S.T.O.R.M.

[Mark Dunder]

Here is a campaign idea I've had for some time. Seeing some of the new stuff coming out, particularly the Underplex, got me thinking about it again. Anyway, here's my work up.

Disclaimer: Any similarities to people alive or dead is strictly coincidental. I make no claims to copyrights or trademarks of any title similar to those used by real publishers of games. I'm just doing this for the fun of it.

Campaign: S.T.O.R.M. Sanctioned Troubleshooters Of Registered Mutants. They wear a big yellow M shaped like a trident.

This elite group was created by High Programmer Stan-U-LEE-1. He put his good friend Xa-V-IER-6 in charge. Xa-V-IER-6 nearly died saving Stan-U-Lee-1’s life in an earlier mission as fellow Troubleshooters (Xa did not know this was totally unnecessary). Stan-U-LEE-1 did everything in his power (which was considerable) to save Xa-V-IER-6’s life. He succeeded, but at the cost of Xa-V-IER-6 becoming (mysteriously) paralyzed from the waist down. Confined to a chairbot for the rest of his life cycle, Xa-V-IER-6 decided to make the best of it. When Stan-U-LEE-1 asked his good friend Xa-V-IER-6 to take charge of S.T.O.R.M., Xa-V-IER-6 jumped... ahem, lifted at the chance to have a worthwhile job to do for the Computer.

In the meantime, Magneto-I-REX-4, had fought his way free of the Troubleshooter team he had been assigned to test some R&D helmets on. A particularly perceptive registered mutant, noticed that Magneto-I-REX-4 seemed to be floating slightly above the floor (“Just a few millimeters! I was on my feet all day, and just needed to give them a rest, geeze. The little freak! Fried his fuzzy brain, that’s for sure!”). Clapping one of the Indigo helmets on his own head, Magneto-I-REX-4, fled to the Underplex.

Back in the milky white haven of RPG Sector, Gygax-U-TSR-15, being a little worst for the wear after all these years buying extra clones, is spending more and more time playing RPG games on the Computer Node in his spacious apartment complex. Coming across an Old Reckoning game called Marvel Super Heroes, he decides to give it a try. Problem is nothing on the Computer is exactly a game. Discovering that some very Old Reckoning Sentinel Bots were deactivated and left in a very dark and out of the way place in Alpha Complex’s Underplex, Gygax-U-TSR-15 could not help himself and made the file active again.

Ok, that’s the lead in. I intentionally left out all the real fun stuff. The campaign has a lot of super-heroes, mostly Marvel. Most I have listed below:

Jean-G-RAY-2
Myst-I-QUE-3
Sca-R-LET-1 (aka Witch)
Bat-MAN-4 (spy for another complex, DC he says. Delta Complex?)
R-O-GUE-2
VIS-ION 20/20 (robot)
Supe-R-MAN-1 (scared of green stones, maybe SFAC?)
Sub-Mar-I-NER-6
Beng-R-IMM-2
Captain Ame-R-ICA-1 (former Armed Forces)
Hawk-Y-EYE-3
Humant-O-RCH-2
Invisiblew-O-MAN-2 (suspiciously like SFAC)
Kittyp-R-IDE-2 (aka Shadow)
Wolve-R-INE-1 (aka Wolfie, but don't say that to his face!)
Octa-V-IUS-8 (aka Doc)
Greengo-B-LIN-3 (not very happy about being Blue!)
Kin-G-PIN-4
Sabret-O-OTH-2
Supersk-R-ULL-1
ULT-RON IV (robot)

I hope you all like this idea, you can do whatever you want with it.

 

[MarkIV]

Good stuff. You and I are thinking along similar lines. I pitched an adventure to Mongoose awhile back for "The League of Extraordinary Troubleshooters". I never did hear back from Mongoose so I guess it was a no go.

The intro was...

