This campaign started as a world-building exercise. Click here to see how we got to this point.
What has come before:
The Naxramman Alliance had its attempted invasion of Earth thwarted by the largest coalition of superhumans ever assembled. Even some villains bordering on antiheroes joined the fight to save their planet. Thousands of tons of wreckage litter the globe. Governments are attempting to secure it, some for good and others for ill. Supervillains and their minions are also grabbing up as much as they can.
The death of Silver Sentry signaled the end of The Silver Generation and the transition into the darker Bronze Generation. A battle with Bombardier left the android’s body in pieces. He was laid to rest by his family & friends, with his adopted human daughter taking on the mantle of The Silver Rose in her late father’s honor. Months ago, rumors that Sentry was alive again started to circulate. He was spotted in Hong Kong, Cape Town, and Rome. Other androids, robots, and AI all started to vanish. STRIKE believes Sentry is gathering these beings under something called The Machine Collective. Its purpose is unknown.
Aiden Bell used to be Captain Quantum, a child’s fantasy of a superhero. As a thirteen-year-old, he would blow the right notes on the quantum whistle and swap places with the alien super-being Quantum. Along the way, things went sour, but he’s in his fifties now and claims to have been reformed since then, or at least pretending to be. This rebranding has been so persuasive the city leaders have appointed Bell the headmaster of The Victory Academy. He’s interested in making this a pathway for young superheroes working directly for America’s institutions. The instructors at the Academy are highly suspicious of this move.
Kismet is actually Jude Olmeda, a seventeen-year-old boy living in Forge City. During a visit to his aunt and uncle in New Mexico, he was present for an experiment at the nearby Los Alvarez experimental testing facility. This resulted in Jude being bombarded with chrono-particles, the matter left behind by The Forever Cataclysm incursions. Nothing seemed to have happened to him other than blacking out and feeling queasy for the day after.
Upon returning to Forge City, Jude learned his best friend, Thomas, was killed in a shootout in Exemplar Park. The emotional breakdown he felt triggered his powers, and the teenage boy was able to see the circumstances surrounding Thomas’s death. He identified the perpetrators and went on a hunt to get revenge. He was intercepted by Slingshot, who sympathized with the kid and helped him bring the killers to justice. From there, Slingshot recommended that Jude be enrolled at Victory Academy.
Jude, now with the codename Kismet, has been a student at VA for one year and has just started his second year there. However, the more he develops and uses his powers to override the timeline, the more attention he’s drawing from forces elsewhen.
He’s become good friends with Euphoria, who can manipulate and control people’s emotions. But sometimes, Kismet can’t help but wonder if he hasn’t been affected by her powers.
He clashes with Incognito, the shapeshifter who was a former sidekick to the villain Mr. Enigma and mostly keeps to herself.
Paragon seems like a legendary superhero in the making. He’s a kid from Dead End Alley with power potential that even scares the instructors. He seems destined to be at the same level as the iconic Exemplar.
Mothgirl is….uh, strange. She speaks in weird, cryptic phrases and claims she’s the granddaughter of the mythical Mothman. Her power is connected to the occult, but its exact source is uncertain.
Nano is the newest member of his cohort. During the recent invasion, she turned on her alien slave masters and helped the heroes sabotage the enemy’s ships. Her brain patterns were based on those of a teenage girl in the Naxramman Alliance, so the Academy seemed like a good place for her to live and train.
For Kismet’s assests I looked at the fan made Supersworn materials alongside the official ones that come with Starforged. I chose “Time Travel” which gives me Look: You may Endure Stress (-1) to peer into the future or the past of the location you are in. When you do this to Gather Information , add +1 and take +1 momentum on a hit.
For my second asset, I chose Seer which gave me this ability to start: When you envision experiencing a prophetic dream, you may Ask the Oracle for details using an interpretive oracle such as Action/Theme or Descriptor/Focus. If you record the answer, and later face a situation which gives truth to the vision, take an automatic strong hit (one time only) when making a move to act on your foresight. Then, clear the prophecy. Only one prophecy can be active at a time.
