D&D 5E Using movie plots in campaigns

ccs · Nov 10, 2016

Just don't force the players to adhere to the plot.
One of the worst games I've ever been in was a Star Wars game where the GM lifted the plot of Firefly. In fact, it turned out that we were playing Firefly episode by episode - just re-skinned to look like SW.... And if we tried to do anything not in the episode/series (like simply giving the little psyco-force wielder girl to Vader so he'd leave us alone)? Then it simply didn't work. Because that's not how the Firefly episode had gone.
Around the 6th or 7th session we just quit playing & the GM couldn't understand why. If we'd wanted to watch Firefly? Then we would've just put in the DVD. (and been able to watch it almost 3 times through). But we didn't. We wanted to play a SW game & tell our own story....

CTurbo · Nov 10, 2016

Just don't force the players to adhere to the plot.

I agree to this 100%. I also think that is why Dead Snow would work perfectly. They either take the loot they find, and the plot will play itself out without me needed to "help" at all, or they don't take the loot, and then it can still be a "regular" solid encounter, and the plot goes back in my pocket to be attempted later in a different environment.

So I guess non of you have actually seen that movie?

hawkeyefan · Nov 11, 2016

I used Saving Private Ryan as the basis for a series of adventures. I changed the reason they were seeking the title character, and used hordes of orcs and evil humanoids instead of Nazis, but otherwise followed the same premise. The situation lent itself to the PCs going off in their own way.

I've used other movies in similar fashion. It's best when the movie has a more loose plot like Private Ryan. It's a quest based mission in a sandbox setting. It's easy to adapt and then let the PCs decide how they want to proceed.

Lehrbuch · Nov 11, 2016

CTurbo said:
Note: the players would not have any idea that their characters would be playing out parts in a movie plot. They would have to figure it out. If they did, the solution would be apparent and the encounter would flop.

My advice is not to worry about this. If the players realise they are playing something similar to a movie that they have seen, then they will either try to do what happened in the movie or deliberately do something different. Afterall, in many movie plots of this nature most of the "PCs" die, which would probably be considered sub-optimal by the players. It can be lots of fun as a player when you do figure out that the encounter is based on a movie.

My advice is to just think of the movie (or book, or computer game, or whatever) as providing the premise. Then, forget about the movie scenario and let the adventure unfold based on what the actual PCs are doing (not what the movie characters did), which could be radically different to the movie.

Dannyalcatraz · Nov 11, 2016

Ohhhh yeah.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?255927-Starting-a-new-M-amp-M-campaign

In the original 4Ed HERO campaign, I used the Space:1889 setting with plot and/or major elements of The Man With the Golden Gun, Gibson's Difference Engine, Moorcock's Bastable stories, Kung Fu, Marvel Comics' Namor stories of the 1970s, Wild, Wild West, anime, and so much more.

The revisited game- with different gamers in a different city using M&M 2Ed- yoinked liberally from The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Time Machine, X-Men comics, The Flash, Dr. Who, Planet of the Apes, and Powerpuff Girls.

CTurbo · Nov 11, 2016

Originally Posted by CTurbo Note: the players would not have any idea that their characters would be playing out parts in a movie plot. They would have to figure it out. If they did, the solution would be apparent and the encounter would flop.

My advice is not to worry about this. If the players realise they are playing something similar to a movie that they have seen, then they will either try to do what happened in the movie or deliberately do something different. Afterall, in many movie plots of this nature most of the "PCs" die, which would probably be considered sub-optimal by the players. It can be lots of fun as a player when you do figure out that the encounter is based on a movie.

My advice is to just think of the movie (or book, or computer game, or whatever) as providing the premise. Then, forget about the movie scenario and let the adventure unfold based on what the actual PCs are doing (not what the movie characters did), which could be radically different to the movie.

I meant they wouldn't know about it ahead of time. I'm only talking about taking a basic movie premise, not necessarily trying to force an entire movie into one encounter.

Speaking of which, Groundhog day would be a long, but possibly awesome idea! hahaha

SwivSnapshot · Nov 11, 2016

I'm using Seven, Silence of the Lambs and Young Frankenstein as sources for COS.

knasser · Nov 11, 2016

Corwin said:
Our DM introduced xenomorphs. Yeah, the aliens from Aliens.

Yeah.

Well, I can't lie to you about your chances but... you have my sympathies!

Plaguescarred · Nov 11, 2016

I once use the plot from The Missing and have a wandering band of orcs (instead of indians) kidnapp children to bring to a site to complete a vile ritual by an orc shaman. They were hitting farms in the countryside, slaying everyone but young girls for nefarious needs.... and the PCs were hot on their heels to stop them and return two sisters to their mother they originally met.

Rhenny · Nov 11, 2016

Movies and books are great inspirations.

In one of my campaigns, I ran a section that was based on The Odyssey by Homer. The PCs were sailing the seas trying to get home through storms and rough weather. They touched down at a number of islands because the storm was too dangerous. They had to find shelter, food, ways to repair their ship, etc. There were sirens, a cave with a Cyclops type monster, and they had an encounter on another island that emulated Odysseus' encounter with Circe.

When the players realized they were in a world that was like the Odyssey, they actually enjoyed it even more.

Come to think of it, songs/albums (using the word "album" dates me, I know), also make for great adventures.

When I was in high school, one of my DMs created an entire adventure using the entire The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway album by Genesis to fashion his campaign. We loved it.

D&D 5E Using movie plots in campaigns

ccs

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CTurbo

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hawkeyefan

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Lehrbuch

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Dannyalcatraz

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CTurbo

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SwivSnapshot

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knasser

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Plaguescarred

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Rhenny

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