what to run next?
Due to my work schedule I haven't managed to get much roleplaying done over the last couple months. I really want to run something once LSC starts up again and there's more than two people around to play, but I'm not sure what I want to run.
Spellslinger
A Western/Fantasy mash-up from Fantasy Flight Games.
It's based off D&D 3.5, but it's different enough from the standard game to keep me interested. Plus, I would only be allowing material from Spellslinger and the Player's Handbook, which sidesteps many of my issues with 3.5.
Each character gets a special ability based on their 1st level class (Gunfighter, Maverick, and Trailblazer) or brand (a special one level class that gives access to some sort of magical ability but are only available at 1st level). Each brand is associated with a particular physical deformity, which must be visible for its abilities to be accessed. The brands include versions of the standard D&D spellcasters toned down (spells are capped at 5th level) and reimiagined for the setting, plus the magic resistant Blackhand and death-themed Pale Rider. Brand abilities are improved through feats.
The one thing I really dislike about Spellslinger are the Grey Runner, a new race of anthropomorphic wolves that fill in for Native Americans in the setting (the standard D&D races are all newcomers to "the Territories"), because they gain a net +8 to their ability scores in addition to a natural weapon, scent, some other bonuses and a +1 level adjustment to balance it out. Since I dislike level adjustments, I'm tempted to cut down the bonuses to +2 Wisdom & -2 Intelligence and do away with the level adjustment.
Cybergeneration
I happen to think distopia plus teen rebellion plus nanite-fueled superpowers is a winner combination. Though it has some problems, Cybergeneration (or as the cool kids call it Cybergen) takes the good stuff from Cyberpunk (a staple of my high school gaming) and adds some new.
While I really like the opening adventure that lets you build a character as it goes, I wouldn't use it this time. I still think its a nifty idea but I'd like to try something a little more focused, and pregenerate a set of characters. I'd still use some of the structure of the original intro but not the painfully lame made up slang, the character creation, or the game halting trip to the mall (the equipment purchasing section of character creation). I'm also thinking that I'd want to withhold the actual character sheets until the introductory section is over.
Call of Cthulhu
It seems like a shame that I've owned this game for so long and never got a chance to play it. I'm not actually sure what I'd do with it, but it would definitely be a change from D&D.
The system is fairly easy to learn, most of the heavy lifting is done with d% rolls based on character skills or the difference between stats. Having such a light weight system leaves a lot of space for other resources like that eight page on forensic pathology.
Also Rans
I've also been thinking about or reading some other games that I'm interested in but I've already disqualified for various reasons. I'd need a physical copy of Noblis to properly ingest it and I'm not going to buy one now with a new edition coming up. Fireborn and Usagi Yojimbo are a little too complex for my tastes. Alternity is cool but I don't want to run Star*Drive and I don't think the players would like Dark*Matter.
Spellslinger
A Western/Fantasy mash-up from Fantasy Flight Games.
It's based off D&D 3.5, but it's different enough from the standard game to keep me interested. Plus, I would only be allowing material from Spellslinger and the Player's Handbook, which sidesteps many of my issues with 3.5.
Each character gets a special ability based on their 1st level class (Gunfighter, Maverick, and Trailblazer) or brand (a special one level class that gives access to some sort of magical ability but are only available at 1st level). Each brand is associated with a particular physical deformity, which must be visible for its abilities to be accessed. The brands include versions of the standard D&D spellcasters toned down (spells are capped at 5th level) and reimiagined for the setting, plus the magic resistant Blackhand and death-themed Pale Rider. Brand abilities are improved through feats.
The one thing I really dislike about Spellslinger are the Grey Runner, a new race of anthropomorphic wolves that fill in for Native Americans in the setting (the standard D&D races are all newcomers to "the Territories"), because they gain a net +8 to their ability scores in addition to a natural weapon, scent, some other bonuses and a +1 level adjustment to balance it out. Since I dislike level adjustments, I'm tempted to cut down the bonuses to +2 Wisdom & -2 Intelligence and do away with the level adjustment.
Cybergeneration
I happen to think distopia plus teen rebellion plus nanite-fueled superpowers is a winner combination. Though it has some problems, Cybergeneration (or as the cool kids call it Cybergen) takes the good stuff from Cyberpunk (a staple of my high school gaming) and adds some new.
While I really like the opening adventure that lets you build a character as it goes, I wouldn't use it this time. I still think its a nifty idea but I'd like to try something a little more focused, and pregenerate a set of characters. I'd still use some of the structure of the original intro but not the painfully lame made up slang, the character creation, or the game halting trip to the mall (the equipment purchasing section of character creation). I'm also thinking that I'd want to withhold the actual character sheets until the introductory section is over.
Call of Cthulhu
It seems like a shame that I've owned this game for so long and never got a chance to play it. I'm not actually sure what I'd do with it, but it would definitely be a change from D&D.
The system is fairly easy to learn, most of the heavy lifting is done with d% rolls based on character skills or the difference between stats. Having such a light weight system leaves a lot of space for other resources like that eight page on forensic pathology.
Also Rans
I've also been thinking about or reading some other games that I'm interested in but I've already disqualified for various reasons. I'd need a physical copy of Noblis to properly ingest it and I'm not going to buy one now with a new edition coming up. Fireborn and Usagi Yojimbo are a little too complex for my tastes. Alternity is cool but I don't want to run Star*Drive and I don't think the players would like Dark*Matter.