Kismet saw a vision just a few months after his powers manifested.
Oracle: Collapse Environment
Kismet saw a Forge City completely leveled. The sky was blood red and an object like a constructed moon cast its shadow over the landscape. He has to prevent this from coming to pass.
I might add an asset later as we get deeper into the story as Starforged has your ship and a module as one. Those don’t feel appropriate for this setting, but in looking over what was available I didn’t think I knew the character enough yet to pick something out his powers. I am interested in where those assets go as they get upgraded through experience.
To start the game, I’ve put several potential plot threads on a Mythic list and will roll to determine what we focus on first. For starting bonds I’ve chosen the following:
Nano (+1 to interfacing with alien tech) – Troublesome
Since joining the team, Kismet has tried to be extra friendly to Nano as she is alone in a strange new world. She can be distant at times, but he’s found she’s simply trying to figure out where she’s going from here.
Euphoria (+1 to manipulation) – Troublesome
Kismet and Euphoria have been good friends since they were both enrolled at the Victory Academy the previous year.
Panthra (+1 to unleashing on foes) – Dangerous
Panthra has been Kismet’s chief combat instructor at the Academy. Before his fighting style was swinging wildly, but she’s helped him get control and learn how to stay calm in battle.
Thread: Alien Tech Aftermath
The Victory Academy is located in a three-floor mansion donated by Guy Underwood, aka The Metropolitan, to serve as a school for young metahumans. It’s located in the Irving Park neighborhood across Rosen Memorial Bridge, north of downtown. Located at 1654 Inverness Lane, modifications have been made, including an additional three sublevels, including a hangar that houses the school’s TR-83 Raven aircraft, which is used to transport instructors and students in response to alerts.
Kismet is called up to be dispatched to Silvestri Super-Maximum Security Prison, where the villains Plague Rat & Lightshow have gotten their hands on alien tech from the recent invasion.
Kismet is accompanied by fellow students Nano & Euphoria, along with Academy instructors Panthra and Grail. Grail is Lady Amabel, a time lost female knight of the Arthurian Round Table who specializes in teaching the Academy’s students in melee weapon combat.
Progress Track: Stop Plague Rat & Lightshow from taking the leftover alien tech – Dangerous
Oracle: Dead Rendezvous
Things are off to a bad start when the group discovers the guards just past the gates have been killed just outside the gates meaning the place is under the control of the villains.
(For this Delve using Modern Domains – Theme: Fortified, Domain: Prison)
Undertake an Expedition w/Wits – [Weak Hit: 3 + 2 + 0 = 5 vs 6 | 3]
[Mark Progress: Stop Plague Rat & Lightshow from taking the leftover alien tech :2 boxes]
Face Peril – Something Unusual or Unexpected.
The team finds other prisons have been infected by Plague Rat and are rabid, frothing at the mouth, clawing at the heroes as they enter the cafeteria.
Battle w/Heart – [Strong Hit w/a Match: 6 + 3 + 0 = 9 vs 1 | 1]
The training has paid off. Kismet finds his combat skills are better than he anticipated and ends up fighting back to back with Nano. Within minutes the bad guys have been taken out without getting anyone infected. Euphoria reaches into the mind of one prisoner and learns the ringleaders have constructed a devastating weapon somewhere in the facility.
Interlude – The Machine Collective thread
Oracle: Investigate, Authority
A STRIKE agent rushes through the back alleys of Forge City, occasionally looking behind them. A metal fist busts through a brick wall to their side. We see the silhouettes of two different characters. The details we can make out imply they are robots or cyborgs of some kind.
One of the figures states: “Where do you think you’re going, little spook?”
A massive metallic hand reaches out and takes the agent in his hand. Papers go flying from the briefcase the agent was carrying. We see a portion of one page, the text reads “Plan to sabotage The Cosmic Foundry imminent.”
A more slender mechanical hand reaches down, picking up the sheet. “Paper? How quaint.”
