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Ideas For Games


Dave ST

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I came up with a few ideas for games. I'm not sure if I'll ever run them or if they're feasable for PBP style gaming, but I figure if they can't be used here then maybe some of you could use them at home at the table. Why let ideas spoil, eh?

Scion-

"The Gods Must Be Crazy"

For some reason the Gods think it would be a good idea to invoke a spell that would give them some advantage over the Titans. A spell that would grant them the phenomenal cosmic understanding inherent in their divinity yet allow them to become as adaptive and free spirited as the mortals who no matter what the adversity, always seem to bounce back stronger than before.

It works... kinda. The Gods who invoke the spell are shattered and their essence scattered and sent to the World. There they are reborn to mortal parents in the form of their own Avatars with no memories of their previous lives as Gods. It takes the remaining Gods several years to locate and contact the mortal Avatars (the PCs) and it's right around high school/college. With complete amnesia the Gods must be 'retrained' in order to rejoin their place among the Titan Wars.

The Fun Side: C'mon, frat boy Zeus with his insatiable libido turned lose on a college of hot women?! What if one of the male or female gods was reborn the opposite gender? A female Hades or a male Artemis...

Drawbacks: Some PCs prolly don't wanna all play PCs of the same Pantheon, and it'd prolly be a good idea for this game. The Norse, Loa, or Greek Pantheons would be a good choice I think.

"Percy Who?"

Just like Percy Jackson... the PCs are just average Joe's in Highschool until they suddenly find out they are the children of Gods and end up in Scion Summer Camp. The adventures they are taken trough deal less with the Titans themselves and more on dealing with the problems caused by the Titan's and their spawn.

The Fun Side: I little more free form and less serious than an average Scion game. Maybe they are sent across country to look for a run away from the camp or retrieve an ancient relic.

Drawback: It might not have as much high-octane action as some people like from a Scion game.

"I AM THE GOD OF WAR!"

Kratos Shmatos... compared to your PCs he looks like an amateur. For whatever reason you have a bug up your ass and hate your divine parents... so let's go kill em and wage war on the gods! C'mon it'll be fun. Bring a friend.

The Fun Side: Action, Action, Action and gripping dialogue like "ZEEEEEEUS! I'M COMING FOR YOU!"

Drawbacks:Action, Action, Action and gripping dialogue like "ZEEEEEEUS! I'M COMING FOR YOU!"

Pathfinder (D&D 3.75)

"The Rise of the Dark Queen" (DragonLance)

At the end of the War of Souls Fate takes a cruel twist. Instead of Paladine sacrificing his immortality and slaying the Dark Queen, she instead slays him. Never regaining her immortality (but remaining ageless) she now has what she's longed for since the dawn of time: Ansalon is hers.

The PCs are raised in this dark new world where her evil reign is absolute. The good dragons, suffering the loss of their father, have fled the land and while the True Gods are still worshiped, none are brave enough to sacrifice their immortality to challenge her head-on. No, it must be mortals who rise up to that challenge.

The PC are peasants, nothing more, nothing less who suddenly find themselves embroiled in war against the Dark Queen. A resistance has risen up to reclaim the continent and after the Dark Queen has taken everything the PCs have all that remains is vengeance.

With an army of dragon riders and the Knight's of Takhisis several thousand strong how can they hope to win?

The Fun Sides: This has pure epicness written all over it. If done right you'll have stories so awesome you'll tell your grand kids.

The Drawback: This plot is easy to screw up, I've already tried running this one once and it blew up in my face because I spilled the awesome parts into the game at level 8 instead of level 18... it got crazy out of hand...

Shadowrun

"Yo Joe!"

You are the best of the best of the best of the best of the best! When all else fails... go get a Mt. Dew (product placement). The PCs are part of a special task force that answers to no one. Each PC is a badass, but also a specialist in one particular field so everyone gets a seat in the spotlight.

It's made even batter if you give them a cheesy terrorist enemy to battle too, like Cobra... or V.E.N.O.M.

The Fun Side: With little accountability and the theatrics nature of the game you can have all kinds of fun. Remember though, you're the good guys. Also, if you like make two PCs and take turns playing the good guys and the bad guys! Thwart your own PCs! Awesome code names are a must.

The Drawbacks: It's a bit cheesy...

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Originally Posted By: Dave ST

Pathfinder (D&D 3.75)
"The Rise of the Dark Queen" (DragonLance)
At the end of the War of Souls Fate takes a cruel twist. Instead of Paladine sacrificing his immortality and slaying the Dark Queen, she instead slays him. Never regaining her immortality (but remaining ageless) she now has what she's longed for since the dawn of time: Ansalon is hers.

