[i]At one point in 1999, the citizens of Champion City were feeling pretty good about things.  Casanova Frankenstein, who had been inexplicably released from a mental institution, had been defeated and apparently blown up in his own mansion, along with most of his motley collection of gangs.  The city was virtually crime-free again.

But then Captain Amazing didn't schedule a press conference, or do TV appearances.  Or anything.  He was just… gone.

It didn't take long for villains in other parts of the country to realize that an enormous power vacuum existed in the city, and they rushed to fill it.  The city became a battleground of supervillains and their henchfolk.  The police were helpless, and the Mystery Men hopelessly overmatched.

An uneasy truce now hangs over the city as a host of supervillains work to consolidate their territories and undermine the foundations of truth, justice, and democracy.  More than ever, the people of Champion City need a superhero to save the day.

Unfortunately, there aren't any around.  They're going to have to settle for you, instead.[/i]

[hider=The Game]Mystery Men – The Next Generation! is a humor-based low-level superhero game – OK, an extremely low-level superhero game – that takes place a few years after the events of the 1999 movie [i]Mystery Men[/i].  As the title implies, players will take on the roles of heroes of limited capabilities getting in over their heads while attempting to stem the tide of villainy and no-goodness that has swept across the city.[/hider]
[hider=Game System]We'll be using RISUS for resolution mechanics.  Never heard of it?  [url=http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/risus.htm]Go take a look![/url] It's a free download, and the rules in their entirety are all of 6 pages.  It's simple, fast, and built for humor-based games like this one.

I have added a few house rules, which are intended to enhance the storytelling aspects of the game as well as provide players with more strategic options during moments of conflict.[/hider]
[hider=Tone]This is meant to be a humorous series.  The thing I loved most about the movie is that it simultaneously paid homage to and lovingly skewered the comics genre.  The tone I intend for this game is light-hearted and somewhat absurd.  Keep in mind, though, that the underlying stakes are serious: lots of people died over the course of the movie, and Casanova Frankenstein's plan was truly, truly twisted and evil.

I'm generally shooting for a PG rating.  Expletives are rare but not banned.

I'm hoping the group will walk the fine line between the absurd and silly, and the downright Looney tunes cartoonish.  I understand that sometimes that's a blurry line.  😊[/hider]
[hider=Player character guidelines]I'm looking for players who love comic books, especially old-school comic books, and who know and love the movie Mystery Men.  Watching the movie is an absolute pre-requisite.

You're going to be playing a Mystery Man.  Essentially, you're an everyday, working-class schmoe attempting to parlay a limited talent or skill into a crime-fighting career.  Super-competent characters are not appropriate.  Characters with extensive backgrounds as special forces soldiers, martial arts legends, spy agency operatives, etc. are not appropriate.

Some Mystery Men have no powers at all, and rely on a remotely-useful skill to fight the bad guys: The Blue Raja throws flatware; The Shoveler shovels well (he shovels very well).

A few Mystery Men have actual super-powers, but they are extremely limited in some way: The Invisible Boy can turn invisible, but only when no one is looking at him; The Spleen can nauseate people or even knock them out, but only by farting in their general direction.[/hider]
[hider=Rules and observations]I don't expect a post a day, but I’d like at least 4 per week.  More would be great.

Let's call this "mid-casual."  Truly long posts might actually slow down the pace of the game.  Comedy is not long-winded, typically.  I do expect a concerted effort to use good grammar and correct spelling.  In general, 1-2 paragraphs should do just fine.

I'll be providing players with some additional game material including a really great write-up on composing clichés.

I'm looking for 3-4 players right now, with a possible expansion in the future.  

Characters write-ups are only required to be a paragraph or two. 

This is an interest check; please don't post character write-ups, although you can PM me character concepts.[/hider]