Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

[megaplayboy]

Just an idea bouncing around my head.

Premise: following a quarter-century "Iron Age of Superhumans" in which more superhumans (and civilians) died than in the previous 50 years, in which whole cities were devastated by superbattles, families destroyed in never-ending cycles of retribution, and "superheroes" clashed with not just villains but government and law enforcement due to their escalation of force and increasing disrespect for civil order, and a horrific event which culminated in dozens of superhuman deaths, a group of "responsible" establishment superheroes met secretly with a group of "rationally self-interested" established supervillains in Rio de Janeiro and hashed out a series of "rules of engagement" that future engagements would be bound by, in order to rein in all of the excesses, ensure that humanity would not try to wipe out all superhumans and costumed adventurers, and to try to preserve some semblance of normalcy outside of their "super" existence.

Here's a rough draft of what they worked out:

1. No Kill policy--no superhuman or costumed adventurer will kill another superhuman except in self-defense or defense of:

a. a child

b. a family member or friend

c. a law enforcement officer

d. a government official

e. a celebrity

f. family of c,d, or e

g. a large group of civilians, numbering 50 or more

 

1.1 If it is possible to protect oneself or any of the above without resort to deadly force, the superhuman/adventurer is required to do so.

1.2 Superheroes are not required to permit supervillains to kill anyone without attempting to protect their lives, but they are not permitted to use lethal force post facto, either.

1.3 Henchman exceptions and Deathtrap exceptions were proposed by the villain negotiating team, but no agreement was reached. The major disagreement on the latter was how difficult to escape the deathtrap should be.

2. No eternal punishment rule--superhumans are not permitted to subject captured superhumans to any form of permanent punishment, such as

a. banishment to another dimension

b. irreversible behavior modification

c. any form of mutilation, torture or coercive labor

d. "life" imprisonment, or any term longer than exists under the laws of the jurisdiction of the country

e. execution

f. permanent removal of innate superhuman ability

g. banishment outside of the solar system

2.1 Superhumans are also not permitted to subject captured friends or family of superhumans to any of these forms of permanent punishment, nor are they permitted to remove children of the superhuman from that superhuman's home without just cause other than the superhuman's current legal status or enmity with the superhuman (i.e., no dragging the kids off to CPS)

3. Mass destruction rule--in the event of a battle involving the use of massive destructive force (such as high superhuman strength, explosive energy powers, etc.), reasonable effort will be made to minimize the danger to civilians in the area, and if possible to move the battle to an area where massive property damage will be more avoidable.

4. Mask rule--no superhuman shall use their powers, physical force or investigative abilities to discover the "secret identity" of another superhuman. So long as an alleged supervillain submits to continuous custody, they may retain their secret identity even upon conviction for a crime.

5. Family and friends rule--capturing or threatening loved ones of a superhuman may be done no more than 3 times a year, and at any rate no more than once per person per year. The superhuman whose loved ones are captured or threatened must be informed of the identity of the party who has captured or threatened them within a reasonable time(customarily, within 72 hours for capture, and within 30 days for threats).

6. No MegaTeam rule: No organization or team formed for the purposes of heroic law enforcement or villainous extralegal activity shall comprise more than 36 members during normal global conditions. In the event of a global crisis threatening mutual interests, or something of similar magnitude, a special emergency organization comprised of 100 members may be formed by each, one for superheroes and one for supervillains.

7. Non-compliance penalties--repeated failure to comply in good faith with these rules shall result in that or those individual(s) being considered excluded from the protections of the treaty, subjected to both the natural law enforcement consequences and the natural retributive consequences of their actions. In carrying out such retribution, signatories and those bound by these rules may use lethal force only against those who have violated the rules, and only if they have violated the rules against use of lethal force on other superhumans.

 

It's assumed that both parties used their extensive influence to make the conditions binding, and to try to influence law enforcement to respect the rules as well.

 

I'm looking for feedback and suggestions. Basically, I thought this would be an interesting way to explain "why this isn't an Iron Age setting", or for PCs who are sick of their IA setting and want to tone things down a bit, an in-game approach to that.

[Cygnia]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

1. No Kill policy--no superhuman or costumed adventurer will kill another superhuman except in self-defense or defense of:

a. a child

b. a family member or friend

c. a law enforcement officer

d. a government official

e. a celebrity

f. family of c,d, or e

g. a large group of civilians, numbering 50 or more

 

I'm pretty sure if I was Jane Q. Public in this setting, I'd be pissed that a "celebrity" (and what defines that?) warrants this over me (unless I was in a "large group").

[megaplayboy]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

I'm pretty sure if I was Jane Q. Public in this setting' date=' I'd be pissed that a "celebrity" (and what defines that?) warrants this over me (unless I was in a "large group"). [/quote']

 

Well, the tricky part here is that supervillains have a tendency to kill innocent bystanders, and I wanted something that would acknowledge that's going to happen without giving heroes carte blanche to snuff a villain every time they kill a civvie or three. Killing a celebrity(because it involves premeditation and deliberate targeting, and is intended to "send a message" that killing a random civvie wouldn't necessarily send) is a mark, along with killing law enforcement, kids, government officials and the family/friends of heroes, of a "mad dog" who needs to be "put down". I think it would be a little less jarring to change "celebrity" to "public figure", yes?

