Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

[Rage]

It seemed to work well for Alhazard in thread, and I've seen it work in RPG.net, so why not here? We're at least as creative as those guys!

 

The concepts:

The continental United States has seen large chunks decimated thanks to an extra dimensional attack on America, the country is destroyed, and most of the major super heroes, and some of the villains (the Dooms, Apocalypses, Juggernauts etc who are really pissed off), and huge chunks of the armed forces of the world have disappeared. (Presumably, they went into the other dimension and are raising heck.) This leaves a bunch of minor super heroes, villains, Police officers, etc, stuck in a ruined major city which has little functional infrastructure, little to no governmental agencies. And a swarming and angry population.

 

Because of the state the city is in, the line between hero and villain (masks) blurs to an extent, with certain characters obviously being clear examples of one or the other. More importantly, the line between masks and highly trained normals also starts to blur. What is the difference between a highly trained SWAT officer and a guy in a cape who has been reduced to basically the same training and equipment?

[Rage]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

I'll go first, this is a bit more fleshed out than what will probably keep coming.

 

 

Colt

As the teen sidekick of one of the missing super heroes, the super speedster “The Stallion,” Colt was a young man growing into his own, needing little guidance from his mentor. However, since this cataclysm, and the disappearance of the Stallion, his trying to help his family and the rest of the city cope has been leading him into situations where his former morality has been confronted. He now desperately searches for The Stallion, for help and also the love and guidance once given to him.

 

Motivation: Help people, find The Stallion

 

 

Powers:

Super speed

A couple of suits of impact armour that would occasionally need repair.

 

Other notes:

Incredibly fast metabolism.

a cache of found goodies and junk stored in The Stallion's old hide out.

DNPC's, mum, little sisters.

[Rage]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

Black Angus and Bison

The Human Amelioration Society created themselves a private army of sub humans, people who weren’t fit to be considered humans anymore, kidnapped and then reengineered for use in their underground wars against the Silver Serpent Society. Two such draftees of this army were the brothers Korah and Jay Parker, members of the notorious Dark Disciples gang. When experimented on, they were both merged with cattle. A Black Angus, and a Bison respectively. When the war started, the holding cells where they were being brainwashed, was compromised and they manged to make an escape. Returning to the city, taking control of their old gang and old neighbourhood, and building themselves a small but violent empire.

 

Motivation: Keep their neighbourhood running sweet, get more control.

 

Powers:

Eight foot tall scientific minotaurs.

 

Other notes:

They are backed up by their old gang, and they have quite a lot of bullets.

[Karmakaze]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

County Prison in the Outskirts/Suburbs

 

During one of the attacks, the staff at a local prison abandoned the facility to find their families and flee. The last thing they did before leaving was unlock all the doors. The prison itself was strong enough to withstand the assault (and wasn't really a priority for the invaders) but the immediate area was abandoned by the residents.

 

After a period of anarchy, the prisoners settled into a surprisingly stable society, forming a government that's an odd fusion of the former US democratic traditions and the semi-feudal prison hierarchy. They have an elected 'mayor' (who, not coincidentally, was one of the tougher inmates). Some of the inmates had enough vocational training to get the power plant and water facilities working, and get a local farm running. Most of the former inmates still reside in the prison itself, as it's the most defensible building in the area.

 

The community is very insular and isolationist. Those that had anywhere to go have already left. Anyone who approaches the new settlement is politely but firmly turned away at their claimed border (and if they persist, are turned away less politely and more firmly). This comes partially from a feeling that outsiders would want to lock them up again and partially from a concern that, as one of the more stable settlements in the area, they might be overrun by more refugees than they can support.

[Karmakaze]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

Dryad

 

Environmentalist Paige Prince also had the magic-powered superhero identity of Dryad, protecting the land from toxic dumping, as well as civilians from the usual petty street crime. When the invasion began, she was in the city as Paige, planting trees in city parks as part of a reclamation project. She was in communion with the land when certain destructive attacks hit, to a very negative effect on her stability.

 

Dryad has decided that the invasion and subsequent societal collapse is a sign that the technological reign of mankind has ended and it is time for Nature to grow over and repair the damage. She's claimed one of the city parks, causing it to become overgrown like a temperate rainforest, and has been expanding the growth into surrounding buildings, greatly advancing the rate of breakdown. She's attached to her 'green' patch and pathologically compelled to expand it. Any attempt to rebuild near her domain will be met with violent resistance.

