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nomadotto posted:I've been asked to play a dimension-hopping wizard in an upcoming Cortex plus game set in the modern United States, and I've been trying to brainstorm some unusual schools of wizardry that would be a fun basis for a character. Some of the schools from Unknown Armies have been interesting, but I'm looking for something a little more towards superheroic-y and fun than that. Ideally it would have an associated skill-set that would help the character blend into society (e.g. a demonologist might be good at contract law). Anyone have suggestions (or suggestions for a book/source that might be useful)? Muscle Wizard who learned how to Wizard from a Hero Of The Beach manual is a classic for a reason.
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Aug 2, 2017 23:52
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Splicer posted:This is Willy Wonka tier
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Aug 3, 2017 00:02
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nomadotto posted:I've been asked to play a dimension-hopping wizard in an upcoming Cortex plus game set in the modern United States, and I've been trying to brainstorm some unusual schools of wizardry that would be a fun basis for a character. Some of the schools from Unknown Armies have been interesting, but I'm looking for something a little more towards superheroic-y and fun than that. Ideally it would have an associated skill-set that would help the character blend into society (e.g. a demonologist might be good at contract law). Anyone have suggestions (or suggestions for a book/source that might be useful)? Hollywood stunt guy who casts spells by being actually injured by action violence. Motorcycle race dude who casts spells by going faster. Children's lit author who can summon his partner's crude drawings to do his cute bidding. Building and safety inspector who can cause mayhem by declaring things out-of-compliance.
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Aug 3, 2017 01:04
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Elfgames posted:to be fair card games will destroy your life almost as fast as crack and it's a lot harder to get crack digitally excuse you 
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Aug 3, 2017 01:54
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So I am not all to familiar with modern/supernatural RPGs, and I'm looking for recommendations. I've been kicking around a campaign that will go straight into the modern kinds of high-weirdness supernatural/pseudoscience stuff - kind of a full-on theosophy/hollow earth/Lovecraft/ufo/cryptid/ancient alien/etc. campaign. I am positive that there is tons of support for a game like this, but I really only have the Lovecraft part covered and I'm looking for something a little more pulp-ish. What would be a good system for it? I am leaning towards something like Savage Worlds, but am open to other suggestions!
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Aug 3, 2017 16:21
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So, the basic question here is: who are your PCs, and what are they going to be doing?
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Aug 3, 2017 16:40
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dwarf74 posted:So I am not all to familiar with modern/supernatural RPGs, and I'm looking for recommendations. Not sure if you've used it before, but SW is kind of a mess IMO. The tactical combat is really boring and has a really high character building skill ceiling. And depending on what power level you're playing at, you have to be ready for players to churn through characters as they get hurt because the healing rules are pretty strict. Urban Shadows could be a good fit if you're okay with something lighter. Fate or Strike are pretty easy recs if you're okay with more of a pulpy power level. Also yeah, this is pretty key: Haystack posted:So, the basic question here is: who are your PCs, and what are they going to be doing?
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Aug 3, 2017 16:47
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Unknown Armies?
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Aug 3, 2017 16:48
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Depending on how modern you're looking for I'm a fan of Hollow Earth Expedition. It's pulpy 1930's Indiana Jones style play; space aliens, Nazi's, dinosaurs. I don't have all the splats so I don't know if there is any Lovecraft content.
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Aug 3, 2017 16:48
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Haystack posted:So, the basic question here is: who are your PCs, and what are they going to be doing? It works for TV, it can work for me.  ImpactVector posted:Not sure if you've used it before, but SW is kind of a mess IMO. The tactical combat is really boring and has a really high character building skill ceiling.
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Aug 3, 2017 16:51
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Apropos of nothing, I thought I should mention the most amusing character concept I've ever seen in a DnD game, which was a bard who pretended to be a fighter and had a magic amulet that made him seem really buff and strong to anyone who didn't manage an arcana check. He was on the lam, and the buffness was part of his disguise, and he figured seeming tough would let him get work as an adventurer. He spent the entire campaign weaseling out of strength checks.
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Aug 3, 2017 16:57
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Has anyone here played/run Fragged Empire? I'm considering running a game of it and I'm curious if there are any pitfalls or rough edges that I should know about ahead of time. Some aspects of the combat are definitely more complex and granular than my group is used to--does it flow relatively smoothly, or should I expect "every round takes 20 minutes like high-level 4e with a dozen effects to keep track of" stuff? Mostly things like measuring a 180 degree arc for over watch and stuff.
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Aug 3, 2017 16:58
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dwarf74 posted:Good point. I tend to fall back on a 'shadowy investigative organization' structure to help put the characters together, and to drive the campaign forwards. That sounds like Delta Green, which maybe some of the lore/setting material from Unknown Armies. Or just Unknown Armies period
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Aug 3, 2017 17:00
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dwarf74 posted:So I am not all to familiar with modern/supernatural RPGs, and I'm looking for recommendations. I'd suggest not using Unknown Armies because it has its own kind of weird supernatural stuff going on which isn't about hollow earth, cryptids and other such fun stuff. Fate comes to mind. Also if you want a more investigative game I'd recommend Esoterrorists. The basic setting is more in line with what you want to do and I don't think it affect the game to change the background setting.
