While I am still setting this thread up, here is a test poll you can fill in if you want.  There is no prize (or a famous Marvel No-Prize) except that you might let others know how much of a cultured gourmand you are...

https://www.strawpoll.me/45256268

More seriously, let me know if you like this site for polling.  If not, please feel free to suggest another...

While we are waiting for the ideal polling system to be decided, there are a couple of questions I could really use the answers to.  There will be Potential given as Extra Credit to anyone who helps out.  There is a time limit because I need to get this game further developed.  Get your contributions in by Midnight, May 16 GMT.

First Question:  Who is the sponsor of your school?

Option #1: The Avengers
Option #2: SHIELD
Option #3: The X-Men (in this game, the X-Men will sponsor a non-mutant school.  They believe a small class of alternate X-Men will actually help friendship between mutants and everyone else.  Mutant PCs are still welcome, they are just not particularly sought out by this particular class of X-Men.
Option #4: Some other organization from canon Marvel Comics (that is, our Earth-682 version).
Option #5: Some 'Marvelous' organization unique to this game.  Tell me about it.
Option #6: A mix of any and all of the above.

Should the party vote for a single organization, then the PCs are just the youngest branch of that organization (The Even Younger Avengers, The Newer Mutants, SHIELD Cadets).  If there is a mix of patron organizations, then the school is a front for those organizations.  And the 'board of trustees' either work together or bicker among themselves regarding the training of the team.

Go ahead and make your suggestions.  I don't mind how many organizations are on the Board of Trustees, the relative power of each member will be based on how strong the vote was for any particular member organization.  You can also specifically request that a given organization NOT be on the Board if you really don't care for them.

Get your suggestions in by the the 16th at Midnight.  Vote on suggestions if you are sure of them.  If the vote is conclusive by deadline, great.  If not, I may extend the voting by a week.

Go ahead and debate and vote below.  Me and perhaps Max will get it all sorted.

P.S. Just thought of another option, possibly a real-world organization with a super-school in a Marvel universe (National Government/Military, Religious, Corporate, etc.).
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:10, Tue 11 May 2021.

Here is another important poll.  The faster I get the answers the better so there is a deadline for contributions, Midnight, May 16th, GMT.  A point of Potential will be the tangible reward.  The intangible reward will be actually being part of shaping the game.

Where is your school based?

1. Near New York City, United States (you are near the center of the Marvel setting but won't be able to shine as much in comparison).
2. Elsewhere in the United States (not near NYC but you are more your own legend).
3. A real-world location, not the US (most likely another country).
4. A location that only exists in the Marvel Multiverse (the Earth-682 version thereof).

Possibly tangential choices:

A. Near a major population center.
B. the centralized hub of a large, sparsely-populated area.
C. A geographically-separated area (this area is not easy to casually travel to or from.  So there is a (possibly small) school in this area.  Hawaii might be a good example, part of the US but physically separated from the rest of it).
D. The school is mobile (aboard a helicarrier or even a sailing ship, for example.  Unlikely, but I wanted to include the choice).

Let me know what you think.  Suggest, debate and (if you are sure) vote below...

OK, time to think outside of the box for some extra extra credit!  ;)

One option:


Another option:



Yes, these are in fact serious suggestions, and have my votes!  :)

Strawpoll could work fine when we just need to decide between a few established options.

As for the first question, I'd prefer multiple sponsors since that seems like the best way to accommodate all the varied character concepts. We have some characters who are already clearly affiliated with one organisation or another and some characters who would prefer not to directly study under certain organisations. A co-sponsorship would be close enough to any one sponsor to include the former and distant enough to not alienate the latter.

It could also make sense for the sponsors as a bridge-building exercise... which is not to say it can't also result in some tensions when the different sponsors' interests or values are misaligned. Which could give us some more plot threads as we get dragged into it. :)

Eventually, the school could take on a life of its own, or it could remain as a bridge between organisations, with all of them recruiting graduates at the end.

In addition to the big three, I suppose we could add the Future Foundation or some other Fantastic Four thing? The heroic version of the Atlas Foundation/Eternal Empire could be an interesting shadowy option too from what I've read about it.

As for the location, I like the original idea (near New York City) just fine. I am sure there are enough shenanigans to go around there. :) Among other things, it occurs to me that coastal areas near major cities can work as staging grounds for various villainous plots. Adult superheroes might be busy to notice sinister backwoods preparations in time...

That said, other options could be fun to experiment with later. Could even have a spaceship game with a more cosmic focus some day. :P

EDIT: So in brief, that's:

Question 1: 6

Question 2: 1, A
This message was last edited by the player at 08:56, Tue 11 May 2021.

1st Choice => 3. A real-world location, not the US (most likely another country).
2nd Choice => 2. Elsewhere in the United States (not near NYC but you are more your own legend).


