Which of These Appeals to You More?

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Which of these appeals to you more? What combinations are you interested in? There are 50 total options and you can vote for up to 20 of them. But I am more interested in your comments about what you like, why you like it and what combinations would you like to explore in a RPG.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

I right off the bat grab the first nine on the list, then add Weird Fantasy, Pulp Fantasy, Dying Earth, Fairy Tale and Folklore, Alternate History, CrossWorlds Fantasy, Mythic Fantasy, Swashbuckling Fantasy, Dystopian Fantasy, Survival Horror, and Some Mix which lets me pick several more from the list.

My thing is I like fiction from almost the whole list. I like the idea of a post apocalytic world with a mix of medieval fantasy and Gamma World style - which to me is a good description of OD&D, after all where did all those weird monsters come from anyway. All a result of the apocalypse.

All the undead - survival horror.

Big fan of alternate history and CrossWorlds Fantasy/Portal Fantasy. Love me some Swashbuckling and Pirates.

It is kind of the Kitchen Sink Approach or the Community Stew Approach, where you use whatever you have and anything you have at the moment.

[mao]

Nov 9, 2022 12:20:08 GMT -5 The Perilous Dreamer said:

Which of these appeals to you more? What combinations are you interested in? There are 50 total options and you can vote for up to 20 of them. But I am more interested in your comments about what you like, why you like it and what combinations would you like to explore in a RPG.

I put on  hats metaphorically.dark,gritty, starvation

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Nov 9, 2022 16:36:20 GMT -5 mao said:

Nov 9, 2022 12:20:08 GMT -5 The Perilous Dreamer said:

Which of these appeals to you more? What combinations are you interested in? There are 50 total options and you can vote for up to 20 of them. But I am more interested in your comments about what you like, why you like it and what combinations would you like to explore in a RPG.

I put on  hats metaphorically.dark,gritty, starvation

Why don't you unpack that a little more.

[simrion]

I voted other because just about all appeal to me in some manner, with the exception of anthropomorphic. I'm just not into "fuzzies..."

[River Man]

Nov 9, 2022 18:59:36 GMT -5 simrion said:

I voted other because just about all appeal to me in some manner, with the exception of anthropomorphic. I'm just not into "fuzzies..."

I was not thinking of those, but of the RedWall books, they are anthropomorphic, not fuzzies or furries or any of that stuff.

The series chronicles the adventures of the anthropomorphic animals inhabiting Redwall Abbey and the surrounding countryside of Mossflower Wood, including mice, moles, hares, badgers, and other woodland species. Frequently the peace-loving creatures of Mossflower are called upon to become warriors to defend themselves from marauding bands of "vermin" such as rats, weasels, and foxes.

The novels in the series are set in many periods in the fictional history of Redwall and Mossflower; the chronological order of the stories is not the same as the order in which they were written, some taking place before the construction of Redwall Abbey itself or in far-flung locations beyond Mossflower. Some of the books focus on characters who, in other volumes, are legendary historical figures, such as The Legend of Luke. Because of the widely spaced storylines, very few characters are mentioned in more than one or two novels. One notable exception is Martin the Warrior, one of the founders of Redwall Abbey, whose adventures are chronicled in several of the novels and who is frequently mentioned as an icon of heroism who inspires later Redwall denizens, occasionally appearing to them as a spiritual vision.

Despite the changing historical setting and absence of recurring characters, familiar character archetypes recur throughout the books, often characters in tribe-specific leadership roles, such the Badger Lords, the Skipper of Otters, or the shrew tribe leader "Log-a-Log". Other recurring elements include "Dibbuns" (the Redwall name for infant woodlanders) and detailed descriptions of food.

Although the main setting is an abbey, and several characters are referred to as monks, friars, etc., the series makes little mention of religious beliefs or practices. Early novels establish a St. Ninian's church near Redwall Abbey, but a later novel portrays that as a misnomer for a building that was never a church.

The Redwall novels are characterized as fantasy, but contain little in the way of magic or the supernatural, apart from the anthropomorphism of the animal characters. The sword of Martin the Warrior is believed by many characters to be magical, and vermin occasionally try to steal it for this reason; Mossflower reveals that it was forged from a fragment of a meteorite at the volcanic fortress Salamandastron by the Badger Lord known as Boar the Fighter. The role of "monsters" in the novels is played not by mythical creatures, but by real-world predators such as adders, sharks, and wolverines.

