Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel

[Trinity]

I know these posts never really amount to anything but I'd like to see if I'm the only person in the world that actually plays these great games from Eden Studios. So what I'm looking for is either a Buffy or Angel game w/ an original cast.  [Makes sad little puppy dog eyes.]

[Transgirlenstein]

I've never played this game nor do I own the books but I love Buffy.  I would gladly play if I owned them :(

[Kolbrandr]

I own both games, and I think they're amazing even if I've only been able to get in a lil bit of play on each.. but I already ended up running a game I severely wanted to play instead (Mutants and Masterminds in that case. Or am about to do so, pending fully organizing some stuff in pms). Once is my limit for that happening. I do empathize all the same.

I'd love to play though, especially using an original cast as opposed to the more standard "no making your own character for you!" option if you ever get something off the ground.

[Jefepato]

Great games, great system.  I'd be interested in playing, but I don't have it in me to take up another GMing job just now.

[HairyHeretic]

Played the game years back, but unfortunately our GM moved back to the US, so no books handy. We went with non cast though, our own characters.

[Trinity]

One thing thats good about it is the system is easy enough for people that don't have to book to still be able to play. I might end up running it, I really wish I could get to play once though [pout pout] [looks around surreptitiously to see if it's having any effect].

[Kolbrandr]

One thing thats good about it is the system is easy enough for people that don't have to book to still be able to play. I might end up running it, I really wish I could get to play once though [pout pout] [looks around surreptitiously to see if it's having any effect].

I said that worked on me once :P

If you are pondering running, I'd vote Angel, I just like the somewhat more polished feel of the characters and wider range.

[Trinity]

Well I might run something, the game I was running tanked finally. It lasted for a while but I just couldn't will it to stay together any longer. I'm not really sure about games that actually role dice on this site, since it seems more geared towards free form games (I know there's a dice roller but I haven't figured out how to use it). It could always go just combat scores I guess though. So like what would people be interested in playing? I'd set the game probably after both of the series have finished (but thats just an initial thought) and probably L.A. (if it's Angel, it'd be someplace else if it was Buffy, not Sunnydale or L.A.).

For characters (if you don't have the books thats cool, it's easy enough to put numbers to stuff in this game) if people wanted to throw out their concepts that'd be cool. My major rules are, (and no offense to anyone but I see this stuff in every game I've been involved in so I figure it's best to put it out now) no trying to break the system, and no trying to break the game. Which is no munchkining so your character is the "best" even though half demons can technically have 12 str, 12 con, and 12 dex w/out much of a problem it doesn't mean you can do it. This one is the major one, no breaking the game, I'm so very tired of the "lulz I'm gonna slaughter/screw over the other players ever chance I get for the lulz" crap, and the whole general acting out of peoples anti social fantasies, since everybody is playing to have fun, not get bullied (which I see constantly). While both Gunn and Angel started off kinda anti social they both had the ability to work w/ other people so y'know. Also I'd like to ask that people have characters that can interact w/ the world somewhat normally, the 10' tall troll might be a funny character but there'd be a lot of time that you'd spend twiddling your thumbs cause you can't go out in public. Also if people want to play cannon characters some of them are fine, though I'd rather have an original cast.

Oh yeah as for the sex stuff, I do tend to interject stuff like that, but it's up to the group as a whole as to what they're comfortable w/. I don't like to kill or maim characters but gang bang is a different story all together hehe.

Uhm I'm starting to ramble and I probably haven't said anything meaningful, but it's 15 after 5am here now so hehe.

[Kolbrandr]

There are dice rollers on other sites that can be used pretty easily. Invisible Castle for instance is great, you roll whatever on it, you can then link to the roll on it (provides links and such).

I'd prefer something that uses dice thusly, it lets me get some mileage out of the books, and given my like for said books, I'd want to. It's otherwise basically freeform.

I would myself want to go with something after the shows and not so much featuring the casts from.. there are lots of reasons a group of characters can come together really.

[Kolbrandr]

Oh, if you do run, a concept I once made for an Angel game that never went anywhere that I wouldn't mind reviving:

The short version:

My notion was basically an alchemical construct made by an elderly, half crazed, somewhat excommunicated from the Jesuit order monster hunter to continue the good fight for him, off of the same notes of Albertus Magnus and the like that Victor Frankenstein would use to make his monster, only the fellow in question is more whirling cogs and gears, strange metal alloys and chemical compounds under an equivalent to flesh woven over them than stitched together parts. He's certainly good at the monster hunting, and has learned at his father's feet, but that's /all/ he's learned, leaving him with just slightly better lack of social naivete and awkward interpersonal relating skills than, say, the Buffybot. Or Anya. And similarly as out of place cheerful.

Using the robot quality and such.