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Aug 3, 2017 17:08
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dwarf74 posted:Good point. I tend to fall back on a 'shadowy investigative organization' structure to help put the characters together, and to drive the campaign forwards. Other random ideas that I've been meaning to play but haven't yet: Esoterrorists - GUMSHOE based game about investigators battling occult terrorists InSpectres - basically Ghostbusters the indie RPG Lacuna - lightweight X-Files-like thing
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Aug 3, 2017 17:10
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dwarf74 posted:Good point. I tend to fall back on a 'shadowy investigative organization' structure to help put the characters together, and to drive the campaign forwards. I did this pretty much with the League of Nations, using Atomic Robo Fate. I'd also throw out recommendations for Strike, Silent Legions for OSR type stuff, and maybe some flavor of Gumshoe like The Esoterrorists.
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Aug 3, 2017 17:17
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Yeah, Atomic Robo is perfect for pulp-shadowy organizations, fights in ancient ruins over artifacts, and arm wrestling little grey men.
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Aug 3, 2017 17:50
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Wow, thanks for all the suggestions. Mostly I am seeing Fate (maybe Atomic Robo) and Gumshoe Esoterrorists. With maybe Unknown Armies thrown in. I'll check out Esoterrorists first - it seems to be the most direct comparison, and I haven't run Gumshoe yet. Thanks, all!
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Aug 3, 2017 18:08
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nomadotto posted:I've been asked to play a dimension-hopping wizard in an upcoming Cortex plus game set in the modern United States, and I've been trying to brainstorm some unusual schools of wizardry that would be a fun basis for a character. Some of the schools from Unknown Armies have been interesting, but I'm looking for something a little more towards superheroic-y and fun than that. Ideally it would have an associated skill-set that would help the character blend into society (e.g. a demonologist might be good at contract law). Anyone have suggestions (or suggestions for a book/source that might be useful)? Play a muscle wizard, be a pro-wrestler. Incidentally, you happen to be really good at charms which is why you're able to cut promos and be one of the best faces (both inside and outside of the ring). Edit: I am not at all suggesting that you be a pro-wrestler just because I'm playing one in a Savage Worlds/Zero Interface game right now, and I am having the best time moonsaulting jobbers into submission.
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Aug 3, 2017 18:14
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Unisystem's Conspiracy X is a pretty decent game if you want the characters to be morally ambiguous MIBs.
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Aug 3, 2017 18:29
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Lurdiak posted:Apropos of nothing, I thought I should mention the most amusing character concept I've ever seen in a DnD game, which was a bard who pretended to be a fighter and had a magic amulet that made him seem really buff and strong to anyone who didn't manage an arcana check. He was on the lam, and the buffness was part of his disguise, and he figured seeming tough would let him get work as an adventurer. He spent the entire campaign weaseling out of strength checks. Someday I want to play a legit arcane wizard who disguises himself as a bard. Every spell he casts he casts while playing an instrument or singing.
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Aug 3, 2017 18:36
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Len posted:Someday I want to play a legit arcane wizard who disguises himself as a bard. Every spell he casts he casts while playing an instrument or singing.
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Aug 3, 2017 19:05
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dwarf74 posted:Wow, thanks for all the suggestions. I wouldn't think that the setting of Unknown Armies wouldn't work well with the Lovecraftian mythos. They seem to present the paranormal as coming from different sources. (Unless someone wanted to cherry pick some of the rumors and general weirdness from Unknown Armies and not worry about the cause of such). Also for Esoterrorists, I'm not sure if the setting would match up exactly with what you want to do, but I like the Gumshoe system. Especially if you want your game to be about investigations.
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Aug 3, 2017 19:29
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You could always play the Fighter who believes he's a wizard and names all of his attacks accordingly. They wind up being just as (if not more) effective due to their terrifying strength. Like they did in this: 
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Aug 3, 2017 20:08
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tokenbrownguy posted:Yeah, Atomic Robo is perfect for pulp-shadowy organizations, fights in ancient ruins over artifacts, and arm wrestling little grey men. If you go that way, make sure you pick up the fairly new Majestic 12 book, which includes mission briefings as an alternative to Action Science Brainstorms, and procurement montages as an alternative to Action Science Engineering.
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Aug 3, 2017 20:17
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dwarf74 posted:So I am not all to familiar with modern/supernatural RPGs, and I'm looking for recommendations. Take a look at Conspiracy X. They have a mash up of UFOs, Atlanteans, demons, psychics, Men in Black, etc.. They have interesting base building mechanics as well. If you wanted to you could turn the game into something like X-Com. I can't comment on the system however.
