The Others

A world where superhero teams compete for fame while fighting villains.

Latest World Events

Posted by geniebottle, 6 months, 4 weeks ago. Permalink

Sinphony Snag as Fresh Faces Catch in a Flash!

CAPES DAILY 18/10/2001

The Sinphony is on the rise in Liverpool and around the whole county, though today Cynthia-Sizer and Discomaster finally met their match in a brand-new team of superhumans! They didn't give themselves a name when the hostages asked, but we at Capes Daily think these heroic individuals, making a name for the Society of Parahumans, should be dubbed...the Powerfriends!

 

So thank you, Powerfriends! Anyone who's heard of shapeshifting prodigy Dead Ringer or the star of candy-cane commercials and solar farm endorsements alike, Stareye will recognise them in the roster...but Professor Plasma and Alabama hero the Reacharound also made appearances, presumably all joining forces to take on this threat!

 

We at Capes Daily look forward to seeing what the Powerfriends do next!

Latest Journals

6 months, 4 weeks ago: ‘Stareye’ wrote a Downtime Journal for The Powerfriends Are Born!

Why can’t I move on?

After investigations, a purposeful arsonist was ruled out of the case, instead the accident was chalked up to haphazard wiring or the fault of absent staff. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all who perished in the disaster, alongside the few that survived. Amongst the three survivors was young ‘Lee-Lee Bright’, despite everything he seems to be quickly recovering and will soon be relocated to a much safer home. In other words, evidence gathered from what remained of the buildings was deemed to be rather shocking, but the police refuse to yet comment on this apparent ‘shocking discovery’.

All in all, the events that have transpired beg the question- How moral exactly are the current parahuman laws, and how better could we have protected the children and this from happening to begin with? Local legislators will surely begin to overrule the current system with such pressure put upon them at this time. 

6 months, 4 weeks ago: ‘Stareye’ wrote a Downtime Journal for A Team Comes Together

Test Subject 4.

Test subject 4 notes.

Mind my informality at times, this is just a casual report so our teams know what to expect/be working with. The official case notes can be found within the allocated files if necessary.

Vitals remain stable after the final operation, medicine to continue to be administered twice a day. Internals appear normal.

The abnormal mark on the side of the face has too, been deemed safe, and has led staff to come up with a whole number of nicknames for the subject. Whether any of these will stay is unknown yet, and not important for the experiment. Appearance otherwise seems to be coming along appropriately.

Rapid changes in mood and behaviour have led us to believe that some personality traits may be predetermined by the chosen DNA. This behaviour has soured since the death of fellow subject, numbered 2, causing subject 4 to forgo eating or sleeping at times. This is unacceptable and could lead to health issues and further surgical procedures. 

Finally, powers seem to be slowly developing, however slower than we anticipated, and much more weakly. The dose is to be upped beginning next week.

6 months, 4 weeks ago: ‘Stareye’ wrote a Contract Journal for The Powerfriends Are Born!

The what-now?

Maybe the press are the incompetent ones afterall? They do say all publicity is good publicity, but this is stupid. Powerfriends? Really? Which intern came up with that one. I suppose it gets the vague point across.. anyway, I promised an update so here it is.

Our newest member arrived today, and I was sat here thinking it couldn’t get any worse. I walk into the lobby and what is waiting there? Well, a complete assault to the eyes..and the mind. No, not an annoying shapeshifter or an insane old man, it’s just a gay hero. That’s pretty much all he has going for him. And as it turns out, quite the majority of this building seem to be on the side of degenerate. 

I know you’re posing your pen at the ready, telling me to calm down, getting ready to scribble about how ‘replacable’ team members are. And don’t you worry..I’ve had enough of your drunken rambles over the years to know your next moves. They’re replacable, yes, but I am still stuck with them for now. At the very least, this side of the team is wholly unmarketable. I mean, so is the name but- gah! I hate the name so much.

