I'm not entirely sure where to put this so I'll just go here.
I have recently started writing a tabletop RPG. I want to start a thread here on the Escapist Forums to playtest it, and am looking for an unbiased GM to help. To be more specific about it, it's a space-themed comedy RPG where stats are replaced with how creative you are. Here are the rules:
Epic Space Adventures Prototype Rules by Andrew Giarrusso
Hello, and welcome to Epic Space Adventures! What is it, you might ask? Well, simply put, a comedic sci-fi role-playing game, where you come up with creative solutions to problems in an adventure. To get more complicated, you create a character (three traits, name and gender), and then come up with creative solutions to problems. The Narrator will decide who they thought came up with the most entertaining decisions. Those who they feel are the weakest in their problem-solving will die, and the Narrator is tasked with deciding how. The one who made the solutions the Narrator liked most will be the sole survivor of an adventure.
But let?s get a lot more in detail. Don?t worry; this game has relatively light rules.
So first, the story. That?s pretty important in an RPG. The story is that you and your friends are the crew of a space-ship. This ship is equipped with a machine that, upon your death, will bring your consciousness back to it, and a copy of your body will be made, into which your consciousness is put back into. This means that you can?t die. You thought it would be pretty cool when you first had it installed, but you?ve since changed your mind. Your crew has taken this as an opportunity to go on as many adventures as they wish, although it?s very painful.
Now for gameplay. First you make your character. This includes your character?s name, then your character?s gender, and three traits. These three traits can be anything you might find on either a fictional character from your favorite anime/video game/movie, or an actual, real-life human. Your solutions to problems will be made within these traits. When you do a solution your Narrator feels goes against your character?s, well, character, then they will say ?No, you cannot do that.? Or at least, I trust they will. This also includes what you say and do.
A bit more into problem-solving. Your solution can be anything. Okay, maybe not absolutely anything, but it?s almost there. There are puzzles that require you to have some items first. This is so the game can?t be solved in a matter of minutes, and it?s more fun to play. The only rules to problem-solving are that if there are items required to solve it then they must be used, and that it must abide by the ?Holy Trinity?, the Rule of Funny, the Rule of Sexy, and the Rule of Cool.
The Rule of Funny states that an audience?s willing suspension of disbelief (what they?ll believe could actually happen and won?t point at yelling ?That can?t happen!?) is directly proportionate to how funny the event is. This means you can do anything, and if it?s funny enough, then it?s fine.
The Rule of Sexy states that the willing suspension of disbelief is directly proportionate to how sexy it is. For example, how many fantasy books/movies/games have all the female warriors in chainmail bikinis? That can?t possibly work in real life. But a lot of people (specifically people who are into women) are willing to ignore that because of how sexy they find that chainmail bikini.
The Rule of Cool states that disbelief is linked to how cool it is. A lot of kaiju movies live and breath this rule. When you?re watching two giant monsters beat each other up in the middle of Tokyo, you?d have to be pretty boring to think ?Man, this could never happen!?
So, your solution must comply to one of these rules. For example; pulling a switch.
The Rule of Funny: ?To pull the switch, I repeatedly try to open it with a series of different martial arts poses. When I sigh out of exhaustion, it switches itself.?
The Rule of Sexy: ?I do a handstand, and place the switch between my buttcheeks. I then pull it that way.?
The Rule of Cool: ?I jump hundreds of feet into the air, and land slamming back down onto the surface, foot-first onto the switch.?
No matter how little sense your solution makes, if it?s cool/funny/sexy enough, it?ll work.
What?s a Narrator though? A Narrator is the person who overlooks your game session. They decide if your solutions fit in your character?s traits, and if the solution will pass. They also come up with ways to kill the characters of the less creative players, at almost any time in the game. They decide which player created the most interesting solutions, and that player?s character will be the sole survivor of the adventure. However, they can?t just kill off a character whenever. For example, let?s say Narrator Nathan doesn?t like how Boring Bob has been playing. So, he waits for a moment when it would make sense to kill him. As he refers to the notes of the adventure, he finds that a combat session will take place soon. When this happens, two cross-dressing lizardmen are the enemies. Boring Bob says something like, say, ?I stab them in the chest with my knife.? Narrator Nathan says ?Cross-Dressing Lizardman #1 blocks the attack. They then bite hard into your neck, and tear off your flesh. You?re still alive, so you have a few moments of agonizing pain before your killer stabs you in the heart with their talons.?
So basically, come up with interesting solutions to problems, or else the Narrator will have you die a bloody, horrible, ever-so-painful death.
When faced with a problem, each player will propose a solution. Unless the Narrator wants that player?s character dead, then the most interesting solution will be chosen. The Narrator will keep a checklist for each player, and for each solution that they get passed, they will recieve one point. The player with the most points wins.
Well, I think that?s it! These are just the prototype rules, so I?m going to change it after playtesting. Don?t worry, the core of the experience will stay the same.
Anyways, have fun in the world of Epic Space Adventures! Try to die as little as possible.
