Stephen King’s Dark Tower

The Grumpy Celt · Dec 28, 2007

Stephen King’s Dark Tower

Yoiking myself, or rather from my own thread.
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If you were going to stat out the characters from Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, how would you do it?

First, assume the use of d20 in one of its variants.

Have you ever been tempted to use the setting for a game?

Greylock · Dec 29, 2007

I don't think it would make sense as standard D20. They'd make fine D20 Modern characters, though. I've never considered using the books as material, but then, I just finished reading the series from start to finish for the first time only about two weeks ago.

Turanil · Jan 3, 2008

I have thought more than once about playing in a setting based on Darktower, and I would use True20 for that (and which has a western supplement that would fit well with it).

The problem is still to create and develop the setting. Too much work... :\

cmrscorpio · Jan 3, 2008

I've tried it using d20 Modern in a play-by-post game set in Mid-World. It ended just like how all play-by-post games end, people just slowly posting less frequently.

If I were given the opportunity to run a game in the setting again, I'd probably still use d20 Modern, but I would have the characters starting out in one of the "earth" realities and having them work for the Tet Corporation. It would probably start as a sort of mercenary/corporate espionage campaign as the Tet Corporation competes against Sombra's various corporations. Then the players slowly start to learn that there are "other worlds than these" and that there is much more going on than mere corporate competition. I would even have the introductory session be in-character interviews as the PCs are applying for jobs at the Tet Corporation.

As a side note, if you are thinking of running this setting, I *highly* recommend buying the Dark Tower Concordance by Robin Furth. Volume 2 is by far the more informative of the two.

And as an additional aside, I created a Gunslinger Prestige class (and renamed the d20 Modern Gunslinger advanced class as Pistoleer). If I can find it, I'll post it.

+5 Keyboard! · Jan 3, 2008

cmrscorpio said:
I've tried it using d20 Modern in a play-by-post game set in Mid-World. It ended just like how all play-by-post games end, people just slowly posting less frequently.

If I were given the opportunity to run a game in the setting again, I'd probably still use d20 Modern, but I would have the characters starting out in one of the "earth" realities and having them work for the Tet Corporation. It would probably start as a sort of mercenary/corporate espionage campaign as the Tet Corporation competes against Sombra's various corporations. Then the players slowly start to learn that there are "other worlds than these" and that there is much more going on than mere corporate competition. I would even have the introductory session be in-character interviews as the PCs are applying for jobs at the Tet Corporation.

As a side note, if you are thinking of running this setting, I *highly* recommend buying the Dark Tower Concordance by Robin Furth. Volume 2 is by far the more informative of the two.

And as an additional aside, I created a Gunslinger Prestige class (and renamed the d20 Modern Gunslinger advanced class as Pistoleer). If I can find it, I'll post it.

That sounds simply awesome! If you ever start this sucker up again as described, please count me in. I love the idea of starting the campaign with player/character job interviews. That's really cool.

To the OP, I haven't ever really thought of using the Dark Tower series as a whole as a campaign, but there were a lot of elements that sparked creative ideas that I'm sure crept into some of my games over the past few years I've been following the series. I really love the concept of tons of alternate realities of the same basic world -- whackier and stranger the more you move away from the original. I think d20 Modern would definitely be the best fit. Is there a class that would fit the Gunslinger model? I've never actually played d20 Modern so I don't really know.

EDIT: Just saw cmrscorpio's mention of it in his last sentence above.

Blair Goatsblood · Jan 4, 2008

My Wilderlands campaign uses a lot of post-apocalyptic and western motifs, so I have drawn inspiration from Mid-earth. Ancient oil wells on the outskirts of town, etc.

The Grumpy Celt · Jan 4, 2008

+5 Keyboard! said:
To the OP, I haven't ever really thought of using the Dark Tower series as a whole as a campaign...

I did not mean playing Roland, Eddie, Jake and Susanna in a game. I meant using the same setting, themes, villians and so forth - some other players in the quest for the Tower. Or maybe next time Roland goes through it he doesn't draw the same three but insted characters created by the PCs.

+5 Keyboard! · Jan 4, 2008

The Grumpy Celt said:
I did not mean playing Roland, Eddie, Jake and Susanna in a game. I meant using the same setting, themes, villians and so forth - some other players in the quest for the Tower. Or maybe next time Roland goes through it he doesn't draw the same three but instead characters created by the PCs.

Yep. I know that's what you meant. I hadn't thought of using the Dark Tower world(s) for a campaign before you brought it up, is what I was saying.