Tag Archives: Indie

RPG Idea: Conflicting GMs

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I got this idea while writing my article about the Adjustment Bureau, but I thought it deserved a post on its own.

In this game, we have two GMs, each one trying to guide the party to a separate goal. Perhaps the GMs are representing feuding Gods? Or, they are just an abstraction, with one GM trying to help the party achieve their goals, while the other one acts to prevent them.

Of course, there will need to be some sort of currency expressing what each GM can do, and how often. Perhaps each has control over one aspect of the setting?

Anyway, this is just a rough idea, which would need to be expanded and detailed a lot to turn into a proper game, but I think it could be a fun experience.

RPG Idea: Soldiers and Commanders

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World War One Gas Masks in Trench with MachinegunThis was an idea I originally thought of for a World War One setting, but it can be used in any setting or era, you just need to have a war of some sort. Whether it is against Martians, Orks, Germans or Local Rebels, it does not really matter.

The game is split into two, in the first session, the characters are playing the generals and politicians making strategic decisions. In the next, they get to play the soldiers actually affected by those decisions. They keep swapping between the two. I see the general and politician group staying static, while the soldiers keep changing.

For another variation of this idea, the second session is not always the soldiers on their side… The players might play the enemy, or even the innocent civilains caught in the fighting, or a journalist team.

For something like this, I would use a fairly “realistic” and lethal system, perhaps something like GURPs?

 

 

RPG Inspiration – Call of Cthulhu

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Call of Cthulhu

 

 

Call of Cthulhu came out in 2005. It was directed by Andrew Leman, and stars Matt Foyer and John Bolen (IMDB Page). Needless to say, it is based on the story of the same name by H. P. Lovecraft.

Silent Movie

This is a silent movie, with no speech, just music, and the occasional card of text. This gives a very interesting feel to the movie… It really takes you back to the era that the it is set in.

This got me thinking about running a silent RPG… It would not really work with a classic round the table set up. But in a LARP or a JeepForm, it might be an interesting experience. The players not allowed to speak, and they are forced to rely on other means of communication. There could even be an in-world explanation for this… Perhaps they have all been struck dumb by something, or for a darker game, they are all slaves whose tongues have been cut out.

Of course, the tricky part would be to keep the game from devolving into a game of Charades, which would kill the mood.

Specialists Called in

At one point, Thurston consults with the archaeological society. This scene reminded me of how rarely players actually ask for help from NPCs. It makes sense for the characters to ask specialists for their opinions. Of course, there is never a guarantee that those opinions will be accurate, or even sane.

Linked Timelines

The story is actually two simultaneous stories, the story of Thurston’s uncle, and the story about Thurston discovering what happened.

This could easily be applied to an RP session, as the characters discover what happened before, rather than presenting the information they found, allow them to play a short scene or two as the characters that they are learning about.

Growing Player Authority

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This is an idea that has been bouncing around in my head, although I have no idea how I would put it into reality.

I was thinking about the basic idea behind a lot of “narrativist” games, which play around with (or in some cases entirely dismiss) the traditional GM/Player split. One of my favourite games, Universalis, is either GM-less or GM-full depending on the way you look at it, and another one, InSpectes, gives the players a lot of control over where the plot goes, and even over what is happening in the background.

Alas, players used to more ‘traditional’ games sometimes struggle to get used to such concepts, so I was thinking about how to design a game that would specifically “teach” the player to take more control over the game world.

I think something that starts of as a completely traditional game, but over time, the players get more and more control of the setting, the NPCs and the plot. Perhaps they should progress from no control over the game, through limited control (in the style of FATE and Drama points), and finally ending up as co-GMs in a sense.

Of course, to keep the players happy, you  would need  a system for this, perhaps an ability in the game, that the players roll against to make changes, which increases with use, to the point where successes become automatic?

Anyway, this is something that deserves more thought (at least in my opinion). Does anybody know of a game that does this?