In the Redwall universe, species almost invariably (with very few exceptions, including change of character mid-story) determines a creature's nature, whether good or evil. Some common noble species in Redwall include mice, otters, moles, hares, squirrels, hedgehogs, shrews, birds, voles, and badgers, while common vermin include rats, foxes, weasels, ferrets, ravens, snakes, stoats, ermine, sables, wildcats, magpies, rooks, and crows. However, many other varieties of species also make appearances throughout the novels as well. Dormice also appear sometimes but are rarely major characters. On numerous occasions it mentions seals, whose language makes little sense to other creatures; also bank voles on numerous occasions, usually as a "good" character but once as an evil character. Twice, in Mattimeo and Loamhedge, there is a creature, apparently half weasel and half ferret, called a Wearet, while the book The Rogue Crew features a (purportedly) half-weasel and half-rat Wearat as its principal villain. Pine martens have been featured in three books, once as the main villain and twice in the service of a wildcat. Several reptiles are also mentioned, such as adders, other snakes, and lizards. Amphibians like toads and frogs have been featured also, and are depicted as lower creatures that live in more basic tribal systems and usually serve not as the primary villains but as secondary distractions to heroes. Pikes can be found throughout the books, inhabiting rivers, and also acting as a secondary distraction. Sharks have been known to attack ships, one instance can be found in Triss. There are also some creatures that have only been mentioned once or twice (e.g., wolf, beaver, turtle, whale, wolverine, sable, tortoise, golden hamster, bats, monitor lizards, polecats, and in the first book horses, pigs, dogs and cows). Crows and other Corvus birds also appear on numerous occasions, usually being vicious and territorial. Other birds such as owls, herons, red-tailed hawks, and eagles are mentioned, some having major parts in books, including in Mattimeo when a raven named General Ironbeak manages to invade and almost conquers Redwall Abbey with his army of rooks. In Martin the Warrior, a group of squirrels called the Gawtrybe are presented as villains, though squirrels are usually considered "good" and the Gawtrybe end up aiding the heroes during the final battle.

Redwall Wiki

[simrion]

Yeah, sorry...Redwall never appealed to me either. I prefer my animals animal-like not human-like. As mentioned in a different (Traveller) thread here animals being presented like furry humans just isn't my cup of tea. YMMV.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

I *think* I'll have plenty to say on several of these; let me gather my thoughts..

[hengest]

I put S&S, Standard Medieval Fantasy, Ancient Fantasy, Fairy Tale and Folklore, and Mythic Fantasy. (Nothing against the other choices)

Sword and Sorcery: I like the feel of what I know, the atmosphere of endless adventuring in a world of physical and magical strength, or at least with the possibility of same.

Standard Medieval Fantasy: I assume this means D&D-ish, although I think of it as standard magicless medieval world as seen by moderns, with elements of real medieval world, plus maybe fantasy-style magic. I like this very much.

Ancient Fantasy: I have not seen so much of this, but I assume this means classical world (ancient Greece, Rome, maybe other ancient civs, including Very Old England maybe). I also like sub-Roman fantasy (the Romans are recently gone and our original world is creeping back in).

Fairy Tale and Folklore: what is folklore? Ancient stories that have been passed down until they are mostly considered fare for children as they have been pushed out of the adult world. Of course I am into this.

Mythic Fantasy: Again, I am not sure what this officially involves. I imagine a variety of fantasy where seriously mythical, "deep" processes are active and visible. Unplayable at that level, but PCs who exist in another "Aspect" of reality could certainly observe such. Perhaps continued creation of the world, continents being raised up, etc.

[mao]

Nov 9, 2022 18:44:28 GMT -5 The Perilous Dreamer said:

Nov 9, 2022 16:36:20 GMT -5 mao said:

I put on  hats metaphorically.dark,gritty, starvation

Why don't you unpack that a little more.

I don't really mix these. If I am running a lovecraft game, that's it. Action is just action....

[dilvish]

Give me the pirates and swashbuckling action or the dystopian post apocalyptic nightmares.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

I've been intrigued by POST-APOCALYPTIC GAMMA WORLD STYLE material from a young age.  The imagery of a war-torn landscape and devastated ruins captured my imagination from as far back as when I watched Thundarr the Barbarian as a young boy. 



It's also why I am a big fan of the RIFTS rpg.  Exploring apocalyptic ruins in search of treasure in the form of old equipment, books, or some other form of knowledge shares many of the same basic ideas with dungeon crawling.



I was also the first student to read Children of the Dust by Louis Lawrence. The novel involves events when the nuclear war starts, shortly after, and years later.  I've read several post-apocalyptic novels since but this one seems to have stuck with me the most.  I've also enjoyed other PA games such as CAR WARS and the FALLOUT computer game series.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

I dig STEAMPUNK but I don't prefer the typical Victorian era it uses as a setting.  I prefer steampunk fantasy because it aligns better with my tastes. With that in mind, my favorite steampunk game is SteamCraft from Perilous Journeys Publishing.  Besides, you can't get much cooler than a steampunk Beholder for a monster, right?

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Nov 12, 2022 16:33:53 GMT -5 The Semi-Retired Gamer said:

I've been intrigued by POST-APOCALYPTIC GAMMA WORLD STYLE material from a young age.  The imagery of a war-torn landscape and devastated ruins captured my imagination from as far back as when I watched Thundarr the Barbarian as a young boy. 

It's also why I am a big fan of the RIFTS rpg.  Exploring apocalyptic ruins in search of treasure in the form of old equipment, books, or some other form of knowledge shares many of the same basic ideas with dungeon crawling.


I was also the first student to read Children of the Dust by Louis Lawrence. The novel involves events when the nuclear war starts, shortly after, and years later.  I've read several post-apocalyptic novels since but this one seems to have stuck with me the most.  I've also enjoyed other PA games such as CAR WARS and the FALLOUT computer game series.

