Steerpike ruminates about running a game...

[Steerpike]

I've been thinking about the possibility of running a game online '" probably not now or even in June, but maybe shortly afterwards.  I'm having a bit of trouble making up my mind what I'd like to run, however.

First of all, would anyone be interested in (or have the time to be) playing a game (or just a few sessions) I GM?

Secondly, should I run it in IRC or play by post?

Thirdly, if I was to run a game or even just a few sessions, what would people like to play, if any of these?  In no order whatsoever:

(1) Cadaverous Earth! You play as a ragtag band of mercenaries and scavengers in an inhospitable and uncompromising future teeming with undead, demons, Lovecraftian horrors, and weird magic.  I'd probably run this one using a mixture of Iron Heroes and 3.5 D&D, with some modifications.  It'd likely start in Baranauskas.  It would (of course) be dark and blood-spattered and visceral.  I could alternatively run various one-offs in the Cadaverous Earth as Luminous Crayon is doing for the Jade Stage.

(2) A game set on the Gossamer Isles.  I was thinking about either a game where the players are faerie-hunters, or where they're a group of highwaymen (the later might play out a little like my Goblin! campaign but with bandits instead of goblins'¦).  Either way this would resemble traditional fantasy the most, with a lot of Celtic/Norse influences, plenty of gunfights, and a dash of dark whimsy.  Originally I was thinking 3.5 would work for this one as well, and it still could, but having looked more at Spirit of the Century recently that might fit, with a modicum of tweaking.

(3) More no-stats Tempter games.  I have plenty of ideas for these.

(4) An Eldritch Earth game, my most recent project, where the players are high-powered sorcerers in a strange and variegated comsos.  The world would be expanded considerably if I was to run this one.  Not sure what system I'd use'¦ maybe a version of FATE.

(5) A game set in Bizarrerie.  The players are citizens of a small, despotic kingdom in a tucked-away corner of the world.  No complete maps of Bizarrerie exist, but the Tantrum-Queen wants the players to create one, or else!  Unfortunately, the kingdom's currency is useless outside of its boundaries (initially unbeknownst to the hapless adventurers), and the cartographers can't return home without a complete map, or they'll be put to death; thus, they're forced to wander the land doing odd jobs and dirty work in the various strange realms they run across, mapping as they go.  I'd probably run this with a flesh-out version of the system I posted, using a virtual deck of cards.

(6) I've been reading old Planescape manuals recently and I've got a bit of an itch to run a game set in the 2nd edition version of the setting.  It'd be titled 'How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Blood War,' and would accommodate fiendish players, as well as planars of the other types as mercenaries, allies, or just foolish adventurers swept up in the throes of interplanar conflict.  Obviously I'd run this using D&D, probably 3.5, though I have a slightly silly hankering to run it in vintage AD&D and refresh myself with the convoluted glory that was THACO.  However, that might be problematic for an online game'¦

(7) A game set in the collectively constructed setting that has come out of the Everything is Canon! and Thousand Isles threads.  I think this could be really fun '" a chaotic romp through the communal imaginings of the forum-members, possibly with cameos from other settings (like sorcerers from Eldritch Earth, and probably a fair bit of Bizarrerie might end up in here too '" Bizarrerie is almost a thread for odd ideas I can't fit in anywhere else).  Not sure what system to use to run this.  Maybe with this one we could even alternate GMs...

(8) Bas-Lag.  I have a PDF of the old d20 conversion article... could be awesome.

EDIT: If anyone would prefer they can PM me their top choice(s) instead of posting here.

[LordVreeg]

Just remember how slow things move in IRC.  It's a great format, but there is a different pacing.
and PbP is even slower.

That being said, I endorse the living ccrap out of this idea.  

[Steerpike]

Yeah, I'm aware of the slowness of both modes... however, online is my only current option for a semi-sizable group, at least at the moment.  I might get involved back with an old gaming club I used to attend, but I don't know how many members I knew would still be there (I'm going back to do a PhD starting in a few months at the same school I did my Undergrad, but I haven't been to the club there for two years or so, and a lot of the die-hard members may have drifted away).  Anyway, I've had a lot of fun running the two no-stats sessions I've done and playing in Polycarp!'s absolutely fantastic session, so I'd like to try my hand at some more online stuff.

