AndyC

Justice League: World in Crisis

JUSTICE LEAGUE

WORLD IN CRISIS

Years ago, the world changed in ways no one could have ever imagined. The change came first in Metropolis with the appearance of a man in the sky, with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Not long after, a caped crusader arose in Gotham City, a dark-night detective waging a one-man war on crime. This was followed by the arrival of a maiden of might, defeating men and monsters alike with a golden lasso and unbreakable gauntlets. More super-people arose, from the Fastest Man Alive to the King of the Seven Seas. In time, the various heroes and crimefighters would cross paths, forging loose alliances and friendships. These would solidify into a formal alliance: the Justice League, the greatest humanitarian force the world has ever known.

With these new protectors and champions, new threats and dangers arose for them to face. Almost as soon as the term 'super-hero' was coined, their opposite number, the super-villains, began to crawl out of the darkness. Superman would find himself in perpetual conflict against the machinations of Lex Luthor, the brutality of General Zod, the otherworldly weapons of Brainiac. The Batman would wage war against the madness of the Joker, the diabolical mind-games of the Riddler, the shadowy plots of Ra's al Ghul. The Flash would be tested time and time again by the combined villainy of the Rogues, the Green Lantern would battle across the stars with the tyrannical Sinestro, and Aquaman would find his reign of the seas threatened by the treachy of the Ocean Master and the firepower of Black Manta. As the Justice League would come to embody virtue and heroism, the Legion of Doom would strike fear into the hearts of many as personifications of evil.

Years have passed since the first time the people of Metropolis were made to look up in the sky. Since that time, the Justice League has only grown, both in number and in influence. Comprised of thirteen of the world's most capable heroes, and at the center of a larger network of crimefighters and rescuers numbering into the hundreds, the League has done the impossible on innumerable occasions. Thwarting alien invasions, global catastrophes, international crime syndicates, incursions from parallel universes, and omnipotent hostile gods is, as some say, all in a day's work. Still, the work is never done; even at the height of their power and influence, the Justice League is far from unbeatable. Dangers arise at every turn, arch-villains plot in the shadows to strike once again, and innocent lives hang in the balance.

For every hero, there are more than their fair share of villains. For every victory, another challenge arises. For every day saved, another calamity looms to throw the world in crisis.

---

GameMaster: AndyC
Assistant GM: Master Bruce
Discord Chat: (Coming Soon)

S Y N O P S I S:
World in Crisis is a co-operative RPG set in the DC Universe. In it, players will portray members of the Justice League, and will attempt to stop disasters, solve mysteries, and fight villains thrown at them by the Game Master. While it does include a very simple dice mechanic (described in the Gameplay section), that is meant primarily as a writing prompt for the players, hence me putting it in Advanced instead of Tabletop (though I will move it there if the mods deem it necessary). As this is more of an experimental format, this game is not meant to continue perpetually, but will end after one “Season” once the larger Crisis is concluded.

G E N E R A L R U L E S:

Hider

* Stay true to the personality and abilities of the character. Batman doesn’t dance in the flowers. Clark Kent is not Homelander. While we are not playing in any particular iteration of the DC Universe, it should at least be recognizable as a "mainstream" DC setting.

* Do NOT talk down to other posters or disrespect another poster’s writing. We are not all Stan Lee or Shakespeare. Constructive criticism is okay as long as it is not offensive. This rule applies even if a poster asks for feedback.

* Communicate with others in your arc. This is key to the fun. It doesn’t matter how many fights you win, it matters if the fights were written well.

* If you are collaborating with another player and you do not hear from them for 1 week, and they have not let us know of an absence either in the OOC or through PM's either directly to you or the GM's, feel free to move on without them.

* The Game Masters have the final say in matters of character acceptance. You are welcome to alter the character to make it less powerful or more creative, but arguing with the Game Masters is not allowed. This is a game, let it be fun.

* You are allowed one character at a time.

* This is a working environment, so you can travel to different places using your powers or vehicles. Don't miraculously pop up unless you're a teleporter or such.

* Don't do anything RANDOM like chopping off board user's heads or what not, unless you're a villain chopping off NPC victims heads, then whatever, go with it, as long as it's not technically RANDOM. Again, remember to stay true to the character's personality and abilities.

* If you want to take part in this, just fill out an app and your name and character will appear on the roster, pending approval. Applications will have a 24-hour period for competing players to put in their own application, before the GMs decide upon and approve or decline it.

* This game is essentially a PG-13 game. Use your discretion for swearing and explicit content in posts. Some swearing is okay, but don't overdue it. Please don't make me amend this down the line.

* No obscene topics! NO exceptions will be made for the RPG.

* People who disobey these rules, some more major than the others, will get BOOTED by the Game Masters.

*If you violate the rules and manage to get yourself banned from this game (or the discord chat), we reserve the right to write your character out of the game in any way that we as GM's see fit.

G A M E P L A Y:

This campaign uses simple dice mechanics to generate Events, and for the heroes to put Effort towards resolving them. The die roller for this game can be found here.

Hider

At the start of the game, the GM will generate a Crisis, a large world-spanning threat perpetrated by a Mastermind villain. The exact nature of this Crisis and who is behind it is unknown to the heroes, but will be uncovered as they resolve Events.

Twice per week, the GM will roll on a table to generate a new Event that the players can resolve. These can be Disasters that endanger the lives of civilians, Mysteries that require keen eyes and sharp wits, or Villains that attack the heroes directly. The exact details of the Event and how the players resolve them shouldn’t be too different from any standard play-by-post RPG, though there are a couple of mechanics that make the game unique. Each event has three factors that the players must account for: the Location, the Target Number, and the Timer.