Love that image. I will have to find Children of the Dust, sounds like my kind of book.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

CONAN is one of my favorite SWORD AND SORCERY works.  It started with the 1982 CONAN The Barbarian movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger.  I watched it at the drive-in theater on a movie night with my family.  I would find out later that it wasn't exactly "book perfect" but it's probably the best of the three live action films that have been made.  



The 1982 Conan film was the first step.  At Christmas in another year or two I received a boxed set of CONAN pastiches that were credited to Carter, de Camp, and Howard.  I must have read The Hyborian Age included in this book series numerous times.  I found it intriguing and always felt inspired to work on D&D stuff after reading bits of it.  I always enjoyed the covers for these books.



Finally, I would read RED NAILS later on and discover CONAN in his pure form.  I've read the first 3 books and I really need to get the latest collected works at some time.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

Nov 12, 2022 19:55:38 GMT -5 The Perilous Dreamer said:

Nov 12, 2022 16:33:53 GMT -5 The Semi-Retired Gamer said:

I've been intrigued by POST-APOCALYPTIC GAMMA WORLD STYLE material from a young age.  The imagery of a war-torn landscape and devastated ruins captured my imagination from as far back as when I watched Thundarr the Barbarian as a young boy. 

It's also why I am a big fan of the RIFTS rpg.  Exploring apocalyptic ruins in search of treasure in the form of old equipment, books, or some other form of knowledge shares many of the same basic ideas with dungeon crawling.


I was also the first student to read Children of the Dust by Louis Lawrence. The novel involves events when the nuclear war starts, shortly after, and years later.  I've read several post-apocalyptic novels since but this one seems to have stuck with me the most.  I've also enjoyed other PA games such as CAR WARS and the FALLOUT computer game series.

Love that image. I will have to find Children of the Dust, sounds like my kind of book.

The Perilous Dreamer I think you'd like it.  I read it in the 4th or 5th grade and I've read it twice as an adult.  I need to just buy a copy because I would actually like to read it again.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

If the only thing that REH wrote was the short essay The Hyborian Age, that alone would have made him a idea maker of note.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

Nov 12, 2022 20:12:33 GMT -5 The Perilous Dreamer said:

If the only thing that REH wrote was the short essay The Hyborian Age, that alone would have made him a idea maker of note.

That is 100% spot on!

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

I have very little experience with BIOPUNK but I have bought one game, SANCTIONS made by a friend of mine, Liam Thompson.  The game setting is the year 2086.  Biotechnology has grown to prominent use and the world is basically a wreck from nuclear war with toxic fog, climate change, and mutations.  People have gathered in gigantic walled plexes that house the last remnants of humanity. Your character is a sanctioned operator that deals with threats and performs missions. There are currently two books available at lulu - Sanctions RPG and the Sanctions: Ops & Admin in print or pdf.  A pdf of the core rules is also available from Purple Crayon Games at DriveThruRPG.  Finally, he also offers up the underlying rules system for use by others.  


CORE-6.pdf version 1.odt (424.87 KB)


CORE-6.pdf version 1.pdf (314.8 KB)

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Nov 13, 2022 8:17:15 GMT -5 The Semi-Retired Gamer said:

I have very little experience with BIOPUNK but I have bought one game, SANCTIONS made by a friend of mine, Liam Thompson.  The game setting is the year 2086.  Biotechnology has grown to prominent use and the world is basically a wreck from nuclear war with toxic fog, climate change, and mutations.  People have gathered in gigantic walled plexes that house the last remnants of humanity. Your character is a sanctioned operator that deals with threats and performs missions. There are currently two books available at lulu - Sanctions RPG and the Sanctions: Ops & Admin in print or pdf.  A pdf of the core rules is also available from Purple Crayon Games at DriveThruRPG.  Finally, he also offers up the underlying rules system for use by others.  


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I will have to take a look at these.

[oldskolgmr]

What day is it? 

I really like a lot of different settings. 
Most of the Sci-fi stuff I like has a post-apocalyptic vibe. The Morrow Project (never played), Metamorphosis Alpha (or most Jim Ward Sci-fi), HawkMoon (I sold this with all my other games 15 years age, and I'm still kicking myself about it).
Fantasy, I love mostly deep settings like RuneQuest's Glorantha, and (formerly) MAR Barker's Tekumel (nothing really ever comes close to Tekumel, though). Equally, I love Arduin with it's Crazy, gonzo, over the top stuff, and new simple games Cairn, Crystal Frontiers, Weird West, and other mini games off of Itch.io 
Super Hero games. Marvel Super Heros (aka FASERIP), and TMNT. 
Fudge seems like a fun system, I've thought of running GateCrasher several times.
Tunnels & Trolls is/was great fun, and I'd like to Play more Monsters! Monsters! at some point.
Whoa! pant, pant, sigh.
 

<EDIT. I'm now in a OD&D game set in the Crystal Frontier, and a floating game of Marvel Super Heroes (FASERIP). I'm planning on running an Arduin game in the near future.>