Oh, I haven’t even gotten into our first mission yet.. Okay, I’ll admit it. I was impressed. I had my standards set rather low for all of them, and it went better than I had anticipated. We managed to work as a team in the end, as any good heros should. Deadringer’s tactical approach to confusing the enemy, the Reacharound’s use of corners and the intellect and wit of Professor Plasma, of course paired with my own bright abilities (!) secured our victory.

The criminals sure were strange, had their own music related schtick and all, I must applaud them for their efforts there. But my, those sonic guns are annoying. I sure hope we don’t have to deal with those in the future.

All is said and done now. And I suppose a place in the paper is wonderful and the best we could’ve hoped for. Things are going well. 

My regards,

Lee-Lee Bright.

6 months, 4 weeks ago: ‘Stareye’ wrote a Contract Journal for A Team Comes Together

First day in the new headquarters

When you told me that it was mostly for up-and-coming heros, I assumed that they were still capable. I sure hope these people are better on missions then they are in their free time, or else the entirety of the UK is surely doomed. Not to worry you or anything.

Irregardless of this, my first day wasn’t the worst, and the room I’m staying in is tolerable. Even the lobby is usually stocked with snacks. As for the friendly faces, I met my fair share of them. 

Deadringer, masking himself as me. This will surely continue to happen. Oh, but he did mention he was a fan. He’s a little on- actually, is deadringer a he? Whatever. He’s a little on the empty-headed side. 

Professor Plasma, older than the rest of us it seems, but as I always say it’s never too late to begin what you want to actually do. His mind hasn’t deteriorated, sharp as ever. I would expect this of a ‘professor’.

There were others too, a mixed bunch. Some seemingly better than others. In the end, it’s nothing I can’t work with. I am sure within time this agency will realise the importance of my work here, and I’ll have another agency to add to the list. 

On the other hand, it’s nice to finally be able to start this route rather than simply advertising. Advertising is all fine and well, but it simply just isn’t memorable. Saving people, now that is. And, well, what I was made for afterall. 

Well. I believe that covers it all. I’ll write to you again soon, perhaps after the first mission? 

Sending my regards,

Lee-Lee Bright.

 

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Britain, 2001

The Others is a setting focused on the new wave of superheroics after the Golden Age in the 80's. Up-and-coming heroes, freshly registered through the Parahuman Initiative, compete for the top spot with Society of Superhumans, often shortened the S.O.S.

HMC, or Her Majesty's Chosen, are the main superhero team of the S.O.S, succeeding New Battalion as the official team of the organisation.

Many other compete for the limelight, including the Society of Parahumans, or S.O.P, a subsidary of the S.O.S, often the most mocked of them, with various teams (The Crackerjackers, The Lunatics, Goon Squad, the now controversial Twin Powers, the Cornwall Horses, etc).

The Others, signed to S.O.P in a most likely bad deal, are sent to try and gain fame and reputation as heroes, even with all these disadvantages.

House Rules

Contractors from The Others Are NOT portable, and may NOT visit other Playgroups to participate in Contracts.

 

