Clonus Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 OK so let's say there's a law saying that if you possess "exceptional abilities" which could be useful in combat then you are required to report it to your local draft board. The 1-S classification is created for superhumans. If within 30 days of turning 18, they haven't gotten a draft exemption, they will be drafted into the military. The ways to get a draft exemption are to have some kind of handicap that will in fact make you useless despite your power, to get a job in law enforcement, intelligence or some sector of the economy considered important to national security, or gain membership one of the state sanctioned super teams. Most states have one. The teams are normally privately financed by corporate sponsors, although there a couple of small donor supported teams. Many people who manifest powers frantically shop for the 30 day window they have to get an exemption that will keep them from getting drafted and deployed in third world nations hunting terrorists, and the definition of terrorist is pretty broad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pizza Man Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World Of course there are those who prefer the govt know nothing about their powers. I would not trust the govt with such knowledge over me. Involuntary service is a form of slavery. Certainly I doubt the govt adequately protects secret IDs...criminals supers break govt security all the time. I would go underground. or be forced to keep my secret until I could afford to flee the country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrestlinggeek Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World I would probably just sign up with one of the super-teams. It seems to me that the best ue for super-powers is fighting super-crime, which is exactly what such teams are meant for. But quick question: How much are the members of such teams monitored and restricted by the government. And what exactly do you mean by the definition of a terrorist being "pretty broad?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted May 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World I would probably just sign up with one of the super-teams. It seems to me that the best ue for super-powers is fighting super-crime' date=' which is exactly what such teams are meant for. But quick question: How much are the members of such teams monitored and restricted by the government. [/quote'] Not very much by the government actually in most cases. The superhero teams are licensed and given law enforcement status by state or city governments, which usually just want to make sure they aren't stripped of protection by the military drafts and have someone to call. They usually don't supervise them significantly. However, the sponsors who finance the teams are another matter. Most of the teams are privately financed. The two most prominent and well-paying teams are both financed by major media conglomerates, who make comic books, tv shows and movies about fictionalized versions of the real characters (which of course is what makes them prominent and well-paying in the first place.). A couple of others are financed by charitable organizations. Then other "superhero" teams are just plain sketchy and ripe for massive scandal. The states aren't being careful about vetting the sponsors and how the teams are being run. And what exactly do you mean by the definition of a terrorist being "pretty broad?" Just as in the real world, the government defines anyone fighting against their operations as 'terrorists". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted May 8, 2011 Report Share Posted May 8, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World I'd flee to Canada. Hey, it worked during the Vietnam draft... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted May 8, 2011 Report Share Posted May 8, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World How easy is it to escape the draft? In germany it works to smoke a joint before going to the draft, so traces of thc use are in your blood/urine: They can't draft you, but they also can't imprison you or tell the police (Confidentiality is very practical here). I even heard people tried to escape the vietnam draft by faking to be homosexuals, transvestits and other "unwanted" personal. And then there was Klinger from M.A.S.H. and his tries to get a "Section 8 discarge". How hard is it to get into one of the Homefront-Teams? I guess the most prestigious may have long queues. Could you "declare" yourself the official team of a 20 Person Village that never get's attacked, but you also need no funding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephrosyne Posted May 8, 2011 Report Share Posted May 8, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World I would do everything that I could to avoid registering. If I am sufficiently powerful, I would have absolutely no problem using deadly force if necessary, though I would prefer subterfuge. If I didn't have a means (via power or subterfuge) of avoiding registration and/or draft, I would do every treacherous thing that I could to undermine the system. I would have absolutely no interest in being a superhero or whatever passes for one in the world in question. It just isn't my nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted May 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World How easy is it to escape the draft? In germany it works to smoke a joint before going to the draft, so traces of thc use are in your blood/urine: They can't draft you, but they also can't imprison you or tell the police (Confidentiality is very practical here). I even heard people tried to escape the vietnam draft by faking to be homosexuals, transvestits and other "unwanted" personal. And then there was Klinger from M.A.S.H. and his tries to get a "Section 8 discarge". Restrictions against gay and female soldiers in the military have been abandoned post 9/11 precisely so those won't constitute an out. Insanity still works, but of course the combination of deranged+superpowered is one that you really, really don't want to convince the government you have. Also they have bloodtests and brain scans that can detect a majority of the empowered. While there are a few teams with great benefits and reputation that it is hard to get into, there are a lot of teams and law enforcement organizations where it's easy to get in if you have superpowers because demand for superhumans still exceeds supply. How hard is it to get into one of the Homefront-Teams? I guess the most prestigious may have long queues. Could you "declare" yourself the official team of a 20 Person Village that never get's attacked, but you also need no funding? You can't declare yourself a team. In order to qualify for a team deputization, you need personal transportation capabilities capable of mobilising team members in anywhere in the state in 30 minutes or less. (It's known as the pizza clause), at least three active members, and a communications centre capable of monitoring broad band radio traffic and getting encrypted calls from local and federal authorities. However, it is still possible to get a draft exemption just by getting some small village to hire you as sheriff. Remember, even if you aren't on a team, law enforcement personnel are exempt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted May 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World I'd flee to Canada. Hey' date=' it worked during the Vietnam draft...