TEAMS for superbeings (and anyone else)
Teams are an essential part of every single superhero world. Sometimes the team could be as few as two different heroes but usually a team will have a set of four or more heroes. Quite often the lineup of the team will change as heroes age out, die, retire, get married and move or simply go in a different direction in their life.
Every Team has a Headquarters, even if it is a completely ad hoc staging area or gathering place. If they use it more than a couple of times it’s “theirs.”
Headquarters
The headquarters size and location must be approved by the Gamemaster. The exact makeup of the headquarters – weapons locker, garage, communications center, prison, etc. – must also be approved by the Gamemaster. The Rank Value of the headquarters should be used as a rough guide. The below chart is taken from 4C at page 16.
The Rank Value for a headquarters is based on the Wealth of the hero who establishes the Team and who logically also set up the headquarters. This however can be negated by the actual circumstances. The headquarters could have been captured from an enemy, it could be a Refuge, a military base or skyscraper that is leased. The size given is the MAXIMUM size, it is also possible for a much smaller building or office to be a headquarters. It is even possible to have an “official” office for a Team and other facilities scattered around across the city – or across the world.
Types of Team
Every Team must be specified in terms of Chartered, Free, Open or Exclusive; in terms of Themed, Random or Ranked; and finally in terms of being a Club, Guild, Team, League or Battalion.
Chartered groups have a written constitution and all members sign a document stating they have read and understood this Charter, sought independent legal advice on it or waived that right and they sign to join the group of their own free will under no outside influence or duress.
Free groups exist more as a concept or non-team, usually coalescing around a single powerful individual and doing so exclusively when the need arises. More of a shared activity between friends or between people who band together out of necessity.
Open groups are open for heroes to apply for membership. Once a hero applies they are present while the existing team has a debate if needed and then votes with a show of hands as to whether the new applicant is added to the team or not. Hopefully the vote is unanimous…
Exclusive groups have a requirement for membership that is not negotiable and any hero without the prerequisite is barred from membership. Exclusive groups don’t accept random applications for membership; THEY choose YOU not the other way around.
Themed groups require all members to have something strongly in common such as all being cyborgs, all being jilted lovers, all being mutants, all being aliens, all having technology based powers or magic based powers or all being descendants of the same bloodline for example. Someone can join if they are or can adapt and change to fit in with the theme.
Random groups are literally composed of heroes with nothing in common except by sheer accident. A complete mix of types of character make up the team at any one time.
Ranked groups require all team members to be at and maintain a certain power Rank, usually a high one. This is the type of group that usually prides itself on being the mightiest heroes on Earth, the greatest or most noble or in other way the top of the game. Elitists whether they admit it or not. There could be a good reason for it, if they take on the most powerful threats.
Clubs are social as well as crimefighting groups. Members sit around, party together, hold group activities and birthday parties and generally form a circle of friends as well as team mates. They often have charity drives or other group events that enhance their Karma Pool.
Guilds have strict rules and hierarchy with someone in overall charge as a boss or leader and everyone else of a lesser rank. Sometimes there is a council, cabal, control group or committee in the leadership position. Disrespect and disobedience are not tolerated in this type of group.
Leagues have a principle that no matter the individual member’s personal Wealth, Power level, Popularity and situation in life as long as they are a member of the group, they get the same one vote as every other member. Leagues also have a chairperson to lead all meetings, either someone elected to the job for a term or a rotating chair where each member takes the chair in turn. Leagues usually have rules all members must follow to help maintain and grow the Karma Pool. If the League also has a charter of some kind then punishment for disobedience of League rules can be swift and surprisingly severe.
Battalions are run like an elite military unit. Everyone has the shared responsibility of operational security or “opsec” but they also have the personal accountability to square their own drama away, always fight hard and be effective, and follow the commands of the leader of the group without question. Battalions sometimes have dedicated medic, a hero with healing Powers of some kind. Sometimes a battalion will also have a day to day leader who swaps out with a battlefield commander who is the best person to lead in the particular kind of adventure they undertake.
Every team has its own Wealth, Popularity (the reputation of the group, rather than the individuals in the group) and a Karma Pool. For Karma Pools see FASERIP RPG rulebook at page 48.
When a hero joins a Team, the Team’s Wealth, Popularity and Karma Pool are accessible by that hero for the duration of their Team membership.
As long as the hero belongs to the Team, the hero’s Popularity is affected by the Popularity of the Team. In most circumstances the hero must simply average the two Popularities and use that number as their new Popularity Rank. However, roleplaying or a successful Silver roll on Psyche can allow a hero to argue that they should be judged on their own merits to use their own Popularity, or if their Popularity is bad they could argue that belonging to the Team gives them more credibility, and use the Team Popularity instead.
Heroes who misuse Team Wealth are usually banned from using it and also lose -10 Karma when their misuse is discovered.
KNIGHTS
Knights are heroes who are officially retained or ennobled by a King or Queen and either allowed to join an Order of Knighthood (a Team which is usually an Exclusive Themed Club or Guild), or who are allowed by the monarch to be a Knight Errant - a roaming adventurer.
Conclusion
There are many organizations in any game world other than teams of heroes of course. It would be possible to list them all in super team terms but unless this is necessary for some reason or for your own amusement don’t put yourself to such a large amount of work without reason. For example if you know CIA is going to come up in play, think out what kind of Team it is or might be (if any) or if it is the leader of a group of Teams for example.