What system for...

[Reynard]

Rather than necro my old thread on the topic (mostly because I could not find it with a search), I wanted bring back the general discussion on what game systems to choose for certain ideas.

I tend to run a lot of different kinds of ideas and games, becasue when I run at cons I do self contained 3 to 5 session mini-campaigns in a bespoke setting/world. I rarely return to the same idea (although is has happened a couple times in the last 10 years of doing it), so I am often searching for the right system for the idea -- and one I think i can get people to sign up for at the con. But occassionalyl it is also just wondering what RPG to use for a new campaign or specific project.

So, this thread is for people who want to get suggestions on what game system to pair with a specific idea. or, vice versa. Or to offer suggestions. I'm not a cop, you do you.

 

[Reynard]

The idea I am trying to find a system for right now is a publication project, so off the bat I need a system that is Open or at least has easy and free license.

Working Title: Cold Open

Broad Strokes: all the PCs are individuals that chose cryogenic preservation. In the far future, they awake from their frozen sleep deep in the bowels of the facility. They are hunted by the cannibal Thawed, must contend with weird mutations and terrible security malfunction, and find their way out of the facility into an unknown future.

Key features: This adventure must be completely self contained, rule wise. It is meant to be opened by the GM and for play to start immediately. Characters will be generated or revealed during play, as players assigns stats and skills and define who their survivor was (as their memoires slowly return). Plus mutations! In the end, characters that curvive and escape would be level 1 (or the equivalent thereof) in a theoretical follow up adventure on the surface.

This is an idea of I have used a couple times in a much more limited fashion, but I am finally ready to make it into a product -- mostly because I want to see how the "completely self contained" thing goes.

What system do you think would work? I am considering Sahdowdark, Mork Borg, LevelUp, 5E, BRP and Dragonbane, but I am sure there are other appropriate ideas. Is DCC/MCC an Open game?

 

[payn]

The idea I am trying to find a system for right now is a publication project, so off the bat I need a system that is Open or at least has easy and free license.

Working Title: Cold Open

Broad Strokes: all the PCs are individuals that chose cryogenic preservation. In the far future, they awake from their frozen sleep deep in the bowels of the facility. They are hunted by the cannibal Thawed, must contend with weird mutations and terrible security malfunction, and find their way out of the facility into an unknown future.

Key features: This adventure must be completely self contained, rule wise. It is meant to be opened by the GM and for play to start immediately. Characters will be generated or revealed during play, as players assigns stats and skills and define who their survivor was (as their memoires slowly return). Plus mutations! In the end, characters that curvive and escape would be level 1 (or the equivalent thereof) in a theoretical follow up adventure on the surface.

This is an idea of I have used a couple times in a much more limited fashion, but I am finally ready to make it into a product -- mostly because I want to see how the "completely self contained" thing goes.

What system do you think would work? I am considering Sahdowdark, Mork Borg, LevelUp, 5E, BRP and Dragonbane, but I am sure there are other appropriate ideas. Is DCC/MCC an Open game?

Pandorum? I'd consider an adaption of Alien by Free League. I could see the threat mechanics working well along cinematic mode.

 

[Reynard]

Pandorum? I'd consider an adaption of Alien by Free League. I could see the threat mechanics working well along cinematic mode.

There is YZE SRD, but I have not looked at it in.depth enough to know which additional mechanics are in it.

 

[dbm]

Characters will be generated or revealed during play, as players assigns stats and skills and define who their survivor was (as their memoires slowly return). Plus mutations!

That says OpenQuest to me, or a similarly flexible system like Fate.

 

[dragoner]

The idea I am trying to find a system for right now is a publication project, so off the bat I need a system that is Open or at least has easy and free license.

Working Title: Cold Open

Broad Strokes: all the PCs are individuals that chose cryogenic preservation. In the far future, they awake from their frozen sleep deep in the bowels of the facility. They are hunted by the cannibal Thawed, must contend with weird mutations and terrible security malfunction, and find their way out of the facility into an unknown future.

Key features: This adventure must be completely self contained, rule wise. It is meant to be opened by the GM and for play to start immediately. Characters will be generated or revealed during play, as players assigns stats and skills and define who their survivor was (as their memoires slowly return). Plus mutations! In the end, characters that curvive and escape would be level 1 (or the equivalent thereof) in a theoretical follow up adventure on the surface.

