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I've come up with a campaign idea that seems pretty cool, and might be the next one I run. I'm in need of some assistance with coming up with ideas. I don't need specific examples and ideas, I might just need some help with ways of coming up with ideas.
The story involves an alien invasion that was repelled in the mid-1990's. Most of the world's superbeings were wiped out, blah blah. Alien technology fuels a golden age, blah blah. The PCs during this invasion would have been second- or third- string supervillains, and (obviously) survived. Fast forward to today, and they're the Lex Luthors and Magnetos of this new world. During a battle involving an invention by generic "Dr. PLOTT" and his "PLOTT DEVICE" (not actual names), and the PCs find themselves in the past during or shortly before the invasion, but there are no other super beings in the world. Turns out, they're in a parallel past: a world that doesn't have super beings! However, the invasion is coming!
The campaign would be based around the villains trying to make it in this world, without the heroes they despise, nor their Secret Volcano Lairs. The PCs know of the lack of Supers, AND of the alien invasion, so they're the ones who have to act!
I'm going to be working on this for perhaps awhile, so I'm in no rush to complete it any time soon. But, I'd like to come up with some memorable aliens, technologies and NPCs for this campaign
an invention by generic "Dr. PLOTT" and his "PLOTT DEVICE" (not actual names)
And of course fueled by PLOTTONIUM!
The campaign would be based around the villains trying to make it in this world, without the heroes they despise, nor their Secret Volcano Lairs. The PCs know of the lack of Supers, AND of the alien invasion, so they're the ones who have to act!
I think if you were the player in such a game, your super PC might choose actions that the other super PC's don't. You probably get that already.
So if they just ignore the invasion, for example, do you have any other scenarios that you could drop on them?
The aim of the campaign is a kind of sandbox experience. If they ignore the invasion (which wiped out the vast majority of Supers in their world, including the top-caliber villains and heroes), they can try to do what villains would do in this situation. Thing is, the invasion is an inevitable event. If they don't at least prepare for it, this world they find themselves in is doomed. Since it is a villain game, they'll have the option to find their way back home, ignoring this new world.
As for this world never having seen a Super, the mere presence of these villains who can seemingly bend the laws of physics will send the world into overdrive trying to decode what's going on with these guys. The villains' higher tech will prompt world governments to attempt to reverse-engineer it, thus leading to technological advance, and an evening of the odds.
Some of the ideas for this campaign are similar to, say the novel "1632," where a West Virginia coal mining town from the year 2000 finds itself in 17th century Germany, during a major war called "The Thirty Years' War." The town, shortly after arrival, decides to "gear down," and make due with the resources they have. They ultimately get an old-fashioned, coal-burning, steam-driven power plant going. The town has the higher tech, but one of the main characters (a native to the 17th century), points out to the town's leadership that while the town is "gearing down," the rest of the world is "gearing up." The town may have the technological edge, but for how long? Same basic idea with this campaign.
Another idea is a modification of the storyline trope of the "Villains to the Rescue!" where some major catastrophe happens, and the only ones who can save the day are the villains, due to the absence of heroes. Here, they are presented with a unique opportunity: a world that is ripe for the plucking, but if they want it, they'll have to prepare it for the invasion! They'll have to do this without their Secret Volcano Lairs and Mindless Henchmen.
I'm under no illusion that they'll choose the honorable, noble course. That's partially the point. It's merely about seeing what these villains would do if given this truly unique situation.
Oh, and I forgot to mention: the villains involved would be a kind of "Legion of Doom" in their homeworld. If they decide to part ways, it'll take ALOT more work, but I'm game if they are
