Discworld

[darjr]

if I remember right discworld the rpg was more a GURPS light and worked well.

 

[Dioltach]

I was one of the early fans of Discworld: I remember when Mort was first published ... I have the Discworld GURPS, and once tried to run a game. The trouble is that everybody has to be in the right frame of mind for a comedy game, but not so much that they try to hard, if you get what I mean.

Basically, Terry Pratcett is a very giften comedy writer. If you have a group of roleplayers trying to recreate his magic spontaneously, it's not going to happen. You can set adventures in his world, but they'll probably end up as normal roleplaying adventures with perhaps some contrived or rehashed humour.

Of course, this is only IME.

[MENTION=19675]Dannyalcatraz[/MENTION]: You do know that the BBC has televised The Colour of Magic and Hogfather, don't you?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You do know that the BBC has televised The Colour of Magic and Hogfather, don't you?

Yeah, but it hasn't been aired here in the USA- not in D/FW, at least.

Besides, I was thinking more along the lines of a Hollywood budget type film, the kind in which only a few roles get properly cast.

 

[giant.robot]

Yeah, but it hasn't been aired here in the USA- not in D/FW, at least.

Besides, I was thinking more along the lines of a Hollywood budget type film, the kind in which only a few roles get properly cast.

Colour of Magic and Hogfather are both on Netflix. I'm waiting impatiently for Going Postal to appear.

As for GURPS Discworld it's actually pretty fun to play if everyone are Pratchett fans. The old version used the GURPS Lite rules and runs pretty smoothly. A lot of the action tends to be very closely tied to the story, at least when I've played. It was very RP and skill heavy with little in the way of dungeon delving.

I'm really excited about an updated version as I think 4e GURPS would be a bit better of a match for the setting. It's got a bit of streamlining that makes game play a lot smoother.

 

[Neonchameleon]

The fluff in that book is excellent. The system is one I like - but not for discworld. If I wanted to run a game there, I'd chose something like Spirit of the Century and aspects rather than what is at heart a gritty system.

 

[Argyle King]

It sounds as though this is a supplement I will probably purchase when it becomes available. All the responses I've gotten have spoken highly of the source material.

 

[teach]

I think Risus (itself based in part on the Ghostbusters RPG) would be perfect for running a game set in Discworld. Quick character creation and easy mechanics makes for a light and fun game, where everyone can focus on the story and the humor of Discworld.

 

[Balesir]

If I have heard it right from 'UK Gamer Lore', the original Discworld was a D&D game that TP ran; I'm pretty sure he has some roleplaying roots prior to being an author.

As for system, I actually think a variation on InSpectres (which is a hilarious game in its own right) could do the job pretty well for Discworld.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

Yeah, but it hasn't been aired here in the USA- not in D/FW, at least.

Besides, I was thinking more along the lines of a Hollywood budget type film, the kind in which only a few roles get properly cast.

I bought a combined set of both productions, at Walmart, for $9.00. They are quite good for TV productions. Maybe not the best the BBC ever did, but well on the plus side of "adequate".

I've got about 2/3rds of the Discworld books, and I'm slowly acquiring the rest, because I want to stretch them out!

I agree about the characterization, though I don't know if I'm more impressed with some of the regulars (Death is a favorite) or the way Prachett can put the same care into a niche character. I just reread "Reaper Man". There is a minor character, "Mrs. Cake," that is laugh out loud funny every time she appears. But I think the thing that impresses me the most is how sympathetic Prachett can make his villains. "Hogfather" and "The Truth" are particularly good examples of this. You feel sorry for the villains, and you are still fully committed to them getting what they have coming.

And despite the reviews and reputations for Prachett being this guy that skewers "politically correct" targets, I found that he is this great lover of humanity in all its strange forms who nonetheless manages to skewer everybody. He is Jonathon Swift's acid bite with Charles Dicken's huge heart. This is the part that I think would be most difficult to replicate in an RPG.

My first choice to play it would be a heavily modified form of Toon (renamed skills, death difficult but possible from narrartive conceits), played with people who had all read and appreciated the stories.

 

[jmucchiello]

To the OP, there is no point to buying GURPS Discworld if you don't know about Discworld. Start by picking up one of the many many discworld novels and reading them. Afterward, examine carefully how well you think the novels would translate into an RPG session. IMO, it's just not possible. Like most novels, Discworld novels focus on only one or two protagonists and how they deal with the problem at hand. It just doesn't translate to RPing. Add in the expectation of humor and you have a disaster waiting to happen.

But read the books, they are excellent. Here's a handy guide: http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/the-discworld-reading-order-guide-1-5.pdf

I'd suggest starting with either the witch stories or the guard stories. The first two Rincewind novels are the first novels but Pratchett had not perfected his craft at that early stage of his career. After reading a couple books in either the witch or guard series, then I'd suggest going back and reading them in published order since I feel that is the best way to learn about the Discworld setting.