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Pen & Paper Roleplaying Central => Pen and Paper Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Discussion => Topic started by: Warder on May 15, 2020, 04:51:23 PM

Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Warder on May 15, 2020, 04:51:23 PM
This idea is surely not new,

heck ive seen it done in comics even, but what do you guys think about taking two existing rpg's and mixing them together? Have you crafted such settings, im not really sure you could call them homebrews if they are official creations. How did you do it, taking one mechanic wholesale and adding nothing except the setting itself? Or did you cherrypick what you liked, took the best bits leaving out what you didnt like.

One example of such an approach is ofc oWoD, the five headed hydra of this hobby. Somehow they tried to make it work together, results varied imho.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: David Johansen on May 15, 2020, 04:56:20 PM
Well, I've been working on a merged Dark Conspiracy / Mutant Chronicles.  There are many of the MC Dark Legion creatures that can blend nicely into a dark near future.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: ShieldWife on May 15, 2020, 05:10:12 PM
I have sometimes thought it might be interesting to have a game in a setting not unlike the World of Darkness, but the secret supernaturals aren't werewolves or vampires, but are Chaos cults like from Warhammer 40,000. Then there would be various different kinds of cults, dedicated to different Chaos gods, psykers, sorcerers, daemon bound, champions, etc. There would be these different groups scheming against each other and using their powers to manipulate politics and build their cults.

Years and years ago I was involved in a LARP that combined Vampire: the Masquerade and Cyberpunk, unfortunately not many people did cybernetic costumes.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Spinachcat on May 16, 2020, 05:05:26 AM
I enjoy combing Gamma World and D&D. In fact, its a kinda weird obsession as I've gone back to this particular well many times with different concepts and I've thoroughly enjoyed the campaigns.

I also run Traveller Cthulhu which is just Space Horror. It's always a hit with my players so its my default Traveller play.

I have wanted to combine Chaos Earth with Systems Failure for some time, but haven't a Palladium friendly group for years.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Kuroth on May 16, 2020, 05:11:39 AM
Sort of lame sounding, but I combined Greyhawk and Zakhara (Al-Qadim). I combined the maps and everything.  Worked well.  Another time I used the Middle-earth map and replaced all the place names with the nations and city-states of Greyhawk, a distant later age of the same world, with present Earth in between the two somewhere in time.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Kuroth on May 16, 2020, 05:20:33 AM
I know there is a poster in forumdom that swears Gamma World is the correct choice to run Greyhawk.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Omega on May 16, 2020, 06:02:35 AM
Over the years the better question is, what hasnt been tried.

Original Blackmoor had aliens from other worlds.
BX had a dinosaur island.
Another module featured a war with a space faring robot hoard.
Council of Wyrms made the PCs dragons in a world where dragons ruled.
Shadowrun is of course fantasy meets cyberpunk.
Shock Force was Warhammer meets cyberpunk.
And the king of it all is... Rifts. Everything meets everything.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Kuroth on May 16, 2020, 06:15:06 AM
I think the poster was talking about two or more actual RPG mash-ups.  So, Blackmoor combined with Star Frontiers or Shadowrun combined with something like Bunnies and Burrows.  Yes, this general mix up to make a setting has been done a lot.

Edit:  I recall a fun campaign in which the ref used the old Fiend Folio from AD&D for all his Traveller aliens. ha  Speaking of Shadowrun, I ran some of that under AD&D, though isn't much of a thing, just add some more guns. Rifts is a good one to run the old Time of Troubles Forgotten Realms campaign.  A friend used elements of 40k, the wargame, to run the time of troubles once back in the day. ha
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: VisionStorm on May 16, 2020, 12:27:52 PM
Quote from: Warder;1130092This idea is surely not new,

heck ive seen it done in comics even, but what do you guys think about taking two existing rpg's and mixing them together? Have you crafted such settings, im not really sure you could call them homebrews if they are official creations. How did you do it, taking one mechanic wholesale and adding nothing except the setting itself? Or did you cherrypick what you liked, took the best bits leaving out what you didnt like.

One example of such an approach is ofc oWoD, the five headed hydra of this hobby. Somehow they tried to make it work together, results varied imho.

I believe that the thing you're describing here is called Shadowrun.