  • Powerful Powers: GMs should be lenient on the mechanical limits of Gifts, allowing for more customisation of Effects than usual. All Heroes aside from E-Listers can take Newbie, Novice, Seasoned, Professional and Veteran enhancements. 
  • More Bonuses!: Bonuses to the same dice pool do stack, unless granted by the same Effect. 
  • Hero Tiers: In the world of the Others, Heroes and Villains can be separated into various levels of power, depending on the sort of threats they can face, or the threat they are to face, separated into three categories, and then two subcategories. STREET LEVEL: These Heroes deal with local threats. Robberies, muggings, some gang violence. F-Listers (0-3 GP, +0EXP) E-Listers (4-6 GP, +0EXP), and D-Listers (7-11 GP, +0EXP) fall here. CITY LEVEL: These Heroes can still deal with Street threats, but are also picked up to deal with villains capable of levelling buildings, and similar tiers of damage. C-Listers (12-20 GP, +30 EXP), and B-Listers (21-30 GP, +60 EXP) fall here. COUNTRY LEVEL: These heroes are called upon to deal with the toughest threats, those with the power to flatten cities and threaten global safety. A-Listers (31-44 GP, +80EXP) and S-Listers (45+ GP, +100EXP) call here. 
  • Terminology: 'Lasting' Mind Damage or Injuries are those which must be healed by natural means. Any Gifts which restore Mind or heal Injuries can only heal 1 point of this damage, or reduce it by 1 depending on the feature. For example, 3 Mind Damage can only be reduced to 2, not 1 by Compartmentalising, and Regeneration can only heal a Lasting Severity-6 Injury by 1, the rest must heal naturally. Gadgets are Legendary Artefacts, and using Gadgets means having those Gifts or an Artefact Crafting Gift.
  • Limit Break: A Hero with at least 1 Gift receives the Asset: All-Out Strike and the Asset: Sustained Limit Break for free. A Hero can only Limit Break if they have had to roll Self-Control against a Trauma or Limit in the last minute. The exact benefits of a Limit Break may change, but they must match with an appropriate penalty. 
  • Asset: Limit Break (All Out Strike): (As part of a Power usage, you can roll with double your usual dice pool, ignoring up to 4 1s. However, after this Gift is resolved, you immediately take a Lasting Severity-6 Injury, plus 3 Lasting Mind damage and an appropriate Trauma.)
  • Asset: Limit Break (Sustained Limit Break):  (As a Free Action, you can enter Sustained Limit Break for 1 minute. For this time, you have +2 Outcome on all actions, ignore either Body or Mind Penalty (or ignore the effects of one Battle Scar if Grit does both), and regain 1 Source each round. However, at the end of a Sustained Limit Break, you must roll a d10, Difficulty 6. On a failure, you receive 4 Lasting Severity 6 Injuries, and 4 points of Lasting Mind damage. On a success, you receive 2 Severity-4 Injuries, and 3 Mind damage.) 
  • Little In a Big World: Any Heroes who take the Giftless Liability receive an additional 30 Experience to spend, and gain two features. The Asset: Stroke of Luck, and the Asset: Underdog.
  • Asset: Stroke of Luck (In addition to your Will to Survive, you also gain a resource once per Mission with the same effect named your Stroke of Luck. Once per Mission, when you would suffer an Injury of any Severity, you can reduce the Severity to 0.)
  • Asset: Underdog (A number of times per Contract equal to your number of Victories (minimum 1), you can increase the Outcome of any roll by 2. Once per contract, you can increase this benefit to a number equal to half your Mind score (minimum 2., rounded up). In addition, any time you enter Combat with a Villain, you can make a Free Action each turn to Evade (with a -2 Dice Penalty), until you deal 6 damage cumulatively to them, unless the villain already has knowledge of your capabilities. 
  • Power Sources: Most Heroes and Villains get their powers from Substance B, the drug originally created by the SOS in the Golden Age to make Heroes. However, that is not the only way powers are acquired. Sometimes, Heroes use Gadgets, advanced technology beyond the usual modern to create effects. Additionally, some have more esoteric sources, with even some theories stating Substance B is both a stimulant...and contains some other unknown, even supernatural properties.
  • If your Hero gets their abilities from Substance B, you gain the Asset: Take a Hit (You gain your abilities from usage of Substance B. If you have access to a vial of Substance B, you may take it to access your Limit Break abilities once per vial with no consequences, however you roll a 1d10, Difficulty 2. On a failure, you cannot use Substance B in this manner again. Any additional vials may grant additional benefits, but at the cost of increasing this Difficulty by 1, and other penalties.) 
  • If your Hero uses Gadgets, you gain the Asset: Dismantle (You may alter your Legendary Artefacts, changing enhancements and even fully replacing effects with others in between Missions. In addition, you may, once per Mission, regain a point of Source or Battery for free as a Quick action, charging up a Gadget.)
  • If your Hero uses other methods of gaining Powers, they gain the Asset: Alien Origins (Your powers are strange. Hard to quantify and predict. You may, at any point, ignore a Drawback of one Gift for that activation, but you also must choose an Enhancement on that Gift and lose access to it for 1d4 rounds. You may also use this effect to gain an Enhancement you do not have, but must choose a Drawback as well, gaining the effects of both for 1d4 rounds. There may be different penalties for ignoring Drawbacks or Gaining Enhancements, such as up to 2 Mind Damage, or a Severity-4 Injury.) 

