[MUL][UN] PbP: Perfidious Albion, A Scientific Romance (Steampunk)

[Caliban]

I'd like to set up and run a game (or possibly more than one) on this site, and I'd like to find out who's interested.  The games will have strong plotlines (which may or may not involve erotic scenes); they will be be play-by-posting with an opportunity for some scenes in chat or via IM.  I'll ask each player to commit to posting at least twice per week, at least three weeks per month.  I'll use an appropriate set of RPG rules for guidelines, but the important thing will be the story, and if you aren't familiar with the mechanics of the rules don't worry, I'm happy to help.

I'm guessing the most popular choices would be more-or-less traditional fantasy, contemporary supernatural/horror, and steampunk.  I'm willing to run a game as long as I have at least one player who is committed as I describe above.

For a fantasy game, I'll run something that emphasizes characterization, description, setting, and plot; for rules, I'll use either D&D 3.5 (with optional rules from Unearthed Arcana) or GURPS.  My style owes a lot to Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" series, although of course I'm not as good as he is.  :-/  For a setting, I have a lot of ideas including Ravenloft, or an interdimensional city like Cynosure, or a town with an "adventuring academy" (which actually makes sense in context; it's a combination of Plato's Academy from ancient Greece with a medieval/renaissance university which teaches the trivium, quadrivium, and magick).  Of course with planar gates and teleportation, any setting can be reached (except from Ravenloft of course).
[Update: I have moved all further information about my D&D campaign "Shadows of Terramar" from to a separate Info/OOC thread for this game, and another thread for the game iteself.]

For a contemporary supernatural game -- what I call "magical realism" because it fits the literary term -- I'd use White Wolf's "World of Darkness" (Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, etc).  (I've done both tabletop and LARP games for years, both independently and in groups like the Camarilla Fan Club.  'Nuff said.)  Player-characters could be mortals or any sort of supernatural creature, and I'd try for a style that alternates between Neil Gaiman's work on Sandman and Lucifer on one hand, and Nancy A. Collins' "Sonja Blue" stories on the other...and Kim Newman's "Anno Dracula" series on the third.
[Update: Since Korbl has just started an oWoD game "The New Succubbus Club (general OWoD thread)" I'm suggesting that game to everyone and putting mine on hold.  Thanx, Korbl!]

For a steampunk game, set in the late 19th Century, I have a well-developed an alternate-history setting in which a peaceful compromise (Ben Franklin's "Albany Plan") prevented the American Revolution, and the British Empire is the world's dominant power, and steam-powered supercomputers perform calculations in mere minutes.  (For those who really like trivia, there was an earlier point of divergence at the Putney Debates in 1648.)

"Perfidious Albion: A Scientific Romance" will use GURPS (for players who are experienced with "system" roleplaying) and FUDGE (for those who are new to "system" games); there are free *legal* downloads of "GURPS Lite" and the *complete* rules for FUDGE available online.

Update: The thread for playing Perfidious Albion is up!

Please post a reply and/or send me a PM if you're interested in playing.  If you have any questions before you decide, of course I'm happy to answer them.  If you would prefer a different setting, such as cyberpunk or space opera, let me know.  I have my limits but they're pretty flexible.

[Update added] I wasn't clear in the original version of this post:  You're welcome to play in more than one of my games!

Also, please indicate your preferred style of game, if you have one: action-adventure, roleplaying, storytelling, mystery/puzzle-solving, etc.

[Crovonovin]

A fellow after my own heart!  This post has excited me from the get go, and I would like to pledge my full support of these endeavors.  All off the settings mentioned are of interest to me, in particular the ones concerning steampunk and magical realism.  You seem like the sort to put a great deal of time and effort into the underlying foundation of a roleplay, which is just uncommon enough to make me quite enthused.  There's less risk of stagnation when there's an actual plot guiding the players along.

I suppose I will ask one question, since you mentioned it; what are your thoughts on cyberpunk?  Obviously you haven't listed a clear cut story or system here, but I was wondering if you have as much interest there.  It doesn't seem to be a very commonly used genre on these boards, from what I've seen thus far, and works in that vein have always drawn my curiosity.

[Dalia]

This post has me intrigued as well - for many of the same reasons as mentioned by Shihong (though I am more familiar with steampunk then cyberpunk).

I'm also new to roleplays with D&D like mechanics and rules, and the offer to be helped through one strikes me as generous. My preferences lean toward horror or steampunk, but all the plots you've pitched piqued my interest.

[Caliban]

A fellow after my own heart!  This post has excited me from the get go, and I would like to pledge my full support of these endeavors.

Great, let's see how many other people are interested!

All off the settings mentioned are of interest to me, in particular the ones concerning steampunk and magical realism.  You seem like the sort to put a great deal of time and effort into the underlying foundation of a roleplay, which is just uncommon enough to make me quite enthused.

I am really, really committed to background, because I'm a perfectionist, and to story, because I was spoiled by reading great fiction like Heinlein, Eddison, Tolkien, and others of that caliber.

what are your thoughts on cyberpunk?  Obviously you haven't listed a clear cut story or system here, but I was wondering if you have as much interest there.  It doesn't seem to be a very commonly used genre on these boards, from what I've seen thus far, and works in that vein have always drawn my curiosity.

