Ralif Redhammer
Legend
There's a ton of Synthwave that would fit perfectly. Some of that stuff is practically made for RPG background music.
Back to the 80s
Inspiration depends on what amuses your players. If they want complex interaction, then it has to be inspired by Soap Operas like "Dynasty", "Dallas", and their rivals. On the other hand, if they want ACTION, you can't go far wrong with "The A Team", "Starsky & Hutch" or "Charlie's Angels" (and let's not forget "Knight Rider" or "Magnum PI").
Non-American sources might include "The New Avengers" or the so-bad-it's-good "Dempsey and Makepeace" (I think you can find both on YouTube).
Although.... I'd really like to play in a Cthulhu game where the players have to deal with the woman from "Murder She Wrote" (Jessica Fletcher).... "Every week she sacrifices someone to her eldritch god and frames some innocent bystander for murder! Every week, I tell you! This maniac must be stopped!"
The chosen system depends on how much realism is wanted. It could be anything from "It came from the Late, Late Show" to GURPS.
Non-American sources might include "The New Avengers" or the so-bad-it's-good "Dempsey and Makepeace" (I think you can find both on YouTube).
Although.... I'd really like to play in a Cthulhu game where the players have to deal with the woman from "Murder She Wrote" (Jessica Fletcher).... "Every week she sacrifices someone to her eldritch god and frames some innocent bystander for murder! Every week, I tell you! This maniac must be stopped!"
The chosen system depends on how much realism is wanted. It could be anything from "It came from the Late, Late Show" to GURPS.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Damn right, says he with his several synthwave compilations that get rotated through for each D&D session...
Grendel_Khan
Hero
Weirdly enough I'm about 8 months into running a campaign set in the 1980s, using Shadowrun 5th edition rules..but minus the cyberware, decking, riggers, etc. Players can't even play non-humans, since it's not actually in that setting, just using the system.
I know, what's left, right? Nothing but lots and lots of magic. Adepts, full magicians, aspected magicians, etc. Probably too many options for magic, honestly, when you include every non-high-tech spell and mentor spirit and quality and adept power from all of the SR5 books. But so far it's been a lot of fun, and stripping away the tech, but leaving the borderline-excessive amount of crunch, makes for an interesting time.
I know, what's left, right? Nothing but lots and lots of magic. Adepts, full magicians, aspected magicians, etc. Probably too many options for magic, honestly, when you include every non-high-tech spell and mentor spirit and quality and adept power from all of the SR5 books. But so far it's been a lot of fun, and stripping away the tech, but leaving the borderline-excessive amount of crunch, makes for an interesting time.
CleverNickName
Limit Break Dancing
The only tabletop RPG that I set in the 1980s was a one-shot game of Dread that I did for a Halloween party a couple years ago. I chose to set it in the 1980s because I wanted to do a classic "haunted house" story, but I didn't want the players to have access to cell phones, Google, and other Internet technologies.
It was a lot of fun. I might do another one later this year, in fact...
It was a lot of fun. I might do another one later this year, in fact...
You should check out Gnostigmata. There's some cool ideas there for 80's cyberpunk.
MGibster
Legend
I have an entire Delta Green mission revolving around The Alan Parson Project's "Eye in the Sky." Agents keep hearing the song over the radio and on the phone in early 1982 a few months before the song is actually released. Oooooooh, spooky.
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