that deals out in the open and makes real inventions that get sold in stores, etc.

Of course, in your campaign you can have Legacy do whatever you want, but since you stuck so close to the default setting, it was odd that you made such small changes.  In the canonical setting, Legacy changes his name to Heritage and organizes the Sentinels of Freedom, which is more like the generic "Supers" organization.  Not to say they couldn't have street-level teams (after all, Wraith does mentoring as well), but it's much more of a Dark Watch sort of thing.  On the other hand, you could certainly have Wraith or Dark Watch (or one of the junior Dark Watch mentee teams) start running into large numbers of super-powered thugs and ask the Sentinels of Freedom to assign one of their more super-ish teams to the job.

7

Oh, I’m not super up on my lore, I just started listening to the podcast a week ago as I didn’t know it existed until then, so I was just basing the RPG timeline on what I saw in the starter kit.  On Legacy’s Page (the dude I played) it said he is considering retiring.  So, that combined with his leadership skills and his general super do-glider attitude made this a good fit in my mind.  I guess maybe just consider that I follow the ‘standard’ timeline until the OblivAeon event and then I spin off into my own thing?

 

And yeah, it should be Wraith training, maybe with Bunker for tactics, Tacheon for basic Science lessons, and Legacy could teach some too.  Maybe even Legacy (Pauline) could help train.

8

So I mentioned that I was going to post the outline for my game, and here is what I have so far.  Again, I'd love some critiques.

 

Story Arc 1: The Pusher.  I expect this story arc to be about four 'books' (sessions) long, and introduces the heroes and gets them used to each other while introducing a new recuring villian.

Book 1)

Scene 1) Training: PCs are introduced to their new base of operations and are trained by someone (Bunker, Legacy) on basic superhero problem-solving skills.  as many 'overcome' challenges as PCs (How would you save people from a burning building?  Etc.)  Allow each PC to make an overcome check and they are graded by the mentor.

Scene 2) Combat training with Wraith (who is holding back, treat her as a lieutenant) and a few training droids.  Standard combat

Scene 3) After finishing training, PCs get a call that some people with superpowers are attacking the nearby Shwal*Mart.  (non-copywrite infringing Wal*mart knock off).  This is the PCs first encounter with the New Blood.  The gang is basically stealing 'fun stuff' for their lair, TVs, videogames, Beef Jerky, cool chairs, etc.  Cops are there but several have been knocked out and their bullets bounce off a few of them, so they wait for reinforcements.  Fight with a Lt. (Rockstar DJ) and a few minions with minor powers.  Assuming PCs win, cops arrest the hooligans.  Notably, one hooligan "The Chupacabra," has horns, a tail, and claws.

Scene 4) PCs look into where the hoodlums came from, requiring some investigation-based overcome checks.  PCs eventually learn that the New Blood had no history of superpowers.  Investigation leads them to shantytown.

Scene 5) PCs are ambushed by more New Blood looking to prevent the heroes from digging too deep.  There is a scene tracker for how badly the PCs destroy the ramshackle homes, with some sort of punishment for if they go into danger.

Book 2)

1) After a day, the PCs are called to the hospital.  All of the New Blood have become lethargic and lost their powers, and some are in really bad shape.  The badly suffering ones are being transfered to a hospital, and the police (and the hospital) want some extra protection.  The PCs soon discover that "The Chupacabra" is dying (the large physiological changes to his body mean he is the hardest hit when he looses his powers) but some of the others are in poor condition.  Overcome task to try and figure out what is going on (with some sort of science or mysticism check or something like that.)  Maybe meet Tachyon as she's trying to do the same thing (although she's a partical physicist and not a biologist)

2)As the PCs solve the problem, the power goes out, and the PCs have to fight off even MORE new-blood flood the hospital, looking to get their people back and (unbeknownst to the heroes) save them with more injections of the serum.  Scene counter to play down how long the hospital goes without power and how many OTHER patients suffer when their equipment fails.

3) Restoring the hospital, Overcome events.

4)Rockstar DJ calls out the heroes and demands a final showdown with them, having somehow gotten his powers back and ready to go (He was rescued from the hospital and given another dose of the serum, and a LOT of cafeene.)  Another fight.

5) (Feels like there needs to be a scene here to close out the book.)

Book 3

1) There's a riot outside the police station as the Pusher has forcefully injected a whole lot of people with the serum, and it is a madhouse as some people immediatly start looting while others are scared, and accidentally hurting others or themselves.  There is a fight with minions, but also a scene tracker for overcome rolls to calm down the civilians.

