On Cascade, pt 2

[zerombr]

Okay so I made a thread about how I'm trying to bring Eric Wujick's concept of the dark city Cascade to light a while ago, but well it's old and I kinda got unnerved hearing people talk about how powerful chars'd rule the place.

So the question is, what, to the players, is the best way to keep Megaheros out of a city designed for special training chars, and minor heroes?

Would you rather have GM Fiat say "no chars with major powers" or would you rather have an in-game reason as to why they don't go there?

here's a sample of the city so you can get your bearings on it.

Cascade is a city of grim situations, crushing poverty, control, and shadows. Somewhere along the Eastern Seaboard or up against the great lakes lies the once great economic juggernaut of the United States. Now, 60 years after its glory days, the city lacks even the funds to repair roads, properly educate its citizens, and patrol the streets as the city . Despite the economic collapse of the city, nearly a million people still call Cascade home, either too stubborn to leave, unable to do so, or determined to see the city survive.
It is a jaded metropolis, filled with the urban sprawl of expansion, and the haunting reminders of what it used to be. It is into this void that a different sort of hero fills the city’s needs. Ones who lurk in the darkness, avenge the fallen, crush the hold of crime on the lives of Cascade, and struggle against an oppressive police force, determined to bring order to the city without assistance.
The salad days of industrial progress and manufacturing are far behind Cascade nowadays, though several businesses, too vested to depart, attempt to spur growth in the once-mighty giant. Urban sprawl is rampant in Cascade. Unmaintained lots, large empty warehouses and condemned factories dot the landscape. The innovative underground commercial district known as The Down has not only been cordoned off, only partially finished; but the infrastructure on the partially completed project has given the underworld easy access to many key points of the city. This open sore on the underside of the city means that smuggling is highly profitable as well as convenient, and clean getaways the standard, rather than the exception.

The city’s mayor, Dylan Juliar, is a young, impassioned, and idealistic soul, intent on an aggressive gamble of a campaign focused on economic revival, and new litigation to allow harsher enforcement of the law. Mayor Juliar has said repeatedly that the groundwork laid in Cascade today will be the key to the city’s revival, that by his third term, Cascade will be on the fast track to being debt-free, as well as criminal activity being dealt a major blow. To punctuate his beliefs, Mayor Juliar has gathered together a thinktank of some of the US’ best civil agents, economists, and politicians, his keystone appointment is that of Clayton Burch, a former government intelligence agent tasked with spearheading the breaking the ties of organized crime, and those that work outside the law

That said, it is clear that for Cascade to succeed in its wild venture, an added element is required. Mob bosses are routinely cleared of charges, despite the tougher regulations, leading to speculation of widespread corruption in the legal system. Gangs regularly force the Police working at near constant shifts, taxing the departments to their fullest. The underworld kingpins garner high profits from smuggling, trafficking, and extortion. The law enforcement, as it stands, simply isn’t enough to deal with it all.

Due to the unique environment of Cascade, the underworld of North America has not only enjoyed Cascade as a meeting ground of mob negotiations and logistics, they have also taken steps to ensure the city remains as it is. Several of the higher profile echelons of syndicates all have a foothold in the city, allowing for intra-crime syndicate synergy. A tentative ceasefire has been placed within the confines of Cascade, enabling these criminal contacts to work together in a more unified, dangerous outfit.

[Razorwing]

What keeps the major heroes in the DC universe out of Gotham City?

Here is a city infested with crime and corruption... a city who's only major protector is a mere man dressed as a bat. Most of the villains he encounters are of a similar nature... few have any extraordinary abilities. Even those who do have super powers tend to be lone operators rather than leaders in criminal gangs or organizations. Again, why?

There are rare occasions when one of the more powerful heroes shows up to lend a hand or to deal with a situation, but for the most part, the city is left to its all too human defenders and those he has trained.

So what is it about Gotham that attracts the lower powered criminals and heroes without any real powers, yet not the more powerful elements of either? Answer that question and you might figure out how to justify why Cascade follows a similar path.

Perhaps the two sides (criminals and vigilantes) have come to an "unofficial" agreement not to escalate the conflict by bringing in bigger guns. In the Superboy comic that followed the Death of Superman, this was done in the Hawaii setting where a powerful criminal organization that ran most of the organized crime on the islands used only an equal amount of force against the police... when Superboy showed up, they began to use more powerful operatives to counter his more powerful influence on crime in the area.

A similar situation could exist in Cascade where the crime cartels choose to meet the police and the few low-powered heroes on an equal footing (so as not to damage what they consider theirs). While there will be the occasional powered villain operating independently, they will let more powerful heroes deal with these individuals on the condition that the hero doesn't stay. If they do, then they will up their game to compensate... or eliminate the reason that brought the hero in the first place.

The heroes that do operate in the setting will tend to quickly learn of this balance and may even come to protect it from would be heroes of extraordinary power who think they are doing good by helping out. While the helping hand may be appreciated... especially against the occasional high powered villain, those heroes who are native to the city will make it clear that the presence of more powerful heroes isn't needed and that their presence may cause more harm than good in the long run. A few high profile incidents of such escalation of hostilities should be all it takes to make the more powerful heroes at least reconsider the impact their presence is causing.

Creating characters for this setting would not be difficult... even if a player wants a super powered hero, the Minor Hero category would be more than capable of providing an adequate template. Beyond that, the other categories that don't provide super powers are generally of an equal level. A GM is well within his rights to limit the available power categories for the games he runs.

[zerombr]

you raise some interesting points, Razorwing. An accord between heroes and villains would be intriguing, but I'm not certain I can justify it properly. Still it gives me something to think about, thank you.

[zerombr]

one of my friends simply suggested that I provide the city and the framework, and let the players & GMs decide themselves the why and how for heroics. Considering that this matter involves restraint and personal bias, I think that's really the only option available.

[Slight001]

one of my friends simply suggested that I provide the city and the framework, and let the players & GMs decide themselves the why and how for heroics. Considering that this matter involves restraint and personal bias, I think that's really the only option available.

In all honesty this is the best option. The reason for this can be found within a simple quandary Define "low powered"... I can assure you your definition and mine won't match up.

[Regularguy]

You could do worse than have one guy with a Major power in Cascade.

Specifically, I'm thinking someone with Negate Super Abilities.

(Why do the others stay out? Because he's there.)

Doesn't solve 'em all, but it solves a lot.

[slade the sniper]

You could do worse than have one guy with a Major power in Cascade.

Specifically, I'm thinking someone with Negate Super Abilities.

(Why do the others stay out? Because he's there.)

Doesn't solve 'em all, but it solves a lot.

I like this idea. It is simple and stays within genre.

-STS

[zerombr]

an interesting idea as well. Cascade's a haven for supernatural events as well, that could be tied in, but would anyone feel annoyed as to the justification?

I think I'll leave the reason up to the GM, but provide a few solutions they can choose from.

[Sir_Spirit]

You could just claim there is a curse which is tied to a local Nexus, while the nexus attracts magical beings, the curse drives away super-powered heroes. It either affects villians due to bad phrasing, or because a hero mystic, foreseeing they lacked the power to lift the curse, was able to lead a ritual to expand it to villians "for balance".

[ShadowLogan]

It's also possible that the density of Super Heroes and Villians world wide population doesn't allow them to be everywhere, and there might not be a reason for them to immigrate to a given location (aside from a tourist/visitor). The amount of competition might be attractive in some respects, but still might not be enough to push them to leave their home stomping grounds beyond being a visitor, sure something could drive them out but then you have to have each character answer why setup shop in "this place" and not "that place" after leaving home.