Pitch Ideas

I have four different pitch ideas; games I think would be fun and I’d be happy to run. Here are my contenders.

Dogs in the Vineyard: It’s the old west, sometime around the middle of the 19th century. You’re Dogs… roving problem solvers and defenders of the faith. You’ve been given your authority by God… what will you do with it?

Primetime Adventures: We get together and pitch shows, until we find one we like and run with it. The potential settings are incredibly broad. The game plays out like TV; it’s not whether the PCs will win, but what they have to give up that’s the core of the show. Will they grow and change, or will their hangups overwhelm them? [Ideal for Buffy or Battlestar Galactica type play.]

2182:The PCs are a Morgan Team; elite agents empowered by the confederacy to keep things running. Teams may battle pirates, bring around recalcitrant rulers, thwart secessionist plots, and discover new worlds. Sleek vessels unfurl delicate Tachyon catching sails, while below, ice is mined in frigid, near vacuum bubbles. The free wheeling sci-fi universe is powered by the FATE system.

Burning Wheel: Two hundred years ago, your people went to war with the elves… and lost. A long occupied province, your culture is unique in the world. Here, elves and men interact more than anywhere else. A few mechants grow rich, their loyalty bought by the elves. In the flickering light of tallow candles whispers of rebellion, of alliance with the Tomi empire, of traitors within the Elvish prince’s guards, of coming war– many whispers are heard. How will you be remembered?

(Details follow)

Dogs in the Vineyard. System: Dogs in the Vineyard.
It’s the old west, sometime around the middle of the 19th century. You’re Dogs… roving problem solvers and defenders of the faith. You’ve been given your authority by God… what do you do with it?

Players are empowered; the GM sets up a compelling situation but is prevented from plotting.
Episodic play: 1 town is 1 adventure and usually plays out in one or occasionally two sessions.
Estimated play length: 4-10 sessions.
Ideal group size: 3-5 players + GM.

Advantages:

• Very crunchy, universal system. Basics picked up by the end of the first accomplishment (pre-play).
• Characters are extremely competent.
• Characters have a common goal, but each can approach the problems differently.
• Characters are very distinct in both system and characterization.
• The player of a character (never the GM) determines what God thinks of a PC.
• I’m confident running the system.

Disadvantages:

• Requires solid stake setting. (This can be pretty tricky, as I know from experience.)
• Town problems spring from real life issues; discussions of morality come up frequently.

Prime Time Adventures System: Prime Time Adventures.
Together we create a TV show that we’d want to watch. Other people’s shows have had concepts like: office staff in a time travel laboratory, a cartoon called ‘Moose in the City’, body swapping ‘replacements’, bootleggers in the 1930s, and so on. Perfect for playing Buffy: the Vampire Slayer and the like.

Players are strongly empowered; they are expected to suggest scenes and, when they draw the high card, narrate the conclusion of the conflict.
Seasonal Play: Each day of gaming is one (complete) episode.
Estimated play length: We’ll play six times for the first season. (Pitch session & character generation, and a 5 episode season.)
Ideal Group Size: 2-4 players + producer.

Advantages:

• Very light system
• Emulates TV well; while there are setbacks, you never really doubt who’s going to win in the end.
• Each character is guaranteed a spotlight episode, where they’ll probably kick ass and change quite a bit.
• Each episode you know your role: to shine, to advance your story, or to help enhance another character’s story
• Coming up with creative twists and pleasing other players is rewarded

Disadvantages:

• Players can’t miss sessions, with very few exceptions. (It’s hard to run minus one person, impossible to run if the spotlight character’s missing).
• Requires good stake setting
• Players are responsible for some narration; it’s hard to play without being “on” that night.
• There’s not a lot of mechanical differentiation between characters.

2182 System: FATE (pdf)
The year is 2182. The galaxy is dark and cold; humanity has spread widely and met few aliens. You are a Morgan Team; employed by the government to act for it in secret and in public. On the frontier your investigations keep the fragile confederacy stable. Faceless officials would rob and steal if they didn’t fear investigative teams. Martial teams lay cunning traps to defang pirates and keep trade flowing. Espionage teams keep an eye on fatlines, preventing breakaway republics from forming– and ensure that enemy spies are sent packing.

Sleek cylindrical ships unfold huge sails to leap into aleph space, where they coast on tachyon wave fronts. Terraforming is no sure thing; many worlds require constant supplies to prevent backsliding into an inhospitable ruin. Technology varies widely; some worlds have a simple dome to contain an atmosphere for a mine, while research stations are unraveling the secrets of the universe, genetically engineered organisms (and people) inhabit worlds that normal humans can’t survive

Player and GMs play traditional roles.
Campaign Play: We’ll play typical sessions, aiming towards episodic endings.
Estimated Play Length: Campaign; we’ll play until we decide on something else.
Ideal group size: 3-6 players + GM

Advantages:

• Phased character creation creates large implied background depth
• Dice are very centered; not “swingy” like large dice.
• Aspects allow players to suggest campaign elements and story direction
• Aspects are balanced; the old “non-appearing disad” problem is solved
• Non-cannon universe allows lots of room for player input

Disadvantages:

• Because FATE is a somewhat generic system it’ll take a while to customize the skill and Aspect lists
• I haven’t played the game, so surprises could lurk
• Since the universe is going to be custom, getting you good setting info could be tough

Jabiri Province System: Burning Wheel
Intrigue in a conquered province; friction between Elves and Men. What will be the fate of Jabiri province? Will it erupt in bloody revolution, or will diplomacy and resignation lead to a stable peace? Are the rumors of Orks on the march real, or merely a distraction? Will you exploit the tensions for your own gain, die selflessly for your prince, or find your own path?

Players are empowered, though a traditional GM/Player division remains.
Campaign Play: The traditional; we’ll play until quitting time– an adventure may take half a night or it may take 6 sessions.
Estimated Play Length: Characters will be engaged in complex relationships and continuing plots. If it goes well, 10+ sessions of play will result.
Ideal group size: 3-5 players + GM

Advantages:

• Complex character generation that produces backstory and momentum
• Beliefs, Instincts, and Traits are all flags to the GM; you’re explicit about what you want in play, and it’s delivered to you.
• Low fantasy feel; closer to medieval reality and Tolkein. Class and race are very important.
• Simple core system (d6 die pool, 4+ is a success on each die), with lots of detail that can be added incrementally
• Characters are usually solid in their primary skills, and competent in many others

Disadvantages:

• Wounds are bad; one solid hit can take you out of a fight at any level.
• Creating a character is complex and takes time. The lifepath system limits some role combinations.
• I haven’t run it before; things may be a bit bumpy when we start.

Some of my early musings about the game.