Would You Play In This Game?

[Jake of Spades]

Hey guys, thanks for all the answers. I really have no idea what system I'd use, but I was more just curious about if the setting/hook sounded interesting. And yea, I do think it would be a good idea to let the players in on the fact that magic exists yet just have them role play the surprise. Also, the "newfound friends and protectors" I think would actually be better off as just NPCs that I'd try and get the PCs to be friends with, but if the PCs don't take, then I'll drop it. But in my initial concept those people were the ones who bring them to Asia-equivalent. Thanks again for the feedback!

 

[LostSoul]

"Fish out of water" scenario, eh? I don't know if I've ever played in one.

It could be interesting. You'd have to make it clear that's what the game is about - saying things like, "Yeah, there's a magic system, but I am not going to show you the rules until you learn them in-game." And: "You guys will start off pretty normal, but soon enough you'll be wrapped-up in all sorts of strange situations that you don't understand. That's what the game is about, and if you don't like that, this game won't be for you."

It could be difficult to DM, because you'd have to come up with all sorts of strange but interesting and internally-consistent things for the players (not just the PCs!) to explore. That's a big challenge.

I think that you will really want to play on the fact that the players don't know things. Don't pick a system that has things like Knowledge checks. That will ruin the fun of exploring your strange and awesome setting!

Fate or Fudge might be a good system to go with; customizable enough so you can hide the actual rules from the players until they discover them in game.

 

[Herobizkit]

One thing I debated on trying with a campaign is completely "video game-y" but in the context, might make sense.

Have your intrepid PCs be humans, explorers, and have them set sail for uncharted waters and such until they make landfall in your pseudo-China. Once (If?) they make peaceful contact and spend some time there, they can "unlock" a new "playable race/class".

But first, have them play out a level or three in the non-magic side of things to get them used to not having magic. Once they're used to resting for HP, using traps, missile weapons etc. to deal with their enemies and what have you, THEN send them off to Shangri-La. THEN tell them, say, "you've spent xyz time in this magic-rich world and it's rubbed off you; you find a new power waiting to be tapped..." and now they can multi-class into a spell-casting class if they want. Or, if you're really, really generous, you can allow PC's to retire their characters and make new ones with the new race/class.

 

[delericho]

Well, I don't do play by post, but other than that, sure I'd give it a go.

My policy is that I'll play any game that one of my group cares to run. Of course, if the game sucks, I reserve the right to say so!

(There are a couple of things in your description that trigger my "this game may suck" sense, as others have mentioned. However, I wouldn't damn the game sight-unseen because of those. It all depends on the presentation.)

 

[hopeless]

Trade and adventure in the Far east?

You know you could just have them assigned as protection for an ambassador sailing to the far east and when they get there then reveal that both magic and other races exist after all just because they stay away from such "barbaric" regions doesn't necessarily mean such things don't exist just that they've never been recognised as such.

You could even eventually reveal that their experiences in the far east better prepare them for their return where you discover that these long discarded notions have been irreparably shattered as enemies invade their homeland and with their homes at risk and their people unprepared for such a revelation the PCs become the best hope for their homeland's survival and adapting to what is really going on.

Of course you could easily have a sequel for this where they head to the far West and encounter something far more primal with the excuse that they're viewed as incurably infected by their eastern experiences and are sent so their former allies in their homeland can restore normalcy as best as they can...

 

[Haltherrion]

I would need to know more before committing but on the pitch as presented, no I would not play in it.

Some thoughts so that might help hone your pitch for players:

• Being human only is somewhat restrictive (less so in a very human centric world like yours). It wouldn't bother me in this particular setting.
• What does "at least to start, could not use magic" mean? PCs can't use magic items initially? Or PCs could eventually add spellcaster class levels (or the equiv in the selected system)?
• Being surprised to find magic and non-humans in the capital city's "china town" sounds wrong to me. If there was such an enclave in a major city, seems like its presence would be well known throughout the land. It might be very distorted but some information should be known. Complete surprise seems implausible. Remember prospective players are assessing your suitability as a ref; you want to make everything in the pitch feel well thought out.
• Restricting NPCs to non-human and magic use would make me nervous as a player. I would be worried about the referee making most of the foes have access to magic and abilities that we can't touch. It could be handled okay but it could also be very irritating if not handled well. "We kill the bag guy" Ref: "He teleports before the killing lands." Players: "That's the 3rd time something like that has happened."
• I would want to know more about healing in this system. Is non-magic healing boosted to compensate? Most fantasy game systems are tuned to lots of magic healing. Leave everything else the same and remove the healing and the game can be very frustrating for the players. It can also push the pace to a crawl if the players get hyper cautious in the absence of healing.

In the end, the biggest sticking point for me is that I play fantasy games for the magic. In the hands of a referee I trusted, I would try this out. This could be a game much more like your typical fantasy novel (LOTR for sure) which has a lot less magic in it than your typical D&D game. But it could also prove to be a frustrating game if either characters seem too much alike (since they are all human warrior types) and/or the fantasy elements that exist serve more as foils to the PCs. Also, there is the risk the ref will abandon this campaign if it doesn't work out or he hasn't thought this through very well (thus my comment on the "china town" aspect.)

Just some thoughts; good luck. The setting is a bit different but it could be quite interesting.