Or maybe RIFTS. ;)

More on topic, I combined Spelljammer and Planescape with every D&D setting, except Dark Sun (I like to keep my Dark Sun as pure as the driven silt). Though, I believe that may have been playing as intended (or at least one variation of how those settings could canonically be played).
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Krugus on May 16, 2020, 01:14:25 PM
I ran a dual campaign for my players that was Earthdawn RPG and Shadowrun RPG since Earthdawn was the past for Shadowrun.   Certain things that happened in Earthdawn campaign had ripple effects in the Shadowrun campaign.   There was some time travel hijinks involved in the Shadowrun campaign that allowed one of the Street Samurai characters to interact with the Earthdawn group.   Ah fun times.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Omega on May 16, 2020, 07:20:31 PM
Quote from: Kuroth;1130164I think the poster was talking about two or more actual RPG mash-ups.  So, Blackmoor combined with Star Frontiers or Shadowrun combined with something like Bunnies and Burrows.  Yes, this general mix up to make a setting has been done a lot.

That sort of game crossover goes way back.
D&D vs German army, D&D and Boot Hill, D&D and Gamma World, etc.

Shadowrun can cross over with various settings depending on the approach. Combine it with Gamma World for a more Thundarr style post apoc. Combine it with say Star Frontiers for something akin to Star Wars, or with Boot Hill to get some weird setting like Bravestarr.

The Nights Edge line for Cyberpunk 2020 is effectively combining WoD with CP2020.

And using Gurps Bunnies & Burrows you could combine that with whatever for some really weird settings. Bunnies and Prisoners! Bunnieclans! Bunniepunk! :cool:
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: David Johansen on May 16, 2020, 08:06:36 PM
hmmm...GURPMASTER Cyberbunnies and Punk Burrows: The Masquerade
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Kuroth on May 16, 2020, 08:31:43 PM
Ya, the Shadowrun stuff is easy to cram onto other games.  I used it in various TSR settings back in the day.  The miniature for it were mixed with the usual types too.  

The old Tractics and D&D combo! ha

There have been rules conversions that are more or less published versions of this sort of thing, rather than genre mashing.  Gurps Castle Falkenstein comes to mind.

Edit: Gurpmaster: Actually using Rolemaster weapon tables and critical tables in stead of Gurps standard rules is more or less what rolemaster is ok for.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: David Johansen on May 16, 2020, 09:08:00 PM
I'm a fan of Rolemaster Standard System (3rd ed) because it impliments a system for talents and flaws and integrates the skill system into a unified single list one instead of having the secondary skills division.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Spinachcat on May 16, 2020, 10:31:16 PM
Quote from: Kuroth;1130157I know there is a poster in forumdom that swears Gamma World is the correct choice to run Greyhawk.

Maybe not the "correct" choice, but that sounds like a fun campaign!
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Kuroth on May 16, 2020, 11:13:58 PM
For sure Spin.  Greyhawk has a little post-apocalypse setting hidden under there too. He does the 'correct' bit just to get under certain peoples' skin is all. ha

Rolemaster as is?  I greatly prefer 1st or 2nd edition. Well, I mean the second that is really just a compilation of first.  All those talents and other carry overs from other games, trying to fit in, that are part of later editions? bah boring
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: David Johansen on May 17, 2020, 12:24:09 AM
Quote from: Kuroth;1130247Edit: Gurpmaster: Actually using Rolemaster weapon tables and critical tables in stead of Gurps standard rules is more or less what rolemaster is ok for.

Rolemaster as is? I greatly prefer 1st or 2nd edition. Well, I mean the second that is really just a compilation of first. All those talents and other carry overs from other games, trying to fit in, that are part of later editions? bah boring

Isn't that a bit contradictory?

Anyhow, Warhammer 40000 is a bit of a mashup game itself: fantasy tropes, scifi tropes, and British comic dystopia.  

I had Elric of Planet Melnibone show up in a Star Wars game.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Kuroth on May 17, 2020, 12:38:07 AM
Oh Nice, Melnibone in Star Wars.  I like to mix up some of those d6 games.  

Contra?  Nah.  My assessment is of the game.  Not a campaign made up of elements of various games.  Very different thing.  Not really keen to play Rolemaster at all.  Just said that I prefer 1st over later.  That said, I do have clear sheets for 1st/2nd in three ring binders (the books all cut up and assembled into a binder to make it usable).  Actually consider rules in Middle-earth roleplaying the system they should have used for 3rd.

