Dark Champions: New Venice

• Quasi's Dark Champions RPG game. Using Champions 6th ED rules set in the town of New Venice!
• Recruitment
• IC thread
• OOC thread
• Champions 6th Edition Rulebooks

Characters

• Chavalier playing The Magic Man (Dark Champions - New Venice)
• GaoGaiGar playing Dr. Steel (Dark Champions - New Venice)
• Caias Ward playing Steven Yoder (Dark Champions - New Venice)
• AndrewTBP playing Wraith (Dark Champions - New Venice)
• Toras playing Chance (Dark Champions - New Venice)
• bluecaterpillar playing The Needle (Dark Champions - New Venice)
• OldKentuckyShark The Prestige (Dark Champions - New Venice)

About New Venice

Pronounced Ven-ICE Population: 488,230 Location: Camden CountySouth West corner of Georga.

At its worse, it is a mix of both the decaying Old South nobility and modern decadence, often clashing. At it best, it is a dynamic vibrant city full of old world charm, in the midst of an economic boom. People of every socal strata have flocked there as the rest of the country's economy nosedives. It is slowly edging out Atlanta's title of as was seen in the ugly competition beteen Atlanta and New Venice for the 1996 Olympics. With the advent of modern container shipping, New Venice port's traffic ehas increased tenfold in teh last five years. Cargo once shipped inland by train is instead of handled by longshoremen, so there's a big economic shift in a traditional working-class area. Unfortunately it is estimated that 35% of the city's traffic is due to illegal activity. Note that some of the older and hight society citizens call New Venice "Greater Venice" since it is much larger, more spread, and just culturally developed as its namesake.

New Venice is the second largest city in Georgia. It really came into being in the 1880's where it became the first stop and eventual home of many Italian stonemasons who came over from the old country to work in the US during the post Civil War Reconstruction.

You can have old genteel southern feel of Olde Towne, the once grand "Italian District," the bustle of the skyscrapers of downtown, and the seedy docks of Portside. And of course the forest of hi-rise Condo Towers in the posh suburb of Cuore Beach. What used to be the cuban nieghborhood Yabor City recently has an huge influx of Russians.

All these are riddled by its famous canals. There is even a toungue-in-cheek urban legend about "Vinnie," a monster who supposedly inhabits the canals and is the city's unoffical mascot. Depending on who tells the tale, Vinnie may be a plesiosaur, a giant thirty foot alligator, or a mutated man-eating manatee.The manatee rumors are likely just an outgrowth of the New Venice Manatees AA baseball team - they're the ones that first started using Vinnie as their mascot.

Don't forget that wedged between Portside to the south, and the agricultural chemical industrial plants and the train station in the north, is Free Town, the district still primarily inhabited by african american families, and settled during the Reconstruction period by freed slaves. Oddly, this is another area, in addition to Olde Towne, where the homeowners associations are the most adamant about maintaining the "old southern charm" of their buildings, and force property owners to follow strict rules in any remodeling or refurbishment of the old homes and businesses there.

Culture

New Venice's renaissance festival is perhaps the largest in the US Anh the Yellow Fever Jazz Fest, held in mid-August, has attracted jazz headliner from aroudn the world, although only in its 4th year .

Landmarks

The main waterway is the Grand Canal. While New Venice is affluent, whle there are great hights there are great depths. Nationwide, Skidmore Row is perhaps the worse of these nighborhoods. Indeed "Skid Row" has become slang for any decripid neighborhood. The graffi riddled stsatue of Gen. Skidmore

Located just off the Grand Canal on Blakely Plaza, is the New Venice Museum Of Modern Art (NV-MOMA) A hideous monstrotrocity that everyone hates. It incorporates all of the worst features of modern art. It looks like it was designed by a lunatic, because it was. Some visitors even complain of nightmares. Its designer Johnson Debuque, went insane and has been a resident of the hopeless case wing of the St. Regis Asylum for the last 45 years. The truth behind it is an ugly story...

Far more popular is the St. Blaise Cathedral. Built as a labor of love buy the orginal Italian stonemasons who settled in New Venice, it put many old world churches to shame. Its crowning touch is an exact copy of the bell tower from St Mark's Basilca in old Venice. (Interesting piece of trivia. When the orginal San Marco bell tower collapsed in old Venice, 1902 they used the New Venice tower as a reference to rebuilt the orginal from scratch. So technically, the belltower in Plaza San Marco, Venice, Italy is a copy of the one here in New Venice! True story.)

To the south is the Blake National Forest. Called a "national treasure" by enviromental groups, it is seen an eyesore by locals. It is more of swamp than a forest. Its nickname is "Blake's Hell" from a Local legend is that back in 1835 a local farmer named Obiadah Blake went hunting in the woods in this area. He went into the swamps hunting for a Panther that was killing his livestock. The story end with him being lost in the forest for weeks until he finally came to a clearing near Freetown. There he stated "My name is Obiadah Blake, and I just came from Hell!" He then died.

The Story Thus Far

Seminal vigilante the Witness has been killed, and you have revceived and actually hand written invitation to meet at one of former safe houses to create a team to carry on his legacy, and clean up the rats nest that taken up abode in the heart of your fair city.

The Bad Guys

VIPER

In Champions V.I.P.E.R. is the generic bad guy, inspired by GI Joe's C.O.B.R.A. and Marvel's Hydra. But such groups may not fit in this low powered darker world.

