GM and Storytelling Issues

[Meatboy]

I'm new to E and still feeling my way through the stuff here.

Anyway, here are a few things that kind of bug me and I want to get them out of the way before I begin proper.

1. Do you allow for homebrewed settings or gaming ideas like alternate universe games like Brighthammer or a Shadowrun game that's more about Neighborhood Watch characters instead of Shadowrunners themselves?

2. Is there a way to make a religious horror game or adventure without being "offensive"?

[Inkidu]

1.) Yes.

2.) That's way too complex a question to even answer. You can never really tell what's going to offend someone, but just make it clear what kind of game it is up front and let people know that they may find it offensive.

[Blythe]

I'm new to E and still feeling my way through the stuff here.

Anyway, here are a few things that kind of bug me and I want to get them out of the way before I begin proper.

1. Do you allow for homebrewed settings or gaming ideas like alternate universe games like Brighthammer or a Shadowrun game that's more about Neighborhood Watch characters instead of Shadowrunners themselves?

2. Is there a way to make a religious horror game or adventure without being "offensive"?

1. Oh, absolutely. Many system games here have homebrewed settings. I've done this myself sometimes with my own takes on cWoD cities rather than use their canon. So homebrew away. (Be mindful of Rule 5, though, don't illegally share copyrighted pdfs/content, etc.)

2. Religious horror is a permissible topic on Elliquiy, though I advise handling it with care. Generally speaking, if you're going to deal with sensitive subjects, best to mention that in your opening post when you advertise for it so people know what they are getting into. If you think it's going to go heavy on horror, consider a 'higher' content rating (Non-consensual [NC] or Extreme [EX]). This is not a hard and fast rule for dealing with the horror genre, more of a suggestion, because some subjects (like horror) tend to be more likely to have more 'intense' subjects and content, which are more likely to be encapsulated without causing offense in the higher ratings.

Edit: You can find out more about our content ratings here. As you can see, horror can potentially be done in different content ratings depending on what kind of horror you want to include (which is why I can't give you a set area to put 'religious horror' in, since kinks and other content will influence that), but the more intense you go with horror, the more likely you are to need to use a higher category rating.

[RedPhoenix]

1. Do you allow for homebrewed settings or gaming ideas like alternate universe games like Brighthammer or a Shadowrun game that's more about Neighborhood Watch characters instead of Shadowrunners themselves?

Put this in context please. Allow for when? As a GM running a game? Someone designing a system? Someone building a world? This is too vague for me to answer.

If you mean does E allow you to post a game set in a homebrew world, the answer is yes.

2. Is there a way to make a religious horror game or adventure without being "offensive"?

The best way is to just put a warning label on it saying it may offend people and let the people who aren't bothered by it be the ones who play it. E allows all sorts of offensive things to be done as part of roleplaying or fiction, it comes with the territory.

[Meatboy]

Regarding #2, to be more specific, is about "Folk Catholicism" in the Philippines which is mostly about "religious sculptures" made of wood or marble.

[Meatboy]

Anyone here who's played Normality or Cthulhutech? Also, does anyone here find the Mythic GM Emulator reliable or at least very helpful?

[Blythe]

I've used the Mythic GM Emulator. Quite a handy thing. I like it a lot, though personally I've always found it to be a bit better for solo writing than group games.

[Meatboy]

I've used the Mythic GM Emulator. Quite a handy thing. I like it a lot, though personally I've always found it to be a bit better for solo writing than group games.

I'd really like to use it for some of my Pathfinder, Deathwatch or Shadowrun games but I'm a bit hesitant to start as there's no telling where I'll get.

[Blythe]

I'd really like to use it for some of my Pathfinder, Deathwatch or Shadowrun games but I'm a bit hesitant to start as there's no telling where I'll get.

As a bit of a disclaimer: I use the book version of the GME rather than web tools for it. I find the book to be a bit more cohesive, but that may just be me. Though the online tool versions for it are incredibly handy for play-by-post games, definitely.

It can work pretty well for things like Pathfinder. The GME is very useful for sandbox games that don't have a lot of starting direction, for whipping up a bit of inspiration or plot on the fly.

To help keep things a bit less hectic, use a lower Chaos rating. Cater to the 'Simulation' style of play mentioned in the GME. The higher the Chaos rating when you use the GME, the more likely you are to get unexpected results and 'yes' answers.

The important thing to keep in mind about Mythic is that it needs a healthy dose of imagination and creativity; it can give you a jumping off point, but it can't fill in the little things. It does require some heavy improv ability. Using it with Pathfinder is very handy simply because Pathfinder (if you are using Golarion) comes with an implicit setting, and I find the GME is very useful when used in conjunction with established settings. It's sometimes a bit too open-ended with homebrewed material. Sometimes you are going to get a roll that does not make sense or cannot be implemented. Throw a roll like that out if it doesn't work and try again.