Edit: I am often tempted to mention in other pointless (meaning this one isn't pointless, of course [well mostly harmless  ha]) forums that Gor would be great for a world or resource in their d6 Star Wars campaigns. ha Ah... but they just wouldn't like that in their present Disney SW world.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: nDervish on May 17, 2020, 08:36:27 AM
Quote from: David Johansen;1130258Anyhow, Warhammer 40000 is a bit of a mashup game itself: fantasy tropes, scifi tropes, and British comic dystopia.

And if that's not putting enough mashups in your mashups, someone came up with Dungeons: The Dragoning 40,000, 7th Edition.  ("Roleplaying in the grim darkness of the Great Wheel")
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: tenbones on May 19, 2020, 09:43:53 AM
There's this thing called Rifts...
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Ghostmaker on May 20, 2020, 02:22:07 PM
Now personally, one of the funniest crossovers I've ever seen was Exalted / World of Darkness.

Because suddenly, all those vampires, mages, werecritters, etc using the world as their playtoy were no longer the big fish in the pond. Most of them spent their time trying to -hide- from these angry glowing ubermensch.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Steven Mitchell on May 20, 2020, 02:28:14 PM
I've had more fun running the Forgotten Realms outside of D&D than in it.  The tone of my Fantasy Hero FR game fit the tone of the setting better for me, without needing to constantly bend rules or have all of the ludicrous D&D FR exceptions.

I've also considered running an unabashedly "D&D superheroes" game in Champions just for the sheer over the top craziness one could do.  instead of "code versus killing" its "code of kill everything and take its stuff".
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: S'mon on May 20, 2020, 02:47:54 PM
Quote from: Steven Mitchell;1130729I've had more fun running the Forgotten Realms outside of D&D than in it.  The tone of my Fantasy Hero FR game fit the tone of the setting better for me, without needing to constantly bend rules or have all of the ludicrous D&D FR exceptions.

I've also considered running an unabashedly "D&D superheroes" game in Champions just for the sheer over the top craziness one could do.  instead of "code versus killing" its "code of kill everything and take its stuff".

Re FR, definitely tempted to run FR with Mini Six/D6 System rules. The setting never seems quite right for DnD the way Greyhawk is.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: David Johansen on May 24, 2020, 12:07:20 AM
I started a thread about my Dark Conspiracy / Mutant Chronicles mashup here: https://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?42097-Modern-Mess&p=1131048#post1131048
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Kuroth on May 24, 2020, 01:17:25 AM
Quote from: Steven Mitchell;1130729I've also considered running an unabashedly "D&D superheroes" game in Champions just for the sheer over the top craziness one could do.  instead of "code versus killing" its "code of kill everything and take its stuff".
I saw people run fantasy campaigns under Marvel Super Heroes  back in the day.  Good times  The game is still available at legit http://classicmarvelforever.com/cms/
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: VisionStorm on May 24, 2020, 09:51:09 AM
Quote from: Kuroth;1131054I saw people run fantasy campaigns under Marvel Super Heroes  back in the day.  Good times  The game is still available at legit http://classicmarvelforever.com/cms/

I would play anything using FASERIP, to be honest. That's got to be the most versatile system I've ever seen. Easy to learn, easy to use and easy to adapt to any situation. You just have to pick a power effect and assign a Rank, and the rank gives you anything you need to handle things mechanically: how much damage is inflicted or repaired, how much damage is absorbed by protective effects, how difficult it is to resist, etc. And since the game uses descriptive ranks, and everything in the game (including your character's core abilities) is defined around those same ranks, the GM can easily eyeball which rank would be most appropriate and make it work, even on the fly. I sometimes wonder if I should build a universal system around FASERIP and forget about more complicated mechanics.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: CTPhipps on May 24, 2020, 10:08:05 AM
I shit you not, I've played Gotham City by Night and Metropolis by Night for Vampire: The Masquerade.

