[Reverse Dungeon] The House of Monsters

Started by WyzardWhately, March 14, 2008, 04:12:07 PM

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Jefepato

Ars Magica seems a bit complex for most of the games I want to play; otherwise, I'd be all over it.  (It's notable for being the only game book that I ever got as an impulse buy, without knowing anything about the system beforehand.)

However, I must admit that my days of playing FF games have left me with a certain affection for death penalty countdowns.

I think we're getting a little off-topic, though...

kongming

Yeah, I think we are. Oh, and I like Death Penalty countdowns, but as something people inflict on each other, not as something you accidentally inflict on yourself with no way to prevent.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.

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DreadD

I dare say.  Okay, here's the run around from my understanding.  Whatever system we choose will generally not come up with the exception for when success or failure is particularly dramatic.  With this in mind, making DnD characters, particularly messing with the monster rules, is a severe waste of effort.  If everyone wantes to run CUni, I'll look through it and figure it out, but again, the system is not going to be coming up a ton, or at least, that was my intent.  We will likely go for pages without a single die roll, so how much work you want to put into the system of choice is something that's kind of up in the air.

Oh, though the system will likely also come up when it comes to any sort of player VS player combat/conflict, it's a nice, easy way to keep that sort of contention short, as free form combat can last a looong time.

VandalSavage

Quote from: DreadD on March 16, 2008, 05:36:59 AM
Oh, though the system will likely also come up when it comes to any sort of player VS player combat/conflict, it's a nice, easy way to keep that sort of contention short, as free form combat can last a looong time.

Given this, how about using the d20 system, choosing a particular "Challenge Rating" (CR) of monsters and selecting among those? 

By that method, even if someone wanted to play a monster type of a lower Challenge Rating, they could just add character levels to them until their Challenge Rating reaches that of the standard set.

I am sure finding a list of monsters and appropriate System Resource Documents would not be difficult on the internet.  I could even send a copy of the appropriate books in pdf format to any who require them.

However, for simplicity's sake and for an additional element of enjoyment in character creation, I would advocate the Amber Diceless System.  It seems ideal for this kind of closed environment.  An article describing it and the character creation process in particular is located here on Wikipedia.

DreadD

Er, as for using a diceless system, this seems like it would require even more work for me to adjust to, and I believe part of WyzardWhately's desire to have that feeling of numbers and dice underlying what's going on.  Again, I think because we're not going to be referancing it constantly, I'd prefer something simple, rather than using a more complex basis than DnD.  If people really want to run in 3.5 or something, though, I suppose I can handle it.

VandalSavage

I would be fine with any system - I leave it to the discretion of whoever's good enough to run it.

DreadD

Well I was planning on running it, as I said before, unless there was some objection to that >_>

VandalSavage

Quote from: DreadD on March 17, 2008, 10:12:16 PM
Well I was planning on running it, as I said before, unless there was some objection to that >_>

And your preference is for 'futaformation', yes?  I will compose a character in that for you.

DreadD

Well, I'd prefer that one because of how very simple it is, but I don't want to lose players over it.

The Great Triangle

How about Risus, the anything rpg?  A simple game where players define their characters by a series of cliches which act as their abilities.  The game is incredibly simple, designed for comedy, and available as a free download:

http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/downloads.htm#Risus  (Scroll about halfway down the game)


I've had sucess using the game to run an in person game pitting random video game characters against each other.  The party consisted of, The Combine from half life, A Space Marine, Samus, and the main character from Harvest Moon.  The game worked perfectly as the party confronted  challenges like the Yeti from ski free, a glitched sewer puzzle, Revolver Ocelot, and being a bad enough dude to save the president.
Meow!  I'm a kitty; made of fire.

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DreadD

I could, indeed, run with that as well...  That is quite easy to understand, and as we're using monster archetypes, the cliche's would come easily...

So, uhm...  Interest check/voting time.  Post if you're still interestead and what system you'd prefer to use, methinks.

Jefepato

Still interested.  I like Cinematic Unisystem, but Risus is fine too.

kongming

If a link was posted or Cinematic Unisystem's rules, I think I missed it. Anyway, I'm not too worried, so I'll say Risus because it's so simple you can do it in your sleep.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.

Ons/Offs:
https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=9536.msg338515

VandalSavage

Risus works fine for me.  I will compose something in that.

VandalSavage

#39
Here we have a possibility:

.Xanthiflex the Profligate.

Description:  The former scribe of a warrior drone in the service of the Hivething of Golgoth, Xanthiflex was summoned by the Dungeon Keeper via a portal to his demonic realm.  Given his ability to lay hosts of parasitic eggs in nearly any other being, he was conscripted as the dungeon's source of cannon fodder, a role he feels neglects his more extraordinary abilities - his social skills and political acumen.  Nevertheless, he acknowledges it's hard to look beyond the carapace, and has resigned himself to a disgruntled existence as the dungeon's eight foot tall menacing hypnotic bug, rather than its insectile precursor to Tom Wolfe.

Cliches:  Giant demon mantis (4), News Junkie (2), Casanova Courtier (3), Demonologist (1)

DreadD

Ookay, well, I'll run it, it looks like Risus is the system of choice, people PM me character ideas, etc. we'll talk them over and when I have a few finished I'll start up the thread, sound good?

DreadD

I haven't heard from anyone with character ideas or anything, have people lost interest in this?  Toss me a line anyone who's up for it.

Jefepato

I'm still interested, but I have yet to get any inspiration for a specific character idea.

The Great Triangle

Well, the bored porn-star succubis, the non union dragon, the being of 10,000 templates (if you're familiar with D&D 3.5), and the scary teenage girl all make good archtypes to appear in a reverse dungeon scenario.
Meow!  I'm a kitty; made of fire.

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Jefepato

Scary teenage girl...hm...

It might be amusing to go with a crazed-up, perky goth necromancer.  Are double-pump dice allowed?

DreadD

Double pump dice?  I don't think I'm familiar with the term.  I'm willing to play along with just about any character design, though remember, if you plan on getting raunchy, you'll either have to appeal with your dungeon mates...  Or find out how the dungeon deals with rapists.

Jefepato

Quote from: DreadD on March 30, 2008, 12:58:15 AM
Double pump dice?  I don't think I'm familiar with the term.

They're described on page 5 of the Risus PDF.

(You know you have a simple game when, by page 5, you're well into the optional rules.)

The Great Triangle

Double pump dice are used to allow players to pick particularly strong cliches like "Sorcerer"  and "Thunder God."  A double pump cliche costs twice as much as a normal cliche, but provides two bonus dice when pumping.  This, along with the powerful description of double pump cliches, often makes them very powerful, but not gamewreckingly powerful as they might be if they cost the same as regular abilities.

(For example, I once played a game of risus in a fairytale setting where a player was able to get the cliche "Fairy Magic" at level 6, and therefore overshadowed pretty much every other character in the game because the cliche, based on the theme of the game, could effectively be used in any type of combat as an innapropriate cliche.)
Meow!  I'm a kitty; made of fire.

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DreadD

Well, I might permit it, but only for very strong specializations.  Anything like that should more than define your character in and of itself...  Succubi and something like Sex Magic, for example.

Videospirit