The PCs are raised in this dark new world where her evil reign is absolute. The good dragons, suffering the loss of their father, have fled the land and while the True Gods are still worshiped, none are brave enough to sacrifice their immortality to challenge her head-on. No, it must be mortals who rise up to that challenge.

The PC are peasants, nothing more, nothing less who suddenly find themselves embroiled in war against the Dark Queen. A resistance has risen up to reclaim the continent and after the Dark Queen has taken everything the PCs have all that remains is vengeance.

With an army of dragon riders and the Knight's of Takhisis several thousand strong how can they hope to win?

The Fun Sides: This has pure epicness written all over it. If done right you'll have stories so awesome you'll tell your grand kids.

The Drawback: This plot is easy to screw up, I've already tried running this one once and it blew up in my face because I spilled the awesome parts into the game at level 8 instead of level 18... it got crazy out of hand...


This

Originally Posted By: ST-Dave

Shadowrun
"Yo Joe!"
You are the best of the best of the best of the best of the best! When all else fails... go get a Mt. Dew (product placement). The PCs are part of a special task force that answers to no one. Each PC is a badass, but also a specialist in one particular field so everyone gets a seat in the spotlight.

It's made even batter if you give them a cheesy terrorist enemy to battle too, like Cobra... or V.E.N.O.M.

The Fun Side: With little accountability and the theatrics nature of the game you can have all kinds of fun. Remember though, you're the good guys. Also, if you like make two PCs and take turns playing the good guys and the bad guys! Thwart your own PCs! Awesome code names are a must.

The Drawbacks: It's a bit cheesy...


and this. But I'm only familiar with SR (don't know nothing about Pathfinder aside from it being awesome from hearsay).

I'm working on a High-Fantasy type game myself and am planning to run it on M&Ms 2nd Edition spinoff Warriors and Warlocks (or whatsitsnameagain). Maybe I'd pick some of your ideas about the dragonriders - I like that theme a lot.
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I love DnD 3.X, but from a quick overview on Pathfinder, I can´t help but realize they just kept pumping up the casters and screwing over the meleer´s which reduce the tanks to minions by the teen levels.

Then again, I can always just play a caster and be done with it. If I can find the book for Pathfinder, I would like to give it a go.

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I think (and I could be wrong), that Dave's intent to was get these ideas out there for people to use and not to propose a new game. If I'm wrong, well it seems to be a theme lately.

I'll add a couple of my own.

Scion: Heaven's Children

This one requires a little research and re-work but the idea is that the PCs all play Nephilim or children of Nephilim, that is the child of a mortal and an angel. I imagine the game taking place in two time periods, initially during the Crusdades at the "Hero" level, and then during the modern/post-modern era as the PC attempt to earn their way into heaven by stopping the coming of Lucifer (or similar). This game assumes that Christian myth is the "truth" and so there would be no other pantheons/Gods. Instead of Titans the PCs are opposed by Demons & Infernally powered creatures.

Mutants & Masterminds: Second String

The PCs are heroes who have good intention if not the best of abilities. PCs are hampered by powers that are limited in scope or strength (or both). Examples include the ability to run super fast ... backwards, to assume an un-impressive form, to Fly but only with your eyes closed. Think of the "sidekicks" from Sky High and you get the idea.

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Originally Posted By: Ouroboros
Scion: Heaven's Children

This one requires a little research and re-work but the idea is that the PCs all play Nephilim or children of Nephilim, that is the child of a mortal and an angel. I imagine the game taking place in two time periods, initially during the Crusdades at the "Hero" level, and then during the modern/post-modern era as the PC attempt to earn their way into heaven by stopping the coming of Lucifer (or similar). This game assumes that Christian myth is the "truth" and so there would be no other pantheons/Gods. Instead of Titans the PCs are opposed by Demons & Infernally powered creatures.

Jim... out of my head. Right now! Mala and I have been mulling over this exact theme/topic for several days now, though not for a game here. I have to admit something like this would be interesting, though.
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Quote:
I think (and I could be wrong), that Dave's intent to was get these ideas out there for people to use and not to propose a new game. If I'm wrong, well it seems to be a theme lately.

No, you're absolutely right. I figured we'd share ideas and just bullshit about this concept and that.

