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Old 02-20-2015, 12:55 PM   #1
Libertine
 
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Default DC universe paralell, with some changes.

Many comic book fans know that DC has a multiverse. That is many parallel worlds with a few changes.

So let's do a group think and make some changes to the DCU that would make it more GURPS friendly.

As a starting point:
Our parachronic travellers arrive in a run down city amidst the rain, muck and desolate buildings. The homeless and insane wander the streets. Muggings are occurring in broad daylight. A news story is covering the 20 year anniversary of the Wayne family murders where Thomas, Martha AND Bruce Wayne were brutally killed in an alley. Conspiracy radio talks of a government cover-up where an alien spacecraft 32 years ago just missed earth and circled the sun, never to be seen again.
The PC's are homelines best and brightest (250 pt characters) and they are stuck in this world to fend for themselves.
The PC's have the opportunity to fill big shoes in this world.
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Old 02-20-2015, 01:18 PM   #2
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Default Re: DC universe paralell, with some changes.

You may find this thread useful, if you haven't seen it before. I'm quite proud of some of the write-ups I contributed.

You're proposing a world where the major heroes don't exist, but you'll be able to use several of the villains, at least.

If you're eliminating Batman and Supes, you'll want to do the same with the likes of Green Lantern, The Flash, Martian Manhunter, The Marvel Family, etc.... But what about the second stringers? Without Batman, there would be no Robin or Nightwing (and possibly no Batgirl/Oracle), but the PCs could still use the help of the likes of Mr. Terrific, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Vixen, and so on.

250 might be pretty low, anyway--at the very least, you'll want your PCs to be able to survive a fight with multiple armed assailants or their time in Gotham will be severely limited. 250 point characters are either A: going to get shot dead, or B: use deadly force and ambush tactics to win very unheroicly (at least by comic book standards).
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Old 02-20-2015, 01:35 PM   #3
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Default Re: DC universe paralell, with some changes.

Without a Batman, would there be a Joker? How about a Penguin? A Riddler? Is Catwoman a cat burglar, or is she a vigilante? There's a theory that half these folks took on costumed identities in order to challenge Batman, that without Batman there never would have been the "freaks".

The changes you describe would basically make the Green Lanterns - Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and/or Kyle Rayner - the big heavy-hitters of the setting. Alan Scott and Jenny-Lynn Hayden (the Golden Age Green Lantern and his daughter, Jade) aren't out of the question, either, especially since Alan Scott's old stomping grounds was Gotham City.

Martian Manhunter would be easy to write out: he either never got transported from Ancient Mars to Modern-Day Earth or he died due to the differences in climate, atmosphere, gravity, etc. Or maybe he burned to death with the rest of his people.

Barry Allen died when struck by lightning, but what of Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash?

Did Wonder Woman ever make it to the world of Men?

Aquaman could be king of a very isolationist Atlantis, or his mother never washed ashore at that lighthouse; the people of the city of Tritonis would be the inspiration for mermaids in this world, but since Atlantis is an unknown.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman could be interesting to work in.
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Old 02-20-2015, 01:52 PM   #4
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Default Re: DC universe paralell, with some changes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tbrock1031 View Post
Without a Batman, would there be a Joker? How about a Penguin? A Riddler? Is Catwoman a cat burglar, or is she a vigilante? There's a theory that half these folks took on costumed identities in order to challenge Batman, that without Batman there never would have been the "freaks".
Similarly, there's a theory that if Lex Luthor didn't have Superman to challenge his sense of superiority he might have turned his prodigious intelligence towards the betterment of mankind.
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Old 02-20-2015, 02:50 PM   #5
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Default Re: DC universe paralell, with some changes.

I'm going with the reverse, that the heroes were there to challenge the villains. The Flash I feel should remain, but without the power he had in the comics. Basically he is just shy of being able to time travel as he doesn't have supes and Batman to push him.

Lex Luthor is a sociopath with a 210 IQ, he would have become a problem with our without Superman, my idea is that he turns Metropolis into a city state while using his super science as a deterrent from government intervention. Joker isn't Joker. He is the Red Hood and stays that way but the PC's could end up causing him to become the Joker. The Penguin and the Riddler end up the way they are in the comics.