[/quote'] Canada doesn't have a super-draft and will shelter draft dodgers, but does require anyone who has superpowers to declare their powers along with their fruit on people entering the country. Failure to declare, means deportation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow Hawk Posted May 8, 2011 Report Share Posted May 8, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World It would depend on what powers I have. If I'm the equal to say, Superman, I could tell the government "Screw You. Go ahead, try to arrest me. Yawn." If I'm at a lower level, it again depends on what powers. If I'm bulletproof, I'd probably go ahead and join the military voluntarily. If not, I'd try one of the other options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasha Posted May 8, 2011 Report Share Posted May 8, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World Restrictions against gay and female soldiers in the military have been abandoned post 9/11 precisely so those won't constitute an out. Insanity still works, but of course the combination of deranged+superpowered is one that you really, really don't want to convince the government you have. Also they have bloodtests and brain scans that can detect a majority of the empowered. While there are a few teams with great benefits and reputation that it is hard to get into, there are a lot of teams and law enforcement organizations where it's easy to get in if you have superpowers because demand for superhumans still exceeds supply. You can't declare yourself a team. In order to qualify for a team deputization, you need personal transportation capabilities capable of mobilising team members in anywhere in the state in 30 minutes or less. (It's known as the pizza clause), at least three active members, and a communications centre capable of monitoring broad band radio traffic and getting encrypted calls from local and federal authorities. However, it is still possible to get a draft exemption just by getting some small village to hire you as sheriff. Remember, even if you aren't on a team, law enforcement personnel are exempt. I am thinking that the Pizza clause would have been hotly debated against by some of the larger states (ie CA, TX, AK, NV). It would be very hard esp for CA super teams to get everywhere in the state in 30mins. What it would do is to concentrate teams in smaller states. Perhaps the country is divided into Zones of Coverage that would try to keep areas that a team needs to cover down to something reasonable. (ie it's not real fair to expect that a Super Team in San Diego would need to cover a crisis way up in Crescent City CA within 30 Minutes (Over 800 miles). It is something that isn't possible with regular transport technology) http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=San+Diego,+CA&daddr=Crescent+City,+CA&hl=en&geocode=FUEy8wEdeVIE-SlLHpKtD1PZgDF53xX9_SE6DQ%3BFSwlfQId7dSY-CnbiGJcN2bQVDEu5nVzsJrodg&mra=ls&sll=36.758465,-120.684395&sspn=11.942242,18.413086&ie=UTF8&ll=37.230328,-120.673828&spn=11.868583,18.413086&t=h&z=6 So CA would be shafted for Sanctioned teams under the Pizza Clause. So would the other big states. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted May 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World I am thinking that the Pizza clause would have been hotly debated against by some of the larger states (ie CA, TX, AK, NV). It would be very hard esp for CA super teams to get everywhere in the state in 30mins. What it would do is to concentrate teams in smaller states. Perhaps the country is divided into Zones of Coverage that would try to keep areas that a team needs to cover down to something reasonable. (ie it's not real fair to expect that a Super Team in San Diego would need to cover a crisis way up in Crescent City CA within 30 Minutes (Over 800 miles). It is something that isn't possible with regular transport technology) http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=San+Diego,+CA&daddr=Crescent+City,+CA&hl=en&geocode=FUEy8wEdeVIE-SlLHpKtD1PZgDF53xX9_SE6DQ%3BFSwlfQId7dSY-CnbiGJcN2bQVDEu5nVzsJrodg&mra=ls&sll=36.758465,-120.684395&sspn=11.942242,18.413086&ie=UTF8&ll=37.230328,-120.673828&spn=11.868583,18.413086&t=h&z=6 So CA would be shafted for Sanctioned teams under the Pizza Clause. So would the other big states. Good point. The meta-point of the Pizza Clause is to ensure that most teams will have to lay out something like 50 million bucks apiece for Avenger's quinjets, thus requiring them to have the corporate sponsors who are so much of what is wrong with this world. So I just need to ensure that the response radius is the right length so that a quinjet can get to the edge of it within the delivery deadline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World Canada doesn't have a super-draft. Then they don't know what they're missing - I just got in on the latest one and it's a lot of fun! Oh wait....that's not what we're talking about is it? Lucius Alexander Sneaking out with an unregistered palindromedary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csyphrett Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World The aclu would nuke this in the real world. Be prepared to face a challenge in court by your players. CES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted May 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World In the real world the battle over the constitutionality of the military draft has already been taken to the Supreme Court and ruled upon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World In the real world the battle over the constitutionality of the military draft has already been taken to the Supreme Court and ruled upon. The fact that this draft would include females (you did say all people with super powers) could be reason enough for a new case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted May 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World The fact that this draft would include females (you did say all people with super powers) could be reason enough for a new case. On what grounds? The constitutional case for the draft is only strengthened by eliminating gender discrimination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World Fine, then there's a constitutional case because it adds a whole new level of discrimination, only including those with powers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World Canada doesn't have a super-draft and will shelter draft dodgers' date=' but does require anyone who has superpowers to declare their powers along with their fruit on people entering the country. Failure to declare, means deportation.