Should PCs from different RPGs be allowed to meet?

[GMMichael]

There could be an easy cheat method in the event that PCs want to square off, and no PCs are overly competitive:

PCs choose one option each round: effect or progress. If the character has a non-injurious attack or spell, its effect applies from the action. Otherwise, roll a d8 to see how much progress you make toward disabling another PC. Effects last until your next turn or until they grant a bonus/progress die to another PC. Set max progress to taste - depends on how long PCs expect to be in combat.

It's a little meatier than rock-paper-scissors, and "allows" use of cool abilities/attacks, but it pretty much eliminates attack/damage/armor proficiency. Is it any better than full conversion of one set of PCs to another game system, though?

 

[overgeeked]

Why not? You’re running them as NPCs on both sides, so it shouldn’t matter at all.

 

[J.Quondam]

Yes, but only if they agree to meet under a neutral, third party rules system.
I suggest chess.

 

[Blue Orange]

Seems like it would be easier with one of these universal settingless systems...they used to use GURPS, I think now the preferred ones are FATE and Savage Worlds?

Nevertheless it does present all kinds of interesting possibilities for one shots.

"The star spawn of Cthulhu bursts from the ship, its claws crushing it into a shower of splinters!"

"I cast Fireball."

 

[billd91]

There's been a tradition of this in gaming for a long time - just take a look at the 1e DMG (if available) and its references to crossovers from Gamma World and Boot Hill. So, I'd say, "Why not?" Just be prepared in case things go pear-shaped and the encounter doesn't go completely peacefully. That doesn't mean a full conversion from one game system to another as much as some kind of thought given to how you'd handle it if hands were thrown.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I'm running two games with different RPGs and had a thought: I can increase my prep efficiency if I have only one setting to develop instead of two. This can extend to PCs in one game becoming NPCs in the other. But what if one set of PCs gets really involved with the PCs of the other game? What if they want to adventure together? Will it cause a fissure in fantasy spacetime? Can they meet and just socialize? Fight each other? Hunt monsters together? The Rule of Cool says yes. What do you say?

If they adventure together you just run that in a third system!

ETA: or you just put together a barebones roleplaying system with 2d6 and a success ladder. If a character does something they’re supposed to be good at, they roll 3d6 and keep the 2 higher dice. If it’s soemthing that is especially hard or niche or whatever and they have no experience or training, do the opposite, otherwise it’s a flat roll.

Their character sheet from their native system should still serve to tell them what they’re good at,

 

[dragoner]

Yes, follow the Rule of Cool, when possible.

 

[payn]

West Marches style seems suited to this kind of play.

 

[aramis erak]

Seems like it would be easier with one of these universal settingless systems...they used to use GURPS, I think now the preferred ones are FATE and Savage Worlds?

While GURPS is dying, 'taint dead yet. In addition to Fate and SavW, Hero System and BRP are fairly well known and used, Genesys is mostly used by fans of FFG Star Wars (you can use whichever of the two's dice you have).

Several smaller ones have rabid fanbases, too - CORPS, EABA, Plainlabel, Cortex Prime, Cortex Plus Hacker's Guide.

Then there are the systems using an Adapted Core mentality - each setting is a separate core, tweaked a bit for the various settings... 1983-1994 or so BRP, Palladium, Pre 1990 Hero System, FFG Star Wars, WEG d6, GDW's House Engine (Twilight 2000 v2.x, Dark Conspiracy, Cadilacs and Dinosaurs, Traveller: the New Era), White Wolf's old WoD, most d20 system games...

When all the games in a system have serious tweaks, it can be a crossover issue, such as with the Chaosium BRP lines of the 80s... You had

• Worlds of Wonder - the 1981 rules-light core, plus three setting books
• RuneQuest 3e (released via Avalon Hill and Games Workshop)
• ElfQuest
• Stormbringer/Elric! (Name change across editions)
• Ringworld
• Call of Cthulhu
• Worlds Beyond (started unlicensed, ended licensed, IIUC)
• another Moorcock themed one

Each did magic a bit different.... Characters could be popped across easily - provided you just used their existing skillsets...

GDW was less consistent...

• Space 1889 - first draft of the House Engine... not coherent with rest of lines
• Twilight 2000 2e... 1d10 < skill, most careers active duty military
• Twilight 2000 2.2e 1d20 <(skill + att). same careers and skill levels.
• Dark Conspiracy 1e 1d10 < skill, most careers civilian
• Dark Conspiracy 1.2 moves to the 1d20 version
• Cadilacs and Dinosaurs - mechanics 1d10 version, but char gen totally different
• Traveller: the New Era - 1d20<(stat+skill), slightly different att range, (2d6-1 instead of 2d6-2 min 1), slower skill acquisition, different careers.

Excepting Space 1889, they were all gear compatibles.
T2k and DC were combinable, being essentially the same mechanics in subeditions, but with military hardware galore in T2K, and psionics and monsters in DC.
TTNE characters are less broadly skilled, until you consider the slightly broader skills.
Note that the change to 1d20 was made first in the GM screen... then in later printings of the books.
Caddies and dinos was template+some skill levels, in a manner drawn from Space 1889, but was otherwise mechanically T2K and DC 1.0 compatible
Space 1889 was d6 only, and had 3 different resolution methods in one edition...

The interoperability issue has some serious issues in various games.

 

[aramis erak]

Their character sheet from their native system should still serve to tell them what they’re good at,

Only if you know the core mechanics of the game...
For example, If I say Fred the Gunslinger is Pistols 75 and rifles 55, and his buddy Dobby Deadeye is Pistols 50 and rifles 50, both Dex 17...
who's the better shot?

Spoiler: Hint: Game system

Aces & Eights

Spoiler: Answer

Dobby. The system is roll high, and gives you the failure chance, not the success chance