Set-Up and Character Creation

We're going to be going through the Pathways character creation together, but before that, let's think about the setting a bit. Don't come in with fully thought out character ideas yet. Let's come up with stuff together.

Okay, so I want to set this game in the current day, so I will set that as a requirement for the setting. Also, there's superheroes. Doesn't mean all of you have to be superheroes. The game is flexible like that. But it should tell stories about superheroes, so at least one or two of you should actually have powers. The system is balanced so that you can definitely play a normal person as well. It's Smallville. Of course there's going to be the option for a Lois and a Clark.
I also don't want to actually play in the DC universe. So that's another requirement I'm making.

Aside from those things, I'm pretty open for some shared discussion of the setting, though. Are we playing in just a regular city? If so, more Gotham, Metropolis or actually Smallville? Or are we going to use a more unconventional setting? I've played in a short-lived Smallville game a while back that had us in a quarantined, mob-ruled city locked up to contain superpowered people. I'm open for those kinds of ideas (but retain a veto even for popular ideas if I don't like / want to run them).

Anyway, here is me rambling. Let's discuss this, either here or on the Discord or both. Once we have the setting nailed down, we can start thinking about character concepts.

I'm happy with much. I think for the character dynamics In most excited to explore we need access to a bunch of recurring NPCs, so I'd prefer not to travel somewhere new every scene. A set city or town fires that, as would a prison or a biodome a large enough space station. I'm quite happy setting that outside of North America, too.

Oh, right, that's something I should explicitly mention too. You definitely will have a cadre of established and recurring NPCs and locations. That's part of the system, mechanically as well. So yes, definitely one location (city-equivalent), not traveling.

I wouldn't mind a prison or a city setting.

Belle Reve is a "super prison" in the DC lore. It's somewhere in the swamps of Louisiana in case that's a location that piques some interest.

Ooo that sounds great. Swampy prison escape drama.

Maybe less on the escape drama, as we want to maintain a location. Otherwise the interrelationships that the game is about will vanish.

If we set it in a prison, what would we be doing there? Guards or inmates, housekeeping? Or is it only nominally a prison, where the team is kept between maneuvers (kind of like the last Suicide Squad movie)?

I've been thinking about prison since it came up yesterday evening. It's an interesting thought but yeah, I do find it difficult. Prison escape is definitely not what I'm going for and this doesn't seem like the system for that. Something like a penal colony could work as a setting, some remote place that you were shipped off to and where you live now, imprisoned but semi free. More like in the game Arkham City than an actual prison.
I'm just concerned that that would be pretty limiting as an idea

The prison could be like Arkham Island to Gotham. Maybe it's a prominent feature in the city, a dark scar on the edge of town. A source of endless conflicts, escapes, corruption, and intrigues. Game play would mainly be in the city, with that prison as only one feature.

Having a prison as a central location to the city and story could easily work. Maybe even some characters having connections to it (imprisoned family member / a job there / ...) if we want to make it relevant. I was more concerned about a game entirely set inside a prison. I'm not sure how well that would work

I like a super-prison as a feature, but not as the location. Or us being a bunch of inmates. But having to break one of our own out... now we're talking.

So, apologies for being pretty unplugged from all games lately, but I have questions:

What is the Smallville RPG about? I've never seen, and don't care to see, the show. (WB and me, NO SIR.)

I know it's supers, it's an earlier Cortex build, relationships are important. But are we playing in the DC universe? Are we teens? Four color heroes? Street-level heroes? Villains? Is it a shades of gray game, or is it pretty clearly good gals & guys and bad gals & guys?

Well, that's what we're working out here now. The main thing is that it's all about social relationships and drama.

As I mentioned above, we're not playing in the DC universe for this but just in our own setting. We can be teens or adults or a mix. That's flexible.
As for the exact shade of morality/heroism, thats also somewhat open. You're all flawed normal people who have their own problems, so no larger than life godlike heroes. I'd prefer not outright villains, but you can definitely be morally grey.
And as for power level, theoretically, you can play anything from normal human to Superman all mixed together in one group and it works. I think I'd prefer a bit closer to street level as the cap, though

Oh, one very important thing I should also mention: You all know each other. You don't have to be friends, but you know each other and you know the same people.
During character creation, we'll be building a relationship map that will create lots of links between you and the people around you.
There's an example in the book, at the end of the Pathways chapter (I think page 41) but that is pretty messy. I can post a different example later.

But anyway, yes, you know each other, that's important. No outsider characters.

Let's work out that connective tissue between us then. It should be robust, in that we develop relations with others in that area. Do we all go to/work at the same college, or live in the same apartment building, or habitually go to the same karaoke bar? Or the same support group for victims of supervillainry?

I do think the framework of the setting and relationships should really inform our character design choices.

Okay, so in order to move forward a bit and bundle our thoughts so far:

For the setting, we have a crime-ridden city with lots of old buildings and dark alleys. One major feature of the city is a prison that houses some very famous and powerful criminals.
There is also a sister city nearby (maybe across a canal or lake) that's much newer and shinier, but the game will mostly focus on the worse of the two.

Does that sound alright so far? If so, we need names for the cities as well as the prison. I suck at names so that is your job.

Great with me. I like metaphorical names. Gotham=gothic, etc

How about Gold City and Greyville?

For the prison, how about TANC: The Authority National Correction facility?

"The" is weak. Maybe Trans-American Authority National Correction facility?

Sounds good to me.

Flamedrift, Charfall, Knoxham, Racketdale, Reebarrow, just a few I plucked from a generator.

Maybe my character could be someone who discovered he/she had a power but didn't realize it and he physically hurt someone dear to him and now he's afraid to use said power. My initial idea anyway.

Are we all the same age and if so how old? Mid thirties or twenties or all dissimilar ages?

As I watched _The Boys_ recently, I like the idea of a minor street level hero who recently obtained his powers. He was the victim of some scheme that left him enhanced/cursed he knows not the details of, but has some leads. He goes to group to help deal, and is secretly looking for allies in his quest for justice.

Had a brief chat with Windy. Our two proposed character ideas both involve minor powers. These came about because we were secretly dosed by a former lover of mine, and hers. Windy, being the sharper tack, figured that out and confronted her lover. This lead to her harming that person, and going to group. I don't know I was dosed, and have fond memories of that secretly evil lover. A confrontation may be forthcoming.

I have notions of a human-looking alien or time-traveler from the future flitting through my head. Can easily be connected to others... maybe like the idea of them not being terrible socially tuned-in, and them almost being adopted by the support group maven?