I would opt for the  real Golden Age - as in Alan Scott using his fists more than his green lantern and weird pulp stuff, but none of the more coherent silver age 60s mysticism. As to the prejudice levels - I don't think I would take it to Tin Tin in the Congo levels, but the golden age should have characters like Per Degaton or Captain Nazi to 'feel' right.

A great resource is Jess Nevins's "Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes", available on Amazon and elsewhere. An encylopedia-style entry for hundreds from the era, including citations to where they appeared and crossovers appearances as well.

Quote from: Grognard GM on August 09, 2023, 04:13:46 PM
It doesn't count unless you can have a cartoonishly stereotypical minority character as a sidekick.



Why did you mind go to a black guy? I meant a comic-relief Irishman, you must just be a racist.

I'll admit mine went to a generic East Asian character...label him whatever country/culture you want...he's a generic stereotype so can be any.

Quote from: Tod13 on August 10, 2023, 09:45:47 AM
I would want to have the game keep the idea that there are at least three paths to becoming a superhero.

Being born to it. (Superman and Wonder Woman)
Being interventioned into it (Shazaam and Captain America)
Being invented into it (Batman)

and I guess a fourth
Being side-kicked into it (Robin)

I'd probably nix all but invention, but focus on the fact there are so many kinds: gadgets, training beyond that of mortal men, mystical. I guess mystical and training can shade into intervention and born.

An interesting setup might be a cross between X-Men's Mansion/School and a Father Flanagan type running a Boy's Town that provides superhuman training to wayward boys. Those who complete the program become the mystery men of the setting (with the power levels that implies) while some of the villains could be drop-outs.

Quote from: PulpHerb on August 12, 2023, 08:35:24 PM

Quote from: Tod13 on August 10, 2023, 09:45:47 AM
I would want to have the game keep the idea that there are at least three paths to becoming a superhero.

Being born to it. (Superman and Wonder Woman)
Being interventioned into it (Shazaam and Captain America)
Being invented into it (Batman)

and I guess a fourth
Being side-kicked into it (Robin)

I'd probably nix all but invention, but focus on the fact there are so many kinds: gadgets, training beyond that of mortal men, mystical. I guess mystical and training can shade into intervention and born.

An interesting setup might be a cross between X-Men's Mansion/School and a Father Flanagan type running a Boy's Town that provides superhuman training to wayward boys. Those who complete the program become the mystery men of the setting (with the power levels that implies) while some of the villains could be drop-outs.

May we know why? That's a pretty strong preference to just drop and not expand on.

Quote from: Grognard GM on August 12, 2023, 09:32:07 PM

Quote from: PulpHerb on August 12, 2023, 08:35:24 PM

Quote from: Tod13 on August 10, 2023, 09:45:47 AM
I would want to have the game keep the idea that there are at least three paths to becoming a superhero.

Being born to it. (Superman and Wonder Woman)
Being interventioned into it (Shazaam and Captain America)
Being invented into it (Batman)

and I guess a fourth
Being side-kicked into it (Robin)

I'd probably nix all but invention, but focus on the fact there are so many kinds: gadgets, training beyond that of mortal men, mystical. I guess mystical and training can shade into intervention and born.

An interesting setup might be a cross between X-Men's Mansion/School and a Father Flanagan type running a Boy's Town that provides superhuman training to wayward boys. Those who complete the program become the mystery men of the setting (with the power levels that implies) while some of the villains could be drop-outs.

May we know why? That's a pretty strong preference to just drop and not expand on.

Same here.

Quote from: Silverlion on July 26, 2010, 06:37:40 AM
Astro City is my favorite these days though I pick up collections everywhere.

I miss the wonder of thousands of aliens to meet, magical realms that invaded, strange science that was good and useful, and black and terrible, but never as twisted as the crimes we see on the pages now. Terrible, but still within the fantastic.

Amen brother. Astro City is fantastic, best reconstruction of superheroes I've read.

Quote from: Silverlion on July 26, 2010, 06:37:40 AM
Then there is always the  wonders of Dr. Velocity.


He's glorious and totally anachronistic. Because I can do so with H&S2E

I'm a little disappointed the image you were adding didn't seem to work.


To the main OP question
I ran a handful of sessions set in 1952 "Artifice City" recently for my game Simple Superheroes and was going for a more Golden Age vibe. I think part of this is a sort of "any wacky idea goes" mentality.
In our adventure an major villain had the ability to give people there dreams and then control them a little -- so a kid became a Knight and another dreamed of being big and became a giant. A man dreamed he was a famous hockey player and so he was, and another just wanted to fly like he used to in the war . . . so he did.

