101 plots for superhero rpgs

[GreatWyrmGold]

353. The heir to a vast corporate empire asks to join the team. Their family will gladly sponsor the team, but the heir has a nigh-useless power and a gung-ho attitude which makes them an outright liability.

[Drakeburn]

354) A famous superhero comes to the heroes for help. His problem is that he's been cheating on his superpowered girlfriend with another heroine, and they both started to come after him when they learned the truth. The famous superhero says he'll do anything for the heroes if they help him, but the two heroic women after him are way out of the heroes' league.
What will they do?

355) The son/daughter of a superhero couple decides to become a supervillain! Can the heroes stop the the teen villain? Can they convince him/her to be hero?

356) Possibly the "worst" magician in the world finds a spell book that contains magic spells that actually work. What he doesn't know that some of the spells are too dangerous and powerful for him to control.
(That actually sounds like something you can use in a fantasy TRPG, like Dungeons & Dragons)

[Bohandas]

356) Possibly the "worst" magician in the world finds a spell book that contains magic spells that actually work. What he doesn't know that some of the spells are too dangerous and powerful for him to control.

Like a combination of Frosty the Snowman and The Evil Dead

[Bohandas]

357.) A giant robotic Henry the Eighth is attacking the Vatican

358.) the moon is falling out of orbit

359.) PCP in the water supply

360.) A superpowered character with a similar origin to the powerpuff girls, but with "sugar, spice, and everything nice" swapped out for some other famous set of three things, like "planes, trains, and automobiles" or "sex, drugs, and rock & roll" or "lawyers, guns, and money"

361.) Not only has someone released all the criminals from prison, but they've also somehow locked up all of the city's top officials in their place (excluding officials that are also criminals), and destroyed the keys so that the prison will have to be dismantled to get them out

[GreatWyrmGold]

360.) A superpowered character with a similar origin to the powerpuff girls, but with "sugar, spice, and everything nice" swapped out for some other famous set of three things, like "planes, trains, and automobiles" or "sex, drugs, and rock & roll" or "lawyers, guns, and money"

That's not a plot. There's no implied "characters do X" involved.

...they've also somehow locked up all of the city's top officials in their place (excluding officials that are also criminals)...

So...not many of the city's officials, then?

[Doorhandle]

crud. that was already the plot of the ghostbusters videogame, wasn't it?

I also think it's a decent summary of the endgame plot of Shadowrun: Hong Kong.

A famous superhero comes to the heroes for help. His problem is that he's been cheating on his superpowered girlfriend-

Pfft! Leave that jerk to rot!

It's also tempting to make a Hydra Captain America joke, but I don't know enough about the comics for that. So I'll just post my own thing.

I know just enough to make a plotline!

361.) Using some arcane (plot) device, a villain has remade the universe so that the world's greatest hero into the world's greatest sleeper agent! How can you fight against a former mentor that knows all your weakness and has the backing of an ancient conspiracy behind him?!

362) In a twist, it turns out that supposed-great hero was actually a villain in the original timeline, and the arcane device was in fact restoring him to his original mindset. Is it ethical to overwrite his memories again? is it an acceptable sacrifice for the security he provides?

363) Another villain has cut out the middleman and used the arcane device to make him fantastically wealthy. However, it's at the cost of depreciating the value of money worldwide. is it right to stop him before he accidently causes another great depression?

[GorinichSerpant]

364) The Kremlin Gremlin has also gained gotten and used this arcane device. It seems to have given him a possession of a previously non existent tropical island with beautiful beaches, a ski resort, a population made exclusively of beautiful women and pleasantly warm but not too warm weather all year round. You think he may have left his gremlining days behind, but you still have this nagging feeling that your being monitored.

365) Doctor Juvenile has gotten ahold of this arcane device and now every teacher in the world has a butt for a face. This needs to be fixed before to many educators die from not being able to eat or drink.

[Beleriphon]

I like the fact there's a recurring character that we just made up, and seem to be applying a personality to as we go. The Kremlin Gremlin is rapidly becoming too much fun.

[Drakeburn]

366) A mysterious alien race has been abducting humans and experimenting on them, giving them superpowers. With these super humans, the MAR plan to use them to weaken earth's defenses so their invasion won't encounter any resistance.
However, the heroes are super humans who have been given superpowers by the MAR, but aren't under the aliens' control or influence. Can they protect the human race from whatever the MAR throw at them? And why are they the only ones who are free from the MAR?

367) Another alien race has taken notice of what the MAR are doing on earth, and take it upon themselves to dispose of the MAR weapons. And that includes exterminating the super humans on earth.

I'd say we made two recurring characters. Does that mean we're eventually going to have to have a "101 super villains" thread?

