- This setting takes place in an alternate universe that was bombarded by rays of particles referred to as Substance-D. Their reality-changing properties made great feats of advanced super science (parascience) and significant mutations in the human body possible. If someone gets blasted by radiation and is gifted with superpowers instead of death this is a consequence of Substance-D. Not all people are equally likely to get powers or be able to perform feats of parascience. These people are especially sensitive to the rays and absorb them differently in their bodies.
- The politically correct term for people that have been drastically changed by Substance-D is “altered person”. Not all people who change develop superpowers, and many of them become horribly disfigured or inconvenienced. The phrase ‘altered person’ is supposed to not put undue emphasis on those who receive awesome powers vs those who are simply disfigured. Although the term is widely used, its success as intended is varied.
- This setting is a high-science setting. For example, in Los Angeles, most people get around by using air cabs (flying cars).
- To handle the unique challenge brought upon by Substance-D, most western countries and others elsewhere have an agreement to regulate the use of parascience through a UN organization known as the Global Civics Concordium, referred to as the GCC. The role of the GCC is primarily in two parts:
- To help countries regulate their own and each other’s access to parascience (or “super science”)
- To slowly integrate the existence of altered persons into society and ensure that civilians are kept safe from potentially dangerous or uncontrollable powers. The GCC is supposed to model the positive governance of altered persons.
- GCC soldiers are used to police parascientists and powered altered persons. Super-powered vigilantes are also a regulated force that help perform this police work. They help supplement the soldiers that are often underfunded and not numerous enough to do the work by themselves. The vigilante program also gives local citizens the opportunity to get involved and prevent the impression that an outer-national presence is solely regulating and controlling superpowers.
- GCC soldiers are often referred to as G-Cops, and GCC soldiers, regulators and social workers are sometimes nicknamed Gee-Cees.
- G-Cops often wear battle armor in the Green and Gold colors of the GCC
- PCs will fall into one of three categories, unless a player has an idea I have not considered. These are mutants, super-soldiers and super scientists. You can see some examples of typical heroes in the “iconic” heroes’ document.
- A “mutant” came across their powers during a period of stress.
- A super-soldier refers to anyone whose powers were created intentionally, usually as a victim (it is illegal in any case to seek out powers).
- A parascientist (“mad” as in mad-scientist) is a class of people who can use advanced super-science that doesn’t work for others besides themselves. Their powers come from tech.
- “Super-Normals”, like Batman, are less common in this universe, although there are some examples of heroes that rely on training more than their powers. Child superheroes are prohibited by the GCC and likely the campaign. Magical or other mythical natured heroes are off-setting and would be assumed to have a non-mythical explanation.
- In most countries, those with significant or dangerous powers are usually kept in geographically limited areas. These places are usually called GCC sponsor cities or zones. Travel outside these areas for powered altered persons is regulated and must be approved in advance. The idea is to concentrate resources for handling the problem of superpowers into defined areas and to eventually slowly integrate altered persons into society at large. These controversial policies are detested by some for limiting national access to parascience and superpowers, and by others for limiting civil rights. These opposed objections are what make it difficult to move away from the special zones (although California is considering becoming the first sponsored state in the U.S., as some small European countries operate).
- Many elements in society feel prejudice toward altered persons and fear their integration into society. Some also fear about “perverting” human gene pools or limiting nationalistic power by making GCC presence more universal. They will often refer to altered persons as mutants or muties, or a more generic terms like freak.
- In the United States the sponsored zones are as follows: Los Angeles (county), Seattle, New York City, Chicago, and New Orleans.
- Many people respect altered persons and they are guaranteed rights as citizens. The GCC in America only restricts powerful or dangerous altereds to sponsored zones (if they can live outside of intensive care). Parascientists, on the other hand, do not have as much respect and are often referred to as “mads” (mad scientist) rather than their politically correct term. They and their craft are strictly regulated, and are permitted to perform limited work for the GCC and world governments (one is more likely to be permitted to create a cure for a cancer than create a death ray).
- A test as to whether a scientist will be permitted to do her work is whether that science is repeatable. If a scientist does something that cannot be repeated by another, it is deemed non-repeatable science (parascience) and typically illegal. These individuals will often be more closely regulated and surveilled than those with superpowers.
- Vigilantes typically fight parascientists and their creations at least as often as they fight crime and other superpowered beings.
- Registered vigilantes are typically altered persons and must be trained and registered to work legally. The more difficult it is for the individual to use their powers without permanently harming or killing others, the longer their training takes since that is the primary purpose of training: safety. Since powers are varied training regiments must also be tailored to them.
- Professional vigilantes typically perform the following tasks:
- They bring in dangerous altered persons to be tested and evaluated by the GCC
- They bring in parascientists to be incarcerated
- They help local law enforcement with high-tech or dangerous crimes that may or may not be aided by non-repeatable science
- Be on call by the government to travel and assist with problems in non-sponsor zones (much more common for teams of superheroes)
- There are opportunities to perform “patrols” as a hero as well. They can also register with the VYGIL app which is an Uber-like service, although these jobs often involve less important tasks or people not seriously in trouble. People also like to hire altered persons as personal investigators and the like, although this is technically not encouraged by the GCC.
- Parascience themed heroes are more regulated than other altered persons that receive their powers naturally or permanently
- In the United States, after a national terrorist act performed by the parascientist “the Walrus”, rules were loosened to allow some super science in vigilante work, such as powered suits. Their non-repeatable science work must be documented and surveilled, however, to ensure that the individual only uses their tools in permissible ways and doesn’t leave their hands.
- Many people that receive powers are victims of illegal experiments by parascientists. Because these powered-people were intentionally created, they are often the most powerful (although of course any background that fits the setting is permissible by PCs). It is illegal to intentionally seek out these scientists or otherwise seek out superpowers. Naturally, people trying to do this is a large problem. In the United States and most other places, there is a large burden of proof that the victim intentionally tried to seek out powers and knew that was the intent of any experiments they participated in, so often they do not get punished. There is a large underground community of people trying to get powers and provide advice for getting them. Fake tests as to whether one is susceptible to Substance-D is also a problem, as legitimate tests are expensive and rarely administered.
- Many people who try to get powers often get hurt or simply die
- People that come about their powers naturally often come into them by accidents or just emerge during stressful situations (car accidents, job loss, death in the family, etc.).
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