The Location is the area in which the Event is taking place: a character in Gotham City cannot suddenly show up to help with an Event happening in Tokyo, for instance. The Target Number is the amount of Progress the heroes need to make in order to resolve the Event-- think of it like the Event’s “Hit Points.” The Timer is how long the heroes have to resolve the Event. The Timer is set at the start of an Event, and is reduced by 1 every time an attempt is made to resolve the Event, or if a full day passes with no heroes attempting to resolve the Event. If an Event is resolved, good things happen. If an Event Timer reaches 0 without being resolved, bad things happen.

Each day, the GM will provide an update post, reducing the Timers, and potentially adding a Twist to a current Event. Twists are new elements that change the landscape of the Event for better or for worse. These can be good things like an NPC hero or sidekick arriving on the scene to provide assistance, or bad things like a villain exploiting a hero's weakness to reduce their ability to make Progress. Like the Crises, Twists are generated at random.

Players are allowed 1 post per day, with a minimum of 3 complete paragraphs, recommended no more than 10. In that post, they can do the following:

Make Progress in an Event: Before the player begins to write the post, they will determine how much Effort their character is using, then roll a die to make Progress towards resolving the Event. The die roll signifies how well your character is doing at resolving the Event, and should be reflected in how the player writes the post.

Minimal/Struggling Effort: 1d4
Standard Effort: 1d6
Empowered Effort: 1d12, can only use again after spending one post with Minimal/Struggling Effort
Maximum Effort: 1d20, cannot use again without a Down Time post

For each additional Hero at an Event, add +1 to the die roll.

Extra Effort, Stress, and Catastrophe:
If a player is dissatisfied with the result of their die roll for Progress, they can choose to put in Extra Effort and roll an additional 1d6. If they do this, however, their Stress Level goes up by 1. If a hero has at least 1 Stress, then they run the risk of causing a Catastrophe during an Event, if their next Effort roll is lower than or equal to their Stress Level (for example, a hero with a Stress Level of 3 will cause a Catastrophe if their next die roll is 3 or lower). A hero’s Stress Level remains the same unless they Banter with another hero, or spend a post in Down Time to reduce it to 0.

A Catastrophe will render the hero unable to contribute to the Event-- this could be the hero being severely injured by a villain, causing a horrific amount of collateral damage that they must break away to contain, or otherwise being taken out of action. A character who has suffered a Catastrophe must make a Recovery post to be able to participate in another Event.

Banter:
A player can reduce the Stress of another hero at an Event by playing out a short skit with them. This is the only instance wherein players are allowed to post more than once per day, in order to keep an interaction going, but for mechanical purposes the entire Banter only counts once. All characters engaging in Banter reduce their Stress by 1.

Travel:
A hero cannot suddenly appear out of thin air in order to participate in an Event; they must first spend time traveling to the correct Location.

Down Time:
A hero can spend time with friends, loved ones, etc, to clear their head for the next Event. Reduce the hero’s Stress Level to 0. A player can only make a Down Time post if they are not currently participating in an Event.

Recovery:
If a hero suffers a Catastrophe, they cannot participate further in the Event, and must spend time Recovering to be able to participate in another Event. This can be seen as spending time in the hospital, training harder after a defeat, getting a pep talk from a mentor, etc. Their Stress Level will remain the same as it was before suffering the Catastrophe, but otherwise they will be back in the game.

Once per day, the Game Master will post to update the Timers on all active Events, and roll to see if there are any Twists that occur. A Twist is a change in the Event that may be good or bad-- such as raising or lowering the Target Number, extending or reducing the Timer, or affecting the type of Effort a hero can put into their next attempt to resolve the Event.

R O S T E R & C A N O N

Hider

The roster is limited to members of the Justice League. Since the canonical membership of the League is gargantuan, to keep things simple, the initial active roster of the League is 13 members (2 of whom act as a duo):

Superman
Batman
Wonder Woman
The Flash
Green Lantern
Aquaman
Martian Manhunter
Green Arrow
Black Canary
The Atom
Hawkman and Hawkwoman
Zatanna

Other members can only be added if all 12 have been claimed, or if one of the initial 12 dies and must be replaced. Other heroes in the DC Universe do exist, and can show up as assists or peripheral characters to interact with, but for the moment will not be playable.

This game subscribes to a mentality of “casual canon,” wherein the exact details of a character’s history can be fudged a bit, so long as they are still immediately recognizable as the character being portrayed. Major events such as the Death and Return of Superman, the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Knightfall, etc., have happened in some form or another, but the exact details and sequence of events is not particularly important; this is a game that is meant to focus on the here and now. It can be assumed that all of the major heroes, villains, and legacy characters have already debuted and are active somewhere in the world.

You can mix and match elements from a character’s various incarnation to play them how you want, so long as the core elements of the character are preserved. The Teen Titans iteration of Robin, for instance, is canonically Dick Grayson, but uses the look and equipment of Tim Drake. Similarly, Green Lantern doesn't necessarily need to be Hal Jordan, for example, but it should be at least one of the 'main' Green Lanterns.

Also, while this is not a particular iteration of the DC Universe, it is not meant to be an alternate or "Ultimate" DCU either. Wild reinterpretations of a character or alternate casting will be looked at on a case-by-case basis: unless you've got a really great concept for Kong Kenan, for instance, it should be assumed that Superman will be Clark Kent.

A P P L I C A T I O N
To apply, please copy, paste, and fill out the Application below:

Hider

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

A L I A S

---

^{_{B I R T H N A M E ♦ O C C U P A T I O N ♦ L O C A T I O N ♦ A F F I L I A T I O N}}

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

---

^{"Witty Quote"}

This is where you outline your vision for the character including a basic biography, a summary of their abilities and equipment, and prominent NPCs that may show up in the story.