 

Powers:

Plant Control

low-level super-strength and regeneration

clairsentience via linked plants

 

Other notes:

Can no longer range far from her 'roots' (the park)

Obsessed with reclaiming the earth from 'mankind's depredations'

[The Weapon]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

1st Long Street Militia

 

During the attack a group of gangbangers (heavily armed by gang standards) got lucky defending themselves against a light scout unit. Then using captured weapons they held off heavier reinforcements who didn't have good inteligence, understanding of urban tactics or competent leadership. They took some casuaulties but acquired a misplaced confidence in their ability to handle threats. Some members have begun to see themselves as a genuine protectors and there have been acts of genuine heroism and selflessness.

Realising that their intercity drug shipments were finished they decided to go into the security/protection business. Police were far too stretched to prevent them setting up the racket. They have had several skirmishes with armed looters, isolated interdimensional soldiers and a several groups of insectoid carnivores. Area merchants and residents have begun to regard payments to them as genuine security charges rather extortion. Police still regard them as glorified standover men but the military are prepared to cooperate with them when neccesary. Superheroes view them with anything from open hostility to grudging respect. Militia policy towards anyone with significant superpowers is to be friendly unless their clients/victims are threatened.

Armament ranges from heavy captured alien weaponry, flare guns, uzis, some US military equipment "recovered" from dead GIs, lots of pistols and lots of armor made from the cockroach-like attackers (r6/r6), they are often short of ammunition and spare parts. Communications are good due to ex-US radios. They mostly rate as "average" or "competent" normals with 2-4 CSLs with their weapons. Their tactics are to regularly patrol the area and shoot anything hostile. If possible they will fire a few shots then lure their opponents into prepared ambush zones. Other times they are called to respond to attacks on clients and come running. In any case they will concentrate all possible fire and rarely have the discipline to keep a reserve or adequately guard their flanks and rear. Their tactics are well known and they would be in real trouble if an intelligent and powerful group decided to eliminate them.

They are also availble to assist the military or other groups attempting to restore order. However they only do this work for weapons, medicine and ammunition.

[The Weapon]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

Republic 224

A group of anarchists used to meet and argue at 224 O'Riodan Avenue every (day of the week the attack took place). The attack interrupted a debate over whether anarcho-capitalism or anarcho-socialism was better at defending itself. The area was thought to be fairly vital so the army sent wave after wave of troops in. Realising how homicidal the invader were (at one point they actually ignored troops firing at them to gun down fleeing innocents) the anarchists realised they had no choice but to fight. They grabbed weapons, armor and even vechicles of dead troops. They had initially remained unobserved, they knew the area well and two of their number were a minor superheroes so they could execute a surprise attack on some sort of force wall projector. It was crewed by conscripts who surrendered easily once their officers were killed and cooperated with using it against the invaders.

 

With the anarchists instead of the invaders able to put strong force walls up at will in the area the fight turned fast. Government troops no longer got cut off and slaughtered while US artillery and airpower came into play. There were however several counterattacks on the force projector that could have turned it back, but the anarchists dealt with them, mainly due to the two supers.

 

When the day ended the anarchists held the force projector and voted to declare themselves a republic. The army responded with a totally

ineffective artillery barrage. Infantry troops whose lives had been saved by the group's courage and initiative then declared that they recognised the Republic and threatened to fire on anyone attacking it. Government forces have not attempted to retake it since.

 

The Republic Committee of Safety (about 15 people) spends a lot of time arguing with itself over how it should be constituted but the area they control is recovering. Power is back on in most of it most of the time, and some of it all of the time, generated from the captured base. People are rebuilding their houses and attempting to resume their lives. Several people have set up private arbitration centres to settle disputes and that's as close to a legal system as they have there. It is however generally peaceful as social predators are aware of how heavily armed the Committee is.

 

The Republic is about 16 city blocks in size and has a population of several hundred, including 20 extradimensionals who surrended.

[Rage]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

Man, the Long St Militia and Dryad are so getting areas devoted to them. They are super cool.

