Brick City
"We're not your classic heroes.
We're the other guys."
- The Shoveler, "Mystery Men"
METRO CITY is a shining jewel in the crown of truth, justice and the American way, a thriving metropolis that is home to some of the greatest heroes this world has ever known. The Order of Exemplars looks down from its mighty space station in geosynchronous orbit directly above the downtown area, keeping the City safe from evildoers, and occasionally inviting the best and brightest of the next generation of heroes to join its ranks and fight crime alongside the likes of Übermensch, Arachno-Man and Firefox.
And BRICK CITY, about 30 minutes to the west, is ... one of METRO CITY's neighbors. Perhaps due to the numerous toxic waste dumps dotting the landscapes nearby, BRICK CITY has in recent decades grown from a town known for its high-quality building materials to a town known for its low-to-medium-quality superheroes. Approximately one in seven people born here possesses some sort of power. And while the practical usefulness of the vast majority of these powers are another story entirely, many of these extraordinary citizens have taken on the mantle of heroes, feeling that it is their duty to use their gifts to better the lot of their fellow man.
Or, even better, make a buck or get a cereal endorsement or something.
Contents
CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW
In Brick City, about 15% of the population has some sort of super-power. The vast majority of these powers are minor and essentially useless ... the ability to remove and re-attach one's thumb, perhaps, or uncanny skill at correctly guessing how many jellybeans are in a jar. A small minority, however, have some real power: the ability to fly, command the elements or read minds. Those who are really good at it may someday receive the coveted golden envelope that means an interview with the Exemplars in Metro City. For those who aren't, or at least aren't yet ... well, that's why most superheroes in Brick City have day jobs. And no, freelancing as a reporter and expecting a steady paycheck for taking pictures of yourself in costume doesn't fly around here.
PCs in this campaign start out at power level 6, with 90 pp to spend. Just about any character concept is workable, although I'd recommend that you stick to one basic 'signature power' and branch off from there, if you like. Don't feel like you necessarily have to max anything out, either ... if you were really that powerful, you wouldn't still be in Brick City ... but you can still be really good at what you do, whatever that may be. If your average superhero is the best of the best, think of yourself as somewhere in the top 10% of the bottom 5% of the best.
THE ROSTER
Hero Name
CIVILIAN IDENTITY: James W. Smith
"Blah blah blah, this is where you write a short bio brief, who you are, why you are and what you're going to do about it..." ... (as played by Player)
WORLD AT LARGE
the GOOD (heroes)
The Order of Exemplars
Übermensch
Übermensch was found as a baby inside a tiny meteor-like spacecraft which had crashed into a cornfield, and was raised by a kindly elderly couple of Austrian immigrants. In the decades since, he has grown into one of the greatest heroes the world has ever known, and is currently the leader of Metro City's Order of Exemplars. His frequent appearances on controversial radio and television shows, and a well-publicized videotape circulated last year in which he drunkenly raged against various ethnic minorities, have not decreased his appeal.
Firefox
Firefox is a mysterious caped vigilante whose true identity is unknown, although he appears to have a benefactor in wealthy bachelor Julian Kane. A well-known member of the Exemplars and fixture of the Metro City crime-fighting community, Firefox has for decades battled evil alongside a procession of teenage sidekicks - some of whom, such as Eagle, Sparrow and Falcon, have gone on to heroic careers of their own. Sadly, Firefox's reputation lately has been somewhat sullied by a series of lawsuits alleging inappropriate sexual misconduct by former sidekicks Swallow, Woodcock and Hummingbird.
Arachno-Man (deceased)
Arachno-Man, another one of the Exemplars' best and brightest, has battled crime in Metro City for years with his web-slingers and arachnid-like reflexes. Unfortunately, he vanished without a trace approximately six months ago and has not been seen since. Authorities recently charged his wife, Betty Sue Holmes, with first-degree murder and suspected cannibalism.
The Prime Apes
A team of extraordinary primates bonded together to fight the prevailing view of all super-intelligent apes as evil geniuses bent on world domination, the Prime Apes have been one of the more successful super-teams currently operating Brick City. Led by tactical genius Chimpan-A, the team is filled out by the talents of Baboom, demolitions expert; Orangutank, the bruiser; Mandrill, a cybernetically-enhanced battle machine with a vast array of powered attachments; and Guerilla, a mountain gorilla trained in the ancient art of ninjitsu.
The Polisher (deceased)
Until recently, the Polisher ran "The Polisher's Bowlin' Palace" on the west side of town. Tragically, he was killed when the super-team to whom he had rented out the top floor of his bowling alley engaged in a frenzied battle both inside and outside of the building, which resulted in its collapse. The Polisher possessed a unique aptitude for instantaneously coating any flat surface in a glossy, slight slippery sheen.
the BAD (villains)
The Mob
You'd think that a city with this many super-powered citizens wouldn't have much to fear from good old-fashioned organized crime. You'd be wrong, though. The Mob has a very well-established presence in Brick City, and a finger in just about every pie the place has to offer. Mob operations are run from the top down by the city's three ruling families: the Cesarios, Maggios and Vespuccis.
The Cesario Family
Carmine Cesario has been don of the Cesario organized crime family since the passing of his father "Big Nicky" Cesario some 15 years ago. Under Carmine's leadership, the Cesarios are currently the top-ranking of the city's three families. Carmine has no known powers, unless a vast network of henchmen, bribed city officials, and near-impenetrable resistance to prosecution count as powers. (They do.) Legally, Carmine is CEO of the Cesario Import/Export Concern, which operates down by the docks. His younger brother Salvatore, known for his impeccable gray suits and silvered sunglasses, serves as his primary enforcer.
