Thursday, August 28, 2008

I'm running what in two weeks?

So last night the three remaining members of my current game group gathered for a top level summit to address that perennial issue: What the Hell Should We Play? Over the course of two and a half hours the conversation wandered in many directions, including discussing Joss Whedon's oeuvre and how I think he's over-rated, Stuart's explanation for why he hates the film Top Gun, and me offering to run damn near every game I own only to be shot down again and again. I thought I had a nibble when Doug gave the green light to Pendragon, but then he added "with lasers, in space". I normally love mixing crap like that together, but I personally draw the line at Arthuriana mash-ups. It's just a hang-up I've got. Stuart made things pretty hard for me because he considers random chargen a dealbreaker. That took something like 90% of the games that I own and 99% of the games that I like off the table. And I totally cockblocked Doug's attempts to get Stuart to run Exalted.

But somehow we eventually agreed to not one, but two campaigns. Stuart and I are going to take turns. I'll run a few sessions of my campaign and then he'll run a few sessions of his. My campaign will be run using Savage Worlds and will feature a brave band of astronauts whose Orion capsule mysteriously splashes down into the Future.

Primary inspirational material:


Secondary inspirational material:


Tertiary inspirational material:

Any stupid sci-fi idea I can beg, borrow, or steal. I'm not proud.

So once again I'm taking the plunge and attempting to run a game that doesn't revolve around looting a dungeon key. We'll see how it goes. At least I've got it better than Stuart, who is tasked with combining my campaign idea (The A-Team in Ark II attempts to save Gamma World from itself) with Doug's campaign idea (Death Race 2000 cyborg mercenaries) and putting it all together under Shadowrun.

Note to locals: Now taking applications for Ass-kicking Astronauts of Tomorrow.

17 comments:

  1. OK, I can't believe I just read someone echoing my sentiments about Whedon. Thanks to you sir!

    And kudos for sticking to your guns on Pendragon. Not sure if you've seen Greg Stafford's essay on "generic" versus "genre" FRPGs, but it's an interesting read:

    http://weareallus.com/pendragon/genreandgeneric.html

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  2. Sounds like a fun campaign in the making; I am envious.

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  3. Dude... Orion? Might as well go all the way and go with Icarus...

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  4. Your campaign idea sounds like it would be a heck of a lot of fun. And with Savage Worlds, no less.

    I have to admit that I'm really intrigued with Stuart's task, though. I always liked the underlying idea of "Ark II" (and seem to remember enjoying watching it as a kid), and the mixture of that with "A-Team"-type protagonists and Death Race chipped mercs in the Shadowrun world...hmmm. Lots of vague possibilities swimming around in my mind for that...

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  5. Anonymous4:01 AM

    Rawkin', Savage Worlds Retro-space is Go! I don't know if you're aware, but there's a book that was released at Gen-con and should be in stores in the next couple of weeks called Slipstream that should be Just The Thing for your campaign. Plenty of ideas to pilfer and/or an existing setting you can use, plus a number of adventures - if it follows the usual style, most of them will be linked to various locations so your players can sandbox around, but a number are interlinked allowing your players to jump in and out of a major "plot arc" and effect great change in the world. Useful stuff.

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  6. Erin Gray in tight shiny outfits is a constant inspiration to me, too.

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  7. Don't forget Gene Roddenberry's Genesis II (where we see the original Dylan Hunt in action). I'll definitely be including an underground globe-spanning transit system when I get my Gamma Hawk adventure finished.

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  8. Just be sure to include some insane, cackling hawkmen, and you're good to go.

    Gordon's Alive?!"

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  9. Slipstream actually came out? It was listed as "coming soon" in the 1st edition Savage Worlds corebook. I had written it off as dead a long time ago.

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  10. Anonymous1:32 PM

    This quote was used to describe The Protomen's upcoming Act II, but I think it probably fits the game you're running and you'd enjoy the sound of it:

    If side one is a Spaghetti Western gone Robocop, then side two is Streets of Fire gone Logan’s Run. A dirty 1980s future where Spandex is tough and an alleyway knife fight is the only justice a man needs.

    You should check them out. They'd probably be up your alley. And I'm really jealous that I can't play in your game.

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  11. It was out at GenCon. 'Gopher should be getting it in soon.

    I have two copies of Slipstream coming into the store, but there has been a lot of muttering from folks who may pick it up. Should I increase the order? ;P

    Dave

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  12. Need inspiration? Thundar the Barbarian! I also recommend the Canadian/German/English television show, LEXX.

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  13. Just tonight, my wife ordered me a copy of yon Buck Rogers DVD set. Wheeee!

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  14. Anonymous12:35 AM

    You know someone who considers random character generation a dealbreaker in a role playing game? Obviously the only civilized solution is to punch this fellow until he changes his mind.

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  15. Stuart's good people, whatever his punch-worthy peculiarities. Though I do admit that I just don't understand how someone could think that rolling on random mutation charts was a bad thing.

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  16. korgoth:

    Yes, I suspect repeated head-punching and the resultant brain injury might get me to like random character generation, but I'd really prefer if that didn't happen. Thanks.

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  17. Anonymous12:40 PM

    szilard:
    You have to suffer for your art, man! A subdural hematoma is a small price to pay.

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