SOS roleplaying citizens!

[El Llamita]

Hi people. I come here looking for some help and I faithfully believe you will deliver readily. Lets try:


I'm heading at a dizzying speed towards my 20th birthday and I want to throw a little party and invite some friends. So far so good. The deal is that I want them to have fun, and not just sit around the house drinking beer and chating as in any regular reunion. And since we're not your regular PARTY crew, loud music and orgies sadly won't work. So games is the way to go. The problems is there a limited amount of party games we know and we have played them all.
So, and here is were you come in, in order to dodge the same old games and offer something made of win I can't think of anything better than rolepaying games.
Truth is that here in Argentina roleplaying games are not nearly as exploited as in other countries such as the US. And although we have all heard about them at least from TV, they're pretty much virgin land. I myself have never played one and my conection to this page exists thanks to the webcomic.

So I guess my question would be:

¿Could you provide me with any roleplaying game adaptation for parties, which would be fun to play for begginers and doesn't need a pre-existing universe or a book of rules to work?

In other words a game which is easy to learn, short in duration, paraphernalia free or almost-free and which involves participants playing roles for fun and prizes.

We're mostly wanna-be actors (including self), so creativity-friendly is the main goal.

You make it seem like so much fun, and you certainly manage to play in very different circumstances and escenarios, so I'm sure that a lighthearted party version is not out of your possibilities.

I apologize for my spelling and my wording and for the possibility of this forum not being the right place for the thread.

Thank you for being such a lovely and well organized community and for creating the SMBG forum for people like me. I would participate in other forums but as I stated I don't know the first thing about roleplaying games.

Gooda bye.

[drengnikrafe]

When I read your post, I couldn't help but immediately think Risus (http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/risus.htm).
Other people may say I'm wrong, but I still think of that as the simplest game, and a decent choice, especially for a party.

[Admiral Squish]

Well... Munchkin is fun, but requires the cards to work. Kobolds Ate my Baby is advertised as a 'beer & pretzels' RPG, which can be quite fun if done right, though it DOES have a rulebook to it.

[Lioness]

Baron Munchausen!

You can either play it with or without alcohol.

You all sit around a table and pretend to be English lords, barons, kings, etc. The game starts: 'So, Lord Cheesewick, do tell me of the time you [insert ridiculous adventure here]
The person you asked then must make up a story detailing their adventures.

At any point in this story, the other Lords may interrupt with a complication to the story. This is where the alcohol/non-alcohol versions differ. With the non-alcohol version, the person asking the question gives the lord telling the story a chocolate coin. The storyteller must incorporate the complication into his story, or can give an additional coin back and deny it. If it goes back and forth for too long, it goes to a duel (rock-paper-scissors)

I'm not so sure how the alcoholic ones works, but I believe that when something is challenged, someone has to drink a drink. I'm not sure exactly when, having never played the alcohol bit.

In general, stories should go on for no more than 5 minutes.

Some good examples of questions are:

Tell me of the time you...:

Tied up the moon with only a short piece of string
Managed to rescue the Empress of Russia's pink dog, with only a glass of ice

Tell me why it is that...:

You always insist on riding a white horse naked during thunderstorms
You illicitly uncovered the Great Trifle of England, and what were the consequences.

etc.

You get the idea. Random silly things. I once escaped from the French army on half a horse...

[Zaq]

Let me second either Risus or Kobolds Ate My Baby. KAMB is my personal favorite of the two, but I don't know how hard it is to find, whereas I know that Risus can be downloaded for free. (Maybe KAMB can too. I've never looked.) Both of them are incredibly simple, as silly or as serious as you want them to be (well, ok, Kobolds has an upper limit on seriousness given that the primary goal of the game is to steal babies so you can eat them, but you get my point), really easy to learn, and a complete blast.

[Nero24200]

I'll third Kobolds Ate My Baby. It's simply, silly, and should be good for a one-off game. Especially when you use abilities requiring the players to do things (like the spell which requires the player to make chicken noises, or the "All Hail King Thorg!" rule).

[El Llamita]

Thank you all for your ideas, everyone of them could work, ('xcept the one with the cards, I don't believe I could lay my hands on that one easily).

Kobolds Ate my Baby seems to be the one with the largest fanbase so far, so I'll try to find the rulebook.
Baron Munchausen sounds like my kind of game! And with alcohol as its only external requirement is sure to have followers. The only problem is that it seems a little too rule-free and as a starting game some may find it a bit to much to handle and will much likely be either unwilling to play or mind-blocked. But I will use it if the first game has success and they want more. Anyway, if not on this occasion, I am sure to play it some day.
Risus is of course a good option, and so far the only one with a corporeal rulebook.
A game with a rulebook with an available spanish translation would do marvels since not everybody in my group of friends can understand english. But I don't even know if such a thing is possible. I guess I'll have to do the translation myself...:smallsigh:

[JohnnyCancer]

I once heard of something called "Marine Corps. D&D," that involves such rules as taking a sip of your drink to restore health and having to finish your drink if your character dies. I don't know the specifics, maybe someone else has heard of it?

Edit: I just recalled that the one session that was described to me said that all the characters were pretty oddball, including a double amputee dwarf fighter who used a spiked codpiece as his weapon of choice.

[hamlet]

Baron Munchhausen is a great game, as is KAMB.

For more light fun, try the Red Dragon Inn card games. They work great for some silly, light hearted fun.

[Another_Poet]

I will humbly suggest that you google the game "Over the Edge." Used copies should be uber cheap. Take a skim through the (very easy) rules and you'll be ready to help anyone. A 9 year old could pick up the game and understand the rules in 5 minutes, but the game itself is interesting and surprising because of the awesome setting/premise. It would be perfect for friends playing casually over beer because the world and scenarios are pretty zany and just a little trippy. You can take it as seriously or lightheartedly as you want.

[BallsInABowl]

Why not try some halfling games?

Throw the Rock, (all you need is a rock)

Throw the Stick, (sticks are easy to find)

or

Throw the Rock and Then the Stick Shortly Thereafter (already have a rock and a stick from the first two games!)

[9mm]

Octane... It is awesom, and as rules light as you get.