Full Setting Description

The Golden Age of Superheroes began in 1942, when Germany's delving into the Occult unearthed strange forces, ones used to empower a super-soldier named Ubervolt. Ubervolt had the powers of lightning manipulation, and the ability to seemingly generate vast amounts of electricity from nothing. In addition, the more energy it consumed, the larger it grew, peaking at a staggering thousand feet tall! It seemed like there could be no opposing this threat, until....The Comet. Another strange being, this time one wreathed in golden fire and moving as fast as even Ubervolt's lightning blasts. The Comet fought Ubervolt and won after a long battle, leaving pieces of itself wherever it went.

This clash of titans, once over, had researchers scrambling to use whatever was left for the war effort. At first, this was the Heliotron, a robot powered by collected pieces of the Comet's body, able to store a fragment of that incredible power and use it to create flames. Soon after, in 1944, the first human testing began in Britain with refined pieces of the Comet, and various stabilising elements to stimulate the body to react and adapt to the power (now known as Proto-B). This experiment created the first human superhero, Catalyst. Sharing many powers with the Comet, and Heliotron, Catalyst could manipulate energy, absorb and reflect light to grow in power, fly, enhance his physical abilities, and much more!

Catalyst, after aiding in the war effort, was also deployed to deal with more strange threats, and villains performing their own experiments to create superhumans. When it became too much for just one hero, Her Majesty's Chosen was formed in 1948. With more experimentation, more stable forms of Proto-B (Aka Substance A), were used to birth Sea King, an aquatic hero with water-manipulation powers, Mercury, a speedster, and to enhance the intellect of Rocketeer to allow her to create some of the first Gadgets, such as her rocket suit. 

HMC-I continued working until the 70s, facing villains such as Quantum Shaman, Grand Richter, Gigahertz and many more! However, the team dissolved near the end of 1972, when Catalyst was killed by Doctor Crossbones, a mad scientist and master-class inventor, marking the first hero death and beginning the end of the Golden Age. After this, HMC-I remained active, but later in a confrontation with the same villain, all but Rocketeer also met their end, but managed to defeat him in the process.

 

Between 1970 and 1991 was considered the 'Dark Age' of superheroics, with no national team and many different powerful heroes and villains fighting for dominance after the power vaccum left by HMC-1.

HMC-II, the second team, came online in 1991, consisting of the super-strong and durable Baldr, the shapeshifter Red Dragon, who usually makes her form that of a scaled, fire-breathing winged humanoid, Sonic Saint, an armoured Gadget-user and energy manipulator, and Rocketeer II, the daughter of the first Rocketeer who inherited her genius intellect. All were created with the new Substance-B, which is now used by the S.O.S (established in 1965 by HMC-I) and its subsidaries, especially after the Parahuman Initiative which allowed more superhero teams to be legally active (signed October 1991). This is also the start of the Modern Age (also called the Silver Age, or still the Dark Age by certain people) of superheroics. 

World Events

Posted by geniebottle, 6 months, 4 weeks ago. Permalink

Sinphony Snag as Fresh Faces Catch in a Flash!

CAPES DAILY 18/10/2001

The Sinphony is on the rise in Liverpool and around the whole county, though today Cynthia-Sizer and Discomaster finally met their match in a brand-new team of superhumans! They didn't give themselves a name when the hostages asked, but we at Capes Daily think these heroic individuals, making a name for the Society of Parahumans, should be dubbed...the Powerfriends!

 

So thank you, Powerfriends! Anyone who's heard of shapeshifting prodigy Dead Ringer or the star of candy-cane commercials and solar farm endorsements alike, Stareye will recognise them in the roster...but Professor Plasma and Alabama hero the Reacharound also made appearances, presumably all joining forces to take on this threat!

 

We at Capes Daily look forward to seeing what the Powerfriends do next!

View all World Events