What RPG ideas do you have?

[Weimann]

I'd just like to throw a question out here and see what's going on in those minds of yours. In a community that appreciated roleplaying games, I'm sure that beyond homebrewing for extant systems, there are ideas about what kind of RPG you'd like to make if you have the time, ability, opportunity or motivation.

So what are your ideas? What themes and aesthetics would you like to invoke? What kind of ideas would you explore, and what scenes would you set? I'm not asking for developed solutions to those questions, but I'd like to hear where your mind goes when it thinks of cool stuff.

A concept I've been thinking about for a while is something I've come to call Immortal. You'd play what's essentially a human who has in some way gained the gift and/or curse of immortality, so that neither time nor blade can undo your existence. My thought is that time would pass fast in this game; we would have dramatic scenes interspersed with time skips of months or years. We would get to see plans unfold and be countered, political and ideological climate change and ultimately walk through different eras in the history of the world.

Instead of having the PCs grow individually more powerful over time, I'd like the game to explore them dealing with the changing times. The world would change around them much quicker than they can add personal power. There would be some progression, but I'd like them to mostly forget and reinvest instead of accumulating. I'd also like there to be some system for humanity and identity, so that if you grow too jaded and cynical you'd lose your humanity and you'd have to engage with the fleeting world again to regain it. Perhaps also some similar system for keeping track of your personality now compared to earlier and having effects for deviating to harshly from it too quickly.

Problems with this: First of all, would that be fun at all? It'd certainly require some heavy buy-in from the players, since you might end up rebuilding your character several times over the game. Secondly, it might be way to heavy on the world building requirement. It'd be essential to have your group collaborate on directions for the world to take, so that the GM wouldn't be alone in creating centuries of history and culture. Maybe even have several GMs responsible for playing NPCs and narrating the world?

So that's me (and, y'know, if you think that sounds cool, I'd love to get some comments on it). What's happening in your head?

[Amaril]

I've had an idea in mind for a while for a game called Drifters: Adventure at the Edge of the World, which is a deconstruction of the fantasy adventurer trope, inspired by works like The Witcher and Torchbearer. I've got a few scraps written up, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine, which is probably my favorite.

You are a drifter.

A wanderer, an adventurer, a hunter of lost treasures, and a slayer of monsters.

That doesn't mean you're a hero.

You and your kind are the outcast, the mad, the desperate, and the scorned. You don't fight for honor or glory--you fight because you have no other way to survive. The people you protect don't want you. They'd be rid of you if they could, but they can't. They need you. No one else can face the things you face.

It's a hard life. But it's the one you've got.

Now, what are you going to do with it?
Beyond the borders of maps, off the beaten path, the land is wild and dark. In this darkness, Chaos reigns. Monstrous beasts and fell sorcerous powers lurk, hungry to devour the weak. All are locked in a constant struggle with all others to survive.

Against this chaos stand the walls and strictures of Lawful society. For most, this means a lifetime of backbreaking servitude to an uncaring lord and distant gods--but at least it's safe and predictable. The civilization that stands now is not the first, nor the greatest ever. Across the wilds are scattered the ruins of past empires, torn apart by catastrophe or fallen into decay. Remnants of their power remain, lost to time and the encroaching dark.

Most of the time, the rule of Law succeeds in keeping the people relatively safe. But no system is perfect, and in any society, there are those who slip through the cracks, or don't quite fit. Peasants run off their lands in war, with nowhere else to go. Knights who lose their lieges. Forth and fifth scions of noble houses, with no inheritance. Excommunicated clerics. Fugitives. Sorcerers. The mad. The deformed. The cursed. And the normal, Law-abiding folk are terrified of these people. They're strangers, unknown, and the unknown is dangerous.

Many of these people simply die, forgotten and unmourned. Many more grow to hate the society that shunned them, and fall into Chaos, becoming murderous bandits or insane cultists of dark powers.

And then there's us. The drifters.

