Dumbest rpg idea ever?

[MGibster]

I'm having a tough time trying to figure out what is dumb. While I think FATAL is pretty offensive, I'm not sure I'd classify it as dumb. TSR's decision to piss off their partners at DC with those comic book modules was a pretty dumb business decision, but I don't think it was a dumb idea to package modules like that. And the light up d20s from the OP aren't dumb, or at least they're not any dumber than other novelty dice, and even if they were dumb, surly they don't belong on the list of dumbest RPG ideas.

In recent history, the serious of unfortunate events that led WotC to release the Hadozee as they were is high on my list as dumb. The factor that during the entirety of the process nobody stopped for a minute and said, "Hey, I think people might get the wrong impression" just boggles my mind.

 

[MGibster]

No, like the stuff FASA went thru with star trek, for example.

There have been some fairly successful licensing with with WEG's Star Wars in 1987 being a prime example. They held the license for about twelve years producing tons of excellent books and it seemed to be profitable for WEG.

 

[Willie the Duck]

No, like the stuff FASA went thru with star trek, for example.

That was definitely an instance where it didn't go well. OTOH, as counter-examples, I think West End Games did right by Star Wars and Palladium* did will by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -- in each case the game company seemed to get to keep the license past the point of running out of steam with the line or imploding for unrelated reasons.
*Robotech hurts everyone it touches, so it doing so to them is unsurprising

 

[Fifth Element]

OK, what do you use it for?

To determine a random number between 1 and 30 inclusive.

 

[Jahydin]

By far, the dumbest product for me was the D&D collectible trading cards for 4th.

They were sold in random packs like Magic and gave your character's small bonuses for the campaign. The paper quality and art were both terrible from what I remember.

 

[Jahydin]

OK, what do you use it for?

We used it for a Laser Shotgun (homebrew) in Rifts, haha.

 

[niklinna]

Any game where you are supposed to stat and play yourself as a PC

I've played in a couple of those. It generally doesn't work—unless the genre is horror. Then, boy howdy, does it work!

 

[Lanefan]

I've used both d30 and the single round d100 now and then; the d30 when I needed a linear distribution from 1 to a number between 21 and 30 inclusive*, and the d100 in place of normal percentile dice just for kicks. Yes I could use d6-d10 to replicate a d30 but the single die is always quicker.

* - some examples:

During char-gen, in a 30-day month, what day was my character born on?
Of 28 bunks in a barracks, at the moment which three happen to have the sleeping guards in them?
Which of the 23 people in a small crowded room just got hit by the brick thrown in through the window?
On this random list of 27 potions, what did your Spoon of Stirring just create?

 

[Sanguinarious]

Obe dumb idea that never came to fruition was someone wondered if a metal d20 would be an effective shotgun munition. AFAIK we talked him out of it.

 

[reelo]

Speaking of dumb but not horrible, anyone ever use a d30?

Yes. There's a few wonderful supplements by "New Big Dragon" for old-school play that make good use of it.