all-new X-Statix-- Mutants and the Media!

[ozbot]

Professor Xavier had a dream-- a dream of humans and mutants living together in a mutual peace and respect. So why does the X-Men operate in costumes, in secret, from a hidden base? The time is right for another group of champions to arise-- a group of mutants that can fight for the everyday person without hiding from the public view. As a group of heroic mutants, their heroism could inspire mutants and humans alike, advancing the cause of species harmony. This group must be high-profile, filming their adventures, hosting press junkets, and participating in humanitarian causes and charity. Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the all-new, all-different X-Statix (or X-Force, or X-Factor, or whatever is marketable!) But how quickly will this high-profile team turn from the dream of public acceptance into the dream of public celebrity, and can the team survive such internal conflict?

New concept-- Q-ratings!
Players will get the chance to earn Q-ratings, a popularity score, for their heroes. Every time a hero successfully does something that would be worthy of public admiration, the player can add +1 to his Q-rating score. What is worthy of public admiration? Mostly, it could be something simple-- like performing Actions with Style (as per the rules in the Game Guide.) It could be saying a witty remark or funny one-liner, especially during a battle sequence. It could be rescuing a damsel in distress or promoting a consumer item-- "Jumpin' Aunt Jemimah's johnnycakes!" Dramatic poses, catch phrases, dates with supermodels-- anything marketable. (Note-- if the Action is something that could earn the character a Line of experience, such as saving the damsel in distress, the player must choose to either gain a Q-rating point OR a Line, not both.) There is no limit to the amount of Q-ratings a character might earn. Also, Q-ratings are individual things. Even if the group defeats a villain, the character delivering the "killing" blow will get the credit.

Losing Q-ratings
Players can lose Q-ratings just as easily. Every time the character does something opposite than those examples, he loses TWO Q-ratings (hey, the public is fickle.) So, if he gets defeated by a villain, he will lose 2 points. If a supermodel breaks up with him, he's seen losing his temper, he gains weight, whatever. GM's shouldn't force it on a character, but he should be sensitive to anything that could be distorted by the media. Perhaps most importantly, the loss of Q-ratings should be a negative reinforcement to keep players on track. Sure, it's fun to have a character suddenly promote a product, but if it's misplaced, like in the middle of a fight scene, dock them Q-ratings instead. Ignoring a damsel in distress? Dock some Q-ratings. Particularly offensive players might lose Q-ratings just as fast as they rack them up. (Players might even start to sabotage others-- that's up to the GM to encourage or discourage, but might be better saved for at least the second or third sessions.)

Q-ratings in Play
Q-ratings may help players during gameplay. Players may sacrifice 2 Q-ratings for a +1 modifier from the General Pool, no more than +2. (In doing so, the player forfeits any Q-ratings that might be earned by succeeding in the Action.) It's up to the GM to decide how Q-ratings work. If players abuse the privilege, put a maximum of "one time per game session" for using Q-ratings this way.

The GM should call for a Survivor-style ending at the end of the game session. Whoever has the lowest Q-rating will be cut from game play and the player will have to create or otherwise use a new character for the next game session. (Players can always reuse the character who was cut at the session AFTER next. Unless you REALLY want to be cutthroat and retire the character entirely.) Of course, if you're going to be mean, let the hero with the HIGHEST Q-rating have immunity, and all the players can vote off one the remaining heroes.

[ozbot]

Mission 1: Attention-grabber Intro
Objective #1: Stop the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants from obtaining an experimental new bio-weapon.
Objective #2: Stop the Brotherhood from killing the scientist behind the new bio-weapon.

The setting is a standard high-tech laboratory nestled away in an isolated, woodsy place. It's night, the facility is shut down (although scattered guards may be in place at GM's discretion.) The Brotherhood have already infiltrated the building and the heroes have to follow them in. Lots of nifty atmosphere and things to go "BOOM." Don't forget to use Mystique's shape-changing abilities to confuse the players.

Once the objective is fulfilled (or mangled,) the scene dissolves and the heroes are in the X-Men's Danger Room. The heroes are congratulated (or berated) by Prof. X, and the screen fades to the introductory title, theme song, and credits.

