I'm considering running a GURPS Supers game. PCs can be of any point level the player wants to write up, though if you're super versatile (eliminating the need for the rest of the party because you can handle everything yourself), a pain in the ass to threaten (because you're immune to almost everything), or impossible to thwart (because your powers are irresistible) I'm less likely to accept you into the game because that's a pain to deal with.

I don't mind a power disparity between characters - Wonder Woman and Robin are both JLA - but if I get two characters that fill the same niche I'm more likely to go with the more interesting one than the more powerful one. Character selection is a matter of "what's the most interesting/entertaining PC group I can build out of these applications."

As far as setting goes, I'm torn between two ideas.

1. More or less brand new setting, built around the ideas presented in the PCs characters. If someone makes the Last Son of Atlantis, then hey, I guess there's an Atlantis. If nobody plays a wizard, then hey, magic isn't real.

2. The golden age of DC comics (Earth-2) happened in the 30s and 40s. The Marvel Heroic Age is just starting now. PCs are original characters, perhaps tied to either the heroes of tomorrow or the heroes of the past, but not anything canon. (You can play Alfred Pennyworth's great-great-nephew, or the dude who's dad bought the weird green lamp at Alan Scott's estate sale. You cannot play Spider-Man.)

Thoughts?

I like option one myself. The 30s and 40s are ripe with opporunity and it would be fun to take down some Nazis, building around what you are given has always been more interesting.

I got the impression the 1930s/40s are in the past and the PCs would be 'moderns' - though I'd love a campaign actually set in the late 30s/early 40s.

+1.  It seems like there are plenty of supers games in contemporary settings, but it is much harder finding them elsewhen.  Yet there are so many fascinating and barely-explored possibilities, such as: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_1602 ...  :)

Sure, the game could be set in the past. Or the future, as in Marvel's 2099 series or DC's future LSH. It could be a time travel game.

If you like any of these options, feel free to voice that, or if there's a particular past era you think would be interesting - 19th century, 1930s, near future, far future.
This message was last edited by the user at 15:04, Tue 07 May 2019.

This seems like the kind of idea that will live and die by the strength of the central theme.  It feels like that's the most important thing to work out.

Personally, I prefer more modern or future timelines, though using the Golden Age themes is certainly possible.  I'd also prefer staying out of a solidly established universe and, at the least, doing an alternate universe version of something.

On points... I'm not entirely sure that a points mis-match is necessary.  Batman and Wonder Woman are on the same team, but it's quite possible that they have relatively equal points values.  It's just that Batman spends his points on gadgets, wealth, and status while Wonder Woman buys raw power (mostly).  Younger heroes are a bit different, but even then, with this being GURPS, you could probably spend a stupid number of character points on skills for Robin to the point that it worked out about the same as a brick package like Wonder Woman.  Or let Robin invest in Wildcard skills as his "power" and watch the point totals rise.

In one setting I really enjoyed years ago, the PCs were supers who had the added challenge of needing to be extremely discreet when using their powers, lest they attract the perilous attention of the Inquisition.  But they still needed to protect the common people from super-villains and other dangers while not getting burned as witches, even though they don't do magic...  :o

I suppose that supers in a "Time Patrol" role could have similar subtlety constraints, lest they break the timeline they are trying to preserve.  That also gives interesting potential for setting variety, temporal loops, and other fun...  :)

For folks who like the future, a covert supers crossover with the Firefly setting could extremely interesting.  The Alliance wasn't through with those experimental subjects, and is keen to hunt them down...  :o

While I love superhero games in general, I find they work best if there's a bit of a theme or a limitation throughout. Non-/Low-Powered vigilantes always work for example. As does any variation on the x-Men's 'fighting for a world that hates them' trope. Legacy heroes falls into that category in my eyes.

Starting a world from scratch with everyone picking a corner and penciling it in sounds like a lovely idea in theory. In practice I'd just worry that the end result won't be cohesive.

Oh I agree, a tight focus is definitely better. So here's the theme:

Crossover Events

To use comic book publishing terms, each of you has a solo title that happens (mostly) off-screen. You have an origin, a rogue's gallery, a general section of the universe you deal with - say you're a Doctor Strange type who mostly handles mystic threats, or a Cyclops or Wolverine who fights for mutant rights, or a Captain Marvel or Nova who deals with galactic problems.

Whatever. We assume it happens, and you can reference it, and we can even make your origin, backstory, enemies, and associated nebbish cast part of character creation, but our game focuses on the big, company wide crossover events.

That's when you and the other PCs come together as a team to pool your talents against threats like Secret Wars, Infinite Crisis, World War Hulk, Blackest Night, etc.

This will give PCs more freedom to spend CP between adventures; just summarize what's happened in your story since the last Epic Crossover to justify new powers or an entirely new skillset or your fetching new cybernetic spine.

Oh, I like it!

very cool idea, has my interest!

I like that as a general concept.  It even solves any issues with character death.

"Didn't you get cut in half?"

"Well, yeah, but then..." and there's a reason why the character is back from the dead.  It might even be an entirely new person in the same role.  Comics do that all the time.

Okay, game is up. link to another game

Darkness falls across the land as a new threat rises to consume civilization. The danger might come from space or from far away fantastic realms or the microverse or even the dark heart of humanity itself, but one thing is certain - the armies and police forces of the world are powerless to stop it. Only one thing can save the world - the guardians who have appointed themselves its saviors. Earth's mightiest heroes.

Mega Crossover Event is a GURPS Supers game for characters of any point level joining forces to Save The Day. Each is a comic book superhero and star of their own title, brought together to save the world from some dire threat or another in the tradition of huge company wide crossovers like Darkest Night, Secret Wars, or any of the Avengers movies.

I'm using GURPS Powers for all powers, including magic. Don't take spells or spell-like skills, define everything as a power. GURPS Martial Arts cinematic techniques are fine.

And if you're not firm on GURPS or entirely new to the system, don't sweat it, I'll help you build your concept.