Circus Performer Heroes

[Malleustein]

I'm tinkering with a campaign idea...

Set during or shortly World War II, it would focus on low-power costumed heroes vs. Nazis and gangsters (with the occasional "weird" villain or monster), so far so cliche. However, I was intrigued by the idea of the heroes all being circus performers. It gives a good rational for unusual skills, colourful costumes and eccentric personalities.

Which power types (or O.C.C.s from other games) would people recommend? Here is what I have so far...

Ancient Weapon Master: Melee Weapon Expertise
Ancient Weapon Master: Missile Weapon Expertise
Natural Genius
Physical Training: Strength and Endurance
Physical Training: Agility and Speed
Special Training: Hunter
Special Training: Stage Magician

Obviously, I'm wanting to keep superhuman powers to a minimum if at all, though I was wondering whether Mutant Animals would work for intelligent circus animals. I'll maybe relent and allow some minor mutant powers for "freaks" and minor psionics for fortune tellers unless anyone has better suggestions?

So what else works with this concept?

[Regularguy]

I think a Hardware: Weapons Expert could work: you get the trick-shot artist thing going (especially since this is back when sharpshooting was a little more easily sold as a fun-for-the-family performance), plus you get a bit of a stage-magic background (because you can make your own flash powder and smoke bombs and secret compartments and spring-loaded wrist-release mechanisms), plus you can wow an impressed audience when you first appear (as you've technically got a Horror Factor), plus you're of course guaranteed to be a mechanic (so at least someone traveling with the circus is sure to have 'repair stuff' skills).

(You also get to do guy-who-knows-a-guy stuff, by automatically starting play with Find Contraband at +20% -- to find smugglers and fences or know where a fugitive with black-market connections and a cop's bullet in his shoulder goes to get illegal medical treatment or a fake ID. Yeah, a dedicated Stage Magician is nice, but does he have your contacts?)

[The Oh So Amazing Nate]

Old time circuses always had a freak show where you could see an Alligator-man or a lizard-boy that would bite the heads off of live chickens and such. Mutant animals are definitely a go for a cirucus themed game. Don't forget to have a Yak Woman

[Regularguy]

low-power costumed heroes vs. Nazis and gangsters

Animal Abilities: Big Cat is pretty low-power -- you're a little tougher and a little stronger, but not to a superhuman level; same thing for your climbing and prowling skills; and you can leap well, but not, like, as high as a pole vaulter; plus you have nightvision, plus a loud roar -- and that's not exactly a recipe for world domination.

But you'd be a terrific lion tamer.

[say652]

Flight Glide.
No safety net, No problem.

Impervious to Fire and Heat.
Always a crowd pleaser.

extraordinary physical prowess.
A Tumblers staple.

Divine Aura.
Great with a crowd and provides a free work force.

[Regularguy]

In a recent thread, I mentioned that Mimic is fantastic for this sort of thing, because -- well, look, in a no-powers campaign, it pretty much tops out at "circus strongman" or "skilled investigator" or whatever; and, in a low-powered campaign, it'll never allow more than low-powered feats no matter how you're defining low-powered; but, if (and only if) you ever decide to switch things around, it kinda automatically scales up as high-powered stuff gets introduced.

So: acrobats and stage magicians foiling American gangsters and German spies? Try as he might, our hero can't do anything superhuman -- but if the campaign someday shifts to where a Nazi science experiment with bulletproof skin and supernatural strength is wreaking havoc, our hero can then declare that the ancient coin he carries around as a good-luck charm must've been a bona fide magic talisman from the old country like Grandpa always said, because I can sure feel it reacting to this joker: I've got the strength of ten men; of a HUNDRED men! The Marines can't stop 'im, but I can slug it out wit' da guy as an EQUAL!"

(Nobody like that ever shows up? Okay, then that never happens.)

[Regularguy]

Heh.

In that same thread, I'd sang Mechano-Link's praises: arguing that Computer Merge -- which works by "touching the machine itself, or can be remote if the machine has some kind of modem (telephone) link", and works "regardless of preventative programs, codes, or defenses" and lets you "examine any of the machine's data or programming, and can completely reprogram the machine" -- gives you access to so much info and money and so on that it'd be great even if you never used the rest of the power: you'd get bonuses if you're ever repairing mechanical stuff or operating vehicles or firing guns, but that's all icing on the cake, right?

But in a campaign set during or shortly before WWII -- well, the icing is all you get, isn't it? I mean, yeah, by the turn of the century you'd be an impossibly good hacker -- but this ain't the turn of the century, and you've never even seen a computer; they haven't yet started building ENIAC, which (a) will someday be small enough to fit inside two rooms, but (b) is just science fiction.

So as far as you know, you're just a stunt motorcyclist who got a job with the circus and -- has an impressive knack for fixing stuff and making trick shots? Would you even realize you have a super power?

[Regularguy]

Set during or shortly World War II, it would focus on low-power costumed heroes vs. Nazis and gangsters (with the occasional "weird" villain or monster), so far so cliche. However, I was intrigued by the idea of the heroes all being circus performers. It gives a good rational for unusual skills, colourful costumes and eccentric personalities.

Which power types (or O.C.C.s from other games) would people recommend?

Ninjas & Superspies could work. I mean, you presumably couldn't do my favorite type, since the Wired Agent is kinda built around bionics -- but a Worldly Martial Artist or a Wandering Free Agent could pair crazy stealth training with the skills of a circus acrobat to be a terrific cat burglar, if you need someone like that to help get the better of spies and gangsters all it-takes-a-thief style.

[say652]

I like the subtle super power route. Nothing with hundreds of sec or supernatural strength but noticeably above the norm.

[Fermat]

A Latent psychic running a fortune telling booth
A Mutant Animal with no Bio-E spent on altering their appearance or size.
A low-level magician/magical specialist that might work. (Tattoo Magic could blend into the freak show with ease)
A Special Training-Demon Hunter could work if you're going for a weird World War feel.

[Regularguy]

Which power types (or O.C.C.s from other games) would people recommend? Here is what I have so far...

Ancient Weapon Master: Melee Weapon Expertise
Ancient Weapon Master: Missile Weapon Expertise
Natural Genius
Physical Training: Strength and Endurance
Physical Training: Agility and Speed
Special Training: Hunter
Special Training: Stage Magician

It seems like Special Training: Ancient Master would be a perfect fit; even leaving aside how you have professional-quality dance skills and can leap around better than any circus acrobat, you can perform feats of strength that put any circus strongman to shame and you get fire-eater tricks. So you almost can't not get hired on as a performer, and then you're there on the premises whenever they need a cook or somebody with first-aid skills or whatever.

[RockJock]

I've used a Latent Psychic as a stage hypnotist before, and it would work well for this. The LP would work for some of the exotic, but fairly low powered powers. For example, a psychic with float/levitation being a guru, or Impervious to Fire to walk across the coals. Things like that.