C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:

---

Why do you want to play this character, what is the driving motivation behind both this desire and the character themselves. What do you hope to accomplish and where do you want the character's story/stories to go?

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

---

Any additional notes you want to put either for yourself, the GM's or other players to help clarify your vision or continuity.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

A sample post that can be used in the IC if you so desire upon acceptance. This post should provide an example of your vision for the desired character. This sample post should meet all standards outline in the rules and additionally include dialogue, mannerisms and other actions representative of your intended portrayal.

P O S T C A T A L O G:

---

A list linking to your IC posts as they're created. This can be used for a reference guide to your character or to summarize completed arcs and stories.

Battletech; Jihad

Interested. I've never been crazy about the Jihad era, but I'm down for some Battletech in any form.

DC Universe: Genesis - Justice For All

"Whoooah, did you feel that?!"

"....feel what?"

"Oh, that's right, your abilities are from boring old 'science.' You're not tuned in to the greater goings-on in the metaphysical dimensions. It really must be so dreary, only seeing the world through one plane of reality."

"Yeah, keep talking down to me, and you'll get flattened. See how you like your dimensions and planes when you're only two-dimensional."

"Whatever. Point is, something big just made a splash in the higher realms. Like, your mom doing a cannonball off of the high-dive, that's the kind of splash we're talking."

"Screw you, Jinx."

"In your dreams. Anyway, normally anyone accessing magic doesn't leave much of a ripple-- even the more powerful casters can't be felt from too far off. But that, that was something powerful. And dangerous."

"Think it's got something to do with the girl that the fat kid is after?"

"I'd bet on it, and I'd win. I knew the charm I'd put on Tubby would increase the likelihood of him bumping into them to an eventual certainty, but I didn't think we'd get our payoff so soon. Who would've thought good old Fatso would get lucky before you?"

"Bite me."

"Loser."

"Brat."

"Oaf."

"Bitch."

"......."

"....you wanna make out a little before we go find them?"

".....thought you'd never ask."

---

"What the hell?" I say to myself, looking around my room in disbelief. "What is this?"

Everything has gone black, the world around me enveloped in a darkness beyond the deepest shadow, the strongest ink. Yet I can still see the shapes of things, outlines in stark white. No shades, no gradients, only black and white in razor-sharp contrast.

My vision isn't all that's changed. I can feel everything in the room-- every piece of dirty laundry crumpled in the corner, every page of my mother's old books of magic and occultism, every molecule of air. Everything that the darkness touches, I feel as if I am touching them, holding them, maybe even able to move them....

I look at a sock near the corner of my bed, and imagine it moving a few inches to the left. It moves a few inches to the left.

".....you can't be serious," I say, still not believing what I'm seeing. "I did not just accidentally discover how to control my magic powers. That would be stupid."

Right. As stupid as a bubbly alien space-princess crash-landing right in front of me.

I imagine the sock lifting into the air. It lifts into the air. I imagine my clothes neatly folding themselves and being sorted into their drawers. They neatly fold themselves and sort into their drawers. I imagine--

I imagine seven billion mortal souls bending to my will--

--....I imagine my mom's old journal floating into my hand. It floats into my hand. I--

I imagine oceans of blood and fire, the air choked with ash and ringing with the screams of--

...I imagine my feet lifting off of the ground. I lift off of the ground, hovering in the air with my sock and my book, and I imagine--

I imagine the innocent defiled, the weak trampled, and the proud laid low for all of eternity--

Rachel!

"........Mom?"

---

"....and that's why Fourth Edition was basically the worst thing since cancer," my new friend Alex of the Dorks regales me with his knowledge.

"Truly, it sounds to have been a dark time," I say with solemnity. "But I have the confusion: if you had already purchased the rules from the Third Edition, did these Wizards of the Coast come and steal them from you when they released their evil Fourth Edition?"

"....well no, we still had all the rulebooks and stuff."

"Did the ruling class of your city impose an unjust decree and declare it illegal to play the Third Edition?"

"....I mean, no, there was nothing like that."

"Then why did you not continue consuming the entertainment you enjoyed, and merely avoid that which you did not?"

Alex sputters and stammers for a moment, before exclaiming "I-it's not that simple, okay?!" I believe I have somehow offended him with this line of query. Even if he is not the mighty warrior I believed him to be, I do not wish to hurt the feelings of those I would have as my friends.

"I see I still have much to learn," I nod, hoping to assuage him as I change the subject. "Tell me more of this LARP and your conquests in--"

There is a sound like a roar of thunder, and in the apartment above, I hear Rachel wail in anguish.

Righteous fire burns in my hands, and I take leave of gravity as I rush to her aide.

---

I'm vaguely aware of my body collapsing back onto the floor, but at the sound of my mother's voice I barely notice it. I've been seeing her, hearing her, more often in my dreams lately, but this isn't a dream this time.....I think.

Rachel, you have found the Sigil Words. You have awakened your Soul Self. I.....I'm so proud of you, my little Raven.

"Don't call me that," I say, almost by reflex. "This isn't real. You're not real. You're......Mom, you're......"

I'm gone, Rachel. I was able to leave an echo of myself here for you, but even that will fade. My true soul is....where I belong now. With your father.

"...my father? You mean Sebastian?"

Sebastian Blood was only a vessel, a shell to be used by his master. I did not know who he was, what he was, until it was too late. Even so, I did his will, and for that, I can never be forgiven. But you can fight him, my Raven. You can deny him, and you can defeat him. You must--

DAUGHTER.

"Mom?!?! What's--"

Rachel, listen! You must--

I SEE YOU.

"You.....what are you?!"

You can defeat him, Rachel, but not here, not yet! First, you--

YOU HAVE GROWN POWERFUL. THAT IS GOOD.