The long version:

Alexandre Guiscard


History: Had anyone ever heard of it, Henri Guiscard's career of battle against the darkness would have been a thing of story and legend. A priest of the Jesuit order, schooled in secret lore and techniques, he fought with dedicated intellect and skill against cultists, monsters, demons and the like. But such shadow wars are concealed from the world at large, from those who would react poorly at best to such knowledge. Beyond even that, it was preferred that Henri's activities be kept under wraps for the increasing toll they took on the man. Hair prematurely shock white, explorations into knowledge the church deemed forbidden, and increasing, railing demands for more resources and attention given to the hunting of monsters. In the end, that of the Church that dealt in such matters felt they had no choice but to excommuinate Henri, before his increasingly borderline personality and methods became an embarassment, even a public embarassment.

Alone, aging, facing the inevitable end of his years, Henri at least had one advantage left. There was no one to get in the way of his wilder ideas. He had carefully gathered tomes of science and the occult, material and artifacts over the years. He studied long thought lost and supressed notes of Paracelsus, of Albertus Magnus. Of medieval alchemy both foreign and local. It was one of the ideas those bastards should have listened to him about. The body ages, the mind slows, and a man can no longer fight the good fight, but a machine, made in the image of man, as man was made in the image of God? Given life and thought and will? That could be a perfect guardian. That /should/ be a perfect guardian.

And labouring over cogs and gears and strange, sculpted metal alloy plating forged over them, synthetic compounds, principles of motion and clockwork secrets, and the requisite electric scream of "It's alive!", despite the gnarling of hand and form the decades of work brought, Alexandre was born.

And then, Alexandre was taught. To hunt, to fight, to sneak, to kill. Of his father's science, of the languages of men, of the truths of the shadowy world he would walk in to guard humanity, of the morals that should guide him in his work. Sadly Alexandre was taught.. nothing else. Henri, always a bit imbalanced, could now be called eccentric only as an extreme of charity. It simply never occured to him to teach Alexandre anything else. About how people relate, about the feelings that went with Alexandre's thoughts, about even basic social contracts.

Alexandre was certainly curious about such things, but his father made everything else seem so much more important, he was sure he could just figure it out later. Father was very busy, and always not feeling well, better not to pester him. And so instead, with a beaming smile at the praise he would recieve for it at home, Alexandre went forth and waged his father's war. He was smart, and fast, and strong, keen of perception and quick thinking, able to see practically in the dark itself and hunt what lurked there. And he was very, very good, he just couldn't really manage things like properly consoling victims in ways that didn't sound horrible. Or conversations without a bit of oddness to them. And he has yet to understand why people find it off putting when he's so cheerful. A smile is /clearly/ better than a frown, and what's to be sad about when he's good at his job, evil is vanquished and the day is saved? Really, he'd think someone would feel better to know their husband was torn apart by undead squid beasts than to think he simply skipped town with the local trollop (though admittedly, he did find the local trollop's body with his and the squid beasts, so they could have been intercepted along the way... okay, he'll just stop talking now.)

It's not that he's delusional, he's simply inexperienced in all sorts of things, to contrast with being very experienced at others. He certainly likes people, or he wouldn't bother using his self will to defend them, and would certainly like to spend more time with them, he's just very /bad/ at it.

Still, he was delighted to hear his father being contacted through some of his old allies and friends about an organization seeking those that would more actively give battle to the darkness in the world. His father informed them of Alexandre and his nature, and that he would be his gift to that pact, and Henri's personal vindication. Aside from a chance to make his father proud, it would mean he could interact with fellow comrades in arms! People who would clearly understand him as his boon companions, in ways that those without similar experience were apparently having trouble doing. Yes, that was clearly the exact problem to date. A lack of common experiences.

Strength 5
Dexterity 7
Constitution 4
Perception 4
Intelligence 3
Willpower 4

Qualities (20+10 from Drawbacks):

Robot, 5 pts
Attractiveness 3, 3 pts
Acute Senses (hearing, sight), 4 pts
Eidetic Memory, 2 pts
Fast Reaction Time, 2 pts
Hard to Kill 3, 3 pts
Natural Armour 3, 3pts
Nerves of Steel, 3 pts
Situational Awareness, 2 pts
Supernatural senses (eyesight) 3 pts

Drawbacks (10)

Adversary- The servants of evil, 3 pts
Mental Problems-Reckless, 1 pt
Honourable- 2 pts
Secret (Alchemical construct) 2 pts
Dependant 2 pts

Skills

Acrobatics 5
Art 0
Kung Fu 5
Crime 3
Doctor 0
Influence 0
Knowledge 0
Languages 3 (Latin, Spanish, English)
Gun Fu 0
Notice 4
Occultism 4
Repair (Mr. Fix-It)
Computers
Driving 2
Science 4
Sports 0
Getting Medieval 5
Wild Card 0

Notes: the dependant is Henri, who's occult and scientific expertise is offset by his being infirm, old, and kinda not exactly all there anymore. I also went more the Kroenen route of being inhumanly speedy and deft and such than into sheer physical juggernautdom. And went into the sensory acuity some.