Back to our main story
Undertake an Expedition w/Wits – [Weak Hit: 5 + 2 + 0 = 7 vs 4 | 9]
[Mark Progress: Stop Plague Rat & Lightshow from taking the leftover alien tech :4 boxes]
Face Peril – Unexpected alliance revealed – King Krog is alive & well
Everyone thought Krog had perished in the assault against the alien invaders. His flagship had been destroyed, but here he is alive and in the flesh standing in the prison courtyard waiting for the heroes. There is a certain mindlessness to his behavior which is strange.
Battle w/Heart – [Weak Hit w/a Match: 3+ 2 + 0= 7 vs 9 | 9]
Krog acts with such ferocity. He gets a hold of Nano and begins to pull her apart. She screams in a distorted electronic voice. Panthra & Grail charge at the villain.
Enter the Fray w/Iron – [Weak Hit: 5 + 2 + 1 = 8 vs 8 | 3] – Take +2 Momentum
Kismet joins his mentors in attempting a physical strike on the villain. Krog still grasps poor Nano in his rocky mitts. Euphoria stands back trying to reach into the villain’s mind and alter his mood.
Time Travel – -1 Spirit
Gather Information – [Strong Hit: 6 + 2 + 0 = 8 vs 5 | 1] – +3 Momentum
Story Clue: Involves a notable faction – The Machine Collective
Kismet allows his consciousness to break from the present moment in time and looks back to what Krog was doing before they arrived. Flashes of images, some more stabilized than others.
During the final battle above the skies of Forge City, Krog’s ship crashes in the water. Kismet sees the villain swim into a large drainage pipe connected to the prison. Lightshow discovers Krog while he’s down in the basement trying to reassemble his light gun from components he’s been stealing from his electrician’s classes in the prison. Lightshow brings Plague Rat to the ailing Krog. The alien produces a small device that grows over time. Lightshow and Rat’s eyes light up seeing this advanced tech.
Cut to today. The villains have rallied their fellow prisoners leading to a riot. While the guards are distracted, we see Krog looking much sicker being carried by Lightshow and Plague Rat through the halls. Krog uses a piece of his tech to infuse himself with advanced nanites. Krog’s body ripples, his rocky skin regenerating and his mass increasing until he’s back to his behemoth state. Lightshow and Plague Rat head off to attend to other matters. Kismet snaps back to the present understanding they have to stop the nanites.
Clash –[Weak Hit: 6 + 2 + 0 = 8 vs 9 | 5]
[Mark Progress: Battle with King Krog :3 boxes]
[Pay the Price: You are harmed]
Resist Harm – [Weak Hit: 2 + 3 + 0 = 5 vs 5 | 1] – resist 1 Harm
Krog gets ahold of Kismet’s leg and tosses him across the room. His back strikes the concrete wall sending shockwaves of pain, but he lands on his feet and shakes it off. Kismet shouts to Nano about what he saw in his vision, hoping she is still conscious enough to use her powers.
React Under Fire w/Heart – [Weak Hit: 1 + 3 + 0 = 4 vs 10 | 2]
Kismet’s intel helps Nano. Electronic tendrils spring from her hands breaking the surface of Krog’s craggy flesh. There seems to be some kind of backlash as Nano screams in pain with the villain. He does seem frozen for the moment.
-1 Spirit
Kismet exchanges a knowing glance with Euphoria. Her eyes change color as she focuses her mood manipulating powers on the briefly weakened Krog. Kismet rushes in with Panthra and Grail, delivering a massive strike against the villain.
[Strong Hit: 2 + 2 + 0 = 4 vs 1 | 1]
[Mark Progress: Battle with King Krog :6 boxes]
[Mark Progress: Battle with King Krog :9 boxes]
Krog collapses to the ground. His rocky skin is fragmented. Chunks of rock falling off. The once mighty alien warlord has been felled again.
Take Decisive Action – [Strong Hit: 2 + 9 + 0 = 10 vs 6 | 1]
Kismet and the mentors slam Krog to the ground. Nano gets free and her cybernetics immediately begin self-repairing. Euphoria lets the team know she has Krog locked in a mental loop.
