I may be lynched for putting this on therpgsite, but I've written a little story-game based on Masters of the Universe.
I enjoyed the hypnotic repetitive nature of He-Man when I was young, and always thought it would lend itself well to RPG treatment. When I was finally able to track down and play the FASA Masters of the Universe RPG, it was so terribly written and mechanically dysfunctional that I was forced to write my own.
https://www.box.com/s/bb9fjiuqb27s0vzqti53
This is entirely just for fun and not at all for any gain or profit.
My justification for it being a story-game was this: There are many great roleplaying games where you can be a barbarian with a blaster, but no great roleplaying games for emulating a Filmation cartoon. In this game, you emulate the structure of the TV show and the process of toy collecting. Essentially, you play a child collecting toys and setting them against other child toy collectors as you progress through different stages of play that mirror the formulaic structure of an 80s cartoon.
It's one of those "we are between campaigns and have nothing to play" games because it requires no planning, no setup and (aside from custom character creation) about half an hour to play.
Also, if you email me, I've got a booklet version for printing off on legal sheets of paper, and a separate pdf for character sheets. My email is TransformersRPG@gmail.com (a previous project.)
In closing I'd just like to say that this is my favourite site about roleplaying games, and it is filled with lovely and kind and forgiving, caring people. Not, hopefully, lynch mobs. I share because I hope someone else can get some joy out of the project.
//Panjumanju
Not my cup of tea, but rock on! I like labors of love and there will be someone out there who totally digs this - I just emailed a link to a friend who may very well be that guy. :)
-TGA
I own the original FASA Masters of the Universe RPG. Its reallyreally awful in a charmingly 80s way.
Quote from: Panjumanju;610479I may be lynched for putting this on therpgsite, but I've written a little story-game based on Masters of the Universe.
I enjoyed the hypnotic repetitive nature of He-Man when I was young, and always thought it would lend itself well to RPG treatment. When I was finally able to track down and play the FASA Masters of the Universe RPG, it was so terribly written and mechanically dysfunctional that I was forced to write my own.
https://www.box.com/s/bb9fjiuqb27s0vzqti53
This is entirely just for fun and not at all for any gain or profit.
My justification for it being a story-game was this: There are many great roleplaying games where you can be a barbarian with a blaster, but no great roleplaying games for emulating a Filmation cartoon. In this game, you emulate the structure of the TV show and the process of toy collecting. Essentially, you play a child collecting toys and setting them against other child toy collectors as you progress through different stages of play that mirror the formulaic structure of an 80s cartoon.
It's one of those "we are between campaigns and have nothing to play" games because it requires no planning, no setup and (aside from custom character creation) about half an hour to play.
Also, if you email me, I've got a booklet version for printing off on legal sheets of paper, and a separate pdf for character sheets. My email is TransformersRPG@gmail.com (a previous project.)
In closing I'd just like to say that this is my favourite site about roleplaying games, and it is filled with lovely and kind and forgiving, caring people. Not, hopefully, lynch mobs. I share because I hope someone else can get some joy out of the project.
//Panjumanju
Cartoon Action Hour Season 2 actually emulates Filmation cartoons pretty well.
That said, I love me some He-Man, so I'm going to download this and at least read it...maybe even play it.
You may want to check out hong kong action theater. It has a slightly sinilar premise where you play an actor in martial arts movies. There may be some mechanics and procedures you can use.
I enjoyed the remake of the He man cartoon. I admit it.
Quote from: Tommy Brownell;610509Cartoon Action Hour Season 2 actually emulates Filmation cartoons pretty well.
Quote from: BedrockBrendan;610535You may want to check out hong kong action theater.
Thanks, I'll check those out.
Quote from: Bill;610563I enjoyed the remake of the He man cartoon. I admit it.
The 2002 series was pretty great...but it discarded a lot of camp for some fairly legitimate fantasy story-telling. It was all the original producers and staff, so I cannot say it lacked legitimacy. But it felt to me like the genuine sweet honest kid in class grew up into somebody slightly less sweet and very much trying to be cool. He was smarter and slicker - and gosh, maybe he was cool after all, but he lost some heart, too. (Am I digging too deep, here?)
