ParaOps

[Crackerjack]

Today I had an interesting idea for a very lowpower but high action supers game.

Espionage operatives given special paranatural enhancements. Like an agent who was given lungs that can be filled with water, take oxygen from said water, and then expell used water for more oxygen rich water. Bassically, a waterbreathing agent. That alone has a variety of espionage possibilities. Someone who could, without the bulky equipment, survive in a underwater enivironment for as long as they would have to.

The idea is that the first 3 paranatural agents were the big guns. An invisible agent, a bulletproof agent, and an agent who could fly without any sort of assisting device.

The players would play agents more on the working scale of paranatural agents. Water-breathing, a human tuning fork, "superlegs" (jumping), telescopic sight, ability to mimic exactly the movements of anyone you observe, some animal feature, any sort of immunity, and so on.

In MnM terms, even the legendary agents would only have one power (without the trained source at least...) And most player characters would have feats instead of powers usually, or a few ranks in a certain power.

It would be a far cry from supers, and some would hate it, but I think the idea of a bunch of agents, each with a different paranatural ability, doing espionage stuff in a world with a good deal of paranturally imbued individuals, as well as classic spywork, would be quite cool.

It would be less "powers power powers!" more "how do I use my power in a creative way to make it usefull?"

Anyway, hope this is interesting to someone.

[Sketchpad]

Reminds me of The Secret Six from DC Comics Even the old Doom Patrol to some extent ...

[Strand0]

When I read the first two sentences, a diffent idea came to mind. Each member of the team is given a basic D&D magic item.

[Crackerjack]

James Bond with a scroll of Charm Person
Jack Ryan with a summon BackUp scroll

Strando, that is both odd and ingenius.

[Daywalker]

Strando has a really good idea. Perhaps the heroes work with an occult agency and rather then having powers that are way over board they have more subtle things. Maybe the guy behind the group is preparing for some type of planar invasion and is training these people to help in the fight. On the other hand you could have a Poltergeist the Legacy type of organization.

[Crackerjack]

Gads!
Iv been outdone with my paragraphs by one sentence.

[Crackerjack]

Standard Agent ParaOptions (power kits)-
Water Breathing
Tuning Control
Enhanced Limbs (Arms or Legs)
Animal Feature
Telescopic Sight
Improved Biology Kit (slows down ageing and increases poison resistance)
Omnilingual Implant
Performance Boosters ("fight or flight" adrenaline rush causes implants to release temporary steroids and excess natural "wardrugs" into the system)
Improved Biology Kit II (artificial teeth of metalstrength substance and reworked digestive system allows consumption of a much wider variety of materials than normally viable)
Fireproofed
Danger Response (danger triggers special training subconsiously programmed into the body, think "The Bourne Identity")
Enhanced Charisma (combination aesthetic improvements, increased release of pheremones/testerone, enhanced sexual stamina, and minor behavior modifications programmed in)
Video Memory (all memories record into your brain, and can even be replayed, fastforwarded, rewound, and paused at whim)

[Crackerjack]

And just for the fans of Strando's idea...

ParaOps v.2

Instead of a Paranatural Enhancement (ParaOption, to be short) the agents are equipped with some item of occult power and perhaps a minor special ability aquired during their service against the weird and horrible.

Occult Inventory-
Ward: An object that has power of protection over a certain kind of force. example- Mojo Bag (against spellcasters) Talisman of the FireLord(against heat and flame)
Fetish: A mundane seeming object imbued with a certain kind of spirit through a shamanic bonding ritual.
example-knife imbued with shark spirit (extra damage/number of attacks in battle, but most drink blood when in frenzy) Gun imbued with storm spirit (shots are louder, so stealth in not viable, but the bullets are projected with very much increased velocity)
Blessed Item: A mundane seeming object santified by the power of one's deity.
example-consecrated blade, blessed cross, blessed bullets, statue of the Buddha, peice of holy text, charm of your gods/goddesses
Ghostly Object: A mundane seeming objec that has the ability to bridge the gap between our world and that of the dead.
example: ghostouch weapons, camera that captures images of spectres
Ritual Gear: The tools neccesary to perform a certain ritual.
example: shamanic mask and paints of a vision quest ritual, prayer beads for astral projection meditation, oil and incense for santifying an area.

Special Abilities-
Favored By the Gods: Someone up their likes you (some ranks in the Luck power)
Pure Mind: Meditation has granted you celerity of mind and soul (mental protection)
Undead: Wether you know it or not, you'v been killed before (immunities and maybe some regeneration, but a Bane weakness that causes extra damage to you)
Legacy: Your family has been doing this for centuries (a HQ, sidekicks, minions, ect.)
Occultist: Long painfull research has granted you access to a certain feild of sorcerous ability (almost any power with the device flaw, as you must have your books/notes/materials with you to cause it. Common powers would be telekinesis, energy blast, or animate)
Sorcerous Heritage: Magic praciticing ancestors have granted you a natural knack for spellcasting (sorcery at rank 1 or 2)

[Nightlynx]

Well another idea could be - that the PC's all have a magical item that defines their "super" identity - sort of something along the lines of the old D&D cartoon - each person had a magical device:

Ranger + Magic Bow
Thief + Cloak of Invisiablity
Acrobat + Magic Staff
Wizard + Hat o'Tricks
Cavilar + Shield
Barbarian + War Club

If I am remembering them correctly. The same idea could work but instead of a fantasy setting the magic items make it into a more modern one and the players use the items for crime fighting - Oh corce with magic items on the brain someone posted the Jackie Chan adventures 12 talismens of the zodiac and something along those lines might work also....

