Ideas for an actual RPG

[Deleted1217574User]

Now, before I go more in depth, I want to make something very clear. There is no guarantee that this will ever happen. No promises whatsoever. And if it does happen, there is no time frame in mind. Could be months. Could be years. If possible, if the topic ever goes dead, I'll make it known to all (if any) that participated. Now for the good stuff.

What a few others and I are looking to do is create a tabletop RPG -- Dungeons and Dragons style. What are some things that you think could make for an interesting, unique pen and paper RPG? Something that isn't a ripoff of D&D or Warhammer or all the others that are out there.

It could be on Earth. Or Tamriel (no promises on getting permissions or anything, but a Tamriel-based plot could easily be modified and adapted to not infringe on copyrights). Or it could be in some completely brand new world, one that we, both the creators and the potential players, design. So I'm asking you for help. If you have an idea for a race, or maybe a magical item, or a story, or a villain, anything like that. One of the reasons I love D&D, and especially dungeon-mastering so much, is that just like with Oblivion, the sky is the limit. Even more so in a tabletop. I may have bazillions of ideas for mods and whatnot, but I couldn't mod my way out of a paper bag. (Or even into one, for that matter... Stupid teleport markers...) But when DM'ing, what you can do is limited to what you can imagine, or what you can describe to your players.

Now, for all you people like me, now is your opportunity for your brilliant mod idea that you can't do in the Construction set to be heard. Or for all you people who are talented modders, I value your help and opinions just as much. So please, if you have anything at all to contribute, lemme know. It's much appreciated.

Again, no promises. Nothing may ever come of it. But I still hope that any ideas can and will be offered.

[Sinophile]

My biggest gripe with Pen and Paper D&D is that it is too combat oriented; It's as if they are trying to emulate a computer game rather than something meant for paper. The last time I played D&D was back in 2006. The campaign I was in was a mashup of StarGate and Forgotten realms. I was a cleric who used an M4 that had a bayonet with a holy enchantment. The Dungeon Master had some sort of undead character, I don't remember what exactly, whom he seemed very emotionally detached. I cast holy circle during a battle, damaging his Mary Sue vampire. When he pointed out that my area healing spell would damage his vampire, I pointed out that I was a chaotic good cleric, and didn't care for undead in the first place, and that he was grossly overpowered, and wouldn't notice a few missing hit points.

I had then later made my own oriental campaign, which didn't go so well do to my own lack of experience as a DM. I had later made a Bronze Age Campaign based off of Ancient Greece. Personally, I am bored with the Medieval European world of most D&D games. There are many other cultures and periods of history out there.

 

Generally, when I create a campaign, I ask myself the following questions:

 

1.) What sort of environment will your campaign take place in?

 

Is it an Island,a mountainous forest, perhaps a floating chunk of land, underground, or even under the sea?

 

2.) What sort of people live in this environment(s), what kind of society do they have?

This is closely tied to number one. Take the Native Americans for example. Some tribes hunted buffalo, and were nomadic. Other societies were Agrarian, and had permanent homes.

 

3.) What sort of resources exist in this environment?

Do crops grow here, or is it a desert? Are there large mineral deposits underground, or is metal a premium? Resources, or lack of them, can oftentimes help with conflict.For example, A band of dwarves might chop down a grove of trees scared to the elves in order to power their steam engines. A player might be assigned to travel the world in search of an alternative to oil.

 

 

Aside from that, I will throw out some other ideas to help with your creative process:

 

1.) Steve Urkel invents a time Machine, and must save the future. He recruits other sitcom stars in his quest, such as the Olsen Twins, Gary Coleman, and the fat kid from Two and a Half Men.

 

2.) The players are cats, and must protect the neighborhood's children from murderous leprechauns. All the while avoiding animal control, old ladies, and Bob Sagat.

 

3.) A steampunk campaign, with airships, primitive firearms, and rudimentary electrical devices.