"Get out of my head, get--"

YOUR POWER WILL BECOME MINE. AND TOGETHER, WE WILL BURN THIS WORLD.

"No! I'm not going to burn anything, I'm not going to hurt anyone!"

Resist him, Rachel! Deny him!

YOU CANNOT RESIST. IT IS WHAT YOU ARE. AFTER ALL....

...YOU HAVE TOO MUCH OF YOUR FATHER IN YOU.

"N-no, that's.....that's not--"

RACHEL!

RACHEL...

---

"RACHEL!

I fly as quickly as I can up the stairs and force the door open. I find my friend engulfed in darkness, her face a mask of horror and dismay, as her furniture and trappings spin through the air like a whirlwind.

"I'm not.....I won't....." is she says between gasps and sobs. "....no......n-no...."

I do not know what has overcome her. But I cannot let her suffer so.

"I am here, Friend Rachel!" I call out, stepping into the darkness and swatting away a pair of jeans that whirl through the air towards me. "I will assist you in whatever ways I can!"

More detritus from the room assails me. A chair, a sharpened writing implement, a pair of undergarments, all try to bludgeon or pierce or smother me as the darkness and chaos of the room swirl and crash. Still, I persist.

"....no...." Rachel whimpers, her eyes full of tears.

"Hear me, Friend Rachel!" I implore. "Whatever this is, you must fight it! I have seen your strength, I have seen the good in your soul! You can resist this, you can defeat it!"

Since coming to this world, I have often felt like a failure and a fool. But I persist, because I must. I am Starfire, and the flames of Starfire must burn ever bright, even the darkest of shadows.

Here, in the deepest blackness I have ever seen, I let my light shine, and I take my friend's hand.

"You can defeat it," I assure her, with all of my heart, "But you will not have to defeat it alone."

I see her blink. I feel her hand tighten around mine.

And what she had said as a whimper, she now says with conviction.

"No."

The darkness shudders, and the debris flying around in the room falls to the floor.

"NO," she repeats, staring at some point beyond me. "You won't have me. Or anyone else. This isn't your power. It's mine. And I'm going to use it to stop you."

The swirling, chaotic mass of shadows suddenly goes still. And it takes form.

Around Rachel, what was a whirl of grasping tendrils becomes a pair of wings. The shape of one of this world's avian creatures.

A powerful black bird, which lets out a piercing cry.

.....then she collapses into my arms, and the darkness dissipates like fog in smoke.

"Rachel!" I exclaim as she flutters in and out of consciousness. "Are you all of the right? Do you require the assistance of a healer?"

"Nnnnngggghh," she groans. "I'm.....not really sure. I must have, I don't know....blacked out. I had a crazy nightmare, I started moving things around with my mind, and then--"

"...I do not believe this was an event of the dreaming," I tell her. "Your gifts of power, they were active. I saw them throw this whole chamber into darkness."

She blinks in disbelief, and looks to me. "So that was all real? I'm not seeing things?"

"I believe you are still capable of sight," I answer, unsure how that is relevant, "but yes, I believe your experience was true."

"........shit."

"....you are in need of evacuating your bowels?"

"No, it's.....it's an exclamation. Something you say when things are about as bad as they can get."

"I see," I say to her. "If you would like some comforting, I would be happy to provide an application of the snuggles."

"Not right now," she shakes her head, and stands up, dusting herself off. "We've got some work to do. But first, I think we ought to come up with an explanation for that Alex guy. We probably scared him pretty bad there."

"Oh, of course!" I exclaim, as I begin to float toward the staircase. Then, remembering Rachel's admonitions about 'freaking people out' by flying around them, I place my feet on the floor and walk down the stairs. "My apologies, friend Alex, but friend Rachel has--"

I look down into the book store, and see that friend Alex is nowhere to be found.

Justice League: World In Crisis (GM-led co-op superhero game) Interest Check

Well, between myself, MB, Renegade, MST, and Peter Porker (and possibly Hound), that gives us 5, which I believe is enough to justify moving forward. I'll work on the sign-up/OOC thread over the weekend, and should have it up by Monday.

Justice League: World In Crisis (GM-led co-op superhero game) Interest Check

Also, this may technically belong in Tabletop, so if need be, I'll move it there.

Justice League: World In Crisis (GM-led co-op superhero game) Interest Check

JUSTICE LEAGUE

WORLD IN CRISIS

S Y N O P S I S:
World in Crisis is a co-operative RPG set in the DC Universe. In it, players will portray members of the Justice League, and will attempt to stop disasters, solve mysteries, and fight villains thrown at them by the Game Master. While it does include a very simple dice mechanic (described in the Gameplay section), that is meant primarily as a writing prompt for the players, hence me putting it in Advanced instead of Tabletop (though I will move it there if the mods deem it necessary). As this is more of an experimental format, this game is not meant to continue perpetually, but will end after one “Season” once the larger Crisis is concluded.

G A M E P L A Y:

Hider

At the start of the game, the GM will generate a Crisis, a large world-spanning threat perpetrated by a Mastermind villain. The exact nature of this Crisis and who is behind it is unknown to the heroes, but will be uncovered as they resolve Events.

Twice per week, the GM will roll on a table to generate a new Event that the players can resolve. These can be Disasters that endanger the lives of civilians, Mysteries that require keen eyes and sharp wits, or Villains that attack the heroes directly. The exact details of the Event and how the players resolve them shouldn’t be too different from any standard play-by-post RPG, though there are a couple of mechanics that make the game unique. Each event has three factors that the players must account for: the Location, the Target Number, and the Timer.

