Over the years Moose and I have had numerous conversations about what the world would really be like if people had super powers. One of our conclusions was that the average person would likely turn to a life of crime after waking up with super powers. Perhaps we lack faith in human morality.

Anyway, I've been thinking about creating a game in which the PCs are average people that one day wake up with a super ability. The Premise of the game would be "What would the average person do if suddenly he was no longer average?"

I often think about what I would do with my life if I suddenly had the ability to turn invisible or read people's minds. Would I take the ethical route and use my abilities for good? Maybe become a lawyer or join the CIA. Or would I be selfish and head to Vegas or the women's locker room?

I think it's a very interesting angle on a super hero game that no one else as covered (as far as I know).

My questions is, does this idea warrant its own system or is there an existing supers game out there that would work?

,Matt

I have to say, as an attention getter, that subject line can't be beat. :)

I don't really have anything to add here, not being a huge fan of Superhero games myself. However, I was wondering if you've seen the recent thread in the Sorcerer forum about modifying Sorcerer for use in a superpowers game, where all teenagers have the potential to become superpowerful. Not neccesarily heros, but powerful. It sounds like it might be useful for what you're describing.

I was wondering if you've seen the recent thread in the Sorcerer forum about modifying Sorcerer for use in a superpowers game, where all teenagers have the potential to become superpowerful. Not neccesarily heros, but powerful. It sounds like it might be useful for what you're describing.

Cool, but I can sense an underlying struggle, from your introductory paragraph, related to the nature of humankind, which I sense you feel is inherently corrupt (but that's not your question.)

However, this does trigger the question, "What makes a superhero?" There are several power-less heroes in comics, who simply choose to take on a mantle of heroism in the name of what they feel is right. Likewise, there are instances of characters who become overwhelmed by the powers they are given, and eventually (or immediately) succumb to the dark side of temptation. So the question of what would you do necessarily is varied, and few people have the ability to judge *exactly* what they would do if they suddenly had to deal with it.

It's like winning the Powerball. I have an idea of how I would change my life if it happened to me, but I'm not faced with the reality. Would I be smart enough to manage my new-found wealth, or would I give in to temptation/stupidity and blow it all in ten years or less? I dunno, and likely never will. However, this doesn't stop me fantasizing about it. A lot.

To your direct question, I don't know of any game systems that are expressly designed to deal with this concept, although theoretically (depending on play style) any game system could be used, just exploring the character vs setting. I once played in a Champions campaign where all the heroes were suddenly "awakened" and had to figure out our powers.

What intrigues me about the possibilities here is the (I'm assuming) gradual unfolding of abilities, their impact on self, nature, etc. This sounds like a concept based more around inner conflict than outer, although that would likely play a large role in story advancement with a group.

Question (for those more familiar with it?): Could Sorcerer be used for this concept? Use demons as awakened powers, character suddenly becomes aware of the fact that he already has (unbeknownst to him) bonded a demon. A sort of latent-sorcerer concept, forced to deal with it, and confront others who are also more experienced and less scrupulous.

It's interesting, though, and I'd like to know more about your intended direction for the game.

Skippy

(Apologies for my iteration on the Sorcerer item. I should have read the previous post more closely.)

-Skip

Well, this sounds very Narrativist to me. I'd treat the question ("Can those elevated in power resist the temptation of that power?") as a Narrativist Premise, and go from there. This would definitely require a new system with particular mechanics for forcing the problem to a head.

BTW, I think that you're totally wrong about people in general. Not that they aren't self-serving, but in order to maintain respectability (which is self-serving) most people at least make their transgressions as invisible as possible. Stealing is not hard, even if you're not super powered; most people refrain because of social reasons.

This is interesting as it pertains to the game. The Champions "Invisible Power Effects" advantage becomes super important. What I mean is, if your power is invulnerability and super strength, and you use it to rob banks, you'll soon become known and hated. If your ability is Invisibility, then you may be able to do bad things unnoticed. Which is all the more tempting. There's also the idea of public persona. If people know that you're a person who can become invisible who uses their ability for good, it's much different than if nobody knows. You may feel a social pressure again to not get caught and lose what good rep you've built.

I'd make the game very X-men. Characters are people who have just gotten their abilities (preferably kids and adolescents, which makes it an extended metaphor), and there are forces on both sides trying to socialize them to their POV.

Mike

I'd make the game very X-men. Characters are people who have just gotten their abilities (preferably kids and adolescents, which makes it an extended metaphor), and there are forces on both sides trying to socialize them to their POV.

I can see your point, Skip, but, as I said, I thought that it would be a good metaphor. It is in adolescence that we come to terms with the idea that we are potentially people who have power and can effect change, etc. Also adolescence is where we start to feel alienation for being different, which I figured might play a big role. So I thought that there would be a natural linkage there.