Also a Mage: The Ascension AGENTS OF SHIELD game.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: HappyDaze on May 24, 2020, 10:08:09 AM
In addition to the (twice?) mentioned Rifts, there is also Torg (and the more recent Torg Eternity version). Here you have six (maybe more) different worlds that start to overlap when BBEGs from the worlds hatch upon a plot to steal 'possibility energy' from our (Core) Earth. You can have high fantasy adventures (Asyle), the cyberpunk inquisition (Cyberpapacy), jungle princesses riding dinosaurs (Living Land), 1930s pulp action (Nile Empire), post-apocalyptic action/horror (Tharkold), more 'classic' Vicotorian-ish horrors (Orrosh), utramodern conspiracy/Umbrella Corp science-gone-wrong (Pan-Pacifica) and more (smaller, more limited cosms) all with unified mechanics and a weird way that character might adapt to the cosms they visit, or might stay the same.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Kuroth on May 24, 2020, 06:55:04 PM
Quote from: HappyDaze;1131079In addition to the (twice?) mentioned Rifts, there is also Torg (and the more recent Torg Eternity version). Here you have six (maybe more) different worlds that start to overlap when BBEGs from the worlds hatch upon a plot to steal 'possibility energy' from our (Core) Earth. You can have high fantasy adventures (Asyle), the cyberpunk inquisition (Cyberpapacy), jungle princesses riding dinosaurs (Living Land), 1930s pulp action (Nile Empire), post-apocalyptic action/horror (Tharkold), more 'classic' Vicotorian-ish horrors (Orrosh), utramodern conspiracy/Umbrella Corp science-gone-wrong (Pan-Pacifica) and more (smaller, more limited cosms) all with unified mechanics and a weird way that character might adapt to the cosms they visit, or might stay the same.
What it's about is not just a game that is a mash-up of genre, but a combination of seemingly unrelated games.  So, Rifts to play a World of Darkness campaign supplement, or TORG combined with Elfquest, etcetera.  

Gotham City used for Vamp!  See, I can like Vamp OK, if it isn't in a straight jacket. ha

I once was in a campaign that the ref used Road Hogs, without any knowledge of TMNT game, under AD&D and his own made up ideas on the fly.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: HappyDaze on May 24, 2020, 07:21:35 PM
Quote from: Kuroth;1131127What it's about is not just a game that is a mash-up of genre, but a combination of seemingly unrelated games.  So, Rifts to play a World of Darkness campaign supplement, or TORG combined with Elfquest, etcetera.  

Gotham City used for Vamp!  See, I can like Vamp OK, if it isn't in a straight jacket. ha

I once was in a campaign that the ref used Road Hogs, without any knowledge of TMNT game, under AD&D and his own made up ideas on the fly.

Are you sure that's what it's about? I read the thread title as "hybrid settings" not "hybrid games" and that's quite different.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Kuroth on May 24, 2020, 07:37:09 PM
Look at people's responses.  Beside that.  Everyone knows about genre mash-up products like Rifts or TORG.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: HappyDaze on May 24, 2020, 07:51:04 PM
Quote from: Kuroth;1131134Look at people's responses.  Beside that.  Everyone knows about genre mash-up products like Rifts or TORG.

When I looked at others' responses, I saw Rifts mentioned (and nobody got chewed on for mentioning it), so I figured I'd mention Torg too. You know, for that portion of "everyone" that might not know about it.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Kuroth on May 24, 2020, 07:59:57 PM
Just trying to get you to mention something interesting, not chewing haha  Funny expression.  I bet you have combined some strange things over time.  therpgsite shouldn't be about the dull side of gaming
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: HappyDaze on May 24, 2020, 08:07:57 PM
Ran a Star Trek game where the characters LARPed  in the holodeck as our D&D party (played as D&D on alternate weeks). Of course we had a weird adventure that came out of the holodeck.
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Kuroth on May 24, 2020, 08:15:35 PM
Very cool.  The holo deck escapism.  The concept used in the show is very Gygax, really, being like pocket worlds that were fun.  Original Star Trek inspired so many adventure ideas back in the day, never got around to using an actual Star Trek product, though.  The whole cowboys in space thing fit well with the frontier towns that we dressed up as medieval villages. ha
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: S'mon on May 25, 2020, 02:39:53 AM
I mashed up AD&D/Legends & Lore with Cyberpunk: 2020 and Sledge Hammer! for my deity-level AD&D campaign back in the late '80s. I remember the Lesser God Thrin being interviewed on Oprah. :D

edit - http://immortalshandbook.com/simony.htm
Title: Hybrid Settings
Post by: Kuroth on May 25, 2020, 08:32:25 PM
In my Mass Effect game, I use a well made Savage Worlds fan made game and elements of a Fate/Fudge based fan made Mass Effect game for ideas, combined with my own guidelines.  Savage worlds for most combat and character stats, with fudge for the renegade +- paragon aspects of mass effect.  I use lots of other ideas in it to make it feel mass effect.