Consider the point scale, 150 pts is a navy seal so the characters are going to start out 75% more competent in adventuring than a navy seal or a recognized professor.
random thugs would be at maybe 25-50 pts.

Low level villains would start at 300 pts.
powers can be gained in game either through learning magic or from places like Star Labs often with some unfortunate side effects.

The coup de Grace of course is when Apokolips attacks.
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Old 02-20-2015, 02:59 PM   #6
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Default Re: DC universe paralell, with some changes.

Wonderwoman would definitely be a presence in this world, however, her hands would be full. It is possible that the characters may be able to fight alongside the PC's.

Green lantern may be doable, but he may be busy with the rest of the corps trying to slow down Apokolypse.
also, Supergirl may be a figure here. She has a lot of issues as she is very alone and could go bad.
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Old 02-20-2015, 03:01 PM   #7
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Default Re: DC universe paralell, with some changes.

We did made a Heroclix campaign that took place in its own universe called Earth-54 where the Marvel universe and DC universe co-existed and and the battles that took place would influence the characters and power themselves up. We ended up have Rocket Raccoon as a green and black lantern, villain who went completely maniacal after being embarrassedly pranked by Star Lord, and Tony Stark learned some responsiblity for once.

As it was Heroclix, the character's power where flavored primarily by the clixs, not the comics even tho Heroclix tries to be comic accurate.

As for making DC or really any universe is to find the parts of that universe that conflicts with GURPS's rules and in your case, find what differences between Homeline's and DC's physics.
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Old 02-20-2015, 04:04 PM   #8
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Default Re: DC universe paralell, with some changes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Libertine View Post
Consider the point scale, 150 pts is a navy seal so the characters are going to start out 75% more competent in adventuring than a navy seal or a recognized professor.
random thugs would be at maybe 25-50 pts.
That seems to make sense on paper, but I'd try it out if I were you.

Make a 250 point character and put him in a mock-battle with 3 or 4 25 point thugs armed with cheap firearms. See if he can survive without killing anyone. (Or the thugs making unrealistically bad decisions.)

Such a fight would be nearly impossible for a realistic Navy Seal or MMA champion. But it should be pretty routine for a costumed crime fighter in Gotham City.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Libertine View Post
Low level villains would start at 300 pts.
powers can be gained in game either through learning magic or from places like Star Labs often with some unfortunate side effects.
This part will be fun.

Personally, my first step on arriving in the DC universe would be to try to find Richard Dragon, Bronze Tiger, or Lady Shiva to train me.
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Old 02-20-2015, 04:27 PM   #9
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Default Re: DC universe paralell, with some changes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by aesir23 View Post
This part will be fun.

Personally, my first step on arriving in the DC universe would be to try to find Richard Dragon, Bronze Tiger, or Lady Shiva to train me.
That brings up another question... how "genre-savvy" are your players?
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The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation.
Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting
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Old 02-20-2015, 04:29 PM   #10
Libertine
 
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Default Re: DC universe paralell, with some changes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by aesir23 View Post
That seems to make sense on paper, but I'd try it out if I were you.

Make a 250 point character and put him in a mock-battle with 3 or 4 25 point thugs armed with cheap firearms. See if he can survive without killing anyone. (Or the thugs making unrealistically bad decisions.)

Such a fight would be nearly impossible for a realistic Navy Seal or MMA champion. But it should be pretty routine for a costumed crime fighter in Gotham .
Also the cannot kill disadvantage is optional and if Gotham is anything like New York, you could get away with murder easily.

I would put Liam Neisan's character in Taken at 250 pts. And most low level street thugs don't really have guns. That is, it is rarer than many people think. Maybe switch blades with the ring leader packing some heat but the whole every body has a gun thing is normally for the organized criminals like Bloods, Crips, LCN, etc in which the PC's would be beneath their notice at the start.

Again these would be quite a cut above a navy seal.

Last edited by Libertine; 02-20-2015 at 04:33 PM.
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