Superhero campaigns can be tricky to run at times. Charging around bashing the same old übervillains rapidly becomes tiring, and the soap-opera dilemmas of secret identities and girlfriends in danger lose their spark after the twelfth time or so. Many campaigns tend to fall into the "Adam West/Tim Burton" dichotomy — with either grim, gothic anti-heroes struggling with the horrors of the night and their own inner demons, or a lot of day-glo silliness involving exaggerated posturing, Boy Scout morality, and sophomoric sexual innuendo concerning sidekicks in tights. Either way, maintaining interest in the characters and situations over any length of time becomes a serious challenge, and long-term superheroic gamers can easily grow bored with both scenarios.
There is, however, a third option available, one which can freshen and energize a superhero campaign without losing that vital four-color spark: alternate histories. The question of "what if…" has been a staple of the superhero business for years, yet is often underused by role-players. By placing the trappings and elements of superheroics within worlds similar to our own — yet uniquely different in some vital way — those trappings lose their clichéd status. A campaign set within an alternate universe could be the very thing a tired group needs to recharge its batteries.
Such a scenario, of course, is nothing new. The comic book industry has thrived on the concept of the alternate history, incorporating countless "what if…" plotlines into their stories. Most of the time, however, they transform elements unique to their own characters and events. Making them work is a function of fictitious plot developments that require years of fleshing out before they can signify anything. Marvel's recent Age of Apocalypse storyline, for example, was based largely on the actions of its own characters and the relations they have to each other; it needed thirty years of X-men comics to function well. Even the most developed role-playing campaigns don't have that level of complexity.
Furthermore, most comic book alternate histories are temporary endeavors at best, existing only as one-shots, limited series or shortened storylines. Usually, alternate universes exist only for the "normal" heroes to visit on occasion, or as single issue stand-alone stories ("What If Superman's Tights Were Green?", and such). The Age of Apocalypse was one of the most ambitious, and even it only lasted a few months. Grim news for anyone wishing to base an entire campaign in such a world. Most prudent GMs are loathe to embark upon a project that means tons of extra work for a comparatively short life-span.
Despite all this, there is nothing in the concept to prevent an enjoyable campaign. The key is to design an scenario with lasting power, one that can keep the players' attention and provide for stimulating adventures and character development. How can you do this? Here are several suggestions:
1) STICK WITH "REAL" HISTORY
The first question to answer when designing an alternate history campaign is what exactly is different. Perhaps the Roman Empire never fell, but expanded and settled colonies in the New World. Or Napoleon Bonaparte didn't tarry at Moscow, which allowed him to preserve his army and conquer the whole of Europe. Whatever it is, it has transformed our present into a strange new world that your altered superheroes must now occupy.
Unless you feel bold enough about your own campaign to change some element within it (and if you did, it's probably strong enough not to need a change), you should probably change "normal" historical events, rather than those affecting your characters. I.e., Nazis winning World War II, as opposed to Dr. Wainwright's gamma machine engulfing the evil Sgt. Lutz rather than the heroic Cpt. Squarejaw. "Real history" allows the entire scope of the story to change instead of just a single element. Limiting the change to a single character's life — no matter how important that character may be to the campaign — just doesn't change the parameters of the campaign that much and becomes another variant of the same old theme. Even something like an alien invasion or an oft-thwarted supervillain emerging victorious to rule the world is still a "typical" storyline inflated to more prominent proportions.
On the other hand, a Nazi victory in WWII or a Confederate victory in the Civil War would have devastating repercussions on the entire world, not just a few people. The nature of the people, politics and government are now completely transformed; alliances have changed, antagonists may now be allies, and the enemies your heroes now face could come from surprisingly unexpected ways. In short, everything is new, different, and fresh, which gives the GM a variety of directions to go in. The trappings of superheroics can't do this, only the concrete facts of "pure" history.
2) CHOOSE ONE — AND ONLY ONE — EVENT TO CHANGE
Pick one historical event to adjust — something which interests you and which can be extrapolated to on a world-wide scale ("America Loses the Revolution" works much better than, say, "Eisenhower Only Serves One Term"). Then take this event and think about how the world will change because of that. How will subsequent historical events be different? Which leaders will rise and which will fall? Will subsequent wars, coups and other political changes still take place? And if they do, will the outcomes be different? Everything that happens should happen in relation to the chosen change, and while the world will have transformed in countless different ways, it should all be reduced to one single variation.
The key here is simplicity. One event should be the trigger that sets it all in motion, and the brave new world that emerges (assuming your campaign is still taking place in the late twentieth century) should reflect that event. If the American Indians drove the colonists into the sea in 1613, we should see overt evidence of that in 1995. This has the effect of keeping the universe's overall tone focused and coherent, as well as providing the GM with a strong theme around which to base his adventures.
