This cat has a hat, and Choose Your Adventure

[jchrisobrien]

Fedora acquired.  Noirsh P.I. fun will be had tonight!

I've had some thoughts rolling in the back of my mind relating to running a game.  I'm already in a few, and might have problem making the time for one right now.  But it's been a while since I've ran something for people, and I miss doing it.  My main difficulty outside of scheduling revolves around a concrete idea.  I have a hard time sitting down and working on something w/out know if there's an audience for it.  With so many things to work on, it's hard to make time for something that may not go anywere.

So I put this question to all your gamers out there:  what kind of game would be exciting for you to play in?  What sort of setting or system?  These are some of the thoughts I had recently.

DND middle ages setting with some arabic influence, using psionics instead of magics.  Fewer monsters, more intrigue and secret societies.

Modern day action hero/spy setting, characters would be psychics, mages (ala old school mage) or really gifted mortals going on espionage related missions.  They could work for the government, or for different magical orders.  The action would be more James Bond and less Pat Clancy.

A white wolf/modern horror game.  Players start out as humans and gradually become... something else.  A blend of traditional White Wolf and the Buffy universe.

The Dark American West: could be storyteller or d20 based.  Angels and demons walk the barren deserts to the midwest, tempting men to fight for either side.  There was an old game called Deadlands that had a terrific background, which I could move into a different dice system or work with that. 

I'll have to start playing around with these ideas more, but I'm open to other suggestions as well.  Any ideas that get a lot of approval will get more work invested into them.  Then it's just a matter of finding people to play...

Comments

[alonewiththemoon]

I'm sure M would love to hear about any ideas you have--I would be interested, except there's that lack of time thing :-/

[silas7.livejournal.com]

The next time we hang out, I will float some of my ideas by him! Curse that lack of time!

[hellocatgirl.livejournal.com]

I'm not into gaming but if I was I would love to see you do the following:
Modern day action hero/spy setting
or...
The white wolf/modern horror game

Both of those sound cool.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

Thanks! The more input I get, the more I can focus on a given theme and flesh it out.

[couplingchaos.livejournal.com]

The two modern settings and the dark west appeal to me most (action/spy and west moreso), though all four have potential, and I'd be happy to play in anything you run.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the feedback. I think I see a trend in the answers, which gives me a good place to concentrate my plans. All the Angel I"ve been watching is starting to stir up some ideas too!

[silas7.livejournal.com]

Only you can prevent decapitation! :)

[silentq.livejournal.com]

Where did you find the fedora?
I can barely keep up with one game, but from your list I like the dark west option best. :)

[silas7.livejournal.com]

I picked it up at the Garment District.

I have some great mental visuals for the Dark Western game. It's not a very common genre, so it would be very fresh and invigorating for a veteran group of gamers.

[lindau-nemesis.livejournal.com]

I dig intrigue based things, but the game I'm in right now has a lot of that. My alternate game is all steam punk tastic, so I don't think I'd be into the Western one.
I guess either of the modern ones would be fun. Depending on when it is, I might be able to actually do it...

[silas7.livejournal.com]

Once I narrow down my options and start nailing down the background, I'll throw my pitch out there and see who's interested, and when they can play. Thanks for you comment!

[nepenthedreams]

I like the first idea best.

I think at heart I am a fantasy gamer. I have tried other settings but I never seem to find my footing..but give me a sword (or a scimitar as the case may be) and I understand where I am and what I am doing.

I think I would be up for roleplaying again. I really miss it. Was playing Final Fantasy 12 th eother day - and there is this character, Balthier - a sky pirate. soooo reminds me of Kailani.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

Mmmm pirates.

I was running modern White Wolf stuff all the time, and now my games have switched to DND/fantasy. I'd like to do something in that world, but I could go back to modern day too, or sometime in between. As long as I am inspired and I have some willing players, I'll be fine!

[cris.livejournal.com]

My original idea for our steampunk game had magic being replaced by psionics, too, but it was starting to drift into Dune/Bene Gesserit territory (which wasn't bad, mind, but I blinked when I started contemplating how to adapt magic items). The spell point mechanic was a good halfway point for me.

My other idea was to adapt Fading Suns -- an intrigue-ridden space opera setting with a decaying future -- kind of mixture of Dune and Warhammer 40k. It's got a D20 conversion which, imho, sort of sucks, and I was considering doing my own adaptation but also felt overwhelmed with adapting D20 combat rules for blasters and stuff. However, the Fading Suns world is still one that holds great pull for me. Have you thought of doing something with Rogue Trader or doing a Storyteller/D20 game in the Warhammer or 40K -verse?

I wouldn't have the time to play another game (though I'd seriously consider handing over DM reigns once our campaign ends -- you guys are a blast to run with, but I totally understand heatray's desire to be a player again) but of your various options, I think the modern action hero/spy theme would be most attractive, especially if it gives opportunities for heists/capers/infiltration/etc.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

There was a fair bit of Dune background in my head for the psionics game too.
I haven't read any Fading Suns, and of all the genres I'm probably weakest at sci-fi games. I don't know as much about the technology being everything to make my games convincing or internally logical. I could probably do something like that, but it would be much more challenging.

I have considered running a d20 Warhammer fantasy game, or using elements from it. I hadn't thought about 40k, but with the right group of people it could work. The background for 40k is very rich and epic, and would be great for running games in.

When the campaign ends, if I'm not running anything at the time, I'll throw some ideas out to the group and see what they think.

Hey

[uncletang.livejournal.com]

How often would the game be played?

Re: Hey

[silas7.livejournal.com]

I would think every two weeks. It's the easiest schedule for people our age with our responsibilities to make. Once a week is too busy for most people, and once a month too long in between for a table top.

Once I get a genre nailed down, I'll start asking people when they are available.

[canongrrl.livejournal.com]

2 words
Gamma World

aside from that they all seem pretty cool and could work very well. The modern day/action magic sounds a lot like some of the Tim Powers I've been reading of late so that also has a special appeal now (the current one one I'm reading is based on black beard, voodoo (and other lost magics) and immortality)

[silas7.livejournal.com]

ahh radiation and mutant bunnies!

I would probably re-envision a lot of James Bond movies done from a magical perspective. That would be an incredible amount of fun, and give the players a sense of what to expect, but also completely blindside them with the magical twists.

I'd call it Martinis and Magic. :)

[canongrrl.livejournal.com]

somehow I'm picturing dresden files, weaveworld (and the other books in that awesome clive barker trilogy) and - oh man, that awesome book that mr zero and atalanta loaned me ages ago...very very cool