DC Universe: Gods Among Us

TL;DR:

Superhero/DC
A high-octane sandbox in which players get to reimagine any hero in the DC roster-- how they do so is up to them.
Villains and legacy characters will also be playable, but only after their parent hero is applied for and active.
We will create engaging, thrilling stories for those heroes (and villains), occasionally bringing them together in crossover events.
The Justice League exists, and has been around for about four years.

Out of Character Info:

The world of DC Comics is one of great wonder, filled with colourful characters and memorable stories. Heroes such as Superman and Wonder Woman have exercised people’s imaginations for decades… and in Gods Among Us, you can make them your own. In this RP, the story you’ve always thought could be a masterwork of superhero fiction is just waiting to be written. That reimagined version of Superman you have stashed away in your DC IS DELICIOUS folder would really like to have its story told. 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Bruce Wayne wasn’t a billionaire playboy, but a high-paid lawyer in prestigious law firm, secretly moonlighting as the Batman? Or if Billy Batson wasn’t a teenaged orphan, but rather a young adult, recently enlisted in the army? Maybe the Clown Prince of Crime is a man suffering from dissociative identity disorder, his good side struggling to keep his sadistic “Joker” side at bay. Regardless of your plans and ideas, the possibilities are endless, and every single one has the potential to be as great, if not better, than its original counterpart. 

There is an infinite amount of stories you can tell, each one as thrilling as the last. You want to put Cyborg through an emotionally traumatic gauntlet? You think Hal Jordan and John Stewart could really shine in a buddy-cop story? You reckon Deathstroke should have his abilities put to the ultimate test? Any story you come up with, you can tell, as long as it makes sense for the character.  

In Gods Among Us, the DC universe is your oyster.

So, as seen above, this RP will be my first attempt at GM’ing a game similar to those of which have been (very successfully) run by the masters that are @Gowi, @Dedonus and last but not least, @Vandy (who will be my co-GM). Upon discovering their games, such us All-Star Marvel and Maximum Comics, I immediately fell in love with those types of RPs. Once I participated in one, I straight away knew that this was what would keep me coming back to RPG. Unfortunately, while I was away on a trip, the game I was in died due to lack of activity. And so, here I am, checking to see if my own take on an RP such as this gauges your interest.

Below are details on the IC timeline, CS skeletons, and what I expect of the undoubtedly talented people that decide to take part in this.

The Timeline:

|April 18, 2010| The hero known only as Superman debuts in Metropolis, stopping a terrorist attack on the city’s largest corporation, LexCorp.

|April 25, 2010| An urban legend begins circling in Gotham, telling of a bat-like man that plagues the criminals of the city. 

|March 19, 2011| The Batman is exposed to the public when he stops the crazed maniac known as the Joker from massacring the Narrows.

|November 11, 2011| The subsequent rise in vigilante and metahuman activity prompts the government agency, ARGUS, into profiling these so-called “heroes”.

|December 21, 2012|The Justice League is formed to push back the invading alien force of Apokolips. The battle is won when they manage to push the being called Darkseid back through the boom tube through which he came.

April 3, 2013|The Injustice League is formed to oppose their enemies, led by Lex Luthor.

|June 10, 2013| The Justice League is once again called to action when the Injustice League launch their first attack against the team, almost levelling a quarter of Metropolis. The JL help rebuild in the aftermath.

|August 5, 2014| ARGUS send the recently formed Task Force X to assassinate Kahndaqi terrorist Gholem Qadeer, located at the time in Markovia. The mission is successful, and Task Force X come back with a piece of seemingly useless information… Qadeer’s dying words, “I only did as the Light commanded.”

|September 16, 2014| The international assassin known as Deathstroke attacks the Justice League. After a lengthy battle, the League begin to gain the upper hand, only to have him wound Green Arrow. Deathstroke then flees, but not before name-dropping his employers: the Light.

|December 31, 2014| On New Year’s Eve, Task Force X, nicknamed by its members as the ‘Suicide Squad’, is sent after a possible lead on the mysterious Light in Vlatava. The mission is a success, the squad arriving back at Belle Reve with a name: Vandal Savage. Despite this, ARGUS comes up short; according to the records, he does not exist.

|February 28, 2015| Lex Luthor, having apparently left the Injustice League, begins a campaign for the eradication of monetary and technological poverty in Metropolis.

|June 1, 2015| Having changed the public’s opinion of him for the better, Lex announces that he’ll be running for president. The public’s reaction is positive, save for a few people-- The Justice League. They begin monitoring Luthor, suspicious of his sudden sainthood.

|2016 ; Now| As the presidential election comes ever closer, Luthor only rises in popularity amongst the public… and in the shadows, a Light slowly grows... One that threatens to destroy the world as we know it. And it will burn.