A good idea in considering what to change is to give an increasing antagonistic bent towards a specific element, be it a person, government or nation. If a given Empire never fell, for example, it's probably fairly dark and oppressive after two thousand years. What better foil for your characters to battle against? Alternately, you can take a more even-handed approach and create a world where some sort of balance of power still exists (for example, the "powder keg" of late 19th century Europe). Players could be agents of one of these powers, pursuing their nation's particular form of justice to the countless adversaries that await ("Look! It's Kaiserman! Halt, fiendish Prussian baddie, or face the righteous English wrath of Her Majesty's Royal Cybersquad!").
Your concept — whatever it is — doesn't have to be likely or plausible, just as long as it could have conceivably happened during the course of regular history. An in-depth study of the "true" history you're going to change may be desirable, but not entirely necessary. These are comic book stories after all, and there's nothing wrong with playing the minute details fast and loose. What's important is that it has enough depth and continuity to provide for a solid campaign, and will hold up through a lengthy series of adventures. That should be foremost in you mind when selecting an event to tweak.
3) MAKE SURE THERE ARE SIMILARITIES MIXED IN WITH THE DIFFERENCES
Obviously, some things aren't going to change; depending upon what you've transformed, any number of elements within you new universe will be just the same as ours is. When approaching the specifics of the campaign, however, you must take extra care. This may be a different universe, but it still has unexplained radiation accidents, alien orphans from outer space, and genius inventors who wish to use their gifts for the betterment of mankind. In short, there's still a bunch of high-powered freaks running around in tight outfits and beating the holy snot out of each other.
What's changed are the specific circumstances of the freaks' lives, and thus their reasons for doing what they do. With the world transformed, there will be causes to fight for and wrongs to right that no one in the "real" world ever had to consider. If Nazi Germany is running the show now, there's definitely a problem that the heroes will need to address. If the British Empire still controls the American colonies, then Captain Liberty has a substantial task before her. None of these events may change the core of who the characters are (be they heroes or villains), but there will be differences and those differences should be brought out. The fun thing about alternate histories is to see the eerie similarities and parallels sheathed in different trappings; that mix should be present in the specifics of your campaign.
Of course, some players may want to create entirely new superheroes to match the new campaign world. But if you wish to use characters from other super-campaigns, they should obviously be altered by this new universe's changes. Will boy patriot Lightning Lad still be devoted to Truth and Justice? Or will he be the jack-booted lackey of the oppressive foreign government now occupying our soil? Players should ask themselves how their characters would be affected by the changes, and adjust their origins, missions in life, costumes, etc. to fit accordingly. This can be the most enjoyable part of campaign preparations, as the players warp their creations to match their new surroundings.
4) GIVE YOUR VILLAINS SOME FORM OF LEGITIMACY
Most supervillains are maverick types, unattached to any "real" countries, governments or organizations. They want to rule the world all by their lonesome, and don't need some pesky alliance or loyalty entanglement to crimp their style. Besides, when a comic book writer attaches a villain to an existing entity, it tends to piss off members of that entity, whatever it may be ("Dear sir — we are greatly troubled by the association of your sinister supervillain, 'Cutthroat McKilt,' with the Scottish nation and with people of Scottish ancestry in general…") It's less of a headache to make the bad guy a loner.
Alternate histories provide an opportunity to give you villains some level of legitimacy, and GMs shouldn't hesitate to capitalize on it. Criminal masterminds are tons of fun, but putting the clout of an Evil Empire behind them can make them even better. Instead of forcing Dr. Ominous to lurk in an isolated island hideaway, he could now be an agent of the Kaiser, performing his fiendish experiments in the service of the Prussian Empire. Or he could be an advisor to Emperor Caesar, guiding the administration of the Empire towards his own fell purposes. Regardless of what has transformed, attaching your villains to a larger antagonistic power will give them a power base to become truly formidable adversary. With an increase in resources, an air of authority and a dangerous amount of support, a normally hunted criminal can easily become the equal of any group of players. It also eliminates many of the overused clichés of the genre, such as prison breaks. (When a bad guy escapes from jail over and over again, you figure they'd either get him a more secure cell or just take him out and shoot him. But who's going to lock him up in the first place if he's a government dignitary or member of the ruling elite?)
Furthermore, if a villain should die, he could easily be replaced by another agent of the entity he serves, maybe one even more nefarious. This has the effect of shifting the focus from one individual or group who can easily be dispatched to an organization that takes far more to bring it down. Which — again — can provide the support a campaign needs to hold the players' interests for an extended period of time.
