H’lo, Innmates! Uncle Run-With-Scissors, here, tossing pebbles in the pond and trying to see how the ripples go!

In hopes of knocking the dust off our creativity and, possibly, spurring some more activity at the Inn, SilentOne and I have been kicking around the idea of kicking off a freeform/collaborative storytelling type game. It will be set in “modern(ish)” times and have something of a Mutants & Masterminds feel at its core (and I say that only because the characters that Silent and I have dragged out of mothballs in order to start building a framework are from games of the same sort that didn’t quite make it). The actual genre of the tale may very well twist and turn in any number of ways as it goes along. Anyway, all of that said, there are going to be two different sides (at least) to the tale, loosely defined by the nature/objectives of the characters that SilentOne and myself are putting on.

Samael (my “primary” character) is an “outsider” of sorts. Basically an amnesic ‘angel’ whose body was found by Silent’s character (“Aly” as he knows her) just before his most recent resurrection. After spending some time recuperating (and slowly regaining his memories) in Aly’s company, he falls back into his “standard routine” of watching over and trying to protect the city.

Aly (aka Penumbra) is the head of Syncorp Enterprises, having taken over the business from her father. However, she also inherited the leadership of the enigmatic “Shadow Council,” a major player in organized crime (fraud, extortion, weapons dealing, murder for hire, etc), and it is that bit that eventually bring Sam and Aly into conflict with one another.

Soooo… I guess what we’re looking for, here, if anyone else is interested in joining in, are additional characters of just about any ilk to flesh out the cast and, of course, introduce your own side/sub-plots to the thing – from a Scyon City Police Detective or “masked vigilante” to a lieutenant or even low level operative of the Shadow Council or anything in between – at some point, your character(s) may “pick a side” or even remain neutral if that’s the way your character decides to play it. Up to you, really.

Anyhoo… I think that’s enough of a set up for an interest check, right? If you’ve got an inclination to join us or even more questions before you make a decision, feel free to post here or PM SilentOne or myself.

I really like the sounds of this - also, where has Mutants and Masterminds been all my life; superheroes and DnD? heck yes! - but got a couple questions first.

How many mechanics are being borrowed from Mutants and Masterminds?

How would the game be run; is there a DM or is it player-driven?

I was rather hoping this might catch your attention, C2P!

As mentiond in the OP, this is primarily going to be character-driven freeform (much as we did with Einar and Ch'dau in HC: Aftermath). As far as M&M mechanics go, I think really all that we'd need is for your character to be created per M&M guidelines in order to fix on a "power set" (assuming you're going with a powered individual) or "equipment/resources" (for a non-powered, Batman-type or even just a cop, gang thug, etc). Beyond that, all I really expect is for folks to play to character, enjoy writing, and contribute to the over-all tale.

Let me know if I can clarify further or assist in any way. 

As far as character creation goes - I believe both Samael and Penumbra are Power Level 8, so, I'll call that "top end" for now.

Wow my fanclub stikes again

This might not matter so much but figured I'll ask anyway: any particular edition in mind for character and the like? I've got access to all three, but need a direction before I deep-dive lol.

That's...

...thank you, very much!

I'm pretty sure we used Third Edition for Samael and Penumbra.

You and my mom may have to fight for that spot lol

You can put me down as "very interested" if this gets off the ground. I am a mega nerd for superheroes, so this is right up my alley. If this isn't chosen yet, the Speedster class is what I've been dying to right forever, though are powers not included in the manual up for use? Specifically, I've had vector manipulation - https/powerlisting.fandom.com/wiki/Vector_Manipulation - on my mind for a speed-type hero, but chronomancy also is a very fun, very in-game option.

And if not Speedster, then Primal looks very fun too.

...but to make it "official:" Speedster is great and I'm happy to entertain off book powers, so Vector Manipulation is a-okay.

As I mentioned, this is going to be more collaborative story-telling than a true roll and scribble type of game. So long as there's no "God-moding" we're in good shape.

Curious if youll tag in on Penumbra's side or Sam's. Or just go where the vibes take you lol 

Depends on whose got the "little guy" in mind; thus far, I've got a real woman of the people in mind for my character.

Fair enough. Not sure if Penumbra has the little guy in mind. But she does care about her own. Keep it in mind yah? No pressure though. Hope you join. 

Sounds like Sam's kind of somebody to me!

Speaking of Sam, the very first thing I wrote for him is below. Comes from a game called Noir Camelot that never really got up to speed. Might give you a little insight into the character.

On the roof of Our Lady of Victory

 He stood there, among his stone-wrought brethren, and, through the rain, gazed out over the city he had come to consider home in these past months. It was a night very much like this one when he had, in some small sense of the word, first revealed himself to the citizens of New Camelot. Standing here, now, with his wings folded around him against the rain that, despite its persistence, would never truly wash away the filth that plagued the city, he couldn’t help but recall that first encounter…

Her name was Aggy Hartwell and she had scarcely graduated high school. Young, excitable, and caught up in the exuberance brought on by achieving that valediction and, so, moving into the beginnings of her adult life, Aggy and a couple of her friends had ventured out into the city seeking the ‘appropriate celebration.’ Unfortunately for them, that first foray into the spectacle of speak-easies and swing dances led them into parts of New Camelot that were far darker than the signs and streetlights would ever have led them to believe. Their evening had started at what seemed to be a tame enough gin joint with a steady stream of Dapper Dans vying for the girls’ attentions, some with more success than others… again, unfortunately. It was one of these sharp-dressed charmers that had, in the end, wooed the giggling girls away from the city’s safer venues and into the far more private clutches of an underground club run by the Onigumo family.