[Trinity]

Normally the idea of robots in Buffy makes me want to gouge my eyes out, but a magic robot is alright since he's really a magical construct and not an AI. Looks good your all set :)



I should have pointed out in the last one that there isn't going to be any super science in this, since the idea of that in this setting brings about the whole spoon eye thing hehe.

[Transgirlenstein]

I know the feeling...

Out of curiosty..whats the difference between the two systems for Angel and Buffy?

[Kolbrandr]

Angel has rules for organizations, somewhat more character creation points and drama points for characters, and has a very comprehensive system for building demon or other sorts of "non standard supernatural type" characters, packages of powers and deficiencies and the like. Builds everything from blind swordsmen that see through magic senses, to, well, shapeshifting flying demons.

[Transgirlenstein]

Oh thats pretty sweet.  I would be interested if I can get my hands on the rules or character generation methods.  Anyone know where I can get them?  I would buy the books but..well I'm on a student budget (though they are on my to get list)

[Trinity]

I'm not sure if this breaks the sites rules but this site here has some basic system stuff for the game.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/buffy/buffystuff/roleplaygame/index.shtml


Mostly though it's concept since the game system is very easy.

[Jefepato]

Angel has rules for organizations, somewhat more character creation points and drama points for characters, and has a very comprehensive system for building demon or other sorts of "non standard supernatural type" characters, packages of powers and deficiencies and the like. Builds everything from blind swordsmen that see through magic senses, to, well, shapeshifting flying demons.

Angel also doesn't have the Sorcery rules, for some reason.

[Trinity]

So two people have their character in, uhm is anybody else planning on playing?

[MadPanda]

I'd have to dig up my copy of the rules (the older version of BtVS), wherever they've gone...  :)  But I might, possibly, be talked into this.  :)

I might even be tempted to play a Slayer.  There was a Runaway template posted on a fansite ages and ages ago that looked pretty cool...could start her out getting dropped off in town by a friendly biker...

[Jefepato]

So two people have their character in, uhm is anybody else planning on playing?

Possibly.  Which character types are permitted?

[Trinity]

Can't beat some Angel goodness Mad Panda hehe. Basically everything is the same between Buffy and Angel, the main difference is since Angel is a higher power level campaign you get more points starting out.

Possibly.  Which character types are permitted?

Anything that fits w/ the setting :) So really no Conner demons, and none of the broken half demons (though w/ some tweaks most of them are good), oh and no androids (of the AI variety) or super scientists. Most of the archetypes are good, the most important thing is (basically) good aligned characters.

[Jefepato]

Anything that fits w/ the setting :) So really no Conner demons, and none of the broken half demons (though w/ some tweaks most of them are good), oh and no androids (of the AI variety) or super scientists. Most of the archetypes are good, the most important thing is (basically) good aligned characters.

I assume we can only make Investigators or Champions, not Veterans?

[MadPanda]

Soooo...let me dig up the template and run it by you, then, 'cause I may be looking at the lower start values.  :)  I found my copy of the Buffy book, by the by.

UPDATE: Nuts.  The site upon which I originally found the Runaway Slayer template has gone the way of buckle shoes and the Dodo.  There is a tiny, tiny possibility that I have it in hardcopy.  If not, I may just take the Slayer in the core book instead and tweak her a bit.  :)

[Trinity]

I assume we can only make Investigators or Champions, not Veterans?

Oh I see what you mean, right no veterans.


Here's what the two different types get, it doesn't look balanced because of the champion getting more points then the investigator but they get more drama points, and can buy them for cheaper then the champion, making them pretty much unkillable hehe. It really does balance out just fine, since Champions take the punches and Investigators save the day.

Investigator: (This is the white hat equivalent from the BTVS core book)
Attribute points: 15
Quality points: 10
Drawback points: Up to 10
Skill points: 25
Drama points: 20

Champion: (This is the hero equivalent from the BTVS core book)
Attribute points: 20
Quality points: 20
Drawback points: Up to 10
Skill points: 30
Drama points: 10

[MadPanda]

(character removed due to player departure.)

[Trinity]

Okay so far we have for characters. (In no particular order)

Kolbrandr: Alexandre Guiscard
MadPanda: Currently unnamed slayer
Achmed the Mad: Jessica Kwan
HairyHeretic: Lee Shadow-on-the-face-of-the-moon

If I missed anybody it wasn't on purpose also I'm not sure if Jefepato was planning on playing?

Since it looks this is everybody (it's still open if more people want in though) I'd like to discuss the level of sex involved in the game, like what people are comfortable with since I'm a rather naughty creature and tend to get kinda extreme on things (I've already had some wicked ideas hehehe).