 

The idea is that villains who commit the "ordinary average homicide"(a little oxymoronic and ironic, admittedly) can be caught and processed into the justice system, posing a danger that's less than the danger of reigniting the Iron Age. But those who commit mass murder, or murder government officials, police, public figures and people important to the private lives of superheroes are expressly performing the type of acts that characterized the Iron Age, so it's appropriate to sanction lethal force use in order to deter such conduct.

 

Also, it's a given that there's a great deal of effort to not make the details of this too widely known, because some of the provisions would tend to upset the general public.

[bubba smith]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

good work on these accords

[clsage]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

I'm pretty sure if I was Jane Q. Public in this setting' date=' I'd be pissed that a "celebrity" (and what defines that?) warrants this over me (unless I was in a "large group"). [/quote']

 

While I cannot speak for the original poster, I suspect that the word "celebrity" is generic for public figures without government/political connection but with large social influence (eg: the Pope, Lou Dobbs, etc).

 

Just my $.02US.

 

-Carl-

[Greywind]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

I disagree. Celebrities have lives and may just be an unintentional bystander that gets whacked.

[megaplayboy]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

I disagree. Celebrities have lives and may just be an unintentional bystander that gets whacked.

 

This is possible. In that instance, I think the proper question is, was the public figure intentionally targeted, or was their death an unintended consequence?

I guess an example would be a stray "death bolt" hitting a random car going down the street...but in this case the random car happens to belong to the Mayor. Or to Brittany Spheres. But in that instance it's unlikely that lethal force would be the only way to stop the villain from firing off a blast.

 

This raises the question of how disputes over the rules would be adjudicated and enforced. Most likely, there'd be some sort of "death panel"...

[Greywind]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

Thunderdome...

[megaplayboy]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

Thunderdome...

 

"Two metas enter...one meta leaves!"

[clsage]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

"Two metas enter...one meta leaves!"

 

Eeeeek ! It's "Challenge For Champions" all over again !!!!

 

-Carl-

[Peregrine]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

This is possible. In that instance' date=' I think the proper question is, was the public figure [i']intentionally targeted[/i], or was their death an unintended consequence?

I guess an example would be a stray "death bolt" hitting a random car going down the street...but in this case the random car happens to belong to the Mayor. Or to Brittany Spheres. But in that instance it's unlikely that lethal force would be the only way to stop the villain from firing off a blast.

 

This raises the question of how disputes over the rules would be adjudicated and enforced. Most likely, there'd be some sort of "death panel"...

 

I believe the literary term you seek is "Star Chamber".

 

And yeah; I choked on the celebrity provision. Maybe the term "assassination" would better cover it; that refers to intentionally targeting a person who is prominent for any number of reasons.

[ayinde]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

It sounds like a superhero version of the masquerade from vampire. Maybe tie in a neutral organization to act as a over law force my name for this group would be the Leviathan* counsel and maybe add a neutral ground say a small island out side of Rio

*name coined from the book of the same name by Thomas Hobbs summery:

 

In Leviathan, Hobbes set out his doctrine of the foundation of states and legitimate governments - based on social contract theories. Leviathan was written during the English Civil War; much of the book is occupied with demonstrating the necessity of a strong central authority to avoid the evil of discord and civil war.

[megaplayboy]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

Oddly enough, I was partly inspired by the "bylaws" of the Guild of Calamitous Intent from "Venture Brothers"--in one episode the Ventures are all captured by the Monarch, but Prof. Venture cites one of their laws, permitting him to go free to "recover".

[ayinde]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

oh yaeh were david bowie is the man in charge : 0

[Cygnia]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

Do you ever have planned on what might happen should these accords ever become known to the world public at large or will they forever be kept in the dark regardless of if/when the rules get broken?

 

It might make for an interesting monkey wrench if Capt. BigChin's plucky girl reporter lover finds out the real nitty-gritty and thinks a Pulitzer is worth blowing the whistle.

[megaplayboy]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

Do you ever have planned on what might happen should these accords ever become known to the world public at large or will they forever be kept in the dark regardless of if/when the rules get broken?

 

It might make for an interesting monkey wrench if Capt. BigChin's plucky girl reporter lover finds out the real nitty-gritty and thinks a Pulitzer is worth blowing the whistle.

 

True. I guess Capt. BigChin could put his girlfriend on the spot by asking "Do you remember what things were like before? Do you really want to risk going back to that?"

I think the Accords could probably survive public exposure mostly intact, though it might damage the repuations of the heroes some to think that they worked out "a secret agreement with supervillains." And the supervillains' "street cred" might also take a hit...

