Almost exactly what it says in the topic header: what are your current, or near future, system dabbling for a new campaign? Something that is not your standard go-to system, but is that reserved coat you just gotta try out for that special occasion.
I recently snagged Star Children used, and getting into the groove of trying out something insane. Either that or find that lost email from flyingmice about his High Strung project, about roleplaying rock band dynamics. (His beta-tester call was here in this forum awhile ago.) Something to stretch the GM wings and have an excuse to slap on the Glam or Acid Rock as we play. I think the playlist might be the most challenging part so far...
Anyway, anyone else "broadening their horizons" in the near term?
Outside of D&D and Atlantis, being my current regular offerings, I am running Urban Shadows tonight via Google Hangouts, a first on both fronts.
This weekend, I have a small RPG gathering in which I hope to run 'Pawns & Knights' for Far Away Land and 'Skeletron Key' for ICONS for a younger player group.
I don't have non-alternate system games, but you all know that, so I won't take up any more time... :P
In the near future, I'll likely be running another Monsterhearts campaign. I'm pretty comfortable with the "powered by the apocalypse" concept, and that game in particular, so I think it should work out pretty well.
Other than that, I might be running a hack of Cortex Plus Dramatic. But that's only if I get off my butt and actually make the hack. I like tinkering with systems, but this is going to be a bit larger than anything I've done before. My goal is to make something usable for urban fantasy, but in a much broader sense than the "powered by the apocalypse" urban fantasy games I'm familiar with. (Of course, if Topher Gerkey would get off his ass and actually publish Rosemont Bay already[it's very overdue], that might save me a lot of work. Or it might not. Without seeing the final product, I have no idea how well it'll conform to what I want a C+D urban fantasy game to do.)
There's a slim chance that I might run some Legends of the Wulin with some other guys in a round robin kind of way, but I'm not entirely sure. The system is complex enough that I wouldn't be comfortable doing that without at least some play experience under my belt first, so maybe if I don't have to go first it'd be okay. I dunno.
Quote from: Opaopajr;818584Almost exactly what it says in the topic header: what are your current, or near future, system dabbling for a new campaign? Something that is not your standard go-to system, but is that reserved coat you just gotta try out for that special occasion.
I'm planning to run a one-shot of Barbarians of Lemuria (Mythic Ed.) around June for a house-warming party. I don't know if it'll go anywhere, or develop into a campaign, but it should be fun.
QuoteAnyway, anyone else "broadening their horizons" in the near term?
Generally, though, I'm sticking to my go-to systems this year. Hell, I don't get to GM enough as it is, so I look forward to running my go-to Rpgs.
Working on my own OGL game that includes the parts I like and leaves out the ones I don't. :-)
Until then, I'm pretty damn happy with 5e.
Why can't D&D, RuneQuest, Traveller, etc., be "alternate systems"? :confused:
D&D 5e is my 'alternate system', insofar as I've only run it once and I may be running a short campaign in the near-ish future (the one from the Starter Box, with some tweaks).
I also would like to run some Crypts and Things, which I haven't done in ages.
My 'standard systems' these days are Call of Cthulhu (GM) and RuneQuest 6 (player).
I'm giving Savage Worlds a test run using my old Gray Box Forgotten Realms, FR5 Savage Frontiers, and some Hellfrost.
What's the point of using a system that is not your go-to system?
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;818617What's the point of using a system that is not your go-to system?
Trying something new and possibly making cool discoveries is at least one point.
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;818617What's the point of using a system that is not your go-to system?
Sorta my thought. I'm happy with GURPS, I'm sticking with GURPS, I don't need to waste brain energy that could be spent in writing scenarios or setting detail learning a new system just for the sake of a new system.
More than that, though, and I figure it'd be threadcrapping.
Quote from: Akrasia;818607Why can't D&D, RuneQuest, Traveller, etc., be "alternate systems"? :confused:
D&D 5e is my 'alternate system', insofar as I've only run it once and I may be running a short campaign in the near-ish future (the one from the Starter Box, with some tweaks).