Thanks for your endorsement!!

[Hibou]

Mmm, interesting... I've been considering running Vibrant soon as well.

If I have time, I'd like to play in an Eldritch Earth or Everything is Canon! game.

[Steerpike]

Thanks for the response!

What system do you think you'd use for Vibrant?

[TheMeanestGuest]

As I enjoyed playing in the Tempter games I'd always be up for more of that.

However, I think I'd be most interested in playing a Cadaverous Earth game.

[Superfluous Crow]

Uh, I would be very tempted by a Cadaverous Earth game. Still think it's an awesome setting and very suited for thrilling adventure.

Are you going to do more on the Society setting at some point? Kinda liked that.
And the Bas-Lag article in Dragon (I guess that's the one you have) is actually pretty good, but there was some mention of Adamant entertainment or something making an actual conversion wasn't there? Heard anything new about that?

[Llum]

Depending on the timeslot and day of the week, I'd be interesting in playing in a Planescape game or possibly a Cadaverous Earth one. Maybe something else depending on the system used.

I would like to note, I have no experience with D&D (aside from IWD 2)

[sparkletwist]

IRC can be a bit slow, but it's tons faster than PbP, which is just glacial. I would vote for IRC, if I get a vote, which I probably shouldn't, because I'm not sure I could make it anyway. I too have been pondering running another game, but... not making it to a game one is supposed to GM is even worse. So I don't know. ;)

I do like your new Eldritch Earth setting, though it's rather incomplete at the moment. For Eldritch Earth, when I think about a system for it, I keep being drawn to a rather hacked up and house ruled Mage the Awakening. It would actually work pretty well, though I'm not sure how familiar you are with that system. The Cabals map pretty well onto White Wolf's way of sticking everyone into a faction with a cool name and some unique powers, though.

I should also add that it'd be pretty fun (for the players, not sure about the person running it) to throw out Mage's "no you can't do that because someone might see and infringe upon their fragile notion of reality" limitations... :D

[Steerpike]

[blockquote=Cataclysmic Crow]Are you going to do more on the Society setting at some point? Kinda liked that. [/blockquote]I do have some more ideas for it (or a version of it) but not enough right now to run a proper campaign.

[blockquote=ibid.]And the Bas-Lag article in Dragon (I guess that's the one you have) is actually pretty good, but there was some mention of Adamant entertainment or something making an actual conversion wasn't there? Heard anything new about that?[/blockquote] I\d heard this too, but there's no sign of it so far.  Tragically I'm getting a bit of a vaporware vibe.

Sparkletwist, I've heard of Mage but never played it - if I end up doing Eldritch Earth (which definitely is the least developed so far) I'll have a look.

I'm glad people would be interested!  So far it seems the two Earth settings are the favorites...

[LD]

I'd suggest doing the game on Skype and/or Maptools rather than mIRC if you are going to do a cadaverous earth game.

If a tempter game is done, then mIRC sounds good.

I would be interested in either of those. :)

[Nomadic]

I could go for some more Tempter, I loved playing that.

[Hibou]

Thanks for the response!

What system do you think you'd use for Vibrant?

Not sure if I'd use Star Wars Saga Edition's system, or the World of Darkness core system; they both have advantages. Saga is geared for space adventure and I can completely cover all I want to do with psionics in Vibrant by just tossing out a few Force Powers and other random bits and pieces, but Saga is also based off of d20 and is too "heroic" at times (too much HP) as well as lacking in a variety of skills and uses for a more skill-based game, particularly when it comes to science. WoD is a grittier system with more room for character development and the presence of mad scientists; however with this I'd have to basically write up a new psionics system as the different ones available from different WoD sourcebooks don't cover it.

I second sparkletwist's comment on you using Mage: the Awakening if you do Eldritch Earth - it's a pretty amazing magic system and would work very well for the feel I get from what you've written.

[LD]

Maybe use mage's LARP system?

[TheMeanestGuest]

I'd suggest doing the game on Skype and/or Maptools rather than mIRC if you are going to do a cadaverous earth game.

UGH, fuck skype. Terrible program.

In my experience VOIP doesn't work very well in general for online 'tabletop' rpgs.