I'm going to
reset my DC Heroes campaign and start at Volume 3. There are some
problems with Volume 2 that I will try to fix and there were some hard
decisions I needed to make to keep my sanity. Volume 2 just felt a bit
unfocused and aimless. I didn't really tie it together and it was very
much a series of disconnected adventures. I want to make Volume 3
focused and more plot heavy.
The biggest is to move the campaign to the night game, thereby cutting
out Dave Pickering, Shannon Appelcline, and Eric Rowe. Coveniently,
those are the three people that I have the hardest problem GMing. Pick
has been trying and he does have a more appropriate hero this time. But
every time I run I feel that Pick is just not happy with the campaign.
Probably not true but I can't help but feel that way.
I messed up the characters for Shannon and Rowe. Thought it'd be cool
to make them darker and grittier, more like Vertigo characters.
Unfortunately -- as Dave Woo pointed out -- although they're playing
their characters well, those characters do not fit with the rest of the
group. I have a similar problem with Shannon as I do with Pick. I keep
thinking that I'm letting him down and not putting enough real
role-playing into the game. And his subplot has been going well. But
once again, a lot of stress for me and it's not Shannon's fault.
Rowe is sort of a wild card. I'm not sure why I don't like some things
his character does that I let other people get away with. Maybe it's
because Rowe should know better and I have a different standard for him
than for other people.
It's three people who unfortunately make it much less fun for me to GM.
|
We're going to
use the Blood of Heroes (Special Edition) rules, which is effectively
the DC Heroes 4th Edition rulesset. I've been reading the book and
there are only a few changes and some clarifications. Editing is not
great, mostly paragraphs that are in the wrong sections rather than
typos.
I'm going to let the players create whatever heroes they want. I hope
that with only four heroes that I handle abusive powers. It's not that
dire since Woo will play continue to play Rad and Eric Fulton will most
likely continue to play Riff. Dave Sweet is thinking of playing the
Peter Pan spirit, which will be abusive. And Donald Kubasak will of
course play something weird and munchkin (though it doesn't bother me
as much as if it were another player doing it).
I'm thinking of a 12-issue maxi-series. Something along the lines of
Marvel's Heroes Reborn crap that totally ruined the Avengers and other
comics for a whole year. But the concept is go through the origin
stories and early stories again with a different twist. I want to at
least redo the origin story of Rad and give Riff a better introduction.
Really, Rad and Riff are the cornerstones of the campaign. They have
the best overall characters with the best histories. Donald will always
be a primadona (not that he means it, it's just that if he's not in the
limelight he totally loses interest). And Sweet will always be my best
friend and therefore the guy I feel most betrayed by when we game.
Anyway, the first six issues are origin stories and how the group forms
plus an early adventure. And the last six issues will be the grand
adventure, wherein the villains band together to take over the Earth
and only the Island City Heroes can stop them.
|