I have recently started writing a tabletop RPG. I want to start a thread here on the Escapist Forums to playtest it, and am looking for an unbiased GM to help. To be more specific about it, it's a space-themed comedy RPG where stats are replaced with how creative you are. Here are the rules:
Epic Space Adventures Prototype Rules by Andrew Giarrusso
Hello, and welcome to Epic Space Adventures! What is it, you might ask? Well, simply put, a comedic sci-fi role-playing game, where you come up with creative solutions to problems in an adventure. To get more complicated, you create a character (three traits, name and gender), and then come up with creative solutions to problems. The Narrator will decide who they thought came up with the most entertaining decisions. Those who they feel are the weakest in their problem-solving will die, and the Narrator is tasked with deciding how. The one who made the solutions the Narrator liked most will be the sole survivor of an adventure.
But let?s get a lot more in detail. Don?t worry; this game has relatively light rules.
So first, the story. That?s pretty important in an RPG. The story is that you and your friends are the crew of a space-ship. This ship is equipped with a machine that, upon your death, will bring your consciousness back to it, and a copy of your body will be made, into which your consciousness is put back into. This means that you can?t die. You thought it would be pretty cool when you first had it installed, but you?ve since changed your mind. Your crew has taken this as an opportunity to go on as many adventures as they wish, although it?s very painful.
Now for gameplay. First you make your character. This includes your character?s name, then your character?s gender, and three traits. These three traits can be anything you might find on either a fictional character from your favorite anime/video game/movie, or an actual, real-life human. Your solutions to problems will be made within these traits. When you do a solution your Narrator feels goes against your character?s, well, character, then they will say ?No, you cannot do that.? Or at least, I trust they will. This also includes what you say and do.
A bit more into problem-solving. Your solution can be anything. Okay, maybe not absolutely anything, but it?s almost there. There are puzzles that require you to have some items first. This is so the game can?t be solved in a matter of minutes, and it?s more fun to play. The only rules to problem-solving are that if there are items required to solve it then they must be used, and that it must abide by the ?Holy Trinity?, the Rule of Funny, the Rule of Sexy, and the Rule of Cool.
The Rule of Funny states that an audience?s willing suspension of disbelief (what they?ll believe could actually happen and won?t point at yelling ?That can?t happen!?) is directly proportionate to how funny the event is. This means you can do anything, and if it?s funny enough, then it?s fine.
The Rule of Sexy states that the willing suspension of disbelief is directly proportionate to how sexy it is. For example, how many fantasy books/movies/games have all the female warriors in chainmail bikinis? That can?t possibly work in real life. But a lot of people (specifically people who are into women) are willing to ignore that because of how sexy they find that chainmail bikini.
The Rule of Cool states that disbelief is linked to how cool it is. A lot of kaiju movies live and breath this rule. When you?re watching two giant monsters beat each other up in the middle of Tokyo, you?d have to be pretty boring to think ?Man, this could never happen!?
So, your solution must comply to one of these rules. For example; pulling a switch.
The Rule of Funny: ?To pull the switch, I repeatedly try to open it with a series of different martial arts poses. When I sigh out of exhaustion, it switches itself.?
The Rule of Sexy: ?I do a handstand, and place the switch between my buttcheeks. I then pull it that way.?
The Rule of Cool: ?I jump hundreds of feet into the air, and land slamming back down onto the surface, foot-first onto the switch.?
No matter how little sense your solution makes, if it?s cool/funny/sexy enough, it?ll work.
What?s a Narrator though? A Narrator is the person who overlooks your game session. They decide if your solutions fit in your character?s traits, and if the solution will pass. They also come up with ways to kill the characters of the less creative players, at almost any time in the game. They decide which player created the most interesting solutions, and that player?s character will be the sole survivor of the adventure. However, they can?t just kill off a character whenever. For example, let?s say Narrator Nathan doesn?t like how Boring Bob has been playing. So, he waits for a moment when it would make sense to kill him. As he refers to the notes of the adventure, he finds that a combat session will take place soon. When this happens, two cross-dressing lizardmen are the enemies. Boring Bob says something like, say, ?I stab them in the chest with my knife.? Narrator Nathan says ?Cross-Dressing Lizardman #1 blocks the attack. They then bite hard into your neck, and tear off your flesh. You?re still alive, so you have a few moments of agonizing pain before your killer stabs you in the heart with their talons.?
So basically, come up with interesting solutions to problems, or else the Narrator will have you die a bloody, horrible, ever-so-painful death.
When faced with a problem, each player will propose a solution. Unless the Narrator wants that player?s character dead, then the most interesting solution will be chosen. The Narrator will keep a checklist for each player, and for each solution that they get passed, they will recieve one point. The player with the most points wins.
Well, I think that?s it! These are just the prototype rules, so I?m going to change it after playtesting. Don?t worry, the core of the experience will stay the same.
Anyways, have fun in the world of Epic Space Adventures! Try to die as little as possible.