By the time Aggy realized that someone had slipped her a Mickey, both of her friends had succumbed to their own similarly doped drinks and were being dragged into some dark backroom. Aggy herself managed to stagger out of the club and into the rain-soaked streets before the drugs took too much of a hold on her and, thanks to the biting rain and a burst of adrenaline, had even been able to outrun the two Japanese goons who had pursued her into the night for a short time. The drugs won out over her stamina and determination before long, though, and her spinning head guided her face first into the pock-marked pavement of some garbage choked alley. Her stockings and the skin on her knees alike burned away as she tumbled headlong into the trash of the dank backstreet, her hands, too, suffered scrapes and cuts as they flew out before her in a futile attempt to keep her head from ultimately bouncing off the pavement. She made a weak attempt to get back to her feet but, between the drug-tainted alcohol, the fatigue, and, now, likely, a concussion, Aggy found that she scarcely had the energy to scream when the Onigumo thugs finally caught up to her.

That scream, if she had even let it loose, at all, got snatched away by the wind that seemed, suddenly, to come from all around her… or, perhaps, muffled by the ruffling pop-pop-pop of what sounded like an enormous pair of wings just above her head… Aggy tried to scream again and, at the same time, lift her eyes to see just what it was she was screaming about, but her vision was oh so blurry and her head so very heavy that all she could remember for a long moment was a brilliant flash of light followed by another powerful, omnidirectional gust of wind… and, then, the sensation of… flying?

When she awoke, some short while later, Aggy found herself lying on the grass amidst a small copse of trees on the edge of Excalibur Park… miles from where she last remembered being and farther, she was sure, than she would have been able to make it on foot in what certainly must have been the very short time that had passed. She blinked in confusion, reached up to touch the spot on her head where it had met the street and, only then, when her fingertips failed to find the expected bump or cut or even trickle of blood, did she realize that a curious winged creature crouched beside her. Aggy nearly screamed again but something about the reassuring, yet, somehow sad smile he offered when her eyes met his stifled the scream and, instead, evoked another blink.

His sky-blue eyes sparkled from behind the long, raven-hued tendrils of hair that fell across his face and, despite the fact that he was clad in what appeared to be some sort of ancient armor worked in silver and blue, and had an enormous pair of blue-black wings issuing from his back that, now, sheltered them from the rain that fell on New Camelot, she felt more comforted by the creature’s presence than afraid of its appearance. Aggy opened her mouth to speak, realized that she had no idea what to say, and, offering a sheepish grin, closed it again.

The creature said nothing, either, merely returned the smile, offered a faint nod and placed his hand gently over the wound on her knee.

Aggy managed a squeak as the creature’s hand began to glow and she felt a tingling warmth spread through her… and a stunned gasp when the creature’s hand moved away to reveal clean, undamaged skin where, just an instant ago, it was a ruined as her stockings still were. “Are… Are you an angel, Mister?”

The question seemed to confuse him and, for an instant, that soft, enigmatic smile melted into something of a frown as he seemed to consider the answer. His wingtips seemed to flutter, then, in an attempt to flick the rain away and, the gentle smile returning as he mended the scrapes on her other knee, answered; “I don’t know… I… I am only Samael…”

Aggy Hartwell had told Samael about the friends who had been with her, that night, and, after he had seen her safely home, he had spent the next two weeks in search of them, eventually locating them (and a half dozen other opium-addled young women) locked in a shipping container on a ship (owned by one of the Onigumo Family’s interests) bound for Japan. Samael suffered grievous injuries in rescuing and returning the girls but, also, garnered more than a little suspicion and consternation as to his appearance… the populace of New Camelot seemed more interested in pointing out what was “wrong with him” as opposed to what he might have done “right”… and, so, he had flown away in hopes of finding a place where he might hide and recover from his wounds (which he found to be no small task for a ‘circus freak&rsquo. It was during this time… and, after The New Camelot Herald published an article, based on an interview with a Miss Agatha Hartwell, titled Saved by an Angel… that Father O’Brian had somehow managed to find him… offer him some sort of refuge… and, better, still, a chance to belong somewhere.

“…Are you an angel, Mister?”

Samael sighed, tearing his gaze away from the rain-swept city and allowing it to pan over the assemblage of sculpted seraphim with whom he shared the church’s roof. “I don’t know,” was still his answer to this day… he couldn’t remember what he was… where he was from… but he did know, thanks to Father O’Brian and those others who, from time to time, the Father summoned to Our lady of Victory, that he had a place and a purpose, here, and, if this city needed an angel, he may someday answer “yes” if he could.

If I ever played Free Form it was a long long time ago, but I have been thinking about Disturbance as I think I have a Folder on my Desk Top of my Lap Top titled 'Disturbance Folder for Eol Super Hero Game' but have not opened it [it just lurks on my desk top]

The game disturbance was in is the same game Penumbra was in. 

Good to see you!

If you decide to join us, I think Disturbance would make an interesting addition. Maybe even as an enforcer type in the employ of the Shadow Council?

Either way, freeform is relatively easy as it's basically just collaborative storytelling without worrying overmuch about rolling dice and counting beans. If I can answer any questions just let me know.