The Location is the area in which the Event is taking place: a character in Gotham City cannot suddenly show up to help with an Event happening in Tokyo, for instance. The Target Number is the amount of Progress the heroes need to make in order to resolve the Event-- think of it like the Event’s “Hit Points.” The Timer is how long the heroes have to resolve the Event. The Timer is set at the start of an Event, and is reduced by 1 every time an attempt is made to resolve the Event, or if a full day passes with no heroes attempting to resolve the Event. If an Event is resolved, good things happen. If an Event Timer reaches 0 without being resolved, bad things happen.

Players are allowed 1 post per day, with a minimum of 3 complete paragraphs, recommended no more than 10. In that post, they can do the following:

Make Progress in an Event: Before the player begins to write the post, they will determine how much Effort their character is using, then roll a die to make Progress towards resolving the Event. The die roll signifies how well your character is doing at resolving the Event, and should be reflected in how the player writes the post.

Minimal/Struggling Effort: 1d4
Standard Effort: 1d6
Empowered Effort: 1d12, can only use again after spending one post with Minimal/Struggling Effort
Maximum Effort: 1d20, cannot use again without a Down Time post

For each additional Hero at an Event, add +1 to the die roll.

Extra Effort, Stress, and Catastrophe:
If a player is dissatisfied with the result of their die roll for Progress, they can choose to put in Extra Effort and roll an additional 1d6. If they do this, however, their Stress Level goes up by 1. If a hero has at least 1 Stress, then they run the risk of causing a Catastrophe during an Event, if their next Effort roll is lower than or equal to their Stress Level (for example, a hero with a Stress Level of 3 will cause a Catastrophe if their next die roll is 3 or lower). A hero’s Stress Level remains the same unless they Banter with another hero, or spend a post in Down Time to reduce it to 0.

A Catastrophe will render the hero unable to contribute to the Event-- this could be the hero being severely injured by a villain, causing a horrific amount of collateral damage that they must break away to contain, or otherwise being taken out of action. A character who has suffered a Catastrophe must make a Recovery post to be able to participate in another Event.

Banter:
A player can reduce the Stress of another hero at an Event by playing out a short skit with them. This is the only instance wherein players are allowed to post more than once per day, in order to keep an interaction going, but for mechanical purposes the entire Banter only counts once. All characters engaging in Banter reduce their Stress by 1.

Travel:
A hero cannot suddenly appear out of thin air in order to participate in an Event; they must first spend time traveling to the correct Location.

Down Time:
A hero can spend time with friends, loved ones, etc, to clear their head for the next Event. Reduce the hero’s Stress Level to 0. A player can only make a Down Time post if they are not currently participating in an Event.

Recovery:
If a hero suffers a Catastrophe, they cannot participate further in the Event, and must spend time Recovering to be able to participate in another Event. This can be seen as spending time in the hospital, training harder after a defeat, getting a pep talk from a mentor, etc. Their Stress Level will remain the same as it was before suffering the Catastrophe, but otherwise they will be back in the game.

Once per day, the Game Master will post to update the Timers on all active Events, and roll to see if there are any Twists that occur. A Twist is a change in the Event that may be good or bad-- such as raising or lowering the Target Number, extending or reducing the Timer, or affecting the type of Effort a hero can put into their next attempt to resolve the Event.

R O S T E R & C A N O N

Hider

The roster is limited to members of the Justice League. Since the canonical membership of the League is gargantuan, to keep things simple, the initial active roster of the League is 12 members:

Superman
Batman
Wonder Woman
The Flash
Green Lantern
Aquaman
Martian Manhunter
Green Arrow
Black Canary
The Atom
Hawkman and Hawkwoman
Zatanna

Other members can only be added if all 12 have been claimed, or if one of the initial 12 dies and must be replaced. Other heroes in the DC Universe do exist, and can show up as assists or peripheral characters to interact with, but for the moment will not be playable.

This game subscribes to a mentality of “casual canon,” wherein the exact details of a character’s history can be fudged a bit, so long as they are still immediately recognizable as the character being portrayed. You can mix and match elements from a character’s canon to play them how you want, so long as the core elements of the character are preserved.

DC Universe: Genesis - Justice For All

Azarath.

"A calling by name. By speaking the name of the plane of the Azar, one opens the mind and soul to the possibility of worlds beyond our current perception of reality. Older studies of the occult, particularly in the areas of demonology, believe that to know the name of an angel or demon is to have power over it, and in a sense this is true, but not the entire truth. Speaking the true name of an outside entity can bind it, but this is a two-way connection: you may bind a demon to you, but you also bind yourself to it. Thus, it is important to practice the utmost caution when speaking the names of things beyond our world. The Azar are generally benevolent, but naming one is to invite their own wrath upon you. Therefore, it is best to name their plane, Azarath. By binding Azarath to you and yourself to Azarath, you connect to both their world and our own, expanding your perception, your empathy, and your potency as a practitioner of applied metaphysics."

"Uh-huh," I say with skepticism as I read through my mom's old copy of The Great Door, the Dianetics-like text that the Children of Azarath use as the basis of their cult. "Applied metaphysics" is the preferred name they have for magic; ironically, by slapping science-sounding nomenclature onto what is ultimately a bunch of spells and rites and nonsense, they pretend to understand it and have power over it. I grew up around this stuff, and always thought it was nonsense. Now, I'm not so sure.

Metreon.

"An Awakening. Not to be confused with Metatron, the greatest of the Angels in Hebrew lore; or Metron, an entity of an entirely different pantheon best left alone by mortals, Metreon is the Azar name for the levels of existence within ourselves that extend past the body. The closest term we have for this is the 'Soul,' our conscious psyche, our memories, our awareness and willpower and empathy. To understand Metreon is to understand that we ourselves are infinite, and to speak the true name Metreon is to connect to that infinity. If speaking Azarath connects you to the infinity of their realm, speaking Metreon connects you to the infinity of the realm that is your Soul Self."