OTOH, I do like the contrast that you imply of going from being joe average to something else, as a sort of experiment. Perhaps it would be like a sort of second adolescence again having to go through the same things again. You could explore adult themes of alienation, which could be cool too.

Mike

Devils Cay has a very similar Premise, with the same sort moral roots. The Premise is "What Would You Give To Have Your Dreams Come True?"

Primary characters are able to sell thier "souls", in quantive packages called noumenon, in exchange for having a wish fulfilled. The catch is that the wish will only remain granted while they remain upon the island (which is named Devils Cay, hence the game name). The minute they depart a half mile to a mile in any direction... wish ends.

The island is for the most part a Caribbean jungle, with only the existing resort only partial developed. The owner of the resort (and the island), Lucien Haris, is something called a Broker, who is capable of fufilling certain wishes. In turn, he claims a portion of soul as payment for the Contract.

So theoretically, someone could "wish" themselves a super power. They could also "wish" themselves beautiful, or wish themselves rich, or wish themselves True Love... however, each individual only has a finite number of wishes they can make before they are berefit of noumenon; at that point they have to live with the consequences of their wishes and deal with the impact of having such ultimate power- and spending it. Or the calculating ones can 'stalk' the new visitors to the island and befriend or seduce or otherwise manipulate them into making Contracts that benefit the original character.

My theory, like yours, is that when average human beings suddenly discover they have godlike powers, ~most~ of them will misuse them and it becomes both a personal and cultural struggle. The drama in Devils Cay builds up as various factions fight over the consequences and morality of wishing and the Soul-Trade, and as people discover what Lucien actually does with those noumenon he's taken and the exact relationship between men and gods.

What got me pursuing this paradigm for a game was very, very similar thoughts to your own and the consequences and responsibilities that average people face when suddenly offered the power and temptation to be unaverage, but it requires a seemingly painless sacrifice with consequences they lack the capacity to fathom.

BTW, I think that you're totally wrong about people in general. Not that they aren't self-serving, but in order to maintain respectability (which is self-serving) most people at least make their transgressions as invisible as possible. Stealing is not hard, even if you're not super powered; most people refrain because of social reasons.

I would like to see normal mature adults forced to deal with this, instead of kids.

It is in adolescence that we come to terms with the idea that we are potentially people who have power and can effect change, etc. Also adolescence is where we start to feel alienation for being different, which I figured might play a big role. So I thought that there would be a natural linkage there.

Laurel,
Is Devils Cay available online? This is the first I've heard of it.

Eloran wrote:
Laurel,
Is Devils Cay available online? This is the first I've heard of it.

The new series "Smallville" might be interesting to some of the people in this thread. If you haven't seen it, it's set with Clark Kent in high school. In this version of the Superman story, there's no "Superboy" and definitely no "Superbaby" -- Clark only recently started to have his powers come to the fore. He hasn't taken up being a costumed superhero, but he is using his powers to do things.

At the start of the series, Clark has super strength, near-invulnerability, and super speed. So far he's added x-ray vision to his repertoire, but his control over it is poor -- most of the time when he uses it, he gets something that looks like a real x-ray image, rather than the classic "things in the way disappear". There was one bit in that episode with him looking into the girls' locker room, though. In one episode so far, we've seen him float above his bed while sleeping, but so far he doesn't know that he might be able to fly.

The most recent episode had Clark dealing with a crooked cop who saw him do a super-rescue. He tried to blackmail Clark into helping him make evidence for an Internal Affairs investigation disappear, and... well, I won't spoil the whole show.

What really caught my attention in this one, though, is when the cop shoots at Clark after Clark has double-crossed him. Clark doesn't know that he's bulletproof yet, so he tries to dodge. His super speed kicks in, and there's a nice bit with the bullet moving in slow motion, Clark getting out of the way -- and then a look of amazement coming onto his face as he watches the bullet go past him. We, the audience, see that Clark has never before realized just how fast he really is when using his super speed.

The new series "Smallville" might be interesting to some of the people in this thread.

I'm going with the power to transform hotties into hotties wearing lingerie and spike heels. Ahem. But, I'm a twisted soul. ;0)

Seriously though, I'd choose Super Strength. The idea of being able to hoist up a city bus is somehow appealing to me.

Another power high on my "want" list is Mind Control. It may not be too ethical, but who cares? LOL! I mean, how much fun would it be to force Bill Gates to fork over some cash? How many giggles would be caused by forcing George Lucas to dump Jar-Jar from Star Wars continuity? Or to force all the other Forgers to do my bidding.....uhhhh....did I just say that aloud?? What I meant to say was...ermm.....uhhh...

Yeah, well, I gotta run. ;0)