So, instead of V.I.P.E.R. the comic book supervillian group, we have "Viper Security Consultants," a legal but shady private security group/Mercenary army that is traded on the stock exchange. Think of a more sinister version of Blackwater, Wackenhut, or Brinks. The US even has a contract with Viper Security Consultants and have their men working in Afganistan and Iraq doing some pretty nasty stuff.

Ironically, this makes them more powerful and far wealthier than the comic book version of V.I.P.E.R. There is no reason for this incarnation to rob a bank, not when their own armored trucks regularly carry $100 million in laundered drug money and weapons sales. Why risk everything with some crazy plan to rule the world when your stock is already selling for $120 on the NASDAQ and is set to split once news of your latest goverment contract is made public at your next stockholders' meeting?

However, that does not mean Viper is above corporate espionage under the cover of supervilliany or terrorism, and may explain the sudden rash of terrorist activity in town. Viper is not above playing both sides of the field.

As much as I hate my former employers, I give them a healthy respect. Just like I'm nice and polite to a very large dog holding my junk between its teeth. You got any questions on dealing with these guys, let me know. - Yoder

C.A.S

Commune Anarcho-Syndicaliste

A violent and loose knitted terrorist group inspired by the deranged writings of their deranged leader. They espouse overthrow of all governments and religion, and demand a return to a simpler way of life without the reliance on technology and computers. Their second most "holy book" is "Walden" which they take as the ideal society free of violence and hatred. This does not stop them from using cutting edge weapons to steal what they want and kill those who get in the way. (This is basically used as a front group for Viper, and their "Deranged Leader" is a Unabomber clone.)

Wow, these guys are a bunch of losers. I mean, Thoureau? At least they aren't reading that Ayn Rand 30something everyman crap... - Yoder

Game-Specific

Character Guidlines

The basic feel of this campaign is akin to Batman:TAS meets X-Files. Psi and magic, exist as dark rumor. Think horror movie overtones.

So no angsty mutants with eyeblasts and no aliens with an S on their chest that can pass for human simply by putting on glasses. You may be able to bench press a ton, but you can't pick up a car and throw it. Damage is in that ballpark. But I am less woried about power level than conception.

Possibilities include Mind control dugs and gas (Drugs and gases have a great number of possibilities.) Limited Telekenesis. Shapechanging into other people. (Disguise skill or al la Darkman) Ability to copy skills by watching someone do it.

Example Characters Green hornet, The Shadow, Wolverine, Batman, Joker, Captian America, Bane, Bullseye, Roxy Rocket, Catwoman, Jedi Knight, Pyro (who may not be able to create fire, but can control exisiting flame)Cutey Honey and Shadow Lady from their respective manga, Phantom Lady, Nemesis, pretty much anyone from the Secret Six (except Knockout) or Suicide Squad. Street Fighter characters like Guile, Cammy or Chun-Li

We allow some low grade mutant, psionic, and magic powers. They definitely fit in the film noir feel. Also remeber that motif is everything. Even soemthing as telepathy can be bought as just being real good at body language, cold reading, or truth drugs.

BTW, my superpower includes 'Being Awesome' and 'Did Your Mom' - Yoder

Equipment

Nothing's free. Weapons and armor have to be paid for by power points.

Average Attack: About 8-10d6. That gives powers in the 40-50 point range.

Powers

Powers like flying, teleportation and desolidification depends on the motif. A jetpack (a la Rocketeer) or built in glider OK Flying via unexplained physics defying alien powers -NO

Banned powers include:

• Magically/genetically Tranforming your target into a different creature.
• Transfering life, intellect vitality, ect.
• Growing or shrinking (more than a two feet)
• Copying superpowers.
• Shapechanging into things or animals.
• Projecting energy such as lasers, gamma rays or electricity from your body in defiance of all the laws of physics.
• Gadeet/powers that defy the laws of physics. (Gadgets can bend them though)

Origins

Aliens exist but only as inhuman monsters. (IE Aliens can't disguise themselves with glasses and pretend to be a newspaper reporter)

Killing

As for killing, in general killing is a bad thing. Remeber you don't need a Killing Attack in order to kill. Of course, it makes it much easier. Shoving people off rooftops or into traffic with magic , and putting a force wall up in front of a speeding car or even poking people in the eye with a pionted stick is plenty lethal. But on the other hand, having a handgun as a backup is sensible for a vigilante.

Heroes suspected of murder will suffer real life consequences such as getting hunted by police, bad PR, and trouble sleeping at night. Sometimes police may turn a blind eye, but there is a line that cannot be strictly defined. As mentioned if you keep on killing bad guys how are they going to come back next issue? Superheroes killing, or even attacking bad guys in "the line of duty" run a risk. In this world supers are considered vigilantes. In fact, “vigilantes” is the common word used to describe "superheroes." Also note superhero secret identities have no legal protection. That means, since in the US courts the accused has the constitutional right to know who his accuser is, a super cannot be a witness in a court of law unless he gives up his secret identity. Which in turn, means that the heroes have to gather evidence to make charges stick to criminals. If a bundle of financial records that prove the mayor is dealing drugs turns up on the steps of police HQ, there aren't as many issues as to where they came from in prosecution. Unless the mayor can afford a very good lawyer. Unfortunately, with New Venice politics being as it is, it has happened before.