One of the key facets for me was dialing in on hope and optimism. People are (widespread) getting electricity, telephones and even televisions for the first time. Science appears like it can solve everything.
X thing might be bad, but it like everything else it will be better in the future.

One of the challenges I found was slowing down the pacing a bit. Letting days of investigation pass as needed. Arranging meetings ahead of time, or places you can be found (Bob yeah he's usually here every Tuesday and Wednesday.) Communication between characters slows down a lot -- unless you have a telepath!

Quote from: RPGPundit on July 26, 2010, 06:20:17 AM
Let's say you're making a golden age superheroes campaign.

What kind of elements would you want the setting to have? What would you consider to be the important things for maintaining emulation of genre?

What kind of Golden Age Supers do you really want to see? The real Golden Age, as it was and not as we remember it, full of insane crap and extreme violence and prejudices of all kinds, and superheroes that aren't usually heroic as we think of them now? Like, almost pulp?
Or the Golden Age as seen through the length of the Silver, like later stories about the JSA or the All-Star Squadron comic?

Or more modern takes on the genre, post-silver age stuff?  Stuff with more of a "realist" modern lens and a psychological drama bent? Watchmen? The Golden Age? The Sandman comics?

What stuff in general would you absolutely put into your campaign?

RPGPundit

Golden Age of comics was the 20's-50's so:

• Racism
• Sexism
• Patriotism
• U.S. alcohol ban/Prohibition era
• Smoking indoors
• WWII
• Radio more widespread than TV
• Books and magazine more widespread than TV
• Black & white films/photography was more common
• Formal clothing was the norm

What's important to remember is Golden Age comics writers were creating more gritty realistic stories more like modern fiction. The elites didn't like it so they created the Comics Code (1954) which limited what kinds of stories comics could feature, which led to the silly storylines of the Silver Age.

Quote from: Theory of Games on August 16, 2023, 06:28:11 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit on July 26, 2010, 06:20:17 AM
Let's say you're making a golden age superheroes campaign.

What kind of elements would you want the setting to have? What would you consider to be the important things for maintaining emulation of genre?

What kind of Golden Age Supers do you really want to see? The real Golden Age, as it was and not as we remember it, full of insane crap and extreme violence and prejudices of all kinds, and superheroes that aren't usually heroic as we think of them now? Like, almost pulp?
Or the Golden Age as seen through the length of the Silver, like later stories about the JSA or the All-Star Squadron comic?

Or more modern takes on the genre, post-silver age stuff?  Stuff with more of a "realist" modern lens and a psychological drama bent? Watchmen? The Golden Age? The Sandman comics?

What stuff in general would you absolutely put into your campaign?

RPGPundit

Golden Age of comics was the 20's-50's so:

• Racism
• Sexism
• Patriotism
• U.S. alcohol ban/Prohibition era
• Smoking indoors
• WWII
• Radio more widespread than TV
• Books and magazine more widespread than TV
• Black & white films/photography was more common
• Formal clothing was the norm
What's important to remember is Golden Age comics writers were creating more gritty realistic stories more like modern fiction. The elites didn't like it so they created the Comics Code (1954) which limited what kinds of stories comics could feature, which led to the silly storylines of the Silver Age.

Yeah no thanks, I'd fudge or minimalize that stuff.

Not for snowflake reasons, but simply because I am so fucking tired of it dominating all media. We're close to a decade into 'everything set in the past must be about Racism and Sexism.' History is taken and then boiled down into these two things, like nothing else interesting ever happened. Black character in the 50's? Here's you racism story arc.

BORING.[/list]

To be honest, I kind of miss the Comics Code.

Wolverine was a lot cooler when there were norms for him to be transgressing.

Also, if you want a setting where your heroes are heroes to the general public, then the heroes need to be acting heroically most of the time.

Quote from: Grognard GM on August 16, 2023, 10:32:28 AM

Quote from: Theory of Games on August 16, 2023, 06:28:11 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit on July 26, 2010, 06:20:17 AM
Let's say you're making a golden age superheroes campaign.

What kind of elements would you want the setting to have? What would you consider to be the important things for maintaining emulation of genre?

What kind of Golden Age Supers do you really want to see? The real Golden Age, as it was and not as we remember it, full of insane crap and extreme violence and prejudices of all kinds, and superheroes that aren't usually heroic as we think of them now? Like, almost pulp?
Or the Golden Age as seen through the length of the Silver, like later stories about the JSA or the All-Star Squadron comic?

Or more modern takes on the genre, post-silver age stuff?  Stuff with more of a "realist" modern lens and a psychological drama bent? Watchmen? The Golden Age? The Sandman comics?