Mission 2: All-new All-different X-Force
Objective #1: Debate the philosophies of super-human adventuring.
Objective #2: Participate in a press conference.

Introduce Body Double, an ugly, old Morlock who was playing the part of Mystique during the Danger Room sequence. BD will become the team's arch nemesis and subplot, but at this point he's treated by Prof. X as "one of the gang." (If you want, you could actually run Body Double in place of Mystique. Use the stats for the Mimic in the X-Men supplement. Although BD can shape-change a la Mystique as a separate Action.)

Prof. X has invited the heroes to the X-Mansion for a purposed new super hero team. The X-Men work best as a training facility and clandestine task force. But there needs to be a more high-profile mutant team, one that can be actively championing mutant rights in public view. He introduces the man who will help this along-- Murdock Neilson, advertising executive and PR guru. Neilson will help establish this new team, having received grass-roots and corporate support to fund the team with Prof. X's help. Introduce Neilson as a savvy Hollywood-type, but still with sincerity and vision. Encourage players to debate this idea in character, with Q-ratings given as rewards, if necessary. Have prepared responses for most of the questions you think will be asked.

Body Double will be perturbed and distraught. Let him voice the opposition, especially if no one else does, or at least let him side with the other dissenting votes. Give Body Double a nice sob story, and he will storm out of the player's lives (or so they think.) Leave Neilson with the final words to segue into the next scene-- a press conference!

During the press conference, read the remaining responses that have been prepared, if they didn't get addressed during the debate with the players. Have annoying questions ready to target your players, and let them field them as best they can. Q-ratings should be given/lost as appropriate.

The biggest bombshell-- Neilson publicly boasts that the team will capture the greatest public menace at large today-- the incredible Hulk! No further questions! We will schedule a press conference in one week from today! Thank you ladies and gentlemen! Good night!

(continued...)

[ozbot]

Mission #3-- The Hunt for the Hulk!
Objective #1: Save innocent lives and property damage.
Objective #2: Subdue or capture the Hulk. (If failing that, at least transport him away from a populated area.)

Let the players react in character to Neilson, who will be sincerely apologetic and will try to cast some kind of vision for his plan-- after all, it would be a huge boost to credibility if they are able to pull it off. If the players refuse, let them chance a glimpse at a TV broadcast that paints the Hulk's rampages in the most negative light-- he is a mindless monster, after all. Let the TV broadcast be live, and Neilson remarking that they might get the chance to prove themselves sooner than they thought... (If you know your players will not go for this, then use a different public menace, such as the Abomination or the Juggernaut.)

When the players catch up with him, the Hulk is rampaging through the city. If they need help or inspiration, Captain America (or maybe Spider-Man) could be already trying to stop the Hulk, or Cap could show up at the end or in the middle of the battle, to either aid or to cause problems ("Stop! You don't understand! The Hulk must be allowed to pass! Or else!")

The players should have a plan to either subdue him right away or at least transport him away safely to an isolated area. For those unable to go up against the Hulk, at least distract him so that innocent lives can be saved. Place as many innocents in jeopardy as the players can handle! Remember those Q-ratings! This could be a potentially deadly battle. If a hero dies, so be it. Another character can be added later.

Just as the Hulk is (or is about to be) defeated, have Body Double show up. He will be determined to show that the all-new X-Force is doomed to failure, even if he causes it himself! He will pose as an army general and will try to intervene to allow the Hulk to escape. The Hulk will lash out at the general, seemingly killing him, and the distraction will allow the Hulk to leap away and escape. The media is there to capture the heroes' defeat, and the players will think that Body Double is dead! (They might know that BD was behind the distraction, but the media won't.)

The players have lost, they forfeit all Q-ratings earned so far. If they haven't earned any Q-ratings or are otherwise at 0, they are at -5.

Mission #4-- A Place to Call Home
Objective #1: Design the new headquarters.

Let the players stew in their defeat at the temporary "offices" that are on the construction site of their new headquarters. Murdock Neilson isn't there, but the foreman has been asked to get input from the heroes as to the specifics of their new HQ. Give players a chance to come up or draw some plans for their new pad.