I'd love to run a game, especially the Dragonlance one, but as you all can tell, my posting time is not very frequent as of late. I don't have the time to run another game at the moment. By the time we hit 8th level we were already engrossed in a Lord of the Rings style epic that had on the edge of our seats. Like I said though, I messed that one up. Bad DM call at the wrong time and the entire cat was out of the bag way too early.

But, it happens.

Quote:
Scion: Heaven's Children

This one requires a little research and re-work but the idea is that the PCs all play Nephilim or children of Nephilim, that is the child of a mortal and an angel. I imagine the game taking place in two time periods, initially during the Crusdades at the "Hero" level, and then during the modern/post-modern era as the PC attempt to earn their way into heaven by stopping the coming of Lucifer (or similar). This game assumes that Christian myth is the "truth" and so there would be no other pantheons/Gods. Instead of Titans the PCs are opposed by Demons & Infernally powered creatures.


I've considered a game like this as well, but I can not stomach playing anything remotely Christian. I used the concepts of the Angelic and the Demonic as reflections of the concepts of 'light' and 'dark'. Two forces that, at one stage in time worked together to maintain a balance within the cosmos. For whatever (greed most likely) the 'light' waged war and won, giving us the blessing of what we get to revere as 'God' today.

Now what happens when a third party enters the battle who has been manipulating both sides since the dawn of creation?

Quote:
I also like the "Percy Who?" one, though I also think it sounds a little to close to what UA is thematically.


Any time you mingle "High School" + "Phenomenal Cosmic Power" you're going to get something like UA thematically. Hell, UA is so close to X-Men that all we're missing is Patrick Steward at this point. But I see your point.

The dividing factor though would be the magical and mythical aspect of it all opposed to the super hero qualities that UA possesses. IMO we as writers and STs could do more with magic and mythology than we can with super heroism.


For those who do not know, all Pathfinder Core Rules are written under the OGC. Which means they've posted all the rules as a System Resource Document that you can browse at the website above.

Check it out. I own the Core Book (500+ pages of awesome), the Bestiary and the Pathfinder Campaign Setting books. It's an excellent system that caters to the players, not the monsters. Anything 3.0-3.5 is easily integrated into the new rules set too.
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Originally Posted By: Dawn, OOC
Originally Posted By: Ouroboros
Scion: Heaven's Children

This one requires a little research and re-work but the idea is that the PCs all play Nephilim or children of Nephilim, that is the child of a mortal and an angel. I imagine the game taking place in two time periods, initially during the Crusdades at the "Hero" level, and then during the modern/post-modern era as the PC attempt to earn their way into heaven by stopping the coming of Lucifer (or similar). This game assumes that Christian myth is the "truth" and so there would be no other pantheons/Gods. Instead of Titans the PCs are opposed by Demons & Infernally powered creatures.

Jim... out of my head. Right now! Mala and I have been mulling over this exact theme/topic for several days now, though not for a game here. I have to admit something like this would be interesting, though.


Reminds me of the plot of a British TV series called Hex that also follows around the same lines(Nephalim and trying to stop the coming of evil)
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Well I had a pair of ideas for a DnD campaign that I have been DYING to run, but I haven{t had the gumption to gather the players and I wouldn{t like to do it here because I have ups and downs on my posting rythm and I would hate to make the good posters of here wait for my lazy ass :P

Still, I got a good pair of ideas.

First One: The Cell

It´s dark, very dark, the players just woke up in a pitchblack room to the horrible stench of rotting flesh, and a bed of broken bones. The room´s door is unlocked and it leads to a dark and dank hallway leading to a common area where dozens of people are sitting around, talking about how its a bitch to live here, and wondering why they woke up there as well.

A shadow materializes before the PC´s to explain a bit, "They are in The Cell, a prison demiplane created to gather the worst scum in the multiverse, it{s an infinitly expanding prison where the guards are scarce, the food is scarcer and getting ganked is not expected, its a fact. Unfortunetly, the transport ritual tends to shake up the minds of the subjects, and a lot of the prisoners arrive with little or no recolection of their time previous to being there."

The PC´s have several goals, first of all survive the enviroment, second of all getting the hell out of there, and third knowing WHY they are in there. Afterall, even with magic Justice CAN be tricked, and not everyone in The Cell is a horrible criminal.

-----

Kobolds, Kobolds? Kobolds!

The mining town of Hammermine has lost communication with the outside, every traveler directed there has dissapeared, and no soldiers who have gone have returned, Hammermine is unfortunetly only the first to have this faith befall it, as the menace known as Kobolds swath the land, no one was prepared for the onslaught that has happened once the kobold tribes started being joined together, dozens of thousand strong, the new Kobold menace thrathens to engulf the whole world if somebody does not stop them first.