All in all I find this to be another very sound idea from Crackerjack - Keep up the great work guy!

peace and good gaming
Nightlynx

[palehorse]

Or you could have them all working for the Humanidyne Corporation and call them the Misfits of Science.

[Nightlynx]

Or you could have them all working for the Humanidyne Corporation and call them the Misfits of Science.

The who of what?

sorry but thats a new one on me lol
peace and good gaming

Nightlynx

[palehorse]

I'll wait and see if anyone else remembers... This one requires a trip in the Wayback Machine about 18 years!

[Sketchpad]

I remember Palehorse ...
Misfits of Science was an odd attempt at a superhero show in the 80s.

From TV Tome:

Code: Select all

Semi-superhero TV show that revolved around a group of young people with superpowers who are members of an American think tank and fight crime. Members included head scientist and fast talker Dr. Billy Hayes, who worked at the Humanidyne Institute and had no powers but led his team of patients and colleagues, including:

Fellow scientist 7'4" Dr. Elvin "El" Lincoln, who hates basketball and sought a way to become normal height and developed a way to shrink to 7" for 14 minutes once/hour by injecting himself with a growth serum and tapping a nerve center in his neck;

John "Johnny B" Bukowski, a rock musician who gained freak electrical powers when he was caught in an accident with a set of amplifiers. He uncontrollably absorbed electricity and could fire it as lightning bolts or channel it into super-speed, but water caused him to short circuit, burning him with potentially fatal results and forcing him to retire as a musician;

Gloria "Glo" Dinallo, A 17 year old street delinquent, whose father was supposedly an alien, who could move anything she could see with her mind via telekinesis and was romantically interested in Johnny.

Arnold Biefneiter, aka The Iceman, a cyrogenically frozen worker from 1937 who was brought back to life and had the power to radiate extreme cold as well as an obsession with Amelia Earhart and a love of frozen candy bars (Iceman was dropped after the premiere movie).

The Misfits were aided (and sometimes hindered) by Billy's long-suffering supervisor Stetmeyer, Gloria's truancy officer (and Billy's love interest) Jane Miller, and obnoxious Humanidyne secretary Miss Nance

[Novac]

I'll wait and see if anyone else remembers... This one requires a trip in the Wayback Machine about 18 years!

I remember too, man was one of my favorite shows as a kid.

[Nightlynx]

I'll wait and see if anyone else remembers... This one requires a trip in the Wayback Machine about 18 years!

I remember too, man was one of my favorite shows as a kid.

Ok so now I know its a TV show but what on earth does it have to do with this thread?!? Were they mystic in some fashion I am missing or was the refreance ment as some sort of slam against cartoons and/or tv as a sorce for this idea?

peace and good gaming

Nightlynx

[Novac]

Reeeeeeeelaaaaaax. You're dealing with a bunch of gamers. Topics go on random threads sometimes. Gezus. Tell me you've never heard a stupid Monty Python quote in the middle of a RPG, no matter what the setting.

[Zhure]

I'll wait and see if anyone else remembers... This one requires a trip in the Wayback Machine about 18 years!

I remember too, man was one of my favorite shows as a kid.

Ok so now I know its a TV show but what on earth does it have to do with this thread?!? Were they mystic in some fashion I am missing or was the refreance ment as some sort of slam against cartoons and/or tv as a sorce for this idea?

peace and good gaming

Nightlynx

It was a really campy quasi-supers tv show from the early 80's. Courtney (Friends) Cox was Gloria, had lightning powers. It was actually a nice take-off of superheroes. Each person basiscally had one power, perhaps with a derivative or two.

Greg

[Zhure]

http://jumptheshark.com/m/misfitsofscience.htm

[Nightlynx]

Reeeeeeeelaaaaaax. You're dealing with a bunch of gamers. Topics go on random threads sometimes. Gezus. Tell me you've never heard a stupid Monty Python quote in the middle of a RPG, no matter what the setting.

For the record Novac I don't see where my questions was out of line! As for dealing with a bunch of GAMERS at one point in my life I worked for one of the largest Comic/Rpg game chains in St Louis - if not the country (would still be there if the government didn't pay better) So if anyone should heed their own advice..... You REEEEEEEELAAAAAAX

Now to make things a little clearer for those who seem a little slower - I posed my question becasue I am not fimilar with this show. I didn't ask to be attacked and for the most part do not wish this to become one of those "flamefest" things either. I just feel that if someone asks a question in a civil manner - than what is the point of someone trying to put someone else in their place as it were?

I intend to drop this matter here and now. But in the future please think before you take it apone yourself to give someone grief for asking a question - Last time I check this was a disscusion board, not you personal playground.

peace and good gaming

Nightlynx

[palehorse]

And also for the record:

The 'group of agents with one second-string super power' group described in the original post put me in mind of the show, as Zhure pointed out. So in the interest of nostalgia and a bit of (what I thought would be) good humor, I tossed in an obscure 80's TV reference, as I am wont to do.

Who knows what kind of brawl would have ensued if I'd simultaneously mentioned 'Tales of the Gold Monkey' somewhere else on the board... (Gotta love a show with a dog with an eyepatch.) It'd be utter chaos. Chaos, I tell you!

[Nightlynx]

So CJ -

How goes it with this concept? If you can get your hands on it DC came out with a Tangent series (look for in in the 50 cent back issue bin of your local comic shop) called Nightwing. Its Spy craft meets witch craft and black ops its really a very good read and might give you some new ideas for this awsome concept of yours....

peace and good gaming
Nightlynx

Hummm Dog with an eye patch? Now thats funny!