Our old lives of safety and routine are gone, if they ever existed. The good, honest folk of this world have turned their backs on us, fearing the threat we pose to their familiar existence. We're not the first to meet this fate, but we have two things that set us apart: the skill to fend for ourselves, and the will to protect the innocent even as they push us away. Because, you see, as much as people like to think they're safe from the Chaos out there, they're not. Every day, the monsters claw at the gates, searching for their chance to break through and devour everything we hold dear. The lords with their knights and armies act like they can protect everyone, but what can they do? They've spent their whole lives safe behind their castle walls. They don't know what's out there. Their soldiers would run in terror at the first glimpse of the things that haunt the dark. And the gods? Ha. If they even exist, they've got bigger things to worry about than a few unfortunate peasants.

But we know. We've seen it, because they haven't given us a choice. They see us as no better than the monsters, so they throw us out there with them, where we belong. Well, if we didn't have monsters in us before, we sure as hell do after that. But that gives us an advantage: it means we can fight them. It takes a monster to kill another monster.

We forge paths into the wild. We seek out the powers of the lost empires and turn them into weapons against Chaos. We hunt the things that threaten the good, honest folk. In return, they might give us just enough to stay alive--a hot meal, a bed for the night, a bit of coin to have our equipment fixed up. They'll never accept us, though. After we've done our job and been paid, it's always farewell, on to the next village and the next thankless good deed. Some of us can't stand it. Some grow resentful, or realize that their strength could make things easy for them if they used it to just take what they want from those who can't resist. They become just as bad as the beasts we fight. With all that strength turned to Chaos, a drifter who's lost their way is a dangerous thing indeed. It's a struggle we all face, keeping the monsters in us from overcoming our purpose.

We live on the edge--of the map, of society, of survival, of sanity.

Welcome to the edge of the world, friend. Here be dragons.
Brave means courageous, thrill-seeking, lacking in self-preservation, able and willing to throw yourself into danger without faltering.
Strong means physically strong, strong-willed, tough, aggressive, violent and skilled in the doing of violence.
Learned means educated, knowledgeable, versed, book-smart, aware of the state of the world.
Clever means keen, insightful, street-smart, perceptive, savvy, aware of what’s going on right in front of your face.
Kind means compassionate, selfless, generous, empathetic, invested in the well-being of those around you, and usually a ****ing idiot.
Bond means connection to someone else, how much you like, love, respect, care for, and/or trust them.

Humanity is also important, though it's not really a stat, and you never roll with it. Humanity is what separates you from falling into Chaos and becoming a monster. You start with an amount of humanity depending on your class (probably about 10). Certain moves can increase or reduce that number, but it can never go above 12.

The Basic Moves
Throw yourself into danger: when you throw yourself into danger, or steel yourself to endure despite danger, roll +brave. On a 10+, you do it. On a 7-9, you flinch, hesitate, or stall: the GM can offer you a worse outcome, a hard bargain, or an ugly choice. On a miss, be prepared for the worst.

Do battle: when you attack an enemy in combat, roll +strong. On a 10+, you inflict harm on them and avoid or stop their counterattack. On a 7-9, you inflict harm, and they retaliate, inflicting harm back on you. On a miss, be prepared for the worst.

Coup de grace: when you attack a helpless, unaware, or unsuspecting enemy, ask the GM if you can miss. If you can, treat it as doing battle, but they can’t retaliate. If you can’t, you simply inflict harm as established.

Consult your knowledge: when you try to remember useful information about something, roll +learned. On a 10+, the GM will tell you something interesting and useful about the subject at hand. On a 7-9, they’ll tell you something interesting—whether it’s useful or not depends on what you do with it.

Get your bearings: when you study a situation, roll +clever. On a 10+, ask the GM up to three questions from the list below. On a 7-9, ask one. When you act on the answers, take +1.
•What’s about to happen?
•What’s my best escape route/way in/way past?
•What should I be most wary of?
•Who’s in control here?
•What here is useful or valuable to me?
•What here is not what it seems?
On a miss, ask one anyway, but be prepared for the worst.