2) Inside the police station, The Pusher's forces are using the distraction outside to bust out their friends from lockup.  Another fight here to prevent them from getting away.

Scenes 3, 4, and 5 are not written yet, but that's what I have so far.

9

I like what you have so far, but I make mention of a few things:  notably, that the SCRPG very clearly delineates their scenes--action, montage, and freeform.  Investigation is the sort of thing that really works best in montage or freeform, so don't be surprised to see those go by very quickly.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with doing it that way--heck, most of the superhero games I end up running turn into borderline police procedurals--but it's definitely a far cry from the stereotypical D&D mindset of fight-fight-fight-long rest-fight-fight-fight, etc.

And, I'm not above giving myself a plug here:  if you'd like to include additional villains, feel free to take a look at The Big Villains Thread.  I've been putting forward a villain a day since the start of 2018, and I'm not likely to stop anytime soon!

10

 

Sure, yeah, I realize that those scenes may be a lot shorter, but I wanted to break up the fights with more skill-focused challenges (even though they are rolled the same way.)  

I'll certainly take a look at some of the villians you have, I'll need a LOT of low-powered villians to pull out of my butt for random supers they are fighting.  Also, just as an FYI, if you want to include "The Pusher" in your list of villians, feel free.

11

True, but that tends not to matter in comics.  Scientists know ALL of the science!  Unless the plot needs them to not know something.

12

Also true, but Adam and Chris made fun of that trope in the Tachyon podcast and say specifically that they try to avoid that.  How successful they are?  Ehhhh. . .

13

To continue on from above:

Book 3,

Scene 3: PCs have to help with the aftermath of the riot, making several overcome rolls to help restore order and talk down people with potentially destructive powers.  The difficulty and number of checks is based on how well they did with the scene progression in scene 1 

Scene 4: Overcome section, where the PCs must find the main base (they are directed to by the Sentinels if they don't come up with it themselves.)  Several investigation-based overcome rolls.

Scene 5: PCs track the movement back to Shantytown and must ask around, but most people are irritable and not talkative, especially after so many of their children have been arrested.  Social overcome rolls to get the information out of people.

 

Book 4: final:

Scene 1: PCs start out at the begining of a large section of underground tunnels (similar to Chicago's Pedway) that have been abandoned ever since the OblivAeon attack.  Overcome rolls to navigate them to the lair.

Scene 2: The Pusher has laid a series of improvised traps that the PCs should notice and disarm (or take damage).  Overcome rolls.

Scene 3: The Pusher has also managed to cobble together attack drones from specs online using her powers.  Fight.

Scene 4: Final Fight with The Pusher and a few of her 'loyal guards' that remain.  In the end, she tries to escape through an escape route she has up (if she does or not is up to how well the PCs do), but also triggers a series of bombs designed to collapse the tunnel, leading to:

Scene 5: PCs must escape the tunnel (possibly with the defeated New Blood in tow), as the tunnels collapse.  Overcome rolls.

 

Again, I'd really life feedback on my plans, styles, areas of improvement or directions where you think I should go.

14

I've been working on other story arcs that the PCs can get worked into.  Again, I'd appreciate some input.

1) The Ardent Adept and a new character, (someone with a connection to Nightmist) are trying to fine a way to revive her/get her back/at least let her pass on to the next world.  These mystical characters enlist the help of Parse to look at the 'flaws' in Nightmist's spell as well as the walls of the multiverse in order to figure out exactly how she died, so they can try and get her back.  As the PCs investigate, they run into members of the Cult of Gloom (but not gloomweaver himself!) and are forced to deal with them.

2) Reminants of F.I.L.T.E.R. are trying to retake the block and re-establish F.I.L.T.E.R.  However, the 'locking' of the multiverse has made it difficult to access other dimensions.  Undetered, F.I.L.T.E.R. is messing with magic, alien tech, and super-science in order to unlock the ability to travel to alternate timelines, and their attempts are having ramifications for our heroes.

3) As many people have suggested it, there could be a scenario where the Chariman is interested in acquiring "The Pusher's" temporary superhero serum.

4) Re-Vengence: I want to do some sort of story arc where the PCs have to face off against a bunch of minor villians.  Tantrum, the Green Grocer, Hippo, etc.  I don't really have a plot for it though.  Hold on, something's forming in my head . . .