 

---

Eva

Eva is a doctor, well, in all but the final papers. She was doing fine at med school before the last few weeks. Now, she is living in hell. and by that we mean a community clinic that's more than just understaffed, with more people who are sick or dying coming in every minute, and with less drugs every minute too. Her supervisor, the only doctor in the building, was shot by a junkie two days into the fiasco. Now one of the janitors and Security guard aim at the door whenever it starts to move. Eva hates guns, and hates the fact that she desperately relies on them even more. Three days ago she accompanied a foraging team, hoping to run across an undamaged pharmacy, she's still not sure why she bothered. She guesses she still had hope then.

 

Today a known rapist came in, multiple stab wounds. She had him on her makeshift operating table and realised, she can't afford to waste valuable medicine and time on this scum. So, she filled up a syringe with salt solution and injected into him. As far as everyone else knew, she tried her best but the damage was just to severe. Ha.

 

Motivation: Heal people, keep the clinic operational.

[Basil]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

Noah

Well, that's what people call him. He gives his name to no-one, and asks to be called "The Arranger."

 

In the confusion that grips the city, knowledge is the most valuable "commodity." Especially knowledge of where to get objects, or parts.

 

So, you need something? Some object or device? If you can name it, or describe how it looks, Noah can almost certainly find it. Tell him what you want, give him a few minutes to think about it, and he'll tell you "I know a guy who's got that." (Which is where his street-name comes from).

 

Then he'll tell you where to find "the guy." And he'll be right. However, there's no guarantee the guy with what you want will be willing to sell it to you. Adn Noah doesn't act as a go-between. That's all in your hands.

 

Odd thing is, he never seems to know where something is, if nobody possesses it. Well, nobody alive.

 

Despite his limitations, Noah seems to have no trouble finding "customers." Nor collecting from them; anybody doesn't pay, he makes killing that person part of the payment the next customer owes.

 

Motivation: Make "money" and get secure.

 

Powers: Mind Scan, only to find someone who possesses a particular object. He also has a very high Persuation roll--and Streetwise, too, of course.

 

Other notes: Was a small-time "fixer" before the invasion, which is when he gained (or manifested) his powers. Has/had a few Contacts, a bit of street-cred. He's up-front with customers about the potential for danger, and that "the guy wit' what ya want" may be moving and thus not where Noah says he is when the customer gets there; for a substantial price and guarantees of safety, Noah will ride along with the customer and keep pointing toward the "target". Noah is completely amoral and doesn't care what the customer wants the object for.

NB: Noah cannot locate people, only objects; however, the object can be a living, non-sapient creature.

[Curufea]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

Do you guys want this collated on the wiki as well?

[csyphrett]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

Pat Pitt-

A kid who has become a hero of the neighborhood, protecting the helpless from the predators that have seized the town. Pat can duplicate himself and create holes.

CES

[Rage]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

Do you guys want this collated on the wiki as well?

All the stuff that I have released in this specific Help me populate a "No Man's Land" City is ©2007 Nic Sando, and it is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. So, please, add it to the wiki, just, not under the creepy hotel bit. Maybe under something like Post Apocalyptic City Supers or something.

 

I really like the idea of your project, I just have too little time to contribute.

 

Oh, and why am I anal about copyright? Well, this sort of stuff is the only stuff I produce for money.

[csyphrett]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

Air Riders- In the wake of global destruction, freak waves of energy have been released in the city. Seeing this as the new sport, board riders have congregated to ride this new surf among the debris and towers of town.

CES

[Karmakaze]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

The Rat King

 

Herschel Hatter had been able to hear animals since he was a little boy. He doesn't control them, per se, but he understands and befriends them. Unfortunately, the constant chatter of a world no other human could perceive left him unable to hold down a job for any length of time. The older he got, the more he absorbed himself into the world of animal society and closed himself off from other people. He wound up just another ragged man sleeping on the streets, talking to the rats and pigeons. Periodically a local shelter or minor hero would make a project out of him, trying to help him return to society, but there was always a bigger crisis that took their attention. He was generally known on the street as 'the Rat King' because of his habit of sleeping in a nest of rats.

 

After the city fell, Herschel ran across a rescue crew trying to pull people out of a half-collapsed building. His rat friends told him where the survivors were, and he passed the information onto the rescuers. The rats also told him where there were supplies that had not been looted, where the buildings were still habitable, when roving gangs were on the way. His years on the street also gave him the knowledge of how to set up shanties, how to set safe fires, and so forth.

