Savage 80s

I am working on a one-shot campaign series for an idea I am putting together, involving several iconic 80s TV shows. Collectively, I am going to call them the Savage 80s campaign but the first campaign will involve V: The Mini-series.
V: The Ultimate Battle
V: The Ultimate Battle will be set in 1986 after the arrival of the Visitors (V and V: the Final Battle), two years after the Red Dust was released (roughly during the TV series era but I am ignoring the TV series.)
Characters will include Michael Knight, Hannibal Smith and Howling Mad Murdock (A-Team), Stringfellow Hawke (Airwolf), Jonathan Chase (Manimal), and perhaps MacGuyver.
I am looking for more super hero like people rather than normal characters like Magnum PI and the like.
Each are part of a resistance group in various locations in the US, I was going to modernize each character in some way, but still keep the 80s feel.
Notes
Sessions
- Battle for Oz: The Skyraiders of Oogaboo (Mythic Con 2024)
- Savage 80s: V-The Rescue (Mythic 2024)
- Savage 80s: V – The Rescue (Mythic Con West 2024)
- Savage 80s: V – The Rescue (Playtest, RonCon Spring 2024)
- Savage 80s: V – Appalachian Mystery (JeffCon 2022)
- Savage 80s: V – Appalachian Mystery (playtest)
- Savage 80s: V – Appalachian Mystery (MACE West 2022)
It was heralded as the greatest event in mankind’s history – the arrival of the Visitors. Fifty massive ships positioned over the world’s largest cities, containing thousands of alien Visitors who claimed to have come in peace. In exchange for simple chemicals, they would provide us with technology beyond our imagination, cure humanity’s most virulent diseases and provide us a new age of prosperity.
Many believed the Visitors and their benevolent promises. It took less than a year for the Visitors to integrate into the world’s societies and form a tight grip of control on all aspects of human lives. Many saw this as natural and cooperated, while others began to question things.
It was these doubters that discovered the truth of the Visitors. They were here to steal our most precious resources – our water and our people. Humanity was cattle to them, nothing more. They were secretly draining our oceans and depopulating our cities. However, the Visitors controlled the media and the narrative, demonizing the doubters as conspiracy theorists and terrorists.
Forced underground, the resistance groups pushed back against the insidious occupation of the Visitors. At first, they gained little ground but over time, they became a nuisance to the Visitors. Then a concern. Then a threat. It was at this time, the resistance discovered the Red Dust – a bio-weapon developed by underground scientists that was a poison to Visitors and harmless to humans.
Releasing the Red Dust initially had the effect the Humans wanted – forcing a retreat of the Visitors from the planet. However, due to unforeseen natural factors, the concentration of the Red Dust through the planet varied, allowing the Visitors to re-occupy portions of the planet. This coupled with the Second Wave arriving behind the moon has brought the war against the Visitors into a new phase.
The Resistance has made strides in turning the public against them but there are still those in power that believe in their promises and collaborate. With the new wave of Visitor forces arriving each day, the Resistance must turn to new heroes of Earth to help in the fight.
Michael Knight in his state of the art artificial intelligent car KITT, is a lone warrior on the roads of the United States running from the Visitors. His once powerful foundation – FLAG – now dismantled by the Visitors and his closest friends – Devon Miles and Dr. Bonnie Barstow – missing. Michael Knight seeks to assemble a team of special resistance fighters to make a deadly strike against the visitors.
First on his list is Hannibal Smith and his rag-tag team of former Vietnam War veteran vigilantes, once wanted by the government and now wanted by the Visitors. The last Michael Knight heard was there were two left – Hannibal and “Howling Mad” Merdock – both on the run somewhere in Central America. The others – Templeton “Faceman” Peck and B. A. Baracus – are considered missing and assumed captured by the Visitors.
Next is Stringfellow Hawke, a former agent of the Firm – an old rival organization to FLAG. Hawke was the last person to fly the Airwolf – a secret advanced prototype supersonic helicopter with stealth capabilities and a formidable arsenal. If Michael could find Hawke, he hopes the pilot still has access to Airwolf. However, information Knight was able to obtain indicates that Hawke’s closest friend and co-pilot Dominic Santini was also captured by the Visitors, forcing Hawke underground somewhere in Colorado.
Next was the very illusive and crafty Angus “Mac” MacGyver of the Phoenix Foundation, who was last seen in Los Angeles. The Phoenix Foundation was an allied group to FLAG and Knight crossed paths on occasion with MacGyver. His wizardry with all things chemical and mechanical was unprecedented.
The final two would be the challenge. Dr. Jonathan Chase was a wealthy explorer and entrepreneur before the Visitors arrived. However, he vanished upon their arrival. Many presumed he was captured by the Visitors but Michael knew better. Chase had ways to hide like no other.
Finally Jaime Sommers was a retired agent of OSI. She fell silent 8 years ago, and convincing her to come out of retirement would be difficlut. Perhaps knowing that her ex-husband Steve may be captured as well would convince her.
If Knight can assemble as many of these as possible into one team, perhaps together they can make the ultimate strike against the Visitors.