[SidheLady]

I've not played either, but I do have the entire cthulhutech line. TBH I think it'd proably run as well as any percentile system would

[Meatboy]

As a bit of a disclaimer: I use the book version of the GME rather than web tools for it. I find the book to be a bit more cohesive, but that may just be me. Though the online tool versions for it are incredibly handy for play-by-post games, definitely.

It can work pretty well for things like Pathfinder. The GME is very useful for sandbox games that don't have a lot of starting direction, for whipping up a bit of inspiration or plot on the fly.

To help keep things a bit less hectic, use a lower Chaos rating. Cater to the 'Simulation' style of play mentioned in the GME. The higher the Chaos rating when you use the GME, the more likely you are to get unexpected results and 'yes' answers.

The important thing to keep in mind about Mythic is that it needs a healthy dose of imagination and creativity; it can give you a jumping off point, but it can't fill in the little things. It does require some heavy improv ability. Using it with Pathfinder is very handy simply because Pathfinder (if you are using Golarion) comes with an implicit setting, and I find the GME is very useful when used in conjunction with established settings. It's sometimes a bit too open-ended with homebrewed material. Sometimes you are going to get a roll that does not make sense or cannot be implemented. Throw a roll like that out if it doesn't work and try again.

Think it'll work for Deathwatch though?

[Meatboy]

I've not played either, but I do have the entire cthulhutech line. TBH I think it'd proably run as well as any percentile system would

Do you think a Tager game could be played solo using a GM emulator or something similar.

[SidheLady]

It could be, that might be interesting

[Blythe]

Think it'll work for Deathwatch though?

I'm not as familiar with Deathwatch, so I couldn't really say for sure. However, if it's got a strong canon lore, an established  setting, and generally strong flavor, then the GME should hypothetically work well with it, provided you are willing to do the necessary improv that comes with the GME.

[Meatboy]

Okay. Thanks.

[Meatboy]

Which would be easier, simply creating a new setting but still using an existing system like d20 or Mythic or creating a new game system and setting to go with it?

[RedPhoenix]

An impossible question to answer. You can spend very little or an infinite amount of time on either one.

[Blythe]

creating a new game system and setting to go with it

By far, I would say this is the harder thing to do.

Creating a new system comes with all sorts of needs, and the biggest need they come with is balancing. It is almost impossible to create a new game system right on the first try; they require playtesting to fine-tune. So I would say this is harder, because not only do you need to create a system, you will need to go through several iterations of playtesting, and on top of that, you are making a new setting with it, meaning that it is possible, depending on your setting, that you might try to create unique mechanics for unique things in your setting. Plus, it is just a higher workload overall compared to using something already created. Creating a viable system from scratch is incredibly hard.

[MasterMischief]

I am in agreement with Blythe.  System mechanics may seem simple at first glance, but when you start digging into them everything interacts with everything else.  Worldbuilding is far more forgiving.  Sure, there is some criticism of how magic, even the smallest magic, would transform a world from what we know.  Most people are willing to suspend their disbelief if it is interesting enough.  Mechanics though...no one forgives errors there.  No one.  :)

[Life in Color]

Blybb makes some excellent points about creating something from scratch - it's a lot of tough work.

I decided to build my own world through fusing two already established worlds, thinking that it would be easier to take the basics from two to create one - and it's a lot of extra-extra work. Two years later, and I'm still filling in question gaps any time a new character concept boops through the door.

That being said, there is a lot of creative freedom that comes with creating your own world - you get to make the rules, for better or worse.

So, it really depends on how industrious you're feeling and how thick your skin is - because when making your own world and your own system, everyone's going to be a critic.


(Hopefully this was a helpful two cents. <3)

[Meatboy]

I've already created a sizeable number of playable races for my game and its setting. I was wondering if I should still create humans as a generic race or something. I already have amazons and pygmies be the focus of the story but I still need a race that's more numerous and easy to justify.

[Nowherewoman]

This might be a question better asked of your players, Meat, to see if they feel they need a 'generic' race.  Do you have a World Building thread set up?  If so, you could invite comment there.

[Meatboy]

This might be a question better asked of your players, Meat, to see if they feel they need a 'generic' race.  Do you have a World Building thread set up?  If so, you could invite comment there.

Okay, thanks? I already have actually.

[Meatboy]

Hello everyone, I would like to ask you all the following questions:

1. If I were to make a game module or campaign that doesn't require a GM using some tricks I learned from Mythic, should I put it in the "Choose Your Own Adventure" sub board?
2. Would it be offensive or controversial to make an adventure path or module that takes place in Aokigahara Forest in Japan?
3. In case #2 is too iffy, I was wondering if someone could help me make a completely fictional American Forest for my adventure game?
4. Are there any Brazilians (or anyone who has visited or live in Brazil) on this site who can teach me about Brazilian culture and geography?
5. Lastly, has anyone here ever played DragonRaid, a game known for claiming to be a "moral substitute" for D&D?

[Oniya]

With regard to 3 (and by extension, 2):  Using a fictional location may be easier, as you don't need to fuss about actual geography.  'Mysterious/dangerous/haunted' forests are quite a common motif in folklore, showing up from the Pacific Northwest to New England, to the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.