//Panjumanju
Quote from: The Good Assyrian;610489Not my cup of tea, but rock on! I like labors of love and there will be someone out there who totally digs this - I just emailed a link to a friend who may very well be that guy. :)
-TGA
TGA-
THANKS! Power of Grayskull as my witness, *I* am that guy!!!
Quote from: Panjumanju;610578Thanks, I'll check those out.
The 2002 series was pretty great...but it discarded a lot of camp for some fairly legitimate fantasy story-telling. It was all the original producers and staff, so I cannot say it lacked legitimacy. But it felt to me like the genuine sweet honest kid in class grew up into somebody slightly less sweet and very much trying to be cool. He was smarter and slicker - and gosh, maybe he was cool after all, but he lost some heart, too. (Am I digging too deep, here?)
//Panjumanju
You are not digging too deeply.
I prefered my Masters of the Universe a little more serious, you prefered the charm of the origional. Its all good.
Wanst there another He-Man series made in the late 80s or early 90s (with a spightly more sci fi bent)?
Havent seen the remake series. Enjoyed the original as a kid when it was on. Dont know how well it holds up over time (the D&D cartoon didnt hold up all that well).
Funny, I was thinking about Masters of The Universe the other day. I finally found a copy (on youtube) of the original animated commercial before the animated series existed.
In it, Castle Grayskull was originally supposed to be Skeletor's lair, as opposed to the Sorceress'. All these years, I though that maybe I had imagined that commercial.
Also, Castle Grayskull/Castle Greyhawk. Coincidence? I think not.
Quote from: Bill;610563I enjoyed the remake of the He man cartoon. I admit it.
Which one?
The thing I loved most about He-man was the old box art, painted in the lurid Pulp style of a 50s Ec comic by way or Earl Norem. Kinda sad they've never put out a collection of those paintings.
When I started gaming these were huge inspirations to me
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/5126644231_012d0795f8.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4h0ndxzIY1qbc7d1o1_500.jpg)
(http://www.vaultsofgrayskull.co.uk/norem_motu_17.jpg)
(http://www.geek-art.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Earl-Norem-He-Man-MOTU11.jpeg)
(http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/5712878202_3bf6280fbb_o-625x292.jpg)
Quote from: TristramEvans;610667The thing I loved most about He-man was the old box art, painted in the lurid Pulp style of a 50s Ec comic by way or Earl Norem. Kinda sad they've never put out a collection of those paintings.
When I started gaming these were huge inspirations to me
I completely agree, they're amazing.
They are available, though - to a limited extent. I've seen several of them as posters at He-Man conventions, and I've seen a few artist-centred art books where they are included as part of their body.
//Panjumanju
Quote from: TristramEvans;610665Which one?
I did not realize it was remade more than once. The one I liked was more serious.
Here are some good blog posts on the subject of role-playing MOTU.
- Talkin Bout My Generation (http://roguesandreavers.blogspot.fr/2012/02/talkin-bout-my-generation.html)
- How brightly-coloured should Carcosa be? (http://lurkerablog.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/how-brightly-coloured-should-carcosa-be/)
Plenty of inspiring pictures too.
(http://lurkerablog.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/5712315100_33ae2b07f9_z.jpg?w=595)
Quote from: BedrockBrendan;610590Wanst there another He-Man series made in the late 80s or early 90s (with a spightly more sci fi bent)?
I vaguely remember that being pretty awful. He Man and Skeletor ended up in some other universe together... and Skeletor turned really camp and started wearing pink...
Quote from: jadrax;611409I vaguely remember that being pretty awful. He Man and Skeletor ended up in some other universe together... and Skeletor turned really camp and started wearing pink...
And he grew eye-balls.
Very strange.
//Panjumanju
Wasn't there an official MotU rpg in one of the toys/built as a mini comic?
Quote from: jadrax;611409I vaguely remember that being pretty awful. He Man and Skeletor ended up in some other universe together... and Skeletor turned really camp and started wearing pink...
Thaaat's very different from the He-Man remake I saw.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OAkY52vpxM
I think this one is a bit more in line with the original series. :p
Quote from: Silverlion;612523Wasn't there an official MotU rpg in one of the toys/built as a mini comic?
There was a box-set RPG released by FASA. It was not integrated into any toy release, but interestingly the rules were revealed in a comic book format. Interesting, but hard to read. It wasn't a very good game.
//Panjumanju