1st Choice => C. A geographically-separated area (this area is not easy to casually travel to or from.  So there is a (possibly small) school in this area.  Hawaii might be a good example, part of the US but physically separated from the rest of it).
2nd Choice => D. The school is mobile (aboard a helicarrier or even a sailing ship, for example.  Unlikely, but I wanted to include the choice).

However, these votes are lower priority than my school sponsor votes.  ;)

I do like the idea of this being a sort of "bridge" program between multiple entities. We already have characters linked to other organizations and this seems to make the most sense on the surface. We could even weave the character of Ghost into this much easier by having that character be the original overseer who has now become a disembodied entity.

As for where the school is exactly, I do like the mobile idea but perhaps stationed near New York? I think if we pursue the bridge school idea this would make the most sense. That way the school is close to many of these organizations but can quickly move to where needed as this team would probably be some sort of guardian group in training.

I'm also for having the school sponsored by the big organizations at once: Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, all overseen by SHIELD, though maybe they'd be a step removed. The tension between the organizations and their goals and methods is just too good to pass up.

As for location, I have a lot of thoughts about it, and my vote boils down to "near NYC, near a major population center." Near NYC doesn't necessarily mean we'll get any less opportunity to shine, just like no Marvel comic prevents their hero from shining even though they're almost all in New York. The other guys just don't show up to deal with our problems, so we get to make a name for ourselves with our neighborhood and then later the city itself. Shouldn't be a problem.

My issue with a mobile or otherwise hard to reach school is that we should regularly be surrounded by the NPCs close to us, friends and family types, so that a) they can try to shift our Labels, and b) the GM can put them in his crosshairs and give us very personal stakes when need be. If our folks are in New York but we're in a helicarrier over Madripoor, they have less opportunity to butt in, y'know? Unless all our friends and family are also on our mobile school, which could get both weird and super interesting.

The one issue I see with going with #6 right now is that we've established that each of these groups have their own school and are actively recruiting. So I'd like to recommend a twist. What if, after the SHIELD report came out, the Illuminati (from canon: Namor, Tony Stark, Reed Richards, Black Bolt, Doctor Strange, Professor X) decide that in addition to the schools each of their groups sponsors, they create a school sponsored by the Illuminati themselves? Perhaps for especially unique, dangerous, or powerful children that they feel would be better trained in a separate school (or perhaps to keep the X-Men and Avengers from fighting over a very special candidate).

My recommendation would be to add Nick Fury to the Illuminati (why wasn't he already?!), and that gives you a connection back to every other group/school discussed, but once removed as Ricochet mentioned. You could even have the school be a bit clandestine, with each of us applying, and being accepted, to one of the other schools, but then on the first day we're told that we're being "elevated" to the "gifted" class. We would officially be "on the books" of the school we applied to, but really be part of the Illuminati school. Or it could be a mix; Dr. Strange would probably just sponsor Gateway directly into the Illuminati school, or if someone plays an Inhuman Black Bolt might do the same.

So my answer is #6 sort of; an Illuminati sponsored school.



What if it's near New York City, but maybe above it? I'm thinking a floating school like Sky High. Using helicarrier flying/hover technology mixed with magical and technological means to hide it from prying eyes (assuming we go with the Illuminati option).

Or, a magical pocket dimension accessible from a "schoolfront" in New York City.



In both cases, the characters would live in A. but go to school in C.

Gah, I'd been thinking about that and totally forgot to mention it. But I have an idea for that as well!

This event might be recruiting for a single school, and each of these booths represents a different sponsor for that school. Signing up with one of the sponsors will put the student in a track designed by that group, with mostly the same knowledge but a different focus. For example, signing up with the X-Men would emphasize civil rights movements throughout history, Fantastic Four would focus on theoretical and applied sciences, Avengers would focus on political science, etc. And the more students sign up for a particular track, the more influence that group has on the school board.

This information may or may not be public.

I don't have any real opinions on what team runs the school currently. I'll vote that the school is based close to New York or a similar US large city.

I do admit that the above arguments for #6 and variations are interesting...  :)

I am absolutely in favor of the board of directors idea and lean heavily towards the suggestion of Illuminati + Nick Fury. I would also suggest the addition of Wolverine. He could stir up debate among almost all of the other members at one time or another. If a reason is needed for his inclusion, the board is heavily weighted with Avengers or former Avengers. So the X-Men need more representation. (And maybe add Ric Flair in season 2.)

Also in favor of the pocket dimension “school front” in or near New York. But what if that pocket dimension also lead to another school? One poised in a more relaxed location like Hawaii or New Zealand. That would offer some different opportunities, especially if we have two or more teams.

Then we wouldn’t need a mobile base, but we could still have access to helicarriers, or quinjets, or whatever. Maybe a few of our brains get together and create new forms of team transport.

Just my two cents, I am pretty flexible with majority vote.

If we want less Avengers representation and more X-Men, Wolverine is probably not the best choice, being a former Avenger. :P Cyclops? Beast? I'd probably trust Beast with such things.