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Aug 3, 2017 21:03
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Harrow posted:Has anyone here played/run Fragged Empire? I'm considering running a game of it and I'm curious if there are any pitfalls or rough edges that I should know about ahead of time. Unfortunately, my FE campaign has been all of two sessions due to people's schedules so I can't really say how it goes once you get the hang of the rules. 
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Aug 3, 2017 21:05
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dwarf74 posted:So I am not all to familiar with modern/supernatural RPGs, and I'm looking for recommendations. I will always recommend Strike! Because I think it's a great system, Jim is working on a moster manual that has a lot of cool cryptids and the default monsters match nice with shadowy organization goons and experiments. The unfair monsters are also right up the setting's alley. Infact, this setting might be the best for Strike! Failing that, Atomic Robo is your setting almost verbatim, although specifically all magic is explainable science. It's probably the best version f Fate but is also Fate so... Filing that, consider Cortex+ or Dogs in the Vineyard for a more "play like a TV show" feel.
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Aug 3, 2017 21:45
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Oh my god Strike has literally nothing to do with conspiracy gaming. Holy poo poo. It's a bad 4e clone. You're acting like the d20 fans back at the turn of the millennium - it's the only answer and perfect for everything! How many years since then have RPGs been working to prove that isn't true and you need to find a system that actually matches the game you want to play? The Strike cheerleading squad really needs to shut the gently caress up.
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Aug 3, 2017 22:43
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I just checked, and it turns out Strike actually is perfect for everything.
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Aug 3, 2017 22:52
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Arivia is a psycho but not entirely wrong here. There isn't much reason to use Strike if you arent planning tactical combat as the central mechanic.
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Aug 3, 2017 23:07
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Scyther posted:I just checked, and it turns out Strike actually is perfect for everything. Last time I tried to use it for LARP it ended in tragedy
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Aug 3, 2017 23:11
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Arivia posted:Oh my god Strike has literally nothing to do with conspiracy gaming. Holy poo poo. It's a bad 4e clone. You're acting like the d20 fans back at the turn of the millennium - it's the only answer and perfect for everything! How many years since then have RPGs been working to prove that isn't true and you need to find a system that actually matches the game you want to play? The Strike cheerleading squad really needs to shut the gently caress up. This dumbass grudge you have against Strike and/or the guy who wrote it is incredibly obnoxious and you sound like the person who constantly flipped their poo poo when people discussed anything that wasn't 13th Age or whatever their deal was.
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Aug 3, 2017 23:15
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Strike rules actually.
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Aug 3, 2017 23:20
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I don't like Strike or Dungeon World but I don't make a big deal out of it or get upset every time somebody pitches it again without asking if they want tactical combat.
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Aug 3, 2017 23:21
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Serf posted:Strike rules actually. I mean, this part is true: fool_of_sound posted:Arivia is a psycho but not entirely wrong here. There isn't much reason to use Strike if you arent planning tactical combat as the central mechanic. but so is this: Kwyndig posted:I don't like Strike or Dungeon World but I don't make a big deal out of it or get upset every time somebody pitches it again without asking if they want tactical combat. "Tell me what game I should use" is almost always destined to turn into "tell me about your favorite game" and it's a general chat thread that moves at a snail's pace on top of that, the last thing it needs is someone getting extremely huffy every time a certain game is even mentioned and demanding that people shut up.
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Aug 3, 2017 23:25
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One thing to note about Esoterrorists is that magic isn't real in it- reality is consensus-based, but there's no mages who count as exceptions. Magic and the supernatural becoming real is kind of the failure state for the setting.
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Aug 3, 2017 23:58
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Pope Guilty posted:One thing to note about Esoterrorists is that magic isn't real in it- reality is consensus-based, but there's no mages who count as exceptions. Magic and the supernatural becoming real is kind of the failure state for the setting. Yeah, Esoterrorists isn't really a generic "high weirdness supernatural investigation" game, it very specifically leans towards a particular tone and theme, that of investigators working against a lose affiliation of terrorists interested in committing enough psyche-shocking acts in the name of "magic" that it reaches a critical mass whereby magic actually does become real. It's not that you're trying to suppress the knowledge of the supernatural like the Men in Black, it's that you're trying to suppress the creation and widespread proliferation of the supernatural. There's no hollow earth or anything and it's definitely not a very "adventure pulp" sort of thing, it's a lot closer to Delta Green.
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Aug 4, 2017 00:13
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This might not be exactly what you're looking for, but have you considered Dwarf Fortress?
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Aug 4, 2017 00:20
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gradenko_2000 posted:This might not be exactly what you're looking for, but have you considered Dwarf Fortress? I have spent the last two decades building a complex computer simulation using ASCII graphics to cut out the middle-men (players) in my gaming. My faux-PCs still murder towns 50% less than real human player characters. This has given them a lot of extra time to fight enraged, diseased elephants.
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Aug 4, 2017 00:23
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