This is an idea of I have used a couple times in a much more limited fashion, but I am finally ready to make it into a product -- mostly because I want to see how the "completely self contained" thing goes.

What system do you think would work? I am considering Sahdowdark, Mork Borg, LevelUp, 5E, BRP and Dragonbane, but I am sure there are other appropriate ideas. Is DCC/MCC an Open game?

This is a scenario for Metamorphosis Alpha, except as clones, iirc. TBH with modern systems, I don't know them enough to run it. It is interesting though.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

The idea I am trying to find a system for right now is a publication project, so off the bat I need a system that is Open or at least has easy and free license.

Working Title: Cold Open

Broad Strokes: all the PCs are individuals that chose cryogenic preservation. In the far future, they awake from their frozen sleep deep in the bowels of the facility. They are hunted by the cannibal Thawed, must contend with weird mutations and terrible security malfunction, and find their way out of the facility into an unknown future.

Key features: This adventure must be completely self contained, rule wise. It is meant to be opened by the GM and for play to start immediately. Characters will be generated or revealed during play, as players assigns stats and skills and define who their survivor was (as their memoires slowly return). Plus mutations! In the end, characters that curvive and escape would be level 1 (or the equivalent thereof) in a theoretical follow up adventure on the surface.

This is an idea of I have used a couple times in a much more limited fashion, but I am finally ready to make it into a product -- mostly because I want to see how the "completely self contained" thing goes.

What system do you think would work? I am considering Sahdowdark, Mork Borg, LevelUp, 5E, BRP and Dragonbane, but I am sure there are other appropriate ideas. Is DCC/MCC an Open game?

It sounds like a Mothership adventure to me with variant character creation (easy to do with Mothership), to be honest.

And Mothership has a particularly thriving market in 3PP self-contained adventures. If you haven't looked at Mothership, I would definitely do so for this.

 

[innerdude]

Ironsworn: Starforged.

Starforged would handle this in a breeze, other than you'd need to create an Asset for each mutation just to give it some groundwork functionality, but the basis of them can all be handled through in-narrative fiction + the assigning of an asset card.


Licensing is open, even for derivative commercial.

Licensing

Tomkin Press provides an open creator's license for games such as Ironsworn, Starforged, Delve, and Sundered Isles.

tomkinpress.com

 

[Tonguez]

The idea I am trying to find a system for right now is a publication project, so off the bat I need a system that is Open or at least has easy and free license.

Working Title: Cold Open

Broad Strokes: all the PCs are individuals that chose cryogenic preservation. In the far future, they awake from their frozen sleep deep in the bowels of the facility. They are hunted by the cannibal Thawed, must contend with weird mutations and terrible security malfunction, and find their way out of the facility into an unknown future.

Key features: This adventure must be completely self contained, rule wise. It is meant to be opened by the GM and for play to start immediately. Characters will be generated or revealed during play, as players assigns stats and skills and define who their survivor was (as their memoires slowly return). Plus mutations! In the end, characters that curvive and escape would be level 1 (or the equivalent thereof) in a theoretical follow up adventure on the surface.

This is an idea of I have used a couple times in a much more limited fashion, but I am finally ready to make it into a product -- mostly because I want to see how the "completely self contained" thing goes.

What system do you think would work? I am considering Sahdowdark, Mork Borg, LevelUp, 5E, BRP and Dragonbane, but I am sure there are other appropriate ideas. Is DCC/MCC an Open game?

Fate - start with just one background Skill/Approach and add new aspects, skills/approaches through gameplay. Use stunts for mutations

 

[Reynard]

Ironsworn: Starforged.

Starforged would handle this in a breeze, other than you'd need to create an Asset for each mutation just to give it some groundwork functionality, but the basis of them can all be handled through in-narrative fiction + the assigning of an asset card.


Licensing is open, even for derivative commercial.

Licensing

Tomkin Press provides an open creator's license for games such as Ironsworn, Starforged, Delve, and Sundered Isles.

tomkinpress.com

One of these days I need to run a Ironsworn or Starforged game as a GM and see how it goes. i really like the system.