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Author Topic: Campaign ideas you've wanted to run but for whatever reason haven't  (Read 2813 times)

Just Another Snake Cult

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Campaign ideas you've wanted to run but for whatever reason haven't
« Reply #15 on: July 19, 2017, 08:20:42 PM »
In the late 1990's I was playing Rolemaster/MERP with a group, and the GM wanted to take a break. They asked me if I would take over, and what game I might run if I did. I was really flattered by the fact they chose me to take over. I suggested a super-hero game. I then discovered that the other players were NOT super-hero fans and all thought that comic books were worthless garbage for illiterates and the mentally challenged. As someone who learned to read from comics and who grew up with all his friends trading comics back-and-forth, pretending to be Wolverine on the playground, and discussing the obscure points of comic book lore at lunchtime, I was a little taken aback, but... I could sorta understand it. OK. This crowd learned to read from Narnia and Tolkien, different strokes for different folks, etc. So... then I suggested a GURPS campaign where they would play Cold War super-spies in the Swinging London of 1965. What a "Cool" idea, right?

Everybody thought this was THE MOST RETARDED AND WORTHLESS THING THEY HAD EVER HEARD. The reaction was visceral. No one except the GM had seen the 60's TV Avengers. They immediately thought Austin Powers. And they apparently really, really, really hated Austin Powers. They were insulted by the very idea. What kind of asshole still likes that old James Bond shit? How stupid. What is this 60's hippy shit? I have never been as angrily rejected for anything in my life.  

It's still something I want to try someday.
« Last Edit: July 19, 2017, 08:31:43 PM by Just Another Snake Cult »
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Campaign ideas you've wanted to run but for whatever reason haven't
« Reply #16 on: July 19, 2017, 08:34:45 PM »
I still want to run my d20 Spycraft Walking Dead: Chicago Campaign.
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Lynn

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Campaign ideas you've wanted to run but for whatever reason haven't
« Reply #17 on: July 19, 2017, 08:52:18 PM »
Quote from: Dumarest;976684
I'd also like to run a Bushido game with all the PCs being bushi, no wizard types or ninja, and magic solely in the hands of the referee, kind of like how Pendragon works best. Probably set before the battle of Sekigahara so we can have lots of daimyo in conflict with each other and grasping for the shogunate.

I did that many years ago, where some of the characters were bushi sent by a local lord to check out some strange disappearances of travelers (something like the movie Onibaba). It all fell apart because two players played lower class characters who spoke disrespectfully a little too often to the warriors.
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Dumarest

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Campaign ideas you've wanted to run but for whatever reason haven't
« Reply #18 on: July 19, 2017, 09:02:24 PM »
Quote from: Lynn;976750
I did that many years ago, where some of the characters were bushi sent by a local lord to check out some strange disappearances of travelers (something like the movie Onibaba). It all fell apart because two players played lower class characters who spoke disrespectfully a little too often to the warriors.

I figured they'd so be pretty much equal rank from samurai families loyal to whichever daimyo. Gives them a good reason to be together and makes it easy to start. Your daimyo summons you to carry out an assignment, and away we go.

tenbones

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Campaign ideas you've wanted to run but for whatever reason haven't
« Reply #19 on: July 19, 2017, 10:52:27 PM »
Quote from: Just Another Snake Cult;976739
In the late 1990's I was playing Rolemaster/MERP with a group, and the GM wanted to take a break. They asked me if I would take over, and what game I might run if I did. I was really flattered by the fact they chose me to take over. I suggested a super-hero game. I then discovered that the other players were NOT super-hero fans and all thought that comic books were worthless garbage for illiterates and the mentally challenged. As someone who learned to read from comics and who grew up with all his friends trading comics back-and-forth, pretending to be Wolverine on the playground, and discussing the obscure points of comic book lore at lunchtime, I was a little taken aback, but... I could sorta understand it. OK. This crowd learned to read from Narnia and Tolkien, different strokes for different folks, etc. So... then I suggested a GURPS campaign where they would play Cold War super-spies in the Swinging London of 1965. What a "Cool" idea, right?

Everybody thought this was THE MOST RETARDED AND WORTHLESS THING THEY HAD EVER HEARD. The reaction was visceral. No one except the GM had seen the 60's TV Avengers. They immediately thought Austin Powers. And they apparently really, really, really hated Austin Powers. They were insulted by the very idea. What kind of asshole still likes that old James Bond shit? How stupid. What is this 60's hippy shit? I have never been as angrily rejected for anything in my life.  

It's still something I want to try someday.


Oh man. I read this aloud to my group - we laughed so hard. I totally feel you on this.

S'mon

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Campaign ideas you've wanted to run but for whatever reason haven't
« Reply #20 on: July 20, 2017, 03:36:09 AM »
Oh, another one - I'd like to do an Achtung! Cthulu game, the GM's book is good (the player book is pretty much just WW2 Wikipedia level stuff). Not sure how to make it sufficiently sandboxy though.