---So, maybe, like The Pusher (damn, I hate to overuse her) has set up a series of fallback strategies for if she ever lost her powers.  Essentially she made a notebook describing how to make the super serum in such easy language that even a undergraduate taking Chemistry 101 could figure it out (so that if she ever got de-powered, she could re-create the formula.)  A team of villians like the Hippo, Ermine, and a few others are after the formula, because they want the serum to give them powers (The hippo especially as he believes that the serum will CERTAINLY give him enough super-strength to beat the new Haka).  While in prison, The Pusher negotiates with these vilians to break her out, and in return, she'll supply them with the serum.  PCs find out, get the book, and then have to play keep-away with the villians.  Heck, if this ends with The Pusher escaping, she could go to Rook City which would kick off the Chairman storyline where HE wants the formula.

15

Also, a story where Stuntman/Ambuscade tries to fix his face.

16

Ooh, this is really well thoguht out so far. I especially like the idea of yet another version of the reverse regression serum surfacing because, we're just never gonna be rid of that thing, are we? I might just steal that idea for one of my own campaigns, if you don't mind.

A small criticism I have for 4) is: It makes sense for the Pusher to write the book simply enough for herself to understand, but wouldn't she also write it in some code that only she can read so that not just anyone can use the book to make their own serum? Or does she not care if they do?

Also minor nitpick, but the session are called issues, not books. A book is, like, the entire collection of stories under "Freedom Five" or "Mystery Comics" or "Tome of the Bizzare" etc.

17

Thanks!  The idea of it being in code actually solves a problem I was having on why the villians wouldn’t immediately betray her as soon as they got their hands on the formula.  But if it’s in code, they’d need her to make it and keep making it.  Also, she’d be working on perfecting the formula once she has her powers back (her powers won’t let her just do that, but it would aid in research.)

18

Cool. And by "perfecting" do you mean making it permanent, or making the wearing off of it not dangerous? I can see pros and cons for both.

19

Either?  Both?  Make it last longer?

20

Tentative outline for Story Arcs.

First of all, something I'm going to do is introduce an NPC hero called the "Scarlet Apprentice."  He will be their dispatcher/coordinater/handler.  He's a minor magician but also knows a fair amount of martial arts.

Arc 1) (Outlined above), Introduction of the Pusher.  In the end, she is either in jail, or has escaped and is in hiding.  Up to how the PCs do as a group.

Arc 2 (rough outlined above) One of The Pusher's experiments, a kid, is chased down by the citizens of the Sun so that she can help them build a new base.  Eventually she is saved and the Sentinels of Freedom take her under their protection.  Side plot- the PCs notice that the Scarlet Apprentice has been meeting with other heroes like Parse, and is working on a secret side project.

Arc 3) The Scarlet Apprentice sends the PCs out on a mission to a still-destroyed section of city to retrieve a mystical tome that was buried when a museuem collapsed, and he says that recently the book was discovered to be very important.  As the PCs get there, they find the Cult of Gloom going after the book.  A protracted fight breaks out where the PCs have to battle a new leader in the Cult of Gloom ("The Bachelor") and try to retrieve the book.  The arc (which will probably only be one or two issues) ends with the book being confiscated by the U.S. government in the interest of national security before the Scarlet Apprentice can get his hand on it.

Arc 4) Digging deeper, with the aid of Wraith, Parse, and Unity, Scarlet apprentice discoveres that the U.S. has not officially sanctioned the removal of the book, and it seems to have been a pet progect of One General Alton LaRouche.  It turns out that LaRouche is trying to resurect F.I.L.T.E.R., and in an attempt to regain access to The Block, he is using science, magic, and alien technology together in some sort of infernal techno-magic machine.  Their experiments are destabalizing the surrounding area as the heroes move in to find out what's going on.  Again, only a few issues.

Arc 5) Re-Vengence: The Pusher has gotten in contact with a few of the non-powered villians, and they have agreed to work for her (and bust her out of prision if she got arrested) in return for Superpowers.  Ermine, the Hippo, Ray Manta, Cueball have all decided to help out for one reason or another (Ermine because it sounds fun to be a superhero, Hippo because he's SURE it will make him stronger than Haka, etc.)  The heroes have to track down The Pusher as she uses her new crew to secure newer and more powerful lab equipment so that she can work on perfecting the serum.  After the PCs defeat that main villians, they find that Pusher has escaped, leading to . . .

Arc 6) Hunted in Crook(ed) city.  The trail leads to Rook city, where The Pusher is trying to hide while amassing a small army of loyal street toughs by giving them powers.  Unfortunatly, while the heroes are tracking her down, she has caught the attention of The Chairman, who is DESPERATE to return to his former power, and he feel he can use The Pusher's serum to do this.  The heroes get caught in between The Pusher's expanding operations and the Orginization.  Maybe they might get some help from some heroes native to Rook city?