Will the PC´s be ther brave ones to make a daring rescue and be the heroes of the land?

----

So yeah, those are my ideas, never known if they are worth it.

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Never underestimate the power of Kobolds. Especially under the 3.0-3.75 rules where they start to have their own classes now...

Nothing says loving like a 4th level Kobold Rogue sticking you with a diseased dagger.

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Exalted

Remove all the Exalts and play only with Half-Castes of Mortals with awakened essences. Drop in technology from the First Age and you have a great Final Fantasy style game. Vivi and I have been working on a project like this for over a year now and its a lot of fun to play test.

We're still solving charm tree issues (like which ones to use) but over all it's fun.

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Quote:
Any time you mingle "High School" + "Phenomenal Cosmic Power" you're going to get something like UA thematically. Hell, UA is so close to X-Men that all we're missing is Patrick Steward at this point.


*shaves Josh*

Ta-daaah, one baldy in a wheelchair.
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A game I have co-run and played in to truly awesome effect. It ran for years:

Star Wars: "It's up to you."

Let's just say that Han Solo didn't decide to do a u-turn and come save Luke's ass. Boom! In a burst of green laser-fire Vader kills his son; in a bigger burst of green light the Empire destroys 90% of the already-small Rebel Alliance. Luke, Leia, 3PO and R2-D2 are all gone. On the upside, Han DID pay off Jabba and is now back in the slug's good graces. Pity he hates himself for a coward and has descended into drunken oblivion - It's only a matter of time before he screws up again...

The Empire has won a huge morale-boosting victory. People are more afraid than ever before. The Tarkin Doctrine has been tested and found good. Recruitment is up for the black-hats, whereas the Rebels find it hard to even get their oil changed. Yessir, the galaxy is up THAT creek without a paddle. It is a dark-ER time for the galaxy.

And that's where the PC's come in. As second-string Rebels and their allies, they have to do what the big guys couldn't: Destroy the Death Star, rebuild the Alliance, learn the ways of the Force (for the Force Sensitives), take on Vader and the Emperor. There's no tie of blood to change Vader's heart at the last moment. You are really up against it, and the fate of the Galaxy rests on you.

Fun, huh?

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Star Wars: "Through The Dark Ages" (originally run with the Star Wars D6 system)

300 years after the fall of the Emperor the Sith have returned in full force with a horde of Dark Jedi at their command. The gloves have come off as the 'Rule of Two' has been abolished for the time being until the galaxy is once again under complete Sith control.

It's not long before the secret of the Sith's unstoppable army is known... the Sith Lords of the past hae been resurrected through foul Sith Sorcery and Darkside Energy! The Jedi and the Galactic Senate are hard pressed to keep the Sith invasion at bay and soon worlds begin to fall under Sith control.

The PCs are all that remain... whether recruited by the Senate, nominated by the Jedi Council or just a rogue band of mercenaries who've had a change of heart after seeing the evil wrought by the Sith to their home worlds.

How can they stand against the combined minds and might of some the most powerful Sith Lords the Galaxy has ever known? Marka Ragnos, Exar Kun, Darth Vader, The Emperor, Darth Maul, Darth Tyranus, Darth Plagus... it's all star cast of evil and the PCs are the only light left in the galaxy.

May the Force be with them.

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Those sound like interesting games. I've got a crap load of the Star Wars D6 books from when the publisher went out of business. Always wanted to play a campaign, but other than a couple attempts that fell flat it just didn't happen. Never tried the newer version. It's such a big universe with so much material you could go indefinitely with such a game.

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D6 was a great system although it had its flaws, like Force powers being sickly powerful (but hell, it's The Force). Incredibly easy system too.

1. You are given a Target Number.

2. Roll X amount of D6 and add them up. If they are higher than the target number, you succeed/hit/soak the damage etc...

So damn easy. smile

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I have a question concerning the Games that make heavy use of miniatures for their combat rules such as DnD 3rd and 4th Editions or Star Wars (Saga).

How would you guys handle combat on a board style game? There are so many feats and rules that heavily depend on having an actual board with Miniatures (or markers) on it to know if someone is flanked, or if you can have an Attack of Opportunity et al.

Sorry to derail this thread like this, but this has bothered me for quiet a while now and is one of the major reasons I never considered running or playing in such games here. Thanks for Feedback.

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Originally Posted By: Joani
I have a question concerning the Games that make heavy use of miniatures for their combat rules such as DnD 3rd and 4th Editions or Star Wars (Saga).