What stuff in general would you absolutely put into your campaign?

RPGPundit

Golden Age of comics was the 20's-50's so:

• Racism
• Sexism
• Patriotism
• U.S. alcohol ban/Prohibition era
• Smoking indoors
• WWII
• Radio more widespread than TV
• Books and magazine more widespread than TV
• Black & white films/photography was more common
• Formal clothing was the norm
What's important to remember is Golden Age comics writers were creating more gritty realistic stories more like modern fiction. The elites didn't like it so they created the Comics Code (1954) which limited what kinds of stories comics could feature, which led to the silly storylines of the Silver Age.

Yeah no thanks, I'd fudge or minimalize that stuff.

Not for snowflake reasons, but simply because I am so fucking tired of it dominating all media. We're close to a decade into 'everything set in the past must be about Racism and Sexism.' History is taken and then boiled down into these two things, like nothing else interesting ever happened. Black character in the 50's? Here's you racism story arc.

BORING.[/list]

Whew! Thank goodness it was Pundit asking, right?

Quote from: Theory of Games on August 16, 2023, 04:03:47 PM

Quote from: Grognard GM on August 16, 2023, 10:32:28 AM

Quote from: Theory of Games on August 16, 2023, 06:28:11 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit on July 26, 2010, 06:20:17 AM
Let's say you're making a golden age superheroes campaign.

What kind of elements would you want the setting to have? What would you consider to be the important things for maintaining emulation of genre?

What kind of Golden Age Supers do you really want to see? The real Golden Age, as it was and not as we remember it, full of insane crap and extreme violence and prejudices of all kinds, and superheroes that aren't usually heroic as we think of them now? Like, almost pulp?
Or the Golden Age as seen through the length of the Silver, like later stories about the JSA or the All-Star Squadron comic?

Or more modern takes on the genre, post-silver age stuff?  Stuff with more of a "realist" modern lens and a psychological drama bent? Watchmen? The Golden Age? The Sandman comics?

What stuff in general would you absolutely put into your campaign?

RPGPundit

Golden Age of comics was the 20's-50's so:

• Racism
• Sexism
• Patriotism
• U.S. alcohol ban/Prohibition era
• Smoking indoors
• WWII
• Radio more widespread than TV
• Books and magazine more widespread than TV
• Black & white films/photography was more common
• Formal clothing was the norm
What's important to remember is Golden Age comics writers were creating more gritty realistic stories more like modern fiction. The elites didn't like it so they created the Comics Code (1954) which limited what kinds of stories comics could feature, which led to the silly storylines of the Silver Age.

Yeah no thanks, I'd fudge or minimalize that stuff.

Not for snowflake reasons, but simply because I am so fucking tired of it dominating all media. We're close to a decade into 'everything set in the past must be about Racism and Sexism.' History is taken and then boiled down into these two things, like nothing else interesting ever happened. Black character in the 50's? Here's you racism story arc.

BORING.[/list]

Whew! Thank goodness it was Pundit asking, right?

I apologize for hacking your PM to Pundit, and giving my unsolicited opinions. Oh no, wait, you posted in a public forum.

I currently run a Golden Age ICONS game as an alternate/side game to my group's D&D game.  Several of the players dig it more than the regular campaign.

Since I'm old (55) and my players are young (~30), I found a few touchstones to help get them in the genre.  These aren't mechanical, but more thematic in nature.  Also, things they had probably seen/heard of, or at least easy enough to show them.

1. The first Captain America movie
2. The Rocketeer movie
3. The Phantom movie (with Billy Zane)... great visuals of the period.  Worth it for the window dressing alone.
4. The first Wonder Woman movie (WW I instead of WW II, but thematically captures the mood IMO)
5. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

For myself, I've read a ton of original Golden Age comics, and draw from them, as well as ideas from Roy Thomas' All Star series and other Silver Age renditions of the period. Some great sources I've used for ideas/inspiration:

1. The Golden Age (comic mini-series/TBP by James Robinson & Paul Smith... really reinvigorated my interest in the genre)
2. Golden Age Champions by Chris Cloutier.  Published by HERO games for Champions, has a ton of villains, timelines, period source material.
3. Vigilance Press' ICONS sourcebooks from the "Amazing Stories of World War II" line.  Highly recommend giving these a look on DriveThruRPG. I use a lot of it verbatim in my campaign.

Hope that helps!

How do you run Golden Age w/o racism and sexism? It's why Call of Cthulhu is BS.

Stop pretending the 20s are the fkn 80s 

I don't.  I just don't glorify it.  It exists, and it's bad.  The heroes (for the most part) are assumed to be better than that.