It can be. It is a completely subjective measure about what is familiar to you and switching it up with what is not.
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;818617What's the point of using a system that is not your go-to system?
The same reason we have variety of flavor, color, & texture in things. Something different to cleanse the palate. Something new to explore on its own and in combination with things. New perspectives upon the familiar. Test out alternate takes to the distasteful points of your go-to system. Et cetera.
I'm not quite sure these qualify, but...
I have an unrealized ambition of finishing a Rokugan Winter Court playset for Fiasco.
And I'm kicking around the idea of an OA-style game set in Qelong, but I haven't yet decided on system. I've got it narrowed down to dropping OA martial arts into ACKS, or Mad Monks of Kwantoom. (Believe it or not, this constitutes progress. I was tempted by Oriental Adventures itself, Shinobi & Samurai, and Flying Swordsmen at various points.)
Backups being.
Star Frontiers.
2e Gamma world.
Dragon Storm if ever get the urge again.
Tunnels & Trolls.
Playtest Emergent.
Playtest Astral Frontier.
I'm currently in the process of trying to set up some one-shots with a local gaming club to try out new systems, because my (formerly) main campaign kind of fell apart after the Christmas break. Games on my mental list to try out are:
- Tenra Bansho Zero
- Mongoose Traveller (I've played it solo, but never with other people)
- Fantaji System (formerly Mazaki no Fantaji)
- OVA
- Dungeons: the Dragoning 40,000 7th Edition
Our group usually runs Savage Worlds or D&D. My wife is going to run Firefly for us tomorrow night. She is an excellent Gamemaster, but I don't know much about the RPG system or the show, beyond the Serenity movie, so I hope it goes well.
I am also reading a lot of 13th Age stuff. It has been a pleasant surprise and I plan to run it at some point.
It is perhaps a sure sign of my descent into oldfartdom that I am less and less motivated to check out new games as the years go by. Or it could be just that I have a huge backlog of games to run and precious little gaming time and shelf space.
I'd say my "go-to systems" nowadays are ACKS for old school D&Desque fantasy, RQ6 for any fantasy scenario which I feel D&D might not do justice; Mongoose Traveller for spacefaring SF; CoC for Mythos horror; nWoD for urban fantasy and non-Mythos horror; Savage Worlds when I don't know what else to use.
Then there are those games that feel like pretty much their own things, like DCC, AS&SH, Eclipse Phase, Unknown Armies, oWoD, Rifts, Star Wars (WEG/D6), WFRP (2e), Aquelarre. These games have plenty of personality and don't feel as "pliable" a toolbox as the ones above. But that's just me.
I am looking forward to actual play of Breachworld. It's essentially Rifts D6, written by Jason Richards who has written for Palladium. I backed the Kickstarter and I am happy with the game so far as written. Interested in seeing how well Mini-Six handles Rifts-ish gameplay.
BREACHWORLD
http://www.breachworld.com/
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;818617What's the point of using a system that is not your go-to system?
Sometime a player will baulk at one system and I just dont feel like deprogramming them from whatever the hell mindset they developed. Or baulk because they dont know game A. But do know game B and its for some reason easier to do B than A. Like the other players know B as well.
Also. I have no one preferred system. I bounce around depending on ideas or players interested, or asking for a system or setting.
Same as a player. Right now I am in quite a few different systems. 5e, BX, Spelljammer, and so on.
Flashing Blades, finally giving a 30 Years War campaign a go - probably adapting for German Mercenaries first though.
High Strung minicampaign set in Warhammer 40k universe, with PCs being Noise Marines under leadership (management) of Doomrider.
Im rolling my own, non-era specific Lovecraft system, so that's my alternative for now.
I'm itching to try The One Ring.
I really liked the dice system for WHFRP 3rd, but not for Warhammer. I'd like to apply it to a supers game at some point.
I'm torn when it comes to Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space. Its a great system, I just don't think it does anything that my house system doesn't already do. Not worse or better, it seems almost the same insofar as the genres I'd use it for and the general crunch level (the only count against it is that it makes use of Target Numbers, which Ive never been a fan of). But I still really like it.
