So, as my experimental game is falling apart, I find myself able to think about my latest plans for a game. I’ve definitely decided to stick with WFRP/DH as it’s really one of my favorite systems at the moment. Despite the changes between WF, DH, RT, DW and so on, it really makes the conversions quite simple with only a few hiccups along the way.
I’m throwing these game concepts in the general chat since they include both WFRP and DH. These are some of the ideas I’ve had running through my head for the past few months (or year). Does anyone think that they would be interested in one of these games?
Grave Deeds
Your wife was slain or maybe your children, your entire village, your whole family… in a single night of terror. Maybe you were left behind, forgotten, or maybe you were away. It doesn’t matter. All you know is that a yellow-eyed man came to your home and ended everything. There was nothing left for you but vengeance. You took to the road, following the trail of the yellow-eyed man. It’s been months and you catch a whisper here, a sighting there, the trail grows cold and then warm. Every where you find signs of his passing, abducted children, burned out farms, dismembered corpses… the same look of despair you faced that morning when everything changed for you. You’ve been joined by others. You’re all hungry but you barely feel it, exhausted but relentless. You’re going to find the beast, the yellow-eyed man, and you’re going to bring final justice… for your family, for yourself.
((Undead/Vampire story. Characters would be regular folks who have had their lives torn apart by a yellow-eyed man. It’s a desperate, bleak hunt to end his life. Dark things, dead whisperings, sleepless nights. This game is all about the grim-dark, the futility and, in true warhammer fashion, the striking back at something so much more powerful for you. Investigation, brutal interrogations, hard choices, and making ends meet on the long road. Character selection would be based on Commoner Careers, no true adventurers. Regular folk driven to despair and living only to bring an end to something dark.
Inspirations include ))
Suffer Not A Witch
The Storm has passed and the Empire is weak. Beset from within and without, the heretics are growing at an unprecedented pace, no longer hiding from the sun. Witches, heresies, mutants and foul chaos monsters infest the lands of the once-great Empire. Necromancy and black magic has begun to erode the face of strength that the Empire has shown to the world. It can not be ignored any longer. The Emperor has made a decree… the Witch-Finder General, Magisters of the Colleges and Grand Theogonist can only agree, faced with a growing threat. Three years ago, Emperor Karl-Franz forms the Inquisition. Granted powers beyond those of land-holding gentry, beyond those of prosecutors and wardens, the Inquisitors are sworn to defend the Empire from the Enemy Within and Without. There are no more than fifty, no less than ten, their true numbers being a state secret. Formed of determined men and women, clergy, warriors, scholars, thieves, and wizards.
You are a member of the Imperial Inquisition either as one of the sworn Inquisitors or a member of an Inquisitor’s retinue. You are hardened, trained and dedicated to the cause. Your mandate is broad but simple: suffer not the witch, the heretic, or the mutant to live. Nobles quake with your passing, commoners cry as the door opens to your rosette, and the Enemy… they fight you at every turn.
((Basically, this is Dark Heresy-Ascension in the Warhammer world. Your player characters form the Inquisitor and his/her Retinue and scour the Empire seeking out corruption, evil and the supernatural. And burning it.
I would be using advanced characters for this, second career likely, and rules from Dark Heresy and Ascension. Specifically, Influence and Peer talents, along with reputation and some selected goodies so that you have a chance against some of the foes. In the lines of Ascension, you are no longer bungling adventurers but die-hard foes of evil… and they know it. Your opposition will be strong, lives will be brief, glories that will never be known, and scars both inside and out.))
For Profit and Plunder
It has been in your family for generations; a Writ of Trade, bequested on your family for services to the Empire. For generations, your family’s ships have roamed the seas and sought out riches, glory and new discoveries. Then your family fortunes changed, the ships went missing or fell apart, the banner of your family flies low now. In a last-ditch effort, there has been a new ship commissioned in the northern ports. A fine vessel and one that is sure to bring your family and its cash flow back to the good graces it once enjoyed. By succession rights, you were chosen to hold this Writ and go forth into the world. Jealousies amongst your cousins abound but the chance for greatness can not be denied. Where will you go? What will you do? Travel to exotic locales, meet strange and interesting cultures… and rob them blind. Perhaps turn to piracy? Discovery and exploration as the coasts of Lustria, the Southlands, Norsca, even Far Ind beckon. The wind is at your back, the sails are snapping above you, the salt is on your face… it can all be yours but you’ll have to take it.
((Anyone notice that the Rogue Trader ship rules can be modified to work with seafaring vessels? It’s not perfect but it could make for one amazing game. I don’t have a plotline worked out, random ideas is all. This idea has the potential to be one of the most incredible or the biggest failure depending on those who play. I’m not entirely familiar with RT so I would need someone versed in Endeavours to help me out a bit, someone with a fair amount of warhammer lore on the crew so that grand ideas can be conceived… really, the adventures are up to you.
This game would use RT ship rules, modified for cannons and such, with Profit Factor, Origin Paths, and Advanced Careers (I think.) But the players would need to be self-starters. I’ll design whatever you want, whether it’s trading missions, exploring the coasts of Lustria, fighting pirates… being pirates, invading indigenous cultures… you name it.))
I should note that this is the one that I am having the hardest time with… not sure I could come up with good adventures and the like. Not to mention, the conversion process would take the longest as I’m running into some snags in converting ships.
Emperor’s Will
I’ve been dying to do an Inquisitor game with all of the mechanics available. This would involve changing a number of the Influence Talents (Acolyte Network, Lord of Domains). In addition, it would require a fairly involved and cooperative Inquisitor. Not to mention a lot of the rule changes I haven't completely articulated yet so it could be some time.
Here is the sample RTJ request I put together for it…
GameConcept:
The entire purpose of this game is to embrace the higher-level gaming behind a true player in the Inquisition. To that purpose, I’m going to be using a mixture of ‘in-game’ and ‘off-camera’ mechanics to simulate the large-scale investigative and enforcement activities of an Inquisitor, Acolytes and their Cadre.
Initially, I am only going to recruit the Inquisitor character so that we can discuss some of the game ideas, campaign goals and mechanics. I want to make sure that we’re all working together when it comes to running this game. This game could be excellent and it could crash and burn, there are lots of balls to be thrown into the air and I’m hoping we can keep them going for some time. Once the Inquisitor player is up and running, I will be adding individuals slowly.
You can read below for a general idea of how the initial stages are going to work.
The Role of the Inquisitor
The player who chooses to be the Inquisitor is going to be a cooperating partner in the game. I need someone who is willing to work with me on the actual planning of the game’s structure/plot, play a character and orchestrate other players with fairness. They should have a very good understanding of 40K fluff but not be tied to canon. Specifically, since Ravenor/Eisenhorn is the primary inspiration for this game, they should have familiarity with it simply because it puts myself and them on the same page.
The Inquisitor is going to be integral to the game. That being said, I need someone who is dedicated to Rpol, a good writer, works well with others and is willing to make some hard choices to make a good story. A mature individual who really wants to craft something special and has the patience to do it with the assistance of others.
Each of these games has a focus, a specific draw so they will not be 'random adventurers find trouble.' The only one that does not meet that criteria is the Profit and Plunder since I really can’t get my head around the idea. You will need to be involved in the story and ready to adapt to some new rules, ideas and possibilities.
As I mentioned, they could be tons of fun or fail. It's up to us, I guess.
Do any of these sound interesting?
Edit: I should point out that Grave Deeds and Suffer Not A Witch are my current favorites ;-)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:14, Sun 24 Oct 2010.