The group had wanted to play a superhero game for ages, but every time we tried the systems left us cold, and the potenital to be "heroic" in a systems mostly designed for combat proved limited. Lately we'd played a little Dogs in the Vineyard (which we all enjoyed) and Primetime Adventures (which didn't feel gamist enough for a few of the players). I homebrewed a mishmash of mechanics and ideas from Dogs and Nobilis and we ran with it as a superVILLAIN game. We had discussed in the past how heroes are primarily reactive rather than proactive, and I thought it would be nice (as the gamemaster) to let the players do the plot work. I simply provide background details and play supporting characters.

Each player created both a villain and that villain's heroic nemesis... at the end of each week they think up an evil idea for the following week, figure out who's involved and what they have to do.  So far so good.

This week's evil plot hatched by:

NIGHT -- A bitter debutant out to expose and humiliate any who might prove to be rivals in her attempt to be queen of Society. She can put any person to sleep with a glance, and her assistant "Panic" (hired from a temp-agency) has proven quite capable at protecting the villainess from her own schemes.

She is assisted by:

THE UNDERSTUDY -- A chemical spill scarred this unemployed actor for life, but gave him the ability to transform his appearance at will... and a wicked grudge against the bureaucrats and scientists who made him.

THE SAMOAN -- Nine feet tall and able to eat his own weight in one sitting.

Who stands in their way?:

MISSILE MAN: Reknowned sidekick to the late Demolitionist, 17-year-old Missile Boy wants to make a name for himself. (Being played this week by Dr. Robo's player, as all the mad scientist actually contributed was a mechanical horse.)

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Night thought it would look improve her alter-ego's reputation if she were saved from danger by a well-known superhero. Sadly she (and the other villains) live in Eastport, the backwater suburb to Empire City. Rarely do the likes of Mr. Destiny and Captain Impossible get involved in crimes out here. Luckily for her, she knows a shapeshifter. Under the pretenses of humiliating The White Knight, she paid The Samoan to kidnap Kitty Wolters-Smythe (herself, unbeknowned to him) from a party and take her to a warehouse where, once the media had arrived on an "anonymous" tip, he would get in a staged fight with The White Knight (actually The Understudy) who would rescue her but be knocked unconscious before he could --

Very complicated, needless to say. If I, as gamemaster, had made this sort of thing up and expected the players to unravel it I'd have been shot.

It also turned out that The Understudy is allergic to horses, so the Knight's signature steed couldn't be copied precisely and Dr. Robo had to fill in with a somewhat unorthodox duplicate. "We need something dramatic to get the media's attention. Can you rig the horse so it explodes when The Samoan throws it through the wall?" "Check under the chin..." (One of the doctor's skills: 'Ubiquitous self-destruct switch.")

Missle Man showed up because he'd been looking for The Samoan since he stole a safe from an armored car and had spotted his van on the way to the Wolters-Smythe residence.

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Everything turned out well for the villains because The Samoan was still able to escape, The Understudy was able to humiliate The White Knight (and poor Missle Man!) by being egotistical, obnoxious, glory-hounding, and ineffective. Kitty had TWO superheros fighting to rescue her ON CAMERA! ...and Missle Man actually managed to help save Kitty even with both his ally and his enemies against him. Next week: Dr. Robo and The Understudy attempt to blow up a chemical plant,  and the REAL White Knight confronts Ms. Wolters-Smythe.

Everything turned out well for the players because Arak and Jason had gamist character sheets and mechanics, Jo and Ben had a narritivist table-talk environment, and I got to let the players do all the work! Much laughter and much fun had by all.

pxib wrote: I homebrewed a mishmash of mechanics and ideas from Dogs and Nobilis