Hmm, I'm not seeing the heavy weighting towards Avengers. I assume you mean because Namor used to be an Avenger, but he's there to represent Atlantis not the Avengers. I just don't see the need to weight it more towards the X-Men.

From Wikipedia, here was the reasoning for the original members:

- Namor is a King of the Atlantis and the Seven Oceans and represents the antihero mindset.
- Tony Stark represents the Avenger type of hero, one who understands and appreciates that a hero can work with the government, rather than outside of it. He also represents the common man, as he possesses no natural superhuman abilities.
- Reed Richards: Leader of Fantastic Four. Represents the science-based part of the superhero community.
- Black Bolt: King of Inhumans, who are an important part of Marvel history and play an important part in events that have not yet come to pass. He also represents a ruler/king archetype, one that has also been filled by Namor.
- Doctor Stephen Strange: Sorcerer Supreme of Earth. speaks for the mystical/non-scientific side of the Marvel universe.
- Professor Charles Xavier: Leader of the X-Men is there on behalf of the mutant community.

And I just don't see Wolverine as having the gravitas necessary to be part of the Illuminati. In canon Beast actually did inherit Professor X's position and become a member.

I was thinking that was just an excuse for bringing wolvie in if needed. I mainly just thought he would be good to have around sometimes for the conflict aspect, and for Jubilee’s character interaction. He could even be an on again, off again presence only showing up when encouraged that his vote is needed to the board of directors. Otherwise, he is off on mission. He need not have any awareness of the Illuminati side of things. More Avengers representation is not needed, but that is a possibility if the GMs want to use an NPC to have some fun. Or maybe even players if multiple positions open up.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:29, Tue 11 May 2021.

I think you can keep the Illuminati to "canon + Nick Fury" but still have cameos from Wolverine and others. Maybe as teachers, field trip chaperones, etc. For example I've introduced Jean Grey as a potential thorn in my side NPC interaction for Max.

OK, I am loving all of this and I don't think anything mentioned mutually excludes any other thing mentioned.   But I don't want to really ripple this stream-of-consciousness until Sunday.  But I'm pretty sure you guys don't need much guidance.  You are figuring it all out on your own.

I am adding two more Extra Credit Assignments for now.  If all of the current Extra Credit Assignments are done, the character will get a new Advancement for their character.

The first is to post in the Beloved Ghost character thread with your thoughts and or votes.  In the future, I may not make such a special thread for just one question.  But I am learning.

To recap, the Beloved Ghost is a team member who we only know in flashback.  BG has left the team for perfectly mundane or horribly tragic reasons.  Who is BG and why did they leave?  You tell me.


And the final Extra Credit Assignment for now:  You had an adult Team Mentor, an established Marvel character or someone new.  They have also left the team, like Beloved Ghost.  How were they and why did they leave?  You tell me.

The deadline for Potential points is Midnight, May 21, 2021. :-)

Do they two have to be different people?
This message was last edited by the player at 06:20, Wed 12 May 2021.

Wow, so many interesting opinions, I love how creative this group is.  I honestly don't remember the Illuminati as being a canon part of Marvel, but then I admit much has changed since my avid reading days.  So to answer the original questions

I think I would embrace a mix of groups as well.  That creates a lot of opportunity for drama and behind the scenes deals and rivalries, which are always interesting.

For the second question I think I like being close to New York since, as many have pointed out, it offers opportunities for a number of cameos, but also gives us the space to have our own adventures apart from the crowded city as well.

Just my two cents :)

I would prefer both a former student and former teacher.  This gives two different dimensions to the bittersweet loss and nostalgia.  But I won't insist on it if the players want just one character.

The Illuminati are an established but very minor part of Marvel canon.  I daresay the average Marvel Zombie would have missed them.

For just one reference...

https://www.marvel.com/teams-and-groups/illuminati

I have added a new Straw Poll asking whether we should have a structured and defined incentive program for this game.

There is an optional poll and there is no extra reward for participating.

A few thoughts:

1.  Even if a reward program is established, a player does not have to actually use the reward.  For example, a player may not want their character to advance to quickly and thus leave the game quicker.

2. While the occasional reward can be just given with no real thought, a structured and defined reward system takes a little effort to make and maintain.  But perhaps that is worth it should it lead to a flood of creativity and enthusiasm.

https://www.strawpoll.me/45270191

I am honestly torn on that one. I thought the idea was neat, and it does have some psychological pay-offs I suppose (mini-contests around things you were probably going to do anything can be fun), but on the other hand, getting to write in a Masks game is honestly enough of a reward for me. Will think some more.

One consideration is that with the current set-up, what it really gives you is control. i.e. you can level up a character faster, or not. You might even store potential to level up a secondary character you might make later. I can see that being a pretty neat option to have, though one that messes with the game's purity somewhat. The idea of story rather than mechanical rewards down the line was pretty intriguing too...
This message was last edited by the player at 03:14, Fri 14 May 2021.