 

A group of survivors adopted him, helping him in return for his street expertise and the knowledge he brings from the animals. Paradoxically, Herschel is better and more functional now that society has collapsed than he has been since before he wound up on the streets. Human contact with people who respect and need him has made a world of difference. The same people who once would have stepped over him in disgust and maybe thrown a quarter now see him as a human being.

 

Motivation:

Take care of his companions, human and animal.

 

Powers:

Telepathy (animals only)

 

Notes:

The Rat King cannot command animals, and he can't make them any more intelligent or capable than they would otherwise be -- what he communicates to them is on an animal level.

The Rat King can connect with pretty much any animal mind, but he has some friendly 'contacts', notably a nest of rats, some pigeons, a pack of pet dogs gone feral, and a few cats.

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

"Granny Appleseed"

 

Old woman who grew up on a farm in the old days and has long experience with gardening. After the devastation and disruption of commerce and food supplies, she helped out her neighbors with food from her garden and stores of preserves. Since then, she's taught them how to garden and shared seeds. Soon, the neighborhood was full of gardens springing up from every yard, patch of earth, roof and windowsill available. With the success there, she's branched out into the rest of the city, lobbying the powers that be to turn suitable public areas into food-production areas, locating seed supplies, and teaching people how to grow and preserve food.

[Basil]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

Do you guys want this collated on the wiki as well?

 

Curufea: As for me, no. Indeed, if there is anything of mine on your wiki already, please remove it.

 

It is not that I object to your particular wiki. I object to wikis in general. In my POV, it is unethical to edit or amend someone's work without asking permission. Since doing just that is the heart and soul of wikis, I consider wikis unetical ab origine.

 

Thank you.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

Mainline

 

Joey Wallace was a petty thief and drug dealer before the day that the aliens invaded. He had a split-second view of an exploding ball of fire from alien bombardment about to envelop him; in that moment he also seemed to see strange glowing lines laid over the landscape all around him. Instinctively he stepped along one of those lines trying to flee the explosion, and suddenly found himself half a mile away.

 

Joey discovered that these lines extended throughout what was left of the city, following the paths of roads, the course of underground utility tunnels, and the contours of major buildings. He had the ability to move along these lines almost instantaneously from one end of the city to the other. He hasn't yet discovered any lines that can take him out of the city, but he has no desire to do so now. As Mainline, Joey has established a reputation as a courier for goods and information, reliable, fast, and able to cross any intervening obstacle and get past any hostile group. He commands high prices for his services from the city's power groups, most of whom protect him due to his usefulness.

 

Mainline is essentially a street punk who learned he had a talent he could cash in on. He'll take almost any courier job for almost anyone if the price is right, but he does have his standards. Mainline prides himself on his "professionalism." Once he takes on a job he'll do his best to see it through, provided the risk to himself isn't too high. He doesn't want to hurt people, and while he's not scrupulous as to what others do with the things he delivers, he won't directly cause harm to anyone if he can help it. Mainline is also a bit of a sucker for a sob story, and may help someone in trouble for free if it won't inconvenience him too badly.

 

Motivation: Make money, protect his reputation, look out for No. 1. Help out decent people in need if he's not too busy.

 

Powers: Long-range Teleportation along "ley lines" created by major urban constructions, Limited to where those lines lead and intersect. He can only carry a small amount of matter beyond his own weight safely; the more extra weight, the greater the chance that he'll end up inside a solid wall. Decent stealth and thieving abilities. Quite a few Contacts among the city's power brokers. Plenty of savvy as to what's going on in the city.

 

Other Notes: Short, slim African-American man in his early 20's. Cocky and smart-mouthed when he's near a ley line, but tends to panic if there are none nearby. Normally carries a handgun. Likes to flaunt his wealth by dressing stylishly with plenty of bling.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

Long Walker

 

No one knows where he comes from. He came walking into the city out of the barren countryside, gaunt and dusty, wearing battered military fatigues with no identifying marks. The first street gang that set on him were all lying dead seconds later. For a week he wandered the city streets, taking out anyone who tried to mess him, from common thugs to elite enforcers, to a couple of the "heroes" who tried to keep the streets safe. By the end of the week the city was buzzing over who he was and what he wanted, and the very sight of him had people hiding in fear. Then he let it be known that he was looking for work as a hired gun and muscle. Anyone willing to pay his price should ask around for "Long Walker." He hasn't been unemployed since.

