Just Finished Reading Gnome Murdered

[Ian Warner]

Okay I finally get round to finishing Gnome Murdered and I must say I'm impressed.

However I am concerned it will only work as a one joke wonder. You conceal the name of the game, create a phony character sheet, say you'll explain the rules as you go along but as soon as you make the big reveal that it is a game of Gnome Murdered the joke is over.

How do I avoid this?

[RPGPundit]

Don't conceal the nature of the game?

Get people on board with the concept, and to enjoy the entertainment of a lighthearted-game.

Generally speaking, the most successful "comedic" RPGs are the ones that do that, rather than trying to pull a bait-and-switch.  Comedy RPGs generally don't tend to be the most geared toward really long-term campaigns, but you can certainly have a good short-term run that's more than a one-shot.  No one suggests that Paranoia, for example, needs to involve a bait-and-switch to work; nor is Cthulhu (not a comedic game, but one that essentially has a very high fatality rate) doomed to be one-session play only.

If you want to run a multi-session Gnomemurdered game, the key is to have players be on board, and to emphasize the elements of the game that give player characters some opportunities to prepare themselves for the gnomes (mainly the Gnome Lore material).

RPGPundit

[Ian Warner]

Ah I see. I just gleaned from what I read that the best way to run it was as a surprise.

[Insufficient Metal]

So you run a game of something else, like Shadowrun or something, and then at the final scene gnomes come in and knife everybody in the chitlins and you tear up their sheets and yell "YOU GOT GNOMEMURDERED BITCH"?

[RPGPundit]

Yeah, I would never really advocate that kind of play, honestly.  Some very particular gaming groups might like that kind of thing, but in my experiences most players get seriously pissed at a bait-and-switch.

RPGPundit

[Ian Warner]

I heard of one group who were supposedly going to play oWoD Mortals. They statted everything up and began the first scene on a plane. The plane crashed and it turned out it was actually a Wraith game.

Apparently it was the only way to get the group to play Wraith.

[Benoist]

Yeah, no. The bait-and-switch thing, not for me, really.

[brettmb]

Have to agree. Got really pissed at a bait and switch game once.

[RPGPundit]

I heard of one group who were supposedly going to play oWoD Mortals. They statted everything up and began the first scene on a plane. The plane crashed and it turned out it was actually a Wraith game.

Apparently it was the only way to get the group to play Wraith.

But I mean, did they? Did the campaign last? was it a success? They weren't resentful, particularly if they'd previously indicated they had no interest in running that game?

RPGPundit

[Ian Warner]

Well apparently at first they were a bit unplesantly surprised but they just rolled with it and had a whale of a time.

[RPGPundit]

You got very lucky, I think.

RPGPundit

[Ian Warner]

I wouldn't have the balls to do that.

It was one of the WW forum regulars.