Strike a deal: when you approach someone to bargain, say what you want and roll +clever. They’ll tell you what they want in exchange. On a 10+, if you can deliver your end, they’ll cough up fair and square. On a 7-9, they’ll cough up, but probably only part of what you want, or a ****ty version. On a miss, you’ll be lucky to get anything.

Look into someone’s soul: when you look into someone’s soul, roll +kind. On a 10+, ask up to three. On a 7-9, ask one.
•Is your character telling the truth?
•What is your character really feeling?
•What does your character intend to do?
•What does your character care about most right now?
•What does your character wish I would do?
On a miss, ask one anyway, but be prepared for the worst.

Do something selfless: when you do something good for someone at no benefit to you, if you don’t have a bond with them, roll +kind. On a hit, you do it. On a 10+, you also gain one humanity. On a miss, you can’t bring yourself to be so naïve: demand some price, or walk away.

Help or interfere: when you help or interfere with someone you have a bond with, roll +bond. On a 10+, they take +2 (help) or -2 (interfere) on their roll. On a 7-9, they take +1 (help) or -1 (interfere) on their roll. On a miss, be prepared for the worst.

Embrace Chaos: when you miss with a move, you can spend humanity to make it a hit. Spend 1 for a partial success, or 2 for a full success. Describe how you’re abandoning restraint, ignoring the welfare of others, or unleashing your dark impulses to succeed. Then roll, no modifiers of any kind. If you roll higher than your remaining humanity, you snap, overcome by Chaos completely. Give your playbook to the GM, and make a new character.
If that doesn't get the general idea across, I need to go back to the drawing board :smalltongue:

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Slowly progressing on a chase and stunt based extreme/outdoor/racing sports system (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?526115-101-things-you-d-want-to-do-in-an-extreme-outdoor-racing-sports-RPG).

[RazorChain]

I'd just like to throw a question out here and see what's going on in those minds of yours. In a community that appreciated roleplaying games, I'm sure that beyond homebrewing for extant systems, there are ideas about what kind of RPG you'd like to make if you have the time, ability, opportunity or motivation.

So what are your ideas? What themes and aesthetics would you like to invoke? What kind of ideas would you explore, and what scenes would you set? I'm not asking for developed solutions to those questions, but I'd like to hear where your mind goes when it thinks of cool stuff.

A concept I've been thinking about for a while is something I've come to call Immortal. You'd play what's essentially a human who has in some way gained the gift and/or curse of immortality, so that neither time nor blade can undo your existence. My thought is that time would pass fast in this game; we would have dramatic scenes interspersed with time skips of months or years. We would get to see plans unfold and be countered, political and ideological climate change and ultimately walk through different eras in the history of the world.

Instead of having the PCs grow individually more powerful over time, I'd like the game to explore them dealing with the changing times. The world would change around them much quicker than they can add personal power. There would be some progression, but I'd like them to mostly forget and reinvest instead of accumulating. I'd also like there to be some system for humanity and identity, so that if you grow too jaded and cynical you'd lose your humanity and you'd have to engage with the fleeting world again to regain it. Perhaps also some similar system for keeping track of your personality now compared to earlier and having effects for deviating to harshly from it too quickly.

Problems with this: First of all, would that be fun at all? It'd certainly require some heavy buy-in from the players, since you might end up rebuilding your character several times over the game. Secondly, it might be way to heavy on the world building requirement. It'd be essential to have your group collaborate on directions for the world to take, so that the GM wouldn't be alone in creating centuries of history and culture. Maybe even have several GMs responsible for playing NPCs and narrating the world?

So that's me (and, y'know, if you think that sounds cool, I'd love to get some comments on it). What's happening in your head?


