Denver:Protectorate Creation Guide
What is the Parahuman Response Team?
Your bosses
If you are a member of the Protectorate, or its youth organization the Wards, you are an employee of the PRT. You are subject to all the same rules and regulations that are imposed on everyone else, from the Director to the troopers to the janitor.
The PRT specifically acts as a sometimes-adversarial overseer of all parahuman activities within the territory of the United States of America. This means that, while you and the troopers are on the same side, you are not necessarily on the same team. The regulations put upon you by the PRT are there not only to help you do your job, but to make sure you can’t fuck things up too badly.
If this is a problem, there are several non-government controlled hero teams who may take you in (at the risk of being legally responsible for you), or you can go on as an independent.
- What, specifically does the PRT do?
- ◆Enforces the laws and regulations of the United States
- ◆Performs research and testing into the fields of parahuman sciences
- ◆Regulates all government-affiliated cape activity
- ◆Investigates parahuman-related crime
- ◆Ensures the continuity of the Federal government in the event of total societal collapse
Chain of Command
Mental Health
The PRT is under no misconception, Parahumans are traumatized by default, and they are well aware of this fact.
But no two capes cope with that trauma in quite the same way, and some handle it far far worse than others.
There is no expectation to maintain perfect mental health, that would be akin to a pipe dream when capes are involved.
But members of the Protectorate & Wards are expected to maintain a level of professional decorum, to work on their issues.
The PRT provides in-house & out-of-network mental health services, including therapists & psychologists amongst others.
Your character is expected to be sane & reasonable enough that they'd be able to pass bi-monthly in-universe Psychological Competency Evaluations.
(These happen off-screen and are mostly intended as a reason for the PRT to remain informed if action may be needed with its capes.)
Professional Expectations
There Protectorate can't afford an infinite Roster, and simply put, if you’re going to fuck around, we’d rather give that limited space to someone who takes it seriously.
| What If I disregard this? | |
|---|---|
| Your character will either be fired from the Protectorate, or they will be transferred out of the city to punishment duty elsewhere (read: NPCed). Repeat offenders will lose the privilege to play Protectorate heroes. |
- Members of the Protectorate are expected to
- ◆Follow & respect the Parahuman Response Team's chain of command.
- ◆Interact respectfully with the civilian public, the Media, & other Agencies.
- ◆Share only approved info, or the bare minimum to reassure the Media.
- ◆Refrain from all criminal activities, including fraternizing with criminals.
- ◆Prioritize saving lives over property or the capture of criminals.
- ◆In-combat Utilize minimum necessary force, avoid lasting injury & lethality when able.
Skills & Training
The PRT provides its parahuman employees with training before that cape even thinks about going out on their first patrol.
Helping members of the Protectorate & Wards with how to use their powers more effectively & safely is always one part of the end goal.
But more importantly for this guide, the PRT trains its parahumans with practical skills & techniques for law enforcement.
Below is the bare minimum that a new Protectorate/Ward is expected to possess before being allowed to actually patrol, & fight crime.
- The Very Basics
- ◆Basic Hand-to-Hand combat training
- ◆Basic First Aid & CPR
- ◆Basic & Relevant Understanding of laws & legal procedures
- ◆Basic Radio & Communicator Operation
While those listed above, are the absolute minimum, if you've been on the team for a while, your skills should reflect that.
Someone with a lengthy career in the Protectorate, should have some actual experience to show for it.
More advanced, trained, and/or experienced versions of the above skills for example, and perhaps some additional skills like the ones included below, which the PRT would very much like for its capes to have if they are taking this whole hero thing remotely seriously.
Other Skill
| What about Containment Foam? | |
|---|---|
| Containment foam does exist, but we don’t bring it out often because it’s not fun in a roleplay setting. Doesn’t mean it’s off the table though. |
Equipment & Gear
- Required gear
- ◆Police Zipcuffs
- ◆PRT comms (with NUCLEUS encryption module)
- Optional but recommended gear
- ◆Flash light
- ◆Police Medkit
- ◆Police Baton
- ◆Pocket Utility Knife
- ◆Police Handcuffs
Calling the PRT in an emergency
If you are in an emergency situation, call 911. There is not a special PRT or Protectorate emergency line.
If your house is on fire, you do not look up your local fire department, you call 911.
You can look up how Real-life emergency service dispatch systems work, but long story short, you call 911, get a dispatcher, and let them know what’s happening the same as you would for non-parahuman crime.
At no point will a member of the public be able to call 911 and speak to a Cape.
| The PRT console? | |
|---|---|
|
"The console” is not run by Wards. It is run by a PRT dispatcher who handles all radio communication with the Protectorate, Wards, and specific affiliated independent heroes using the PRT system. They keep track of every hero and will check in regularly to make sure you are okay. If you don’t check in, or you go off track, they will notice and act accordingly. |
| What if people start dying? | |
|---|---|
| If there are casualties, civilian, hero, or villain or otherwise then the situation has escalated beyond the norm, and you should check in with @PRT on the discord about the situation. |
For those who want to get in the weeds, Denver’s 911 system is managed by the Sheriff’s Office, who handles the calls and acts as intermediaries between the public and whichever emergency service needs to deal with things.
Let’s look at a hypothetical situation:
1.) A supervillain is robbing a store. A local bystander sees this and calls 911.
2.) Dispatcher takes this call, and since it’s parahuman-related, alerts the PRT & other relevant emergency services.
3.) The PRT would dispatch a squad of officers, as well as redirect any nearby patrolling heroes. This would occur over encrypted radio communications. If you’re a villain you don’t get to intercept this. No I don’t care if you’re a Thinker. That’s not how this works.
4.) The heroes would do the active fighting, with the PRT officers and other responding emergency personnel mostly acting to keep civilians out of the line of fire. If a fight goes on for an extended period, reinforcements will arrive. Villains should try to get away before then.
5.) When the fight is over, more PRT personnel will arrive on-scene to secure any evidence, clean the scene up, and interview witnesses. These personnel, like all other PRT employees, are broadly competent and armed, and if you’re trying to slip something by them you need to let us know.
Calling the PRT (non-emergency)
If you’re just looking for a meeting with the PRT or Protectorate, and you’re not a villain, assume it’s something that can be set up easily enough, It will either occur in a public (non-secure) conference room, or in one that has had some hardening against surveillance.
If you’re calling to speak with a specific hero, that can happen. Unless you’re a known trusted actor (fellow hero), that call will be monitored and recorded for M/S purposes. It might be recorded anyway.
If you’re a villain or no-name hero calling the PRT, you need to @PRT on the Discord so we can go over it. It doesn’t have to be a huge thing if you don’t want it to be, but we need to know.