 

Long Walker is a true mercenary, selling his services for pay. He has no qualms over hurting or killing anyone, no matter how "innocent" they may seem to be. He refuses to accept steady employment with any one party. Each contract is for one specific assignment or limited period. Once he accepts a contract, though, he will honor it to the letter, no matter the cost to himself.

 

Long Walker doesn't just work for villains, but for anyone who'll meet his price, including the "good guys." Heroic PCs might find themselves fighting against him on one occasion, and then on the same side with him the next.

 

Motivation: Do his job without hesitation, remorse or failure. Pride seems to be his prime motivator. Money is just a convenience and a measure of how his clients value him; he spends little of what he earns.

 

Powers: Exceptional hand-to-hand and ranged combat skills. Familiarity with almost any weapon. Uncanny ability to find and target the weak spots in any opponent. Carries a variety of firearms and bladed weapons.

 

Other Notes: Native American male, mid-30's. Tall, rangy, graceful movements, very taciturn. Never looks for trouble, and shows no sign of enjoying killing - it's all a job to him.

[Rage]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

James was occasionally seen on the news, at least, when the camera man accidentally got a shot of his face when the reporters were talking while in the News helicopter. James had his son for the weekend, and he was turning six. As part of Paul’s birthday present was a ride for him and his best friend, Ricky, in the news helicopter. Between the time they took off and the circuit around the Dominion Tower, the news station and its landing pad had been destroyed. A weird looking plane flew over them, and James had to make an emergency landing, which was something he did a lot in the golf war. It’s been three weeks, James is running out of food, the boys are at each others throats, and he needs to find yet another place to refuel in a couple of days. James is becoming a deeply irritable man.

 

Motivation: Keep the boys alive, keep the helicopter working

 

Stuff and junk:

James and the boys live ontop of an abandoned sky scrapers pent house, they have barricaded all the ways into the penthouse (even the elevator shaft, which, without power, is useless.) except through their sky entrance.

 

James uses the skills he learnt as a military pilot and as a scout master to keep him and the boys going.

[Curufea]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

Curufea: As for me' date=' [b']no[/b]. Indeed, if there is anything of mine on your wiki already, please remove it.

 

It is not that I object to your particular wiki. I object to wikis in general. In my POV, it is unethical to edit or amend someone's work without asking permission. Since doing just that is the heart and soul of wikis, I consider wikis unetical ab origine.

 

Thank you.

 

Not a problem - you had stuff for the hotel page, I'll remove it. The work was added by another - although I do wish you had told me whenever I posted updated to the original thread.

I should point out though, that material can easily be write/edit protected for particular users only.

 

For everyone else-

 

The page is here-

http://www.curufea.com/hero/doku.php?id=resources:dark_champions:post_apocalyptic_city_supers

 

The editing rules including instructions on how to become a user are here-

http://www.curufea.com/hero/doku.php?id=#editing_rules

 

Frequently asked questions on how to use a wiki are here-

http://www.curufea.com/hero/doku.php?id=frequently_asked_questions

 

You now have all the information you need to contribute or not as you see fit.

[Basil]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

Not a problem - you had stuff for the hotel page, I'll remove it. The work was added by another - although I do wish you had told me whenever I posted updated to the original thread.

I should point out though, that material can easily be write/edit protected for particular users only.

 

I was not aware you were copying EVERYTHING from the creepy-hotel thread; I thought you were copying stuff from yourself and those who had specifically asked you to.

 

In general, I would say you should ask permission (in PM's) from anyone whose post you wish to copy to your wiki. Seems to me only polite to do so.

[Curufea]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

I was not aware you were copying EVERYTHING from the creepy-hotel thread; I thought you were copying stuff from yourself and those who had specifically asked you to.

 

In general, I would say you should ask permission (in PM's) from anyone whose post you wish to copy to your wiki. Seems to me only polite to do so.

 

I presumed after much had been added, it was a given. My bad. Apologies for assuming.

 

I now leave it to others to contribute or not. Saves me doing all the work at least

[Emerald Mask]

Re: Help me populate a "No Man's Land" city

 

After the massive disruptions of power and food sources like minded people banded together to survive. Lots of them blamed technology and believed modern life was too fragile. They wanted to return to simpler times and old ways of doing things . This group would hole up in the Cities Park and plant food ,wear homespun or animal hide clothing . There weapons would be the bow and arrow and the spear. They would distrust all who use technology and be actively destroying whatever tech they came upon. A back to nature group.