[Yansuf]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

1. No Kill policy[/b]--no superhuman or costumed adventurer will kill another superhuman except in self-defense or defense of:

a. a child

b. a family member or friend

c. a law enforcement officer

d. a government official

e. a celebrity

f. family of c,d, or e

g. a large group of civilians, numbering 50 or more

 

1.1 If it is possible to protect oneself or any of the above without resort to deadly force, the superhuman/adventurer is required to do so.

 

If you just change the policy to:

"except in self-defense or the defense of any other innocent person", you basically have what is the standard law in most (if not all?) states in the US.

I think that is much better. Part 1.1 covers the "it's not an excuse to kill" objection.

If you leave yours as is, you will have to defend where the number 50 came from; and what level of counting to insure it is at least 50, and not 49, is required.

 

Basically it is 1.1 that you want to enforce. How to do it is the problem.

 

Have you read "Peer Review"? It is in the collection "Superheroes" by John Varley. (I recommend that story, BTW.) Something like that could be set up for all cases where a superhuman kills.

To give teeth to it, you might consider adding that any super who ignores a notice to appear will be declared "outlaw" in the traditional sense: they may be killed by anyone, with no penalty to their killer.

Obviously this would require safeguards, but I think it could be workable.

[megaplayboy]

Re: Post-Iron Age Champs: the Rio Accords

 

thanks, Yansuf. I will make any revisions in this post.

 

Rio Accords

1.0 No Kill policy--no superhuman or costumed adventurer will kill another superhuman except in self-defense or defense of any other innocent person.

1.1 If it is possible to protect oneself or any of the above without resort to deadly force, the superhuman/adventurer is required to do so.

1.2 Superheroes are not required to permit supervillains to kill anyone without attempting to protect their lives, but they are not permitted to use lethal force post facto, either.

1.3 Henchman exceptions and Deathtrap exceptions were proposed by the villain negotiating team, but no agreement was reached. The major disagreement on the latter was how difficult to escape the deathtrap should be.

1.3 Proposed Henchman exception--Henchmen (defined as employees or associates of supervillains) are not considered "innocent persons" for purposes of section 1.0--proposed by SV, rejected by SH

1.4 Proposed Deathtrap exception--a villain who captures a superhero or costumed adventurer may place them in a "deathtrap", provided the main purpose of the trap is to delay the hero, and the chance of escape is at least 90%(10% chance proposed by SV)--parties unable to agree, not implemented

2. No eternal punishment rule--superhumans are not permitted to subject captured superhumans to any form of permanent punishment, such as

a. banishment to another dimension

b. irreversible behavior modification

c. any form of mutilation, torture or coercive labor

d. "life" imprisonment, or any term longer than exists under the laws of the jurisdiction of the country

e. execution

f. permanent removal of innate superhuman ability

g. banishment outside of the solar system

2.1 Superhumans are also not permitted to subject captured friends or family of superhumans to any of these forms of permanent punishment, nor are they permitted to remove children of the superhuman from that superhuman's home without just cause other than the superhuman's current legal status or enmity with the superhuman (i.e., no dragging the kids off to CPS)

3. Mass destruction rule--in the event of a battle involving the use of massive destructive force (such as high superhuman strength, explosive energy powers, etc.), reasonable effort will be made to minimize the danger to civilians in the area, and if possible to move the battle to an area where massive property damage will be more avoidable.

4. Mask rule--no superhuman shall use their powers, physical force or investigative abilities to discover the "secret identity" of another superhuman. So long as an alleged supervillain submits to continuous custody, they may retain their secret identity even upon conviction for a crime.

5. Family and friends rule--capturing or threatening loved ones of a superhuman may be done no more than 3 times a year, and at any rate no more than once per person per year. The superhuman whose loved ones are captured or threatened must be informed of the identity of the party who has captured or threatened them within a reasonable time(customarily, within 72 hours for capture, and within 30 days for threats).

6. No MegaTeam rule: No organization or team formed for the purposes of heroic law enforcement or villainous extralegal activity shall comprise more than 36 members during normal global conditions. In the event of a global crisis threatening mutual interests, or something of similar magnitude, a special emergency organization comprised of 100 members may be formed by each, one for superheroes and one for supervillains.

7. Non-compliance penalties--repeated failure to comply in good faith with these rules shall result in that or those individual(s) being considered excluded from the protections of the treaty, subjected to both the natural law enforcement consequences and the natural retributive consequences of their actions. In carrying out such retribution, signatories and those bound by these rules may use lethal force only against those who have violated the rules, and only if they have violated the rules against use of lethal force on other superhumans.

7.1 Joint Tribunal--a joint tribunal shall be convened upon request of any signatory to investigate any alleged non-compliance, vote and determine the consequences thereto. Any failure to appear when summoned before the tribunal may result in a declaration of "outlaw status", and such individuals shall enjoy no protections of the accords against any signatories. The tribunal shall consist of 3 each of supervillains and superheroes, and one agreed upon neutral arbiter whose reputation for impartiality is known and respected by both parties.