In recent years Troubleshooter casualties have begun to rise considerably, even by Alpha Complex standards. And we all know how valuable new clones are. Why it takes nearly three weeks to incubate one of R&D's new insti-clones, that’s almost as much time as it takes to make a can of Synthespam! Of course there aren’t as many valuable ingredients in a clone as there are in Synthespam, but I digress.
Valuable Computer property like Troubleshooters and Synthespam shouldn’t be wasted. That’s why the workers in R&D want to increase the Troubleshooter’s survivability through superior training and equipment. They want to create a new group of Troubleshooters. Troubleshooters who are stronger … faster … Troubleshooters who can actually make it from their barracks to the briefing room without killing each other. Hey, you gotta dream.
Anyway, that’s the line of bull that three Indigos in R&D sold The Computer. And if they can prove their theories then they’ll be one step closer to Ultraviolet nirvana. Of course to prove their point these three are going to have to actually train a group of Troubleshooters and then have them survive a mission without any casualties. That’s where the players come in.
Never again, in their short meager little lives, will our Troubleshooters ever have so many high muckedy mucks pulling for them, doing everything they can to help our heroes survive. Now before you use this adventure to line the kitty-litter box hear us out.
Surviving a mission with no casualties. Sound sacriligous? Not really, there will be plenty of death and mayhem before the mission, not to mention during the “special” training (just wait until they meet the Infinity-weight-training Bot). R&D will be happy to pitch in also. I think the only real question is will there be any clones still standing when it comes time to go on the actual mission.
Then all the Troubleshooters have to do is complete their primary mission. And what kind of mission is this? Will they be asked to thwart a major subversive plot, subjugate a rival Alpha Complex, part the Nile? Nothing of the sort. A dangerous, complex mission could result in failure. Failure would mean that the new training techniques didn’t work. This would mean that all of R&D’s work had been in vain. Heads would disentigrate. Instead the Troubleshooters primary mission will be simple, very very simple. How simple will it be? So simple that our Troubleshooters will complete it without a hitch, guaranteed.
Successful completion means that all of R&D’s expenditures were worth while. It means that Alpha complex is at the dawn of a golden new age of highly trained nearly invincible Troubleshooters. More importantly it means that everyone associated with these respective projects gets rewarded. For Neetch-I-GUY, Jen-I-KRG, and Naut-I-LUS they will be promoted to Violet clearance. For our intrepid Troubleshooters, a ten credit bonus and a double ration of Bouncy Bubble Beverage. The Computer is happy. R&D is happy. But, mostly, three Ultraviolet wannabes are happy.
Once the hoopla dies down over the success of their ultra-critical primary mission (the only Troubleshooter mission without a fatality in many a mooncycle) the Troubleshooters get to go back to their regular quarters and be assigned to a routine mission. Certainly our superiorly equipped and trained Troubleshooters can handle a “routine” mission, right?

 

[Mark Dunder]

the “special” training (just wait until they meet the Infinity-weight-training Bot).

Wanna do up the DANGER ROOM?

That was a very good write up and I think it would make a good "standard" wind up for any scenario.

By the way, just because all the Troubleshooters have "Registered" mutations, doesn't get them off the hook. Because in this campaign, the clones have to pick at least "two" mutations, but may only register one of them. They are not even "allowed" to register any but one. Registering more than one or admitting to more than one are grounds for immediate termination from their job. (catcalls from other terminies; "Dead Clone walking!")

Oh, yeah. Try to guess Magneto-I-REX-4's name for his own little group of mutants?

 

[xombie]

What about:

Ghostr-I-DER 2
Spide-R-MAN 4 <--Seems to easy maybe.
PUNI-SHER (Warbot)
GAL-ACTUS (Warbot)

Oh and don't forget that just when the party thinks it can't get any worse, here comes the Anti-Mutant turned Uber-Mutant-Anti-Mutant:

Apocal-Y-PSE 1

 

[xombie]

Oh and I forgot to mention it's utter blashpemy not to include:

Eddie B-R-OCK 2 (aka Venom)

Victim of an R&D experiment gone wrong (wrong as in he's still breathing! ) He's trapped in his mysterious black reflec suit, that despite all expected effects, seems resistant to any form of damage not sound based.

 

[Mark Dunder]

Eddie B-R-OCK 2 (aka Venom)

Perfect, and great background info too. Will definely add that to my campaign. Thanks a bundle, xombie.

Oh, and the other ones are good too. Can't have to many Hero-clones.

Actually, I was developing GALACTU-SAT IX as an out of control Satelite (that had lots of Old Reckoning nukes on board!). Silver Su-R-FER-3, hacking into the satelite network, thought it would be fun to send some nukes toward Enemy Complex (he had no idea where that was, of course). Being Paranoia, he mistakenly sends the coordinates for Alpha Complex. He's a loyal clone though, and realizing he made a "huge" mistake, tries to warn the entire Alpha Complex. He's called the Herald of GALACTU-SAT IX.

 

[xombie]

Eddie B-R-OCK 2 (aka Venom)

Perfect, and great background info too. Will definely add that to my campaign. Thanks a bundle, xombie.

Not a problem