D20 Popular Culture

[Stormcrow]

What I'm trying to ascertain here is a varied public oppinion on the subject of roleplaying games, or homebrewed "flavour packs" for them that are based solely on Popular Culture. D20 Avatar, D20 DBZ and D20 Zelda come to mind.

What I'm asking is, is the WTF ROXOR I'm a Saiyan, Bender, Link the appeal, is it a lack of creativity or a distaste of the medieval setting or something else entirely that causes people to convert anime, movies, tv shows into thematic components of a campaign?

I've never really understood it, I'm in the medieval fantasy camp myself.

[13_CBS]

As far as I can tell, it seems to be a mix between:

1) Medieval fantasy has been done to death.

2) These popular culture media stuff is really cool, and I want to see what it's like to play in such as setting.

Some people lean more towards the former, others lean towards the latter.

[Behold_the_Void]

I'm the creator of the Bleach D20 system, probably the most comprehensive Bleach D20 system I've ever seen on the internet thus far. It's fun finding a way to make things like that work within the D20 mechanics, and I honestly feel that having the setting available would be a lot of fun. If you like the setting and can make it work with D20 so people can play with it, I don't see any problem with such a thing.

[Xuincherguixe]

I think it's mostly that people just like tweaking stuff. And, D20 is supposed to be adaptable.

Still, I'm tempted to do a D&D to Shadowrun conversion just because everything seems to go to D20.

[SilverClawShift]

In the "kitchen" of roleplaying, D20 is a staple. Just how every kitchen is practically guaranteed to have a loaf of bread and a sack of sugar, almost every roleplayer, nerd, fantasy geek, or related creature knows enough about D20 mechanics to join in a D20 game.

Other system may perform certain functions much more sharply and accurately, or be better geared towards specific mechanics, or what have you. But the D20 system is a very decent and widely popular "Universe" system. It provides enough skeletal mechanics to cross-compare almost anything you're trying to do, and gives a DM (or a player) enough information to work out just about anything that needs working out.

So when you're designing something, designing it for the D20 system has two major benefits. The primary benefit is that you know most gamers at most tables will be familiar enough with the basics to jump into whatever you've made very quickly. The secondary benefit is that there is an entire internet full of semi-compatible material. If you've created Resident Evil D20 material, and suddenly want jill valentine to be facing off against the Hellsing organization, odds are, there's the material you need out there somewhere.

D20 is like the river Styx. "All waters flow into it eventually"

[Stormcrow]

The question isn't why use the D20 system. The question is why is it nessicary for some people to use popular culture setting in their game to have any fun? It baffles me utterly.

[Mephibosheth]

I'm the originator, a continuing contributor, and current leader (ish person) for the Avatar d20 setting that we're working on over in homebrew (see the link in my sig for the details if you haven't already). I originally created the bending classes because I enjoyed the world the show created and wanted to be able to play (at least theoretically) an Avatar game. Over time though, it became just as much about pushing the boundaries of the d20 system to really represent the show and about enabling games in the Avatar world (a setting which I find compelling for a variety of reasons). I don't think its due to a lack of creativity on my part. I've done plenty of homebrew that's not based on popular culture.

It's not necessary for the game to be fun, it's just an interesting challenge.

Mephibosheth

[RTGoodman]

The question isn't why use the D20 system. The question is why is it nessicary for some people to use popular culture setting in their game to have any fun? It baffles me utterly.

It's just a matter of taste. Some people like steampunk, some prefer gothic WoD-type stuff. I prefer sci-fi, medieval fantasy, and Wild West games, but some people hate 'em all and would rather play an anime-inspired RPG.

Also, it's not the case that they have to use pop culture settings to have fun, but rather that they enjoy that system and can have more fun in that setting (especially in well-defined settings, since they know more about it) that in a more generic system.

[SilverClawShift]

The question is why is it nessicary for some people to use popular culture setting in their game to have any fun?

Because any popular world/setting/concept will have a certain amount of content, either potential mechanical content or simply the existing flavor. Invoking that setting gives every player familiar with it a touchstone for their imagination, providing an instant central 'feel' which the entire table can experience uniformly.

If you tell me we'll be playing in an early 1910s style world, with plenty of horror, unique monsters, custom magical artifacts, and a family with a bloodline as a centerpeice, my imagination is going to start running off with me, and I'll reach certain conclusions about what's going on. I might go in a direction you didn't want me to.
If you tell me we're playing a game that's loosely based on a D20 version of Clive Barker's Undying, I'll instantly be on the same page as you ,the DM. What this world looks like, sounds like, and feels like has all been called up upon by my mind.

Both of those worlds could be identical, but in the prior example, you and I might wind up playing different games in our heads. To an extent, that can be a good thing. Utilizing your imagination, and enjoying things from your own perspective is a worthwhile game.
But it's also a worthwhile game if we all are acting as a group, our imagination working collectively instead of independantly.

[13_CBS]

D20 is like the river Styx.

No! Not my memories! :smalleek:

[Lemur]

Out of curiosity Stormcrow, what would your opinion happen to be on say, a d20 Wheel of Time, or Game of Thrones setting? Or dare I say Middle Earth?

[averagejoe]

Because it's cool. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfCool)

Also, because it's fun.

What other reason does one need?

[Xuincherguixe]

The question isn't why use the D20 system. The question is why is it nessicary for some people to use popular culture setting in their game to have any fun? It baffles me utterly.

Because, some popular culture begs for this. It's fairly common in Anime for example that they purposely give room for fan material. A lot of this stems from the fact that a lot people who write the Mangas start out with fan comics. But also because they're trying to set their stuff up to milk as much as possible. Sometimes the stuff that comes out of it is great, sometimes it sucks.