Steven Mitchell

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Campaign ideas you've wanted to run but for whatever reason haven't
« Reply #21 on: July 20, 2017, 08:19:02 AM »
I'd like to run a DragonQuest campaign, more or less as the book implies, a typical fantasy setting with an emphasis on slow growth of the characters and scrounging after the wealth to advance.  I'm not partial to any setting conceits beyond that, and would probably take the cues from what the players pursued early.  The rules are just so unapproachable, that I think the only way I'd be able to do it is to handle all the rules behind the GM screen.

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Campaign ideas you've wanted to run but for whatever reason haven't
« Reply #22 on: July 22, 2017, 01:48:03 AM »
Only campaigns I haven't run yet, not "haven't" in the sense that I've been somehow thwarted, but rather waiting for one of my current games to end.  

Whenever my Wild West campaign ends (probably several years from now), I'll likely be running a WWII Cthulhu campaign.
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Campaign ideas you've wanted to run but for whatever reason haven't
« Reply #23 on: July 23, 2017, 07:29:14 PM »
I've got a bunch:

Slipstream: Robots, dinosaurs, rocket ships, swords, and lasers in fast-paced, episodic, sci-fantasy action.  I'd like to run this as a short (4-10 session) mini-campaign and change of pace from my usual gritty historical fair.  My problem is system.  "Wiggy's" setting book is superb, but I don't like Savage Worlds much.  I would need to re-tool BoL or OD&D or something.

Brithright: I really like realm management type games and this has a great semi-unique fantasy/medieval setting to boot.  I've tried to get it off the ground a couple of times but for one reason or another it didn't take off.  I should really cross it off my list as the rules just aren't that functional, but I keep tweeking them and coming back.

Stone and bronze: I'd like to run a late stone/age early bronze age type game with a post-apocalyptic twist.  This one would include a re-tool of Realms of the Unknown and run as hybrid RPG/Wargame. This one is way on the back burner.  

Classic dungeon romp: I'd like to string-together 10 classic modules from low level to high, and run them as is with minimal modification, using 1st ed D&D, just for nostalgia.

I've never run the Great Pendragon Campaign, and that's something I need to do before I die - Monty Python jokes and all.

There are others.  Life is too short to play them all.

Dumarest

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Campaign ideas you've wanted to run but for whatever reason haven't
« Reply #24 on: July 24, 2017, 12:57:03 PM »
I'd also like to play or run a game set in the world of Jason and the Argonauts, Odysseus, Theseus, Perseus, and Herakles. Perhaps some epic quest requiring sailing around the Mediterranean and Black Seas and visiting Egypt.

Llew ap Hywel

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Campaign ideas you've wanted to run but for whatever reason haven't
« Reply #25 on: July 24, 2017, 02:22:01 PM »
Quote from: Dumarest;977818
I'd also like to play or run a game set in the world of Jason and the Argonauts, Odysseus, Theseus, Perseus, and Herakles. Perhaps some epic quest requiring sailing around the Mediterranean and Black Seas and visiting Egypt.

That would be good. Some great fun to be had there.
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Michael Gray

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Campaign ideas you've wanted to run but for whatever reason haven't
« Reply #26 on: July 24, 2017, 02:32:26 PM »
I'd love to use The Great Pendragon Campaign with some of the safeties stripped off and just let the dice fall where they may. Canon would proceed as is unless the PCs get involved, but as soon as they get involved plot armor goes away.

I've always wanted to run a slightly modified Deadlands Reloaded game, but most of the people I play with aren't interested in a Western...even with wizardry thrown in.
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tenbones

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Campaign ideas you've wanted to run but for whatever reason haven't
« Reply #27 on: July 24, 2017, 02:39:12 PM »
Quote from: Dumarest;977818
I'd also like to play or run a game set in the world of Jason and the Argonauts, Odysseus, Theseus, Perseus, and Herakles. Perhaps some epic quest requiring sailing around the Mediterranean and Black Seas and visiting Egypt.

Oh man, I've wanted to do this too!!! Just use the whole Mediterranean with fantasy-bronze age awesomesauce all over it.

tenbones

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« Reply #28 on: July 24, 2017, 02:40:23 PM »
Quote from: RPGPundit;977246
Only campaigns I haven't run yet, not "haven't" in the sense that I've been somehow thwarted, but rather waiting for one of my current games to end.  

Whenever my Wild West campaign ends (probably several years from now), I'll likely be running a WWII Cthulhu campaign.

What system? And out of curiosity - what does one do specifically in a WWII Cthulhu game? Are the Nazis the cultists? or is it anyone/everyone? Never gave a lot of thought to WWII era Cthulhu.

Dumarest

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Campaign ideas you've wanted to run but for whatever reason haven't
« Reply #29 on: July 24, 2017, 03:07:31 PM »
Quote from: tenbones;977850
Oh man, I've wanted to do this too!!! Just use the whole Mediterranean with fantasy-bronze age awesomesauce all over it.

I was thinking about trying to convince people to play using the old Heroes of Olympus RPG and the Egypt supplement that came out in Nexus magazine way back when. The rules are pretty good for emulating Greek heroes. The combat rules in particular are pretty interesting as you can choose various tactics including trickery to defeat your opponent.