My group once did a Highlander inspired game that spanned around 2000 years. We started in the Roman empire that's where we found out we couldn't die unless our head was cut off or our bodies destroyed. It was fun, there sometimes went hundreds of years between "adventures". The world was easy as everyone knew what to expect. The personal power question wasn't much of a question as we the PC's were almost immortal already and no superpowers or magic were involved. Our only threat was "our own kind" and their henchmen or those who knew the secret how to kill us. It's was kinda like playing WoD game where mortals were no threat. In the end it became a pvp because there could be only one :)

[Knaight]

I'm currently intermittently working on Legacy, a game that follows a master and apprentice through the years. It's basically a bunch of one shots strung together with related characters, set years apart, where the masters gradually die off and the apprentices become the masters, the players move between the two roles every few sessions and swap characters about half as often, and there's some mechanics reflecting institutional memory and the like. I've finished two very rules light games, one of which is just a general rules minimal engine (Titled) and the other a very specific game that's mostly about non-chronological play and failure (The Iron Fist of New Atlantis).

[Fri]

I've been wanting to make a cooking rpg for a while, we conflicts are solved via cooking battle that's as detailed/complex as fighting system in most other systems. My problem is mostly on how to make it party-based.

[Vitruviansquid]

I've been trying to do 2 main things in an RPG I'm writing:

1. The core stats are variable. In most RPGs, your character's stats are mostly immutable, outside of some improvement through leveling. In this game, the stats are not based on physical criteria like strength and agility. Instead, they are based on mental criteria, like inspiration and conviction, which can change. I hope rigging the system up this way gives more variability to a player's experience during a campaign.

2. I want the entire combat in a combat-centric game to be set up and then executed over 1 "turn," or otherwise be extremely quick to resolve without many independent decisions being made by different players. That would make it far easier to run the game as PBP online, and in general, allow a faster pace of gameplay than D&D and its cousins.

[Cluedrew]

To Amaril: Powered by the Apocalypse is great for systems where things aren't really supposed to go well. You also seem to have a nice move set going there. Still the humanity gauge thing sounds really... scary. Still I like how being nice is its own advantage.

To Fri: Could you look up different roles in the kitchen? I'm pretty sure it is more than just cook.

To Vitruviansquid: The only system I know of with variable stats is FAE (FATE Accelerated Edition) and that is just swapping stats. Sounds like an interesting idea.

For me I have been working on a system for about 2 1/2 years now. I still don't have the base system down. Designing my own resolution mechanic from the ground up was perhaps too much. I mean if I had hacked Powered by the Apocalypse or even d20 I probably would have saved myself at least... most of that time? But no base system did what I wanted so... I started working and working. Mind you I had to abandon some of the features I was going for anyways, to streamline the system. I do have ideas for the setting and the kinds of adventures you go on in that system, but they are kind of generic.

Of course I have plenty of other ideas. From my one horror system to an system built to make random character creation fun. But that is my main one.

[khadgar567]

I've been wanting to make a cooking rpg for a while, we conflicts are solved via cooking battle that's as detailed/complex as fighting system in most other systems. My problem is mostly on how to make it party-based.
shokugeki no soma rpg know thats a game i dont mind to own

[CharonsHelper]

I've been working on Space Dogs for the better part of two years.

Space Dogs is a Swashbuckling Space Western in which about 50 years before the 'current' setting (the late 2080's) humans were recruited by an alien species ('the builders') to be a military/police force, protecting the starlanes from pirates and various monstrous aliens.

In Space Dogs humans are basically the badasses of the galaxy, and other species are both scared of them and hold them in disdain. Essentially the only work humans can get is as mercenary privateers, or Space Dogs (play off of "Sea Dogs").

As a system, it's a bit combat heavy and mid-crunch, but the play runs pretty smoothly. My guiding principle was to have maximum depth (both system & setting) for minimal complexity.

Space Dogs WIP (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/y1ew2wf5u1m7kc3/AAD_q3oS1xcdAI_-F2mKmmkya?dl=0)

[Cosi]

There are a bunch of different ideas that occasionally draw my interest, but the most consistent one is probably a D&D/Exalted mash-up. Hindu Mythology Magic Singularity. Kind of Zelazny meets MacLeod.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

I've been wanting to make a cooking rpg for a while, we conflicts are solved via cooking battle that's as detailed/complex as fighting system in most other systems. My problem is mostly on how to make it party-based.


I've been working on Space Dogs for the better part of two years.

