So Many Worlds, So Little Time
I’ve written a lot about Warmachine over the last year, mostly because I’ve been spending a lot of time painting over the last year, and it works well for a blog because it’s a very visual thing - people seem to like looking at pictures of minis, as they tend to get a lot of hits. Still, the truth is that I’m really a roleplayer at my core, and worse, I’m a sucker for roleplaying source books. The problem is that I’m always finding new things that I would really like to play, but I never want to derail us from the game-in-progress.
Over the past few months, we have debated whether or not we should stay with 3.5, move to fourth edition, or switch over and try out the Pathfinder RPG, all of which is good discussion, but at the end of the day, it’s still just D&D. We tend to play fairly character- and story-centric games, which tend to come off just as well in any of those systems.
Lately, my real itch it to try something completely different – to get a break from high, heroic fantasy and all of the worn-out tropes that go with it. Don't get me wrong - I love me some Pathfinder - but the adventure paths end up being really long, taking us literally years to get through. There so many other things I'd like to at least try, that we are going to try an inject some "one-off" between major sections of the Pathfinder campaign. I’ve really been itching to play something more contemporary – a modern game, or even some sci-fi. The good news is that there are plenty of options of there to choose from. Time seems to be the enemy here, although I’m warming up to running some “one-offs” just to scratch the itch. Looking through my game shelf, here are the main contenders for stuff I own that I need to get around to playing:
“A mind without purpose will wander in dark places.”
Dark Heresy is roleplaying set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The game puts you in the role of an acolyte of the Holy Imperial Inquisition, searching out heresy wherever it may take root. I’m a huge fan of the Horus Heresy series of novels put out by the black library, and the chance to play in that universe sound great. The game has taken some criticisms for setting you as a weakling in a universe full of space marines, but as a fan of low-powered games, I think I’m okay with that. I’ve also heard that the system itself is both very mechanical and table-driven, and often quite fatal for characters. This probably limits its attractiveness as a long term campaign for us, but it seems like it could be a lot of fun for a one shot –especially one with a gruesome ending…
“I want to believe.”
D20 Modern. Last year we did a one-shot game of d20 Modern (you can read about that here) and it was amazingly fun – I was hooked. I would love to get back to it and explore some more ideas. Not really a single setting, d20 Modern is really a toolkit for running modern campaigns, and could cover just about anything you can think of in the modern world like military-based games or detective stories. It is, however, especially well suited to running “X-Files” style paranormal/alien/occult investigation games. If you are interested in that type of thing, I would recommend the excellent “Dark Matter” supplement. As the name implies, it is d20-based, making it an easy transition for those coming from D&D.
“In space, nobody can hear you scream.”
D20 future is really just an expansion book for d20 Modern, but it adds so much significant content that it makes it feel like an entirely new game. As gaming supplements go, d20 Future is especially impressive, with rules for almost everything you might need to play in a sci-fi setting, from power armor and alien races to spaceships and giant fighting robots. (For those that are truly old school, you will also find all of the old Star Frontiers races here as well!) I’ve even considered running a 40K-setting game with this system to take advantage of the approachability and flexibility it offers – I really can’t think of one sci-fi setting that you couldn’t easily adapt to d20 Future.
“Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.”
Star Wars. As a child of the 70’s and 80s, Star Wars virtually defined science fiction for me growing up. I grew up eating and breathing Star Wars, and I still say my best Christmas ever was the one where I got the death star play set (with the working trash compactor - complete with bits foam trash and a tentacle trash monster!) Wizards of the Coast seems to have shown renewed interest in the Star Wars line, and we saw a number titles come out at the end of last year, and a strong lineup set for 2009. Soon we will have setting books for the Old Republic, the Clone Wars, the Rebellion and the Legacy Era – rest assured that no matter which slice of the Star Wars timeline is your favorite, it should be well supported. Star Wars is another game that while I don’t know if I would want to play an entire extended campaign, I think it would be great material for one off games. Like d20 Modern, this one has its roots in the d20 system it should be easy enough for most D&D players to make the switch.
“I Aim to misbehave."
Serenity. The newest game book in my collection, I received the Serenity RPG as a Christmas present last year. I haven’t had a chance to read the book in detail, but it seems to be a lightweight system that should keep the game focused on the characters rather than complicated mechanics. It also does a great job communicating the feel of the Firefly universe, as most of the book is written in the distinctive “verse speak” that made the dialog of the television series so much fun. The setting can feel a little thin with only 12 TV episodes and a movie to back it up - I think I would have to work a little to fill in the grey space. Firefly was popular because of its amazing characters – I worry that there is enough “world fluff” to carry the setting without its iconic characters, and yet the lightweight character-driven system might just make it all worthwhile. Plus, I have certain appreciation any game that calls its highest-tier of character the “Big Damn Hero.”
I'll let you know what I end up with, and maybe talk through the game I develop. I've been running mostly published stuff for the last few years. It's been a long time since I've created something from whole cloth - it should be fun!
Labels: Dungeons and Dragons, RPGs
