Halt Evil Doer! Manifesto

Manifesto Intro

Heroism!

Welcome to the World of Earth-627, a dimensional reality that was long ago affected by the mysterious Preservers who sought to create a sublime race of enlightened philosophers with powers above and beyond those of ordinary alien species. They did not suceed in this task, yet, but nevertheless laid the seeds for a race of super-powered beings that would rise in the later portion of the 20th century.

Since the 1930s, Earth-627 has been inhabited by superpowered beings whom decided to wear costumes and attempt to right the myriad social ills that have wracked the world. For the most part, these idealists are trusted and accepted as a beloved part of the world's self-policing structure. Super-heroes are treated with the same kind of adulation and praise that celebrities are with quite a few gaining the attention that you might accord to living saints.

Crime

Superhuman Crime is the greatest threat that currently faces the world today. Superpowered criminals are well beyond the ability of non-powered Police to deal with and the numbers of super-humans are still too small to deal with the threat on a city-by-city basis.

Thankfully, most Super Villains are not really interested in large scale mass murder. Many are addicted by the rush of celebrity that being a superhuman has and are mostly interested in theft, extortion schemes, or stealing super-technology to sell on the Black Market. Superhuman criminals that commit wholesale murder are exempt from the usual policies by superhumans to not kill them and often end up executed swiftly. Superhuman Terrorists must face the United States' own supersoldiers and ones ready/willing to take the kill shot.

Unfortunately, in a world of mind-control and alternate doubles, it remains very difficult to keep truly famous and successful superhumans behind bars (as long as they aren't mass murderers or monsters). Jailbreaks are fairly common and others are capable of using their powers to get free when they should reasonably be behind bars.

The criminal system isn't quite ready for superpowered crime but so far, the system for dealing with them works on a whole.

Freedom City

Freedom City, Massachusetts is the major change from the existing world. Like Gotham City and Metropolis, Freedom City is a fictional city that does not exist in our own world but is the largest city in America (with correspondingly less prominence for New York and Chicago). Occupying the same physical space that Boston does in the real world, Freedom City stretches over most of the coastline and beyond with almost all major economic and global transactions being conducted from it.

Freedom City is so large it has everything cool in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. It has its own version of the Statue of Liberty (The Sentinel of Justice), Hollywood (Freedomwood), Seers Tower (Freedom Tower), Wallstreet (High Street), and is where the United Nations meets instead of New York.

Government

The United States government of the Freedomverse is slightly different than our world. President Al Gore is finishing up his second term and has signed agreements to create the first United Nations based army under the control of UNISON. Iraq's government is still under Saddam Hussein, unfortunately, and a source of unpleasant superhumans even to this day.

Likewise, President George Bush Sr. created a massive National Security Agency/C.I.A hybrid in the late eighties called A.E.G.I.S. (American Elite Guardian Intelligence Service) that was secret until his Presidency. It is a massive global peace keeping force that not all countries particularly appreciate but has managed to successfully prevent all terrorist threats except from the former Nazi secret society SHADOW and its satellite organizations.

Americans are deeply patriotic in the Freedomverse and not at all disillusioned with their current administration.

Magic

Called "Quantum Particle Uncertainty Mental Manipulation" by science, magic is actually quite real in the Freedomverse. It is also something that exists outside of the lime light and is largely disbelieved in by the majority of the populous. Hades himself might attack the middle of the city with a horde of zombies from Hell but Freedom City's many thinkers would swiftly explain it away with convincing or less than convincing answers.

Magicians are, for the most part, a secret and easily annoyed lot that dislike that so many of their younger members have started operating openly as opposed to the shadows. There are countless other dimensional dangers and horrors in the world that they guard against while others are starting to view the present age as the perfect time to show themselves to the masses and MAKE THEM COWER!

Society

Unlike Marvel comics, the fear that assails the X-men of the world turning against super-powered humans is relatively unlikely to come to pass. There are bigots in the world and twisted racists who want to see everything but pure blooded homo-sapiens wiped out but these are considered radicals that the majority of the populous views with tremendous disgust. It's good to be a superhero and most people won't gainsay you the opportunity if you have the ability to handle it.

It would appear that Rousseau was right as well, with humanity being naturally good. While supervillains and evil monsters are prevalent, this is a society that is slowly acclimating towards a global world where ideals of freedom and justice are held as the highest pinnacle of society.

Technology

Thanks to super-human inventors, the technology of Halt Evil Doer! is slightly higher than that of regular old Earth Prime. The cures to most diseases, in-system space travel, and clean burning fusion power have been discovered by the 1990s even if it'll be sometime before this technology is widely available in every part of the world. Cancer, AIDs, and a few other nasty diseases still exist but treatments are progressing all the time. It's an optimistic world that can only expect to get better.

Invention is mostly done by individuals super-geniuses in this world, called Novas, rather than in laboratories by thousands of scientists. This had lead to numerous high powered technologies firms that are controlled by both superheroes and supervillains whom are almost above the law in their resources.

Themes

The campaign themes of Halt Evil Doer! is Heroism and Idealism as contrasted to Eberron's bleakness. The heroes of the land are attempting to continue the world's foreward mobility into a bright and better tomorrow. This is not always easy nor is it something that doesn't occasionally wear on the soul. One should feel grateful that the thing most costumed superheroes feel is that they're not doing ENOUGH rather than that they don't feel they're accomplishing anything.

It's a colorful and bright Hollywood world where the attitudes of general evil and horror are unwelcome. Players should remember this when considering torturing their characters.

Recommended Viewing

These all give the appropriate feeling for the Freedomverse, though except for a few, most of them seem to be worlds without superheroes while the concept is relatively well known in Universe-627.

Trade Paper Backs

• Golden Age
• Kingdom Come (a possible bleak future for the Freedomverse)
• Marvels
• Superman: Birthright

Movies

• Superman I and II (and Superman Returns)
• Batman Begins
• James Bond series (for AEGIS at work)
• Iron Man
• Spiderman I and II
• Mystery Men (the craziness of their city is actually quite accurate for Freedom City)
• X-men I and II

Animated Series

• Batman Begins
• Superman
• Justice League (not Justice League Unlimited sadly)

Halt Evil Doer!