I've been having recurring dreams about Mom, about the last time I saw her. She keeps telling me to find "the three words that unlock the soul." So far, this mantra is the only thing I've found that sound even close to what she means.

Calling it a "mantra" is generous, given that's a term for an actual religious practice. I ought to call them what they are: magic words.

Zinthos.

"An opening. Zinthos is the name of the Great Door, the barrier between all worlds. For those who do not understand the principles of applied metaphysics, Zinthos is closed; the physical world is the only one they can see and interact with. If Zinthos is open for you, the physical world, the world of the Azar, and the world of your Soul Self all become one. Through the Azar, all things are possible. Through your Soul Self, all possibilities are focused through your willpower and your thought. Through the physical world, those possibilities become reality.

In your meditations, in your explorations into dreams, and in your practice with applied metaphysics, the mantra will awaken and empower your Soul Self, and allow you to project the power and wisdom of the Azar into the physical world.

Connect to the higher realm.

Awaken your true self.

Open the Great Door.

Azarath.

Metreon.

Zin--"

"Friend Rachel, I have the most joyous news!" Kory bursts into the loft above the book store, startling me to the point where I almost fall out of my chair. "I have acquired an ally in our battles, who will teach me the ways of the Ani-May!"

"Wha--" I start, scrambling to cover my books. "Kory, you can't just bring people in here! What if they're with--"

"Oh, ummmmmm, hi, should I....should I go?"

The boy she's brought into our apartment is overweight, with greasy pockmarked skin, a patchy neck beard and mutton chops, stringy red hair done up in a top knot, and a T-shirt with a logo for something called Pretty Pretty Pegasus on it. I feel like I've seen him somewhere before....

"Friend Rachel, this is the Friend Alex," Kory introduces us. "He is a merchant among the Dorks, and commands the Space Marines of the Imperium of Man in the world of the Forty-Kay. Friend Alex, this is Friend Rachel, who--"

"Uhh, we've actually kinda met," Alex says sheepishly. "At the, uh, at the Control Freaks concert the other day?"

"....oh, right, that was you," I remember. "Sorry I yelled at you. I had.....a migraine."

Really, I had a voice that sounded like the universe falling apart shouting in my head. But he doesn't need to know that.

"It's, uh, it's okay," he says, shifting uncomfortably on pigeon-toed feet. "So, Kory says you're playing a spellcaster, right? And she's your Fighter. So I was thinking, maybe I could be, like, a rogue or something?"

"......what?"

"The LARP you're doing this weekend at the con," he explains. "She said you were going to attack a hive of some kind, so I thought you'd need, like, a sneaky ninja guy to help infiltrate? I mean, I don't know what kind of rule system you're using, but like, I've read all of Ashida Kim's ninjitsu books, so I know how to--"

"Okay, one second," I cut him off as I start to realize what he's saying. "Kory, can I talk to you?"

"I was not aware that you were unable to talk to me now," she says.

"In private," I specify. "Sorry, um, Alex, can you wait downstairs for a minute? I need to discuss some things with my, um....team mate."

"Okay, sure, yeah," he nods, "Just whatever you decide, I'm not playing Paladin. Paladins are for babies."

The greasy nerd waddles his way downstairs, and once the door is closed, I round on Kory.

"What were you thinking?!" I burst. "We don't know anything about this guy. What if he's working for the HIVE? And you just led him right to us!"

Kory's eyes widen with realization.

"My apologies," she says, dropping to her knees and bowing in penance. "I only intended to find allies to aide us, not bring potential enemies to us. It did not occur to me that this Dork could be capable of deception."

"...well, to be fair, he's probably not," I admit. "He looks like the only damage he could do is leave a nasty comment on a Youtube video. But that's the other thing-- he thinks this is a game, Kory, that it's all pretend! If he gets wrapped up in all this, it's going to get him killed!"

"But surely his army of rare and shiny Pokémon will--"

"That's a video game, Kory!" I shout in exasperation. "Everything he was telling you about Space Marines and ninjas and whatever, it's all just entertainment. It's not real. He thinks that we're playing a game, and so he was telling you about all the other games he plays."

".....so I have not made a powerful ally, then?"

"No, Kory, you haven't," I say, relieved that she gets it.

"...I see," she says, before her smile returns. "But I have still succeeded in making a new friend! Rather than use his companionship for our strategic ends, we may simply enjoy his company for its own sake!"

"Heyyy, are you, um, you still talking up there?" Alex shouts from downstairs. "Because I was thinking, I don't wanna be a rogue. I wanna be a Goblin Slayer! You know, like the anime?"

".....oh yeah. I can't wait to have this guy around all the time."

"Splendid! He has promised to show us the Ani-May so we may understand the way of the Dork! A fellow Dork at the comic shop also says Alex draws his own Hen-tai, though I am unsure what that is. _{....the boy said it involves tentacles, so I assume it is some sort of aquatic art? Will I need to acquire swimming gear? Perhaps if I conduct research on the Inter-net....}"

This is just what I need. More distractions. More loose ends. More things to barge into my life and break my concentration. More nonsense.

"Why not," I say to myself, rolling my eyes as Kory rushes down the stairs to speak with our sweaty new friend. "Everything's been nonsense since I came to Jump City. Why not a little more? At least it's not more new-age occult garbage, more hocus-pocus and abracadabra and Azarath Metreon Zinthos--"

And then the entire world turns to shadow.

DC Universe: Genesis - Justice For All

I'll throw in my two cents.

First off, there's obviously no perfect system or silver bullet that's going to suddenly make everyone inspired and motivated to churn out lovingly crafted posts on the daily. Every format change, every shakeup in the status quo, is going to have strengths and weaknesses, and holes can be poked in all of them. The current format has its own strengths and weaknesses, which we've griped about at length in the Discord chat.

