If you could play in a campaign of your choice, what would it be?

[Mercurius]

First, some background to the topic du jour. My current game group is on hiatus because I'm a bit burned out on DMing; no one seems to want to pick up the ball and run a game, so we're left in limbo. I'm fine with this as I needed a break, but I have to admit that I'd love to play in a game and this got me thinking about what kind of game I'd want to play in, if I had my choice?

The question of the thread is this: What kind of campaign would you most like to play in (but aren't), or have you always wanted to play in but never had a chance? In other words, if you had the opportunity to play in a campaign or game of your choice, what would it be? What would the campaign be like? General themes, story, system, etc?

Any game, any edition - feel free to make of this what you will.

I haven't really thought about this until I started writing the thread, so I may come back with my own answer in a few, or after reading some ideas from others. I suppose on first thought I've always wanted to play in a good SF game, maybe Star Wars Saga or Eclipse Phase, or one of the more avant garde games like Diaspora. I love SF with themes of mysterious alien artifacts, exploring new worlds, etc.

In the fantasy vein, I've never played in an epic save-the-world-from-apocalypse -- that would be fun. Something that starts with a classic D&D dungeoncrawling theme, then builds up, an Ancient Evil is released, and so on.

I've also always wanted to give Aria a whirl, but who wants to play Aria other than me?

I could keep on going - I think I just want to play and not DM for a change!

 

[thedungeondelver]

TWILIGHT:2000 using the cleaned up 2nd edition rules but keeping the alternate history (1987-2000) without trying to "keep up" with real world political changes.

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, a grand campaign entailing the full run of Gary's great modules. As it is I'm playing in Benoist's excellent PTOLUS-set AD&D game in the pbp section at Melbourne IT , and find it highly enjoyable.

HEAVY GEAR. Somewhat realistic power-suits? Yesplease!

 

[Wik]

I wouldn't say no to a Shadowrun (preferably 4e or 3e, although all versions were cool) game. Or an Earthdawn game. Those FASA systems have a soft spot in my heart, as they were pretty much the non-D&D games I cut my teeth on growing up... but I will never run SR - it's just way too complex these days.

Any game in which I can run a spellthief and actually have fun doing so would also be pretty high on my list.

And I've always wanted to play Traveller. I'd love to have a chance to play that Simon Tam/Jayne Cobb crossover I've been itching to run.

 

[Aus_Snow]

A pre-3e D&D campaign wherein every inherent quirk, every strangeness, is not only present, but also glorified, revelled in, and what's more, made to make sense. Yes, I know that the last bit goes against the oh-so-popular mantra of, "It's just a game ffs eleven!" and the like.

Even so, and keeping in mind that I mean "make sense" in terms of some older D&D setting or other only. Not in modern day real world terms. Mm'k?

A campaign where the essential "D&Dness" is amplified, "fictionated" (after the fact, natch), and - one might hope - thoroughly enjoyed by all.

No, not freakin' Eberron. Neither Ptolus. Nor Barsaive. Nor any other setting you might have in mind, that says to you "D&D that makes sense". Why? Because, for purposes of this, my post, you're wrong!

No, really.

The DM would be using the weirdest of the weird settings from way back.* Preferably with either AD&D 1e or OD&D rules. Not some modern simulacrum.


* Which is...?

 

[Haltherrion]

What would really float my boat is playing a dragon rider (or almost as interesting, any aerial rider) in a dark age world where the players get to try to preserve the last traces of civilization. Maybe you could think of it as King Arthur meets dragons although I'm thinking more the gritty 5th century Arthur not the fluffy Excaliber movie type Arthur.

But there are many other concepts that could be very fun. There are times when I'd love a good, low story dungeon crawl-focused game, at least for a while; a save the world; a time-limited chase or pursuit, etc. My fellow ref in my group almost always comes up with a campaign concept I never would have personally chosen yet I end up enjoying immensely so I'd have to add "something well considered that I didn't think of"

 

[Khairn]

What would really float my boat is playing a dragon rider (or almost as interesting, any aerial rider) in a dark age world where the players get to try to preserve the last traces of civilization. Maybe you could think of it as King Arthur meets dragons although I'm thinking more the gritty 5th century Arthur not the fluffy Excaliber movie type Arthur.

Oh hell yes! Dragon riding knights, keeping the light of civilization alive in an age of dark barbarism ... how can you not like that!

I'd also love to play a full campaign of Scion and Mage. I've GM'ed both and know the challenges of each system, but the epic stories that can be built from them are simply to fantastic for me to ignore.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Night Below using D&D 3.5 rules.

 

[scourger]

We had a few sessions of a Star Wars Revised (d20) all-jedi campaign that was very fun. Each of us played 2 characters, and the other player munchkined up his jedi; but it was great fun none the less. We started at 7th or 9th level, which was cool as we had plenty of Force to use for good. We were playing some module about saving a baby hutt, but I don't recall all the details now. I would love to play that again.

We also had a short-lived run of Systems Failure. It had a great setting flavor, but the Palladium rules are always a bit wonky. Once I got past the long character generation process, it was a very fun play. The GM really made the game as he slowly revealed what was happening in the post-Y2K alien invasion of the Earth. I'd like to pay that again, too.

I would also like to play any of the new 40K RPGs. Dark Heresy would be fun in the style of the Caiphas Cain novels with insouciant heroes. Rogue Trader would be fun to explore the galaxy and build a dysnasty. Deathwatch would be fun to tear through legions of heretics & aliens as a Space Marine. The 40K setting is a little too gothic for my taste, so those elements would have to downplayed for me. I would really like to use one of the character folios because they look really cool, and I like to keep a journal of my hero's actions.

Those are probably the top of the list. There are others, but they are either less likely to happen for me or less interesting overall.

 

[delericho]

Something (anything) really immersive and story-based. Too often when playing lately, I've felt that I'm not playing a character, I'm playing a game. (Don't know if that makes sense; I hope it does!)

The last time I can really remember being immersed in a game I've been playing was... um... probably the very first Vampire game I played in (way back in '95), or perhaps a short-lived Riddle of Steel game I played in '01ish.

I don't think the system matters too much; it's mostly down to the DM and the other players. That said, I suspect it might be easier in a more rules-lite game and minus the various components that have come to surround newer games (minis, tokens, cards, tiles...).

(If I am picking a game/setting, I think I'd go for some Legacy Era Star Wars, an old-school D&D megadungeon (with attention paid to the realities of extended explorations underground, real factions, and the works), or something in the cyberpunk genre.)

 

[Gilladian]

I would love to play a Mouse Guard campaign. With a really competent and innovative DM, I think it would be an absolute blast.

I've also always wanted to play a Space 1889 campaign. Wouldn't have to be those rules, but a steam-punky Vernish setting with travel through the solar system, steamy Venus, dry Mars, etc... would just be FUN!