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Lord Tataraus
2007-09-14, 11:10 PM
This is my first year of college and I joined the college gaming club looking to find a RPG group. The gaming club is all about various different types of games from Munchkin to Guitar Hero. It turns out that the only RPGs they played were rolemasters and D&D, mostly pure hack'n'slash with a really, really bad DM. So I figured I'd start them off with something simple and RP intesive, so Risus all the way. The problem is, I have not GMed a Risus game before and I want a light-hearted comedic game, but I have no idea were to start. I can come up with plot hooks and story arcs for serious fantasy, dark future, you name it. But when it comes to comedy, I draw a blank. Does anyone have any tips, examples, or experience to share?

Thanks.

Raroy
2007-09-14, 11:23 PM
You need a style. Style can win humor alone(In my opinion, at least.) The style of humor would also be nice if it fit with the story. You could be absurd, witty, punny, sarcastic ect. Executing such things at the right time may help you further the feeling. Of course if you have no raw skill your screwed. Also I pulled this out of my ass, so.......yeah..... It's basically the mumblings of a madman. Take it as you will.

Karsh
2007-09-14, 11:28 PM
Sometimes the best thing is irony.

Have them make ridiculous characters, and then send them on a very serious mission. Don't worry too much about making a "funny" game. Writing comedy is extremely difficult.

Let the players do most of the idiotic stuff that makes it really funny, and just go with it. Come up with preposterous enemies for them to fight everyone once in awhile, unlikely guardians are always a nice choice, or just absurd monsters like a toffee golem or something odd like that.

With a game like Risus, the players are never really supposed to be in that much danger, I don't think, and since the game rewards them for coming up with outlandish solutions to problems... Let them do most of the work.

tsuyoshikentsu
2007-09-14, 11:55 PM
The best thing to do is run it in a genre that takes itself very seriously but is inherently absurd. A great example of this is Victorian steampunk. Don't get me wrong; I love Victorian steampunk. But the characters are so completely archetyped and one-dimensional nine times out of ten that you can't help laughing. You have:

Rex Something, Handsome Adventurer
Victoria Somethingelse, Courageous Reporter
Colonel Leopold J. Hodgeson or Similar, Stodgily British
Doctor Eric Somethingoffbeat, Creator and Nutcase

And they go on various adventures until Rex saves the day, rule Britannia.

Lord Tataraus
2007-09-15, 01:35 AM
The best thing to do is run it in a genre that takes itself very seriously but is inherently absurd. A great example of this is Victorian steampunk. Don't get me wrong; I love Victorian steampunk. But the characters are so completely archetyped and one-dimensional nine times out of ten that you can't help laughing. You have:

Rex Something, Handsome Adventurer
Victoria Somethingelse, Courageous Reporter
Colonel Leopold J. Hodgeson or Similar, Stodgily British
Doctor Eric Somethingoffbeat, Creator and Nutcase

And they go on various adventures until Rex saves the day, rule Britannia.

That's a pretty good idea, but I don't know much of Victorian Steampunk (the only Steampunk I'm familiar with is the Perdido Street Station series). Are there any other such absurd genres anyone can throw out?

Tower
2007-09-16, 12:29 AM
Maybe go Discworld style if you have read any.
Serious story with stupid mechanics, plot devices or humourous characters
For example dwarfs all act male, trolls are living rocks that are smarter in cooler temperatures because they have silicon brains, most vampires swear off blood and try to act normal while failing miserably, one man needs a certificate to prove he is human, etc.

Funkyodor
2007-09-16, 03:00 PM
Risus and Giantitp tagged a distant memory... And Google brought it back. There was a Giantitp forum Risus game that might give ya some ideas on how to present and allow player spontenaity.

Recruitment Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46148)
Game Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47425)

Hope it helps.