1 | The characters available for application are only those who appear in the wider DC Universe (comics, TV shows and movies). You must, on some level, reimagine these characters, be it altering their backstory or something on a slightly larger scale. Please, for the love of Superman, don’t apply for an OC or someone belonging to a separate comics company. This is a DC roleplay.

2 | At the start of the RP, you can only apply for one character, ideally a hero. Once a player earns a character slot, they can apply for another.

3 | A character slot is earned every three posts. When earned, players can apply for another hero, villain or legacy character. I ask that those who want to apply for more than one character ask themselves if they can regularly post for all of them. If the answer is yes, then be my guest.

4 | On another note, villain and legacy characters may only be applied for if their parent character is being played (i.e. Lex Luthor is only playable if Superman is active).

5 | Don’t call dibs on a character. You can express your interest in one, sure, but don’t “claim” it unless you have a completed character sheet up your sleeve. If multiple players express interest in a character, they will all be given 24 hours to post a sheet. Those that are posted within that time frame will be judged by the GM based on one aspect: their quality. 

6 | When starting out with a character, your first few posts (two is the minimum) should be their introductory arc. Let it flesh out your character and give everyone an idea of what direction you’ll be taking them.

7 | Any plans to incorporate a form of travel that is theoretical (i.e. time travel, multi-dimensional travel) should be run by the GM first via PM or the OOC. 

8 | Don’t kill anyone’s characters. Same goes for any important NPCs. If you do, make sure that you have permission.

9 | Communication is important. If you want to crossover with another character, make sure you have permission from their player; don’t just jump in and ruin their plans. Same goes for villain and legacy characters: when applying, make sure that the parent character player is okay with it, and that you aren’t contradicting his/her history and plans.

10 | Stay in character. Don’t get Superman to go all Injustice on our arses. If you want to do such a thing, run it through me-- but chances are you’ll be turned down. 

11 | Be cool. If you’re a respectful, well-mannered participant, chances are we’re all going to want you to stay around. Follow the Guild’s rules. Take any arguments into PMs.

12 | I, the GM, reserve the right to send you packing if you choose to ignore any of the rules listed here.

13 | In terms of posting schedule, I ask that you post at least once every two weeks. In an ideal world, I’d like to see everyone posting once a week, but alas, this is no such world. If you for some reason have to leave for a while, be it for a trip to another country or something more personal, I completely understand, just be sure to let me know beforehand. Anyone who stops posting without a word will have their character/s removed from the roster and made available for application.

The Golden Rule | Have fun. Seriously, do it. It’s good for you.

Name:
Self explanatory.

Alias:
Also self explanatory.

Origin:
Include your character’s backstory. Tell me what their life was like before, during, and after they became heroes. This can be as long as you want it to be, with a minimum of six thick paragraphs. Make sure it doesn’t contradict the IC Timeline or any existing character sheets.

Attributes:
Your character’s powers, skills and equipment all go here.

Stomping Grounds:
Where your character lives and operates. Give as much (or as little) detail as you want. Things such as districts, businesses and points of interest all go here.

People of Note:
Who’s in your character’s life? Here you should list notable NPCs, be them friends, allies or enemies.

Character Goals:
What do you want to achieve with this character? On what sort of journey do you want to take them? List what story arcs you have in mind for the character. Explain your goal, convince me that you’ll be an active player. I want people with the motive to really make this RP thrive through great storytelling.

Sample Post:
Write a reasonably sized scene ideally taken from your character’s history. Give me a good idea of what your writing style is like. If your sheet is accepted, this sample will be considered canon. Make sure to include some dialogue.
GreenGrenade

Vandy Post Apocalyptic Superman

GreenGrenade

PrettyWings Just Another Blonde

Lord Wraith Actually Three Otters in a Trenchcoat

Blue Demon

Enarr
