Setting Creation for Supers Games

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Superfanboy
Posts: 36
Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2022 9:37 pm

Setting Creation for Supers Games

Post by Superfanboy »

This isn't about any specific setting, or system for one. It's just some thoughts I've had while trying to find a setting idea that I can run with. I am not exactly interested in running in one of the big company universes, but I do want a setting that can fit many of the characters from Marvel, DC, Valiant, Image and the various character supplements fairly easily.

Cosmic Celestials: There is certain terminology and stuff in Marvel and DC that's pretty easy to work with, though I wouldn't want to emulate their convoluted cosmology it's really not that different from D&D: abstract forces are actually people who live in magical realms, and they will fight you. I really like Kirby's New Gods, his work and and Simonson on Thor, Starlin Thanos comics. I don't want to do a big cosmic blender war, but I like some of that Silver Surfer and Green Lantern cosmology as a background.

Gods and Aliens: I am most dissatisfied with mythological gods and the cartoon style of magic that often shows up in the big universe books. Not that I don't love some of the characters and stories, Captain Marvel (Billy) is one of my favorite characters and he's incredibly goofy (he is a child, albeit a freakishly wise one). I don't really want completely unhinged magic and cartoon stuff, but I am not entirely against magical characters. Marvel magic, and mythology, is all over the place and doesn't really do much for me as a whole, but I am not sure how I'd want to do magic. Maybe just start with things I like: Captain Marvel (sans literal cartoons), Etrigan, some Doctor Strange, and gods who are more like the Eternals and Titans, or Galactus, than Thor.

I like Superman and Kryptonians but if there's just one is mostly irrelevant for players, and if it's a race then it's just a generic power set. I like the WildCATS idea that different castes of Kherubim have different powers, but then you again have the actual Kalelogue as an OP shiny Pokeman or a bunch of depowered knock offs. Then again you could say that about all space guardsman types, but people still like the different Lanterns (and I like most of the Kryptonians and Daxamites). I don't really want to simply recreate existing teams and themes so I'll not have any Superman or other big figures, though I might reskin their powers and origin to create a quick NPC. I don't want anyone who takes the spotlight from the PCs and their concerns, so other teams and heroes may be big on their own way but there are no Supreme leaders of super stuff.

Technology based powers are an issue for setting coherence, because technology is by definition technique and people will have a much easier time doing things if they're even aware it's possible. To avoid the singularity and allow technology you could have equipment that's not mundane be somehow reliant on super powers or alien technical assets to operate, build or maintain. But this might seem contrived, and part of the appeal of the big super universes is the chaos of random super science everywhere. Perhaps some degree of just not worrying about how the world works on the grand scale is essential.
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