I'm not sure why it's less-popular with other people, but for me, the domestic events since 2001 have made me much less enthusiastic about doing a future history.  Things are just too weird and too depressing IRL.  (If I could find a link to the New Republic article "Negative-Sum Politics" then I would post it here to show what I'm talking about.)

[Caliban]

I'm also new to roleplays with D&D like mechanics and rules, and the offer to be helped through one strikes me as generous.

My temperament ("Enneagram Type One") means I enjoy "teaching and preaching," so I love explaining things to people.  And I love getting people to play tabletop RPGs; I want to share the joys of my addiction.

My preferences lean toward horror or steampunk, but all the plots you've pitched piqued my interest.

In case you're unfamiliar with it, Ravenloft is an explicitly gothic-horror setting for D&D.

[Caliban]

So far I have two people expressing an interest in a steampunk game (one on this thread and one via PM).  Some good references for steampunk are:
* What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist -- The Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England by Daniel Pool (available for cheap on Amazon.com);
* An Incomplete Education, specifically the section on English Literature, which discusses obscure details of nineteenth-century British life (likewise available for cheap on Amazon);
* GURPS Steampunk by my old friend Bill Stoddard (available for cheap as a PDF at Warehouse23.com);
* Forgotten Futures: The Scientific Romance Role Playing Game by the brilliant Phil Masters (available for free as shareware, he asks that you make a donation to charity, God bless him!)
BTW, for anyone in the Washington DC area, I'm running a (non-erotic) tabletop steampunk game (set in the same alternate history) on Thursday evenings, using F.U.D.G.E. rules.

[DarkTide]

Man I love FUDGE.  Far too bad its too far away , but count me game for anything chosen.

[Caliban]

Man I love FUDGE.  Far too bad its too far away , but count me game for anything chosen.

I assume you mean "anything chosen that uses FUDGE."  If so, that makes two people in my steampunk game and one in my fantasy game.  As I said, I'll run any or all that have at least one player.

So, what sort of FUDGE Steampunk character do you want to play?

[Crovonovin]

I should say that I'm not really anywhere near experienced when it comes to using systems...  I've made a few characters using various ones, but haven't gotten a chance to actually roleplaying with them yet.  Never been a tabletop gamer, so my roleplaying has been restricted to freeform.  Still, I would still be willing to participate if you were to put something together and gave a link to the rules or what-have-you. 

[DarkTide]

I assume you mean "anything chosen that uses FUDGE."  If so, that makes two people in my steampunk game and one in my fantasy game.  As I said, I'll run any or all that have at least one player.

So, what sort of FUDGE Steampunk character do you want to play?

I meant literally Anything . I enjoy WoD too, but I especially enjoy fudge .

Edit> Oh and to answer your question, probably a mad scientist of some kind.
Edit2> And GURPS (Naturally just above everyone who enjoys FUDGE enjoys GURPS) and D20 Modern...and well, I have only met one system that didn't at least pique my interests, and that could too really.... (FATAL if you are curious).

[MHaji]

You had me at Pratchett-style.

The steampunk alternate history setting definitely grabs me the most, but I don't object to any of the others. Any particular timeframe for the game? Short, long, epic?

[Haibane]

I could be interested in a steampunk game. I have never RP'd the genre but I've always been a fan of Victorian and Edwardian science fiction. What story or premise had you in mind?

[GrinningHound]

I'll probably play, depending on what game you settle on.

[goalt]

I'm in on D&D, as you know.

[Doktor Sleepless]

I'd be interested in playing in a steampunk game.

[Haibane]

I count six people who put their hands up for steampunk, plus a seventh as yet unapproved (who could play if it was PG-13).

My only exposure to the genre is H.G.Wells, Jules Verne and 'Steamboy' (!) but I love Victoriana and steam as a motive power generally is so... I dunno, warm, alive, evocative, so different to electricity and internal combustion. I live in the UK and know most parts of the country so if you wanted some low-down on locations, and places of interest, feel free to use my talents

I've quickly Wiki'd for the Albany Plan and Putney Debates and would be interested in seeing how your alternate history incorporates these politics.

[dready]

i'll play as well. this is the topic you said that you'd put up, right? O~o

edit: steampunk for sure. :3

[Haibane]

Hello Caliban? Are you still here?

[BlueMary]

*waves her hand for Steampunk*  I have a dashing female Hussar/swordswoman in the works. 

[dready]

*waves her hand for Steampunk*  I have a dashing female Hussar/swordswoman in the works. 

is that somewhat like a striker feat specced fighter?

[BlueMary]

Erm...y-...I guess a look at the FUDGE system would be a dandy idea.

[dready]

indeed. ^^ though don't worry, i have the feeling that our characters won't be getting in each other's way in the striker's role, since i'm going two weapon specialist for the start. :3

[Haibane]

Urgh... system games *shudder*

Wish this could be freeform. I may give it a miss if it's a system game. Or just avoid the system

[DarkTide]

Meh FUDGE is straight forward.

[Haibane]

Hheehee, well if Caliban returns to explain it, I will give it a go. But when people start frothing about stats and abilities and combat moves I get cold feet. I'm into characters, not numbers. Roleplaying, not rolling dice.