As I see it, the major strength of the free-form sandbox RP is that it gives players total license over their character, and allows them to flex their creative muscle and show off how clever and unique their take on a character can be. It gives us the opportunity to tell stories we want to tell, and -- especially in the case of DC, where many of us have been dissatisfied with the state of the official canon for a long time-- allows us to "do it right." The major weakness of this, however, is that it is entirely dependent on the player's creative muse-- if they're having a bad day, if they had a solid initial concept but then don't know where to go with it, if nobody else is posting and they don't feel urged to post themselves, then players drop out and the game slows down.

Personally speaking, I'm a big fan of tabletop-style roleplaying games, where the Game Master directs the events of a story, where the players operate within a defined set of rules, and perhaps most importantly, where there is the possibility of failure. A group of adventurers exploring a goblin cave isn't tense and exciting because there's anything inherently tense and exciting about goblins, it's tense and exciting because the goblins can kill you. On the other hand, the weakness of a GM-led tabletop style of game is that it funnels the players into a handful of options, which is stifling if you want to do your own thing. Plus, you have to be very careful about how much complexity you add into a system, since the appeal of forum-based RPGs is that you don't need to memorize a 300-page rule book. I do have a system that I have put together, and am going to put up an Interest Check, but it is purely meant to be an experiment to see if it works, not a replacement for the game as it exists.

As for the current state of DCU:G, I think a slight time skip might do some good. Because nobody has made their big public debut yet, everyone's either in hiding or on the run or operating in the shadows or whatever, which makes it harder to do big set-pieces or have reasons to cross paths and interact. Perhaps jumping forward a couple of months so that there are at least a couple of capes out in the open can free things up a bit. Though again, that also has its weaknesses, as it steps on the toes of people who are working on a big origin-story arc.

Long story short......I dunno, you can't please all the people all the time, it is what it is.

DC Universe: Genesis - Justice For All

"...may I help you, ma'am?"

"Hello, please yes, I would like to request a formal audience with your ruling May-Or."

"....uh-huh......name?"

"Princess Koriand'r, scion of the Royal House of Tamaran, Watcher of the Seals of Xhaal, Commander of the Grand Armada of Tamarus, and bearer of the title Starfire."

"....and your reason for wanting to see the Mayor?"

"I wish to begin diplomatic parlay between our worlds, and to gain valuable allies in the fight against the ass-holes."

"............"

"If you please?"

".......is this some kinda anime thing? Because the convention's not til this weekend."

My new friend, the native witch-girl Rachel, has spent much of her mornings performing research on our assailants, the Homeland Intervention Vulrenability Explication Corporation, which goes by the abbreviation HIVE. According to her research, they are mercenary warriors, a "private security firm" that operates in many of this planet's various nation-states. From what she has been able to determine, every city in which they operate happens to also see an increase in citizens disappearing-- something Rachel believes to be no coincidence. While I do not come close to understanding the intricacies of this world's politics yet, I cannot see how such an organization is allowed to continue its practices.

So I have come to enlist the aid of the local ruler, the May-Or of Jump City, in the hopes that he will rally the planet's warriors to defeat HIVE and their squads of mercenary ass-holes.

Unfortunately, the May-Or's defender, the Receptionist, is proving to be most unhelpful.

"Forgive me," I say, "But I am unfamiliar in the ways of the Ani-May. Perhaps if I learn and study, I will be worthy of speaking to the May-Or then?"

The Receptionist gives me a flat, dead-eyed look-- the type that Friend Rachel often gives me-- as if I had floobernok lizards crawling out of my g'norzz.

"This weekend," she explains, "over at the civic center. They rented it out for the whole weekend, specifically to do all the animes and the role-playing and the dungeons and the dragons and whatnot. You'll find a whole bunch of people like you. You know. Dorks."

"Ah! Splendid!" I exclaim, finally hearing some good news. "Perhaps I will find allies and friends among the Dorks! Especially if they know the secrets of taming dragons! This is most excellent!"

"....uh-huh. Now is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Oh! Perhaps, if you know where the Dorks congregate, I could--"

"NEXT!"

The Receptionist, guardian and attendant of the powerful May-Or, has closed off my chances of securing a formal alliance with the government of Jump City, at least for the time being. But I will not despair, for the flames of Starfire must burn ever-bright with hope.

And to find aid in the battles to come, I will first find my allies among the Dorks....

---

"I don't get it."

"Of course you don't get it, big guy. That's why I do all the getting for us."

"Why did Doctor Jones just let the fat kid go? Does he really think he's going to find them out there?"

"Oh, he knows the fat kid is going to find them. He can't help it."

"But the city's huge! And that kid was dumb as a bag of rocks!"

"Doesn't matter. All our greasy chubby little friend needs to find them is a little luck."

"Pffffft, he'd need the kind of luck that could........oh. Right. Now I get it."

"Again, Mammoth. That's why I do all the getting for us."

---

"That's twice this month, Polinsky. If you're late again, you're fired."

"Y-y-yes sir, Mister Wolfman! I-i-it won't happen again!" Alex Polinski sputtered as he cowered behind the cash register at the Unnatural Twenty Comics and Hobby Shop.

His mom had convinced the store owner to give him a part-time job since he spent so much time at the store anyway, and for a while it seemed like a dream job. But that dream was quickly becoming a nightmare. Having to punch in and out of a time-clock every shift, having to keep a 'positive attitude' when dealing with jerk-ass loser customers with their stupid questions about normie games, not being allowed to play his favorite post-industrial-thrash-core tunes over the store's sound system, having to put up with whiny kids and their lame parents on Pokémon Tournament Nights.....even getting a store discount on merchandise wasn't worth having to deal with all of this work.

