eobard Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 I've got a villian in an upcoming game that I'm not entirely sure where I should place it's base of operations. If you were a grotesque looking monster, grotesque enough that mere sight of you would cause people to run away in panic and call the police (which you couldn't afford to have happen because you need time to work on your detailed experiments without interference) and you were smart enough to know you need to keep out of public view but you needed a place that would allow you access to a lot of high-tech equipment (clean rooms, medical scanners, all kinds of high-end sci-fi stuff) where would you put your base? In the city in a run down section that sees little foot traffic? Convert a cabin out in the woods into a geneticist's dream cabin? Underground lair accessible only by the sewers? The location is flexible at this point so I'm open to any suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpydirShellX Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Re: Where's it's base? The primary limit I'd see as a determining factor is what the character might need from the city. If the villian really can make the geneticist's dream cabin - that tends to be the best bet... keep it out of the way of anybody tempted to interfer, everything you need right at hand. The run-down section of the city is good for large resupplies... extra equiment can be loaded into vehicles and transported to the site. However, it is somewhat easy for the heros to follow him back to the lair and has some chance of discovery by accident. Sewers are my favorite base of operations - I think I've got almost half of my super-villians operating down there. You can access buildings without surfacing and shorter distances than the cabin. If you know the area well it also tends to be a good place to loose the heros - especially if you have catacombs or abandoned subterrainian tunnels. The of course is the upscale location where all work is done through intercoms and minions. Not good if you need to move around, but tends to have good power supplies for those high-energy experiments. Then theres some more of the unusual bases - zepplin skybase hidden in the clouds. Good for spotting if anybody is coming after you and makes it difficult for anybody who can't fly to get at you.... lighting based power supplies for the big experiments. Hard to get access to gear that you don't have on-hand, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edsel Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Re: Where's it's base? If you got the funds and the capabily to swing it put the base under an old cemetary somewhere. A good creepy, old cemetary that nobody much visits anymore. Entry could be through the caretakers cottage or a mausoleum. You could also put in in an industrial park, there are a lot of those around here that hold business that don't do to-the-public business. Lots of access to electrical hook-ups and commercial sewage and water connections. Perhaps a sort of combo of the above two. The front for the place is a coffin manufacturing plant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgrandjean Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Re: Where's it's base? I kinda like the idea of placing it underneath a police station. Plenty of test subjects.... Detention rooms.... an armory.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdamnhero Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Re: Where's it's base? Another vote for sewers/abandoned subway tunnels. The hermitage in Montana sounds appealing, until you realize you're out of certain crucial materials that you can't buy through mail order. And of course, depending on the villain there's always other-dimensional spaces accessible only via EDM and knowledge of the locatoin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan D. Hurricanes Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Re: Where's it's base? New Jersey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eobard Posted October 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 Re: Where's it's base? Excellent answers all around, thanks. You've given me some good ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balabanto Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 Re: Where's it's base? His base is in an eighteen wheeler. He has some minions drive the truck around the campaign city while he sits in the back and does his experiments. Plus, this has the added advantage of being able to bring people to your base and just drive off with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 Re: Where's it's base? New Jersey. All of it? . . . It explains Jersey City at least. here's a thought: Deleware. I'm sure some mad scientist in the employ of Dewpont could get clean facilities, make some money selling chemicals to Dewpont, get left alone ... all the good stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike W Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 Re: Where's it's base? I've got a villian in an upcoming game that I'm not entirely sure where I should place it's base of operations. If you were a grotesque looking monster' date=' grotesque enough that mere sight of you would cause people to run away in panic and call the police (which you couldn't afford to have happen because you need time to work on your detailed experiments without interference) [i']and[/i] you were smart enough to know you need to keep out of public view but you needed a place that would allow you access to a lot of high-tech equipment (clean rooms, medical scanners, all kinds of high-end sci-fi stuff) where would you put your base? In the city in a run down section that sees little foot traffic? Convert a cabin out in the woods into a geneticist's dream cabin? Underground lair accessible only by the sewers? The location is flexible at this point so I'm open to any suggestions. Maybe I'm old fashioned (or maybe I've watched too many Vincent Price movies) but what about converting an old theatre or wax museum or some such? If you were accidentally seen, people might just think you were wearing makeup for a role. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoloOfEarth Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 Re: Where's it's base? How about an old Atlas-F missile silo? This one has a private airstrip for bringing in supplies and new equipment. Nice house. Tons of storage and lab space (over 20,000 square feet of space in the silo alone). 105 acres in Adirondack State Park near Lake Placid. Capable of withstanding a direct hit from a nuclear weapon. And it's for sale, for a mere $2.3 million! All is needs is lots of chrome and doors that go "whoosh!" and it's the perfect villain lair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balabanto Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 Re: Where's it's base? Of course, I should be one to talk. One of my adventures concludes at a beachcliff estate in South Carolina. I'll bet you can't wait to see the map for it either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThothAmon Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 Re: Where's it's base? Inside the secure wing of a large hospital / mental health facility. You have a legitimate cash-cow business in the heart of your city of choice (and property is always a good investment), good access to transport links (ambulance, helipad), you have a cover for the purchase of medical hardware and supplies and you have easy access to experimental subjects, goons and medical staff. Finally, you have hundreds of innocent civilians around you in the event that those pesky heroes track you down somehow. For ideas on hospital-based hostage fun I heartily recommend the movie 'Hardboiled' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoloOfEarth Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 Re: Where's it's base? Inside the secure wing of a large hospital / mental health facility. You have a legitimate cash-cow business in the heart of your city of choice (and property is always a good investment), good access to transport links (ambulance, helipad), you have a cover for the purchase of medical hardware and supplies and you have easy access to experimental subjects, goons and medical staff. Finally, you have hundreds of innocent civilians around you in the event that those pesky heroes track you down somehow. For ideas on hospital-based hostage fun I heartily recommend the movie 'Hardboiled' Oh! This one sounds like a great idea! Repped, BTW. The groteque monster mastermind can just wear bandages coming in and out, or else arrive and depart in an ambulance. Give it a research wing, and you have a ready-made excuse for bringing in lots of high-tech goodies. Put it in a gang-overrun part of the city, and the mysterious benefactor funding the hospital gets lots of public kudos (and makes the heroes look bad for suspecting foul play there). Plus, injured gang members and runaways make great test subjects with few next of kin to question what really happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klytus Posted October 28, 2006 Report Share Posted October 28, 2006 Re: Where's it's base? Awesome idea, Thoth! I'm adding this to my list of Sneaky-GM-Tricks™. Repped! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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