When Neilson arrives, allow him to debate with the heroes once more. However, he will dismiss all arguments and will trump the conversation with his latest bombshell-- the X-Force is a hit! The news reports the highest ratings ever, despite their big defeat, and he was being courted with several offers to turn X-Force into an exclusive weekly program for all the major networks.

Mission #5: Morlock Invasion!
Objective #1-- Stop the various rioting Morlocks groups.
Objective #2-- Defeat Body Double.

Suddenly-- a blackout! The whole city is in the grip of a black out. There's not a lot of time to argue-- Neilson wants the team out in the city to protect it from the inevitable crime that will result from the blackout.

As the heroes patrol, the notice the Morlock's attacking. They have come out of sewer grates and subway tunnels. They want to loot, pillage, and plunder. Allow the players to stop various crimes-- perhaps Morlocks raiding a hardware store, or Morlocks mugging innocent women, or a Morlock using his powers to deface/blow up public property. (If a hero had fallen in battle with the Hulk, allow a new character to be introduced at this time, helping the heroes with the various encounters.)

After 1-2 battles, allow players the chance to discover that the Morlocks don't really want to fight. They are merely following orders from Callisto, but her orders seemed awfully strange. They should then want to take the battle directly to Callisto, but tempt them with other Morlock rioting on the way. Do the heroes stay the course or do they stop to defeat the Morlocks? Give Q-ratings to those who help defeat the various encounters, but give more Lines (after the session) to those who go/wanted to go directly to Callisto.

Let the battle with Callisto happen in a dark, moody, almost post-apocalyptic Times Square. Other Morlocks will be around her, but allow the heroes to engage her one-on-one, if they choose to. During the confrontation, choose a dramatic moment for Callisto to private reveal to her attackers that he is actually Body Double, using a hypnotic suggestion to help lead the Morlocks to revolt. In the final battle, Body Double should be exposed/defeated, such as by rendering him unconscious, which will allow the Morlocks to come to their senses and return to their underground tunnels.

Wrap-Up!
The resultant public exposure will cause a media sensation.

Stage yet another press conference. There can be less-pressured questions this time, and perhaps more bubble-headed entertainment questions such as "what is your favorite color?" and rumors of celebrity romances. Try to trip up your players with a mixture of serious and inane questions. Neilson will have the last word, of course, where he will announce that he has managed to sign the rights to a production deal and now the public can tune in every Tuesday night at 8 for the all-new, all-different X-Force show exclusively on Fox! Allow players to deliver their best one-liner (it could be clever or foreboding but in all cases worthy of a Q-rating) and fade to black!

Total up the Q-ratings, Lines of Experience, and have a Survivor-show down if desired.

Springboards into further adventures?
Perhaps Murdock Neilson has a secret agenda.
Perhaps Body Double will continue to cause problems.
Have players confront the fact that their dreams of public acceptance are turning into entertainment, perhaps by confronting the original X-Men members.
If you named them X-Force, have the original X-Force challenge them to take their name back (a la X-Statix.)
Does X-Statix exist separately in this universe? Perhaps a crossover event or maybe a charity showdown?
Have the heroes participate in a charity event that is later discovered to be a Maggia front.
How to help the common man? Distribute food to war-torn African nation while avoiding a warlord and his mercenaries? Stop a powerful drug trafficker? Help the logging industry with deforestation to keep jobs (and battling the spritis of the forest)? Clean up pollution around a steel mill (and deal with the resultant supervillain origin that will result)? Will Neilson's latest press conference bombshell announce that the team is tracking down Saddam Hussein?

[lordmitchell]

I ran my players through the first part of this. They had fun. Beat the hulk, actually.

I gave one character a car, and he rammed it into the hulk. Except the car had missiles, and he fired the missiles at the hulk.

Except the Hulk had grabbed the front of the car, where the missiles were.

Big Boom. I felt nice, so I spared his character. But the Hulk got K.O.ed.

Q-ratings went up by a ton. On the other hand, he know owes about $1,000,000 for the military forces, the car, the restaurant, the comic shop next to the restaurant, the van the other heroes used, and pretty much the entire city block.