With these steps in mind, here are a few brief ideas for alternate history settings, and ways to place you characters within them. I've deliberately left out some of the most obvious ones (Nazi victories in WWII, Confederate victories in the Civil War, a more permanent Roman Empire) which have been dealt with elsewhere in books, movies and old Star Trek episodes. I've also listed a reference or two afterwards, worth examining by GMs who wish to set their campaign inn such a world:
Give me Liberty…
In 1776, a brief insurrection in the American colonies was ruthlessly suppressed by the might of the British Army. The instigators were all caught and put to death, and all thoughts of independence vanished from colonial minds. Now it's 1995 and the Revolution has begun…
The world here has never undergone a colonial revolt, and the old system of European Imperialism is still in place. The first World War was fought to a bloody stalemate, and the eventual peace treaty brought no change to the world's political picture. The British Empire rules most of the United States and Canada in an iron grip, siphoning off their resources and manpower to battle its various rivals (France, Austria-Hungary, and the German Empire). Now, a handful of super powered colonials have picked up the mantle of the Founding Fathers, and are fighting to free their country from the yoke of its European masters!
Heroes played in this universe will be part of the second American revolution, using their powers and abilities to strike back against the British Redcoats occupying their nation. By day, they are mild-mannered citizens of the empire, working to do their duty for Queen and Country. But by night, they don their brightly colored longjohns and fight for the freedom of oppressed people everywhere! They may be opposed by super-powered British 'heroes," or by members of their own nation, modern day Benedict Arnolds who see them as threats to safety and security. Alternately, they could play British heroes working to quell the upstart colonials, or do battle against the sinister forces of Kaiser Wilhelm IV.
There are several role-playing games set in 19th century Europe — including Space:1889 and Castle Falkenstein — that can provide ideas for the politics and attitudes that govern this style of setting.
Bloodbath
The Aztec Empire discovered by this universe's Cortez fared somewhat better than its real life counterpart, and ended the Age of Exploration by slaughtering the Spanish to a man. With the secrets they learned from their would-be masters, their empire grew and grew until it encompassed the whole of the New World. Now they turn their eyes across the Great Eastern sea, eager to add to their holdings…
The modern day Aztecs continue to worship their terrible gods with offerings of blood and human sacrifice. But they have also advanced technologically, and have resources available that match any real life 20th century nation. How will the rest of the world react now that they are no longer content to remain in the Americas?
Heroes here could belong to one of a dozen European countries, sworn to defend their nations against the encroaching Empire. Alternately, they could be members of Native American nations who have been crushed beneath the heel of the Aztecs and forced to flee to Europe. They could even be from the Far East, vowing to join the Westerners in the struggle before the Aztecs can turn their attention to Asia. In any case, the players will be opposed by the sinister priests of the Aztec empire, by the fanatical "heroes" their rule has produced, or — even more terrifying — by the mysterious godlike forces they worship with bloody sacrifices…
GMs interested in an revived Aztec Empire should check out FASA's Azteca supplement for their Shadowrun system. It provides numerous ideas on how such a nation would function in a modern society.
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
What if Oliver Cromwell had lived to a ripe old age and the Puritanical roots of our country did not die, but flourished and grew? Our modern world would be a Gothic nightmare of dour cathedrals and Church Police, ruled by stern and judgmental clerics devoted to performing God's will. Laughter is a thing of the past here, as are popular entertainment, recreation, and most forms of reading save the King James Bible. Most of Western Europe lies under Puritan rule, as has the United States. The "heathenish" peoples of the Third World have suffered greatly at the hands of these fanatics, as have all those who do not bow their heads and submit to the will of Our Lord (and His servants here on Earth, of course).
Heroes in this world may be devoted to removing the harsh yoke of Puritan rule from their world. They may be members of the hated Catholic church, fighting to keep their faith from destruction. They could have family members who were spirited away by the Church Police or they could espouse views which the theocracy finds unacceptable. Or they could just have come to realize that God's Plan may not have included routine torture and political oppression, and have vowed to use the preternatural gifts towards ending such practices. They must keep themselves hidden from spying eyes, work to break the people from their religiously-induced shackles and do battle against the Church's chosen champions — who will use all their power to cleanse such heretics as they from the Earth.
DC comics has published a Batman one-shot graphic novel entitled Holy War that details a world such as this. It's several years old, but may still be available at your local comic book shop.
Regardless of what path you chose to take, there is much a change of universes can do to spice up a superhero story. Alternate histories have always been a part of comic books, and a campaign set entirely within one could be just the thing a burned-out group needs to recharge. Few "normal" superhero stories have been able to resist few side-trips into these worlds, and in fact, one of the best superhero tales ever written — Alan Moore's Watchmen — was an alternate history. Truth, justice and beefed-up guys in capes shouldn't be limited to one historical permutation. With care and attention, your beloved spandex-clad super-folks can find new life in a strange and different world as memorable as any now in existence.
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