Wandering, wandering

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

So for various reasons I've been palying with Tri-Stat dX,
in particular as a game engine for a campaign set at a high-school
for metahumans. Not the swanky, Westchester mansion sort of school
but the 'Our funding meets roughly 90% of our mandated needs' sort
of place [1]. In addition to all the usual high school things that
superpowers won't help with, the kids also have to worry about the
dangers of side-kickery and spontaneous super-team formation.

Which made me wonder, why is it exactly that masks like to
drag kids into combat with them?

One explanation I will use, in reference to one particular
fellow called Harrier [2] is that he made a deal with the devil or
_a_ devil, to get his powers. Devils are immortal and this one has
problems realizing Harrier isn't a 12 year old kid anymore so when
he shows up to collect Harrier, Harrier hands over his sidekick. H
is safe, again, until the red fellow realizes he's been duped once
more and returns for the soul he is owed.

Which is why all his side kicks are the same age and build.
It's the one he had when he made the deal.

James Nicoll

1: Any school where some of the kids need a U235 dietary suppliment
can run through money pretty fast.

2: After the bird, not the plane.
--
"The keywords for tonight are Caution and Flammability."
JFK, _Bubba Ho Tep_

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

On 5 Jun 2004 15:52:20 -0400, jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
[snip explanation of campaign idea]
Sounds like some parts of the X-Men: Evolution TV cartoon.

> Which made me wonder, why is it exactly that masks like to
>drag kids into combat with them?

> Which is why all his side kicks are the same age and build.
>It's the one he had when he made the deal.

I love that one.

I can't think of very many good rationales for "realistic" heroes to do
it...you'd think most of them wouldn't want the kid to get hurt. Now, if
it was an invulnerable kid, maybe it'd be okay. Otherwise, I'm thinking
maybe Wertham was right.


--
chuk

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

In article <ca2lrv$dca$1@morgoth.sfu.ca>, Chuk Goodin <cgoodin@sfu.ca> wrote:
>On 5 Jun 2004 15:52:20 -0400, jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
>[snip explanation of campaign idea]
>Sounds like some parts of the X-Men: Evolution TV cartoon.
>
>> Which made me wonder, why is it exactly that masks like to
>>drag kids into combat with them?
>
>> Which is why all his side kicks are the same age and build.
>>It's the one he had when he made the deal.
>
>I love that one.
>
>I can't think of very many good rationales for "realistic" heroes to do
>it...you'd think most of them wouldn't want the kid to get hurt. Now, if
>it was an invulnerable kid, maybe it'd be okay. Otherwise, I'm thinking
>maybe Wertham was right.

In the real world, the reason for the kid side-kicks was to
give kids someone to identify with in the comic, although I can't think
of any examples of kids pretending to be e.g. Robin or Bucky.

Plus when Robin first showed up, kids doing adult jobs was a little
more common (although usually not kids quite that young). Depression and
all that stuff...

--
"The keywords for tonight are Caution and Flammability."
JFK, _Bubba Ho Tep_

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

On Mon, 7 Jun 2004, Wayne Shaw wrote:

> On 7 Jun 2004 17:44:14 -0400, jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
>
> >
> > In the real world, the reason for the kid side-kicks was to
> >give kids someone to identify with in the comic, although I can't think
> >of any examples of kids pretending to be e.g. Robin or Bucky.
> >
> > Plus when Robin first showed up, kids doing adult jobs was a little
> >more common (although usually not kids quite that young). Depression and
> >all that stuff...
> >
>
> I also wonder if some of the old idea of the knight and squire was
> subliminally present. In my last campaign, those who did the
> kid-sidekick thing figured it was a form of apprenticeship; though it
> put the kid in some danger, if he was going to get into the biz
> himself it was better to do it with someone who could show him the
> ropes than find out the hard way.