How would you guys handle combat on a board style game? There are so many feats and rules that heavily depend on having an actual board with Miniatures (or markers) on it to know if someone is flanked, or if you can have an Attack of Opportunity et al.

Sorry to derail this thread like this, but this has bothered me for quiet a while now and is one of the major reasons I never considered running or playing in such games here. Thanks for Feedback.


Screenshots from RPGtools?

Also I noticed that SGU by Mr.Fox is not Stargate:Universe(The currently airing Stargate show) so maybe a SG:Universe game can be interesting:
Civillians and Military, a large freaky ship to explore and stargate that opens to locations at random. So it has potential for some interesting stories.
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Originally Posted By: Joani
How would you guys handle combat on a board style game? There are so many feats and rules that heavily depend on having an actual board with Miniatures (or markers) on it to know if someone is flanked, or if you can have an Attack of Opportunity et al.


It requires the ST to be a bit more descriptive but to be honest a majority of it needs to be handled on a case by case basis. Describe in the opening scene how far apart the groups are (which may negate the point blank shot feat) or make mental notes based on how descriptive the players are with their actions on whether or not they may get an AOO.

You honestly have to wing it. Reward those with good, descriptive posts and those who give you crap to work with in terms of their actions... give em' nothing.
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Pathfinder! (AD&D 3.75)

You are the, the mightiest warrior ever! Your quest: to undo the spell of living stone cast upon your family by driving evil serpent men (yaun-ti) back into another plane of existence and vanquishing their leader, the cruel wizard Wrath-A-Mon!!!

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  • 2 months later...

World of Darkness (Old or New)

No Clans, No Tribes, Just Balls

The PCs are Werewolves or Vampires the origins of your species are unknown, your kind simply are and always have been since the dawn of time. There are no 'rules' on how you have to act, no laws that govern your daily life, you simply are what you are and if another of your kind takes issue with it, you deal with it. You find yourself wrapped up in events both mundane and mystical that lead into a story of self discovery and the unearthing of legends best left forgotten.

May one faction runs the world openly, maybe they both remain hidden from humanity. Perhaps they're both at war and always have been for reasons neither can remember anymore...

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ROFL!!!

VampWannabe puts hand to forehead in a dramatic fashion...

"Oh the Angst! I can't go on... I must have (insert object of desire here), or I will surely die!

WerewolfNative "Dude, it's just a soda, order a Dr. Pepper instead..." Thinks to himself,F'ing emo douche!

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Shadowrun

Secret Agent Man

The PCs are agents for the government, part of a cell the doesn't exist. They handle the stuff that gets denied or never let out to anyone but those with top clearance.

Infiltration, CQC, social graces, you need to know it all to survive.

The biggest problem is though, in the world of secrets, it's hard to know who's telling the truth...

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This one would probably just be a one-shot.

The Forgotten Gods (Scion)

The players are Heros or Demigods, and they wake up in a prison somewhere in a Terra Incognitae, knowing nothing more than their name and their lineage ... everything else gets revealed as the GM tells them what they can roll as they try to make their escape from the titanspawn who have imprisoned them.

Downsides is this would not be a good game for players unfamiliar with the system.

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  • 2 months later...

Keys to the Kingdom (Scion)

Stepping out of the cannon realm for a moment this one steals heavily on the upcoming Thor movie.

Several gods within a pantheon give into their dark virtues and fall sway to the Titan's influence. You, however, have not. In an effort to lay seige to the kingdom without too many catching on to their plot they label you a traitor and condemn you death.

One god remains loyal to you however, and arranges a means for you to escape your fate through banishment to Earth. In a powerful ritual you are cast to Earth in your Avatar form where you will await your Fate: the end of all things as the Titans slowly devour all things and return the universe to nothingness...

You must regain your power... shake off the Avatar form and reclaim your divine might in order to steal back your kingdom, rally your army and defeat the Titans!

System: This works best with only a few players, all from the same Pantheon, who are cast from their home. The fun part is you get to play a canon God... you are Thor, Odin, Zeus, Ares... you are the best of the best and you've had it all stripped away.

From an RP aspect, playing a mortalized God gives the divine some insight into the nature of the human will and their adaptive perseverance, an opportunity to understand the being whose prayers and beliefs keep your legend alive. In the meantime, the world is being torn apart by an army of mythological creatures and the people are really going through a hard time as they try to understand it all...

... giant bipedal bull-men, I mean... really?!?

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