"The Other Guys" highlights a smallish group of superheroes, just starting out. Potential for character development.
Imagine a setting in the style of "The Tick" or "Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog". Now imagine that all Hell breaks loose on a semi-constant basis, and it's up to a group of low to mid powered yahoos to set things right, at least locally. Let the big heroes handle the nationwide dilemmas. You have to handle the here and now. Considering that your setting is a stone's throw away from several classic Freudian maladies, teamwork and outside-the-box thinking are going to be your friends.
Anyone who's interested may have the opportunity to cross swords with Guerrilla Gorilla or assist The Masked Asshole, one of The City's most beloved figures (though we're not sure why, he's not very courteous). Perhaps you will get to the villain calling the shots, perhaps an unnamed figure will keep throwing hired hands and henchfolk at you.
I intend this to have a slightly edgier Saturday Morning Cartoon feel.
NOTE: This RP is in progress, but prior to any canon plot points. I need an additional couple of players to keep it going; we've had some unexpected backouts.
Metahuman: Representing the next stage in human evolution, or some such claptrap. This is the easy way out for characters, or simply “I was born this way”. Most Metas begin to exhibit latent powers at puberty, though a rare few show their true colors much younger. It is almost certain that Metas will have Meta offspring, but spontaneous Metahuman expression still happens among normal people with normal parents. Though it is the most common occurrence, there is no guarantee that similar powers will be passed down from parent to child (the lady with mind control powers and an affinity for unarmed combat has a son that climbs walls and talks to spiders).
Metahumans have an odd penchant for giving themselves catchy birthday-clown nicknames and dressing up in strange clothes. Also, most Metas will have at least one natural feature that seems a little …off… though not all. Many pass as regular human to all but the closest inspection.
Altered: Altered Humans have a bit more of a backstory. Their powers came from somewhere, whether by accident or choice. Cosmic rays, cybernetic modification, exposure to secret formulae, gifts bestowed by powerful extradimensional beings, military experimentation, etc. are all classic, standby causes. These individuals have powers on par with Metas, and in some cases can pass their “Alter” down to the next generation or gift it to others. They are as varied as their origins, and often have codenames attached to their identity, most times by the powers that altered them or the media.
Technology: Tech Heroes, as the name implies, derive their abilities through amazing acts of engineering niftiness. Many use a series of gadgets, often one-of-a-kind devices to accomplish what normal humanity otherwise could not. Some of these Tech Heroes even go as far as to build their best work into a formidable battlesuit, enabling them to look like some manner of futuristic knight errant with laser-vision. The upside: Tech Heroes can freely give their persona to others they deem worthy, preferably after a period of training in its proper use. The downside: Some halfwit can steal it (or the blueprints thereof) and make life very interesting for the Hero.
Relic: Relic Heroes are the mystical equivalent to Tech Heroes, except that their equipment is magical or extradimensional in nature. Maybe they stumbled across a forgotten temple that still housed an item of power and intelligence, maybe they inherited a lucky somethingorother that, for whatever reason, chose to reveal its true power to them. Perhaps a set of golf clubs got caught in an electrical storm during the autumn equinox while a virgin used them as impromptu stress relief aids, thus giving them strange and unusual powers and the ability to share said powers with their wielder, so long as they first make a hole-in-one while wearing the appropriate checkered pants. Y’know, standard stuff.
Alien: If you abuse this, I will smite you. Aliens are sentient creatures that come from another planet, another reality, another dimension, whatever. Their powers commonly come from their different biology, resulting in any number of exotic (read: WEIRD) abilities. Also, they may still have access to bits of offworld tech or extradimensional energies. Well, sometimes. Unless they’ve been earthbound for a long frigging time, these guys will have the most difficult time blending in or accepting our cultural norms. This is a character type that you’re really going to have to work with your wise, humble, giving GM to flesh out. Again, you abuse, I smite.
Mystic: People with a talent for Magic. Yes, in my campaign world, Magic does exist, but it is very rare and difficult to wield. With the right training, anyone can use it. Of course, with the right training anyone can become a chainsaw-juggling spinal reconstructive neurosurgeon, but the training and natural talent as a prerequisite keeps all but the most serious far, far away. That, and when you open the door to a Mystic origin, other things can peek back through said door at you. Most practitioners of the Mystic Arts choose to specialize and work in a single area of magic, as every kind requires a somewhat different mindset. In all cases, the unlucky bastards that choose this as their calling find that their life is absorbed by it; it is notoriously hard to be an EX-magician. Further, the intellect, emotional openness, and pure force of will necessary to do more than “light as a feather, stiff as a board” keeps their numbers low. But, if you can deal with the hassle without cracking (and sometimes even if you do), lots of cool stuff can come your way. Eventually. Sometimes.
Automaton: You are an artificial construct. Maybe you have sentience, maybe you have really detailed programming. It’s quite possible that you’re a terracotta statue that got sick of standing there and decided to see what was outside of your particular burial shrine. Golem, robot, android, whatever; you are the non-living given animation and freedom of action (if not always freedom of will). If your creator is still around, they may have very opinionated views on how you should spend your time.
Dedicated: Normal humans, these characters have absolutely zero super powers. What they DO have is a massive amount of angst, inner turmoil, and/or reserves of mental fortitude necessary to make them lethal. At least useful. The Dedicated often have shadowed pasts, and their skills have put them in demand amongst more traditional Hero types. Sometimes this can lead into a grey area with Tech Heroes, but for the most part the two are very distinguishable. A Dedicated human may be a street savvy operator, an highly trained agent of some bureaucratic organization, well established cult, best of the best of the best military unit; they could be an unstoppable computer hacker, or maybe they just don’t care one whit about their personal safety and, against all odds, kept surviving (yeah, that’d be YOU, if you pick this origin). Such characters tend to have their own specialized gear, or at least a preference in recurring equipstuffs.