As an alternative: You have the powers, to great excess, and do things
that other heroes cannot. I explored this in my novel This Shining Sea
(http://3mpub.com/phillies) which was previously run as an arc on rec arts
comics creative: Comet really is the fastest persona in the world,
convenient if you need to fly across the universe today, several times,
Aurora is a first-rate mentalist, and Eclipse -- well, if you are the most
wanted criminal in the world, sayeth the League of Nations, and Manjukuo
has offered a hundred tons of gold for your head, it is really convenient
to have more gifts at call than 'really cute 12-year-old's smile'.

George

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

On 7 Jun 2004 17:44:14 -0400, jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:

>
> In the real world, the reason for the kid side-kicks was to
>give kids someone to identify with in the comic, although I can't think
>of any examples of kids pretending to be e.g. Robin or Bucky.
>
> Plus when Robin first showed up, kids doing adult jobs was a little
>more common (although usually not kids quite that young). Depression and
>all that stuff...
>

I also wonder if some of the old idea of the knight and squire was
subliminally present. In my last campaign, those who did the
kid-sidekick thing figured it was a form of apprenticeship; though it
put the kid in some danger, if he was going to get into the biz
himself it was better to do it with someone who could show him the
ropes than find out the hard way.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

On Mon, 7 Jun 2004 21:14:39 +0000 (UTC), cgoodin@sfu.ca (Chuk Goodin)
wrote:

>On 5 Jun 2004 15:52:20 -0400, jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
>[snip explanation of campaign idea]
>Sounds like some parts of the X-Men: Evolution TV cartoon.
>
>> Which made me wonder, why is it exactly that masks like to
>>drag kids into combat with them?
>
>> Which is why all his side kicks are the same age and build.
>>It's the one he had when he made the deal.
>
>I love that one.
>
>I can't think of very many good rationales for "realistic" heroes to do
>it...you'd think most of them wouldn't want the kid to get hurt. Now, if
>it was an invulnerable kid, maybe it'd be okay. Otherwise, I'm thinking
>maybe Wertham was right.

Reasons for kid sidekicks:

1. Apprenticeship program. You are training the kid to become your
successor. You let him get his feet wet by fighting relatively
harmless opponents but avoid involving him in the serious stuff until
he's ready. Best with a kid who is already almost trained and
probably almost ready to graduate from school.

2. Already a target. If the campaign is actually driven by the kid's
enemies or you hold the enemies in common and if hiding won't
work, you might as well fight alongside the kid.

3. No real authority over the kid. If the kid is already going to
go out and get herself shot at on her own initiative you may find
yourself playing Buttons to her Mindy.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

On 7 Jun 2004 17:44:14 -0400, jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:

>>I can't think of very many good rationales for "realistic" heroes to do
>>it...you'd think most of them wouldn't want the kid to get hurt. Now, if
>>it was an invulnerable kid, maybe it'd be okay. Otherwise, I'm thinking
>>maybe Wertham was right.
>
> In the real world, the reason for the kid side-kicks was to
>give kids someone to identify with in the comic,

Well that was the theory but a lot of it started with radio drama.
Having a kid tagging along gave the lead someone to explain
things to.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

On 7 Jun 2004 17:44:14 -0400, jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
>>I can't think of very many good rationales for "realistic" heroes to do
>>it...you'd think most of them wouldn't want the kid to get hurt. Now, if
>>it was an invulnerable kid, maybe it'd be okay. Otherwise, I'm thinking
>>maybe Wertham was right.
>
> In the real world, the reason for the kid side-kicks was to
>give kids someone to identify with in the comic, although I can't think
>of any examples of kids pretending to be e.g. Robin or Bucky.

Yep, plus I bet the exposition was part of it, although we had thought
bubbles for that, too.

> Plus when Robin first showed up, kids doing adult jobs was a little
>more common (although usually not kids quite that young). Depression and
>all that stuff...

Well, with the recent labour law changes here in BC, we might be seeing
more of that.



--
chuk