Interlude – Time Cops on Patrol
Oracle: Impress, Reputation
The caption box reads: Forge City, 1885
A teenage boy wearing wild neon future gear retrieves a slender device from his pocket as he floats in front of the town’s clock tower. He sprays the clock face, a strange digital spray paint emerging as he turns the numbers into strange symbols. “Let’s see how they adapt to Martian Basic,” he chuckles to himself.
A gloved hand comes down on the boy’s shoulder and he swings around to see Tempus Wright, Time Cop floating behind him. “You know better than this, Vex,” Wright states. His gauntlet suddenly lights up with a warning coming from 2024. Vex grins thinking he’ll get away. Tempus smirks knowingly, tosses a small disc that clings to Vex’s jacket. “See you back in our present,” Tempus says as the young man vanishes and the clock face is restored to its state from minutes earlier.
Back to our story
Undertake an Expedition – [Strong Hit: 1 + 2 + 0 = 6 vs 3 | 4] – Burnt Momentum
[Mark Progress: Stop Plague Rat & Lightshow from taking the leftover alien tech :6 boxes]
The team enters a cell block and finds all the doors open. The prisoners truly are running the prison now.
Explore a Waypoint – [Miss w/a Match: 2 + 2 + 0 = 4 vs 6 | 6]
[Confront Chaos: Technology warped for dark purpose]
Sitting in the middle of the common area is a large truck-sized device. Lightshow is tinkering with it, he gets a brief jolt from it that causes him to yelp. Plague Rat is wringing his hands, asking how much longer. The machine crackles with alien power.
Time Travel (-1 Spirit)
Gather Information – [Miss: 2 + 2 + 1 = 5 vs 6 | 7]
[Pay the Price: You face the consequences of an earlier choice, A surprising development complicates your quest]
Kismet watches the scene around him melt away. He sees a few hours prior. Krog is lifting large chunks and assembling the device. He’s trying to explain it to the villains who seem too hyped up and distracted. Kismet can tell this is meant to open a portal from Earth to the throne world. If that portal opens, who knows how many more alien soldiers will come flooding into a city still healing from the last invasion.
Back to the present.
“I don’t want to wait any longer for Krog,” Plague Rat spits in his raspy, gargling voice. Activate it now. Lightshow looks worried. Panthra & Grail are ready to strike. Nano, Euphoria, and Kismet prepare themselves.
Battle w/Heart – [Strong Hit: 6 + 3 + 0 = 9 vs 3 | 2]
In a flurry of fists, Grail’s holy blade, and Euphoria blasting their foes with wild mood swings the battle comes to a conclusion. Panthra examines the large device trying to make sense of it.
Later, agents of STRIKE show up to take the thing and put it in storage. Their technicians know how to deactivate its power core removing its threat. Krog is also restrained with special tools built just for such a transport. He’s kept unconscious, but Kismet senses this isn’t the last time they’ll meet. Krog will be taken to some secret subterranean facility with the device, buried deep under the ground.
Kismet is looking a little worn down from his two bouts of time travel, he’ll need to rest back at the Academy.
Develop Relationship with Nano – [Miss: 4 + 1 + 0 = 5 vs 8 | 5]
Nano still gives Kismet the cold shoulder, she still keeps her distance reflecting her feeling out of place in this strange new world.
Tease – The Machine Collective
The two figures from before arrive at their secret headquarters in an old warehouse in the harbor.
They are Blayde, a female android who looks mostly human except for her exposed robotic hands.
The other is Mangle, a strange mish-mash of parts that resulted in a monstrous robot.
They have the STRIKE agent in tow and toss him to the ground.
“We got the intel. They went with analog,” explains Blayde. “Smart move. Who knows what else they’re up to if the feds are working off the grid.”
Silver Sentry is revealed. “Before we deal with that, we’re going to need to mount a rescue attempt.”
From his palm emerges a holographic image of Nano. “This little one needs our help.”
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