Plus, a lot of these settings would be great to play games in. I know I'd go for a Bleach or Avatar game.


What I wonder though is what's so baffling about this. People adapt the stuff they like.

[Stormcrow]

Out of curiosity Stormcrow, what would your opinion happen to be on say, a d20 Wheel of Time, or Game of Thrones setting? Or dare I say Middle Earth?

I was waiting for that actually.
I've read those books (barring wheel of time) and I've seen the published versions of them and I see your shtick. I feel a campaign _inspired_ by their work is more enjoyable than a campaign _set within_ the work.

Generic D&D is based on Tolkien, thats a given. But it's not set _in_ middle earth. I hope I'm making sense.

[Behold_the_Void]

I was waiting for that actually.
I've read those books (barring wheel of time) and I've seen the published versions of them and I see your shtick. I feel a campaign _inspired_ by their work is more enjoyable than a campaign _set within_ the work.

Generic D&D is based on Tolkien, thats a given. But it's not set _in_ middle earth. I hope I'm making sense.

As I recall D&D gets way more inspiration from Vance's stuff, actually.

Be that as it may, that may be your preference but a lot of people like playing in settings from pre-existing popular culture. And that's not to say it's all we play either, but I for one feel being able to play in these other settings on occasion is a lot of fun.

[sikyon]

The question isn't why use the D20 system. The question is why is it nessicary for some people to use popular culture setting in their game to have any fun? It baffles me utterly.

Not to have any fun, but to have more fun.

Now if you ask "what could be more fun than medieval setting, over and over again"... well then...

It's not that there's anything wrong with the traditional setting, far from it. But how much of it is right for people?

[Telonius]

I was waiting for that actually.
I've read those books (barring wheel of time) and I've seen the published versions of them and I see your shtick. I feel a campaign _inspired_ by their work is more enjoyable than a campaign _set within_ the work.

Generic D&D is based on Tolkien, thats a given. But it's not set _in_ middle earth. I hope I'm making sense.

Sometimes it's nice to have a real answer to, "So what's going on past the two cities we've been in?" It's possible to make that up on the fly, but that's not everybody's cup of tea. If you use an existing world, you have a better chance to really ground the characters in it. Plus, not all DMs are capable of/willing to make an entire fantasy world from scratch for each adventure.

On the other hand some people do find this restrictive. I don't think it's exactly zero-sum, but there are tradeoffs to whether you use Middle Earth or The Kingdom of Generica (Emperor: Kingsley III; Population: 1 million; Motto: "A tavern in every town, a magic shop in every city, an apocalyptic plot always right around the corner!").

[Gryndle]

I think it's mostly that people just like tweaking stuff. And, D20 is supposed to be adaptable.

Still, I'm tempted to do a D&D to Shadowrun conversion just because everything seems to go to D20.

I am currently running a Shadowrun game using the Star Wars Saga ruleset. So far it is working out great, and the adaptation was easier than I expected.

[Attilargh]

Have you ever played in Faerûn, Krynn, the Creation, Rokugan, Eberron (er, that's the name of the place, right?), the Warhammer World, or the 40k universe? Are these not popular culture?

[Artanis]

The question isn't why use the D20 system. The question is why is it nessicary for some people to use popular culture setting in their game to have any fun? It baffles me utterly.
My guess is that people use a setting that they like. Somebody who really likes Avatar might want to play a game set in that universe because...well...they like that universe. Why homebrew a universe from scratch if there's already one that is completely fleshed out and is (for that person) more awesome that any homebrew could ever be?


No! Not my memories! :smalleek:
You're thinking of Lethe.

[DeathQuaker]

*Before beginning, pauses to curse server that logged me out while typing and then refused to reload after logging in, causing original post to be devoured by the ether*


The question isn't why use the D20 system. The question is why is it nessicary for some people to use popular culture setting in their game to have any fun? It baffles me utterly.

I can only speak from my own experience, of course, but I've never heard anyone express that it was "necessary" or "exclusively fun" to play a game set in a world inspired by a book, film, comic, or TV show.

"Why do people like pre-generated settings?" is a perfectly valid question, but there's no need for lumping the people who may disagree with you into an unfairly formed generalization.


My guess is that people use a setting that they like. Somebody who really likes Avatar might want to play a game set in that universe because...well...they like that universe. Why homebrew a universe from scratch if there's already one that is completely fleshed out and is (for that person) more awesome that any homebrew could ever be?


That's it, pretty much, in a nutshell. Somebody sees an idea they realize would work really well in an RPG format, and proceeds to try making RPG rules for it so they can use the idea.

Familiarity, as discussed quite eloquently by SilverClawShift, is also a major factor. Less time players have to review a bunch of source material and more time creating characters and playing can be a good thing.

Personally, I don't see using an RPG inspired by a book or movie or something any different from using a pregenerated setting like the Forgotten Realms. It's common ground with a pre-existing mythology and characters written for it, but with room to expand upon by a creative GM.

And as an aside, my first experience with the Forgotten Realms was with video games and novels; does that therefore invalidate or make less fun or special my tabletop experience with that setting just because I read a book about it first? Am I any less creative for playing in Eberron or the Forgotten Realms than I am for playing in the world of "The Slayers"?

I've made rules for "pop culture" inspired settings, and I've made "home brew" worlds. Both require different kinds of work, but both are fun. Homebrew offers rewards pre-gen doesn't, and vice versa. There's plenty of room for both, IMO.