[Doorhandle]

366) A mysterious alien race has been abducting humans and experimenting on them, giving them superpowers. With these super humans, the MAR plan to use them to weaken earth's defenses so their invasion won't encounter any resistance.
However, the heroes are super humans who have been given superpowers by the MAR, but aren't under the aliens' control or influence. Can they protect the human race from whatever the MAR throw at them? And why are they the only ones who are free from the MAR?

367) Another alien race has taken notice of what the MAR are doing on earth, and take it upon themselves to dispose of the MAR weapons. And that includes exterminating the super humans on earth.

I'd say we made two recurring characters. Does that mean we're eventually going to have to have a "101 super villains" thread?

Hell, we probably should make one.

368): Dr. Chimera has created the Total Fusion Device d that can fuse two animals together, and is now making an army of "mismatches" with which to conquer earth!

369) It turns out the locust-wasps are true breeding mismatches, and you now have to destroy them all before they devour the native ecosystem!

370) The same scientist has turned himself into a mismatch made of a dozen different animals, and is now hunting you down for you egentic data in order to make super-mismatches.

371) As a final screw-you in his dying moments, Dr. Chimera has spread the tech behind the Total Fusion Device all over the world: resulting in Mismatche showing up everywhere!

[Jay R]

372. Dr. Mutation invents a ray that activates the metagene to create hulk-like monsters, but only out of smaller, mistreated people. All over the city:

Nerds are crushing school bullies.
Harassed employees are throwing bosses out of windows.
Women are beating up abusive husbands.
Kids are spanking mean parents.

Moral dilemma: do you stop them?

[Bohandas]

373.) Professor Politesse is threatening to detonate a nuclear bomb unless everyone conforms to a ridiculously time wasting and unproductive set of ritualized formal manners and deportment he's devised.

[Drakeburn]

374) When one of the heroes have been captured by the combined forces of their rogues gallery, it is up to the rest of the heroes to rescue their fellow hero.

375) One of the superhumans grown in the shady EVE Labs escapes, and seeks the heroes help in protecting him from the people who created him. But can the heroes fight off the mercenaries and superhumans EVE Labs sends out?

376) A rebellious teenager's wish to not live under her parents rules and live out her own life seems to come true when her superpowers manifest. With her new powers, the teen becomes the supervillainess Dynamite Damsel, committing crimes to support her lifestyle, as well as do or get anything she wants. Can Dynamite Damsel be stopped?

[goto124]

372. Dr. Mutation invents a ray that activates the metagene to create hulk-like monsters, but only out of smaller, mistreated people. All over the city:

Nerds are crushing school bullies.
Harassed employees are throwing bosses out of windows.
Women are beating up abusive husbands.
Kids are spanking mean parents.

Moral dilemma: do you stop them?

372a) Given enough time, the situation flips:

Nerdy bullies are crushing now-helpless school children.
Employees are throwing harassed bosses out of windows.
Abusive women are beating up their husbands.
Mean kids are spanking their parents.

The smaller mistreated people are the big bullies, and the big bullies are the smaller mistreated people. Except the big bullies are literally hulked-up monsters. Better get to work on stopping the whole thing where half the city is hulked up.

What about more complex situations? The harassed employee may also be an abusive husband. Do you double-hulk his wife to compensate? If this wife is mean to her children, do these children get triple-hulked?

I shall stop here, since this is meant to be a fun and light-hearted exercise. I hope the idea of a triple-hulked child amuses someone.

This sounds like a rather intriguing plot that makes the players think. Somehow it feels rather superhero-y to me.

[GreatWyrmGold]

376) A rebellious teenager's wish to not live under her parents rules and live out her own life seems to come true when her superpowers manifest. With her new powers, the teen becomes the supervillainess Dynamite Damsel, committing crimes to support her lifestyle, as well as do or get anything she wants. Can Dynamite Damsel be stopped?

Eh. Given time, she'll either burn out or get a stable job on a typical supervillain team.

Hm. On that note...
377. A retired crime boss is making a killing off of his new book, How to Be a Supervillain. It is nominally a guide to how criminals think to help heroes corner crooks more easily, but it seems that the book is full of excellent advice for supervillains. The PCs need to figure out how to control the damage being done without actively censoring a perfectly legal publication.

[Drakeburn]

378) A fairy godmother who is terrible at what she does tries to make a child's wishes come true, which comes with disastrous results. Can the heroes fix the fairy godmother's mess and make her stop?

379) The heroes must navigate through an evil genius's series of challenges if they want to reach to his sinister device in time and stop it. But is the device real, or is it actually a trap?

380) What appears to be strange graffiti around the city are actually spells that are supposed to open portals when activated, unleashing hordes of demons into the city. Can the heroes stop the culprits before it is too late?

[Bohandas]

372a) Given enough time, the situation flips:

Nerdy bullies are crushing now-helpless school children.
Employees are throwing harassed bosses out of windows.
Abusive women are beating up their husbands.
Mean kids are spanking their parents.

