Is there an RPG based on the TV show "Supernatural", one that is official and licensed and not just fanwank?

If so, what the fuck do you play in it? The two brothers, or just random people? And if the latter, in what sense is it anything other than a generic horror RPG?

RPGPundit

It, if it exists, which I think it does, uses the "Supernatural" setting. That would pretty much be the draw.

Quote from: RPGPundit;308509Is there an RPG based on the TV show "Supernatural", one that is official and licensed and not just fanwank?

If so, what the fuck do you play in it? The two brothers, or just random people? And if the latter, in what sense is it anything other than a generic horror RPG?

RPGPundit

There is, by the same people who did the Serenity and Battlestar Galactica games, Margaret Wies Productions. The author is Jamie Chambers. It uses the Cortex system, as originated in the Serenity game. Stats are die types rather than numbers - so you may have a strength of d12.

I don't own it - my group refuses to use the system, though I had no problem GMing it, and it would be covered by Blood Games anyway - so I can't answer your other questions.

-clash

Pundit, you might as well stick with Call of Cthulhu. It doesn't really do anything new for the price.

I run a Serenity Campaign, so the system isn't an issue for me (it won't be for you if your characters kind of understand the setting/genre and you are free with the drama points).

If you are a serious fan of the show and don't mind spending some time to make everything, you can do this in any system.  Cortex or Unisystem would be my choices for it.  It does put everything together in one nice package, and makes it easier to bring non-fans up to speed on the setting.  The game encorporates many of the implied secrets of the setting/ show. It provides possible answers, which may or may not end up being cannon.  Most players will be regular old hunters not involved in the colored eye demon conflicts. (I am sure future season books will ensue).

Now the genre has been done to death in gaming, starting with Stalking the Night Fantastic and ending with Vigil. There are tons of games like this inbetween, some serious (like Conspiracy X, Supernatural) some comedic (Monster Mash).  Supernatural will have more appeal to less serious gamers who haven't "been there, done that" or are fans of the show.

These pretty much underscore my thoughts.

I like the show...it's really pretty good.

The setting is hardly unique enough that I need to buy a big, new, full color hardcover to do what I can do in a bunch of games with systems I already know like the back of my hand.

There was apparently a Supernatural guidebook released recently that sounds very nice...gives all the fluff on the setting and monsters so I - if I so choose - can port over to an existing system I already like.

Unknown Armies would work wonderfully for this kind of setting. CoC as well.

I have it here! I bought it a week ago. I'm a supernatural fangirl with a little bit too much money to spend . But there's more to it. First, I just own GURPS and Shadowrun, so I don't (except for GURPS) own anything that would support that setting. Second, I played Serenity once and really liked it.

Supernatural is nothing like Call of Cuthullu or even Wod-Hunter. But its more like Hunter (the vigil), but with a better setting (if you like the TV-Show). You really get everything for playing a group of hunters. It has tips on how to play and gamemaster a roadtrip of monsterhunting and it really has written the flair of Supernatural all over it. For a fan, I think its a must. In my eyes the RPG is well done. Couldn't test it yet of course. If you want a monsterhunting game in a world similar to reality I would choose Supernatural over CoC and Hunter. And for the record: it uses Cortex-System.

Quote from: Narf the Mouse;308511It, if it exists, which I think it does, uses the "Supernatural" setting. That would pretty much be the draw.

Which, at the time the book was in development, wasn't much of a setting.

It was "hunters vs monsters".

They didn't start really developing the mythology of the setting until Season 3 or so, just tons and tons of hints.

(Due to development times, I seem to recall that the rulebook was only able to cover the first two seasons and supplements would have to expand out from there.)

Quote from: Callisto;343460I have it here! I bought it a week ago. I'm a supernatural fangirl with a little bit too much money to spend . But there's more to it. First, I just own GURPS and Shadowrun, so I don't (except for GURPS) own anything that would support that setting. Second, I played Serenity once and really liked it.

Supernatural is nothing like Call of Cuthullu or even Wod-Hunter. But its more like Hunter (the vigil), but with a better setting (if you like the TV-Show). You really get everything for playing a group of hunters. It has tips on how to play and gamemaster a roadtrip of monsterhunting and it really has written the flair of Supernatural all over it. For a fan, I think its a must. In my eyes the RPG is well done. Couldn't test it yet of course. If you want a monsterhunting game in a world similar to reality I would choose Supernatural over CoC and Hunter. And for the record: it uses Cortex-System.

Yeah, I can't feature CoC being a good fit for Supernatural.

That said, I have seen nothing yet in the Cortex system that sets it above, say, a Cinematic Unisystem or a Savage Worlds, and my reading of the core book found it lacking.

@Tommy Brownwell: As long as you don't want to play the TV-Show as a campaign you don't need much more. Season 3 is in it.

I've done some work on The Book of the Hunted (the monster book) for the game. Any questions anyone wants to ask, I'll answer to the best of my ability.

Quote from: jdurall;343562Any questions anyone wants to ask, I'll answer to the best of my ability.

How can we save the economy and get out of the war in the east?

Seanchai

Quote from: Seanchai;343573How can we save the economy and get out of the war in the east?

Seanchai

We're in Kobayashi Maru territory here...

A little late to this party…but since I’m running a Supernatural inspired game right now, I figures I’d give my opinion.

First, to the original post…I think you are correct, you are better off playing the generic (or horror) system of your choice, as long as it is able to capture the feel of the TV show to your satisfaction.

I’m using Savage Worlds for my game, just because it’s so easy and fast.  I was originally going to use the Supernatural RPG, but once I started thinking about how I was going to run the game I realized that my relative unfamiliarity with the system itself, and the extra complications of the system would just bog me down.  I was going to run it fast and loose, so I wanted a system that was fast and loose.

After ditching the cortex version of Supernatural, my first choice was going to be Mayfairs CHILL, my go-to horror game.  During character creation I cam to the conclusion that the game I had in mind was going to be more dynamic in the action department than CHILL supported.  I didn’t want this game to feel like all my (slower moving) CHILL games had been.

As far as the campaign itself, I say “inspired” by Supernatural because I’m doing things my own way with a healthy dose of theft from the TV show.  It’s not the Supernatural universe 100%, but rather about 50%.  

To me, it was more important to capture the depth of character background, personality, and mystery that I get from the show.  Couple that with being able to tell a lot of fast paced horror stories and I have winner on my hands that is very similar…yet different from the show.

So, IMHO…

The Cortex Supernatural RPG is a pretty good RPG and definitely has some useful (and interesting) bits if you want to run a game in Supernatural Universe.  Unfortunately, it caters more to those people who want to be cliché (or camp)and tread in the footsteps of the show itself.

If you want to do a campaign that captures the feel of the show (rather than the universe of the show), I think you are best off choosing your system of choice that supports the type of action, investigation, humor, and role -playing seen in the show.

As a side note…

In my campaign, the players are 3 brothers (separated at ages 6, 2, and 1 month).  Each one has a shared background mystery (the overarching plotline), and each one has several personal background mysteries. Each episode (a single session adventure) tells a self contained horror story and contributes a piece to one of the mysteries mentioned above.

It has proven to be the best campaign I’ve ever run.  Most likely because the Players understand the setting very well (it’s our own world after all), so they are free to just concentrate on how their characters should act.