Tragedy

Grumpy RPG Reviews · Feb 1, 2014

Here is a question for the various fans and writers of RPGs, science fiction and fantasy; what are your thoughts and feelings about mixing tragedy with any of those three? Namely a tragedy fantasy, or a tragedy science fiction or a tragedy RPG?

A tragedy RPG is arguably Wraith the Oblivion. A tragedy science fiction is “the Sparrow” by Mary Russell. I am not aware of any tragedy fantasy works, but they probably exist. The first two at any rate serve as examples of what I am asking about and evidence such things exist.

What are your thoughts on making a RPGs, science fiction story or fantasy story a tragedy?

Scott DeWar · Feb 1, 2014

When you ask about a tragedy, do you refer to the sort of Romeo y Julieta, or 300 or Chinese theater, all three where every one dies? If so would you consider black company where eventually the whole mercenary company dies, to a one?

Grumpy RPG Reviews · Feb 1, 2014

R&J is not a fantasy, and is not science fiction or an RPG. 300 might be a fantasy, and I don't know enough about Chinese Theater to speak about it. But this is about tragedy in the general sense rather than its specific definitions in the literary definition.

Jeremy E Grenemyer · Feb 1, 2014

I think it's OK to bring tragedy to a story, but for gaming it has to be something where the players and DM are all buying in to the idea first.

In my experience as a DM I have found that tragedy can be a big motivator for players in terms of their characters exacting vengeance on evil NPCs for their actions, and it's always nice when players are motivated.

Deset Gled · Feb 1, 2014

I think H. P. Lovecraft is the quintessential example of what you're looking for. His stories are almost always tragedies and are often sci-fi, but also occasionally fantasy (Celephais, The Doom That Came to Sarnath, The White Ship, etc).

In my experience, Call of Cthulhu would probably be considered a tragic RPG. Players generally go into that game with the expectation that complete and total failure is a viable ending. There are even board games based on the mythos that could be considered tragedies; Arkham Horror and Elder Sign both come to mind.

Dioltach · Feb 1, 2014

So far most of Joe Abercrombie's books have ended fairly unhappily. The Gentlemen Bastard series by Scott Lynch too.

delericho · Feb 1, 2014

Londo Mollari's story in "Babylon 5" is a tragedy. And although it's set in space, B5 as much fantasy as anything else.

Grumpy RPG Reviews said:
Here is a question for the various fans and writers of RPGs, science fiction and fantasy; what are your thoughts and feelings about mixing tragedy with any of those three? Namely a tragedy fantasy, or a tragedy science fiction or a tragedy RPG?

As with everything else, it can be done well or done badly. Done well, it's great. Done badly, don't bother.

What are your thoughts on making a RPGs, science fiction story or fantasy story a tragedy?

Making an RPG tragedy would, I think, be incredibly difficult to pull off, largely because the GM isn't in a position to make the protagonists make the requisite wrong decisions. But there's no particular reason why a sci-fi or fantasy story shouldn't be a tragedy. It's just rare because they do tend more towards the pulp end of the storytelling spectrum than the literary (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Scott DeWar · Feb 2, 2014

Londo Mollari . . . . I am trying to remember how he died . . . Wikipedia is a blocked domain . . . . all i remember is he became friends with his cultural enemy [was it G'Kar?]

WayneLigon · Feb 2, 2014

Scott DeWar said:
Londo Mollari . . . . I am trying to remember how he died . . . Wikipedia is a blocked domain . . . . all i remember is he became friends with his cultural enemy [was it G'Kar?]

He had G'kar strangle him to death in the hopes he'd die before the Drahk Keeper awoke; it did, and took control of Londo - he and G'kar strangled each other to death.

delericho · Feb 2, 2014

Scott DeWar said:
Londo Mollari . . . . I am trying to remember how he died . . .

As WayneLigon said, he and G'Kar strangled one another to death. This was actually Londo's final act of redemption, surrendering himself to his greatest fear knowing it will destroy him.

But Londo's death isn't the tragedy, it is the course of his life that is tragic. All through the series, he wants one thing: he wants to serve the Centauri Republic. And in doing so, in always doing what he thinks is best for that cause, he

allies himself with darkness, he has the blood of millions of Narn on his hands, then he draws the vengeance of the Drakh onto his world, sees it destroyed, and then he has to agree to become their puppet, tyrant Emperor.

After all that, his death is actually something of a blessing to him.

Tragedy

Grumpy RPG Reviews

Explorer

Scott DeWar

Prof. Emeritus-Supernatural Events/Countermeasure

Grumpy RPG Reviews

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Jeremy E Grenemyer

Feisty

Deset Gled

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Dioltach

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delericho

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Scott DeWar

Prof. Emeritus-Supernatural Events/Countermeasure

WayneLigon

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delericho

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