 

4.) A Pokemon Campaign, these are relatively easy to make. J

 

5.) A band of Sailors in search of the Fountain of Immortality, or something valuable that requires you to sail the world, in an airship.

 

6.) A prince whose father was murdered by someone wishing to Usurp the throne. Said Prince is on the run from the Usurpers, along with his bodyguard,and his quirky friend from childhood.

[Deleted1217574User]

My biggest gripe with Pen and Paper D&D is that it is too combat oriented; It's as if they are trying to emulate a computer game rather than something meant for paper. The last time I played D&D was back in 2006. The campaign I was in was a mashup of StarGate and Forgotten realms. I was a cleric who used an M4 that had a bayonet with a holy enchantment. The Dungeon Master had some sort of undead character, I don't remember what exactly, whom he seemed very emotionally detached. I cast holy circle during a battle, damaging his Mary Sue vampire. When he pointed out that my area healing spell would damage his vampire, I pointed out that I was a chaotic good cleric, and didn't care for undead in the first place, and that he was grossly overpowered, and wouldn't notice a few missing hit points.

I had then later made my own oriental campaign, which didn't go so well do to my own lack of experience as a DM. I had later made a Bronze Age Campaign based off of Ancient Greece. Personally, I am bored with the Medieval European world of most D&D games. There are many other cultures and periods of history out there.

 

Generally, when I create a campaign, I ask myself the following questions:

 

1.) What sort of environment will your campaign take place in?

 

Is it an Island,a mountainous forest, perhaps a floating chunk of land, underground, or even under the sea?

 

2.) What sort of people live in this environment(s), what kind of society do they have?

This is closely tied to number one. Take the Native Americans for example. Some tribes hunted buffalo, and were nomadic. Other societies were Agrarian, and had permanent homes.

 

3.) What sort of resources exist in this environment?

Do crops grow here, or is it a desert? Are there large mineral deposits underground, or is metal a premium? Resources, or lack of them, can oftentimes help with conflict.For example, A band of dwarves might chop down a grove of trees scared to the elves in order to power their steam engines. A player might be assigned to travel the world in search of an alternative to oil.

 

 

Aside from that, I will throw out some other ideas to help with your creative process:

 

1.) Steve Urkel invents a time Machine, and must save the future. He recruits other sitcom stars in his quest, such as the Olsen Twins, Gary Coleman, and the fat kid from Two and a Half Men.

 

2.) The players are cats, and must protect the neighborhood's children from murderous leprechauns. All the while avoiding animal control, old ladies, and Bob Sagat.

 

3.) A steampunk campaign, with airships, primitive firearms, and rudimentary electrical devices.

 

4.) A Pokemon Campaign, these are relatively easy to make. J

 

5.) A band of Sailors in search of the Fountain of Immortality, or something valuable that requires you to sail the world, in an airship.

 

6.) A prince whose father was murdered by someone wishing to Usurp the throne. Said Prince is on the run from the Usurpers, along with his bodyguard,and his quirky friend from childhood.

 

 

I like the Steampunk one, but I mostly prefer to create my own environment, not use premade characters such as Pokemon or Urkel.

 

 

[Zephyr2011]

When you say create an actual RPG i'm presuming you mean for these forums for RPers to play. If so you don't relly need permissions to use tamriel settings bethesda isn't going to give a flying crap unless you publish it in a book or in some product just using they're ideas for imaginitive games is not on their list for lawsuit material. If you're looking for getting a group together to do serious tabletop like things there is Fantasy Grounds, Yesnah has a topic about it in here somewhere to read up on it's basically an online server for pen and paper RPGs. If you're just looking for an rp on these forums I put one up today that several of our RP community members have discussed it's text based and it's more about using inventive strategy than me wearing a "I"m the GM" nametag and keeping a 12 sided die to roll to check weather someone kills this or that or dies a horrible bloody death. If that kind of thing appeals to you check Armageddon: Before the Rift.