Quote from: Akrasia;818607Why can't D&D, RuneQuest, Traveller, etc., be "alternate systems"? :confused:
D&D 5e is my 'alternate system'
Same here. I'm running it right now, but I have only ran Savage Worlds for years now, even for fantasy.
Quote from: Rincewind1;818749High Strung minicampaign set in Warhammer 40k universe, with PCs being Noise Marines under leadership (management) of Doomrider.
You win the Crazyass of the Month Award.
I am thinking about introducing d6 into the table's rotation through Men's Pulp adventures. Y'know, "the first hit's free" sorta thing where then I can transition them into WEG d6 Star Wars or something.
I really do want an excuse to slap on the T Rex and Ziggy, but d6 Pulp might be a faster sell and run. Unless I can cobble together some salacious pitch titles that sell a mash-up premise real fast...
I Survived the Glam Dungeons of London
Long-haired Boys and their Cult of Viperous Hussies
Cosmetic Testing Ducks Nibbled My Flesh
Does French Kissing Give You VD
(This is harder than it looks. There's a very fine line and I'm having a hell of a time not crossing it.)
Currently running the Laundry and I had to drop the 5e campaign (because two players out of four don't want to make the slightest effort to learn the system).
So in the near future I'd like to take a shot at running Into the Odd (http://soogagames.blogspot.fr/).
The mix of New Crobuzon, 19th century London, the Sunless Sea and Dishonored PC game that it summons in my mind is just too cool to let go.
And the rules are so light that even my two rules-challenged players should be able understand them.
Quote from: Opaopajr;818892I am thinking about introducing d6 into the table's rotation through Men's Pulp adventures. Y'know, "the first hit's free" sorta thing where then I can transition them into WEG d6 Star Wars or something.
I really do want an excuse to slap on the T Rex and Ziggy, but d6 Pulp might be a faster sell and run. Unless I can cobble together some salacious pitch titles that sell a mash-up premise real fast...
I Survived the Glam Dungeons of London
Long-haired Boys and their Cult of Viperous Hussies
Cosmetic Testing Ducks Nibbled My Flesh
Does French Kissing Give You VD
(This is harder than it looks. There's a very fine line and I'm having a hell of a time not crossing it.)
So you lost my email? Did you ever get your playtest packet? PM me!
-clash
Quote from: Rincewind1;818749High Strung minicampaign set in Warhammer 40k universe, with PCs being Noise Marines under leadership (management) of Doomrider.
What system? Black Crusade?
Quote from: Shipyard Locked;818935What system? Black Crusade?
Flying Mice's High Strung. Probably gonna glue on a combat system from Warhammer on top of it, yes, but it might not be necessary. It's not going to be a very serious game after all, what with powermetal (or whatever genre the players want to go - I have a creeping suspicion dubstep or rap) marines giving concerns to Chaos Cultists, smashing Leman Russes, punching out Imperial Guard and trying to outrun the Big Fuzz (aka Space Marines). And of course, dealing with their "manager", who's probably the craziest bastard in the galaxy.
Quote from: Rincewind1;818936(I have a creeping suspicion dubstep or rap)
Hmm, Brostep or Metalstep, maybe. :hmm:
Quote from: Rincewind1;818936Flying Mice's High Strung.
Oh, oops, I thought "high strung" was an adjective you were using to describe the intended style of the campaign. :D
I mean, it kinda fits for noise marines in 40k...
I'm not quite sure what you define as "alternate", but I just recently started a Traveller campaign, and I've only run traveller three times before.
I'm also considering trying to convince some players to play World War Cthulhu after that, though again, I've run CoC quite a few times in the past, more than Traveller.
To best honest, I am less and less inclined to devote any time to alternate/new systems. I have little enough time for RPGs as it is, so I've been sticking with the tried and true (which for me, means TSR D&D or some flavor of BRP).
That said, if I had the time, I think my first choice would be a rocking Flashing Blades campaign.