The smaller mistreated people are the big bullies, and the big bullies are the smaller mistreated people. Except the big bullies are literally hulked-up monsters. Better get to work on stopping the whole thing where half the city is hulked up.

What about more complex situations? The harassed employee may also be an abusive husband. Do you double-hulk his wife to compensate? If this wife is mean to her children, do these children get triple-hulked?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLkhx0eqK5w#t=08m30s

378) A fairy godmother who is terrible at what she does tries to make a child's wishes come true, which comes with disastrous results. Can the heroes fix the fairy godmother's mess and make her stop?

Wasn't that basically the premise of The Fairly Oddparents?

[Bohandas]

381.) The end of the world (as we know it) exactly as described in the song The End of the World (As We Know It)

[Drakeburn]

Wasn't that basically the premise of The Fairly Oddparents?

Actually that was (kind of) the premise of a movie, which I have forgotten what it was called.

382) A pool of mystical energy has been discovered, which can grant anybody superpowers. When villains seek the pool to gain more power, it is up to the heroes to stop them. But will they use the pool to increase their own power, which comes with a price? Will they become the guardians of the pool? Or will they bury it so nobody will use it ever again?

[Bohandas]

383.) There's a new kind of weed on the streets that, in addition to curing glaucoma, also gives you the power to shoot eye lasers and see through walls, but only while the high lasts

[Drakeburn]

384) An alien prince/princess has fallen in love with one of the heroes, and wants the both of them to get married as soon as possible. And saying no could provoke the alien planet to go to war against earth. How can the heroes get out of this mess?

385) The latest internet trend is catching on, where people post videos of themselves getting thrown in dangerous situations to make their superpowers manifest. Can the heroes find a way to stop the trend before more people get hurt?

[GreatWyrmGold]

381.) The end of the world (as we know it) exactly as described in the song The End of the World (As We Know It)

Curse you, Leonard Bernstein!

[Drakeburn]

386) A local crime boss has somehow figured out one of the hero's secret identity, and threatens to reveal it if the hero doesn't stop interfering with the criminal organization.

387) A team of local superheroes is secretly on a crime lord's payroll, turning blind eyes on the crime lord's operations. Can these crooked superheroes have a change of heart?

[Bohandas]

388.) Attack of the undead Thanksgiving turkeys

389.) The tooth fairy has become proactive and is punching people's teeth out.

EDIT:

390.) A snowman comes to life through the magic of demonic possession

[Bohandas]

I'd say we made two recurring characters. Does that mean we're eventually going to have to have a "101 super villains" thread?

Relevant:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...uperhero-games

[Bohandas]

286. A supervillain with the ability to hypnotize people into committing crimes as costumed criminals of various wacky themes. Can the heroes put a stop to this silly mess?

Isn't that the premise of Miraculous Ladybug and Cat Noir?

EDIT:
anyway

391.) Executed serial murderers are rising from the dead

392.) Doctor Juvenile is going to play the brown note over the radio (sort of like in the South Park episode with the recorder concert and Yoko Ono)

393.) Alien invaders want to steal the planet's oxygen

394.) Yellow fashions are in and that means the effectiveness of the green lantern is out

395.) The president is posessed by Hitler's ghost

396.) The big one. A massive earthquake has seperated california from the continental US

397.) North Korean nukes

[Drakeburn]

Isn't that the premise of Miraculous Ladybug and Cat Noir?

Actually, it was part of one of Joker's schemes in an episode of Batman The Animated Series.

398) The heroes have successfully defeated the tyrannical alien ruler and freed the planet of his/her rule. But now the alien ruler's children are furious and want to avenge their parent.

399) A powerful mastermind has taken control of every supervillain in the city, and sending all of them after the heroes. Will this be the end of our heroes? Will the evil mastermind get rid of the heroes, or does he have something else in mind?

400) The city is under siege by elemental giants! Can the heroes fight them off before the whole city is destroyed?

[Jay R]

399) A time-travelling villain makes time start going backwards.

398) Recently built buildings start coming apart, devolving into stacks of building materials.

397) Readers start laughing at this post before they read it!

[Bohandas]

403.) The Gamester is kidnapping important figures and forcig them to be part of his human chessboard

404.) The Gamester has reverse-engineered the old Polybius cabinet videogame and released it as a mobile app

[Drakeburn]

405) Two parties seem to be going after the pieces of cursed artifact. But which one party is made up of good guys, while the other one is made up of bad guys. Can the heroes figure out which is which before it is too late?

406) The heroes wake up in a secret laboratory, fight off security forces, and escape. But what the players don't realize is that they're playing as the clones of their characters!

407) A group of High School kids stumble upon a cave (or someplace underground) that gives them superpowers, but they must keep coming back to replenish their powers. Will they use these powers to get back at those who tormented them? Impress their crushes? Or go out for a joyride?

And before you say it, I got the idea for 407 from Chronicle and an episode from the X-Files.