The Maggio Family
Lorenzo Maggio is the don of the Maggio family, generally considered the second-ranking of the city's mob families. The Maggios are nominally in charge of the drug trade in Brick City, and have been known to collaborate with super-scientists in the race to develop the 'next big thing'. Legally, Lorenzo Maggio owns a large number of bars and restaurants. He runs his business from a back room at Ragazzi's, an upscale Italian eatery downtown.
The Vespucci Family
Julio Vespucci is the don of the Vespucci family, third member of the Mob's ruling council. The Vespuccis run numbers rackets, casinos, and just about anything else designed with an eye toward separating the obsessive-compulsive from their paychecks. Julio Vespucci's headquarters is the Vespucci Cardhouse, a large bar and gambling establishment (all entirely legal, of course) on the west side of town.
"Uncle" Sam Harper
Sam Harper was just an ordinary citizen until, one day, he was bombarded with radiation from his television set when lightning struck his roof antenna during a Fourth of July fireworks display, giving him amazing fireworks and beating-related powers. He had been fighting crime under the alias "Uncle Sam" for barely two weeks when he was served with an injunction by lawyers representing Corporal U.S., who was suing him over similarities in costume design. Sam lost everything in the lawsuit and swore revenge on the country whose legal system had allowed this to happen. He is currently in prison, having been captured during a botched robbery alongside other poorly-represented holiday-themed supervillains.
Clyde "Bunny" Lepus
Clyde Lepus was only eight years old when, while participating in the annual easter-egg hunt on the lawn of the Brick City mayor's mansion, he found and consumed a prototype marshmallow-rabbit candy that had never been intended for release to the public. The candy mutated Clyde into a monstrous rabbit-human hybrid, which unsurprisingly led to a seething hatred for humanity. Clyde is a known associate of Uncle Sam's, and is currently in the same prison.
Seamus "Lucky" O'Leary
Seamus O'Leary is a leprechaun, banished to Brick City from Ireland after he inadvertently allowed his pot of gold to be found and stolen by American backpackers. He will be permitted to return if he can regain his wealth, and has reasonably concluded that the fastest way to accomplish this is through crime. He was last seen working alongside Uncle Sam and Bunny in an attempt to rob a team of Christmas-themed animated snowmen who had just plundered the Brick City Municipal Art Museum. Unlike the others, he managed to escape, perhaps due to his ability to turn invisible and teleport.
Mr. Brown
Mr. Brown is a mysterious telepathic entity in a trenchcoat and fedora who was last seen attempting to sell a vast array of high-tech weaponry to the Cesarios. He was last encountered by a group of heroes who tracked him to his warehouse headquarters near the docks, where they managed to irradiate three miles of the New Jersey coastline while failing to capture him. It is possible that there is more than one Mr. Brown, as he has sometimes been seen in multiple places at the same time.
Superfly
Superfly began life as an ordinary housefly who, against all odds, somehow survived being bitten by a radioactive human, which granted him the amazing strength and abilities of a normal human being. This appears to have granted him some measure of influence over his fellow insects, who have done his bidding in numerous attempts to capture bakeries, candy factories, sugar refineries, and the like.
Buzzkill
Buzzkill is a normal-looking young man who has the uncanny ability to immediately ruin any social situation, simply by opening his mouth. Within moments, he can make food taste terrible, conversation seem agonizingly boring, and friendly and personable people irritable and abrasive. While not actually an accomplished supervillain, he has evidently been advertising his services to other villains' henchmen in the hopes of being hired. It is unknown at this time whether or not anyone has taken him up on his offer.
the UNKNOWN (neutral or unknown)
Monsternon
Monsternon is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing moral support and assistance to those who have recently been transformed into hideous monsters by radiation, chemicals, magic or industrial accidents. Monsternon meetings are typically held up to three times weekly in community buildings all over town, and are staffed by volunteers. As the organization's name implies, members of Monsternon are kept strictly anonymous.
Lt. Tom Parker
Lt. Parker has been the liason between the Brick City Police Department and various super-teams for several years now. It's his job to identify promising heroes and try to get them onboard with standard operating procedure before they do something moronic that he'll be in charge of cleaning up. Parker is himself a superhuman; his head is completely invulnerable to all physical harm. (The rest of him is not; but that's what they make bulletproof vests for.)
NEWS & EVENTS
Projects & Plans
LOCATIONS OF INTEREST
Notable areas, landmarks, institutions and businesses
Neighborhoods of Brick City
Suburbs & the Country outside Brick City
Government, Corporate & Financial of Brick City
The World Beyond
RESOURCE MATERIAL
- visit Green Ronin's home page: Green Ronin Publishing
- visit Mutants and Masterminds' home page: M&M "Headquarters"
- visit the M&M Forums: M&M Forum - "the Atomic Think Tank"
- What is M&M? Mutants and Masterminds
- M&M RPG.net Wiki
INSPIRATION
The following are great examples of the 'feel' of the Brick City setting. Highly recommended if you need inspiration, and also because they're good.
NEAT FACT-OIDS
POLICE RESPONSE TIMES
- Rich Suburbs and Civic Centres: 4 minutes +1d20 rounds.
- Middle class suburbs, and entertainment centers: 8 minutes +1d20 rounds.
- Slums and low-class suburbs: 1d20 minutes.