Space Dogs is a Swashbuckling Space Western in which about 50 years before the 'current' setting (the late 2080's) humans were recruited by an alien species ('the builders') to be a military/police force, protecting the starlanes from pirates and various monstrous aliens.

In Space Dogs humans are basically the badasses of the galaxy, and other species are both scared of them and hold them in disdain. Essentially the only work humans can get is as mercenary privateers, or Space Dogs (play off of "Sea Dogs").

As a system, it's a bit combat heavy and mid-crunch, but the play runs pretty smoothly. My guiding principle was to have maximum depth (both system & setting) for minimal complexity.

Space Dogs WIP (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/y1ew2wf5u1m7kc3/AAD_q3oS1xcdAI_-F2mKmmkya?dl=0)

Throw these two together and I'm playing.


On a more serious note, I love the ideas separately as well.

[CharonsHelper]

Throw these two together and I'm playing.

Lol - "We're going to blow up your ship UNLESS you can satisfy us with a delicious stir-fry!".

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Lol - "We're going to blow up your ship UNLESS you can satisfy us with a delicious stir-fry!".

Exactly. What better way for a bunch of hyperviolent build like a brick shed testosterone junkies to unwind than cooking a nice stew, preferably while taking care of a kitten? You have to do something to take your mind off that space ogre you totally just blew all across the mess hall. Also, you don't want to be eating the food from the mess hall for the next few weeks.

[Yora]

What's happening in your head?

Ho, ho, ho, (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?520882-Ancient-Lands-Sword-amp-Sorcery-with-Elves-on-Dinosaurs) ho, ho.... (http://spriggans-den.com/category/ancient-lands/)

The ultra short version is Sword & Sorcery wood elves riding dinosaurs and exploring the ruined castles of the Spiritworld.

[The Fury]

I thought it might be neat to have a game where you defeat bad guys in a dance-off rather than fighting them. It was idea that I had more in the vein of a console RPG, but I sort of wonder about how plausible it is to do in tabletop form.

[Yora]

You should watch Auralnauts' "Jedi Party" and its follow ups for inspiration.

[Fri]

To Fri: Could you look up different roles in the kitchen? I'm pretty sure it is more than just cook.


I guess a better description of my problem is more to "how to smoothly segue between one on one battle and party battle/party vs one boss battle." With the system that I had, my idea was to actually separate the system between party battles and duels, but I dislike system with separate mechanics like that. Also a problem I had was about whether cooking battle is about "filling up your bar" or "depleting the enemy's bar" if you get what I mean.

Though actually, now you've inspired me to continue making this system. Thanks!

[goto124]

I thought it might be neat to have a game where you defeat bad guys in a dance-off rather than fighting them. It was idea that I had more in the vein of a console RPG, but I sort of wonder about how plausible it is to do in tabletop form.

Just make it into a party game. You know, a dance-off in real life.

[Anonymouswizard]

I have two, one which got fairly far into alpha and then I lost the files.

Infinity Drive is a game of transhuman exploration. It assumes competent characters with access to a lot of technology mainly operating alone (although with support for more criminal or corporation focused games). There's a large focus on improving your character technologically, including genetic and cybernetic upgrades, and on automating certain parts of adventuring, searching for publicly available information is literally a case of set a bit and wait half an hour. I'm considering adding rules for generation based gameplay and community/nation management, the latest revision to the setting seriously slashed FTL travel (from over 10,000c to about 10c), making the idea of rules for character legacies and inheritance more attractive.

The other is using a working title of 'Rocket Punk' and has the premise of 'in the late twentieth century humanity achieved spaceflight and the pulp world of tomorrow, then megacorporations and other cyberpunk elements appeared and human space just got a whole lot worse, it is now the year 2100'. It's a shamelessly pessimistic take on the pulp future and humanity's tendencies, with the underlying theme of since people, no matter how broken, keep fighting for the future they believe in. The current version is literally a Rocket Age hack, but I plan to be up a slightly more suitable for engine and throw in a ton of battlespheres and other ship types to give each faction their own unique look (heck, one corporation seeks flying saucers as pleasure yachts).