Still, it was this or going back to Big Boy Burgers, and he wasn't sure they would take him back after they caught him sleeping in the meat cooler. Two write-ups for lateness in one month, such BS. If only he could remember what happened last night.....why he slept in so late this morning......and why every time he tried to think back about it, he suddenly wanted to scream.

Alex let out a groan, his day already going badly, before clocking in for his shift. Time to head to the back room and start sorting out the new issues of--

"Excuse me," came a voice as the front door opened. "Would you happen to be a Dork?"

Alex Polinski dropped his bag of Funyuns, as the most beautiful girl he had ever seen walked into the shop.

"Uhhhh, I'm a--.....I mean, hi, my name's-.....whu-....hold on...."

"I am looking for someone to teach me in the ways of the Ani-May....."

DC Universe: Genesis - Justice For All

Morning comes, and I slowly feel myself fading from the world of dreams to the world of the waking. It's a gradual thing, for once. No night terrors, no starting awake with a sharp cry and a cold sweat. After hours of blissful tranquility, I'm actually ready to welcome the day.

Slowly, my senses drift from the joyful peace of my dream, to sensations of warmth and softness. "Mmmmmmm," I let out a gentle sigh, as I still feel safe and content in the embrace of.....

.....the embrace? What the hell is embracing me?!

"WHAT?!?!" I launch myself out of bed, black tendrils of arcane energy swirling around me as I jolt awake. Lying in bed next to where I was sleeping is the orange-skinned space-girl, the one I could have sworn was all in my imagination.

She wakes with a gasp and darts into the air, her hands glowing with green plasma.

"What has happened?" she asks as she flits about the room. "Are we under attack? Have the 'ass-holes' returned?"

I stare at her, incredulous at the sheer absurdity of it all.

"What," I demand, "were you doing in my bed?!"

Princess Kory looks at me with confusion, then lets the green fire leave her hands. "My apologies if I have startled you. It was not my intention. After you had begun to use the sleep, I saw that you were having a bad dream, so I thought it best to soothe you with an application of the snuggles."

She floats down and finally lets her feet touch the floor. "I again apologize if I have troubled you."

"No, I just," I trail off, taking a few deep breaths to take everything in. "Okay. So. Last night, I was pretty convinced that this whole thing was just some kind of stupid hallucination. This morning, you're still here. So either A) you're real, or B) I've gone completely insane. Either way, I guess you're sticking around, and I just....need to get my head around....around the HIVE guys, around you, around all of it."

"....but your head does not appear to be large enough or malleable enough to envelop me, let alone--"

"It's a figure of speech," I wave it off. "I just mean we need to figure out what we're going to do."

I thought when I'd escaped from Sebastian Blood and his cultists in LA, that they would be the only people I would ever have to run from. Now, though, there are these HIVE goons, who somehow found out about my 'gifts' and want to make me disappear. Maybe they want to brainwash me into some super-soldier for them, maybe they want to cut me open and find out what makes me tick. Whatever they want, I'm sure a flying alien is only going to bring more attention.

Part of me wants to tell this 'Princess Starfire' girl that she's on her own-- I don't need the extra danger that having her around brings. I could just pack up, hit the road again, go off the grid for a while, and start over in another city, preferably somewhere a little less likely to have spaceships crash in front of me.

But HIVE would still be out there. Sebastian Blood would still be out there. And this girl clearly has no idea how to get by on this planet. She wouldn't make it to the end of the week before they had her locked up or laid out on a dissection table.

A more cynical person might say "better her than me." And maybe I am too cynical myself. But I can't leave someone to the same fate that those people have in mind for me.

I let out another sigh, this one of exasperation and resignation. I feel like I'm going to be doing that a lot.

"Okay," I say, "until further notice, we're in this together. So first I'm going to make some breakfast. Then we're going to start looking into these HIVE people, and see if there's any way we can take them down, or at the very least get them to leave us alone."

"Oh, thank you, friend Rachel!" Starfire exclaims, lifting off the air to scoop me up into a flying hug. "With the bonds of our friendship sealed, we will surely triumph over any 'ass-holes' who--"

"And then" I say, struggling to pry myself free, "we are going to have a talk about respecting people's personal space."

---

"Let's start from the top, shall we? Starting with your name."

".....uhhh.....Alex. Alex Rol Polinsky...."

"And how old are you, Mister Polinsky?"

"......s-s-sixteen. L-look, there's p-people who are gonna be l-looking for me, okay? Y-you c-c-c-can't just--"

"I'm afraid we can, Mister Polinsky. But thankfully, that won't be necessary if you continue to cooperate. Now, explain to me what you saw at the concert last night."

"Just....y'know, just s-s-s-stuff....then all the l-lights went out, a-and--"

"Before the blackout. You spoke to someone, yes?"

"Y-yeah? It was a...a girl. I t-think she was m-my age. Dressed all g-goth like. I t-tried to talk to her, and she y-yelled at me and--"

"Did you manage to get the young woman's name, Alex?"

"It w-was....oh man, what was it? Reagan? Raelyn? It s-s-started with an R, I know that--"

"Hmm, disappointing that you can't recall it off the top of your head, but no worries. I have ways of jogging your memory."

"W-wait, no, p-p-please, I'm just-"

"Later, Alex. For now, what happened when you spoke to the young woman?"

"I j-j-just started t-talking to her about s-stuff. I got n-nervous, so I t-talked about stuff I know about. G-g-games and stuff. And she just, like.....freaked out, like she was h-hearing voices or something."

"Interesting. What happened next?"

"She r-ran into the bathroom, then all the l-l-lights went out. It was, like, I dunno.....like....m-m-magic or something."

"Oooooooh, did you say magic?"

"Because I loooove magic...."