[/quote'] What? It was just a banana! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World Now that I got that previous outburst off my chest, Just what powers do I have? Do I get to pick them? What if I'm a conscientious objector? What if I have Asperger's syndrome? What if I have Downs syndrome? What if I'm over 50 and would rather be "a good citizen" on my own time when my arthritis isn't acting up? What if my superpower is flight and I have a paralyzing fear of heights? Seriously, we already have the draft and we're not using it here even though we're involved in military action in multiple locations. Why are they using it in that world, and why only folks with superpowers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasha Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World Now that I got that previous outburst off my chest' date=' Just what powers do I have? Do I get to pick them? What if I'm a conscientious objector? What if I have Asperger's syndrome? What if I have [i']Downs[/i] syndrome? What if I'm over 50 and would rather be "a good citizen" on my own time when my arthritis isn't acting up? What if my superpower is flight and I have a paralyzing fear of heights? Seriously, we already have the draft and we're not using it here even though we're involved in military action in multiple locations. Why are they using it in that world, and why only folks with superpowers? What happened that would scare the voters so badly that they would allow such a thing to pass? We have Draft Registration, but not a draft. The reason being is that every president since Reagan (who restarted the Draft Registration) realize that actually starting any form of Selective service would be VERY unpopular with voters. It is ranked up higher than raising taxes for motivating voters to vote for someone else. In other words it's political suicide. So either in your world someone did something so heinous that the people became very frightened of people with powers, or for some reason the people just naturally hate those with powers (ie a Mutant Hysteria type of campaign). So Every Team must have the capability of a Craft or device that is Capable of Mach 2.1 It would be a scream to be part of a team that built it's Quinjet out of the parts of destroyed ones that they purchased for pennies from cities that had to clean up after super battles. Called the Bodgjet. The team is based in a Junkyard that is located in the ruins of a team from the 40's. The team is totally shoestring. Kind of the Bad News Bears of super teams. It could be quite fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted May 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World Now that I got that previous outburst off my chest' date=' Just what powers do I have? Do I get to pick them? What if I'm a conscientious objector? What if I have Asperger's syndrome? What if I have [i']Downs[/i] syndrome? What if I'm over 50 and would rather be "a good citizen" on my own time when my arthritis isn't acting up? What if my superpower is flight and I have a paralyzing fear of heights? Seriously, we already have the draft and we're not using it here even though we're involved in military action in multiple locations. Why are they using it in that world, and why only folks with superpowers? Mostly it's because of the superpowers. Starting in 2001, with the dawn of the millennium, Earth started to experience a superhuman surge. 9/11, which was in the works for years, still happened more or the less although the first public superpowered hero saved several hundred lives. But then when the United States and it's allies invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, things went a lot worse because the other guys had superhumans and that narrowed the technological gap between the United States and those they were attacking. Then there were the supers at home who got powers and ran amuck, and things got a little crazy. The draft was re-instituted. It wasn't just for superhumans, but superhumans had the highest draft classification, so they were first to be to be taken when they could be. Actually I guess I'd have to set it in the 2020s to get enough room for all the stuff to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csyphrett Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World Are your players goign along with this setting? If not, there's way to get out of conscription, there's ways not to serve at all, and some people just won't show up. If your players don't buy your reasoning, you might have to alter the setting to fit them. CES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World It would depend on what powers I have. If I'm the equal to say, Superman, I could tell the government "Screw You. Go ahead, try to arrest me. Yawn." The other 5 FISS-Guys in the Military Police would like to have a word with you, then. And they do have Handcuffs that work on you. Are your players goign along with this setting? If not, there's way to get out of conscription, there's ways not to serve at all, and some people just won't show up. If your players don't buy your reasoning, you might have to alter the setting to fit them. CES A important question: Where will they stand? Will they be the ones drafted? A sponsored team? On the run from the governemnt? Can they choose? For the drafted ones, Patriot types works best but most others may feel enough obligation to their country/were too lazy to get a nightwatch job on time/have a family and think it's the fastest way to see them back by just going on. Sponsored Team is the easiest one. On the run from the government (and Supers in their employ) could be the hardest. About transportation: That is the least problem for them. In the worst part they have a one way megascaled teleporter, jet's with autopilot and carry homing beacons. They are there in time, but getting back may take a little more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pizza Man Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Re: A Superhuman Registration World Are your players goign along with this setting? If not, there's way to get out of conscription, there's ways not to serve at all, and some people just won't show up. If your players don't buy your reasoning, you might have to alter the setting to fit them. CES Agreement with csyphrett and Christopher. Are the players OK with this? --With me it just breeds rebellion. This isn't a draft, its slavery/enforced servitude. And that spells an dictatorship/oligarchy. I would think such a dark world would be a mirror to ours. The free supers (PCs) are labeled villains - even though they are heroes in every sense of the word. The fight would be against an oppressive govt tyranny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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